So in my recent quest to find a decent digital dungeon designer, I found myself stumbling upon (by the guidance of one of my PC's) an application called Gametable.
The page itself even recommends you pair it with something along the likes of Ventrilo.
I have since given it a good whirl, and so far I love what I've seen. Gametable is an applet that will let you draw in the lines of dungeons and encounters, and your players are able to fully manipulate everything; which could be a blessing or a curse, depending on your players. My way of interpreting good use out of this would be to have the DM draw the dungeon in his private edit mode, and then reveal areas and monsters as they are explored by the PC's. You do this by finding the private edit mode, and drawing everything in there that you want, and then use the publish crop to select what parts you want the players to see and when.
Coupled with the player's ability to draw their projected lines of movement, the game could run very smoothly, so long as nobody purposefully tries to mess things up. You also have the option of making dice macros, which are perfect for people who have a hard time remembering the pluses and attacks to all their weapons. A player can simply take all of their attacks and set them up so they have the correct plus and the program does all the math.
Ventrilo comes in when you realize how difficult it is to play D&D through text chatting alone. I've managed to set my computer up as a gametable and ventrilo server without much difficulty. Vent, as we call it, is a beautiful thing that lets you clearly hear the words that your friends from around the world would be saying to you. It is a VoIP that is expressly designed for groups of people to be able to conference together smoothly. It does require you to have a moderate technical awareness though, as the setup and directions aren't exactly user friendly.
So when Ventrilo and Gametable are joined, we expect a huge success in terms of incorporating a long distance friend into some 4E gaming this summer. I personally will be guiding him through a series of quests simultaneous to the main campaign, and he will join up with them when he moves back to the Green Hills this fall.
-Lance of the Hill People
Monday, June 30, 2008
Sunday, June 29, 2008
Formula: Making a Dungeon
Today I thought I'd share some of my ideas on how to make a dungeon. Through a step by step process, you can make a pretty sweet dungeon adventure in only a couple hours.
Begin With a Trial
I find it nice to open with some sort of challenge to the players themselves, but it can be equally fun to challenge their characters. Regardless of whether your dealing with a meta-challenge or an in-game challenge, there still manages to be some crossover between the two.
To Implement: The trial could easily be finding the dungeon in the first place. This could require players to make a series of checks much like the challenges described in the Dungeon Masters Guide. It could also be a puzzle in itself. You might have a series of clues scattered about a forest labyrinth that eventually leads them to the entrance to the dungeon within. You could also make the dungeon easy to find in itself, but difficult to initially crack into. Breaking in could be a challenge, or there might be a puzzle that when solved unlocks the path beneath. Another possibility would be to have a guardian, or perhaps a potential guide, send the heroes on a quest for a trophy to prove their worth. All of these are great side quests to get the players excited about what's actually beneath.
Start Mapping
This part is easy, and can be really fun. Navigating a dungeon could take weeks depending on how long or frequent your gameplay is. But making the dungeon itself takes less time than a single session.
To Implement: Break out your graph paper, or even your computer, and start mapping out the different levels, obstacles, traps, and whatnot that you want in your dungeon. Even if it doesn't make sense in terms of storyline or lore, you want to make the dungeon big enough so that the players will have interesting combat with different decision points in it. Make rooms with potential combat open enough that everybody will be able to find the battle accessible. You don't want people waiting outside the door for monsters or players to move out so they can actually see some action. Also, if the players do not, or try not, to surpass certain obstacles, give them another way around, but make it equally challenging in a different way. If they get stuck solving the sphinx's riddle, let them go around and use their brawn instead of brain.
Find an Encounter Theme
Not every encounter has to be the same type of monster, such as a dungeon full of only goblins, but it's good to have a theme behind the encounters. Let the players guess why certain monsters have teamed up with each other. This makes for more interesting encounters, and can even give you ideas on how to bring the concept back around later on.
To Implement: Balance what makes sense with what makes for interesting gaming. For instance, if the players are heading into a dungeon that was sealed for many centuries, make sure there are plenty of undead in there. In fact, the only living creatures should be ones that are known to survive for centuries on very meager living arrangements. If you go with an only undead dungeon, switch it up. Don't just use zombies and skeletons, throw in a specter or a wight, even a couple ghouls now and then. And most importantly, tie all the undead in some how. You may not have them encounter a lich at the end, but give them a clue that there may be one in this realm, and that could be their followup quest. But in terms of tying the dungeon together, make sure you've got at least one big bad monster at the end. It could be a demon leading a horde of underling goblins and such, or whatever you think is possible under the constraints of your story.
Follow these three steps, and your dungeon might certainly guarantee fun and interest. Start with a trial, have an interesting geography, and make sure the monsters don't get stale. Also, it always helps to have a hook, a twist, or a big bang at the end of every dungeon.
This post is to make up for last Sunday. More to come later today.
-Lance of the Lazy People
Begin With a Trial
I find it nice to open with some sort of challenge to the players themselves, but it can be equally fun to challenge their characters. Regardless of whether your dealing with a meta-challenge or an in-game challenge, there still manages to be some crossover between the two.
To Implement: The trial could easily be finding the dungeon in the first place. This could require players to make a series of checks much like the challenges described in the Dungeon Masters Guide. It could also be a puzzle in itself. You might have a series of clues scattered about a forest labyrinth that eventually leads them to the entrance to the dungeon within. You could also make the dungeon easy to find in itself, but difficult to initially crack into. Breaking in could be a challenge, or there might be a puzzle that when solved unlocks the path beneath. Another possibility would be to have a guardian, or perhaps a potential guide, send the heroes on a quest for a trophy to prove their worth. All of these are great side quests to get the players excited about what's actually beneath.
Start Mapping
This part is easy, and can be really fun. Navigating a dungeon could take weeks depending on how long or frequent your gameplay is. But making the dungeon itself takes less time than a single session.
To Implement: Break out your graph paper, or even your computer, and start mapping out the different levels, obstacles, traps, and whatnot that you want in your dungeon. Even if it doesn't make sense in terms of storyline or lore, you want to make the dungeon big enough so that the players will have interesting combat with different decision points in it. Make rooms with potential combat open enough that everybody will be able to find the battle accessible. You don't want people waiting outside the door for monsters or players to move out so they can actually see some action. Also, if the players do not, or try not, to surpass certain obstacles, give them another way around, but make it equally challenging in a different way. If they get stuck solving the sphinx's riddle, let them go around and use their brawn instead of brain.
Find an Encounter Theme
Not every encounter has to be the same type of monster, such as a dungeon full of only goblins, but it's good to have a theme behind the encounters. Let the players guess why certain monsters have teamed up with each other. This makes for more interesting encounters, and can even give you ideas on how to bring the concept back around later on.
To Implement: Balance what makes sense with what makes for interesting gaming. For instance, if the players are heading into a dungeon that was sealed for many centuries, make sure there are plenty of undead in there. In fact, the only living creatures should be ones that are known to survive for centuries on very meager living arrangements. If you go with an only undead dungeon, switch it up. Don't just use zombies and skeletons, throw in a specter or a wight, even a couple ghouls now and then. And most importantly, tie all the undead in some how. You may not have them encounter a lich at the end, but give them a clue that there may be one in this realm, and that could be their followup quest. But in terms of tying the dungeon together, make sure you've got at least one big bad monster at the end. It could be a demon leading a horde of underling goblins and such, or whatever you think is possible under the constraints of your story.
Follow these three steps, and your dungeon might certainly guarantee fun and interest. Start with a trial, have an interesting geography, and make sure the monsters don't get stale. Also, it always helps to have a hook, a twist, or a big bang at the end of every dungeon.
This post is to make up for last Sunday. More to come later today.
-Lance of the Lazy People
Saturday, June 28, 2008
Return from the Mushroom Forest
Twas mid-afternoon by the time they passed their last mushroom.Though the land and air was no longer moist, or filled with potentially hallucinogenic spores, it was no less desolate. They traded the earthy mushroom forest for a drying wasted forest, their path weaving through the hills. Flint Fireforth was finally starting to believe his companions were something more than hallucinations.
As the party reach the crest of a hill the mangy head of a giant rose into view. Ducking behind rocks, and dropping to the dry leafy ground, the group decided wisely to not risk becoming someones dinner. Oblivious, the giant continued his amble to the east, never turning toward the hidden adventurers.
Now fully alert, the party made haste to Helmville.
The town cheered triumphantly at their return, as though they also had risked their lives for a few pounds of precious mushroom. The heros were led in to the town center, where they were greeted by the haggard Dr. Trusswilvene. His face shone with relief, and he quickly left with the bags of mushroom, leaving the young adventurers to their adulations.
And adulated they were! Vinn, the innkeeper, treated them to the finest dinner they had seen in months. With meats, vegetables, and only the barest hint of mushroom. Soon tipsy on Mushmead, each adventurer tried to retell the story of their adventure for the eager townsfolk, each tripping over one another with bits of the story, with goblin clans becoming armies, and their close call skirmishes becoming a legendary battle featuring favored gods.
"We fought a billion goblins! And we saved the babies! And it was Gooood!" The cleric told a pair of Auching dwarvish younglings.
"Auch!" They replied.
A bonfire was raised, and music and dancing filled the night. Melori praised her patroness Melora for her aid in battle, and danced in her honor. It was appraised as a good, but fruity dance, as the rest of the party, and the town folk, began Kossak dancing in triumph. Unable to game-face it, a drunken Yorma repeatedly kicked the local blacksmith, until she was pushed over, to everyones laughter. She was helped back up, and handed another stein.
~~
The next morn, their bodies singing from warm beds, extra blankets, and a mighty brunch, our adventurers met with the good doctor to gauge their success. He roused himself from his office chair, clearly the first shut-eye he had in days, and informed them the children were recovering. With the supply of mushroom they had procured the village would be safe from outbreak for years. He was overwhelmed, and grateful. With the permission of the village council, a portion of the town treasury was rewarded to them for the heroic deed.
"No, no, we can't take this." Krellian tried to refuse the money. The doctor placed 800 gold in his hands.
"It is yours. Divide it as you like. But do not return it" Reluctantly Krellian took the money, to the joy of his companions. Noting their eagerness for gold, the doctor was reminded of a crypt he had once visited nearby- on an unsuccessful scouting mission for some missing hunters. Town lore had it that the crypt held something of great value, though when he had found the entrance, he also found a swarm of fire beetles protecting a puzzle therein, and his party was forced to retreat. Not content with village life, the party signed on to explore the crypt.
"Have you heard of fire beetles before?" The doctor asked.
"Yes, I know ALL ABOUT fire beetles." Galah'ala assured his friends, his horns bobbing as he nodded convincingly.
"Oh good, then I won't bore you with the details. As you know, these are dangerous times. Please do be careful."
"Yeah, you don't want to get their itch. Their terrible beetle itch." Galah'ala added.
The doctor paused in confusion as the party left his office.
In town, the adventurers bought fresh supplies, argued over the fire-resistance of lard, and sharpened their weapons for the fight. Twas only mid-morn by the time they were cheered out of town, on their way to the old crypt. There was no path to guide the way, but the doctor had given them suitable directions. Even so, as they came over the rise of a hill they found themselves staring down a group of kobolds and a pair of clicking fire beetles, nearly the size of Yorma.
The beetles scuttled forward, their mandibles chortling and horking in an ominous fashion. Raising his weapon to the sky, Flint called forth a bolt of holy light, piercing a hell beetle, and calling Melori forward to join in it's demise. Krellian ran forward, swinging his longsword down on an angry beetle. Yorma, eager for the fight, threw an eldritch blast, which flew over the kobolds heads and struck a nearby tree. Pulling out her sword, Melori charged in beside Krellian and struck at the giant insect.
The kobolds hurried into position, two jabbing at Flint and Krellian. Another took aim and flung an earthen pot, which broke on the ground some ways behind Flint.
"Have you heard of fire beetles before?" The doctor asked.
