I've been toying with the idea of running a Cthulhu campaign set in the Old West. I think the era and setting are ripe for weirdness and horror, plus it means most everybody would have some kind of gun skills, eliminating a lot of the "My character is an accountant, but secretly he's a monster-hunter" stuff.
Now, I know Deadlands kind of covers this, but A) I don't want to learn a new system, and B) dammit, I like dice.
I was thinking of starting in the new year, as gaming is pretty packed through October. Then there's the holidays.
So, who's interested?
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
Saturday, August 22, 2009
Recap: Terath's First Session
Father,
Recent events have motivated me to write another letter, which I'll send to the usual House Sivis message stations, hoping that eventually my missives will reach you.
I've written previously of the trouble I've had with the Boromars and the Daask, but it turns out that I have even more enemies in Sharn than I knew. Fortunately, I also seem to have new allies.
I went to have dinner with Kiala in Skyway... I don't know if you'd be proud of her or not, but her work as an artist has led to her doing work amongst the richest and most powerful of Sharn's citizens, and so we were able to dine, on her gold piece, in one of Skyway's fine eateries. I confess that I don't really remember the name, because my after-dinner conversation was a bit more intense.
As I was leaving Skyway, I noticed that I was being pursued, by no less than eight black-clad assassins. They cornered me, but I managed to leap onto a nearby air skiff, thinking to make my escape. And I would have, too, except that literally out of nowhere, four adventurers popped up and upset the small skiff, sending us all tumbling. To make matters worse, the assassins produced soar sleds and came down after me.
The circumstances put me off my game, and I don't think I put my best foot forward with my new companions. I managed to get a few digs in at the leader of the band, but he had the damned luck of the wicked, and dodged no less than three attacks as we tried to bring him down, and fled by falling into the depths of Sharn, where we couldn't easily follow. Though I and several of my new allies were wounded in the attack, we fared better than the other seven assassins, who all met their end by bow, blade, spell or a long, long fall.
My new allies were not just new to Sharn, or to Breland, but to the very world of Eberron. They said they had come from some kind of extradimensional pyramid trap. As I said, there were four of them. Mmirg was a half-orc warrior who immediately put me in mind of Vosh, although his power seems to draw from nature, not unlike the druids that Vosh once worshiped alongside. Lakar was a goliath, a medicine man of some kind who had a spirit bear that he channeled his power through. Brynn was a half-elven woman with a silver tongue and a deadly aim with her longbow, and I realized fairly quickly that she had potential to be a great thief, and I will be trying to tempt her down that road, although she seemed the most ill-at-ease with the wonders of Sharn. Then there was Tenghri, a dragonborn unlike any I've ever met, boastful and brash and as full of piss and vinegar as thunder and lightning. Despite drawing his power from sorcery, I sensed that he and I were more kindred spirits than the rest, saving possibly Mmirg, who I believe would make a hell of a Hrazhak player.
I took them to the Deathsgate district, where they spent some time selling the goods they had acquired in their adventures, and they even gave me a small part of the loot as thanks for serving as their guide. We also wandered to Morgrave Library to sell some books, and to my favorite tavern, where I learned of many interesting rumors, all pointing towards some trouble in the Upper Cogs. I also learned that my would-be assassins might have been part of House Tarkanan, although who hired them and why I have no idea.
My new comrades seem quite eager to leave the city, and they're talking about joining the Deathsgate Guild to seek adventure outside the city. I'm hoping to convince them to stay, at least long enough to get the Tarkanan contract cleared up, because the last thing I need is those assassins on my tail. To be honest, though, this latest mess has caused me to think yet again about leaving Sharn for the wider world, at least for a time. And perhaps when I do, our paths will cross.
As always, I remain your devoted son, Terath
Recent events have motivated me to write another letter, which I'll send to the usual House Sivis message stations, hoping that eventually my missives will reach you.
I've written previously of the trouble I've had with the Boromars and the Daask, but it turns out that I have even more enemies in Sharn than I knew. Fortunately, I also seem to have new allies.
I went to have dinner with Kiala in Skyway... I don't know if you'd be proud of her or not, but her work as an artist has led to her doing work amongst the richest and most powerful of Sharn's citizens, and so we were able to dine, on her gold piece, in one of Skyway's fine eateries. I confess that I don't really remember the name, because my after-dinner conversation was a bit more intense.
As I was leaving Skyway, I noticed that I was being pursued, by no less than eight black-clad assassins. They cornered me, but I managed to leap onto a nearby air skiff, thinking to make my escape. And I would have, too, except that literally out of nowhere, four adventurers popped up and upset the small skiff, sending us all tumbling. To make matters worse, the assassins produced soar sleds and came down after me.
