Most Frequently rolled number on a D20
I can't possibly remember every single roll. Though it seems to me I remember a lot of 11s and 16s. Everyone remembers the clutch 20, or the ill times 1. Not many will remember the 15 that you squeaked by with to pick that lock. Or the 12 that saved you from that poison. Then there was 9 that just missed and got your Thief barbequed by the Fire Giant King. Hmmm... There was the 17 that missed that Gnoll, and got Grunch my Half-Ogre Barbarian skewered in the tunnel. (But HEY! There were six of them, I got 4)
Ask yourself just how many of the 20's you've rolled, you actually remember.... Sometimes it's the 20's and sometimes it's the "squeaker", that 14 that eviscerates the Aboleth you made while hanging upside down, underwater, in Half-Ogre sized Mountain Plate, with a non-magic Fullblade. (Keep in mind it was 3.5)
This is going to be a short post. Only because nobody really remembers the number. They remember the feat achieved more.
Happy Gaming!
Monday, February 29, 2016
Sunday, February 28, 2016
30 Day D&D challenge. Day 28
PCs you've sworn off playing.
Not only have I sworn off playing them, I don't allow them in my games. Monks. I have never understood the aesthetic decision of inclusion the "Kwai Chang Caine" far eastern character class in a European medieval fantasy setting. That's what Oriental Adventures was for.
If you were going to include Monks, why not make them a new magic using class? Why not a blend of Arcane and Divine magic? Why not make it a holy warrior class with different powers from a Paladin? There was an article or addition somewhere that added the Cloistered Cleric. That should have been the Monk class.
I came up with a Sword Disciple for 3.5 as a replacement for the Monk. Think of Jedi or Sith, only with normal swords, or some form of captured or magic blade.Actually, now that I think some more about it I'll write that up for 1st edition. Give them some of the Thief's skills along with those of the Thief Acrobat. Toss in a dash of psionic body control as a class power with a high Wisdom requirement. Maybe some other flavor benefits like followers or a temple or something like that.
Maybe a new magic using class like an astrologist or seer. There is the possibility of the ability to construct an observatory, with long rituals instead of spells. Longer lasting effects. Yeah, I could see an arcane divination class, non-adventuring like the Cloistered Cleric. This will give me a chance to write some new spells, come up with some new class powers or benefits. I'll do some brain storming and post it later. Maybe I'll post both of them. Anybody wanna see 'em? You'll have to let me know if you do.
Happy gaming!
Not only have I sworn off playing them, I don't allow them in my games. Monks. I have never understood the aesthetic decision of inclusion the "Kwai Chang Caine" far eastern character class in a European medieval fantasy setting. That's what Oriental Adventures was for.
If you were going to include Monks, why not make them a new magic using class? Why not a blend of Arcane and Divine magic? Why not make it a holy warrior class with different powers from a Paladin? There was an article or addition somewhere that added the Cloistered Cleric. That should have been the Monk class.
I came up with a Sword Disciple for 3.5 as a replacement for the Monk. Think of Jedi or Sith, only with normal swords, or some form of captured or magic blade.Actually, now that I think some more about it I'll write that up for 1st edition. Give them some of the Thief's skills along with those of the Thief Acrobat. Toss in a dash of psionic body control as a class power with a high Wisdom requirement. Maybe some other flavor benefits like followers or a temple or something like that.
Maybe a new magic using class like an astrologist or seer. There is the possibility of the ability to construct an observatory, with long rituals instead of spells. Longer lasting effects. Yeah, I could see an arcane divination class, non-adventuring like the Cloistered Cleric. This will give me a chance to write some new spells, come up with some new class powers or benefits. I'll do some brain storming and post it later. Maybe I'll post both of them. Anybody wanna see 'em? You'll have to let me know if you do.
Happy gaming!
Saturday, February 27, 2016
30 Day D&D challenge. Day 27
Favorite curse or cursed item
Cursed Item is easy. Helm of Opposite Alignment. In the dungeon cells of The Keep on the Borderlands there is an insane paladin screaming at the walls. The story goes like this. I was running some friends thru Keep on the Borderlands, at one point I roll up the Helm as random treasure. I didn't even have to ask, the Paladin just said "I put on the helm"... ... ... :-} I've never been so proud. When players just go for the gusto I just get all teary eyed. These were the days when players really weren't concerned with whether their characters lived or died, we just enjoyed playing. Anyway, the Paladin put on the helmet, I had to think how a human mind would react to such a sudden shift in philosophy. He had an Intelligence of 11 so I decided that if he rolled his Int or over, he would just be evil, and if rolled lower then an 11 he would go insane. He rolled a 9. To his credit, it took all the remaining members of the party to subdue him.
Favorite Curse is another story all together. I have to go with "The well placed fumble" curse. You know how it is, you working your way thru a dungeon, nothing so far has managed to put up much of a fight. Ya get a little cocky, go for a called shot, and your die betrays you. It gets to be even more memorable when the character you're playing dies because of it. I had a Warlock in a 3.5 game, had Phantasmal Killer cast on him, blew a 1 on the save. The Cleric felt fantastic, she was over the moon. The warlock was still dead. That was a fun game though. I was running game, when the Gnome Fighter blew a Dex save on a 1 and got cut in half by the collapsing bridge/cage trap.
I think my favorite curse of all time has got to be "The Gumby Ninja Kobold" Commonly referred to as Lil Bastard by the afflicted parties. If your party isn't moving fast enough, or if you're just feeling particularly mean add a whispered giggle to the background noises of the dungeon. Then have the little shit start leading all the wandering monsters from all over the dungeon to the party. Hilarity ensues... Not something I've ever used. Nor would I ever.
I've had my share moments of karmic revenge. Those were just a few of the many. take it as you will.
Happy Gaming!
Cursed Item is easy. Helm of Opposite Alignment. In the dungeon cells of The Keep on the Borderlands there is an insane paladin screaming at the walls. The story goes like this. I was running some friends thru Keep on the Borderlands, at one point I roll up the Helm as random treasure. I didn't even have to ask, the Paladin just said "I put on the helm"... ... ... :-} I've never been so proud. When players just go for the gusto I just get all teary eyed. These were the days when players really weren't concerned with whether their characters lived or died, we just enjoyed playing. Anyway, the Paladin put on the helmet, I had to think how a human mind would react to such a sudden shift in philosophy. He had an Intelligence of 11 so I decided that if he rolled his Int or over, he would just be evil, and if rolled lower then an 11 he would go insane. He rolled a 9. To his credit, it took all the remaining members of the party to subdue him.
Favorite Curse is another story all together. I have to go with "The well placed fumble" curse. You know how it is, you working your way thru a dungeon, nothing so far has managed to put up much of a fight. Ya get a little cocky, go for a called shot, and your die betrays you. It gets to be even more memorable when the character you're playing dies because of it. I had a Warlock in a 3.5 game, had Phantasmal Killer cast on him, blew a 1 on the save. The Cleric felt fantastic, she was over the moon. The warlock was still dead. That was a fun game though. I was running game, when the Gnome Fighter blew a Dex save on a 1 and got cut in half by the collapsing bridge/cage trap.
I think my favorite curse of all time has got to be "The Gumby Ninja Kobold" Commonly referred to as Lil Bastard by the afflicted parties. If your party isn't moving fast enough, or if you're just feeling particularly mean add a whispered giggle to the background noises of the dungeon. Then have the little shit start leading all the wandering monsters from all over the dungeon to the party. Hilarity ensues... Not something I've ever used. Nor would I ever.
I've had my share moments of karmic revenge. Those were just a few of the many. take it as you will.
Happy Gaming!
30 Day D&D challenge. Day 26
Favorite Mundane item
Caltrops, 10 foot pole, flock of chickens... Folks, I'm going to honest with you. I got nuthin! Nada, Zip, Zilch, Zippo, Goose egg, Bupkis. Everything I could think of has probably been done to undeath. I can't wistfully tell you about olden times where we would use an iron spike to defeat a Tarrasque. But I don't have anything like that.
All the items in the PHB and subsequent additions and addendums just manage to progress into magic item territory. Sunrods? Seriously? I really wanted to be there for that conversation. IT'S A FUCKIN FLASHLIGHT! Did somebody object to torches on environmental basis? Did somebody's DM get way too realistic? Why?
Not sure what I'm supposed to talk about, so this is going to be a short post.
Happy Gaming Anyway!
Caltrops, 10 foot pole, flock of chickens... Folks, I'm going to honest with you. I got nuthin! Nada, Zip, Zilch, Zippo, Goose egg, Bupkis. Everything I could think of has probably been done to undeath. I can't wistfully tell you about olden times where we would use an iron spike to defeat a Tarrasque. But I don't have anything like that.
All the items in the PHB and subsequent additions and addendums just manage to progress into magic item territory. Sunrods? Seriously? I really wanted to be there for that conversation. IT'S A FUCKIN FLASHLIGHT! Did somebody object to torches on environmental basis? Did somebody's DM get way too realistic? Why?
Not sure what I'm supposed to talk about, so this is going to be a short post.
Happy Gaming Anyway!
Thursday, February 25, 2016
30 Day D&D challenge. Day 25
Favorite Magic Item
Of all the listings, in all the DMGs printed thus far. My favorite magic item isn't listed. It's become too formulaic over the past few addition. Not sure that was the best of decisions to take something that is supposed to be mystical, fantastic, and rare. And boil it down so you can tailor a magic item to suit a character.
Way back in olden times.... Mainly the 80's. We played between 3 and 5 games of AD&D per week. Sometimes it was after school for a couple of hours. Sometimes it was a weekend marathons. Throughout all these games, we would play the same characters. Since there wasn't the interest in the hobby back then, the player/DM pool was an order of magnitude smaller. We could play the same characters across multiple DMs and modules because you were there when the Fighter got a magic sword.
We weren't encouraged to leave magic items tailored to help the PCs defeat the big bad at the end. We rolled randomly. Also, the DM didn't just up and tell you what the bonuses were, even if you had a Magic-User that would cast Identify in the party the spell tells the DM not to give specifics. Was that magic helm you just found a Helm of Lordly Might, or a Helm of Opposite Alignment? Hey! Let's play magic item roulette!
What this all means is that my Favorite Magic item is the mystery attached when you don't know whether that bag you got will hold the contents of the royal treasury or if it might eat you. It sometimes took us months to guess what properties a sword or a small statuette were. Don't even get me started on the Potion Miscibility table. That was probably the most fun you can have with your armor on. Will the Thief turn blue for a week, or just keel over and die? Ah, those were the days...
So there you have it. Another reminiscence of times past. I hope you enjoyed it.
Happy Gaming!
Of all the listings, in all the DMGs printed thus far. My favorite magic item isn't listed. It's become too formulaic over the past few addition. Not sure that was the best of decisions to take something that is supposed to be mystical, fantastic, and rare. And boil it down so you can tailor a magic item to suit a character.
Way back in olden times.... Mainly the 80's. We played between 3 and 5 games of AD&D per week. Sometimes it was after school for a couple of hours. Sometimes it was a weekend marathons. Throughout all these games, we would play the same characters. Since there wasn't the interest in the hobby back then, the player/DM pool was an order of magnitude smaller. We could play the same characters across multiple DMs and modules because you were there when the Fighter got a magic sword.
We weren't encouraged to leave magic items tailored to help the PCs defeat the big bad at the end. We rolled randomly. Also, the DM didn't just up and tell you what the bonuses were, even if you had a Magic-User that would cast Identify in the party the spell tells the DM not to give specifics. Was that magic helm you just found a Helm of Lordly Might, or a Helm of Opposite Alignment? Hey! Let's play magic item roulette!
What this all means is that my Favorite Magic item is the mystery attached when you don't know whether that bag you got will hold the contents of the royal treasury or if it might eat you. It sometimes took us months to guess what properties a sword or a small statuette were. Don't even get me started on the Potion Miscibility table. That was probably the most fun you can have with your armor on. Will the Thief turn blue for a week, or just keel over and die? Ah, those were the days...
So there you have it. Another reminiscence of times past. I hope you enjoyed it.
Happy Gaming!
Wednesday, February 24, 2016
30 Day D&D challenge. Day 24
Favorite Spell
When I was playing regularly, I was a tad dark. I tried on several occasions to walk the knife edge between good and evil. I tried several times to play True Necromancers, alas to no avail. Never could get all the requirements met. Just didn't have time. The games either ended or faded before I could get my characters to a respectable level.
Hexus. He was my 10th level Wizard, specialized in Necromancy, D&D 3.5 rules. Right about the time I hit 9th level, The Book of Vile Darkness came out. Due to my anal-completest tendencies at the time, I owned it fairly quickly. A cursory scan and I got a really dark vibe from it. So I decided to lean towards the socially unacceptable behavior called Evil. What had originally caught my eye was a spell, Crushing Fist of Spite. Unholy Crap! An attack spell that did 20D6 damage. And manifests as a Ginormous Fist! What's not to like? The imagery is fantastic. Massive Damage potential, and with the feats available... A Cold Acid Crushing Fist of Spite, yadadada... etc. etc. I don't speak Munchkin anymore.
