Tatterdemalion's page

...Will do.

By your command,
-rob

Wow.

Now, Rob, send me $10,000...

Jack

Ben Ehrets wrote:

I'm also curious from this conversation to know if people use the multi-class experience point penalties for disparity of levels in a non-favored class...

...Prestige classes I find are different, and I don't enforce an XP penalty for them...

Celric

I most certainly do enforce XP penalties on multiclassed characters -- not doing so leaves too much cheese available, methinks.

I don't for prestige classes, though. I think WotC's decision to change that is ill-considered (at best). I suspect that some prestige classes, in the process of collecting all the prerequisites, can't be acquired without incurring a penalty.

Personally, I think the 3.5-revision writers didn't understand (or perhaps deliberately abandoned, though I don't think so) some of the fundamental intent of prestige classes.

Regards all,

Jack

...Other than the worms in his undead, I don't really see how he fits into the Wind Duke Vs Chaos plot so far in the AoW campaign, although I guess his worms feature in episode 3.

ASEO out

My impression is that he doesn't fit in -- what we see in Whispering Cairn is an incidental overlap in the Wind Dukes' story and Kyuss' activities. It seems to be little more than coincidence.

Jack

*Gasp*... *cough*! *cough*! *cough*!

Sorry, I could not hold one more day...

LOL!

It would be nice if someone at Paizo could collect all the names and email addresses of those who have posted at least once on this Thread and send them a warning email when the Overload is online. It would allow me to stop checking Paizo's website every other hour. Me, sadistic? Nooooooo!! ;-)

Bocklin

How 'bout them actually emailing the thing to us? :)

Jack

Will you be holding your breath?

Actually, I will :)

I have every faith that Dungeon's staff is moving as fast as they can on it. I'm also benefitting from not starting the campaign until late this month (or maybe even September).

I've said before that (so far) AoW brings back everything that was good about the old GH adventures/supplements -- I think it'll be worth the wait.

Regards all,

Jack

So when do we get to see the Overload?

This week ;)

I agree that multiclassing is sort of disappointing (though it's not hard to think of useful combinations).

This is how I usually think about it: in a party of 8th level characters, the person who multiclassed is roughly equivalent to two 4th level characters -- an 8th level can take out two 4th levels any day (especially when only one of the low level characters can act in a given round).

That said, I've multiclassed before, and I will again -- it's about cool characters, not optimized (Living Greyhawk-style) combat specialists.

kie-OOSS

I'm not Dungeon/Dragon staff, but of this I'm certain, getting it essentially from the horse's mouth :)

Whatever that means...

Jack

...Most of the thread here is folks calling people whiners because they ask when something is coming...

Actually, I think the 'whiner' accusation started when the same question and complaint was repeatedly made during in the same day, often by the same people.

Repetition is what got under people's skins (certainly mine).

Regards :)

Jack

PS and on a more constructive note, thanks Erik!

I am wondering how long we will run with this thread.

Rooster

See the 'Failed Wil Save' thread. Well over twice this long and people still wouldn't call it quits :/

Later all :)

Jack

I just got 125 -- does anyone know the font used for the headers in Seekers of the Silver Forge?

I tend to put a lot of effort into handouts and written material for our games, and I like the font.

Thanks :)

Jack

Even if the supplement is late, at some point the criticism become excessive -- I think that point was reached a while back.

Justify it all you want, it's still excessive.

Regards all,

Jack

...That does not mean we're not entitled to what we were told we'd get and what we paid for. I mean all you guys telling people to "stop whining", you do understand that the customer is entitled to what he was promised and paid for, right?

But no one has paid for an issue of Dungeon with the expectation that Denizens of Diamond Lake was in it.

Regards,

Jack

... or the vilest ones will simply eat their own dung.

Ewwww!

Now I'm going to have to include toilets in dungeons to avoid thinking about that :/

Not that Vecna-cultists would surprise me with anything they do -- or dwarves...

