A Thousand XP to Midnight

Pure Steam Kickstarter Rewards

2011-12-22T05:43:00.000-08:00

Kickstarter.com has accepted our proposal, and will allow us to fundraise on their site. This is huge! Projects on their site have a 50% success rate (provided they have an explanatory video, which we will). I threw together this logo for the project until we can get a professional one together.

In case you're not familiar with Kickstarter, the gist is you get individuals to donate to your project in exchange for some sort of tangible reward. The project won't be up for fundraising for another week, but I wanted to give my followers a glimpse at the rewards:

$5: Name printed in book as a supporter.

$15: PDF download a month before release.

$25: Soundtrack download a month before release.

$35: Adventure module PDF download a month before release.

$75: Signed hard copies of book, soundtrack, and adventure module a month before release.

$150: Exclusive access to first round of beta playtest. Your feedback will influence the design.

$250: A seat at an exclusive game session run by our team at either GenCon Indy or Origins (your choice). Feedback from you will influence game design. (limit 20)

$500: You'll be written into the setting as an NPC. AvatarArt will do a MASTER level illustration of you in your NPC role, published in the book (limit 10)

Pure Steam is Happening

2011-12-18T17:56:00.000-08:00

I know it's been a while since I posted. I've been locked away with some developers making my steampunk RPG a reality.

Paizo granted us a compatibility license with the Pathfinder RPG. That was a load off!

AvatarArt.com has been working with us on some concept art. I'm very pleased.

Con Goodwin, Ructioneer Fighter

So far, here's some of the updates...

We have two completely new classes:
Chaplain: part healer, part social adept, part buffer. There is some overlap with the bard, but no music required.
Prodigy: In a world of tech with no magic, those with quick minds prevail. The prodigy can focus their mind on medicine, combat, technology, or a mix of the three.

There are a archetypes fleshed out:
Fumigant Alchemist: Donning a gas mask and turning any agent into an aerosol is what they do best.
Ructioneer Fighter: Provoking and frustrating foes is this guy's forte. He can use diplomacy to WORSEN a mood.

Plus all the steampunk tech you know you love.

Electromagnetic Belt of Deflection

More to come. We're up on Kickstarter come January. We'd appreciate all your support!

Zombie Gunship Strategy

2011-08-30T19:12:00.000-07:00

Joe, my magnificent friend, recommended Zombie Gunship to me via text. I'm cheap, and paying for apps is something I seldom do. But this game has thousands of ratings and maintains 4.5 stars in the iOS App Store, so I had to oblige. $0.99? Yes please!

The premise of the game is wonderfully simple: you're in an AC-130H Gunship and it's the End of Days. You're providing cover fire for humans as they run for the safety of a bunker. You must kill zombies before they enter the bunker. If you kill three humans or if a zombie enters the bunker, game over, man.

I've put some time into this game in the last week, playing on the toilet until my legs go numb. I'm doing pretty well. I consistently kill over 1000 undead before some stupid human runs into a 105mm Howitzer shell. Now I'm paying it forward. Enjoy my meager strategy tips.

Tip 1: Touch and Go

"It bodes well for me that speed impresses you." -Chandler Bing

The first thing you need to know is these zombies NEVER stop. They took that Chili Peppers song lit'rally. And they spawn in half a dozen places. So, you need to pepper the ground with shells when you see zombies, and then move your view to other areas. If you try to be Johnny OCD and kill every zombie out of a group when you see him, you're going to let 30 more sneak up to the bunker. My success comes from dropping some lead and moving on. If a couple zombs don't drop from that, I can always swing around in a bit and finish the job. The key here is speed and constant movement.

The game warns you when zombies get close to the bunker with red warnings, so use that to your advantage. Skim the outer rim early on, and shoot the junk out of groups of zombies, not worrying about 100% kills. You only need to ensure the zombies die BEFORE they enter the bunker, so you have time. Spending your effort on cleaning up a whole mob of these things on the outer edge of the map--only to have a group of 'em encroach on your bunker elsewhere--is akin to throwing out the baby with the irradiated bathwater.

Tip 2: Smart Upgrades

Careful reviewers will see I didn't follow my own advice.

The beauty of this game is the upgrades system. Every zombie you kill (and human who finds himself in your bunker) earns you points which you spend on upgrades. You can upgrade your three weapon systems, increase the points you earn from killing zombies, invest in a last-resort bunker defender bomb, and increase your radar range. A huge key to your success is in how you prioritize these upgrades.

First and foremost, I recommend pumping up your Zombie Bounty (points per kill). Doing this early in your career is like recognizing the value of compounding interest. Get in on the ground floor with this so that every round you play is more fruitful (and thus easier to get the other upgrades).

The next tip I have is to always prioritize the reload (and cooling) rate of your weapons. Powerful weapons are no good if you're waiting for them to come back online.

And you should be careful not to upgrade the damage radius of your 25mm Gatling Gun. This gun is best served for sniping zombies grappling with humans (if you're into that kinda thing...see below). And each time you upgrade it's damage radius you have to recalibrate yourself to get comfortable with sniping so close to warm bloods.

To recap: upgrade zombie bounty, then reload, and scale back the damage radius of the 25mm. Everything else is up to you.

Tip 3: Humans Are Expendable...

"How can you shoot women and children?!"
"Easy, you just don't lead 'em as much."

...at least two are.

So far as I know, there is no penalty for killing the first two civilians in a round. It's just that pesky third that jumps in front of your hail of bullets that causes Sarge to pull you out of the hot zone. Use that to your advantage! If a helpless soccer mom running for safety is the only thing stopping you from thrusting a 105mm round down the throats of a score of zombies, and you've killed less than two already, don't hesitate (provided you need those undead deader than dead on the quick. Remember Tip 1 and consider coming back later.)

While on the topic of coming back later, you need to be willing NOT to snipe zombies just because they're snacking on a human. Humans eaten by undead out there on the battlefield don't count against you. So, if you can stomach it, and you don't want to risk having that human die by your trigger finger, just let the zombie eat him/her and blast that zombie after. Remember: Touch and Go.

There you have it. That's all you need to be the most efficient zombie killer.

Oops...one undead slipped past. Game over!

1kXP2M: Prime Gamer Space

2011-08-24T05:22:00.000-07:00

I just moved into a new house, and I have an unfinished basement. I'm now embarking on the long road of creating the ultimate gamer space.

First, I need to frame the room, and put the walls up.

Then I want to cover an entire wall in IdeaPaint.

There will be a projector which can either shine onto the game table and/or the wall.

Flooring choices are still up in the air.

I want medieval style sconce lighting with dimmers.

Also there should be sound dampening tiles in the ceiling so we can get as loud as we like.

Framed pics of the AvatarArt commissions of my favorite characters shall adorn the walls.
I want a sepia tone Faerun map framed and hung, too.

Any other ideas?

Ah, Now I Wanna Play SWRPG!!!

2011-08-22T18:44:00.000-07:00

I've been watching Star Trek: Enterprise on Netflix streaming. It's kinda everything I expected.

But one episode had a really cool concept which was similar to one I had long ago. The episode is Terra Nova. The premise: the crew sees what happened to an old Federation colony. The episode itself was meh. Again, it was just one concept that I liked.

Terra Nova was colonized by a crew which arrived on a ship which disassembled upon arrival. It was a one-way trip. So, the lav became the colony's latrine. The bridge became the comm center. Et cetera.

I always thought it'd be cool to run a campaign that started with a bunch of level one spacers who colonize a new planet. The whole world is new, and there's full on exploration. The base camp can restock their inventory, and perhaps upgrade weaponry and equipment as they 'trust the PCs more,' or whatever you need to do to make it digestible.

Perhaps after enough levels we can come up with some way to get them off that rock, so they can explore the galaxy.

Of course, I'd wanna do this with Star Wars, but it'd work with any system.

Oh, Fudge!

2011-08-16T09:27:00.000-07:00

I've been following Dr. Rotwang at "I Waste the Buddha with my Crossbow" since I was stuck in an office in Iraq in 2007. It's probably a combination of the ridiculous blog title, his candor, and his penchant for all things 80s that really got me (and keeps me) hooked to his stuff.

