tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-83505848820084548452024-03-13T09:02:03.711+08:00The Magic TreeDnD Fluff and Legacy Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger264125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8350584882008454845.post-27133047318816295822011-05-31T14:46:00.000+08:002015-06-07T19:08:52.831+08:00FEATURE WEBSITE: THE MYTHIC TRUTH - THE LORD OF THE RINGS<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_KezhQ6waZT0/SN7un9vZ_UI/AAAAAAAAGq0/zznadn9DHwc/s1600-h/Fingolfin_closeup.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5250896585916284226" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_KezhQ6waZT0/SN7un9vZ_UI/AAAAAAAAGq0/zznadn9DHwc/s320/Fingolfin_closeup.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" /></a><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-style: italic;">Fingolfin</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-style: italic;"><br />
</span></div>
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_KezhQ6waZT0/SN7ub0Ww9EI/AAAAAAAAGqs/8PyaTLLlk70/s1600-h/953+vial+of+galadriel+20.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5250896377238582338" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_KezhQ6waZT0/SN7ub0Ww9EI/AAAAAAAAGqs/8PyaTLLlk70/s320/953+vial+of+galadriel+20.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" /></a><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-style: italic;">Vial of Galadriel</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-style: italic;"><br />
</span></div>
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_KezhQ6waZT0/SN7uRLqBlHI/AAAAAAAAGqk/LOTJIlGzGBY/s1600-h/947+white+council+b.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5250896194514818162" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_KezhQ6waZT0/SN7uRLqBlHI/AAAAAAAAGqk/LOTJIlGzGBY/s320/947+white+council+b.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" /></a><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-style: italic;">The gathering of the White Council</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-style: italic;"><br />
</span></div>
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_KezhQ6waZT0/SN7uGtClE1I/AAAAAAAAGqc/aAtWeAhRQ3o/s1600-h/944+moon+letters+b.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5250896014497616722" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_KezhQ6waZT0/SN7uGtClE1I/AAAAAAAAGqc/aAtWeAhRQ3o/s320/944+moon+letters+b.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" /></a><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-style: italic;">Moon letters are discovered by Elrond</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-style: italic;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://maria-lombide-ezpeleta.blogspot.com/">All above are courtesy of Maria Lombide Ezpeleta</a></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>A Catholic Perpective<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><i>Welcome to MythicTruth.net !</i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><i>===============================================</i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>What inspired me to create this webpage?</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I suppose it's partly due to the fact that as I have visited many different online communities devoted to J.R.R. Tolkien's work, I have discovered how passionate people are about protecting the <i>true</i> spirit of Tolkien's labours; especially with the current release of the cinematic versions of the Lord of the Rings and the new readers the movies are bringing into the fold.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In my travels through cyberspace, I have encountered many different views on the themes behind the Lord of the Rings [and Middle-earth in general] and Tolkien's motivation for writing this epic; and while I have read articles and books referring to certain Christian theme in the Lord of the Rings, I have never found <i>online</i>, a website that deals with the subject in a complete, in-depth and satisfying manner.<br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Not only that, I have not found <i>online</i>, a well expressed <i>Catholic</i> viewpoint on the Lord of the Rings.<br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Therefore, after some reading and research, I will try to discuss to a reasonable level why I believe Tolkien's faith played an important part in his life's work.<br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
As for me, I am no Tolkien scholar, nor expert. And this is just an amateur webpage, not a book or biography. This is not an exhaustive text, but rather a discussion that will try to highlight the key components of Catholicism in Tolkien's work.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
And of course I love the book. Why else would I do this?<br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Obviously I am Catholic; I have spent some time in monastic life in France in the <i>heart</i> of the Church and, of course I have read the Lord of the Rings multiple times, including <i>the Silmarillion</i>,<i>Unfinished Tales of Númenor and Middle-earth</i>, <i>the History of Middle-earth</i> [HoME] and an assortment of Tolkien's letters.<br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Bear in mind that this is <i>not</i> trying to make the Lord of the Rings into a fifth Gospel or make it some spiritual work that one must read, but rather point out some beautiful parallels and symbolism in a popular fictional story written by a Catholic. It is also <i>not</i> trying to imply that the<i>only</i> driving forces behind the story are Catholic or Christian. There are obviously many others.<br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
You don't have to be Catholic or Christian to follow this discussion but you probably do need to have read the Lord of the Rings.<br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The references and quotes for this discussion have come from a variety of sources but most predominately from:</div>
<div align="center">
<table border="1" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="MsoNormalTable" style="border: 1pt outset rgb(204, 153, 0); width: 90%;"><tbody>
<tr style="height: 147.75pt;"> <td style="border: 1pt inset rgb(204, 153, 0); height: 147.75pt; padding: 0in;"><div align="center">
<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="MsoNormalTable" style="width: 97%;"><tbody>
<tr> <td style="padding: 0in;"><div class="MsoNormal">
<i>Tolkien: Man and Myth</i>, - Joseph Pearce</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>Tolkien: A Celebration</i>, - Joseph Pearce</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien</i>, - edited by Humphrey Carpenter & Christopher Tolkien</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>J.R.R. Tolkien: A biography</i>, - Humphrey Carpenter</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>The History of Middle-earth</i>, - edited by Christopher Tolkien</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>Lord of the Rings</i>, - J.R.R. Tolkien</div>
</td> </tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
</td> </tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
To buy these great books, go to <a href="http://www.amazon.com/">www.amazon.com</a> and search under their names. Another book worth buying is<b> "The Philosophy of Tolkien: The Worldview Behind The Lord of the Rings"</b>by philosopher Peter Kreeft: it can be purchased <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Philosophy-Tolkien-Worldview-Behind-Rings/dp/1586170252/ref=sr_1_22/104-2334487-8518352?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1188617417&sr=8-22">here</a><br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It's worth reading this website in sequential order as it's been written that way [except for the latest updates], but be warned this is a reasonably long discussion....!!<br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
If you would like to contact me please use this address:<i> <a href="mailto:contact@mythictruth.com">contact@mythictruth.com</a></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
Now, if you're still here, alors commençons...<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.leaderu.com/focus/tolkien2.html" rel="nofollow">LINK </a></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8350584882008454845.post-56272384478140475532010-05-31T16:03:00.000+08:002010-05-31T16:03:26.411+08:00Student of Caiphon - Paragon Path<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_NLbk7actvks/TANtNakkpmI/AAAAAAAAAxM/7zkMGMvOKSE/s1600/kkkobgh.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="250" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_NLbk7actvks/TANtNakkpmI/AAAAAAAAAxM/7zkMGMvOKSE/s400/kkkobgh.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><br />
<title></title> <meta content="OpenOffice.org 3.2 (Linux)" name="GENERATOR"></meta> <style type="text/css">
<!--
@page { margin: 2cm }
P { margin-bottom: 0.21cm }
-->
</style> <br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">The Dream Whisperer pays more attention to the world than any other of its ilk. It might have a plan and a part to play in the world final destiny.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><b>Prerequisites: Warlock class, star pact</b> </div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">You studied the limitless abysses and the bright points of enigmatic light that hang between them. You listened to the baffling disordered sounds that emerged from the simple astronomical lenses you used for your study. You learned the stars were not the innocent lamps above the world that most assumed. Despite this unsettling knowledge, you continued your study, eventually narrowing your concentration to just one star star named Caiphon. That when the dreams began. </div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">You dreamed of a fitful star of purple fire. You walked in its light to the edge of a slime-lined pit that pulsed and heaved like a living maw, eager to consume. You hurled yourself into the cavity as the purple star flared. You fell into an amoebic sea, where you were digested over the course of a thousand years, or perhaps just one night. </div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">When you woke, your eyes were opalescent purple orbs, and Caiphon began whispering-whispering- into your ear. Even though you could hear only the merest fragments of Caiphon never-ending instructions and insights, a knowing smile stitched itself across your face. </div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><b>Student of Caiphon Path Features </b> </div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">Star Bright (11th level): When you spend an action point to take an extra action, if you use your action to make an attack that hits, that hit deals ongoing 5 radiant damage (save ends). Such powers are considered to have the radiant keyword. </div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">Caiphon Guidance (11th level): You can score critical hits with fear and radiant powers on a roll of 18-20</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">Caiphon Intercession (16th level): You can choose to use Caiphon Intercession in place of your Fate of the Void pact boon when an enemy under your Warlock Curse drops to 0 hit points or fewer. One ally of your choice within 10 squares of you can make an immediate melee basic attack against a target you choose; if the attack hits, it deals ongoing 5 radiant damage (save ends) in addition to normal damage. If your ally makes the attack, Caiphon takes its due and deals 5 damage to your ally. If your ally refuses to accept Caiphon Intercession, you take 5 damage (despite the fact no attack was made); in such an instance, you regain the use of Fate of the Void pact boon for the dropped target.</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8350584882008454845.post-31360430786132532312010-05-31T16:01:00.000+08:002010-05-31T16:01:52.048+08:00Ritually Speaking<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_NLbk7actvks/TANszUa1xSI/AAAAAAAAAxI/d17_KCpV878/s1600/fdhtr6565.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_NLbk7actvks/TANszUa1xSI/AAAAAAAAAxI/d17_KCpV878/s400/fdhtr6565.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><title></title> <meta content="OpenOffice.org 3.2 (Linux)" name="GENERATOR"></meta> <style type="text/css">
<!--
@page { margin: 2cm }
P { margin-bottom: 0.21cm }
-->
</style> <br />
<div align="CENTER" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>At your command, walls of earth rise around your position and offer protection.</i></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">In Dungeons & Dragons, rituals provide some of the most flexible options for your heroes. They represent all the magic that isn't designed for combat, from cleansing your clothes to moving an entire village hundreds of miles across the continent. Rituals cost nothing to learn (though they might be expensive to find), so a ritual caster should learn as many as possible. Acquire all the rituals you can and accrue an enormous body of mystic literature describing the many strange things you can accomplish through ritual. </div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">The Player's Handbook covers the basics of ritual casting. The assortment of travel rituals and exploration rituals there will keep you busy for a while. But when your ritual caster starts to feel the pinch, gets the urge to have more options hidden under the cover of that expensive ritual book, take a look here. Some of these rituals expand on the ideas in the Player's Handbook, pushing the boundaries of teleportation or interpolating lesser wards, and others break new ground - literally, in the case of Excavation.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br />
</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8350584882008454845.post-13117008764342124182010-05-31T15:59:00.000+08:002010-05-31T15:59:55.639+08:00Top 10 Ways to Make Your Traps More Fun<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_NLbk7actvks/TANsAfDvx2I/AAAAAAAAAxE/wxeMNSK4c58/s1600/dx20061103_abyss.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_NLbk7actvks/TANsAfDvx2I/AAAAAAAAAxE/wxeMNSK4c58/s640/dx20061103_abyss.jpg" width="236" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">10. Reward the PCs with treasure. Perhaps the last victim’s skeleton</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">is still impaled on the spear trap, including his belt pouch.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">9. Reveal a world detail. Perhaps the falling block from the ceiling</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">reveals the ghoulish carving that represents the true deity of the</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">temple.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">8. Have an encounter with the trap keeper. The PCs can discover</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">information about later traps (assuming the clever trap keeper</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">doesn’t figure out a way to deceive them).</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">7. Give an adventure tip. The iron portcullis that drops down to seal</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">the PCs in the hall of spinning blades has a representation of the</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">dungeon complex in the pattern of its iron bars. It’s a map!</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">6. Give the players something to learn. If removing the green gem</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">set off the statue’s trap, stepping on the green mosaic in the floor</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">sounded the alarm, and turning the green-handled crank made the</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">bridge turn sideways, the PCs might think twice about opening that</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">giant green door.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">5. Reveal a new section of the dungeon. The spiked pit might have</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">an access tunnel so that bodies and valuables can be retrieved without</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">a risky climb into the pit.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">4. Team it with other traps. The trapped chest is a bit more interesting</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">when it sits on the lap of a fire-breathing statue in a room where</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">poison darts shoot from the wall.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">3. Give the PCs control. The PCs reset the trap and trick their foe</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">into stepping into it.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">2. Provide ways for every PC to contribute. Maybe the wizard</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">can make an Arcana check to reveal a panel hidden by an illusion.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">Perhaps the fighter can try to hold the trap open with a Strength</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">check.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">1. Combine it with combat. The room with pit traps is a lot more</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">interesting if the PCs can push monsters in the pits.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">For more advice about how to use traps, check out this article:</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/dd/20060302a</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">Although its traps are designed for the third edition of the game,</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">much of the advice in the article remains usefu<span style="font-size: x-small;">l.</span></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8350584882008454845.post-18042800708695945482010-04-28T23:39:00.002+08:002010-04-28T23:39:57.350+08:00Demon Princes Among Us<div align="LEFT">Red and black skin, wings and sharp teeth. Heated breath and flames emanating from the creature before you. That's the idealized description of a demon from the pits of the Abyss, and what this month's set of adventure ideas is all about: Demons. Of course, they don't all look like that. Some are made of weird tentacles and fungus parts, some are oozy, some are stunningly beautiful. But they all mean harm to mortals for one reason or another. Even evil mortals should beware dealing with them, for unlike devils they have no conception of keeping their word. This month, we look at a trio of very different adventure ideas in which demon lords play important roles.</div><div align="LEFT" class="size3"><b>Where Are My Musicians? -- </b><i>Forgotten Realms</i></div><div align="LEFT"><img align="right" border="0" height="275" src="http://www.wizards.com/dnd/images/dx0612sh_stealthishook_grazzt.jpg" width="240" />Some matters are settled with combat while others can be settled in more peaceful ways... such is the case in a dispute between halflings and grigs about which is the better fiddler. Though the halfling homeland is south in Luiren, there are halflings living all across Faerûn. A troupe of halfling bards settled in Essembra, the most populous city in Battledale, where they quickly gained a reputation for their music, especially their playing of fiddles. The local grigs became jealous, or bored (it's hard to say which with a grig), and challenged the halfling troupe to a contest to determine the best fiddlers of the dale. The grigs and halflings would meet in the central square of Essembra and play for the people, and the people would choose.</div><div align="LEFT">However, with everyone waiting and the grigs getting restless, the halflings have failed to show up. The grigs claim that they knew they would be beaten, but there are others in town who know that the Halflings would never choose to miss a musical contest. The bards' biggest fan, retired Purple Dragon Knight Kisthin Amadals, asks the heroes to find out what happened to the halflings. He had booked them to play at a party at his mansion the following evening, and hopes the heroes can find them in time.</div><div align="LEFT">So what did happen to them? Fame could be said to be the root of their current predicament. The ancient city of Myth Drannor is somewhat close to Essembra, a city rife with drow and demons and what have you. Recently, an aspect of Graz'zt was sent to work with the surface drow as a sign of a an apparent (if temporary) alliance with Lolth. In truth, Graz'zt seeks to turn the drow to his own service, or at least make good use of them. The aspect found conditions intolerable, and set about making himself comfortable in his new home. Comfort -- for an aspect of Graz'zt -- includes every kind of decadence, with music naturally being one excess that must be plumbed to its depths. The aspect heard about the halfling bards, and had them abducted just before the competition. They are now trapped somewhere close to Myth Drannor, forced to do things with music that it is best not to talk about.</div><table align="right" bgcolor="#999999" border="0" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="2" style="width: 240px;"><tbody>
<tr bgcolor="#f2f2f2"><td> <div align="LEFT"><b>Campaign Adaptation</b></div><div align="LEFT">Here are some suggestions for different campaign worlds. You'll want to get a copy of <i>Fiendish Codex I</i> to flesh out the demons you'll use, especially since it includes the statistics for Graz'zt. Any of the Myth Drannor publications should help too, as well as <i>Races of the Wild</i> for the elves that live in the vicinity.</div><div align="LEFT"><b>Forgotten Realms</b>: Set around Myth Drannor, as written.</div><div align="LEFT"><b>Eberron</b>: Set this adventure in the Eldeen Reaches. The Twilight Demesne would serve as home for the grigs, and the Gloaming could be where the aspect of Graz'zt is based.</div><div align="LEFT"><b>Generic</b>: You can really set this adventure anywhere there might be grigs living in your campaign world.</div><div align="LEFT"><b>d20 Modern</b>: There are probably only grigs in England, Wales, Ireland, or Scotland, if there are any at all. But you could make the sides into two opposing rock bands and have the adventure in Australia or the United States. The aspects convert easily to Modern Earth.</div></td> </tr>
</tbody></table><div align="LEFT"><b>d100 Motivations</b></div><div align="LEFT"> 01-50 Kisthin Amadals really is concerned, though he expects he has to find another group for his party. However, he feels some obligation to have the bards tracked down, in case they are in trouble.</div><div align="LEFT"> 51-70 Kisthin Amadals is not a Purple Dragon Knight at all, but a slaver working for Thayans. He had planned to sell the bards into slavery, and used the party as an excuse to get them to his mansion so that they could be caught.</div><div align="LEFT"> 71-00 The grigs, who are being blamed by a large number of townsfolk ("You can't trust them damned faeries!"), also seek out the heroes for help, to clear their names and possibly avoid sudden vigilante-style justice.</div><div align="LEFT"><b>d100 Complications</b></div><div align="LEFT"> 01-30 Myth Drannor offers its own complications, ranging from drow to demons to other nasty monsters. The adventures should have great difficulty operating within a few miles of the place. Maps of the great dungeon might be available to help them, and they could use the maps later for additional adventures.</div><div align="LEFT"> 31-50 Aspects of Graz'zt are as seductive as succubi, and would try to ensnare the heroes in a web of sensuality that diverts them from their real intentions.</div><div align="LEFT"> 51-75 Drow unhappy with the presence of the aspect of Graz'zt might be willing to help the adventurers... for a price.</div><div align="LEFT"> 76-00 A fearsome half-fiend green dragon has also made its home in the area, and likes to snack on halflings. Indeed, one of the bards was already lost to it. Dragon parts are always valuable, even if halflings are not.</div><div align="LEFT" class="size3"><b>Gnomelantis -- </b><i>Eberron</i></div><div align="LEFT"><img align="right" border="0" height="331" src="http://www.wizards.com/dnd/images/dx0612sh_stealthishook_dagon.jpg" width="240" />Long before the Kingdom of Galifar arose on Khorvaire, the other kingdoms of the continent had grown and faded. The gnomes of Zilargo had, in the past, advanced their borders northward into what is now Breland by establishing a city called Yerosin on an island in the middle of Lake Brey. There, the Zil could better watch what other nations were doing, and there their wizards studied advanced magic away from the general population.</div><div align="LEFT">That all came to an end when the island and the city of Yerosin disappeared. In one night, the island was gone and the city along with it. No warning came, and it was some time before the loss was discovered because no one could get a communication out before the devastation hit. For millennia people have wondered what happened to Yerosin, but the city was forgotten by all but the gnomes who keep the records of their history in Zilargo.</div><div align="LEFT">A week or two ago, a small ship carrying valuable cargo was sailing across Lake Brey when it capsized and sank. Two of the sailors, who had water breathing magic, went down with the ship so that they could report its location. They returned with a story of a fantastic city of glowing lights and ghostly gnomish forms at the bottom of Lake Brey. Yerosin had been found at last. </div><div align="LEFT">Such a find attracts attention from treasure hunters and scholars alike, and the scholars of Morgrave University knew they had to get a jump on everyone, or else valuable clues to the fate of the city could be lost. They quickly hired adventurers to go to the site and find answers.</div><table align="right" bgcolor="#999999" border="0" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="2" style="width: 240px;"><tbody>
<tr bgcolor="#f2f2f2"><td> <div align="LEFT"><b>Campaign Adaptation</b></div><div align="LEFT">Here are some suggestions for different campaign worlds. <i>Stormwrack</i> will be useful for fleshing out the underwater aspects of this scenario and handling underwater combat. The aspects of Dagon and Juiblex are presented in the <i>Fiendish Codex I: Hordes of the Abyss</i> web enhancement on the Wizards website, and the demon princes themselves are presented in <i>Fiendish Codex I</i>.</div><div align="LEFT"><b>Forgotten Realms</b>: Set the lost gnome city in the Sea of Fallen Stars, in the south near Turmish. Make sure it is far enough from any sahuagin or aquatic elf settlements that it would not have been discovered.</div><div align="LEFT"><b>Eberron</b>: Set this adventure as written in Lake Brey. It is the closest huge lake to the gnome nation of Zilargo.</div><div align="LEFT"><b>Generic</b>: Set this adventure at the bottom of a deep lake or sea, where it might eventually be discovered but is not likely to be.</div><div align="LEFT"><b>d20 Modern</b>: This adventure is suited for Atlantis-themed campaigns or areas, and you actually could use the island of Atlantis and extraterrestrial wizards or psionic aliens. Converting the demons should be easy enough.</div></td> </tr>
