Roll-Initiative

5 Unused Portions of the D&D Monster Manual (3.5 and prior)

2013-11-12T15:55:00.000-05:00

I started playing D&D when I was 10. At the time, the latest and greatest was AD&D 2e. You may recall the "Monstrous Manual" from second edition, and how thick it was compared to it's predecessors. (They seemed to bring it back a little with the Monster Manual 3.5, but anyway...).

I used to sit and read the Monstrous Manual in my time away from the table. It was as close to playing as I could get without actually playing. To this day, there are a number of creatures that were in that book (and indeed still are in the books!) that I've never encountered, but wish that I had!

I personally never really cared about things like how fast I could level, how many bags of gold I had, or vanquishing dragons. One person I remember talking to said something like "I have a wizard so powerful he can blow up other dimensions!" Big freakin deal, I thought. I've always cared more about the story than anything else.

Almost every D&D player though, who played in their adolescence with other folks of an age, will have stories that involved meeting some of these things, ridiculous, gratuitous, and power-gamey though they may seem, it's still a part of their memories that they'll look back on fondly, either in reverence or shaking their heads at how "Monty-Hall" that campaign was.

Before I get into the characters I wish that I'd met, let me just say: No. I do not lament having never faced the following:

Dragon(s)
Litches
Vampires
Tarrasque
Dinosaurs
Demons
Gods or other Deities

Again, those sorts of things are just so chliche, and there are so many books and stories about them that I actually feel like I HAVE faced them... Particularly vampires - God, when is that fad going to die, huh?

So anyway, here's a list of creatures that I never encountered, but wish that I had.

Rust Monster

What an awesome critter! So many great uses for this thing... For those of you who don't know what this is, and are too lazy to click the link to go to Wikipedia and find out, it's essentially a meduim sized creature, who smacks metal with it's tail. The metal then rusts, and the creature eats the rusted metal.

How many fantastic uses for this thing can you think of!? Got a villian who lives in "The Iron Tower What Has No Door"? Grab rusty (in a wooden box, perhaps?) and make your own door!

Seriously, how many fantastic things were made of metal? Armors, swords, doors, towers, bridges... Gosh, imagine one of these things running around in a dragon's lair? How angry would that dragon be to wake up to a rust monster (or several!) eating it's horde??

I think a Monk or a wizard who rides a domesticated rust monster would just about be the coolest character in town.

The Osquip

I never did encounter the Osquip, and frankly I'm not sure exactly how amazing or exciting it would have been to have run into one, truth be told. However, it's just such a memorable picture. That thing is ridiculous looks. I mean, a rat's pretty gross, right? So, remove it's hair, and give it Freddy Mercury teeth? Does that make it look more frightning? I don't know, to be honest. That said, every campaign should have at least a half dozen of these things through the life of the campaign. Here's why:

The first time I saw this thing in the 2nd Edition Monstrous Manual, I think I laughed at it for a solid forty minutes. From then on, anyone I saw with protruding teeth, particularly the ones where gums show when they talk, immediately brought me back to the Osquip. But I was alone in my amusement, with the exception of maybe a couple of people.

Everyone should know what an Osquip looks like, so when I'm giggling to myself, I can at least explain why.

The Stirge

Perhaps not the classically scary sort of critter, the Stirge is basically a bat / mosquito with 4 wings. Maybe it's because I'm grossed out by bugs, but I think this thing is just plain creepy.

I think the old pic from the original 2e Monster Manual is just the right combination of scary / goofy / distubring...

I could definitely see these little buggers being a real problem in a swarm or something. Crawl down the wrong dungeon cavern, and you're in huge trouble.

I don't think I'm really all that disappointed that I'd never encountered them, but I definitely am disappointed that nobody I've ever played with / talked to about them have. I have to imagine that any scenario in which they're used other than a random encounter would have to be really creative, and probably kinda terrifying. Who prepares for such a thing, really? Small and agile, their beaks can poke through chain mail, tough to hit... Yeah, I'm glad these things aren't real.

Gelatinous Cube

I don't know what's weirder about these things, the fact that they're made of gelatin, or that they move, or that they're cube shaped...

I'm not sure why, but ever since I was a kid, I thought a pool filled with jello would have been a hell of a lot of fun. ...until I realized that you'd go in, be kind of suspended, and then suffocate. That's slightly terrifying, I thought.

Then I saw the Gellatinous Cube in the Monster Manual, and it brought me immediately back to my thoughts of the Jello pool. BUT! This thing could walk! And wasn't smart, so it couldn't reason.

I had plans in my GMing days of having a captive one be part of a trap where it drops out of a ceiling, but alas, I never got around to it. If it landed ON the party, pretty much game over.

Grell

I can picture the round-table discussion from which the Grell was born:

Ian Livingstone: Guys, I need a creature that's just plain evil and terrifying, but I'm having some trouble... I started making a list of terrifyingly evil characteristics, and so far I've come up with "Tentacles", "Exposed Brains" and "beak", but I'm not sure what else this creature needs.

