The Old School Orcs, Part 2

This is a continuation of my write-up of the fantastically made-up game system and one-shot campaign that my group ran.  Looking for Part 1?  Click Here.

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The orcs struggled to their feet, dumbstruck by the fight their quarry had in them.  Yes, they preferred a struggle before their meal - it awakened the appetite.  But, blood mages?  With luck they numbered two, and old at that.  Better than seven.  Orcs seldom can count very high, but seven was a number all knew.  It had power as ancient as any of the laws in the world.

Gruum hoisted his bulk from the ground.  A swift kick brought an unconscious Olga back to the waking world; the last gruesome strike from the female mage had brought her nearly to the brink of death.  No pity within orcish-kind.  The strong survive, the weak perish.  The kick was a rare gesture.

The marauders moved now with the precision of practiced routine after the skirmish.  Bodies were stacked ready for the cooking fire, their belongings tossed into a haphazard pile that Kashyyk rooted through with zeal.  Good fight, good loot.  Simple logic.  And true to this, the was treasure to be found: a curious collection of golden lockets, all the same, stored in the toe of a boot.

The shaman of the group puzzled over the curious symbols.  A touch of a blood-smeared hand was all it took.  The gold shimmered unnatural bright in the dark.  Blood magic and blood mages.  How curious.

Circle Breakers Pt. 1: We Are All But Players

We're back from my unplanned hiatus with a brand new D&D 4e campaign.  Despite the radio silence, we have, indeed, been playing; I've just not been writing.  That means quite a few sessions of catch-up for me, more reading for you: my dear readers.

Yes, we've been hopping back and forth between campaigns for the last few sessions.  I suppose this is what happens when work, significant others, and a desire for varied extra-curriculars do to a nerd.  But enough about IRL us, you want to read about our fantastical personas.

The Old School Orcs, Part 1

Picture a scenario I'm sure all of you have seen before: you're approaching game night, everything looks like it's going as planned.  That is, until a SNAFU cuts the ranks of your players in half.

That's what happened this week.

For us, D&D is what we use as a mechanism to bring everyone together into one room.  We're best friends; rolling dice is simply an excuse.  So, when two of our six bowed out, game night remained as scheduled.  My friends A, S and I cracked a few beers as the last of our group, L, joined us online via Google Hangouts.

While technology has brought us leaps and bounds when it comes to virtual gaming, there are still limits.  Most prominent amongst those: without a virtual board, such as Roll20, tactical combat can be kissed 'goodbye'.  This renders the vast majority of 4e's appeal null, especially for a one-shot with little prep.  We simply didn't want to fiddle that day.

Dungeon World was a strong possibility; but it was S's turn to DM and he hadn't used the system yet. I assure you, though, the results were perhaps the most fun that I've had in any of S's DMed games.

Meet The Team: Buggs, Hengeyokai Thief

I'm back with another exciting character from my newest D&D 4e campaign.

My regular group has a D&D Insider subscription that we abuse almost daily. My friend, A, delved deep into the depths of the options available from this to bring for your viewing pleasure:

Buggs, Level 3 Hengeyokai Thief

I have no clue where you found this image, LinYurenya from Wizards Communities, but I stole it anyways.

No party is complete without a sweet-talking, womanizing rogue on the payroll. (What is the inverse? Maninizing?).  That's Buggs. 

Meet The Team: Berendothaniccus Mag, Dwarven Warlord

Next up on the introductions might be my most favourite interpretations of the inspiring Warlord character in 4e, and you'll soon read why.

Please welcome to the stage, Berendothaniccus Mag, Dwarven Warlord Marshall.

Kudos to Cartoonarchy for the killer art.  I stole it because I loved it.

We just call him Mag for short; screaming his full name in combat just doesn't seem to work.  We've tried.  Played by my friend, E, these are Mag's stats at level 3:

Meet The Team: Callis, Changeling Psion

Before I chronicle the exploits of my current D&D 4e campaign, I want to introduce each of the characters.

First in the introductions: my very own character, Callis - a changeling Psion.

Sadly, not that much art exists for Changelings.  Racists!

DMs Are More Than Storytellers; They're Leaders

Whether you call him the dungeon master, game master, or He Who Commands The Heavens And Demands Cheetos Each Game, one thing is clear: this is one of the most important positions at the table. I'm going to refer to him as the DM (mostly because the latter of the titles is far too long).

A DM smiting in its natural habitat.

In most game systems, the DM essentially serves as the computer through which his/her fellow players access the game through.  Plot, NPC interactions, world creation, monster combat, even graphics (in the form of narrative and descriptive storytelling) are all the DM's domain.  It's a monumental task - one that only the bravest undertake.  And because of this, countless articles have been written on the mechanics of being a DM and how to execute the perfect game.  

But no one mentions perhaps the most difficult aspect of this roll.  Regardless of system, the DM's role is that of a leader not unlike a football coach, CEO, or teacher.

Yes, a good DM is an accomplished writer, actor, and craftsman.  But everything falls to pieces when the DM doesn't realize that the role also includes 3 key aspects.