Amber Scott's page

There are times when I'll simply declare 'miss' and watch him protest, saying "That should hit - why didn't it hit?"...and then reply, "There are variables at work that you have no perception of, nor am I obligated to reveal them to you - your character is not omnicient."

...which is a nice, game-mechanics way of saying, "You missed because I wished you to."

Honestly, if I found out my DM was doing this regularly, I'd probably quit. If you're going to take over my character for me, why am I even playing? If a DM wants to make "a story" over a game, then he should be writing novels.

A game requires the involvement of all participants. Taking power away from your characters (not limiting it but taking it away) hamstringing them, forcing them to take certain options, railroading them - it turns the game into something only the DM is playing. Everyone else is just along for the ride.

Some players enjoy that, and if everyone is having fun, you're playing it the right way. But I don't find that fun at all.
The fact that my DM gives me responsibility makes for some of the most powerful and moving campaigns I've ever had the joy to play.

-Amber S.

I don't see how you can prevent them from attacking the king, though. Other than by refusing to DM for them.

And for that matter, you probably shouldn't DM for them. A DM who holds his players' idea of fun in contempt is just asking for trouble. As are they by having a DM who thinks they're juvenile idiots.

There is only one right way to play D&D: the fun way. Obviously the players in this case are playing it the right way, because they are having fun. The DM is playing it wrong, because he's not. That's not to say he has to change and play it his players' way; it means he has to find people who enjoy his style of play and respond to it. Then he'll have fun and also be playing it the right way.

Sometimes I like high-powered games where I just go around smiting things. If a DM thinks that's the wrong or not-fun way to play and is going to look down on me for that, why is he even DMing for me?

-Amber S.

I'd have to say it's your players. I've known "roleplayers" who wouldn't know a good story if it bit them in the rear, and "powergamers" who are the most talented storytellers and actors I've ever had the pleasure to know.

It's not the system, it's the players. IMHO.

-Amber S.

They are having serious internet issues at Paizo. Their email is down and I imagine updating the site is a low priority right now. Hopefully things'll get fixed in a few days. :-)

-Amber S.

Despite years and years of DMing, I've never gotten the "trick" of writing prepared adventures. Feedback like this is enormously helpful. Thanks, Erik!

-Amber S.

Mine are even more realistic. I plan on completing my fantasy novel and making my partner read it.

I've already accomplished that bit, so I had to move on to grander dreams. :-)

-Amber S.

My dreams are much more modest and realistic. I plan on selling my fantasy novel and making thousands. :-p

-Amber S.

Indeed. :D

And I believe you said something a while back about pictures..? O:-)

Yeah, Sim tried to get in as well, but Chuko told him he's too frail. ;D

And after Sim totally saved our butts from the burning skeletons, too.

This rocks more than anything has rocked before.

No, the pit master ("Hoss") would only allow 3 of us in the pit. So Ursula, Adso, and Chuko are taking it on. :-D

I dropped to -9 last night! Scary!

I also remember this:

Willip (NPC): "He's a changeling."
Ursula: "What's a changeling?"
Sim: "Someone who changes shape, like me."
Ursula: "Wait, there are more of you?"

Good show, Chris! And good luck!

Drow are not only an elf subrace, but they give different stat bonuses and favored classes to the males and females. So I'd say it's definitely possible.

-Amber S.

Wow, you framed your posters? Cool! I just taped mine together with clear packing tape and then taped it onto the wall.

I did the same to my 4-part FR map and it's survived shipping 7 times. It's been folded and re-folded so much that it's got permanent creases and frays. But I think it just gives it character, and I love having it on my wall. Every time we move, we put our FR map up first. Makes the new place feel like home. :-)

-Amber S.

I copy/paste the Disclosure Form into a Word document, type my name and address in (along with all other pertinent information), and attach it to my query/submission. I've never had a problem.

I've always found the current guidelines to be adequate - more than adequate, actually, compared to some of the magazines out there.

-Amber S.

Edit: And should I ever sell an adventure, I'd be happy to post my query here. :-)

More than a week if you ask me. :p

If you only ever see one movie with...

Muppets in it (actors?), see "Muppet Treasure Island".
A treasure map in it (uhh...prop?) see "Goonies".
Tim Curry in it (human male actor) see "Clue" (after Muppet Treasure Island).
Quentin Tarantino directing, see "Kill Bill vol. 1".
Kenneth Branagh just talking (voice actor?) see "The Road to El Dorado".
Jennifer Connely (human female actress) see "Labyrinth".
Zombies (are they creatures or objects?) see "Pirates of the Caribbean".

