Posting Schedule

As the college semester is about to begin, I've come to the realization that I am unable to continue posting almost everyday. I have decided to commence a routine posting schedule of Tuesdays and Saturdays. Thanks for reading!

Merry Christmas; Happy Holidays

Unfortunately, I will be away on vacation until the 29th of December and unable to continue my normal posting schedule. If I have the opportunity to make a random post here or there, I will, but apologies in the case I am not. Thank you to all readers. Merry Christmas and happy holidays, everyone!

Erallian Campaign; Session 4

All agreed that the morning had come too soon, and the early preparation only further soured their moods. Dressed and fed, they proceeded into the breaking dawn. All immediately drew their weapons as the sight of a ferocious wolf filled their vision. Arlina began spewing incantations before a leather clad female figure rushed into the fray, shouted at the party to cease their aggression, and whispered softly to the growling beast. It quieted down before licking its master’s face.

“What in the name of all…” Arlina began to speak, but the ranger cut her short.

“I am Lilly, of Perod Heights. I arrived yesterday and, upon speaking to the mayor, have been informed of your task. Surely you could use the talents of a skilled master of the wilds, yes?” Azreck couldn’t hold back a smile and Lunara nodded immediately. Arlina, clearly, was not thrilled, but understood the advantages involved. It was Zyrallus, though, who spoke.

“Of course. I assume that this is your companion?” He gestured toward the panting wolf and received a gentle nod. “Very well… your name?”

“Lilly.”

Azreck spoke up then, “An Orthrasix, eh? I did not know your kind still left Perod.” Lilly looked up at the towering paladin and the briefest glint of hatred sparkled behind her eyes. She quickly hid the glare before responding.

“We leave when we desire to, Gallahulk. I was unaware your kind knew anything but torment. Worshipping that despicable Tiamat as your queen… you disgust me.”

Azreck only laughed. “Learn your facts before you accuse, child. I worship her simply for the power it bestows. It was not my choice to be created in this vile form, but I have lived a tiresome life attempting to atone for that mistake. Have you ever seen a Gallahulk who willingly strays from Tiamat’s teachings? They lose their knowledge of the divine… I will not risk that.” Lilly looked at first to continue the argument, but brushed the topic away.

“Let us move out. The forest is filled with vile creatures, and I hear that we must first find a portal to enter the Venathan Tower. This mayor seems odd, but at the very least somewhat trustworthy.” At that, they gathered together and headed into the nearby forest.

The ground was damp from a shower which must have occurred sometime during the night. The trees swayed in the gentle breeze, and all was peaceful in a way that none of the party was used to. Breaking the silence was a lone voice, muffled by the walls of a slowly approaching house. Through the window, Zyrallus noticed two shadowy silhouettes. It was daylight now, but there were no candles lit within the abode. The rogue crept up to the window and waited for the sounds to move away. Just at the moment he detected their distraction, Zyrallus peered inside and took count of the interior. He crept back as silently as he had arrived. “Five of them. Two ranged. And there is indeed a small altar of some kind inside. But how could they know of our arrival, or even use the portal… unless…”

Lunara understood immediately, “Unless their leader is a Fallen. It is the only way. Very well, we know of their numbers. How do we use that to our advantage?” The party discussed quietly and decided that Zyrallus would spy until the enemies were distracted and then alert the party to break through the front door. The rogue checked for locks, found none, and moved to his position. All was quiet… and then he gave the word.

Clearly, the human guards were not expecting an ambush. Before they even had a chance to react, Lilly’s ferocious wolf took one of the crossbowman out and Zyrallus stealthily backstabbed a warrior into oblivion. As the enemies looked to regain composure, though, the party executed perfectly and got in another flurry of attacks. All that remained after the second assault were two lowly warriors, one already bleeding profusely. They charged valiantly and ganged up on Arlina. Amazingly, both of them delivered vital blows and knocked the bard out cold. She lay, writhing and bleeding on the wooden floor. Azreck rushed to her aid as Lunara finished off the weaker enemy. Zyrallus dealt with the other.

“You’re going to be fine, Arlina. Just hold on.” The grizzled Gallahulk prayed for mercy as his patient slipped one step closer to demise. Again, he attempted to save her, and finally she moved back to the conscious world. The enormous paladin sighed in relief as a gentle hand fell on his shoulder. He looked up to see Lilly smiling. He returned it and asked for her help in lifting the bruised bard to her feet.

“Thank you, Azreck. Truly.” He nodded as Lunara made her way to the altar. With a kind of melancholy dance she activated the ancient device, grinning widely as the brilliant light shone forth from the portal. It seemed to yawn, as if awakened from the deepest slumber. Lunara turned.

“Are you fit to leave, Arlina?” The bard nodded, and before any of them could argue in her stead, she jumped onto the shining tiles and vanished. Shrugging, the rest of them followed. The journey was afoot, indeed.

Top 10 Video Game Villains; # 6 Sephiroth

True evil knows no bounds. Betrayed, misguided and filled with merciless rage, Sephiroth remains one of the most terrifying villains in all of gaming history. Some will assuredly disagree with his placement on the list, but the grading process contains more variables than popularity alone. Either way, none can dispute his awesome reign as one of the most twisted characters ever created. The fear is so palpable not because of its magnitude, but because it emanates from a human being so believable in his wrath that not even the bravest dare to stand before him. A true devil, indeed.

Martial Power; A D&D Review

I love rogues. I don’t have a particularly good explanation for my infatuation with the role playing class, but if forced to state something I would probably mention a little about style. In my book, there’s nothing quite as satisfying as clandestinely sneaking through the shadows before delivering a devastating blow to your enemy. It’s tricky, backhanded, and a little dirty… and a great deal of fun. Therefore, upon seeing a copy of Martial Power just beckoning to be purchased, I sucked up my reservations and hoped for some new and innovative additions to the martial 4th edition source. Again, how could I not buy it? A coupling of rogue love and the brilliance of the Divine Power supplement simply begged for the purchase. Was it worth it? Let’s see.

Let me begin as I did before, with a general overview of the classes and their added features, powers, and paragon paths. One thing that will be immediately noticed is the addition of new keywords which offer interesting bonus affects to certain powers. For example, rogues acquire fair use of the “rattling” keyword, which makes it more difficult for enemies to succeed in attack rolls for a short time. There are many others spread across the four martial classes (fighter, ranger, rogue, warlord), and some of which seem to be rather helpful. What really shines through, at least for me, is the new “pet” system for rangers. By relinquishing a certain core class feature, rangers are now able to train and fight alongside a beast companion. The options are varied and opportunities for customization, at least of physical appearance, are rather high. In addition, fighters gain a two weapon fighting style which, I assume, many had been hoping for prior to Martial Power’s release. Unfortunately, rogues and warlords definitely acquire the blunt end of the supplement stick. Still, their paragon paths, in addition to the other two classes, are for the most part powerful and desirable. What of extra options, though?

Martial Power’s extras begin with an extensive list of new feats. Most of them are based upon class and race combinations and offer benefits accordingly. What seems to be missing, though, is the groundbreaking bonus section that I so fondly recall from Divine Power. I cannot possibly express the usefulness of the Divine Power deity domain section which allows for custom and evil gods to possess divine channeling powers. Brilliant. Martial Power, alas, holds no such wonderment within its walls. After feats are epic destinies, and after epic destinies lies the index. A shame, certainly, but all is not lost. Two of the epic destinies, at the very least, appear to be so useful they nudge closely to the core Demigod destiny.

