Game 11 sucked… Ok, so coming off of a fight that kicked my but I have about half my healing surges, so we go into a set o rooms, find prisoners locked up, and about a half dozen hobgoblins. The primary bad guy of this was a hobgoblin chain wielder, with threatening reach, and so many reaction/interrupt abilities I think DM dave had to have a whole page just for him. I would tell you about how cool the first hour of this fight went, but I am still pissed about the last 2 hours. Only Chain boy left, and he was bloodied, BUT he had a stance that let him regen in bloodied, and an at will attack power that gave temp hp, and he had dwarves armor on, and he had a recharge ability that tripped and dazed (takeing someone out of combat.), and on top of that he had a close burst 2 attack that recharged at bloodied, and since he spent like 6-10 rounds at bloodied, not bloodied, bloodied, not bloodied it might as well have been at will.
The real kicker…he got away. He left through a secret passage, and when Tor and Cap followed him(only two still up at end of fight…I was not only down, but out of healing surges as well) it went to a room below us, then wrapped around and outside, since he was ahead of them, they would have to leave the slaves and us down. So they let him get away, to come stabilize us.
Then Dave said the thing that made me throw a D20 at him “Sorry Mario your princess is in another castle…” after all this the girl we are trying to rescue was sold to one of two other groups, the durger, or the drow…
So I felt the entire session was one big waste of a night. So we had some RP time then, and found that the durger control a fortress and the drow have an outpost. However there was some good news, the Drow were celebrating this week. The out post’s commanders daughter was turning there equivalent of sweet 16, and there was a masquerade ball being thrown in here honor.
We decided that Syl, Me and Renard could easily infiltrate such an occasion, and find out some intel. (Of course this came with a threat to kill DM dave if he had us fight again to not find the girl…).

So we went back tot eh 7 pillars and recouped and planed. Dave wasn’t sure how to do this infiltration thing without the rest of the party, and my experience as DMing game day came up. “Extended skill challenge”.

So we ended early and he is working on a Complexity 5 skill challenge for us to begin next game. Hopefully next game will be better. I mean XP and treasure is nice, but really that type of thing isn’t what I play for. 3 hour fights (Broken up by dinner break s it took closer to 4 hours) defiantly are not my idea of fun…

HardcoreDandDGirl

The gaining of experience points and the resulting increase in levels is the usual way to track a character's learning and growth. However, this is generally non-specific learning - the character's new abilities and higher bonuses are the net result of everything that he has gone through, and are not directly attributable to any incident in particular.

However, I believe that being able to tie a bonus to a specific incident in the character's past helps the players to recall key events that happened to character and makes his learning and growth seem more real and tangible.

Hence, I'm thinking of introducing a learning bonus. After any significant event that occurs to the character, the player can describe a lesson that the character has learned, and the DM can award a bonus depending on how significant he feels the lesson to be, and the circumstances under which the bonus can be used. Any time that the circumstances arise, the player can ask the DM after he has made a d20 roll whether his learning bonus will make any difference to the outcome. If the DM says that it will, he may decide to use his learning bonus (this expends the bonus). A character may only have one learning bonus at a time, but he may replace his previous bonus with a new one any time he gains one.

The simplest, most straightforward trigger for a learning bonus would be critical hits in combat. If the PC scores a critical hit in a fight, he may choose to gain a +1 learning bonus with the power he scored the critical hit with. If a critical hit is scored against the PC in a fight, he may choose to gain a +1 learning bonus to the defence targeted by the critical hit. If the DM feels that an incident is significant, but the player does not propose a learning bonus tied to the event, the DM may prompt the player to do so.

As a further house rule, a character could have a maximum number of learning bonuses equal to his Intelligence modifier (minimum one).

FireLance

So I wanted to mix it up with the leader of the Vecna cult. I decided I would have him able to adopt the face of people that attacked him, and have the confusion in combat represented by an ability of his.

As I recall, it ended up working pretty well, if a bit unconventional from the rules standard. In retrospect, I would have changed this to just be an immediate fear attack against the person hitting him, and dropped the potential confusion.

It was interesting, but not interesting enough.

Faceless One
Level 4 Elite Artillery (Leader)
Medium natural humanoid XP 350
Initiative +4 Senses Perception +5
HP 84; Bloodied 42
AC 19; Fortitude 15, Reflex 16, Will 17
Speed 6
Action Points 1
Saving Throws +2
Quarterstaff (standard; at-will) ✦ Weapon
+6 vs. AC; 1d8 damage
Secret of Fire (standard; at-will) ✦ Fire
2 attacks - Ranged 10; +9 vs. Reflex; 2d4 + 6 fire damage.
Secret of Earth (standard; at-will) ✦ Thunder
Close burst 1; +9 vs. Fortitude; 1d6 + 6 thunder damage, and the target is pushed 3 squares.
Secret of Shadow (standard; recharge 4 5 6) ✦ Shadow
The Faceless One makes a separate attack against 5 different targets; range 10; +9 vs. Reflex; 1d8 + 6 necrotic damage and target slowed (save ends).
Secret of the Grave (standard; recharge 5 6) ✦Fear, Necrotic
Area burst 1 with range 10; +9 vs Will; 1d8+6 necrotic damage, and targets are immobolized (save ends)
Steal Face (immediate) ✦ Illusion
Whenever the Faceless One is missed with a melee attack, he can immediately transform his look to look like that of the person who attacked him. Further melee and ranged attacks have a 50% chance of hitting the Faceless One's foe, as long as they remain adjacent and the Faceless One continues to look like them. This guise drops when the target is no longer adjacent to the Faceless One.
Alignment Evil Languages Common
Skills Arcana +11, Bluff +8
Str 10 (+2) Dex 14 (+4) Wis 17 (+5)
Con 12 (+3) Int 18 (+6) Cha 12 (+3)
Equipment robes, quarterstaff , wand

Everything in the room depended on how the PC's did the skill challenge. Luckily, they beat it, and so there were only human cultists, and not wererats.

FunkBGR

So, one of my first posts was an entry of stuff I want to see in my now running 4Eberron RL game. Things I have done from that list so far:

- Characters are hired by the Twelve to go to Xen'drik (not main fiddles; they're 1st?)

Characters are associated with a Morgrave Expedition and are brought along by their mentors (see the bottom of that link).

- Sharn air battle (taxi; airsleds; etc.)

