In Which The Warlock Becomes a Doomsayer...

When Wizards of the Coast first announced their Digital Initiative, I was skeptical at best. It was hard to believe that a company so focused on print role-playing materials could put forwards a quality online application that effectively summarized their work.

However, upon closer review, I was pleasantly surprised. The downloadable Character Builder and the later Monster Builder quickly became invaluable tools for me, as I both ran and played D&D. Character generation time dropped from the hours it had become in 3.5e, down to mere minutes. I’ve often been quoted as stating that I could make a 30th level character, fully-equipped, playable, and reasonably optimized, within a 20 minute timeframe. The Monster Builder, similarly, allowed me to print out sheets with chosen creatures—both custom-made and pregenerated—reducing the amount of time that I spent preparing for games.


RIP--The Downloadable Character Builder (11-16-2010)

The down side to this functionality was the reliance on updates. As August and September rolled on with no update—and no word of an update—DDI customers grew frustrated. The revised version of Dark Sun came out in hardback…but had no support via DDI. Whole articles and books were being left out of DDI, with no word from Wizards of the Coast on why or when.

Then, the announcement: Wizards of the Coast would no longer be supporting the downloadable Character Builder software, choosing instead to implement an online-only toolset. The online-toolset debuted yesterday to much outcry amongst the gaming community.

With that in mind, I’d like to get on record now this thought: If the D&D brand is set to fail within the next decade, it will be because of Wizards of the Coast’s utter refusal to commit to either a set online plan and, through that, their customers.

Having examined the new Character Builder, it has several fundamental flaws that not only defeat its design intent, but also harm the gaming community as a whole.

• The Character Builder is online only. This is the biggest problem, yet one that WotC refuses to address. The company line is currently one that states that the online-functionality of the CB software makes it accessible from anywhere that has an Internet connection. There are two flaws with this logic: not only does this make the CB harder to access, but it also makes it less available overall.

o Online-only MEANS online-only: For some people this may not seem to be a problem, but when thought through thoroughly, cracks emerge. If I go to play at any of my 3 local game stores, there’s no wi-fi available. My characters, saved on my computer, would be inaccessible, whereas with the Downloadable CB, they were at my fingertips. Similarly, if the WotC website goes down or crashes, my characters are inaccessible. This limits access, rather than making it more available.

o Silverlight is left in the dark. The new CB runs on the Silverlight framework, put out by Microsoft. That’s all well and good, but most mobile devices—including the iPad, most palmtop computers, and any smart-phone that doesn’t use Windows 7—can’t run Silverlight. Considering that these were the target users of the new CB, this design precept is utterly a failure.

• Your characters are no longer yours. This, as a writer and blogger, angers me beyond belief. Not only does the new CB have an absurdly-low limit of 20 characters, WotC has now made it expressly clear that the characters—despite the fact that you, as a player, assembled them—are not yours. With no ability to export a character to your hard drive (and no ability to even view it, once you have done so!), you will have absolutely no access to your own creations, should you choose to cancel your subscription. As someone who runs D&D at conventions and uses pregenerated characters, this limit is crippling—with 6 seats at a table, a mere 3 games fills out the limit, and that doesn’t even count any ‘home’ characters that I might have!

WotC has framed this as the ability to store these characters “in the Cloud”, implying that storing them on a hard drive or flash drive is somehow an inconvenience. Such is not the case. Again, it’s much easier to port over a character via a USB drive than have to log into a website, which may or may not be available/functioning.

 

Maybe this can tell me why new the CB crashed 4 times in 15 minutes...

• The Character Builder is buggy beyond belief. Admittedly, it just debuted yesterday, but when WotC already has a fully-functional product that performs the same function, the idea of having basic, fundamental sections of the new version unworkable. The current “Known Issues” list on the WotC Character Builder site reads like a laundry list, with basic class features—such as the use of a weapon as a implement, which is core to classes like Assassin, Swordmage and Warlock—left to be totally unworkable. When a product already exists that fills this niche—one already produced by WotC—switching horse midstreams is foolhardy at best.

• WotC’s Track Record: Promise Much, Produce Little. We’re told, through the occasional forum post or the CB FAQ, that the ability to export characters will be incoming. We’re told that core components of the game, such as the ability to house rule items, to include inherent bonuses, and to modify the character sheet on a fundamental level…all that “has not yet been implemented,” but it’s on the horizon. We’re told that all of this is coming.

But, I ask this: what about the rest of the functionality that was promised us? What about the rest of the Monster Builder updates, which have gone untouched? What about the much ballyhooed Virtual Tabletop, which would allow you to play with your friends across the country, with full chat utilities and stylized virtual minis? What about open communication, within the gaming community? Anyone remember GleeMax, WotC’s utter travesty of a social networking site?

So, how long did GleeMax last?  6 months?  A year?  Did anyone care?

All of this adds up to bad news in my eyes. It’s been mentioned—unofficially, of course—that WotC made this move to keep more nefarious gamers from cracking and subsequently bit-torrenting hacked version of the downloadable CB. If this is the case, though, it’s a paranoid attempt to deal with a minority of the gaming community, which only harms the majority’s ability to enjoy a product as a paying customer.


WotC has dropped a fully-functional, smooth program in favor of trying to rebuild their image. This, on a fundamental level, is a misstep. While I doubt that this would bring the D&D brand on the whole to a collapse, it does make for poor tidings for the world’s most popular RPG.

I, for one, will not be witness to this pratfall. Upon the completion of my already-paid year of DDI subscription, I’ll be cancelling.

In Which the Warlock Raids the Furniture Store for Inspiration...

With the 2011 convention season on the horizon, I’ve been scheming what to run at this year’s cons. My Cthulhian WEGS scenario—WEGS + Cthulhu = WEGSThulhu!—is already locked and loaded, with only minor changes necessary after the playtests I ran at Champion City ComicCon.


I’m tempted to play through one of my already-made “Pendulum” adventures, but I’d rather come up with something new. However, the Pendulum idea hasn’t been at rest. Rather, John—over at World vs. Hero (go check it out!)—got me thinking.

Two of the basic precepts of the Pendulum Method are shifts in time and shifts in place. Certainly, there are other shifts that are available to GMs, but what about shifting the very PCs themselves? What if you could create a game in which the PCs aren’t really fleshed out until the players flesh them out…at the table?

This idea’s still in development, but I think I really could be on to something here. There’d have to be a hard limit as to how many advancements a player could get, as well as a finite system for when characters may advance, but it’d be fantastic to see what the players come up with! It would really provide a unique play experience on both sides of the table, which nothing else really emulates.

What do you think, fellow gamers? Could I be on to something here? Perhaps a playtest at WittCon? Let me know what you think!

What if, rather than before the game, a player-characters were created as the game itself progressed?



The site of the next zombie outbreak?



Bear with me as I change topics. A few months ago, the PlatinumChick and I were off, roaming around the Ikea in West Chester. Ikea’s a store unto itself—rather than wander up and down aisles, you walk through showrooms based around different rooms in a house, each of which display the various furniture options that Ikea sells. The whole store is rife with “secret passages” leading from one section to another, from “Home Office” to “Kitchen and Dining”.

Then, an idea struck me. The idea of a zombified shopping mall is one of the most classic in all of horror, starting with George Romeo’s classic Dawn of the Dead, and even being spoofed in the Dead Rising series of video games. What if, rather than a shopping mall, the invasion started in an Ikea!? The passages between sections would make for glorious gaming, to say nothing of the improvised weapons one could make from kitchen implements, light-duty furniture, and prop displays!