:P

Jack

For some historic accuracy...

Thankfully, the D&D universe is not historically accurate -- it has healthy inhabitants, literacy, typically wide-ranging freedoms, relatively fair treatment of individuals under the law, etc.

Perhaps they don't have the need for potty-breaks either :P

Regards,

Jack

I second that :)

Fantastic job from all the Dungeon staff!

Jack

In my experience the difference between N and NE is too minute to even notice most of the time .... we needed to gift five children and two ogers to an insane number of ghosts. We bought the children from a somewhat corrupt orphenage manager (something I think is easily identifiable as evil) then spent an hour debating over wether or not .... We eventualy went after the two evil ogres and did the city a huge favor, something which helped us in the end but seemed very out of character for what our party is supposed to be.

Let me assure you that your characters never strayed into the Good alignment regions in this scenario -- or even Neutral :o

And "too minute to notice" is a fairly big exaggeration.

My two cents :)

Jack

Yes -- the sheer volume of rules we need in this game (and number of places we need to look for them) is dizzying.

Jack
overworked DM :P

...While I enjoy Forgotten Realms and ran the Night Below supplement in that world, nothing compares to the gritiness of Greyhawk.

I mean, there is no Elminister around to save your ass if you get in trouble. For that matter, if you are above 10th lvl in Greyhawk you are someone to be reckoned with, whereas in FR you are Average Joe.

So I love seeing more Greyhawk set in 3rd Edition, since it feels more anchored and character actions seem to have more meaning. My two cents.

I have that same sense. Even the epic personalities of Greyhawk remain in the background, never taking center stage.

I like to think that Greyhawk is about the PCs. The pivotal events of the world are adventures we play -- Robilar didn't sack the Temple of Elemental Evil, we did! :)

Just a copper or two more...

Regards,

Jack

“Downer” contextualizes a myriad of races, classes, spells, scenarios, motifs, and settings which are all integral to Dungeons and Dragons. Kyle Hunter’s serial is an excellent, albeit often convoluted, representation of a fantasy realm, complete with archetypal characters and plot situations.

Personally, I find Hunter’s angular and dynamic style to be quite intriguing and I look forward to enjoying the continuing adventures of the drow in “Downer.”

I was less intrigued by Wheaton’s work, which lacked the presence of Dungeons and Dragons that I anticipate in Dungeon, an official Dungeons and Dragons magazine. The article did not seem to work in this context, whereas Kyle Hunter’s art does. It explores and enhances Dungeons and Dragons, Wheaton failed to do so accurately.

OK, who let the English major out :)

BTW very nicely (and IMHO accurately) put.

Regards,

Jack

Hey Erik,

Does it suck having only PH deities to work with? I mean outside the context of Greyhawk, it's feasible these deities could merge. But given the history of the three deities, it's not likely at all. You'd think Tharizdun or Incabulos would be part of that action.

There's no action to be part of -- it's all a ruse the misguided cultists are being jerked around with.

Not only is it unlikely, it's not happening in the campaign.

Jack

...I had everburning torches put in all the lanterns, and they managed to use them to good effect...

Sorry to point this out, but everburning torches use continual flame, and thus create no heat.

Jack

One of Erik's players has posted in the Campaign Journals section -- the first journal posting for Tyralandi Scrimm was for 3 Richfest (just before Midsummer's Day).

That said, I don't (yet) see any compelling reason to favor one starting date/season over another; we'll see what the wilderness adventures expect, though.

In a similar vein, any ideas about how much time should elapse between installments?

Regards,

Jack

*still fails to grasp why large is considered a benefit*

Just my two cents: with care you can take big advantage of the half-ogre's reach. Any character that wants to melee attack you must enter a threatened square (10 ft away) and then leave that threatened square to reach you, provoking an attack of opportunity.

