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Seriously. In 3.5, I knew a couple of players who would forgo their ranger class ideas to play a two-weapon wielding fighter instead. It just seems like a small tweak, with minimum mechanics impact, that would make the class more appealing.
Hello all. Back on the Paizo boards, and I read the alpha release. One thing from 3.5 that remains that jumped out from me is a problematic issue with the Ranger. Is there any good mechanical reason that they cannot receive the Combat Style at first level? In my experience, they would not unbalance the game if they receive it at first instead. Furthermore, the 2nd level combat style actually works against a Ranger. Were it first level, he could invest his first feat(s) in improving his style, and embrace it. With it being second level, not only is it much harder for him to capitalize on his style and really take advantage of it, but at first level he is denied one of the fundamental, defining traits of the class- two weapons or archery. I think it would be worthwhile to consider bumping combat style forward to 1st level, and allowing the Ranger to make it more useful.
A question: Some of us have queries/finished articles that were sent in to you guys. What is the status of those now? If we had something waiting for clearance, shoudl we assume its gone? Or is it going to slip into some of the last issues? Roll over to Pathfinder? Can we contribute to Pathfinder?
Any chance of Clark Ashton Smith getting some love in here?
From those early days of looking for Dragon on every newstand, up until I was published in its pages, and to today, this magazine has been a great part of my gaming life. It will be greatly missed. thanks for all the great times!
Dominion War. I feel like I need more. Either way, I would prefer it go on right where the newest stuff ended.
You could just allow the Rogue to use the Assassin's ability to kill someone after study. It emulates a similar effect. Or give an autocrit on an unsuspecting person. Alternately, you could have a Rogue give up any fo his Sneak Attack increases to get the backstab. Thus, at 1st he has Sneak +1d6; but when he goes to 2d6, he could instead make his strikes against unawares x2 damage. So on and so forth, so a rogue could pick or choose.
Dragonlance had something like this in the SAGA era. You rability to cast spells came from your faith and inner strength, or somesuch. I think this is a great idea, an alternative to the normal Gods. They are believed in, and followed, but the spellcasting ability comes from faith, not a deity.
I am outraged by this preview. I read this book several times as a youngster; it was one of my favorites. The story is really about a young boy and girl, and their friendship. One aspect of this friendship is a magical hang out area they have, where they pretend to be King and Queen of a fantasy realm. Even then, the fantasy is fairly tame, and IIRC, they mostly just say what they are pretending. Ultimately, the story is about loss, friendship, regret, etc. Very little fantasy in it. In fact, I would be surprise to see it grouped as fantasy, as most of the book is not about that. It is merely a means to an end, a plot device. Then, to see these previews with giant CGI monsters and crap makes me mad. Either the preview is showing a small section, and overselling a minor aspect, or they raped the book and changed it into a full blown fantasy. Either way I am mad.
I don't play female characters, and I generally dislike it when other males do (although I have seen some do it well) because, frankly, I don't think I can do a female justice. There are certain aspects of being a female that I don't think I could perfectly capture, nor could I incorporate the subtle nuances of a woman into my playstyle, I think. So I will just stick with something easier for me to understand; which, strange as it seems, might include a 8 foot tall minotaur, since I think my life experience proves I know more about minotaurs than women. That being said, the reason I dislike most guys playing females is because often times, with no real idea on how to act feminine, or how a woman would treat a situation, they fall back on being a whore. Many guys cannot define a female beyond her sexual purposes in RPGs, and therefore act out in the way they wish the females they knew would. So generally, no good. But I have seen it done right a few times.
I think the reason this was not explained was to prevent a number of nitpicks with any theory. First, they said doctors knew nothing baout hwy it was happening- which was similar to the reaction to AIDS initially, when no one understood it. But if you put out a theory, and explain exaclty what went wrong, nothing is gained. The movie would not be any better. You would lose 5-10 minutes of screen time discussing it, and peopel woudl doubtless leave more unsatisfied with the answer than they were with no answer.
I will admit, even if you hate me for it, that I've read the stuff Brian Herbert amd Kevin Anderson put out. My biggest issue with Brian in particular is his bogarting certain aspects of Dune. He seems to be partiuclarly resistant to criticism, and he also seems unwilling to share a lot of theinfo he has form his father, which fans would love. I think once his writing sells less, he will release a compendium or encyclopedia, though.
Ah, the sucker punch. When unsure of your own fighting ability, employing it is sure to give you an edge. Low moral fiber=potential win. I like to spice it up with a groin kick and some biting, too.
I, like Sebastian, cannot avoid speaking up. On an older point: I doubt D&D would stop having classes at any junction. Simply enough, it would not be D&D without Classes, the standards races, and the 6 stats. In fact, at the 3e announcment, WotC admitted this much. Because there are umpteen classless systems out there, and it has, if anything, become the norm, D&D remains unique by virtue of its classes. That being said, there is an excellent point in the current shift. I do not think it necessarily points to a 4e, but it doesn indicate new directions in the market in light of the trouble some companies are having with profitability.