A few times he's mentioned the Fudge RPG ruleset, amidst others I've never played. Time and again, I was too lazy to research the game. Today, however, I finally took a jump over to Wikipedia to get the basics.

And I like it. It's so simple. The emphasis is story over rules (which I dig). And you use these cool dice:

I even read that a common theme is to have players write there character up in prose and then generate the character via the rules. Sweet.

I want to play it. With someone. Now.

Has anyone out there played Fudge rules? How'd it go?

Pure Steam Update: PF Compatibility

2011-08-11T04:07:00.000-07:00

Pure Steam was just granted a Pathfinder Compatibility License! What does this mean?

1. We'll be able to use Paizo copyrighted material, giving credit where it's due.
2. We'll be able to put the Pathfinder logo on our products.
3. A larger base will (hopefully) give our game a try.

Why is this so huge? Well, Pathfinder is currently the biggest tabletop RPG on the market. Yeah, suck it 4E! I love this, because Wizards (imho) tried to screw Paizo out of business by taking back the Dungeon and Dragon magazine publishing rights. Paizo has taken the once defunct 3.5 ruleset, revamped it, and crammed it back down Wizards' throat.

There are some great classes in Pathfinder which will suit Pure Steam well. Examples are the alchemist and gunslinger.

What are you looking for in a Steampunk setting?

UPDATE! Yeah, he game(d).

2011-07-29T08:49:00.000-07:00

So, the chap from the aforementioned post is totally a gamer. Well, he used to play tabletop. Now he's a WoW gamer (I'll take it). Yay GAMEDAR!

He's into steampunk a lot, too. He drooled at my steampunk RPG concept as I pitched it to him. w00t!

Fresh Meat!

2011-07-18T06:49:00.000-07:00

Did you ever get that 'sense' about someone? You know, that feeling that they game?

I got it when I met some dudes in high school. They had that same feeling about me. And when we broached the subject, it was a huge confirmation that our internal geek sensors were working. And I'm still gamer buds with those guys to this day.

It's like gaydar, but for gamers. Perhaps it's gamedar?

Well, we got a new intern today. And looking at him, I just got that sense. More to come...

Weapon Speed Factors and Floating Initiative

2011-07-15T10:37:00.000-07:00

Lance and I talked a while back about weapon speed factors, and I still haven't quite shaken the idea that weapon speed factors are a great idea. Although he and I don't agree exactly on the implementation of them, we seem to agree in principle that they can serve to add a dynamic feel to tactical round-based combat.

I read some viewpoints on this variant. One staunch detractor was Sean K. Reynolds. His post was interesting, and I get where he's coming from. But he took a 'case closed' approach that I don't feel was justified. He seemed to feel that introducing a speed variant justified revisiting other combat rules. Well, it does, if you want to. Heck, you can do whatever you want in your own game! But it doesn't have to. Attempting to bring in one factor of realism to combat doesn't require bringing in ALL factors of realism, lest we have to account for the efficacy of piercing/slashing/bludgeoning weapons versus leather/chain/plate armor, just as an example. We don't want to do that; we want to reflect the dynamic, unpredictable flow of combat (while rewarding quicker characters with a very slight edge) without bogging down the game.

I propose something light and simple as a solution:

Weapon                          Initiative Penalty

Unarmed, spells                          0
Finessable weapon                    -1
One-handed weapon                 -2
Two-handed weapon                 -3

Now, I do agree with Mr. Reynolds in the greater body of his article that weapon speed factors become a moot point after round one. At least they do when using the standard initiative model. Sean says that weapon speed factors still result in 10 attacks by side A and 10 attacks by side B in 10 rounds (assuming low level characters). Heck, almost everything about initiative is a moot point after round one. Improved initiative is a waste of a feat, at least.

The point of this post is, then, two-fold. I wish to justify weapon speed factors (and hopefully coax comments about them), and propose a floating initiative system, which resolves the aforementioned mootness of weapon speed factors.

I've done a floating initiative system before, in which initiative is rolled every round. While this CAN slow combat down, it doesn't have to. Just about every game table I've seen in the last five years has a laptop at it. Why not open up a spreadsheet program with a random number generator formula? (E.g., =RANDBETWEEN(x,y) in MS Excel). Hit F9 to recalculate every round, and use an auto sort macro to put it in top-down order each time? A proficient user could recalculate initiative every round in a second or two.

What does this look like at the table? Round after round, the quicker character (i.e., the character with higher dexterity, lighter weaponry, and the improved initiative feat) gets a chance to go first more often. But there's always a chance that your foe gets two full rounds off before you get yours. I liken this to the dynamic flow of exciting battles in novels and movies.

Thoughts?

Steampunk Development Underway

2011-07-14T05:28:00.000-07:00

So, I've assembled a team of crack(pot) developers to help me move Pure Steam (that's what I'm calling it until I come up with something better) into an actual product.

I have three game content developers on board, as well as an artist and a musician (yeah we're rolling out an original soundtrack with the core book!).

Last night, we were supposed to have a telecon (considering 2/3 of us live out of my town). I was dialed in, waiting for a couple more people to call in (Lance was already there!), when our social worker arrived (we're adopting a baby!). She wasn't supposed to visit our house until the day after (today), but she mixed up her dates. So, I had to cancel the meeting. I could imagine what kind of marks I'd get if I told her, "Go away! I'm meeting with guys to make a game!"

So, sadly, I had to cancel the meeting. But Brennan stayed, and we hashed out a few more details.

Also, Devon worked up a few (very) preliminary sketches of our cast of characters and some lighter-than-air transport. I'll post them soon.

Comment and let me know what you'd want to see in an original steampunk setting!

You Need One of These

2011-07-11T09:35:00.000-07:00

Now, I believe we gamers have all gotten creative over the years with determining probability when the standard dice didn't quite cover it. But some of these options just get tedious after time. Yeah, I'm talkin' to you, d1. I don't know about the rest of you, but my d1 approach is such a game stopper. But you should try it sometime!

Step 1: Locate marble.

Step 2: Roll marble on table.

Step 3: Wait for it...

...

rolls onto floor...

...

...

ricochets off first wall...

...

...

second wall...

...

it's a 1!

- - -

But seriously, there are certain required probability rolls for which the game publishers never bothered to manufacture a concise solution. The most infamous is the d3. I'd say 90%+ of gamers just half the d6, but I always thought we could do better.

A couple years ago I finally found a d3! I gave it a few years to catch on, but I'm still shocked by the number of gamers I encounter who have no idea of its existence (and who salivate at the sight of one!).

Well, there is a legit d3 out there, by GameScience.

The silly letters are--I presume--a way for handless folks to adjudicate Rock-Paper-Scissors. To me, they're an acceptable distraction from the sheer awesome of having a d3.

Now your halfling, or slapfighting human, can have a proper damage die. And for that, we rejoice.

Great Old One Candleholder

2011-07-05T11:16:00.000-07:00

This candlestick holder is exactly what I need for my new basement gaming haven.

I can see it right now...black candles dripping wax over the suction cups, as the party delves into a howling cavern...

Want!

They Like Me! They Really Like Me!

2011-07-04T19:24:00.000-07:00

So, me pal Lance is published! He's on DungeonMastering.com with a nice column: The Art of the Small, Analyzing the "Crunch for the Fluff". After two articles published, I can say that it's solid stuff. There's already something I'll be incorporating into my game on Friday. Language barriers, ho!!!!!!

And seeing this wonderful work of art really got me to thinking, "I like writing; why don't I see if I can con someone into putting my thoughts in their 'zine?" I mustered the courage and shot RoleplayingTips.com a note (damn you, Lotus Notes, for that part of my vernacular) and asked if I could contribute to this user-fueled treasure trove of all things fluffy. They obliged.

It looks like the post didn't make it to the website after all, but it's in the newsletter. So, subscribe, and tell 'em to send you a back issue of B'omarr Punk's post! If you get issue 522, scroll to the bottom of this post, you'll see that they liked my character creation guidelines (which emphasize character depth and reward such with tangible bonuses) enough to copy and past them! It ain't much, but it's a start. If you read it, let me know what you think!

Airship Pirates

2011-06-07T16:50:00.001-07:00

This track is currently giving me newfound motivation for steampunk innovation.