And imagine giving the character a Large spiked chain :o

I can think of a number of other ways to wreak havoc with that reach. I had a discussion with a buddy -- we agree that stat bonuses alone cease to mean much at higher levels. But the reach never goes away, and always means something in melee.

I think it's worth the +1 ECL, despite the -1 on attack/AC.

Admittedly, the half-ogre isn't good for much beyond fighter/barbarian.

Given the effectiveness of a half-ogre's melee attacks, I consider this a biggie.

Regards,

Jack
big half-ogre fan,
who's convinced someone in the group he's DMing to play one, because they are so cool :)

Personally, I like paladins just the way they are.

They have an amazing collection of abilities, compensated by a very restrictive code of behavior. LG is arguably the most ideologically narrow alignment available -- I think its a good fit.

Just my two coppers.

Jack

I'm also a Greyhawker from way back -- I went *far* out of my way to get the Dungeon issues with the four maps; I also ordered the Hardby and Bright Desert back issues. Now AP2/AoW is going to get me to subscribe; this is all because of Greyhawk content.

It's not irrelevant that, as an older customer, I have more cash to spend on magazines and (expensive) products -- WotC should think about that, methinks.

I'm trying to understand what WotC wants out of Dungeon. Do FR or Eberron adventures increases Dungeon sales?

Perhaps more importantly, is there reason to believe (market research or whatever) that FR or Eberron content in Dungeon increases sales in the D&D line?

Later,

Jack

I'm sure neither we nor Dungeon have any choice -- if WotC says these are the new stat blocks, they are.

Of course, I love them :)

Jack

Forgive me -- I'm a bit slow :)

Was Denizens of Diamond Lake completely displaced from Dungeon 125? (Wow, a lot of alliteration!)

Perhaps more to the point, will the online pdf contain that material in its entirety?

Thanks,

Jack

What Mathieu said has me thinking about this: the 'Good Old Days' of D&D (which included WoG) were characterized by there being more adventure modules than supplements and sourcebooks. While sourcebooks are good, TSR was as into adventures as the players.

It just doesn't seem that way anymore.

And, of course, that's why Dungeon (and AP2) is so great -- it's all about adventures.

Regards all,

Jack

Diamond Lake was an important location in the Doomgrinder, but saw little development there -- the mayor was a significant NPC, mentioned by name.

To my knowledge, there has been no other mention in GH literature.

As I've said elsewhere, I think AP2 is Greyhawk at its best -- an original plot with a location that is new for us, but is recognizably (an important) part of the World of Greyhawk.

Jack

Erik:

If you are free to respond, I'm curious -- do Greyhawk-specific adventures sell less well than generic scenarios, or scenarios specific to a supported campaign?

Thanks,

Jack

I have a feeling that the "Age of Worms" adventure path in Dungeon is going to have a map of the "Free City" that looks pretty much like Greyhawk.

I think Erik stated recently that the Free City would *not* get a map in AP2.

My guess is that such a map would hurt the series' ability to remain somewhat generic.

Regards,

Jack

My take on it -- there are five critical functions in a party:

1) Combat Hog -- dish out lots of damage on the front line; since he/she *is* on the front line, needs to be able to absorb lots of damage (lots of hp) or avoid the damage (high AC). Barbarian, fighter, ranger, paladin.

2) Offensive spells -- no substitute for the awesome might of a fireball :) Wizard or sorceror.

3) Deal with traps and locks. Rogue. If you can't get past the front door and the trap just after it, the group won't get much done.

4) Heal. Cleric or lots of potions.

5) Deal with undead. Cleric. Or the Run feat :)

If the players can deal with these with other classes, I encourage and applaud them, and I've seen it done -- but it can be hard to pull off.

In my book, Druids and Bards are good for roleplaying, but can't adequately fill any of the fundamental roles; in the end they are mediocre at everything they do. Finally, Monks can fill the combat role if they are tough.

My two cents.

