The Book of Worlds

Fellowship of the Backstreet

2012-04-13T10:04:00.000-04:00

I found this in my internets the other day, and I've had no choice but to watch it again and again. Go ahead, watch it and tell me it didn't make you chuckle at least once. I dare you.

A new blog

2012-04-12T14:31:00.001-04:00

As I have gone from living alone to married with kids recently, I have not had as much time as before to produce lengthy posts about roleplaying on a daily basis. One of the things I've decided to take seriously after these changes is the safety of my family. To keep focussed, as well as to keep track of the necessary preparations, I've started a new blog. If you have similar concerns, pop over and see if it's something you'd like to keep an eye on. Oh, and don't expect zombies over there -- I'll keep them contained here on the BoW.

Just a thought

2012-04-10T00:25:00.000-04:00

3.X s.2: ...and very bad eggs.

2012-04-09T12:59:00.001-04:00

After having cleared out the ancient tomb, the scholars of fortune chose to head north towards the Greenvale. Though this meant they'd have to brave the dangers of the Witchfell for longer, by their reckoning the benefits of not having to pay loot tax to the Legion outweighed this. Despite the difficult terrain, they made good time, and day by day the Wyvernscrown Mountains drew nearer. The Mother must have smiled on them, and for days nothing untoward befell them.

Then Ria found the stone bunny. At first they weren't sure what to make of the perfectly lifelike rodent statue, but when Mirriam revealed that the most likely cause for it's presence in this location -- the feared cockatrice -- the mood turned more sombre. The bunny, they figured, was most likely a territorial marker, but they had no way of knowing whether or not that meant they were leaving or entering the area. In the end, they decided to take their chances and press on. Eadwaccer, as he is wont to do, put the bunny in his pack, figuring it might fetch a few coins.

After a few watchful hours, the henchman Rallabund, probably due to the vantage point offered by his gnomish stature, was the one to spot a large nest hidden in a thorny thicket. The abominable avian was not far away, and when it spotted the trespassers it set to shrieking and beating it's leathery wings. With Eadwaccer covering the rear, the four withdrew carefully. This precarious balance was disturbed when Mirriam attempted to cast a spell of invisibility on the four. Her voice and hand movements must have provoked the monster, as it attacked.

With beating wings and lowered head, the foul bird charged through the undergrowth with such a speed and abandon that it was upon Eadwaccer before anyone could act. The ensuing fight was short and chaotic, but short thanks to the warrior's calm; in no small way to the spiked ball of his flail. When the travellers continued their journey, he had five eggs in his satchel -- they'd probably fetch a few coins if offered to the right buyer.

After a few more nights in the woods, they now came upon a river. By their map, this should be the Tumblestone. If so, the stories said it was impossible to cross. Though only a few yards wide, its said that none who falls in survives. Not wanting to put this to the test, and still not wanting to risk the Legion's taxmen, our heroes turned upstream, into the foothills. That this too carried with it some risks was underlined quick enough, as they came upon a skeleton tied to a rock. The rock was covered in goblin scrawl conveying a multitude of rude warnings to anyone dumb enough to enter their territory. Still, the threat of taxes seemed more certain than that of death by goblin hands, so they decided to take their chances upriver. Though not during the night if they could avoid it.

That night they were kept awake by drums up in the hills, beating a sinister tattoo from nightfall to daybreak. Even so, at the crack of dawn the adventurers put their packs on, and set out to find a crossing point.

In the early afternoon they found a treacherous looking rope bridge spanning a deep chasm. Somewhere below, between the jagged cliffs, the sinister Tumblestone lay waiting for anyone who should fall. At this point our adventurous tax evaders had come too far into goblin lands to hope making it back down before dark. They hunkered down behind a rock while they decided on how to proceed. Several strategies were discussed, but the choice was to be made for them.

When movement was spotted behind some rocks up ahead, Mirriam stepped out towards the bridge, preparing to cast a spell. The spell didn't work, but now the goblin lookout had seen her. He blew his horn, and the heroes took this to be their cue. Letting plans be plans, they ran across. Again Eadwaccer made up the rear, and as goblins came running towards him, he deployed their secret weapon. While they'd been hiding behind the rock, Mirriam had placed some harmless but spectacular enchantments on the petrified bunny. With great care the fighting man now unwrapped the statue, now covered with glowing glyphs, and placed it carefully on the ground between himself and the attacking dark-spawn. Then he ran.

The primitives dared not approach the hexed hare, but they did not let this stop them from pelting the man with missiles as he made his way to the other side. Though their marksmanship stood to gain more than a little, and his armour stopped the majority of the hits, one arrow still bit through. Had it not been for the gnome's prowess with the crossbow, more would have found their mark, and he might not have made it. As it was, he reached the far side just as more important looking goblins started beating their more superstitious underlings toward the bridge. To avoid any unpleasantness that would follow should the enemy cross in numbers, our heroes cut the ropes on their side and ran.

The rest of the journey, though not without it's complications, went well, and nothing that transpired during these days makes for a thrilling tale, so therefore I will not bore you with details of wound-care, camping, and border crossings. Instead I will tell you about the events that took place in Windgard.

Ria and her husband Eadwaccer spent their last coins putting together the tomb raid, and now they had swag to fence. Their most discrete enquiries first led them to the house of the half elf Lynard Wex. Once they left him, they had exchanged a few millennia old pieces of jewellery for a nice purse of coin. The next thing they needed was to find someone to identify the magical items they'd retrieved. Let me now bore you with a short account of magical services in the Dominion of Langrim: As the dominant, indeed the only magical order, on the islands, the Arcane Order of Mercere has instituted a tariff on such services. The standard cost of having a spellcaster identify an item is 75 Golden Stallions per item. And they're not shy about leaning on anyone trying to underbid them in the market.

As it happened, Ria took their loot to Master Parwoux's tower, and forked out the coin for the job. Everything was properly identified, except for a crystal amulet. This item did not reveal any discernible magical function, despite it's clear and strong aura. As a favour, and as because of it's research value, the Mercerian offered a thousand gold for the amulet. The deal was sweet, and thus it was made.

That night our three heroes were awoken by a thunderous blast that had plaster raining from the ceilings of their rooms. The cause of the commotion was soon revealed, the wizard's tower had somehow exploded. Nothing but a large crater was left of the structure, and most of an entire city block had been levelled by the blast. What's more, Mirriam could detect a faint magical aura, almost like an echo, clinging to the area. The resonance was eerily similar to the one she'd sensed in the ancient tomb.

Over the course of the following day, several of the townspeople were asking them questions about the tower, seeing as they had visited the wizard only hours before the catastrophe. Lynard Wex even sent them a warning, saying that they aught to be aware that the Order of Merecere took any possibility of an attack on them most seriously, and that they'd be sure to send someone to look into it shortly.

Not wanting to appear guilty by fleeing the town, the three stayed put, and that evening they were visited by Master Thimothæus Ironhand, Justicar of the Order. In the interview that followed, the Justicar reluctantly cleared the party of any direct involvement in the explosion. However, he also insisted on purchasing one of the other items from the delve -- a magical bronze axe with some unknown qualities -- at a price far below what they'd hoped to get.

Later that night, a stranger named Cobb approached the disenchanted trio. He spoke to them at length, revealing several things about the crystal amulet, and the cat-like people that built the tomb. These details I will reserve for a later post, and for now I will only tell you that the very next day our heroes headed south to visit Consul Janor's Library in Legion's Rest.

What they find there, and where that information takes them, is in a story not yet told.

