tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38183078298550443662024-03-14T13:14:45.367+00:00Mrs AdventurerThis blog is about adventure and exitement in a world full of mystery, but first and foremost about roleplaying and all it's different facets.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger25125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3818307829855044366.post-22255861338534531482014-10-01T21:13:00.002+00:002014-10-01T21:19:38.730+00:00Dice Statistics<h4>Why Statistics matter</h4>
<figure style="width: 33%; float: right; padding: 1% 0% 1% 1%">
<a href="https://www.tanum.no/sek-asset/products/9781593720308.jpg?w=960" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://www.tanum.no/sek-asset/products/9781593720308.jpg?w=960" alt="‘Dice: Deception, Fate & Rotten Luck’ by Ricky Jay" style="width: 100%" /></a>
</figure>
<p>Most roleplaying games are played with dice, which job is to generate a random number; these random numbers represent chance, which – without initiating a philosophical discussion – is that part of life we can’t do anything about. These numbers are further modified by our skills in the different tasks are most honoured and revered Dungeon Master / Hackmaster / Game Master – the names of this esteemed individual are many, and all rightfully said with the utmost respect when uttering this magnificent individual’s title and name – sees fit to give us, the players. Now, any Dungeon Master worth his salt would cast the evil eye upon any player trying to make decisions on, say, which weapon to choose, based on the arithmetical data provided in the books, rather than making this decision based on the colourful, vivid description given by his or her highly respectable person. This is where I, a Dungeon Master and Hackmaster, provide you with the exact knowledge you – the player – need to figure out everything you need to know to make just such choices (all the more to your Dungeon Master’s distress).</p>
<p><q>Why would you do such a thing?</q>, you’d might ask. Well, the more you know, the better you can play; the more you understand the mechanics of the game, the better you can have informed discussions with your game’s esteemed leader, when you want to contribute and make the game even better for everyone. And, of course, all such discussions are done <em>during breaks</em> or <em>between sessions</em>. Metagaming is disrespectful to players and Dungeon Master alike, who are trying to create a mood and feel for the story everyone are participating in, and should be avoided at all costs.</p>
<p>For your convenience, at the end of this article, I will provide you with a link to a pdf document showing the formulae and numbers for some normal die pools. The document may be shared freely, as long as it is done so in it’s entirety. Should you quote me, feel free to <a href="https://plus.google.com/u/0/104100708385215842500">let me know</a>.</p>
<h4>Nomenclature and the mechanics of different die rolls</h4>
<p>Let’s get things straight right away. The <a href="http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/die#die-2">correct way to name these polyhedra</a> we love to hate, is <em>one <strong>die</strong></em>, <em>many <strong>dice</strong></em>. If you are interested in learning everything you need and do not need to know about dice, take a look at this excellent document by Kenzer and Company, called <a href="http://www.kenzerco.com/hackmaster/downloads/On_Dice.pdf">On Dice</a>. It discusses nomenclature, dice etiquette, the nature of dice (they are inherently evil, you know), how to choose which dice to purchase, what to do when good dice go bad, how to roll dice, and so on. Take a look at it; it’s a good read.
<p>Shorthand for writing what kind of dice a player should roll, is quite simple: <i>m</i> dice, <q>d</q>, of <i>n</i> sides each, for example 2d6, means that a player should roll two six-sided dice and add the numbers. In many games, however, <b>exploding dice</b> are used. This means you get to keep rerolling the die as long as you get the maximum number, adding all together. In this article, i will denote this dice as <i>m</i>d<i>n</i>x, for example 3d6x. Using the above example, rolling 3, 6 and 5 on these three dice, and getting the series 6, 6, 6, 6, 4 on the mid die (= 28 – you get the full sum) would yield a total of 36. Now <em>that</em> is painful.</p>
<p>In <b>Hackmaster</b>, most die rolls are so-called penetrating dice. These are a special case of exploding dice, and are denoted by adding a <q>p</q> at the end, which means that a player should keep rolling as long as the player gets the die’s maximum, but deduct one for every roll past the first. An example notation would be <q>3d6p</q>; if the player rolls these three six-sided dice, and got the same numbers as above (3, 6 and 5) on these three dice, and got the same series of numbers with the mid die as above (6, 6, 6, 6, 4), he would get the following result:<ul
><li>Die 1: 3. Total: 3</li
><li>Die 2: 6 → penetrating roll, the whole series of rolls being 6, 6, 6, 6, 4) → resulting sum of this die is 6 + (6 − 1) + (6 − 1) + (6 − 1) + (4 − 1) = 6 + 5 + 5 + 5 + 3 = 24.</li
><li>Die 3: 5</li
><li style="font-weight: bold">Result: 32.</li
></ul
>It is perhaps not as painful as with the regular exploding die, but three six-sided dice yielding 32 damage still hurts like hell.</p>
<figure style="width: 33%; float: left; padding: 1% 1% 1% 0%">
<a href="http://litreactor.com/sites/default/files/imagecache/header/images/column/headers/blood-dice.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="http://litreactor.com/sites/default/files/imagecache/header/images/column/headers/blood-dice.jpg" alt="Blood Dice" style="width:100%" /></a>
</figure>
<h4>The different die rolls</h4>
<h5>Regular die rolls, d<i>n</i>,</h5>
<h6>rolls with a regular die, where <i>n</i> is the number of sides of the die</h6>
<p>Everyone probably already know the basic formula for calculating the expected result of a standard die roll. If your die has <i>n</i>, numbered 1 through <i>n</i>, your expected result will be (<i>n</i> + 1) ÷ 2. For a six-sided die (from now on: d6), this yields the following:<br />
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>(<i>n</i> + 1) ÷ 2 =<br />
(6 + 1) ÷ 2 =<br />
7 ÷ 2 = 3½</span>
But, wait a minute? Half of 6 is 3, isn’t it? Yes, of course, but half of a d6 is not the same. Just take a look at the numbers a d6 can yield:
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>1, 2, 3 [halfpoint] 4, 5, 6</span>
As you can see, there are three numbers to the left of half-point, and three numbers to the right. What’s midway between 3 and 4? The number 3½ of course. To find the average for any regular <i>n</i>-sided die, add 1 to <i>n</i> and divide the sum by two.</p>
<h5>Exploding die rolls, d<i>n</i>x,</h5>
<h6>where you get to keep rolling and add the numbers, for as long as you roll the maximum</h6>
<p>Eric T. Dobbs wrote <a href="http://eric22222.wordpress.com/2009/03/22/a-mathematical-analysis-of-exploding-dice/">a great article</a> about these dice a couple of years ago, in which he shows how he came to a formula correctly giving the expected result for an <i>n</i>-sided exploding die. Here’s his conclusion:
<blockquote cite="http://eric22222.wordpress.com/2009/03/22/a-mathematical-analysis-of-exploding-dice/"
><p>For any N-sided die numbered 1 to N with all sides equally likely, the exploding modifier will increase the die’s expected value by a factor of <i>N</i> ÷ (<i>N</i> − 1).</p
></blockquote>
In other words, you get the following formula:
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>((<i>n</i> + 1) ÷ 2) × (<i>n</i> ÷ (<i>n</i> − 1))<br />
<span style="font-size: 50%">(Eric Dobb’s)</span><br />
which may be shortened to<br />
(<i>n</i>² + <i>n</i>) ÷ (2<i>n</i> − 2)<br />
<span style="font-size: 50%">(by me (any mistakes are mine))</span>
</span>
<h5>Penetrating die rolls, d<i>n</i>p,</h5>
<h6>where you get to keep rolling and add the numbers, for as long as you roll the maximum, but deduct 1 on every roll after the first</h6>
<p>Surprisingly, the formula for figuring out the expected value for a penetrating die roll, is incredibly simple. Now, Mr Dobbs didn’t have the time to do it mathematically, so he did some number crunching instead, and ended up with this:</p
><span style="
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>½<i>n</i> + 1
</span>
<p>It’s quite beautiful in it’s simplicity, isn’t it? With this simple formula, anyone can do the math in their heads.</p>
<h6>The special case of the thief’s <i>backstab</i> ability in <i>Hackmaster</i></h6>
<p>In the game <i>Hackmaster</i>, a thief may make a backstab if using a knife or dagger. This allows him to make damage amounting to 2d4p, <em>but his or her dice penetrate on the maximum and second highest number</em>. This surprisingly makes the backstab attack preferable to wielding larger weapons. A thief’s backstab is in fact better than weapons that do d12p damage, and matches weapons that do 2d6p or 2d12p+1 damage. The formula for calculating a thief’s special backstab damage, is as follows, again with courtesy of Mr Dobbs:</p
><span style="
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>(<i>n</i>² + <i>n</i> − 4) ÷ (2<i>n</i> − 4)
</span>
<p>Expected damage with the puny dagger is in fact 8 full points of damage; that’ just average damage…</p>
<h4>How to abu… <em>use</em> this power</h4>
<p><q>Finally you can figure out how to do the most damage, as effectively as possible and with mathematical precision! Are you better off going for the 1d12 og 2d6 damage weapon? Should the Hackmaster thief opt for the simple dagger, or put his wagers on something more stalwart, such as a sword?</q> I hope the formulae provided will be benefitial in your search for the best weapons and tactics. I did the calculations, so any errors are mine. I also did the shortening of ((n + 1) ÷ 2) × ( n ÷ (n − 1)) to (n² + n) ÷ (2n − 2); if anything was wrong in how that was done, the error is mine. And here is the document i promised: <a href="https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B7AObXsbtEV_Sy1fVk5saGk0X0k/edit?hl=no&forcehl=1">Terningstatistikk – Dice Statistics</a></p>
<p class="kommentar">This article simultanously posted on <a href="http://cannedman.blogspot.no/2014/10/terningstatistikk.html">Canned Blog</a>.</p>
<p class="sig">Mr. K.</p>Canned Manhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00842383246494197467noreply@blogger.com2Universitetet i Tromsø, Institutt for historie og religionsvitenskap, Klokkargårdsbakken 40, 9019 Tromsø69.679981000000012 18.97662450000007110.696281000000013 -146.25775049999993 90 -175.78900049999993tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3818307829855044366.post-26738472493571706912014-09-17T21:40:00.001+00:002014-09-19T07:34:36.185+00:00Mediaeval Roleplaying: Your Social Standing<p class="kommentar">For this short post, I’ll mostly quote an email I recently sent to my players. For translations of the Latin bits, simply hover over the text with your mouse pointer.</p>
<!--
ā ā
ē ē
ī ī
ō ō
ū ū
ȳ ȳ
ǣ ǣ
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<figure style="float:right; width:33%">
<img src="http://pineconeattack.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/07/treasure.gif" alt="Skattekiste" style="width:100%"/>
<figcaption>The treasure coveted by all players, but which always is just a bit too far away.</figcaption>
</figure>
<blockquote>
<h4 lang="la" title="To the players and playeresses, greatest and luckiest and deadliest, the master of hacking says much wishing-of-well-being.">Lūsōribus lūstricibusque optimīs fēlīcissimīs lētālissimīs, dominus excarnificandī salūtem plūrimam dicit.</h4>
<p>A fancy greeting is the best way to make sure one will plummet head first and with style, right?</p>
<p>So I found a new interesting chapter in the Game Master’s Guide, and I thought I should share a bit of the information with you. I expect you were just as ill-informed as I was, when first picking up Hackmaster, but after a few sessions, chances are you are all slowly realising that you really are – with a couple of crazy exceptions that look like godesses – run-of-the-mill people with few options to improve your lives, and even less of a chance to succeed should you choose to try; most people, they don’t try.</p>
<p>This is where you stand out: You have decided to try. And even though you still are – as most people – the degenerates of society (or so any nobleman with honour to hold on to would claim), not even worth as much as you are able to pay in taxes (because, let’s face it, your offspring can take care of that), you have started to show that you could – just maybe – be able to cut out a place for yourself in this world. You have reached the peak of your social class, and that’s not something to be trifled with. I quote:</p>
<blockquote cite="Hackmaster Game Master’s Guide, Beta 2, p. 148." title="Hackmaster Game Master’s Guide, Beta 2, p. 148."><h5>The Social Classes are as follows:</h5>
<p>Slaves – They’re slaves. Or indentured servants, which is a nice way of saying the same thing.
Lower Lower Class – the lowest of the low. The dregs of society: drunks, degenerates, hobos, thieves, and escaped or ex-convicts/slaves.</p>
<p>Middle Lower Class – barely scraping by on subsistence level living. Working the worst jobs for the worst pay. Often tied to a noble’s lands. This is the vast majority of people in the Kingdoms of Kalamar: men-at-arms, peasants, latrine diggers, etc.</p>
<p>Upper Lower Class – no lands and barely any property, but free men. Some small amount of pocket money (most player characters fall into this category) as do slightly better thieves and criminals.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Happy hacking!</p>
<p class="sig">Yours in hacking,<br />
Tor-Ivar Krogsæter<br />
<span lang="la" title="master of hacking into small pieces – the hackmaster">dominus excarnificandī</span></p>
<p lang="ko" class="sig">부사범 크록새테르 투르이바르 삼 단</p>
<p lang="la" class="sig" title="Couragous people [men] do not surrender hope">Virī virtūtis spem nōn dēdunt.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>As you might have understood, this is not from our old-time favourite <i>Dungeons & Dragons</i>, but rather from a quite different game, developed by Kenzer & Company, called Hackmaster. I was tipped about this game when asking for tips on better ways to handle injury and healing in the group <a href="https://plus.google.com/u/0/communities/115293460193268073217">Game Master Tips</a> on Google+, and wrote <a href="http://cannedman.blogspot.no/2014/04/hackmaster-ii-endelig-i-gang.html">a lengthy post</a> about this in Norwegian not long after. A series of posts on what the game <i>Hackmaster</i> is is planned, and I hope you will check back for these later.</p>
<p>So what implications does the above have for your game? As a dungeon master / game master / hackmaster / storteller or whatever you might call yourself, it is your job to create a believable world for the players. One important tool at your disposal, is <em>actual lived history</em>. What were the living conditions for most people? What about those slightly wealthier business owners, not to mention those powerful minor and major lords the player characters hopefully will get in contact with? A game like Dungeons & Dragons starts by giving the poorest of players, <i>i.e.</i> the monk starting capital worth more than ⅓<!-- én tredjedel --> what an average unskilled labourer’ yearly wage. Starting out with that kind of ready cash when you are well off with just buying a wine skin and a backpack (the monk is an unarmed fighting specialist, after all, so what else would he need?), means a <abbr title="Dungeons & Dragons">D&D</abbr> character clearly starts off at least as upper lower class, if not higher.</p>
<p>So my tip of the month is fairly simple: Figure out what kind of people your player characters are, and try to describe the world they live in based on this. It will greatly improve their understanding of their place in the world, and –what’s more – will make it far easier for you as the dungeon master to convince your players of the realism of the world you are describing, which in turn will make the fantastic element just that: fantastic.</p>
<p class="sig">Mr. K.</p>Canned Manhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00842383246494197467noreply@blogger.com0Utsikten 30, 9018 Tromsø, Norge69.693440299999992 19.0010856000000157.958813799999994 -22.307508399999989 81.4280668 60.30967960000001tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3818307829855044366.post-52970863219142675292013-12-06T12:58:00.000+00:002013-12-06T12:58:00.053+00:00RPG Shop Spotlight December<h2>RPG Shop Spotlight: December 2013</h2>
<h3>www.WorldWorksGames.com</h3>
<dl id="looks">
<dt>Shop:</dt>
<dd>WorldWorksGames</dd>
<dt>Type:</dt>
<dd>Online store</dd>
<dt>Goods sold:</dt>
<dd>3D tabletop terrain, accessories and models.</dd>
<dt>Store location:</dt>
<dd>Online only</dd>
<dt>International shipping:</dt>
<dd>Yes, also Direct Download</dd>
</dl>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy4fef9unhEmPPUKOzmuVoChfWrAXbiIA9xU14iZB2EXTT6zjl00fxEKDtqgJRB_Fj14n_GbLLPM3jM8gh7Fb4i8QGtM_zvaRrR4fuDKjCXVywZHy9mc_oT9H1laiDnBIn_2p9rYZxBnsB/s1600/Worldworksgameslogo.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy4fef9unhEmPPUKOzmuVoChfWrAXbiIA9xU14iZB2EXTT6zjl00fxEKDtqgJRB_Fj14n_GbLLPM3jM8gh7Fb4i8QGtM_zvaRrR4fuDKjCXVywZHy9mc_oT9H1laiDnBIn_2p9rYZxBnsB/s320/Worldworksgameslogo.png" /></a></div>
<h5>First Impressions:</h5>
<p>
When I first found this page some years ago I was drawn in by how good everything looks. I have seen a lot of 3d models for cut and glue purposes. Theirs are, by far, the best looking ones I have found. The home page show off their most popular items with good and exiting imaging. They have a big area at top where they show off the featured items this week/month. Each product page have good pictures of the models as a whole, in play and as their individual parts.
</p>
<h5>Stock:</h5>
<p>
In their stock they have a wide array of models and terrains. They are easily interchangeable and easy to mod to your own purposes. In addition they sell ready made terrain packages so you don't have to do all the cutting and gluing yourself. One day I want to buy some of those packages. I specially like the Feisty Friar Inn they have. I bought it as a pdf and have been cutting and gluing my heart out so I can use it in the big adventure I have planned for Mr. K.
</p>
<p>
They have models for a wide array of games too. You want something modern? Got it. Something western? Got that too. Want to play among the stars? Check out their Sci-Fi models. More interested in the fantasy worlds? Go right ahead, there is lots to choose from. Horror game you say? Got that too. They even have some that are universal. They also have adventures, game aids and fan kit-bashes. Loads to choose from, so go take a look!