Maybe he's got the Berserk edge?



That’s where the Pendulum kicks in. Using the Savage Worlds system, all of the characters would start with d6s in each of their 5 stats. Rather than having assigned Skills or Edges, the players would be granted the ability to design their own character, based on their actions in the game. Need to get through a locked door that leads to the employee break room? Come up with a reason in-character to do so, and fill in one of your empty Edge slots with the “Thief” Edge! Want to hot-wire a forklift? Maybe you were a heavy construction worker in the past, giving you “McGuyver”!

This idea’s still in development, but I think I really could be on to something here. There’d have to be a hard limit as to how many advancements a player could get, as well as a finite system for when characters may advance, but it’d be fantastic to see what the players come up with! It would really provide a unique play experience on both sides of the table, which nothing else really emulates.


What do you think, fellow gamers? Could I be on to something here? Perhaps a playtest at WittCon? Let me know what you think!

In Which The Warlock WEGSes Out!

With this week’s Witt-Guild sponsored run through the WEGSventure Hobgobble’s Eve, I figured that it’d be fitting to take a look at one of the scarcely used variant rules of WEGS Old Skool, the “Multi-Arkin’” rules. While WEGS is a game that revels in the classic fantasy archetypes of Fighting Man, Skolar, Trickster, and Ranger, one of the classic fantasy staples is missing: the Paladin!


So, without further adieu, here’s your guide on how to build a WEGSing Cavalier!

Time to WEGS out!

Stats:

Remember, all characters in WEGS are randomly rolled, but if you’re shooting for an old-school Paladin, you’ve got to hope for great stats in two areas: Prowess (which governs your melee attacks and will become your Prime stat) and Grace (which governs your Spoint usage and your spellcasting ability, as well as your Secondary stat). When assigning Ranks, however, you want to be sure to be careful to strike a balance.

That's right...STRIKE that balance!

Traditionally speaking, players tend to place their starting rank of 30 in their Prime stat. However, striking a balance may provide a better benefit in this case. As an example, if you were lucky enough to roll a stat of 32 in your Prowess—the best possible result on the table—your 30 rank would be better served in your Grace stat, rather than in your Prowess. Rather than boost your already high melee attacks, you’d be better served ensuring that you have the Spoint reserve to back up your spellcasting. Generally speaking, it’s better (in this build, at least), to have two stats in the 50s than a single stat in the 60s.

Regardless of which stat gets your rank of 30, the other should definitely merit one of your two 20 ranks. The other 20 absolutely should go towards Stealth, increasing your mobility on the battlefield by increasing your Move Strength, and increasing your Invulnerability. Remember, you’re going to be in melee all day long—that extra 10% Invulnerability matters!

Race:



Only a Dwarf will do!



There’s precisely one race you want to look at, in order to make the WEGS Paladin work: Dwarf! Dwarves naturally gravitate towards the Mystic sphere, and gain the coveted +6% Grace rank bonus. That bonus becomes critical to your spellcasting ability, and provides you with an additional 6 Spoints—that’s a free Cast and Blast, friends!

 Some may think that a Humnz may make an equally effective Paladin, but that’s statistically erroneous. The drop in Grace % that you forfeit—that 6%--is simply not worth the single Spoint that you’d gain in recompense. Essentially, you’d be dropping 6% on all Grace-related rolls, as opposed to a single roll with a 10% bonus. Permanent bonuses trump temporary ones, so Humnz Paladins aren’t in the question.

Arketype and Vitals:

As your primary Arketype, you’ll want to choose Warrior. At its core, the Paladin is a melee fighter, which is going to mean high Wounds and Invulnerability are a priority. You’ll gain the 30% Armor Invuln from the Warrior Arketype which, when combined with your 20% Stealth Rank, will start you off at 50% Invuln as a brand new Ark! You may be at a slight disadvantage in terms of Wounds, in comparison to a “straight” Warrior, but your spellcasting ability and sheer number of Spoints will take care of that shortcoming.

Your secondary Arketype, naturally, should be Sage. This provides the Mystic edge that you’ll use to take down foes. Naturally, you’ll be taking skills from each category, but don’t forget that you always have to have more skills from your primary Arketype than your secondary.

Skill Choices—The 9 Skill Hand

Remember that, when Multi-Arkin’, your Kreator/Minion Master gets to decide upon the hand size of your skills. Traditionally, 9 skills are considered to be an acceptable number. However, hand sizes of 11 and even 13 are not uncommon. I’ll make recommendations for the first 9, then provide some “honorable mentions” to fill out to 13.

• Warrior Skill—Charge! A classic Paladin staple, Charge absolutely has to be in your repertoire. The ability to Move and Attack as a single action in WEGS is par excellence, providing mobility, a possible Invulnerability penalty to the enemy (if you’re able to get a Back Attack), and the ability to get across the battlefield quickly. Charge can also help to offset a weak Stealth stat in this way. So what, it’s a Cold Roll skill? It’s still glorious!

• Warrior Reaction—Resist Fear Again, a Paladin staple here. Paladins fear nothing, and a WEGS Paladin is no exception. The bonus to Lost Action Phase rolls is just gravy on this one.

• Warrior Skill—In Your Face! Just like a Paladin’s “Divine Challenge” or the like, In Your Face catches a foe’s attention and gets his claws away from your allies. Plus, it’s a hands-free skill for you, levying a hefty Invuln penalty against your chosen foe for your next 4 attacks. Can’t beat it.

• Warrior Attack Form—Invuln Down Simply put, anything that lowers Invulnerability in WEGS is golden. Being able to do this at will, especially when coupled with In Your Face ensures that you’ll be doing damage consistently.

• Warrior Skill—Mighty Whack! You won’t use it often, and it has a Spoint fee to even try it, but if you want to Smite Evil, this is the way to do it! Get yourself in position first, make sure you have In Your Face set up, and let that heretic have it!

• Sage Skill—Sense Mystic You want to cast spells? Then there’s no choice here…gotta have it.

• Sage Spell—Bless with Fire A classic weapon blessing that can really up your damage output, this one automatically takes off a Wound chip, as long as you can land the hit. This one’s great for whittling down those 8/88s!

• Sage Spell—Sphere of Light Since you’ll be in melee so much, this spell can really increase your accuracy (ensuring that those lethal hits land) as well as that of your nearby allies. Keep this one for when you’re in flanking position with that Trickster ally of yours!

• Sage Spell—Laying of Hands This one’s a limited use Spell, but it can really make the difference in hits, particularly after you’ve been in battle for a while. A well-timed, well-rolled Laying of Hands can totally refresh your Wounds, putting you back in the fight and those Phew points safely in hand!

Honorable Mention Skills:

• Sage Skill—Pocketful of Miracles With a lower-than-normal Spoint reserve for a Mystic caster, this one really merits some thought. While you’ll only use it once, the Spoints that it provides can really be a lifesaver. I wouldn’t take above one of the others listed, but it merits consideration.

• Sage Spell—Clash of the Spheres Oh, man…so tempting. You’ll be in melee with so many monsters that dropping them all into Lost Action Phase looks great, right? There’s one problem—you have friends that’ll be in melee with you. They won’t appreciate getting LAPped by their own party! If you’re a solo tank, this one makes the foes into easy pickings for Mages and Rangers, though.