"Yes, I know ALL ABOUT fire beetles." Galah'ala assured his friends, his horns bobbing as he nodded convincingly.
"Oh good, then I won't bore you with the details. As you know, these are dangerous times. Please do be careful."
"Yeah, you don't want to get their itch. Their terrible beetle itch." Galah'ala added.
The doctor paused in confusion as the party left his office.
In town, the adventurers bought fresh supplies, argued over the fire-resistance of lard, and sharpened their weapons for the fight. Twas only mid-morn by the time they were cheered out of town, on their way to the old crypt. There was no path to guide the way, but the doctor had given them suitable directions. Even so, as they came over the rise of a hill they found themselves staring down a group of kobolds and a pair of clicking fire beetles, nearly the size of Yorma.
The beetles scuttled forward, their mandibles chortling and horking in an ominous fashion. Raising his weapon to the sky, Flint called forth a bolt of holy light, piercing a hell beetle, and calling Melori forward to join in it's demise. Krellian ran forward, swinging his longsword down on an angry beetle. Yorma, eager for the fight, threw an eldritch blast, which flew over the kobolds heads and struck a nearby tree. Pulling out her sword, Melori charged in beside Krellian and struck at the giant insect.
The kobolds hurried into position, two jabbing at Flint and Krellian. Another took aim and flung an earthen pot, which broke on the ground some ways behind Flint.
"Look out for oil!" Melori cried.
Murmuring under his breath, Galah'ala eyed a skirmishing kobold. Feeling his spine tingle, the little lizard glanced up at the warlock. His eyes grew wide, and he fell forward, just before a column of dark flame shot down from the heavens- obliterating his husk.
Encouraged by the smell of flame and charring, the fire beetles ceased their clicking and opened their mandibles, releasing waves of yellow flame. Krellian and Melori turned away, but when the breath was finished, they both smoked, their exposed skin brown and red.
"Urrg, it doesn't hurt that bad!" Krellian groaned, willing himself back to the fight.
"Back on your feet, Lass!" Waving his stout fist in the air, Flint restored Melori's vigor. The stench of the broken stink pot began to waft, and Galah'ala wretched at the scent. The battle continued until the beetles were beaten to the ground- before they released another fiery onslaught.
The kobolds, seeing their hulking pets collapse, began to run. Curses and marks struck them in the back, and before they reach the next hill they each fell into a heap.
"Hurray!" The party cheered in eerie unison. After a round of bandaging and brow wiping, Yorma and Melori cut away portions of beetle shell, hoping for protection from the next insects they'd face. The glands of the beetle were harvested, as they glowed a warm orange. Again, the party marched on, keeping wary of any passing hill giants or more kobolds. But they way was clear to the crypt, and when they arrived, they found a surprise.
Val! The ranger who had aided them in the mushroom forest, was collecting herbs nearby the old crypt. "This'll be useful!" She said, picking a last white flower and tucking it into her pack. Krellian offered her her cut of the reward money, and hearing about their quest to the crypt, she gladly signed on.
The crypt entrance was a pale sun-bleached granite, partially hidden under crawling vines. Galah'ala cleared away some of the brush to reveal the plaque the doctor had spoken of.
When order is reached
The way is clear.
Inside the one room crypt was a stone sarcophagus, it's lid loose. Krellian approached and cautiously pushed at it with one hand. It budged. Melori joined him and together they shifted the entire lid off the other side. But inside was empty. So empty in fact, that there was a ladder leading down into a dark cavern below the crypt. A gland was tossed down, illuminating a dry stone floor, and the passageway beneath.
The party climbed down, tossing glands ahead of them as they walked, revealing a curving tunnel, carved out of stone, that led into a large open room, most of which still basked in darkness.
Drawing their weapons, the party charged into their midst. Metal met hard shells, dark and light magics raised a frenzy of furied clicking, and the stone cubes sat waiting. The room burst into hot daylight briefly, and in the flash chutes were visible around the ceiling of the room, just large enough for a fire beetle. Peeking from behind their scavanged shields, Melori and Yorma nodded to each other before launching themselves anew at their enemies. In wild desperation the adventurers felled one horrid beetle after another, Flint and Krellian calling encouragements and casting divine aids to their friends.
One by one the beetles fell. And yet, in the silence where each man and woman bandaged their wounds, a quiet and copious clicking could be heard softly through the cool stone walls. Exchanging knowing looks, the party agreed to approach the dais again. Krellian stepped forward, and found the following.
Nine square holes cut into the stone alter top. Nine stone cubes numbered zero to nine, placed in a large square hole.
The party began examining the room, looking for more clues. Yorma began stuffing beetle corpses into the empty chutes to plug them. Glancing up, Melori found a bit of unusual writing on the crumbled ceiling.
"It's dwarvish." Someone noted.
"Dwarf!" Krellian called. "Read us what it says."
"Auch... something about... words." Flint replied, studying the ceiling.
"That's it? Words? You can't read your own language?"
"I had a bit of mushmead before we left." Flint confessed. The group sat down and waited for Flint to sober to have a clearer look at the writing. Val retrieved a game of Scrappli she carried with her to pass the time. Melori wandered back down the hall towards the sarcophagus. Eventually Flint looked up again. "It's about the order of the words. It's what gives them their power."
"The lid of the tomb reads 'WRITING'. Who knows what that means." Melori said, returning to the room. Chins were scratched. Beards were twisted. Brows were furrowed.
"I've got it!" Val cried. Pulling the cubes out and lining them up beside holes she explained, "Spell the WORDS, put them in alphabetical ORDER, and that's how they go." To the hesitant gasps of her companions, she nudged each cube into a box. 8, 5, 4, 9, 1, 7, 6, 3, 2, 0.
From within the walls they could hear the sound of wheels turning. The soft clicking crescendoed, along with the sound of crunching and wet pumpkin innards. Thin maroon liquid began to dribble from the unstuffed chutes. The party backed away towards the corridor as the trickle became a stream. A mash of legs, guts, and shells began to push out, tumbling to the ground. Some small fires flickered as the room filled with the crypt's offering.
Eventually the flow of mush tapered off, and the alter lowered and twisted out of sight, revealing a winding staircase.
~Apples
Friday, June 27, 2008
Thursday, June 26, 2008
DM'ing: What Constitutes a Failure
Apples and I got into a discussion about Tuesday's post, and I encouraged her to post her opinion in the comments. She did, and now I shall respond
This is a clarification on what it means to fail as a DM. Failure as a DM can mean different things. Sometimes it can be blatantly obvious and effect the entire session or even campaign. Sometimes it can be nothing but a personal failure that not another soul would necessarily know about. And sometimes it could be a hazy mixture of the two.
Ways to Fail
Nobody Has Fun: This is the absolute worst way to fail. The worst part about it is that it's not always in the DM's control. However, as the DM, you will often be the one expected to facilitate the game in such a way that everybody can find it enjoyable. If this is unattainable with certain players behaving unacceptably, that would be a good condition to ask the player not to return, or at least warn them a few times first.
Besides players behaving badly, the DM can have a lot to do with this as well. The game exists in a world that you describe, but that doesn't make it your playground. You do not have control over the players, and they are most certainly not your toys to manipulate as you see fit. DM's on power trips is a fast road to failure, while letting the players have an equal say in their destiny will bring you many successes in the fun factor. Make sure you listen to the players, and let them build onto your story, as opposed to succumbing to your puppetry.
Preparation: Don't come under prepared! If nothing else, have at least one random encounter that the players can triumph over during a session. If the players do nothing but fail, then this can also reflect very poorly on your DM'ing. If an encounter of supposed average difficulty ends up squishing the PC's, you should give them something easy by the end of the session if possible. Give them at least one victory no matter how they manage to come by it. If they have to talk their way out of something to survive, that could be an even greater success than bashing goblins to bit through brute force. Be prepared to improvise if necessary too.
Also, don't come over prepared! This can be very dangerous as you may find your players are completely disinterested in your storylines or quests. If you throw them a bone, and they don't take it, make sure to let them seek out something different. If you put your entire planning into that one quest and dungeon, and eventually end up forcing the players through it, they will feel forced through it, and will not enjoy it nearly as much. This method will work on rare occasions though, and I will go into that more in a later post.
The key point to all of this though, is that failing as a DM has nothing to do with how far the campaign went, or what the players accomplished, or whether the game ever got past the first session. Failure means nobody had fun, failure as a DM means nobody had fun, and there's something you can do about it. The same can be said about certain players though, so make sure to consider this from different angles. Find what you need in your world to give the players a good time, and give it to them. If it gets stale, switch it up a bit and experiment. You won't have your best successes until you've had your worst failures.
This is a clarification on what it means to fail as a DM. Failure as a DM can mean different things. Sometimes it can be blatantly obvious and effect the entire session or even campaign. Sometimes it can be nothing but a personal failure that not another soul would necessarily know about. And sometimes it could be a hazy mixture of the two.
Ways to Fail
Nobody Has Fun: This is the absolute worst way to fail. The worst part about it is that it's not always in the DM's control. However, as the DM, you will often be the one expected to facilitate the game in such a way that everybody can find it enjoyable. If this is unattainable with certain players behaving unacceptably, that would be a good condition to ask the player not to return, or at least warn them a few times first.
Besides players behaving badly, the DM can have a lot to do with this as well. The game exists in a world that you describe, but that doesn't make it your playground. You do not have control over the players, and they are most certainly not your toys to manipulate as you see fit. DM's on power trips is a fast road to failure, while letting the players have an equal say in their destiny will bring you many successes in the fun factor. Make sure you listen to the players, and let them build onto your story, as opposed to succumbing to your puppetry.
Preparation: Don't come under prepared! If nothing else, have at least one random encounter that the players can triumph over during a session. If the players do nothing but fail, then this can also reflect very poorly on your DM'ing. If an encounter of supposed average difficulty ends up squishing the PC's, you should give them something easy by the end of the session if possible. Give them at least one victory no matter how they manage to come by it. If they have to talk their way out of something to survive, that could be an even greater success than bashing goblins to bit through brute force. Be prepared to improvise if necessary too.
Also, don't come over prepared! This can be very dangerous as you may find your players are completely disinterested in your storylines or quests. If you throw them a bone, and they don't take it, make sure to let them seek out something different. If you put your entire planning into that one quest and dungeon, and eventually end up forcing the players through it, they will feel forced through it, and will not enjoy it nearly as much. This method will work on rare occasions though, and I will go into that more in a later post.
The key point to all of this though, is that failing as a DM has nothing to do with how far the campaign went, or what the players accomplished, or whether the game ever got past the first session. Failure means nobody had fun, failure as a DM means nobody had fun, and there's something you can do about it. The same can be said about certain players though, so make sure to consider this from different angles. Find what you need in your world to give the players a good time, and give it to them. If it gets stale, switch it up a bit and experiment. You won't have your best successes until you've had your worst failures.
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
DM'ing: How to Start
I've been approached by multiple people in the course of my D&D career who have mentioned or asked about becoming a DM. Every time someone brings it up, I usually get excited. There are few things in life that I have studied and practiced more than being a game master. This is not limited to simply D&D mind you, but to almost every aspect of gaming. Through my World of Warcraft career I have been a party or raid leader at every possible opportunity. Whenever a board game comes on the table, I usually try to take the reigns and lead everyone in the right direction to start understanding the rules and getting the most out of the gameplay. These are the kinds of things that a DM does.
The Dungeon Master is in no way in charge of the actions that the party takes though. They can't give orders to the players, but simply tell them the reaction to every one of their actions. One of the in game PC's is usually the one who does the leading, but the DM leads in a different way. It is of great responsbility to the DM to keep the players interested in what is happening in the world. It is also of equal responsibility to the players to let the DM know that certain aspects of the world are no longer interesting to them. They can do this by direct means, such as plainly telling the DM, or subtle means, such as looking for or inventing quests that have yet to be alluded to.
These are some of the basic precepts to being a storyteller and a world master, but how does one start? Like THIS!:
Step 1: Just start. There's only two good ways to learn, do it yourself, or do it with someone else.
