Here comes the D&D 40th Anniversary Blog Hop Challenge!

 

Blog writing challenge haters, prepare to hate! Starting February 1st, the d20 Dark Ages blog is hosting what blog owner Stelios V. Perdios has dubbed the D&D 40th Anniversary Blog Hop Challenge! I'm in! How about you? Er, if you're a blog writing challenge hater, then don't answer that... As for everyone else, hope you join in!

My RPG Personal Profile

 

To start the new year off, I've decided to *GASP* jump late onto a certain bandwagon started by (I think) Tim Brannan over at The Other Side blog. Or maybe it started on Monsters & Manuals. Oh well. Without any ado, here's my personal RPG profile:

 

I'm currently running: Nothing. As anyone who's read this blog of late should know, I'm taking a bit of a break from actual play in order to work on some big old dreams, pertaining to a new career. A different sort of adventure, as it were. But the blog is going to be an outlet for my gaming fantasies. That sounded weird, now that I re-read that. ;-)

 

Anyway, over the past few years I've run campaigns of varying lengths in the Forgotten Realms, Greyhawk, and even a bit in Rob Conley's Points of Light setting. The rules I've primarily used were Castles & Crusades and Labyrinth Lord.

I would especially like to play or run: I would like to run some steampunk or cyberpunk action someday, probably using Savage Worlds. Then there's the possibility of using my shiny new Lords of Gossamer & Shadow book to run a diceless RPG game in the grand tradition of Amber Diceless!

...but I would also try: WotC's "next" version of D&D! It's a big event this coming year, no one should be able to deny that. Whether or not you see this 40th anniversary D&D event as a big blessing or a big apocalypse is another matter...I for one am remaining optimistic, though my readings of the playtest packet find me uninterested in using the new rules to run games.

 

I live in: In South Jersey, in the shadow of Philadelphia!

 

Two or three well-known RPG products other people made that I like: The Five Ancient Kingdoms RPG created by Jonathan Becker of B/X Blackrazor fame (have to do a proper review of that someday), as well as his B/X Companion. Close to my heart is the Castles & Crusades Player's Handbook, with really brought me back to the table-top armed with an awesome set of rules.

 

Two or three novels I like: Neuromancer by William Gibson, Dune by Frank Herbert, The Gunslinger by Stephen King.

 

Two or three movies I like: Big Trouble in Little China, Mississippi Burning, Dead Poet's Society.

 

Best place to find me online: Right here on the old blog!

 

I will read almost anything on tabletop RPGs if it's: open-minded. If someone is being a grumbler about the hobby just because they don't want change, then I'm not interested.

 

I really do not want to hear about: How the "damned kids these days" don't play the game "right."

 

I think dead orc babies are: really a silly argument. BUT, this sorta ties into something I want to discuss coming up shortly. It's going to be related to an older version of D&D, a re-read of those older rules, and the question of heroism in connection with said older rules. Stay tuned.

 

Games I'm in are like (link to something): Pretty much this. Because my regular group gets up to some pretty inane antics. We aren't afraid of retreating expeditiously, and in general like to be very pragmatic...perhaps to a fault.

 

Free content I made for D&D is available: on this blog, though there's not too much of it I'm afraid. Probably the most significant would be my house rules.

 

There were a couple other items that I thought didn't apply to me, so they've been deleted. Anyway, enough with this silly, self-indulgent exercise that I've used to get my first post of 2014 out the door. Hope you all had a happy new year celebration, and we'll meet again soon!

30 Day D&D Challenge, Day 30: Best DM You've Had

"The road goes ever on and...screw it, I'm outta here!"

 

Well, today's the final day of this particular "blog challenge" meme. I'm not going to try and fool myself and believe that this series was of any great value to readers. But perhaps it had value for me as an individual. It's definitely given me some things to think about with regard to my own gaming career.

 

Yes, believe it or not, I got something out of this challenge of questionable value. I mean, just who started this meme again?! I'm not sure...and I try not to dwell on the fact that I don't know who started it! I feel quite like a lemming when I think too much about that...

 

ANYway...on to the final day topic: Best DM I've had? Hmm, well, I'm going to say everyone DM I've had has been the best. How so? Well, they've all taught me something about DMing, and therefore have allowed me to develop my own DMing skills.