If you only ever see one movie, see "The Princess Bride".

Hmm, I'm sensing a theme in my picks...

Edit: I can spell!

Oh, sweet! You have made me more happy than I deserve to be.

*returns to cloud 9*

-Amber

Hi, Keith! :-D

-Amber S.

My Thursday night game that I DM meets from 5-9 online. We usually get a good 3-4 hours of solid gaming in.

On Saturdays I DM as well, but it's more casual. Usually my friend comes over sometime in the afternoon and I DM him and my husband for a few hours.

On Wednesdays I play at Paizo, in Jason B's and Wes's games, usually from 7 - 11 or so. But there's lots of goofing off so we don't get 4 straight hours of gaming in...I want to say about 3 hours intermixed with goofing.

-Amber S.

It's easy as pie. :-) Just follow this link.

--> LINK

Good luck!

No, it's a lot off-topic. :-)

Algolei: You're being silly again, aren't you? Well if you're not, it's http://azure.bbboy.net/niftymessageboard And regardless, drop me a line at medesha at yahoo.com (only replacing the "at" with the little @ sign, of course). We can catch up in a non-off-topic way. :-)

Algolei!

*tacklehugs*

Did not know you posted here, silly pony!

Zherog wrote:

It gets worse. :D One detail I left out: the character belongs to my wife. :D

You must be suicidal, Zherog. Careful though, "gamemates" are still as near as I can tell a rare breed. Cudos on finding one.

:)
GGG

I'd tell him to be careful too, but since he's already killed his wife's character off once in the game, I suspect he's a lost cause. :-p

-Amber

Gee, Michael, tell us how you really feel.

That is really cool! I love it!

This isn't a player no-show story inasmuch as it is a DM-error story...I DMed a Ravenloft game once where one PC owned a riding dog named, iirc, Baxter. Well none of us, myself included, could ever remember that damn dog was in the party. The PCs would be crawling through underground tunnels and walking on narrow cliff-ledges, and then an hour later it would be, "Wait...where's Baxter?"

"Uh, he's over there..."

One of the PCs, a comic-book geek, mentioned to me eventually that in comic books, sometimes continuity errors spring up when different people write for the same line (or issue or whatever they're called). These errors are usually worked into the storyline later so that it all makes sense and was never really an error.

So a short time later the PCs accidentally stumbled through some mists and were having trouble getting back to the domain they wanted to be in. They came across a band of friendly gypsies (or whatever they're called in Ravenloft, I've forgotten) that they'd dealt with before. The PCs explained their situation, and the gypsy animal handler told them that some animals had a "sixth sense" that allowed them to find doorways in and out of the visible world. They could also find the conduits in the mists that led between domains. A strange aura surrounded the animals that affected the minds of intelligent creatures around it, making it seem that the animal's here-then-gone antics were perfectly normal. She cast a spell and - lo and behold - the party suddenly "remembered" all the times Baxter had disappeared!

And then Baxter became the party's guide through the mists and everyone thought it was cool (and funny).

-Amber S.

Consider me chastened.

Flights of Fancy offers us some more mundane equipment. I think that is wonderful. None of it seems unbalanced, which is even better. Listen checks to notice the singing arrow are an important mechanic that should have been included. If I use the arrow to warn my friends of dager, what is the likelihood that they will hear (before range penalties?)

Yay, thanks! B-) Since the arrows are meant to be heard, I would set the initial Listen DC at 0 (the same as for people talking/general noise). The good people at Dragon might have further input, though. :-)

-Amber S.

I've ordered several times from the store so far (I don't own a car, which can make shopping a pain). Good selection and everything has gone smoothly so far. Kudos!

-Amber S.

^.^

If anything, getting to know the guys has made me paranoid about turning in quality stuff. I wouldn't want them to think I'm getting comfy and slacking. :-D

Also I play on Wednesdays, not Thursdays. I know my days of the week!

(From the "Jason Bulmahn DMs Eberron" thread, only slightly expanded:)

Mike: *tries to suck up to Jason and then looks dejected* "I know, I know. I still die first."
Me: "You already died first. You're going to die second, too."

Mike seems to be in a good mood whenever I see him. Honestly, all the guys at Paizo seem really enthusiastic and good-tempered. I don't see them "at work" or during crunch time or whatever, but I always get the impression that it's a really fun, hardworking crew.

