In a Dragons Age..

So.. I'm going to talk about Dragon Age, and while I'm not entirely sure how to begin, the best I can come up with is to start with the beginning. I picked it up at 10AM from bestbuy(Which opens at 10AM), on November 2nd.

Today is November 16th, and I'm finally getting around to writing something about it.

I picked up the Xbox 360 version(Shame on me) for a rather simple reason: I wanted to get my Christmas shopping done, before Christmas came around. That would not be happening, if I got the DA toolset, which is a download that only works if you have the PC version. The side effect of this, is I get to play the game on the idiot-friendly, pre-built hardware box, with idiot-friendly controllers, and idiotic achievements.

First thing first, I'm impressed with how control is handled on the Xbox. Usually, RPG's are the star shaped peg that are beaten into a round hole with an over abundance of brute force. You can see some of the inventory controls below.


Now the truth is.. More quickslots would be a godsent, but its not realyl feasible to duct tape buttons onto the controller, still it was handled well.

You got 3 programmable letter buttons(X,Y,B) and 1 default action button(A). That sounds bad, until we get more into it. Those 3 buttons wear two hats each, which means they also have alternates functions when you depress a trigger, giving you 6 programmable buttons. But wait, There's more! Those 6 buttons, are tied into the Weapon set your using. So really you have 12 buttons(or if your like me, 10. I mapped X on both weapon set's so that it'd swap weapon sets.)

What that all boils down to is.. For example.
X = Swap weapons
Y = Activated talent 1
B = Activated talent 2
T+X = Activated talent 3
T+Y = Activated talent 4
T+B = Activated talent 5

That's just how I did it though. Now let's elaborate, knockdown in NWN would be an activated talent. Parry/Expertise would be a sustained mode, And passive talents, you can't map to a button anyway.

Assuming you made a Bard/Weaponmaster/Arcane archer for a minute(No, don't ask why), think about how many activated feat's you'd be using. KD, Disarm, Called shot, Ki Strike, bard song, curse song. Except in DA, Bard song is a sustained thing, so you can turn it on and leave it active for the next four days. Doesn't really need to be on the quick buttons 'eh? Likewise, healing is a trigger pull, and thumb rotation away. IT doesn't need to be quick-mapped.

In my example above, that covers most Melee things you'd be using right? Do the same for archer. Rapid shot is sustained, so ignore it. Called shot, fireball arrow, homing arrow, death arrow.. what else? Anyway, point made right? More buttons would be nice, but its enough, it works.

Anyway interface babbling aside, they did a really good job overall, with 2 things I'd have liked to see.

1.) Clicking down on a thumb stick to switch to 1st person view, or zoom in like your bow had a scope. Nothing major, or dire importance there, but damned it'd be nice.
2.) and this is where they screwed the pooch.. In Mass effect you could set your own waypoint on the map to help keep you from running around in circles like an idiot. The age of Dragons despite being made after Mass Effect.. lacks this technology.

Not major, but it'd help at a lot for people on their first run through.

Now then I haven't looked at the toolset, or played with it yet, but I can't help but say they did wonders with the dwarven city. Let's look at some pictures for a bit 'eh?

Human city:

Dwarven City:

Elven area of the Human city:


Human Town:

Dwarven Town:

Elves out in the Bushes:


I won't go on a rant about how different, and correctly all this architecture feels to me, but I will invite, and encourage you to look into it more. I can't find pictures I like for some of the ruins that most impressed me, or the Mountain top temple. But the fact remains, while the area design could be better, the views and locations are for one, enough to make me impressed. NWN2 failed to do that for me.

I could go on more, and I probably will later. But as it stands, I need to get back to stopping the blight.

Mask is a Ranger?

Neutral Evil Human Ranger (3rd Level)

Ability Scores:
Strength- 13
Dexterity- 13
Constitution- 11
Intelligence- 15
Wisdom- 16
Charisma- 12

Alignment:
Neutral Evil- A neutral evil villain does whatever he can get away with. He is out for himself, pure and simple. He sheds no tears for those he kills, whether for profit, sport, or convenience. He has no love of order and holds no illusion that following laws, traditions, or codes would make him any better or more noble. On the other hand, he doesn�t have the restless nature or love of conflict that a chaotic evil villain has. Some neutral evil villains hold up evil as an ideal, committing evil for its own sake. Most often, such villains are devoted to evil deities or secret societies. Neutral evil is the best alignment you can be because you can advance yourself without regard for others. However, neutral evil can be a dangerous alignment because it represents pure evil without honor and without variation.

