tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-317170782465059232024-03-05T11:45:46.338-05:00The Nth Decree Light, the most glorious soul of all.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07406069858503205248noreply@blogger.comBlogger34125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31717078246505923.post-75158794740840779452018-05-04T18:37:00.002-04:002018-05-04T18:37:57.707-04:00d20 Jungle EnvironmentsFor all its focus on random combat encounters, one thing <i>Tomb of Annihilation</i> doesn't have is a table of places that make engaging in random combat fun and interesting. So I made one. So once you roll your random encounter, instead of saying "you come across a convenient clearing" or "it's all rough terrain because you're in the jungle" you can just roll on here to give your battle some tactical considerations. Click for biggy.<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07406069858503205248noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31717078246505923.post-64333996888289367982018-04-27T18:26:00.000-04:002018-05-05T12:51:27.079-04:00Tomb of Annihilation: Session 1<h3>
Our Heroes</h3>
<b>Ahab</b>: Barbarian and disgraced pirate. Seeking money for a new ship, and good people to crew it.<br />
<b>Amon</b>: Grave domain cleric of Anubis. Appalled at the recent spate of undead, and determined to see it stopped.<br />
<b>Bruja</b>: Lizardfolk druid/witchdoctor. A Chultan native who, along with Darkbeak, was hired to guide the foreign adventurers through the jungle.<br />
<b>Caden</b>: Elven warlock with an eldritch patron. Communicates solely through telepathy. His true motives are unknown.<br />
<b>Darkbeak</b>: Kenku ranger, outlander, and Chultan native. Hired alongside Bruja as a guide/bodyguard.<br />
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In Waterdeep, Ahab, Amon, and Caden have been summoned by a mysterious old woman for a purpose they don't yet understand. Arriving at the grand palatial estate, they are ushered into a somber chamber where the three mercenaries are given the biggest mission of their lives: they are to stop death itself.</div>
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The old woman, speaking from behind an obscuring veil, is dying — again. She had once been a wise and powerful sorceress, and her adventuring days brought her close to the grave on multiple occasions. Once, it brought her past it, and it was only through the grace of a local cleric that she was brought back. She retired from the work then, focusing her attention towards civilization and the continued prosperity of Waterdeep. But her body was failing; suddenly, rapidly, she could feel her very life force draining from her with each passing day. <br />
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She was not alone. All over the world, those who had undergone resurrection found themselves withering away at an unnatural rate. Councils of mankind's greatest leaders and wizards (most of them, too, suffering from what would be known as the Death Curse) were convened, and divinations of the most powerful order revealed that souls of the deceased were being drawn to a place deep within the jungles of the southern continent of Chult. That is where the three men are to go, the old woman says, to find and destroy whatever is causing the Death Curse. The trip will take two weeks by boat, and the old woman knows she will not live to see it dock. She urges our heroes to fight not for gold or glory, but to save civilization as they know it. <br />
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The men gather their things and spend a sleepless night in the local inn. Their ship departs at first light.<br />
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Upon the sea, there is little evidence of anything amiss. The voyage is smooth and bright, and even as they pull into the docks at Port Nyanzaru on the northern side of Chult they are greeted not by death and decay but by a thriving seaside metropolis bustling with people. Here, they meet their guides, Bruja and Darkbeak, whose decades of experience in the hostile Chultan wilderness make them all but indispensable. Introductions are short, for their is much work to do. The group splits up to make a preliminary sweep of the area, asking questions about the city, the people, and Chult itself. They learn that Port Nyanzaru is the only truly thriving city in the entire continent: their proximity to the sea makes them an important stop for trade routes both incoming and outgoing. To this end, Chult is ruled not by a governor or king but by a council of merchant princes, each presiding over a particular export: everything from food and liquor to boats and sellswords. Sellswords: for the time being, that was what they were. The party set to work fashioning a rudimentary advertisement for their mercenary company (Bruja turns out to be a surprisingly capable artist) and tack it to the job board in the local tavern, <i>Summer Wine</i>. They order drinks, toast to camaraderie, prosperity, and health, and begin to settle in when a shattering scream is heard from outside. The bar clears out, and they with it. <br />
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A gruesome sight awaits them in the market square: wrapped corpses are spilling out of a local temple, and the scream they heard was the dying gasp of the young maiden now bleeding out on the temple stairs. Port Nyanzaru guards leap into action, forming a shield wall between the feasting zombies and the citizens, but more screams can be heard from inside the building. Ahab is the first to break through the barrier, leaping forward and splitting a zombie's skull with a single heft of his mighty spear. The rest of the party follows suit, fighting their way through the undead and up the stairs. Amon elects to stay outside and tend to the wounded with his clerical magic. By his decree, there will be no more senseless death today.<br />
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Inside, more corpses are rising from the tables, in various stages of decay. It becomes immediately apparent that this temple serves as both the city's funeral home and graveyard. The remaining priestesses are huddled in a corner, futilely waving a torch at the advancing undead. But with the combined prowess of four veteran adventurers, the battle is over quickly, and with faces and weapons caked in congealed blood our heroes are finally able to catch their breath. Stepping gingerly over the splayed form of a ghoul, the head priestess approaches to thank them for their act of courage. <br />
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She explains that although Chult has always had pockets of undead, the past several weeks had seen an explosion in reports across the continent. Furthermore, there seemed to be no pattern as to when and where they would appear: fresh corpses would be found walking amongst skeletons buried centuries ago, and many of the zombies that just rose within the temple had been consecrated by her herself. It was deeply troubling, but her work is an important one, and after rewarding the party with several highly-potent healing potions distilled by her order, she bids them goodbye. <br />
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By the point the crowd had dispersed, and the guards were busy heaving the twice-killed corpses onto a large bonfire. The group returns to <i>Summer Wine</i>, and spends some time talking over drinks. As evening begins to set, Caden notices that a large, one-armed Chultan seated at the far end of the bar is glaring at him and his companions. The one-armed man stands and approaches the party, handing them a small note which reads, "Jobal requests you." Below is an address within the city. Wordlessly, the stranger departs, and after a brief discourse on the merits of blindly trusting cryptic messages delivered by creepy people in strange lands, the party heeds their request.<br />
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They arrive at a beautiful-but-cramped estate in one of the richest areas of Port Nyanzaru. The door before them is ornately carved into an image of a fat, laughing face, and they soon see why. Entering, they find themselves in an opulent parlor, dominated by the supine form of a tremendously large man smoking a hookah. On either side of him are seated tabaxi, collared and chained. The large man beckons for the party to sit, and they do. <br />
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He introduces himself as Jobal, merchant prince of guides, guards, and mercenaries. His smile never fades as he chastises the party for not consulting with him before deciding to set up operations in Chult. He sets aside the hookah, and produces a contract and a flintlock pistol from a small box by the sofa. The contract is handed to Caden; the pistol, leveled at his head. Jobal explains that nobody, native or otherwise, does business in Chult without his permission. Darkbeak protests, but his persuasion is hindered somewhat by the kenku's natural inability to form creative thought. After a few more rounds of not-so-thinly veiled threats and bargains, Darkbeaks' Escorts is formed, with the stipulation that 50% of all profits will be delivered to the merchant prince upon completion of any successful outing. Still smiling, Jobal dismisses the party, but not before granting them their first assignment: an escort job. At dawn of the next day, they are to report to the gates to ensure that a caravan loaded with wood and other supplies returns safely to Fort Belarian, a Flaming Fist outpost on the northeast side of Chult. <br />
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Exhausted but newly employed, the party heads back to the inn and checks out their room. Their sleep is well-deserved — though not particularly long — and first light sees our heroes once again donning armor and polishing blades, preparing for their first journey into the untamed jungle. Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07406069858503205248noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31717078246505923.post-237184517594153992018-04-23T12:03:00.000-04:002018-04-23T12:03:33.923-04:00Advertisements for DungeonsBack in the late 1970's deconstructivist writer and architect Bernard Tschumi designed a series of advertisements for the concept of architecture. Like, not any building in particular, but the idea of buildings as art. They're pretty awesome, <a href="http://www.tschumi.com/projects/19/#" target="_blank">you can see the originals here</a>.<br />
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Thus inspired, I decided to do the same thing with dungeons, which sometimes get a bad rap from the sort of people who prefer more narrative-driven games. But a dungeon is a wonderful storytelling tool: information can be gleaned from enemy placement, dropped items, even masonry. Locational storytelling is an important skill for good DM's to learn, and it breaks my heart that the noble dungeon has been so maligned when it alone teaches this better than almost anything else. <br />
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Click for big, but don't look too closely or my no-budget noise effects might distract from the overall message.<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07406069858503205248noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31717078246505923.post-37826731185056953312018-04-07T18:20:00.000-04:002018-04-07T18:20:11.430-04:00Player Skill, Agency, and OverwatchI've been on an <i>Overwatch</i> kick lately, the latest in a long and torrid affair that began nearly two years ago when I bought it on launch day. I keep coming back to Reinhardt, one of the characters in the "tank" category who's whole shtick is that he's a future soldier who follows chivalric code and fights like a medieval knight. He's got a big hammer. It's cool.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I'm fairly certain this is what I drew in 4th grade in response to the question, "<i>what do you want to be when you grow up?</i>"</td></tr>
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He's a popular character, so most matches will have one on each team, and that's when the fun begins. You see, Reinhardt has four main mechanics, and each one interacts with the others in a unique way. When two (experienced) Reinhardt players meet in the field of battle, a curious and interesting exchange takes place, one that I don't think is experienced by any other player in the game.<br />
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The four mechanics Reinhardt has are Shield, Firestrike, Charge, and Earthshatter. Shield puts up a large barrier that blocks most incoming projectiles, but not enemy bodies or — critically — Firestrike. Firestrike is a large, slow-moving projectile that pierces barriers. Charge causes Reinhardt to rocket forward (pinning anyone he collides with for heavy damage) but a collision with another charging Reinhardt knocks both of them down and stuns them for a bit. And Earthshatter knocks all enemies in a forward cone prone, but does not pierce Shield. This is important. <br />
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So, say you're Reinhardt and you come around a corner and see another Reinhardt in front of you. Time is critical: it is quite possible that this fight could be over after a single move. Your options are: <br />
<ol>
<li>Shield: If the enemy uses Shield, <b>nobody takes damage</b>. If the enemy uses Firestrike or Charge, <b>you take damage</b>. If the enemy uses Earthshatter, <b>you negate damage</b>. </li>
<li>Firestrike: If the enemy uses Shield, <b>you get to deal damage</b>. If they use Firestrike, <b>you both deal damage to each other</b>. If they use Charge or Earthshatter, <b>you take damage</b>. </li>
<li>Charge: If the enemy uses Shield, <b>you get to deal damage</b>. If they use Firestrike, <b>you both deal damage to each other</b>. If they use Charge, <b>nobody takes damage</b>. If they use Earthshatter, <b>you take damage</b>. </li>
<li>Earthshatter: If the enemy uses Shield, <b>nobody takes damage</b>. If the enemy uses Firestrike, <b>you both deal damage</b>. If the enemy uses Charge, <b>they take damage</b>. If the enemy uses Earthshatter, <b>you both deal damage.</b></li>
</ol>
Immediately it becomes apparent that Earthshatter is the optimal offensive choice: in three out of four situations, you get to deal damage to the enemy. In this experiment, there is no situation where using Earthshatter will cause you to take more harm than you give, and even the worst case scenario (the enemy uses Shield) is a stalemate. The decision is simple: use Earthshatter immediately, every time. <br />
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HOWEVER, it's not that simple. Earthshatter is an ultimate ability, which requires time and energy to build up. Unlike Firestrike, Charge, and Shield, which have either no cool-down time or a cool-down measured in seconds, it could take minutes to build up enough energy to use Earthshatter. And once it's gone, it's gone until you build up enough energy to use it again. <br />
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This changes the situation completely. An entire offensive push can be rebuked by a carefully-timed Earthshatter, and a wasted one (blocked by a Shield or simply mistimed) can cost a team precious minutes in recovery. This is where the mind games come into play. Lets pull back the paradigm a bit to see how it plays out in-game. It's about two minutes into the game, and you know the enemy hasn't used Earthshatter yet. You've got it prepared too, but you're being cautious: your entire team is rallied behind your Shield, and a mistake here could cost you the game. What do you do? Should you Charge forward, hoping to catch them off guard and breaking their line so your team can mop up, or will that simply put you too deep and cause you to die? Should you try to bait out their Earthshatter so you can block it with your Shield, or use yours knowing that they could be baiting it out just the same? What about Firestrike? It pierces barriers, so a well-placed strike could hit multiple enemies, perhaps even killing some, but it would leave you and your entire team vulnerable. <br />
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This is the sort of conflict that give game designers nocturnal emissions. Everything is riding on you making the correct decision in this very moment, the moment that separates the ten-hour newbies from the hundred(s)-hour veterans. If you've been paying attention to the match — the characters the enemy team chose, their positions, the timing of their last big push, the way their Reinhardt player acts from the brief past exchanges you've had — you may emerge victorious. Or you may die, because in any game involving even the slightest aspect of chance it is entirely possible to make no mistakes and still lose. <br />
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When I talk to people about player skill vs. character skill in RPGs, this is what I mean: no matter how powerful or versatile a character may be, <i>they will never have one particular item, ability, or tactic that overcomes all obstacles</i>. RPGs are unique because, while I've never encountered this sort of conflict in any other video game I've played, in (good) D&D, it happens all the time, and in (good) D&D, the true range of possible options is nigh-infinite. <br />
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<i>You burst down the door and come face to face with six kobolds surrounding a makeshift fire. They jump up and ready their weapons, but you notice that their initial surprise is quickly replaced by a cunning look in their eyes. The cavern behind them is dark and silent, but you could have sworn this passage was supposed to be blocked off...</i><br />
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<i><b>... roll for initiative.</b></i> <br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07406069858503205248noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31717078246505923.post-11750219599562970482018-03-30T16:05:00.002-04:002018-03-30T16:05:42.786-04:00Describing LotFP Modules with Darkest Dungeon Quotes<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a class="g-profile" href="https://plus.google.com/101682089631246978881" target="_blank">+Dan D</a> (<a href="http://throneofsalt.blogspot.com/">throneofsalt.blogspot.com</a>) mentioned Darkest Dungeons on G+ which gave me the idea of using the voice lines in the game as taglines for some of my favorite RPG books. I think it works quite well, actually. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWjsgwWSkXYJgqPgcdaTIky9HZtHgo6mlEcChyphenhyphenIR-VaRz2b3koOjOshW3SSMcIp8mYEGMWZrnRZku2b4gjvneu8iCQX_Eone6-UhsYgFr9MyzyNArX7IZMN_YQphyI559lnEBxTDdnNLI/s1600/56550.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="372" data-original-width="372" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWjsgwWSkXYJgqPgcdaTIky9HZtHgo6mlEcChyphenhyphenIR-VaRz2b3koOjOshW3SSMcIp8mYEGMWZrnRZku2b4gjvneu8iCQX_Eone6-UhsYgFr9MyzyNArX7IZMN_YQphyI559lnEBxTDdnNLI/s400/56550.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em>"Curious is the trap maker's art. His efficacy unwitnessed by his own eyes."</em></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhail7uxH6vTvISWjy_sooETxJGAx3LmUYcJksKpfmQ-nvIxyOq_R-OJCaRK9jHB-nmksRaE2iqiYul1r9t0iQzXIo6ImLc1YVrltF-emrzObIt6R0SNL0DrahAwS7Bt9L4eRWFotWOVf8/s1600/untitled.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="267" data-original-width="189" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhail7uxH6vTvISWjy_sooETxJGAx3LmUYcJksKpfmQ-nvIxyOq_R-OJCaRK9jHB-nmksRaE2iqiYul1r9t0iQzXIo6ImLc1YVrltF-emrzObIt6R0SNL0DrahAwS7Bt9L4eRWFotWOVf8/s400/untitled.png" width="283" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em>"Nature herself… a victim to this spreading corruption – malformed with misintent."</em></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5w5zpHMqac2NnBxOL0uDwdMUBwylnS0YI04g_eu224RA8Tptr1UkgcbCyZpl3wSZEFDWOed0ZeWgpw1tjkaq5h29qHN9hvn1GNJ3qFNh7gI17VuQPSMi5JpLJHIIu-aROwhv2IqUR1co/s1600/untitled.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="268" data-original-width="188" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5w5zpHMqac2NnBxOL0uDwdMUBwylnS0YI04g_eu224RA8Tptr1UkgcbCyZpl3wSZEFDWOed0ZeWgpw1tjkaq5h29qHN9hvn1GNJ3qFNh7gI17VuQPSMi5JpLJHIIu-aROwhv2IqUR1co/s400/untitled.png" width="280" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em>“My obsession caused this great foulness, and it is shameful that I must rely upon you to set it right. Our family name once so well-regarded is now barely whispered aloud by decent folk. I can still see their angry faces as they stormed the manor. But I was dead before they found me, and the letter was on its way.”</em> </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWhkk3Y7nMXNtdBYBXqyNJh8ABdmjrl8luI2JxxsWEUdDm6z02CBapdwMwY4XO9QDO925NVjWXnJ-35lHN8tSoiNdKdsc7cmBNuT5Z83yyTW3nQ_CLtghAsfRm8EkpVqed59sH0HR5uDo/s1600/mono.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="267" data-original-width="189" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWhkk3Y7nMXNtdBYBXqyNJh8ABdmjrl8luI2JxxsWEUdDm6z02CBapdwMwY4XO9QDO925NVjWXnJ-35lHN8tSoiNdKdsc7cmBNuT5Z83yyTW3nQ_CLtghAsfRm8EkpVqed59sH0HR5uDo/s400/mono.jpg" width="281" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em>"Towering. Fierce. Terrible. Nightmare made material."</em></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwp8B8gVL1QZvmNJXMCLMxML4KedI3Zww6n40T2gWR7XY_PPwvxqbzSJBr55AbbmXB9_SpQ3ZSU7Ig6xsHjSIinOPkv2l4hyw8nQt9R_70gvxs-DQN95USUV6me8TLQDgZAhtBkbufPFg/s1600/81Vw7Q0dULL.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1175" data-original-width="1600" height="293" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwp8B8gVL1QZvmNJXMCLMxML4KedI3Zww6n40T2gWR7XY_PPwvxqbzSJBr55AbbmXB9_SpQ3ZSU7Ig6xsHjSIinOPkv2l4hyw8nQt9R_70gvxs-DQN95USUV6me8TLQDgZAhtBkbufPFg/s400/81Vw7Q0dULL.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em>"Alone in the woods or tunnels, survival is the same. Prepare, persist, and overcome."</em></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxmYMPGShW0uNzygKrL7Fa-eC8r7Lu5mSvgaXWosZ8dhW4UmAS3HDrS_LBm5qjwJX1n-1CtpIQaBO7F-LZ4SXB0kEufQIKvcxM-MePnaoHLaA6tmrweebkB75e9TkbVH5VCVixPrrHYqA/s1600/blo.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="263" data-original-width="191" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxmYMPGShW0uNzygKrL7Fa-eC8r7Lu5mSvgaXWosZ8dhW4UmAS3HDrS_LBm5qjwJX1n-1CtpIQaBO7F-LZ4SXB0kEufQIKvcxM-MePnaoHLaA6tmrweebkB75e9TkbVH5VCVixPrrHYqA/s400/blo.png" width="290" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em>"To fall for such a little thing – a bite of bread."</em></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhysqV9QhFjCXBk0bbQu2c6mPVqORdKf4V6c4bNmh0VcQ6B75mCIlwMe_V7PpfJaLcl3FjmhS7Wde5Ila4wK4jGiQM8Ogz62FIHvfk2WpV83cqd0Ek-ZYdzNSf9IhWvFZ1a-W8lAzSsJG8/s1600/brood.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="263" data-original-width="191" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhysqV9QhFjCXBk0bbQu2c6mPVqORdKf4V6c4bNmh0VcQ6B75mCIlwMe_V7PpfJaLcl3FjmhS7Wde5Ila4wK4jGiQM8Ogz62FIHvfk2WpV83cqd0Ek-ZYdzNSf9IhWvFZ1a-W8lAzSsJG8/s400/brood.png" width="290" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em>"How many rats will it take to gnaw through a ton of putrid flesh?"</em></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip_k2PFyqsiDEqdFja5qIUr0-LRMuA1HHSL9YOWgpIdo6wEDPPNBB49KuYqGxlirpQtwtRalwoEmJh4H9mVD5he5vBkoF0ZmEyIf5IIBPiYipu5LSoDkBHOn9DcEjIMGSWZFjFCaSS6dw/s1600/d.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="267" data-original-width="189" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip_k2PFyqsiDEqdFja5qIUr0-LRMuA1HHSL9YOWgpIdo6wEDPPNBB49KuYqGxlirpQtwtRalwoEmJh4H9mVD5he5vBkoF0ZmEyIf5IIBPiYipu5LSoDkBHOn9DcEjIMGSWZFjFCaSS6dw/s400/d.png" width="283" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em>"The cobwebs had been dusted; the pews set straight… the abbey calls to the faithful."</em></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilYBMzddr-lJQFpvukBw3iSNQGgxa-afvH9A0SoFNNEq21-0W8jiQFY9Dnslk1_4L9IIiVmVEmYHOfc4d_dgF8KYa0ELAv9Cz1DucWcUwq-Ar_dWqVQTpgMMpl3N69cu5Wl-XbIfeQFzc/s1600/carc.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="271" data-original-width="186" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilYBMzddr-lJQFpvukBw3iSNQGgxa-afvH9A0SoFNNEq21-0W8jiQFY9Dnslk1_4L9IIiVmVEmYHOfc4d_dgF8KYa0ELAv9Cz1DucWcUwq-Ar_dWqVQTpgMMpl3N69cu5Wl-XbIfeQFzc/s400/carc.png" width="274" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em>"Women and men, soldiers and outlaws, fools and corpses. All will find their way to us now the way is clear."</em></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-9bVbOgcwqcKz2-3HklR4CSrOZPYjkpcOTuAExOEIWQmkLVHWZyC_I4K_xsLAPhJ7J5EfGqxs7GZ7NSsqE0hhwpxRB5mD49DMshIRmcywl6iqEiDFmQquHYvsWw5zTQer_tIrfD1Jy1Q/s1600/dfd.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="267" data-original-width="189" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-9bVbOgcwqcKz2-3HklR4CSrOZPYjkpcOTuAExOEIWQmkLVHWZyC_I4K_xsLAPhJ7J5EfGqxs7GZ7NSsqE0hhwpxRB5mD49DMshIRmcywl6iqEiDFmQquHYvsWw5zTQer_tIrfD1Jy1Q/s400/dfd.png" width="283" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em>"Most will end up here, covered in a poisoned earth, awaiting merciful oblivion."</em> </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO7z36BUfLEh5zgHYcgRAgQFxOOvsb8jC5Go01gP3wu8JsjNWSmMSWXr3imBTWUFEsKS56tUQVUUMXqBsvMHQWhujWGINfMhcM6OcnCbcorMAAbc5TdeH0aFZ5G_qEyohxhM4TEpCUYAU/s1600/nsw.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="225" data-original-width="225" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO7z36BUfLEh5zgHYcgRAgQFxOOvsb8jC5Go01gP3wu8JsjNWSmMSWXr3imBTWUFEsKS56tUQVUUMXqBsvMHQWhujWGINfMhcM6OcnCbcorMAAbc5TdeH0aFZ5G_qEyohxhM4TEpCUYAU/s400/nsw.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Some experiments should have never happened. You are doing just work ending them."</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjagobgp_BBzklKPdr8gIJ15qFi1oYcsK902m3cg_bG-75-py_P6hOp_2eGAVTjTUrwMNfzIGQO-UfwLzKN8E_F9b-jGVvEFyHhYRlhoxXRvR6DTreh_gkLEYaQ0oJFws9DTHhzvcXaUA8/s1600/fm.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="265" data-original-width="190" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjagobgp_BBzklKPdr8gIJ15qFi1oYcsK902m3cg_bG-75-py_P6hOp_2eGAVTjTUrwMNfzIGQO-UfwLzKN8E_F9b-jGVvEFyHhYRlhoxXRvR6DTreh_gkLEYaQ0oJFws9DTHhzvcXaUA8/s400/fm.png" width="286" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em>"Secrets and wonders can be found in the most tenebrous corners of this place."</em></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLqRCnG45voySTHiWRKLhoTbXkUU_wnIKqISG_6Z9-fUhMMPEP3u9E7JbXRKx4Pj0Oyu3_4a5aKQdALpqzPUK16WZdJChhyvCbesvkptzHLe_sqkD1uEHHd7sWo-EI3bl5roM50hi-ijw/s1600/red.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="225" data-original-width="225" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLqRCnG45voySTHiWRKLhoTbXkUU_wnIKqISG_6Z9-fUhMMPEP3u9E7JbXRKx4Pj0Oyu3_4a5aKQdALpqzPUK16WZdJChhyvCbesvkptzHLe_sqkD1uEHHd7sWo-EI3bl5roM50hi-ijw/s400/red.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em>“Madness… our old friend."</em> </td></tr>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07406069858503205248noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31717078246505923.post-7122852285579107142018-03-24T17:19:00.000-04:002018-03-24T17:19:25.935-04:00Your RPG is Great: The Gardens of Ynn<blockquote class="tr_bq">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoHcPVfxESgTm8fQM2gRxUD4LIaxM7id29rOoKa6ZdMApCJk6NBj3s55CT6xtJM83C-HDMmujieLfo_7Y8RGMoM99l9VARaZ94OnSWxv3NWp8J9iHXVMq-o0Pz8avQa4IVqnuUsdYpMRc/s1600/The_Gardens_of_Ynn_Page_01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="819" data-original-width="577" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoHcPVfxESgTm8fQM2gRxUD4LIaxM7id29rOoKa6ZdMApCJk6NBj3s55CT6xtJM83C-HDMmujieLfo_7Y8RGMoM99l9VARaZ94OnSWxv3NWp8J9iHXVMq-o0Pz8avQa4IVqnuUsdYpMRc/s640/The_Gardens_of_Ynn_Page_01.jpg" width="450" /></a></div>
<i>"Ynn is a perpendicular world. Compare the concepts of parallel worlds: from any place in the real world, you can cross over to an equivalent in the parallel world. Any place has it's parallel version, just shifted slightly. A perpendicular world, meanwhile, exists at right-angles to reality. Crossing over at a certain point, the further one travels into the perpendicular world, the less like reality it becomes." </i></blockquote>
Thus begins <i>The Gardens of Ynn</i> (<a href="http://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/237544/The-Gardens-Of-Ynn" target="_blank">available as a PDF from DriveThruRPG</a>), devilishly creative pointcrawl written and designed by <a href="http://cavegirlgames.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Emmy Allen</a>. It clocks in at exactly 79 pages of gameable content set in and around a lush, overflowing garden on the edge of reality, one that's slowly being consumed by an intelligent thought-virus called the Idea of Thorns. If the above piques your interest, read on. <br />
