One of the best composers for D&D and D&D-like computer games is Jeremy Soule. If you are looking for a good soundtrack to listen to while preparing for a D&D session. I recommend listening to Jeremy Soule. He composed the Oblivion and Icewind Dale soundtracks just to name two of his works. See his website "DirectSong" for some of his work. (Some of his compositions are available on iTunes)
https://www.directsong.com/mobile/index.php?pageNum_menuRS=0&totalRows_menuRS=15&menuid=4
Thursday, October 31, 2013
Thursday, October 17, 2013
Green slime
Another nasty monster frequently found in classic high level modules is green slime. Green slime is tough because it is a rule-breaking monster. It has an attack that bypasses hit points. After too much exposure to green slime, the character is dead- turned into slime. There is no saving throw involved. This makes a 20th level character as vulnerable to a slime as a 1st level character. Depending n your philosophy of how difficulty should or should not scale in Dungeons and Dragons, this is either a really good thing or a really bad thing. Obviously this transmutation is a powerful attack, coupled with the fact that green slime is easy to conceal, a character could stumble onto it with little warning. Green slime are also difficult to kill given the high risk of fighting them.
I suppose that the difficulty of green slime is mitigated somewhat by the use of intelligent tactics in areas where slime is thought to exist. One tactic would be to blast suspected areas with heat or cold before venturing too close to them. Another would be to summon a monster or animal and send the summoned creature into the space and see if it gets slimed. There are alignment issues with this cannon fodder tactic.
Green slime are dangerous monsters and explorers should tread carefully...
I suppose that the difficulty of green slime is mitigated somewhat by the use of intelligent tactics in areas where slime is thought to exist. One tactic would be to blast suspected areas with heat or cold before venturing too close to them. Another would be to summon a monster or animal and send the summoned creature into the space and see if it gets slimed. There are alignment issues with this cannon fodder tactic.
Green slime are dangerous monsters and explorers should tread carefully...
Wednesday, October 16, 2013
The Power of Efreet
One thing I have noticed is that many old modules with only access to the original Monster Manual as an official source of monsters, use efreet as high-level monsters. I took a look at efreet to see what makes them so powerful:
They can basically give themselves the ability to do potentially close to 50 hp of damage per round and take their armor class down by 6 points and make themselves difficult to target by spells. These abilities give a single efreet the potential to eliminate multiple characters in a matter of rounds. Efreet probably have at least 50 hp and are going to be tough foes in combat.
Fighting an efreet is a risky proposition.
They can basically give themselves the ability to do potentially close to 50 hp of damage per round and take their armor class down by 6 points and make themselves difficult to target by spells. These abilities give a single efreet the potential to eliminate multiple characters in a matter of rounds. Efreet probably have at least 50 hp and are going to be tough foes in combat.
Fighting an efreet is a risky proposition.
Tuesday, October 15, 2013
Superdungeon: Tomb of Horrors
Review: Tomb of Horrors by Gary Gygax published in 1981.
The Tomb of Horrors is a killer-dungeon that is far more likely to kill the whole party than for the party to be successful. There are more traps than locations in the dungeon. Probably about a third of these traps are lethal if not dealt with correctly.
On the one hand, some of the traps are a bit mean/cruel/borderline unfair on the other hand, what do you expect searching the tomb of a demi-lich?
It will probably take several hours and multiple sessions for a group to get through the Tomb successfully because of how much careful, cautious, and thoughtful exploration is needed.
Ranked as the 3rd best module of all time by Dungeon magazine in 2004, it is an adventure that every first edition D&D group should attempt at least once.
5 out of 5 stars.
The Tomb of Horrors is a killer-dungeon that is far more likely to kill the whole party than for the party to be successful. There are more traps than locations in the dungeon. Probably about a third of these traps are lethal if not dealt with correctly.
On the one hand, some of the traps are a bit mean/cruel/borderline unfair on the other hand, what do you expect searching the tomb of a demi-lich?
It will probably take several hours and multiple sessions for a group to get through the Tomb successfully because of how much careful, cautious, and thoughtful exploration is needed.
Ranked as the 3rd best module of all time by Dungeon magazine in 2004, it is an adventure that every first edition D&D group should attempt at least once.