• Warrior Attack Form—Strength Up If some damage is good, then more damage is better, right?! Plus, with another Attack form, you can Blitz!

• Warrior Attack Form—Stat Up With a slightly lower-than-normal Prowess, this skill can help land some attacks as you start out on your adventuring career. Over time, though, it becomes somewhat unnecessary, once you near the 66% mark on your Prowess %.


A real Old Skool Paladin!


Playing the WEGS Paladin:

When playing the WEGS Paladin, it’s all about preparation. The key is to bide your time. If the enemies come to you, they afford you time to prepare your buff spells and skills which only make them easier to take down. Starting off a with a two-inning cycle of Sense Mystic and Bless with Fire or Sphere of Light will make that combat go all the faster once you wade into melee.

When entering combat at a distance, Charge will allow you the opportunity to avoid spending a turn doing nothing but moving, and will set you up in a position where a friendly Trickster or Ranger will get a Back Attack, as the foe focuses on you. If the enemy focuses elsewhere, a well-placed In Your Face will change that instantly.

If in between foes, try to ensure that you have a Sense Mystic up and rarin’ to go. A well-timed Laying of Hands or Clash of the Spheres can really turn the tide of a battle, but both require the Sense to be on-deck. If you can take care of that step a few innings earlier, you’re in a winning position.

Naturally, you cannot put all of these strategies into effect simultaneously. Rather, move as the situation dictates. If you’re Spoint-rich, don’t be afraid to let loose with a Bless with Fire. If you’re running low, hold your Sense for a needed Laying of Hands or the like, relying on your Warrior Attack Forms for your offense. Judge the situation as it comes, and you’ll be smiting heretics in no time!
A Final Note!

If you get the chance and want to throw down the 6s and 10s, swing by the Wittenberg University Shouvlin Center this Friday at 7pm. I’ll be running the holiday classic, Hobgobble’s Eve for any and all comers. Spante up, children!!

In Which The Warlock Tears Down the Wall!

When I planned out the end-game of the Friday night "Tear of Ioun" game, I wanted to ensure that the ending would be an epic one.  As Chaotic Frederick says, I wanted them to "be saying 'wow' every time".  As I mentioned earlier, I had been hoping for a set-piece battle that really demonstrated the weight and power of the characters' actions thusfar in the game.  Moreso, I wanted them to feel massively threatened, while simultaneously maintaining that feel of supreme bad-assness!

So, when I decided upon a siege on Russell's home clan, I was a little worried.  In fact, I was downright  intimidated.  I had never run a game session on this scale before, and doing so proved to be quite the challenge.



The Defenders of Morgordal Keep

 After building their castle, writing up rules for siege weaponry and other defenses, and preparing troops using the DDI Monster Builder software, the field was finally arrayed against the hordes of Volarn, Opener of the Way.  It was a ton of prep, which culminated with a 4 page long e-mail on my part, detailing troop costs, toughness and more...and then prompted a similarly lengthed response from Chaotic Frederick!

In game, each player was responsible for four items each:  their own character (currently near-epic level, sitting at 17th!), an NPC ally of theirs (also near-epic!), a siege engine that ranged from the traditional ballistae and trebuchet to the mighty acid cannon and pseudo-sentient Hellfire engine, and a legion of troops.  While this seemed like a lot, the rules were incredibly streamlined, moving quickly for each character.  To be honest, each turn only took slightly longer than a normal D&D turn!

Without a doubt, my players rose to the challenge brilliantly.

Clanfather Russell rides the Hellfire Engine into battle!

The battle was joined, and everyone at the table threw themselves into the defense.  Lupin led Banish skirmishers from Gloomwrought against the eldritch horrors, while Martook confronted one of the massive mutants head-on, being swallowed in its toothy maw!  Shantira, Aster, and Guf manned the walls, leading troops directly, while Russell and his clanbrother Thorgrim swung their hammers in unison before the gates of their new home.



Friday Night Will, Chris the II, and Pyro-Jessie survey the field...

 Things looked grim for our defenders for quite a while.  While the defenders had great success wiping out the aberrent hordes with their siege weaponry, their numbers seemed countless.  However, with Martook swallowed and Lupin overwhelmed, the two largest of Volarn's minions--literally, walking engines of destruction themselves--focused their fire on the Hellfire Engine and the keep's walls...



The gates come crashing down!

In that moment of despair, all seemed lost and the Far Realm beasts seemed on the verge of annihilating all within the keep.  Martook let loose yet another unheeded prayer to Moradin from within the beast's gullet.  Cursing once more, he turned to a different source of divine intervention:  Bane, Lord of War.

I was floored!  For session after session, Lupin had (half-jokingly) been trying to convert the party to Bane, only really succeeding with the embittered Aster.  Totally at a loss for what to do, I resorted to an old tactic from "Pirates of the Underdark"--I asked him to 'roll the bones'. 

"Do ya feel lucky?"

"The Bones" is a simple mechanic, which I culled from Skull and Bones:  Swashbuckling Horror in the Golden Age of Piracy, while I was running "Pirates of the Underdark".  Essentially, a character can toss 'the bones'--2d6--once per session, and hope that Lady Luck can help him out of a dire situation.  Martook's roll?  A ten...near perfect...

Mighty Bane manifested in his mind, offering ultimate victory on this battlefield, in exchange for his fealty.  Martook hastily accepted, his Moradinian regalia reforming and restylizing as Banish armor, and he burst forth from the creature's belly in a shower of gore.  With a half-crazed war-cry, he leapt back into the fray, hewing down aberrations with each mighty swing. 



Chaotic Frederick and Chris the I have the situation under control...


Our session ended late--almost at 1:15 am--with the aberrant army crushed and Morgordal Keep saved.  But the players, triumphant and energized, were excited.  This was a battle for the ages, and was really memorable for all of us.  This was what I was hoping for.  This, my lovely readers, was what it was all about.  this was the culmination of a truly epic yarn.

While we're off next week, the following week will bring our final battle and take our PCs back to where it all began--the Forlorn Tower, just north of the ruins of Wellspring. 

And honestly?  I can't wait. 

In Which The Warlock Mans the Walls...

With the Siege of Morgordal Keep on the horizon, now's a great time to show off some of the NPCs that'll be aiding our heroes through their trials.  So now, as a special preview are three of their NPC allies:  Thorgrim (clan-brother to Russell and Sergeant of the Novgorod), Fracture (the mysterious shardmind freed by Lupin's sundering of a githyanki silver sword), and the always-charismatic Elladan Redhand!

Thorgrim, Clan Messenger Level 18 Soldier

Medium natural humanoid XP 2,000
HP 174; Bloodied 87
AC 36; Fortitude 31; Reflex 28; Will 30 Speed 5
Saving Throws +5 vs poison effects Initiative +14
Perception +15   Low-Light Vision

Traits
Stand Your Ground
When an effect forces a dwarf to move—through a push, a pull, or a slide—the dwarf moves 1 square less than the effect specifies. When an attack would knock the dwarf prone, the dwarf gains an immediate saving throw to avoid falling prone.

Standard Actions
R Throwing Hammer (weapon) • At-Will
Attack: Range 5/10; +23 vs. AC
Hit: 1d10 + 9 damage.