New RPGs

2011-06-07T06:50:00.000-07:00

Just a quick note:

I'm working with some fellow gamers to push two RPGs out the door soon.

Metal Corps, a futuristic soldier-based RPG, will start beta playtesting next month. It uses rules similar to 4E or SWRPG Saga Edition, with plenty of fresh changes to speed up play and capture the real hopelessness of a space colony encountering some dire threats.

I have an old friend who's going to produce an original soundtrack for Metal Corps, and I am VERY excited about that!

And, I've finally found a solid partner to assist with my Steampunk endeavor. I've decided to use Pathfinder OGL rules. So, my goal is to roll out the core setting by this time next year. The Steampunk game is going to take place in Appalachia, with some pretty familiar archetypes and politics. Firearms and technology are expected to push realism (of course, there will be plenty of fantastical exceptions).

If you're interested in playtesting either of these games, let me know!

Ahote, Restless One

2011-05-07T07:04:00.000-07:00

I've settled in pretty well in Ohio, and have a solid gaming group here. I'm running a 3.5 game in Forgotten Realms. Also, I'm privileged to be a part of a Pathfinder game with the same group, and I get to just play one character (no DMing!).

My dude is a redux version of a PFRPG character from a previous game. I had to bust him down in level, but I really wanted to see what I could do with this concept.

His name is Ahote, which is Restless One in his native tongue.

Ahote is a currently a level 3 Human Barbarian/Ranger (levels 1 and 2, respectively. I'm pretty proud of the build, as I haven't seen anything like it before.

Good strength, better dexterity, and the other stats aren't much to brag about. He dual wields axes (the lighter of which is a throwing axe or tomahawk).

As a variant, the DM allowed me to use Whirling Frenzy instead of standard Rage, so I get an extra attack as opposed to the constitution boost whilst I freak out. So, at level 3, he gets three attacks with decent bonuses.

I always had an issue with the way rangers' animal companions seem to magically appear at level 4. I liked what one of my players, Brenna, did with Amrielle's horse companion. She simply started at level 1 with her horse, Star, as a pet. By level 4, the party was used to Star, and the bond between ranger and companion was already built. I am doing the same with Ahote and his companion, Little Cheytahk, his cheetah companion.

Why a cheetah? Well, Ahote gets the standard barbarian Fast Movement feature, and he makes good use of it. In the future, I hope to grab the Cheetah Tribe Sprint feat from the Forgotten Realms 3.5 Shining South sourcebook. Those with this feat can move up to 4 times their movement during a charge. This may seem crazy, but it's definitely balanced by the fact that it won't be used in dungeons (read: 90% of the game).

So, a barbarian/ranger with Native American influence, a cat familiar, dual weapons, one of which he likes to throw. Oh, and did I mention he's exiled from his tribe? Yeah, it wasn't until session 2 that I realized this guy is Drizzt and Wulfgar's lovechild.

Nonetheless, my dudes over at AvatarArt have cut me a deal to do 10 basic level sketches of him, so I can visualize him out as he levels up. Here's the first. Another one is coming soon.

Roll a D6!

2011-05-06T09:07:00.000-07:00

Roll a D6 from Connor Anderson on Vimeo.

Trillic Zellorgosz

2010-04-28T12:20:00.000-07:00

Trillic Zellorgosz, the Tethyrian bard (here he is!)

returned home to the ranch in Longsaddle after a month away in the Spine of the World. A snake was lying across his path, sunning itself. It eyed him with contempt. He stabbed it. It became a serpent-looking humanoid (a Yuan-ti) and ran away. The next day he confronted an odd visitor at his ranch on that same road. The human tried to get away, but showed his true colors in trying to steal the bard's fabled drum. Battle ensued, and the man turned into a tiny viper, sliding away into the weeds. Later he assumed humanoid form again, this time showing his reptilian heritage. It died at the hands of Trill and his friends. It left behind several noteworthy items, one of which this magical sword (yay!):

3.5 Katana

2010-04-19T10:57:00.000-07:00

Ok, so the danddwiki.com version of the 3.5 katana is a tad broken. But I like the spirit of the rules for it. It's a dynamic that allows multiple options to the wielder depending on their style of use (it can be finessed, wielded two handed, and the crit range and multiplier changes depending on training and use).

But it is perhaps the single most powerful mundane weapon if allowed to be used as written.

The problem with the standard 3.5 katana is that it's just a bastard sword. But would William Wallace and a samurai really use the same weapon?

Without some change, the only reason a player would pick up the katana for their character would be for role playing flavor. I wanna find a middle ground.

To the exasperated reader who stomped feet about a two-handed finesse-able weapon being stupid and without precedent: FAIL. It's already been done in 3.5. Please read the spiked chain entry.

How about this? Stats are for a medium katana.

Katana (Exotic One/Two-Hand Melee)

Cost: 150gp
Dmg 1h: d8
Dmg 2h: d10
Crit: 19-20/x2
Weight: 5lb

You can use your weapon finesse feat to apply your Dexterity modifier instead of your Strength modifier to attack rolls with a katana, but this may only be used while wielding the weapon one-handed.

Wielding the weapon with two hands increases the damage to d10 and adds 2 to damage when sundering.

Comparative notes on balance: When wielded one-handed, this weapon hangs in the balance between the longsword (d8 dmg, 19-20 crit, no finesse) and the elven thinblade (d8 dmg, 18-20 crit, finesse). Wielded with two hands, this weapon lies in between the greatclub (d10 dmg, 20 crit, no special feat required if 2h) and the bastard sword (d10 dmg, 19-20 crit, no special feat required if 2h).

So if this weapon lies in between existing weapons on the spectrum, why would you wield it? OPTIONS.

If your character is William Wallace, choose the bastard sword, or the greatsword. If your character is Elebros Moonblade, wispy loafer-light fighter, choose the thinblade. But if you have an above average dexterity, and want to have OPTIONS when fighting without changing weapons, wield the katana.

This katana is truly for the Asian-inspired martial artist character.

The more research I did on the katana the more I saw a similar thread. This blade was made for samurai to react suddenly to their foes. By sheathing it blade up, they could strike while drawing it. I couldn't find any 3.5 feats to this effect, so here's one I made.

NEW FEAT:

Draw Strike

Prerequisites: Base Attack +6, Exotic Weapon Proficiency: Katana, Weapon Focus: Katana, Quick Draw

This feat allows the wielder to draw their katana and strike in the same motion. When drawing the katana, the wielder may make a single melee attack at his highest base attack bonus as a free action in conjunction with drawing the weapon. He may then 'complete' a full attack as a standard action, using any remaining attacks from his normal total number of attacks.

Example: Kao Kao, a tenth level fighter, walks into an ambush with his weapon sheathed. He notices his foes and gets to act during the surprise round. During the surprise round (assuming the ambushers were in melee range) he may draw his katana and strike in one motion using his highest base attack bonus (+10). As this is a free action, he may still take either a move action or standard action during this surprise round. He chooses to take a standard action to 'finish' his full attack, and attacks again using his next-highest base attack (+5). He could also take a single move after his draw strike.

Another Example: Kao Kao, now fifteenth level, is parlaying with a sinister feudal lord. Negotiations go sour, and the lord draws his blade and casts an abjuration on himself. Kao, seeing his opportunity, draws and strikes as a free action using his highest base attack bonus (+15). He now has options: finish his attack (two more attacks, using his progressively lower base attack bonuses (+10/+5) as a standard action then and a single move; or give up the full attack and make a sprint move, or plenty of other options.

Possible House Rule Change: 3.5 Weapon Enhancement and DR

2010-04-14T09:10:00.001-07:00

I'm considering house ruling this option.

Monte Cook (original 3.0 and 3.5 designer) has some great thoughts on overcoming the the 'golf bag' syndrome and restoring the +5 sword to its once-fabled glory.

The rules (and eloquent explanation and design notes) are here.

I'm very close to house ruling this; I'm just giving players the chance to review it.

Steampunk Classes, Part I

2010-04-07T16:30:00.000-07:00

After two playtest sessions (ridiculously adventurously fun sessions, by the way), I'm looking into some of the rules and assumptions I started out with in this Steampunk Campaign Setting I'm working on.

