Some more initial thoughts about organizations, subject to change.

Gaining and Losing Rank
Any organization should have definite aims and goals, and the most obvious way for a PC to gain rank with respect to that organization is to further its plans.

An organization may offer the PC missions and quests. If a PC completes them successfully, he may gain rank with the organization in addition to whatever other physical rewards (gold and magic items) it offers.

Even if the PC does not work directly for the organization, his accomplishments may help or hinder it, resulting in a corresponding increase or decrease in rank.

Both of the approaches above require some preparation from the DM - either to devise tasks which the organization wants accomplished, or to determine the organization's reaction to the PC's deeds (assuming it comes to know of them).

Alternatively, and perhaps ideally, the PC may take the initiative and come up with his own plans to increase his standing with the organization. The DM could run this as an impromptu complexity 1 (4 successes before 3 failures) skill challenge of a level equal to his current rank +6. The details of the skill challenge will depend on the organization and how the PC chooses to advance himself. If the PC succeeds on the skill challenge, he earns XP for the skill challenge, a one-point increase in rank, and the organization may reward him further, at the DM's discretion.

FireLance

Thread Link

I really haven't had much time for anything lately other than work, and a very few other odds and ends like getting my daughter into the CAP. I haven't even had time to go back and respond to old threads here I've been meaning to respond to.

But this morning, after a somewhat grueling couple of weeks of work and physical training (100 degree heat takes a real toll on an old fart like me) I found in my in-box this morning, along with the usual assortment of requests for contract bids and analysis papers, work projects, and letters from old buddies and friends the first edition of the EN World D&D/RPG Newsletter. Wanting a few minutes of distraction from other concerns I read part of it (I liked it, thought it a little overdone and busy in some respects, namely layout - I think it could be a little better organized - then again it is the first edition and I'm still reorganizing my newsletters a decade or more later, but interesting, fun, and informative) and clicked on a link to an article.

After reading the article and one of the associated articles I had to admit I either agreed for the most part, or, almost completely agreed, with the conclusions of both writers.


Statements that struck me as interesting and worth considering in these articles were such as these:

(I agree with this to an extent, and for the most part, but not entirely.)

It certainly is. Measure twice, cut once.

and...

(I think it is about more than this, I think it is about encouraging real world heroism in real people through the game as just one example of how people can mentally and psychologically practice the ideals of heroism, after all you become in life what you train for, even if the training scenario is really just an imaginary exercise, but I thought that article line was a good, general statement about the role play game experience.)


Anywho I found both articles interesting.

I thought some of you guys might like to discuss some of the ideas presented in these articles.

I for one am glad to hear game designers and those working in the gaming industry once again talking about heroism, history, and wonder. As opposed to just mechanics and math.

Well, it's back to the mill.

Jack7

I've been doing some thinking about the real differences between the tabletop and the computer/console for a gaming experience, and I think I might be onto something.

First thing to start with is the idea that a medium affects the things you can do with it. This is assumed by pretty much any storyteller ever: the medium affects the story you can tell. The story you deliver in a book format is different than the story you can deliver in music, which is slightly orthogonal to the story you can tell in epic poetry, etc., etc. Creative types -- people with stories to tell -- find a medium that they can speak through and try to tell you stories through that medium.

That's basic fiction theory, of course.

The fact of the matter is that the tabletop and the computer are different mediums of game-playing as well (as are cards, or dice, or board games, or whatever). They affect the kinds of games you can play with them.

When you're playing a video game, your options are limited, but that doesn't matter to you. The "raw fun unit" of a videogame is control. It's like figuring out how to use a tool: your mind communicates something into the world, and as a result, things happen. Cause and effect, basic physics, the potential for you to advance (get a high score or approach the "complete" game) -- it's all based around "I tell you to do something, and you do it" kind of control. In a videogame, if you reach a dead end, you just press buttons until something happens. This is pretty impossible in any kind of table-top game.

What's unique to the table top, is freedom. Your options are unlimited, which is why you can't just try all your options -- you effectively have more options than you could ever try. It's also why we need a GM -- a judge -- to tell us what happens when we take an option. A human hand can guide the events much better than a dispassionate, raw physics engine (or heavy simulation).

In my mind, a "pure tabletop game," using the medium to it's greatest advantage, would focus entirely on that freedom. This means it would be necessarily fairly rules-light and abstract. It would be modular and easy to design for, allowing individual GMs to fully master their own games, and to make them distinct. It wouldn't be tied to a genre or a playstyle. It may be tied to a central resolution mechanic -- what to roll when you want to do something, and how that roll is modified.

