Ponyhammer First Draft

Rules

Sadly, I'm a little lacking in Warhammer experience. Hopefully, that won't be true for long! AribanDeTyral's written up a lengthy ponified version inspired by the game, and he's looking for critique on his first draft. Find the rules above, break out the blind bags, and play some tabletop ponies!

Sun and Moon (Strategy Game)

Sun and Moon

Now, this isn't a video game. It's a strategy board game for two players (like chess), created by Dave Bryant. You can find the game's rules, as well as printable game boards and pieces at the link above, so you too can engage in the epic struggle between celestial and lunar. It's simple to learn, but offers many strategic intricacies that could make matches of Sun and Moon true battles of wits. You can find a bit more info after the break...

Sun and Moon shares similarities with chess-like games like xiangqi or shogi. It itself, however, is rather unique in design. The gameboard features 12 circles rotated about the center point, and 5 concentric circles to form the paths of travel for each player's soldiers, with representations of the sun, moon, and earth forming the "heavenly bodies."

The Gameboard (with Notation Markings)

A player takes the side of one of the two royal pony sisters to determine whether sun or moon will rise victorious. Each side has 13 soldiers - 4 earth ponies, 4 pegasi, 4 unicorns, and 1 princess. Each of these unit types has it's own way of moving and capturing pieces. To win the match, a player must force their opponent's princess into a position where she may not make a legal move to escape being captured. This is called "banishment" (akin to checkmate in chess), and the winning princess prevails.

Sun and Moon is very interesting in concept, and provides many opportunities for the employment of strategy. It's still being tweaked at the moment, but I can definitely see this game eventually becoming a niche staple. Pretty soon, we'll have to establish a governing body to rank the various grandmaster-caliber players which are sure to appear! 

MLP: Roleplaying Is Magic Seeking Team Members

As season 3 draws ever closer, the MLP: RiM team is gearing up for the release of their next edition, and they're looking for more of you brilliant pen-and-paper gamers to help them out. I suppose I'll just let Tall Tail tell you about it himself - have some copypasta, after the break!

Hay, everypony!

Tall Tail here.

Well, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic’s third season is coming up (at some point), which means that it won’t be too long before the Season Three Edition (or “S3E”) of My Little Pony: Roleplaying is Magic is underway! We’ve been hard at work for the last few months, designing and redesigning the system, iterating and incorporating the invaluable feedback we’ve been getting from our awesome community! We’ve got big plans for S3E, and we need your help to make them a reality! The MLP:RiM Team is looking to expand our little herd with hard-working, dedicated people who are seeking a way to use their talents to contribute to the brony community, and add some marketable experience to their resume’ in the process, by working as part of an established team on a high-quality product.

For more information and to find out what we're looking for, follow the link below! Thanks, everypony!

The MLP:RiM Team is Looking to Expand Our Herd!

Your faithful game designer,

-Tall Tail

MLP: Roleplaying is Magic Seeking Testing Groups for S4e

Information & Application Page

The dedicated team behind MLP: Roleplaying is Magic is gearing up for the Season 4 edition of their popular tabletop system! Seems like just the other day they were releasing Season 3.

Right now, the team's seeking applications for groups of play-testers interested in playing the game as it develops and skyping in some feedback. If that sounds like you, hit them up with an application!

TCG: As I Recall

 As I Recall: Friendship is Magic Download Instructions

AIR:FiM Wiki

The card games are multiplying! Just a few weeks ago, they were practically off my radar. 

As I Recall: Friendship is Magic is set in a universe where Equestria has been blasted out of existence. As a human, you must use your memories of characters and events within the show (represented by cards) to restore Equestria to the way it used to be. 

To play, each player must first build a deck (ideally, one affiliated with a certain Element of Harmony) from the 360+ cards provided. At the beginning of the game, players must build up their supplies of the Elements, which act as mana pools and enable them to play ponies and items. While hindering your opponents is a valid strategy, the game revolves around reaching the 30 harmony points needed for victory. Enjoy!

Equestria Gaming at Everfree NW

Yeah, you heard that right. Enigma and I have dipped into the vast EQG treasury and chartered a plane from  our headquarters in rural Mongolia, and thus will be seeing you all at Seattle's first annual pony convention. We'll be there all day on Sunday the 19th, and might be hanging out around the gaming room. We won't be doing any panels or interviews, just seeing the sights - so if you see us, don't hesitate to come up and say hello!

