Ken Spencer Freelancing

DM Boot Camp 1: D&D 4e Encounters

2012-01-15T11:57:00.000-08:00

DM Boot Camp: Running D&D 4e Combat Encounters

What is an Encounter?
• Think of an encounter as a scene in a movie or play.
• Every encounter is a story in and of itself, with a beginning, middle, and an end.
• Encounters are the building blocks of adventures; string them together to create a larger story line.
• Each encounter should have a problem the PCs need to resolve.

Types of Encounters
• Combat encounters use violence to solve the problem.
• Skill Challenges use PCs' skills to solve the problem, they can stand alone or be part of combat or role-playing encounters
• Role-playing encounters require the players to act in character to resolve the problem. Like skill challenges they can be combined with other types of encounters.

Combat Encounters
• By far the easiest to build and run, but can be boring if all you have is combat.
• First, imagine the story the encounter is trying to tell, who are the villains, who are the heroes, and who are the victims?
• Before you get into designing the encounter, picture the scene, what is the terrain like, what special features will be present, and don’t forget to add the fantasy!
• Step 1: Set the level for the encounter (no more than APL -1 to APL +3)
• Step 2: Calculate the xp budget for the encounter (encounter level multiplier X the number of characters)
• Step 3: Spend your budget on monsters, hazards, and traps. It is OK to go over or under a little, not more than +/- 10%. DO not choose monsters more than three levels above the APL, or two levels below it. Also, beware of minion and lower level monster swarms.
• Step 4: Place the monsters, traps, hazards, and features on your battle grid.
• Step 5: Tell the story, at least in your mind, paying close attention to what you can expect the PCs to do.
• Combat can be challenging, but by adding description to the die rolls, it can also be a lot of fun.

Terrain
• Terrain makes the combat more exciting.
• Difficult and blocking terrain can be restrictive, use it sparingly.
• Decide the effects of any terrain on your grid.
• Provide terrain that the PCs and the monsters can use to their advantage, and make sure to use the terrain against the party.
• Good ideas: trees, walls, water, mud, and special effects.
• Special effects do not cause damage directly, but can be used to shift the flow of battle or be triggered to inflict conditions.

Hazards
• Hazards are terrain features that cause direct damage to anyone who interacts with them.
• Hazards should give a risk and reward, they are easier to perceive than traps but harder to defuse.
• Be sparing in the use of hazards, they are in effect hindering terrain that can cause the PCs and the monsters a lot of trouble.

Traps
• Traps are features that cause direct damage to those who trigger them.
• Traps yield no reward, and often the monsters know about them in advance and can trigger them.
• Traps are harder to perceive than hazards, but easier to defuse.
• Limit yourself to only a handful of traps in a combat, more than two is too many (unless it’s a room full of traps).

Choosing Monsters
• Use some reason in choosing your monsters, think about whom they are, their motivations, and their goals.
• Try to stick to a theme when choosing monsters, such a goblinoids, an orc warband, or a group of bandits, do not randomly mix monsters.
• Each monster has a role, and the monsters should have a broad mix of roles. Not every role needs to be present, but the greater diversity the greater the challenge and the fun.
• Controllers affect the space of the battle, creating zones and area effect powers. Use them sparingly or they become moving blockages to the flow of combat.
• Lurkers should stay hidden from the PCs until they act or attack, do not place them on the grid until then.
• Soldiers are skilled warriors and can deal a moderate amount of damage; most of your monsters should be soldiers.
• Brutes are the big baddies that can lay out the hurt, but are generally fragile. One or two is enough.
• Skirmishers are light and fast, be wary of using too many as they often can evade attacks, and this can be very frustrating for the players.
• Artillery can really lay on the hurt, and often in a large area and at great range. Like controllers. One or two is a good idea.
• Minions can be a lot of fun, but don’t tell the players which monsters are minions. Also, don’t over use minions, five is a good number, too many and the PCs can be swarmed.

Running the Combat
• Never, ever, just let the dice roll and not give a description.
• Each attack should include some sort of descriptive result; the foe is staggered and falling backwards, knocked to the ground, bleeding form a cut, etc…
• Keep the combat flowing; do not be afraid to skip a player if they are taking too long in deciding their actions. Hesitation is the bane of combatants.
• Remember that the monsters are not cardstock counters; they have feelings and motivations as well. Allow them to act irrationally, selfishly, and realistically.
• Do not give the players an even break, but also do not get too bloodthirsty.

Kaltan

2011-09-11T12:27:00.000-07:00

Behold, for to the Seven Shining Cities of the South there came a band of reavers, warriors, thieves, and sorcerers. They wandered the Eastern Lands of the Sea of Gold, from the Gates of Mordt to the Iscini Hills in the tree-covered north. These brave foolhardy adventurers thrust themselves into the haunted ruins of Old Iosia, coming forth with gold, jewels, wondrous magics, and forgotten tomes. Grave were the dangers they faced, and great were their foes, for in the course of their delvings they awoke the wrath of the cults of the Old Ones, challenged necromancers and sorcerers, and brought the villainous low.

From Lystraka the Beautiful in the north to Makeen the Debauched above the Gates of Mordt they tread the Seven Cities, carrying their sharp swords and eager hands into danger and death. Their many deeds are tales of mighty heroics, but it all began one dark and storm wracked night along the Old Imperial Road north of Lystraka but still far south of Fort Recall in the Iscini Hills. The night was cool for early autumn, and the rains had come in harsh sheets as lightning broke the sky. Lo! In the distance some shelter, a ruin of a watchtower of long dead Iosia, respite from the wind and rain, and protection from the raging Keltos, God of Storms. Let us join our heroes there as they meet for the first time and forge their long remembered brotherhood…

Northlands Saga Preview

2011-08-03T06:46:00.003-07:00

The Northlands
The Northlands are divided into petty kingdoms and city-states ruled more by the hereditary nobility than by the various monarchies. The people are largely human, though a fair number of dwarves have found their way into Northlander society. The land itself is mostly wild and untamed swamps and forests, broken by mountains in the north and east. The summers are cool and wet, and the winters are long, cold, and see heavy snowfalls.
Northlanders themselves as an independent people who often see need to rebel against their lords and kings. Part of this independence is the Thing, a combination of legislative and judicial body that passes laws and rules in criminal cases affecting a specific locality. The Thing has no power to enforce these laws, and leaves that up to the individuals affected, especially the nobility. However, the law binds all, from the lowliest thrall (serf) to the mightiest jarl (baron). This has resulted in a constant state of near lawlessness, as much of the duty of keeping society together falls to society as a whole. The upside is that the Northlanders take contracts and oaths very seriously, as well as loyalty and friendship.
The Northlanders themselves are tall, big-boned, and fair-skinned people, with hair ranging from platinum blond to dark brown, and eye color tending towards blue or hazel. In many ways they are like the people of the southern lands, though the harsh winters and short summers of the Northlands have bred a hardy and independent people. Warfare and raiding is endemic in the nearly lawless north, as are generational blood feuds between clans. Hard work and honesty are held in high regard, as are courage and honor.
Trade and raiding are the most famous of activities that the Northlanders engage in, and these two are sure routes to fame and fortune. It is these two activities that often bring the Northlanders to foreign lands, and the difference between a trading and raiding expedition is usually one of opportunity. A jarl or other wealthy personage owns the ships, and the crews are often his most loyal followers. It is considered proper for a ship's captain to be generous with his crew, and the appellation of 'ring-giver' — a giver of valuable gifts — is one sought by all honorable men of means. However, the majority of Northlanders are farmers, craftsmen, and townsfolk who live prosaic lives of toil and common joys.
The inspirations for the Northlands Saga come from a variety of sources. Naturally, the sagas are a flowing fount of information and ideas. Other historical sources include primary and secondary sources on the Viking Age, as well as the myths and legends of the Celtic and Germanic peoples. The works of Robert E. Howard and Fritz Leiber have also inspired parts of the adventure series and the setting. Drawing from historical fiction, the Saxons series by Bernard Cornwell has provided the imagery for many a battle scene. In the end, the Northlands are not a traditional fantasy setting, but instead a blend of history and sword and sorcery fiction, with a little bit of the standard fantasy RPG tropes.
There are five lands in the Northlands proper, and three that lay just beyond but whose stories are tightly bound to that of the Northlands Saga. The heart of the Northlands is the Stormstøm Vale, a rich and prosperous land along the mighty Stormstøm River. The Vale lacks a king, and is divided into many smaller jarldoms that constantly feud and bicker. The largest city in the Northlands, Trotheim, sits at the mouth of the river. To the west of the Vale lies the land of Hordaland, a place of peat bogs and forest that is heavily settled along its coasts. The Køenig of Hordaland has recently died, and his six year old son sits the throne. The jarls are gaining independence here, and civil war looms. The second city of the Northlands, Halfstead, sits at the end of the Hord Peninsula, and is the most metropolitan of Northlands cities. To the east of the Vale is Hrolfland, ruled by the powerful Hrolf clan, one of the two great clans of the Northlands. Hrolfland sits closest to the decadent and advanced Southlands, and has adopted many of their ways. In the far west are the lands of Gatland and Vastavikland. Gatland is home of the very traditional Gat clan, famed for its warriors and longships. Vastavikland is a rugged land of mountains and volcanoes and breeds tough, fearless, and crazed warriors. The Bear-Sarker and Ulfhander cults are very popular here, and the Vastaviklanders have a reputation for savagery. Estenfird is the youngest and most northerly of the Northlands, and is an untamed land of deep forests and unexplored mountains. The Estenfirders have no kings or jarls, and are fanatically independent.
North of Estenfird is Nukland, the home of the Mysterious elf-like Nuklanders, a reindeer herding people who live isolated on the vast tundra. Further north is the Far North, an unexplored region of primitive peoples and strange beasts. Between Hordaland and Vastavikland lay Seagestreland and the Dnipir River. The Seagestrelanders are not Northlanders, but a different breed of human, and for centuries the Northlanders have traded for amber or gold, and raided the area for thralls and pillaging. The Dnipir River runs south through the Sea of Grass, and only a few brave Northlanders have journeyed far down it, some even portaging their longships across to another watershed and sailing as far as the Southern Sea and the distant Caliphate. Southeast of Hrolfland is the Duchy of Monrovia, north most of the Southlands. The Southlanders are advanced in technology and magic, cladding their warriors in suits of solid steel and calling fire from the sky. They are also a decadent and soft people, and a common target of Northlander Vikings.

Northlands Saga PCs: Osvid

2011-08-03T06:46:00.001-07:00

Osvid, Male Human (Northlander)
Description: Osvid is a tall man, even for a Northlander, broad shouldered and muscular, with long red hair worn in thick braids that reach past his shoulders. His beard is likewise braided, and is a magnificent sight to behold. As a godi, a priest of the Northlanders, he keeps himself clean and well dressed, though since like most godi his religious duties are only part time, he is often covered in sawdust from working on the jarl's ships.
Quote: "There is a time for peace and goodwill, now is not that time, for it is the time of the storm and fury."
Personality: Always open with a story, an opinion, or with a hand to help, Osvid is well liked and well thought of. He is friendly, gregarious, and more than a bit intrusive into other's lives, something he sees as part of his duty to tend to his people.
Background: Like his father before him, Osvif is a shipwright and a first class sailor. However, at an early age he discovered a talent for story telling, singing, music, and drinking. As he grew older, Osvid perfected these skills, becoming one of Jarl Skaps Rangarsson most trusted advisors and favorite skald. Over the years He has picked up a range of useful skills, from fighting to magic, as well as bits of legend and lore from throughout the Northlands and the lands beyond. Although Osvid still spends time building ships with his brothers, he prefers to spend his nights swapping tall tales, feasting, drinking, and chasing milkmaids.
Relationships with the other PCs:
Asvid Skapsdottir: A good woman, and like her father, an honor to serve.
Fast Tallin: Steel clad in silk, a fine musician, and a good friend to drink with.
Gest Arison: Too quiet, too much like the deep woods he haunts.
Knut Shield Bitter: A roaring good companion, but a bit on the wild side. His story will end in glorious battle, I am sure of it.
Mad Kadlin: What wounds does she suffer, and how do I tell her story if I can’t see what she sees? Pretty one, though, such a waste.

Northlands PCs: Mad Kadlin

2011-08-03T06:45:00.001-07:00

Mad Kadlin, Female Human (Northlander)
Description: Kadlin in tall, pretty, and always well dressed. Her long blond hair is kept well combed, and her blue eyes sparkle with mirth and warmth. At home she is well cared for by her maid servants, but on adventure she gradually loses her so well put together appearance, becoming bedraggled. Her hair gets stringy, her eyes sink into her face and become drawn and haggard, and her clothes need mending and cleaning.
Quote: "I see, I see them, don’t you?"
Personality: Kadlin has a distinct duality in her personality, At home amongst familiar surroundings she is bright, extroverted, and the ever dutiful daughter and sister, a credit to her family. When out of the care of her maids or away from familiar lands, she slowly draws in to herself, spending more time speaking with the spirits of the land and other things best left undescribed. She turns dark, morose, and cranky, eventually turning her kind words to cruel jests and sharp retorts.
Background: As the youngest daughter of Jarl Skaps Ragnarson, Kadlin has enjoyed the finest in life, but sadly that enjoyment is darkly tarnished. While still a young girl, she wandered away from her father's hall and into the woods. For five days and nights her father and his household searched for her, eventually finding her nailed by one hand to an oak tree, naked and raving. Only the firm and gentle care of her family and her friends brought her back to sanity, but ever since she has exhibited strange and fell powers and an ability to see and communicate with things unknown to other mortals.
Although it is a great hardship for her and all who accompany her when she leaves home, nonetheless her strange knowledge and powers are often needed. Frequently Kadlin has accompanied her sister and her sister's companions on adventures, always returning half mad into the arms of her old friends now her maid servants. Every time, her father orders that she not go out again, but when Asvid sails, Kadlin will be with her either invited or as a stowaway.

Relationships with the other PCs:
Asvid Skapsdottir: She could be normal if she just wore a dress, hehehehe normal like me, like me, like us.
Fast Tallin: He is a stranger, no, don’t say he is handsome, you take the handsome ones, you always do, and then they are not handsome anymore, are they?
Gest Arison: Just say something nice, yes, nice, you found me, you know, you know, don’t say, never say, be quiet, be still.
Knut Shield Bitter: He is why some traditions should not be, no, I am sorry, that is blasphemy, must think of something else to say, hmmmm, toad.
Mad Kadlin: She is such a poor, boor, we should teach her, wait, her she comes, quiet, quiet.
Osivd : He is so kind to me, more's the pity, for I have seen his fate. I threw up a little.

Northlands Saga PCs: Knut Shield Bitter

2011-08-03T06:44:00.001-07:00

Knut Shield Bitter, Male Human (Northlander) Barbarian 9
Description: Knut is an ugly man, with watery eyes of two different colors (one black, the other blue), a splayed nose, and a crude coarse face. His body is covered in coarse dark hair, and he generally doesn’t bathe unless tossed in the sea by an errant wave. His clothes are equally wretched, but his weapons and arms, they are clean and sharp.
Quote: "Arrrhg rarrrgh, now you die!"
Personality: To say that Knut has been overtaken by the furor of battle is an understatement. He spends his time alternately between drinking, feasting, and fighting. If he cannot find any of these, he is even more grumpy and morose. Knut is never happier than in the middle of battle, locked in the throes of rage.
Background: No one knows where Knut hails from, but his accent hints at Vastavikland, the strange eastern province of the Northlands also known as the Mountains of Wyrms. He simply washed up on the banks of the Storstrøm River one day, covered in wounds and. That he was a bearsarker, a member of the feared and respected Bear Cult of Odin, brought him instant respect and fear. Needing a brave fellow to break enemy shieldwalls, Jarl Skaps Ragnarson brought Knut into his hall and made him a permanent gestir, part of the jarl's household.