Characters had to hop on soarsleds to chase down someone who stole something from the expedition. Ran it as a skill challenge.

stonegod

A few weeks ago I started my first 4E campaign as a DM: Shards of Light, Shards of Shadow. Its set in Eberron and I'm using the wonderful Obsidian Portal as our wiki.

We had our fourth session last night (I haven't put this up on the addy log yet). So far, 4E is a blast to DM for and with the DDI Compendium a breeze to create encounters for. Still working a bit on the encounter balance (most encounters probably have been a bit on the easy side), but otherwise I think it is going well. Players seem to be having a blast.

Looking forward to the drop of the Eberron Player's Guide next month.

stonegod

Thread Link

Recently I have undertaken a new career (or perhaps it would be more accurate to say, an additional career) as a fiction writer. My background as an author is as a non-fiction writer, primarily dealing with such subjects as business, science, and technical matters. Although on occasion, often for private clients and sometimes just to pursue my own interests, I write analytical, white, and theory papers on everything from military and law enforcement matters to educational techniques to religious subjects.

But, as I said, now I am embarking upon a new or supplementary career as a fiction writer. Last night, while laying in bed, and reading a fiction story before sleeping it occurred to me that the author was very good as describing some scenes (thereby easily provoking my imagination to work “independently” of the actual words used to construct the scene) and at other times the author did a very poor job of description and my imagination had to work very hard, or was confused as to exactly what the author was describing. (The author was Moorcock.)

I went to sleep and later awoke about 0500 hours from a dream, and then an idea suddenly occurred to me about what had triggered the dream. (I didn’t connect my dream directly to the story Moorcock had written but it had triggered an “oblique set of imaginings” which I thought were related to some of the ideas expressed in the story.) After I was awake about fifteen minutes or so replaying the dream through my mind it occurred to me that many authors, as well as others, such as really good playwrights, poets, filmmakers, graphic or visual artists (I had recently taken my children to see one of the largest collections of Sacred and Italian and Spanish Gothic and Renaissance Art in the entire nation, and most all of the works were both highly symbolic, and fantastically beautiful), even inventors, scientists, and religious leaders often express their ideas in such a way as to have a great and lasting impact upon the imagination of the consumer. (I am using the term consumer here to represent any partaker or user of such services, products, information, or ideas as are being now discussed.)


And herein lies the seed of my theory. That there are certain techniques that writers, artists, inventors, etc. use that are capable of triggering the imagination of the listener, audience, or observer in such a way that the imagination of the consumer is expanded to such a degree that it becomes heavily provoked, and can then operate almost entirely independently (if not indeed completely independently) of whatever the original trigger that had initially produced it.

Using a writer as an example of my intent, for instance, certain authors are so good at description, that they can create an image in the mind of many readers that even when the reader completes reading the description or has finished the work, there lingers a sort of lasting or almost semi-permanent impression of (and on) the imagination, that is not static and calcified, but is rather “alive,” flexible, and on-going. The images and impressions made by the work do not die out with the reading of the last word, or by finishing the book, but rather they “carry on” almost as if they had created a sub-rosan or virtual reality within the mind and psyche of the consumer or the partaker. And this new and virtual mind-reality is likewise not limited to the breadth, depth, or scope of the original subject matter of the work, but rather one type of imagining or image activates numerous others in a long and continuing chain of triggered imaginary impulses, the limits of which are constrained only by the inventiveness, potentialities, and desires of the particular consumer in question. As a side note I should also mention that I am not using the term Virtual to imply something that lacks reality, as much as to represent something that has not as of yet become imminently real, but could very well become empirically real when imagination is determinedly and ambitiously combined with actual work and concentrated effort. (Now of course a badly executed or ill-conceived effort of work, imagination, or description can leave the consumer either highly confused as to what exactly the author meant by virtue of his description, can lead the consumer completely away from the actual intent of the author, or can simply provoke a feeling of disinterest or “dullness” on the part of the consumer, triggering within him not sustained and powerful imaginings, but rather impressions of distraction, or a shallowness that can only be indicative of a total lack of interest and respect for the work in question and what it produces.

But my theory (and my theory is not new, I am sure, but I am seeking a sort of specialized or different application of it) is that while there are certainly defective techniques of the act of describing or envisioning a thing that lead to a failure to spur on the imagination of the consumer, that miscarry the attempt to create a “virtual reality” of the mind through the lacking exertion(s) of a peculiar creator, there are also techniques that rarely fail to produce the sort of positive effects that I am discussing here in respect to the imagination.


That is to say if there are techniques that fail in the cause of provoking and exciting and expanding upon the capabilities of the imagination of the consumer, then there are obviously other and more obverse techniques, which will, more often than not, have the desired effect of expounding upon, elucidating, enlarging, edifying, and invigorating (perhaps permanently) the imagination of the consumer. Techniques that can help to create a sort of “perpetual inner motion” of the imagination, and that will have effects far beyond and far exceeding the actual individual triggers or spurs that were used in producing this state of affairs.

(Now, for purposes of this discussion, I am not going to really address the receptivity or state of internal agreement that any particular consumer feels toward the subject matter he is consuming. That is outside the bounds of what I am discussing, and in any case there is very little, practically speaking, that any creator can do to control the state of receptivity on the part of the consumer. The creator can use the best techniques possible, and undertake his or her work in the most crafty and acute manner by which he is able, but he cannot control the inner state of receptivity on the part of the consumer. That is almost entirely the duty or the affair of the individual consumer of information. If someone else wants to discuss this issue of information dispersal versus information receptivity, then feel free, but as for me, and at this moment, I intend to avoid the issue as a momentary distraction to the other more important points at hand.)

It also occurred to me this morning, after teaching my classes, that the same sort of thing happens in Role Play Gaming, and that moreover in such an environment such “triggering of the human imagination” is often a corporate act, as much as an act of the creator of the plot, storyline, and/or milieu being explored. (And if indeed it is an act of both the corporate and individual imagination, then this in itself might be an important clue towards the feasibility and dynamic nature of important methods of “imaginative triggering.”) That being the case it seemed to me that this website and forum would be the perfect place to solicit further ideas for this discussion. And that a discussion of role-play techniques and methods geared specifically towards the architecture of imagination might yield vital and important clues towards even larger issues of the mind and visionary invention.

Now there may indeed be, and I very much suspect that indeed there are, more or less Universal Techniques and Methods for the “triggering of the human imagination” in the way in which I am framing the issue. (Techniques that may vary in application according to media type, or in discipline or field of endeavor, but are still interchangeable in intent and basis of intended achievement.) However let’s put that possibility aside for the moment and work at the problem inductively.

