Troy Taylor's page

Madonna's "Confessions on a Dance Floor."

And I don't care if everybody knows it!

Don't remember reading about any Ninjas in "Treasure Island," so the answer must be ....

Pirates!

I thought the feel of the artwork matched the creepy nature of the creatures presented. The rune golem was especially menacing.

An extrapolation of this idea would be intriguing -- perhaps not for a whole article -- but as tweaking for your adventures.

What twists could you give each of the core classes in a fey-specific campaign?

I prefer the evil domain for this one .. it adds a sinister feel to the druid. Something I think has mising for a long time.

On the other hand, if you feel Trickery domain fits better, then go for it! That's the beauty of this game. You can mix'n'match, adapt, change and toss elements up in the air and see what comes of it.

What a clever idea. Reminds me of the marks and signs hobos and other traveling people would leave on mailbox posts and sides of houses that would warn other vagabonds of dangers/hospitality to be found inside.

I can see sprinkling this into my game as a DM. PCs encounter one of these signs, and only the rogue has a clue as to what it means! (Wlll he tell the others, or keep it to himself?)

That's funny Zherog, considering as a consumer (not a writer) I generally prefer the new formats. Although as a writer I should like them, because it takes more words to say something.

I guess I'm perplexed by what seems to be a view (generally expressed on the Paizo boards and more and more in my game store) that supplemental books such as the Completes should be viewed as Core, when in fact they are options.

I don't know if this is "splat book" creep, or is just a natural progression for avid players. On the other hand, I would hate to think that occasional players are made to feel "incomplete" because they rely only on the core rules.

Maybe I just fear the game is going down the same track as 2nd edition, when players from different areas/neighborhoods/gaming groups couldn't sit down at the table and play the "same" game.

Not to play devil's advocate ... oh, what the hey!

While I'm all for improvements in the game (and I personally think the npc stat block is one of those improvements), when did the notion disappear that the core rule books were still the defacto baseline for the game?

All these innovations are appearing in supplemental materials. Generally speaking, most submissions are supposed to assume that players have the core rules. So when we submit material for any article, we work on that assumption. Even when constructing BotB items, we are supposed to utilize spells from the core rules, not from the supplments.

But in the case of both the stat block, the prestige class format and now this magic item format, the default form is from supplmental material.

This might belong in a post in a wider discussion, but does anyone else see a wider, and wider gap developing between the game's current form and its core rules? And if that gap is widening, is it a good thing?

Thoughts?

Thanks for the update Mike.

I haven't had to explain the split yet, but the explanation I've worked up in the event it occurs is this:

I envision less of a split between Tens and Allus themselves, but rather both becoming dissatisified with the Circle of Eight and its company, but at different times and circumstances.

Just because they both split with the Circle and its aims, doesn't mean they would themselves be chummy. More to the point, perhaps one (Tens) proposed a break, asking the other (Allus) to join him. At that point and time, Allus elected to stay. Tens would view that as a betrayal, if only Allus. didn't act decisively at that moment.

If Allus would later choose to leave the company of the Circle for his own reasons, it might be he still is unable to mend the original break with Tens.

The backstory in my game has more tension between Celeste and Tens. than is evident in the AoW, too. I thought Celeste, as an agent of Tens. was pretty much left out to dry in the Shackled City. (1) There has to be some resentment there; (2) Maybe Tens. is not so goody, goody as his stat bloc says he is and he still retains some yearning toward balance/neutrality.

IMHO the prequel was one of his better works. I think Jordan writes better when he writes more concisely.

Be warned, though. The bulk of the work has already seen print before. Most of the text in New Spring appeared as a short story in the first Legends athology. So don't be surprised if you've run into it before. The new material gives greater insight into Moraine's characters.

------

This is my chance to tout The Wheel of Time rpg. If you love the world Jordan created, and if you're dropping by these boards, you're probably not unfamiliar with rpgs. I think the rulebook is worth getting. The game is a lot of fun (1), and the book itself is a fair encyclopedia of the first five books (2), and it is beautifully illustrated (3). I've gotten more quality hours of rpging out of The Wheel of Time than I have any other game system. If inclined, pick it up.

In fact, a certain affinity for technology is the only cool thing gnomes have going for them, IMO.

Well, that and about a dozen of them can fit in your pocket without an encumbrance penalty. :)

Tech is merely a plot contrivance. Where do you draw the line? No gunpowder, no nails, no women's suffrage? ... It's the duty of the DM to season the stew, and find a balance that keeps his players entertained.

I'd have to agree with Kyle on that point.

