Comic Con 2011 Impressions

This year I was fortunate enough to get to go to San Diego for Comic Con 2011.

Unfortunately, a good deal of the video footage I took of the con (and D&D events) was corrupted, and I'm still trying to sort it out. I guess you all will have to just read all of the copious amounts of text I provide and use your puny imaginations to conjure up the gilded radiance of the spectacle I bore witness to.

That or go do some Google image searching. Either way.

Comic Con 2011 was good! There was a great deal of representation from all the major gaming companies, and they all had gaming demonstrations and tables set up in the Marriott for the public to see and try out.

Wizards of the Coast had the biggest tabletop gaming presence at the convention, though this was primarily with Magic: The Gathering, which I've been told is some kind of magical card game or something. "Tapping" is also involved somehow. This card game outnumbered D&D's presence by 3 to 1. Speaking as someone who knows absolutely dick about Magic, all I can guess is that it's an easier sell to people than a game where you pretend to be dwarves and wizards.

It was also a little disappointing to see that their booth in the Exhibitors Hall was comprised of four TVs, all showing off their mediocre downloadable video games. Then again, when WotC's booth is pushed back to the far corner, behind everything else in a giant Hasbro area, I guess you can't really expect much.

That said, their D&D stuff was pretty good too. I got a chance to play a couple of games, as well as try out WotC's line of board games. I played a round of Castle Ravenloft: The Board Game, and was pleasantly surprised.

It's a solid dungeon delving board game that doesn't skimp with its miniature pieces and boards. It's a little too complicated for my tastes, but its a decent mix of Type IV D&D and some random dungeon exploration. The best aspect of the game in my mind was that as you play, you're revealing more of the dungeon randomly, by drawing from a 'dungeon tile' deck. We were all dreading putting a new tile down, as it might contain a bunch of monsters or instant death traps. It gives the game a sense of exploration and dread that is lost in so many new D&D games.

The highlight of WotC's presence at Comic Con was the Dungeon Master panel with Chris Perkins. Chris is a great dungeon master, bringing the best of both old school and new school sensibilities to the table. This is a guy who's genuinely passionate about the game and introducing it to new people. He holds no prejudice against any previous edition of the game, nor does he present himself as some kind of gaming elitist. He answered the audiences' questions with surprisingly little company PR bullshit, and didn't spend the panel hocking new products or services. I appreciated that. Also, winning a D&D Essentials: Rules Compendium book at the end of the panel didn't hurt either.

All in all, Comic Con was pretty good for tabletop gaming. Other people gave me the impression that it was lacking a little, but I've got nothing to compare it to. Speaking as someone who's never been to Gen-Con, I kept getting the impression that most of the gaming companies were holding back a lot of their big announcements and reveals. I guess when it comes to serving their audience, Gen-Con is a safer bet.

Still, fun was had. I managed to leave San Diego with a bunch of free swag. Met up with the Penny Arcade/PVP guys and got the lot of them to sign my DM screen. That's pretty cool.

Old School 4th Edition: common items

I'm waiting in the San Diego airport for my flight back to Ontario. Might as well get some stuff out of the way.

San Diego Comic Con 2011 was excellent. I met a lot of people, played a lot of games, and shot a lot of videos. All of which I'll be posting about when I get back home. I'd like to do some proper editing before I do a big Comic Con D&D post (There's a lot to talk about).

I'm gonna tell one story though, as it ties into the function of this blog, and makes for a good beginning to a new series of entries I'd like to do.

San Diego, Wizards of the Coast games room, Saturday July 24th

I joined a table table to play a D&D adventure with a group of about 5 people (plus DM). Our DM wasn't as organized as he could have been, so I helped out a little to get things rolling (provided dice, pre-gen characters, explained healing surges to a couple of people).

One player in particular stood out. He played a paladin and was the father of another one of our players, a girl who played a wizard. Both of them were new to 4th Edition, but definitely not new to D&D.