5 out of 5 stars.
Thursday, October 10, 2013
I need healing! Cleric! (Not really)
I recently failed my dexterity check, and my saving throw, and got critically hit by a door. The result has been a concussion. It has slowed me down and has slowed down my posts. I hope to get more up soon.
-Fantasy World Explorer
-Fantasy World Explorer
Friday, October 4, 2013
Review: Birthright Campaign Setting
Published in 1995. Written by Colin McComb and Rich Baker with help from several other TSR employees. Birthright is one of my favorite settings. It has a lot of good ideas but the execution of those ideas does not always work well.
Birthright includes the rules and a setting for running characters as rulers of the realm. There are four types of holdings that correspond to each of the four major classes. One party can control one realm or each character can control his or her own realm. Also included are rules for warfare and the economic simulation to run such realms.
Rather than starting with rules such as BECMI's Companion Set or the D&D Rules Cyclopedia, new rules are made from scratch. The economics of running a realm are complicated and the rules are faced with avoiding the problems that the characters have too much or not enough money.
I wish that TSR had released a generic supplement first that had the core rules really solid with one sample realm with a only 2 or 3 neighbors. Then in the first supplement the sample realm and neighbors are located on the setting world which focuses on atmosphere. By combining the setting and rules into one boxed set, the end result is not enough detail for either one.
If a separate rulebook had been released first, the rules could have had the rules option for rich, average and stingy economies. This would have been nice because many of the sample realms in the TSR-designed world of Cerelia have hopelessly flawed economies that do not work the way that they are described. These countries lose money every turn and have no way to prevent such loss until bankruptcy and anarchy occur.
Conclusion: Birthright has lots of potential and I am sure that the market is still there for a successful kingdom simulator in D&D. Get Birthright but be prepared to have to adjust the rules to make it work.
2 out of 5 stars. Lots of great ideas hurt by terrible game mechanics that do not work.
Birthright includes the rules and a setting for running characters as rulers of the realm. There are four types of holdings that correspond to each of the four major classes. One party can control one realm or each character can control his or her own realm. Also included are rules for warfare and the economic simulation to run such realms.
Rather than starting with rules such as BECMI's Companion Set or the D&D Rules Cyclopedia, new rules are made from scratch. The economics of running a realm are complicated and the rules are faced with avoiding the problems that the characters have too much or not enough money.
I wish that TSR had released a generic supplement first that had the core rules really solid with one sample realm with a only 2 or 3 neighbors. Then in the first supplement the sample realm and neighbors are located on the setting world which focuses on atmosphere. By combining the setting and rules into one boxed set, the end result is not enough detail for either one.
If a separate rulebook had been released first, the rules could have had the rules option for rich, average and stingy economies. This would have been nice because many of the sample realms in the TSR-designed world of Cerelia have hopelessly flawed economies that do not work the way that they are described. These countries lose money every turn and have no way to prevent such loss until bankruptcy and anarchy occur.
Conclusion: Birthright has lots of potential and I am sure that the market is still there for a successful kingdom simulator in D&D. Get Birthright but be prepared to have to adjust the rules to make it work.
2 out of 5 stars. Lots of great ideas hurt by terrible game mechanics that do not work.
Wednesday, October 2, 2013
Real World Inspiration for Dungeons
From time to time, Dragon magazine would feature articles about real world locations as inspirations for dungeons. See for example issue #201 which included an article by Allen Varney ("Turkey's Underground Cities") about his trip to the cave cities of Turkey and some ideas for gleaning inspiration from that sort of setting.
I think that real world dungeons can be a good source of inspiration. I would recommend visiting cave tours or historic mines in your area (or similar sites). These trips can provide insight into how underground environments work.
Similarly if you have the chance to tour a historic castle or two, these can also provide insight and inspiration for dungeons in these cornerstone fantasy structures.
I think that real world dungeons can be a good source of inspiration. I would recommend visiting cave tours or historic mines in your area (or similar sites). These trips can provide insight into how underground environments work.
Similarly if you have the chance to tour a historic castle or two, these can also provide insight and inspiration for dungeons in these cornerstone fantasy structures.
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