The Kingworks Creative Blog

Tales of a Desperate Freelancer, part I

2012-01-19T09:15:00.002-05:00

I think the Mayans were on to something. They knew 2012 was going to be a rough year, they just didn't know why or for whom.

Our tale of woe begins back in the Spring semester of 2011 when I took a course in Advanced Drawing. I loved it. As the semester progressed, I found myself looking forward to class and, increasingly, dreading the trudge back to my dreary little cubicle. I daydreamed about being a designer or doing art for a living. I was given a couple of HTML/CSS-related projects, but it was to implement designs from the Marketing department. I longed to create and be creative.

I made mistakes.

Two, to be exact, and my manager took me to task for them. After multiple sit downs with him, we came to the conclusion that my heart simply was not in programming. Fearing that attempting to stay in a job I could not stand would only lead to further mistakes and possibly getting fired, I submitted my resignation in November of 2011. The resignation was padded, giving me 90 days to find a new job; my last day would be January 31st, 2012 - I figured that would give me plenty of time to get hired and carry us through the holidays.

Thus I updated my personal website, tried to patch together a presentable portfolio, and began hitting up local and national job sites, looking for design positions that would allow me to do what I loved, but would not have to move. I got several calls from the DC/NOVA area, but they were interested only in programming and/or required me to be on-site. Other leads turned out to be for positions which the company already had someone in mind, they just had to advertise the opening for legal reasons.

In December, I was connected to the owner of a local design firm. We talked and he seemed eager to take someone on. Right after Christmas, I went in and spent a full day in the office, familiarizing myself with the team and their projects. The owner wanted to know when I could start working, as they had some projects coming up. I felt obligated to finish my current position (it was three weeks, versus two), but offered to spend that time learning their systems and brushing up on skills they used that I had not in a while on my own time.

Things were looking up. I was teaching myself new software, the stress of looking for work was over and, while I wouldn't be making as much initially, the potential for growth was much better than in my current position.

On Tuesday, January 17, 2012, I emailed the owner of the firm - whom I'd been staying in contact with - a interesting link. He replied by telling me that business had slowed down and they no longer had the amount of work they needed to support my position.

Reading that email, I could feel the bottom drop out of my stomach; I was devastated. What was I going to do? My last day of employment was 14 days away and suddenly I had nothing! I wanted to keep this from my wife - to quietly find a new job, then break the news to her once everything was alright. But I couldn't do it, I had to tell her. She was devastated as well.

Back to the hunt. I called up a friend of mine who said his company might have a position I could try out for - though I haven't heard back yet - I designed and printed up business cards offering services as a freelance Graphic and Web Designer. I started hitting all the local print and design and computer businesses, hoping to generate leads.

I decided to write a blog article about my experience. Maybe it would generate a lead or two. Maybe it would help someone else who was considering a move to freelance work; hopefully they can avoid the same stress that I have experienced.

How will it turn out - Will I succeed? Will I fail? Do I have the skills and ability to provide for my family as a freelancer?

That chapter has yet to be written.

DnD: Obligatory 5th ed. / D&D Next post

2012-01-11T09:44:00.000-05:00

As per the stipulations of being a gamer and playing D&D, I am posting about the recent announcement that WoTC is working on a new edition of the game.

I've been around and heard people complain about new editions before. D&D is not the only game I play in which new editions are released every couple of years, either - Games Workshop's Warhammer (40,000) being the other edition-based game I play.

It's a business, so they need to produce new content to generate income. Additionally, no edition has been (or will be) "perfect" - there will always be something that could be tweaked or reworked to make the game better. (In GW's case, they have to shift the balance of the game to keep different armies viable, and therefore, marketable).

Personally, I don't see myself buying a whole new set of books. Rather, I would like to wait and see what works in 5e and try to incorporate that into my 4e game. I don't have any opinions about rumors that may or may not come true and the only thing on my new edition 'wishlist' is shorter, more streamlined combat. I am interested in learning about new game mechanics, though.

If I had a group that played on a regular basis, and if I weren't already stressed about a big life change (new job), I'm sure I'd have more to say and might care more - and that's fine if you do. I just don't happen to be in that place right now.

So there you go, one more inconsequential post about a new edition that doesn't really even exist yet.

Store: New Team Fortress 2 Design Available!

2011-12-05T11:18:00.000-05:00

This weekend, I added a new design to my CafePress Store. Inspired by Team Fortress 2, "Is Credit to Team" - available in both RED and BLU flavors - lets everyone know who's got their back when the poodoo hits the fan.

Also available are:

Get yours today! I guarantee you'll be the only person wearing it.

Announcing the Kingworks Creative Store!

2011-12-02T09:09:00.000-05:00

I've finally done it. I've done what many bloggers and web-personalities before me have done and jumped into the world of hocking t-shirts online. Okay, there's more to it than that, but the long and short of it that I now have a CafePress store done up in the style of my other website. Hence the 'Graphic Design' in the logo.

Designs for sale will include artwork seen on this blog as well as some brand new designs I'm working on. I only have two designs up right now - Zombie Bite and Brother Ptolemy - with plans to add many more, including some brand new ones designed exclusively for the store!

For your convenience, there is a new link over in the right column for Kingworks Creative Merchandise.

Feedback and suggestions are welcome.

Your support means the world to me and will allow me to continue developing as an artist and designer. Thank you.

Art: Skyward Sword

2011-11-30T22:35:00.000-05:00

I decided to burn some nervous energy doing art (and some sort of poetry, I guess?). For some reason, despite not owning it, I felt compelled to do something related to Skyward Sword.

The clouds turned out nice.

Misc: Changing Jobs

2011-11-20T20:58:00.001-05:00

2011 has been a year of self-discovery.

Back in the spring, I took an art course at the university where I work. As the semester progressed, I began to notice that I was really looking forward to class and really dreading the trudge back to my desk.

Things reached a head in October, when I finally put to words what I'd been feeling over the preceding months - my passion is not in programming, but the creative arts. The majority of my job was emotionally draining and required very little original creativity. Day after day, I languished in my cubicle, daydreaming about making things at which people enjoyed looking - work that inspired and endured.

So, after much prayer and discussion with my wife, I submitted my resignation. Come January 31, 2012, I will be 'sans employment.' The plan is be hired well before that. There are some hurdles, however - A modest portfolio and living in a rural area without a lot of tech-related jobs being the two biggest.

It's been eleven days - correction, it's been a long eleven days - since I gave my resignation. I've submitted several applications and even had an interview over the phone (I don't think they liked the idea of hiring someone who wanted to work from home over moving).

There are good days and bad days - times of optimism and despair. What I was unprepared for, though, was the effect all this stress and drama would have on me physically. I'm totally drained at the end of the day. It's as if I won't be able to rest - truly rest - until I know things are going to be okay. Which I kinda already believe - but I don't know how or when, and that's the distinction.

There's not really a point to this. I mainly felt like the blog needed dusting off and the recent lack of activity explained. I cannot tell you how eager I am to be in a creatively stimulating environment and getting the 'juices of inspiration' flowing again. And when that day comes - and it is coming - I will have such wonderful things to share.

Until then, send a good thought my way. If you're the praying type, I'd appreciate it if you'd offer one up for a stranger trying to follow his heart for once, instead of his thick head.

DnD: Anti-Alignment Argument or Walking the Walk vs. Talking the Talk

2011-09-15T10:11:00.004-04:00

What Is Alignment?

Alignment, as described in the two Essentials Player Handbooks*, describes a moral stance. It is a dedication to a set of moral principles, a universal force ‘bigger than deities or any other allegiance that a character might have.’ Further, ‘picking and adhering to an alignment represents a distinct choice.’ In game-play terms, if you have declared an Alignment, your PC is always going to make choices in a certain manner … or else.

The Problem

Or else what? The handbooks don’t say. There are also no guidelines on how DM’s should treat behavior that goes ‘against’ a PC’s declared Alignment. When I was playing a little (and a I mean very little) 3rd edition in college, ‘or else’ was being threatened with negative levels for wanting to cast sleep on a stable owner so I could steal a horse that he refused to sell me - despite the rest of my party rapidly outpacing me in pursuit of some critical mission element or other. Apparently, a neutral good character would “never do anything like that.”

That example illustrates one problem (of many) with dedicated Alignments. Unless everyone agrees beforehand on the exact definitions of ‘good’ and ‘evil’ in the context of the game, they are subjective. When you have a defined element in a game system, you need also to have defined mechanics relating to that element - not so with Alignment. It simply is. How it actually affects a game - if it truly does at all - is anyone’s guess. However, the DM seems to have the most pull, by the sole virtue of his role. Besides, who else is going to enforce the proper Alignment-appropriate behavior?

Here’s another problem: what if a player wants to switch Alignments? What is required for that to happen? What forms get filled out and who processes them? What, if any, should be the penalties for Alignment-shifting? What about characters whose powers are derived from deities who themselves are aligned - Clerics for example? It seems like they would be most at risk for behavior that goes against their Alignment. Rogues, on the other hand, would be masochistic or just plain crazy to declare themselves ‘Lawful Good.’

Fixing Alignment

I see two solutions to the problem outlined above, neither of which are mutually exclusive:

First, if you are using declared Alignments in your game, when a PC makes a choice that goes against her declared Alignment - and sooner or later they will** - let them do it. Furthermore, let them get away with it. If you are going to have consequences, make them realistic. Negative levels and lost healing surges are not realistic. Getting chased by the City Watch because you stole something and end up going to prison is realistic. So are a Cleric’s prayers falling on deaf ears until he makes up for whatever it was she did to piss off her patron deity.

The second approach is more to my liking: Before the game even starts, establish with your players that Alignment is not something chosen beforehand, but develops throughout the course of the game as a result of their actions. Someone might claim to be good, and talk like a ‘good’ character - but do their actions bear that out? Do they ‘walk the walk?’

The Cleric may declare to be a follower of Bahamut, but do the decisions they make keep in line with the precepts of the order? If so, his powers should work (provided the rolling allows for it); if not, any faith-based skill checks might turn out to be harder than they thought they’d be. Maybe one (or all) of their prayers ceases to work at all. Of most interest, will the player figure out why this is happening to them - assuming you didn’t just up and tell them why.

What about the Warlock who willingly makes pacts with devils and demons, but ends up saving the kingdom from the powers of darkness? How might the source of his power be affected by acts of sacrifice and altruism? He might need to do some fast talking with his dark patrons to stay in their good*** graces.

What I like about this approach is that the players are a moral blank slate when the game starts. They are not tied down by a bunch of made-up backstory that often has little-to-nothing to do with the game and everyone is allowed to experience a path of self-discovery as both individuals and as a group.

Ripped from: http://www.likecool.com/Good_v_Evil--TShirt--Style.html

What if …?

A potential obstacle to the “no Alignment ‘till you earn it”**** approach involves the PC’s finding themselves in a situation that requires them to be clearly identified as being good or evil. This will likely not be an issue later in the game, but if the party has just started out, it is quite likely that they have not done anything to push themselves in either direction along the moral spectrum.

If such a case arises, I would have no problem telling the PC’s (via NPC’s, mystical means, etc.) that they need to prove themselves to continue.

Boom, side quest.

It then falls to the PC’s to decide for themselves if the effort needed to become good or evil is really worth it. Canny***** players may prevail with reasoning that their desire to complete the quest is itself proof of their Alignment.

Granted, if you like to run your campaign on rails, this might be more frustrating than not, and you should feel free to dispense with it.

Conclusion

A PC is not ‘good’ or ‘evil’ simply because they declare themselves as such; a PC is ‘good’ or ‘evil’ because that is how they act over the course of the campaign.

It can be quite exciting (and perversely exhilarating) to discover that the PC who thought he was a paragon of virtue actually turned out to be a greedy opportunist and fame whore - not because they had to act like that due to their predetermined Alignment, but because they chose to act that way.

* page 43 or 44, depending on which one you’re looking at.
** Especially if, like me, you enjoy throwing them into morally grey conundrums
*** Evil?
**** I really need a better name for it.
***** Or extremely lucky, depending on how their Diplomacy/Bluff check rolls out.

Video Games: Get Lost, Galactrix

2011-08-22T11:17:00.004-04:00

The bad guy is less scary
and more boring/pretentious than he realizes.

Found another time-waster.

I loved playing Puzzle Quest on my Nintendo DS. It was intuitive, inventive and, whenever I ran into a challenge I could not beat the first time, I was excited to try it again. Eventually, I ran across a copy of the follow-up, Puzzle Quest Galaxtrix, at Big Lots for somewhere around $3.00 - a great deal, I thought. I mean, it was a "Best of E3!" pick, so it had to be good, right?

Wrong.

This game is frustrating, dull, and un-engaging. I found myself skipping through dialogue and flipping off the screen more times than I'd care to admit. So what the heck went wrong with Puzzle Quest Galatrix? How could it be so different from the addictive fun of Puzzle Quest?

In a word: leapgates.

The map of the galaxy is made up of sectors that you have to jump to using leapgates. Unfortunately, they have all been disabled by some kind of virus, so you have to 'hack' them. Hacking involves matching colored sets in a specific order before time runs out. It's similar (in concept, if not in practice) to training monsters in Puzzle Quest. The game's core play mechanic is where this becomes almost unplayable.

Whenever you make a match, there is a short animation that plays where the crystals turn to energy and zap over to the player info. New tiles then fall in and, if any other matches happen, the animation plays for them and you wait until any subsequent matches from incoming tiles are over.

During this process, the timer never stops counting down - even during the animations and new tiles appearing. You don't get any bonus time for matching regular tiles. Instead there are special 'timer' tiles scattered across the board that will give you 10 seconds if you match them; by which time you will have burned up most of your timer. Unwittingly setting off a cascade of matches - which is easy to do, since you have no idea what will be falling in - will eat up most, if not all, of your time.

Does this screen excite you? Because you will be looking at it. A LOT.

The easier gates have more time and/or less required matches, while the harder gates have less time and/or more required matches to open them. And what do you get when you open a gate? Another sector whose gates must be opened before you can proceed. And not all sectors have anything worth getting to, either - but you won't know that until you open the gate and fly your ship there. Imagine my joy at taking 20-something attempts to get a hard leapgate hacked, only to end up in a sector that nothing worth buying/mining, and no missions to take.

As I was collecting missions, I noticed a bunch of them had zero connection to the plot and required me to cross the galaxy. For example, one planet had a set - more than one! - of missions concerned with delivering food. I played every single side mission in Puzzle Quest; at least they involved people in need of a champion to right wrongs and fight evil. In Galactrix, people are literally looking for an intergalactic delivery boy. It's bad enough having to do that across one sector map, but a across ten (or more)? Screw that, man.

I don't know who was responsible for giving this game a "Best of E3!" award, but I cannot believe they played it for more than half an hour at most. I made it about three and a half.

Misc: So ... I'm a writer now?

2011-07-29T16:46:00.000-04:00

Things have always been a bit slow around here, I will admit.

A large part of that is due to the fact that I, myself, am slow. I have a regular, 40-hour per week job that eats up most of my life, then there is family, then there are the myriad hobbies which jockey for turns in claiming the couple of hours or so I have each night before bed - a time that, like some creeping, time-gobbling glacier, inches earlier and earlier into the evening every year. Team Fortress 2 has not helped at all, and that is an understatement.

The short version is that I jump into a lot of different projects and they rarely get finished before another project comes along. At least projects offer the potential for in-progress updates and content.

What do you do when the project being worked on does really exist until it is finished? A story, for example?

I began writing what I thought was going to be a short story. Nevermet is putting together an anthology of short stories and, like with almost every other project they announce, I tried to get in on the action. But the story kept going ... and going. And going. It now currently sits at 15,467 words (shooting for at least 20k) and I think I'm halfway done with it.

I won't have the 50,000+ words publishers want to see for a novel. It will fall somewhere in or around the category of being a novella, depending on who you ask. A young adult novel, perhaps, though the content may not lend itself that demographic.

But what can I say about it? I don't want to give away plot or characters or anything that might be worth stealing - I'm paranoid like that - but I do want to draw in any potential readers' interest.

I read somewhere online (Peter Shallard or Lifehacker, I think) that if you tell people what you are working on, you are less likely to finish it. That the act of sharing some how equates to the act of finishing in our brains and gives us enough of a 'rush' that we grow bored or impatient with having to continue working on it and move on to the next project.

So why the heck am I writing this post? Have I shared too much? Does letting the few of you who know this blog exists what I've been up to put the whole story at risk?

I think (hope) it obligates me to finish.

But really, I'm writing this because, in my mind, I think I'm staying relevant. I feel like, by saying "I'm still here!" the few you who have this feed bookmarked (or whatever) will stick around to see what happens next, that this isn't just another exercise in vanity someone started and let fall by the wayside.

I WILL have something to offer. I just don't know what. Or when. So ... see you around?

VG: You Never Forget Your First(time playing TF2)

2011-06-29T13:47:00.000-04:00

Last night I played a video game on the internet with other real live people. Not a big deal, in the grand scheme of things, since people have been doing it for years now. Just not this person. I've been so terrified of getting annihilated and verbally abused by obnoxious douchebags to the point that I avoided any serious online gaming.

Oddly enough, this fear never stopped me from accepting challengers way back when arcades existed (Ryu 4 life!). For some reason, though, playing online just seemed much more ... exposed? visible? I'm not sure what the word should be, but the idea behind it being that if/when I crash and burn, the whole world be able to see it.

So Team Fortress 2 goes free and it's simply too big, too famous, and the 'Meet the' movies too entertaining to pass up. The first two times, I relegated myself to playing Dustbowl with some Easy bots. Did okay, but was far from getting on the leaderboard during those practice sessions. Despite some of the anti-F2P sentiment I was noticing online, I finally decided to heed some advice I read on the Penny-Arcade forums and simply jump in with real players.

So I decided to go with the Medic, since I figured he's useful to have regardless of the situation. And then the most amazing thing happened ....

I didn't totally suck.

In fact, after an hour's play, I had my self a nice collection of Medic achievements - 6 or so AND I managed to kill a Spy with the bonesaw (Very nearly had a Sniper, too, but he got away)- which felt REALLY good, given the number times I was stabbed in the back.

Now, I'm under no illusions that I'm some kind of prodigy. But overall, I felt positively reinforced by the experience. Which is the point, I guess. As for the abuse, the worst I got was "Hey Medic, with the ubercharge at the end, that would've been a good time to use it."

So, if you run into me (kingworks) playing TF2 sometime, do me a favor and slow down so I can heal you already - or, if you're on the other team, hack you to death with my saw! ;-)

Art: Two Zombie Pics

2011-06-14T13:25:00.001-04:00

A couple of recent pics done for Nevermet Press' stock art catalog, it should be up on rpgnow.com soon. These are obviously scaled down for the web, the ones available for purchase will be print quality (300 dpi). Both were done in Photoshop CS with a Wacom Graphire 4 (6x9) tablet.

Video Games: Sayonara Supreme Commander

2011-06-01T11:25:00.001-04:00

The latest victim of my campaign against time-wasting video games is Supreme Commander.

I picked this up at Ollies' for $5 - not a bad deal at all. It looked nice, despite being a few years old, and I was in the mood for sci-fi RTS - additionally, I'm too poor to get SCII and do not yet have a high-end machine to the game justice.

So what went wrong? The problem came to a head in the third mission of the UEF campaign when the Aeon were constantly attacking my bases and denying my attempts to expand the southernmost island. It took me FIVE HOURS to beat it. Needless to say, the wife was not happy when I came to bed at 2:30 am.

The game has this annoying approach of adding to the map and mission objectives incrementally. So you think you're building towards one corner of the map and when you finally get there - Oh, by the way, you have to clear out this base way over here that you had no idea existed, because we wouldn't let you explore that part of the map.

I looked up a walkthrough online and, from what I can tell, nearly all of the 15 missions are structured that way. Assuming each mission takes four hours (benefit of the doubt), that's 60 hours of enemy forces throwing themselves against my massed banks of turrets while I slowly pick away at their defenses. Also, I was so annoyed with the talking heads continually bugging me with comments about needing to check my objectives and that there are still alien scum that need killing. I get it - I'm slow!

60 hours of game play might be fine for your average gamer - heck, it would have been fine for me in college - but it's more than I have to give these days. Especially for a setting and story I really don't have any interest in.

40k: Games Workshop has lost its [hive] mind

2011-05-26T14:28:00.001-04:00

I should probably not write while I'm angry. I should wait until I've calmed down and assembled an articulate, organized, in-depth study on the topic. I should also quit drinking so much Mtn. Dew and get outside more.

I should do a lot of things.

It's bad enough that Games Workshop raise their prices every year. It's worse that they have decided to cut off half of the planet from ordering their products.

The straw that has broken this camel's back is the new Dark Eldar Haemonculus GW has just put up on Advanced Order.

I don't care about the new line of "Finecast" models replacing metal figures - it's just resin (cheaper for them to make, but they're going to sell them for more).

Okay, fine, whatever. It's a jerky move, but I was willing to see how things turned out ... But to try and sell A SINGLE model with NO OPTIONS WHATSOEVER for almost $20.00 !?!? My kustom Haemonculi looked cooler and cost way less to make.

Screw you, Games Workshop. I'm done.

Art: Harry Caricature

2011-04-26T21:46:00.000-04:00

Final assignment for the Advanced Drawing class I took at work was a caricature in the style of the late, great David Levine.

40k: Paint Stirs for Basecoating Infantry

2011-04-25T23:03:00.000-04:00

This is a quick painting tip for applying base coats to batches of infantry models: Tape them to paint stirs (I used duck tape).

You can get the stirs for free from any paint store; the models can be turned to get at any angle you need, they don't fall over or get pushed around by the pressure released by the can and you won't get as much paint on your wrist/hands. I don't remember where I first heard this tip, but I tried it the other day on two units of Dark Eldar Wyches and I can confirm that it works.

I will undercoating all my infantry using this method in the future.