The circumstances put me off my game, and I don't think I put my best foot forward with my new companions. I managed to get a few digs in at the leader of the band, but he had the damned luck of the wicked, and dodged no less than three attacks as we tried to bring him down, and fled by falling into the depths of Sharn, where we couldn't easily follow. Though I and several of my new allies were wounded in the attack, we fared better than the other seven assassins, who all met their end by bow, blade, spell or a long, long fall.
My new allies were not just new to Sharn, or to Breland, but to the very world of Eberron. They said they had come from some kind of extradimensional pyramid trap. As I said, there were four of them. Mmirg was a half-orc warrior who immediately put me in mind of Vosh, although his power seems to draw from nature, not unlike the druids that Vosh once worshiped alongside. Lakar was a goliath, a medicine man of some kind who had a spirit bear that he channeled his power through. Brynn was a half-elven woman with a silver tongue and a deadly aim with her longbow, and I realized fairly quickly that she had potential to be a great thief, and I will be trying to tempt her down that road, although she seemed the most ill-at-ease with the wonders of Sharn. Then there was Tenghri, a dragonborn unlike any I've ever met, boastful and brash and as full of piss and vinegar as thunder and lightning. Despite drawing his power from sorcery, I sensed that he and I were more kindred spirits than the rest, saving possibly Mmirg, who I believe would make a hell of a Hrazhak player.
I took them to the Deathsgate district, where they spent some time selling the goods they had acquired in their adventures, and they even gave me a small part of the loot as thanks for serving as their guide. We also wandered to Morgrave Library to sell some books, and to my favorite tavern, where I learned of many interesting rumors, all pointing towards some trouble in the Upper Cogs. I also learned that my would-be assassins might have been part of House Tarkanan, although who hired them and why I have no idea.
My new comrades seem quite eager to leave the city, and they're talking about joining the Deathsgate Guild to seek adventure outside the city. I'm hoping to convince them to stay, at least long enough to get the Tarkanan contract cleared up, because the last thing I need is those assassins on my tail. To be honest, though, this latest mess has caused me to think yet again about leaving Sharn for the wider world, at least for a time. And perhaps when I do, our paths will cross.
As always, I remain your devoted son, Terath
Friday, August 21, 2009
Getting My Map On
Can you tell:
- Which creature is bloodied?
- Which creature is healthy?
- Which creature has initiative?
Crossposted at Behind the Screen
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
I Want To Go To There
Cool image of airborne attackers versus one of Sharn's air skiffs makes me want to play Eberron all the more. Only two more days before I *finally* get to "set foot" in my favorite D&D campaign setting as a player for the first time!
Saturday, August 08, 2009
PC: Terath Smoke
Terath Smoke - Razorclaw Shifter Rogue 9
History:
Unlike many of his race, Terath Smoke wasn't born in the forests of the Eldeen Reaches. Instead, he was born amidst the lower class homes and businesses of Middle Tavick's Landing in Sharn. His mother did his best to raise him and his half-dozen brothers and sisters, while his father was off fighting in the war for Breland and sending money back to the family.
From the time that he could walk, he was a natural climber and jumper, and it wasn't long before he was joining in on children's games of Hrazhak, a full-combat sport not unlike rugby played by shifters in Sharn. The children who played and watched these games also engaged in a petty theft, begging and other activities for money and thrills, and before long, Terath was the de facto leader of his own small gang. He quickly realized that it wasn't in his best interests to rob the merchants that his mother bought food from, and so he and his friends started sneaking up to rob the residences and shops in Upper Tavick's Landing. Terath was probably headed for jail or maybe an unceremonious drop off a high tower at the hands of the Watch if he hadn't met Vosh.
Vosh was a half-orc, a former Brelish scout who had been crippled in the war and sent home. He had opened a weapons shop in Tavick's Landing, where he could put his vast experience with a variety of weapons to use. He had served alongside Terath's father and promised to look after Terath's children when he got back, and for Terath, that took the form of taking his undisciplined brawling style and teaching him to fight. Vosh helped Terath develop his own fighting style that took advantage of his natural athleticism and acrobatic talent, moving around and using his momentum to fight, and he gave him a gift, a magical Dhakaani blade that Vosh had used in the war. He also cautioned Terath to stay out of Upper Tavick's and to get out of the thievery, lest he draw the attention of one of the powerful guilds of Sharn.
Terath learned some of the lessons, but what he learned was that he and his friends needed to expand out of Upper Tavick's Landing. They became a group of freelance thieves, working throughout Sharn. They also drew the attention of the Daask and the Boromar Clan, interfering with several of their smaller operations, and many, if not most, of Terath's friends have been killed by those guilds, which has only made him more determined to stay independent. Although he is thinking that it might be time to get out of Sharn for a while. Maybe go looking for his father, who disappeared in the closing days of the war, and whom Terath has only met once or twice in his entire life.
