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Skye Prower

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Posts posted by Skye Prower

  1. Posted

    Day 10 – Craziest thing that happened that you saw?

     

    This is gonna call back to my Day 4 question about my setting of Caladain, and also yesterday’s question about the character of Maybelline, as it’s the same game.

     

    As I mentioned before, this setting contains some elements of Magi-tech, and an antagonist in this story-arc had created magical drones.  As in the modern term.  Flying machines with camera’s attached, which could also turn (almost) invisible and silent.  However, their power-source contained an unstable magical component called ‘Nitro-magyceine’ (named by my players!) which meant that when destroyed, the drones would explode in a fiery explosion.

     

    At one stage, searching for a runaway girl in the poor district of the city of Lanton, the party detected a drone, and so promptly shot it out of the air causing it to explode.  Right above the wooden buildings with wooden, and in some cases thatched, roofs.  The only thing that stopped it from becoming the Great Fire of Lanton was the Druid quickly making it rain before the authorities arrived to deal with the fire, as our heroes exited stage left.  And before you ask, yes, they knew that the drones exploded before this happened.

     

    But that wasn’t the end of their popping of drones.  They had managed to capture one intact, and the Kobold tinkerer of the party managed to reprogram it to try and track down it’s controller.  So they tied a rope to it and let Maybelline hold onto it like a crazy balloon.  All went well, until they reached their destination.  At which point, Maybelline took the drone into his hands, asking if they were done with it.  Given the answer of yes, he proceeded to crush it with his bare hands.

    BOOM!

    Thankfully, he survived, and the altered guards were convinced that the explosion was caused by some wizard sending an unstable package to be delivered.

     

    And as one extra silly thing, for the same game but an earlier story.  Looking through the monster manual as I planned the session, due to skimming through and speed reading I misread one of the entries at the back as ‘Saber-Toothed Horse’.  After a WTF moment I explained to my friends what I’d been confused by, to some amusement.  But then I thought, as this adventure was dealing with the Fey and some weirdness and oddities, a Saber-Tooth Horse would fit right in.  So yep, the party did indeed engage in a fight with a man-eating Saber-Tooth Horse.

  2. Posted

    Day 8 – Favourite Character you haven’t played?

     

    Given a later question is ‘the character you want to play’ I’m assuming this question means ‘Another player’s Player Character’.

     

    In this case, it is Maybelline, the strikingly handsome, fashion obsessed half-orc barbarian.  (Because he’s worth it!)  He is liable to given the opponents he fights advice on their fashion.  Right before going into a mad rage and cleaving them in twain.  This is coupled with a low intelligence, which means he’s speech is something like “Me need to go shopping!  Me know shop with seasons fashions!”

     

    One of the reasons that Maybelline works well, and doesn’t overstay his welcome, is how often the game is run.  Week after week, Maybelline might overstay his welcome.  But the game is only run when me and my University friends all meet up, which is 2 or 3 times a year.  Which keeps him fresh and fun!

  3. Posted

    Day 8 – Favourite Character you have played?

     

    Oh, this is where I wish the challenge wasn’t DnD only.  Most of my DnD games as a player were when I was starting out, so my characters were kinda terrible.  After that, I tended to play in different systems.  I’ve only recently come back to DnD, and then as a DM rather than a player.

     

    However, for DnD, my favourite character would be Nurik Stouthammer, a Dwarven Fighter.  (Some people reading this may recognize the name!)  This was a character I made back when 4th Edition just came out, and the group I was with was giving it a go for the first time.  I wasn’t sure if I could make it at first, and the plan was to have a mix of characters and races, to try all the different options out.  As I was late, most of my usual picks were gone.  So for a change of pace I went for the Dwarf.  And had a blast playing him.  Nurik’s attitude could best be summed up by, after being the only member of the party to pass a fear check save “What are you all worried about? It’s just a dragon!”

  4. Posted

    Day 7 – Favourite Edition?

    Out of the three editions I’ve played, I would say 5th Edition.  But it’s hard to explain why without referencing the other two.

    For 3.5 there is a huge amount of customisation you can do with your character.  There are hundreds of options.  The downside; there are hundreds of options. They can be very overwhelming for a new player, and there are so many complex rules on top of that.  Plus, it is very easy, due to all these options, for there to be a massive power disparity between characters.

