Mirtul 1, 1479
The captain I suspected lost in the nearby wood turned up in the town’s herbalist shop. Bewitched by a demoness posing as a farm girl! The succubus had her claws in the captain so deep, the poor man was sending his own troops—a man at a time—to a presumed death. We defeated the succubus and the demons that spawned to defend her. Unfortunately, the captain fought us defending his “queen.” Galindan slew him with a fireball.
Still at question: to what end did the succubus force the captain to bleed his garrison? It seems obvious to make the fort defenseless, but I hope to investigate more for a more definitive conclusion.
I need to get my hands on a Send scroll. I must update the Academy as to my progress.
Showing posts with label D and D. Show all posts
Showing posts with label D and D. Show all posts
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
Role-playing Log, Brom-lak Inksmear, May 2, 2009
Summary:
Very busy night for Str8 Rippin’ this past weekend. Dungeon Master pulled a rope-a-dope on me, hedging left, but swinging right. All signs pointed to trouble in the forest. Indeed, Fort Dolor’s captain had been sending this troops, one by one, to certain doom within the nearby woods. A bloodthirsty succubus, posing as a pretty farm damsel, charmed the poor soldier, beguiling him with enchanted love. As her enslaved minion, she had the captain order his men to the forest a few at a type. Why? That has yet to be seen, but all signs point towards a weakening of the town’s defenses.
Str8 Rippin’ handily revealed the farm damsel to be the wily demon for what she was. A network of caves lie in the back of the greenhouse, carved directly into a mountain wall.
Role-playing Quantity: Low
A good chunk of the evening was spent with a titanic fight against the succubus, the captain she enthralled, and her demon minions.
Role-playing Quality: Low
Brom had the chance to do a bit of interviewing, trying to quiz the townsfolk as to the source of the fort’s woes. He also did some mild interaction with his fellow adventurer, mostly low-grade role-playing. I’m trying to play out Brom as a detective of sorts, but haven’t had much traction as yet.
Very busy night for Str8 Rippin’ this past weekend. Dungeon Master pulled a rope-a-dope on me, hedging left, but swinging right. All signs pointed to trouble in the forest. Indeed, Fort Dolor’s captain had been sending this troops, one by one, to certain doom within the nearby woods. A bloodthirsty succubus, posing as a pretty farm damsel, charmed the poor soldier, beguiling him with enchanted love. As her enslaved minion, she had the captain order his men to the forest a few at a type. Why? That has yet to be seen, but all signs point towards a weakening of the town’s defenses.
Str8 Rippin’ handily revealed the farm damsel to be the wily demon for what she was. A network of caves lie in the back of the greenhouse, carved directly into a mountain wall.
Role-playing Quantity: Low
A good chunk of the evening was spent with a titanic fight against the succubus, the captain she enthralled, and her demon minions.
Role-playing Quality: Low
Brom had the chance to do a bit of interviewing, trying to quiz the townsfolk as to the source of the fort’s woes. He also did some mild interaction with his fellow adventurer, mostly low-grade role-playing. I’m trying to play out Brom as a detective of sorts, but haven’t had much traction as yet.
Monday, April 27, 2009
From the Journal of Brom-lak Inksmear
Tarsahk 30, 1479
We dispatched some minions of Gruumsh today and yesterday. Both bands descended on us in the dead of night like the cowards they are. The second ambush came as an act of revenge. Apparently, the ogre priest took umbrage at the slaying of his orc pets. Though it had nothing to do with my mission whatsoever, I took great satisfaction in the events of the last two days. Evil was delivered a blow this day.
Mirtul 1, 1479
On the outskirts of
Jirl Merris proved less friendly than her cousin in Bristol Watch. And even less open about Dolor’s troubles than the farmers beyond her gate. She came close to divulging details several times, but always stopped short with “. . . but no, I dare say no more.” She has the brusqueness of a busy tavern keeper, but like her fellows working the fields, I sense an underlying fear from her that conflicts her greatly.
She did reveal that
Whatever the source of the citizenry’s reluctance to inform and detail, it seems clear to me that a visit to the forest must happen. The earlier, the better. I’m traveling with a goodly band of adventurers and I’m betting they will agree to explore the nearby copse, if only for the chance at treasure and fame. I have no way to communicate with WLA, but I operate on the premise that I am charged with revealing, confronting, and defeating.
Of note, some members of my new adventuring friends took offense at some evidence I took from our first encounter with the orc Gruumans. The followers bear a curious sigil, unfamiliar to me so far. Curious, I lopped an arm off, just above the wrist, preserving the mark for others to hopefully identify. But when I pulled the arm out to show to Jirl Merris, some in my party balked! I must remember that not everyone handles such matters as clinically as I.
Role-playing Log, Brom-lak Inksmear, April 25, 2009
Summary:
Brom and Str8 Rippin' dispatched a band of orc and ogre Gruumsh followers on their way to Fort Dolor. Upon entering the town, the party began to piece together that people have been disappearing mysteriously and most everyone blames the nearby forest.
Role-playing Quantity: Medium
Real nice balance of role-playing and combat last session. Our DM called referred to our encounter with the Gruumsh followers as a "random, scripted encounter." His pack of "scripted" mobs killed a pack of gibberlings for us, to which I'm eternally grateful.
Role-playing Quality: Medium
I was able to work on Brom a bit last session. I'm playing him as helpful, even-tempered, reasonable. In other words, the exact opposite of Rend. Not quite as exciting, but it has the side-benefit of not pissing of the fellow players. I don't see Brom as a potential leader for the party, but I do see him as someone who will play a strong part in determining Str8 Rippin's mission base. I'm going to keep him fiercely loyal to the White Lotus Academy, so much so that he'll follow the Academy's orders and directions above those of the party's. That might prove some nice fertile ground to role-play in future sessions. Right now, Brom is firmly devoted to rooting out the danger that seems to grip Fort Dolor so firmly.
Brom and Str8 Rippin' dispatched a band of orc and ogre Gruumsh followers on their way to Fort Dolor. Upon entering the town, the party began to piece together that people have been disappearing mysteriously and most everyone blames the nearby forest.
Role-playing Quantity: Medium
Real nice balance of role-playing and combat last session. Our DM called referred to our encounter with the Gruumsh followers as a "random, scripted encounter." His pack of "scripted" mobs killed a pack of gibberlings for us, to which I'm eternally grateful.
Role-playing Quality: Medium
I was able to work on Brom a bit last session. I'm playing him as helpful, even-tempered, reasonable. In other words, the exact opposite of Rend. Not quite as exciting, but it has the side-benefit of not pissing of the fellow players. I don't see Brom as a potential leader for the party, but I do see him as someone who will play a strong part in determining Str8 Rippin's mission base. I'm going to keep him fiercely loyal to the White Lotus Academy, so much so that he'll follow the Academy's orders and directions above those of the party's. That might prove some nice fertile ground to role-play in future sessions. Right now, Brom is firmly devoted to rooting out the danger that seems to grip Fort Dolor so firmly.
Sunday, April 19, 2009
Role-playing Log, Brom-lak Inksmear, April 17, 2009
Summary:
Brom-lak Inksmear, genasi swordmage and premier student of the famed White Lotus Academy, is sent on a dangerous mission to investigate recent reports that some evil befalls a tiny village, one Bristol Watch, Vilhon Wilds. Brom travels to Bristol Watch with all due haste. Upon arriving, he finds the town completely devastated, but the threat neutralized. He soon meets the band of adventurers responsible for defeating the evil and gathers information from them, including the insect horde threat commanded by the nefarious Ne'ral.
