Taricus's page

Improv is definately the key, but it can be tough for DM's that haven't practiced it a bit. In my normal campaigns that I create, almost everything is improved, except the main story and how it flows, but improv also gives me an advantage with PC decisions. If they do something that I hadn't anticipated, which they usually do (*shakes a fist at the sky*), then I quickly think about how it affects the story and what *would* happen. Whether it'z a potential ally becoming undead, because they abandonned them out of mistrust; or, an ambush later, because the compound was on alert. Villians don't like it when their nefarious plots are discovered by heroes, and even an accidental visit can make them a bit paranoid and on guard. I totally agree with Chef about the ambushes...

Considering your unique situation, the leaders of the fighting unit would see that their lack of pursuit meant that they either weren't prepared and were at a disadvantage, or would expect them to set up a defensive situation for an ambush themselves. Those NPC's have a greater knowledge of the dungeon, tho. So, if you see that they have a way of getting around to attack from more than one entrance, that'z a plus, and a surprise to the characters (especially in their weakened state). It helps them get to the soft middles and rears of their part (mainly casters). Whatever was their main focus to achieve victory in the first battle, they will try to find a way to exploit it in the 2nd... They have the benefit of previously fighting them (unlike most monsters in a dungeon that die or are never seen again), and can use that knowledge to their advantage. If they are badly weakened, they may even fall back more, or get reinforcements somewhere else before the attack--but be careful with low lvl chars... they're a bit fragile :P

If you think that they would form a counter-attack against the PC's, role-play with them about setting up camp, throwing in a few creepy bits about shadows flickering on walls and some bit... Something easy that doesn't require much thought and promotes role-playing between the players (so that they'll distract themselves... (also, asking what people are doing as they are getting ready to rest makes them talk a bit as you think and covers the fact that you are thinking of what the NPC's will do)) Think fast, but you don't have to think too hard. And remember, you can always draw it out a lil bit by taking the order they take watch and playing with the chars a bit, describing random noises or delusions, while u set urself up... You won't make your players wait and the game will go on (only it involves more role-playing); and, you will buy yourself some time without looking suspicious. :)

The biggest key with improv and it'z greatest advantage is that it tends to allow the players control that you can't get by leading them by the reins... Just because an adventure says that so-and-so retreats to this room, doesn't mean that'z the only option. The easiest path to take in a pre-made adventure is to follow it explicitly, but that'z not always the best option,--because no matter how hard the original author tried to anticpate PC actions, they can't anticipate them all. Only you as DM have the ability to flesh them out completely and to make the decisions neccessary for your game.

And for any advanced DM's out there, try this one... Next time you have a fresh campaign or a bunch of people who want to play but you have nothing planned... Ask them what they want... Some simple one-line plot hook, and then build on their idea and flesh it out thru improv... It starts out slow, but booms fast; and, it'z a guarantee to get ur players to role-play. When they see an idea that they collaborated together end up turning into a campaign, they will love it.

It'z a nice change of pace if you're the Chaotic-type DM :P

Hey Taricus,

A creature that has become undead cannot be raised via the raise dead spell. Resurrection works fine though, as long as the undead abomination was destroyed first.

Kewl, thanx!

An NPC that was the best friend of one of the PC's had fallen in a battle with a wight. The NPC ended up rising as a wight and then attacked the party. (Which was so horrible to that PC, in particular, that he refused to attack her and lost some levels in the process... (she was shouting about how he caused it to happen and stuff, cuz her undead hatred of the living perverted the way she felt--freaky stuff LOL)) The other PC's dispatched her, emotionally, and they all took her to a large city nearby to hopefully get her raised from the dead.

My question is: Can someone who has fallen into the ranks of the undead be later raised from the dead? At the time, I ruled that a Ressurection spell would work, but that a Raise Dead spell couldn't. I really don't know how this would work and I can't find anything on it. I think I remember reading somewhere that it works that way, but it would be very unlikely as they are usually unwilling to return once they have changed to the undead (Her character was very concerned about a doppleganger which was hired as an assassin to take over her father's identity to help with a nearly bloodless coup of the city by a neighboring city. So, I figured that was reason enuff to come back to life--to at least make sure her father was okay.).

It would be nice to know how I *should* be handling this, cuz my campaign has alot to do with a cult to a forgotten, vampiric dragon-god (but don't tell them that! SHHHH! LOL :P). I'm sure they're going to face alot more level-draining undead. MUAHAHAHAHA *grins evilly*

Do you all think I handled it correctly? What suggestions do you have?

Glad to hear that! We're certainly glad that the truth is out there and the whole community doesn't blame us for his departure. ;) As you can see from the original post of this thread, though, not everyone has been able to hear what really happened. So until everyone hears the real story we'll just keep repeating it. :)

Pffft! Just Geas him! Oh wait... yea, that whole reality thing... *wanders off, aimlessly*

Robert Head wrote:

You're still a half-elf (half-human), just with the "half-dragon" template. : )

Reminds me of a line from the Beattle's Yesterday: "I'm not half-again the man I used to be..."