Guys: Nothing!

Thus this goofy bastard came into being. I'm thinking if perhaps it were more of a long hooked beak it would strike more fear? I still do wish I'd encountered one, maybe put a fuzzy set of earmuffs on it to keep it's adorable brain warm. Silly chicken/brain/octopus.... a Chikraintopus...

So there's five things I wish I'd encountered in my games, and still hope to, in case you're a GM of mine!

What about you, are there any creatures you've always wanted to run into, or perhaps some you wish you hadn't? Were they listed above? Should I count my blessings??

The Keep on the Borderlands: Map & PDF

2013-09-18T23:22:00.002-04:00

The Keep on the Borderlands is one of the most famous Dungeons and Dragons modules, and you're likely to find it in almost any gamer's D&D module list.

One of my favorite campaigns that is still running today is one that's based on this module, the game log and in-character play-by-posts can be seen here.

I have yet to read through this module completely, but the gist of it is that there's a keep that was built in a strategic location in a remote area to develop a presence. At least, that was what started our campaign. For all I know, my DM could have simply taken the Keep on the Borderlands maps, and edited everything else to suit his own sick story line. Either way, it's a damn good time.

The keep itself is pretty awesome, in my opinion. You can see from the map above (click to enlarge) the entrance is at the end of a winding road. This means that while you're marching to storm the castl... er, keep, you're pretty exposed to a couple of looking towers, presumably while guards are raining down arrows. Should you happen to breach the gates, you then have to get into the "Inner bailey" again, while guards are picking you off from all sides. Good stuff.

I did recently find this module on line for download as a PDF. I'm not sure what the rules of sharing this are, I don't know what the licensing status of it is now, since TSR doesn't exist anymore, and I've found it for download in several places. For the time being, I'm willing to share what I found, with the stipulation that you are not to download The Keep on the borderlands map & PDF package unless you already own the physical module. Additionally, I will be researching the TSR licensing to find out if I'm breaking the rules, and if I am, I will take this down, and ask you to delete what you've downloaded... Which I KNOW you will do.

~~But, if I'm right, and it's no longer licensed, I'll update the post and let you know that you're more than welcome to download and use this information.~~

Alright so from what I found out in the minutes after posting this, the license IS owned by the same folks who run RPGNOW.com and it would be very frowned upon if I were to share it. I have deleted it, as should you.

4E Myth: Combat is Faster?

2013-08-26T19:40:00.000-04:00

I've played 4E now for maybe about a year, and feel that I have a good solid working knowledge of the game for the most part at this point. However, I've yet to play a first level character, which sounds rather strange, I know...

My first character was created for me, and is 12th level. He was 11th when we started. My second character is currently 6th, a convert from 3.5, who - generally speaking - is not a lot different from his 3.5 version in practice. He doesn't hit quite as often, but perhaps that just a side effect of how encounter creation works in 4E, or how my GM (same guy in both editions) handles things now as opposed to before.

One thing I saw frequently on the internet was that 4E supposedly featured a more fluid combat mechanic, which resulted in combat scenarios moving more quickly. So far, this has not been my experience. Dungeons and Dragons 4E combat seems - at least to me - to be almost exactly the same as 3.5 with respect to how long it takes.

I HAVE been in a few combats which were quick, but I'd been in similarly quick combats in 3.5 as well. I'm curious about where this idea came from, and wish I could remember exactly where I'd seen it. Could it be that there's something I'm missing, having not played at level 1? Might it just be a function of playing with the same group through both editions? Similar GMing styles from one guy to the next that result in similar combat lengths?

I have a difficult time imagining why it would be faster, given the mechanics. You still get a similar set of possible actions, you still have to roll the dice, calculate modifiers, roll damage, etc. It's still very much the same animal.

Have you heard this about 4E? Do you find that it's faster, or about the same?

I'll Never Go Without a Grid Again!

2013-05-27T11:47:00.000-04:00

Actual picture of our gaming table.

I had my first experience playing Dungeons and Dragons on a grid with minis about a year or two ago... Which you may find strange, as I've been playing now for over 20 years.

The group I'd played in just... never bothered. We always kinda just drew out rough maps of the area with x's for bad guys, and initials for our pcs. We'd scratch out the symbols, and draw arrows to where the new one are to show that they'd moved. We just kinda estimated the space, which truth be told, my brother handled most of that, as he loves numbers so much that when he takes a crap it actually comes out a number "2"... He can tell you how high a mountain needs to be to be seen at X distance, and whether or not you'd be able to see it on the horizon if you were say, on a boat, or whatever elevation... Or how many rounds it would take to run the circumference of a "thing" while doing x y and z, etc...

I'm a math-bonehead, so I just take it for fact when he says it. We have had other part time players question my brother's math, and it all checked out numerous times...

