Kingmaker 4th Edition Approaches!

Another weekend of D&D is coming up, assuming the world doesn’t end tomorrow. And, thank goodness, I don’t have to run it, which means I can get back into the game as Devon Surtova, my Vampire (who multiclassed into Assassin at 2nd level and has yet to regret that decision. The feat support unlocked is worth it by itself).

More amusingly, we have a total of seven (7!) players signed up to start with us this session, assuming everyone makes it. Which, as some of you know, is a lot. Especially in 4th Edition D&D.

Again, I’m glad I’M not the DM.

I’ll post again after the game to recap… which reminds me, I STILL haven’t gotten around to posting my thoughts on the game of Swords and Wizardry I was in a few weeks back. They’re coming, eventually.

Unsurprisingly, given the season, much of my time and energy is occupied by thinking and studying, so I hope you’ll forgive me if my blogging takes a back seat occasionally. Hopefully the chance to just PLAY the game again will help matters and get my creative juices flowing.

So, the next three things I need to write about here (assuming that I manage to hold myself to this at all):

1. Kingmaker 4th Edition Session Recap (pending this weekend).
2. Swords & Wizardry: Session Recap, What I Liked (And What I Learned From It).
3. What Fable 3 taught me about fantasy gaming.

Also, also: if you’re not already reading d20monkey, you should start. It’s fantastic. Brian does a really great job producing some exceptional webcomic, and you should support him at it. Maybe even pick something up from the store.

>Recommended Reading: D&D Kids

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I know, I said less time spent on D&D, but this one was good enough that I don’t care.

So, I don’t know if anyone else here bothers to follow the blogs over on Wizards.com, but they’ve had a particularly excellent ongoing series for awhile now called D&D Kids – in which the author shares his experience of running D&D for a few groups of kids ranging from about 8-11 years old, give or take. You can find the latest one here.

Here’s what I want to know: why does this guy’s game sound more fun to me than any other D&D game I’ve ever been involved in, ever? And why can’t the DMs I know roll more like this guy?

I guess it goes back to the old truth: there are no bad games, only bad gamemasters.

On the flip side, gaming with kids sounds absolutely awesome, and it reinforces my own goal of being able to play with my kids someday. I want them to have this kind of fun, and I want to share it with them.

Of course, that’s a long, long way off. . . but I digress.

The other thing it reminds me of is one of the best things about 4th Edition as a game system (and indeed, about most of the games that I’ve kept in my personal library): it’s very, very, very hard to break it. If someone says, “hey, I want to play this thing out of the Monster Manual that looks really freakin’ cool,” you could probably eyeball a level equivalent and say, “Sure — if you earn it.” Make a few minor tweaks, devise a level progression (the way that he does in his article, see above) and you’ve given them what they wanted without seriously breaking “teh mathz.” And, since you’re making them earn it, and incorporating how into the story. . . you’ve kept the player’s interest. (If my DMs had been this cool, I probably wouldn’t be so burned out on D&D).

Mutants and Masterminds makes it even easier: if someone wants to play a monster or some oddball thing, cool; just find a way to stat one using the number of points everyone starts with. No problem! Or, alternately, do the same thing; make them earn it.

Anyway, it’s a great read, especially if you’ve ever gotten the idea that D&D is “hard,” or something . . . or if you’ve ever had any interest in doing stuff with kids. And I think there are a few general principles that apply well regardless of your game of choice.

>The Pulse of Gaming: New Columns on WoTC

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We interrupt this program to bring you a very special report. 

For those unaware of the pulse of the gaming world, things have been a little bit up-in-arms the last few days over Wizard’s of the Coast’s announced cancellation of several of their upcoming books – as well as the termination of Dragon and Dungeon magazine in online compilation format. But I’m not here to comment about that. I don’t have the historical connection with either title to feel I can rightly comment on the issue.