Relationships with the other PCs:
Asvid Skapsdottir: Knut will follow pretty warrior to Hel and back.
Fast Tallin: A toy?
Gest Arison: Hunter has sharp eyes and no words. Knut like.
Mad Kadlin: She Knows, she sees!
Osiv the Strange: Knut like talky man, he drink lots and share with Knut, tell funny sad exciting story. Knut like.

Northlands Saga PCs: Gest Arison

2011-08-03T06:43:00.000-07:00

Gest Arison, Male Human (Northlander)
Description: Gest is a large framed, robust man in his mid thirties, his head a tangle of wild dark blond hair framing deep blue eyes. He dresses for the hunt nearly every day, but since he spends nearly every day alone in the wilds this is not surprising. Everything about him speaks of care and hard use, from his worn but serviceable boots to his leathery skin.
Quote: "I can smell the dear on you, cur"
Personality: Gest is a man of few words, and those few are gruff and unyielding. He spends so much time by himself tending the jarl's woods and hunting for deer, boar, or dangerous beasts that he has almost nearly lost the finer points of social graces.
Background: Gest Arison's father served Jarl Skaps Ragnarson's father as a huntsman, and so Gest does as well. It’s a relationship between the two families that has stretched back for generations, and one that both are very comfortable with. The personalities of the huntsman has also been a constant, and it is often wondered how such irascible and stoic men ever manage to find wives.
Gest has one wife and two sons, twins born five years ago who he hopes will grow up as he did to become the huntsman for the jarl's successor. It cannot be said that Gest knows his sons well, as they are still too young to accompany him on many of his longer forays into the woods, but he does take some solace in the knowledge that he did not get to know his father until his own apprenticeship in the ways of the woodlands began.
Although he has accompanied the jarl's daughter and her companions on several adventures, Gest always sees this as a distraction from his more pressing duties. Taken from his home range, the normally quiet man becomes even more withdrawn. However, he has heard tales of the strange and mighty beasts of Estenfird, so this latest distraction has him somewhat excited, not that anyone would tell that by looking at him.
Relationships with the other PCs:
Asvid Skapsdottir: A woman in man's armor, but what a warrior, what a leader, what a woman!
Fast Tallin: A useless fop.
Knut Shield Bitter: He is worse than a wild animal, I fear he may be a Beast Cultist in disguise.
Mad Kadlin: She's seen the things I have, but it broke her woman's mind.
Osiv: Every tale needs a hero, but must every tale be told, and told, and told.

Northlands Saga PCs: Fast Talin

2011-08-03T06:42:00.000-07:00

Fast Tallin the Southlander, Male Human (Southlander)
Description: Tallin is a handsome man whose exotic (at least for the Northlands) appearance lends him a rakish and sensual air. His hair is dark and curly, his eyes are a deep brown, and his skin is slightly olive hued. He wears expensive foreign clothing, and is usually clothed in silks and samite in outlandish and garish Southlander fashion. His eyes are a twinkle, and a constant expression of slight mirth makes him seem to not take anything in this world seriously.
Quote: "A song, a horn, and oh, hello, and what is your name, my lady?"
Personality: Tallin is polite, confidant, and oh so suave. He never insults a lady, is quick to (verbally) avenge a wrong, and seems to have no idea that the world is not his playground. While not what most would consider a criminal, Tallin has been known to stretch and even break the bounds of the law, but always in a good and noble cause.
Background: Although he would never admit to it, this cultured and sophisticated man was born to rather humble parents. He grew up in a small village in Monrovia, one of the Southlands, where he had the good fortune to be the son of the village hedman, thus making him one of the higher status serfs. Not wanting to toil all his life on someone else's farm, he fled to the nearest city, Cymilard, and sought his fortune there.
It was singing on the streets of Cymilard (Tallin is too proud to beg) that he drew the attention of one of the greatest entertainers of his day, William Kingswood. The veteran actor, playwright, musician, poet, and singer took the young boy under his wing, teaching him all the finer points of not just a vast repertoire of skills, but of living.
After finishing his training, Tallin toured the Southlands, playing and loving at the courts of nobles and kings. After a confusion involving a duke's daughter and some jewels, he headed to the Northlands to seek better fortune and avoid needless entanglements with the law. Being an exotic Southlander with strange ways proved to be great boon, and Tallin found that he and his artistry was more than welcome in the courts of the jarls. He has been a guest at Jarl Skaps Ragnarson's hall for two years now, during which time he has accompanied the jarl's daughter and other heroes on many adventures, this one to Estenfird is just the latest, but is also the most mysterious.
Relationships with the other PCs:
Asvid Skapsdottir: Clad in armor of ice, I will break through to win this, what do they call them, valkyrie.
Gest Arison: How terribly boring of a man, or is he a hunting dog?
Knut Shield Bitter: Scary!
Mad Kadlin So pretty, so high born, so barking mad, such a shame.
Osiv: He enjoys poetry, drink, and dancing, if only he would stay out of fights he would be a true boon companion.

Northlands Sage PCs: Asvid Skapsdottir

2011-08-03T06:41:00.000-07:00

Asvid Skapsdottir, Female Human (Northlander)
Description: Asvid is a tall woman, broad of shoulder and hip, with a warrior's build and mien. Her blond hair is worn in two leather wrapped braids that fall from beneath her helmet and across her shoulders. Although some describe her as pretty, Asvid's stern demeanor and pale blue eyes give her a frosty look. Her armor and weapons are kept to a high sheen and she shows care in all she does.
Quote: "By Odin's beard I swear I will make an end of you!"
Personality: Asvid is a stern and straightforward person, a true follower of the Northlander warrior virtues, and a staunch defender of her people. She is aggressive in speech and tone, and prefers action to talk. Asvid is proud that she has never backed down from a fight and never lost a battle to inferior foes. As the daughter of a powerful Jarl, she is prone to more than a bit of haughtiness when dealing with lower ranked peoples.
Background: Jarl Skaps Ragnarson is one of the more powerful jarls of the Storstrøm Vale, the heartland of the Northlands. He has three wives and eight children, but by far his favorite is his eldest daughter, Asvid. As the daughter of a jarl, Asvid has had the best of life in the Northlands, the finest clothes, the most famed weapons, and the best teachers. She grew up playing rough and tumble games with her six brothers, and her father was one who indulged his daughter in whatever she desired. The one thing Asvid desired most was to be a warrior and win renown as a great hero.
This she has done, having adventured the length and breadth of the Northlands and beyond, faced fearsome foes, slew strange and deadly beasts, and even once slew a troll bare handed. She has been placed in charge of this quest by her father, and will not rest until it is done.
Relationships with the other PCs:
Fast Tallin: This slick Southlander is a constant annoyance, but at least he is decent in a fight, and handsome, in a foreign way.
Gest Arison: A good, dependable, if stubborn man.
Knut Shield Bitter: A deadly weapon to be used wisely, and broke if necessary.
Mad Kadlin: Oh, my poor sweet sister, what do you see, what has happened to you?
Osiv: A good man, but fat too talkative for my tastes.

The Village of Sea-tac and the Surrounding Area

2011-04-10T09:38:00.000-07:00

The Village
1. Blackscale Breeding Pool: This fetid pool is where poisoncales hatch and grow large enough to come out onto dry land.
2. Brew House: This building is kept far from the village due to the danger of fire and explosion. In it the tribe boils wild sugar cane and ferments it into rum.
3. Greenscale Breeding Pool: This spring fed pool is where greenscales hatch and grow large enough to come out onto dry land.
4. Hooch: The lizardfolk of the Sea-tac tribe live in wood and reed huts raised above the swamp on thirty foot tall stilts. A broad porch wraps around the perimeter of the hut, providing plenty of space to bask in the sun or work on projects in the daylight. The hooches are connected to each other with raised walkways, and ladders descend to the ground (or the water in the rainy season) below. Each hut has at least one pirogue, if not more, tied to it.
5. Midden: The accumulated trash of generations has formed a five foot tall mound.
6. Poisonscale Breeding Pool: This large pool is where poisonscales hatch and grow large enough to come out onto dry land.
7. Smoke House: Kept away from the village to prevent fires, the smoke house is also a drying shed for various foodstuffs.
8. Temple of the Sun and Earth: This oddly shaped building is richly carved and decorated with statues, reliefs, and totems dedicated to the gods and spirits, first amongst these Atamag and Tortal. Inside, the most holy relics and artifacts of the tribe are kept. The shamans perform their secret rites and teach the next generation inside.
9. The King's Palace: The lizard king's palace is little more than a larger hooch, with plenty of room for his clutch and their goods.
10. Village Commons: This large platform is where the tribe gathers for revels, rituals, to hear the pronouncements of their king, or just to hang out in the evenings around a communal fire.

The Surrounding Area
1. Behemoth Run: This wide trail through the swamps is the migratory route of several herds of behemoths that winter in the swamps and summer on the plains to the north.
2. Blackfish Lagoon: This deep depression in the swamps is refilled by the annual floods of the rainy season. During the dry season it a prime fishing spot. Really, like fish in a barrel here.
3. Cane Fields: The tribe doesn’t actually farm these wild sugar canes, but they do occasionally clear out some land around them so that they may expand. The cane is harvested and made into rum, one of the tribe's major trade goods.
4. Crocodile Lagoon: Once this lagoon was part of the Mataq, but the river shifted and now it is an isolated body of fresh water, annually refilled during the rainy season. Several large alligators, including Old Tom, live here.
5. Everwinter Springs: These small springs reach into someplace in the Beyond, and are ever covered in frost and snow, even in the middle of the dry season.
6. Four Armed Tower: The remains of a stone tower with four metal arms stand here. Legend says the place is haunted.
7. North Trail: This narrow trail leads north to the Kal-tac.
8. Rocky Head: Some ancient people carved this giant stone head of a hideous horned creature. Then they left it here in the swamps, idiots.
9. South Trail: This trail leads south to the Ocean.
10. Stone Village: The remains of some ancient powerful tribe who built their hooches out of stone stand here. No one goes there, though legend says the place is filled with wonders and treasures. Legend also says there is a powerful guardian.
11. The Hollows: This area is inundated by dark magics from the Beyond, and should be avoided.
12. The Oak: Standing over a hundred feet above the largest tree in the swamp, The Oak is an ancient tree spirit. It has been asleep for at least a hundred years, if not longer. Strange creatures from the Beyond sometimes come through the large opening in The Oak's trunk.
13. Treaty Stone: This stone on the North Trail provides a place for neutral of hostile tribes to come meet with the Sea-tac.

The Delta Lands

2011-04-03T13:22:00.001-07:00

Alligator River: This silt filled river is more or less an arm of the Sea.

Araltaq River: This shallow river is almost entirely chocked off by vegetation.

Bad Water: Ancient ruins protrude from these putrid springs like broken teeth. For a mile around the springs, no plants will grow and no wild animal will enter. Rumors abound that the ruins are haunted.

Big Canoe Cove: This small water filled cave attracts the tall hairy pink-scaled ones and their giant winged war canoes. They come here often to feast and revel, as well as repair the bottoms of their canoes. The tall hairy pink-scaled ones do not wish to be disturbed and attack any who come near.

Black Grass Plains: This vast wet grassland stretches far beyond the delta, and is home to a variety of large grazers. The hunting is good, but dangerous as other predators are drawn to the bounty.

Br-tac: A frilled lizardfolk village, Br-tac is part of the Frilled Confederation and frequently makes war on the villages of Sea-tac, Milid-tac, Sisl-tac, La-tac, and Kal-tac. They also pay tribute to the Great Wyrm Tsatholquimad.

Bullywug Village: The hideous frog men, bullywugs, live here and are a blight on Tortal's shell. That no one has destroyed them is no doubt due to the chaotic lands caused by the Endless Springs. They pay tribute to and willingly serve the Great Wyrm Tsatholquimad.

Crescent Lake: Once part of the Kalam River, this ox-bow lake is good fishing grounds and is shared by the Kal-tac and Sea-tac villages.

Dalma River: Carrying freshwater out of Lake Lasqim to the sea, the Dalam River is wide and deep.

Duck Island: Every year just before the rains, waterfowl congregate at Duck Island to breed and roost. Many tribes send hunters to gather eggs and duck meat, and it is considered a Scared Truce Land.

Endless Springs: These four freshwater springs reach down beyond Tortal's shell into the places beyond. All manner of alien life comes out of the springs, some of water, others of air, and a few of earth. The surrounding area is warped, Her shell transformed by the powerful energies of the Beyond.

Fallen Stones: Deep in the Yellow Water Forest lies the remains of a great stone village. It is said to be haunted by serpent people, but no one goes there and lives to tell of it.

Fang Island: This large island in the Mataq River is the burial ground of a strange people to the north, much like us but of different colored scales and strange ways. Avoid it, less you anger their spirits.

Fey King Tower: A great spirit of the woods, the Arlking, rules from this tower. The tower is said to exist here and in the Beyond, coming and going at will. The Arlking is moody and prone to fits of violence, but legends tell of him rewarding or assisting great hunters and warriors.

Frog Island: This island is a favored place for the bullywugs to visit, for reasons no sane lizardfolk would know.

Goblin Village: The short evil things called goblins, a cruel and ugly race, live here. They are not terribly intelligent and often despoil the lands around their homes, forcing them to move their village. They are numerous, however, and this is why no one has wiped them out. They pay tribute to the Great Wyrm Tsatholquimad and are said to be his servants.

Goose Island: Like Duck Island, waterfowl come here before the rainy season to nest and breed. During this time the island is a Sacred Truce Land, and many hunters come to gather eggs and goose feathers.

Gull Island: There is a rock on this island that looks like a sea gull's head. It is very pretty, but far away from our village.

Halfling Village: The small hairy pink-scaled people called halflings live here, friends to us and to our allies the Kal-tac. The halflings trade metal tools and weapons, as well as various trinkets and ornaments, to us for shells and hides. They dig in the dirt to grow their food on 'farms' and live in huts made of heavy wood. The halflings say a great king to the north, a mighty halfling taller than they who commands thousands of warriors, rules them. If we learn to farm and pledge obedience to this king, they say he will protect us. It is silly, and we humor them by pretending to consider this folly. Their revels are fun, but the food is rather bland and they do not honor their dead by returning them to the tribe, but plant them in the earth instead. Perhaps this is where more halflings come from, for they do not have spawning pools.

Jilmarahaq River: The Araltaq and Jilmas rivers flow together, mate, and become one large and wide river.

Jilmas River: This river is deep but narrow.

Kal-tac: Our friends and allies, the Kal-tac are a mixed breed village to the north and across the river. They are good warriors, but they too must pay tribute to the Great Wyrm Tsatholquimad.

Kalam River: This river is slow and muddy, but is full of fish.

Lair of Tsatholquimad: The Great Wyrm Tsatholquimad lives here in a dark and fetid area of the swamp. He rules a village of small lizardfolk like beings called kobolds who worship him as a god. Tsatholquimad has lived here for hundreds of years, and is so powerful he dominates all the villages of the Delta, save the halflings who seem to live beyond his grasp. All must pay tribute to him each year in pickled fish, colorful shells, and other goods. Sometimes he claims people for sacrifice, taking them away to his lair. We hate him, but are powerless to oppose him.

Lake Lasqim: This broad and deep freshwater lake would be good fishing were it not for the Great Wyrm Tsatholquimad.

Lal-tac: This mixed breed tribe would be our allies if they were smart, but instead they prefer to stay neutral. We do not war with them, but occasionally fights have broken out between our hunters. They also pay tribute to the Great Wyrm Tsatholquimad.

Lasaq River: This short but fast river feeds Lake Lasqim.

Mal-tac: The center of the Frilled Confederation, they are our foes. They pay tribute to the Great Wyrm Tsatholquimad.

Mataq River: This mighty river flows from the distant north and splits into many rivers before flowing into the sea.

Milid-tac: This poisonscale village has nearly been wiped out by the Frilled Confederation, and has suffered many losses. Although they pay tribute to the Great Wyrm Tsatholquimad, they will likely be unable to do so this year, and thus will all perish.