Let me ask the question(s) very simply in this way: What techniques or methods do you employ as a DM (or even as a player), adventure writer, milieu creator, and so forth that seems to you to “trigger the human imagination” in a very intense and enduring fashion? So that your work takes on a “virtual life of its own in the mind of your consumers,” and/or so that it continues to excite your consumers long after the actual act of the game is concluded? And how do you go about employing such techniques on a consistent basis in order to repeat these effects in a systematic and continuing manner?

I’m looking forward to your answers, ideas, opinions, and speculations…

Jack7

Challenge Summary: The PC fights a zombie and the imp from the previous encounter if it managed to flee from him. This interrupts the necromancer's ritual and causes uncontrolled necrotic energies to ravage him. The PC must choose between helping him and continuing to fight his other enemies. If the necromancer dies, he rises as a deathlock wight (Monster Manual) and attacks the PC.

Introducing The Challenge: After the PC has defeated the skeletons, and the imp has either fled or been defeated as well, the PC may venture deeper into the cave. The cave tunnel eventually opens out into a large natural cavern. If the PC has played through A Touch of Shadow, this is the same room as Challenge #7 of that adventure. At the far side of the cavern, a figure in dark robes chants harsh-sounding words. A zombie stands guard near the entrance. If the imp is present, it is next to the zombie.

Running the Challenge: The cavern covers a 10-square by 10-square area. Unless the PC played through A Touch Of Shadow and managed to close the rift, what appears to be a sphere composed of glowing purplish energy hangs in the air near the centre of the edge of the cavern opposite the entrance. Any creature that starts its turn within 5 squares of the sphere takes 5 points of necrotic damage. The necromancer is adjacent to the sphere. The zombie is in one of the squares adjacent to the entrance. If the imp is present, it is adjacent to the zombie. If the PC took a short rest after Challenge #5, the imp has also spent a healing surge and regained 10 hit points. If the PC does not carry a light source, the area is dimly lit, either from the sphere, or from glowing runes inscribed in a circle around the necromancer.

The necromancer spends a standard action each round to perform the ritual and leaves it to the zombie and imp (if present) to fight the PC. The zombie focuses on keeping the PC away from the necromancer, using its zombie grab to immobilize the PC. If present, the imp repeats its tactics in the previous challenge, using vanish to turn invisible and then attacking the PC with tail sting.

The situation changes once one of the following occurs: the PC deals damage to the necromancer or prevents him from performing the ritual for one round (the necromancer has AC 18, other defenses 16); or (if the PC is fighting both the zombie and the imp) the PC destroys either the zombie or the imp; or (if the PC is only fighting the zombie) the PC deals damage to the zombie. When this happens, the necromancer loses his concentration and purplish necromantic energy engulfs him. The necromancer starts dying and must make death saving throws at the end of his turn.

If the PC decides to try and save the necromancer, this part of the encounter can be run as a skill challenge. In order to earn a success, the PC must spend a standard action and succeed at a DC 18 Heal check. If the PC did not take an extended rest during the interlude, the DC of the Heal check is 17 instead. The PC does not accumulate failures for failed Heal checks. However, the necromancer dies if the PC does not manage to earn four successes before he fails three death saves. In addition, the PC may also make use of the following skills and abilities during this challenge:

Religion: Allow the PC to make a Religion check as a free action when he starts helping the necromancer. This represents his ability to use minor religious rituals to keep the necrotic energy at bay. If he succeeds on a DC 14 Religion check, he gains a +2 bonus to his next Heal check. If he succeeds on a DC 18 Religion check, he also gains a +2 bonus to all subsequent Heal checks, and if he succeeds on a DC 22 Religion check, he also automatically succeeds on his first Heal check to help the necromancer. A failed Religion check does not count as a failure for the challenge. However, the PC may only make one Religion check during this challenge; this represents the extent of his knowledge at the time.

Channel Divinity: Divine Mettle: If the necromancer succeeds on his saving throw, the PC may choose to either earn one success or negate one failed death save. Other abilities that grant additional saving throws have a similar effect.

Lay on Hands: If the PC uses lay on hands on the necromancer, he earns one success. The PC may earn at most one success from using lay on hands.

If the necromancer fails three death saves and dies, he rises on his next turn as a deathlock wight and starts attacking the PC. The deathlock wight prefers to attack from range. If it does not start its turn adjacent to the PC, or if it starts its turn adjacent to the PC, but is able to shift away, it attacks with grave bolt. If it starts its turn adjacent to the PC and is unable to shift away, it attacks with horrific visage (if it is available) or with its claw. It uses reanimate on the zombie after it is destroyed as soon as it can do so without provoking opportunity attacks.

If the PC manages to save the necromancer, he earns XP as if he had defeated the deathlock wight in combat. The necromancer will be very weak after the ordeal and will not put up any resistance if the PC turns him over to the authorities. The PC also earns a quest award of 150 XP if he either defeats the deathlock wight or captures the necromancer. In addition to the promised monetary reward, the PC may also claim the necromancer's skull mask (5th level, Adventurer's Vault).

FireLance

While I've been crossposting to ENWorld and my Blogger Account, I have just been accepted into the Comment Luv testing of the new WP software. So, if you've enjoyed my posts in the past, or just want to assist in the updating of this killer app, please check out the link provided above and here so that they can see additional numbers on traffic.

Slainte,

-Loonook.

Loonook

A few months ago, Janice and I rented some video games for our Nintendo Wii. Wii Music was decent, with a wide array of instruments and styles. Since Janice took piano and violin lessons growing up, I was at a disadvantage in figuring out the rhythms and controls. Still, we may eventually buy this game.

Star Wars: Clone Wars--Lightsaber Duels is based on the well-done Cartoon Network television show, the latest installment in George Lucas' space opera saga. The characters and audio clips are taken from that computer-animated series, which is a good tie-in for young audiences.

However, I found that the Wii Remote, or "Wiimote," didn't translate very well to the Jedi signature weapon, and the fights quickly became repetitive. Thus, I unfortunately can't recommend Lightsaber Duels, and I hope for a video game that isn't too complicated or require lots of time or expertise (as Soulcaliber IV or The Force Unleashed seem to).

