Julian Becomes Vampire Jesus

Some weird things happen on Twitter.

A few months ago, one of my Twitter friends by the name of Brian Patterson (@d20Monkey) was referring to my avatar. The long hair, and "smoky" expression (I guess?) led him to refer to the icon as "Vampire Jesus". The resulting conversation was hilarious, and it led Brian to feature him in his increasingly popular RPG Web comic called, "d20 Monkey". 

When you get a chance, hit up his site, and catch up from the beginning. Then stick that comic in your RSS feed, because it will regularly give you a great laugh.

I'm flattered that Brian chose that image (and even mentioned my "handle" by name). He's a talented artist and has done guest spots for HijiNKS ENSUE and also the Caption Comics feature for Obsidian Portal. 

In case you've been living in a hole and don't recall what the avatar looks like, I'll refer you to this image:

I want to give credit where it's due. I wouldn't have access to this image if it wasn't for a generous gift by my brother-in-law (who was my DM at the time), and an artist he commissioned, to do some character sketches as rewards for a quick return on character backgrounds.

The original artist's name is lost to me. I searched for about an hour through my G-mail account, but couldn't for the life of me find the artist. If any of the old "Wanderers of Eberron" read this post, and remember, let me know. I'll edit the post and give proper credit.

The portrait is originally that of Julian Vanderdecken. An Orien courier (and general rake) from Eberron. In case you're interested, here's are some story links relevant to the character.

Julian's Background Story


A Bit of Julian's Past


Once again, I want to thank Brian for the mention, and honoring the name of "deadorcs" in his web comic.  Rock on, Dude.

UPDATE!  Thanks to my sister, I now have the name of the artist. The talented individual that provided Julian's image is Dave McNeal.  Visit his site and check out some more of his fantastic art!

Until next time...

Game excellently with one another.

Elminster's Jock

Yeah, this will drive traffic to the site.

Well, you can blame Brian, the creative genius over at d20monkey for this one. He posted THIS COMIC, and I couldn't help but take it from there.

Brian, this is all on you:

Until next time...

Game excellently with one another.

Acry - What? A Brief Guide to some RPG Acronyms

Greetings, Kids!

I've just a light post today. Something you might find useful, as you flit about the internet to this place or that. You see, I'm on Twitter a lot, and also peruse various blogs. At times, (and this is especially true for Twitter), the lack of room makes people likely to shorten the names of things by using acronyms. This is awesome, but if you don't necessarily know what a thread is about, a random acronym might throw you off.

In order to help with that situation, I've cobbled together a short list of acronyms I've been seeing a lot of on Twitter. The ones listed below are RPG (see, another acronym) related only. I've left out common texting acronyms (like LOL or STFU), as plenty of lists exist elsewhere on the internet to help you with those.

Before you say anything, I'm sure with some careful searching, you could find some RPG related acronym lists as well. This post is one to help my readers and followers should they need it.

Acronym	What It Means
AD&D	Advanced Dungeons & Dragons
BSG	Battle Star Galactica
CCG	Collectible Card Game
D&D	Dungeons And Dragons
D6SW	Star Wars West End Games Edition
DARPG	Dragon Age Role Playing Game
DDI	Dungeons & Dragons Insider
DF	Dwarven Forge
DFRPG	Dresden Files Role Playing Game
DL	Dragonlance
DMG	Dungeon Master's Guide
DND	Dungeons And Dragons
DND4E	Dungeons And Dragons 4th Edition
DS	Dark Sun
FLGS	Friendly Local Gaming Store
FotR	Fellowship of the Ring
GW	Gamma World
HA	Hirst Arts
HotFK	Heroes of the Forgotten Kingdoms
HotFL	Heroes of the Fallen Lands
HP	Hit Points (Also could be Harry Potter)
LFR	Living Forgotten Realms
Lot5R	Legend of the Five Rings
LotR	Lord of the Rings
M&M	Mutants And Masterminds
MMO	Massively Multiplayer Online (Game)
MMORPG	Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game
MtG	Magic the Gathering (Card Game)
OBSG	Original Battle Star Galactica
OD&D	Original Dungeons & Dragons
PH	Player's Handbook
RotK	Return of the King
RPG	Role Playing Game
RSE	Revised 2nd Edition d20 Star Wars
SF	Star Frontiers
SJG	Steve Jackson Games
SWSE	Star Wars Saga Edition
VT	Virtual Table
WeG	West End Games
WH40K	Warhammer 40,000
WHFB	Warhammer Fantasy Battle
WHFRPG	Warhammer Fantasy Role Playing Game
WotC	Wizards of the Coast
WW	White Wolf
XP	Experience Points