</p>
<h5>Verdict:</h5>
<p>
Thumbs up, arms in the air, doing cheers! I absolutely love Worldworksgames! I have bought many of their direct download tabletop terrains and have made most of them (pr have them in the making).
</p>
<h5>Mr.K Approval?</h5>
<p>
Mr. K is very pleased by the table top terrain and models I have made for decoration/use in games. He also agrees that WWG's models are by far the best looking ones. Thumbs up from MR. K.
</p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3818307829855044366.post-49423969743261767942013-10-22T22:31:00.001+00:002013-10-22T22:31:24.473+00:00*The sound of chirping*<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://tehk.de/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/sorry_cat-300x272.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://tehk.de/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/sorry_cat-300x272.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
I promised a post a little while back, and then I went AWOL. All I have to say is: I'm sorry. Stuff has been happening, life has flown by in a hurry and it's well past midnight... again. Mr. K and me have been up to so much these past weeks that I have barely been able to catch a breath, and It's not over yet.<br />
<br />
The K's are singers on the side and we are a part of a concert this weekend. Which meant that we have visitors. Mr. K's parents to be exact, and there is nothing more terrifying than a visit from the mother-in-law. So Mrs. K have been doing a lot of cleaning. And on top of that, tomorrow is Mr. K's birthday. Phew!<br />
<br />
So: I hereby promise to write and schedule at least 5 blog posts on Monday next week. If I go AWOL again you are hereby given permission to call me on my shit.<br />
<br />
Until next week<br />
Mrs. KUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3818307829855044366.post-88327272368159828872013-10-04T20:18:00.002+00:002013-10-04T20:18:47.662+00:00The long lost adventurer<p>
I have been gone for a while now. Since June I have been doing lots of field work, until the start of September. Then it was straight back the office and my masters.
So the last few weeks I have been very busy with my writing and keeping up with Mr. K, who has taken a short break from his role as the DM of our group.
And such, we have not done any gaming since I was at field work.
</p>
<p>
It has been bothering me lately how little time I really spend on the blog, so I finished some of the many plans I have had and started planning my blogging a bit more.
I have decided to have some weekly and monthly posts to share with you. The following are the ones I have planned, so cross you toes and hold your nose.
<dl id="looks">
<dt>Tool Tip Tuesdays</dt>
<dd>Every Tuesday, barring disaster or illness, I will write about one of the many tools out there for players and Dungeon Masters like.</dd>
<dt>RPG Shop Spotlight</dt>
<dd>The first Friday of the month I will do a little piece on an online store that sell RPG gear and gadgets.</dd>
<dt>Rules and Regulation Fridays</dt>
<dd>Every Friday but the first of the month, I will write a post about a set of rules, how they work and how they can be implemented in the game (if they are not already).</dd>
</dl>
<br />
So there you have it. I will do this Friday's shop spotlight tomorrow since it is getting quite late here and I spent all day doing sensible, boring stuff.
</p>
<p>
You will hear from me again in the near future.
<br />
<br />
Mrs. K
</p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3818307829855044366.post-72549659064312071522013-10-04T19:00:00.000+00:002013-11-06T13:01:05.122+00:00RPG Shop Spotlight November<h2>RPG Shop Spotlight: October 2013</h2>
<h3>www.RPGshop.com</h3>
<dl id="looks">
<dt>Shop:</dt>
<dd>RPG Shop</dd>
<dt>Type:</dt>
<dd>Online store</dd>
<dt>Goods sold:</dt>
<dd>RPG equipment, accessories, games and gadgets.</dd>
<dt>Store location:</dt>
<dd>Milwaukee, WI, USA</dd>
<dt>International shipping:</dt>
<dd>Yes</dd>
</dl>
<h5>First Impressions:</h5>
<p>
When you do a google search for rpg shops, this is the one that pops up first under the address rpglife.com.
The link then leads you to <a href="www.rpgshop.com">this</a> page. At first glance I was a bit sceptical, but the layout grew on me in record speed.
The main page lets you quickly get a view of the range of items they sell and also gives you an idea of what items are on sale now.
</p>
<h5>Stock:</h5>
<p>
The first thing I did, ofcourse, was to look at the Dungeons & Dragons 3.5 section in their menu to check if they had a good selection.
Since the 3.5 edition books are out of print now, I am always happy to see someone that sell them still. Rpgshop.com is one of the few places I have seen the new prints AND some old ones.
They also have some 3rd edition books still. I was also thrilled by the selection of miniatures they had. I found something for almost all my characters and NPCs. Absolutely grand if you ask me.
Another thing they have a good selection of is the Game Mastery stuff that Mr. K loves so much. We have ordered some maps and cards through the local student geek shop, but it is great to find a good webshop where we can order a large variety of items from.
From what I see they have a generally good selection in everything from A to Z of things you would need for you game, that you could find in a games shop.
</p>
<h5>Verdict:</h5>
<p>
Thumbs up! I like this online shop. The next time I have some money set aside for RPG stuff I will most likely spend them here.
</p>
<h5>Mr.K Approval?</h5>
<p>
Absolutely! His exact words were
<blockquote> "They have a good selection, the prices are nice and in addition they have lots of extra stuff, so those with toddlers can buy their little monsters a gift. Nerds are people too, and we have to get the opportunity to give the little nerdlings stuffed animals and such." </blockquote>
</p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3818307829855044366.post-77754428254973544362013-08-03T18:33:00.001+00:002013-08-03T18:33:07.043+00:00PC Archives: File 001 - Mmimas Nasnan.<h4>Basic Information</h4>
<dl id="bi">
<dt>Name</dt>
<dd>Mmimas Nasnan (Mmisomerenkcor-thadarazstri-zaturisve-kyrnivur-lorsvenialisciennith-rolvisient) "Aesthyr yth maurgn onureth ir vaerin vorel sjach thurkear" Liljason</dd>
<dt>Alias/Short Name</dt>
<dd>Mmimas Nasnan or Mmisomerenkcor when in dragon shape.</dd>
<dt>Race</dt>
<dd>"Tarlven"</dd>
<dt>Gender</dt>
<dd>Female</dd>
<dt>Alignment</dt>
<dd>Chaotic Neutral/True Neutral</dd>
<dt>Religion</dt>
<dd>Nature</dd>
<dt>Handedness</dt>
<dd>Right</dd>
<dt>Age</dt>
<dd>122</dd>
<dt>Birthdate</dt>
<dd>16th of Uktar (The Rotting), The year of the Swimming Lass (1160)</dd>
</dl>
<h5>Looks</h5>
<dl id="looks">
<dt>Size</dt>
<dd>Small</dd>
<dt>Height</dt>
<dd>4'3"</dd>
<dt>Weight</dt>
<dd>105 lbs</dd>
<dt>Hair</dt>
<dd>Silver (metallic at the roots) graded evenly to raven black at the ends. Reaches down to her knees. She keeps it in a thick braid down her back most of the time. When in finer company she always dresses it in the most recent fashions.</dd>
<dt>Eyes</dt>
<dd>Black with silver striations and a metallic tint. When she is using magic her eyes shines almost silver, and when she is really angry they go all black with a silver core.</dd>
<dt>Skin</dt>
<dd>Fair with a light tan from days outside. Has a slight metallic tint in moonlight.</dd>
</dl>
<h6>Markers and physical description</h6>
<p>
She has a wingspan of 4 feet and her wings are made for quick movement and manoeuvrability, shaped like those of a hawk of a swallow. The placement of the muscles and her training lets her rotate the wings the same way a hummingbird can, and she can thus hover and stand still in the air. Her wings are also silver tinted with the feathers mostly black black in colour, but with silver colouring the first few inches. Her features are regal and looks elven. She has a straight, slightly snubbed, nose and full lips. She is extremely beautiful. She has a big scar going straight across her stomach. This scar shows as a white line when shape-shifted. The metallic tint in her eyes, hair and skin comes from her silver dragon lineage which has manifested stronger in her than in any of her ancestors since Mmondas' first children (about Mmondas: see lineage).
</p>
<h6>Racial description</h6>
<p>
The Tarlven are like small elves with wings with a wingspan of 3 to 4 feet. They stand about 4'5" to 5' tall and a slender. Their regal stature and the wings make them appear "good" to most normal people. They prefer to live in hard-to-access, high places, like on the top of a mesa og mountain. They are all trained in druidic and ranger-y skills from childhood and have a close connection to nature. (I can no longer find the internet resource that I used to create Mmimas)
</p>
<!-- Fill in more info later.-->
<h6>Clothing</h6>
<p>Whenever Mmimas is in a situation that could warrant wearing armor, she wear her "Charis Tobor". This armor one she made herself and is made of red dragon hide. There are small runes all over in blue, red, green, gold and white. On the shoulders are two skulls that emenates a black smoke when the magic they cast are used. On the chest is the image of a tree. On top of the armor she always wears a black cloak with a gold trim around the bottom edge and a big hood that she always keeps on when in new places and amongst people she doesn't trust. She also wears a head covering to hide the distinct coloration of her hair. Her wings she keeps tucked in and fastened with a special harness to make then as invisible as possible. They make her look wide-shouldered when hidden under the cloak. Around her neck hangs a periapt of Wisdom and a chain with her family crest signet ring, and on her fingers are 4 rings: her wedding ring, her personal crest signet ring, her heirloom dragonclaw ring and a Ring of Protection. On her fore arms are a set of red dragon hide bracers and on her feet are a set of soft-soled shoes that she takes off when walking in the forest.</p>
<p>When she is not wearing armor she is wearing one of many sets of clothing. Her favourite is a blue gown with a silver underdress, both made of soft, finely woven wool. With the gown she wears a blue and silver veil and her Dutchess coronet if she is in noble company. She also has a pair of finely decorated shoes with soft soles and a pair of gloves. When she wears this gown she has her wings out or covered by the cloak. She also has a simpler dress with the same accessories as any commoner would have.</p>
<h4>Background and Personality</h4>
<h6>Lineage</h6>
<p>
The Nasnan family line can be traced back 9 generations to the first Tarlven that set foot on the new homelands. Five generations earlier, Mmondas the fair fell in love with, and had a child with, a silver dragon. Their daughter lived longer and her legacy was the dragon blood and longevity that flows through Mmimas today. The metallic tint in her eyes, hair and skin comes from her silver dragon lineage which has manifested stronger in her than in any of her ancestors since Mmondas' first children. She is expected to live to an age of ca. 2000 years if she dies of old age because of the longevity that comes with the dragon blood combined with her tarlven blood.
</p>
<p>Of her family there are now only a few left. In these lands there are only Mmimas and her brother Ssulian left after the tyrant Ssurg killed all the others. This has caused the two of them to become the last two heirs to the throne of Sølvfjell, the city of Tarlven in the Silver Mountains. Mmimas is married to Henk Liljason, a half orc. They have no children together. She is also engaged to be married to the King of Rocharan'ore. On top of that, she has 3 children. The 2 first, the twins Aurix and Orn, are sired by the gold dragon Lhorgosaliavanimas. The last one was sired by the elven quartermaster on the ship Kystens Sverd (who just happens to also be a duke).</p>
<h6>Attitude</h6>
<p>
She is a fierce friend and even fiercer enemy. She gives no quarters when in combat or if threatened, but show mercy when she feels it is fitting. She strives for true balance so sometimes she finds that an evil is needed to keep the balance and may go the opposite way than you might expect her to. She always hides her wings when in public (in areas where she is not comfortable, or when she wants privacy ... which she does most of the time). She has a harness that she uses to tie her wings to her back that can be loosened within seconds, and she wears a big black cloak with elegant markings on it. She covers her unusually colored hair with a cloth and a hood and only remove it at home, at night and when dressing up. She is of a royal bloodline and was raised at the palace so she was taught proper etiquette and behavior.
When it comes to her family she is loving and caring and spends most of her time, when not in some kind of danger, with them. She falls in love easily, and since she comes from a matriarcial sosciety where it was accepted, and common, to have many spouses, she sees no wrong in this.</p>
<h4><abbr title="Statistics">Stats</abbr></h4>
<u>Level: 18</u><br />
<h5>Ability Scores</h5>
<table width="90%" height="177" border="0" cellspacing="10" id="Abilities">
<tr>
<td width="85"><abbr title="Strength">STR</abbr>:</td>
<td width="85">14 (+2)</td>
<td width="119"> </td>
<td width="127"><abbr title="Hit Points or Health Points">HP</abbr></td>
<td width="139" align="center" valign="middle">172</td>
<td width="139" align="center" valign="middle"> </td>
<td width="139" align="center" valign="middle"><abbr title="Base Attack Bonus">BAB</abbr></td>
<td width="139" align="center" valign="middle">+15/+10/+5</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><abbr title="Dexterity">DEX</abbr>:</td>
<td>19 (+4)</td>
<td> </td>
<td>Vitality / Wounds</td>
<td align="center" valign="middle">172 / 18</td>
<td align="center" valign="middle"> </td>
<td align="center" valign="middle">Bull Rush</td>
<td align="center" valign="middle">-2</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><abbr title="Constitution">CON</abbr>:</td>
<td>18 (+4)</td>
<td> </td>
<td></td>
<td align="center" valign="middle"></td>
<td align="center" valign="middle"></td>
<td align="center" valign="middle">Disarm</td>
<td align="center" valign="middle">+17</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><abbr title="Intelligence">INT</abbr>:</td>
<td>18 (+4)</td>
<td> </td>
<td>Fortitude</td>
<td align="center" valign="middle">+16</td>
<td align="center" valign="middle"></td>
<td align="center" valign="middle">Grapple</td>
<td align="center" valign="middle">+13</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><abbr title="Wisdom">WIS</abbr>:</td>
<td>22 (+6)</td>
<td> </td>
<td>Reflex</td>
<td align="center" valign="middle">+13</td>
<td align="center" valign="middle"></td>
<td align="center" valign="middle">Overrun</td>
<td align="center" valign="middle">-2</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><abbr title="Charisma">CHA</abbr>:</td>
<td>15 (+2)</td>
<td> </td>
<td>Will</td>
<td align="center" valign="middle">+18</td>
<td align="center" valign="middle"></td>
<td align="center" valign="middle">Sunder</td>
<td align="center" valign="middle">+17</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><abbr title="Appearance">APP</abbr>:</td>
<td>16 (+3)</td>
<td> </td>
<td></td>
<td align="center" valign="middle"></td>
<td align="center" valign="middle"></td>
<td align="center" valign="middle">Trip</td>
<td align="center" valign="middle">-2</td>
</tr>
</table>
<h5>Class</h5>
<ul>
<li>Druid: <abbr title="Level">lvl</abbr> 11</li>
<li><abbr title="From the Masters Of The Wild rulebook">Shifter</abbr>: <abbr title="Level">lvl</abbr> 7</li>
</ul>
<h4>Attack Data</h4>
<ul>
<li class="stats">Melee: +18/+13/+8</li>
<li class="stats">Ranged: ++20/+15+10</li>
</ul>
<h5>Weapons:</h5>
<table width="70%" border="0" id="Attacks">
<th width="48%">Weapons</th>
<th width="20%">Att. Bonus</th>
<th width="17%">Damage</th>
<th width="15%">Critical</th>
<tr>
<td>Masterwork Sickle:</td>
<td>+15/+10+5</td>
<td>1d4+2</td>
<td>18-20/x2</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Masterwork Ghost-touch Rapier:</td>
<td>+19/+14/+9</td>
<td>1d4+2</td>
<td>18-20/x2</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Masterwork Mighty Composite Longbow +1:</td>
<td>+21/+16/+11</td>
<td>1d6</td>
<td>20/x3</td>
</tr>
</table>
<h5>Skills </h5>
<table width="85%" border="0">
<tr>
<th>Skill</th>
<th align="center">Bonus</th>
<th> </th>
<th>Skill</th>
<th align="center">Bonus</th>
<th> </th>
<th>Skill</th>
<th align="center">Bonus</th>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Appraise</td>
<td align="center">+4</td>
<td> </td>
<td>Handle Animal</td>
<td align="center">+19</td>
<td> </td>
<td>Profession: Herbalist</td>
<td align="center">+8</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Balance</td>
<td align="center">+6</td>
<td> </td>
<td>Heal</td>
<td align="center">+5</td>
<td> </td>
<td>Ride</td>
<td align="center">+4</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Bluff</td>
<td align="center">+2</td>
<td> </td>
<td>Hide</td>
<td align="center">+4</td>
<td> </td>
<td>Search</td>
<td align="center">+13</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Climb</td>
<td align="center">+6</td>
<td> </td>
<td>Intimidate</td>
<td align="center">+2</td>
<td> </td>
<td>Sense Motive</td>
<td align="center">+5</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Concentrate</td>
<td align="center">+13</td>
<td> </td>
<td>Jump</td>
<td align="center">+4</td>
<td> </td>
<td>Spellcraft</td>
<td align="center">+4</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Craft: Armor</td>
<td align="center">+6</td>
<td> </td>
<td>Knowledge: Arcana</td>
<td align="center">+15</td>
<td> </td>
<td>Spot</td>
<td align="center">+14</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Craft: Weapons</td>
<td align="center">+6</td>
<td> </td>
<td>Knowledge: Nature</td>
<td align="center">+12</td>
<td> </td>
<td>Survival</td>
<td align="center">+16</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Diplomacy</td>
<td align="center">+4</td>
<td> </td>
<td>Knowledge: Nobility</td>
<td align="center">+6</td>
<td> </td>
<td>Swim</td>
<td align="center">+8</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Disguise</td>
<td align="center">+2</td>
<td> </td>
<td>Listen</td>
<td align="center">+14</td>
<td> </td>
<td>Tumble</td>
<td align="center">+10</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Escape Artist</td>
<td align="center">+4</td>
<td> </td>
<td>Move Silently</td>
<td align="center">+8</td>
<td> </td>
<td>Use Rope</td>
<td align="center">+4</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Forgery</td>
<td align="center">+4</td>
<td> </td>
<td><p>Perform: Song</p></td>
<td align="center">+6</td>
<td> </td>
<td>Perform Sexual Techniques</td>
<td align="center">+4</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Gather Information</td>
<td align="center">+2</td>
<td> </td>
<td>Perform: Dance</td>
<td align="center">+8</td>
<td> </td>
<td> </td>
<td align="center"> </td>
</tr>
</table>
<h5>Feats</h5>
<ul class="stats">
<li>Two Weapon Fighting</li>
<li>Craft Magic Arms and Armor</li>
<li>Craft Wondrous Item</li>
<li>Extra Wildshape</li>
<li>Natural Spell</li>
<li>Dragon Craft</li>
<li>Bonus from GM: Pleasing Physique</li>
<li>Bonus from GM: Seductive</li>
</ul>
<h5>Class Features</h5>
<ul class="liste">
<li class="li-ingen">Animal Companion</li>
<li class="li-ingen">Nature Sense</li>
<li class="li-ingen">Wild Empathy</li>
<li class="li-ingen">Woodland Stride</li>
<li class="li-ingen">Trackless Step</li>
<li class="li-ingen">Resist Natures Lure</li>
<li class="li-ingen">Wild Shape 4/day</li>
<li class="li-ingen">Greater Wild Shape 7/day</li>
<ul class="underliste"> <h6>Shape Type</h6>
<li class="li-ingen">Animal</li>
<li class="li-ingen">Beast</li>
<li class="li-ingen">Giant</li>
<li class="li-ingen">Humanoid</li>
<li class="li-ingen">Magical Beast</li>
<li class="li-ingen">Monstrous Humanoid</li>
<li class="li-ingen">Plant</li>
<li class="li-ingen">Vermin</li>
<li class="li-ingen">Aberation</li>
<li class="li-ingen">Ooze</li>
<li class="li-ingen">Dragon</li>
</ul>
<ul class="underliste"> <h6>Shape Size</h6>
<li class="li-ingen">Diminutive</li>
<li class="li-ingen">Tiny</li>
<li class="li-ingen">Small</li>
<li class="li-ingen">Medium</li>
<li class="li-ingen">Large</li>
<li class="li-ingen">Huge</li>
</ul>
<li class="li-ingen">Supernatural Ease</li>
<li class="li-ingen">Venom Immunity</li>
<li class="li-ingen">Infusion</li>
</ul>
<h5>Race Traits</h5>
<ul class="liste">
<li class="li-ingen">Improved Flight</li>
<li class="li-ingen">Track</li>
<li class="li-ingen">Knowledge Arcana +5</li>
<li class="li-ingen">Immune to sleep effects and spells</li>
<li class="li-ingen">Perception +2</li>
<li class="li-ingen">Keen Senses</li>
</ul>
<h5>Spoken Languages</h5>
<ul class="liste">
<li class="li-ingen">Common</li>
<li class="li-ingen">Druidic</li>
<li class="li-ingen">Elven</li>
<li class="li-ingen">Undercommon</li>
<li class="li-ingen">Auran</li>
<li class="li-ingen">Tarlven</li>
<li class="li-ingen">Draconic</li>
<li class="li-ingen">Abyssal</li>
<li class="li-ingen">Sylvan</li>
<li class="li-ingen">Orcish</li>
</ul>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3818307829855044366.post-20424397825154832212013-06-29T17:13:00.001+00:002013-08-04T09:49:57.143+00:00PC Archives: File 0002 - Guðrún Thorsdóttir Birnugætirætt<h4>Basic Information</h4>
<dl id="bi">
<dt>Name</dt>
<dd>
Guðrún Thorsdóttir Birnugætirætt Lithrosshjǫrð Sǫðullfólk
<br />
(Guðrún (her name means "Secret of the gods") – daughter of Thor – of the Birnugætir (bear herder) blood line – of the herd of the coloured horses – of the saddle-people).
