Feats defeat.

Well why were Feats created? In new school gaming the idea was to provide a way to do cool things.

Like tripping someone.

But why do you need a Feat to do things?

In a game with Gamemaster Fiat things such as a bullrush, trip, sundering of a weapon were done on the fly by adding a few points of difficulty to the too hit number or subtracting from the player's roll.

Wow in this short article I just provided you with an unlimited source and list of feats.

Lord of the Rings Bonus Features!

Lord of the Rings Bonus Features!

THE APPENDICES PART V: "The War of the Ring"
Disc intro by director Peter Jackson
"J.R.R. Tolkien: The Legacy of Middle-earth" documentary

From Book to Script:
"From Book to Script: Forging the Final Chapter" documentary
Abandoned Concept: Aragorn Battles Sauron

Designing and Building Middle-earth
"Designing Middle-earth" documentary
"Big-atures" documentary
"Weta Workshop" documentary
"Costume Design" documentary

Design Galleries - 2,123 images
The Peoples of Middle-earth (galleries with docent audio)
The Realms of Middle-earth (galleries with docent audio)
Miniatures (galleries with docent audio)
"Home of the Horse Lords" documentary

"Middle-earth Atlas: Tracing the Journeys of the Fellowship" interactive map
"New Zealand as Middle-earth" interactive map w/on-location footage
THE APPENDICES PART VI: "The Passing of an Age"
Disc intro by Elijah Wood, Sean Astin, Billy Boyd and Dominic Monaghan

Filming The Return of the King
"Cameras in Middle-earth" documentary
Production Photos (gallery) - 69 images

Visual Effects
"Weta Digital" documentary
"The Mumakil Battle" demonstration / multi-angle interactive feature

Post Production: Journey's End
"Editorial: Completing the Trilogy" documentary
"Music for Middle-earth" documentary
"The Soundscapes of Middle-earth" documentary
"The End of All Things" documentary
"The Passing of an Age" documentary

Cameron Duncan: The Inspiration for "Into the West"
"Cameron Duncan: The Inspiration for 'Into the West'" documentary
"DFK6498" short film
"Strike Zone" short film

Here are great short films and such. Great inspiration for creating a setting. Details that you can use for your games. There are many small details that one might not think of. Damn I was going to write more but it's really tough right now.

How the hell do you do it?

Oh lord it is really hard! Get your minds out of the gutter slimes! It's really hard to write a freaking game. Even simulacrums that many accuse of it being "just copying". Well you shut the F*&^%K up and try to do it yourself. Oh I didn't think so Beeearch!

Many of us have "a take on what we would like to see" and THINK we can do it to but NOOOO! You won't and you can't. Either no free time or not the patience when there is free time. I envy those with that little extra spark that can get off their ass and write a game.

Hell trying to write up a decent module with production value is a task as well.

Lord knows I have built and burnt down my take on the OSR rules and such. Then loooooooose interest and then write a few lines. Should I truck on or gather a team? Should I just write a supplement of house rules? Damn a game is a huge undertaking!

SO my question to all writers and creators is : "How the hell do you do it?"

More Adventure Updates.

03-05-11
PLAYERS:
Tony - Dwarf Cleric
Carson - Dwarf Fighter
Jade - Half-Elf Sorceress
Machelle - Drow Rogue
Ryan - Human Fighter

XP:
Machelle was brought up to 2nd level by escaping her zoo prison. So from there:
250 + 280 = 530 XP Each
Ryan also had an additional 200XP, I believe.

LOOT:
Potions - Magic Fang, Grease, Bless Weapon, Cat's Grace, Delay Poison, and
Protect from Energy III (Cold)
Scrolls - Magic Missile, Detect Secret Doors, Eagle's Splendor, Sephia Snake
Sigil, Fireball
Longsword +1 --> Human Fighter
Bag of Dust --> Drow Rogue
Bag of Purple Powder --> Drow Rogue
Large Jade Key
400 GP
2000 SP
10,000 CP (yeah, really)
Headmisstress' Diary
8 Hand Crossbows
8 Rapiers
5 Gems (unknown value)

NOTES:
As will be told in the next session summary, the Drow, Sorceress, and Dwarf
Fighter disappeared once we got to Barton's Manor, so no booty for them! So the
Human Fighter and Cleric both get 410 GP Each.