Well, that's the list folks. It is (I'm sure) no means complete. Feel free to add to it in the comments below.

Until next time....

Game excellently with one another.

Dungeon & Dragons Essentials - The Un-Review

Greetings, Readers!


By now, I'm sure you been flooded with all sorts of blogs & media regarding the Dungeons & Dragons Essentials product line and what it means for the industry, the hobby, & your game.  Many folks far more knowledgeable about the subject than myself, have put out a lot of great information.  Maybe you decided to purchase it or maybe you haven't.  


But I'm not going to talk about that.


I will tell you, that I have purchased the Essentials product line, and am enjoying the products.  For the record, here's the items I have so far:

• The Red Box Introductory Set
• The Rules Compendium
• Heroes of the Fallen Lands
• The Basic Dungeon Tiles Set (x2)

Instead of regaling you with my opinion on what I think of the rules, the game play, or even the various components of the game, I want to speak instead about the aesthetics of the set.  Too often, reviewers gloss over what I think is an important part of any set of game rules.  That is, the physical attributes of the set.  As table top role-players, this is understandable; but I think it's important to realize when a product has been cleverly designed.  For me, Essentials is a cleverly designed product.  For examp:


The Books are Table-Top Friendly:  This has probably been mentioned, but the "trade paperback" size of the main books (The Rules Compendium & Heroes of the Fallen Lands) are sized just right for the tabletop.  For the first time, I feel like I can keep a D&D tome on the actual table without it getting in the way, or being used as the backdrop for a dice roller.  The Rules Compendium, especially, will always have a place at the table.


The Books are HEAVY:  I was impressed with the "density" of both the Rules Compendium & Heroes of the Fallen Lands.  They feel like true digests, and not like textbooks.  When you open them, they seem jammed with rules, and for me, that's a good thing.  An encyclopedia at my fingertips.


The Counters are Clever:  I liked the fact that different monsters were printed on both sides.  I plan to use the counters as minion pieces, and the utility of having more monster types as minions is really appealing to me.  The counter material is dense, and while not quite as sturdy as plastic, it's probably more sturdy than anything I could print off at home.


The Tiles are Bountiful:  I've owned tile sets in the past, having purchased a couple each of the Harrowing Halls & Dark Sun sets.  Ten sheets of tiles in the Dungeon set, is quite generous for the cost (as far as I'm concerned).  Some folks have raised issue with the fact that the designs are recycled and not original ones.  That fact doesn't really concern me too much, as I've never really seem them before myself.  Oh, I  have to award bonus points for the frames the tiles are set in.  My wife, Anna (@FELTit on Twitter), is using the stout frames (empty now that the tiles have been punched out of them), as templates for felting projects.  Go utilitarianism!


This S**t Stacks Together:  I discovered this by accident.  If you place the Rules Compendium & Heroes of the Fallen Lands side by side on the Dungeon Tile set box, they stack.  The friggen things actually stack!  I don't know if it's an accident of design; or if the product design gurus over at WotC were sitting around thinking, "You know?  D&D nerds are going to be carrying this stuff to conventions, Encounters sessions, and to distant games. I wonder if it would be helpful to be able to stack all that stuff neatly together?". Well, whether they intended it to be like that, or not, it is a Cool Feature.   


Well, that's my "Un-Review" of Essentials.  As additional products are released, I'll see what I can do about identifying other unique properties of this Dungeons & Dragons product called, "Essentials".


Until next time...


Game excellently with one another.

