I love when those little inspirational moments come, especially the ones that fix something that has been bugging you for awhile.
This morning while, driving to school, there was nothing on the radio so I took the time to mentally work on the church for my setting. Now, some religion has existed on my world since the beginning but I always kept it vague as 1) I did not want another polytheistic world and 2) I never could figure exactly what the people of my world believed. After much thought, and more prayer, I had finally came up with something I liked but not fleshed out enough for my tastes.
Before I go on, I must do something just for formal reasons. You can use this but not republish it at this time. So:
The following is copyright 2009 by Joshua D Sherrer
The world only has one real God. He is known only as Deus as his real name is known to a few and it is taboo to speak it. Deus created the races of men, elves and dwarves and populated the world with wondrous creatures. All of this ended with the rise of a being known as Set.
Set's origins are cloudy and not dealt with lightly. What is known of his past is considered restricted knowledge. What is commonly known is that Set opened the gates to the underworld bringing forth infernal creatures to fight a war against Deus.
The war took it's toll on what is called the first world. Few survived and Deus saw that though he had won the war his most prized creations would be destroyed. Assembling the last few of the races, Deus chose four houses of each tribe of men, elves and dwarves to dwell in a secure and sacred place until the world was healed.
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
Where to leave off
Well the semester is winding down so that means I am more bogged down that usual. Oddly enough I am enjoying being busy so I can't complain.
Unfortunately this leaves me with no choice but to drop work on my campaign again. I had hoped to have the first level of my mega dungeon finished but that has been held up. However, I may be able to work on the smaller crypts area in my free time.
The most upsetting has been having to quit work on some of the races/cultures in the game. The Atlantians, Jhadir, Ephesians and Yuhr will have to wait another month or so. They will have the elves and dwarves to keep the company though.
My posting may be spotty until mid-December as I work on finishing the semester and hope to get that bane of a math grade raised. Hopefully that will give me time to really think on the little dilemmaI am having.
Until all is well,
Julian
Unfortunately this leaves me with no choice but to drop work on my campaign again. I had hoped to have the first level of my mega dungeon finished but that has been held up. However, I may be able to work on the smaller crypts area in my free time.
The most upsetting has been having to quit work on some of the races/cultures in the game. The Atlantians, Jhadir, Ephesians and Yuhr will have to wait another month or so. They will have the elves and dwarves to keep the company though.
My posting may be spotty until mid-December as I work on finishing the semester and hope to get that bane of a math grade raised. Hopefully that will give me time to really think on the little dilemmaI am having.
Until all is well,
Julian
Saturday, October 31, 2009
I just gained 100 geek points
I had no idea for a costume then it hit me what to do. I used clothes from around the house and my wife's sword and ended up with a cool fighter type. The costume also looked like how I saw my first fighter. So I am dressing up as one of my first characters. It's actually pretty sad.
The eclectic game
When asked what rules I use I usually just reply with the '74 edition of D&D. This is cover to not have to explain the true nature of my game. The truth of the matter is that my game is an eclectic mix of rules and ideas that draws from many sources and includes my own ideas as well.
At the core is S&W Core/OD&D but with modifications. My 4-Step resolution system has been added and replaces most of the task resolutions, I have created three classes and have at least two more on the drawing board. Race and class have a further separation than in the rules and the spell lists have been expanded using AD&D, Menzter Basic and other sources. Monsters come from S&W Core, the monster book, my own creations and again other sources as well.
So why do I just say "'74 D&D" when in truth my game is a modified S&W? On one side it is easier for others to grasp. On the other this is what that game was about, mixing and matching ideas to create your own campaign and your own tone to your game and not being beholden to a strict codified ruleset.
At the core is S&W Core/OD&D but with modifications. My 4-Step resolution system has been added and replaces most of the task resolutions, I have created three classes and have at least two more on the drawing board. Race and class have a further separation than in the rules and the spell lists have been expanded using AD&D, Menzter Basic and other sources. Monsters come from S&W Core, the monster book, my own creations and again other sources as well.
So why do I just say "'74 D&D" when in truth my game is a modified S&W? On one side it is easier for others to grasp. On the other this is what that game was about, mixing and matching ideas to create your own campaign and your own tone to your game and not being beholden to a strict codified ruleset.
Here's what I have so far
So with some playing with paint here is what I have so far. Consider this a rough, rough draft:
You'll have to click on it for the full image.
You'll have to click on it for the full image.
Friday, October 30, 2009
Finally, a map!
The biggest thing that has plagued my world has been the lack of a good regional map. I do have a sketch of the immediate area that I like but I wanted a bigger area to work with. Places for certain civilizations such as the Jhadir homeland and the nation of Ephesa. There were prototypes of course, but they all ended up in the same place.
This had bothered me so much that I would even dream of the map but could never sketch it out. All these attempts ended in frustration. Though I would start again I never could come up with anything I liked. So it went until last night when I finally stumbled upon a map I liked.
