Latest From Amazon – Desk Pads and Wiz Dice

Last Monday a new package arrived from Amazon with three Tops Quadrille Desk Pads and a package of 100+ Wiz Dice.

I wrote about the quadrille desk pad I once had when I shared the map of a town, for a character in my brother’s campaign. I was reminded of this by the Dungeon Deskpad Kickstarter. I had been toying with the idea of getting quad ruled desk pads for over a year, and I decided to get them, and to joining the Dungeon Deskpad Kickstarter. Once I get my overseas shipment I will take pictures to compare..

The brand of desk pads I got are the Tops. Each is individually wrapped in plastic. They were the least expensive. They are not all square and not all the same exact size. That’s OK. I plan on using them for mapping out an abandoned ancient city/megadungeon. I can also use a sheet for a single sheet map of the town that is the current home base of the players in my campaign. The rough map I have for the town of Larenda is two quad ruled sheets taped together. I can even get a roll of clear plastic “shelf-paper”, and laminate some of these sheets for a quick and cheap dry erase surface. I usually only use maps and such to show relative position. Even if it is an exercise only for me, it will be fun. The one draw back to paper this size for maps is that it is too big for my scanners. I will have o do better than a quick picture with my cellphone. I’ll have to put my cheap camera on one of my cheap tripods, to get good pictures for online.

02TopsPad-Closeup 03TopsPad-Back 01DeskPads&Dice

After ordering the two sets of Koplow Who Knew Dice that arrived last week, I ran across an article on Imagur about Wiz Dice and their bag of 100+ dice vs. the Chessex Pound’O Dice, and I ordered the Wiz Dice based on that article. I am always needing more d4’s and d8’s in play. The Wiz Dice 100+ pack includes a fancy drawstring bag with complete matched seven dice set. I ended up with 103 dice plus the set in the bag, for 110 new dice. I received 15 of each die, except for the d12 and d20, which I received 14 of each of those. So I ended up with 14 matched sets of seven dice, 15 counting the drawstring bad, and one partial set missing the d12 and d20. I have matched sets of solid colors and then the “gem” style dice of the same color: green, blue, red, yellow, purple, and red. Then a solid black, swirled black, and a white set. I have one complete orange set and the other orange set is incomplete. I don’t think most people get that many matched sets. I think it is cool that I have enough dice for 15 players from one order of dice, not counting how many ever sets I had before.

One idea I had with this package of dice is making multiple dice tables using different colors of the same die. For example, if I need a table for 14 different results of a d20, or 15 results of a d8, I can do it.

Magic missile is resolved quicker with more d4’s. Lots of monsters taking their attack is resolved quicker with more d20’s.

Blue is my favorite color, but in dice, I find black and red to be my preference. For some reason, it is the same way for me with Risk. For some colors, I prefer the gem style over the solid style.

I guess I need to have a post with a picture of all my dice. They are not all in one place at the moment, so I will have to defer that for a bit.

I also realized that having so many d10’s makes it easy to roll a d1,000 or a d10,000, etc. just specify which color is which digit. I know that they make custom d10,000 dice for such a thing, but I have to tone it down a bit. I’ve spent more on dice in the first two months of 2015 than I spent all of last year, and most of the three plus decades before that. That isn’t to say that I won’t buy more die this year, but I don’t have to buy them all in the first quarter.

10GreenSets 11YellowSets 12RedSets 13BlueSets 14PurpleSets 15OrangeSets 16Black-BlackSwirl-WhiteSets 04-WizDicePackage 05WizDiceDrawstringBag 06DrawstringBagAndFancySet 07DiceSortedByType 08DiceSortedByMatchedSets 09PartialSetOrangeGemDice

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My First Credit In An RPG Publication

Joe Johnston published a “How To Hexcrawl” PDF geared toward Labrynth Lord. I read part of it and he mentioned me in the acknowledgements. This is not the first RPG product that I have been involved in, just the first one published. How cool is that?

You really should go out and get this, for no other reason, than I helped! Also it is PWYW, so you can get it for free and tip him later.

It is a quick and simple introduction to hex crawls and he lists resources for free existing hex maps, three sources/programs for creating your own hex maps, and the hexcrawl articles on Welshpiper, Bat in the Attic, and The Alexandrian.

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Rakshasa

As a kid I remember watching Kolchak the Night Stalker, the movies and the TV show. I don’t recall all the details, but have been watching the TV show online. I managed to find the movies from before the TV show on YouTube and watched them. If you are interested in watching these, then spoiler alert!!

The other day, I watched an episode that dealt with a rakshasa and the method of slaying them was a blessed crossbow bolt, as it is in the AD&D Monster Manual.

I found that interesting. I am not familiar with most of Indian mythology. There are times I wish I had footnotes for the source, or the inspiration used for these creatures. Until the Monster Manual, were any of these monsters from myth and legend in any single book?

I find that the Night Stalker series gets a bit repetitive, but having him be the only one or nearly the only one who gets what is going on, makes it interesting. With all the creatures he killed, what level would he be?

