Joe Gamer

Anyone who has spoken with me at any length on 4e DnD knows I have mixed feelings on the subject. On the up side of the system, things seem streamlined, the system is a little more intuitive, and some of the character classes *coughWARLORDcough* really appeal to me. On the downside I find that magic just isn’t as special as it used to be and there isn’t anything particularly special about any character class. I like the concept of rituals vs. magic abilities, but nothing wows me about magic as a whole in the system. The magic has gone out of magic, and as a player who’s loved spell casters from the first time I picked up a Red Box three decades ago, this saddens me.

So recently I have started playing in a 4e DnD campaign (my first) set in the Darksun campaign setting. Tiny King Jeff runs the show as the DM. He’s pretty new at DMing, and while the job isn’t any easier having three veteran DMs sitting at the table as players, he’s doing well. Reservations about the game aside, I have to say I’m having a blast. All of the characters have their own niche, and each has gotten a time to shine. In my mind that’s a SERIOUS plus to a gaming system. I still hold some reservations however because we haven’t advanced beyond first level. So while I can say the start of the game is strong, I really have no idea what 5th, 10th, 20th, and 30th levels may be like.

Also as a person that actually LIKES systems like RoleMaster where you spend HOURS creating a character only to have him die to a luckily rolled critical in the very first combat he encounters, or even the Stormbringer system where you have a better chance of playing a one armed beggar than anything actually useful, I have to say I already miss the struggle. What is the point in pushing on with a particular character if the hopes of seeing him finally come into his own when each character shines from day one? I know this directly conflicts my previous statement that such balance is a strength of a system, but I allow myself such contrasting opinions.

Overall I’m happy with what I’ve gotten from 4e so far. However I can’t say I’m going all in on the system yet. I’ll have a much better idea in a year or two. If I’m still playing my Warlord Trader and still discovering neat new aspects to the character, I’ll be more than pleased. If things end up becoming monotonous with each encounter pretty much seeming like the one before, then I’ll end up dropping 4e like I dropped Everquest, with a disgusted “what’s the point” attitude never to return. We’ll see (no pressure Tiny King).

© 2010, Joseph Little. All rights reserved.

So as those of you who read Joe Gamer on a regular basis know, I fight real hard for the acceptance of 4th edition as a suitable form of D&D.  Fighting against cries of “it’s just a wargame” and “might as well play World of Warcraft,” I sometimes get exasperated and flustered trying to make sure people know I’m not just a “pretend” gamer, but someone whose opinion matters in the public square (good luck on that, eh?).  Well today, while picking up the Campaign Guide for 4th Edition Dark Sun, I saw a new book from Forgotten Realms creator Ed Greenwood!

For the whole 2 of you that don’t know, Forgotten Realms is the premier Dungeons and Dragons setting.  It is an idyllic world of high fantasy and magic, often beset by evil deities, monstrous creatures and vile masterminds.  The Realms had always been protected by its legendary heroes, such iconic fantasy heroes as the wizard Elminster and the drow (dark elf) Drizz’t Do’Urden.  However, with the release of 4th edition D&D the mechanics of the game changed a good deal and (to the developers) required the Realms to change.  Thus a catastrophe called the Spellplague erupted with the death of the Goddess of Magic, Mystra.  Now the world is scarred and the massive amount of deities vying for power has been cut down drastically.  Faerun (the continent most of the Realms’ stories take place on) is a darker place, the roads between the cities much more dangerous.  Needless to say, many people were upset with the changes to their beloved setting, and it was one of the many reasons people bring to me against 4th edition.

I’ve long since wondered what Ed Greenwood, the creator of the Realms, thought of the new version of the setting.  Despite being on the cover as an author of the updated setting, there were rumors he was unhappy that his beloved world had been harmed.  I am here to tell you, this is not true!  He has recently begun writing articles for Dungeon and Dragon magazine called Realmslore, where he describes an event, person, group or item in the new Realms.  By that I mean Ed Greenwood not only created the Forgotten Realms, but he was integral in the newest update as well as continues to support this new product!  I read this interview relating to his newest novel, Elminster Must Die! that shows just how not angry he is with the new setting:  http://www.flamesrising.com/elminster-must-die-greenwood/

I’ve heard people say the new edition in general spits on the traditions and ideas of the past, but Greenwood’s continued support of the Realms gives me hope for the future.  It’s nice to know I am not the only fan of the edition or at least the background info that accompanies the edition.

Am I completely off base?  Is Greenwood just pretending?  Have I made a good point?  Tell me in the comments!

© 2010, Jeff Hollingsworth. All rights reserved.

