There's one who does some really good work here: http://falenavar.tripod.com//id19.html
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In short, the very rare PC who succeeds in becoming immortal is removed from the ranks of PC-dom and becomes a tool of the DM. Agreed...but in terms of the Potion of Longevity...what are we talkin? A lone potion doesn't grant Immortality...so I would say it might come along once in a great while...perhaps not even work anymore...being old and exposed to whatever elements the DM might dream up. Another balance is that you can limit it's effect by the type of creature imbibing it...for instance...Elves may not feel the effects, but humans would...etc. My 2 cents. Stillfoxx "Live or die, you decide..."
It's basically a time of year when any location within the continent of Faerun has an increased chance to encounter monsters and disasterous magical effects. These effects are directly related to Halaster's abduction. Stillfoxx "Live or die, you decide..."
On second thought...me thinks Sunder should be kept as is in the PH...to allow it on body parts would cause too much of an imbalance. Not to mention the slugging it would do to the flow of melee. Stillfoxx "Live or die, you decide..."
This one is simple but it works for most... For standard D&D: When explaining hit points to a n00b I try to convey that HP are the character's physical "bank" of points that allow him to remain upright and conscious. It does not matter how low he gets in his "bank account", he is still able to carry on in the activities (If he can pay, he can play)...but when he drops into the negatives, then he feels the effects of being overdrawn. (heh) Sorry for the banking terms...but it's the easiest way to demonstrate that with either 1 or 100 HP, you can still actively participate. For home grown system: Completely different...total HP are spread throughout the body...another tale indeed... Stillfoxx "Live or die, you decide..."
For what it's worth... I developed a system for fighters that allows for hit location. This system is typically used when it's only hand to hand combat...usually between VERY experienced warrior types or for my epic campaigns. It's called the Real-time Perpetual Combat System. Combat is perpetual (time wise) once initiated and stops only when all are either parlaying, gone, or dead. (One initial roll for who starts first but all subsequent actions are based on weapon speed.) The mechanic you may be able to use comes from this system where you can allow a called shot or let each combatant roll for hit location. Called shots must be stated before the roll and are successful only when the die roll is 4 or more than what was required to hit (using modifiers). Seems Sunder could work here. Non-called shots require the player to roll for hit location using this table. (Sunder could work here too...) Die Roll - Body Part
Stillfoxx "Live or die, you decide..."
Well, we could all look at it from a historical viewpoint...Kings, heros and the like were made in short periods of time, sometimes overnight. I handle it like this: When they are adventuring, time is tracked normally (real time). When they are training, studying, or other similar ventures (those of the mundane variety) time accelerates. (Including running their businesses if applicable.) If however, the activity requires player input of any sort, I run it real time to get the maximum effect for role-play. Stillfoxx "Live or die, you decide..."
As a WoW player and D&D fanatic, my plans are to incorporate the 'Lock in my realm...it's an excellent class and can lead to lots of exciting adventure...but I'm planning a few changes. One will be to allow the 'Lock to summon and command minions that mimic the WoW minions. I'm still drawing out the plans, but I think, as long as I can balance it out, it will be exciting. Stillfoxx "Live or die, you decide..."
Most brutal death I've seen... Human Thief type blew a Detect Traps, triggered a false floor...fell down into a short, torch-lit hallway. The next step he took (did not try to Detect Traps cause he figured he was in the trap) triggered a stone in the floor to start the next trap. The torches dropped to the floor as a liquid oozed from the base of the hallway walls. The Thief ran to the end of the hallway...door there was locked. As he tried to pick the lock, the liquid contacted one of the lit torches. It ignited and then when it touched the wall, exploded (made of a highly flammable material). The party dropped down after the flames ceased; all they found was a pick in the lock of the door. Stillfoxx "Live or die, you decide..."
