2023 – Page 8 – PopCult Reviews

Solo Tabletop RPG Review & Actual Play – Public Access Part Two

Public Access (The Gauntlet)
Created by Jason Cordova
You can purchase this game here.

After trying out Public Access as a solo game for a session, this was a lesson in seeing how some games need more work to be good solitary experiences. After this first session, I reasoned that I could keep going, but I wouldn’t really be playing a solo game, but playing the game in the same way you might play a board game against yourself by simulating other players and making their moves. I realized having other characters with different stats made a difference with Public Access, but I didn’t want to play them mechanically just to make the game work.

PopCult Podcast – Please Baby Please/Save Yourselves!

Diving deep into the indie films we came up with two obscure titles you’ve probably never heard of. One is a hyper-stylized queer comedy about a newlywed couple realizing their relationship is far more complicated than they thought. The other is a Millennial comedy about a couple disconnecting from the internet for a week at a cabin in the woods only for aliens to invade.

Solo Tabletop RPG Actual Play – Starforged: Nexus of Destiny Act III

Introduction/Prologue
Act One
Act Two
Act Three

Act Three

The Vigilant docks with the Inferno. Kei, Saren, and Harrow don the zero suits and enter the airlock. The shifting of space-time begins right away.

Zone: Operations – Command Offices

The trio finds themselves in the administrative wing of the ship. A comms channel is hissing over the loudspeakers.

(Explore a Waypoint. 3 vs. 7, 5. Miss)

(Pay the Price: The environment or terrain introduces a new hazard.)

Kei notices a comms channel is on and listens in. He suddenly hears screams and cries from the crew at a point in the past. The panel explodes in a flurry of sparks.

Solo Tabletop RPG Actual Play – Starforged: Nexus of Destiny Act II

Introduction/Prologue
Act One
Act Two
Act Three

Act Two

The Vigilant cruises back into the Underside spaceport beneath Aurora. Kei messages Jorruns to meet up onboard the Vigilant.

(Oracle question: Does Fegli have men follow Jorruns. Odds: Likely. Answer: No.)

Kei catches Jorruns up about what was found on the derelict. Then he gets down to decrypting the Captain’s datapad found on the Inferno.

(Secure an Advantage with Wits. 5 vs, 5, 1. Use Fugitive Move. Hunters Clock at 2 out of 4. Strong Hit)

(Oracle Inspiration: Scheme Resource)

Solo Tabletop RPG Actual Play – Starforged: Nexus of Destiny Act I

Introduction/Prologue
Act One
Act Two
Act Three

Act One

The Vigilant drops out of light-jump into the hazy Solana Clu

ster, a nebulous cloud of particles with a relatively young solar system already formed as its sun condenses all of this matter. Through the viewscreen, Kei Becker sees the gas giant Tenzin come into view and sets the autopilot for their intended course. Clearing the cloud cover of Tenzin’s upper atmosphere brings Aurora, the orbital casino resort, into view; its tall fungal stem towers reach up, some capped off like toadstools, whereas others bear the wrinkles of a morel.

Solo Tabletop RPG Actual Play – Starforged: Nexus of Destiny Prologue

Introduction/Prologue
Act One
Act Two
Act Three

Introduction

So what is this? Instead of spreading a playthrough over weeks, I decided to do one that was one whole arc. I also wanted to continue with the story I’d established in my previous Starforged playthrough. I did have some elements in mind: I wanted a casino and mushroom-based aliens to be a part of it. Other than that, I had no idea where this story would go. I hope that it proves a little entertaining for you. I like exploring this universe and already have another installment planned for near the end of the year.

TV Review – Mrs. Davis

Mrs. Davis (Peacock)
Written by Tara Hernandez, Damon Lindelof, Jason Lew, Alberto Roldán, Noelle Viñas, Jonny Sun, Jason Ning, and Chikira Bennett
Directed by Owen Harris, Alethea Jones, Nadra Widatalla, Frederick E.O. Toye

I can’t say that Mrs. Davis was my favorite TV series watch of 2023, but it was the most consistently surprising. From the opening sequence to the final episode, this has to be one of the most original pieces of streaming content ever made. You have Damon Lindelof bringing his mystery-centered storytelling, and Tara Hernandez adds comedy, resulting in something so hard to describe. If you have seen the trailers or even just production stills, you’re probably confused about what this show is. I will attempt to explain it without spoiling it, but it will be spoiled a bit. Going in blind is probably the best way to watch Mrs. Davis.

PopCult Podcast – TMNT: Mutant Mayhem/The Boogeyman

We indulge in some “popcorn” flicks this week. One is the return of an old favorite, heroes in a half-shell with a look inspired by more recent animated box office successes. Then, it is some Stephen King inspired horror as one of his short stories gets adapted into feature length.

September 2023 Posting Schedule

Film Series
September 4 thru 29 – Noir Masterworks
Laura, Detour, The Big Sleep, The Killers, The Postman Always Rings Twice, Out of the Past, Stray Dog, The Third Man, Night and the City, The Big Heat, Kiss Me Deadly, and Touch of Evil

Comic Book Reviews
September 2 thru 30
Alan Moore’s The Saga of Swamp Thing Volumes One thru Five

Television Reviews
Sept 3 – Mrs. Davis
Sept 10 – My Brilliant Friend Season One
Sept 17 – The Venture Brothers Season Three
Sept 24 – The Bear Season Two

My Favorites Lists
Sept 9 – My Favorite Coen Brothers Supporting Performances
Sept 23 – My Favorite Films About Moving

Solo Tabletop RPG Reviews & Actual Plays
Sept 8 – Starforged: Nexus of Destiny
Sept 10, 17, 24 – Public Access Solo Playthrough

Podcast Schedule
Sept 3 – The Boogeyman/Please Baby Please
Sept 10 – One Fine Morning/Baby Mama
Sept 17 – TBD
Sept 24 – Theater Camp/Cassandro

Book Update – July/August 2023

The Inconsolables: Stories by Michael Wehunt

I was an instant fan of Michael Wehunt after reading his debut collection, Green Pastures, back in 2016. I’ve been waiting for more, and this year, we finally got his follow-up collection. What I found interesting is that he’s changed a lot since that first book. The two still have common threads, but these felt like a real development of those initial ideas. I would argue Wehunt is taking on a significant influence from Robert Aickman, creating supernatural scenarios where the exact nature of the dreadful presence is never detailed. It might be strange things happening in the window in the apartment across the way, as in “Holoow,” or haunting childhood memories resurfacing, as in “Vampire Fiction.” Wehunt returns to some slightly familiar territory with “The Pine Arch Collection,” which continues his fantastic work translating found footage into horror lit. Wehunt works better with words to evoke powerful images than most horror films. My absolute favorite in this collection was “The Teeth of America,” framed as various excerpts from books and news articles detailing a bizarre event in the Appalachians involving hundreds of white supremacists congregating for a ritual. Once again, Wehunt’s imagery is so strong I don’t want any of this ever adapted to a visual medium because, in my opinion, it would diminish the potent horror of the source material.