Initiative Or What?

New Year - BIG Changes

noreply@blogger.com (R.M. Walker) — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 15:53:00 +0000

Greetings, Kids, and HAPPY NEW YEAR!

It's the new year, and while you might have noticed that I didn't do a "year in review" type post, there's a good reason for that. I already know what I did in 2011. As a result, the future is FAR more entertaining. Turns out, 2012 is going to be an amazing year.

...and not for that Mayan thing, either.

Changes are coming to my blogging activities. In a few weeks, Initiative Or What? will cease to become an independent blog. The content will be moved, and the site eventually closed down.

I know, I know. I will wait a moment while you rend your clothing, pull your hair, and gnash your teeth.

All set?

Thadeous Cooper, over at This Is My Game, has asked that I (in partnership with Tracy "rolling20s" Barnett) take over the management of that fine site. It was quite a surprise being asked to take over his blog, and I have to admit I was hesitant. However, after some soul searching, I realized this was just the kind of thing I needed to do. As a result, I will be moving the content of this blog over to This Is My Game, and will continue writing a column there called, Initiative Or What?. The hope is that I'll be able to preserve continuity by having my readership transfer smoothly over to This Is My Game.

In addition, Dave "The Game" Chalker over at the Ennie Award winning site, Critical Hits, has asked me if I would like to move my 4e Star Frontiers articles over there. Having sensed that I just rolled a "natural 20", I couldn't say no. While we still need to work out the details of that transfer (additional editing, etc.), look for future 4e Star Frontiers articles over there. I am really excited by this opportunity and looking forward to being a part (even if it's just a small part) of the Critical Hits team.

It's been a great journey with this blog. While I've been blogging for awhile, I converted my blog to all RPG content over three years ago after a difficult time in my life. As a result, I've made some great friends, witnessed some great events, and have been made to really feel a part of the RPG community. While my readership has never been server breaking, I know I had some loyal subscribers, and I want to thank each & every one of you for reading and occasionally commenting on the bits & pieces of ideas put forth on the site. Your patronage is appreciated more than you can know.

Thanks again for everyone in the RPG community for their support and I'll see you soon over at This Is My Game and Critical Hits!

Until next time...

Game excellently with one another.

Merry Krampus!

noreply@blogger.com (R.M. Walker) — Sat, 24 Dec 2011 15:31:00 +0000

Greetings, Kids!

I hammer out this post even as my lovely wife, Anna, is baking sugar cookies. Looking up and over the credenza I can see the decorated tree with its pretty ornaments & colorful lights. Lots of carefully wrapped presents lie under the tree.

I think it's Christmas Eve.

In the spirit of this fine holiday, I was asked by Jenny Snyder over at Vanity Games to do a little write up for a creature of legend that haunts the dreams of naughty children this time of year - The Krampus. This is the second year in a row I've done something like this, and you might remember the dragon I wrote up last year (I'm at loss to find a link for that creature at the moment). These creatures find their way to Jenny's annual holiday game, and it is my pleasure to stat them up for her.

The Krampus is BIG NEWS and sort of the "flavor of Christmas Monsters" this year it seems. My take on this grumpy guy is a little different than many of the others out there, but I hope you'll enjoy it.

Folklore is persistent with tales of Saant Nikolas, the true spirit of generosity and giving. In fact, many lands still hold this figure in high regard, setting aside a day in Mid-Winter as a holiday to celebrate his generous spirit. This holiday is characterized by giving gifts to one another. Children especially love this holiday, and are warned that if they are not good, instead of a gift from Saant Nikolas, they will receive coal from the Krampus.

Who is the Krampus? Common mythology is less clear as to this origin of this figure. Children live in occasional fear of his coal “gifts”, but little is known about the creature.

Until now.

The spirit of Saant Nikolas has an ugly secret. It’s common knowledge that he has several assistants that help him prepare his sleigh for his journey to the homes of the world’s children. Mistakenly called, “elves”, these creatures are actually gnomes. Hard working, faithful to the cause, and loyal to Saant Nikolas, they work throughout the year making toys and other treats for good children.

What the gnomes don’t readily report is that once a year, a terrible curse strikes one of their number. That curse twists and disfigures one gnome, turning that creature into an embodiment of spite & evil. That creature is known as the Krampus.

When the Krampus is discovered, it is kept under lock and key. It’s wild nature is destructive, and unless kept under control, it can cause widespread destruction and chaos. However, Saant Nikolas’ very nature prevents the destruction of the Krampus. In keeping with his generosity, Saant Nikolas brings the Krampus with him every year on his journey, in order to show the creature the true spirit of giving. To keep the creature out of trouble, the Krampus is charged with giving coal to bad children encountered on the journey. It is thought that if Saant Nikolas encounters no naughty children, the curse of the Krampus will be lifted.

While it is unlikely that adventurers will ever encounter the Krampus, there have been tales of occasions where the Krampus escapes its confinement prior to Saant Nikolas’ journey. During these times of chaos and destruction, it is not unheard of for the gnomes to call upon additional help in order to defeat the creature. Unfortunately, if the Krampus is slain before the Mid-Winter holiday, another gnome undergoes the curse. The race is then on to discover this new Krampus and place him into custody until Saant Nikolas can journey again.

And there you have it, my version of the Ancient Krampus of the old legends.

On behalf of my family and myself. I want to wish all of you a Merry Christmas, Happy Holiday, and Joyous New Year. May the season be filled with the loves, hopes, & dreams that you deserve.

Until next time...

Game excellently with one another.

Running Monsters - A 4e Monster Hack

noreply@blogger.com (R.M. Walker) — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 15:37:00 +0000

There is a trend with RPGs that I've noticed over the years. When a game first comes out, everyone jumps right on board, playing the game as it was written, glossing over the bumps, and occasionally giving feedback on what could be done better.

Good game companies respond to this feedback, and if they're diligent, try to improve their game with upgrades that smooth out those previously mentioned bumps. If a company doesn't do that, then another company might come along and do it for them. I think the best example of this is Paizo's Pathfinder. It's basically the ultimate D&D 3.5 "hack". Seems it's pretty popular, too.

So. The longer a game is played, the more likely it will be "house-ruled". The 4e version of Dungeons & Dragons has been out for nearly 4 years now. I think WotC has been as diligent as a large company can be with encouraging player feedback and responding to the gaming communities' needs. You might argue that Essentials was even a result of that. Nevertheless, as the game ages, more and more "hacks" of the game can be found. Maybe someone didn't like "this" rule or "that" rule. A quick scan of the gaming blogs (even just the 4e gaming blogs) shows that people are playing the game in a bunch of different ways.

There's nothing wrong with this. You could say that even board games get this treatment. Have you ever sat down in someone's home and NOT had some house-rule version of Monopoly played?

Exactly.

All this is leading up to something that occurred to me the other day. As a DM, one of the biggest challenges I face is running monsters. Monsters have a wide variety of different powers that are used under different circumstances. While Player indecision at the table is talked about a lot (particularly as a factor in slow game play), the DM can face similar indecision, especially when faced with solo monsters with multiple powers. While WotC did a great thing a year ago or so when they changed the layout of the monster stat blocks, I'm finding that this is not enough. As a DM it would be nice if the monsters "ran themselves". This way, nature could take it's course, and it would be less of a contest between myself and my players on a tactical level. It wasn't until yesterday I figured out how to do this.

Basically what I would do is set up each major monster with a "combat profile". What that means, is that I inventory the powers of the creature, and then set up a small table to determine (at random) what power a monster might use. In this way, you can sort of "animate" the monster to act on its own. The only real decision you have to make is the creature's movement (which is much more difficult to randomize).

You might recognize Kalarel, the Scion of Orcus. Mean guy. Lots of powers. Let's break it down.

Side note: This stat block is in the old format. I'll break his powers down by action.

Standard Action Powers -

Rod of Ruin
Decaying Ray
Master of the Undead (limited use)

Minor Action Powers -

Touch of Ruin (conditional use)
Call of the Grave (rechargeable use)

Five powers, split between standard actions and minor actions. This particular version of Kalarel has no movement action powers. So how do we automate this guy? Well, let's take his environment into consideration first. He's near an underground portal, has some undead servants helping him out. He can't fly, so it's not like he has powers that would assist him in that kind of arena. He does have a mix of ranged and melee attacks, though, in order to handle both ranged and nearby enemies. To "automate" this guy, this is how I'd set up his powers:

Die Roll (d6) - Power Used

1 to 2 - Decaying Ray (S), Move (M), Touch of Ruin (Mn - applicable)
3 to 4 - Rod of Ruin (S), Move (M), Touch of Ruin (Mn - if applicable)
5 - Master of the Undead (S - if applicable), Move (M), Touch of Ruin Mn - if applicable)
6 - Decaying Ray (S), Move (M), Call of the Grave (Mn - if applicable)

Now, you'll notice that there are a couple of things I ignored. Recharge powers? I hate having to remember them. Instead of worrying about the recharge, I just assign them a lower probability on the "Powers Used" chart. In the above example, Call of the Grave is a recharge power. Thus, I set it as the "6" on the die roll. Of course, you can always fool around with the probability. You might wish to use a d10, which equates to a percentage a little easier. Something like this, maybe:

Die Roll (d10) - Power Used

1 to 4 - Decaying Ray (S), Move (M), Touch of Ruin (Mn - applicable)

5 to 7 - Rod of Ruin (S), Move (M), Touch of Ruin (Mn - if applicable)

8 to 9 - Master of the Undead (S - if applicable), Move (M), Touch of Ruin Mn - if applicable)

10 - Decaying Ray (S), Move (M), Call of the Grave (Mn - if applicable)

Changing the die changes the probability some. Essentially, powers you think will be used more often will get more pips.

Finally, for really complex solo creatures whose power profiles change abruptly, you might create two charts. Some creatures go a little crazy once they're bloodied. In that event, you might create a random Power Used profile for when the creature is healthy, and one for when the creature is bloodied. The nice thing about this system is that you can expand it as much as you like. The only real drawback, is that it does require some knowledge of the creatures you are running. It's good for a Dungeon Master to have this information anyway, but it you're pulling out random monsters, you might use a generic chart like this:

Die Roll (d10) - Power Used

1-4 - Basic Melee or Ranged Attack
5-7 - Optional Full Melee or Ranged Attack
8-9 - Encounter Power
10 - Recharge Power

I plan on using this in the future with my monsters so I can be a more efficient DM at the table. I'd love to hear what you think about his idea? Leave me note!

Until next time...

Game excellently with one another.

Myst 4e - The Audio/Video Club

noreply@blogger.com (R.M. Walker) — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 16:49:00 +0000

Greetings, All!

As many of you know, I've been working on a 4e campaign set within the Myst universe. My approach to this has been multi-modal, utilizing all sorts of special terrain, rules, handouts, and other varied types of presentation.

If you're not familiar with Myst, it was an innovative game from the mid-90s that utilized a unique universe of linked worlds (or ages). The focus was on beautifully rendered (but originally static) scenery combined with a immersive story & enigmatic puzzles.

Of these elements, of particular interest to me are the puzzles within the game. These puzzles are interesting to me, because they rely on the observation of the environment and the components that contribute to the puzzle itself, in order to solve them. In other words, if you're not paying attention to where you are, you're probably going to be at a disadvantage.

For me, this is the perfect kind of puzzle for a Dungeons & Dragons game. It makes the players observe the environment and come to conclusions, without having to resort to the character sheet for a quick & easy answer.

Last Saturday, the Dead Orcs Society (which has become trapped on Myst Island) managed to find a linking book to a another age (Selenetic). Being rather bold, they immediately linked to the age. The area is interesting, as they have to solve a puzzle related to sound before they can unlock the chamber that will eventually allow them to escape. One of the key parts to solving the puzzle is a main "control antenna array" at the center of the area. Now the trick here, was to attempt to describe rather modern (but not "ultra-modern") objects into terms that post medieval characters might understand. Here's what the players (and thus their characters) were confronted with:

Such a mechanism would be very difficult to describe without a lengthy treatise. As you can see there are a number of buttons (2 arrows, 5 pictographs, and 1 large button (which is actually a summation symbol, I believe), a video readout, and a number readout (which is actually a frequency). The trick is to use the arrows to point at locations around the island matching the picture. As you get close, the arrow begins to flash and the sound unique to each symbol comes in clear. You then click the big "E" button to see the order of the sounds. That's important, because you have to enter those sounds later into this panel:

Again, it's all rather complicated to explain, but the gist here is that each of those sliders has several sounds attached to them, so as you move a slider, the sounds play. In addition to the legitimate sounds on the island, there are several dummy sounds as well. It's challenging, even for a group, because at one point, they had to revisit the main antenna array in order to hear one of the sounds more clearly.

However, there's a catch to all of these panels & such. That last image? Yeah...that's actually the first puzzle component they encounter. The panel is completely baffling, you have to explore the rest of the island in order to figure out its purpose. The second catch, is that you have to visit each of five areas on the island, and push a button to activate the microphone so that the main antenna (which you haven't arrived at yet) can read the signal.

The puzzle helped accomplish what I'm trying to do with this campaign. I'm more interested in player interaction than character interaction at this point. Anyone can roll a die, look at the character sheet and say, "I did it". While that's a completely legitimate way to play, it's also sort of takes the fun and mystery out of exploration. Instead of having the characters muck about making a bunch of useless skill checks or perception checks, I just loaded up Myst (in this case, RealMyst, the real-time version of the game), popped it over to the external monitor, and then watched the fun on my own screen, as they used the mouse to manipulate the elements of the puzzle. To avoid players "spoiling" certain elements of the map (and to prevent them from jumping ahead), I had them move their figures to the desired location on the map before revealing the area on the screen. (see image below).

It was actually pretty cool watching the players explore this puzzle without having to do a lot myself. Between the 4 of them (I was missing a player), they solved it in about 30 minutes. It was a great utilization of the time, and it wasn't boring for them.

If I could wish for some new thing at my gaming tabletop, it would be to run puzzles like this more often. I'd love it, if I could load a mini app on my screen, that contained the elements to a puzzle. I could then operate that component without having to launch an entire game to do so. Not really sure if that would work or not, but I know I'll be trying to utilize such audio/video aides in the future.

While I'm not sure if an AV component will figure in to the rest of the Myst Campaign, I now have a tested reference and know it will work.

Thoughts? Questions? I welcome them. Let me know what you think of this experiment, and whether or not you have utilized AV in a similar way at your game table.

Until next time...

Game excellently with one another.

Dead Orcs Society - House Rules Edition

noreply@blogger.com (R.M. Walker) — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 14:30:00 +0000

Greetings, All!

It's been awhile since I've done any blogging, as I've been working on a pretty big project that was finally completed. In a few days, I'll be posting pics and information on my Myst Island campaign for 4th Edition. However, in the meantime, there's something else I'd like to talk about.

There's been a lot of talk on Twitter (my main hangout) as of late regarding the various conceits of Dungeons & Dragons and particularly 4th Edition. Monte Cook's various Legends & Lore articles never fail to encourage in-depth (and often unnecessarily heated) discussion on how the game of Dungeons & Dragons is really to be played.

