Having spent some time with the books in question, indeed a great amount of my time at work is spent, not toiling over documents or spreadsheets, but merely browsing the new edition's features, I feel I should collect my thoughts on the matter.
I must say that although my cynicism prevents me from ever remarking upon it's supposed greatness, the new edition isn't altogether bad.
I know, what a shock. They have succeeded in making an exception-based system, and have too succeeded in making me mildly enthused to see the game in practice. (I greatly enjoyed the PA/WotC podcast, though that may be in part to Mike, Scott and Jerry and less in part to Wizards.) The greatest point of contention, at least for me, from 3rd Edition has largely been done away with, in that there is no disparity between supposed and real power levels of certain class mixtures or distillations. The way they have accomplished this is by doing away with high-level play altogether.
Yes, while the level range has increased by a "whopping" 10 levels, characters rarely do anything of import throughout those 30 levels. That isn't to say that this kind of play is bad; it isn't. It's just... really lame. Or at least, it is when compared to 10-20 of 3rd edition. My current campaign is quite like the way things are set up in 4th edition, but for D&D it's a step outside the norm for things to be this toned-down.
There are a number of welcome additions, though these ideas have been proposed by members of the gaming community and therefore are less original ideas from WotC and more neutered copycats. The most prominent in my eyes being the caveat for how civilization can thrive when most of the time they last for two weeks before the new chief of state is appointed by Holy Word right up the King's ass. That being: the world is largely a dark and twisted expanse filled with danger and magic saturates the whole of it. Some places more than others, and that is where we arrive at explanations for both how people survive for any length of time, and why anyone bothers with building shit. Everybody is living together in huddled fear of what's going to eat them next, but at least they can rest easy in their home city, or "points of light" as they are called in the DMG. What's also nice is a retuning of the economy, though to what extent that retuning fixes the bullshit is unclear to me at present.
Sunday, June 1, 2008
On the Rim Act 1
Important characters. Bold indicates a new character.
Raquim al Sadher
Salu of the Wastes
Paola Peakeli
Hou Shan and Yan Jiang
Baccay of Tempest Roost
Julian, Captain of the Merchant Vessel The Vigilant
The party of three companions set out, after a little inquiry toward their captain, on a large three-masted ship. Their destination: Tigris; Perswell Port to be precise. On the roughly two-week journey they stop at a port city in Fyriss called Tempest Roost, for supplies and contracted shipments to be brought along the voyage. On the ancient stone walkways of the mist-veiled harbor walk many queer folk, including a startling saturation of Pantherans. The tall, robust folk pay little attention to these newcomers to their fog-hidden city, though they remark upon them the dangers of the Ghostwinds, and warn them of their gravity. Left with roughly a day or two to their own devices, the party sees no great opportunity other than what may be drunk in a quaint, rose-lit teahouse. Surveying the strange customs of the Fyrissians, they sip idly at fragrant potables, all while keenly aware of their awkward placement. Paola endeavors to speak with a seasoned Striped One, who calmly indulges him with a gesture imploring patience.
Soon, a shrill wail can be faintly heard in the distance. "Ghostwinds..." whispers the Striped One with a worried look upon his features. Several people make for the door, only to be tarried by the deathly visage of a Wraith, the corrupted essence of dead Wind elementals. A ghostly blue hand snakes along the inside of the door frame, and the hazy form of the thing looms into the empty space. Its eternal pall unnerves the house patrons, but the party is quick to ward them of this threat. Almost totally massless and ever-shifting, the Wraith provides an interesting challenge to most, but not quite enough to worry our stalwart protagonists. When the thing is finished and the teahouse neatly secured for the time being, the Striped One introduces himself as Baccay of Tempest Roost, and requests the party's aid in a matter of great urgency. It is coming to be the time of year when the most dire of Ghostwinds sweeps across the island, and Baccay is hoping to relieve his fair city of the grief. He lays this task upon the party, promising substantial reimbursement for their services.
Items in party's care. Bold indicates new items.
Smoldering Longsword. Flame attack. Attuned.
Flameseal. Flame attack. Attuned.
Sulfrite Bracer. Flame Resistance. Attuned.
Yan Barb. Flame Resistance. Attuned.
Blue Meteora Edge. Light attack. Attuned.
Manawood Rosary. Leaf Resistance. Attuned.
Collena Tome. Ranged Light attack. Attuned.
Two Lesser Fire Elemental cores.
One Lesser Earth Elemental core.
One Lesser Wind Elemental core.
Various items, including 280 silver coins and one camel. Bandoleer of Regenerative Doses. Potted Plant.
