Playing Free Realms

Even though I am still playing World of Warcraft I've tried some new games lately.

I've been playing Free Realms which is really a great game. There are several jobs you advance through - I am partial to the Chef and Postman jobs but I've found myself doing more as a Miner than anything else lately.

I play often with my daughter and I think they have done a great job making a MMO that anyone can play. There is combat for those that want it but it is something you don't have to participate in.

There are several different mini games each gives a different reward. Some allow you to collect items that you need for quests or crafting recipes.

It is also free to play but there are in game quests, items, and jobs that are only available for subscribers. Free accounts only get a single character and subscribers get to play 3 seperate characters. The game also uses in game micro purchases - items that you need to spend real money to aquire.

As a parent one feature I really like is that under age account security. Under age accounts can only use canned mesages - not typed chat. There are language filters that prevent words from being displayed in the in game chat.

Freee Realms is still just starting out but I think it will be a really exciting and full place to play for many years to come.

Retraining

I like the concept of retraining from the players handbook. When you go up a level you not only learn new skill sand gain new powers you can also replace one of your old powers. Of course there are limitations, you can't replace a racial or class power - or drop a power that is a prerequisite for another power you have.

What you can do is drop a power you are no longer using or grab a prerequisite for a new power you want to try. The only thing I am not sure of is can you swap out one power, one feat, and one ability. Or, can you swap out one power, feat, or ability. My initial take is you can make one change per level but I am still looking for a explicit confirmation from the handbook.

No rolling for ability scores?

It is most likely my age showing but the first 2 methods for creating your ability scores don't involve dice. I can just here my inner cranky old man:

"In my day we rolled 3d6 for stats AND we assigned them in the order we rolled them, you young punks don't know how good you have it..."

I am going to give the new system a few tries and see how it works out but it just seems odd that new players will not use dice to get their ability scores. I understand the character balance issues, and the problems that a severely under or over powered character can create.

I can remember starting a new character. I would start with a character concept - lets say a over zealous cleric. Then I'd start rolling. 17, 14, 18... hey these are good enough numbers to be a paladin...

I am going to start by building a few characters, creating each one using all the methods in the PHB ans see how it turns out.

Players Handbook

I have finally gotten to the character creation process in the new players handbook. I like the layout of the new book but there is a lot of introductory information in the book. I am not sure if that is a good thing or not. I kept skipping ahead but I forced myself to read all the text.

It might be that the content is just right but I am not a new player so it seems to be too much information explaining what a roleplaying game is and what a check is and how to make a skill check...

I would like to hear from a new player who reads this as their first introduction to a roleplaying game.

The new campaign!

I am getting ready to set up for my new campaign. it is going to be a pretty lazy set up I will be using H1 pretty much out of the box. Hopfully I'll have the dates and time all set up by next week.

Starting the Players Handbook (PHB)

Okay I've gone over the H1 book and maps and I am comfortable with the content.

I will now start to digest the new Player Handbook. I am only a few pages in and I can already say I like the layout a lot better than the third edition version. I find it easier to read and the binding seems to be really well done.

I'll try to post some pics here once Blogger's latest upgrade is live.

The Fudge List... is gone

I received an email a week ago that the Fudge List was closing. I just read the post on the list closing by Carl and I have to say I think he really hit the nail on the head. Carl talks about how the list stagnated in the end.

I first found the Fudge List back in 1999 or 2000. I didn't post anything for the longest time but I really enjoyed reading the list and hearing all the different ideas on how do use Fudge to play different games. The list was a vibrant community.

In the end though I was frustrated by the conversations all taking sharp turns to the left and turning into discussions about the List rather than the game. As Carl has said maybe closing the list will lead to something new in the Fudge community. I am glad that I am part of the Fudge community. I am glad I was a member of the Fudge List. I hope that the Fudge community will burst forth from the closing of the Fudge List and become a vibrant community again.

Thanks Carl and Karen! Thanks Steffan and Ann and Rob and Fred. Thanks to all the people who shared their ideas. Thanks to all those hundreds of people who answered my questions and critiqued my ideas. Thanks to all the people who agreed with my ideas and thanks to all of those disagreed with my ideas too.

Fudge list archives

Movement in fourth edition

I like and dislike the new movement rules. I love the way they have been simplified. You can move 6 squares. Powers will allow you to move half your movement. You can "Shift" 1 square as a minor action. Certain powers will force you to run your movement +2 squares.

