Troy Taylor's page

In taverns the bards of Old Korvosa sing this song ...

Chorus:
In tabards black with silver thread
Dark lasses filled their foes with dread
They danced ‘n fought, and splattered red
Til Ol’ Korvosa cursed their head

Cressida was the wily ol’ arrow
Wise to the ways, no’ of the Narrows
She was the Old Guard’s finest on patrol
Darkly serious, ever brave ‘n bold

Brooding dark, a beauty, a honeydew
Sabina boasted a blade like Orisini drew
Quick to temper, a flashing ember
She took the oath, earned her saber

In tabards black with silver thread
Dark lasses filled their foes with dread
They danced ‘n fought, and splattered red
Til Ol’ Korvosa cursed their head

Cressida and Sabina, what a team they made
What difference tween them? Nary a shade
Dashing and daring, their partnership grew
Back to back they fought, no defeat they knew

No barmaids or wenches to claim as their own
Hot blooded desires had to be sown
Gentlemen callers, looked appetizing, a few
Took noblemen’s sons to bed, adieu

In tabards black with silver thread
Dark lasses filled their foes with dread
They danced ‘n fought, and splattered red
Til Ol’ Korvosa cursed their head

Then came a day, ol’ Neo had to pick
The Guard’s next cap’n, and right quick
Cressida full blooded, wiser by years
Sabina’s Varisian eyes, first of their fears

So Cressida took the Field Marshal’s staff
The office broke their friendship in half
So beneath an autumn Lamashan moon
Bitterness and jealousy did fully bloom

In tabards black with silver thread
Dark lasses filled their foes with dread
They danced ‘n fought, and splattered red
Til Ol’ Korvosa cursed their head

The challenge was offered, and quickly accepted
Steel bared, a blow stuck, 'nother one deflected
Across the ramparts overlooking the ‘Arms
The Zambra they stepped, praising Calistria’s charms

A dazzling display, even Blackjack was impressed
No quarter given, all their sympathies suppressed
Sabina twirled, delivered a near fatal blow
Crouching, Cressida countered, and cut her low

In tabards black with silver thread
Dark lasses filled their foes with dread
They danced ‘n fought, and splattered red
Til Ol’ Korvosa cursed their head

The priests of Abadar would not tell
The extent of injuries, nor the first to fall
Gods’ blessings to cure their bodies so broken
Vencarlo’s gold was the most costly token

Cressida returned to the castle that day
Alone, her heart ached, her king to obey
Sabina, to her mistress, the Queen’s men to be led
Her job, to tuck Illeosa securely in her bed

In tabards black with silver thread
Dark lasses filled their foes with dread
They danced ‘n fought, and splattered red
Til Ol’ Korvosa cursed their head

Macomb, Illinois' very own was interviewed for a story about taking part in the RPG Superstar contest.

Journal Star article here

Potentially losing Use Rope as a skill makes me sad.

I'll be posting, in installments, my first attempt at Age of Worms fan fiction.

Entitled "Portrait's Lure," it concerns events concurrent with the adventure "The Champion's Belt." So if you have yet to run that adventure, be forewarned, there are some spoilers.

As fan fiction, it owes much to many other talented people, from whose works I drew inspiration. This group includes David Noonan, from whom we first learned about Celeste in "Zenith Trajectory"; Tito Leati, who wrote "The Champion's Belt," Richard Pett, who detailed "The Midnight Muddle" and the eccentric artist Yalexex; and artists Eva Widermann and Matt Dixon, whose character portraits brought to life many of the Free City's denziens.

Enjoy.

Yes, I like the last line, about seeking soft company, very Conan-esque ...

However, I do point out that of the iconics we've seen, the other three people at the adventuring campsite are already women ...

What are we to make of that?

As a Mac user, I'd like to pass this along.

I have the Pathfinder download, both the single document and the chapters one. When viewing the single document in Preview, the default pdf viewer on my iMac, some of the page headers in the Beastiary and Pathfinder's Journal section are not visible.

No problems viewing with Adobe Reader for iMac, though.

So much for making you feel good about being a D&D player ... especially if you've stuck with the game since first edition days.

I don't need a video history of all the mechanics that have been time-wasters over the years.

All the 4E teaser video does is make you feel miserable for playing D&D in the first place. Who thinks up this stuff? What a marketing disaster.

The CORRECT video history would have focused on the positive innovations in the rules over the years ... and then pointed out that the changes we'll see in 4E are in the same tradition of D&D's creators always striving to enchance the playing experience.