I do like Teg alot- he's a great character.
I agree. I don't have any issue with the positioning of the Bene Gesserit or them being the good guys. It is just hard to like them after hating them for so long. I felt conditioned to distrust and dislike them, which makes them less than sympathetic protagonists.
I love the Dune series alot. One of my favorites, thus far. I read the first four books in less than a week each, and I actually read Dune Messiah in one day. The only issue I have now is Heretics of Dune. It just doesn't move me like the earlier ones did. It has great aspects, but after all the hatred I built up for the Bene Gesserit it is hard to root for them or sympathize with them all of a sudden.
The books are being optioned as an ongoing series for HBO: http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117957532.html?categoryid=14&cs=1
How far along are the non-Mike editors on queries? I have heard from him re: My last batch, but nto others. Where is the staff at date wise?
Dead on. Because he became a best seller, there is going to be difficulty in improving his writing. To him, he probably feels justified. Oh well.
I saw it last night. Easily the best movie I have sen in the last year. A tense, dramatic, emotional, thought provoking movie. It will stress you out, make you sad, and tear you up. A fantastic film. I think everyone shoudl go see it.
Dark Sun: Tithian.
I heard they keep Logue locked in the basement at the Paizo offices. Insomnia is the key to his powers, just like that guy in Heroes needs drugs. The less he sleeps, the more he writes...
The lady fair of the message boards makes a winning suggestion once again. Lords of Madness is an outstanding book. As a DM, I have rarely had a book so full of possibilities, and so well written. Each race could spawn a campaign, and the background is awesome. As it stands, this is still one of the best DM supplements ever done. The Spell Compendium is a great resource. My finger waggling PCs have used it to great effect, and it is very well put together. The book is a great supplement to the core books for players. I would add to the mix: The Eberron core book, as it is a great book with good seeds for a campaign. Or, if you are in the mood for something different, get the OA core setting Rokugan by AEG.
Hell yes!! I long thought that early 2nd edition, with the great campaign settings and wide open world was the best, but in hindsight we are surely in those times now. 3.5 is the most well designed yet, and the company has done well with supplements and settings. It is easier to teach than ever. I'm loving it.
Canonically speaking, it is an FR creature. However, if you find it a good way to handle the magic, you should go ahead. I find it to be as good a rationale as any.
Blasphemy! No one can defeat Conan! (except Riker, pre-beard, and Chuck Norris)
Fakie, you have a point that we can't compare him to Tolkien, quality wise. I bring up Tolkien for the plagiarism issue. But past the plagiarism issue, I would offer this: As a children's novel, it should still be good. Furthermore, it SHOULD be measured against others in its field, which include the Hobbit, Narnia, A Wrinkle in Time, Harry Potter and The Dark is Rising. He doesn't match up well. Furthermore, I think it is unfair to allow bad writing and theft be lauded for creativity, and nto at least be countered with opposing facts.
I prefered the LUG Star trek- ever give that a whirl? WEG put out D6 Space. If you liked SW, you woudl love that book. A great sci fi system.
A few off the top of my head: Lords of Madness for D&D: Still one of the coolest books ever. Secrets of the Shadowlands for the L5R RPG: Be the best bad guys there are! Blood Enemies, for Birthright: Alot of cool villains. Veil of Night, For Vampire, the Dark Ages: The best setting book for Vampire I ever read. Wraith: The Great War: Wraith was so ambitious, and this one doubly so.
Insectoid from Savage Species used to be, because it is so weird and also so cool. However, after Lords of Madness (buy it if you don't have it!) I am all over the half-farspawn template. Fricking sweet in every way.
@My tone and posts: My intent was not to be mean, but it was to be heavy-handed. I do feel strongly, and I said so. I do feel that I may have hardedned my tone once I was called names twice. I still feel this was unwarranted, and decided to take a hard line because of it. I don't think any tone warrants name calling, which is unproductive and does not help anyone. I apoligize if it offeneded, it was not intended to. However, I will not back off of my extreme dislike for the book, and for its methods, because Plagiarism is a big deal. I have no problem with anyone on this board, or with their opinions, but I will continue to offer counterpoints where necessary. @Plagiarism: I will repeat that I am not trying to be mean. But I am wording strongly, because it is a large issue. In my field, (History) Plagiarism is a cardinal sin. When you realize that a person who writes or creates for a living works hard, and that all they own is their words and thoughts, then you realize the importance of protecting that. Tolkien worked his whole life to create a mythology, and he deserves better than that. @Other points: Fishkun: I agree with the Brooks/Tolkien comparison. My invective is for Eragon. If Paolini rights the ship, and begins to write original fantasy of quality, I will give him his due. There is time, and I would give his future works a chance. But I cannot in good conscience give this book a pass from its sins.