Race:
Humans are the most adaptable of the common races. Short generations and a penchant for migration and conquest have made them physically diverse as well. Humans are often unorthodox in their dress, sporting unusual hairstyles, fanciful clothes, tattoos, and the like.

Class:
Rangers- Rangers are skilled stalkers and hunters who make their home in the woods. Their martial skill is nearly the equal of the fighter, but they lack the latter's dedication to the craft of fighting. Instead, the ranger focuses his skills and training on a specific enemy a type of creature he bears a vengeful grudge against and hunts above all others. Rangers often accept the role of protector, aiding those who live in or travel through the woods. His skills allow him to move quietly and stick to the shadows, especially in natural settings, and he also has special knowledge of certain types of creatures. Finally, an experienced ranger has such a tie to nature that he can actually draw on natural power to cast divine spells, much as a druid does, and like a druid he is often accompanied by animal companions. A ranger's Wisdom score should be high, as this determines the maximum spell level that he can cast.

---

Detailed Results:

Alignment:
Lawful Good ----- XXXXXXXXXXX (11)
Neutral Good ---- XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX (17)
Chaotic Good ---- XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX (15)
Lawful Neutral -- XXXXXXXXXXX (11)
True Neutral ---- XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX (17)
Chaotic Neutral - XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX (15)
Lawful Evil ----- XXXXXXXXXXXXX (13)
Neutral Evil ---- XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX (19)
Chaotic Evil ---- XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX (17)

Law & Chaos:
Law ----- XXXX (4)
Neutral - XXXXXXXXXX (10)
Chaos --- XXXXXXXX (8)

Good & Evil:
Good ---- XXXXXXX (7)
Neutral - XXXXXXX (7)
Evil ---- XXXXXXXXX (9)

Race:
Human ---- XXXXXXXXXXXXX (13)
Dwarf ---- XXXXXXXX (8)
Elf ------ XXXXXXXXXXXX (12)
Gnome ---- XXXXXXXX (8)
Halfling - XXXXXXXXXX (10)
Half-Elf - XXXXXXXXXXX (11)
Half-Orc - XX (2)

Class:
Barbarian - (-6)
Bard ------ (-4)
Cleric ---- (-4)
Druid ----- (-4)
Fighter --- (-2)
Monk ------ (-19)
Paladin --- (-17)
Ranger ---- XXXXXX (6)
Rogue ----- XX (2)
Sorcerer -- XXXX (4)
Wizard ---- XX (2)

---

What are you?

Why I Can't, Don't, and Won't, trust CEP..

This is a link.

I'm really not sure if I need to add anything to that, but I'll tell you what I see.

1. Barry(CEP team) off on a rant about how the government is out to get him.


2. 420(Also CEP team) posting a single sentence out of a letter with no context. To be fair, he did exactly as he was asked, no more or no less.


3. Morikhan(Q Lead) adds context with the entirety of the letter.


4. Actual conspiracy is revealed in all the things left unsaid, by CEP team.

Any idiot can lie. Let's face it the act requires no skill. Concealing the fact you are, requires skill at masking ones telltales. But online, your not looking at someones face anyway.. so no skill involved. Misleading(all the more so when its deliberate) that requires talent....

For example
"Have you seen your father Jane?"
"No mom."

Now.. If janes father called her.. or talked to her without her making eye contact(Think yelling down the hall). She's being completely truthful. This is why court oaths require one to Tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.

So there it is in a nutshell, Evasive answers, Misleading statements, a dearth of cooperation, and if asked to dig back, I can find and show outright lies.

Sorry, but with that resume, I wouldn't trust these people to walk my dog, much less run a large For-the-community project.

Mmmmm! Tastes like Q!

Begin with the link..

Then we can get into "about damned time" followed by "Totally worth it."

Let's poke around a bit.. Gallery of portraits.

MY personal favorite?

Even after a victorious battle, the march home is exhausting. It is only discipline and honor that prevent the Sapphire Knights from discarding their heavy steel shields that only 2 days prior, kept the barbarian hordes at bay.

Breaking Bards...