This is so much easier than the old systems, especially when you had several speeds. How far could you move and still attack?

So much better, but movement is listed in squares. Which leads to not only a table top representation being needed, but a table top with a grid on it. This I am not as happy with. Although I have already read a few posts online that playing with a pocket tape measure will allow the movement system to work without a grid.

Look something shiny!

I was really excited to see someone had built the new 4th Edition powers into printable cards. However, now that I am getting closer to actually playing i am thinking that although the power cards are three kinds of awesome i don't know if I want to use them.

The game is already going to be fairly reliant on a table top representation of the action, I don't want to add another aspect to the game that will reduce the game to a collectible card game (I play several CCG and TCG's I don't think they are bad but I don't want to change the RPG experience to a CCG).

maybe i'm over-reacting.

A Typical Encounter

I like the layout of the new encounters. I've ready 95% of the H1: Keep on the Shadowfell adventure.

The layout for the encounters is:
Name of the Encounter
Encounter level (Expected XP)
Setup
Overview of the encounter. This includes how the encounter fits into the overall plot. Which included game aids to use. List of the enemies in the encounter. And setup for the encounter.

Features of the Area
Includes a description of the features that will affect the encounter like lighting and any features that might grant cover or concealment.

In the H1 booklet this also includes complete stat blocks for all the creatures in the encounter.

Tactics
This is a breakdown of the tactics the author expects the opponents to use in the encounter.

There is also a side bar for many of the encounters that point out ways to deal with particular components of this encounter, like the lighting or whether one side of the encounter is surprised.

I have a love hate relationship with the Tactics section. I think it is a great idea but it also means that the DM can be reduced to cranking widgets. For a bought product the repetition of the monster stats in each encounter means i am getting less content for my money but I like that the monsters and opponents are all printed in the encounter where they are used. No flipping around or looking up stats during the encounter.

I am very curious if and how the layout will change for the H2 adventure.

Now that I have read through the adventure I am starting to see what Carl was talking about. There is one encounter that seems to be far higher level than the party would expect to be when the plot reaches that point.

I'll have to see how the encounter plays when we play the game next month.

Defense Values

One of my favorite additions in the fourth edition rules is the addition of multiple defense values, expanding the Armor Class and in sme ways replacing or reducing the need for a saving throw mechanic.

Before an effect would target a player and their only defense would be their armor class. This was modified to use a touch attack in the third edition and included my favorite weird wording rule the "ranged touch attack". Depending on the type of activity the target would then get a saving throw.

This sounded simple but could lead to several rolls and table lookups for a single activity.

Fourth edition simplifies this by adding three new defense types to the process. Now an attack might target the characters Armor class or target one of the new defense values Fortitude, Reflexes, or Will. So the same action will now require one role against the targets defense value. This is a small change that will greatly streamline the process while also reducing the accounting required by the DM.

Tomorrow I'm going to take a look at the new format for encounters in the Keep on the Shadowfell adventure.

Lego Indiana Jones

Just returned from Costco and picked up the new wii game Lego Indiana Jones.

As I mentioned earlier Lego Star Wars let me introduce the Star Wars universe to my daughter. Now I can share the pulp stories I love including Indy with her.

She is upstairs playing with her cousins now.

I am reminded of the stories Wil Wheaton tells about playing games with his kids. I love playing games with my daughter and these new games are opening up new stories that I can share with her as well.

Lego Star Wars and Daddy time

I recently picked up Lego Star Wars to play with my daughter. This was one of the best ideas I've had in a very long time.

This gave me the opportunity to introduce the Star Wars characters to my daughter. After playing several levels together she wanted to start her own game. I helped her set up her own and let her start the game all by herself. We still play together and I get called both to help her on the harder levels and asked to drop out of the game when I am "holding her back"

We have watched the original trilogy movies now. So far "A New Hope" is her favorite.

It have been an absolute joy for me to watch with her these movies that brought me such enjoyment nearly thirty years ago when I was her age. After playing the game - some of her comments watching the movies are truly priceless: "Why doesn't R2-D2 fly with his jets?"

I can't wait to watch the new trilogy with her.

Actions and action points

Remember when you used to play a cleric and you had a chance to finish the big bad guy but you didn't because if you did Bob the Fighter would have died from his wounds. So you cast your heal on Bob and forgo your attack for the round. The next round Bob smashes the bag guy, grabbing the glory as you mutter quietly to yourself.