Crushing Fist of Spite was a nasty spell. But I wanted to make sure I inflicted emotional damage on the object of my ire. So what I gravitated towards was the spell Wrack. I got to use it exactly twice in that game. First was when two parties met. We were replacement characters for those who had died earlier. And the way the DM portrayed it, was in a darkened passage, and we didn't know the intensions of the two parties. So when we got within visual distance, I didn't quite trust that the creatures on the other side of the wall were friendly. So I zapped the first thing to poke it's head around the corner. Turned out it was a friend of mine, playing a rogue. Stuby* poked his head around the corner and I zapped him. It was satisfying hearing the DM describe his helplessness. Sue me! I can hold a grudge. For an eternity.
The second time isn't memorable enough to relate, I used it on a Temple Guard. It performed as expected. Got us in the temple.
There it is. My dark secret. I used an Evil spell. The one I really wanted to use was Liquid Pain. Just couldn't find an opportunity. I liked the idea of inflicting pain. That's all you get for now.
Happy Gaming!
*A word about Stuby: This is a guy who's twisted interpretations of the Batteltech rules rendered the game "Not Fun" because he only had to roll a 4 or better to hit with artillery. No challenge there, just pointless frustration. So, a bit of payback didn't bother me in the slightest.
When I was playing regularly, I was a tad dark. I tried on several occasions to walk the knife edge between good and evil. I tried several times to play True Necromancers, alas to no avail. Never could get all the requirements met. Just didn't have time. The games either ended or faded before I could get my characters to a respectable level.
Hexus. He was my 10th level Wizard, specialized in Necromancy, D&D 3.5 rules. Right about the time I hit 9th level, The Book of Vile Darkness came out. Due to my anal-completest tendencies at the time, I owned it fairly quickly. A cursory scan and I got a really dark vibe from it. So I decided to lean towards the socially unacceptable behavior called Evil. What had originally caught my eye was a spell, Crushing Fist of Spite. Unholy Crap! An attack spell that did 20D6 damage. And manifests as a Ginormous Fist! What's not to like? The imagery is fantastic. Massive Damage potential, and with the feats available... A Cold Acid Crushing Fist of Spite, yadadada... etc. etc. I don't speak Munchkin anymore.
Crushing Fist of Spite was a nasty spell. But I wanted to make sure I inflicted emotional damage on the object of my ire. So what I gravitated towards was the spell Wrack. I got to use it exactly twice in that game. First was when two parties met. We were replacement characters for those who had died earlier. And the way the DM portrayed it, was in a darkened passage, and we didn't know the intensions of the two parties. So when we got within visual distance, I didn't quite trust that the creatures on the other side of the wall were friendly. So I zapped the first thing to poke it's head around the corner. Turned out it was a friend of mine, playing a rogue. Stuby* poked his head around the corner and I zapped him. It was satisfying hearing the DM describe his helplessness. Sue me! I can hold a grudge. For an eternity.
The second time isn't memorable enough to relate, I used it on a Temple Guard. It performed as expected. Got us in the temple.
There it is. My dark secret. I used an Evil spell. The one I really wanted to use was Liquid Pain. Just couldn't find an opportunity. I liked the idea of inflicting pain. That's all you get for now.
Happy Gaming!
*A word about Stuby: This is a guy who's twisted interpretations of the Batteltech rules rendered the game "Not Fun" because he only had to roll a 4 or better to hit with artillery. No challenge there, just pointless frustration. So, a bit of payback didn't bother me in the slightest.
Tuesday, February 23, 2016
30 Day D&D challenge. Day 23
Least Favorite Monster Overall
I spent the better part of 2 days thinking about my least favorite monster. My wife gave me a better answer than any I had come up with in about 2 seconds. Cliché. That really is my least favorite of any monster. The monster used in the most cliché, tired, unimaginative way. The Orc guarding a chest in the 10 by 10 room. At least put him in a rainbow wig, a grass skirt, something. Mediocre monsters used for attrition of party resources are not fun. This game is all about having fun. Tedium is for real life.
The reason the modules you buy suggest reading the entire thing before running it, is so that a DM can change things that don't make sense to him/her. So maybe next time you intentionally don't make sense. If you look at some of the old adventure modules, they make no sense at all. Some of those are the most fun I've ever had playing D&D. S4 Lost Caverns of the Tsojcanth and WG7 Castle Greyhawk GAWD those are a blast! How about you mix things up and replace the orc with a hooka smoking Carrion Crawler in that 10 by 10 room. Make your players talk him out of the chest. Get weird. Sometimes you need the opium induced Alice in Wonderland dungeon. Hell! Go on a random dungeon generation site get a dungeon map and populate randomly...
Go back to the 1st Edition DMG. The random dungeon generation tables are more than just a way to gain experience. If you give it some thought... ok, wait a minute. Don't give it any thought. Just go with it. Revel in the insanity of putting Salamanders in the room next to Water Elementals.
The trick is keep an open mind, and let the grooviness into your vertebrae. Relax and let go of the control freak tendencies. I realize I'm asking a lot of those of you who consider an RPG a simulationist enterprise, but whimsy is a good thing every once in a while. Not to mention, it keeps your players off balance. If they don't have the wrong irrelevant minutiae to focus on, no plot to derail, no hapless Inn Keeper to murder. The just won't know what to do with themselves.
The point of this whole post is to get you to embrace insanity. Not constantly but just every now and then. Levity is a good thing. Games don't always have to make sense. It is fantasy after all. I'm fairly certain there are dungeons my players walked away from, asking themselves "WTF was he thinking?" Go out and be the chaos.
Happy gaming!
I spent the better part of 2 days thinking about my least favorite monster. My wife gave me a better answer than any I had come up with in about 2 seconds. Cliché. That really is my least favorite of any monster. The monster used in the most cliché, tired, unimaginative way. The Orc guarding a chest in the 10 by 10 room. At least put him in a rainbow wig, a grass skirt, something. Mediocre monsters used for attrition of party resources are not fun. This game is all about having fun. Tedium is for real life.
The reason the modules you buy suggest reading the entire thing before running it, is so that a DM can change things that don't make sense to him/her. So maybe next time you intentionally don't make sense. If you look at some of the old adventure modules, they make no sense at all. Some of those are the most fun I've ever had playing D&D. S4 Lost Caverns of the Tsojcanth and WG7 Castle Greyhawk GAWD those are a blast! How about you mix things up and replace the orc with a hooka smoking Carrion Crawler in that 10 by 10 room. Make your players talk him out of the chest. Get weird. Sometimes you need the opium induced Alice in Wonderland dungeon. Hell! Go on a random dungeon generation site get a dungeon map and populate randomly...
Go back to the 1st Edition DMG. The random dungeon generation tables are more than just a way to gain experience. If you give it some thought... ok, wait a minute. Don't give it any thought. Just go with it. Revel in the insanity of putting Salamanders in the room next to Water Elementals.
The trick is keep an open mind, and let the grooviness into your vertebrae. Relax and let go of the control freak tendencies. I realize I'm asking a lot of those of you who consider an RPG a simulationist enterprise, but whimsy is a good thing every once in a while. Not to mention, it keeps your players off balance. If they don't have the wrong irrelevant minutiae to focus on, no plot to derail, no hapless Inn Keeper to murder. The just won't know what to do with themselves.
The point of this whole post is to get you to embrace insanity. Not constantly but just every now and then. Levity is a good thing. Games don't always have to make sense. It is fantasy after all. I'm fairly certain there are dungeons my players walked away from, asking themselves "WTF was he thinking?" Go out and be the chaos.
Happy gaming!
Monday, February 22, 2016
30 Day D&D challenge. Day 22
Favorite Monster overall
I've tried many things over the years to instill the correct level of fear in players. Zombies, Giant Spiders, Once I even tried an unstoppable boogey man like Michael Meyers. Nothing will make your PCs scream like little girls and run for it like MIND FLAYERS. It gets better if none of the party members is psionic.
Mind Flayers are the nastier relatives of Stargate's Goa'uld. They implant hosts with a parasite. The parasite completely takes over the host, effectively killing off the personality of the host. Don't forget the face tentacles.
So.. You say your players are filled with "Meh" at the prospect of Mind Flayers? There is nothing saying other creatures can't be taken over by an Illithid parasite. I haven't statted it out or anything yet, but the Underdark cavern with the Illithid Nautiloid Spelljammer ship and the Illithoid Beholder, I really hope someone springs that on their party and tells me how it went. How about an army of Illithoid dinosaurs? That sounds like fun. :-D
I wonder what would happen if Mind Flayers subdued and caught an Intellect Devourer, and implanted it with an Illithid parasite? Here's a nightmare for ya... An Illithid Sahuagin. Do you like apples? How about an Illithoid Doppleganger? And if you're going to go totally over the top? Illithoid Tarrasque! (and you thought a Tarrasqualich was gruesome)
What about a campaign where the players start as recently freed slaves on an Illithid slave planet. Are they going to wage war, or wander off in search of something else? How about combining Mind Flayers with future tech? Somewhere there is an article about Greyhawk 2000. So advance all the Spelljammer races to World War II technology levels. Now that's a game I want to play in!I wanna see Spelljammer battleships. Arcane Amplification lenses boosting a Magic Users fireball to planet killing proportions. Sounds like fun to me, yes it does.
Hey remember Daleks? or the Slayers from Krull? Illithoid attempts at an artificial body. And while we're ripping off Science Fiction, Day if the Triffids is just the organic terraforming of planet earth by Illithid advance forces. Brainwipe the populace before the invasion and look at the host bodies just waiting around... Scary ain't it.
I haven't given this a lot thought, not really No. ;-) Mind Flayers are my favorite monsters overall. I can adapt them to just about any game. Once the players figure it out, I'm smiling and it's already too late. I'm signing off for now. You guys should go out and play games.
Happy Gaming!
I've tried many things over the years to instill the correct level of fear in players. Zombies, Giant Spiders, Once I even tried an unstoppable boogey man like Michael Meyers. Nothing will make your PCs scream like little girls and run for it like MIND FLAYERS. It gets better if none of the party members is psionic.
Mind Flayers are the nastier relatives of Stargate's Goa'uld. They implant hosts with a parasite. The parasite completely takes over the host, effectively killing off the personality of the host. Don't forget the face tentacles.
So.. You say your players are filled with "Meh" at the prospect of Mind Flayers? There is nothing saying other creatures can't be taken over by an Illithid parasite. I haven't statted it out or anything yet, but the Underdark cavern with the Illithid Nautiloid Spelljammer ship and the Illithoid Beholder, I really hope someone springs that on their party and tells me how it went. How about an army of Illithoid dinosaurs? That sounds like fun. :-D
I wonder what would happen if Mind Flayers subdued and caught an Intellect Devourer, and implanted it with an Illithid parasite? Here's a nightmare for ya... An Illithid Sahuagin. Do you like apples? How about an Illithoid Doppleganger? And if you're going to go totally over the top? Illithoid Tarrasque! (and you thought a Tarrasqualich was gruesome)
What about a campaign where the players start as recently freed slaves on an Illithid slave planet. Are they going to wage war, or wander off in search of something else? How about combining Mind Flayers with future tech? Somewhere there is an article about Greyhawk 2000. So advance all the Spelljammer races to World War II technology levels. Now that's a game I want to play in!I wanna see Spelljammer battleships. Arcane Amplification lenses boosting a Magic Users fireball to planet killing proportions. Sounds like fun to me, yes it does.
Hey remember Daleks? or the Slayers from Krull? Illithoid attempts at an artificial body. And while we're ripping off Science Fiction, Day if the Triffids is just the organic terraforming of planet earth by Illithid advance forces. Brainwipe the populace before the invasion and look at the host bodies just waiting around... Scary ain't it.
I haven't given this a lot thought, not really No. ;-) Mind Flayers are my favorite monsters overall. I can adapt them to just about any game. Once the players figure it out, I'm smiling and it's already too late. I'm signing off for now. You guys should go out and play games.
Happy Gaming!
Sunday, February 21, 2016
30 Day D&D challenge. Day 21
Favorite Dragon
"It does not do to leave a live dragon out of your calculations, if you live near him."
J. R. R. TOLKIEN, The Hobbit
They are half the name in my favorite rpg. They should be prolific in games, but not ubiquitous. They should inspire awe and fear among players. Frequently they do not however. People have overlooked the potential of dragons. What I will relate to you today is the ideas I've been working on for my games. I'll probably never get a chance to actually use them in a game, but maybe someone out there has a place to put them.
I decided in the early stages of creating my latest homebrew world, that I would try and put a different spin on dragons. What I started with you can find here. There were 5 great old dragons on the face of Nohj. The Dracolich you've read about already.
Diaphasia Chlorum Antiqua. An ancient green dragon that conquered the first dwarf clan hold. She attracted to her court all manner of dire enemies of the dwarves. She met her end at the hands of an Elven champion out for revenge on Diaphasia for the destruction of the elf cities in the Gatewood forest. The champion now wears her hide as armor and trophy, her head decorates the main hall in the Elf King's court. The is cause for great ire between the dwarves and elves. The Dwarves had desired the exact revenge themselves and reclaim their ancestral home. There are rumors her ghost persists in the ruined halls of Kurgur Krai.