 

I am thankful for the bad DMs I've had, because they taught me what NOT to do! And then there's the good DMs, like Rich and Bill from my long-running Wednesday night group at All Things Fun in West Berlin, NJ.

 

So, there you have it, folks! Back to, uh, whatever you'd call my "regularly irregular" posting schedule!

30 Day D&D Challenge, Day 29: What number you always seem to roll on a d20

I googled d20.

I always seem to roll the wonderful number 3 on the old 20-sider. A lot of good it does me.

That is all.

30 Day D&D Challenge, Day 28: Character you will never play again

 

Well, as I've said before, I haven't played all that much in my time as a roleplayer. But, if I had to choose, I would say I probably won't play a Castles & Crusades bard again. I'm not really that fond of bards in the first place, but I thought it would be fun to try the C&C version. I just didn't feel satisfied by the abilities the C&C bard has at lower levels. Then again, by that token, I suppose I haven't given the class a try at higher levels... Oh well. That's all I have to say about that.

30 Day D&D Challenge, Day 27: Character you want to play in the future

 

You know, come to think of it, I don't think I've ever played a plain old wizard/mage/arcane spellcaster. Again, as I've said before, I've mostly been a GM. When I've been a player, I've usually played fighters, paladins, rangers, or bards. Yeah, I think a wizardly character is in my future...

 

30 Day D&D Challenge, Day 26: Favorite Non-Magic Item

THIEVE'S TOOLS!

30 Day D&D Challenge, Day 25: Favorite Magic Item

HORN OF BLASTING!

 

Wow...that's a lot of blasting!

 

30 Day D&D Challenge, Day 24: Favorite Energy Type

ELECTRICITY!

 

30 Day D&D Challenge, Days 22 & 23: Favorite (and Least Favorite) Monster Overall

OK, I still need to catch up and these two seemed like a natural pairing, so here goes:

FAVORITE MONSTER OVERALL:

You ready for some more Dragonlance love?

DRACONIANS, OH YEAH!

Dragonlance gave us "dragonborn" well before 4th Edition.

Least favorite monster overall: Green slimes. Never had any use for slimes. Perhaps I had a bad experience with them while playing that old Nintendo game Dragon Warrior. I can't remember.

As lame as they look.

30 Day D&D Challenge, Day 21: Favorite Dragon Type/Color



So, once again I'm playing catch-up with this challenge. Oh well, I am unapologetic! I went on an adventure with the family that included the Sweetest Place on Earth (not Willy Wonka's factory, but still pretty cool), and then we found ourselves at the very excellent Pennsylvania Renaissance Faire!

 

We had an incredible time at both places, but I'm particularly fond of the Faire, having been there many times over the years, as well as working there on one weekend around the time I graduated from high school. If you're ever in the Lancaster, PA area, do yourself a favor and visit the PA Ren Faire (check out their website if you're cursious about it).

 

Anyway, on to the Day 21 entry: BLACK DRAGONS! Ready for some more Dragonlance love? Here 'tis: I've had a thing for the evil black dragons since I first read about the dread Khisanth, rising out of the well in Xak Tsaroth to scourge the Companions of the Lance! The group would later encounter, and ultimately slay, the dragon in the bowels of the ruined city. But while she lived, old Khisanth was quite the bitch!

 

OK, posts for Days 22 and 23 coming later today! Stay tuned...

30 Day D&D Challenge, Day 20: Favorite Monster (Humanoid)



Krynnish hobgoblins

Let's get some Dragonlance on the blog today, shall we?

Let me give props to the hobgoblins of Krynn! Ah, Krynn, where there is not an orc in sight. Oh no! On Krynn, we have goblins and their larger, stronger hobgoblin kin. And let's not forget the hulking Krynnish ogre! With all that evil humanoid goodness, who needs orcs?

On other campaign worlds there are goblins and orcs, and the hobgoblin does not appear all that often (or so it seems to me). This makes things difficult, such as when you must tell your players that goblins speak goblin and orcs speak orc! Why two different languages? If you have goblins and hobgoblins, BAM! Both speak goblin, as their names imply! No more embarrassing moments where orcs speak goblin! That makes no sense at all!