I'm still not exactly sure how I wound up gaming with them. I'd met a few of them - Erik, Wes, and James - at GenCon last year, shortly after I'd sold Eco of the Duergar. Then last November I moved to Bellevue and emailed Mike and Wes asking if they'd like to go for lunch sometime (talk about nervousness in queries - nothing compared to my nervousness in sending a lunch invitation!) Long story short, they accepted, rest of the editorial staff showed up too, good time and ice-cream was had by all, Mike asked if I was looking for a game, I said yes, Mike said, "Hey Jason, can Amber play on Thursdays?", Jason said, "Yes, alright, quit bothering me you monkey," and thus I was ingratiated into the game.

I might have a few details wrong, but that's basically how it happened. :-)

Troy, I just read "Using the Universal Language", and I had to say it was truly a D'oh article. As in, "D'oh, why didn't I think of that?" Really well done! I'm going to be playing a bard/rogue soon and I have to remember that one.

-Amber S.

Oh sure, show off how you're able to make your URLs into spiffy links. :-p

I remembered another exchange from last night.

Tim (as Visaka): *gets shot in the neck with a crossbow bolt* "Ow!"
James (as Chuko): *points* "I see him! There's the murderer!"
Visaka: "Hey, I'm not dead."
Chuko: "MURDERER!"

Nervousness is a constant, but there are degrees of it.

I'm most nervous when pitching to a new column I haven't written for yet. Sure I'm "published in Dragon", but there are lots of different departments within Dragon, and I've only gotten a foothold in two of them (Ecologies and Class Acts). So I'm a little nervous when pitching to them, but much more nervous when contemplating a feature or other department.

And there's a learning curve not just for the magazine, but for each department. I read a great book recently called "The Lie That Tells A Truth", all about fiction writing, and the author mentioned that novice writers often get discouraged when they read a 20-page short story by, say, Garcia Marquez, and then read their own short story and see how short it falls of the mark. "What they don't realize," the author writes, "is that Garcia Marquez wrote 200 pages to get those 20."

That's sort of how I feel about queries. Right now I'm at the point where I can email Mike four Class Acts ideas and be relatively certain that he'll like three of them. Recently, though, I sent Wes Schneider ten queries for Divine Inspiration/Spellcraft, and I only have a tentative maybe on one. Sure I was nervous when I sent that query, and sure I was hoping for more than one yes, but that's the price of admission to the magazine. You have to figure out what they want before you can pitch them ideas they'll buy, and sometimes the only way to figure out what they want is to pitch them ideas they don't want. When you do get an acceptance (it'll happen!), you're that much closer to being able to propose exactly what they want from the get-go.

But even then, you never really get complacent. Sure I might get eight acceptances off one query from Mike right now - but sooner or later the feature will expand, or develop in unexpected ways, or I'll use up all my "easy" pitches and have to work on more exciting and unusual ones. And all the nervousness comes rushing back.

The key thing to remember is that the editors are not rejecting you. They are rejecting your idea. And not because it's a crappy idea either (though it might be). They reject ideas because someone else beat you to it. Or because they did a lot of cleric articles lately and they don't want anymore. Or because they want lots of crunch right now and your article is fluff-heavy. Or because they want lots of fluff right now and your article is crunch-heavy. Or because they're tired of ninjas. Or because your article is about various dwarven ales and they have a hangover. You get the picture.

Wow, that was long. Hope it meant something to somebody!

-Amber S.

Yaaay, Mike was a total angel and took pics of my new mini for me! Ok, here's how she looked to start:

http://paizo.com/image/product/catalog/RPR/RPR02708_180.jpeg

And here she is in all her new painted glory! Behold Ursula Bear, shifter barbarian of doom!

http://www.verylargehats.com/ursula1.jpg
http://www.verylargehats.com/ursula2.jpg

I know how to eat cookies!

Last night found us continuing to bother Jason. The venue, once again, was Sharn.

You mean London. ;-)

Other highlights I recall:

Jason (as the Watch Commander): "We've finished our investigation and concluded it was indeed suicide. We found a torn cloak."
Stephen (as Adso): "Nothing says suicide as conclusively as a torn cloak."

Me (as Ursula): "Shift! Rage! CHARGE!"

Mike: "You're just jealous cause you don't have a magic sword!"
Stephen: "Actually I'm jealous cause I don't have bard levels."
Mike: "Well yeah, there is that."

I can't wait for the game this week! I get all anxious when faced with cliffhangers.

*bites nails*

Also I made a mini for Ursula and brought her last week, but she came out looking more cat-woman than bear-woman. I have a new mini now that I'm going to try and put together. When I figure out how to get pics of them online I'll post them. :-)

-Amber S.