Misty Forest: This wet forest is the home to many strange beasts from beyond, as well as bands of shadowy hunters who call themselves 'elves'.

Mud Flats: This is a large area of mud, often covered by tides. It is good clam and oyster gathering territory, but not a Sacred Truce land and very close to the Frilled Confederation.

Mud Island: This long mud bar is avoided by all the inhabitants of the region for fear of what might dwell in the gleaming pyramid of white stone that sits on it.

Nal-tac: The greenscales of this village have recently turned from their people and claim to worship a strange snake god. They have also refused to pay tribute to the Great Wyrm Tsatholquimad thus year, and so will likely die.

Palr-tac: Little is known about this distant village of grenscales.

Pilsarac River: This short river is narrow and heavily influenced by the tides from the Sea.

Qir-tac: This mixed breed village is at war with the poisonscales of Sisl-tac. It pays tribute to the Great Wyrm Tsatholquimad.

Razor Grass Plains: These grasslands are drier than the rest of the Delta Lands, and the home to various grazers. It is good hunting and we often go there with our allies the Kal-tac. The halflings have no interest in hunting, only that we do not hunt across their farms or kill their tame animals.

Sea-tac: This is your home village on the banks of the West Fork of the Mataq River. We are a mixed breed village, comprised mostly of greenscales with a sizable poisonscale minority, and a few blackscales also live in the village. We are ruled by King Kalnaqas, a greenscale lizard king, and are one of the more traditional of the lizardfolk villages in the Delta. We are allied with Kal-tac and frequently at war with Br-tac and the Frilled Confederation. Like most of the villages in the Delta, we pay tribute to the Great Wyrm Tsatholquimad.

Shark Island: This long, low island is a vegetation covered coral reef that rises only three feet above the waves.

Shasla Island: The great hero Shasala died here fighting a sea serpent. Her body was never recovered, and her soul does not rest, but haunts the island.

Shell Island: This rocky coral island is shaped like a snail shell, its point upriver. Legend says that a giant snail lives in the shell, but that is just silly.

Sisl-tac: Of all the lizardfolk villages, this is the only one that openly serves the Great Wyrm Tsatholquimad. They are at war with the Qir-tac.

Sissil River: This river is unremarkable, though the halflings say ii flows to the west towards a great village of stone where lives a mighty sage.

Snake River: This river has many hollows in its banks where snakes live. Yummy, tasty snakes.

Stench Caverns: At the edge of the Mataq River are several caverns from which a foul odor flows out. It is said that a breed of lizardfolk who are very smelly and live underground dwell here, but none have seen them.

Tal-tac: A village of blackscales, Tal-tac is renown for its might in war, but not its crafts or music. Despite the power of its people, Tal-tac pays tribute to the Great Wyrm Tsatholquimad.

Taltoc River: This river does not flow from the Mataq, but from places to the East. It splits and then rejoins, flowing fast and free to the great river itself.

Tasaq Island: The jeweledscale sage Tasaq lives here, and will answer questions put to him by brave warriors.

Three Siblings Islands: These three islands fell from the sky in times past and floated to the surface. It is said they are fregmantes of powerful spirits that fought and died in the heavens.

Thunder Island: This rocky island is constantly pounded by the waves, giving it its name.

Tower of Swords: A tall stone tower stands here, and legends say a thousand metal swords hang from the roof. Powerful wizards of many alien shapes live here and want no intrusions.

Turtle Island: Every year after the rainy season turtles from across the Sea come here to lay their eggs. Warriors and hunters from all the tribes come here to gather eggs and hunt turtles, making it a Sacred Truce Land during that time.

Witch Fens: Three evil witches lair here and worship the Great Wyrm Tsatholquimad.

Wizard Bone Island: This island is bare and bone-white. Nothing lives here and the only feature is the Tower of Swords.

Yellow Water Forest: This forest is very wet and the water is slightly sulfurous, giving it a yellow tint and a foul taste. The mythical serpent folk are said to live here.

Zi-tac: The smallest of the Frilled Confederation villages, Zi-tac defends the Mud Flats from all intruders. It pays tribute to the Great Wyrm Tsatholquimad.

The Delta, in Color

2011-04-02T21:34:00.001-07:00

Here is the campaign map for the Lizardfolk playtest, the Delta Lands.

I Love Fantasy

2011-03-29T09:17:00.000-07:00

It is by far my favorite genre for role-playing, one that I only rarely get tired of, and even then it's not long before I want to get back in the saddle. This is not to say that I don't love other genres, I do. Horror can be awesome, and I can even get into some super-hero stuff every now and then. Sci-fi is also great, and of course historical is my go to. But even then, my historical games tend to be history plus elements of fantasy. I just simply adore games with magic and monsters. I really don’t care if they are set on Athas or Middle-Earth, modern Chicago or Ancient Rome, give me some spell casters and some nasties, plus as many of the other trappings as you can fit in, and I am a happy gamer.
Its not just the trappings of the fantasy genre I love, it’s the themes, the supernatural, multiple intelligent species, a strong inspiration from mythology and folklore, and heroes defeating villains. There is a lot of overlap with other genres, and that is one of the things I love the most. Star Wars is fantasy, just set long, long ago with robots, spaceships, and aliens. It is the journey of the hero, complete with magic, evil that is outright evil, and not the run of the mill realistic evil either, and even swords! Fantasy is a very flexible genre, and includes hundreds if not thousands of sub-genres. Dresden Files is as much fantasy as Forgotten Realms, after all.
I really don’t care that much about what system gets used, I have tried so many fantasy systems that do the job nicely, especially with regards to a specific subgenre. Pendragon is a fine fantasy system for historical games set in the Arthurian mythos. I wouldn't want to use it for dungeon crawling classic fantasy, however. Not that it couldn't be adapted, it can and I have, but there are other systems that do it better. World of Darkness both new and old are not expressly fantasy games, though they certainly have many of the trappings and themes. Both of these systems can be readily adapted to a range of fantasy subgenres, some more than others (I am looking at you Werewolf and Mage). True, all the World of Darkness material can be used for other genres, most notably horror, but they also contain many fantasy elements, and its how you run the game that defines the genre, at least in this case, and not so much how the game is written.
My favorite systems for fantasy are the classics, Dungeons and Dragons and its successors. They all do the traditional fantasy well, though they vary in their performance regarding subgenres (D&D 4e more so than the earlier editions is the most laser focused on one subgenre). However, I also enjoy the freedom of generic systems to write by own subgenre, especially with GURPS and BRP. This is not to discount some of the rogue systems out there that do fantasy, and do it well. Barbarians of Lemuria is my go to for swords and sorcery style fantasy. Ars magica isn’t so much a system as a historical fantasy setting, and a good one at that. I wouldn't mind giving Legends of Anglerre a shot again, only do it differently this time and stick to a more structured setting and plot.
I recently picked up Savage Worlds Fantasy Companion and would love to run a fantasy campaign using that, but alas my gaming groups have solid campaigns going that my players and I enjoy, so there is no new campaign in sight. Well, honestly, its just a matter of time before I kill them all or one PC makes a glaring mistake that takes them all down.

NS-1 Vengeance of the Long Serpent Design Notes

2011-03-18T09:22:00.000-07:00

When I set out to write this adventure I wanted something that dealt with themes from the Nordic Sagas and other works of the medieval Germanic peoples. However, I did not want to just do Pathfinder Beowulf or some such, but instead take these themes, mix them with history and the great tradition of fantasy role-playing, and see what happened. What developed was a blend of the Greenland sagas, the history of Norse exploration of the North America (which we will see more of in later parts of the Northlands Saga), and a heavy dose of inspiration from Lovecraft and Howard.
What we see in Vengeance is the PCs becoming involved in what should be a voyage of exploration aimed at garnering some wealth. In some ways they are caught up in this, as their new friend and patron, Halbjorn, may likely be more enthusiastic about the whole endeavor than they are. Once they reach the Far North, they discover that things are not as they thought they would be, and (hopefully) take part in the uprising against the Children of Althunak.
Two items in the adventure of which I am inordinately proud of are the Far North itself and Halbjorn's long monologue. In designing the Far North I wanted to provide not just a setting for the adventure, but a place that the characters can return to again and again in search of wealth, fame and glory. There are mammoths to hunt, areas to explore, and wealth to be garnered in that frigid land. Hallbjorn's monologue includes a large number of kennings; turns of phrase that are used to poetically describe an event, person, or place. I simply love kennings and writing so many of them into the dialogue was a great joy.
There is more that I can say about Vengeance, but that would probably give away too much of the adventure. I encourage anyone who plays fantasy or historical RPGs, and especially those who play Pathfinder or Swords and Wizardry to pick up a copy, in print or pdf (why not both) from Frog God Games. Next up in the series is NS-2 Beyond the Wailing Mountains, which continues the story started in Vengeance. I am currently working on NS-3 The Death Curse of Sven Oakenfist that promises to be a humdinger of an adventure involving the laws of hospitality, two dungeon crawls, and plenty of curses. Finally, if you enjoy the Northlands Saga, a short system-less campaign document, the Northlands Saga Campaign Setting is in production and will be available as a pdf in the near future.

Session Notes 2

2011-03-09T08:22:00.000-08:00

This game was ran over two sessions using Savage Worlds wiht a group of six players. Mostly it was run as written, though a few flourishes were added here and there. The Hound of Shub-Niggurath was intended to be bullet proof, which worked nicely. Unfortunately for it, the Hound was not half-ton stone block proof. The actual mission was scrubbed a the last minute, sending our CASS team off to North Africa on an emergency. The session ended with the team in a crippled B-17 plunging towards southern France, a Me-109 chasing after them.

The Barbarossa

Rostock
1. Downtime, 4 weeks
2. Mission Briefing
a. Secretary, case officer
b. This is an overt mission
i. This is the Barbarossa, Hitler's latest toy
1. It is a flying aircraft carrier
2. Capable of carrying 15 fighters and 8 bombers
3. Heavily armed and armored
4. Carries its own bomb payload
ii. You will be part of the operation that is going to destroy it before it is completed
iii. It is being constructed in Rostock on the Baltic Sea
iv. You are being sent to England for jump training
v. On March 1 you will embark from England on Carrier Task Force 19
vi. You and a company of US Rangers will be parachuted in at 3am on the night of March 10 on to the airfields near the shipyards
vii. Your primary objective is to secure the airfields and hold them against enemy counterattack
1. Once the airfields are secure you will send a coded message via radio "Excelsior"
2. This will signal bombers to unload on the shipyards
3. You and the Rangers will then board any aircraft that is usable and fly north to rendezvous with Carrier Task Force 19.
viii. Disposition of enemy forces
1. Rostock is not heavily garrisoned
2. Expect the Nazis to be largely third rate troops, old men and boys
3. Five companies of Wermacht regulars
4. 1 company of Panzers
5. The biggest threat is the possible presence of Dr. von Blud and his Ubermensch
6. Dossiers
7. The airfield is garrisoned by a company of the 134. Grenadiers, a reserve regiment.
ix. The Airfield
1. Your primary objective will be to destroy the planes located in the hangars out British friends have amusingly labeled the mount farm
2. After that, destroy the control tower, the fuels dump, and cause as many casualties amongst the pilots as you can. Taking them prisoner is also an option, but we will not be transporting prisoners out.
3. The technical site should be destroyed as well, and any research materials there should be recovered.
3. Interlude: Jump Training at Camp Barnam outside of London
a. Combat training with the rangers (5 xp bonus, must be spent on combat skills or edges, not powers)
i. Obstacle course, running, field craft training, etc…
b. Agility rolls for three training jumps, failure equals 2d12 damage and see below
4. Interlude: A traitor
a. Svetlana receives a mysterious message "meet me in Hyde Park on the 21st at 10pm by the rose garden."
b. Mysterious stranger standing under a lamp post, smoking a cigarette (Galushes)
i. Tan trench coat, black felt hat, hands and face wrapped in bandages
ii. Hands Svetlana an envelope
iii. Fades into the fog
5. Interlude: Hospital Number 9
a. Several of the Rangers injured when two planes collide during landing (after a training jump)
b. Those sent to hospital Number 9 fare well at first, but then go down hill
c. Mystery (PCs there may also be swept up) why do so many soldiers die at Hospital Number 9?
i. The Doctors and nurses are members of a secret vile cult that sacrifices blood and organs to Shub-Niggurath, the Goat with a Thousand Young
1. Altar in the woods near the hospital, pre-Celtic ruins
2. 15 cultists in total
3. Ritual sacrifices, scarification and orgies
4. Cult originated in France, came to England after the Fall of France
ii. Doctors:
1. Dr. Timothy Ville, British surgeon, young and affable
2. Dr. Henry Vouchard, French Surgeon, bitter and cantankerous
3. Dr. Llwylln Jones, Welsh surgeon, leader of the cult, distant and cruel
iii. Important Nurses:
1. Betty Greeves, Brisith head nurse, bitter and sarcastic
2. Suzzy Greenwood, American nurse young, pretty, and not entirely under the cult's influence
3. Emma Walthers, British nurse, young, pretty, and vindictive
iv. The Ritual
1. Timing, begin clock at 6:30 pm, ritual occurs at 8pm
2. A circle of nine celebrants are nude save for ornate goat's heads headdresses.
3. They surround the body of a young girl from the village, Maggie, who they have kidnapped.
4. Iä! Shub-Niggurath! The Black Goat of the Woods with a Thousand Young!
5. As the ritual completes, the chanting reaches a crescendo and Maggie unzips from neck to pubis, black light spills forth, strange vapors, and a tentacle emrges, the Dark Hound of Shub-Niggurath is born to rampage across the area.
6. Dark Hound of Shub-Niggurath
Attributes: Agility d10, Smarts d8 (A), Spirit d10, Strength d12, Vigor d12
Skills: Fighting d10, Howl d8, Notice d8, Stealth d10,
Pace: 9 Parry: 7 Toughness: 12
Special Abilities:
• Cause Madness: The sight of the Hound causes all to make a Spirit roll or suffer temporary insanity.
• Size +2
• Discordant Howl: The howl is a flame template area of effect that causes those hit to roll Spirit vs. the Hound's Howl or be shaken, wounded on a raise
• Low Light Vision
• Fast Regeneration
• Fearless
• Armor (Hide)
6. The Mission
a. Agility to pick landing place, Success= off 1d6 random, Raise= dead on, Failure= off 2d6 random, Crit= drift into trees
b. Agility to land, Success= shaken, Raise= fine, Failure= wound, Crit= 2 wounds
c. Initial resistance is minimal
d. Counter attack before dawn by 2 panzers, 1 company of grenadiers, and the Ubermensch
e. Bombers late, but arrive
f. Safe flight back

Session Notes 1

2011-03-04T20:20:00.000-08:00

I have been asked to share my RPG session notes and outlines, this is the first of many. The campaign this one was written for is a low-powerd super heroes game set during WWII. Savage Worlds, a great system, is the one used.

