Pictures of New Pathfinder Minis Released

Pictures of the four prepainted miniatures representing the pregenerated characters in the new Pathfinder Beginner Box have been released. The detail on these prepaints is absolutely stunning. Unfortunately the anime-influenced stylings of the minis are not much to my personal liking. Wizards that look like steroid-injecting professional wrestlers just don't quite fit into my world. I'll stick to my old lead for now... I dig magic users with pointy hats, thieves with lanterns, and hobbits with hash pipes.

Pathfinder Minis:

Old school Grenadier wizards with magic beards and cool hats (from DnDLead.com):

What Real Clerical Spell Scrolls Look Like. Ge'ez and Amharic Examples.

Here are some fascinating examples of real Ge'ez clerical scrolls from Ethiopia. They are currently on display at Elizabeth Street Fine Arts gallery in New York City. The gallery website has pictures and descriptions of several scrolls dating to the 19th century, although some extant scrolls date back to the 16th century. Most of the scrolls described on the website contain multiple spells related to protection and healing. It's striking to me how many of these spells are recognizable from our favorite fantasy roleplaying games. It's also interesting how many Ge'ez spells fit onto a single scroll.

Historical background from the website:

So called “Magic Scrolls” are long rolls of parchment, illuminated by talismanic and figurative images and texts, usually in Ge’ez (Ethiopian liturgical language), of protective prayers, invocations of secret names of God, or sometimes demons. They are produced and used for varied purposes, healing, protection from spells, exorcisms etc. Scrolls are referred to as “ya’ branna kitab”, “written on skin” in Amharic, “asmat” or “names” in Ge’ez or “ta’lsam”, “talisman” in Tigrinya.

Scrolls are made for a specific individual by  “dabtara” (an unordained “priest” who studied scriptures, singing and poetry, a practitioner of traditional medicine, magician) and are carried and used by that person extensively. They rarely survive through a few generations of use. The oldest known scroll is recently dated to16th century, while majority of great surviving scrolls date between late 18th to early 20th century, as do the scrolls in this exhibit.

Here are some magic scroll pictures. More thorough details, which I paraphrase here, are available at the original website:

Tigre magic scroll. Three sets of incantations: (1) "The Prayer or Legend of Susenyos, used for the protection of children and infants from illness, followed by an invocation of magical names for the protection of the scroll owner from demons.", (2) "prayers for protection from the demon Shätolay, blacksmiths, buda, etc.", (3) prayers against rheumatism and stomach ache.

Magic scroll contains: (1) Prayer of Susenyos, (2) Prayer for the “expulsion” of disease and the demon Shotalay", (3) prayer against the evil eye, (4) prayer against rheumatism and sciatica, (5) prayers against haemorrhage, (5) another prayer against demon Shotalay, (6) prayer against Zar Wellaj.

Gorgon scroll of Wälättä-Gabriel contains: (1) An invocation against unclean spirits, (2) prayer of saint Susenyos for keeping away sickness from babies sucking the breast of their mothers, story of Susenyos killing Werzelya, (3) names of God against Shotelay (4) names of God said by Mary against devils. ‘Yosamer, Armosadekél…’, (5) speech of Moses against barya, devils, people of Legion, (6) prayer of Susenyos, (7) prayer against belly pain, (8) prayer against side pain, (9) prayer for undoing bewitching, (10) prayer against the eye of Mejer and Tegrida, (11) prayer against the Evil eye, (12) salutation to Fanuel expeller of devils.

Fastest Growing OSR Blogs of April and May: GAIA GAMMA and GROGNARDIA

Here's a ranked list of 245 old schoolish roleplaying blogs ranked by the number of followers they gained between April 1st and June 6th. I rank blogs using this system - as opposed to raw follower number - in order to determine which blogs are "hottest" without being biased by how long a blog has been around. My main motivation for making this list is to highlight the blogs that are currently attracting the most reader attention regardless of the blogs' age. Out of respect, I DO NOT list blogs with zero or negative growth.