Going from memory, and I have not finished the series, he has killed two vampires, one werewolf, one zombie, and one rakshasa. There are other creatures, but some I don’t recall, or they do not have a creature stated. I’m not going to stat out creatures for this exercise. Assuming average hit points, I came up with 5,265 experience points which is halfway through 3rd level fighter. Since AD&D does not reward as much XP for monsters, this is reasonable. Karl never gets any treasure, and is the reluctant hero because he knows the truth and if no one is going to do anything about these creatures, then he must do it. Karl’s only reward is that he has save the city or the world.

In some shows, he does not kill the creature, but drives them off, or for the android episode, tries to help. In the electricity monster he gets people to listen, but the usual cover up, similar to the first movie with the vampire, is of no benefit to him.

So after two TV movies and one season of a TV show, I would estimate he earned the experience to be a 5th level fighter, perhaps 6th. If a thief, it would be higher. He did not use magic or pray to the gods, but did use items blessed by others, or had others bless an item. Karl does not gain in proficiency in fighting, but rather uses his mind. He is more like a sage out to do good based on his experience, knowledge, and research.

I can see how these shows can give ideas for a “modern fantasy” setting, or some variation on a science fiction or horror genre.

This show also takes me back to sitting around the TV as a family and talking about the show during the commercials. Unlike today, where it seems that everyone has their own media device and the household is in their individual media world.

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Lycanthrope

I had a thought the other day about lycanthropes and demi-humans. I play AD&D and only humans are subject to lycanthrope, by the book.

After being bitten by a lycanthropic creature, there must still be some way to affect non-humans. They do not become shape-shifters, but have other effects.

I thought a neat way to torment players of demi-human characters is to tell them that their characters have strange dreams that unnerve them and disturb their sleep on the full moon. Have them wake up with a strange taste in their mouth, or that they have feathers from eating their pillow. Or blood from the rare mutton in the kitchen, but don’t tell them the blood is from the mutton. Having a grisly and unrelated murder could be fun! Make them think they are a lycanthrope, but only having the dreams one would have without the death and destruction. Of course, if they seek help from a temple, they will learn the truth, but still require some expensive or time consuming ritual to free them of the affliction.

I know some DMs that have all races subject to lycanthrope. I don’t know about other editions of D&D or other rulesets, but I like the AD&D way of handling it. Others might want it different, and that’s OK.

Perhaps have someone bitten by a wererat crave cheese, and someone bitten by a werewolf affected by fleas. One bitten by a werebear could crave honey, etc.

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One Page Dungeon Contest – 2015

Last year about this time, I wrote about the 2014 One Page Dungeon Contest, and thought about an entry, but none of my ideas would gel.

I am thinking about the 2015 OPDC with just over two months until the deadline. It is a single page, what’s the big deal, right?

Well a single page requires the most bang for the buck so to speak. One needs a density of information without a density of facts. A hook that evokes ideas, and a map that gives what words cannot. I have a small degree of artistic talent, but it is not a honed or practiced talent, so my efforts are hit and miss.

A one page dungeon also screams for brevity with a conciseness that cuts to the point immediately. As is evident from many of my blog posts, I am skilled at the WALL OF TEXT. It takes effort for me to distill things to the bare essentials.

I could make a submission that is merely an entry, but I want to make a memorable entry that is a contender. Heck, who am I kidding? I want to win!

So I know I need an idea that is just novel enough and easy to convey/explain in a single page. I have some faint wisps of ideas that if I can bring them to fruition and execute them as well as I imagine them, then I have a shot.

Between now and then are my goals of the 2015 A to Z Blogging Challenge and a daily article on this blog between now and April 1st, and other game activities. Plus the Tenkar’s Landing Crowdsourced Sandbox Setting is now ramping up to work on the actual town of Tenkar’s Landing. I need to do my part with an idea or two.

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Map Request (Challenge)

On Tuesday, March 3, 2015, I posted on my G+ page a desire for the OSR mapmakers to map the Phuktal Monastery.

This picture so captured my imagination that I immediately started wishing I had a cool map and thought how and where I could work this into my campaign.

I shared the image and wrote on my G+ page:

I’d love to see how many of the OSR mapmakers interpret this. +Dyson Logos +matt jackson {Profile deleted before 2/11/2019] +Simon Forster +MonkeyBlood Design +Michael Prescott et. al.

This does remind me of a map by Dyson, but I am not placing it at the moment.

I have some ideas and am thinking where I would put this in my campaign.

+Dyson Logos went all “challenge accepted” and started drawing this.

He then posted an update.

Then, he posted a rough scan of a floor plan for a multi-level series of maps.

Next, he shared a more detailed update.

I was not expecting the immediacy with which Dyson dove in the day after my post. I must have caught him at the right time. I was not a member of his Patreon, so I decided to do my small part. I see that members of his Patreon can suggest maps, so I think it fitting that I signed up. I only wish I could afford more and sign up for all the cool map makers at the same time. Perhaps, I can give a month or two here and there to each one.