As a Dungeon Master, I love 4th Edition. It's balanced play, ease of encounter construction, and flexible presentation make it the easiest game I've ever had the privilege to DM. It's because of this flexibility, that I feel comfortable modifying certain rules to help our own game group better enjoy the game. No game is perfect, but 4th Edition allows me to change things up and improve our group's experience without having to invest in yet another game that tries to fix those gaps.

Listed below are most of the house rules I've either implemented or intend to implement. I've avoided listing the ones that are "campaign specific". Thus, these rules are applicable to whatever 4e game I'm running and are listed in no particular order:

1 - Extremely Curtailed Perception Checks.

I discussed why I did this HERE, but the short version is that I wanted more Player participation instead of Character resolution. What I mean by that is that if there is a puzzle or mystery or search, I want my Players to be able to set the course of action, not the character. I now reserve Perception checks only for combat situations involving invisibility.

2 - Minions Have 1 Hit Point Per Level.

It's always bugged me that even a 23rd level Minion has only 1 hit point. I understand that there are reasons for this rules conceit, but I changed it anyway. Minions have 1 hit point per level. Powers that are keyed to taking out Minions are modified to scale up. Missed attacks still do not harm Minions.

3 - Death Is Not The End.

While my own players haven't had their characters experience this yet, they will find that Death is not necessarily the end. Heroes have the option to continue play as a Ghost, with limited abilities. Since Rituals exist to bring back life to a Hero, the Ghost option (based on the Ghostwalk Campaign Setting) allows the Player to continue to participate.

4 - Curtailed Opportunity Attacks.

The only opportunity attacks that occur is when a character attempts to use a ranged or magical attack against an adjacent enemy. Those adjacent enemies get opportunity attacks. This rule applies to monsters as well.

5 - XP Is Not Handed Out.

While I base my encounters on the party level (so they are balanced), I do not hand out XP for said encounters. Instead, I level up the party when I feel it is appropriate. This process saves the Players some math, and I don't have to worry about keeping track of every little bit of XP.

6 - DM Controlled Magic Item Distribution.

I do not allow my players to really "shop" for appropriate magic items (although I have made exceptions for characters joining the campaign "mid stream"). Instead, I monitor what types of items the characters say they'd like, and if appropriate place them in the campaign as needed. Under most circumstances, the items will be random. In larger towns, there may be magic "shoppes", but these places will only carry Common magic items, alchemical reagents, and the occasional ritual.

7 - Action Point Usage (Daily Powers).

If a Player would like to insure that a Daily Power hits, he or she may expend an Action Point in order for that to happen. Because the hit is automatic, it prevents the hit from ever being critical in nature. An Action Point can only be used in this way once per encounter.

8 - Encounter Power Fallback.

If a Player misses his or her enemy with an Encounter Attack Power, the Player has the option to expend a Healing Surge and instead strike the enemy with a Melee or Ranged Basic Attack. This attack must be rolled, but the Character gains a +2 on the attack roll.

9 - Rare Magic Item Challenges.

Characters do not get to automatically determine the powers/effects of a Rare Magic Item. Instead, I have them do a brief skill challenge. You can read about how that works HERE.

10 - Extended Rests Are More Challenging.

Extended Rests are a little more challenging in my game. Not every resting spot is a nice comfy inn or safe castle. I wrote all about how I changed it up right HERE.

That's basically the list. It's not very long, but it's enough to fill in the gaps where the game (for our group) can become "un-fun". I want to hear about the rules your game groups have created to either fill in a gap or improve play. Leave a comment and let me know!

Until next time...

Game excellently with one another.

Automated Treasure Finder

noreply@blogger.com (R.M. Walker) — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 14:59:00 +0000

Greetings, everyone!

So I was chatting about treasure determination and it was mentioned that it would be nice if there was a way we could roll up treasure without having to consult a bunch of tables and things.

Well, I've done something that might ease the burden some. I built an Excel spreadsheet based on the Treasure By Party Level tables in the Dungeons & Dragons® Essentials™ Rules Compendium™.

Of course, you'll need a recent version of Excel to view this spreadsheet, so if you have that, by all means click on the indicated link: Essentials Treasure Finder

This should ease the burden some, but it won't be suitable to the truly lazy DM that wants each and every item determined by a random roll. In other words, while the tool well tell you that you've found a Level 2 Uncommon magic item, it won't tell you WHAT item that is. As the DM, you'll have to determine that yourself.

Each tab of the spreadsheet contains the outcomes for the various character tiers: Heroic, Paragon, & Epic. Simply click F9 when the spreadsheet is loaded to "roll the dice" and determine the treasure. Click as often as you need.

The spreadsheet should be compatible with most recent versions of Excel. Feel free to adapt the spreadsheet to your own needs, but don't sell it. That wouldn't be cool.

Final note: If there are any code monkeys out there that would like to take the spreadsheet and convert it to a java tool or similar application, feel free to do so. However, if you do, please post a link that I can add to this page, so everyone else can feel the love.

Until next time...

Game excellently with one another.

Something To Do With Rare Magic Items

noreply@blogger.com (R.M. Walker) — Fri, 07 Oct 2011 19:01:00 +0000

Ever since Mordy's Book came out, there's been a lot of talk online about rare magic items. Some folks thing they're just the thing to fix what they see as a broken system. Others think these items might break a system that's already well established in 4th Edition Dungeons & Dragons.

Regardless of your opinion on such things, I thought of something that might be entertaining and add a little excitement to your player's discovery of a rare magic item. Don't just tell them what they find. Instead, consider working in a skill challenge for those players.

This was just a quick idea I had, but I liked it well enough, that I think I might start using it in my own campaigns. Presented below is a 3rd level example of what such a skill challenge might look like.

Rare Magic Item Skill Challenge

Demanding quiet, you hold what must surely be a magical item of great value and rarity. It's a shame the creator's notes were destroyed in the fight. Looks like you'll have to figure out what this item is the hard way.

This skill challenge is designed to determine the powers & benefits of a Rare Magic Item.

A simple Arcana check (of the appropriate level) can determine during a Short Rest, if a recovered magical item is Rare. If the item is Rare, it's powers can be determined during the party's next Extended Rest.

Pick one person in the party to be designated the primary. That person is now the one that is to complete the skill challenge to determine the nature of the Rare Magic Item. Additional members of the party can assist the primary, but they must be adjacent to the primary in order to do so.

Rare Magic Item Skill Challenge		150 XP
Level 3 Complexity 1 (requires 4 successes before 3 failures)
Primary Skills
Arcana (DC 13): Using your knowledge of the magical arts & sciences, you uncover the secrets this item keeps hidden.
Success: You gain a 1 success.
Failure: You gain 1 failure. In addition, your blundering causes you to expend a daily power of the item (if it has one). If the item does not have powers (or has no powers remaining), everyone in a Burst 2 area takes Low Damage (1d6+5 for 3rd level, for example) of a type relevant to the item (for example, if the weapon is fire based, this damage is fire damage.)

History (DC 13): Special items have unique histories. Surely you can recall something you've read somewhere about the item you now hold in your hands.
Success: You gain 1 success.
Failure: You gain 1 failure. In addition, your blundering causes you to expend a daily power of the item (if it has one). If the item does not have powers (or has no remaining powers), everyone in a Burst 2 area takes Low Damage (1d6+5 for 3rd level, for example) of a type relevant to the item (for example, if the weapon is fire based, this damage is fire damage.)

Other Skills
Assistance Bonus (DC 13): You lend aid to the primary person completing this Rare Magic Item skill challenge. In order to do so, roll a skill check of the same type as the primary person completing the skill challenge.
Success: If your assistance roll succeeds, you have managed to provide some helpful information to the primary.The primary person completing the skill challenge gains a +2 to their next skill check roll.
Failure: If your assistance roll fails, you have managed to steer the primary wrong. The primary person completing the skill challenge gains a -2 to their next skill check roll.

Other Relevant Skill (DC 21): This category varies, as different items might lend themselves to being puzzled out by different skills. For example, the Religion skill might be useful to figure out the abilities of a Rare Magic Item that has a religious theme or apparent function.
Success: You gain a 1 success. In addition, you gain a +1 to Arcana or History rolls made for the remainder of the challenge.
Failure: You gain 1 failure. In addition, your blundering causes you to expend a daily power of the item (if it has one). If the item does not have powers (or has no powers remaining), everyone in a Burst 2 area takes Low Damage (1d6+5 for 3rd level, for example) of a type relevant to the item (for example, if the weapon is fire based, this damage is fire damage.)

Victory
If the characters successfully complete the skill challenge, the name and nature of the magical item is revealed. If a successful History check was part of the skill challenge, some historical notes regarding the item are known as well.
Defeat
If the characters fail to successfully complete the skill challenge, they have managed to fool around with an item they are not prepared to understand or master. A magical explosion results, and everyone in a Burst 2 area takes High Limited damage based on the level of the item (2d6+9 for 3rd level, for example). In addition, the magic item becomes dormant and will not be available for testing until the next Extended Rest.

I'd love to hear what you think! Until next time...

Game excellently with one another.

Dead Orcs Society Solo Adventures - Lenneth

noreply@blogger.com (R.M. Walker) — Mon, 03 Oct 2011 19:11:00 +0000

Once again, from the Dead Orcs Campaign Files comes another solo adventure. Featured today is the solo adventure of the party's Ranger.

Lenneth is an elf Ranger that specializes in the use of the long bow. He's the group's most powerful striker. Lenneth & Lyreika go way back, as Lyreika's father use to run a trade route that included the outpost where Lenneth could often be found acting as a local guide. When this story occurs, Lenneth has been tracking the famed White Stag, a creature prominent in the local elves' legends.

As a reminder, each adventure follows a simple (but easily adaptable) formula:

Encounter one uses minions and sets the hero on the path.

Encounter two utilizes a simple skill challenge.

Encounter three uses both minions and a level appropriate "boss" figure roughly equal to the hero's strength. The difficulty of this encounter is based on how well the hero does during the skill challenge just prior. If the hero fails the skill challenge, this challenge will likely include several minions as well as the "boss" figure.

Here's what the encounter looks like (encounter created in Masterplan 11.1). Please note that when writing adventures for myself, I often leave out the minor details of certain things so that I have room to ad-lib with the player. If the notes from the adventure below do not seem polished, this is why.

You'll also note that I while Masterplan assigns XP to the various encounters, I did not track this. These adventures were designed as flashbacks. Skip to the bottom to see the followup.

DeadOrcs_Solo_Lenneth

An adventure for 1 character of level 1.

By Randall Walker

Chasing The White Stag

It's been a quiet morning. The woods are silent but for your footsteps and the occasional call of a bird. Suddenly, out of the corner of your eye, you catch site of the famed White Stag, the ultimate quarry!

Lenneth, intent on proving himself a skilled hunter, sets off after the famed White Stag, only to find himself hunting down more than he bargained for.

Encounter		75 XP
Level 1
Opponents		3
Starved Dog		x3

Illumination:

Bright light (daylight).

Features of the Area:

Trees
Several trees surround the encounter area granting cover and blocking line of sight.

Setup:

The White Stag starts at the far end of the encounter area and bounds off the map after the first round. The Starving Dogs leap out into the middle of the encounter area. The hero begins at the opposite end of the encounter area away from the White Stag.

Tactics:

The Starving Dogs were initally going to take a shot at the White Stag, but seeing it moving too quickly, decide that its hunter (the Hero) would make an easier meal. The Starving Dogs are very hungry and attack aggressively, fighting to their death.

Items Of Note:

One of the Starving Dogs is wearing a fine leather collar with silver studs. The collar is worth 10 GP.

Starved Dog Small natural beast		Level 1 Minion 25 XP
HP 1		Initiative +2
AC 15; Fort 10; Ref 13; Will 11		Perception +1
Speed 8		low-light vision
Standard Actions
Bite ♦ At-Will (basic attack)
Attack: +6 vs AC 4 damage.
Str: 14 (+2) Con: 13 (+1)	Dex: 15 (+2) Int: 3 (-4)	Wis: 12 (+1) Cha: 8 (-1)
Alignment Unaligned

The Glade Of Illusion

Chasing the White Stag, you have stumbled into a curious glade of very large purple flowers that sway to and fro. Periodically, the flowers emit a sickly looking cloud of green pollen. On the other side of the glade, stands the White Stag, taunting you.

The White Stag lures the Hero into a glade of strange flowers that emit clouds of poisonous pollen. The Hero must dodge the various flowers and get to the other side of the glade in order to continue the chase.

However, there is a catch. Each failure during this skill challenge results in the Hero seeing an additional White Stag.

The Glade Of Illusion		200 XP
Level 1 Complexity 2 (requires 6 successes before 3 failures)
Primary Skills
Acrobatics (DC 12): Dodging the flowers, the hero easily avoids the pollen they emit. The hero may use this skill multiple times.
Success: The hero gains 1 success and progresses across the glade.
Failure: The hero takes 1d6 points of poison damage, gains 1 failure, and a copy of the White Stag appears.

Endurance (DC 19): Taking a deep breath the hero tries to prevent breathing in the poisonous pollen. The hero can only use this skill check twice.
Success: The hero gains 1 success and progresses through the glade.
Failure: The hero takes 1d6 poison damage, gains 1 failure, and another copy of the White Stag appears.

Stealth (DC 12): Moving slowly and quietly the hero attempts to move around the flowers without setting them off. The hero may use this skill check only once.
Success: The hero gains 2 successes and continues to progress across the glade.
Failure: The hero takes 1d6 points of poison damage, gains 1 failure, and another copy of the White Stag appears at the end of the glade.

Other Skills
Nature (DC 19): Before entering the glade, the hero remembers some obscure nature lore that help succeed at the challenge.
Success: The hero gains a +2 on his next Endurance check. This skill can only be used before entering the glade.
Failure: No effect.

Perception (DC 19): Eying the flowers carefully, the hero is able to perceive and predict their movement, better avoiding their poisonous pollen.
Success: The hero gains a +2 on his next Acrobatics or Stealth check. The hero can only use this skill once either before or during the challenge.
Failure: No effect.

Victory
The hero makes it through the glade relatively unharmed and only confronts one White Stag (White Stag copies that may have appeared during the challenge, fade away).
Defeat
The hero sees an additional White Stag for each failure of the skill challenge (4 in total).

Confronting The White Stag

If the hero was successful at the Glade of Illusion, read the following: You have caught up with your prey. As you take aim, the White Stag turns and speaks, "Strike me down, hunter and seal my fate".

If the hero failed during the Glade of Illusion, read the following: Brushing the last of the poisonous pollen from you, you look up to find yourself surrounded by four identical White Stags. In unison they speak, "Foolish Hunter, do you not realize the power of the White Stag? Prepare now, to face our wrath!"

The Hero finally confronts his prey, The White Stag. Depending on how the previous skill challenge went, the Hero will either be facing the single (and true) White Stag, or the single (and true) White Stag alongside 3 other identical illusions.

Encounter		175 XP
Level 4
Opponents		4
White Stag Illusion		x3
White Stag

Illumination:

Bright light (sunlight).

Features of the Area:

Numerous trees block line of sight and provide cover.