And there you have it. Although Martial Power doesn’t necessarily reach the value of Divine Power, it does manage to accomplish three goals reasonably well. First, it has expanded the ranger into a completely fresh and exciting aspect of beast mastery. Second, the paragon and epic destinies are useful and desirable. Third, and perhaps most importantly, every single class can find something useful here. Whether fighter, ranger, rogue or warlord, this supplement offers something of merit. Here, WotC has succeeded once again. If you have a martial character, especially a fighter or ranger, go out and buy this book right away. Even rogues, like myself, or warlords will benefit greatly from the added destinies and feats. A great buy.

Top 10 Video Game Villains; # 7 Bowser

Don’t mess with an overweight turtle possessing the capability to shoot fire. It’s standard advice, as far as any true Nintendo player is concerned. Bowser can hide his intentions under the guise of world domination or dictatorial rule, but none can deny that his truest goal is the capture of a certain princess. Look at his domain! He’s got a giant castle in almost every world, and a plethora of minions to do his bidding. Easily a shoe-in for number seven.

Rolling for Heroics; D&D Ability Score Rolling

I cannot recall a single Dungeons and Dragons session or campaign that took place with point-buy ability scores during my five years of play. Why is that? There certainly stands no power benefit to rolling scores, as most of the time they end up decidedly lower compared to similar point-buy characters. In spite of the mathematical evidence, there’s something naturally ‘right’ about randomly generated characters.

For one, they feel like real people. Not everyone is as talented as the next, and even heroes possess different degrees of epic quality. I recall a campaign a while back where the group’s rogue had no modifiers higher than plus one, and somehow, through teamwork and the desire for success, we managed to reach level eighteen before finally calling quits on the escapade. The reason we lasted so long wasn’t because the story was particularly enthralling (in point of fact, I remember it to have been terrible aside from the character driven elements), nor because we succeeded so brilliantly at every arc of the campaign (we failed quite a bit), but because every single character in that adventuring party felt ‘right’.

I understand that it’s a tricky notion, this naturally pleasing feeling of rightness, but unless you’ve experienced it I find it rather difficult to explain. That rogue, though marginally useless, was vital to the game. He’d concocted a rather inspiring back story explaining his shortcomings and innate failings, but supplemented that with a lifelong goal urging him to drive forth in spite of his weaknesses. The rest of us, ranging from one lucky fool who rolled a cumulative plus thirteen modifier to your average cumulative plus seven, enjoyed the added challenge of aiding the rogue in achieving his life’s meaning.

Finally, at level eighteen, we met up with the man who’d belittled the rogue through his childhood, had gone so far as to murder his entire family simply out of blind hatred. Defeating him was one of my greatest role playing moments; watching our rogue companion offer mercy and letting the man go free was perhaps the greatest. Few things compare to the image of that disheveled, beaten villain shambling off into the distance with nothing left to live for.

Now, I’m not saying this enjoyable role playing would have been impossible without rolling for ability scores. What I ‘am’ saying, though, is that random ability scores allow for a more natural, human element for a role playing experience. If you’ve never used this method, it’s outlined below (in a generic form). If you have, what’s your take on the rolling vs. point-buy ability score debate?

Rolling for ability scores: Take 4d6 and roll them. Drop the lowest result and add the remaining three. Mark this score down on a piece of paper. Do this until six results are acquired. Then, place your final results into your ability table as desired. (Another method, which an old DM simply lived for, was rolling 3d6 for each stat. Then the player would roll another 2d6. The highest result of the 2d6 was subtracted from the character’s worst stat, and the lowest result was added to a stat of the character’s choice. I remember we had one character with a strength of twenty two from this method, but an intelligence of three… good times role playing with that one, I assure you.)

(Image used via stock.xchng under license found here.)

Divine Power; A D&D Review

As seems to be a common factor in my reviews, I’m terribly behind on purchasing 4th edition supplements. Recently, in realizing that three of the players in my current campaign were of the divine power source, I understood that it was time at last to purchase a source supplement. Divine Power supplies players with numerous additional class options and powers, a brilliant section on channel divinity abilities, new feats, and a few extra rituals. Still, the book comes at a thirty dollar price tag, and the question may arise as to whether it’s worth the buy in relation to content provided.

The added powers and class builds are intriguing, to say the very least. Most are equal in power and utility compared to the core rules, but the true shining beacon lies with the paladin advancements. Let’s be fair now… core paladins were grossly underpowered, in my opinion, compared to the rest of the class spectrum. Now, at last, they can rise to the occasion with a plethora of newly imagined abilities, many of which offering the newly popular trade system of increased damage or effects for some other negative. (For example, an extra die or two of output damage in trade for the PC taking a certain amount of minor damage.) Included as well are a staggering amount of new paragon paths tailored for each class, some of which being rather impressive. Clearly, players purchasing Divine Power in the hopes of acquiring new abilities for their favorite classes will be most pleased, but what of the rest of the book?

Here, I was not only surprised, but also uplifted. Finally, WotC offers players a smallish compendium of truly worthwhile information. What if you’re a DM who has created your own pantheon of gods? What if your players are of an evil origin and are worshipping similar deities? Before Divine Power, you would be at a loss for deity specific channel divinity abilities, but no more. Now, DM’s have both a list of new channel divinity powers related to certain god’s domains of rule (such as winter or war) and a preset list offering the domains of the evil and chaotic evil deities. Truly, truly useful. In addition, there are a plethora of new feats (a few of which seem rather useless, but that’s a minor complaint) and about ten rituals. All of those plus new epic destinies, and one can pretty much understand the quality of this supplemental material.

Before I gush any more, I feel obliged to remind all readers that this is the first and only source supplement that I own. I don’t know if Martial, Arcane or Primal Power will offer as much or as innovative utilities as Divine, but that should be far and away from the point at hand. If you have a divinely powered hero and are looking to truly understand and augment her abilities, this book is for you. If you are a DM with a homebrew pantheon or an evil oriented campaign, you will benefit greatly from this supplement. It should be obvious by now, but I was in no way prepared for the amount of useful additions present here. If this one applies to you or your character, do yourself a favor and pick it up right away.

D&D Homebrew; Erallian Pantheon

The Erallian Pantheon is, to be frank, rather spacious. In the beginning, only the most powerful gods dared to stake their claim to the swirling nothingness of the ocean mire, and, once the land became settled and dominated by The Four, no other deities dared intrude. Still, there are a few inhabitants of the Erallian mainland who achieved their place through migration, and many of these outsiders stake their claim to one of three Under Gods or the plethora of deities from other lands. Because of this, the Erallian campaign setting remains confined in both landmass and supernatural leaders, but the few who do preside are not to be trifled with.

The Four

Bahamut

Bahamut, upon noticing the opportunity for a new and lawful domain, staked his claim to two areas. The one began as a secluded, mountainous island; the other a snow ridden proving ground for his bravest followers. Unfortunately, as the years passed and the wars forsook the lands, his sacred retreat was completely obliterated. Ironically, the area made to be his land of fame and victory instead morphed into the only safe haven for northern war deserters. He now presides in the fourth quadrant of the Am’Or astral plain, waiting and watching for the time to save his greatest creations… or destroy them.

