Much like the temperatures over the last couple days and those forecasted for the weekend, the events of this week(end) are up and down. On the positive front, tomorrow is my last day at work. It'll be very nice to have a break for awhile from a routine (or rut, in this case). On the low side, my grandmother was taken to the hospital on Tues for symptoms which appear to have been a "mini-stroke". All seemed okay until today when a persisent stomach pain was worsened by incredibly low blood pressure. A cat scan (done today to investigate a possible aneurism area in the brain) revealed fresh blood in her abdomen. Two cups of blood turned into 2+ liters in a couple hours time by the time she was operated on.
I went to stay with my mom and a couple of her friends at Lehigh Valley Hospital tonight while word was waited on from the surgeon. Fortunately, the procedure didn't take as long as expected and we were briefed--one of mom-mom's arteries going to her liver had somehow ruptured and she had a large hematoma (sp?) between it and the stomach. The surgeon described how he had to physically move her stomach and whatnot around to find the leak. When it was discovered, he literally pinched it closed with his hand while it was sewn off. She had to be given 4 liters of blood after receiving 2 earlier in the day.
She's been through a lot already this week and she must rest up for more. They had to leave her "open" with packing for more surgery is required on Sunday. The liver appeared in good shape for now and hopefully another artery running to the liver will take over where the ruptured one failed. After that, we were told it will be a long recovery as mom-mom is weaned off the various machines she is now on. Perhaps the most amazing thing that happened tonight was that, although heavily sedated in an induced coma, she opened her eyes while the lot of us were speaking at the foot of her bed. The nurse said, "Oh my God, she opened her eyes!" There was no eye movement, but my mom is sure she heard us. As you can imagine, the whole thing was very emotional. But I have faith that she'll eventually get home because the area # she is in matches out house number--260! I'll take that as a sign from above.
Friday, August 31, 2007
Sunday, August 26, 2007
Bulging Shelves
I suppose with 4e now officially on the way, I can justify clearing off some shelf space. Just how many rpg (mostly d20) books did I think I needed anyway? Well, for those interested (and with more shelf space than I), I'm starting some auctions: http://search.ebay.com/_W0QQsassZvantas1
Wed. edit: Added some more items including a signed HC copy of Blackmoor!
Wed. edit: Added some more items including a signed HC copy of Blackmoor!
Monday, August 20, 2007
Planar Campaign Revs Up for Second Season
As I've mentioned before here, my campaigns are run like TV seasons--10 adventures to a season. Yesterday, we began season 2 with the PCs in "Vecna-verse", the alternate universe they stumbled into last time (where Vecna won his bid for power in Die! Vecna! Die!). Now in the Realms, the PCs are given a possible route home by the god Azuth (the gods were cast down by Ao just before Vecna's transformational wave restructured the universe and destroyed all other deities). The location of the group's salvation was named, appropriately enough, Gate...this is an actual locale mentioned in a couple Realms products (The North box set and FR5: The Savage Frontier).
Both sources mentioned that the place was inhabited by a smallish beholder calling itself "the keeper" and it was served by superior bugbears. Also mentioned was that the portals here took the form of many different colored stone slabs inside a large black-stoned chamber. Hmm, not much to work with there. Naturally, I was curious as to why someone would build such portals and devised a little Realms-specific background--a Netherese wizard (one of the principal architects behind that empire's floating cities) fled north following that empire's destruction and continued his experiments concerning gravity (the force that binds the multiverse together--ah-ah! the perfect theme for Gate, I thought).
So, now I had a bad guy and some minions (bugbears from the MM as well as a couple classed versions I found in Mongoose's NPC book) but I needed more monsters and a dungeon map. Oh, the dreaded dungeon map. I'd rather stock a dungeon than create one myself. Fortunately, there are a plethora of products out there with wonderful maps. Some I find useful are those from the new Rappan Athuk box by Necromancer Games and indeed anything by map-master Ed Bourelle (also check out his book of maps from Green Ronin, featuring "themed" maps without fluff attachment). Another go-to source of dungeon maps is the 2e Ruins of Undermountain box. Not only does this box have four big poster maps of nothing but dungeons, it has very large areas that were left featureless. This weekend's adventure was not the first time I lifted a chunk of map to mold into what I needed.