</dd>
<dt>Alias/Short Name</dt>
<dd>Guðrún Thorsdóttir</dd>
<dt>Race</dt>
<dd>Human</dd>
<dt>Gender</dt>
<dd>Female</dd>
<dt>Alignment</dt>
<dd>Chaotic Neutral</dd>
<dt>Religion</dt>
<dd>The Norse pantheon with focus on Thor (God of strength and brawling), Sif (wife of Thor and Goddess of war and skill in combat), Uller (God of archery and glory) and Odur (God of travel, new horizons and the sun).</dd>
<dt>Handedness</dt>
<dd>Right</dd>
<dt>Age</dt>
<dd>16</dd>
<dt>Birthdate</dt>
<dd>3rd of Marpenoth (Leaffall), The year of the Daystars (1268)</dd>
</dl>
<h5>Looks</h5>
<dl id="looks">
<dt>Size</dt>
<dd>Medium</dd>
<dt>Height</dt>
<dd>5'2"</dd>
<dt>Weight</dt>
<dd>154 lbs</dd>
<dt>Hair</dt>
<dd>Bright copper/fire red. Reaches her well below her waist. She keeps in 3 braids; one long, thick one down her back and two smaller, shoulder length ones made from the shorter hair around her face. The two front ones are either hanging loose or braided in to the larger one.</dd>
<dt>Eyes</dt>
<dd>A pale blue-green with a golden fleck on her left eye, right next to her pupil.</dd>
<dt>Skin</dt>
<dd>Medium dark tan from hours in the sun.</dd>
</dl>
<h6>Markers and physical description</h6>
<p>
She has a snub nose, full lips and a beautiful face, except for a disfiguring scar on the right side of her face. The scar is 3 lines from the claws of a mountain lion that run parallel from the hairline at her temple to an inch from the corner of her mouth. She is of average height for a human female, but not for the women in her tribe. She is taller than all the women in her tribe, and a lot stronger than most, if not all, of the men. She is lean and muscular. She speaks with a soft, deep voice that becomes gravely and sexy when she snaps into her other personality.
</p>
<h6>Clothing</h6>
<p>She wears an outfit common in her tribe consisting of baggy trousers of soft leather that reaches to her ankles and that can be worn either as a pant-skirt, harem trousers or riding/fighting trousers by tying ribbons to it. She wears boots of leather with soft soles, that reaches her ankles. On top of both boots and trousers she has wrapped long, woven, wool ribbons in brown and red with light green and yellow braid-pattern. The ribbons are wrapped around her legs from under her heal, over her ankles and up to her knees. <br />On her torso she wear a light green linen shirt with wide sleeves and embroidery on the collar, neck opening, shoulders and sleeves. From her wrists to her elbows she has wrapped the same woven ribbons that she has on her feet, but these are a bit thinner and finer woven. On the inside of her left under arm she wears a piece of stiff leather strapped to, and shaped after, her arm to protect her arm when using her bow. On the right hand she wears finger protectors that are made of a decorated bracer that has 6 straps that go from the bracer to her thumb, index and middle fingers where they secures leather finger "hoods". The index finger "hood" has a small protrusion that help hold the bow string. Over the shirt she wears a tunic, without sleeves, of woven, decorated, brown and russet wool that reaches her to the knees. It is split in both sides up to her hips and the front narrows slightly to mid thigh where is goes into a rounded point that reaches to the knees. The back is square to make it useful for sitting on. The tunic is also decorated with coloured ribbons. Over the whole she wears her leather armour. On her back she carries her backpack with her rope and other gear,"Sprang", her bow and "Tåre", her greataxe. On her hip/wais she has a belt with two belt pouches, "Mjolner", her warhammer, and her quiver of arrows. Over her left shoulder hangs her cloak/cape. It is fastened over her left shoulder and under her right arm. The cloak has a "over-flap" that can be used as a hood when she put her cloak over both shoulders and folds the flap over her head. She also has on a pair of soft doeskin gloves.
</p>
<figure>
<a href="http://www.wizards.com/dnd/images/dd_gallery/dd4/Thor_p193.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 10em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://www.wizards.com/dnd/images/dd_gallery/dd4/Thor_p193.jpg" width="240" /></a>
</figure>
<h4>Background and Personality</h4>
<h6>Lineage</h6>
<p>
Birnugætirætt is one of the oldest bloodlines in the Lithrosshjǫrð tribe. The oldes members of the family serves the community on the elder council, and the patriarch serves as one of the Jarl's advisers. The family is also known to produce upstanding members of the tribe and skilful, strong warriors. The Birnugætir bloodline is a part of the Lithrosshjǫrð tribe, one of a handful nomadic tribes on the mild, flat plains and hill areas north of the mountains and in Homnore. They wander from Homnore to the North Western coast and back each year, using the great, open, fertile plains to feed their large herds of horses. Along the way they trade their horses to the local villages as they pass, and on the Great Market once a year. The people of the plains are called the Sǫðullfólk, The Saddle People, or The Horse Tribes and live up to the name. They have the largest herds of horses anywhere on the continent and pride themselves in the quality of the horse flesh they breed. The tribes, or hjǫrð, are named for the horses they breed. Weather they are known for speed, strength or their colour. Since each tribe only has a certain number of families and bloodlines a strict regulation is put on marriage to discourage inbreeding. It is normal to marry outside the tribe, and often the young members of the tribe leave on raids and adventures to bring back spouses, thralls and new horses to bring new blood to the hjǫrð.
<br />
Guðrún's close family is made up of her mother Ranveig, her father Baldrin, her 5 brothers, Stein, Eirik, Geirr, Alg and Raum, and her 3 sisters, Solveig, Embla and Annlaug. The 3 eldest brothers are all married with women from the Lithrosshjǫrð, and so are 2 of her sisters. The third sister and the next to youngest brother were married to young people from other tribes.</p>
<h6>Attitude</h6>
<p>
Guðrún is patient, calm and controlled. She has learned to control the strength she possesses and can therefore take a while to rile if someone tries. She would have been a great beauty if not for the disfiguring scar on her face from the attack of a mountain lion. She values strength and the strongest's right to survival above almost anything else. The only thing stronger is her duty to her family and the strength of her word. If she makes a promise, she will do all in her power to keep her word, and if she can find thralls, riches, spouses and horses for her tribe she will pursue it. She gives no quarter in combat and will not go out of her way to help others unless she can gain something from it. When she gets high, be it on adrenalin during a fight or by imbibing something or other, her personality changes to a lusty, loose, wild, outspoken, brawny woman with short temper and a will to fight and brawn. When she is high she picks fights and run wild in all ways possible. While in the tribe they contained this personality by being careful and teaching her to keep away from substances that would bring it out in her, and they taught her how to control it in battle.
</p>
<h6>Background</h6>
<p>
Guðrún was born the night of a great storm, with thunder and lightning accompanying her birth and first cry. The Volva, the tribe's scryer and priestess, had it declared that she was the daughter of the god Thor and that she was to be called Guðrún, the God's secret, daughter of Thor. As she grew up she grew tall and strong and beautiful, and soon could out brawl any of the boys in the tribe. She was given training as a herd guardian, and when she showed signs of her dual personality she was given training in using that side to add strength and fury to the battle field. When she was 7 she and some of the other children of the tribe were out on the plains practising with the bow when a mountain lion happened upon them and attacked them. 2 of the other children were killed before the lion attacked Guðrún, and nearly succeeded in killing her, maiming her face and diminishing her beauty. She soon dedicated herself to becoming the strongest and most skilful in the tribe, and by her 13th summer she was stronger than all but a couple of members in the tribe. A betrothal was arranged with a suitable man for her from the Hniflungr bloodline, but the young couple could not find common ground to build a solid marriage on, and since her bloodline is so old, the selection of "viable blood" was small. The betrothal was broken and the young Hniflungr male was married to another young woman from a different tribe the next Great Market. When she was 15 and had managed to trade for enough money to buy an armour and equipment at the Great Market, she decided she would leave the tribe to follow the tradition of Blóðferði, to go out into the world to bring the tribe new blood in the form of a husband (or possible husbands and wives for the young members of the tribe), new horses and new thralls. So she left her parents and her siblings the next time they passed a village or town to bring her family honour and riches and new blood. She also has a wish to build a stronghold near the pass to the winter pastures to make it more secure and to give the tribe a safe haven to rest, resupply and trade before heading for the western coast.
</p>
<figure>
<a href="http://greywolf.critter.net/images/ad&d/clipart/quiver-magic.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 10em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="181" src="http://greywolf.critter.net/images/ad&d/clipart/quiver-magic.jpg" width="200" /></a>
</figure>
<h4><abbr title="Statistics">Stats</abbr></h4>
<u>Level: 1</u><br />
<h5>Ability Scores</h5>
<table width="90%" height="177" border="0" cellspacing="10" id="Abilities">
<tr>
<td width="85"><abbr title="Strength">STR</abbr>:</td>
<td width="85">18 (+4)</td>
<td width="119"> </td>
<td width="127"><abbr title="Hit Points or Health Points">HP</abbr></td>
<td width="139" align="center" valign="middle">14</td>
<td width="139" align="center" valign="middle"> </td>
<td width="139" align="center" valign="middle"><abbr title="Base Attack Bonus">BAB</abbr></td>
<td width="139" align="center" valign="middle">+1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><abbr title="Dexterity">DEX</abbr>:</td>
<td>16 (+3)</td>
<td> </td>
<td>Vitality / Wounds</td>
<td align="center" valign="middle">14 / 15</td>
<td align="center" valign="middle"> </td>
<td align="center" valign="middle">Bull Rush</td>
<td align="center" valign="middle"> </td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><abbr title="Constitution">CON</abbr>:</td>
<td>15 (+2)</td>
<td> </td>
<td></td>
<td align="center" valign="middle"></td>
<td align="center" valign="middle"></td>
<td align="center" valign="middle">Disarm</td>
<td align="center" valign="middle"> </td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><abbr title="Intelligence">INT</abbr>:</td>
<td>8 (-1)</td>
<td> </td>
<td>Fortitude</td>
<td align="center" valign="middle">+4</td>
<td align="center" valign="middle"></td>
<td align="center" valign="middle">Grapple</td>
<td align="center" valign="middle">+5</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><abbr title="Wisdom">WIS</abbr>:</td>
<td>13 (+1)</td>
<td> </td>
<td>Reflex</td>
<td align="center" valign="middle">+3</td>
<td align="center" valign="middle"></td>
<td align="center" valign="middle">Overrun</td>
<td align="center" valign="middle"> </td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><abbr title="Charisma">CHA</abbr>:</td>
<td>13 (+1)</td>
<td> </td>
<td>Will</td>
<td align="center" valign="middle">+1</td>
<td align="center" valign="middle"></td>
<td align="center" valign="middle">Sunder</td>
<td align="center" valign="middle"> </td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><abbr title="Appearance">APP</abbr>:</td>
<td>11 (+0)</td>
<td> </td>
<td></td>
<td align="center" valign="middle"></td>
<td align="center" valign="middle"></td>
<td align="center" valign="middle">Trip</td>
<td align="center" valign="middle"> </td>
</tr>
</table>
<h5>Class</h5>
<ul>
<li>Barbarian: <abbr title="Level">lvl</abbr> 1</li>
</ul>
<h4>Attack Data</h4>
<ul>
<li class="stats">Melee: +5</li>
<li class="stats">Ranged: +4</li>
</ul>
<figure>
<a href="http://www.highlandarmoury.com/images/denix%20viking%20axe%20628.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 7em; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="260" src="http://www.highlandarmoury.com/images/denix%20viking%20axe%20628.gif" width="320" /></a>
<figcaption style="font-size: 0.8em;">The basis I'm going to use for the Greataxe. Double the blades and elongated top tip og the blade, but same style. </figcaption>
</figure>
<h5>Weapons:</h5>
<table width="70%" border="0" id="Attacks">
<th width="48%">Weapons</th>
<th width="20%">Att. Bonus</th>
<th width="17%">Damage</th>
<th width="15%">Critical</th>
<tr>
<td>"Mjolner" (Warhammer)</td>
<td>+5</td>
<td>1d8+4</td>
<td>20/x3</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>"Tåre" (Greataxe)</td>
<td>+5</td>
<td>1d12+6</td>
<td>20/x3</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>"Sprang" (Shortbow)</td>
<td>+4</td>
<td>1d6</td>
<td>20/x3</td>
</tr>
</table>
<h5>Skills </h5>
<table width="85%" border="0">
<tr>
<th>Skill</th>
<th align="center">Bonus</th>
<th> </th>
<th>Skill</th>
<th align="center">Bonus</th>
<th> </th>
<th>Skill</th>
<th align="center">Bonus</th>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Appraise</td>
<td align="center">-1</td>
<td> </td>
<td>Heal</td>
<td align="center">+1</td>
<td> </td>
<td>Survival</td>
<td align="center">+3</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Balance</td>
<td align="center">+2</td>
<td> </td>
<td>Hide</td>
<td align="center">+2</td>
<td> </td>
<td>Swim</td>
<td align="center">+2</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Bluff</td>
<td align="center">+1</td>
<td> </td>
<td>Intimidate</td>
<td align="center">+5</td>
<td> </td>
<td>Tumble</td>
<td align="center">+2</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Climb</td>
<td align="center">+3</td>
<td> </td>
<td>Jump</td>
<td align="center">+3</td>
<td> </td>
<td>Use Rope (3 bonus ranks from GM)</td>
<td align="center">+6</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Concentrate</td>
<td align="center">+2</td>
<td> </td>
<td>Listen</td>
<td align="center">+1</td>
<td> </td>
<td> </td>
<td align="center"> </td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Craft: Weaving</td>
<td align="center">+1</td>
<td> </td>
<td>Move Silently</td>
<td align="center">+2</td>
<td> </td>
<td> </td>
<td align="center"> </td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Diplomacy</td>
<td align="center">+1</td>
<td> </td>
<td>Perform: Oratory</td>
<td align="center">+1</td>
<td> </td>
<td> </td>
<td align="center"> </td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Disguise</td>
<td align="center">+1</td>
<td> </td>
<td>Profession: Horse herder/tamer</td>
<td align="center">+2</td>
<td> </td>
<td> </td>
<td align="center"> </td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Escape Artist</td>
<td align="center">+2</td>
<td> </td>
<td>Ride</td>
<td align="center">+5</td>
<td> </td>
<td> </td>
<td align="center"> </td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Forgery</td>
<td align="center">-1</td>
<td> </td>
<td>Search</td>
<td align="center">-1</td>
<td> </td>
<td> </td>
<td align="center"> </td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Gather Information</td>
<td align="center">+1</td>
<td> </td>
<td>Sense Motive</td>
<td align="center">+1</td>
<td> </td>
<td> </td>
<td align="center"> </td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Handle Animal</td>
<td align="center">+5</td>
<td> </td>
<td>Spot</td>