For those of you wondering what happened to Rallbund, the gnomish henchman, he was paid his self-negotiated fee of 100 gp, plus a 50 gold bonus, and he left the party in Windgard.

[Picture source: Lukasz Jaskolski]

Roleplayer holds seat in government

2012-03-29T17:51:00.003-04:00

"I guess I’m Neutral Good. I mean that. But every person deviates from their alignment from time to time."

Heikki Holmås is living proof that geeks have now infiltrated the very fundament of civilization, as he is currently serving as Minister of Development in the Norwegian Government. Holmås started playing back in 1988, starting with Fighting Fantasy and progressing to Red Box D&D. In '89 he became Norwegian Champion of D&D, winning a trip to GenCon. He was a founding member of RegnCon [tr: RainCon], a gaming club/annual con in Bergen, Norway, that's still around today.

He also took part in the legendary LARP 1942 -- Noen å stole på [tr: Someone to trust]. The premise of this game was to recreate the life in a small coastal community under German occupation, and those who were fortunate enough to be there still talk about it.

The source for this post is the Norwegian RPG and game magazine Imagonem, and you can read the full interview here: [LINK]

A somewhat related article about Norwegian LARP-culture here: [LINK]

[Picture source: Imagonem]

3.X s.1: The Tomb of the Ancient King . . . on a shoestring

2012-03-26T11:32:00.000-04:00

This session was the first test run of 3.X Ajax Configuration, the D&D hack I've been working on lately. The adventure was based on The Tomb of the Ancient King, a dungeon I created for the Labyrinth Lord game. It featured a type of construct I'd dubbed the Questing Bird, and as it was a combat light scenario, little converting needed to be done. The main obstacle in this adventure was the series of riddles posed by the birds. As the module as written had very little action in it, I also threw in a mummy just to, eh . . . liven it up a little.

The combat set-up ran well, but I noticed a few loose nuts and bolts, all easily fixed. The magic system unsurprisingly revealed more unwanted noises, and it couldn't quite reach top speed. Still, we found the causes for most of these problems, and I expect it'll run a lot better once it's been overhauled.

The party this time consisted of a Rogue, a Fighter, and a Spell Caster, all 3rd level. A henchman also invited himself along - something that fuelled much paranoia. The players are still waiting for him to poison them and run off with their loot.

~o~

Ria and her husband Eadwaccer are struggling to get by, but the last delve they mounted barely made enough to pay for their expenses. Luckily the dwarf they had recruited for the job got himself eaten by a freakishly large frog, and thus did not claim his share. After they'd sold off the loot, they were left with just enough to purchase a box of books from the estate of a deceased and debt-ridden gnomish merchant. Having gone through every scrap of parchment in the box, Ria finally had a lead on what might well be the dungeon of their dreams.

Not wanting to alert any competitors to their plans, and without the gold to pay the retainer for a guilded magician, the couple managed to recruit the Miriam, a rogue spell caster with a more than casual relationship to the flagon. They also took on Rallabund, a gnome who undercut himself in his desperation to leave the city before the Legion clapped him in irons for being a debt-dodger.

According to Ria's research, the tomb was located in the hills of the primordial Spiderfell forest, beyond a rock shaped like a dragon's head, and near a snake-like valley. The trek there went fine, with only a minor altercation in the shape of Vancelus the Wild, outlawed magician and highwayman of a certain renown. Combat ensued when our heroes were unwilling and unable to meet Vancelus' demands for gold. In the end the bandit fled without anyone being killed or robbed.

Before the party left the beaten path and headed into the dark woods, they overnighted in the village of Axebite. Here they were told terrible stories about the things lurking in the darkness between the ancient trees, and one of the locals urged them to bring salt for warding circles. Mind you, not for fairies and such, but for the gigantic, poisonous slugs that would eat a grown man and his boots. Though not convinced of the validity of these tales, they still spent most of their last silver on salt.

As it happened, the slugs were quite real, but the salt circles did what was advertised, and no one was devoured by giant gastropods in their sleep.

Three days later, after much searching, the daring delvers finally stood before the overgrown entrance of the tomb. In front of it sat a statue of some bird of prey, hewn from rock, tall as a man and scarred by time and battles. Around it lay old remains of various humaniods, among these an elven skull. It registered a deep and dormant magical resonance, and along its base, in an archaic tongue, it bore the inscription, "carved from stone, guarding ancient secrets." Warily the heroes inspected the statue, but nothing more could be discovered about it's design or function. At last they decided to tie it up, in case it decided to spring alive at a later point. Thereafter Eadwaccer set about destroying it. By all likelihood this triggered some age old curse, for the flail's blow intended to split the rock rebounded and near opened the warrior's skull.

After this disturbing development Ria started clearing off the vegetation covering the entrance. No sooner had she began before the bird activated. With the sound of rock snapping, a series of glyphs lit up on it's chest. The symbols then shifted into a language they all could read, revelaing it to be a riddle. After some pondering, the delvers had come up with the correct answer, and the statue went dormant again. Now it was just a matter of pulling down the slab of rock blocking the door, and then they were in.

In the first chamber they came to, they were faced with three more bird like statues, each guarding a blocked doorway, and in the centre of the room a large sarcophagus. Upon inspection, each of the birds revealed a riddle. Before tackling these however, the party decided to check out the grave. No traps could be discovered, and thus they pushed the lid off. Immediately after, a hideous, dried out, clearly long dead creature sprang from within, and attacked without hesitation. The undead proved to be hard as oak, and had it not been for the timely application of Evocation and blunt trauma, the adventure might have ended in this chamber. Much to the heroes' chagrin, neither the mummy nor it's sarcophagus produced any valuables. But at least they'd all survived.

The three riddles proved to be quite a challenge, but after much head-scratching the birds went dormant one by one, and the slabs behind them could be pulled down. The three chambers behind the statues revealed the tombs of a royal house of a long forgotten race of cat-like humanoids. Despite most of the goods inside being reduced to useless garbage by time, a sizeable hoard was carried out at the end of the day.

Marvel 1602

2012-03-13T19:17:00.001-04:00

While I'm busy not writing the session report post, here's a very short mini-review of a comic. The LFG/used book store has closed down, and in that process they sold out everything in the store for a buck a piece. I came late to the party, but I still managed to snatch a few treasures. Among them the eight periodicals that make up the first part of Neil Gaiman's take on a 17th century Marvel Universe well into alien space bat territory.

The story is set in a sort of alternate history/parallel universe where various Marvel superheroes infiltrate the world of 1602. Dr. Stephen Strange, magician and Queen Elisabeth's court physician and the Queen's inteligencer Sir Nicholas Fury are tasked with the safe transport across Europe of an artifact coveted by all the continent's princes and monarchs. Amongst the latter we find the evil genius, Count Otto von Doom. The backdrop to this tale of drama and intrigue is a series of strange meteorological and atmospheric phenomenons.

As the story unfolds, we also meet the four crew members of the Fantastick, a blind Irish bard, and the young Virginia, the first born in the Queen's colony in the new world, and her enigmatic bodyguard, the native known as Rojhaz. As a matter of fact, I'll just let Neil sum it up for you:

Open in new tab to read the tiny letters

While it is decidedly wacky and ~~at times~~ completely far fetched, it is an entertaining read, and if you are even a little bit fascinated by this era, full of marvel. Also, it has a flying ship and a talking head, pickled in brandy. What more can you ask for? As a matter of fact, it is very much a valid source of inspiration for the Argos setting.

