Wizardru's Story Hour (updated 11/21)

[Aethramyr]

To Be Fair...

To be fair to Bolo, The Entire incident was Ret-conned into oblivion, Along the episode-that-will-not-be-named. I'm not even sure if it is still in the story hour.

 

[Argent Silvermage]

To be fair to Bolo, The Entire incident was Ret-conned into oblivion, Along the episode-that-will-not-be-named. I'm not even sure if it is still in the story hour.

Thanks Aethramyr! Spoken like a true Paladin. and friend to the bodyless. I want to know what I come back as!

The situation was this. both Aethramyr and Bolo could only miss the save if they rolled a "1" for the save. and that's just what both of us did. Lord help me that set off a wave of "we have to approve any further spells" jokes. The funny part is I actually have a list of spells that are from different sources that I now have approved by Wizardru.
So there

 

[LordVyreth]

Oh, I've been there myself. I once made a spell that created an electric vortex that pulled anyone near into it while firing lightning bolts at the nearest target. The problem was what happened when the fight moved around and the other players were a little closer to the spell than the baddies! I could have dismissed the spell, but since I was already killed by this point (Oh, and by the way, what death is Bolo up to now? At four deaths, my wizard Maelgoran might still have him beat, especially since none of those deaths were at all respectable "killed in melee with villain" deaths,) that wasn't an option.

 

[Argent Silvermage]

Oh, and by the way, what death is Bolo up to now? At four deaths, my wizard Maelgoran might still have him beat, especially since none of those deaths were at all respectable "killed in melee with villain" deaths that wasn't an option.

Death 1) Paragon fire elmental beholder.
Death 2) The Shadowtaker (took the bolt for Dravot.)
Death 3) Giant @#$^%%$#@ Spider squid thing from beyond.

Started life as a Halfling came back as an Elf. Die and Came back as a Centaur... but reality shifted and back as an Elf again
died this time and????????????????????????

 

[pogre]

Death 1) Paragon fire elmental beholder.
Death 2) The Shadowtaker (took the bolt for Dravot.)
Death 3) Giant @#$^%%$#@ Spider squid thing from beyond.

Started life as a Halfling came back as an Elf. Die and Came back as a Centaur... but reality shifted and back as an Elf again
died this time and????????????????????????

So someone mentioned pictures...

 

[LordVyreth]

Death 1) Paragon fire elmental beholder.
Death 2) The Shadowtaker (took the bolt for Dravot.)
Death 3) Giant @#$^%%$#@ Spider squid thing from beyond.

Started life as a Halfling came back as an Elf. Die and Came back as a Centaur... but reality shifted and back as an Elf again
died this time and????????????????????????

1) Knocked unconscious by enemy spell, then stabbed while down.
2) Killed by own party member's lightning bolt after a demon dominated me.
3) Killed when a giant leapt at my invisible form, sending us both plummeting 70 feet or so and squashing me.
4) Killed by a symbol of death that I saw in a reflection.

Oh, and lest I forgot, killed in the last game of the campaign by my own cohort, who turned out to be evil. Not that it mattered, since I beat the entire universe's demise by about a minute.

I'd say I still win for now...

 

[WizarDru]

So someone mentioned pictures...

Oh, right pictures....we can do that.


Let's start with the Senate. I think this speaks for itself, really.

That's the party in the lower left, there. That's Scorch foolishly assembling the huddled masses of Shadow Stalkers. The DM will reposition them shortly. Scorch created the main part of the Senate, while Zad created the central dias and supporting steps for the center.​

The Obligatory Perspective Shot. Here's an indication of how big the Senate actually is. Notice Bolo smiling, as he hasn't died, yet. Also notice the two custom battleboards that are supporting the senate, created by Scorch out of MDF and hard work.​

A closer shot from later in the combat. Note Bolo in Unicorn wildshape, ponying up (get it?) to the giant spider. Kuurnok has dismounted, and is on the far right, top rung (that's the minotaur death knight, thank you Blackdirge). He's already unleashed his abyssal blast, to little effect against the Meepites. Note how the shadowstalkers are unable to close the sizable distance to the party, thanks to dravot's spell.​

One should also note that we used duergar, drow and assorted shadowy type miniatures to represent the unnamed redshirt antagonists. You will not the many spares located outside of the Senate on the battleboards, in case I had need of them.​

Detail shot here of the Spinner in Shadows itself. Followers of Blackdirge's articles may recognize this unpleasant beastie, albeit modified for my game somewhat. An emissary from the Far Realms, it's logic and reasoning were alien, as was its song. To create this, I believe that Scorch acquired a Shelob action figure, and then mounted it on the wire-cut insulation piece you see here, that he first painted. Cool, ain't it. And yes, thos legs ARE articulated. And NO, I don't have any shots of it holding Bolo. ​

As it happens, this is the second or third time I tell Bolo damage numbers, and he says "Well, that's it. I'm dead." Cue me looking dumbfounded. "What...DEAD dead?"​

Unless I miss my guess, that's Kayleigh on the move. Note the Sauron in the back? That's Scorch in celestial mode (after he made sure no Judges were looking). The warforged titan there is actually one of the Shields of Shalthis. The part of Kaltin is played by Mordankanien. Note the rather nice detail work on the dias that Zad created, although I don't think the inlay work comes out too well in this shot. Not also the detail of the columns and stairs on the Senate. If you don't see this piece as impressive, then I simply cannot help you. ​

I'll leave most of the details to Scorch, Val and Zad, who are the experts on this stuff. I will say that a close inspection of pictures 1 and 3 will show the separation lines, if you look closely. Scorch wisely constructed the Senate in four pieces, for transporation and storage ease. Despite it's size, the pieces are really quite light. This design also allows for me to specify a circus maximus scenario, merely by having Scorch insert pieces between the corners. AND I WILL MAKE SUCH A SCENARIO. One feels compelled, after all.​

ENJOY!​

 

[WizarDru]

In due time, I'll put up a link to a library, where you can see how the senate was constructed, as well.

 

[dravot]

1) Knocked unconscious by enemy spell, then stabbed while down.
2) Killed by own party member's lightning bolt after a demon dominated me.
3) Killed when a giant leapt at my invisible form, sending us both plummeting 70 feet or so and squashing me.
4) Killed by a symbol of death that I saw in a reflection.

Oh, and lest I forgot, killed in the last game of the campaign by my own cohort, who turned out to be evil. Not that it mattered, since I beat the entire universe's demise by about a minute.

I'd say I still win for now...

Bolo...I think you're being challenged. Are you going to take this from Vyreth?

 

[Zad]

Unless I miss my guess, that's Kayleigh on the move

You miss I'm afraid. That is Dravot on the move. I am fairly sure the mini is Dravot, and I'm quite sure that's his arm. Kayleigh is visible on one of the plastic thingies behind his arm. (The one that isn't a big black Sauron.)

My side of the construction was, and I must be honest here, fairly trivial from a Hirst-ian point of view. A simple 8x8 section of floor using the decorative floor tiles in an eye-pleasing arrangement. Like Pogre, we back our pieces on vinyl floor tiles and stick felt on the bottom. I made some stair segments that support it and that was easy too.

The paint job was the usual Hirst three layer work, but then the grey areas were masked off and a gloss black spraypaint applied for the black-marble look. A silver paint-pen then did the etching work and despite some mechanical failures of the pen it worked reasonably well.

The arena construction will prove far more interesting a discussion.