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I currently subscribe to the doctrine of Agnostic Theism :

Agnostic Theism is the view of those who do not claim to know of the existence of any deity, but still believe in such an existence. Søren Kierkegaard believed that knowledge of any deity is impossible, and because of that people who want to be theists must believe.

I suppose I could stop there, but I want a religion that provides a sense of community, understanding, and support.  I want my religion to be tied to something I hold dear.  I want cool rituals that range from the simple to the complex.  And I want all the benefits of running a religion: tax exempt property, non-taxable income, and followers of course!  I can see how these organizations are doomed to corruption (but let’s ignore that facet for now).

RPGs & Religion

So anyone who has read this far must be thinking, “What the hell does this have to do with roleplaying games?  This is an RPG blog, right?“  Well, of course I am going to tie this baby into roleplaying games!  What better ritual to extrapolate my religion from than that of playing an RPG?  Well, I have some other ideas about cars, music, and steampunk zombies, but that is a discussion for another blog (except maybe the idea surrounding zombies).

Religion and roleplaying can be at odds with each other, particularly when approached from a fundamentalist perspective.  I was an avid player of Dungeon & Dragons since late grade school (app. 4^th grade) and most of the hostility or intolerance I have experienced started there.  Then early in high school, when I became involved with the World of Darkness lines, there was a revival anti-roleplayer sentiment.  Eventually, I could back up my wit with force, so the hazing diminished and finally disappeared.

Of course, most gamers are aware of the stigma and social taboo that Dungeons & Dragons garnered in the early 80s through the early 90s.  If you are not privy to the unfair treatment given the game, I suggest you grab a copy of Mazes & Monsters (featuring Tom Hanks) or do some research on Patricia Pulling or any of the other controversies surrounding D&D.

Well, it is time roleplaying games were embraced by religion.  The best way to bring this about is to found a new religion that is fully integrated with the concept of roleplaying.  Thus I officially lay the groundwork for the Church of the Radiant Polyhedron.

Libris Mechanica Sanctus

Every major religion has a holy script; a tome that records the origin of the religion, a creation myth, laws to abide, and parables that teach the faithful moral lessons.  Christianity has the Bible (though there are many supplements), Islam has the Qur’an, Hinduism has several (Vedas, Upanishads, etc.), and Judaism has the Torah…

The Church of the Radiant Polyhedron shall have the Libris Mechanica Sanctus, or the Sacred Tome of Mechanics.  This holy writ shall record the doctrines and covenants of the faith including, but not limited to behavior (both at and away from the table), rituals (for atonement, blessings, etc.), and a creation myth.

Pantheon

The Church of the Radiant Polyhedron will need one or more deities of course.  The Supreme Arbitrator, the force that determines the possibility of all encounters is the creator and judge of the universe.  The Supreme Arbitrator is known to us as Apeirohedron, an entity of infinite faces.  Since the concept of an infinitely faced polyhedron cannot be easily depicted, the Supreme Arbitrator is instead depicted as a golden icosahedron.

Also sharing the universe with Apeirohedron are countless lesser deities that personify one or more facets of Apeirohedron.  These lesser deities are avatars of their facets and constantly work to further the influence of their facet.  Many other religions of the past and present have sprung up though the endeavors of one of these avatars.

All these avatars are a microcosm of the Supreme Arbitrator, and the Supreme Arbitrator is the avatars.  However, these avatars are not bound by the moral and ethical requirements of mortals, and may further the influence of a facet that the Libris Mechanica Sanctus considers wrong.

The Church of the Radiant Polyhedron also recognizes various mortals (living and deceased) as saints.  Once sainthood is declared, a person joins the ranks of the Legion of Saints.  The criterion for sainthood is detailed in the Libris Mechanica Sanctus, but generally requires strong adherence to the mechanics of acceptable behavior and a history of creation (writing, design, or art).  E. Gary Gygax is an often invoked saint of the church.

Initiation

A person may merely accept the Libris Mechanica Sanctus as their guide to become a member of the Church of the Radiant Polyhedron.  While gathering with fellow members and participating in the Sacrament of Story and other rites and rituals are encouraged, there are no required duties or pilgrimages (other than not breaking Holy Mechanics).

While a ritual exists to baptize a polyhedrite, the term for a member of the congregation of the Church of the Radiant Polyhedron, the Church does not recognize any form of original sin.  Therefore, one need not be baptized in order to be inducted.  Nobody is born stained with sin, but people may acquire sin during their lives.  Baptism and geas of atonement can help a polyhedrite overcome their sin, but only Apeirohedron can truly judge whether a soul’s earthly deeds merit ascension.

Read more about the Church’s sacred text, the Libris Mechanica Sanctus.

Listening to: Fear Factory – Obsolete – Resurrection

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I was thinking about what Brian stated over at Whitehall ParaIndustries on Mechanics Rationales and how many game designers seem to never ask why they choose to include a particular mechanic in their rules.  I imagine it is because they have a predisposition for the mechanic (i.e. their favorite game had it or because they think it’s unique).

So I am going to talk a bit about some of the design decisions I have made during some personal projects and why I made them.  Around the middle of last year (before I began blogging) I made a laundry list of features that I wanted to see in a roleplaying game.  The list looked similar to this:

• Classless
• Point-buy
• Talent (Skill) Trees
• Customizable
• Scaling Abilities (Especially Racial)
• Open Game Content (CC or OGL)

While many games met several, or most, of the criteria listed above, I didn’t find a single roleplaying game that had them all (the Open Content criteria is the clincher).  I should mention that Green Ronin’s Mutants & Masterminds did meet these goals, but upon closer inspection there some minor things I wasn’t looking for (lack of hit points being one). So I decided that I would develop my set of rules, which would meet all the criteria.  Thus the Echelon Gaming System was born.  Development is still in its infancy, but is plodding ahead.