What I DO feel I can comment on, is this announcement, published today. In which Bart Caroll states on behalf of WoTC, 

“We feel we can do a better job communicating more regularly and consistently. To this end, we’re planning to bring a series of regular, weekly columns to the site. They’ll be free and in addition to the content we’re currently providing. Our goal with these columns is to create an ongoing dialogue with D&D fans, presenting thoughts and ideas that we feel are touchstones for segments of the community, and helping spark discussion on topics of interest to you. 

What columns are we adding? Here they are:

• Legends & Lore: Each week, RPG Group Manager Mike Mearls will examine certain elements behind the D&D’s past editions and influences, and how they inform the game today. Think of this one as game theory.
• The Dungeon Master Experience: D&D Senior Producer Chris Perkins will use his ongoing home campaign as a tool to give Dungeon Masters awesome ideas and hooks for their home campaigns. Think of this one as game practice.
• Design & Development: Not a new column, but it will increase in frequency from monthly to weekly. We’ll be looking around the entire R&D department to find contributors best suited to handle each topic. 
• Rule-of-Three: Our community team will regularly round up three questions from you, the player community (the details of how will announced shortly). Again, we’ll convene all of R&D to bring you answers to your questions—every week.”

And one more column, yet to be announced, that they’re still experimenting on. Emphasis in paragraph one added.

I don’t know what everyone else in the gaming community thinks about this, but I would see this as a HUGE step in the right direction for Wizard’s – almost enough to make up for the more negative announcements they’ve made lately. WoTC has been hiding a lot of their best content behind a pay-wall where new players (and DMs with limited funding) can’t really get at it and see what all the hype is about. But this? Free content available regularly with actual insight into what the heck they’re thinking? This is just good news. Exciting, even! We’ll let you know when there are further developments. 

This has been a very special report. We now return you to your regularly scheduled broadcasting. 

>D&D: No Masters Degree Required. Pt 2: Combat Encounters

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Picking up from our last lesson, here’s a quick summary of what we covered before: 

Look, an ancient Roman d20! Okay, it doesn’t have anything to do with anything, I just thought it was cool.

1. The Core Mechanic of D&D:
1. Roll a d20 – higher is better
2. Add all applicable modifiers
3. Compare to the target number. If your result is higher, you’ve succeeded.
2. How characters are created. 

Among other things. I highlight these because they tie directly into what I’m going to talk about today, which has to do with encounters… and, because they directly relate to encounters, I”ll also be discussing things like powers, and the basic attacks available to all players. So, basically I’ll be talking about encounters and the toolbox of options players have to overcome them, and defining my terminology as I go. Starting with encounters, because really, there’s enough for a whole entry there.

What I’m not going to talk about are the tactics of miniatures combat, because they don’t actually matter enough in my mind to go into here; also because the books have more to say about this than I ever could, and I don’t want to run the risk of giving you too many reasons not to read them. 

If any of this looks terrifyingly complicated, please don’t panic. It really isn’t that complicated. Don’t worry if you don’t instantly master all the connections, just take what you do understand, jump in and start playing. Either your DM or one of the other players will be able to help you out with the rest, and you’ll master it eventually; the best way to learn a game is by playing. 

Incidentally, for those of you so inclined, there’s a link in the sidebar to a PDF that explains how combat works – very helpful summary, and a good thing to have handy if you forget how all this works. As an added bonus, Kiznit managed to fit the entire thing onto a single page, something I doubt my longer-winded version will accomplish. Short, sweet, and probably more comprehensible than I am as a bonus. Onward. 

An encounter, as defined here, is basically something that happens to you in a game. It’s a challenge that your characters must overcome with the help of your ingenuity as a player. 

There are basically two kinds of encounters. Role-playing happens throughout all of them, impacts all of them, binds them together and creates life, and fear leads to the Dark Side – wait, no, that’s the Force. Anyway, the point I’m making here is that the actual “playing a role” part of a role-playing game isn’t the part we need rules for, and I’m talking about rules right now. 

The first kind of encounter, and (after witnessing many playground debates which basically boiled down to, “I shot you!” “No, I shot you!” I think I can state this with some degree of accuracy) arguably the real reason why Role-playing games actually HAVE to have rules, is the combat encounter. 

