Good Gaming Thread's Valiant Retirement (Signs to Further Pastures)

Good Gaming, The Humble Beginnings

A little note: I’ve been playing this game for a long time. I remember when you had to get all complex and rococo with class selection just to be a measly bard. I remember THAC0 being a number and a state of mind. I wanted Vecna to Die, Blackrazor to live, and the Keep to be just a bit closer than the Borderlands. I played in Ravenloft before those pesky Mists decided to rear their ugly heads. I’ve run plenty of games, for kids as young as 7 to a group of ‘29+’ year olds. This is my favorite hobby, and I’ve finally gotten tired of the level of gaming I keep seeing. I’m tired of the mediocrity that passes for ‘good gaming’ out there, and so I figured I should actually do something about it besides sitting behind the screen or sit at the table waiting to use all those nice battleworn d6s to slay the next Big Bad Evil Guy. And the first universal truth is; your game is not top-notch. Heck, your game may truly suck. But, let us hope, with this little experiment in community we’ll help to make that bad game into a good (or even great) one in a few months.

Now, I know you think you’ve got the game down. Perhaps it is true; you’ve developed your setting, you have finely honed your gamecraft, you’re ready for a good long sitdown with all sorts of paperwork. Players have shown up, the DM is quietly muttering about all the various things he will be doing to you forthwith behind his screens, and all seems to be ready. But let’s be honest, we can all do better. Most gamers play in games which have a lot of issues, and a lot of things to work out. If you’re serious about the hobby, you should be serious about how you deal with your game. If it’s going to be humorous, it better be chock full of good stuff to make your players laugh. If it’s going to be a beer-and-pretzel sort of game, you better be ready for the issues that come from a steady consumption of starches and alcohol. If you’re playing a heavy roleplaying game, you better have yourself together.

If you’re playing mostly for the roll of the dice and the maxing out of all of those abilities, this will not be the writeup for you. I’m going to try to deal with roleplaying and its aspects; while character optimization has its own merits, there will be little maximizing shown here. In some spots the actual merits of dealing with rolls will be questioned, nay, shunned . . . and if that’s not your bag, it’s fine.

I was really tempted to call this initial post ‘Your Game Sucks: Ask Us How It Can Be 200% Better [or your money back!]’. Now, there are various reasons not to go with this premise; right now the house of Loon is running low on capital, and perhaps your game doesn’t suck as badly as the myriad of games I’ve been running across. Hell, your game may be one of the best-run games I will ever hear about; epic heroes, dashing villains, the sort of game which really puts the role back into roleplaying, the Ds back into D&D. Perhaps you’ve transcended the need for such simple memes, and for that I am thankful you’re still reading.

However, let’s be honest; we’ve all fallen into the pit of thinking our game is going to be the best thing since sliced bread. All that careful planning, flawless execution, and it comes out flat. If the thirty or so writeups I have sitting in the dustbins of My Documents have anything to say about it, it’s not uncommon to pitch your ideas almost as fast as you make them up. All that work, all that struggle, and we figure out we just created an extension of some horrid Sci-Fi or Fantasy novel we read twenty years ago… but damn, it was still a great idea.

Now, we’re going to work on all of this. We really are. You, me, and the community-at-large, working for a common goal. We’re going to use history, a little science, some thought experimentation, and some gusto to get through this. If at all possible, we’re going to try to keep ourselves civil in the discussion of the length and breadth of topics which can be pretty dicey. We’re going to look at religion, mythology, popular culture, music, all of it and try to pull from the dregs of so much cultural flotsam some ideas that will help with my game, your game, and the game of anybody silly enough to still be reading this series when we’re done.

Now, Good Reader, we’re going to establish the basics of our quest.

1. We want to make/retrofit a palatable, strong, and hearty campaign setting. To this end we are going to develop some themes which don’t get developed in a lot of games. We’re going to be so into the sandbox that you’re waking up with grit in your hair. Hopefully, the work put forth here will be helpful not just in a D&D campaign, but that World of Darkness pickup game you keep meaning to organize. Primarily, we will be working with Dungeons and Dragons 3.5 Edition and D20 Modern, the two preferred systems of Yours Truly at the current point. Therefore, most of the information mentioned in this series will come from sources associated with Modern and 3.X sources. Some of these will be third-party sources; however, due to the complete inability of the Author to source out using OGL and OGC sources, the sources will be mentioned, then discussed in vagaries. I will hope that you will have the resources to find the information we are discussing or (even better in some later cases) be able to draw your own ways to produce the same outcomes.
   
2. We want to establish a way of thinking about gaming. Gaming is not a one-dimensional system; just as art cannot be created in a total vacuum, gaming is influenced by sources both known and unknown to most gamers. As far as we can we’ll explore these ideas, looking into the structures and ideologies which surround your average setting, concept, etc. and bring them to light. Therefore . . .
   
3. We will develop a wide gaming knowledge base. A great player (and any DM worth their salt) will know about the hobby. This is both a hobby and an art; you are creating a narrative both as DMs and players, and that narrative can only be detailed fully if there is a suitable knowledge base behind our thoughts and actions. A great writer researches; a great athlete trains constantly. The least we can do, for the benefit of our players or our DM is to know a little about the things we’re dealing with, and from there build and build until we have developed our gaming to a point where it bypasses verisimilitude. Therefore . . .
   
4. We will establish a gaming syllabus of sorts. Being an academic, a tutor, and a teacher, I like the idea of the syllabus. If there is a common workspace, a common ground on which we can all grow, everyone can deal with the same issues. Not all of this information will be gaming related; some of it is going to be history, or theology, or popular literature. Do I expect you to read it all? Did any of your teachers or professors expect such in high school or college? No . . . but try to keep up with what we’re working on. Articles will be posted with free sources whenever possible, and various materials will be mentioned throughout the series.
   
5. We’re going to make a game worth playing. A game with details that will be there when you need them, as a player or a DM. You’ll understand and think about how things work, the inner guts of a society, a religion, a monster, a worldview. And maybe, just maybe, that’ll be just as helpful as I think it will be.

This series of articles is for the young and the old; I know I’ll learn from it just as much as you guys do. The first real article will be coming up in the next couple of days, but just to make sure I’m not making too big of a mistake, I’d like some feedback. If you think this will be a useful tool, post. A man cannot live on view-count alone, after all.

Slainte,

-Loonook.

Good Gaming: Goblins, Gewgaws, and Glorious Generalities Pt. 1: A Newly Defined Goblin.

Ahh, the noble goblin. Rather, the noble possibilities of the Goblin. These little buggers are the largest body of slave labor in most D&D campaigns; dark forces love to keep the little ones down. Even the halfling, with his limberness and quick throwing, pales in comparison to the gaming opportunities presented by our little forgotten friends. Goblins make great possibilities for your average character, and can become quite extraordinary if only given the chance to shine. Goblins are also some of my favorite creatures to show the process of gamethought with; they are some of the most maligned creatures, rare to run across past the first 10 levels, and even then they're usually just short-lived fodder, filler encounters for the new heroes.

Let us examine these humble, tiny creatures a bit, and really get to know our alleged lessers. First, let us observe some of the information available at our friendly neighborhood wikipedia. Now, we see a bevy of possibilities for goblins; they are both evil and somewhat benevolent, tricky, capricious, but sometimes advising, and they take on many different forms and ideas depending on local myth and folklore.

Now, we can look at the D&D idea of goblins. Feels a bit limiting, doesn’t it? Now, there are some pretty basic things which make the ideas present seem a bit odd. We know that goblins are a good, solid breeding race; if we reference The Book of Erotic Fantasy (a great source for pretty solidly thought out information on sexuality and reproduction amongst common D&D races) we see that Goblins tend to have high yield births as a norm and a certain amount of protection for mothers:


Now we’re getting somewhere. We have a group which produces a large stock, which with proper care could grow to large numbers. Mothers typically produce twins, and “may become pregnant again within only a month of their last pregnancy.” (ibid). . So, let’s assume that according to a maturity of 10 years, a lifespan approaching 55, and a gestation period of 4 months… we could have little goblin babies running around our feet at an alarming rate. Given that goblin females most likely are only going to be breeding for an average of 20-25 years, we have a pretty good idea of how many children can be produced by a good-sized warren, or even a smaller confederacy.

So, we now see that goblins could outbreed and outrun most other races after a few generations; but we also see a built-in possibility for a lower number of surviving infants. A group of 10 females produces let’s say 23 children, of which only 8 will survive their first year. Given that out of these 8 we may be averaging between 4 and 5 females in a group, we will also see a maturity overlap; breeding females will be present in two and possibly three generations at a time. A 10 female breeding cycle assuming our 23 living goblin babes per cycle, 8 which reach their first year, minimal loss beyond that, and 3 successful birthing cycles every 2 years, we could be averaging 9-12 viable breeding females per 2 year cycle, with 36-48 viable breeding females being produced in a six year period. Out of these, 9-12 will be available to breed in each cycle after the fifth, producing more and more goblin children to go through the harsh life they lead.

Now, why don’t we see even more goblins about? Is it a case of outside attrition due to hunting, wanton slaughter by adventurers, and all sorts of other effects? Of course not. What we see in goblins is a perfect cultural enticement. They breed rapidly, they produce literal litters of goblin babes, yet they do not play well with each other. Tribal struggles, vendetta, overpowering violence. We have goblins who are really hitting their stride when it comes to self imposed depopulation. Even so, we’re still looking at a large, able-bodied force of individuals who can grow, and grow, and grow. . .