When we were ready to go, the Father (who will henceforth be referred to as 'The Father') spoke in a booming voice to all of the other players:

"Ah yes, tell me, my fellow adventurers, just what kind of folk are you? I am a devoted paladin of the light. I sincerely hope none of you worship evil's might"

Damn. Right from the get-go, he was 'in character', and continued to be for the rest of the game. He chided the players who ended up with the drow and the thief characters, constantly referring to them as 'worshippers of darkness'. Geez...

Given that a couple of the other players were new players as well, this plunge into 'roleplaying' was a bit jarring. Not bad, mind you, but definitely jarring. I was playing a dwarf fighter and used my best 'Fargrim Firehole' voice and mannerisms to get by. The father seemed to appreciate it, and the comic relief lightened the mood of the game.

Like a lot of old school D&D players I've met, the father seemed to balk at skill challenges when we were confronted with one. He also seemed a bit miffed when the DM was reluctant to let him hogtie and capture a main villain we'd beaten (In order to turn him over to the proper authorities) rather than just kill him outright. I also understood his surprise when, after being given our adventure hook, we placed our little figures on a cavern battle map and prepared for combat, all without a moment of explanation of how we found such a cavern.

I may be new to D&D, but I think I understand his confusion and frustrations.

4th Edition D&D games (Especially Organized Play events like D&D Encounters, Game Days, and LFR) are constructed in such a way that they're almost antithetical to "The Old Ways" of D&D. Roleplaying isn't really a part of the adventure design, combat is an eventuality rather than a bypassable event, and creative problem solving must give way to 'rules mechanics' and 'movement expectations'.

In short, Type IV D&D plays out a lot like a video game, rather than a 'roleplaying game'.

There's nothing wrong with this, of course. Lots of D&D players relish the mechanics of Type IV D&D for all of the above reasons. I cut my teeth as a DM with Type IV, so it's my preferred edition. Still, I've played a bit of Type III D&D, and have read a lot about Type I. I understand the expectations of old school gamers when it comes to D&D, and I'd like to try and meet them.

So I'll be posting a series of entries about hacking Type IV D&D to make it more accommodating to Old School players. I'm certainly not the first to do so (Look up any other Type IV D&D blog on the web), but my solutions should be concise and easy enough to get into that they'll stand out.

So here's my first:

Play up the importance of Common Items:

In earlier editions of D&D, having things like rope and torches was a big deal. The game hinged on being a 'plausible extension of real life', so you could do things like the following:

"I wanna pull my rope taut across the doorway with Lisa, like, near the ground. So when the minotaur runs in, we'll trip him with the rope!"

"I'm gonna get the oil from the kitchen here. When the goblins burst in, I'll throw the oil at them. Then Jesse can throw a torch at them and burn 'em!"

"These guys are wearing plate armour, right? If I get them wet with the magic water, will it rust?"

"My liquor is flammable, right?"

Crazy, long-shot plans like these are a staple of D&D (and still are), but Type IV doesn't mechanically encourage such ideas, because they don't easily fit into the rules. All of the above items mentioned are part of a base item called an 'Adventurer's Kit'. You can buy them all, but they're significantly downplayed compared to magic items and their +1 and +2 effects.

My advice to make your Type IV games more old school is to ditch the adventurer's kit altogether.

Go back to the methods of buying items individually. In fact, make them more expensive than their standard cost in most of the rulebooks. This might help imply their greater worth and importance to players.

As a DM, remind players of their mundane possessions and how they might come in handy for certain situations. make things like 'waterskins' and 'trail rations' an absolute necessity to avoid death by starvation/thirst.

My final bit of advice is to divide these goods up among your players. If only one person has a length of rope, and another has the flask of oil, and only one person is carrying torches, it'll help necessitate cooperation and teamwork.

The general idea is to encourage players to think of solutions (both in and out of combat) that fall outside of the established rules. Ideas and strategies one might employ in real life, instead of reusing their Powers over and over again.