I don't see 4e very strongly focusing on that freedom (not that any other edition necessarily did more or less -- talking about 4e as 4e here, not in comparison to other D&D's). It's codified, complex, defined, genre-specific, obsessed with combat and the minutae of pushing around plastic toys. It's tethered to that, and limited by that.

I don't think most games use the medium to the best of its ability. Indeed, some of the best (GURPS? T20?) pointlessly tether themselves. It's easy to have complexity, after all. Simplicity is difficult and doesn't really sell books.

But if D&D and the tabletop in general want to dodge the slow bleeding death from a million little digital cuts, they're going to need to accentuate that freedom, that unique capacity to "do anything." Replace the powers system with the stunt system in 4e. Make GURPS less modular, more cohesive. Leave videogames the "make a choice between two things" territory, and embrace "do as thou wilt."

In fact, the tabletop has been mired in ways to limit freedom. That won't survive. If players want to choose between limited options, videogames are much easier, and much more satisfying. The tabletop needs to hone it's own unique contribution: the ability to go wild, go off-script, and blaze your own trail.

More thoughts later, more than likely.

PS: Pic is supposed to be evocative of a setting I'm kind of half-working on called Infinite Skies. It's conceived of as a D&D setting entirely on floating islands above a planet of choking dust where giant mechanical deities lie (and occasionally stir). The central idea in that setting is one of "freedom:" something that can only be unique to table-top games.

Kamikaze Midget

Too many times I found people asking for good fluff and too many times I posted links to places where they can find/buy it. Well enough of it! This Blog Post is where I will place said links to good fluff books. In the future, I will just post a link to this Blog Post whenever someone asks for good fluff. More will be added as they are discovered/remembered. This will save me time and frustration in the long run.

Pathfinder Chronicles: Classic Monsters Revisited (OGL)
If you want monster fluff, this should be at the top of your list.

In fact, this page should be on your favorites list if you really want good fluff and lots of it.

Dragon Monster Ecologies
Notice a pattern here? I think if these Paizo people decided to spearhead the continuation of a previous edition, they would stand a good chance of doing so.

Kobold Ecologies
Because you can never have enough ecologies it seems.

Goodman Game flavor books
Goodman Games is the leading 3PP for 4E. Of course they have setting books.

AEG Ultimate Toolbox
If nothing else, it's the biggest book of its kind. It's quite a "tool." hehehe

That's all the fluff I know. If you wish for your fluffly RPG book to be added, post a plug or something. I'll also glady accept review copies/PDFs. I gladly make that sacifice for the RPG community.

MichaelSomething

Today, we’re gonna tackle some issues; issues regarding the “15-minute adventuring day“. This is one of those issues that people talk about, but no one has talked about it in a while. Grab some coffee before you start reading this because this is gonna take a while.

Let’s start by defining the “15 minute adventuring day.” It’s when a group of adventurers in an RPG setting are active for a very short period of time in a day. It's can also be when a party fights one encounter, expels all of their resources defeating it and then goes off and rests until tomorrow.

What are the causes of the “15 minute adventuring day?” This is due many factors. The first factor is having a system where you are given daily resources you can expend. Once you spend a daily resource, you can not use it again until you rest or wait until tomorrow. The second factor is situations like combat or other encounters that require players use resources in order to pass. Also, the more resources you are willing to spend overcoming a situation, the more likely you are to succeed at it. The third is that having less of those resources equals being more likely to lose (which can lead to your character dieing and all sorts of bad things). This type of resource system can encourage players to use many daily resources in a few situations and then simply wait until tomorrow to regain said daily resources. Players can and will act in this way in order to ensure that they are successful.

Now some people consider this a problem. I’m not sure that many people explain why this is a problem to them but it’s been a while since there’s been a topic discussing it. I guess I’ll have to explain and/or figure it out. One type of complaint is the story-based complaint. Rarely do you see a fictional hero stop doing heroic deeds simply because they lack the ability to continue the adventure. The “15 minute adventuring day” does not fit some people’s ideas on how fantasy should be. The second is a game preference issue. Many people prefer to play a game of resource optimization. They want to play a game where the goal is to do as much as possible with as few resources as possible. They want to play a game where problems like, “should I spend this resource to overcome this encounter or save it for later where it could be needed more?” and “how can I manage these resources to get the most bang for my buck?” exists.