Your Map, Your Way - A Proposal

Greetings!


So I'm at the office, busily working away on those things that you do in an office, when my friend, Alex, IMs me.    He works at the same office, and also happens to be a member of my game group, The Dead Orcs Society.  Alex is a casual DM himself, and has been interested of late, with the new dungeon tile sets Wizards of the Coast are releasing with the Dungeons & Dragons Essentials line.  Alex is also interested in the DDI tools, and we've had frequent discussions about what WotC might do with their online assets.  


Today, those two interests combined to form what I hope is a pretty cool idea.  I told Alex to throw it up on the WotC forums to see what others have to say about it (not sure if he'll do that or not). I also asked him if I could do a blog post about it.  He told me, "Yes".  So that's the point of this post.  Just wanted to cover that.  The following idea is his:


Alex proposed that WotC create (as one of their DDI tools) a tile mapping tool that would allow you to either draw your own maps OR use any of the existing tiles from WotC's current and previously released sets.  WotC does have a tile mapper, but it's my understanding it's not really updated with new tile sets (I might be wrong on this point).  Here's the kicker.  Once you create your map, you could send it to WotC who would print the tiles for you and ship them to you.  Basically, you build your dungeon (using their tiles), and WotC would print it off and ship it to you (for a fee, of course).


The model isn't exactly new.  LEGO® has been doing this for several years, now.  You can build an object using their online tools, and they'll count the bricks, add up the cost, and send you the model.  It's not a cheap process (you pay a premium), but it apparently gets plenty of use, since the feature is still available.  Beyond the usual corporate reasons (money, resources), I'm not sure what reason they'd have for NOT wanting to do this.  Just in case though, here are a few reasons they should:

• WotC could continue to sell old tile sets - Many of the encounters and published modules use these older (and now rare) tile sets.  A customer could recreate those online (using the online tile mapper) and have it shipped.  Essentially, WotC would be getting money for a product they no longer sell.

• Print on demand is a reasonable technology - While it's true that WotC could simply store dungeon elements in a big warehouse somewhere, it's more practical to just have them printed to the cardstock on demand.  With laser cutting, each dungeon set is packed and shipped for you, as though you ordered a boxed product off the shelf.  

• WotC could make money hand over fist - Well, that might be an exaggeration, but there's money to be had, charging a premium for this kind of "on demand" product.  I'm not an expert on the subject, but I suspect they could make enough to cover their printing costs.  You could even charge by the tile, like LEGO® does.  Maybe they charge $.25 for a single tile item (a boiling pot tile, whatever), or a $1.00 for a 2 x 6 corridor tile.  I think the demand would be high enough, you could work out a profitable system (and still make it attractive to users).  You could even build the online tool so that if forms a certain size template.  You could charge by the template, allowing the user to put as many tiles as possible in the proscribed space.

Obviously, such a program would not replace the current tile sets that WotC releases.  Like LEGO®, their model builder program hasn't stopped them from releasing scores of sets each year.  A program with dungeon tiles could work the same way.


If you're listening, WotC, give this some consideration.  Imagine your customers laying out their own custom dungeon using YOUR dungeon tiles.  It would be a BIG deal!  Thanks, Alex, for such a great idea.  If WotC hires you, remember the little people that helped make you famous, okay?


Until next time...


Game excellently with one another.

Skill Challenges: A Differing Perspective

Skill challenges. Along with defeating monsters and completing quests, skill challenges form the third side of the XP triangle for the 4th Edition of Dungeons & Dragons. Designed as a framework for non-combat encounters, skill challenges allow a DM to create a scenario where the heroes can overcome a challenge using their skills (hence the name) and without necessarily resorting to combat. Skill challenges are usually designed to fit into the flow of the story, and are thus given an XP rating to reward the heroes for their success.

I’m not a fan.

Don’t get me wrong. I’m the first to offer a great deal of respect to those DMs that have embraced the skill challenge mechanic and have made a science out of building new ones. Folks like Quinn Murphy (@gamefiend) and Paul Unwin (@pdunwin) strive for excellence when creating skill challenges, and for questions about them, they are a fantastic resource. Look them up on Twitter. They’re good cats.

