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Saved by Axcalibar
on February 10, 2009 at 2:05:21 pm
 

Welcome to Heroshi

 

Realm of HE who is ROund and SHort... with an I at the end. 

 

News

 

Wednesday, February 10, 2009

 

Joy! I was looking at reviews on Amazon and noticed some interesting patterns surrounding the D&D core books. I've assembled the average ratings with links to the reviews below.

 

  3rd 3.5 4th
PHB 4.5 4 3
DMG 4.5 4 3
MM 4 4 3

 

Notice the ratings. For all three books per edition, they follow the models below pretty closely:

Rating 3rd Edition 3.5 Edition 4th Edition
5 |||||||||| |||||||||| |||||||
4 |||||| |||||| ||||
3 ||| ||| ||
2 || | ||
1 | ||| ||||||||

 

My interpretation:

Third Edition was a huge success and was welcomed by many. When 3.5 came along, some were not happy over buying the new books (many of them complaining that it wasn't different enough to merit a new edition), but overall, players were happy with the changes and adopted them in time. Then Fourth Edition changed everything. Players became increasingly polarized, either loving or hating it.

 

Judging by the average rating, Fourth Edition is a strictly average game. Is that what the kind of product Wizards or Hasbro wants? I very much doubt that Hasbro will tolerate such a thing for very long. They deter late-adoption for those who held out on account of the missing races and classes the first go. For Fourth to even be viable for Heroshi, I would demand gnomes, half-orcs, druids, and barbarians. If I had no other issue with this edition it would still cost me over $200 to buy in at the point they release those missing factors. As for new players, I don't see the rate increasing any more than usual.

 

I pity those who bought the books expecting great things but who were let down by the actual experience of playing it. It's sad that these people laid down so much money and were let down. I also noticed that the ratings on later 4e books are higher and have and upwards curve. This is clearly because those who didn't care for the core books refrained from buying any more. It comes down to the tautology "If you like 4th edition, you'll love 4th edition products." I'm not even saying it's a neccisarily a bad game either. It did, however, split the player base, probrably slashing the number of players by 50%. That is bad for the game.

 

Adam


 

Wednesday, January 22, 2009

 

More cartography! This time a whole planet projection of Heroshi.

 

 

Adam, frickin' cartographical

 


 

Wednesday, January 14, 2009

 

I have uploaded a map of the southern region. Also, today I came up with the idea of the Dweomer (DWAY-OH-MER), an animated spell. Actually. I just put a name to the idea. Y'know how in Xeal there are wandering Mending Spells? Those're Dweomers. I suppose there could be Make Whole Dweomers roaming about as well. These kind of abstract things fit well into fleshing out (heh heh) the Spirit type.

 

Adam, o'erflowing with ideas

 


 

Thursday, December 25, 2008

 

In honor of Christmas, I've expanded upon a variety of elves to the races page along with a great deal of layout changes. I pasted in the generic descriptions of each race from the Pathfinder Beta and included the racial traits and bonuses. Even pulled in graphics for most them. There's still work to be done, adapting to Heroshi specifically and such, but among those changed are: Half-Elves, Wood Elves, Metal Elves, Aquatic-Elves, Winged-Elves, Celestials, Dwarves, Gnomes, Ungiant, Halflings, Humans_Western, Lizardfolk, & Half-Orcs.

Sorry... no Nether Elves yet. They're just not Christmasy. Yes, lizardfolk are, in fact, Christmasy. They're green.

 

One of my gifts was the Races boxed set. Unfortunately, it came with two copies of Races of Stone and Races of the Wild was missing! Oh noes! I called my brother, Steve, about it. He said he'd look for a used copy of RotW and we'd do an exchange, since he doesn't have RoS.

 

Adam, content

 


 

Tuesday, December 23, 2008

 

The eastern clans now have a seperate page (under People & Cultures) from that previously under geography. Also, under eastern civilization, you'll notice that each region has its own page.

 

Adam, congested

 


 

Monday, December 12, 2008

 

Pathfinder Character Sheet

 

Adam, impat-

 


 

Monday, December 1, 2008

Hey. I'm a senexti. Don't touch me.

 

There are two questions I'd ask you to consider in regard to your character

backgrounds:

  • Who is your daddy?
  • What does he do?

Just kidding. Well, it certainly couldn't hurt to go there (in fact, it'd be a good idea to flesh out your

immediate family), but what I really want is this:

  • Why did you choose your current occupation (read: class)
  • What kind of training did you have?

Consider these with your character's alignment and mental ability scores in mind.

 

Unless plans change, next game is this Saturday, Dec. 6 at James' place.

Don't be late... as in the late [your name].