Apples had her first DM'ing experience by teaming up with me for a large session amongst our college friends. We had discussed it for a long time, and eventually decided she would do a sort of apprenticeship under me. We worked out storylines and geographies together, but I did most of the world making. She took care of a lot of the details at that point. When the sessions actually ran, we would have one person take over as storyteller, and another person as the combat referee. The game was successful for the length that it lasted, and all had fun. Apples soon took over her own game though, and was learning a lot from being forced into both roles at once. She soon learned how mentally tiring it can be, but all in all, she did a great job.
The other method, my method, had a lot more failures in it. I played two sessions of D&D with my oldest brother before I found that I really wanted to play it a lot more. Very few of my friends had ever heard of it, as I had very few friends at that age anyway. I picked up DMG for the 2nd edition books and read through the whole thing. I also read the entire players handbook, and over time the entire monstrous manual. 5 years later I was DM'ing in high school for a small group of friends, and having a blast. Those 5 years carried a lot of utter failures and ridiculous jaunts, but you have to start somewhere. As my body matured, my gaming became more sophisticated, and I slowly added more players of different backgrounds under my belt. Every new person I DM'd for was a new lesson in how my games should run, and eventually I learned the ultimate lesson: It's all about fun. No matter how many times anybody tells you, that is what it comes down to in the very end. However you manage to get there with your gaming group is the actual difficult part, but every group will either find that, or disperse.
Step 2: Learn the Rules
Plain and simple, pick up the PHB and read every rule that applies to combat and character creation. You will often find that you are the one that everybody asks the questions of. The questions come fast at times to, so it's good to have a bag of tricks up your sleeve just in case. One of my favorite tricks is to answer a question with another question, or perhaps put some mystery behind it. "How come he gets to be a Dragonborn, but I can't?" "Good question, maybe you should go on a quest to find out." or "The book says scale mail costs 45! How come he's charging me 100g!?" "Why would he charge so much for scale mail?"
Making a mistake at times can often lead you into a quest or a chance at a unique RP encounter without you ever planning it. Mistakes can be what keeps the world fresh and interesting. However, eventually the mistakes should be sieved out to a minimum, and the fresh and interesting should be as intentional as possible.
Step 3/4: Make Some Encounters/Create A Story
These two steps are completely interchangeable. Sometimes if you have a story, you can just throw some monsters in there for fun and excitement. Conversely, if you have some great encounters planned, figure out how the players will end up wandering into them! Sometimes it can be easier than you think. A good adventuring group should be wanting some adventure anyway; make it easy to find, and give them so good rewards for it!
More next week.
-Lance of the Hill People
The Dungeon Master is in no way in charge of the actions that the party takes though. They can't give orders to the players, but simply tell them the reaction to every one of their actions. One of the in game PC's is usually the one who does the leading, but the DM leads in a different way. It is of great responsbility to the DM to keep the players interested in what is happening in the world. It is also of equal responsibility to the players to let the DM know that certain aspects of the world are no longer interesting to them. They can do this by direct means, such as plainly telling the DM, or subtle means, such as looking for or inventing quests that have yet to be alluded to.
These are some of the basic precepts to being a storyteller and a world master, but how does one start? Like THIS!:
Step 1: Just start. There's only two good ways to learn, do it yourself, or do it with someone else.
Apples had her first DM'ing experience by teaming up with me for a large session amongst our college friends. We had discussed it for a long time, and eventually decided she would do a sort of apprenticeship under me. We worked out storylines and geographies together, but I did most of the world making. She took care of a lot of the details at that point. When the sessions actually ran, we would have one person take over as storyteller, and another person as the combat referee. The game was successful for the length that it lasted, and all had fun. Apples soon took over her own game though, and was learning a lot from being forced into both roles at once. She soon learned how mentally tiring it can be, but all in all, she did a great job.
The other method, my method, had a lot more failures in it. I played two sessions of D&D with my oldest brother before I found that I really wanted to play it a lot more. Very few of my friends had ever heard of it, as I had very few friends at that age anyway. I picked up DMG for the 2nd edition books and read through the whole thing. I also read the entire players handbook, and over time the entire monstrous manual. 5 years later I was DM'ing in high school for a small group of friends, and having a blast. Those 5 years carried a lot of utter failures and ridiculous jaunts, but you have to start somewhere. As my body matured, my gaming became more sophisticated, and I slowly added more players of different backgrounds under my belt. Every new person I DM'd for was a new lesson in how my games should run, and eventually I learned the ultimate lesson: It's all about fun. No matter how many times anybody tells you, that is what it comes down to in the very end. However you manage to get there with your gaming group is the actual difficult part, but every group will either find that, or disperse.
Step 2: Learn the Rules
Plain and simple, pick up the PHB and read every rule that applies to combat and character creation. You will often find that you are the one that everybody asks the questions of. The questions come fast at times to, so it's good to have a bag of tricks up your sleeve just in case. One of my favorite tricks is to answer a question with another question, or perhaps put some mystery behind it. "How come he gets to be a Dragonborn, but I can't?" "Good question, maybe you should go on a quest to find out." or "The book says scale mail costs 45! How come he's charging me 100g!?" "Why would he charge so much for scale mail?"
Making a mistake at times can often lead you into a quest or a chance at a unique RP encounter without you ever planning it. Mistakes can be what keeps the world fresh and interesting. However, eventually the mistakes should be sieved out to a minimum, and the fresh and interesting should be as intentional as possible.
Step 3/4: Make Some Encounters/Create A Story
These two steps are completely interchangeable. Sometimes if you have a story, you can just throw some monsters in there for fun and excitement. Conversely, if you have some great encounters planned, figure out how the players will end up wandering into them! Sometimes it can be easier than you think. A good adventuring group should be wanting some adventure anyway; make it easy to find, and give them so good rewards for it!
More next week.
-Lance of the Hill People
Monday, June 23, 2008
Mini-Review: Last Chaos
This is a free to play, pay to win, MMO that was recently featured on one of those sites that list tons of free MMO's. It's called Last Chaos, it's a relatively small download for an MMO client (700mb?) and has decent graphics for a free game.
Character creation was very easy, and very limited. You can only be a human, and you can only choose from 5 classes. And in case you wondering, which you probably weren't, the class you pick also determines your gender. Someone played a bit too much Diablo II...
Anyway, I chose healer, and I was dumped right in the middle of what appeared to be some kind of tomb. Turns out this was some sort of dungeon underneath the city of Randol, and it was full of zombies! I could handle the zombies easily enough with my bow, but they certainly made it difficult with a very odd control system:
Left click on the ground- move to that spot
Left click on an enemy- move into range and attack
Left click on an enemy- select that enemy
In other words, you use the same button to move, select, and attack. It was awkward, but not unmanageable. Something I would have to figure out how to change before paying any money for the super duper features. Back to the zombies...
The zombies were mindless and slow, and died before they got to me. I had a special ability or two, but they were utterly useless to my autoattack at that point. I worked my way through a few dozen mindless guardians and simply clicked on the exit to finish the mini-tutorial. That's when I was immediately placed in what seemed to be the only city on my map. It was nearly impossible to tell what was going on that was appropriate to my level.
However, I was not completely lost. The first thing I did was seek out a class trainer, as I have played many RPG's in my day, and would not think of adventuring with outdated skills! I found the trainer, and had very little luck in actually deciphering what was actually available right off. It wasn't too terrible, just very unorganized for the most part. I trained the next level of my self heal and super bow attack thing, and headed off into the wilderness.
Journeying outside of Randol I ran into some other players killing foxes and wolves. I asked if I could join them, and didn't a single response for about 5 minutes, so I went off on my own. Equal level enemies were easy enough, and thanks to a 1.5x experience bonus buff, I was able to level fairly fast! It wasn't long before I was killing elder and dire wolves outside of town. But, as joyous as wolf extermination can be, I found my attention diverge to what appeared to be an angry sasquatch. Level 13. I was only 6 at that point, and thought it was about time to see what the death penalty was like.
I killed the sasquatch without getting hit. it wasn't just easy, it was too easy. A couple shots, run away, a few more shots, and the beast was done. I was disappointed, so I went after some level 17 beast of sorts. Thinking that this would be the end of me. The creature managed to hit me as I was overconfident and bored at this point, I took about 35% damage in the first hit. I soon realized how easy it was to simply run away and lure him around the entire wilderness slowly depleting his life, and enjoyed an entire level when I finally defeated him. I was unimpressed.
It was about this time that I realized I had some quests queuing up that I could acquire from mysterious sources out in the wilderness. I clicked the icon on my GUI display and quickly discovered that I was too high level for most of them already. Apparently you have to be the exact level for the quest to get anything out of it. And these weren't the kinds of quests that helped you level by loading you with XP, these were quests that teach fundamentals of out of combat gameplay. I still don't know how to get my spare items of good or better quality transmuted. Something about Lorraine?
Anyway, the game was enjoyable, but not worth committing to. If you're super broke, and really need something to do with your time, give it a shot, it's at least entertaining. But, unfortunately, I see no benefit or satisfaction out of getting far in the game.
For a freebie? Above average. Paying for it? Not for me.
-Lance of the Healer People
Character creation was very easy, and very limited. You can only be a human, and you can only choose from 5 classes. And in case you wondering, which you probably weren't, the class you pick also determines your gender. Someone played a bit too much Diablo II...
Anyway, I chose healer, and I was dumped right in the middle of what appeared to be some kind of tomb. Turns out this was some sort of dungeon underneath the city of Randol, and it was full of zombies! I could handle the zombies easily enough with my bow, but they certainly made it difficult with a very odd control system:
Left click on the ground- move to that spot
Left click on an enemy- move into range and attack
Left click on an enemy- select that enemy
In other words, you use the same button to move, select, and attack. It was awkward, but not unmanageable. Something I would have to figure out how to change before paying any money for the super duper features. Back to the zombies...
The zombies were mindless and slow, and died before they got to me. I had a special ability or two, but they were utterly useless to my autoattack at that point. I worked my way through a few dozen mindless guardians and simply clicked on the exit to finish the mini-tutorial. That's when I was immediately placed in what seemed to be the only city on my map. It was nearly impossible to tell what was going on that was appropriate to my level.
However, I was not completely lost. The first thing I did was seek out a class trainer, as I have played many RPG's in my day, and would not think of adventuring with outdated skills! I found the trainer, and had very little luck in actually deciphering what was actually available right off. It wasn't too terrible, just very unorganized for the most part. I trained the next level of my self heal and super bow attack thing, and headed off into the wilderness.
Journeying outside of Randol I ran into some other players killing foxes and wolves. I asked if I could join them, and didn't a single response for about 5 minutes, so I went off on my own. Equal level enemies were easy enough, and thanks to a 1.5x experience bonus buff, I was able to level fairly fast! It wasn't long before I was killing elder and dire wolves outside of town. But, as joyous as wolf extermination can be, I found my attention diverge to what appeared to be an angry sasquatch. Level 13. I was only 6 at that point, and thought it was about time to see what the death penalty was like.
I killed the sasquatch without getting hit. it wasn't just easy, it was too easy. A couple shots, run away, a few more shots, and the beast was done. I was disappointed, so I went after some level 17 beast of sorts. Thinking that this would be the end of me. The creature managed to hit me as I was overconfident and bored at this point, I took about 35% damage in the first hit. I soon realized how easy it was to simply run away and lure him around the entire wilderness slowly depleting his life, and enjoyed an entire level when I finally defeated him. I was unimpressed.
It was about this time that I realized I had some quests queuing up that I could acquire from mysterious sources out in the wilderness. I clicked the icon on my GUI display and quickly discovered that I was too high level for most of them already. Apparently you have to be the exact level for the quest to get anything out of it. And these weren't the kinds of quests that helped you level by loading you with XP, these were quests that teach fundamentals of out of combat gameplay. I still don't know how to get my spare items of good or better quality transmuted. Something about Lorraine?