Misc: Random Update - Spring 2011

2011-04-14T17:35:00.001-04:00

I'm still around and busier than ever. Unfortunately, that means I don't have a lot of time to put blog posts together. Here's a quick update on what's happening in my own little world:

The semester is almost over and that means assignments, projects, papers, etc. are being assigned and coming due all over the place - even for a guy like me who is only taking a single drawing class for the "fun" of it. It's been wearing a bit thin, lately, so I'll be glad when it's over (so will Jonathan over at Nevermet Press when I finally start submitting stuff again ^_^")
I started writing a short story, only, I think it's growing into a full-blown novel. Have to wait and see. One of the challenges is the setting - I know very little about late 1800's France and Bavaria. I've been reading up in Wikipedia and looking for movies (especially sci-fi/horror) set in that period for information and inspiration. Suggestions are welcome.
Warmer weather means yardwork (boo!) and vacations (yay!) - both of which are non-conducive to project advancement.
Spiral Knights - I found out about this FREE online game from Penny-Arcade. Lovin' it so far. I'm on there as Kingworks after dinner (~8pm GMT-5/EST). Say 'hi' if you see me on there. ;-)
Not a huge distraction at this point, but the third Humble Indie Bundle (called Frozenbyte) went on sale yesterday. I donated for the first two and have been immensely satisfied with them; so getting the latest one was a no-brainer. I will happily make a donation for quality indie games that supports charity.
I got a Kindle 3 (the $130 Wi-Fi version) and Patrick Rothfuss' wonderful new The Wise Man's Fear (Kingkiller Chronicles, Day 2) (sequel to the equally wonderful The Name of the Wind (Kingkiller Chronicles, Day 1)) - both were immensely satisfying purchases. There is also a fun little puzzle game I got on sale for 99 cents called Triple Town. I've seen not one, but two (!) Kindle RPG's by Steve Jackson, but have yet to justify handing over $3.99 ea. for something that will eat up even more of my free time. Besides, I'm still eying the Essentials Monster Vault, Deluxe DM's Screen, and Dungeon Master's Kit (just in case anyone was feeling super generous. :-))
At some point, I'm expecting Games Workshop to release some early photos of more new Dark Eldar models. At the top of the list of kits I hope they produce are the Venom gunship/transport and a set of 3 Haemonculi in plastic w/weapon options. Oh, that reminds me, I really need to finish painting the 2 units of new Wyches and 2 new Ravagers sitting on my shelf ... *sigh*

DnD: A New Approach to 4e Skill Challenges

2011-03-22T21:28:00.005-04:00

I've read a lot of posts and tweets about making Combat more efficient in 4e; often frustrated that I didn't really have any good ideas or suggestions to offer. So I began to look at another oft-discussed aspect of the game: Skill Challenges and how to make them easier to manage for DM’s and provide a more organic, in-character experience for players.

I am very interested in any and all feedback from DM’s and players concerning this approach.

Handling a Skill Challenge

A Skill Challenge is a discreet event that occurs within a role-playing session. They have a beginning, operate across a series of turns until a predefined end-state has been reached; at which point the consequences of the players’ performance is determined. I propose that this structure exists primarily for the benefit of the DM; helping them stay focused and organized as they direct the game.

But what about the players? Frankly, I feel that announcing the start of a structured experience - such as a Skill Challenge or Combat Encounter - takes the players out of the game. Handled carelessly, it is tantamount to saying “Okay, we’re going to stop role-playing now and start rolling dice.” Not only does that interrupt the narrative flow of the game, but I think it tends to put players in a meta-mentality and hurts spontaneous in-character role playing that might have otherwise occurred. (Feel free to disagree with me in the comments)

Consequently, I would not recommend announcing when you begin a Skill Challenge. Simply let the party know that there is a goal or objective that needs to be achieved, and that they will be using their skills to do so. If there is someway to impart this information to the PC’s through an NPC or environmental clue, so much the better.

In the same way, DM's shouldn't feel obligated to divulge every reward or penalty earned in the challenge. Obviously results that have an immediate impact on what's happening need to be conveyed to the group, but imagine your PC's surprise when an unexpected ally pops up in a dire situation due to their success in a Skill Challenge a while back - or their dismay when attempts to rally support in a village fall on deaf ears due to their inept handling of a negotiation in another region. Regardless of how a DM chooses to implement this, it needs to plausible.

Complexity

Complexity equals the number of rounds participants have to complete a Skill Challenge. Example: A Skill Challenge of Complexity 3 lasts 3 rounds; each player will make 3 skill checks. Likewise, if any opposing NPC’s or monsters are working against the PC’s in the challenge, they will also get 3 checks each to negate a PC’s individual success.

Complexity should be in direct proportion to the amount of effort or the number of smaller tasks the PC’s would ordinarily have to put forth in order to accomplish their goal. Note that Complexity is NOT the same thing as Difficulty - which is how hard a task is to complete. A Skill Challenge can be simple and hard, or complex-yet-easy to accomplish.

Skills

DM’s decide ahead of time which skills will be Primary Skills. The players WILL NOT know which skills are Primary, nor will they be given any pre-written examples of how to use a skill. Instead, a PC may use any skill she wishes. Primary skills will, naturally, be the most effective; Secondary skills are slightly less effective and take a -1 to their final score; Other skills are a bit of a gamble, but still have a chance to succeed - especially if the player using them offers a particularly clever description of what they are doing; in which case, no penalty should be subtracted.

Primary Skills	No penalty
Secondary Skills (optional)	-1
All other skills	-2

You may still wish to implement skills that auto-fail during a Challenge (which almost always seems to be Intimidate). I would recommend against letting players know how the scores are adjusted, but it is ultimately up to the DM.

DC’s (Difficulty)

How hard is it to accomplish some (or all) part(s) of a Skill Challenge?

Each skill listed as Primary or Secondary needs a DC assigned to it; the level of DC’s selected in a Skill Challenge remains the same. See pgs. 158-9 and 126 in the Essential Rules Compendium for details.

All other skills should default to a level-appropriate Medium DC, unless use of a particular skill is especially risky, in which case it should be Hard.

Accumulating Successes

There are two types of success : individual and group. Individual success occurs when a PC meets or beats a given DC in a round. Group success occurs when the majority of a party succeeds in a given round. If there are an even number of PC’s in a party, DM’s should decide ahead of time if an even split will result in a success (nice DM’s) or failure (mean DM’s). Regardless of the choice, STICK WITH IT - at the very least for the duration of the Skill Challenge; ideally for the entire campaign.

Success or Failure of the Challenge

The number of group successes needed is always two less than the Complexity, making things easy to remember. I would not recommend Skill Challenges of very high Complexities; instead, consider where it might make sense to increase DC’s.

Complexity	Group successes needed	Complexity	Group successes needed
3	1	9	7
4	2	10	8
5	3	...	...
6	4	n	n-2
7	5
8	6

Complexity 1 challenges are essentially a single Group Skill Check and thus, not included. A DM could run a Complexity 2 skill challenge, requiring one success - that might be easier to conceptualize as a Group Check with a ‘do over.’

Consequences: Success and Failure

There are four possible outcomes to every Skill Challenge:

1) Perfect: Target # of successes are accumulated with NO failures - The best possible outcome, this should be reward over and above the basic storyline goal of the Skill Challenge - perhaps with a boon or additional advantage to what the PC’s would normal get for accomplishing a Skill Challenge. DM’s may want to leave the Perfect finish off of Challenges of Complexity 1 or 2, since they are so easy to obtain.

2) Normal Success: Target # of successes before failure - The PC’s did what they needed to do and the story may progress as they hoped it would. If any additional rewards are given, they should be to a lesser degree than they would get for a Perfect finish.

3) Normal Failure: Failing to accumulate target # of success before failing - The PC’s failed to do what needed to be done. The story continues, but now they are at a noticeable disadvantage. Additional penalties may be awarded, but - as with Normal Success - should be to a lesser extent than those awarded for a Critical Failure.

4) Critical Failure: NO successes accumulated before failing the Challenge - The PC’s blew it. Big time. Not only did they fail to accomplish their goal, but they used up additional resources/goodwill in the process and took a blow to their reputation for it. The PC’s have additional negative results - such as damaged reputation with townsfolk, which causes prices to be higher when paying for goods and services - in addition to the now-altered story.

The consequences for failure should ALWAYS be considered when building a Skill Challenge and not put off until the moment the PC’s fail. The additional boons and penalties for particularly good or poor performance in a Skill Challenge can (and probably should) be generic and easily applicable to a variety of situations.

Example Skill Challenge

DM's Notes

Complexity: 4 (need 2 group successes)

Primary Skills (DC): Diplomacy (Med), Bluff (High), Insight (Med), Perception (Med)

Secondary Skills (DC): Arcana (High), History (Med), Streetwise (High)

* Intimidate will auto-fail

Goal: Keep the infected people on the wagon from entering the city

DM: An outbreak causing people to turn into zombies has begun to ravage the countryside. You three (PC's) must try and convince the guard at the gate to raise the draw bridge before a wagon full of plague-infected farmers crosses into the city. One of the city residents - a relative of the people on the wagon - refuses to believe that they are infected and is arguing to let them in; he will make an opposing check against one of you at the end of each round. The guard will listen for 4 rounds before making up his mind. So, PC-1, you start and we'll go around the table.

Round 1

PC-1: Guardsman! You've got to close that gate - many innocent lives will be put at risk if you let that wagon cross without verifying if those people are infected or not. I rolled a 12, add 5 to diplomacy; 17.

DM: (makes a check mark on a sheet of paper for the success) Surprised, the guard looks at the wagon. 'Really? Infected?' he asks, looking concerned.

PC-2: I climb the wall, granting me a better view of the wagon. It definitely looks like the people are unwell. I got a 16 on Athletics.

DM: (-2 since Athletics wasn't a listed skill, it’s a failure; makes an 'x' on beside the check mark) The guard looks at you skeptically.

PC-3: Sir, you must know that this same incident occurred five years ago in the kingdom to the north. If only they'd taken the extra precaution of stopping the wagon and checking the people, a village could've been saved. History check of 19!

DM: (-1 for a Secondary skill, but it still passes; DM puts a second check mark down) The guard seems to nod his head thoughfully. At this point, the man speaks up angrily.

Man (DM): Those people are loyal subjects of the crown and have every right to enter this city!' (10 for Diplomacy fails the check).

DM: You can tell the guard doesn't appreciate the man's tone. 'I need something else to go on before I can close the gate,'he turns back to the party. (2 successes is enough to win the round - 1 group success so far)

Round 2

PC-1: I can tell you're unsure, maybe even a little nervous about closing the city in the middle of the day - but this is the right thing to do! A ... 12 on Insight?

DM: (No penalty, but 12 is too low; so an 'x' is marked below the first three marks) The guard seems to have taken your words the wrong way. 'Nervous?' he asks, somewhat crossly.

PC-2: Look pal, we're trying to save this city! If you won't raise the bridge willingly, we'll make you! Sweet! Natual 20 for Intimidation!

DM: (A second 'x' mark, as Intimidate auto-fails) The guard takes a step back, but refuses to throw the lever, instead putting a hand on the hilt of his sword. 'Are you threatening me?'

PC-3: Sir, please, I am sensitive to magic and I tell you that the people headed towards this city have been infected by a dark spell! 24 for Arcana after bonuses!

DM: (Takes off -1, but it still passes; check mark) The guard takes in your attire and magical acourtrements and seems swayed.

Man (DM): Oh please! These people are outsiders to our city! Who knows what ulterior motives they have in shutting our kinsmen out like common highwaymen? (DM decides that Streetwise bets fits and rolls 19; a success - which negates PC-3's success; the PC's have been shut out this round)

DM: The guard considers the man's words and turns a cold eye on your party. 'I've nearly made up my mind,' he says, 'you've one last chance to convince me, else I let those people in and report you lot as troublemakers to the city watch.' (The group now has 1 success and 1 failure)

Round 3

PC-1: The wagon is close now - you can see how pale and sickly the people on it are! They do not look well! Perception of 22 after modifiers.

DM: (starts a third row of marks with a check)

PC-2: Have you not seen the fliers around town about the illness that has befallen the countryside? Citizens are being warned to stay in the city; this is common knowledge! Got a 19 for Bluff.

DM: (another check mark) The guard looks around the street. It does seem like an unusually small number of people have passed through the city's gates today.

PC-3: Look! In the sky! Those are vultures circling - they can smell the stink of illness and decay emanating from the wagon. You do not want that in the city. I rolled a 20 on Nature.

DM: (a third check mark) The guard looks to the birds, then to the wagon, then back to the birds. He seems to be considering your words.

Man (DM): Oh come on! Birds!? You're seriously going to consider raising a drawbridge because of a couple birds? I just came here from Gustav's stall in the market; he's not heard anything 'bout no 'dark magic' or 'infections' - and GUstav knows everything that happens around here! (natural 20 on Streewise nets the NPC a victory over one of the PC's individual successes; however, two other individual successes win the round for the PC's)

DM: The guard nods in agreement. 'You're right, I haven't heard anything about it. But,' he starts winching up the draw bridge, 'better safe than sorry! We'll check them out. If they're clean, they come in; if not, they can stay outside.' (There is no need for the fourth round as two group successes net a Normal Success for the party) The people on the wagon are checked and found to be in the process of turning into zombies! The mayor is grateful and asks if the PC's will help direct the city defenses should a horde of undead assault the city (which, of course, they will)

Follow-up:

When a large force of zombies assaults the town later that night, the PC's don't have to worry about a sudden zombie outbreak in the town; had they failed they would have been attacked from both sides.

So, there it is! I'd love to hear about any experiences in trying this approach - good or bad.

Art, Misc: Da Vinci and Me

2011-03-04T10:55:00.000-05:00

A few years back, I was getting counseling as part of an effort to overcome some personal struggles I was having as a result of my insecurity, anxiety, and undiagnosed low-grade depression. I found myself repeatedly mentioning how I loved to create and to be creative - despite the very uncreative existence I was living at the time - and that my attempts to pursue a 'practical' life was in conflict with the person I was created to be and the life I was called to lead.

red conte on paper, 18 x 24"

"Who is it you want to be?" I was asked at one point. It took all of a half-second to decide. "Leonardo da Vinci," I replied, completely serious. I went on to explain that the man was a genius, fascinated by everything, threw himself into everything he did, and while he didn't produce a huge number of works in his lifetime, what he did finish mattered - he lived passionately, if impractically.

Not to sound arrogant, but I'm pretty smart, pretty good at art - I want to produce all sorts of creative works in a variety of media, and I have the tendency to jump headlong into everything I try ... up until the point at which I'm distracted by the next shiny thing that catches my attention and I jump into that, leaving a dearth of half-finished projects in my wake.

Fast forward to a week ago. I'm taking Advanced Drawing; free classes being one of the perks at the university where I work. Our assignment it to pick a Renaissance artist and copy one of his sketches. Then, produce an original sketch in the artist's style. By now it should be obvious who I picked. And, to be honest, I was pretty proud of the sketch I copied. It turned out well and I got a good grade on it.

However, when it came time to do the second piece, an original sketch in the selected artist's style, I was so burned out from trying to do justice to da Vinci's self-portrait that I honestly didn't care. I approched it like a regular drawing and drew like Paul, not like da Vinci.

pencil and charcoal on paper, 18 x 24"

The grade on the second drawing wasn't as high. Below the class average, in fact. Initially, this bothered me - I like to excel in everything I do and below average is not excelling. Then I started to compare the pictures and realized something: There is more of me in the self-portrait - literally and figuratively, than in my attempt to ape da Vinci's self-portrait.

It's real. It's honest in a way the other picture is not, flaws and all.

Don't get me wrong, there are certainly things I could get hung up on and criticize - the face, for example. But that line of thinking always pits me against myself: "I'm not da Vinci!" I'd gripe as I started to chafe at the differences in skill between myself and a dedicated Renaissance master; an all-to-common conversation, I'm embarrassed to admit.

And then, for the first time, it hit me: No, I'm not da Vinci, I'm Paul.

And I'm okay with that.

DnD: Review - Soldiers of Fortune

2011-02-18T14:16:00.001-05:00

There is something Matt James wants you to know: Being a mercenary does not make you a bad person. A fact he repeats often and emphatically in his new book Soldiers of Fortune. Despite the common stereotypes associated with soldiers for hire - that of unscrupulous, amoral cutthroats looking for easy money - this material encourages your PC's to dive into the often grim and gritty world of professional soldiers paid for their martial expertise and willingness to fight, and quite possibly die, for a cause not their own.

Written by Matt James and published by Kobold Quarterly

The supplement, written in the context of the Midgard campaign setting, is broadly divided into two parts: fluff and crunch. The fluff, comprised of the first three chapters of the book, starts off with a discussion about the reasons for war, the various Midgardian factions and alliances that often wage war upon one another, and strategies for successfully waging war. The last part of Chapter 2 being comprised of several skill challenges.

The second half, the crunch, occupies most of the book's 79 pages. Features in this section include new feats, powers and paths; magic items, rituals; and a slew* of new monsters and templates. Included in the crunch, but separate from the lists of new material is The Battle of Sanguine-Crag Pass, an adventure for five 7th-level characters.

Content

As someone who grew up hearing a lot of military stories (my father served in Vietnam and my brother currently serves in the National Guard), and eventually getting into table-top wargames myself, a lot of the background and information presented in the fluff about war in general was nothing particularly new to me. I realize, however, this may not be the case for a lot of readers. I will acknowledge, though, that the focus on the role of mercenaries in larger conflicts presented in this work was something I don't recall seeing before in material such as this.

The most welcome portion of the first three chapters, to my mind, were the Skill Challenges. I particularly liked the fact that the Besieged challenge - in which the PC's are tasked with holding a defensible location - could be flipped around to recast the PC's in the role of the besiegers. Another idea presented in this section that I'd like to experiment with is the long-form Skill Challenge which might be conducted in stages over the course of an adventure, or possibly even a campaign.

It is the final four chapters of the book - the crunchy portion - where I felt Soldiers of Fortune really succeeded as a source of inspiration. I frequently found myself stopping and mentally expanding or elaborating on material in the book. Magical banners and standards (including one for Gnolls!), rules and stats for siege engines, templates for PCs and NPCs alike, formations, minions on the battlefield; each of these sections fed my anticipation for my next campaign, and an opportunity for these ideas - some as-written, some tweaked or expanded - to be implemented.

Presentation

The book is laid out in a straightforward two-column format, with a fairly polished feel to it. I wasn't a fan of the page borders or the occasional 3/4 width image that had text crammed around it, but these are minor quibbles and shouldn't detract from the overall reading experience. Stat blocks with titles and descriptions split across pages were probably the most annoying thing; thankfully, this was a rare occurrence. I was also curious as to why certain sections, such as the Skill Challenges, were placed as they were within the overall structure of the book - again, not a deal breaker, just something I noticed.

The full-color cover by Malcom McClinton and interior black-and-white art by Joe Slucher, all original save for one stock image, are average-to-above-average in quality - my personal favorite being the image of the old man at the opening of Chapter 3. Each piece had at least one detail that really stood out and drew my attention.

Crystal Fraizier's encounter maps were well-done and easy to read. One gripe, though: there is no indication of where the PCs are supposed to start, on the map or in the encounter description.

Conclusion

Overall, I thought this was a solid effort. I would have liked to have seen some of the material elaborated and expanded upon, but taking it upon myself to do so draws me to the product in a way that it might not have otherwise if every possible detail were spelled out. I don't know if Matt James has written any other sourcebooks, but, should he continue to build upon and develop the skills and ideas demonstrated in Soldiers of Fortune, I feel certain that he could produce some great RPG material.

Buy Soldiers of Fortune if:
You are planning to run a military-themed campaign; your PC's enjoy the tactical nature of combat encounters; your group enjoys the role-playing opportunities that occur in a profession where money and violence are inextricably bound together; Your PC's have expressed an interest in operating heavy weapons; Your group would like to participate in epic, large-scale conflicts.

Consider Soldiers of Fortune if:
You appreciate reading others' ideas and tweaking them to fit your particular campaign or style of play. You want to give the forces that oppose your PC's some depth and character. You're considering increasing the scale of your combat encounters and skill challenges.

Avoid Soldiers of Fortune if:
Your PC's like to play wondering heroes answering a higher call - righting wrongs, dealing out justice, and slaying evil monsters; hate taking orders from NPC's (even ones paying for their services) and/or don't really care about the consequences of their actions (and you don't care to enforce them); Your group prefers small, quick encounters and simple resolutions to clearly defined problems.

I have included a link to the notes I took as I was reading Soldiers of Fortune, written as stream-of-consciousness observations:
SoF_impressions (9 Kb .txt, Mediafire)

Review Disclosure
I volunteered to review this product; no compensation has been asked for or given for this review. A link to an early version of the .pdf was provided to me by the author. All errors encountered in the text were shared with the author and publisher. I have been assured by the author that most, if not all, errors have been corrected in the final edition.
__________________________________________________________________________
*Slew, in this context, being defined as: 14 templates (2 for minions), 27 monsters, 3 siege engines

DnD: Through the Eyes of a Newb

2011-02-06T22:24:00.001-05:00

The game group that was meeting at my house went on hiatus several months ago. I recently emailed them about getting back together. In order improve the experience for everyone, I sent them a brief survey of seven questions. Their responses follow. First, however, some demographic information about the players, all of whom were totally new to role-playing when I asked them to try out 4e with me (I, in turn, was totally new to being a DM). I will be using their PC names to identify them.

Eponine (Half Elf Paladin, female) - female, married to Lucan IRL, 1 yo son, homemaker/babysitter/violinist, 25
Erianya (Eladrin Wizard, female) - my lovely wife, School Psychologist, 31 (still looks mid-20's), 5 yo son & 3 yo daughter
Lucan (Elven Cleric, male) - married to Eponine IRL, 1 yo son, Public Defender, 38
Telfryn (Elven Ranger, male) - married, Statistics Professor, mid(?)50's, 1 son & 1 daughter - both grown. I referred to him as Teflon.

NOTE: Each player was informed beforehand that their responses would likely wind up on my blog.

1) What aspect of our role-playing sessions did you enjoy the most?