The Beast Men of the Boundary Waters

1. Assemble the PCs in Washington
a. CASS: the Combined Allied Strategic Services
i. Exists to pool and share gifted personnel resources
ii. Used for overt and covert actions
iii. Deployed to counter Axis gifted resources
b. The American branch (Office of Strategic Services)
i. Offices in the Munitions Building on the Mall in Washington
1. Main Offices in the third floor, overlooking the reflecting pool rooms 314-329
2. R&D is in the basement, room 005
ii. Room 326
1. Mrs. Harriett Hall, secretary
a. Attractive lady in her late twenties, very formal and standoffish
2. PCs case manager: Captain Everett Block
a. One eyed ex-marine officer, served in the Great War and in Panama
b. Gritty, down to earth
c. Happy New Year to all, I pray this one will be better than the last.
iii. Housed in a Brownstone
1. Rooms for all
2. Detached garage
3. Basement
4. Staff
a. Housekeeper: Mrs. Burton
i. Older widow, mother hen
b. Maid: Missy
i. Black woman, young and pretty
c. Cook: Sally
i. Middle aged black woman, Missy's mother and married to Henry
d. Driver, gardener, handyman: Henry
i. Middle aged black man
iv. Have access to regular and special resources
c. Meet with Everett Block
2. The Mission
a. Primary Objective: secure Dr. Gruber and his research
i. Dr. Gruber is a noted biologist and chemist
1. Hand out dossier.
ii. His current research has been funded by the defense department and is meant to create a serum that will enhance the combat abilities of the average soldier.
iii. Dr. Gruber is a native born American, but has strong ties to the American Bund.
iv. His research assistant, Eliza Drew, has expressed her concerns about the doctor's political activities to the FBI.
1. Hand out dossier.
v. Dr. Gruber works at his private laboratory in the Boundary Waters region of Minnesota.
vi. You will travel to Chicago, Illinois and contact Deputy Director Melvin Purvis of the FBI.
b. Secondary Objective: prevent the Nazis from obtaining Dr. Gruber's research
i. Miss Drew has obtained information that suggests that Dr. Gruber is scheduled to meet with German Major Heinrich Strasser in St. Paul, Minnesota on the 5th of this month.
1. Hand Out Dossier
ii. Major Strasser was spotted in Montreal on December 23rd by Canadian operatives. They pursued, and three were killed.
iii. It is believed that Major Strasser has at least four SS agents with him, if not more.
c. Tertiary Objective: Maintain covert operation
i. The nature of Dr. Gruber's research must be kept top secret.
ii. Do not display your abilities or identities to civilians.
iii. Limit exposure of your abilities and identities to military personnel.
iv. The FBI is well briefed on your identities, abilities, and operations, consider them full partners and entirely read in to the OSS and CASS.
d. Resources
i. Due to the time critical nature of this operation, you are being provided with first class air tickets to Chicago, and from Chicago to St. Paul.
ii. The FBI can make additional resources, such as cars and other forms of transportation, available to you as needed.
iii. Hotel reservations have been made in the names of your cover identities.
iv. Each of you will be issued a sidearm, as needed.
v. Additionally, we have available for this mission the following weapons:
1. 2x Thompson Submachine guns
2. A BAR
3. 3x 12-guage pump action shotguns
4. 4x MK1 Hand Grenades
5. 6x bullet proof vests
6. An experimental restraint system (tangler shotgun shells)
vi. Good hunting!
3. The Journey
a. Interlude Table
b. Draw a card; hold onto it until the segment of the adventure called for is reached. If you play it, you get a bennie.
Card Result
2 (Boundary Waters or St. Paul) Trouble: Ambush by Nazi Agents
3-4 (Before Chicago) Obstacle: The plane loses a propeller, forcing it to make an emergency landing. At least a day, if not more, is lost.
5-6 (In Chicago) Injury: Caught in a bank robbery.
7-8 Trial: The cold and wet of the Boundary Waters gets to you, suffer a fatigue level on the day before getting to Dr. Gruber's laboratory.
9-10 (Boundary Waters) Wonder: Along the way you see the beautiful Bear Lake.
Jack (Anytime) Anecdote: Something amusing happens to your character.
Queen (Anytime) Memento: Something reminds you of a short story about your character's past.
King (Chicago) Clue: A mysterious lady in a blue dress gives you a clue to solving the mystery.
Ace (Boundary Waters) Treasure: While making camp, you come across a buried suitcase wrapped in oiled canvas. The suitcase contains $3000 and has the letters JD monogrammed on it.
Joker (Anytime) Luck of the Heroes: You get an extra bennie, describe why you are lucky this mission.

4. In Chicago
a. The PCs met with Deputy Director Purvis
i. The FBI does not have a clue as to where Strasser is.
ii. They know where Dr. Gruber's lab is in the Boundary Waters, and have Miss Drew in protective custody; the PCs can go talk to her.
iii. Arrangements have been made with the St. Paul office to supply canoes and other equipment.
b. At the safe house (a run down tenement on the south side)
i. The agents in stationed in a car out front are dead, a close range bullet wound in their head.
ii. In the single room apartment, there are three dead agents, a dead man of unknown origin, bullet holes, casings (.45 and 9mm), and no Miss Drew. The smell of cordite hangs in the air. From the alley below a car door slams and tires squeal.
iii. Three cars
iv. The lead has Strasser, two Nazi thugs, and Miss Drew.
v. #2 has four Nazi thugs
vi. #3 has three Nazi thugs and a Wolfen SS trooper.
c. The chase will lead from the Southside through the slums and out into the country. Police help is possible, but inadequate.
5. The Meeting in St. Paul
a. Gruber and Strasser are scheduled to meet at noon in the Blue Moon Café, downtown.
b. If Strasser gets away with the Miss Drew, then no one shows up.
c. If Strasser is stopped, only Gruber shows up.
i. Strasser is hoping to snatch Grubber at the meet, and dispose of the heroes
ii. He will have whatever troops he had before, plus eight Bund thugs armed with improvised melee weapons and pistols
iii. Gruber brings along two disguised beastmen goons
6. The Boundary Waters
a. Gruber's lab is thirty miles into the Boundary Waters on a small island in the middle of Seagull Lake
b. It is winter, the water is frozen solid and the travel will be difficult (Vigor check or 1 level of fatigue)
c. Bear attack
7. Dr. Gruber's Laboratory
a. The island is small, only three hundred by two hundred yards and heavily wooded with conifers and scattered deciduous trees.
b. The island is guarded by four beastmen armed with double barreled shotguns
c. If Strasser is available, he will be here with any troops he has left.
d. Strasser and Gruber are in the lab, Strasser's men are packing to leave.
e. The lab is a small wooden cabin (see map)
f. Strasser will send his men to fight, hoping to escape with Gruber, or at least Gruber's notes, on his armored aerosan.

GenCon Indy 2010 After Action Report, Part One

2010-08-11T15:06:00.000-07:00

GenCon Indy 2010 After-Action Report, Part One
Its Wednesday, I'm back in the office, and still excited over the best four days in gaming. I met a lot of old friends, made many new friends, talked to some of my favorite authors, and managed to play in three games. The seminars were very helpful, especially Breaking into RPG Writing and The Rules of Writing. The exhibit hall was a blast, and between shaking hands and passing out business cards I picked up a book or two (actually, ninety-six books and magazines). In the coming weeks I will post reviews of these, both new titles out this year and older ones (Snarfquest being the oldest).
Of the three games I played, Terrorwerks was the best, but all three were a great time. For those of you who don't know, Terrorwerks is a LARP with the emphasis on action. You play part of a space marine or corporate team sent to rescue a hostage and stop a space ship from crashing into a colony world. Armed with an airsoft gun and sheer courage, you face off against pirates, aliens, and zombies in a wild new definition of first person shooter. As the Unitek representative, I did my best to channel Paul Riser and perform by role as corporate scum. To summarize forty-minutes of high action gameplay, I managed to achieve all of my secondary objectives, but failed my primary goal of survival. I will definitely play this again, and again, every Con I go to that they are at.
Along similar lines, I played in a The Rising Zombie LARP, as a zombie. Another good game, though not on the same level as Terrorwerks. This one used soft darts and foam weapons, and featured (at least for the survivors) a series of puzzles and room based encounters. As a zombie, I got to shamble from encounter to encounter and try and eat survivors. Getting killed, respawning, and going back in was a hoot, and gave me a great idea for a PCs as Zombies game.
In an entirely different vein, I managed to get in a game of the Tower of Gygax. Not only did the proceeds go to the Gygax Memorial Fund, the old school dungeon crawl was great fun. It brought back a lot of memories (and also how to use THACO) as I and my party of misfits tried to solve the puzzles in room after room. I died, but then, most people do. Sadly, my elf mage figured out the death trap too late, tried to cast sleep on himself (so he wouldn't feel it), and made his resist sleep and charm roll, c'est la vie.
GenCon is really the gathering of the tribe, and I had the opportunity to see some old friends. I had a lovely dinner with Lori Tankersley and Kristina Bayer (along with, Ted Snider, Lori's boyfriend and my wife). I hadn't seen either of them in over a decade. While walking through the halls, I ran into: Art McGeee, Jeremy Mullis, Brandon Robinson (who I last saw at high school graduation), Brave Tim (sorry Tim, I didn't need you to lead me to the food court this time), Mindy Grayson, Tod Puletz (what does it say when old gaming buddies spend more time showing pictures of their kids than talking gaming), Good Kip, Jay Cline and his fiancé Jamie Overdeer (the Legends of Vincennes game shop folks), Chris Fitzpatrick (Crocodile Games is doing some wonderful stuff, just don't tell the wife I was looking at minis again), Brian Roe (wish we could have talked more), Jeff Gilbert, Kelly (soon to be Gilbert) Lethgo, Ty Brewer, Bill Yocum, my sister (I will not apologize for the Jail 'n' Bail, and await your wrath), her new husband (married August 6th), and his son.

In part two I'll talk about the industry folks I met, as well as the seminars and workshops I attended.

Far Kadish

2010-08-11T15:05:00.000-07:00

For the new players in my Wednesday night D&D game:

Far Kadish
Kadish was the heartland of a vast empire that spread across the Sea of Wyrms. In ages past, the Empire was a great center of learning and mystical power, and that is what led to its destruction. Millennia ago five brothers vied for the crown, calling on every possible advantage they could gain over their foes. As the civil war drug on, first one brother, and then the others, called on powers from beyond the world, unleashing horrible monstrosities on the Empire.
Kadish itself was devastated; its citizens fled the grand cities into the jungle, and monsters of all types were loosed upon the land. Across the Sea of Wyrms, the Empire's colonies struggled to survive the death of the motherland, but soon they fell to barbarian invaders. In the following centuries, these invaders rebuilt the cities in their own styles, and now rule seven city-states that stand between the sea and the wild hinterlands beyond.

The Pirate Coast
Forty-five years ago, explorers seeking the lost treasures of Kadish were blown off course to the southeast. After sailing for weeks without any sight of land, they spotted a long archipelago sitting in the Southern Ocean. After making landfall, they found a tropical paradise free of dangerous creatures, and inhabited by tribes friendly gnomes. The islands were rich in gold, pearls, jade, emeralds, and exotic animals, but their greatest treasure were the spices that the gnomes used to cook and preserve food. Ginger, nutmeg, pepper, cinnamon, hot peppers, and allspice were wondrous new flavors to the Lystrakan explorers. Soon the ships were repaired and a route home calculated, and the brave explorers returned to the city of Javik, and to a heroes' welcome. In the ensuing years, merchants continued to make the long journey to the Spice Islands and back, reaping great rewards.
Soon, brave entrepreneurs established resupply ports along the jungle-covered coasts that the spice ships sailed off of. Many of these outposts were destroyed or poorly situated, but two have become small cities in their own rights. Saó Toma and Ríslu are the most prominent, but Sailor's Rest, Havret's Post, Point Breaker, and Perdido are well established. Soon after the spice trade began, pirates descended on the merchant ships, prompting many to form convoys for their own protection. The merchant houses of Lystraka began arming their ships, and even hiring privateers to combat the growing pirate scourge. Their private navies and marines are a common sight in the ports, and the merchant houses hold the real power. Only one port, Saó Toma , remains outside of the control of the merchant houses, and is the only place an independent ship can safely put into harbor and resupply.
In response, the individual pirate captains have formed an alliance, the Brotherhood of the Black Flag. They operate out of hidden ports and out of the way islands, swooping out to attack a convoy and pick off any stragglers. Their many successes and dashing ways have made them famous amongst the populations of the Lystrakan city-states, much to the merchant houses' disgust.
Plantations have been established on the Crab, Black, and Dragon Rivers, and a brisk trade in tobacco, sugar, and indigo has added to the wealth extracted from the Pirate Coast and the jungles of Far Kadish. These plantations are heavily fortified affairs and most are owned by one of the great merchant houses. Labor was once provided by natives of the jungle, however they proved both too intractable and too few in number to meet demands, and so indentured labor from the Lystrakan city-states have been imported. Most of the indentured laborers are not volunteers, but people transported to the new colonies as punishment for crimes. The prisoners are sold to a merchant house, or more rarely an independent operator, who then sends them to the plantations for a ten-year term of service. As the city-states are constantly vying for dominance, the fate of captured soldiers is often transportation, and a lingering death in the jungles of Far Kadish.

The Lost Ruins of Kadish
Shortly over a decade ago, ruins were found near the port of Saó Toma, ruins that date to the Empire of Kadish. This prompted a rush of explorers and tomb raiders who have flooded the ports of the Pirate Coast looking for lost treasures and magical artifacts. The treasure trade now rivals the spice trade for its ability to generate wealth, as expeditions return from the jungles laden with priceless artifacts. Not every expedition returns, as the jungles are still home to monstrosities created during the war or called forth from the Far Realms.
To date, only a handful of ruins that were once towns have been found, and no major city has been located and looted. Most of the expeditions follow the rivers up from the coasts, but a growing number strike overland, hacking their way through the jungle. Progress is slow, but the chance of finding one of the lost cities of Far Kadish drive men and women on, all too often to their deaths.

The Seven City-States of Lystraka
The city-states of Lystraka trace their founding to the colonies flung by the Empire of Kadish across the Sea of Wyrms. Conquered by hordes of barbarians from the west during the fall of the Empire, the cities today bear little resemblance to their past glories. Each city-state sits on the coast, and controls the surrounding farmland and secondary towns, often not much more than fifty or so miles inland. Beyond that lays savage wilderness populated by fierce beasts and wild barbarians.

Evarnton, the Broad Beamed
Rivaling Iros for oddity, Evarnton is a tree city that sprawls for miles inland from the coast. It does not have a very active port, and is one of the least nautically minded of the city-states. What it does have is natural beauty and an abundance of lumber, coal, and iron ore brought from the Karst Mountains to the west. The people of Evarnton are often accused of being as stout and thick as the lumber they cut, an accusation often taken by Evarntonites as a complement.
Ruler: Lord Mayor Yarlvest
Government: Constitutional Monarchy
Alignment: Good
Races: Human, Dwarf, Eladrin, Shifter
Economy: Lumber, Mining, Manufacturing

Iros, the Spired City
Built atop the remains of five grand towers built during the days of the Empire, Iros presents an unusual view to the visitor. The spires soar high above the ground (save for Sea Spire, which rises out of Blue Wheat Bay) and contain the city's entire population. Bridges of stone, wood, and rope span the distances between the main spires and the secondary spires that rise from their sides. Iros has been described by some as resembling five intricate shells upon which a spider has built its home.
Ruler: King Hassin IV
Government: Absolute Monarchy
Alignment: Unaligned
Races: Human, Dwarf, Half-Orc
Economy: Agriculture, Trade, and Manufacturing

Javik, City of Ports
Javik is actually seven small towns that have grown together over the centuries to form a large sprawling metropolis. Its position in the center of the Lystrakan Coast has earned it a place as the greatest of trading ports. Two of the Great Merchant Houses, House Iolis and House Kelphis have their home offices here. The city controls a small amount of surrounding land, and its farms cannot support its growing population. Besides trade, Javik is also known as a center of banking and the arts.
Ruler: The Council of Houses
Government: Oligarchy
Alignment: Unaligned
Races: Human, Minotaur, Halfling
Economy: Trade, Banking

Makeen, City of Temples
Famed as the home of the grandest and most influential temples in all of Lystraka, Makeen is also a city known for its learning and arts. Of the six principle deities of the Lystrakan pantheon, only Gortosh, He Who Shall Not be Called, lacks a religious complex. The others dominate the city, both physically and politically. Each temple vies with the others for importance, and naturally advertising their wealth and splendor in the name of the gods, is the best means of demonstrating the power of a cult. The temples are thus great patrons of architects, sculptures, painters, gold smiths, and tailors.
Ruler: Hierophant Augusti XX
Government: Theocracy
Alignment: Good
Races: Human, Dwarf, Eladrin
Economy: Manufacturing, Tourism

Monrovia the Beautiful
Monrovia's gleaming white walls rise out of the Bay of Angels and encompass the entirety of the Island of Dreams upon which the city sits. Elegant arches and towers crown the sky, and the city's many museums, universities, and libraries are the envy of all others. Monrovia is a city dedicated to the arts and learning, and as such boasts the greatest and most creative minds in all of Lystraka.
Ruler: High Chancellor Linquist
Government: Meritocracy
Alignment: Unaligned
Races: Human, Eladrin
Economy: Education, Tourism

Peshtar, the Greedy
Long known as the most ambitious and aggressive of the city-states, Peshtar seeks to rebuild the lost Empire of Kadish, with its ruler, Emperor Ratherton, at its head. The city is home to one of the three Great Merchant Houses, the Imperial Trading Company, of which the Emperor is the majority shareholder. His armies and navies prowl the world, looking for wealth to steal and foes to vanquish. Imperial agents can be found throughout Lystraka, the Pirate Coast, and the Spice Islands, sniffing out intrigue abroad and treason at home.
Ruler: Emperor Ratherton
Government: Absolute Monarchy
Alignment: Evil
Races: Human, Dragonborn
Economy: Trade, Manufacturing, and Warfare

Thessalorika, the Clever
Whereas Monrovia is known for its high thought, Thessalorika is famous for its craftsmanship and engineering. The city is a stinking, smog and soot covered labyrinth of foundries, workshops, tenements, and dockyards. The most beautiful sword may come from Monrovia, the most delicate holy symbol from Makeen, or the most exotic wooden furniture from Evarnton, but the best-made and utilitarian objects are made in Thessalorika.
Ruler: Queen Ruth V
Government: Absolute Monarchy
Alignment: Unaligned
Races: Human, Dwarf, Tiefling, Dragonborn
Economy: Trade, Manufacturing

The End of Role-playing?