Setup:

If the Hero faces the White Stag alone, place the White Stag anywhere in a central location on the encounter map. The Hero begins anywhere within 6 squares of the White Stag.

If the Hero faces the White Stag and its duplicates, place the Hero in the center of the encounter map and place the 4 White Stags around the Hero anywhere within 4 squares.

Tactics:

If the Hero chooses to attack, the White Stag defends itself. It will fight to the death.

If the Hero does not attack, see Alternative Outcome below:

Items Of Note:

Regardless of whether or not the Hero slays the White Stag, he ends up with the Pendant of the White Stag.

Alternative Outcomes:

If the Hero does not attack, the White Stag speaks: "You have chosen not to strike me down. Perhaps you are wiser than I realized." The White Stag then fades into the form of a beautiful woodland spirit. "Continue your work to preserve the forest, and keep this." The spirit then hands a pendant (shaped as a White Stag) to the Hero.

White Stag Illusion Medium natural beast		Level 1 Minion 25 XP
HP 1		Initiative -1
AC 15; Fort 13; Ref 12; Will 11		Perception +0
Speed 8
Standard Actions
Hoof Kick ♦ At-Will (basic attack)
Range: Melee Attack: +6 vs AC 4 damage.
Str: 14 (+2) Con: 12 (+1)	Dex: 12 (+1) Int: 1 (-5)	Wis: 10 (+0) Cha: 8 (-1)
Alignment Unaligned

White Stag Medium natural beast		Level 1 Skirmisher 100 XP
HP 26; Bloodied 13		Initiative +2
AC 15; Fort 13; Ref 13; Will 13		Perception +0
Speed 6 squares		low-light
Standard Actions
Bite ♦ At-Will
Range: Melee Attack: +6 vs AC 1d8+4 damage
Antler Rake ♦ Recharges on 5-6
Attack: +4 vs Reflex 1d10 +6 damage
Str: 10 (+0) Con: 10 (+0)	Dex: 10 (+0) Int: 10 (+0)	Wis: 10 (+0) Cha: 10 (+0)
Alignment Unaligned

The Feedback:

Russell is the youngest player in the group, and I've only been playing with him since 2008 when I re-booted the Dead Orcs Society. Of all my players, he's the one that I would tag as my "power gamer", as he genuinely enjoys building a character's stats to their greatest potential. While those skills have made him an invaluable team member (his Ranger does insane amounts of damage, even at Heroic levels), I sometimes worry that he's not getting as much as either of us would like out of the role-playing aspects of the game.

As we played through his brief solo adventure, I experience both what I expected out of Russell's character, and a total surprise. First, I had expected him to do well on the combat encounters, and this turned out to be true. However, he really breezed past the skill challenge. Acrobatics was one of the primary skills to use, and Lenneth's was pretty much maxed out. With a Dexterity of 20, Russell pretty much spammed Acrobatics, and breezed through. After seeing how the first two encounters went, I figured the third encounter would be the same. I was totally wrong. While I had written an alternative conclusion to the adventure, I really had no idea that Russell would have his character actually take this option. It was amazing to watch, and to see first hand an excellent example for why a DM shouldn't make assumptions about his players. The most amazing quote from my power gamer player during the final encounter was this (paraphrased), "I hunt for sustenance only. Why would I strike you down for the sheer thrill of it?" It was an awesome role-playing moment I won't forget.

Feel free to steal any or all the elements of the brief encounters listed above. As always, I'd love to hear your feedback regarding solo adventures, skill challenges, or anything else for that matter. In among other posts, you'll see the remaining adventures as my players schedule time with me to play.

Until next time...

Game excellently with one another.

DeadOrcs Rolls Initiative on Skills

noreply@blogger.com (R.M. Walker) — Wed, 28 Sep 2011 13:40:00 +0000

So despite spending all morning yesterday waiting for jury duty that never materialized and a trip out to the company's super-secret fortress of research and development, I managed to pop on to Twitter a few times to find it ablaze with talk of skills and how they work (or don't work) in 4e and other versions of Dungeons & Dragons.

Skills have been talked about a lot, but recent articles over at WotC's "Legends & Lore" column, and fellow 4Geeks4E host, Tracy Hurley's column over at her Sarah Darkmagic blog, have sparked considerable chatter about skills. Some of that chatter, in fact, led my wife & I to have a lengthy discussion about skills over dinner. I can tell you it's the first dinner conversation we ever had that focused exclusively on some element of the game. Safe to say, skills are the hot topic.

Skill, skills, skills.

When we look at 4e, there does seem to be a disconnect between how skills are presented, and how they work out in practice while actually playing the game. While the 4e skill system is pretty solid overall, there are a couple of issues that seem to crop up fairly often. The first is this bit about Religion skill. Boiled down, the problem is that Religion skill is based on Intelligence, while most of the character classes that would use this skill frequently, have high Wisdom scores instead. You end up with situations where a Wizard would have a better success rate with Religion than a Cleric would. While this might not be a problem for those that consider Religion a Knowledge type skill only, materials in both home brew and published adventures make use of Religion in a far more broader sense. Consider, for example, a situation in which a hero needs to manipulate Divine energy in some fashion. While this task would seem to fall obviously to the hero with a Divine energy source (say, a Cleric, for example), you have instead, the party's Wizard tackling the problem since his Religion score is actually higher. The Angry DM has a fairly decent solution to this issue over at his recently posted blog, so check that out. For my own campaigns, I would just re-key the skill to Wisdom. At the same time, I remove Religion from the Knowledge skills list, and it becomes instead, the Divine equivalent of the Arcana skill.

A far more sticky issue is the one Monte Cook brought up in the Legends & Lore article I mentioned earlier. While the article is really not to be taken as gospel, he posits that some kind of "ranking" system be used to describe a character's "level of Perception" if you will. While that might group the ranges of Perception chances into easy-to-grasp chunks, I think it's missing the point. If I dust off the ancient text, and put on my Grognard hat for a moment, I can show you that Perception in 4e used to be Search in 3e, and before that it was...well, that's just it. Before 3e you didn't use a die roll to determine the results of a search.

What's that? No die roll?

That's right. In older editions of the rules, searching was the result of the Player's (not Character's) intuition, combined with the descriptive abilities of the Dungeon Master. Both used common sense to determine what could and could not be seen or recognized in a given situation. Take the following over-simplified example:

A hero is running away from an Ogre. He runs past a corridor and asks the Dungeon Master if he can tell if there's an exit in that direction. In the current 4e rules, the DM might call for a Perception check. The DM knows that the hero is moving quickly so sets the difficulty to the Hard column and sets the DC to the level of the character. Even if the character doesn't have a high Perception score, he still can roll a 20 (5% chance) to tell what's down the corridor. Now, while I understand we're not playing a simulation game, common sense tells us that being chased by an Ogre is pretty horrible, and that you're probably concentrating more on not falling down (and becoming an Ogre Slim-Jim) than you are looking carefully at every passage you zip by. In an older version of the game, the DM might simply say, "You pass a corridor alright, but you're moving too fast, you can't tell if there's an exit." While the DM can say that in 4e, as well, there's an expectation that if you roll high enough on a given Perception check, something will be revealed. That expectation needs to go away.

I would like to see adventures & the DMs that run them, move away from using Perception. Let's take it out of the skill list altogether. As a DM, you should be able to categorize the descriptive parts of your encounters by how much you reveal. Try this example:

Let's say the encounter takes place in a Wizard's laboratory. The room is about 40' by 40', has no visible exits (but contains a concealed one behind a tapestry), there are several tables with equipment on them (including 3 potion bottles), a shelf of old tomes (including a trapped book), a magic circle inscribed on the floor, a Wizard, 3 Stone Golems, and a large tapestry on each wall. Now consider how we can group these items together, so that describing them is based on the player's actions instead of the character's skill states:

The Brief Glance: This category is for when a hero is literally only getting a brief glance at a specific area, either by passing by it quickly, viewing the area in a limited way, or simply being too distracted to note further details. For example: "Peering through a crack in the door, you see what looks like a workroom of some kind. It is lit, and there are creatures moving about the room."

The Once Over: This category is for when a hero can take a moment to view his entire surroundings. It's good for when the heroes have busted down the door and are just about to have to roll initiative. It's also effective when invisible characters are sneaking around and detailed investigation would risk discovery. For example: "Standing at the entrance to the room, you see what appears to be a Wizard's laboratory. There are tables full of equipment, a strange glowing circle drawn on the floor, and a large bookcase. A man in robes directs creatures that look like moving statues about the room. Old tapestries line the walls."

The Combat Assessment: This category is for heroes focused on any foes that might be in the room. It's basically a combat threat assessment. For example: "The Wizard speaks words in a strange tongue and the statues move towards you in a threatening manner".

The Detailed Investigation: This category is for heroes investigating specific areas of the room. These descriptions would be unique for the various features described above. Investigating the work tables reveals the potions (although they may not be labeled in an obvious manner). The book shelf would eventually reveal the trapped book. The magic circle would reveal (to a character trained in Arcana) that it was a summoning circle. The tapestries would eventually reveal that one of them is hiding a concealed passage. You get the point. The Detailed Investigation eventually reveals what the DM wants the players and their characters to know. Not once is a single Perception check rolled, as it's the Players that are guiding their character's actions.

I'll admit, this style of play takes a little more work on the part of both the Players and the Dungeon Master. However, it does get the Players involved in really interacting with the environment. Instead of just declaring, "I roll a Perception check to see what I can in the room.", the Player instead must direct his character to actively investigate his surroundings. As the Dungeon Master, listen for your Players to say things like, "I pick this item up." or "I try to move this item". If a specific action is called for (for example, lifting a heavy object, or figuring out what a specific rune might mean), then a skill check of some kind is of course, appropriate.

In full disclosure, I've not yet used this method in my 4e games. However, as I'm starting my own home brew campaign in a month or so, I'll be going over my notes and removing Perception from the equation. We'll see how it goes!

I'm sure there's more that can be done to tweak the skill system, but that will have to wait for another blog post. I welcome comments and want to hear what you have to say about skills. Let me know!

Until next time...

Game excellently with one another.

Dead Orcs Society Solo Adventures - Sovelis

noreply@blogger.com (R.M. Walker) — Mon, 26 Sep 2011 20:28:00 +0000

Once again, from the Dead Orcs Campaign Files comes another solo adventures. Featured today is the solo adventure of the party's Wizard.

Sovelis (no relation) is an Evocation Wizard whose former master was Nimozaran, most recently from his tower in Fallcrest. Sovelis studied under Nimozaran for a number of years, and this adventure was one of Sovelis' last before leaving the tower and beginning his career. The adventure occurred quite by accident, and Sovelis hates talking about it. However, the adventure is notable, as it is where Sovelis acquired his faithful familiar, Bubo.

As a reminder, each adventure follows a simple (but easily adaptable) formula:

Encounter one uses minions and sets the hero on the path.

Encounter two utilizes a simple skill challenge.

Encounter three uses both minions and a level appropriate "boss" figure roughly equal to the hero's strength. The difficulty of this encounter is based on how well the hero does during the skill challenge just prior. If the hero fails the skill challenge, this challenge will likely include several minions as well as the "boss" figure.

Here's what the encounter looks like (encounter created in Masterplan 11.1). Please note that when writing adventures for myself, I often leave out the minor details of certain things so that I have room to ad-lib with the player. If the notes from the adventure below do not seem polished, this is why.

You'll also note that I while Masterplan assigns XP to the various encounters, I did not track this. These adventures were designed as flashbacks. Skip to the bottom to see the followup.

DeadOrcs_Solo_Sovelis

An adventure for 1 character of level 1.

By Randall Walker

A Wizard's Errand

It is really late. You're not sure why your old mentor, Nimozaran is wanting Parrow Mushrooms this late at night, but an apprentice's job is not to ask too many questions.

You've never been down to the dungeon level of the tower unaccompanied before. But it's just a simple request. What could possibly go wrong?

A lot actually. A lot can go wrong. This is what you remember thinking as you pressed the wrong stud on the secret wall, and the trap door opened underneath your feet. The fall bruised your ego more than your body, but now you're in a dark room on a cold floor somewhere in your Master's dungeon. You can hear an unnerving skittering sound echoing in the distance.

Late one evening, a servant awakens you asking you to report to your mentor, Nimozaran. The wise mage is in the midst of an experiment and asks you to retrieve some fresh Parrow Mushrooms from the dungeon of the tower.

Encounter		75 XP
Level 1
Opponents		3
Carrion Crawler Hatchling		x3

Illumination:

Total darkness. Illumination will change based on the lighting provided by the hero.

Features of the Area:

Stalagmites
The stalagmites are considered difficult terrain to the hero, while the carrion crawler hatchlings ignore this terrain.

Setup:

The hero begins at the center of the cavern. The carrion crawler hatchlings begin at the only exit from the cave.

Tactics:

The carrion crawler hatchlings are eating machines placed here years ago by Nimozaran to aid in "mess clean-up". They attack any living creature dropped into the cave. The creatures will attack until destroyed.

Items:

There are no items of interest in the cave.

Carrion Crawler Hatchling Small aberrant beast		Level 1 Minion 25 XP
HP 1		Initiative +3
AC 15; Fort 12; Ref 14; Will 12		Perception +4
Speed 6, climb 4		tremorsense 5
Standard Actions
Tentacle Brush (necrotic) ♦ At-Will (basic attack)
The small but potent tentacles of the Carrion Crawler Hatchling brush against you, painfully rotting your flesh. Range: Melee Attack: +6 vs AC 4 necrotic damage and the target is slowed (save ends).
Rotting Grasp (Necrotic) ♦ At-Will
Seeing a still opponent, the Carrior Crawler Hatchling latches on, dissolving the prey with its tentacled grasp. Range: Melee Touch The target takes 4 ongoing necrotic damage each round until the Carrion Crawler Hatchling is removed or the prey is dead. While the Carrion Crawler Hatchling is attached to its target, it grants combat advantage. Sustain: Minor
Skills Perception +4
Str: 10 (+0) Con: 13 (+1)	Dex: 16 (+3) Int: 1 (-5)	Wis: 12 (+1) Cha: 2 (-4)
Alignment Unaligned

Treasure Parcels

Scattered coins worth 25 GP

25 GP

Negotiate the Crystal Cavern

Glowing multicolored light pointing the way, you leave the cave of the carrion crawlers only to find yourself in another cavern.

Filling the cavern are strange crystals. Brilliant sparks of energy dance between the crystals, and the smell of ozone fills the air. From across the cavern, you see a bulbous humanoid waving a satchel in the air. Over the sound of the sparking crystals you hear a warbling voice call out, "If that fool Nimozaran wants his mushrooms, you'll have to go through me, Bubo the Enlightened, first. The power of the shrooms is MINE!"

Having escaped the rotting tentacles of the carrion crawlers, you stumble into a cave filled with strange energetic crystals. You must make your way across the cave and climb the balcony to reach the strange foe you've suddenly acquired.