A combat encounter, or simply a combat, is basically an encounter that involves overcoming something that specifically wants to kill your character. And possibly eat him/her. Monsters, thugs, kobolds, orcs, dragons, zombies, whatever it is, the world of medieval fantasy is a dangerous place, and adventurers are equipped to handle that kind of danger. 

Here’s a quick step-by-step description of what happens in a combat encounter. 

1.  At some point, usually after giving some kind of description that sets the tone for what you’re dealing with, and possibly after giving one side or another the opportunity to surprise their opponents, the DM will ask you to roll initiative. 
1. Initiative: This is basically a fancy way of saying, “roll to see who goes first in this combat encounter.” It’s not entirely unlike the way you roll to see who goes first in any other board game. It works like this: 
1. Roll a d20 – higher is probably better, although certain classes would rather go last. 
2. Add relevant modifiers. In this case, this would be your Dexterity modifier, along with 1/2 your character’s level rounded down. Half your level actually gets added to many of the rolls you’ll make when playing D&D 4th Edition – ask your DM if you’re not sure. 
3. Compare to everyone else’s initiative total – highest goes first. If there’s a tie, the person with the highest dexterity modifier goes first. If you have the same dexterity modifier as the person you tied with, you each roll against each other. 
2. Once Initiative has been rolled, and the order of combat determined, the combat encounter actually begins.
2. Each person takes their turn, one at a time, in the sequence determined by initiative. During each turn, you perform the following: 
1. Check to see if you’re taking any ongoing damage from something like being poisoned, or if you’re subject to any other effects that end at the beginning of your turn. If this is your first turn, you probably won’t need to worry about this. Proceed to step 2. 
2. Take some actions! An action is basically defined as something that your character does. There are a few different types of actions, and you get one of each per turn under normal circumstances. These actions are: 
1. The standard action, which is about how long it takes to attack someone with a sword or cast a spell or aim and fire a bow or do any of the other kinds of things that adventurers do in a fight. Basic Attacks are a Standard Action, and most attack powers are, too. There are a few other things that can be done as a standard action, too, but basically it’s the amount of time needed for a “somewhat complicated task.” You can trade this for either a move action or a minor action.
2. The move action, which is usually used for – you guessed it – moving. All characters can walk their speed or shift a single square, (shifting lets them avoid Opportunity Attacks; it’s a safer kind of movement). Some skills may take a move action, as well. Some characters can do cooler things, like teleport on a more limited basis, depending on the powers they have available. You can also trade one for a minor action.
1. Just so I don’t forget to cover it, an Opportunity Attack is what happens when someone does something next to a guy with a melee weapon that requires them to let their guard down, like turning your back and walking away. Most of the time, your DM will let you know if this comes up, so don’t worry about it too much right now.
3. The minor action, which is fairly inconsequential in terms of effort required, but still takes more effort than, say, talking. Drawing a weapon, closing a door, opening a chest, all are usually minor actions, as is using any power that costs a minor action. 
4. The free action is something so easy for you that you hardly have to think about it, like dropping something, talking, breathing, (I’m kidding about that one), and can be done during anyone’s turn. You can take as many free actions as you like, within reason – that’s why they’re free! 
3. Make saving throws or do other things that specify that they happen at the end of your turn. Ask your DM if you aren’t sure. 
3. Everyone plays in order, including the DM/monsters, and this repeats until the combat reaches its logical conclusion, whatever that might be. Everyone gets experience points (XP) and loot (if any) and the encounter is over. 

Still with me? Okay, I know that sounded complicated, but QUICK LOOK AT THE KITTEN!

Daaaaaaaaaaaaaw.

Okay, now that your mental batteries are recharged from that infusion of cuteness, I will continue. Here’s a summary of the last set of steps, simplified: roll initiative, take turns until the end. Each turn, do some combination of attacking, moving, hiding, jumping, or being creative and making your DM actually think. Roll a lot of d20s and a few other dice, too. Pretty simple. Oh, and if you can throw in a heroic catch phrase or something, you get bonus points. If all else fails, ask someone for help. 