Actions in the fourth edition make it possible for you to avoid this kind of situation. First each character can use three (3) actions* during their turn. A move action, and minor action and a standard action. So how can you and Bob keep Bob alive and slay the bad guy without the cleric giving up his shot at glory?

1. Bob can give up his standard action to heal himself with a healing surge (more on these another day).
2. Clerics can use certain healing abilities as a minor action so both you and Bob can both attack the bad guy.
3. You can attack the bad guy as a standard action and use an action point to heal the Fighter as a second standard action.

Action points are not really new to fourth edition but the coolness they add to the game can not be underestimated, allowing for heroic action sequences. Characters start with one action point and can earn them through game play. Don't hoard them though, when you rest you lose any unused action points and return to one action point.

So what kind of things can you do with an action?
A move action lets you move. Depending on where you start will determine how far you can move and whether or not you are going to give anyone an opportunity for a free attack.

A minor action lets you do all sorts of things. Drawing a weapon is a minor action, many at will abilities are minor actions. Healing Word for example is a minor action that allows you and one ally to both take a healing surge.

A standard action will let you make an attack use a skill and use many of the new abilities. The Clerical powers Turn Undead and Cure Light Wounds both use a standard action.

You can also take these action in whatever order you decide.

*There is also free actions, you can take as many free actions as the DM lets you take.

At Will abilities

Digging into the rules and I have found some things that I really like in the first day.

At will abilities are simply a great idea. I can not recall the number of times that as a mage or cleric I have been at the game table and cast my magic missile or cure minor wounds spell and found myself playing a background role for hte rest of the evening. The rarity of being able to cast that spell sometimes limited the mage and cleric to secondary roles as the action passed them by after they had used their daily power. Rogues and Fighters had abilities that you could use all the time. Fighters cutting into foes and Rogues sneaking about trying to catch an opponenet by surprise.

In the new rules evereybody gets at will abilities. So the Mage and Fighter can both bring a cool ability to bear each and every round.

That is all for today, tomorrow actions and action points.

Return of the blog...

Well its been almost a year since my last post. I really lost the passion for writing on my blog after my vacation last year.

However, after a long time off I am ready to start again. I picked up the new gift set of Dungeons and Dragons Fourth Edition and I am really excited about gaming again. I have a full table for a planned game.

I will be running the H1: Keep on the Shadowfell adventure as written and using only the core books. Once that adventure is done I might buy the Eberron campaign setting if the group is interested in the "steam punk" feel of the setting.

I'll post more as I get through the books and start the sessions.

Cool New Dice (now imageless!)

Edit: After fighting with blogger I have given up on getting the images to work. I'm going to go back to imageless posts until I can get a reliable way of displaying the images.

At Gen Con I picked up some new dice.

First I picked up a set of hand carved Fudge Dice at the Q-Workshop booth. They are pretty sweet looking. They have a few flaws (I got the last set) but they are still a really great set.

I also picked up a new Fudge GM set to use when I play Spirit of the Century. I know I am a little geeky about dice but I am super pleased with this set because the sets of fudge dice are all either left or right handed. The last Fudge GM set I purchased had a mixture of left and right handed dice in each set which drove me crazy. [editors note: I am seeking help.] The dice were also super cheap - about 25% less than I can get them locally.

Finally I picked up a World of Warcraft dice set. The dice are meant to be counters for the World of Warcraft card game. The container for the dice is a chest like you would find in the game. The set looks Great.

Gen Con 2007

Edit: Something is going wrong with the images so I have pulled them and I will republish with the pictures once I know what is going wrong.

Edit: Images fixed

I had the pleasure of going to Gen Con this year.

I was volunteering at the tNook booth but I managed to escape the booth and spend a good deal of time and money on the exhibition floor.

Some of my favorite places to visit:

The IPR (Indie Press Revolution) booth. I purchased both Spirit of the Century and The Burning Wheel. I got to speak with Greg Porter about EABA and I got to meet Ben Seth Ezra and ton of others.

I also got to meet a young lady named Julia. Julia Bond Ellingboe write a new game called "Steal Away Jordan". Based on slaves and slavery it is a well written and well done book from all I have been able to see. It might be a bit scary to actually play the game but discovering some of the scarier bits of a life of slavery might not be a bad thing for a middle aged white Canadian. I never got to play the game with Julia as I had hoped to but I hope that this one is a big success for her and that she keeps writing new games.