So when I say "we estimated" it's really a pretty accurate thing in our case.

I'd always felt like using minis and a board would be too much unnecessary work when a piece of paper worked well enough. I also liked the fact that D&D was NOT a "board game" and I guess I felt like it I played with minis and a grid, I'd feel more like I was playing a board game like Monopoly or something.

However, what I didn't know what just how easy it is to use a grid with things that are available these days. The one our current GM uses is basically a 6-piece jigsaw puzzle made out of whiteboard material. The material is divided in a grid specifically for table top D&D-like RPGs.

The quick little sketches are still in effect, it's just done in dry erase marker. Also, there's no possibility for someone to dispute the GM's judgement when he/she says "No, you probably wouldn't make it to him on this turn, but next turn, no problem".

Now, having played with the grid and the minis, I don't think I'd enjoy playing without it as much. It's become such a great tool for our games.

Do you play with minis and a grid?

4E Druids are Awesome

2012-10-29T11:45:00.002-04:00

So I finally got to play my druid to good effect the other night. Holy awesome!

I've never been a fan of the traditional "Summon Nature's Ally" but in 4E It's fricken awesome. I summoned 3 big snakes to take care of business for me. And they did. BAD ASS.

That is all. Really don't have a lot to share about the session, even though it was like, close to 8 hours long, other than I had a great time. I highly recommend playing a Druid in 4e.

Do it!

My Third Dose of 4E Goes Badly

2012-10-07T12:09:00.000-04:00

So if you've been reading here, or perhaps just following my twitter stream, you know that I'm playing around a bit in 4E.

My brother and a couple friends have been playing for some time, and invited me to join. Problem is, they're 11th level.

We played a small "aside" campaign at 3rd level, which wasn't so bad for me, as I've been playing D&D for a long time anyway. I read through the rules, and generated a character using the WoTC Character Creator. Algernon Lawrence Ward. ...The game was started buy a friend who for some reason had mandated that names were just basic, if perhaps a little 17th century England... One of the characters in the game is Matt. Very confusing for me...

Anyway, he's a warlock striker, and was oodles of fun to play! Unfortunately, that "aside" was only about two sessions long. But the intent was to get used to the combat mechanics, which I think it really kinda did.

We scheduled the "main" game, and I spoke with the DM about the type of character I wanted to play. I've always had this idea in mind for a Druid type character, who wasn't much of a animal - guy... though of course, being a druid he'd have to have some affinity, but his main focus is plants. I had in mind something of a pyromancer, though instead of fire, plants... A... Plantmancer, if you will.

The character I had in mind is a very neutral person. He doesn't like to kill, but will if he must. If he can instead incapacitate, or somehow diffuse whatever danger is going on, he will. Obviously, a controller type.

This is kind of a divergence for me, I'm far more comfortable meeting resistance head-on. I've always been more in my element as a 3.5e fighter, or some kind of DPS (Striker, in 4e), but I love the role play aspect of D&D the most, so at the end of the day, I don't mind not knowing the mechanics so well, since role play never really changes.

My DM created a pretty fantastic character for me, and the day finally came to play him. I had a previous engagement early in the day, which ran over the time I thought it would, and I found myself a bit late to the D&D session that was actually AT my house... So we rushed home.

Halfway home, I realized that a substantial amount of my peripheral vision was missing. I was getting a migraine.

I get migraines maybe four or five times a year. If you look them up, I get just about every single symptom you can find, and perhaps one or two you may not. A migraine for me, has historically been the end of my day.

I (very nervously and carefully) drove the rest of the way home, and found my DM sitting in his car outside my house... Fortunately, he'd only been there about fifteen minutes or so. We went inside, I took my drugs, and resolved to power through this migraine.

I didn't make it far. I couldn't focus, I couldn't retain information. I was reading my abilities, and by the time I got three words into the description, I'd forgotten the first two. I was exceedingly disappointed, but I had to turn in. I gave my sheet to the DM and asked if he'd mind taking over. I went to bed, asked the gang to hit the lights on their way out.

I caught up with the gang the next day, conveyed my apologies and such. "Your character is pretty f*cking awesome," they told me.

I can't wait to play him...

Hell, I don't even have a name for this guy yet!

So needless to say, my third go at 4e was a bust. My next weekend was equally disappointing, if you'd like to read about it, it's here... Has nothing to do with D&D, but includes the brewing of beer, so... It's still pretty awesome.

WotC Announces 5th Edition D&D: Should We Care? | GeekDad | Wired.com

2012-08-07T09:50:00.001-04:00

WotC Announces 5th Edition D&D: Should We Care? | GeekDad | Wired.com: " especially considering that the current edition, which was released in June of 2008, has had such a sh"

'via Blog this'

First Encounter with Fourth Edition

2012-07-07T19:46:00.001-04:00

I played my first round of fourth edition last night, and I have to say it's a pretty big difference from 3.5.