Tiamat

If one would compare Bahamut to the king of Erallia, Tiamat must be considered the most aggressive party vying for the throne. Her villainy in Erallia began as it ended; the destruction of many and a hasty retreat. To her delight, the other gods trusted her in the beginning of all. A mistake, she hopes, they will soon regret. Her realm, in Am’Or quadrant two, is a fiery hell of unmentionable destruction. None would dare approach her. As a kind of taunt, perhaps, she created an accessible portal on the northern Erallian isle. Exactly eight have entered the place. Exactly eight are suffering eternal damnation for their ignorance.

Lolth

The spider queen has given up her previous struggle for Erallian supremacy. Her vision of a new and powerful underdark was, unfortunately, shattered after the Second War. In escaping, without her knowledge, she left a gateway to her realm in the third quadrant of the Am’Or. It is a vile and dangerous place, only accessible through her premature underdark on Erallia’s southeast isle. She knows not of Erallia’s goings on. Rather ironic when one considers she is open to invasion… at least, if the enemy can overcome her darkest minions in the process.

Vecna

The true lich king cares not for Erallia. He despises the elves that forsook his name, he loathes the gods who stole his glory, and he desires the entire Erallian world to crumble into nothingness. He thinks about it sometimes, basks in the realization that at any time he could begin his third crusade against the good and hopeful of Erallia. The southwestern city of Dothram houses the only portal to his Am’Or realm, that of quadrant one. Both Dothram and the first quadrant are home to the most vile and despicable of undead creatures. Vecna dares all to challenge him. Their deaths, if hideous enough, give him minor satisfaction.

The Under Gods

Ultara

Her presence in Erallia was as sudden as any. One second she was unknown, the next she walked the earth in search of true pride and peace. Though she cares not for the role of politics or violence, she has in secret aligned herself with the great lord Bahamut. Her mastery of the seasons and thunderous refrain must be challenged if any desire meeting with her lawful master. As an interesting aside, the people of the northwestern isle are the only to worship her… the same isle which was chosen and created by Bahamut to be his ultimate gauntlet.

Zinshe

A dual wielding katana warrior is horrifying enough. Imagine one taller than the skies themselves, wielding eight mighty weapons of sharpest quality, and burning in the northern sect. Zinshe approached Tiamat. She told him that challenging her would lead to certain doom, and, in seeing his obvious talents, convinced him to guard her supremacy. None can champion Tiamat without first destroying her most prized warrior.

Silsannan

If Lolth is the spider queen, Silsannan is the spider princess. Don’t ever call her that, of course, lest you desire to lose your head and be sucked dry. She guards the premature remains of Lolth’s Erallian underdark, skittering around the caverns in search of food and sustenance. You may be able to challenge Lolth without facing Silsannan, but don’t expect to miss her on the way out. Lolth is directly tied to her veritable princess, and will resurrect in true form if Silsannan is not first defeated.

And there you have it. Vecna has no under god, for the bronze lich serves as adequate protection. My players usually enjoy the tiered battle system (though in 4e the gods can be difficult enough on their own) and sometimes opt to simply destroy the under god associated with the true god they hope to defeat. Warm ups like Ultara, especially, often resemble the true battle in epic challenge and reward.

Top 10 Video Game Villains; # 8 Ganon

Beast or human form, they don’t come much meaner than this. Ganon paints his ambitions in different lights, but his usual, truest goal remains the same: complete domination of Hyrule and the beyond. Once again, his motives ring of the trite, and there are other characters that play the whole “take over the world” card a little better, but I can in no way downplay his evident popularity. I wouldn’t get in his way… certainly not.

4e D&D Homebrew; Fallen Race

The Fallen, obviously, are in no way unique to RPGs or fantasy settings. The very idea of accursed angelic beings ranges from religious texts to pulp literature. Still, I've always loved the idea, and tried my hardest to make Erallia's Fallen at least somewhat interesting. I don't know if I succeeded, but I offer it to you either way.

The Fallen

Racial Traits
Average Height: 6’3” – 7’2”
Average Weight: 200lb – 290lb
Ability Scores: +2 Intelligence, +2 Wisdom
Size: Medium
Speed: 6 Squares
Vision: Low-light
Languages: Common, Abyssal
Skill Bonuses: +2 History, +2 Insight
Eternal dichotomy: You resist fire and radiant
Damage Equal to 5 + ½ your level
Immortal lineage: Your revoked angelic
Status makes you immortal in relation to
Effects concerning creature origin.
Sadistic: Any time a Fallen rolls a natural
20, she gains +1 to first attack roll next turn.
Flames of the Abyss: You can use the
Flames Of the Abyss encounter power.

Flames of the Abyss – Encounter
You utilize your damnation as fuel for extra damage.
Minor Action Personal
On the next damaging attack of your turn, add fire or necrotic damage equal to 1d6 + your intelligence or wisdom modifier. (The modifier is chosen at creation and never changes. The element of the attack, though, is chosen on each attack to fit the situation at hand.) At level 21 the damage die increases to 3d6 + intelligence or wisdom modifier.

HISTORY

The fallen were once the consultants and guiders of the gods themselves, before the Lodarian Uprising of lore. Historians still debate the exact reason the high angels rebelled against their masters, but there is no reason to argue about the outcome of the struggle. Angels fell like meteors from the highest of all places, crashing into the depths of the underbelly to crawl a new and meaningless path. They succumbed to the torture and pain of that Hell, and only after five hundred years were they allowed to be free once again… but on the mortal grounds of Ellaria. They search, as many do, for a task worthy of their immortal powers.

PLAY A FALLEN IF YOU WANT…

--- A glorious past tainted by unceremonious torment.
--- To value victory over the gods.
--- A race which favors the Avenger, cleric, invoker, and wizard classes.

PLAYING A FALLEN

Fallen are naturally sarcastic and often dour. They do not enjoy conversation unless it serves a direct purpose. Mention anything about the gods, if you dare. A fallen will never miss an opportunity to curse them. The newer generation of fallen, though, have lost some of the animosity towards the gods, and some go so far as to study divine powers. This is, of course, in secret.

4e D&D; Rituals

Rituals could have been a very enjoyable aspect of 4th edition D&D. In fact, I think they could have been one of the ‘best’, had they been implemented in a functional and valuable manner. Alas, their presence remains an unfortunate red headed stepchild, one whose presence in the room is simply tolerated. Where did WotC go wrong? Could their idea have even worked under different circumstances? Let’s discuss.

As far as I can ascertain, the two major problems associated with the ritual process are the price of components and the inherent availability of ritual casting. Each and every DM runs their game somewhat differently than the next. I tend to be a little on the cheap side with doling out rewards while others pile them on at every possible turn. The negatives arise when one realizes that ritual casting bridges entirely from the amount of coin available to the players. Need to cast the knock ritual? If your DM has run you through the game on a decidedly cheap reward system, you might well be out of luck. Can an issue like this be fixed by the DM simply altering his treasure mechanics? Assuredly. But what if he doesn’t want to/doesn’t feel like it would be realistic to? WotC’s decision to base such a wide array of utility abilities solely on the basis of currency seems a little odd to me.