Echelon Decisions

When I decided make my own rules, I did a lot of research on design methods and questioned myself on why I chose the features on my list.  I also asked myself if it would live up to a design goal I had established years ago when I was developing MUDs:  A game should be easy to learn, yet difficult to master.

What I did not want was a jumble of disconnected mechanics that required an immense amount of time invested to even understand how to create a character.  Nor did I want a game that played the same after a year as it did after five minutes.

I also wanted a rules system that allowed for extensive character customization.  You want a plate armor wearing, a greatsword wielding, Arch Wizard?  It can do that.  You want a pirate-ninja-vampire monkey?  It can do that too.  Of course, with extensive customization issues there will be extensive balance issues.

One of the first decisions I made with Echelon was to go with a classless system.  Why?  I wanted flexibility and think that classes are too linear and restrictive when determining a character’s progression and concept.  Let’s take a closer look at class (and classless) systems.

Definition of Class

A class is an assembly of features (abilities, advantages, and/or hindrances) that are accessible by a character once the class is chosen.  Accessibility of class features may be dependent upon level or other requisite elements.  Classes are usually derived from genre archetypes, careers, or professions.  Classless systems usually employ skill or trait based methods to provide abilities to characters.

Example Systems

To get a better understanding of how other game designers had used classes (or lack thereof) in their games, I compiled a concise catalog of roleplaying games that featured a class or classless component.  I also saw there was a hybrid style approach that utilized classes as well a skill/trait based methods to provide a greater flexibility than a pure class system would allow.

Classed

One of the best examples of a pure class system is from the D&D Rules Cyclopedia.  You had Cleric, Druid, Dwarf, Elf, Fighter, Halfling, Magic-User, Mystic, and Thief.  Yes, even the demihuman races were classes!  Thinking back now, I think everything one could do (except weapon mastery and general skills) was defined by class.

Classless

The classic classless system is probably GURPS (Generic Universal Role-Playing System).  A player can pick advantages/perks, disadvantages/quirks, and skills for their character freely.  Another very good classless system is HERO System, which also has an amazing point-buy power creation system.

Hybrid

Both Dungeons & Dragons (since at least 2^nd Edition) and the World of Darkness line of games I consider hybrid systems.  At first glance, late edition D&D appears like a pure class system, but then you add multi-classing, prestige classes or paragon paths, templates, and feats and you have a system far more flexible than a pure class system.

The World of Darkness does the same thing, but from the other end of the spectrum.  It appears classless, and the base World of Darkness setting (New WoD) is, but when you begin adding templates it reigns in some of the flexibility of a pure classless system.  In the World of Darkness, [supernatural] race becomes the class.

As you can see, two of the most popular roleplaying games are actually hybrids that strike an appealing balance between pure classed and pure classless systems.  I like this hybrid area and I think this will be where Echelon will fall, most likely sitting very close to the Storytelling System of the World of Darkness.

Advantages

Classed

The intent of a class is usually to provide niche protection, power balance, and give direction to character roles within a group dynamic.  Classes also diminish the number of decisions a player needs to make during character creation as well provide a division between of rules so that players may ignore anything that does not pertain to their class.  This usually translates to a feeling that a game is easy to learn or needs little time invested.

Classless

A classless system allows for maximum character customization within the existing rules.  Many argue that classless systems help reinforce one of the primary attractions of roleplaying games: the freedom they provide players to freely interact in a shared world.  The complexity of a classless system is wholly dependent on the components of the rules and how many options are available.

Criticisms

Classed

The primary criticism of classes is the inherent lack of flexibility.  Often, when designers try to improve the flexibility of their game by adding sub-systems (multi-classing, talent/skill trees, class trees, etc.) they often increase complexity exponentially and create severe balance issues.

Classless

Some of the criticisms of classless systems are unbalancing specializations (via maximizing a single skill), too much choice leads to long character creations and advancement decisions,  and increased time investment learning the rules.  Another argument is that eventually, trends in choosing abilities leads to class-like builds anyways, which is counterproductive.

Questions of Balance

So after considering the options and the advantages and disadvantages of each, I went with implementing a hybrid system that could take the best of elements of classed and classless systems.  The key to making it work is by overcoming some of the balance concerns of the classless components.

Balance can be overcome by calculating the cost of acquiring abilities.  Since I also plan on using a point-buy system, cost will be a literal mechanic: experience.  Costs of increasing skills and abilities will be exponentially greater.  In the end, however, I am a firm believer that balance is the purview of the Game Master, and the really good ones excel at imposing balance without the players even knowing.

Listening to: Pennywise – Straight Ahead – Alien

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Want to learn more about Gestalt? Read on…

• Atomic Array: Episode 019: Gestalt
• Game Cryer: Gestalt Review
• Uncle Bear: Gestalt: A Mythic Supers Setting
• All Games Considered: The Hero Within
• A Butterfly Dreaming: The Pieces of Gestalt
• The Bone Scroll: ‘G’ is for Gestalt

Drop by Black Wyrm Games today!

Listening to: Nine Inch Nails- Starfuckers, Inc. – The Fragile, Right

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Earlier this year, Enrique (better known as the NewbieDM) suggested the phenomenal idea of creating a shared campaign setting.  Each blogger can carve out his own portion of the setting: creating locations, people, beasts, history, and alliances.  Yesterday, Newbie announced the project on his blog.  This thing is living, breathing animal now and as of this writing we have twenty participants!

Like any living thing, it grows and changes, but right now it looks like this is how things are going to work:

1. You have to be member of the RPGBN.
1a.  You cannot join just to participate in the shared setting.
1b.  If you are an RPG Blogger and decide to join for the setting, we will push the date for membership back.

2. This has yet to be confirmed, but there will be a map provided for those that want to stake a claim, but there will most likely be another continent(s) created for those wishing to be more freeform in their approach.