I would like to take the time to note that the “15 minute adventuring day” may not always be a problem. During a 3.5 campaign, a 6th level party entire day was once traveling to one CR 10 encounter, defeating it, and then resting after the encounter because they had no resources left. Despite the fact they only had one fight that whole day, the decision to end the day after that fight was a smart decision. In fact, they would have been foolish to continue afterwards. In 3.5, a party is suppose to defeat 4 encounters of CR equal to their level. Four encounters at the same level are equal to the one encounter that is three CR higher then those four encounters. That means that the one CR 10 encounter is equal to 4 CR 6 encounters. Once in a while, the “15 minute adventuring day” can’t be avoided.

Now, assuming you want to not have a “15 minute adventuring day,” how would you go about doing so? Really, the most important thing is that you do something about it. Don’t assume the “15 minute adventuring day” won’t happen. You may need to take some type of action to prevent it. Luckily, there are many in game ways to do so. For one, you could simply limit how much a PC party can rest. Be sure to come up with good reasons like not having a safe place to rest or something like that. You could also provide some incentive to not rest. The best way to encourage something is to reward it. Time sensitive tasks are yet another method. There are many ways you can alter your game to eliminate the “15 minute adventuring day.” As always, the adventure and system you use has an effect. Adjusting/changing the gaming system you play can solve this or any problem you may have. Like many problems, it can be fixed.


Feel free to post your opinions, questions, and corrections. I suspect there is something I overlooked or missed.

MichaelSomething

Sometime last fall, I decided to write some small reviews about the 4e products that I bought. I am not even sure why I got that idea, but as it turns out, it had some very interesting consequences.

Now, I have always been a honest (some would say blunt) person, so that was naturally reflected in my reviews. I am sure a lot of people do not like it, whereas others like it. One of those was Angellis_ater from Dreamscarred Press. I gave his first 4e product a fairly poor (read abysmal) review, but instead of taking it personally, he reached out and asked for advice (fool! ). 4e was very new for him, and he wanted someone to give him feedback on the crunch he was going write for a reskinning of the cleric class that he was going to write.

I must admit, that at this point, I had never seen myself as being anything else than a DM, let alone as someone helping creating a product that would see the light of the day. I did however initially take his question a bit as a dare (Sure, it's easy to review and tell other people what they make it crap, but can you actually do better?). Maybe it was. I still do not know. I haven't gotten around asking him yet.

Anyway, soon after (this was around January), I found myself knees deep in what would become the Ardent. I am actually credited as editor in the release, but that's exaggerating a lot. I merely looked and helped some on the crunch, the balance of the powers. I had no say in how things were done or how the powers were written. I simply told him if I thought things got way too wacky and non-balanced. Needless to say, I found myself having lots of fun, but I felt the same as I feel when I play D&D - I hated not being in control, which is probably why I always end up DM'ing Well, it's not exactly true that I only "fixed" crunch, I did contribute with more, namely some defining mechanics which also are used for the Mentalist, but that's another matter altogether.

Some weeks passed, and I was beginning to get more and more emails from various publishers who wanted help or more detailed info on the crunch issues I had picked up while reading their products; so that they could incorporate it in the errata. I figured I was on to something at least, and (I must admit) my ego got slightly inflated because of it. It's always nice when people you "look up to" ask your advice on matters that interest you.

A some point around March 2009, I convinced myself that I was actually some sort of an expert on 4e - and I promptly pitched the mentalist to Dreamscarred Press. I knew that the Psion wouldn't see the light of day until the PHB 3 at the very least, which was slated to the summer of 2010. So I figured I would make my own class, and maybe there would be some interest from the psionic fans so that at least we would have something until the official version came out. Now, as it turns out, I was right about the PHB3 - but not about the release date, but that is a different matter.

Dreamscarred Press liked my pitch and soon enough, I had a contract in hand. My deadline was May 1st. And so I started. At first, it was called the psionicist . Not really original, but it was a start. I was making good progress, and was happy with what I had. This is so simple I remember thinking, why on earth aren't more people doing it. Then again, that was just me ignoring I had absolutely no fluff for neither the class, nor the powers. Merely a collection of 1d6+ int, push 3 squares. 1d10 close burst 5, immobilize and daze all targets, etc. I was merely deluding myself into thinking I was almost done. After all, the crunch is the important part, right?

