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Dragonmaster Zoc
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Post by Dragonmaster Zoc »


[quote="ekomega"]As for the above quote, this is entirely covered by the Arcana skill, as mentioned in the PHB.



I was speaking of skill challenges, not merely skill checks.
[/quote]

I guess I'm not familiar with the concept of a "skill challenge" then, so I couldn't identify a "skill challenge" from just a normal run of skill checks. My experience with fourth edition is fairly minimal, as we aborted the one module less than halfway through.



I'm fairly certain that Arcana only covers magical matters, though; Religion would be the appropriate if the object in question was used for a (non-magical) religious ritual, and Nature would be appropriate if the object was just a funky type of fruit or something. In a fantasy world, it can be hard to tell whether something is magical or natural or symbolic just by looking at it.

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Post by ekomega »


[quote="Dragonmaster Zoc"]I guess I'm not familiar with the concept of a "skill challenge" then, so I couldn't identify a "skill challenge" from just a normal run of skill checks. My experience with fourth edition is fairly minimal, as we aborted the one module less than halfway through.[/quote]

For skill challenges, it's basically that you have some goal, and you have to use skills to complete it. Each success or failure on a skill check counts (with some set DC), and you have to get X successes before you get Y failures. There are primary skills you can use, and some secondary skills which are less directly related and allow for some player creativity. Everyone in the party gets to participate.

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Post by BlanchPrez »

I was actually just re-reading through the DMG, and that's what is suggests (that the DM give you the primary skills, but not the secondary skills). It makes sense.

Okay, questions answered.

Warforged without Artificers: I have two answers to this. First, if you read the warforged article in last month's Dragon, they were created by giant, magical forges that were themselves created by a special coven of magic users. No mention of artificers is ever specifically made. This is the background I plan on using. But, also, just because the artificer class isn't being allowed in the game does not mean that artificers don't exist in the game.

Setting: I'll try and get the setting information I have posted soon.

Players: We have 777, Dragonmaster Zoc, Ekomega +1, so that's a total of 4 players, with a potental 5th if Ekomega can bring along one more.

The Wandering Loner: Um... yes and no. I don't mind someone being a loner, but I also don't want someone in the group that doesn't play well with others. You are, after all, part of a party, and I don't want someone that's going to go off on his own all the time because he's a loner. I've done that in the past, and it never works out well for the game.

Gensai: Off the top of my head, I'd say no. This will be my first 4th edition game, and with the exception of the Warforged, I'd like to keep things to the core rule books, at least for now.

I hope those last two answers don't turn you off to the game. I'll look over the Gensai, though, just so I'm not saying no out of hand.

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Dragonmaster Zoc
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Post by Dragonmaster Zoc »


[quote="BlanchPrez"]
Gensai: Off the top of my head, I'd say no. This will be my first 4th edition game, and with the exception of the Warforged, I'd like to keep things to the core rule books, at least for now.[/quote]


Just a quick point, but Warforged were already core. They're playable right out of the MM.

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Post by ekomega »


[quote="BlanchPrez"]I was actually just re-reading through the DMG, and that's what is suggests (that the DM give you the primary skills, but not the secondary skills). It makes sense.



Okay, questions answered.



Warforged without Artificers: I have two answers to this. First, if you read the warforged article in last month's Dragon, they were created by giant, magical forges that were themselves created by a special coven of magic users. No mention of artificers is ever specifically made. This is the background I plan on using. But, also, just because the artificer class isn't being allowed in the game does not mean that artificers don't exist in the game.



Setting: I'll try and get the setting information I have posted soon.



Players: We have 777, Dragonmaster Zoc, Ekomega +1, so that's a total of 4 players, with a potental 5th if Ekomega can bring along one more.



The Wandering Loner: Um... yes and no. I don't mind someone being a loner, but I also don't want someone in the group that doesn't play well with others. You are, after all, part of a party, and I don't want someone that's going to go off on his own all the time because he's a loner. I've done that in the past, and it never works out well for the game.



Gensai: Off the top of my head, I'd say no. This will be my first 4th edition game, and with the exception of the Warforged, I'd like to keep things to the core rule books, at least for now.



I hope those last two answers don't turn you off to the game. I'll look over the Gensai, though, just so I'm not saying no out of hand.



Chris[/quote]


Genasi's not a deal-breaker, I just discovered it today. I may play a Cleric instead of a Warlord, though, because of the stat problem for the tactical warlord. I'm not really fond of the inspiring warlord. I'd really like to play a genasi tactical warlord, if you give the race a read and don't hate it. Also, there's the first three levels of Swordmage in that preview.



For the wandering loner, it was a bad joke. Everyone always wants to play this renegade, "bad-ass" character, who doesn't want to get along with anyone and likes to fight for treasure. Everyone likes it so much that I've outright banned that background from games I DM. It's lame.



Seriously, I'd prefer if we all came up with a cohesive story, together, where we actually know each other before the game begins and we genuinely have an interest in seeing each other survive, and in working together.