Brom communicates back to the academy Elders (via Send ritual) all the intel he gathered. The Elders digest the information and respond in kind, ordering Brom to investigate a new threat, just two days west of Bristol Watch at the Fort Dolor. Str8 Rippin' agrees to accompany Brom to the fort as some in the party received their own information about rumblings west of Bristol Watch.
Role-playing Quantity: High
The entire night was nearly all role-playing. The only fight of the night barely qualified, a botched assassination attempt on Quinn.
Role-playing Quality: Medium
Brom is the new character I rolled to replace Rend. I'm essentially playing the same template, with the slight tweek that Brom is the Aegis of Shielding specc (a more defensive defender than the Assault version). I made Brom a student of the White Lotus Academy, a recent article published in the D&D Insider website. The DM placed the school north of Akanul, in Aglarond. My idea for Brom's journey to Bristol Watch and eventual integration with Str8 Rippin' was the investigation into the emergence of a ravenous insect horde in the Vilhon Wilds.
That proved a decent enough hook to get Brom with the rest of the players, but the role-playing aspect proved difficult. I really don't have a firm grasp on Brom's personality and motivations, beyond serving the academy as an investigator. As a result, I often felt at a lost on how to react to the other player characters. As a whole, my role-playing felt stilted and forced.
I think I'm going to have Brom play the part of a conscientious bureaucrat. He will take copious, detailed notes on behalf of the Academy's missions. I'm picturing a kind of Sherlock Holmes, branding a bastard sword rather than a pipe. That could prove fertile territory, though I bet it's going to be hard to play the role of detective with six other players.
Brom-lak Inksmear, genasi swordmage and premier student of the famed White Lotus Academy, is sent on a dangerous mission to investigate recent reports that some evil befalls a tiny village, one Bristol Watch, Vilhon Wilds. Brom travels to Bristol Watch with all due haste. Upon arriving, he finds the town completely devastated, but the threat neutralized. He soon meets the band of adventurers responsible for defeating the evil and gathers information from them, including the insect horde threat commanded by the nefarious Ne'ral.
Brom communicates back to the academy Elders (via Send ritual) all the intel he gathered. The Elders digest the information and respond in kind, ordering Brom to investigate a new threat, just two days west of Bristol Watch at the Fort Dolor. Str8 Rippin' agrees to accompany Brom to the fort as some in the party received their own information about rumblings west of Bristol Watch.
Role-playing Quantity: High
The entire night was nearly all role-playing. The only fight of the night barely qualified, a botched assassination attempt on Quinn.
Role-playing Quality: Medium
Brom is the new character I rolled to replace Rend. I'm essentially playing the same template, with the slight tweek that Brom is the Aegis of Shielding specc (a more defensive defender than the Assault version). I made Brom a student of the White Lotus Academy, a recent article published in the D&D Insider website. The DM placed the school north of Akanul, in Aglarond. My idea for Brom's journey to Bristol Watch and eventual integration with Str8 Rippin' was the investigation into the emergence of a ravenous insect horde in the Vilhon Wilds.
That proved a decent enough hook to get Brom with the rest of the players, but the role-playing aspect proved difficult. I really don't have a firm grasp on Brom's personality and motivations, beyond serving the academy as an investigator. As a result, I often felt at a lost on how to react to the other player characters. As a whole, my role-playing felt stilted and forced.
I think I'm going to have Brom play the part of a conscientious bureaucrat. He will take copious, detailed notes on behalf of the Academy's missions. I'm picturing a kind of Sherlock Holmes, branding a bastard sword rather than a pipe. That could prove fertile territory, though I bet it's going to be hard to play the role of detective with six other players.
Saturday, April 11, 2009
Role-playing Log, Rend-fol, April 9, 2009
Summary:
Rend and Str8 Rippin' face the final onslaught of insect invaders within a sandstone hive shaped like a chicken egg. The party prevails, but Rhogar the barbarian dies.
Role-playing Quantity: Low
Two consecutive large-scale fights consumed the entire evening of gaming.
Role-playing Quality: Low
See above.
Actually, I am most likely going to stop playing Rend and reroll. Playing a moderately evil character is a difficult thing to do within a cooperative game and Rend just isn't turning out like I hoped. I think playing an evil character can be done, it just will take more planning than what I did.
Though very lame, I want to continue playing a genasi swordmage, so I'll essentially continue playing the same statistics, just under a new name and background.
Rend and Str8 Rippin' face the final onslaught of insect invaders within a sandstone hive shaped like a chicken egg. The party prevails, but Rhogar the barbarian dies.
Role-playing Quantity: Low
Two consecutive large-scale fights consumed the entire evening of gaming.
Role-playing Quality: Low
See above.
Actually, I am most likely going to stop playing Rend and reroll. Playing a moderately evil character is a difficult thing to do within a cooperative game and Rend just isn't turning out like I hoped. I think playing an evil character can be done, it just will take more planning than what I did.
Though very lame, I want to continue playing a genasi swordmage, so I'll essentially continue playing the same statistics, just under a new name and background.
Monday, April 6, 2009
Role-playing Log, Rend-fol, April 4, 2009
Summary:
Rend-fol and Str8 Rippin' plunged deeper into Ne'ral's nest. The party first battled an iron construct guarding bronze double doors. Floating orbs on either side of the room arced lightning across the expanse as the party struggled to fell the massive golem. Rend got hit by the room lightning twice, each bolt dealing no damage but rendering the victim "dazed." Normally, a toon can take three actions during their turn: a standard, a move, and minor. But when dazed, a toon can only take ONE of those actions. It can be any of the three, but only one. Spending the ENTIRE fight with only one action per turn rendered Rend the metaphorical equivalent of a hero in a wheel chair, veinly spinning his wheels and contributing as much effort to the fight as a bare-legged, black-socked senior citizen.
Role-playing Quantity: Low
Precious little opportunity to role-play. And Rend squandered the only real chance he had to reassert his true nature.
Role-playing Quality: Low
Rhogar, the party's resident dragonborn barbarian plunged himself down a 100 foot deep fang-shaped chasm. Rend pushed a pair of sandstone doors open and, without looking before he leaped, Rhogar rushed past him into a dark abyss. Rhogar didn't die from the fall (close though). And contrary to every fiber of his being, I had Rend leap over the bridge (that Rhogar did not narrowly miss) in a heroic gesture of sacrifice and rescue.
Wrong!
Rend should have pointed down the chasm and laughed. In hindsight, it turned out Rhogar didn't need anyone to help him. The dragonborn dispatched the minion insects that quickly surrounded him. Since the fall didn't kill him and the monsters waiting at the bottom didn't either, Rend could have had a memorable role-playing moment, worthy of his back story, character, and semi-evil intent. Instead, I panicked. I abandoned role-playing, meta-gamed, and calculated that Rhogar would likely die if too few of Str8 Rippin' came to his aid.
Lesson learned.
Rend-fol and Str8 Rippin' plunged deeper into Ne'ral's nest. The party first battled an iron construct guarding bronze double doors. Floating orbs on either side of the room arced lightning across the expanse as the party struggled to fell the massive golem. Rend got hit by the room lightning twice, each bolt dealing no damage but rendering the victim "dazed." Normally, a toon can take three actions during their turn: a standard, a move, and minor. But when dazed, a toon can only take ONE of those actions. It can be any of the three, but only one. Spending the ENTIRE fight with only one action per turn rendered Rend the metaphorical equivalent of a hero in a wheel chair, veinly spinning his wheels and contributing as much effort to the fight as a bare-legged, black-socked senior citizen.
Role-playing Quantity: Low
Precious little opportunity to role-play. And Rend squandered the only real chance he had to reassert his true nature.