For more on Marvel 1602, read the spoiler-laden wiki [LINK].

A tribute to the Book of Worlds

2012-03-06T09:52:00.000-05:00

This work of art is made by Incognito, a.k.a. Velimir Tito, a.k.a. Torje, one of the players in the Pius Chronicles. His blog is here.

Historical References: Dominion of Langrim

2012-03-05T09:03:00.000-05:00

This is a return to an old category. This time I'll look at a few aspects of the fantasy setting of Langrim, a pseudo-medieval affair with monsters, wizards and paladins. As usual, these images are drawn from our own history, and the intention is to provide a common frame of reference between myself and the players.

These jolly fellows are Byzantine cataphracts from around the 11th century. This is how the Legion appears, although they've swapped the scimitars for longswords.

Here we have a breakdown of the equipment of a Norman Knight. This is how most of the Knights of Greenvale roll. There will be some amongst them who wear plate, perhaps even full plate, but by and large most warriors on the island wear chain.

The bastle was a common sight on the Anglo-Scottish border in the 16th and 17th centuries. In this age of frequent skirmishes and prolonged unrest, these fortified farmhouses offered some protection from reivers and raids across the border. In the Dominion the threat comes from goblins and other evil creatures of the dark.

Lastly there's the motte-and-bailey castle. The Normans really dug these, and while they have several drawbacks compared to the stone fortifications that became all the rage in later centuries, they should work well against an enemy who rarely stays in the field once the sun rises. They also have the added advantage of being comparatively cheap to raise, and though labour intensive, cheap to maintain.

[Picture source: 1, 3 & 4 regretfully unknown; 2 - WrathDT]

Ravenscroft village

2012-03-04T16:57:00.002-05:00

The village of Ravenscroft lies south of Thorgan's Pass, in the remote Goblin Downs [map]. The village is known for little besides it being the staging point for expeditions into the Ruins of Dwergard and the dwarven mines of the area. Apart from the village, there is but one other settlement in this part of the downs, the farm of Drina's Bastle.

Ravenscroft lies behind a moat and a wooden palisade, and is protected by the motte-and-bailey of the timber and stone keep of Ravencourt. The palisade is enforced with five wooden towers and two gatehouses, and a rampart runs the length of the wall. The moat floods and dries out at the whims of nature, and is bridged by a timber drawbridge to the south. The drawbridge is raised at sundown, and not lowered again until the sun rises next morning. The fortification is constantly being maintained by the villagers, old or weakened logs are replaced and any vegetation attempting to gain a foothold in the moat is diligently cut.

The population is currently 149, mostly humans, but also two halfling families, one family of dwarves, and a surly old elf. The villagers draw most of their livelihood from the nine farms within the walls, as well as from hunting in the surrounding hills. The livestock is lead out to graze every morning during the warmer seasons, and back to the safety of the walls each evening. The dwarven smithy, run by the Eisenscholds, is also an important source of revenue, the quality of their goods being renowned in the Downs. The villagers are a hardy lot, and every able bodied adult keeps weapons, and train with them weekly. None are willing to let their homes be overrun as long as there's a drop of life left in them.

Locations of interest
The Temple of Our Lady of the Soil
Southern Dominion Overland Outfitters
Ravenscourt keep

Characters of note

Lady Orwain Corvax (Female Human Fighter 5)
The Corvax family can trace it's roots back to the settlement of the island, and there's been a Corvax in Ravencourt nearly as long. Her husband died in a raid a few winters ago, but Sir Hrogar, her oldest surviving son, is turning into a fine warrior. The younger son, Damian, is showing some leanings towards the more bookish pursuits of magic, but he is yet too young to be sent to the college on Magehold. Lady Orwain is as tough as the hills, and as forgiving, it is said. She grew up as the only child of her widowed mother, and from the time she could walk she spent most of her time brawling with the village boys, training with sword, shield and lance, and riding ill tempered horses across the downs. Now in her forties, she's fought on the walls in dozens of goblin attacks, and led more than a few punitive raids into the hills. She is uncompromising in her devotion to safeguard the land of her ancestors and those who live on it.

The Ravencourt housekarls consist of Sir Hrogar and seven sworn men, all equipped with axes, daggers, spears, shields and chain mail. There are also dozens of shortbows and several crossbows in the armoury.

Sorel Rindalion (Male Elven Ranger 9)
There are several stories about Old One-eye, but he himself rarely speaks about his past, nor does he speak much about anything at all. It is widely accepted that he came across the ocean as a young lad, and that he's been in the service of the Corvax family about as long as they've sat in Ravencourt. Again, he himself is as mum on this topic as on any other. What no one can dispute, however, is that he is an expert huntsman, and that his marksmanship with the longbow is uncanny. One thing Sorel is not, is an adventurer, nor does he have much time for those who are.

Thorgard Eisenschiold (Male Dwarven Expert 7)
Thorgard and his family claim descendance from the Järnafiorin dwarves, and no one disputes that claim. Regardless of any such ties to the ruins, neither the old smith, or his children, seem particularly interested in abandoning their workshop in favour of the dangers of Dwergard. They all know, or are willing to invent if enticed, several stories of both the fall of Dwergard, and of later expeditions into the mines and ruins.

The smithy supplies the village with weapons, armour, and tools, and also produces a moderate surplus that is sold to adventurers and merchants.

Lucky Lindon (Human Fighter 3)
One legged Lindon first came to Ravenscroft almost two decades ago. Back then he had both his legs, as well as a million plans for how to spend the enormous riches he and his companions would soon be carting out of the hills. A couple of weeks later, he crawled back into the village, and he hasn't left it since. Today he works as village idiot, as well as being a source of rumours about the villagers, the Downs, and the island at large. If lubrication is applied, he will willingly parse out pearls of his accumulated wisdom. Where he picks up all this information is a mystery, but the villagers have come to respect the old nutter - after all, sometimes he's right.

Rumours

There are still dwarves mining the hills, but they have turned twisted and evil.
An undead dwarven lord rules over all the evil creatures in the Goblin Downs.
There is no treasure, only murderous humanoids and other fell creatures of the dark.
The dwarves found a massive diamond in the mountains, and it was it's terrible power that caused the island to become isolated.
The ruins are now inhabited by a tribe of goblins that worships some elder, dark thing beneath the hills.
Undead dwarves stalk the ruins, and they will fall upon any of the living who tread upon their soil.
An inhuman witch resides in the tunnels beneath the ruins.
There be ogres in them thar hills.
The ruins have been picked clean long ago, but the last of the dwarves fled to a remote mine with the clan's treasure.
It wasn't the goblins that destroyed the keep, but a dragon!
There's a terrible monster stalking the hills. Even the other monsters are afraid of it.
The dwarves dug too deep, and the mines lead to a network of caves so deep it connects all the islands of the Dominion.

[Picture source: 1 - Sang Han; 2 - Chindian; 3 - Rafal Hrynkiewicz; 4 - Adriaen Pietersz. Van De Venne]

Old Stuff Day

2012-03-02T10:47:00.001-05:00

NPC, the Game Master's Mouthpiece

Hindering game-flow or providing depth?

March 2 is Old Stuff Day, and this is my contribution. Here you can find the comments to the original post.

This is one of those post I just have to write. Tenkar posted a question a few days ago about whether NPCs should be used as a a GM's mouthpiece or not [edit: for future reference, Tenkar's second post on the matter]. In the comments a few people were rather unequivocal about how using such NPC's was sloppy game-mastering. I have to admit that that riled me a little. Since I have a soapbox available, I'll now climb up on it.