Ponified Magic the Gathering: The Complete* Round-up

I've seen plenty of ponified Magic the Gathering cards before, but I've never played the game myself. Today, I headed to DeviantArt to put together a post - and was absolutely blindsided by the scale of the game.

Below the break, I've rounded up a long list of galleries and tried to make sense of it all. I can't guarantee that every set's balanced, but I'm sure you can put together one heck of a game! Buckle up - this one's a doozy.

Large Galleries (100+ cards):

jrk08004

Cards: 250 ⋅ Organization: Categorized ⋅ Images: Show Snippets

Creatures and Artifacts ⋅ Spells and Lands ⋅ Legends are Magic ⋅ Unponied (Warning: a little strange)

The "Creatures and Artifacts" section of this gallery has one of the most complete sets of Equestrian creatures I've seen, from Ursas to Lake Turtles. The "Unponied" section contains a set of ponified anti-cards - introduce these into your game with extreme caution.

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ManaSparks

Cards: 220 ⋅ Organization: None ⋅ Images: Mostly Show, Some Fan Art

Gallery

This gallery mostly sticks to characters and plot devices directly from the show, although there are a fair number of OC pony cards thrown in. In this set, cards such as Denial, Acceptance, and Depression are treated as Creatures rather than Sorceries or Instants.

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rowcla

Cards: 400 ⋅ Organization: Faction/Categorized ⋅ Images: Mostly Fan Art, Some Show

The Solar Empire ⋅ The New Lunar Republic ⋅ Crisis Equestria ⋅ Other Stuff ⋅ Old Stuff Imbalanced

To be honest, this is probably the gem of the set. Boasting nearly four hundred cards split mainly between the Solar Empire and the New Lunar Republic, rowcla's galleries are nothing if not comprehensive. The sets focus mainly on character cards, many drawn in an endearing cartoonish style that seems to be original.

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pegasusBrohoof

Cards: 130 ⋅ Organization: Sets ⋅ Images: Show/Fan Art

Equestria ⋅ Harmony and Discord

In addition to the standard fare, this gallery includes the corrupted versions of each of the mane six - Rainbow Dash, the Betrayer; Applejack, the Unreliable; Fluttershy, Enemy of the Meek; Twilight Sparkle, Friendless; Pinkie Pie, Vicious and Suspicious; and Rarity, Posessor of All.

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Ponylude

Cards: 250 ⋅ Organization: Color ⋅ Images: Show

Mane Six ⋅ White ⋅ Blue ⋅ Black ⋅ Red ⋅ Green ⋅ Multicolored ⋅ Colorless ⋅ Lands ⋅ Basic Lands

The Ponylude set comes designed with balance and playability in mind, something which is noticeably hit or miss among even the larger card galleries. A very character-focused deck, it includes most ponies from seasons one and two - however, there are no cards related to season three, as the set was completed before the season aired.

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Shadic-X-Hedgehog

Cards: 180 ⋅ Organization: None ⋅ Images: Show

Elements of Harmony MTG

While most of the cards in this set are simple and utilitarian, it comes with a full set of the Elements of Harmony and a variety of background ponies. Plenty of Discord-related cards and land tiles for a healthy, balanced deck.

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Shards of Equestria

Cards: 260 ⋅ Organization: Color ⋅ Images: Show
White ⋅ Blue ⋅ Black ⋅ Red ⋅ Green ⋅ Hybrids & Multicolored ⋅ Artifacts & Lands

For a time, Shards of Equestria was the most promising ponified MtG set in existence, even going so far as to enable online play and have cards printed. Unfortunately, as they began efforts to distribute the set, the creators received a Cease and Desist notice that shut down the project. Fortunately, the entire library of cards still exists online!

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Shirlendra

Cards: 170 ⋅ Organization: Color/Type ⋅ Images: Show

White ⋅ Black ⋅ Red ⋅ Green ⋅ Blue ⋅ Multicolor ⋅ Planeswalkers ⋅ Artifacts ⋅ Lands ⋅ Tokens

If I had it my way, every large gallery would be as neatly organized as this one. Although this set is large and certainly impressive, it hasn't been edited quite as well as some of its peers.