In particular, the vid should have boasted about the good things about third edition, and then talked about coming "improvements" (i.e. grappling rules, 30-level character advancement, racial builds).

The "improvements remain to be seen, IMHO, but for argument's sake we'll take WoTC at its word.

The 4E teaser video, as well as other demos, can be seen at Youtube

Does anyone else think this was completely the wrong tact to take?

E is for Event. These adventures focus on some kind of event you can place anywhere you want, such a jousting tournament, a royal wedding ....

Doing best Jack Sparrow imitation Ohhh weddings, I love weddings ... drinks all around.

Pirates always get the best lines, ya know ...

Our darlin' angel Celeste sure did get buffed up after her last appearance.

In Dung. 128 she was listed as a ghaele eladrin bard 4.

In Enemies of My Enemy, she's now a ghaele eladrin bard 5 / lyric thaumaturge 7.

Yikes, that some gym membership she must have! You don't get stats like that working out at Curves.

So ..... what's she been up to?

Thanks Paizo gang for pulling back on the curtain to see your thinking process on the development of the game world for Pathfinder, and more importantly, its presentation format.

I was particularly pleased to hear that James said that a "Less is more" approach was foremost in your thoughts.

I know from my personal experience that while I'm NOT inclined to build a homebrew world from scratch, neither am I keen on being overburdened with canon.

With apologizes to Erik, who I knew contributed to the Living Greyhawk Gazeteer and had input on Greyhawk: The Adventure begins, both books are so loaded with detail I feel overburdened trying to incorporate all it in my game.

For my Age of Worms game, for instance, I end up going back time and again not to those works, but to my copy of the slim D&D Gazeteer -- which has just enough information to give me a jump start and plenty of room to add my own creations to the world.

The fact that the Pathfinder team is keeping this is mind, as well as trying to meet the expectations of those who DO like a little detail with supplemental material, is heartening.

Thanks for keeping us minimialists in mind.

All the charts I need to run my bard -- without any page turning. Thanks Amber!

Here are my favorite signature advertisements that ran in Dragon magazine during Paizo's publishing run. I think some were cleverly done, and really reflect the inner gamer in all of us.

1. Tools of the Trade / Origins 2004.
That worn players handbook and scratch paper character sheet never fails to revive memories of gaming in days past.

2. D&D 30th "Join the Party" / Wizards of the Coast
It's tough to cram 30 years of gaming into a single double-page spread ad, but that was as memorable a piece of D&D art as I've ever seen.

3. Everyone Still Wants Those Gems / Wizards of the Coast
The ad for Players Handbook 2 again works on the theme of the original players handbook cover.

4. The Training Wheels Come Off / Malhavoc
Technically, not a signature ad, but boy, did those ads speak to what gamers want in their game products. A detailed description of the all the goodies inside. The approach was clearly successful, because Malhavoc never deviated from this style of ad.

5. Live by the Sword / Champions Return to Arms
OK, it's not a superior ad by most standards, and I'll admit it, I like it cuz I'm a guy. If girls in swimwear can sell beer, then by golly, chicks in armor can sell video games.

Honorable Mention: "Believe" / Animal Planet
The dragon's shadow cast on a field of green really caught my eye, and is the reason I tuned into that show.

By the way, it didn't appear in Dragon magazine, but Paizo's True to the Game ad that features the cover from Dragon 326 and ran in GameTrade magazine is one of the strongest Paizo offerred during its run.

So, does anyone else have any favorite ads, either from during the Paizo era or all time.

More than a few businesses, small or large, could learn a thing or two from Paizo on how to handle its customer relations.

In the past two days I've seen a well-orchestrated, concerted effort to react to customer concerns. Publisher statements, staff being made available on several messageboards to make comments, personal blog site posts, an appearance on a pod cast .... what a remarkable effort to get Paizo's side of things out and at the same time alleviate customer concerns, as well as seize the moment to launch a new product. At the same time, be as straightforward as possible with customers, providing them several options, from refunds to ways to allocate their subscription dollars.

I can only contrast that with the Wizards side of things, which is bouncing back customer service emails and not answering the customer service phone line, and from what I've seen, pretty much ignoring messageboard traffic. Plus, Wizards has no information on what it actually wants to do with Dragon and Dungeon titles.

Paizo staff correctly judged that a simple press release wasn't going to cover this transition. Best practice kudos for being receptive and responsive to your customers. It means a lot.