Erianya: I liked the dinner, getting together with friends, and the first half hour- so the set up. I liked seeing what [the DM] came up with and the creativity of it. Once there was a box with a logical problem to solve and I figured it out very quickly. I liked that.

Eponine: I enjoyed creating a character and witnessing others' creativity. The collaborative story-telling as well the exploring of the world you set up for us. I also really enjoyed the discovery of our unique roles within the group. I enjoyed being the strong defender. :-) I really enjoyed beginning to learn about the world of D&D -- it was fun how it opened up conversations with some neighbors and many of my college friends (I guess that says a lot about my friends). Thanks for sharing it with us.

Lucan: I agree with Telfryn and Erianya in that the getting together was the main thing. As for the game, I thought the unstructured, open nature of role playing games was challenging. I enjoyed the story-telling aspects of the game, too -- especially [the DM's] work creating the environment. Really the "cooperative story-telling" aspects were quite fun and a very interesting experience to reflect on.

Telfryn: The time together.

2) What aspect of our role-playing sessions did you enjoy the least?

Erianya: I didn't like being bored while everyone else was playing and I wasn't. I didn't like being expected to pay attention when I wasn't playing. I didn't like being expected to have done homework or know what is going on. I liked it better when I'm told "these are rules, here's your game piece, this is what you do, figure out a strategy on your own", rather than "figure out who you are by reading volumes of boring books, figure out what you do by sorting through volumes of boring books, and figure out the rules by reading volumes of boring books." I didn't really like fighting things either, and we did that a lot. The D&D world is vast and complicated. If you are interested in it, could be absorbing and exciting. However, as someone with no interest in those details- I want someone to tell me the minimum I have to learn in order to play, and then be expected to know that minimum- not more- and for that to be okay.

Eponine: The battles seemed to go on for a long time, and at times seemed monotonous and futile.

Lucan: Our mutual lack of experience made the game tedious at times. I suppose that is partly because we were not experienced enough acting in character to be able to know what they would do automatically. We were probably doing too much meta-thinking or at least we were too self-conscious.

Telfryn: The fact that the ads kept popping up on the digital board.

3) What changes would you recommend to make our D&D sessions more fun?

Erianya: Play other games, but we can still be in our character? Keep the sessions to 30 minutes? Here's a good one: When we fight, do speed rounds. Instead of everyone having a turn- set the timer for 2 minutes and everyone silently figures out our attack and then 30 seconds each person to describe the attack. Then the monsters have 2 minutes to decide how to attack all of us. Then we have 2 minutes to decide and 30 seconds to tell and so on. This will get us out of the boring fighting and back into the story. Maybe then I can more easily tolerate more than 30 minutes of play.

Eponine: As others have said - I would recommend shortening the fighting encounters.

Lucan: Shorter and more focused encounters would help probably. I liked using the table. Perhaps we could work the Wii Fit tasks into it, too. There could be adventures where you have to try to complete some Wii thing like flying to an island or something. I realize that is totally ridiculous from a D&D perspective ;-) The problem with D&D for me is that I am not able to really commit to inhabiting the imaginary world seriously enough to make the action happen spontaneously. I also enjoyed playing some of the other games that y'all have and new games that you would find from time to time -- Settlers of Catan comes to mind. And I don't think that we have to play a game -- I am open to other options, both indoors and out, for our time together. Outdoor activities like cook-outs in the park, drive-in movies, etc. all come to mind for the spring and summer. Of course, I also now have to think about [kid]-friendly activities.

Telfryn: I thought they were great fun, but it seemed like we got awfully bogged down sometimes talking things over and not staying focused.

4) Are there different settings/genres/styles of role-playing that you would prefer to D&D's standard hack-n-slash fantasy setting (please elaborate beyond a simple 'yes' or 'no')?

Erianya: Do not understand the question- but hack and slash does not sound like me.

Eponine: Yes, I am sure there are different settings/genres/styles that I would prefer to hack-n-slash fantasy. Like Lucan, I preferred the exploring part of the game, I don't know what genre would be more like that.

Lucan: I thought the exploring part of the game was more fun than the fighting part. Perhaps the fighting could be modified to go more quickly -- more real time. I like Erianya's suggestion. Also, see my comments on question 3.

Telfryn: Not sure, because I don't know what is out there. I am partial to "puzzle" games (al la "Raven" from several years ago), where there was a puzzle that we had to figure out. However, that doesn't lend itself to the sort of invent-as-you-go flavor of D&D. So...I'm happy with the genre we used.

5) Would having a more experienced role-player in the group make you more or less interested in playing?

Erianya: MUCH MUCH less interested. A more experienced role player would expect us to follow a certain set of complicated rules that I'm uninterested in learning. They would be annoyed with us and I'd be anxious over the fact that I was annoying them and then annoyed with them for being sticklers overs rules I don't care about. It seems too dangerous.

Eponine: Less.

Lucan: I agree with Telfryn and Erianya. I don't think we could handle them or they could handle us.

Telfryn: Having a more experienced role player might help us all learn more, but honestly, the real fun for me is in being together...less so than becoming really proficient in D&D. Not sure an experienced player on our team would be happy with our rather messy way of playing.

6) Did using the digital table make your role-playing experience more or less engaging?

Erianya: The digital table was useful and aesthetically pleasing.

Eponine: More. The table was really cool --- except for the pop up ad of course.

Lucan: Aside from the technical difficulties, I thought the table was a great addition.

Telfryn: I liked the digital table . . . with that birds-eye-view. Helped me visualize things (if we can just keep those pesky ads from popping up!).

7) Time and distance are big issues for our group, do you have any suggestions for overcoming these obstacles?

Erianya: I heard you can purchase a helicopter that you put together yourself for only 100,000. I can't verify this- it was just a facebook post.

Eponine: See Lucan's answer

Lucan: Well, with [our young son] this will only be more difficult in the near future -- particularly the time. I suspect that the game will have to allow for Eponine or I to come and go somehow. The distance isn't a huge obstacle. Obviously, it's not like we lived in the same neighborhood so our get-togethers have to be more planned than spontaneous, but the drive is not burdensome. Y'all's new house is certainly the most convenient in terms of space for kids and adults. Our house is pretty loud and chaotic with all that going on in what is essentially the same room.

Telfryn: Don't know how to over come the time/distance issue. Lucan and Eponine have the biggest hurdle. I'll defer to their ideas and needs.sk

DnD: Going Essentials. Now What?

2011-02-03T09:03:00.000-05:00

I'll warn you upfront: This post contains no new material or free goodies. Heck, I didn't even get a picture for it. This is simply me asking for advice.

I've decided to go Essentials.

From what I've heard and read online (most of which comes from Twitter, I'll admit), Essentials is simply faster - both for character building and playing. On top of that, it sounds like it is easier for older edition elitists to swallow and easier for newbies (the only people I've gotten to play with) to grasp due to reduced options.

The question for me now, as it has been for every D&D player since Advanced Dungeons & Dragons came out, is 'what should I do with my pre-Essentials 4e books?'

I've got the 3 Player's Handbooks, 3 Monster Manuals, DMG 1 and 2, Open Grave, the DM screen, and Adventurer's Vault 2. I know this is a pittance compared to the hardcore players out there. But for a dilettante such as myself, it was a big investment for the 5 or so games I got out of them.

A lot of attention was paid to the fact that damage and stats were altered in MM3, making it more balanced and 'accurate' (if such a term could be applied), than the first two - so maybe I keep it? Or, maybe all three sold together on eBay would make for a more attractive purchase? I don't know.
Maybe they're worth keeping around as reference material? For the art?

What do people who have been role-playing for years do when they decide to upgrade or switch systems?

Art: Ambush - Coalpunk Walker

2011-01-24T20:14:00.001-05:00

Remember the steampunk walking contraption I made in Google SketchUp?

This piece was sitting half finished for a long time. Finally decided to finish it. This is a random scene taking place in Nevermet Press' Loaerth & Feywyrd setting.

view larger version

DnD: Compact Monster Knowledge Cards

2011-01-10T20:32:00.001-05:00

I can't imagine any RPG people reading this blog who don't already know about Sly Flourish, a repository of awesome ideas to make running a D&D much better. One such idea are Monster Knowledge Cards, a simple idea that helps speed up combat by displaying a monster's defenses to the PC's.

Mike's cards are 5x8, folded in half and have a full-color image of the monster printed beside the stats. They look nice, but I'm far too poor/cheap and don't play enough to make something that can't be used as much as possible.

To that end, I've made a compact version (four to a page, eight if you print double-sided), with the intention of printing them on cardstock and having them laminated. They can then be filled in with dry erase markers and reused.

Click for full-size (849 KB .jpg, 2550px x 3300px)

Additionally, I think that the next time I get a game together (no idea when that will be, at this point) I'm going to increase monster damage while decreasing their HP's. This should make for shorter, more intense battles and help us get the most out of our sporadic gaming sessions.

DnD, Art: Card Game Preview - Enchantress

2011-01-03T13:11:00.000-05:00

Congratulations on making it to 2011!

My resolution this year is to finish what I start. Including several projects I started last year. Of course, a big part of succeeding at this will be to avoid starting anything new until other projects already underway have been completed.

A factor in the success of a new resolution is having a victory, no matter how small, to celebrate and motivate one forward. To that end, I looked at all the irons I have in the fire and decided that finishing the remaining two designs for the fantasy card deck I've been working on will be the easiest to complete. It's simply a matter of sitting down and doing it.

And, what do you know? I finished another design! Originally intended to be a stereotypical old guy in a robe, I realized that I had no female designs. Thus, the Wizard turned into an Enchantress.

Only one design left before I have my first test deck printed up.

I've already got rules for one game pretty well set down. What I'd like to do is have three or four solid games for the deck before I sell it.

40K: Spreadsheet Template for Codex: Dark Eldar

2010-12-23T20:18:00.002-05:00

Have you ever worked at something, and reworked it, and reworked it - only to suddenly have an idea that would have saved you a lot of time and effort if you'd thought of it before you started?

I think you can see where this is going.

All future versions of my spreadsheets will include every Universal Special Rule (USR) listed in the core rulebook, not just the ones that appear in the codex. This will prevent me from stumbling across one mention of USR that I missed and having to renumber all the references in the army list.

Additionally, I decided to get my screenshots done before entering in all the descriptions.

As with the Ork and Blood Angel Codices before, these templates are Open Office spreadsheets. Screenshots follow the link below:

DE_5th_2010_v_1-0_BLANK.ods (34 KB, Mediafire)

Don't worry - the Ranged Weapon names are included

Misc: Obligitory 'What Have You Been Doing?' Post

2010-12-07T12:55:00.000-05:00

I am currently:

Teaching myself 3DS Max 2011, using my Warhammer Goblin sketch as the base for my first model. I'm building it one polygon at a time, as opposed to the box method I was taught using Lightwave back in college.
Plotting out a campaign setting/adventure based around the Automated Antagonist articles I wrote for Nevermet Press. I'm shooting for a noir atmosphere and multiple narrative paths, each with their own combat encounters and skill challenges. I don't know when it will be done, but it's going to be big. Also have a couple of ideas for artwork, but no real progress on that yet.
Assembling a new Dark Eldar Ravager, with a second still in the box. These new models are SO much nicer than the old ones, but I'm not sure how to best store/transport them yet.
Added some details and texture to the Dice Tower. It still needs some sanding; After that's done, painting should go quickly. The increasingly cold weather is really killing any projects that require (spray) painting, though.
I haven't forgotten about the card game I was working on, but a recent crackdown on how I spend my time at work has pretty much pushed that project far down the list. Ditto for the Dark Eldar spreadsheet, though filling out a spreadsheet takes less a lot less time (for me) than getting designs polished in Illustrator.

One of the benefits of working for a university is an extended Christmas holiday. I'm really hoping to get a lot of progress done on each of these projects in the ten or so days that I have off.

Art: A Couple of Animations From My College Days

2010-11-20T21:57:00.000-05:00

This is my senior project animation, which was the climax of an HTML-embedded, Flash-based presentation entitled "3-D Animation: From Concept to Completion." I got it done (along with the rest of the presentation) over the course of a single semester. Not only did I retain my job, marriage and sanity (the last of which is still being debated), but I snagged the Best Project and Best Presentation awards that year.

After graduating, I intended to make the animation bigger and better. I continued to (re)work on it for a while, until my career path took me into web design and programming. Here's a test clip showing some of the enhancements made to the hover bot:

40K: First Game With the 'New' Dark Eldar - 1500 pts vs. Sam Hain

2010-11-12T11:48:00.000-05:00

It's been months since I've played, but the new Codex finally got me excited to bring some pain, True Kin-style. With so many new options and cool weapons, it took me FOREVER to pare things down to the standard 1500 points that we generally play at my FLGS that would require the smallest amount of proxying (I pride myself on having an army that is both attractive and accurate in its visual representation).

My List

Archon: Agonizer, Shadow Field, Combat Drugs, Ghostplate Armor, Phantasm Grenade Launcher
Haemonculus: Liquifier Gun
3 Incubi
Venom: 2nd Splinter Cannon, Night Field

Haemonculi: Liquifier Gun, Scissorhand
9 Wyches: Hekatrix w/Agonizer, Haywire Grenades
Raider: Flickerfield

2 x 9 Kabalite Warriors: Splinter Cannon, Shredder
2 x Raiders: Flickerfield, Splinter Racks

5 Scourges: 2 x Splinter Cannons

2 x Ravagers: 3 Dark Lances, Night Shields

1 x Talos: Ichor Injector, Chain Flail

Eldar Sam-Hain List (to the best of my understanding)

Autarch: Jetbike, Laser Lance

5 Fire Dragons: Exarch w/lance
Wave Serpent: Holofield, TL Brightlance

Dire Avengers (unknown # - they never disembarked)
Wave Serpent: Holofield, TL Brightlance

2 x 4 Jetbikes

4 x Vyper: Plasma Missile/Rocket (?)
2 x Fire Prism
1 x Night Spinner

Table Setup & Deployment - Sorry, no pictures this time :-(

I rolled up a Capture & Control scenario. My opponent won the deployment roll and opted to let me go first - usually not something you want to let Dark Eldar do, but I would realize in short order he chose to do this. The table was open plains, dominated in the middle by a Fortress of Redemption (sans guns) with simply-constructed Imperial ruins - approximately 12" x 12" - in each of the four corners.

I set up in the center of my DZ behind the Fortress with my Raiders and Talos lined up in front, Scourges to their right and Ravagers close behind.

My opponent did not put anything on the table.

Turn 1 - Dark Eldar: Charge?

Movement: The Raiders boosted to the opposite side of the Fortress, while the Ravagers circled 12" around the left side of the structure. Scourges jumped 12" around the right side. The Talos creeped onto the base
s vacant gun platform.

Shooting: Nothing to shoot.

Assault: Nothing to assault.

Turn 1 - Sam-Hain: I think not

His army couldn't do anything on the first turn, as it was held in reserve.

Turn 2 - Dark Eldar: Um, hello?

Movement: The Raiders drifted back towards the center of the table, putting about 6" between them, as did the Ravagers. The Talos stayed put and the Scourges moved towards the right corner of my opponent's DZ, where he'd placed his objective.

Shooting: Nothing to shoot.

Assault: Nothing to assault.

Turn 2 - Sam-Hain: Fashionably late

Movement: Using his Autarch ability to improve Reserve rolls, the Autarch appeared on the left edge of the table along with 4 jetbikes, all of whom turbo boosted into position. Following them 12" in was a Fire Prism. On the right flank, a Night Spinner appeared in the objective-bearing ruins along with a Vyper. Two more Vypers and a Wave Serpent appeared in the center of his DZ, drawing a bead on my Raiders, as did the Fire Dragons disembarking from it.

Shooting: The Frie Dragons made short work of the Wych Raider, taking out three Wyches in the process. The Night Spinner fired on the Talos, leaving it unharmed, but bogged down on it's perch on the Fortress. One of the Ravagers was Stunned by a Fire Prism. Other shots either missed or were turned aside by Flickerfields.

Assault: None

Turn 3 - Dark Eldar: Webway living is bad for your eyesight

Movement: The surviving Wyches passed their pinning & Ld. tests and moved towards the Fire Dragons, who suddenly looked very nervous. One of the Warrior Raiders moved a little closer towards the center, while the Scourges, realizing they could do nothing against the Night Spinner sitting on the Sam-Hain objective, headed back towards their objective in the center of their DZ. The unstunned Ravager moved 12" to gain line-of-sight on the Fire Prism. The Talos shook off the effects of the Spinner and crawled off the Fortress, headed for the jetbikes.

Shooting: The Wych Haemonculi unloaded his Liquifier Gun on the Dragons, killing all but the Exarch with an AP roll of 2. The Ravager managed to stun the Prism, while the Raiders lances failed to do anything to the Wave Serpent sitting right in front of them. One of the Warrior squads manged to take down a Vyper with their Shredder (the other Shredder shot having scattered off). The Talos managed to wound two of the bikers, but the saves were easily made. The remaining Warriors and Scourges could do nothing against the vehicles with their splinter armament.

Assault: Despite the Exarch breaking and running, he could not outrun the Wyches, who easily overtook him. The Talos was too far away to assault the jetbikes.

Turn 3 - Sam-Hain: Things turn ugly

Movement: More reserve rolls resulted in the remainder of the Eldar force arriving: a second Fire Prism, 4 more jetbikes, another Vyper and a Wave Serpent packed with Dire Avengers appeared on my right flank, headed for my objective. The first Fire Prism on my left flank moved across the ruins towards the Wyches. The left flanking jetbikes boosted strait towards my objective in the rear center of the table, while the Autarch took a postion directly in front of the nearest Ravager. One of the central Vypers moved up near the Talos, while the other Vyper and Wave Serpent milled about in near the Raiders.

Shooting: The Night Spinner unloaded on the Wyches, slaying all but three (and the Haemonculus), pinning the unit in the process. The Archon's Venom was immobilized and lost a Splinter Cannon, while one of the Raiders lost its Dark Lance to a Vyper. The Autarch immobilized a Ravager. Other shooting either missed or was turned aside by Flickerfields.

Assault: Despite taking advantage of an immobilized Ravager, the Autarch could not land a single blow with his lance!

Turn 4 - Dark Eldar: Payback time

Movement: The Scourges, finally having something squishy to shoot on their side of the table, stayed put in order to maximize their Splinter Cannon shots, while the two functional Warrior Raiders moved to flank the Avenger-bearing Serpent. The Talos stalked the passing jetbike squadron and the Archon and his gang abandoned their useless Venom to move onto the Fortress and run back towards the DE objective. They Wyches recovered and passed their Ld. test, moving against the nearby Fire Prism, haywire grenades in hand. The still-mobile Ravager moved back towards the DE table edge, keeping the Autarch, Fire Prism, jetbikes and home objective in his sights - he would be batting clean up.

Shooting: The Scourges layed an unholy amount of poisoned firepower on the fresh jetbikes, slaying all but two of them. What they left behind, the Raider-bourne Warriors finished off. Unfortunately, their Raider's Dark Lance was not as effective against the Wave Serpent, doing no damage. The Talos brought down one jetbike with it's twin-linked Splinter Cannon. The Autarch avoided the shots made by the downed Ravager, but was vaporized by the second Ravager behind it.

Assault: The Wyches charged the Fire Prism, but were unable to do anything with three grenades. The Talos, on the other claw, managed to roll a staggering seven attacks against the jetbikes and brought the unit crashing down in one fell swoop!

Turn 4 - Sam-Hain: Stay focused!

Movement: The Avenger Wave Serpent boosted over to the DE objective, spinning it's rear armor to the DE table edge. The assaulted Fire Prism moved up, away from the Wyches and the Vyper next to the Talos drew near to the Archon and his unit on the Fortress. The Vyper and Fire Prism on the right edge of the table moved up to provide support as well, bearing down on the Scourges standing between them and the DE DZ (say that ten times fast).

Shooting: The majority of the Eldar shooting was against the two Raiders, still carrying full squads of Kabalite Warriors, with some of the attention getting diverted to the backfield Ravager. The majority of the Eldar shooting was thwarted by Flickerfields, much to the consternation of the Eldar player and the delight of yours truly. The Scourges did take some casualties, but passed their Ld. test.

Assault: Despite the Archon's attempts to coax them out their armored shell, the Dire Avengers were not setting foot outside the Wave Serpent.

Turn 5 - Dark Eldar: Futile Fusillade

Movement: Anything mobile that still had a Dark Lance (one Ravager and one Raider at this point) made a 12" bee-line for the Wave Serpent. The Talos, still buzzing off its jetbike kill, turned to face the Vyper harassing the Archon (it was too far away to reach the WS). The Wyches tried to chase after the Fire Prism, but simply could not keep up.

Shooting: The Dire Avengers 'ooh'-ed and 'aah'-ed at the nice light show their enemies put on for them, safe and content within their floating, armored womb. No other Dark Eldar armament had a chance of putting a scratch on any of the tanks.

Assault: Channeling the frustration generated by the rest of the army, the Talos charged and landed two blows against the Vyper - immobilizing and stunning it.

Conclusion

Before taking his last turn, the Eldar player asked me to roll and see if the game would end on this turn. Unfortunately for me, it did. I had no models within 3" of the Wave Serpent and the Dire Avengers inside it. Additionally, his Night Spinner sat uncontested on his own objective in the distant corner ruins. The Sam-Hain had won. Had he taken his turn, his shooting would have likely taken out the remaining Dark Lances, leaving me completely unable to destroy the Wave Serpent.

Despite winning by objectives, the Sam-Hain had only completely destroyed one Raider; immobilized a Ravager and Venom; caused 3 casualties on my Scourges, 6 on my Wyches; and taken two guns off of vehicles - a Dark Lance off a Raider, Splinter Cannon off the Venom. For the Dark Eldar, that's pretty amazing.

In return, they suffered the loss of their Autarch, two squarons of jetbikes, a unit of Fire Dragons, and one Vyper. A second Vyper was immobilized.