But all of the factors above would lead to a tight-knit, if dangerous to live in, community. The tribe itself would turn itself inwards, out of protection, mutual benefit, and fear/revulsion at the outside world. Thus, Goblins serve as a good possible example of Omertà in any setting. No, I am not suggesting that goblin leaders will be making your PCs offers they can’t refuse. Rather, I suggest that the goblin race, as presented in D&D and to a lesser extent in d20 Modern and other similar sources, is highly suspicious of outsiders, can act autonomously in an extralegal environment, and takes care of its own. In these ways, the goblin race fits perfectly with the definition of the idea of Omertà presented by Rick Porrello (quoted in the article):


Goblins seem to be a group which would not turn in another of their own kind, but would be willing to seek vengeance from those who wronged them. Redcloak from The Order of the Stick is a perfect example of this goblin ideology. He uses whatever means necessary to out at the paladins of the Sapphire Guild who decimated his warren. He has a respect for his mother and his family which supersedes his own life and wellbeing. He has a reason for serving in his place, and has gained the tools from this service which will bring about an end to his goals.
In the next article, we’ll be discussing the skills and abilities which make Goblins worth their salt, and the possibilities of Goblins as something more than simple low-level encounters.

Good Gaming,

Slainte,

-Loonook.

Citations:

Wikipedia (always a useful little box of knowledge for simple explanations of things)
Order of the Stick (Something interesting to read if you haven't read them all as of yet).
Book of Erotic Fantasy Adult's Only, of course . . . but a great resource for verisimilitudilicious information on pregnancy, gestation, and sexuality.

Note: Rick Porrello, from whom the definition for the code of silence comes, has some great books on the Cleveland Mafia. His book on Daniel Greene To Kill the Irishman is recommended reading to anyone who is interested in the East Coast and Midwest criminal syndicates of the early 1960s to mid 1970s. Not the best writer, but one of the few true crime amateurs who is both a good read and a good thinking project. Having seen one of his articles while visiting family in OH a few years ago, I started getting more intrigued by the world of organized crime. Perhaps we'll discuss the formation of realistic thieves guilds in a later article .

Good Gaming: Goblins, Gewgaws, and Glorious Generalities Pt. 2: The Introduction of Abigail and Norman and Goblins: What Are They Good For?

Well, as we will be discussing certain issues near and dear to my heart, let me introduce you to two people who are very close to me; Abigail and Norman Corey. These two… oh, the tales they could tell. You see, Abigail is the smartest member of her family, and Norman… well, he is really special. Their family, however, is a strange one, as they somehow got a hold on this obscure Human variant in some out-of-the-way third party manual. Abigail, being the youngest child, seems to have gotten the best of it (I think her parents updated at 3.5) and Norman… well, as we said, Norman is a special child.

To whit, as they gain levels, each follows a strange path. Their variant class and race combination allows them to gain 1 point in every skill. However, Abigail has really milked it for all it is worth; Abby does the same with attribute bumps, making her attributes creep higher and higher, and seems to have a very elite set of attributes to start with: all 15s. Norman, being a kinder and gentler soul, has 10s in all of his attributes… he is not so good at maximizing his potential, and gets confused by the rules sometimes. Norman puts all of his attribute bumps into Comeliness; he’s a stalwart man when it comes to a system, and he just won’t let this little part of his upbringing be thrown to the wayside. Thus, whenever his stats remain 10s across the board. Though he is quite handsome, Norman never gets any fun toys or special feats (he’s sticking with toughness, his excuse being he wants to be ‘a tough stud’ when he finally meets his wife-to-be) and Abby is the apple of her parent’s eye. She gets all the great feats that she can qualify for, and she’s the best at everything she does. However, when it comes down to it, the Corey household is located far and away from most things; that special source book they found was the only non-core material they have available to them, though Abby really stretches her wings whenever possible.

I know, I don’t like either of them that much either, but the Corey family is like that. You should see their house. . . can’t walk anywhere without tripping over an elite array awakened dog or a cloak of Elvenkind.

Anyways, Abby and Norm are here to demonstrate their talents in regards to our noble friend, the Goblin. Being medium-sized creatures they find the Goblin cute and cuddly, ever willing to please. However, we don’t really have time to explore their love for these green beasties; we have an article to get through.

So, what makes the goblin different than our friends Abby and Norm? Well, naturally, the Goblin family has some great genes. They are weaker on average, a little ugly and meek, but they make up for both by being quite nimble. They also enjoy the benefits of being a Small creature; those AC, Hide, and attack bonuses do come in handy. However, they also suffer the issues of being Small, mainly they cannot carry as much as a Medium sized creature of equal Strength, and they can’t even think of grappling anyone who isn’t their size or smaller without some issues. They have darkvision of 60’, and happen to gain racial bonuses to Ride AND Move Silently. Not too shabby…
Now, let’s compare a normal 1st level goblin with our friends Abby and Norm. Oh, memories . . . back when Abby and Norm were young, just starting out their lives. Abby always teasing Norm… it was fun to watch. Now, Abby and Norm run into our Goblin, Boblin. Abby, Bob, and Norm start to compare notes;

Abby has a +6 to all of the checks that Bob would be interested in, or a +8 if she happened to spend her feats to raise her skill (as she always does).
Norm has a +4 to all of the checks that Bob would be interested in, and a much higher HP.
Boblin has a +5 to Hide and Move Silently, a +5 to Ride, and a +2 to Spot and Listen. Alertness saves the day, giving him those boosts to Spot and Listen.

Now, Boblin the Goblin is going to have some issues Hiding and Moving Silently around Abby, and will have a slight edge over Norm. As we can see, the BoB-BoA=D-AA(Bonus of Bob – Bonus of Abby = Difference – Advantage Abby) of +3 (15%) with Hide and Move Silently. These differences are even more apparent in other areas; Abby is far better at Hiding and Moving Silently than Bob is at Listening or Spotting (+6, or 30%). Of course, even Norm would edge out Boblin on hiding and moving silently (BoN-BoB= D-AN of +2 vs BoB-BoN = D-AB of +1). That means that, letting Norm remain his bubbly self and getting 10s, Bob will have a 5% advantage of sneaking by Norm, while Norm will have the advantage of 10% of sneaking by Boblin. Abby has the advantage both ways; +3 in the opposed check vs. Bob’s hide, and +6 (!) when Hiding or Moving Silently around Boblin.

Now, Boblin has a distinct disadvantage, being that Boblin has been made to take his highest ability in Strength rather than Dexterity, and takes Alertness (a feat which won’t even serve him against his own kind, much less any sort of person who has even rudimentary Hide/Move Silent skills or a 16 or above Dexterity). Now, if Boblin could have invested his choices better, he would have a better chance. Goblins deserve better skill and feat selection; it just may allow them to survive to the dawn.

Now, Boblin could play to his natural strengths. There is an established reason for such; Boblin is a small creature, horribly out-gunned by these nasty devils, and he’s going to have to fight tooth-and-nail to get anywhere against them. He is a Warrior 1, which is sort of sad but we’ll get back to it. He’s using the Normal Array, which is also sad, but to be expected; not all challengers can be Elite, and Bob will work on his buffs at a later date.

Bob isn’t dumb; he has a 10 Int., but he’s a little foolish, so he has a 9 Wisdom. So, he tried to train around it; he gave himself cross-class skills to boost up his Spot and Listen. As a warrior, Spot and Listen can be quite useful. I will admit they are good skills. But why should Bob, and all of his compatriots, suffer under the tyranny of poor selection? Not all Bob’s buddies are as slow on the draw, but they all are statted out to be. Therefore, I present to you, a better Boblin The Goblin. Let’s call him Bob 2.0.

B2.0 uses the advantages granted to him. While his stats aren’t the greatest, he could be in worse straits. He has new choices ahead of him, and he’s happy about it.

Bob 2.0 leaves the need to be pretty to diplomats and Kobolds. He gets beaten up too often for it to really be a viable plan, and to be honest he’s still a little afraid when he leaves the Warren. Bob is faster than your average Goblin, but this speed has come at the expense of being as hearty. He’s a little more brighter, but he is also a little weaker. He needs some assistance in some areas, but he’s going to pull through this.

Bob 2.0, Goblin Redefined:
Goblin Warrior Lvl. 1
Beginning Stats: Str 9, Dex 13, Con 11, Int 10, Wis 12, Cha 8.
Adjusted: Str: 7, Dex: 15, Con: 11, Int: 10, Wis: 12, Cha: 6.
Skills: Hide: +6, Listen: +3 (?), Move Silently: +6, Ride: +10, Spot: +3 (?).
Now, I know, this may sound crazy to start out with. He’s going to be carrying 18 lbs. as a light load? Well, we can reduce his equipment’s weight; he will maintain a similar AC by still using Leather Armor, and he will not require his shield. Also, Bob 2.0 will be far better at hunting game after being able to spend those additional skill points on something other than his Spot and Listen checks. That small bump to Hide and Move Silently will really help him in his levels, but the real benefit will come from another skill.

Yes, Bob 2.0 now can afford to put 4 ranks into Ride. That +10 will give him a 100% chance to succeed at those pesky fight with mount checks. While Boblin will have trouble until he achieves Mounted Archery, he’s dealing with a solid base for other skills. He’s worthless in melee combat, but from ambush (getting possibly 2-3 shots on your average party) or riding (taking the penalty and letting him fire on-the-run at -1) Boblin serves as a competent ranged cavalry warrior. Elite versions of Boblin are even better; the ability to use the floating 13 to bump his Strength to an acceptable 11, and his Dexterity to a nice 17, Boblin is a force on the field, and can then use his war dog or worg to his advantage.