For now, I'm happy with occasionally playing Lego Star Wars: The Complete Saga and the tabletop D20 Star Wars: Saga Edition role-playing game, but a well-done massively multiplayer online game (MMO) such as the upcoming Old Republic could lure me back to that galaxy far, far away. Of course, there's also a small space-opera rival called Star Trek Online, which might get a boost in popularity from the recent film, even if the latter is a continuity reboot.

Speaking of MMOs, while I miss travel powers such as flight in City of Heroes ("CoH"), David I.S., Dexter V.H., and I enjoyed exploring J.R.R. Tolkien's Middle Earth in Lord of the Rings Online ("LotRO"). I don't know whether I'll get as far as I did in CoH (28 out of 50 levels), but I have enough different characters right now to provide different perspectives and glimpses of locations, characters, and monsters from that classic fantasy setting.

Speaking of superheroes, there are a number of promising video games in the works, including DC Universe Online, Batman: Arkham Asylum, and Champions Online. In the meantime, I have Lego Batman and Marvel Ultimate Alliance (for which a sequel is coming) to keep me busy. However, I've been using the Wii Fit more lately, and reading comic books rather than playing games based on them.

Before my recent (and brief) layoff and before Dave and Dex got busy with schoolwork, we played LotRO on Friday nights and/or Sunday mornings, while the rest of the "Dimensional Corps Online" supergroup has been logging into CoH on Tuesday evenings, among other times. Some of my other friends and former co-workers play the same MMOs, but on different servers.

In addition, my face-to-face D&D4e "Vanished Lands: the Faith-Based Initiative" fantasy role-playing group still meets most Mondays. That adventuring party has continued its quest for barbarian relics, defeating numerous ninjas in a Dwarven mountain citadel, creeping through a haunted forest, and defeating a witch and her minions in a strange pagoda.

Meanwhile, the Pathfinder: "Holy Steel" teleconferencing team has finally regained momentum on Sunday nights. That group is in Pi-Ramesses, capital of New Kingdom Egypt, attempting to exonerate its Paladin of charges of treason against Pharaoh Ramses II and fight the cult of Set.

The debate between supporters of Dungeons & Dragons Fourth Edition and other rules systems such as Pathfinder has continued, and the current Boston-area gamers haven't yet shifted to the D20 Mutants & Masterminds 2nd Ed. superhero scenarios or Star Wars: Saga Edition. So many games, so little time!

edemaitre

Between playing in three different D&D campaigns and my new soul-sucking job, I haven't found the time and energy to blog. Even though I should be sleeping right now I want to at least do something. Since I'm too tired to do crazy, I guess I just amaze you with more tales of my DMing.

In a previous blog post, I stated that I was gonna run Dungeon Crawl Classics 58: The Forgotten Portal. After three sessions, I ran my players through about a third of the module. If it really does take 9 sessions to run, I would have paid $1.77 per session's worth of material. What a great deal! Of course, they might finish it sooner so it might change the total cost per session. I'll inform you all of the final cost per session when's it's done. Spoiler: it'll still be a great deal.

Of course, killing three characters (and writing up/getting used to two new characters) tends to slow things down a great deal. Jack99 was right; some of those combats do need tweaking. Elite Soldiers that are five levels above the party are almost impossible to hit. They can also singlehandly kill 3 PCs in one fight. Certain powers and good tactics would have allowed them to win without anyone dying but you can't always count on that. Luckily, my group has an entire backup squad of PCs so we were able to get through that.

After my player group goes through this adventure, I want to write a detailed review/E-companion/advice/etc. for the adventure. So what do I do in the meantime? Well I can always mine Level Up for material to use. I can't wait to throw a monster with the "Hell Beast" Templete at them I also plan to run the little adventure in it called "The Hill Giant Thane" after they complete this module. I can also screw around with custom treasure. I'm including things called "upgrade crystals" which convert certain level 2 items into level 7 items. It basically means I'm upgrading some +1 items into +2 items.

It turns out that I really didn't have a problem adjusting the story of the module to fit within the campaign. Subtract x and add y and it's all good. It was a lot easier since a friend and I were taking turns DMing this campaign. He had a great set up that was simple for me to follow up on. I will quickly explain the story so far:

Long ago the people of the land worshipped devils and made sacrifices of blood in order to appease them. One day, a great warrior named Karl The Eagle Lord left his home village. He spent many years searching for a way to defeat the devils and stop the blood sacrifices. After countless adventures and trials, he found a great blessed bird. With the aid of the blessed bird, Karl returned to his homeland and defeated the devils. From one blessed bird came many others and from them a great age of peace and propersity came to the land.

But nothing lasts forever. The darken hand of the devils raise again. With the blessed birds nearly wiped out and those in power becoming corrupted by the devils, a new age of blood seems to be at hand. The world's only hope is a band of heros. With the last blessed bird in tow, they search for a way to strike back at the darkness. Their search has lead them to the home village of the Eagle Lord. There they must enter an anceint temple and defeat a corrupted priest. What dangers will they face? Will they survive the challenge? Will the temple hold the key to victory or will it become their graves?

MichaelSomething

This is the 4E class for anyone who feels overwhelmed by the power choices in 4E or constrained by 4E's power descriptions and just wants simple attacks that may be flavored however the player wants.

The Armsman
"I attack."

Class Traits

Role: Striker. You are able to make damaging attacks with your weapons. You also have high hit points and good armor, so you lean towards defender as a secondary role.
Power Source: Martial. You depend on your fighting skill and the occasional stroke of luck.
Key Abilities: Strength, Dexterity, Constitution.

Armor Proficiencies: Cloth, leather, hide, chainmail, scale, plate; light shield, heavy shield
Weapon Proficiencies: Simple melee, military melee, simple ranged, military ranged
Bonus to Defense: +1 Fortitude, +1 Reflex

Hit Points at 1st Level: 15 + Constitution score
Hit Points per Level Gained: 6
Healing Surges per Day: 7 + Constitution modifier

Trained Skills: Athletics and Endurance. From the class skills list below, choose one more trained skill at 1st level.
Class Skills: Athletics (Str), Endurance (Con), Intimidate (Cha), Streetwise (Cha)

Class Features: Armsman Weapon Talent, Background Skill, Combat Flexibility

An armsman is a competent warrior that functions well in melee and at range. He focuses on making simple but effective attacks.