Role-playing Quality: Low
Rhogar, the party's resident dragonborn barbarian plunged himself down a 100 foot deep fang-shaped chasm. Rend pushed a pair of sandstone doors open and, without looking before he leaped, Rhogar rushed past him into a dark abyss. Rhogar didn't die from the fall (close though). And contrary to every fiber of his being, I had Rend leap over the bridge (that Rhogar did not narrowly miss) in a heroic gesture of sacrifice and rescue.
Wrong!
Rend should have pointed down the chasm and laughed. In hindsight, it turned out Rhogar didn't need anyone to help him. The dragonborn dispatched the minion insects that quickly surrounded him. Since the fall didn't kill him and the monsters waiting at the bottom didn't either, Rend could have had a memorable role-playing moment, worthy of his back story, character, and semi-evil intent. Instead, I panicked. I abandoned role-playing, meta-gamed, and calculated that Rhogar would likely die if too few of Str8 Rippin' came to his aid.
Lesson learned.
Sunday, March 29, 2009
Role-playing Log, Rend-Fol, March 29, 2009
Summary:
Coming off a titanic fight against a two-story tall monster bug, Rend-fol began the night's session watching other party members rush to aid the town's wounded and shore up damaged structures. He declined all requests to provide aid, including Quinn's attempts to drag the Behemoth bug into the town square for burning. After resting for the night, the party awakened the next morning and assembled, striking out for Na'ral's nest. Along the way, a horde of gibberlings attacked. The party dispatched the swarms, arriving at Na'ral's nest the following afternoon.
Role-playing Quantity: Medium
Numerous opportunities to role-play throughout the night's session, especially at the beginning and during the journey to Na'ral's nest.
Role-playing Quality: Low
But Rend didn't take good advantage of aforementioned opportunities. Playing an aloof dick makes for difficult role-playing because an aloof dick's default is to . . . do nothing! Which Rend did well throughout the night. True, it was consistent with his character to refuse to aid the wounded and dying, but I don't want his morality completely dictated by his inactions. His role-playing improved later in the session when he questioned a new addition to the party, Kane. But for the most part, I had Rend rely too much on the aloof, despondent archetype. Apathy leads to morose gameplay.
For the next session, I'm going to try and find a way to get Rend attached to his new party. Maybe from mutual respect, the idea that Rend has found adventures equal to him in skill and aptitude. He respects power and rarely confronts those that are his equal or better. If he's invested in the party (or a few member inside it), I can let his aloofness fade somewhat. He'll still be primarily motivated by coin or power, but I'll make him a bit more likely to do something the party asks him to do.
Coming off a titanic fight against a two-story tall monster bug, Rend-fol began the night's session watching other party members rush to aid the town's wounded and shore up damaged structures. He declined all requests to provide aid, including Quinn's attempts to drag the Behemoth bug into the town square for burning. After resting for the night, the party awakened the next morning and assembled, striking out for Na'ral's nest. Along the way, a horde of gibberlings attacked. The party dispatched the swarms, arriving at Na'ral's nest the following afternoon.
Role-playing Quantity: Medium
Numerous opportunities to role-play throughout the night's session, especially at the beginning and during the journey to Na'ral's nest.
Role-playing Quality: Low
But Rend didn't take good advantage of aforementioned opportunities. Playing an aloof dick makes for difficult role-playing because an aloof dick's default is to . . . do nothing! Which Rend did well throughout the night. True, it was consistent with his character to refuse to aid the wounded and dying, but I don't want his morality completely dictated by his inactions. His role-playing improved later in the session when he questioned a new addition to the party, Kane. But for the most part, I had Rend rely too much on the aloof, despondent archetype. Apathy leads to morose gameplay.
For the next session, I'm going to try and find a way to get Rend attached to his new party. Maybe from mutual respect, the idea that Rend has found adventures equal to him in skill and aptitude. He respects power and rarely confronts those that are his equal or better. If he's invested in the party (or a few member inside it), I can let his aloofness fade somewhat. He'll still be primarily motivated by coin or power, but I'll make him a bit more likely to do something the party asks him to do.
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Role-playing Workshop
I’ve been thinking about the approach I want to take with documenting the adventures of my D&D character, Rend-fol, and I’ve come up with an interesting tact. Each week, I’m going to summarize Rend’s most recent adventure. Nothing fancy, just a paragraph detailing what happened to Rend and his adventuring party, Str8 Rippin’.
Yes, the party’s name is Str8 Rippin’. Err, at least that’s my name for the party. If you asked anyone else in the group, you’d get a range of denials, everything from bemusement to contempt to weary resignation.
Anyway.
After I summarize Rend’s most recent exploits, I plan to break down Rend’s behavior that week. I envision it as a kind of role-playing synopsis, a method of tracking my character’s actions and attitudes and then comparing that to the background I wrote for Rend and the direction I want the character to go. Really, I see it as a kind of writer’s workshop, only focused on role-playing, a kind of critical analysis of how the session went in terms of Rend’s morality and decision making.
I’m really excited about this prospect because role-playing is a challenging endeavor. My hope is that if I am tracking and then analyzing Rend’s actions and attitudes, I can better track whether or not he’s in keeping with the idea I had for him in the first place.
Once the summary and the role-playing workshop are done, I’ll finish the week with any fan fiction I may have been inspired to write. I may or may not use session events as a basis for the fiction, but I definitely plan on changing names and classes of other players’ characters. I’ve even been toying with the idea of writing Rend’s prequel story, origin tales to fill out the barest of background frameworks I wrote for him.
This could be a bust because very often entire sessions are devoted to massive, hours long fights; there’s only so much role-playing anyone can do when a bullet has your head in its jaws, chewing enthusiastically. So I’m predicting that some weeks will be leaner than others.
Still, it’s worth a try
Yes, the party’s name is Str8 Rippin’. Err, at least that’s my name for the party. If you asked anyone else in the group, you’d get a range of denials, everything from bemusement to contempt to weary resignation.
Anyway.
After I summarize Rend’s most recent exploits, I plan to break down Rend’s behavior that week. I envision it as a kind of role-playing synopsis, a method of tracking my character’s actions and attitudes and then comparing that to the background I wrote for Rend and the direction I want the character to go. Really, I see it as a kind of writer’s workshop, only focused on role-playing, a kind of critical analysis of how the session went in terms of Rend’s morality and decision making.
I’m really excited about this prospect because role-playing is a challenging endeavor. My hope is that if I am tracking and then analyzing Rend’s actions and attitudes, I can better track whether or not he’s in keeping with the idea I had for him in the first place.
Once the summary and the role-playing workshop are done, I’ll finish the week with any fan fiction I may have been inspired to write. I may or may not use session events as a basis for the fiction, but I definitely plan on changing names and classes of other players’ characters. I’ve even been toying with the idea of writing Rend’s prequel story, origin tales to fill out the barest of background frameworks I wrote for him.
This could be a bust because very often entire sessions are devoted to massive, hours long fights; there’s only so much role-playing anyone can do when a bullet has your head in its jaws, chewing enthusiastically. So I’m predicting that some weeks will be leaner than others.
Still, it’s worth a try
Monday, March 23, 2009
Righting My Writing
As you've probably noticed, I've been writing noticeably less these past few months. A few key changes contribute to the tightening of my prose spigot. First and foremost, I had been doing a good chunk of the writing at work, mostly during lunch and whatnot, but sometimes not. Work has been kicking my ass as of late, and so the quantity diminished (I've opened myself up to a "quality" joke here, but I'll let you fill that in yourself). Within a week or so, I'm going to begin the first big steps of opening a brand new library, so discretionary time will not only disappear at work, but at home as well.