Despite these efforts, however, I can’t help but feel that skill challenges are a clunky mechanic; a sort of artificially manufactured framework for game actions accomplished through simple role-playing, basic skill checks, and what I call “hidden quests” (I’ll get to that last term in the moment).

Illustrated below, are a couple of re-imaged skill challenges using the actions I would take in my own game. I’ll reference the location of the original challenge, and present my alternative to the skill challenge referenced. Again, let me reiterate that I don’t think I can do it better. However, I do believe I can do it different, and in a way that’s less disruptive to the flow of play.

For our first challenge, let’s explore the encounter with Sir Keegan from “Keep on the Shadowfell”. If you don’t have this adventure, it can be downloaded for free, from Wizards of the Coast. During this encounter, Sir Keegan (an undead warrior), threatens to attack the heroes if they don’t convince him they’re on the side of good. Take a moment to review that skill challenge and come back.

Okay, all set? Now…here’s how I would handle the encounter.


Skill Challenge Redux: Sir Keegan 

Set Up: The encounter begins as shown in the adventure, with Sir Keegan leaping out of his tomb to confront the heroes. He immediately challenges the entire group to prove their worth. Initiative is rolled, but only to provide for combat should it break out. Players can act in turn, or talk at once. Sir Keegan addresses the characters as if he were really surrounded. He makes gestures that indicate that he would speak to the heroes. A parlay, perhaps.

Useful Skills: This encounter involves a discussion with a powerful creature. The DM should choose skills appropriate to a discussion. In this case, those choices should be: Bluff, Diplomacy, & Intimidation. The hero can gain a +2 bonus to his skill check if he first watches Sir Keegan speak to another hero & also succeeds a DC 15 Insight check. The hero is required to interact with Sir Keegan BEFORE rolling the check. The nature of the interaction is what determines which skill is appropriate. It’s possible (even probable) that a player will attempt to use a skill not specified by the encounter. Challenge the player to explain how they’re using the skill. A good rationale for the skill, should allow the skill to be used. (Note: this should be a caveat to all such encounters. Reward creative play with at least attempts, even if they’re not ultimately successful).

Success: A character succeeds in convincing Sir Keegan of his worthiness if he succeeds with a DC 15 skill check for the appropriate action within the conversation. In other words, if the character tries to be “tough”, this DC 15 skill check will be against Intimidation.

Failure: If Sir Keegan feels that more than half the party is unworthy, he’ll attack. Combat proceeds normally from there. Essentially, that means that in a five player party, if three fail, combat will ensue.

You’ll notice the encounter works out the same way, but with less artificial posturing. No need to declare a “skill challenge”, no need to quiz players on what skill they’re using. It’s more organic.

Okay, here’s another example. This one is an example of a physical skill challenge. It’s called “Navigating the Tainted Spiral”, and is found in an adventure that can be downloaded from Wizards of the Coast (this one might require a DDI subscription). It’s from an adventure called, “The Tainted Spiral”. When you’ve read that skill challenge, come on back.



Skill Challenge Redux: Navigating The Tainted Spiral 

Set Up: The encounter is set up in such a way that the heroes must successfully navigate a series of confusing, winding tunnels in order to progress further in the adventure.

Useful Skills: This encounter involves the use of physical or knowledge skill in order to succeed. I’m okay with the skills suggested for the original challenge with the exception of Arcana. Thus, Dungeoneering, Nature, or even Perception skill checks could be possible for this encounter. It’s possible (even probable) that a player will attempt to use a skill not specified by the encounter. Challenge the player to explain how they’re using the skill. A good rationale for the skill, should allow the skill to be used. (Note: this should be a caveat to all such encounters. Reward creative play with at least attempts, even if they’re not ultimately successful).

Success: Have the players choose a hero that is trying to find their way through the maze. If the hero succeeds a DC 15 Dungeoneering or a DC 20 Nature check, they succeed and find their way through the maze of tunnels. A successful DC 20 Perception check allows the hero to add a +2 to his Dungeoneering or Nature check.