The war dog is integral to Bob 2.0’s survival; the beastie helps him carry home game he catches in the wild, serves as an efficient ‘foot stool’ to throw ropes for tree ambushes, and even provides for a good assistant in the hunt and chase. Bob 2.0, combined with Bob 1.0, provide for an interestingly dangerous encounter for a party. Elite versions of Bob 2.0 liberally sprinkled in ambush or riding along are definitely terrors to behold. Imagine, if you will, an elite Bob 2.0 who is CR: 1 (warrior level 3). With Mounted Combat and Archery, our friend Bob 2.0 is firing arrows at targets on the run with ruthless efficiency, and can still ride and fire at 80 ft/rd. with a -2 penalty (overall bonus of +4). Indeed, the combination of rider and his noble dog/steed makes Boblin and his mounted archer friends quite dangerous, even if only accompanied by a few lesser goblins along the way.

I hope that listening to Abby and Norm, along with Boblin’s development, you’ve seen a new possible horizon. Next, we’ll deal with some other benefits. With mounted archers, warriors, and a culture of violence, how exactly do Goblins improve their space in the world?

Thought Experiment #1:

Now, we’re going to have some of these from time to time; today’s thought experiment has to do with a more Modern sensibility for our Goblin friends. Considering what we know about Goblins (their oppression by their former masters, their close knit family groups, their bellicose nature) what kind of music would Goblins listen to in our world? What kind of neighborhoods would they live in? What would their niche be in our society, with all of the benefits they have? How could they improve themselves with the modern conveniences that surround us? If you get ideas, just email them to me at author at yaaaaahhhhhhhhhhooooooooooo! dot com . Please head them with the title of this article, or Thought Experiment #1 Response.

Good Gaming,
Slainte,

-Loonook.

EDIT: Due to a nice given by someone who was paying more attention than I did before submission, the numbers have been tweaked (namely Bob's Ride check). This is, of course, another example of not trying to write while half asleep. Next article coming shortly

Good Gaming: Goblins, Gewgaws, and Glorious Generalities Pt. 3: Responses and Recommendations: Goblin Edition

Well, the first Thought Experiment had only a few responses, but I liked what I saw. Out of five whole respondents, perhaps the most interesting choice for Goblin musical tastes would have to be the Blues. Now, for an oppressed minority, it is a no-brainer, but I have to say that the anonymous email that postulated this premise definitely works for me. Sadly, this seems to be the only part of the experiment that people looked at in-depth; however, any campaign settings where Goblins could be plucking twelve-bar odes to their beloved den mothers, or banging heads to the Clash has a definite place in my heart. Good job for the responses, and hopefully #2 will get a few more responses.

Now, onto Recommendations for the Goblin people. You tired, poor, huddled masses yearning to be green. Since most worlds lack a Declaration of Humanoid Rights, goblins need some real assistance on their place in the world. Where, we may ask, does the noble warty visage of this most maligned race of war-dog riding minor mook deserve to shine its countenance? Right now, I’ll draw some possible locations:


This article on Dhakaan and other Eberron sources presents a great avenue for our goblins; scouts and assassins. Though definitely breaking out of the stereotype of most settings, Eberron’s take on a goblin empire may be a bit much to fit into your everyday setting.

Now, here’s something a tad bit more interesting in my own opinion. A long quote follows from Scott’s Letters on Demonology and Witchcraft :

In fact, there seems reason to conclude that these duergar were
originally nothing else than the diminutive natives of the Lappish,
Lettish, and Finnish nations, who, flying before the conquering weapons
of the Asae, sought the most retired regions of the North, and there
endeavoured to hide themselves from their Eastern invaders. They were a
little, diminutive race, but possessed of some skill probably in mining
or smelting minerals, with which the country abounds. Perhaps also they
might, from their acquaintance with the changes of the clouds, or
meteorological phenomena, be judges of weather, and so enjoy another
title to supernatural skill. At any rate, it has been plausibly supposed
that these poor people, who sought caverns and hiding-places from the
persecution of the Asae, were in some respects compensated for
inferiority in strength and stature by the art and power with which the
superstition of the enemy invested them. These oppressed yet dreaded
fugitives obtained, naturally enough, the character of the German
spirits called Kobold, from which the English goblin and the Scottish
bogle, by some inversion and alteration of pronunciation, are evidently
derived.

Wow, I know, it was a long quotation. However, I find it quite worth reading, so it gets inserted. We won’t discuss the dwarf part of this just yet, but rather the idea that the Goblins of our own legend (alongside the kobold and bogle) have a possible mythic heritage with the real-life story of the Lapps, or
Sami.

Now, the Sami are a pretty interesting indigenous group. Very little common genetic heritage with the local ethnicities, lots of legends, colorful clothing and traditions. Also, they share common traits with our new Boblin and his warrior compatriots; they are good hunters, scouts, herders, and can raise animals. Their traditions include interesting pieces of clothing such as the Four Winds Hat, and formerly had a
Shamanic Tradition. Now, this is a culture we can get behind. Goblin warrens who share their faith, have talents, practice a spiritualist religion, have their own unique symbols and pride for their own worth, and have talents which would place them in their current state quite squarely. The Sami have been suppressed as an ethnicity for most of the period that other cultures have been aware of their existence. If anything, a Sami-inspired Goblin group, along with the traditions expressed in Eberron and other similar sources, makes for a very interesting culture to observe.

Now, let us add some additional information (i.e. some of the other possible interesting bits about goblins).

Gwyn ap Nudd

Lutin

Spriggan

Phooka

Next article, we’ll take some of these ideas and apply them to some new uses for the Goblin, and perhaps some ‘elite’ opponents which will make your average party think twice about their treatment of these noble emerald beasties.

Good Gaming,
Slainte,

-Loonook.



PS: My schedule is quite hectic (always happens when I'm starting something new...) so the article could be off for 3-5 days. Until then, I suggest you check out the Points of Light Sprite Comic. Truly, a marvel to behold... and perhaps we'll be able to include one of the writer's points in our current rigamorale.

Good Gaming: Goblins, Gewgaws, and Glorious Generalities Pt. 4: The Goblins in Fluff and Crunch

Welcome back my friends, to the show that never ends . . . Good Gaming. Now, what we’re working on today will be the wonders of expressing new and interesting Goblins with folklore and mythology surrounding the goblin adding some much-needed new flavor. Before we start, let us establish what we know of our standard D&D goblin:

• Goblins are small, green, warty creatures who have a somewhat primitive aspect to them. They keep animals (dogs and worgs most often) for assistance in hunting and other tasks.
• Goblins are naturally dexterous, but are weaker on average than your standard human. Also, they have weak personalities or are just naturally ugly.
• Goblins are talented riders and sneaks, and they attempt to use these traits to their advantage.
• Goblins are as fast as most Medium creatures, and combining this quickness with their natural dexterity are good at ranged combat. Their size also benefits them in being harder to hit (even more so due to their size) and the ability to hit in places which are not easily defended.
• Goblins enjoy having many talents, and thus prefer to use those talents to their advantage if they decide to become heroes. Their sneaky nature lends them naturally to being Rogues of some note.

Now, knowing these things about the Goblins from D&D, how do they mesh with what we have learned from our readings in previous articles? Personally, I feel they mesh pretty well. However, in most stories Goblins are more fey than humanoid, and have abilities that your normal goblin does not really get too quickly. Since we’re not trying to change the goblins to the point of making them all conform to the Fey mandates, we’ll keep them where they are. However, goblins do have a certain panache which we could associate with these fey tales, and grant them some abilities through different paths which could assist them in garnering some respect amongst their alleged ‘betters’.

Goblins in myth and folklore have many different talents. Shapeshifting, from the Puca and Lutin legends, suggest that Goblins may enjoy a certain amount of change. Spriggans, a kissing cousin of the goblin, like changing their form to larger or smaller sizes. Some goblin legends include mimicry, the ability to call flames, manipulation of weather and a general aura of assistance/malady which can surround the little green ones. Now, how can we somewhat mimic these characteristics in our goblins to make for interesting gaming?

Now, we are in a bit of luck. Spriggans have been defined for us (though their form is considered more gnomelike according to D&D standards) in the

Fiend Folio (P. 162-3). When we look at the picture of the Spriggan provided, we see not really a gnome-like creature, but more of an Irish goblin; he has a shock of ginger hair, pale green skin, and hands which could crush Small creature’s skulls. I’m not really feeling the Gnome interpretation on it, so we could simply adjusted the Spriggan to be Goblinesque. Give them Goblin instead of Gnome, and perhaps some of the Goblinoid languages as possible other choices.

Now, I like the Spriggan not so much as an ‘every goblin is X’ proposition, but as a specialized or special goblin in and of itself. Depending on your campaign, the Spriggan may be a goblin child who is trained in the arts of transmutation and uses a natural (or divine-gifted) talent to his advantage. Or, if you are of a more Fey-loving aspect, perhaps Spriggan are warriors of one of the Fey courts or sects in your setting, goblins who have taken on the mantle of the Court and gained their abilities, or they may even be half-breeds; though the half would, of course, have to be defined by your setting.

Personally, I enjoy a changing look on the goblinoid version of the Spriggan; I prefer to view many of the different types of creatures as paths of knowledge. In my Modern setting, goblins and other creatures learn how to use their natural powers in ways that would benefit them. While some may never develop their talents (preferring to take other classes) these goblins go whole-heartedly into their work. In my Modern game we use modified forms of different monster classes to represent these trainings. Boggarts, for example, are goblins who have learned to use their mutability in ways which mimic a Doppelganger, while Spriggan goblins take on the aspects of a modified-for-Modern Spriggan. Not many walk these paths, but those that do provide unique talents.