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Sorden

Cards: 350 ⋅ Organization: Color/Type ⋅ Images: Show

Gallery

This expansive set is the most organized of any on this list - to such an extent that I couldn't link every gallery category. With dynamic text and art, and more lighthearted cards like That Fandom Is Fast and Animation Error, this gallery rivals rowcla's for supremacy and is my personal favorite. It even includes print sheets for those of you who want to play a ponified game but don't want to go to the trouble of printing them out yourself.

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Zhantora

Cards: 150 ⋅ Organization: Set ⋅ Images: Fan Art

Friendship the Gathering: Unseen Invasion ⋅ FtG: Finest Hour ⋅ Basic Land and Tokens

This set strikes me as one of the most MtG-esque in its titling and carefully selected fanart. It's a little darker and more serious than some of the other sets, but not without a little levity (see above.)

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Medium Galleries (30-100 cards):

ArixOrdragc:
Cards: 70
Organization: None
Images: Show/Fan Art
Gallery

Aurais:
Cards: 90
Organization: Sets
Images: Show/Fan Art
This set includes cards for many of the show's background ponies.
Set One - Equestria Disturbed

AznDemonLord:
Cards: 70
Organization: Season
Images: Show
This set includes plenty of cards relevant to individual episodes, many of which have complicated effects and paragraphs of text.
Season 1   Season 2

Grumpy-Moogle:
Cards: 30
Organization: None
Images: Show
Gallery

Kitonin:
Cards: 55
Organisation: None
Images: Show
Friendship is Magic the Gathering

Magicbronie24:
Cards: 45
Organization: None
Images: Fan Art
MTG Battle of the Gods

Nokamiso:
Cards: 70
Organization: Categorized
Images: Fan Art
This gallery's well-organized, full of pretty cards, and growing. I wouldn't be surprised to see it on the large gallery list soon.
MLP Planeswalkers   MLP Legends   Instants and Sorceries   Enchantments   Artifacts   Creatures   Lands

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Small Galleries (<30 Cards):

BlackWingStudio:
Cards: A handful
Organization: None
Images: Altered MtG
Ponified MtG cards are mixed in with card crossovers of just about every type. It's a mess, but if you're into altered cards you should check this gallery out for some ideas.
Gallery

BronyTom:
Cards: 19
Organization: Sets
Images: Show/Fan Art
Path of the Ponywalkers

EHeroFlareNeos:
Cards: ~20
Organization: None
Images: Show
This gallery's not limited to Magic the Gathering - there are Yu-Gi-Oh! and Pokemon cards as well.
Gallery

feather-chan:
Cards: 9
Organization: None
Images: Altered MtG
Gallery

Hurogmeten:
Cards: 16
Organization: None
Images: Show/Fan Art
Your basic season 1 starter set: The mane six, Princesses, CMC, and Nightmare Moon.
Gallery

Luesatora:
Cards: 24
Organization: None
Images: Show/Fan Art
This artist gets points for introducing the Bass Cannon card.
MTG Ponies

Mawbane:
Cards: 8
Organization: None
Images: Show
Equestria Set

MokasTayle:
Cards: 6
Organization: None
Images: Fan Art
Gallery

Pheldra:
Cards: 5
Organization: None
Images: Fan Art
Gallery

phyrexianrevoker:
Cards: 2
Organization: None
Images: Fan Art
Only a couple of cards here, but points for impressive original art!
Gallery

UlyssesGrant
Cards: 3
Organization: None
Images: Show
Gallery

vonBelfry
Cards: 24
Organization: None
Images: Show
Gallery

XXFoodtimeXX
Cards: 25
Organization: None
Images: Show
Handily grouped into printable sheets of 2-6.
Gallery

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Phew! That's all for today. If I've missed your favorite gallery, leave a note in the comments! I'll be updating this post over the next few days. 

Now, I can't possibly review every pony MtG set out there on my own. If you've tried one, do the rest of us a favor and put your thoughts in the comments!

MLP: Roleplaying is Magic Season 3 Edition

MLP: Roleplaying is Magic Homepage

Earlier this morning, the MLP: Roleplaying is Magic team released Season 3 of their popular pony tabletop game - the meatiest and most expansive version yet! 

For those of you intimidated by the thought of adding numbers and rolling dice, I recommend at least skimming through the 170-page, full color rulebook: the bestiary section alone is worth a read. Find the press release below the break!

Hey, everypony!
Tall Tail here, with an exciting announcement! /)^3^(\

At long, long last, after a year of development and plenty of hard work, we're finally ready to release the Season Three Edition of My Little Pony: Roleplaying is Magic!