M War Pick (weapon) • At-Will
Attack: +24 vs. AC
Hit: 1d10 + 9 damage and the target is marked.

m Blood Frenzy Strike • Recharge 4 5 6
Attack: +25 vs. AC
Hit: 3d10 + 9 damage and the target gains Vulnerability 7 to all damage until the end of Thorgrim's next turn.

m Shield Breaker • Recharge 5 6
Attack: +24 vs. AC
Hit: 4d10 + 9 damage, and the target takes a -2 to AC and Reflex until the end of Thorgrim's next turn.

m Barrelling Charge • Daily
Effect: (One, Two, or Three Creatures); Thorgrim shifts his speed and makes a War Pick attack against each target. On a hit, the target is also dazed (save ends).

Minor Actions
Dwarven Fortitude • Recharge 5 6
Effect: Thorgrim makes a saving throw against each effect currently affecting him, even if the effect does not normally allow a saving throw. On a success, the effect ends.

Triggered Actions
Vengeance of the Clan • Encounter
Effect (Immediate Interrupt): Thorgrim makes a melee basic attack against the enemy.

Skills Dungeoneering +22, Endurance +20, History +18, Intimidate +18
Str 25 (+16) Dex 16 (+12) Wis 22 (+15)
Con 22 (+15) Int 19 (+13) Cha 19 (+13)

Alignment:  Good  Languages Common, Dwarven
Equipment scale armor, war pick, throwing hammer x4



Fracture--Shardmind Monk Level 18 Skirmisher

Medium immortal humanoid (living construct) XP 2,000
HP 171; Bloodied 86
AC 32; Fortitude 30; Reflex 30; Will 29
Speed 8
Resist 10 psychic Initiative +17
Perception +18

Standard Actions
m Fist of Nine Shadows (psionic, implement) • At-Will
Attack: Melee 1 (one creature); +21 vs. Fortitude
Hit: 1d10 + 15 damage, and the target is pushed one square.
Effect: Fracture may make an Athletics check to jump with a +5 power bonus to the roll. It is treated as having a running start when jumping.

C Five Storms (psionic, implement) • At-Will
Attack: Close Burst 1; +21 vs. Reflex
Hit: 1d8 + 15 damage.
Effect: Fracture may shift two squares before or after this attack.

R Tumbling Boulder (psionic, implement) • Recharge 5 6
Attack: Melee touch (one creature); +20 vs. Reflex
Hit: 1d10 + 21 damage and the target falls prone and cannot stand until the end of Fracture's next turn.
Effect: Fracture shifts 4 squares and gains a +2 to all defenses until the end of its next turn.

A Mind Swarm (psychic) • Encounter
Effect: Area Burst 1 within 5 (enemies in burst); All enemies in the burst grant combat advantage until the end of Fracture's next turn. He also gains a +2 to all defenses until the end of his next turn.

M Dancer on the Living Gate (psionic, implement) • Daily
Attack: Melee 1; +21 vs. Fortitude; Fracture shifts its speed and makes this attack once against each adjacent enemy during the shift.
Hit: 3d10 + 15 damage.
Miss: Half damage.

Move Actions
Immortal Spider Technique (psionic) • At-Will
Effect: Fracture may climb its speed and may even move across overhanging surfaces like ceilings. If Fracture ends its turn on such a surface, it falls.

Skills Athletics +20, Endurance +18, Stealth +20
Str 22 (+15) Dex 22 (+15) Wis 19 (+13)
Con 19 (+13) Int 22 (+15) Cha 8 (+8)
Alignment:  Unaligned   Languages Common, Deep Speech, telepathy 15


Elladan Red-Hand (Level 18) Level 18 Lurker

Medium fey humanoid (eladrin) XP 2,000
HP 139; Bloodied 70
AC 32; Fortitude 30; Reflex 29; Will 30
Speed 6 Initiative +19
Perception +17    Low-Light Vision

Standard Actions

m Acrobatic Strike • At-Will
Attack: +23 vs. AC
Hit: 1d4 + 12 Hit: If Elladan is grabbed, he escapes the grab. Before or after the attack, Elladan may shift one square. This power may be used at Range (5/10).

M Scoundrel's Philosophy • Recharge 4 5 6
Attack: Melee or Ranged 5/10; +23 vs. AC
Hit: 3d4 + 12 and make a secondary attack vs. Will. On a hit, the target is dazed until the end of Elladan's next turn.

M Tornado Strike • Recharge 5 6
Attack: +23 vs. AC; One attack per target.
Hit: 4d4 + 11 damage and Elladan may slide the target 6 squares. Effect: Elladan may move 3 squares after the attack.

M Courage Breaker • Daily
Attack: Melee or Ranged 5/10; +23 vs. AC
Hit: 6d4 + 11 damage and the target is slowed and takes a -2 penalty to all attacks (save ends both).

Move Actions
Fey Step • Encounter
Effect: Elladan teleports 5 squares.

Triggered Actions
Leaping Dodge • Recharge 6
Effect (Immediate Interrupt): Trigger: An enemy targets Elladan with an attack. Elladan makes an Athletics check to jump with a +5 bonus, and jumps the appropriate distance.

Other Powers
M Sneak Attack (Backstabber)
Effect: Once per round, when Ellandan hits a creature that he has combat advantage against, he deals an additional 3d8 damage.

Skills Stealth +20, Acrobatics +20, Arcana +17, Athletics +17, Bluff +21, Diplomacy +21, Dungeoneering +17, Endurance +18, Heal +14, History +14, Insight +17, Intimidate +18, Nature +14, Religion +14, Streetwise +18, Thievery +20

Str 22 (+15) Dex 22 (+15) Wis 16 (+12)
Con 25 (+16) Int 16 (+12) Cha 25 (+16)

Alignment:  Unaligned Languages Common, Elven, Dwarven
Equipment just about anything needed...

 
(All of these NPCs were created using the Monster Builder software, created by Wizards of the Coast.  All rights are reserved by their respective holders.)

In Which The Warlock Loads the Ballistae...

With my "Tear of Ioun" game about to come to a close and our intrepid heroes closing in on that wonderous goal of becoming 'Epic', I knew that I wanted to end the campaign with a bang.  I wanted something big, something that would pit my GMing craft and creativity against their own.  I wanted a "set-piece" battle.

The idea of a set-piece battle isn't a new one.  It's featured in movie after movie, from "The Burly Brawl" in Matrix: Reloaded, the siege at Helm's Deep in The Two Towers, to the battle at Stirling from Braveheart...the idea of the set-piece battle is firmly entrenched in action narrative.

However, implementing that in a game?  More difficult.  However, I had a plan.

Last session, Martook, Guf, and Clan-Father Russell (isn't it cool to say that?) began surveying the tiefling keep above the delve of Morgordal, seeing what defenses could be salvaged or repaired before Volarn--the Opener of the Way--showed up with his mind-bending aberrent hordes.  Lupin, Shantira, Aster and "Blink"--their shardmind monk devotee--had traveled back to Gloomwrought in the hopes of establishing a trade relationship with some interplanar factions, so that they could work towards hiring mercenary troops.

At this point, I need to take an aside.  Remember my Origins 2010 swag shot?  In it, you may have missed two items that I had picked up:

Yes, indeedy.  I had picked up two sets of these, at the SJGames booth, having found them on the 3/$10 table. 

I stood up, handing Chris I and Chris II the Cardboard Heroes set, and dropped my entire set of Dungeon Tiles on the table before them.   