I've heard a lot about it, and there are nothing but strong feelings about it either way... Some love it, some hate it.

Frankly, I think if it's looked at as it's own game instead of being expected to be a continuation of an old game, it stands fairly well on it's own.

I had a significant amount of adjusting to do, but most of the time it was me saying "Really? That's it? Huh."

For example, I played a warlock. I've always gravitated toward casters, and I found it very... unusual that I could keep using the same spell over and over. Granted there are spells you can only use once a day, but other spells you can just keep using over and over... No running out of spells. I also didn't have to prepare spells at night. Once again, very strange.

I'd used the D&D online character generator, which meant that everything I needed was like, RIGHT there on the character sheet. My spells, effects, my bonuses, my damage... all right there.

I didn't have to look in a book, not once during the whole session. In 3.5, it was not uncommon to find me leafing through a book to find the effects of a spell or a feat, etc...

All in all, it was a short exposure to the game, but I have high hopes. I think I'm going to enjoy it.

New Character questionnaire

2012-06-28T22:36:00.001-04:00

My group found this questionnaire online somewhere a while back, and I don't remember where, or I'd give due credit...

Answer all questions to help flesh out your character!

Player (you) Name:

What is the character's full name? Nicknames?

What is the color of the character's hair, eyes, and skin?

What is the character's general appearance?

What is the character's age?

Where was the character born?

Describe the character's family.

Has the character begun his/her own family?

Has the character ever done anything else (besides adventuring) for a living?

General attitudes & approach:

When or how was the character educated?

What are the character's political and religious beliefs?

What is the character's moral code?

Does your character have any prejudices?

How would your character handle an insubordinate servant?

What would the character die for? What would they be willing to sacrifice
the lives of their friends for?

Who is the one person your character trusts the most?

How would your characters parents describe him?

What was the best moment of the characters life? Worst?

What flaws does the character have? Is he quick to judge people? A slob?

What advice would you give your character?

List the 5 most important people in the character's life.

What is the character’s “big secret”, and what will happen if it is discovered?

"Hey, I've got an interesting job for you..." Name 3 jobs that your character might find interesting.

How will the character die? What would you consider a good end to a life well lived for this character?

What might someone seeing the character for the first time think?

Does the character have any goals?

What is the character's personality?

Any reoccurring mannerisms?

What is this character's "thing"? That is, what action, activity, saying, motion, mannerism, etc., would be considered their "trademark", such that if I were to do it, others would say "oh, now you're acting like [this character]"?

What is her first reaction to a situation?

What would be the ultimate magic item for this character?

What would be the worst curse this character could ever receive?

Are there certain things the character just cannot do? Get close to people; perceive himself realistically, etc. That is, what do people who know this character well criticize about them?

What does your character hate?

What does your character love?

How does the character perceive government? Those who are opposed to the government?

How did the character gain his abilities?

What motivates him to act as a hero now?

How did his peers treat the character as a child? His elders?

What does your character hope to accomplish by adventuring?

Why is this goal more important than his safety? (i.e., Why would you take up adventuring, rather than being a nice, safe accountant?)

What is the character's kryptonite? What is their weakness or what will paralyze them with fear?

What does the character do to relax?

Describe the characters ideal mate.

What is in your character’s pockets, right now?

What do they normally carry in their pockets that they don't have right now, but wish they did?

What is the silliest thing your character has ever done?

I Miss This...

2012-05-17T19:52:00.001-04:00

Man, it's been a while since I posted something worth reading! Good grief!

I forgot how much I liked this blog. :)

I'll be back soon, and I'll be posting some thoughts that don't suck.

I promise. :)

What Is D20, and Should I Publish Content For It?

2011-01-16T12:49:00.000-05:00

The D20 system is known to most of us D&D geeks, but those who are gearing up to try to make some money publishing gaming material have a decision to make. To publish D20 compatible content or not.

For some food for thought on this issue, read this article: http://www.brighthub.com/video-games/social/articles/103112.aspx

Can't Spell Slaughter Without Laughter!

2010-10-16T09:44:00.001-04:00

Everyone likes a good Joke, and we D&D geeks are no exception.

This article will point you in the right direction if you're looking for D&D jokes.

Can't spell Slaughter without Laughter!

Who is The Raven Queen

2010-09-21T14:08:00.002-04:00

One of the most interesting new Gods is The Raven Queen. Wanna know more about her? Follow this Link.

The Mask of Death Module

2010-09-17T16:45:00.003-04:00

Read her for the Mask of Death, the module based on the movie "The Gamers: Dorkness Rising".

D&D Module: Mask of Death (DCC 20.5)

Maps!

2010-09-17T16:43:00.002-04:00

Looking for free D&D maps, or perhaps an online Map generator?

Read here: Map Maker, Map Maker, Make Me a Map!