I've heard many definitions of "power gamer." My personal reference is that this person is very experienced at whatever game they prefer and is without negative connotation. However, in most forums, power-gamers are as follows: Power gamer - A power gamer is someone who primarily plays computer games that place particularly high demands on the hardware, requiring the latest graphics card and a fast processor. Commercially sold systems may be specifically advertised as being for "power gamers", as opposed to the cheaper and more common systems used in office computing. Typically, power gamers regularly upgrade their machines to include the latest hardware, in expectance of more demanding games and to get even better performance out of existing ones. Powergaming - Powergaming is a particular way of playing role-playing games in which the emphasis lies on developing a player character that is as powerful as possible. This often involves an expert knowledge of the rules of the game, even (or especially) for exceptional or unlikely circumstances, and knowing how to apply the rules to get maximal results with minimal penalties (often referred to as min-maxing). Sometimes an active abuse of the rules is implied, when rules that are expected or intended to model a realistic game world (according to some well-understood definition of "realism") are applied in ways that are manifestly at odds with those expectations. For example, a Dungeons & Dragons sorceror might take a single level of the paladin class for the attractive bonuses that come with this, even when paladins are traditionally seen as being devoted to their lifestyle, and the profession is not something you could train in briefly. It is important to note that powergaming, in this sense, almost never implies active cheating or circumvention of the rules, merely using them in ways that are technically legal but frowned upon by those who consider the intent of the game more important than its exact implementation. The term is often used disparagingly, implying that such players have little to no interest in other aspects a role-playing game may have, like cooperative problem solving or social interaction, and that their focus on their own character (to the point of ignoring anything that is not an opportunity for showing off their character's exceptional skills) makes the game less fun for other players. As an attitude, it is often associated with adolescent males and the desire to be the "best" player in some clear, quantifiable sense. In many cases the games themselves, especially computer role-playing games, have evolved in ways that make powergaming an easier or more satisfying way of playing than others. Many CRPGs were and are written for single players only, and have combat as their primary focus. Additionally, the automation of the rules and the possibility of using savegames encourages players to experimentally establish the "best" way to play. Multi-player CRPGs are not exempt from this development: Neverwinter Nights is one example of a CRPG that permits players to create many different class combinations that are seen as overly powerful and inconsistent with earlier versions of Dungeons & Dragons, while the online CRPG EverQuest is often seen as encouraging powergaming by emphasizing repetitive quests with little interaction as the primary means of character development. The term is not exclusively negative, however. Many powergamers often style themselves as such, taking pride in their abilities, with some pointing out that "powergaming" as an optimization problem does not exclude enjoying the game in other ways. Powergaming is simply seen as one aspect of the game, to be mastered like any other. Others take the term as implying only the expert knowledge of the rules, and the ability to create a character that develops completely according to one's wishes. Such a character is not necessarily "maximal" in any sense, and may even be played more realistically than a character whose abilities and limitations are not as clearly understood. On MUD and MUCK systems that typically emphasize social interaction over role-playing, a powergamer is a player who tries to force others, by his actions, to participate in role-playing they don't want to engage in. For instance, a player who unilaterally describes his character as doing something with (or to) another character that would usually require the other to play along—such as having a fight or a sexual encounter—is considered to be powergaming. Powergaming in this sense is regarded as bad style at best, or abusive at worst. Related to powergaming is "godmoding", which happens mostly in roleplay-centric games (that is to say statless systems like the MUCK and MUSH). A godmoder will play their character as at once invincible (that is, any attacks launched against it will miss, or be blocked, or if they do strike, the character recovers immediately) as well as possessing ultimate, unblockable and unavoidable powers. The term comes from the god mode cheats in computer games such as Doom and Quake. Reference: http://www.reference.com/browse/wiki/Powergaming Stillfoxx "Live or die, you decide..."