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Because — as the namesake would imply — I only review things I like on <b>Your RPG is Great</b>, you the reader probably expect a certain, respectable level of praise and flattery. However, such a level would be grossly inappropriate, because <i>The Gardens of Ynn</i> is one of the best RPG products I've read in a very long time.<br />
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Where to begin, where to begin: I've read the file cover-to—well, there's no back cover, but it ends on a nice table — twice now, and every bit of it is superb. Like its older sibling <i>A Red and Pleasant Land </i>(from which it draws clear inspiration), Ynn exists as a place divorced from the real world; in fact, it is only accessible by performing a particular ritual to create a door out of a normal garden wall, a door that closes in 24 hours' time. In this way, Ynn is not beholden to the laws of your particular game world, or even the setting: I'd feel just as comfortable dropping this into my current <i>Tomb of Annihilation</i> game as I would Ravenloft, or hell, even Traveler. It's clearly written and statted with <i>Lamentations of the Flame Princess</i> in mind (although the writer states she tested it with a cobbled-together collection of systems and house rules), so anyone experienced with the system should be able to retrofit it to pretty much anything else they want to use. <br />
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Once you're inside the gardens, the real fun begins. Characters progress via an ingenious system of reaching a new location and choosing to either stay and investigate, return to a previous location, or push deeper into the unknown landscape. For each new location, several rolls are made to decide areas of interest, possible events, and likely encounters, with things getting weirder and deadlier the further you progress by way of a bonus added to the roll for each new area you explore. In this way, both high and low-lethality areas can be generated by the same table. It reminds me so much of old Wizardry and Ultima games (which were themselves inspired by D&D dungeoncrawls) and makes player mapping and progression an absolute breeze.<br />
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The locations themselves shine just as bright. Emmy Allen has managed to marry the sterile beauty of a Hayao Miyazaki backdrop to the weirdness of Wonderland in a way that never feels forced. PCs will encounter plant skeletons and giant frogs amidst vast fields of grass and babbling brooks. They will fight (or preferably, flee) from ethereal, feral sidhe inside a shattered greenhouse with sunlight glinting off of every pane. Ynn is terrifying, yes, but its terror is not the peal of thunder or encroaching shadows; it's primal, like the silence that indicates a predator is nearby or the glimmer of something strange in the tall grass. Your characters are not welcome in Ynn, and it will kill them just as readily as other, darker places; the only difference here is that they will die in a bed of soft flowers, with the sun shining down and a cool breeze blowing overhead.<br />
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As if it wasn't enough that we were given a thoroughly unique and interesting setting, <i>The Gardens of Ynn</i> also includes a new player class, to be used when replacing dead PCs. Because the PCs will never encounter other (living) adventurers here, new PCs assume the role of Ynn Changelings, souls that have been twisted by the gardens and as such command unique powers that allow them to subsist solely on foraged vegetation, grant them an increased chance to hide in tall foliage, and even survive rudimentary forms of death by temporarily becoming plants themselves. The overarching plot, The Idea of Thorns, is also given some weight, and includes a <i>Death Frost Doom</i>-style endgame scenario should the PCs unwittingly bring it back with them to the real world. It's cool, and I can easily see an entire campaign spinning off from just a few sessions spent in the Gardens, as the players try to control and quarantine the Idea before it spreads.<br />
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Regarding art and layout, this adventure is perfectly serviceable. The artwork, while mostly public domain, has a tight aesthetic fittingly reminiscent of woodcuts. I count 45 distinct pieces over 79 pages, so on the denser side, although the majority of them are quarter and spot illustrations meant to break up the text more than anything. The text itself is two-column, and most pages feature a simple but attractive border that further reinforces the theme of vines and stems. There are more than a few typos, but nothing that seriously impedes comprehension (at least that I could find).<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7nwRsVjOuGBRHXxY7O7YBqmeVE5O7iqKEg1yyIOWpOO80lKP6MUZen0nrA-NgNOdmGQCj9eC1fYqQMl42IE1CvWftXx78quKL3YaIyyW8p3KHfuyacby3-dqZ_xXBjXofyAO3j0N-J0U/s1600/snapshot+5.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="601" data-original-width="425" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7nwRsVjOuGBRHXxY7O7YBqmeVE5O7iqKEg1yyIOWpOO80lKP6MUZen0nrA-NgNOdmGQCj9eC1fYqQMl42IE1CvWftXx78quKL3YaIyyW8p3KHfuyacby3-dqZ_xXBjXofyAO3j0N-J0U/s1600/snapshot+5.png" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A typical page. In particular, note how the art and layout play off each other.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
All of this brings me to a realization: that this $3 module self-published using public domain art is better than 99% of the professional RPG stuff I've bought and consumed over the past 4 years. What it lacks in polish, it makes up for in charm; what it lacks in production value, it compensates for with tremendous ease-of-use and density of ideas. It's long been said that more free RPG content is released in a year than a person could run in a lifetime, but what does that mean for the future of the hobby? What right do the big game companies have to charge $40 a book just to sell me the same tired plotlines and threadbare characterization that can be found in any bargain-bin fantasy novel? <br />
<br />
Go and buy this right now, before Emmy realizes what she's done and jacks up the price. Hell, buy it after she jacks up the price: I bought it at $3, and I would buy it again at $30 just to know that my money was going towards making more things like it. Emmy Allen, Your RPG is Great. Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07406069858503205248noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31717078246505923.post-4172320304203507552018-03-06T18:02:00.000-05:002018-03-11T16:41:18.914-04:00Jungle BoogieAnyone following my blog closely knows I started a 5e ToA game recently. Well actually I started it back in December, but a combination of various family emergencies and the loss of a player (he didn't die, just moved away, the inconsiderate jerk) means we've only played three sessions. REGARDLESS, as this is the only game I have the time to run right now it's only fair I give it the same respect I did MotBM (though if the module deserves it has yet to be seen).<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://cdna.artstation.com/p/assets/images/images/009/123/920/large/luke-abbott-giant-skull-2.jpg?1517265710" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="413" data-original-width="800" height="329" src="https://cdna.artstation.com/p/assets/images/images/009/123/920/large/luke-abbott-giant-skull-2.jpg?1517265710" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.artstation.com/artwork/1vP2K" target="_blank">Luke Abbott</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<h3 style="text-align: center;">
THE TOMB OF ANNIHILATION</h3>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>"A death curse has befallen everyone who's been raised from the dead. Its victims are rotting away, and all efforts to reverse the decay have failed. </i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><br /></i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>The souls of the dead are being stolen one by one and trapped inside a necromantic artifact. Only its destruction will free the trapped spirits and allow the dead to be raised once more.</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><br /></i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>All paths lead to Chult, a mysterious land of volcanoes, jungles, and the ruins of fallen kingdoms. Below them all awaits a deadly tomb. The trap is set. Will you take the bait?"</i></div>
</blockquote>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<h3 style="text-align: center;">
THE SET-UP </h3>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<i>Tomb of Annihilation</i> is a hexcrawl, and as such is 5e's first major attempt at an adventure that encourages old-school, sandbox, high-lethality play. An admirable goal: between hexcrawls and megadungeons, I prefer hexcrawls for their versatility and focus on expansion and world development. However, I take umbrage with a few aspects of ToA's design, and have tweaked them accordingly. Random encounters, for example, are almost exclusively combat or "huh look at that" meaningless distractions. Luckily, <a href="http://monstermanualsewnfrompants.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Scrap Princess</a> revealed to me that the community has no <a href="http://dungeonofsigns.blogspot.co.nz/2017/11/the-divine-wight-part-5-jungle.html" target="_blank">shortage</a> <a href="http://dungeonofsigns.blogspot.co.nz/2017/11/the-divine-wight-part-6-jungle-tables-2.html" target="_blank">of</a> <a href="http://dungeonofsigns.blogspot.co.nz/2017/11/the-divine-wight-part-7-animals-in.html" target="_blank">random</a> <a href="http://gloomtrain.blogspot.co.nz/2017/01/the-earth-does-not-want-you.html" target="_blank">encounter</a> <a href="http://gloomtrain.blogspot.co.nz/2016/08/out-in-swamp-where-water-is-dark.html" target="_blank">tables</a> <a href="http://rottenpulp.blogspot.co.nz/2012/07/jungle.html" target="_blank">for</a> <a href="http://rememberdismove.blogspot.co.nz/2018/03/dinosaur-swamp.html" target="_blank">jungles</a>, and with these I intend to make the journey through Chult a bit more interesting. <br />
<br />
Aside from that, we're using the same old 5e that the module is built for, with a few house rules that I'll explain if they come up. Look forward to it over the next few weeks/months as I find time to record our sessions in between running them and working on my other projects.<br />
<br />
<h3 style="text-align: center;">
THE PLAYERS</h3>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Amon: Half-elf Death Cleric. Intense hatred of the undead has led him to seek out rumors of the Chultan spellplague.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Darkbeak: Kenku Ranger. Born and raised in the jungles of Chult, hired alongside Bruja as a guide for the foreign adventurers.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Bruja: Lizardfolk Druid. Witchdoctor and Chultan native. Wears a large bird skull as a mask, hired alongside Darkbeak as a guide for the foreign adventures.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Caden: Elven Warlock. Quite and reserved, communicates entirely through telepathy. His true motives are unknown.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Ahab: Human Barbarian sailor. Disgraced at sea, he seeks fame and fortune on the land. </div>
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07406069858503205248noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31717078246505923.post-17124874250568193662018-02-17T21:41:00.001-05:002018-02-17T21:44:30.151-05:00RMPIHEIAFA: Necromantic Fasciitis<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEzXr3EgS9ccjcGTmya8hpxNEDReDae-1Tr4aBu46-TXdnhGiTj_d8G1I7DLD4-9DVo4NQBPZc9HsWX-jwDWUVHxy10aaJSaI_4dQfKxVo6GgIg2lydDIhme2xr8_7IWEJ4LP4_dYIzmg/s1600/jan-brems-manofarmadon-polish-s.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="825" data-original-width="1600" height="328" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEzXr3EgS9ccjcGTmya8hpxNEDReDae-1Tr4aBu46-TXdnhGiTj_d8G1I7DLD4-9DVo4NQBPZc9HsWX-jwDWUVHxy10aaJSaI_4dQfKxVo6GgIg2lydDIhme2xr8_7IWEJ4LP4_dYIzmg/s640/jan-brems-manofarmadon-polish-s.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.artstation.com/artwork/rgOL" target="_blank">Jan Brems</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>Welcome to the latest in a series I'm calling "Real Medical
Problems I Have Encountered, Interpreted as Fantasy Ailments" or
RMPIHEIAFA (rumpy-HAY-fah). Each entry will cover a real-life medical
condition I have encountered in the American health system, adapted to
suit the world of your fantasy RPG campaign.</i></blockquote>
<i>Necromantic fasciitis </i>is a thankfully rare but troublingly serious condition. Infection typically follows a botched resurrection, although the patient may not show immediate symptoms for several weeks.<br />
<br />
In cases where a <i>Raise Dead</i> spell is performed by a cleric of insufficient experience, or the spell is interrupted at any point, the soul may not be fully reintegrated into the body. Any part not fully integrated is, for all intents and purposes, undead. In mild cases, this undeath may be confined to a small area, such as a finger, toe, or facial extremity. Affected areas do not give the appearance of dead flesh, so cases can go unnoticed for some period of time. <br />
<br />
Symptoms of <i>necromantic fasciitis</i> begin with itching and muscle spasms of the affected area. Numbness is present in some cases, and wounds suffered in affected areas will neither bleed nor heal, either naturally or through magical means. Because the infection rests within the fascia, the thin sheath that connect and stabilize the muscles and organs, it will spread unchallenged throughout the body if not arrested quickly. <br />
<br />
As the area of undeath expands, so too does the range of possible effects. Affected limbs may begin to take on a mind of their own. Hands will grasp and ungrasp at random, often dropping weapons and items intended for use. Legs may splay out in strange ways, ankles turn painfully, and joints swell. In the case of facial infection, grimacing, gurning, and twitching are most common. <br />
<br />
What happens next should be familiar to anyone with sufficient experience in the necromantic arts. The undead have a natural hatred for the living that borders upon instinctual, and as more of the body is corrupted this hatred will manifest in every way it can find. Stories abound of veteran adventurers found dead in their tents, strangled by their own, still-flailing arm. Infected legs will throw their victim over cliffs or onto swords, infected tongues will sever and force their way down the victim's throat. At this stage, the victim is a tremendous danger both to themselves and those around them, and should be quarantined accordingly. <br />
<br />
In death, the disease progresses unimpeded until the entire body is under its vicious control. Here is a true undead, under a new name: <i>zombie</i>. Now a full-blown carrier, the <i>zombie </i>is intensely contagious, and even so much as a scratch or bite is enough to spread <i>necromantic fasciitis </i>to a new host. The process begins again. <br />
<br />
As mentioned before, treating <i>necromantic fasciitis</i> is difficult, as undead tissue naturally rejects any attempts at mundane or magical healing. The only known cure is amputation, liberally spaced from the area of infection and flawlessly executed. If there is even one square centimeter of corrupted tissue left upon the victim's personage, the risk of reinfection is high. Some success has been found with judicious use of anti-undead clerical magic, meant to stop, hold, or "turn" the hordes of the damned. However, evidence for this is scarce, and some suggest it may do more harm to future attempts to pacify the victim in the case that they build up a tolerance to the spell. Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07406069858503205248noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31717078246505923.post-52284832991914377402018-02-11T18:57:00.000-05:002018-02-11T19:01:05.166-05:00Your RPG Is Great: On the Shoulders of Giants<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO54NbUuWO0vdx4uesFGGCohpDAiVKHMCXzZfbsekfb1N7pPLhyZm8oHewuY2iWAVQQkDNlkH3j6_JCPyARGbBmNHoUn3JE5MlJyP9dXDAf1cd2aX0OK4_sk63On813d3G6ZurmYkgJOQ/s1600/cover.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="589" data-original-width="393" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO54NbUuWO0vdx4uesFGGCohpDAiVKHMCXzZfbsekfb1N7pPLhyZm8oHewuY2iWAVQQkDNlkH3j6_JCPyARGbBmNHoUn3JE5MlJyP9dXDAf1cd2aX0OK4_sk63On813d3G6ZurmYkgJOQ/s640/cover.PNG" width="425" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kickstarter-exclusive cover</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<i>On the Shoulders of Giants </i>is the breakout supplement from 15-year old RPG wunderkind <a href="https://plus.google.com/118421879144506991652" target="_blank">Chance Phillips</a>. After a tremendously successful kickstarter campaign (1337% funded), OSG was released to the world in <a href="http://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/232175/On-the-Shoulders-of-Giants-LotFPCompatible" target="_blank">full-color pdf and print-on-demand</a>, which I am happy to say is fully worth your money. <br />
<br />
OSG is a difficult book to summarize, because it manages to cram a lot of content into its slender bindings. I would dare say that not since <i>Vornheim</i> has so much been said in so few pages, which is all the more impressive for the sheer amount of art that designer Glenn Seal has managed to cram in. Within this module are 18 unique pieces by the eminent <a href="http://monstermanualsewnfrompants.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Scrap Princess</a>, ranging from the macabre:<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP6iYj7rfL-B-24Mro1e3TYu22Oq68x3QDncyCi61L0kBn7WQLiGnDAYFtmDzvhrdqAFpFNaBHKjjXv_Ck7oPrwkpNhFGeSHPWjE9O_sZM14LB617BkVur6IXi2zEaedkgP-RlPKVjmeY/s1600/witch.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="393" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP6iYj7rfL-B-24Mro1e3TYu22Oq68x3QDncyCi61L0kBn7WQLiGnDAYFtmDzvhrdqAFpFNaBHKjjXv_Ck7oPrwkpNhFGeSHPWjE9O_sZM14LB617BkVur6IXi2zEaedkgP-RlPKVjmeY/s640/witch.png" width="416" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dinner time in the tunnels. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
to the strangely beautiful:<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMr5l9Dit24rzPF55ni1C19yvKk7k5broALqpyElcnXQAHNO4Pej9YwRVdbOChAOeEES07Ud5yuwyK2mVhaLWIGLWW-e1onkWQ7cees9k7h-YQS-YP6ZaoTVAqoOXDf5TktO5lf4e2MmI/s1600/squid.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="588" data-original-width="396" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMr5l9Dit24rzPF55ni1C19yvKk7k5broALqpyElcnXQAHNO4Pej9YwRVdbOChAOeEES07Ud5yuwyK2mVhaLWIGLWW-e1onkWQ7cees9k7h-YQS-YP6ZaoTVAqoOXDf5TktO5lf4e2MmI/s640/squid.png" width="430" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This deserves to be framed.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
to the nightmarish: <br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJZVd3YV4fbYpLhR-ye6hS2DU7KcgyEs36oM0jV5hSst6Dz-FVFuYukPPmajrC1iIVn2VcLXZVKe4nVuyZgqZ7ZJBkLHbAD-JZmCL5qkYSdItyB6_txP7ds0jnuuy4sDOuTFPQcmsKSPg/s1600/Maggot.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="543" data-original-width="381" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJZVd3YV4fbYpLhR-ye6hS2DU7KcgyEs36oM0jV5hSst6Dz-FVFuYukPPmajrC1iIVn2VcLXZVKe4nVuyZgqZ7ZJBkLHbAD-JZmCL5qkYSdItyB6_txP7ds0jnuuy4sDOuTFPQcmsKSPg/s640/Maggot.PNG" width="448" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"I AM NATURES CRUELEST MISTAKE"</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
If the pictures above haven't given you an idea of what this is all about, let's start again from the beginning. OSG posits a world wherein the Greek pantheon <i>— </i>Zeus, Hera, Poseidon, Demeter, Athena, Apollo, Artemis, Ares, Aphrodite, Hephaestus, Hermes, and Dionysius <i>— </i>have waged war upon each other, to their mutual destruction. From their godly carcasses were born maggots, and from the maggots Men, each inheriting an aspect of the god they live in and feast on. It's all very <i>Lamentations </i>in that dark fantasy/grindhouse way, so fans of other such works (<i>Fire on the Velvet Horizon</i>, <i>Veins of the Earth, </i>and<i> Carcosa </i>come to mind) will find quite a lot to love here. <br />
<br />
So far as interacting with the world, the book offers four new character classes (the Conspirator, the Corpse Worker, the Prize Fighter, and the Witchdoctor), who <i>— </i>for the most part <i>—</i> play surprisingly different from both each other and the existing LotFP classes. Conspirators are your conmen, your masterminds, your big-picture guys and gals always three steps ahead of their opponents. Prize Fighters are your glass cannons, strong but fragile; that makes Corpse Workers your tanks, hardy but lacking punch. The real cream of the crop here is the Witchdoctor, which uses a new system of magic titled "Experiments," allowing them to perform terrible atrocities for the sake of power. The interesting thing here is that experiments require materials, and that nearly all of the experiments must be performed before combat begins (preferably before you begin your expedition!): of the thirteen experiments detailed here, only two can be performed in a single round, and of those one must be prepped beforehand. <br />
<br />
This necessary foresight lends a deliberate and cautious tone to adventures. It is entirely possible to plan several expeditions for the sole purpose of obtaining the materials needed to perform the necessary experiment to proceed further. In a video game this would be meaningless grind; here it's progress through gritty resolve.<br />
<br />
The next two chapter revolve around equipment (mostly maggot-based) and monsters, each distinct and unique to the setting. Once again, fans of VotE and FotVH (god these acronyms) will be pleased with the offerings. Of the three pictures above, the second illustrates the Sky Squid, a living, fungoid transportation device. The third illustrates the Maggot. I hate it. I hate its face, I hate its tiny arms, I hate that they function as infants in this world. If the word "hate" was engraved on every nano<i>— </i>ah, ignore that. <br />
<br />
The penultimate chapter is devoted to an adventure outline, "The Gray Pools." This lays the groundwork for a campaign based around finding and exploring the titular pools, areas of intense magic activity that warp and distort anything that enters them. It also introduces that most beloved and maligned RPG mechanic of all: psionics. While not my thing personally, I must say the system here is one of the more elegant I've seen. I'll need to run it in order to see how it plays at-the-table. The book ends with a brief Appendix N (I'm a fan), and the hope that I can find time to run this with friends. <br />
<br />
Though it is slightly against my intent for Your RPG is Great, I do have two small gripes with OSG. One is the file size: even the printer-friendly file weighs in at 33 MB, and the regular file clocks in at a hefty 113 MB. That is nearly 3 times the size of VotE for a document 1/6 the length, and it might be frustrating for those like me who generally keep their RPG collection on the cloud to have to download it every time. The only other complaint I have is that some of the writing comes off as stilted. The talent is clearly there, it simply lacks the polish that invariably comes with experience and a keen eye for flow. As I said, minor gripes. <br />
<br />
I would be happy to see an expansion to <i>On the Shoulders of Giants</i>. What it has laid the groundwork for is impressive, and where it has striven to distance itself from other, similar products <i>— </i>the classes, monsters, bloody psionics <i>— </i>it has shown great promise. Get yourself a new editor and someone who knows how to optimize pdfs (my door is always open) and you've got a great career ahead of you, Chance, because Your RPG is Great. Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07406069858503205248noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31717078246505923.post-70069153392357106242018-02-09T21:50:00.000-05:002018-02-09T21:50:53.462-05:00On Absolute EvilWhen Henry James wrote <i>The Turn of the Screw</i>, he was careful to leave the actions of the ghosts Quint and Jessel unspoken. Their relation to young Miles and Flora is never detailed, nor is their ultimate goal any less a mystery to the readers as it is to the characters in the story. A lot of ink has been spilled over the past hundred years because of this — some believing the ghosts to be child molesters, some forsaken lovers, some as wanting to possess the children in an effort to return to this world — and most of it misses the point entirely. They attempt to assign mortal logic to extra-mortal beings. They fail to understand the essence of absolute evil.<br />
<br />
Iago. Judge Holden. Morgan le Fay, to a lesser extent. Three characters from three wildly different genres of fiction, and yet they all serve much the same purpose to the reader. They are conniving, clever, able to be bargained with but never safely. Because their motives are never known, their potential is functionally infinite: far from being evil for the sake of evil, their characterization hints at a greater purpose beyond the reader's comprehension. <br />
<br />
Another good example of this would be Kefka, the psychopathic, nihilist nemesis from <i>Final Fantasy VI</i>. Kefka is not a tragic villain, to be pitied. Nor is he simply a lunatic murderer; there is intellect and design in his machinations throughout the game. But his greatest strength as an enemy is that he is never given a clear motive for what he does. Even after killing millions, ascending to godhood, and nearly destroying the world itself, his purpose remains unknown. The player defeats him, and is left with a bitter thought to comfort them: what caused this? Could it happen again? Could it happen to me?<br />
<br />
Absolute evil is a hard-but-rewarding topic to confront in your game. If the evil character is too transparent or emphatic, they can come off as nothing more than an agent of chaos. Conversely, if the evil character is too strong and unknowable, they become Lovecraftian: a force of nature, outside of mortal influence. That's no good either. If you're doing absolute evil right, your PC's — and the players themselves — should be anxious. They should feel like they've only been given a piece of a grand puzzle, or like they've been thrown into the deep end without knowing how to swim. You've brought something upon them that is so unlike everything they've faced so far: beasts driven by instinct, rulers lusting for power, mad wizards seduced by curiosity. Your players should be asking themselves and each other the following questions, without clear answers:<br />
<br />
What is this creatures purpose?<br />
What is this creatures next move?<br />
What is this creatures end goal?<br />
How powerful is this creature? <br />
Can this creature be stopped? <br />
Can this creature be bargained with?<br />
<br />
Once they've started asking, the hard part of your job as a DM is done. Now, all you need to do is resist the temptation to answer them. <br />
<br />
If your absolute evil is undead, demonic, or otherwise divorced from the mortal coil, then their plan may simply be too complicated for mortals to understand. In D&D, as in real-life, there is an upper limit to intelligence; perhaps your characters can no more comprehend the machinations of a demilich than a guinea pig can comprehend calculus.<br />
<br />
If your absolute evil is human/elven/dwarfen/other intelligent mortal creature, then its motives need not be explained BUT they should be hinted at, in addition to other, unrelated motives. The party finds out that the witch that's been casting a blight on the land was once scorned by a lovely princess, and sets out to reunite them... upon which the witch casually murders her in cold blood and mixes her corpse into the pudding. You must keep them guessing, but never fall back unto mindlessness! A creature without a motive is boring.<br />
<br />
In playing the villain, be cagey and strange. Embrace the chaos that invariably stems from PC behavior. Make them fight for every inch of ground, then take it away from them in a cunning reveal that what they were doing was exactly what you planned all along. Toy with them: you are all of the worst aspects of Littlefinger and Strahd combined, an unholy amalgam of every conniving little shit that ever ruined your day in real life. Gloat, as loudly and often as you can. If the PCs don't hate you — personally, as a living (or nonliving) creature, if they don't crave your destruction not for its practical benefits but just because you are too monstrous to live — then you have failed.<br />
<br />