03-12-11
PLAYERS:
Ryan - Human Fighter
Machelle - Sylph Druid
Jade - Human Barbarian
Kevin - ? Ranger
Tony - Dwarf Cleric

XP:
350 + 45 + 30 + 20 + 265 + 500 + 100 + 200 + 100 = 1610 XP Each

LOOT:
Book of Embalming
20 bottles of Embalming Spices
Holy Book of the Grain Goddess
Large Silver Key
Javelin --> Cleric
945 GP
302 SP
1276 CP

NOTES:
We lost track of the Drow Rogue, Half-Elf Sorceress, and Dwarven Fighter, but we picked up a trio of adventurers (Sylph Druid, Human Barbarian, and a Ranger) who were looking for adventure. We ventured from Barton's Manor back to the entrance of the ruins and continued our scouring. We are becoming more self-reliant as a group, which gives us more time to explore these caverns. We are currently resting in the Steward's chamber. We will need to go back to civilization soon to off-load our loot and restock our supplies.

03-26-11
PLAYERS:
Ryan - Gareth - Human Fighter Weapons Master
Machelle - Istari - Elven Dual-Weapon Fighter
Tabby - Raven - Human Barbarian
Tony - Ingrid - Dwarven Cleric of Torag
NPC - Necros - Half-Elven Necromancer
NPC - Lighter (Lyder?) - Human Ranger

XP:
Tabby - 200 + 400 = 600 XP
Ryan, Mac, Tony - 200 + 400 + 300 + 200 + 265 + 200 + 200 + 200 + 200 + 100 =
2265 XP Each

LOOT:
Warhammer --> Tony, Tabby
Lt Crossbow --> Tony, Mac, Ryan
Crossbow Bolts (10) --> Tony, Mac, Ryan
6 PP
128 GP
87 SP
1259 CP
600 GP
Masterwork Dagger --> Mac
Necros' Spellbook (I say we keep this for any future wizards in the party)
Flint & steel, backpack --> Tony
42 GP --> Sold various warhammers
12 PP
423 GP
922 SP
1334 CP

NOTES:
Total treasure split as follows:
Tabby - 45.38 GP
Ryan, Mac, Tony, Lighter - 357.51 GP Each

Another marathon session. First, Lighter shows up after delivering the blind chicky to her village. He shows up with an elf maiden warrior. They showed up just in time to help us defeat a rust monster. We then destroyed a small group of Duergar dwarves who tried to ambush us. The barbarian then started suffering from claustrophobia, so she exited to the surface for a while.

We carried on, encountering some Morlocks. Funny-looking creatures. But then almost all of us fell into a spiked pit trap. Alas! Necros fell prey to the trap. So after looting his corpse, we came across a talking door. We were pretty banged up at this point, so we decided to go back to Barton's Manor to restock and heal our wounds. There, we purchased a few items, sold a few items, and buried Necros.

Back to the dungeon we went. On our way to the talking door, we encountered and defeated some Stirges. The talking door room was called the Room of Mysteries. That was an apt name, since the purpose of the room remains a mystery to us.You put something in the Box of Mysteries, and it disappears, and nothing happens that we can see. We moved on down the hallway to encounter first a Wight, then some Ghouls, then some Zombies. We rested again in the supply room. After a few days in there, some humans knock on the door and demand we let them in. After speaking with them, they are explorers as well. They are searching for the Talisman of the Sphere in the levels below. We agreed that if we come across it, we would let them have it for a finder's fee. We came across one more trap, but survived it. We are currently moving west in a corridor leading roughly towards the entrance.

04-02-11
PLAYERS:
Ryan - Gareth - Human Fighter
Machelle - Istari - Elven Dual-Weapon Fighter
Tony - Ingrid - Dwarven Cleric of Torag
NPC - Lyder - Human Ranger

XP: 600 + 200 + 200 + 200 + 100 + 200 + 50 + 200 = 1750 XP Each

LOOT:
42 GP
11 SP
312 CP
527 GP
-10 GP (given to merchant lady)
-2 CP (given to merchant lady)
Diamond (unknown value)
Golembane Scarab