Here’s a brief outline of how you’d attack something: 

1. Pick your attack. This will be either a Ranged Basic Attack, a Melee Basic Attack, or a Power of some kind. It might also be some clever improvisational attack that noone was really expecting, like pushing the statue down the stairs. Let’s say, for the moment, that we’re doing a Melee Basic Attack. 
2. Make your attack roll. This follows the core mechanic; the only thing that varies is which numbers you add. For example, for a melee basic attack, you would: 
1. Roll a d20. Higher is always better, here. 
2. Add your Strength modifier (unless you have a feat or class feature that says otherwise) + Half your level, rounded down, + the Proficiency bonus of your weapon + Any enhancement bonus of your weapon + anything else that says it adds to attack rolls, like a feat or class feature. 
3. Check to see if the result is equal to or greater than the targets Armor Class. . 
3. Roll damage dice for your weapon, and add your Strength modifier (unless you have a feat or class feature that says otherwise) + enhancement bonuses + any feats or class features that might boost your damage. 

I should note that powers and ranged basic attacks follow the same basic rules as the above; the only thing that changes is what numbers you add, and occasionally which target number you compare your roll to. I’ll explain this in the next entry, along with the number of tools that players have at their disposal – I really meant to cover more of them in this entry, but there just wasn’t space. 

So, next time I’ll cover: powers (including the difference between Implement and Weapon powers), healing surges, action points, defenses, and pretty much whatever else I have time for. 

OR, you can read the PDF I linked above, which explains action points along with some of the other little important things like combat advantage and the like. BUT . . . 

Again, the best way to learn this stuff is to play the game, and creating a character for yourself. Build a character, and learn whatever you need to know about how to play that character in the game. Then, it becomes easier to learn how to play a different one later, and you’re not overwhelming yourself by learning rules that you won’t actually use. 

No, this doesn’t have anything to do with anything. I just figured you could use something cute to look at by now. Aren’t they adorable?

In closing, I’ll offer a few minor tips about reading powers for when you get into classes: please note that whenever a power gives its range, it is expressed in “squares.” This is kind of silly, but the fact is that D&D is usually played (by most people I’ve met) on a game grid, which does, in fact, feature “squares,” each of which represents 5 feet to a side. 1 square = 5 feet. Pretty simple. The only difference between 4th Edition and previous ones is that in the old days, we had to do that mental flip the other direction; this got somewhat complicated when dealing with things in the hundreds of feet, so having things rendered in squares is actually simpler. Multiplication is easier than division in much the same way that addition is easier than subtraction. 

But more on that later. This is WAY more than enough for now. 

Also: KITTIES 

>Heroes of the Forgotten Kingdoms Review

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I think I said this awhile ago, but Wizards of the Coast’s Essentials line has revitalized my love of D&D 4th Edition. Continuing with the excellent track record set by Heroes of the Fallen Lands is the latest release, Heroes of the Forgotten Kingdoms. 

Like the previous volume, HotFK is the same paperback digest sized format, and targets the same price point – $20 retail, cheaper if you make use of Amazon or are a Borders Rewards member and make good use of timing and coupons. Like the previous book, it contains five new builds of four of the core classes, and redefines what, exactly, is ‘core’ in the first place.

For those keeping score, the previous book, HotFL, contained the Cleric, Fighter, Rogue, and Wizard – rebuilt as the Warpriest, Knight, Slayer, Thief, and Mage. This mirrored the original class structure of the oldest editions of D&D in several interesting ways, and offered a fresh perspective on what a martial class should look like, anyway. This new approach is simultaneously simpler to grasp for a new player (eliminating the worries about Daily powers, when to use them, and all attempts to rationalize why a fighter can only swing his sword like that once a day) while appealing to old-school D&D players who thought the classes were too similar, and that fighters were “casting spells.”

HotFK continues in this new tradition, rebuilding the Druid, Ranger, Paladin, and Warlock as the Sentinel, Hunter, Scout, Cavalier, and Hexblade.