Try this. Rather than let players buy mundane goods. Have each player roll twice on this table to see who gets what. Whatever they don't have, they'll need to buy elsewhere at a later point.

1-3. Waterskin (1 gallon, full)
4. Sun rods (x2)
5. Compass
6. Trail rations (x4)
7. Jug (1 gallon beer, full)
8. Lantern
9-10. Torches (x2)
11. Flint & Steel
12. Flask of lamp oil
13. Flask of holy water
14. Flask of alcohol (high proof, whisky or rum)
15-16 Rope (30 feet length)
17. Grappling hook
18. Petons (x6)
19. Wood Hatchet
20. Healing Potion (low level)

Let me know in comments if this was helpful or if I missed any items that could be essential.

See me at San Diego Comic Con this weekend!

So I'm gonna be in San Diego promoting my documentary To Romero With Love this weekend.

Also, I'm gonna be covering a bunch of D&D and game related stuff there as well.

Check out this video for all the details.

BTW, this is also an explanation why I haven't uploaded any new D&D Encounters episodes in a few weeks.

Additional Vornheim Hack: Random Tavern Entertainment

Here's another entry into the Hack Vornheim Contest

As a Dungeon Master, roleplaying and presenting taverns can be kind of a chore. There's an unspoken truth that most adventure hooks and plot threads can be found or begin in an inn or tavern. It's also where a lot of adventures or dungeon crawls end, after heroes have slogged their way through monsters and mayhem.

Mechanically, they're usually just waystops for PCs to rest and recharge between sessions of fighting stuff or exploring; usually given little description other than the inn/tavern's name and that "There's a mysterious looking old man/woman/elf drinking in the corner".

Liven up your taverns, bars, and inns with a little live entertainment (Some of which might have an adventure hook in them). Here's a d20 table to accompany the ones found in Vornheim: The Complete City Kit on page 62.

d20 Random Live Entertainment Table:

1. Whole taproom is singing a morose dirge about a sorrowful anniversary.
2. A lone Satyr bard plays the pan-pipes. No one thinks its bizarre.
3. Jaunty tune being played on a piano. No player is present at the piano. It's a haunted piano.
4. Two enormous, muscular men perform oiled up feats of strength. Much coin in betting on it.
5. Troupe of halflings performing a jig on the bar. Sour looking wizard will pay you to stop them.
6. A bookish elven woman plays an foreign instrument. Melody is familiar to one PC's childhood.
7. Busty human exotic dancers strip to attractive female bard's music.
8. Brawny human exotic dancers strip to attractive male bard's music.
9. Gnome performs hilarious stand-up routine. Needs bodyguards to accompany him tomorrow.
10. Gnome performs terrible stand-up routine. Needs bodyguards RIGHT NOW.
11. Tiefling playing an exotic flute. Bar filled with cat-calls from drunken men/women.
12. Wizard conjures up faerie lights and a magical spectacle. Offers to teach a PC how.
13. Sadistic looking dragonborn carves up a live giant insect. Offers patrons pieces to eat.
14. Equivalent of a great cover band.
15. Karaoke night. If players sing a little, they get a bonus to next dice roll.
16. Beautiful monster women use giant tongues to eat insects. Patrons uncomfortably aroused.
17. Bard troupe retells the PC's previous exploits.
18. Bard troupe retells the PC's previous exploits with glaring inaccuracies.
19. Bard troupe tells PC's exploits incorrectly in effort to discredit them. Paid to by a local lord.
20. Taproom absolutely silent. Speaking is countered by frantic 'Shhh!'ing. Devious.

Enjoy.

Homemade Character Sheet (ver. 1)

I kinda hate the Wizards of the Coast official 'Online Character Builder'.

Oh its easy to use and it looks great, and creating a character with it is fast and efficient. What I hate about it is its end result. I hate its character sheet layout and they way it displays "Power Cards". I find it a jumbled mess and not condusive to multiple uses. I suppose its fine for 'one-shot' games, but certainly not for a long campaign.