<td align="center">+1</td>
<td> </td>
<td> </td>
<td align="center"> </td>
</tr>
</table>
<h5>Feats</h5>
<ul class="stats">
<li>Mounted Combat</li>
<li>Power Attack</li>
</ul>
<h5>Class Features</h5>
<ul class="liste">
<li class="li-ingen">Fast Movement</li>
<li class="li-ingen">Illiteracy (she can write and read numbers and can do simple math)</li>
<li class="li-ingen">Rage 1/day</li>
</ul>
<h5>Race Traits</h5>
<ul class="liste">
<li class="li-ingen">4 extra skill points at level 1</li>
<li class="li-ingen">1 extra skill point per level</li>
<li class="li-ingen">1 extra feat at level 1</li>
</ul>
<h5>Spoken Languages</h5>
<ul class="liste">
<li class="li-ingen">Common</li>
</ul>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3818307829855044366.post-71495805388882959852013-06-29T13:21:00.002+00:002013-06-29T13:22:21.445+00:00A new adventure, a new characterWelcome back!<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
It has been a while since I have done any serious roleplaying lately and lately we (Mrs. K, Mr. K and Mrs. C) have been discussing a new adventure with new characters. Our main characters are now level 18 and we have been playing them for 7 years, so we thought a new adventure, from level 1, in the same world and time as our other characters would be real fun. So the last 3 days we have been toiling and planning and making characters together. Right now Mr. K and Mrs. C are on Skype discussing some information about a city that my character knows nothing about. So I have been banned to my office with a headset with music. I am therefore using these few moments to tell you about the character creation process involved in making a really, really, detailed and thought through character for a roleplay-heavy D&D 3.5 campaign.<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
<br />
The first thing we decided was what type of characters we wanted to be. We were both a bit bored with our magic-using, do-gooder alter egos and wanted a change, so we both decided we wanted a non-magic-user and that we both wanted to be out and about in the world for "our own" gain. Mrs. C chose after some debate to be a rogue, while I teetered for a while between a fighter and a barbarian. I wanted something in between, but settled on barbarian since I have already played a fighter in a different campaign.<br />
<br />
We had some ideas about how we wanted our characters to be. My first ideas were these:<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>A strong woman from a nomadic tribe that breeds horses.</li>
<li>Has a "survival of the strongest" mentality.</li>
<li>Is out there for her own goals and does not particularly care if she steps on someone to get there.</li>
<li>Has multiple personalities or multiple sides to her personality (after Mr. K heard my ideas we decided that she could have 2 personalities or sides to her personality. I solved it by making her distinct other "side" come out when she is high on adrenaline or other substances such as alcohol or drugs).</li>
<li>Is not the typical barbaric barbarian that is loud, foul and messy. I wanted her to be controlled and skilful.</li>
</ul>
<div>
The next thing I did was to decide the race I wanted. It just happened to end up with a human with both me and Mrs. C, so then I just had to start filling in the character sheet. </div>
<div>
After filling in the class and race info into the character sheet, I sat down and thought about how I wanted my girl to fight. What weapons would fit with the way I envisioned her, and so on...</div>
<div>
After picking equipment, armour and weapons that I was happy with and I calculated how much funds were left (since Mr. K let's us roll for how much money we have to spend and then we spend it buying our gear), I set out to place skill points and feats and to fill in all the needed info. All the while I scribbled down notes on all the ideas I had for her personality, history, origins, religion, looks et c. Whatever the idea, I wrote it down. That way, when I was sitting down to write her description and background, I had a lot of ideas and info sketched out already. And I must say that she is by far my most thought through character yet. Then I started filling in all the needed physical descriptions like age, height, weight, eye colour and hair colour (also any defining marks) and other stuff like religion, alignment et c.<br />
<br />
The last thing I did was sit down and look through my notes and started writing everything into a physical description detailing everything from her nose to her clothing and hairstyle, a personality description detailing quirks and behaviour, and a background information sheet detailing the tribe where she was born, the area they live in, the traditions and customs of the tribe. Also detailing her close family, the members, the role they have in the tribe, the size of their wealth et c. On her personality sheet I also write down her reasons for leaving her tribe to go adventuring.<br />
<br />
Then after all that I sat down with a dictionary of the Norse language and decided on her name.<br />
<br />
If you want to take a look at the finished information I will post in the Character section.<br />
<br />
Mrs. K</div>
</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3818307829855044366.post-62604818650243578152013-06-01T16:24:00.000+00:002013-06-01T16:24:17.654+00:00Ok. It has been a hectic month so you will have to forgive me for not saying hi and letting you in on the going ons. I have been away for a month now, and I am leaving again tomorrow morning at 4 am. The summer has begun here and we (me and 3 other researchers) are leaving for Upper Anarjohka National Park on monday to survey for 3 weeks. After that I am hired to work at a dig in Alta for 7 weeks. I get 2 weeks to recouperate at home in between though. I will let you hear from me then.<br />
<br />
Until the dice again hit the table<br />
Mrs. K, signing out.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3818307829855044366.post-1638345118147956542013-04-06T16:59:00.001+00:002013-04-06T16:59:08.178+00:00Mapping: Hand drawn maps tutorialsI have been working on the map for a world for a time now and have been stumbling across lot of nice tutorials on how to draw the different elements and how to make it look the way I want. So I thought I would share some of them with you.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.fantasticmaps.com/2013/02/quick-tip-isometric-rivers/" target="_blank">Drawing Isometric Rivers</a><br />
<a href="http://www.fantasticmaps.com/2013/03/how-to-design-a-town/" target="_blank">Designing a Town</a><br />
<a href="http://www.fantasticmaps.com/2013/03/how-to-draw-swamps/" target="_blank">Drawing Swamps</a><br />
<a href="http://www.fantasticmaps.com/2013/03/defining-scale-using-mountains/" target="_blank">Defining Scale Using Mountains</a><br />
<a href="http://www.fantasticmaps.com/2013/04/drawing-old-fashioned-coastal-waters/" target="_blank">Drawing coastal Waters</a><br />
<a href="http://www.fantasticmaps.com/2013/01/drawing-realistic-coastlines/#more-1675" target="_blank">Drawing Realistic Coastlines</a><br />
<a href="http://www.fantasticmaps.com/2013/01/converting-a-phone-photo-to-digital-line-art/#more-1578" target="_blank">Converting a Phone Photo to Digital Line Art</a><br />
<a href="http://www.fantasticmaps.com/2012/04/how-to-draw-forests/" target="_blank">How To Draw Forests</a><br />
<a href="http://www.fantasticmaps.com/2012/04/how-to-draw-isometric-cliffs/#more-1372" target="_blank">Drawing Isometric Cliffs</a><br />
<a href="http://www.fantasticmaps.com/2012/03/how-to-draw-cliffs-3-different-styles/#more-1365" target="_blank">3 diffent types of cliffs</a><br />
<a href="http://www.fantasticmaps.com/2012/03/how-to-draw-isometric-hand-drawn-mountains/#more-1357" target="_blank">Isometric Mountains</a><br />
<a href="http://www.ehow.com/video_4979307_draw-original-fantasy-maps-fiction.html" target="_blank">Drawing an original fantasy map</a><br />
<br />
<br />
That's all for now. Keep checking in on this one as I will probably update it now and again.<br />
<br />
Now I'm off for a night of solo gaming with Mr. K<br />
Mrs. KUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3818307829855044366.post-31171098617141515072013-03-09T12:18:00.000+00:002013-07-09T22:52:41.981+00:00Problems with the Economic System in D&D Ⅱ<h4>Introduction</h4>
<p>I previously wrote about issues I found with the Dungeons & Dragons economic system in the post titled <a href="http://mrsadventurer.blogspot.no/2012/02/problems-with-economic-system-in-d.html">“Problems with the Economic System in D&D”</a>, and not surprisingly, I’ve pondered quite a bit on the subject. After writing an article on the Canned Blog, <a href="http://cannedman.blogspot.no/2013/03/d-konvertering-av-prislister-iii.html">“D&D: Konvertering av prislister Ⅲ”</a>, and coming back here to check what I previously had written on the subject, I was a bit surprised to read what I wrote at the end of the article; I quote:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>… to make the economic system work well, two changes have to be done. First of all, there has to be only one system, not two as it is now (one for Joe Commoner and another for the heroes). Secondly, the whole economic system has to be rethought and redesigned from the bottom up. This would cause the sums found by the adventurers to be something completely different, and the rare Gold Crown (the monetary unit in my system which I’ve set to 240 silver pence) would truly get a unique status.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Do I still hold to that idea? I’ll hereby provide a translation on my Canned Blog-post on price lists, and see whether I still agree with my previous thoughts.</p>
<hr />
<p>Edit: I found a few errors; some were minor, some were horrendous. I have corrected these now. My apologies.</p>
<p class="sig">Mr. K.</p>
<a name='more'></a>
<hr />
<h5>Translation of “D&D: Konvertering av prislister Ⅲ”:</h5>
<h4>Presentation of the Problem</h4>
<p>(…) I’ve been pondering a lot about money and economy in the D&D-world, and it is no secret that I find it broken the way it workds. I’ve completed my first attempts in making a change in a positive direction, by introducing my 1–20–240-system, which greatly alleviates the problems. I am, though, still not pleased, and will in the ensuing text try to work my way through what is needed to get the economy to work in a satisfactory way.</p>
<h4>How the D&D-system works</h4>
<div class="kommentarboks" style="width: 33%; float: right; border-left: 0.5em solid #D1D4E0; margin: 1em 0em 1em 1em">
<ul>
<lh style="margin-left: -2em">Previous posts on the subject (external site, Norwegian):</lh>
<li><a href="http://cannedman.blogspot.com/2011/03/d-konvertering-av-prislister.html">D&D: Konvertering av prislister [Ⅰ]</a>, in which I posted the completed price convertion table.</li>
<li><a href="http://cannedman.blogspot.no/2011/03/d-konvertering-av-prislister-ii.html">D&D: Konvertering av prislister Ⅱ</a>, in which I addressed the problem of 4% price aberrancy.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<p>The key to values in D&D is the equation 1 XP = 1 GP. The entire purpose is for the game to parallel the players’ material wealth to the players’ skills. In other words, as long as one has a key paralleling the players’ values to how many experience points they are earning, one can strictly speaking do whatever changes one desires, without it having any negative effect on the game. The question arising, is how to change the values into getting a believable economy. To answer that question, one has to know which economy is actually <em>in</em> the world of Dungeons & Dragons.</p>
<img src="http://faculty.umf.maine.edu/walter.sargent/public.www/web%20230/euro%20medieval%20market.gif" alt="Woodcut of market place by the harbor in the middle ages" title="Woodcut of market place by the harbor in the middle ages" class="bilde_toppvenstre" style="float:left; width: 33%; margin: 1em 1em 1em 0em" />
<h5>Everyday Objects</h5>
<p>PHB 3.5 presents the economy in a way clearly showing misconceptions of how the economic situation actually was. On page 112 (chapter 7: Equipment) the following can be read:</p>
<blockquote title="Player’s Handbook v. 3.5, p. 112, published by Wizards of the Coast, 2004 (2003)">
<p>Adventurers are in the small group of people who regularly buy things with coins. Members of the peasantry trade mostly in goods, bartering for what they need and paying taxes in grain and cheese. Members of the nobility trade mostly in legal rights, such as the rights to a mine, a port, or farmland, or they trade in gold bars, measuring gold by the pound rather than by the coin.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Considering how late in time the game is set, this clearly is wrong. Already early in the high middle ages people were starting leaning towards trading with money, because the manor lords preferred their taxes and fees payed in money, thus allowing them to acquire luxury objects; there is a limit to how much butter or cheese one can eat while being a travelling salesman of luxury goods. I can, however, agree slightly more to them paying in gold bullion (this being a fantasy world); equivalently one would pay with silver marks in mediaeval Europe. Trading in rights is also good thinking, so that is something worthy of keeping. Further, the book states:</p>
<blockquote title="Ibīdem">
<p>The most prevalent coin among commoners is the silver piece (sp). A gold piece is worth 10 silver pieces. A silver piece buys a laborer’s work for a day, a common lamp, or a poor meal of bread, baked turnips, onions, and water.</p>
</blockquote>
<img src="http://www.sailorinsaddle.com/media/images/product/display_1062_ENGLISH_OR_FRENCH_SILVER_AND_EBONY_OFFICERS_SWORD_CA_1780_634005729966408750.jpg" title="Long sword" alt="Long sword" class="bilde_topphoyre" style="float:right; width: 33%; margin: 1em 0em 1em 1em" />
<p>Here one can see them having as a starting point the normal European economy, most likely focused on England (the turnip hinting to this), as it was from the early High Middle Ages. <span class="kommentar">I have a whole bachelor’s thesis addressing the English economy in the early Middle Ages, which can be read by anyone interested by <a href="mailto:the1cannedman@gmail.com">e-mailing me</a>.</span> If one then, <strong>further</strong> inspects the prices, peculiarities start surfacing. Take a normal armour, which you would expect found in these times of peasant armies, which – when considering, is the time in which this game of clockpunk is attempting to take place – costs 10 <abbr title="Gold Pieces">GP</abbr>, i.e. 100 silver pence. In addition, there is the buckler costing 150 pence, and a padded armour at 50 pence. A regular peasant was in other words expected to have armament at hands worth 300 silver pence, which, depending on level of salary, is between four and ten months’ wage. It is to say the least, absurd.</p>
<p>If one takes a look at the fantastic <a href="http://medieval.ucdavis.edu/120D/Money.html">Medieval Price List</a>, a similar armament can be found there, and one can see what it <strong>actually</strong> cost in those days. I quote:</p>
<blockquote cite="http://medieval.ucdavis.edu/120D/Money.html" title="Medieval Price List, 2013-03-02, kl. 13.37">
<table>
<tbody><tr><th>Item</th> <th>Price</th> <th>Date</th> <th>Source</th> <th>Page</th></tr>
<tr><td>Armor in a merchant's house (leather?)</td>
<td>5s</td> <td>1285-1290</td> <td>[3]</td> <td>206</td></tr>
<tr><td>Cheap sword (peasant's)</td>
<td>6d</td> <td>1340s</td> <td>[3]</td> <td>174</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
[3] <span class="boktittel">Standards of Living in the Later Middle Ages</span>, Christopher Dyer, Cambridge University Press, 1989.