Raquim al Sadher
Salu of the Wastes
Paola Peakeli
Hou Shan and Yan Jiang
Baccay of Tempest Roost
Julian, Captain of the Merchant Vessel The Vigilant
The party of three companions set out, after a little inquiry toward their captain, on a large three-masted ship. Their destination: Tigris; Perswell Port to be precise. On the roughly two-week journey they stop at a port city in Fyriss called Tempest Roost, for supplies and contracted shipments to be brought along the voyage. On the ancient stone walkways of the mist-veiled harbor walk many queer folk, including a startling saturation of Pantherans. The tall, robust folk pay little attention to these newcomers to their fog-hidden city, though they remark upon them the dangers of the Ghostwinds, and warn them of their gravity. Left with roughly a day or two to their own devices, the party sees no great opportunity other than what may be drunk in a quaint, rose-lit teahouse. Surveying the strange customs of the Fyrissians, they sip idly at fragrant potables, all while keenly aware of their awkward placement. Paola endeavors to speak with a seasoned Striped One, who calmly indulges him with a gesture imploring patience.
Soon, a shrill wail can be faintly heard in the distance. "Ghostwinds..." whispers the Striped One with a worried look upon his features. Several people make for the door, only to be tarried by the deathly visage of a Wraith, the corrupted essence of dead Wind elementals. A ghostly blue hand snakes along the inside of the door frame, and the hazy form of the thing looms into the empty space. Its eternal pall unnerves the house patrons, but the party is quick to ward them of this threat. Almost totally massless and ever-shifting, the Wraith provides an interesting challenge to most, but not quite enough to worry our stalwart protagonists. When the thing is finished and the teahouse neatly secured for the time being, the Striped One introduces himself as Baccay of Tempest Roost, and requests the party's aid in a matter of great urgency. It is coming to be the time of year when the most dire of Ghostwinds sweeps across the island, and Baccay is hoping to relieve his fair city of the grief. He lays this task upon the party, promising substantial reimbursement for their services.
Items in party's care. Bold indicates new items.
Smoldering Longsword. Flame attack. Attuned.
Flameseal. Flame attack. Attuned.
Sulfrite Bracer. Flame Resistance. Attuned.
Yan Barb. Flame Resistance. Attuned.
Blue Meteora Edge. Light attack. Attuned.
Manawood Rosary. Leaf Resistance. Attuned.
Collena Tome. Ranged Light attack. Attuned.
Two Lesser Fire Elemental cores.
One Lesser Earth Elemental core.
One Lesser Wind Elemental core.
Various items, including 280 silver coins and one camel. Bandoleer of Regenerative Doses. Potted Plant.
Monday, May 12, 2008
Soapbox
So, with the close of this week (as far as I'm aware), the only thing stopping all of us from convening at the same time should be job schedules. With my job, it will be a normal full-time 9-5 deal, so that's where I stand with it.
---
For this week, I would really like to play some SAME. You know, get that story started up again. So, if you all could provide some times you would be available over the weekend, that'd be neat.
---
For this week, I would really like to play some SAME. You know, get that story started up again. So, if you all could provide some times you would be available over the weekend, that'd be neat.
Wednesday, May 7, 2008
I completely forgot about posting this yesterday. My deepest apologies.
Here is the information I promised.
Here is the information I promised.
Monday, April 28, 2008
Need a couple opinions
I'm doing my last game with the group here at MIAD, and I sorta wanted your guys' opinions on the setup for the last session.
Here it is.
Here it is.
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
Setting Details - Who are the Wisemen?
Long story short...
Since before the descendants of Torris split the Hong kindgom thricewise, (about 4000 years ago by current reckoning [the current year is 35 of the (S)econd (E)ra]) there have been legends that spake the names of the Wisemen.
"The Wisemen," a term that has become their unofficial title ever since the various legends were collected for study, refers to a specific group of people who wield power over Mana greater than any other across the face of Agartha. 7 is their number, each one aligned with one of the 7 Elementals. They are peerless warriors and supreme mages, more powerful than anything ever to grace this plane. They are thought to be so powerful that they command the obedience of their own Mana Beast. Or so, at least, the legends say.
Digging Deeper
For roughly four and a half thousand years, stories of the Wisemen have pervaded cultures across the globe. Everybody has their own depiction of the Wisemen, or one of them at least. For example, in the Grass Clan of the plains on Tigris, the Orcs believe that the Wiseman of Wind is a golden eagle given an earthly form by the winds, who punished him for daring to fly higher than them. On the other hand, the people of Vinstad, a town in the Lemurian fiefdoms, believe that he is a man who became an elemental when he was brought back to life by a gust of wind and imbued with its power after falling from one of the many cliffs around the area.