2010-06-09T06:02:00.000-07:00

In response to all the doom and gloom predictions I have been hearing about role-playing for the past twenty-five years:

There can be more than one Golden Age, and I think we are entering a third. Some companies and stores are struggling, but the industry remains strong. Here's why:

In my home town, if I am looking for a game, I have six brick and mortar options, two dedicated game stores, a comic shop, Half-Priced Books, Borders, and Barnes and Noble. Add in internet vendors, and you have tons of options to buy whatever you are looking for at the price you want.

In the tiny town I live in, there isn't even a bookstore, but there is a game store, albeit a small and irregularly operated one.

I started gaming in 1984, and the only place that I used to shop that doesn't carry games anymore is Toys R' Us. Sure some dedicated game stores have closed, but that's the way of small businesses.

There are still big companies out there putting out product, but there are a lot more small press publishers, and the bar for publication and distribution is lower than it ever has been. I applaud the guy with a laptop who writes games on the side. He adds vibrancy to a hobby that should not ever be solely in the hands of corporations.

As a freelancer with one year in the industry, I am making enough to quit my part-time job tutoring in a publicly funded after school program. I couldn't support my family on what I make as a writer, yet, but I hope to be making as much as I would as a full time teacher in the next five years.

The internet has enabled a tremendous growth in game companies, though many are small affairs. As a freelancer, i have worked for companies in the US and Europe, something that would have been very difficult back in '84. Imagine how things will be once the industry manages to penetrate emerging markets in India and China? Whoever writes an rpg that has broad appeal in India will be very rich, assuming that gamers could potentially make up one half of one percent of the population (that's what, 5 million customers).

New gamers are being born, not just recruited. I know several gamers who have kids, and whose kids are growing up in the gaming culture. If we think our hobby is good, than it will be passed on to the next generation in ways that other hobbies, model trains or woodworking, just don't. The bar for entrance into role playing is low, if you can read, write, do some basic math, and have an imagination, you're in.

Roleplaying is a natural human activity, one that everyone engages in, what we do is add structure to it. Children who grow up in an environment where rpgs are a natural part of life are more likely to take them up when they are of an age to play them. Sure, there's the rebellion against the parent's thing, but that may very well take the form of not playing daddy's games.

Finally, the basic concepts and underlying premises of sci-fi, fantasy, and horror are now mainstream. How much easier is it going to be to attract new gamers when the genres our games are based on are so much more accessible? The very concept of playing a game based around the actions of a few heroes, where you take the role of one of the heroes is part and parcel of video games today. Once someone sees that they can transfer this from a system where they have limited (broader than they used to be, but still limited) choices to a system where they have nearly unlimited choices as to their character and actions (not to mention that settings are limited purely by ones imagination), the draw to tabletop role-playing should be obvious.

In summation, rpgs are here to stay and will continue to grow. They will evolve and change, as will the industry, but I foresee sitting around the table in forty years, breaking out D&D 15.65 and complaining with my friends about how they've changed it so much and 14.0 was such a better product. Then we'll actually play it , and stop whining long enough to have fun.

A poster found throughout out the Union, Misurah, and Tejas

2010-05-27T06:53:00.000-07:00

Goodnight-Loving Cattle Company

Is looking for

Experienced Herdsmen, Drovers, Wranglers, Cooks, Doctors of Medicine, Preachers, Scouts, and Guards

For

Driving a Herd of Cattle from

Dove Town, Empire of Tejas
To
Abilin, Republic of Misurah

Across unknown territory

We are especially looking for
Men and Women able to operate several days ride ahead of the drive to clear the way and act as our Vanguard

Contact C. Goodnight or O. Loving at the Lonely Pigeon Saloon in Dove Town

Payment will be in shares equal to one-fiftieth the price of the cattle at Abilin.

A note from the elven fighter Alvander

2010-05-23T09:08:00.001-07:00

Alvander’s Journal
For Ted’s Pathfinder Campaign

What a wonderful time we have been having lately. Ailos and I were wandering through the Endless Orchards when we happened upon out niece, Mira. And to make things even better there’s been a lot of creepy murders in the area so we get to be heroes again (not that we weren’t already heroes, we just had been busy with other things).
We checked these out, and Ailos fell down a well, but my horse, Sammy, managed to pull him out. Interesting development with Sammy, his quarter-centaur is coming out, He can count, answer yes or no questions, and is eve learning to play the panpipes.
Anyway, we staked out this well hoping the killer would return and steal back the box Ailos landed on, but that didn’t happen. Then this demon hound started barking so we chased it around in the rain, but couldn’t catch it. While we did that, I taught Mira some of the finer points about adventuring, such as which weapons to use, how to cover each other’s backs, the usual stuff. Oh, and we played shadow puppets while my brother ran around some more in the rain.
The next night, Ailos finally took my advice about setting a trap for the demon dog, and we disguised a wagon and set off riding around at night. It worked (though I think Ailos should have worn a dress as bait). The beastie attacked, but I managed to drive it off. We then found some more dead bodies, or parts of bodies. Ailos tracked one to a hollow in a tree and spent a long time fishing around in the goo that was a nobleman. He is always doing icky stuff like that. HE also dug around in some demon poo that next day.
Tomorrow we are heading to the Eastern Sister to follow up on a clue about the dead nobleman. I think it’s the Reeve who is behind it, but we need more proof before I can go around kicking in doors and laying down some steely justice. I like that, steely justice. Hopefully when we are in town I can go to the Drunken Gull and visit some of my old shipmates from the Pegasus, like One Armed Pete and Rusty Jack. Oh, and I might get a haircut, if you know what I mean.

Westward Ho! Player'S Pack Draft 1

2010-05-21T08:13:00.000-07:00

Westward Ho! Player’s Pack and FAQ, Draft 1

FAQ
Whoa, is this a fantasy Western?
Yes, the style and trappings of the setting, as well as the theme and mood draw from the Western Genre and American history. However, this is not a historical game and many factors have been altered. For starters, there are no guns, so a sword is still a sword, just don’t reach for it unless you need it. Dungeons and Dragons has long drawn on Medieval Europe for inspiration, though the game strays far from the actual technology and culture of that era. We’re doing the same thing here, only with a different era of history as the inspiration.

What about other technologies?
There’s steam power, and thus trains and factories, as well as the telegraph. Clothes and fashion are Western themed, so you’re dwarven runepriest no doubt wears boots, pants, a collarless cotton shirt, duster, broad brimmed hat, bandana, and some armor. We won’t even talk about his red wool union suit. He may have purchased his weapons out of the Stars and Redbuck’s Catalog. Recently Blasting Powder, an alchemical substance, was developed. This explosive is very unstable, bulky, and expensive. It is used widely by the mining industry, but is not useable as a weapon (unless you don’t like to keep all your finger). Medicine is at mid-19th Century standards, so, not great.

What races and classes are allowed?
There are some limits to race and class, mostly as far as what fits the setting. Some races can only be certain classes. Multiclassing and hybrid classes are forbidden. Check out the table below (and if you have a really good concept that breaks this mold, let me know).

Race Class
Human Any
Dragonborn Avenger, Bard, Cleric, Fighter, Invoker, Paladin, Rogue, Runepriest, Sorcerer, Warlock, Warlord, Wizard
Dwarves Avenger, Bard, Cleric, Fighter, Invoker, Paladin, Rogue, Runepriest, Sorcerer, Warlock, Warlord, Wizard
Eladrin Any
Elf Barbarian, Druid, Ranger, Seeker, Shaman, Warden
Half-Elf Any
Tiefling Avenger, Bard, Cleric, Fighter, Invoker, Paladin, Rogue, Runepriest, Sorcerer, Warlock, Warlord, Wizard
Minotaur Barbarian, Druid, Ranger, Seeker, Shaman, Warden
Half-Orc Barbarian, Druid, Ranger, Seeker, Shaman, Warden
Shifter Barbarian, Druid, Ranger, Seeker, Shaman, Warden

What would be a good character concept?
Any of the standard Western tropes are good choice. The PCs are all drifters, people cut loose from their homes and seeking a new life on the frontier. Cowboys, dispossessed natives, gamblers, wandering preachers, freed slaves, swordsmen for hire, outlaws on the run, mountain men, and prospectors are all good. Thin about person before powers and you will do fine.

How do you handle character creation?
We will create characters as a group during the first session. There are many possible stories to tell in Westward Ho! and the nature of the party will determine how the campaign is laid out. For example, if everyone wants to play natives, that changes things greatly. Generate ability scores using Method 2: Customizing Scores. We will be using the character background option from page 176 of the Player’s Handbook 2. With a mixed party (which is what I am expecting) look for backgrounds that will give you access to Perception and Nature skills. Any power or feat from Wizards of the Coast published material is legal. All PCs should be of Lawful Good, Good, or Unaligned alignments, no evil or chaotic evil at all. Also, expect an even mix of combat and non-combat encounters, especially skill challenges. Finally, the planes are not a big part of this setting, though the Feywild and the Shadowfell do intrude in places.

What do I as a player need to bring?
I have a large collection of western minis, some printable cardboard counters, and several sets of maps and tiles. If you want to bring your own, go right ahead. If you want to bring extra and share, feel free to do so. I will also bring a dice bucket and poker chips (for use as action points). Although I possess nearly the entire product lien, I won’t bring every book to every game, so make sure you either buy the books or cards appropriate to your character, or write down what his or her powers do. I will bring all the Players Handbooks and Powers books to the first session. You are responsible for your character sheet and making sure you have it for the game. I will provide blank character sheets for those who need them.

How can I earn extra XP?
In addition to regular XP awards, you get XP for a written character background, at a rate of one point per word. Also, if you make a purchase at Legends the day of the game, you earn five pints per dollar spent; they are hosting us after all. I will also be very free with role-playing awards.

What if I am going to be late to the game?
Since we only have three hours, the game starts at 6pm sharp. That means I start rolling dice and narrating the story at that point. If you are late, then your character misses out on some things. This can really suck if we are in the middle of a battle, but that’s just the way it is.

Do you allow food, drinks, laptops, iPods, etc… at the table?
Folks need to eat and drink; I consume a large amount of soda when I run a game (its thirsty work). As long as you follow the store’s rules, I have no problem. As far as electronica, sometimes I will bring my laptop with me as a game aid; feel free to do the same. However, be respectful of your fellow players and stay focused, surfing the net is not a good thing to do during a game, especially in combat.

Any other table rules?
Be polite, be courteous and be clean. The Dm has final say, but I will take your concerns under advisement. Intra-party conflict is OK, as long as it is done in fun. What goes at the table stays at the table, likewise don’t bring your issues with other player to the table. Also, keep your language PG. There is a zero tolerance for racist language, I will kick you out of my game and ban you from any other game I run.

The Setting

Timeline
-34 First explorers from the Eastern Empires reach the New World, find the place strongly influenced by the Feywild, and inhabited by elves.
-30 to -1 The Empires Across the Sea collapse, corrupted within by dark forces and beset by invading orcs and goblins.
0 to 15 Refugee humans, dwarves, Eladrin, and tieflings arrive in the New World, and establish the first eastern nations
12-45 First Elf War, the Thirteen try to push inland from their coastal settlements and met strong resistance.
64-115 Second Elf War
145-187 Third Elf War, at the peace of Nylosia the elves and their human allies are given a broad piece of land to rule as their own kingdom, Kan-tac-eee.
190 The Beautiful Land is settled, the first newcomer nation west of the Smoking Mountains.
193 Monrovia founded
210-345 The Orc and Goblin Wars, orcs and goblins invade from the ruins of the Eastern Empires and from the frozen lands to the north. The nations of the East are nearly wiped out.
345-758 The rebuilding, the Nations of the East rebuild their lands and population. Rogue bands of orcs and goblins are hunted into extinction.
645 Bruthian Explorers discover a lost continent to the southwest inhabited by primitive dragonborn.
703 To aid in rebuilding, dragonborn slaves are brought to the New World
850-1203 Unification Wars, the various nations of the east go to war with each other over various regional disputes. At the Second Peace of Nylosia the Federal Union is formed to maintain peace, defend mutual interests, and regulate trade.
1235 Lakeland founded
1246-1308 Adventurers from the Southern Nations explore east past the Smoking Mountains. Their efforts open up territory all the way to the Great Black River. Francopia established.
1345 Zephyr founded
1365-1400 Attempts to expand past the Big Black River are meet with strong resistance from both the Feywild and the native tribes of the west.
1405 First contact is made with the Empire of Tejas
1405-1567 The long and drawn out Tejan War ends with Tejas joining the Union in exchange for peace.
1567-1743 The Long Peace, tired of war and more interested in expanding their population and society, the Union ceases attempts to push west and conquer more territory.
1798 Invention of the steam engine revolutionizes industry, travel, and society.
1823 Aided by steam boats, railroads, and better social organization, the first new nation west of the Big Black River, Misurah, is founded.
1829 Telegraph invented.
1831 The Fey Market Riots prompt the spread of the abolitionist movement. Many northern nations outlaw slavery.
1835-1858 Bleeding Misurah, the new nation undergoes a civil war over the issue of slavery.
1857 Isoian mercenaries commit some of the most vicious atrocities of Misurah Civil War during the Sack of New Cross.
1862 Spurred by the abolitionist movement, the Northern Nations introduce a bill into Parliament to abolish the importation of slaves throughout the Union. The southern MPs kill the bill.
1863 A bill is introduced to allow Misurah into the Union, as a free nation it would tip the balance in parliament in favor of the abolitionist movement.
1864 Iosia secedes from the Union, taking most of the southern nations with it; The Great War begins as the northern nations invade the south to reestablish the Union.
1865 War rages horribly across the East, Tejas succeeds from the Union and regains its independence. The Battle of Salt Greek sees the most bloodshed of the entire war.
1866 The Confederacy campaign to take Concordia fails after the battle of New Burgh.
1867 Reeling from the losses at Newburgh, the Confederacy army retreats south, fighting a losing rear guard action. The famed dwarf General Grant leads Union forces down the Big Black River. Tiefling Union General Sherman marches around Kan-tac-ee and proceeds to lay waste to much of the South
1868 In a last ditch effort, Confederacy wizards attempt to summon a horde of outsiders to destroy the Union army. Grant, Sherman, and the President of the Union (famous human wizard Abraham Lincoln) teleport into the ritual with a small handful of adventurers. They stop the ritual, but Lincoln is killed in the process.
1869 The Iosian Confederacy surrenders, investigations into the war reveal that cabals of dark cultists were backing the Confederacy; a general cultist hunt ensues and discovers cults worshipping dark gods throughout the Union and Confederacy.
1869-1874 Reconstruction of the South, the dragonborn in the Union are freed
1875 Hungry for land, sickened by war, seeking to escape troubles at home, or just filled with wanderlust, thousands of citizens of the Union head West in the hopes of a better life.
The Nylosian Union