Regards,

Jack

Living Greyhawk play is completely separate from Dungeon magazine scenarios. You can get credit (points) with RPGA for for playing Dungeon adventures, but there is no credit within LG for such play.

Furthermore, I would be shocked if any crossover takes place. LG writing and plot development is very different from that of Dungeon.

Regards,

Jack

... It's one thing america really lacks. 1000s of years of civilization...

Some may disagree -- Mayans, Incans, Aztec, etc. Some left spectacular remains, others left virtually nothing. I suspect competitive, warlike cultures tended to leave behind sturdy, long-lasting buildings and fortresses.

You're right though, the sheer volume of cool structures left behind in Britain at all levels is awe-inspiring :)

Jack

This thread brings up an interesting point: Where can PCs get magic items crafted for them in the town of Diamond Lake? It's been established that they will indeed collect a fair amount of coins and saleable goods during their dungeon-delving (assuming they survive, and don't skip too many sites and chambers)... so where do they have to go to spend these things or exchange them for magical items?

Personally, I don't like letting PCs buy magic in a campaign. It doesn't feel like hard-earned treasure (to me) if they can buy stuff that didn't happen to show up in the dungeon.

If they do want additional or different magic, that's what item creation feats are for...

My two coppers :)

Jack

The new stat blocks are great, and they've been long overdue.

It was a peculiar thing -- player's information is easy to reference (on large character sheets), even though a player is likely familiar with all the character's abilities.

Presumably to save space in books, stat blocks were kept as concise as possible; the information was there, but had to be hunted down. This despite the fact that the DM might have *a dozen or more* characters/monsters to handle.

Excellent job WotC -- Wow, I can't believe I said that :o

Jack

I'm sure Rel is to blame, not Erik :)

Thanks, Eric :)

Our group is likely going to have a cleric of Wee Jas. I see the nearby temple will be described in 125 -- will the Cult of the Green Lady be detailed in the accompanying web enhancement?

That would work out well for us; because of player schedules we won't start until early August, after I've received and digested 125. In any event, will there be any big deviations from mainstream Wee Jas-worship?

Thanks (again),

Jack

PS this campaign is great so far! This represents Greyhawk products at their best -- taking a known but undeveloped region and building an interesting, original plot around it. I thought 'Return to the ToEE' left a lot to be desired -- and the "Return to" books were driving me batty. Kudos to the entire Age of Worms team! Go Wormies!

My two cents on fantasy world-pronunciation: whatever sounds the least silly to you and your players :)

I favor the a's sounding as they do in far, with the q sounding like a cross between k and qu (more k). The double-a stretches the syllable out slightly.

Jack

What is the Cult of the Green Lady? (see Diamond Lake Boneyard)

I *think* the Green Lady was an outcast priestess of Wee Jas, from the Doomgrinder supplement; beyond that, I know nothing, though presumably the Cult are her followers.

Any information, official or otherwise?

Thanks :)

Jack

Just joining in the praise :)

I've been playing D&D on and off for a long time (more off in recent years), and I'm getting back into it -- in no small degree because of Dungeon.

Furthermore, I'll be starting my (first) subscription soon.

Good Job, Erik and all the folks at Dungeon magazine.

Regards,

Jack

Doomsday cults are good -- 16th level adventurers surely have more important things to worry about than looting treasure chests.

I think at that level they *should* be saving the world.

My two cents, probably not worth that :)

Jack

Here's an idea: another column with author name recognition -- Rob Kuntz could write 'Robilar's Rant.'

I'm only half joking.

Regards,

Jack

I've found Wil Save to be uninteresting filler in Dungeon, but I didn't find it's presence objectionable -- why should I?

I have, however, found many of the vociferous attacks on the column (and especially its author) to be quite objectionable. Whether or not you like his material, common decency demands a level of respect and consideration often absent on this messageboard.

Regards all,

Jack

PS first-time poster; sorry it was to complain :/
All-in-all I love following this list's discussions.