Failure: Each failure of the above skill check costs 15 minutes of game time. After each interval, the DM should see if the same hero would like to continue to make checks, or if another hero would like to step in. As an option, each failure could mean an encounter with a wandering group of monsters. For the purposes of this adventure, the heroes would encounter additional Fell Taints.

Again, what I’ve tried to do here, is to simplify a largely mechanical experience into a more organic one. No announcements (except for one like, “you’ve been wondering these tunnels for awhile, and you now seem to be lost. What do you do?”) need to be made, and no break in the game flow need commence. If you think that the heroes deserve additional XP, simply add it on to the next encounter.

Speaking of XP, I am reminded that I mentioned something called “hidden quests”. Even before MMOs placed little exclamation points above certain NPCs’ heads, there have been quest givers. Perhaps it was the king of the land, or the crusty innkeeper, or even “the old man from scene 24”; regardless, it’s usually quite clear when the heroes have a quest to perform. In many scenarios, the successful completion of these quests rewards the heroes with XP. At the same time, however, there are also little parts of the adventure that deserve rewards, even though it’s not directly part of an actual quest.

Let me give you an example. While working on a quest, the heroes investigate a local teamster who just might be smuggling flumphs into the city for some horrible scheme. You’d like to reward the players for discovering this tidbit of information. The original 4e way would be to design a skill challenge around the investigation, create all the accompanying conditions, and assign some XP to the challenge.

Not me. I call little parts of the story like this, “hidden quests”. The DM knows that such things will have to be done to move forward with the story, but doesn’t advertise them with a big yellow exclamation point. You really don’t need a skill challenge for this kind of thing.

Instead, I would simply role-play the investigation and have heroes make various skill checks where appropriate (bribing a shipping clerk, threatening a guard, etc.). It’s simple, keeps play in motion, and doesn’t require a great deal of overhead. In addition, if I felt that accomplishing this little story task was important, I’d add some additional XP to the total for the eventual quest it helps complete. No muss, no fuss.

Again, let me state that I have great respect for those DMs that create and run skill challenges. For some, the ability to wrap up a task normally accomplished by role-playing and a few simple skill checks with mechanics, is an exciting and vital part of their gaming experience. I wish them great success in these endeavors. They’re just not for me.



Until next time….

Game excellently with one another.



PS: I have to admit, this article was one of the most difficult I’ve had to write, since converting my blog over to one about Dungeons & Dragons. I love the 4e game and continue to play it. I struggled with how to present this information, because I know that a number of my blogging friends have embraced the skill challenge, and have done great work with them. I hope I have not offended them, or made them think their work was pointless. Perish the thought. My wish continues to be that you “play your game your way”.

From a Grognard to an Old Gamer

In the past couple of days, there's been several discussions regarding the "attitude" of OSR (old school revivalists) gamers on Twitter and in various blogs.   For myself, I try to stay neutral.  Readers of my blog know what kind of game I play, so I figure there's no sense in poking any bears.  My two cents isn't really going to make any difference in the argument one way or another.  While I was listening to these discussions, however, something kept poking my subconscious.  This argument seemed so familiar (and not because it's constantly floating about the cloud).  So why did this oft-stated argument keep reoccurring? Was there something about OSR gamers that just really made them hostile to a new and/or different way of doing things?



I figured out what might be part of the problem while listening to a song I'd downloaded the other day.  The song is called "From a Dead Beat to an Old Greaser", by Jethro Tull.  Written by Ian Anderson, the song is kind of a sad tune that looks at regret and nostalgia from a specific segment of society.  The lyrics are great, and I've reprinted them here.  Again, the song was written by Ian Anderson, these aren't my words:

From a dead beat...to an old greaser,

here's thinking of you.

You won't remember...the long nights;

coffee bars; black tights and white thighs

in shop windows

where blonde assistants...fully-fashioned a world

made of dummies (with no mummies...or daddies...to reject them).

When bombs were banned every Sunday

and the Shadows...played F.B.I.