My usual blogometric caveats apply: (1) This list only has blogger.com blogs because follower numbers are not publicly available for WordPress blogs. (2) Yes, I know some blogs are missing. If I am following your RPG blog as of today it should be in the next ranking. If your blog is not on my list and you want to be included, please email me the link through my profile. If I made a mistake please let me know - I am not consciously trying to exclude anyone.

Tied for first we have Grognardia and newcomer Gaia Gamma! I assume that I don't need to describe Grognardia to anyone - it's consistently one of the biggest, fastest growing, and most influential blogs in town. Gaia Gamma, on the other hand, is a new blog focused primarily on creative content related to propietor Thomas Biskup's post-apocalyptic RPG design. Fans of games like Gamma World and Metamorphosis Alpha should love this blog. Great great stuff!

In second place we have another newcomer: Grognardling! This blog is all about straight up old school D&D and is remarkable because it is one of the few blogs written by a younger gamer who didn't actually grow up playing the game.

In third place is Strange Magic, one of a very small number of blogs focusing on Weird West gaming. This blog features frequent well written posts and lots of cool YouTube links. Nice work, Stuart!

In fourth and fifth place we have the venerable and widely-read blogs Playing D&D With Porn Stars and LotFP: RPG, respectively, which, like Grognardia, need no introduction.

Here's the whole list. You can link to any blog by clicking on its name:

Blog Name	6-Jun	1-Apr	Change
Gaia Gamma	76	0	76
GROGNARDIA	924	848	76
Grognardling	65	3	62
Strange Magic	116	55	61
Playing D&D With Porn Stars	737	684	53
LotFP: RPG	420	371	49
The Yaqqothl Grimoire	120	77	43
Risus Monkey	190	150	40
The Other Side blog	193	153	40
From the Sorcerer's Skull	213	174	39
Jeffs Gameblog	486	448	38
ChicagoWiz's RPG Blog	299	263	36
Mythmere's Blog	151	115	36
AVENTURAS EN LA MARCA DEL ESTE	537	502	35
B/X BLACKRAZOR	300	265	35
Rather Gamey	127	92	35
Roles, Rules, and Rolls	112	77	35
aldeboran	144	111	33
There's Dungeons Down Under	121	91	30
Underworld Kingdom	79	49	30
Hack & Slash	129	100	29
The Underdark Gazette	293	264	29
Cyclopeatron	282	254	28
A Paladin In Citadel	291	264	27
Hill Cantons	186	161	25
ix	96	71	25
The Nine and Thirty Kingdoms	134	109	25
Zombiecowboy's Game Blog	25	0	25
Dark Horse Game Design	102	77	25
Axe & Hammer	169	145	24
OEF	187	163	24
The Gallery: Russ Nicholson	198	174	24
The Jovial Priest	71	47	24
Beyond the Black Gate	347	324	23
I SEE LEAD PEOPLE	224	201	23
Rended Press	56	33	23
Skull Crushing For Great Justice	51	29	22
Ramblings of a Great Khan	53	32	21
Dreams in the Lich House	131	111	20
Dungeons and Digressions	250	230	20
Telecanter's Receding Rules	170	150	20
In Places Deep	127	108	19
Rule of the Dice	151	132	19
The Tao of D&D	199	180	19
Gothridge Manor	208	190	18
Aeons & Augauries	143	126	17
Blood of Prokopius	64	47	17
Dangerous Brian: A Gamers Blog	60	43	17
For A Fistful Of Coppers	71	54	17
Sword+1	79	62	17
The Dump Stat	75	58	17
THE LAND OF NOD	173	156	17
The Lands of Ara	122	105	17
Zalchis	37	20	17
Tower of Zenopus	49	33	16
Age of Ravens	65	49	16
Delta's D&D Hotspot	123	107	16
Gaming All Over The Place	74	58	16
Old School Heretic	92	76	16
The City of Iron	76	60	16
Carjacked Seraphim	104	89	15
destination unknown	196	181	15
Green Skeleton Gaming Guild	137	122	15
The RPG Corner	188	173	15
Vaults of Nagoh	101	86	15
A Field Guide To Doomsday	48	34	14
Asshat Paladins	68	54	14
Bat in the Attic	210	196	14
Digital Orc: Fantasy, Horror, and Sci Fi in Ro...	52	38	14
Gibbering Mouther	14	0	14
Lord of the Green Dragons	286	272	14
Places to Go, People to Be	56	42	14
Tower of the Archmage	95	81	14
Discourse and Dragons	121	108	13
netherwerks	50	37	13
Redwald RPG	67	54	13
Tenkar's Tavern	124	111	13
The Grumpy Old Troll	77	64	13
Trollish Delver	62	49	13
A Pack of Gnolls	48	36	12
Akratic Wizardry	194	182	12
Havards Blackmoor Blog	131	119	12
SWORD & SHIELD	68	56	12
The Metal Earth	90	78	12
The Old School Renaissance Group	37	25	12
The XP Experience	22	10	12
What a horrible night to have a curse...	122	110	12
A Wizard in a bottle	55	44	11
Grimmhaus	91	80	11
Ostensible Cat	88	77	11
People them with Monsters	44	33	11
The Society of Torch, Pole and Rope	246	235	11
The Wasted Lands	92	81	11
The Weirdlands of Xhuul	58	47	11
Warriors of the Red Planet	100	89	11
A Dungeon Master's Tale	60	50	10
Fabled Lands	105	95	10
FightingFantasist	100	90	10
Gorgonmilk	96	86	10
HUGE RUINED PILE	164	154	10
of Pedantry	28	18	10
Quickly, Quietly, Carefully	45	35	10
Sham's Grog 'n Blog	139	129	10
Shouting Into The Void	63	53	10
Swords Against the Outer Dark	226	216	10
The Contemptible Cube of Quazar	60	50	10
The Omnipotent Eye	76	66	10
Beyond the Wall	56	47	9
Drawings & Dragons	70	61	9
HeroPress	169	160	9
In Like Flynn	68	59	9
Newschool RPG	9	0	9
Old School Psionics	35	26	9
PLANET ALGOL	136	127	9
Savage Swords of Athanor	85	76	9
Servitor Ludi	17	8	9
Symptoms of Radness	58	49	9
Tales from the Flaming Faggot	85	76	9
Temple of Baalzebul	10	1	9
The Incredible Fétide Grigou Rôliste Show	19	10	9