I've been using the Fantasy Flight Games book Sorcery and Steam as a jumping off point (it's 3e generic, but it's pretty in line with the way I want to run things).

The basic pathfinder classes I want to use are:

Barbarian
Bard
Fighter
Ranger
Rogue
Sorcerer

I'm also considering the Cavalier, which is a marshall/knight type of class if you're familiar with 3.5.

Today I'm mulling also over the Musketeer class, which is presented in S&S as a unique character class. It's fraught with dead levels, which is something Pathfinder doesn't take kindly to, so I've been thinking of how to modernize it for the system. But I was thinking, does the musketeer need his/her own class? Couldn't a fighter accomplish the same?

What about the artificer class? This is also in S&S and it's essentially a skilled (8 skill points per level like the rogue) character who gets craft-related special abilities. I think something like this class is essential in a technologically advanced setting. It's especially relevant (and appealing) in a gestalt game (which mine will be, if you recall) due to the fact that you can be a creator character without sacrificing pulpy action (by taking a fighter class or something similar in conjunction with the artificer class).

Any other thoughts? What classes would (or wouldn't) work well in a world where religion isn't (necessarily) relevant and magic is outlawed but existent?

My Foray into Steampunk

2010-03-23T11:51:00.001-07:00

I am but an infant standing before an ocean when it comes to the genre of Steampunk, but I am quite excited about the gaming opportunities it extends. A gnome escaping from a train heist by sealing the dining car's door with a glue bomb would be amazing. Or a group of half-orc tribesmen that take down the zeppelin of the local oppressive duke with bows and arrows, yeah, that's the ticket!

I'm a long way from making this a true sustained campaign reality, but so far here's what I know.

The world will be my own (sort of).
The geography will match that of our Earth, but history shall be quite different.
The 'civilized' world at this point currently reside on the continent we call North America.
There are approximately 36 nation-states. The two most powerful of which are the Federated States of Ullera and the Sovereign Kingdom of Rausch, currently allies which share borders.

Ullera sits between what we know as the Mississippi River and the East Coast, going north to the shores of the Great Lakes and south to the Everglades. It is a technologically driven state which in many ways mirrors the U.S. in the 1860s. Magecraft has long been outlawed here, but it is rumored to exist.

West of the Mississippi to the Pacific Ocean spans the vast, sparsely populated Kingdom of Rausch. It's king rose from despondent orphanhood to a high position in the state church, eventually securing royal status by marrying ALL THREE of the prior king's daughters. He is highly respected and quite just.

Ulleran settlers, sick of coalsmoke-clogged cities, set east decades ago on all manner of craft (from dirigible to clipper to ship), but the harsh conditions and violent natives in the continents to the east have prevented Ullera from establishing meaningful colonies.

Gameplay will likely be limited to three player characters at a time. Pathfinder RPG rules will be used, augmented by third party steampunk expansions (mainly 3.0 books, actually). Players will all run gestalt characters (taking the best of any two classes).

Gameplay in the first campaign will include limited options. Greater options will be 'unlocked' as the world is explored (Example: once players encounter Knights of Rausch, the paladin class will become available.)

Players will start in Ullera (in game one), and race/class options will be limited to:

Races: Human, Half-elf, Elf, Gnome, Dwarf, Halfling.
Classes: Barbarian, Bard, Fighter, Ranger, Rogue, Sorcerer.

Magic knowledge available to players will be limited to 3rd level spells until higher knowledge is unlocked.

Equipment: Modified black powder weapons exist. Reloading will take something like two full rounds (anything more will make it little fun for an RPG), which can be reduced by feats and class features.

There's plenty to flesh out here. Hit me up with questions. I'm sure there are aspects I haven't considered yet!

3.5 Sorcerer, I Can't Stop Myself

2010-03-10T07:48:00.000-08:00

I really like the new feel of my sorcerer class, but I feel like it's missing the mark. I wanted sorcery to feel so different from wizardry (in execution, not in power or effect). I thought the pseudospell powers would do the trick, but I quickly learned (thanks to some friendly DMs) that it would be hard to adjudicate. So I scrapped it. But without it, I feel the whole point of my endeavor was unmet.

Something I have considered and am now reconsidering is treating sorcerer spells like psionic powers. Those unfamiliar with psionics...well, instead of spell slots and spells per day, the psionicist gets points which they spend to evoke powers, and they can spend more points to augment those powers as they see fit (increasing damage, extending duration, adding secondary effects, etc.)

In my experience, psionics come with their own set of pains, but (like many non-standard ideas) they work if used responsibly.

A spell point system truly opens up the caster to (near) complete freedom. He could throw everything he has into his fireball, augmenting it to max damage, but leaving himself spell-less until the next day.

Here is a good basic spell point concept. What it lacks is the complete freedom of augmentation (this one only allows for increasing of damage dice from the minimum).

Here's an example of a psionic power and the augmentation possibility: The first-level power force screen (the psionic equivalent to shield) allows this: "For every 4 additional power points you spend, the shield bonus to Armor Class improves by 1."

And another: This is found in the power energy bolt, a third-level Wilder power: "For every additional power point you spend, this power’s damage increases by one die (d6). For each extra two dice of damage, this power’s save DC increases by 1."

In summary, I'm considering changing sorcerer spell slots to spell points, using an amalgam of the variant spell point rules and psionic power augmentation. If I do that, I'll remove the bonus feats from the sorcerer.

Customized Paladin Code

2010-03-08T12:22:00.000-08:00

One of the difficulties of playing a paladin (or DMing for a paladin, or being in a party with a paladin) is the strictness of the code of said paladin.

One of the more difficult things about most paladins I've seen played (and played myself) is the lack of a defined code. The gameplay is then reduced to presumption about what the paladin can and can't do.

One of the natural tendencies for most of us in the Western world is to assume that every paladin fits in the Knight Templar box. The reality is that in almost every D&D world, there are vast pantheons of deities that expect their followers to act very differently.

In Forgotten Realms, for example, a paladin of Sune should act a lot different than a paladin of Hoar. Heck, even two paladins of the same deity could (and usually should) have different codes, capturing their own emphasis on certain tenets of their patron deity (much like chosen domains of a cleric).

This then requires the characters to establish a code at character creation; this may be a daunting task (or your players might be lazy).

If you want to take a look at the option, hit me up and I'll send the doc to you (it's 15 pages!)

NOTE: I didn't create this and I have no idea where it comes from, but I like it!

Real World Dungeon Room

2010-03-03T12:29:00.000-08:00

The most treacherous 5'x5' space on earth is in my office. Some crazy lady got fired and they just now got around to cleaning her cubicle. The pics below are her office space after an hour of diligent cleaning. You can imagine the original disposition.

Incorporate this into your next dungeon and watch your players retire instantly.

Traits:

What a mess!: The entire room is treated as hindering terrain. Also, creatures in this area have concealment.

Trap: Bowl of rotten food (CR 4). Has been festering for several months. Upon opening, characters within 30ft must succeed on a Fort Save (DC 20) or be nauseated for 1d6 hours.

Incongruent Philosophies: The walls of this room are plastered with a myriad of demotivational anecdotal cartoons, watered down Christian philosophy, random quotable phrases, and pictures of long-dead pets. Understanding the beliefs of the inhabitant requires a Decipher Script check (DC 30) which takes several minutes. It is likely that during this time you will be attacked by a...

Cockroach Swarm (CR 5)

Magic Missile the Fat One!

2010-03-02T07:26:00.000-08:00

I have a player that made an obese character. That presents all sorts of interesting possibilities, mind you.

I decided to make up game statistics for the overweight. Here goes:

Character Trait: Obesity

Benefit: You are treated as one category larger for the purposes of opposed rolls such as trip attempts, bull rush attempts, and grappling.

Drawback: You are treated as under medium encumbrance.

D&D Dora

2010-02-19T11:25:00.000-08:00

Having a daughter, I've spent more time than I ever expected (or wanted) watching Dora the Explorer. As I got familiar with the character, I realized she could easily be ported into your favorite D&D campaign.

Dora the Explorer is clearly either a druid, or a ranger of at least 4th level. Why do I make this assertion? She has an animal companion, Boots the Creepily Sentient Monkey.