I also got to meet Rob Donoghue, Fred Hicks, and Lenny Balsera and each of them offered to run a demo of "Spirit of the Century" with me. My biggest regret of the Con was not playing with them. Maybe next year. Each were really great and were good enough to sign my new hard cover. Lenny even asked me to bear his children.



I also got to meet Luke Crane he was demoing Burning Wheel and I got to watch a demo and got to talk to him a bit about the game. He also signed my burning wheel.

I seemed to visit the IPR booth everyday except Sunday. Sunday was the UDE volenteer meeting - more on that in another post.

I also spent some time watching a demo of Fudge by Ann Dupuis. Ann has done more for FUDGE over the years than maybe any other publisher.

I also got to see a lot of pretty cool new toys. UDE had the next raid and expansion set on display. One of the biggest surprises is that the booster packs will go from 15 to 19 cards with the Legion expansion. The UDE booth had a quest challenge with 8 questions and if you were one of the top 50 to complete 5 of the 8 questions you got a Fires of Outland playmat. Since tNook had 5 of the 8 answers in the WoW card database so it was pretty easy for me to complete the quests.



UDE also has BIG plans for VS with the release of a Galactus deck that is designed to be battled like a raid deck in WoW. I am learning to play VS just so I can play against the Galactus decks.

Wizkids had a bunch of really cool things on display including the Halo Action Clix Scarab vehicle. They had the Fin Fang Foom again for sale and it is a really nice looking giant size piece. I can't wait to take a team against him to see if we can tame the dragon.

Blizzard had the new expansion available for people to try and it was almost always packed to the rafters in the Blizzard booth. I got to watch for a bit but did not get to play. They also had Starcraft II and it looks completely awesome. I wish my PC was even close to playing that game.
One surprise was a game called the continuum. I took a quick look at it but later on Sunday both myself and Troy went and got to play in a demo. It looks really cool. It is not a splashy game but the tactics and strategy of the game will keep me interested. I spent close to a half hour playing the demo and it was a lot of fun. I didn't know it at the time but the guy stepping me through the demo was the CEO of the company.

I think some of the most fun came in the tNook booth. After I had purchased Spirit of the Century I put it out on the table and several people stopped to talk about the game or ask about it. Especially after it had won an Ennie award. We got to meet a lot of really great people. Some people would stop by a second or third time to ask more questions or because they had an idea about something else. Now I am in contact with some of those same people as I build new tNooks, which is totally cool - more on that in another post too.

To cap off the weekend I me a young man named Alex at the Indianapolis airport. He had gotten several loot bags at Gen Con and each bag contained a World of Warcraft starter deck. Along with Troy I was able to teach him the basics of the game and coach him in a game against Troy. I hope Alex keeps playing and had as much fun as I did.

The Con really sparked in me a new desire to roleplay on a regular basis again so I hope to have an online game of Spirit of the Century or Burning Wheel up and running in the near future as time allows.

"Gatecrasher" and "Believe It Or Else"

For some reason I missed the part about the recent transfer/sale of Seraphim Guard that said that Gatecrasher reverts to Richard Gazely. I am curious what will become of these games. I really liked the mix of fantasy and technology presented by these games.

I never quite liked the slapstick nature of the setting (I liked the humor but I would rather it be a bit more muted than the books portrayed) but playing the game serious or with a comedic flavor could be done.

There were some things about the setting I really liked:
1. Magic and Technology together.
2. The back stories were great.
3. The humor - Church of the Game and all.

There were some things about the game that I didn't like:
1. It is the crunchiest Fudge game I have ever seen.
2. More technology means less magic and vice versa.

I just grabbed the books from my bookshelf and I am going to re-read them as soon as I am finished reading through "Spirit of the Century".

Wil Wheaton at PAX

Wil Wheaton gave an amazing keynote at PAX recently. I have listened to it several times and it is incredible. While I have been a fan of Wil's for a few years my interest waned a bit this spring as his blog drifted away from topics I found interesting and his style seemed to slip a bit. Over the last few weeks he has started to capture my attention again.

The PAX keynote is simply.!@#$ing.awesome!

Wil's Blog: http://wilwheaton.typepad.com/

Wil's PAX keynote: http://wilwheaton.typepad.com/wwdnbackup/2007/08/pax-ftw.html