Anyway, the game was enjoyable, but not worth committing to. If you're super broke, and really need something to do with your time, give it a shot, it's at least entertaining. But, unfortunately, I see no benefit or satisfaction out of getting far in the game.
For a freebie? Above average. Paying for it? Not for me.
-Lance of the Healer People
Sunday, June 22, 2008
Environment: The Poisonous Mushroom Forest
Between two massive spans of treacherous mountains, engulfed on either side by furlongs of rolling mountains, lay the Poisonous Mushroom Forest. The name, as names often are, is horridly misleading however. Not all of the mushrooms are poisonous; in fact, a small portion of the mushrooms will deliver a toxin into your blood that hinders, cripples, or deceives you. The most dangerous mushrooms do much worse than poison you. A more apt name for this place would be the "Forest of Mushrooms That Poison, Burn, Sting, Bite, Melt, and Devour While Being the Home to Every Form of Vile Creature That Can Withstand the Harshness". But that was too long to fit on the signpost.
The mushrooms come in many sizes. Some are smaller than a thumbnail, some are a thousand feet or more. Many of them are thin and bend, while many more are thick and tough as tree trunks. The Golden Mushrooms of Unerden are about 40-50 feet tall, and are often used as homes by many of the denizens of the forest. They are known to have great restorative powers, and often contain antigens to some of the more horrific poisons. For instance, a deep purple mushroom with tiny thorns that underly the bottom of the cap is known as a SlackWrath mushroom. Its poison will infect one creature, and any other creature that gets near it will end up contracting the poison themselves. After about a day or two of passing on the poison, the creature will suddenly break out into a horrible rash, and be dead within a few hours. There is no pain or sensation that the creature feels, not even a slight itch where the rash breaks out, and only a large handful of Golden Unerden Musk is able to cleanse it.
The floor of the mushroom forest is truly a sight, and a sensation, to remember! Every pinch of dirt that your feet lay upon, is covered in fungi. The floor is spongy, and nearly impossible to dig under. The only underground throughout the forest is the underground that the mushrooms allow. In some parts of the forest you will find layers of interlocking myconids as far down as 300 ft. Leaving an object on the mushroom floor will certainly destroy it within weeks. Anything that remains motionless is devoured and a new mushroom starts to grow in its place.
The creatures in the mushroom forest will often make homes within the mushrooms. Some of the larger mushrooms go further into the ground than any would expect, and some of the better mushroom mining species will dig deep into the mushroom to make an elaborate home for themselves, at their own risk. Rumor has it that a certain brand of Dwarf lives deep beneath the mushroom floor, in interlocking tunnels dug out of large mushroom roots. If they do exist though, it may not be wise to approach them expecting a peaceful resolve, for they have had little to no contact with other races for many generations.
The origins of the mushroom forest are quite unclear, and next week you will be introduced to a handful of the more popular theories.
-Lance of the Hill People
The mushrooms come in many sizes. Some are smaller than a thumbnail, some are a thousand feet or more. Many of them are thin and bend, while many more are thick and tough as tree trunks. The Golden Mushrooms of Unerden are about 40-50 feet tall, and are often used as homes by many of the denizens of the forest. They are known to have great restorative powers, and often contain antigens to some of the more horrific poisons. For instance, a deep purple mushroom with tiny thorns that underly the bottom of the cap is known as a SlackWrath mushroom. Its poison will infect one creature, and any other creature that gets near it will end up contracting the poison themselves. After about a day or two of passing on the poison, the creature will suddenly break out into a horrible rash, and be dead within a few hours. There is no pain or sensation that the creature feels, not even a slight itch where the rash breaks out, and only a large handful of Golden Unerden Musk is able to cleanse it.
The floor of the mushroom forest is truly a sight, and a sensation, to remember! Every pinch of dirt that your feet lay upon, is covered in fungi. The floor is spongy, and nearly impossible to dig under. The only underground throughout the forest is the underground that the mushrooms allow. In some parts of the forest you will find layers of interlocking myconids as far down as 300 ft. Leaving an object on the mushroom floor will certainly destroy it within weeks. Anything that remains motionless is devoured and a new mushroom starts to grow in its place.
The creatures in the mushroom forest will often make homes within the mushrooms. Some of the larger mushrooms go further into the ground than any would expect, and some of the better mushroom mining species will dig deep into the mushroom to make an elaborate home for themselves, at their own risk. Rumor has it that a certain brand of Dwarf lives deep beneath the mushroom floor, in interlocking tunnels dug out of large mushroom roots. If they do exist though, it may not be wise to approach them expecting a peaceful resolve, for they have had little to no contact with other races for many generations.
The origins of the mushroom forest are quite unclear, and next week you will be introduced to a handful of the more popular theories.
-Lance of the Hill People
Friday, June 20, 2008
Pick Up Group
So me and Apples went to our local gaming store this week during open RPG night. I wasn't entirely sure what to expect, as I have rarely if ever played with someone I did not consider to be a friend or at least acquaintance with first. We got there and started setting up at a table so that I may run a public 4E campaign, and we were approached by a couple kids who looked to be maybe middle school aged. They asked if we were playing D&D, and I said yes and asked if they wanted to join in.
Before too long me and Apples found ourselves helping them make their characters. I put a lot of time and focus into helping the less experienced of the two with making his character, and he was genuinely appreciative of my help and patience. It was nice to be appreciated, but I always find it tiring to DM after the entire character creation process. I think putting the time and energy into making a character from scratch can be a huge drain on your creativity. I really appreciate a campaign where everyone is able to play the same character over and over again, but at the same time it's fun to see some of my other friends joining in the game.
The session itself was fairly bland, but it was definitely a good experience for me to play with some kids who are the age I was when I first started playing D&D. Now I just need to figure out how to get them to focus on the parts of the game that are as equally interesting to an experienced DM as they are to a younger generation of gamers. I believe that if I can formulate the encounters right, just getting through the encounter will be a lot more interesting than pulling off flashy moves. I intend on accomplishing this by testing the limits of the players, always giving them encounters that are above average difficulty. The other option is to simply explain to them that if you do something flashy and daring every turn, things no longer become flashy and daring, and eventually you just look like a fool when you fail.
Other than finding a common ground to focus on, the game seems like it will be fairly successful. If nothing else, it gives me some extra practice DM'ing with people that I don't know all that well.
-Lance of the Old People
Before too long me and Apples found ourselves helping them make their characters. I put a lot of time and focus into helping the less experienced of the two with making his character, and he was genuinely appreciative of my help and patience. It was nice to be appreciated, but I always find it tiring to DM after the entire character creation process. I think putting the time and energy into making a character from scratch can be a huge drain on your creativity. I really appreciate a campaign where everyone is able to play the same character over and over again, but at the same time it's fun to see some of my other friends joining in the game.
The session itself was fairly bland, but it was definitely a good experience for me to play with some kids who are the age I was when I first started playing D&D. Now I just need to figure out how to get them to focus on the parts of the game that are as equally interesting to an experienced DM as they are to a younger generation of gamers. I believe that if I can formulate the encounters right, just getting through the encounter will be a lot more interesting than pulling off flashy moves. I intend on accomplishing this by testing the limits of the players, always giving them encounters that are above average difficulty. The other option is to simply explain to them that if you do something flashy and daring every turn, things no longer become flashy and daring, and eventually you just look like a fool when you fail.
Other than finding a common ground to focus on, the game seems like it will be fairly successful. If nothing else, it gives me some extra practice DM'ing with people that I don't know all that well.
-Lance of the Old People
Thursday, June 19, 2008
New Player
I know this has been said before, but it bears repeating. 4th Edition is intuitive, and easy to learn, and especially friendly to new players. The girlfriend of one of my players was recently convinced to try playing D&D with us. She previously knew very little, almost nothing of what D&D is. And on top of that, she knew very little of Roleplaying Games in general. Some of the more seasoned MMO and RPG players tend to take to D&D very well, but not all.
She made her character in about an hour and a half. It was her very first, and she had a little help from Apples. They worked together on making their character while we waited for our late comer, and I ran out of ink on all my dry erase markers, so we needed a trip to take care of that. Also there was an apple pie being made. It was a busy night, so the game didn't start until much later than scheduled. However! You would hardly believe this was her first time playing.
The party was ambushed by goblins in the mushroom forest, and since the new girl, Val, was the ranger, and in the back, she was shot down by goblin sharpshooters from on top of a mushroom. She was rendered unconcious before her first round of combat, but the group brought her up and alive almost immediately. Her first course of action was to spot the goblins on the mushroom, and use her daily to try to split her shots and hit both at once. This failed due to a bad roll, but a nice attempt. The warlord was an Eladrin like herself, and before long they had both teleported up to the top of the mushroom and were taking out the sharpshooters. She was shooting across the battlefield to the archers on the other side, while the warlord took out the two on their mushrooms with melee. It wasn't until the warlord got knocked off the mushroom due to blindness from a hexer below that she started panicking. She was being threatened by a goblin with a sword, and had no melee weapon on her. She wanted to take out the goblin next to her, and the goblin on the other mushroom at the same time, but couldn't decide because anything she did would provoke an opportunity attack. For a newbie in a crappy spot, she did well, but had to go to bed early that night for work. She left the battle early, but still managed to have fun.
Did she have fun? Yes. Was she a burden? (Other than not having a character already made at start time) No. Her turns took about the same amount of time as the veterans around her, if not less, and she came out of it with a yearning to learn more about the rules. It took a good while before she ever became flustered, and this was due to encouragement from the other players, and because of the very practical and intuitive gaming system that 4th Edition has provided us. I will continue to provide more updates on the success of the 4E ruleset as our game gets more sophisticated over the months.
/endrant
-Lance of the New People
She made her character in about an hour and a half. It was her very first, and she had a little help from Apples. They worked together on making their character while we waited for our late comer, and I ran out of ink on all my dry erase markers, so we needed a trip to take care of that. Also there was an apple pie being made. It was a busy night, so the game didn't start until much later than scheduled. However! You would hardly believe this was her first time playing.
The party was ambushed by goblins in the mushroom forest, and since the new girl, Val, was the ranger, and in the back, she was shot down by goblin sharpshooters from on top of a mushroom. She was rendered unconcious before her first round of combat, but the group brought her up and alive almost immediately. Her first course of action was to spot the goblins on the mushroom, and use her daily to try to split her shots and hit both at once. This failed due to a bad roll, but a nice attempt. The warlord was an Eladrin like herself, and before long they had both teleported up to the top of the mushroom and were taking out the sharpshooters. She was shooting across the battlefield to the archers on the other side, while the warlord took out the two on their mushrooms with melee. It wasn't until the warlord got knocked off the mushroom due to blindness from a hexer below that she started panicking. She was being threatened by a goblin with a sword, and had no melee weapon on her. She wanted to take out the goblin next to her, and the goblin on the other mushroom at the same time, but couldn't decide because anything she did would provoke an opportunity attack. For a newbie in a crappy spot, she did well, but had to go to bed early that night for work. She left the battle early, but still managed to have fun.
Did she have fun? Yes. Was she a burden? (Other than not having a character already made at start time) No. Her turns took about the same amount of time as the veterans around her, if not less, and she came out of it with a yearning to learn more about the rules. It took a good while before she ever became flustered, and this was due to encouragement from the other players, and because of the very practical and intuitive gaming system that 4th Edition has provided us. I will continue to provide more updates on the success of the 4E ruleset as our game gets more sophisticated over the months.
/endrant
-Lance of the New People
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
Chronicle: The Doctor And His Pipe
Truss was not an elderly man. Most would guess he has yet to live his 40th season, and they would be quite right in that assumption. He was not elderly, but he was very wise, and good at what he did. He dressed in meager garments though, his full sleeved shirts were always wrinkled and dirty. If it was a long night, they'd be covered in blood. But he always made sure to wash the blood out or throw it away after. His pants were typically thick and made from flax, brown and black were his colors of choice. Very plain indeed. His features were about as average as one could get. But there were two things that were utterly unique about Dr. Truss Wilven.