Myxcrucias Frigidus. The White Queen of the frozen wastes. I haven't much more than an vague idea of awaits adventurers willing to brave the cold and blizzards. Still working on that one. I had considered artic bugbears as her minions, but the flavor is still up in the air. I borrowed the dragon crown idea from one of my favorite writers, but I'm trying to steer away from copying the whole thing outright. I'm considering using snow serpents and possibly some form of giant crabs as guardians. Maybe Troglodytes...
Kelendarsis Conflagratio is an ancient Red dragon in the western canyon lands of the western area of Nohj. He commands an army of Hyena men. He lies in wait, biding his time until She of Five Faces calls again for the evil dragons to rise up in war against the lesser races. The PCs were going to have to make their way thru the canyon lands fraught with all manner of fire creatures along with a few I made up. Kelendarsis was going to make Smaug look like a pussycat.
I've saved the my favorite for last. Black dragons are by far my favorite of all them. They are mean, just flat out nasty. The spew acid. The legend of the Darkness in the east is all about Apsis the Black. Consort to She of Five Faces. If you are a child of the 80's then you have undoubtedly heard of the board game Dark Tower. I've come up with numerous ways to run a game based on it, and Apsis is by far, my best idea yet. Apsis Causticus conquered the lands of Zehrand. The PCs were going to have to fight their around the lands surrounding the tower lair of Apsis. In place of brigands there are black dragon lizard men. It promised to be a lot of fun.
I'll leave you with these. During this writing I've had a glimmer of an idea for a Blue Dragon. So now I'll grab one of my numerous notebooks lying about and do a little brainstorming. You guys go off and have fun playing something.
Happy Gaming!
Saturday, February 20, 2016
30 Day D&D challenge. Day 20
Favorite Humanoid/Giant/Fey
I've been thinking about his one since yesterday. Haven't come up with a lot of material in regards to a favorite, so I'm just gonna type for a while and see what happens.
I've used Giants in adventures and worlds before. Just not with any great deal of frequency. There is an Doug McClure movie called Warlords of Atlantis. My recollection of this movie is severely fogged. I remember a diving bell and a giant octopus. I seem to remember (and it's probably completely wrong I'm sure) dinosaurs, specifically triceratops throwing themselves at a wall or cliff face. There were huge cannons? maybe shooting at them. Anyway... The point of this wildly inaccurate trip down misinterpreted memory lane is that I had this idea for steam age dwarves repelling giants as they attack a gigantic wall or cliff face. I've just never really taken the time to sit down and flesh it out. The Giants would be feral, not possessing a great deal of intelligence, maybe even a more caveman like giants riding dinosaurs... I don't know if I'll ever find a place for something like that, but I'm working on it. Should make for an interesting setting.
so... Fey. Not really sure if there is anything useful I can offer about them. I'm still looking for that interesting way that suits me. Other than turning elves different colors, there isn't a whole that jumps out at me. Maybe one day.
I thought I would think of more to write about. Guess I've hit a stumbling block. Need to go find some inspiration. Maybe a Ray Harryhausen movie...
Happy Gaming!
I've been thinking about his one since yesterday. Haven't come up with a lot of material in regards to a favorite, so I'm just gonna type for a while and see what happens.
I've used Giants in adventures and worlds before. Just not with any great deal of frequency. There is an Doug McClure movie called Warlords of Atlantis. My recollection of this movie is severely fogged. I remember a diving bell and a giant octopus. I seem to remember (and it's probably completely wrong I'm sure) dinosaurs, specifically triceratops throwing themselves at a wall or cliff face. There were huge cannons? maybe shooting at them. Anyway... The point of this wildly inaccurate trip down misinterpreted memory lane is that I had this idea for steam age dwarves repelling giants as they attack a gigantic wall or cliff face. I've just never really taken the time to sit down and flesh it out. The Giants would be feral, not possessing a great deal of intelligence, maybe even a more caveman like giants riding dinosaurs... I don't know if I'll ever find a place for something like that, but I'm working on it. Should make for an interesting setting.
so... Fey. Not really sure if there is anything useful I can offer about them. I'm still looking for that interesting way that suits me. Other than turning elves different colors, there isn't a whole that jumps out at me. Maybe one day.
I thought I would think of more to write about. Guess I've hit a stumbling block. Need to go find some inspiration. Maybe a Ray Harryhausen movie...
Happy Gaming!
Friday, February 19, 2016
30 Day D&D challenge. Day 19
Favorite Elemental/Plant/Construct
Right up front... NO WARFORGED! Keep yer friggin androids out of my fantasy game. I use them as bad guys, but no player will ever be able to play one as a PC in any of my games. I detest warforged just as much as I detest kender.
There, I'm calm again.
I really want to rant about warforged and kender... But I won't bore you. GAAHHHHH!!!! I hate those two races with heat of a supernova!
OK, this time I really am calm. I promise.
Myconids, Brown Mold, the fungus amongus. Never truffle with a humongous fungus. :-) Sorry, I had to do it. If I hadn't someone else would have.
You may not think much of fungus, but a few minor flavor tweaks can make your players pause. Or even run screaming from imaginary monsters. I personally have always wanted to try Fungal Undead. Imagine exploring an old crypt, you turn the corner and find a dozen skeletons. When the skeletons begin to rise, the Cleric steps up, brandishes a holy symbol, rolls for a fantastic turn undead, and.... Nothing happens! That's when you begin to notice the tiny mushroom growing all over the bones of the skeletons. Their eyes don't glow with arcane fury, they just start marching toward you. After dispatching the puzzling encounter, you come to room containing what looks like a huge pile of rotting vegetation. You might have ignored it, if you hadn't noticed it breathing....
How about a volcano lair filled with brown mold covered Earth elementals? (I think I'm gonna use that in something, don't know what yet) Another one I want to use in something one day: A Myconid vs. Treant war. Myconids should be really scary to Treants, Dryads, just about every plant based monster. If a Ranger was under Druidic tutelage, he might be able to take fungus as one of his favored enemies. Maybe a Dwarf Ranger has a Myconid as an animal companion. I could be convinced to allow the myconid to lean to create spores that would be beneficial to the Ranger.
Remember the dungeon with the house sized spider? The courtyards of that castle ruin I filled with all manner of mushrooms and Beholderkin Eyeballs. . I never got a chance to spring the surprise on the players, they didn't take the bait. They weren't brave enough to go down into the courtyards. Had they grown a pair, they would have been dropped down a sinkhole to face a giant Myconid Lycanthrope. Mushroom Wereshark! When you're done with the preliminary round of WTF spouting. It was D&D, I was looking for something the metagamers and rules lawyers had never seen. That promised to be a fun encounter. Alas, it was not destined to happen. COWARDS! Hey, at least I got turn the Zombie Jester loose on the player that had run the character before he died... :-)
As for constructs. Hmmm. I have to go with the Clockwork empire I created for my most recent homebrew world. Down in the southern reaches of the main continent is an impassable mountain range. On the other side of that range is and entire land filled with clockwork creatures. At the heart of it all resides a Dracolich. The difference between this one and a normal one is that this one has constructed and now inhabits a clockwork body. I was going to stage a Borg-like invasion of the kingdom when the players were of high enough level. I had clockwork beholders that would assimilate the living creatures they came in contact with. I don't have it all fleshed out yet. It's a work in progress.
I hope I've given someone some ideas, or at the very least made you think "He's crazy" Until next time...
Happy Gaming!
Right up front... NO WARFORGED! Keep yer friggin androids out of my fantasy game. I use them as bad guys, but no player will ever be able to play one as a PC in any of my games. I detest warforged just as much as I detest kender.
There, I'm calm again.
I really want to rant about warforged and kender... But I won't bore you. GAAHHHHH!!!! I hate those two races with heat of a supernova!
OK, this time I really am calm. I promise.
Myconids, Brown Mold, the fungus amongus. Never truffle with a humongous fungus. :-) Sorry, I had to do it. If I hadn't someone else would have.
You may not think much of fungus, but a few minor flavor tweaks can make your players pause. Or even run screaming from imaginary monsters. I personally have always wanted to try Fungal Undead. Imagine exploring an old crypt, you turn the corner and find a dozen skeletons. When the skeletons begin to rise, the Cleric steps up, brandishes a holy symbol, rolls for a fantastic turn undead, and.... Nothing happens! That's when you begin to notice the tiny mushroom growing all over the bones of the skeletons. Their eyes don't glow with arcane fury, they just start marching toward you. After dispatching the puzzling encounter, you come to room containing what looks like a huge pile of rotting vegetation. You might have ignored it, if you hadn't noticed it breathing....
How about a volcano lair filled with brown mold covered Earth elementals? (I think I'm gonna use that in something, don't know what yet) Another one I want to use in something one day: A Myconid vs. Treant war. Myconids should be really scary to Treants, Dryads, just about every plant based monster. If a Ranger was under Druidic tutelage, he might be able to take fungus as one of his favored enemies. Maybe a Dwarf Ranger has a Myconid as an animal companion. I could be convinced to allow the myconid to lean to create spores that would be beneficial to the Ranger.
Remember the dungeon with the house sized spider? The courtyards of that castle ruin I filled with all manner of mushrooms and Beholderkin Eyeballs. . I never got a chance to spring the surprise on the players, they didn't take the bait. They weren't brave enough to go down into the courtyards. Had they grown a pair, they would have been dropped down a sinkhole to face a giant Myconid Lycanthrope. Mushroom Wereshark! When you're done with the preliminary round of WTF spouting. It was D&D, I was looking for something the metagamers and rules lawyers had never seen. That promised to be a fun encounter. Alas, it was not destined to happen. COWARDS! Hey, at least I got turn the Zombie Jester loose on the player that had run the character before he died... :-)
As for constructs. Hmmm. I have to go with the Clockwork empire I created for my most recent homebrew world. Down in the southern reaches of the main continent is an impassable mountain range. On the other side of that range is and entire land filled with clockwork creatures. At the heart of it all resides a Dracolich. The difference between this one and a normal one is that this one has constructed and now inhabits a clockwork body. I was going to stage a Borg-like invasion of the kingdom when the players were of high enough level. I had clockwork beholders that would assimilate the living creatures they came in contact with. I don't have it all fleshed out yet. It's a work in progress.
I hope I've given someone some ideas, or at the very least made you think "He's crazy" Until next time...
Happy Gaming!
Thursday, February 18, 2016
30 Day D&D challenge. Day 18
Favorite Planar being/creature
Carnivorous bipedal frogs. Whiskey Tango Foxtrot... That is seriously messed up. Whoever had that nightmare, I really hope they worked through those issues.
Slaad are seriously weird. This works in their favor, and yours. If you came up with a plan but its so over the top bizarre, you just can't picture any normal BBEG attempting it... A Slaad did it.
I strung together a whole bunch of Dungeon magazine adventures some time ago. (As I am wont to do, I'll explain that process later if you're interested) Anyway, the McGuffin was a large ring gear*. The gear has been stolen from the Locus Control room at the center of the plane of Mechanus. Oh gee, guess who stole it? Yup a Slaad. It was a Death Slaad called Slessma. He had removed it so Machnus would eventually stop and the entire plane would disintegrate and become another Limbo.
I look at Slaad as the bad ass mercenaries of the Fantasy world. Try and think of the Expendables movies, all the bad guys in those movies could be Slaad, Stonebanks especially. Of course, being seriously weird, Slaad can be groupies for other, more insanity inducing things. That same campaign with the ring gear, I had also put an Eldritch horror adventure in there. Something about a travelling acting troupe and the play The King in Yellow. I never got that far in the campaign, but another Death Slaad in service to Cthulhu was going to be behind it all.
I also harbor a fondness for Githyanki. Since the first time I read about them in the original Fiend Folio, I have always wanted to come up with something that features Githyanki, just haven't quite nailed that idea to the floor yet. It may have to be like the Istivin campaign, just a string of adventures taken from Dungeon magazine. I seem to remember either in Dungeon or Dragon magazine a big special they did on the Gith races, I just have to dig thru all my mags and find it. I don't think I'll focus on the silver swords though, that would be too easy. Have to work on a thing... Whadda ya think? I am open to suggestions.
OK, so here it is again. The opportunity to engage. I have the Istivin campaign all typed up. If you want to run it for your group, it's fairly comprehensive in it's write up. I put it in outline form. Just don't try and follow it to the letter. Your players are going to find the most insignificant little morsel to focus on, thereby rendering any plans you had irrelevant. If you would like a copy of it, with supporting materials, all you have to do is ask. All I ask is you don't try and publish it professionally. It wasn't designed with that in mind, and I don't want to make money from it, and as far as I'm concerned, neither should anyone else. Most DMs just starting out have a hard enough time coming up with ideas that are coherent enough to hold their groups attention. The things I write I give away to those that will run it for their group. It's not nearly good enough to try and sell. As I sit here typing, I have decided to find the magazine that focused on the Gith races, and devote some energy to writing something. I may even put the whole design process up on the blog.
I think I wasted enough of your time today. Planar creatures are a lot fun to tinker with. Signing off now to work on tomorrow's post.
Happy Gaming!
*I have a big heavy ring gear from a car transmission that has been chromed. I also have a chromed drive shaft (don't ask)
Carnivorous bipedal frogs. Whiskey Tango Foxtrot... That is seriously messed up. Whoever had that nightmare, I really hope they worked through those issues.