Negotiate the Crystal Cavern		200 XP
Level 1 Complexity 2 (requires 6 successes before 3 failures)
Primary Skills
Acrobatics (DC 19): Dodging the sparks isn't the easiest way to get around the crystals, but it's possible. You can use this abiity score any number of times to complete this skill challenge.
Success: Your clever dodging and weaving has allowed you to avoid the sparking crystals. You move your movement rate through the cave and gain 1 success.
Failure: Your attempt at clever movements has failed, and you have misstepped. You take 2 points of lightning damage and can only move 2 squares. Bubo spawns a minion and you gain 1 failure.

Arcana (DC 19): Using your mastery of the arcane sciences, you quiet nearby crystals in order to move past them. You can use this skill any number of times to complete the challenge.
Success: The sparks between the crystals quiet down and you are able to move your speed through the cavern. You gain 1 success.
Failure: Despite your efforts, sparks cause you 2 points of damage and you move only 2 squares. Bubo spawns a minion and you gain 1 Failure.

Other Skills
Endurance (DC 12): Summoning your reserves of energy, you decide to push your way past the sparking crystals, disregarding their arcing lightning. You may use this ability once during the skill challenge.
Success: You gains a +2 on the next Acrobatics or Arcana check made for this skill challenge.
Failure: None.

Insight (DC 12): You attempt to time your passage through the crystals, in order to avoid the sparks. You can use this ability only once during the skill challenge.
Success: You gain a +2 to the next Acrobatics check made during the skill challenge.
Failure: None.

Magic Missile (DC 8): You use your Magic Missile power to destroy a group of crystals. This ability can be used twice during the skill challenge.
Success: The hero blasts a section of crystals into oblivion moving past them at your normal movement rate. You gain 1 success and one of Bubo's spawned minions tumbles off the ledge and is impaled on the crystals below.
Failure: None.

Victory
If the hero succeeds in the skill challenge, you make it to the opposite wall of the cavern where a notches in the wall allow you to climb toward the ledge above. Bubo flees to an unseen location.
Defeat
You make it to the other edge of the cavern, but you are beaten and worn. Bubo has gained some additional allies (spawned from his own body) and together they flee to an unseen location.
Notes

Mushroom Madness

If Bubo spawned no minions, read the following: Bursting into the final chamber, you finally get a clear look at the creature calling himself, Bubo. He stands near the back of a cave filled with row upon row of mushrooms. There are many varieties, but the patches of parrow mushrooms have been picked bare. Wide eyed he shouts at you, "These mushrooms hold the key to my freedom! But since you don't seem to understand that, I will send Nimozaran your CORPSE!

If Bubo spawned one or more minions, read the following: Bursting into the final chamber, you finally get a clear look at the creature calling himself, Bubo. He stands near the back of a cave with creatures that look similar to himself, only smaller. The cave you're in is filled with row upon row of mushrooms. There are many varieties, but the patches of parrow mushrooms have been picked bare. Wide eyed Bubo shouts at you, "These mushrooms hold the key to my freedom! But since you don't seem to understand that, I am forced to send you back to Nimozaran as a CORPSE! My children! Destroy him!

Racing to retrieve the mushrooms, you confront Bubo in order to stop his madness.

Encounter		175 XP
Level 4
Opponents		4
Bubo the Enlightened
Spawn of Bubo		x3

Illumination:

Darkness, unless the hero brings their own light.

Features of the Area:

Fungal Gardens
The cave is filled with rows of mushroom beds and other fungal gardens. These areas are treated as difficult terrain for the character, but do not block line of sight.

Elevator Shaft
At the far end of the cave, and carved out of the very cave wall, is a rectangular shaft containing a wooden platform. Pulling on the rope that runs through the middle of the platform, raises & lowers the platform. If the platform is raised as far as it can go, it leads to a secret door that gives egress back into the tower.

Setup:

The hero begins at the entrance of the fungal garden cavern.

Bubo starts anywhere within 1 square of the elevator shaft. Any of Bubo's Spawn start adjacent to Bubo.

Tactics:

Bubo is really upset that Nimozaran is stealing his brethren and putting them to use as an ingredient in his spells. Having only reached sentience a little while ago, he is driven only by the desire to protect the mushrooms and carry away the most valuable ones.

During combat, Bubo will send his Spawn to fight the hero before engaging in combat himself. Bubo does not know how to work the elevator platform, and considers it just another part of the cave. Both Bubo and his Spawn fight until they are killed or incapacitated.

Items Of Note:

When Bubo is slain, he leaves behind a bright red mushroom. This mushroom becomes Bubo, the Familiar of Sovelis. Bubo the Familiar has dreams of his previous (and rather brief) life, but is loyal & faithful to Sovelis.

Bubo the Enlightened Medium natural humanoid (plant)		Level 1 Skirmisher 100 XP
HP 28; Bloodied 14		Initiative +2
AC 15; Fort 13; Ref 13; Will 13		Perception +1
Speed 6		darkvision
Resist 5 poison
Traits
Spore Cloud (Poison) ♦ Aura 1
Aura 1: Any creature that begins its turn within 1 square of Bubo, takes 5 poison damage.
Fungal Born
Bubo can move through any terrain composed primarily of fungi, as if the terrain were normal terrain.
Standard Actions
Deadly Puff Ball (plant, poison) ♦ At-Will
Pulling a strange growth from the top of his head, Bubo hurls a glob of strange plant-like material at you! Range: Ranged 10 Attack: +6 vs AC 1d8+4 poison damage.
Rhizome Stick (plant, poison, weapon) ♦ At-Will (basic attack)
Bubo jabs at you with a sharp plant-like growth that extends from his body! Range: Melee Attack: +6 vs AC 1d6+3 poison damage.
Skills Nature +6, Thievery +8
Str: 9 (-1) Con: 12 (+1)	Dex: 17 (+3) Int: 9 (-1)	Wis: 12 (+1) Cha: 10 (+0)
Alignment Evil
Languages Common

Spawn of Bubo Small natural humanoid (plant)		Level 1 Minion 25 XP
HP 1		Initiative +0
AC 15; Fort 13; Ref 13; Will 13		Perception +1
Speed 6
Resist 5 poison
Traits
Fungal Born
A Spawn of Bubo can move through any terrain composed primarily of fungi, as if the terrain were normal terrain.
Standard Actions
Rhizome Jab (Poison) ♦ At-Will (basic attack)
Range: Melee Attack: +4 vs Fortitude 4 poison damage
Skills Stealth +8
Str: 7 (-2) Con: 7 (-2)	Dex: 17 (+3) Int: 5 (-3)	Wis: 12 (+1) Cha: 10 (+0)
Alignment Evil

Here is the stat-block for Sovelis' familiar, Bubo. This was built in the original monster builder. While it doesn't have the same formatting as familiars in official resources (Arcane Power, etc.), it has all the information required to run one.

The Feedback:

Like Alex, I've been playing Dungeons & Dragons with Trey for over 10 years. Trey is the math genius at the table, and his mind can crunch numbers faster than most people I know. He's great to have at the table, because if there's a calculation error, or problem with dividing the monetary aspects of treasure, he's all over it. Trey is a reluctant role-player, but once he gets into a situation, he can play his character to the hilt. He can be a bit aloof & arrogant (although not in a douche-bag type way) so his characters are often Wizards or Sorcerers. He certainly enjoys wielding Phenomenal Cosmic Power™

As we played through the adventure, I wanted to challenge Trey's assumptions about what to expect in any given encounter. The adventure brought him pretty close to death a couple of times, so I know I stretched the boundaries of what a solo adventure can manage as far as balanced play goes. Being a reluctant role-player, I spoke to him about using a quirk, but he's not entirely sure how to approach that. There's a chance that his quirks will be subtle, even to the point of being "the character that has no quirks". Of course, that in itself, becomes a kind of quirk. He's eager to try on Themes for size, and I know he'll enjoy the additional benefits. However, he's not especially open as to the details of his background. Hopefully, this adventure will help fill in some of those gaps.

Until next time...

Game excellently with one another.

Dead Orcs Society Solo Adventures - Zurgas

noreply@blogger.com (R.M. Walker) — Thu, 22 Sep 2011 17:15:00 +0000

Continuing my series on solo adventures, this week, we take a look at the solo adventure our groups Paladin went through.

Zurgas is a Tiefling Paladin of Pelor. He was originally being trained as an assassin, but after he witnessed the brutal slaying of a child, he had an epiphany and a nearly 180º turn around in philosophy. Confessing his sins, Zurgas pleaded with the local church to allow him to train as a Paladin for Pelor. After some close scrutiny, they decided to put Zurgas through a series of tests to prove his worth. The adventure that follows was one of those tests.

As a reminder, each adventure follows a simple (but easily adaptable) formula:

Encounter one uses minions and sets the hero on the path.

Encounter two utilizes a simple skill challenge.

Encounter three uses both minions and a level appropriate "boss" figure roughly equal to the hero's strength. The difficulty of this encounter is based on how well the hero does during the skill challenge just prior. If the hero fails the skill challenge, this challenge will likely include several minions as well as the "boss" figure.

Here's what the encounter looks like (encounter created in Masterplan 11.1). Please note that when writing adventures for myself, I often leave out the minor details of certain things so that I have room to ad-lib with the player. If the notes from the adventure below do not seem polished, this is why.

You'll also note that I while Masterplan assigns XP to the various encounters, I did not track this. These adventures were designed as flashbacks. Skip to the bottom to see the followup.

DeadOrcs_Solo_Zurgas

An adventure for 1 character of level 1.

By Randall Walker

A Ghoulish Task

It seems like an ordinary day. The sun is out, there are a few clouds, and the bustling populace of Fallcrest can be heard below. Ahead of you, parishioners file into a run-down church, the looks on their faces sad and fearful. As the last one slips inside, a single scrap of paper slips from its grasp and lodges into a bush near the entrance. Now, as you stand just inside the gate of the "Church of The Everlasting Light", you have a feeling that you are being watched.

In an effort to prove his worth to Pelor, Zurgas must sanctify an abandoned church in Pelor's name. Even before he can get to the building proper, however, ghouls from the graveyard outside the church move to thwart him.

Encounter		75 XP
Level 1
Opponents		3
Ghouish Defiler		x3

Illumination:

Moderately bright light (shaded daylight).

Features of the Area:

Gravestones
The various gravestones within the cemetery provide partial cover to anyone ducking down behind them.

Setup:

The hero begins at the gates of the cemetery surrounding the church. The ghoulish defilers begin at randomly selected gravestones.

Tactics:

The ghoulish defilers are brutal in their determination to stop the hero from entering the church, hoping their bites will slow their enemy. The creatures will attack until destroyed.

Items:

Scrap Of Paper
The hero will note a small scrap of paper that flutters from a parishioner's prayer book and lodges in a nearby bush. On the paper are printed the words, Orcus protect us. Orcus save us from the light to be embraced in your eternal darkness.

Just below that is scrawled in barely legible common, Someone save us!

Ghoulish Defiler Medium natural humanoid (undead)		Level 1 Minion Soldier 25 XP
HP 1		Initiative +2
AC 15; Fort 14; Ref 16; Will 13		Perception +0
Speed 8, climb 4
Immune disease, poison; Resist 10 necrotic; Vulnerable 5 radiant
Standard Actions
Ghoulish Bite ♦ At-Will
Range: Melee Attack: +6 vs AC 4 damage and the target is slowed (save ends).
Skills Stealth +11
Str: 14 (+2) Con: 15 (+2)	Dex: 19 (+4) Int: 10 (+0)	Wis: 11 (+0) Cha: 12 (+1)
Alignment Chaotic evil
Languages Common

Sanctify the Congregation

Slamming open the door, you hear a low murmuring - dark prayers to the demon Orcus. Amazingly, the priest at the head of the congregation looks up only briefly. Seeing you, he returns to his prayers, chanting louder this time.

Confronted with a congregation filled with recently converted Thralls of Orcus, Zurgas must use his holy ability to exercise members of the congregation.

Sanctify the Congregation 200 XP

Level 1
Complexity 2 (requires 6 successes before 3 failures)

Primary Skills

Heal (DC 12): Using a healing touch, the hero proves the power of his faith. The hero can use this skill any number of times to complete the challenge.

Success: The thrall is converted and sees the light of Pelor, his faith spreads to two adjacent thralls. The hero gains 1 success.

Failure: The thrall is not converted. The hero gains 1 failure and an armed parishioner appears at the pulpit next to the preacher.

Religion (DC 8): Using the power of his faith, the hero's words convert a thrall once again to a faithful of Pelor. The hero may use this ability once during the skill challenge.

Success: The hero converts a thrall to a member of the faithful of Pelor. The hero gain 2 successes, and two adjacent parishioners convert as well.

Failure: The hero fails to convert a thrall and gains 1 failure. An armed parishioner appears next to the priest at the head of the congregation.

Other Skills

Any Radiant Power (DC 12): The hero uses any power with the Radiant keyword, but does no damage. This ability can be used once during the skill challenge.

Success: The hero converts an thrall effected by the power instead of doing damage. The hero also gains 2 successes and removes 1 armed parishioner from the stage next to the priest.

Failure: Another armed parishioner is summoned to the side of the priest at the head of the congregation.

Diplomacy (DC 19): The hero attempts to convince a thrall to convert. The hero can use this ability only once during the skill challenge.

Success: The hero converts a thrall into a faithful of Pelor. The hero gains 1 success.

Failure: The hero fails to convince the thrall to convert. The hero gains 1 failure and an armed parishioner appears next to the priest at the head of the congregation.

Endurance (DC 12): Tapping his reserves of faith, the hero pushes ahead with converting the congregation. The hero may use this ability once during the skill challenge.

Success: The hero gains a +2 on his next Heal or Religion check when converting a member of the congregation.

Failure: No effect.

Lay On Hands (DC 12): The hero uses a Lay On Hands power to prove his faith to a member of the congregation. This ability can only be used twice during this skill challenge.

Success: The hero converts a thrall, and two adjacent thralls. The hero also gains 2 successes.

Failure: No effect.

Victory

If the hero succeeds in the skill challenge, the thralls all begin to shake off their condition and begin praying loudly to Pelor, sanctifying the church. They begin to leave, shuffling out of the church, leaving only the priest and one or two armed parishioners.

Defeat

The few converted thralls flee, but the rest remain, spreading out in a circle. The priest and several armed parishioners move forward to attack. The church remains defiled.

Notes

Secrets Revealed

As the priest and his minions move to confront you, you realize something shocking. You KNOW this man!

In this final confrontation, Zurgas must face an old foe, in the guise of a priest of Orcus!

Encounter		175 XP
Level 4
Opponents		4
Bludgeon, Human Assassin/Priest
Armed Parishioner		x3

Illumination:

Moderate bright light (indoors at daylight).

Features of the Area:

Pews
The long benches (or pews) are difficult terrain. Crawling over them is easy, but the movement is treated as moving over difficult terrain. Ducking down behind a pew grants partial cover.

Parishioner
For this encounter, it's possible that some parishioners loyal to Orcus might be standing around watching the outcome of the fight. These parishioners do not attack, but can be moved through as difficult terrain. Standing behind a parishioner grants partial cover.

Setup:

The hero begins somewhere on the floor of the sanctuary, based on the result of the skill challenge just prior to this encounter.