Personality:
Terath was raised by a gods-fearing mother and sisters, a former soldier who believed in the tenets of the Gatekeeper druids and any number of older friends on the streets of Sharn. As a result, he's developed a personality that is part military dedication, part good-hearted servant of the gods and many many parts roguish street dweller.
Perhaps most notable about Terath is that he's cocky, fully confident in his physical abilities. He's got more than a little bit of "jock" about him, he still loves and plays the sport of Hrazhak and not a day goes by that he doesn't spend some time exercising and some time climbing and running among the towers of Sharn. He has little respect for those who can't handle themselves physically, although his mother, sisters and Vosh did drill into him that only a bully uses his physical superiority to take advantage of the weak. His run-ins with the bullies in the Daask has reinforced this lesson, and he's fairly likely to take the side of the underdog in any given fight.
Terath is an exuberant fighter, given to mockery of his foes and boasts to his friends as he flips and jumps and runs about the battlefield, but Vosh taught him to always be thinking tactically, and so while he might seem little more than a chaotic, uncontrolled force in battle, he's always mindful of what he's doing, and he has learned, while working alongside his gang, to watch out for his friends and take advantage of their help even as he helps them when he can.
Terath worships the Sovereign Host, although he's especially partial to the teachings of Dol Dorn (the god of courage and physical prowess), Baldrei (goddess of hearth and home) and Olladra (goddess of luck and plenty). He believes in helping and protecting your community, maintaining and testing his physical prowess and living a bold life. He has less devotion to the other gods, but he will offer small prayers to them in situations where he thinks they could be of help.
History:
Unlike many of his race, Terath Smoke wasn't born in the forests of the Eldeen Reaches. Instead, he was born amidst the lower class homes and businesses of Middle Tavick's Landing in Sharn. His mother did his best to raise him and his half-dozen brothers and sisters, while his father was off fighting in the war for Breland and sending money back to the family.
From the time that he could walk, he was a natural climber and jumper, and it wasn't long before he was joining in on children's games of Hrazhak, a full-combat sport not unlike rugby played by shifters in Sharn. The children who played and watched these games also engaged in a petty theft, begging and other activities for money and thrills, and before long, Terath was the de facto leader of his own small gang. He quickly realized that it wasn't in his best interests to rob the merchants that his mother bought food from, and so he and his friends started sneaking up to rob the residences and shops in Upper Tavick's Landing. Terath was probably headed for jail or maybe an unceremonious drop off a high tower at the hands of the Watch if he hadn't met Vosh.
Vosh was a half-orc, a former Brelish scout who had been crippled in the war and sent home. He had opened a weapons shop in Tavick's Landing, where he could put his vast experience with a variety of weapons to use. He had served alongside Terath's father and promised to look after Terath's children when he got back, and for Terath, that took the form of taking his undisciplined brawling style and teaching him to fight. Vosh helped Terath develop his own fighting style that took advantage of his natural athleticism and acrobatic talent, moving around and using his momentum to fight, and he gave him a gift, a magical Dhakaani blade that Vosh had used in the war. He also cautioned Terath to stay out of Upper Tavick's and to get out of the thievery, lest he draw the attention of one of the powerful guilds of Sharn.
Terath learned some of the lessons, but what he learned was that he and his friends needed to expand out of Upper Tavick's Landing. They became a group of freelance thieves, working throughout Sharn. They also drew the attention of the Daask and the Boromar Clan, interfering with several of their smaller operations, and many, if not most, of Terath's friends have been killed by those guilds, which has only made him more determined to stay independent. Although he is thinking that it might be time to get out of Sharn for a while. Maybe go looking for his father, who disappeared in the closing days of the war, and whom Terath has only met once or twice in his entire life.
Personality:
Terath was raised by a gods-fearing mother and sisters, a former soldier who believed in the tenets of the Gatekeeper druids and any number of older friends on the streets of Sharn. As a result, he's developed a personality that is part military dedication, part good-hearted servant of the gods and many many parts roguish street dweller.
Perhaps most notable about Terath is that he's cocky, fully confident in his physical abilities. He's got more than a little bit of "jock" about him, he still loves and plays the sport of Hrazhak and not a day goes by that he doesn't spend some time exercising and some time climbing and running among the towers of Sharn. He has little respect for those who can't handle themselves physically, although his mother, sisters and Vosh did drill into him that only a bully uses his physical superiority to take advantage of the weak. His run-ins with the bullies in the Daask has reinforced this lesson, and he's fairly likely to take the side of the underdog in any given fight.