Given her low level, her failure to show any combat prowess, and no apparent favored enemy*, I would have to say she is a young budding druidess.

This would explain so much, like her affinity with--and ability to speak to--animals such as Tiko the Squirrel and Benny the Bull.

More to come. I plan to gen up some stats for Dora, as well as an awesome sketch.

*Swiper the Fox is NOT her enemy, just a confused and misdirected fox bandit whose kleptomaniacal pursuits are easily thwarted. Thank you, liberal media.

3.5 Sorcerer, v2.2 (or something)

2010-02-12T08:56:00.000-08:00

Jeffs Gameblog: On System

2010-02-11T13:17:00.000-08:00

Jeffs Gameblog: On System: "spot-on"

This guy made me nod a lot and made me want to shut my yap. Kudos!

3.5 Sorcerer Feedback

2010-02-11T10:02:00.000-08:00

A pal and veteran DM gave me some comprehensive feedback, and helped me to decide to take out the pseudospell powers from the sorcerer. They're too unwieldy and will likely be more a pain for the DM to use.

With his help I came up with this breakdown regarding balance between the sorcerer and wizard, too. It appears to be balanced.

-(On average) a Sorcerer can cast 2 more spells/day than a wizard can. Advantage Sorcerer

-A Sorcerer need not prepare spells like a wizard does. Advantage Sorcerer

-Sorcerer has better proficiencies. Advantage Sorcerer

-Sorcerers gain eschew materials and native spellcasting while wizards may scribe scrolls out the gate. Even

-Wizard and sorcerer get bonus (very limited) feats (or bloodline powers). Even

-Same skill points per level. Even

-Same starting gold. Even

-Wizard gets familiar. Advantage Wizard

-Wizard has more spells known. Advantage Wizard

-Wizard has (almost imperceptibly) better class skills. Advantage Wizard

What do you think?

3.5 Sorcerer, Beta Playtest

2010-02-10T12:21:00.000-08:00

The new 3.5 sorcerer is finished.

I don't know how to post a PDF file here, so let me know if you want to take a look at it. Here's a summary:

Unchanged: Base Attack, Saves, Hit Points, Skills, Spell List, Spells Known, Spells Per Day, Proficiencies

Removed: Summon Familiar

Added:
Native Spellcasting (+4 to Spellcraft DC to determine your spells)
Arcane Source (Bloodline or Awakened, bloodline traits or bonus feats)
Eschew Materials bonus feat at level 1
Pseudospell Powers

3.5 Sorcerer: Bloodlines

2010-01-07T08:00:00.000-08:00

I'm taking a little inspiration from some existing 3.5 books and the Pathfinder RPG on the last leg of my quest to revamp the 3.5 sorcerer. This time I'm talking bloodlines. For those not familiar with the idea, here goes:

The sorcerer, unlike the wizard, has inborn magical ability. When they cast a spell, they pour out innate energy that they shape into tangible effects. A wizard is simply an individual who studies the effects that sorcerers and their ilk (elementals, djinn, dragons, outsiders, etc.) and emulate them through study and ritual.

So, how does a sorcerer end up with the ability to cast spells? They have the magic of one of the aforementioned creatures in their blood.

I'm not quite sure how these bloodlines are going to manifest themselves in game terms, but I'm leaning towards periodic (ever few levels) powers or so.

Here are the bloodlines (and their sources) I'm going to allow:

Abyssal - demons
Celestial - good outsiders
Draconic
Elemental
Fey
Infernal - devils

I'm either going to give the sorcerer decent bloodline powers every 4 levels, or I'm going to give them the option to select from a slightly more powerful bloodline power or a bonus feat (from the Complete Mage reserve feats) every 5 levels.

Any suggestions?

3.5 Sorcerer: Pseudospell Powers

2010-01-06T07:34:00.000-08:00

As sorcerers are simply conduits of raw magical power, it stands to reason that a limited number of spells is not the only way a sorcerer can manifest such power. These casters likely didn't first realize their prowess by casting a spell with verbal, somatic, and material components (that seems extremely silly, actually). Most sorcerers discover their talents as adolescents, as their desires or frustrations begin to shape the world around them (an angry boy accidentally sets his house on fire with his burning hands while throwing a tantrum, a scared girl magically illuminates her bedroom to ensure there are no monsters under her bed, etc). I think most people understand this idea and even subscribe to it (even the game developers), but it seems as though all of those 'pseudospell powers' go by the wayside once the first game session begins.

Not in my games, anymore.

Sorcerers now have the ability to evoke minor effects (less powerful than level 1 spells, but potentially as powerful as 0-level spells) as long as they have magic coursing through their veins.

The effects they have available rely largely upon the spells he/she has chosen as Spells Known. For every different type of spell known, more options are available.

The sorcerer must have at least one spell per day left uncast of the same level from which the pseudospell ability derives.

Examples:
If the sorcerer has light (a 0-level spell) in her Spells Known, and has at least one 0-level spell per day remaining, she may produce a light in her hand equivalent to candelight as long as she concentrates.

A sorcerer who knows alter self and hasn't cast all her level 2 spells may transmute a minor portion of herself for various effects (e.g., add/remove a tail or hair).

A sorcerer with burning hands (a level 1 spell) in his Spells Known, and has at least one level 1 spell per day remaining, he may set a torch or kindling (or similar highly flammable material) afire as a standard action.

Perhaps the same sorcerer above also has fireball known, and a remaining 3rd level spell per day uncast, he may also light a torch or kindling as a standard action, even if he has no 1st level spells available.

The sorcerer essentially draws upon the power that he uses for spells. As he become more powerful (i.e., gains more Spells Known), he will have more and more pseudospell powers available to him.

It is up to the DM and the player to police the use of these powers, but they exist for freedom and creativity.

Notes on balance: The sorcerer must maintain concentration for any non-instant effect (a minor altering of one's appearance, or a light, etc). Also, at no time may a pseudospell power damage a creature or object (not even unintentionally).

What are your thoughts? Do you have any examples of pseudospell powers?

3.5 Sorcerer: Native Spellcasting

2009-12-18T08:40:00.000-08:00

I've decided that the 3.5 sorcerer in my games are going to be worth playing.

My first modification: All sorcerers will have an ability called Native Spellcasting:

"Complex spell recipes are for wizards, who merely study ways to emulate the power you were born with. You grew up finding your own way to evoke the magic in your blood, and your spellcasting traditions are unorthodox in nature. The Difficulty Class for someone to discern a spell you are casting increases by 4."

Also: I'm considering stripping away the familiar, adding eschew materials as abonus feat, adding bloodline abilities, and adding metamagic and pseudo-spell abilities.

Thoughts?

Custom Minis

2009-12-14T10:54:00.000-08:00

Let's take a moment to honor Patrick Keith (http://www.patrickkeith.com/), in my top ten list of coolest people ever.

Why? He just sculpted this bomb mini for me.

This is Kaal, my brother's aspiring dragonslayer, complete with dragonlance. Maybe one day I'll post the story of Kaal, and the artwork that accompanies him. I sketched the design for this lance back when he was starting this character out, then I had AvatarArt do a sketch with him and the lance, and now this!

As far as the process of getting a mini sculpted, it's actually quite easy. I contacted Reaper and asked if they'd do it. They informed me that they cast minis, but don't sculpt them. So they recommended some sculptors (of which Patrick was one).

Now that it's sculpted, I can have Reaper cast the mini and I keep the rights to sell them. How cool is that?

Retooling the 3.5 Sorcerer

2009-12-10T14:14:00.000-08:00

I think most people agree that the 3.5 sorcerer needs retooling in order to keep up with the wizard. I want to make it a class people want to play.

I like the bloodlines introduced by Unearthed Arcana and championed by Pathfinder. I think these and their powers should be standard and not require feats or class feature substitutions (but perhaps feats to enhance the bloodlines would work).

One thing I think a sorcerer should have in her repertoire is the ability to produce quasi-spell effects. Variations on traditional spells should come as a standard power for sorcerors.

Example: a sorcerer with burning hands should be able to light a fire similar to the effect of a match without expending a spell slot.

I need to think about this more.