The other difficulty revolves around a comparison between 3.5 and 4th edition. In 3.5, wizards were the kings and queens of utility spells very similar, and in many cases identical, to the 4th edition ritual compendium. It was, to be frank, their ‘thing’, and they were highly valued for it. In 4th edition, anyone with the proper skill training and a feat or two to invest can acquire the ability to cast rituals. Here you may hold up your hand in protest. “So what? The wizards and other casters get it for free and everyone else has to pay with a feat. That’s definitely a trade.” I would agree. In purest form, it is also an issue of the 4th edition balancing act, or ‘anything you can do I can do almost as well’. But that remains the problem. Wizards ‘need’ something to call their own, something arcane and magical that no one else can manifest… that is, in essence, the nature of being a wizard (or cleric/invoker etc.). Why, I wonder, couldn’t WotC have created certain rituals, slightly augmented in power or utility, which were available only to certain classes? Unfortunately, I know the answer already: balance.

I think that sums it up quite well. The reason that rituals are so poorly implemented lies with WotC’s most debated design technique, and in spite of everything, I’m mostly a fan of it. I enjoy having my players all able to contribute something useful during the play session. I only hope that the designers are able to institute a feasible method for making rituals truly epic. As it stands now, my players almost never use them, and it really is a shame.

Erallian Campaign; Session 3

‘This place never ceases to amaze me.’ Zyrallus looked down the streets of the decrepit town of Martanya and saw, as he expected, absolutely nothing of merit. The citizens were clearly holing up in their hovels and the Royal Dwelling, assuredly garrisoning the only well fed inhabitants of Martanya, stood like a decorative palace in the distance. ‘Like a flower in the dankest swamp.’ His mind began to wonder concerning the town’s economy, about whether or not the tiniest charity from that beacon of wealth would turn the tide of this slowly dying blemish on the Erallian mainland. ‘Leave that for the thinkers, boy… Stick to the sword and treasure. That’s always been your place.’

“Okay, we’re here now. As far as I’m concerned this is as far as we travel together, but let’s hurry to the precious mayor and inform him of our little rendezvous before I make a rather glorious exit.” Arlina bowed in mock respect, nodded toward the veritable palace, and began walking again. Azreck nudged Zyrallus, looked down at the Dothrama, and smiled widely.

“She’s a rather pleasant sort, eh?” Zyrallus smiled back before proceeding. For a moment, and he knew it would only last that single instant, there was peace in his mind and heart. A gentle wind made its way through the crumbling buildings of a disheveled town, and he quite literally felt his heart rise at the feeling of it. It was, as he has predicted, almost instantly eradicated.

“Let me in! You have no busin-,”

“I have all the business I need, cur! You there! Do you know this rebellious swine?” Zyrallus saw that the royal guards were arguing with Arlina, and would have sided with them did he not need entrance. Unfortunately…

“Yes, good sir. She is a travelling companion. We are here on urgent business from Morrowshire to speak with mayor Aubreigh. If you please?” The guard looked the rogue up, then down, and then reluctantly let him pass. Lunara shot Zyrallus an approving glance, and the four walked up the marble steps before entering the meeting chamber.

It was magnificent. Stonework and masonry like none had seen, chandeliers in triplet hanging their crystal charms form the gold embossed rafters… this was the true height of royalty. At least ten plate armored guards stood in perfect unison along the crimson carpet leading to a surprisingly unpleasant man. ‘All of this for a mayor? The damn king might not have treatment like this!’ Lordacious Aubreigh sipped slowly from his wine chalice. He noticed them, but did not acknowledge.

“Good sir. We bring news of an unfortunate occurrence from the surrounding woods.” Azreck’s voice shattered the air like stained glass, and the figurative shards seemed to cut the mayor deeply. Lordacious stared at the giant without fear. He simply nodded. “Kobolds, sir. We defeated their leader after they captured us… somehow.” And then, the mayor’s stoicism wavered.

“You were kidnapped by kobolds you say? And their leader is dead? These cages, were they assembled in a small clearing?” Zyrallus nodded assent. “They are a band, you see. These kobolds once worked for a true bane to our land. A bane I thought long gone. Perhaps you can be of use, after all.”

Arlina looked entirely upset at the notion of some other quest with her three counterparts, but Lunara instantly brightened at the idea.

“Anything, lord Aubreigh. State your wish.” The winged woman bowed before him. Clearly, he enjoyed the attention.

“My daughter, you see… she was taken from me nearly a year past. By kobolds, as you say. I sent a search party to find her, and I was informed that they came upon a clearing with empty cages. They found this.” He brought a worn and blood stained royal crest from under his robes. “It was hers. I fear that she is dead, and no sign of the kobolds was found. I know that ‘he’ employed them.”

“Stop with the vague references! Who are you babbling about?” The bard, clearly, had little respect for royalty, and with it little fear for punishment.

“His name is Azanna Nightfall. I do not speak it unless I must, you insolent fool… But I know these kobolds were in his employ, and I know that he desired my daughter for reasons both political and… well, I dare not think upon it. Please. To the east there is a ruined house, and inside of it an ancient portal. There are many in the area, all leading to the Venerathan Tower. I know that’s where she was taken.”

Zyrallus held up his hand. “If you know all of this, why don’t you send a few of your best men? Clearly these guards are a tougher match than the lot of us, no?”

“Assuredly, young rogue. But you have something which I do not, something that is vital to the use of these portals. Venerathan Tower, in its prime, was a mental institution of sorts, and there was but one race chosen as worthy enough to administrate such a vital citadel.” Lunara nodded, clearly understanding. “Yes, my dear. The Fallen were entrusted with opening these divine portals, and only a Fallen possesses the knowledge to reinstate their utility. Please… I will likely never meet another Fallen, let alone one so seemingly willing to offer aid.”

Lunara’s answer was already known. Azreck nodded, and Zyrallus followed his lead. Arlina shook her head in complete disgust. “You know, Arlina, I’ve never heard of a bard as morally retched as you. Aren’t you supposed to represent charisma?” She stared daggers into the rogue’s eyes.

“You lose everything, and I mean ‘everything’ you hold dear… then we’ll talk about personality.” She held the stare a moment longer before turning to Lordacious. “Rewards, I assume?”

Azreck chuckled. “The bard acts like the rogue should… what a wonderful world.” Aubreigh smiled in spite of the mood.

“Of course, dear. Many, indeed. Simply bring back anything to signify that she was taken there… proof of her life… or death. Now go, please. The trek is long, and arduous at best.” With that, three of them bowed and four of them departed. Outside, Arlina immediately opened a rebuttal. The three other growled their disapproval, but they were greeted by nothing but a raised voice.

“I have no qualms with doing this, but I say we leave tomorrow. No sense passing up an opportunity to get some sleep.”

It was decided, and so it would be.

Top 10 Video Game Villains; # 9 Lavos

Ah, Lavos. Aliens in gaming have become rather cliché, and ones that simply exist to manifest the destruction of entire planets for their personal betterment don’t necessarily help with the matter, but there’s just something about Lavos that remains unique. I think it comes down to his motives (stealing and employing earthly DNA to manufacture an array of equally horrifying offspring) and his general disregard for life… and the fact that he’s probably seventy million years old. Overall, just an amazingly terrifying RPG villain.