Agreed...they should be rare...and carefully planned out in terms of specs...but if yer players do happen to come upon one... "Vorpal is a word coined by Lewis Carroll for the poem 'Jabberwocky,' used first in the line 'He took his vorpal sword in hand' and 'One, two! One, two! And through and through The vorpal blade went snicker-snack! He left it dead, and with its head He went galumphing back.' It is commonly assumed to mean 'deadly' or 'sharp' (or 'capable of beheading,' since the hero brings the dead Jabberwock's head home in triumph), and has been used this way in a number of role-playing games and similar works." Pasted from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vorpal A vorpal weapon doesn't strictly mean "Hacking the Head Off"...it can refer to something that is particularly deadly or sharp (still capable of hacking something off mebbe...heh)...and, it can always have a backlash effect or some sort of "vice" that accompanies it's major use. Example: A Paladin in my campaign came upon one (spare the details). The weapon was not opposed to the Paladin's touch...but it did have issues with the Paladin's "righteousness." As such, it never let the Paladin control the "vorpal" ability. This caused the Paladin problems in that he would never know when the ability would come into play. He eventually took the weapon to his Priest who stored it away from those who would misuse it. (Made for an excellent hook by the way.) Here's the famed poem from whence the term came... "'Jabberwocky' or 'ykcowrebbaJ' is a poem (of nonsense verse) found in Through the Looking-Glass, and What Alice Found There by Lewis Carroll. It is generally considered to be one of the greatest nonsense poems written in the English language." "'Twas brillig, and the slithy toves
'Beware the Jabberwock, my son!
He took his vorpal sword in hand:
And as in uffish thought he stood,
One, two! One, two! And through and through
'And hast thou slain the Jabberwock?
'Twas brillig, and the slithy toves
Stillfoxx "Live or die, you decide..."
Anyone remember the dreaded Vargouille? (AD&D Monster Manual II 1983; Page 123) "They are most feared because their bite is so destructive that hit points are actually lost forever unless a saving throw vs. poison is successfully made for each bite inflicted." Need a Wish to restore...EEEEK. Stillfoxx "Live or die, you decide..."
I think sheet ghouls and sheet phantoms were from the 1E fiend folio. Probably not worth any designers time to update to 3e... Aye...page 78. They are an asset, as any properly run critter, to an undead oriented campaign...especially when a Sheet Phantom slays a party member...the group is then faced with a Sheet Ghoul for a party member...heh. Stillfoxx "Live or die, you decide..."
I tend to not give awards for each individual encounter, but give them for playing "in character" and for completing mission goals. I find that this makes for a more realistic flow to the game. My reason for this is that I have never in my life found that I became more powerful after winning a fight in fact the two times I was unlucky enough to get into a fight shortly after fighting someone else not only was I not better prepared for the next combat,if anything I was at even more of a disadvantage truthfully I do not know anyone who can say otherwise.Any thughts on this? Whether or not it's apparent, and unless you're dead, you always learn something of value from a dramatic or drastic experience. As in real life events, toons always learn... So, how do I handle it? Working toward a careful balance between activities and role-play, I grant XP for both...each grant depends on the actions and the RP. Example: NG Fighter-type gets his butt kicked in an alleyway mugging. While he lost coin and has some scars, he's learned to be more wary when walking down these sorts of "avenues" and learned some melee tactics related to knife-fighting and taking on multiple opponents. And, in the fight he managed to keep the muggers from icing an innocent bystander. For XP, I'd grant him some for the combat and such, with a plus for playing his character. He'd also get a small coin amount from the Innocent Bystander who happens to be a merchant on the way to the moneychanger. If he happens to level from this, then sobeit. Stillfoxx "Live or die, you decide..."
"He is followed by Conk with his spoon..." HAR! If this is the famed Bohemian Earspoon, I can say it's good to see it in use! Been a long time since I saw one of those in action...or it's a Viking Earspoon, in which case - ICK. Even if it's not...it's still a great story! Stillfoxx "Live or die, you decide..."
Excellent account...keep it up! Stillfoxx "Live or die, you decide..."
Ha! Very good account from your perspective! Keep it up! Stillfoxx "Live or die, you decide..."