Another factor is that I had been writing my D&D group's weekly session summaries. Please, click the link and sally forth, especially if you enjoy inflicting bad fantasy writing on yourself. Based on a table-top role-playing game no less. I'll admit it, I had a lot of fun writing those summaries. It was fun distilling a night's worth of adventuring into seven or eight paragraphs. But over the long haul, it got tedious describing three hour long combat fights. Over time, you start to run out of ways to describe someone stabbing, decapitating, or eviscerating a fellow humanoid. And so towards the end, I shifted gears. I moved away from step-by-step accounting of how a fight went and moved more towards focusing on the story and filling in some gaps in-between.
I think that proved satisfying to me, but probably less so for my fellow players. Filling in blanks spots involved me taking artistic license with other people's characters and that leads to creativity and innovation, but also me just plain putting words and actions onto someone else's toon. Not so cool. Not so fair either.
For instance, Cedric the Wizard died the very last session we played with Craig as our Dungeon Master. Thinking about his death, I came up with an idea that I thought was hilarious: have the members grieve for Cedric ever so briefly and then proceed to discuss what a pain-in-the-ass it would be to try and get the poor slob back to town and resurrected. And then ultimately strip his body of loot and leave him lying in the middle of a dungeon floor. You can read the entire summary here, but what follows is the end:
Their foes dead, the party collapsed next to the still form of Cedric. Tears were shed. Sobs choked down. Finally, Gilic said, "Ack, he was good laddy. A wee bit chatty at times, but one of the good ones."
Gareth chuckled, "Yeah. Remember when he thought he could fly? He had to crawl across that blood chamber's ceiling like a hermit crab when it turned out he could only levitate."
The rest of the party laughed along with Gareth. A silence then came over them. Taegahn finally stood and said, "So, uh, what do we do with him now?"
When no one said anything, Shava responded, "We could take him back to Cormyr and perform a ritual to bring him back." Her idea seemed more a question then a statement.
The heroes glanced around at each other awkwardly. After a long time passed, Queequeg said, "I don't know, that seems like an awful lot of trouble. What with dragging the body back, storing the corpse, paying for the components. I heard the ritual only requires a thumb-sized piece of the person, but who wants that in their satchel for the next week?" The dragonborn's voice trailed off. No one said anything.
Gilic coughed uncomfortably. Orchid suddenly chimed in, "Say, didn't we meet a wizard in Seven-pillared Halls? That half-elf with the lazy eye and strange smell?"
Taegahn's face brightened. "Yeah, yeah. Babar, I think his name was. He asked if he could join up with us but we told him to piss off because, you know, we already had a wizard with a lazy eye and strange smell. Hey, do you think he's still there?"
Shava clapped her hands together happily and cheered, "Let's go see!" "To Seven Pillared Halls!" Gareth bellowed. Gilic grinned broadly, slapping the fighter on the back smartly.
And so, the Victors of Shadowfell Keep made ready to depart, but not before relieving Cedric of his notable gear and coinage. The heroes shuffled out of the chamber one at time, Queequeg the last. The dragonborn paused before exiting, turning back for a final look. Cedric, stripped down to his underwear, lay still and calm, seemingly sleeping but for the charred flesh and the blood trickling down from his nose and mouth.
"Uh, yeah," Queequeg intoned apologetically and then turned and left the labyrinth forever.
Ah, reading that again still cracks me up. But I did completely re-imagine the ending, which obviously didn't involve the party abandoning Credric's naked corpse in the middle of a dungeon. Which probably explains why Sean, the dude who played Cedric, was the only one that mentioned anything about the entry. I didn't summarize anything, just wrote an ending that cracked up one person: the author.
A few weeks earlier, I wrote an entirely invented scene inspired by the inane time-traveling nonsense going on in the current season of Lost. The whole thing was based on Craig, the Dungeon Master, momentarily forgetting that Uthlin never bought the crown the party had attained during their adventures. It was a good laugh at the session and it gave me the idea to write a summary where Uthlin hacks the party to death when they don't return the crown they "stole" from him. The summary is entitled "White Light," based on the space-time continuum returning to normal right before Uthlin is about to sink his axe into Cedric's head.
Ah, Lost, where would we be without your time-traveling hijinks. Watching good TV, that's where.
I mention both these entries because they highlight not just the transfer of my writing time and energy from this blog to the game's, but also the sheer joy I got from moving away from straight summaries and into retold tall tales. Which serves almost no utilitarian summary purpose and rivals the creative writing talent of a much sheltered junior high school student.
So I stopped writing those summaries too.
But I enjoy writing. And I enjoy twisting a base event into something I think is funny or ironic or tragic or a good, uneven mixture of all of those. So I think I'm going to shift my writing focus back to this blog. Not only that, I think I'm going to take the D&D toon I'm currently playing, Rend-fol, and write about him. I haven't quite figured out how I'm going to write about him. I'd like to chronicle his current adventures, but I want to shy away from characterizing other players' characters. My initial thought is to start with the adventures, make new names and classes for the other players, and then go from there. Maybe. I'm not sure yet.
Whatever approach I take, let me at least introduce Rend to you. "Bristol Watch Patrol" is the very last summary I wrote for the start of the new campaign we're currently playing. In it, I completely invented a confrontation between Rend and a fellow player's character, Rhogar. It won't take you long to conclude that Rend is a total asshat, which made writing the summary so fun and playing Rend so interesting. The summary is posted directly below this one. Enjoy.
Another factor is that I had been writing my D&D group's weekly session summaries. Please, click the link and sally forth, especially if you enjoy inflicting bad fantasy writing on yourself. Based on a table-top role-playing game no less. I'll admit it, I had a lot of fun writing those summaries. It was fun distilling a night's worth of adventuring into seven or eight paragraphs. But over the long haul, it got tedious describing three hour long combat fights. Over time, you start to run out of ways to describe someone stabbing, decapitating, or eviscerating a fellow humanoid. And so towards the end, I shifted gears. I moved away from step-by-step accounting of how a fight went and moved more towards focusing on the story and filling in some gaps in-between.
I think that proved satisfying to me, but probably less so for my fellow players. Filling in blanks spots involved me taking artistic license with other people's characters and that leads to creativity and innovation, but also me just plain putting words and actions onto someone else's toon. Not so cool. Not so fair either.
For instance, Cedric the Wizard died the very last session we played with Craig as our Dungeon Master. Thinking about his death, I came up with an idea that I thought was hilarious: have the members grieve for Cedric ever so briefly and then proceed to discuss what a pain-in-the-ass it would be to try and get the poor slob back to town and resurrected. And then ultimately strip his body of loot and leave him lying in the middle of a dungeon floor. You can read the entire summary here, but what follows is the end:
Their foes dead, the party collapsed next to the still form of Cedric. Tears were shed. Sobs choked down. Finally, Gilic said, "Ack, he was good laddy. A wee bit chatty at times, but one of the good ones."
Gareth chuckled, "Yeah. Remember when he thought he could fly? He had to crawl across that blood chamber's ceiling like a hermit crab when it turned out he could only levitate."
The rest of the party laughed along with Gareth. A silence then came over them. Taegahn finally stood and said, "So, uh, what do we do with him now?"
When no one said anything, Shava responded, "We could take him back to Cormyr and perform a ritual to bring him back." Her idea seemed more a question then a statement.
The heroes glanced around at each other awkwardly. After a long time passed, Queequeg said, "I don't know, that seems like an awful lot of trouble. What with dragging the body back, storing the corpse, paying for the components. I heard the ritual only requires a thumb-sized piece of the person, but who wants that in their satchel for the next week?" The dragonborn's voice trailed off. No one said anything.