"These are yours, guys.  You want to know what the defenses are like?  Build them..."

They immediately set to work, punching out cardboard walls and battlements, assembling the Keep at Morgordal, while their allies recruited the Knighthood of Bane and the Salt faction of the Doomguard to aid their defense.  A few hours later, their keep arose from the ashes of history and was prepared to fend off the Far Realm invasion!

Two Fridays hence, the siege begins, Volarn at the head....and then?  He comes...

Enjoy the pics!

The Keep at Morgordal Delve

Martook and Shantira man the battlements...

Volarn and one of his minions approach the keep...

In Which the Warlock Crowns a New King...

With my weekly "Tear of Ioun" game in its final stages, the drama of the game has really reached a head.  After a climactic encounter with the mad tiefling Malachi, my players found themselves heading back to the ancient forgeborn-dwarf clandelve known as Morgordal, situation beneath an ancient fortress from the Last War.  It's there that Russell Ironvictor--Judgement-Bringer of Kelemvor--brought forth his finest moment.

When Friday Night Will sent me a background that involved the destruction of his dwarf, Russell's, clan, I knew I immediately had to do something special with it.  As his character's motivation revolved around rebuilding the clandelve, I decided to capitalize on this section.  While immersed in the city of Gloomwrought, on the Shadowfell, Russell was contacted by his clan-brother Thorgrim.  In Russell's abscence, the clan refugees managed to find their way to Morgordal, where they were in talks to join the clans of Ironvictor (Russell's sundered clan) and Riftember (the native forgeborn, who were trapped in a cycle of inbreeding and extreme poverty).

After the party defeated Malachi, they traveled to Morgordal, only to find themselves entrenched in a difficult political situation.  With Kharhandas Riftember unwilling to abdicate--despite the fact that he no longer desired the throne--and Russell's old clan-father, Naldrund, lusting after the combined throne, Russell's arrival through a cog into the loop.  As the most powerful spiritual leader in the area, Russell's influence and healing ability was felt almost immediately.

It's at this point that I have to take an aside.  While I've felt really positive about the "Tear of Ioun" game thusfar, the roleplaying had yet to really hit its stride.  Last session, all that changed.

You see, the PlatinumChick's character--a shifter seeker called Aster--had become massively disillusioned by the group's arrest in Wellspring and the subsequent siege, eventually joining the Church of Bane while in Gloomwrought.  While shadowing Naldrund following a massive religious ceremony, Aster was knocked unconscious, with part of her ear cut off and sent to the party as a threat.  The PlatinumChick's response?  Not unlike the vengeful "Bride" from Kill Bill, she lashed out at her captors--Naldrund's henchmen, of course--with Bane-inspired rage.

But that wasn't the half of it.  With Aster's captors subdued, the group summoned Kharhandas and marched on Naldrund's manor house at the top of "The Shelf"--the noble district in Morgordal.  It was there that Russell reached for his destiny.

In a tense stand-off with Naldrund within Russell's rebuilt temple, Russell confronted his clanfather.  Naldrund feigned disintest, proclaiming his sovereignty and sanctuary within the halls of Moradin. 

Snidely, he quipped, "What can you pass over me, Judgement-Bringer?  I am the voice of our clan, our people."
Russell paused, the soft green glow of Maerlyn's Emeralds shining at his waist, "But you forget.  I am the voice of our gods.  And your crimes demand judgement."

I was floored.  As a GM, I could do little more than applaud.  Naldrund cast aside his symbol of Moradin, throwing down his crown to the temple floor.  The group pitied him and, rather than execute him--as Aster sought, further accentuating her fall from grace--they exiled him to the Shadowfell. In terms of actual role-playing, this was absolutely one of the most dramatic, powerful scenes I think I've ever been witness to. It took almost a year to get here, but man: the payoff was worth it!

Our session ended with Kharhandas' abdication in favor of Russell, who now ascends to the throne of the combined Ironvictor/Riftember clans.  A new era of peace and prosperity seems to be on the horizon as Belzadi Riftember--an Invoker of Kossuth--showed Russell the true wealth of Morgordal:  a series of untapped mineral deposits worth literally millions on the open market.  With the (still secret) aid of Wesley Baracus, High Templar of Bane, it appears that brighter days for Morgordal will be on the horizon soon...

Or will they?  He comes...

In Which The Warlock Levels Up...

I debated quite a bit about this entry, as it's not every day that you hit a milestone! I've had this blog active for quite a while now and, at one entry per week (more during Origins and other live-blogging moments), that makes for four solid years of entries!

200 Entries!

I received several really good suggestions from the PlatinumChick, from Chaotic Karl, Kat, and a few others, but none of them seemed to fit. I had thought about doing a "how did you get into gaming?" entry, but in a blog that's been focusing on newness and innovation in gaming, it seemed like a needless bit of navel-gazing on my part to look back like that. Instead, I'm going to make a few announcements, and show off my preview of "The Pendulum Method"!

--2 Entries a Week. Starting in November, I'd like to try to push out more content and more ideas on a weekly basis. I feel like this will bring in more readership, as well as provide you with more ideas, fresh from my twisted brain. I have yet to choose a second day yet, but I'm guessing it'll probably be a Wednesday/Saturday schedule at this point

--Full Campaign Logs. This is where this blog started off, and I don't mean to get away from that. Besides, the very sessions that we have out here easily become fodder for ideas, adventure hooks, and NPCs in your own games.

--More Previews up Upcoming Content. This one's for me. As I drift from project to project, I have the tendency to leave behind the things that I've been working on, and I don't intend to keep leaving them half-finished. In promising to show you some of my brainchildren, that'll keep me on the ball in terms of revision and (re)drafting, which means that I'll sooner be able to focus on publication.

And, speaking of a preview, here's a section from one of the sample adventure outlines that I'll be including in "The Pendulum Method", once it hits PDF! Enjoy Vegas Nights, Bright Lights, and Encryption Chip 416!

Adventure Overview:
This scenario centers on a lucrative goal for the PCs—a Las Vegas casino vault, which is set to be the site of a massive funds transfer between mafia functionaries. As an elite group of highly-trained, accomplished rogues, the PCs have decided to pool their talents as the “Men in White” in the hopes to disrupt the funds transfer, elude the mob, and make off with the funds themselves.

Reservoir Dogs

That is, that’s what the plot would be, if this was a standard adventure. This, friends and neighbors, is a Pendulum-style plot, which means that there’s more to it than meets the eye! Rather, the PCs will simultaneously be playing the group’s “electronic ops” group as well, the “Men in Black,” as they attempt to remotely disable the casino’s security system…from its owners’ corporate headquarters in Hong Kong.

Film Inspirations and Recommended Game Systems:
• Ocean’s Eleven
• Reservoir Dogs
• Snatch
• Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels
• Inception
• Sexy Beast
• The Italian Job

There are several game systems that would be more than acceptable for this sort of game. The d20 Modern system has several sourcebooks (including the spectacular Spycraft book by AEG and Crafty Games) that would serve admirably in this venue. Pinnacle Entertainment Group’s Savage Worlds would also work well, as would Shadowrun, though the cyberpunk elements may need to be downplayed, given a modern aesthetic. Other generic systems, such as GURPS, may be fitting, as well.
For a d20 Modern game, pre-generated characters should be of approximately 9th level. In Savage Worlds, Veteran would be an acceptable experience level. As always, the GM should have final say over level and experience regarding characters, whether pre-generated or player-generated.