It's kind of a threat, you see.

 

Adam, getting to da choppa

 


 

Monday, November 16, 2008

 

Okay, so it's an update and the date is not a multiple of eleven. Weird.

 

The plan is to kick off a new campaign starting off at 1st level this Saturday.

So here are the generation guidelines for that.

  • Read the House Rules page.
    • Stat Generation is 4d6, drop lowest, six times. Roll three sets and choose one, arranging as you like.
    • Max HP at first level.
  • Even though I'll be using the Pathfinder book for most things, there are a few notable exceptions:
    • The XP to level table - I will be using the system we're all used to where TNL = Current Level x 1000.
    • Static CMB to resist maneuvers - Resisting maneuvers will be an opposed CMB check.
  • Study the Geography pages (east or west) and choose where you're from. Bonus points if you have more backstory than that. Yes, your father may have been killed by orcs, but that's Tuesday.
  • In Pathfinder, Cross Class skills don't exist (you just get a +3 bonus to any class skills you put ranks in). You're free to allocate ranks into non-class skills without penalty. I recommend you do so.
  • Do not buy equipment or generate gold. I will use an alternative system for attaining gear.
  • For reasons unrelated to the above, allow me to recommend spending some skill ranks on Craft and/or Profession. Also, somebody should be able to Appraise.
  • I'd also recommend spending ranks on overlooked things like Swim, Acrobatics, and Climb for reasons unrelated adventure design... at all.
  • Note important racial/class features and feats with a short description on halved notecards (3"x2.5"). It's useful to have your options at hand for easy reference.

 

In other news, I've been working on the race pages, including Argent & Fel'Thas (respectively, aasimar and tieflings on steroids), Anura, and Najket. I'll be working on details for the Kith and Senexti to round out my planar races. I'd actually meant this creature feature to fall on Halloween, but that didn't work out.

 

Adam, flippant


 

Monday, September 22, 2008

 

I've worked on the religion category quite a bit recently. I went ahead and made the long-work-in-progress  Virtues page accesible. Inspired by Ultima's virtue system, my goal is to create a sort of codified system of behavior to back up ones alignment. If folks compain about alignment being restrictive, might as well give some tangible reward for being so hemmed in. So forthcoming are Virtue feats. These are not chosen as you do other feats, but are earned (or lost) through ones actions. They provide boosts to certain skill checks and ones leadership score. Think of them as adventure rewards apart from treasure and xp.

 

With this, in conjunction with certain other house rules, I hope to encourage a more Heroic Fantasy style of play. For instance... why doesn't anyone choose to deal non-lethal damage? Because there's a penalty to do so. This makes subduing a foe a daunting task in game terms. It encourages otherwise good aligned characters to justify leaving a trail of corpses in their wake for the sake of efficiency. Whatever happened to apprehending a villian?* Yes, that -4 needs to go.

 

If you're wondering, I watched the Princess Bride recently.

 

Adam

 

*:Of course, Kubota totally deserved what happened in the very next comic. There is something to be said for exterminating an evil before before it can do more harm, but my point is that the rank and file goons and soldiers are mostly just following orders (possibly out of fear) or doing it to make ends meet. So, go easy on the mooks - they're redeemable. You'll know the true villians when you meet them.

 


 

Thursday, September 11, 2008

 

The Pathfinder Beta is out and did really well at GenCon, selling out on the morning of the second day of the four day event. The main difference from Alpha Three to the Beta is the inclusion of most of the rest of the rules... gear, spells, the combat section, etc. The main components it lacks are prestige classes, rules for cursed and intelligent items, and a GM's section. All in all, the Pathfinder game is about as much different from 3.5 as 3.5 was to 3.0.

 

The final book is going to be a monster, reportedly over 600 pages, and about $50. Considering that this one book compiles the information from the PHB & DMG (my two books currently in the worst condition at the moment), I would say it'll be worth the expense. Knowing that the game isn't being developed in a bubble for a year and a half instills me with confidence that it will be a huge success. It will be the game players want, not just what the designers think players (and potential players) want.

 

So I've finished James Rolfe's Angry Video-Game Nerd videos. He curses alot (huge understatement), but you shoulda heard me play Yoshi's Island! I truly despise baby Mario! That Guy with the Glasses is pretty funny too.