Gilic coughed uncomfortably. Orchid suddenly chimed in, "Say, didn't we meet a wizard in Seven-pillared Halls? That half-elf with the lazy eye and strange smell?"
Taegahn's face brightened. "Yeah, yeah. Babar, I think his name was. He asked if he could join up with us but we told him to piss off because, you know, we already had a wizard with a lazy eye and strange smell. Hey, do you think he's still there?"
Shava clapped her hands together happily and cheered, "Let's go see!" "To Seven Pillared Halls!" Gareth bellowed. Gilic grinned broadly, slapping the fighter on the back smartly.
And so, the Victors of Shadowfell Keep made ready to depart, but not before relieving Cedric of his notable gear and coinage. The heroes shuffled out of the chamber one at time, Queequeg the last. The dragonborn paused before exiting, turning back for a final look. Cedric, stripped down to his underwear, lay still and calm, seemingly sleeping but for the charred flesh and the blood trickling down from his nose and mouth.
"Uh, yeah," Queequeg intoned apologetically and then turned and left the labyrinth forever.
Ah, reading that again still cracks me up. But I did completely re-imagine the ending, which obviously didn't involve the party abandoning Credric's naked corpse in the middle of a dungeon. Which probably explains why Sean, the dude who played Cedric, was the only one that mentioned anything about the entry. I didn't summarize anything, just wrote an ending that cracked up one person: the author.
A few weeks earlier, I wrote an entirely invented scene inspired by the inane time-traveling nonsense going on in the current season of Lost. The whole thing was based on Craig, the Dungeon Master, momentarily forgetting that Uthlin never bought the crown the party had attained during their adventures. It was a good laugh at the session and it gave me the idea to write a summary where Uthlin hacks the party to death when they don't return the crown they "stole" from him. The summary is entitled "White Light," based on the space-time continuum returning to normal right before Uthlin is about to sink his axe into Cedric's head.
Ah, Lost, where would we be without your time-traveling hijinks. Watching good TV, that's where.
I mention both these entries because they highlight not just the transfer of my writing time and energy from this blog to the game's, but also the sheer joy I got from moving away from straight summaries and into retold tall tales. Which serves almost no utilitarian summary purpose and rivals the creative writing talent of a much sheltered junior high school student.
So I stopped writing those summaries too.
But I enjoy writing. And I enjoy twisting a base event into something I think is funny or ironic or tragic or a good, uneven mixture of all of those. So I think I'm going to shift my writing focus back to this blog. Not only that, I think I'm going to take the D&D toon I'm currently playing, Rend-fol, and write about him. I haven't quite figured out how I'm going to write about him. I'd like to chronicle his current adventures, but I want to shy away from characterizing other players' characters. My initial thought is to start with the adventures, make new names and classes for the other players, and then go from there. Maybe. I'm not sure yet.
Whatever approach I take, let me at least introduce Rend to you. "Bristol Watch Patrol" is the very last summary I wrote for the start of the new campaign we're currently playing. In it, I completely invented a confrontation between Rend and a fellow player's character, Rhogar. It won't take you long to conclude that Rend is a total asshat, which made writing the summary so fun and playing Rend so interesting. The summary is posted directly below this one. Enjoy.
Monday, March 9, 2009
Trip the Light Fantastic
So we changed up Dungeon Masters a couple of weeks ago. Two players competed violently for the right to manage the game's dungeons and dragons. Round one involved arm wrestling, but the two pasty contestants' muscles proved too atrophied to produce a winner. Round two moved on to naked pudding wrestling, chocolate and vanilla swirl. The match had no more begun than the spectators began retching uncontrollably. As a result, a tie was called and both declared Dungeon Master.
Blake, the first of the two to take the reins, runs a business selling . . . crap on Ebay. Yes, much like that chick on The 40 Year Old Virgin. I remind him of this often. Surprisingly, he fails to see the humor in it. At any rate, via the business he runs, Blake bought an entire palette of ancient LCD projectors for $5. Each one must weigh at least 500 pounds and comes with feature (instead of features). Last session, Blake mounted it on the ceiling of the room we game and then proceeded to project some sweet-ass game maps for us run around and kill shit. Beats the hell out of ten-minute Sharpie scrawling. Err, except, the projector dates back to the 20th century and thus retains the lumen power of my desk lamp. Forcing us to turn out all the lights.
I think I may have been sexually assaulted at that last session, but wouldn't be able to identify my attacker if my life depended on it.
Blake, the first of the two to take the reins, runs a business selling . . . crap on Ebay. Yes, much like that chick on The 40 Year Old Virgin. I remind him of this often. Surprisingly, he fails to see the humor in it. At any rate, via the business he runs, Blake bought an entire palette of ancient LCD projectors for $5. Each one must weigh at least 500 pounds and comes with feature (instead of features). Last session, Blake mounted it on the ceiling of the room we game and then proceeded to project some sweet-ass game maps for us run around and kill shit. Beats the hell out of ten-minute Sharpie scrawling. Err, except, the projector dates back to the 20th century and thus retains the lumen power of my desk lamp. Forcing us to turn out all the lights.
I think I may have been sexually assaulted at that last session, but wouldn't be able to identify my attacker if my life depended on it.
Monday, February 9, 2009
The DM Is Tired . . .
Long live the DM!
Craig, the current Dungeon Master of my heart, turned traitor and wants to rejoin the filthy player ranks, creating a power vacuum by which not one, but two former friends wrestle each other in warm pudding for the right to Master Dungeons
With a campaign ending and another starting anew, the new management requested each player to list their top two or three character choices. Here are mine, ranked in my order of preference. Please note I went to considerable trouble naming my prospects, ascribing them a homeland, and triangulating their religious affiliation.
1) Stick Powers
Luskan Half-elf Warlock, devote worshipper of Asmodeus
2) Luz Canun
Vilhon Wilds Minotaur Barbarian, raging follower of Gruumsh
3) Waylon Pacadyrm
Calishman Genasi Swordmage, lukewarm devotee of Oghma
I can't tell which will be the bigger deal-breaker, my name or race selections.
Craig, the current Dungeon Master of my heart, turned traitor and wants to rejoin the filthy player ranks, creating a power vacuum by which not one, but two former friends wrestle each other in warm pudding for the right to Master Dungeons
With a campaign ending and another starting anew, the new management requested each player to list their top two or three character choices. Here are mine, ranked in my order of preference. Please note I went to considerable trouble naming my prospects, ascribing them a homeland, and triangulating their religious affiliation.
1) Stick Powers
Luskan Half-elf Warlock, devote worshipper of Asmodeus
2) Luz Canun
Vilhon Wilds Minotaur Barbarian, raging follower of Gruumsh
3) Waylon Pacadyrm
Calishman Genasi Swordmage, lukewarm devotee of Oghma
I can't tell which will be the bigger deal-breaker, my name or race selections.
Thursday, January 29, 2009
D&D Insider
I’ve been playing 4th edition Dungeons and Dragons for more than six months now, but I’ve largely ignored Wizard of the Coast’s flagship website, D&D Insider. The company now electronically publishes its Dragon and Dungeon magazines and a subscription to D&Di grants unlimited access to them, the Character Builder, and the Compendium, a database of the entire game.
On a whim, I visited the site and discovered that it was in the midst of previewing a huge chunk of content for the upcoming print release of Player’s Handbook 2. Among the previews, the barbarian class, levels 1-30, and the bard, druid, and sorcerer classes, levels 1-3. Even better, the company’s Character Builder is basically a front interface for their compendium database. The builder updates as the game does, which means that yesterday I had the option of creating a barbarian character even though the class has yet to appear in print form. Intrigued, I went ahead and ponied up $8 for a month’s worth of access.