Finally, I might be able to bring two people (who knows). Would that be alright? I think you said six, tops. I feel the same way as you, that five is enough and six is pushing my patience limit. But I might be able to get another person.

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Post by BlanchPrez »

Six is my upper limit, yeah, but you bring two with you makes the total five, so that's good. I'll take a look at the Gensai tomorrow and get back to you on that.

Also, while I'm not against you guys coming up with a coherent background where you all know each other before hand, I've written this first adventure so that it's not necessary. Again, that's up to you guys during char gen.

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Post by Dragonmaster Zoc »

Just out of curiosity, what of the humanoid races presented in the Monster Manual? All of the mechanics are there to run them, but is this a world where someone sees an orc/goblin/kobold/drow/doppleganger and immediately shoots to kill? Even then, a helmet can go a long way toward obscuring the difference between a drow and an elf or a goblin and an halfling.
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[quote="Dragonmaster Zoc"]Just out of curiosity, what of the humanoid races presented in the Monster Manual? All of the mechanics are there to run them, but is this a world where someone sees an orc/goblin/kobold/drow/doppleganger and immediately shoots to kill? Even then, a helmet can go a long way toward obscuring the difference between a drow and an elf or a goblin and an halfling.[/quote]

Well, the answer to this is kinda complicated. While a lone goblin or drow wouldn't be shot on sight, they would also likely not be allowed into a village or town. Some of the larger, more cosmopolitan cities, maybe, but not in general. However... I've already decided that monster races will not be allowed right away. If your character dies and you make up a new one, and a monster race makes sense, sure. But in general, the "civilized" races don't mix with the "monster" races. The monster races are seen as barbarians, raiders and in general evil.



However, that said, I've looked over the Gensai race, and have decided to allow it. I have some reservations on it, but the truth is I'm not sure if my reservations are founded, and in the grand scheme of things, they're pretty minor. Now, within the setting I've created so far, the Gensai would have to be pretty rare. So, unless you've decided that you look like a normal human, expect people to stair at you.



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Okay, setting info. This is direct from the document I created to pass out to the group, so I'll be posting it in parts. Note a few things. First, I based it off the setting in the back of the DMG, so if the outline looks familier, that's why. Second, I am working on maps, but for now there are none. Thirdly, it's only a partial setting, and this is done on purpose. I want you as my players to fill in details on the setting, such as with your background.

Every campaign, great and small, has to start somewhere. The Seven Swords of Wayland campaign is no different, and this document describes that starting place, the town of Westhill, and it surrounding environs, known as the Waverly Downs. In this document you will find the following sections:

The Town of Westhill: This section is a brief overview of the town's history, important folk and noteworthy locations.
The Waverly Downs: A northern frontier area, the region surrounding Westhill is dotted with ruins, catacombs and monster lairs. This section describes the Waverly Downs, including some of the small villages or hamlets in the area, the surrounding terrain, including the great Ostwood Forest, and some of the more well known monster lairs.

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The Town of Westhill

Welcome to Westhill, gateway to the Northern Reaches! Westhill rests between the great Ostwood Forest, one of the largest forests in the world, and the mighty Redwash River, known far and wide for its slightly reddish colored waters. It was built along two main trade roads, the Sunroad that connects the Northern Reaches to the great city of Suncrest far to the south, and the Dwarf Road, which leads from the the dwarven town of Krag Mor in the Hammerfall Mountains to the coastal towns to the west. Several small farming villages lie in the hills and flat lands next to the town, mostly located within 5 or 6 miles. Inside the town walls, people make their living as artisans, lumberjacks, dock workers and merchants.

Westhill imports finished goods from Suncrest to the south, and ironworks from Krag Mor to the east, and it exports lumber, game, grain and fish. The town also harvests the red stones that are found on the bottom of the Redwash, which give the river its namesake color, and then turns them into jewelery. Though these are now considered a luxury item, a small number of stone carvers and jewelers remain in town, continuing with a long standing town tradition that even today draws in travelers. Recently, a number of alchemists have arrived in town to examine the properties of these same stones, believing that they may put them to new use. The Lord Mayor welcomes them, believing that they could revitalize the town.

Westhill's Story

Nerath was a mighty human empire that ruled great swaths of land, including, once upon a time, the Waverly Downs. This area was one of the most northern frontiers of the empire, and as such was over run with monsters and humanoid tribes. A knight and hero named Uther Lacewell, seeing a need to protect the trade caravans traveling through the downs from the port city of Suncrest to the Northern Reaches, established the town of Westhill as a trade post. During the next hundred years, Westhill saw lots of traffic, and grew in size and importance to the region. But all good things must come to an end, and Nerath was no different. An invasion of humanoids and demons, followed closely by numerous civil wars, shattered the empire, destroying it for good over 100 years ago. The imperial forces stationed in the town were called away to fight in these wars, leaving the Downs unprotected as tribes of goblins and other monsters moved into the area. With the roads being less protected, and the empire no longer calling for materials and goods from these northern regions, trade into and out of Westhill slowed to a trickle.

