Here's the first of a party of adventurers I created while hankering for a D&D game. Don't know if I'll ever play them, or if they'll show up in the game I'm going to run, I just felt like sharing.
Galvix Shadowtail
Tiefling Fighter
Galvix was captured from a wandering band of Tieflings as a child. He was brought to Broodvale, a city known for slavery and illegal activity. The slavers learned early on that he was too rebellious to trust as a scribe like most Tiefling slaves, so they sold him into the arena.
Galvix took to the life as a gladiator quickly. He learned combat skills but also a flair for the dramatic and a feel for the desires of the crowd. Over the years, he began to enjoy his existence, and he slaughtered all of his opponents, until the last one.
He was scheduled to fight a woman, a blue-skinned Tiefling. She fought with quickness and grace, avoiding his attacks and striking before he could defend. Galvix eventually gained the upper hand, but neither would strike the killing blow. The arena masters were furious! Galvix was locked in the dungeons underneath the arena, and told that the woman had been sold away, somewhere he would never see her again.
For months Galvix raged away in his solitary cell, until what felt like an earthquake allowed him to break the lock on his cage. He returned to the surface to find that a dragon had attacked, setting buildings to topple and burn. He looted what weaponry and supplies he could find, and set out to find the woman who'd matched him in combat.
Attributes:
STR 18
CON 15
DEX 13
INT 10
WIS 10
CHA 10
Thursday, June 30, 2011
Saturday, June 25, 2011
on D&D
So a hundred encounters in old school hack seems a bit much. I got about 5 down on paper, uploaded 1 or 2. Maybe I'll upload the rest and put the monsters I created in the bestiary. But what I've found that I'm looking for is a return to the D&D world that I had so much fun and so much pain running. I'd like to recapture that feeling, and I think I've finally found the way.
Play D&D.
I quit because I was spending too much effort and putting too much of myself into preparing the game, only for sessions to feel flat and lieless. I blamed the mechanics, but for the first half of the campaign, where I stuck to the rules for the most part, we had fun. Things went downhill when I tried to halfass some mass combat rules for the invasion. How cool i could have made the invasion, with ballista bolts and cannonballs hurtling through the air, the PCs sent by Admiral Browncott on special operations to cut off or disable key points in the invasion force! But no, I split up the party and had them adjust to new rules and they were bad ones too. I don't think they game truly ever recovered.
But I've got off on a tangent. The point is, maybe I was doing it wrong. Maybe the encounter creation, and monsters, and all that stuff IS how you're supposed to play, and in my effort to force the game into my specific vision of good, I ruined how it worked and ended up creating too much work for myself fixing it. Maybe just running D&D as written can be fun, intriguing, full of action and suspense and interesting characters.
So now I'm challenging myself. Read the the DMs guide. Use monsters from the monster manual (but get the new ones with the updated stats.) Maybe buy an adventure, but make sure it's not too grindy. Run a game how it's supposed to be run.
Now that I think about it, most of my adjustments were to make the game less combat centric so that my players (Tommy, Jessie, Mark, Ariel, and Kendra) would have fun. They didn't seem too interested in combat, getting bored when fights dragged on too long and pissed when enemies dealt too much damage. (Who can forget the moment Kendra's character was knocked unconscious, only for me to realize that I was calculating damage wrong and her character was fine? I still can feel the pen hitting me in the forehead.) I can live with adjusting combat slightly, to include easier-to-hit foes that dealt more damage but died quicker. I might even break out the half HP for all monsters rule if we start going and it's bad. But I'd like to start again, and go by the book this time.
That'll require reading the book throroughly. But it'll also require player buy in. I'm not gonna run a tactical game where everyone's supposed to know their role in combat if all everyone wants to do is deal craptons of damage. Or maybe I should, and teach them the meaning of tactics.
But the tactics are only half the problem. My narration is missing details. I don't describe what's going on so much as summarize it. I feel self-conscious trying to describe a scene as if I can see it, hoping to build a similar image in the player's minds. But if I don't do that, everyone will have a different, vague image. The world won't seem real, and interactions will not be as meaningful. I have to learn to describe the situation, the people, the environment. I should start by giving everything a history and an appearance in my notes.
No. I've done that before, and it never comes out right. Maybe I should still have a history, but ask on RPG.net what they think.
Though part of my distrust of D&D 4e is from RPG.net. Maybe I should stay away from there. If I spent all the time I do reading about new techniques on writing adventure bits, I could have something very useful to running a game. The trick is to prepare more content, rather than build up the one path I've got in mind. This way, some get used and some doesn't, but I have lots of different things the players can do. I'll try creating an adventure this way, preparing lots of different kinds of encounters and characters.