3. There is a deadline to join the project, and it is Wednesday, April 1st.

4. The deadline for completing your portion of the setting is not yet determined, but will be extensive.

5. To join, email both NewbieDM (newbiedm -at-newbiedm -dot- com) and myself (madbrewlabs -at- gmail -dot- com) madbrewlabs -at- gmail -dot- com) with the name of your blog (must verify its an RPGBN member).

NewbieDM said something that struck a chord with me in his announcement when he said the following:

Jonathan proved that when bloggers unite, we can make quality stuff that rivals anyone else out there.  I’m sure this will be no exception.  If there’s one thing I’ve learned in my years as a roleplayer, it’s that the hobby attracts creative and intelligent people.

Every month I see more developments withing the community that harkens back to my New Year’s post where I said we can expect great things to come out of the RPG Blogosphere.  This is one of those developments that lend credence to my prophecy.

Again, if you are an RPG Blogger, meet the criteria to join the RPGBN, and want to join so you can participate, let us know in your email and we will push the deadline for joining the project back.  We want every eligible participant who wants in to be able to join the project.

I also want to take the opportunity in closing to applaud Enrique for proposing and following up on this cool idea!

Listening to: Scar Symmetry - Pitch Black Progress - The Illusionist

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The Open Game Table: The Anthology of Roleplaying Game Blogs, Volume 1 released today (March 23, 2009).  The OGT collects nearly fifty articles penned last year from over thirty of the RPG blogosphere’s best & brightest.  Yours truly wound up with an article (on designing Pantheons) that was selected for inclusion, a feat that both surprises me and bolsters my confidence.

I watched the Open Game Table come together since Jonathan Jacobs, of The Core Mechanic, made the crazy announcement about his intent publish such a compilation.  I was involved in the review process, where the reviewers read and scored all the submitted articles (except our own).  I must say, the competition was pretty intense, because it was difficult to narrow the submissions down to the few to be selected.  I had a great time reading some excellent articles that I missed and finding blogs I never knew existed!

I was excited to see the fresh art that was being produced for the book from a stable of rising talent and watching the book come together as Jonathan and his retinue of editors chipped away at this masterpiece of creativity.  It was a privilege to be asked my humble opinion of how things looked for suggestions to make it better.

I just finished reading my digital copy of The Open Game Table and I am honored to have been included in the anthology, because this is some fantastic material that people are writing about.  The book provides a lot of articles on everything from mechanics to gaming advice to history, and much of the quality is on par with what you would expect from a major publisher (yet these authors are doing it for the love of the game!).

While a lot of the content is driven by 4^th Edition Dungeon & Dragons, most of the material can be applied to other formats.  I totally recommend that you grab a copy today!  Here is a list of the table of contents:

1. Play Style
2. Game Play
3. Characters & Players
4. Monsters & NPCs
5. Encounters, Settings, and Locations
6. Adventure Design
7. Campaign Setting Design
8. Classes, Action, and Equipment
9. RPG History & Commentary
10. The RPG Toolbox

You can find The Open Game Table at the following retailers:

Amazon

Lulu Marketplace

Indie Press Revolutions (coming soon!)

Listening to: Static X- Shadow Zone – Destroy All

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I am sure everyone felt the weight of the 4^th Edition Player’s Handbook II drop on the blogosphere this morning.  Well, this article is a review (note: not a product spotlight) of the original 4^th Edition Core books: Player’s Handbook, Dungeon Master’s Guide, and Monster Manual.  I often do product spotlights, because I like to get the word out about a new product, but this will only be my second full-fledged review of a game.

Most people have already made their minds up on whether or not they dig the new edition of the venerable Dungeons & Dragons game, so if you are one of those people, I recommend you read something else here at Mad Brew Labs (I am very partial to my Dead Wastes material!).

One of the reasons I wait a while to do an actual review is because to be able to really render a verdict, you need to spend some time with the material.  I can honestly say I put 4e to the test.  I played all the modules at GenCon (went from 1^st to nearly 5^th level), and several more since then.  I have played all the tiers and given most of the classes a shot.

Without further delay, here is my macro-review of Dungeons & Dragons, 4^th Edition.

Player’s Handbook
Hardcover: 320 pages
Publisher: Wizards
Date: June 6, 2008
Language: English
ISBN:978-0786948673
Weight: 2 pounds

DM’s Guide
Hardcover: 224 pages
Publisher: Wizards
Date: June 6, 2008
Language: English
ISBN:978-0786948802
Weight: 2 pounds

Monster Manual
Hardcover: 288 pages
Publisher: Wizards
Date: June 6, 2008
Language: English
ISBN:978-0786948529
Weight: 2 pounds

Simplicity of Rules

One of the important aspects that 4^th Edition D&D, or 4e, is supposed to bring to the table is simplicity.  The designers would speak about streamlining this or that component or decreasing the complexity of a mechanic (such as grapple).  Overall, the product does have a very streamlined feel, unless you are trying to find something in the index!

Levels

D&D 4e now provides levels through 30^th, where previously the 21^st – 30^th levels were reserved for the Epic Level Handbook and had separate rules.  The levels are divided into three tiers, 1^st – 10^th being Heroic, 11^th through 20^th being Paragon, and 21^st – 30^th being Epic.  The names are familiar and have been re-purposed from 3^rd Edition (there were Paragon racial classes in 3^rd).

Ability score improvements are still doled out, albeit at different intervals (but still 5 times in 20 levels).  A new feature for 4^th edition happens at each tier; all the ability scores are improved.  I definitely like the new way.

Races

I think Wizards did a relatively decent job of reworking the races.  I feel that they are more balanced (as in I use to pick Human pretty much every time, but I can now see myself picking another race).  Of course, everyone know the Half-Orc (presumably because Wizards doesn’t like their origin story) and Gnomes (which can still be played using the Monster Manual or now, the PHB II).

They officially split the High and Wood Elves into the Eladrin and Elf respectively.  They made the Tiefling (of Planescape origin) a core race as well as adding a new race, the Dragonborn.  Dragonborn are reminiscent of the old Dragonlance Draconians and are probably the new favorite pick of former Half-Orc fanatics.

