Neal Litherland
Founding member
Bio
Neal Litherland is an author, freelance blogger, and RPG designer. A regular on the Chicago convention circuit, he works in a variety of genres.
Blog: Improved Initiative and The Literary Mercenary
Stories (309/0)
How To Build Will Simpson (From "Jessica Jones") in The Pathfinder RPG
Will Simpson is a simple man; deep down, all he wants to be is a hero. Unfortunately, his willingness to do anything to achieve his goals twists what would otherwise be a noble, even heroic, soul into a caricature of heroism. A secondary character in Marvel's Jessica Jones series, Will is something of a a combination of two older characters named Nuke and U.S. Agent. Both of these characters attempted to be the Captain America a modern U.S. needed, but their flaws were magnified rather than erased by their power. Capable of great deeds, they did terrible things just as often as they accomplished heroic feats. If you're looking for a starter guide to bring this sort of character to your table, here's a place to get you started.
By Neal Litherland4 years ago in Gamers
5 True Facts About Dolph Lundgren
Dolph Lundgren is famous for playing a wide variety of roles since his acting career began in the mid-1980s. While sometimes ridiculed for the sheer number of direct-to-DVD movies he's starred in, his career saw a major resurgence with the films The Expendables and its sequel The Expendables 2. The character Lundgren plays in these films, Gunnar Jensen, really takes center stage in the sequel where he displays his vast knowledge of physics, his hand-to-hand combat prowess, advanced understanding of chemistry, and even talks about his time as a bodyguard for a beautiful, famous actress. Fortunately for Lundgren, he was just playing himself at that point.
By Neal Litherland4 years ago in Geeks
How To Build The Winter Soldier in The Pathfinder RPG
The Winter Soldier is an old spook story in the world of international espionage. A vicious killer who comes out of the shadows, destroys his target, and then vanishes without a trace. The man behind the mystique is, of course, Sergeant James Barnes. Captured by the enemy, and experimented on during the reign of the Nazis, Bucky fell back into the hands of Hydra's Soviet branch after the war was over. His mind and body were altered, turning him into a brainwashed, cybernetic killing machine who, when he wasn't in the field, was kept in suspended animation as little more than a weapon in cold storage. If that's the sort of character you'd like to bring to your Pathfinder table, then this handy guide should get you started.
By Neal Litherland4 years ago in Gamers
How To Build Sandor "The Hound" Clegane in The Pathfinder RPG
Sandor Clegane, known as The Hound, is perhaps one of the most vicious and canny fighters in the Seven Kingdoms. A brutal man whose love of killing is the only thing more well-known than his horrendous burn scar, Sandor is much more complicated than he appears to casual observers. If you'd like to bring the combination of brawn and brutality that the younger Clegane has to offer to your Pathfinder table, then this guide is a good place to get started.
By Neal Litherland4 years ago in Gamers
5 True Facts About Arnold Schwarzenegger
Arnold Schwarzenegger is a man who has reached iconic status throughout the world. His films whether good, bad, or ugly have made him an actor with multiple generations of fans. Many people know his film personas, but a number of Arnold's fans may not know some of the little things that went into making him the man he is today. Here are 5 of the more interesting facts.
By Neal Litherland4 years ago in Geeks
How To Build Gregor "The Mountain" Clegane in The Pathfinder RPG
Gregor Clegane is a man of many names. Called The Mountain That Rides, as well as Tywin Lannister's Mad Dog, he is one of the most dangerous warriors in Westeros. Freakishly big and inhumanly strong, Ser Gregor has murdered countless men in combat, as well as untold numbers of women, children, and civilians simply because he felt like it. The mailed fist of the Lannisters, the elder Clegane is a force to be reckoned with. For those who want to recreate the brutal might of this monstrous villain, this guide should help you build this hard-hitting black knight in all his infamy.
By Neal Litherland4 years ago in Gamers
How To Put Someone in The Guillotine Chokehold
Every guy out there wants to learn how to fight. It's why we shell out huge amounts of cash for martial arts lessons, read up on combat strategies from around the world, and watch professionals in the ring. What we're hoping is that we'll learn the secret that'll turn us into a Hollywood-style action star. The unfortunate reality of fights that take place off the silver screen, though, is that 9 times out of 10 they go to the ground. So it doesn't really matter if you've mastered the spinning butteryfly scissor kick if you have no ground game. Fortunately, grappling is just another martial art, and one of the simplest holds you can put an opponent in is called the Guillotine. Sounds fearsome huh? Well, it's also relatively simple to do.
By Neal Litherland4 years ago in Unbalanced
How To Build Varys "The Spider" in The Pathfinder RPG
Lord Varys is one of most feared men in Westeros, not because of his raw physical might or political power, but because he is one of the greatest spymasters in the kingdom. His little birds sing, and as a result he knows what happens in the far off wastes of the world just as he knows what happens in the bowels of the supposedly impregnable Red Keep. While no one trusts the treacherous eunuch, Varys might be one of the only characters in A Song of Ice and Fire who is legitimately concerned for the well-being of the kingdom, in addition to saving his own skin from being threshed by the blades of the Iron Throne. This guide should offer a solid starting point for those interested in bringing the spymaster to their Pathfinder game.
By Neal Litherland4 years ago in Gamers
5 True Facts About Sylvester Stallone
There is not a movie fan in existence that doesn't know the name Sylvester Stallone. Best known for his portrayal of boxing lug turned superstar Rocky Balboa, as well as the original shell shocked special forces soldier John Rambo, Stallone is an icon. While his career is experiencing something of a rebirth after his action movie extravaganzas The Expendables and its sequels, there's always been more to Stallone than meets the eye.
By Neal Litherland4 years ago in Geeks
How to Build Thoros of Myr in the Pathfinder RPG
A Song of Ice and Fire is dark, and full of terrors. While everyone knows the Red Woman Meilsandre, the other priest of the Lord of Light often gets overlooked (despite accomplishing feats that make the red witch go pale). Thoros of Myr, who was little more than a roaring drunk who fought with swords that he set aflame, re-discovered his faith while saying rites over a fallen comrade. Now re-dedicated to the church, the sheer power of the god R'hllor flows through him, and allows him to accomplish truly awe-inspiring feats.
By Neal Litherland4 years ago in Gamers
The History of Twerking
For most people (well, most mainstream white people, anyway), twerking seems like a random dance craze that exploded onto the pop culture scene in the years 2012 and 2013. With celebrities like the Twerk Team rising to positions of Internet fame, the move being prominently featured in music videos such as Diplo's "Express Yourself," and the coverage culminating in the infamous Miley Cyrus Video Music Award Performance with Robin Thicke, twerking looked like something that had sprung up overnight.
By Neal Litherland4 years ago in Beat
How to Build the Unsullied in the Pathfinder RPG
The world of A Song of Ice and Fire is full of fearsome warriors. The Bloody Mummers and the Second Sons ply their violent trade for coin, The Dothraki horse lords raid and pillage for sport and resources, and both the Sorrowful Men and the Faceless Men will strike from nowhere to end a life before fading away once more. But of them all, perhaps no infantry is more feared, or more respected, than the Unsullied. Slaves and eunuchs, they are trained from their earliest childhood in the arts of war. Masters of the sword, shield, and spear, the Unsullied are trained to feel no fear, to ignore all pain, and to endure any hardship. For those who want to bring that kind of iron-willed warrior into a Pathfinder game, this guide may be just what you've been looking for.
By Neal Litherland4 years ago in Gamers