The Sentinel, a new druid build, returns to the classes 3.5 roots by presenting the class as a weapon wielding Leader with an animal companion. I know I have one friend in particular who rejoiced when I told her of this change, as the lack of an animal companion for the druid stung her badly when 4e first came out. More impressively, it works. If anything, the beastmaster Ranger will have to be revised. The Sentinel does gain daily powers, as a proper spellcaster, but replaces some of its encounter options with multiple uses of the “combined attack” feature, allowing it to attack a target in tandem with its animal companion. This is a very hard hitting move, and it looks like it will work quite well. 

The Hunter, one of two Ranger builds, continues the tradition of separating class from role by offering a primarily martial controller, with some strikerish leanings. The class dips somewhat unnecessarily in places into the Primal power source, but only for its stances and a few (optional) utility powers. This does, again, mark a return to the Ranger’s 3.5 and earlier position as a martial combatant who dabbled in nature magic. More importantly, it demonstrates the possibility of a martial combatant operating as a controller through skilled use of the bow. By combining stances with its Expert Archer feature the Hunter has a number of At-Will options modifying its basic attacks, including an area effect – Rapid Shot. Outside of combat, Wilderness Knacks will give the Hunter even more usefulness as a guide for the party, letting it fill the role offered by its flavor text that much more effectively.

The second of the two Ranger builds, the Scout, is similar but for one thing; it’s a pure melee striker. Focusing on mastery of two weapon attacks with some more primal dabbling (sharing utility powers and the stance mechanic with the Hunter), it looks dangerous and fun. It also shares Wilderness Knacks with the Hunter, but as a melee striker it has slightly better armor proficiencies. It also offers some customization by granting different benefits for different off-hand weapon choices.

The Cavalier is a new Paladin build that likewise nods to the roots of the class – that of a holy warrior who rides a noble steed. While the class itself does not provide a mount, some of its class features at higher levels do grant benefits when using one – making the possibility of getting one through other methods attractive, but not strictly necessary. More important to note, however, is that these benefits are limited to outside of combat. In terms of customization, it offers a choice of Virtues to uphold, each of which has particular benefits and powers associated with it. 

Many of the essentials builds have improved non-combat utility, which can only be a good thing for those of us who recognize that 4th Edition is NOT (as some have claimed!) a miniatures combat system.

Finally, the Hexblade, another old favorite back with a vengeance. A Warlock build in this incarnation, the Hexblade is a striker who alternates between melee and ranged combat by using his Pact Weapon, a mystically created blade that symbolizes his bond with the source of his powers. Wand in one hand, sword in the other, the Hexblade is the first class to have powers which require both weapons AND implements, bringing new possibilities for 4th Edition out. The Hexblade also gains some summoning ability, usually to provide himself with artillery support as he moves into melee. The class, like the Warlock it shares powers with, is full of potential as an anti-hero archetype. 

That’s right – WE’RE core again! … And we actually don’t look all that bad …

The book brings us the updated versions of the Tiefling, Dragonborn, Drow, Half-Elf, and Half-Orc (guess who’s core again!), and includes the Human as well, in case Heroes of the Fallen Lands didn’t strike your fancy. Each has been revised to include the latest errata, which is helpful for those who pay attention to the errata. It also retreads much of the world information, data about the gods of the D&D Pantheon, and alignments, which is good, as each book is intended to stand on its own as a player resource. As before, the flavor text for the races and classes is exceptional, and the mechanics work beautifully from the flavor outward. Exactly as it should be. 

Added bonus points: if there was ever a book that could convince me to try playing a half-orc, this is it.

Final verdict: 9.5. Because 10 doesn’t exist. In all seriousness, though, if this is the new direction of 4th Edition, I could not possibly be happier. Buy these books and support good game design, good fluff, and good D&D fun. Whether you’re a new gamer or a long-time 4e player, HotFL and HotFK will have something for you. 

>Wizarding Houses and Party Roles: The Secret Connection

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Those who know me know that I’m excited about the new Harry Potter movie, though I’ve yet to see it just watched it today. In honor of the film, and the series, and the fact that everyone scheduled to be in my upcoming D&D 4e Intro game is a Harry Potter fan . . .