Mine was actually a solo game. The lone PC was the spoiled third son of a minor noble merchant's house. An embarrassment to his family, he liked slumming with the rogues of the dark quarter and the other disaffected noble youth. That is, until the day his father asked him to attend a special dinner at home. Martek (the PC), not being able to think of anything more boring than a family dinner, blew them off. The next day he learned his entire family had been cut down at the dinner table, and witnesses claimed it was Martek who had slain them.

Thus began a campaign of mystery, deception, double-crossing and vigilante justice where Martek strove to uncover the truth behind his family's massacre and hunt down the guilty party. It was sort of a cross between Punisher and the Crow, only in a fantasy setting. If I may be so humble as to say so, it kicked some serious ass.

I'll look over the campaign notes and see if I can come up with anything useful for you. :-)

-Amber S.

Sembia rocks. :-D My campaign has actually ended already (rockingly, I might add), so if you need any tips or adventure ideas, I'm your girl. ;-)

-Amber

I think Richard and Greg should each hold one leg of a rubber chicken while they duel. :-)

-Amber S.

Never fear, TA! Luck will appear in #331. :-)

-Amber

*blushes madly* Thanks, Troy! I hope to do some more "background" articles this year.

The really funny thing is, that background was inspired by a yearlong campaign I ran based in Saerloon. :-)

-Amber S.

I have to say one of my favourite moments in the game so far was session-before-last, on the lightning rail. The group was suspicious of a creepy elf named Vo and wanted to search his room. Ursula was elected to "distract" the elf by engaging him in conversation in the dining car.

The PCs didn't find anything suspicious in the elf's quarters - in fact, he turned out to be totally innocent. But by the time they'd finished the searching and come back to collect me, Ursula had converted to worship of the Undying Court. :-D

Moral of the story: don't leave the barbarian alone with priests.

-Amber S.

At least we didn't do terrible British accents all night. :-D

Yes I am, and thank you. :-D

I understand what you mean, Absinth. As both a DM and a player I've dealt with a lot of bad, frustrating, and boring games. Fortunately Jason B's game is none of those things.

Just because we don't roleplay serious characters doesn't mean we don't take roleplaying seriously. I think Mike does a fantastic job portraying his "bard of questionable morals", and Jason B. was fabulous enough to roll with it and let Mike's roleplaying lead us in to some really fun sessions.

James's kenku is the least serious of all the characters but he roleplays him so well, complete with hand-motions, facial expressions, and voices. He even demonstrates how Chuko walks and drinks, which is hysterical but also great roleplaying.

I like to think I do a good job of roleplaying Ursula, which is a bit of a challenge. She has an Int and Cha of 7 but I didn't want her to be all "smite this" and "act rudely that." She's more like a little kid than a big dumb barbarian, and I even have a dictionary to keep track of the words she misinterprets. :-)

Tim I think we kind of overwhelm sometimes with our eagerness to roleplay, but he does a great job - sometimes I think he's like our "straight man", rolling his eyes and giving passers-by desperate looks as if to say, "I don't really know them." His character does, too.

So just because we cut loose and have a good time doesn't mean we're not taking the game seriously. We're EXTREME, just like Eberron. :-D

-Amber S.

I remember the Morgrave University fellow telling us that the chick we wanted to see was an expert on Xen'drik.

Me/Ursula: "This woman is an expert on Xen'drik?"
Scholar: "Yes."
Me/Ursula: "'kay, cause we've got a big Xen'drik rock!"

And James stealing the skycar-summoning flag.

James: "Can I steal the flag as we climb onto the skycar?"
Jason: "Roll Sleight of Hand."
James: "Sleight of Hand...cannot be used untrained! Can I just grab it?"
Jason: "With everyone watching? Sure, you can grab the flag as you jump onto the skycar."
James: "Ok, I do that. It's red, right?"
Mike: "Is it on a nice pole or anything? Does it have a cutout of a skycar on the flag?"
James: "Is it shiny? It's shiny red, right?"
Jason: "It's just a red rag tied to a stick."
James: "Sweet." *writes it down on his character sheet*

I thought I'd post this here in case other people wanted to know the same thing. When you ask for the word count in the header of a submission, do you want us to include the title?

Just a small thing, but I was wondering. :-)

-Amber S.

I just started DMing this campaign arc on Sundays and so far it's been amazingly fun. Kudos!

But...tigers? As random encounters? I'm from Canada and was picturing a northern Alberta farmland/plains/praries sort of climate...the tigers took me by surprise. Which is bad, cause then they can pounce. Ow!

-Amber S.