How about monsters, though? Time was short for my prep and I went, as I often do, to some 3rd party d20 books in an effort to give my players something fresh and new to fight. Two books saw use aside from the MM yesterday--Denizens of Avadnu and Tome of Horrors III. I was particularly pleased with the latter's gravity elemental. That thing was nasty when combined with a spiked ceiling. ;) I think the other critters were also well received (except perhaps the boneneedle spiders whose poison regrettably never came into play). Two new monsters each from these sources, a large water elemental, and a couple traps later, I had a working adventure! Unfortunately, I had to make up the "smallish beholder" en route, backing its Hit Dice off to 8 (the party's avg. level was 5th) and dumbing down its eye rays.
I also ran out of time to actually plan how one opens these many-colored slab-portals. Whoops! On the drive over to the game barn, I decided it would have something to do with one of my favorite techno-magical cop-outs--control crystals. Found in the Netherese wizard's chambers, these crystals would need to be stuck into the appropriate slots in the portal room's control consoles to activate the portals. However, you needed to stick the correct rod into the correct hole to open a portal. Fortunately, Scot's PC picked up the wizard's gravity workbook and he and Chuck's PC deduced which crystal would open a portal to alternate worlds.
The PCs were told last module that a blast of raw power would be needed to adjust the open portal so that it would access their home reality. Although Mike was at GenCon, his PC Kytor still provided that service (NPC style) and the PCs made it home even as bugbear reinforcements poured into the portal chamber. Chuck's PC, however, needed to heroically stay behind to keep the gate open for everyone else (the beholder intentionally damaged the console before it was slain). That character's fate remains a mystery.
Hmm, that long post was part recap and part "behind the scenes" adventure design. In any case, much fun was had and everyone will be leveling up for next time. If this first adventure is any indication, the campaign's 2nd season will prove to be quite exciting! I'll be bringing back the PCs chief nemesis--the jaguar-folk--as well as scratching the surface perhaps of who or what constructed the glyph gates (the normal portals the Protectorate uses to explore the multiverse from a base in Sigil).
Both sources mentioned that the place was inhabited by a smallish beholder calling itself "the keeper" and it was served by superior bugbears. Also mentioned was that the portals here took the form of many different colored stone slabs inside a large black-stoned chamber. Hmm, not much to work with there. Naturally, I was curious as to why someone would build such portals and devised a little Realms-specific background--a Netherese wizard (one of the principal architects behind that empire's floating cities) fled north following that empire's destruction and continued his experiments concerning gravity (the force that binds the multiverse together--ah-ah! the perfect theme for Gate, I thought).
So, now I had a bad guy and some minions (bugbears from the MM as well as a couple classed versions I found in Mongoose's NPC book) but I needed more monsters and a dungeon map. Oh, the dreaded dungeon map. I'd rather stock a dungeon than create one myself. Fortunately, there are a plethora of products out there with wonderful maps. Some I find useful are those from the new Rappan Athuk box by Necromancer Games and indeed anything by map-master Ed Bourelle (also check out his book of maps from Green Ronin, featuring "themed" maps without fluff attachment). Another go-to source of dungeon maps is the 2e Ruins of Undermountain box. Not only does this box have four big poster maps of nothing but dungeons, it has very large areas that were left featureless. This weekend's adventure was not the first time I lifted a chunk of map to mold into what I needed.
How about monsters, though? Time was short for my prep and I went, as I often do, to some 3rd party d20 books in an effort to give my players something fresh and new to fight. Two books saw use aside from the MM yesterday--Denizens of Avadnu and Tome of Horrors III. I was particularly pleased with the latter's gravity elemental. That thing was nasty when combined with a spiked ceiling. ;) I think the other critters were also well received (except perhaps the boneneedle spiders whose poison regrettably never came into play). Two new monsters each from these sources, a large water elemental, and a couple traps later, I had a working adventure! Unfortunately, I had to make up the "smallish beholder" en route, backing its Hit Dice off to 8 (the party's avg. level was 5th) and dumbing down its eye rays.
