World Wide D&D Game Day: Dungeon Masters Guide 2

So,

If you are in Cape Town with nothing to do this Saturday morning, feel free to join us at UCT for the 3rd WWDnDGD.

Details here:

Date:	Saturday, 19 September 2009
Time:	09:00 - 15:00
Where:	Room L, RW James Building, UCT (This is where we were for the MM2 Launch) Cape Town, South Africa

RPGA Sanctioning #: 09-09-2025099

In the spirit of Dungeon Mastering, we're giving you the opportunity to create and show off your very own adventure! Work as a team to build encounters using the materials provided. After your team has finished, play another team's adventure or DM the one your team created. We provide you with everything you need -- maps, miniatures, monster stats, and how-to instructions. Just bring your imagination, a pencil or pen, and some dice!

This is a very special activity that has never before been a part of Worldwide D&D Game Day! But don't worry if you just want to play; you can participate in as much or as little of the adventure-building activity as you want. Nothing, however, beats the satisfaction of hearing another team howl in terror as they fight the foes and traps you placed for them!

A Passage Into Mystery is a special team-created 6th-level adventure that uses tiles from DU3 Caves of Carnage and monsters from the Monster Manual: Legendary Evils miniatures expansion. Come out on September 19 and be a part of the adventure!

Till next time good gaming and may the dice spirits be kind.

Running Iron Heroes 4E style

So,

I have an Iron Heroes game set in the L5R setting coming up shortly.  While we are going to running the system fairly untouched for the players side, on the DMs side of the screen I am importing some 4E elements which should hopefully help me minimize prep time.

Please note the following is still a work in progress and is subject to change as the game progresses.

These are my initial thoughts, which will be modified as they are playtested in the campaign.

The biggest issue I have with running D20 games is preparing npc and monster stat-blocks for sessions.  Iron Heroes immediately helps simplify issues, by not relying heavily on spell casters on either side of the screen.  I am looking at totally redesigning the monster stat-blocks.

The first thing I am stealing is monsters and npcs have the stats, ac, hit-points, skills and abilities I as the dm feel they need to have.  I am not going to spend time tweaking equipment, feats and class abilities and levels to get them where they need to be.

At the moment I will be looking at my player's attack bonuses and setting npc/monster ac according to the following guidelines: Hard will require a 12 to hit for the highest attack bonus, medium will require a 10 to hit for the average attack bonus and easy will require a ten to hit for the character with the lowest.

Saves will be set similarly, looking at the DCs of characters abilities.

As for hit-points, I will be using minions to bulk out fights, standard npc's should be able to last 2 rounds of focused attacks by the party and leaders should be able to last 5.

When it comes to npc attacks, I will be using an at-will/encounter/recharge system similar to that of 4e.  Attack bonuses and damage will be appropriate the strengths of the party.  Spell casters will be given 5 to 8 spell like powers, depending on their level and the role I want them to fulfill in the encounter.

Thoughts?

Till next time good gaming and may the dice spirits be kind.

ROLPUNK: Reject attitudes, not games.

So,

Berin Kinsman posted the Rolpunk manifesto on his blog last night.  If you haven't read it yet, take a few moments and go do it.

Roleplaying games are about fun, if you are having fun you are doing it right!  It does not matter which edition of which system you are playing.  It does not matter how you have houseruled the system. It does not matter how much combat you have in a session.  If you and your group walk away from the end of  a session talking about how awesome it was and how much you are lookingforward to the next game, then you are winners.

It is ok to disagree with random people on the forums. It is ok to disagree with bloggers and game designers.  It is even ok to disagree with the way Gary Gygax designed and played games if it doesn't work at your table. But, and here is the important thing, even if you do disagree with the way someone does something it does not make them wrong if it works for them.

Till next time good gaming and may the dice spirits be kind.

Local is Lekker Link List

So,

Welcome to the first Cape of Games Local is Lekker Link List

For this installment I will be looking at some of the South African Blogs you should be aware of.

First up is Tenletter, this a collaborative blog focusing on role-playing, computer gaming, board gaming, anima and related geek topics.  Jatori and his crew of loons can be relied on to provide interesting insights into varying aspects of geek culture.

Focusing more on role-playing, Awesome Gaming, contains interesting fluff for worlds, cities and NPC's as well as interesting rules ideas.

Next up, Kev's Lounge, contains various boardgames reviews and house-rules, as well as a growing collection of free dungeon-tiles (well worth looking at).

Finally Pfangirl Through the Looking Glass, provides a look at pop and geek culture in South Africa and is also the home of the Girlz 'n Games webcomic.

Please feel free to point me towards any South African blogs which I have missed!

Till next time good gaming and may the dice spirits be kind.