The first: his methods. When there were cities in these hills, Truss would not have been invited to use his skills for healing. The hospitals in these hills were generally reserved for a more spiritual healing. The sick would rely on the clerics of the village to be able to heal them. Although oftentimes a sickness would be stronger than the divine intervention required, and fathers, mothers, and children alike would pass on while the clergy did little more than mutter to themselves about how sad it was. If the gods had no mercy, there was nothing they would do. Truss was different. He prayed to no god, and he healed with his wisdom before he healed with his faith. In his entire career, not a single soldier had passed under his working hands. Although, it is not to say that he never lost a patient. Sometimes when an elder townsperson is brought in, there is nothing he can do but know when it is time for them to go. That is the Wilven way.
The other thing that is completely unique about Truss, is his pipe. His pipe was a wonder throughout the village, and there was not a single citizen who did not look upon it with awe when they saw it. The pipe itself was swirled with blues, greens, and streaked with red from end to end. It was shaped and patterned in such a way to look like an ancient and mystical dragon from the mountains to the east. This was not the amazing part. When Truss lit the end, which would have been the dragons skull, the face on the front began to move. It would sometimes blink, or stare, or look around with an impatient glare. Often times it would blow smoke out of its nose, and on rare occassions it would breathe a small spark of flame at some of the more curious onlookers. If Truss put it down while the tobacco was still lit, the dragon would flap it's wings in futility, and crawl around, as if looking for a den. Yes, this pipe was certainly unique, and it could only be held by a Wilven.
"8 bells in the morning already, how long are these adventurers going to sleep for?" Wilven said outloud to himself. Inner monologue fades when one has not slept. He stood up and stretched again. Once he was thoroughly satisfied with the amount of pops and cracks, he reached for the knob of the backdoor to the inn. Vinn was shuffling toward him, half a kick in his step. A full kick would have turned gravity against him, and he would know the joys of a face full of hardwood floor.
Vinn gleamed as he saw Wilven standing there, "Truss! They're ripe and rearin' to go! I've got 'em in the tea room waiting."
"Thanks Vinn, I'll let you know if they can help me after I meet with them." Wilven stepped through the door, and down the corridor into the tea room of the Inn.
The tea room was a most unimpressive room, just like the rest of the Inn. There were little decorations, except a few animal heads mounted above the stone hearth. The chairs were all made of a brown hard wood, and a large oak colored table took up the center. Four people were scattered about the room, all of them looked out of place, yet right where they belong.
Wilven gave them half of his best smile, "Welcome to Villehelm, I need your help. Now."
Within half an hour, he watched them from the parapets of the village wall as they trekked to the East, into the Poisonous Mushroom Forest.
The first: his methods. When there were cities in these hills, Truss would not have been invited to use his skills for healing. The hospitals in these hills were generally reserved for a more spiritual healing. The sick would rely on the clerics of the village to be able to heal them. Although oftentimes a sickness would be stronger than the divine intervention required, and fathers, mothers, and children alike would pass on while the clergy did little more than mutter to themselves about how sad it was. If the gods had no mercy, there was nothing they would do. Truss was different. He prayed to no god, and he healed with his wisdom before he healed with his faith. In his entire career, not a single soldier had passed under his working hands. Although, it is not to say that he never lost a patient. Sometimes when an elder townsperson is brought in, there is nothing he can do but know when it is time for them to go. That is the Wilven way.
The other thing that is completely unique about Truss, is his pipe. His pipe was a wonder throughout the village, and there was not a single citizen who did not look upon it with awe when they saw it. The pipe itself was swirled with blues, greens, and streaked with red from end to end. It was shaped and patterned in such a way to look like an ancient and mystical dragon from the mountains to the east. This was not the amazing part. When Truss lit the end, which would have been the dragons skull, the face on the front began to move. It would sometimes blink, or stare, or look around with an impatient glare. Often times it would blow smoke out of its nose, and on rare occassions it would breathe a small spark of flame at some of the more curious onlookers. If Truss put it down while the tobacco was still lit, the dragon would flap it's wings in futility, and crawl around, as if looking for a den. Yes, this pipe was certainly unique, and it could only be held by a Wilven.
"8 bells in the morning already, how long are these adventurers going to sleep for?" Wilven said outloud to himself. Inner monologue fades when one has not slept. He stood up and stretched again. Once he was thoroughly satisfied with the amount of pops and cracks, he reached for the knob of the backdoor to the inn. Vinn was shuffling toward him, half a kick in his step. A full kick would have turned gravity against him, and he would know the joys of a face full of hardwood floor.
Vinn gleamed as he saw Wilven standing there, "Truss! They're ripe and rearin' to go! I've got 'em in the tea room waiting."
"Thanks Vinn, I'll let you know if they can help me after I meet with them." Wilven stepped through the door, and down the corridor into the tea room of the Inn.
The tea room was a most unimpressive room, just like the rest of the Inn. There were little decorations, except a few animal heads mounted above the stone hearth. The chairs were all made of a brown hard wood, and a large oak colored table took up the center. Four people were scattered about the room, all of them looked out of place, yet right where they belong.
Wilven gave them half of his best smile, "Welcome to Villehelm, I need your help. Now."
Within half an hour, he watched them from the parapets of the village wall as they trekked to the East, into the Poisonous Mushroom Forest.
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
Where Have All The LAN RPG's Gone?
From Apples: http://www.wired.com/culture/lifestyle/commentary/alttext/2008/06/alttext_0618
Oh yes, it is quite hilarious.
Where have all the LAN RPG's gone?
Remember the days before MMO's when you may or may not have gotten together with some of your friends to play a rousing 12 hour game of Baldur's Gate on your LAN? Or when Diablo II came out and you hacked and slashed your way to victory over the first two acts? What about good ol' ... wait... were there any others? I remember both Dungeon Siege games had LAN play, but those weren't anything to write home about. Neverwinter Nights is a LAN game as well. But let's face it, those games are few and far between.
Unfortunately, in a world so connected, we find ourselves having difficulty connecting. In person. While the possibilities are there, there doesn't seem to be a market for a good multiplayer RPG that is not MASSIVELY multiplayer.
But why, Lance?!
Because. Well, mostly because they feel as though the target audience of all video games should be the largest demographic possible, or it won't make any money. Why would you go through all the trouble of making a really sweet RPG and then not expose it to the massive demographic that is the fans of MMO's. Not only is it a massive demographic, but you reap major rewards if your player base is hooked. I also believe this is one of the reasons we no longer see games of other genre's as well. Adventure games are more and more rare, same with Real-Time Strategy, and just plain RPG. There was a time when these were the kinds of games that would have dominated the market. Unfortunately, these are the kinds of games that the big publishers tend to look down upon. They see our demographic as a small portion, and it's true, we can't even hold a candle to the number of fans belonging to FPS, Sports/Racing, and MMOIMGONNAPWNUNUBLOL. The latter being the type of game that is mostly played by people who need to be told what the good games are, and then they go in and find every exploit they can, even if it means wasting their lives camping all the sweet mining node spawns.
Bitterness? Maybe a little. But it is well deserved. If only there was something we could do to bring back the genre's that invigorated us throughout the 90's.
Oh yes, it is quite hilarious.
Where have all the LAN RPG's gone?
Remember the days before MMO's when you may or may not have gotten together with some of your friends to play a rousing 12 hour game of Baldur's Gate on your LAN? Or when Diablo II came out and you hacked and slashed your way to victory over the first two acts? What about good ol' ... wait... were there any others? I remember both Dungeon Siege games had LAN play, but those weren't anything to write home about. Neverwinter Nights is a LAN game as well. But let's face it, those games are few and far between.
Unfortunately, in a world so connected, we find ourselves having difficulty connecting. In person. While the possibilities are there, there doesn't seem to be a market for a good multiplayer RPG that is not MASSIVELY multiplayer.
But why, Lance?!
Because. Well, mostly because they feel as though the target audience of all video games should be the largest demographic possible, or it won't make any money. Why would you go through all the trouble of making a really sweet RPG and then not expose it to the massive demographic that is the fans of MMO's. Not only is it a massive demographic, but you reap major rewards if your player base is hooked. I also believe this is one of the reasons we no longer see games of other genre's as well. Adventure games are more and more rare, same with Real-Time Strategy, and just plain RPG. There was a time when these were the kinds of games that would have dominated the market. Unfortunately, these are the kinds of games that the big publishers tend to look down upon. They see our demographic as a small portion, and it's true, we can't even hold a candle to the number of fans belonging to FPS, Sports/Racing, and MMOIMGONNAPWNUNUBLOL. The latter being the type of game that is mostly played by people who need to be told what the good games are, and then they go in and find every exploit they can, even if it means wasting their lives camping all the sweet mining node spawns.
Bitterness? Maybe a little. But it is well deserved. If only there was something we could do to bring back the genre's that invigorated us throughout the 90's.
Monday, June 16, 2008
Closer Look: Class Roles
Class roles - they've had them since the beginning of roleplaying games, but not since recently have they become so well defined. I first saw it in World of Warcraft, where depending on your class and specialization, you would end up doing a certain job in the group. What was different in WoW than in most of the other RPG's I've played was the fact that when the enemies got tougher, the opportunity to pull of multiple roles at once diminished greatly. This is what I mean by clear definition. There is always a gray area, and some games have a much larger gray area than others. I personally have enjoyed what I've seen of 4E's take on class roles though.
First off, a comparison:
2nd Edition: In 2nd edition D&D, the classes were already divided into different categories. You had the Fighter, the Thief, the Cleric, and the Magic-User. Under these groups were the specific class options, and sometimes you could only be one if you rolled the appropriate stats first. This is obviously no longer the case. However, what 2nd edition had was some really cool versatility among the different classes. Very little was streamlined in this ruleset, and the rules were often thrown asunder in favor of something more fun. These were good times, but unfortunately it lead to some horrific consequences. Classes were not balanced for gameplay in 2nd edition, it was a lot more about the roleplaying in those days.
3rd Edition: 3E was fun, but taxing in the long run. 3rd was the edition that made character creation the most utterly ridiculous fiasco in the history of dungeons and dragons. You were no longer spending hours figuring out a cool character and background, you were spending the hours doing math, and strategically picking skills and feats to avoid being gimped at higher levels. Under these conditions, it was nearly impossible for your character to truly find it's place in group combat. You were more or less forced into being utterly superior at your role, or you were able to do almost nothing. The classes themselves were built with a lot of customization in mind, but if you customized wrong, you could become entirely ineffective.
4th Edition: Now we see where MMO's have finally influenced our tabletop gaming. It is no secret that Blizzard and D&D have been basing things off of each other's stories and lore for many years now. D&D was first, of course, but WoW and other RPG's have managed to make a good impression on the design of our new tabletop foray. The Defender is a tank, the Leader is a healer, the striker is your DPS, and the controller is your CC. DPS means Damage Per Second, in other words, you are able to do a lot of damage to a single target without issue. CC means Crowd Control, this is someone who can take an enemy out of commission while the rest of the party takes care of the dirty work. And it really doesn't get much simpler than that.
So there you have it, my opinion of the major differences between the past three revisions of the dungeons and dragons rules in terms of class roles. Although, there is a key point that I have yet to leave out. 2nd Edition had a lot of flexibility in terms of the DM being encouraged to discard and change the rules per convenience and fun, 3rd gave people the customization they desired while giving everyone equal ground to stand on, but 4th did something great to stand out. 4th Edition now gives the players a clear goal to accomplish during encounters while giving them an extremely reasonable amount of customization. And the customization they've given them is in such a way that it is almost impossible to "gimp" or ruin your character in the long run. This is the keystone to the new edition.
There is little more I have to say for now.
