Always the First to Die

Great song (ignore the video if MMORPG bother you).   Thanks for the link Mike! (player who died twice in last Sunday's 3rd Session of Gold and Glory campaign).

RPG Blog Roll Additions

http://supergalacticdreadnought.blogspot.com/ recent posts are some really cool OGRE minis

Gold & Glory 2nd session

Ran the second session of Labyrinth Lord (heavily house-ruled (more on that later)) Gold and Glory Campaign.  Went fairly well.  Two players from 1st session came back so it can't be all bads.  I'm not as prepared as I would like (need DM screen, more things in my DM book, etc)  But, at some point you gotta say fsck it and just start playing the darn thing or else your campaign will never get started.  

3rd session set for Sunday 23rd Jan, Feb is still chrono incognita.

One of the campaigns "themes" is clawing your way up from nothing.  Which means characters start out practically destitute.  Besides basic camping gear, backpack, some rope most characters have a dagger.  Martial types get leather armor and a spear.  That's it, no bows, oil, lanterns, no shields, not even money enough to stay more than 1 night at the inn.  This has been a struggle for the players as well as the characters.  They have done fairly well at surviving.  Mostly by running away.  Which means they aren't able to pick up better gear (like a freakin shield) from their foes.  They got a spiked club only because it was impaled on the soon to be dead character.

The point of this post was to say how nice it is to have artists amongst your players.  Pro-tip: Always have a place for character portrait on your charsheets.

Front side of my custom LL Char Sheet

Player map, looks totally bad ass 

Really dig background details for this Blue (hence water I think) Magi, sadly MIA. 

Wizard wearing "Mother's Wig", the only character to survive 2 sessions and thus proud owner of 179xp.

A Scout/Archer type, KIA?

Another Scout Marksmen, KIA? or just down for some R&R?

Hobbit is rockin the bolo tie. Sadly MIA.

Not at all what I had in mind for the sign of the Goat & Wizard Pub.  It's much better.

This Week's Blog Roll Additions

http://fistfulofcoppers.blogspot.com/


http://henchmanabuse.blogspot.com/

http://oldschoolheretic.blogspot.com/

http://leadpeople.blogspot.com/

http://axe-n-hammer.blogspot.com/

http://gorgonmilk.blogspot.com/

More blogs added just now

http://addgrognard.blogspot.com/

http://eternalkeep.blogspot.com/

Added New Blogs to Roll This Week

http://www.risusmonkey.com/

http://stonewerks.wordpress.com/

http://mapandcounters.blogspot.com/

http://swordandshieldrpg.blogspot.com/

http://quicklyquietlycarefully.blogspot.com/

http://the-city-of-iron.blogspot.com/

http://lordgwydion.blogspot.com/

http://docgrognard.blogspot.com/

Gold & Glory Campaign

The Kingdom is prosperous and peaceful.  When King Osric "The Reasonably Just" decreed the wild and dangerous Eastern Frontier open to exploration none abandoned their fat and easy lives to risk almost certain doom.  But when King Osric aka "The Relatively Generous" further decreed that there would be no taxes, tariffs, excises, or royal shares levied on treasure recovered from the Eastern Frontier a few desperate adventurers took notice and headed East.  Those few that didn't come to their senses and turn back found themselves in the newly established Barony of Brink, last outpost of civilization and gateway to the Eastern Frontier.

Tomb robbers, out of work mercenaries, professional scoundrels, holy men looking to save or be saved, seekers of forbidden knowledge, naive farm boys with dreams of glory, assorted ne'er-do-wells, and foreigners from near to far all congregate at the Goat & Wizard Inn.  Drinking the last of their coin, eyeing the competition, chasing up rumors and bar wenches.  Eventually, a motley party of assorted characters gathers round a large table to plan their first foray in search of Gold and Glory.

Are you brave or foolish enough to explore the Eastern Frontier in search of gold and glory?  More to the point are you strong enough to survive its perils and return body, mind, and soul intact?

Adventure beckons, will you answer the call?


Gold & Glory is a retro D&D sandbox/exploration campaign designed for any number of players and for players not being able to make it every session (Western Marches Style). Characters take 10min to create.  Rules are fast, loose and learn as you go. Players need nothing other than paper, pencil, and a desire to have fun.  I host a gameday (almost) every Sunday.  Players certainly do not need to attend every session, come when you can.  And not every gameday will necessarily be G&G.  But, if three or more people want to play, it's game on!

[Finally getting this started.  First New Year's Resolution complete six days in, booh yah! ;)]

Worth Linking To

Don't get to read all the blogs as much as I use to, but these posted I happened upon recently

Good lord I love maps "A Character for Every Game" blog hits it square on the head.

More Geomorphs

Totally linking to this

Also, wouldn't be better served if works such as "Seven Samurai" and "Fellowship of the Ring" were available to all instead of being endlessly merchandised? 

Custom Card Decks

http://godeckyourself.com/

That is all.

New D&D Movie

Did you know that there’s a new D&D movie in the works? It’s called Book of Vile Darkness.  Oh and you totally missed chance to win a walk-on role as the character you created.  But, having to create a "heroic tier" character using the D&D Character Builder tool, currently available through Dungeons & Dragons Insider. With no more than no more than 100 words of flavor.

Uh, huh.  100 words you say?  Guess their going for the one-dimensional, paper thin depth type of characters. Didn't they already make that movie?  [Actually I like the D&D movies.]






As an aside; I once read somewhere on the blogs that their belief of why TSR adventures style changed from open / sand boxy / location based to more linear / story / plot based is because as TSR grew they hired out of work / wannabe fantasy fiction authors.   I bet when WotC took over the ratio of game(as in not RPG) designers went way up.  That could explain a lot of 3.x's balance / mechanics obsession.  I wonder if an influx of programmer/video game designer types influenced 4.x?  Seems much less clear than other two style changes. But, having a character building tool and other stuff made me wonder that.

Monday Morning Trivia Answers

Finally, what I'm sure you've all be anciously awaiting, answers to last Friday's Troll's Trivia Tragedy!





1st Level
What character class has the ability to influence the reactions of others through music, poetry, and stories?

bard

2nd Level
Which of the following is NOT a special ability common to all rangers?

D. Can accurately identify plants and animals. PH page 29

3rd Level
What is the maximun number of missiles permitted by a magic missile spell?

Five. [Surprised me, I thought there was no limit.]

4th Level
What specific advantage do characters gain by parrying?


Nonwarriors gain an AC bonus = to 1/2 their level, Warriors gain a bonus equal to 1/2 their level + 1.

5th Level
Francis casts polymorph other on a lesser basilisk (INT 1) turning it into a chipmunk. What is the chance that the basilisk will take on the mentality of Chippy the chipmunk?



65% (Twenty minus 1 intelligence, minus 6 (level difference) equals 13. Twenty divided by thirteen equals 0.65, or 65%) PH page 100 [Holy complicated crap! How about DM judges circumstances and picks an X between 1-5 and rolls X in 6 chance.]

[bonus question: will Chippy's gaze turn to stone?]
I say yes! But do lesser basilisks even turn to stone?

Happy New Year

May 2011 see many Nubile Virgins sacrificed
to the Toad Gods in your honor.

Why is it so hard to find toad/frog god pics?

btw I didn't know Three Legged Toad God was a "thing", but apparently it is.