Slaad are seriously weird. This works in their favor, and yours. If you came up with a plan but its so over the top bizarre, you just can't picture any normal BBEG attempting it... A Slaad did it.
I strung together a whole bunch of Dungeon magazine adventures some time ago. (As I am wont to do, I'll explain that process later if you're interested) Anyway, the McGuffin was a large ring gear*. The gear has been stolen from the Locus Control room at the center of the plane of Mechanus. Oh gee, guess who stole it? Yup a Slaad. It was a Death Slaad called Slessma. He had removed it so Machnus would eventually stop and the entire plane would disintegrate and become another Limbo.
I look at Slaad as the bad ass mercenaries of the Fantasy world. Try and think of the Expendables movies, all the bad guys in those movies could be Slaad, Stonebanks especially. Of course, being seriously weird, Slaad can be groupies for other, more insanity inducing things. That same campaign with the ring gear, I had also put an Eldritch horror adventure in there. Something about a travelling acting troupe and the play The King in Yellow. I never got that far in the campaign, but another Death Slaad in service to Cthulhu was going to be behind it all.
I also harbor a fondness for Githyanki. Since the first time I read about them in the original Fiend Folio, I have always wanted to come up with something that features Githyanki, just haven't quite nailed that idea to the floor yet. It may have to be like the Istivin campaign, just a string of adventures taken from Dungeon magazine. I seem to remember either in Dungeon or Dragon magazine a big special they did on the Gith races, I just have to dig thru all my mags and find it. I don't think I'll focus on the silver swords though, that would be too easy. Have to work on a thing... Whadda ya think? I am open to suggestions.
OK, so here it is again. The opportunity to engage. I have the Istivin campaign all typed up. If you want to run it for your group, it's fairly comprehensive in it's write up. I put it in outline form. Just don't try and follow it to the letter. Your players are going to find the most insignificant little morsel to focus on, thereby rendering any plans you had irrelevant. If you would like a copy of it, with supporting materials, all you have to do is ask. All I ask is you don't try and publish it professionally. It wasn't designed with that in mind, and I don't want to make money from it, and as far as I'm concerned, neither should anyone else. Most DMs just starting out have a hard enough time coming up with ideas that are coherent enough to hold their groups attention. The things I write I give away to those that will run it for their group. It's not nearly good enough to try and sell. As I sit here typing, I have decided to find the magazine that focused on the Gith races, and devote some energy to writing something. I may even put the whole design process up on the blog.
I think I wasted enough of your time today. Planar creatures are a lot fun to tinker with. Signing off now to work on tomorrow's post.
Happy Gaming!
*I have a big heavy ring gear from a car transmission that has been chromed. I also have a chromed drive shaft (don't ask)
Wednesday, February 17, 2016
30 Day D&D challenge. Day 17
Favorite Animal/Insect/Arachnid
I am in the majority of humans in my fear of spiders. I do not and never will understand people who keep them as pets. As far as I'm concerned, anything with more than six legs is not indigenous to this planet. I DO NOT LIKE SPIDERS!
OK, I do tend to use them in my games... a lot. I had a gargantuan spider godlike thing guarding the ancient docks of Atlantis. I had a house sized spider lying in wait for unwary party members inside a ruined tower of a half submerged castle. The PCs did the only natural thing with a bug that big. They killed it with fire. As you must with all spiders. (My neurosis about spiders borders on Homeric) The Bloodrose campaign has an encounter with a nest of Ettercaps.
I'm also very fond of giant scorpions and Ankhegs. Thri Kreen used to have some fascination for me long ago. Giant Centipedes can fun as party favors. The fire beetles in Neverwinter Nights were kinda cool. You know what I mess? Rot grub. Those little bastards are insidious. I never used them enough in dungeons, them or Carrion Crawlers... File that under gaming regrets. In general, I think insects are underutilized in rpgs. I'd like to go on and on, but I don't want to be a pest about it. :-)
This is going to be a very short post. I just don't have a lot to say about bugs and animals. They 're all sockets for the wrench of my DM toolbox. This is why I read other blogs and listen to podcasts, to get ideas.
Happy Gaming!
I am in the majority of humans in my fear of spiders. I do not and never will understand people who keep them as pets. As far as I'm concerned, anything with more than six legs is not indigenous to this planet. I DO NOT LIKE SPIDERS!
OK, I do tend to use them in my games... a lot. I had a gargantuan spider godlike thing guarding the ancient docks of Atlantis. I had a house sized spider lying in wait for unwary party members inside a ruined tower of a half submerged castle. The PCs did the only natural thing with a bug that big. They killed it with fire. As you must with all spiders. (My neurosis about spiders borders on Homeric) The Bloodrose campaign has an encounter with a nest of Ettercaps.
I'm also very fond of giant scorpions and Ankhegs. Thri Kreen used to have some fascination for me long ago. Giant Centipedes can fun as party favors. The fire beetles in Neverwinter Nights were kinda cool. You know what I mess? Rot grub. Those little bastards are insidious. I never used them enough in dungeons, them or Carrion Crawlers... File that under gaming regrets. In general, I think insects are underutilized in rpgs. I'd like to go on and on, but I don't want to be a pest about it. :-)
This is going to be a very short post. I just don't have a lot to say about bugs and animals. They 're all sockets for the wrench of my DM toolbox. This is why I read other blogs and listen to podcasts, to get ideas.
Happy Gaming!
Tuesday, February 16, 2016
30 Day D&D challenge. Day 16
Favorite Ooze/Aberrant creature
So, a Mind Flayer, a Beholder, and a Gelatinous Cube walk into a bar....
.
I have always tried to use monsters in games to elicit a specific reaction, not so successfully though. If my recollection serves me correctly, I have only gotten the desired reaction once. The party was in an old minotaur maze. I dropped plenty of hints. The tunnels were conspicuously free of detritus and there were strange scratches and markings along the walls. There was a suspicious silence pervading the entire area. Thanks to the party arguing, I was able to sneak a shimmering assassin in behind them. I picked off a member of the party before they finally figured out what that mysterious scraping sound was. Gelatinous Cubes are silent killers, I really am quite fond of them for that reason.
If you're looking to inspire abject terror in your players, there is a certain tentacle faced monster you can use. Inspiring the correct level of fear in players is a simple matter of presentation. If you've ever read the books written about the game Starfire, "In Death Ground" and "The Shiva Option", the authors wrote a scene where the humans see footage of the alien species eating humans, alive. If you could arrange for the party to see the inner workings of an Illithid nest without being in immediate danger, and not being able to do anything about it. Be sure to play up the helplessness of the victims. I don't usually try and evoke any seriously heavy emotions in a game. (A game that is supposed to be fun) But there should be some things the characters should be afraid of. There should be some things the characters cannot defeat out of hand. There should be some things the characters will think twice about tangling with. Overcoming those challenges is how heroes are made. Use whatever monsters you want, just make sure package them the right way to get the reaction you want. I like Illithids because they are so alien. The ultimate loss, the loss of personality, is truly terrifying to me.
"As you enter the cavern, you are struck first by the feeling that you are being watched. You feel the physical presence of something large. You can't quite pin down where the presence is, it's as if it's moving high above you in the inky blackness of the natural stone vault."
Of the many directions that opening could go, I like putting the party in the position of being stalked. Think back to the movie "Alien" the scariest part of that movie, is that don't really get a good look at the monster. That can't happen in today's visual world. The game companies use as many images as possible to promote their games, and Beholders are an iconic monster. But not recognizing a monster right off the bat, increases the fear. Most people are afraid of the unknown. I have used the words alien and foreign to describe monsters before. My description skills have improved since then, actually conveying how completely different a creature is not my forte however. I'd like to think I have a descent vocabulary, just not a spectacular one. Still working on that. I've read lots about Beholders. Those things are wrong on so many levels. Not mechanically, but wrong. An offense against nature. THEY'RE A FLOATING MOUTH WITH BIG HONKIN TEETH AND AN ENDLESS APPETITE! Even sharks, commonly referred to as eating machines, wouldn't keep me out water. Beholders make me want to run and hide. Those things are mean, beyond mean. This is a creature that would sooner eat you that look at you. They are totally ruthless in regards to their own species, let alone others. Whoever designed it was either completely mad, or a genius. (As a side note: Did the same guy that deigned Beholders also design the Tall Mouther and the Gibbering Mouther? Because if that's true, that guy has serious issues.)
I sort of rambled on during this post. If you were looking for a short answer no what is my favorite monster... Well that just didn't happen. I like all three. Much like a chef uses ingredients to create a delicious dish. I try and use monsters to create and sustain a mood during a game. Remember that fear is not knowing what is going happen, not being certain of how to defeat that large ravenous thing bearing down on you. Don't design encounters with the intent of killing off the characters, give the PCs reason to be afraid. Maim them a bit. It's good for them to be off balance.
My real favorite Ooze or Aberrant creature? ... The Dungeon Master. ;-)
Happy Gaming!
So, a Mind Flayer, a Beholder, and a Gelatinous Cube walk into a bar....
.
I have always tried to use monsters in games to elicit a specific reaction, not so successfully though. If my recollection serves me correctly, I have only gotten the desired reaction once. The party was in an old minotaur maze. I dropped plenty of hints. The tunnels were conspicuously free of detritus and there were strange scratches and markings along the walls. There was a suspicious silence pervading the entire area. Thanks to the party arguing, I was able to sneak a shimmering assassin in behind them. I picked off a member of the party before they finally figured out what that mysterious scraping sound was. Gelatinous Cubes are silent killers, I really am quite fond of them for that reason.
If you're looking to inspire abject terror in your players, there is a certain tentacle faced monster you can use. Inspiring the correct level of fear in players is a simple matter of presentation. If you've ever read the books written about the game Starfire, "In Death Ground" and "The Shiva Option", the authors wrote a scene where the humans see footage of the alien species eating humans, alive. If you could arrange for the party to see the inner workings of an Illithid nest without being in immediate danger, and not being able to do anything about it. Be sure to play up the helplessness of the victims. I don't usually try and evoke any seriously heavy emotions in a game. (A game that is supposed to be fun) But there should be some things the characters should be afraid of. There should be some things the characters cannot defeat out of hand. There should be some things the characters will think twice about tangling with. Overcoming those challenges is how heroes are made. Use whatever monsters you want, just make sure package them the right way to get the reaction you want. I like Illithids because they are so alien. The ultimate loss, the loss of personality, is truly terrifying to me.
"As you enter the cavern, you are struck first by the feeling that you are being watched. You feel the physical presence of something large. You can't quite pin down where the presence is, it's as if it's moving high above you in the inky blackness of the natural stone vault."
Of the many directions that opening could go, I like putting the party in the position of being stalked. Think back to the movie "Alien" the scariest part of that movie, is that don't really get a good look at the monster. That can't happen in today's visual world. The game companies use as many images as possible to promote their games, and Beholders are an iconic monster. But not recognizing a monster right off the bat, increases the fear. Most people are afraid of the unknown. I have used the words alien and foreign to describe monsters before. My description skills have improved since then, actually conveying how completely different a creature is not my forte however. I'd like to think I have a descent vocabulary, just not a spectacular one. Still working on that. I've read lots about Beholders. Those things are wrong on so many levels. Not mechanically, but wrong. An offense against nature. THEY'RE A FLOATING MOUTH WITH BIG HONKIN TEETH AND AN ENDLESS APPETITE! Even sharks, commonly referred to as eating machines, wouldn't keep me out water. Beholders make me want to run and hide. Those things are mean, beyond mean. This is a creature that would sooner eat you that look at you. They are totally ruthless in regards to their own species, let alone others. Whoever designed it was either completely mad, or a genius. (As a side note: Did the same guy that deigned Beholders also design the Tall Mouther and the Gibbering Mouther? Because if that's true, that guy has serious issues.)
I sort of rambled on during this post. If you were looking for a short answer no what is my favorite monster... Well that just didn't happen. I like all three. Much like a chef uses ingredients to create a delicious dish. I try and use monsters to create and sustain a mood during a game. Remember that fear is not knowing what is going happen, not being certain of how to defeat that large ravenous thing bearing down on you. Don't design encounters with the intent of killing off the characters, give the PCs reason to be afraid. Maim them a bit. It's good for them to be off balance.
My real favorite Ooze or Aberrant creature? ... The Dungeon Master. ;-)
Happy Gaming!
Monday, February 15, 2016
30 Day D&D challenge. Day 15
Favorite Undead.
I told my wife the subject of today's post and she didn't even hesitate, when she told me "You can let out your inner Necromancer" She's right of course, I have a weird fascination with undead. I could be because Mary Shelly's Original Frankenstein is one of my favorite books.
A short diversion ... In case anyone is wondering, among my favorite books are...
Moon of Mutiny by Lester Del Rey
Men of Iron by Howard Pyle
The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien
The Simarillion by J.R.R. Tolkien
The Darkover books by Marion Zimmer Bradley
The Dragonriders of Pern books by Anne McCaffrey
The Caverns of Socrates by Dennis L. McKiernan
These books I encourage you to read. Not only are they good, they may inspire ideas. We all need a little spark every once in a while.
Back to our regularly scheduled blog post.