In my opinion, NPCs are the bread and butter of game-mastering. They are what makes the setting into more than a pimped up Monopoly-board, with the character sheets filling the role of little cars and fancy top-hats. They are everybody else. And all these people are played by the person sitting at the end of the table - the GM.

Both the GM and the players comes to the table to play a game, and I believe that regardless of the style of play, the above premise holds true.

I acknowledge that the role of the NPCs may vary according to gaming philosophies, but I still think there are certain mechanics inherent in the game. To argue this, I'll start by looking at three major philosophies in modern roleplaying.

The first I'll address is the Sandbox. In this game, the world is created, be it by the GM or by a third party. NPCs, monster-lairs, dungeons, adventure-locations and cities are placed on the map, and the encounter-tables are stocked. The players then create their characters, and start exploring the world. They hex-crawl, they dungeon-crawl, and they kill monsters, solve puzzles, loot and gain experience. Most hard-line sandboxers I am aware of view any direct leading by the GM as a faux pas, and I am assuming that it is in this camp that most of the most vocal opponents to having NPCs act as GM mouthpieces belong.

In the other end of the spectrum there is the Railroad. This may not be a philosophy in the strictest sense of the word, but more of a style. It is also commonly viewed as sloppy game-mastering, all across the board. Urban Dictionary defines railroading as, "to coerce, trick, or seduce others into a course of action they would not otherwise choose.[*]" Most roleplayers resent being railroaded, and justly so.

Lastly I'll look at Storytelling. This style of play was made famous with the various White Wolf lines, and builds on a level of trust between the game master and the players. The rules are placed in the back seat, and the focus is placed on the narrative, rather than the game. The game master, or as the technical term is, the Storyteller, is not only advised to, but is expected to overlook any rule that will impede the flow of the story. There are no encounter-tables in Storytelling games.

Before I continue, I should point out that I count myself among the last group, although I started my game-mastering playing AD&D 2nd Ed.

Now to the NPC as the GM's mouthpiece. In Tenkar's post he was referring to characters such as Gandalf being the game master's mouthpiece, had LotR been an RPG campaign, akin to characters such as Elminster of Forgotten Realms. I also surmise that those who spoke against employing such characters were using the same definition. And this is where I don't agree.

As a storyteller, I believe that every single NPC is the game master's mouthpiece, if for no other reason than that the game master speaks through every single NPC. Whenever a PC addresses someone not represented by a given person at the table, the game master will play out that role. If the NPC conveys a rumour about marauding goblins in the Northern Woods, it is in fact the game master speaking. The same goes for any information, or lack thereof, any NPC gives to any player.

I see that in a Sandbox-purist's game, an ancient, powerful, and wise NPC giving advice may be seen as instructing the PCs as to how to proceed, and that this may impede the open nature of the sandbox. In my view, however, removing any such influence say more about the setting than anything Gandalf might come up with. Are there no older, wiser characters in the world? Why so? If they exist, why aren't they taking an interest in what's going on in it? Is it beneath them? Or is it that they are working against whatever side the PCs are on?

As I've said, I view every NPC as a game master's mouthpiece, by virtue of the fact that as a game master, they speak with my mouth. Therefore I try to make sure my NPCs all have their own goals and agendas, and that I know what they know, and from where they learnt it. That way I the players will be able to get different information and advice from different NPCs.

I also believe that without any wiser, older, more powerful, and/or more informed characters inhabiting the world, the world becomes less believable. Even epic PCs will not know everything about the world by virtue of the fact that it is the game master who ultimately decides what lies around the next bend. Asking even the lowliest peasant may reveal information vital to bringing the story to its next stage, and even the lowliest peasant is the game master's mouthpiece. This is not railroading, this is game mastering and storytelling.

Even if the players have access to the source-material, the game master is still the one calling the shots when it comes to which adventure is open for play. My question is, how can the PCs gain any information about the setting, regardless of whether the game is a sandbox, a railroad, or a story, without interacting with the world as presented by the game master?

[Picture source: GameAxis Forums]

Converting monsters

2012-03-01T10:22:00.002-05:00

There are four characteristics that change from D&D 3.5 to the Ajax Configuration, AC, Hit Points, spells/spell-like abilities, and damage.

Defence and Damage Reduction

When converting AC to DB and DR, first look at the AC in the monster's stat block. The total AC will be broken down into Size, Natural, Armour, and Dex mod. To get the monster's Damage Reduction, compare the Natural AC modifier to the table below. The monster's Defence bonus is calculated by adding size, Dex, and any class bonuses, if applicable.

Table 2.2: AC to DR

Natural AC	DR
+1 - +2	1
+3 - +4	2
+5 - +6	3
+7 - +8	4
+9 - +10	5

Example: An Ogre has an AC of 16 (10 - 1 size, -1 Dex, +5 natural, +3 hide armour). The converted Ogre will have a DB of 8 (10 - 1 size, -1 Dex), and a DR of 6 (3 natural + 3 hide armour).

Hit Points and Wounds/Vitality

To determine a monster's WP/VP, treat the Hit Points as Vitality Points, and the Constitution score + size modifier as Wound Points.

Example: The standard Ogre has 29 HP, a Constitution score of 15, and a size modifier of 1. This gives the brute 29 VP and 16 WP.

Spells and spell-like abilities

Certain monsters have access to spells or spell-like abilities. In 3.X Ajax, this works as follows: All spells are treated as per the 3.X Ajax magic-rules, but with the monster's caster level substituted for the Spellcraft skill. Spell-like abilities work just as in 3.5.

Damage

All damage Dice are doubled.

[Picture source: Dave Rapoza]

Chink in the armour, or the merits of called shots

2012-02-29T12:08:00.000-05:00

He had managed to get to his feet after his horse had been killed beneath him, but the goblin rabble quickly surrounded him. Despite the heavy tax they payed to his sword, the little devils could smell victory. Hands grabbed at him from all quarters, and blows from axes, spears, and clubs tested every inch of his armour. He bit his teeth and focussed all his will to live on his blood-drenched sword. Screaming in feral rage and frustration, he struck at their heads and arms and bodies. Again and again.

At last he lost his footing on the now slippery ground. His enemies screamed in triumph as they pulled him over. He tried to get up, but the vicious monsters threw themselves on top of him. Some - too many - clung to his arms and legs like insane children. They tore and stabbed at every joint and gap in his armour. Finally his battered visor gave in. He never saw the spear as it penetrated his left cheekbone and entered his brain.

One of the merits of the rules for armour and defense in the 3.X hack I'm working on is that the Called Shot gets a new lease on life. A knight in full plate will have a Damage Reduction of 8. Though the weapons do twice the damage listed in the PHB, that means he'll be damn hard to bring down, even if he's lost all his Vitality Points, or if he's prone. Even a Critical Hit may not be enough to hurt him properly.

And this is where the Called Shot comes in. By taking a -4 to -6 penalty to the attack roll, the attacker may aim his strike at a specific location on the target, say the face, an armpit, the groin, or another unarmoured area. If the attack is successful, the damage is applied directly to the target's Wound Points.

Table 2.1: Called Shot modifiers

Target	Modifier
Unarmoured body part, i.e. arm, leg, etc	-4
Held equipment, i.e. weapon, torch, etc.	-4
Soft spot, i.e. unprotected face, hand, etc.	-5
Held item, i.e. potion vial, scroll, etc.	-5
Chink in the armour, i.e. armpit, groin, etc.	-6
Worn item, i.e. amulet, belt, etc.	-6

Note that Damage Reduction is not applied to Vitality Point damage. Further, while Critical Hits do not result in a damage multiplier, they deal Wound Point damage, and are thus affected by Damage Reduction.