     

    4th Edition does two things really well.  It is a solid tabletop tactical fantasy game.  And it is very easy system to learn and play, making it a good gateway TTRPG.  However, for anything else, 4th Ed is very poor.  There is little to know character customisation, and even all the different classes feel very similar to each other, as all follow the same exact rules.

     

    And this is where 5th Edition comes in.  It hits a nice middle ground between the two.  Simples to learn like 4th but does more than just table tactical combat.  More customisation that 4th Ed, but not as much to be overwhelming, or accidentally leading to bad builds as 3.5.  It is a very decent, solid system that isn’t intimidating to newcomers and still allows for many different characters.

     

    On a side note, an amendium on the Day 4 question – Favourite Gameworld.  Since writing that I’ve got my hands on the Guildmaster’s Guide to Ravnica sourcebook.  And I really like this setting.  It’s sort of a fantasy version of the sci-fi planet wide city, which is an interesting concept,  and the 10 Guilds in charge of the city offer many different story possibilities.  Plus, one of those guilds is pretty much a Technomagic guild, so that’s an automatic bonus for me.

    I’m not sure I’d want to spend every DnD game in Ravnica, but it’s certainly a setting I’d love to explore at somepoint.

  5. Posted

    Day 6 – Favourite Deity?

     

    I… can’t answer this.  I don’t have one.  I don’t really get involved with the deity side of things when I play DnD (yeah, I’ve never played a Cleric) so I know next to little about them.  Even less than the official game worlds that we talked about before.

  6. Posted

    Skye’s Dungeons and Dragons 30-day challenge

    Day 5 – Favourite set of dice or individual die

    Just a single d20 for me.  It’s a pretty normal one, with a deep blue and a silver marbling effect.  But the reason I like this is it just rolls well.  Not crazy well, like 20’s all the time, be generally rolls above ten and hasn’t let me down on crucial rolls.

    Needless to say, I don’t use this die when DMing!

  8. Posted

    Skye’s Dungeons and Dragons 30-day challenge

    Day 4 – Favourite Gameworld?

    This is a tricky one.  Not because I have trouble deciding between the different official DnD settings, but because almost all the games I have played and run have been in Homebrew settings.

    If I have to choose an official one, I guess it has to be Forgotten Realms, which could be considered the ‘default’ setting of DnD, simply because it’s the only one I’ve actually gamed in or know anything about.  Though I do have some issues with parts of it, including with how much the idea Good and Evil is determined by your physical race.  Though, from the little I have gleaned from settings like Eberron and Ravnica those do sound like I may prefer them.

    On the other hand, if I can chose one of my Homebrew settings, then it would be the land of Caladain.  A large continent which is mostly the ‘standard fantasy setting’, but with some tweaks on the races, and a different mythology to normal DnD, where the Sleeping Gods created the world but left it empty while they slept, only for their dreams to take form as the first Dragons, who in turn created the sentient races.  There is also a chunk of Steampunk, and a little smattering of Technomagic, added to the mix as well.  If you want to read more, there’s a background document here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1TwcYTpe6pvf3U72BBaghuxkRhytpFngwODZJnzYINtM/edit?usp=sharing

  9. Posted

    Day 3 – Favourite Playable Class?



    For me, it’s the class that seems to have the most inbuilt potential for character and stories.  The Warlock, 5th Edition version.



    What makes the Warlock different is unlike the Wizard, who studies magic, or the Sorcerer, who is born with magical talent, the Warlock has gone to some powerful entity and struck a Pact with it for power.  Usually a case of ‘I’ll serve you for power’, but not necessarily. 



    And this is where the potential comes in.  The powerful Patron as they’re known can be anything from a devious Fiend who has tricked some mortal for their soul, to an unknowable old god so unlike a mortal the mere sight of it would drive the mind to madness.  And yet, they will be a force in the game, who may require the Warlock to perform actions for them.



    But even if they require the Warlock to serve them, that doesn’t mean the Warlock necessarily made a ‘I will serve you for power’ deal.  Maybe they were dying or about to die, and something made them an offer.  Maybe they found some ancient artefact or dusty tome and got more than they bargained for. 



    Then there is the question of how the Warlock feels about their Patron.  Do they serve willingly?  Do they try to resist?  Are they plotting to somehow overcome them?