About 20 years ago, the town guard was put to the test as a massive force of orcs attacked the town. At first, it started as raids against the outlying villages and farms. But, as more and more refugees poured into town, the Lord Mayor realized this was a more organized effort. He preemptively called in all the outlying settlers and closed up the towns walls. This turned out to be a good move, as the orcs, under the lead of a chief known as Klor, moved through the remaining towns, raiding the empty areas, looking for whatever food and resources they could before laying siege to the town itself. The siege itself lasted three days. Every capable man and woman was drafted into the militia and taught how to guard the walls. Those not actively working in the militia worked in the Garden to make sure the town had food stores in the event the siege became protracted. At the end of the three days, with only the first initial attempts to breach the walls, it became obvious that the orcs were planning on starving the town out.

Eventually, the captain of the guard came up with a plan. He stationed a token force along the walls, enough to keep the orcs at bay should they try anything more than the occasional half-hearted attempts they had been making. Then, he took a large number of guardsmen and a couple hundred volunteers from the militia, and traveled through the old sewer tunnels, outside the town walls, behind the orcs. At sunrise, he attacked, taking advantage not only of surprise, but of the orcs sensitivity to sunlight. Though many good, young people were lost during that battle, the guardsmen and militia won out, surprise outweighing the orcs advantage of numbers. The orcs fled, and with the occasional raid on caravans in the Ostwood, no one has heard from them again. Though all the bodies were searched, none could find Klor, and his ultimate fate remains unknown.

With Battle of Westhill over, and the town victorious, trade began to come back through the town. Now, though still not as busy as it's heyday, the town sees it's fair share of traffic, and the guard does regular patrols of not only the town, but the trade routs for several miles around. Though the Waverly Downs is by no means a safe place, Westhill has secured it's place as a point of light in the darkness.

Key Locations

Westhill is built in a roughly circular pattern, with Lacewell Keep at it's center. When the town was built, there were only two districts, the Inner Ward and the Outer Ward, separated by a secondary wall designed as a second line of defense. In practice the Outer Ward is actually divided into two distinct neighborhoods. The northern part of the Outer Ward is known simply as Northtown. Here are located the three main temples of town, as well as the town cemetery. This is also where most of the towns middle class merchants and artisans live and work, and Northtown is home to many of the more well known craft houses and discerning inns. The southern part of the Outer Ward is where the town laborers and poorer people live, and is referred to as Southtown. Here can be found the town docks and most of the warehouses. The border between the two neighborhoods is the Dwarf Road, running East-West. Along the road, in laying in both neighborhoods is Market Square, where a host of temporary tents and stalls from caravans sell their wares side by side with more permanent structures and local merchants. Market Square is also where two of the towns three Inns are, the Sleepy Dwarf and the Horseman's Inn. Finally, the Inner Ward, which is more commonly known as Keeptown, is where Lacewell Keep is, and is entierly located within the inner wall. Besides the keep, Keeptown also home to most of the towns nobility. The Town Guard have their barracks here, and the towns third inn, the Sunrise Inn, is also here, situated along the Sun Road, the North-South trade route.

Below is a description of the major points of interest in town.

Sunset Gate: This is the northern most gate in town, allowing the Sun Road to continue on it's northward journey to the Northern Reaches. As with all the towns gates, the portcullis is lowered at sunset.

The Temple of Light: The first of the towns three major temples, this house of Pelor is dome shaped, with a magical roof that turns transparent when the sun's rays hit it. Father Eustace holds daily worship at sunrise and again at noon. The temple also houses shrines to Avandra, Bahamut and Melora.

House Kozar: One of the few nobles to live outside Keeptown, the dragonborn of House Kozar run a successful trade business, specializing in art pieces more than textiles. Heskan is the nominal leader of the house, but is scheming daughter, Thava, has been taking a more active role in the running of the house business. Many in town fear the day that greedy Thava gets full control.

The House of the Raven: A temple of the Raven Queen, this is the smallest of the three temples in town. It also oversees the town graveyard, which is situated right next door. Services held here are more often than not funeral services. High Priestess Shara is in charge of the temple, and offers many services to adventurers.

The Horseman's Inn: A large, stately manor that was once probably the home of a noble family, the Horseman's Inn is now the largest inn in town, and the second most popular. Run by Rikard, a retired adventurer, it is comfortable and generally well liked by adventurers and other travelers. Though not a priest himself, Rikad does have a small shrine dedicated to Kord in the inn.

The Sleepy Dwarf: The smallest of the towns three inn's, the Sleepy Dwarf is situated right along the Dwarf Road at the Mountain Gate. Mostly frequented by merchants and travelers moving along the road, it is slightly more roudy than the Horseman's, which suites dwarven proprietor Gunter Stoutale just fine.