All but Dwarves, Half-Elves, and Humans have a racial Power, while the Dragonborn’s Dragon Breath racial Power is the only one that scales with the tiers (which was a huge disappointment after being told about how the races now scale at a 4e Q&A at GenCon ’07).  All together, only a little tweaking has been applied to the races.

Classes

4e brings the original core classes back in the Fighter, Cleric, and Wizard, but you’ll also find the familiar Paladin, Ranger, and Rogue.  The 3^rd Edition core classes of Barbarian, Bard, Monk, and Sorcerer are gone but are introduced in future supplements.  They bring in the new classes of Warlock (ok, not really new) and Warlord.  The classes are assigned roles: Controller, Defender, Leader, and Striker (familiar for MMO gamers: tank, dps, etc.).  Most, if not all, of the class’ Powers are geared towards satisfying this role.

I have a small gripe about the Warlord, because I would rather not have rank (Lord) implied by the class name, something like Tactician would be much more appropriate.  Each class is now has class features which usually scale at each tier (like the Rogue’s Sneak Attack) as well as a range of uniquely named Powers.  All classes gain Powers and Feats at the same progression.  Oh yeah, multi-classers beware, you might now like the new method (more on this later).

Every class also has several Paragon paths available to choose from once they hit the respective tier.  These are meant to help a character stand out from others of their ilk.  Also, characters have a several Epic Destinies to attain which give them special abilities.  The purpose of Epic Destinies is to give finality to the career of the characters that attain them, sort of an “I beat the game” shtick; you can take it or leave it…

Powers

Players now pick their level-dependent class abilities from a variety of uniquely identified Powers.  These Powers all have a source (Martial, Divine, Arcane, etc.) and come in several varieties: At-Will, Encounter, Daily, and Utility.

There are dozens of Powers to choose from for each Class and most characters begin play with 2 At-Will, 1 Encounter, and 1 Daily Powers.  At level 30, most characters will have 2 At-Will (still), 4 Encounter, 4 Daily, and 7 Utility Powers.  I do not really care for the progression, as it seems most of your career will be spent executing the same stuff, over and over again (though the same could be said for some 3^rd Edition Classes).

You can retrain 1 Power every level (or a Skill or Feat) and some levels specifically grant you the ability to swap Powers.  I am not a very big fan of rampant retraining because why would I suddenly lose a Power I had for the last 10 levels?

Skills

Another component that was streamlined was is Skills.  The skill consolidation and is a plus in my opinion.  I like how climb and swim are now just Athletics.  Some people may complain that they liked the variety and now it is impossible to create characters that specialize in a certain area.  I say that should now be the realm of Feats (Webbed Feet: +3 to Athletic checks involving swimming).

I was pretty happy with the treatment they had given Skills; they had simplified them without sacrificing detail and made them more useful.  That was until I saw they had cut out Crafting.  Perhaps Wizards will bring back crafting in some future supplement, but I prefer it to be Core.  However, I do not really have any qualms about the removal of Professions (I think this could be the purview of Feats as well or just Roleplay them).

I would be happier with Skills if there was greater disparity between base skill bonuses of characters at different levels.  As an example, if I have a 5^th level (+2) character with an Intelligence of 18 (+4) and she is trained in Arcana (+5), at 10^th level, if I placed the 8^th level Ability Score bonus in Intelligence, she would still only have an additional +4 to her base skill bonus.  It’s a personal preference, but I would like to see that difference be a little bit larger.

Combat

I have often heard about how combat was streamlined.  Maybe it is how it works theory, but in practice I find that combat can become just as mired and slow as with the previous generation of Dungeons & Dragons.

Others must find this true as well since my article on how to speed up combat is ranked third or fourth as my most visited post.  It comes down to tracking all the marks, curses, quarries, and et ceteras that can be placed on players and monsters alike, who is bloody, who still needs to save this round… You had better come armed with a handful of pipe cleaners.

Monsters

I will say I am a big fan of the new format for monsters found in the Monster Manual.  While I really do enjoy lengthy descriptions of monster ecology, the new format is easier to use and makes preparing (though not running) encounters a breeze.  I also think it makes the creation of original beasties far easier.  I do get annoyed sometimes with their naming convention (could I have all the dinosaurs under one banner please!).

Much like classes, monsters are assigned a role, which helps the Dungeon Master utilize them best during an encounter.  Monster roles include Artillery, Brute, Controller, Lurker, Skirmisher, and Soldier.  There are also sub-roles Elite, Leader, and Solo.  I think the roles and sub-roles are pretty self-explanatory.

Skill Challenges

The Dungeon Master’s guide really offers some good advice for both novice and experienced DMs (though mostly for novices).  One of the topics presented is the Skill Challenge.  While the version of Skill Challenges printed in the book is horrible and hard to implement, the errata for the DMG did a relatively decent job of cleaning it up.

What confounds me is the fact that many people claim this is a new idea.  Well, perhaps this is the first time it has ever been presented in an organized fashion, but I have been running Skill Challenges since D&D first included Skills in 2^nd Edition (it was 2e they were introduced, right?  My memory is hazy on this).  Regardless, I give the designers kudos for finally writing it down officially.

However, there seems to be a complaint, or misconception, that Skill Challenges removes roleplay from the game and is an attempt to provide a mechanic for everything.  I disagree.  Skill Challenges should be used to enhance roleplay, by adding that element of the unknown (often called randomness).  Just have them roleplay the situation and give nice bonuses for a well-roleplayed scene.

Verisimilitude

One of the largest complaints I see with 4^th Edition D&D is the lack of verisimilitude.  But, you say I just pointed out how every class has a plethora of Powers to choose from!  Yes, but all the Powers feel the same…

Balance

The algorithm then designers used to create Powers is a bit too transparent to me.  I think they created a table of functions (like damage, movement, conditions) that had about five columns and a formula that said you could pick X number of functions with Z multiplier for a power of N^th level.  Everything seems too balanced.  I know, it sounds crazy, but that is my observation.