    The Patron and the Pact offer so many potential plot threads for any DnD game, which is why I love the Warlock class as both a player and Dungeon Master

    Mechanically however, Warlock is maybe… a little lacking.  It does have a bad rep in some circles, and I think there are two reasons for that.



    1) People assume the Warlock is a magic caster style class, like the Wizard or the Sorcerer.  But the Warlock is more like a magical warrior in its style.  Because they have limited spells, a Warlock will rely mostly on a single cantrip (very basic spell), usually the excellent Eldritch Blast, or a summonable weapon if they have chosen the Pact of the Blade ability.  Their spells are more for situational use, than something to spam in combat.

    2) Unlike other classes, Warlocks really only have two easy builds.  The cantrip caster, or the Pact of the Blade melee fighter.  All their different class options, while cool, don’t fundamentally change how the Warlock plays.  They just give it slight, though flavourful, tweaks.  That means that one Warlock can be very, very similar to each other in how they play, far moreso than say two Fighters or two Wizards.

    Having said that, despite the limitations, Warlock is still a fun class, as long as you don’t mind casting Eldritch Blast a lot.  But then, that’s like asking the Barbarian if he ever gets bored swinging his axe! ;)

  11. Posted

    Day 2 – Favourite Playable Race?

    This one is easy for me; Half-Elves.

    I’ve always liked Elves since reading Lord of the Rings waaaaaaay back.  There is always a sense of mystery and etherealness about them, as well as their natural grace and skill. BUT, most Elves often have a sense of aloofness and arrogance about them.  Which is why I prefer the Half-Elf over them.  You still have some of this almost other-worldly feel, but they are somewhat more grounded than your regular Elves.

    There is also the fact they have the whole ‘a foot in two different worlds but belonging to neither’ aspect.  Anyone who is a fan of Star Trek’s Mr Spock should recognize that trait.  Do they try to fit in one society or the other?  Do they try to live up to both?  Do they reject one or both of their heritages?  There is a lot of character potential there, as well as plenty reasons why a Half-Elf might take to adventuring.  Being the permanent outcast, they are suited to being a wonderer on the road, or trying to prove themselves.

    Mechanics wise, Half-Elves have historically been somewhat underwhelming, though that never stopped me from playing one.  But in the current 5th Edition they are arguably one of the stronger races, especially for any Charisma based character.

  12. Posted

    I’m sure most of you will have seen these challenges around.  Where you have a question a day on your views on a certain topic you need to answer for 30 days. So me and a friend decide to do one in tandem.  Only we ended up choosing different topics!  And I thought I’d share mine here just for the fun of it, even if no one is interested.

    At first I thought it would be easy to do, as I’ve been role playing for a long time now (even if my gaming is in something of a drought right now).  But on the other hand, this is a DnD specific challenge, and I haven’t played as much DnD compared to other games.  For fantasy I’ve mostly played in Iron Heroes games (sorta a low magic, somewhat more gritty variant of DnD) and in the DM chair it was almost exclusively Mutants and Masterminds (I had a very long running superhero campaign world).  But nevertheless, DnD does hold a place in my heart, so lets get to it.

     

    Day 1 – How you got started

    The short version is pretty simple.  There was a role-playing society at university, so I signed up for it, enjoyed the taster session, and then joined the DnD beginners’ game that started up.

    Of course, that raises the point of how did I know to look for a role-playing society in the first place.  Well for that, I know about DnD from the original Baldur’s Gate game, which I got shortly after getting my first computer.  (Never finished it though!)  And the manual does make it clear that it is based on the DnD pen-and-paper game.  And so, when I reached Uni, I sought out a role-playing group and thankfully found one.  And I’ve been gaming since.

  13. Posted

    "Hey!  Stop pushing ahead!" called Kimi, before doing the very same thing she just criticised everyone else for.  Amber shook her head, but followed after the group, keeping her distance nervously from the Charizard that had landed near the doors.

    "That's it!  Everyone over here," called Pine from the meeting room as the group began to arrive.  "Let's see..... I think.... there's still a few more to come," he said thoughtfully, doing a quick headcount of everyone in the room.

    Outside, a ripple and a murmur started among the crowd as a man in a long blue coat started to make his way through it.