King Arthur as an NPC

2010-09-17T16:40:00.002-04:00

So as a follow up to the Merlin as an NPC article, I wrote another for King Arthur.

http://www.brighthub.com/video-games/social/articles/87400.aspx

Need to learn 4E

2010-09-05T10:46:00.000-04:00

My recent experience with writing for Bright hub has taught me that I do not know enough about Dungeons and Dragons' 4th edition.

I sit here with my 4E core rule book in hand, and find myself in an ironic situation. I'm holding, perhaps for the first time in my life, a D&D rule book for which I have little to not interest in, and I have to read and absorb for reasons other than personal enjoyment.

Interesting, the twists and turns life throws, eh?

Merlin in your D&D game

2010-09-04T08:02:00.000-04:00

D&D stats for famous characters can be pretty impressive sometimes, and what better character than Merlin to insert into your campaign??

I've you've ever wanted to sling spells as Merlin in your game, go here: http://www.brighthub.com/video-games/social/articles/85758.aspx

The Monsters of Old

2010-08-19T14:32:00.000-04:00

There were some truely whakey creatures in the 2e Monsterous manual... Remember these guys??

The Osquip:

The Freddy Mercury of the rodent world. To this day, I can't look at someone with big teeth and not want to call them an Osquip, except for the fact that it's more than likely they'll have no idea what the hell I'm talking about.

Or, if they do know what I'm talking about, I'll feel terrible for offending an apparently kindred spirit.

The Flumph
What could be cooler than a sort of manta ray squid with snail eyes that floats??

The Thought Eater.
It's like a frog, crossed with a duck and it's very skinny... Obviously not enough food around here...

Has anyone met any of these in game?? What were some of your favorite weirdo monsters?

UnFamiliar - Part two

2010-08-17T18:30:00.000-04:00

I can tell by your comment-silence on the last post that either you're all disinterested in this subject, or I've got you completely stumped. I suppose there's also the possibility that you're generating a gigantic response, and it's taking some time. I choose to believe one of the last two. :)

The idea of the familiar, as I said, is one that I don't necessarily dislike, but I find that it's a little constrictive. I don't think that it fits every magic wielding character. Of course, it can be ignored, there's nothing that says a wizard has to have a familiar, but having one offers some benefits, and it'd be a shame to not allow said wizard an alternative way of getting them.

My biggest problem is that the wizard and sorcerer don't really have all that much to do with nature or animals at all, except for the familiar. It just feels like an unnecessary blur of boundaries to me. It's like a blacksmith who makes horseshoes out of wood. Leave the animals to the druids, in my opinion.

Now, I know there are all kinds of other sources for alternative familiars. (I believe there are some in the Unearthed Arcana and probably in the Complete Arcane as well, although I haven't looked recently.) But I'm trying to come up with some ideas other than just a broader range of basic animals to choose from.

Coming up with alternatives to the wizard's familiar is a tricky business, because it would be very easy to over do it, throwing the whole campaign out of balance. Let's first take a look at the benefits of having a familiar.

This information can be found on page 52 of the 3.5 Player's Handbook,:

Must first be a normal, unmodified animal (Sort of the antithesis of my whole point here... Please disregard this one when considering an alternative!)
Becomes a magical creature upon summon into service
Gains power as the caster increases in level
Empathic link to master
Can be used to deliver touch attacks (at 3rd level)
Can be the target of "personal range" spell
Grants the caster special abilities (nothing incredible, a small bonus to a skill or attribute)... and it obviously doesn't actually have to make sense either, like a toad gives an extra three hit points...
The master can eventually communicate with animals of it's kind

Another observation I've had is it almost doesn't matter what the familiar is, aside from the bonuses it grants. That is to say, if it's something that wouldn't normally be found in the area where the player character finds himself, it's simply not there.

For example, a wizard who has an Owl familiar isn't required to walk around with it perched on his shoulder 24/7. When the wizard wants to hit the bar, the Owl is almost always just somewhere else, usually perched in a nearby tree. A rat will typically be sitting in a pocket or a back pack, and so on. In situations where it would be inconvenient to have a familiar hanging around, they're always conveniently somewhere else, or stuffed somewhere out of sight. I've yet to see a familiar complain that it's master is ashamed of it, or that it's not getting enough attention from strangers.

These are the big things, there are a few others, but you get the basic idea.

As the GM, you have the right to change any of this of course, but you need to be careful when doing so, or you can screw things up for yourself pretty well. Sit down with the player and go over the list of familiars that is found in the PHB, and model something after those. Find out what the player wants first, of course. If something on the list is fine with him, then so be it, but give them the opportunity to have something different.

Get an idea of the things that the player is looking for. As what sort of creature would suit the character. Should it fly? Should it burrow? Should it swim? Is it furry? Is it cute and cuddly? Does it stink? Can it see? Can it hear? Does it have ears? Obviously you're going to have to make a judgement call on it. Here are the preliminary things to consider when making your ruling:

Can the creature be inconspicuous enough? i.e. can it be stuffed into a bag, or a pocket? Can it wait outside without drawing attention by hiding in shadows or up a tree?
What benefits would it grant to the caster?
What powers would it gain as the caster gained levels?
What languages would it speak once the caster is high enough in level to communicate with it?
What does it eat, and is the food source available?