After reading through the DM's guide.
Play D&D.
I quit because I was spending too much effort and putting too much of myself into preparing the game, only for sessions to feel flat and lieless. I blamed the mechanics, but for the first half of the campaign, where I stuck to the rules for the most part, we had fun. Things went downhill when I tried to halfass some mass combat rules for the invasion. How cool i could have made the invasion, with ballista bolts and cannonballs hurtling through the air, the PCs sent by Admiral Browncott on special operations to cut off or disable key points in the invasion force! But no, I split up the party and had them adjust to new rules and they were bad ones too. I don't think they game truly ever recovered.
But I've got off on a tangent. The point is, maybe I was doing it wrong. Maybe the encounter creation, and monsters, and all that stuff IS how you're supposed to play, and in my effort to force the game into my specific vision of good, I ruined how it worked and ended up creating too much work for myself fixing it. Maybe just running D&D as written can be fun, intriguing, full of action and suspense and interesting characters.
So now I'm challenging myself. Read the the DMs guide. Use monsters from the monster manual (but get the new ones with the updated stats.) Maybe buy an adventure, but make sure it's not too grindy. Run a game how it's supposed to be run.
Now that I think about it, most of my adjustments were to make the game less combat centric so that my players (Tommy, Jessie, Mark, Ariel, and Kendra) would have fun. They didn't seem too interested in combat, getting bored when fights dragged on too long and pissed when enemies dealt too much damage. (Who can forget the moment Kendra's character was knocked unconscious, only for me to realize that I was calculating damage wrong and her character was fine? I still can feel the pen hitting me in the forehead.) I can live with adjusting combat slightly, to include easier-to-hit foes that dealt more damage but died quicker. I might even break out the half HP for all monsters rule if we start going and it's bad. But I'd like to start again, and go by the book this time.
That'll require reading the book throroughly. But it'll also require player buy in. I'm not gonna run a tactical game where everyone's supposed to know their role in combat if all everyone wants to do is deal craptons of damage. Or maybe I should, and teach them the meaning of tactics.
But the tactics are only half the problem. My narration is missing details. I don't describe what's going on so much as summarize it. I feel self-conscious trying to describe a scene as if I can see it, hoping to build a similar image in the player's minds. But if I don't do that, everyone will have a different, vague image. The world won't seem real, and interactions will not be as meaningful. I have to learn to describe the situation, the people, the environment. I should start by giving everything a history and an appearance in my notes.
No. I've done that before, and it never comes out right. Maybe I should still have a history, but ask on RPG.net what they think.
Though part of my distrust of D&D 4e is from RPG.net. Maybe I should stay away from there. If I spent all the time I do reading about new techniques on writing adventure bits, I could have something very useful to running a game. The trick is to prepare more content, rather than build up the one path I've got in mind. This way, some get used and some doesn't, but I have lots of different things the players can do. I'll try creating an adventure this way, preparing lots of different kinds of encounters and characters.
After reading through the DM's guide.
Monday, June 13, 2011
2) Vampire on the run
After a full night of chasing Alexander Vendarak, a vampire with delusions of grandeur, through plowed fields and orchards, the PCs find a large farmhouse. It's the only shelter in sight, and the first light of dawn is already peeking over the horizon. Vendarak has certainly gone into hiding in the farmhouse, but he certainly also would leave some surprises for his pursuers.
As the PCs enter the house, they see Vendarak standing at the balcony, looking down at them. He snaps his fingers, and many farmers (minions and empowered thralls) scattered around attack the PCs. Vendarak climbs down the staircase during the fight, intent on entering the cellar.
If the PCs let him get into the cellar, he reveals his final bargaining chip - the farmer's daughter, charmed and holding a knife to her own heart.