I was up late, as I have been lately due to some light insomnia, doing some personal research. Basically I was wandering the net looking for odd bits of info for no reason. After awhile I began reading on Bulgaria as I have a classmate from there and wanted to find out more about her homeland. Looking at maps of the surrounding country I had gotten up to get a Coke and came to sit back down.
It must have been my angle to the screen that first hinted at what I found. At first I thought it an illusion, but after I blinked and looked again I knew what I had saw. The map in my dreams. The area around the Black and Caspian Seas was the map I was looking for and dreaming of. It needed some edits, of course, but I knew it was the map.
So now I am looking over the blank map I found thinking of what needs changing and deciding where everything sits. I now feel my world can move forward much more than it has in the past years.
This had bothered me so much that I would even dream of the map but could never sketch it out. All these attempts ended in frustration. Though I would start again I never could come up with anything I liked. So it went until last night when I finally stumbled upon a map I liked.
I was up late, as I have been lately due to some light insomnia, doing some personal research. Basically I was wandering the net looking for odd bits of info for no reason. After awhile I began reading on Bulgaria as I have a classmate from there and wanted to find out more about her homeland. Looking at maps of the surrounding country I had gotten up to get a Coke and came to sit back down.
It must have been my angle to the screen that first hinted at what I found. At first I thought it an illusion, but after I blinked and looked again I knew what I had saw. The map in my dreams. The area around the Black and Caspian Seas was the map I was looking for and dreaming of. It needed some edits, of course, but I knew it was the map.
So now I am looking over the blank map I found thinking of what needs changing and deciding where everything sits. I now feel my world can move forward much more than it has in the past years.
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Somethings bugging me. . .
The city changes
As much as I hate to admit it, Raven's Keep as a Greyhawk like city just doesn't work. At best it should be the size of Yggsburgh but I see it as smaller. Some of this has to do with recent dreams I have had that really fit the concept of RK well. I think I will be scaling back the size and revamping the place a bit. Look for more grit and less charm than I have spoke of before.
Saturday, October 24, 2009
Fun Weekend
I have been blessed with a very fun gaming weekend. There seems to be no actual table time in the future but I have been working on my own first level of Castle Zagyg and other related things. I am still not committed on making this a CZ level though. More and more I have been drawn on doing this for my Raven's Keep map making the dungeon the first level of a project I have wanted to do for awhile...My own megadungeon called Rose Manor. Maybe some of you can help me with my decision with suggestions?
I also started my annual Halloween movie fest with my standard movies of The Blair Witch Project and Blair Witch 2. I am finding more appreciation for the lackluster sequel this latest watch and have gotten ideas for a spot in the woods near RK. Next up on the must movie list is the original Night of the Living Dead (Which must be watched in the dark) and The Ring.
I also have been rethinking my approach to Raven's Keep as a published project. I feel that at this point it is awful vain of me to publish this. I feel that my place is still in fan works and maybe in articles to Knockspell and other magazines than in the full published field. With the loss of the Doomsday Book as a decent and viable medium my choices are a bit more limited but that void could be filled.
I wonder what the interest in a free S&W/OD&D newsletter would be?
I also started my annual Halloween movie fest with my standard movies of The Blair Witch Project and Blair Witch 2. I am finding more appreciation for the lackluster sequel this latest watch and have gotten ideas for a spot in the woods near RK. Next up on the must movie list is the original Night of the Living Dead (Which must be watched in the dark) and The Ring.
I also have been rethinking my approach to Raven's Keep as a published project. I feel that at this point it is awful vain of me to publish this. I feel that my place is still in fan works and maybe in articles to Knockspell and other magazines than in the full published field. With the loss of the Doomsday Book as a decent and viable medium my choices are a bit more limited but that void could be filled.
I wonder what the interest in a free S&W/OD&D newsletter would be?
The Lament of Zagyg: Part I Legacy
It seems that since Castle Zagyg was so unceremoniously and unthoughtfully yanked that there have been cycles of lament and interest in the project. Mostly they focus on the what could have beens and the maybes around it. Occasionally the argument goes to the 'legacy' of Gygax and materials we feel we have a right to see.
The question I have to ask is what is this 'legacy' we seek? Is it the notes and maps of the now iconic castle? Is it the original North America Greyhawk map? Is it material we have never seen but imagine exists? Partially this may be true but, I think the true legacy of E. Gary Gygax may have missed us in the quest for scraps of forgotten lore.
No matter what side of the 'school' lines you lay on the true legacy of Gygax is much more than what we wanted. Gary's legacy shows itself in no less than four editions of Dungeons and Dragons, clones and simulacra, and even in video games. None of this would exist but for him. And though it may be generations removed from the source the idea and concept is still there.
Closer to the 'source' are sites like Dragonsfoot, the OD&D discussion and others who still gather to discuss his works. As well there are sites like Greyhawk Grodog Style which seeks to preserve the history of the original campaigns and origins of the game. The end result of this being the sharing of data and conclusions by many scholars. Ironically, one of the original intents of the internet.