"Famous last words" Ranger to the Dwarf: "Yeah, so if yer wearing Stoneskin, you not take any damage from the landing..." Mage casts Stoneskin on the Dwarf, Dwarf gets into catapult and gets launched into the air in an attempt to get him over the ramparts of the keep... Orc crossbowman on the rampart: "I wonder if he has Stoneskin? Awe hell...I'll take a shot anyway..." (Sidenote: DM was using the rule that Stoneskin works for one instance of damage. In this case, the Orc's shot was successful, broke the Stoneskin and the Dwarf was latter scraped off the floor of the entry way by the keep's drudges.) Stillfoxx "Live or die, you decide..."
DM Note: We never finished the campaign. My best friend (the monk) decided to leave the world of his own accord and so we decided to leave it undone. However, as a tribute to him, I've decided to seek out a group and start it up again in order to see it through to conclusion. Stillfoxx "Live or die, you decide..."
I really like this method/format of journal...keep up the good work! Stillfoxx "Live or die, you decide..."
Chapter 7 – The 13th Sister Dettrava finally meets the Amazon and the monk. She was drawn to the Blue Rime by a repeating dream of a woman calling her to the Wood. She happened upon the two as they were spying on an Orc contingent that was making ready for an ambush. A small caravan was making its way South for trade and was easy prey for the frustrated Orcs. She surprises the two but quickly indicates her intent not to harm them and they relax. As the three share their stories, Dettrava realizes these two may be able to assist her. Dettrava is a Mage…she wears all of the tattoos associated with casting and carries a long, curved athame at her waist. The Amazon is wary of her but feels as though she is cursed and so needs help. The monk, being the lighthearted and trusting one, feels nothing but compassion for the Drow…wishing to help her seek her dream. The three thwart the ambush and manage to steal away into the gloam. That night, Dettrava has her first “awareness” of who she is. She dreams and suddenly wakes in the throes of tremendous pain…she is in fact, reliving each of her Sister’s murders… The pain was immense, the visions were blurred, but one face is clear…that of a horrid demon. Her new friends help her through her “awareness” which takes a full day and night. After which, the trio is visited by the shade of Varohnna. The shade speaks slowly and is very difficult to understand but explains the tale and warns the 13th Sister against seeking the vile creature Straphen Lohgett.
Chapter 6 – The Ankhs Straphen Lohgett is a Mage, alchemist and historian. When researching the effects of spider moss on an iron oak, he happened upon the note-work of Andalacia Whitebranch, the legendary Grand Druid. Her notes indicated the containment properties of a substance known as black clay. If the material was mixed with Holy Water, fired in the blue flame of a Druid’s Hearth and then set to “rest” in a grove of steel birch, the container would be capable of housing a single soul. Now all he needed was a way to extract the soul…
Chapter 5 – Shin’ja’Nai Varohnna del Rohedian was born to the Clan Mar’id. Her mother and mother’s mother were Mage-Priestesses; both powerful and influential in the shadow world of the Drow. Shortly after she took the mantle of leadership for the Clan, war broke out among the Drowan Clans. Varohnna amassed a large following and managed to survive as well as quell the uprising. She was instrumental in the peace that ensued. On the eve of her 1000th Birth Night (Drow are always born at night with a full moon) she performed “Quel sar Tru’sec Abath”…the Rite of the Millennium. The ceremony calls for the candidate to be stripped bare of Oerthly belongings, bound by leather and stretched out under the full moon in supplication to the God Shirinon – “God of the Dome.” As the moon moved over her prostrate form, a God appeared in the clearing. He spoke her name and pronounced her “Fa el Brugh Shin’ja’Nai”, the Mother of Shin’ja’Nai ~ The Daughters of the Night. He proclaimed that these 13, would be the nemesis of Karcil, Temlidane ~ The Lord of the Blue Room…his Brother. That any one could, if presented the chance, destroy Temlidane in one stroke.
Chapter 4 – The Amazon and the Monk Enter a young monk. He was sent to travel the land, record his adventures and to learn the ways of the world. He is captured, beaten and hung in manacles from the face of Kerrin’s Perch. He manages to free himself, fights a lone guardsman and begins his search for his captors. Circling the Rim, careful to avoid the regular patrols, he makes his way down into the valley of the Blue Rime. He stumbles upon a group of Orcan Warriors who are torturing a young human woman. The monk manages to surprise and overcome the Orcs and rescue the prisoner. When they are safely away from the Warriors, they are able to share their stories and in doing so, become allies in the search for the leader of their slavers.