A good absolute evil can cause a PC to lose faith in themselves. A great absolute evil can cause a PC to lose faith in the world. Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07406069858503205248noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31717078246505923.post-1780670311077410972018-02-08T17:13:00.000-05:002018-02-08T17:13:03.117-05:00Maze of the Blue Medusa: Session 3Our heroes once again stepped through the moonlit painting into the chambers of the former Ashen Chanterelle. It had been an eventful month. Their last excursion had led them straight to a powerful demon who could stop their heart or catch their breath in their lungs with a snap of fingers. They would have to be more careful if they were to survive this.<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>DMs Note: In this session, I implement a new downtime mechanic I've been working on. Because there's a solid month between each foray into the maze, I asked each player what their character did in that month, and gave them mechanical advantages for creative ideas.</i></blockquote>
<br />
The party had been busy. Kali, knowing their next journey was to a place known only as “the Dead Wedding," decided to spend the past month in Erebus, conversing with the souls of the dead [<i>in-system: her summons' damage is rolled straight</i>]. Eizen had been training, pushing his muscles to their limits for weeks on end [<i>in-system: his STR score increased by 1</i>]. Mr. Nancy, the dashing rogue, had been partying and spreading raucous stories about how Nemora romanced a vine. His tales became part of the collective consciousness, to the point that “screwing the plant" has become a common idiom for foolish behavior, though nobody knows quite where it came from [<i>in-system: his carousing meant it was plausible that he would have seemingly-random items on his person</i>]. Nemora, however, was hard at work in the smithy, crafting a pair of magical swords hewn from the very rocks that formerly trapped him [<i>in-system: +1 swords, able to create a burst of bright light by hitting them together</i>].<br />
<br />
The heroes head to Lady Capilli's room, and from there to the Escher Stairs. Instead of heading north, as they had done previously, they use the key given to them by the dark lady to access the previously-locked East Wing. Stepping forward, they enter what appears to be a coat room, with capes, cloaks, and furs lining each wall. Nemora, wearing nothing more than the stony protrusions that maintain his modesty, decides to update his wardrobe. Reaching out to take a coat from the rack, he is startled when he instead finds a large peacock hiding amongst the clothes.<br />
<br />
The peacock introduces himself as Zacchaeus, and immediately begins eyeing the party up and down with a discerning gaze. Nemora in particular is the focus of his ire, and he immediately demands the strange man clothe himself before he enters the wedding. Zacchaeus begins throwing random clothes at Nemora, who graciously adorns himself with a floor-length leather opera coat, velvet slacks, and a feather boa. It suits him wonderfully.<br />
<br />
After the clothing situation is dealt with, Zacchaeus remembers his real duty and staunchly asks for our heroes invitation to the party, “presided over by Chancellor Sophronia Wort herself!" When pressed, the peacock refuses to give any more information, but luckily Mr. Nancy manages to fish a tattered ticket from his inner pocket and presents it. Satisfied that the group don't appear to be wedding crashers, Zacchaeus instructs them to head forward to catch the end of the ceremony.<br />
<br />
The next room is a nightmare come to life. Burnt, desiccated corpses float between rows of empty chairs. Ash falls from their blackened skulls as they wordlessly converse. One floats to Eizen and extends his hand in a conventional greeting, but when Eizen takes it, the figure disintegrates. The party notices the buffet table on the side of the room, but upon realizing it is devastated -- with the exception of an eerily-pristine wedding cake -- decide not to fool with it. The four agree that this silent procession holds little prospect for them, and head south into a small side room.<br />
<br />
In it is a table, and on the table is a small key. The key is attached to a string, which trails forth into a darkened room. From within, they hear childish giggling. Eizen, bright as he is, illuminates the room to reveal a crouching, sallow child with coal black eyes and a sadistic smile. Adorning the child's room are the skins of (presumably) other adventurers, stretched and pinned to the walls. The child lunges at the party, but Eizen manages to pin him with a well-executed grapple.<br />
<br />
However, the wight will not be bested so easily. Its fearsome teeth dig into the flesh of Eizen's arm, and the son of Atlas feels his strength draining by the second (<i>DMs Note: EXP drain</i>). But the abomination can not long sustain the combined effort of four demigods with a purpose, and soon it falls. The party takes a moment to catch their breath before examining the strange display of skins. Each was pinned with several needles, and have what appears to be braile dots poked through. None of our heroes can read them, although they do make a note to return once they've done some more research.<br />
<br />
Fishing the key from the dead boys hands, the party returns to the reception hall, where they immediately get the feeling they are being watched. They turn to see a small boy, translucent but otherwise identical to the one they just fought, staring at them. Mr. Nancy steps forth bravely, but the child is not here to fight. Instead, he simply holds out his hand, pointing further east. The party follows his lead into the next room.<br />
<br />
They are led into a grand altar, empty save for two well-dressed, lovely figures They are caught in a timeless, frozen embrace, mere seconds from their first kiss in marriage. Dust specks lay motionless in the air, and a pebble tossed by Mr. Nancy slows, then stops before it even approaches the bride and groom. They are trapped in a bubble outside of time, and it's clear nothing can affect them until it is broken. The ghostly boy points up at the couple, and then sits down before them. He is unable to communicate further, but it's not long before the silence is broken by an unearthly shrill scream from ahead.<br />
<br />
Suddenly, the party is confronted with what they can only assume are wraiths composed entirely of gold dust. What they had assumed was a scream was, in fact, the grinding of metal-on-metal as the forms flew around and through each other. They turned to our heroes, and we were in intiative.<br />
<br />
Despite having first actions (in Godbound, players always win initiative unless facing other demigods), not much was accomplished in the first round. Mr. Nancy, the smooth talker, has next-to-no combat capabilities, relying on his foresight and manipulation of luck to see him through encounters. Eizen attempted to trap the wraiths in a cage of stone, but their gold-dust forms slipped effortlessly through any crack. Kali, with her dominion over death, managed to enslave a spectre, raising it as a solid-gold skeleton under her command. Ever eager to try out his new swords, Kellen attempts a strike. Though merely a glancing blow, the wraiths do recoil from the powerful magic contained within the blades.<br />
<br />
The wraiths mount an unconventional counterattack. Two of the four rush towards Eizen's face, smothering him with a cascade of molten gold forced down his throat. His body spasms in the throes of his heroic resistance, but it is for nought. The spirits have possessed him, and immediately turn their attention to the rest of the party. The other two wraiths attack Kellen and Mr. Nancy with whirlwind-spins that strip flesh as easy as a sandblaster. <br />
<br />
Beaten but not broken, Kellen realizes his friend Eizen has set his sights on the party. Kellen jumps to pin the giant to the ground before his mighty stone hands can close around Kali's neck. Kali in turn commands her skeletal guardian to attack while simultaneously reaping the very life from a wraith with her scythe. <br />
<br />
Mr. Nancy picks up a stone and throws it. <br />
<br />
Eizen's eyes and mouth are starting to bleed liquid gold as Kellen drives his fists into the titan's back. Kali looks to the remaining wraith, already weakened by her summons' attacks, and raises it as another. With a final push the last two specters are expelled from Eizen and he stands to join the party. <br />
<br />
Mr. Nancy goes back into the wedding hall.<br />
<br />
The combined efforts of three demigods (and two golden skeletons) makes short work of the last two wraiths. Victorious, Kali dispels her necromancy and Mr. Nancy strides forth to rejoin his compatriots. Sensing further danger deeper within the Maze, the party takes a moment to catch their breath and lick at their wounds before proceeding south.<br />
<br />
This room is mercifully free of dangers. A single white swan floats lazily along a river of wine. The party exchanges glances and shrugs, but continues past it (making sure to disturb neither it nor the river) into a large room dominated by a brilliant crystal chandelier hanging from the ceiling. Pushing past the broken and discarded gift boxes that litter the floor here, they enter another room that has been completely impaled vertically by a vine thick as an oak tree. Kellen drops a coin past the vine, but no impact is ever heard. Eizen volunteers to climb down, and is met with a familiar sight: he is standing outside of the Rat King's chambers, deep within the garden.<br />
<br />
In heading east, they have ended up above where they started.<br />
<br />
Ever the opportunist, Kali marks the convenient shortcut on her map. Eizen returns to his friends, and the party continues north. <br />
<br />
The golden engine. Designed and built by Torcul Wort as punishment for an abstract crime, the very thing that gave the dead wedding its namesake. It stands in the center of the room, formidable even in its stillness. Its purpose is to turn anything its fed into gold. It is alive, and duplicitous, and hungry.<br />
<br />
In this room is the biggest threat our heroes have faced so far. In this room, a demigod will die. Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07406069858503205248noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31717078246505923.post-17740928401383653782017-11-28T13:15:00.000-05:002017-12-10T16:17:15.519-05:00The Big Yellow d30 and The Law of Equivalent Exchange<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghgl8qHy-H5GyhuNL8DxSc4WtpDDYoQ4yCVEMODuLOj7snDsC7jyrrerHueOjmQHmBAwmeQOQn_G8hf__nZr_z3N8AnzdQsgpV4YSoNpD-qb9_VnY854O-3663zXpjZWfuIaA-h-VRHVQ/s1600/d30.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="352" data-original-width="390" height="288" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghgl8qHy-H5GyhuNL8DxSc4WtpDDYoQ4yCVEMODuLOj7snDsC7jyrrerHueOjmQHmBAwmeQOQn_G8hf__nZr_z3N8AnzdQsgpV4YSoNpD-qb9_VnY854O-3663zXpjZWfuIaA-h-VRHVQ/s320/d30.PNG" title="" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Available at <a href="https://www.thediceshoponline.com/dice/3163/Koplow-Opaque-Yellow-Black-JUMBO-33mm-D30-Dice">thediceshoponline</a> for like $5 shipped.</td></tr>
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I play a lot of 5e. It’s not my favorite system, but it runs pretty well out-of-the-box and, for most players, it's what they expect when I say “wanna play D&D?" <br />
<br />
To that end, I’ve gotten pretty good at figuring out what I can change about the system without drastically affecting the rest of the game. One such mechanic is Inspiration, which in 5e is supposed to be given out by the DM as a reward for good roleplaying. Once given, it can be used by the player as a mulligan on any d20 roll by or targeted by them, rolling twice and taking the preferred result. <br />
<br />
I disagree with a few of these preconceptions; namely, that players should be rewarded solely for roleplaying and that doing so once can help them at an indeterminate time going forward. I’m of the opinion that all PC action is roleplaying — by definition, the player is playing a role that is not indicative of real life, even if that role is as simple as “haggling over armor." Roleplaying does not need to mean adopting an entirely new persona, and I can't really see how one type of roleplaying could be seen as “better" than any other. And rewarding players for clever solutions to problems is a mechanic already built into the game: it’s called advantage, and it functions much the same way as Inspiration but only for the roll the DM gives it for. A much more elegant solution, DM fiat notwithstanding. <br />
<br />
That being said, I do like the basic function of Inspiration once it’s been given, which is why I’ve gotten in the habit of awarding each player a single point at the beginning of every session, to be spent whenever they like. This adds a new layer of tension and choice to every roll — does the player (possibly) avoid the trolls nat 20 attack now, or wait to (possibly) ensure their <i>hold monster</i> spell goes off without a hitch later? I’ve had players blow their Inspiration on the first roll, or go the entire session without using it. Lately, however, I’ve started thinking that there might be an even more interesting system.<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>Note: <a href="https://plus.google.com/101444877432827901139">+Ryan MacKenzie</a> informed me that this idea was first put forth by <a href="http://jrients.blogspot.ca/2008/11/draft-cinder-house-rules-part-1.html">Jeff Rients</a> nearly 10 years ago and later expanded upon by <a href="http://tenfootpolemic.blogspot.ca/p/the-ten-foot-polemic-unified-house-rule.html">James Young</a>. Thank you all! </i></blockquote>
<br />
The Big Yellow d30 sits in the middle of the table, twice the size of even my biggest d20. And it is powerful.<br />
<br />
At any time, a player may choose to replace any roll (barring Hit Die on level up or while resting) with a roll of the Big Yellow d30. Attack, damage, skill check, saving throw — it doesn’t matter. Roll the dice, and I’ll deal with the consequences. But so will you, because for every time a player rolls the Big Yellow d30, <b>I get to roll it as well</b>. Whenever I want.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguzpW1dUrdrsWZkF7psWtu0f_2tkA4z69lL7NXvhritxGTpjQ6Yi1CV6ufrwrMLulI3dN2CEwZentM5-LUFL5TnjpZQo0m9uLTVfoMvajvQoVMYWPzaDY4oDe3O1SvrJHL9Y2BX4RvF98/s1600/Screen-Shot-2017-06-03-at-01.38.28.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="677" data-original-width="1207" height="358" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguzpW1dUrdrsWZkF7psWtu0f_2tkA4z69lL7NXvhritxGTpjQ6Yi1CV6ufrwrMLulI3dN2CEwZentM5-LUFL5TnjpZQo0m9uLTVfoMvajvQoVMYWPzaDY4oDe3O1SvrJHL9Y2BX4RvF98/s640/Screen-Shot-2017-06-03-at-01.38.28.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
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What are you gonna do with that big sword? Gonna hit me? Better make it count. Better make it hurt. Better kill me in one shot. </td></tr>
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This leads to some VERY interesting situations. Is it worth it to blitz this small encounter, knowing full well a dangerous one could be made even more so you by your hubris? Is it really that vital that you get 20% off your plate mail this session, right before the big battle? DO YOU WANT ME TO HAVE THIS KIND OF POWER?<br />
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The Big Yellow d30 encourages caution, promotes foresight and game sense, and lets my players know that my campaign world is filled with danger and opportunity in equal measure. The Tomb of Annihilation demands nothing less. Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07406069858503205248noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31717078246505923.post-79235963527939545762017-11-27T12:00:00.000-05:002018-02-10T21:24:05.830-05:00Real Medical Problems I Have Encountered, Interpreted as Fantasy Ailments: HPIT<br />
<h3>
Healing Potion-Induced Thrombocytopenia (HPIT)</h3>
<br />
Welcome to the first entry in a series I'm calling "Real Medical Problems I Have Encountered, Interpreted as Fantasy Ailments" or RMPIHEIAFA (rumpy-HAY-fah). Each entry will cover a real-life medical condition I have encountered in the American health system, adapted to suit the world of your fantasy RPG campaign.<br />
<br />
In this episode, we'll be dealing with Healing Potion-Induced Thrombocytopenia, or HPIT. <br />
<br />
Your standard Potion of Healing works by way of over-stimulating the body's natural ability to recover from minor wounds and illnesses. Tissue growth in particular improves exponentially: minor-to-moderate surface wounds are visibly observed to heal and close mere seconds after ingesting the elixir. <br />
<br />
However, this overstimulation comes at a price. For all the popular talk of "natural magic," the forces of sorcery are still not widely understood, and their methods of interaction with living tissue are, at best, harmless only in small doses. With regards to HPIT, cases have shown that consuming multiple healing potions in a short period of time (most incidents seem to involve adventurers, whose natural rests are often interrupted by violent dungeon inhabitants) can cause the body to actively reject the curative as if it were a magic attack. <br />
<br />
This rejection progresses through several stages. At first, the patient may feel uncharacteristically vigorous, as though the potion was working well beyond its intents. This is a deception of the foulest degree <span class="_Tgc">— </span>investigation of the wounds will show they are, in fact, bleeding more profusely than before! <br />
<br />
The second stage is more mercifully apparent. The patient will begin to feel lightheaded, and possibly nauseous. A fever may be present as the body attempts to fight off what it believes is an attempt at magical possession. The patients reflexes slow, halving their usual movement speed and imposing a +/-2 disadvantage on AC.<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<h4>
<span style="font-size: x-large;">It has been recorded that particularly wizened patients <span class="_Tgc">— </span>scholars, clerics, and the like <span class="_Tgc">— </span>appear to be less susceptible to this stage of illness. The link is tenuous, however, as heavy potion use, and by extension HPIT, is most often found in individuals of lesser intelligence.</span></h4>
</blockquote>
<br />
During this second phase, IT IS IMPERATIVE that the patient does not mistakenly consume another potion. Doing so will cause them to become violently ill, to the degree of 2d4+2 damage. <br />
<br />
Barring further intervention, HPIT will usually resolve itself over the course of a long rest. If dizziness and bleeding persist, a chirurgeon or cleric may be consulted. If you feel that you or a loved one may be at risk for HPIT, send a scrying message to RMPIHEIAFA headquarters, Saviors Rest, Lithica. Our sages are standing by. Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07406069858503205248noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31717078246505923.post-89349566649291904972017-11-26T16:51:00.000-05:002017-11-26T16:55:32.321-05:00Answers to 40 Campaign Questions<div dir="ltr" id="docs-internal-guid-68826d9a-fa4f-f6d1-7847-d207049489c9" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #efefef; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">This one requires a bit of backstory.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #efefef; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Over at</span><a href="http://coinsandscrolls.blogspot.ca/" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #efefef; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="color: cyan;">coins and scrolls</span>,</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #efefef; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> Skerples has set forth answering Jeff Rients (of Broodmother Skyfortress renown)</span><span style="color: cyan;"><a href="http://jrients.blogspot.ca/2011/04/twenty-quick-questions-for-your.html" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> twenty quick questions for your campaign setting</span></a></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #efefef; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">. Not content to stop there, he also answered an</span><a href="http://monstermanualsewnfrompants.blogspot.ca/2014/11/this-is-not-that-list-of-questions-for.html" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #efefef; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="color: cyan;">additional twenty not-questions for your campaign</span></span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #efefef; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> from the eminent Scrap Princess.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #efefef; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Now Skerples -- gentleman and scholar, fine judge of whiskey -- has some good answers. Were it MY campaign, however, it would go a bit more like this:</span></div>
<ol style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: #efefef; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: decimal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><h3 dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 4pt; margin-top: 16pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #efefef; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">What is the deal with my cleric's religion?</span></h3>
</li>
</ol>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #efefef; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Clerics praise the sun. Milla, in her infinite kindness, has graced the world with divine magic. This magic, taking the form of photo/electro/pyromancy, is the only truly effective weapon against the bubbling chaos.</span></div>
<ol start="2" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: #efefef; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: decimal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><h3 dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 4pt; margin-top: 16pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #efefef; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Where can we go to buy standard equipment? </span></h3>
</li>
</ol>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #efefef; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">This here hamlet has a fine assortment of farming implements and cutlery for sale. Oh, you want battle-tested weaponry? Well, the local abbey's been quartering soldiers for a while, but I've heard the captain's a bit bloodthirsty.</span></div>
<ol start="3" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: #efefef; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: decimal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><h3 dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 4pt; margin-top: 16pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #efefef; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Where can we go to get platemail custom fitted for this monster I just befriended?</span></h3>
</li>
</ol>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #efefef; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">That depends, will it bite while it’s being fitted? If not, the smiths over at Varnhold are adept at fitting lycanthropes, so they may be able to help.</span></div>
<ol start="4" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: #efefef; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: decimal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><h3 dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 4pt; margin-top: 16pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #efefef; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Who is the mightiest wizard in the land?</span></h3>
</li>
</ol>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #efefef; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">WHO TOLD YOU I KNEW THAT?! NOBODY KNOWS WHO THE MIGHTIEST WIZARD IS, CERTAINLY NOT I, NO SIR, FOR I'VE HEARD LEGENDS SHE LIKES HER PRIVACY AND THINKS VERY POORLY OF COMPETITION</span></div>
<ol start="5" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: #efefef; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: decimal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><h3 dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 4pt; margin-top: 16pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #efefef; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Who is the greatest warrior in the land?</span></h3>
</li>
</ol>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #efefef; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Ah, that would be old Raja the Red. He's retired now, but in his prime it's said nobody could stand against him for more than 6 seconds. 10 seconds, in the early days.</span></div>
<ol start="6" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: #efefef; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: decimal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><h3 dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 4pt; margin-top: 16pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #efefef; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Who is the richest person in the land?</span></h3>
</li>
</ol>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #efefef; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Palisade Lecardt, leader of the Archeologists. You see that walled city up on the mountain? That's his. Damn if I know what they do up there, though.</span></div>
<ol start="7" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: #efefef; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: decimal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><h3 dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 4pt; margin-top: 16pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #efefef; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Where can we go to get some magical healing?</span></h3>
</li>
</ol>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #efefef; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">If you head on out to the woods, you might stumble upon a fairy hill. The gentry there will cure most minor ailments in exchange for stories from your childhood; don't ask them why they want that. No matter what they say or do, don't stay overnight, and make sure you've got some salt or iron on you for if things go south.</span></div>
<ol start="8" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: #efefef; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: decimal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><h3 dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 4pt; margin-top: 16pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #efefef; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Where can we go to get cures for the following conditions: poison, disease, curse, level drain, lycanthropy, polymorph, alignment change, death, undeath?</span></h3>
</li>
</ol>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #efefef; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">A proper cleric can deal with most of those problems, but you may not like their solution to undeath.</span></div>
<ol start="9" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: #efefef; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: decimal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><h3 dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 4pt; margin-top: 16pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #efefef; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Is there a magic guild my MU belongs to or that I can join in order to get more spells?</span></h3>
</li>
</ol>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #efefef; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Ah, Feyfield is a lovely school. I thought of sending my youngest there once, when I caught her dancing in the pale moonlight. They're always looking for new teachers, and their library is the best around.</span></div>
<ol start="10" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: #efefef; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: decimal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><h3 dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 4pt; margin-top: 16pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #efefef; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Where can I find an alchemist, sage or other expert NPC?</span></h3>
</li>
</ol>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #efefef; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Once again, Feyfield Academy is your best option -- though they won't come cheap, its one of the few areas where knowledge and mystical secrets trade as easy as coin.</span></div>
<ol start="11" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: #efefef; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: decimal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><h3 dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 4pt; margin-top: 16pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #efefef; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Where can I hire mercenaries?</span></h3>
