Dragons In Eden I

Posted: October 31, 2009 | Author: | Filed under: Campaigns, D&D 4e, Fluff/Inspiration, RPG, Spirits Of Eden | 4 Comments »

Of all the creatures upon Adel’s surface, few can match the size and majesty of dragons. Though the smallest dragon is the size of a man, the largest can be the size of an island. These massive reptilian spirits exude an alien feeling that seems not entirely of this world, and the feeling is half-true. Dragons are the most visible remnants of a past world, the world destroyed by the Cataclysm and which then became the Eden known today.

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Using Alternate Monster Maths

Posted: October 30, 2009 | Author: | Filed under: Campaigns, D&D 4e, Homebrew, Houserules, NPCs, RPG, Spirits Of Eden | 3 Comments »

I wrote once that I use alternate monster maths when designing my 4e monsters, which means when designing the vast, overwhelming majority of my encounters. I believe I have used a monster manual monster exactly once and it was zombies. Because I couldn’t be arsed to come up with a bold new take on shambling corpses that punch you to death. Maybe I will someday. But mostly, I make my own monsters in D&D 4e.

One of the things about 4e that grated slightly on my nerves was the fact that a lot of the monster math was tied to these immutable monster roles. Brutes would always have the wimpiest attack bonus. Soldiers would always have overwhelmingly high attack and defense values, good HP and good initiative bonuses. After a while I stopped using 4e’s monster math and decided to make my own, as I say in the article above.

Of course, making your own monster math is dandy, but the problem comes in applying it. If you break open the monster roles, how do you design a monster anymore?

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Creating Controlling Powers

Posted: October 27, 2009 | Author: | Filed under: Campaigns, D&D 4e, Meta, RPG | 1 Comment »

This time around I wanted to talk about some dimensions of controlling powers. And I’m not talking just Powers For Controllers, but powers that Control. Coming from a background of heavy Magic: The Gathering playing, I can’t help but make a connection to classic M:TG Control elements when looking at 4e. Controller classes are not exclusively the ones who do control in my view, rather there are a lot of other classes that have secondary controller natures, and many classes who have a power here or there you’d consider control-worthy despite not being controllers.

You can extend even that Defenders do a narrow but really effective form of controlling by removing options from enemies.

I feel that, in a way, Control is embedded into many things in 4e, not just Controllers. So I think understanding control can help homebrewers develop cool powers and help DMs to create cool monsters. I want to talk about what I see as two very important elements of controlling powers that affect very opposite extremes of the game – outside the board, and on the board.

One of the big challenges of writing a control power is that it is really ambiguous what a control power IS, who should get it, and what damage it should have. Generally control powers deal low damage and have a weird effect, but not always. If you look at these different types of controlling effects, you can get a feel for adjusting those concerns, I believe.

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A Punishment Ill Fit (IV)

Posted: October 26, 2009 | Author: | Filed under: D&D 4e, Fiction, Fluff/Inspiration, Homebrew, RPG, Spirits Of Eden | 1 Comment »

The afternoon of that surprising conference, Exarse left Nienna and Frederick to their own devices. His usual haunt was the library, and while Frederick fancied himself a good reader, Exarse’s books were thick with arithmetic and models Frederick did not understand. His own powers came from faith, not from mathematics.

He showed Nienna to his room. There was nothing but a bed, a drawer and two chairs. The room existed solely for the bed. At first he felt awkward about it, especially with Nienna’s cheerful demeanor as she followed him in. He was emboldened when he saw other clerics entertaining guests across the hall. Some rather embarrassing nicknames were being spoken aloud between the lady cleric and her friend, which revealed the context of it all to Frederick quite plainly.

“I can’t believe in all this time I had never been to your room once.” Nienna said, sitting down on the bed then bouncing once.

Frederick laughed, “Well, it’s only good for sleeping alone. The few times you’ve been around, there’s not been a use for it.”

Nienna smiled at him, her tail wagging behind her, thumping lightly against the bed. “Of course,” she said, and laid back on the bed kicking her feet. “The last time I came around you were just lazing away your days with that stuffy Dromidae. I want to know all about what you’ve been up to! Are you close to getting your collar yet?”

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Characters of Eden: Nefer Ravanam, Wizard

Posted: October 23, 2009 | Author: | Filed under: D&D 4e, Fluff/Inspiration, Homebrew, NPCs, RPG, Spirits Of Eden | 1 Comment »

I’m an official with the Andaliel Archeological Survey. See, it’s on my– Wait, what? What do you mean you haven’t heard of it? Of course it’s real!

Character Stats

Nefer Ravanam, Female Iomadi Wizard, Age 25
Spirit Worship: Arcline, Magic, Knowledge
Alignment: Good
Region: Andaliel Southlands
Background: Ritualist
-1/per day, you can cast a non-Creation ritual in 1 minute, or without paying component costs.

Level/Bonus: 5 (+2)
Initiative: +6
Speed: 6
Defenses: 18 (AC)/15 (Fort)/17 (Ref)/17 (Will)
HP/Bloodied: 45/22
(Note: Dangerous Wizardry in effect)
Surges/Value: 7/11

Str: 12 (+3)
Con: 12 (+3)
Dex: 11 (+2)
Int: 19 (+6)
Wis: 15 (+4)
Cha: 13 (+3)

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Review: Kobold Quarterly 11

Posted: October 22, 2009 | Author: | Filed under: D&D 4e, Fluff/Inspiration, Products, RPG | 6 Comments »

bracingferepic

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