Gone are the days of yore when a player could cherry-pick Classes and Prestige Classes to create optimized character builds.  Multi-classing now only works with one other class chosen with a Feat that initially only gives you limited access to a single Class ability.  In order to gain Powers or Paragon Paths, you need to take more Feats (which can get quite expensive).

The reasoning behind this is to prevent character builds that were unmanageable by some Dungeon Masters in the 3^rd Edition era.  I think balance is the purview of the Dungeon Master, and a skilled one can deal with any build a player throws at him.  I liked the flavor that the previous version of multi-classing allowed; it allowed me to build exactly the kind of character I wanted.

Pigeonholes

A major complaint with Classes and their well defined roles are that the game now pigeonholes players into pre-determined functions.  I don’t think it is as bad as many make it out to be, but yes, there is still a mechanical barrier that must be overcome, but I think much of it could be resolved through roleplay and a little homebrew, but we’re speaking about the material RAW (rules/read as written).

For instance, much of the versatility has been removed from Wizards because of their lack of numerous spells.  While Rituals are certainly a nifty option, many of the spells they could use to fill other roles have been removed.

Other Issues

I am going to write about some other issues that are really problems with corporate business models and perception, but not really issues with the game.  I only mention them because I feel they are the big white elephant stand in the corner that needs to be addressed.

Bloat

Many early adopters of 4^th Edition bemoaned the rules bloat of 3^rd Edition.  There were too many supplements with too many new Feats, Classes, Spells, and optional mechanics to keep track of.  Now, some of these same people are cursing the rate at which Wizards of the Coast are releasing new material for the new edition (which appears to be faster than in the 1^st year of 3^rd Edition).

Well guess what, it is going to happen.  Wizards are going to turn out as many products as they can.  Why?  Because people buy the stuff, that’s why!  Soon, there will be just as many, if not more, supplements available for 4e as there were with 3^rd Edition.  There will be power creep, it is inevitable.  But guess what, you don’t have to buy them or use them!

Identity

A lot of people are complaining that this edition (just as they did when the previous edition was released) is too much like a Massive Multiplayer Online Roleplaying Game (MMORPG).  Well, let me enlighten some of these people.  These same MMOs that 4^th Edition appears to be copying have their influential roots found in none other than Dungeons & Dragons.  So if anything, D&D 4e has actually been influenced by its predecessors, albeit through the lens of a computer game.  Art eats Art.

Copyrights & Control

Something happened within the executive suites of Wizards of the Coast during the development of 4^th Edition.  Where there was once a very copyleft stance on their rules, Wizards has reversed course to the familiar position of placing a tight grip upon their Intellectual Property.  There is no Open Game License, the new SRD is merely a list of titles, and the Game System License is very restrictive.  You can see the extent of their IP game by looking at the names of the monsters in the MM

Proponents of Wizard’s new attitude claim that many of us have been given so much previously that we have garnered an undue sense of entitlement.  Perhaps, but I feel I am justified to have such high expectations from one of the premiere companies in the industry, after all, they were the ones who opened up their content in the first place.

Some very good things developed from the OGL, as well as some horrible stuff, but I think the market helped cull the weak.  It helped the Industry as well as establishing the D&D brand as a power entity.  I think the GSL is joke and more things can actually be accomplished just by Fair Use (which makes the GSL superfluous).  However, again, this topic doesn’t have much bearing on evaluating the core game.

Verdict

I am sure that the zealots will say I am bashing their favorite game while the luddites will say I am going too easy on 4^th Edition Dungeons & Dragons.  I will say that I personally do not prefer this edition, but I have had fun playing it, it just doesn’t meet my expectations.

Good Design Choices?

I really, really like many of the design choices that the minds behind the new edition made: at will powers, simplified monsters, and consolidated skills.  However, 4e D&D truly strikes me as a case of a product that is not the sum of its parts, in fact when looked at as a whole, I feel like everything doesn’t add up.  To me, it tastes a little watered down from its predecessor and plays more like a miniature skirmish game during combat.

Target Audience

Still, it scores well in my book and recommend anyone who hasn’t played a session with experienced players to do so and form your own opinion, D&D 4e may be a match for you if you struggled with how some of the mechanics worked in 3.5.  And I get the impression that the target audiences for this game are players new to table top gaming as well as the players of MMORPGs, so if you fall into these categories you may fall in love with 4e.

Alternatives

However, if you find it lacking, but are looking for quick, easy, and fun rules, try Pinnacle’s Savage Worlds.  If you are looking for crunchy mechanics and 3^rd Edition compatibility, try Paizo’s Pathfinder RPG.  Finally, if you want more skirmisher fun, but less fluff, I highly recommend Privateer Press’ Warmachine or the now defunct D&D Minis game.

Listening to: Machine Head- The Blackening - Halo

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Since I am not currently running a game, I have been thinking about the next campaign that I will run.  While I am still at the beginning phase of planning (as in I am still deciding the genre: fantasy, sci-fi, superhero, horror, or pulp), I do know that I want to include some fantastic scenery and terrain.

Thus, I have reconnoitered the internet in pursuit of the finest terrain, scenery, structures, and tutorials that the web has to offer.  I thought I would share my list of resources (just like my previous lists) with the community.  Some of the best scenery is sourced from companies that cater to the wargaming crowd, while I find most of the cardstock is marketed to the roleplayers.  If any readers know of some cool places I missed, pipe up in the comments!

Cast Scenery & Terrain

I am not for sure there is a standard definition for these terms, but I distinguish terrain as the actual landforms carved or molded from/into the base material.  These would include the major and minor terrain features, from a military perspective.  Major features include: Hill, Ridge, Valley, Saddle, and Depression.  While minor features include:  Draw, Spur and Cliff.  Terrain also includes bodies of water.  Roads are also usually incorporated into the terrain.  I view scenery as any structures, debris, vegetation, or man-mad/free-standing objects.  This section covers retailers that sell cast or carved items.