NOTES:
Total split of treasure is 140.8 GP Each. (42 + 1.1 + 3.12 + 527 - 10)/4 =
140.80 + 2 CP. (extra 2 CP given to merchant lady) We still have 5 gems worth
300GP each, and a diamond with unknown value in our possession.
First, we continued our exploration of the first level of the ruins. We defeated some human bandits. We freed the female prisoner they were holding from one of their raids. She tagged along while we completed our search, during which we encountered some fire beetles and orcs. We then went back to Barton's Manor to deliver the lady merchant to civilization, and gave her some GP's to get herself to Raven's Keep.
After resting and restocking, we headed back to the ruins. This time, we decided to go down to the 2nd level. While descending the main staircase, we were attacked by a giant spider. I got bit, and the poison spread through my system like wildfire. Barely able to breathe, my companions got me back to Barton's Manor, where I healed myself after a few days of rest. (I was left with 1 point of Strength - CLOSE CALL!)
So we returned AGAIN. We found the partying skeletons again, where they PROMPTLY gave us the promised gem for the disposal of the Bugbears. They also lent us the gold key for the gold door. So we went through the gold door after destroying a group of non-partying skeletons. The doors led to the antechamber of the Drow undercity.We ran into and freed a Deep Elf escapee, then attempt to sneak around the Drow undercity. It all went fine until the giant bats attacked us. We defeated them, and are continuing on. Hopefully, our battle went unnoticed...

The Incredible, Expanding Gamer Brain: "Our collective gaming brain has grown larger and larger, and therefore seeks out deeper, more complex games."

Here below is the new Legends and Lore article by Mike Mearls. I think he is trying to reach out to all the "lost" gamers who are not playing 4th edition. I just bet there are going to be some really pissed off old school gamers.


"Our collective gaming brain has grown larger and larger, and therefore seeks out deeper, more complex games."

Are gamers of older editions being called stupid? I don't think so but someone is going to get their proverbial panties in a wad and we shall see.


http://www.wizards.com/dnd/Article.aspx?x=dnd/4ll/20110315

The Incredible, Expanding Gamer Brain by Mike Mearls

Last week, I talked about character classes. Using the fighter as an example, I showed how the game’s complexity has steadily risen over the years. That trend goes far beyond the fighter. In general, each version of the game requires more math, has more detailed rules, and features more specific corner cases than the one before it. 3rd Edition combat featured many rules that were optional in 2nd Edition’s Player’s Option: Combat & Tactics. 4th Edition’s power system requires every player to understand how to read a power, apply conditions, and manage ongoing effects.

When you look at games and how they develop over time, there’s a natural tendency to see ever increasing complexity. Picture an old Atari 2600 controller. It was a joystick with one button. Now compare that to an Xbox 360 controller. The 360 has two control sticks, a d-pad, two triggers, two bumpers, four buttons, a start button, and a select button. (At least, I think that’s what it has. I’m going off of a picture of one I found on the Internet.) That’s two elements for the Atari and thirteen for the 360.

If you look back at last week’s article, you see a similar rise in the complexity of D&D. With each passing year, the game has become more complicated. So what’s going on here? As the title of this column indicates, I think we’re seeing an overall rise in player skill, more established tropes of gaming, and a better network of tutoring and knowledge. Our collective gaming brain has grown larger and larger, and therefore seeks out deeper, more complex games.

Player skill is the easiest and most obvious factor to look at. If you started playing D&D back in 1974, you soon learned the basics of the character classes and perhaps gave each one a play. At some point, you’d start to hunger for more options. You probably also spotted a few areas where you thought a few new rules or changes would improve the game. While all of that happens on an individual level, it also translates across the entire player community. As a whole, we gain more experience and learn more about games and what we want out of them.

That process feeds into the next layer, the rise of tropes and clichés. This one is fairly easy to explain via an example. The first time you entered a dungeon and the character at the head of the party fell into a pit trap, it was a big event. The fifth or sixth time you came across such a trap, you probably discovering it first by tapping ahead with a pole or searching for traps; it was something you expected.

In the same manner, a lot of the rules of the game become second nature. If you understand how attack rolls work, adding a bit more complexity to them is no problem for you. Something like 3rd Edition’s flanking is easier to understand for a veteran because it makes intuitive sense. If you surround a guy, he’s easier to hit. Since you already understand the game’s basic framework, you can more rapidly absorb and understand changes.

Finally, all that knowledge spreads between players. A new player in 1974 could perhaps find a gaming tutor who had been playing D&D for a few months. Today, you might find someone with three decades of gaming. As the community develops its expertise, it also sharpens its ability to teach new players.

All of those factors point to why we’ve seen a steady increase in complexity over time. As a group, we’ve mastered the rules and started to seek more options. We’ve assimilated various tropes and mechanics to the point that they’re intuitive, providing a foundation for more mechanics to rest upon. And against the backdrop of this complexity, we’re better overall at teaching the game to new players.

But of course, explaining why we see complexity on the rise overlooks the real question. Is complexity a good thing—is the game better served by having lots of rules and options? Should it feature a lot of depth, should it remain relatively simple—or are we best served by a game that offers a broad range of complexity?