Of all the undead creatures available for use in games, I'd have to go with intelligent undead. A Lich. There is something about a creature that has eons to plot and scheme. A creature so powerful it will ignore a small relatively weak party of adventurers. What I like most about a Lich, the phylactery. Most players already know a Lich's greatest weakness. You can't stop them from metagaming, you never will. Once they destroy the physical body, they are going to start looking for the phylactery. Just accept it. You can't change it, don't bother trying.
With this in mind, look at phylacteries. There are so many ways to make it harder for characters to identify and consequently destroy one. A quick search on Wikipedia for "Phylactery" renders two ideas right off the bat. The first is Speech Scrolls. If you look at the pictures of speech scrolls, picture a giant mural on the wall of a crypt. All the figures in the mural have speech scrolls as if they're talking. Now if the speech scrolls are all the incantations needed as a phylactery, the PCs are going to have a time trying to destroy it. The other thing I saw on the Wikipedia entry was "Tefillin" These are small wooden boxes containing Torah verses, often they are worn. Look up the word and you're bound to see a picture of one. Nothing jumped out of my brain while looking at any of the pictures, however the word itself could be used to obfuscate the phylactery or it's location. I've tucked the information away in a back corner of the DM reptilian brain, and may find a use for it one day.
In the big campaign I've been writing, the BBEG is a Lich, and the PCs have to work their way through each of his children before getting to him. Blatantly stealing ideas from both Harry Potter and the tv show Supernatural, I designed his phylactery to be well hidden. I decided it would be five jeweled rings. Each child would have a different gem stone, and not necessarily be found on the child in question. For instance the first ring is found after the PCs defeat an Attic Whisperer. In the pile of detritus from the disintegrating Attic whisperer will be a platinum ring inset with either a black pearl or a ruby (can't remember, and can't get up to go look #mylifeasacatmattress) The child they are supposed to defeat is a Scribbling Allip. The attic whisperer is her daughter. ... ... Enough about the campaign, I don't want to spoil it. If the PCs use detect magic on the ring, it will radiate magic, and I'll let the clue of necromantic magic drop. They will have to roll really well in order to detect the faint aura of underlying necromancy. There are many more effects if they put on the ring. It will be of a small benefit to the character wearing it, but there will also be an almost undetectable curse associated with them.
Yes I'm a tad enamored with the Lich's phylactery. I admit it. I have many issues, both in and out of game. But a Lich can be re-skinned so many different ways as to render it unrecognizable as a Lich. I could go into more, but I'd need more time to brainstorm for ideas, along with lots more booze. IF anyone wants help including a Lich into a game, let me know and I'll break out the idea file and shoot cha some ideas. Until then...
Happy Gaming!
I told my wife the subject of today's post and she didn't even hesitate, when she told me "You can let out your inner Necromancer" She's right of course, I have a weird fascination with undead. I could be because Mary Shelly's Original Frankenstein is one of my favorite books.
A short diversion ... In case anyone is wondering, among my favorite books are...
Moon of Mutiny by Lester Del Rey
Men of Iron by Howard Pyle
The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien
The Simarillion by J.R.R. Tolkien
The Darkover books by Marion Zimmer Bradley
The Dragonriders of Pern books by Anne McCaffrey
The Caverns of Socrates by Dennis L. McKiernan
These books I encourage you to read. Not only are they good, they may inspire ideas. We all need a little spark every once in a while.
Back to our regularly scheduled blog post.
Of all the undead creatures available for use in games, I'd have to go with intelligent undead. A Lich. There is something about a creature that has eons to plot and scheme. A creature so powerful it will ignore a small relatively weak party of adventurers. What I like most about a Lich, the phylactery. Most players already know a Lich's greatest weakness. You can't stop them from metagaming, you never will. Once they destroy the physical body, they are going to start looking for the phylactery. Just accept it. You can't change it, don't bother trying.
With this in mind, look at phylacteries. There are so many ways to make it harder for characters to identify and consequently destroy one. A quick search on Wikipedia for "Phylactery" renders two ideas right off the bat. The first is Speech Scrolls. If you look at the pictures of speech scrolls, picture a giant mural on the wall of a crypt. All the figures in the mural have speech scrolls as if they're talking. Now if the speech scrolls are all the incantations needed as a phylactery, the PCs are going to have a time trying to destroy it. The other thing I saw on the Wikipedia entry was "Tefillin" These are small wooden boxes containing Torah verses, often they are worn. Look up the word and you're bound to see a picture of one. Nothing jumped out of my brain while looking at any of the pictures, however the word itself could be used to obfuscate the phylactery or it's location. I've tucked the information away in a back corner of the DM reptilian brain, and may find a use for it one day.
In the big campaign I've been writing, the BBEG is a Lich, and the PCs have to work their way through each of his children before getting to him. Blatantly stealing ideas from both Harry Potter and the tv show Supernatural, I designed his phylactery to be well hidden. I decided it would be five jeweled rings. Each child would have a different gem stone, and not necessarily be found on the child in question. For instance the first ring is found after the PCs defeat an Attic Whisperer. In the pile of detritus from the disintegrating Attic whisperer will be a platinum ring inset with either a black pearl or a ruby (can't remember, and can't get up to go look #mylifeasacatmattress) The child they are supposed to defeat is a Scribbling Allip. The attic whisperer is her daughter. ... ... Enough about the campaign, I don't want to spoil it. If the PCs use detect magic on the ring, it will radiate magic, and I'll let the clue of necromantic magic drop. They will have to roll really well in order to detect the faint aura of underlying necromancy. There are many more effects if they put on the ring. It will be of a small benefit to the character wearing it, but there will also be an almost undetectable curse associated with them.
Yes I'm a tad enamored with the Lich's phylactery. I admit it. I have many issues, both in and out of game. But a Lich can be re-skinned so many different ways as to render it unrecognizable as a Lich. I could go into more, but I'd need more time to brainstorm for ideas, along with lots more booze. IF anyone wants help including a Lich into a game, let me know and I'll break out the idea file and shoot cha some ideas. Until then...
Happy Gaming!
Sunday, February 14, 2016
30 Day D&D challenge. Day 14
Favorite NPC
There have been many NPCs over the years. Any DM will have had to utilize hundreds of NPCs over time. Few of mine get their own voice. I'm not a thespian, just an amateur story teller. I did try to rectify that once or twice, but never got the chance to put it in to practice.
Of all of the NPCs I've dreamed up, or even had to make on the fly, there have only been two I wanted to develop voices for. One was a Paladin. Lawful Neutral, he was going to be a calm stoic bane of evil. Kind of a cross between Rom Spaceknight, Machine Man, Robocop, and Sam the Eagle. How's that for imagery!? Hehe...
So now we come down to the reason I'm writing this particular post. Thrug. That's it's name. It also happens to be the only noise it ever makes. Thrug sits outside in front of Master Ping's Gnosis Emporium. This creature is of undetermined race and no amount of questioning will get a PC more than a "thrug" in response. He sits, or sort of squats behind a table stacked with old books. The books are written in multiple languages unidentifiable to anyone else save for Master Ping. Thrug won't try and stop anyone from stealing a book, however when the thief tries to read the pilfered tome, they will discover the book missing. If a character attempts to communicate with Thrug, he will look at them for a moment, scribble something on a piece of paper and hand it to them and mutter "thrug" in a deep guttural voice. The paper will contain a cryptic phrase indecipherable in meaning. A few examples I've come up with and found online are...
The Dark Moon is oft overlooked
The Queen's shadow extends towards the Brass Citadel
When the moon is crowned, the Six Empires shall fall
The Sunless Gate opens
The Throne of Scepters shall be destroyed
In the Valley of Grace, the Shield is broken and sea becomes sky
The Bridge of Rings is broken and the mountains are wreathed in flame
When light becomes shadow, the Seven Princesses shall fall
In the Spring of Storms, the Empire of Swords shall be sundered
Upon the Night of Prisms, when the stars fall from the sky
Most of those I lifted of the Donjon random generator website. I designed this NPC as a way to extract adventure ideas from players without their knowledge. Give them a snippet and let their imaginations fill in the rest. Keep in mind, for this to work you need engaged imaginative players that actually go after plot hooks.
I've never had a chance to use Thrug. So maybe by releasing him in to wilds of the internet, he'll find a purpose somewhere. Take the idea and run with it. I'd be interested to hear of anything you guys come up because of this. So go out there and mine your players for adventure ideas.
Happy Gaming!
There have been many NPCs over the years. Any DM will have had to utilize hundreds of NPCs over time. Few of mine get their own voice. I'm not a thespian, just an amateur story teller. I did try to rectify that once or twice, but never got the chance to put it in to practice.
Of all of the NPCs I've dreamed up, or even had to make on the fly, there have only been two I wanted to develop voices for. One was a Paladin. Lawful Neutral, he was going to be a calm stoic bane of evil. Kind of a cross between Rom Spaceknight, Machine Man, Robocop, and Sam the Eagle. How's that for imagery!? Hehe...
So now we come down to the reason I'm writing this particular post. Thrug. That's it's name. It also happens to be the only noise it ever makes. Thrug sits outside in front of Master Ping's Gnosis Emporium. This creature is of undetermined race and no amount of questioning will get a PC more than a "thrug" in response. He sits, or sort of squats behind a table stacked with old books. The books are written in multiple languages unidentifiable to anyone else save for Master Ping. Thrug won't try and stop anyone from stealing a book, however when the thief tries to read the pilfered tome, they will discover the book missing. If a character attempts to communicate with Thrug, he will look at them for a moment, scribble something on a piece of paper and hand it to them and mutter "thrug" in a deep guttural voice. The paper will contain a cryptic phrase indecipherable in meaning. A few examples I've come up with and found online are...
The Dark Moon is oft overlooked
The Queen's shadow extends towards the Brass Citadel
When the moon is crowned, the Six Empires shall fall
The Sunless Gate opens
The Throne of Scepters shall be destroyed
In the Valley of Grace, the Shield is broken and sea becomes sky
The Bridge of Rings is broken and the mountains are wreathed in flame
When light becomes shadow, the Seven Princesses shall fall
In the Spring of Storms, the Empire of Swords shall be sundered
Upon the Night of Prisms, when the stars fall from the sky
Most of those I lifted of the Donjon random generator website. I designed this NPC as a way to extract adventure ideas from players without their knowledge. Give them a snippet and let their imaginations fill in the rest. Keep in mind, for this to work you need engaged imaginative players that actually go after plot hooks.
I've never had a chance to use Thrug. So maybe by releasing him in to wilds of the internet, he'll find a purpose somewhere. Take the idea and run with it. I'd be interested to hear of anything you guys come up because of this. So go out there and mine your players for adventure ideas.
Happy Gaming!
Saturday, February 13, 2016
30 Day D&D challenge. Day 13
Favorite Trap/Puzzle
Wow. Where to start? You know I have this torrid love affair with Traps. I just espoused my uber-fondness in my last post. As for one singular favorite trap or puzzle... That really is a tough question.
There are traps and puzzles I love then there are some I've always wanted to use. The barrier I run into runs along the lines of...
In all the games I've ever run, my players have NEVER tried to solve any riddles or puzzles. They either whine and drag their feet or just turn around walk away and pout.* But this isn't about my failures of players failures. Back on target...
Where I have professed my love of traps. If you think about it, puzzles and riddles are a form of trap. Word traps. I have written scads of riddles (or word puzzles for the semantically inclined) My early work is fairly primitive.
Guarding the gate,
to the Temple of the Dragon.
An ivory statue,
with a Golden flagon.
A lock of balance
a lock of change.
A lock of common
a lock of strange.
Come find the temple
beneath the hill.
And never leave
from winters chill.
A key of freeman,
key of slave.
A key of Kings,
a key of Knaves.
The keys and locks
fit as one,
then one word
and locks undone.
I wrote that somewhere in the distant past. Very distant past, practically the prehistoric past. I'm really surprised I still have the paper I wrote it on. I suppose I really shouldn't be. Hello... World's second biggest packrat. For something a bit more recent, I wrote what follows more recently for an adventure I was writing. The idea eventually fizzled out, but I held onto this because I might eventually find a use for it.
Thyrmian Key
Five great realms in darkness deep
Five stone vaults under mountains steep
Four lost halls of olde
Four wicked cities the Spiders hold
Three black pits of endless thunder
Three Labyrinths of earthly plunder
Two Kingdoms of undeath foul
Two Sanctuaries of the Ebon cowl
One prison under watchful eyes
One secret unearthed to the sky.
As you've guessed, I'm not a professional writer. I aspire to write things like...
This thing of all things devours,
birds, beasts, trees, flowers.
Gnaws iron, bites steel.
Grinds hard stones to meal.
Slays king, ruins town
and beats high mountain down.
Now that's a riddle! Written by a writer whom I consider is a master wordsmith. One day I may stumble across something brilliant, but for now I'll keep cranking out my mediocre stuff. The preceding is my favorite riddle by the way. And the answer is time, in case you've been living under a rock.