I thought I’d take a few moments to explore the subtle connection between the four houses and the four roles in D&D 4th Edition (or any role-playing game, really).

Practically everyone I know has taken a quiz to place themselves into one of the wizarding houses at Hogwarts, so this should work well for those who have taken one. Keep in mind, these are generalizations, and all four roles can be found among any set of house traits.

The Four Houses: 

Gryffindor values courage, bravery, loyalty, nerve and chivalry. 

A Gryffindor would make a good: Striker, with a secondary emphasis on Defender, then Leader, depending on which virtues are most important to you. Choose powers that drive back the darkness, enhancing your allies resolve and dealing the most damage possible to the forces of evil.

Gryffindor strikers tend to choose classes like Ranger, Slayer or Warlock (especially fey pact), hitting hard and fast.

Defenders of Gryffindor are often fighters, swordmages, or paladins; they stand tall and courageous, knowing that the forces of evil have to get through them first in order to attack their friends. Expecto Patronum? 

Godric Gryffindor was most likely a hybrid Swordmage/Wizard, dabbling in both the Defender and Controller roles.

Leaders tend to be drawn toward the Bard and Cleric classes. Bards of any house are dabblers, first and foremost, dipping into a wide array of expertise in order to have exactly the right tool for the job before them.

Gryffindor’s also make good controllers, but generally lean toward Striker as a secondary role when they do, doing their best to solve problems quickly before they become someone else’s problem.

Hufflepuff values hard work, tolerance, loyalty, and fair play.

A Hufflepuff would make a good: Defender or Leader, with Striker being the next best and Controllers in the minority.

Defenders stand up for what’s right, holding the line against evil. Those Hufflepuff’s who recognize most the value of hard work and fair play might like a Defender.

As an Arcane Leader, a Bard might be an excellent choice for those who emphasize loyalty or tolerance. Like Gryffindor’s bards, they will often dabble in an effort to pick up new tricks. Choose powers that hinder your enemies or make your allies more effective over those that ONLY do damage.

Hufflepuff controllers are rare, because it requires a level of tactical thinking that often leads one to Ravenclaw. Those that exist use their powers to level the playing field, forcing their foes to fight fair. 

Ravenclaw values intelligence, creativity, learning, and wit. As such, they make good Controllers or Leaders, with Strikers and Defenders being less common.

Ravenclaw Controllers and Leaders will think tactically, organizing their foes into groups that can be dealt with simultaneously using area effects. Wizards and Mages prefer divination, evocation, and conjuration effects, but they dabble in all kinds of magic.

Strikers will dart from foe to foe, taunting them as they move; they tend to be rogues, emphasizing skills and cleverness over the underhanded sneaky aspects, and love pursuing ancient artifacts and the like.

Outside of battle, a Ravenclaw will often be knowledgeable about any number of fields, and will know how to think outside the box. Ravenclaw defenders tend to lean toward Striker as a secondary role.

ALL Ravenclaws pursue their primary skill sets with a fervor unmatched by most other houses, placing such a high value on their studies.

Slytherin house values ambition, cunning, leadership, resourcefulness, and most of all, pure wizard blood.

Their preferred role is that of the Leader, followed by Controller and Striker as a close second. Slytherin leaders are consummate politicians, pulling off the leadership role through sheer force of personality and manipulation. They are rarely clerics.

The Slytherin controller is a consummate manipulator, preferring trickery, enchantment and illusion to flashier displays, though they’re certainly not above a well placed fireball.

Slytherin strikers make good Rogues and Warlocks as well; the sneaky and underhanded nature of a rogue or assassin fits perfectly with their reliance on cunning, and an Infernal Pact Warlock could fit well with Slytherin ambition – as well as offering plenty of angst potential.

Defender often makes a poor choice for members of this house, mainly because they can’t stand the idea of taking a hit for someone else.

>Elven Acrobatic Archery: Steal This Fighting Style

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The following is a set of notes for a character concept which will appear later, as well as information specific to my own setting. Feel free to borrow what you like! 