The Lutin is another great example of such training. A Lutin may be a wise man or woman of the tribe who is trained in the arts of changing form and manipulating crops, weather, and . . . well, I think we have a pretty easily defined path for the Lutin. When I play a D&D game with goblins (especially so when dealing with a close-to-Earth mythology) Lutins are usually leaders or mystical advisors to the tribe, taking levels in Druid or Adept to change form. The same may be used for Phooka in a sense; they may be the great mystic warriors and magi of the tribe, using their abilities to change into fearsome beasts and blend in to their advantage.

Of course, the Phooka may take a different tact. Using the idea of the monster classes as ‘training’ to be a new type, I find that Dark Creeper (Fiend Folio p. 38) is a great path for your average goblin. Imagine going into battle with a group of goblins when a single paler goblin with dark whirling tribal tattoos seems to wrap the shadows around itself, and begins to fight in a whirling arc of darkness around you? Personally, I like the image. Also, the natural sneak attack given improves them when they take those later Rogue levels, and they serve able infiltrators. The natural improvements to Hide over Move Silently for your Dark Stalker also provide them able talents in the realms of sneaking, and a pair or trio of advanced Boblin 1.0 and 2.0 combined with a single Phooka would provide for some very interesting battles for your average players expecting an easy route. Perhaps larger hybrids or even other Medium-sized goblinoids could also have Phooka members, who would easily be represented by the Dark Stalker.

Now, we have a few interesting new goblins, but we may want some other items which could be useful to Goblins. One of the easiest ways to grant Goblins advantages which could then prove to be to your PCs benefit is through new spellcraft. Goblins have certain encumbrances which they deal with on a daily basis. Their general weakness, their issues with dealing with other races, and their tiny size are detriments that they should be able to overcome through the use of spells and items (both magical and non-magical). Most assume that because a goblin is just your average dirt-dwelling heel they will not have the effort to develop new and interesting gewgaw to assist them.

Remember how your average goblins breeds at a rate that Spanish Fly-addled rabbits would find excessive? We all know that this is a boon to the strength of the goblin warren and society, but few think of the longterm benefits of goblin procreation; mainly that with a large cross-section of adult goblins of various generations, the acquisition and distribution of knowledge would be extensive over time. Just as there are many breeding females, there are also far more ‘adult’ members of a goblin society to deal with possible problems at any given time in comparison to a humanoid group of similar size. With their average Intelligence, it would be unthinkable that goblin workers, mystics, and warriors haven’t come together to improve their stock in trade whenever possible. From observing games other the years with people who took goblins seriously, I have culled a small list of possibilities for your next foray into the green depths:

• Coldburning Torches. Listed here first as it is one of my favorite ideas. Goblins realize that the humanoids use torchlight to see by, and find that the benefit is great enough as to cause them some issue during your average raid. Therefore, goblins (along with assistance from other tribes and similar darkvision-using cultures) come up with coldlight. These torches, while more expensive (the price should be determined individually; I would probably put it at around double to triple what you value a standard everburning torch) are only useful to darkvision users. Through observation of the differences in vision, goblins practice creating light spells which only work in non-humanoid spectrums. Similar to a booster for nightvision lenses, these torches extend the possible range of darkvision by half. Perhaps goblins learn the art from other races who use similar technology, or they are the first. With a bunch of small sconces or even just odd stalactites or tree hangings near an encampment, they have extended their useful defensive range by half. When this idea was first posited at a gaming session awhile back, it was immediately locked on in our minds; now, there is a small cabal of DMs who have made their human PCs fearful of hanging art in darkvision-equipped encampments.
  
• Animal Husbandry. And you thought that House Vadalis was the only group about working to build better animals. Keeping dogs and wolves around their warrens, goblins develop a certain respect for the power of animals in their daily lives. Therefore, it wouldn’t be too odd that they observe stronger, faster, or smarter mounts and animals and breed selectively for traits. Goblin Experts and Lutin could easily enhance the dogs of a warren over time, and create new breeds. Perhaps goblin warriors enjoy using their Lutin-bred mounts over standard riding dogs due to talented instruction. Lutin and other tribal shamans may also decide to elevate certain animals (when possible) to a status of helpmate or trusted companion; goblin rangers and druids with their talented and powerful steeds and packdogs should not be the only ones with intelligent animals. A friend’s campaign went so far as to assume that the worg itself was a variation in these experiments; goblins finding that if you Awakened enough breeding stock over time, their pups would slowly develop habits and usage of speech and language in ways unheard of in most other societies. Thus, a pack of wolves led by an Awakened leader (perhaps itself in possession of a level or two in an appropriate class) could serve as a member not only of the working group, but as trained warriors at the disposal of the tribe.
  
• Clan Items. A friend posed this as a viable alternative to my presentation of monster classes. Instead of using a series of training, ancestral artifacts of a shamanic culture gain their own powers and attributes over time. If Boblin’s great-grandfather was a renowned Lutin who took the form of a great wolf with sable pelt and marking, the other tribal elders may have used the natural bond between the Lutin and his cloak to make a magical item. This cloak, when empowered before hand with spell energy (usually cast two appropriate level spells into the cloak) would allow any member of the warren or goblinoid to take on the aspect of the wolf, or gain talents besides.
  Legacy Items, minor magical enhancements, and other abilities are quite useful for this particular type of clan item. As this depends heavily on the type of magic or even supplements you utilize in a standard game, the normal caveat applies.

Now, I know that I did not apply any actual Crunch in this article; rather, this article and the series in general will serve as a guidebook to the ways of thinking about topics. Crunchy bits are, sad to say, difficult for your average gamer to incorporate without balancing issues and the like. I prefer giving ideas on possible fluff and its interpretation in already presented crunch to creating piecemeal a structure in which to operate. Hopefully, you can forgive this ideology, as I have found that it is the most useful as a DM and a player to hold personally.

I hope that I have presented you an intriguing view of goblins and their unique niche in folklore and mythology. If anything, these articles served as sort of the baseline for later possibilities. As I have gotten a pretty hearty set of replies from some of you I think that these ideas are helping somebody out there. If anything else, they are at least getting some ideas out there, which cannot be all that bad. The next articles should be starting up, and currently I am juggling around some ideas on what to cover. Any suggestions may be emailed to me: my username is the same as my email address at yaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhoooooooooooooooooooooooooo! (dot) com. As always…

Good Gaming,
Slainte,

-Loonook.

Good Gaming: Let’s Get Down to Business Part 1 The Opening Salvo, Hoover’s Principle, and A Little Taste of Fiction

I’m sick and tired of mages lording it over us. Yeah, you can tell physics to sit down and shut up . . . but that doesn’t make you better than the working schlubs out there. The guys who are swinging the battleaxes, making the diplomatic negotiations, perhaps even just shanking some poor commoner in an alley for some silver pieces and his hat.

But it doesn’t have to be that way. Wizards, Sorcerers, Warlocks, Clerics . . . whatever flavor of magic (or psionics) you enjoy in your campaign is powerful, but you have to allow your fighter flag to fly from time to time. Without that, we’re all just hopeless. The intrinsic fallacy of the world is that the mage is all-powerful, all-knowing, and generally just spectacular beyond ken. And to an extent that thesis can be proven out. However, we’re not looking at the whole story as presented; rather, most of your average PCs are trapped beneath the Player and DM falsehoods outlined in Hoover’s Principle.

Hoover’s is one of the few things I actually brought out of all of those required ‘gifted’ courses your average too-bright kid has to take during long, slow, and painful high school lectures. My favorite teacher, a tiny Asian grad student paying his way by bringing us the Required Readings for the day, presented Hoover’s Principle every time we were forced to do some creative writing. Written broadly in masterful strokes across the board just before the start of the process, Dave would put up the words below and remind us that Hoover’s Principle destroys all narrative unless we stop it in its tracks. To paraphrase, Hoover states


Any Creative Effort Created In A Vacuum Sucks Harder Than Said Vacuum.

But, the corollary of Hoover’s is easy to forget but crucial; the vacuum is broken only if we put a conscious effort to breaking it.

I know, you have been coddled in your readings. Most geeks are, and we suffer as a hobby for it. Just because Tolkien defined the ‘laws’ of high fantasy, and Jordan wrote this, and Brooks did this, doesn’t mean we have to follow in their footsteps. Yes, the books can be entertaining, but it is an empty entertainment; you shouldn’t see the end coming, you should strive to see something new, something relevant in your situations and grow for them.

We need tropes, clichés, the shibboleth because they help to unite us. And unification is great . . . until it affects creativity. Look at the television industry. We live with its cycles (ooo! A new Bionic Woman!) over and over again. However, sometimes they make something which is better than the original (wow… Battlestar Galactica isn’t too bad, and better than the original). But what makes one project just lukewarm, and the other into something which can actually be watched and enjoyed?

Perseverance, Originality, and Execution. P.O.E. for short, but we’ll get to that. With these three principles you can rehash, combine, chop and screw all sorts of wonderful characters, ideas, etc. into place and make yourself a new form. There are writers who visit old material and make it fascinating; there are producers who take dreck and make a real work of beauty, and there are actors who could be handed the greatest work of literature and make it into a veritable disaster of poor execution.