I’ve already recreated Queequeg using the builder and absolutely love it. Leveling my dragonborn warlord to level 7 was just as easy as if I was creating a lowbie character. Powers and feats and magic items all provide descriptions straight out of their respective books. And as mentioned earlier, every book is tapped, everything from the core set to Martial Power and the Adventurer’s Vault to various articles from Dragon magazine.
Even module specific magic items are included! Aecris, the longsword Queequeg acquired while adventuring in Shadowfell Keep, is right alongside an entire host of other enchanted blades.
As good as all this is there is a problem: cost. Right now, WoTC charges $7.95 a month for access to the bounty of D&Di. They’ve threatened that the monthly cost will significantly rise upon the full release of the Character Builder. I’ve heard rumors they want to charge $15 per month, the same as most MMOs, but nothing official has been released yet.
I can understand Wizard’s urge to cash in on the monthly revenue model of a MMO. I just don’t know if it’s going to fly. Lots of people complain about $15 a month for World of Warcraft, even after they’ve averaged hours of playtime per day. D&Di is not a game itself, but instead a well-designed database. I have my doubts that a majority of 4th edition gamers are going to shell out $15 a month on a consistent basis. I can see them subscribing occasionally, a month here, a month there. But not month after month, for years at a time. If Wizards anticipates sporadic subscriptions as well, and has built their revenue expectations around that, than all is well. But if they’re expecting World of Warcraft-esque subscription behavior, then I despair for the game’s future, or at least the fate of D&Di over the long haul.
On a whim, I visited the site and discovered that it was in the midst of previewing a huge chunk of content for the upcoming print release of Player’s Handbook 2. Among the previews, the barbarian class, levels 1-30, and the bard, druid, and sorcerer classes, levels 1-3. Even better, the company’s Character Builder is basically a front interface for their compendium database. The builder updates as the game does, which means that yesterday I had the option of creating a barbarian character even though the class has yet to appear in print form. Intrigued, I went ahead and ponied up $8 for a month’s worth of access.
I’ve already recreated Queequeg using the builder and absolutely love it. Leveling my dragonborn warlord to level 7 was just as easy as if I was creating a lowbie character. Powers and feats and magic items all provide descriptions straight out of their respective books. And as mentioned earlier, every book is tapped, everything from the core set to Martial Power and the Adventurer’s Vault to various articles from Dragon magazine.
Even module specific magic items are included! Aecris, the longsword Queequeg acquired while adventuring in Shadowfell Keep, is right alongside an entire host of other enchanted blades.
As good as all this is there is a problem: cost. Right now, WoTC charges $7.95 a month for access to the bounty of D&Di. They’ve threatened that the monthly cost will significantly rise upon the full release of the Character Builder. I’ve heard rumors they want to charge $15 per month, the same as most MMOs, but nothing official has been released yet.
I can understand Wizard’s urge to cash in on the monthly revenue model of a MMO. I just don’t know if it’s going to fly. Lots of people complain about $15 a month for World of Warcraft, even after they’ve averaged hours of playtime per day. D&Di is not a game itself, but instead a well-designed database. I have my doubts that a majority of 4th edition gamers are going to shell out $15 a month on a consistent basis. I can see them subscribing occasionally, a month here, a month there. But not month after month, for years at a time. If Wizards anticipates sporadic subscriptions as well, and has built their revenue expectations around that, than all is well. But if they’re expecting World of Warcraft-esque subscription behavior, then I despair for the game’s future, or at least the fate of D&Di over the long haul.
Monday, December 29, 2008
Gabe as DM
How cool would it be to have an artist like Gabe from Penny Arcade be your DM? Tycho and Gabe have been documenting Gabe's recent interest in DMing his very own campaign in their most recent strips and Gabe himself posted the illustrations he did for each of the party members. Very cool.
Actually, my group has a budding artist too. Pati, the DM's wife, drew and colored stand-up placards for nearly the entire group. They're really good; it's become as much ritual to prop up your player card as opening up the bag of Twizzlers or lining up the night's dice.
Having played 4.0 for nearly six months now, I still enjoy the latest iteration more than 3.5. But I think some of my companions yearn for the complexity and challenge that the previous edition offered. I know Craig, the DM, is frustrated by the party continuously bitch slapping his monsters. He blames the system for the lack of crunchy challenge. I had to remind him that 3.5 has gaping holes in its game system that you could drive a Mack truck through. He nodded agreement, but I don't think he was convinced.
Actually, my group has a budding artist too. Pati, the DM's wife, drew and colored stand-up placards for nearly the entire group. They're really good; it's become as much ritual to prop up your player card as opening up the bag of Twizzlers or lining up the night's dice.
Having played 4.0 for nearly six months now, I still enjoy the latest iteration more than 3.5. But I think some of my companions yearn for the complexity and challenge that the previous edition offered. I know Craig, the DM, is frustrated by the party continuously bitch slapping his monsters. He blames the system for the lack of crunchy challenge. I had to remind him that 3.5 has gaping holes in its game system that you could drive a Mack truck through. He nodded agreement, but I don't think he was convinced.
Monday, September 22, 2008
Deep Thoughts
Taking a brief glance at my most recent posts, I realized that I haven’t been writing about my re-acquaintance with Dungeons & Dragons. Having mentioned months ago that I started playing again, a gentle reader might think that my foray short circuited and that I quit shortly after beginning.
I haven’t quit though and if I haven’t been writing about my Friday night sessions, it’s because I’ve been having too much fun. And because I really have been writing about them, though on a different blog. I took it upon myself to summarize our weekly game and post it on this site, http://cormyrcampaign.blogspot.com/.
Of the seven adventurers, I play Queequeg Scaleherd, a coin-collecting dragonborn warlord who excels at helping his fellows navigate the all too often chaotic battlefield. I enjoy playing him. I also look forward to trying out the other classes, especially the warlock.
As fun as the game itself is, it’s the camaraderie that makes D&D shine. I play with two married couples, two brothers, and another guy I’ve known for going on seven years now. We laugh and carry on and crack jokes almost as much as we actually play. Which is an off-task/on-task ratio I heartily endorse.
In hindsight, I made a big mistake abandoning D&D for World of Warcraft. At the time, WoW wooed me away because it offered constant play in the convenience of my own home. Giving up a weekly night out should have been the dying canary signal that I was heading down a poisoned mine shaft. At the time though, I was weary of D&D 3.5 imbalances and some of my fellow players taking twenty minutes to execute their turn; I may be exaggerating their chess playing, but not by much. WoW seemed the perfect substitute for D&D. I didn’t have to wait my turn, I got to play alongside my friends, and I could play in my underwear if the mood hit me. In the beginning, the MMO offered no drawbacks, only benefits.
But WoW’s chat is an imperfect communication venue. And as time passed, friends’ expectations of the game changed. The camaraderie I used to have via D&D all but disappeared; jokes and male-ribbing are difficult to replicate in cyberspace. The relaxed atmosphere of friends hanging out was replaced with suspicion, hurt feelings, and sometimes outright hostility. These were emotions and behavior I personally exhibited, as ashamed as I am to admit it.
That’s the nature of email, chat, and vent communication though. When you don’t have personal proximity, you find yourself typing venom that you would never have spewed towards the person if they were sitting right next to you. Body language is such a vitally important component of human communication and it’s totally absent in MMOs. Consequently, it’s almost always the core source of arguments, innuendo, misunderstanding, and ill-will. Not to mention that vent and chat offer an extremely limited ability to facilitate multiple conversations. High-end raiding especially demanded that only the leaders speak. Everyone else was asked to remain silent. Sometimes they were flat-out told to STFU.