Encounter (-2)—Introducing the Men in White

The PCs should begin this encounter, quite literally, as they walk into the Casino. Having “prepared” prior to their infiltration, the group is in full-on action mode. As part of their final preparations, they have a private suite set aside at the Excalibur Casino and Resort in Las Vegas, held under a false name. After some brief meetings—during which the GM may distribute floor layouts, guard schedules, money transfers, and other information, the PCs may swing into action. However, as they attempt to delve deeper into the casino’s basement and sub-basements, a steel security bars their path…

Encounter 1—White Light’s Dark Shadow

Immediately, the scene changes to a simultaneous operation, far across the world. There, the Men in Black are laying in wait within a darkened warehouse across from the Shun Tak Holdings corporate headquarters. The headquarters is heavily guarded, with armed guards roving the perimeter (as befits a major Chinese corporation). Inside, on the headquarters’ 46th floor, is the remote server room. In order for the Men in White to succeed, it’s critical that the Men in Black hack that server…and do it stealthily. As the PCs make their way through the lobby area, entering the stairwells, the GM should enter a cut scene: A silent alarm has been tripped during their ascent.

The Heist

Encounter (-1)—The Missing Link

With that dire news, the Men in White make their way through the security door. At this point, stealth is of the essence, as mafia guards and flunkies patrol this area heavily. The PCs’ goal at this point should be a side room just outside of a major conference room, which has a series of computer terminals, brightly humming. These are their target—these computers will be used to transfer the funds at precisely 6pm this evening. As the PCs find ways to distract or eliminate the mafia members, their computer-using-comrade runs into a massive snag: a remote encryption chip is relaying a signal that bars the transfer to all those without the 18 digit passcode. The only way to complete the transfer? Find Encryption Chip 416 somewhere within the casino and destroy it!

Encounter 2—Race to the Top

As the Shun Tak security forces close in on the group’s position, thanks to the silent alarm, they receive an urgent message from the Men in White. With the funds transfer being encrypted from a remote transmitter, the Men in Black must not only hack the server on floor 46, but also find a way to trace the signal from the encryption chip, so that it can be eliminated or neutralized. The group must split up, with some members moving up a floor, while the others work their way through the server room. In both cases, the group must manage to both disable the security protocols on the Excalibur’s network, as well as locate the enigmatic chip.

Encounter 0—Follow the Bouncing Ball

At this point, all but madness ensues. With the mafia and the Shun Tak guards knocking on their doorstep, all bets are off. The Men in White must split up and both man the station to initiate the funds transfer and find the missing chip, destroying it before 6pm. The Men in Black must keep in radio contact with the Men in White, so that they can find the chip, while simultaneously pulling down the Shun Tak security protocols. All this while the men with guns move in!

In Which The Warlock Swings Both Ways...

So, in my (admittedly small and feeble) attempts to keep gaming fresh and inspired in the Dayton area, I believe I've finally stumbled across something that might just be a diamond in the massive slag pits of my brain.

And, believe it or not...it came to me in a dream!

While I was editing WEGS: Dice Rule!, one of El Willy's biggest points of discussion was that of adventuring structure. El Willy spends nearly a full chapter discussing the three primary forms of WEGSplay--"Wave" play (the standard, three encounter 'convention' game), "Chapter" play (an extension of Wave play, including three chapters of three waves each), and "Campaign" play (a combination of several chapters into an extended ongoing storyline).

El Willy's discussion is really a fantastic breakdown and review of standard plotting technique. WEGS runs hot and heavy on the "standard fantasy tropes", but does so intentionally, so that the GM/Kreator is free to place his tongue firmly in-cheek and provide fresh, WEGSified views on old classics. That's an advantage for WEGS (and games like it), but what if you want to push a little further?

Plot is typically outlined in a pyramidal format--the traditional dramatic structure of:
Freytag Dramatic Structure Pyramid
--exposition
--rising action
--climax
--falling action
--denouement
Typically, in a gaming adventure, the climax revolves around some "boss fight" against a BBEG, with the falling action and denouement becoming a stereotypical process of "save the princess, loot the bodies."

That's all well and good. But it's time to give it the chop!
"Down--still unceasingly, still inevitably down!

Rather, I've come up with a unique way of telling stories--one that really hasn't come before, especially in terms of adventure writing! Centered primarily around the build-up of tension leading up to a central, pivotal moment, the Pendulum method alternates between times or places, allowing (and even encouraging) players to blend in-character and out-of-character knowledge as they approach their final destinies. As the pendulum descends, who will rise?

I'm only in the early development stages of this idea--I have about 8 pages written, and am currently working on sample adventures that fit the Pendulum formula. Is it a replacement for the standard plot outline? No, absolutely not, but it's a fresh new direction in terms of plot generation and adventure writing that could really change things up, especially in the horror, fantasy, and sci-fi genres!

On a more serious note, though, I'm going to get up on my soapbox for a moment. Much like gamer nation, America as a whole has a tendency to fear change. It took us almost 100 years longer to abolish slavery than any other Western nation. Even then, racial and gender-based discrimination were the norm for over 125 years, until LBJ pushed forward the Civil Rights Act in 1968.

International Coming Out Day

Now, we face a new fight. The gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgendered community fights unceasingly for the rights that millions of others enjoy without thought or consequence: the right to marry, the right to adopt, the right to be free of harassment or persecution for personal beliefs. Each year, the Human Rights Campaign sponsors National Coming Out Day to provide strength for all people, as we fight for equal rights in the community.

If you're among the GLBT community, have strength--we will continue the fight.
If you're a friend of a GLBT person, show us your support--we appreciate it more than you know.
If you stand against us, give a second thought--we only ask for the same rights as others already receive.

In Which The Warlock Tries to "Make it New"...

Bear with me here. Back in the day (the early 1900s, that is), when the Modernists roamed the Earth, poet Ezra Pound wrote "Make it New!". In the book, he set forth the concepts of a revolution of language and literature, in which even the smallest concepts are revisited, resulting in drastic changes to fundamental ideas. Pound himself was a devotee of Dante Alighieri, and produced his own Cantos centered around The Divine Comedy, but with massive alterations in structure and in metaplot.

Ezra Pound and T.S. Eliot

Therein lies the rub and, for that matter, our subject for today's blog: newness! If you've been following along, I've been working diligently on my Deadlands game, trying to blend it with Stephen King's Dark Tower mythos and his larger, gestalt world. You'd think that'd be an easy task--toss in an Overlook hotel here, a creepy sewer-dwelling clown there, and the task is complete, right?

Wrong. In the postmodern era, King himself has assembled a pastiche of thematic concepts that started with Robert Browning's Childe Roland to the Dark Tower Came, to the spaghetti westerns of yesteryear, to the venerable (and immensely gamed-out) Lord of the Rings, to Pound's Modernist buddy T.S. Eliot. Ask any "sane" reader, and an assembly of this magnitude seems schizophrenic on a good day.

The Dark Tower

So, of course, on top of all of this, I'm trying to fit the themes of alternate history (a la Harry Turtledove) as well as elements from Deadlands' own canon. Difficult? Monumental! To say that one cannot serve two masters is something of a misnomer here, but it becomes a massive challenge to provide more than lip service to the combination of canon, inspiring works, and ones' own ideas.