In this way, the Wisemen have become almost religious figures in certain sections of Agartha. The mystique that has generated around their image certainly attracts many to believe them to be merely folk tales and legends, but there are several cults across the globe who insist upon their existence. Each culture that has established itself long enough to form its own belief system or religion has had at least one Wiseman cult spring up. In fact, in recent years it has become quite stylish for someone to join one instead of becoming initiated into one of the Deific religions. The Cult of Sapios the Treewarden in particular has been growing in size, bolstered by claims that its leader is in fact the Wiseman himself.
What this means for you...
Whether or not you wish to join one of the cults, innumerable though they may be, is up to you. If you want to make up the cult yourself, have at it. There are so many tales and myths about the Wisemen that if you came up with your own version it wouldn't at all be surprising. Enterprising individuals may even wish to capitalize on the rise of the cult religions, in one fashion or another.
History in the Making
The names of the Seven Wisemen were formalized in an anthology of local legends and folk tales about them entitled the Micel Staer, a 9-volume script written by a group of Lemurian monks in 598 F.E. It was a labor of immense proportion, as gathering this fluid information was a task for decades, if not centuries. Stories of the Wisemen often spoke toward their ability to keep themselves hidden, and indeed it seemed as though they were invisible figments, considering how slowly the legends were cataloged. Miraculously, it was completed within three generations, and has since been kept in pristine condition in a fervently guarded vault. For 437 years, these books were accepted among the scholarly as the most comprehensive and accurate depiction of the Wisemen, even though a decision has yet to have been made on whether or not the 7 mythical people even exist. According to the Staer, the 7 names for the Wisemen are:
Hou Shan, Wiseman of Fire. Name taken from eastern Calderan, meaning born of flames.
Rajumyrsky, Wiseman of Wind. Name taken from Runic Jorden, meaning hurricane.
Riktahasta, Wiseman of Void. Name taken from Modern Muan, meaning empty vessel.
Sapios, Wiseman of Leaf. Name taken from Old Tigritian, meaning Oak tree.
Draki, Wiseman of Water. Name taken from Standard Fyrissian, meaning shore or wavecrash.
Grundwaeg, Wiseman of Earth. Name taken from Old Tigritian, meaning clay jar.
Lucidus, Wiseman of Light. Name taken from Old Lemurian, meaning aware or apparent.
What This Means for You
Well, now they have names.
___
More later.
Since before the descendants of Torris split the Hong kindgom thricewise, (about 4000 years ago by current reckoning [the current year is 35 of the (S)econd (E)ra]) there have been legends that spake the names of the Wisemen.
"The Wisemen," a term that has become their unofficial title ever since the various legends were collected for study, refers to a specific group of people who wield power over Mana greater than any other across the face of Agartha. 7 is their number, each one aligned with one of the 7 Elementals. They are peerless warriors and supreme mages, more powerful than anything ever to grace this plane. They are thought to be so powerful that they command the obedience of their own Mana Beast. Or so, at least, the legends say.
Digging Deeper
For roughly four and a half thousand years, stories of the Wisemen have pervaded cultures across the globe. Everybody has their own depiction of the Wisemen, or one of them at least. For example, in the Grass Clan of the plains on Tigris, the Orcs believe that the Wiseman of Wind is a golden eagle given an earthly form by the winds, who punished him for daring to fly higher than them. On the other hand, the people of Vinstad, a town in the Lemurian fiefdoms, believe that he is a man who became an elemental when he was brought back to life by a gust of wind and imbued with its power after falling from one of the many cliffs around the area.
In this way, the Wisemen have become almost religious figures in certain sections of Agartha. The mystique that has generated around their image certainly attracts many to believe them to be merely folk tales and legends, but there are several cults across the globe who insist upon their existence. Each culture that has established itself long enough to form its own belief system or religion has had at least one Wiseman cult spring up. In fact, in recent years it has become quite stylish for someone to join one instead of becoming initiated into one of the Deific religions. The Cult of Sapios the Treewarden in particular has been growing in size, bolstered by claims that its leader is in fact the Wiseman himself.
What this means for you...
Whether or not you wish to join one of the cults, innumerable though they may be, is up to you. If you want to make up the cult yourself, have at it. There are so many tales and myths about the Wisemen that if you came up with your own version it wouldn't at all be surprising. Enterprising individuals may even wish to capitalize on the rise of the cult religions, in one fashion or another.