When I sent in the first draft, Angellis_ater replied: Hey Chris, this look good, but you know how you made a class that is really two classes (I had around half the powers being mindblade/soulknife powers). That won't work! Then he went on about thematic issues and lot of other things I had never thought about, and I found myself nodding like a preschooler. The man had some good points. And he understood the class and the history of the class. Much better than I. Back to the drawing board.

The next version was all psychic or force based. I was very happy with that too, but when we went over it, we noticed that one fire power. Seemed a little out of place. Also, there were a lot of powers that just looked alike. The focus of the class was just too narrow. Again, back to the drawing board. More fire! Meanwhile, May 1st was getting closer.

This is when I ran into my biggest problem - time and feedback. I had written a draft and sent to Dreamscarred Press so that we could talk about things and see where we would go from here. But two weeks later, not a word. Time was ticking (or so I felt) and I was getting impatient (yeah, I am not a patient man). At first, I was worried that they hated it and just couldn't decide how they would tell me. Then I thought that maybe it was so awesome that they were in the process of copying it and releasing it without my name on it (I still hadn't signed and sent the contract). Then I realized I was being silly and figured they really hated it. As it turns out, it was neither. my editor had simply been busy and besides, two weeks is not an unusual amount of time to wait for some good feedback, at least not when you are dealing with small companies. Also he had tried to catch a hold of me via google chat, but since I had never used it before, and always have the sound turned off, I never noticed anything... Phew, I was happy and positive once again.

I got some awesome feedback and a lot of great suggestions on how to improve the Mentalist (who was still called something else at this point) and immediately went to work. Two days later (around April 1st), I had in hand what I thought was a really nice draft. I sent it in and waited. And waited. And waited. 3 weeks later and not a word. I had roughly one week left on my deadline, and all the paranoia came back. Maybe there was something in the contract that I had misunderstood. Maybe this was payback for the lousy review. They were going to drag things along so that I wouldn't be able to meet the deadline, and then using some ridiculous US law from 1824, they would sue my ass for a gazillion dollar. Yeah, I never claimed to be a 100% sane

As it turns out, my editor had been sick as a dog for weeks, which explained the delay. Once again, I got some great feedback that really improved the class. However, just as I thought I was pretty much done, my editor said something like: "The powers are great, and so are the two builds, but I feel they should be even more different. We need to link the builds to the type of area of the powers to a greater extend..." Which almost made me cry. And I never cry. I mean, I had spent a lot of time carefully balancing every single power (at least I thought so). Having to change the area of effect of about half of them would mean countless rounds of re-balancing. And I had 8 days left until the deadline.

Luckily for me, it wasn't that bad. I was pretty happy with the result after only 4 days, which left me plenty of time for me to make feats, paragon paths and magic versions of our brand new implement, the psicrystal.

I turned in the final draft of the Mentalist on April 29th. Or so I thought. It was still not ready. Back and forth it went between my editor and I, and finally, on May 17th, we were both satisfied. It was sent for proof-reading and layout. And then nothing.

Now, many of my frustrations come from lack of knowledge of the business and wrong expectations. I also tend to forget that other people also have a life besides RPGs and they also need sleep. In my mind, it couldn't take long to proofread my stuff, and then slap it together with some pictures and make it into a PDF. Yeah right. I got wiser.

Writing the Mentalist has taught me a good deal of things. First of all, it has taught me that crunch isn't everything, and that fluff and thematic consistency is just as important when making a complete class. This process also taught me to be patient, and that while I might want people to stay up all night in order to give me feedback so that I can get back to work when I have the time just isn't realistic. But most of all, it has taught me that it is much easier criticising others people work. Creating yourself can be quite a bitch, especially when it's not only "for your eyes only". I also learned that I will never ever be a freelancer for anything but the fun and joy of making stuff that others will use, because the pay is horrendous, no matter how sweet a deal you cut. I also learned that while I have a solid grasp on 4e rules, it takes a lot more to make a balanced, interesting class, along with the 80 odd powers, paragon paths, feats and whatever else follows.

But now, finally, after several rounds of sickness, crashing hard-drives, layout problems and a lot more, the Mentalist is just about ready. There is a preview (attached below) exclusive to ENworld, and I can't wait to hear what people think about it.