</blockquote>
<p>With a leather armour worth 5 shillings (equalling 60 pence) and a sword worth sixpence, the cost has been greatly reduced. By using the same levels of pricing as in PHB, one can imagine a padded armour to cost 2 s 6 d (2 shillings 6 pence), i.e. 2 <abbr title="silver crowns">SC</abbr> 6 <abbr title="silver pence">sp</abbr>. From this follows that a sword should be priced considerably higher. It is in the book set to equal that of the leather armour, 10 <abbr title="Gold Pieces">GP</abbr>, but we can see that it in fact costs a fourth of what a leather armour actually wouldcost. It is tempting to say that when a leather armour costs 5 <abbr title="silver crowns">SC, a padded armour should be half the price (2 <abbr title="Silver Crowns">SC</abbr> 6 <abbr title="silver pence">sp</abbr>) and a buckler should be half that more (7 <abbr title="silver crowns">SC</abbr> 6 <abbr title="silver pence">sp</abbr>), but it seems it can be hard to make price calculations thusly.</p>
<p>More important still, is what we can learn from this small example. The real cost of a leather armour is not as suggested by the book 100 <abbr title="silver pence">sp</abbr>, equalling 8 <abbr title="silver crowns">SC</abbr> 4 sp, but only 5 <abbr title="silver crowns">SC</abbr>, that is three fifths of the price suggested by the book. The armament above (a padded armour + a short sword) costs the peasant in other words just slightly more than two months’ worth of payment – or if he were among the better-waged, three weeks’ worth of pay – to acquire. (The buckler I could not find a price for, but the example still holds.)</p>
<h5>Rich men’s items and magic</h5>
<table class="kommentarboks" style="width: 33%; float: right; border-left: 0.5em solid #D1D4E0; margin: 1em 0em 1em 1em; white-space: nowrap; font-family:courier,mono-space" border="1">
<tbody><tr><td>Splint armour:</td> <td style="text-align: right">200 gp</td> <td style="text-align: right"> 8 GC </td></tr>
<tr><td>Steel shield, heavy:</td> <td style="text-align: right"> 20 gp</td> <td style="text-align: right"> 16 SC</td></tr>
<tr><td>Lance, heavy, masterwork:</td> <td style="text-align: right">310 gp</td> <td style="text-align: right">12 GC 8 SC</td></tr>
<tr><td>Crossbow, light:</td> <td style="text-align: right"> 35 gp</td> <td style="text-align: right"> 1 GC 8 SC</td></tr>
<tr><th>Sum:</th> <th style="text-align: right">565 gp</th> <th style="text-align: right">22 GC 12 SC</th></tr>
</tbody></table>
<p>It is quite clear as seen from the book that magic is believed to belong to a completely different class of people than those going to the market after church Sunday, even if one already by acquiring masterwork equipment is moving into a different, heavier class economically (a masterwork weapon costs 12 <abbr title="gold crowns">GC</abbr> / 300 <abbr title="gold pieces">GP</abbr> extra; an armour half that. A complete armour for a knight costs around £16 (“Total Armor owned by a knight; £16 6s 8d; 1374», ibīdem p. 76), and in <abbr title="Dungeon Master’s Guide v. 3.5">DMG</abbr> p. 120 we find a level 1 paladin to have splint armour, a heavy steel shield, a masterwork close combat weapon and a regular ranged weapon (e.g. heavy lance and crossbow); in <abbr title="Dungeons & Dragons">D&D</abbr>-prices this amounts to 565 <abbr title="gold pieces">GP</abbr> or 23 <abbr title="gold crowns">GK</abbr> 10 <abbr title="silver crowns">SC</abbr> 10 <abbr title="silver pence">sp</abbr>.) Seven pounds is in fact not so bad considering what prices these were using, and especially not when considering how incredibly expensive it is to get something made as a masterwork item.</p>
<p>When on the other hand moving on to magic items, it becomes obvious that this is in a completely different league from ordinary people. A simple +1-improvement on a sword costs 2000 <abbr title="gold pieces">gp</abbr> or 80 <abbr title="gold crowns">GK</abbr>; that’s quite heavy. And we are talking about something you are expected to carry on level six. (Remember that a gold crown equals one pound (£1).) How can this be solved?</p>
<h4>Preliminary Conclusion</h4>
<p class="nyseksjon">It appears the prices of Dungeons & Dragons increase neither as a linear graph, nor as an exponential curve; quite the contrary, it seems as if there are at least two economies working alongside one another. Can this be defended in any way? I would postulate that it should and could be defended, but that an adjustment is required to make it work better. A possible solution is making magical items byable only with gold; silver is simply not a good enough payment for any mage to be interested in selling for it. With the updated treasure list I made my self – where gold pence are given out at 96%+ up to and including level 6, and gold crowns are given at 94%+ at level 7, 76%+ at 12<sup>th</sup>–14<sup>th</sup> level, and at 20<sup>th</sup> level at 66%+ – gold is kept away from the players early in the game. If comparing this list to the price conversion table previously referred, and one takes a look at the cost of having magic cast, one sees one can change the price to caster level × price in <strong>gold pence</strong> in stead of silver crowns, and based on the rise in cost one gets, one could demand gold crowns from spells of level 3 and up.</p>
<img src="http://www.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/gallery/anglosaxon/images/CM.RI.1863-R(2).jpg" alt="Prototype: gold solidus of Emperor Magnus Maximus (383-88), London. CM.RI.1863-R." title="Prototype: gold solidus of Emperor Magnus Maximus (383-88), London. CM.RI.1863-R." class="bilde_topphoyre" style="float:right; width: 33%; margin: 1em 0em 1em 1em">
<p>In this way, one can have a mutual interaction between the economic system and the two economies in action in the fantastic world. My suggestion is as follows:</p>
<ol class="li-romertall">
<lh>Every day objects</lh>
<ol class="li-bokstav">
<li>Any object with no special costs attached to it, such as a masterwork cost addition, and which can be expected to be bought at a market, is paid for with silver pence and if desired silver crowns, but the silver pence will be predominant.</li>
<li>The price lists should reflect this. This can easily be achieved by having an extra column giving an object a property value of 1, 2 or 3 (everyday-, expensive or magical object), and a function identifying this value and shows the price in the desired format.</li>
</ol>
<lh>Expensive objects</lh>
<ol class="li-bokstav">
<li>Any regular item not easily traded, such as masterwork equipment, gems, houses, ships, horses, cattle and so on, should have their values set in silver crowns and silver pence, or for very expensive items, in silver marks.</li>
<li>These items should in a table as stated above be set to category 2.</li>
</ol>
<lh>Magical objects</lh>
<ol class="li-bokstav">
<li>Any item with magical properties should require the magic component to be paid in gold.</li>
<ul>
<li>A +1 longsword costs 2315 <abbr title="gold pieces">GP</abbr>; the magic bonus is 2000 of this. In the silver pence system this price should be stated as e.g. 80 GC 252 SC 6 sp, but <strong>not</strong> as e.g. 80 GC <strong>252 gp</strong> 6 sp or 92 GC 148 sp. To be able to buy this, it should be required for the magical component to be paid in gold, either as 80 gold crowns or as 1600 gold pence.</li>
<li>When ordering magic to be cast by a local mage, the prices for this should be stated as for example a product of spellcaster level × price in gold pence.
</li></ul>
</ol>
</ol>
<p>I have for a long time wondered whether I should leave the prices as they are. It is very tempting to divide them by 10, that is to make 1 <abbr title="experience point">XP</abbr> equal 1 <abbr title="silver pence">sp</abbr> instead of equalling a <abbr title="Dungeons & Dragons gold piece">D&D GP</abbr>. The advantage of this is more easily approaching a realistic price for items. The disadvantage is losing the simple conversion rules one can use as of now. As an example, the cost for making magic items in the regular system is <sup class="brk">1</sup>⁄<sub class="brk">25</sub> experience points of what it costs in gold, while in the prevailing system (that is: the silver penny system I’ve discussed), the experience point cost is equal to the gold crown cost. An item costing 1000 <abbr title="gold pieces">GP</abbr> to make, costs 40 <abbr title="experience points">XP</abbr> in addition; in my system the same item costs40 <abbr title="gold crowns">GC</abbr> (there are in other words 4 gold crowns per 100 gold pieces), and the experience point cost is the same number, 40 <abbr title="experience points">XP</abbr>. Am I willing to relinquish this simplicity for more realism and a world where gold is even more special?</p>
<p class="sig">Mr. K.</p>Canned Manhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00842383246494197467noreply@blogger.com0Utsikten 30, 9018 Tromsø, Norge69.693440299999992 19.0010856000000157.958860799999989 -22.307508399999989 81.428019799999987 60.30967960000001tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3818307829855044366.post-68261962743251805742013-01-22T02:07:00.000+00:002013-01-22T02:20:34.301+00:00The NPC Archives: File 0001 - Gilder the Post Coachman<h2 style="text-align: center;">
Gilder the Post Coachman</h2>
Name: Gilder<br />
Age: 45-55 years of age<br />
World: Rocharan'nore<br />
Location: Fellstad<br />
Occupation: Driver of the Post Carriage between Fellstad and Thorva.<br />
<br />
Description: His hair was brown but is now beginning to grow thin and go white. His beard and moustache are red in colour. He has strong, rough hands with lots of hair (imagine a lumberjack or something). The hands tell the tale of many years of carriage driving. So does his muscles and general build.<br />
He is a skilful and careful driver and an easy companion. He likes to chat and joke when travelling with companions but does not manage to keep up well in a fight.<br />
<br />
History: Gilder was first encountered 14th of Eleint (9th month of the Forgotten realms calendar), the year of the Snarling Dragon (1279). He had offered a seat for the slightly pregnant Mmimas Nasnan from Fellstad to Thorva when she went off to train with her master druid. He was damaged on the trip by the acid from the fangs of the giant serpent "Nwrevi". The serpent met his end by the edge of Mmimas' sword and the bite of her panther companion "Pus", and Gilder survived the ordeal and delivered them safely to Thorva 2 days later.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3818307829855044366.post-44931579889092249732013-01-17T18:19:00.004+00:002013-01-17T18:19:47.523+00:00Just an update:Hello again.<br />
<div>
I am just popping in to tell you that I am still here and I am working on some posts now that I am back home and have access to all my roleplaying items.</div>
<div>
The soon-to-be-finished posts that will be posted in the near future are:</div>
<div>
The very first character profile; Mmimas Nasnan Liljason.</div>
<div>
A couple of NPC descriptions</div>
<div>
My world map and an article about making/drawing a good/realistic map.</div>
<div>
A short word about home made terrains with links to some good sources.</div>
<div>
"The Maiden"</div>
<div>
A couple of break down articles of customising and describing your character.<br />
A short run through of movement and movement rules in D&D 3.5<br />
Sizes and weights<br />
<br />
I will be working slowly but surely through all my many, many notes and papers to make new posts about the fantastic world Mr K have made for us.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
As for more articles... Any requests?<br />
<br />
Mrs K.</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3818307829855044366.post-11648135553294229892012-12-27T12:12:00.001+00:002013-01-22T02:22:03.388+00:00Keeping count in RPG: The importance of keeping score.Hello again. This time I will talk about keeping scores. What ever kind of scores you have to keep, grudges, money, items, favours, expenses, etc., it is important to do it as you go.<br />
<br />
The best tool for keeping scores are a pencil and a notebook. I like to make a new page for each type of thing to keep score of. This is something I learned after playing with Mmimas Nasnan (my druid) for a few years. I have, right now, about 8 or 9 years worth of notes on her, most of which is not sorted (from the early days), so now and then I come across some loot that we have found and later forgotten. This is especially true with potions and scrolls. So now I have a notebook that have a page for each type of item/loot/score-keeping-worthy-happening and write down the scores as we go.<br />
<br />
On really busy nights when I don't feel like flipping through the pages to write down things (or the DM is telling everything we found quickly, or I have forgotten the notebook somewhere) I write everything down on a single piece of paper, making notes for references, values, who got the item etc., behind every item. Then, later when I have a moment to myself, I take out the notebook and transfer the notes to the correct pages.<br />
<br />
You can also do this on a computer, using a spreadsheet or something similar. I have actually been working on a document that I can share with Mrs. C, whom plays Cordelia Bukkenback, so she too can have easy access to the records and can add to them as she pleases. For this I am actually using OpenOffice Base to make a database that I can later search, edit and display at my leasure. I will, when i finish it, share it with you here.<br />
<br />
Mrs. K<br />
<br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3818307829855044366.post-67878947386679569792012-12-16T15:02:00.002+00:002013-03-09T13:13:39.789+00:00How to Start Dungeon Mastering<h4>Introduction</h4>
<p>So, you’ve got your group of friends gathered, you’ve got the books, dice and paraphernalia gathered, and you’re set to start playing, but someone’s got to master the game, and you’ve been given the honour of having the group entitling you Dungeon Master. Congratulations! Now what do you do?</p>
<p style="font-size: 0.85em;">Comment: For sake of ease, I will throughout this article use the term dungeon master, as I’m a Dungeons & Dragons-player and have been for years. Read this synonymously with all other titles used, such as game master, storyteller, rolemaster et cetera.</p>
<h4>The Planning Step</h4>
<p>The more experienced you are, the less planning you’ll probably feel the need to do. When running your first adventure, it is always a good idea to start by deciding what your setting is going to be. Do you want your players to play an urban, rural or wilderness adventure? Should it be focused on the roleplaying bit, or should they explore the lands (over and/or below ground); should they be investigators or mercenaries; is the world high or low tech and high or low magic; do the characters know each other, some of each other or none of each other? All these are important questions you need to find the answer to. Let’s start by exploring them one by one:</p>
<a name='more'></a>
<h5>Urban, Rural or Wilderness</h5>
<img alt="Mediaeval town by ~Hetman80" src="http://fc03.deviantart.net/fs71/i/2011/025/3/1/medieval_town_by_hetman80-d37zunh.jpg" style="float: right; margin: 0.5em 0em 0.5em 0.5em; padding: 0.5em; width: 50%;" title="Mediaeval town by ~Hetman80" />
<p>In my experience, it is easiest to start playing by creating a small village in which the players have arrived (for their own reasons); this holds both if one is inexperienced as a Dungeon Master and also if much or all of the group are new players. It is easier for them to keep track of everything when there aren’t so many things to keep track of, and it is also nice to have a small place to come back to when need be. How rural or urban you choose this place to be, is entirely up to you, but if it is highly urbanised, there should clearly be a good reason for this, as this during the middle ages was more the exception than the rule.</p>
<p>There are several ways to go about to create a village. You can just wing it, note down the more important places and their keepers, such as a tavern, a couple of pubs, a tailor and mercer (seller or textiles), a smith or two, a scabbardmaker, a couple of butchers, a barber, a maidservant, a jeweller, a masoner, a church or small temple and so on. Remember that any village that got the status of being a borough, would have a market, and most towns would as well. A borough would usually see the beginnings of what in the late middle ages would be strong, thick city walls, and would often be more highly militarised; these are important aspects to consider as well.</p>
<p>After having considered the main functions of the town and its population, take some time to consider how the town is placed in the terrain, the main layout of it (a road would most commonly go straight through it, and the town should have easy access to clean water, so a river is most likely nearby, if not running through it), and even more important for the players: who the main non-player characters (NPCs) are. These are the ones the players are going to interact with during their sessions, so figure out what their functions are, professions, gender (if female and running a business: highly likely to be a widow) and race (both colour-wise and fantasy-race-wise). Jot down some quick reference information about them as well, such as whether theyre married (if thirty plus (for a human) and unmarried, are there any particular reasons for this?) (in mediaeval Europe, if living with someone in a marriage-like facility, the church would consider the couple married even if they had not had any formal marriage—confer Michael Sheehans collected articles (Sheehan CSB, Michael M. & Farge, James K. (ed.) & Rosenthal, Joel T.:
<span style="font-style: italic;">Marriage, Family, and Law in Medieval Europe: Collected Studies.</span> University of Toronto Press, Toronto, Buffalo, 1996.) for more on this subject), have children, are of good health, <strong>what their name is</strong> and perhaps their associates. If they specialise in any particular items, note these down. Well-planned <abbr title="non-player characters">NPCs</abbr> are easier for you as the DM to play, and for the players to relate to. Also, if the you find the players connecting to them, the <abbr title="non-player characters">NPCs</abbr> can be more easily (ab)used by you later, to get the players interested in what’s going on.</p>
<p>If you can read Norwegian (or trust Google Translate), I highly recommend reading my posts on my village Fellstad’s demography, split into three large posts. <a href="http://cannedman.blogspot.com/2012/03/d-fellstad.html">The first one</a> concerns itself with which PC- and NPC-classes the town has, who controls it, their basic thoughts of law and order on how much ready cash they have; <a href="http://cannedman.blogspot.com/2012/03/d-fellstads-demografi-ii.html">the second post</a> deals with which professions the ordinary citizens have; and in <a href="http://cannedman.blogspot.no/2012/03/d-fellstads-demografi-iii.html">the third and final one</a>, I deal with how much land it covers (and requires), its livestock, agriculture, as well as peoples’ names. In all these posts I make an attempt at explaining the method used.</p>
<h5>Roleplaying or Exploration?</h5>
<p>The DM provides the adventure, and it’s <strong>his</strong> responsibility to guide the players through the evening so all can have fun. (This does not mean the players don’t have a responsibility as well, but without the DM, how would the adventure fare?) I, myself, am a keen fan of good roleplaying, and try to liven up my <abbr title="non-player characters">NPCs</abbr> (this includes intelligent monsters) by acting out a bit. But this is not what this question is concerned with. What you need to decide, is whether you’re going to run an adventure based on killing monsters, exploration and investigation or pure role playing. Let’s take a look at these three options one at a time.</p>
<h6>Pure Monster-Bashing</h6>
<img alt="Fra EW.com, 19 Games We Can’t Wait to Play: 19 – Hunted: The Demon’s Forge" src="http://img2-3.timeinc.net/ew/dynamic/imgs/110425/Games/Hunted-Demons-Forge_610.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0.5em 0.5em 0.5em 0em; padding: 0.5em; width: 40%;" title="Fra EW.com, 19 Games We Can’t Wait to Play: 19 – Hunted: The Demon’s Forge" />
<p>Some players just <em>love</em> this. In this the purpose of interaction with the friendly <abbr title="non-player characters">NPCs</abbr> are purely to find out where problems are, so the players can get out there and start the killing. A monster equals treasure and experience points, and this is what drives your players to return to the game table.</p>
<p>When running this sort of campaign, read the chapters on combat very thoroughly, making sure you have a good understanding of how combat works. Have good systems at hand for counting rounds, roll monster initiatives ahead of combat so everything’s ready when combat starts, and it might also be a good idea to make some notes on monster tactics during combat, as well as how they respond to being outnumbered, being outnumbering, being low on health and such. Make sure you differentiate intelligent, half-intelligent and non-intelligent monsters; there are important differences in how a band of kobolds, a pack of wolves and a swarm of spiders respond to the players breaching their territory.</p>
<p>Awarding XP and treasure is simple: just follow the guidelines in your books, and it should all be noted there. In Dungeons & Dragons, 1 experience point equals 1 gold piece, and by following the random generation tables as well as awarding <abbr title="experience points">XP</abbr> according to the monsters challenge rating, takes care of this by it self. Be adviced though, that if running a low- or no-treasure setting (such as fighting undeads or vermin), you should place some extra treasure here and there to balance it out. Players high on <abbr title="experience points">XP</abbr> and low on cash are going to have a hard time surviving.</p>
<h6>Pure Roleplaying</h6>