History in the Making
The names of the Seven Wisemen were formalized in an anthology of local legends and folk tales about them entitled the Micel Staer, a 9-volume script written by a group of Lemurian monks in 598 F.E. It was a labor of immense proportion, as gathering this fluid information was a task for decades, if not centuries. Stories of the Wisemen often spoke toward their ability to keep themselves hidden, and indeed it seemed as though they were invisible figments, considering how slowly the legends were cataloged. Miraculously, it was completed within three generations, and has since been kept in pristine condition in a fervently guarded vault. For 437 years, these books were accepted among the scholarly as the most comprehensive and accurate depiction of the Wisemen, even though a decision has yet to have been made on whether or not the 7 mythical people even exist. According to the Staer, the 7 names for the Wisemen are:
Hou Shan, Wiseman of Fire. Name taken from eastern Calderan, meaning born of flames.
Rajumyrsky, Wiseman of Wind. Name taken from Runic Jorden, meaning hurricane.
Riktahasta, Wiseman of Void. Name taken from Modern Muan, meaning empty vessel.
Sapios, Wiseman of Leaf. Name taken from Old Tigritian, meaning Oak tree.
Draki, Wiseman of Water. Name taken from Standard Fyrissian, meaning shore or wavecrash.
Grundwaeg, Wiseman of Earth. Name taken from Old Tigritian, meaning clay jar.
Lucidus, Wiseman of Light. Name taken from Old Lemurian, meaning aware or apparent.
What This Means for You
Well, now they have names.
___
More later.
Monday, February 25, 2008
Cody's Campaign - Characters, etc.
Alex' Character-
Michael River
Born on November 1st, 1981 in Los Angeles to a pair of private investigator parents, Michael is the very definition of child prodigy. Lightyears ahead of his peers, he graduated from Oxford at the age of 14 and is widely known among his colleagues for helping to solve the Seattle "Hangman Murders" case at only 12. Throughout his younger years he had great interest and skill in tinkering with electronics and computer equipment. At 16 he was admitted into the FBI serving jointly within the Law Enforcement Services Branch and the Information Technology Operations Division (where he engineered several advances in the methods of electronic law enforcement).
This is not to say he's perfect. Far from it. As one might expect, he has nearly zero social skills. He also sometimes forgets the limits of the "normal" human mind which, coupled with his high level of stubborness, has led to many sleepless nights for those working with him. In short, he always needs to win. Indeed, he's seen as rather childish, in large part due to his affinity for toys. It was not uncommon to walk in on him studying a list of criminals on a computer screen from an intricate Lego castle or making a breakthrough in a case while a remote-control helicopter flew around the room.
Of course this is all moot, now that he's been let go from the position. They say its for taking a case "too far", whatever that means. After repeated attempts to get back into contact with the organization, he's found that it's almost as if the past three years of his life never happened. Not that this matters for anyone besides Michael, as he had preferred to stay out of the limelight anyway, but for him it feels as if he's lost a game he didn't even realize he was playing. And this frustrates him greatly. But if this shadowy "agency" is any indication, the game's not up just yet.
Classes: Smart with Techie at later levels, possibly Investigator.
Kyle's Character-
Hurnandez del Toro
Hurnandez was born in 1973 in Havannah Cuba. All his life he knew nothing but the rule of Castro and as such he aspired to be part of it. By the age of 16 he enliseted into the army and had made a name for himself hunting down rebels. But later he pushed himslf even farther and joined the ranks of Castro's secret police. Herer he would walk the streets of Havannah looking for anything anti Castro and "reeducate" the sukca on the opposite end. In one particular incident he got envolved in uncovering a coo set up the the CIA. Through that effort and the fact that he had killed one of the CIA agents he got promoted to the rank of Sergent.
By the age of 28 he was ready to blow that popsicile stand. Several attemps had been made on his life via rivals to his position. He secretly planned a fake death and high tailed it out of the country. Looking for work from abroad. When one day he got a message from "the Agency" to do some work abroad. He accepted and has been doing so for 2 years now.
Josh's Character-
Gerard Didriksen
Gerard was born on [April 28th, 1978] at the University of Chicago Medical Center. He grew up in the Hyde Park district on the South Side. When he was 14 he began working at the lakefront docks for his uncle Eddy. Through Eddy's various ties with The Outfit, Gerard was eventually introduced and indicted into the notorious gang in a more or less auxiliary fashion. (Oddly enough, Gerard was related to Frank and Pete Gusenberg, two of the victims of the St. Valentines Day Massacre. Small world.)