I hope you like it

Cheers

Jack99

Sanford and the Secret to Not Being able to Govern (Yourself)

Jack7

Who would have thought it would have been harder to write an adventure for evil characters?

I know I didn’t, at least not as difficult as it has been. The principle seemed easy enough: simply find a way to get neutral and evil characters to work together, kill monsters, and claim treasure. The killing and claiming pretty much go hand-in-hand so there’s no real issue there. Working together is simpler than I expected and it all comes down to the players. Good players always understand the needs of the game over the desires of their characters and can always adapt to the situation, balancing the twisted desires of their wicked sorcerers, barbarians, and necromancers with the pursuit of the story. There are several threads here on EN World attesting to this fact, to my great relief. Problem solved. Let’s write an adventure.

Uh, no. There’s one more factor to account for. Motivation.

I’m taking a break right now from completing the latest draft of The Key of the Fey, a 1st-level mercenary adventure for 4e. By “latest,” I mean fourth and by “draft,” I mean complete re-write. The concept is simple: mercenary adventures are written for any non-good party willing to do anything to get paid. Matters such as reputation, dignity, and money are the primary sources of motivation for these types of adventures but the levels to which you can offer vary greatly. Unaligned characters are in it for themselves yet retain a value system and ethical code; evil characters will pretty much do anything to get what they want and their morals are limited only by their players. There are ways to handle this and the answer is one of those classic “easy to say, tricky to do” solutions.

Over the course of writing Key, I’ve found the answer is variety. Good-aligned heroes are simple to provide for – you need a victim. Someone must be in danger, whether it’s one lone villager kidnapped by orcs or an entire city under threat of a demon prince summoning an army of fiends to lay seige and slaughter all in sight. Toss them some coin and XP for their efforts and your adventure is under way. Mercs need a little more. They need a “why.” Why should they save the city? Why don’t they offer their services to the demon prince? Why do they even have to pick a side? Why not play both sides? In asking these questions, they consider alternate possibilities and go for it. They are not held back by the ethics of good. Everything is possible for mercs and the adventure has to account for that, making it one of the best reasons to play a merc.

RPGs are about freedom, from where I sit. Unlike video games, books, and any other media, you can attempt anything you can think of. In a sense, the story should be just as flexible as the rules – they are a guide and nothing more. Every one of us has played a game where something happened out of the blue and without expectation. Out of nowhere, the 1st-level wizard creates a puddle of grease under a hill giant’s foot as it stands on the edge of a cliff and sends the behemoth over the side to his death… with the key to the dungeon the PCs need to get inside hung around his neck. The game never stops. The players climb down the cliff face to retrieve the key from the hill giant’s splattered body, the GM allows a quick Perception check to notice the key dangling from the giant’s belt before pouring the grease, or the hill giant grabs onto a thick tree root to stay alive just a bit longer, or whatever else it takes to keep the story moving.

Mercenary adventures follow this same principle to a higher level. Their motivation can change to suit their latest employer. While they need a good reputation to keep working, they only have to worry about what their employer finds out about their performance and the rumours spread about their exploits when it’s all done and over with. Different alignments create unique obstacles to overcome as well and there’s a good possibility of a mixed-alignment party. The evil mercs will stab anyone in the back so long as they still get paid (or get paid more) and the unaligned mercs gave their word to their original boss. You need to account for these factors when designing (and particularly running) a merc adventure or campaign. And when it works, it’s incredible. You’ve just pulled off one of the greatest balancing acts in gaming and your players become a significant part of the game. Their decisions affect more than just the number of bodies left behind and the story evolves in new directions by the start of the first chapter.

Morals must be considered and the balancing act for any alignment in your party can be tricky. I think it goes without saying that Key is not recommended for noobs or any group getting together for their first game. If you know your players and have already begun to blur the line, Key is for you. I’ve always been able to fall back on a game of Wraith back when it first came out as a guideline for merc adventures. Our group had played together nearly five years and was the original group for all of us (sharing one AD&D Player’s Handbook between the five of us before branching out to try new systems). We had a new player join up and he created a skinhead. Whether or not he used that character as a excuse to spit out his own slurs and speak openly because he was “just in character,” it was a problem. No one wanted to play with his character (and with the player, as it turned out). As soon as we kicked out the skinhead and his equally tolerant player, we enjoyed the game. Roleplaying gives you a better look at the person sitting across from you, a gaze into their imagination unbound. Good players work with their comrades and great players can start fights with party members without affecting the group. Let your players worry about how far is too far and you can focus on crafting the story with little worry or concern for the cohesion of the group.