Example: Sir Dorren, a lvl 5 Fighter, is wearing a full plate armour with an open-faced helmet (DR 8) and a large wooden shield (DB +4). His Defense is 18 (10 + 4 class + 4 shield). He's got 37 Vitality Points and 12 Wound Points. After a long battle, he's lost all his VP's. Rankar the Hobgoblin (attack bonus +8) aims a Called Shot with his spear at the knight's face. The GM needs to roll an 18 on 1d20 - 5. Rolling 16 + 8 - 5, he gets a result of 19, and hits. The GM rolls 2d6+3 for damage, and the attack does 13 points worth of damage, all applied directly to the Sir Dorren's WP's, and the knight falls.

If the attack had not been a Called shot, the armour's DR would have reduced the damage to 5.

[Picture source: Vintage Fine Art Prints]

New Class: Spell Caster

2012-02-26T22:01:00.001-05:00

In D&D 3.X: Ajax Configuration, the Spell Caster class replaces the Sorcerer and Wizard classes from D&D 3.5, and builds on the 3.X: Ajax magic rules. Rules for Bardic magic will follow.

~o~

Wizards, witches, and sorcerers all harness the powers of magic, shaping it through rituals and force of mind. Mastering the arcane arts requires years of devotion and study, but the rewards are unparalleled. Those few who are able to master the nine circles are bound to enter the legends, be it as terrible mage kings, as wise wizards, or as something altogether different.

Alignment: Due to the discipline required to harness the powers of magic, most Spell Casters tend towards the Lawful or Neutral alignments, but there is power in Chaos, and some powerful sorcerers are able to balance the raw power of magic and the entropic forces of the Chaotic alignment.

Background: The laws that bind magic also bind those who practice the art of spell casting together. They may be friends, colleagues, rivals or bitter enemies, but they still acknowledge each other as being above the petty squabbles of kings and commoners. They often study in colleges or under a master, and this also creates bonds between them. While a Spell Caster who've learned his art in a prestigious college may despise a bearded and unkempt back-country conjurer, she will nevertheless respect his command of magic – she may even trade secrets with him.

Races: For various reasons, humans, elves, and half elves are the races most suited for the study of magic. Gnomes have a natural knack for the school of Illusion, and they get a +3 bonus to all Spellcraft (Illusion) skill checks. Dwarves and halflings rarely become Spell Casters, and even more rarely the savage humanoids.

Other Classes: Spell Casters actually prefer to work with other classes. Their methodical minds will readily admit the benefits of a shield wall, archers, mounted knights, healers, spies and thieves, and even the merits of travelling with a good bard. After all, they themselves have dedicated their lives to higher pursuits.

Table 1.2: Spell Caster

Lvl	BAB	Fort save	Ref save	Will save	Special	DB
1	+0	+0	+0	+2	Summon familiar, Scribe Scroll	+2
2	+1	+0	+0	+3		+2
3	+1	+1	+1	+3		+2
4	+2	+1	+1	+4		+3
5	+2	+1	+1	+4	Bonus feat	+3
6	+3	+2	+2	+5		+4
7	+3	+2	+2	+5		+4
8	+4	+2	+2	+6		+4
9	+4	+3	+3	+6		+5
10	+5	+3	+3	+7	Bonus feat	+5
11	+5	+3	+3	+7		+6
12	+6/+1	+4	+4	+8		+6
13	+6/+1	+4	+4	+8		+6
14	+7/+2	+4	+4	+9		+7
15	+7/+2	+5	+5	+9	Bonus feat	+7
16	+8/+3	+5	+5	+10		+8
17	+8/+3	+5	+5	+10		+8
18	+9/+4	+6	+6	+11		+8
19	+9/+4	+6	+6	+11		+9
20	+10/+5	+6	+6	+12	Bonus feat	+9

Abilities: Intelligence is the most important attribute of a Spell Caster, as the skills they rely on gain their bonuses from it. Constitution is also vital, since they use their Vitality Points to fuel their magic.

Alignment: Any

Vitality: Spell Casters gain 1d4 Vitality Points + Con modifier per level.

Class Skills: Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Decipher Script (Int), Knowledge (all skills, taken individually), Profession (Wis), Spellcraft (all skills, taken individually).

Skill Points: 6 + Int modifier.

Mastery: To style himself a Master, a Spell Caster must have 10 ranks in one school, and 5 ranks in two other.

Weapon and Armour Proficiency: Club, dagger, quarterstaff, and light and heavy crossbows. No armours or shields.

Spells: The greatest asset of a Spell Caster is her magic. For rules on casting spells, see below.

Familiar: See D&D 3.5 PHB for rules on familiars.

Scribe Scroll: At 1st level the Spell Caster gains Scribe Scrolls as a bonus feat, see PHB for details.

Bonus Feat: At 5th, 10th, 15th, and 20th level, a Spell Caster gains a bonus feat. She can choose an item creation feat, Skill Emphasis, Spell Mastery, Quickness*.

*Feat found in Star Wars Revised Core Rulebook (feat gives 3 extra Vitality Points).

Spellbooks: A Spell Caster relies on her spellbooks to prepare and cast her spells. She has two basic options: She can either memorise her spells in advance, or cast a spell directly from the text. The first option requires at least 10 minutes per level of spell, and the spell can thereafter be cast from memory. The second option takes 5 minutes per level of spell + Casting Time of spell, but gives a + 2 circumstance bonus to the casting roll.

[Picture source: Kim Graham]

Tagged

2012-02-25T21:46:00.000-05:00

Picture unrelated

Jedediah from the Book Scorpion's Lair tagged me, and I think I'll take a page from Trey's book here. Yes, I'll gladly answer the questions, but I wont partake in the chaining. So, here goes.

1. If you could choose three people to game with (any at all: fictional, real, famous ect.), who would that be?
TinTin, Amita Ramanujan from Numb3rs, and Al Swearengen from Deadwood.

2. What's the most weird thing you have ever eaten?
Surströmming. It's not food, I tell you. My dad really likes it though.

3. Name the three most important things to have in case of zombie attacks.
A plan, a disaster survival kit, and a variety of weapons. In that order.

4. Whats top of your bucket list?
Publish a book.

5. What's the most weird character concept you have ever come across, as a GM or player (feel free to include your own)?
Probably my AD&D 2E Fighter with the Gladiator Kit. He wore a black hood, had a noose around his neck, and his favourite weapon was a 50 kg tomb stone. I guess I was working through some teen angst.

6. Dracula or Frankenstein? Why?
Dracula. How can you not like Vlad ze Impaler?

7. If you could choose any movie at all to see on the big screen (again or for the first time), which one would that be?
Iron Sky.

8. Where did you buy your first dice?
A friend of mine bought them for me while on a weekend trip to the nearest town. Yes, I grew up in the sticks.

9. You're offered a day on a holodeck. What do you create?
The attack on the Deathstar from Return of the Jedi.

10. Time travel: what would be your destination of choice?
Date: January 18, 1919. Location: The Salle de l'Horloge at the French Foreign Ministry, Quai d'Orsay, Paris, France. I'd bring a suitcase of history books, and hopefully the nincompoops who signed the Treaty of Versailles wouldn't fuck it up as badly with some relevant hindsight added to their petty bickering.

11. If you had to choose a RPG system to live in, what would that be?
I think I'd go with Itras by. Of all the brutal and unpleasant worlds out there, this one is, I think, the one most suited for habitation.