How does this apply to your game, and Hoover’s Principle? Think about it. Ever wonder about the rhyme or reason behind the setting? Maybe you haven’t… it isn’t a crime. But it’s poor divine mandate to go around and leave your setting in bits and pieces. You, the DMs, control that world like as unto gods. Players act as smaller, no less important forces in the shaping of the setting. If the player decides to alter his or her piece of the world they should have all rights, but we have to think about how both DM and Player interaction affect the narrative and the game, alongside how natural progressions affect said same.

What do I mean by Natural Progression? Well, it’s how the history and interactions of cultures, creatures, and the normal mucky muck of your average setting changes how the world works. There are ways that every DM deals with this, and some don’t deal with it at all. Personally, I think a light but direct touch is necessary for my own and my player’s sanity to keep the game going.

Why exactly, in these worlds of heavy magic, are we all using the same spell list? Why is there no experimentation, no delving into the depths of the mind and global knowledge to do some new stuff? Why are all the wizards out there using the same spells and not really advancing, and how exactly did every spell in the Compendium get brought forward into the limelight? How, for example, did every mage start packing those really nice and fancy spells from Complete Mage, or how did all the rogues start carrying around similar equipment?

It’s a lot of stuff to deal with at first. So be ready to press forward and get your answers from… yourself. When players begin asking to use all of these fanciful spells, you should find a way to incorporate them. Your mages should be able to Orb this and Disjoin that, but how did they come up with all of this spellcraft? Well, we may have an answer to that.

3rd Edition and the designers therein became obsessed with a generic aesthetic. Yeah, there are some ‘signature’ spells out there, some little twists and turns about. Some people who work out and got famous because they figured out a great way to link up mystic forces in a new and exciting pattern. This was to be helpful to your average player and DM, who wanted to develop their own setting. However, I find it sort of detrimental to the overall experience. There is so little desire in your average magic-user to put in his homework, travel to exotic locales, meet with the great minds of magic . . . if he can walk to the nearest magic shop and find the miraculous placement of 30 new spells in the shop window. It’s impractical, to say the least, to believe that this just occurs every time a splat comes out. Even so, there is a certain understanding on my side; players should be allowed to do some of the things they want.

But don’t then complain that said player, using 9 feats outside of core, a powerful PrC that he just sort of entered as soon as he got the chance, and 60% non-core spells is overpowering. Knowledge of these spells was a metagaming conceit by the DM in placation to the PC in question, and if there was no character development to get all of these fanciful things it makes for a very boring character design. The love of numbers not withstanding (I think we all like to crunch out a character or two in boredom), these monstrosities are in and of themselves ridiculous. Where does this no-account uneducated fiend come up with all of this power? Fiat, and that’s a bad proposition.

But there is a certain building of knowledge; cultures benefit each other. Individuals make new and startling inventions, and they become part of the global marketplace. Very simple ideas become manifest in some really amazing feats of strength, daring, and intellect all over our normal world. If you ignore this natural progression, you are in a way setting yourself up for these follies.

In short, define the roads your PCs walk on, both as a player and as a DM. It’s a cooperative game; though sometimes we want it to be competitive, it’s about making fun. However, when we complain that the rogues and warriors are held behind and are weaker, we establish a larger issue in the world itself; why are these guys so outclassed?
Nerds in the real world don’t automatically win fights, even if nerds get to bring their mac 10 and grenades with them, because usually the guys who have been in the situation bring weaponry and protection with them. Let me illustrate:

The smell was everywhere. The deranged shrieking of the thaumaturgist echoed off the ceilings of his cave lair. The newly-summoned demon, aching to be released on the foes set before him.

“You’ll never leave this place alive! I command the very powers of the underworld! From the depths I can summon the fierce beasts of the Nine Hells to my aid!”

“Master . . . Master . . . “ the imp’s pathetic squealing was nerve-wracking to Sir Dwight, whose blade seemed to glow in nervous pulsing in his right hand. His shield was treated by the alchemist who had sponsored the trip, and mayhap it would catch the brunt of the spells if something wasn’t done quickly to stop this madman.

“See, it speaks of me as it’s master! I have fought the tides of time itself to gain my wisdom! You will fall in awe at the majesty of the Great Ar…”

The benefits of the solution were beyond expectation. A flask of fixed quicksilver, the powder of an asp . . . the old geezer never felt the press of the disenchanting blade upon his defenses. Sir Dwight sighed in relief as the rogue struck quiet and unexpected from behind. The would-be assassin rose to his feet, drawing his jewel-encrusted short sword from the corpse frozen mid scream and tipping a wink to the knight before turning to the summoning circle.

“So… you’re the demon he called from the Deeps? How would you like to get some new work? I know a purveyor of exotic species, perhaps he could use a clerk with your expertise?”

“Well, I have always fancied a life as a kee…”

The priest’s dismissal spell was perfectly timed. Grinning as the glam of the potent potion wore off, she politely clapped to the adroit handling by the rogue of his quarry.

“By Baas, I love it when they don’t see it coming. We’re here for the grimoire, right?”

Never, ever underestimate the power of a determined group. This is actually a narrative of a session I ran a few years back. It was one of the funnier death of a villain we had had before, so whenever I get to relate the story I get a little chuckle. The alchemist they had been working with (another fun NPC) had given them certain preparations which assisted them with their prey, and it really helped in the closing segments with the mage. However, in a lot of settings it would be considered inappropriate for such a death to take place; you see, mage’s get all the special treatment.

But with anywhere from a century to millennia (judging by some common 1st and 3rd party settings) of magic use observed, why do the mages get to have all the fun? No one worked on defeating these potent enemies, these hidden masters of the world? Much less learning ways to defeat the demons, undead, and dragons who can perform similar feats of daring? We’ll cover ways to deal with Natural Progression of this sort in the next article. From there, we’ll discuss some questions you should ask yourself about any setting you play or DM in, which may seem surprising to you. Hopefully, we’ll get a little more oomph out of our work there.

Good Gaming: Let’s Get Down to Business Part 2 Why Bards Don’t Suck, the Importance of Being An Earnest Mage Slayer, and Questions

Now, welcome back. It’s been almost a week (if not a week) and we’re just starting to get into the good stuff… but as I said before, sometimes paychecks and other obligations will make these articles appear in a hodgepodge sort of way. The opening salvo being fired, we’re going to explore some of the issues inherent in the departments of verisimilitude, building better defense, and similar modes.

I’m going to also state something which may shock (and awe) some of my audience: I have a bit of a problem with 4e and the new path that the game we know and love has taken. I can understand the reasoning behind the current MMORPG model of gaming; heck, the ideas are somewhat solid, and we some of the possibilities are amazing. However, I feel that the current system shock we’re all dealing with is coming from a good standpoint; the knife work that is being performed on settings. Spellplagues, elemental chaos, and new forms of the demonic and angelic formats are neither necessary or warranted. If anything, the creation of a new aesthetic in D&D is destroying an established mythology. You see, we work in a very interesting milieu as gamers, DMs, and (for those few who are lucky enough to be involved) game designers. We are building stories, creating narrative, and producing a product unique to our chosen hobby/business.

There’s not going to be a lot of people who get to recreate the divine institutions of our world. In our own ways, DMs and designers serve as small Homers, Miltons, and Dantes, populating our worlds with a unique, kitschy, serious, funny, or dramatic sense of place and self through institutionalized mythos. When the entirety of that mythos, and the structures inherent therein, are decimated . . . it becomes a problem. The Greeks could bring their mythology to Persia, and the Europeans spread Christianity to the far reaches of the world . . . but the metaphysical frameworks of societies were only shifted. The Happy Hunting Grounds could coexist with the Christian Heavens, Gehenna could exist in the same area as Jahannam. But again, we didn’t have to worry about running into the Fruit of Zaqqum near the River Styx .

Of course, this is not why we are here, and I digressed egregiously… I apologize. We’re here to discuss the wonders of magic, the world, and its practice. And my first point of order is to show that a common misconception for what it is: Bards Do Not Suck. Moreso, it is our image of the Bard, a Barry Manilow-cum-Merlin that needs to change. It is sad that the bard gets thrown around so boldly; it is even sadder that we don’t see the value of the Bard as something beyond mere troubadour.

I propose to you, Gentle Reader, that the Bard should not be considered necessarily a singer of repute, but rather a well-educated gentleman or noble class in a mid to high magic setting. Now, I know, some of you have probably just closed this document . . . but hear me out. One of the problems behind the bard is our own linguistic shortcoming; we see Bardic Music, countersong, etc. and believe it must always be so. However, some of the best bards I have seen mentioned and played were not singers, but orators.

Oratory is a great skill, to be sure. Though it is hard to find a song which would inspire me to greatness, I can think of a dozen speeches which have brought on strong emotions, fascinated me, and inspired me to strive for excellence. One of the best (and most well-known examples) lies below.
. . .
We few, we happy few, we band of brothers;
For he today that sheds his blood with me
Shall be my brother; be he ne'er so vile,
This day shall gentle his condition:
And gentlemen in England now abed
Shall think themselves accursed they were not here,
And hold their manhoods cheap whiles any speaks
That fought with us upon Saint Crispin's day. (Henry the V, IV, iii)

The St. Crispin’s Day Speech is probably the best rallying cry in the English language. Similar speeches (MLK’s ‘I Have A Dream’) have driven men and women across time and space to feel and fight for a cause. Though I myself have a problem imagining a strongly-worded serenade inspiring me to heights of combat prowess, I can assuredly find myself readied and pumped if I was knee-deep in mud and vile to hear the speech quoted above.

So, we have bards who have the gift of gab. Bards also have a large knowledge of diverse topics, a smattering of magic, some martial training, and skills which lend themselves well to statecraft and getting oneself out of sticky situations. This diverse repertoire, in many settings taught at a bardic college, harkens to the idea of the liberal arts or classical education as found in a Medieval University.