Estraeus

2009-12-07T12:55:00.000-08:00

I recently whipped up a 6th level paladin (Kallen Highshield) for a short-notice game, and I wanted to give him some flare. For me, a paladin's flare usually comes in the form of his sword. Long ago I read a list of cheesy paladin quotes, and one stuck with me: [to sword] "Here's the goblin I promised you."

So I had Estraeus forged for my pally. It was a +1 keen longsword (17-20 threat range!). I stacked that with the Great Cleave feat progression, and waded into ranks of orcs with quite the swagger. Haha!

Then we ended our three session adventure, and I had some time to think some more about this hasty character. As I reviewed the deity I selected, I realized that the greatsword (not the longsword) was the god's favored weapon. But Kallen (and I) was already so attached to Estraeus!

Solution: have Estraeus reforged!

So the story goes: the church's weaponsmiths split Estraeus down the fuller, widened the blade, but maintained the magically sharp edges. Then they extended the pommel, and added plenty of heft to the whole weapon.

Result: Estraeus 2.0, +1 Keen Greatsword. Behold!

Throwing People

2009-10-30T12:29:00.000-07:00

Long ago, when the internet was relatively new, I ran across a list called, "The Greatest Things About D&D."

Only one item on the list stuck in my head to this day: "Having to calculate the trajectory of a thrown goblin."

I've never actually had anyone try to throw another creature since about year 2000, when I was still in 2e. It's never come up, so I've never considered the d20 rules for such an attempt...until now.

I've got a player in one of my games who just made a character who could very well have the ability (and motivation) to throw people. He bugged me for rules on how this would work, so I had to oblige.

Here is a new house rule for throwing creatures.

"Creatures are considered two handed improvised melee weapons for the purposes of throwing them. This means you must use two hands as a full round action to throw them. Tiny and Diminuitive creatures have a range increment of 10ft. Small and medium creatures have a range increment of 5ft.

If targeting a specific floor square, treat the creature as a splash weapon for determining the result of the throw. The AC is typically 5 for a segment of floor, and the directional rules for a miss also apply. If targeting another creature with the throw, a ranged touch attack is required.

Damage from being thrown - A thrown creature is dealt falling damage when thrown. The distance thrown equals distance fallen for the purposes of determining damage taken. Add 1.5x the throwing creature's strength modifier to damage dealt.

Damaging other creatures - Tiny and Diminuitive creatures do no damage if they hit another being. Small creatures do 1d6 damage per 10ft traveled if they hit another creature, and Medium creatures do 2d6 damager per 10ft traveled.

Thrown creatures that hit another being also perform a bull rush (use the thrower's strength modifier and the thrown creature's size modifier to determine the outcome of the bull rush). The thrown creature must continue with the opponent as it moves."

Here's an illustration: Clayton's got a pipsqueak of a goblin berating him, and it's hard as heck to hit with his hammer. Finally, though, he gives up conventional means of slaughter and is able to grapple it. Now, holding onto it, he wants to make it really pay for all the nasty things it just said to him. He stands 10ft from a cliff and decides it should plummet to its doom. He rolls d20 + his ranged attack bonus - 4 (improvised weapon) - 2 (range increment). The AC in this case is HUGE (wide open spaces). Chances are, he successfully flings the thing to it's doom. It takes the appropriate falling damage and likely dies.

Here's another illustration: That goblin's worg comes after him, and he's got no time to dance with it, for he sees that his friend Amrielle is currently surrounded by a group of goblins by the same cliff. He grapples the puppy normally, then decides to fling it at a goblin in an attempt to knock it off. Clayton is 15 feet from the goblin, who happens to be 10ft from the cliff. He throws the worg, rolling a d20 + his ranged attack bonus - 4 (improvised weapon) - 6 (range increment). If he hits the goblin's touch AC with the attack, the worg deals damage to the goblin, receives damage, and initiates a bull rush versus the goblin.

Clayton get's to represent the worg in the bull rush (it is his attack, after all). He rolls d20 + his strength bonus + 0 (worg size) vs. the goblin's roll. Let's say the worg successfully bull rushes the goblin. If the worg win's by 5 or more, it must choose to follow the goblin and move it further, successfully pushing them both off the cliff.

Thoughts?

1kXP-12 RMT Session 1

2009-03-12T11:05:00.000-07:00

It's time for another doomed to fail initiative...Remedial Munchkin Training (RMT), courtesy of A Thousand XP to Midnight (1kXP-12).

Munchkin (n): a player who plays what is intended to be a non-competitive game (usually a role-playing game) in an aggressively competitive manner.

In the military, RMT (Remedial Military Training) is used for whiny misfits and arrogant problem children. The intent is to reteach them the basic tenets of their profession, to take them back to basics. At 1kXP-12, RMT is akin to that. We intend to give GMs/DMs and players the tools to whip munchkins back into shape.

Session 1 is a simple exercise. Strip them down, just like in basic training, so you can build them up the right way.

As I developed this, I drew inspiration from MMOs such as Everquest and World of Warcraft. Years back, a friend of mine recanted a tale of a drizzly day when his EQ guild's server went offline. Yearning to play SOMETHING, the group found a new server, created barbarians, stripped them to their leopard skin thongs, and raced across the map on foot. They trudged through zones too powerful for their unclad newbies, and dropped like flies. This naked barbarian footrace has become his most memorable moment of his EQ days.

I then came across a similar event in WoW. A group of 40 embarked on an odd quest: raid the 10th level NPC "Hogger" with 40 Gnomes at level one. A silly video of this not-quite-epic hunt is here. All I can say about it is, "Tread with caution through this poppyfield."

Now on to my exercise, which isn't necessarily for munchkins alone. Have your players create low level commoners with little to no special powers or abilities (D&D players, level 1 human commoners work great!). Then have them try to navigate a world or adventure made for heroes. I can guarantee three things:

1. Hilarity will ensue,

2. The players will dig deeper than ever to succeed, and

3. Nearly everyone involved will look at the game in a new light.

Frank, Natalya, and Jervesh have no idea that Gnolls are lurking in the grass...

The intent in this is to teach that player (and everyone knows that player) a thing or two about the game. This is for the character who isn't content playing a 'basic' hero. You know, the hero made from the basic rules? "That's not interesting (or challenging, or powerful) enough." Have them try to defend their hovel against a squad of orcs with nothing but a pitchfork and pot of stew, and see how much they appreciate the "weak" abilities a fighter holds.

This kind of game works even if you're not trying to teach a lesson. On many a boring day I find myself with gamer friends not sure how to fill a couple hours. There's not enough time (or we're missing key players) to run a serious game, but we feel the need to game.

Loss of Fear

2009-02-20T14:44:00.001-08:00

I've been screaming this for forever...

"D&D has grown further away from its roots with every edition." Eventually I had to take a stand and stick to 3.5. While it has lost much of what made me fall in love with the game when I first played AD&D, I feel it has a good enough balance of new fantasy and old atmosphere.

What I feel is most lost is the feeling of fear. The fear of traps, the fear of the monsters, and the fear that your character could die tonight. I believe this article sums it up best.

http://www.dungeonmastering.com/tools-resources/where-has-all-the-mean-stuff-gone

I Got a Fever!

2007-09-23T14:22:00.000-07:00

And the only cure, is some Cyberpunk!

In the beginning, there was Cyberpunk, and it was good.

Then the dying locomotive industry, in an attempt to revitalize itself, worked with the entertainment industry to create Wild Wild West starring Will Smith, and Steampunk was born. But that's another blog, for another day.

I believe Cyberpunk may be the only frontier of gaming settings. That's a bold statement, I know, but I rack my brain in attempts to prove myself wrong, coming up ever fruitless. Let's face it, everything's a rehash of something that's been done before.

D&D is still the most popular game, but medieval fantasy gaming is difficult, as it's been done, and done again. Don't get me wrong, I don't think I'll ever stop playing D&D. But it's all been done in novels, films, or video games. Evil wizards. Orc armies. Magical swords. Dragons with thorns in their paws and all you've got to do is remove it and he's your friend. Oh wait...

And Star Wars is notoriously a hard game to play, because unless you're running it in the pre-film period, the story is laid out for you. Unless your Gamemaster is enough of a goon to allow you to kill Boba Fett and Vader, the best you can hope for in the film eras is to secretly help the heroes achieve the victories you know they're going to achieve.