Kobblestone Miniatures – I previously credited the above awesome diorama to another company, well I want to set the record straight.  The oriental village above was created by Kobblestone Miniatures from Canada. Their website is packed with stuff of the same caliber work; I urge everyone to check out their gallery!

Dwarven Forge – There is always a crowd around the Dwarven Forge booth at GenCon, at the awe is well deserved.  Dwarven Forge makes some of the best dungeon sets on the market.  They are all hand painted and very detailed.  I’d give some body parts for some of these sets (I don’t need them anymore anyways…).

Hirst Arts Fantasy Architecture – I drool over their cast-your-own molds at GenCon every year, and every year I kick myself in the ass for not purchasing a bunch of molds.  Probably the most cost efficient cast/carved scenery, since you can make as much as you want (and if you use plaster of paris, it is cheap).  Well, the molds do wear out after prolonged use… but still.

Red Dragon Terrain – Rob uses the high quality molds from Hirst Arts to create buildings for his custom scenic terrains. So if you like Hirst Arts but cringe at the idea of having to cast hundreds of bricks and pieces and then assemble them, then Red Dragon Terrain is for you.

Armorcast – These guys mass produce a lot of battlefield scenery, many terrain retailers re-sell their products.  Armorcast makes high quality scenery and terrain for various genres (fantasy, historical, and sci-fi).

Games Workshop - These guys make fantastic scenery to decorate the field for their Warhammer wargames.

Ziterdes – This German company has a line called Dunkelstadt (which I believe translates to Dark City) that just looks freakin’ superb.

Manorhouse – An Italian workshop that built the intense dual-layered scene pictured below.  I don’t know how practical it is, but it reeks of cool and detail work.

Baueda Wargames – Bauda have some nice accessories for various genres, including some nice WWII stuff as well as an Ancients (Hoppidus) line.

The Miniature Building Authority – I am pretty sure this is another strong GenCon attendee.  They have several very nice lines including a fantasy and sci-fi line and one of my favorites, the EuroVillage.

Antenociti’s Workshop – Antenociti has a few really nice small stuff for scenery like barrels, treasure chests, gun placements, doors and windows.

Miniature World Maker – They have a nice selection of 25mm structures like towers and huts that could find a home in your world.

Fantascene – I really like their Dracula’s Crypt and their Gothic line, though it seems like I’ve seen it somewhere else…

TerraScenic – TS is a vendor for Pegasus Scenery, which has some nice looking cathedrals (but I am unsure as to the scale).  But the best stuff TS offers is really their range of modeling tools.

Scenic Express – These guy probably target the model railroad market, but they have some excellent supplies for scratch-building your own custom terrain.

Wargames-Scenery – It looks like these guys currently have a clearance sale.  Unfortunately, it is because are closing their doors.  I especially like their blacksmith foundry that could be part of any middle-ages/fantasy town.

TerrainScapes – These guys have a mixture of their own custom molds as well as using and modifying high-quality Hirst Arts stuff.

Zuzzy Miniatures – Zuzzy has a three original lines: The Despoiled Reaches, The Ruined Land, and Verdant Fields.  Each line is manufactured to build a specific atmosphere.  The Despoiled Reaches are truly frillin’ wicked!

War-Game-Terrain – WGT offers up custom built terrain and scenery.  I find their site difficult to navigate, but if he definitely has some skill.

Art of War – AoW has some nice look desert (Arabic) themed structures as well as several other products, but their claim to fame is the fantastic Helm’s Deep reproduction from the Lord of the Rings.

Ultimate Table Top Terrain – Markets the Griffon Miniatures Wargaming Terrain System based on pre-made hex tiles.

Cardstock Environments

Cardstock environments are usually created by purchasing, downloading, or creating images that can be printed out onto cardstock (heavy weight) paper and then folded and/or glued together to form buildings, dungeons, and other features.  Cardstock is a quick and cheap method of providing solid environments that can spectacular pieces in their own right, and you don’t have to be too worried about ruining them, cause its fairly cheap to print another!  This section covers retailers and sites that sell or provide free downloads.

RPGNow – I’ve linked to the 3D Terrain/Buildings tag on RPGNow’s site.  I’ll also link to RPGNow product page of any of the other companies’ products if there is one available.

World Works Games – Probably THE premiere cardstock terrain company.  These guys’ work pretty much sets the bar for me.  They have a lot of lines to choose from that cover the popular genres.  Definitely check out their site!

Empty Room Studios - Another producer of very high quality cardstock terrain.  ERS also has a storefront at RPGNow.

Fat Dragon Games – The obese wyrm has an excellent selection of cardstock dungeons and terrain, not to mention a 3D spacecraft that looks like a cross between the Firefly class Serenity and the Defiant (Defiant class) from Star Trek.  Fat Dragon Games also has a storefront on RPGNow for the EZ-Dungeon & the EZ Terrain lines.

Microtactix – MTX has an impressive array of cardstock buildings for sci-fi, historical, and fantasy games.  They are famous for their “Dirt Cheap” and “Budget Battlefield” lines.  Microtactix has a storefront at RPGNow.

Stones Edges – Stones has a couple of very nice looking dungeons.  From what I have heard, the people behind Stones Edges actually joined World Works Games, which I think speaks a lot for the quality.  Stones Edges also has a storefront at RPGNow.

Joel L. Teply – Makes some decent cardstock dungeons and accessories like barrels.  JLTP also has a storefront on RPGNow.

Penguin Labs, LLC – Penguin offers the chunky looking Portable Dungeon cardstock.  Here is their storefront at RPGNow.

Hotz Stuff – Eric Hotz has created a bunch of cardstock scenery for Wild West and Roman settings.  I think I might buy the gallows accessory and place it in every town as a reminder to my players of what happens to the unruly!  Hotz has a storefront at RPGNow too.