Bards have gained my Ire attention lately.. Thus I share some plans. Scheme is to lower BAB, Potentially add more spells, And to add in bard songs.

What do you mean bard songs? They already have Bard song?

Yes.. they have a song. Sort of like how a fighter may have A Sword. Or a mage may have A spell. Screw that. I'm making specialist songs for bards, and by that I mean.. They do one specific thing, and its much stronger than the generic "Everyone can do every thing a tiny bit better" that normal bard song does for allies. I'm doing songs that

1. Last longer.
2. Recharge after use. You'll only have 1 use of each song, but use it.. wait a while, and it comes back.
3. Do one specific thing much better.

So what sort of benefit does this provide?

Well, for that, I give you a song sampling:

Name	Duration	Skill	Targets	Effects
Decant of Dawn	1 Round per song power	Persuade	Allies	+1/2 bard level Positive dam Vs Undead. 1/4 Bard level ATK/AC Vs Undead
Firey Retort	1 Round per song power	Persuade	Allies	(2 * level) Fire Damage Shield. (2 * level) Fire immunity
Ballard of the Bastion	1 Round per song power	Persuade	Allies	(1/2 level) / CHA(score) Damage reduction  I.E +5/18 with a tenth level bard . Immobile(Legs) for Duration.
Ditty of Damage	1 Round per song power	Persuade	Allies	+1 Blunt/Slashing/piercing/2 bard levels to all within range.
Hymn of the Hidden	1 Round per song power	Bluff	Allies	Invisibility
Melody of Masking	1 Round per song power	Bluff	Allies	10+ level Concealment for duration. 50% max.
Blizzard Ballad	1 Round per song power	Intimidate	Enemies	1d2 Cold damage to enemies per round(Total issue at time of song), with a slow effect for the duration.
Fermata of Fouling	1 Round per song power	Intimidate	Enemies	-1 ATK/2 bard levels to all within range.
Carol of the Clumsy	1 Round per song power	Intimidate	Enemies	-1 AC/2 bard levels to all within range.

Considering we're going with Placeable cities..

The questions(2) on my mind now.. are

1. How weird should city layout be?


2. Should Cities have multiple exteriors?


3. How do I want to tackle this beast?

Really, this is where things get strange. I think the answer's oughta be..

1. No more than required.


2. God no, just.. please.. No.


3. Whiskey. Tango. Foxtrot.

Now.. Multi-area city exteriors can be done well. They can, it happens. Its been my experience however that this is a 1/10 shot and it usually only happens by accident. Could just be me, but every transition it takes me to leave the city leaves me with 2 reactions.

1. Why is the city this big?
• Are there 20-30 different taverns I can enter until I find one of my liking?
• If no, then it doesn't need to lend that impression.


2. How many more area's must I jog through before I can finally have an adventure?
• Or is leaving the city itself suppose to be an adventure?

OK, I'm ranting now, and I realize it, but this is one of those places that Pencil and paper translate horribly to digital format. A DM can take a worn-out-sock, wave it around like its a magic wand, and describe the atmosphere of the 2nd, or 3rd, or 12th Tavern/Inn/Brothel that the party/player(s) enter, and Poof! Its there and works.

Worn-out-sock or not.. this is no more arcane than how Hugh Hefner can keep it up long enough to do anything with it at his age. DM say's its there, and within 15 minutes.. It is. Now when you have to construct one bit by bit in the toolset.. try an hour or two unless your just slapping something together. While I can't do that and be happy with the end result, I suppose it is possible to do.


But anyway.. rant aside.. I'm thinking 18 X 18 for cities. I know.. Massive.. But by the same token.. I'd rather have that sort of room, and scale it down if needed. Considering the overland map's are 14X14, I think the different of 4 in either direction will make cities feel quite large, all the more so as I don't plan to have excess/pointless doors and the like.

Anyway, Rant over....




For now.

Mask's a Socializer? WTF?

I'd say it fits..

Socializer


The Socializer motto: "No friend undiscovered!"
Description:

It's not what you do, but who you know, how you are known and who loves you. People with high Socializer scores enjoy interacting with other people, forming bonds and finding cooperative solutions to the challenges within the virtual world.

Secondary influences

• Socializer Killers loyally love and fiercely hate. Groups an SK bonds with in game are often deemed heroic, while the opposition is reviled. SKs appreciate teamwork and cooperation in PvP. They may become vicious predators while enjoying the thrill of hunt within in a pack, but they are not likely to seek out targets by themselves. They enjoy forming groups and alliances that will pit themselves against other players--and they gain the most satisfaction when they defeat organized groups of other players.