General RPG; Dice

I… Love… Dice. The randomness, the shapes, and even the colors. Something about them is just so cool, so naturally dorky yet equally inviting, that I fell in love with them the second I found out they existed. When I was a kid I’d take three random dice from the set and make my own game from them, crafting the rules and the theme depending upon the dice I’d chosen. I guess it doesn’t hurt that they play such a vital role in one of my favorite game types of all time; that of the pencil and paper RPG. And I guess that’s the real point of this post. This blog, as intended, is about RPGs. In my book, you can’t have a true RPG blog without dice, and I figured since I just got a few new ones I’d put some of my favorites on the interwebs. Hope you enjoy, and thanks for reading!

Player's Handbook 2; A D&D Review

Supplemental materials for pen and paper games have always functioned the same way as patches do for pay to play electronic RPGs; they add content and attempt to fix previous ‘bugs’ in the rules or gameplay. Unlike some, I was entirely thrilled upon reading through and playing with the three core rulebook set of 4th Edition Dungeons and Dragons. I knew that more would come in the form of extra races, classes and builds, and I was rather excited to start deciphering the direction that WotC (Wizards of the Coast) would take their new incarnation of the popular gaming franchise. It goes without saying, then, that as soon as the PHB2 (Player’s Handbook 2) hit shelves, I was one of the first to get my hands on it.

Now, I understand I’m a tad late. The second handbook has been out, if my calculations serve me, almost eight months. Still, I feel the need to write a small review concerning my feelings towards the supplemental rulebook, if only because I intend to review items later which will undoubtedly build off it.

Let us set the mood, yes? To say that I was excited about finding out the new class capabilities would be a gross understatement. Barbarians and druids? Here. Divinely driven avengers? Here. I enjoyed the core classes, but I always felt that even in their basic differences they represented a bigger picture that was homogenous. Upon reading through the second Player’s Handbook, I found myself sitting between pleasure and disappointment.

On one hand, I think WotC got a lot of stuff right. They kept the basic class delineations, (Striker, Controller etc.) and morphed them into a kind of multirole system. For example, an Avenger is a striker at heart, but depending upon your build choice he can lean very heavily towards a secondary controller. It is true that they attempted to utilize this in the first handbook, but I would argue that it wasn’t implemented as thoroughly or satisfactorily as the PHB2. Another definite plus was simply the addition of new classes and races. People had clamored that gnomes, aasimar, barbarians and bards were absent from the PHB, and WotC saw the marketing benefits to including them in the PHB2. On a final note of positive reflection, I enjoy the addition of errata to the back of most core supplemental books from Wotc. It’s always nice to have the current set of rules.

On the other hand, a few negative aspects crept their way into the final product. First, and I still think this can be listed as either a positive or negative, remains the sense of sameness between the classes. In my mind, WotC took a wonderful step forward in remedying this possible problem. The PHB2 offers players varied classes with definite differences between them. For example, a druid and invoker are both prime controller characters, but where the invoker plays like a lightning fueled commander, the druid tends to lean more towards situational leadership as she switches between beast and human form. I’m not saying that it’s a perfect system quite yet, but it’s always nice to see WotC administer some definite steps in the right direction. The only other negative is lack of a truly ‘fixed’ multiclass system. Frankly, the originally presented one was completely terrible. I’ve yet to DM a campaign with players who ever make use of it, and why would they? It basically amounts to wasting a feat that could be spent elsewhere for greater reward. I’ve heard that the PHB3 will have a new ‘hybrid’ system of multiclassing, but for now I’m not even holding my breath.

I guess in the end, if you are enjoying 4th edition and its style, go ahead and pick up the PHB2. It’s chock-full of interesting and useful additions to your D&D library, and the errata section in the back basically reconfigures the entire stealth system. The book won’t make you like 4th edition if you already hate it, but it might make you love it if you already like it. For me and others enjoying the 4e style, this one’s a definite buy.

Top 10 Video Game Villains; # 10 SHODAN

What can I say? Mechanized demon computers bent on destruction hold a very special place in my heart. Shodan, of System Shock 1 and 2, is no exception. Anyone who has played the second installment will remember the moment where she reveals her true form to the player… and will subsequently have the nightmares return. The protagonist is forced to fight against her devious motives, all the while suffering constant belittlement from a wavering, glitch ridden voice with a god complex... Good luck with that.

(Image used from Looking Glass Technologies and Irrational Games under Creative Commons Attribution ShareAlike 3.0 License. More information here.)

Erallian Campaign; Session 2

Arlina pushed ahead towards the dipping sun. The other three companions were grouped together, speaking in near silent voices, and falling desperately behind. “Hurry up! We don’t have time to waste!” The cloaked bard continued shouting at them without once turning around, and, to her increasing frustration, they refrained from answering.

“So, Lunara… You say that you were once in the astral sea? I can’t believe it, but to look at you… Well, to look at you there is no doubt.” Zyrallus again took into account the burned wings and attempted to picture the giant woman in angelic fashion. He failed miserably. ‘There’s nothing left in her of that life. Maybe she prefers it that way.’ Azreck was far too busy admiring the sky to take into account anything the two were saying. He did, though, try his best to stay in line with them in order to foster some sort of companionship.

“Help! Help!” The three redirected their gaze towards Arlina and saw that a group of kobolds had her surrounded. They rushed in and began to draw their weapons, but the bard held up her hand. They continued their pace.

“Wux. Yth tir ti tuor ekess svent wux.” To all involved, the fact that the kobold was attempting communication was a great shock, at the very least. Unfortunately, Zyrallus knew little to none of draconic. It seemed that this would be another situation resolved solely through bloodshed. The rogue began to ready his rapier, but a clay fist moved him gently aside. Azreck stared into the eyes of the little monster before speaking, “Gethrisj. Yth jatil thric lowan. Ergriff wux maekrix nishka loreat.” And at that, like a kind of magic, the proud kobold warrior sniffed, sheathed his weapon, and herded his troops away. Everyone stared at the paladin, mouths proverbially dropped.

“I have lived a long life. I have learned much. Let us proceed.” For them, for now, that would have to be enough explanation. The sun was completely gone, and soon the true evils of the forest would present themselves. Kobolds and spiders and wolves were one thing. ‘Ogres and Basilisk are something else entirely,’ Zyrallus thought to himself. ‘Besides. Martanya is just across this valley. Or at least it should be.’

As the long trek continued, Lunara wondered momentarily back to a life she did not quite remember, and wished, against her own pride, that she could recall the glories of it. Serving Bahamut had been the greatest experience of her near thousand year life, but it seemed that even after a half century of fiery punishment for her misdeed, the true glories of her past would be forever forbidden. “Smoke. There, in the distance.” She pointed to a clearing, just barely visible in the moonlight. Two kobold underlings were slobbering over some kind of slaughtered game, and another, much larger kobold sat near a small campfire.

Zyrallus crept closer through the trees, took into account the details he could acquire, and returned to the party. “Definitely the leader of this small tribe. The only problem is that he’s blocking the pass to Martanya. I know that I could sneak by, but I have less faith in the rest of you succeeding. And to travel around at this time of night… No. We must fight.” All agreed that the best plan was, indeed, violence. They took their positions.

Azreck charged from the trees at the crossbow wielding kobold and knocked the little humanoid straight to the ground. The leader shouted some kind of arcane warcry before rushing to the giant paladin and hacking away at his legs. Zyrallus, hidden by the commotion, made his move. He leapt from the shadows and delivered such a powerful blow that the minor kobold warrior was immediately eliminated. Soon after, all that remained was the disgruntled warchief.