Bludgeon and his faithful start at the edge of the stage at the far end of the sanctuary.

Tactics:

A hero attempting to convert followers back to Pelor will attract a great deal of attention. Bludgeon will send his minions to attack. If that fails to thwart the hero, Bludgeon will use his ranged attack until the hero closes the distance. At that point, Bludgeon will use his mace in melee combat. Bludgeon fights to the death, for he knows the Assassin's guild will kill him if he is thwarted.

Remaining unconverted followers, will drift out of the church, dejected. Many will be greeted by brethren in an attempt to continue the work the hero started.

Items Of Note:

Hidden behind the pulpit are Peloran Bands These armbands provide a boon to followers of Pelor that don them.

Bludgeon, Human Assassin/Priest Medium natural humanoid		Level 1 Controller 100 XP
HP 28; Bloodied 14		Initiative -1
AC 15; Fort 14; Ref 13; Will 12		Perception +0
Speed 6
Standard Actions
Mace Of Conversion (necrotic) ♦ At-Will (basic attack)
Range: Melee Attack: +6 vs AC 1d8+4 necrotic damage.
Mace of Corruption (necrotic) ♦ At-Will
Range: Ranged 10 Attack: +4 vs Fortitude 1d6+3 necrotic damage and ongoing 1 necrotic damage (save ends).
Skills Acrobatics +6, Intimidate +5
Str: 16 (+3) Con: 12 (+1)	Dex: 12 (+1) Int: 10 (+0)	Wis: 10 (+0) Cha: 10 (+0)
Alignment Evil
Languages Common

Armed Parishoner Medium natural humanoid		Level 1 Minion 25 XP
HP 1		Initiative +0
AC 14; Fort 12; Ref 10; Will 10		Perception +0
Speed 6
Standard Actions
Club (Weapon) ♦ At-Will (basic attack)
Range: Melee Attack: +6 vs AC 4 damage.
Str: 14 (+2) Con: 12 (+1)	Dex: 10 (+0) Int: 9 (-1)	Wis: 10 (+0) Cha: 11 (+0)
Alignment Unaligned
Languages Common
Equipment club

Treasure Parcels

Peloran Bands

These bracers shed light in a 2 square radius, granting limited vulnerability to radiant damage to undead creatures.

In addition, the bands provide a daily power that allows the wearer to regain the use of one healing surge.

The Feedback:

I've been playing with Alex for over 10 years. He's a solid gamer, but even today is a little shy about how to work out the role-playing aspects of his characters. Given some direction, though, he can lock down on something and role-play the shit out of it. Yesterday, before the adventure, I got to sit down with Alex and discuss themes (remember, I'm introducing themes) and also asked him if his Paladin, Zurgas had any quirks. He wasn't sure, but he liked the idea. I love character development so it was hard not to just throw a bucket load of ideas at him. One thing we did know, was that a pivotal moment in his youth, he witnessed a fellow member of the local assassin's guild kill a child. From that point on, he has been very protective of children. I suggested a quirk that had to do with children. Maybe he likes to make toys or candy (he's an alchemist) for the children when he comes to visit. I'm not certain what he'll decide on yet, but he was digging the direction. The nice thing about these quirks is that they have no real mechanical game impact. Giving a toy to village orphan is not going to give him a +1 to anything. It's just a quirk that brings his character to life.

As we played through the adventure, I challenged Alex on the different ways skills & powers can be used in order to further role-playing goals. When it was all over, I think I feel safe in saying that he has a new appreciation for his character. I look forward to seeing some really cool moments from Zurgas from here on.

SIDE NOTE: I have updated the notes on the previous solo adventure for Akumahn. You can find that HERE.

Until next time...

Game excellently with one another.

HEROICA - The LEGO RPG?

noreply@blogger.com (R.M. Walker) — Mon, 19 Sep 2011 15:07:00 +0000

This story starts with a fortuitous visit to the Purina booth at the Central Veterinary Conference. After participating at one of their little "touchscreen interactive centers" or what have you, I received a $5 gift card for Target. While I know this doesn't seem especially important when speaking of RPG related things, it will later, so hang on a bit.

Before CVC (and before GenCon), I noticed a new game popping up at Target and other department stores. The game was called HEROICA and there were at least four different titles. Like other LEGO games, it was the type that you assemble and then play. I'd seen (and played) other LEGO games, but the pictures on these boxes were intriguing. This looked like a fantasy based game. A fantasy based game with characters, resources, and a changing map. I thought to myself, "This looks like an RPG!!"

While the box gave few clues as to the true nature of the game (as is typical with LEGO packaging), it did say the game was able to be played alone or with any of the other three sets available. Needless to say, I was pretty excited. I've loved LEGO for years, and have always thought that if they could only build pieces that match the scale of many RPGs (25mm or 1 inch), my dreams of eternally, easily assembled, and relatively inexpensive terrain would come true.

Unfortunately at the time, I was saving my money for GenCon. I had plans to visit LEGO's booth at GenCon, but only gave it a cursory glance, as I was so busy with other things. However, I vowed that when the funds became available, I would purchase the game.

Let's get back to the Target gift card. While it was only $5, it was enough that I felt I could spend some of my allotted "allowance" (you folks on a budget will know all about that) on one of the HEROICA sets. I settled on the Forest set , which runs about $14.99 US. Box in hand, I sat down to finally solve the mystery of what this game was all about.

Un-Boxing HEROICA:

Here's the box. I apologize in advance if the pictures aren't that great. I shot them hastily with a cell phone camera. Nevertheless, the cover of the box gives some clues as to what awaits inside.

Here are the various components. Several bags of parts (typical of LEGO), a "dice form", which is basically a six-sided dice that you apply flat LEGO tiles too, and several booklets. One booklet is assembly instructions, one booklet is a comic explaining the game world, and one booklet is the game manual. Quite a bit for only $14.99 (U.S.).

After assembling all the pieces, you get components that look like this. There are several monsters, 3 character types & their accompanying "hero packs", a "store", the game die, and also the pieces that make up the board.

Here's what the first game scenario (it comes with 2) looked like once it was set up. You should be able to see better detail by clicking on the image. You'll notice it looks a little like the "over-world" view common to many of the Super Mario Bros. games. Remember that fact, as it's important to my analysis later.

Another shot of the first scenario set up.

Here's a shot of the second scenario. I understood later, that this scenario was supposed to be used as a co-op mode, but we played it, "every man for himself". Still worked out just fine.

The Analysis

Game played as intended -

Right out of the box, the game is pretty fun. While geared for a younger set (a 2nd grader would probably grok the rules pretty quickly), it was still pretty fun for myself and my two teenage boys. Game play was pretty quick for us, as we finished both scenarios in under an hour. That time even includes resetting the board for the second scenario. Of course, LEGO fans of all ages will enjoy assembling the components of the game, because that's what LEGO fans enjoy doing. One drawback however, is that there are a LOT of tiny parts. If you have little ones that still eat "experimentally", you might want to put them to bed before setting this up.

Despite it's appearance, HEROICA isn't really an RPG. It has many of the trappings of an RPG, (monsters, heroes, resources, hit points, gold, maps, etc.), but it plays more like a 3D version of games like Talisman, than it does an RPG. This is based on my own definition of what a role-playing game is, though. Broader definitions of the term might include this game within it.

A quick search of the internet will reveal that there are scores of house-rules already being written to "enhance" the game experience. Like most such things, there are good ones and bad ones. Pick and choose as you will, or simply write up your own. The game is wonderfully flexible in this regard.

Game played as an RPG -

Despite what I just mentioned above, there is enough material here to actually play this game as an RPG. It would be a simple one, of course, but there's no reason a game master couldn't step in and be the one to create the map for the players, run the monsters, and do all those things a normal GM would do when playing an RPG. Players could easily assume the role of the characters provided. LEGO even has backgrounds for each of the heroes and a world map that is actually pretty detailed (see RESOURCES below). Utilizing heroes and monsters from other LEGO games (even the non-HEROICA ones), you could develop a pretty detailed campaign. That said, playing this as an RPG might be best suited for GMs that stay in one location. The many small pieces could be problematic to travel with if the set is quite large.

Game used as terrain -

I saved my favorite bit for last. While playing the game as is was pretty entertaining, I'm most intrigued by using the sets as terrain. While not really suited for scale miniature terrain, the pieces do fit the purpose of overland travel extremely well. Remember what I said about Super Mario Bros. earlier? Look at the layout images above and think of each of the little "islands" as an encounter or adventure area. You can then use a hero piece to represent the entire party. Monster pieces can in turn represent major encounters or perhaps a specific settlement. As your normal game progresses, the players (or the GM) adds to the ongoing LEGO map. The customizable format even allows you to identify the encounter area by terrain type. You could use tans for desert, greens for forest, lighter greens for grassland, gray for wastelands, the possibilities are pretty much endless. Even if you don't have the pieces for specific type of terrain on hand (although the four games represent diverse terrain types), you can go online and acquire all the pieces you need. The constructs are simple, and if you have a stash of LEGOs already, you're bound to find most of what you need.

This is what I plan to do with the HEROICA sets I acquire. Take major encounter areas, build a little representative "island" for each one, and then "connect the dots" as the players seek out their adventures.

Well, that's my un-boxing and review of HEROICA. I encourage you to pick up the game and give it a go. You'll find the game is fun in all sorts of ways!

Until next time...

Game excellently with one another.

RESOURCES:

LEGO Heroica

Bricklink

Dead Orcs Society Solo Adventures - Akumahn

noreply@blogger.com (R.M. Walker) — Thu, 15 Sep 2011 15:17:00 +0000

This post begins a series which will highlight the brief solo adventures I used to introduce themes for the heroes in my campaign (and to buy time in order to finish another project related to the group's overall campaign).

Akumahn is a Goliath Warrior. The son of a dragon slayer, Akumahn grew up in a warrior's tradition, training others even at a young age. Tribal politics got to Akumahn's father before the dragons did, however. One day, his father disappeared, and his rivals took no time in besmirching his father's good name. Fed up with the politics, Akumahn left his tribe to wander the world, hoping beyond hope to find his father.This adventure takes place not too long after Akumahn left his tribe.

I thought it might be interesting to show off the brief solo adventures and report on the feedback I received. I required only that my players bring a 1st level version of their character. Each adventure follows a simple (but easily adaptable) formula:

Encounter one uses minions and sets the hero on the path.

Encounter two utilizes a simple skill challenge.

Encounter three uses both minions and a level appropriate "boss" figure roughly equal to the hero's strength. The difficulty of this encounter is based on how well the hero does during the skill challenge just prior. If the hero fails the skill challenge, this challenge will likely include several minions as well as the "boss" figure.

Here's what the encounter looks like (encounter created in Masterplan 11.1). Please note that when writing adventures for myself, I often leave out the minor details of certain things so that I have room to ad-lib with the player. If the notes from the adventure below do not seem polished, this is why.

You'll also note that I while Masterplan assigns XP to the various encounters, I did not track this. These adventures were designed as flashbacks. Skip to the bottom to see the followup.

DeadOrcs_Solo_Akumahn

An adventure for 1 character of level 1.

By Randall Walker

Ambush!

The afternoon sun is bright, but not unpleasantly hot as you make your way down the mountain towards a mining town. Just around a small drop-off, you are surprised to see two hillsmen blocking the lightly forested path.

The hillsmen are dressed in the garb of a nearby friendly tribe, although they are brandishing their weapons. A determined look of malice clouds their faces.

Curioius, you take a couple of more steps only to have one of the hillsmen shout, "Stop right there, mountain-born. Give up your weapons and armor, and we might let you go."

Making your way down the mountainside one afternoon, you are surprised by four hillsmen from a nearby tribe.

Encounter		124 XP
Level 2
Opponents		4
False Hillsman Warrior		x4

Illumination:

Bright light. This encounter takes place in the mid-afternoon.

Features of the Area:

Trees & Rocks
The various trees and rocks that dot the hillside are considered difficult terrain.

Sloping Ground
This encounter takes place on sloping ground. Any creature that is uphill and fighting an enemy that is downhill from them, gains a +1 on its attack roll. In addition, creatures must make an Acrobatics check (DC 12) at the end of any running or charging movement, or fall prone.

Setup:

The hero begins at the north end of the map. The false hillsman warrirors begin at the opposite end of the map.

Tactics:

Virtually none. The false hillsman warriors are bloodthristy thugs intent on waylaying any travelers they come across. Their bloodlust forces them to fight until they are slain.

Items:

Animal Skin Note
One of the warriors has a rolled animal skin. Scrawled upon it, in crude Common, is a note: Take all you wish from travelers, but DO NOT lead them to the camp. My power is growing, but I must remain disguised until I can decide what to do about Chief Steady-hand

The note can be found with a simple search of the warriors.

Coinage
Each warrior has 3 SP on his person.

False Hillsman Warrior Medium natural humanoid		Level 2 Minion 31 XP
HP 1		Initiative +1
AC 15; Fort 13; Ref 11; Will 11		Perception +1
Speed 6
Traits
Bloodlust
Seeing the spilled blood of their companion, the false hillsman warrior is invigorated by bloodlust. If a false hillsman warrior begins his turn within 2 squares of a fallen ally, the false hillsman warrior gains a +2 on his attack rolls until the end of the encounter.
Standard Actions
Sword (Weapon) ♦ At-Will (basic attack)
Range: Melee Attack: +7 vs AC 5 damage.
Skills +6 Stealth
Str: 14 (+3) Con: 12 (+2)	Dex: 10 (+1) Int: 9 (+0)	Wis: 10 (+1) Cha: 11 (+1)
Alignment Evil
Languages Common
Equipment sword, leather armor
Tactics Essentially thugs, these false hillsmen will attack out of bloodlust until slain.

Treasure Parcels

Silver coins worth 12 SP

12 SP

Harem Scare Em

TEXT 1 - With growing anger, Glou reads the note. Shouting to his fellow tribesmen, Glou approaches the harem tent. With a bellowing shout he calls for his father.

Moments later, Glou's father appears at the entrance to the tent. He is disheveled and his lip has a small cut on it. Glou points at him and shouts, "Imposter! Where is my father?" The Chief looks at Glou and says, "What do mean? I'm your father.

No sooner is that said, Glou thrusts the animal skin note towards the Chief. Looking up, the features of his face flicker just a moment, giving him away. "Simpletons! I am Phlenx the Finest! You'll never find your father..and you'll never find me!" With that, Phlenx dives back into the harem tent.

TEXT 2 - After discussing things with Glou for a short time, you hear a scream coming from the direction of the harem tent. Rushing over, Glau shouts for his father.

Moments later, Glou's father appears at the entrance to the tent. He is disheveled and his lip has a small cut on it. Suddenly, the familiar visage of the Chieftain gives way to that of a strange man. Shocked, Glou points at him and shouts, "Imposter! Where is my father?" The Chief looks at Glou and says, "What do mean? I'm your father.

No sooner is that said, the features of the Chieftain's face flicker again for just a moment, giving him away. Realizing he's been exposed, the false chieftain shouts, "Simpletons! I am Phlenx the Finest! You'll never find your father..and you'll never find me!" With that, Phlenx dives back into the harem tent.