While a steampunkish game like Iron Kingdoms doesn't appeal to me personally, I know that it is gaining in popularity with some younger players. For the most part, it's D&D in another wrapping; another interpretation worth exploring.
(Personally, I'd rather port D&D characters into a modern-ish setting, because I like the simplicity of working with character templates, rather than the more generic options that the d20 Modern builds offer.)
My tastes run more towards an old style Swords and Sorcercy feel, ala Iron Heroes, where magic is sinister and champions go on quests and win the day with the strength of their arms.
But objectively, that interpretation of D&D is no more valid, or should I say just as valid, as the fantastic magical world of Forgotten Realms or even the fantasy noir of Eberron.
I think what's really being debated, however, is the issue of continuity. We all hate it when a favorite character leaves/dies in an episodic TV show ... and some of us are hesitant to introduce high-tech/magic into a game that's already established as a certain setting.
I'd say, allow the new tool if it makes sense to the DM's sensibilities of the world. At the same time, while a PC should be entitled to new toys every once in a while, they have to respect the setting as well.
I've had players attempt to hijack a game in that fashion. (Perhaps that's a bit strong a term, but in effect that's what happens). Again, if the PC wanted to play a particular brand of D&D, with whatever toys that seting allows, that's the game they should find/create. But if you are already in a game, respect the setting the DM is trying to create.

Put your trust in the halberd.

There's a good reason UA discourages the use of class-based flaws.

By multiclassing, a player can create builds that nullify the penalties imposed by flaws -- while keeping the bonus feat benefits intact.

This is the basic flaw with flaws, at least in the d20 system.

Maybe I come at it from the other side of things, but the reason I love Greyhawk is because the setting isn't fleshed out -- except by ye ol' DM.

I enjoy filling in the gaps.

As wonderfully detailed as Realms, Eberron (and Judges' Guild Wilderlands, as well) are, I feel like I have to hop-scotch through those worlds to find a spot I can make my own.

Necromancer:

Mike is a gentle, wonderful soul -- quick to offer advice and suggestions to new writers. He's a best-selling editor and writer (Spell Compendium and Dragon Compendium). Any future query you submit wil certainly be evaluated with TLC

(Can you tell I'm waiting for Mike to evaluate an entry of my own?)

Does your truck still smell piney fresh, Mike?

Reading the first "Thieves' World" anthology on a lark hooked me on fantasy in general. This was while I was still in grade school. From that I met other fantasy readers, and some of them were into D&D.

I've been hooked ever since.

I have a thumb drive on my keychain. Does that count?

I have noticed that trait among several of my fellow gamers, with the exception of the ammo for firearms. That's a new one on me.

No, that was a weird mistake. I meant to say ninja.

Avast, yea, matey! Ninjas? Thar be only scallawags here!

Like sands in the hourglass .... these are the days of our lives ....

Not tired of mine (I actually love it), but I just realized I have no idea where it came from. Can you clue me in on it?

It came from a Dragon 330 article on the Shadow Elves of Xendrik in Eberron.

See the platypus ...

Feel the platypus ...

BE the platypus.

I think that for any future games I DM, I will invoke the platypus rule anytime my spellcasters forget to factor in their familiars. Their regular family will reject them and it will always be replaced by a platypus. There's no way a spellcaster can forget their familiar when it's a platypus.

Thanks for the rapid response, Mike.

Now it looks like a race with Zherog to get the query in.

Mike: A Question:

Do variant class abilities (such as variant paladin abilities found in Complete Warrior, p. 13) fall under the same category as the ban on substitution levels?

An inquiring query writer would like to know.

Thanks in advance!

So .... what you're saying is, that no one ate the dog?

Hmmmmm.

Again, though, a tip of the hat on the platypus. Subbing the hedgehog stats for the platypus makes PERFECT sense, yet I'm sure no one's ever thought of doing so. And the article is right -- a platypus is the perfect animal for an eccentric wizard.

I'm sure NPCs would take one look at the platypus and say "What the heck is that?"

Enjoyed Oliver Diaz and John E. Ling Jr.'s piece on familiars. You can never have too many options for choosing familiars. Frankly, the substitution of the platypus for the hedgehog was inspired. INspired! I say: Inspired!

I have to admit, though, that the first thought that popped into my head when I read that you'd added dog and rabbit to the familiar list was that ....

.... dogs and rabbit make very good Meals Ready to Eat.

"Your adventuring party is now exploring Maure Castle for the second straight month. Food and water have been scarce, and you haven't seen the sky in all that time. And, oh yes, your cohort is eyeing your familiar hungrily."

So who do you keep happy? The cohort or the familiar? It's not like you can order out for KFC or anything.

Is that what you meant by the "flavoring" part of the title?

Farewell2Kings, you are not paranoid ... and your words are worth considering.

The (black magic/demon-worshipping/D&D will steal your soul) backlash against gamers is very, very real in north and central Illinois. Anytime I mention that I play (or write for) D&D and rpgs, the whole witchcraft thing comes up.

(Which always has struck as somewhat ironic, given the region's early role in growing the rpg hobby).

Fantasy, as a whole, still is largely misunderstood as a genre around here. And no, this is not what you'd call fundamentalist-Bible thumping territory.

I will say, that as I attend a Congregationalist church whose founding families were all Mayflower descendents, sensitivity to anything that smacks of witchcraft remains a sore point. Congregationalist values have deep roots in the culture of the region. The baby boomer generation, including my parents, here takes a dim view of rpg hobby.

It's not that such copy causes more people to be distrustful of gaming ... it just validates their previously held stereotypes.