U know that Boyz II Men made a remake of that song in the late 90's? It held true to the original. Well, as much as it can when you switch the song to R&B. It'z a really nice bit, tho. :) You should check it out, if you haven't heard it, yet.

Yea, I was just playin', but since we're actually talking about it: I think that it doesn't matter. It'z all a matter of semantics heheh. --but u'd have to be right, anyways. The half-dragon template is just to display my character having awakened the dragon heritage flowing inside him. A class can't change ur very make-up. The prestige class only brings out the natural hidden talents that your heritage makes possible.

or sumpthin'.... LOL

--and Mike... I LOVE that song! LOL Now I have to listen to it cuz u got it stuck in my head LOL.

"I'm not half-again the elf I used to be..."

I gotta agree that Downer is a Downer. It seems more like a sort of inside joke rather than a comic. I don't really get it, nor am I interested in it enough to even care about it.

It's just two pages of the mag that I skip through each month.

I would have to agree. I started reading Downer at the beginning, but lost interest in either its 2nd or 3rd appearance. However, I'm not going to get upset about 2 pages. *shrug* I likes me the rest of the mag; and, it'z more than enuff to entertain me. I would rather skip the 2 pages every month like Brad--instead of everyone else being unhappy, cuz it was gone.

Just my 2 cp (lol old skool)

kILL MY PCS'S WHEN I'M ON AN EVIL STREAK, i USE HORRIBLE RENDING SOUNDS, complete wityh blood and gore sounds, I then pull out an axe(we play outside) and chop it to bite with the players looking on with a horrific gaze on their face

uhhhh.... *Hide Check*

I take them out and save them. I don't plan on using them, but you never know when they'll come in handy. I have a big pile of inserts somewhere. I'm a little bit of a packrat, when it comes to D&D gearz. I usually end up using almost everything, prob just not the way it was intended. meh...

The bad part is that I get waaaay too creative with the glue. I take it off the magazine, very carefully, and then stick it just under my nose like a big hanging booger and try to hug my cats. It's fun to watch them freak out. They get this cute little look on their face. Their lil' noses wrinkle up and they back off, like I'm gross or something.

*cat runs away* "WHY WON'T YOU LOVE ME?!?! ALL I WANT IS LOVE!!!"

I really need to grow up. LOL

I know this has no hold on true D&D, but in NWN I was a half-elf. Upon reaching epic levels with the new Hordes of Underdark expansion, I've started downt eh path of Red Dragon Disciple. Now, when I reach 10th-lvl, I become a half-dragon. Does that make a 1/3 elf, 1/3 dragon, 1/3 human? Or, am I 1/4 elf, 1/4 human...er...wait...that doesn't make sense...

Am I half-elf-half-dragon-half-human....er wait....

My head hurts....

I think Vin Diesel has said what his favorite character's name was.... I have no idea where, tho... I think it started with an M tho.... So sayeth Taricus... or sumpthin' (I'll have to find that reference.... Just think... I could be Sage Taricus--rivaling the power of the current sage, but mastering random D&D trivia, instead of game rules.... Ah... The POWER! I could take over WORLDS!!! MUAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAH! oh wait... maybe not....)

And, yea, u were thinking of a diff mag, Tony...

Another note on readability:

I'm not the only one to have read the feat, Slow Maturation, wrong. Couldn't you have named it Mature Slowly? Would have caused less giggles from my group... LOL (We're so immature :P )

I still play 3.0, but plan to play 3.5 whenever I really get around to it... Don't really feel like changing my campaign over, yet. I have a player who is stuck in 2nd and she just gets so upset that I'm moving on to later editions, cuz I'm her DM. (Granted, I still play the older versions a little.)

I do look forward to eventually using 3.5 though. I don't see why it could be such a problem, especially considering how fun 3.5 looks. The developers made some great changes, they added ALOT to the game, also. It's not just the same game with a different rule set. They really did expand the game and make it better, in my opinion. -but, meh, maybe I'm just easy like that :P

wow, that'z an odd word to block... :/

Fire ants have poisonous bites... --and you know those big scarey moths that perch on your garage door and stare at you, menacingly, with green ichor dripping from their ravenous jaws as they take flight towards your neck; causing you to leap back into your house? They bite... (Really, there are some big moths and I hear they eat other smaller bugs. These things are like at least 3-4 inches long from little moth head to little moth butt.)

Plus, there's probably a lack of tasty flowers on the Plane of Shadow, along with the problem of pollen not being too fulfilling to something big enough for people to ride on.

--but why don't they describe the deinonychus with feathers?! That lil bugger was the ancestor for microraptor (lil feathered raptor that glided from tree to tree like a flying squirrel. I would want to clone me a pet microraptor, but I think it'd prob bite me...) My world can not go on.... :/