Oh hobgoblin, oft forgotten hobgoblin! How I admire thee! Who could forget the wonderfully inept Fewmaster Toede of the Dragonlance Chronicles:

And of all the Spiderman villains, I always liked the Hobgoblin the best. I mean, come on, he has a Halloween theme going, right down to the jack o' lantern-shaped bombs:

Yes, my favorite humanoid is the hobgoblin. Especially because this wonderful bit of weird came up when I was searching for hobgoblin images on the internet:

30 Day D&D Challenge, Day 19: Favorite Monster (Elemental/Plant)

Make mine paraelementals! Specifically, the magma elemental!

30 Day D&D Challenge, Day 18: Favorite Monster (Immortal/Outsider)

XORN, OH YEAH!

 

30 Day D&D Challenge, Day 17: Favorite Monster (Animal/Vermin)

The animal we all wanted airbrushed on the sides of our conversion vans back in the day: WOLVES!

30 Day D&D Challenge, Day 16: Favorite Monster (Aberration)

 

OTYUGH, OH YEAH!

 

"Mmm, your face looks delicious!"

30 Day D&D Challenge, Day 15: Favorite Monster (Undead)

Oh yeah. It's Dragonlance time again. If you ain't already noticed, you should get used to it around this blog.

 

So, Lord Soth. And by extension, the type of undead we call death knights. That's what I'm talking about.

 

There's something about a formerly good knight who is tempted to conduct acts so heinous that he is cursed to the eternal torment of unlife.

30 Day D&D Challenge, Day 14: Favorite NPC

I missed posting this Day 14 entry yesterday, so I'm doing a two-fer today, while I watch the Eagles and quaff a lovely Leinenkugel Oktoberfest!

 

Speaking of libations, that brings me to my favorite NPC: the innkeeper! Ah, how many innkeepers have I depicted during my GMing career! Fat ones, thin ones...bald ones and ones that sport unruly mops of hair...honest ones and ones that would rob you blind while you weren't looking...gregarious ones and ones that would do more glaring than speaking...those that had an earnest desire to please customers and those who were falsely fawning, hating you secretly behind servile smiles...males and females...on and on and on. Most recently, there was an innkeeper with a preference for elven ladies, and his vengeful wife who would applaud when he was slapped for his lecherous ways.

 

There are those that disparage the cliché of "you find yourselves in a tavern" in D&D-type roleplaying, but I find it a comfort to most players. And it gives me an opportunity to try out a new type of innkeeper.

30 Day D&D Challenge, Day 13: Favorite Trap/Puzzle

This is an easy one for me, because my answer is EVERY TRAP IN EVERY GRIMTOOTH'S TRAPS EVER PUBLISHED.

 

Seriously. Every single one. From the simplest to the ones that would make Rube Goldberg weep with joy.

 

I may not have used many of them, but the books are a damned hoot to read. 

30 Day D&D Challenge, Day 12: Favorite Dungeon Type/Location

"Oh, that looks like a nice place to rest! Let's see who's home!"

Everybody seems manic for megadungeons these days, eh? Sure, I like dungeons as much as the next red-blooded roleplayer. But, of equal interest to yours truly is the castle! Call it an "inverted dungeon"! 

 

More specifically, there's the haunted castle! To me, there's no better location to inject a bit of gothic horror into your game.

 

There are, of course, a goodly number of old-school D&D examples of castles. Beyond the obvious infamous D&D locations such as Castle Ravenloft and Castle Greyhawk (which really seems to be a "front door" for a dungeon system, but you get the idea), there's also more recent OSR examples such as Castle of the Mad Archmage. Heck, I daresay the Temple of Elemental Evil is also something of a castle...right? For added inspiration, seek out gothic horror literature such as the famous "Castle of Otranto."

 

Even though there's something to be said for the anticipatory dread of a dungeon, I think the ruins of a castle can be just as intimidating. Whereas a dungeon can bestow the fear of the unknown hazards that lurk beneath the earth, a dungeon can instill fear and foreboding simply by its imposing appearance. Here is not just the rumor of twisting passageways filled with danger in the form of traps and monsters. Upon first glimpsing the brooding, towering walls and towers of a fortress, one is immediately hit with a physical manifestation of the dangers to come. The structure itself becomes almost a foreshadowing, the first "encounter" of the adventure.

 

So, please share! What castles have you encountered on your adventures?