Spring Cleaning Military Orders

So I started to get a little burn out for this project. the models were coming along nicely, however I longed to paint something other than blue. If this was not under time constraints I would have picked up another project for a bit. However the next project is more daunting than this one, leaving me in the position of hobby paralysis. I didn’t paint for a few days which is not normal. I started my reward project for finishing this one which I will talk a little about in the end here. It got to the point where I was going to eat my desert before my greens. I needed a fourth project but it couldn’t be big.

I do think it’s important if you are not enjoying something in the hobby do not force yourself to do it, wait until your muse finds you in a book or TV show and pick it back up again. This is not a business, it’s for fun.

I have never played any role playing game with miniatures. However I did have a half Orc Barbarian that I was attached to. It lasted 3 or 4 sessions. I wanted a model to remember this by, but not use for it. I found a great model on my mini factory, pre supported and printed it out.

I based it using the base of the supports it was on and broke this up like slate.

If I remember right it was Bob the barbarian half orc of the highlands. Born of a human noble family 9 months after an orc raise on their keep. Loved by my mother and hated by my father I was ousted through a plot in my early adolescence. I was kept imprisoned until freed by party looking for loot in this deep dungeon far away from my ancestral home. By the point I was freed I was very warped with certain urges I made my way in the world in the shadows and the tattered upmarket cloth of my noble clothes.

This is where the point I signed up to the DnD 3e game. It discussed with the DM about my urges, They were very dark (though light hearted)and the party agreed but the DM tried to put me off and instead of being a side note that came up once per game after the conversation it ended up that I was rolling at the sight of every corpse to control my urges. This was done on a constitution save or be immediately overcome and if this was in public they also had to make saves around me or be violently sick. I was forced to have high constitution in the hope this wouldn’t happen often.

The rest of the party was chosen and we found out what the setting was going to be. The DM appeared to have a 50 level dungeon delve planned. My hopes of roleplay were shot and this was a hack and slash and my luck would be pushed to the limits.

I failed at every opportunity we started at level one with small easy to kill creatures before long we ere coming into hordes of smaller creatures within 3 sessions we were level 4. This dungeon became a perverse romp with every encounter, in each room with my failing my role and people becoming sick around me.

It was on the last session where this occurred at the start. My party had all chose supporting characters I was the only tank and damage dealer. I attacked a group of three orcs and 2 owlbears. killed one then rolled a natural one for my save. I was overcome I ignored the rest and got to another kind of work. The rest of the party rolled abysmally and became overwhelmed at the sight and were quickly overcome. They were slaughtered while my attention was elsewhere. Funnily enough I was the last man standing. As I looked at the carnage I had the only proper opportunity to roleplay in the whole game. I pulled up my loincloth and viewed the party strewn around the cavern dead and dying around me. I fell to my knees, the Orcs and Owlbears turning to face me now. As they approached I muttered “What have I become? I do not deserve life, only death can cure my urges” as the pack of creatures pulled me apart unopposed.

This was a fun side project. I built a backdrop as before in this project however used foam and a wire brush for the rocks. the full thing, model and backdrop took a day and was a great distraction. The model was painted with a green based skin tone but ended up being a dark skin tone and not as green as I wanted. I think I will use this in the future though.

It will stand as a lesson not only to me but other DM’s. I have only played DnD another two times since then. Not my favourite game, but everyone knows the basics.

If a player wants a character plot point, I would advise to label it as such, the DM could play the darker side of your conscience and advise they will put it into the story for you to roleplay at a certain point. It may never come up or it could have been skipped to a redemption arc and keep the misery and urges in your past.

I would never advise playing a hack and slash game of DND 3e. I have played loads of wargames all which are better suited to be converted to this.

I was naïve and the DM was naïve to think I wouldn’t get a natural one, getting about 2 – 10 chances per room we entered. This all sounds dark and serious but it was a load of fun and we were all laughing all the way to our deaths. I am however, glad this was short.

This was not only a great distraction but a great memory I should have made a model for long ago. Again nothing to do with Infinity or Military orders, but that’s the point.

As I have done a bit since then, more to come (more on topic) very shortly.