Had our first Northlands game group on Saturday. It was fun. We are playing Pathfinder and have a good group. I am looking forward to more. The world we are in is one the GM has made, so there are some familiar names mixed in with some that are not, so I am looking forward to seeing how this all works out.
Speaking of Pathfinder. I went to one of the closing Borders books here in the Chicago area and picked up a new Pathfinder core book for my kids to have. It was 30% off.
Mike Mearls has a new column up on WotC's D&D page called "Legends and Lore" which is designed to talk about D&D and it's past, present and future.
http://www.wizards.com/dnd/Article.aspx?x=dnd/4ll/20110208
Of course, as expected the OSR glitterati have weighed in, most with predictable comments.
http://grognardia.blogspot.com/2011/02/legends-and-lore.html
http://platinumwarlock.blogspot.com/2011/02/in-which-warlock-has-bone-to-pick.html
http://akraticwizardry.blogspot.com/2011/02/mike-mearls-plea-for-unity.html
http://moldyvale.blogspot.com/2011/02/mike-mearls-whines-for-solidarity.html
http://wondrousimaginings.blogspot.com/2011/02/oh-yeah-mearles-then-put-your-money.html
http://batintheattic.blogspot.com/2011/02/wizards-needs-to-take-leadership.html
I am one of those people that sees more similarities in the games than I do differences, so Mearls' post, while written toward me is not actually directed at me if you know what I mean. Nor is it really directed at the OSR (which is frankly too small to be a concern). While most of the reaction is the same knee-jerk stuff I'd expect, there is a point that nearly everyone makes that I think is worth WotC's time to look in to. Bringing back older edition in PDF form. Yes the cynic in me says why should they bother to sell rules to people who already own them, the deeper cynic in me knows that people will buy them anyway (I have) and make money for WotC.
I think a perfect world in WotC's eyes would be that people play what they want, but still buy a DDi subscription.
Gonna be a busy week. Posting might be light.
Monday, February 21, 2011
Saturday, February 19, 2011
Friday, February 18, 2011
Season of the Witch: Episode 6
Episode 6: Deep in the Heart
Fall 2004
San Antonio, Texas.
Willow and Tara encounter a young Native-American woman (Lisa) possessed by the ghost of dead shaman. The ghost, a buu-kha, is stronger than other ghosts they have encountered before. It can effect physical objects and normal people. Magical people and the Iquanni can see it.
The girls attack it, but magic only makes it stronger. They scry for it (more Charmed influences) and finally learn that they can trap it in a “soul jar”.
The Iquanni do not trust the cast and they do not want to help Lisa.
Finally they get a soul jar, Willow and Tara perform the ritual and Bob fights the buu-kha.
They trap the ghost, but the damage to Lisa’s soul was too much and she dies.
NOTES: This was a fast one. This adventure was actually the first one written for the old “Road Stories” season and it does have a different feel than some of the others. DitH was also written by my friend Kirk Baldridge, who is not a gamer but a writer. He has credits in “Slayer’s Handbook”, “Magic Box” and “Ghosts of Albion” as a playtester and was instrumental in “The Dragon and the Phoenix”.
Deep in the Heart is more Willow focused, even if it is less “arc” focused. The Buu-kha is a new creature that later gave me ideas for Oblis in Ghosts. The Iquanni are a made up tribe, so we didn’t have to worry about making mistakes about a real native American tribe and allowed us some freedom.
As per other adventures I stole from a lot of books. This one had some White Wolf new World of Darkness stuff in it, or least the little I could learn from the web at the time. I also used some GURPS (as I had in “Under a Cajun Moon”) but GURPS has no soul and there was very little I could grab there in terms of style. GURPS Horror though was a good read for this.
Lisa does die in the end. Now it is well known I don’t like to kill characters, including NPCs. But this is dangerous stuff and Kirk wanted the players to be reminded that there are innocents out there and they can get hurt. Lisa was in the wrong place at the wrong time.
There are some nice scenes here though. Willow and Tara buy cowboy hats and boots. We did a quick mention about Dark Magic and that was it.
Next Time: Everyone knows what happened in Roswell New Mexico.
Everyone is wrong.
Fall 2004
San Antonio, Texas.
Willow and Tara encounter a young Native-American woman (Lisa) possessed by the ghost of dead shaman. The ghost, a buu-kha, is stronger than other ghosts they have encountered before. It can effect physical objects and normal people. Magical people and the Iquanni can see it.
The girls attack it, but magic only makes it stronger. They scry for it (more Charmed influences) and finally learn that they can trap it in a “soul jar”.
The Iquanni do not trust the cast and they do not want to help Lisa.
Finally they get a soul jar, Willow and Tara perform the ritual and Bob fights the buu-kha.
They trap the ghost, but the damage to Lisa’s soul was too much and she dies.
NOTES: This was a fast one. This adventure was actually the first one written for the old “Road Stories” season and it does have a different feel than some of the others. DitH was also written by my friend Kirk Baldridge, who is not a gamer but a writer. He has credits in “Slayer’s Handbook”, “Magic Box” and “Ghosts of Albion” as a playtester and was instrumental in “The Dragon and the Phoenix”.
Deep in the Heart is more Willow focused, even if it is less “arc” focused. The Buu-kha is a new creature that later gave me ideas for Oblis in Ghosts. The Iquanni are a made up tribe, so we didn’t have to worry about making mistakes about a real native American tribe and allowed us some freedom.