• Socializer Explorers love the the 'total experience' of a virtual world--meeting new people and finding the unique places. They don't care much for PVP or leveling, but meeting up with online friends to see new parts of the world is considered fun and exciting. SEs make great group members, because they often know everything there is to know about a game and are enjoy sharing that knowledge freely.



• Socializer Achievers value reputation. They want to be known and appreciated for what they accomplish bother for themselves and their group. If city or base building are available in a game, they enjoy creating these and inviting other people to come and see. SAs enjoy the increased social status that comes with defeating a powerful foe or finding a unique treasure more than the act of gaining or possessing the achievement itself. SAs endeavor to be associated with leaders and teams that are renown for great deeds, often finding as much satisfaction in the success of the group as with oneself.

Try it yourself.

OH Burst yeah..

Just got my batch of Burst VFX from Ben Harrison and going to stuff 'em into the Media hak, and rewrite the Burst animations starting now.

Needless to say.. I'm excited.

Knightly Virtures

So.. I've been on a class kick lately.

In particular.. I've finished Warlock, made some tweaks to Shadow dancer, and now I'm onto the Difficult Behemoth.. Paladin, BG, and CoT. Now, this is one of those area's(Like removing Sorc{can't edit the classes spell gain table}, and adding warlock) that I'm going to either:

1. Create myself a legion of rabid fans
2. Piss off everyone who liked any of those three classes originally.
   

Know what I'm saying? Ya either Like, Love, or Tolerate how they function presently.. but such is Familiar, ya know it, ya plan around it, and it works good. Me.. well, I'm a fan of changing things up for a better(or at lest much more diverse) balance mechanic. So.. Paladins now occupy a Prestige class(Bye Bye Champion of Torm) Blackguards will likewise function with the same spellbook as paladins.

And what does the base class become you ask?

I give you.. The Knight.

A knight is a proud, skilled melee combatant who fights in the name of honor and chivalry. A knight relies on more than a sharp sword and a stout suit of armor to defeat her foes. Her drive, determination, and fighting spirit allow her to control the battlefield in ways that others cannot match. A knight can challenge an opponent to a duel, calling upon the foe's pride and ego to force his hand. The knight's talent with heavy armor, shields, and defensive tactics grant her the ability to disrupt her foe's plans. Only the most talented rogues and monks can slip past a knight's defenses to strike at her allies. An adventuring group with wizards, warlocks, and other lightly armored members thrives with the assistance of a knight. While the knight keeps enemies occupied, her allies can use their talents and abilities without fear of attack or harassment.

The knight class is a great choice if you want to play a tough, durable melee combatant whose strong personality allows you to manipulate your foes. Weaker foes cower in fear before you, while stronger foes move to strike you rather than your allies when you play on their egos and challenge them to duels. Your expertise in using armor and carrying a shield allows you to form an impregnable defensive line. Once you engage a foe, he has difficulty moving away to threaten your allies. If you want to be a front-line melee combatant who defends the rest of the party and manipulates opponents, the knight is a good choice.

Requirements: Any Lawful(Due to limitations of the character creation process, this will function as a choice after character creation where one may become Evil/Neutral)

LVL	BAB	Fort	Will	Ref	Skills	HP	Feats
1	1	2	0	0	2	12	-
2	2	3	0	0	4	24	Armor Mastery
3	3	3	1	1	6	36	Hold The Line(Below)
4	4	4	1	1	8	48	Test of Mettle(Below)
5	5	4	1	1	10	60	Bonus feat, Shield Bash(Below)
6	6	5	2	2	12	72	-
7	7	5	2	2	14	84	Mounted Combat
8	8	6	2	2	16	96	-
9	9	6	3	3	18	108	-
10	10	7	3	3	20	120	Bonus feat
11	11	7	3	3	22	132	-
12	12	8	4	4	24	144	Daunting Challenge(Below)
13	13	8	4	4	26	156	-
14	14	9	4	4	28	168	-
15	15	9	5	5	30	180	Bonus feat
16	16	10	5	5	32	192	-
17	17	10	5	5	34	204	-
18	18	11	6	6	36	216	-
19	19	11	6	6	38	228	-
20	20	12	6	6	40	240	-

Starting at 2nd level, a knight is effective by armor mastery, which increases speed while wearing armor.