You can (I'm sure) come up with other questions to satisfy, but based on my experience these are the big ones. Please be kind when pointing out the multitude of prerequisites that I forgot, as I'm sure there are many, since these are just off the cuff.

Please share any and all thoughts, and tune in again soon for some actual examples of familiar alternatives!

Picture of Wizard and Ravens found here: http://alchessmist-images.blogspot.com/2009/12/wizard-and-ravens.html

UnFamiliar

2010-08-16T13:23:00.001-04:00

As a player, I've always liked the idea of playing a magic wielding character. Something about the idea of bending reality appeals to me for some reason. As a person, I'm much more comfortable in the woods by myself than I am in crowded cities. I also enjoy reading and learning. I'd have to say that if I were to step through some kind of inter-dimensional portal and end up starting a life on Greyhawk or some such place, I'd probably end up as a Wizard or Druid.

Something about the Wizard has always bothered me though, and it's not just the common clichés I've talked about before (i.e. pointy hat, robes, long beard). I will admit that the idea of a wizard having a familiar is at least interesting, but I almost always have trouble getting it to fit the persona I have in mind. Granted, a wizard isn't required to have a familiar at all, but it's one of the things that contributes to the class, and presents advantages that are lost otherwise.

Perhaps it's the familiar's table that turns me off, I guess. Bat, Cat, Hawk, Lizard, Owl, Rat, Raven, Snake, Toad, Weasel. The guy shoots bolts of magic, shouldn't he have access to something better than a first grader's class mascot? And why the hell does a toad give you three extra hit points? Depending on the wizard, that could be half again his own hit points out of a six ounce critter! Lizards give you bonuses to climb checks. Don't cat's climb too?? Oh, but wait, cat's give you bonuses to move silently. Since when has Move Silently been a wizard's class skill?? Ravens give you bonuses to appraisal checks, cause, I dunno, they know a lot about fine art?? Owls give bonuses to spot checks in shadows. They also give you an unexplained urge to eat rats, which by the way grant bonuses to fortitude.

Picture a powerful wizard. He's tall and slender. His face stern with the confidence of someone who knows the arcane secrets that bind existence together. His eyes peer through the pettiness of the common folk, squabbling over the scraps left on the noble's tables. With a mere thought, he could blink into another plane, or ignite whole villages with a volley of fireballs. His tower is lit with candles set on the skulls of creatures from other dimensions. His walls are lined with ancient tomes and. The air smells of ancient leather bound volumes of forgotten lore and... feces? Ugh, time to change the cat box... Meow!

Unlimited cosmic powers, and he's dangling a string at a playful tabby, or collecting bugs to feed his toad. Better yet, why not a gold fish?? Bonus points to swimming, but you forget everything every six seconds.

Meh. My sarcasm is getting away with me.

Anyway, my usual first conception of a wizard has nothing to do with household pets, vermin or other such pests. I sort of feel like the whole animal buddy thing is more the druid's schtick anyway. Rangers too maybe. I'll rant about rangers in another post though.

My distaste of the whole familiar ideas only gets worse the more I think about it. What if some celestial being from some other plane decides to summon himself a familiar, and suddenly the player character ends up finding himself granting silly skill bonuses and delivering touch attacks??

I was psyched to find that there was a "Bonus Insert" that WotC put out on Familiars, but I was again disappointed.

I have some thoughts on alternatives to familiars, but I thought I'd see what you guys had for it first. I'll be posting a followup with some of the things that I and my group have come up with to use in it's place. Please comment with any ideas you have, I'd love to hear them!

Nonstandard use of Standard Classes

2010-08-13T15:51:00.001-04:00

Though D&D means different things to different people, the fact remains that it's called a "roll playing game". Feel free to shun the designation, if all you're looking for is adventure and die rolling, but those of us who prefer to create a three dimensional character know what this blog post is about. Personally, when I sit at the table, I enjoy getting into the mind of the character I'm playing. I like to make this character's personality as real as possible. I find it much more of a challenge than simple skill checks and attack rolls. I like to explore the classes to their utmost potential, and I encourage my players to do the same.

Each class has a certain set of skills and guidelines that differentiate them from each other, but players can fall into the trap of doing certain things because that's what they believe someone of their class would do. That is to say, because they rolled a Rogue, they think they are supposed to head out at night when everyone is asleep and steal things, or that because they rolled a ranger, they are at home in the woods. While these things are commonly accepted conceptions, there's nothing that says they have to be the case.

One of the most developed characters I play is a Halfling Rogue named Laren. He had a semi-stereotypical background... I admit, he started with a dead parent... His mother died when he was very young, and his father made some tough decisions. He didn't have much to work with, so he turned to a life of crime just to survive. Really, he was a donkey for the local Rogues guild, and was set up as a patsy... Anyway, Laren learned the tricks of the trade, but he wasn't looking for a quick fortune or anything, he was just trying to survive.