I am excited to see the conclusion of this map. I have enjoyed Dyson’s many maps and his latest megadungeon effort. I think it is cool that I am a member of the Tenkar’s Landing Crowdsourced Sandbox Setting that resulted in the island and is now moving on to designing the town of Tenkar’s Landing. Dyson drew the town back a year or two, but from what was posted the other day, he is drawing a bigger town for that effort. I have been so busy with changes at work, a convention, and preparing for my efforts at the 2015 April A to Z Blogging Challenge, that I have not had any ideas come to mind for the town.

Thanks Dyson! Very Cool!

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Magic and Technology – The Porcelain Argument

I ran across this article, The Porcelain Argument: How would the existence of magic affect technological advancement?,  on Sunday. I very much enjoyed it and it is in line with my thinking of how a high magic setting would function.

My campaign is, for humans, a now low magic setting because the ancient empire collapsed a thousand or more years ago and much ancient magical knowledge was “lost”.

Reading this article had me nodding my head in agreement.

I highly recommend it to help set the tone of your campaign’s magic and technology levels.

One interesting thought, would those who could not afford magic invest in fancy technology to try to mimic magic in an effort to appear to be in a higher social status? Hidden mechanisms for an elevator or lift, some way of igniting a light, etc.

This reminds me of a History Channel show some years ago about ancient inventors who made temple devices to make certain items in the temple move or act on their own, with wheels, pulleys, or primitive steam power. One I believe was a holy water dispenser for a coin donation. Another had a dove or other bird “fly” across the sanctuary. In a world where clerical and druidical magic is not lost other than turning from the gods or nature, how would temple technology be different from the rest of society? However, in a societal collapse, the precise applications for certain spells might be lost, if the central hierarchy of a faith was lost.

This all helps to highlight the questions: What remnants of the ancient civilization are still in use? What remnants of it are still visible? What devices both magical and non-magical might adventurers discover? Would any such devices be “set loose” and go on a rampage, or cause other mischief?

In a sandbox setting, one does not have to have all these answers until the players come close to finding them. I have a few things thought out, but as for mundane items, I have not given it much thought. This has definitely given me food for thought and started the wheels turning.

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300!!

How can I not mention the 300 Spartans at Thermopylae?

While 300 blog posts is not as impressive as the feat of those long-dead Spartans, as someone with a BA in history and a big interest in ancient and medieval history, I could not help it, nor did I try.

Someone posting daily for a year can easily accomplish 300 posts with over two months to spare. In my case, I started in July of 2009, almost six years to get to 300 posts. That’s only 50 posts a year. In 2014, I hit 100 and 200 posts. In 2014, when the weather got nicer, I had a lot fewer posts. When the weather got cold my output increased until November, when I participated in NaNoWriMo, Tenkar’s Landing, UCon, and in late December decided to GM for the first time at a con with Marmalade Dog 20 the first weekend in February.

It isn’t that I wasn’t writing or wasn’t being creative in some way, it just wasn’t on this blog.

I don’t have enough ideas, or the time and energy to post as often as some do, or to have the consistent quality of others. This is not my 300th written post for this blog, it is the 300th posted for this blog. I have an article ready to post for the next nine days, plus what I have started for the April, 2015 A To Z Challenge.

I will post as often as I can and strive for good ideas.

This is merely a navel gazing post, so other than mentioning Spartans that many seem to think are only a movie, or a movie based on a comic book. Few seem to know it is a real event that occurred long ago. There was a movie about the 300 in the 60’s. The acting is not good and the special effects were not outstanding, but the movement of troops give the general idea of how it must have been.

I have mentioned my character Griswald, a 10th level cleric, 10th level fighter, 11th level wizard half elf. I once estimated, based on the area of effect spells and other offensive spells he has that in a narrow area, he could kill over 500 orcs, perhaps more, by the time they got close enough for him to have to use his sword. That was assuming optimal results in his favor. Who would face such a man? One who can call down the power of his god, or evoke the mysteries of the universe, or beat you by martial skill? As long as there are hundreds or thousands of orcs more scared of their chiefs and sub-chiefs than they are scared of Griswald, that’s who.

I have yet to have a character drive a stake in the ground for a final stand. I have thought about it and planned how it might happen, but never actually played that scenario. I thought I might be playing that scenario when Griswald’s town was under siege, but they left. They will think long and hard before they try it again.

Have any of you had a character perform a rear guard action and fight to the death so that other characters could escape or defeat the bad guy?

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GM’s Day – 2015

RPGNow.com
GM’s Day is a day for GM’s started in 2002 and in 2008 was coincidentally the day that Gary Gygax died – March 4th. It is a day that we prefer to have fun in honor of Gary Gygax and his creation(s) on the anniversary of his death, rather than be maudlin.

There is a FB page with some information, as well as this website with a countdown calendar, and many others easily found with an internet search engine.

Since it falls on Wednesday this year, it is especially cool. The weekly AD&D online campaign I play in meets on Wednesdays. We will be doing something cool, a new type of undead and clearing a hidden dungeon under an abandoned fortress.

Both RPGNow and DriveThruRPG have a GM’s Day sale with 25% off! Cool!

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Ramblings of an Old Gamer