Now a little (I promise) bit about traps. I have a favorite trap. It's called "The Heart Room". It's a 50' x 50' x 20' room, coated floor to ceiling in a harmless red slime. The PCs don't know it's harmless however, and I encourage you to not reveal that it's harmless. Now, here's the kicker. Every 30 seconds the floor and ceiling meet, crushing anything caught between them. It took several tries to get the damage just right. Once I had a dwarf fighter actually survive it. I corrected that little oversight though. I happen to be a big believer in traps that kill characters outright. None of this namby pamby be kind to your PCs crap. Kill them swiftly and brutally, that's the only way to be sure. I might consider telling you how we solved the problem, but I don't believe in feeding the baby birds. Figure it out for yourself. :-)
Players don't like traps. Bee Oh Oh, Aitch Oh Oh. Suck it up and develop those coping skills guys. I will always include traps in adventures I write. If for no other reason, than for the comic relief of watching the players try and talk their way around it.
So there you have it. Yet another post about traps. Hopefully I haven't bored you into not reading anymore. If you want truly devious traps, read the Grimtooth's books. The guys that designed those traps are rock stars as far as I'm concerned. If you haven't, you should really peruse them. As for the riddles I posted, maybe they'll spark and idea. I now bid you....
Happy Gaming!
*Yet another in the ever growing list of reasons I will never run a game again. This game would be a lot more fun if the players would actually play along once in a while. Being a stick in the mud, wrench throwing monkey, in a game, is NOT something to be proud of.
Friday, February 12, 2016
30 Day D&D challenge. Day 12
Favorite Dungeon Type/Location
If you've been reading this little exercise, then you know of my fondness for traps. So apply that to the most trap filled environment you can think of. This equals (at least in my mind) to a desert pyramid adventure.
Imagine an entire complex with multiple pyramids, a sphinx, numerous open air temples. Let your imagination run wild. I have... Here, let me tell you about it....
Let's start with something I came up with a very long time ago. A 4 pyramid complex with a Sphinx in the center. There would be underground tunnel complexes between the pyramids and the sphinx. Multiple tombs would line the tunnels. Multiple opportunities for mummies, sandstone golems, carnivorous rampaging scarab beetles. Aaaaand don't forget TRAPS!
Have I mentioned how much I like traps? OK ok, I'll lay off the trap sermon. Just be sure to pull out every movie, book and graphic novel trap you've ever seen.
I don't know much else I can tell you. If you're reading this then you might know by now, I'm not a big one for long rambling posts. (unless it's a an opportunity to use as many commas and parentheses as possible) So ,I'll leave you with these meager words and wish you....
Happy Gaming!!!
If you've been reading this little exercise, then you know of my fondness for traps. So apply that to the most trap filled environment you can think of. This equals (at least in my mind) to a desert pyramid adventure.
Imagine an entire complex with multiple pyramids, a sphinx, numerous open air temples. Let your imagination run wild. I have... Here, let me tell you about it....
Let's start with something I came up with a very long time ago. A 4 pyramid complex with a Sphinx in the center. There would be underground tunnel complexes between the pyramids and the sphinx. Multiple tombs would line the tunnels. Multiple opportunities for mummies, sandstone golems, carnivorous rampaging scarab beetles. Aaaaand don't forget TRAPS!
Have I mentioned how much I like traps? OK ok, I'll lay off the trap sermon. Just be sure to pull out every movie, book and graphic novel trap you've ever seen.
I don't know much else I can tell you. If you're reading this then you might know by now, I'm not a big one for long rambling posts. (unless it's a an opportunity to use as many commas and parentheses as possible) So ,I'll leave you with these meager words and wish you....
Happy Gaming!!!
Thursday, February 11, 2016
30 Day D&D Challenge. Day 11
Favorite Adventure You ran.
OH HELL YEAH! Tomb of Horrors. By far the most fun I've ever had running a game. No one took it seriously. I read it, and even I, a heinously murderous DM thought it was too brutal. Keep in mind, I really like traps. Really REALLY, like traps.
I have spoken earlier about my fondness for traps. I have proclaimed myself Grimtooth's Heir.
After the first run of ToH you just can't take it seriously anymore. After the 3rd or 4th run through, things will turn comedic. You actually start doing things to ensure the character you're playing meets the most gruesome end possible. The Sphere of Annihilation is still a source of entertainment every time I run it.
This module is so iconic , it was used in the book Ready Player One. (btw if you haven't read it YOU MUST!)
I think the big G got sick of his players walking over his monsters, so he decided to pull out all the safety protocols and DM restraint and just kill characters. I can respect that. I can even back that decision, having been there many times. Probably one of the many reasons I don't run games anymore....
I can't do it justice. In trying to critique it, I would ruin your experience. Let's leave it at any of the S Series modules are fairly mean. The often make no sense, but they don't really have to either. It is a "fantasy" role playing game after all. ~my inner control freak still bristles~ Just play them if you get the chance. And don't take them too seriously. It's just a game.
Happy Gaming!
OH HELL YEAH! Tomb of Horrors. By far the most fun I've ever had running a game. No one took it seriously. I read it, and even I, a heinously murderous DM thought it was too brutal. Keep in mind, I really like traps. Really REALLY, like traps.
I have spoken earlier about my fondness for traps. I have proclaimed myself Grimtooth's Heir.
After the first run of ToH you just can't take it seriously anymore. After the 3rd or 4th run through, things will turn comedic. You actually start doing things to ensure the character you're playing meets the most gruesome end possible. The Sphere of Annihilation is still a source of entertainment every time I run it.
This module is so iconic , it was used in the book Ready Player One. (btw if you haven't read it YOU MUST!)
I think the big G got sick of his players walking over his monsters, so he decided to pull out all the safety protocols and DM restraint and just kill characters. I can respect that. I can even back that decision, having been there many times. Probably one of the many reasons I don't run games anymore....
I can't do it justice. In trying to critique it, I would ruin your experience. Let's leave it at any of the S Series modules are fairly mean. The often make no sense, but they don't really have to either. It is a "fantasy" role playing game after all. ~my inner control freak still bristles~ Just play them if you get the chance. And don't take them too seriously. It's just a game.
Happy Gaming!
Tuesday, February 9, 2016
30 Day D&D challenge. Day 9
Favorite PC You'd like to play.
I don't have one PC I'd like to play. It's more along the lines of a party concept I want to try. Please allow me to elaborate...
Every single D&D game, no matter the edition, is house ruled. whether by simply omitting rules that slow down the game and pull you out of immersion. Or by adding rules to cover a situation not covered. (Refer back to previous posts when asking about how I feel about rules not rulings) In my first edition days, we left out lots of the rules to speed up game play. Of course 1st edition had lots of rules no one actually used.
-This is where my sick fascination with reading government documents comes into play-
I want to make one character from each class in the Players Handbook and Unearthed Arcana. Strictly by the rules, using the ability score minimums determined by each class. Once I have them all made, I'll start with an introductory module and run a randomly selected party of these characters through it. Rules as Written. *Insert sarcasm here* Yes this will mean a level of record keeping worthy of only accountants, but I don't think I have played a 1st edition game with every rule in effect.
If anyone has actually done this, please let me know if you're still sane and competent to make decisions on your own. This seems like a daunting project even for me, King of the Controls Freaks. Scoff if you like. But someone was bound to do it one day, just to keep the memory alive.
I had planned to use randomly generated party members and run as many of the originals modules as I could before being committed to a mental health facility. I will do my best to keep the Bard candidate alive to see what ling of Bard he will end up being.
So this post is a bit short. But I really don't have a singular PC I want to play. I've taken a more philosophical bent in my thinking towards the rules of AD&D. Please don't ask me to explain it, I can't. Maybe it's just my advancing age making me senile.
My apologies for the bait and switch on topics, but seriously, I don't think about playing anymore. Just writing about the game.
Happy Gaming!
I don't have one PC I'd like to play. It's more along the lines of a party concept I want to try. Please allow me to elaborate...
Every single D&D game, no matter the edition, is house ruled. whether by simply omitting rules that slow down the game and pull you out of immersion. Or by adding rules to cover a situation not covered. (Refer back to previous posts when asking about how I feel about rules not rulings) In my first edition days, we left out lots of the rules to speed up game play. Of course 1st edition had lots of rules no one actually used.
-This is where my sick fascination with reading government documents comes into play-
I want to make one character from each class in the Players Handbook and Unearthed Arcana. Strictly by the rules, using the ability score minimums determined by each class. Once I have them all made, I'll start with an introductory module and run a randomly selected party of these characters through it. Rules as Written. *Insert sarcasm here* Yes this will mean a level of record keeping worthy of only accountants, but I don't think I have played a 1st edition game with every rule in effect.
If anyone has actually done this, please let me know if you're still sane and competent to make decisions on your own. This seems like a daunting project even for me, King of the Controls Freaks. Scoff if you like. But someone was bound to do it one day, just to keep the memory alive.
I had planned to use randomly generated party members and run as many of the originals modules as I could before being committed to a mental health facility. I will do my best to keep the Bard candidate alive to see what ling of Bard he will end up being.
So this post is a bit short. But I really don't have a singular PC I want to play. I've taken a more philosophical bent in my thinking towards the rules of AD&D. Please don't ask me to explain it, I can't. Maybe it's just my advancing age making me senile.
My apologies for the bait and switch on topics, but seriously, I don't think about playing anymore. Just writing about the game.
Happy Gaming!
Monday, February 8, 2016
30 day D&D challenge. Day 8
Favorite PC of your own.
Of all the characters I have played over the years, my favorite has to be a half elven bard. Ferix Shadoewood. When I played Ferix, it was a 1st edition game. As if there was any doubt.
He started as a fighter in the King's guard. It gave us chance to use large scale battle rules and we gained levels fast. Not to mention we were playing with the costs for training also in force. Those give a different style of game. I can't really explain the difference, you will have to experience it.
I stayed as a fighter all the way to 8th level, then started in as a Thief. I had an in with the local thieves' guild because of a scouting mission I had done for the royal guards. All I needed was a reason. Found the reason buried in his world. The King sent me on a mission to root out spies in the kingdom. In order to do this, I was be trained as a thief. My characters' personal reason was to try and locate the assassin that killed the Prince 2 years earlier. The Prince was a personal friend of Ferix, and I did not take kindly to someone killing him.
I only took Thief as far as 6th level due to series of bad decisions on my part. These plopped me down smack dab in the middle a war between Gnomes and Troglodytes. That's when I started in training as a Druid.
After we completed White Plume Mountain, I could officially say I was Bard. I had made it. I was there, 16 hard fought levels but I had made it.... Our group broke up shortly after that and didn't get much chance to play him after that.
I finally decided he had gone back to thieves guild to become a Guild master.
I don't know why he is my favorite character but I keep coming back to the memories I made while playing him. Those were truly good times. Anyway, there you have it.
Happy Gaming!
Of all the characters I have played over the years, my favorite has to be a half elven bard. Ferix Shadoewood. When I played Ferix, it was a 1st edition game. As if there was any doubt.
He started as a fighter in the King's guard. It gave us chance to use large scale battle rules and we gained levels fast. Not to mention we were playing with the costs for training also in force. Those give a different style of game. I can't really explain the difference, you will have to experience it.
I stayed as a fighter all the way to 8th level, then started in as a Thief. I had an in with the local thieves' guild because of a scouting mission I had done for the royal guards. All I needed was a reason. Found the reason buried in his world. The King sent me on a mission to root out spies in the kingdom. In order to do this, I was be trained as a thief. My characters' personal reason was to try and locate the assassin that killed the Prince 2 years earlier. The Prince was a personal friend of Ferix, and I did not take kindly to someone killing him.
I only took Thief as far as 6th level due to series of bad decisions on my part. These plopped me down smack dab in the middle a war between Gnomes and Troglodytes. That's when I started in training as a Druid.
After we completed White Plume Mountain, I could officially say I was Bard. I had made it. I was there, 16 hard fought levels but I had made it.... Our group broke up shortly after that and didn't get much chance to play him after that.
I finally decided he had gone back to thieves guild to become a Guild master.
I don't know why he is my favorite character but I keep coming back to the memories I made while playing him. Those were truly good times. Anyway, there you have it.
Happy Gaming!
Sunday, February 7, 2016
30 day D&D challenge. Day 7
Favorite Edition
If you've been reading, then you will know my favorite edition is 1st Edition AD&D. This is where I tell you why it's my favorite.
Go read the preface and introduction from the 1st Ed. Dungeon Masters Guide. The game belonged to the Dungeon Masters back then. There wasn't a rule to cover every situation, not like there is now. Players didn't argue rules with the DM back then. There wasn't an emphasis on treating the game like an improve exercise. We weren't actors, we didn't try to create interesting scenes. We told stories. We performed heroic deeds. We created communal legends, we created fantastic memories. We weren't pushed in the direction of catering to the players. If you wrote an adventure or campaign, and the players didn't like it then someone else in the group wrote something up and the group tried that. We didn't try and give everyone the "spotlight". We played as a group and we succeeded or failed as a group.
When the game was sold to WotC, someone there decided that they had enough of not being able to control every miniscule decision and started introducing rules to cover every eventuality. They introduced character skills so that the players didn't have to actually think, they could just roll some dice. I am in a minority in my opinions about the game as it today. I don't really care. As I'm dangerously close to devolving into a rant, I'll be changing course.