The Lair of the Evil DM	181	172	9
The Realm of Zhu	42	33	9
The Savage AfterWorld	143	134	9
Attack Plan R	30	22	8
Cimorra	16	8	8
Dungeonskull Mountain	103	95	8
ENCOUNTER	47	39	8
How to Start a Revolution in 21 Days or Less	152	144	8
No School Like The Old School	41	33	8
Superhero Necromancer	63	55	8
The Geek Set	10	2	8
The Polyhedral Dicebag	40	32	8
The Tales of Kaelaross	9	1	8
The Warlock's Home Brew	133	125	8
Uhluht'c Awakens	111	103	8
A Hamsterish Hoard of Dungeons and Dragons	103	96	7
Château des sortilèges	71	64	7
chirine's workbench	58	51	7
GAMMA WORLD WAR!	7	0	7
Grevious-Injury	29	22	7
Greyhawk Grognard	209	202	7
Henchman Abuse	48	41	7
Mike's Amazing RPG Fun Pad	37	30	7
Sickly Purple Death Ray	110	103	7
Sorcery & Super Science!	87	80	7
tengoldpiecegems	17	10	7
Trollsmyth	213	206	7
World of Wonder	130	123	7
"It's okay; Gary sent us."	123	117	6
Back in '81	125	119	6
Bloody 20s	25	19	6
Lawful Indifferent	65	59	6
New Fish In An Old School	26	20	6
Ode to Black Dougal	150	144	6
Old Guard Gaming Accoutrements	154	148	6
Professor Pope	47	41	6
Stocking The Dungeon	33	27	6
The Book of Worlds	71	65	6
Appendix N	54	49	5
Blog on the Borderlands	15	10	5
Fame & Fortune	49	44	5
Hexer & Helden	5	0	5
Magician's Manse	63	58	5
No Signal!	34	29	5
Riskail	34	29	5
roleplay-geek	29	24	5
Rustfoot	53	48	5
SANDBOX EMPIRE	83	78	5
Some King's Kent	38	33	5
Teleleli	37	32	5
Tempora Mutantur	28	23	5
The Blog That Time Forgot	112	107	5
The Grand Tapestry	148	143	5
Troll and Flame	99	94	5
Unfrozen caveman dice-chucker	25	20	5
Warning - Mutagenic Substance	85	80	5
"The Troll Ate My Homework"	59	55	4
A Rust Monster Ate My Sword...	180	176	4
ADnD Grognard	40	36	4
American Barbarica	63	59	4
Back to the Dungeon!	66	62	4
Cimmerian Chronicles	25	21	4
Coffee swillin' analog gamer	40	36	4
Crawdads and Dragons	66	62	4
I Waste The Buddha With My Crossbow	132	128	4
My Dice Are Older Than You	28	24	4
Starting Over With The OSR	4	0	4
Tankards & Broadswords	133	129	4
The Grumpy Celt	34	30	4
The Library: Retro and Classic Fantasy Games	58	54	4
The Vorpal Spork	36	32	4
THE WHEEL OF SAMSARA	57	53	4
Unofficial Games	56	52	4
Apprentice Of Old School	12	9	3
BigDungeon	33	30	3
Bugbears for Breakfast	32	29	3
Carto Cacography	71	68	3
Daddy Grognard	145	142	3
EXONAUTS!	78	75	3
Jasoomian Dreams	69	66	3
Joethelawyer's Wondrous Imaginings	128	125	3
Lances to Lasers - A gaming blog	17	14	3
Lasgunpacker	15	12	3
Maximum Rock & Role Playing	56	53	3
Monsters and Manuals	206	203	3
MORE&BIGGER LOOT!	29	26	3
Oubliette Magazine	51	48	3
Reviews from R'lyeh	67	64	3
Rocket-Propelled Game	18	15	3
Saturday Night Sandbox	44	41	3
Save Vs. Poison	92	89	3
Swords of Abandon	44	41	3
The Lost Continent	32	29	3
The Moldy Vale	41	38	3
The Paradigm Traveler	14	11	3
There's a Bugbear in my Kitchen!	54	51	3
Year of the Dungeon	67	64	3
Beacon	17	15	2
Castle Dragonscar	59	57	2
El RagnaBlog	40	38	2
Embrace the Dungeon!	22	20	2
Forever Free Games	29	27	2
Forgotten Runes	67	65	2
Inspired Mythos	14	12	2
SAVE OR DIE!	44	42	2
TEMPLE OF DEMOGORGON	147	145	2
Terminal Space	68	66	2
The Blue Gnoll	11	9	2
The Evil GM	18	16	2
The Geek Gazette	30	28	2
Zero XP Adventures	17	15	2
Antediluvian Printworks	29	28	1
Back Screen Pass - A DM's Secrets	50	49	1
Black Hole Diaries	49	48	1
Coasters, Castles, Combustion	12	11	1
Countdown to Game Time	47	46	1
DUNGEON ADVENTURES	27	26	1
gnotions	26	25	1
Iron Rationales	32	31	1
Kingdoms in Trevail	27	26	1
Like Being Read To From Dictionaries	56	55	1
Middenmurk	48	47	1
Over the Misty Mountains	25	24	1
Spell Card!	42	41	1
Sword and Board	73	72	1
The Frothy Friar	63	62	1