 

Although I'm still not feelin' it, I do have some ideas I'd like to implement when I next run a game:

  • Inventory Envelopes - It worked pretty well in Modern. Each item will be on one-half of a notecard (or one of these). I will put a number on each and keep a log in my binder of what the items are. Held items are placed in front of you. Want to dig in your envelope (backpack) during combat? Free action to drop what you're holding and a move action to whip that other thing out.
  • Non-Lethal Damage - Don't bother tracking it. Consider what HPs are supposed to represent. If the last blow is lethal, and those leading up to that point are less severe injuries to the extremities, surface cuts, and glancing blows, then could you not say that all damage (up to the final, mortal one) is non-lethal? I think that when you get down to it, a PC should just be able to say "I'm going for subdual" and the GM will later announce that the final blow incapacitated the enemy. If anything should be tracked seperately it should be the damage you are vulnerable to for purposes of regeneration.

 

Tiny Adventures Rant

 

Facebook has this application called D&D: Tiny Adventures. It's a slow, buggy pile of crap. Get used to seeing this message: "Error while loading page from Dungeons & Dragons: Tiny Adventures". It's not even worth it to click Try Again. The writing is just astonishingly bad. I'll never forget the time that an elf shot me in the leg and bound my hands. The way it was written it sounded like the arrow in my leg somehow simultaneously bound my hands, perhaps pinning them to my leg. It's also rife with bad puns, anachronistic language, and random pop-culture references. I actually met the bridge keeper from MP&tHG... a couple of times.

 

Here's the rundown of how it's played. You create a character by choosing one of eight character types, combination of race and class. This means that if you're a cleric... you're human. If you're the fighter... you're the dragonborn. Well, it's mostly a moot choice anyway because it has about as much to do with your character abilities as it did in Moonmist when you selected your favorite color. Okay, so it sets your stats, hp per level, and what gear you can use. Once you've created your guy, your options are to shop or find adventure. Well you can't afford much starting off, so you might be able to get a weapon for another +1 to your AB before setting out. Unfortunately since the shop scales with your level, you'll pretty much be in this situation perpetually.

 

When you select "Find Adventure!", prepare for the excitement of... waiting. Yes, the adventure portion of the game is based on waiting for perhaps 4-12 minutes and then clicking an update button to see what happened to your character. It shows you what random encounter your guy ran into and the die roll made to overcome it. It may just be me, but I think the die they roll only has the numbers 1-14 and 20 on it. I must say, I had more fun "playing" Progress Quest.

 

There are no powers or spells to use or that are even described based on your class/race. Yes, I play a cleric who can't heal. Your chances of overcoming a situation are solely based on your numbers. You can buff those numbers by using potions which last for a number of encounters, but since you never can predict what skills you're going to need in the course of an adventure, it's largely a waste.

 

The FAQ gives some general ideas of what attributes are used in certain areas, but there are cases when the description of the adventure is unclear what sort of terrain you'll be traversing. Besides that, since the encountes are random, there are about 5 attributes besides the two mentioned in the FAQ that will pop into use unexpectedly. You just kinda have to be lucky in picking your quest and using potions. The selection of adventures is also rather limited and random.

 

Of course you get loot... but that's largely irrelevant too since as you increase in level, as long as you face quests on par with your level, the hazards to more damage to you proportionally. Why bother having hit points? You might just as well have a health bar or icon based health "hearts". Another reason HPs are useless is that the final encounter is pass/fail. If you lose that virtual toss of the die you fail the adventure no matter how many HP you have left. Yes, apparently failing to sneak up on goblins is enough to completely $#*^-can any chances of defeating them.

 

I really tried to stick it out and give this thing a chance, but it's just not fun. Even I'll concede that 4e must be better than this! If you're looking for a more rewarding experience, try PQ. You don't even have to babysit this one. Just let it run in the background and let the computer handle all the RPG rigamarole you'd get bored with anyway!

 

Well, that's it. Via con dios...

 

Adam

 


 

Monday, August 11, 2008

 

So we're about two months into an official hiatus, and I have to admit to loving it. GMing had begun to feel like my weekend job, so much so that it added to my mental fatigue rather than removing it. The outlet that gaming was supposed to provide had a short in it. I need a good break in order to refresh my creativity, and restore the ganas ("motivation sufficient to act").

 

So I guess the question is "How Long?". Can't say. Maybe after the PFRPG Beta comes out and I've had time to peruse it. Maybe later. Maybe when I finish watching the AVGN videos to date. Maybe not for months. That's the thing about inspiration... it's thoroughly chaotic. So feel free to use your Saturdays as you will.

 

Also,

No, I will not play 4e, so don't even ask!

Just accept it.

 

[edit: Take a look at this article. The last line in this excerpt hits the crux of my discontent perfectly.]

 

Adam, capricious

 


 

Wednesday, June 11, 2008

 

Some works in progress include pages on alignment, titles and nobility, and coinage and industry. Eventually I hope to have things fleshed out to the point that all I have left is the "rocks and shrubs" page, complete with new races and PrCs.