</li>
</ol>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #efefef; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">How much are you paying?</span></div>
<ol start="12" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: #efefef; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: decimal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><h3 dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 4pt; margin-top: 16pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #efefef; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Is there any place on the map where swords are illegal, magic is outlawed or any other notable hassles from Johnny Law?</span></h3>
</li>
</ol>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #efefef; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Well, I wouldn’t go swinging your axe or setting off fireballs in the village square. Aside from that, most places are pretty tolerant, though some clerical orders have started barring sorcerers and wizards from their churches. </span></div>
<ol start="13" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: #efefef; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: decimal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><h3 dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 4pt; margin-top: 16pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #efefef; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Which way to the nearest tavern?</span></h3>
</li>
</ol>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #efefef; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">You're standing in it, boy-o. I've got homemade ale on tap, smallbeer for the wee'uns, and a few casks of Bitterblue for the more... discerning palette.</span></div>
<ol start="14" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: #efefef; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: decimal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><h3 dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 4pt; margin-top: 16pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #efefef; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">What monsters are terrorizing the countryside sufficiently that if I kill them I will become famous?</span></h3>
</li>
</ol>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #efefef; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">We try to clear out areas as they get bad. There's a great red dragon that's taken up roost under Redcliff, but I wouldn't try plundering her hoard if you've got any sense in you.</span></div>
<ol start="15" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: #efefef; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: decimal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><h3 dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 4pt; margin-top: 16pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #efefef; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Are there any wars brewing I could go fight?</span></h3>
</li>
</ol>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #efefef; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Remember those soldiers I was talking about? They’re marching on Varnhold to deal with Astera’s Uprising in a week. </span></div>
<ol start="16" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: #efefef; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: decimal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><h3 dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 4pt; margin-top: 16pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #efefef; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">How about gladiatorial arenas complete with hard-won glory and fabulous cash prizes?</span></h3>
</li>
</ol>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #efefef; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">We’re not much for bloodsport here. Some of the bigger cities may have underground fighting pits, but if you’re looking for lots of cash you’re better off joining a mercenary company. </span></div>
<ol start="17" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: #efefef; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: decimal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><h3 dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 4pt; margin-top: 16pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #efefef; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Are there any secret societies with sinister agendas I could join and/or fight?</span></h3>
</li>
</ol>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #efefef; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The Archeologists are certainly secretive, but whether they’re the sinister ones or the ones fighting them is up for debate. </span></div>
<ol start="18" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: #efefef; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: decimal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><h3 dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 4pt; margin-top: 16pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #efefef; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">What is there to eat around here?</span></h3>
</li>
</ol>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #efefef; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">We serve fresh stew and bread twice daily. Meat when we can get it, usually twice a week or so. </span></div>
<ol start="19" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: #efefef; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: decimal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><h3 dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 4pt; margin-top: 16pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #efefef; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Any legendary lost treasures I could be looking for?</span></h3>
</li>
</ol>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #efefef; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Long ago, a battle-weary paladin used his last breath to consecrate the area that the abbey would eventually be built upon. They say his sword, still shining, lays under the foundation, but all efforts to find it have met with failure. In fact, I can’t think of a single expedition that’s gone under the old church that’s ever come back…(I used this as a hook for “The God that Crawls”)</span></div>
<ol start="20" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: #efefef; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: decimal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><h3 dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 4pt; margin-top: 16pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #efefef; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Where is the nearest dragon or other monster with Type H treasure?</span></h3>
</li>
</ol>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #efefef; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">That’d definitely be the Malice Miser, the one under Redcliff. She fancies herself as a bit of an art collector, and the whole town’s so desperate to please her that they’ve invited artists, musicians, and sculptors for miles around to vie for her favor. </span></div>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #efefef; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">As for SP's not-questions:</span></div>
<ol style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: #efefef; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: decimal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><h3 dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 4pt; margin-top: 16pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #efefef; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Is there weaponized squid? </span></h3>
</li>
</ol>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #efefef; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Absolutely. They’re giant, and outfitted by fish-people to be used as underwater siege weapons.</span></div>
<ol style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><ol style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: #efefef; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: decimal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><h4 dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 4pt; margin-top: 14pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #efefef; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Can I start with one? </span></h4>
</li>
</ol>
</ol>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #efefef; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Only if you’re a fish-person who made off with it Imperator Furiosa-style.</span></div>
<ol start="2" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><ol start="2" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: #efefef; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: decimal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><h4 dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 4pt; margin-top: 14pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #efefef; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">How much are they? </span></h4>
</li>
</ol>
</ol>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #efefef; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Fish-people use murder as an pseudo-barter system. So, a successful raid on an enemy settlement in which you kill 4 people would allow you to live comfortably for about a month. In order to buy a warsquid, you would have to have been instrumental in the death of hundreds, if not thousands.</span></div>
<ol start="3" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><ol start="3" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: #efefef; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: decimal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><h4 dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 4pt; margin-top: 14pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #efefef; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Can I have one as a pet/horse/best friend? </span></h4>
</li>
</ol>
</ol>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #efefef; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">See subquestion 1 above.</span></div>
<ol start="4" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><ol start="4" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #efefef; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Can I play one? </span></h4>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #efefef; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Warsquids are fiercely loyal. An owned one is like an extension of its owner (so yes, in a sense).</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #efefef; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Can I dual wield them? </span></h4>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #efefef; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Your foolish pride will damn us all! </span></div>
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<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: #efefef; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: decimal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><h3 dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 4pt; margin-top: 16pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #efefef; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Is there undead robots? </span></h3>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #efefef; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Ah, the dreaded Technonomicon. Long thought lost, but pages detailing rituals to bind souls to machinery show up from time to time in the hands of deranged collectors.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #efefef; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">follow up questions involve the nature of consciousness and the existence of the soul in your campaign and can I play one? </span></h4>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #efefef; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Absolutely, but be warned I will work in a lucid dream of electric sheep somewhere in the campaign.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #efefef; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">or have one as a pet or a gun that shoots them? </span></h4>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #efefef; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Are you a deranged collector? Serious question.</span></div>
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<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: #efefef; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: decimal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><h3 dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 4pt; margin-top: 16pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #efefef; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Do icebergs walk across the land? </span></h3>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #efefef; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Absolutely not while people are watching.</span></div>
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<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: #efefef; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: decimal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><h4 dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 4pt; margin-top: 14pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #efefef; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Can I be from one? </span></h4>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #efefef; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I am incredibly lenient with character backstory, so yes.</span></div>
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<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: #efefef; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: decimal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><h4 dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 4pt; margin-top: 14pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #efefef; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Is Godzilla frozen in one? </span></h4>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #efefef; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Indubitably. </span></div>
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<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: #efefef; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: decimal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><h4 dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 4pt; margin-top: 14pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #efefef; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Can I play a Godzilla? </span></h4>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #efefef; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Bring good beer to the first session and I’ll let you play as baby godzilla. </span></div>
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<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: #efefef; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: decimal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><h3 dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 4pt; margin-top: 16pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #efefef; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">What do birds know? (no further questions) </span></h3>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #efefef; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Way more than you think. I’m glad you thought to ask! </span></div>
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<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: #efefef; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: decimal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><h3 dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 4pt; margin-top: 16pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #efefef; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Does medicine work like it does here but no-one knows CPR or does it work like a cartoon so I cure amnesia with more head injuries or does it work like medieval euro people thought it did with demons in your teeth? </span></h3>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #efefef; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Lets just say that <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Liston"><span style="color: cyan;">Robert Liston</span></a> would be considered an incredibly talented doctor here.</span></div>
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<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: #efefef; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: decimal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><h4 dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 4pt; margin-top: 14pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #efefef; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Do I start with demons in my teeth? </span></h4>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #efefef; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Did you dump Wisdom? If so, you’re probably possessed by something, so yes.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #efefef; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Do I know CPR? </span></h4>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #efefef; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Rudimentarily, yes. Though, only in that most people’s reaction to seeing a friend drop dead is to furtively pound on their chest. </span></div>
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<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: #efefef; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: decimal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><h4 dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 4pt; margin-top: 14pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #efefef; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Can I invent CPR? </span></h4>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #efefef; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">If you can describe how your character independently discovered the exact workings of pulmonary circulation, yes. </span></div>
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<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: #efefef; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: decimal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><h4 dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 4pt; margin-top: 14pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #efefef; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Can I give myself powers with additionally organs? </span></h4>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #efefef; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Well, that depends upon the organs. A 2nd set of lungs or stomach, expertly grafted? Absolutely so.</span></div>
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<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: #efefef; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: decimal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><h4 dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 4pt; margin-top: 14pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #efefef; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">What planet is in ascension in my spleen midmorning? </span></h4>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #efefef; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Carcosa. Always Carcosa.</span></div>
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<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: #efefef; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: decimal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><h3 dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 4pt; margin-top: 16pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #efefef; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I want to play a hobbit but really I'm the fleas controlling the hobbit. Where is that in the book? </span></h3>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #efefef; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">My players don’t read the books.</span></div>
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<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: #efefef; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: decimal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><h4 dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 4pt; margin-top: 14pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #efefef; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Could I take over a new guy with my fleas? Or another players guy? </span></h4>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #efefef; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">As long as it doesn’t overstep the boundaries of “Charm Person/Monster,” go wild.</span></div>
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<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: #efefef; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: decimal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><h3 dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 4pt; margin-top: 16pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #efefef; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">How much could I rent my body out to spirits before I lost control of my character? </span></h3>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #efefef; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I’d let you roll under WIS every level up to maintain control, with the associated level being added to the roll. </span></div>
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<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: #efefef; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: decimal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><h4 dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 4pt; margin-top: 14pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #efefef; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">What are the names of the spirits? Are they cool? </span></h4>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #efefef; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">There’s a lot of different names, depending upon the area, your past lives, and particular vices. Regardless, experience has proven that the spirits are always cooler than the original players.</span></div>
<ol start="8" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: #efefef; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: decimal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><h3 dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 4pt; margin-top: 16pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #efefef; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">What level do I have to get my character to before I am the GM? </span></h3>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #efefef; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Name level. Around that time I get the hankering to play again, so I usually give up the reins.</span></div>
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<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: #efefef; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: decimal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><h4 dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 4pt; margin-top: 14pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #efefef; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Can I half be the GM at an early level? </span></h4>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #efefef; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Only if you agree to obey the law of equivalent exchange: to obtain, something of equal value must be lost.</span></div>
<ol start="2" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><ol start="2" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: #efefef; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: decimal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><h4 dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 4pt; margin-top: 14pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #efefef; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">What about when you leave the room? </span></h4>
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</ol>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #efefef; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">No! That’s when you’re supposed to be looking at my notes and trying to outsmart me. </span></div>
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<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: #efefef; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: decimal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><h3 dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 4pt; margin-top: 16pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #efefef; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">What is the dumbest thing I can spend my money on? </span></h3>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #efefef; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The barkeep will be more than willing to sell you an anti-air elemental rock. Since he’s owned it, he’s never been attacked by an air elemental.</span></div>
<ol style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><ol style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: #efefef; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: decimal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><h4 dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 4pt; margin-top: 14pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #efefef; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">No dumber than that but cool. Like a pet with a pet with a weapon? Can pets dual wield? </span></h4>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #efefef; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Intelligent pets can totally dual wield. Unintelligent pets can too, but only accidentally by way of strapping weapons to them. I’m not sure which is funnier. </span></div>
<ol start="10" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: #efefef; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: decimal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><h3 dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 4pt; margin-top: 16pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #efefef; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">How ugly can my guy be? Like Can I basically be a walking fish? </span></h3>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #efefef; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I encourage it, I’m really liking the warsquid idea.</span></div>
<ol style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><ol style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: #efefef; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: decimal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><h4 dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 4pt; margin-top: 14pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #efefef; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">No wait I wanna be a walking fish. What is the reverse scuba technology like in this world? </span></h4>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #efefef; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Well, first you’d need to invent CPR. Now that you have an adequate understanding of the respiratory system, you can reverse-engineer the “Water Breathing” spell.</span></div>
<ol start="11" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: #efefef; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: decimal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><h3 dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 4pt; margin-top: 16pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #efefef; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The lamp oil? Is that like cooking oil, kerosene, white spirits or napalm? </span></h3>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #efefef; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Rendered animal fat.</span></div>
<ol style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><ol style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: #efefef; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: decimal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><h4 dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 4pt; margin-top: 14pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #efefef; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">How much can I buy of it? </span></h4>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #efefef; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">To quote a friend, “as much as your gay little hands can carry.”</span></div>