Quick Thoughts About the Updated Dark Eldar

The Dark Eldar are going to masscre horde (infantry heavy) lists.
The Dark Eldar are going to struggle against mechanized lists, unless they are tailored to anti-mech - or happen to be consistently lucky with the Lances (I'm not).
Pain Tokens are pretty cool. I used red acrylic gem counters to keep track of them. ($5 at my FLGS)
It was nice to dust off the Scourges and use them again, but I'm dropping them for Reavers w/Caltrops in my next list. Maybe I'd feel different if I'd played against Orks or Tyranids.
If you take a Talos, the Chain Flail upgrade is a must.
Enemy ordinance has been, and will continue to be, a huge problem for Dark Eldar. Indirect, pinning pie plates that travel 70" are scary.
I can't imagine taking a named character at 1500 points. Of course, I don't like to take them anyway, so that may not mean much.
Flickerfields - don't leave home without them. They are the reason this game was so close.

Got any thoughts or advice on what I should do to improve my list? Let me know!

40K: Spreadsheet Template for Codex: Blood Angels

2010-10-29T14:36:00.003-04:00

In the same vein as the Ork Spreadsheet, here is the Open Office template for the 2010 Blood Angels codex. It's got all the entries and rules referenced (that wouldn't get me sued) across four sheets - divided into the following sections: Codex, Equipment, Weapons, and Reference.

I tried my best to get a whole sheet on a single page. The 2nd, 3rd, and 4th pages print well in landscape format, while the 1st page best fits the portrait orientation.

Blood Angels Spreadsheet Template ver. 1.0 (30 Kb .ods file, Mediafire)

If you discover an error, PLEASE let me know ASAP. I also welcome any and all suggestions that would help me make this a more efficient, useful tool.

Codex page

Equipment page

Weapons page

Reference page

Up next: Dark Eldar!

Art, DnD: Cover Art for Brother Ptolemy and the Hidden Kingdom

2010-10-27T13:49:00.001-04:00

Cover art for the upcoming Nevermet Press release Brother Ptolemy and the Hidden Kingdom by yours truly. The book - an actual printed book with pages and everything! - is expected to hit shelves in January. The e-book may become available earlier.

DnD, 40k: DIY Dice Tower Step-by-Step

2010-10-20T12:05:00.001-04:00

Geek Chic has some awesome handcrafted gaming goodies - none of which I can afford. And even if I could, I don't have a regular gaming group to justify the expense. Still, after seeing the fancy wooden dice towers they have for sale (one even making a cameo in the 2010 PAX Celebrity game) and having had my fill of rolling terribly in my games of Warhammer 40,000, I decided to make one for myself.

After sketching out my plans and recording measurements on a sheet of graph paper (which I neglected to scan for this post), I gathered my materials:

1 sheet of foamcore posterboard (only about 1/2 got used)
1 sheet of posterboard (less than 1/4 was needed)
A fresh X-acto blade in my hobby knife
Elmer's white glue
Ruler
Pencil
Scissors

Step 1: I began by cutting the walls (two 3.5" wide and two 4" wide)of the tower and the base (4" wide) to which it would be glued. The picture for this step was actually taken after I had performed . . .

Step 2: One side of each tower wall was notched - that is, I cut away everything but a single layer of the posterboard covering. This was intended to allow the pieces to glue together in a way that forms a stronger bond than simply butting the corners up against each other.

Step 3: At this point, I selected the two short (3.5") sides of the tower and began measuring and marking where the various obstacles the dice would encounter would be. It was important to leave at least a 1" gap between each of the obstacles so any (average- or smaller-sized) dice would not get caught in the tower.

Step 4: Using some posterboard - or, in my case, part of a cereal box - I cut out patterns for the struts that would be supporting the ledges. This saved a LOT of time having to measure each of the pieces that needed to be cut out.

Step 5: I started by gluing the small corner pieces to one of the short sides of the tower. I also decided to glue the adjoining wall that shared the piece. I grabbed a couple of tissue boxes to hold the walls in places as they dried.

Step 6: Gluing continued until all the small pieces were in place. The third wall was glued in place, but not the final wall - as I would need to reach inside the tower to glue the posterboard shelves and struts.

Step 7: At this point I glued in the first posterboard shelf. Once it had dried, I added the struts. This was annoying because the posterboard wanted to pull away and had to be held in place until the glue dried.

Step 8: Most of the ledges ran with the long wall of the tower. However, I wanted to include at least on ledge that sat perpendicular to the rest. It was quite a pain to hold the struts in place for this ledge. At this point, any poor measurements or sloppy cuts I made really started to come back to haunt me.

Step 9a: Finally having glued all the ledges and struts in place, I added the final wall of the tower. A 1" gap was included at the bottom.

Step 9b: Looking down into the tower from above, you can really see how working fast and tired leads to some shoddy results. Remember the golden rule of the craftsman: Measure twice, cut once.

Step 10: The tower is glued to the base.

Step 11: 1" walls are added to the base to catch the dice when the come tumbling out. At this point, the tower is perfectly functional, if a bit spare on detail.

Step 12: Some detail to spice things up a bit. When making cuts like this, the importance of a fresh blade cannot be overstated. I got a little too excited with how it was looking and took a picture before adding the final crenellation.

I have plans to add some more details and texture to the tower before painting to look like stone. I'll be happy to share pics of the final product if/when it happens.

Looking back over this project, the ledges were a huge pain. If I were to do this again, I would try to find a more efficient way to build them. I was struck with an idea for making an even easier dice tower and hope to post about that in the near future. The cost will definitely be higher, but the frustration, time to build, and resultant mess will (I hope) be much lower.

If you have any question or comments, feel free to make them!

40k: New Dark Eldar - They are real and they are spectacular

2010-10-01T09:45:00.003-04:00

This morning I happened across some pics (courtesy of BOLS) coming out of Games Workshop's German and Italian Games Day events, which included the first good look at the new Dark Eldar models.

Having played the True Kin as my primary 40k force for about 8 years now, I was all set to say something along the lines of "That's nice, they don't look good enough to replace what I have." Let's face it, the existing Dark Eldar line was widely known to be downright ugly. But factor in the fact that 1) I'm not rich and 2) it takes me FOREVER to get models painted due to a variety of reasons (no time, perfectionistic tendencies, procrastination, other hobbies) and one might understand why I'd be quick to adopt such a position.

But I was wrong. Very wrong. The new Dark Eldar range is beautiful:

Not only are the new models awesome, but the rules that have been glimpsed from the new codex (see the BOLS link above) sound awesome and very much in keeping with the army's theme of speed and fragile lethality.

It's obvious that I'm going to get the Codex as soon as I can. That's a given. But these new models . . . I have a wife and two kids, man! We just moved into a new house and I don't have a painting area set up yet! I'm not even halfway done with my Ork Horde! These people have NO idea what they're doing to me.

This November, one man's self-restraint will be pushed to its limit. Will he endure or succumb? Only time will tell.

DnD, Art: Hidden Kingdom Teaser

2010-09-28T09:48:00.000-04:00

The release of Nevermet Press' next Big Thing drifts ever closer, like an iceberg in the cold north Atlantic . . . or something like that.

I have spent a great deal of time on the encounter map for the adventure's climactic battle. Unfortunately, I fear posting it here would be a spoiler. As a mea culpa, here's a small bit of interior artwork I contributed to the project:

DnD: Quick Review of the Essentials Rules Compendium

2010-09-16T10:31:00.000-04:00

Last night I picked up a copy of the Essential Rules Compendium. Here's what you need to know about it:

You cannot use this book to make characters. The basics of character creation are spelled out, but the race- and class- specific information are in the Heroes of the Fallen Lands (Clerics, Fighters, Rogues & Wizards / dwarves, eladrin, elves, halflings & humans) and Heroes of the Forgotten Kingdoms (Druids, Paladins, Rangers & Warlocks / dragonborn, drow, half-elves, half-orcs & tieflings) books.
The book is intended as a quick table reference. Find the rule you need in the detailed table of contents or index and flip to it. Granted, there are a few pages in the front that go over the history of D&D and the nature of roleplaying (wasted space, IMHO). The rest of the book, however, dumps almost all the fluff and pretty artwork to get to the point. As such, rules lawyers and DM's will benefit the most from having it at their side.
It's $20. Not a bad price for a compact, currently up-to-date set of rules. Certainly cheaper than the regular 4e hardcover PHB was. Of course, the (first) PHB had everything you needed to build and play a character. If you plan on getting this and one of the other books mentioned above, expect to shell out at least $40 in the store - a bit less online.

The bottom line is that this book is a replacement for the rules portion of your 4e PHB - just like the hero books are replacements for the character portions. If you want to jump on the Essentials bus, this is a great place to start. If you're happy with 4e the way it started out, there is nothing new here that you need to keep enjoying the game.

Misc: Another 'I don't have anything to say' Post.

2010-09-10T09:45:00.000-04:00

If my life had a soundtrack, it would currently be playing the following (set to scenes from Red Dead Redemption for both your visual and auditory amusement):

Aside from having moved, trying to get settled in our new house, attempting to grow grass during a drought (as opposed to weeds), starting our oldest in kindergarten, freelance work and the start of a new semester at my 9-to-5, I am currently working on encounter maps for our forthcoming Nevermet Press adventure and will (hopefully) get some additional smaller drawings done as we do copious amounts of driving this weekend.

No rest for the wicked, indeed.

DnD, Art: Corwyn Map for NMP

2010-08-26T16:03:00.000-04:00

I've been so busy lately with moving that I haven't gotten much done. I'm not empty-handed, however:

This is the region in which the upcoming campaign from Nevermet Press will occur. I'm not going to elaborate, except to say that you may see some familiar faces in Corwyn.

Cheers!

Art: Ninja Octopus Speed Sketch

2010-08-17T10:46:00.000-04:00

Details for this are pretty much the same as they were for the Giraffe on Steroids, only it didn't get as many votes. -_-"

For those of you eagerly awaiting the next installment of the Monomyth as a DM Tool series . . . I'm tying to keep it fresh in my mind, but it will be at least another week or so (once we're settled from the move) before I have time to actually sit down and write it.

Art: Speed-Sketch - Giraffe on Steroids

2010-08-11T10:25:00.000-04:00

Approximately 30 minutes
0.5 mechanical pencil
Submitted for the first stage of the Sketchoholic Marathon; got third. The theme given was "animals on steroids."

Messed up the date - August 10, not July 10. Ah well.

Posts are likely going to be few and far between for the next week or so; we are preparing to move. Just going across town, but things have been no less chaotic.

DnD, Art: Cave Sketch w/Color and Grid

2010-07-28T12:28:00.000-04:00

It always brightens my day whenever crazyred over at D and D Doodles posts something. His art is vibrant, whimsical, charismatic, and sometimes gives me a whole new perspective on common fantasy tropes when all I was looking for was a little eye-candy.

On Monday, he posted a layout for a section of subterranean cave. I had been playing with isometric grids some and thought it might look nice over his sketch.

I got a little carried away.

Click for full size

Art, 40K: Space Marine Lineart

2010-07-21T10:45:00.000-04:00

From the moment I gave my 4 year old son some of my old 2nd edition plastic Space Marines (painted up as Blood Angels), he's been obsessed with my 40K models. He also constantly begs me to draw pictures for him that he can color.

I finally caved in and decided to give him more than a quick sketch. This took roughly two hours, penciled & inked by hand (can't remember the size or brand of the pen I used - something from Michaels Arts & Crafts), with a few minor tweaks in Photoshop to clean it up (I suck at inking).

I put two images onto a single page and printed several pages for him; he's been on a coloring bender ever since.

Click for print-size: 763 KB, 1227px x 1605px

Misc: Taking a Stand Against Time-Wasting Video Games

2010-07-19T09:21:00.001-04:00

Do you remember the xkcd strip titled Cutting Edge? If not, go ahead and click on the link - I'll wait.

Ready to continue? Okay, good.

That strip defines me as a video gamer perfectly. A few years ago I realized that I could get older games - especially PC games - much cheaper from places like Big Lots and the bargain racks at Wal-Mart and Target for $10.00 or less and they would usually perform at or near the highest quality settings on whatever system I was currently running.

One game that has been sitting on my shelf for a while now is Homeworld 2. I really enjoyed the first Homeworld and had high hopes for the follow-up. Those hopes were dashed to pieces this weekend. Despite being released in 2003, it still looked good and had a lot of the driving story and atmosphere that made the first one so compelling. So why am I so disappointed?

The game is TOO FRICKIN' HARD!

And you know what? I don't have the time to waste playing each mission over and over, ad nauseum, to beat it. In my younger days - heck, even earlier this year - I would've stuck with a game out of a sense of obligation. I spent a whole $5.00 on it, right? I need to beat it to justify the purchase and somehow validate myself as a gamer, a man, and/or possibly even a human being.

Let's say I stick with it. Let's say I forgo all my other time-sucking hobbies and interests to focus on this particular one. Let's say I obsess over it every waking second and get irritated when I spend time being a husband and father while that horrible, obsessive, irrational little nagging voice in my head keeps whispering that I really need to be saving the universe (I have issues, if you didn't know). What do I get for spending all that time beating such an incredibly frustrating game? A pre-rendered scene of variable quality, a list of credits, and - possibly - some message telling me that if I were to go back and play it again, I'd do better. That's it.

The reward is not worth the effort.

My free time is at a premium, and I want to spend it doing something I enjoy. Something that provides a sense of accomplishment, not frustration, and - ideally - will still be around in some persistent form when I move on to the next project. Video games are quite possibly the least meaningful, least rewarding hobby I have, and I will no longer sink hours and hours of my life into a game that is not fun.

If you are one of the few masochistic individuals who managed to unite the cores and defeat the Vaygr, good for you. I hope you feel like it was time well spent. As for me, I noticed yesterday that Wal-Mart had Assassin's Creed on the bargain rack for $10.00 . . .

DnD: Monomyth as a DM Tool, Part 10 - Apotheosis

2010-07-13T14:13:00.000-04:00

Apotheosis is defined as exultation or elevation of a person to the rank of god. Alternatively, it may be defined as an ideal or quintessential example of something. In the context of the Hero's Journey, Apotheosis is a period of rest and fulfillment. It is achieved only after the hero has died (literally or figuratively) to himself and has at least reached a point at which they are completely separated (physically, emotionally, spiritually, philosophically) from the life they once lived. In this new state of existence, they find themselves surrounded by divine knowledge, love, compassion and/or bliss. They are given a glimpse of eternity - or one version of it, at any rate. But, as Don Cheadle's character so astutely states in the 2000 movie, The Family Man, "A glimpse, by definition, is a temporary thing." So, too, the Apotheosis.

Campbell: "Those who know, not only that the Everlasting lies in them, but that what they, and all things, really are is the Everlasting, dwell in the groves of the wish fulfilling trees, drink the brew of immortality, and listen everywhere to the unheard music of eternal concord."

Examples of Apotheosis

It does too work as an allegory.

Frodo and his friends are harried and attacked by the Ringwraiths until they make it to Rivendell. Later, after surviving the hazards of Moria, the Fellowship finds a moment's peace in Lothlorien. In these elven refuges the hobbits and their companions are healed, rested and equipped for the next leg of their journey.

In many ways, the Pevensie childrens' visit(s) to Narnia is an apotheosis which contains within it a Heroic Journey (or several, if you consider each visit to Narnia a separate journey). In particular, during The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, the idyllic period of time, spanning from the White Witch's defeat to their eventual return through the wardrobe.

There is an apotheosis of sorts at the end of Star Wars: A New Hope (IV) after the Death Star is destroyed. A ceremony is held, celebrations ensue, medals are given, a wookie roars, etc. - presumably in a very public manner. By the time the next movie begins, however, happy-time is over and the rebels are hiding on a bleak, inhospitable ice world.

Vallhalla, in Scandinavian mythology, is a place where the spirits of slain heroes go in preparation to aid Odin in the coming end-of-time battle known as Ragnorok. Despite being existing to prepare for a coming apocalypse, its inhabitants are frequently described as feasting and engaging in various other physical and/or carnal pursuits. The Ellysian fields in Greco-Roman mythology are similar in nature, as is the Islamic Jannat (translated as 'garden' - a concept of paradise), where everything one longs for in this world will be until Yawm al-Qiyāmah ('the Day of Resurrection'). The varying beliefs of Christians in Paradise (as opposed to Heaven) might also fall into this category.

The important detail to note in each of these examples is that the apotheosis setting is not the ultimate final destination, but a brief (relatively speaking) period of rest.

Apotheosis as a DM Tool

Apotheosis occurs many times and at differing levels of abstraction in role playing. In 4e, PC's obtaining immortality after reaching level 30 and completing their destiny quest might be considered a kind of concluding Apotheosis, as the PC's story is considered finished at this point. However, it cannot be considered a true Apotheosis because it is not temporary. There are a multitude of smaller experiences that better fit the definition of an Apotheosis: the completion of a campaign or story arc where the heroes bask in the adulation of a grateful populace; leveling up and gaining new skills/powers/feats; even taking an extended rest and playing with a new ritual or magic item. Any temporary location or period of time in which the PC's are not struggling, but are graduating into a greater version of themselves - be it though personal growth, or better equipment/armament - can serve as an Apotheosis.

The significance of the apotheosis experience to your players should not be missed. This temporary period of time gives the players a sense of accomplishment - they have survived the onslaught and emerged stronger and/or better equipped than they were before. A brief period of rest allows them the time to explore these changes and revel in their success. However, should the PC's spend too much time in this state, they run an ever increasing chance of becoming bored or complacent. The pace of a campaign can be ruined by a poorly-executed apotheosis, as well.

In Jesse Schell's excellent book The Art of Game Design: A Book of Lenses, the author discusses the challenges of keeping players in the 'flow channel' (Chapter 9, pgs. 119-122). The flow channel is a "repeating cycle of increasing challenge, followed by a reward, often of more power, which gives an easier period of less challenge. Soon enough, the challenge ramps up again."

Schell concludes his discussion on the Lens of Flow with:

This cycle of “tense and release, tense and release ” comes up again and again
in design. It seems to be inherent to human enjoyment. Too much tension, and we
wear out. Too much relaxation, and we grow bored. When we fluctuate between
the two, we enjoy both excitement and relaxation, and this oscillation also provides
both the pleasure of variety, and the pleasure of anticipation.

Having already touched on the importance of keeping an apotheosis temporary, there is one other important aspect to consider: Time does not stop just because your PC's do. Sure, the heroes may be reveling in the adoration and playing with treasure and new magic trinkets in a castle somewhere; but, caravans and ships still have schedules to keep, monstrous creatures still prowl the dark places seeking to fill their bellies, evil schemes continue to hatched and executed, and tyrannical despots continue their subjugation of peasants and farmers.

Pondering Apotheosis

Consider the following statement: Only boredom or a perceived threat will effectively rouse PC's from their apotheosis. Agree or disagree? Why or why not?
What, if any, are the possible risks of having several minor apotheoses (such as extended rests) occur in a short period of time?
Consider the following statement: An apotheosis should occur only when the PC's have earned it. Agree or disagree? Why or why not?
What is the (current or next) campaign's villain doing while your PC's are enjoying their current apotheosis? How will they find out - if they do at all?
Is it fair to end an opportunity while the PC's are in a state of apotheosis? Why or why not?

Earlier Entries in This Series
Introduction
Stage I: Departure

Stage II: Initiation

Quick Update

2010-07-12T11:24:00.000-04:00

I'm back from last week's vacation and hoping to finish up the next article (Part 10!) in the Monomyth series soon.

Also working with the Nevermet Press Guys to get our next PDF offering together - it will be based around the Brother Ptolemy character I wrote for them. Exciting!

DnD: Monster Manual 3 - Review & Impressions

2010-06-25T09:07:00.000-04:00

My copy of Monster Manual 3 arrived yesterday!

Let's cut to the chase: It's the third title in the series. You should already know if you want more monsters to pick from. No one needs three Monster Manuals to run a game, but I enjoy having options - even if some of those options are rather unlikely to ever get picked.

Here are the notes I took as I read through the manual last night, paying more attention to fluff and background than stats:

Flavor text is now relies more on story material than game mechanics
New layout for the monster stat block:
- Basic Info: HP, AC, speed, resistances, etc.
- Traits: Characteristics that are not powers (auras, regeneration)
- Actions (by type): Standard, Move, Minor, Free
- Triggered Actions
- Skills & Abilities
- Alignment, Equipment, Language
I like the Banderhobb;seems like it should be a heroic tier monster, rather than paragon.
For those who don't already know: In DnD, behemoth = dinosaur
Names of monsters I do NOT look forward to saying out loud:
- Catoblepas
- Klurichir
- Nalfeshnee
- Ultrodemon (can't stop shaking my head)
- Girallon (I may have been negatively influenced by the rock-star pose in the picture)
- Imix (something that dangerous needs a better name)
- Jackalwere (Werejackal wasn't good enough because . . . ?)
- Meenloc (I'm meen, grr!)
- Nagpa
- Any type of Nerra
- Norker (fear the . . . Norker?)
- Xivort
I am looking forward to using Cave Fishers
Having trouble buying the Chitine as an established, organized race with a culture - based on their origin (They crawled out of a vat and overran the Drow)
Apparently, every race needs one (or more) tainted/fallen counterpart:
- Elves/Eladrin :: Drow
- Dwarves :: Duergar
- Halflings :: Derro
- Gnomes :: Spriggan/Xivort
- Humans :: Tieflings
- Dragons :: Primordial Dragons
I'm a little confused by the Drow fluff. Is there a difference between Drow, Abyssal Drow and Dark Elves - or are they all names for the same race? Perhaps the Underdark book holds the answer . . .
Some monsters, like the Forsaken, have so much backstory that it seems like you'd have to build a campaign around their fluff in order to justify using them. This is a potential downside to story-driven flavor-text.
Gremlins? Really? *sigh*
Glad Primordials are an option for a campaign-ending villains, now.
Which came first, the Nagpa or the Skeksis from Dark Crystal? Huge rip-off, either way.
The Nerra live in a giant disco ball. Seriously.
Conceptually speaking, how does one fight a shadow without using some form of light source?
Did Tanarukks and Tulgars really need to be two separate races? They seem kind of similar to me.