Beginning at 3rd level, the knight can elect to become an all but immobile bastion of defense, gaining physical damage resistance equal to (10 + class level + CHA mod), subsequently, the knight looses a good deal of their mobility(45% speed decrease). Additionally any nearby foes(at the time of use) are forced to treat the area near the knight as difficult terrain.

Starting at 4th level, a knight can issue a Test of Mettle. This is a general challenge to all foes within 30 feet. Affected creatures must make Will saves (DC 10 + 1/2 knight level + the knight's CHA modifier). Creatures that fail this save will attack the knight. Using this power is a swift action(Instant/Free).
Recharge time (30 - CHA mod) Rounds

Starting at 7th level, a knight can attempt to shield bash any enemy engaged in melee(And targeting the Knight). This is assumed to be successful(hitting), and the target is provided a will save, failure results in the target being Dazed for 2-3 rounds.
The difficulty class of the save is 10 + ½ character level + strength modifier.
Using this power is a swift action(Instant/Free).
Recharge time (Daze Duration + 1) rounds.

Starting at 12th level, a knight can issue a Daunting Challenge as a swift action. Like a test of mettle, this is a general challenge to all foes within 30 feet. Affected creatures must make Will saves (DC 10 + 1/2 knight level + the knight's Cha modifier). Creatures that fail this save are frightened for (Intimidate skill/2) rounds. Additionally, for each frightened foe, The knight, and Allies are granted a +1 cumulative attack bonus again for (Intimidate skill/2) rounds.
Recharge time (30 - CHA mod) Rounds

Yet another way..

Posted 04/30/09 17:30 (GMT) by Barry_1066

It should be noted the DMFI changed several default Bioware scripts as well to make DMFI work well.

On that note -- the future holds a brand new CEP DMFI all recoded and far more advanced than anything seen before. The project will not be completed for 2.3 but some of the now completed parts will be released in 2.3.

See, here's CEP.. Taking well known existing packages.. and screwing them up by putting a corporate logo on 'em. "its brand new, much better, blah, blah, blah..."

And god help you... if you customized the version that's been out and around.

FYI: the past 6 places I've worked.. I've had to rewrite sections of the DMFI to make it work with the module.

In other news, Atari finally got off its ass, Project Q is still making me sit on mine, and I've been busy working on Warlock, & Shadowdancer anyway.

On the upside.. This has given me a chance to grind, and get my "Sit On Ass" skill up as high as I can. Given I can still take Epic skill Focus: Sit On Ass.. but we'll see if I need to in a week..

Warlock Woes

So tonight plan was to sit down with my lady love, a buddy, and perhaps his lady love.. and play through HoTU with several of my planned changes for black book.

Suffice to say I'm posting this at about 0200 local time for me.

The First Casualty of any Battle is Always the Plan

Damned if that isn't the case. In my last warlock update, I broke two out the the three progressions, and added the 3rd. In the past four hours I've managed to rewrite enough of one path to get expected/desired results out of it, however I fear the other will need a more a less complete recoding tomorrow.

*Sigh*

At any rate.. how about some Warlock Info?

Spells:
Haste:

• Duration: 6 seconds per class level.
• Target: Self.

Invisibility:

• Duration: 6 seconds per class level.
• Target: Self.

AC boost:

• Duration: 18 seconds.
• Target: Self.
• Specifics: Shield, Dodge, and Natural(amulet) AC scores are increased by Warlocks CHA modifier(Max 20).

Of those three only dodge will stack.[/li][/list]

AB Boost:

• Duration: 6 seconds per class level.
• Target: Self.
• Specifics: AB boosted by CHA mod(Max 20)

Regeneration:

• Duration: 6 seconds per class level.
• Target: Self.
• Specifics: Warlock regenerates (CHA Mod) Hitpoints every 3 seconds.

Concealment:

• Duration: 6 seconds per class level.
• Target: Self.
• Specifics: Caster gains concealment % equal to Charisma Mod

Sight:

• Duration: 6 seconds per class level.
• Target: Self.
• Specifics: See Invisibility + Ultravision

Protection Slash:

• Duration: 6 seconds per class level.
• Target: Self.
• Specifics: caster gains (10 + Charisma SCORE) % damage immunity.