<ol start="12" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: #efefef; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: decimal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><h3 dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 4pt; margin-top: 16pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #efefef; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">How does physics work in this world? </span></h3>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #efefef; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The sun is a literal god. Light is intrinsically linked with clerical magic, which suffers in the darkness. A non-insignificant portion of clerics work to spread light across the planet by way of an elaborate system of mirrors and portals.</span></div>
<ol style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><ol style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: #efefef; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: decimal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><h4 dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 4pt; margin-top: 14pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #efefef; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">What makes the planets stay up? Are there planets? Is it elves? </span></h4>
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</ol>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #efefef; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">There are many planets, held in place by Milla’s love. She might actually be an elf, it’s never come up.</span></div>
<ol start="2" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><ol start="2" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: #efefef; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: decimal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><h4 dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 4pt; margin-top: 14pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #efefef; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Can I play an elf from another planet? </span></h4>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #efefef; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I hate Spelljammer. So no. </span></div>
<ol start="3" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><ol start="3" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: #efefef; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: decimal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><h4 dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 4pt; margin-top: 14pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #efefef; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Does everything work like how we though it did in the past? </span></h4>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #efefef; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">People thought a lot of things in the past. I would say that, barring magic, global scientific knowledge is on par with the early renaissance: a lot of the general stuff has been hashed out, but specific details are being unearthed all the time. </span></div>
<ol start="4" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><ol start="4" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: #efefef; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: decimal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><h4 dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 4pt; margin-top: 14pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #efefef; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Can I discover stuff and pass it off as a magic? </span></h4>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #efefef; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Easily. </span></div>
<ol start="5" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><ol start="5" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: #efefef; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: decimal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><h4 dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 4pt; margin-top: 14pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #efefef; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Is possible to use the scientific process to organise the concepts of magic? </span></h4>
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</ol>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #efefef; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">That’s how it’s been done so far. Archwizards in my setting are far closer to Paracelsus and Agrippa than they are to Gandalf and Prospero.</span></div>
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<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: #efefef; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: decimal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><h4 dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 4pt; margin-top: 14pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #efefef; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Can I start with weapon hands? </span></h4>
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</ol>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #efefef; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I encourage and recommend it. The harder it is to disarm you. </span></div>
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<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: #efefef; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: decimal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><h4 dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 4pt; margin-top: 14pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #efefef; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">What about crab claws? </span></h4>
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</ol>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #efefef; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I actually have a huge interest in the history of prosthetics, so that sounds awesome! </span></div>
<ol start="2" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><ol start="2" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: #efefef; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: decimal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><h4 dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 4pt; margin-top: 14pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #efefef; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Can I play a crab with human hands? </span></h4>
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</ol>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #efefef; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">A disfigured, escaped fish-person slave sounds like a great character idea.</span></div>
<ol start="3" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><ol start="3" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: #efefef; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: decimal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><h4 dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 4pt; margin-top: 14pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #efefef; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Can I have one as a pet? </span></h4>
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</ol>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #efefef; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">A warlord with a disfigured fish-person slave sounds like a great character idea. </span></div>
<ol start="4" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><ol start="4" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: #efefef; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: decimal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><h4 dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 4pt; margin-top: 14pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #efefef; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Do they live on a different planet? </span></h4>
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</ol>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #efefef; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Nope, they’re right here.</span></div>
<ol start="5" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><ol start="5" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: #efefef; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: decimal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><h4 dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 4pt; margin-top: 14pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #efefef; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Can we go there? </span></h4>
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</ol>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #efefef; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Yes!</span></div>
<ol start="14" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: #efefef; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: decimal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><h3 dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 4pt; margin-top: 16pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #efefef; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">What cultures approve of cannibalism? </span></h3>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #efefef; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The hungry ones.</span></div>
<ol style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><ol style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: #efefef; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: decimal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><h4 dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 4pt; margin-top: 14pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #efefef; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">What about if we are super rich? Aren't rich cannibals be default, I mean if you think about it? </span></h4>
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</ol>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #efefef; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The rich are ABSOLUTELY cannibals. Listen, I’ve got some books here you should check out...</span></div>
<ol start="2" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><ol start="2" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: #efefef; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: decimal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><h4 dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 4pt; margin-top: 14pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #efefef; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">How is the class struggle here anyway? Is there a Karl Marx? </span></h4>
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</ol>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #efefef; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Ophelia Astera, leader of the revolution, seeks to overthrow the aristocracy with a rag-tag band of farmers, laborers, and mercenaries. She’s proven to be significantly more resilient than the crown expected. </span></div>
<ol start="3" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><ol start="3" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: #efefef; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: decimal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><h4 dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 4pt; margin-top: 14pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #efefef; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">How receptive are people to the ideas of anarcho-syndicalism here?</span></h4>
</li>
</ol>
</ol>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #efefef; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Cornbread communism is alive and well in most minor towns. </span></div>
<ol start="15" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: #efefef; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: decimal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><h3 dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 4pt; margin-top: 16pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #efefef; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Can my character not be real, but a hallucination of another character?</span></h3>
</li>
</ol>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #efefef; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Sure thing. </span></div>
<ol style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><ol style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: #efefef; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: decimal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><h4 dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 4pt; margin-top: 14pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #efefef; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">But I still wanna be able to do stuff. What are the stats for that? </span></h4>
</li>
</ol>
</ol>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #efefef; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Okay, lets get freaky. For the most part, they will be the ones performing your actions. They just don’t know it yet. Actions that require you two to be in different places can be explained by coincidence: if you scout ahead and kill two enemies before the rest of the party gets there, it turns out they actually killed each other in a minor squabble. In the event that the other player is knocked unconscious or killed while you still live, you’re birthed from their dying consciousness like a beholder.</span></div>
<ol start="16" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: #efefef; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: decimal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><h3 dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 4pt; margin-top: 16pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #efefef; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Which is the rome but with lava fire country in this world? </span></h3>
</li>
</ol>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #efefef; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The paladins of the Church of Eternal Vigilance. Their citadel is situated on and around a gaping maw called the Cataract, which pours forth demons and chaos at an astonishing rate. Every day they mount expeditions down, and every night they fight what comes back up. </span></div>
<ol style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><ol style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: #efefef; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: decimal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><h4 dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 4pt; margin-top: 14pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #efefef; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">What about the ice circus country? Can I have a pet from there?</span></h4>
</li>
</ol>
</ol>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #efefef; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The northern pole, known as Lolatea, is as close as you’d get. It’s a hub where merchants from the surface and hollow world trade. If you’re looking for strange fun, there’s no better place. And yes, they do sell pets. </span></div>
<ol start="17" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: #efefef; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: decimal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><h3 dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 4pt; margin-top: 16pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #efefef; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Can I invent an insect? </span></h3>
</li>
</ol>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #efefef; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Magic solves a lot of these problems. </span></div>
<ol style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><ol style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: #efefef; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: decimal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><h4 dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 4pt; margin-top: 14pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #efefef; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">As a player like right now I tell you an insect and you put it in the game?</span></h4>
</li>
</ol>
</ol>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #efefef; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Yes.</span></div>
<ol start="2" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><ol start="2" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: #efefef; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: decimal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><h4 dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 4pt; margin-top: 14pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #efefef; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Or as a character? </span></h4>
</li>
</ol>
</ol>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #efefef; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">It’s not unlikely that the insect already exists. There are a LOT of bugs in the world. </span></div>
<ol start="3" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><ol start="3" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: #efefef; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: decimal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><h4 dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 4pt; margin-top: 14pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #efefef; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Can my spells be insects that then exist in this world after I cast them? </span></h4>
</li>
</ol>
</ol>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #efefef; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">An entomancer? Come aside with me, let’s hash this out in more detail.</span></div>
<ol start="4" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><ol start="4" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: #efefef; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: decimal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><h4 dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 4pt; margin-top: 14pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #efefef; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Can I play an insect who is actually a spell cast in this world? </span></h4>
</li>
</ol>
</ol>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #efefef; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I allow all manner of failed experiments, botched summonings, and cast-off abominations in my game.</span></div>
<ol start="5" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><ol start="5" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: #efefef; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: decimal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><h4 dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 4pt; margin-top: 14pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #efefef; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">What about as a pet? </span></h4>
</li>
</ol>
</ol>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #efefef; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">See above.</span></div>
<ol start="18" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: #efefef; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: decimal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><h3 dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 4pt; margin-top: 16pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #efefef; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Is there reverse fire? </span></h3>
</li>
</ol>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #efefef; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Gross oversimplification: fire converts material into heat and light. So we’re looking at something that converts heat and light into materials, also known as a cleric. </span></div>
<ol style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><ol style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: #efefef; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: decimal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><h4 dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 4pt; margin-top: 14pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #efefef; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">What about reverse water or earth? </span></h4>
</li>
</ol>
</ol>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #efefef; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Reverse water is Chaos: it eats away at all life and nurtures nothing. Reverse Earth is the hollow world of Halfenrir, accessible by deep tunnels at either pole.</span></div>
<ol start="2" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><ol start="2" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: #efefef; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: decimal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><h4 dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 4pt; margin-top: 14pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #efefef; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">What do they wear there? </span></h4>
</li>
</ol>
</ol>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #efefef; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Because the smaller sun is always held in the dead center of the hollow world, mostly light and breezy clothing that doesn’t overheat much.</span></div>
<ol start="19" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: #efefef; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: decimal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><h3 dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 4pt; margin-top: 16pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #efefef; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">How much money can I make inventing siege engines? </span></h3>
</li>
</ol>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #efefef; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">In a warzone? A killing.</span></div>
<ol style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><ol style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: #efefef; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: decimal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><h4 dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 4pt; margin-top: 14pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #efefef; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Can I play a siege engine? In what ways are animals used in siege engines? </span></h4>
</li>
</ol>
</ol>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #efefef; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I’ve already answered this.</span></div>
<ol start="20" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: #efefef; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: decimal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><h3 dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 4pt; margin-top: 16pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #efefef; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">What is the most significant tree to the economy of the starting place? </span></h3>
</li>
</ol>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #efefef; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Ash, because it doesn’t burn. Houses made of ash are a rare and valuable commodity.</span></div>
<ol style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><ol style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: #efefef; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: decimal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><h4 dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 4pt; margin-top: 14pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #efefef; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Is it really a tree or maidens stitched together? </span></h4>
</li>
</ol>
</ol>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #efefef; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">It is a tree. </span></div>
<ol start="2" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><ol start="2" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: #efefef; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: decimal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><h4 dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 4pt; margin-top: 14pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #efefef; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">If I play a maiden do I get spells or do people that worship me get spells but only if I'm mad at them? </span></h4>
</li>
</ol>
</ol>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #efefef; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Virginal magic is inherently misogynistic and has no place in my world! Unicorns will still flock to you though. </span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07406069858503205248noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31717078246505923.post-59353819820849926402017-10-06T14:31:00.000-04:002017-10-06T17:10:44.872-04:00Table: What Does the Storm Bring?It’s hurricane season where I live. I chose to evacuate, but only to an area just northernly enough to avoid the brunt of the damage. From there I watched the storm in relative safety, jotting down notes on the strange shadows and creatures I convinced myself I saw amongst the rain and wind. If your players are ever faced with a tremendous gail, perhaps it goes something like this:<br />
<br />
What Does the Storm Bring? (d12)<br />
<br />
1) Thin, worm-like creatures erupt from cracks and eerily-smooth holes in the ground. They aren’t aggressive, content to wave in the howling wind and rain. Attacking one causes several others in the immediate vicinity to retreat into the ground. <br />
<br />
2) Trees and their limbs are sheared off with surgical precision. Any building made from the resultant lumber is doomed to fail catastrophically in 1d4 years. <br />
<br />
3) It’s raining teeth. Various dentata, some human, some not, cause 1d4 damage per minute spent out of cover.<br />
<br />
4) Flashes of lightning expose the creatures that live above the clouds. Pray they don’t notice you. <br />
<br />
5) There is thunder, but no lightning. The world is dark and the noise is deafening. <br />
<br />
6) A band of wind elementals ride with the storm, slaughtering men and cattle indiscriminately. <br />
<br />
7) People get the urge to walk into the storm. They eventually find themselves far from home, with no memory of how they got there.<br />
<br />
8) Ball lightning. Tons of them wandering, bumping into each other, and exploding in a shower of sparks.<br />
<br />
9) Fish are picked up from the nearest water source and fall with the rain. After the storm passes, they slowly flop and flail their way back to the water, no matter the distance. <br />
<br />
10) It looks like it’s raining outside, but it isn’t. It is raining inside, but invisibly. <br />
<br />
11) The entire storm falls in one giant drop. Needless to say, this is disastrous. <br />
<br />
12) Any metal object left outside during the storm is buffed, polished, and sharpened to a razor edge. Be careful opening door handles. Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07406069858503205248noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31717078246505923.post-85378242471686826402017-09-02T19:41:00.000-04:002017-09-02T19:41:54.144-04:00Actual Play: Tomb of the Serpent KingsSeveral members of my usual MotBM group couldn't meet this week, so I decided to use the two that did show up as guinea pigs to test both my new system (<em>Sugarhack</em>, a <em>The Black Hack</em> spin-off I may release someday) and <a href="https://coinsandscrolls.blogspot.ca/2017/06/osr-tomb-of-serpent-kings-megapost.html">Tomb of the Serpent Kings</a>, by Skerples. Now, these are experienced players, and I was more interested in seeing how the module stood up to a veritable speedrun, so the rules were simple:<br />
<ol>
<li>This is a dungeoncrawl. I haven't prepped anything outside the tomb.</li>
<li>No retainers, hirelings, or livestock.</li>
<li>Three hour time limit.</li>
</ol>
Characters were rolled (Festa the thief, Lesta the ranger) and we jumped right in. <br />
<br />