It’s the biggest lesson I learned from WoW: your network of national and international friends can’t replace real flesh-and-blood people that you could otherwise be hanging out with. And that hardcore raiding can so consume your life, not only do you cut yourself off from real world relationships, you also put at risk established intimate relationships and the capacity to do other normal human activities, like read to your kids, exercise, or watch TV. It’s so telling that no one was as happy as Wifezilla that I started playing D&D again. Outside looking in, she could see the MMO difference even if I could not.
What’s that? Hmmm? You’re tired of me dissing on MMOs? I don’t blame you. To be clear, I really don’t mean to. I think games like WoW and LotRO are some of the most fun, engaging games out there. I quit WoW last March, LotRO a few months later. It was great getting a break from the routine those games instill. And yet, just last week, I suddenly got the urge to play both games. Even WoW! Not raid, mind you. Never say never, but I don’t think I’ll ever raid again. Unless I’m sent to prison, my cell complete with a PC, a MMO, and a broadband connection. Then maybe.
I’ve been playing LotRO these last few days and have been having a blast. I’ve mostly been soloing, but some unexpectedly kind PUGS helped me get some fellowship quests done. I really don’t begrudge MMOs mostly because I’m currently playing one! I do see them in a new perspective though. I see them much like alcohol or gambling, as a vice that can be abused to the point of consuming your life. Alcohol and gambling can be fun in moderation; they can destroy lives when taken too far.
So don’t let them! Play MMOs, raid even! But maintain a network of real friends, get outside and breathe some fresh air, enjoy some quality television or cinema. In other words, don’t forget to lead a life. So much of good living stems from the balancing act we all walk. Occasionally we all go off-kilter, our arms flailing to keep us upright. Re-center yourself!
Maybe play Dungeons & Dragons! It’s a game of high fantasy and adventure, and with the right people, can be even more fun than drunken karaoke.
I haven’t quit though and if I haven’t been writing about my Friday night sessions, it’s because I’ve been having too much fun. And because I really have been writing about them, though on a different blog. I took it upon myself to summarize our weekly game and post it on this site, http://cormyrcampaign.blogspot.com/.
Of the seven adventurers, I play Queequeg Scaleherd, a coin-collecting dragonborn warlord who excels at helping his fellows navigate the all too often chaotic battlefield. I enjoy playing him. I also look forward to trying out the other classes, especially the warlock.
As fun as the game itself is, it’s the camaraderie that makes D&D shine. I play with two married couples, two brothers, and another guy I’ve known for going on seven years now. We laugh and carry on and crack jokes almost as much as we actually play. Which is an off-task/on-task ratio I heartily endorse.
In hindsight, I made a big mistake abandoning D&D for World of Warcraft. At the time, WoW wooed me away because it offered constant play in the convenience of my own home. Giving up a weekly night out should have been the dying canary signal that I was heading down a poisoned mine shaft. At the time though, I was weary of D&D 3.5 imbalances and some of my fellow players taking twenty minutes to execute their turn; I may be exaggerating their chess playing, but not by much. WoW seemed the perfect substitute for D&D. I didn’t have to wait my turn, I got to play alongside my friends, and I could play in my underwear if the mood hit me. In the beginning, the MMO offered no drawbacks, only benefits.
But WoW’s chat is an imperfect communication venue. And as time passed, friends’ expectations of the game changed. The camaraderie I used to have via D&D all but disappeared; jokes and male-ribbing are difficult to replicate in cyberspace. The relaxed atmosphere of friends hanging out was replaced with suspicion, hurt feelings, and sometimes outright hostility. These were emotions and behavior I personally exhibited, as ashamed as I am to admit it.
That’s the nature of email, chat, and vent communication though. When you don’t have personal proximity, you find yourself typing venom that you would never have spewed towards the person if they were sitting right next to you. Body language is such a vitally important component of human communication and it’s totally absent in MMOs. Consequently, it’s almost always the core source of arguments, innuendo, misunderstanding, and ill-will. Not to mention that vent and chat offer an extremely limited ability to facilitate multiple conversations. High-end raiding especially demanded that only the leaders speak. Everyone else was asked to remain silent. Sometimes they were flat-out told to STFU.
It’s the biggest lesson I learned from WoW: your network of national and international friends can’t replace real flesh-and-blood people that you could otherwise be hanging out with. And that hardcore raiding can so consume your life, not only do you cut yourself off from real world relationships, you also put at risk established intimate relationships and the capacity to do other normal human activities, like read to your kids, exercise, or watch TV. It’s so telling that no one was as happy as Wifezilla that I started playing D&D again. Outside looking in, she could see the MMO difference even if I could not.
What’s that? Hmmm? You’re tired of me dissing on MMOs? I don’t blame you. To be clear, I really don’t mean to. I think games like WoW and LotRO are some of the most fun, engaging games out there. I quit WoW last March, LotRO a few months later. It was great getting a break from the routine those games instill. And yet, just last week, I suddenly got the urge to play both games. Even WoW! Not raid, mind you. Never say never, but I don’t think I’ll ever raid again. Unless I’m sent to prison, my cell complete with a PC, a MMO, and a broadband connection. Then maybe.
I’ve been playing LotRO these last few days and have been having a blast. I’ve mostly been soloing, but some unexpectedly kind PUGS helped me get some fellowship quests done. I really don’t begrudge MMOs mostly because I’m currently playing one! I do see them in a new perspective though. I see them much like alcohol or gambling, as a vice that can be abused to the point of consuming your life. Alcohol and gambling can be fun in moderation; they can destroy lives when taken too far.
So don’t let them! Play MMOs, raid even! But maintain a network of real friends, get outside and breathe some fresh air, enjoy some quality television or cinema. In other words, don’t forget to lead a life. So much of good living stems from the balancing act we all walk. Occasionally we all go off-kilter, our arms flailing to keep us upright. Re-center yourself!
Maybe play Dungeons & Dragons! It’s a game of high fantasy and adventure, and with the right people, can be even more fun than drunken karaoke.
Thursday, September 4, 2008
Neverwinter Nights 2 Update
Since it had been so long ago that I had played Neverwinter Nights 2, rather than piece together the who and the why and the where for quests I hadn’t worked on in more than a year, I started from scratch. After some fairly solid playing these last few weeks, I’m at the point where I stopped oh those many months ago.
I rolled a new toon, but picked the same race, class, and name even: Kammris Caulfield, aasimar cleric. I love clerics in D&D 3.5. The ability to wear plate combined with the most powerful and efficient healing in the game is too irresistible, even if other classes might be more fun to play. I take Khelgar the dwarven fighter everywhere I go. Both he and Kammris tank, with Kammris giving his flaming mace an occasional rest to dish out healing when needed.
Quar (sp) is also a must-have party member. The sorcerer deals out face-melting aoe. Without her, fights would last longer and would too often end in defeat. Quar has become almost unstoppable now that she regularly applies Stoneskin. I round out my party with Neekisha (sp), the rogue. She does decent dps when she’s positioned for backstabbing and she’s absolutely crucial for trap spotting and disarming and for unlocking all those pesky chests.
That means I end up always benching the gnome bard, the elven dr00d, and the human paladin. I’m sure they’re fine toons, each and every one of them. I would likely interchange any one of them if my main was a different class than cleric. But since Kammris always shoulders the healing chores, the party’s most primary need shifts to that of dps, crowd control, and dungeon utility.
