30 Day D&D Challenge, Day 2: Favorite Playable Race

Day 2: Favorite Playable Race

This one is easy, if predictable. I prefer to play humans.  I just always felt that despite all the perk the other races got, humans still got the best deal.  Plus in the days of AD&D humans were the only race that had unlimited advancement.  Also in the AD&D1 days I liked Dual Classes.  I had a number of characters that started out as one thing and then went on to be something else.  I liked the character building implications.

If I were to pick a second favorite it would be half-elf.

30 Day D&D Challenge, Day 1: How You Got Started

Day 1: How You Got Started

I got started in 1979. I was in "silent reading" and a buddy had a copy of the new AD&D Monster Manual.  WOW. IT blew my mind.  I loved mythology and had already read everything in the library on Greek and Roman myths.  Seeing all the same creatures, plus demons, devils and things I never heard of.
After that I looked for the rules, but to no avail.  It wasn't until I got a hold of a badly xeroxed copy of Holmes D&D.  The rest was as they say history.
Around this very same time I discovered the Hobbit, having seen it recently on TV.  I was in the right place at the right time for this to happen.  Like many my "first" D&D was a combination of Basic and Advanced. Still today that is the same experience I look for in D&D. Also recapturing that thrill of first holding that Monster Manual in 5th grade.

Zatannurday: The Fishnets Brigade

It looks like the oft-rumored Zatanna-Black Canary team-up is going to happen.
The news comes from Paul Dini himself.

Here is the link,
http://comicsalliance.com/black-canary-zatanna-graphic-novel-preview-paul-dini-joe-quinones-announcement/

And here is the awesome Joe Quinones cover.  Yup. These are the pre-52 continuity.

Black Canary is another fave of mine so I am really looking forward to this one.   Visit the link above to see more great art.  I am looking forward to the background story of when Zee and Canary were younger.  Plus seeing a pre-dead John Zatarra (and not brought back to life) is also fun.

Dini will do a great job. He is the only guy that loves Zatanna more than me.

Sucks I have to wait till May 2014.

The Quests of the Ancients / Forgotten Realms connection

I just discovered something neat.

A character from this:

Makes an appearance in this:

Raven TenTolliver, the woman on the QoA cover in the dark cloak, is also known as Rhiannon and Whisper.

According to a source I just found she is supposed to look like Victoria Principle.  That's cool I can get behind that.

I'll have to investigate some more!

30 Day D&D Challenge, Part 2

Looks like I am going to be in good company with this.

http://isungr.blogspot.com/2013/08/30-day-d-challenge-upcoming.html (who had the idea first)
http://realmsofchirak.blogspot.com/2013/08/september-30-day-d-challenge.html
http://murkypool.blogspot.com/2013/08/challenge-accepted.html
http://alifefullofadventure.blogspot.com/2013/08/september-d-challenge.html
http://wishfulgaming.blogspot.com/2013/08/d-challenge.html
http://the-disoriented-ranger.blogspot.com/2013/08/alright-lets-do-this-d-30-day-challenge.html


I have a few ideas of things to say already.

30 Day D&D Challenge

Anthony Emmel  over at Polar Bear Dreams and Stranger Things is going to do the 30-Day D&D Challenge.
I have seen this floating around and thought it was a cool idea.  He makes the very good point that September has 30 days, so it's a perfect fit really.

So I am going to do it too!

I am going to talk about ALL versions of D&D.  Not a lot in each post, but enough.

Come on join us!  You know you want too. ;)

Return to the Caves of Chaos

How many gamers cut their teeth on The Caves of Chaos / Keep on the Borderlands?
I have been taking my own kids through this well trod adventure for our current 1st Ed AD&D game.

For this time around I am adding some new ideas.  Stealing from the Return to The Keep on the Borderlands and even some ideas that came up in my "Ash vs. The Keep on the Borderlands" for the Army of Darkness game.  I am going to set up some of clues for the ultimate adventure they will be on (AGDQ+).

Michael Komark, The Caves of Chaos (2005)

In my research I found the following resources and thought I would share.

Some awesome 3D maps. Click for larger.

Map by Weem
http://www.theweem.com/2012/02/caves-of-chaos-reimagined-by-weem/

Caves of Chaos - D&D Next Playtest report
http://cryptthing.blogspot.com/2012/05/caves-of-chaos-d-next-play-report.html

Google Sketch-up Map
http://dungeonsndigressions.blogspot.com/2010/12/playing-with-sketchup-and-caves-of.html

Humanoid Distributions
http://recedingrules.blogspot.com/2010/05/humanoid-combatants-in-caves-of-chaos.html

I am sure there are more.