By playing and refereeing in 1st edition, we exercised our imaginations more than players and GM's do now. The culture of the gaming community has expanded and consequently evolved. While not a bad thing, it's not an entirely good thing either. The kids today are way too invested in instant gratification. They don't think things through anymore. They want to be able to walk into a game store, sit down, roll some dice and proclaim themselves heroes. They want it all to happen in one afternoon. They don't believe in the long build up. Review some of the old adventure modules. They were meant to be strung together to create a campaign. They were meant to advance the characters and players in skill and confidence over time. Not all at once.
Now for a word on magic. Gone are the days of magic fountains that could grant you permanent ability increases or reduce your character to a blithering idiot. Gone are the days when a character would find a magic sword and they would hold onto it because magic was a rare and wonderful thing. The creation of magic items was something you didn't undertake until you were of very high level. The games we ran didn't have magic shops. You asked the shop keepers if they had any special merchandise. Not all them did. The flavor of the game was different back then. Not better, just different.
Yes, you may consider my outlook on the game as antiquated or dinosaur-esque. But that is what I consider fun. We as the Dungeon Masters were encouraged to create our own content. We were driven to create worlds of adventure and heroic deeds. Legends and fantastic stories. D&D was more like a game Calvinball back then. There wasn't the sense of entitlement among the players back then. We didn't play with the expectation of our characters living through it and becoming heroes, we worked for it. Our victories were earned by our skill as players. I won't devolve into a rant at this time. I'll save that for the poor schmuck that corners me in a game store. I will also try and refrain from screaming "GET OFF MY LAWN! at the kids in the game store. Though this may be overreaching on my part. I'm an old grognard. I came to D&D from wargaming. This has influenced me for the entire span of my gaming career. I don't expect anyone to truly understand my views, but it's not required either. Go play the game however you want. As long as you're having fun, how can that be a bad thing?
Go have a blast.
Happy Gaming!
If you've been reading, then you will know my favorite edition is 1st Edition AD&D. This is where I tell you why it's my favorite.
Go read the preface and introduction from the 1st Ed. Dungeon Masters Guide. The game belonged to the Dungeon Masters back then. There wasn't a rule to cover every situation, not like there is now. Players didn't argue rules with the DM back then. There wasn't an emphasis on treating the game like an improve exercise. We weren't actors, we didn't try to create interesting scenes. We told stories. We performed heroic deeds. We created communal legends, we created fantastic memories. We weren't pushed in the direction of catering to the players. If you wrote an adventure or campaign, and the players didn't like it then someone else in the group wrote something up and the group tried that. We didn't try and give everyone the "spotlight". We played as a group and we succeeded or failed as a group.
When the game was sold to WotC, someone there decided that they had enough of not being able to control every miniscule decision and started introducing rules to cover every eventuality. They introduced character skills so that the players didn't have to actually think, they could just roll some dice. I am in a minority in my opinions about the game as it today. I don't really care. As I'm dangerously close to devolving into a rant, I'll be changing course.
By playing and refereeing in 1st edition, we exercised our imaginations more than players and GM's do now. The culture of the gaming community has expanded and consequently evolved. While not a bad thing, it's not an entirely good thing either. The kids today are way too invested in instant gratification. They don't think things through anymore. They want to be able to walk into a game store, sit down, roll some dice and proclaim themselves heroes. They want it all to happen in one afternoon. They don't believe in the long build up. Review some of the old adventure modules. They were meant to be strung together to create a campaign. They were meant to advance the characters and players in skill and confidence over time. Not all at once.
Now for a word on magic. Gone are the days of magic fountains that could grant you permanent ability increases or reduce your character to a blithering idiot. Gone are the days when a character would find a magic sword and they would hold onto it because magic was a rare and wonderful thing. The creation of magic items was something you didn't undertake until you were of very high level. The games we ran didn't have magic shops. You asked the shop keepers if they had any special merchandise. Not all them did. The flavor of the game was different back then. Not better, just different.
Yes, you may consider my outlook on the game as antiquated or dinosaur-esque. But that is what I consider fun. We as the Dungeon Masters were encouraged to create our own content. We were driven to create worlds of adventure and heroic deeds. Legends and fantastic stories. D&D was more like a game Calvinball back then. There wasn't the sense of entitlement among the players back then. We didn't play with the expectation of our characters living through it and becoming heroes, we worked for it. Our victories were earned by our skill as players. I won't devolve into a rant at this time. I'll save that for the poor schmuck that corners me in a game store. I will also try and refrain from screaming "GET OFF MY LAWN! at the kids in the game store. Though this may be overreaching on my part. I'm an old grognard. I came to D&D from wargaming. This has influenced me for the entire span of my gaming career. I don't expect anyone to truly understand my views, but it's not required either. Go play the game however you want. As long as you're having fun, how can that be a bad thing?
Go have a blast.
Happy Gaming!
Saturday, February 6, 2016
30 day D&D challenge. Day 6
Favorite Deity
Vecna The Whispered One. Anyone who has talked to me for any length of time about D&D, would know this. No one knows why. Allow me to tell you why now.
I had a Ranger that found the Hand and the Eye. He had lost part of an arm 2 adventures earlier, and had a custom gauntlet made that sported a short sword, so he could still wield dual weapons. After acquiring the Hand and the Eye. My plans for him changed. I was going to make him into a walking Cuisinart. Now that I had not just one but TWO artifacts. Here's the part where I start leaning towards magic using classes. Keep in mind, I had not read the entry in DMG for either of the artifacts. I only knew they were very powerful. My Ranger went to the nearest high powered M-U and paid an exorbitant amount of money for a Wish spell. That was a quest unto itself.
What I wrote for the Wish spell will stand as my finest work for all time. It was a 9 pages long, one continuous sentence. I thought I had figured for every contingency. If you read the Wish spell from 1st edition, "Regardless of what is wished for, the exact terminology of the Wish spell is likely to be carried through" This was permission to the DMs to completely screw with the player. Sean, my DM at the time did compliment me on my thoroughness. But he also thought of something I hadn't. Yes my Ranger would be able to keep the Hand and the Eye, he would not turn irrevocably Neutral Evil, however the Eye would take over when uncovered, and the Hand would have it's own personality. The Hand would eventually subdue the Eye, but the DM could make create any consequence of releasing the Eye. I was a victim of Artifact Power Madness., I didn't care about the consequences, I just wanted POWER! Only after I had committed to casting the spell and carving out my own eye, did Sean let me read the entries for the Hand and the Eye in the DMG.
Now, there will be those of you, who upon reading this will carry a certain degree of disbelief about the events I've just relayed. If you want to know how we got away with it... THIS IS 1ST EDITION AD&D! That's how we did it. This was collaborative story telling. We could do things like this because we didn't have to answer to game companies or other gamers. There was no internet, hence no internet trolls. We were six friends that enjoyed telling stories and creating legends.
Rest assured I did not continue to play that character. I retired him and he became part of my personal array of Mary Sue NPCs. I don't use him in games anymore, I just keep him around for the fond memories.
That is why Vecna will always be my favorite Deity. He fired my imagination and inspired me to great deeds. He also infected me with an obsession. I collected everything I could find on the Maimed Lord. I still have a notebook full of the stories I have written about Vecna. Maybe one day I'll let everyone read them.
There you have it folks. Be sure to tune in tomorrow for another exciting episode. In the meantime...
Happy Gaming!
Vecna The Whispered One. Anyone who has talked to me for any length of time about D&D, would know this. No one knows why. Allow me to tell you why now.
I had a Ranger that found the Hand and the Eye. He had lost part of an arm 2 adventures earlier, and had a custom gauntlet made that sported a short sword, so he could still wield dual weapons. After acquiring the Hand and the Eye. My plans for him changed. I was going to make him into a walking Cuisinart. Now that I had not just one but TWO artifacts. Here's the part where I start leaning towards magic using classes. Keep in mind, I had not read the entry in DMG for either of the artifacts. I only knew they were very powerful. My Ranger went to the nearest high powered M-U and paid an exorbitant amount of money for a Wish spell. That was a quest unto itself.
What I wrote for the Wish spell will stand as my finest work for all time. It was a 9 pages long, one continuous sentence. I thought I had figured for every contingency. If you read the Wish spell from 1st edition, "Regardless of what is wished for, the exact terminology of the Wish spell is likely to be carried through" This was permission to the DMs to completely screw with the player. Sean, my DM at the time did compliment me on my thoroughness. But he also thought of something I hadn't. Yes my Ranger would be able to keep the Hand and the Eye, he would not turn irrevocably Neutral Evil, however the Eye would take over when uncovered, and the Hand would have it's own personality. The Hand would eventually subdue the Eye, but the DM could make create any consequence of releasing the Eye. I was a victim of Artifact Power Madness., I didn't care about the consequences, I just wanted POWER! Only after I had committed to casting the spell and carving out my own eye, did Sean let me read the entries for the Hand and the Eye in the DMG.
Now, there will be those of you, who upon reading this will carry a certain degree of disbelief about the events I've just relayed. If you want to know how we got away with it... THIS IS 1ST EDITION AD&D! That's how we did it. This was collaborative story telling. We could do things like this because we didn't have to answer to game companies or other gamers. There was no internet, hence no internet trolls. We were six friends that enjoyed telling stories and creating legends.
Rest assured I did not continue to play that character. I retired him and he became part of my personal array of Mary Sue NPCs. I don't use him in games anymore, I just keep him around for the fond memories.
That is why Vecna will always be my favorite Deity. He fired my imagination and inspired me to great deeds. He also infected me with an obsession. I collected everything I could find on the Maimed Lord. I still have a notebook full of the stories I have written about Vecna. Maybe one day I'll let everyone read them.
There you have it folks. Be sure to tune in tomorrow for another exciting episode. In the meantime...
Happy Gaming!
Friday, February 5, 2016
30 day D&D challenge. Day 5
Favorite Die or Dice
Feared by players. Coveted by rival DMs. This little murderer could almost roll a 20 on command. In front of players!
Notice the rounded edges, denoting it's age. This die was the final epitaph for scores of PCs. Ask any of my players, past or recent. They will cringe at the mention of this beauty.
It's has had as many let downs as it has had successes though. It let my Warlock die from Rachel's character's attack. Somewhere the is the dead body of Warlock floating across the landscape, invisible, loaded with magic items for someone enterprising enough to find it so that they can pillage it.
Epic letdown: My halfling rogue Lucky. You remember him, right? Blew his pick pocket roll, and got busted by a Chaotic Evil Wizard, who in turn didn't kill him. Yet instead told him to obtain certain property from an unwilling donors. I went in, found the item, managed a few little extras for myself. All that and my little orange gem performed admirably. I will be the first one to admit that the reason that it failed me when picking the wizard's pocket is because I was showing off. That's what we call "Instant Karma" round these parts.
Rest assured The Orange D20 of Doom has an entire collection of like colored friends. Though none are as lethal. This one has been my companion at the table for longer than I can remember. I tend to get sentimental about this particular piece of plastic. But I'm a dice hoarder as well, and a minis hoarder, and a book hoarder for that matter.
Maybe one day I'll build it a little glass case and set it on the mantle to fondly remember old times.
Happy Gaming!
BEHOLD! THE ORANGE D20 OF DOOM!
Notice the rounded edges, denoting it's age. This die was the final epitaph for scores of PCs. Ask any of my players, past or recent. They will cringe at the mention of this beauty.
It's has had as many let downs as it has had successes though. It let my Warlock die from Rachel's character's attack. Somewhere the is the dead body of Warlock floating across the landscape, invisible, loaded with magic items for someone enterprising enough to find it so that they can pillage it.
Epic letdown: My halfling rogue Lucky. You remember him, right? Blew his pick pocket roll, and got busted by a Chaotic Evil Wizard, who in turn didn't kill him. Yet instead told him to obtain certain property from an unwilling donors. I went in, found the item, managed a few little extras for myself. All that and my little orange gem performed admirably. I will be the first one to admit that the reason that it failed me when picking the wizard's pocket is because I was showing off. That's what we call "Instant Karma" round these parts.
Rest assured The Orange D20 of Doom has an entire collection of like colored friends. Though none are as lethal. This one has been my companion at the table for longer than I can remember. I tend to get sentimental about this particular piece of plastic. But I'm a dice hoarder as well, and a minis hoarder, and a book hoarder for that matter.
Maybe one day I'll build it a little glass case and set it on the mantle to fondly remember old times.
Happy Gaming!
Thursday, February 4, 2016
30 day D&D challenge. Day 4
Favorite game world
GREYHAWK!
That is a picture
that hangs on the wall in the home office. I used to have little sticky flags
that I had placed on all the major published modules were located. The only one
I still have marked is The Keep on the Borderlands. (Lower Left, little blue flag)
This is the world I
grew up in. Our group played all the major modules, and because “Strict time
records must be kept” we played the overland travel to get from place to place
as well.
Longest journey we’ve
ever undertaken was from The Free City of Greyhawk to The Forgotten City in the
Sea of Dust. By the time we had finished, we were all in the upper teens in
levels. Took us over a 15 years in game time.
One of my personal
joys, is being able to create material for Greyhawk. I may have never had
anything professionally published, but I have reams of notes of the history of
Greyhawk. Just so I could string together modules and self-created adventures.