He worked with The Outfit for a few years, acting with his uncle in the disposal of unwanted baggage. A few times, he was asked to accompany a small group of gang muscle in shaking down a reluctant business. On one such occasion, when he was 22, he was called to join 2 or 3 other men in guarding his caporegime, John Carlisi. The other party sought retribution for a previous grievance, and upon sighting the group, greeted them with a barrage of gunfire. Gerard was wounded, and was one of two people to escape the fight alive. With the help of the other fellow, Francis, Gerard successfully carried out the grisly series of untraceable murders that evened things out, and then some. His true talents now finally recognized, Gerard spent the next 3 years as a paid assassin and gun for hire.
When he was 25, he left Chicago and, with his reputation in the American underworld helping to grease the wheels, became known throughout the world as a fearsome killer and corporate assassin.
Crunch is here.
Michael River
Born on November 1st, 1981 in Los Angeles to a pair of private investigator parents, Michael is the very definition of child prodigy. Lightyears ahead of his peers, he graduated from Oxford at the age of 14 and is widely known among his colleagues for helping to solve the Seattle "Hangman Murders" case at only 12. Throughout his younger years he had great interest and skill in tinkering with electronics and computer equipment. At 16 he was admitted into the FBI serving jointly within the Law Enforcement Services Branch and the Information Technology Operations Division (where he engineered several advances in the methods of electronic law enforcement).
This is not to say he's perfect. Far from it. As one might expect, he has nearly zero social skills. He also sometimes forgets the limits of the "normal" human mind which, coupled with his high level of stubborness, has led to many sleepless nights for those working with him. In short, he always needs to win. Indeed, he's seen as rather childish, in large part due to his affinity for toys. It was not uncommon to walk in on him studying a list of criminals on a computer screen from an intricate Lego castle or making a breakthrough in a case while a remote-control helicopter flew around the room.
Of course this is all moot, now that he's been let go from the position. They say its for taking a case "too far", whatever that means. After repeated attempts to get back into contact with the organization, he's found that it's almost as if the past three years of his life never happened. Not that this matters for anyone besides Michael, as he had preferred to stay out of the limelight anyway, but for him it feels as if he's lost a game he didn't even realize he was playing. And this frustrates him greatly. But if this shadowy "agency" is any indication, the game's not up just yet.
Classes: Smart with Techie at later levels, possibly Investigator.
Kyle's Character-
Hurnandez del Toro
Hurnandez was born in 1973 in Havannah Cuba. All his life he knew nothing but the rule of Castro and as such he aspired to be part of it. By the age of 16 he enliseted into the army and had made a name for himself hunting down rebels. But later he pushed himslf even farther and joined the ranks of Castro's secret police. Herer he would walk the streets of Havannah looking for anything anti Castro and "reeducate" the sukca on the opposite end. In one particular incident he got envolved in uncovering a coo set up the the CIA. Through that effort and the fact that he had killed one of the CIA agents he got promoted to the rank of Sergent.
By the age of 28 he was ready to blow that popsicile stand. Several attemps had been made on his life via rivals to his position. He secretly planned a fake death and high tailed it out of the country. Looking for work from abroad. When one day he got a message from "the Agency" to do some work abroad. He accepted and has been doing so for 2 years now.
Josh's Character-
Gerard Didriksen
Gerard was born on [April 28th, 1978] at the University of Chicago Medical Center. He grew up in the Hyde Park district on the South Side. When he was 14 he began working at the lakefront docks for his uncle Eddy. Through Eddy's various ties with The Outfit, Gerard was eventually introduced and indicted into the notorious gang in a more or less auxiliary fashion. (Oddly enough, Gerard was related to Frank and Pete Gusenberg, two of the victims of the St. Valentines Day Massacre. Small world.)
He worked with The Outfit for a few years, acting with his uncle in the disposal of unwanted baggage. A few times, he was asked to accompany a small group of gang muscle in shaking down a reluctant business. On one such occasion, when he was 22, he was called to join 2 or 3 other men in guarding his caporegime, John Carlisi. The other party sought retribution for a previous grievance, and upon sighting the group, greeted them with a barrage of gunfire. Gerard was wounded, and was one of two people to escape the fight alive. With the help of the other fellow, Francis, Gerard successfully carried out the grisly series of untraceable murders that evened things out, and then some. His true talents now finally recognized, Gerard spent the next 3 years as a paid assassin and gun for hire.
When he was 25, he left Chicago and, with his reputation in the American underworld helping to grease the wheels, became known throughout the world as a fearsome killer and corporate assassin.
Crunch is here.
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