[Picture source: Jiri Adamec]

D&D 3.X: Magic Rules 2.0

2012-02-25T01:48:00.000-05:00

In an earlier post I sketched out a new system for magic in D&D 3.X. After having debated this with my wife, that system was abandoned in favour of something a little closer to Ars Magica. This has yet to be play-tested, but as it seems like the consensus may be leaning towards pulling the plug on LL, that may happen already next weekend.

Spellcraft

Like the Craft, Knowledge, Perform, and Profession skills, this isn't a single, defined skill, but rather a group of skills that fall under the same category. Spellcraft is divided into the separate schools of magic. Thus, each time the magic-user purchases a rank in Spellcraft, he must specialise in one of the eight schools, Abjuration, Conjuration, Divination, Enchantment, Evocation, Illusion, Necromancy, or Transmutation.

To cast a spell, the magician must roll a successful Spellcraft (appropriate school of magic), DC 15 + level of spell, and expend Vitality Points equal to the level of the spell. While the highest level of spell she can safely cast is (arcane caster level / 2, rounded up), it is possible for a magician to cast any spell she has access to in written form. When casting a higher level spell, each level above her range incurs a -3 penalty to the casting roll. To determine the caster level of any spell, each 2 above the casting DC adds one level to the caster's arcane caster level.

Example: Our 6th level sorceress is attempting to cast Control Undead, a 7th lvl Necromancy spell from a scroll. She has a skill modifier of 15 in Spellcraft (Necromancy). Her casting range is 3 (6th level / 2). Control Undead gives her a -12 penalty ((spell level 7 – casting range 3) x 3). To successfully cast the spell she needs to match DC 22 (15 + spell level). Her player rolls a 19, and with a +3 modifier (skill 15 – 12 penalty = 3), and so our sorceress is successful her casting. Her caster level is 6.

Memorising

Unless casting from a written source (see below), the magic-user must memorise any spell she wishes to cast. The rules for memorising are the same as in the 3.5 RAW.

Spell Books and Scrolls

A magician may cast or memorise any spell he has access to, be it in a spell book or on a scroll. To read another magician's spell book, the magician must roll a Decipher Script check, DC 15 + level of scribe + Int modifier of scribe. Note that since stealing a magician's spell book is such a lucrative undertaking, most magicians will write their librams in code, and often put both magical and mundane traps on the book.

Copying a spell from another's spell book is costly and time consuming. The cost in materials is 100 gp per level of spell. It requires a Knowledge (Arcana) check, DC 15 + level of scribe, and takes 1 day per level of spell. If the roll fails, all invested time and money are lost, but she can always try again.

Studying a Spell

A magic-user may spend time and energy to study a spell, thereby gaining intimate insight and familiarity in the pattern and formulae of the magic. To study a spell, the magician must first have access to the spell in written form. She must then spend 7 days – Int modifier (minimum 1 day) per level of spell, and successfully roll a Spellcraft (relevant school of magic), DC 15 + spell level. If this roll is unsuccessful, all time is lost. If successful, she must spend 1 skill point per level of spell.

Once a spell has been studied, the magician gets a permanent +3 bonus to cast that spell.

Taking 10/Taking 20

You can take 10, but you may not take 20 on the spell casting checks. When taking 10, the casting time is three times that of what's listed in the spell's description.

[Picture source unknown]

Dungeons & Dragons 3.X: Ajax Configuration

2012-02-23T17:43:00.003-05:00

While becoming aware of the shortcomings of Labyrinth Lord, I was also thinking about what to exchange it with. There are things I don't like about 3.5/PF, but the truth of the matter is that those systems also have things I do like. And then there's the not inconsequential aspect of us owning all but a few of the 3.5 books, as well as several d20 games, including Pathfinder. I just can't justify purchasing a new system just to play-test it.

Here the result of my ruminations. If we end up pulling the plug on LL, I think I'll use something like this:

This D&D 3^rd Edition hack intends to provide a system that balances the various aspects I want from of fantasy roleplaying. The chassis of this system is 3.5, with certain mechanics from Star Wars d20 Revised Edition welded on. Magic has also been been changed somewhat so as to give it certain Vancianesque qualities. Some house rules have also been included in this post.

The following changes are applied to the 3.5 rules.

Alignment

Alignments are divided into Lawful, Neutral, and Chaotic.

Rolling 20

If a 20 is rolled on a “to hit” roll, normal rules apply. If a 20 is rolled on a skill check, it counts as an open ended roll, and the die is rolled again, adding the new number to the total.

Hit Points

Hit Points are divided into two categories, Wound Points (WP) and Vitality Points (VP). A character's Vitality Points reflect the amount of punishment she can take before taking any actual damage. Arrows will shoot through her cloak or miss by a a hair's width, sword blows will be parried or glance off armour, she will roll to break falls, etc. VP is determined by class levels and Constitution modifier. Only when all VP has been spent, or if an attacker scores a critical hit, will she take any actual damage, or WP. WP is determined by Constitution score. If a character has 0 WP, she is unconcious, and if she is brought to (- Constitution) WP, she is dead.

Note that when rolling for VP, all 1's are re-rolled.

Armour

Armour does not make it harder for anyone to actually hit someone, rather it makes it harder to injure them. As such, instead of AC, armour provides the wearer with Damage Reduction (DR). The DR is subtracted from any WP damage inflicted. Shields give the bearer an increased Defence. Note that characters gain a bonus to their defence based on their class.

Table 2.1: Armour

	Cost	DR	Max Dex	Armour Check	Weight
Light
Padded	10 gp	1	8	0	10 lb.
Leather	5 gp	1	6	0	15 lb.
Chain shirt	100 gp	2	4	-1	25 lb.
Medium
Hide	15 gp	3	4	-3	25 lb.
Scale mail	50 gp	3	5	-3	30 lb.
Chain mail	150 gp	4	2	-5	40 lb.
Breast plate	200 gp	5	3	-4	30 lb.
Heavy
Banded mail	250 gp	6	1	-6	35 lb.
Half plate	600 gp	7	0	-7	40 lb.
Full plate	1,500 gp	8	0	-8	50 lb.

Table 2.2: Shields

	Cost	Defence Bonus	Weight
Buckler	2 gp	+2	2 lb.
Small wooden	3 gp	+3	4 lb.
Small metal	5 gp	+3	6 lb.
Large wooden	5 gp	+4	5 lb.
Large metal	10 gp	+4	8 lb.
Tower	15 gp	+5	15 lb.

Weapons

All weapon damage is doubled. A dagger does 2d4, an arrow from a longbow does 2d8, etc. All weapon threat-ranges remain unchanged from the 3.5 PHB.

Defense Bonus (DB)

Characters gain a bonus to their defense based on their class and level. The effective DB of a character is (10 + class DB + Dex bonus + misc.)