Concerned about the note you found on the false hillsman, you decided to check in on what you remember was an otherwise friendly tribe. Getting to the camp, you are immediately pulled aside by Chief's son, Glou Rockwalker.

Glou tells you that for days now, his father has been acting strangely. He spends all of his time in the harem tent, and on several occasions, screams have been heard coming from the same tent. Glou goes on to tell you that because of his father's standing as Chief, no one has confronted him, and he's not sure what's wrong. It's almost as if someone has replaced his father, for he knows his father would never behave so poorly.

IF YOU HAND the note you found to Glou (and relate your encounter with the hillsmen), read text #1 to the player.

IF YOU DO NOT hand Glou the note, read text #2 to the player

The harem is essentially a large pavilion like tent filled with all kinds of luxurious pillows, silks, rugs, etc. A large number of beautiful men & women inhabit the tent (the Chief has a variety of interesting tastes). As Phlenx flees, he shouts to the harem, "Distract that fool and you will earn my undivided attention!"

Harem Scare Em		200 XP
Level 1 Complexity 2 (requires 6 successes before 3 failures)
Primary Skills
Athletics (DC 12): One of the easiest ways to get through the harem throng is to simply move them out of the way. You may use this skill any number of times for this skill challenge.
Success: You carefully push enough harem girls and boys out of the way to make some progress through the tent. If Plenx has any spearman allies, 1 gets distracted by the harem. You gain 1 success.
Failure: Hey! That pinching hurts! The harem is particularly aggressive. You make no progress, and suffer 2 hit points of damage. Phlenx gains 1 spearman ally and you gain 1 failure.

Bluff (DC 12): The harem can't always be pushed out the way, but they can be swayed by your clever words and boisterous demeanor. Puffing yourself up, some of the harem members can't help but swoon, enabling you to ease your way past them. You may use this skill any number of times during the skill challenge.
Success: Awed by your masculine/feminine charms, the harem gives way, allowing you to pass. You make additional progress through the tent and gain 1 success. If Phlenx has any spearman allies, 1 becomes distracted by the harem.
Failure: Don't put your hand there! Your blustering and bragging mean nothing to a harem determined to distract you thoroughly. You take 2 points of damage and make no progress through the tent. Phlenx gains 1 spearman ally and you gain 1 failure.

Other Skills
Acrobatics (DC 19): Even in the close confines of the tent, you see the opportunity to use a quick step or subtle dodge in order to make some progress through the harem tent.
Success: Your clever movements allow you to make considerable progress through the tent. You gain 2 successes. If Phlenx has any spearman allies, he loses 1 of them.
Failure: Despite your attempt at clever footwork, you slip on a stray pillow and fall prone, making no further progress through the tent. The harem members begin "distracting" you with earnest and you gain 2 failures. Phlenx gains 1 spearman ally.

Insight (DC 12): With the discerning eye of the warrior, you attempt to determine your next best course of action. You can use this ability only once during the skill challenge.
Success: You gain a +2 to the next skill check made during the skill challenge.
Failure: None (you were distracted by someone taking off their top).

Intimidate (DC 12): Frustrated by these distractions, you bellow angrily in an attempt to scare the harem away from you.
Success: Your angry & challenging shouts scare the harem members who shriek and allow you to pass. You gain 3 successes. However, your challenges also allow Phlenx to gain 2 spearmen allies.
Failure: The harem laughs and attempts to "distract" you all the more. You gain 1 failure.

Victory
If the you succeed in the skill challenge, you make it to the opposite side of the harem. You can clearly see where Phlenx has made his escape up the side of the hill. Phlenx will likely have few spearman allies.
Defeat
You make it to the other side of the tent, but you are winded from all the distractions. You think you might know where Phlenx escaped to, but you're not entirely sure. You lose a healing surge, and it is likely the Phlenx will have several allies awaiting you on the hill where he escaped.
Notes

The Imposter Exposed

Bursting out of the tent, you look around quickly. Suddenly, you hear a shout from above you.

"Idiot sword swinger. I will defeat you and bring ruin on this tribe. You'll never find the real chief!"

Above you, on the slope of the hill, stand Phlenx and several of his allies. Raising their spears, their murderous intent is obvious.

You manage to get free of the perils of the harem tent. Now if only you can defeat the imposter that has taken over the tribe.

Encounter		175 XP
Level 4
Opponents		4
Phlenx The Finest
Allied Spearman		x3

Illumination:

Bright light. The encounter takes place in the afternoon.

Features of the Area:

Sloping Ground
This encounter takes place on sloping ground. Any creature that is uphill and fighting an enemy that is downhill from them, gains a +1 on its attack roll. In addition, creatures must make an Acrobatics check (DC 12) at the end of any running or charging movement, or fall prone.

Setup:

The hero begins at the bottom of the hill, just outside the harem tent.

Phlenx begins at the opposite end of the map (uphill). If he has allied spearmen, one will be adjacent to him, while the others will be at least 3 squares away.

Tactics:

Phlenx's tactics are pretty simple - kill the interloper (the hero). He will urge his minions to attack, and won't close until they are slain. He will then charge in (if possible) and use his brutal sweep power. Phlenx may flee if the conditions are right.

Items Of Note:

Map of Nearby Area
Phlenx has on his person, a map. The map describes a small cave where the true chief of the hillsmen is being held captive.

Horn of the Goat
This item was stashed away when the chieftan was kidnapped. The magic items allows its possessor to suffer no movement penalties when fighting on a sloping surface. In addition, anytime a move action might cause you to fall prone, roll a saving throw. If you succeed, you do not fall prone.

Phlenx The Finest Medium natural humanoid		Level 1 Brute 100 XP
HP 32; Bloodied 16		Initiative +1
AC 13; Fort 14; Ref 13; Will 12		Perception +0
Speed 6
Traits
Allied Defense
Bolstered by his nearby ally, Phlenx seems better prepared to brush off your attack. As long as one of Phlenx is adjacent to an ally, he gains a +1 on all of his defenses.
Standard Actions
Long Sword Slash (Weapon) ♦ At-Will (basic attack)
Range: Melee Attack: +6 vs AC 1d8+4 damage.
Brutal Sweep ♦ Encounter
Rearing back with his sword, Phlenx makes a powerful sweeping attack. Range: Melee Attack: +6 vs AC 1d10+6 damage and the target is slowed until the end of its next turn.
Skills Acrobatics +6, Intimidate +5
Str: 16 (+3) Con: 12 (+1)	Dex: 12 (+1) Int: 10 (+0)	Wis: 10 (+0) Cha: 10 (+0)
Alignment Evil
Languages Common
Equipment Leather Armor, Long Sword

Allied Spearman Medium natural humanoid		Level 1 Minion 25 XP
HP 1		Initiative +0
AC 14; Fort 12; Ref 10; Will 10		Perception +0
Speed 6
Standard Actions
Spear Throw (Weapon) ♦ At-Will (basic attack)
The allied spearman hurls a spear at you! Range: Ranged 10 Attack: +6 vs AC 4 damage.
Spear Thrust (Weapon) ♦ At-Will (basic attack)
The allied spearman jabs a spear at you! Range: Melee Attack: +6 vs AC 4 damage.
Str: 14 (+2) Con: 12 (+1)	Dex: 10 (+0) Int: 9 (-1)	Wis: 10 (+0) Cha: 11 (+0)
Alignment Unaligned
Languages Common
Equipment spear x3

Treasure Parcels

Horn of the Goat

This magic item allows its possessor to suffer no movement or combat penalties when fighting on a sloping surface. In addition, any time a move action might cause you to fall prone, roll a saving throw. If you succeed, you do not fall prone.

The Feedback:

I was fortunate that my first player to participate in these solo adventures is also my DM in another game we play in together. His experience as a DM is not as extensive as mine, but he's coming along nicely and has pretty good chops. Before we even started the adventure, though, we had a discussion about his character. I talked about how I wanted to introduce themes into the campaign, and that there were several listed in DDI already (my players heavily utilize this for creating their characters). I told him that themes could be made an integral part of character development "bridging the gap" as it were, between players who want background "fluff" for their characters, and players that really don't care for fluff unless it has some accompanying "crunch". Nate and I quickly discovered we were on the same page. After the adventure concluded, he spent some time browsing the themes in DDI. He has yet to decide on one, but we identified several possibilities. In the long run, it was nice to hear directly from the player what background assumptions he was making in regards to his character.

Feel free to steal any or all the elements of the brief encounters listed above. As always, I'd love to hear your feedback regarding solo adventures, skill challenges, or anything else for that matter. In among other posts, you'll see the remaining adventures as my players schedule time with me to play.

Until next time...

Game excellently with one another.

Drinking the Kool-Aid or "How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Themes"

noreply@blogger.com (R.M. Walker) — Tue, 06 Sep 2011 15:30:00 +0000

Around GenCon time last year (2010), WotC reintroduced a favorite campaign setting from back in the 2nd Edition days - Dark Sun. While reviving many of the great "survivalist" features from the older edition, The 4th Edition version of Dark Sun also introduced a new optional rules mechanic - the Character Theme. Themes were written to help better incorporate a character's background into that of the campaign setting. The theme added an additional power at 1st level, class features at 5th & 10th level, and optional utility powers at 2nd, 6th, & 10th level.

I didn't like them.

I made no bones about it, either. If you listen to the Dungeon Master's Roundtable, you'll find episodes where I simply state that while I think the themes are fine, I wouldn't use them in my own campaign, as I simply didn't need the extra layer of rules complication. At the time, my game was well established, and "retrofitting" themes seemed like a bad idea at the time.

I've since changed my mind.

As an old man, I consider that my prerogative, but I want to explain why. If you follow my Twitter feed closely, you may have grokked that I have begun "dipping my pinkie toe" into the freelancing waters. I've been running my little backwater blog for awhile, but this was one my first attempts to work professionally. Back in June, I had a proposal accepted by WotC. Excited, I wrote out my lengthy article and submitted it for consideration.

When feedback for the article was finally returned, the message was pretty clear. Make it better. Make it more D&D. It was nice that they didn't outright refuse it. Instead, they gave me a week to clean it up and resubmit it. It was a hell of a challenge, but I faced it down and turned it in before my given deadline.

Side note: I still don't know if the rewrite will be accepted. It it is, awesome! If not, it was a good opportunity to get to know the process and to (as they say)..."try, try, again".

While I can't discuss the article (NDAs being what they are), I feel safe to say that while rewriting the article, I discovered the beauty of themes. What dawned on me during this writing assignment, is that themes accomplish two things that really struck a chord with me in my own game. While I was a little slow on the uptake for these revelations (which were probably obvious to others), here's what's important to know:

1) Themes are indeed an excellent way to provide alignment between your campaign setting and the characters that are participating in that setting. For example: Let's say your campaign setting is set in a land of strange fungal forests. Commerce, even basic living, is all based on fungi of different kinds. You might wish to have characters with abilities that relate specifically to that kind of world (fungi). With that in mind, you may want to build a Fungal Potion Brewer theme. Perhaps there are living fungi that are evil. In that case, you might want to build a Fungicide Slayer theme. The important thing is that you're not building an entire class. You're just providing a background and character hook in a form that provides the player with a little "meat" for their character. With the addition of the appropriate character theme, the player is more immediately immersed into the campaign setting.

2) Themes satisfy that subconscious OCD layer I have. Since theme benefits top out at 10th level, they're clearly designed for Heroic tier characters. The natural result is a tripartite set of character development tools: Character Theme, Paragon Path, and Epic Destiny. Neat, huh!
Presented this way, it makes perfect sense. As the character advances, every step is governed by a set of tools that not only provide stats, but help the character develop beyond simply being that list of stats.

For my players that might be reading this blog, themes are coming your way. I'll be introducing them retroactively (I know, I said I'd never do that) in the form of small solo mini adventures that will take you back to 1st level. They should be fun, fairly fast-paced and interesting.

For the rest of you, I now highly recommend giving themes a try for your own 4th Edition campaigns. If you're having trouble with player immersion, it just might do the trick!

Until next time...

Game excellently with one another.

True Dungeon Tokens - Repurposed

noreply@blogger.com (R.M. Walker) — Tue, 23 Aug 2011 17:54:00 +0000

So it seems the one big event that I missed at this year's GenCon, was a little thing called True Dungeon. I'll let you read the details at the link. When you're done (if you don't get hooked), come back here a bit.

Welcome back! As you can see, True Dungeon is a pretty elaborate game. It looks like a blast, and I think I've finally decided that the price of admission is worth giving it a try. My wife has seen it in action as well, and just might join me in a round next year at GenCon.

However, playing True Dungeon isn't what this post is really about.

Some of the more conspicuous elements of True Dungeon are the elegantly crafted tokens you receive when you play the game. These tokens represent various items your character can carry. There are ordinary items, like torches or flasks, and there are magical items as well. Some of these items even have a rarity value assigned them. For GenCon this year (and they've probably done it in the past as well), the True Dungeon folks provided a coupon that allowed anyone to get a sample pack of 10 tokens. In addition, the SWAG bags provided by GenCon each contained one token as well. After trading in my coupon, (and liberating the other tokens from my wife's and youngest son's SWAG bags), I had a dozen tokens to play with. I would have had 32 tokens to play with, but my wife & son were too slow getting to the booth before they sold out (I'm not bitter about this at all).

So what to do with these tokens? I wasn't actually playing True Dungeon this year, and I didn't want to throw them away. I learned quickly that many folks auction their tokens off on E-Bay (apparently, there's quite a demand). I really didn't want to bother with that, so instead I tried to think of a way to incorporate them in the 4e D&D games I run.

I know...sounds crazy, right? Well, I thought the tokens might be a neat way to add some Rule of Cool to my game. I came up with a new mechanic. Each time a character scores a critical hit on a creature, the player gets to pull a token from the chest. Each token has a specific power that can be utilized as a Standard Action, but only once per encounter. The tokens can be held indefinitely, and are "re-shuffled" into the chest when used. To determine what tokens have what effect, I came up with a little chart:

Torch - Automatically set fire to 1 ignitable OR Next attack does ongoing 5 fire damage (save ends).

Ring of Stunning Fist - Push a man-sized creature or object up to 6 squares OR Next attack stuns enemy (save ends).

Dirk - Add +5 to your next Thievery check OR Next attack does ongoing 5 poison damage (save ends).

Scroll of Shock Bolt - Add +5 to your next Ritual skill check OR Next attack does ongoing 5 lightning damage (save ends).

Treasure Map Fragment - Next treasure parcel discovered is 10% more valuable than originally indicated.

Wand of Shock - Your next wand attack automatically scores a critical hit against your enemy OR Next attack (any) does ongoing 5 lightning damage (save ends).

Pewter Flask - Add +5 to your next Endurance skill check. OR Add +5 to your next Diplomacy skill check.

Gold Earring - Automatically barter for any item valued at 100 GP or less OR Add +5 to your next Diplomacy skill check.

Nixie Leather Armor - Add +2 to all of your defenses for the remainder of the encounter OR Breath underwater for up to 1 hour.

Cask of Rum - As Pewter Flask except for up to 10 people OR Create bomb blast (Burst 10, 3d6+16 damage, effects all creatues in range).