Protection Blunt:

• Duration: 6 seconds per class level.
• Target: Self.
• Specifics: caster gains (10 + Charisma SCORE) % damage immunity.

Protection Piercing:

• Duration: 6 seconds per class level.
• Target: Self.
• Specifics: caster gains (10 + Charisma SCORE) % damage immunity.

The Chemistry of Hell

Got this via email a while back, and thought it was worth sharing.

HELL EXPLAINED BY CHEMISTRY STUDENT

The following is an actual question given on a University of Washington chemistry mid-term.

The answer by one student was so "profound" that the professor shared it with colleagues, via the Internet, which is, of course, why we now have the pleasure of enjoying it as well.

Bonus Question: Is Hell exothermic (gives off heat) or endothermic (absorbs heat)?

Most of the students wrote proofs of their beliefs using Boyle's Law (gas cools when it expands and heats when it is compressed) or some variant.

One student, however, wrote the following:

First, we need to know how the mass of Hell is changing in time. So we need to know the rate at which souls are moving into Hell and the rate at which they are leaving. I think that we can safely assume that once a soul gets to Hell, it will not leave. Therefore, no souls are leaving.
As for how many souls are entering Hell, let's look at the different religions that exist in the world today. Most of these religions state that if you are not a member of their religion, you will go to Hell. ''' Since there is more''' than one of these religions and since people do not belong to more than one religion, we can project that all souls go to Hell.

With birth and death rates as they are, we can expect the number of souls in Hell to increase exponentially.

Now, we look at the rate of change of the volume in Hell because Boyle's Law states that in order for the temperature and pressure in Hell to stay the same, the volume of Hell has to expand proportionately as souls are added.

This gives two possibilities:
If Hell is expanding at a slower rate than the rate at which souls enter Hell, then the temperature and pressure in Hell will increase until all Hell breaks loose.
If Hell is expanding at a rate faster than the increase of souls in Hell, then the temperature and pressure will drop until Hell freezes over.

So which is it?
If we accept the postulate given to me by Teresa during my Freshman year that, "It will be a cold day in Hell before I sleep with you," and take into account the fact that I slept with her last night, then number two must be true, and thus I am sure Hell is exothermic and has already frozen over. The corollary of this theory is that since Hell has frozen over, it follows that it is not accepting any more souls and is therefore, extinct......leaving only Heaven, thereby proving the existence of a divine being which explains why, last night, Teresa kept shouting "Oh my God."


Suffice it to say this student was the only one who got an A

PS: This is hilarious too.

Great Characters..

Prologue: Fact Finding

The young Tymoran priest lay unconscious on his side, bound hand and foot with thick hemp rope. A purple bruise was already beginning to form around his left eye. Vraggen eyed him coldly.

"Get him up," Vraggen ordered his agents.

Dolgan, the big Cormyrean, slung his axe and kneeled at the captive's side. He took the priest's face in his ham hand and squeezed.

"Awaken," Dolgan said.

The priest groaned, but did not open his eyes.

"Well done," taunted Azriim. He stood beside Vraggen with a smirk on his dusky-skinned face. "Very creative."

Dolgan looked at the half-drow with his typically thick expression and grunted, "Huh?"

Azriim, dressed in the green finery and high boots that he favored, flashed a smile at Vraggen. "He never gets the joke, does he?"

Vraggen made no reply. To Azriim, everything was a joke.

"I don't?" Dolgan asked, still dumbfounded.

"Wake him up," Vraggen said to the Cormyrean warrior.

"And try not break him," Azriim added. "We need him capable of speech."

Dolgan nodded, turned back to the captive, shook him by the shoulders, and said, "Wake up! Wake up!"

The young priest groaned again. Dolgan lightly tapped his cheeks, and after a moment, the priest's eyes fluttered open.

"There," Dolgan said. He stood and backed away a few steps to stand beside Azriim and Vraggen.

The priest's bleary eyes cleared the moment his situation registered. He struggled against his bonds, but only for a moment. Vraggen waited until he saw resignation in the Tymoran's eyes before he spoke.

"What is the last thing you remember?"

...

Wizards has made a pdf version of Twilight Falling, book one of The Erevis Cale Trilogy, available as a free download. The whole novel. So why not go grab it, maybe send it to a friend who's never heard of Erevis Cale? There's nothing to lose. It's friggin' free. And speaking of free, do feel free to spread the word.