“Ragh! Thric kilith! Ergriff lowan!” Azreck, clearly understanding the kobold’s taunt, nodded before striking the beast down. The party sat in the camp and rested. Martanya was just a small walk to the north now. ‘Martanya… the rotting waste of southern Erallia. Heh. Rotting or not, I’ll be glad to get some peace and comfort.’ After a few hours, they gathered their resolve and ventured forth once again.

Upcoming Series; Top 10 Video Game Villains

Though this blog definitely has a more D&D driven attitude, I intend to have constant lists such as this on frequent update. I intend to release the placement, one at a time, over the course of a month. Hope you enjoy!

D&D Homebrew; Erallia Campaign Setting

I know a lot of people who look down upon DM’s building their own worlds in the D&D universe. I get the sentiment: why create something new when there is a plethora of enjoyable content already waiting to be traversed? The answer seems to come down to the fact that I simply love taking bits and pieces from various sources and watching them coalesce into a newborn, and often only slightly recognizable, offspring. From this I lead to my current campaign in the world of Erallia. It takes D&D deities, mashes them up, mixes their original intents… pretty much everything a straightforward Dungeons and Dragons lore-junkie would not only frown upon, but also aim to destroy. Either way, and without further wasted space, I present to you the preliminary history of my D&D world; Erallia.

In the Beginning

Erallia began as all things begin; a swirling mass of nothingness viewed as a golden frontier for the gods. At the start, so the prophets say, there was none but the churning ocean. Tiamat viewed this world and envisioned a mass of fire forged legionnaires marching in anarchy. Bahamut saw a shining hope of a new capital for law and divine order. Vecna imagined an undead realm for he and his craving minions. Lolth understood the importance of creating another chain of under caverns for her thirst driven, blackened minions. And so the battle began… and ended almost as abruptly. For once in the history of mankind the gods agreed to share their vestige of hope and torment.

Tiamat forged a northern continent of fire and doom. In her trickery, though, she also created a portal to the Gods’ realm so she could always traverse between the mortal and immortal to wreak her unspeakable havoc when the time came. Bahamut Made a small and unimposing island to the east for his clan of worshippers and a larger, frozen tundra to the northwest for any brave enough to travel there. Lolth fashioned a dry and arid desert continent in the southeast where cavernous tunnels of infinite length traversed beneath the sand. Finally, Vecna created a set of islands in the southwest where there could be carnage and bloodshed for all to see. And in the center… there would be a massive land of not but earth, forest, and mountains. They knew that one day their peoples would search for greater things.

The Great Collapse

But all was not to be, unfortunately. The people did come, did flock in masses to the newly discovered world. Dwarves and humans and elves and all kinds came and prospered. But when, after a thousand years of living by themselves, the time came to spread out… they met in relative harmony. The central continent was founded and capitalized, and all but a rare few stayed in their original places. The gods had lost their footholds. They would have to fight for that middle land and regain the place of all high god of Erallia.

But how was it to be done? The peoples of the world answered that question for themselves. The first civil war of Erallia broke out twelve hundred years after its divine creation. The northern sect, made up of humans and dwarves, battled against the southern sect, comprised of elves and demon spawn. Some left to found their own destinies, some left to save themselves, but most remained and fought for the better half of a century. When the dust cleared, the north stood victorious. In an act of fury they banished the demons completely from the continent and allowed the elves to remain, with diminished rights. Vecna, Lolth and Tiamat, who had sided with the elves and demons, were surmounted nearly completely by the great lord Bahamut. Without worshippers, what power does a god have?

But bahamut was either too weak or too virtuous to strike his opposition down. He allowed time to work itself through, and, of course, the three downtrodden gods amassed armies to reinvent their image in the hearts and minds of the Erallian races. And so began the true chaos…

World at War

All were split by the gods. Dwarves who followed Bahamut battled fiercely against those who devoted themselves to Tiamat, Human followers of Vecna’s dark Hand struck down their brethren of the Lolthian Darkness, and all was awash with chaos. Again, the world was near to breaking. As it ended, much was lost. Bahamut’s eastern enclave was destroyed, later to be rebuilt by the Sel’Salan who worship him so highly, Lolth was mortally wounded and forced to retreat to the under caverns, Vecna’s elven chosen forgot their master and forsook the gods, and Tiamat decided that now was not, after all, the correct time to plot her conquest. And so the world moved on, waiting for the gods to make their next move.

To this day, though, that has not yet happened. And whispers abound that perhaps the Gods have finally forsaken their erstwhile creation. Perhaps, indeed, Erallia is without hope. Without divinity. Without any semblance of righteousness or law.

4e D&D Homebrew; Dothraman Race

Ah… the Dothrama. I was perusing some old books and wondered whether or not I really needed to add another elf based race to my campaign. Clearly, 4th edition has enough of that already. But maybe it wouldn’t hurt, and might even help if I could tie them directly to one of the four major Gods of the land. A few minutes later, the Dothrama were born in my mind, and they’ve become perhaps the most popular Erallian racial choice with players. (Most assuredly because of the rather delicious racial power, but I digress)

The Dothrama

Racial Traits
Average Height: 5’7” – 6’ 2”
Average Weight: 140lb – 220lb
Ability Scores: +2 Strength, +2 Dexterity
Size: Medium
Speed: 6 Squares
Vision: Low-light
Languages: Common, Elven, Choice of Other
Skill Bonuses: +2 Intimidate, +2 Thievery
Dark Past: You resist Necrotic damage equal to 5 + ½ your level
Fey Lineage: Your elven ancestry in the feymarch makes you a fey creature by creature origin.
Undead Mastery: You gain a +1 bonus to all defenses against attacks made by undead enemies.
Finishing Flurry: You can use the Finishing Flurry encounter power.

Finishing Flurry – Encounter
You miss a foe and attempt to remedy the failed attack.
Encounter – Martial, Weapon (Melee)
Immediate Reaction
Trigger – You miss with a melee attack.
You continue to make basic dexterity vs. Ref attacks against the target in melee range. Each one deals 1[W] damage, and each subsequent attack gains a cumulative -2 penalty to the attack roll. If you hit on the fifth attack, which would incur a -8 penalty to the attack roll, you achieve your finishing flurry and deal 2[W] + dexterity modifier damage instead of 1[W]. After using this encounter power, no matter the result, you are dazed from the effort. (save ends)

At 21st Level, the damage increases to 4[W] + dexterity modifier on the final attack.
(In addition, you may choose, at character creation, to permanently replace all instances of dexterity with strength. If you choose strength, you roll against fortitude instead of reflex.)

HISTORY

Dothram was known almost universally as the capital of lust, violence and sexual gratification in the early ages of Erallia. The people of this wayward city worshipped none but themselves, and the gods were pleased that Dothram stayed its own course and did nothing to interfere with theirs. Unfortunately, the final king of the ancient land publically ridiculed Vecna, God of the south and the Undead. Almost instantly, Vecna smote the land and enslaved its people. The Dothrama are the undead descendents of this violent day in Erallian history.

PLAY A DOTHRAMA IF YOU WANT…

— A shameful past and a lifetime of worthwhile repentance.
— To value strength and adroitness .
— To favor the Rogue, Barbarian, and Ranger classes.