With much more streamlined mechanics and a player-friendly d6-based system, greatly expanded content, more playable races, new pre-made adventures, a plethora of original artwork, and the same firm commitment to staying true to canon, S3E is our best edition yet, and we couldn't be prouder to present it for your enjoyment!

Head over to our website at www.MLPRiM.com to download the S3E release packet, which includes the 170+ page full-color rulebook .pdf, the stand-alone universal character sheet, and even a unique S3E GM screen you can print and assemble--a little extra something for you brave GM's out there!

Thanks, everypony! We hope you enjoy playing S3E as much as we enjoyed making it, and remember to tell us what you think by emailing me at TallTailTellsTales@gmail.com !

Your faithful game development friends,
- The Roleplaying is Magic Team

Starpony 64 (Ponified Lines)

Man, Star Fox 64 was a great game. Unfortunately, there aren't a lot of pony space shooters. Have some ponified silliness in video form!

My Little Pony: Roleplaying is Magic: Season Two Edition

My Little Pony: Roleplaying is Magic (link for both editions)

Fillies and gentlecolts!
Tall Tail here, with a special announcement:
My Little Pony: Roleplaying is Magic, Season Two Edition has launched! We've come a long way since the first season edition, and S2E will (we hope!) knock your socks off! With four playable races, a robust and open-ended character advancement system, a focus on canon while being 'fanon-friendly,' and special narratively-focused mechanics, we feel that S2E provides a truly unique and fun pen & paper roleplaying experience. Check out our website at www.mlprim.com for more information and to download the 164-page RPG rulebook in various formats (including mobile-friendly ones!), and pay a visit to our forums to connect with the community! In addition, in the next few days, we'll be launching our first giveaway of one of three limited-edition 16x20 watercolor paintings, so stay tuned!

Your faithful game designers,
~The MLP:RiM Team

Two Bronies Kickstarting a Video Game Animation Tool

Spriter (Kickstarter)

So John, you may be asking, why are you posting an animation tool on this website? No, we have not suddenly become a generic indie gaming blog, but this is something we thought that our indie developer readers might find interesting. You see, there is this amazing animation tool under development (public beta version available) called Spriter, and if you're not using/can't afford Flash and have a limited budget this tool might just fit the bill, and from the looks of it at least one of the developers is a Brony! The tool is highly optimized and has plugins under development for various engines, so you can make your game look as good as possible while using far less memory then traditional methods of video game animation. 

Now, if you go to their Kickstarter page that I above they give a far better explanation of how it works then I ever could, and you can support their project by backing it, although they already have a lot of donations. You can also visit the developer's website at http://www.brashmonkey.com/index.htm, in case you're interested in their own video game project that they're working on. At the moment Spriter is Windows-only, although they plan on adding Mac (and eventually Linux) support sometime past the release of 1.0.

EXCLUSIVE:Information about MLP:RiM Season Two Edition!

My Little Pony: Roleplaying is Magic (Season One Edition)

Remember that MLP pen & paper RPG we posted earlier? I recently got an email from the developers, and they gave me some exclusive information on the state of the Season Two rulebook, as well as some new features that should please the roleplaying crowd out there.

More about the Season Two rulebook after the break!

So, here are the revealed changes:

1. Playable Dragons! That's right, dragons are now a race in MLP:RiG, with two types: winged and flightless. Apparently dragons have different character options then ponies, and have their own special mechanics for handeling the unique challenges and strengths of being a dragon in Equestria.
2. Much, Much More Content! The season two rulebook is larger and more comprehensive then the original rulebook. The main feedback they received from players was that the season one rulebook felt more like a 'barebones system' (as one player put it) --and they were right, the rulebook was rushed somewhat to get it out before the release of season two, and it wasn't nearly as polished as it could have been. So, for Season Two they have completely re-written and expanded on the system. Season Two is currently slated to be close to the length of an average pen and paper RPG rulebook, with the (still WIP) manuscript currently four times larger then the entire Season One rulebook, and going into far more detail then the original.
3. Major Revision and Improvement! MLP:RiM -S2 will be much, much better all around then S1 was. With the time they've had (and still have) for development, they've started from the basics, and rewrote the entire game from the ground up. What worked, they kept, and what didn't work, they replaced. Players will find a plethora of new and revised content; to quote from the S2 manuscript:

"Some of the changes you'll find include new mechanics such as Energy/Courage/Fortitude--a reworked 'hit point' type system which focuses more on all aspects of becoming discouraged or damaged, an expanded spellcasting system for greater flexibility, power, and customization for Unicorn Ponies, cool new expanded flight- and weather-based abilities for Pegasus Ponies, a robust experience reward system for Earth Ponies, new mechanics for utilizing Special Purposes and Talents, new ways to use--and risk--Willpower to push your character to new heights, two types of Dragons as playable races with their own unique abilities and dangerous weaknesses, and last--but certainly not least--a fully realized system for acquiring and spending experience points to advance your character across multiple Episodes."