Table 1.1: Defensive Bonuses by Class

Lvl	Barbarian	Bard	Cleric	Druid	Fighter	Paladin	Ranger	Rogue	Spell Caster
1st	3	2	3	3	3	3	2	2	2
2nd	3	2	4	4	3	3	2	2	2
3rd	4	2	4	4	4	4	3	3	3
4th	4	3	4	4	4	4	3	3	3
5th	5	3	5	5	5	5	4	4	4
6th	5	4	5	5	5	5	4	4	4
7th	6	4	6	6	6	6	5	5	5
8th	6	4	6	6	6	6	5	5	5
9th	7	5	6	6	7	7	6	6	6
10th	7	5	7	7	7	7	6	6	6
11th	8	6	7	7	8	8	7	7	7
12th	8	6	8	8	8	8	7	7	7
13th	9	6	8	8	9	9	8	8	8
14th	9	7	8	8	9	9	8	8	8
15th	10	7	9	9	10	10	9	9	9
16th	10	8	9	9	10	10	9	9	9
17th	11	8	10	10	11	11	10	10	10
18th	11	8	10	10	11	11	10	10	10
19th	12	9	10	10	12	12	11	11	11
20th	12	9	11	11	12	12	11	11	11

Multiclassing

When multiclassing, a character gains all the benefits of the 1st level of the new class, except from the DB. When adding a new class, subtract 2 from the DB given for the class (e.g. a 4th lvl Bard multiclassing as a Fighter would have a DB of 3 from his previous class, plus 1 from his new class, giving a total DB of 4).

Magic

Magic is not a passive tool, it is a wild and terrible force, harnessed through rituals and force of mind. When a magician memorises a spell, he actually binds the magical essence to his soul. The spell progression table determines how many spell-levels he can store. To determine his capacity, add all spell levels + bonus spells. It is possible to memorise more spells than this, or spells of a higher level than what's available for the magician's current level, but this comes with a price.

Memorising extra spells

If a character attempts to exceed his safe limit for spells within his range, he must roll a Caster Level check, DC 15 + extra spell levels. If this is unsuccessful, he fails, but until he's rested at least 8 hours, his casting of any spell will be treated as if he's exceeded his safe limit.

Memorising high-level spells

If the magician attempts to memorise a spell of a higher level than safely allowed, he must roll a Caster Level check, DC 15 + spell level. If this is unsuccessful, he takes Intelligence damage equal to the level of the spell. In addition, until he's rested at least 8 hours, his casting of any spell will be treated as if he's exceeded his safe limit. Note that the caster's level will determine the spell's effect (e.g. a Fireball cast by a 3rd lvl character will do 3d6 worth of damage).

Casting spells

To cast a spell, the magician must roll a Spellcraft check, DC 10 + spell level. If successful, the spell works as normal, while failure means the spell was not cast. A fumble will result in the spell running amok - it may target someone at random, or cause some other catastrophic mishap. If the modified result is twice the DC, the spell will work at maximum potential (e.g. a Fireball will do 10d6 worth of damage).

Spell Books

A magician may memorise any spell he has access to, be it in a spell book or on a scroll. To read another magician's spell book, the magician must roll a Knowledge (Arcana) check, DC 15 + level of scribe. Note that since stealing a magician's spell book is such a lucrative undertaking, most magicians will write their librams in code, and often put both magical and mundane traps on the book.

Taking 10/Taking 20

You can take 10, but you may not take 20 on the above noted checks.

[Picture source unknown]

Reflections on Labyrinth Lord

2012-02-22T12:37:00.002-05:00

I've now used the retro-clone for three sessions, and I'm beginning to question it's usefulness in my games. When I decided to try it out I defended it against repeated assaults from critics and naysayers, not because I had become a born again OSR fanatic, or because I was labouring under some naïve belief in the superiority of all things old. No, Sir, I went to bat for LL because I wished to go at it with an open mind, and because it forced me to approach my GM'ing in a different manner.

What I really like about LL is it's simplicity. However, this is also it's main weakness. I've said earlier that in some ways it plays similar to the Storytelling game system. I still hold to that statement, but with some qualifications. Just as ST, LL does not bind the players to what's on their sheets. Unlike ST however, LL does not provide much in the way of support for any type of play except combat. And herein lies the rub.

I want to run a game where the characters interact with the world they're in in more ways than by applying sword and spell. Skills, I've found, is key here, and LL has none. This is the reason why the system feels unfinished to me. Yes, I am aware of the arguments for role playing challenges instead of relying on rules to solve them, but if the players have to describe every single action they take outside of combat, it'll become quite tedious right fast. Conversely, I know that the lack of skills can be overcome by rolling modified ability-checks, but to me that only feels like masking a problem with a sub-par solution.

So, while I haven't pulled the plug on this experiment yet, the results are starting to come in, and when it is brought before the committee I would not be surprised if the old school is abandoned in favour of 3.X. Hell, I've already started thinking about which iteration of 3.X we should use.

Player of the game

2012-02-20T07:48:00.000-05:00

Last Friday we played a session of our ongoing campaign. Jessie sat in on most of it, and she was very much focussed on the game. While she's not that into the deep roleplaying aspect of the game, she likes rolling dice, and she is good at supporting the actions of the other players.

Full session report to come.

Random encounter table 2.1

2012-02-19T20:08:00.001-05:00

This is a random encounter table I put together as I was playing with ideas.

Dave and Matt, I leave it up to you as to weather or not you wish to read further on this post. These encounters may or may not come into play, but reading them now may affect your experience of the game if it becomes relevant.

1d8	ENCOUNTER
1	The ambush Five dishevelled and desperate lvl 1 Fighters have set up an ambush on the road/path. Neither is particularly bright, and they are armed with spears (x2), axes (x3), and one shortbow. They are all wanted by the local rulers for minor crimes. Each has a bounty of 30 gold on their heads, 10 if they're dead. [Treasure: 7 cp, poor quality weapons]
2	The lone goblin Prik and his fellows were out on a raid, and when morning came they decided to hole up in a thicket for the day. Unfortunately the same thicket was used by a litter of young giant boars. The mother wasn't far away, and she killed the rest of the goblins. When the dirty and terrified Prik stumbles out in front of the party, the angry sow isn't far behind. [Treasure: 4 sp, 11 cp]
3	The conceited noble Sir Dewayne Pinetree (pronounced pin-TRAY) is travelling with his three henchmen. The four riders will demand that the vagabonds give them right of way, and not too politely either. The four are all lvl 2 Fighters. Killing them may cause local authorities to outlaw the party. [Treasure: 91 gp, 37 sp, jewels worth 1,350 gp, longsword +1, 4 horses, good quality clothes, armour, and barding]
4	The duel Sir Rayner of the Vale and Sir Marcus of the Legion are both vying for the affection of the beautiful Lady Tremayne. Three days ago, Sir Marcus demanded satisfaction for some perceived offence, and Sir Rayner accepted the challenge. They chose this site for the duel, and it is already under way. Sir Rayner has made arrangements to ensure his success, and if the fight goes against him, his three will attack Sir Marcus' three. The knights are lvl 3 Fighters, the seconds are lvl 2. One of Rayner's men is a lvl 3 Magic User disguised as a page. [Treasure for Rayner's party: 39 gp, 77 sp, 66 cp, spell book, Healing Potion, 4 horses, armour; treasure for Marcus' party: 91 gp, 102 sp, 31 cp, 2 Healing Potions, 4 horses, armour]
5	The mad prophet Some days ago, Maraband the Mad offended the local noble, and ended up put in a gibbet for his troubles. He will engage the party in conversation as they pass him. He will bestow the following on the first hero who address him: roll 1d4, 1 = he will tell the future, 2 = blessing (+2 to all rolls for 24 hours), 3 = curse (-2 to all rolls for 24 hours), 4 = mad ramblings. [Treasure: none]
6	The wandering priest Brother Randon (lvl 5 Halfling Cleric) does not subscribe to the orthodox doctrines taught by the Imperial Temple. He will talk about the endless love of the goddess, and how it is important for mortals to try to emulate this as well as one can. He will gladly cast any spells he has to help the party. He will not go on adventures with them. [Treasure: 9 gp, 7 sp, 11 cp]
7	The old crone A hideous, ancient woman, perhaps even a hag, is sitting by the side of the road. Her leg is stuck in a tangled root, and she can't get loose. She will not address the heroes unless they approach her. If they offer to help free her, she will give them a Potion of Heroism as thanks. Regardless of their actions, if they leave her there, she will put a curse on them (the next time the party encounters a trap, they will miss it, and it will have full effect). [Treasure: bag of various herbs, pouch of different coloured human hair, pouch of rune-inscribed bones, small humanoid skull inscribed with runes and occult symbols]
8	The outlawed magician Vancelus the Wild (lvl 5 Magic User) is wanted for various crimes, from arson to theft, to magical misdemeanours, by the Legion, the Knights of the Vale, and the Order of Mercere. Vancelus is as ruthless and opportunistic as they come. When he first sees the party, he will cast Charm Person on at least two of the heroes as soon as they come within range of the spell. Thereafter he will attempt to con them into buying a bogus treasure map from him. The price is 3,000 gp, but he is willing to let it go for whatever the party has available. [Treasure: 61 gp, 30 sp, 9 cp, gems worth 3,700 gp, spell book, dagger +3, 2 vials of poison]