Terath is an exuberant fighter, given to mockery of his foes and boasts to his friends as he flips and jumps and runs about the battlefield, but Vosh taught him to always be thinking tactically, and so while he might seem little more than a chaotic, uncontrolled force in battle, he's always mindful of what he's doing, and he has learned, while working alongside his gang, to watch out for his friends and take advantage of their help even as he helps them when he can.
Terath worships the Sovereign Host, although he's especially partial to the teachings of Dol Dorn (the god of courage and physical prowess), Baldrei (goddess of hearth and home) and Olladra (goddess of luck and plenty). He believes in helping and protecting your community, maintaining and testing his physical prowess and living a bold life. He has less devotion to the other gods, but he will offer small prayers to them in situations where he thinks they could be of help.
Monday, August 03, 2009
Game Schedule August - October
August 7th - D&D Pyramid of Shadows (Dan, Max, Ben, Joe & Jamie)
August 14th - Traveller (Randy, Chris, Jason, Ben)
August 21st - D&D Circle of Love (Randy, Dan, Max, Ben, Joe & Jamie)
August 28th - Gaming Off
September 4th - Eberron: The Fury's Tinderbox Part Two (Randy, Chris, Jason, Ben, Paul)
September 11th - Beatles Rock Band at Randy's place (Everybody is invited)
September 18th - D&D Circle of Love (Randy, Dan, Max, Ben, Joe & Jamie)
September 25th - Eberron: The Fury's Tinderbox Part Three (Randy, Chris, Jason, Ben, Paul)
October 2nd - D&D Circle of Love (Randy, Dan, Max, Ben, Joe & Jamie)
October 9th - Eberron: The Fury's Tinderbox Part Four (Randy, Chris, Jason, Ben, Nate, Paul)
October 16th - Eberron: Pursuit of the All-Seeing Eye Part One (Randy, Chris, Jason, Ben, Nate, Paul)
October 23rd - D&D Circle of Love (Randy, Dan, Max, Ben, Joe & Jamie)
October 30th - Eberron: Pursuit of the All-Seeing Eye Part Two (Randy, Chris, Jason, Ben, Nate, Paul)
Here's the schedule for the next few months. As always, the current month is pretty firmed up, the others less so. I know that Jamie (and Dan?) will be back in school in September, so that may cause some schedule disruption.
So everybody let me know what your September - October looks like at the moment, and we'll modify as needed.
August 14th - Traveller (Randy, Chris, Jason, Ben)
August 21st - D&D Circle of Love (Randy, Dan, Max, Ben, Joe & Jamie)
August 28th - Gaming Off
September 4th - Eberron: The Fury's Tinderbox Part Two (Randy, Chris, Jason, Ben, Paul)
September 11th - Beatles Rock Band at Randy's place (Everybody is invited)
September 18th - D&D Circle of Love (Randy, Dan, Max, Ben, Joe & Jamie)
September 25th - Eberron: The Fury's Tinderbox Part Three (Randy, Chris, Jason, Ben, Paul)
October 2nd - D&D Circle of Love (Randy, Dan, Max, Ben, Joe & Jamie)
October 9th - Eberron: The Fury's Tinderbox Part Four (Randy, Chris, Jason, Ben, Nate, Paul)
October 16th - Eberron: Pursuit of the All-Seeing Eye Part One (Randy, Chris, Jason, Ben, Nate, Paul)
October 23rd - D&D Circle of Love (Randy, Dan, Max, Ben, Joe & Jamie)
October 30th - Eberron: Pursuit of the All-Seeing Eye Part Two (Randy, Chris, Jason, Ben, Nate, Paul)
Here's the schedule for the next few months. As always, the current month is pretty firmed up, the others less so. I know that Jamie (and Dan?) will be back in school in September, so that may cause some schedule disruption.
So everybody let me know what your September - October looks like at the moment, and we'll modify as needed.
Sunday, August 02, 2009
Comments feed for this site
If you're like me, you miss a lot of the comments on this site because you use an RSS feed reader to read it, and there isn't an obvious comment feed link.
I found it.
I found it.
Saturday, August 01, 2009
How I Roll
Thought you guys might get a kick out of seeing what I'm doing on my laptop during game play. I created this Numbers* file to track William's status during play. It provides a very concise, one-page view of his status, powers, and modifiers. Click on the image to view a PDF file version of the first page of the spreadsheet. Other pages have my feats, skills, and the notes I take during the game.
I use the same spreadsheet template for Fargrim, my dwarven invoker in the Circle of Love game.
* Numbers is Apple's spreadsheet app, part of iLife '09.
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