This holds true for running a game in even the Forgotten Realms, which I try nobly to do. One has to be careful not to allow the characters to do something that will upset the flow of the novels, unless you decide that everything published after your sessions doesn't actually happen.

Sure, you can run a home-brew world, but you'll still run into originality problems. I've had campaign and adventure ideas I thought were genious only to watch a movie three weeks later that had the same plot. Ugh. Curse you, Bigtop Peewee. :D

At the end of the day, one of the few solid frontiers of RPG settings is the cyberpunk realm. That is simply because not enough mainstream media has been produced on the subject to seal off all the exits and pin in the imagination. You can still go places in a cyberpunk world that haven't been reached, in reality and in fiction.

I want to play some more Shadowrun. I've only scratched the surface of that game. It is arguably the most comprehensive character systems, but I think that's where it lost people. Most folks wanna roll up a d20 fighter and hack up the baddies. But not me; I want to get into the crazy world run by corporations, where magic exists alongside machine guns and nukes. Ah, how I wish to bathe walk the sprawl, watching out for a street samurai who will undoubtedly lay down the smack on the baddies in such a unique fashion.

And I want to play in a world where entering the Matrix is a voluntary act, only for the talented.

One day, I will live that dream.

Wednesday....

2007-09-19T09:47:00.000-07:00

...is Random Character Day!

This was a good one. Gotta love randomness. In case you missed roud one, check out my first 100% random character. The rolls have it!

Ighvhet, Female Human Barbarian 1
Alignment: Chaotic Neutral
Languages: Common, Gnomish
Hp 8
AC 13 (+1 Dex, +1 armor, +1 buckler)
Attack: Flail +2, d8
Abilities: Str 10, Dex 13, Con 11, Int 12, Wis 4, Cha 6
Feats: Weapon Focus: Flail, Combat Reflexes
Skills: Search +3, Concentration +2, Decipher Script -1, Gather Info +0, Use Magic Device +0
Possessions: Flail, Padded armor, buckler, clay Jar, vial of Ink, Pony, saddlebags
Special Abilities: Fast Movement, Rage

Inghvhet's curiosity regarding culture and inability to hold her tongue got her expelled from the Clan of the White Oak. She has gathered a particularly peculiar assortment of items from trips to old ruins, and is hoping to find a learned person to teach her all the things she wishes to know about cities, culture, and magic.

Her only encounter with civilized people has been with a family of gnomes who were on a pilgrimage and offered her the chance to join them and learn their language. They have since parted ways and she carries with her a strong sense of indebtedness to the littler folk.

It appears that--even with ridiculous outcomes--a random character can find a place in the world.

Another Sleepless Night

2007-09-17T22:23:00.000-07:00

Sometimes a critical dilemma keeps me up at night. There are those unresolved issues that--if left unanswered--could spell doom and uncertainty to mankind. In those instances, I strive to find an answer to the unanswerable.

This is probably a question you have asked yourself in the past, so please bear with me (not Bare With Me.) while I try to work it out for myself.

In 2165, when Canada and Mexico finally roll over and official incorporate into the US...
When space is finally an area of operations for the military...
When the wars we face are for our own planetary freedom...

...Which branch of the military will own the space?!

There are basically two possibilities at present: The Navy and the Air Force.

Virtually every work of science fiction hands this privelege to the Navy. In Star Wars, Star Trek, Homeworld and StarCraft, fleets of ships roam the galaxies, using naval rank structure and terminology. Let's face it though, the Navy would need a lot of work to join us all in the present. Their processes, doctrine, and uniforms are so archaic, putting them in space would constitute copyright infringement on the folks that made Spelljammer. The Air Force is at least looking to the future. In a ridiculous move scoffed by most everyone, the AF has changed its mission statement to include battling the enemy in cyberspace. Seriously, read this article. I can see it now...Shadowrun comes to the real world. Of course, with all that money spent on R&D on deckers hacking into the Matrix, the flyboys won't have time to keep up with the space race. Maybe the Navy will--in fact--have their way.

Well, it appears as though sci-fi has it, so this is what the earth military will look like in the future: The Navy can have space. The Air Force can chase its pipe dream of computer wars. And the Coast Guard can patrol the stratosphere, chasing down Martian drug runners.

Have I Been Roleplaying?

2007-09-15T12:00:00.000-07:00

Sure, I've rolled up characters and thrown dice for something like 9 years, and I've played a variety of dudes.

As time's gone on, I've taken on the role of DM, and my experiences as playing a character vice running the game have become minimal. In those infrequent times I've settled into a comfortable spot: the entertainer and facilitator. I've found that the most comfortable role for me to play is the bard, because nothing falls on my shoulders. That is, unless we run low on gold and the nobles are itchin' for an unplugged version of Free Bird on the lute.
Otherwise, it seems, I take over and steal the fun from my fellow PCs. Krog the half-orc monk really gets depressed when it's my fascinate ability--not his stunning fist--that lulls the enemy into pascifism. I've noticed, though, that his 'stunning' fist is rarely applied with enough finesse to prevent a crushed sternum and a heaping bowl of heart sauce.

So I'm always a chaotic good half elven bard, right? I just enjoy roleplaying that mixture. Or do I? Do I play this role simply because it is the easiest for me to be? To find the answer, I went to QuizFarm.com, and took a couple quizzes: Which DnD Character are you? What's your alignment? and What fantasy race are you? Oh at the heartbreaking results...

You scored as Bard! A BARD, a good travelling player who is a seducer of people with fine songs and words. You are a smooth talker and can talk anything out of anybody.

You scored as chaotic good,

You scored as Elf, You are an Elf! Tall, slim and with pointy ears!
Great minds, extremely longlived, untouched by disease.

Elf

61%

Man

56%

Hobbit

50%

Dwarf

44%

Orc

28%

Take a look at that! Elf and Human are neck and neck! And last time I checked, when those two races are neckin', a half elven bastard child is nine months away! I'm that bastard child! Woe is me! Never to be accepted by any society...Wait, what was the title of this blog? Oh...

Looks like I've been roleplaying as much as Tom Cruise has been acting. That's it, I'm going to play something DIFFERENT next time...maybe Rand, the confused Elven wizard who thinks bats and clubs are cool.

Vampires...

2007-09-14T09:37:00.000-07:00

...are the pyramid scheme of fiction. Yeah, I'm onto you Count Strahd. And you, Nosferatu! You're just another one of AMWAY's marketing ploys to make their businesses appeal to a wider range of clientele. Specifically: goths.

Let's just look at the facts:

1) The entire concept of the Vampire and his power parallels that of the pyramid scheme. Think about it. Who are the most powerful vamps? Bingo! The ones who've been in the biz the longest. First generation vampires always trump the younger ones. Everyone pledges their fealty to the vampire that bit them, and they can only become more powerful as they get more vampires under them, which in turn makes big daddy vampire even stronger.

2) Pyramid schemes are illegal in the United States.

Vampirism is also illegal. You can try to refute this, but it's true. Philip K. Buck, the "Sheboygan County Vampire," was prosecuted. See Vampire Legislation. Also, if vampirism were legal, why would all those blood suckers hide out during the day and only come out at night? Must have something hide. I see right through you (quite literally when mirrors are involved.)

3) While these two might both be illegal, hybrids are totally cool and accepted. Think about it: QUIXTAR is all the rage, and totally legal. QUIXTAR takes some legal business practices, with the spirit of a pyramid scheme, and *sha-ZAM* you've got something sweeping the globe. In the same vein (pun!), Dhamphir--the offspring of vampire and humans--are gaining popularity. Take a look at Blade and Vampire Hunter D. Both legal and totally awesome, thus all the legitimate money the franchises have made.

4) And finally, take a look at the Vampires program in the immensely popular social networking site Facebook. The point of this application within the site is to bite other people, and get more vampires under you. The more you have under you, the more points they gather for you. Basically, you get the weaker ones to work for you while you gain power through doing nothing...I smell a pyramid scheme!

Well, the evidence is overwhelming. I'm sort of surprised this isn't on Dateline already.