DnD: Chasm Bridge Battlemap

2010-06-24T11:58:00.001-04:00

Houndin called my bluff and asked for a battlemap: a neglected stone bridge spanning an underground chasm. It turned out a bit shinier than I'd intended - I'll just attribute that to the moisture and secretions of various underdark fauna.

Click for full size

Keep in mind that this is not scaled to print (1 inch squares). Like the Sailing Vessel battlemap, these squares are actually 0.46 inches.

DnD: Sailing Vessel Battlemap

2010-06-23T14:22:00.003-04:00

Click to view the slightly larger version

This is a pseudo-Dungeon Tile battlemap I made for my campaign on Google Wave since the Dungeon Tiles Mapper I normally use didn't have any good ship tiles. It's too big to print out at 1:1 scale, but works quite nicely for the Fighty plug-in. It should work for GameTable or MapTools, as well.

Here are the environment rules I'm subjecting my PC's to this encounter:

Terrain

The grate over the opening is difficult terrain (-1 movement per square)
Crates, barrels and sacks provide cover to those behind them but do not block ranged attacks; they are not stable enough to stand on
PC's and NPC's can be pushed over the side of the boat; DC 15 Acrobatics allows the PC to grab the railing before going completely over; PC grants combat advantage while in such a position

Movement
Whenever a PC moves, roll either an Acrobatics or Endurance check (DC 10) to account for the ship's movement; Success: the PC's are unaffected and can move and attack normally; Fail: PC feels queasy and/or loses his balance, moving at half speed and has a -2 penalty to hit for that turn.

If there is demand/interest, I may do more of these - though I'm not sure what sort of things people need (inns? more ships? lava-based environments?)

Art: Robot Speedpaint

2010-06-22T08:44:00.001-04:00

1 hour speedpaint - no refs, though the head is strongly influenced by the bandit/mechs from the Samurai 7 anime. First digital art I've done in a month or so, and it shows.

Corel Painter X
Wacom Graphire4
Windows 7

DnD: Monomyth as a DM Tool - Part 9: Atonement with the Father

2010-06-17T11:18:00.000-04:00

As fans of fantastic adventures, we typically think of the climax as being a final battle or showdown with a seemingly unbeatable antagonist who, up to that point, the hero was being pursued by - or perhaps had been pursuing himself. While this is certainly one of the most thrilling and overtly dangerous points of the Heroes' Journey, according to Campbell, it is not the showdown with 'the dragon' that is the true climax, but atonement with a father figure.

Atonement, in this context, seems like an odd term, as it is traditionally understood as a reconciliation or bringing together of two or more people who have been torn asunder. Campbell, though, is more interested in the hero's acceptance and initiation by whatever holds the ultimate power in the hero's life - often represented by a father figure who holds the power of life and death in mythology. Perhaps it might be better phrased thusly: Nothing is as terrifying as the prospect of being rejected by those whose acceptance we most desire.

Campbell's synopsis of the Atonement also contains some interesting spiritual aspects to it:

"Atonement consists in no more that the abandonment of that self-generated double monster – the dragon thought to be God (superego) and the dragon thought to be Sin (repressed id). But this requires an abandonment of the attachment to ego itself, and that is what is difficult. One must have a faith that the father is merciful, and then a reliance on that mercy. Therewith, the center of belief is transferred outside of the bedeviling god's tight scaly ring, and the dreadful ogres dissolve. It is in this ordeal that the hero may derive hope and assurance from the helpful female figure, by whose magic (pollen charms or power of intercession) he is protected through all the frightening experiences of the father's ego-shattering initiation. For if it is impossible to trust the terrifying father-face, then one's faith must be centered elsewhere (Spider Woman, Blessed Mother); and with that reliance for support, one endures the crisis – only to find, in the end, that the father and mother reflect each other, and are in essence the same. The problem of the hero going to meet the father is to open his soul beyond terror to such a degree that he will be ripe to understand how the sickening and insane tragedies of this vast and ruthless cosmos are completely validated in the majesty of Being. The hero transcends life with its peculiar blind spot and for a moment rises to a glimpse of the source. He beholds the face of the father, understands – and the two are atoned."

Examples of Atonement with the Father

Up until the end of Empire Strikes Back, Darth Vader had been a symbol of death and destruction in Luke Skywalker's journey among Rebellion fighters and Jedi knights. Suddenly, it is revealed that not only is his father alive, but is that very same figure responsible for so much suffering. In the final act of the original trilogy, Anakin finally breaks free of the grip Emperor Palpatine/Darth Sidious has over him and reconciles with his son. Luke is able to gain closure and learns that he is not alone in the universe, but has a sister.

In the parable of the prodigal son, the wayward younger son returns home after blowing his inheritance and living - quite literally- among pigs. He expects to grovel before the father he has embarrassed and spurned and hopes to earn his way back into the household as a hired man. The love of the father for his son is such that he runs out to him (something a patriarch would never do) and embraces him whole-heartedly, immediately reinstating him as a full member of the family, much to the consternation of his older brother.

In Gaiman's Stardust, Tristran Thorne grows up knowing nothing of his biological mother. By the end of the novel, her identity - along with Tristran's heritage and destiny - are revealed in classic Shakespearean form.

Another Gaiman novel, American Gods, centers the plot in a more direct fashion around his protagonist, Shadow and his father - or rather, his lack of a father up to that point. To say more would dip into spoiler territory, I fear.

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix has a scene at the end where Harry is venting his frustrations to Dumbledore - the closest thing to a father figure he's had (yes, even more so than Sirius). Finally, Dumbledore admits his mistakes in trying to protect Harry by putting distance between them and lets him in (for the most part) on what been going on in the escalating hidden war against Voldemort.

Atonement as a DM Tool

There seem to be two main approaches for implementing Atonement in a campaign. First, individual implementation for each PC, while requiring more history/backstory from each player and more effort from the DM to weave each player's details into the narrative tapestry, holds the potential for a meaningful personal experience for both the character and their player. Unfortunately, the other members of the group are at risk for becoming bored, alienated, or jealous when a player gets singled out for her time in the spotlight.

The other primary approach would be to provide an atonement-experience for the entire party. While certainly easier to execute by involving everyone at once, it will likely be more difficult to set up a meaningful relationship involving every in the party that can be resolved in a single fell-swoop. A possible solution might lie in the group's motivation and/or reasons for adventuring together. Figuring out what brought them together and, more importantly, what has kept them together despite overwhelming resistance from an existence which, for all intents and purposes, seems out to get them at every opportunity.

Regardless of implementation strategy, the first thing a DM will need to know is what/who it is that holds ultimate power in a PC's - or possibly a group's - life. Find out what or who they desire to be accepted and respected by above all others, and you have the key to building a meaningful Atonement climax.

For those who enjoy an immersive experience with a rich supporting cast of NPC's, consider using the PC's to facilitate or enable an NPC in achieving an Atonement experience. Hack-n-Slash players - those generally less interested in plot than combat - are less likely to enjoy the experience, however. As always, a little insight into the personalities of your PC's will go a long way in crafting a meaningful experience for them.

Pondering Atonement

What is it that holds ultimate power in your PC's lives - Individually? As a group?
How might a PC's actions change when: They desperately want to be accepted? They've been devastated by rejection?
How might fellow PC's become an obstacle to achieving one's Atonement? What about NPC's?
What might happen if knowledge of these motivations were discovered by a villain?
Consider the opposite: What could your PC's do with knowledge of a villain's driving motivation?

Earlier Entries in This Series
Introduction
Stage I: Departure

Stage II: Initiation

Misc: Using Safety Glasses to Reduce Eye-Strain Caused by Monitors

2010-06-14T10:38:00.000-04:00

I work in front of two widescreen monitors for at least 40 hours a week (more, if you count the majority of lunch breaks I spend at my desk watching anime on hulu) in a poorly lit cubicle with no windows or natural light of any kind.

Recently, I noticed that my eyes were hurting and I was getting headaches. At first, I tried turning down the brightness on my monitors - which were, admittedly, a bit 'hot' - to 50%, but that only slightly lessened the discomfort I was experiencing.

At some point in my surfing, I had run across a reference to Gunnar Optiks' digital performance eyewear. I seriously began to consider purchasing a pair of their CRySTALLINE glasses, which are clear for people who work with color. Unfortunately, even their low end frames do not come cheap.

$79.00

I was on the verge of purchasing a pair, but then it occurred to me, what if a pair of polarized sunglasses worked just as well? That's all well and good, but the tinted lenses might throw off my color perception. That's when I had the bright idea to try out a cheap pair of UV-rated safety glasses.

I purchased these glasses - but with clear lenses - for $10.00 at Home Depot

After three days' use, my eyes are not as strained and the headaches have gone away.

I do not have any sort of scientific data or information to prove how or why this seems to be working, only the fact that it no longer hurts to look at my monitors. I'm certainly not wearing a pair of clear safety glasses at my desk to look cool.

This is not to discredit Gunar Optiks in anyway - their glasses may even work better. But, if you're not rich (I'm not) or have a tendency to lose or break your sunglasses (I do), I would strongly encourage looking into something like this as an affordable, low-risk alternative.

40K: Update to Spreadsheet Template for Codex: Orks

2010-06-03T15:21:00.001-04:00

Updated Spreadsheet Template for Codex: Orks (version 1.3)

I went back through the Codex, cross-referencing it with the spreadsheet and found out that I had neglected to add in some wargear - mainly for the named characters. The link on the original post has been updated, as well.

DnD: Monomyth as a DM Tool - Part 8: The Temptress

2010-05-27T10:22:00.001-04:00

I must confess feeling a need to tread carefully, lest the discussion of this topic come off as sexist. However, the truth of the matter is (1) that the vast majority of cultures throughout the history of mankind have been patriarchal, and thus their heroes have tended to be male and (2) men, heroic or no, have done - and continue to do - some pretty stupid things in their pursuit/seduction/objectification of women.

The Temptress embodies anything that might lure the hero away from his quest, possibly even abandoning it altogether. She is a metaphor for the physical or material temptations of life, very similar to the Gnostic belief in dualism. Dualism states, at the risk of oversimplification, that there exists a physical material world that is bad, and a spiritual world which is good. In order to live in this spiritual world, the physical one must be overcome; for the Gnostics, this 'salvation' came though the accumulation of knowledge. Similarly, the Temptress must be overcome by self-discipline and a dedication to the higher purpose of the journey to which the hero has been called.

"The crux of the curious difficulty," Campbell writes, "lies in the fact that our conscious views of what life ought to be seldom correspond to what life really is. Generally we refuse to admit within ourselves, or within our friends, the fullness of that pushing, self-protective, malodorous, carnivorous, lecherous fever which is the very nature of the organic cell. Rather, we tend to perfume, whitewash, and reinterpret; meanwhile imagining that all the flies in the ointment, all the hairs in the soup, are the faults of some unpleasant someone else. But when it suddenly dawns on us, or is forced to our attention that everything we think or do is necessarily tainted with the odor of the flesh, then, not uncommonly, there is experienced a moment of revulsion: life, the acts of life, the organs of life, woman in particular as the great symbol of life, become intolerable to the pure, the pure, pure soul. The seeker of the life beyond life must press beyond (the woman), surpass the temptations of her call, and soar to the immaculate ether beyond."

Examples of the Temptress

Anakin Skywalker's embrace of the Dark Side was precipitated by the feelings he had for two women: His mother, whose death led him to slaughter a tribe of Tuskan Raiders; and Padme, for whom he sought a means of preventing death.

One of my all-time favorite movies, Legend, has a scene where a faerie attempts to seduce Jack, the hero, by taking on the appearance of his love, Lily. Additionally, Lily is herself tempted by Darkness when he becomes infatuated with her innocence.

In late Arthurian mythology (primarily the Lancelot-Grail accounts), Merlin was doomed by his desire for Niviane, the daughter of Northumberland's king. Fearing Merlin's power and how he might use it to control her, the huntress gets Merlin to agree to teach her everything he knows before she will love him. He does and she eventually puts a spell on him and places him in a magic tomb from which he cannot escape.

There are a handful of examples scattered throughout the Bible, but the the most pertinent to this discussion appear as obvious metaphors in Proverbs 5-9 (personifications of Wisdom, Folly and 'the adulterous woman') and Revelations 17 and 18 (Babylon portrayed as a prostitute).

The Greek hero Odysseus was advised by the minor goddess/witch Circe (herself a temptress) not only how to safely bypass the Sirens on his return to Ithaca from fighting in the Trojan War, but how he might manage to hear their irresistible song while doing so and live to tell about it.

The Temptress as a DM Tool

Heroes in role playing games are faced with many puzzles, trials and challenges on their journey, the vast majority of which are exterior in nature - that is, they appear as an obstructing and/or opposing force from without. Monsters are easy to fight because they physically exist and can be interacted with, they generally have an exterior that reflects their alignment, and they are actively trying to rip the hero's face off; traps are unthinking and unfeeling and simply react to the PC's presence; riddles and puzzles, by their very nature, appeal to a competitive person's desire to 'win'.

The Temptress, however, uses her wiles and words to assault from within. These are not merely physical attacks vs. Will, but serious challenges to the underlying motivation driving a PC. She understands that victory in the long term outweighs the immediate satisfaction of driving a dagger into her enemies' heart, and spends her time reshaping a PC's thought process rather than trying to lower their hit points. Then, when her web of deception is complete, it will be the PC's who bring about their own destruction. She is never perceived as a threat - at least, not until it's too late - because she does not use threatening behavior. Words, questions especially, are her favorite weapon; with them, she plants seeds of frustration and confusion and throws the party into turmoil.

It is not easy to implement, but when done well, the inclusion of a Temptress in a campaign can provide a memorable gaming experience.

Pondering the Temptress

Campbell states that the Temptress does not have to appear as a woman. Can you think of another form The Temptress could assume in your campaign?
Why might the Temptress want your PC's to fail in their quest? For personal gain, or does she serve the will of another?
If you were an adventurer on a quest, what sorts of fears or concerns might tempt you to stray from or abandon it entirely?
Can you think of a situation that might drive a wedge between your PC's? Is there any pre-existing tension or animosity you could draw upon?
Do your PC's keep secrets from each other? If not, can you think of a situation in which they might want to?

Earlier Entries in This Series
Introduction
Stage I: Departure

Stage II: Initiation

DnD, Art: Card Game Preview - Footsoldier

2010-05-21T16:34:00.000-04:00

Last minute blog post for the week: Here is the low-man on the totem pole - the Footsoldier, supporter of both the Knight and the King.

I'd like to give him more detail, but I'm not sure what to add.

DnD: Monomyth as a DM Tool - Part 7: Meeting the Goddess

2010-05-19T09:58:00.000-04:00

Have you ever wondered why action and comic-book movies often include a love interest? It is generally accepted that the inclusion of a sympathetic female character will make the movie more appealing, and thus more marketable, to what would otherwise be a product that caters to only a portion of the movie-going public. According to Campbell, however, there may be more to the protagonists' ever-present love interest than we realize:

"The ultimate adventure, when all the barriers and ogres have been overcome, is commonly represented as a mystical marriage of the triumphant hero-soul with the Queen Goddess of the World. This is the crisis at the nadir, the zenith, or at the uttermost edge of the earth, at the central point of the cosmos, in the tabernacle of the temple, or within the darkness of the deepest chamber of the heart. The meeting with the goddess (who is incarnate in every woman) is the final test of the talent of the hero to win the boon of love, which is life itself enjoyed as the encasement of eternity. And when the adventurer, in this context, is not a youth but a maid, she is the one who, by her qualities, her beauty, or her yearning, is fit to become the consort of an immortal. Then the heavenly husband descends to her and conducts her to his bed – whether she will or not. And if she has shunned him, the scales fall from her eyes; if she has sought him, her desire finds its peace."

Clearly, there is some emptiness or missing part of the hero that only this embodiment, often present albeit overlooked until late in the journey, can fill. Once that emptiness is realized, to continue to live without it is to exist in a state akin to anguish or yearning.

Examples of the Goddess

Over the course of Tolkien's Lord of the Rings, Gimli fell head over heels for the immortal Galadriel - probably the closest manifestation of a literal goddess I can think of - though the dwarf's relationship was strictly a chivalrous one (eg: loving from afar); Eowyn and Faramir, both of whom could be considered heroes of their own journeys, met and fell in love as they recovered from their injuries; and Sam, finally finding the courage within himself after facing many trials and terrors, married Rosie Cotton. Aragorn and Arwen would also fall into this category, though they had met and started a relationship before the events recorded in the triliogy. An important detail of this final example being the relinquishing immortality by the goddess-figure in order to grow old and die with her husband (one year after his death, specifically).

In the Underworld Trilogy, Selene, the vampire protagonist, falls for Michael Corvin. Initially a 'normal' human, Michael undergoes a transformation into a powerful lycan/vampire hybrid and (using Campbell's lens) Selene becomes his consort.

On a much lighter note, the premises of the classic TV shows Bewitched and I Dream of Jeannie are a cross between this concept and classic juvenile wish-fulfillment. The movies Splash, Enchanted and My Super Ex-Girlfriend offer big-screen equivalents (though I cannot in good conscience recommend watching the later).

Meeting the Goddess as a DM Tool

So how does Meeting the Goddess work in a group-based context? I will confess that I have struggled with this stage of the Hero's Journey. The simplest answer is: it doesn't work; at least, not in the way it is presented. However, if we add a layer of abstraction, it is possible to change the love that a hero is able to win from the goddess into the unexplainable attraction the NPC's have for the PC's. It is that attraction and affection for the heroes that compels NPC's to offer up any and all assistance in their efforts to rid the land of a threat, despite barely knowing them. There is something the heroes must do or become, but without the assistance of the NPC, they are hopelessly stuck.

The divine aspect, then, becomes the knowledge held by the DM guiding the words and actions of the NPC's in their interactions with the group - occasionally to harrass, but more commonly to help.

While it is certainly not required to play a game, for a more immersive role playing environment that fosters true in-character interactions, a DM should seriously consider, before using Random-Guy-on-the-Street #1 to divulge the secret location of the lich's phylactry, what (if anything) a given NPC knows about:

this rag-tag band of adventurers who have just blown into town from who-knows-where
the mission the PC's are trying to accomplish, and how they might be successful
the villain(s) the PC's are working against - their plans, motivations, history, and/or weaknesses

A tool such as the Johari Window can be very useful for keeping track of this information.

Aside from what a NPC knows, the DM should consider how the NPC feels about the heroes, the villain(s), their current setting, even themselves. A self-loathing NPC might be just as happy seeing the town wiped out, and himself along with it.

Pondering the Goddess

What roles do NPC's play in your PC's lives?
Is the manner in which a NPC obtains the knowledge and/or equipment they provide important? Why or why not?
Do you think a campaign can be just as engaging and enjoyable without any NPC interaction? Why or why not?
What, if anything, can a NPC provide for a PC (or group of PC's) that they cannot provide for themselves?
How might including a non-PC love interest for one or more of your players have an impact on the campaign?

Earlier Entries in This Series
Introduction
Stage I: Departure

Stage II: Initiation

Part 6: Road of Trials

DnD: Monomyth as a DM Tool - Part 6: Road of Trials

2010-05-12T14:53:00.000-04:00

The Road of Trials is when the strange new world that exists beyond the Threshold really comes alive for the adventurer. Enemies and obstacles are encountered and the hero must make use of the training, advice and talismans provided by the Supernatural Helper(s). This is also the stage in which hero begins to see the results of the transformation that began in the Belly of the Whale.

It is important to point out that the trials on the road tend to come in sets of three. There is a significance to the number three that is easy to overlook, by both the hero actively faced with the challenges and by us in our roles as spectators. The number three represents completeness:

The simplest meaningful geometric shape requires three lines
Three dimensions are required to form a solid shape; 2 being the symbol of the flat square vs 3 as the symbol of the cube (x² vs. x³)
There are three great divisions to a temporal existence - past, present, and future
Thought, word, and deed, complete the sum of human capability
God is defined as having three attributes: omniscience (all-knowing), omnipresence (all-present), omnipotence (all-powerful)
The Godhead - also known as the Trinity - is formed of three entities: The Father (God), The Son (Jesus), and the Holy Spirit
Three persons, in grammar, express and include all the relationships of mankind

Many other examples can be found here.

Campbell writes: "Having traversed the threshold, the hero moves in a dream landscape of curiously fluid, ambiguous forms, where he must survive a succession of trials. This is a favorite phase of the myth-adventure. It has produced a world literature of miraculous tests and ordeals. The hero is covertly aided by the advice, amulets, and secret agents of the supernatural helper whom he met before his entrance into this region. Or it may be that he here discovers for the first time that there is a benign power everywhere supporting him in his superhuman passage. The original departure into the land of trials represented only the beginning of the long and really perilous path of initiatory conquests and moments of illumination. Dragons have now to be slain and surprising barriers passed – again, again, and again. Meanwhile there will be a multitude of preliminary victories, unretainable ecstasies and momentary glimpses of the wonderful land."

Examples of the Road of Trials

It can be difficult to identify precisely when the Road of Trials begins and ends in a journey. Indeed, the entire adventure can often be seen as a continuous series of trials that overlaps and bleeds into the other stages of the journey. For these examples, we shall focus on those instances where a trial or obstacles occurs in a set of three; Fairy Tales and fables are particularly rich in this regard.

During the course of his adventure to destroy the One Ring, Frodo was constantly in danger, but found himself very nearly killed on three occasions: After being stabbed by the Witch-king of Angmar at Weathertop, getting skewered by the cave troll in Balin's Tomb (Moria), and being stung by the vile Shelob in the pass of Cirith Ungol. Each time, he was saved by the works and gifts of those around him: Aragon's medicinal knowledge and Elrond's magic; Bilbo's Mithril shirt; Sting (another gift from Bilbo) and the Light of Earendil, both which were wielded by Sam.

