The Dragonslayers and the Books of Vile Darkness

The Dragonslayers are currently wandering around the Greater Caverns of Iggwilv's lair (The Lost Caverns of Tsojcanth).

They have been sent to recover the rumored "Golden Treasure of Iggwilv" which of course is Drelzna.  I am of course keeping all the treasure (Demonomicon, the 6 books, Prison and Lanthorn) but I am also throwing in a copy of the Book of Vile Drakness.

I have been using the 3.0 version to expand the monster choices in the dungeon, figuring Iggwilv would have bound some demonic creatures to her lair.  Plus, the original S4 introduced a lot of new demons to the 1st Ed Game and the BoVD added more to the 3rd ed game.

So I picked up the 4th Ed Book of Vile Darkness over the weekend to help buff up what would be in the game world version.

I have to admit, the 4e one does not compare to either the 3.0 version OR the 4e Demonomicon.
The 4e version is fine, don't get me wrong, but it lacks the gravitas the 3.0 version had.

It's not that the 3.0 is more graphic (graphic is not the same thing as useful or good) but it suffers from the basic fact that all the ideas that should be in have already appeared somewhere else.

I'll use the props that came with the 4e version, and I'll expand the 3.0 version to include the 4e (And really converting between the two systems is not that hard).  I'll use the monsters in the lower levels, espcially if I plan to add on the Thaizdun bits.

Plus the Dragonslayers need the book because it has a ritual to summon Tiamat.  They are all god characters, and the ritual requires the sacrifice of a "Rainbow Dragon" which at the moment they think is a Chaotic good faerie dragon.  Have not decided about that one yet.  They are just kids afterall.

Did I get my money's worth for the 4e book?  Yeah, I feel that I did. There are some very neat ideas and some cool things for a 4e game.  Not as much as I would have hoped for though.

Of course if I use the book in 3e, should I turn around and have it reappear in 4e or 5e?  No idea yet.  Let me get done with 3e first.

Oh. And my oldest son wants to go back to Mentzer Basic.  It figures really, I have tried to push Moldvay/Cook Basic D&D on him for so long that naturally he would only be interested in the one box I never really pull out.

Modular D&D? Tell me more Mr. Cook.

Monte Cook has posted a little bit about the latest incarnation of D&D on WotC's site.

http://www.wizards.com/DnD/Article.aspx?x=dnd/4ll/20120116

It seems, so far, that they are going to take a modular approach to the game system.  As a game designer and former computer programmer I find this a very interesting take and I am looking forward to more.

Extrapolating on this I can see the following set up:
D&D5 Basic - A basic box with all the rules you need to play. Basic classes, races and magic.
D&D5 Expert/Advanced - an addition to these rules that take the game into all sorts of directions. Added races, classes, prestige classes and the like.  Think of all the cool things from D&D Expert and the AD&D 1st ed DMG.
D&D5 Tactics - a miniature focused set of rules for players/DMs that want more definition in their combats.  Sure it makes the combats take longer, but that is the trade off.

Then splats similar to the current Heroes of the Feywild or Heroes of Shadow that expand certain "campaign free" areas of the world.

While reading the "lists of demands" in the 5e boards left feeling nothing but despair for the next edition, the official word from the actual designers is leaving me with more optimism.

What I Don't Want

I do not want 5e to be like an older edition or a retro-clone.

I own and have played every edition of D&D ever published.  I have (nearly) every retro- and near- clone there is.

5e can support older editions, it can even emulate some of the features of older games, but it should be be it's own game.

Janurary PDF items from DriveThruRPG

Here are the Janurary PDF items from DriveThruRPG.

Leverage Roleplaying Game [Margaret Weis Productions] cool example of Cortex+ in action
The Complete Book of Denizens (d20/OGL) [Inner Circle] more new monsters for your d20 games
Kashindan Main Rules [Lupus Games]
Random Encounters Remastered [Purple Duck Games] for Pathfinder, but it looks like it would work for any D&D-like game.
Legacy: Basic Edition [Battlefield Press] Play an immortal.  New version of the Legacy game from the 90s.
Mistborn Adventure Game Digital Edition [Crafty Games] based on the novels. From Crafty Games.

To get 20% off the items above just use the code: HotJanuary2012


Enjoy!

One thing I don't Get

Reading the 5e boards.

How can someone say "I am an Old Timer" and "I started with 2nd Ed" in the same breath?

Ghosts of Albion: Print on Demand

Tim Knight over at "I'd Rather Be Killing Monsters" featured Ghosts of Albion on his Fleamarket Friday post.
BTW glad to see you back up Tim!

He pointed out something I have not seen yet.
Ghosts of Albion is also available as a Print on Demand book.

I will pick up a copy and see how it looks.
I'll keep you all posted.

Zatannurday: Special Guests White Witch and Scarlet Witch

It is expected that I would be a big fan of Marvel's Scarlet Witch, but surprisingly  I am not.  I mean after all there is the whole witch thing, but she just never quite grabbed me the same way Z or even Doctor Strange did.  Just an FYI Strange is still one of my favorite Marvel characters.

Though this cosplayer might make me change my mind.

In the Marvel-DC Amalgam Comics Zee and Scarlet Witch are merged into one character Wanda Zatara, The White Witch. She sounds like an interesting character, but I have not read the issues she has been in.  I guess her father was a combination of John Zatara (DC) and Doctor Druid (Marvel).

"Skulk" there is like the Hulk, except think John Constantine getting angry and becoming Solomon Grundy. Frankie Rayner is Jade, Kyle Raynor and Fire all in one.

Since this is an RPG blog, here is a link to her stats for the Marvel SAGA system, http://www.chopshoptoys.com/Games/WhiteWitchsht.jpg

Trouble is, in truth, the things that irritate me about Scarlet Witch will also happen to Zatanna; ie making her too powerful, then not powerful enough, never know what to do with her powers.  I feel that the latest round of authors, starting with Paul Dini, have made Zee better.  Scarlet Witch is just dead in the Ultimate Universe as far as I know.

Any way here are some pics of Zee and Scarlet Witch teaming up.

Edited to add:

Scarlet Witch / Zatanna team up over at the Brave and the Bold/Super Team Family.