  16. Posted

    Ziona sighed as Stacey headed after Sarah.  

    "It looks like it," Ziona commented to Zangoose.  "You keep an eye on the kids, make sure they don;t get into any more trouble.  I'll try and do the same with Seviper."

  20. Posted

    Tails, Island

    As Tails explored more of the airbase, his feeling of abandonment began to subside.  It looked like the base had been abandoned in a hurry a while ago.  The workshop was still fully stocked, as was the storeroom.  At least, the tinned foods were still there.  It was all dirty, and needed a clean, but it was a start.  And cleaned up, it would be the kind of place Tails had always wanted. 

    And yet, practicality was a secondary concern to the young fox as he looked over all the biplanes.  Many would need significant repair.  One with a flower painted on it looked like it might be rusted solid.  But there was one that seemed in good condition, its biggest flaw being the faded red paint job.  Tails leapt into the cockpit and fiddled with the controls trying to start it. 

    Nothing happened.

    Frowning thoughtfully, Tails jumped out again, opening the engine hood to take a look inside.  He climbed up and in, until only his namesakes were visible wagging from the outside.

     

    -------------------------------------------------------

     

    Skye, Feral Forest

    Skye winced as she saw the damage caused to Fisher’s chest as the bumper struck it.  She turned away, trying to hide her tears catch her breath.  Glancing around, it seemed all the robots had been dealt with.  Skye looked back towards the Armadillo.

    “Come on, we have to get going,” she called, starting to run along the forest track, wiping her tears.

     

    -------------------------------------------------------

     

    Sleet and Dingo, Mobotropolis

    “It’s time to make an entrance,” grinned Sleet as he landed the Manticore in the courtyard of Castle Acorn.  Within moments, it was surrounded by Royal Guards.  The hatch hissed open, and Sleet strode out confidently, despite the weapons trained on him.  Slowly, he lay his pistols on the ground, showing he wasn’t there for a fight. 

    “I’ve come to warn the King of an invasion,” he declared.

    “That’s right!  They blew up one of the Birds’ big airships!” added Dingo as he came behind.  For a moment, Sleet was going to chastise Dingo, but then he saw the shock on the faces of the guards.  Maybe that had been the right thing to say.

     

    -------------------------------------------------------

     

    Wave, a slight distance from Mobotropolis

    A dull clanging sound rung out from the armour as Wave threw it into the hole she’d dug.  It was far too unique to the BBA for her to be able to safely take with her.  Her firearm on the other hand, that was pretty common.  Maybe she could trade it for some currency.  Her Extreme Gear…. Wave shook her head.  If anything, it was more noticeable than the armour.  On the other… if someone didn’t know what it was, maybe they’d just mistake it for a fancy surf or skateboard.  Maybe she should dress appropriately to help that image.  Besides, if the Armada DID catch up with her, the Extreme Gear was her best chance to escape. 

    Casting her last piece of armour into the hole, Wave paused as she picked up her radio, about to throw it into the hole as well.  Once again, it was something the Armada could use to find her, IF they knew she’d escaped and the frequency she used.  On the other, that kid did have the other set.  And if he did get into trouble… 

    Sighing, Wave clipped the radio to her belt, and started filling in the hole.

     

    -------------------------------------------------------

     

    Robotnik, Wing Fortress

    “I thought that pod was shut down,” grumbled Robotnik as he read the readout from the Casino Night Zone.  The pod in the centre of the city had entered capture mode, but its conversion functions were offline.  “We can’t have the city alerted and mobilised.  We have to strike now.” 

    Robotnik swiftly issued ordered, then the Wing Fortress lurched suddenly.  Shocked, Robotnik was almost thrown from his feet.  “What was that?” he bellowed.

    “An unprecedented surge of energy from the Floating Island,” Zero reported.  “The island appears to be descending now.”

    “WHAT?” Robotnik almost slammed open a radio connection to Gamma.  “Gamma!  REPORT!”

     

    -------------------------------------------------------

     

    Casino Night Zone

    A ripple of panic was spreading in the crowd as the owl was dragged inside the pod.  A few minutes later, the sky started to darken.  Above the city, a Wing Fortress appeared through the clouds, descending towards it.  Numerous hatches open, dropping pods in and around the city.  Some were more prison pods.  Others contained squads of Badniks and Swat Bots.

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