Erathis Tower: This three story, tower-like structure is the temple of Erathis, and sits along the Dwarf Road, not far from the Mountain Gate. High Priest Vondal Bronzefist prides in his temples clenliness and order. The Tower also offers shrines to Moradin and Ioun.

Forge's Metalworks: The town's only warforged, Forge came to Westhill without a name or a purpose, but in search of both. Then he met Jon the blacksmith, who offered to teach him smithing skill as his apprentice. Jon named the warforged Forge as a joke, but the two quickly formed a father and son bond. Jon had lost his son during the Battle of Westhill, and though Forge never quite took his place, he did give Jon someone to pass along the family business to. Forge now seeks to honor the man who gave his life purpose by providing the best smithing in the Waverly Downs.

The Dancing Unicorn: A rougher, rowdier alehouse you'll not find in all the Waverly Downs. The Dancing Unicorn, despite it's name, is a house of ill repute in every sense of the word. It is also rumored to be the headquarters to a newly forming thieves guild, though, of course, Ea, the tiefling owner, denies such accusations.

Mountain Gate: The eastern gate to town, connecting the Dwarf Road to Westhill. Like all the town gates, the portcullis is closed at sundown.

The Ward Gate: A large gate that allows traffic from the Inner Ward to the Outer Ward. The portcullis of this gate is only closed in times of attack.

The Docks: Located in Southtown, this is where the few boats that carry the larger and heavier shipments lands. Most of the caravans in town, however, are wagons, and so the docks see little traffic, especially in these dark times.

Sunrise Manor: The third of the towns inn's, and the most expensive, Sunrise Manor offers high class rooms, fine food and wine and other entertainment for a discerning taste. Though not as busy as the other two inn's, Sunrise's owner, Geoffrey, is happy to see to his exclusive clientel on a more personal basis.

Lacewell Keep: An imposing structure built on a hill that overlooks the river, Lacewell Keep is also the home to the Lord Mayor of Westhill, Albrecht Lacewell. The latest in a long line of direct decedents of Uther Lacewell, the town's founder, Albrecht takes his job as protector of Westhill with the greatest seriousness, and often hires adventurers to perform jobs and quests that his town guard cannot.

Guard Baracks: Here is where the majority of the town guard sleep and train. Captain of the Guard Fiona Nimblefoot, a halfling of considerable fighting experience and a skill for command, is often found in her office here, planning the next patrol route or pouring over records of incoming and outgoing caravans. Fiona, though a capable warrior, is not afraid to hire adventurers to supliment her troops, especially if taking care of a problem requires going into the wilds.

Sunrise Gate: The southernmost gate, Sunrise is the other town gate that connects to the Sun Road. Like all the other town gates, the portcullis closes at sundown.

Redwash Bridge: A large wood and metal bridge that spans the Redwash and allows caravans traveling down the Dwarf Road to easily cross it. The bridge always has at least five guardsman stationed on it. Because of the need to protection, the bridge was ingeniouslly designed by dwarven engineers to actually separate in the middle and lift up, creating both a wall and a gap that an invading army could never hope to cross.

Westtown: Though ostensibly part of Keeptown, this is the newer sections of town that lie across the Redwash. Mostly foresters and farmers live in Westtown. Orignally unwalled, the Battle of Westhill changed Lord Albrecht's mind about that, and a newly wall has just been finished around this section of town.

West Gate: The newest of the town gates, West Gate connects the Dwarf Road with the greater Waverly Downs as it continues on it's way to the coast. Like all the town gates, the portcullis closes at sundown.
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The Waverly Downs

Westhill lies almost dead center in a region of land known as the Waverly Downs. The Downs where never quite what one would call a thriving center of civilization, but even compared to it's hight, it is now a true frontier. The few settlements that have survived this long are scattered and isolated, connected only by the few roads. Abandoned villages, keeps and manor houses dot the landscape, as do even older buildings from ancient empires. Wild animals, savage humanoids, monsters and bandits all have moved into the Downs in the gap left by civilization. While travel along the roads is usually safe, in general, the Downs are considered a dangerous place outside the few active towns and villages in the region.

Covered mostly in lush forests, there is also a surprisingly large amount of gently rolling hills and flat land usable for crops and farms. The Redwash and the Forgefall rivers both bring plenty of water to the region, so it stays green most of the year. During the winter, it snows, and while the two rivers don't freeze themselves, Loch Mor finds itself covered in ice during those months.

Below is a list of some of the more interesting features of the Waverly Downs:

The Spider Wood: A small forest that is covered in large webs. No one has gone into the spider wood in centuries that has come back to tell the tail, but it is popularly believed that the wood is home to several types of giant spiders.

Ostwood Forest: The largest forest in the area, the great Ostwood covers miles of land. A green, life filled place, it is a great source of not only timber, but game as well. Inside the forest is an elven village, Ost’far La’nai. The wood is also home to several monsters and bandits, both of whom like to attack caravans traveling on the Dwarf Road. Westfall Guards do patrol the road regularly, however, and the attacks are pretty rare on the road itself.