And tired young sax-players...sold their instruments of torture

sat in the station...sharing wet dreams...of Charlie Parker,

Jack Kerouac,

René Magritte...to name a few

of the heroes...who were too wise for their own good

left the young brood...to go on living...without them.

Old queers...with young faces...who remember your name,

though you're a dead beat...with tired feet;

two ends that don't meet.

To a dead beat...from an old greaser.

Think you must have me all wrong.

I didn't care, friend. I wasn't there, friend,

If it's the price of a pint that you need, ask me again.


I'd encourage you to head to iTunes (or other online music store of your choice), spend a dollar and download it.  Give it a listen.  I'd post the actual song on the blog, but I'm not sure that's even legal these days, so I'll just encourage proper behavior on this one.



Isn't that a great song?  A little sad, but it really speaks to me regarding that time period.  You might ask, of course, how this is relevant to gaming.  Well, it just occurred to me, that many of OSR folks are sort of like the old beatnik chap that speaks throughout most of the song.  Full of regrets and nostaliga and simply wanting an ear to bend to hear their woes.  I'm okay with that, but just be aware that there's only so much the rest of us can listen to.  I was around then, too, but that doesn't mean I attached the same significance to the games you might have played.

So is that it?

Well, you know me.  I couldn't leave well enough lone.  With apologies to one of my few rock heroes (the aforementioned Ian Anderson), I present a modified version of the song shown above.  If you've listened to it, you'll have to try to superimpose my own lyrics on top of his already outstanding ones.  It's my hope that these lyrics make the song a little more relevant to our little part of the gaming universe.  I offer no expectations regarding my writing skills, so read at your own risk.  Without further ado.  "From a Grognard to an Old Gamer"


From a grognard...to an old gamer,

here's thinking of you.

You won't remember...the long lines;

comic stores; black knights and bright signs

in shop windows

where young assistants...fully-fashioned a world

made of clay trees (with no druggies...or preppies...to reject them).

When cheats were banned every Sunday

and the Fundies played F.B.I.

And tired young role-players...sold their instruments of torture

sat in the game store...sharing wet dreams...of Mordenkainen,

Melf and Otto,

Lord Robilar...to name a few

of the heroes...who were too wise for their own good

left the young brood...to go on gaming...without them.

Fat beards...with round faces...who remember your name,

though you're a grognard...with posts barred;

two ends that don't jar.

To a grognard...from an old gamer.

Think you must have me all wrong.

I didn't care, friend. I wasn't there, friend,

If it's the price of some dice that you need, ask me again.



Well, that's my two cents.  Like I said above, I don't expect it to make much difference, but there's my thoughts for the record.  Look, play the game you want to play.  Play any version of any game you want.  You're even entitled to your opinion of whatever game you want.  But you know what?  Don't whine about it.  Don't tell me you've cornered all the gaming wisdom in the universe, because I'm not going to listen to that.  Just play your game.  Who knows? Maybe one day, I'll have some dice to spare for you. 




Until next time...


Game excellently with one another.

A 4e Vacation - Mammoth Cave Terrain Powers

It's hard to believe that two weeks have already passed since my wife (@FELTit) and I embarked on our journey to the South.  I had some great new experiences and got some great inspiration for DnD.

In this final segment on Terrain Powers, I'll be looking at a selection of powers I came up with while visiting the Underdark.  A place better known in this world as "Mammoth Cave National Park"  Enjoy!

Jarring Stalactite

Single-Use Terrain

With a few careful steps and a well placed shove, you force your enemy to knock its head against the hard surface of a hanging stalactite. The force of the blow breaks the stalactite, dazing your foe.

Standard Action                     Personal 
Requirement: Your enemy must be standing in or adjacent to a square that has the featured terrain.
Check: Strength check (Moderate DC) to shove your opponent into the low hanging stalactite.
Attack: Level +3 vs. Fortitude
Special: This is a single-use terrain power.   Multiple squares featuring this type of terrain may exist.

Hit: 1d10 damage and the target is dazed until the end of its next turn.