But this is not the true measure of that legacy. The true measure is in the number of people gathering around the table to play in their own unique campaigns using rules that fit both the setting and group. Gary's legacy is in this. Not products or exact reproductions of his campaign. As long as we gather and play we celebrate and continue his legacy. The only true legacy he left us.
The question I have to ask is what is this 'legacy' we seek? Is it the notes and maps of the now iconic castle? Is it the original North America Greyhawk map? Is it material we have never seen but imagine exists? Partially this may be true but, I think the true legacy of E. Gary Gygax may have missed us in the quest for scraps of forgotten lore.
No matter what side of the 'school' lines you lay on the true legacy of Gygax is much more than what we wanted. Gary's legacy shows itself in no less than four editions of Dungeons and Dragons, clones and simulacra, and even in video games. None of this would exist but for him. And though it may be generations removed from the source the idea and concept is still there.
Closer to the 'source' are sites like Dragonsfoot, the OD&D discussion and others who still gather to discuss his works. As well there are sites like Greyhawk Grodog Style which seeks to preserve the history of the original campaigns and origins of the game. The end result of this being the sharing of data and conclusions by many scholars. Ironically, one of the original intents of the internet.
But this is not the true measure of that legacy. The true measure is in the number of people gathering around the table to play in their own unique campaigns using rules that fit both the setting and group. Gary's legacy is in this. Not products or exact reproductions of his campaign. As long as we gather and play we celebrate and continue his legacy. The only true legacy he left us.
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
The '4 step' system
I will admit, ever since 3e I have become a fan of a fully integrated task resolution system. I found it much more intuitive than the classic systems, which are fine on their own, and that they appeal to my own sense of logic and like of streamlining. What I did not like, of course, was the overly complex way D20 executed the system. What could have been done in a simple paragraph WOTC made into a disaster of high numbers, synergies and bonuses.
When C&C came along I found the SIEGE engine a nice alternative to this. After a few uses I found that there were flaws as well. Adding levels and their challenge system also added an unneeded complexity that inflated numbers at higher levels and became confusing in it's implementation. I liked the idea but not the execution.
So I began looking at a new idea. The 12 and 18 base numbers of the SIEGE engine were close but did not allow for differing degrees of success. I needed something that could be run on the fly, with no calculation needed, and easy to remember. Thus I came up with the '4 step' idea. this allows for actions ranging from easy to impossible and does not require a chart, graph or anything than the ability to add 3 to a number.
So how does it work? Ability scores have bonuses similar to those in Labrynth Lord and they are used for an action and tie to class or race abilities. If a PC wants to climb they use their strength, balance they use their dexterity and so on. Each act has a target number assigned based on challenge. If there is no real challenge a roll is not necessary. The target numbers follow a simple pattern of adding 3 for each new difficulty. The target numbers look like this:
Easy 12
Moderate 15
Hard 18
Difficult 21
Thus there are 4 steps of difficulty and only 4 numbers to remember.
The system has worked very well in my games and has also answered the big debate on thieves. One of the arguments (That I do not hold to, BTW) that no other character can perform the thief skills. . . or some such. Using this any character can attempt to pick pockets they just do so at a higher difficulty.
I am also looking at this as a way of revamping the saving throws but have not worked it out yet. This is used in my S&W game and is the basis for my Rogue and Ranger that I will be posting in a few days.
BTW, this is completely OGC.
When C&C came along I found the SIEGE engine a nice alternative to this. After a few uses I found that there were flaws as well. Adding levels and their challenge system also added an unneeded complexity that inflated numbers at higher levels and became confusing in it's implementation. I liked the idea but not the execution.
So I began looking at a new idea. The 12 and 18 base numbers of the SIEGE engine were close but did not allow for differing degrees of success. I needed something that could be run on the fly, with no calculation needed, and easy to remember. Thus I came up with the '4 step' idea. this allows for actions ranging from easy to impossible and does not require a chart, graph or anything than the ability to add 3 to a number.
So how does it work? Ability scores have bonuses similar to those in Labrynth Lord and they are used for an action and tie to class or race abilities. If a PC wants to climb they use their strength, balance they use their dexterity and so on. Each act has a target number assigned based on challenge. If there is no real challenge a roll is not necessary. The target numbers follow a simple pattern of adding 3 for each new difficulty. The target numbers look like this:
Easy 12
Moderate 15
Hard 18
Difficult 21
Thus there are 4 steps of difficulty and only 4 numbers to remember.
The system has worked very well in my games and has also answered the big debate on thieves. One of the arguments (That I do not hold to, BTW) that no other character can perform the thief skills. . . or some such. Using this any character can attempt to pick pockets they just do so at a higher difficulty.
I am also looking at this as a way of revamping the saving throws but have not worked it out yet. This is used in my S&W game and is the basis for my Rogue and Ranger that I will be posting in a few days.
BTW, this is completely OGC.
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