Armsman Class Features

Armsman Weapon Talent
You gain a +1 bonus to attack rolls and a +2 bonus to damage rolls when you use a power that has the weapon keyword. The bonus to damage rolls increases to +3 if you use a two-handed weapon or a versatile weapon wielded in two hands.
At 11th level, the bonus to damage rolls increases to +4, or +6 if you use a two-handed weapon or a versatile weapon wielded in two hands.
At 21st level, the bonus to damage rolls increases to +6, or +9 if you use a two-handed weapon or a versatile weapon wielded in two hands.

Background Skill
You gain training in one additional skill.

Combat Flexibility
You may expend an armsman encounter attack power to use any other armsman encounter attack power of lower level, even if it is one that you do not know.

Armsman Powers

Unlike most other classes, an armsman does not need to choose encounter, daily or utility powers because there is only a single power at each level. An armsman only needs to select two of the three at-will powers available to him at 1st level (a human armsman does not even need to make this choice). When an encounter or daily attack power allows an armsman to use an at-will armsman attack power, he may select an at-will armsman attack power that he does not know.

Level 1 At-Will Exploits

Weapon Attack
Armsman Attack 1
You attack your opponent.
At-Will * Martial, Weapon
Standard Action
Melee or Ranged weapon
Target: One creature
Attack: Strength vs. AC (melee) or Dexterity vs. AC (ranged)
Hit: 1[W] + Strength modifier + Dexterity modifier damage.
Increase damage to 2[W] + Strength modifier + Dexterity modifier damage at 21st level.
Special: Weapons with the heavy thrown property use Strength instead of Dexterity for attack rolls when you make a ranged attack with this power. If you use a light blade, you may use Dexterity instead of Strength for attack rolls when you make a melee attack with this power.

Weapon Interference
Armsman Attack 1
Your attack interferes with your opponent's attack.
At-Will * Martial, Weapon
Standard Action
Melee or Ranged weapon
Target: One creature
Attack: Strength vs. AC (melee) or Dexterity vs. AC (ranged)
Hit: 1[W] + Strength modifier damage (melee) or 1[W] + Dexterity modifier damage (ranged), and the target takes a -2 penalty to attack rolls until the end of your next turn.
Increase damage to 2[W] + Strength modifier damage (melee) or 2[W] + Dexterity modifier damage (ranged) at 21st level.
Special: Weapons with the heavy thrown property use Strength instead of Dexterity for attack rolls and damage rolls when you make a ranged attack with this power. If you use a light blade, you may use Dexterity instead of Strength for attack rolls and damage rolls when you make a melee attack with this power.

Weapon Trick
Armsman Attack 1
Your attack leaves your opponent less able to defend against your next attack.
At-Will * Martial, Weapon
Standard Action
Melee or Ranged weapon
Target: One creature
Attack: Strength vs. AC (melee) or Dexterity vs. AC (ranged)
Hit: 1[W] + Strength modifier damage (melee) or 1[W] + Dexterity modifier damage (ranged), and you gain a +2 bonus to the next attack roll you make against the target before the end of your next turn.
Increase damage to 2[W] + Strength modifier damage (melee) or 2[W] + Dexterity modifier damage (ranged) at 21st level.
Special: Weapons with the heavy thrown property use Strength instead of Dexterity for attack rolls and damage rolls when you make a ranged attack with this power. If you use a light blade, you may use Dexterity instead of Strength for attack rolls and damage rolls when you make a melee attack with this power.

Level 1 Encounter Exploit

Power Surge
Armsman Attack 1
A surge of adrenaline allows you to hit hard.
Encounter * Martial, Weapon
Standard Action
Melee or Ranged weapon
Target: One creature
Effect: Use an armsman at-will attack power. If the attack hits, you deal an additional 1[W] damage.

Level 1 Daily Exploit

Dazing Luck
Armsman Attack 1
A lucky hit hinders your opponent for a short while.
Daily * Martial, Reliable, Weapon
Standard Action
Melee or Ranged weapon
Target: One creature
Effect: Use an armsman at-will attack power. If the attack hits, you deal an additional 1[W] damage and the target is dazed until the end of your next turn.

Level 2 Utility Exploit

Dart and Sprint
Armsman Utility 2
A surge of adrenaline allows you to move quickly.
Encounter * Martial
Minor Action
Personal
Effect: You may shift one square. You also gain a +2 bonus to your speed until the start of your next turn.

Level 3 Encounter Exploit

Swift Surge
Armsman Attack 3
A surge of adrenaline allows you to make two quick, simple attacks.
Encounter * Martial, Weapon
Standard Action
Melee or Ranged weapon
Targets: One or two creatures
Attack: Strength vs. AC (melee) or Dexterity vs. AC (ranged), two attacks. You may make any combination of melee and ranged attacks, and you may target a different creature with each attack.
Hit: 1[W] + Strength modifier damage (melee) or 1[W] + Dexterity modifier damage (ranged) per attack.
Special: Weapons with the heavy thrown property use Strength instead of Dexterity for attack rolls and damage rolls when you make a ranged attack with this power. If you use a light blade, you may use Dexterity instead of Strength for attack rolls and damage rolls when you make a melee attack with this power.

Level 5 Daily Exploit

Lucky Graze
Armsman Attack 5
A lucky hit gets through your opponent's defences.
Daily * Martial, Weapon
Standard Action
Melee or Ranged weapon
Target: One creature
Attack: Strength vs. AC (melee) or Dexterity vs. AC (ranged)
Hit: 4[W] + Strength modifier damage (melee) or 4[W] + Dexterity modifier damage (ranged).
Miss: Half damage.
Special: If the target does not take damage from this power, it is not expended.
Special: Weapons with the heavy thrown property use Strength instead of Dexterity for attack rolls when you make a ranged attack with this power. If you use a light blade, you may use Dexterity instead of Strength for attack rolls and damage rolls when you make a melee attack with this power.

Level 6 Utility Exploit

Combat Vigor
Armsman Utility 6
A surge of adrenaline grants you greater endurance.
Encounter * Martial
Minor Action
Personal
Effect: You gain temporary hit points equal to 5 + your Constitution modifier. If you are bloodied, the number of temporary hit points you gain equals 5 + half your level + your Constitution modifier instead.

Level 7 Encounter Exploit

Follow-Up Surge
Armsman Attack 7
A surge of adrenaline spurs you to follow up on a successful attack.
Encounter * Martial, Weapon
Standard Action
Melee or Ranged weapon
Target: One creature
Effect: Use an armsman at-will attack power. If the attack hits, you may make a melee or ranged basic attack against the target.