The Hammerfall Mountains: On the eastern edge of the Downs is the mighty Hammerfall Mountains, on the other side of which is the Dwarven Highlands. The dwarven trade town of Krag Mor can be found in the foot of these hills, and rumors of a lost dwarven city filled with riches that lie in the heart of the range are still told.

Loch Mor: A large lake near the Hammerfall Mountains, it feeds from the mountains itself, and then drains into the Forgefall River. Fishermen from Krag Mor and several nearby villages ply the lake.

Krag Mor: A dwarven trade town, meaning that it is half inside the mountain and half outside. Krag Mor also acts as a guardian of the Dwarf Road. The road runs through the town and down a long tunnel out to the Dwarf Highlands on the other side of the range.

Northwood Town: Actually a small keep kept by the Duchess Allaine and a close grouping of small villages under her protection, Northwood Town is an association located on the northern tip of the Ostwood. Mostly farmers and woodsmen, it tends to be pretty isolated, with little trade between Northwood and Westfall. The Duchess, however, is very friendly with the Lord Mayor, and the two have come to each other’s aid in time of crisis.

Ravenscar Abby: An very old temple once dedicated to a long forgotten god, the abby was re-built about 50 years ago by priests of the Raven Queen. Recently, a new Abbess has been put in command of the Abby, Morgwyn. She as proven to be very friendly and open with the people of Westhill, and many admire her and her priests work in the abby.

The Blue Hills: Called so because of the large amount of cobalt found here, the Blue Hills are also a great source of iron. The villages in the hills often trade their metals and minerals with Westhil and Northwood.

Icecap Mountains: A forboding, constantly snow covered mountain range, the Icecap Mountains are home to many monsters, such as Yeti, and is believed to be the home to at least one orc tribe. However, it is also the only route to the Northern Reaches, and thus sees traffic in the form of caravans moving to and from Westhill.

Gate: Gate is a very small town that lies at the base of the Icecap Mountains. It is the gateway through the mountains and to the Northern Reaches beyond. A hardy people live here, mostly providing protection to the caravans that travel through the mountains.

Ost'far La'nai: An elf village in the Ostwood, the exact location Ost’Far La’nai is actually a closely guarded secret, as the elves don’t want their enemies to know it’s location. Occasionally, merchants will arrive in Westhill from here with fine elven goods, but other than what they take back with them, no outsiders are allowed into the village.

The Redwash River: A mighty, wide river that travels down from the Icecap Mountains, merges with the Forgefall and eventually empties in the ocean far to the south. The Redwash gets it’s name from a unique red mineral that is found scattered all along the river bottom that gives the water a reddish color, but otherwise seems to have no effect on it.

The Forgefall River: Though not as wide as the Redwash, the Forgefall is a fast moving rive with many rapids that comes from the Hammerfall Mountains, travels through the Blue Hills and eventually merge with the Redwash. The rapids and numerous falls make it unsuitable for travel upon, but does provide with some of the greatest natural vistas in the Downs.

The Lost Keep: Once there was a mighty keep at this location, but now all that is left is the ruins of its walls. What empire this was built for and what it’s true purpose was is lost to history.

The Ruins of Castle Waverly: It is said that the Waverly Downs were once part of a mighty kingdom before being part of the Nerath Empire. It was at this once proud castle that the noble kings and queens of Waverly ruled with its army of brave and honorable knights and paladins. All that remains of this legacy, however, is ruins. The remains of the castle have become over run with various monsters, who constantly fight amongst themselves for prime real estate.

Kobold Town: This was once a human farming village that was abandoned over 100 years ago. As they left the buildings intact, a tribe of kobolds has since moved in, giving the town its new name. Though they still act as raiders, they are a small tribe, and as of yet have not become big enough threat to the Lord Mayor that he is content to let them be.

The Twilight Fens: A marsh land at the point where the two rivers merge, this place is home to a tribe of lizard men and giant crocodiles. It is also rumored that there is the remains of a large city at the tributary of the two rivers, though no one has ever been able to substantiate this.

Winterfall Dale: Located to the far north between a small forest and the Icecap Mountains, Winterfall Dale is a small town of humans, dwarves and elves. They are so removed from the main roads, however, that they hardly have any contact with the other civilizations in the area, and the people of the Dale are content to keep it this way.

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Post by ekomega »

Waverly Downs = horse racing track, near the water (Del Mar?)
Redwash = children get iron poisoning from drinking the water
Twilight Fence = a dark fence

:P
Kidding. Names are names, and I've been laughed at many a time for things I came up with.

Thanks for posting all of this information. I really appreciate it. Also, thanks for the genasi. He's going to look just like a normal person, maybe with very "wavy" hair.