Like many forms of combat, archery was refined to the art form it has become in the modern age by the elven masters. Wood elf and Eladrin mastery of the bow pushed what was believed possible for any archer, taking it to its new place as a weapon useful at both long and close ranges of combat. 

The elven races had already refined swordplay into an elegant, mobile dance of whirling blade and limb. Darting from place to place around the battlefield, leaping, tumbling, twirling, fairly dancing away from foes too quickly for the eye to catch. They had established the power and effectiveness of the longbow as a ranged weapon, utilizing their keen eleven senses to place shots with incredible accuracy over longer distances than were thought possible. However, for all that, long distance archery was generally performed while stationary, and while running along the battlefield and shooting on the move were the next logical steps, it was only a matter of time before someone realized it could be taken further.

One of the masters was struck with an inspiration; combine the best elements of both fighting forms. The mobility and dancing nature of swordplay with the range and power of the longbow. Together with keen elven senses and sharpened natural reflexes, the result was devastating in closer quarters; spinning, tumbling, leaping, and shooting. The practitioner is more difficult to keep track of and return fire, and their mastery of movement enabled them to quickly dart away from any swordsman who came too close. Further, the bow – in all its forms – is particularly deadly at those closer distances, where it’s harder to miss and a single hit can mean instant death.

Through careful training, those heightened elven senses make it simple to pick out and quickly and accurately fire at targets, even from their spins, rolls, and acrobatic maneuvers.

In case the warrior is engaged in too close quarters for the bow, a sword would also be carried as a last resort weapon, though the first goal of such an archer would be to slip quickly away from melee and fire their shots from point-blank range.

Members of other races have been slow to adopt the fighting style because of the high demand it places on natural ability and agility, but it has found limited adoption with some individuals. The style is still practiced by a limited minority of elves, and when it’s used on the battlefield it tends to prove effective – if only because of how stunning it is to watch. 

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Notes: Hong Kong “Gun-Fu” meets medieval fantasy. I’d love to see it on film, just once, if only with a character using repeating hand-crossbows. Eberron the Movie, anyone?

>Steal This Character Background: Affyria, Tiefling Bard

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This is a character profile for one of the player’s in my upcoming 4e intro game. Diane, this one is for you: feel free to change anything you like about her personal backstory to make it yours, or use it as is.

Firstly, an introduction to tieflings:

History:

Every tiefling is descended from royalty.

See, the story is truly told that in the ancient times of the world, there was a great empire called Bael Turath – one of several of the great empires to rise up in that period. Many of the ruins still dot the landscape, calling to adventurers with promise of ancient artifacts. But that is now; this was then. And Bael Turath flourished, developing culture, art, sciences, magic; and fighting great wars, some just and some unjust, like all empires.

Like many other great empires, at its peak of power it was also the most likely to lose it. Unsurprisingly, the ruling families weren’t too big on that idea. So, someone hatched the bright idea of cutting a deal with the king of devils, Asmodeus. Contracts were drawn up, sacrifices were made, and every last member of the ruling families who participated were transformed from humans into what are now called tieflings.

Needless to say, Bael Turath still fell eventually due to a combination of internal corruption (big shocker) and outside forces (like war and economics). But the new race of tieflings have never forgotten that they used to call the shots, and neither has anyone else, really. They’re reasonably sure that they’ve managed to pull free of the contracts with Asmodeus, and consider themselves masters of their own destiny – assuming that they can overcome their distrust for each other, and the distrust of other races, and their distrust of other races long enough to do it.

Tieflings most often live in human cities, either alone or in groups with others of their kind, banded together against external prejudice.

In spite of all the baggage they carry (and the general tendency toward enlightened self interest among their ranks), a number of notable tieflings have achieved great heroism in the new age. Those tieflings who strike off as adventurers find acceptance with similarly minded members of other races, who value talent and teamwork over little matters like appearance or racial history.