My favorite PC class – the bard – often is maligned because even in a fantasy game setting, the idea that a musician’s ability to perform could inspire others and generate other magical effects in the context of battle seems, to some, far-fetched.

[As opposed to the “realistic” ability of wizards to cast spells …. Er, I digress. ;-) ]

I love collecting stories about the important role martial music plays, and sharing them with my fellow players – anything to bolster my bard’s standing in a group of adventurers. These examples include fife and drummers in the Revolutionary War to modern-day tank crews who crank up their CDs while on the attack.

I’d lacked a really concrete example from a desert culture, until I read the article “Saudi Folk Music Alive and Well” by Kay Hardy Campbell in the March/April 2007 issue of Saudi Aramco World magazine.

Here’s an excerpt:
“…. Blending elegiac poetry with singing, drumming and majestically slow dance movements, the ‘ardah has become a symbol of traditional Saudi Arabian culture. While variations are also performed in other countries of the west- ern Arabian Gulf, experts point to the ‘ardah’s origins in the Arabian desert among the Bedouin.
It started out as a war dance used to get men ready for battle. “In the old days before the unification of the kingdom, the ‘ardah used to be called al-faza‘, or ‘fright.’ After unification, the dance became a dance of peace. It became known as al-‘ardah al-najdiyyah, since it is well known in Najd,” or central Saudi Arabia, explains Muhammad al-Maiman, president of the Committee for Heritage and Folk Arts at the Riyadh headquarters of the Saudi Society for Arts and Culture. …”

The entire article can be read here:
http://www.saudiaramcoworld.com/issue/200702/saudi.folk.music.alive.and.wel l.htm

So, to my fellow bards, I say “play on.”

Recently I ran a game where I instituted the variant turning rules (from Complete Divine). I though they were implemented fairly well, although, initially I got some disbelieving looks from some of the PCs.

I was just wondering if anyone else wished to share their experiences with the rules -- what they thought of them in game play and whether they stuck with them or went back to the turning rules as written in the PHB.

I'm looking for additional resources, basically anything related to the ancient Baklunish Empire -- maps, legends, lore, king lists, magic, etc.

If anyone knows any good resources specifically on the Baklunish, please point me in the right direction.

Obviously, I can infer a great deal from the histories and cultures of the kingdoms that inherited Baklunish lands, as detailed in:
Living Greyhawk Gazetteer, The Adventure Begins and D&D Gazetteer.

But if there are other sourcebooks with significant information, it would be great to know about it.

The newspaper I work for, the Journal Star in Peoria, IL, ran this article on D&D. No new ground, but it presented the hobby in a positive light, and they ran a photo in the print edition. (I think there is still a link to the photo on the pjstar.com homepage.)

Anyway, here it is.

http://www.pjstar.com/stories/100506/NEI_BB4UE7U8.043.shtml

Here is the photo

http://pjstar.mycapture.com/mycapture/enlarge.asp?userphoto=0&image=131 08131&thispage=1

Yes, the old reliable sheet of ruled paper works just fine, as does any one of several generic character sheets available elsewhere on the Web, including Wizards of the Coast.

I think it would be really cool, however, if Sean, Sarah and any one of the contributing artists could get together and devise an artfully done Savage Tide-themed character sheet and make it available for download. I'm thinking of something along the lines of something like the sheets that Tony DiTerlizzi did for sale when third edition was released -- something that covers the basics but also incorporates artwork appropriate to the theme of the AP.

I know it's too late to ask for something like this for Age of Worms -- although there are plenty of us still charging through that AP and would appreciate a similiar treatment. It just seems like it would be something really nice to go along with the new Adventure Path.

I see over on Amazon that Paizo's own Mike McArtor and Wesley Schneider are co-authors of Complete Scoundrel, a D&D acessory to be released in early January.

Congrats on the assignment and the author creds, guys. Condolences on the post-X-mas release. Any chance it'll move up?

(Not that it would fit in my Christmas stockings, but having Mike and Wes under my Christmas tree would be nicer than having them show up for the Super Bowl. But I guess, being scoundrels, that's the way it's gotta be.)

Other than it being a Complete look at Scoundrels that lists at $29.95, any hints as to its contents? I assume it goes without saying there'll be new feats, equipment, spells and core classes. But what else?

(Like a chapter on how to run a really, really scoundrel-like campaign? What do you do if your DM is a bigger scoundrel than anyone sitting round the table? )

C'mon, Mike and Wes, be a scoundrel. A REAL scoundrel would ignore that non disclosure agreement and spill the beans. It'd be just between us. I promise not to tell anyone else. :)

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?)