 

To clarify, as I mentioned I am not angry at WotC because they released a new edition. I am however, pissed at WotC for a variety of other reasons. I won't go into it, but suffice to say that I could write a fair sized series of rants (two dozen at last estimate) detailing my disdain for "that" company. As entertaining as those would be to write, It's not the best use of my time. I would rather be creating than destroying.

 

Concerning the game itself, I personally view it as a seperate entity rather than a successor. The mechanics bring to mind the issue "Would you trade freedom for safety?". It seems their way of "protecting" players from facing difficult questions is to remove the options that bring those questions about. Taking action to remove obstacles for the sake of smooth gameplay should be the responsibility of any competent DM. However, keeping the game moving is a burden shared by GM and player alike. A gaming group can truly act as a team through reasonable knowledge of the rules and by assisting the GM and fellow players (by looking up spell/maneuver/item descriptions). My point is that teamwork can be applied to any rules system, and that when the game begins to grind, it is because the team has broken down, not the rules.

 

- Adam, feeling industrious

 


 

Friday, May 30, 2008

 

I have rearranged the eastern clans into Major, Greater, and Minor categories. I also decided upon the national colors for each. The reason for these changes will soon some to fruition, and will be revealed as part of the storyline. You could be clever and figure it out beforehand if you read the clues right, and consult wikipedia. Y'know what? I'll advance the next leveling opportunity if ANYONE can guess what the clans namesakes relate to.

 

- Adam, resolved

 


 

Wednesday, May 14, 2008

 

Thought I'd share some thoughts on my next campaign:

  1. There will be dragons. I have a few ideas on how to distinguish Heroshian dragons from the standard set. My dragons will be ready for combat from the get go, without flipping through a plethora of pages.
  2. Some creatures are being exterminated in an effort to cut creatures that are WotC product identity. Some of them will have their niches filled by my own custom creatures. For instance, beholders are replaced by occuli, a creature encountered in the latest d20 Modern campaign.
  3. More of an effort will be made to give non-standard races screentime. Centaurs, ratlings, lizardfolk, vanara, korhai, and the oft forgotten ungiant among others, will pop up more frequently.
  4. The magic items I stock an adventure with, distinct from those that theoretically exist in the campaign world, will be more limited use tools and fewer clothing items (especially those that give permanent mods). Weapons & armor will stay about the same. Expect a lot of potions.
  5. I am going to divorce myself completely from using random tables. Adventures will still be designed off-the-cuff, and stocked with what I feel like should be introduced into the game.
  6. No more "I look for a belt of magnificence". This kind of thing is totally metagame, and I will not stand for it. If you want the thing so badly, at least roleplay it. As a matter of fact, starting this week, if anyone asks metagamely... BBFTH = (1/2 HD)d(HD)!
  7. So, that brings me to my conclusion: the system will be 3.5, and quite possibly using the Pathfinder RPG rules (but, if so, I will not require anyone to purchase this book). I'm not angry that they're coming out with a new system. It is to be expected. I just do not feel that game mechanics are a good enough reason to switch. Now, I don't care what you play elsewhere, but understand that when you play D&D with me as the GM, it's going to be version 3.5. There's no sense in trying to convince me otherwise. Telling me how cool 4e is has the same impact as if you were talking about Exalted, Changeling, Star Wars, or the He-Man RPG.

 

- Adam, malaise

 

 


 

Thursday, April 24, 2008

 

I love the fact that when I edit the History page, in the All Changes log it is noted as:

 

"Axcalibar changed History".

 

Awesome. EDIT: Well it used to anyway. Now it just says "edited". Lame!

 

Campbell: What have you done? You've changed history. You've created a Time Paradox!

 

STFU, Roy. I put events in their proper order. So now things in the first age go basically like this:

  • The gods make Heroshi, which consequently creates Edenova.
  • Edenova puts out decay waves which make people depressed, pissed, and die.
  • The gods create Erhad and Nuegalon as a mechanism of sorting the souls of the dead. Celestials and Fiends arise from the energies collected in these planes.
  • The gods evolve the Heroshim into the modern races.
  • Ameadaeus gathers followers, kills the titan and ascends. He creates Daema.
  • Several others ascend to maintain the cosmic balance.
  • Daema make trouble on the material plane while the celestials and fiends battle one another.
  • Minmaxar ends the war, imprisoning the factions in their respective realms.
  • Venarri ascends and leads her people across the ocean.
  • Venarri then Sunders the world and dies from it. The barriers are broken and the Wall of Water comes about as a result.

 

- Adam, feeling okay

 


 

 

 

 

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