See, if you're like me, your first D&D character was written up on a blank sheet of paper. You made him/her by pouring over a Player's Handbook, writing in all of the stats and items and details. You wrote up a back story for him/her as well. You may have even doodled a picture of your character along with it (I'm pretty sure 'he' was a human bard named Matiason Bates, and he played the bongos).

When I introduced my wife to D&D, she was the same way. She couldn't care less about the breakdown of numbers. What was important to her was that her character (A saucy female dwarf rogue named Fa'lon Varthra) looked awesome in her drawing, and that her assorted siblings all had names and backgrounds as well.

The thing is that Wizards of the Coast doesn't really seem to care about that. They want you to use their Online Character Builder before anything else (because it requires a D&D Insider paid membership to use). I can't fault them for this, but I can work around it.

So if you're like me and you make your characters from scratch, here's a character sheet I made that (hopefully) will make it a little easier.

It should make filling in the various 'Powers' a little easier. Let me know in Comments what you think, or ways to improve on it. Any/all back story or character details that won't fit on the sheets can be scribbled in on the back...just like old times.

Screw Epic Tier!

For those unfamiliar, Type IV D&D has three levels of play, all based on the level progression of player characters. There's Heroic Tier (levels 1-10), Paragon Tier (levels 11-20), and Epic Tier (21-30).

Epic Tier has been designed to see player's characters become 'ultimate badasses' on their way to some form of immortality, where they're toppling gods, killing demons, and can only be challenged (mechanically) by a pantheon of creatures that would normally be considered god-like in their power. Little else is on the same playing field as them.

Now, I'm a new DM, but have been playing D&D off and on since high school. Still, perhaps I'm just not 'experienced enough' to understand the value or "fun" in indulging in such power gaming. That being the case, I feel I'm the kind of person who can say "Fuck Epic Tier".

Fuck Epic Tier.

Fuck it because it is antithetical to things like 'immersion', 'roleplaying', and, 'fun'. Fuck it because its very concept makes a mockery of challenge and mortality.

I can't understand the value in having one's character ascend to such heights that their attacks and powers become a jumble of rules and ever increasing numbers. I can't understand why anyone would want to have bonuses like +22 to hit, or +37 to damage. At that point, the jarring nature of such math makes me queasy. Physically ill.

Not only that, but I've almost never heard of a campaign running long enough for players to reach Epic Tier. That would involve people playing this game weekly for months! Maybe years! Does anyone have that kind of time, or players with that kind of attention span? The longest, most accomplished campaign I've ever run, ran until the players were 7th level! By then, they'd accomplished everything they wanted to (also playing drunken Rock Band tends to be more fun than playing D&D).

Am I one of the only DMs/Players of Type IV D&D who prefers more old school ideas of empowerment and success? Am I alone in my reverie in one's powerlessness and overcoming it with genuine cleverness, rather than constantly ascending stats?

Take this for the ignorant hate-speech that it is. I am ignorant and unknowing of why I should give a fuck about Epic Tier. Please explain why I should in Comments. I'd genuinely like to hear from others who value it, or know how to present it better than I can.

Hack Vornheim: Random Alcoholic Drinks!

If you've never heard of Zak S. and his amazing blog Playing D&D With Porn Stars, please check it out. It's a fantastic blog (Though I only read it for articles...honest...).

Anyway, Zak's awesome new book, 'Vornheim: The Complete City Kit', is a fantastic product (Don't believe me? Watch my full review here. He's hosting a contest where people can hack the book and add their own rules additions or info. So here's my useful entry:

Random Alcoholic Drink d20 Table

Tired of telling players that they can either drink ale or wine when at the (*rolls some dice*) 'Cup and Queen' tavern? Well, here are some more fantasy themed beverages to randomly choose from.

