Life of a Dungeon Master

[sascrotch]

Keeping it all Together

Yes, yes. It's true; I am a dungeon master, I do play dungeons and dragons, and I know I'm a nerd. That's not the point. The point is that it is harder than it looks sometimes. I love being the DM because I get to create the stories and places and people that the characters encounter. I love the story-telling aspect of the game - to me its like acting out a book, writing it with your friends, coming up with new twists and plot points at every turn.

This is just as nerdy as it looks...

But sometimes you just get stuck.

I have so many ideas, that sometimes it can be hard to narrow them down to ones that are practical and relevant to the story. Sometimes chaining events together can be a problem. What I have found works best for me is to prepare some possible dungeons, the people the players may meet in the world, and some plot points to go with them, and then just feed off of what the players decide to do. The last adventure I ran took about 4 hours, and for the first 2 hours, I barely opened my notes. I just reacted to what the players did and let it go from there.

The biggest problem I have is getting the group together. It seems that I can get people together to roll up characters, but when it comes time to play, everyone has conflicting schedules.

Still, I do my best, and I'm getting better. If you happen to play D&D too, feel free to leave suggestions, comments, or questions and I'll try to adress them as soon as I can.

[sascrotch]

My Experience with 4th Edition

Really, I have no experience. When I first heard 4th edition was coming out, I really did't care. I had my 3.5, and I was content. Then it came out, and I bought the starter pack, but really just for the dice and monster tokens. I skimmed through the quick-start rules, and my first impression was that it was crap.

Healing surges? Daily and encounter powers? Skill challenges? It all seemed like what they calimed to be trying to help handle - the optimization of classes that leads to powergaming - had only been made easier. I formed a bias against it, and didn't look at it again for a long time.

But recently, during the ice storms that knocked out power throughout the area, I was bored and took another, closer look at 4e. Suddenly, it didn't seem as revolting...it was almost...cool. The classes were set up really nice. The mechanics were easier to understand and follow. Even the artwork was more epic. So I decided to take the pre-made characters and the quick-start adventure, add a few more rooms to the dungeon, and plan on getting some friends over to test it out.

4e artwork = totally epic

The more I ook into the 4e books, the more I like it. I will never give up 3.5, but 4e has its own place in my heart now. After all, it shouldn't matter what edition you play, the game inside the game never changes. I can't wait to get the 4e books, at least the core books, and start making my own characters and adventures.

See you in 4e!

[sascrotch]

Dungeons and Dragons Player Stereotypes

There are a number of stigmas that come to ind when someone mentions they play D&D. I have a problem with that. We're not all supernerds who dress in chainmail and carry a battleaxe. In fact, most of us are normal people who happen to be interested in this particular hobby. I see it as no different than WOW players or Civil War re-enacters (and probably better than the latter).

1. There ARE women gamers - no matter what you may think, there are plenty of women who play. My sister plays. Trey's sister plays. Trey's mom plays. My point is, most people think of geeky white male teenagers as the only ones who play. Oh how wrong you are. Check out the forums at wizards.com; they have entire boards dedicated to women gamers.

2.There are players of all ages - like I said, Trey's mom plays, as does my dad, and my first DM was Trey's dad. Many of the older generation have been playing for years, some from back when the whole thing started. So there goes the teenager myth...

3. Roleplaying isn't LARPing (Live Action Role Playing) - LARPers dress up like they're characters. LARPers act out battles and pretend to cast spells. That's not D&D, that's LARPing. D&D is a table top game, played with pencil, paper, dice, and imagination. It's like a videogame or book that you're controlling and can do anything in.

There are more points I could make, but these seem to be the most common. so what if it's nerdy? Everyone is nerdy in their own way. Long live nerds, and long live D&D.

[sascrotch]

Race Idea: Goblings

I have this idea for a race, or hybrid race rather, that I may use in one of my upcoming adventures.

Goblings - The story is, Halflings lived along the eastern coast of the great continent, but they some were becoming bored. So there was a migration involving hundreds of halflings heading west over the plains and hills. However, this land belonged to the goblins, who captured and enslaved these immigrant halflings. Over the centuries, mainly after the Crown Kingdoms added Rek-Nog, the Goblin Kingdom, hlflings were given freedom. But instesd of leaving, some chose to stay and an interbreeding of the races began. Now there are settlements, towns and cities full of Goblins, Halflings, ad Goblings.

This idea goes with my Crown Kingdoms campaign world, which is my most current and most intricate campaign world. It is the background to at least two adventures, and I may make it three, if I can find a tie in. But that's a post for another day, maybe tomorrow. I'll have more on Goblings and their section of The Crown Kingdoms campaign setting soon.

[sascrotch]

Crown Kingdoms Campaign

This campaign setting revolves around seven coastal kingdoms positioned around a gulf, known as the Crown Kingdoms. There are seven kingdoms, listed here in descendind order of power.

1. Galthaseer
2. Braltaseer
3. Malthaseer
4. Rothweild
5. Harrier's Crown
6. Rek-Nog
7. Tear Bellows

Each kingdom is ruled by a different hierarchy, but are also strongly connected to each other and have great impact on the rest of the world.

1. Galthaseer Split into two by the river running through it, it is the focal point of most activity within the Kingdoms. Houses the Crescent Council, representatives of the Crown Kingdoms, as well as the Crown Seers, an elite group of Eldricht Knights.

2. Braltaseer Also known as the Island Kingdom, has a large fishing market. It is second in terms of power largely due to its naval prowess - the second largest behind Galthaseer's 5000 - with some 3500 warships.

3. Malthaseer The strongest of the Southern Kingdoms, has close relations with Quarter's Fell and other Gobling nations. Also boasts a large navy, with 2500 ships, and an impressive army, including ogre and giant mercenaries from the mountains.