Everything is just over a week away from getting to the playtesters and we'll find out if this is the one that works. My own group had some fun with it and filled it with surprises (I had no idea just how deviant a pharmacist could be) to make it a good venture into something a little different. Here's hoping you'll be able to enjoy it to when it hits your local online shelf.

However, I think my next adventure will be about fuzzy bunnies and fluffy teddy bears collecting as many hugs as possible before all the boys and girls around the world start to feel sad. That will be much, much easier.

Todd Crapper (that's right) is the Head Honcho for Emerald Press PDF Publishing and author of the upcoming 4e adventure, The Key of the Fey (releasing December 2009), and co-author of Risen: The Guide to Resurrected Characters (October 2009). He wrote this blog because there was no one around to stop him, not even those meddling kids and their mangy mutt.

EP

I've always thought that another good way to give a character more depth is for him to develop meaningful relationships with NPCs and organizations in the game world. However, in order to encourage the players to invest time and effort to do so, the relationship has to be an asset, not a liability.

I've decided to start with organizations first as they are more amorphous and easily fudged. Since organizations are made up of a variety of people, it seems more plausible that they are able to provide various benefits and services.

The following are very initial thoughts on organizations, and are subject to change.

Level
Like almost anything else in 4e, organizations have a level which abstractly measures their power. A village might be no more than 4 or 5. A kingdom would be in the upper teens, possibly even a 20. The worshippers and servitors of a god (not just a specific temple, but every worshipper and servitor, including angels and exarchs, in all the worlds and planes) would probably top the scale at 30.

Rank
Rank is a measure of the character's standing with (or within the organization, if he is a member) and abstractly determines how much of the organization's resources he can tap upon. A character's rank in an organization can be no higher than the organization's level. A character whose rank in an organization equals its level effectively leads the organization and can command all of its resources.

Benefits
Some of the potential benefits that a character can gain from association with an organization are as follows. Generally, a character should not be able to call on assistance from an organization too often - perhaps about once per month. A character's ability to call on assistance from the organization should also be renewed whenever his rank with the organization increases (even if the organization has helped him within the last month), or whenever he performs a service for the organization. An organization may also offer unlimited assistance if the character is acting on its behalf.

1. Skill checks - if the organization is plausibly able to help, it may allow the character to make one skill check as if he was trained in it, and provide an additional +1 bonus to the check. This bonus increases to +2 if the character's rank is 11 or higher, and +3 if his rank is 21 or higher. If the skill is a specialized skill for the organization (e.g. Religion for a church), the character may make the check as if he was trained in the skill and had the Skill Focus feat for the skill, and the bonus is doubled (i.e. +4 if his rank is 11 or higher).

2. Rituals - the organization arranges for the casting of a ritual of half your rank or lower. You still have to pay for the component cost. If the DM thinks it appropriate, the organization may be able to provide access to select higher-level rituals.

3. Trade - the organization procures a magic item of half your rank or lower. If the DM thinks it appropriate, the organization may be able to obtain certain higher-level magic items. You may buy the item or exchange another magic item of the same or higher value for it.

4. Mundane Services - the organization may provide whatever mundane services the DM thinks is appropriate. For example, a village might offer the character a safe place to rest, a merchant house may be able to arrange transportation for the character, or a church may be able to translate a document from Supernal to Common.

FireLance

Thread Link

Jack7

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What is lobbying you may ask? Why, it’s a wonderful process where concerned groups of citizens seek to inform decision makers on how to best serve the groups they are responsible for. These concerned groups appoint people called “lobbyists” to inform the decision makers on the best methods possible to serve their needs. Lobbying has been used successfully in many political establishments for many years in order to ensure those governments deliver the type of programs and systems that are desired by the groups the lobbyists represent. Consider it a form of communication between the RPG audience and the RPG creators. If there’s one thing you can never have enough of, it’s communication!

MSRPGLS will emply the latest in lobbying techniques to ensure that your ideas are heard! We'll help develop your ideological platform so it becomes the rock solid foundation of the RPG you play! MSRPGLS will use targetted advertisements to ensure that your message reaches the most receptive audience possible. We will work hard to establish grass-roots support for your ideas. MSRPGLS can also employ classic lobbying stragties to ensure those who design RPGs are "encouraged" to see things your way! We here at MSRPGLS will use the full suit of lobbying tools to promote your RGP ideas!