It's interesting that you picked the Seven Swords idea for the campaign, because in my last campaign I was about to start (before quitting) a large arc about seven of something. It also reminds me about the video game Rogue Galaxy, which had Seven Star Swords you could find.

So, how much of this are our characters supposed to know? And I vote for Spider Woods are our first adventure!
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[quote="ekomega"]
So, how much of this are our characters supposed to know? And I vote for Spider Woods are our first adventure![/quote]


Everything posted here is considered common knowledge. You'll all be in Westhill participating in a religious festival for the Raven Queen called the Ravendance. Think Dia De Los Muertos in Mexico.



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Post by Dragonmaster Zoc »


[quote="ekomega"]


It's interesting that you picked the Seven Swords idea for the campaign, because in my last campaign I was about to start (before quitting) a large arc about seven of something. It also reminds me about the video game Rogue Galaxy, which had Seven Star Swords you could find.
[/quote]


Finding seven of something is a fairly classic D&D campaign, ever since the rod of seven parts back in the late 70s.



On a complete side question, how did you like Rogue Galaxy?

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Post by ekomega »


[quote="Dragonmaster Zoc"]Finding seven of something is a fairly classic D&D campaign, ever since the rod of seven parts back in the late 70s.



On a complete side question, how did you like Rogue Galaxy?[/quote]


I liked it a lot. It was a great game, and I highly recommend it. The only problem was the combat mechanic got a little annoying at the end, because you either used your powers and killed all the enemies in one second, or the enemies had shields and barriers and were very annoying to kill.

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Post by Dragonmaster Zoc »


[quote="ekomega"]I liked it a lot. It was a great game, and I highly recommend it. The only problem was the combat mechanic got a little annoying at the end, because you either used your powers and killed all the enemies in one second, or the enemies had shields and barriers and were very annoying to kill.[/quote]

Yeah, the powers in general were kind of imbalanced (or I guess, they were all balanced in that they killed everything instantly). It's especially bad if you try to kill everything for your hunter ranking while you're there; by the time you get all of the right number of random encounters, you're power-leveled beyond ever facing a challenge.



I actually had a lot more fun the third or fourth time through when I ignored collecting any out of the way items and just headed directly to the next objective; from what I recall, I think I managed to get from beginning to end in less than a day (about 10 hours, altogether).

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Post by ekomega »

Okay, so I've officially dropped out of the game I was in. I also will very likely (90% sure) be bringing 2 players with me. I told the new one to come on here and post. I might even shoot for a third! :P

The newest guy can't come next weekend, but me and the other person I'm bringing can. After that, I think both are free. Not sure when you want to schedule it, but let the scheduling commence!

Also, I'd encourage everyone to check the updates at: http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/updates
There are some important changes to the PHB, specifically about certain powers, etc.
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Post by Timber_Wolf9 »

So, I'm one of ekomega's players that he told to post here. I'm very much interested, but all day Saturday doesn't work for me, as I teach until about 3-ish. Sunday is my best bet for availability, as I'm free all day.
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Post by ekomega »


[quote="Timber_Wolf9"]So, I'm one of ekomega's players that he told to post here. I'm very much interested, but all day Saturday doesn't work for me, as I teach until about 3-ish. Sunday is my best bet for availability, as I'm free all day.[/quote]

You weren't even the guy I was 90% sure about. So I guess I may actually be bringing 3 people with me. Then we'll have a full complement of 6.

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Post by Dragonmaster Zoc »


[quote="ekomega"]You weren't even the guy I was 90% sure about. So I guess I may actually be bringing 3 people with me. Then we'll have a full complement of 6.[/quote]

Six would be way too many, so I guess it's a good thing that he's not free on Saturdays.

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Post by ekomega »


[quote="Dragonmaster Zoc"]Six would be way too many, so I guess it's a good thing that he's not free on Saturdays.[/quote]

And you say that because? And if 5 is the perfect party size, both in terms of the game and the DM, then how is 6 "way too many"?



The DM says he can do six, so if we have six, then it's doable. I'm not saying it's necessarily ideal. But I think it'd be better to have a sixth person, so in case everyone can't always show up, we can run a 5 man game and not have to cancel.

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Post by Dragonmaster Zoc »


[quote="ekomega"]And you say that because? And if 5 is the perfect party size, both in terms of the game and the DM, then how is 6 "way too many"?
[/quote]


Just personal experience. My personal preference is 3 players, with 4 being more than enough and 5 being the limit.



The only downside that I've seen with less players is that it requires the DM to homebrew all encounters, which very well might be more difficult under 4E rules.



As for scheduling, I am free for the entire weekend. I was under the impression that most of us were free for a large part of Saturday, but not necessarily for Sunday. When we want to start and end matters little to me, except it must be at least a six hour interval.

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Post by ekomega »


[quote="Dragonmaster Zoc"]Just personal experience. My personal preference is 3 players, with 4 being more than enough and 5 being the limit.