PLAYING A DOTHRAMA

The few Dothrama who survive to this day are usually very courteous and respectful. They are natural followers, but that does, in no way, subtract from their exquisite prowess in battle. These former slaves of Vecna earned their freedom through years of martial training and submission to their undead master. Most feel no animosity towards their evil ruler, but some desire nothing more than to end his reign as True God of the Undead Hordes. Most Dothrama favor a passive, stealth oriented approach to combat, but recent generations have focused more on the purely violent forms of martial warfare.

Total Party Kill; A DM's Perspective

“Do you realize what you’ve done!?” Being a DM isn’t always easy. Sometimes you really want to try out a new boss or tactic even though you know deep down that it’s too tall a mountain for your PC’s to climb. As always, though, there are positives and negatives to every decision we make as human beings. If your encounter was of an astronomically higher level than the characters, or your enemy was tailored simply to shut down the mechanics of the party entirely, then feel free to experience some guilt about your TPK (Then again, you probably won’t, as the only reasons to introduce either of these instances against PCs is because you ‘want’ them dead). If you honestly attempted to give them a fair challenge and, in spite of your subtle warnings concerning imminent defeat, violence, and ignominy, those dastardly PC’s chose to fight bravely into the sunset of deepest night… then you can rest assured that the result was simply happenstance.

Now, it should be noted that players don’t usually act rashly just because they feel like it. Most players who are enthralled with a campaign and enjoying themselves try their hardest to stay alive and achieve victory. If a common theme of tactical stupidity, harsh decisions, and disregard for the life of a created persona is discovered, the fault may, once again, lie with the DM. Perhaps the players have become bored with the story or simply need a break from the current campaign. That’s always a good cue to throw something amazing into the mix, veer drastically off track, if only for a little while, or put the whole thing on hold for a tad and break out some one shot adventures.

And remember… even if the TPK was in some way your fault; don’t let it get to you. Learn from it, move on, and never let the spirit of challenge die. Without the threat of death or something truly horrifying to face, what would be the point of overcoming it in the first place?

Epic Fail; Arguments For and Against the Critical Miss

One issue that I’ve commonly run across is the debate for and against the critical miss. For those of us who agree with the idea, it really does make sense. If a character can, five percent of the time, make an amazing, battle changing action, doesn’t it stand to reason that he could just as easily ruin the day with a truly epic fail? For the others, the argument usually goes along the lines of, “I’ve never seen a critical miss system that worked… ever. They offer either too much punishment or have so many safeguards against that punishment that we’d all be better off without the critical miss even existing in the first place.” Clearly, both sides have valid points.

In my honest opinion, I enjoy the idea. It’s interesting to watch players start to sweat when they realize that the all important d20 just landed on its lowest possible outcome, and why not? Why shouldn’t they have just as much to worry about as they do to pray for? And so, since I created my own rule about three years ago, I’ve always utilized the same exact homebrew rule for critical misses in every campaign I’ve run. Is it complicated? A tad. So complicated that the whole thing might as well not be there? Some might say so. But for anyone and everyone interested, I give you my homebrew rule for critical misses:

The Natural 1 – On a natural 1 attack roll, the attack automatically misses and the player must roll another d20. If that subsequent roll is a 20, the player takes no additional penalty. If the subsequent roll lands between 2 and 19, the player takes a -1 penalty to her next attack. If the subsequent roll is another 1, the player critically misses and is punished with a -3 penalty to her next attack.

Clause 1: At 21st level, players no longer critically miss. Therefore, on a natural 1 roll, they simply take a base -1 penalty to their next attack.

Clause 2: This rule, in all forms, applies to both enemies and player characters.

And there you have it. That’s the rule that I and my players have always agreed upon. We find that it not only offers a fair punishment, but one that is, rightly, more hindering at lower levels when the idea of a devastating miss is more likely. In addition, it doesn’t deliver ridiculous negatives that most people dislike (like dropping weapons or attacking allies).

4th Edition; Positive or Negative Addition to the D&D Realm?

Unfortunately, I never had the opportunity to experience Dungeons and Dragons Basic, nor Advanced, nor 2nd Edition. My career with the game began about five years ago in the early days of 3.5. I remember very distinctly the associations of Satanism (which still strike me as unfounded and ludicrous) and its labeling as the quintessential nerd pastime (which… well… never mind). But surpassing all of that by miles and miles was the sheer limitless imagination and creativity involved with not only ‘playing’ the game, but ‘living’ it. Sitting down at the table and rolling a few dice was not only a minor escape from the so called real world, but also a fun, healthy exercise in entertainment, social skills, and teamwork. 3.5 will always hold a special place in my gaming heart for those reasons and many, many more. Now that that’s out of the way, we move to the conflict.

Clearly, anyone who utilizes the internet and has any interest in Dungeons and Dragons in its current form understands that a very divisive, and often patronizing, battle exists between the diehard 3rd edition players and the newer, 4th edition crowd. Clearly, this rift is easily understandable. Much of what made 3.5 such an amazing game has, admittedly, changed. But is it truly for the worse? And what of this floating claim that 4th edition is simply a certain, painfully popular MMORPG disguised as a pen and paper tabletop RPG? I hope to lay forth my own opinions concerning the matter.

I think it would be prudent to begin with the comparison between 4th edition and ‘World of Warcraft’. A certain part of me would like to automatically profess that such a claim is ludicrous and insulting, but unfortunately reason and truth demand that I obey their teachings. Without a doubt, 4th edition is the rule set which most closely resembles the video game and MMORPG era. But this is understandable in and of itself, for the previous editions were not published during the WoW boom. Yes, classes are broken down into certain pre-set roles to aid in the players utilizing them ‘correctly’, similar to those of many MMORPGs (Here listed as Strikers, Controllers, Defenders and Leaders). Yes, the combat system has evolved into a focus on placement and visual representation as opposed to pure imagination. But in my opinion, the comparisons stop there. I’ve heard some say that the game has no roleplaying devices, that it’s just like WoW where you hack and slash your way to bigger baddies to, undoubtedly, hack and slash some more. I wholeheartedly disagree. For one point, WoW has a rich and inviting roleplaying community if you choose to seek it out. For the second, roleplaying has always been, and will always be, fueled by the DM. No amount of text explaining the power and necessity of roleplaying is going to make a DM who dislikes the notion automatically include it. Similarly, those DM’s who respect and desire roleplaying in their campaigns will seek to implement it at every turn. Just because the PH doesn’t go into forty page detail does not mean it doesn’t exist (I can vouch for that from firsthand experience).

On another, more economically leaning, note, I would completely understand the idea of attempting to tailor a new system for the WoW populous. Let’s be honest here… there’re a lot of people who love that game, and I don’t for a second question whether WotC would like to cut into that lucrative pie. But the employees of WotC are not stupid. They would never purposefully attempt to neglect their entire 3rd edition fan base simply to bring in some fresh blood, and I think here is where we find the true issue. By going in a new direction, and retaining some of the facets of the past, they unintentionally alienated both parties. I know I love 4th edition, and I’ll get into why in the next few paragraphs, but it saddens me that so many people hold such deep seated hatred for the thing.

I suppose that leads me to the final question; is 4th edition worth playing? Does it bring positives to the table or is it simply a fetid mass of negativity? I think one must approach that question from the standpoint of a new player first, and a returning player second. So let’s get to it.