[Picture source: Keith Thompson]

How archery should be done

2012-02-15T11:13:00.001-05:00

So, say a combat round lasts 10 seconds. I counted seven arrows, and judging by the footage at the end, her grouping is flawless.

Iron Sky Trailer

2012-02-14T18:42:00.000-05:00

I've mentioned this movie before, but it bears repeating. It premiers on March 4, 2012, but it's already received outstanding reviews at the Berlinale. To quote one critic, "it's like a heavy metal band just arrived at the Berlin Philharmonic in the middle of Verdi's Requiem and stole all the applause."

You should also read this article on The Daily Mail. It talks about both Iron Sky as well as WWII UFO conspiracies. Oh, and Bradgelina.

LL s.2: The Ettin of the Arrandmoors

2012-02-12T15:30:00.001-05:00

Our party:
Jiminy Trinkets, lvl. 1 Gnome Illusioninst
Kael, lvl. 1 Human Fighter
Josiah, lvl 1 Half-elf Ranger
Kong, Pookie, and Apollo, 2 HD war dogs
Rufus, 1HD guard dog

When Kael and Jiminy returned to Barrelhead, the villagers gave them a hero's welcome. During the feast thrown in their honour, they met Josiah, a half-elven ranger who'd heard about the goblins, but arrived too late to be join the raid. That evening the the three decided to join forces, and that they would follow up on a story they heard from a travelling merchant.

Farms and wanderers have vanished in great numbers in the Arrandmoors. The rumours said there was a giant on the lose, and that it'd eaten least one hundred and fifty people. The heroes figured this had to make for some thrilling heroics, and besides, the giant could hardly be as terrible as the stories would have it. If indeed there was a giant at all.

The moors lay about six days travel days west, across the Kaiserfjord, and as the companions drew closer to their goal the tales grew taller. Some said the monster had taken at least three hundred people, and that it wasn't a giant at all, but a fierce troll. Others again that it was a two headed ettin.

They reached the Arrandmoors close to sundown, and camped in the ruins of a farmhouse. It looked like something big had grabbed the windowsills on the second floor and ripped the whole wall out. As they found deep furrows in the floor planks, as if someone had been dragged out of the house, the adventurers quietly started to doubt the merits of their mission.

That night, while Kael sat watch, a throaty roar carried across the moors. Jonah climbed the roof of the building, and as more roars ripped the night, he spotted a small cluster of lights on the slopes a ways off. The lights were moving as if in formation, then suddenly a large black shape moved across them. The lights scattered momentarily, and when they gathered again, a few had gone out. This ominous dance repeated a few times, and all the while the three spectators could hear the frightful roars. At last the lights were gone, and the moors went quiet again.

In the morning, when the heroes found the site of the nocturnal debacle, they came across the corpses of eight legionnaires, their bodies battered, crushed, and thrown about as if by a terrible force. The ranger easily picked up the trail of the monster - with its feet being more than a yard long, even the Gnome could have tracked it - and before noon they had located the it's lair.

After a short council, Josiah volunteered to sneak into the ferociously rank cave to see what they were up against. As he peaked around a bend, he saw the two-headed brute leaned against the cave wall. His left head snored loudly, while the right head was busy exploring the contents of it's massive nose. Not wanting to face the monster alone in the dark, the ranger stealthily retreated into the daylight again.

Another council - the merits of seeking out a comfortable inn was explored briefly - resulted in a battle plan, and Josiah snuck back into the cave again. This time he took carefully aim, and placed a shaft square right above the right ear of the head that was awake. Immediately after, he ran as fast as his boots would hold. Outside, they had strung a rope across the mouth of the cave.

When the ettin emerged into the sunlight, he tripped on the rope and fell on his faces. Jiminy cast a spell, hypnotising it to count to a thousand, and though the left head struggled to follow the magical instructions, the right head, unaffected by the spell, tried to get up. The dogs attacked, barking and biting, Jiminy pelted the monster with rocks, and Josiah shot arrow after arrow into its flesh.

As soon as the beast emerged, Kael quaffed a Potion of Heroism, and fueled by it he charged. He hit the ettin hard once, twice, before the ettin struck him a blow that would have killed the man where he stood, had it not been for the potion's power. By now the monster was gravely wounded, and when Kong leapt up on it's chest and ripped it's right throat out, it fell to the ground dead.

That night the three slept soundly in the ruined farmhouse, well pleased by their efforts, and laden with treasure from it ettin's lair.

Game Master's notes: Three 1st lvl. characters should be no match for a 10 HD monster, but it had already been in a fight with a legionnaire patrol. The players also played it smart, luring the ettin into a daylight ambush. Still, had it not been for the potion they reclaimed from the goblins in the last episode, Kael would not have made it back from the moors.

Also, the ettin now graces my screen. I'm quite pleased with how it's turning out.

Legion's Rest

2012-02-09T13:17:00.000-05:00

The largest city in the Dominion of Langrim is Legion's Rest. It is also the oldest, and some of it's structures date back to the century before the Isolation. In those days it had a population of about 2,500, but these days more than 4,000 people live within the crumbling walls. The crowded streets are lined with rickety buildings and ruins from the days of the Empire. Farmers, beggars, tradesmen and merchants all mill through the narrow alleys and muddy streets.

I had hoped to have a more detailed post up by the game on Friday, but as I've now just gotten a puppy, I find myself a little preoccupied.

Dungeoneering 101: Torches

2012-02-08T10:00:00.002-05:00

Torches and lanterns are standard equipment in any adventurer's pack, and most delvers'll light 'em up as soon as they enter a dungeon. Picture this: Paul the Paladin and his pals enter the Caves of Chaos. It is a dark and dangerous environment, and so they do the natural thing. They light their torches. Now able to see where they put their feet, they head into the tunnels, careful not to set off any traps or miss any treasure. Further down the same tunnel, Stinky the Goblin sits on guard. He is placed so that he has the longest line of sight practicable, and all off a sudden he sees torches coming towards him. Stinky does as he's been told, and runs off to tell his boss. Ambush is now in progress.

The thing to remember about a light-source is that it can be seen infinitely longer than it'll let you see, and you don't need infravision to spot a flame in the dark.

Carrying torches into the tunnels is a two edged sword on the best of days.

[Picture source: Allen Douglas]