I’ve read lots of criticism about NWN2’s original campaign storyline. Admittedly, it starts slowly. But it’s building in the middle part of the game quite nicely. When I reached the actual city of Neverwinter, Kammris and company were immediately drafted in the city’s Watch, a police force ripe with corruption and lethargy. We’ve been conducting missions to help regain control of the city, fighting the town’s local mafia outfit. Most recently, I traveled outside the city to track down a disappearing Neverwinter emissary. Two local orc tribes conspired to kidnap, interrogate, and torture the diplomat as part of a larger conspiracy against Neverwinter. I find it all very appealing, especially the voice-work, the quality of which contrasts sharply with that of The Witcher.
I rolled a new toon, but picked the same race, class, and name even: Kammris Caulfield, aasimar cleric. I love clerics in D&D 3.5. The ability to wear plate combined with the most powerful and efficient healing in the game is too irresistible, even if other classes might be more fun to play. I take Khelgar the dwarven fighter everywhere I go. Both he and Kammris tank, with Kammris giving his flaming mace an occasional rest to dish out healing when needed.
Quar (sp) is also a must-have party member. The sorcerer deals out face-melting aoe. Without her, fights would last longer and would too often end in defeat. Quar has become almost unstoppable now that she regularly applies Stoneskin. I round out my party with Neekisha (sp), the rogue. She does decent dps when she’s positioned for backstabbing and she’s absolutely crucial for trap spotting and disarming and for unlocking all those pesky chests.
That means I end up always benching the gnome bard, the elven dr00d, and the human paladin. I’m sure they’re fine toons, each and every one of them. I would likely interchange any one of them if my main was a different class than cleric. But since Kammris always shoulders the healing chores, the party’s most primary need shifts to that of dps, crowd control, and dungeon utility.
I’ve read lots of criticism about NWN2’s original campaign storyline. Admittedly, it starts slowly. But it’s building in the middle part of the game quite nicely. When I reached the actual city of Neverwinter, Kammris and company were immediately drafted in the city’s Watch, a police force ripe with corruption and lethargy. We’ve been conducting missions to help regain control of the city, fighting the town’s local mafia outfit. Most recently, I traveled outside the city to track down a disappearing Neverwinter emissary. Two local orc tribes conspired to kidnap, interrogate, and torture the diplomat as part of a larger conspiracy against Neverwinter. I find it all very appealing, especially the voice-work, the quality of which contrasts sharply with that of The Witcher.
Wednesday, August 6, 2008
Dungeons & Dragons 4.0 and the RP Debate
I started playing D&D again. I glanced at the new rules, liked what I saw, called up my old pals to see if they were still playing, and am now back in the game. More about that later.
I see the MMO class roles as a game play innovation, even if it is a refinement of what Gygax and Arneson started with Chainmail back in the day. The D&D community can resent the influence till the beholders come home, but MMOs borrowed from D&D and then they turned around and evolved it. To quote a platitude, imitation is the highest form of flattery. D&D can only benefit from taking a look at what MMOs (and other computer games too) do well, steal that, and then roll a d20 to see if they pulled it off.
I'm most interested in the current heated debate regarding the new 4.0 release and whether it discourages roleplaying in favor of Warhammer-like tactical combats. Desslock summarized one side of the debate in his PC Gamer column in the September issue. Comparing 3.0 to 4.0, Desslock writes, "The D&D 4.0 rules strive to make the game more accessible, but often at the cost of removing character customization and roleplaying options. Players no longer have to carefully consider which class or skills to select, because skills now automatically advance and classes are now more balanced and useful in any situation. As a result, character are more likely to artificially resemble each other instead of personalized alter-egos." Desslock addresses two issues here, that 4.0 changed class roles (for the worst) and made roleplaying harder.
The issue of roleplaying first: Desslock, if you're relying on rule sets to roleplay, you're doing it wrong. Take all the rules and the dice and the checkered game boards out of D&D, what do you have left? Theater! Without the laws governing the limits of what people can do with their character, imagination takes precedent and amateur acting or MacGyver problem-solving take center stage. The line cuts finely between Doritos chomping geek and gesticulating thespian. And D&D with no rules is a close relative of the community college acting workshop.
The fact of the matter is, roleplaying has always operated outside a rule set, even back in the first edition days. The rules exists to ground the game in a certain reality, like how far can I run in six seconds, can I break down that door, or can I scale that wall. But roleplaying has always encompassed those rare (the games I play are combat heavy) moments of the gaming session where improvisation kicks in and stars are born. Roleplaying is the chance to prove to the rest of the table that your character is more than just the statistics on a page and that you can manipulate the world around you with clever dialogue, a cultural or racial idiosyncrasy, or a novel approach to a stubborn obstacle. Those game facets operate outside any ruleset. D&D 4.0 didn't ruin those opportunities anymore than 3.5 improved them. So if roleplaying suffers in modern D&D, inspired players need to look to themselves or their DM if they want to improve (or begin) that part of their game.
As for the class roles, I again disagree with Desslock. It didn't help that at the end of his column, he declared Fallout a better RPG than Diablo. First, that's like saying New York strip tastes better than yak vomit. Second, Diablo isn't a RPG. Desslock might as well declare Fallout a better RPG than Call of Duty 4 because his first comparison is nearly as silly. Though fertile ground for another blog another day, I would go so far as to say WoW and its peers are as much RPGs as Diablo.
I do agree that the 4.0 classes seemed more balanced now, overall power wise. 3.5 suffered awfully from leveling scale. The game played fine at lower levels, but as characters leveled past the teens, certain classes became impotent while others grew into tremendous (fire)powerhouses. Fighters especially suffered. Their AC and hit points didn't keep up with the attack rolls and damage directed at them. Playing a high level fighter in 3.5 boiled down to going toe-to-two for a few rounds before a saving throw was missed or a couple of monster blows landed. A chew toy distraction at best.
I suspect 4.0 is going to scale much better. The leveling upgrades are written directly into the skills themselves. And I count the designers behind 4.0 as wise men for borrowing and incorporating the MMO model into their combat system. Tank, DPS, and healing are the fundamental class roles; crowd control, aggro control, healing, dps the means of resolving the combat. When you edit the 3.5 fighter, giving him aggro grabbing and and interrupt abilities, you create a more focused class, a more focused class role, and a more satisfying combat experience. He might still be a chew toy at times, but at least he's getting something done in the process besides distracting that umber hulk for two rounds.
Desslock doesn't like the new MMO influence. That's fine, but he's got his horse and cart mixed up when he writes, "D&D 4.0 needlessly imports MMO game play conventions and terminology, which is ironic, since many MMO mechanics originated as necessary compromises when it was impossible to re-create the more open-ended game play of tabletop RPGs."
Needless, ironic import? I guess you could view it that way. Another way would be to see today's MMOs refining RPG combat, not just because it works better in a computer game but because empirically it's an improvement. I don't have hard numbers, but within WoW's 10 million subscriber base, surely some of those are ex-tabletop RPGers, D&D included. With their consumer base shifting over to MMOs, it's not surprising to see Wizards of the Coast dissecting their appeal and then grafting appealing elements into the next iteration of their game.I see the MMO class roles as a game play innovation, even if it is a refinement of what Gygax and Arneson started with Chainmail back in the day. The D&D community can resent the influence till the beholders come home, but MMOs borrowed from D&D and then they turned around and evolved it. To quote a platitude, imitation is the highest form of flattery. D&D can only benefit from taking a look at what MMOs (and other computer games too) do well, steal that, and then roll a d20 to see if they pulled it off.
The good news here is that if you agree with Desslock, you can continue playing the more "roleplay" friendly 3.5 rules. Personally, I think it behooves the player base to support the latest version of D&D if it's well-designed and fun. Which 4.0 is. If they don't . . . well, Wizards is a business and it's not beyond the pale light of forecasting to see a day when they abandon D&D altogether.
Leaving naught but leviathan MMOs ruling the world.
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