In the original telling of Jack and the Beanstalk (not to be confused with Jack the Giant Killer), the protagonist climbs the beanstalk three times, eludes capture with help from the giant's wife and comes away first with a bag of gold, then with a hen that laid golden eggs, and finally with a magical harp - killing the giant owner of the house during his final visit to keep the source of his new-found wealth a secret. Jack's distinction as the 'hero' of the tale was questionable at best, and the tale was retold by Bejamin Tabart in 1807 with a moralistic bent by turning the giant into a thief and murder, thus justifying his slaying.

Red Riding Hood notices three features about her grandmother (eyes, ears, teeth) that are not quite right.

The evil dwarf Rumpelstiltskin gives the queen three days to discover his name, lest he steal away her first born.

In Monty Python's classic skewering of the Arthurian legend, the king and his knights must answer three questions to cross a bridge.

During his time fasting in the wilderness, Jesus was tempted three times by Satan.

The Road of Trials as a DM Tool

In the context of gaming, especially video gaming, the vast majority of an adventure will be spent on the Road of Trials. The obstacles encountered along the road, usually in the form of battles and/or puzzles, are often the only time the player is actually given full control of his character and made responsible for overcoming them. In video games the other stages of the journey, which are more concerned with character development - such as The Call or the Belly of the Whale - are often glossed over in the form of cut-scenes or annoying run-on dialog that drive impatient players to continually mash a button until they can get back to the excitement of battles and party/inventory management.

But what does the Road of Trials look like for a traditional pen-and-paper RPG player? At it's worst, it is merely a grind - a series of combat and skill encounters whose sole purpose is to gain XP and has little, if anything, to do with story. The canny DM will, however, use every encounter as an opportunity for a PC to discover something about themselves. Perhaps that discovery is simply a new power or ability - or perhaps a new way to use an existing power/ability.

Terrain and dialog can and should be implemented to drive players towards a new level of understanding and competence and drive the story forward. Even a seemingly random encounter might have some small clue embedded in it that speaks to one player - or perhaps even the party as a whole. Examples might include a bookshelf that gets knocked over, conveniently scattering some important maps or manuscripts on the floor; a foe who whispers the name of his master as he dies; an oddly colored fire that does not burn when someone is shoved into it, but freezes instead; a ghost that constantly repeats a question or phrase over and over as it harasses the PC's - or perhaps only a particular member of the party.

In a larger sense, each of the trial-encounters along the Road could represent a different aspect of the party's journey. For example, battling a group of undead clad in the livery of a PC's homeland might represent a break from a past life that was going nowhere. The following encounter might involve a rival group of adventurers, vying for the same prize/glory as the PC's as a reflection of themselves. Finally, this particular road concludes with a battle against a meglomaniacal demi-god - a former adventurer who gained great power and lost his mind - as a warning of things to come should the PC's fail to stay grounded and humble.

Pondering the Road of Trials

Can a groups' Road of Trials ever be as engaging and meaningful as that of an individual? Why or why not?
Do you think a PC/group can experience more than one Road of Trials at a time? Consider the pros and cons.
Does the Road of Trials gain or lose effectiveness if the number of encounters deviates from three? Why or why not?
Consider this statement: Any encounter that does not advance the story in some way is a waste of time. Do you agree? Why or why not?
Consider this statement: Combat, while exciting, is generally not meaningful; Vice versa for skill challenges. Do you agree? Why or why not?
How does your stance on the previous two statements affect how you build an encounter or set of encounters?

Earlier Entries in This Series

Introduction
Stage I: Departure
Part 1: The Call
Part 2: Refusing the Call
Part 3: Supernatural Aid
Part 4: Crossing the Threshold
Part 5: Belly of the Whale

40K: Spreadsheet Template for Codex: Orks

2010-05-07T13:45:00.003-04:00

I'm done with Army Builder. I continued to use version 2.2 for my Dark Eldar army lists as long as I could, but now that the new codex has been announced, I no longer need it. And, thanks to their asinine licensing scheme, I no longer want anything to do with the software.

Unfortunately, there are no really good open-source alternatives out there for generating an army list. Until there is (don't look at me, I've got enough on my plate to last me a pretty good while), I have decided to put my 5th edition codices into a spreadsheet.

Using Open Office, I've developed a template that will accommodate the entire army list - including weapons, wargear, and rules (complete with page numbers). The goal was to find a way to represent as much, if not more, data than Army Builder provided. Additionally, I wanted to try and get the entire list on a single sheet of paper - stats and point costs on one side, wargear and rules on the other.

The Wargear and Special Rules use a simple code reference system to save space. It's not quite as useful as actually having it spelled out for you on the paper, but I'm of the opinion that it's more for a opponent's reference, since a player should already know what special rules affect his army.

The first list to be finished are the Orks. I will make this template available with as much information as I can legally include. Stats, details and point costs will have to be filled out on your own. The vast majority of the work was in getting developing the layout, though, so entering numbers goes pretty quickly.

Give it a whirl and let me know if it works as a tool for army building, if there are any errors I missed, or what changes might enhance its usefulness. Enjoy!

Codex: Orks Template (Mediafire, .ods)

Next up: Blood Angels! (nearly finished)

UPDATE (6-3-10): I made some additions and format changes to the spreadsheet - mainly to the Reference page. Calling it version 1.3

Misc: A Brief High Ate Us

2010-05-04T09:34:00.000-04:00

+1 Internets if you get the reference. Also, you have excellent taste in literature.

In an attempt to avoid burning myself (and you) out on the Monomyth series, I'm taking a little break before starting on the next block of entries. I had hoped to have something to fill the gap, but collaborative schedules rarely work out so conveniently.

At any rate, so you won't think I'm a lazy slacker, here's what's going on at Kingworks Creative (aka: the time in the evening after the kids go to bed and my own bedtime):

Art

I finished a cover piece and an encounter map for the next Nevermet Press release, due later this month, IIRC. (Once NMP officially shows the cover, I will post them here).
Another drawing and a digital painting for two NMP settings are about half done. Not for anything in particular, just wanted to do them.

DnD

Remember the card game I was working on? I started the third one, but the design has been frustrating me, so I set it aside. Counting it, there are 2.5 cards left to finish, as well as the design for the back.
I have an idea for what I think could be a cool encounter, but it's in the early stages and needs some work.

40k

The release of the Codex: Blood Angels has me revamping my army. I'm currently converting half-finished Tactical Marines into Assault Marines, putting magnets in Sergeants and special weapons Marines.
Building a kustom Ork Trukk based on Dave Taylor's excellent tutorial.
At least one mob of Slugga Boyz and some Nobz waiting on a final pass of highlights and an ink wash.

Misc

In an effort to save money on the house we're building, I've been looking for things I can do myself to save money. Thus far, I've only sealed windows, doors & wall seams. Soon, however, I will be putting down tile and hardwood flooring; after that, we'll be seeding the grass and landscaping ourselves. Then taking a break to save up again in order to add a deck and finish the basement.
I've been working through Foundation Game Design with Flash a little bit each day (or week, if I was being completely honest) and it's got me thinking that I just might be able to finish that 40k Flash game after all. No time soon, unfortunately. I also need to look into the legality of making a free Flash game based on an established IP. I don't think 'homage' is going to cut it - GW's legal dept. can be pretty ruthless. I may need to make it a parody . . .
One of my freelance clients has been emailing me about doing an update on his website. I'm expecting the files any day now.

I'm sure there are some other things going on, but that's all I can think of right now. Cheers!

DnD: Monomyth as a DM Tool - Part 5: Belly of the Whale

2010-04-28T14:47:00.000-04:00

Here now, we have arrived at the final step in the Departure stage of the Hero's Journey. The call was received, refused at first, supernatural aid sought and provided, and the threshold into the unknown was crossed. The hero now finds herself in the belly of the whale, completing the separation from a world and/or an existence she was familiar - possibly even comfortable - with by undergoing a personal metamorphosis. Old ways of thinking and doing must be put aside, as they cannot carry the hero past the trials to come. New paradigms, of natures both physical and mental, are introduced to the hero and must be mastered if she is to have a hope of surviving what lies ahead.

Campbell writes that the hero's passage into this stage of the journey can often be mistaken by the casual observer as defeat: "The hero, instead of conquering or conciliating the power of the threshold, is swallowed into the unknown and would appear to have died. This popular motif gives emphasis to the lesson that the passage of the threshold is a form of self-annihilation. Instead of passing outward, beyond the confines of the visible world, the hero goes inward, to be born again. The disappearance corresponds to the passing of a worshipper into a temple – where he is to be quickened by the recollection of who and what he is, namely dust and ashes unless immortal. The temple interior, the belly of the whale, and the heavenly land beyond, above, and below the confines of the world, are one and the same. . . The devotee at the moment of entry into a temple undergoes a metamorphosis. Once inside he may be said to have died to time and returned to the World Womb, the World Navel, the Earthly Paradise. Allegorically, then, the passage into a temple and the hero-dive through the jaws of the whale are identical adventures, both denoting in picture language, the life-centering, life-renewing act.""

Examples of the Whale's Belly

The quintessential example of the Whale's Belly comes from the Biblical story of Jonah. Commanded by God to preach to the city of Nineveh, the prophet Jonah instead ran the other direction, boarding a ship sailing for Tarshish. Along the way, a great storm blew up and threatened the ship. Jonah was revealed as the source of the calamity when the sailors cast lots to discover who among them had incurred the wrath of the gods. Accepting responsibility and seeking to spare the ship, Jonah had the sailors throw him overboard, where he was swallowed whole by a great fish, almost always visualized as a whale. He remained in the fish for three days and three nights, praying to God. Finally, Jonah was vomited onto dry land and, when commanded by God to go to Nineveh a second time, did not delay. The city, destined for destruction due to their evil ways, repented as was spared.

Luke Skywalker's metamorphosis experience is stretched across one movie, and nearly into a second. Over the course of Empire Strikes Back, shortly after being - quite literally - stuffed inside a Tautaun's belly (womb allegory), he heads to swampy Dagobah to train with Yoda, who lives in a cramped little hut (another womb). It is here that he truly sees for the first time what the Force is capable of. It is also during this training that he has a disturbing vision in a cave (yet another womb allegory) about what could happen if he failed to resist the lure of the Dark Side. By the end of Empire Strikes Back, Luke's metamorphosis has taken on a physical aspect in the hand that is lost and subsequently replaced. The changes and growth he experiences during the course of this movie carry him into the period between the fifth and sixth chapters, during which he becomes a full-fledged Jedi.

Despite several close calls with the Nazgul, who appear as nightmares given form to the diminutive hobbits, it is within the mines of Moria that the Frodo, Sam, Merry, and especially Pippin have a transformative experience. As they pass through the depths of the mountains, they find themselves for the first time face-to-face with goblins (subterranian orcs), a troll and (most terrifying of all) a Balrog - all due to Pippin's carelessness in Balin's Tomb. This is the first encounter where the hobbits must hold their own, along with their more traditionally heroic companions, lest they be overwhelmed - there would be no last-minute rescue for them as their was with Old Man Willow and on Weathertop. Eventually, the group escapes, but not before the harsh reality of their situation is made all too clear with the loss of Gandalf. The movie, specifically, Billy Boyd's portrayal of a guilt-ridden Pippin as the fellowship succumbs to exhaustion and anguish by the Dimrill (East) Gate.

In the first act of Christopher Nolan's excellent Batman Begins, Bruce Wayne makes his way to the League of Shadows' compound in the mountains of Tibet. There he undergoes intense martial and psychological training in order to, as Liam Neeson's character put it, "make yourself more than just a man, devote yourself to an ideal, and if they can't stop you, then you become something else entirely . . . A legend."

Belly of the Whale as a DM Tool

DM's (or should I be using GM's instead?) regularly make use of this concept, though probably not in such a formal, recognizable manner. Basically, any time the PC's must acquire crucial knowledge and/or abilities in order to complete a task deemed by the common folk to be impossible, the Belly of the Whale comes into play. Their time in the Belly-setting answers the where and how questions about what the PC's need to accomplish in order to be victorious.

There a couple of common temptations that a DM faces during this stage: First, glossing over the metamorphosis experience - making it happen instantaneously, thereby robbing it of meaning; and, second, requiring the PC's to grind until they have accumulated enough of a resource (gold, XP, specific dropped items) as a symbol of their completion of the metamorphosis process. This second scenario is particularly frustrating because it assumes that by doing the same thing over and over again, the protagonists have somehow matured or mastered a new way of thinking/fighting - when the reality is that they have simply gotten better at doing the same thing over and over again.

Setting is important to the metamorphosis, there is something unique about it that is crucial to the changes that need to occur before the PC's can hope to overcome the trials ahead. It makes sense, then, that there is also something repulsive about the location or the process related to the metamorphosis that deters just anyone from pursuing it - perhaps it is in a location that is dangerous to reach, or the metamorphosis process is a painful - even potentially deadly - experience. Perhaps there is a characteristic about those who have completed the change that is perceived, fairly or unfairly, as unsettling or even dangerous. The concept of a reviled savior is an interesting one and holds a lot of potential for true role playing.

Pondering the Belly of the Whale

What sort of settings do you envision when you think about undergoing a change or experience growth?
Is the change that occurs in the Belly of the Whale permanent or temporary? Why?
Do you tend to think of the metamorphosis process as being a result primarily of external or internal forces?
Can a hero be committed to vanquishing the dragon, but hesitant about what must be done to accomplish such a task? Why or why not?
Should a metamorphosis be specific to a single quest? Do relying on a specific change across multiple adventures 'cheapen' it? Why or why not?

DnD: Monomyth as a DM Tool, Part 4 - Crossing the Threshold

2010-04-23T15:57:00.000-04:00

A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. - Lao-Tzu, Chinese philosopher (604 BC - 531 BC)

It's a dangerous business, Frodo, going out of your door. You step into the Road, and if you don't keep your feet, there is no knowing where you might be swept off to. - Bilbo Baggins

Having committed himself to the journey (willingly or otherwise), finding his mentor-guide(s) - or, as Campbell refers to them, "the personifications of his destiny to guide and aid him" - and equipping himself as best he can, the hero stands at the boundary of the world he has known and accepted for so long. Taking a deep breath, the hero opens the gate and steps across into the unknown. Campbell also makes mention of a 'threshold guardian' who stands between the hero and this new realm of being and magnified power. This guardian does not always take an expected form, as do the mythological Cerberus or the castle guardians from Neil Gaiman's excellent Sandman series, but might appear as a friends or loved ones who discourage the hero and must be bypassed in some way before the journey can truly begin.

Examples of the Threshold

Samwise Gamgee, in Peter Jackson's LOTR movies says to Frodo, "If I take one more step, it'll be the furthest from home I've ever been." There is not really a threshold guardian present (though one could say, symbolically, the scarecrow in the background fills the roll as a silent sentinel), but they do have their very first close encounter with the Nazgul shortly beyond that point. At least one commentator suggests that the Hobbits' encounter with Old Man Willow - where they first come to harm (albeit minor) and must be rescued by Tom Bombadil - is the true threshold experience for the protagonist(s).

Luke Skywalker trades the known dangers of the Tatooine wasteland for the unknown dangers of the Mos Eisley spaceport, particularly the rough-and-tumble cantina, where his adventure is very nearly cut short before it ever gets off the ground (pardon the pun). At the time of Luke's arrival, it is being patrolled by Stormtroopers, who attempt to apprehend the group.

In Stardust (another Gaiman creation), there is a very clear demarcation in the old stone wall that borders the protagonist's village. An opening in the wall allows one to pass into the world of faerie, but it is stubbornly guarded by old man who takes his position as the keeper of the opening very seriously.

The scientists who managed to get the Stargate working (in the original movie of the same name) had no clue what - if anything - lay on the otherside of the shimmering, undulating portal.

Dorothy crosses two thresholds in the Wizard of Oz. First there is the passage from consciousness into unconsciousness by way of the twister; shortly thereafter, she literally crosses the threshold of her mundane black-and-white existence into the color- and magic-filled realm of Oz.

The Threshold as a DM Tool

For a DM, crossing the threshold may impact a game on several different levels. The first and most obvious being a threshold guardian that must be defeated, either by wits or brute force, before the party can continue their adventure. Second, achieving a new level or tier acknowledges that the PC's have grown in some way and now have access to new powers and abilities with which to face the challenges ahead - which have also grown in difficulty. While the first two examples are fairly straightforward and go hand-in-hand with the basic mechanics of almost every role-playing system, a third instance - that of the symbolic threshold - is a bit more abstract and hard to define. And yet, I would suggest that it holds the greatest potential of the three for creating a meaningful experience.

Monsters and puzzles are external conflicts and often represent forces outside of a person to be overcome. These situations might be cast, rather simplistically, as Man vs. Nature, and Man vs. Man. What is left? Man vs. Himself. The internal battles against doubts, fear, insecurity, and any number of personal shortcomings that we allow to tie us down and prevent us from achieving what Maslow referred to as 'self-actualization' are often some of the toughest battles a person will face in his or her lifetime. Compounding the issue is our inability to objectively handle and shape those feelings and understandings that shape our perception of the world around us. In the real world, that is. In the role-playing world, an able DM can construct situations that threaten from within, though doing so will require some preparation.

Depending on how much information a DM requires of their PC's at the start of an adventure, and the player's willingness and/or ability to 'put on' their characters and truly role play their strengths and weaknesses, these threshold experiences contain a great deal of potential for the characters' - and possibly even their player's - personal growth. Consider a player who is deathly afraid of spiders (a common fear) who must descend into a lair full of them to save a child. Or a PC consumed with revenge who attempts to convince a king to forgive a slight, lest war claim thousands of innocent lives. Perhaps there is an accomplished thief who has something precious stolen from him. These are not thresholds in a physical sense, but can serve as symbolic threshold experiences that, once overcome, empower the PC in some personal way.

Rewards for overcoming or passing a threshold may be many and varied, ranging from a simple bonus to skill checks or attacks vs. a certain type of creature, or a better understanding of the skills, powers and abilities one possesses. What if, though, by overcoming a threshold challenge, a player arrives at a deeper understanding of her own motivations or behaviors? A bit far-fetched, perhaps, but not outside the realm of possibility.

Pondering the Threshold

What, if any, personal obstacles have your PC's had to overcome?
Do you think overcoming a physical threshold guardian can be as meaningful a overcoming a symbolic one? Why or why not?
Is it possible for PC's to have a meaningful threshold experience as a group? Why or why not?
Do you ever include elements from your players' real lives into your adventure/campaign? What forms or roles do these real-world elements take in the game?
Have you ever had your real-world perceptions altered by a work of fiction? Do you think that your adventure/campaign holds the same potential? Why or why not?

DnD: Monomyth as a DM Tool - Part 3: Supernatural Aid

2010-04-20T14:53:00.017-04:00

Once the hero - by hook or by crook, consciously or unconsciously - begins to undertake his quest in earnest, they usually do not have to wait very long before a guide or magical helper of some sort is introduced into the story. The arrival of supernatural aid in fantasy literature is such a common occurrence that fans of the genre are generally more surprised when it does not occur. Consequently, the event is often taken for granted and treated as little more than a plot device - a means by which the hero obtains possession of some trinket or knowledge they would (or could) not gain on their own.

Campbell, however, proposes that there exists a deeper significance in role played by this mystical, mysterious mentor. "For those who have not refused the call, the first encounter of the hero journey is with a protective figure (often a little old crone or old man) who provides the adventurer with amulets against the dragon forces he is about to pass. What such a figure represents is the benign, protecting power of destiny. The fantasy is a reassurance - a promise that the peace of Paradise, which was known first within the mother womb, is not to be lost; that is supports the present and stands in the future as well as in the past (is omega as well as alpha); that though omnipotence may seem to be endangered by the threshold passages and life awakenings, protective power is always and ever present within or just behind the unfamiliar features of the world. One has only to know and trust, and the ageless guardians will appear."

Pardon me while I drag out my soap box, but there were some terms in that description that should really jump out to anyone with a Bible-based Christian upbringing: alpha and omega, omnipotence, always and ever present, trust, the mention of an antagonistic dragon and the persistence/restoration of Paradise. It sounds like Campbell is equating his supernatural helper with God. Whether this is a direct manifestation or an agent acting on behalf of the divine is up for speculation, though some hints are likely to be found in the source material.

Examples of Supernatural Aid

In Tolkien's Ring's Trilogy, Gandalf metamorphoses before Frodo's eyes from a wizened old conjurer to a mighty wizard, mentor, and protector. He identifies the One Ring the Bilbo left to Frodo (which, I'll admit, is not exactly the same as giving it to him), guides and protects the Fellowship from a demon in the darkness and death of Moria ("I am a servant of the Secret Fire . . ."; flame ~> Holy Spirit -> God), returns from the dead (!), arrives just in time to save Rohan at Helm's Deep, bolsters and leads the forces of Gondor until Aragorn can arrive with even more supernatural reinforcements, and flies into Mordor on Gwaihir to rescue Frodo and Sam.

In Star Wars Episode 4, Obi-Won Kenobi arrives just in time to save Luke from the Sand Raiders, gives him his first lightsaber (soooo jealous) and introduces him to The Force. Later, he sacrifices himself against the embodiment of a fallen nature in the form of Darth Vader. Even after dying, Obi-Won provides reassurance and guidance to Luke.

Despite the confusion and many varied accounts of the legend of King Arthur, the half-human, half-demon Merlin figures prominently in almost all of them. The famous wizard engineers the famous king's birth through magic and intrigue, provides advice, and leads him (at varying points and in varying ways) into possession of the mighty Excalibur.

Held by a rash promise to present the head of Medusa as a wedding gift, Perseus is instructed by Athena to find the Hesperides and obtain the magical items he will need to overcome the Gorgon. The goddess herself, who cursed Medusa in the first place, provides the hero with a polished shield which plays an important part in the tale, popularized first by the campy 80's movie and again by the 2010 remake.

Pretty much any occurrence of a hero being given or directed to find 'The [blank] of [blank]' is a pretty good indicator that supernatural aid is being given.