As a new player to the series, and I know this as a very personal friend just started, 4th edition appears an ominous mass of text and numbers. We must try and think logically here. Did we all memorize and learn, to the best of our abilities, the massive rules concerning 3rd edition and 3.5? Of course. But to a new player to Dungeons and Dragons or, God forbid, a new player to tabletop RPGs in general, imagine how daunting a 300 page core rulebook must seem. Imagine how they feel when you tell them that every month or two an additional 200 pages will be piled on top of that. It’s truly horrifying, in terms of both time and money. But clearly, 4th edition ‘is’ a streamlined version of its predecessor. And one, I find, that runs rather nicely, most especially for DMs like myself and new players to the series. There are a large amount of rules, but they’re learnable in an afternoon session. And it’s this ease of access and slick, thinner rule set which shines as 4th edition’s brightest praise. I know that they succeeded in their goal; I know that they produced a game capable of amassing new and veteran players to a table where everyone can enjoy themselves… but some would assuredly disagree.

Veterans, grognards… we don’t judge here. They love their thousand page tomes to flip through for that one, special rule that everyone seems to have forgotten. Of course they do… those laws and masses of knowledge are theirs. They learned them and made them their own. How do we expect them to give that up? The answer, of course, is quite simple. We don’t. In the end, we’ll all end up playing whatever makes us the happiest, and that’s what really makes the world go round. At my University, the gaming club plays both 4th edition and 3.5. Why? Because they have two groups looking for different experiences from games.

And that is where I must end. To be asked whether or not 4th edition is worth playing, I would of course say yes. Roleplaying exists as far as you desire it to, combat is exciting, fast paced and understandable, and the simplification for the DM to craft a thrilling adventure is literally a godsend. But it does have flaws, as does every system created. Even with its relative simplification, some areas like rituals and combat statuses become so complicated or unsavory that they aren’t used at all. Nothing is perfect. But if you’re looking for an enjoyable, engaging evening and have some friends to bring along, the journey can still be found at the same old address… it’s just the number that’s changed.

Erallian Campaign; Session 1

‘Birds… I hear birds.’ Thoughts ricocheted in his mind and threatened to break their way free. Clearly, something was amiss. Zyrallus Alevar looked around as best as his stiffened neck would permit, saw rusted iron bars, and let out a disheartening sigh. ‘Drunk? What did I do this time?’ But it couldn’t be, simply couldn’t be. He remembered very clearly sleeping the night before and recalled just as accurately that his system was devoid of ale. A voice came, then, gruff and unpleasant.

“You look lost, son. Hahaha… Don’t you know a cage when you see one?” Zyrallus angled his head, grimaced once again at the pain, and noticed with ever growing disdain that he was not the only prisoner in this veritable hell. A heavily armored beast, for lack of any better term, was stuck almost to the point of strangulation between the iron bars of a similar cell.

“By the Raven Queen…” Words, for the first time he could recall, escaped him. The thing was enormous, would tower at least seven feet, Zyrallus wagered, if allowed to fully stretch itself out. But it wasn’t the size, or the darkened skin, or even the bellowing laughter which frightened him… It was the array of spikes protruding like an iron maiden from the thing’s shoulders.

“Don’t lose your words over me, lad. Wouldn’t waste such precious things as words on that.” He tried to move and failed. Tried to break the bars away, and was greeted with a similar result. “Look here, new friend. As far as I can say, you need help as much as I do. Can’t you do something about these damn cages?” Zyrallus pondered the current situation, almost drifted away to the sounds of the forest, and then shot his head upwards.

“Heh… that’s what I do.” He fiddled in his leather pouch, praying that whoever had imprisoned them was not intelligent enough to remove his favorite tools. ‘They didn’t take my case, my weapons or my armor… who’s to say the fools would take a set of lock picks?’ Luckily, and it was fair to say that luck was his strategy, the metal bars and gears were still in the rawhide sack. With a flick of the wrist the cage doors slammed open. The beast-like warrior seemed to smile in the waning daylight. Zyrallus hurried over and opened the other cage.

“Free. I need to stretch, elf. Why don’t you unlock the other two cells?” Zyrallus looked up at him with an expression of such incredulity it would have been funny under other circumstances. “Yes. There are more. Two females by the looks of it. Over there.” He pointed in the direction of the forest clearing and, sure enough, two identical ancient cages were propped up from branches. Zyrallus made his way over, worked his magic, and was surprised, once again, to find the two women staring at him.

“A rogue, I wager? Wonderful.” The voice came from the smaller of the two. She was cloaked and facing away, seeming to stare into the dipping sun between the gnarled trees. “Hurry up, fool. Get Lunara free.” As if by royal command, Zyrallus found himself obeying the orders without so much as a second thought. Lunara, he found… was rather frightening. For one, she challenged the height of the now stretching beast. For another, she sprouted what appeared to be scalded wings.

“Thank you, kind Dothrama. You’re kind… To be truthful, I thought they were long lost. But let us not waste this precious time. We must proceed.” Zyrallus felt as if things were progressing too quickly, but he understood that urgency was necessary under the circumstances. For all they knew, their captors could return to finish whatever malicious deeds they had originally intended.

Not two seconds later, the Dothraman Elf heard breaking twigs in the underbrush. The little cloaked one was chattering away, and he moved to her with such speed that she began to draw at her blade. “Do not speak. To the east, under the oak.” She nodded, looked, and smiled. Zyrallus crept silently towards the lumbering giant and whispered to him as best he could.

“Your name, sir?” Zyrallus questioned. The brown tinted, muscular behemoth looked down before responding.

“Azreck, friend. What is all the-,”

“Shh…” The rogue motioned to the bushes, and all was immediately understood. They gathered together, waiting for the butcher’s bill. Ogres? Orcs? As if by Divine providence, the answer hastily presented itself.

“By the Gods… what a disappointment.”

Kobolds. And a great deal of them. Zyrallus counted in the shade of one of the cages. There appeared to be four warriors and at least eight underlings. They brandished their shoddy weapons, banged the misshapen tools against equally useless shields, and snarled. Suddenly, a bolt of thunderous energy exploded from the winged woman’s hand, and two of the smaller creatures fell to the grass in burning clumps. Everyone charged.

The battle was short lived, at best, but stiffness and exhaustion from the confinement evened the odds. The cloaked woman resonated with inspiring song, uplifted the three others to charge onward. An arrow sprung forth from the forest and cut short the melodious tune. She was at best harmed, at worst fatally wounded, and Zyrallus could think of nothing to remedy the situation.

Thankfully, it was not his problem to solve. Azreck raised a misshapen instrument and whispered for aid before sprinting to the still falling female. He pressed two, hardened hands against her head, bowed his own, and broke the arrow at the middle. The female rose as if unharmed, and the remaining kobolds fled into the forest, clearly beaten.

“You… You’re a paladin!? You?” Azreck attempted to remain stoic, but a small smirk escaped none the less. “And you? Done being so high and mighty now?” Zyrallus turned to the hooded one, but her figure was already disappearing into the distance. She turned back and shouted, “Martanya is close. We best head out.” She wanted to continue forth, to lead the pack, but she comprehended her current place. As they all caught up, she spoke again. “Listen. I don’t want to be here, you all don’t want to be here. So let’s get out of these woods, head back to Martanya, and figure everything out there. I’m Arlina.” Zyrallus and Azreck introduced themselves by name, and she nodded, clearly eager. “Now let’s go.

“The gods know I have kobolds to kill.”