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?

In the same tradition of the Best Covers posting, here are my picks for the best interior artwork from 2005. Comments welcome.

Again, I'm no art critic. Just a guy who knows what I like.

1. "Umbagen," April, by Prescott, Wahlstrom.
2. "Alchemical Charms," May, by Bergting
3. "Saurian Shifters," February, by Fowler.
4. "Vision of Fear," July, by Washak
5. "New Olam," September, by Dutrait.

I have several honorable mentions:
"Spoils of War," January, by Carlisle.
"Lair of Blacktongue Tribe," June, by West.
"Worm Food," September, by Wilderman.
"New Sage," Janssen.

All I can say is that there was a lot of great stuff this year. As a DM, I really wish a lot of this artwork were made available on a monthly PDF, just as is done on the Dungeon side of things.

Since this is the season of "Best of ...", I thought I'd chime in with my choices for best Dragon covers of 2005. Since I'm not an art critic, just someone who knows what he likes and doesn't like, I'd love to hear what others think on this subject.

1st. August. "We're Gonna Need A Bigger Boat." Peter Bergting
Comment: You can't call yourself an adventurer till you faced this situation -- grasping tentacles from the deep sea seeking to drag you down to the depths. Peter captures that beautifully in hues of blue.

2nd. October. "Mummy I'd Like To Flank." James Ryman.
Comment: Ryman's covers rarely need an explanation, and this is no exception. The mummy is literally busting, er, bursting, forth from the page, bandages and all.

3rd. May. "Well-Provisioned Explorer." Steve Prescott.
Comment: Who wouldn't want to be this guy? Alone against the dark, depending only on the gear he can carry into the dungeon.

4th. March. "Medusa's Stony Gaze." Scott Fischer.
Comment. This cover was both provacative and controversial, sparking a boards discussion on what's appropriate material for cover art. The more I look at this one, the more I like it. (Plus, Medesha adopted it as her avatar, so it must be good.)

Honorable mention: September. "Dishonored Moonblade." Matt Dixon.
Comment: I've got a soft spot for Elaith Craulnober, and this piece captures the Waterdeep scoundrel perfectly.

I just wanted to say happy thanksgiving to everyone out there in D&D land, as well as to everyone who makes Dungeon and Dragon magazines the top-notch publications that they are. Thanks for the great reads and awesome artwork these past 12 months. This is a great online community.

My very best wishes I save for those D&D players who are serving in uniform at ships at sea and on foreign shores. Thank you for your service, for guarding our borders and for preserving freedom far from home. We pray you return safe -- and that in the future the only encounters with hostiles you have are at the gaming table.

Everyone keep rolling d20s.

Given the 11 core classes, the "witch" class description in the DMG, and the 3 classes detailed in each of the Complete books ...

I was wondering if there is a strong fantasy archetype that has yet to be detailed as a character class?

If so ... what is it and what shape should it take, conceptually?

I got a chance to see Stephanie Pui-Mun Law's artwork at Gen Con. I gotta say, it knocked my socks off. I also saw her cover for Blue Rose, which got a silver Ennie. Very nice.

Any chance she could be commissioned to do some work for Dragon? A cover by her would really be distinctive.

In a good way.

I've loved lizardmen, er lizardfolk (sorry 'bout that ... don't wanna be a gender snob), ever since I first read about them in the novel Quag Keep. way back in 19-- (errr, we won't say how far back).

Anyway, this geezer says Bravo to Amber and Wes. You guys did the old scalies justice with your Ecology article in 335. And hey, I learned Eberron has lizardfolk, too -- so the place has got something goin' for it. I may have to visit it sometime.

Anyway, good article. Liked the lizardfolk feats, lizardfolk legends and the lizardfolk tactics. So congratulations for laying an egg.

I start DMing a desert campaign (first level characters) tomorrow morning at a local game store. Will be using Sandstorm supplement, of course, as we uncover the ancient treasures in the Sultanate of Zeif.

Initially, I plan on salting the initial dungeon with some of the magic items from Dragon 325, including the Sand of Set and the Scarab Charm.

Can anyone suggest any other desert-themed magic items from past Dragon issues that might come in handy in future sessions? It would be most appreciated.