I imagine that most people would prefer a game with a complexity level that they can set themselves. Traditionally, D&D has featured that by making fighters relatively simple and wizards more complex. Instead, I’m interested in hearing about your views on the different editions of D&D over time.
Legends & Lore: Poll #3 Results

Your fighter loses all his or her feats, skills, powers, and non-weapon proficiencies. Yet, your standard swing with a sword/shot with a bow is effective enough that you don’t feel overshadowed by any of the other characters in the group. How do you feel about that?

* I’d be bored doing the same thing over and over again, round after round in a fight: 40.7%
* I’d miss the mechanics that made my fighter unique compared to other fighters: 30.4%
* I’d be happy that I can have an effective character without the complexity: 14.5%
* As long as my character is equivalent in power to the rest of the party, I’m fine: 10.5%
* I’m not concerned about the mechanics or balance, so I don’t care: 3.9%

What has been going on.

Well I converted my old school setting to Patfinder. Cool system but still too much crunch. Going to get someone else to run really soon or try and convert them to LL. My god it would run so much FASTER! My creativity is being held back by the CLUNK.

Here BELOW is the session from three weeks ago and I will post this weekend's session. I really am enjoying seeing the players experience a HUGE megadungeon. With the vast amounts of advice from all over the OSR I have truly created a fantastic scary mysterious dungeon.

It's funny how many of the players said how a dungeon adventure would be boring and now they love it. It was like beating them over the head and they resisted kicking and screaming but now they are beginning to see. I love that glazed look of wow I am enjoying it.

From what they can tell some years ago a large group of people began a life under the ground. They tried to carve out a wonderful society and then something went wrong. Maybe they dug too deep and found....

My dungeon has multiple areas with different ecosystems, societies, and just plane inhospitable places. In some cases like all areas left to decay, nature has began to retake the place as there are collapsed areas. Some are huge gaping holes that open to even deeper levels of the dungeon and even to the mythic underworld. Some are holes caused by water flowing. It's funny how the place has water flowing into it and it never fills up. Where does the water go?


From Tony's Post
PLAYERS:
Tony - Dwarf Cleric
Ryan - Human Fighter
Machelle - Drow Rogue
Carson - Dwarf Fighter
Tabby - Half-Elf Sorceress

XP:
Tony, Ryan: 200 + 450 + 400 + 520 = 1570 XP Each
Machelle: 200 + 450 + 400 = 1050 XP
Carson, Tabby: 400 + 520 = 920 XP Each

LOOT:
3 Malachite Gems (100 GP ea)
408 GP
102 SP
517 CP
Belt of Dexterity +2 --> Machelle
Gold Statue of Gnoll (300 GP)
211 GP
Lump of Gold (300 GP)
Lump of Gold (200 GP)
100 GP Reward

NOTES:
Total loot comes to 325.72 GP Each (except Machelle, who gets 205.72 GP.
We met up with a Necromancer who wanted to team up with us on an adventure. So we agreed and entered a sanctioned dungeon. We flubbed our entry of the dungeon and ended up on the 2nd level. Even still, we kicked butt, but decided not to press our luck. So we went back to town to heal up. We went back to the dungeon and ran into two more members of our group, who joined up with us.
We defeated some bugbears and gnolls and went back to town. The industrious Rogue decided to steal some potions from an alchemist shop. She got caught, killed one of the workers, and was captured by the city guard. The rest of us feigned ignorance and went back to the dungeon. We had a rough go against some goblins, but we defeated them and freed some slaves at the same time.
The only thing that is unsettled is a gem that some intelligent party-skeletons promised us in exchange for getting rid of their bugbear problem. A Dwarf never forgets...
... except that everything mentioned here may not have happened exactly in the order described, but it all happened at some point. :-)

Thief: The Dark Project

Thief...One of the greatest PC games ever made.



A medieval world of machines, cults, and many stories of the City.



Always trouble for Garrett our hero for lack of a better word.




Always a pawn in their games...



The graphics are mediocre in our modern standards and most modern machines won't run it without alot of tweaking or just play it on an old PC.



The sound is what really sets this PC game apart. You can most likely find it for a few bucks. ThiefII The Metal Age is the second in the series. It is just as good as the first game.

Thief: Deadly Shadows is barely the thief experience. Although better graphics it failed to give the same experience.

There is a place to get a FREE Thief type experience so long as you own a copy of Doom3. A group of saints created "The Dark Mod" for Doom3. It is a free engine for those who wish to create Thief type missions. They have succeeded in capturing the feel of Thief and it is free. There are many FREE fan missions and most are fantastic.