Founded in 1203 in an attempt to end the constant warfare that was threatening to destroy the nations of the east, the Union has weathered wars and internal strife to stand today as the most powerful government in the New World. The Union is a patchwork federation of fifteen nations, each with its own traditions and culture. Each member nation is free to decide its local form of government and manage any internal affairs as it sees fit. The purpose of the Union is to provide an overarching government to attend to matters that effect the entirety of its members. Historically this has been limited to issues of trade, the common defense, and cross border crime. In the past century various movements have been trying to expand the power of the Federal Government to regulate issues that previously had been seen as purely internal to the member nations. Slavery is one such issue, but freedom of religion, a free press, and universal voting rights have been put forth.
Each member nation chooses two ministers of parliament (MPs) to represent it at the Parliament of Nations in Nylosia. The MPs debate various issues, set the taxes that each member nation has to pay (which largely fund the military and civil defense), and every four years elect a president to act as chief executive and commander in chief of the Union’s Army and Navy. The president also is the Union’s representative in negations with outside government, as well as mediates inter-member disputes.
Culturally, the Union is very diverse, with each nation having its own history and general outlook on life. The standard deities of Dungeons and Dragons are worshipped throughout the Union, but each nation holds a different set of deities to be of greater importance. The nature of worship also varies from nation to nation, for example, Arcadian tend towards more sedate and reserved services, whereas in Brunthia ceremony and ritual dominate the proceedings.
Following the Great War, the Union has shifted towards the right politically and culturally. More conservative dress and opinions are popular. Industry has begun to recover, and in the North actually saw a boost in fortunes due to the war. The idea that wealth is a measure of competence and fitness, the Gospel of Success, has spread amongst the wealthy and the nobility. The converse, that the impoverished workers who run the factories are somehow less able, goes without saying.
Most of the Union is of a temperate climate and was once covered by woodlands. Toady, only the most northern and western nations (aside form Kan-tac-ee) still boast any amount of natural landscape. The remainder have been heavily logged, mined, cultivated, and built upon. Bimini stand out as an exception, as the vast swamps and jungles of that nation have only barely been cleared or drained.
The Union can be divided into several geographic regions. The East Coast is the home to the oldest of the nations, and is the most densely settled. The first barrier meet when heading west from the Endless Sea are the Smoking Mountains, so named for the mists that seem to perpetually cling to their summits. Beyond the mountains lies a vast rolling set of hill country that spreads from the Dolphin Gulf north to the Great Inland Sea. These hills give way to the broad flat lands and river plains of the Big Black River and its tributaries along the eastern border of the Union. The Big Black River itself is over a mile wide and fans out to form a huge marshy estuary before disappearing into the Dolphin Gulf.

The Independent Nations
Two nations stand independent form the Union, Misurah and the Empire of Tejas. Both are interposition of claiming territory desired by their rivals, while at the same time hoping to avoid a war they fear they cannot win. Misurah claims all the land from the Big Black River west to the Crystal Rock Mountains, as does the western nations of the Union. The Empire of Tejas also lays claim to the same territory, and has for centuries (though they have been unable to take it from the native tribes).
Misurah is a very independent minded nation that values personal freedom above all else. The Misurah Civil War ended with the abolitionist faction dominant, a fact that greatly disturbs Tejas. Furthermore, Misurah has had better lurk bargaining with the native tribes than it rivals. The city of Gateway is the capital of Misurah and the main means through which people and goods pass between the West and the East. A rail line runs from Gateway west to the cow town of Abilin out on the open plains.
The Empire of Tejas was settled by a different group of refugees form the Eastern Empires, and for most of its history thought of itself as the sole survivors of that great culture. Being from a different part of the Old World, the language of Tejas is slightly different than that of the Union or Misurah, but still understandable (barely). Tejas has existed in a state of continual warfare with the native tribes, and is responsible for several being wiped out. This conflict has slowed the expansion of the Empire, as well as retarded its industrial growth. The steam engine and telegraph are new technologies in Tejas, and few rail lines or telegraph networks have been built.

The Tribes of the West
The tribes of the West are of a different nature than the elf tribes the people of the Union are used to. First of all, they are mostly non-elves, and some are even vaguely humanoid. Several of the tribes are noted for their savagery, but for the most part they are fairly peaceful. All spend at least part of their annual cycles living as nomads, even the mound city dwelling Mandak venture onto the plains to hunt bison every fall. The more nomadic ride horses or giant lizards, live in conical tents, and are rarely in one place for more than a few weeks. None of the tribes has a central authority; practice a lesser form of anarchy based around personal allegiance and tradition, and never developed metalworking or written language. Trade with these tribes can be profitable, especially as they are willing to give furs and meat in exchange for knives, pots, beads, and other simple manufactured goods. The native tribes have been especially clever in the use of metals goods they obtain, and refashion them into sophisticated items of greater utility.

The West
The region known as the West stretches for thousands of miles from the Big Black River east to the Crystal Rock Mountains, and from the Frozen lands south to the Dolphin Gulf. Most of the land is either arid or semi-arid, covered in broad grasslands, and home to an abundance of natural life. Several major rives cross the plains and provide most of the water for the region, as well as acting as sources of wood and transportation routes.
Massive herds of bison once roamed this land, but hunters from Tejas, the Union, and Misurah have decimated the herds for their meat, hooves, and hides. This has placed a great hardship on the native tribes, and is one of their primary justifications for war. In place of the buffalo, escaped cattle have formed large herds, especially in the southern plains. These cattle are being rounded up and driven north to Abilin in order for them to be shipped East to slaughterhouses. The cow trade is becoming a booming industry in Tejas and in Misurah.
Shortly before the war, adventurers discovered gold and silver in the Crystal Rock Mountains. This prompted a short lived gold rush, but the end of the war and the construction of armored steam boats on the Pecas River have brought hordes of treasure seekers to Calin. Officially Tejas owns the land and has authority over the town, but no attempts have been made to enforce this claim.
Lawlessness is rampant in the West, as the land is claimed Misurah, the Union, and the Empire of Tejas, as well as the native tribes, seems to be actually ruled by no one. The many canyons and tiny river valleys provide excellent hideouts, and banditry is common. Wild animals and strange beasts, as well as droughts, prairie fires, extreme weather, and tornadoes threaten settlers.

Nations of the World

Arcadia (Main, Vermont, Connecticut)
Ruler: Elect Adrosia
Government: Republic (single dictator)
Alignment: Good
Races: Dwarf, human, elf, eladrin
Economy: Timber, Fur Trade
Major Cities: Alberta
Favored Deities: Melora, Pelor
Notes: Although still a wild and rugged country, the people of Arcadia are some of the most well read and best educated of anyone in the Union. The long harsh winters may be to blame.

Beautiful Land (Ohio)
Ruler: Malthis XX
Government: Constitutional Monarchy
Alignment: Unaligned
Races: Human, dwarf
Economy: Industry, Agriculture
Major Cities: Tolma, Columbia
Favored Deities: Erathis, Moradin, Pelor
Notes: The Beautiful Land is also one of the most heavily industrialized nations in the Union. Her steel mills, coalfields, and factories have turned a once pristine natural wonder into a mass of pollution and machines.

Bimini* (Florida)
Ruler: None
Government: Anarchy
Alignment: Unaligned
Races: Human, Tiefling, Lizardfolk
Economy: Fishing, Agriculture
Major Cities: Ft. Anders, Tazkakil
Favored Deities: Pelor, Melora, Kord
Notes: Unlike the other slave states, Bimini used lizard folk instead of dragonborn as their slave stock. As a result, the turmoil and confusion of the Great War resulted in a widespread and savage lizardfolk uprising that has nearly wiped out any sense of order or law. This once tropical paradise now runs red with blood.

Brunthia* (Virginia and the Carolinas)
Ruler: Queen Kala IV
Government: Constitutional Monarchy (feudal)
Alignment: Good
Races: Human, Eladrin, Tiefling
Economy: Agriculture, Trade
Major Cities: Norwich, Camilard
Favored Deities: Corellon, Pelor
Notes: Once part of the rebellion, Brunthia has returned to its pastoral and feudal state. Its people have a strong sense of honor and a belief in the rightness of nobility. Brunthia is also one of the first nations of the east.

Empire of Tejas# (Texas, Indian Territory, Arkansas)
Ruler: Emperor Austin II
Government: Empire (feudal)
Alignment: Unaligned
Races: Human, Dwarf, Tiefling, Dragonborn, Elf, Minotaur
Economy: Agriculture, Fishing, Mining
Major Cities: Hastin, Galvestria
Favored Deities: Kord, Melora, Pelor
Notes: As ancient as the Thirteen Nations of the East, Tejas developed for centuries without contact with he Union. In 1405, adventurers from the Union wandered into Tejas, and the Empire responded violently. The long Tejan War ended with Tejas trading its independence for peace. At the start of the Great War, Tejas left the Union and struck out on its own. Although the only remaining slave holding nation, it is now illegal to import or purchase slaves, and all children born to slaves after 1865 are considered free.

Empiria (New York)
Ruler: Empress Alexa VI
Government: Constitutional Monarchy (parliamentarian)
Alignment: Good
Races: Human, Dwarf, Eladrin, Dragonborn
Economy: Trade, Industry
Major Cities: Empire City, Prosperia
Favored Deities: Avandra, Pelor, Erathis
Notes: One of the older nations of the East, Empiria also boasts the Union’s largest city, Empire City. Following the Great War, many dragonborn have migrated here to work in the nation’s busy factories.

Francopia* (Louisiana, Alabama, and Mississippi)
Ruler: Senate
Government: Republic (full adult enfranchisement)
Alignment: Unalgined
Races: Teifling, Human, Dragonborn
Economy: Trade, Fishing, Agriculture
Major Cities: Narlons
Favored Deities: The Raven Queen, Avandra, Sehanine
Notes: Founded by Brunthian and Peshtari adventurers, Francopia is a vibrant and exciting nation, despite its obsession with death and gentility. Its capital, Narlons, sits on an island at the mouth of the Big Black River.

Iosia* (Georgia)
Ruler: Emperor Konrad III
Government: Tyrannical Monarchy
Alignment: Unaligned
Races: Tiefling, Human
Economy: Agriculture
Major Cities: Alantala, Mason
Favored Deities: Erathis, Sehanine, Kord
Notes: Iosia lead the rebellion and was a lead proponent of slavery, now the nation is in deep turmoil as it tries to recover from the ravages of war and deal with the large numbers of now free dragonborn.

Kan-tak-ee (Kentucky and Tennessee)
Ruler: None
Government: Tribal anarchy
Alignment: Good
Races: Elf, Human
Economy: Fur Trade, Agriculture
Major Cities: none
Favored Deities: Corellon, Melora, Sehanine
Notes: Following the Elf Wars, the Peace of Nylosia granted the land between the borders of Brunthia, the Big Black River, the Halstat River, and the Beautiful River as a reservation and kingdom for the elves. Kan-tak-ee stayed neutral during the Great War, even going so far as to attack armies of both sides who dared to march across it. Its human population is small, and just as wild as the elves.

Lakeland (Michigan)
Ruler: Niola X
Government: Absolute Monarchy
Alignment: Unaligned
Races: Dwarf, human, elf
Economy: Fishing, trade, Industry, Agriculture
Major Cities: Bridgeton, Appletown
Favored Deities: Moradin, Melora, Avandra, Erathis
Notes: This nation is split between the pastoral countryside, and the more industrial cities and coast. The people are starting to ferment revolution against their Queen, who herself is busy trying to placate all the factions.

Livonia (Delaware)
Ruler: Archmaster Philos I
Government: Magocracy
Alignment: Unaligned
Races: Human, Eladrin
Economy: Trade, Magical Products, Fishing
Major Cities: Livon, Delmarva
Favored Deities: Ioun, Corellon
Notes: The smallest of the nations of the east, Livonia is powerful due to its arcane might. The preimier college of the study of the magical arts, Elmilis, is in the capital city of Livon.

Marcovia (New Jersey, New Hampshire)
Ruler: The Council of Twelve
Government: Oligarchy
Alignment: Unaligned
Races: Dwarf, Human
Economy: Trade, Illegal Markets, Fishing
Major Cities: Newurk, Shore Town
Favored Deities: Avandra, Ethris, Melora
Notes: A council of the twelve richest merchant houses in the nation rules Marcovia, one of the original Thirteen Nations of the East. Trade, rather legal or not, drives the economy and other aspects of Marcovian life.

Misurah# (Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska)
Ruler: none
Government: Absolute Democracy
Alignment: Unaligned
Races: Human, Dwarf, Dragonborn
Economy: Agriculture
Major Cities: Gateway
Favored Deities: Avandra, Melora, Kord
Notes: Shortly before the Great War, settlers in the region that today is Misurah experienced their own civil war over the issue of slavery. In the end, it was decided to put things to a vote, and the abolitionists won. In response, many slave owners fled the new nation (established in 1845) and many escaped slaves settled there. Today, Misurah is best known for its city Gateway and the Western Railroad that leads from it to the New Territories.

Monrovia (Indiana)
Ruler: Senate
Government: Republic (voters: all landholding males)
Alignment: Unaligned
Races: Human, Dwarf, Elf
Economy: Agriculture, Industry
Major Cities: Monroviapolis, Ft. Clark
Favored Deities: Erathis, Pelor
Notes: One of the newer nations, Monrovia was founded by adventurers from Brunthia. The nation is split between the agricultural south and the more industrialized central and northern portions. In the hilly regions of the southwestern corner of the nation feral elves still roam in small bands.

Nimonia (Massachusetts)
Ruler: Hierophant Monolos I
Government: Theocracy
Alignment: Lawful Good
Races: Human, Dwarf
Economy: Trade, Timber, Fishing
Major Cities: Hope, Providence
Favored Deities: Bahamut, Pelor, Moradin
Notes: One of the first nations of the East, Nimonia is best known for its rigid views on faith and morality. The nation was one of the key abolitionist nations prior to the Great War.

Peshtaria (Maryland and Pensylvania)
Ruler: King Gino IX
Government: Absolute Monarchy
Alignment: Unaligned
Races: Human, Dwarf
Economy: Trade, Fishing
Major Cities: Ravensburg, Baltampore
Favored Deities: The Raven Queen, Sehanine, Melora
Notes: One first nations of the east, Peshtaria sits at the base of the Great Crab Estuary. The people of this nation seem death obsessed, and are known to build some of the largest funerary monuments in the Union.

Zephyr (Illinois)
Ruler: Elected Assembly
Government: Democratic Republic
Alignment: Good
Races: Human, dwarf
Economy: Industry, Agriculture, Trade
Major Cities: Wind City, New Field, Efham
Favored Deities: Erathis, Moradin, Avandra
Notes: the second largest city in the Union, Wind City, is the capital of Zephyr. It is a mass of buildings, factories, and shipyards; as well as the end pint for most of the cattle from the West.

* Former Iosian Confederacy
# Independent Nation

The Native Tribes of the West

Amari
Race: Wilden
Lifestyle: Nomadic
Range: From the Crystal Rock Mountains east to the junction of the Kansa and Pecas Rivers.
Relations with Others: The Amari are at war with Tejas, but other than that they keep to themselves.
Notes: The Amari are a generally peaceful people who have been pushed too far by the expanding empire of Tejas.