Supernatural Aid as a DM Tool

Providing unexpected help in the form of a mysterious NPC is pretty much right up the DM's alley. It's hard to envision a campaign, or even an adventure, in which the party does not get some form of advice, guidance, direction, help, equipment, missing spell component, etc. from a stranger with some uncanny insight and/or understanding of the situation. Video RPG's, in particular, rely on these figures to give the players momentum and keep the story moving forward. The trick, then, is not so much knowing how to use Supernatural Aid, but doing so in an engaging, meaningful way.

Can you remember the first time you saw Star Wars, or read Fellowship? Can you remember how you felt when Obi-Won powered down his lightsaber or Gandalf fell from the bridge of Khazad-Dum? The main characters had developed a strong attachment to these mentor-guides by this point - their comforting presence having given direction and meaning and excitement to an otherwise ordinary and rather dull existence. The protagonists had come to rely on these figures and were expecting them to be present for the duration of the adventure.

Now, stripped of this important relationship, the heroes are made suddenly aware of the dangers of the fantastic world in which they find themselves, and the frailty of (demi-)human existence. If the protagonists had simply been simply been using the mentor-guide as a resource, having no more connection to them than they might some impersonal macguffin found lying on the side of the road, then the loss would have little or no meaning and the journey would remain much less personal. Additionally, the continued presence of a powerful, otherworldly ally puts the protagonists at risk for relying on them too heavily for the duration of their journey. Any personal growth the heroes might experience becomes stunted as they take for granted the achievements made with the assistance of another, and the adventure as a whole is cheapened.

Consider one additional feature of the mentor-guide NPC: A party can pretty much hack-and-slash its way through an adventure without having to speak to any NPC's - often times, just seeing a group of monsters or the entrance to a lair of some sort in more than enough motivation. But, when presented with a situation that cannot be overcome by the (often considerable) power wielded by the heroes, there will be at least one NPC with which they could/should have a social (in-character?) interaction.

Pondering Supernatural Aid

Does it make sense to have a mentor-guide for the duration of an adventure? A campaign? Why or why not?
What are some ways you can cultivate a meaningful relationship between your PC's and their mentor-guide?
Is the loss of a mentor-guide more meaningful when it occurs at the hands of a villain, or when they must be abandoned/sacrificed by the PC's?
What if the role of the mentor-guide was split among several NPC's? What if there were conflict or opposing goals among them?
Can you think of an example (games, movies, RPG's, etc.) of a mentor-guide turning into an antagonist? How did such a turn affect the overall experience for you as a viewer/player?

Other posts in this series
Introduction
Part 1 - The Call
Part 2 - Refusing the Call

DnD: Monomyth as a DM Tool - Part 2: Refusing the Call

2010-04-15T14:56:00.009-04:00

In role playing, it is often taken for granted that the PC's are actively looking for an adventure to undertake. After all, if a person takes the time to roll up a fantastic character who will be living in a fantastic setting, it is generally understood that they'd would like to do something outside of what is legal (theft, killing) or possible (anything to do with magic) in this reality. Thus, the idea of a hero refusing the call to adventure may strike role players - both PC's and DM's alike - as rather odd and uncharacteristic. In mythology and popular fiction, however, it is a fairly common occurrence. Thoughts or feelings that lead to a hero's reluctance to pursue the call and remain in their current circumstances are varied: A sense of inadequacy or unworthiness; fear of the unknown; guilt at the thought of leaving someone/thing behind; an obligation or responsibility holding them back, etc.

Whatever the reason, when a refusal occurs, the nature of the journey changes. As Campbell writes, "Refusal of the summons converts the adventure into its negative. Walled in boredom, hard work, or 'culture,' the subject loses the power of significant affirmative action and becomes a victim to be saved. His flowering world becomes a wasteland of dry stones and his life feels meaningless . . . All he can do is create new problems for himself and await the gradual approach of his disintegration."

Examples of Refusal

Frodo never flat out refused his call to adventure, but he did attempt to pass it off a several points - Gandalf, Guinevere, possibly at Rivendell when those gathered debated what should be done with the ring. During the course of his adventure, Frodo must be defended and rescued and has several narrow escapes from the Nazgul at Weathertop (though he is deeply wounded and scarred for life), the Goblins and Cave Troll in Moria, the Uruk-Hai at Amon Hen, Shelob in Cirith Ungol, and even from himself in the bowels of Mount Doom, where he loses a finger and is finally carried to safety by Gandalf astride Gwaihir. Since none of his offers to pass the ring off were accepted, it is up for debate as to cause of all Frodo's trials and suffering being the direct result of refusing the call.

An indirect refusal occurs in Star Wars (Episode IV: A New Hope) when Luke asks his uncle, Owen Lars, about Obi-Wan Kenobi. Owen, keen to keep Luke away from the problems and strife that led to the ruin of his father, tell Luke that Obi-Wan is dead and that he should stay away from crazy "Old Ben" who lives in the wastes. A couple of scenes later, the last we see of Owen and his wife are a pair of charred skeletons lying among the remains of their raided moisture farm. Luke, who embraced his call to adventure with Obi-Wan, avoids the immediate repercussions of a refusal, but must now carry on with the pain of their loss brought on by their attempts to dissuade him.

Nearly every Harry Potter book opens near the end of Harry's summer vacation with the Dursley's attempts to humiliate, hinder and/or discourage him from going back to Hogwarts. In every instance, some form of magical mischief overtakes them, providing a sense of karmic justice to their attempts to keep Harry from both his true nature and his destiny.

Refusal as a DM Tool

The reality of role playing is that the initial call to adventure has already been accepted when they decided to play and rolled up a character. Once that choice has been made, the rest of the experience is basically a series of choices about weather or not the PC should act. What a DM must consider is how far-reaching and personal the consequences the response to any given call is going to be.

It may be hard to conceptualize a response that must come from the PC's as being a 'tool' that can be wielded by the DM. While we as builders of an adventure or campaign may not hold the right of refusal that belongs to our players, we can learn to anticipate and prepare for those instances when they chose not to accept the call we provide them with. In fact, the abilities and responsibilities invested in the DM are such that we are more than capable of arranging and adapting events in such a way the predisposes PC's to act a certain way. A popular piece of advice for DM's is to have a recurring villain, someone who shows up and causes havoc and suffering for the PC's until, at the climax of the adventure, the heroes are able finally able to corner the villain and exact their revenge. But, really, what is really happening here? With each appearance of the villain, the PC's are being conditioned to hate, and possibly, attack him on sight.

What if the party surprises you and decides they would rather work with/for the villain, or try and help him reform (perhaps your players are into Restorative Justice)? More often then not, I'd wager that the DM does not give much thought to how the NPC's would react to this unexpected news, or what sort of encounters might occur as a result. It is important to understand that no one person could prepare for every potential nuance or variation along a theme. However, I propose that we can and should prepare ourselves - mentally, at least, if nothing else - for both positive (accepted) and negative (refused) responses to each call we present to our players.

Pondering Refusal

If the party refused to act at any point, what would happen to the adventure? Would it be totally derailed, or could you adjust accordingly?
Can you remember and/or envision a time that you expected - or even preferred - your PC's to decline a call to action?
What happens if there is a division in the party? How might a DM use that to build a more engaging experience?
Party's are generally rewarded/punished as a group. What if this was dealt with on an individual basis based on their choices? Is such a thing feasible or would it simply come across as unfair?

Earlier posts in this series

DnD: The Monomyth as a DM Tool, Part 1: The Call

2010-04-13T09:29:00.008-04:00

I had originally intended to present the parts of the Monomyth the three groups: Departure, Initiation, and Return. However, as I began writing the first entry, and writing it . . . and writing it, I decided that perhaps each step warranted its own post.

As we explore each of the 17 aspects of the Monomyth (aka: The Hero's Journey) as a tool for DM's, we will use a four-fold approach: First, a brief description and elaboration of the aspect; Second, some examples taken from some of the most well-known and seminal works of adventure fiction - The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien, Star Wars (Episodes 4-6) by He Who Shall Not be Named, and perhaps a few random others as they apply; Third, we will explore how the aspect is used in RPG's and (hopefully) how it might be better implemented; Fourth and finally, some questions to get the gears turning.

The Call to Adventure

Arguably the most important aspect of the monomyth - and one that could generate a whole series of posts on it's own - the call is what pulls an individual into the adventure. The call comes to a protagonist while they exist in a state of familiarity and relative comfort and, through enticement or possibly even brute force, compels them to venture beyond it. The sense of contentment a hero may have has now been relocated - often geographically, but the shift might also be emotional, philosophical, mental, otherwise and/or some combination thereof - and must be found. As Campbell writes, "The hero can go forth of his own volition to accomplish the adventure . . . or he may be carried or sent abroad by some benign or malignant agent. The adventure may begin as a mere blunder ... or still again, one may be only casually strolling when some passing phenomenon catches the wandering eye and lures one away from the frequented paths of man."

Examples of The Call

In The Hobbit, Bilbo is swept into his adventure when Gandalf knocks on Bilbo's door and has him host a group of dwarves. Years later, his nephew, the easy-going Frodo, is also told to pack up and hit the road by Gandalf after the One Ring is left in his possession. Both Baggins enjoyed daydreaming about adventure, but were fairly content living in the Shire. Had Gandalf not held such influence over them, they likely would not have pursued their destinies in the larger world.

Sheltered, teen-aged moisture farmer Luke Skywalker stumbles upon a hidden recording in a dusty R2 unit he is cleaning which gets him thinking about the larger galaxy, though his uncle attempts to quickly put an end to the matter. It's not until the little droid takes it upon itself to seek out the intended recipient of the message, however, that he is compelled to act. In fact, the case could be made that Luke, who was simply trying to retrieve some lost property, was railroaded into his adventure.

Harry Potter has probably the easiest, most welcome call to adventure of all. He's stuck in a miserable existence with an Aunt and Uncle who are, at best, negligent - but more often than not, downright abusive, when his call to adventure comes pouring through every opening in the house and eventually, literally bursts through the door in the massive form of Hagrid. If anything, Harry's call comes as a huge relief and a release from what was, to that point, a meaningless, dreadful existence.

The Call as a DM Tool

Since the inception of role playing games, developers and game masters have been thinking of ways to engage - or 'hook' - their players and get them motivated at the prospect of putting their PC's in harm's way. When the PC's are just starting out on the adventuresome path, these hooks usually seem to boil down to three basic motivators: destiny, revenge, and boredom. Once the PC's have an adventure or two under their enchanted belts, simple greed can be added to the list, be it for money, magic, or experience points.

It is a generally accepted belief that any hook or call that relates in some personal way to a PC or group of PC's is better than having them approached by a random stranger in a tavern looking for some hack-happy handyman to rid her garden of dire bunnies. A problem arises, however, when a DM tries to make every problem in the campaign world revolve around the PC's. Before long, every time the heroes came into the town, the populate would either run from them in fear or mob up and lynch them for the calamity their existence was wreaking.

Thus, the challenge for the architect of an adventure or campaign is in finding or creating hooks that are meaningful and provocative to the PC's, while not necessarily revolving around or focusing specifically on them.

Pondering The Call

Campbell mentions that in some instances a hero stumbles across an opportunity or call that has nothing to do with them. How do you think your players would react in that situation?
What if the decision to answer the call was not an easy one to make? If the heroes risked more by undertaking an adventure than by avoiding it, would they still accept the call?
If an antagonist attempted to intercept or block the call from reaching the heroes, what would happen? Is there more than one way the same call could be sent?
What if the heroes received two different calls to action from two opposing influences? How might their choice shape the rest of their adventure/life?
How would adding a time element - an expiration, if you will - to the call affect the PC's perception of it? Would they be more or less likely to react if they knew a window of opportunity was going to close?

DnD: The Monomyth as a DM Tool - Intro

2010-04-08T10:55:00.010-04:00

Newbiedm made a blog post about a book titled The 36 Dramatic Situations by Georges Polti as a source of inspiration for DM's in need of adventure ideas. Looking over this excellent resource got me thinking about another writing resource that might provide some creative direction for DM's - the concept of the monomyth, as described by Joseph Cambell in The Hero with a Thousand Faces.

Basically the monomyth structure begins with the hero - or heroes, as is more appropriate in a RPG context - living a normal life in what they recognize as the ordinary world, when they receive a call to enter the unknown, face trials and challenges, and then return with something they've gained along the way, using it to improve the world they left behind upon their return.

Campbell defined 17 stages of the journey, but it is important to note that not every journey has all 17 steps. In fact, some popular myths are only concerned with one or two of the stages while others deal with them in a different order.

What a DM needs to take from this is that the monomyth is a flexible concept - it can and should be altered as needed, rather than being treated as a rigid framework for creating campaigns and/or adventures.

Here is a short list of the 17 stages that comprise the Hero's Journey:

Departure
- The Call
- Refusing the Call
- Supernatural Aid
- Crossing the Threshold
- Belly of the Whale
Initiation
- Road of Trials
- Meeting the Goddess
- The Temptress
- Atonement w/Father
- Apotheosis
- The Ultimate Boon
Return
- Refusing to Return
- Magic Flight
- Rescue from Without
- Crossing the Threshold
- Master of Two Worlds
- Freedom to Live

Over the next several posts, we will be looking at the three sections in more detail, and how each the 17 stages of the journey might contribute to the creation of a compelling role-playing experience it the scope of an adventure or campaign.

40K: Thoughts on the new BA Codex; Model Inventory

2010-04-05T14:20:00.006-04:00

My History with the Blood Angels

I started playing Warhammer 40,000 some time during high school (1992-1996). Despite using a vanilla Marine army at the time, I was really struck by some of the fluff scattered throughout the three books that came in the 2nd edition box set (Rulebook, Wargear, Codex Imperialis) - particularly that of the Blood Angels.

Upon graduating and heading off to college, I fell out of the hobby - though I kept all my old models at home. Sometime in or around 2000, I picked up the Blood Angels Supplement to the Space Marines Codex that had been released in 1998. I wasn't crazy (pardon the pun) with the new rules for the Red Thirst and Black Rage, as I felt that it sort of tarnished the noble image of the Chapter in my mind - but perhaps that was the point? However, I was still a fan and loved the bright red color scheme that just jumped up in an opponent's face and said "Hey! I'm right here and I'm coming for you!"

When the 2007 'Codex' came out in White Dwarf, I had since shelved the Blood Angels and had been focused on painting and playing Dark Eldar, determined to hone both my army and myself into notable presence at my local game store. I got it, of course, and even printed the whole thing out, but the codex felt incomplete. There really weren't any new models aside from the Baal Predator. Besides, I was having too much fun being the only DE player in the area - even managed a nice little win streak for a while - certainly winning more than I had trying to play the Blood Angels as an inexperienced on-again/off-again wargamer.

So now, still playing DE and trying to get an Ork army painted up, the Blood Angels have a new Codex. I got it the first day it hit the shelves and am in the process of putting the whole thing into a spreadsheet (screw Army Builder and their ridiculous licensing!). Having read it, I can honestly say that, despite a few issues, I missed these crimson-clad, blood-craving maniacs and am now thinking of putting my poor Orks aside to once again fight for the Emperor.

Thoughts on the Codex

There are countless other sites with people more experienced in the game to read about the stats and specific rule changes in the new codex and how they affect the chapter. These quick thoughts (gripes?) are more concerned with fluff and the Blood Angels as a whole:

Hate the cover. Why didn't the use the art on page 4 instead? It's much nicer.

Tycho is dead. Let him go, or at least put him in a Dreadnought. Did Leman Russ show up in the most recent Space Wolves Codex - have their players moved on yet?

Speaking of named Dreadnoughts: Moriar is mentioned in the fluff, but no stats are given this time.

Did they really have to ret-con the history of the Imperium (where BA are concerned) in order to shoehorn in as many references to the new Stormraven as possible? At some point, I think it's okay to say "They developed a new vehicle." The Dark Age of Technology can't realistically last forever - not if the Imperium is going to have any chance at staying alive.

What exactly is the Sanguinor? He's not the Primarch, or the Chapter's Master. He kinda reminds me of Rafen's brother Arkio from the Blood Angel novels by James Swallow - only, y'know, not twisted into a daemonic parody of their Primarch.

Seems like we now have 4 groups of "the most experienced/accomplished/elite" Marines in the chapter: Terminators, Veterans, Honor Guard, and Sanguinary Guard. Gonna run out of superlatives by next edition.

Concerning Successor chapters (all on page 54): The Flesh-Tearers are "divorced" from the rest of Mankind; the Angels Vermillion "shun all contact with the Brother Chapters"; the Angels Sanguine "never remove their helms save in the privacy of their fortress monastery"; the Lamenters "barely survived the repercussions of aligning themselves with the Astral Claws during the Badab War"; and the Knights of Blood have been declared rogue by the High Lords of Terra, being "unwelcome allies at best." How is it that the Imperium hasn't tried to kill them all by now?

The winged Jump Packs will take some getting used to. Also, the Sanguinary Masks are uncomfortably similar to the old Lemartes model and the Angelus Bolters sit a little high for my liking. I bet the next versions of these models will be awesome.

If the Blood Angels are vampires, the Space Wolves are werewolves, and the Necrons are (sort of) mummies . . . does that make the Adeptus Mechanicus Frankenstein's Monster? What about the Fishman? Tau, perhaps.

Current Inventory of BA models

Still in Box (Un-assembled/Unpainted)
1 x Land Raider Crusader
3 x 5-man Assault Marine Combat Squads
1 x Captain (Black Reach)
1 x 10-man Tactical Squad (Black Reach)

Assembled, but Unpainted
1 x 5-man Terminator Squad
1 x Dreadnaught

Assembled & Basecoated
1 x Vindicator
2 x 10-man Tactical Squads

Table-ready (more or less)
1 x 6-man Scout Squad (4 x Sniper Rifles, 1 x HB, 1 x Sgt.)
11 Death Company (Jump Packs) w/Chaplain (Plasma Pistol, Jump Pack)
1 x 5-man Terminator Squad (1 x AC, 1 x Cyclone ML)
1 5-man Combat Squad (Bolters, Helmets painted as Heavy Support)
1 x Furioso Dreadnaught (metal, no base)
1 x Landspeeder (HB)
2 x Landspeeder Tornado (1 x HB, 1 x AC each)
1 x Librarian (Power Weapon, Plasma Pistol)
4 x Honor Guard (2 x Power weapons, 1 x Meltagun, 1 x Chainsword)
1 x Apothecary (Power Weapon)
1 x Razorback (1 x TL Lascannon or HB; old model)
3 x Rhinos (old models)
1 x Predator Annihilator (1 x Autocannon [turret], 2 x Lascannon [sponsons]; old model)
1 x Veteran Sgt. (Power Fist, Plasma Pistol; metal)
1 x Tactical Marine w/Missile Launcher

DnD: Soduku Trap Room

2010-04-01T11:49:00.013-04:00

Dunno if this has been done before, but I'm so desperate to get something up this week, I'm running with it. I'm calling this the Soduku Room because of the way I set up the triggers. If anyone has a better suggestion for a name, I'd be happy to entertain it - I did, however, opt to use a more accurately descriptive name for the stat block below.

Description

The room is 100' square and 10' high. There are no furnishings and the walls, floor and ceiling are all fashioned out of relatively smooth stone. Both the floor and the ceiling have a simple tile pattern applied to them, mirroring each other. Aside from the doorway through which the room is entered - a simple door-sized hole sunk into the wall - the only other feature is another door located on the opposite wall, the same in appearance as the entrance.

Setting off a trap on your girlfriend is not going to win you any brownie points.

Operation & Stats

When the PC's enter the room, certain portions of the floor are pressure sensitive. Once stepped on, a corresponding section of the ceiling somewhere in the room will come crashing down - revealing itself to be a sold block of stone. Once triggered, the column remains where it has fallen, it will not reset while the PC's are in the room.

The white squares w/letters are the triggers, the dark squares are where the corresponding columns fall .

Options and Variations

To enhance this experience, populate the room with monsters who move around a lot, drawing the PC's further into the room and risking harm to their comrades. Skirmishers should work nicely.

Depending on how nice or cruel you are, you might want the monsters to know which tiles will trigger each section and use that against the PC's. The monster(s) could either already be in the room, or come rushing in when they hear the first rock column come crashing down.

Alternatively, you could use hovering and/or insubstantial monsters - Stirges or Ghosts, for example - who would not trigger the traps to draw the PC's attention away from where they are stepping.

Instead of simply having the doors slam shut to lock the PC's in the room until they 'solve' it, consider having the rock columns fall in front of the entrance and/or exit to the room.

Have a series of rooms like this, with the triggers and columns set-up in different locations. You could require that all the columns be safely triggered in one room before allowing the PC's to progress to the next. You might want to set them up in a meaningful pattern - at the same time, you don't want it to be too obvious which tiles are trapped and which are not.

Hide something in one (or all) of the rock columns.

The size of the room and the number of traps in it are easy to change.

DnD: Some Handbook Statistics

2010-03-26T11:16:00.010-04:00

I'm a big fan of xkcd.com and the humorous-yet-informative charts Randall produces. Additionally, I'm thinking of designing something to help people new to roleplaying and D&D figure out what race/class might best suit them, without overwhelming them with 3 handbooks' worth of information. So, having compiled the information from the handbooks on a spreadsheet (or two) and inspired by a webcomic, I present to you a bunch of Excel charts.

Please note, these have all been scaled to 350 px wide, clicking on the images will open up the full size chart. Also, this only incorporates data from the three Player's Handbooks - it does not include any campaign-specific source material (Eberron, Forgotten Realms, Dark Sun).

Some info on the Races of 4th edition

Concerning Classes

And finally . . .

DnD: Player's Handbook 3 Quick Review

2010-03-23T09:36:00.007-04:00

For those who want the bottom line right away, here it is:

If you definitely know you want to play a certain class or race featured in the PHB3 - or perhaps you want to build a character using the hybrid rules - this is the book for you. Those players who simply like having a lot of options may find some use in (some of) the Skill Powers and the additional Feats this book provides, but probably little else. I got the impression that the developers were really struggling at points to make all the new races and classes unique and distinctly separate from those in the previous two PHB's. At this point, it's hard to imagine they'd be able to scrape together a fourth PHB - and I don't think I'd want one if they did.