With a fierce roar, the five headed beast melted from this reality, first its body and tail, then each of its five chromatic heads.  Quiet settled on the ruins of Drellin’s Ferry and the weight of their accomplishment fell on the party.  The two giants fell honorably against the Aspect of Tiamat but peace had finally come to the Elsir Vale.

Death, however, could not hold the Heroes of the Elsir Vale.  Trellara Goldenbrow prayed to the Sun God Pelor to revive the fallen heroes: Longstrider and Dustwalker.  The kind hearted god of compassion granted her request and returned the two to the material plane.  In reward for the adventurers’ accomplishment, the city of Brindol granted Vraath Keep to the Heroes, and several villagers agreed to help build a settlement around the keep to establish a guard for the Northern Pass.  Not content to settle down, however, most of the group split ways.  The bonds they developed while traveling were too powerful to keep them apart and therefore they never left each other for long.

Umon the psion stayed at Vraath Keep to rule the new settlement and continued to develop his mental abilities.  Aisha the Dragon Shaman returned to her Copper Dragon patron to bring him the heads of the dragons she’d slain and to continue to serve her liege.  Imzy the kobold druid, satisfied that killing the Aspect of Tiamat really had made her a ‘dragon’, accompanied Dustwalker to his desert home, marveling at nature as she went.  Dustwalker had found the psionic crown that had been stolen from his people.  He returned to his home in the far desert to wrest control from the weak leadership that had plagued his tribe for years.  Finally Longstrider, the contemplative goliath whose ever step worshiped the carefree god of travel, Fharlanghn, began to walk.  His steps took him to lands far and wide, and his fists protected the weak of world for as long as he could move, never sleeping under the same roof for long.

I hope you excuse this little aside here from me.  We just finished the module “The Red Hand of Doom” and I had an itch to write the epilogue on paper.  This is the most closure I have ever felt in a D&D game.  Though my character, Dustwalker, died during the final encounter, knowing he was able to be resurrected and finish his expressed goals meant a lot to me.  JoeGamer and I will be starting Pathfinder this week and it will be my first encounter with the system.  Look for thoughts on Pathfinder later this week.

Also, for those of you that will be playing 4e Darksun with me in the next few weeks, start thinking of a character concept.  Be wary of arcane classes, as magic is considered extremely taboo on Athas, but I will not ban them.  We will be rolling stats instead of using point-buy (since that’s what everybody is used to and likes) and I will only allow classes, races, feats, powers, and items from books I own.  So if you read a char-op thread somewhere that has something from a book I don’t own or an issue of Dungeon or Dragon magazines, it is not allowed.  Have a great week!

© 2010, Jeff Hollingsworth. All rights reserved.

The Littlest Gamer(4 years old) – who at times is a more avid gamer than her mom – has discovered our DnD minis. She is a natural storyteller and I fully expect her to be a Game Master just like her dad.

She came over with an Aracnix Guard and told me he was in China – so here he stands on the computer desk. One other figure was outside all night and in the morning he died. There is now an epic battle between a Bulette, Chillborn, and Xorn. Apparently a couple of the figs are on fire, and a Spined Devil is going to save them. She keeps this up and her daddy might ask her to join his gaming group. She is always entertaining, but it is quite funny to see her playing with these scary figures when earlier she was playing with My Little Pony.

© 2010, Lynn Little. All rights reserved.

Wednesday nights is the single nerdiest night of my week. This is the night that several of my friends and I gather for our “weekly” Dungeons and Dragons 3.5Ed Game. The cast of characters includes:

• Clay Barrett: A rather promiscuous and constantly randy male Lesser Aasimar Favored Soul.
• Mori: An impressive female Greater Aasimar Fighter who wields dual blades.
• Thurkear “Aust” Caex: A mysterious male Fey’Ri Duskblade with a nack for getting into trouble.
• Aisha Kuroneko : A female Nekomimi (cat girl) Warlock who flirts with evil like a cat plays with a mouse.
• Olley Tallowish: A very short male Halfling Rogue and candle maker with a penchant for very tall women.

Together the band forms the Bent Blades, so named because each of the party carries at least one curved melee weapon.

The game centers around a small settlement called New Fort Brawn. Where a small band of adventurers is needed to search for the scattered remains of a statue of the Old Fort Brawn’s greatest hero. The these pieces are needed is because the head of the statue has become animated seemingly with the soul of the hero himself. If the pieces of the statue can be combined and reunited with the hero’s regalia, Old Fort Brawn’s greatest hero may be restored to life, but for what purpose?

© 2010, Joseph Little. All rights reserved.