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.

Arena Football

Another Arena football season has ended (Congratulations to Jon Bon Jovi and the Philly Soul on taking the championship).

I was unable to watch many game though. Local coverage is almost non existent, and the league went from NBC - with almost a weekly game on local TV, to ABC - with a game on in week 1 and nothing until the arena bowl.

I tried the AFLNet program again, but the new free service never quite worked for me. I was only able to connect for a few games and the connection was not very reliable. I tried listening online to the EPSN2 radio coverage but almost every station blocked access to Canada. I tried regional radio coverage for the local teams but faced the same problems as the EPSN stations.

I asked a couple local sports establishments and they were in the same boat I was in unable to get the games on TV.

So although I really like the indoor game I will no doubt start to lose interest in the game as time moves forward and it becomes harder and harder for me to see the game live.

Saves

The fourth edition seems to really simplify the rules. The saving throw from the previous editions is gone. In its place is a new mechanic that will greatly reduce the record keeping required in the game.

Many effects will have the notation "save ends". This means that the effect lasts until the affected character rolls a successful saving throw. Unlike in previous editions the save does not take place at the time of the condition is placed on the character (whether the condition is placed by attack, ability, or other in game action). Saves always happen at the end of your turn. In place of the old "save on attack" method is different defense values that I'll talk about tomorrow.

So after you have taken all your action you get to roll a save for each condition affection your character in the order you choose. The mechanic is also greatly simplified, roll a d20 and if you roll 10 or higher you save, if you roll 9 or lower the condition stays in effect for another round.

This is going to really reduce the amount of paper work for the DM. The DM mearly has to mark teh effect on the character. At the end of the players turn if they save the effect is removed, if they fail it stays in effect. No more counting rounds, marking on whose turn the effect started (and consequently on which turn the effect will stop).

I think this is a huge improvement on the third edition save, which was a massive improvement over the classic saving throw tables from the basic and advanced D&D games.

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.

Starblazer Adventures

The Starblazer Adventures RPG is now available for purchase as a PDF. This is the first RPG book that will list me in the credits. You can get some more information on the game at Cubicle 7.

You should go buy one or two (I don't get a cut of sales). You can get it at RPGNow.

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.