Arapanak
Race: Minotaur
Lifestyle: Semi-nomadic horticulturalists
Range: The Crystal Rock Mountains and surrounding plains from the Kansa River south to the Pecas River.
Relations with Others: The Arapanak and the Kurgoth frequently conflict over land.
Notes: The Arapanak have had little contact with Easterners or with Tejanos.

Campeche
Race: Half-Orc
Lifestyle: Nomadic
Range: Divided into two groups, the northern roam from the Pecas River south to the Rio Lobo and from the Crystal Rock Mountains east as far as they care to. The southern group rides between the Rio Lobo and the Dolphin Sea to the south.
Relations with Others: The Campeche are violent towards outsiders and make a large part of their living off of raiding their neighbors. They particularly hate tejanos (or anyone who looks like a tejano).
Notes: The Campeche are feared throughout the southern plains.

Chultar
Race: Shifter
Lifestyle: Nomadic herdsmen
Range: South from the Lower Musselshell River to the Lower Pecas River, west from the Big Black River until they run into the Holani lands.
Relations with Others: The Chultar trade with the Mandak and with settlers from the Union, they are in constant conflict with the Holani and with Tejanos along the Pecas River.
Notes: Unique amongst the native tribes, the Chultar herd sheep and goats for a living. Their herds are large and the Chultar will defend them with their lives.

D’Kala
Race: Shifter
Lifestyle: Nomadic
Range: Bounded by the Red, Big Black, and Musselshell Rivers on three sides, to the northeast they border the Silnegh.
Relations with Others: The D’Kala and Silnegh are constant rivals. The D’Kala also raid Mandak villages and Mound Cities. As one of the native tribes who has had prolonged contact with the Easterners, the D’Kala have learned when to fight and when to talk, though they prefer to fight.
Notes: The D’Kala are a horse and riding lizard-using people, and have a fondness for beef.

Hexotl
Race: Gnoll
Lifestyle: Unknown
Range: Throughout the Great Empty Desert
Relations with Others: Rare
Notes: Little is known about these reclusive natives, aside from old wives’ tales and second hand stories. They seem to live in a land that no other can even travel through, much less make a home in.

Holani
Race: Orc
Lifestyle: Nomadic
Range: The lower Musselshell River south to the Pecas River, the Kansa River east to the Big Black River.
Relations with Others: The Holani are bad neighbors and routinely raid the Mandak, Chultar, Jas, and settlers along the Big Black and Pecas Rivers.
Notes: The Holani ride horses and hate those who ride lizards.

Jas
Race: Goblin
Lifestyle: Nomadic
Range: From Two Rivers Valley southeast to the Holani lands.
Relations with Others: The Jas feud with the Holani and the Silnegh
Notes: The terrors of the Northern Plains, the Jas raid everyone they meet, though they do avoid the Devil Hills and the Lakotan.

Kurgoth
Race: Goliath
Lifestyle: Semi-nomadic horticulturalists
Range: The Crystal Rock Mountains from the Pecas River south to the Rio Lobo.
Relations with Others: The Arapanak and the Kurgoth frequently conflict over land.
Notes: The Kurgoth have gone to war to drive gold seekers from their land and destroy the boom town of Calin.

Lakotan
Race: Elf
Lifestyle: Nomadic
Range: The Devil Hills
Relations with Others: The Lakotan will warn off and then attack any outsiders who dare to set foot in their lands.
Notes: Mysterious and elusive, the Jas seem to be everywhere and nowhere within their territory.
Mandak
Race: Half-Orc
Lifestyle: Horticulturalist
Range: The lower Musselshell River
Relations with Others: The Mandak are constantly at war with the D’Kala and Holani. They have peaceful relations with the sheep-herding Chultar and with settlers from the Union and Tejas, provided the settlers don’t cause any problems.
Notes: The Mandak are town and city dwellers. Their cities are built around a central earthen mound from which their kings can survey their domain.

Silnegh
Race: Elf
Lifestyle: Nomadic
Range: The Red River southeast to the Musselshell River, northwest into the Frozen Lands, southwest into D’Kala territory
Relations with Others: The Silnegh do not get along well with the D’kala or the Jas. They routinely raid settlers along the red River and those following Roger’s Spur of the Goodnight-Loving trail.
Notes: The Silnegh are horse bound nomads who hunt the vast herds of the Upper Plains. They are not fond of outsiders and have been known to attack first and ask questions later.

Gaming New Year’s Resolutions

2010-01-04T06:30:00.001-08:00

Most people make New Year’s resolutions, and most people don’t live up to them. In addition to exercising, eating healthier, and making a larger profit freelancing. I have decided to make some gaming related resolutions:

I will play a character build I have never tried before. Since I will be playing in a Pathfinder campaign soon, I am looking at the D&D core races and classes I have never tried. That means a gnome/ halfling/ half-orc sorcerer of some kind.

I will stick to a campaign or character for longer than three months. Of late, I have changed campaigns I am running or characters too frequently. It is a bad habit, and one that reduces the enjoyment of everyone at the table.

I will use the map boards and counters I have purchased. Recently I have dumped almost all of my miniatures collection, they were a weight around my neck as they usually did not get painted or used. Counters are meant to replace them, and I will get off my butt and make them.

I pledge to always roll fairly and openly as a GM, never again to cheat in the party’s favor or to make a better story.

Character Background #6

2009-12-30T07:41:00.001-08:00

Mumīt

Quote: “Death is the only reward for threatening Alīm, if you do not step back, I will bestow riches upon you.”

Description: You are larger than a human; even the largest gladiator does not reach your height. Your scales are a dull yellow streaked with grey and black, and to show your civilized nature you daily burnish them with oil and sand until they nearly glow. As a D’Kala you have a reptilian body complete with clawed toes, a thick tail, long snout, and a mouth full of sharp teeth. Your eyes are small and red, and have an extra eyelid allowing you to cover them to keep out sand. Likewise you nostrils can close airtight, allowing you to hold your breath in sandstorms or under water.
Lacking any external genitals, you have no need for modesty, but do wear a bleached white loin cloth for the comfort of the humans you deal with. That and a weapon harness are your only clothes, as you need no protection from the sun and heat. Besides this, you own a fine scimitar and a round leather shield called an adaba. Other possession are meaningless to you, though when away from the caravan you do carry a gourd of water and some dried meat.

Story
Like all D’Kala your first sight after breaking through the shell of your egg was a human. Your race is one that they say once ruled all the Madras River Valley, and most of the land that is now the Caliphate. You know not if that is true, all you know is that when a D’Kala is born, he must love the first being he sees. In your case it was the young scholar Alīm ibn Bārí. You love him in a way that no human could understand, for he is your father, brother, and friend. Although just a small creature when you were born, you have spent every waking moment by his side, and you sleep near him as well. It is he who fed you, helped train you, played with you, and taught you many things. It is right that you should serve him; it is the way of your people and a driving force in your soul. By law you are not a slave, but also not a citizen, as only humans can be citizens in the Caliphate. This is not right, as you know that your heart is more pure and your soul more free than any scum dwelling freeman. As well, you know that by tradition you may leave your bound master’s service at any time. The mere thought of being separated from him fills your heart with dread, so this is one thing you would never do. When it comes to protecting Alīm, there is nothing you wouldn’t do.
Your training is as a warrior in order for you to better guard your bound master. A bound D’Kala warrior is an expensive and near priceless thing for a human to have, and you have had the best training that money could buy. Since you bound master is a scholar and apt to expound at length on a variety of topics, you have also had some formal academic education. This places you above most other D’Kala who are only good for fighting. Additionally, your bound master knows your value and does not pester you with the petty things that so many brave D’Kala warriors are forced to do. It is your hope that one day you will be chosen to stud a new generation, and that one of these may serve your master and his hatchlings.
After three years preparing to travel south of the Great Erg, you are at last on your way to Tibuk in Far Shonga, also, Alīm has packed more than enough supplies and tools to collect specimens and explore anything he comes across. You have fought many strange beasts and savage tribesman at your bound master’s side, and know that he is competent in battle, though somewhat clumsy.
The caravan you are traveling in is one owned by Alīm’s father’s trading house, and thus one you do not have to worry much about. It has been twelve long and boring days on the back of a camel crossing the sands of the Great Erg, and you still have at least thirty days ahead before you reach the first oasis at Mem-Kabur. As you prepared to mount your camel for another day of watching the endless sands, a scout ran into camp announcing that he has spotted something in the sands, a city uncovered by last night’s sandstorm. No doubt Alīm will want to risk exploring these ruins. You had best keep your scimitar handy.

About the Setting:
The Caliphate is a vast empire stretching from the Great Escarpment in the north to the Great Erg in the south. It is the center of trade for the continent of Alateff. The empire is rules by a hereditary monarch, currently Kahfir XI, of the house of Amara. The climate is warm with cool nights and little rain. Social structure is based around class, and the various classes (slave, freedman, freeman, noble) are forbidden to marry. Most citizens are human, though the D’Kala (lizardmen) and Sha’ir (Halflings) are often found in their own quarters of the cities. Outside the cities, the terrain ranges from tropical savanna in the north to arid plains and hills in the south. Tribes of nomads wander these areas, most notably the Hatari (wild elves).
Magic is rare and usually used for evil, thus most people fear any who use it. That said, most nobles employ a wizard or two for various purposes. People are also wary of any non-humans, especially hatari. Magic rarely can be bought or sold, but alchemy is very common, for the right price.

Character Background #5

2009-12-30T07:40:00.002-08:00

Kassar the Hatari

Qoute: “I don’t know who did this, but I know who would and could.”

Description:
Short and slight of build, your lack of facial hair, fine features, and pointed ears make you stand out in a crowd. You have very dark olive skin, black eyes, and blond hair. You dress as any other citizen, wearing cotton undergarments and a light cotton bishat (cloak).

Story:
You are not really an elf, but are the closest most will ever get to seeing a real elf. Your mother was the daughter of a goat herd in the eastern hills. One day she surprised a hatari raiding party, and was captured. Although a captive, she was treated very well, and eventually fell in love with one of the raiders, a love that seemed to be returned. After traveling with them for a year, she was dropped off back with her goatherd and left behind. You are the result of that dalliance, and have no idea where your real father is, save that his name is Kelvanirv.
Shamed by her capture and subsequent pregnancy, your mother fled the simple rural village she grew up in to seek anonymity in Buhtan, the capital city. Working as a washer woman (and occasional prostitute) for the wealthy, she eked out a meager existence for you and the brood of illegitimate half-siblings she produced. You grew up on the streets, learning the ways of the city and its dark underbelly. As the years lengthened for everyone else, you seemed to never age, and eventually saw your mother buried and your siblings grown with families of their own.
You have turned your hard earned knowledge of the streets to good use, becoming a finder of lost things and a fixer of problems. People of all sorts come to you, and pay you, to solve their problems. This is a life you greatly enjoy, one that allows you to move from the gleaming halls of the nobility to the dankest brothel in the slums. In these adventures, you have worked with many people, but especially the huge Malik Sudani and the foppish Faoud ibn Samir. Last night Faoud came to you with a problem of his own, and a great weight of despair pressing down his usually vibrant soul. His latest infatuation has been kidnapped, and he has no idea where to find her. You, Malik, and Faoud went out to have a few drinks and formulate a plan. That was several hours, and much wine ago, and now you stumble back to Malik’s apartment to sober up and search for the missing girl.
The fame gained from helping destroy the Cult of Tsagotha has been very bad for business. Yes, more clients flock to your door hoping you can solve their problems, yet you are recognized wherever you go. With Jumba’s recent victory over the Thieves’ and Slayer’s guilds, Buhtan has become too hot for you. Since Malik and faoud have decided to join a caravan heading south across the Great Erg, you have chosen to accompany them across the sands…

Contacts:
The Thieves’ Guild
Royal City Watchmen, the dreaded Scarlet Lions
The Beggar’s guild, they’re everywhere and see everything

About the Setting:
The Caliphate is a vast empire stretching from the Great Escarpment in the north to the Great Erg in the south. It is the center of trade for the continent of Alateff. The empire is rules by a hereditary monarch, currently Kahfir XI, of the house of Amara. The climate is warm with cool nights and little rain. Social structure is based around class, and the various classes (slave, freedman, freeman, noble) are forbidden to marry. Most citizens are human, though the D’Kala (lizardmen) and Sha’ir (Halflings) are often found in their own quarters of the cities. Outside the cities, the terrain ranges from tropical savanna in the north to arid plains and hills in the south. Tribes of nomads wander these areas, most notably the Hatari (wild elves).
Magic is rare and usually used for evil, thus most people fear any who use it. That said, most nobles employ a wizard or two for various purposes. People are also wary of any non-humans, especially hatari. Magic rarely can be bought or sold, but alchemy is very common, for the right price.

Character Background #4

2009-12-30T07:40:00.001-08:00

Alīm ibn Bārí

Quote: “Now that is interesting, if I lean over this ledge, I may get a better view.”

Description: You are a slender man in his early thirties, somewhat bookish but still weathered by years spent traveling. Like most citizens of the Caliphate, you have olive skin and dark eyes. For comfort in the heat you shave your head and face, and dress in a loose white cotton dishdasha (long robe-shirt) over silk undergarments. In the desert you wear a cotton shimagh (head scarf) and sandals. At your side is your trusty kopesh, a sword you found in an ancient pre-conquest tomb, as well as a notebook and writing set.

Story:
Shabu University in Buhtan is the greatest center of learning in the world. Here knowledge from all corners of the globe is brought, cataloged, and analyzed. Most of the scholars there are bookish types who spend their days reading ancient text beneath oil lamps or debating the meaning of this find or that with their fellows. A few have even been known to teach a class or two. You are not one of these, though you have spent your time amongst the thousands of books and scrolls in the library. Instead you prefer to spend your life searching for new discoveries, cataloging new finds, and exploring the barbarous lands beyond the Caliphate.
Your family is an important one, but not of the nobility, and as such considered little different in status than any other freemen. Of course the wealth your father and brothers have accumulated through trade (and the many foreign contacts) has benefited you greatly. It is this wealth that enabled them to send you to the University, and it’s those contacts that first thrilled your heart with thoughts of the exotic and foreign. You grew up in a household where tales of far off lands, strange peoples, and bizarre events were commonplace. At every opportunity you slipped away to the Caravan Square to marvel at the weird and exciting things brought there. Seeing your interest, and knowing that your five elder brothers would divide the family business amongst themselves, your father provided the best education one not of noble birth could have, and in many ways far better.
After three years in the lands north of the Great Erg, you are at last journeying to the ancient libraries of Tibuk in Far Shonga. With you are two camel loads of casks, boxes, and other items to be used in collecting and preserving specimens. Also, you have a load of excavation tools and a sextant for surveying. Accompanying you, as always, is the gift your father bestowed upon you when you graduated from the University, a bound D’Kala warrior named Mumīt. At great expense your father paid a D’Kala breeder for the right to have you present at the hatching, and thus your bodyguard first opened his eyes and saw your face, thus imprinting him on you. You two have been together for five years, and in that time he has grown from the size of a two year old human to larger than a full grown man. A friendship has also grown, as you find his mind alien, yet fascinating, and his loyalty unquestionable.
The caravan you are traveling in is one owned by your father’s trading house, and thus one you do not have to pay for out of your travel funds. It has been twelve long and boring days on the back of a camel crossing the sands of the Great Erg, and you still have at least thirty days ahead before you reach the first oasis at Mem-Kabur. As you prepared to mount your camel for another day of watching the endless sands, a scout ran into camp announcing that he has spotted something in the sands, a city uncovered by last night’s sandstorm. Perhaps you can convince some fellow travelers to go with you and inspect i
About the Setting
The Caliphate is a vast empire stretching from the Great Escarpment in the north to the Great Erg in the south. It is the center of trade for the continent of Alateff. The empire is rules by a hereditary monarch, currently Kahfir XI, of the house of Amara. The climate is warm with cool nights and little rain. Social structure is based around class, and the various classes (slave, freedman, freeman, noble) are forbidden to marry. Most citizens are human, though the D’Kala (lizardmen) and Sha’ir (Halflings) are often found in their own quarters of the cities. Outside the cities, the terrain ranges from tropical savanna in the north to arid plains and hills in the south. Tribes of nomads wander these areas, most notably the Hatari (wild elves).
Magic is rare and usually used for evil, thus most people fear any who use it. That said, most nobles employ a wizard or two for various purposes. People are also wary of any non-humans, especially hatari. Magic rarely can be bought or sold, but alchemy is very common, for the right price.