Whew, that was A LOT. Hope you enjoyed it!

Also, these aren't even ALL the changes, there are still many that are unannounced and/or are still being developed. Still, it's far more then I expected, and I'm sure that when it comes out MLP:RiM Season Two will be the greatest MLP pen and paper RPG ever released!

My Little Pony:Roleplaying is Magic

My Little Pony:Roleplaying is Magic

A couple months ago, a MLP pen & paper RPG by the name of "My Little Pony:Roleplaying is Magic" popped up. It was excellent, but didn't get near as much attention as it deserved. Hopefully that will soon change...

After the break you can find a brief summary of MLP:RiM by the game's creators, and a link to the game itself where you can read the manual, print it off and play it with your friends!

"My Little Pony:Roleplaying is Magic is based on both freeform roleplaying as well as concepts from other pen & paper RPGs which many veteran players will surely recognize. It has elements of World of Darkness, Unisystem, Dungeons & Dragons, Ars Magica, and Mythic, as well as several others in smaller but no less influential ways. The game is very rules-light, and uses interpretation and adaptation, rather then tables and strict rules, to determine not just the outcome of rolls, but the rolls themselves. We believe that it is better described as a "collaborative storytelling system" then as a roleplaying game system. It's not designed for dungeon diving; it's designed for storytelling."

Well, that's it for the summary. You can find the game's rulebook at https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&pid=explorer&chrome=true&srcid=0B5IFnI6cpZN4YzhiMjBiMDEtMGNlYi00OWRjLThlNjAtNDBkOGEzOTk3NjFj&hl=en_GB, along with a template character card. Now, go out and give it a try!

Parasprite Panic

Fluttershy may be undisputed best pony, but she's seriously messed things up this time. Ponyville's at the mercy of a massive parasprite swarm, and it's up to you to save the villagers! If you don't get it together quickly enough, the town and perhaps all of Equestria may fall to the pests.

Now, new board games are always a treat, but Parasprite Panic is certainly one of the most impressive we've seen in a while! More... after the break!

First, have some copypasta from the rules:

Parasprite Panic is a cooperative game. The players are on the same team and win or lose together. To win, the players must find and rescue the injured ponies of Ponyville and carry them to the Hospital. This will not be easy, as every turn the Parasprite swarm will grow larger and more dangerous. The game ends in defeat for all players if the Parasprite swarm becomes too large, too many townsfolk are lost, or Ponyville is destroyed.

At first glance, Parasprite Panic is reminiscent of the cooperative, Lovecraftian survival board game Arkham Horror. The game features an open-ended game board, which the players must traverse to heal and rescue villagers as the streets of Ponyville slowly become choked with parasprites and rubble. Mayor Mare dispenses leads from the town hall square, which direct players to injured ponies that must then be dragged to the hospital. 

For an added sense of urgency, parasprites spawn randomly around the map by dice-roll. If two like-colored parasprites spawn on a space, a Pandemic-style outbreak is triggered, and even more parasprites overflow to adjacent squares.

The game features a variety of mechanics to keep turns from getting repetitive. Each player plays as a member of the mane six and has their own unique abilities to help with the rescue effort. Players can catch parasprites, carry unconscious villagers or allies around the map, or heal them (if you're feeling generous). To make things harder, add parasprite hives to the map; for a boost, tow Spike along in your wake.

Overall, Parasprite Panic's cute, slick, show-accurate art and comprehensive rules feel enticingly professional. The game is fairly complicated - more than a step up from Monopoly - so if you don't play many board games, be prepared to spend a little longer than you're used to learning the ropes. Don't let that dissuade you, though: failing miserably can be part of the fun, too. Enjoy!

Parasprite Panic Rules
Parasprite Panic Board
Parasprite Panic Tokens, Cards, and Game Pieces