Appearance: Tieflings are humanoid, with large horns, a tail, and skin covering the whole range of humanity along with various shades of red; their hair can be any color typical among humans as well as dark blue, red, or purple. They have sharply pointed teeth, and their eyes are solid orbs of black, red, white, silver, or gold. Their manner of dress tends toward the archaic, reminding one of the ancient empire they were once leaders of, and favors dark colors and reds rendered in leather and glossy fur, with small spikes and buckles often featured.

Character profile: 

A typical tiefling warlock.

Affyria is a descendant of one of the old houses of the great tiefling empire of Bael Turath. She’s studied the old stories closely, and is always on the lookout for new legends concerning the old ways. Uncovering her legacy is important to her, if only to avoid repeating the mistakes of her ancestors.

Growing up on the streets of Wyvernfell wasn’t always easy, even with the help of her family. She learned to be self reliant and mistrustful (lessons she would later have to unlearn), but her raw charisma made her a leader – even when she wasn’t sure she wanted to be.

Unfortunately, many of the other tieflings she’d grown up with started to turn up missing or dead. Affyria had to live out the last few years of her childhood almost entirely unsupported, and the murderer who targeted her family was never found. Why them? And are the ones responsible still looking for her?

When she grew older, Affyria studied the bardic arts to gain the flexibility to make her way in the world, as well as the tools she would need to uncover more of her history. As part of these efforts, Affyria has rediscovered the lost arts of the Turathi sword-masters, and has made them her own. Her spells, songs, and swordplay have kept her alive over the last few years, and her new friends have helped, too. Affyria hasn’t told them much about her past beyond the basics, or about her ambitions, but despite this they’ve grown to trust and depend on each other.

>Solo Play: Benefits and Pitfalls

>I’m going to try and be as system neutral about this particular post as I can, but we’ll see where it goes.

There are basically two kinds of roleplaying experiences; there’s group play, which involves the more standard tropes of the RPG; GM, four to six players, focus on team dynamics and tactical play – with teamwork! – are usually the emphasis, though this varies depending on the group of course. Some people love delving into things related directly to the characters they’ve created – I fall into this category. Others just want to get together, kill monsters, and take all their stuff.

This does allow for a particular class of stories that doesn’t work well in the absence of a team; the group can also face and overcome threats that any one of them would be unable to defeat. Plus, there’s a certain fun kind of humor that inevitably creeps into the game if you have a good group to play with. And I love playing in group games… as long as the people in them are fun to play with.

A solo game opens up a whole new set of options, however. In a solo game, you can do things that a group just wouldn’t be willing to take the time for. You can develop friendships with NPC’s; you can perform stealth infiltration missions that would bore a large, non-stealth focused party; you can be the Last Son (or daughter!) of a dead planet/kingdom/dimension; you can grandstand and show off without worrying about hogging the spotlight, because it’s yours. You can found a kingdom and protect it, if circumstances allow; you can tell any kind of story that interests the both of you.

A solo game requires one GM, one player, and a willingness to improvise a LOT on the part of both of them. Party based games are often played fairly close to the ‘rails’; with some room for variation, they go where the GM wants them to go. Solo games can’t really afford to have rails; they have to follow the story of the player. If it’s handled right, the world is a big sandbox with any number of things to do in it.

Solo gaming was how I started role-playing; my GM didn’t use a system, which suggests to my mind that there were a few rails that I wasn’t aware of, but basically the story was shaped by my choices, and it was great.

Now, there are obvious benefits to using a system; fair resolution of conflict, avoiding the ‘silver-age’ syndrome where a character makes up their skills and powers to overcome circumstance ‘on-the-fly’, adding the influence of ‘luck’ into the game – these are nothing new to anyone who has used a system with regularity. But using some kind of rules makes sure that the game is fair.

The one problem in the minds of some GMs/DMs is that the game systems we use tend to be designed for groups of 4 or so. How do you fix that?

Well, it depends. But it’s probably not as bad as you might think. I’ll talk about some of those ideas in a later entry, as they relate to my two favorite systems at the moment; M&M 3e, and D&D 4e. Right now, though, all I’m trying to get at is that not having “enough players” shouldn’t stop you from having fun.


Excelsior!