The image of the bard as a fop, a man of wisdom, stage and statecraft, a jack of all trades . . . I feel that this is the bard in a nutshell. Indeed, with a couple of adjustments based on later discussions, the bard could rival many in the pursuit of a nobleman/courtier class. Though some nobles chose a more martial path, and others went into the priesthood, the standard wise and learned ‘Renaissance Man’ is pretty well encapsulated by the Bard. With some adjustments, similar classes (those which have a touch of magic alongside their martial prowess) can fit the role, but the Bard is probably the best to represent a medieval-to-mid-Renaissance nobleman of culture and standing. It is for this reason that I renamed the Bard the Courtier class in one of my games (which focused on courtly intrigue) and gave them diverse ways to enter into some mystical traditions which would otherwise be off limits to a Bard in good standing.
Education, in any society which has the means to support it, becomes a division of class, race, status, religion . . . and numerous other possibilities. However, it is through this same education (and the development of learned men) that many of our own society’s advancements come. If you have ever had the chance to read texts on medieval education . . . you would see why these ideas go doubly so for worlds in which magic exists. A resource like magic, left untapped by a kingdom, will cause its overthrow. The control of the means of production of mages, clerics, and similar individuals is a necessity of rulers and others, and keeping them happy would also be important. However, the control of that means of production would require a stiff punishment of those who stepped ‘out of line’. With a group of nobles who have dabbled in magic, take interest in the subject, and find themselves delighted by its prospects, it would be no wonder that certain forces would desire ways to quell magic rebellion.

Even in a world where magic doesn’t work, we have dozens of examples of manuals on the tracking, hunting, and elimination of practitioners of the Art. The best known example (Malleus Maleficarum) was preceded by plenty of similar tracts which discussed the issue. Yet, in many settings, there are no witch hunters, and those who do hunt the rogue spellcaster have very few tools to do so. The science and philosophy behind magic is explored, its functions labeled, and countering actions are determined. Though we have no idea whether these actions would ‘work’, we should have a good idea of what a D&D setting’s treatise would look like.

However, the specialized field of hunting down magic users is relegated to a handful of feats, less than half a dozen prestige classes, a few useful class abilities, and the occasional bone throw. No wonder we have mages running amok… only mages can challenge mages on a battlefield! This is idiocy. Western society created a way to fight witches and warlocks without an actual threat . . . the least we can do as DMs is give a bit of a hand to the forgotten ones who should have been trained how to handle these issues in the first place.

A lot of the problem is we ourselves have no idea why we do what we do in our games. There’s not a solid grasp of magic in general; we just sort of let it hover in the ether until some ruling comes down, or we make a house ruling, and then it fades into wherever it goes.

We. Can. Do. Better.

Ask yourself the following questions. If you want, send me your responses (as always, I’m my SN at yahoo) and I’ll post any which are really intriguing or especially elucidating:

• What is the main ‘force’ behind magic? How does this differ for different arcane spellcasters? Divine Spellcasters? ‘Raw Force’ Casters (Warlocks, etc.?)
• If you have Psi, how does this differ from ‘normal’ magic?
• How does a wound heal when Cure Light Wounds is cast? Do different religions/clergy change this result? How about Druids? Bards?
• Does magic follow the rules of thermodynamics (as you understand them)? Conservation of Energy?
• Where exactly do Summon Monster targets go to?
• How exactly does one Teleport in your game?
• Do spells of the Polymorph subschool alter the genetics of a target? Does this change based on the level of the spell or caster?
• What spells are globally known? What spells are specific to region (if any)?
• How do Caster NPC classes fit into the social dynamic of the setting? Are they necessary in your setting? Are they the ONLY casters?
• How does disease/blindness/deafness affect the population? How common are healing spells? Raise Dead and similar?

Those should keep you going for a bit. I hope I get at least a couple responses… these articles are just as much for you as they are for my own expansion of play knowledge.
Anyways, next article I hope to explore the possibilities of other classes ‘getting theirs’ when it comes to fighting arcane and divine casters, along with exploring how to handle magic research alongside technological developments. Until then…

Good Gaming,
Slainte,

-Loonook.

Good Gaming: Let’s Get Down to Business Part 3
The Curious Case of Sir Phineas Aldman


The first sound you heard when you entered into the Order’s chambers was the pinging which came from the Magister’s chest. Or the grinding of his gauntlet-like left arm, the gears catching and turning as he sat crushing walnuts or other hard pieces. Known as Phineas Nutcracker by the wags in the court, Sir Phineas Aldman was appointed by the Empress Elizabeta III over forty years ago as the Knight of the Malleus, and when he was granted the station of Magister Malleus he became the leader of the Order in name. The title meant nothing; the clockworks that powered Phineas were well-earned on the battlefield, and the previous Magister (a foppish courtier known as the Fat Grouse in some quiet circles) hadn’t been on campaign in over a decade. Phineas fought for the Imperials at Hangman’s Brace, Crosstree Manor, and the Siege of Lichenstone, and earned his nom de guerre long before his official title.

The legends floated around him; some said he was found naked and bellicose at the High Gate one night, telling of another world. Others say he was a bastard child of the Lesser Crown, brought forth to the Imperials as scutage. Though no one could be sure of his leanings, all were sure that he carried a hatred for the Art and its practice, and used his sharp mind to form a group of like-minded and talented nobles and laymen to overcome the problems of the magi and their spectacular weapons. Today, he is doing his best to cast down any thoughts of supremacy amongst the new recruits. The shine of the apparatus which replaced his shield arm glints into the eye as he walks around his men.

“You think you understand your enemy? Ha! I have no love for them, but I have respect as well as hatred. It is said that in the capital of the Lesser Crown the King of the Stars Himself has mastered over two score ways of laying a platoon to waste by thought. His war council has perfected Arts beyond our own reckoning . . . but we have some tricks for them. When you are outfitted by our Doctors you will be their match in war; perhaps, if you survive long enough, you will also be their match in wit. We will outfit the best in our skin-plate, and grant charges of magebane grenades to each of you. But until you know our tools, you’ll be worthless to us on the field . . .”

Probably one of the best players I have ever had the honor of DMing is known by his friends (and strangely enough, some of his family) as B. B was the one who first presented Phineas and the Order of the Blessed Hammer to my main play group at the outset of 3rd Edition. We had been playing in a game for several months, just at the start of our group’s forays into 3rd Edition, when we had a long conversation over a few beers at the bar I had had the pleasure (and pain) of working in while looking for other employment. Over a few IPAs we came up with some interesting solutions, and over the interim we have been trading some of our ideas back and forth. Indeed, Phineas Aldman, Magister Malleus, was to become the impetus for this series of articles which have been brewing for the last few years.

I had really gotten tired of DMing your standard games. Yeah, every once in awhile we’d have a few interesting ones; perhaps a gladiatorial games setup, or run a new-fangled foray into the belly of some beast. But what I really found was that the most interesting games don’t need gimmicks; rather, they need characters like Phineas (and players like B) that make our games worth playing. The collaboration supplied by a good solid group will inspire a lot of forethought by both players and DMs, and get the blood moving again when it comes to new locations, settings, and the like.

B hated mages, but became nearly obsessed with how it all worked. Over the course of that evening we set down, from our shared knowledge (both being register-jockeys at a long-closed occult/’New Age’ bookstore, gaming) and unique understandings (my background in history, theology and the philosophy of mysticism, his background as the youngest in a family of believers in hoodoo, and studies of grimoire and similar workbooks of ‘real world’ magic) how exactly magic may tick in your average setting. Though I only have the hazy memories and a few pages of notes left from that conversation, I feel that it has influenced how I view magic and its use in roleplaying games. Some of the conceits we explored during that period were as follows:

• Magic doesn’t necessarily break the laws and theories of science, but rather operates in a higher realm of understanding of such.
• Magic is a codified practice of creating results, similar to any other science, and should be treated as such in any world.
• Magic can benefit from the addition of technology.
• On the other hand, a society of magicians would seek out ways to weaken or disable the ability to perform magic, in any way possible.
• Magic relies on belief that the effect will work, concentration, a strong force of will, and unique sympathetic objects (expressed in D&D by Concentration, Level, and material components/foci.)
• It is a logical fallacy that one must ‘fight fire with fire’ when it comes to magic; though a good offense is the best defense (mage v. mage), there would logically be some development of ‘common’ materials which could affect magic.
• Those who have a natural tolerance or ability to be unaffected by magic would survive longer in a society which is reliant on magic, and pass on these traits (expressed as Spell Resistance observable in Drow, certain Outsiders, etc.)

B and I came to the conclusion that the best ‘common’ materials to deal with a mage would be something to affect his concentration. Phineas began to look for possible materials to perform this task which would be usable by the masses, and not rely on the ability to hit and damage to trigger a Concentration check. The character was relentless; using his natural talents in Gather Information, Diplomacy, and Knowledge of the Art, along with a cohort who enjoyed using his talents in Alchemy and a stipend afforded him by the Grouse (and later, though finagling, the College Imperial) he (and we) finally found the answer.