Okay, now that we've gotten that out of the way, I spent the better part of the weekend digesting the PHB3 and taking notes on what jumped out at me. I will confess up front that I did not read every single one of the class and skill powers in detail. So, without further ado:

As an aspiring artist, it would be remiss of me not to point out the incredibly awesome cover illustration. I was really impressed with the rendering and detail.

Introduction

Not a fan of the introduction, which explains the origin of the Shardmind and a (possible) origin of the Psionic power source. I often find the abundance of nameless, faceless figures doing things "a long long time ago, in a place far far away" to be annoying and sloppy writing - but that may just be me.

Races

Gith - Has a Wizard's Ability Scores, but a (Ranger/Rogue)'s skills and abilities

Minotaur - So glad they included them, even if they're competing with Goliaths as the party's 'heavy'

Shardmind - A better Eladrin, they'll make tough Wizards. Hate their concept and origin. HATE the fact that they are depicted as male and female. If the developers/artists could stick with one non-gendered living construct with the Warforged, why not another?

Wilden - Kind of like them, but choosing a new aspect every day could get confusing. Add Psionic powers and Monk disciplines to that and you've got a real pain of a PC to keep track of. WHY are sentient autonomous plants depicted as having genders and mentioned as having parents? Most plants reproduce asexually. Last comment for the Shardmind applies here, as well.

Racial Paragon Paths

Bloodied Champion (Minotaur) is scary.

Shard Disciples' Irruption of the Gate power seems really strong.

As much as I dislike their flavor, powers like Recrystallize are awesome. Min/maxers are going to love the Shardmind.

Classes

Ardent = Cleric + Paladin?

There does not seem to be any rhyme or reason to the power point progression chart.

Battleminds have a lot of movement and damage resistance powers.

Not a comment on the classes, per se, but let it be known that John Stanko is an awesome artist.

The Monk's Full-discipline rules take a few read-throughs to sink in; even then, it seems complicated. Perhaps if I were able to see it in action, it'd make more sense, but from a strictly text perspective, it's not something I'd encourage an unseasoned player to try.

More confusion: The Monk's unarmed strike is a weapon in the unarmed weapon category; Ki-focus is an implement (along the lines of a holy symbol, if I understand it correctly).

Psion = mind Wizard

A high-level Runepriest will be a force to be reckoned with, by my estimation.

The names of powers seem to be getting a little crazier.

Bloodbound Seeker strikes me as a less damaging, but more fun Ranger.

Cloud of Doom (Lv 20 Death Arrow Paragon Path) could put some serious hurt on a flying creature, due to the fact that it automatically makes it fall out of the sky (landing prone).

Hybrid Rules

Oh, the min/maxers are going to have a field day with this section. I can only imagine what sort of insane concoctions are being created at this very moment.

The rules do seem fairly straightforward - low level hybrids will be pretty powerful for their level; higher level hybrids will be somewhat less effective for their level.

Epic destinies are tacked on to this section. Rather awkward place to stick them.

Skill Powers, Feats and Magic Equipment

Nice alternative(s) to Utility Powers, but some skills have more options than others. I think the devs could only think of so many ways to use History. In some ways, it's a reflection of PHB3 in general - they want to add more options, but there are only so many new ideas they could come up with before the races and classes start overlapping and losing their distinction from one another.

More feat options are always welcome.

There is 1 multi-class feat for each new class (6) and 3 multi-class feats for the Psionic Power Source.

Superior Implements add a couple of interesting new properties, but Accurate (+1 Attack) and Deadly (+1 Damage) seem redundant to the existing magic items/weapons/implements.

Really like the consumable magic items for psions - more for the fact that they are consumable than the abilities they confer. It adds an extra dimension to the experience, I feel.

Appendix & Glossary

About what you'd expect: attempts to explain, in a succinct manner the new and older terms, with an emphasis on effect type keywords.

DnD: Diplomacy Discourse

2010-03-19T12:13:00.000-04:00

First, some quotes:

Diplomat: A person who can tell you to go to hell in such a way that you actually look forward to the trip. - Caskie Stinett, Out of the Red, 1960

Diplomacy is to do and say the nastiest thing in the nicest way. - Bisaac Goldberg

Diplomacy: The business of handling a porcupine without disturbing the quills. - Author Unknown

In my limited experience as a DM, I have come to the conclusion that while most players, particularly those new to Dungeons & Dragons, feel that they have a decent conceptual understanding of the Diplomacy skill, it is rarely applied correctly during the course of a game.

The Concept

When asked to explain what the Diplomacy skill does, I would wager that the vast majority of roleplayers - on both sides of the screen - would offer up something along the lines of "A character's ability to speak in a convincing manner." And that certainly sounds reasonable. In-game, use of the Diplomacy skill in such a manner probably runs something like this:

DM: The guard moves to block you. (determines a DC of 15)
PC: I use my Diplomacy skill to convince him to let us pass - got a 17.
DM: Okay, you convince him to let you in.

How boring! I would like to suggest that both the understanding and the application of the Diplomacy skill in this example are incorrect. Let's take a closer look at what the Player's Handbook says about Diplomacy:

You can influence others with your tact, subtlety, and social grace. Make a Diplomacy check to change opinions, to inspire good will, to haggle with a patron, to demonstrate proper etiquette and decorum, or to negotiate a deal in good faith. - PHB I (4th ed.) pg. 183

Did you catch it? It's easy to miss right there at the beginning. The third word: influence. The Diplomacy skill doesn't determine what your character says or does, Diplomacy determines how others react to what your character has said or done. The higher the roll for Diplomacy, the better the reaction.

But something is missing. Let's apply this new understanding of the skill to our example:

DM: The guard moves to block you. (determines a DC of 15)
PC: I use my Diplomacy skill to convince him to let us pass - got a 17.
DM: Okay . . . (in guard's voice) What do you lot want?
PC: Uh . . . aren't you going to let us pass?
DM: (as guard) Is that why yer starin' at me like a lost puppy?
PC: We want to enter the city.
DM: (as guard) Why didn't you just say so?
PC: So . . . is it okay if we enter the city?
DM: (as guard) Well, under normal circumstances, no - it's past sun down. But . . . seein' as how my shift is over in a coupla minutes and you don't look like trouble-makers . . . sure, what the heck. (OOC) He lets you pass.

A little awkward, but certainly not as boring as before - there was an actual exchange between a player and a NPC!

The player's Diplomacy check exceeded the DC set by the DM, so why wouldn't he just let them into the city? This brings up the second important point about the Diplomacy skill: Diplomacy does not (and should not) automatically perform the actions for the PC. The PCs must still say and do things to which NPC's can react.

Let's try it one more time, with our newly enlightened PC:

DM: The guard won't let you pass. (determines a DC of 15)
PC: (IC) Good evening, sir! We're hoping to find some hot food and soft beds for the night (OOC) I rolled a 17 on Diplomacy.
DM: (as guard) We don't usually allow people through the gates past sun-down. But . . . seein' as how my shift is over in a coupla minutes and you don't look like trouble-makers . . . sure, what the heck. (OOC) He lets you pass.

Short, engaging and, most importantly, the flow of the game was not disrupted.

Let's hope our stereotypical dwarf friend has a good Diplomacy modifier.

It is important to note that Diplomacy, no matter how high a PC might roll, does NOT offer carte blanche for threatening, anti-social behavior. An NPC who gets stabbed is not going to like it, no matter how convincing your argument for doing it might have been. This is where common sense must step in and override that infuriating tendency some people have to play according to the letter of the law, and not the spirit in which it was written. This might also be where a DM needs to back down and possibly get a little creative in allowing an individual or group to be influenced by the Diplomacy roll and not the specific words or actions made by the PC.

Applying Diplomacy

Cataloging the specific instances and uses for the Diplomacy skill would be impossible. However, I believe there to be two broad categories of interaction that I believe situations benefiting from the use of Diplomacy fall under. For lack of better terminology, they are: Manipulation and Avoidance

Manipulation

At its core, manipulation is all about changing, for good or ill, the way an individual or group thinks and acts. This is probably the most common use players have for the Diplomacy skill. PC's might seek to change an NPC's mind in order to: lower a price, provide assistance, allow entry, prohibit behavior, stand up to an oppressor, emancipate the oppressed, draft or abolish a law, offer information, confess guilt - basically anytime the PC's want someone to act a certain way, they will need to manipulate them (via Diplomacy) into the desired behavior.

This category can be further divided by the amount of time the manipulation needs to be accomplished. There are those manipulations, usually removing some sort of obstacle, which need to happen immediately (give me discount, let us in) and those of a more subtle, political nature which occur over the course of time (the neighboring kingdom is ripe for invasion, the humans have overstayed their welcome).

Avoidance

This may seem a little odd at first, especially because Diplomacy requires interaction to work. But the avoidance referenced here is not avoidance of the interaction itself, rather, of the potentially negative consequences of delicate social interactions. Adventuring takes characters from a variety of races and cultures and puts them in awkward situations - some they are prepared for and some that fall well beyond their realm of expertise and zone of comfort.

Where Perception and History and possibly even Insight might help prepare a PC for a social interaction, Diplomacy can be used to fill in the gaps and gloss over what might normally be a serious breach of etiquette or an obvious lack of decorum on the fly. A NPC might find that they just like the PC's smile or can't help liking her despite herself. NPC's who might normally be dismissive or even outraged at an uneducated PC's behavior find themselves simply shrugging it off, eager to preserve or improve the relationship.

One of these guys is using Diplomacy while the other uses Insight.
The horse just wants to take a huge dump.

Conclusion

To summarize, Diplomacy is not an action that PC performs as a substitute for roleplaying. It is their ability to influence how those around them react to the things they do and say. This, of course, requires that your PC's do and say things. For those players who are self-conscious about acting and doing voices (I include myself in this group, though I've gotten a little less uptight about it), having NPC's react based on the Diplomacy roll - and not the manner in which the lines are delivered - can help ease them into the idea of playing 'in-character,' as well as provide the opportunity for some really memorable - and humorous - interactions.

Give this approach a try and let me know what effect it has on your game!

Art: Fantastic Phrenology - Elves

2010-03-16T14:00:00.003-04:00

We have arrived at the last Fantastic Phrenology entry for the foreseeable future. I have reached my limit of boring profile and mug shots. If you look back over past entries, you can probably see a decline in the attention to detail and proportion - which is kind of the opposite of what drawing every day is supposed to do for you, as I understand it.

Dungeons & Dragons (4th ed. Monster Manual I)

Slightly shorter than humans, and of a slighter build, these Elves have almond-shaped eyes that are just slightly proportionately larger and turned up at the outer corners. They share the same high cheekbones and sharp, delicate features possessed by the large majority of elves, regardless of origin. They are one of the few traditionally heroic races with pointed ears, by which they are generally most recognized.

World of Warcraft
Barring the occasional daemonic pact, the elven peoples of Azeroth, despite a pronounced variation in skin tone, are nearly identical in most other respects. Possessing overly large pointed ears which sweep back past the skull, perhaps the most unique feature of the full-blooded Warcraft elf is the ability to grow facial hair. Elongated eyebrows, not unlike the antennae of some great insect, add to their uniqueness among the elven variants.

Warhammer Fantasy Battle (7th ed.)
Of the elves portrayed here - even among all of the races and variants selected for this series, the elves of the Warhammer world are likely those which most closely resemble humans, albeit ones with the tell-tale high cheekbones and sharp, well-defined features. The ever-present pointed ears should come as little surprise, though the fact that they are proportionate the rest of the head might.

Art: Fantastic Phrenology - Ogres

2010-03-12T09:53:00.008-05:00

The term 'ogre' refers to a large, cruel, monstrous and hideous humanoid monster, featured in mythology, folklore and fiction. Ogres are often depicted in fairy tales and folklore as feeding on human beings, and have appeared in many classic works of literature. Of French origin, the term is often applied in a metaphorical sense to disgusting persons who exploit, brutalize or devour their victims and may have originally referred to giants, rather than a separate race.

Dungeons & Dragons (4th ed. Monster Manual I)
Resembling an early ancestor of humans, D&D ogres have sloped foreheads overshadowing beady, deep-set eyes. Wide noses and large maws full of misshapen teeth take up most of the facial region. Ogres are typically depicted as having a deeply recessed hairline and varying amounts of facial hair - though the area around the mouth tends to have little more than stubble. As with nearly every other monstrous race, the ears are pointed. They are also relatively small in relation to the size of the skull, protruding slightly

World of Warcraft
Of the selection of Ogres presented, those inhabiting the world of Azeroth are the most generally animalistic in appearance as well as being possessed of the widest amount of variation within a single species. Specimens have been observed possessing either one or two eyes, one or more horns, hair - even two dissimilar heads! Most, however, appear to have large, semi-pointed ears and tusks in common. Surprisingly, these ogres appear to be capable of learning how to harness and utilize magic.

Warhammer Fantasy Battle (7th ed.)
The ogres of the Warhammer reality appear as oversized humans bearing a distinct resemblance to a certain race of central Asian origin. Facial features, while large, are fairly proportionate to a human's, though noses tend to be flat and wide and the teeth will often protrude at odd angles due to a lack of dental hygine and an insatiable and nearly indiscriminate appetite. Facial hair is common and typically worn in a culturally-derived fashion, as are the locks of hair which can occasionally be spotted.

Note: Instead of scanning these images as a color document, as I had been doing up to this point, I accidentally left the setting on black & white for the final two entries of the Fantastic Phrenology series. Any differences in presentation are likely a result of this goof. Any deficiency in quality, however, is likely a result of my own ability - or lack thereof.

40K: What if current Wounds = base Attacks?

2010-03-10T13:54:00.003-05:00

I was going to post the next installment of the (blessedly soon to be finished) Fantastic Phrenology series (I'm sick of drawing mangled profiles and mug shots), but had an idea strike me as I went about my sinus infected-business today, so I'm gonna toss it up and see if anything sticks.

As I mulled the recent loss of my poor, forsaken Dark Eldar against the new uber-'Nids, and how I couldn't land a wounding Dark Lance shot on it to save my life, the thought occurred to me:

What if the base number of Attacks a model has is equal to it's current number of Wounds?

For most models, this is already the case: Base troops have 1 Wound and 1 Attack. Some Independent Characters and Monstrous Creatures are already this way, as well: My DE Archon (3) and the new Trygon (6, IIRC), for example. You'd still get the bonuses for CCW, charging, Combat Drugs, Wargear, etc.

As a model takes damage, however, it should not be capable of performing in combat as if it were undamaged. Even tanks have status like Immobilized and Weapon Destroyed that indicate it has taken damage and, while not out of the game, is less effective on the table. So why not apply that logic to the rest of the army?

An argument could be made against the complexity of tracking wounds in units of multi-wound creatures, but there are already rules in place for that. Really, unless you're running a MC-heavy 'Nid list, I think such a rule would be a welcome addition to the game and balance things nicely.

What do you more experienced players think: Worth considering or way off base?

Art: Steampunk Walking Contraption Mock-Up

2010-03-08T15:35:00.002-05:00

One more step closer to the abyss: I'm on YouTube now.

This is a mock-up of a steampunk walking contraption I made in Google Sketchup 7 to help work out some perspective issues I was having on a drawing for Nevermet Press.

I exported the video from Sketch up as an .avi file and uploaded it to YouTube. Not really happy with the quality. If anyone knows how to export and upload better looking videos, I'd love to find out how.

Art: Fantastic Phrenology - Trolls

2010-02-23T23:01:00.007-05:00

Of all the commonly appearing fantasy races, trolls seem to be the most varied and divergent - even within their own realities. I endeavored to record the features of the 'basic' troll present in each.

In case you were wondering (and how could you not?) This series of sketches is being recorded in a 3.5" x 5.5" Moleskine Pocket Sketchbook, using a Pilot Better extra fine retractable ballpoint pen (black ink). There are no preliminary sketches or pencil roughs - good or bad, everything is presented as it was put down in a single pass.

Dungeons & Dragons (Monster Manual I, 4th ed.)
The face of a troll is dominated by its long, pointed nose. The mouth is wide and filled with relatively small - albeit sharp - teeth. Proportionately small, the pointed ears sweep back and out, and have a tendency to droop. An unkempt mane of greasy black hair is not uncommon in the species, though it does not appear to grow anywhere else on the body in any significant amount. The spine connects to the skull further back than in the more civilized races - a trait more commonly seen in lower order carnivores. Consequently, the overall posture takes on a slouched appearance, with the head thrust forward.

World of Warcraft
Like the goblins of the Warcraft world, trolls have large ears and long pointed noses. The former being more swept back and the later being thinner and only slightly more in proportion to the face than their smaller Horde-mates. Additionally, their facial structure tends to be longer and generally more narrow, in proportion. However, it would appear that the defining feature among trolls in this reality are the two large tusks that grow down and curve up out of their mouths. Hair may be present on the face and head, and tends to be a warm, bright color of a contrasting nature to that of their cool-hued skin.

Warhamer Fantasy Battle (7th ed.)
Most animalistic of the specimens observed, the Warhammer troll has thick, mottled skin bordering on the verge of being reptilian in nature. Indeed, the regenerative properties of the troll are not unlike those observed among reptiles and amphibians - though that topic extends beyond a casual taxonomic discussion such as this. The mouth is large and filled with oversized, misshapen teeth that jut out. The nose is large and flat with small nostrils, and the ears are little more than ragged scraps of flesh that sweep back and sag downward. The rearward connection of the skull and spine that is present in the D&D troll is even more pronounced in this specimen, exacerbating the hunched appearance.

Art: Fantastic Phrenology - Orcs

2010-02-23T22:56:00.011-05:00

I am noticing an interesting phenomenon as I make these sketches - when I hate the profile, I am usually okay with how the mug shot looks; conversely, when I like the profile, the mug shot tends to be disappointing. I guess that's better than flat out hating both of them, right?

Dungeons & Dragons (4e Monster Manual I)
In comparing the realities, the Orcs of the D&D world appear the most simian in nature. A sloping brow leads down to a flat, upturned snout; which in turn follows a slightly convex upper perioral region to a powerful lower jaw dominated by two tusks. The ears are proportionally small to the head and situated slightly lower than other humanoids. The body is covered in a layer of short but dense hair, usually of a dull gray hue. A subtle brown or greenish tint may be present in the hide.

World of Warcraft
Like their D&D relatives, the Warcraft Orc is defined by his powerful lower jaw and the enlarged canines that protrude from it. The ears are large, pointed, and generally sweep back and slightly out from the skull. The brow and nose are most akin to humans, as are the areas and frequency of hair appearing on the head.

Warhammer Fantasy Battle (7th ed.)
The Warhammer orc has a thick, protruding brow shading beady eyes and an upturned snub nose that crown a disproportionately large upper-perioral region. A powerful lower jaw frames a large mouth in which teeth rapidly grow long and large enough to protrude at random from the lips. The pointed ears are not oversized, but do stick out more so than in the other realities. Warhammer orcs are naturally hairless. It is not unusual, however, to see an orc adorn its head with a pelt, tail or other hair-bearing accessory - usually taken by force from the original owner.

DnD, Art: Shayakand Campaign Map for NMP

2010-02-22T16:40:00.004-05:00

Just completed for Nevermet Press, a campaign map for the upcoming Shayakand setting:

View larger (518 KB)

Hope it's okay to post this . . .

Art: Fantastic Phrenology - Goblins

2010-02-17T20:28:00.013-05:00

Phrenology (noun) - The study of the shape and protuberances of the skull, based on the now discredited belief that they reveal character and mental capacity.

Fantastic Phrenology (noun) - The comparison of the shape and protuberances of a given fictional race appearing across a spectrum of fantasy realities, communicated via a collection of casual observations and rough sketches.

- The Kingworks Creative Blog, 2010

Dungeon & Dragons (4th ed. Monster Manual I)
D&D goblins are the most individually varied, but still maintain a few common traits among their kind: A wide protruding forehead with a thick brow overshadowing the eyes; a small upturned nose; pointed ears swept back at roughly 45° angle from the skull. Small, mishapen teeth that are less sharp than they are broken and poorly cared for. These goblins have the most hair (usually greasy and unkempt) and the widest range of skin tones and texture (often mottled).

World of Warcraft
The goblins of the Warcraft world all appear to have pointed ears that sweep out to the sides of the skull and a long pointed nose, both oversized in relation to the rest of the head. The chin descends to a point and the lips are well defined. These features appear softer and more rounded on the females. Males typically have a shock of hair sprouting towards the back of the skull in a variety of colors - whether the colors are natural or not, this observer could not discern. The skin is almost always green, with males being a few shades darker than females. Of the goblins, the Warcraft goblin appears to have the largest eyes.

Warhammer Fantasy Battle (7th edition)
The face of the Warhammer goblin is dominated by a thick, fleshy nose. It has bhe most well-defined jawline of the goblins and it's ears, while not as large as the Warcraft goblin in proportion to its head, stick out to the side in a similar fashion. While the braincase is the smallest of the three, its teeth are the largest. The eyes are small and deep-set under a thick brow. The Warhammer goblin is always some shade of green and naturally hairless.

40K: Removing Super Glue from Models - Epilogue

2010-02-12T22:14:00.007-05:00

I tried soaking the model in warm water, as suggested on the super glue manufacturer's website. No luck - either the water couldn't get to the bond, or the magnet was just wedged to tightly into the torso that it would not come out.

At this point, I decided to do something drastic:

Since I had not glued the front of the torso on the model, I was able to use a wire-gauge pin vise and drill in behind the magnet - pushing it out.

It turns out that that particular setting was simply wedged in too tight. Even when I went to re-glue the magnet in correctly, I had to use a bit more pressure to get it back into the hole.

I guess the lesson here is to always give yourself at least a tiny bit of wiggle room. It makes things easier to work with. Well, that and rubbing alcohol seems to work for removing super glue bonds between metal and plastic.