</tbody></table><div align="LEFT">Yerosin suffered a great magical calamity that resulted in the island sinking to the depths of the lake, weirdly preserving everyone in a kind of stasis. Gnomes stand as if they frozen in time while walking the streets; in fact, in the midst of all activities. Active spells are frozen too, creating very unusual perpetual illusions. Some spells have taken on life of their own and become living spells, though a living major image wanders around without hurting anyone. Many of the treasures of the gnomes have been looted by underwater creatures over the centuries, but many other treasures remain in hidden places.</div><div align="LEFT">The city has not been left idle in all these centuries. Different lake creatures have laired near it from time to time, and even a lich called it home for a time during the early years of the Last War. Now it's the home of a group of sea hags, aquatic demons and aquatic ogres that worship the ancient demon prince Dagon.</div><div align="LEFT">This area can be a suitable for a small adventure, or can open up a whole mini-campaign as the adventurers explore the city, fight the monsters there, and eventually try to raise it to the surface. It could even turn out that the original sinking of Yerosin was due to some pact with Dagon that must be undone.</div><div align="LEFT"><b>d100 Motivations</b></div><div align="LEFT"> 01-50 Morgrave University is serious about its aims, though it would really like any recovered artifacts as well.</div><div align="LEFT"> 51-70 Scholars from the Library at Korranberg would also like to know about the lost city, and will pay the adventurers for a copy of whatever information they find. This would violate their contract with Morgrave University, but will make them very rich.</div><div align="LEFT"> 71-00 The gnomes of Zilargo are very interested in their lost city as well, but don't want any humans poking around there without responsible gnomes as guides.</div><div align="LEFT"><b>d100 Complications</b></div><div align="LEFT"> 01-35 Other creatures live in the lake, and they are hungry.</div><div align="LEFT"> 36-55 An aspect of Dagon has recently appeared among the sea hags, in response to the discovery of the city by the surface folk. Its goal is to protect Dagon's worshippers.</div><div align="LEFT"> 56-70 An aspect of the Faceless Lord, Juiblex, has appeared here as well, to oppose the efforts of the aspect of Dagon and claim the underwater world and its treasures for its dread master.</div><div align="LEFT"> 71-00 The magic that brought down the city could be undone, and that would cause the city to rise and everything in it to return to life. The rising of the island would cause flooding in any towns surrounding Lake Brey.</div><div align="LEFT" class="size3"><b>Death and Burning Blood -- </b><i>Forgotten Realms</i></div><table align="right" bgcolor="#999999" border="0" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="2" style="width: 240px;"><tbody>
<tr bgcolor="#f2f2f2"><td> <div align="LEFT"><b>Campaign Adaptation</b></div><div align="LEFT">Here are some suggestions for different campaign worlds. <i>Frostburn</i> should help you with the cold setting, and <i>Silver Marches</i> would be useful for the setting information if you are in the <b>Forgotten Realms</b>. The aspect of Kostchtchie is detailed in the <i>Fiendish Codex I: <br />
Hordes of the Abyss</i> web enhancement on the Wizards website, and Kostchtchie himself is presented in <i>Fiendish Codex I</i>.</div><div align="LEFT"><b>Forgotten Realms</b>: Set just south of the Spine of the World, as written.</div><div align="LEFT"><b>Eberron</b>: If you don't want to set this adventure on the Frostfell continent, you could have frost giant barbarians led by the aspect of Kostchtchie sail to the northern parts of Khorvaire and attack villages and towns there.</div><div align="LEFT"><b>Generic</b>: Barbarian hordes can crop up just about anywhere, but frost giant hordes require cold high peaks. Set this adventure somewhere in the cold north.</div><div align="LEFT"><b>d20 Modern</b>: Barbarian hordes are a thing of the past on Modern Earth (at least the real earth), but you might introduce some in Mongolia or Siberia. Giants would exist in a small enclave in an <i>Urban Arcana</i> campaign, and in that case the Alps and France or Spain might be an interesting setting.</div></td> </tr>
</tbody></table><div align="LEFT">The Sword Coast North is a harsh land of cold and mountains and almost constant conflict. Monsters from the Spine of the World threaten anyone who settles too close to the mountain range, and orc hordes sweep from the mountains to decimate the towns. In these lands, people either live in the large cities (which essentially function like islands), or in small groups on their own pursuing a living from the land. Rarely do these two "worlds" meet.</div><div align="LEFT">In Silverymoon lives a wizard called Nostar. He is developing a special cold-based spell to use against ice devils, and he needs some frost giant components (including a large patch of unmarked skin). In return for some adventurers going and getting what he needs, he is willing to offer one or more treasure maps that have come into his collection. He would want 10% of whatever is recovered, but he has maps to treasures in ancient Gauntlgtrym (see <i>Lost Empires of Faerûn</i>, page 143), Old Illusk (<i>Lost Empires of Faerûn</i> page 144), and a lost Netherese city in the edges of the Anauroch. Nostar can also tell them about the general area and where frost giants are most likely to be found.</div><div align="LEFT">Once on the way, the adventurers run into a small town that has been decimated by something quite large. Every person in town has been killed, all buildings destroyed, and blood covers everything. The people here were killed horribly, and tracks lead back toward the Lands Against the Wall.</div><div align="LEFT">Kostchtchie, demon lord of frost giants, has sent an aspect to a newly converted tribe of frost giants to lead them in bloody conquest of the lands around them. The aspect leads his giants against human settlements as well as other giant settlements -- even other frost giant settlements.</div><div align="LEFT"><b>d100 Complications</b></div><div align="LEFT"> 01-40 Once the adventurers have the frost giant parts and have dealt with the raging tribe, they will attract the attention of other frost giants.</div><div align="LEFT"> 41-75 There are a lot of other monsters to worry about in the Spine of the World. The trip should be a constant battle, or series of battles, against a lot of frosty opponents.</div><div align="LEFT"> 76-00 The weather will complicate things as well, especially as the adventures get higher into the mountains.</div><div align="left"><img border="0" height="9" src="http://www.wizards.com/dnd/images/DnD_cb_line.jpg" width="590" /></div><div align="LEFT"><b>About the Author</b></div><div align="LEFT"><b>Robert Wiese</b> entered the gaming hobby through the Boy Scouts and progressed from green recruit to head of the most powerful gaming fan organization in the world. He served as head of the RPGA Network for almost seven years, overseeing the creation of the <b>Living Greyhawk</b> and <b>Living Force</b> campaigns, among other achievements. Eventually, he returned to private life in Reno, Nevada, where he spends as much time as possible with his wife, new son Owen, and many pets.</div><div align="LEFT">He is still involved in writing, organizing conventions, and playing, and he models proteins for the Biochemistry Department of the University of Nevada, Reno.</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8350584882008454845.post-84591952473203067712010-04-28T23:38:00.002+08:002010-04-28T23:38:48.154+08:00Ravaging Monsters<div align="LEFT">It seems sometimes that the natural purpose of <b>D&D </b> characters is to fight monsters; and this month, with <i><a href="http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=products/dndacc/956817200">Monster Manual V</a></i> out, it's natural to turn our eyes toward more fights. So, let's do that, but not stop there. Use the hooks presented below to draw your players (and characters) beyond the fighting and into a more complex adventure. I give you the fight, or the excuse to get the PCs into the neighborhood, and the rest is up to you.</div><div align="LEFT">I love feedback. If you use the ideas in this column, email me at robwiese8@yahoo.com and tell me which ones and how they went. That helps me know what appeals and what doesn't, so that I can make more that are useful for you.</div><div align="LEFT"><img border="0" height="7" src="http://www.wizards.com/dnd/images/grey_newline.jpg" width="590" /></div><div align="LEFT" class="size3"><b>Keep Your Roots Away from Me -- </b><i>Greyhawk</i></div><table align="center" border="1" bordercolor="#999999" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0" style="width: 550px;"><tbody>
<tr><td> <div align="LEFT">The arable land of Furyondy stretches for miles in every direction from where you stand, and though some of it has been torn up by war, the nation can still produce vast amounts of food. You are on the road from Littleberg, which you left yesterday, and are working your way northward toward Chendl on some business. The morning passes pleasantly on this sunny day, and as midday advances you anticipate reaching Chendl tomorrow. In the distance, maybe 100 feet away, you see some kind of a disturbance in the field, like something tearing up the ground from below. It moves toward you with surprising speed, and then a number of large roots launch themselves from under the topsoil at you.</div></td> </tr>
</tbody></table><div align="LEFT"><img align="right" border="0" height="300" src="http://www.wizards.com/dnd/images/dx20070713_stealhook_burrowroot.jpg" width="240" />The root creatures are burrow roots, a new creature from <i>Monster Manual V</i>. It you don't have this book, then you can replace the burrow roots with bulettes.</div><div align="LEFT"><b>d100 Motivations </b></div><div align="LEFT">With an opening like this one, the PCs provide the motivation. However, as they investigate they find a number of people who want this problem solved and are genuine in their desires.</div><div align="LEFT"><b>d100 Complications </b></div><div align="LEFT">00-40 The burrow roots are a new colony in the area that an evil druid planted to drive the farmers away and return the land to a wilder state.</div><div align="LEFT">41-75 The burrow roots were planted here by minions of Iuz, as a means of destabilizing the populace through fear. Hundreds of them are maturing in different "nests" within the region, and they will cause a mass panic if no one does anything. Finding the people (or whatever) behind them could be more difficult.</div><div align="LEFT">76-85 The burrow roots have broken free of whoever was controlling them and are now on a rampage of their own.</div><div align="LEFT">86-00 The roots have been around for months now, and several villages in the region are preparing to "root" them out and destroy them. However, the burrow roots are elusive and retreat before being destroyed. The frustration is increasing as farmers lose crops and livestock and cannot do anything about it.</div><div align="LEFT"><b>Campaign Adaptation </b></div><div align="LEFT">Burrow roots could probably go anywhere. Using them this way is just one idea. They make good creatures that are controlled by some more powerful enemy.</div><div align="LEFT"><b>Eberron: </b> Anywhere in central Breland is a good place for this adventure. Placing it near a border allows you to tie them to some unresolved conflict from the Last War.</div><div align="LEFT"><b>Forgotten Realms: </b> Set this adventure in the Dalelands, somewhere where Zhentarim can be blamed for their presence. On the other hand, the Zhentarim don't have to be behind the infestation; drow are possible, and the Dales have a lot of enemies. They could even be tied to Sembian nobles or merchants.</div><div align="LEFT"><b>Generic: </b> This adventure goes in a rural area where some power, group, or person has a vested interest in terrorizing the populace. A small town nearby would help, or several villages. The mastermind should, ideally, be someone local.</div><div align="LEFT"><img border="0" height="7" src="http://www.wizards.com/dnd/images/grey_newline.jpg" width="590" /></div><div align="LEFT" class="size3"><b>Bring Back That Shepherd! -- </b><i>Forgotten Realms</i></div><div align="LEFT"><img align="right" border="0" height="213" src="http://www.wizards.com/dnd/images/dx20070713_stealhook_wyvern.jpg" width="240" />Tethyr is a beautiful country, with mountains and forests and rivers throughout. The greatest concentration of people is in the west near the sea, but Saradush and (newly) Riatavin are sizable communities in the east. The PCs are traveling north along the small road (seeing more and more use in recent years) from Saradush to Riatavin. Perhaps they recently sorted out the mess of "<a href="http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/sh/20061121a">The Three Hagstekeers</a>". Perhaps not. Whatever the reason, they find themselves on this small road. They have not seen anyone for a couple hours when they see, off to the east, a small flying dragon about half a mile away. It appears to those with good Spot check results to be carrying a sheep in one claw, and something small in the other. Really good Listen check results at this range allow them to hear cries for help. The creature, a wyvern, flies close toward them so that they can determine that the creature is carrying a human as well as the sheep, before veering off toward the nearby Omlarandin Mountains.</div><div align="LEFT">This may not be enough to get them interested, but Riatavin is still more than a day's travel away. This region is plentiful with farms and ranches, any of which could provide a place to stay. From the people there, the PCs learn that wyverns are flying out of the Omlarandins and snatching up farmers and shepherds in the plains north of the Omlarandins and south of Riatavin. Normally the creatures come out only to grab sheep for their meals, and the people around the Omlarandins have become accustomed to a small loss of livestock. The taking of shepherds and farmers is new, and everyone knows that the wyverns don't hunt such small creatures as humans for food. Since the frequency of attacks is rising, the people are worried, and any offers of help would be gratefully received.</div><div align="LEFT">If they don't stop with anyone for the night, then the following day the road passes close to a large field of sheep. The sheep are about 600 feet away from the road, attended by three shepherds (a brother and two sisters). As the PCs pass, two wyverns streak down from the sky and make attacks at sheep and shepherd alike. Once one grabs one of the shepherds, it flies off without even taking a sheep. The second takes a sheep, and grabs one of the women that was defending the sheep, and then flies off. The surviving family member begs the PCs to help rescue his or her siblings.</div><div align="LEFT">Note: This adventure works equally well with blackwings (a new creature in <i>Monster Manual V</i>). Change the mind flayers to mind flayer necromancers, and you're good to go.</div><div align="LEFT"><b>d100 Motivations </b></div><div align="LEFT">While the motivations on the villain end may be varied, all the people here are simple folk who really need help from flying monsters. No one is capable of harnessing wyverns and throwing them at his or her friends.</div><div align="LEFT"><b>d100 Complications </b></div><div align="LEFT">00-40 A pack of wyverns that lives in the Omlarandins has been dominated by a group of mind flayers that reached the surface from the Underdark in the mountain range. They are using the wyverns to collect slaves and food, since wyvern brain is not nearly as good as humanoid brain.</div><div align="LEFT">41-65 One survivor of a wyvern attack is in a village just north of the mountains. This woman, Zeradu Eldmina, remembers very little of her experience other than being snatched by a wyvern and dropped in the mountains. She barely survived by crawling into a place of hiding and then making her way out of the mountains days later. What really happened was that mind flayers dominated her and modified her memory, and she is now a plant among the humans and delivers information to the mind flayers without remembering doing so.</div><div align="LEFT">66-90 The wyverns are working on their own. There is a half-fiend wyvern leading and organizing the creatures for some fiendish purpose.</div><div align="LEFT">91-00 The creatures making the attacks on humans are not wyverns at all, but some kind of shapechanged creatures. The PCs can slay wyverns to their hearts' content without solving the problem. They have to dig deeper.</div><div align="LEFT"><b>Campaign Adaptation </b></div><div align="LEFT">You can probably work some wyverns into your campaign and, with them, this adventure idea. <i><a href="http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=products/dndacc/177410000">Lords of Madness</a></i> would help with the mind flayers, assuming you go that route, and <i><a href="http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=products/dndacc/953757200">Fiendish Codex I</a></i>and<i><a href="http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=products/dndacc/953877200">Fiendish Codex II</a></i> would help if you decide on shapechanged fiends instead. </div><div align="LEFT"><b>Eberron: </b> Though Droaam no doubt has wyverns and mind flayers, it's kind of short on humanoids working farms. Try Karrnath instead, where this could be a welcome change from undead.</div><div align="LEFT"><b>Generic: </b> Takes some farms, add some wyverns and some mind flayers perhaps (for spice), stir well and heat until boiling, then simmer a few hours.</div><div align="LEFT"><b>Greyhawk: </b> The Theocracy of the Pale works, or perhaps the Duchy of Tenh with the wyverns coming from a forest nearby. Ahlissa, especially in the south, is also a good location.</div><div align="LEFT"><img border="0" height="7" src="http://www.wizards.com/dnd/images/grey_newline.jpg" width="590" /></div><div align="LEFT" class="size3"><b>That's a Big Bug -- </b><i>Eberron</i></div><div align="LEFT"><img align="right" border="0" height="202" src="http://www.wizards.com/dnd/images/dx20070713_stealhook_siegebeetle.jpg" width="240" />During the Last War, the nations of Khorvaire were using just about every kind of creature or ally they could (which is great for DMs since it allows you to tailor your campaign with new creatures as needed or desired). This was especially true of the last years of the war, when resources were running very low. And Cyre was the most desperate of nations. Situated in the middle, it was attacked on all sides throughout the Last War. The leaders of Cyre used both House Cannith devices and creatures from other planes. When the Day of Mourning came, these creatures were left behind to survive as best as they could.</div><div align="LEFT">Valenar is a land of warlike elves that continues to make raids on its neighbors (not the Mournland, but Karrnath and the Talenta Plains). But some elves engage in more peaceful lifestyles, and many small communities exist in the northern part of the country near the Blade Desert and the Mournland. The PCs are visiting one of the major cities of Valenar when they hear rumors of destruction in the north. The rumors are crazy and varied, running from "it's nothing" to "a whole village was destroyed by demon beetles!"</div><div align="LEFT">House Lyrandar has land in the northern part of the country, and a lesser member of this house named Zeradu sends a note to the PCs asking them to meet him at his favorite tavern. He explains that the rumors are probably nothing, but they talk of events that have happened very close to House Lyrandar land and the senior members of the house are concerned. He offers the PCs either gold or an exchange of services (depending on what will motivate them) to go north, see what is going on, and make sure that whatever it is doesn't affect House Lyrandar.</div><div align="LEFT"><b>d100 Motivations </b></div><div align="LEFT">00-45 Zeradu hopes that his swift action in this "crisis" will bring him to the notice of senior house members and lead to a promotion. He hopes there is something horribly wrong, and that the PCs can take care of it so that he can claim credit for as much as possible.</div><div align="LEFT">46-75 Zeradu hates this assignment and wants out of this elf-infested country. He hopes that by solving this problem he can come to the notice of house officials elsewhere and get a transfer. His hatred of his current situation is poorly hidden in his attitude, and he would not mind at all if some elves died so that he could be transferred.</div><div align="LEFT">76-00 Zeradu is being manipulated into what someone thinks is a fool's errand. The manipulator knows of Zeradu's ambition (see first option) but thinks that there is nothing to the rumors. By taking a lot of effort over nothing, Zeradu can be made to look like a fool and a waster of house resources, and the manipulator can remove him from the house. Perhaps the two are vying for the same woman?</div><div align="LEFT"><b>d100 Complications </b></div><div align="LEFT">00-75 There are destroyed villages and even a small town. Siege beetles (see <i>Monster Manual V</i>) from the plane of Shavarath were called into Cyre during the Last War, and they remain still. They have wandered over the border and through the Blade Desert looking for food, since they have cleaned out the corpses in the southern part of the Mournland. They are mindless but hungry vermin who avoid armed traveling groups but attack settlements.</div><div align="LEFT">76-90 Siege beetles are involved, but only two. Karrnathi war groups that are tired of the Valaes Tairn raids use them. They seek to lure a raiding group into a trap and are using the beetles to create havoc in the hope of tricking the elves into preparing for the wrong foes.</div><div align="LEFT">91-00 A demon prince of Shavarath sent the siege beetles to exact revenge on the elves because a group of Valaes Tairn invaded the demon prince's fortress and disrupted a major offensive against a devil lord's forces. The siege beetles might be half-fiends as well, and other demons may be waiting to tear apart vulnerable elven flesh. The PCs would simply be in the way of the demon prince's goal of obliterating Valenar a little at a time.</div><div align="LEFT"><b>Campaign Adaptation </b></div><div align="LEFT">Because siege beetles appear near fields of carnage, or are used there by spellcasters, this adventure idea doesn't fit just anywhere. But, once you find a good spot for the beetles, all you need is your core books and <i>Monster Manual V</i> to run it.</div><div align="LEFT"><b>Forgotten Realms: </b> The area around the High Moor is very good for this adventure, since the High Moor is the blasted graveyard of the destroyed Miyeritar elven kingdom. Siege beetles could have come from Acheron to clean an area of the Moor so that someone else could establish a fortification.</div><div align="LEFT"><b>Generic: </b> The siege beetles should come from a battlefield area, preferably in the wilderness, because they eat corpses.</div><div align="LEFT"><b>Greyhawk: </b> Ancient battlefields are not plentiful, but you could set this adventure in the Shield Lands where they meet with the Lands of Iuz. A lot of battles take place there, and it would be natural for siege beetles to be called to the area.</div><div align="LEFT"><img border="0" height="9" src="http://www.wizards.com/dnd/images/DnD_cb_line.jpg" width="590" /></div><div align="LEFT"><b>About the Author </b></div><div align="LEFT"><b>Robert Wiese </b> has been playing <b>D&D </b> since 1978 after he watched a game played in the car on the way home from a Boy Scouts meeting. He was fascinated, and delved into this strange world of dragons and magic and sourcebooks. Years later, he was hired to edit tournaments for the <b>RPGA </b> Network, and from there progressed to running the network after his boss was assassinated in the great Christmas purge of 1996. Times were tough, but he persevered and brought the <b>RPGA </b> into a shining new era. Eventually he met a girl who liked to play <b>D&D </b> too, and he left Renton for the warmth and casinos of Reno, Nevada. Now, he works in the Pharmacology department of UNR studying mouse foot muscles and the effects of RF emissions on same. He spends as much time as possible with his wife Rhonda and son Owen.</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8350584882008454845.post-70882197338491184562010-04-28T23:37:00.000+08:002010-04-28T23:37:16.634+08:00Devilish Doings<div align="LEFT">When devils get involved with a scheme, the complexity of it all spirals almost beyond mortal imagining. And this is not surprising, as hell is perhaps the greatest bureaucracy in all of existence. All the devils plan and plot and try to outplot each other without being, in turn, outplotted. This month, the new <i><a href="http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=products/dndacc/953877200">Fiendish Codex II: Tyrants of Hell</a></i> comes out, and boy is it cool. It contains a whole lot on devils, including a section on playing devils and some information about the deviousness of devilish plots. Thus, this month's hooks all involve devils in some way. So enjoy, and we may see you again next year. Unless the devils get us, that is.</div><div align="LEFT" class="size3"><b>Devils from the Sea -- </b><i>Forgotten Realms</i></div><div align="LEFT"><img align="right" border="0" height="291" src="http://www.wizards.com/dnd/images/dx20061218_sahuagin.jpg" width="225" />Ravens Bluff has been called the City of Adventurers, because almost nowhere else on all of Faerûn will you find so many in one place. The Vast is a dangerous place, and something always happens that requires a hero. This night is no exception. The PCs are walking the docks of the city, perhaps looking to spend the evening at the unique underwater bar called Sharkey's. The sea, however, comes to them as dark shapes rise from the waters and move into the pools of light created by the street lamps. They also swarm the ships tied to the docks, and start killing everything that walks on land. The creatures, sahuagin, seem driven to recklessness and their attack has a ferocity not normally reported for sahuagin attacks.</div><div align="LEFT">Once the PCs have helped drive the devils of the sea back beneath the waves, they are approached by Corwin Stark, a representative of the Merchant's Guild. Stark invites them into a tavern, and in true Ravens Bluff style seeks their help in preventing further attacks. This is the second, he reports, in the last month. He has wealth to offer, but he also knows that the sahuagin probably have wealth too, and the less he can offer the PCs the better.</div><table align="right" bgcolor="#999999" border="0" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="2" style="width: 240px;"><tbody>