One thing lead to another, and where he is currently, he's got no interest in stealing anything at all. Still though, he's able to use his Rogue abilities, even though he's not "thieving". He's also not overly comfortable in combat, and (somehow) grew up learning next to nothing about Psionics. One of his companions is a Psion girl, though Laren just thinks she's a "normal" young lady (with dead parents and a horrible background full of abuse, of course). This young lady likes to throw an occasional Mind-Thrust, which tends to cause heads of things to explode. Laren knows nothing of this ability, and is afraid it's just happening randomly whenever he's around. He thinks that it's a curse cast on him by enemies of his youth. Last time it happened, Laren hit the dirt, provoking an attack of opportunity. I also gave up my next round's attack, scrambling for cover, just for the RP.

I enjoy this character because not only does it give me the chance to play a total goofball, but it also allows me to try to figure out how to do the job at hand with a different set of tools. Laren, aside from having ghosts from his past haunting him, has several tasks at hand, for which he's not exactly well suited, and I enjoy the challenge.

I've been thinking lately of a few other types of characters that I might play in the (probably not as near as I'd like) future. The base class is a fighter. Naturally, it wouldn't make much sense to roll a fighter if you didn't want to swing a weapon from time to time. It'd also be difficult to explain where your skills and feats came from. However, not every fighter has to wield a sword or axe.

A fighter who only does non-lethal damage. In the case of a bounty hunter, it may be necessary for a fighter to subdue their targets and bring them in alive. Weapons like clubs or maces would be handy in this line of work. Also the use of a net or a bolas.

Or

A fighter who only defends. Which is to say, instead of actually attacking the target, this fighter's job is simply to occupy the attacker, blocking, dodging, deflecting, while someone else in the party sneaks in for the kill. (Perhaps I've been tanking in World of Warcraft a little too much!) A high armor class, and a shield specialization would useful. Take any feats that allow you to boost your armor-class and hit points.

The fighter class could also lend itself well to a brawler or wrestler. Unarmed fighting and grappling would be this character's primary features.

Anyway, those are just some thoughts I'm toying with. If any of you have played a character like those listed above, please let me know your thoughts and experiences. Also if you have other ideas like this, please share!

Blazing The Trail - The holding of hands

2010-08-04T17:24:00.003-04:00

Some of my favorite memories of D&D were when I first started playing. My older brother introduced me to D&D by running a campaign for my cousin and me. I think we were around ten years old. Everything was so new and amazing. I'd read some D&D style choose your own adventure books by then, but they were nothing compared to rolling dice and casting the spells!

I did find some of it daunting though, and I have to believe it's because of my age. I was maybe a little young and not yet street smart enough for some of it. Perhaps I was just a bit dumber than the average kid, who knows? I thought I'd share some of the things that I did as a young, new player, in the hopes that A) I'm not alone! and B) those of you who are thinking about teaching new players might see some of the same behaviors and throw the kid a frickin bone!

You should be aware that new players, once they understand the gist of the game, are going to be excited. They're going to want to try ALL of their abilities whether they're applicable to the situation or not. One of my first characters was a 2e Magic user, whom I named Nostradamus. (Whatever, I bet your names weren't that great when you started either). I had spells! How exiting! However, I didn't really know what most of them did, even after reading the descriptions... (Find me a ten year old kid that can even pronounce "Audible Glamor".)

At one point, our group was fighting with an ogre in a cave, and I thought that I could perhaps blind the ogre with a light spell. Now, in my opinion, a caster would know that if he casts light in a cave, it'll make it easier to see. That spell is not designed to blind anyone. As a GM teaching a young player, I would consider it my duty to explain what will happen, as the character should know, even if the player does not. ... Evidentially, my older brother didn't think so. I used the spell, and now we could all see better. Wasted spell.

Of course, I did learn the use of the spell, and no one died in that encounter (I think anyway... it was twenty years ago now!) so no harm done really.

In another early campaign, (my first actually) I played a Ranger named Majellon (again, keep comments to yourself), and my cousin played a cleric named Fenor. We were traveling somewhere on some important quest, and right in front of us stood a wall. Being the ten year-olds that we were, we knew what to do with walls! Just like fences outside, walls were meant to be climbed! A grappling hook would be nice, I thought. Unfortunately, I didn't have one. I asked where I could get one, and was told "Your character doesn't know, but he's heard of Thieves using them. Perhaps a Thieves guild" which I'm sure (looking back) was said tongue in cheek...Fenor, with the help of a Spider Climb spell began to scale to the top, where he was met by a guard with a crossbow.

This is how I learned that sometimes cities are surrounded by walls.