Suspicious from the start, both men refused to open the coffins contained within the first four rooms ("I ain't getting strangled by zombies 5 minutes into the session") and headed immediately forward towards the hammer door. It took two of them to lift the heavy stone barring the door, and as the hammer trap swung down, each character was faced with a choice: push the other into the trap to get an advantage on their dodge, or simply jump away...assuming their partner didn't sacrifice THEM. <br />
<br />
I resolved this as a pseudo-prisoners dilemma: I had both players silently choose to either sacrifice the other or not, and write down their answers. When it came time to reveal, I was surprised to discover that neither of them had chosen "sacrifice." Honor among thieves, I can only assume.<br />
<br />
Progressing into the next room, the duo's attention was immediately drawn to the three ornate coffins leaning against the north wall. Festa had the foresight to purchase a ten foot pole, and started poking them from a respectable distance. Immediately the coffins started to shake, rattle, and roll in a way not unlike a scene in the second-to-latest Game of Thrones episode, which we had watched together earlier that day. Our heroes weren't looking for a fight, but they were looking for burial gifts and other riches, so it was decided that the best way to reconcile those desires would be to hoist a coffin upon their shoulders and throw it into the hammer trap.<br />
<br />
However, neither of them had rolled a particularly high STR score, and so they dropped the coffin halfway across the room, breaking it open and revealing the very angry snake-man skeleton inside. We rolled initiative, and the party won: a few incredibly well-placed stabs and arrows later, and the skeleton was truly laid to rest. A brief discussion followed, wherein I humbly asked how they could possibly kill a skeleton with arrows. We eventually concluded that Lesta had managed to hit it in an eye socket, exploding its skull. Metal. <br />
<br />
The two decided against checking the other two coffins, and instead headed south into the small shrine room. I pointed out the obvious secret passage beneath it, long since revealed by the steady erosion of surface water dripping from the ceiling. The party dropped down into the second level, lighting a torch to reveal a long, darkened corridor lined with fearsome statues.<br />
<br />
Festa noticed that one of the statues was on a swivel, not unlike a Scooby-Doo bookshelf. Rotating it revealed a secret room with a small silver icon and two hooked polearms, which they stole and piled under the hole they dropped down from. Progressing east, they entered another octagonal room with doors at each cardinal and primary intercardinal direction (I looked that up just now), dominated in the center by a large, murky black pool which they were immediately suspicious of. Taking care to skirt around the edges of the room so as not to trigger my obvious encounter, they entered the rooms in a clockwise manner: nearly avoiding a lightning trap (once again owing to the ten foot pole) in the first, completely avoiding the very angry skeleton in the second and the ooze in the third, and bravely running away from the stone cobra guardian directly to the east. If this review is doing a disservice to the module, it's only because my players are the most damnably intelligent cowards I've ever known.<br />
<br />
The southeast room held little but some beds (they stole the sheets) and a nice piece of treasure, as the players were unable to decipher the writing on the scrolls lining the walls. Similarly little time was spent in the southern room, but upon discovering the room of statues to the southwest, the party decided to investigate a little further, correctly assuming from past experiences that these statues held a secret. They discovered the secret passage behind one of them, and headed down into floor 3.<br />
<br />
Our noble graverobbers emerged in a large, pitch-black chamber, quiet save for the gently clinking of chains on stone coming from the east. Wisely, they decided to head west, entering a small hallway and turning south to come upon a large, barrel-like stone blocking their way. The stone had an indent big enough for two people, and rotated along the z axis to (presumably) grant passage to the other side of the hallway. Lesta wasn't convinced. He stuffed the stolen sheets into the hole and spun the great stone counterclockwise like he was on <em>The Price is Right.</em> When it spun back around, the rag was in tatters, as if pierced by a thousand tiny spears (it was). Replacing it with another sheet, they spun the stone clockwise, and it emerged unscathed. Thus, our daring duo with a combined intelligence of 14 narrowly avoided impalement. They climbed in, pushed off in a clockwise manner, and emerged on the other side, picking up a pair of gold bowls hidden in an alcove along the way. <br />
<br />
This new area was hewn from natural stone and slick with a strange, fungoid goo, in stark contrast to the dusty-but-otherwise-well-kept areas before. After wading waist-deep through a room filled with feathers, rags, and bowls of fat, Festa and Lesta come across a strange sight: a decrepit throne room, with two creatures angrily fighting over a crown made of melted spoons. The monsters appeared to be goblins, but covered in fungal growths and oozing a disgusting, pus-like slime from every orifice. It was appalling, and only more so as they rushed up to the PCs, offering the crown to Lesta. He humbly accepted the title of Cutlery King without question. However, his reign was short-ruled: from behind came a sound not unlike that of tuna sloshing around in too much oil. The four citizens of Lestalia turned to discover a skeleton covered in orange goop coming their way. The fungus goblins were terrified, and fled immediately. Festa threw a torch at it, which fizzled out as it touched the slimy surface. Now trapped in the darkness with a weird bone jelly (Lesta tried to convince me he was also carrying a torch, but I killed that idea after reminding him he had been shooting arrows this entire time), our heroes panicked and attempted to run away. Lesta was caught by the creature, who's only method of attack seemed to be grabbing Lesta's head and shaking it violently like a felonious babysitter. Breaking free, L and F decided to retreat into the hitherto-unexplored room to the east, which was supposed to be a huge mass of goblins but was instead a farm, owing to me misreading the map I placed on the same page as the room description. DMing is hard.<br />
<br />
Finally free from the murderous science display, Festa wisely lit another torch, and the party proceeded north to find a secret passage to the surface world. They rested, leveled up, and re-entered the tomb from the front door, intent on exploring every nook and cranny they had previously missed. <br />
<br />
Inside the four rooms they avoided in their first excursion were discovered some trinkets and a lovely snake ring that Lesta put on his middle finger, turning his fingernail into a bifurcated, poisonous facsimile of snake fangs. The two let out a collective "huh" and proceeded down into the second floor(disabling the hammer trap along the way), stopping briefly to put Sparamantur the angry giant skeleton out of his misery. They attempted to fight the Snake Temple Guardian that they had previously run from, but decided to instead flee (forward this time) after it nearly one-shot the thief. Finding themselves in new territory, with an angry golem behind and an endless chasm ahead, the pair proceeded south with caution.<br />
<br />
They shortly came across a large door not unlike the one that nearly squashed them two floors up, and they approached it with well-deserved apprehension. There was no hammer mechanism to be found, but Festa saw scuff marks on the ground that seemed to indicate somebody being flung over the chasm with great force. They decided to ignore the door for now, and continue south. Sadly, their path was blocked by a large procession of dungeon barnacles, which Lesta knew could strip and eat an adventurer in minutes, given half the chance. Lacking any other options, they decided to crumble up their rations and throw them at the creatures, hoping to satisfy their hunger if only for the moment needed to get past. This worked slightly (Lesta failed his DEX check and was trapped for a round) and shortly the pair found themselves in a small, branching hallway heading north and south. They went south.<br />
<br />
The next room had the appearance of a torture chamber. Dried blood and other questionable fluids painted the walls, and a long-abandoned pair of manacles sat coiled in the center. Festa went forward to pick them up, but was ensnared by the magic cuffs, which seemed to tighten by the second. Luckily, the quick-thinking-when-he-thinks-at-all thief was able to pick the lock, and ran from the room into a conjoined chamber featuring a locked iron door to the west, a broken stone door to the south, and a plain door to the north. South led to a massive treasure hall, enough to set two hardened criminals on the straight and narrow for years to come. North led to a horrifying sacrificial flame pit, and more wanton death. They went north. <br />
<br />
The flame pit was intriguing, but ultimately my players knew better than to slide down the curved floor to retrieve the meager trinkets that lay below. Instead, they went west, which led to a curved hallway flanked with two life-like stone statues of snake-men. These were summarily ignored, but the door they appeared to be guarding was opened to reveal a lovely woman shackled to the floor. She introduced herself as LaLiberte, a botanist from the nearby town of Bellacy. After conferring with me to determine if there was a town named Bellacy nearby (there was) and if they knew of any botanists there (they didn't) the players grew suspicious and turned to leave. LaLiberte begged them to help her, producing a ruby the size of her fist from a side pocket, claiming it to be her family jewel. She turned on the charm --<br />
<br />
<em>I'm going to pause here to admit that I suck at playing damsels in distress (and especially disguised succubi, as is the case here), for one because I find them kind of sexist and two because I play in a public game/comic store and the requisite begging/flirting/vague hints at sexual favors to come is really hard to play off when there's a ten-year old looking at green lantern comics right behind you. I did the best I could, though, and I got what I (she) wanted in the end, so everything's cool.</em><br />
<br />
-- and eventually convinced Lesta to take it, along with a magical dagger that lay across the room. However, in retrieving the treasures, Lesta unwittingly stepped over the magic circle holding Baltoplat, the bound succubus, in place, allowing her to quickly strike and drain him of power (and Constitution!). With a giggled "see ya, shitlords!" Baltoplat grew wings and fled the tombs, never to return. <br />
<br />
At this point Lesta had been shaken, chased, and partially molested. Through careful mapping he figured that the door to the west should connect to the large room with the secret passage to the second floor. They were correct, but upon stepping into the room remembered why they had not come this way before: the rattling of chains close by, and a pair of brilliant blue eyes staring back at them from the darkness. They had entered the basilisks lair.<br />
<br />
Immediately they felt a twinge of numbness spread over their fingers and toes. After a few seconds, they noticed their limbs growing heavy and their skin beginning to turn grey, and that's when they finally realized the extent of their troubles. As the basilisk rushed forward, its jaws snapping hungrily, Lesta and Festa heroically passed their DEX saving throw, giving them enough time to hightail it back to the surface world. <br />
<br />
They sold their ill-gotten wares and used the money to restock, drink, and carouse until dawn, wherein Lesta's middle finger fell off, turned into a snake, and slithered away. Easy come, easy go, Lesta always said. They headed back down for one final scan of the place, heading west again from the basilisk chamber but instead choosing to go straight forward into the living quarters of a very well-mannered snake-man lich. <br />
<br />
"Greetings, bipeds!" boomed the desiccated serpent. It introduced itself as Xiximanter, royal sorcerer to the snake-man empire that by now must control half the planet. Our heroes side-eyed each other, but said nothing. Xiximanter had been hard at work for the past few months/years/centuries, attempting to perfect his immortality potions. They almost worked, in that they turned people into unkillable gummy skeletons described by Skerples as "too dumb to live and too stupid to die." The lich led the duo into his potion room, which contained some number of various potions, along with approximately 10 fungus goblins crammed into a cage and complaining miserably. After inquiring as to whether or not Xiximanter would be willing to trade any of his potions, the kindly undead smiled and presented several options: a potion of minor immortality, a potion of spell change, and several healing potions. However, Lesta was a man of discerning taste, and demanded to know about the major immortality potion; Xiximanter grew excited and, after rummaging through an ornate chest, brought forth a bubbling black ichor in a test tube, claiming it the newly-perfect immortality potion. Lesta immediately drank it, because he was an idiot, and he immediately died, because all of my not-so-subtle hints about skeleton jellies and failed immortality experiments apparently fell on deaf ears. <br />
<br />
At this point, I decided to call the session, in part because they had explored the lions share of rooms and in part because we were the only ones in the shop and the friendly old grognard behind the register looked like he wanted to go home early. All in all? An enjoyable session that, had I made any attempt to develop, could be the catalyst for an entire campaign centered around the lost snake-man civilization. As it were, this session functioned more or less as a stress test: I took the dungeon, ran it strictly by the books under the worst conditions (only two players, untested ruleset, experienced dungeoncrawlers, time limit) and still managed a memorable, exciting session. Had I run it as intended, with several new players learning the intricacies of the dungeon over several sessions, there is not a doubt in my mind that it would have served its purpose wonderfully.
Tomb of the Serpent Kings gets a gold star for ease of use, playability, flavor, and design. Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07406069858503205248noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31717078246505923.post-17710755829772509522017-08-27T12:04:00.000-04:002018-02-11T15:21:17.156-05:00Your RPG is Great: The Black Hack<div dir="ltr">
If you haven't heard of The Black Hack, you're in for a treat. It's an ultra-slim, incredibly simple respinning of the OD&D ruleset, with all the pick-up-and-play aspects you'd expect. It's only twenty pages long, including the very cool cover art and the OGL, making it the perfect way to introduce new players to the hobby without bogging them down with obtuse mechanics and tables upon tables of content. </div>
<div dir="ltr">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr">
The Black Hack is part of the new OSR wave of rules-lite games (see Swords and Wizardry Light, Whitehack, Troika, Into the Odd, etc.) that was 1000% funded through Kickstarter way back in 2016. The original goal, a meager £500, certainly wasn't wasted: the book, while devoid of art, is incredibly clean in its layout, and somehow manages to bring a style all its own to each page. Much like Whitehack, with its typewriter design and tight column, you could show me any page of the document and I would know I was reading The Black Hack. </div>
<div dir="ltr">
<br />
On to the system. It's roll-under, which as an optional rule dates back to the Moldvay B/X days; basically, any ability check you make requires you to roll a d20 and attempt to score under the associated ability score. Clever readers will notice the inherent simplicity of this: as your ability scores increase, so do your chances of success, without ever introducing unnecessary concepts like "modifiers" and "to-hit" bonuses. I've always been a fan of the roll-under system (for those seeking a little extra "crunch" in their game, <a href="http://img.4plebs.org/boards/tg/image/1390/58/1390584130298.pdf">TAAC</a> is a full B/X retroclone that completely embraces roll-under). <br />
<br />
But don't think that's the only thing that's endearing The Black Hack to the people. While available to purchase at very reasonable prices (<a href="https://the-black-hack.jehaisleprintemps.net/english/">£7.50 plus shipping for the whole set in print, including core rules, GM screen, character sheets, and a micro-setting</a>), being OGL pretty much <a href="https://the-black-hack.jehaisleprintemps.net/english/">the entire ruleset is online for free</a>. I read through it, and it's all there: everything you'd need to set up and run a game using the system can be had for exactly zero dollars and change. It's never been a better time to be in the OSR. </div>
<div dir="ltr">
<br />
There are some other interesting quirks of the system: it uses the advantage/disadvantage system from 5e, which I've always thought was an ingenious alternative to giving out arbitrary +2s and +4s to various checks. There's the usage die, which is another very effective way to abstractly track ammunition and resources. In essence, whenever a character uses a consumable item -- be it arrows, rations, or torches -- they roll the associated usage die. On a roll of 1-2, the item is consumed, and the usage die decreases by a size, from d20-d12-d10-d8-d6-d4. If you roll a 1-2 on a d4, the item is expended completely. This saves GMs from having The Ammo Talk: <br />
<br />
"You can't fire any more, you shot your last arrow at the orc guard in the entrance hall."<br />
"I thought I was picking them back up as I go! My character wouldn't waste arrows."<br />
"You never mentioned that, plus you missed a few shots. Some of the arrows broke."<br />
"I go back to retrieve my arrows."<br />
"...we're already in initiative."<br />
"I retreat to go get my arrows."<br />
<br />
I've always been an abstract-combat kind of guy, so usage dice appeal to my simple, cinematic sensibilities. The archer always has enough arrows, until she doesn't. A strong gust of wind blows out the torches, and the party realizes they don't have any more. Introducing randomness into what was previously bookkeeping keeps the tension high, because you never know if the next ration you eat might be your last.<br />
<br />
Armor, too, works differently than in most other games. Instead of decreasing an enemies chance to hit, it reduces damage directly, so a character wearing full plate (8 Armor) can take an extra 8 damage before she's out of the fight. Armor values reset upon a rest, which keeps the game fast and fun and perfect for dungeoncrawls. <br />
<br />
The monster section assumes you've owned and run RPG's before (which I'd imagine you have, if you're reading the rules of an indie retroclone of OD&D) and are therefore sparse in their details. Each enemy is given basic stats and a unique fighting style or ability to distance them from each other. Fixing a problem that D&D has had since the first Monster Manual, you won't find page after page of bugbears and goblins and hobgoblins and kobolds and orcs, all tangentially different from each other. All the classics are there, but with enough specialization that fighting each one should feel vastly different. It's a small touch, but a good one regardless.<br />
<br />
So there you have it: an ultra-lean, aesthetically pleasing, logically sensible 'hack, practically tailor made for new groups, kids, or Cons. It's free. It's got a cool name. It's perfect for dungeoncrawls and hexes, for bringing 5e groups into the OSR or for rekindling the fire in an old grognards heart. David Black, Your RPG is Great!</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07406069858503205248noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31717078246505923.post-81751712977223843392017-08-20T01:21:00.000-04:002017-08-26T19:43:55.196-04:00Bend Bars, Lift Gates: Strength Training for Adventurers<h3>
by Raja the Red, retired adventurer</h3>
<br />
Every so often I ignore my better judgment and mingle with the common folk. I always end up regretting it, especially on the days when I happen to run into Enendir. <br />
<br />
Enendir is a young elf who's gotten it into his head that he wants to be an adventurer. I admire his dedication, but the guy's about 5-foot-nothing and weighs less than my last big meal. I've seen rapiers thicker than his arms. I don't mind him too much when he's just tagging along beside me, just because I look so much bigger by comparison, but he's gotten it into his pointy-eared head that I'm his mentor, and has taken to asking me for sword training lessons.<br />
<br />
Now, you've got to understand my hesitation at this prospect. There is no one you'd rather meet in a dark alleyway than Enendir. You'd need a calendar to clock his swings, and thats only after you helped him lift the sword off the ground. But I was in an uncharacteristically good mood that day, so I decided to humor the boy. <br />
<br />
"So what makes you want to be a swordsman?"<br />
<br />
His eyes lit up, and I was reminded why I don't interact with the forestfolk.<br />
<br />
"Because it's what I was born to do! Father was a swordsman, the best in the realm! I could join the Elven Infantry and fight against the dark forces of Evil, or carve a path through the wilderness in search of fame and fortune! I could be the next Albel Lionheart! I could even be like you!"<br />
<br />
Enendir stopped once he heard me laughing, but can you blame me? This pale-skinned grass whisperer wanted to be like me? As hilarious as that was, I had to admit it tickled my ego.<br />
<br />
"Alright, enough. Listen here: I'll give you one free lesson, but it won't be today." I took a step back. "Stand still, let me get you squared off."<br />
<br />
Enendir took a deep breath, squared his shoulders, and puffed out his chest. "How do I look?" he said proudly. <br />
<br />
"Like my first wife." I said. "Only she had bigger shoulders."<br />
<br />
His pride collapsed like a dead slime. Sensing my mistake, I added quickly, "but with room for improvement."<br />
<br />
Now he was listening. <br />
<br />
"Yeah, room for improvement! You're going to help me with that, right?" <br />
<br />
I was trapped. <br />
<br />
"Sure thing, kid. but you'll need to bulk up a bit before sword training will do you any good." I reached into my backpack for a quill and some ink, but by the time I turned around he was sitting rapt in attention, pen in hand. <br />
<br />
"Okay, here we go. Like I said, we're going to need to put some meat on those bones before you can start hacking goblins in twain. I'll give you a regimen that's guaranteed to make results before the next moon. The next time you find yourself with your back against a portcullis and no way out but by lifting it, you'll thank me.<br />
<br />
So this course is going to be focused on the four major muscle groups: your chest, arms, back, and legs. It won't turn you into a Goliath, but it's a start. I want you to train three days a week -- not a day more -- for about an hour, with a day of rest in between. I know you don't sleep, so just meditate or contemplate flowers or something." He looked annoyed. "Er, you know what I mean. Make sure to let your body recover well.<br />
<br />
As for the workout, itself, we're only doing five exercises: bent-over rows, deadlifts, squats, benchpress, and behind-the-neck presses. Thats all! Shouldn't take you more than an hour to do, and I'll even let you use my old weights. Yeah, its mostly buckets of sand lashed to old logs, but you don't need to get fancy yet. This is how you're going to do it:<br />
<br />
1: Bent-over rows: stand with your hips bent at a 45 degree angle, and grip the log overhanded (palms facing down). Pull in towards your abdomen at the same time you puff your chest out, making sure to breathe deeply with each repetition. 3 sets of 15 should do nicely, then proceed to...<br />
<br />
2: Stiff-legged dead lift: just as the name sounds, you want to keep your legs and lower back straight as you do this. Underhand grip (palms facing up) for 1 set of 15 repetitions. If you're doing it right, you should feel the burn in the back of your legs.<br />
<br />
3: Squats: you ain't getting out of these. There's no better exercise for building the explosive power you need as an adventurer than squats. Hoist that big bar on your shoulders and dip down to where your thighs are just below parallel to the floor, then push back up with every ounce of strength you've got. Breathe deeply in between sets, filling your lungs with as much air as you can get. 2 sets of 20 should do nicely. Alternate your sets with some low-weight triceps pullovers in sets of 20 to give you that big chest that makes the damsels swoon.<br />
<br />
4: Benchpress: my personal favorite. Look at these arms: thicker than a hydra's main neck. Make sure you're arching your back and bouncing that bar off your chest with each rep. 3 sets of 12.<br />
<br />
5: Press-behind neck: a classic. don't let that thing settle across your shoulders, you want to bring it down and push back up with every ounce of strength in your body. You won't believe the amount of muscle you'll gain in your shoulders and upper back with this. This time, 2 sets of 12.<br />
<br />
Now, because you're doing so few exercises, and because all of them are targeting your major muscle groups, you should be able to add more weight every day. Start off easy and add 5-10 lbs each new workout, and you'll be surprised where you end up in a few months."<br />
<br />
Enendir had reached the end of his parchment, so I cracked open my canteen and took a deep swig of mountain dwarf brew. After a few more, I was ready to continue.<br />
<br />
"Now like I said, you're going to want to rest as much as possible in between your workout days. As far as your diet goes, I know you treehuggers are all about leaves and berries, but that won't cut it here. You need meat, cheese, and as much milk as you can stomach. No, make it twice as much as you stomach. Baldwin's cows should be shaking in fear when you walk by. Do all this, and by the next moon, you'll be ready to train with me."<br />
<br />
At this point my throat was dry again, and the barmaid standing outside the inn was giving me the come-hither look, so I sent the kid off with instructions to meet me in a month. Next time, dear reader, I'll tell you how it went for him.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07406069858503205248noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31717078246505923.post-21930745921266845432017-08-18T23:39:00.000-04:002017-08-18T23:39:18.567-04:00Souls of Darkness, by Gary Butterfield<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<div class="western">
It's no big secret that I'm a <i>Dark Souls</i> fan. I've played every game to
completion, more times than I can count. I've PVP'd, PVE'd, praised the sun,
slayed demons/nightmares, and again at soul level one. I've speedrun naked
and killed gods with a spiked bat. I am, in short, fairly knowledgeable
about the franchise.<br />
<br />
But I was not prepared for this.<br />
<br />
Gary Butterfield, along with his good friend Kole Ross, host several
game-themed podcasts (perhaps most interesting to readers of this blog is
<u>Monster in my Podcast</u>, in which they review each entry in the <i>AD&D 2E
Monstrous Manual</i> one at a time to hilarious result). <u>Bonfireside Chat</u>, a
review/talk show/analysis of every aspect of every Souls game, is what
inspired this book. I'll let Gary explain the premise:<br />
<br />
<i>"Do you remember the </i>Worlds of Power<i> books? I do. Do you like </i>Dark Souls<i>? I
professionally like </i>Dark Souls<i>! When these two interests collide, you get
</i>Souls of Darkness. Souls of Darkness<i> is a parody of those </i>Worlds of Power<i>
books but it's written as if </i>Dark Souls<i> was a NES game. Yes, I know it's
confusing. Here are the important parts: </i><br />
<i>- What if </i>Dark Souls<i> was a NES game? How would that work? Whoa! </i><br />
<i>- What if a young girl got sucked into the game and got to experience a
bunch of hilarious, exciting adventures in her favorite title? </i><br />
<i>- What if the book featured amazing art by Nick Daniels? </i><br />
<i>- What if the book (and associated Kickstarter side items) told a story open
to interpretation, lampooning and emulating the way </i>Dark Souls<i> tells
stories? </i><br />
<i>- What if it was packed with love for the </i>Dark Souls<i> community? Tons of
easter eggs!..."</i><br />
<br />
Undoubtably you get the picture. This is a fan dedication to the highest
degree, a sort of published fanfiction by Souls fans, for Souls fans. But is
it nothing more than fanfiction?<br />
<br />
In short, yes. I'll admit I never read any of the <i>Worlds of Power</i> books.