4. Rothweild The mountainous kingdom of Rothweild is known as the Dwarf kingdom or Moradin's Crown. Only so low in power because of the absence of a navy. Though their army doesn't match the numbers of Galthaseer's, it is arguably the strongest.

The Lord of Rothweild

5. Harrier's Crown The most typical Kingdom, usually stays neutral in most disputes, though has a fair army and navy. Usually a deciding factor in Kingdom changes because of their unwillingness to get involved.

6. Rek-Nog The goblinoid Kingdom, it is kept in check by the other kingdoms and is monitered by strict guidelines. Mostly good, occasionally a corrupt leader or powerful leader will rise and revolt against the other Kingdoms.

7. Tear Bellows The poorest Kingdom, Tear Bellows has recently been taken over by the Chuch of St. Cuthbert. Steadily gaining power as more and more commoners become clerics, zealots, and paladins, and as they form closer alliances with Rothweild.

Cleric of St. Cuthbert



This is just a short overview of the kingdoms, I'll be featuring them one at a time starting with Tear Bellows, so you can get a closer look at some of the history and culture of the Crown Kingdoms.

[sascrotch]

Tear Bellows

Population -24000; this population has increased rapidly over recent years, as more and more followers of St. Cuthbert flock here. Most of the population is humsn, with a few dwarves and half-elves in the mix.

Government Theocracy; the church holds all the power here, including over governmental issues. The current leader, Cardinal Rann Ovenweld, is an inspiring orator and has brought new prosperity to the kingdom.

Defense The standing army numbers only 700, but including paladins, zealots, and other chuch fanatics, it is more around 1100. Another four to five thousand citizens serve as the city's militia.

Temples There are countless churches thoughout the kingdom, including an amazing 85 in Tear Bellows. Everyone is expected to attend service regularly.

History Tear Bellows began as a debtor's prison and work camp for Galthaseer. Galthaseer sent the beggars and homeless there to work off debts and to remove these 'imperfections' from the city. Soon the church of St. Cuthbert found its way here. The downtrodden souls here found hope in the church, and it spread like a fever throughout the city. Before long, dozens of Temples were being built ebery year, and clerics, paladins and other chuch members outnumbered the nonbelievers. Seeing the strength Tear Bellow's had gained, the other Kingdoms voted to add it as an independant Kingdom, much to the distaste of Galthaseer. Tear Bellows formed close ties with the Moradin worshipping dwarves of Rothweld, as they believe Moradin to be St. Cuthbert's ally in the pantheon. They often send out crusades to the north and east to dipel evil and spread the power of St. Cuthbert.

[sascrotch]

Adventure update

Just an update on the last adventure I ran, a solo for Christine's brother Dillon. His character is an assassin who has just joined the assassin's guild. He's a new player, so I ran this adventure that was basically just two encounters, to get him used to the mechanics, but it turned out to be pretty exciting.

The story behind the adventure was that it was a test. He was already in the guild, this was just being used as a measure of his abilities in close combat. He was told that there were two rooms and the door to the second room was enchanted to only open when only one life was present in the first. Basically, he had to kill everything in the first room to reach the second.

So he goes in...his weapons are a flaming longsword, composite longbow, spiked gauntlets and shuriken. When he enters the floor is covered in sewage, because this whole thing takes place in the sewers. So he manages to sneak through, by grace of a great Move Silently bonus, for a little while, but then is confronted by two orcs. He goes for the first one and his first roll...a 1. He trips and loses his sword in the sludge. He dodges the blow from the first orc, but the second one gets him for 10. Next turn he jumps to his feet and punches the first orc with his spiked gauntlets, and after a couple of rounds of dodging blows (the orcs couldn't roll to save they're lives - literally) and throwing punches, the orcs lay dead. But he still heard movement farther into the room.

He creeped up the wall and spotted an orc running away from him. He moved to follow, but another orc jumped in front of him and swung his falchion. He ducked it and came back with an uppercut that nearly took the orc's head off. The orc made one last, feeble attack and tried to take off. Before it could get behind cover, the assassin (named Achilles) took out his bow and stuck an arrow in his back.

Achilles continued on and soon rounded another corner in front of three more orcs. He took one down with his bow (but didn't kill it) and retreated behind the wall and waited. Another orc pursued and was greeted with an arrow to the chest. The next got an arrow to the neck. Achilles waited and then made his way back up. Soon another orc rushed him, and this one would turn out to be his undoing. He dodged the first swing, but also didn't land a punch. The next swing from the orc was a critical, dealing only normal damage, but blinding Achilles. Things got tough from there.

Achilles managed to land a blow, and the orc tried to kick him back. Achilles caught the ors foot and nearly tripped him, but the orc slashed him again. Another missed punch and the orc kicked again, this time hitting and knocking Achilles back. Blinded still, Achilles took a chance and threw a shuriken in the orc's direction. Somehow, he hit, but the orc was still up. A missed swing and a rib-cracking punch to the chest ended the orc. Then Achilles heard squishy footsteps behind him, the orc that was hurt but not killed, and turned and fired an arrow in that direction. Courtesy of a great roll, he hit and ended that orc as well.

The door now opened, Achilles felt his way along the wall to the next room. The floor here was solid, with no sludge or anything. He could hear a scraping and clacking ahead of him and cautiously made his way in. Then something bit the back of his leg; he spun and punched it and heard it whimper. He heard it moving away from him and fired off a couple of shots, but his blind strikes missed. Then he was blasted by freezing cold, the Winter Wolf's breath weapon, and that dropped him to 0.

The next thing he knows, he wakes up in his room in the guild house. A female assassin is tending his wounds, and chuckling at him. Who knows what lies ahead for Achilles, but I can tell he will be very entertaining to watch and design adventures for.