Enemy Stats:
Human Farmer (charmed by vendarak)
Minion (1 HP)
Light weapons (kitchen knives, chair legs, etc) 2d10 drop lowest
No Armor (AC 8)
-1 Awareness, -1 Cunning, +2 Commitment
Powers
1AP: Awakening trick - charmed farmer pretends to awaken from his enslavement, giving all attack rolls against him -2 this round. Only works once, then mechanical benefit is lost. Put the AP in the bowl fight before you have the farmer turn back and attack >:)
Enthralled Worker
Guard (2HP)
Heavy Weapons (Splitting Mauls and Sledgehammers) 2 damage
Light Armor (AC 10)
+2 Brawn, +1 Commitment, -1 Charm
Powers
1AP: Bull Rush - On successful attack, pushes self and target into adjacent area in addition to damage
2AP: Fledgling Bite - On successful attack, deals only 1 damage but restores 1 HP to enthralled worker
Alexander Vendarak, Vampire Lord
Villain (5 HP)
Light Weapon (Blacksteel Longsword)
Heavy Armor (Blacksteel Breastplate) (AC 12)
+2 Cunning, +2 Charm, -1 Commitment
Powers
2AP: Binding Grasp - grab target in focus step, if still held at step 7, drain 2 HP
3AP: Mesmerize - if target stays in same arena and does not break eye contact, gain control of target during step 7. Break away roll Commitment vs vampire's Charm.
2AP: Sphere of Darkness - Vendarak wears a small ebony charm around his neck. If broken, it emits a 5' radius globe of darkness for 24 hours. The globe can be moved by picking up and moving the necklace's band. If sunlight is directed into the room, Vendarak will smash this globe, provided he realizes in time (his Awareness vs PC's Cunning)
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
1) Arachnid Ambush
It's unnaturally quiet inside, the people sitting at the bar or around tables all seem to be playing at merriment. Cards are held at awkward angles, drinks raised but never emptied, and there are no heated arguments or brawls. Eyes seem to swivel to the PCs but then snap back before they can confirm.
One of the patrons stands up and walks to the PCs with an awkward gait. He demands a specific treasure they have recently acquired, one that he shouldn't know they have. If they refuse, All the bar patrons tear off their human costumes with a sickening rip, revealing jet black chitinous human-sized bodies with eight legs, and faces with eight glowing green eyes and vicious mandibles. They screech in unison and attack the (hopefully) startled characters.
(Adjust the number of spider people to the size and level of the group. I used just one against a first level group of 5 characters, and it got owned big time.)
Spider-People
5 HP, Reach Weapons (long, pointed legs), Light Armor+ (12 AC)
+2 Awareness, +1 Cunning
Abilities:
1AP: Leap up to the Ceiling (open)
1AP: Drop down (move and attack in one round, on the attack step)
2AP: Web Spray: Immobilize all opponents in one arena, unless they make a Cunning save (difficulty 7)
2AP: Poisonous Bite: When making a successful attack, the spider person can pull the target in and bite with their poisonous fangs. The target will take an additional poison damage unless they make a Commitment save (Difficulty 7) at the end of the round.
One Hundred Encounters
So I tried GMing Old School Hack recently, and it kinda fell flat. The players created some really awesome characters, including a dwarf who wore armor made of the bones of her ancestors and a cleric named Red Warrior with armor made of a log. (he could pull himself inside and hide!)
But I was winging it, like I assumed was best for Old School Hack, and I came up with some uninspiring arenas and I think it hurt player creativity. How awesome can you be when a goblin and some gnolls ambush along a straight road? Walk up, hit stuff till it falls down.
Part of my problem is lack of experience with the system, but the other part is just that I couldn't come up with a lot of awesome ideas. I've never really though of encounters as grand, sweeping battles like you see in movies. I've always treated them like the orc in a room with a pie. Adding detail in the moment has always been one of my weak areas.
To that end, I've decided to start a project. I'm going to create one hundred encounters for Old School Hack, complete with monster stat blocks and notes for how they'll act. Each one will have multiple arenas of different types, connected together in interesting ways. I'll probably rely heavily on monster manuals and convert a lot of monsters in the process.
And if I can complete this project, I'll know I can overcome my Gamer ADD and stick with a game for more than like a week. Seriously, that's been an issue with me.
But I was winging it, like I assumed was best for Old School Hack, and I came up with some uninspiring arenas and I think it hurt player creativity. How awesome can you be when a goblin and some gnolls ambush along a straight road? Walk up, hit stuff till it falls down.
Part of my problem is lack of experience with the system, but the other part is just that I couldn't come up with a lot of awesome ideas. I've never really though of encounters as grand, sweeping battles like you see in movies. I've always treated them like the orc in a room with a pie. Adding detail in the moment has always been one of my weak areas.
To that end, I've decided to start a project. I'm going to create one hundred encounters for Old School Hack, complete with monster stat blocks and notes for how they'll act. Each one will have multiple arenas of different types, connected together in interesting ways. I'll probably rely heavily on monster manuals and convert a lot of monsters in the process.
And if I can complete this project, I'll know I can overcome my Gamer ADD and stick with a game for more than like a week. Seriously, that's been an issue with me.
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