-Lance of the Hill People
First off, a comparison:
2nd Edition: In 2nd edition D&D, the classes were already divided into different categories. You had the Fighter, the Thief, the Cleric, and the Magic-User. Under these groups were the specific class options, and sometimes you could only be one if you rolled the appropriate stats first. This is obviously no longer the case. However, what 2nd edition had was some really cool versatility among the different classes. Very little was streamlined in this ruleset, and the rules were often thrown asunder in favor of something more fun. These were good times, but unfortunately it lead to some horrific consequences. Classes were not balanced for gameplay in 2nd edition, it was a lot more about the roleplaying in those days.
3rd Edition: 3E was fun, but taxing in the long run. 3rd was the edition that made character creation the most utterly ridiculous fiasco in the history of dungeons and dragons. You were no longer spending hours figuring out a cool character and background, you were spending the hours doing math, and strategically picking skills and feats to avoid being gimped at higher levels. Under these conditions, it was nearly impossible for your character to truly find it's place in group combat. You were more or less forced into being utterly superior at your role, or you were able to do almost nothing. The classes themselves were built with a lot of customization in mind, but if you customized wrong, you could become entirely ineffective.
4th Edition: Now we see where MMO's have finally influenced our tabletop gaming. It is no secret that Blizzard and D&D have been basing things off of each other's stories and lore for many years now. D&D was first, of course, but WoW and other RPG's have managed to make a good impression on the design of our new tabletop foray. The Defender is a tank, the Leader is a healer, the striker is your DPS, and the controller is your CC. DPS means Damage Per Second, in other words, you are able to do a lot of damage to a single target without issue. CC means Crowd Control, this is someone who can take an enemy out of commission while the rest of the party takes care of the dirty work. And it really doesn't get much simpler than that.
So there you have it, my opinion of the major differences between the past three revisions of the dungeons and dragons rules in terms of class roles. Although, there is a key point that I have yet to leave out. 2nd Edition had a lot of flexibility in terms of the DM being encouraged to discard and change the rules per convenience and fun, 3rd gave people the customization they desired while giving everyone equal ground to stand on, but 4th did something great to stand out. 4th Edition now gives the players a clear goal to accomplish during encounters while giving them an extremely reasonable amount of customization. And the customization they've given them is in such a way that it is almost impossible to "gimp" or ruin your character in the long run. This is the keystone to the new edition.
There is little more I have to say for now.
-Lance of the Hill People
Sunday, June 15, 2008
DM'ing: It's Your World Now
Today I would like to write about originality. I am a DM that takes great pride in the worlds and stories that I create, and I was slightly taken aback by something I read in the newest Dungeon Master's Guide. They sentence I read specifically said that as a DM you are not expected to be original. Now I know my post about Recycling is frighteningly similar to that idea, but I do not condone the message that is being sent.
Being a DM means more than just being the moderator and planner of an adventure. Your players look to you to make the story interesting to them. While recycling other material, you may see different reactions from your players, and they may become more or less interested depending on how exciting you have made it. Completely reusing published material in a D&D campaign can really set you back in the eyes of the players. In fact, I've been called on it multiple times, "Isn't this the plot to?" or, "Hey, this NPC is acting a lot like that guy from Monty Python." Etc.
While originality is not required to be a DM, it offers you something that you can't get from modules and premade settings.
Credibility: When it all comes down to it, players would rather see a fun and enthusiastic DM tell his or her own story, before they play through a story they already know. This gives the DM some credibility with the players. The players really believe that the storytellers words are the actual chronicle of this world. When you take an already known story and run your players through, they have every right to carry predictions with them, as opposed to happily living in mystery.
But you may ask, "Lance! You seem to have all the answers, how do I do this originality thing?"
And I may respond, "Simply my friend! Just create!"
Just Create: Start with an idea, something simple at first, and run with it. Keep in mind, the idea doesn't have to be amazing or epic or extraordinary. The idea can be the most mundane thought, and you can turn it into an epic quest. You could make a campaign out of making breakfast even! The egg you crack into the frying pan on your stove might be the same egg that a storm giant cracked onto his own hearth, a wyvern or a Roc's egg no doubt. And the orange juice you poured into the cup is obviously an elixir of nourishment that one of the party members finds that very same morning.
Take it from there: my version of the story is that the party investigates the mysterious elixir to find a sage who knows very well that the substance is only found in the high peaks where the Roc's make their nests. The elixir is worth a small fortune, so the party goes up to investigate to try to make a buck. When they finally scale the cliff face, the Roc's turn out to be friendly, and peaceloving. The offer all the elixir the party wants if they'll help them battle the storm giant that has been trapping their kind. And it can go on from there.
Don't be afraid to let your mind wander when making your campaigns.
-Lance of the Hill People
Being a DM means more than just being the moderator and planner of an adventure. Your players look to you to make the story interesting to them. While recycling other material, you may see different reactions from your players, and they may become more or less interested depending on how exciting you have made it. Completely reusing published material in a D&D campaign can really set you back in the eyes of the players. In fact, I've been called on it multiple times, "Isn't this the plot to
While originality is not required to be a DM, it offers you something that you can't get from modules and premade settings.
Credibility: When it all comes down to it, players would rather see a fun and enthusiastic DM tell his or her own story, before they play through a story they already know. This gives the DM some credibility with the players. The players really believe that the storytellers words are the actual chronicle of this world. When you take an already known story and run your players through, they have every right to carry predictions with them, as opposed to happily living in mystery.
But you may ask, "Lance! You seem to have all the answers, how do I do this originality thing?"
And I may respond, "Simply my friend! Just create!"
Just Create: Start with an idea, something simple at first, and run with it. Keep in mind, the idea doesn't have to be amazing or epic or extraordinary. The idea can be the most mundane thought, and you can turn it into an epic quest. You could make a campaign out of making breakfast even! The egg you crack into the frying pan on your stove might be the same egg that a storm giant cracked onto his own hearth, a wyvern or a Roc's egg no doubt. And the orange juice you poured into the cup is obviously an elixir of nourishment that one of the party members finds that very same morning.
Take it from there: my version of the story is that the party investigates the mysterious elixir to find a sage who knows very well that the substance is only found in the high peaks where the Roc's make their nests. The elixir is worth a small fortune, so the party goes up to investigate to try to make a buck. When they finally scale the cliff face, the Roc's turn out to be friendly, and peaceloving. The offer all the elixir the party wants if they'll help them battle the storm giant that has been trapping their kind. And it can go on from there.
Don't be afraid to let your mind wander when making your campaigns.
-Lance of the Hill People
Thursday, June 12, 2008
Recycling
As a DM, you face many challenges on a day to day basis. One of the biggest challenges is finding what drives your players, and doing it well session after session. But what happens when you're really too busy to come up with some sweet new plot line? Or maybe your creative character creation has been weak of late? Perhaps you can't think of any new and exciting encounters to throw at your players?
These are all good questions. And the answer to all of them is simple. Recycle. Regardless of whether you're making a D&D campaign, writing a novel or short story, or even designing a video game, you're aloud to reuse your best ideas! To an extent.
There is a catch though. You can't simply take an idea you used earlier and stick it in somewhere else. It has to be modified, it has to be reconstructed, and it has to make sense! For example: Let's say you have a group of adventurers looking to kill a dragon and take its treasure. A very Tolkien-esque plot line. A great idea, and a grand adventure. The first time. But there are details to this plot that you may have fleshed out during the actual storytelling. The details are the important part.
Possible Details
The terrain in which the dragon was fought.
Possible friends/allies along the way.
Was the dragon ever fought?
Was there a dragon at all?
Was there even a horde to claim?
Who found who first?
These are some very obvious concepts during the actual story. But what would happen if you simply took the same adventure, and changed the details? Maybe the heroes are now looking for a dragon in the snow, or perhaps in a swamp. This can change things dramatically in terms of encounters and challenges, but is still the same plot at heart. However, if instead of a legion of soldiers offering aid, the protagonists stumbled upon a band of dragon-worshiping kobolds, things would go a bit differently as well. Still the same plot though. But what if there was no dragon at the end of the journey? Perhaps the heroes were tricked by a well-intentioned sage to find the hideout of a merciless warlord. It could even be the case that his evil nickname is "The Dragon of Kashim"! Or what about an entire lack of treasure once the dragon was defeated? That could certainly put a damper on the day of the adventurers, and perhaps the real adventure is the trip back home on a lost investment. And finally, it may be the case that the dragon finds them first! And the quest is not a mission of violence, but a treasure hunt across the realms of many different kings and warlords!
Some of these suggestions are a lot more extreme than others. But as you can see, taking a plot detail and tweaking it can do wonders on rekindling a previously overused idea. And don't be afraid to let one detail change another in the course of your plotting and planning. Sometimes the best ideas are completely indistinguishable from the original thought!
These are all good questions. And the answer to all of them is simple. Recycle. Regardless of whether you're making a D&D campaign, writing a novel or short story, or even designing a video game, you're aloud to reuse your best ideas! To an extent.
There is a catch though. You can't simply take an idea you used earlier and stick it in somewhere else. It has to be modified, it has to be reconstructed, and it has to make sense! For example: Let's say you have a group of adventurers looking to kill a dragon and take its treasure. A very Tolkien-esque plot line. A great idea, and a grand adventure. The first time. But there are details to this plot that you may have fleshed out during the actual storytelling. The details are the important part.
Possible Details
The terrain in which the dragon was fought.
Possible friends/allies along the way.
Was the dragon ever fought?
Was there a dragon at all?
Was there even a horde to claim?
Who found who first?
These are some very obvious concepts during the actual story. But what would happen if you simply took the same adventure, and changed the details? Maybe the heroes are now looking for a dragon in the snow, or perhaps in a swamp. This can change things dramatically in terms of encounters and challenges, but is still the same plot at heart. However, if instead of a legion of soldiers offering aid, the protagonists stumbled upon a band of dragon-worshiping kobolds, things would go a bit differently as well. Still the same plot though. But what if there was no dragon at the end of the journey? Perhaps the heroes were tricked by a well-intentioned sage to find the hideout of a merciless warlord. It could even be the case that his evil nickname is "The Dragon of Kashim"! Or what about an entire lack of treasure once the dragon was defeated? That could certainly put a damper on the day of the adventurers, and perhaps the real adventure is the trip back home on a lost investment. And finally, it may be the case that the dragon finds them first! And the quest is not a mission of violence, but a treasure hunt across the realms of many different kings and warlords!
Some of these suggestions are a lot more extreme than others. But as you can see, taking a plot detail and tweaking it can do wonders on rekindling a previously overused idea. And don't be afraid to let one detail change another in the course of your plotting and planning. Sometimes the best ideas are completely indistinguishable from the original thought!
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
Chronicle: Adventure in Villehelm
Doctor Truss Wilven has no desk to work at. In fact, he's less of a doctor, and more of a patron to the village that he made his home. His village is surrounded by a wall of towering logs, side by side they loom over any and all who advance. Except for those who the doctor fears most, giants. This particular night, however, the doctor is spending stooped over four of the villages young ones.
"Daniel, please do tell what bit you. I've asked almost a dozen times now, and the sooner I get an answer, the sooner we fix this." He asked the older of the four children, his eyes already reddened from the lack of sleep gave him a hideous stare. One the child would not forgot.
"I told you! I didn't see it. Arie was the one who got bit, we didn't know where she was." Daniel, the oldest, replied. "We all found her by the cairn near Morrow Cliff. We tried to get a bandage on her, but she bleeding so much..."
Wilven looked disgusted, "Hush child. We will deal with this regardless. Although your story has changed sufficiently each hour, I believe the full truth may come out within the year. Unfortunately we don't have that time. Get to rest, I will figure something out, even if I have to go into the mushroom forest on my own."
Daniel looked at him, tears pouring out of his eyes, "Sorry, sir."
Wilven was almost out the door when he turned and looked at Daniel, "I know." His eyes were even more bloodshot now, as tears began to run down his own cheek. "Lannie will be here in a few minutes, tell her I'm on my way to Vinn's." And the door closed gently behind him.