I guess I will just stop posting a reasoned argument against anything. If I cannot make it known to others that plagiarism is bad, then I suppose no one will understand. When a person makes an argument, and I offer counter points, and they construe it as a personal attack, it exhibits a certain immaturity that makes it very hard to have a discussion. I didn't once call anyone a name, nor did I say anything personal. FlashMan posted an argument, which I found to be poor and illogical. I offered counterpoints, and pointed out where the post was either inconsistent, or I disagreed. Somehow, this post was interpreted as a personal attack on a person I don't knwo the first thing about. Instead of referring to my argument, I, for the second time in this thread, was called a jerk. Instead of trying to defend an argument they made, I was called a name. Again. Wonderfully mature, and very constructive, I might add, to call me a name as a way to detract from my arguments. Yes, name calling. I have made a number of points in this thread. Those unable to grasp the concept of plagiarism, and unable to defend a work that has been labeled by a number of well known and respected critics as poor at best, have resorted to name calling in the place of an argument. FlashMan: Show where I attacked you, and not your argument or the book. Show where I said anything about you personally and not the argument you made. You say I personally attacked you, but there is no point where that happened. All of my responses were to actual statments you made, hence the reason i quoted them all. You have also made the statement that I like extremes, a wonderful leap of logic. If you think that about me based on a a thread on a single board, then you are using very limited data to reach that conclusion. Find my other posts here, at least. You say you are not raising an argument, but you were responding to earlier posts in a debating manner. What did you expect? To make a post with a lot of assertions, and not be challeneged if someone else finds them faulty? We must be accountable for what we post, and what we say. @Haun: I find it humourous that you had backed off of all of his points earlier in the thread when I refuted them to you, but rallied forth to support him now. @Koldoon: I know you are saying that I should just not read the book. Certainly, it will be avoided in the future. But I don't like the plagiarism and horrendous prose of the author, and I am expressing this. The only reason I have returned to say more is because others have argued against my point, and I felt that I woudl like to defend and offer counterpoints. I don't see that as being bad. Also, You can see earlier in the thread where I made my first post that I was relatively benign in my criticism. My ire was only raised when I have been called a name, TWICE, and both used that name calling as a support for their argument, somehow. So yes, I will get stronger in my wording. Also, Koldoon, you said I might have a pass if I was an expert. I find that unfair; why are my opinions not valid if I am not an expert? Furthermore, I feel that the holy writ comment was unfounded. Just because I write well and have used my training in debate and argumentative writing to post, this does not mean I think of myself as "holy" or whatnot. It is very difficult to infer tone in my statements which are written only. I'll say this to conclude: I dislike many aspects of the book. Aside from my own opinions, I have offered other people and references to back what I say. In return, I have been called a name, twice, and I have been accused of a personal attack without any of my text saying anything remotely personal. No one with an opposing argument has said anything beyond: 1. No one can be entirely original, or 2. He didn't rip anyone off. I have been accused now of a number of things, yet there is still no repsonse to the plagiarism accusation beyond "it's not that bad," "everyone does it," or "it is not the EXACT same." I am sorry I find plagiarism highly offensive, and damaging to the genre. I am sorry some people feel that they should be able to say WHATEVER they want without having to own up to it, and that they shoudl be able to assert anything and not be called on it. I disagree. If anyone wants to respond to the points I make about the book only, I hope you do, and do so with reasoned debate format. I would love to discuss it. However, I doubt I will see anything other than more name calling, accusations of condescending sanctimony, or urgings to not express my opinion, as I have thus far.
Luke, See? Now you can see the movie, because if people that like that book shouldn't see it, then people that don't like it should. LOL. Well played, sir. ;-)
Yawn. You do not truly think that because Star Wars is a ripoff, it makes Eragon ok, do you? Fine, he didn't ripoff Star Wars- he ripped off Kurosawa.
Another poor defense for plagiraism stemming from the misunderstanding of the difference between "inspiration" or "theme" and "stealing."
What constitutes stealing then? So unless the Story is EXACTLY the same, it is not a ripoff? Please. I doubt it because the LotR is WAY to famous and popular a book that, if Eragon did plagurize it, it would have caused a massive uproar against the book when it came out. Please see the links above, and read the umpteen reviews offered in this thread. There has been an uproar, for some time. Just because they are not out lynching Paolini doesn't mean no one cares. But remeber that it's a CHILDREN's fantasy. Plots that may seem tired and cliche to you or me probably won't seem that way to some 10-13yr old who hasn't read a drop of fantasy their entire life. Hogwash. I refuse to accept that a person should be given a pass who is not creative, not a good writer, and a plagiarist, because he is a children's author. To me, this is far more insidious in this manner. Some 11 year old kid reads Eragon, and thinks that it is the one that started it all, and then sees SW and LotR as the ripoffs because he does not know better. There are tons of great fantasy works for kids out there. The Hobbit. A Wrinkle in Time. Narnia. The Dark is Rising. Kids are entitled to the same quality, and it is out there. However when people give reviews like this without even taking things like the above mentioned, I feel I must disagree, or at least argue the point. I did take things like above into account. Read the whole thread back. And many other reviewers have taken these things into consideration. As it stands, few of your points seem valid to begin with, as I have pointed out. Don't disagree just because someone else is getting a bad review. An artist must accept the risk of criticism, and if they cannot, they are definitely in the wrong field.