Level 9 Daily Exploit

Devastating Luck
Armsman Attack 9
A lucky hit threatens a vulnerable spot on your opponent.
Daily * Martial, Reliable, Weapon
Standard Action
Melee or Ranged weapon
Target: One creature
Effect: Use an armsman at-will attack power. If the attack hits, you deal an additional 3[W] damage.

Level 10 Utility Exploit

Combat Resilience
Armsman Utility 10
A surge of adrenaline allows you to recover more quickly.
Encounter * Martial
Minor Action
Personal
Effect: You gain a power bonus to all saving throws equal to your Constitution modifier until the start of your next turn.

Level 13 Encounter Exploit

Furious Surge
Armsman Attack 13
A surge of adrenaline allows you to hit harder.
Encounter * Martial, Weapon
Standard Action
Melee or Ranged weapon
Target: One creature
Effect: Use an armsman at-will attack power. If the attack hits, you deal an additional 2[W] damage.

Level 15 Daily Exploit

Stunning Luck
Armsman Attack 15
A lucky hit leaves your opponent unable to act for a short while.
Daily * Martial, Reliable, Weapon
Standard Action
Melee or Ranged weapon
Target: One creature
Effect: Use an armsman at-will attack power. If the attack hits, you deal an additional 2[W] damage and the target is stunned until the end of your next turn. Aftereffect: The target is dazed until the end of your next turn.

Level 16 Utility Exploit

Combat Evasion
Armsman Utility 16
A surge of adrenaline allows you to reduce the effect of an attack.
Encounter * Martial
Immediate Interrupt
Personal
Trigger: You are hit by an attack
Effect: You take half damage from the attack. If the attack imposes an effect that a save can end, you may make an immediate saving throw against the effect.

Level 17 Encounter Exploit

Rapid Surge
Armsman Attack 17
A surge of adrenaline allows you to make three quick, simple attacks.
Encounter * Martial, Weapon
Standard Action
Melee or Ranged weapon
Targets: One, two or three creatures
Attack: Strength vs. AC (melee) or Dexterity vs. AC (ranged), three attacks. You may make any combination of melee and ranged attacks, and you may target a different creature with each attack.
Hit: 1[W] + Strength modifier damage (melee) or 1[W] + Dexterity modifier damage (ranged) per attack.
Special: Weapons with the heavy thrown property use Strength instead of Dexterity for attack rolls and damage rolls when you make a ranged attack with this power. If you use a light blade, you may use Dexterity instead of Strength for attack rolls and damage rolls when you make a melee attack with this power.

Level 19 Daily Exploit

Lucky Break
Armsman Attack 19
A lucky hit breaks through your opponent's defences.
Daily * Martial, Weapon
Standard Action
Melee or Ranged weapon
Target: One creature
Attack: Strength vs. AC (melee) or Dexterity vs. AC (ranged)
Hit: 6[W] + Strength modifier damage (melee) or 6[W] + Dexterity modifier damage (ranged).
Miss: Half damage.
Special: If the target does not take damage from this power, it is not expended.
Special: Weapons with the heavy thrown property use Strength instead of Dexterity for attack rolls when you make a ranged attack with this power. If you use a light blade, you may use Dexterity instead of Strength for attack rolls and damage rolls when you make a melee attack with this power.

Level 22 Utility Exploit

Lucky Dodge
Armsman Utility 22
A stroke of luck enables you to avoid an attack.
Daily * Martial
Immediate Interrupt
Personal
Trigger: You are hit by an attack
Effect: The attack misses.

Level 23 Encounter Exploit

Follow-Through Surge
Armsman Attack 23
A surge of adrenaline spurs you to follow through with a successful attack.
Encounter * Martial, Weapon
Standard Action
Melee or Ranged weapon
Target: One creature
Effect: Use an armsman at-will attack power. If the attack hits, you may use the same armsman at-will attack power or another armsman at-will attack power against the target.

Level 25 Daily Exploit

Deadly Luck
Armsman Attack 25
A lucky hit threatens a vital spot on your opponent.
Daily * Martial, Reliable, Weapon
Standard Action
Melee or Ranged weapon
Target: One creature
Effect: Use an armsman at-will attack power. If the attack hits, you deal an additional 5[W] damage.

Level 27 Encounter Exploit

Destructive Surge
Armsman Attack 27
A surge of adrenaline allows you to hit even harder.
Encounter * Martial, Weapon
Standard Action
Melee or Ranged weapon
Target: One creature
Effect: Use an armsman at-will attack power. If the attack hits, you deal an additional 3[W] damage.

Level 29 Daily Exploit

Incapacitating Luck
Armsman Attack 29
A lucky hit leaves your opponent helpless for a short while.
Daily * Martial, Reliable, Weapon
Standard Action
Melee or Ranged weapon
Target: One creature
Effect: Use an armsman at-will attack power. If the attack hits, you deal an additional 3[W] damage and the target is unconscious until the end of your next turn or until it takes damage. Aftereffect: The target is stunned until the end of your next turn. Aftereffect: The target is dazed until the end of your next turn.

FireLance

Ok, so I get to game and get ambushed. My FLGS had asked Dave to run the game day adventure (It wasn’t the first time, when ever the kid that works there can’t they ask him). However he couldn’t so guess who he said would do it. ME!?!?!?!?!?!?
So what was I suppose to say, I was signed up to play in the second game (They are running one at noon and one at 5pm). I guess they need someone to run both. I am free. However I have very little DM experience. I guess Dave figured I was doing well at picking all this stuff up, and I need more running time. What was I going to say, it’s not like I could say I couldn’t. So I guess I need to tell you guys how that goes too.

So back to tonight’s game, when last we left our heroes, we got to thunder spire. First thing we see is 2 giant statues of dire Minotaur 50 feet tall. As we went to pass them, they spoke a warning about violence within, and that merchants should head to the seven pillared hall, and that parents should keep there children close.
I knew then it was a wizard, or a guild of wizards running this place. It had to be, that or Walt Disney. No one else make animatronics…I mean magic mouths…like that.
So we enter this little hallway, and started walking. There were floating lanterns of ever burning hanging mid air ever 75-80ft, making the way pretty lit.
Well we are walking we notice a side shaft that isn’t lit. Now we were just warned not to go off the path, so what do we do…

So down this new path is pitch black. We of course bring our own light. You ever wonder how smart it would be to hold lights in a pitch black room full of enemies…it makes you a target real quick. SOoo, it started with the 4 Kobold sly blades, then the like 500 minions (I swear Dave just took every kobold he owned including reaper minis and used them) then the 3 wyrm priests. We used an old, but underused tactic against overwhelming forces…RETREAT. Lucky for us, they didn’t pursue past the lights.