MSRPGLS may appear to be too expensive for today’s cash-strapped RPG player but it’s the most cost-effective option you have when the RPG you play doesn’t fit with your ideals. Homebrewing and third-party products may appear to be the solution but are anything but so. The quality of such material is questionable at best. When you don’t use material from the official company, you’re taking a shot in the dark. For all you know, the material you could be using is all a giant bag of suckage. It’s just impossible to tell. Assuming you do manage to find the needle in the third-party haystack, will your playgroup accept it? Not every group may accept the material you wish to include in the game. Are you willing to take the chance that they might not? You might also be considering the option of simply not playing an RPG you don’t like and go off to find a new RPG that caters to your taste. That carries financial and emotional costs that many RPG players simply can not withstand. Are you willing to leave your current RPG just like that? An RPG game that you invested a good deal of your time and money on? It is worth it to lose that relationship and all of that history you developed? Breaking up with a favorite RPG can be a very traumatic experience. I don’t even want to mention all of the costs and stress related to learning/mastering/getting a group to play a new, unknown RPG. Compared to those cost, MSRPGLS is practically a steal.

Contact MSRPGLS today! Operators are standing by! Mention the fact that you heard of us through Enworld and we’ll apply a ten percent discount off our lobbying fee! MSRPGLS: Where we work for YOU!

MichaelSomething

A symbiotic item is basically an artifact that doesn't move on and hence may stay with the character throughout his career. In addition, the character's connection with the item (and the item's power) increases more slowly. The character must also meet certain prerequisites (generally linked to the theme of the item or the power) in order to use the item's new abilities.

When first found, Solar Radiance appears to be a +1 sunblade longsword (Adventurer's Vault). It gains the following abilities when its wielder meets the stated prerequisites:

Prerequisites: 5th level; you have performed a just or generous act in the presence of the sword.
Benefit: You can use the sword as a holy symbol.

Prerequistes: 7th level; you have used the sword to defeat an evil or chaotic evil creature of at least 6th level.
Benefit: The sword's enhancement bonus increases to +2.

Prerequistes: 9th level; you have used the sword to defeat a shadow or undead creature of at least 8th level.
Benefit: When the sword is used to deal radiant damage, add a +2 item bonus to damage rolls.

Prerequistes: 11th level; (to be determined)
Benefit: The sword gains the following daily power:
Power (Daily): Free Action. Use this power when you hit with the weapon. The target is dazed until the end of your next turn. If the target is evil or chaotic evil, the target is dazed (save ends) instead.

Prerequistes: 13th level; you have used the sword to defeat an evil or chaotic evil creature of at least 12th level.
Benefit: The sword's enhancement bonus increases to +3.

Prerequistes: 15th level; (to be determined)
Benefit: When you use the sword to attack a target currently marked by you, you gain a +1 bonus to the attack roll.

Prerequistes: 17th level; you have used the sword to defeat an evil or chaotic evil creature of at least 16th level.
Benefit: The sword's enhancement bonus increases to +4.

Prerequistes: 19th level; you have used the sword to defeat a shadow or undead creature of at least 18th level.
Benefit: When the sword is used to deal radiant damage, add a +4 item bonus to damage rolls.

Prerequistes: 21th level; (to be determined)
Benefit: The sword gains the following daily power:
Power (Daily): Free Action. Use this power when you hit with the weapon. The target is blinded until the end of your next turn.

Prerequistes: 23th level; you have used the sword to defeat an evil or chaotic evil creature of at least 22nd level.
Benefit: The sword's enhancement bonus increases to +5.

Prerequistes: 25th level; (to be determined)
Benefit: The sword gains the following encounter power:
Power (Encounter * Radiant): Free Action. Use this power when making an attack that targets AC. The attack targets Reflex defense instead. All damage from the attack is radiant damage.

Prerequistes: 27th level; you have used the sword to defeat an evil or chaotic evil creature of at least 26th level.
Benefit: The sword's enhancement bonus increases to +6.

Prerequistes: 29th level; you have used the sword to defeat a shadow or undead creature of at least 28th level.
Benefit: When the sword is used to deal radiant damage, add a +6 item bonus to damage rolls.

FireLance

Jack7

Free Men and Women

No Country for Small Men

Jack7

The Geek Manifesto - Now with important Social Networking Updates!

Jack7