The only downside that I've seen with less players is that it requires the DM to homebrew all encounters, which very well might be more difficult under 4E rules. [/quote]


Modifying encounters is easy in 4E, but I don't see a reason to. The game was designed for 5 players, we can have 5 players, and it's the DM's first 4E game. Everything points to 5 players being the best idea.

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[quote="ekomega"]Modifying encounters is easy in 4E, but I don't see a reason to. The game was designed for 5 players, we can have 5 players, and it's the DM's first 4E game. Everything points to 5 players being the best idea.[/quote]

Yeah, five players works out the best in those terms. But, I've run games with up to 8 players in the past, and in my epxerience, 4 or 5 is idea, with 6 being my real limit. More than six makes my job as DM more difficult, because it becomes really hard to give everyone time in the spotlight.



Also, Timber_Wolf9, thanks for posting. Sadly, Saturday is the day that works out best for me, so I think I'm going to have to stick with Saturday as game day.



I'm working with my wife to see when the next best day is, but if one of your players insn't available next weekend, maybe we should hold off until the weekend after. I'm not sure, though, let me see what's going on. My sister is in town from New York next weekend, so that might be out for me.



I'll post later when I know more, and we can vote on a first game date.



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Post by Dragonmaster Zoc »

The sooner we can get this started, the better. It's already been almost a month.

Understandably, if the DM can't make it this weekend then there's not much we could do, but if one of the players can't make it then that condition was already covered above as one of the reasons to have five players instead of four: the game can go on without one player. It would be nice if everyone could be there for character creation, though.

As always, DM has final call.
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Post by ekomega »


[quote="BlanchPrez"]Yeah, five players works out the best in those terms. But, I've run games with up to 8 players in the past, and in my epxerience, 4 or 5 is idea, with 6 being my real limit. More than six makes my job as DM more difficult, because it becomes really hard to give everyone time in the spotlight.
[/quote]


I feel exactly the same way.


[quote="Dragonmaster Zoc"]The sooner we can get this started, the better. It's already been almost a month.[/quote]

For me, one month is probably the shortest time I've ever been able to organize a game, even with enough players, and a desire to play, simply because of scheduling issues. I don't mind a week, or two, or whatever, as long as we get rolling once we start.

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Post by Dragonmaster Zoc »

As long as the group doesn't dissolve after two sessions, I'll be happy. While playing in person definitely ups the accountability of people, the inherent anonymity of the internet can turn some people into incredible flakes, which I have experienced extensively with the last three games I tried to join.

Is it too early to call dibs on paladin?

Also, are gnomes considered to be more or less rare/savage/unplayable than the warforged or genasi?
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[quote="Dragonmaster Zoc"]While playing in person definitely ups the accountability of people, the inherent anonymity of the internet can turn some people into incredible flakes, which I have experienced extensively with the last three games I tried to join. [/quote]

That's rather ironic, considering that you bailed out of one of my games last year by simply not showing up and not answering your phone when someone went to pick you up to give you a ride.

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Post by Dragonmaster Zoc »


[quote="ekomega"]That's rather ironic, considering that you bailed out of one of my games last year by simply not showing up and not answering your phone when someone went to pick you up to give you a ride.[/quote]

That was you?



I never claimed to be infallible, but you all creeped me out big time.



I guess I'm out, then.

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Post by BlanchPrez »

Woah, wait.... what just happened here?

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Post by Dragonmaster Zoc »

I'll send you a private message about it, so as to not derail your thread any more.
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Post by ekomega »


[quote="BlanchPrez"]Woah, wait.... what just happened here?



Chris[/quote]


Not really sure.

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Post by BlanchPrez »

Okay, so Zoc is out.

That still leaves 777, ekomega and his two players, keeping us at four (assuming you can still get us two players, ekomega). Ekomega, can you please confirm? Thanks!

Anyway, assuming that we still have this group, here's my proposed dates for the first game.

Saturday July 16
Saturday July 23

I'm also willing to have the schedule be 2pm to 8pm, if that works better for everyone.

Please let me know what your prefered choice of game date is, and I'll work out everything with my office, and get directions to you all.

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Post by ekomega »


These dates don't work for me, as I don't have a time machine (yet). I will communicate with my associates. I believe August 16 would likely work for everyone.


[quote="BlanchPrez"]Okay, so Zoc is out.



That still leaves 777, ekomega and his two players, keeping us at four (assuming you can still get us two players, ekomega). Ekomega, can you please confirm? Thanks!



Anyway, assuming that we still have this group, here's my proposed dates for the first game.



Saturday July 16

Saturday July 23



I'm also willing to have the schedule be 2pm to 8pm, if that works better for everyone.



Please let me know what your prefered choice of game date is, and I'll work out everything with my office, and get directions to you all.



Chris[/quote]

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Post by BlanchPrez »


[quote="ekomega"]These dates don't work for me, as I don't have a time machine (yet). [/quote]

Do'h!