I have to thank my brother for being so hands off on my learning of the finer points of the lives of the player character. Without his indifference, I wouldn't have the material I needed for this blog entry. Though, I would have probably figured that although both Fenor and Majellon were elves and grew up in the trees (Axewood and Silverwood respectively, if I recall correctly) by their age I'd imagine they'd have heard about cities being surrounded by walls, and would have thought twice about the whole thing. In other words, a simple nudge on the part of the GM would have been nice...

We were detained for a while, so that the local law enforcement could check out our story, and then we were released with a "Don't climb city walls, dumbasses" comment. We left town for the next place, prepared to look for a door on the next wall. I, however still thought a grappling hook would be a good asset, just to have on us. We came to the next city, and lo and behold, the wall had a door. It was closed though, so we knocked. Eventually a guard came down and asked us our business. We told him, and he was satisfied. As he began opening the door, my curious character asked if there was a thieves guild in town I could check out.

As you might imagine, we were asked to move along. Without that stop, we couldn't replenish our food, and I was forced to eat my horse, when he starved. Of course, I, as a player, had never heard of a tinderbox, so said horse was eaten raw. Later that day, I was asked to roll a saving through to see if I woke up. Not because of any sort of food poisoning or anything, but because I'd apparently forgotten to explicitly say that I slept at night. I was rolling vs exhaustion.

Please be patient with the new young players, and give them the benefits of their characters' experiences, even if they themselves have not had it.

Did you every have experiences like this as a new player?

Blazing the Trail

2010-08-04T17:21:00.000-04:00

People who play D&D love it, and they love to share it with others. It can be especially exciting / fulfilling when a child comes to an age where he/she maybe old enough to enjoy the game as well.

The "Blazing the Trail" title will be a reoccurring one, as there are many fine points to be made about helping a new player learn.

Please feel free to chime in with your own any time in the comments section!

In-Game Clichés

2010-07-23T13:18:00.000-04:00

The Dungeons and Dragons game world: a place filled with magic and monsters and wonders bound only by the reaches of one's imagination. A place where anything is possible.

And yet, the table is littered with tons of in-game clichés!

I will be the first to admit, I've indulged... I can definitely see why some of these clichés exist, but these days I consider it my duty to challenge them whenever I can, as a GM.

Wizards
Intellect triumphs over brawn when it comes to the wielding of magic. A sword is a fine thing, but does you no good if you've been polymorphed into yam. The whole basis of wizardry, and in fact all magic wielding in general is that you have no real use for conventional weapons and armor.

Dedicating their lives to the quest for knowledge and mastery of the arcane arts, Wizards tend to have no particular interest in appearances. Why shave, it's just going to grow back you know.

Somewhere along the lines of history and mythology though, having no use for weapons and armor, and a penchant for growing beards turned into ancient robe-wearing men with beards that they tuck into their socks.

I get that you don't need suits of armor, but robes? Why not a pair of pants and a shirt (or hose and a tunic, as it were). And I get the whole beard thing as far as it's just going to keep growing, and if you don't have to deal with razor burn, then why would you? ...But there comes a point where it just gets in the way. It's very frustrating to be eating something that pushes whiskers into your maw, only to get them stuck between your teeth. It doesn't take much to trim.

Dwarves

Short and broad, surly and industrious. These small work-horses toil beneath the mountains digging up gold and iron and gems. I can understand why they're always described as dirty, seeing as they live underground. They're strong because they spend their lives moving rocks and ore. They're surly probably due to their line of work. I seem to remember working in construction, and most of the time my coworkers were grumpy. Again, harsh physical labor tends to go hand in hand with the imbibing of alcohol so I get that too.

Why are they Celtic?

I just don't understand where the brogue comes from. Scottish people aren't all that short, nor are they (at least as far as I know) typically considered short. The stereotype seems to only have the drinking and red hair things in common.

If they're going to be Celtic, why do we just stop at the accent and drinking? Why not face-paint for battles, why not bagpipes? Why don't they herd sheep?

Dead Parents
One of the most important (in my opinion anyway) during character creation is the back story. Who is your character, and why are they adventuring? The most common thread here in D&D and in just about any other story be it book or movie, is some kind revenge-based motivation like the killing of one's parents or other assorted loved ones. It's so common there are even many famous quotes about it:

You dirty rat, you killed my brother

My name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die.

You killed my father!
No, luke. I am your father

You killed Ted you midieval dick weed!

The death of a loved one is something that we all have to deal with so it's something we can relate to, and the idea that perhaps we could have prevented it or that maybe we could get some closure by avenging it is also something we can relate to.

But I find it to be the easy way out. It's like, going around a table and everyone introducing themselves:

Dave: I will not rest until my parents are avenged!
Charlie: Yeah, same here.
Bob: Yep. Dead parents.
Steve: Ditto.

Sure, it works but... Yawn.

For your next campaign, try to mandate that all parents of all characters are alive, well, and not imprisoned. I'm willing to be that'll get the creative juices flowing!