More power to you. Just because someone is a critic, that does nto make them a "bad guy" or "pretentious." They have the job of studying and reviewing movies/books. You may not want to hear it, but someone does- that's how they get paid. A critic is just a guide. This is a person who has an expertise in the field. They don't criticize to be mean- they do it to further the field and improve overall quality by giving warnings. As I see it, the entirety of your argument is: 1. Plagiarism is ok because someone else has done it.
While he may not know from the saving throw success, keep in mind that he may notice the telltale signs of a spell being cast on him, like weird words and finger wagging.
If it isn't as plain as the nose on your face, you might never believe it. I don't think it is a valid defense to say "You have to specfically quote every instance in this hackneyed waste of trees where he ripped other people off." It's there. Face it. I don't feel like making the argument, since it is self evident, but I want you to see the light, blinding as it is, so I'll give you a place to go see it yourself: http://www.anti-shurtugal.com/ or http://freewebs.com/aryas-eyebrows/frame.htm Before you say it, yes I know these sites are Anti-Eragon. Nonetheless, they present copious evidence about the cut and paste series called a novel.
See earlier in the thread. It is not amatter of being generic, hackneyed fantasy like everyone else does. It is a wholesale hijacking of plot, characters, and name. Beyond that, it is poor prose.
Did anyone think the Core Beliefs article was rather Greyhawk-heavy this time around? You win some, you lose some. Typically, after any Greyhawk or Core specific article, there is someone who is unhappy that there is either too much or not enough Greyhawk material. It happens. This time around, there was more for Greyhawk. I liked it.
And Luke, you may have a point, but you are being a little too over-the-top about it. His names are similar to those of many fantasy names, but still...the story line is pretty unique. Re-read lord of the rings, and watch Star Wars. Then think about it again.
The party is close to the King, and they, for a long time, kept it on the downlow to keep them able to act on his behalf freely. Recently, they were revealed, and they faked their deaths to undertake a task. Those who know they are friends AND still alive are with the King. On telling the King: I love magic, but I rarely allow spells and items that will let them magically solve a problem by itself. Saern made a great point though: There will need to be a coordinated strike against the Heironeans who aid him as well, a thing I had not thought of. I like alot of what I am hearing from you guys. Please keep it coming. I need all the good ideas, and for you to bring up any complications I will have to deal with.
I have not decided on success yet. If he misses the King, he goes for a royal cousing next. I wanted to leave it open for the PCs to make it happen.
I summon the awful power of my fellow DMs from across the board to serve my whims!! Hey All: I am in the process of writing the next few adventures for my home campaign, and I really want to run a special, strong adventure for this particular leg of the campaign. I was hoping you guys my help me cook up a way to acheive this. The scenario: Armies are converging on the capital. The PCs are in a distant city, and they learn an assassin is on the way to kill the King at the capital. They must pursue and catch the assassin before he gets to the King, and in their way are the armies of various foes. The problem: I want to create a long chase scene, where the PCs, by virtue of their actions, can get closer or farther from the assassin at each encounter. I need a unique, new way to facilitate this chase, a method by which I can create tension but a sense that they have control over what will happen. So tell me, you brave souls, how would you make this happen?
There is something about him that seems borderline questionable, and while he may have honor, I wouldn't identify it as LG/paladin-like in any way.
He would have certainly thought himself a paladin- but his actions put him out of LG range and closer to a rogue/fighter.
Avoid anything that transports objects or people away or in, as well as anything that can enslave or control those who could do the same.
Look around a little. There were some 2e modules for one-on-one play that might be worth modding for 3.5 if you are interested in this kind of gaming.
My group has it. We play infrequently, but we like it. The game is fun and quick, and is good for breaks in games or a week off. I quite like it.
Han shot first.
Inriguing questions. In reality, it is probably a bad idea. I think the idea that advaneturers who have been causing a racket can all of a sudden stop for 8 hours with no one creeping up on them is illogical. In practice, sometimes it has to be done. Otherwise dungeon encounters start to suck alot. Maybe, dungeon encounters are not the way to go in general because of this.
Arya is mighty cool for a little girl. Drogo was a beast, I agree. He oculd be a great NPC. |