Then we walked into what The seven pillar Hall and it was a normal town, if you think Drow, and troglodyte and durger are in normal towns. Tracking the hobgobs might be a bit harder then we thought.

So we feel back on ye old streetwise check. Then we meet Rat. Rat is a small kobold, and I mean small for a kobold. It was pretty easy to see most people underestimate him, that meant he knew a lot about what was going on. He gave us our first real clue on where to look. However it meant going deeper into the spire, and outside of the safety of the hall. But heck you don’t become an adventurer to play it safe right…

So we follow Rats advice, and head down into the spire, we get to a place called the “Hall of eyes” it is pretty freaky. It was a couple chained up goblins, and I think it was meant to be a skill challenge, but a AOE attack from Renard killed both minions before they could talk. I guess they might have sounded an alarm, so we had (al be it begrudgingly) admit it might have been a good idea.


So we go to the main door, and it has a warning written on it. Tor goes to read it and it says “Warning explosive ruins” So much for sneaking in when the door blows up and does damage to two of three strikers and your defender. By the way some how this ‘blast three” was pretty powerful on the back end only, I got crit (in the last square) well no one else took any real damage. I thin they took like 11 pts, well I took max on 5d6 then +2d10 (40), Syl got missed and took half damage.
By the way that lead to the surprise round, with a Hobgoblin Commander, a Bugbear Warrior, a Bugbear Headhunter, and 12 Hobgoblin Warriors. I was down before I even got to my initiative. Not just any down either, I was at -24 (2pts from dead). So first rounf Cap yells out “Hey, no laying down on the job, kick some but” putting me back in the fight. My first action is to stand, then attack a bugbear. Before I go again I am back on my back (-2 this time). So this time Cap yells “Lass what are you doing, it is war time not nap time” and I get back up, this time I make I use my round to second wind. That brought me to 31hp, not even bloodied, should be fine right. WRONG. The dumb bugbear grabs me, and uses me as a shield. Then I get hit by Syl’s rescue attempt (Leaving me at 3hp) So I yell at Lucen to blow up both of us with an AOE…end the damn fight. So he does, and what happens…Crit me (and max on the magic D6 so 19 damage…-16) and miss the stupid bug bear on a nat 1. DM dave decided that the bug bear would decide to hold or let the body go based on his recharge roll. He recharged the use me as a shield power, so he held it doing another 9 damage ( 1hp from dead) then asked if he could leave, or if they would risk killing me…
It was like a movie, hostage taken, and the police have to let the guy go. Of course Syl dropped her dagger, and Cap said “You have my word, leave her and go”, Torr rorred then turned his back on the bugbear. It looked like Lucen might try something, but he too said “go”. And of course then came all too edgy renard. He held his pact blade up, and channeled hellfire and his will into it, then with tears in his eyes he…dropped the blade and said in a whisper “go…I can’t lose another one”
So he dropped me and ran, I missed my death save (second of the encounter) but was stabilized with a potion.

and then the Dm got sick… No I am not kidding. DM Dave spent over an hour in the bathroom with explosive diarrhea. That put a kill on most of the night. I think it was the new pizza place that we tried, because we all had alteast mild runs, but Dave had pepperoni, onion, sausage, bacon, and hat peppers on his. I thought it was too greasy, but I guess it is a good thing we have multi bathrooms to use.

When he was feeling better he gave us XP, and told us to update, (We leveled) and that we would pick up next week with the level up in the short rest.

HardcoreDandDGirl

Okay... to prevent spoilers from occurring I'm just going to post this short blurb for now.

I got to go see Terminator Salvation as part of a pre-screening sort of event... and I have to say I'd give it a 7/10.

The movie is a good popcorn film... but there's a reason why it is being released in May rather than during the swing of the Summer Blockbuster season . In comparison to the last film? Much better.

However, it misses a lot of the oomph of Terminator 1 & 2.

I will say that the saving grace of the film is the ridiculous dialogue and some of the forced use of references to the earlier films... You are going to LOVE Christian Bale as Bruce Connor .

Great FX, cheesy acting... good times.

Probably going to get to see plenty of other pre-screenings due to a friend always looking for a +1... so when able I will post here .

Slainte,

-Loonook.

Loonook

Just writing this up as the beginnings of an adventure arc:

The players serve an elderly adventurer who has taken interest in a specific item from her youth. This item, a fidelia (or loyalty ring), was purloined when she was young. The players delve deeply into her past, finding a tale of love, loss, distrust, bigotry, (in/)justice, and debts long waiting to be repaid. The series of Adventures and sidequests are meant to take players from 1st through 6th level, and will include the following:

-1st-2nd level: The Hazards of Love: Eleanor Walstaff, a talented arcanist and wise woman in the town of Harback, has requested the aid of the players to retrieve a lost trinket of her youth. Using a sympathetic charm placed on the ring, the players are led to a Janilia Foxfend, a young lady of the evening in a city miles from Harback. The lady in question has found nothing but ill luck with the bauble, and the players must track down the lady's affairs and save her from a dangerous situation with a local ne'r'do'well and his lackeys.

-2nd to 3rd: A Heart Hangs: The charm seemingly disappears, and Janilia tells the tale of her father (the man who had given her the ring in hopes that its charm would find her love). The item is traced to its next victim, a man who has taken on too many interested parties. One of these parties, a cruel witchwoman, realizes the player's motives and sets her servants upon them in hopes of retrieving the token for herself.

-3rd to 4th: The Tale of the Rake: Having learned the trickery of the trinket and its fatal consequences, the players find themselves faced with one of its twists; a talented rogue and former acquaintance of Walstaff who is hunted by the spirits of his family. In uncovering the story of his trials, the players are pointed towards the true source of its enchantment.

4th to 5th: To Claim His Due: The story fully unfolds as the players race against the forces following the charm and its creator. The legend of the Walstaff line is uncovered, and the players face off against the true cause of this mess.

Loonook

This is a little story I threw together to cover my deva avenger's background at the start of the FR campaign my friend is GMing. It was inspired in large part by the Ecology of the Deva article in a recent Dragon issue. Enjoy!