Finger & Toe Models – F&TM have a lot to offer the sci-fi genre with a post-apocalyptic Slag Town and various futuristic military vehicles.  Finger & Toe has a storefront at RPGNow.

Dave’s Games – Dave has a ton of free cardstock structures made for Warhammer Fantasy, but I am sure they could be easily repurposed.

Unknown Forum Post – I don’t know who these belong too, or if they are breaking someone’s copyright, but they are free and available here.

Wizards of the Coast -  Hey, Wizards does do some things right.  A while back they released these fold-up paper models for free!

Archi Kit – Some very nice FREE medieval/Renaissance style buildings.

Free Paper Models – A ton of free paper models of real, historical, and fantasy buildings.

Cast/Carved Terrain Tutorials

The last time I did some research on building my own terrain (which was about 6 years ago when Privateer Press launched Warmachine), there seemed to be a lot more tutorials out there.  Maybe I’m have looked hard or long enough, but here are some of the better tutorials I found.

What really seems to be missing is technique.  Though I have provided links to books at the end of the section that should hopefully shed light on the subject.  I highly recommend the Osprey books.

Table Top Terrain – This guy has some excellent tutorials on making your own molds so you can mass produce your own (or others’, for personal use) creations.

Mini Wargaming – Has several posts on making your own scenery, uncluding stuff for Warhammer 40k.

Basement Battle Scenery – Has a nice pictorial on creating rocky terrain.

Ultimate Table Top Terrain – U3T has some tutorials on how to make your own hex tile terrain.

War-Game Terrain – This site has video tutorials on how to create your own terrain.

Fire & Smoke – Here is an excellent pictorial concerning fire and smoke.

Maff0 Models – Maffo has a tutorial on creating a bunker as well as a unique looking rock formation.

Ryan Skow – Ryan has a few tutorials to offer, including one on how to make a thatched roof.

Colonial Era Wargames – Has some cool scenery how-tos, such as what materials make good-looking water.

NetTerrain - While I didn’t come across any tutorials here, they do have a gallery of cool scenery to get you inspired.

TerraGenesis – This forum is dedicated to creating fantastic scenery and terrain on a budget for a long time (since 1997),.

How to Make Wargames Terrain – Published by Games Workshop, this book 128 of instruction on scenery and terrain.

Making Terrain & Buildings for Historical Wargames - This book covers groundwork, landscape features and buildings that are realistic and detailed.

Terrain Modelling – Published by Osprey, this book is an excellent guide to fabricating realistic terrain.

Advanced Terrain Modelling – The second part of Osprey’s terrain series offers some unique techniques to bring scenery to life.

Wargame Terrain Videos – Here is a link to a Google Video search on wargame terrain.

Cardstock Tutorials

A lot of planning actually goes into the process of making your own cardstock environments, especially when you get more complex than squares and rectangles.  You need to be able to visualize in three dimensions how something will come together, and spatial thinking is a difficult task for most people.

I didn’t want to get too much into making simple tiles, because there are tons of awesome photoshop tutorials out there that focus on textures (which is the primary ingredient in tiles, the other being grids).  Unfortunately, there is squat out there in web (that I found) in regards to cardstock terrain and scenery.

World Works Games – These guys have some fantastic videos regarding the assembly and finish of their cardstock models.  They also offer a free download.

Profantasy: Dioramas Pro – I haven’t tried it, but this software is supposed to make the creation of cardstock buildings easy.  You design it and it figures out the rest.

Miniatures & Terrain Article Series

If you need some miniatures to use on your kick-ass terrain or looking to improve your miniature hobby skills (like painting or basing), check out my other articles:

• Heroic Sized Minis Database (25mm-28mm)
• Non-Heroic Scale Minis Database
• Level-up Your Miniature Hobby Skills (painting & modeling resources)

Again, if you know of anything good that I have missed, please let me know in the comments.

Listening to: Gary Jules - Donnie Darko - Mad World

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Today is has a three-fold meaning to me.  First and foremost, it is my daughter’s birthday!  So, Happy Birthday Izzy!  She brings special purpose to my life and makes every day exciting.

Today is also Game Master’s Day, where we celebrate all the hard work and dedication our own GM’s put into the game that provides us with so much entertainment and cherished memories.

Last, but not least, today is the anniversary of E. Gary Gygax’s death and his apotheosis into the pantheon of gaming deities, or at least hopefully passing on into whatever afterlife he subscribed to.

So today brings a mixture of life, death, and the fun I have traversing from the former to the latter.  In a way it reminds me of my mortality and encourages me to do more while I can.

So today I plan and doing something with my daughter that has something to do with gaming.  She loves boardgames and reading, so I might break out HeroQuest and let her move the pieces around the board fighting monsters (she LOVES the monsters!).  We’ll probably break out some games on Wii and Playstation that she like and I plan on wrapping up by reading some fantasy themed children’s books to her before bedtime.

I’d like to do something in remembrance of old E.G.G, but I think it may have to wait for this weekend when I can get some guys together.  I have an extreme dislike for Western (or at least American) practices of mourning.  It always seems like an occasion to feel sorry for ourselves and wallow in self-pity.  I instead like to celebrate.  We should celebrate his life and contributions to the community.

While I cannot say I ever played a game with Gary, I had spoken with him at length at several GenCons (the last time being at the Troll Lord Games booth about Castles & Crusades). He was a very approachable person and I felt he was very genuine. He never turned away a fan that wanted to say a few words or take some pictures. I am glad to have shared some time with Gary.

So in honor of E. Gary Gygax I want to run the original Tomb of Horrors and try to slay as many characters as I can, taking a shot every encounter, trap, and monster death and three for every character death (and see how far we get).