However, I did read a lot of video-game related trash as a child, and I can
say with certainty that my choices were above and beyond anything I found
here.<br />
<br />
The story starts with young Maya Hunter, a precocious girl with a big love
for the game <i>Souls of Darkness</i> for the Superstation console. She knows all
the tricks, except one (if you're thinking it has something to do with a
pendant, you are correct). As our story begins she is busy attempting beyond
all reason to solve this puzzle that nobody else has been able to. After a
strange internal monologue in which she laments the fact that she eats
ribeye steak every night because her mother works at a charnal house (?),
and that her long-lost father worked at a popcorn factory (??), she sets the
game down to get something to eat. When she returns, it is to find that her
baby sister has accidentally fallen through the TV into the game, and it's up
to Maya to free her and save the world!<br />
<br />
I won't go into much more detail about the story, because it's exactly as
you'd imagine a Dark Souls self-insert fanfiction to read (note: I am not
implying that Gary Butterfield imagines himself as a 10-year old girl). She
becomes friends with Not-Solaire, a skeleton named Lounging Carl (???) and a
floating femur that spouts bone facts (????). She heads to the forest and
faces Giantdad while Not-Artorias vapes and spouts casual misogyny in her
direction (?????). At the end, she saves her sister, returns to her world,
and maintains contact with the game world by feeding junk and scraps of food
to Not-Seathe the Scaleless. I'm out of question marks.<br />
<br />
I can't criticize too harshly the writing in this book for being atrocious
-- because I'm not entirely sure it's not intentional, for one -- but it's
still a chore to read. The lack of page numbers, which would be an
interesting but annoying choice in any other book, is mitigated by the fact
that I read the entire thing in an hour while holding a casual conversation
with my wife. No, the writing is not what gets me. What I don't understand
are the references. As you can see, I'm about as big a fan of the series as
there is. But even I was left scratching my head throughout this book,
wondering what point they were trying to make or what joke I was missing. I
have a great respect for Gary, and he's a tremendously funny man, which
makes it all the more baffling that none of his wit and subtlety come
through here.<br />
<br />
It's a crying shame, because I believe a well-made Souls parody could be
really good. The games, while breathtaking in their scope, make a lot of
puzzling design choices that fans have come to lovingly hate. Where, in
Souls of Darkness, was the Sen's Fortress statue warehouse? The amazing
chest ahead? Where in the hell was dino-butt lava valley? Hell, when they
summoned a phantom to assist with Not-Quelaag, I half expected them to come
in naked with bright blue skin and start cartweeling around brandishing a
katana. THAT'S the real Dark Souls Experience.<br />
<br />
Ultimately, this book reads less like a tribute to <i>Dark Souls </i>and more like
a collection of half-hearted GameFAQs forum posts. Perhaps that was its
intent all along.<br />
<br />
Buy a <i>Souls of Darkness</i> physical copy for $17 <a href="https://gumroad.com/l/soulsofdarkness#">here</a> and as an $8 pdf <a href="https://garybutterfield.itch.io/souls-of-darkness-pdf">here</a>.<br />
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I do have to say the art is very nice, and definitely nails the "child
transported to a magical-yet-friendly land" feel that I remember fondly from
my childhood reading CS Lewis and Lewis Carroll. </div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07406069858503205248noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31717078246505923.post-84351340027934823302017-08-16T01:56:00.000-04:002017-08-16T01:56:48.137-04:00Tomb of the Serpent Kings, v3.0So there's this great little module that Skerples over at <a href="http://coinsandscrolls.blogspot.com/">coinsandscrolls.blogspot.com</a> just put out called "Tomb of the Serpent Kings." It's designed around teaching new players the basics of dungeoncrawling by repetition and clear examples. It's got art by the ever-wonderful Scrap Princess. Best of all, its free, so you've got no reason not to check it out.<br />
<br />
The reason I'm advertising this here is because, after version 2.0 was released, I read some negative reviews that made a point of criticizing the layout of the document. Now, layout is one of the hardest things in the world to do well. The perfect layout is one that nobody notices, because to do any more is to detract from the information on the page. So I can hardly fault an independent game designer, releasing a passion project solely for the benefit of the community, on something that tabletop RPGs have been doing wrong for decades. But still, I didn't like the idea of a perfectly-usable adventure being pushed to the wayside for something so small, so I decided to lend a helping hand.<br />
<br />
I have a particularly nerdy hobby, even among devotees of 40-year old fantasy elf games: I love learning about typography and typesetting. And ever since Kevin Crawford released his <a href="http://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/168306/A-Brief-Study-of-TSR-Book-Design">Brief Study of TSR Book Design</a> (free!) I've been itching to put some of that information into practice. So I booted up LaTeX, reached for my printed-from-pdf copies of Blood in the Chocolate and Maze of the Blue Medusa (two of the best-laid out adventures I've ever seen), and got to work.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://coinsandscrolls.blogspot.ca/2017/08/osr-tomb-of-serpent-kings-30.html">Here's the finished product</a>. For anyone interested in what I actually did, it was fairly simple.<br />
<br />
First, I decided to give the entire document a once-over, looking for typos. This is important! For anyone looking to do any sort of layout work in the future, whether for others or simply to save some money on their own published stuff, make no columns and adjust no margins before ensuring your document is error-free. After that, I started separating the text into more manageable chunks. Each room got its own write-up, like any classic module; this allows for the DM to more easily scan text to get to what they need, greatly improving the adventures ease-of-use at the table. I eschewed the use of box text, because I hate being told what to say when I'm DMing and I'm sure you do too.<br />
<br />
Next came my favorite part, adjusting the typeface. I went with a classic serif for the body text and sans serif for the section headers. This is a good idea for multiple reasons that are better explained in Kevin Crawford's booklet. I set the margins to a reasonable width, and used two-column text to allow me to place pictures and maps pretty much wherever I wanted. On that topic, maps! I wanted to make sure that everything a DM needed to run a room was on the same page, so I added mini-map cutout pictures that detail the rooms on each page and help illustrate how they all connect to each other. It may not seem like much, but it makes a huge difference when players are running or fleeing from room to room in a short amount of time.<br />
<br />
I already had the artwork, so now all I had to do was put it back in. I sent the completed document to Skerples, and the deed was done.<br />
<br />
All in all, formatting the entire module probably took about 6 hours of honest effort, but the end result is, in my opinion, a great improvement. Go check it out. Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07406069858503205248noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31717078246505923.post-22510092722109294562017-08-15T20:23:00.004-04:002017-08-15T20:59:10.720-04:00The Golden Ratio of Encounter DesignPatrick Stuart recently posted something on Google+ that caught my interest. The full conversation is <a href="https://plus.google.com/104778332638489294828/posts/SArhejghQKi">here</a>, and there are a lot of good ideas in there. To summarize, Patrick put forth the idea that enemies can be classified as strong or weak based on quantifiable factors, something he called a "Threat Diversity Quotient."<br />
<br />
The Threat Diversity Quotient, to me, simplifies down to "what this creature can do to players, and what players can do to that creature." Imagine a scale with "monster" on one end and "PCs" on the other. For every way one side can hurt the other, you add a block. The idea is that you want as many blocks as possible on both sides, so long as they are both still balanced in the end. I'll give you an example.<br />
<br />
Say you've got something like a classic D&D Troll. No, not like rpgnet. A fantasy troll. It's big, strong, dumb, can see in the dark, and regenerates health. Ultimately, a fairly formidable foe, assuming the party attacks it head on with no regard to tactics. We'll give it 3 blocks: Strong (based on damage and size), Tough (based on AC, HD, and the regeneration ability) and versatile (infravision). We want this to be an interesting encounter, so lets give the troll another block by placing him in a pitch-black room where his infravision will work wonders.<br />
<br />
Now lets look at the players side of things. So far, it doesn't look good. In a fair fight, this Troll's got them beat. So lets add a few blocks to the players side. Note: done well, the players will never know this was done at all.* <br />
<br />
Well, the troll is bog-standard stupid, so that's one block. Clever players should be able to come up with a way to trick it, regardless of the encounter. But we need 3 more. The regeneration ability can be countered by fire or acid, so maybe the Troll is found roasting its dinner over a campfire, or maybe you throw an acid potion into the dungeon's random treasure table. Most likely the party will have torches, but it's always good to have a backup plan. That's two, but we need two more blocks.<br />
<br />
Here's where we get creative. The question is: what can we do to weaken this enemy in a way that doesn't take away player agency? Pick two of the following: give the Troll an injury from a previous battle, a burned-out eye socket that interferes with his ability to see on the left side. Make a note that the troll's club is more of a rotten log, and might shatter if struck. Put pillars in the room so the party can pretend to be the Fellowship, avoiding the Giant in the Mines of Moria. Put some crumbling masonry high up a wall -- with trickles of sunlight shining through it -- that can be opened up to blind the creature. None of these changes force the characters to act a certain way: they simply reward clever plots and thinking beyond the character sheet, all excellent qualities to foster in an adventuring party. <br />
<br />
So there we go: one perfectly balanced encounter that maintains player agency while still fostering a sense of danger. The scales are balanced. In spending just a few moments customizing this encounter, we've shifted the focus from character-skill to player-skill. Heroes exist to overcome great challenges, go and give them some! <br />
<br />
*<span style="font-size: x-small;">This assumes the encounter is meant to be balanced. Not every encounter should be; without dragons and giants stalking the land, the heroes become invincible and get bored. Without goblins and gricks, the heroes cease to feel like heroes. Diversity is key. </span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07406069858503205248noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31717078246505923.post-74256536475708772232017-08-15T00:04:00.000-04:002017-10-07T11:29:16.081-04:00Maze of the Blue Medusa: Session 2<h3>
Our Heroes<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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</h3>
<b>Kellen Nancy</b>, child of Anansi. Words are Endurance, Luck, and Passion. Born of the spider gods dream, he has made it his mission to find and help the worlds most hopeless person. He has reason to believe he (or she?) resides within the maze.<br />
<b>Eizen</b>, son of Atlas. Words are Earth, Might, and Sun. A thrill-seeker who has spent a lifetime travelling the world in search of fun and profit. His journey in the maze was sparked by boredom, and a lust for unique sights and experiences not found in our world.<br />
<b>Nemora</b>, son of Apollo and an unnamed Titan. Words are Earth, Endurance, and Sword. Trapped in a cave by his parents at a young age, he befriended Gaia, who eventually freed him. Since then, he has wandered the lands, training in every style and stance. He has entered the maze seeking a sword with the power to kill his parents.<br />
<b>Kali</b>, daughter of Hades and Persephone. Words are Death, Fertility, and Health. Born in Erebus, she knew her mothers touch only four months out of every year. After earning her freedom, she set out on a quest to find a way to give her mother the same. Missing her right leg from the knee down after an incident with the sun room, she has fashioned a makeshift peg out of vines.<br />
<br />
A month later, the full moon rises again and the party enters the eerily still room of the former Ashen Chanterelle, now a corpse slumped against the southern wall. She hasn't begun to decompose yet, and the blisters on her arm stumps are fresh. Clearly time works differently within the maze. <br />
<br />
Heading north, the party is surprised to find Lady Capilli is nowhere to be found. Traumatized by their last foray west ("the sun room," as they've taken to calling it), they decide to head north. This leads them to a long hallway, paved with stones forming a mural of a large blue serpent who comes to life as they enter. It whispers a cryptic poem insinuating that the fourth to cross the room will die, leaving the party with a choice: who will they leave behind? Kellen decides to sacrifice himself to the snake, but not before having Eizen chop off his arm. Kellen is devoured after the rest of the party crosses. <br />
<br />
<i>DM's Note: I love how this played out. Kellen sacrificing himself to allow the rest of the party to proceed is so evocative of classical mythological, and suits the tone of the dungeon perfectly.</i><br />
<br />
The party finds themselves on the same rope bridges they crossed in the last session. Kellen's gambit has paid off, as his body begins to regrow from its largest part, the whole arm in Eizen's possession. This takes time, however, and meanwhile the rest of the party decides to head west and investigate the locked door. A puny non-magical lock turns out to be no match for the strength of Eizen, and soon the party is through. <br />
<br />
In this room is a wheezing, tottering old man, and in this old man are three broadswords, run through to the hilt. Colored gas seeps from the wounds in his body and erupts from his lungs with every forced gasp. Nemora takes pity on the forgotten king and begins to remove the swords, but struggles as the gases, all that remains of the kings former knights, take corporeal form and attack the party. The knights are defeated, and the old man manages a meager "thank you" before fading to dust, and to a rest long deserved. <br />
<br />
Investigation of the swords reveals that each was designed around a particular motif, and slid effortlessly into the scabbards built into the three thrones they found in an adjacent room. With a soft click, the lock to the door leading north from the king's chamber opened...or it would, had Eizen not crashed through it moments ago. At this point, the party decided to rest and let Kellen's form restore itself. <br />
<br />
With the party reunited, they set out south into the sun room, making sure to go one at a time to avoid casting unnecessary shadows. This brings them back to The Gardens. Heading northwest, they enter a chamber completely overtaken by vines, twisting and weaving around a central form in the figure of a sleeping woman. As the party enters, the vines caress and slide over their bodies, leaving a trail of sticky, sweet sap. Nemora, that rakish charmer, embraces the female form which the party has christened "Vine Bae." He's been magically charmed, but doesn't know it yet. One of the other adventurers pulls him away, and with a heavy heart he and the rest proceed deeper into the overgrowth. <br />
<br />
The room beyond Vine Bae's chamber is covered floor-to-ceiling with glistening spores that quiver with each movement the party makes. Kali takes point and, summoning her powers of fertility, withers them in seconds. Dessicated leaves crunch underfoot as the party enters the next room, a large octagon dominated in the center by a massive, beating approximation of a heart. It's connected to the ceiling and the floor by large vines, and as the party crosses the threshold three figures scramble over its surface to sit atop it. <br />
<br />
The figures begin a verbal assault of the party. The first, a dog-like construct of twisted black thorns, accuses Eizen of leaving Kali to die in the Sun Room. Before Eizen can mount a counter-argument, the second creature chimes in. Sinister insinuations slither past its lips of dried grass; its body is that of a naked scarecrow. Nemora steps forth to defend his companion. The third monster, a dusty tangle of crushed vegetation, comes to the forefront making passive-aggressive jabs at Nemora and his friends. The combined fury of the three wears at Nemora's psyche, and he is forced to admit that, if it came down to it, he would sacrifice one of his friends to save himself. <br />
<br />
At this revelation, the three monsters attack. Kali unleashes a plague on their plant forms that slowly strips away their very essence. The scent of burned and withered grass fills the room as Eizen summons a massive stone, swinging it with the fury and precision of an orchestra conductor. Kellen rushes forth to attack the heart, but its skin is toughened and every attack is like chopping at rawhide. Assailed by the thorn-creature, Nemora hardens his skin to an impenetrable degree and begins summoning swords from thin air to strike at the foes. <br />
<br />
The naked scarecrow lunges at Kali, claws like razors. A nimble dodge from her is enough to avoid them, but a cloud of dust puffs up from the creature, and her head begins to spin. It seems like she can see the body of a human within the bundles of grass. She continues burning away their outer shells, but this image weighs on her mind. Meanwhile, Kellen's persistence has paid off, and he rips a large hole in the side of the heart. A viscous purple liquid begins to pour out and covers the floor of the room within seconds, rising slowly. Each of the plant monsters scream as the floracide melts them on contact. The vine creature attempts to flee, but a quick bodyslam from Nemora leaves no escape, and no survivors. <br />
<br />
The party licks at their wounds as the poison laps around their knees. To open the doors at each cardinal direction would be to unleash a torrent of plant killer, and their past experience has shown that wanton destruction often has disastrous consequences. Eizen decides to erect a permanent thigh-high wall around the room to hold the poison, and the party continues through the door to the west. <br />
<br />
The west door leads to a long hallway, overgrown like the rest of the gardens with thick tendrils of ivy. They weave between the cobblestones in intricate geometric patterns whose beauty is not lost on Kali. At the end of the hall are two doors facing each other, one to the north and one to the south. As Veronica's map was getting a bit crowded, the party decides to head north into a room filled with hissing pipes. At the other end is a massive, mangy rat with a twisted crown of iron and a massive pipe wrench. It cackles madly to itself and continually repeats the phrase "water, water everywhere, and not a drop to drink!" in a childish lilt. The party gets its attention and it lopes over, presenting Kellen with a large sack of severed, shrunken goblin heads. It refuses to answer any questions about itself and seems to disregard the party, preferring to fiddle more with the pipes. Kellen slips a head into his pocket before leaving, intending to present it to Lady Capilli as art. <br />
<br />
<i>DM's Note: I changed this area quite a bit. I removed the nursery entirely, as it served no mechanical purpose, and indeed seemed to serve no purpose other than as shock value. I also changed Carnifex from a giant toad to a giant rat, both because I felt it fit more thematically with him as a plumber and also because one of the players has a terrible phobia of frogs. Remember, know your players and practice grown-up judgment.</i><br />
<br />
Before that, however, they return to the hallway and peek through the opposing door. Beyond is a large sunken chamber, its floor nothing more than a bog of waist-high mud. Several rusted pipes lead into this room, but not a drop of water runs from them. In the center of the room is a tendrilled beast rooting around in the swamp. It looks up at the party, then fishes around under the mud before pulling up a perfectly preserved corpse. The beast wraps a tendril lovingly around the corpses' head, and the corpse begins to speak. <br />
<br />
The monster introduces itself as No-Face, and speaks congenially to the party, occasionally pausing to scoop up another corpse that may have a better understanding of the current topic. No-Face is mad that the rat demon Carnifex has disrupted the Garden's water supply, and wants it restored. It explains that Carnifex has tremendous power over causality, to the point that it can explicitly forbid a creature within earshot from taking the same action twice; this was used to devious effect on one of a corpses companions, the goblin head that Kellen took, who was forbidden from taking another breath. <br />
<br />
