Highmoon's Ponderings

My wife had been preparing a surprise birthday party for me for a couple of weeks, and though I knew the party was coming, I was left in the dark about the theme. I had my suspicions, but I decided not to give it any thought, so I would be surprised when the time came. Indeed, Saturday night rolled around and when I got home from synagogue, I had been right in my suspicion: it was a Star Wars themed party.

I had to help put up stuff, like the Darth Vader piñata, and get the music playing. My wife made a playlist of a bunch of Star Wars music, including pieces from the soundtrack to all six movies (including the Yub Nub song!), and homages, like Metallica’s Imperial March and Rage Against the Machine’s Imperial March, and spoofs, such as Weird Al Yankovic’s Yoda and The Saga Begins, plus some cool stuff like a French techno mashup of Thriller called When I Was a Child I Was a Jedi/The Jedi Dance. We also had the original, low-budget, no-CGI trilogy playing on the laptops, and LEGO Star Wars and Star Wars: The Force Unleashed playing on the Wii. Oh yeah, my wife also made a drink she dubbed the Dagobah Punch that, well, lived up to its name.

I had a lot of fun, as is evident by the photos. The only bummer is that my buddy Josh couldn’t come because his little girl was sick (though she’s fine now), which made me realize quite accutely that I need more guy friends. It also would have been awesome if my friends from the Star Wars Primetime Adventures game at Gen Con had been there, but given they live all across the US, it would have been a bit difficult. That’s what happens when most of your friends are online.

The birthday loot was awesome as well: My wife got me the Wii Fit, Star Wars: The Force Unleashed (at which my wife naturally excels and can kick anyone’s butt in a Jedi duel), a deluxe toy Darth Vader lightsaber, Star Wars Risk and a new back rack for my bike. From my generous guests I got a nice bottle of Italian wine, a Star Wars book of (really friggin hard) trivia, as well as some cash (which went towards buying materials for my sukkah, but see my next post for that story).

Kudos go to my wife for an awesome birthday party, way above and beyond anything I imagined or deserved. It was a great way to welcome my 34th birthday.

You can check out the photos in the slideshow below, over on Flickr: Danny’s Star Wars Birthday Party set or on Facebook: My Star Wars Birthday Party set.

Back at Gen Con, I was part of a Star Wars Episode LV, a Primetime Adventures game run by Judd Karlman (Sons of Kryos Podcast) and starring Paul Tevis (Have Games, Will Travel Podcast), Rich Rogers (CanonPuncture Podcast), Mick Bradley (The Game That May Be Podcast) and myself.

Set 1,000 years after Return of the Jedi, the Republic has now become as corrupt as the old Empire, and the dynasty of Skywalker rules with an iron fist from Coruscant, confident in the security the six orbiting Death Stars provide it. But there is hope, two ancient droids carrying information that can topple the corrupt republic.

I played a jaded, reckless and tired Jedi who is simply just tired of running from the Republic. He has learned that he is a descendant of Anakin Solo, son of the legendary Han Solo and Leia Skywalker, which makes him a Skywalker as well, and a blood relative of the despots running the galaxy. Taking the new name Obi Wan Skywalker in remembrance of a time when the name Skywalker stood for good and when Jedis were the guardians of justice, he has decided to take on the Galactic Republic headfirst.

The first part of the Actual Play Recording is now up courtesy of CanonPuncture and it covers character creation.
CPAP Star Wars LV PTA Pt 1 (Direct Download, 30:13 minutes)

I am in love.

STAR WARS MINIATURES STARSHIP BATTLES
Coming in November.

You can buy it for me here.