Chapter 3 – The Lieutenant Kargonne, Lohgett’s right hand, has been combing the Northern Rim for the 13th Sister. He has been faced with building and supporting a large camp for his retinue. His men have searched roughly one third of the Rim and they have found everything from hunters to herders but not a single sign of the intended prey. His men are getting restless and he is getting impatient.
Chapter 2 – The Bargain and the Hunt Straphen Lohgett wanted to become a Lich. One hundred and twenty-three years ago, he made a bargain with a Devil: Immortality for the Souls of the Shin’ja’Nai. If Lohgett could slay the Shin’ja’Nai, the Devil would place his soul amongst those of his Chosen; thus, transforming him into a Lich. Lohgett began the hunt for each of the Shin’ja’Nai. His search took him over the globe. <<His memoirs and maps are locked in a chest and kept in his quarters near his bed.>> The first nine of the Sisters were easy prey. With the help of Shev Moridin, Lohgett found then, took them in their sleep and stored their Souls in black clay ankhs. Sisters Frey, Fallehn and Shentrava were more of a task. All three were found together in a temple on the Red Coast. They had foreseen Lohgett’s quest and had prepared. The moment he stepped over the threshold of the temple, they let loose a flock of carrier pigeons carrying one message to the 13th Sister. After finishing the 12th Sister, Lohgett fled to the Blue Rime Wood where he needed to hibernate in order to recuperate from his wounds…fighting three Sisters at once had caused him many grave injuries and so he needed to heal. He and his entourage traveled to North Drift and set up camp in a small network of caves at the foot of the Northern Rim. Before he began his regenerative sleep, Lohgett buried all twelve of the ankhs far beneath his makeshift laboratory and ordered his men to search the Rim for the 13th Sister. They have been searching for two years.
Chapter 1 – Introductions • Straphen Lohgett (NPC) - Mage, alchemist and historian who seeks immortality. • Varohnna del Rohedian (NPC) - Mother of the Shin’ja’Nai, Mistress of Clan Mar’id; murdered in her sleep by the Assassin, Shev Moridin. • Dettrava del Varohnna (PC) -Young Drowan Mage Priestess who is the last-born of the Shin’ja’Nai although, she is unaware of her ancestry. • Kargonne (NPC) – Orcan Warchief responsible for finding the 13th Shin’ja’Nai while Lohgett sleeps. • The Monk (PC) - Young traveler who finds himself caught up in the plans of a lunatic. • The Amazon (PC) - Wrenched from her homeland, this warrior maiden joins the monk in his quest to root out the evil in the Blue Rime Wood. • Shev Moridin (NPC) - Master Assassin to the Mistress of Clan Mar’id
Hail all! I began this adventure a long time ago...and I need to finish it...but I thought I'd add my story anyway. Enjoy... Stillfoxx "Live or die, you decide..."
Excellent storytelling! Keep up the posts! Stillfoxx "Live or die, you decide..."
Ok...gotta say...James is cracking me up...I can totally "see" him "warking" throughout the adventure...keep it up with the quotes! They make the imagination fly! Stillfoxx "Live or die, you decide..."
Hey gang...just a question...I'm new to the whole D&D on the 'net. Heavy PC user but just got back in the D&D saddle. So...on to the question...How are you recording your notes for the Journal? By hand? PC? Thanks! Live or die, you decide...
OY! I just started an OKC Meetup group...I'm sure we'd all be interested...there's only 5 of us at the moment..but that can be good fer now. We're meeting this Sat at Borders on the NW Expressway. 4pm...if yer interested come on out.
OY! We're startin up a D&D Meetup Group for OKC...trying to get players and DMs connected. I'm up for the every other Saturday too... Mail me... Stillfoxx@aol.com |