I actually suggested this to my editor at Wizards twelve months ago. Yes, indeed, the wheels of publishing turn slowly.

Obviously, the print version of Twilight Falling is available, too, but alas not free.

-Paul S Kemp

Now, I have every book centered on this character(save the most recent one) in print, on my bookshelf, but damned if this isn't a great opportunity for me (as a fan) to shove things I like down other peoples throats.

Like the man say's, its free, nothing to lose.

The Winter Wastes

The history of the north is really a rather simple one.  It was occupied first by the prisoners, the unwanted, who had little care for the cold: Dwarves.  Predictably, they were the first to explore the mountains, and as dwarves are want to do, burrow into it.  Claiming the tunnels was by no means an easy task, and at first it was scatterings of dwarves, singular brawlers, and handful's of the little diggers who took caves near the surface as their homes.

As time progressed, they began trading with the other small outposts, and more infrequently, joining forces with each other to dig in deeper.  Eventually, small groups of dwarves returned south to the then burgeoning city of Haven(which has become Nefir Ryjah) to trade. Time passed and the dwarves fought tooth and nail to keep their holdings, but they were eventually driven out of the mountains by the sheer speed with which competition would out breed them.

Most of the dwarven clans, and clusters headed north, feeling certain they'd find another range, and that they'd learned from the failures since arriving in this new world.  They failed, but not entirely.  A number of the clans banded together, and settled in to the North east of the range.



They dug in and thus, the makings of the first northern city were carved into the stone. As years passed, more and more of the Brawlers, the trouble makers, the fierce, the problems, of the south, were taken up over the mountains and left in the wilds, to live, or die as chance had.   At first the dwarves took advantage of this, offering shelter and food in exchange for sword work to secure their new homes.

As time progressed, they dug deeper and deeper, fortifying as they went, and as the need for additional swords was outgrown, but as a charity of sorts, the dwarves allowed the cast offs to settled outside their hold. The dwarves took the small cave they began with and dug.  Generations later, they've all but built their own mountain atop the clanhold, and fortified it to withstand any foe they could imagine.

The North progressed from this to a more civilized region during the foundation and reign of the empire, however, the rough nature of the settlers hasn't changed a hair. Order in the North is strictly maintained by the military, and both of the cities have two companies of standing soldiers assigned to ensure neither safety, nor civil order are threatened.

To this day, the northern spirit is still that of brash fighters ready to cross blades at a perceived insult. As a society the north is a constant struggle between the argumentative nature of its citizens, and the harshness of the northern justice. It's been said that the northern army could conquer the west if not for the likelihood such would invite a southern advance.

The Western Wilds

To detail what occurred in this region, simply put, the empire never truly conquered it. That is to say that with all manner of odd native beasts as well as the results of spells and experiments gone awry, while the empire could secure a large portion of the continent, between the magical cataclysm, and the disadvantage of trying to hold ground from roaming predators, and tribes of humanoids, the empire could never truly chase every foe to extinction, while securing already "cleared" lands.

To explain the west, we must first realize that while things were at their most peaceful, the underground regions were at the most dangerous, but like many, trust and faith in the ruling body was easy enough and people became complacent in trusting the emperor and his children would keep the roads safe, the marauders away from civilization, and the land peaceful. There were from time to time temporary problems, but that was to be expected, and it was understood they didn't last long.

That is until the Emperor's demise.  Mardak immediately recalled all troops as the predictable first step to settling and trying to ensure this was a temporary set back, not a disaster.  Corthyra mean-while perceived this as the likely first step towards military law through out the empire, and sought out those least pleased with Mardak, and began making provisions to keep the South she knew and loved safe.

While her concern was mostly making sure there were troops to reassure the people, Mardak took it as a secession from the empire, as well as a direct challenge to his authority.  As Corthyra was not likely to rule the empire, despite being the older sister, Mardak felt she overstepped her authority by arranging the patrols in the south.  This however is tangential to our discussion of the Western wilds.

Neither sibling showed any care for the west, beyond Mardaks failed attempt to take the capital by force.

A land of mostly rolling plains, and country retreats, the west went untended, as it was neither contested land, nor particularly dangerous at the onset of the conflict.  As the years passed, the assorted creatures and savages driven underground began to find returning to the surface wasn't a quick death the way it use to be, and in an unsurprising turn, the creatures nearest the surface began to ascend and spread.