I don’t know about
anyone else, but reading the plethora of material published for Greyhawk,
taught me a huge amount. It gave me the confidence to start creating my own game
worlds. I have, to date, created 5 game worlds. 3 from scratch, 2 others from
maps used for inspiration (Thank you Christopher West!) I keep threatening to
put one up on the blog….
I could gush about
my favorite game world, I could go on and tell you about everything I’ve read or
written about it. But, you don’t want to hear that.
The highlight of this
entire post, is to say…
My first is still my favorite.
Happy gaming!
Wednesday, February 3, 2016
30 day D&D challenge. Day 3
Favorite PC
Class
This topic needs to be broken down into two
parts. What was my favorite class back in the day. And what is my favorite
class to play now-a-days.
Way back when, some 30+ years ago (GAWD I’m
OLD!) I was all about the Thieves, and Barbarians, and possibly Cavaliers, and
maybe Illusionists. I really just liked
being to do all the things those classes could do. I had not the depth of
thought or personality to work from a position of authority in matters
regarding background or anything resembling a story, at that time.
I had been reading everything I could get my
hands on at that age. Which means Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser, Tolkien, Howard Pyle (Thanks Mom), all the
required fantasy reading of the day. These authors colored my choices back
then. And this is just fantasy... Wait tiI I discover science fiction and the
game Traveller!
But I doth chase
chickens.
Tastes change over the years, I have migrated
from wanting to play characters because of the powers they can wield to trying
to get classes to do things they weren’t meant to do, to making more out of the
characters backstory to make them interesting. Currently I have this fascination
with pairing certain classes with obscure professions. This has a two-fold
benefit. First, I get to research things like Bell casting, Coopers (barrel
making), and Book binding. Second, it’s a challenge (albeit minor) to pair
certain Mideval professions with character classes. More on Bell casting in a
later post.
Overall my favorite class has to be the 1st
Edition Bard. It was so difficult to actually become a Bard back then. You had to
go through Fighter, then Thief, then you became a provisional Bard. But O the
things you could do when you finally got there! Every old school player I have
ever met, has at least once tried to get to full blown BARD. It’s tough to
qualify for. Takes a very long to time achieve. It takes commitment.
I have probably rambled for long enough. I
don’t want to run the risk of boring you.
Happy Gaming!
Tuesday, February 2, 2016
30 day D&D challenge: Day 2
Favorite PC race
I have 2 favorites really Halflings & Half-Ogres. And they happen to be at opposite ends of several spectrums. Let's start with size. 1st Edition AD&D had 3 breeds of Halfling. Hairfoot, Stout and Tallfellow. I don't think I ever played anything but a Hairfoot. I had read The Hobbit, seen the animated movie, and was still a fairly short kid. I related to halflings on quite a few levels.
Back in the Basic D&D days, you didn't pick a race and a class, you got race, that's it. Of course, there were only 3 alignments too. It was called "Basic" after all. Back then Halflings were just short fighters. It wasn't until 1st edition that the Halfling came into their own, they could be Thieves.
One of my first Halfling Thieves was named Eubeen Hadd. ... ... ... WHADDA YA EXPECT FROM A 12 YEAR OLD!?!? I hadn't developed much imagination yet. Idontwannatalkaboutit. Anyway, Over the course of his adventures, he found a pair of gauntlets. You old farts are going to know what kind of gauntlets they were. I played that character for another 2 months before I finally found out what kind they were. They were Gauntlets of Ogre Power.
Cliché, oh so cliché. Again... What did you expect from Power Gaming 12 year olds. This is by no means a defense (I won't defend that which we all have offended from time to time) this is the way things were. We were all of the same mind back then.
Basically they were the only things left over after the treasure was divvied up. Well, long story shortened to preserve sanity (yours and mine) shortly afterward the self same gauntlet wearing Halfling also acquired a certain magic accoutrement... A Girdle of Storm Giant strength. That particular Halfling Thief soon gave up a life of stealth and started Tanking for the group.
In more recent history, there was Olarin Pugtoe. Halfling Rogue. When he had reached about 5th level, I lost interest and was set to hand over the Roguely duties to another player. I had decided to have Olarin develop a death wish. I did have a few rules for his demise however. It couldn't be a wasted death. It couldn't be done by members of the party. And he had to go out in a blaze of glory. Several attempts were made, none successful, to encourage a deceased condition. None succeeded. What did happen, is that a certain member of the party (Dave, forever will his name be spat as a curse by Olarin) went to the other party members and gathered them all to the idea that because the Halfling had escaped death so many times, he should be declared the party's mascot, and gave him the nick name "Lucky". :-|
Very displeased was I. Thus changed the rules for "Lucky's" demise. Now he would endeavor to take someone with him into the glorious throws of death.
Again, we shorten because we don't want to offend our readers by telling gaming stories no one want to hear. Lucky as he came to be known, never did die. He managed to take out the offending characters, then he quietly retired to a small town to pursue other dreams. Hence I could play the Necromancer, and Reuse, Recycle, Re-Animate. Muhahahaha!!! Or so I thought.....
I believe the player's name was Brock??? Maybe. He had been chosen as Lucky's replacement. Brock dutifully rolled up a Halfling Rogue, and we had passed the mantle of "Token Halfling". Or so I thought. Brock decided to take his Halfling for spin, and ended up getting arrested and jailed. The DM rolled on his justice tables, and Brock's Halfling was scheduled to be drawn and quartered. Lucky soon got a visit from a messenger, requesting that Lucky rejoin the party. Personally I think they just didn't want to wander around with a Wizard/Cleric True Necromancer.... :-\
Thus endeth the saga of my Halflings. Now we turn our eyes to my other favorite PC race... Half-Ogres.
There comes a certain time in every gamers life, when all they really want to do is sit down at the table, roll some dice, kill monsters and take their stuff. If you, dear reader, are at this point in your life, I urge you to play a 1st edition game, and play a Half-Ogre.
I discovered the big bruisers when I picked up The Best of Dragon: Volume IV. It contained the article, The Whole Half-Ogre: Expanded character creation rules for the best darn door opener ever.
My first Half-Ogre was Zog. He was 9ft tall, wielded twin bastard swords, and could cut down kobolds life a hot knife through butter. He also hated bunnies. I don't remember why he hated bunnies, but hate them he did. I think it was so he would have something to do at the camp at night while everyone else talked over the day's adventuring events. Zog would wander the woods searching for the evil bunnies.
Sometimes it's nice to be a 9ft tall wall-o-hit points. Those of you reading this hoping to gain a deeper understanding of a Half-Ogre's state of mind... That ship has sailed! Half-Ogres are all about the killing.
I could tell you the story of Zog and Lord Maeramore the Paladin, but I'd be straying into that realm of "boring gaming stories". So briefly, some of the other notable Half-Ogres that that I can recall are...
Grunch, Half-Ogre Barbarian. In 3rd or 3.5, can't remember. He had an Ogre's Fullblade. Those were the days *sigh*. He was a member of a 8 character party??/ Might be wrong, not sure. I do remember there were 4 half-ogres, and elf, I think a gnome, a halfling, and possibly a human. I remember he was raging when followed a pack of gnolls and ended him against 8 gnolls, in a confined hallway. Poor Grunch.
Krang, Grunch's uncle that went looking for him after his untimely demise at the hands of filthy gnolls. He was a Lawful Neutral Paladin hopeful. I was hoping to talk the DM into letting it go that way.
While not one of my characters, Yonder a friends' half-ogre Bard. Yes you read that right. Half-Ogre BARD. He wielded an ogre sized whip dagger and carried a drum. A member of that same party was half-ogre Paladin. Those were fun games.
So there you have it. My two favorite PC races.
Happy Gaming!
I have 2 favorites really Halflings & Half-Ogres. And they happen to be at opposite ends of several spectrums. Let's start with size. 1st Edition AD&D had 3 breeds of Halfling. Hairfoot, Stout and Tallfellow. I don't think I ever played anything but a Hairfoot. I had read The Hobbit, seen the animated movie, and was still a fairly short kid. I related to halflings on quite a few levels.
Back in the Basic D&D days, you didn't pick a race and a class, you got race, that's it. Of course, there were only 3 alignments too. It was called "Basic" after all. Back then Halflings were just short fighters. It wasn't until 1st edition that the Halfling came into their own, they could be Thieves.
One of my first Halfling Thieves was named Eubeen Hadd. ... ... ... WHADDA YA EXPECT FROM A 12 YEAR OLD!?!? I hadn't developed much imagination yet. Idontwannatalkaboutit. Anyway, Over the course of his adventures, he found a pair of gauntlets. You old farts are going to know what kind of gauntlets they were. I played that character for another 2 months before I finally found out what kind they were. They were Gauntlets of Ogre Power.
Cliché, oh so cliché. Again... What did you expect from Power Gaming 12 year olds. This is by no means a defense (I won't defend that which we all have offended from time to time) this is the way things were. We were all of the same mind back then.
Basically they were the only things left over after the treasure was divvied up. Well, long story shortened to preserve sanity (yours and mine) shortly afterward the self same gauntlet wearing Halfling also acquired a certain magic accoutrement... A Girdle of Storm Giant strength. That particular Halfling Thief soon gave up a life of stealth and started Tanking for the group.
In more recent history, there was Olarin Pugtoe. Halfling Rogue. When he had reached about 5th level, I lost interest and was set to hand over the Roguely duties to another player. I had decided to have Olarin develop a death wish. I did have a few rules for his demise however. It couldn't be a wasted death. It couldn't be done by members of the party. And he had to go out in a blaze of glory. Several attempts were made, none successful, to encourage a deceased condition. None succeeded. What did happen, is that a certain member of the party (Dave, forever will his name be spat as a curse by Olarin) went to the other party members and gathered them all to the idea that because the Halfling had escaped death so many times, he should be declared the party's mascot, and gave him the nick name "Lucky". :-|
Very displeased was I. Thus changed the rules for "Lucky's" demise. Now he would endeavor to take someone with him into the glorious throws of death.
Again, we shorten because we don't want to offend our readers by telling gaming stories no one want to hear. Lucky as he came to be known, never did die. He managed to take out the offending characters, then he quietly retired to a small town to pursue other dreams. Hence I could play the Necromancer, and Reuse, Recycle, Re-Animate. Muhahahaha!!! Or so I thought.....
I believe the player's name was Brock??? Maybe. He had been chosen as Lucky's replacement. Brock dutifully rolled up a Halfling Rogue, and we had passed the mantle of "Token Halfling". Or so I thought. Brock decided to take his Halfling for spin, and ended up getting arrested and jailed. The DM rolled on his justice tables, and Brock's Halfling was scheduled to be drawn and quartered. Lucky soon got a visit from a messenger, requesting that Lucky rejoin the party. Personally I think they just didn't want to wander around with a Wizard/Cleric True Necromancer.... :-\
Thus endeth the saga of my Halflings. Now we turn our eyes to my other favorite PC race... Half-Ogres.
There comes a certain time in every gamers life, when all they really want to do is sit down at the table, roll some dice, kill monsters and take their stuff. If you, dear reader, are at this point in your life, I urge you to play a 1st edition game, and play a Half-Ogre.
I discovered the big bruisers when I picked up The Best of Dragon: Volume IV. It contained the article, The Whole Half-Ogre: Expanded character creation rules for the best darn door opener ever.
My first Half-Ogre was Zog. He was 9ft tall, wielded twin bastard swords, and could cut down kobolds life a hot knife through butter. He also hated bunnies. I don't remember why he hated bunnies, but hate them he did. I think it was so he would have something to do at the camp at night while everyone else talked over the day's adventuring events. Zog would wander the woods searching for the evil bunnies.
Sometimes it's nice to be a 9ft tall wall-o-hit points. Those of you reading this hoping to gain a deeper understanding of a Half-Ogre's state of mind... That ship has sailed! Half-Ogres are all about the killing.
I could tell you the story of Zog and Lord Maeramore the Paladin, but I'd be straying into that realm of "boring gaming stories". So briefly, some of the other notable Half-Ogres that that I can recall are...
Grunch, Half-Ogre Barbarian. In 3rd or 3.5, can't remember. He had an Ogre's Fullblade. Those were the days *sigh*. He was a member of a 8 character party??/ Might be wrong, not sure. I do remember there were 4 half-ogres, and elf, I think a gnome, a halfling, and possibly a human. I remember he was raging when followed a pack of gnolls and ended him against 8 gnolls, in a confined hallway. Poor Grunch.
Krang, Grunch's uncle that went looking for him after his untimely demise at the hands of filthy gnolls. He was a Lawful Neutral Paladin hopeful. I was hoping to talk the DM into letting it go that way.
While not one of my characters, Yonder a friends' half-ogre Bard. Yes you read that right. Half-Ogre BARD. He wielded an ogre sized whip dagger and carried a drum. A member of that same party was half-ogre Paladin. Those were fun games.
So there you have it. My two favorite PC races.
Happy Gaming!
Monday, February 1, 2016
30 day D&D challenge: Day 1
How I got started.
Sherman set the WayBack machine... Oh wait, I've already done this here. I'll be starting on the day 2 post now.
Happy gaming!
Sherman set the WayBack machine... Oh wait, I've already done this here. I'll be starting on the day 2 post now.
Happy gaming!
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