Wilven walked sleepily down the hard packed roads of Villehelm. It was a fairly calm night, and he enjoyed smelling the fresh air after spending most of the night inhaling fumes from likely medicines. Vinn was already standing outside the tavern when Wilven arrived.
"Evenin' Vinn, any good news?" Wilven asked, nodding as he approached.
"That depends there Truss. Turns out a small pack of travelers turned up at about 6 bells. Look like a hardy bunch. Got a need?"
Wilven couldn't help but crack a smile at this news. It was well known that anyone who could travel from town to town in a small group was worth more than their weight in gold. He sat down beside the burly innkeeper and started packing a pipe. "A need Vinn? Yeah, you could say that. You let me know when they're awake, I'll be right here."
"Daniel, please do tell what bit you. I've asked almost a dozen times now, and the sooner I get an answer, the sooner we fix this." He asked the older of the four children, his eyes already reddened from the lack of sleep gave him a hideous stare. One the child would not forgot.
"I told you! I didn't see it. Arie was the one who got bit, we didn't know where she was." Daniel, the oldest, replied. "We all found her by the cairn near Morrow Cliff. We tried to get a bandage on her, but she bleeding so much..."
Wilven looked disgusted, "Hush child. We will deal with this regardless. Although your story has changed sufficiently each hour, I believe the full truth may come out within the year. Unfortunately we don't have that time. Get to rest, I will figure something out, even if I have to go into the mushroom forest on my own."
Daniel looked at him, tears pouring out of his eyes, "Sorry, sir."
Wilven was almost out the door when he turned and looked at Daniel, "I know." His eyes were even more bloodshot now, as tears began to run down his own cheek. "Lannie will be here in a few minutes, tell her I'm on my way to Vinn's." And the door closed gently behind him.
Wilven walked sleepily down the hard packed roads of Villehelm. It was a fairly calm night, and he enjoyed smelling the fresh air after spending most of the night inhaling fumes from likely medicines. Vinn was already standing outside the tavern when Wilven arrived.
"Evenin' Vinn, any good news?" Wilven asked, nodding as he approached.
"That depends there Truss. Turns out a small pack of travelers turned up at about 6 bells. Look like a hardy bunch. Got a need?"
Wilven couldn't help but crack a smile at this news. It was well known that anyone who could travel from town to town in a small group was worth more than their weight in gold. He sat down beside the burly innkeeper and started packing a pipe. "A need Vinn? Yeah, you could say that. You let me know when they're awake, I'll be right here."
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
Delayed!
Sorry for the late post. Since this is not an entirely D&D related page, I will take this opportunity to talk about a game in development that me and a couple of my friends have been tracking. The game is Darkfall Online and there are few games that have similarly been able to catch my interest as of late.
Darkfall proposes to be a game that immerses the players in what they refer to as "gameplay realism". They claim to be able to deliver more character customization, and more gameplay freedom, than any other game I've seen on the market. From the research I have been able to do on the game thus far, it seems as though it has been in development for almost 7 years now. This is taking into account that it started in 2001, and was scheduled to be in Beta in 2003, which then was scrapped, and the game was bumped up a couple notches in terms of the scope of features they were planning on delivering. In short, Darkfall has been in development for longer than almost any other MMO I can imagine to date.
So is this a good thing or a bad thing?
I personally think it's a great thing. While long development times can be a taxing investment, and devastating to the patience of potential players, this game has managed to be in development for almost the entire span of 3D MMO's. I just want to point out, that people on this development team have some know how, and they're ready to do things differently. You can already tell that even though this is a PvP based game, the developers are really going to strive to keep it balanced. And balance in Darkfall is not going to be the same as balance in World of Warcraft.
You will often find me using World of Warcraft as my MMO comparison, simply because I've played the game for almost 3 years, and it's also the most popular MMO I've ever experienced. My point about balance in WoW vs the balance in Darkfall is that if something that you know and love, and are highly skill in, becomes "balanced" in Darkfall, you won't have to roll a new character. If you love to use your bow all day, and it gets nerfed in favor of buffing thrown weapons, simply train thrown weapons! Or pick up another support skill to give yourself an even deadlier combination! When they talk about player skill, I truly believe they are talking about more than just the number associated with your character's skills. They really want the person behind the avatar to have some skills.
That sums up my first thoughts on the game, although I may revisit some more concepts next Tuesday. Look forward to a full on review once it gets released and I own it.
Darkfall proposes to be a game that immerses the players in what they refer to as "gameplay realism". They claim to be able to deliver more character customization, and more gameplay freedom, than any other game I've seen on the market. From the research I have been able to do on the game thus far, it seems as though it has been in development for almost 7 years now. This is taking into account that it started in 2001, and was scheduled to be in Beta in 2003, which then was scrapped, and the game was bumped up a couple notches in terms of the scope of features they were planning on delivering. In short, Darkfall has been in development for longer than almost any other MMO I can imagine to date.
So is this a good thing or a bad thing?
I personally think it's a great thing. While long development times can be a taxing investment, and devastating to the patience of potential players, this game has managed to be in development for almost the entire span of 3D MMO's. I just want to point out, that people on this development team have some know how, and they're ready to do things differently. You can already tell that even though this is a PvP based game, the developers are really going to strive to keep it balanced. And balance in Darkfall is not going to be the same as balance in World of Warcraft.
You will often find me using World of Warcraft as my MMO comparison, simply because I've played the game for almost 3 years, and it's also the most popular MMO I've ever experienced. My point about balance in WoW vs the balance in Darkfall is that if something that you know and love, and are highly skill in, becomes "balanced" in Darkfall, you won't have to roll a new character. If you love to use your bow all day, and it gets nerfed in favor of buffing thrown weapons, simply train thrown weapons! Or pick up another support skill to give yourself an even deadlier combination! When they talk about player skill, I truly believe they are talking about more than just the number associated with your character's skills. They really want the person behind the avatar to have some skills.
That sums up my first thoughts on the game, although I may revisit some more concepts next Tuesday. Look forward to a full on review once it gets released and I own it.
Monday, June 9, 2008
Closer Look: Alignment
One of my players responded to my first post, asking me to expand on alignment in 4th Edition. I realize that I could have included more detail in my original post, so I decided to make an article out of my full response.
Before 4th Edition, alignment was split into 9 different absolutes. These absolutes did more than simply identify your characters basic morality and decision making, but could really flesh out your character's personality. A neutral good character would often take the role of a storybook hero, lawful evil was one you would often associate with a corporate lawyer, etc. Alignment said a lot before now.
Nowadays, alignment says a whole lot more. If you're good aligned, it's because you deliberately chose to be good. If you're evil, it's because you know you're evil, and you enjoy it. But what about the unaligned? Unaligned makes an incredible amount of sense. I know a lot of the old pros (myself included) who would sit around some days and try to figure out the alignments of all their friends, but when it came down to it, they couldn't quite pin them all exactly. By making less alignments, and making them more general, the 4E developers were able to fit just about everyone into an alignment. Even if that alignment is unaligned. If I were to approach a friend of mine and ask them what alignment they or, if they're good or evil, lawful or chaotic, they would rarely know how to answer. In fact, depending on your friends, most of them would probably recognize themselves as lawful good, just because most people don't think of themselves as not good, and most people like to be thought of as obeyers of the law.
But how many of those people who say they are lawful good actually have made a lifestyle out of doing the right thing or obeying and enforcing the law? Very few. Not to say that many people will do the right thing when presented with the choice, and more often than not will obey the law, but there's always a grey area. Specific alignments are absolutes, but since not everybody fits into those absolutes, the alignments have less power, and are too flexible. Now to be "good" you aren't just a good person, you are someone who follows and obeys what it takes to be "good". Choosing an alignment now becomes as clear of a choice as choosing your religion. Nowadays you can simply be unaligned, and people won't question your alignment when you make a selfish action, or break a minor law in favor of what you know is right.
The sum total of the alignment change is greater than any power it previously had. People may still associate characters with the alignments of previous editions, but will not be required to fit themselves into a specific pigeonhole anymore.
Kudos to the developers on this solution. I note that I did not make it entirely clear as to how the alignment system has changed specfically. I am still reluctant to include too much information on specific game mechanics, because I also encourage the readers to pick up their own copy of the books.
Before 4th Edition, alignment was split into 9 different absolutes. These absolutes did more than simply identify your characters basic morality and decision making, but could really flesh out your character's personality. A neutral good character would often take the role of a storybook hero, lawful evil was one you would often associate with a corporate lawyer, etc. Alignment said a lot before now.
Nowadays, alignment says a whole lot more. If you're good aligned, it's because you deliberately chose to be good. If you're evil, it's because you know you're evil, and you enjoy it. But what about the unaligned? Unaligned makes an incredible amount of sense. I know a lot of the old pros (myself included) who would sit around some days and try to figure out the alignments of all their friends, but when it came down to it, they couldn't quite pin them all exactly. By making less alignments, and making them more general, the 4E developers were able to fit just about everyone into an alignment. Even if that alignment is unaligned. If I were to approach a friend of mine and ask them what alignment they or, if they're good or evil, lawful or chaotic, they would rarely know how to answer. In fact, depending on your friends, most of them would probably recognize themselves as lawful good, just because most people don't think of themselves as not good, and most people like to be thought of as obeyers of the law.
But how many of those people who say they are lawful good actually have made a lifestyle out of doing the right thing or obeying and enforcing the law? Very few. Not to say that many people will do the right thing when presented with the choice, and more often than not will obey the law, but there's always a grey area. Specific alignments are absolutes, but since not everybody fits into those absolutes, the alignments have less power, and are too flexible. Now to be "good" you aren't just a good person, you are someone who follows and obeys what it takes to be "good". Choosing an alignment now becomes as clear of a choice as choosing your religion. Nowadays you can simply be unaligned, and people won't question your alignment when you make a selfish action, or break a minor law in favor of what you know is right.
The sum total of the alignment change is greater than any power it previously had. People may still associate characters with the alignments of previous editions, but will not be required to fit themselves into a specific pigeonhole anymore.
Kudos to the developers on this solution. I note that I did not make it entirely clear as to how the alignment system has changed specfically. I am still reluctant to include too much information on specific game mechanics, because I also encourage the readers to pick up their own copy of the books.
Sunday, June 8, 2008
DM'ing: The Benefits of Mapping Your World (Even if the Players Don't See It)
This is the first in a long series of weekly articles on ways to help spread some constructive ideas and strategies on DM'ing. The next few weeks will have everything to do with creating your own worlds, as opposed to using a module or a published campaign. The 4th Edition Dungeon Masters Guide gives you plenty of good reasons to use pre-made campaigns and adventures, but if you're style is anything like mine, you spend most of your time in your own worlds.
As you may have guessed from the title, this particular segment is about making maps. Let me just put in the disclaimer that I am in no way artistically inclined with a pen/pencil/crayon/stencil, but I love drawing maps. Now why do I draw maps as opposed to writing or just remembering the setting? First of all, memories of your D&D world can easily fade when a certain region has not been visited recently. Even though it was only a week for the players, it could be months in reality! Also, writing out the description of the entire world before you map it is generally regarded as a poor mnemonic when it comes to accessing stored data in your brain. In other words, visuals really help you remember things about your world without having to specifically look them up. A small crook in the ocean line on your world map might remind you of the fact that you named the nearby port city "Crookshore". It's a little known fact there are no mussels on the coast near Crookshore, they were eaten to extinction by a band of Kuo-Toa that were left behind after a raid. But I digress.
I've established that memory is a driving tool for having a visual, as opposed to written or remembered, map, but there are other important facets that I come across while drawing:
Creating is Familiarizing -
As you draw at your world in a visual format, you get to see and feel the land being made in real-time. You understand the work that gods themselves put into the shaping of lands, and you are able to really connect with the continental shapes that you've drawn. It's not just the facts, it's what you yourself have created from nothing, and you are more likely to identify with the lands earlier on. There will be many instances where you will be put on the spot to describe your lands. The deeper the connection you have to the contours of the terrain, the more detailed your descriptions will be become, and players love details.