<tr bgcolor="#f2f2f2"><td> <div align="LEFT"><b>Campaign Adaptation</b></div><div align="LEFT">Sahuagin raids are pretty common in any campaign world in which the creatures exist. Here are some suggestions for other campaigns. You may find <i><a href="http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=products/dndacc/178670000">Stormwrack</a></i> very useful for the underwater part of the adventure, and <i>Fiendish Codex II: Tyrants of Hell</i> can help with the general tactics of devils. If you actually use Ravens Bluff as the setting, you might want to get your hands on <i>LC4: Port of Ravens Bluff</i> (a very old TSR publication) for information about the dockside businesses. <i><a href="http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=products/dndacc/953867200">Cityscape</a></i> could also be useful in this regard.</div><div align="LEFT"><b>Eberron:</b> Sahuagin are prominent underneath the main water approach to Xen'drik, so that might be a good place for this adventure.</div><div align="LEFT"><b>Generic:</b> A coast near a sahuagin settlement is all you need. It doesn't even have to be a coast, since the sahuagin could be raiding ships or floating cities or small island communities. Having some aquatic elves nearby could add some complications.</div><div align="LEFT"><b>d20 Modern:</b> I can picture sahuagin living in the Ring of Fire area of the Pacific, so perhaps Japan would be a good site for this adventure. Or Australia.</div></td> </tr>
</tbody></table><div align="LEFT"><b>d100 Motivations</b></div><div align="LEFT">01-40 The merchants are sincere; they really want the attacks prevented.</div><div align="LEFT">41-65 One merchant has made an alliance with the sahuagin and is using them against his or her rivals.</div><div align="LEFT">66-85 The Merchant's Guild senior members really want to enslave the sahuagin, and think they can do so. They want the PCs to find the sahuagin and report their location.</div><div align="LEFT">86-00 Some demons led by an aspect of Demogorgon, along with some ixitachitl, are working against the sahuagin, but don't want interference from the PCs either.</div><div align="LEFT"><b>d100 Complications</b></div><div align="LEFT">01-50 The sahuagin raids, which have happened all along the coast of the Vast as well as in Sembia, are motivated by the presence of an aspect of Sekolah (watch for the web enhancement for <i>Fiendish Codex II: Tyrants of Hell</i> on the Wizards website), the sharklike god of the sahuagin. He is driving the creatures to show greater devotion to their devilish god.</div><div align="LEFT">51-75 The raids have been undertaken by different clans of sahuagin. Each of the clans involved is raiding the surface for weapons and wealth to use in the conflict in which the clans are involved. If not stopped, the conflict could devastate cities along the Sea of Fallen Stars.</div><div align="LEFT">76-90 Groups of aquatic ghouls are following the sahuagin and using the chaos of the attacks to claim weakened victims to eat.</div><div align="LEFT">91-00 A blue dragon is stirring up conflict among the sahuagin, and then picking them off slowly as they return from their raids with loot. Thus, the dragon increases its treasure hoard. [You might want the blue dragon to be Gargantuan, so you can use the new <b>D&D</b> Icons Gargantuan blue dragon mini coming out in January.]</div><div align="LEFT" class="size3"><b>Heartfelt Devotion -- </b><i>Eberron</i></div><div align="LEFT"><img align="right" border="0" height="341" src="http://www.wizards.com/dnd/images/dx20061218_glasya.jpg" width="224" />Walking the bridges that make up the "streets" of Sharn can be dangerous. Things can happen to you at any time -- especially at night when fog obscures the way on the upper walkway levels. This particular night, the PCs are on their way through the fog to somewhere when they hear a muffled scream and then a thunk. Running to the scene, they find either nothing at all or track marks of someone being dragged away, or maybe even a couple people dragging someone away.</div><div align="LEFT">They later find that a number of people have disappeared in the last few months in different ways. It's hard to determine exactly how many are connected because lots of people disappear in Sharn, but they eventually find a common link with enough of the victims to see that there is something going on.</div><div align="LEFT">If the PCs are not interested in looking into the one incident they (almost) witnessed, then a day or so after telling someone about it they are approached by the wife of a merchant who disappeared two months ago. She wants to hire them to find out what happened to her husband, and she hopes that there is some connection between her husband's disappearance and what the PCs told that they saw.</div><table align="right" bgcolor="#999999" border="0" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="2" style="width: 240px;"><tbody>
<tr bgcolor="#f2f2f2"><td> <div align="LEFT"><b>Campaign Adaptation</b></div><div align="LEFT"><i>Cityscape</i> would probably be quite useful for much of this adventure, though you could make the city part smaller and move the action to the wilderness. In that case, <i>Races of the Wild</i> or one of the environment-series books might be useful to you. And, of course, the two <i>Fiendish Codex</i> books should help if you play up the demon/devilish aspects.</div><div align="LEFT"><b>Forgotten Realms:</b> Any large city with a diverse religious panorama is suitable. Waterdeep may seem the best, but Selgaunt in Sembia is equally good.</div><div align="LEFT"><b>Generic:</b> Any large city with a diverse religious panorama is suitable. I just said that, didn't I?</div><div align="LEFT"><b>d20 Modern:</b> Any large . . . okay, okay. Try London, or Rome, or Cairo, or even Shanghai.</div></td> </tr>
</tbody></table><div align="LEFT"><b>d100 Motivations</b></div><div align="LEFT">01-30 The merchant's wife, if she comes into it, is sincere.</div><div align="LEFT">31-60 The merchant's wife is a devil in disguise (or a demon, depending on who is behind the kidnappings). This creature does want the PCs to solve the disappearances, because that weakens the other side's current plan without any effort on the outsider's part.</div><div align="LEFT">61-75 Law enforcement officers don't want the PCs involved, and they hinder the PCs as much as is reasonably possible. One of the victims is a high-profile NPC and this person (or someone else close to the NPC) doesn't want certain details to come out.</div><div align="LEFT">76-00 The merchant's wife is a cultist who hires the PCs. Then the cult kidnaps anyone the PCs talk to, so that all the disappearances can be blamed on the PCs.</div><div align="LEFT"><b>d100 Complications</b></div><div align="LEFT">01-40 Glasya, recently made an archdevil, seeks more power to use in the manipulative games that archdevils play. She hopes to open a large <i>portal</i> from Shavarath to Eberron and pull a whole city into the plane of endless conflict. This she would add to her realm. She needs a lot of hearts to be sacrificed to complete the spell, and her cult in Sharn has been collecting them. Over sixty people are imprisoned in the abandoned levels at the bottom of one of the oldest towers.</div><div align="LEFT">41-55 In addition to the above, a demon lord has learned of the plan and wishes to co-opt the whole endeavor at the last minute and steal the city out of Glaysa's grasp.</div><div align="LEFT">56-65 A cult that thinks it is following a devil is actually enslaved to a rakshasa. This creature is trying to free one of the greater rakshasas from its imprisonment in Khyber, and it needs living victims to do so.</div><div align="LEFT">66-85 Whoever is behind the kidnappings, the PCs are the final planned sacrifices. They are being drawn into the adventure by false information so that they come to false conclusions. At the "final" battle, if they are slain because they have miscalculated the opposition, whatever ritual the DM has chosen is completed.</div><div align="LEFT">86-00 The Blood of Vol is stealing the victims from the kidnappers and making them into vampire servants of Vol.</div><div align="LEFT" class="size3"><b>Beauty and the Ogres -- </b><i>Forgotten Realms</i></div><div align="LEFT"><img align="right" border="0" height="354" src="http://www.wizards.com/dnd/images/dx20061218_pleasure.jpg" width="240" />Triel, south of the Western Heartlands, is a bustling but small town on the road between Waterdeep and Scornubel. A lot of trade passes through the town, but since it is not an endpoint, the merchants there do not see as much wealth as they might in Scornubel. The town has a direct road to Elturel, so folk can make some money by means other than service industries.</div><div align="LEFT">The Lord Mayor of Triel constantly schemes to bring more money into the city and more prestige to himself. Aside from a lot of raw talent, he is blessed (sort of) with a beautiful daughter named Melomine, who has a reputation for hanging with a lower class of crowd than her father would want. She also has a certain reputation among the young men. One evening, just after the PCs arrive in town, she returns from a party to her father's house and disappears. Tracks at the scene show that her coach stopped and a number of ogres surrounded it. No human tracks leave the area, but two of the ogres were carrying something heavy. A few drops of blood fell between the tracks as they led out town.</div><div align="LEFT">The following morning, the lord mayor's chamberlain finds the PCs where they are staying and hires them to find the missing girl. He offers either money or a part interest in a business venture that the lord mayor has just started.</div><table align="right" bgcolor="#999999" border="0" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="2" style="width: 240px;"><tbody>
<tr bgcolor="#f2f2f2"><td> <div align="LEFT"><b>Campaign Adaptation</b></div><div align="LEFT">Kidnappings are, unfortunately, oft-heard news stories, plus they aren't unusual in most published campaign settings. Thus, most campaign worlds can support this adventure. This adventure makes heavy use of material from <i>Fiendish Codex I: Hordes of the Abyss</i> and <i>Fiendish Codex II: Tyrants of Hell</i>. You might also want the new <i>Cityscape</i> supplement to flesh out your town environment.</div><div align="LEFT"><b>Eberron:</b> For variety, set this in Dragonroost in Zilargo, and make everyone gnomes. Or to be even crazier, set it in Grellreach in Darguun and make everyone into hobgoblins.</div><div align="LEFT"><b>Generic:</b> A town with a lord mayor that the PCs have never been to is what you need. If they have been there, then you have to explain how the mayor's daughter's disposition changed.</div><div align="LEFT"><b>d20 Modern:</b> Las Vegas, baby. It has to be. You can use humans, or bring in some shadow creatures and have the story unfold in a small, segregated community of weird creatures.</div></td> </tr>
</tbody></table><div align="LEFT"><b>d100 Motivations</b></div><div align="LEFT">01-40 The lord mayor is sincere in wanting his daughter back, and the chamberlain does not lie to the PCs.</div><div align="LEFT">41-60 The lord mayor sold his daughter, who was too loose for his reputation to bear, to the ogres to pay off a debt.</div><div align="LEFT">61-80 Merchants in Elturel are responsible for the kidnapping, and they plan to use the girl as leverage to acquire controlling interest in the lord mayor's newest venture.</div><div align="LEFT">81-00 The lord mayor is sincere, but he is afraid that a political rival is behind the kidnapping. He doesn't want to be forced into an awkward situation and will sacrifice the girl, but he wants to try to find her first.</div><div align="LEFT"><b>d100 Complications</b></div><div align="LEFT">01-35 Melomine is actually a pleasure devil (see <i>Fiendish Codex II: Tyrants of Hell</i>) and has been for some time. The real Melomine was killed over a year ago, and the pleasure devil has been using her identity to corrupt the local priests and law officials. That is why Melomine is known to be somewhat loose with her affections. She wants to move on, so she set up this escape from Triel.</div><div align="LEFT">36-50 While the PCs are looking for Melomine, the lord mayor receives an ultimatum and must release some dangerous criminals to buy time. The PCs have to track them down too.</div><div align="LEFT">51-65 If Melomine dies (the PCs fail), she returns as a ghost and haunts the PCs and her father until put to rest.</div><div align="LEFT">66-90 While the PCs are searching, some spawns of Tiamat or cultists of Malcanthet (see <i><a href="http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=products/dndacc/953757200">Fiendish Codex I: Hordes of the Abyss</a></i>) grab Melomine from the ogres and leave few clues behind. The PCs have to contend with this new factor.</div><div align="LEFT">91-00 Melomine is actually a succubus servitor of Malcanthet, and an erinyes or a pleasure devil becomes allied with the PCs in a dubious way against the common demonic threat. The rewards from devils for success could be very interesting, including access to feats in <i>Fiendish Codex II: Tyrants of Hell</i>.</div><div align="LEFT"><img border="0" height="9" src="http://www.wizards.com/dnd/images/DnD_cb_line.jpg" width="590" /></div><div align="LEFT"><b>About the Author</b></div><div align="LEFT"><b>Robert Wiese</b> entered the gaming hobby through the Boy Scouts and progressed from green recruit to head of the most powerful gaming fan organization in the world. He served as head of the RPGA Network for almost seven years, overseeing the creation of the <b>Living Greyhawk</b> and <b>Living Force</b> campaigns, among other achievements. Eventually, he returned to private life in Reno, Nevada, where he spends as much time as possible with his wife, new son Owen, and many pets.</div><div align="LEFT">He is still involved in writing, organizing conventions, and playing, and he models proteins for the Biochemistry Department of the University of Nevada, Reno.</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8350584882008454845.post-91870660501503456812010-04-28T23:31:00.000+08:002010-04-28T23:31:52.529+08:00Living Greyhawk<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_NLbk7actvks/S9hU3k3peqI/AAAAAAAAAho/NXXQD0j5flA/s1600/demi34.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_NLbk7actvks/S9hU3k3peqI/AAAAAAAAAho/NXXQD0j5flA/s320/demi34.jpg" width="227" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=lg/welcome"><span style="font-size: x-large;">LINK</span></a></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8350584882008454845.post-7977679305815160412010-04-28T23:28:00.001+08:002010-04-28T23:28:28.163+08:00[Elder] Minions of Set<meta content="text/html; charset=utf-8" http-equiv="Content-Type"></meta><meta content="Word.Document" name="ProgId"></meta><meta content="Microsoft Word 14" name="Generator"></meta><meta content="Microsoft Word 14" name="Originator"></meta><link href="file:///C:%5CUsers%5CMITCHT%7E1%5CAppData%5CLocal%5CTemp%5Cmsohtmlclip1%5C01%5Cclip_filelist.xml" rel="File-List"></link><link href="file:///C:%5CUsers%5CMITCHT%7E1%5CAppData%5CLocal%5CTemp%5Cmsohtmlclip1%5C01%5Cclip_themedata.thmx" rel="themeData"></link><link href="file:///C:%5CUsers%5CMITCHT%7E1%5CAppData%5CLocal%5CTemp%5Cmsohtmlclip1%5C01%5Cclip_colorschememapping.xml" rel="colorSchemeMapping"></link><style>
<!--
/* Font Definitions */
@font-face
{font-family:Cambria;
panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4;
mso-font-charset:0;
mso-generic-font-family:roman;
mso-font-pitch:variable;
mso-font-signature:-1610611985 1073741899 0 0 415 0;}
@font-face
{font-family:Calibri;
panose-1:2 15 5 2 2 2 4 3 2 4;
mso-font-charset:0;
mso-generic-font-family:swiss;
mso-font-pitch:variable;
mso-font-signature:-520092929 1073786111 9 0 415 0;}
/* Style Definitions */
p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal
{mso-style-unhide:no;
mso-style-qformat:yes;
mso-style-parent:"";
margin-top:0in;
margin-right:0in;
margin-bottom:10.0pt;
margin-left:0in;
line-height:115%;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri;
mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-fareast-font-family:Calibri;
mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;}
h1
{mso-style-priority:9;
mso-style-unhide:no;
mso-style-qformat:yes;
mso-style-link:"Heading 1 Char";
mso-style-next:Normal;
margin-top:24.0pt;
margin-right:0in;
margin-bottom:0in;
margin-left:0in;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;
line-height:115%;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan lines-together;
page-break-after:avoid;
mso-outline-level:1;
font-size:14.0pt;
font-family:"Cambria","serif";
mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria;
mso-ascii-theme-font:major-latin;
mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-fareast-theme-font:major-fareast;
mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria;
mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latin;
mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-bidi-theme-font:major-bidi;
color:#376092;
mso-themecolor:accent1;
mso-themeshade:191;
mso-font-kerning:0pt;}
span.Heading1Char
{mso-style-name:"Heading 1 Char";
mso-style-priority:9;
mso-style-unhide:no;
mso-style-locked:yes;
mso-style-link:"Heading 1";
mso-ansi-font-size:14.0pt;
mso-bidi-font-size:14.0pt;
font-family:"Cambria","serif";
mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria;
mso-ascii-theme-font:major-latin;
mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-fareast-theme-font:major-fareast;
mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria;
mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latin;
mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-bidi-theme-font:major-bidi;
color:#376092;
mso-themecolor:accent1;
mso-themeshade:191;
font-weight:bold;}
.MsoChpDefault
{mso-style-type:export-only;
mso-default-props:yes;
font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri;
mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-fareast-font-family:Calibri;
mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;}
.MsoPapDefault
{mso-style-type:export-only;
margin-bottom:10.0pt;
line-height:115%;}
@page WordSection1
{size:8.5in 11.0in;
margin:1.0in 1.0in 1.0in 1.0in;
mso-header-margin:.5in;
mso-footer-margin:.5in;
mso-paper-source:0;}
div.WordSection1
{page:WordSection1;}
-->
</style> <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_NLbk7actvks/S9hT_JeF2UI/AAAAAAAAAhk/iZBm5YYqsaM/s1600/servant+of+set.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_NLbk7actvks/S9hT_JeF2UI/AAAAAAAAAhk/iZBm5YYqsaM/s320/servant+of+set.jpg" width="250" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">The Minions of Set are powerful fighters that can turn into giant snakes. The Minions are agents of the evil deity Set from the Egyptian mythos, and act as go-betweens for him and all other creatures in the multiverse. Once petitioners from the plane of Baator, Set imbued them with special powers needed to carry out his will. They command Set’s forces when he is drawn into conflict with other deities or with the Baatezu, watch over his realm, and even carry out his will on the Prime Plane. Combat Minions of Set usually begin combat in human form unless they are already in animal shape when first encountered. Most Minions prefer not to make their capabilities known, because once discovered they effectively compromise their usefulness to their deity. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b>Animal Form (Su):</b> Minions are able to assume the form of a giant snake, and a few are able to change into a second form, usually that of a black bear, a medium-sized crocodile, a giant hyena or a medium-sized monstrous scorpion. (Refer to the Monster Manual entries for these animals for complete statistics), this transformation is divinely assisted, and as such only requires a partial action to complete. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b>Fear Immunity (Su):</b> Minions of Set are immune to all spells and effects that create fear or doubt, such as cause fear and scare. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b>Habitat/Society</b> <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal">As Set is a lawful power, he will never destroy one of his proxies on a whim, like some creature from the Abyss might. In return Set demands complete loyalty and servitude from his minions, which they all willingly give. Minions are so fanatical in their service to their god, that they will follow Set's instruction even to their deaths. Despite this they are not mindless automatons.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b>Ecology<o:p></o:p></b></div><div class="MsoNormal">When viewed as part of the twisted ecology of Baator, Minions are nothing more than predators. When not undertaking a mission for Set, minions steal larvae from the baatezu to bolster their own hordes.<o:p></o:p></div><h1>Elder Serpent/Minion<o:p></o:p></h1><div class="MsoNormal">Set is said to bless long-lived snakes with exceptional wisdom. These cunning elder serpents can speak humanoid tongues (although with a sibilant accent) and have learned the value of stealth and the power of intimidation in dealing with humanoids. They show no fear of open flames and have developed an almost humanlike fancy for glittering treasures and magical devices. Some even take class levels, becoming druids, clerics or sorcerers. Yet despite the dangers these creatures pose, their sagacity and unique insights often lead humanoids to consult with them about important matters.<o:p></o:p></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8350584882008454845.post-49830181097467289642010-04-28T23:24:00.001+08:002010-08-05T21:48:41.810+08:00The Skondarr<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_NLbk7actvks/S9hSucIpElI/AAAAAAAAAhQ/JQT1CZxUtCc/s1600/sk1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_NLbk7actvks/S9hSucIpElI/AAAAAAAAAhQ/JQT1CZxUtCc/s640/sk1.jpg" width="452" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_NLbk7actvks/S9hS6RneV0I/AAAAAAAAAhU/DXhdarL9BGI/s1600/sk2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_NLbk7actvks/S9hS6RneV0I/AAAAAAAAAhU/DXhdarL9BGI/s640/sk2.jpg" width="460" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_NLbk7actvks/S9hTOU9XAcI/AAAAAAAAAhY/GfyWgI9YEdM/s1600/sk3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="444" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_NLbk7actvks/S9hTOU9XAcI/AAAAAAAAAhY/GfyWgI9YEdM/s640/sk3.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8350584882008454845.post-88487184360465118932010-04-28T23:21:00.000+08:002010-04-28T23:21:06.963+08:00Summarizing the Results<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_NLbk7actvks/S9hSQN4qptI/AAAAAAAAAhM/3dITKpD9VU0/s1600/sarfrgtrhyh.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_NLbk7actvks/S9hSQN4qptI/AAAAAAAAAhM/3dITKpD9VU0/s640/sarfrgtrhyh.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8350584882008454845.post-38132022006906554792010-04-28T23:19:00.002+08:002010-04-28T23:19:56.427+08:00What the Heck<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_NLbk7actvks/S9hSDlDcfeI/AAAAAAAAAhI/cg1r4AgoB_s/s1600/saeferfgtg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_NLbk7actvks/S9hSDlDcfeI/AAAAAAAAAhI/cg1r4AgoB_s/s640/saeferfgtg.jpg" width="466" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8350584882008454845.post-23389367514753065882010-04-28T23:18:00.000+08:002010-04-28T23:18:15.117+08:00Metagame Metamorphosis<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_NLbk7actvks/S9hRmkj2CiI/AAAAAAAAAhA/z3BhVaEXzAc/s1600/mmmdfg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_NLbk7actvks/S9hRmkj2CiI/AAAAAAAAAhA/z3BhVaEXzAc/s640/mmmdfg.jpg" width="446" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8350584882008454845.post-28141570567593486552010-04-28T23:15:00.001+08:002010-08-05T21:48:58.589+08:00Enter Obmi<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_NLbk7actvks/S9hQ3_5PTdI/AAAAAAAAAg8/z-_sssNG6TI/s1600/cghjui.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_NLbk7actvks/S9hQ3_5PTdI/AAAAAAAAAg8/z-_sssNG6TI/s640/cghjui.jpg" width="448" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8350584882008454845.post-69545616390020636952010-04-28T23:14:00.000+08:002010-04-28T23:14:05.587+08:00The Enigma Conquered<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_NLbk7actvks/S9hQgw_mAsI/AAAAAAAAAg4/6u-avYMZNX8/s1600/cghjk.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_NLbk7actvks/S9hQgw_mAsI/AAAAAAAAAg4/6u-avYMZNX8/s640/cghjk.jpg" width="464" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8350584882008454845.post-1843306468395954402010-03-28T14:18:00.001+08:002010-04-26T21:31:14.371+08:00Excerpts: Famous Dragons<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_NLbk7actvks/S9WVkwWiqeI/AAAAAAAAARs/CJ-hTRR1snk/s1600/117776.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_NLbk7actvks/S9WVkwWiqeI/AAAAAAAAARs/CJ-hTRR1snk/s320/117776.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><br />
Some sages collect names of stars, spirits, deities, or exarchs, in hopes that the possession of such lists might make them wise or even grant them mastery over the workings of the world. In the same way, masters of arcane arts might assemble lists of dragons past and present. Within these lists, such masters seek keys of power in hidden congruencies and subtle threads.<br />
<br />
No compilation has so far bequeathed anyone with such power, but lists continue to grow. Here follows a list of famous dragons from various worlds of the D&D game—a list by no means comprehensive. It is a mere sampling of the reams of known dragon names.<br />
<h3>Dragonlance Setting</h3>The world of the <b>Dragonlance</b> setting may contain more dragons than any other.<br />
<br />
<b>Albino</b> <br />
This smallish dragon had the body shape and acidic breath of a black dragon, but his scales were white like snow. Albino was mistreated both by his fellow hatchlings and his own mother, the Snake of Blackness, for his small size and oddly hued scales. Albino got his revenge one day by walling off an underwater lair entrance while the Snake of Blackness was outside with bricks he etched with his acid. Fleeing from Malystryx (see below), the Snake of Blackness descended beneath the surface to the lair entrance, only to find it blocked. Too short on air to return to the surface, she drowned. Albino appears in the story “The Albino” in the collection <i>Search for Power</i>.<br />
<br />
<b>Ember</b> <br />
This fierce red dragon was the mount and protector of Verminaard of Nidus. Verminaard was in charge of Pax Tharkas’s mines, supplying ore for weapons and armor to the Dragonarmies. Ember is referenced in the <i>War of the Lance</i> sourcebook.<br />