Boarding Axe - Automatically break through 1 door OR Next attack automatically scores a critical hit against your enemy.

Wooden Oar - Automatically cross one body of water less than 12 squares wide OR Add +5 to your next Nature skill check.

I did have to add one additional rule. If a token allows you to automatically score a critical hit against an enemy, you do not get to draw an additional token from the chest. Only "natural" critical hits are eligible for tokens.

Obviously, as I add more tokens to my collection (True Dungeon sells them on their website), additional effects will be added. In addition, the effects I listed above are just some of the ideas I came up with. For example, you might want the torch to have a lighting effect, instead of a fire effect. Go with what you feel is most appropriate to your game.

And of course, don't forget. Make sure you gather your tokens for the next time you have the opportunity to play True Dungeon.

Until next time...

Game excellently with one another.

GenCon 2011 Wrap-Up: The Acquisitions

noreply@blogger.com (R.M. Walker) — Wed, 17 Aug 2011 16:00:00 +0000

Greetings!

This will be the last of my GenCon posts for this year, and I saved the best for last. A lot of folks that do not get to attend GenCon like to know what kinds of things can be found there. Goods, merchandise, giveaways - that kind of thing. I made several acquisitions, and thought I would share these with you. There will be no reviews or anything, but if you have any questions about what you see, leave a comment, and I'll try to find out for you. Remember to click on the smaller picture to see the larger image.

Let's start with the basics. I wanted to pick up something for my fellow players in the Dead Orcs Society. Dice were my go to choice. Koplow makes the best:

I always pick out colors that I think are suitable for my players. I hope these bring them luck.

A lot of folks buy rule books, but I went easy on that this time around. The only rule books I purchased were Mike Shea's rule book set (the SlyFlourish Guides). The other book shown in the photo below is Heroes of Shadow. I didn't buy this one, but won it as a prize during the Dungeons & Dragons trivia contest over at Scotty's Brewhouse.

I'm always hungry for miniatures, and I was kind of expecting (with the assumption at the time, that WotC would not be making miniature sets any longer) the price to be exorbitant. I was pleased to find a couple of Lords of Madness sets for at least a 1/3 off the original retail price. I picked up two boxes worth.

I'm always looking for ways to more easily track conditions and such. Alea Tools fits the bill for such things quite nicely. Their magnetic markers stack neatly, are relatively easy to label, and come in a variety of colors. I picked up both 1" and 2" counters. I'm really looking forward to using these on the tabletop.

I wanted to pick up some Dwarven Forge at GenCon, but the Tavern Accessory Kits I wanted were already sold out. However, the nice gentleman at the booth informed me that they were still available online. As soon as I got back, I ordered two of them. I show them here, because had they been present, I would have bought them at GenCon.

Finally, I want to add a special note about the various giveaways I received at GenCon. There were video games, Magic The Gathering decks, True Dungeon counters and other things available for free in the swag bags given out at the conference. In addition, many of the folks I met at GenCon were busy handing out things as well. I got a cool pack of NPC reaction cards from the fine folks that run KantCon in Kansas City and a nice token from Obsidian Portal.

As I type this, I'm realizing the picture below doesn't include some of the other cool things I acquired at GenCon. I received a great light-up D20 from E. Foley (@geeksdreamgirl) in her role as a representative of ThinkGeek. In addition, I received d20s from @KatoKatonian and Team Chompy gave me a pin for my dice bag! I also received great t-shirts from Brian Patterson (d20Monkey) and Jerry LeNeave (of Obsidian Portal)! If I left anyone out, let me know! There was so much cool stuff!

Well, kids. That takes care of my GenCon 2011 Wrap-Up. It was one of the best conventions I've ever attended, and it set the bar pretty high for enjoying the convention next. Here's hoping I get to see all of you in 2012!

Until next time...

Game excellently with one another.

GenCon 2011 Wrap-Up: The Facilities

noreply@blogger.com (R.M. Walker) — Mon, 15 Aug 2011 16:00:00 +0000

You can't meet great people and hold great events without a good facility in which to do that. For this GenCon wrap-up post, I want to talk a little bit about the convention center and the hotel accommodations I had while there.

The Indianapolis Convention Center recently went through a major remodel, and the results (at least to me) were fantastic. Huge volumes of convention floor space were added, allowing plenty of room for everyone. Sure it was crowded at times, but for the most part, people traffic kept moving, and I never really felt like I was in a "jam". Of course, all that extra space means that there's a bit more walking to do. By the end of the convention, my feet were complaining pretty loudly.

My biggest complaint about the convention center (and I don't believe it's a new complaint), is the escalators. Seriously, just hire one guy who's only job is to make a circuit around the building and reset the "tripped" escalators. I'm almost certain that what's happening here, is that too much weight ("gamer" sized people) hits the escalator at once, and safety features shut it down. I'm cool with that, but a guy should be able to come around quickly and reset it. I realize I should just suck it up and appreciate the opportunity to work off a bit more "gamer fat", but when your feet hurt and you're dog tired, it would be nice to keep the escalators running!

Despite that complaint, it continues to amaze me how wonderful it is to have the convention center linked to a major mall and a great number of other hotels via the Skywalk. While getting the "lay of the land" took a little while, it's nice to be able to travel everywhere without having to step outside (especially in the heat of August) at all. One bit of advice. Look for the overhead signs in both the Convention Center, the Hotels, and within the Skywalk itself. They are actually very good at directing you to your destination. Don't be afraid to look up and use them!

Let's move on to the hotel, shall we? I was grateful for being able to get a room at all (thanks again, Tom Cadorette!), so the room we ended up with was at the J.W. Marriott. This Marriott is a brand new hotel (6 months old), shiny and full of pretty art, nice eating establishments, and all the other fine amenities that come with a fancy hotel. In fact, because we lucked into the room, I'm hesitant to say anything at all, lest I come across as being ungrateful. Far from it. Nevertheless, the hotel could have done some things to make staying there much more worthy of the money we spent on the room.

Housekeeping service was pretty awful. I tried to communicate on the first day, that except for towels & trash, housekeeping didn't really have to do anything else to the room. I wonder if they misunderstood. They only replaced the towels for two days and failed to replace any bathroom tissue at all. I suppose I should have complained louder, but by the time it became a real issue, the convention was nearly over. I can't comment on how well the Marriott would have responded had I indeed complained, but I really shouldn't have had to worry about that in the first place.

Internet service was abysmal and horribly expensive. Internet service in the hotel was billed out at $12.95 a day. I tried it on day one, but there were constant pop-ups and general roadblocks to being able to easily access the internet from the room. It was such a hassle, that I simply didn't use it for the rest of the time. This kind of cost is bullshit. I realize that the more expensive a hotel, the more basic amenities cost, due to the fact that such hotels rely on business expense accounts to pay for all of these services. It's pretty sad, though, that I can stay at a Motel 6 and get free internet and not at the Marriott. I'm probably pissing into the wind on this issue, but it still irritates me to no end. I can only hope that 4G rolls out in more areas soon. I can just use my smartphone then.

Finally, we were less than impressed with the climate control in our room. We had to keep it set at maximum coolness at all times, just to cool the room to an acceptable level. I spoke to some other convention goers staying at the same hotel, and they mentioned that their room was like an icebox. Those folks were on a higher floor, so maybe the building is cooled from the top down. Still, inconsistent climate control is a problem. After spending all day in a warm, people filled environment like the convention, it would have been nice to come home to a cool friendly room. We didn't get that, and it was a little disappointing.

Despite all these issues, however, I have to say that our customer service at the J.W. Marriott was outstanding. I want to set aside special recognition for our concierge. His name escapes me (and I was careless not writing his name down), but he was friendly, helpful, and even tolerant of customers that made silly requests. He helped balance out some of the issues we had, simply by being a most excellent concierge. I also want to praise the staff of the Velocity Sports Bar and the friendly and helpful waitress at the hotel restaurant where we had Sunday breakfast. While some bumps in Housekeeping obviously need to be sorted out, the other folks at the hotel did a fine job.

Looking back, our stay at GenCon this trip was a mix of good and "could have been better". I won't say "bad", because the issues we experienced weren't so terrible they ruined out convention experience. Anna & I will take what we learned from this year's trip to prepare ourselves for next time. Whether that's a different hotel, or simply being more proactive about getting our money's worth, we should have a more pleasant stay next time.

In my final GenCon report in a couple of days, I'll show you the awesome goods I acquired. Because that's what you really want to know about, right?

Until next time...

Game excellently with one another.

GenCon 2011 Wrap-Up: The Events

noreply@blogger.com (R.M. Walker) — Fri, 12 Aug 2011 16:00:00 +0000

Welcome back to my wrap-up of GenCon 2011. As you can see, I was pretty impressed by the caliber of people I met while at the convention. Most of these folks I met while attending some pretty cool events. I kept my schedule light so that I wouldn't be rushing around, but I still managed to do some pretty cool things. Here's how it went down:

Wednesday -

We got into Indianapolis on Wednesday afternoon. We had planned for this anyway, but we left early so that I could make it to an evening "pre-Con" event. That event was Drunken D&D. While tales of this strange event can be heard in a number of places, I was lucky enough to not only witness, but participate. For the curious, Drunken D&D is an unofficial event run by Dave "The Game" Chalker, and Phil "ChattyDM" Menard. With the help of Tracy "Sarah Darkmagic" Hurley and Mike "Sly Flourish" Shea, each of these four outstanding dungeon masters ran a table with a host of "variant" rules for a Dungeons and Dragons game. As the name of the event suggests, there was a quantity alcohol involved (voluntary consumption, of course). The games got pretty wild, and a great time was had by all. I feel fortunate and grateful to have been invited to this rather exclusive event, and I have hopes that I'll be invited back in the future. Even if you don't get invited, though, the event is a blast to watch. Drunken D&D is a hell of a good time, and it really got me into the spirit of GenCon. I believe that more information will be posted about this event over at the Ennie Award Winning Blog Critical - Hits. Keep an eye on their site to learn more!

Thursday -

After hitting the exhibitor hall, I only had one seminar to attend on Thursday. I managed to get a ticket to a WotC monster design seminar hosted by Jeremy Crawford, Greg Bilsland (from WotC) and Matt James. Enjoyed some great tips on what "the industry" thinks great monsters should look like. Good tips were offered that I can use in my forthcoming 4th edition Dungeons & Dragons games.

Friday -

If you follow me closely on Twitter, you might have teased out the fact that I had a proposal excepted by WotC. As a result, I was fortunate enough to be invited to a "Freelancer's Seminar" hosted by Mike Mearls and other dignitaries from the company. There was one awkward moment when myself & two other folks had to step out of the room (we had yet to sign NDAs), but Greg Bilsland came to the rescue, provided the correct forms, and once signed, we were back in the "freelancer fold". I can't mention what was discussed in the meeting, (NDA), but it was a nice introduction and a bit of an "inside look" into what the company is expecting out of its freelancers. As a result of this meeting, I was pretty high the rest of the convention. It also gave me the encouragement to have further proposals written up and prepared by the time the next WotC submission window opens October 1st.

That evening, still buzzing from events, Anna and I took in the D&D Trivia contest over at Scotty's Brewhouse. Hosted by Greg Bilsland & Mike Robles, the trivia contest was a blast as we had some excellent food, a few tasty beers, and hung out with friends. I rocked the monster identity portion of the trivia contest, getting 9 out of 10 creatures. Note to self: A Forlaren looks a lot like a Berbalang. Wish we could have stuck around longer, but Anna was pretty tired from standing a lot that day, and we had to walk back to the hotel. Still, a great time.

Saturday -

I took it easy Saturday, as I wanted to prep for my one panel - The Dungeon Master's Round Table. Hosted by myself and fellow panelists, Tracy Hurley, Thadeous Cooper, and Mike Shea, we took questions from the audience, had some discussion from the crowd, and tried to dispense a little of the DM wisdom the four of us have collected over the years. I was pleased to see the room was "standing room only" and that we could have probably gone for 2 hours instead of just the one hour we were allotted. I hope the DMR crew can get together next year and do a similar panel, but for a longer length of time, and a larger room. If you are reading this, and actually attended the panel, THANK YOU for being there and please spread the word.

Well, that's pretty much it. While my schedule wasn't jam-packed with stuff to do, the events I attended were so "signature" for me, that I felt like I experienced a very full GenCon. It will be tough to top next year. I do plan to add at least one game of "True Dungeon" because after watching countless people participate and have a blast, I really need to do that to!

Until next time...

Game excellently with one another.

GenCon 2011 Wrap-Up: The People

noreply@blogger.com (R.M. Walker) — Wed, 10 Aug 2011 19:50:00 +0000

I am back from GenCon!

Yep, that's right, and what an amazing experience it was! The people, the events, the facility, the acquisitions...everything about the convention was pretty amazing. So much awesome in fact, that it's going to take about four blog posts to cover it all. I'll release these in a short burst so you won't be hit with more than 1 post every couple of days, but I do want to be able to capture it all the best I can.

I've heard many people repeat both on Twitter, and while at the convention, that it's the People that really made their GenCon experience worthwhile this time out. I couldn't agree more. For well over a year now, I've been chatting with folks on Twitter, or engaging them in podcasts, and I was truly impressed with the genuine nature of the folks I met. The people I met were real. Not only that, they were just as awesome in person, as they are online. I had hopes that GenCon would be a "social" experience for me, and I wasn't disappointed.

What follows then, is me dropping ALL THE NAMES of some of the great folks I met at GenCon. If you're listed here, it means you made an impact on my GenCon experience. If you don't see your name here, don't worry. I was probably in a daze, sleepy from food or activity, or distracted by something shiny. Like I said above, everyone was awesome. Even you. One thing, I've listed most folks by their Twitter handle. If you want to know their real name, look them up. I'm not going to do all the work for you.

I knew my GenCon experience was going to be awesome when the first folks I met at my hotel were @geeksdreamgirl and @davethegame. Just as gracious in person as they are online, E. was nice enough to give myself, my son, and my niece a nice giveaway from ThinkGeek. In my most embarrassing moment I introduced my niece, Dani, as my nephew. Awkward. Also, Dave looks a little like a young Timothy Hutton. Maybe THIS is why he enjoy Leverage so much?
I met a lot of folks that same evening at Drunken D&D Wednesday night. The list is pretty long but includes, @Rolling20s "Mr. GenCon" as I called him (dude was everywhere YOU want to be), the ever charming @chattyDM, who did not disappoint by flirting with my wife, Anna (@FELTit). I also met (for the first time in person) my fellow podcasters: @sarahdarkmagic, her husband @FTHurley, @ThadeousC, @SlyFlourish (and his wife @rosamoonshadow), and the Pod Father himself, @Squach. The suave @newbiedm was there as well (he set me up something awesome in the Fiasco portion of the game that night). The charming @dndPrincessAria was there observing the show with @WolfSamurai and @TheAngryDM (who is not really so angry, but don't tell him that). Also there was the steely-eyed Jenga player and professional architect @Bartoneus. A special note about this guy. Even though he's now an Ennie Award Winning Blogger (for Critical Hits), he never failed to stop by and say "Hi", whenever he passed us by in the hotel or wherever. Genuinely nice guy. In addition, @Nullzone42 and @GenCon4James were rocking the Velocity Lounge that night as well. Finally, who can forget "Team Chompy". @adamjford and @chelseachan were there being awesome with CHOMPY himself (this was quite an honor). Anna & I both received a Coffee Crisp bar which was a tasty treat the U.S. misses out regularly on. Also, I met @terrestrialboy and his wife @BeautifulBethie. They're organizers of our local KantCon in Kansas City. It's a mini-con I hope to be regularly attending soon.