Teargas. It seems extremely simple, but of course in-game it was revelation. For six months of in-game seeking during a lull in our campaign (the winter months are unkind to marching armies, and a plague swept the cities surrounding making for poor conditions for large traveling groups of militia) Phineas, his cohort, and the party Loremaster hit pay dirt. A combination of agents, including alchemical processes, and a small alchemical ‘charge’ (similar to a tindertwig or controlled powder burn) could cause the dispersal from a grenade of a noxious cloud, which would irritate the mucous membranes to a point of agony. Most effective against mages, it could easily affect other targets too. We could create a version which would cause a Concentration check to maintain casting potential, around the levels of a good hit from a weapon (DC: 15-20, 14 + 1d6 [the d6 for potency of the specific grenade at dispersal). The tear gas would not be overpowering but definitely a surprise (gusts of wind would become a battlefield necessity, for instance).

However, it would be prohibitively expensive due to the amount of alchemical items involved (we came out at a cost approaching 160-200 gp/unit, market price of 320-400 gp) to issue them to every soldier. Therefore, elite soldiers expecting contact with the enemy’s spellcasters would be outfitted, along with any nobleman. The devices were considered contraband for anyone who was not part of the Imperial Guard, with strict penalties for carriage of the weapons . . . of course, the group was allowed to purchase them at a slight markup from the master-of-arms until a point where they arose to a status in the Peerage.

Now, this doesn’t tip the scales against mages. In fact, there are plenty of easy solutions to the issue that a group of individuals boasting genius IQs should be able to puzzle through in a few hours (theoretically) and have finished in a few weeks. The first battle using the magebane prototypes was a rout when it came to the casters; several failed their saves outright, while others failed in intervening rounds. Thus was born the tradition of Gust of Wind being an important enough spell for land AND sea casters to keep in their spellbook for further use. Technology trumped magic, but magic advanced faster.

Later, there were additional inventions; a slow-burning narcotic haze which would reduce Intelligence, in essence ‘locking out’ mages from using spells in social situations while heightening the enjoyment of revels by the Empress’s courtiers. Then came the possibilities implied by acids and other irritating and damaging liquids to force Concentration checks. The cohort, Phineas, and his group of R&D minions advanced the cause of anti-mage warfare over the next 5 in-game years to a point where, with the proper equipment, mages could be counteracted on the battlefield handsomely. A new player, obsessed with constructs and grafting, began performing research into grafting armored plating to soldiers… culminating in the first appearances of ‘living construct’ analogues in the setting. Short-term spell-resistance in tattoo/etching forms, cribbed from the use of tattoos as use-activated magic items in a primitive culture outside of the Imperium’s holdings, became de rigueur amongst noblemen.

All of these ideas were filtered, altered, and became a sort of technological Renaissance for the game. Thousands of years of magical and anti-magical researches came to the fore. Spellcasters began researching long-range spells, curses, and other non-artillery spells to bring the fight to these Young Turks. Phineas took some real damage (suffering a fearsome Heartclutch at Crosstree Manor, and having his left arm torn off by the demon assistant of a mastermind demonbinder who had hired on to train the Lesser Crown’s sorcerers in the arts of Summoning at Lichenstone) but he’s still pounding it out in the setting.

I talked to B a few nights ago about how I should frame this article. He agreed that it would be easier to present the narrative, along with our asides, and explain some of the interesting things which pop up when you actively develop your further thoughts on magic. In twenty years, perhaps the Lesser Crown or the newly-crowned Empress Deliah IV will have new methods of construction and warfare built from these simple sciences. I do not advocate that all of the ideas present in this setting would work for all settings; however, this is an exploration through one DM’s eyes of items which could assist you. Below, I’ve placed some simple write-ups for some of the items listed above, or given current analogues in published materials (with citation). If anything, this will give your fighters something to lob at the local mages. However, maybe I’ve helped to open your eyes to some unique tools for fighting mages.

As Always . . .

Good Gaming,
Slainte,
-Loonook


Sir Phineas Aldman (Rough 3.5 Compatible Build) Old Human Fighter 3 (Thug Variant)/Rogue 4/Occult Slayer 5 with Able Learner and Mage Slayer Feats. Phineas has the Heart of Steel (Faiths of Eberron p. 157) and Mighty Arm (Faiths of Eberron p. 158). Phineas has taken the Slow Flaw (due to the weightiness of his arm and the strain on the body of his mechanical heart, Unearthed Arcana p. 91 ) to grant himself an additional feat. This flaw has been subsumed by his later acquisition of a magic item to boost his base speed. His normal armor is a mithral (or similar material) breastplate which has Spell Resistance properties. He also carries a blade known as the Coldiron Cleaver (a uniquely-crafted +2 greater spell-storing longsword with a Greater Dispel placed into it upon request and payment of ½ the normal cost) and the Magister’s Mallet (a +1 Disrupting Warhammer). His wealth is unusually high due to his connections in the Imperial Court.

His cohort (Bryce Stallingsworth) is a courtier (Bard 6/Rogue 2) with an extensive knowledge of magic and alchemical processes.

Magebane Grenades (current) are as listed in the article. The current schematic is derived from the Teargas Grenade description (d20 Modern P. 105) with adjustments as noted in the article.

Qishi, a extract incense derived from a plant found in the province of Qishin, has properties of a mildly (low) addictive drug (for addiction stats/fort saves see Unearthed Arcana p. 203-204). When burned and inhaled, Qishi causes mild euphoria and a tingling, pleasant sensation which makes focusing on spellcasting difficult; a spellcaster must make a Concentration check (DC: 15 + spell level + 2*(hrs. of exposure)) to successfully perform a spell while under the effects of Qishi. This effect dissipates after an hour without exposure to the drug. The overdose for Qishi is 5 hours of exposure in a 48 hr. period. Standard Fortitude Save rules apply, and upon failure the exposed individual suffers 1d8 temporary ability damage to a random mental score. Common Qishi costs 25 gp/dose if available.

Royal Qishi, a more refined form of the drug, can be burned; this drug causes a greater level of euphoria, along with a mild hallucinatory side effect. The effects of Qishi last longer in the system (6 hrs. from exposure), and its effect is stronger (DC: 20 spell level + 3*(hrs. of exposure). Royal Qishi is a highly addictive drug. The exposure overdose is the same as Common Qishi, however, the ability damage is 1d8 to two mental stats. Royal Qishi is prohibitively expensive, at 250 gp/dose if available.

Good Gaming: Living In These Modern Times Pt. 1: Hidden Masters, the Veil, and Shadow


Professor Jawahir had asked me to meet her at the coffee shop down on Fleer, and considering the tone of her voice I thought it wise to show up. A stunning woman of Middle Eastern descent, Maritza was as beautiful at forty as most of the female grad students who took her seminar on Early Arab Mysticism. So, as any down-and-out grad student who needed some free coffee to power through his next set of analyses, I decided to take her up on it. Babylon was one of those trendy, specialist places, and their reproductions of early Ottoman carpets and tapestries were just tacky enough to make the place feel like home.

We had just sat down to a simple press sandwich when the real reason for her invitation approached. I had seen the man a few times over the years; he was an elderly gentleman, African or perhaps Arab in descent, whose smile made the hairs on your neck stand up. His perfect white teeth shone brightly as he sat down and began discussing with Maritza in a rushed, clipped Arabic which I could barely follow. They had been old colleagues at a university library, and the man was disappointed that she had not come to work at his newest archive.

“Where are my manners, my jewel. Your newest boy looks quite . . . interesting. He leaves your young Dodi far behind in the looks department. Perhaps I could talk to him? Are you looking for a position after your eventual graduation? I could perhaps promise you some great things…” his smile turned more warm than I had seen in quite some time, especially for a man looking at a no-account student who would always be a step behind in any academic venture.

“No, I believe we may be able to find him a position somewhere where his talents will go to good use, Ta. That is what you’re going by, correct? I find your real name quite tiresome from my lips . . . and today I do not wish to humor.”

I know when to leave an argument, and I made myself busy taking an order and getting the thick Turkish-style coffee that the newly-minted Ta seemed to prefer. Almost burning myself on the serving kettle I shimmied myself through a group of semi-interested Comp Sci undergrads and brought the coffee, only to find Maritza and Ta engaged in a strange game of chess. The pieces were in the wrong positions, and it seemed that they were using only part of the normal board to play.

Each move seemed calculated until the game began to get complex, and Ta made some interesting choices. Even as I watched I saw why Ta would be interested in bringing Maritza back to the fold; her play was impeccable, and even as he struck with brilliant gambits she replied with more interesting retorts. Soon he seemed to be drinking the coffee as if it were an elixir, smiling as he made more and more dangerous moves.

“Ahh . . . now we see the issue. You are far too trapped in your rules, the paths you take in the game are obvious. I have had you since move one, Mchumba.” The word was strange, and not an Arabic word that I knew. Ta pressed the side and seemed to have Professor Jawahir backed into a corner.

It was then that she made an interesting move; a piece that seemed to me before to be counted as a rook moved into a position of favor, protecting the delicately endangered king and putting Ta himself in what appeared to be check.

“Shah Mat, maskhara. Perhaps the next game we play we will decide a more interesting battlefield.” Maritza smiled, but her hand tensed over my own. A feeling of warmth and maternal protection fell over me, and I saw Ta as some sort of bear, a beast which would take me away only if Jawahir had been killed first.

“Ahh yes, my sweet. But the game is not finished just yet. Perhaps you will remember my offer next, when you have had time to consider your current position’s weaknesses.” The casual air of the statement was broken when Ta slammed his cup onto the table and raked the pieces off the board, walking out in stunned silence.

I swear, as he passed the mirror on the way out, that he seemed almost ebony, his teeth a fierce smile in rictus. The whites of his eyes were bright yellow and rheumy, and the pupils were the darkest purple.

“It is okay Sam. I doubt that there are many who remember my fr… Ta, and not for long. Perhaps we could discuss this over dinner?” She smiled.