Thanks Erik for writing such a nice appreciation on the life of Andre Norton. Learning the story behind how Quag Keep was written was really an added touch. The novel may not be considered her greatest work, but to those of who play in the Dungeons and Dragons back yard, it was a priceless contribution to our game. Thanks for remembering her in the June issue.

I absolutely loved the Plunderer's Handbook. A lot of nifty tricks for mundane items. Even for experienced players, it was a good reminder of what clever players can do with some simple stuff.

As a player of bards, I've always had a signal whistle in my pack.

Unfortunately, my DM is of the belief that sounding a signal whistle is nothing more than ringing the dinner bell for wandering monsters.

Every time I blow the signal whistle, out comes his percentage die ....

So, has anyone else found ways to use the plunderer's handbook?

Has your DM foiled your use of the suggestions?

What have your experiences in game play been?

Cue up the music from the Sound of Music. Issue 331 had bunches and bunches of "My Favorite Things."

From cover to cover, here are just a few:
Lucene hammer ... it's a smash
Garlic Draught ... mmmmm, tasty
Dune Yacht ... just call me the Caliph from now on.
Singing Ioun Stone ... never could hold a tune, anyhow
Microlithe longspear ... ouch! pointy thingee.
Evil token of faith ... Don't look under the hood, man!
Mountain Druid with a warhammer ... be nice to the Mountain Druid
Paladin's Cartuary ... something to remember me by
Necklace of Fireballs ... Ka-Boom
and of course,
A Wizard's Pointy Hat.

I love new equipment.

Just curious.

I was interested in hearing what people liked from the recent Races of .... books from Wizards.

Was there a particular section, spell, feat, new rule or flavor that enhanced your character and or game?

What section should have been fleshed out more?

Us rules geeks too often overlook the quality of illustrations in Dragon. But I was really struck by the artwork for The Umbragen article.

Steve Prescott and David Wahlstrom really captured the exotic feel of Xen'drik and the shadow elves themselves in the two main pieces of art -- the ones of the drow in the temple ruins and later the drow taking down the mind flayers.

As you can see, I've decided to adopt the archer's profile for my avatar. (Tough choice, since I was attached to Gimble the bard). Way to go fellas!

With great sadness I note the passing of science fiction and fantasy's grand dame, Andre Norton. Long before TSR had a fiction department, Norton wrote Quag Keep, in which D&D roleplayers actually become their characters and embark on a quest for Quag Keep.

I invite you to share your favorite Norton novels and stories here. Surely there are Witch World fans in the audience.

Well, you've done it again Amber.

You've provided information so useful I can't ignore it.

That rooftop scrambler background will work great for an NPC I'm building for our spring Selgaunt campaign. I can't wait to see the PC's reaction to the NPC skipping merrily along the ledge while making his/her escape.

Well Amber, you've done it again. Another article with information so useful I can't ignore it.

That Rooftop Scrambler background is going to be perfect for an NPC I'm building for our spring Selgaunt campaign. I can't wait to see the PC's reactions when they watch the NPC skipping along the ledge making his/her escape.

Maybe I'll suggest one of them take a look at becoming the Masked Avenger. That'll balance things out ... maybe.

David Schwartz:

Well done on the Mesopotamian Mythos deities. Very well done!

The research behind the mythology really showed in the details. If this doesn't get anyone to try gaming in the Bronze Age, I don't know what will.

I've used the Sumerian cosmology for one of my games. Not only was I struck by the many similarities, but I'm so intrigued by some of your choices it looks like I'll be adopting them.

Now all we need is the ecology of the Bull of Heaven, and we're all set to go looking for the Sacred Me.

Again, well done.

Thanks for Richard Pett for coming up with the 100 useless items. What a great way to dress up a dungeon.

My favorite? No. 13, a mirror with the words "I am the most" written on the face in goblin.

I think it appeals to the narcissist in every goblin.

I'd love to hear what others think is their favorite.

Before incorporating the concept of flaws into game play, I'd like to know what the experiences were for other gamers.

Do flaws enhance game play?
How to DMs enforce flaws?
Are players just using flaws as a way to boost characters in other ways and ignoring the roleplaying responsibilities?

I ask because when we played Swashbuckling Adventures, those rules incorporated Virtues and Wiles, which work in the same fashion as flaws. The reaction was mixed, and in many cases, we felt created unbalanced game play.

Has anyone incorporated the 7 Deadly Domains from Issue 323?

What campaign world was it used in?

What characters used the domains? NPCs or PCs?

Which of the 7 were used?

Overall, what was your experience?