The party hatches a plan to distract Carnifex long enough to redistribute the water. Kellen slyly insinuates that there is an even greater source of water in the maze, which piques the demon's interest. His insatiable greed drives him to drop his pipe wrench and demand that Kellen show him the way to the other well. Carnifex grins slyly, and the party internally debates the merit of leaving one of their own alone with a creature of unspeakable power. But Kellen has faith in his plan, and with a wink turns and heads back down the darkened hallway, with the cackling rat not far behind.<br />
<br />
Carnifex and Kellen loop back through The Gardens. The Rat King is wary, but his greed leads him on. Kellen strides forth into the Sun Room just as the light is passing in front of him. His shadow isn't big enough to trap the Rat King: he's too large, his body too misshapen. But Kellen's the avatar of luck, and as he moves forward his cloak and pack swing outward just far enough to eclipse the demon. He falls, and the pit closes above him. His last whispered words are unheard amidst his cackling. <br />
<br />
Kellen returns to the party, who have successfully managed to reroute the water. No-Face is thrilled, and leads the party to a secret compartment where he has stored a brittle bonsai tree. No-Face claims the tree has magic powers, and with the water flowing freely it can be nourished back to health. The adventurers return to the central corridor of the maze, making certain not to inadvertently cast a shadow over Carnifex's prison, and come face-to-face with Lady crucem Capilli. With nothing to offer but the demon's pipe wrench, the Dragon Queen is less than pleased, but accepts it after the party regales her with the story as to how they acquired it. Lady Capilli then requests another piece of artwork from the east wing, but warns that the area was the site of great tragedy and is overrun with the dead. She hands Eizen a key that will open the locked door at the bottom of the twisted stairwell, and departs. <br />
<br />
With that, the company returns to the painting, stepping back through to the real world and beginning their plans for the next foray. They have a month to do more research. Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07406069858503205248noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31717078246505923.post-14191735006386233292017-08-13T14:45:00.000-04:002017-10-07T11:29:31.154-04:00Maze of the Blue Medusa: Session 1<h3>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Our Heroes</h3>
<b>Kellen Nancy</b>, child of Anansi. Words are Endurance, Luck, and Passion. Born of the spider gods dream, he has made it his mission to find and help the worlds most hopeless person. He has reason to believe he (or she?) resides within the maze.<br />
<b>Eizen</b>, son of Atlas. Words are Earth, Might, and Sun. A thrill-seeker who has spent a lifetime travelling the world in search of fun and profit. His journey in the maze was sparked by boredom, and a lust for unique sights and experiences not found in our world.<br />
<b>Nemora</b>, son of Apollo and an unnamed Titan. Words are Earth, Endurance, and Sword. Trapped in a cave by his parents at a young age, he befriended Gaia, who eventually freed him. Since then, he has wandered the lands, training in every style and stance. He has entered the maze seeking a sword with the power to kill his parents.<br />
<b>Kali</b>, daughter of Hades and Persephone. Words are Death, Fertility, and Health. Born in Erebus, she knew her mothers touch only four months out of every year. After earning her freedom, she set out on a quest to find a way to give her mother the same.<br />
<br />
We began our session with the party having recently stolen the infamous painting, <i>The False Chanterelle</i>. The painting -- that of a naked woman chained from the ceiling in an opulent parlor room -- came with strange instructions: <i>to explore the hallowed maze, touch this painting with a moonlit gaze</i>. Under the next full moon, the party hangs the painting on the wall and flings open the shutter; in an instant, the painting comes to life. The woman turns her head and pleads for the party to touch the painting and rescue her. After briefly debating the relative merits of blindly trusting the words of an erotic drawing, the party decides that courage is nothing without a dash of recklessness, and steps forward to touch the canvas.<br />
<br />
Inside the painting, the four interrogate the woman a bit more, learning that her name is Ashen Chanterelle and that she is being held here as a prisoner by Psathyrella Medusa, the warden of this place. She tells the party that she can open the locked door to the north, granting them access to the maze. However, Kali is a naturally distrustful person, and attempts to murder the prisoner nearly immediately. The other members manage to stop her from outright killing Ashen, but not before Kali has chopped off her hands. The rest of the party swiftly attempts to cauterize the wounds with a nearby torch, causing the woman to pass out due to shock. However, as the chains recede into small holes in the ceiling, they hear a click, and know that the door to the north is unlocked.<br />
<br />
<i>DM's Note: I deliberately changed this encounter from how it is written in the book (in which she is a treacherous backstabber who speaks nothing but lies). I knew my party would be suspicious of Ashen Chanterelle, so I decided to make her speak nothing but truths. In this way, I could foreshadow key aspects of the maze while still feeding into the players paranoia.</i><br />
<br />
Ashen Chanterelle is still catatonic, however, and without the constant presence of Kali's stabilizing aura would perish in moments. Eizen hefts her onto his shoulders, and the whole party progresses through the northern door into a large, shadowy chamber. From deeper within they hear muttering, and upon approach they witness a very tall woman talking about destroying the maze. The lady, who sports midnight blue skin and a set of rams horns on either side of her head, introduces herself as Lady Crucem Capilli of Nyctopolis. After a short conversation in which she half-heartedly admonishes the party for nearly murdering an innocent captive, she requests the party bring her a piece of art from within the maze, alongside a detailed report on where it was found and what purpose it serves. With this, she fades back into the shadows and continues her conversation with herself. <br />
<br />
Exploring the room, Eizen finds a trapdoor built into the east wall. He opens it, and immediately notices that something is wrong. The gravity inside this room has suddenly shifted, and Eizen finds himself falling sideways down a set of stairs towards the center of the new room. He swiftly rights himself and got his bearings: he is in a room with three staircases, each reorienting the gravity in the room to allow them to be safely traversed. Eizen attempts to open the door on the eastern side, but finds it locked. He motions for the other adventurers to follow him as he heads up the northern staircase.<br />
<br />
The next room is even darker than Lady Capilli's, and the party halts before entering as they hear a light tune being hummed from within. Knowing that discretion is the better part of valor, they allow a moment for their eyes to adjust to the dark and walk forth to discover a strange, hermit crab-like creature cradling a malformed infant the size of a large dog. The shell lifts an arm to its mouth and whispers "shhh" before continuing its song, and the party heeds its warning and continues further north to a set of rope bridges.<br />
<br />
Heading north from the bridges, the party enters a brightly-lit room dominated by half of a giant chessboard. The black pieces are all in place, minus both rooks, and on the other end of the room is a large, white, grub-like creature flailing spastically with a blunted toy sword. The party is speechless. After a spell, they attempt to make contact with the creature, but to no avail: the man-grub only babbles like a toddler and continues its forced, jerking movements. Nemora and Kellen get the idea to stand in the rook's position on the chessboard. As they do, they are immediately assailed by a psychic force. Nemora is overwhelmed and, with a forced flail, throws a sword at the grub. It misses by inches, and the spell is broken. <br />
<br />
The players realize that something here is controlling the giant worm. Eizen moves closer to investigate and notices a strange bulge in what he assumes is the creature's stomach. With a mighty heave, he forces the grub to spit up its dinner: two stone rooks, slick with saliva. The forced flailings of the creatures limbs cease as the chess pieces are retrieved, and out of pity Eizen fashions a stone teething ring for the foolish child. Confident that this mystery has been solved, the party heads through the northeast arch to face the next challenge. <br />
<br />
They step forth into a long room and immediately notice something is off about the floor. It's pitch darkness quivers slightly as they set foot on it, as if it were semi-solid. Several small disks float on its surface in random directions, but as the party enters they flip over to reveal large, dilated eyes and begin accelerating towards our heroes. Kali and Nemora make it across in time, but Eizen is caught in their gaze and is completely unable to move. As he begins to sink below the surface, a thorny vine erupts from Kali's hand, grasping and stretching through the room to wrap around Eizen's outstretched arm. The thorns dig into his skin, but he is pulled forth from the mire and successfully makes it across. As for Kellen, his godlike endurance renders him immune to the stony gaze of this room, and he strides across confidently.<br />
<br />
However, all is not yet well. In the next room is a curious sight: a man with a crescent moon for a head, seated and drinking wine at a table alongside a giant hand and a mechanical fox. He sets his glass down and introduces himself as Mr. Torgos Zooth, chief servant of Psathyrella Medusa. He asks the party several questions: what their purpose is in the maze, how they are faring, if they've met anyone else here. As if under a spell, the party finds themselves unable to lie, and in their answers reveal the existence of Lady Capilli. This greatly interests Mr. Zooth, especially after Kellen mentions that Lady Capilli intends to destroy the maze. Torgos excuses himself, and his body fades away as the moon on his shoulders rapidly transitions from waxing to full to waning to gone. <br />
<br />
At this point the party decides to head back to Lady Capilli's room and strike due west. The room they enter is a large and blindingly bright. A miniature sun rotates around the upper rim of the walls once a minute, casting long shadows on every object here. Eizen and Kali are the first to move through it, but as soon as Eizen's massive shadow passes over Kali she falls into it as if it were a pit. She sees the opening close above her, and makes an attempt to jump clear, but it's closing too fast. The light catches up to her just as her last leg is emerging from the pit, and it is cleanly removed below the knee.<br />
<br />
Kali's screams echo through the silent maze. Eizen rushes back to help her, making certain that at no point do their shadows overlap. He manages to drag her into the next room, but she's losing blood fast. She demands that he cauterize her wounds the same as he did the Ashen Chanterelle's. Reluctantly he agrees, and thrusts a torch against the surgically-precise cleave. The smell of acrid flesh fills the air, and Kali passes out. <br />
<br />
Nemora and Kali quickly rush across the room (one at a time, thankfully) to join their companions. Kali's scream has brought attention to the party, and from deeper within the Gardens a birdlike shriek is heard. Immediately, six dark, humanoid creatures emerge from the underbrush. Each wears an expertly carved bird mask, and communicate with each other in short chirps and whistles. They brandish their twisted rapiers and descend upon the party. The three standing party members form a protective wall between the bird men and the downed Kali. Eizen lifts his massive fists and immediately a stone cage erupts from the ground around the foes. Kellen subtly weaves fate to cause the creatures to stab each other in the immediate confusion, and Nemora begins stabbing his swords through the gaps in the cage. However, the bird men have another twist up their sleeve. The one farthest from the party begins to weave a magical cloud of darkness centered on the party, and the rest cast bolts of pure energy that rip through our heroes armor and force them on the defensive. With one member down and Nemora deeply wounded, the party decides that this is a fight that can be fought another day and retreat back through the Sun Room. <br />
<br />
However, it becomes immediately apparent that the cloud of darkness surrounding the party functions in the Sun Room just the same as shadows. The entire room is now a pitch-black pit, and it's only through another twist of luck that the party manages to find their way back into Lady Capilli's room. Kali finally wakes from her catatonia, and immediately fashions a new leg out of fresh vines that sprout from the stump. Standing, she notices the sound of conversation from the other end of the room. The party moves to the origin of the racket and discover Torgos Zooth and Lady Capilli in a heated argument. Zooth is demanding that Lady Capilli forsake her purpose and leave the maze, but the daughter of dragons is unintimidated. Fuming, Torgos disappears, but not before warning Lady Capilli and the party that Madame Medusa will learn of their treachery. <br />
<br />
After he departs, our heroes crestfallenly reveal that they have not found any artwork fitting the blue woman's high standards. She is disappointed, but not surprised. The party promises to further explore the Gardens in their next excursion, and with that, they leave the maze through<i> The False Chanterelle.</i>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07406069858503205248noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31717078246505923.post-39554142494590270732017-08-13T14:26:00.003-04:002017-10-07T19:38:10.957-04:00Labrys Lamia<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTfRjpLeVTGDUVclebVUqh2I0wJIE0gYw9vai4nbYHYDsqMV5zFf_dSUjummseDxmevaum_Xb9_DNw8D07D_bBS2_y__esIlIksTpsbd4Y_FxyGCtnK4J_RHUoBwjy9SJU5KGW0XNpraI/s1600/untitled.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1050" data-original-width="718" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTfRjpLeVTGDUVclebVUqh2I0wJIE0gYw9vai4nbYHYDsqMV5zFf_dSUjummseDxmevaum_Xb9_DNw8D07D_bBS2_y__esIlIksTpsbd4Y_FxyGCtnK4J_RHUoBwjy9SJU5KGW0XNpraI/s320/untitled.png" width="219" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Simon Bull, 2006</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<i>The Maze of the Blue Medusa has always been a place for dangerous and unwanted things: in its halls exist malformed children of unholy unions, deadly art and architecture, and worse. Its mysteries beckon adventurers from all over; today, four have answered the call. These children of gods, brought together by chance, each seek their own answers within the maze. Little do they know that while many of its inhabitants were brought here due to the changing tides of culture, some of them are turning out to be quite deserving of their imprisonment...</i><br />
<br />
I've been wanting to run this since it was released in 2016. Maze of the Blue Medusa, written by Patrick Stuart and Zak S., is a megadungeon set inside a massive labyrinth. It's a bit Stonehell, a bit Tomb of Horrors, a bit Painted World of Ariamis, and a whole lot of the weirdness I've come to expect from Patrick and Zak. Suffice it to say, I'm a fan. <br />
<br />
The module is system-neutral, which I have decided to take full advantage of by running it in Kevin Crawford/Sine Nomine's <i>Godbound </i>system. In it, the characters play demigods, and the sort of world-rending power usually associated with high level play -- resurrection, shaping earth, making oneself immune to damage -- are available from the start. In most other dungeons, this would be a disastrous upheaval of the power dynamic (there's a reason all the Godbound modules I found were sandboxes), but I've found it works incredibly well with the weird, pseudo-godlike nature of most of the creatures within the maze.<br />
<br />
That being said, I have had to make some changes to allow for a tighter dungeoncrawl experience. For those familiar with the system, this is what I've done:<br />
<ul>
<li>Fray dice have been removed, as have Influence, Dominion, and the Apotheosis word</li>
<li>Each character gains 1 HP from a short rest, taking approximately 10 minutes. Random encounters are rolled during this time as usual.</li>
<li>The dungeon resets every night, so here is no sleeping within it. All characters must be outside by the end of the session or die (this is less severe than it sounds, as the dungeon is for the most part laid out on a single level).</li>
</ul>
During character creation, I asked each player three questions about their prospective demigod: who is their divine parent, how do their character normally interact with mortals, and what does their character seek inside the maze. With that, let us meet our prospective heroes...<br />
<br />
<b>Kellen Nancy</b>, child of Anansi. Words are Endurance, Luck, and Passion. Born of the spider gods dream, he has made it his mission to find and help the worlds most hopeless person. He has reason to believe he (she?) resides within the maze.<br />
<br />
<b>Eizen</b>, son of Atlas. Words are Earth, Might, and Sun. A thrill-seeker who has spent a lifetime travelling the world in search of fun and profit. His journey in the maze was sparked by boredom, and a lust for unique sights and experiences not found in our world.<br />
<br />
<b>Nemora</b>, son of Apollo and an unnamed Titan. Words are Earth, Endurance, and Sword. Trapped in a cave by his parents at a young age, he befriended Gaia, who eventually freed him. Since then, he has wandered the lands, training in every style and stance. He has entered the maze seeking a sword with the power to kill his parents.<br />
<br />
<b>Kali</b>, daughter of Hades and Persephone. Words are Death, Fertility, and Health. Born in Erebus, she knew her mothers touch only four months out of every year. After earning her freedom, she set out on a quest to find a way to give her mother the same. <br />
<br />
Stay tuned for the next installment, dear reader.<br />
<h4>
</h4>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07406069858503205248noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31717078246505923.post-32955342061572171262017-08-13T10:50:00.004-04:002018-03-07T00:40:53.070-05:00Welcome to Feyfield Academy<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzJhOyvUtpxKXQGWqArwR5bEQMJNr0SMStShaTQBxsJ3HXbWJ5YDE0Yl9CRNYRwXxE0VutrAiWSy7Vk19nK93h_uAM6HoI7ZIHpNgI0wAwklGh1QphfxHvtxDAgUp19k58DTG1C9fG0FI/s1600/tumblr_oeni7c3Mim1qaf396o1_r1_500.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="from The Widow’s Broom - Chris Van Allsburg, 1992" border="0" data-original-height="627" data-original-width="357" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzJhOyvUtpxKXQGWqArwR5bEQMJNr0SMStShaTQBxsJ3HXbWJ5YDE0Yl9CRNYRwXxE0VutrAiWSy7Vk19nK93h_uAM6HoI7ZIHpNgI0wAwklGh1QphfxHvtxDAgUp19k58DTG1C9fG0FI/s320/tumblr_oeni7c3Mim1qaf396o1_r1_500.png" title="" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chris Van Alsburg</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzJhOyvUtpxKXQGWqArwR5bEQMJNr0SMStShaTQBxsJ3HXbWJ5YDE0Yl9CRNYRwXxE0VutrAiWSy7Vk19nK93h_uAM6HoI7ZIHpNgI0wAwklGh1QphfxHvtxDAgUp19k58DTG1C9fG0FI/s1600/tumblr_oeni7c3Mim1qaf396o1_r1_500.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em;"></a><i>In the deepest forests of the Sylphenland there is a school unlike any other. From every corner of the four continents students come to learn the secrets of witchcraft, alchemy, and enchantments. Built directly upon the largest fairy hill in Lithica, for centuries Feyfield Academy has been the mithril standard in teaching the magical sciences. But dark clouds have settled upon the once-shining palisades of this ancient citadel, and an unease falls over the new student congregation as they enter these ancient halls. What will they discover during their mystic lessons? Who will fall victim to the dangers that lurk in the forest of the fey? Come, dear reader, as we explore the seven year journey of the last students of Feyfield Academy. </i><br />
<br />
Feyfield Academy is an upcoming Beyond the Wall campaign based in and around a magical school. The player characters start the game as fresh-faced 13-year old students entering their first year, with each session covering the events of a year at Feyfield.<br />
<br />
All characters will be mages, or multiclassed with a bit of mage in them. Together, over the course of seven sessions, they will discover the dark secrets of the academy, the fairy hill it sits on, and perhaps even themselves.<br />
<br />
Inspiration: Harry Potter, Little Witch Academia, Patrick Rothfuss (I only read the first one), <a href="http://charminglyantiquated.tumblr.com/post/157198258378/coexisting-with-the-fair-folk-who-have-taken-up">this tumblr post</a>, <a href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/239564826/faeries-of-the-faultlines-an-art-book-by-iris-comp">Faeries of the Faultlines</a> <br />
<br />
I imagine a world where the strange and the magical are more than just accepted, they are an integral part of daily life. Outside of the academy, strange creatures -- some good, some decidedly not -- stalk in the woods and gardens, older than time itself. The Fey themselves are alien, terrifying in their power and ability to manipulate others. You should never trust them.<br />
<br />
I'll probably post more about the setting in the coming weeks/months while I finish up MotBM. Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07406069858503205248noreply@blogger.com0