<img alt="Roleplaying. Antoine de Saint-Exupery: «It is in the compelling zest of high adventure and of victory, and in creative action, that man finds his supreme joys.»" src="http://cdn2.planetminecraft.com/files/resource_media/screenshot/1235/roleplaying01_3441600.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0.5em 0.5em 0.5em 0em; padding: 0.5em; width: 40%;" title="Roleplaying. Antoine de Saint-Exupery: «It is in the compelling zest of high adventure and of victory, and in creative action, that man finds his supreme joys.»" />
<p>In these kinds of campaigns, what drives the adventures, is the players discovering how information is connected, how the non-player characters change over time and painting the canvas of the story to create the picture of your tale. More important than anything else, is both encouraging the players to act their part, as well as you, the <abbr title="Dungeon Master">DM</abbr> to believably give life to the different persons they meet.</p>
<p>Many recommend drawing flow charts to see how pieces of information is connected. Also, the drawing of them might lead you as the dungeon master to realise new ways for the villains to scheme against the players, so give it a go. Good notes are of high importance here; these safeguard you from mixing things up. However, if you do (all dungeon masters do from time to time), the players don’t need to know that it was an error on your behalf: Just work it into the adventure; maybe a character lied to them to mislead them, or had been threatened to do so, or maybe the character just didn’t remember correctly. This gives the players a reason to return to him or her, and it gives you, the leader of the group, a chance to willingly lead your players astray, and maybe give them a go at monster-whacking for a change of pace.</p>
<p>When awarding players, you should try and use both story-advancement experience points, as well as experience points based on overcoming challenges, such as extracting information from an opponent. To use an example from Dungeons & Dragons: Say the level three party needed the vital clue of information from a fifth level aristocrat. He sends them on a boring errand (which could be a short adventure in and of itself). When they finally retreat, he’s still a hard nut to crack. After some good roleplaying, some nice rolls of the dice, perhaps scoring a beautiful 25 on diplomacy, and then further encouraging him to comply by having the bard charm him, the aristocrat finally gives in and tells the players what they need. Even though no-one was killed, it was a challenge overcome, and it should be awarded thusly. The four level three characters defeated a challenge rating five opponent and are according to the experience points tables awarded 450 experience points (a total of 1800 <abbr title="experience points">XP</abbr>.</p>
<p>The Dungeon Master should keep the above information <span lang="la" style="font-style: italic;">ad notam</span>, and make sure he has extra treasure worth 1800 gold pieces spread around.</p>
<h6>A Bit of Both: Exploration</h6>
<img alt="Eventyrere, Tim Divar 2006" src="http://carpegm.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/Dungeons_and_Dragons_Party_by_warp_zero.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0.5em 0.5em 0.5em 0em; padding: 0.5em; width: 40%;" title="Eventyrere, Tim Divar 2006" />
<p>This is the kind of game I play, in which a combination of both the pure roleplaying as well as the evenings of pure monster bashing is sought. The main challenge in this type of campaign is to find the correct balance in awarding the players.</p>
<p>My approach is splitting the adventure into two or three main parts and set an amount of <abbr title="experience points">XP</abbr> that the adventure is worth. I’ll cite my own blogpost, <a href="http://cannedman.blogspot.no/2012/10/d-rollespill-xp-hvordan-og-hvorfor.html">D&D: Rollespill-XP – hvordan og hvorfor (D&D: Role Playing XP—How and Why)</a> to explain my thoughts on this:</p>
<blockquote cite="http://cannedman.blogspot.no/2012/10/d-rollespill-xp-hvordan-og-hvorfor.html" style="border-left: 0.75em solid #ffeddd; border-right: 0.375em solid #ffeddd; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 0.9em; padding-left: 0.75em; padding-right: 0.375em;" title="Story XP, quoted from the Canned Man’s blog">
<p>(… ) [Story-XP] can be smart to give when wanting to award the players for making progress in the adventure. Now, I’m not thinking of “Tonight you were able to smash your way half way through the cavern, so here are 1,000 <abbr title="experience points">XP</abbr> for you.” I’m rather thinking of the situations in which the players finally are able to collect all the loose ends and figure out where to launch their attack. An important step has then been taken in finding the answers to their questions and thus progress in the adventure; at that point it could be appropriate to award them for this.</p>
<p>I suggest keeping this to roughly 10% of what the average level of the group needs
in <abbr title="experience points">XP</abbr> to advance to the next level, and to divide this amongst the players (a group with an average level of 5 (which requires 15,000 <abbr title="experience points">XP</abbr> to advance to the next), may then receive 1,500 <abbr title="experience points">XP</abbr>; if the group is made up of four players, thats 375 XP extra for each of them.)</p>
Perhaps best of all, is to take this amount of XP (in this case 1500), and split it to key points in the story. When they have gathered the necessary loose ends to figure out how to solve the situation, give one third of the <abbr title="experience points">XP</abbr> (&#0133), and when they have succeeded in solving the entire problem (&#0133) [that is: finished the entire adventure], the players receive the remaining experience points.</p>
</blockquote>
<h5>High or Low Tech/Magic</h5>
<img alt="High Magic Settings: Baby dragons used as cheap labour in human ovens" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgho1eCd6bOBO3F_kRVrzZexarYIZsarDHqacVirrzx1Fn3pxszweAj4eO3xlxNIsTHhyS3DaI84rBBDaGNxhTio-cDylsIl-W6-jCBIIqjZ5GxRFPX3LzGw7TflG12E3N-Qa7L-qyarIZP/s1600/HighMagic.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0.5em 0.5em 0.5em 0em; padding: 0.5em; width: 40%;" title="High Magic Settings: Baby dragons used as cheap labour in human ovens" />
<p>Eberron is a good example of a world fusing magic and science into a clock-punk setting. Forgotten Realms focused more on magic, and was clearly a high magic setting. Others again, prefer playing a setting where both technology is at a low stage, and magic is hard to come by.</p>
<p>When choosing how technologically advanced your world is, other aspects need to come to mind as well. Historically, the setting people are used to playing in, is actually more of a renaissance world than a high mediaeval ages world. There’s nothing wrong with this, but it helps in the believability of the setting that the dungeon master doesn’t mix up too many periods of time. The level of mundane technology also reflects how economically strong the civilised lands are, as this tends to go hand in hand: a technologically advanced people has a higher need for markets and coinage, as more people are not making their food themselves. Also, technology is usually used either as labour saving devices, or as tools for enforcing power. The wind mills are an interesting example of this (for more on this, read Holt, Richard: <span style="font-style: italic;">The Mills of Medieval England</span>, Basil Blackwell Ltd., Oxford, 1988): one would think their purpose was to save labour for other things, but their main role might just as well have been to secure the peasants’ dependency on their master.</p>
<p>When magic is concerned, this could change many factors of society. Is magic easily available? Is low-level magic cheap enough for normal people to invest in it, such as buying a torch embedded with <span style="font-style: italic;">everlasting flame</span>? Or is magic something only the wealthiest have access to? If so, do they use this to show their power, buy doing things for the people? Having gates automatically blocking evil people from entering, or people of the wrong faith from entering (perhaps unless paying a toll) could help protect the people, encourage trade and at the same time show to the people that they should love their benevolent leader and master. Perhaps when going to pubs, shields are permanently cast to prevent mind reading, or one could find signs stating “No spellcasting” or “Spellcasters not allowed”.</p>
<h4>Starting the Game and Getting the Characters together</h4>
<img alt="Mark Meer as the Dungeon Master" src="http://www.gigcity.ca/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/DungeonMaster.jpg" style="float: right; margin: 0.5em 0em 0.5em 0.5em; padding: 0.5em; width: 50%;" title="Mark Meer as the Dungeon Master" />
<p>What I’ve talked about thus far, might seem daunting. My main goal was to get you, the budding dungeon master, some thoughts and ideas, and to cover the most important topics you need to consider before starting your game. The most important thing is to <em>think it through thoroughly</em>; this gets you far.</p>
<p>So now you’re supposed to sit down with your players for the first time, and get the games started. You should, before you meet, have told your players how you would like their relations to each other to be. Some of them might prefer being already known to each other beforehand, but this is entirely up to you whether you would allow. What you need to give the players, is a hook allowing them to meet each other. The town might have a militia, but these are highly unlikely to have the time to go out of town to face problems with robbers or such. The players’ characters have skills few others have, and they should be willing to put these to use. If they have created a character that just wants to settle down and make furniture for a living, <strong>they have not made a player character!</strong> So make sure your players understand their role in the world, and that they create a character thereafter.</p>
<p>A natural place for people to go when coming to a new town, was of course the public house. Here you could catch up on the latest gossip, and relax while having a pint. For the players to seek out the local pub, tavern or inn is only natural, and feel free to encourage this. Perhaps a couple of the players would like to roam around town and see if they can find some information first about what’s happening; this could either be roleplayed or merely done by dice (in Dungeons & Dragons: a <span style="font-family: italic;">Gather information</span>-roll). When they do hear rumours that interest them: if they want to make a living, they’ll have to volunteer, and when the first couple of them have, they’d might realise they need more people, and try to figure out who else in the public house might be potential candidates. This is your chance to legitimately railroad the players to finding each other. And hey, presto!, you’ve got a group.</p>
<p>Make sure you control the flow of action when getting the group started, and don’t let the getting-together-bit take to much time. Allow the players to describe themselves, and encourage them to try to stay in character as much as possible; the best way to do this, is by doing this yourself when acting out the <abbr title="non-player characters">NPCs</abbr>.</p>
<p>One of the worst experiences I’ve had as a player, was when playing with a dungeon master who started the game by telling a one-hour long story. Most of the game was played by this <abbr title="dungeon master">DM</abbr> telling what happened, and we, the players, waiting for a chance to interact with the world. The most important thing you, as the dungeon master, can do, is to trust your players to eagerly grab the bones you toss them. Don’t over-plan! Cover the details that allow you to easily give the players information when they reach for it, and then guide them further through your story.</p>
<p>Best of luck, and remember the most important part of roleplaying games: have fun!</p>
<p class="sig">Mr. K.</p>Canned Manhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00842383246494197467noreply@blogger.com0Utsikten 30, 9018 Tromsø, Norge69.693440299999992 19.0010856000000157.958860799999989 -22.307508399999989 81.428019799999987 60.30967960000001tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3818307829855044366.post-899887864290447472012-06-06T00:12:00.002+00:002012-06-06T00:12:46.972+00:00So you wanna roleplay? The beginnings.Here. Grab a slice of cake and a cup of something to drink and I'll tell you what you should know about your first adventure.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.deviantart.com/download/259970452/tea_party_by_angelness-d4as2hg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="224" src="http://www.deviantart.com/download/259970452/tea_party_by_angelness-d4as2hg.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tea Party the wonderful *AngelNess at DeviantArt.com</td></tr>
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So, you have made you character. You have found a group, and you have gotten a hold of the basics. Now you are ready to begin the first adventure. Your GM will most often give you a basic start. Most of the time my characters have found them selves at a packed in, finding one of only a couple of seats left, next to some more or less dubious characters. These more or less dubious characters are often the other PCs and you will end up in some way together, dealing with some quest or other. This is a GM's "go-to" start and you should either come to peace with it or suggest to your GM that he/she give a more detailed start. Just remember to do it politely and respectfully, and preferably before the first session commences. The GM do after all have the power over the life or death of your character (and it is no fun if you piss of the GM... believe me!)<br />
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Before you get together with the group you should be certain that you have a few notes scribbled down about your character's personality and look. <br />
<a name='more'></a>This is an important thing to do so you wont get all flustered and stuck when the GM asks you to describe your character to the rest of the group. When you do this, don't go on and on about how tough and awesome she or he looks. The truth is that your character looks like the average soldier at lvl 1. When asked to describe your character stick to the physical description and, if the situation alows it, give a short byline describing your character's special traits in a way that isn't obvious.<br />
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Example you ask? Well, sure! Take my character Chi Pin Rae Sparklefoot. She's a lvl 3 Gnome Artificer. Her stats are: STR: 11, DEX: 13, CON: 13, INT: 14, WIS: 6, CHA: 16 and Appearance: 16 (this is an extra score the GM gave us based on rules set in Book of Erotic Fantasy. A book that deals with sexuality, pregnancy and STDs in the D&D world). She's got blue eyes, blond hair, wears a studded leather armor, carrries around a tiny homonculus (a small construct that looks like a person). The description I would give of her (or my GM if I had given him the details beforehand) is:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
In the door walks a young gnome woman with blond hair that fall down on her shoulders. It looks like she has tried to tie her hair up with a string, but it has loosened and now only hold a little piece of hair towards the back of her head. She's very beautiful. She wears a leather armor with studs and carries a dagger at her waist. In her hands she holds a small humanoid and she is in a rapt discussion with "it". So intent on her discussion that she walks straight into the door sill, bangs her head and almost falls on her backside before she shows a feet of extraordinary balance and saves not only her derriere, but her figurine as well. She then sidesteps the door sill and proceeds to walk directly into a table full of burly old men, smiles and says a few words that seem to calm them, and walk over to arrange herself on a bar stool. If you look closer you can see that she has a bag full of items, one poking up that looks like the handle of a morning star, and has startling blue eyes.</blockquote>
So there you have it. Giving away only the information you would gleen from looking at a person, and not giving away numbers and stats. This is why you should make some notes beforehand, so you can give a good description when it is needed. It will be much more appreciated by your fellow gamers and absolutely appreciated by the GM. It might also earn you a couple of XP more. And you know what they say; every little bit help.<br />
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The party has gotten together, and the quest is on. Now what? Now you do your part. If you are the only person in the group that can cast healing magic, don't rush into the fray, head first, sword flailing. It will only serve to get you, and everyone else probably, killed. Try to find a good position and stick to it. The same go for the magic caster, the heavy hitting fighter or the supporter classes. If you are the one in heavy armor, you should take it upon yourself to protect the weaker ones. And if you are a rogue... please, please, please don't be selfish and crude. It would not work in a proper fight, so it should not work here. A group will not keep you with them if you don't pull your part, or steal from them, or sneak away to do unsavory things in the middle of the night - or GM forbid - kill one of your party members just to serve personal goals. Even if you can justify it to yourself or the party with grounds in your character's alignment or personality. If you act like a jerk you will most likely ruin the night for the rest of the group, and won't get invited back many more times. Believe me, from experience I can tell you that a to have a character in the group that steals from the group, or acts like a douche, you will not not want to roleplay with that person for long.<br />
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Remember that you are in a group (even when you are solo-playing) and that it is important that everyone have fun. That includes your GM.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3818307829855044366.post-60767868374730242762012-05-06T09:11:00.000+00:002013-01-22T02:29:16.203+00:00Alternative Rules - Wounds and Vitality<div class="kommentarboks">
This article was first published at <a href="http://cannedman.blogspot.com/">the Canned Blog</a> titled <a href="http://cannedman.blogspot.com/2012/05/d-fordeler-med-vitality-and-wounds.html">D&D: Fordeler med Vitality and Wounds-systemet</a>.<br />
I havent written everything thats relevant for introducing the system in this post, only the most important points. If youd like to read the whole ruleset, I recommend you drop by <a href="http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/adventuring/vitalityAndWoundPoints.htm" title="d20 SRD: Vitality and Wounds">The d20 System Resource Document</a> and read through its contents.</div>
<h4>
Health Points</h4>
<h5>
Background and Advantages</h5>
Nothing makes a player more scared when playing role playing games than the idea of the characters death. In many games there are ways of reawakening the character to life, but it commonly is very expensive, and unless the caster has access to the strongest magics, the character is punished with a lower level, less experience points and in general will have to struggle to get back to the level one was at before the accident happened.<br />
But all these are good things! It keeps the player sharp and not to power hungry, overeager or intrepid. There are as many systems for representing health as there are role playing systems – maybe even more – and in <abbr title="Dungeons & Dragons">D&D</abbr> the <lang en="en">Hit Points</lang> (or <lang en="en">Health Points</lang>) system is what matters. The system has many advantages: Its easy to keep track of the status of the character, the system is internally coherent, and with a quick look one can get an idea of the characters welfare; a higher hit point total means youre better at avoiding attacks, so that an attack one as a low-level character wouldnt have the time to respond to and thus would hit and do maximum relative damage, would at the higher levels only be a glancing hit; and in addition it represents you being hardened, so that one in general can take more. Gary Gygax explained it like this in <abbr title="Advanced Dungeons & Dragons, første utgave, Dungeon Masters Guide">AD&D 1e DMG</abbr> page 82:<br />
<blockquote cite="http://mutagenicsubstance.blogspot.com/2010/01/hp-in-mutant-future.html">
It is quite unreasonable to assume that as a character gains levels of ability in his or her class that a corresponding gain in actual ability to sustain physical damage takes place Why then the increase in hit points? Because these reflect both the actual physical ability of the character to withstand damage—as indicated by constitution bonuses—and a commensurate increase in such areas as skill in combat and similar life-or-death situations Each hit scored upon the character does only a small amount of actual physical harm—the sword thrust that would have run a 1<sup>st</sup> level fighter through the heart merely grazes the character due to the fighters exceptional skill, luck, and sixth sense ability which caused movement to avoid the attack at just the right moment.</blockquote>
<h5>
Disadvantages with Health Points</h5>
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<a name='more'></a></div>
Unfortunately, this system soon becomes very artificial. Critical hits are supposed to represent attacks hitting vital areas. The meaning of them are all in all gone, when it all in all basically has no effect on the character, other than the character losing a small fraction of its health.<br />
<h4>
The Vitality and Wounds System</h4>
<h5>
Structure</h5>