And in it I saw the stars being born.

I hope that you will forgive me for opening with some narrative; I just got the image after seeing two very interesting figures at a coffee shop with some friends, and wondering how people with such animosity in their body language and bearing could stand to sit so close to each other. I think that this would also be a good introduction to a discussion of some of the problems with playing Modern Fantasy games. However, I will only be using this article as an introduction to some ideas, and then elaborating each further in a different article. While this specific article set will involve Modern and a different interpretation than what appears in Urban Arcana (aka Greyhawk: The Next Generation), while keeping with some of the themes we have been discussing so far.

The first conceit of most Modern Fantasy is the idea of the Hidden Master and the Veil. These two ideologies simply state that there are creatures you don’t know about, hidden by some sort of strange force, which only ‘appear’ under times of stress OR when you become aware of them. Personally, I find the Veil and its uses in Urban Arcana sort of weak, but a great start. The Hidden Masters concept, however, is sorely lacking.

How many power lunches can a Great Wyrm make it to in his normal form? Suits become expensive when you’re tearing out of them to use your powers. How about celestials/infernals? While some can hide their normal form, it is quite a different story for others . . . your more martial, non-altering creatures are going to have some issues.

Personally, I try to limit the appearance of ‘strange’ (i.e. easily noticeable) creatures in my Modern Fantasy games unless I can give them an interesting humanoid form. John Stephen Cheshire (a humanoid displacer beast based off the concept of the grimalkin) appeared in two different parts of my Decades Campaign; first as a PC in the 1950s, then as an NPC in the 1990s.

However, I am having some internet issues currently, and to be honest I am quite tired. So we’re going to continue this set later. However, I wanted to introduce the concepts so far, and then extend them as we go along to include some other interesting parties.

Until Then,

Good Gaming,
Slainte,

-Loonook.

Good Gaming: Living In These Modern Times Pt. 2: A Hidden Master: Aleksei Afanasii

David always loved his times away from his father’s house. The quiet retreat set off in the middle of nowhere was perfect; he got to do anything he wanted, and he liked sharing his time with his favorite toys and the guard who called himself Billo. Billo had given David Tom, his favorite toy when he was growing up. Tom was a rugged little bear, dressed in a crisp suit just like the one Billo and the other guards wore, with a tiny pop-gun and shades. The getup looked less ridiculous on a sky-blue teddy bear than it did on the men who watched over David and his daddy, and when David would talk to Billo about the times the middle-aged bodyguard had spent with his favorite toy they would both laugh. David laughed heartily at how silly Billo was about talking in the bear’s gruff, dour voice, and imagined a miniature Billo and Tom running around in the Southwest having adventures.

It was around six in the afternoon that Billo came running in, grabbing Tom and David.

“Hey D, we are going to go somewhere safe, kay? I just want you to keep old Tommy Bear with you, and I’ll carry you piggyback up the path to the Tiny House.” Tiny House was David’s favorite place to play, and Billo smiled gap-toothed as David seemed to take to the adventure.

As they ran through the switch and bushes David could hear soft pops, and Billo had to reach down to turn off his radio . . . it kept squeaking and screaming up at him, and David had begun to wonder what was going on. The Tiny House loomed in sight, and Billo smiled and led David into the interior, sitting Tom on the bed and David down before pulling the shades.

“I’ll be right back, kiddo. Don’t leave until I come and knock like we said, kay?” It was the kiddo thing that made David call Bill Billo, and they exchanged a hug as Billo got ready to go out the door. Before he turned to leave he grabbed a couple of pieces of the chalk that was on the blackboard’s sill.

“If I don’t . . . watch him for me Old Man.” Billo looked grimly at Tom as he picked him up, and David laughed as Billo made the little blue bear shake his head curtly before placing him down.

Billo went outside, and David heard him scratching something on the door of the Tiny House. Mr. Garland, the groundskeeper, was going to be mad at Billo, and probably chase him around with a bucket of soap-water to get him to clean it. The sound of a firecracker outside broke the strange words that Billo was saying, and the scratching stopped.

“Davey . . . get under the bed, close your eyes and cover your ears, okay?” Billo’s gruff voice for Tom seemed to come from over by the bear, and David laughed as he followed the instructions. Billo’s playing some kind of game David thought, and followed the directions.

He heard a couple of hushed voices and saw two strange pairs of boots come in. They moved to point towards the bed where he was laying, and then he heard a thud as the sound of Tom’s pop-gun echoed around the room. A barely audible sound that reminded David of when Ms. Mary would slice him an apple to eat for Snacks, and the two pairs of boots flipped over. A soft thud, and Tom was down on the floor, his pop-gun pouring blue-green smoke and small sparks from its end. Tom put the cork back on the tip, and then crawled under the bed with David. Out of his pocket he pulled one of the little accessories, a toy phone that had a couple of strange symbols written on it in glow-in-the-dark ink.

“Emergency, the Camp has been compromised. Asset protected, unknown number of men down. Request an evacuation to a safe point, over.”

Tom was such a silly little bear. He even grabbed the two pairs of boots and dragged them out. When he came back to where David was hiding he rubbed noses with the boy like Billo would make the bear do when they were telling some story that had scared David to wit’s end.

The muzzle was soft, but David could feel that Tom’s whole snout was wet, and hear soft sobs coming from the stuffed animal. He was a silly little bear.

If you limit your Modern Fantasy to Greyhawk: Reloaded you are going to have some boring encounters. Though perhaps creatures like Tom (a use-activated Small cross between a Defender homunculus and a Modernized Shield Guardian) may not fit into all campaigns, it is important that you ask exactly how magic affects your modern world, and vice versa.

Now, why would we bother ourselves in the discussion of a sky-blue teddy bear? Well, that brings us to his creator, a man of some talent and a good Hidden Master: Aleksei Afanasii. Afansaii appeared in a D20 Past game I was running on the European Continent, and then became sort of a legend unto himself as the Decades Cycle (my series of Modern games) began to grow and flourish. Afanasii (Immortal) lived somewhere between 115 and 130 years; a human mage of some renown, Aleksei became well-known amongst aristocrats of the continent for his study of automata.

For those who have never seen automaton, they are a small subset of toys produced in Europe during the 18th-19th century. Automaton were clockwork entities; certain French toymakers were considered the ‘best’ at producing them, but you can see examples which range from simple motion-banks to complex, multi-movement marionette like figurines. Different automaton had different tasks, but they were mostly produced as toys and fancies for noblemen to give to their children or display as a sort of masterpiece of mechanical engineering. The pieces are rare to find now in great condition, but those that are well-articulated can fetch large sums of money.

Being a Russian noble with a knack for the Art, Afanasii started to build life-like automaton, adding small touches of magic alongside artifice to make amazing replicas of nobles, cavalry, and other important figures. It was only when Afanasii ran across a lone Rabbi and learned the arts surrounding the creation of magical constructs that he truly came into his own.

In my setting there are perhaps fifty to a hundred working Afanasii ‘dolls’, each with a rich history. Usually used as servants or bodyguards for children, they are constructs which have fluid movement and the ability to perform complex tasks due to the investiture of certain mystic energies. The true masterpieces, known amongst mystic traders as the ‘blue Alekseis’ were cast in cobalt-hued porcelain, and have a formerly living spirit inside of them. These are living constructs, some of whom have gained levels over top of their normal HD in martial or protective Advanced Classes which they qualified for.

Tom was a gift created for a German ambassador’s daughter in the early 1900s. Having fled Russia for the ‘safety’ of Germany, he established a small suite of rooms in which to create his workshop. Afanasii advanced the arts of construct creation to new heights, working on using composites and alloys which would take decades to appear in metallurgical textbooks. Already approaching 90, Aleksei was easy fodder for the Kaiser when he was collected by a group of German sorcerers-turned-advisors and asked to work on additional items.

After meeting a skilled armorer and smithy in Berlin, Aleksei focused on the creation of new and more interesting constructs. It was in 1920 that he created the first blue Aleksei, and it was during this period that he became interesting in Living Armor. Using some of the knowledge procured from certain texts on necromancy and life energy, Aleksei (alongside the smith and a talented necromancer) produced the first Created One, a suit of living armor. Thankfully, about four months later, we could actually allow players to play as a Created One without having to do too much backbreaking work . . . the Warforged saved me from having so many damnable hours to postulate a solid character race.

Aleksei is shrouded in the haze of history for my players; he died (or at least disappeared) in the late 30s, his talented successor taking the secrets of producing Created across the pond and attempting to assist in the war effort. A few of them walk around to this day, marked with ironworks tags or automobile manufacturer imprints, each born out of the necessities of conflict. However, if Aleksei (and his player) had never decided to go along the route and wonder how exactly magic could affect the modern (or Industrial period) world, I would never have had one of my most interesting groups of creatures to date appear in the setting.

Now, we have discussed a specific case of a Hidden Master, someone who somehow affects the setting without being involved too much in our actual game (outside of the few he appeared in, or his constructs did). But what about someone who largely affects the framework of the setting? Next article we'll do just that; part 3 will focus on Gen. Wesley Harlan I, and the creation of the Rainbow Companies.

Now, I know you're all probably getting irritated by these articles; and don't fret. I hope that this isn't showing too much vanity; rather, I am really desiring to show you some interesting things. So that once we presented Aleksei, Wesley, and another character and show their possible effects on the world at large, we will then discuss the methods and process behind creating exciting and immersible history for a Fantasy Modern game which doesn't come from a mixture of Die Hard and Lord of the Rings.

As Always,

Good Gaming,
Slainte,

-Loonook.