:redface:



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Post by jeckwild »

I'd like to join.
Have a solid experience with 2 and 3.5, new to 4 (reading PhB right now lol)
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Post by ekomega »


[quote="jeckwild"]I'd like to join.

Have a solid experience with 2 and 3.5, new to 4 (reading PhB right now lol)[/quote]


He doesn't mention it, but this is the guy I was 90% sure about joining (now 100%). So that's 4 people.



It would be great if we could find a 5th player somewhere. Anyone?



Also, a web enhancement for 4E is on the WotC website, with info on the Feywild and some new fighter powers. What are you allowing in the game, in regards to official material posted on the WotC website (i.e. Dungeon and Dragon)? If you don't allow classes, powers, etc., what about a special exception for new magic items?

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Post by BlanchPrez »


[quote="ekomega"]He doesn't mention it, but this is the guy I was 90% sure about joining (now 100%). So that's 4 people.



It would be great if we could find a 5th player somewhere. Anyone?



Also, a web enhancement for 4E is on the WotC website, with info on the Feywild and some new fighter powers. What are you allowing in the game, in regards to official material posted on the WotC website (i.e. Dungeon and Dragon)? If you don't allow classes, powers, etc., what about a special exception for new magic items?[/quote]


Awesome, so 4 people. Assuming that 777 is still with us. Richard, you're still with us?



As for Insider content, I'll call it as new material comes out. I haven't had a chance to see the enhancement on the PHB yet, so I'll look it over and let you know. For the most part, however, if it's on the Inisder site, I'm going to be more open to it.



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Post by SEVEN_SEVEN_SEVEN »

yep I good to go
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Post by ekomega »

So August 16th? Somewhere in the mysterious land of Clairemont?
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Post by BlanchPrez »


[quote="ekomega"]So August 16th? Somewhere in the mysterious land of Clairemont?[/quote]

The 16th in the mysterious land of Serento Valley. :P



I'll PM everyone with directions tomorrow. I need to clear it with my office once more (shouldn't be an issue).



BTW, where's this web enhancement to the PHB you're talking about? I haven't found it.



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Post by ekomega »

It's not really an enhancement, but a Dragon article, that has some Feywild nonsense and fighter powers, wizard utility powers, some feats for Eladrin, treasure, and a couple of monsters.

http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/drfe/20080801a

http://www.wizards.com/download.asp?fil ... endain.pdf
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Post by BlanchPrez »

Okay, looked over the article you linked to, and I'm going to say no to the new powers. Not that I think they're unbalanced, but I just want to stick to the PHB for the most part. For now, at least, I may change my mind later. :)

Okay, schedule time. This Saturday, the 16th, at my office (directions forthcoming).

We just need to work on the actual time of the game. Ekomega, If I'm remebering, you wanted 2 to 8? That works well for me, but I wanted to make sure this is good with everyone else. The sooner I get answers back, the better, because I need to reserve the room with my company.

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Post by ekomega »

I'd prefer 1-7, as would another player, but we could both do 2-8 if everyone else prefers that.
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Post by BlanchPrez »

1 to 7 is completly doable for me. Unless we hear otherwise, let's assume that's the schedule.

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Post by ekomega »

Random Question - How often are we going to level up?

You said you wanted the game to run from level 1 to 30. If we play every other weekend, then we'd have to level up pretty quickly to have the game take a reasonable amount of time.

If we level up every game session,
30 levels x 2 weeks per game x 1 game per level = 60 weeks (1 year, 2 months)

If we level up, every two game sessions, = 120 weeks (2 years 4 months)

Any less often for leveling, and we'll be playing forever.
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I hadn't really done any math regarding how often you level up, but I figure on average, you should level up twice per adventure. How long it takes you to complete an adventure is beyond me, because it depends on how focused everyone is while playing.

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Post by BlanchPrez »

Okay, so the next game should be the 30th. Everyone let me know if that's okay with you.

Also, I have a friend here at work that is interested in joining our game. He hasn't played D&D in like 10 years, so he even missed out on 3rd edition, but he's intersted. I wanted to pass it by you guys, see if you're okay with adding a 5th player. Being this close to the begining of the game, I didn't think it would be a big deal. He'll only be a few hundred xp behind everyone.

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Post by ekomega »


[quote="BlanchPrez"]Okay, so the next game should be the 30th. Everyone let me know if that's okay with you.



Also, I have a friend here at work that is interested in joining our game. He hasn't played D&D in like 10 years, so he even missed out on 3rd edition, but he's intersted. I wanted to pass it by you guys, see if you're okay with adding a 5th player. Being this close to the begining of the game, I didn't think it would be a big deal. He'll only be a few hundred xp behind everyone.



Chris[/quote]


30th = too far away.



5th player = awesome.

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Post by BlanchPrez »


[quote="ekomega"]30th = too far away.



5th player = awesome.[/quote]


30th = two weeks, the agreed upon schedule at the begining of this. Also, it's the nearest weekend I have free. :P



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