This is where the Vitality and Wounds system enters. Ordinary damage works in the normal way, buy reducing ones vitality—<abbr title="id est">i.e.</abbr> life force—total. This increases in the same way as normal <abbr title="health points">HP</abbr>, but the difference is in the speed; its regained as if it was non-lethal damage received, that is one point per level per hour; vitality—life force—is simply how much of a beating one can take. Actual damage, on the other hand, is harder to take. If youre out of vitality points or your opponent gets a critical hit, this is deducted straight from your wound points. In other words: even if you have 150 <abbr title="health points">HP</abbr>, a sword cut to the throat is life threatening. The maximum number of wound points are always equal to the players constitution score (<abbr title="Constitution">Con</abbr>), so the game grows far more risky.<br />
Due to the increased danger, all monsters with a fractional <abbr title="Challenge Rating">CR</abbr> have their fraction increased by one step, so a monster with <abbr title="Challenge Rating">CR</abbr> ½ is increased to <abbr title="Challenge Rating">CR</abbr> 1, and a <abbr title="Challenge Rating">CR</abbr> ⅓ becomes <abbr title="Challenge Rating">CR</abbr> ½; in addition the largest monsters (<abbr title="Gargantuan">G</abbr> and <abbr title="Colossal">C</abbr>) are ajusted up a level. The players in other words get an adequate reward for the game being made harder. The other thing that needs adjusting now, is how critical damage works.<br />
As mentioned, critical damage is applied straight to the wound points, and since they rarely are more than 18, a multiplication of the damage would have been lethal almost every single time. Therefore, damage multiplication of critical hits is removed, and weapons with a high multiplier instead gets an increased threat range. This can be listed like this:
<br />
<ul>
<li>Multiplier ×2: threat range as previously.</li>
<li>Multiplier ×3: threat range is increased to 19–20.</li>
<li>Multiplier ×4: threat range is increased to 18–20.</li>
<li>Multiplier ×5: threat range is increased to 17–20.</li>
</ul>
The threat range is in other words increased by one point for every multiplier point above 2×.<br />
<h5>
Healing</h5>
When a character is harmed and the threats keep waiting, one has to resort to magical healing. This works more or less like before, but with a few exceptions. If the magic gives an <span style="font-style: italic;">x</span> number of dice + the casters level in health (e.g. <span class="fremmedord">Cure light wounds</span>), the die roll heals vitality, while the caster level heals wounds. If the magic instead heals a fixed number of health points, such as <span class="fremmedord">Heal</span> does, wounds are first healed, and then vitality.<br />
When it comes to natural healing, it works like this: The character regains vitality at the rate of one point per character level per hour. This in other words works the same way as non-lethal damage in the regular system. Wounds, however, take a lot more time to heal, and are returned at the rate of one point per character level per day. If, however, one is cared for by someone else (another character throws the die to see if can give first aid and assist the healing process (<span class="fremmedord">Heal</span>) against a <abbr title="Difficulty Class">DC</abbr> of 15; this taking a full 24 hours) heals vitality and wounds at double the rate. You also get double the number of wound points back by sleeping and resting uninterrupted for 24 hours.<br />
If, during the process of natural healing, one has any interruptions of consequence, such as being awakened by attacking monsters while resting/sleeping, not wound points are returned at all.<br />
<h5>
Death</h5>
Sooner or later the moment no players want for their characters comes: life threatening damage. One can never have less than 0 wound points. When the wound points equals 0, the player immediately throws a <span class="fremmedord" lang="en">fortitude save</span> with a <abbr title="Difficulty Class">DC</abbr> of 15, and if its failed the character drops, unconscious and dying; if its a success, one is <span class="fremmedord">disabled</span>. If it was failed, a <span class="fremmedord">fortitude save</span> is thrown with a <abbr title="Difficulty Class">DC</abbr> of 10 + 1 per round:
<br />
<ul>
<li>If its failed, one dies;</li>
<li>if its a success by <5, ones condition is unchanged;</li>
<li>if its a success by ≥5 but <10, one is stable, but still unconscious;</li>
<li>if its a success by ≥10, one regains consciousness and is <span class="fremmedord">disabled</span>.</li>
</ul>
Other players can make a dying character stable by giving first aid (<span class="fremmedord">Heal</span> <abbr title="Difficulty Class">DC</abbr> 15) as a <span class="fremmedord">standard action</span> provoking <span class="fremmedord">attacks of opportunity</span>.<br />
<h4>
Effects of Introducing the System</h4>
The players are, according to my experience, more attentive. The threats are continously more overhanging, so theyll have to think more tactically and work together to reach their common goals. My experience after introducing the system, is an increased joy from playing, since the taste of success is that much sweeter.Canned Manhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00842383246494197467noreply@blogger.com0Utsikten 30, 9018 Tromsø, Norge69.6934403 19.001085669.6920628 18.9961501 69.69481780000001 19.006021099999998tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3818307829855044366.post-20159878016673235312012-04-18T17:39:00.001+00:002012-04-18T17:39:39.134+00:00Roleplaying as therapy.One of the reasons I love role playing so much is that it takes my mind of all the worries of the day-to-day grind. It lets you escape into a world where everything is possible and let you act out fears, wants, dreams, fantasies, worries and all that jazz in an environment where you don't have to be afraid of stigmas, taboos and retributions that will affect you as a person.<br />
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When you play for long enough your character takes on a life of its own and you end up role playing situations that you would not ever put yourself into. One session we had, one of the characters snapped crazy and killed one of her own children. It was heart wrecking and disturbing and we fought with emotions on many levels, but as the player said: It was what the character did. It was not a choice the player did, the character went bat crazy. I was really impressed with Mr. K for putting us in that situation and sticking to it. An I was immensely impressed with the player that also stuck to it and played out something that was so difficult and disturbing.<br />
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I have been through many emotions with my characters. The strongest always come when playing with the characters I have had the longest and invested the most in. There have been times when my pulse have been raising when my character have been hit and her life seemed to be forfeit. I have been sitting with tears in my eyes as a dear friend of my character passed or left. Been flustered in outrage at a betrayal or in awe and puzzlement when something I totally did not expect happened. The measure of emotions pored into the game always correspond to the mood I'm in and how invested I am in the character.<br />
When a character is new there is always the period of awkwardness when you get to know the group and the characters personality. The challenge is when you have learned to know your character and end up in a position where you as a person would do one thing, but the personality of your character tells you that he or she would do something different. This is especially difficult if the situation is morally questionably. This is especially something to remember when you choose alignment. If you choose to play an evil character how far are you willing to take it? Would you be willing to have your character do things that you would not even think of in your nightmares? Would you let your character do something so evil that it would make your hair curl and your milk curdle?<br />
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Examples of episodes that have made me extremely emotional in one way or another are:<br />
When the pregnant-with-twins Mmimas, meaning well and trying to save the harbor from a storm, were out using all her magical powers to still the wind and waves around the harbor enough to let people save lives and equipment and was struck by lightning on her way home almost killing her and her children.<br />
Or when Mmimas's new animal companion, the black panther "Pusi" was killed when attacked by jungle savages. I had tears running down my cheeks when she buried her.<br />
Or the anger and sense of injustice i felt when we were at the hands of a tyrant who killed and resurrected one of our group just to torture her.<br />
Or the joy and pride when our characters were given their titles and the huge statue from the king.<br />
Or the gloating and feeling of triumph when I the big boss (a 7 headed hydra) that Mr. K had planned for us was transformed into a harmless goat, that we soon after killed with no problems, all within the first 6 seconds of combat. All because of a well placed "Balefull Polymorph" by the lovely wizard Cordelia.<br />
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There are mostly fun and hysterical episodes though. Like the episode where one character was trying to explain the birds and the bees to another character and used sticks and seeds as and analogy.<br />
Or when the druid went totally berserk on the barbarian because he was chopping wood.<br />
Or last session with the girl group when Mmimas was in labor and the wizard Cordelia had to teleport to the middle of the ocean to get a hold of the poor sod that is the father of the child.<br />
Or when the artificer in another group walked straight into the wall because she was too busy thinking of how many limbs she wanted to give her next construct and ended up tipping a whole plate of beer cans onto a very grumpy dwarf and started a bar fight.<br />
Or when the warrior and professional temptress, Vanyelee, lured a guard from the gate with the promise of a lust-full thrust in the shadows and chopped his head of while he was trying to untie his pants, and then repeated the whole process with the guard at the next gate.<br />
Or when a very irritated and annoyed half-orc used an equally angry and frustrated dwarf as a battering ram!<br />
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As you can probably tell... anything can happen when you role play.<br />
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When I have a really bad day, if I have the energy, I long to immerse myself in a session of Dungeons and Dragons. To grab my character sheet and embark on an adventure.<br />
<br />
Mrs. K.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3818307829855044366.post-24929676616527284562012-04-04T12:17:00.000+00:002012-04-04T12:17:40.059+00:00Happy EasterHappy easter and Blessed Ostara for all you adventurers out there!<br />
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Things have been so busy here that I have been unable to set time to finish the post about creating your first character... or any other posts for that matter. I am currently working on the "PC sheet" for my main char Mmimas Nasnan Liljason, and some other projects, and will publish some more posts over the easter. But for now: Enjoy the hollidays.<br />
<br />
Mrs. K<br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3818307829855044366.post-369868757204830142012-03-17T18:31:00.001+00:002012-03-17T18:31:07.142+00:00Character Development - Your First CharacterWelcome again.<br />
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Have a seat and take out you dice, for today we will discuss the creation of your first D&D 3.5 character.<br />
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Here I will go quickly through the steps of creating your very first character, so I will not go into detail about races, classes, feats and skills etc. That is something I have planned for later.<br />
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So now you have gotten the first preparations out of the way. You have found a group and talked to the DM to check if he or she has any house rules that you need to consider. The thing you need to do now is to create you character. Mr. K usually does this at the very first session so that he can answer any questions that the player has. Ask your DM if he/she has any preferences one way or the other to if you should make your character at home or at the first session.<br />
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The next thing you'll need is the character sheet and a Players Handbook.<br />
The Players Handbook, or PHB, contains everything you need to know to create and play a character in D&D 3.5. It contains the basic races, classes, skills, feats, spells, equipment and rules. For the beginner this is the only book you will need.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Character Creation: Part 1 - Tossing the dice.</span><br />
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Before you start thinking about your characters details you have to roll the dice to decide the Ability Scores, basic statistics (stats for short), of your character.<br />
You do this with four 6-sided dice (4d6). You roll them, then remove the lowest die, add up the three others and write down the number on a piece of paper. This you need to do 6 times.<br />
These numbers will represent your character's:<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>Strength (STR) </li>
<li>Dexterity (DEX) </li>
<li>Constitution (CON)</li>
<li>Intelligence (INT)</li>
<li>Wisdom (WIS) </li>
<li>and Charisma (CHA).</li>
</ul>
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10-11 represents an absolutely average score, the every day person's ability. Everything under means that that score is below average, and everything over 10 is above average (or super human if you will) abilities. The average <i>non-player-character</i> has scores at 10-11, but the average <i>player-character </i>has an average score of 12-13.<br />
When you have written down all the scores, take a look at table 1-1 at page 8 in the PHB. Go down the list and look at the number of your scores and at the <i>modifier </i>assigned to them. This number is basically the score minus 10, divided by 2, rounded down. This is a good rule to remember if you do not have the book handy to check the table. Check now, before you choose race and class, if you need to re roll your stats. You must re roll your stats if the sum of your <u>modifiers</u> are 0 or less, or if your highest <u>score</u> is 13 or less (PHB p.8 "rerolling").<br />
Page 8 and 9 also describes and explains all the ability scores. Read through this so you understand the mechanic of the Ability Score.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Character Creation: Part 2 - Choosing Race and Class.</span><br />
<br />
<u>Choosing your Race:</u><br />
Chapter 2, starting at page 11, contains all the information for choosing a race. The following races are in the PHB 3.5:<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>Humans</li>
<li>Dwarf</li>
<li>Elf</li>
<li>Gnome</li>
<li>Half-Elf</li>
<li>Half-Orc</li>
<li>Halfling</li>
</ul>
<div>
The different races has their strengths and weaknesses as summed up at the end of the description of each race and in table 2-1 at page 12 in PHB. Read through each of them and pay attention to what is said about each. Also look at what is the <i>Favoured Class</i>. This is the class that is most preferred, or most common, among members of said race. If you fancy one of the races above the others you can choose that one now, or wait until you have checked out the classes and get a better picture of your character.<br />
<br />
<u>Choosing your Class:</u><br />
Chapter 3, starting at page 21 of the PHB, holds everything you need to choose a class. Every class is explained with stats and equipment recomended. You should read page 21 to 24 to get to know each of the posts that make up the class descriptions before you go looking at the classes themself.<br />
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The following classes are listed in the PHB 3.5:<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>Barbarian (bbn)</li>
<li>Bard (brd)</li>
<li>Cleric (clr)</li>
<li>Druid (drd)</li>
<li>Fighter (ftr)</li>
<li>Monk (mnk)</li>
<li>Paladin (pal)</li>
<li>Ranger (rgr)</li>
<li>Rogue (rog)</li>
<li>Sorcerer (sor)</li>
<li>Wizard (wiz)</li>
</ul>
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You can again seperate them into the following categories from what their strenghts are:</div>
<div>
<ul>
<li>Arcane: Bards, Sorcerers and Wizards</li>
<li>Divine: Cleric, Paladin and Druids</li>
<li>Melee: Fighters, Monks, Clerics, Paladins and Barbarians</li>
<li>Ranged: Rangers, Druids and Bards</li>
<li>Stealthy/Tricksters: Rogues and Bards</li>
</ul>
<div>
If you are getting an image of what you would like your character to be then start reading about the class you like. If not, then skim through the descriptions of the different classes and find one you like.</div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Character Creation: Part 3 - Assigning and Adjusting Ability Scores.</span></div>
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<div>
Now that you have chosen a class and race, you can assign the numbers you rolled in Part 1. First of all you need to take a look at the section "Game Rule Information / Abilities" under you class in chapter 3. There it will say what Ability Scores are most important for your character. </div>
<div>
Let's look at the Barbarian as an example:</div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"Abilities: <b>Strength</b> is important for barbarians because of its role in combat, and seceral barbarian class skills are based on strength. <b>Dexterity</b> is also useful to barbarians, especially those that wear light armor. <b>Wisdom</b> is also important for several of the barbarians class skills. A high <b>Constitution</b> score lets a varvarian rage longer (and live longer, because it gives him more hit points)." <span style="font-size: x-small;">PHB p. 24</span></blockquote>
I have highlighted the Ability Scores that are the most important to the barbarian: Strength, Dexterity, Wisdowm and Constitution.<br />
What you should do now is think throught the role you want your character to play. A barbarian, for an example, can be the first into battle, hitting everything around him in a blind rage, or he can be a more tactical close combat fighter that uses the adrenalin build in his body to deal increased damage to his foe. Whatever role your character assumes should dictate what numbers go where.<br />
If you want your character to be quick into battle you should make sure your Constitution score get one of your high rolls. This is because Constitution decides how many hits you can take before you pass out from bloodloss or the like.<br />
Likewise is <u>Strength</u> usefull to anyone that would like to do a lot of damage with melee weapons.<br />
<u>Dexterity</u> is usefull if you want to be agile and move quickly or do acrobatic stunts.<br />
<u>Wisdom</u> is important for a lot of skills pertaining to knowledge and learning. It is also important when you get attacked mentally because it decides how strong a will you have.<br />
<u>Intelligence</u> is important to those that want to learn a lot of skills.<br />
<u>Charisma</u> is the most important skill for divine spell casters and for all those that want to manipulate others in some way. If you are charismatic you are more likelly to be able to get others to see what you want them to see.<br />
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<div>
When you have found the abilities that are important to your class, assign the different rolls to the different Ability Scores. When you have done that you add or subtract the correct numbers according to the race you have chosen and write them on your character sheet. Then you add the modifiers and voila!</div>
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COMING UP IN SOON:</div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Character Creation: Part 4 - Recording Racial and Class Features</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
<div>
<span style="font-size: large;">Character Creation: Part 5 - Selecting Skills</span></div>
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<div>
<span style="font-size: large;">Character Creation: Part 6 - Selecting Feats</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div>
<span style="font-size: large;">Character Creation: Part 7 - Describing Your Character</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Character Creation: Part 8 - Selecting Equipment</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Character Creation: Part 9 - Filling in the Character Sheet.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Character Creation: Part 10 - Fleshing out the Details</span><br />
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</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3818307829855044366.post-27232660315487630812012-02-28T01:35:00.000+00:002012-02-28T01:35:03.418+00:00Roleplaying for the absolute beginner - D&D 3.5Welcome to "Roleplaying for the absolute beginner" an introduction to everything you ever would need to know when you are new to roleplaying.<br />
<br />
Let us start with the bare minimums that you will need to play a game of Dungeons and Dragons 3.5 since this is the game I play the most.<br />
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The very first thing you will need is someone to play with:<br />