<br />
<b>Khisanth</b> <br />
A massive, sinuous black dragon, Khisanth guarded a fabulous treasure called the Disks of Mishakal in the ruined city of Xak Tasroth. In her underground lair in the sunken, ruined city, Khisanth gathered many other treasures to her besides the Disks, including a spellbook of Fistandantilus. Khisanth appears in <i>DL1: Dragons of Despair</i>.<br />
<br />
<b>Malystryx</b> <br />
When the Age of Mortals began, Malystryx was the first of the great Dragons to come to Ansalon from across the sea. Unbelievably massive, this fantastic monster measured more than four hundred feet from snout to tail, with her wingspan reaching almost five hundred feet. Her deep red scales were each as large as a shield and as hard as steel. Her rule was finally ended by the hero Mina who slew the mighty dragon overlord. Malystyx appears in the novel <i>Age of Mortals</i>.<br />
<h3>D&D (Greyhawk) Dragons</h3>The oldest <b>D&D</b> campaign setting boasts many famous dragons.<br />
<br />
<b>Aulicus</b> <br />
In forgotten barrows in a lonely swamp lurks a vampiric lizardfolk whose grasp on power is aided and abetted by the black dragon Aulicus. This black dragon appears in the adventure <i>I2: Tomb of the Lizard King</i>.<br />
<br />
<b>Brazzemal the Bright</b> <br />
Brazzemal has unusually light scales for a red dragon, and a particularly bright flaming breath. The dragon is given to long periods of sleepy torpor. But these habits do not make it too vulnerable, thanks to the location of its lair in a deep cavern under the volcanic ground in the Hellfurnaces. Above his chamber, fire giants lair. This red dragon appears in the adventure <i>G3: Hall of the Fire Giant King</i>.<br />
<br />
<b>Calcryx</b> <br />
Calcryx was the white dragon wyrmling mascot of a kobold tribe that lived in the ruins of a fallen fortress known as the Sunless Citadel. The white dragon was stolen by enemy goblins, and its fate afterward was never fully established. Calcryx appears in the adventure <i>Sunless Citadel</i>.<br />
<br />
<b>Farcluun</b> <br />
Near the Tower of the crazed mage Zagig is the cavernous lair of the ancient red dragon Farcluun, who knew full well of Zagig’s unstable state, and took what advantage it could. Farcluun appears in <i>WGR1: Greyhawk Ruins</i>.<br />
<br />
<b>Nightscale</b> <br />
This young black dragon lairs beneath the fallen dwarfhold of Khundrukar in a sunken cavern called the Black Lake. The dwarves are long gone, but various goblin and orc bands now inhabit the tunnels, but view visit Nightscale, because the black dragon is always hungry. Nightscale appears in the adventure <i>Forge of Fury</i>.<br />
<h3>Forgotten Realms Dragons</h3>The dragons of Faerûn are legion. All the dragons described below appeared in <i>Dragon</i> Magazine’s <i>Wyrms of the North</i> feature.<br />
<br />
<b>Daurgothoth, “The Creeping Doom”</b> <br />
This male black dragon has embraced undeath, and hunts the world as a dracolich. This great dragon lairs not too far from Waterdeep, and through bribes and threat of death, “employs” several agents to purchase or steal interesting items in the City of Splendors to continue building his hoard.<br />
<br />
<b>Hoondarrh, “The Red Rage of Mintarn”</b> <br />
This male ancient red dragon keeps several lairs. His main one on the isle of Skadaurak is a vast complex of subterranean rooms with easy access for a flying dragon. The dragon has a deal with the folk of Mintarn; in return for a yearly tribute, Hoondarrh won’t lay waste to Mintarn, and sometimes he even protects it.<br />
<br />
<b>Mornauguth, “The Moor Dragon”</b> <br />
This female adult green dragon lairs in the Misty Forest in an area of steep-sided, breakneck wooded ravines. Rumor has it that Mornauguth is a human transformed, trapped in green dragon shape by a curse. Formerly a priestess of Shar, her reckless ambitions caught up with her.<br />
<br />
<b>Olothontor, “The Minstrel Wyrm”</b> <br />
This elder blue dragon lairs not far from Waterdeep. Olothontor loves music above all else. He is rumored to grant extravagant gifts to minstrels whose songs please him. Intruders who stumble into his lair and then play or sing won’t be attacked, so long as they furnish good music and plenty of it.<br />
<br />
<b>Voaraghamanthar, “The Black Death”</b> <br />
This elder black dragon has learned something of sorcery. It lairs in the Mere of Dead Men, a salt water swamp. Rumored to have the ability to be in two places at one time, in truth Voaraghamanthar and its clutch sibling, Waervaerendor, fool the incredulous by posing as each other as need demands. No one suspects the flitting black ghost of claws and jaws that strikes out of nowhere, that lives in black swamp waters that hide the bodies of victims soon to be dined upon, is really a team of two.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8350584882008454845.post-31404441500233501702010-03-28T14:14:00.000+08:002010-03-31T22:22:23.127+08:00Found in an Old Book<table align="center" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="width: 600px;"><tbody><tr><td width="512"><div align="center"><span align="right" class="size2"><i>By Doug Beyer</i></span></div></td> <td width="88"><img src="http://www.wizards.com/dnd/images/ebsh_white.jpg" width="88" /></td> </tr></tbody></table><div align="center"><img height="9" src="http://www.wizards.com/dnd/images/DnD_cb_line.jpg" width="570" /></div><div align="left"><img align="right" alt="Spellbook by Ciruelo and Book of Rass by Sandra Everingham" border="0" height="246" src="http://www.wizards.com/dnd/images/eb20040927a_med_309y2.jpg" title="Spellbook by Ciruelo and Book of Rass by Sandra Everingham" width="166" />Welcome again to Steal This Hook! This edition's theme is <i>found in an old book</i>: adventure hooks that begin with someone cracking open the pages of a careworn tome, for good or for ill. (Hey, who are we kidding? Of course it's for ill). Unleash one or more of these on your players, and show them that ignorance may in fact be bliss!</div><div align="left" class="size3"><b>The Blank Codex</b></div><div align="left">The uncle of one of the PCs dies and leaves his adventuring nephew or niece a curious old codex bound in leather and locked with a <i>keycharm</i> (<i>Shadows of the Last War</i>, pg. 24). The cover has no title but is decorated with circular sigils. When they get it open, its pages are blank -- yet the book radiates magic! It turns out that each page is written with a special kind of <i>illusory script</i>: unreadable unless certain conditions are met. Some of the pages are time-based: one becomes readable when the plane of Dolurrh is waxing, for example. Others are based on characteristics of the reader: only elves or those with the Mark of Handling can read certain pages. </div><div align="left">What can be read there? The book is the journal of a wizard and Last War veteran in the uncle's family (the wizard's <i>arcane mark</i> is probably on it somewhere). The wizard traveled extensively and saw many wonders and mysteries, making the book a gold mine of potential adventures. Now that it has emerged, the book may also draw attention to the heroes. A representative of House Sivis would pay handsomely for such a work of scribing; enemies of the old wizard may try to steal it; and an obsessed cultist who believes it may contain a map to a protected seal may threaten or kill the heroes for it.</div><div align="left" class="size3"><b>The Henge in the Gloaming</b></div><div align="left">In the Eldeen city of Xandrar, Gatekeeper druids are concerned about signs that the poaching of good creatures in the Towering Wood has increased. They ask the PCs for help investigating these crimes against their faith. It turns out that someone has been buying up pixie wings, giant eagle feathers, and unicorn horns, and payment has always been in the form of letters of credit from Morgrave University. </div><div align="left">Meanwhile, in the thickest, darkest, most claustrophobic grove of The Gloaming, a Druidic Studies student and his horrid ape companions work tirelessly to build... something. They fell trees. They move huge, oblong stones. They arrange a collection of wings, feathers, and horns on a rune-covered stone slab, following exactly the diagrams and directions in a set of Old Galifar scrolls titled <i>A Dialectical Discussion of the Planes</i>, by Professor Uric Helbaine, paying special attention to the third scroll: "Musings concerning the Early-Walkers and their Connection with Mabar." The heroes must not only confront the misguided student but also deal with the disastrous consequences of focusing the Gloaming's negative energies through the mystical henge dreamed up by the long-dead Professor Helbaine.</div><div align="left" class="size3"><b>The Almanac of Tomorrow</b></div><div align="left">In a dungeon beneath the Mournlands, the heroes discover a chamber full of loose parchment pages (note: fire hazard!). Buried under the pages are the remains of a magical almanac that adds a new page to itself each day. Years ago, the book's cover burst under the strain of the stream of new pages, and now the dungeon room is packed with them. Each page carries the date it was created and makes predictions about what will happen <i>tomorrow</i> (that's tomorrow from the day the page was created). They predict weather patterns, casualty numbers, troop movements, and other significant events.</div><div align="left">The most recent page reports that a disaster will occur tomorrow, and the heroes may be able to prevent it! Perhaps it reports that, despite the Last War being over, tomorrow's "casualty numbers" are in the hundreds, and it states "Cyre" is moving troops toward the border of Thrane (which could mean the Lord of Blades is planning an attack). Perhaps it reports a weather disaster brought on by a rogue member of House Lyrandar. It may report pestilence and famine that the heroes know to be caused by an evil curse. </div><div align="left">The almanac loses accuracy if it is removed from the dungeon chamber but still produces useful information. Investigating its origin might lead to further adventures.</div><div align="left" class="size3"><b>Expedition of the Tome of Glyphs</b></div><div align="left">The heroes' patron informs them of rumors that the true Tome of Glyphs, a legendary book detailing the history of giants in Xen'drik, may be located in a dungeon in the misty jungles of Q'barra. An archaeologist and linguist of Sharn, Brenna Dowen, will accompany the adventurers and help them follow a set of clues to the whereabouts of the dungeon.</div><div align="left">At the dungeon entrance, they find the deserted camp of a rival expedition. They may be too late! Inside the dungeon, the party comes upon a hexagonal chamber containing six enormous books (each about the size of a noble's bed) on heavy display stands. Which is the right one? Bloody smears on the floor lead to one wall. Then the books attack! The party has been lured into the lair of six mimics (or whatever number your PCs can handle). The previous expedition was subdued or destroyed, and their remains are poorly hidden behind a secret door at the end of the trail of blood. Is the real Tome of Glyphs somewhere in this dungeon, or was a crafty illithid using the legend to lure adventurers into its mimic-lair? Perhaps Brenna Dowen tricked the party for her own reasons.</div><div align="left" class="size3"><b>Monsters in the Library Basement</b></div><div align="left">Mr. Pumble Dombibbin, a night clerk at the Library of Korranberg, calls the adventurers' for help one moonless evening. He trapped two monsters in the bottom floor of the Library, which houses books in storage. Only the heavy door leading to the stairwell has kept them at bay. Dombibbin has no explanation for how the monsters got into the Library; he just wants them captured and removed. He insists they not be killed and will give the heroes a handsome reward if they succeed quickly. </div><div align="left">The PCs stalk the monsters among the dark corridors and dusty stacks. Behind an iron door labeled "Rare Books," whose lock is broken, they come face-to-face with a pair of fihyrs (<i>Monster Manual II</i>, or substitute any aggressive monsters with appropriate CR). The fihyrs are actually Mr. Dombibbin's sons, ages 12 and 10. There were accidentally transformed by a spell they read out of a nearby tome. The spell affected their minds, too, so they believe themselves to be ferocious fihyrs. Mr. Dombibbin knows what happened but he will be in big trouble if his employers find out he allowed his boys to play in the stacks. He believes he can reverse the spell if the PCs trap the monstrous boys and recover the book they read.</div><div align="left" class="size3"><b>Mini-Hooks </b></div><div align="left">Still hungry for more adventure hooks? Here are some bite-sized book-themed ideas to chew on.</div><ul><li> <br /><div align="left">What appears to be a book of spells is actually a recipe for an extended magical ritual to call down meteors from the Ring of Siberys -- with the power to destroy an entire city.</div></li></ul><ul><li> <br /><div align="left">In the ruins of a half-sunk Shadow Marches temple, the heroes discover a set of stone tablets describing the location of an ancient artifact related to the daelkyr.</div></li><li> <br /><div align="left">A book of poetry with pages of fine vellum is found at an estate sale. The author turns out to be the personal scribe of old King Jarot. It could be full of clues of historical import, coveted by many nations.</div></li><li> <br /><div align="left">A financial ledger in the Mror Holds reveals evidence that an underground organization seized a huge amount of resources through shrewd, almost prophetic business deals. Perhaps the Aurum has enslaved an earth weird to guide their business practices.</div></li><li> <br /><div align="left">The PCs are hired to steal a book from a private collection. The book itself is unimportant but it contains a magic dagger hidden in a hollowed-out space in the center pages, and the dagger is happy to be free.</div></li><li> <br /><div align="left">A student of the magical arts must finish her dissertation on necromantic phenomena before her academic deadline. She needs the heroes to bring her tissue or bone samples of at least three specific undead creatures within one week.</div></li><li> <br /><div align="left">A famous novel is delivered to one of the PCs -- with a message from the author penned in blood inside the front cover.</div></li></ul><div align="LEFT"><img border="0" height="9" src="http://www.wizards.com/dnd/images/DnD_cb_line.jpg" width="590" /></div><div align="LEFT"><b>About the Author</b></div><div align="left">Doug Beyer spent a lot of time getting philosophy degrees until he figured out that he should just move to Seattle and become a web developer for Wizards of the Coast. Now he spends his days working on games and his evenings playing them. Doug uses the time normally allotted for sleeping to lurk on the Wizards.com message boards as his alter ego, WotC_Doog.</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8350584882008454845.post-9918594325099984962010-03-28T14:13:00.000+08:002010-03-31T22:22:23.138+08:00Mysterious Disappearances<table align="center" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="width: 600px;"><tbody><tr><td width="512"><div align="center"><span align="right" class="size2"><i>By Doug Beyer</i></span></div></td> <td width="88"><img src="http://www.wizards.com/dnd/images/ebsh_white.jpg" width="88" /></td> </tr></tbody></table><div align="center"><img height="9" src="http://www.wizards.com/dnd/images/DnD_cb_line.jpg" width="570" /></div><div align="LEFT">Welcome to "Steal This Hook!," a new column of <b>Eberron</b> adventure hooks. Every other week this column will bring you, the DM, a bevy of Eberron ideas to steal for your campaign. Think of yourself as a picky, bib-wearing, hungry monarch and "Steal This Hook!" as platter after steaming platter heaped high with juicy delights. Grab whatever looks appetizing, your majesty, and toss the rest to the dogs! (You know, because there're always dogs.) You'll find several entrée-sized hooks and then a bevy of bite-sized mini-hooks in each installment.</div><div align="LEFT">Each "Steal This Hook!" column will have a topic that ties the hooks together -- kind of an <i>Iron Chef</i>-style theme ingredient that flavors all the ideas. The themes will vary from straightforward fantasy motifs to ludicrously bizarre Eberron headtrips. Our first theme? "Mysterious disappearances." So glad you asked!</div><div align="LEFT" class="size3"><b>The Case of the Locked Vault</b></div><div align="LEFT"><img align="right" border="0" height="267" src="http://www.wizards.com/dnd/images/ebsh_20040913_1.jpg" width="209" />A House Tharashk bounty hunter hires the heroes to investigate a rash of thefts from their private stores of Eberron dragonshards and other treasures. The treasures are kept sealed in a windowless stone vault behind an impressively warded iron door, and the vault is guarded day and night. The thefts have happened every night. The guards swear they didn't open the door or even see anyone -- the loot just mysteriously disappeared. Is a mystically skilled thief using <i>teleport</i> to enter and exit the vault? Could an ambitious ethereal filcher be coming back each night? Might someone have dug a tunnel under the vault? Or are the "thefts" a ruse to distract from the real crime -- many of the treasures are illusionary, and are disappearing as their spell durations end? The heroes need to bring their forensic skills to bear to solve this mystery.</div><div align="LEFT" class="size3"><b>Runaway in the Reaches</b></div><div align="LEFT">A farming family near the edge of the Eldeen Reaches' Towering Wood sends a call for adventurers to find their missing daughter. The girl was last seen three days ago, when she disappeared along with a heavy wool cloak, an antique shield, and two weeks' rations. Investigation may reveal that she had been receiving letters in the Sylvan tongue -- was she wooed by a charming satyr? Invited to join an unknown sect of Eldeen moon-worshippers? Or was she kidnapped by mischievous fey, who also stole the supplies to confuse the issue? Is her family covering a dark secret -- that they sold their daughter to evil druids in exchange for a bountiful harvest? The heroes must locate the girl, and time may be of the essence.</div><div align="LEFT" class="size3"><b>The Eyestalks Have It</b></div><div align="LEFT">A kalashtar scholar was away at a conference when his collection of preserved beholder eyestalks was stolen. When the heroes come to investigate, the first thing they discover is that the scholar is obsessed with the crime: he follows the PCs wherever possible and uses psionics to "eavesdrop" on the investigation when he can't personally be on the scene. Furthermore, the crime scene is perplexing -- the scholar's front door was apparently <i>chewed</i> open by something with powerful jaws, and his wood floors are gouged with claw-marks, yet the wards and locks on the glass display cases were carefully dispelled and disabled. Who would have taken the eyestalk collection? A purist sect of the Church of the Silver Flame persecuting the man for his kalashtar heritage? A mad artificer (with iron defenders) interested in the eyestalks as wands or as components for some bizarre, eldritch machine? A summoner (with a bound rast at her side) needing odd gifts for her hungry, conjured demons? Some poor, blind monster that believes the beholder eyes might grant it sight? An actual beholder and its servants that wants to end the kalashtar's abominable collecting?</div><div align="LEFT" class="size3"><b>The Missing Mummy</b></div><div align="LEFT">When the Historical Museum of Sharn's exhibit, "Ancient Rulers of Galifar," opens to the public, the most anticipated item on display is the recently-discovered sarcophagus of Bruudash the Third, a centuries-old Galifar lord. The docent of the exhibit throws open the sarcophagus to reveal Bruudash's mummified body, but besides the musk of embalming spice, it's empty. Did the local rich aficionado hire thugs for "grand theft mummy" to add to his private collection? Has a curse somehow shriveled the mummy to dust? Perhaps worst of all, did Bruudash walk out of his box of his own accord, bent on punishing the living for his centuries-long dirt nap?</div><div align="LEFT" class="size3"><b>One Carload Short of a Lightning Rail</b></div><div align="LEFT">The lightning rail train from Wroat arrives in Sharn -- <i>missing a car</i>. The train's conductor and security personnel explain, in half-shock, that while the train passed through some heavy fog, the private sleeping car simply vanished, leaving the train severed in two. They stopped the engine, reconnected the train, and continued on, hoping to get help in Sharn. What force could have snatched a car from a moving train? Was it <i>disintegrated </i>or <i>teleported</i>? Was the rest of the train somehow frozen in time (by a mass <i>sleep</i> spell, or even <i>time stop</i>), allowing the culprit(s) several undisturbed minutes in which to spirit away the car? Or was it snatched by a roc in the fog? A wrinkle: When the train left Wroat, the missing car carried the famous Brelish Last War veteran Forv Yannar, who was to speak at a rally in Sharn. Were Yannar's enemies intent on stopping that speech? Did Yannar himself stage his disappearance to get attention or to avoid assassins? Was he traveling with a valuable cache of Last War weapons? Finally, where is the train car and its passengers or cargo now?</div><div align="LEFT" class="size3"><b>Mini-Hooks </b></div><div align="LEFT">Still hungry for more adventure hooks? Here are a few bite-sized ideas to chew on.</div><ul><li> The Library of Korranberg hires the adventurers to locate certain crucial maps from a Last War refugee's journal that went missing during a bizarre raid by savage halflings.<br /></li><li> A dragonmark heir contacts the PCs to interview her family members when their dragonmarks begin disappearing.<br /></li><li>A living <i>mass invisibility</i> spell somehow gets transported to a crowded market and causes havoc when people and objects begin vanishing at random.<br /></li><li>A Cyran expatriate hires the heroes to explore the ruins of her hometown in what is now the Mournlands, but now only a misty lake remains where the town used to be.<br /></li><li>An important Karrnathi official goes missing but reappears just before a crucial vote involving policies on changeling rights; the heroes are hired to investigate what happened.<br /></li><li>A warforged thespian takes a break between scenes of a high-profile play and is never seen again.<br /></li><li>An Old Galifar-era village once thought lost to time reappears on a misty night during the conjunction of four planes -- and may vanish again when the conjunction ends.<br /></li><li>An <i>arcane marked</i> letter of credit from a House Kundarak bank in the Mror Holds must reach Korth, Karrnath, in two weeks' time, but witnesses at a small inn along the way say that the courier vanished, leaving his traveling equipment in his room.<br /></li><li>The stone gargoyle decorations on Queen ir'Wynarn's castle in Aundair have gone missing overnight; royal scions hire adventurers to aid in their recovery.<br /></li><li>Morgrave University loses contact with their team of archaeologists on a dig in Q'Barra. Coincidentally, a cell of Dreaming Dark spies and assassins have taken up residence in the vine-covered ruins the scientists were uncovering.<br /></li><li>A pair of wererat criminals are captured but they vanish from their locked coach during their transfer to Dreadhold. </li></ul><div align="LEFT"><b>Editor's Note:</b> For those of you lucky enough to be too young to remember 1970, that was the year Abbie Hoffman (Google him -- yes, him) published a book called <i>Steal This Book</i>. It had nothing to do with <b>D&D</b> or <b>Eberron</b>, but in the spirit of anarchy, we decided to hijack his title for our series anyway. Abbie would approve. </div><div align="LEFT"><img border="0" height="9" src="http://www.wizards.com/dnd/images/DnD_cb_line.jpg" width="590" /></div><div align="LEFT"><b>About the Author</b></div><div align="left">Doug Beyer spent a lot of time getting philosophy degrees until he figured out that he should just move to Seattle and become a web developer for Wizards of the Coast. Now he spends his days working on games and his evenings playing them. Doug uses the time normally allotted for sleeping to lurk on the Wizards.com message boards as his alter ego, WotC_Doog.</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8350584882008454845.post-13898514237532087682010-03-15T22:05:00.002+08:002010-04-26T21:32:20.551+08:00Dot to Dot<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_NLbk7actvks/S9WUkxc2XtI/AAAAAAAAARc/EqbRTnLKW88/s1600/117039_CN_GL.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_NLbk7actvks/S9WUkxc2XtI/AAAAAAAAARc/EqbRTnLKW88/s320/117039_CN_GL.jpg" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b>By Michelle Bottorff<o:p></o:p></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b>Ideas for interesting towns<o:p></o:p></b></div><div class="MsoNormal">Exciting Actropolis is where the vile underlord Morticus spins his cruel plots. The adventurers have discovered a message from him on the body of one of his hirelings and are heading toward the mighty city. Fewmar eagerly looks at his map. ‘Look here! If we travel across country we’ll cut weeks off the journey’. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">The adventurers head out into the wilderness, make a few bad rolls during a river crossing, and finally, sick and tired of roughing it, they run across the road to... Poketon? The DM stares blankly at the dot on his map. The players are sick of random wilderness encounters and are ready for some real role-playing, but he knows absolutely nothing about this place! <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Just because the DM is improvising doesn’t .t mean that all the small towns on the map need to end up generic and boring. The players may want a change of pace, or the characters may need a bit of nudging to get them back on the path of the planned adventure, or maybe the DM just wants to add some realism to his campaign.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Whatever the reason, here are some ideas for making improvised towns interesting, exciting, memorable and maybe even useful. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b>The personality of the place <o:p></o:p></b></div><div class="MsoNormal">One method is to give the town its own mood. The original edition of the AD&D® DUNGEON MASTER® Guide has many splendid lists of adjectives. (If you don’t have it, try a thesaurus.) These were originally intended for the fleshing out of NPCs but work equally well when determining the character of a town. Pessimistic, aloof, dreamy, soft-hearted, spendthrift; all these adjectives, and a host of others, can be used to describe towns as well as people. With practice a DM can generate a whole town from a randomly picked adjective. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">DM: Tall fences line both sides of the road. Past them and to the left you can see a farmer working in his fields. Though he shouts no greetings, you seem to sense his head turning as he watches you go by. Soon you find yourself among the stone buildings of the little village. Stout oak doors with peep holes line the narrow street. A little boy playing with a cup and ball game stops to stare at you. Suddenly a door is flung open. A young woman runs out and grabs the boy, hauling him inside. The door crashes shut behind them. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal">Lady Ariadne: (Placing her hand on her rapier and frowning after the vanished child.) My friends, this town seems less than friendly. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal">Beran the Brave: Much less! <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal">Fewmar: I wonder why they.re so suspicious... <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal">When creating a ‘mood town,’ most of the people in the community will share its dominate characteristic, but be careful not to overdo it. Even the most suspicious of towns probably has one or two friendly characters. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">The inhabitants are not the only thing that affects the mood. Architecture is an important factor, and it is much more likely that the buildings fit the adjective better than the people. A friendly town for instance, might have thatched roofs and brightly painted cottages; an extravagant town would have peaked arches and impressive façades. Other things to take into consideration are the town layout and the types of businesses. A town with numerous taverns built around a bustling town square conveys a totally different mood than one built on a grid, with one small tavern and no inn, with only a way-house at the nearby religious retreat. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Another more subtle indication of town personality is how quickly it accepts new ideas. Progressive towns are interested in news of other places and are delighted by anything that is innovative and new. Anti-progressive towns aren’t interested in the rest of the world and are scornful of any device (or fashion) they haven’t seen before. Some towns are mixed, with half the populace eager for change, while the other half clings desperately to the past. This alters not only the mood of the town but also its technology level. The technology levels that are possible depend largely on your campaign world, but don’t hesitate to go to extremes. Inventors do not always live in the city, so Poketon may well be a few years ahead of the rest of the country, while the neighboring town is centuries behind the times. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b>Disputes <o:p></o:p></b></div><div class="MsoNormal">If the players are bored, the DM may decide not to take the time to build a mood but opt instead for quick action. The easiest way to do this is to have the town already involved in some kind of fight. A special dispute not only keeps the players happy but also serves to make the town stand out in their memory. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Feuds work well. Take, for example the story of Romeo and Juliet. It’s about two important families whose feud is so severe that they manage to involve a good part of the city. In a small town this sort of situation is even more deadly. It’s virtually impossible for anyone to remain neutral; even chance visitors need to take sides at least to the degree of deciding whose inn they will sleep in that night. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal">DM: You awake to the smell of smoke and the sound of shouting. Footsteps are clattering down the hall outside your door. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal">Beran: (Leaping to the door and throwing it open.) What’s going on here!? <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal">DM: A peasant boy turns to face you, waving his dagger and shouting, ‘Death to all Saiger-lovers!’ <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal">Beran: (Picking the boy up and shaking him.) I love only Galyna, Lady of Hearthkeep, and I’ll kill anyone who says otherwise! <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal">Fewmar: What’s a Saiger? Wasn’t that the name of the innkeeper? <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal">Lady Ariadne: Never mind that; I think the inn is on fire! <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal">Another interesting situation occurs when the town is divided politically. For instance, the last election was a tie, and both candidates now consider themselves mayor. If the situation is violent, the players will be called upon to choose sides, but there is always the possibility that there is no fighting, just two town sheriffs enforcing two sets of laws, two tax collectors, two places they must get their weapons licensed, etc. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Each mayor could have his own distinct territory, but it is generally more fun to just have each mayor claim the whole town or to at least have the border line between sections irregular and indistinguishable so the players never know which set of laws they are subject to at any given moment. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal">Guard: Ho there! <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal">Fewmar: Yes? <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal">Guard: You just used magic! <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal">Fewmar: Err, yes. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal">Beran: You got a problem with that? <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal">Guard: It’s against the law to use magic in Poketon.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Lady Ariadne: Nonsense, my good man. That fellow in High street didn’t say anything! <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal">Guard: High street is in Upper Poketon. You’re in Lower Poketon now. Come with me. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">If Poketon has a close neighbor, then it would be quite likely for them to have developed a rivalry. This rivalry is most commonly expressed by strong competition in sporting events, with a number of towns going so far as inventing their own events. For instance there are two towns in England that annually compete over a side of ham. The ham starts at a midway point between the two towns, and the town that gets it into their own town square first gets to keep it. A fun variation could be to have a whole live pig, which would, of course, be doing its best to get away. Any type of contest will do: and there are many to choose from; team sports, wrestling, greased pole climbing, target shooting, seeing how high you can count before taking a breath. Try to pick something that will interest your player’s characters. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Whether there is a sporting event actually going on, there are many people in a rival town willing to bore the players to death by giving blow by blow accounts of every event that occurred during the last 10 years. It is important to remember that according to Poketon’s loyal citizens, Poketon is clearly superior. Anything Rivalburg does, Poketon does better. This attitude carries over from sporting events to industry and almost all other aspects of small town life; Poketon’s cows produce better milk than Rivalburg’s cows, their priest is more pious, their blacksmith better skilled. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">In extreme circumstances a rivalry develops into a war, <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal">DM: The small shifty-eyed man behind the bar leans towards you. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal">Bartender: Are you from Rivalburg? <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal">Lady Ariadne: Use your eyes, my good man. Do I look like somebody from Rivalburg? <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal">Beran: Never heard of the place. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal">Bartender: Then I’m glad you’re here. You two look like you’d be useful in a fight. The sheriff asked me to look out for anyone who might be willing to join our march on Rivalburg! <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal">Fewmar: Why are you attacking Rivalburg? <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal">Bartender: (Ignoring Fewmar.) What do you say? <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal">Lady Ariadne: Hmmm. Why not?After all, a good fight is always amusing. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal">Bartender: Well, we’re not attacking them, precisely, you understand. It’s a protest march. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal">Beran: A what? <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal">Fewmar: What are you protesting? <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal">Bartender: Those scurvy knaves have been under-cutting our prices! We’re going to lay down the law to those dastards! Either they put their prices back to where they used to be or we retaliate! (The bartender shakes a fist in the direction of Rivalburg, then realizing he’s making a scene, looks back at the adventurers.) <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal">Lady Ariadne: I’m sorry. I don’t do demonstrations. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal">Bartender: (Shrugging.) Sheriff wanted some heavy-weights around in case there was trouble. We’ll pay you, of course. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Poketon doesn’t need to be fighting another town; they could be fighting outlaws, a renegade magic user, an appropriate monster or some kind of spell effect gone wild. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b>Points of interest <o:p></o:p></b></div><div class="MsoNormal">Some ‘points of interest towns’ are considered so interesting that they expect people to come visit them. The PCs are not likely to turn tourist, but the townsfolk don’t know that and will expect them to be fascinated by the local points of interest. Some points of interest can even prove useful to the characters. Tourist towns are usually easy for the DM to invent, since he can ‘borrow’ a town that he has actually been to and alter it to fit his campaign world. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Buildings are common points of interest, though they rarely contribute directly to a campaign. Buildings are generally notable for their architecture, purpose, and historic association. Good choices for small towns are: the Deserted Tower of Joe the Ultra-magical, the tavern where Black Bart the famous Outlaw ate his last meal, or one of the Royal Hunting Lodges. Haunted buildings are also good, especially if the characters actually get to meet the ghost. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">When inventing a notable building, keep in mind what people might be staying there. These people can often be useful to the characters. For instance, the country residence of a VIP will be populated by his dependents, who can act as a source of valuable introductions and provide an excuse for getting the players back on the road to Actropolis.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Lord John: You wouldn’t by any chance be heading to Actropolis? <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal">Beran: Yes. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal">Fewmar: Why do you ask? <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal">Lord John: I was hoping you could deliver a message to my brother, the Earl of Swaite. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal">Lady Ariadne: We’re entirely at your service, milord. Where is he staying? <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Other points of interest are a trifle harder to make useful. Natural features, for instance are mostly just boring for the players because most of them look interesting. Of course you can use boredom to convince the characters that they are in a hurry to get out of town. After hearing eight or nine people tell them how spectacular the local waterfall (mountain, rock formation, centuries-old tree, etc.) is they will be happy to climb right back on their horses. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Much more interesting is the town with historical associations. This is the town that has a real place in history and capitalizes on it. Some towns may invent a place in history, and, unless one of the characters has an education, it comes out to much the same thing. As a rule of thumb, half of the people in a ‘historic’ town have an encyclopedic knowledge of the historic event in question, and the other half thinks the whole thing is a great bore. At least half of those who know exactly what happened will know a vastly different version from the other half, and at least one person from each side likes nothing better than to argue about it. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Historic towns are a lot of fun but are easier to improvise if you already have a good grasp of the history of the campaign area. If the campaign area has no predetermined history and you are inventing it, remember to take notes. Absolute consistency, however, is unnecessary since most history tends to get distorted. In fact, it is more authentic to have several versions of a particular historical incident. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal">Miller: Don’t you sneer at me milady! I’ve a respectable trade. And it was a miller, after all, that hid King Connie when his brother Ed tried to usurp the throne. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal">Lady Ariadne: I sneer at whom I like. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal">Fewmar: Besides, it was a blacksmith who hid King Connie. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal">Miller: Nonsense, it had to be a miller. Who else would have such a large supply of grain sacks? <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal">Fewmar: Grain sacks?<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal">Miller: Didn’t you know that he was smuggled out of the country disguised as a sack of grain? <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal">Fewmar: I thought he disguised himself as a serving maid. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal">Beran: The brewer told me he hid in a keg of ale. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal">Lady Ariadne: What? Not a cart load of cabbages? <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal">Miller: It was a grain sack, I tell you! I know all about it. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">It can be difficult making a historic town useful unless the town also contains a collection of historic artifacts. Often some historian or collector lives in a small town so he can pursue his hobby in peace, and many of these can provide genuine assistance to adventurers. He might lend them some special magical item, or they might be able to peruse ancient documents for clues to the location of this ancient ruins, or that powerful item. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Usually a collector demands yet another item to add to his collection as payment. This often leads to another adventure. If you do not wish to create another adventure (it does not have to happen immediately; the collector may be willing to wait) then another form of payment must be found. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal">Collector: I call it a collusion detector. It’s a very rare item, and not very useful in a fight, but invaluable for uncovering secret plots. It’s how King Connie finally discovered Prince Ed’s treachery. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal">Fewmar: It must be very valuable. You wouldn’t want to lend out something so unique! <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal">Collector: Well, I offered it to his majesty when I first found it, but he preferred to rely on the services of the Royal Wizard. It’s terribly easy to counter, you see, so it’s really only useful if no one knows you have it. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal">Beran: What price? Collector: You wouldn’t happen to know where King Connie’s Crown has gotten too? <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal">Fewmar: In the capital? Collector: Oh dear me, no! That one is quite fake. (Looks at adventurers and sighs.) Oh well, I could use some help about the place. There is a terrible manpower shortage here in Poketon. Inventory perhaps, and if you could help me move some of the larger pieces and do the dusting... <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal">Lady Ariadne: Sir! I’ll have you know, I don’t dust!<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Some collections are singularly useless; old theater props for example, and decorated chamber pots; but they still add immeasurably to the flavor of the town. In fact, useless items are often more distinctive than useful ones. Who could forget a giant hammer, a floating building, an illusionary organ grinder and monkey, or the statue of a moose? Things that are odd or out of place are noticed and remembered. You must use this technique sparingly, however, because if there is something peculiar in every town the players will come to expect it, and it will no longer be memorable. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b>Unforgettable Characters <o:p></o:p></b></div><div class="MsoNormal">Often a town is remembered not for itself, but because of someone who lives there. You don’t even have to make up a character; you can just steal one from another source. Just remember that when you are in a town, character is established not just by how the DM describes a character but by how the other townspeople talk about them. A character that is interesting to the players is also likely to be interesting to his fellow citizens. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal">DM: It’s a town, about average size. Only one street is paved, the one you are on, the rest are packed down dirt. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal">Players: Where’s the tavern? <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal">DM: A sign showing a foaming mug hangs over a building ahead and to the right. As you approach you pass close to a young man. He wears tattered rags, and his bright red hair looks like it has never been combed. He is looking about vacantly, but when his eyes pass over Lady Ariadne he starts and rushes over to her, grasping her sleeve. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal">Lady Ariadne: Hands off, sirrah! <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal">DM: One of his eyes stares earnestly into your face, while the other eye wanders about. ‘Who?’ he asks. ‘Who?’ <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal">Lady Ariadne: I am Lady Ariadne Wynn. Hands off knave! <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal">Townswoman: Don’t mind him none, Milady, he’s just Moe, the town idiot. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal">DM: Moe releases your arm and wanders off to the side of the road. As you enter the tavern, the bartender, a tall man with a mop of improbable yellow curls addresses you. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal">Bartender: So you.ve already met the town idiot. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal">Beran: He seems harmless enough. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal">Bartender: Surely, but there is something about him. Normally he seems to have the wits of a rabbit, but then he says something so remarkably apt... (Shakes his head wonderingly.) And then there’s the way he arrived! <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal">Fewmar: Oh? How was that? <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">The town’s interesting character may not live there any longer. This is potentially very useful. If he is a personage of importance in your planned campaign, this is a great way to let the players dig up some back-ground information on him. Not only do the townspeople know all about his childhood, but they likely have a very good idea of what he is up to now. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b>Establishing the legal limits <o:p></o:p></b></div><div class="MsoNormal">A small town may have developed its own set of laws and rules. Though most of these rules had a very good reason behind them when they were made, not all reasons last as long as the rule does. Not knowing the reason for the rule, (which may indeed no longer exist,) the players are likely to find some of the villagers‘rules ridiculous in the extreme, such as: anyone walking down main street must wear a hat; no lighting fires out of doors; no talking in the town square; or anyone who sleeps in town overnight must first introduce himself to the priest. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Other rules are obvious as to the reasoning but irksome to the players: one way bridge, no wearing of unregistered weapons, no mounts allowed in the village proper, no killing the local wildlife without a license, taxes. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal">Sheriff: Have you got a license for that there creature? <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal">Fewmar: Shasta is a marmot. She’s my familiar. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal">Sheriff: Doesn’t matter. All domesticated animals require a license if you want to bring them into Poketon. You also need licenses for your horses. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal">Lady Ariadne: Don’t be ridiculous, my good man! <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal">Sheriff: Oh, you needn’t worry, horse licenses are easy to get. Just walk into town, take a left at the Mermaid, and pretty soon you’ll find Jasper’s stables. Jasper will come out here and inspect your beasts for a reasonable fee, and then I write out your license. Simple! I don’t know about that marmot creature though. Never done a license for a marmot!<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Getting any kind of a license requires finding the person with the proper authority. This is not necessarily any easier to do in a small town than in a big city. A common problem is that no one is sure who the proper person is. The landlord sends you to the mayor, who sends you to the sheriff, who sends you to the priest, who thinks that really Lord So-and-such ought to be the one to sign it, only he’s off hunting or something and no one knows when he’ll be back. By having the locals waffle back and forth you can keep the characters running around for some time. This is not a good idea if you are trying to hurry the players off to Actropolis, but it works fine if you just thought of a neat adventure they could have right here if only you have enough time to work out the details. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Another important thing to remember is the powerful effect that organizations can have on a town. At some points in history, the guilds were more powerful than the monarch. A guild (or local equivalent) flexing its muscles is a good way to make a town memorable. Merriment and cheer are in short supply at the tavern if the brewers are on strike; the players may have to brave the picket-lines in order to buy supplies at a non-union grocer, or the Tanner’s Guild may have picked this very town for their annual conference, and the stench is making the place uninhabitable. Even lesser organizations can have quite an impact. Never underestimate the power of the PTA or the Civic Improvement Association; the local busybodies may well decide that adventurers make rotten role-models for their children and attempt to run them out of town. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal">Townsman: Are you a member of the Magistar and Wonderworkers. Union? <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal">Fewmar: No, I can’t say that I am. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal">Townsman: In that case we would really rather you moved on, this being a union town and all. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal">Fewmar: Can’t I just promise not to use my magic? <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal">Townsman: If I just say a few words to my fellow citizens this town would become less than comfortable: ridiculously high prices, full inn, that sort of thing. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal">Lady Ariadne: We will not be threatened! <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal">Beran: We are trying to get to Actropolis. We only stopped here to get some more supplies. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal">Townsman: Oh? Well in that case I would be happy to direct you. Our grocer is on High Street, he carries hardtack guaranteed to survive flood, spell, and hard journeying. Our armorer is just there, across the square, and... <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Yes, Poketon is certainly an interesting place. It will be long remembered by your players, who are now back on the road to Actropolis. At least they were back on the road to Actropolis until a random encounter with some horse thieves somehow put them on the road to Sameville. Sameville is another dot on the map, but there is no problem making it distinctive. The dots themselves may look identical, but by using one of these ideas you can guarantee that Sameville won’t be the same at all!<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b>Things to remember:<o:p></o:p></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b>Personality<o:p></o:p></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: MSTT31c4b3; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 115%;">1. Pick an adjective, any adjective<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: MSTT31c4b3; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 115%;">2. Technology level<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b>Disputes<o:p></o:p></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: MSTT31c4b3; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 115%;">3. Feuds<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: MSTT31c4b3; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 115%;">4. A Town Divided<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: MSTT31c4b3; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 115%;">5. Sporting Rivals<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: MSTT31c4b3; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 115%;">6. Other battles<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b>Points of interest<o:p></o:p></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: MSTT31c4b3; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">7. </span><span style="font-family: MSTT31c4b3; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 115%;">Buildings<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: MSTT31c4b3; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 115%;">8. Natural features<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: MSTT31c4b3; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 115%;">9. Historical<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: MSTT31c4b3; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 115%;">10. Collections<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: MSTT31c4b3; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 115%;">11. Oddities<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b>Characters<o:p></o:p></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: MSTT31c4b3; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 115%;">12. The Character<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: MSTT31c4b3; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 115%;">13. He used to live here<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b>Legal Limits<o:p></o:p></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: MSTT31c4b3; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 115%;">14. Ridiculous rules<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: MSTT31c4b3; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 115%;">15. Bureaucracy<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: MSTT31c4b3; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 115%;">16. Guilds<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: MSTT31c4b3; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 115%;">17. Other organizations</span><o:p></o:p></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8350584882008454845.post-39282579396721960502010-03-15T19:35:00.001+08:002010-04-26T21:27:54.608+08:00Improve with Improv<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_NLbk7actvks/S9WU090__VI/AAAAAAAAARk/p1c6PtpG57M/s1600/117065_CN_GL.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_NLbk7actvks/S9WU090__VI/AAAAAAAAARk/p1c6PtpG57M/s320/117065_CN_GL.jpg" /></a></div><h1 style="text-align: center;"><br />