But, it's gaming "work" that needs doing. I was originally drawn to Deadlands for its uniqueness in gaming--in a medium slavishly attached to fantasy cliche, it was a breath of clean winter air in my lungs. Similarly, while still in classic D&D, the Eberron setting inverted so many generic fantasy tropes that it could hardly be recognized as D&D until you broke out the d20s! World War II-era Berlin, dropped into a fantasy world? Zombie "Soviet" soldiers, marching to war against dinosaur-riding tribal halflings? Sentient robots fighting psychic spies aboard lightning-driven trains? Sign me up!

It's this concept of 'newness' and originality, even when (as a GM) you're pulling from other sources, that keeps people pulling up a chair to your gaming table every week. Games that center around only one central pillar, be it mechanical or thematic, are destined to fail, simply due to disinterest. Players want more, and it's our job as a GM to give it to them!

The same can be said for games that are linked too closely to the idea of 'canon'--which, in some ways, tips my hand in terms of my relationship with the RPGA. In a medium that supposedly values and rewards creativity, the "Living" campaigns reward mediocrity and repetition. Similarly, I have been openly lambasting Wizards of the Coast's D&D Essentials line for being overly slavish to nostaligic ideas, many of which were clung to without rhyme or reason. Instead of embracing the mechanical creativity of 4e--which, even within its own mechanics, had been evolving!--the design team took a deliberate step backwards, which will leave the game worse for the taking.

John, over at World vs. Hero expounds on this idea, as he was providing contest advice for some of the entrants on his website. There, John breaks it down in terms of a combination of "Originality" and "Allure". The neat thing is, though: originality does not necessarily mean 'without inspirations'. Rather, he elaborates that:

...originality is a rather fluid state, and we should not be paralyzed into inaction for fear of being unoriginal. When honesty precedes the presentation of creativity, the quality of “being original” becomes “being true to a fresh vision of old and new ideas,” and, under this definition, our art may be judged fairly for what it is...

John, brother--Ezra and Thomas would be proud!

The core of gaming, if it is to ever be taken somewhat seriously as an artistic medium (or to continue on into the "Twitter" era), is to blend new ideas with the fundamental archetypes that serve as the foundation of our collective hobby. Slavish devotion to canon, for whatever reason, leads only to stagnation and, eventually, dismissal. In the end, we're a jaded group. We've been there, and done that. We've killed the orc, taken his pie, and moved on.

Give me something new!

Six-Gun Alien Banner

In Which The Warlock Rebuilds The Weird West...

As I've been raving about in my last few posts, I've been really jazzed about my new Deadlands game, which I'm now two sessions into over at Wittenberg. The players that I have are genuinely engaged in both their characters and the burgeoning plot.

One of the biggest reasons that I was drawn to Deadlands in the first place is the creeping element of horror built into the metaplot. The Weird West, in addition to being untamed of its natural obstacles, is the province of horrific creatures that exist only to prey upon man's fear.

But, the one thing that Deadlands didn't have was the one influence I really wanted to build in: Stephen King's Dark Tower saga. Similarly filled with creeping horror, King's masterwork has mysticism and dreamscape elements that just aren't found in standard Deadlands. Plus, I wanted to avoid certain canon elements in Deadlands that seemed a little much...after all, it's a bit much to think that all of the major NPCs have evil, supernatural powers!

As such, I find myself using a tool that I've experimented with earlier--when I was running "Pirates of the Underdark"--an Obsidian Portal wiki.

Obsidian Portal Logo

I had made the mistake of attempting to start the "PotU" wiki mid-campaign, which made it difficult to keep up with all of the backlogged information. With a fresh start in this campaign, I was able to easily upload images, files, and information on the setting of the campaign, as well as on major NPCs. Plus, I can also include various setting changes, like going "todash" and information on The Beams and the like. Woot!

What might be lurking in the Jaegretty Gulch mine?

For now, my players are just outside of Amarillo, in the dying boomtown of Jaegretty Gulch. They're trying to lay low, after getting into a barfight with Josiah "Josey" Riggins--the son of mining mogul and Circuit Judge George Riggins. But, as they explore an "abandoned" mine rumored to be the home of Mexican banditos, the PCs find that other 'things' may be present in the mine...

All of this world-building (or, re-building, as it may be), reminds me! I'm judging a contest!

World vs. Hero!

John Fiore, over at World vs. Hero, asked me to judge a world-building contest along with several other game designers/editors/cartographers/artists. The challenge? Using the guidelines in his one-on-one roleplaying brainchild World vs. Hero, design a campaign setting in less than 200 words. Get cracking, though, kiddies! The deadline is September 24th!

Up for the challenge? Get all the details on John's contest here: World-Building Contest at World vs. Hero

In Which The Warlock Tosses Dice for a Full Day...

If there’s one bad side about livin’ “la vida gamer”, it’s that you occasionally have a weekend or so where all you do is sling the dice. Not that that’s a bad thing, necessarily-—heck, we play how many dollars a year to do just that, at Origins and GenCon (well, not really, now that I think about it…I haven’t paid to go to Origins since the first time I went). But, it does tend to make for exhausting days and long nights—much like this past weekend!

You see, gamer nation, this weekend marked the first real weekend for the Witt RP-Guild to be back in full swing. And, with it, we had a whole slew of events on deck, leaving your Friendly Neighborhood Warlock pretty drained!

This Friday got things off with a bang. With our weekly “Tear of Ioun” game cancelled, the PlatinumChick and I were free to join some of the newbies in Kat’s intro game—a variation on Dragon magazine’s “Dead By Dawn”. Our 2nd level heroes took on the horror of the classic zombie-survival movie, as we were besieged by undead on all sides. My paladin, Alain, was up to his eyeballs in heresy to smite!

Friday Night: "Dead by Dawn!"

The game ran particularly well, especially considering the number of players at the table. D&D, much as I love it, tends to break down with more than 6 players, and the 8 we had around the table did slow things down a touch. However, Kat kept the game moving efficiently, which did a lot to keep people active and enjoying. My only real complaint would be that the pre-gen characters were a little underwhelming; the half-elf ranger had a feat that he couldn’t even use, and both my paladin and the cleric were utterly inept at the Religion skill! But, these were minor quibbles in the midst of a grand time.

The next day meant an early rise, so that I could get prepped for a day of WEGS demos at Champion City Comic Con in Springfield. I’ve typically enjoyed CCCC, as it’s staffed by great people who have a real commitment to providing an excellent con experience. The vendor hall, much like last year, was fully stocked, though I must say, I didn’t find much that I really wanted from them. But, then again, I didn’t come to CCCC just to buy comics—there were Cold Rolls to throw down!

Saturday, all-day: Champion City Comic Con--2010

Throughout the day, I ran 3 of my 4 scheduled WEGS demos—providing two groups of unlucky Arks a confrontation with a dragon, while another group headed down to the Tongue o’ Dung for for some rest, relaxation, and pyromania. This was the first time since Origins that I ran game using the revised rules and, man, do they make things easy on the Arks! Both groups managed to take down my Dragon with few problems. So much for that vaunted 88% Invulnerability! It's time to up my game!

I did manage some better luck in “Dwarf Walks…”, as the Mage player set off a Molten Storm in the midst of the bar! No self-lovin’ Ogwhump is ever gonna let that stand! In fact, as the Mage was running from the Ogwhump, he managed to get cornered by Borkfu, and splattered all over the wall! Off to the Spheres you go, mon ami!