Does the cover copy offend me, a church-going, Sunday School teaching DM? No. But I also work in publishing, and so I appreciate provacative cover copy and artwork, marketplace considerations aside.

No question such copy can inflame the game's critics. Just as illustrations of buxom warrior elfen babes apparently outrages another aspect of the roleplaying audience. But that's a whole other debate.

It's just that demons/devils have never been a selling point for me. I know they're popular with the hobby at large. But I don't "get it," and my gaming tastes don't run in that direction. Never owned a Fiend Folio, and unlikely that I ever will.

Still the point is well taken. The game store example is exactly what came to my mind, as well.

Just call him mini-Mearls.

(I don't think Medesha's filled that much territory before. You're now one up on her!)

Sorry, 'bout the confusion. I'll go slap myself right now.

:SLAP:

If it means anything, I think you're certainly worthy of one.

I think so .... wasn't it promo'd in the most recent issue?

(If I'm wrong, I am sorry about raising expectations. Believe me, I know all about busted expectations.)

Recycling is good for the environment.

BTW, Congrats on your upcoming feature.

Want some guidelines to improve your chance of acceptance? Here you go!

The man has a plan. Thanks for the outline, Mike. It's much appreciated.

Perhaps the alternative you seek would be to scrap the skill ranks system and adopt level-based skill checks, as described in Unearthed Arcana.

Class skills would be d20 + character level + ability modifier.

Cross class skills would be d20 + ability modifier.

That puts the emphasis back on abilities as a determining factor. It is less dynamic than the ranks system, but it maintains balance.

I'm with Tequila Sunrise. Those were grand wizard moments. Knowing the backstory between Merlin and Mab made the confrontation juicier. In other words, the story sold the battle, not the effects themselves.

Well, you know what ol' Jack Burton always says ....

Everybody, give those twelve-siders -- the forgotton die in our dice bag -- a little love today!

I love painting metal miniatures ... and having them get used in the next gaming session.

Which Lo Pan? The little old basket case on wheels or the ten foot tall roadblock?

PCs who can't keep track of their familiar/animal companion.

DM: Where is it?
PC: Uh, exactly where it needs to be for my greatest advantage, even though I didn't think about it til now.
DM: Riggggght.

Great Cleavage/Roy has boobies.

Go crazy folks. Oh yeah, don't forget to look over your shoulder.

I would last about half a nanosecond as an editor, the continuity stuff alone would leave me huddling under a desk shouting "every fighter has to take Power Attack".

Well, the archers can take Point Blank Shot, too .... but yeah, I'm with you Hal. I too have had to be reminded of feats I've actually written -- boy, is that embarrassing.

I don't know if it's the case here, but in my freelancing I've been told, depending ont he occasion, to only assume the players have the core books, and to build on that base. Here, the complaint is that the feats were pulled from other sources that aren't core. Is it possible those instructions were in play here, that the author only extrapolated something from the core books, ignoring all that is out there?

Dear Editor:

Monte Cook's recent series on "Winging It" (Issues 128, 129 and 130) was chock full of good tips and tricks for when PCs go off the page and force DMs to conjure encounters, treasure and plot threads on the fly.

The sidebar "None of Us Are as Creative as We Think" was the true gem of the series, though. It serves as a reminder that no matter how experienced someone is at running rpgs, when forced to improvise, we often retreat to those conventions and situations we are most comfortable presenting. And Monte is right, players do notice.

The suggestion for stretching ourselves by stealing plots from TV shows of other genres was spot on. Who would've thought an episode of "Murder, She Wrote" could hold the key to an Age of Worms sidetrek?

I put the breaks at rolling up NPC stats for Jessica Fletcher, though.

Troy E. Taylor
Granville, IL

Two ROFL in one thread -- my personal best!

After all these years, I have finally found folks who appreciate my sense of humor. Thanks to all! You made my day.

The Drizzt books are NY Times bestsellers.

That means a lot of people care about the character.

A movie featuring that character should draw lots and lots of people to the box office. (especially readers who are in the target movie-going demographic -- teen and 20-something males)

(Plus, fantasy films have more mainstream appeal than ever before. Hollywood is looking for fantasy vehicles).

This makes money for movie studio, the licensee, etc.

Honestly, I'm clueless as to why no one's jumping on this -- unless the stumbling block is the rights holders and the author.

This may be a little Flinstones-esque, but capture a coupla minor air and fire elementals and you got yourself a magical hair dryer! No bard or aristocrat (level 5 or higher) should be without one!

While not official, this might carry some weight ...

Spotted on Sean K Reynolds' site that in his notes clarifying things left vague in the PHB, that for racial abilities, the human skill bonus is applied after the ability penalty.

Let me echo those comments. I also appreciated receiving the email from James on my Campaign Workbook submissions, even if they were rejections. KNowing the fate of the pieces was much appreciated.

Wouldn't a ring of bathtub rings [I/]create[i/] an ooze or fungi, not combat them?

Oooo, oooo! I wanna be a human in Medesha's game.

Two skill points. I'm in heaven ...