My regularly scheduled game day has been RPG-free for many weeks now. The GM for Warhammer has an equal love for boardgames, so there is conflict over what we "un-box" each session. At his last appearance, he wanted us to play an award-winning game by Avalon Hill, entitled Robo Rally. We wanted to play it too, at least until the demented, strategy-hobbling nature of the play sequence was revealed. I could tell things would not go well just looking at the game map, which is fraught with obstacles and instant death traps. The player is tasked with racing his robot to three goals, a resolution that will only result from random luck or being very familiar with the game. Every turn, the robots move and shoot, but only accurately if the right action cards are drawn and your machine isn't damaged. So, players spend a few hours failing to keep the situation from plummeting into chaos, and start to see the logic in robot suicide. If this game was about fragging yourself or others, I think I'd give it another chance.

Thankfully, another friend bought Munchkin Quest, the latest from the series by Steve Jackson. The new "dimension" this version brings is a random setting of humorous dungeon rooms to investigate. The rooms also become the stomping ground of huge monsters that your character has fled from. The baddies get to move, and they will always fight a certain player. Characters have the usual wacky weapons to fight monsters with, plus "Deus Ex Munchkin" cards that can be a life saver. Lastly, a great co-op feature is the possibility of two max level characters teaming up to fight the final Boss, securing a dual victory. So, if you like killing monstrous gazebos with flaming chainsaws, try this game.

In RPG announcements, Paizo has released more classes for their 3.5 so-cloned-the-artist-is-the-same PATHFINDER game. One of which is the Cavalier, an addition I first encountered in the pages of the Unearthed Arcana book. However, this Extreme Cavalry Man isn't limited to white stallions and knightly weapons; He can whistle like a Druid and hop on the back of something cool like a BEAR...making Bear Cavalry a legitimate addition to your awesome game! Plus, he doesn't have to settle for just a level-based attack bonus, the new Cavalier simply picks an enemy to righteously damage for extra d6s. No weird leveling or restrictions act as a career barrier; all you need is a convenient Oath and some animal lodge to call your Order. Besides, your party cohorts might object to your new "Oath of Greed" if you didn't offer a group buff in the form of a pennant with a rampant hippo on it or something.