I must have been doing something right, because two of the demo players stuck around after the Con for a delve into madness in my playtest debut of “WEGS + Cthulhu = WEGSthulhu!” Joined by Savage Chris, Will the ManMan, and Jake the Frosh, we broke out the d10s and d6s once more…

I’ve gotta say: I’ve played a lot of WEGS in my day. I’ve been on-board since 2005, and have played almost every scenario El Willy’s put out on the con-circuit. This one, WEGSthulhu, is going to be a classic, up there with “Dwarf Walks…”, “The Yawlamoo,” and “Dingbitt’s Dunge-o’-Doom”. The Hero/Cultist mechanic worked perfectly, providing just the right dash of Paranoia to the game. All hail Friend Cthulhu!

Unfortunately for the Arks (or fortunately, depending on how you look at it!), the Arks failed to stop Randolph Carter from opening the portal in Carcosa—apparently he was a Cultist the whole time! Who knew?!—and Mighty Cthulhu rose up. Carter, of course, was awarded the highest of honors: being devoured first! Due to a well-placed “Fear My Lyrd” spell by Will’s (secretly Cultist!) sage, the heroic Arks could only flee for their lives before the combined cultist might.

Even after a late night—we wrapped up around 12:30am—I was up the next day, dice and poker chips in hand, for our first session of Deadlands. After rolling up characters, which was surprisingly fast, considering that over half of the group has barely played in Savage Worlds and were starting with “Seasoned” characters.

Sunday Afternoon: Deadlands--"Doomtown or Bust!"

After only about an hour, the group was ready to throw down. Starting off in The Busted Mug Tavern and Saloon, in Amarillo, the group made the unfortunate acquaintance (via a botched Spellcasting roll as the PlatinumChick attempted to cheat at poker) of Josiah Riggins, a self-absorbed layabout way too eager for a bar-fight.

For “disturbin’ the peace”, the group found themselves all together in the Amarillo drunk tank, cooling off, while Deputy Wingard wrangled some favors to avoid having charges pressed against the group. Released in the morning, we'll see exactly how much trouble they can get up to next Sunday!

By the by, I've already started an Obsidian Portal wiki to chronicle all of our intrepid gunslingers' actions. Check it in the links tab on the right side, or at the following link: Deadlands--"Follow the Walkin' Man"

In Which The Warlock Shoots for a Straight, but Flops a Full House...

So, remember a few entries ago, when I was wondering about which game to run? I really ended up in a dead heat with the two ideas, tossed between the conspiracy-horror of Delta Green and the gritty, street-level superheroes of DC Adventures. I honestly was having a hard time deciding between the two. Friends and fellow gamers recommended both in almost equal measure, eager to roll up their FBI agent, their power-suited vigilante, or something in between.

Deadlands: Hucksters and Hexes

And so, I debated. I wrote promos for each game. I blogged, obviously. And, in the end, it came down to...none of them.

You see, in amongst the rest of the game ideas I've had, I've had a new love. It's gritty, it's pulpy, and it's got so many plot ideas built in. It has all the elements I love in a game: horror, alternate history, characterization, and deep moral intregue.

As such, I find myself with a full table, ready to run Deadlands Reloaded.

I've been slowly developing an affection for Savage Worlds for a year or two now, with its free-form character development and its speedy, creative combat. But, for whatever reason, Deadlands had always eluded me. Back when I was at Wittenberg, BLoff and his brother had tried to get us to play it, but it lost out in favor of Call of Cthulhu and D&D.

I suppose it's been building in me for a while. I adore Stephen King's Dark Tower saga, and love the creeping horror found in the Weird West. After one read-through of Will the ManMan's Deadlands: Player's Guide, I was hooked. Plot ideas were flowing through my brain like wine, and they had to get out somehow! And so, a new campaign was born.

As such, I have a full table waiting for me on Sunday afternoons: "Follow the Walkin' Man, a King-inspired tale of the Weird West, where the players will start off in Amarillo, and head out on a dark adventure to find out the secrets behind Maerlyn's Rainbow and the Man in Black known only as "The Walkin' Dude".

Stay tuned here to find out more!

One last thing before I let you go for the evening: I'll be running WEGS: Old Skool Redux demos all day at Springfield's Champion City Comic-Con. Swing by between 10am and 6pm for a run through one of two classic WEGS demos: "Dungeons OR Dragons" and "Dwarf Walks Into a Bar". Alternatively, stick around after 6pm for a run through the exclusive debut of my module "WEGS+Cthulhu=WEGSthulhu!" Catch it before it hits this year's WittCon and next year's Origins Game Fair!

Hope to see you there!

In Which The Warlock's Friends Gain Some Friends...

If it's one trend that tends to happen in Wittenberg-run games, it's that groups have a tendency to pick up NPCs. Games almost turn into harems, with hangers-on, henchmen, followers, and friends following the exploits of the PCs in any given game.

The Enigmatic Mr. Ebbs, I believe, first experienced this when he ran a Mutants and Masterminds game a few years back. In that game, the group gathered up NPC after NPC, with an angelic-origin PC nearly becoming pope! She had a full cult surrounding her, believing she was of divine origin and would bring about The Rapture!

This continued as EEE GMed us into the "Pyramid of Shadows"--one of the Wizards of the Coast-published 4e D&D modules. Trapped in the titular pyramid, our heroes began recruiting civilians and other humanoids who became entranced by the psionic call of the pyramid. It's from these humanoids--replete with randomly rolled stats--that we ended up with such luminaries such as Clevon Washington and The Goddamned Jim-Bob!

In fact, I even mandated the trend while running "Pirates of the Underdark", with each PC creating an NPC to serve above their ship, the Red Mourning. Details on all of those NPCs can be found in some of my earlier entries. The enigmatic wizard Durgrek, the mysterious investigator Nalen the Lesser, and Mathir's 'slave-boy' Elkantar all came from PotU.

And, so it goes with my weekly "Tear of Ioun" game. At first, it was merely one NPC. The players picked up Elladan Red-Hand, after he saved them from imprisonment during the Siege of Wellspring. His "Liberace meets Jack Sparrow meets Chairman Kaga, then becomes The Doctor" personality immediately endeared him to Lupin--the group's Banite battlemind/paladin--and Elladan's followed them ever since.

Following this, when we picked up a new player--Jess--she took on the role of Shantira, the lone Stormcrow that the group was able to save from the Forlorn Tower. A pyromaniacal eladrin warlock, Shantira's added ranged damage, numerous ritual castings, and a love interest for Lupin as the group entered the Shadowfell.

But were they done there? Oh, no. Rather, our runepriest--Russell--is out for his own kingdom! After his own clan was sundered, Russell received word from Thorgrim, his clan-brother, that a new delve was being founded back on the Prime Material plane, and needed his guidance! Russell, ever the pragmatic priest of Kelemvor, has decided to take it upon himself to lead his clan back to glory...

And what's best? I still have one great NPC in reserve. You see, Vaymeer (the Harrowfolk barbarian that started all of this mess) is still in the picture. Beaten twice, thrown into the Shadowfell by Lupin's githyanki blade, and marooned without his tribe, he's got an axe to grind with the party...and it's already sharpened and waiting.

Then again, one has to wonder...what happens when one sunders a githyanki silver blade? Lupin, Russell and company are about to find out! :D