This entry is a hack to the 'Taverns and Games' table on page 62.

Random Alcoholic Drinks Table:

1. Hog Spit Beer (Cheap local brew, served warm)
2. Gnomenbrau (Gnomish pilsner, imported)
3. 7 Malt Ironmead (Popular Dwarven mead, kinda sweet)
4. Mossy Stone Lager (Halfling brewed beer, tastes like Corona)
5. Poisonberry Wine (Exotic red, drunk on a dare from thieves)
6. Dragonborn fire-whisky (Often watered down to make drinkable)
7. Orkendrank (Orc-made liquor. Make a poison saving throw or become ill)
8. Pelor Brewed Red (Red ale, tastes and thought of just like PBR. Hipster approved)
9. Bronzebottom Brew (Cheap domestic beer, a little bitter)
10. Fey-pear cider (Crisp, refreshing, expensive)
11. Cheap on the Borderlands (Adventurer cocktail, every tavern makes it different)
12. Netherwine (Dark red wine brewed in the Shadowfell, tastes like Pinot Noir)
13. Kettlebrau (Popular imported beer among Humans. Poisonous to Tieflings)
14. O'Finns (Dark, dry stout. Like drinking a loaf of bread)
15. Caribana (Island brewed ale, a little fruity. Not considered a manly drink)
16. Steinborgen Elfkill (The one true evil beer. Surprisingly weak)
17. Wenchgarden (moderately priced ale for empowered women heroes)
18. Wenchgarden with Lime (see above, with lime!)
19. Deep Draught (The bitter drink of the Underdark. Tastes like Guinness)
20. Beholder Brand Beer (Rousing ale for adventurers. Advertisements for 'Triple B' are common)

Enjoy! I'm gonna go grab me a beer now.

DM Screens and Hanging Tags!

The Dungeon Master screen is a pretty iconic piece of D&D paraphernalia. Whenever any layman thinks of 'Dungeons & Dragons', its something that comes to mind almost immediately (along with polyhedrons, capes, and wizard hats).

It's a useful tool containing dozens of tables of information, ready to use.

So why do I never use the tables on mine?

Oh I use my DM screen for every single game. I love it. Though when I use mine it really serves only two purposes:

1) Hides my dice rolls, so I can fib about when I roll twenties (I've yet to kill any of my players).

2) Hanging Tags!


I'm not the first DM to use 'hanging tags', but I think I'm the most enthusiastic about them. For me, it's the easiest way to keep track of all of my player's stats, as well as the monsters and the initiative order. I'm not a huge fan of other 'Initiative Tracker' products available, mostly because they cost money, while hanging tags are cheap as free.

They also allow me to indulge in drawing my player's characters, as well as a menagerie of monsters, something I love doing. My art isn't great, but its fun and definitely serviceable for the game.

So in the comments, let me know what you think:

Do you use a DM screen? If so, why? And do you actually make use of its many tables and blocks of stats?

Also, am I alone in my love of hanging tags?

What's this blog about?

With a literal plethora of DIY D&D blogs on the internet (Both for current Type IV D&D and previous editions), what sets this blog apart from all the others?

Well, only a couple of things. Here they are:

1) Making the game easier to get into and play.

I've only been playing the game for a few months (at time of blog creation), and have mixed feelings about Dungeons & Dragons and its gaming culture in general. I'm a new DM used to playing with new Players. As such, I feel the game (Type IV specifically) is nowhere near as accessible as it's creators and enthusiasts claim it to be.

As such, This blog will focus on making the game more efficient, more fun, and just easier to 'get into' and play with as little fuss as possible.

2) Video Content.

I'm an independent film maker. When not playing D&D, I'm pursuing a career in Film & Television Production. As such, I like to have a video component to a lot of what I do.

Currently, I have a web series that covers the WotC 'D&D Encounters' program, which can be found at http://www.youtube.com/user/ScaryHairStudios

I'll have more content to come soon.