I. THE RETURNING
25 Hammer 1479

Enabria, steward of one of Tempus’s sacred circles, glanced up from her dinner preparations and stared hard toward the clearing outside her modest cottage. Her eladrin heritage had blessed her with outstanding hearing; hearing that hadn’t faded much over all her twenty plus decades of life. She was certain she had heard something different – something unnatural – cutting through the brisk winter breeze rattling off the Star Mounts. Swirls of falling snow brushed against the window. Her still-sharp eyes could make out nothing unusual other than the bright snow and the swaying trees and the rugged mountainside beyond the circle.

“Kendrus? Are you awake?” She glanced toward the bedroom she shared with her fellow steward and life companion.

A grunt of assent reached her ears, followed by the rustling sounds of Kendrus rolling over in the bed and rearranging the sheets around his body.

She let a brief smile tug at her mouth, then called again. “Kendrus. I heard something outside. Something…,” she searched for a likely word, “…unusual.”

Another grunt from Kendrus was her answer, but she heard him sigh and get out of the bed soon enough. He shuffled into the main living area of their cottage as he wrapped a thick bedrobe more comfortably around his shoulders. “Eh, what’s that, Ennie? Sommat outside?” He rubbed his bleary eyes.

Enabria pointed her paring knife at the window. “Out there, somewhere near the circle. I didn’t see anything. Just heard something through the wind.”

Kendrus snorted, then cleared his throat. “Well, all the same. I best go on out and have a look. Can’t imagine getting a visitor in this weather, though.” He waved a hand toward the falling snow outside. “I don’t expect the next supply delivery until Ches. No one wants to make the trip through the forest or up these mountains, not in this weather.”

Enabria nodded at Kendrus’s statements and then turned back to her dinner makings. He was reasonably intelligent, for a human midway through his sixth decade. Over her shoulder, she said, “While you’re out there, bring in some more wood for the stove. We could use a little extra tonight, I think. Feels like it’s going to get colder.”

By now, Kendrus had traded his bedrobe for hunter’s leggings and tunic, and had pulled on his boots and thrown a heavy cloak over his shoulders. “That’s all it does in Hammer, love. Get colder. Won’t feel a warm spell for a few months yet.”

He slipped a dagger into the top of one boot and grabbed his shortbow and quiver of arrows. He pulled the cloak shut in front of his modest belly and nodded at her. “I’ll be but a minute or two. While I’m up, I might as well check the traps too. See if we can get us some meat for that Midwinter stew you have in mind.”

She responded with a nod of her own, then braced herself against the sudden chill as he opened the door and pushed himself out into the cold Grey Vale winter.

~~~

Kendrus moved through the door and shut it behind him quick as he could, hoping to preserve what warmth he could inside the house for Ennie’s benefit. Wouldn’t do for her to get cold as well, even though her fey blood somehow kept her comfortable except in the worst cold snaps. He latched the door shut, hunkered down into his cloak, then trudged out into the inches-deep snow toward the treeline, where he’d set up several small game traps.

Much to his pleasure, two of the traps had borne fruit. He cleaned and dressed the trapped beasts, then reset the traps, using a little salted meat as bait. Kendrus headed toward the sacred circle, careful to nod his head in deference, quietly reciting the litany of thanks to the gods for the bounties from the traps.

He paused in his recital, squinted at the circle. He hadn’t heard anything over the crisp wind, but he could have sworn he saw…

Frowning now, the litany forgotten, he took a few steps closer to the circle. He generally didn’t get this close to it except for when he and Ennie came out every month to ritually purify it, but he was a steward of the circle, same as her, and there was something going on inside it that he’d never seen before. By the blood of Tempus, he had never even heard of it before, not even from the stewards he’d inherited the circle from.

Inside the circle, at roughly chest-height, a whirlpool of silvery light spun at a slow, measured pace. A faint humming sound reached his ears. At first he wasn’t sure what it was, and jiggled a finger judiciously in one ear to help clear it in case he was hearing things, but no. The hum grew in volume as the lights picked up pace, spinning faster in alternating tight and loose circles and swirls. The lights separated into more, smaller, lights, and soon thin strands of silvery energy coalesced within the sacred circle, lengthening to a foot, two feet, more.

The hackles on the back of his neck danced and his teeth chattered, if not from the chill, then from a deep crawling sensation within his belly. Something was happening here, something he’d never experienced before. He didn’t understand it, but he felt it. It had the feeling of something otherworldly, monumental.

He glanced back toward the cottage, but saw little of it through the swirling snow. He turned back to the swirling energies within the circle. By now the silvery strands swirled some seven feet in height, from the ground up, and spun around right at the edges of the sacred circle. The strands were spinning so fast now that he had lost count of how many there were. The strands had become ribbons and the ribbons had morphed into a curtained pillar of bright silver energy.

As he stared at the energies, he felt Ennie’s hand press into one of his own. He glanced down at her, at his side, and offered a surprised smile. She had a long black cloak on, clenched shut against the weather. She stared her bright eyes at the curtain of light and smiled.

“It’s happening, Kendrus. By all the gods and the mighty hand of Tempus, it’s happening.” She blinked back tears. “In all my years, I never thought I’d see such a sight.”

Kendrus stared at her, noted that she had a folded burgundy cloak under her free arm. He focused on the spinning, glowing curtain. “Is it a sign from the gods?”

Ennie squeezed his hand. “It’s a Returning.”

As if in confirmation of her statement, the pillar of silver light reached its maximum spinning speed, and the humming modulated into a howl. Then, with a clap of thunder and a flash of blinding light, the whole pillar exploded in a fireworks display of sound and color, and then, all was calm aside from the falling snow and the constant breeze.

Kendrus blinked his eyes several times, trying to clear the bright spots the explosion of light had created. Ennie gave a sharp intake of breath. Together, they stared up and into the sacred circle.

Standing in the center of the circle, on ground strangely devoid of snow, stood a tall man, naked to the elements. At first Kendrus thought the man must be frozen, as he had light blue skin streaked with darker shades, but no. It was the man’s natural skin color, if such a thing could be considered natural. The man had shoulder length hair, dark blue in color.

As Kendrus stared, the man blinked his iris-less ivory eyes and then turned toward Kendrus and Ennie. In a quiet, almost hesitant voice, the man said, “Greetings. I am…,” and here he paused, as if remembering something from the shadowy depths of time. “My name is Amulek.”

Scribe Ineti