In closing this article, I would like to thank my very first regular GM and best friend, Shawn Neal, for running me in some of the best damned Ravenloft campaigns, ever.  I would also like to thank Mike Madden for being the DM I have sit under most in recent years, and working in everyone else’s schedule.  Finally, I want to thank Zach Edwards for currently running a no apologies, kick-ass Age of Worms campaign with Pathfinder.

EDIT: I should note that Uncle Bear is hosting the memorial for Gary today.

Listening to: Black Label Society – Mafia – Dirt on the Grave

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So today Wizards of the Coast officially released the new Game System License and System Reference Document for Dungeons & Dragons 4e.  I have two words: not impressed.  I should state that I am not a lawyer, though I did take Intellectual Property (courtesy of IU School of Law) while I was an undergraduate.  My interpretations may be flawed, but I almost guarantee the GSL put the licensee in a position to be screwed.  I’ll go over the sections that turn my stomach:

2. Updates or Revisions to License. …Licensee is responsible for checking the License regularly for changes, and waives any right to receive specific notice of changes…

Yeah, I am not going to bind myself to a license whose terms can change without notification.

3. Licensed Products. The  license  granted  in  Section  4  is  for  use  solely  in  connection  with
Licensee’s publication, distribution, and sale of  roleplaying games and  roleplaying game supplements  that contain  the Licensed Materials and are published  in a hardcover or soft-cover printed book  format or  in a single-download electronic book format (such as .pdf), and accessory products to the foregoing roleplaying games  and  roleplaying  game  supplements  that  are  not  otherwise  listed  as  excluded  in Section  5.5 (“Licensed Products”).

5.5 Licensed Products. … For the avoidance of doubt, and by way of example only, no Licensed Product will (a) include web sites, interactive products, miniatures, or character creators; (b) describe a process for creating a character or applying the effects of experience to a character; (c) use the terms “Core Rules” or “Core Rulebook” or variations thereof on its cover or title, in self-reference or in advertising or marketing thereof; (d) refer to any artwork, imagery or other depiction contained in a Core Rulebook; (e) reprint any material contained in a Core Rulebook except as explicitly provided in Section 4; or (f) be incorporated into another product that is itself not a Licensed Product (such as, by way of example only, a magazine or book compilation).

I put this section and subsection together, since that is how it makes sense to me.  This means you can only publish books.  Period.  No magazines/periodicals, websites, software, or anything that is not a book.

5.4 First On-Sale Date. Licensee will ensure that no Licensed Product is first on sale to consumers prior to October 1, 2008.

Why do we care?  This date has come and gone and no longer applies.  If they can change the terms whenever they like, as per Section 2, why waste my time?

6. Quality and Content Standards. The nature and quality of all Licensed Products will conform to the quality standards set by Wizards, as may be provided from time to time. At a minimum, the Licensed Products will conform to community standards of decency and appropriateness as determined by Wizards in its discretion. Without limiting the foregoing, no Licensed Products will depict in any text, graphical or other manner:

(a) excessively graphic violence or gore; (b) sexual situations, sexual abuse, pornography, gratuitous nudity of human or humanoid forms, genitalia, or sexual activity; or (c) existing real-world minorities, nationalities, social castes, religious groups or practices, political preferences, genders, lifestyle references, or people with disabilities, as a group inferior to any D&D 4E Game System License ©2008, 2009 Wizards of the Coast page 4 of 7 other group or in a way that promotes disrespect for those groups or practices, or that endorses those groups or practices over another.

Without limiting the foregoing, Licensed Products will not contain any content that is unlawful, defamatory, harassing, threatening, abusive, inflammatory, fraudulent or otherwise objectionable or that would infringe upon or violate the rights of any third party or constitute, encourage, or provide instructions for a criminal offense.

No Book of Erotic Fantasy or Purge the Christian Infidel game!  I totally get rankled at anything that censors any creative (or non-creative) expression of any kind.  Piss off Wizards!

9.3 Protection of Wizards’ Rights. Licensee will assist Wizards to the extent necessary or as requested by Wizards to protect any of Wizards’ rights in and to Wizards Intellectual Property. Wizards will reimburse Licensee for any reasonable out-of-pocket costs incurred as a result of providing such assistance, provided that Wizards has approved such costs in advance. Licensee will not institute any suit or take any action on account of any such infringements or imitations, or otherwise institute any suit or take any action relating to Wizards Intellectual Property. Licensee will take no action that will harm, misuse or bring into disrepute the activities, properties or products of Wizards or Wizards Intellectual Property.

9.4 Remedies. Licensee recognizes and acknowledges that its breach of any of the covenants, agreements or undertakings hereunder with respect to use of the Licensed Materials, including without limitation trademark use requirements or quality standards, will cause Wizards irreparable damage which cannot be readily remedied in damages in an action at law, and may additionally constitute an infringement of Wizards’ rights in Wizards Intellectual Property, thereby entitling Wizards to equitable remedies, costs and reasonable attorneys’ fees.

If you have an issue with anything Wizards of the Coast is doing, no matter if it is relating to this license (least that is how I read it), you cannot take any action (legal or otherwise).  And if they take you to court, you have to pay for their attorneys’ fees and costs.  This is the you’re screwed if you agree to this clause.

10.2 Survival. Sections 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19 and 20 (together with all other provisions that reasonably may be interpreted as surviving termination of this License) will survive the termination of this License.

Oh and the you’re screwed if you agree to this clause will continue to apply even if the license is terminated!  Major bullshit!

I didn’t bother reading much of the remainder of the license, as this was enough to convince me it still sucks.  Wizards basically removed the clause that was causing dispute about having product lines published under the GSL as well as its predecessor, the OGL.  They also added a six month window to sell off any stock after YOU terminate the license.  No fan site, periodical, or software policies either.  Not a big improvement.

I’d go over the SRD, but there isn’t much to talk about, literally.  Epic Fail in my book.  My verdict is that you have access to more material and have less risk if you just fair use the elements that are not protected.

Listening to: Corporate Avenger – Freedom is a State of Mind – Taxes are Stealing

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