I also ran out of time to actually plan how one opens these many-colored slab-portals. Whoops! On the drive over to the game barn, I decided it would have something to do with one of my favorite techno-magical cop-outs--control crystals. Found in the Netherese wizard's chambers, these crystals would need to be stuck into the appropriate slots in the portal room's control consoles to activate the portals. However, you needed to stick the correct rod into the correct hole to open a portal. Fortunately, Scot's PC picked up the wizard's gravity workbook and he and Chuck's PC deduced which crystal would open a portal to alternate worlds.
The PCs were told last module that a blast of raw power would be needed to adjust the open portal so that it would access their home reality. Although Mike was at GenCon, his PC Kytor still provided that service (NPC style) and the PCs made it home even as bugbear reinforcements poured into the portal chamber. Chuck's PC, however, needed to heroically stay behind to keep the gate open for everyone else (the beholder intentionally damaged the console before it was slain). That character's fate remains a mystery.
Hmm, that long post was part recap and part "behind the scenes" adventure design. In any case, much fun was had and everyone will be leveling up for next time. If this first adventure is any indication, the campaign's 2nd season will prove to be quite exciting! I'll be bringing back the PCs chief nemesis--the jaguar-folk--as well as scratching the surface perhaps of who or what constructed the glyph gates (the normal portals the Protectorate uses to explore the multiverse from a base in Sigil).
Friday, August 17, 2007
4e/OGL Matters
According to Scott Rouse, D&D Brand Manager, it appears that there will be no fee involved with 3rd party use of the 4e SRD. 4e will definitely be supporting the OGL and a new SRD will be released. The question is, will 3rd party publishers have access to such a document before the new core books will be released. It'd be nice, I say, but not necessary. Publishers will just have to take a page from WotC's book and release fluff-tastic products before the new edition emerges to the public.
Thursday, August 16, 2007
Star Trek's Braga Answers Questions
Check out this link: http://trekmovie.com/2007/08/12/vegascon-07-braga-reflects-on-a-life-with-trek/
Brannon Braga was at a convention answering questions about his 15 years of Trek writing and producing and I learned some interesting things. He's always been a favorite writer of mine back from the TNG days. Even more interesting, is that he started to visit this site and answer questions in the comments section. Neat! I couldn't resist making a comment of my own. We'll see if I get a response. I sneak in at comment #182.
Edit: Woohoo, a response!
Bret -
You rock! Thank you so much for the thoughtful comments. “Deadlock” was one of my faves, too.
Brannon Braga was at a convention answering questions about his 15 years of Trek writing and producing and I learned some interesting things. He's always been a favorite writer of mine back from the TNG days. Even more interesting, is that he started to visit this site and answer questions in the comments section. Neat! I couldn't resist making a comment of my own. We'll see if I get a response. I sneak in at comment #182.
Edit: Woohoo, a response!
Bret -
You rock! Thank you so much for the thoughtful comments. “Deadlock” was one of my faves, too.
4th Edition
Wether you think it's too soon or not (I do!), get ready for the 4th Edition of D&D. Apparently, in addition to WotC's site having a big "4DVENTURE" default page instead of their normal site at the moment, this new forum was leaked too early over there: http://www.enworld.org/showpost.php?p=3702448&postcount=217
Early word has it that 4e will not be open to all via OGL unless some kind of licensing fee is paid by prospective 3rd party publishers. This means that freelancing can be kept alive (assuming I even buy the 4e stuff) but what this means for Tricky Owlbear is anyone's guess. :(
Early word has it that 4e will not be open to all via OGL unless some kind of licensing fee is paid by prospective 3rd party publishers. This means that freelancing can be kept alive (assuming I even buy the 4e stuff) but what this means for Tricky Owlbear is anyone's guess. :(
Saturday, August 04, 2007
Traveller Returns
Interesting: http://www.mongoosepublishing.com/news/news_item.php?pkid_news=166
Perhaps the OGL ruleset for this can fill in the sci-fi longing I have for Tricky Owlbear.
Perhaps the OGL ruleset for this can fill in the sci-fi longing I have for Tricky Owlbear.
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