Rand

2007-09-13T11:22:00.000-07:00

Here's a picture of Rand, my first 100% random character. I made this using. ugo.com's Hero Machine 2. That thing is wicked cool, and free.

Thanks to my bro SPC-Thrizee. He found the generator.

100% Random Character

2007-09-12T12:32:00.000-07:00

I was so bored and The Simpsons Movie wasn't doing it for me at that moment. Sorry, SpiderPig.

Here's what I did. I wanted to make character 100% randomly. None of those burdensome decisions, just pure dice rolls. I did this for EVERY aspect: ability scores, race, class, skills, weapons, armor, deity, alignment, etc. Using only the rules found at www.d20srd.org, and rolling via Wizards' Dungeons and Dragons Dice Roller, I set off on my ridiculous quest. No rerolls!

I figure I'll create his story AFTER I randomly generate every aspect of him. Could I possibly fashion a credible storyline for this gent, or would it be mayhem? Either way, let's check it out.

Ability scores. 4d6, drop the lowest. Straight down the line. Strength 13, Dexterity 10, Constitution 8, Intelligence 12, Wisdom 16 Charisma 8.

Race. 7 core races, so d8 (8 means reroll). Roll: 3. Elf. This adjusts my ability scores to: Strength 13, Dexterity 12, Constitution 6, Intelligence 12, Wisdom 16 Charisma 8.

Class. 11 core classes, so d12 (11 means reroll). Roll: 11. Wizard. So far so good, we'll have to do something about that average intellect.

So after three rolls this is what I have: A sickly elven wizard who doesn't show much promise in his chosen profession. No worries, plenty of people seem to become successful, even against the odds. Case in point: Dustin Diamond.

Alignment. There are 9, so d10 (10 means reroll). Lawful Good is a 1, Neutral is a 5, and Chaotic Evil is a 9. Roll: 8. Neutral Evil.

Class Options: Familiar. There are 10, so d10. Roll: 1. He has a pet bat.

Skills. I get 12 skill points, so I'm going to roll to see how I spend each one. d20srd shows 36 skills. The dice roller has a custom die, so d36. If I hit a skill with options I'll roll that out too. Roll: 32,12,6,36,24,17,34,25,30,20,21,6. I add one point to: Survival, Forgery, Craft (Trapmaking?), Use Rope, Profession (Teamster?), Intimidate, Tumble, Ride, Spellcraft!, Listen, Move Silently, Craft (Trapmaking!) WOW. Most of these make no sense, and all but a couple don't even provide for a full +1, as they're cross-class skills. Must have went to a liberal arts school.

Feats. 71 feats without prerequisite feats, so d71!. Roll: 66. Toughness. Eh...ok.

Religion. 19 deities. d20 (20 means no deity). Roll: 4. Erythnul, god of slaughter. At least the creepy motif plays so far.

Wealth. I rolled out 90gp for the guy to start with. I'm going to roll a d% to see how much he spends. Roll: 55. He'll spend just over half, or 47gp 5sp. How to roll what he buys is a tough one.

Weapon: No weapons are off limits. 72 core weapons. Roll: 8. A club. How very...blah.

50% chance he'll carry a ranged weapon. Roll: 56. No ranged.

Armor: I know, wouldn't this guy NOT wear armor? He's 100% random, so, that's not for me to decide. Roll: 28 (lower 50%) so yes, he wears armor. Chain Shirt!

But a chain shirt costs 100gp. Does he really want it? The dice say YES (50%). What is he willing to give up for it? d%: 1-50= he's in debt. 51-75= he stole the money. 76-90= it's rusty, discount! 91-100= he's paid for it, with a body part! Roll: 89. Rusty chain mail. Sounds like a dirty sex act in medieval times.

I forgot to roll up the gender! d%. Roll: 16, male!

Ok. That's it. To recap: A Lawful Evil male Elf wizard, severely unfit for his current profession, with a ridiculous spread of skills, extra hit points, rusty chain mail and a club. At least he has his pet bat, Slugger, to help him out.

To the dungeons!

Roll up a random character and post a comment!

A Gradual Approach to Herodom

2007-09-11T03:46:00.000-07:00

Granted, when you're playing a fantasy RPG:
1) You want to be able to do extraordinary things
2) You're able to TRY to do anything

But beyond that, it's all up to the DM. My interpretation may be the minority; I'm not sure. I think my heroes should be able to do a lot less amazing things at levels 1-5 than 6-10 and so on. I believe it's a logical thought process, supported by most gamers and even the rules of the game. You don't even think about sucker punching a great wyrm Red until at least level 20, right? (If even then!)

But where's the line? I talked to a DM years ago about how he runs his Star Wars RPG crew, and they can't expect to be 'heroes' for a while. The biggest reward he gives his players is the ability to modify a bowcaster at level 5 for a +1 attack. Their job until level 10 or so, in this guys mind, is to simply survive the environment. Everything else is flourish!

I'm not that bad, I have to say. But I definitely am not liberal with my distribution of power and wealth. My heroes can expect to do good things, but there's a limit. I once had a DM that pitted my level 5 or 6 crew against a young adult green dragon. Um...ok? Let's see where this goes. As the skinny bard with little combat prowess, you can guess what I did. That's right! I lassoed it around the neck with my grappling hook. I mean, isn't that a no-brainer? My DM and I rolled it out, and it stuck, a perfect shot that wrapped around the beastie's neck five times. Then the DM just threw his papers in the air in a lighthearted "you win" gesture.

Really? Is that all it takes to best a dragon? It's silk rope at best, and my bard weighs about a buck-o-five. I should have been used as a Swiffer to dust the undergrowth of that forest. Sadly, I cemented a five-round knock out of that beast. Come on, dragon! I mean, your breath is corrosive! You can polymorph, I saw you do it before the battle. Sure, my bard can now sing a song throughout the Realms about himself for a change, but... I feel like I was robbed a bit.

I always try to find that perfect balance between allowing my heroes to do amazing, bard-worthy things, and making sure there's something to look forward to. If my bard can do that at level 5, I'm going to hogtie a Tarrasque at 10!

Again I ponder...where is that line? This is all brought about by a play by e-mail game I'm running while I sit in Baghdad. (http://groups.google.com/group/saga-of-the-realms) It shouldn't be a big deal, but somehow it eats at me: Did I make the right call, or should it have been a simple success? Here's the story:

A group of PCs are in a rowboat on the waves, stranded. Three humans, an elf, and a halfling, plus gear. Suffice to say it's barely floating at best. The waves crash here and there and it's taking on water. The paladin summons his mount: a hippogriff. His plan is to ride off on it in the air so that some of the weight is gone. He summons her, and she has to appear adjacent to him. He's on a rowboat in the ocean. She can't hover according to her stat block, so she appears in the boat. That's right...its taking on water and we've just added a winged horse with barding. Hardly the ideal situation. So the pally has her take off immediately, as the ship is about 1/3 full of water. Off she flies, and he wants her to wheel about and fly by, and he'll just mount up as she returns.

What's the issue to me? At level 6, should a fully armored guy in a sinking boat on the seas be able to just mount up on a passing mount? I figure, let the Ride check decide. Not a good roll, but he's holding on. So now he's hanging onto the saddle as she flies. He tries to climb up her, and I make some more rolls. Nat 1. Nat 1. He grabs and pulls her reins and down they go into the ocean. Sucks, right? I could have just said, "Yeah, you're all good. Let's press on." But if they can do that in those circumstances, what is there to look forward to?

At low levels, I want my players to remember how they struggled to navigate the traps of the mummy's pyramid, narrowly escaped (not defeated) the deadly maw of a kraken, and had to pull out all the stops to drop the ogre mage. Because they'll be less cocky, less sure that everything they encounter is a battle to win. Drizzt, Kelemvor, and Han Solo all ran. They were all crafty in overcoming situations. And overcoming seldom meant bludgeoning to death in three rounds.

I want low level players to look forward to the times when they'll be able to do battle those epic baddies, not battle them right away. So they'll savor the tough tasks now, and not think that the DM fudged some rolls in order for them to do the impossible. And when the time comes, they'll sail back out to sea ready to slay the kraken that took their left hand.

I guess at the end of the day I want my guys to accomplish the improbable, not the impossible.

What are your thoughts?