Low Ceiling

At-Will Terrain

With a subtle feint, you back your enemy into an area with a low ceiling. Your enemy now finds it difficult to more about freely.

Move Action                     Personal 
Requirement: Your enemy must be standing adjacent to a square that has the featured terrain.
Check: Bluff check (Moderate DC) to trick your opponent into the low ceiling area.
Special: The enemy must be taller than the height of the lower ceiling for this terrain power to be effective.

Effect: The enemy is considered to be in difficult terrain.

Incite Cricket Swarm

Single-Use Terrain

Waving your weapon or light about, you manage to incite a swarm of cave crickets to drop down on your enemy. Your enemy now distracted, you have the advantage.

Standard Action                     Personal 
Requirement: You and your enemy must be standing in or adjacent to a square that has the featured terrain.
Check: Acrobatics check (Easy DC) to startle the crickets into swarming over your opponent.
Special: This is a single-use terrain power. Multiple squares featuring this type of terrain may exist. Once a swarm of cave crickets is activated, they disperse.

Effect: You gain combat advantage against your opponent until the end of your next turn.

Miss: The cave crickets swarm over you. You grant combat advantage to your enemy until the end of your enemy's next turn.

Well, it was a great vacation, but it's time to come back down to reality and home sweet home.  Terrain Powers are an interesting addition to any encounter. As I have further travels, I'll be sure to keep my mind open to any future interesting and useful powers to share.

Until next time...

Game excellently with one another.






Oh, and this was a thing that happened.

 

A 4e Vacation - Smoky Mountain Terrain Powers

Greetings, Everyone!

Yesterday was my first day back at work, so that means the echoes of our wonderful vacation are going to start to slip away.  Before the images fade completely, I want to cover a few Terrain Powers inspired by Smoky Mountain National Park.

I've never been to any part of the Appalachians, so it was a real treat to see the beautiful scenery.  One of the things that really struck me, though, was that everything was on a slope.  I know that sounds like an obvious observation, but to a flat-lander like me, it was an odd sensation and it stuck with me.  As a result, most of the powers you'll read about below, are only useful on sloping terrain.  

So the next time you're creating an encounter reminiscent of the Smoky Mountains, consider these Terrain Powers:

Invoke Avalanche

Single-Use Terrain

With the directed use of a thunderous power, you provoke an avalanche that sweeps your enemies away.

At-Will
Standard Action                     Area Blast 5 within 10 squares
Requirement: This terrain power can only be activated by a power using the thunder key word.
Target: Varies based on power used.  You target the slope above your enemies with the thunder power of your choice.
Check: Arcane check (hard DC) to target slope above enemies
Effect: As a standard action you use a power that has the thunder key word to target the slope above your enemies.  As a free action, the slope gives way, tumbling down upon your enemies below.

Attack: Level +3 vs. Reflex

Hit: 1d10 + 1/2 level damage.  Target is pushed 3 squares and knocked prone.

Miss: No effect.

Mountaineer's Advantage

At-Will Terrain

With the skill of a seasoned mountaineer, you manuever on the slope to gain the upper hand over your opponent.

At-Will
Move Action                     Personal

Check: Acrobatics check (moderate DC) to successfully activate the power.

Success: You gain combat advantage against your enemy until the end of your next turn.

Failure: Your enemy gains combat advantage against you until the end of his next turn.

 *Your terrain may or may not include a wooden fence and parking lot.

Shift Stone

Single-Use Terrain

With a quick shove or kick, you dislodge a slab of rock that cascades down onto your enemy.

At-Will
Standard Action                     Ranged 2
Attack: Strength vs. AC
Special: Your target must be below you.  This is a single use terrain power.  Multiple squares of this type of terrain may be available.

Check: Athletics check (hard DC) to successfully dislodge the stone.

Hit: 2d10 + one half level damage.

Miss: No Effect

I hope you're enjoying these terrain powers.  I'm new at designing these, so I'd appreciate any feedback you'd like to give.  For my final post in this series, we'll look at some terrain powers usable in the Underdark.

Until next time...

Game excellently with one another.