While at the convention, I had the privilege of meeting several of the fine folks at Wizards of the Coast such as @michaelrobles, @Trevor_WotC, @gregbilsland, @mikemearls, and Jeremy Crawford. I wouldn't want to forget popular freelancers @matt_james_rpg & @rjschawlb either. All of these cats were approachable and friendly (despite what you hear about Rob Schwalb).

The last list (and it's certainly not the least) is all the folks I met while doing various activities, meals, or just walking around. Had a fantastic breakfast with @d20Monkey (my favorite RPG web comic artist), @Level30Yinzer, Obsidian Portal workhorse, @dreadgazeebo, and his wonderful wife, @momanatrix. @highmoon and @newbiedm stopped by as well! Anna and I also managed to have dinner with @D20Blonde and her husband @TheUniverseGM (their son, Archer, is a CUTIE!). Their friend @RodrigotheBard was there as well, along with Mr. GenCon and Thad who joined us too! At the D&D trivia night, I met the incomparable @KatoKatonian and is amazing fiance, @merrydragon. They're getting married soon. Kato was kind enough to allow Anna & I to dip into his D20 bag, which is not really as dirty as it sounds. Those dice better roll great, Kato. I also met @WastexGames who helped us rock the Trivia contest! Last but not least, I got to meet @ObsidianPortal founder, @micahwedemeyer as well! He and Jerry (@dreadgazeebo) helped our DM Roundtable panel go smoothly!

Seriously, I have never been as inundated with awesome people at any single point in my life. To think that I get to come back next year and do it all over again, is a hell of a thing. With that said, there are certain people still "on my list" who I want to meet. Folks like @DMSamuel, @gamefiend, @ArcaneSpringbrd, @theweem, @rdonoghue, @ChrisSSims, @fredhicks and @RyanMacklin (although I'm not sure I'm cool enough to meet Mr. Macklin).

That's one hell of a list. If you're not following any of these folks on Twitter, you are (as the kids so often say these days) DOING IT WRONG. Thanks to all of you for making GenCon 2011 an incredible memory rich experience that will last a lifetime.

Until next time...

Game excellently with one another.

GenCon 2011 Schedule - Stalk DeadOrcs!

noreply@blogger.com (R.M. Walker) — Thu, 28 Jul 2011 14:28:00 +0000

Greetings, Kids!

GenCon 2011 is almost here, so I thought I would get my schedule put up for those of you that might want to come find me to hang out, play a game of something, or what have you.

I'm fixed for the various events specified below, but I'm pretty flexible otherwise. Here's what it looks like so far:

Wednesday:

4:00am to 2:00pm (or so) - Traveling from Topeka to Indianapolis
2:00pm (or so) to 6:00pm - Hotel check in, pick up Will-Call stuff
6:00pm to Pelor Knows When - Drunken D&D

Thursday:

2:00pm to 4:00pm - Monster Design Seminar

Friday:

6:00pm to 7:00pm - WotC Freelancer Seminar

Saturday:

4:00pm to 6:00pm - Dungeon Master's Roundtable Panel

Sunday:

Open, but checking out in the morning, leaving Indianapolis by 11:00am.

That's pretty much what I have as far as confirmed events. As you can see, my schedule is pretty open. I'm really looking forward to meeting lots of folks that I've met on Twitter and in the Blogging community. Come find me, say "Hi!" and let's play a game, perhaps!

See you there!

Until next time...

Game excellently with one another.

So This Thing About The Skulls...

noreply@blogger.com (R.M. Walker) — Sun, 24 Jul 2011 18:32:00 +0000

Greetings!

As GenCon approaches, and all eyes turn towards Indianapolis, I thought it might be fun to share with you one of the things I'd be doing to celebrate my return (it's been 7 years!).

As many of you know, I work with a lot of Hirst Arts stuff. I cast blocks, build terrain, that sort of thing. In the process of doing regular casts, I get a lot of extra bits for which I don't find an immediate use. Some of those bits are skulls - two specific types, actually. I get a humanoid skull piece from Mold #70, and a dragon type skull piece from Mold #80. These skulls are useful for adding accents to terrain, but I don't usually need them. However, I do save them (NEVER throw out a good cast block, you might always find a use for it!).

That said, over the last few years, I've gathered several extra skulls of both types. I decided that for GenCon this year, I would paint a bunch of them and give them away as little gifts. I particularly wanted to show my appreciation to folks that I know on Twitter and elsewhere for their ongoing support of this little RPG blog I run. For the curious, I've thrown together a few photos of how the skulls came together. Enjoy!

Painting in process. I used an acrylic model paint. I find that acrylic works better on a porous surface and is also self sealing. When dry, the paint isn't "tacky" and also provides a protective surface for the block.

Second coat. One of the drawbacks of acrylic is that it is sometimes thinner than an equal volume of enamel. A second coat usually fixes that. Because the skulls were pretty small, I had to first paint the tops and sides, then once dry, devise a way to paint the bottoms. The solution was to use some Crayola Modeling Magic. I pressed a layer into the plastic lid the paints came in. Then I made little indentations to fit the skulls. The Modeling Magic material dried, resulting in a little rack to dry the skulls in.

Here, all the skulls are dried and are awaiting to be stored away. I chose a bunch of different colors. I do wish I'd had more dragon skulls, but apparently, I haven't used that mold as much as the other one. Instant RARE item!

Here's what you should be looking for if you meet me at GenCon. This little box is one of those paperboard boxes you can find at any craft store. I simply painted it to look like a treasure chest!

THERE BE SKULLS HERE!!

So...come meet me at GenCon, and while supplies last, get a hold of a skull painted by yours truly. Use your skull as a token, a good luck charm, or even an item of jewelry!

Hope to see you there!

Until next time...

Game excellently with one another.

Still Here!

noreply@blogger.com (R.M. Walker) — Mon, 18 Jul 2011 13:18:00 +0000

I'm probably breaking a major blogging rule here, but I wanted to let all my loyal readers know that I AM STILL HERE.

Summer is usually a slow time for the blog, as my free time (particularly at home) is filled with all sorts of activities that pull me away from the computer. However, I am working on some exciting things, and I wanted to let everyone know what was going on with your favorite Dead Orc.

WORK PROCEEDS APACE for my ongoing project over at This Is My Game. As you might be aware, I'm working on a project to re-skin the original Star Frontiers rules into a 4e rule set. The bulk of the rules are complete, so right now, I'm working my way through the various equipment lists. I'm trying to get these done in discreet chunks. Once the project is complete (at least where I feel comfortable), I'll probably enlist Thad's help to get it all into one volume that you can download free from the site. Keep checking the "Skin My Game" section of the site for updates!

HOLY CRAP GEN-CON IS ALMOST HERE! That's right, kids. Yours truly, my lovely wife Anna (@FELTit on the Twitter), my youngest, and my niece are all headed up to Indy in a couple of weeks to enjoy 4 days of awesome gaming and related activities. If you're heading to the convention, look me up! I'll be Tweeting my location from time to time. There's plenty of free time built into my schedule, so come find me. If I have any left, you'll get a little tiny skull!

SECRET PROJECT!! I'm excited to be working on a for . The is complete, so I just need to get past the and hope for a win. We shall see!

YES, I'M STILL GAMING! My Dead Orcs Society game group has been pretty faithful this summer about being able to meet our usual Once A Month. In addition, I'm getting to play my DDI Assassin character (Martin Blank) about every couple of weeks, so I'm getting to experience both sides of the game (which is great for perspective). I'm trying to figure out a way to get my "smaller group" game going again. One of the members is going to have a baby soon, so I imagine that their gaming time will be at a premium. I want to get this group going again, because I think they'll be a lot of fun.

Next week, I hope to have my official "Pre Gen-Con post" so that you folks will know what I'll be up to at the convention.

Until next time...

Game excellently with one another.

A Moldy Assessment

noreply@blogger.com (R.M. Walker) — Wed, 15 Jun 2011 19:48:00 +0000

Okay, I admit it. That was a pretty bad pun. Or it will be when you find out the topic of this latest post.

Just this morning, Adam Page (@blindgeekuk) was showing off some sample blocks from Hirst Arts® molds on Twitter. He was wondering whether it was more cost effective to buy block sets from various vendors, or just invest in the (sometimes significant) cost of the molds. Being a big fan of Bruce's work, I encouraged him to consider investing in the molds, as the casts he could create would pay for the mold's value (relative to blocks available for sale) in a relatively short period of time.

I informed Adam that I owned 13 Hirst Arts® molds, and that I would try to show off which ones those were. Here's the list:

Fieldstone Wall Mold (#70) (x2)

Fieldstone Accessories Mold (#71)

4" Round Fieldstone Mold (#72)

Dragon's Teeth Accessory Mold (#80)

Water Cavern Wall Mold (#82)

Cavern Accessory Mold (#85)

Egyptian Pyramid Accessory Mold (#96)

Cracked Floor Tiles Mold (#203)

Flagstone Floor Tile Mold (#260)

Fieldstone Slab Mold (#261)

Cavern Floor Mold (#281)

Cavern Floor Accessory Mold (#282)

*All images from Hirst Arts® and are used without permission.

This is, by no means, the end of my wish lists for Hirst Arts® molds. I'd love to get more of the cavern molds (there's like 3 more, I think) and I'd like to get some more of the Egyptian and perhaps some specialty molds, like the small brick mold or the wooden planking mold. At $30 a piece, I've been spreading out my purchases for almost 10 years. However, if well treated, the molds last a LONG time, and you receive a very large return on you investment. That return is decreased somewhat if you use expensive dental stone or other cements (like Merlin's Magic), but if you opt for serviceable (and ordinary) Plaster of Paris, you'll get a LOT of value for your money.

For those folks out there that enjoy building their own dungeon terrain, Hirst Arts® is difficult to beat!

To Adam and any of you other dungeon terrain junkies out there, I hope this list gets you started!

Until next time...

Game excellently with one another.

Julian Becomes Vampire Jesus

noreply@blogger.com (R.M. Walker) — Fri, 10 Jun 2011 15:37:00 +0000

Some weird things happen on Twitter.

A few months ago, one of my Twitter friends by the name of Brian Patterson (@d20Monkey) was referring to my avatar. The long hair, and "smoky" expression (I guess?) led him to refer to the icon as "Vampire Jesus". The resulting conversation was hilarious, and it led Brian to feature him in his increasingly popular RPG Web comic called, "d20 Monkey".

When you get a chance, hit up his site, and catch up from the beginning. Then stick that comic in your RSS feed, because it will regularly give you a great laugh.

I'm flattered that Brian chose that image (and even mentioned my "handle" by name). He's a talented artist and has done guest spots for HijiNKS ENSUE and also the Caption Comics feature for Obsidian Portal.

In case you've been living in a hole and don't recall what the avatar looks like, I'll refer you to this image:

I want to give credit where it's due. I wouldn't have access to this image if it wasn't for a generous gift by my brother-in-law (who was my DM at the time), and an artist he commissioned, to do some character sketches as rewards for a quick return on character backgrounds.

The original artist's name is lost to me. I searched for about an hour through my G-mail account, but couldn't for the life of me find the artist. If any of the old "Wanderers of Eberron" read this post, and remember, let me know. I'll edit the post and give proper credit.

The portrait is originally that of Julian Vanderdecken. An Orien courier (and general rake) from Eberron. In case you're interested, here's are some story links relevant to the character.

Julian's Background Story

A Bit of Julian's Past

Once again, I want to thank Brian for the mention, and honoring the name of "deadorcs" in his web comic. Rock on, Dude.

UPDATE! Thanks to my sister, I now have the name of the artist. The talented individual that provided Julian's image is Dave McNeal. Visit his site and check out some more of his fantastic art!

Until next time...

Game excellently with one another.

Elminster's Jock

noreply@blogger.com (R.M. Walker) — Tue, 24 May 2011 03:34:00 +0000

Yeah, this will drive traffic to the site.

Well, you can blame Brian, the creative genius over at d20monkey for this one. He posted THIS COMIC, and I couldn't help but take it from there.

Brian, this is all on you:

Until next time...

Game excellently with one another.

Sanctify the Congregation		200 XP
Level 1 Complexity 2 (requires 6 successes before 3 failures)
Primary Skills
Heal (DC 12): Using a healing touch, the hero proves the power of his faith. The hero can use this skill any number of times to complete the challenge.
Success: The thrall is converted and sees the light of Pelor, his faith spreads to two adjacent thralls. The hero gains 1 success.
Failure: The thrall is not converted. The hero gains 1 failure and an armed parishioner appears at the pulpit next to the preacher.

Religion (DC 8): Using the power of his faith, the hero's words convert a thrall once again to a faithful of Pelor. The hero may use this ability once during the skill challenge.
Success: The hero converts a thrall to a member of the faithful of Pelor. The hero gain 2 successes, and two adjacent parishioners convert as well.
Failure: The hero fails to convert a thrall and gains 1 failure. An armed parishioner appears next to the priest at the head of the congregation.

Other Skills
Any Radiant Power (DC 12): The hero uses any power with the Radiant keyword, but does no damage. This ability can be used once during the skill challenge.
Success: The hero converts an thrall effected by the power instead of doing damage. The hero also gains 2 successes and removes 1 armed parishioner from the stage next to the priest.
Failure: Another armed parishioner is summoned to the side of the priest at the head of the congregation.

Diplomacy (DC 19): The hero attempts to convince a thrall to convert. The hero can use this ability only once during the skill challenge.
Success: The hero converts a thrall into a faithful of Pelor. The hero gains 1 success.
Failure: The hero fails to convince the thrall to convert. The hero gains 1 failure and an armed parishioner appears next to the priest at the head of the congregation.

Endurance (DC 12): Tapping his reserves of faith, the hero pushes ahead with converting the congregation. The hero may use this ability once during the skill challenge.
Success: The hero gains a +2 on his next Heal or Religion check when converting a member of the congregation.
Failure: No effect.

Lay On Hands (DC 12): The hero uses a Lay On Hands power to prove his faith to a member of the congregation. This ability can only be used twice during this skill challenge.
Success: The hero converts a thrall, and two adjacent thralls. The hero also gains 2 successes.
Failure: No effect.

Victory
If the hero succeeds in the skill challenge, the thralls all begin to shake off their condition and begin praying loudly to Pelor, sanctifying the church. They begin to leave, shuffling out of the church, leaving only the priest and one or two armed parishioners.
Defeat
The few converted thralls flee, but the rest remain, spreading out in a circle. The priest and several armed parishioners move forward to attack. The church remains defiled.
Notes