Frame of Reference -
When you craft the world from your imagination, you not only familiarize yourself with the terrain, you also get to convince yourself of some of the more important aspects of the geology. Why is the Dwarven City built in this part of the mountains? Does a Human settlement really belong that close to an Elven wood? These are the question that you can answer when placing cities, towns, and settlements throughout your worlds.
Improv becomes Lore -
Old DM pros know that there's a lot of improv involved when you create your own world. One of the greatest challenges of a DM that uses homemade settings is the tricky questions the players like to ask that you are rarely prepared for. "How does Talonvale survive as a farming community without a nearby source of freshwater?" You might not have thought of that when designing your landscape, but maybe you came up with the answer on the spot just then. The answer has just become a part of the lore of the town as well. There's not above ground river, but there's a massive channel of underground waterways that just so happen to be infested with and the townspeople need help!
Lore Inspiration -
When drawing the map for my first 4th Edition setting, I came upon one of my favorite connections. It was suggested by one of my PC's that I set the campaign in a world that was once struck by a huge war or disaster of some sort. I had no idea how that might get implemented at the time, but as I was drawing the hilly landscape that players would start in, and the mushroom forest valley below, I realized that the best explanation for a giant forest of mushrooms surrounded by hills, that are surrounded by mountains, was quite obvious in fact. The mushroom forest grows out of a crater cause by a massive impact in the center of the continent. This impact could have been a meteor, a ritual gone wrong, or perhaps a god falling from the heavens. Making your maps can and will inspire you to think about more than just geography and geology, but about what makes your setting unique.
Check back next Sunday for more tips on creating a setting of your own.
-Lance of the Hill People
As you may have guessed from the title, this particular segment is about making maps. Let me just put in the disclaimer that I am in no way artistically inclined with a pen/pencil/crayon/stencil, but I love drawing maps. Now why do I draw maps as opposed to writing or just remembering the setting? First of all, memories of your D&D world can easily fade when a certain region has not been visited recently. Even though it was only a week for the players, it could be months in reality! Also, writing out the description of the entire world before you map it is generally regarded as a poor mnemonic when it comes to accessing stored data in your brain. In other words, visuals really help you remember things about your world without having to specifically look them up. A small crook in the ocean line on your world map might remind you of the fact that you named the nearby port city "Crookshore". It's a little known fact there are no mussels on the coast near Crookshore, they were eaten to extinction by a band of Kuo-Toa that were left behind after a raid. But I digress.
I've established that memory is a driving tool for having a visual, as opposed to written or remembered, map, but there are other important facets that I come across while drawing:
Creating is Familiarizing -
As you draw at your world in a visual format, you get to see and feel the land being made in real-time. You understand the work that gods themselves put into the shaping of lands, and you are able to really connect with the continental shapes that you've drawn. It's not just the facts, it's what you yourself have created from nothing, and you are more likely to identify with the lands earlier on. There will be many instances where you will be put on the spot to describe your lands. The deeper the connection you have to the contours of the terrain, the more detailed your descriptions will be become, and players love details.
Frame of Reference -
When you craft the world from your imagination, you not only familiarize yourself with the terrain, you also get to convince yourself of some of the more important aspects of the geology. Why is the Dwarven City built in this part of the mountains? Does a Human settlement really belong that close to an Elven wood? These are the question that you can answer when placing cities, towns, and settlements throughout your worlds.
Improv becomes Lore -
Old DM pros know that there's a lot of improv involved when you create your own world. One of the greatest challenges of a DM that uses homemade settings is the tricky questions the players like to ask that you are rarely prepared for. "How does Talonvale survive as a farming community without a nearby source of freshwater?" You might not have thought of that when designing your landscape, but maybe you came up with the answer on the spot just then. The answer has just become a part of the lore of the town as well. There's not above ground river, but there's a massive channel of underground waterways that just so happen to be infested with
Lore Inspiration -
When drawing the map for my first 4th Edition setting, I came upon one of my favorite connections. It was suggested by one of my PC's that I set the campaign in a world that was once struck by a huge war or disaster of some sort. I had no idea how that might get implemented at the time, but as I was drawing the hilly landscape that players would start in, and the mushroom forest valley below, I realized that the best explanation for a giant forest of mushrooms surrounded by hills, that are surrounded by mountains, was quite obvious in fact. The mushroom forest grows out of a crater cause by a massive impact in the center of the continent. This impact could have been a meteor, a ritual gone wrong, or perhaps a god falling from the heavens. Making your maps can and will inspire you to think about more than just geography and geology, but about what makes your setting unique.
Check back next Sunday for more tips on creating a setting of your own.
-Lance of the Hill People
Saturday, June 7, 2008
One Giant Leap
So far 4th Edition has lived up to every expectation that I could possibly have had. It turns out that Worldwide Game Day at the local gaming store was fully booked. Not a single open table for me and my party. That was hardly enough to stop me.
The afternoon was spent on character creation. It took less than half an hour before Kate decided to go out and buy her own PHB. This wasn't out of frustration mind you, but her excitement to give this edition every effort couldn't keep her away from the game store. She came back with book in hand, ready to make use of my photocopied-from-the-back-of-the-book character sheets.
To summarize, character creation was awesomely smooth. There was no point where I felt like I was running into a brick wall, or getting to the long and boring part. Every possible decision was simplified, but important to my character. I even took the time to walk a friend through character creation from start to finish, and he found that all of the choices were very easy to make. Nobody had to explain skill ranks, or spell levels, or what kind of spellcasting he gets to do. 4th Edition is streamlined to make the game mechanics just as interesting as the story. I haven't felt that way since before the release of 3rd.
Anyway, I gathered 3 of my best friends around a table earlier this evening, and we put our characters through the ringer on a group of goblins. The party was successful without too much of a beating, and not a single person got up from that table feeling like there was anything not fun, or not interesting about the new mechanics. It was a success and I, as the DM, did very little to make it that way. I am excited to see how 4th Edition plays out in long-running campaigns. I'm hoping that my players won't tire of the original release before the exciting supplements start arriving.
Anyway, the last two posts on my 4th Edition impressions have been nice, but tomorrow I want to get into some real gaming topics.
This Sunday: The Benefits of Mapping Your World (Even if the Players Never See It!)
-Lance of the Hill People
The afternoon was spent on character creation. It took less than half an hour before Kate decided to go out and buy her own PHB. This wasn't out of frustration mind you, but her excitement to give this edition every effort couldn't keep her away from the game store. She came back with book in hand, ready to make use of my photocopied-from-the-back-of-the-book character sheets.
To summarize, character creation was awesomely smooth. There was no point where I felt like I was running into a brick wall, or getting to the long and boring part. Every possible decision was simplified, but important to my character. I even took the time to walk a friend through character creation from start to finish, and he found that all of the choices were very easy to make. Nobody had to explain skill ranks, or spell levels, or what kind of spellcasting he gets to do. 4th Edition is streamlined to make the game mechanics just as interesting as the story. I haven't felt that way since before the release of 3rd.
Anyway, I gathered 3 of my best friends around a table earlier this evening, and we put our characters through the ringer on a group of goblins. The party was successful without too much of a beating, and not a single person got up from that table feeling like there was anything not fun, or not interesting about the new mechanics. It was a success and I, as the DM, did very little to make it that way. I am excited to see how 4th Edition plays out in long-running campaigns. I'm hoping that my players won't tire of the original release before the exciting supplements start arriving.
Anyway, the last two posts on my 4th Edition impressions have been nice, but tomorrow I want to get into some real gaming topics.
This Sunday: The Benefits of Mapping Your World (Even if the Players Never See It!)
-Lance of the Hill People
Friday, June 6, 2008
A Single Step
1st post.
Greetings readers. Today is the first day in a three year journey for me. The appearance and location of the blog may change over time, but it is assured that I will post in it everyday. And what will I post? Something related to gaming for sure.
June 6th, 2008. I chose this date to start writing because it happens to be the first day I have looked upon the core rulebooks of the 4th Edition of Dungeons and Dragons. I also chose this date as it is a perfect opportunity to log my first impressions of only reading the first two chapters in the brand new PHB.
Overall? It looks great. However, I'm not here to say what I think personally of the content, but would rather relay some of the more interesting themes that I could see developing from the character creation chapter alone.
First off: Changes Made to Alignment
There was a huge overhaul made to alignment in this edition. My favorite part is that they broke off from the "there's an alignment for everyone" idea, and went with a more deliberate approach. If you do not think you belong to the forces of Good or Evil, then you simply remain unaligned. I can already see this becoming a powerful storytelling tool for DM's especially. The characters can be presented with a wide assortment of moral decisions that they will have to make throughout a campaign, without having to worry about how it will effect their alignment. There are no more potential consequences for acting against your pigeon-holed alignment. I will be expanding on this further in a later article.
Second: Deities
This goes hand in hand with the changes to alignment. The gods are given a more Greco/Roman feel in their description. The D&D Pantheon already feels more versatile than before. As a DM, I already feel much less compelled to put certain deities into the stereotypical roles they fit into so well. Remember when every druid was more or less compelled to worship one of maybe two different suitable gods? 4th Edition dissuades those ideas in the very first chapter on character creation. Deities feel like they can mean something now.
Third: Class Roles
Obviously reaped from well known video gaming genres, the class roles will do amazing things for keeping groups together, and involved in compelling storylines. I can already imagine an adventuring company fearing a split due to the loss of their recently fallen defender, only to find the newcomer to the group, a recently retired campaigner from a war in a far off land. She turns out to be one of the more qualified Paladins for the position, and group morale and interest skyrockets with all of the new things they learn from adventuring with a Paladin as opposed to their recently deceased Fighter.
4th Edition has some really cool stuff, tomorrow (now today officially) is game day. You can be sure that I'll be taking notes at my local game store.
-Lance of the Hill People
Greetings readers. Today is the first day in a three year journey for me. The appearance and location of the blog may change over time, but it is assured that I will post in it everyday. And what will I post? Something related to gaming for sure.
June 6th, 2008. I chose this date to start writing because it happens to be the first day I have looked upon the core rulebooks of the 4th Edition of Dungeons and Dragons. I also chose this date as it is a perfect opportunity to log my first impressions of only reading the first two chapters in the brand new PHB.
Overall? It looks great. However, I'm not here to say what I think personally of the content, but would rather relay some of the more interesting themes that I could see developing from the character creation chapter alone.
First off: Changes Made to Alignment
There was a huge overhaul made to alignment in this edition. My favorite part is that they broke off from the "there's an alignment for everyone" idea, and went with a more deliberate approach. If you do not think you belong to the forces of Good or Evil, then you simply remain unaligned. I can already see this becoming a powerful storytelling tool for DM's especially. The characters can be presented with a wide assortment of moral decisions that they will have to make throughout a campaign, without having to worry about how it will effect their alignment. There are no more potential consequences for acting against your pigeon-holed alignment. I will be expanding on this further in a later article.
Second: Deities
This goes hand in hand with the changes to alignment. The gods are given a more Greco/Roman feel in their description. The D&D Pantheon already feels more versatile than before. As a DM, I already feel much less compelled to put certain deities into the stereotypical roles they fit into so well. Remember when every druid was more or less compelled to worship one of maybe two different suitable gods? 4th Edition dissuades those ideas in the very first chapter on character creation. Deities feel like they can mean something now.
Third: Class Roles
Obviously reaped from well known video gaming genres, the class roles will do amazing things for keeping groups together, and involved in compelling storylines. I can already imagine an adventuring company fearing a split due to the loss of their recently fallen defender, only to find the newcomer to the group, a recently retired campaigner from a war in a far off land. She turns out to be one of the more qualified Paladins for the position, and group morale and interest skyrockets with all of the new things they learn from adventuring with a Paladin as opposed to their recently deceased Fighter.
4th Edition has some really cool stuff, tomorrow (now today officially) is game day. You can be sure that I'll be taking notes at my local game store.
-Lance of the Hill People
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