Character Background #3

2009-12-30T07:39:00.000-08:00

Faoud ibn Samir

Qoute: “Why should we fight, when we can drink, gamble, and whore?”

Description:
You are of moderate build, rather handsome, and present a fine figure. Your hair is black, oiled and curly, your eyes are blue, and your sport a finely groomed mustache and goatee. You dress in the best possible, given your situation, wearing silk underclothes, bisht (cloak), and a very fancy keffiyeh (hand scarf).

Story:
You were born a freeman, though one of very low status. Your mother was a dancer in an acting troupe in the capital city of Buhtan, and your father could be anyone. Growing up in the Actors Quarter, you learned how to sing, dance, and play the oud at an early age. Seeking a better life, you also learned how to read, write, and speak as a gentleman. After your mother died, you wandered the Caliphate seeking fame and fortune before returning to the city of your birth. Your skills and silver tongue helped you find a place performing for nobility and even for the Caliph himself in the palace. Sadly, your penchant for romantic intrigue (and especially young, wealthy women) has landed you in trouble many times. One of the people you often adventure with, and a good friend as well, is Malik Sudani, a big barbarian and former gladiator turned freelance thief and hired muscle. Another good friend is the bounty hunter Kassar the Elf, though his non-humanness is a bit upsetting.
Recently you have been pursuing the young and beautiful daughter of Emir Tariq of Ghaloum. The radiant Mirriam had nearly succumbed to your charms when your tryst was revealed and you lost your place at court. Forced to scrape to survive, you now live in a rat infested apartment in the filthy Backwaters area. Yesterday afternoon you were to meet sweet Mirriam in the Gardens of Bashir. You showed up early to make sure things were safe, but shortly before she was to arrive, you heard her scream out, followed by sounds of a struggle. You ran to were you heard her, only to find no Mirriam and only a dropped handkerchief bearing her initials. Reeling with despair, you sought out your friends Malik Sudani and Kassar the Elf. You are returning to Malik’s apartment after drinking long into the night at The Sign of the Happy Manticore.
After rescuing the beautiful (as well as young and rich) Mirriam from the clutches of the Cult of Tsagotha, you have found your situation unchanged. She, who was your love, is now under the protection of the Caliph and resides in his harem. Her father, the Emir, rewarded you greatly with a golden cup filled with Lions, plus a ruby ring made of twisted platinum wire. Sadly, you have spent the coin on drink and women (to forget your lost love, of course) and hawked the cup to make rent. Seeking better fortunes, and hoping to avoid Jumba’s assassins, you have decided to accompany Malik across the sands…

Contacts:
Siraj ibn Nuri, gatekeeper at the palace and old friend
The Yellow Dove acting troupe
Mahdi of the Single Eye, a reclusive and fearsome wizard

About the Setting:
The Caliphate is a vast empire stretching from the Great Escarpment in the north to the Great Erg in the south. It is the center of trade for the continent of Alateff. The empire is rules by a hereditary monarch, currently Kahfir XI, of the house of Amara. The climate is warm with cool nights and little rain. Social structure is based around class, and the various classes (slave, freedman, freeman, noble) are forbidden to marry. Most citizens are human, though the D’Kala (lizardmen) and Sha’ir (Halflings) are often found in their own quarters of the cities. Outside the cities, the terrain ranges from tropical savanna in the north to arid plains and hills in the south. Tribes of nomads wander these areas, most notably the Hatari (wild elves).
Magic is rare and usually used for evil, thus most people fear any who use it. That said, most nobles employ a wizard or two for various purposes. People are also wary of any non-humans, especially hatari. Magic rarely can be bought or sold, but alchemy is very common, for the right price.

Character Background #2

2009-12-30T07:38:00.000-08:00

Abduhādi Mem- Kabur

Quote: “We will find water over this next dune, if the gods will it.”

Description: You are a tall, wiry man in his early twenties, with grey-black skin, blue eyes and very fine features. Your hair is wavy and black and you keep it cropped short for comfort. There is no doubt that like most of the Sha’ir you have some elven blood. As befits a man of the Sha’ir you wear a long blue cotton shesh (robe) over white cotton pants and shirt. Like all Sha’ir men, you wrap a long cloth called an alasho around your head, throat, and face. It is considered bad luck to reveal one’s face to strangers, and thus you are covered by a veil-like edge of the alasho most of the time. A consummate warrior as well as a guide, you carry a scimitar, ajaba dagger, buckler, and compound bow where ever you go. Always accompanying you is your horse Baqu,.

Story: You were born amongst the Mem-Kabur tribe of the Sha’ir, a desert people who roam the lands from the Caliphate to Far Shonga. Your family is one that has for generations guided caravans across the Great Erg, and as soon as you were old enough you began accompanying your father on the long ride south from the Oasis of Mem-Kabur and back. The ways of the shifting sands and open wastes are well known to you, and you feel more at home in the deep deserts than in the oasis with your mother, sisters, daughters, and three wives. Sometimes it is so good to be away.
The Mem-Kabur tribe owns the oasis named after them as well as the rights to use the western route across the Great Erg (and also all the lesser oases and waterholes along it). This brings great wealth to the tribe, as all caravans crossing the sands must use either your tribe’s route or that of your rivals, the Mem-Habib. It is your duty to not only guide caravans, but to keep the route free of bandits and other dangers. Also, you are to drive off any and all interlopers who seek to poach the route from your tribe, especially those rogues the Mem-Habib.
Like many Sha’ir you have turned away from the old religion and follow that of the Prophet of the gods, Ibrahim. The Prophet teaches that all gods are one, and that it is the duty of all life to worship and obey them. As such, you do not fall prey to the petty superstitions of the city folk, but instead adhere to a pure way of fasting, prayer, and charity.
You have been hired as a guide for a caravan out of the capital, Buhtan, that is heading to Far Shonga carrying a load of glass, wine, olive oil, and other goods of the city. The caravan is owned by the ibn Bārí family, a wealthy merchant house that has dealt with your tribe for generations. You have been in the saddle for twelve days and are making good time. This morning you were saying your morning prayers when a scout rode into camp to report that a city was uncovered in the sands near the western route. Since it is only a few hours journey to the next water hole and the caravan is well guarded, perhaps this city needs to be checked out.

About the Setting:
The Caliphate is a vast empire stretching from the Great Escarpment in the north to the Great Erg in the south. It is the center of trade for the continent of Alateff. The empire is rules by a hereditary monarch, currently Kahfir XI, of the house of Amara. The climate is warm with cool nights and little rain. Social structure is based around class, and the various classes (slave, freedman, freeman, noble) are forbidden to marry. Most citizens are human, though the D’Kala (lizardmen) and Sha’ir (Halflings) are often found in their own quarters of the cities. Outside the cities, the terrain ranges from tropical savanna in the north to arid plains and hills in the south. Tribes of nomads wander these areas, most notably the Hatari (wild elves).
Magic is rare and usually used for evil, thus most people fear any who use it. That said, most nobles employ a wizard or two for various purposes. People are also wary of any non-humans, especially hatari. Magic rarely can be bought or sold, but alchemy is very common, for the right price.

A Character Background

2009-12-15T05:51:00.000-08:00

Malik Sudani

Description:
You are a large man, with a broad chest and thick arms covered in scars. Your skin is black, almost blue in its darkness, and you have black eyes. Your head is shaven, and across your brow are the four branded stars that signify you are a warrior of your tribe. In dress, you prefer to wear a light silk sirwal (pants), sandals, a hippopotamus leather baldric, and a silk sash, in the evenings you throw on a heavy wool bisht (cloak) against the cold. Whenever possible, you leave your massive chest exposed to frighten and intimidate.

Story:

You were born amongst the Dembe people from the land across the Great Erg. Shortly after you became a man, your village was raided by slavers and you were captured. Many died on the march across the burning sands of the Great Erg, and you are now the last of your village. Sold into the arena, you fought as a gladiator for ten years before winning your freedom.
Today you work as hired muscle, sometimes a body guard, sometimes a thug. Over the past few years you have been involved in several misadventures with other freelance individuals such as yourself, sometimes even defying the Black Hand to carry out freelance burglaries. One of the people you often work with, and a good friend as well, is Faoud ibn Samir, a jack of all trades and foppish dandy. He may be irritating, but he is loyal and good in a fight, plus he has picked up some useful tricks.
Although lost forever from your homeland, you maintain many of the beliefs of your tribe. Very superstitious, you fear and distrust magic, even the minor tricks that Faoud performs. You don’t worship any gods other than the ancestor orisha of your people. But also do not anger any gods either.
Last night Faoud came to your apartment very distressed, it seems that whichever courtly lady he was trying to seduce has disappeared, and he has no idea what happened to her. You both stayed up late into the night at the Sign of the Happy Manticore, and are now returning to your apartment to sleep it off. Hopefully your woman, a free woman named Leena, won’t be too angry.
After the incident of the Cult of Tsagotha, you have found yourself out of work, your woman has left you and is now under protection in the palace, and you have spent most of your savings rescuing her. After helping Hiram root out the cultists in his household, you discovered that Jumba survived the gang war and came out as the leading underworld figure in Buhtan. With Jumba’s assassins closing in, you have decided to heed the call of your homeland, a call that will lead you across the sands…

Contacts:
Hiram ibn Abubakkar, your former owner. You don’t bear him any ill will, and he may aid you if he can.
The Slayer’s Guild, you have worked for them in the past as extra muscle
The Thieves’ Guild, you have worked for them in the past as extra muscle
Abdul-Bari ibn Umar, owner of The Prancing Ape
Jumba, a former gladiator and now underworld figure

About the Setting:
The Caliphate is a vast empire stretching from the Great Escarpment in the north to the Great Erg in the south. It is the center of trade for the continent of Alateff. The empire is rules by a hereditary monarch, currently Kahfir XI, of the house of Amara. The climate is warm with cool nights and little rain. Social structure is based around class, and the various classes (slave, freedman, freeman, noble) are forbidden to marry. Most citizens are human, though the D’Kala (lizardmen) and Sha’ir (Halflings) are often found in their own quarters of the cities. Outside the cities, the terrain ranges from tropical savanna in the north to arid plains and hills in the south. Tribes of nomads wander these areas, most notably the Hatari (wild elves).
Magic is rare and usually used for evil, thus most people fear any who use it. That said, most nobles employ a wizard or two for various purposes. People are also wary of any non-humans, especially hatari. Magic rarely can be bought or sold, but alchemy is very common, for the right price.

Poetry in Gaming

2009-12-11T07:05:00.000-08:00

There should be more poetry in roleplaying, and not just from the party's bard. Looking back over the years, I can think of only one campaign I was in that regularly featured poetry of any kind. Back in 1999, I ran a Legends of the Five Rings campaign. I awarded extra experience points for various out of game and in game actions. You could earn bonus xp for bringing Asian food to the game, showing up early to watch chanbara movies, wearing appropriate costume (we had a lot of ex-martial artists with a gi or two), or writing a haiku from your character's perspective. There was a lot of haiku (and egg rolls) and some of it was pretty good.
Going beyond that, I have been pondering the role of prose in game books. Every one I have come across explains the system and setting in prose, some of it narrative, some of it very dry and technical. Why not try verse instead? Imagine a game system entirely laid out in verse, and thus open to wild interpretation. This would not be for everybody, especially rules lawyers and strict simulationists. However, it would present a very interesting take on the standard in game design, knowing that the readers (and thus the players) of a game will be free to take things in wild new directions.

I'll leave you with a little gaming haiku:

The moment of fate
Let the dice fall as they may
Natural twenty plea

A Look at Twenty-Five Years of Gaming

2009-12-10T05:58:00.000-08:00

This past October marked twenty-five years of roleplaying for me. It all started in a small town in Maryland where a nine year old Ken Spencer found no friends and a lot of free time. Saving up my allowance, I purchased the red boxed set of Dungeons and Dragons at a kay-be toy store. Little did I know that it would change my life forever.
That I got into gaming was not mere happenstance, but fate. My father was an avid Avalon Hill boardgamer and occasional miniature wargamer, I had several cousins who played D&D, and unbeknownst to me at the time my sister was also a roleplayer. Both my parents were (and still are) voracious readers and very imaginative people. Naturally I would gravitate to a hobby that played off these factors.
Opening that big red box, coloring the numbers on the dice, and flipping through the pages opened a whole new world (or worlds) to me. From gaming I learned how to write, to tell a story, to see the world through another’s eyes. Critical thinking and decision making skills were taught without me even knowing it, plus lots of lessons about math and probability. I am told by those in athletics that sports teach important lessons about teamwork and integrity. Well, so does taking down an ancient red dragon, saving the princess, stopping the alien hordes, and all those things we gamers do vicariously on a regular basis.
My gaming has evolved since those first nights sitting alone at the kitchen table and wandering through every solo adventure I could find. When I look back at all the games I have played, it is a road map of this hobby and industry. D&D, AD&D, the White Wolf revolution, BRP, Call of Cthulhu, GRUPS, MERP, Star Frontiers, Gamma World, Boothill, Pendragon, Star Trek, Star Wars, d6, d20, d100, 7th Sea, L5R, and I could name a hundred more.
Now that hobby has become a career (and a paying one at that), and to think my folks thought it was a passing fad. Best of all, I have made lifelong friends with those I met around the gaming table; one even introduced me to my wife. So here’s a big thank you to all those I shared some dice and bad pizza with (in no particular order): Ted Snider (the Godfather), Jeff Gilbert (and our newest player, Kelly), Bill and Briony Yocum, Dan and Peter Carlin (my first follower), Jeff Luzadas (teach your kids to play), Ralph, Ashley D’Cruz, Marco Silva, Dave Joiner, Tad and Suzanne Wesley, Jeremy Hedge, Jordan Criss, Kyle Hopkins, Eric Decker, Snapp (no hard feelings), Kent, Mullis, Twitch (may you be rolling dice in the afterlife), Lori Tankersly, Krisit Kinnamen, Autumn Knicely, Ben, Kevin Mulloy (wherever you are), Ty and Nick Brewer, Tod Pultz, Big Mark, Art, Cody Wilkenson, Puerto Rico Jim, Dave Seneff, Mondo, Chris Fitzpatrick, Carlos Fernandez (did my order come in?), Tim Hume, Anjie Hillman Richhart, Andy Wilson, Jack Stutzman, Hawk, Keldon Salyer, Crazy Ivan, Amy, Dawn (Big Sis) Spencer, Kari and Chris DeWitt (first of first cousins), and allo the others who have passed through our imaginations.

Man, Its Windy Today

2009-12-09T07:34:00.000-08:00

I mean super windy, things are blowing around, the trees are a' dancin'. Which leads me to think, why does weather seem to play a back seat in rolepalying? Despite the hordes of weather tables or the climate sections of campaign guides, weather often only appears when it is dramatically important. It is as if our adventurers wander through days of eternal sunshine and summer, only to be tipped off that bad things are coming when the clouds roll in. I propose we all work weather into our next game. If you are a GM, make some reference to today's forecast, or at least give them something besides a warm cheery day. If you are a player, bring up the weather, ask the GM if it looks like rain, comment on fine a day it is, or just keep pestering your GM by making weather sense rolls.