I mentioned earlier they were forced underground, and this created the predictable problem of space.  as more and more savages and predators were forced off the surface, the warring and conflicts below grew more and more violent and brief.  This in turn lead to each tribe, and pack, and group of creatures to fight meaner and meaner, as only the toughest nastiest sort would survive long.  When these sharpened, almost feral beings returned to the surface, to find space, game, and the civilized settlers, things again took the predictable turn.

Retired soldiers, pompous nobles, serving maids, and expert butlers proved little enough resistance to these bred killers from below, and in short order the empire was again forced to confront the results of its complacency.  Few of the retreats, and summer homes survived til the first winter, those few that can still be found in the west, have learned to live as if besieged, universally these have been situated at the few manse's which were built with walls around when originally constructed.  Such dwellings were usually built by retired officers, or paranoid nobles who staffed their homes primarily with retired soldiers.

The west as it stands is known to be dangerous, and its said to be second only to descending into the earth.

Introduction

Run, it's Morim the dwarf!

Yes, some of you might recognize me from the dwarf I used to play. Since dwarves rule, I'm going to keep the name and make you remember it. Right now I've finally kicked into gear Project Black Book with Mask, and things are getting done now... I like to say mostly because of me, since I'm the moral support.

I've never DMed nor do I really plan to, but I can write a good story and am capable and willing to learn how to script and build. I've done work REALbasic before, and have taken a couple HTML classes which I passed with flying colors. All in all, once I get the hang of Aurora, I'll be able to do more than just write story and "pretty" the areas up.

On a different side note, if all goes well I will be going to New York Comic Con and check out what they have. BioWare is having a booth open during the convention, and will be having a dinner for player's afterward. They're mainly promoting Dragon Age: Origins, but I reckon most of the question will be about Baldur's Gate or NWN.

Until next time,

LOVE and PEACE.

Well, I got something done recently...

In addition to working on a quest system(remind me to come back to this) I dropped several years ago.. I also conned a new fellow into semi-active work. His name is Morim, and he's a tool. Alright, alright, maybe I shouldn't slander him on his first day...


Then again, I better get him use to it right?

So in addition to getting him to sell me his soul, I also(you may have noticed) moved to a different webhost a while ago, and as of yesterday.. I put up, and semi-organized a new and better forum system. Now to be fair.. runboard was fine, (and will continue to be up while I cull useful data off it) and its good for entry level putting up a free forum for your non-profit whatever, when you know absolutely nothing.

Its simple, easy, and more a less difficult to screw it up without actively trying. However the admin panel on that thing is simply atrocious, and that makes any changing to the actual board's setup, layout, and permissions, a chore and a half.

No thanks. However, I also has standards, so PHPBB can crawl in a hole, die, and reanimate as a zombie before I think its worth the effort to seriously examine, much less use. I went with SMF, they call it "Simple Machines Forums" but me being me.. I tend to think of it as "Smurf Made Forums".

That's because its a bit cartoony, but its also easy, clear, and simple. Runboard at its best, is simplistic. And I don't say that in a positive light. So now that I'm actively putting some occasional effort into this.. it seemed time to get a nicer forums set up, and get things kicking.

I'd give you an estimate when the runboard forum will no longer be linked, but as soon as I pick a date, I'm almost sure to miss it. We'll say "Pre-2010" ok?

Script Monkeys can't decorate..

Seems like I'm working all by my lonesome again. Oh well. It happens. In related news, I've gotten to work on decorating up the north.. As you can see, the plain area(as seen in toolset) is pretty cut and dried for a lot of the northern plains. Its both unappealing, and tediously blank.



Hence, we get into adding some character.. Believe it or not These tree's were all created by a script I wrote some time(Months?) ago, which is in itself a variant of my traps placement code. This combined with a little known, or at least little fact of the game.. yields me some pre-populate area's.



You see, one can quite easily open a save game in the toolset to edit it. It handles .sav files just like .mod, so its really quite easy to load a save game up and make an Encapsulated Resource File(ERF) out of the saved map.



Back to interesting stuff now. I took the liberty of "Tree-ing" up the north At least A and B rows, and this is about the final difference when all is said and done.



Not bad for a script monkey made area.