</h1><h1>Jason Strasser<o:p></o:p></h1><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Most people associate improvisation with jazz, yet improvisation is the heart and soul of being a good Dungeon Master. No skill is more useful or more called upon, nor so separates the masters from the novices. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">It is essential to the seamless progress of a tightly woven campaign that you, the DM, be ready for any eventualities that the ever-crafty players may come up with. This is not merely a matter of assuming a few probable courses of events and planning for them, nor is it simply resorting to manipulation of NPCs and settings willy nilly. Players deserve a reasonable, consistent reality. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">A DM who tries to influence the players to follow a carefully plotted adventure inevitably winds up restricting them and impinging upon the necessary illusion of freedom. No one wants to play in a world where everything is obviously predestined. Free will is important, as it draws the players deeper into the game. It therefore behooves the wily DM to give the players all of the rope they need to hang themselves. This is where the improvisation comes in. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Like a jazz musician, the experienced DM has a few scenarios (scales) and characters (chords) up his sleeve to throw out in response to any situation he may find himself in. The real art is in the spontaneous application of these templates in real time. As DM, you must be able to follow the changes, moving effortlessly between scales in response to the chord changes. Changing the scenario to fit the changing characters is the key to improvisation. The flexibility to adapt constantly to the mood, sentiment, and attention span of your particular cast of characters lies in intelligent and tasteful application of this principle. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Improvisation is a delicate balance between order and chaos, a balance that constantly shifts and is extremely tenuous. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Say, for example, that your players are between adventures or embarking upon a fresh one. A poor DM would simply tell them what happens to lead them to the next scenario. This, however, is an excellent opportunity to draw your PCs in by using a little improvisation. Instead of telling the players what happens to them, let them do whatever they want to do. In fact, try to stay out of their way. Simply describe for them the locations they place themselves in. Then use NPCs and elements natural to the setting to introduce plot threads. Be subtle, allowing the players and the natural inclinations of the NPCs to dictate the action. On the other hand, something dramatic must happen in the first few minutes in order to hook your players in and perk up their interest in continuing. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">I have seven “golden rules” useful in DM improvisation. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b>1. Listen to the players <o:p></o:p></b></div><div class="MsoNormal">DMs often ignore the valuable information that players knowingly and unknowingly hand them throughout the game. The most important information you can glean from your players is whether they are having fun. Sometimes we forget why we play these games, so it is vitally important to gauge the player’s level of interest in a given subject or aspect of play.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Try to ascertain what sort of adventure they want, for what kinds of objects they would quest, what kind of enemy they would fight, what causes they would defend, etc. Are they hackers and slashers or puzzle solvers? You need to know this right away. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Listen to what they say, especially their first impressions. Pay close attention to how your ideas work in execution. You may be able to tailor future scenarios if you are better aware of what has worked and what hasn’t. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Use the words your players use. Sometimes even repeating back the last object they spoke about in your descriptive reply can be a useful device. For example, when Borundi the Bold says he wants to ‘grab the purple-headed serpent by the neck and crush the life out of it,’ then you reply with, ‘As you grab the purple headed serpent by the neck and attempt to crush the life out of it, it spits a stream of acid at your eyes. [Rolling the dice.] Oooh! You might wanna make a saving throw.’ Don’t overuse this device, however, as it can get monotonous. When used in moderation, it gives the players the feeling that they have an effect on the outcome, or at least that you are listening to them. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Listen, listen, listen. This cannot be said enough. Listen to the tone of voice your PCs are using. You can give yourself a pat on the back and know that you have done well if you hear them laughing or displaying some other emotion. If they sit up and pay closer attention to your words, then you are on a roll... go with it. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b>2. Break scenarios into plot pieces and threads <o:p></o:p></b></div><div class="MsoNormal">Start by taking all of your scenarios and breaking them down into the smallest amount of action possible. Separate out all of the ‘plot pieces’ that do not require any previous action for their logical usage at any time. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">These are your threads, and with them you can weave any story into your players’ destinies. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Compile, a list of each thread with all relevant details (such as NPC and monster stats with a brief description). When the players find themselves in a likely location, you can apply any suitable thread. Good threads immediately create conflict and moves the story along quickly. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">For example, a woman in the room is actually the goddess Artemis in disguise, and she is looking to abduct a few decent woodsmen for her annual mortal hunt. Having heard the PCs bragging and exaggerating about their exploits, she assumes them to be worthy heroes and attempts to kidnap them. Neither brilliant nor boring, this is the type of thread that can be played at any time with a good chance of snagging all the players into a series of events that would never have otherwise happened. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Give players a chance or two to opt out of any situation, but also give them the chance to opt in. It is a good idea to have a few divergent threads going simultaneously, allowing the players to follow whichever they please or none at all. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Not all threads are huge events that just seem to happen; many are simply interesting NPCs or inviting locales (e.g.; scuffling noises emanating from a circus tent after hours). Once the players have taken a thread, however, you can choose plot pieces. Improvisation is about knowing where you can smoothly go to from where you are now. Smooth is the key word. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">If you are paying attention to your players, you will know when to use which plot piece and which ones grab specific players. You may have to work a little to bring them all in. The PCs may require different threads. Seemingly dissimilar threads can, in fact, be different entrances to the same scenario. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Plot pieces from different scenarios can be used anywhere they fit, but they never force the PCs into anything. Allow free will to draw them into whatever scenario they would most thoroughly enjoy. Let them think they are chosing their own destinies; only you need know they are following your plans. Remember that storytellers are illusionists. Strive to use plot pieces in as unobtrusive a manner as possible. If the hand is quicker than the eye, then how much more so is the mind? <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b>3. Practice creating details on the spot <o:p></o:p></b></div><div class="MsoNormal">No matter how well you plan ahead, there will be something in the course of play (more likely many somethings) for which you couldn’t have planned. Your players will wind up asking questions for which you haven’t prepared answers. It is therefore to your advantage to be able create details on the spot. Many times this is just a matter of asking yourself some key questions. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Your scenarios should include a well answered who, what, where, when, and why, but you need to be able to come up with the how and a bunch of logistical and descriptive details fairly quickly. Ask yourself what kind of things you would find in the current locale. Try not to be too clichéd, but really go after those things we take for granted. Avoid simply telling the players about details; rather, introduce details with action. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">For example, when Uther the Barbarian gets up and knocks a table over in the Red Crow Inn, this is a good time to mention details such as (a) the texture and consistency of the pea soup Uther was eating, (b) the relative positions of the PCs and NPCs to the flying debris, and (c) a more detailed description of Uther and his demeanor. You may want to describe some things with a magnifying glass, while allowing other details to go unreported. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Much of this is a question of style. Your campaign may be filled with jokers and be something of a comedy. On the other hand, your campaign may be more of a standard action adventure. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Even within the traditional sword and sorcery genre there is room for many styles. Dark fantasy requires a different touch from epic fantasy. It is quite possible that you prefer a minimalistic style, and just want to cut to the chase. Most campaigns jump genres to some degree while staying within a fantasy framework. Many times a perceptive DM will change the tone of the campaign to match the current mood of the PCs. Again, this is up to you as the DM, but in any case, be prepared to conjure believable details out of thin air, regardless of the style or tone of your campaign. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Even the best written modules are merely outlines that your words flesh out. Your spontaneous ability to turn flat, two-dimensional scenarios into vivid, larger-than-life, technicolor dramas is constantly called upon as a DM. It’s worth spending a little time honing this skill by practicing visualization exercises and enacting multiple ‘what if’ scenarios. Much of this is daydreaming, so to speak. In fact, the better you can daydream, and the more control you can exert in those dreams, the better DM you will come to be. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b>4. Determine the probability of success for any action <o:p></o:p></b></div><div class="MsoNormal">Many times, players attempt to do something for which you either can’t remember the rule or for which there is no rule. Back in the early days of RPGs, when rules were more ambiguous, DMs had to make quick judgments on the spot as to what should happen. Even today there are many circumstances for which the rules are silent. You have to be able to judge the ease players will have in performing some action or another. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Once the players get into a flow and are quickly moving along, you should do everything in you power not to break the spell. In any event, a good DM should be familiar with all the rules; you should be able, when necessary, to come up with quick percentages or modifiers to speed things up and not break the flow of the game. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Begin by giving everything a 50/50 chance or an attribute roll, and apply modifiers as you see fit. For instance, if Phylo the Nimble has the priceless Eye of Imhotep and is running down a slick marble hallway from two burly temple guards, and he comes to a dead end, the player may desperately come up with some impossible move (probably seen in some movie) to save him. Say Phylo decides to run full speed at the wall with the intent to flip backwards off the wall and kick both guards in the head. Ludicrous, you say, and you are right; but Phylo wants to try it, and he does have a Dexterity of 17. So, instead of wasting time looking the issue up in the DM.s guide, you bite the bullet and make a ruling. Due to the complexity of the maneuver, you may start with 51%, or three times his Dexterity rating. Then, because of the slick floor, subtract maybe 10%, and maybe another 10% for having his arms full, and you get 31%. Using percentile dice, allow Phylo the chance to pull off his Bruce Lee dream move. (Of course, even if he makes it, he still must successfully roll his attacks.) <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Whether the percentage accurately reflects Phylo’s chance of actually accomplishing the act is not as important as whether you have to spend five or 10 minutes looking up the actual rule. In general, if the players can think it up, then give them some chance at succeeding. This doesn’t have to be realistic; the players are fantasy heroes and expect to be able to do things impossible for normal people. By all means, if someone rolls a 01, let him do just about anything. Even David killed Goliath. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b>5. Really get into the NPC.s heads <o:p></o:p></b></div><div class="MsoNormal">NPCs are generally shop-worn stereotypes or thin, penciled-in extras. Worse, the typical DM plays NPCs with little or no differentiation and solely to further the plot. DMs are missing out on a gold mine of overlooked methods to draw PCs further into the game. Interesting NPCs can provoke players into situations they might never have found themselves in otherwise. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Whenever you are called upon to play an NPC, do your best to get into that character’s mind. What motivates that particular character? Put some thought into what this character would say or do in a given situation. Make them complex, realistic, and living beings. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">NPCs are seldom privy to the deeper secrets of a campaign and may act for many very different reasons. It adds another layer to the scenario if the NPCs think that something other than what is happening is happening. It can be useful to allow a delusional NPC to steer the players down the wrong path. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Let the players get to know your NPCs, and use the same NPCs (especially the villains) over and over again during the course of a long campaign. Nothing adds more continuity than recurring characters and locations. Bring old characters back in new locations and old locations with new characters. This is a sure-fire way to grab the characters. (What is Father Johnston doing 1,500 miles from his church out here in the bush of some tropical island?) <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">It would be even more intriguing if in past adventures the PCs had stumbled upon some small piece of evidence that the church was involved in smuggling slaves. Perhaps the characters are searching for a treasure described in the journal of some shipwrecked slave traders. The possibilities are endless. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Never get too attached to your NPCs. You must be willing to let the PCs slaughter, ridicule, or - even worse - ignore your NPCs. They are fodder, grist for the mill, and as such their sole purpose is to give you a pre-made cast of characters to fall back upon. Sometimes they are just filler, like the dark-eyed rogues in the marketplace with the smug grins. Other times they become essential story movers, like the Dwarven prince who hires the PCs to escort him home. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">When necessary, you can improvise and change things so the rogues from the marketplace can become would-be assassins hired by a rival kingdom to kill the sole heir to the dwarvish throne before he can get back to the safety of his homeland. It really doesn’t matter. The important part is the ability to improvise well and to keep the player characters interested in the game.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">The more thought you put into your NPCs, the better they will serve you in this regard. This paradox, like many of life’s little secrets, is only contradictory on the most obvious level. It may seem like thinking about your NPCs beforehand would work against spontaneity and improvisation, but in actuality you are more likely to improvise well and generate believable dialogue if you have some idea as to what their principle motivations are. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">If you have already run through all of your pre-generated NPCs and you need to come up with someone on the spot, think of some character from fiction, film, or your life who could be cast in the role. Even without statistics, simply having a personality in mind while you play the NPC adds a whole new level of reality to the scene. There is nothing worse than a DM who plays all of his NPCs the same way. Unless you.re trying to slip a little Twilight Zone effect into the campaign, you should avoid making entire groups of people think and act the same way. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b>6. Juxtapose things to add variety and interest <o:p></o:p></b></div><div class="MsoNormal">Get creative. How many more balding, fat barkeeps or inn proprietors with an ear for gossip do we really need? And about those damsels in distress.... <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">A quick and easy way for a swinging, jazzy improv-DM to be rid forever of clichés and overused stereotypes is to swap opposites in any traditional setting. For instance, instead of the ogre who crashes at the gates in the wee hours being a man-eating savage brute, make the ogre a scholarly priest fleeing from a hideous army of zombies and wraiths that have destroyed his temple and university. Why not? Ogres can be educated and religious, too. It makes for an interesting story. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Although few campaigns live up to their potential, RPGs are about the realtime interactive creation of a story with several people. Even though most campaigns wouldn’t make it as reruns of He-Man cartoons, they have the potential to create interesting dramatic fiction. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Instead of having the characters start a new adventure by leaving their homes to go search dungeons for treasure again and again, try having the characters live in the dungeon (as prisoners) and go searching the palace upstairs for treasure after an earthquake releases them from captivity. If you need a blacksmith NPC because Gan-Win Chung has broken his spear and wishes to have it fixed, you could use your typical bare-chested, glistening bald guy with a hammer, but perhaps a young woman, the only daughter of a late master craftsman, might be more refreshing. (Even more so if she has a higher Strength than the strapping Gan-Win Chung and bests him in an arm wrestling match.) <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">What seems frequently to be askew or wrong somehow is, in fact, inherently powerful. I would recommend trying as many off-the-wall characterizations and settings as you can come up with. Think of something you.ve often seen or read before and simply throw in a major twist. Oftentimes, this propels the scene along, practically doing all the work. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Take special care to flesh out the oddities realistically when using juxtaposition. Give bizarre things a bit of normalcy and vice versa. If done correctly, this technique has the ability to generate complex and rewarding scenarios for many sessions to come.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b>7. Always ask what the players want to do <o:p></o:p></b></div><div class="MsoNormal">The final golden rule is perhaps the most pertinent and useful of all. Throughout the game, the DM is constantly asking the players what they want to do. The key to artistic improvisation is deciding when to ask. Now, obviously, you can’t play the entire game in melee rounds, asking the players what they want to do every minute of the game, but you can and should ask them after every new description or major action. The time frame in which they answer should set the pace of the game. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Asking the players what they want to do involves them in the decision-making process to a higher degree and gives you a break. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">After any cursory description, especially one involving material previously unplanned, you owe it to yourself to stop and ask the players what they want to do. This gives you the opportunity to breathe and think about the situation. It also supplies needed feedback on what is getting through to the PCs and what they wish to pursue. A DM at a loss to come up with something often tosses the ball back to the players only to find, upon the ball’s return, that the players have keyed in on something the DM may have overlooked. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">If you happen to be on a roll and the PCs are listening raptly, then ride, captain, ride. But, the moment you notice the players becoming distracted, start thinking about asking them what they want to do. Wind up the monologue, and get back to a moving dialog. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Allow players to do what they want unless or until something prevents or makes it difficult to do so. Say, for instance, that Brother Lawrence tells you he wants to try to sleep in a makeshift lean-to he built in the forest. Fair enough; he is basically successful in this, other than the fact that every hour or so, you may want to roll on the local wandering monster table. If a wandering monster is generated, then most likely Lawrence will have to wake up. The point is that his intent to sleep remains the same and carries him through hours of game world time. (Of course, hearing a troll gibbering outside his lean-to might get him to change his mind.) <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Realizing that, while gaming, you are either describing something to the players or listening to their intentions, you can surmise that these are the two most important aspects of being a DM. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">A DM can’t plan descriptions ahead of time; it is impossible. Nor can a DM be expected to know the players’ intentions before they actually express them. Improvisation therefore becomes an essential factor in the effectiveness of a DM. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">The most essential tool any DM has in his improv-arsenal is the golden question, the role reversing, polarity shifting, rhythm defining question: ‘What do you guys want to do now?’ <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Spontaneity, as the central force in improvisation, is unrehearsed creativity. Although many jazz solos are unrehearsed, the musicians are in no way unprepared. This holds true for DM improvisation as well.<o:p></o:p></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8350584882008454845.post-86254018821136044982010-03-14T23:30:00.007+08:002010-04-28T22:55:31.597+08:00Quick and dirty worldbuilding<div class="MsoNormal"><b>BY DAVID CLARKE <o:p></o:p></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b>CARTOGRAPHY BY ROY BOHOLST<o:p></o:p></b></div><div class="MsoNormal">A world may seem overwhelming. Consider the detail and breadth of the FORGOTTEN REALMS® and the GREYHAWK® settings. What DM, by himself, could create such a thing? <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">The answer is you; and in a lot less time than you think. The process has only three broad steps - one of which you can do in a hammock with your eyes closed. Admittedly, each of these broad steps has smaller steps within, which is where the real work is. Based on what you do in Step One, though, creating your own campaign world can be as quick or easy or time-consuming as you like. (We can even design one as we go). <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b>Step 1: Decisions, decisions... <o:p></o:p></b></div><div class="MsoNormal">You won’t need any graph paper or pencils for this stage, though it may ultimately be the most important. You must make three decisions, but don’t cast any of your choices in stone until you’ve considered all three. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">First you will have to decide how much detail you want your world to have. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">“More is better” is not necessarily the correct idea. If you spend 400 hours developing every burg and bramble, you won’t have much time for actual DMing (or anything else, for that matter). Also, if you have all the details worked out ahead of time, you won’t have much flexibility later on if you have new ideas, if your campaign changes, or if you find a module you like but can’t use because your world is too defined for improvisation. What may be worst of all is that too often DMs create wonderful, rich adventures and settings for the places they think the of all is that too often DMs create wonderful, rich adventures and settings for the places they think the PCs will go, then the PCs go in the opposite direction, and all the work is wasted.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">The other extreme is to have very little detail. Perhaps a map and what type of culture you want to occupy each area will suffice for you and your players. In a combat-intensive campaign, who cares who the Pasha of Phlegnar is, as long as you get to kill the fire giants in his mountains? <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">The best approach for most people is one of moderation. This approach gives you the detail you need immediately and allowing flexibility to change things later on. You might decide to detail the areas where the campaign begins and add other details to areas as the players travel there. Obviously, this will be a problem if your players don’t go where you expect them to. You might instead decide to add some detail to each area, just in case. The problem now is either that an area is short-changed with too little detail or that you.ve overworked detailing every tree and bird. A lot depends on how much information your players want and what type of campaign you’d like to have. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">You must next decide where to place the balance between science and fantasy. If you choose a high-fantasy world, there can be steamy jungles in the middle of the arctic tundra, rain can fall up, dandelions can talk, and all unicorns can expect to be addressed, “Your Hornedness.” In other words, you’ll be making up the rules by which your world functions. This choice is a good one for those who don’t want to add much detail, since you can make up whatever details you need, whenever you want and needn’t worry about players arguing that “it can’t be”. Keep in mind, however, that in a fantasy world where the rules by which the players live are void, they will probably have a lot of questions. A high-fantasy DM must be very creative and inventive. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">On the other hand, there’s the scientifically accurate campaign world, based on the actual principles by which we live (at least to the extent that they.re used in the AD&D® game). This is a choice favored more by detail-enthusiasts, because of the abundance of languages, flora, fauna, climate, topography, alphabets, political systems etc. While this method offers immediate answers to questions like “What season comes after spring?” and “Is it cold up in the mountains?” it can be restrictive. If you follow geographical science, areas along rivers which flood yearly must be fertile, even if in the middle of a desert, whether you want them to be or not. Likewise forests north of a certain point will have to be strictly coniferous due to the extreme cold and lack of water. In such a world, you needn’t be as creative, but you are somewhat more restricted in terms of what is possible. (For our sample world, we’ll lean toward science but reserve the right to explain some things with fantasy). <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">The third thing you must decide is the type of campaign you want to play. As noted before, details like politics and personalities don’t matter much to players whose goal is to kill monsters and collect treasure. If this is the type of campaign you’ll be running, your job as world designer is much easier. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">If, on the other hand, you like geo- politics and intend to run a role-playing intense or political intrigue type game, you can be pretty much assured that the low-detail approach does not work. Roleplaying and intrigue both rely on NPCs and good stories. NPCs need homes, backgrounds and experiences; stories need settings. No matter how heavily based on fantasy, a low-detail, highly improvised world soon develops people and stories that should be connected but aren’t. Players quickly notice discrepancies and become disenchanted. This is not to say that a political campaign needs notes as thick as a phone book, but it does imply that more detail and work may be necessary. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b>Step Two: Get the crayons <o:p></o:p></b></div><div class="MsoNormal">Now that you.ve made your basic decisions, the concrete process of creation can begin. By the end of this stage you’ll have a map with civilizations and topographical features a plenty. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">First, list the various climates and topographical and geographical formations you want to use. You can also draw your basic land form(s) (e.g., a big island, several small islands, continents, etc.). <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Your decisions may be influenced by the resources you have, such as the Viking Campaign Sourcebook. To incorporate this, use an area with a cold climate, mountains, and fjords on a sea that borders on other cultures. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Another option is to choose features based on the monsters who inhabit them, such as a jungle and vegepygmies and su-monsters. You may want hills for halflings and forests for elves. Bear in mind that you’ll have difficulty squeezing it together realistically if you choose too much that is too diverse. It is better to have too many ideas and have to scrap some than to not have enough. If you.re planning a high-fantasy campaign, your topography may be somewhat unusual (or even weird).<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_NLbk7actvks/S9hMNnglDbI/AAAAAAAAAgw/d8fAhDUKPbA/s1600/ilih.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="211" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_NLbk7actvks/S9hMNnglDbI/AAAAAAAAAgw/d8fAhDUKPbA/s320/ilih.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<o:p></o:p></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><i>Map one. At this stage, you are mapping out the generalities. This includes geographic features and which cultures inhabit what areas. You may define some areas by the campaign materials you plan to use for them, as in the areas based on the AL-QADIM® and RAVENLOFT® settings above.<o:p></o:p></i></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Next, list the various cultures and civilizations you want in your world. Keep in mind that any PC races you want need to have a homeland. If you have sourcebooks such as The Roman Empire, Kara-Tur, or the AL-QADIM® setting, you can count each of those as at least one culture. Really what you.re doing is paving the way for adventures and plots within your campaign. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">If you intend to play a “Law vs. Chaos” campaign, you might be able to get by with two vast empires and some small independent states. If you don’t want to have to detail too much, you can just have a few nations. Civil wars and other political forces could always diversify your selection later on. If you intend to do this, you may want to build cultural or religious differences into the country right from the start. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Cities are a special problem, since you have to either own one that’s predesigned, such as the LANKHMAR™ campaign, Golden Huzuz, or Waterdeep, or you must design your own. Consider that each country probably has a capital too (see Step Three). Important ruins, landmarks, and religious sites might also be added to your list. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">You should now have a pretty impressive list of geographical and political features ready to be placed on a map. This is the third task. Depending on the diversity and quantity of features you listed, this step can be easy or difficult. Likewise, if you’re designing a more fantastic world, you needn’t worry too much about the rationale of any decision. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Elves and dwarves may live together (maybe even underwater) in a fantasy world, while the more reality-oriented designers will want to separate them a bit. Keep in mind that if they’re too far apart, you won’t be able to justify their traditional racial animosity toward each other.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> A quick glance at the first map shows that there are four states based on class, four based on race, and five “sourcebook states.” Two states focus on political systems, three are centered around monstrous inhabitants, four are based on culture, and several areas are unoccupied by an established body. This arrangement is perhaps a little crowded, but so is Europe. Unlike Europe however, my states still lack borders. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Because borders are often geographical features, they require some attention at this point. As yet, we have no rivers on the map because I've saved them for this purpose. Not all states need to be separated by rivers and mountains; they might use stone markers or have borders established only by tradition. As usual, fantasy worlds might have no borders and no sovereign states, thereby avoiding these problems altogether. For adventuring purposes, however, borders and border conflicts can be great plot motivators. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b>Step Three: Then what happened? <o:p></o:p></b></div><div class="MsoNormal">At this point, we have a stage with scenery but no play. Four things remain to be done to make the production a success. The first (and easiest) is to name all the nations, cities, seas, forests, and so on. I find that taking names from the phone book or words from the dictionary and switching a letter or two is a good way to come up with names. You might also try twisting a synonym for the region, such as Arcania (from arcane) for a nation of magic users.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_NLbk7actvks/S9hMXK26uZI/AAAAAAAAAg0/IXmkGFf3g-U/s1600/nji;oihyih.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="215" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_NLbk7actvks/S9hMXK26uZI/AAAAAAAAAg0/IXmkGFf3g-U/s320/nji;oihyih.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<o:p></o:p></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><i>Map two: Here is where you give everything names and draw the borders. Whether you actually delineate borders or keep them in your head, know where your empires and kingdoms are. Places previously identified only as capitals, major cities, and game world-based areas are named.<o:p></o:p></i></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">If you’ve chosen a rather scientific approach, be sure that the names you choose correspond to whatever language you assign to an area. One interesting alternative to this might be not to label anything except where your players start (and perhaps where they’re from). As they travel through the world they can note names - which you’ve had plenty of time to think up - and draw their own map. The map would be very valuable to the party (and other less scrupulous parties) as would maps with information gathered by others. Imagine the PCs breaking into Hegel Keep just to steal a look at the Chamberlain’s map of the northeast corner of the world. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">If you chose this rather unorthodox approach, it could make your second step more complicated; namely, devising the plot(s) occurring in your world. This step is probably the most important if you want your campaign to exist in a vibrant, “living” world. Even if you chose a low-detail, high-fantasy approach, a certain amount of plot is necessary to keep the game from getting stale. If you chose a more political type of campaign, you’ll definitely want these plans well laid. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">For example, a civil war is beginning in eastern Rathuric due to some Paladins’ beliefs that not enough is being done to oppose Gnashskull. This area, known as Tarnation, has historically been the home of ‘Good’ extremists, in the ‘Lawful vs. Good, which is more important?’ debate. The leader of this uprising is one Sir Derek, assisted by his advisor, Nemur. While Derek is Neutral Good, Nemur is Chaotic Neutral and an agent of the Lord of the Dark Lands. It is the Lord’s hope that a divided Rathuric will be unable to stand against the continental war he is planning. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">I’ve decided that the civil war will be in full swing after one month of game time (from the start of the campaign). After six months, the Dark Lord will begin to mobilize his forces, and within nine months the war will be well underway. If my characters pass through Rathuric or the Dark Lands, I know what’s going on there. If they.re in another part of the world and ask a Paladin for news, he can relate the most recent news of the war. If I were more interested in details, I could have five such plots for each country and region. Instead, I have one or two for each, some related to others, all interwoven into the Dark Lord’s plans. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">The plots in each country are mostly political, but the details I.ve devised vary from economic to political to social and historic. In Grundee, I’ve focused on the military fears of the Rift and relations with the Nomads on the other side of the mountains. In Yeo, I’ve focused on the emergence of two new political and religious leaders, while the entry under “Elementia, League of” focuses on the social influence of the Elements in those countries. The only uniformity I’ve held to is defining a nation’s borders, capital and leader(s). A more detail-oriented DM might want to define the political, socioeconomic, and historical background for each country. Likewise, they might detail each capital city (which I did not do). <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">With everything named and the story in motion, the third step is to define other major actors besides the PCs. In actual game play, most kings, queens, and emperors will probably not be vital NPCs to the party, as they will be far too important to waste time regularly on even high-level adventurers. The nobles, merchants, generals, priestesses, and other characters who will be helping, healing, and harassing the PCs however, should be considered. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Some DMs prefer to play NPCs as they arise, others have entire life histories written up. Whichever extreme you choose, this is the time to plan for those encounters. Again, if you know the route your players are likely to follow, you might be able to develop NPC’s for the first few months of game time and worry about any others later on.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">The final step is detailing. Even if you.ve chosen initially not to add many details to your world, you will eventually need some. If you.ve chosen to detail your new creation heavily, you’ll quickly find that there’s no end to what you could do. For the sake of playability, there are several other subjects you should probably focus on initially. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Religions, weather, and languages tend to have a lot of impact on actual play. Folklore, customs, and etiquette can be used a lot in dealings with foreign governments. You may also choose to design your world like this sample one, where there could easily be another continent somewhere off the map to the north. (My players have yet to learn that they can cross the glacier and reach another land). <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Over the years, I’ve created four campaign worlds, and, using the aforementioned system, can now create a playable one in about three hours. Obviously, it’s not a high-detail world. For that I’d need several days. Adding details isn’t as Herculean a task as it sounds. Nothing about creating your own world is difficult if you know what you want first and take it one step at a time. You’ll find creating your own world is the most satisfying experience a DM can have.<o:p></o:p></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8350584882008454845.post-20425185827448453372010-02-23T22:49:00.000+08:002010-03-31T22:22:23.201+08:00What good is a first-level wizard, anyway?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://i718.photobucket.com/albums/ww187/mitchaskari/ddvsvdfvfv.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://i718.photobucket.com/albums/ww187/mitchaskari/ddvsvdfvfv.jpg" width="326" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b>By Lloyd Brown III May 1996<o:p></o:p></b></div><div class="MsoNormal">In the AD&D® game, no opponent is more feared than a high-level wizard. They can slay with a word, travel the planes, conjure efreet and fiends, and stop time itself. The trouble is getting there. The average novice wizard has less stamina than the town baker, no armor, and no weapon better than a tree branch. Comparatively, they are almost the equal of a kobold in combat but must amass the equivalent of 358 victories over kobolds to earn enough experience points to reach second level. How do they ever survive? <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">By their wits, of course. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">By the time a 0-level PC or NPC has cast his first magic spell and earned the right to call himself a wizard, he has learned quite a few things, but his studies have consumed much of the time he could have spent learning other things, like intensive weapons studies. First observe the things a wizard can’t do, and try to make the most of it. Then catalog the considerable things a novice mage can do, and see how they make their way in the world. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">Would-be wizards are advised to listen to the words of the Archmage Tallus, Guildmaster and Dean of the University of Candlekeep, who was a surprise speaker for the College of Magic graduating class of 1321. His experience is vast, and his intellect astounding. His anecdotes tend to involve intricate technical details, some of which go past the heads even of his peers, who have learned to nod their heads and murmur agreement rather than to ask for an explanation. For this reason, large parts of his speech are not repeated here, and notes are given and details explained for the layman.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b>Armor <o:p></o:p></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><i>“The best armor you’re going to find is a good suit of plate mail. Polish it, enchant it if you can, then put it on somebody else and keep him between you and anybody that wants to hurt you. If the armor isn’t good enough, use your spells to help out the man wearing it. If a fight goes very badly, you’re probably not strong enough to run in 50 pounds of steel, including 10 pounds on your head that limits your sight to a 30 degree arc. A shield spell costs nothing, protects you from magic missiles, doesn’t inhibit your vision, and never slows you down. There. I think my opinion of armor is clear.” <o:p></o:p></i></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">A wizard cannot wear armor. The restrictions are pretty clear here, and any attempt to fiddle with this rule will most likely lead to abuse. For characters in arctic weather conditions, some DM’s may allow heavy clothing to count for AC 9 or even AC 8, but it will almost certainly apply movement or Dexterity penalties as well, probably resulting in a net loss to the PC. Whenever possible, a mage should hide around corners, snipe from a prone position, kneel behind a low wall, or use natural cover to deflect missile attacks and enemy spells. The best way to compensate for not being able to wear armor is to support the fighters between the novice wizard and the enemy. An enlarge spell does this well. (See the cantrip ideas listed below for elaborations on this tactic.) <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">The only advantage here is that the wizard is virtually guaranteed first selection of any magical protections that the party may come across. Magically protective rings, bracers, cloaks, etc. are almost always given first to wizards. These items weigh little and most provide saving throw bonuses as well as Armor Class bonuses.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b>Weapons and combat tactics <o:p></o:p></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><i>“Whenever possible, stay away from the enemy. This may sound like telling you to stay out of the blast radius of a fireball, but you’d be surprised how many graduates perish trying to be brave. If you can attack by dart, by spell, or better yet, by someone else, then by all means do it! Just because you don’t attack by sword or spear doesn’t mean that you don’t contribute to the fight. Far from it.” <o:p></o:p></i></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">According to the Player’s Handbook, the mage is allowed to choose from five weapons: dagger, dart, knife, staff, and sling. Five weapons makes for poor versatility. Receiving only one proficiency at 1st level makes the decision a tough one. One possibility for improvement is to take a kit that allows the use of different weapons. Ask the DM if the weapons allowed to wu jen, either from the old Oriental Adventures book or The Complete Wizard’s Handbook, are allowed. Barbarian mages may also be allowed different tribal weapons. While this may offer variety, few of these weapons are really an improvement over those already available to mages. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">Another option is to petition the DM to allow some other weapons. The choices are restricted to weapons that require little strength or skill. A club hardly requires a great deal of skill, although some degree of strength is required. A net should probably be allowed to wizards, especially if the player is willing to take the fishing non-weapon proficiency in order to justify knowledge of how to use it. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">Even choosing among the basic weapons is tricky. Each offers a distinct advantage. First, consider the melee weapons. The staff is a likely choice: it inflicts the most damage of any of the wizard’s weapons and costs the least. A good bargain. If lost, a staff is easily replaced. It is also likely to be found in magical form. If the DM allows for it, a fine quality or exceptional quality staff able to provide non-magical attack or damage bonuses could be commissioned at low cost — if a weapon maker skilled at constructing staves can be found. For that matter, a better quality weapon of any sort allowed by a wizard should not be too expensive. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">A knife or dagger can be used either as a melee or missile weapon. Although it causes less damage than a staff, a dagger, too, is frequently found in magical form. Knives and daggers have the benefit of being easily concealed. Several should be carried and at least one kept handy in case the character is caught in a net or in close quarters. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">Both the dart and the sling are effective missile weapons. The sling is cheap, highly concealable, inflicts good damage if bullets are used, has virtually limitless backup ammunition in the form of stones, and has excellent range. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">Darts, however, are the weapon of choice in close combat. Despite their seemingly puny damage, their high rate of fire means both higher total damage than the sling and multiple target capability. Also, if a wizard’s attack or damage capability is magically enhanced in any way, the higher rate of fire capitalizes on that improvement. Improving damage by +1 means only one more point of damage each round with a sling, but potentially three more points of damage with the darts. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">Of course, nobody ever said that since a wizard can be proficient with one weapon that he can’t carry others. Hard-pressed fighters, acrobatic thieves, and clumsy clerics can all lose weapons sometimes. If a wizard is handy to toss a club or dagger to the newly-unarmed comrade, his companion may not have to face the enemy empty-handed. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">These aren’t all the weapons allowed by wizards. This survey exhausts the list in the Player’s Handbook text on mages, but there are others available for the resourceful. Greek fire, holy water, vials of acid, torches, nets, marbles (detailed in The Complete Thief’s Handbook) and other “equipment” can all be used to harm or hamper the enemy. Wizards should stock up on these items whenever they can afford them. None of them weigh much, and most can be used to affect undead and certain other nasties that can’t be hit by nonmagical weapons. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">There is still more a wizard can attack with. Some animals have natural attacks more effective than a wizard’s dagger or staff. Even a beginning mage can probably afford a trained war or hunting dog. Sturdy (1+1 to 2 HD), fast (MV 12), keen of sense (difficult to surprise), and intelligent, a dog makes a loyal companion. If treated well, he can be a loyal companion for years. A couple of animals can even be bred, and pups trained, especially if the character is skilled in these areas. Characters who buy dogs solely for cannon fodder are warned: even these domestic beasts have their protective deities. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">All of these tactics can be applied by any member of the party. What makes the wizard unique is that each day he can choose a different selection of spells with which to arm himself. When considering which spells he can use to harm the enemy, two things should be remembered. The first is that enemies are often allowed a saving throw or magic resistance check to reduce or avoid damage. Allies don’t or won’t resist these spells. The second is that indirect attacks can usually be directed against more than one enemy. Consider an enlarge spell, a common first-level alteration. Burning hands could be used to attack one enemy, if he is within 3’ (something most sensible mages avoid). An enlarged fighter, even if his damage potential is improved only by one point, can do more damage before the spell’s expiration, can attack different targets, and gains other benefits as well (greater reach, overbearing benefits, etc.). Spells like enlarge work well on animal companions also. In general, spells that enhance the party’s ability to inflict damage are better than those that attempt directly to damage the enemy. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">Freedom from front-line combat also puts the wizard in an excellent position for a hands-off leadership role. The wizard can direct the combat and throw his strength where it is needed, acting as a tactical reserve, or he can give commands, serving the party as a combat coordinator. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b>Starting money <o:p></o:p></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><i>“So you’ve spent all of your money on books, tuition, and material components. Big deal. What else do you need? You have it all, right there in your hands! Your spellbook and what you put in it are your keys to success. You’re the smartest men and women in this city. Use those brains. Money is the least of your worries. Trust me.” <o:p></o:p></i></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">Looking at the starting money for the different character groups, it seems that the wizard has the least of the four groups. Instead of looking at starting money, compare what is left over after the necessities are purchased. They actually have the most spending money left over after purchasing weapons and armor. Priests must have a holy symbol, thieves must have lockpicks if they wish to use those abilities that require them, and good weapons and armor for warriors are not cheap. Wizards begin play with a free spellbook, cannot wear armor, and their most expensive weapon costs 2 gp. That leaves quite a bit left over for other things, like the grenade-like missiles or animals mentioned earlier. This money can even be loaned to other characters who come up a little short when buying expensive weapons or armor. Mages who lend money to these characters are virtually guaranteed a little extra protection in battle. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">If a character feels the need for more money, the wizard is in an excellent position to earn more. This is a case where a player must become aggressive with the game and not wait for the DM to drop the next adventure in his lap. Certain spells have great commercial value, even those available to beginning mages. Detect magic, erase, read magic, comprehend languages, and identify all have obvious uses and are sometimes commissioned by those without these abilities. If a mage lets it be known that he is willing to perform these services for money, customers may seek him out. Some other spells have applications to a more select market, mostly shady or questionable. The thieves guild can be a good customer for these spells. Armor, for example, gives a thief the benefits of an Armor Class better than he can achieve by wearing the armor types allowed for thieves, and it still gives him ability benefits of not wearing armor. A thief fearing violence would be wise to have this spell cast on him. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">On the other side of the law, wizard mark can be used to identify property in case it is stolen. Revealing an invisible wizard mark can spell doom for a would-be thief who claims a stolen item belongs to him. Rich merchants or nobles might wish to have their valuables protected in this way. The same rich merchants would pay a bundle to have mending cast on an antique vase worth over 3,000 gp that had been knocked over by a careless servant. The servant himself might even bring the vase to the caster, hoping to fix the damage before his master came home and noticed it. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">It is common procedure to ask that the purchaser provide his own material components, which the spell-caster always overstates, as part of his “markup.” This can provide the caster with valuable material components for spells that he could not normally afford to cast, like the aforementioned wizard mark. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">If a wizard character is ever really, really in great need of cash, all wizards are assumed to begin with a spellbook. A blank spellbook has 100 pages, valued at 100 gp per page — a 10,000 gp asset! Hocking your only spellbook, buying piles of armor, weapons, and good quality equipment for the party, hoping for a successful adventure before the due date on the pawn, than buying back that spellbook, is about as risky as chancing a game of chess on a queen sacrifice — but what a story if you pull it off! <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b>Spellcasting between adventures <o:p></o:p></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><i>“Any mage who waits for a written invitation before casting a spell ought to be drawn and quartered. lf you have the ability to protect yourself or your friends, do it in the safety and privacy of your home. Waiting until you see the whites of their eyes may be fine for attack, but it’s suicide for a defensive position.” <o:p></o:p></i></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">Spellcasting should not be limited to active adventuring periods. Some spells, like armor, mentioned above, have no set expiration time. If this spell is known, it should be cast on the wizard, his pets or familiar, the party thief, and any priests who are not allowed to wear heavy armor. Between adventures is the time the character casts a detect magic spell, item by item, on all of those potential magical things picked up in the last adventure and then casts identify on those that turn up positive. Spells that are commonly cast for others for money can be cast for the wizard and his party, as well. Scrolls can be read, broken weapons can be mended, and valuable property wizard marked. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">Finally, new spells can be chosen. A wise spellcaster remembers which spells went unused, which were useful only in certain situations, and which were enormously successful. This critical feedback at low levels makes all the difference when a wide selection of spells is available at higher levels. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b>Spell selection <o:p></o:p></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><i>“So now you have the things you think you’ll need. You are loaded down with spellbook, food, water, volatile compounds, incendiary missiles, pungent material components, daggers, darts, and a staff. You have it all, right? <o:p></o:p></i></div><div class="MsoNormal"><i>“Wrong. What spells are you going to use? Figure you’ll just make that part up as you go, huh? Bad idea. Right now is the time for you to decide what spells are the most important, because you don’t have much choice. If you take one spell and never use it, you’re worse than useless — you’re in the way. Don’t wait until you see your enemies before you cast a spell. Good spellcasting may mean you never have to meet the enemy. The only combat you’re guaranteed not to get killed in is the one you don’t fight.” <o:p></o:p></i></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">When a caster has only one or just a few spells, selection is vital. Between gaming periods, as mentioned earlier, the spells memorized are not important, unless the DM likes to spring adventures on you without warning. When a set goal is known, and the party has time to pack up before leaving the safety of the inn or boarding house, spells should be chosen with care. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">Most 1st-level attack spells cause damage less than or equal to a single sword thrust. Choosing these attack spells (magic missile, shocking grasp, burning hands) means that the wizard has one attack in which he is as effective as a fighter for a single round. Shocking grasp and burning hands especially require the caster to get uncomfortably close to his opponent. Given the choice, these should be avoided.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">If a player wishes to choose an attack spell, consider color spray, sleep, or charm person (to attack with an intermediary). These all have advantages: color spray and sleep both affect multiple targets with no saving throw, and charm person can have an extraordinary duration. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">All things considered, the beginning mage is best suited to let the rest of the party attack. Looking at the numbers, an orc armed with a spear or short sword is likely to kill a 1st-level wizard with average hit points and AC 10 after only two rounds of combat. For this reason, defensive spells should take priority over attack spells. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">Good defensive spells include armor, as already discussed, shield (which provides a good Armor Class plus total immunity to magic missiles), and protection from evil (which can provide complete protection against certain monsters). The latter two, while providing good protection, have a duration limiting their usefulness to one battle or fraction of a battle. Other defensive spells are either too specific (like gaze reflection) or less effective than the normal, nonmagical way of doing things (hold portal). Wall of fog provides adequate cover for the entire party to make a retreat, or confound an enemy, giving time to prepare an ambush or light Greek fire, heal wounded, or some other action. Feather fall, in addition to its conventional usage, can save a single party member from a single missile attack that might hit. Once. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">The problem with these spells is their limited duration. If the enemy also beats a hasty retreat from the wall of fog, or waits until the protection from evil is expired, the spell allowed for only a momentary respite from battle. This may be useful, but the caster now has no spell to cast to save the party again. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">The only 1st-level spell that circumvents this one-shot usage hindrance is cantrip. With a duration of one hour per level, it can affect multiple combats and the important non-combat situations in between. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b>Using the cantrip <o:p></o:p></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><i>“Let me tell you about my first adventure. I don’t recall exactly what we were there for, but that old wooden hill fort stands out clearly in my mind. I had chosen cantrip for my only spell, and my companions thought I was crazy. When the goblins started pouring out of their little trapdoors, I heard, ‘Put ‘em to sleep!’, ‘Charm one!’, ‘Magic missile the leader!’ Well, I couldn’t do any of that, so they formed an arc, backed me into a corner, and told me to stay alive so they could kill me themselves later. <o:p></o:p></i></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><i>“Xavier, our war-priest, stood in front of me, waving a huge axe. Attacking those little vermin made him look like a giant slug on a cold day. I used a quickblade¹ to help him out a little. I alternated that with the opposite, leadblade2, on the goblins he was fighting. One of the squirmy little monsters snuck in under his legs and tried to attack me. I turned my hands black — so they looked leprous — with a blackhands³ and reached out to touch him. He backed up enough to run into Xavier’s backswing. After that, their slingers started targeting me. I used an evocation, minor shield4, to deflect their arrows as much as possible. <o:p></o:p></i></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><i>“Then I noticed a dark elf standing in their midst, directing their attack. Standing on his shoulder was a beady-eyed little rat. A familiar: perfect target for a cantrip. Sure enough, the rat jumped off and started running around, squeaking here and scurrying there. I put a minor slow5 on him when he got close and told Shadow, our thief, to go get him. Holding him hostage, we made the dark elf pull back his goblins and made our escape, were able to convince the regular army to make it a military operation and wiped the goblins out. I’ve memorized at least one cantrip ever since.” <o:p></o:p></i></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">Before discussing the myriad applications of the cantrip, the exact limits of the spell need to be defined further than in the Player’s Handbook. The rules governing cantrips say that “they are completely unable to cause a loss of hit points.” This rule is pretty clear and needs little elaboration. The DM must decide, however, whether he will allow for adding to hit points lost by other means. The cantrip “cannot affect the concentration of spellcasters.” This also is clear, but it must be noted that concentration need not be affected to effectively ruin a spell. Many spells are sight targeted, and impeding the caster’s vision may make using the spell impossible, even if it is successfully cast. The cantrip “can only create small, obviously magical materials.” How big is small? One pound per level of the caster, up to 10 Ibs., is not unreasonable. As for volume, small should fit in the caster’s hand. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">The last restriction, that a cantrip “lacks the power to duplicate any other spell’s effects” needs the most clarification. Read strictly, a phantasmal force can create any visual illusion, so a cantrip cannot. A ventriloquism or audible glamor can create an auditory illusion, so a cantrip cannot. An unseen servant can move things, so a cantrip cannot. A Iight can create illumination, etc. A more appropriate reading is that the cantrip cannot duplicate the exact extent of another spell. Illusions must be a limited to certain size (10 square feet, for example) and will fool only the stupidest observers, as they will be semi-transparent and wavering, at best. Sound volume should be limited to a human voice at conversational levels, ability to move objects should be equal to a Strength score of 3, and light should be no more than the output of a single candle. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">As they are introduced, DM’s should make other decisions about cantrip applications. Some are very strong for one-shot uses, and should be restricted to one use per casting. Others should be allowed to maintain as long as the caster concentrates. Some other restrictions: no more than one application at a time can be maintained. Beginning a new one cancels the previous application. Effect on chances to succeed at any feat should never be more than 5% or +1. Defensive applications should never reduce damage by more than one hit point. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b>Magic item use <o:p></o:p></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><i>“In the desert, they have a saying: ‘the best place to keep your water is in yourself.’ In other words, don’t save it. Use it. lf any of you graduates dies with spells uncast, I’ll personally raise you and beat you for it. That goes double for unused magic items that your non-spellcasting companions can’t use.” <o:p></o:p></i></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">Wizards have the greatest number of magic items available to them. Even at 1st level, a wizard can use nearly any of these items. Any charged or one-shot magical items found should be used in an appropriate situation, without considering saving it for later. The only exception is if you know in advance that the party must face an enemy that cannot be harmed by any other means you currently possess. Again, this rule itself is invalid if it looks like you’re going to die before you get there. If you’re saving the scroll of Melf’s minute meteors for use against a gargoyle (which can be hurt only by magical items or magic spells), but it looks like the ogre you can’t avoid now will wipe you out, there is no sense saving the scroll. This applies to all wands, staves, scrolls, potions, certain charged rings, and non-permanent miscellaneous items.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_KezhQ6waZT0/S4Prk3E7uII/AAAAAAAAV2k/05p36S7vAHI/s1600-h/1sttyu.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_KezhQ6waZT0/S4Prk3E7uII/AAAAAAAAV2k/05p36S7vAHI/s320/1sttyu.jpg" /></a></div><o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><i>“I’m sure you’re itching to start spell-casting and get to trying all these ideas, so I’ll let you get on with your ceremony after one more word of advice. Well, praise, maybe. You’ve made a wise choice to become a wizard. None of your companions has the potential that you do. When you get older, you’ll be a major power in the world. Until then, be careful, and good luck!”<o:p></o:p></i></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8350584882008454845.post-18458374788803076442010-02-12T15:13:00.001+08:002010-04-26T21:34:08.554+08:00Viking Code of Conduct<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_NLbk7actvks/S9WWSnXXwQI/AAAAAAAAARw/DzznaNTtHLY/s1600/vjkirer.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_NLbk7actvks/S9WWSnXXwQI/AAAAAAAAARw/DzznaNTtHLY/s320/vjkirer.jpg" /></a></div><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Vikings have their proper code of conduct that, at many times, is considered more important than their proper laws. Frequently, a Viking can be pardoned or have his penalty commuted to banishment, if his reasons are honored. A man who demonstrates to have a deficient personality, though, will be marked through his whole life. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">This code is basically defined by four main virtues: honesty, hospitality, courage and loyalty. Besides those, Vikings also admire cunning and luck. Although cunning is more of a vice than a virtue, the way it’s used or the results obtained from it wind up bringing reputation to the man who uses it. The true Viking hero has all these characteristics in abundance, besides being a deadly warrior, a sly poet, an enthusiast of partying and drinking and, sometimes, a deep connoisseur of magic. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b>Honesty:</b> The word of a Viking, given in oath, contains the supreme truth. Once the word of a Viking is given it will be kept at any cost, even one’s own life. An oathbreaker has no friends. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">However, in everyday life, some situations allow an oath to be broken. In the case of an oath demanded with cruel intentions or to bring harm to the one who gave his word, breaking the oath is allowed. However, if the man who gave his word insists in fulfilling the oath, it won’t be his honor to be affected, but the deceiver’s. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Another frequent case of allowed breaking of an oath happens when the word was given to a foreign enemy or to a Viking of an opposed clan. This is especially accepted when done through satire, cunning or, mainly, a heroic act. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b>Hospitality:</b> For a Viking traveler it’s important to know that, in friendly territory, he’ll always have food, shelter and protection. Thus every good man has the obligation to treat a guest in the best way possible and to wait nothing else in response. The most popular satirical verse between Vikings tells about a stingy host. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b>Courage:</b> It seems redundant to talk about Viking courage, mainly in battle. However it’s important not to mistake it for self-denial or disdain to one’s own life. A Viking values his own life and will not endanger himself for a cause that he knows to be lost. The unnecessary death is the death of a fool, but the death of a hero is the one that makes the difference. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">An important aspect of courage is determination – the powerful desire to see something happen, no matter what is in the way. Once a Viking hero decides a course of action, nothing withholds him. To take a decision is to give his word to himself. A man without decision is not honest to himself and has no honor. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b>Loyalty:</b> Loyalty commands the relation that exists between the individual and his group. The loyalty of a man belongs to his family, his jarl and his king (or althing), in this order. This order of priority can be modified by an oath of personal loyalty - for example, a huskalar will swear loyalty to his jarl, whose command will become his main priority. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">The duty of a follower is to do anything that his jarl commands him to (this includes dying) and to place the interests of his jarl above everything else. The Jarl, from his part, is duty-bound to his followers and, in many cases, this is a more difficult role. He must behave in a good manner and be a just leader if he means to have men following him. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b>Cunning:</b> This is the most curious rule of behavior. Using artifices that deceive an opponent is much appreciated, as they demonstrate the intelligence, wit and malice of the Viking people. However, this type of trick must be applied only against those opponents who prove undeserving of respect. The line between cunning and cowardice or disloyalty is narrow and not quite defined, and the reputation for cunning can be changed into notoriety for lie, deception and cowardice. To be smart is a risky move. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b>Luck:</b> Without luck a man can be honest, hospitable, courageous, loyal and smart, without ever obtaining anything, and without earning reputation or fame. A man can be born rich and lose everything, but a man born with luck never goes hungry. Heroes who have luck are good men to follow.</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8350584882008454845.post-55525898586777934392010-02-12T15:11:00.001+08:002010-04-26T21:35:30.013+08:00Age of Blood – Miniatures Wargame<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_NLbk7actvks/S9WWmxJKZAI/AAAAAAAAAR4/-WMGXfFnx44/s1600/fiweregf.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_NLbk7actvks/S9WWmxJKZAI/AAAAAAAAAR4/-WMGXfFnx44/s320/fiweregf.jpg" /></a></div><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Working on Age of Blood has been a long journey but one far from arduous. The first set of rules was released on Wargames Journal almost two years ago now and this new edition has been something that I’ve wanted to complete for some time. What started as a simple revision of the original rules quickly grew into a major overhaul as I tried to add every conceivable thing I could think of to make the game more fun to play, in both the battle and campaign rules. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">One of the reasons for originally writing the game was because I wanted to play skirmish games in which heroes can be truly heroic and battles can be fast and unpredictable affairs - where you can never really know what might happen next. Being able to customise heroes and watch them progress and develop satisfyingly was something I’ve worked very hard to get right. Not only in allowing heroes to gain injuries, improve characteristics and gain special abilities, but also in a way that does not make them invincible. Even the hardest hero possible in these rules can still be defeated, and not just by similarly tough heroes. Even unarmoured peasants can be dangerous if there are enough of them. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">The campaign system in these rules is somewhat of a resource management game in itself. Different commodities (loot) can be acquired (stolen) and then traded (fenced) in different locations around Europe for varying amounts of profit. One of the keys to a successful warband is shrewd trading. Knowing what to sell where to sell it can be the difference in scraping by and making a fortune. Not everyone will want to try their hand at the campaign elements of the game and that’s fine - the rules can still be played as a typical skirmish wargame, either a purely historical or quasi-fantasy one. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">The game, though very detailed, is simple in its mechanics and easy to pick up, but with its many layers of depth one that’s difficult to master – at least that’s the intent. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Tom Hinshelwood, July 2005 email: tom@rebelpublishing.net<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.wargamesjournal.com/#/resources/4527946518">RULES DOWNLOAD </a></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8350584882008454845.post-27251543196743883662010-02-12T15:07:00.002+08:002010-04-26T21:38:32.435+08:00Shadow of the King (Pendragon's Banner Trilogy) (Paperback)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_NLbk7actvks/S9WW9XP8h6I/AAAAAAAAASA/x7I0FfriBVA/s1600/419WpN29AqL._SS500_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_NLbk7actvks/S9WW9XP8h6I/AAAAAAAAASA/x7I0FfriBVA/s320/419WpN29AqL._SS500_.jpg" /></a></div><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">by Helen Hollick (Author)</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b>Synopsis</b><br />
Arthur is dead. His widow, Gwenhwyfar, left at Caer Cadan with their small daughter, faces overthrow by the powerful council headed by Arthur's uncle. But, unknown to her, events in France and Germany mean that a far mightier battle lies ahead. This is the third volume in the "Pendragon's Banner" trilogy.<br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">By far the best version of the Arthur legend I have read so far - and I've read a few!<br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Helen Hollick combines fact with fiction to create a very real and credible Arthur. Her trilogy is packed with suspense, passion and pathos and is totally addictive! I defy anyone who does not fall in love with at least one of her beautifully developed and fully rounded characters, be it with her headstrong Gwenhwyfar or with her rugged Arthur.<br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Unlike most contemporary Arthurian novels, Helen omits the characters of Lancelot and Merlin, and rationalises the magical elements of the legend, one would think to the disappointment of the reader. Without a shadow of a doubt, however poor Merlin and Lancelot were not missed by me in the slightest, despite my being a lover of all these magical and romantic elements in previous novels.<br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">'The Kingmaking', 'Pendragon's Banner' and 'Shadow Of The King' are all absolute 'musts' for anyone who enjoys a damn good read, and the sooner a film maker puts them on the big screen, the better! </div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0