Archive for the ‘Dungeons & Dragons’ Category

Casting Blame


12 Jan

I don’t like the phrase “Don’t retreat, reload.” I don’t think our political leaders, or wanna be political leaders, should encourage violence. Yes, there was violence in out country’s founding, but we have moved away from that. But sadly, this is not uncommon, on either side of the aisle.

However, I should know better than to blame violent acts on rhetoric. As a gamer, as someone who has read the Chick tracts, I know better. D&D, heavy metal music and GTA do not make people commit violent crimes. Neither did Sarah Palin’s words. That responsibility lies solely with the shooter.

Video Game Advertising


30 Nov

Video games, much like D&D a generation ago, are fighting the perception that violence in the games leads to violence in the real world. The industry is trying to police itself with the ratings system, to keep the government from getting involved. Given that, you would think that a game would not advertise itself by showing video game violence in the real world. Apparently not. The new Assassin’s Creed commercial shows people on a modern city street being attacked. Note to the Assassin’s Creed advertising folks- we’re really trying to keep video game violence out of the real world. Thanks.

D&D Encounters: Dark Sun (Final)


18 Sep

Dark Sun has wrapped up. We managed to make all 15 sessions of the 2nd round of Encounters and had a good time doing so. Our DM did make the mistake of telling us that one of the groups in the earlier Encounters session had killed the big boss in the first round. I wouldn’t say we took that as a challenge, but when we realized it might be possible in our encounter, we went for it. Our four man group also killed the main boss in round one, and I never even attacked him. Now, the journey is over.

D&D 4e: Revenge of the Giants – Requiem for a Companion Character


03 Sep

Goodbye, Scott, my faithful squire. You died heroically, not only helping prevent a primordial from being revived, but also allowing us to acquire a piece of the divine engine, which, if assembled, our enemies would use to resurrect another primordial. We shall miss your healing, and your ranged basic attacks. I am sorry we had to kill you a second time, but when the awakening primordial turned you into a chill zombie…

I never should have asked you to move into melee combat with the Frost Titan, but your sacrifice will not go unremarked, nor will it be soon forgotten.

D&D Encounters: Dark Sun (6)


02 Sep

Three cosmic sorcerers really change the way an encounter works. I almost felt sorry for our DM. (We love Will.)  An encounter with the gith lasted a surprise round plus 1.5 regular rounds. I, as Classy Barcan (as opposed to the two other Barcans), and having rolled the lowest initiative in the group, did not need to act in the second full round.

I finally earned my moment of greatness by using excise from sight to make a cliff face invisible to the enemy. I realize that’s pushing things, but our DM (we love Will) is willing to reward creativity.

D&D Encounters: Dark Sun (5)


21 Aug

Encounters really is a great way to introduce new players to D&D. I had known this in theory, but this week learned it in practice. We brought my 18 year old cousin to the game with us. She had never played before, but with the premade characters she was able to determine what kind of character she wanted to play.

The single challenge format keeps the game from going too long, and even though we’re 11 sessions in, third level means character sheets are easy to understand.

She enjoyed herself enough that she wanted dice, so we bought her some.

Role Playing vs Roll Playing


16 Aug

I used to be a better role player. I know I was. I have great memories focused on the character relationships in different game systems (WarHammer FRP, Feng Shui, Werewolf), run by different GMs for different groups.

I blame 4e and miniatures for some of it. But most of it is me. I don’t seem to be capable of immersion anymore. I know longer play just for the love of playing. I play to spend time with my friends. RPGs have become my board games, but I’m still enough of a role player at heart for that to bug me.

D&D Encounters: Dark Sun (4)


28 Jul

Three encounters in to second level on Athas. We followed an ankheg hole below the desert and have found ourselves in a dungeon of sorts. Up until this point it had all been rough hewn, possibly created by giant worms, but full of the dead who came back to life.

Tonight, though, we fought through a crystal spider web and entered an obvious dungeon, created by intelligent beings for a specific purpose. What that purpose was, we do not know. What we do know is that the crystalline creatures that were guarding the place are now shards beneath our feet.

D&D 4e: Bloodstone Pass (2)


19 Jul

The day started with stone singing giants who, using a ritual, were able to melt stone walls that it had taken me (also via ritual) hours to build. We were able to defeat them and even get one to surrender and repair the breach in our wall.

After that, we moved on to the Grandfather of Assassins and his retinue. The Grandfather “fair escaped” using a ring that allowed him to teleport to some tower far away from our motley band, but we did take down a death titan. All in all, a win for the town of Bloodstone Pass.

Weather and D&D Encounters: Dark Sun (3)


08 Jul

It’s like Seattle has turned in to Athas. Well, maybe not, Seattle is 95 today, and asphalt is definitely a blight, but we’re supposed cool down soon. Athas, on the other hand is a desert world, where it goes from 120 to below 0 as night falls. And blight is caused by the misuse of arcane magic.

Currently I’m holed up in my room with a fan trying to keep cool, keeping the monster dogs at bay and trying to rest, while our D&D Encounters characters have been trapped in an Ankheg hole, taking an extended rest and leveling up.

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