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That means that you will at least need a Dungeon Master (DM for short, sometimes called a Game Master, or GM). You can find one of these at your local "geek club". In Tromsø, Norway you can find one by visiting the students club "Imladris" at the University of Tromsø. Likewise you should check with local groups and clubs that plays games of all kind if there is anyone that is willing to DM a game, or if there are any player groups you can join. You can also find an online DM or GM on forums and roleplaying groups. I have no experience with such groups, but I do know they are out there and I know Mr. K. often uses such forums to discuss rules and creation of spells etc. for our games.<br />
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Once you have found someone to run your game you will need someone to join your group as players. You should ask your friends that you know like the same things that you do. If you by chance do not have any friends that would like to join you in the adventure, then ask the DM if he has a group already, or if he know someone that are wanting to join. If you go by a group or club like Imladris then you can find sign up notes for groups, or you can ask if there are any plans for starting a new group, or if there is a spot open on one already.<br />
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The next thing you will need is dice.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl8UuCcz5mrEdnuG7KhGWqcoSjiUMMWBfN-1z0xR1VT3A_O_FeADhZZlOua4-JUnkGOdo72n9DdAdZZc2OjIMy7NPVJF_MOeB7ZgyDq5YXugsoTGKuGK0L991NbxYzolLr6XB08C-nySRq/s1600/dice.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="234" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl8UuCcz5mrEdnuG7KhGWqcoSjiUMMWBfN-1z0xR1VT3A_O_FeADhZZlOua4-JUnkGOdo72n9DdAdZZc2OjIMy7NPVJF_MOeB7ZgyDq5YXugsoTGKuGK0L991NbxYzolLr6XB08C-nySRq/s320/dice.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">RPG Dice</td></tr>
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Now the dice needed for a game of D&D are a set like the one over. You will need a 20 sided die (a d20), percentage die (referred to as d% or d100), a 10 sided die (d10) (this is also used to roll with the d% to make a full percentage roll or roll up to a hundred with the d% repressenting the tens and the d10 repressenting the ones), you will also need a 12 sided (d12), a 8 sided (d8), a 6 sided (d6) and a 4 sided (d4) die. You can buy a set of rpg dice at your local games shop. If there is no such shop near you, you can get a set of dice quite easily online. Just do a quick google search and you'll get a lot of good sites.<br />
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Only one more essential, must have, item is left: The character sheet.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTtUr-EuQCtsChqWsdsWADMUvZ3djIgULAN-79J8UHWVFvTWEpcbVF83gsPg2IrMPLTwBW56wjxOqKQDPAZJVNKqPGo2bAIzN3flUzZmfL-2U_EhDQqsAVJRuJLzo-iqzpxj9aiL_6n_a3/s1600/D&D+Character+Sheet.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTtUr-EuQCtsChqWsdsWADMUvZ3djIgULAN-79J8UHWVFvTWEpcbVF83gsPg2IrMPLTwBW56wjxOqKQDPAZJVNKqPGo2bAIzN3flUzZmfL-2U_EhDQqsAVJRuJLzo-iqzpxj9aiL_6n_a3/s320/D&D+Character+Sheet.png" width="245" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The standard D&D 3.5 character sheet, front page.</td></tr>
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This is the paper where you record everything there is to know about your character. What statistics your character have (how strong or wise etc he or she is, how good he or she is at jumping, sneaking, swimming etc, what weapons and armor he or she is wearing... and so on), what items he or she carries, how much currency they got, what skills and spells they have etc. It is also where you record who your character is, what he or she looks like, where they came from and the like. I will get more into the stats and info in another post.<br />
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Most DM's I know provide their players with the character sheet, but ask just to be sure. There are also a lot of different sheets out there that you might prefer over the basic one, but remember to ask the DM if he has special "house rules" against non-standard character sheets (Mr. K. do).<br />
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Other things you will need when you start playing:<br />
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<ul>
<li>Paper and pensil</li>
<li>A Players Handbook (this is quite hard to get your hands on now, since the 3.5 books have been discontinued after the release of 4th edition). They are available digitally if you are willing to look a bit. You can also always borrow one. Our library has them, and the group Imladris do too. Check to make sure.</li>
<li>Something to keep everything in. A folder for your papers and a box or bag for your dice.</li>
</ul>
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<br />
That is all for now. It has been some years since I started out roleplaying, so I will probably add more info to this post as I remember more and Mr. K. and me discuss roleplaying with new group members.<br />
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Have a good adventure!<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Mrs. K.</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3818307829855044366.post-9372695208651278972012-02-23T11:58:00.000+00:002013-03-09T09:56:32.291+00:00Problems with the Economic System in D&D<p class="kommentar">
This post was previously posted in Norwegian at the <a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=3818307829855044366">Canned Blog</a>.</p>
<h4>Background for the Problem</h4>
<img alt="Coins from the Middle Ages" title="Coins from the Middle Ages" class="bilde_lite_toppvenstre" src="http://www.medievalcoins.comxa.com/web_images/treasure_medieval_coins_1.gif" style="float: left; margin: 0em 1em 1em 0em; width: 33%;" />
<p>I have previously written a bit about the monetary system in D&D (i.e. <a href="http://cannedman.blogspot.com/2011/02/d-penger.html">D&D: penger</a>); what works well and what could have been corrected and improved. According to the books, amongst others the beginning of chapter seven in the <abbr title="Player’s Handbook v. 3.5">PHB</abbr>, one can read that the monetary system is based on the silver coin as the base unit, and that an unskilled labourer can expect to earn roughly 1 <abbr title="Silver Piece">SP</abbr> a day. At first glance this seems to be “right on the money” with what the reality of Mediaevil Europe was, but try scrutinizing it, and problems shine through.<br />
First of all: The adventurers hardly lay eyes on a silver coin at all. The monetary system in <abbr title="Dungeons & Dragons">D&D</abbr> is in other words a twofold system; there’s one for Joe Commoner, based on silver-coins, and one for the adventurer, gold-coin-based. Secondly: The enormous amounts of money the adventurers get their hands on, is beyond all sensibility; an average hero should during first level earn a couple of thousand <abbr title="Gold Pieces">GP</abbr>, in other words 10,000 <abbr title="Silver Pieces">SP</abbr>, which equals around 27 yearly wages for an unskilled labourer; this during just a few weeks. How can this make sense?</p>
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<h4>Wages for Joe Commoner</h4>
<img title="The so-called «strip farming»-system demonstrated" alt="The so-called «strip farming»-system demonstrated" class="bilde_topphoyre" src="http://www.sciencemuseum.org.uk/images/object_images/535x535/10301272.jpg" style="float: right; margin: 0em 0em 1em 1em; width: 33%;" />
<p>Anyone who’s studied a bit of mediaeval history (and by that I mean “Anyone who’s taken a subject or two in mediaeval history in University”) knows that for an average family to survive the day-to-day challenges, hard work was required one’s entire life. The living standard equaled the minimum required for survival, and not before the 13<sup>th</sup> century do we find people starting to prefer shopping with coins, buying objects in stead of making them themselves and thereby provide the basics needed for towns to appear. A regular apprentice or other unskilled labourer could not expect to earn more than one silver penny a day (I will here, and in the following, base my examples on source material from Mediaeval England; for references, please contact me by e-mail), and a master could perhaps expect to earn three to five times that wage. Jocelin of Brakelond tells us about how people struggled to pay the yearly penny for the abbey (actually, it was to halfpence every six months), forcing the cellarer to take furniture, animals or even the front door as payment of the yearly tax. A single day’s wage was in other words more than many were able to pay, which gives us a good image of how close to minimum sustenance people actually lived.</p>
<img title="Masons from the Middle Ages" alt="Masons from the Middle Ages" class="bilde_toppvenstre" src="http://www.uh.edu/engines/masonedu.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0em 1em 1em 0em; width: 33%;" />
<p>As mentioned above, it seems that the monetary system in <abbr title="Dungeons & Dragons">D&D</abbr> appreciates this, but this is as I in the following shall demonstrate not the case. If we start by looking at the division of the levels presented in the books, where level 1 through 6 is for the fresh and unexperienced, level 7 through 12 are for the skilled, and level 13 through 20 are for the true masters of adventuring, you can transfer this way of thought to the professions, where an apprentice is from level 1 through 6, a certified skilled craftsman from level 7 through 12, and from level 13 through 20 one has the right to call oneself a true master; the building of a cathedral one can imagine being supervised by a mason of minimum level 13. If we create a random person who shows some talent in masoning, we can say that he as a first level apprentice, i.e. level 1 NPC, has a wisdom socre of 13 (+1) and maximum number of ranks in his relevant skill: Profession (mason): total 5 = ranks 4 + ability (wisdom) 1. For an easier reading of this, I’ll tabulate it:</p>
<table border="1" style="textalign: center;">
<tr><th colspan="6">Potential income for a mason of levels 1, 6, 12 and 20</th></tr>
<tr><td colspan="6">All sums are rounded down where needed. Base for character: generic person with Wis 13 (+1) and maximum ranks in Profession (mason); the person has maxed out his Wis and Profession all the way. The potential income has been calculated as such: (die roll + ranks + Wisdom bonus) / 2 = number of GP earned in a week (the same number of SP earned in a day (the ten-day week is assumed in the PHB). I have not included feats like <span class="fremmedord" lang="en">Skill focus</span> or similar; the results speak clearly enough as they are.</td></tr>
<tr><td rowspan="2">Class</td><td rowspan="2">Ranks</td><td rowspan="2">Wisdom</td><td colspan="3">Potential income</td></tr>
<tr> <td>Minimum</td><td>Maximum</td><td>Average</td></tr>
<tr><td>Apprentice (fresh blood)</td><td>4</td><td>13 (+1)</td> <td>3 GP/week</td> <td>12½ GP/week</td> <td>7½ GP/week</td></tr>
<tr>
</tr>
<tr><td>Apprentice (level 6)</td> <td>9</td><td>14 (+2)</td> <td>6 GP/week</td> <td>15½ GP/week</td> <td>10½ GP/week</td></tr>
<tr><td>Certified skilled (level 12)</td><td>15</td><td>16 (+3)</td><td>9½ GP/week</td><td>19 GP/week</td> <td>14 GP/week</td></tr>
<tr><td>Master (level 20)</td> <td>23</td><td>18 (+4)</td> <td>14 GP/week</td><td>23½ GP/week</td> <td>18½ GP/week</td></tr>
</table>
<p>If you calculate a mason’s work year as rougly half a year long, and he pays about a third of his earnings in taxes, he’ll stilled be left with 130 GP after a year while still being a fresh-blooded apprentice; he has managed to lay aside, for his own sustenance 1300 SP which with the way things have been thought of in the book, and which should translate to the historical reality (1 D&D-SP one would imagine equals 1 English Mediaeval silver penny, since both in the D&D-world and in the real world an unskilled labourer would earn 1 SP a day), means that he’s been able to lay aside three-and-a-half times the amount of money even <strong>after</strong> he’s payed taxes and only worked half a year (during frost masoning could not be done) as what an untrained labourer would earn during a whole year with <strong>no</strong> taxes to pay, and still, actually more than what a real master did during this days. It seems clear something is broken here.</p>
<h4>Suggestions for Change</h4>
<img alt="Mediaeval silver treasure." title="Mediaeval silver treasure." class="bilde_topphoyre" src="http://images.travelpod.com/users/goontack/8.1301077901.b.jpg" style="float: right; margin: 0em 0em 1em 1em; width: 33%;" />
<p>I have already implemented a monetary system which attempts to focus on the silver as standard monetary unit, and at the same time by keeping the gold as a usable monetary unit, maintain the little fantasy element which makes finding treasures even more fun; more on this can be read in my post about money. But to make the economic system work well, two changes have to be done. First of all, there has to be only one system, not two as it is now (one for Joe Commoner and another for the heroes). Secondly, the whole economic system has to be rethought and redesigned from the bottom up. This would cause the sums found by the adventurers to be something completely different, and the rare Gold Crown (the monetary unit in my system which I’ve set to 240 silver pence) would truly get a unique status. When the heroes find a treasure like “Your search has revealed roughly four pounds of silver coins and seven copper farthings.”, they should be in heaven! They have just found a treasure consisting of roughly 1280 silver pence plus a few copper farthings (the latter of which actually is roughly equal to the mediaeval plumber’s salary for two days; in today’s money: a couple of hundred pounds of buying power!); the silver is – with today’s buying power – perhaps close to a year and sixty days of wage for a trained labourer, which equates to finding a treasure of £40,000 or more today! <span class="kommentar">NB: I am in all these examples talking about buying power; in our modern times, we have very high wages due to being expected to buy most of our stuff instead of making it ourselves, and also for maintaining what we today consider an acceptable standard of living.</span></p>
<h4>In Conclusion</h4>
Changes like these would naturally affect the whole game. Should the economic system be changed, it would have to affect the cost of regular items, weapons, armours, magic devices, potions, staffs, services; everything would have to be rethought and -designed. Would it be worth it? I don’t know yet, but I can see some interesting consequences, and comments on the subject are welcomed.</p>
<p class="sig">Mr. K.</p>Canned Manhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00842383246494197467noreply@blogger.com0University of Tromsø, Huginbakken 8, 9019 Tromsø, Norge69.680831507342234 18.97422552108764669.680142507342239 18.971758021087645 69.681520507342228 18.976693021087648tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3818307829855044366.post-42152481140665100062012-02-15T18:15:00.000+00:002012-02-15T18:58:43.889+00:00Gadgets for the gamer - The Smartpen<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B003UNL14S/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=mrskrogsaeter-21&linkCode=as2&camp=1634&creative=6738&creativeASIN=B003UNL14S" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTq80eQU_vL-KJRZC_NcLIJbW5Y-kjGgFZRgeRqn0lYXKgeihFsUFD5AF9orO4AEuOsd6i3n0Wa7gdvNGwoNb3UUmh28Tq2kUGtCIxnSVTefJMDTsJAAPSYGU_hYpoYlpzQod3Bq3Tbb3F/s400/Livescribe_8GB_Echo_Smartpen.jpg" width="341" /></a></div>
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Hello again. Please do come in!<br />
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The first thing I am going to tell you about is the smartpen. More specificly the<a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B003UNL14S/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=mrskrogsaeter-21&linkCode=as2&camp=1634&creative=6738&creativeASIN=B003UNL14S" target="_blank"> Echo 8 GB Smartpen from Livescribe</a>. </div>
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Yes it is a bit expencive, but if you are a student like me then this tool will be a savior for you and your grades AND be an exelent adition to your RPG toolset. In fact: I bought this to help me with my studies, but I use it every roleplaying session we have to record the game. I used to record everything on paper, every little detail, while gaming, but it took a lot of time and sometimes we just didn't have time to write down everything. After a while my notes looked like something taken out of a garbage pile. Post-its, papers, note books, character sheets, dice, pens, pencils, rubbers and small notes all jumbled up in a huge mess, so when I bought myself a smartpen and started using it to record everything my large pile of roleplaying gear was reduced down to the following items:</div>
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My Echo pen and a dedicated A4 notebook with smartpaper.</div>
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My box of dice</div>
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A pamphlet containing the character sheet, spell sheet and other important info (including item record sheet and bank holdings etc. all acording to wich character I am playing)</div>
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A pad og post-its to record HP and other changing stats.</div>
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And that's it at the gaming table. In my home office I have a dedicated binder with all my previous notes sorted by date and organized (well ... sorta).</div>
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So, more about the pen and roleplaying:</div>
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As I said earlier I record everything during roleplaying sessions. I start the recording after we have settled down at the table and pause it every time we take a break, and finally stop recording when the xp have been given and we all say goodbye. When I then sit down to go over the session later, I can take out the notebook and look at the notes I did last session and replay what was said as I wrote. This is especially usefull when it comes to descriptions of places, people etc. When the DM (my husband) mentions a place or person etc. I make a note of the name and make a bracket ([xxxxx]) around it. This way I can go back and listen to the description again later if I forget who/how the person/place were, and I don't have to look through a lot of hurridly written notes to do so.</div>
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I can then connect it to my computer and load the notes and assosiated audio onto my HDD. And then I can edit, listen to, revise and send the files to the others in the group that want them. In the group with Mrs. L I send all my audio (only audio) files to her after the sessions are over. I might have to edit some of them later to remove bits where her character was away (and she was out smoking or something other). Then she uses them to record her characters version of the event, and to keep track of the items and valuables she got before we session again.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGu2p_-6sl1rsZqHBqLNjoOiuywsjQX_RiQ8Suc7hYOvv3rTHXpSUfaWeQObBz0MrjMFUrhFJ0-BJYEWEzJ5SeCzOd3PTl_2iUmrhqQX1YOkOxgbtnuZ_H3nXupRE5VH2iN67K26y96zFd/s1600/pen_full.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGu2p_-6sl1rsZqHBqLNjoOiuywsjQX_RiQ8Suc7hYOvv3rTHXpSUfaWeQObBz0MrjMFUrhFJ0-BJYEWEzJ5SeCzOd3PTl_2iUmrhqQX1YOkOxgbtnuZ_H3nXupRE5VH2iN67K26y96zFd/s320/pen_full.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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I could go on and on about how usefull the Sartpen is, but I shal cut myself of here and say adieu for now. But I strongly recomend checking it out.</div>
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Still here when you come back</div>
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Mrs. K</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3818307829855044366.post-89986687983275900622012-02-15T17:21:00.000+00:002012-02-15T17:21:33.443+00:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgERECVF7Bxbh9BFfoLJRq5DE7R_iDpiPfV54G4xwywLd-EBGfY2m6q_OjyF5wS6ZuPwtgvPpn5d2Wj8PXQ3PmqDTS8ExJsgSx4tsi4BcqPoOd7pO7sYsP_VrmWHbSoRrfOJgw1-lbCa7y1/s1600/dice-01a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="259" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgERECVF7Bxbh9BFfoLJRq5DE7R_iDpiPfV54G4xwywLd-EBGfY2m6q_OjyF5wS6ZuPwtgvPpn5d2Wj8PXQ3PmqDTS8ExJsgSx4tsi4BcqPoOd7pO7sYsP_VrmWHbSoRrfOJgw1-lbCa7y1/s320/dice-01a.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
Welcome!<br />
Please enter. Grab a chair and sit down and the table and I'll take you along into the wonderful world of roleplay and fantasy gaming.<br />
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I have been playing Dungeons and Dragons since I was 17 when my boyfriend, now husband, introduced it to me, and I have been hooked since. The thrill of adventuring and living out my characters gives me an escape from my otherwise sometimes dreary life and gives me a spark to carry on. ;p<br />
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I created this blog to have somewhere to share my ideas, creations and progress in the roleplaying world. I got inspired by my husbands blog posts on his DM-ing and decided that since I'm soon stepping into the world of DM-ing myself, I'd like to blog about it too. I'll also use tell about my characters that I have played with and their progress. I'll also try and share all the little nifty things I come over when researching and stuff.<br />
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I'll also share my experiences as a female gamer and I have asked my best friend and fellow adventurer Mrs. L, or Cordelia as her character is called, to author on this blog too.<br />
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So enjoy and check in from time to time.<br />
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I'll be here<br />
Mrs. KUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0