As per other adventures I stole from a lot of books. This one had some White Wolf new World of Darkness stuff in it, or least the little I could learn from the web at the time. I also used some GURPS (as I had in “Under a Cajun Moon”) but GURPS has no soul and there was very little I could grab there in terms of style. GURPS Horror though was a good read for this.
Lisa does die in the end. Now it is well known I don’t like to kill characters, including NPCs. But this is dangerous stuff and Kirk wanted the players to be reminded that there are innocents out there and they can get hurt. Lisa was in the wrong place at the wrong time.
There are some nice scenes here though. Willow and Tara buy cowboy hats and boots. We did a quick mention about Dark Magic and that was it.
Next Time: Everyone knows what happened in Roswell New Mexico.
Everyone is wrong.
Thursday, February 17, 2011
Playing D&D with Kids, Part 3 New Old or Old New?
But I wanted to catch the opinion/pulse of all of you.
What "D&D" should I play?
I kinda want to run old Moldvay/Cook Basic/Expert to be honest. I'd make the characters, and do a old timey dungeon crawl. But truthfully other than my want there is no reason why is has to be B/X.
Should I run it as a newer Retro-Clone (something the kids can go buy)? As D&D 4 (something they could buy and I know is fun for kids)? Or keep it as B/X?
Basic Fantasy is my current favorite retro-clone, but Labyrinth Lord runs a very close second.
Spellcraft and Swordplay is also a huge fave of mine for Original D&D feel, but I think for this I want to go with something in the Basic realm (which is why I am also not opting for OSRIC).
Thoughts?
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
Playing D&D with Kids Follow-up and Question
This is directed specifically to the parents of D&D playing kids.
What do you all think of a classic-style Dungeon Crawl that features a lot of undead, wolves and a big bad vampire to kill at the very end?
What would this be age-appropriate for?
My boys (ages 11 and 7) know all about zombies, vampires and werewolves and they know that if they defeat them then they will get their characters instead.
They are cool with it. Have you ever run these horror tropes with young kids?
What do you all think of a classic-style Dungeon Crawl that features a lot of undead, wolves and a big bad vampire to kill at the very end?
What would this be age-appropriate for?
My boys (ages 11 and 7) know all about zombies, vampires and werewolves and they know that if they defeat them then they will get their characters instead.
They are cool with it. Have you ever run these horror tropes with young kids?
Playing D&D with Kids
There have been a lot of posts in the blogs and on the net about playing D&D with younger kids.
From WotC: http://www.wizards.com/DnD/Article.aspx?x=dnd/4tut/kids2#73004
and this classic article, http://www.wizards.com/dnd/Article.aspx?x=dnd/4news/april2010
Of course there is my kids' group, The DragonSlayers.
Well I am thinking about running some games at Gen Con for kids this year.
I am also thinking of using the Moldvay/Cook versions of Basic and Expert for it as well. Nothing is set in stone yet, I am going to chat about it over the weekend with my regular group. But this might be a chance a debut my long delayed "Return to the Cavern of the Vampire Queen" old school dungeon crawl.
At the moment to make it really old school I need to include more treasure. There is not really enough of that.
From WotC: http://www.wizards.com/DnD/Article.aspx?x=dnd/4tut/kids2#73004
and this classic article, http://www.wizards.com/dnd/Article.aspx?x=dnd/4news/april2010
Of course there is my kids' group, The DragonSlayers.
Well I am thinking about running some games at Gen Con for kids this year.
I am also thinking of using the Moldvay/Cook versions of Basic and Expert for it as well. Nothing is set in stone yet, I am going to chat about it over the weekend with my regular group. But this might be a chance a debut my long delayed "Return to the Cavern of the Vampire Queen" old school dungeon crawl.
At the moment to make it really old school I need to include more treasure. There is not really enough of that.
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
Like Alexander, I weep...
My FLGS is having their next auction in March. It is a great time to go and get some games that you didn't buy when they were new, buy games cheap or even pick up something you have never heard of before.
Last October I went to the auction and got some really awesome deals (see here and here). The trouble is that my successes have been so good of late, both at the auctions and finding books online and at cons, that I have nothing I want to buy anymore.
Zip. Zilch. Nothing.
I have hundreds of books, thousands of PDFs and who know how many printed out play-test documents.
If there is a game out there, chances are I have or didn't want it.
Sure I am missing a lot of Star Wars books, need more Traveler and could always expand my Star Frontiers library a bit. But none of those are "needs" or even "wants" at this point.
So I sit on my mountain of books and weep over lands I can never conquer again.
Or something like that, till the next new thing excites me.
When is D&D 5 due out again? ;)
Last October I went to the auction and got some really awesome deals (see here and here). The trouble is that my successes have been so good of late, both at the auctions and finding books online and at cons, that I have nothing I want to buy anymore.
Zip. Zilch. Nothing.
I have hundreds of books, thousands of PDFs and who know how many printed out play-test documents.
If there is a game out there, chances are I have or didn't want it.
Sure I am missing a lot of Star Wars books, need more Traveler and could always expand my Star Frontiers library a bit. But none of those are "needs" or even "wants" at this point.
So I sit on my mountain of books and weep over lands I can never conquer again.
Or something like that, till the next new thing excites me.
When is D&D 5 due out again? ;)
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