Power Source Theory

Just a quick post today, next time there will be more Divine Bard!


I have a theory, and to some extent it is based on a mix of 3.x and 4e D&D. Basically its that the Power Sources can be grouped into three different types: Given, Taken, and Self.


Given sources include Divine and Primal, and are granted to them by some other source such as a deity or nature.

Taken sources include Arcane, and are taken from their prospective planes, the universe itself, the mana flow, etc. without any being's consent.

Self sources include Martial and Psionic, and are from within the user, built up from training the body, mind and spirit.



I hope to add the future power sources to this list, Though I assume that Elemental will be a 'taken' and shadow may be a 'taken' or a 'self'.

Does that sound about right? Comment and put in your opinion. I dare ya!

Tomorrow: Alternate Power Source 4e Class (Beta)

No post today, sorry... But tomorrow's post will have the long awaited alternate power source class, Divine Bard!


Oh, and did you know that four months is the cheeseburger anniversary?

Err... Month-a-versery?

Random Idea: Inspiration block demon

Ok, I know I said I was gonna write about WonderCon, But I never did. So here is an idea inspired by the last event of the con: The sing along Buffy the Vampire Slayer musical episode.

Inspiration block demon:
The opposite of a muse. Causer of writer's block, instigator of procrastination, and all around pain in the rear for creative types.

And that's all I got before my thinking of it caused it to come into existence and start plaguing me.

No not really, I'm always like that.

But, as with the Buffy demon that made everyone sing and dance, it really does fit an actual story better, rather than a RPG, unless you can get your players to agree to not do anything inspired. Or just not allow them to. Or make it invinceable to inspired attacks.

To be honest, all I can see is that the smart character keeps trying to think of something to stop the monster, but is completly unable to form an idea. Then another character (who has this as an answer to all problems) simply pulls an "Indy" and just shoots the demon, prompting its final words, "How uninspired..."

Planet-sized Jelly Monster

I looked at the title of a post over at A Hamsterish Hoard of Dungeons and Dragons and misunderstood it. It said "Monster: Earth Jelly," and I mistook it to be this:

A GIANT SPACE OOZE THAT TRAVELS FROM PLANET TO PLANET EATING ALL ORGANIC MATTER!

Take an Ooze monster, add Unicron, and Galactus, and what do you get?

DOOM!

This would be an awesome one time Spelljammer adventure, where the characters have to figure out how to stop it before it consumes their home planet.

Wow, I can't even think of how it could be stopped... But then again it is late as I am writing this... Can anyone think of a way to destroy it?

Other than a ShamWow.

The terrible truth

There is something I have to say...


I'm more of a player than a DM.


I've spent way more time reading the PHB than the DMG, my favorite part of the monster manual is the monstrous races in the back, and I look forward to the PHB2 than I ever will for the DMG2.

Its true, and not only that, but when I try to DM it never goes as well as I'd like.

So, once my group is through with Keep on the Shadowfell, one of my players, Kami (currently Aiur), will take over with a campaign of his own.

I will still write my adventure journals, though possibly from the perspective of my character (or at least we'll see how well that turns out), and I'll post some of my ideas that I came up with for continuing from the end of the KotS.


Edit: in case you are wondering, I write this because in my second post, the first D&D session, I write about how proud I was of being a DM. Its fun, but I'm just saying that I'd much rather be a player.

What class are you?

Everyone else is posting theirs, why not?

D&D Home Page - What Class Are You? - Build A Character - D&D Compendium

In secret temples far from bustling cities and priestly hierarchies, orders of esoteric warriors train their initiates in ancient traditions now forgotten or forbidden by most religious organizations. The champions of these orders are avengers—deadly weapons in the hands of their gods, imbued with divine power through secret rites of initiation. In battle, avengers swear to execute divine vengeance, entering a mental state that gives them unerring focus on a single enemy.

As an avenger, you were trained in a monastery, initiated through secret rites, and imbued with the power to smite your god's foes. You might be a disciple of Ioun, sworn to hunt and exterminate the minions of Vecna until you one day face the Maimed God. You could be an agent of the Raven Queen, bringing death to those who would defy your mistress. Or perhaps you serve Bahamut as an agent of justice, bringing ruin to tyrants and oppressors. The organizations devoted to your god might view you as a heretic or a hero, but you answer only to your god and to the vows you swore upon your initiation as an avenger.

Where will those vows lead you? One thing is certain: Doing the will of your god is never easy and never free of peril.

Yeah, I'm kinda awesome like that. Can't wait for the PHB2 to come out so I can see all the awesome powers I get!

Wish they had added it to the character builder...

And here are my player's results!


Nieen's player:

D&D Home Page - What Class Are You? - Build A Character - D&D Compendium

WHAT?

Red Nose Day

what the heck?

Ultimate damage tank

I was thinking about Dak Ness, the "shifty shifter," and decided that he needed some team mates. So I decided to make more optimized characters who could use their racial abilities to augment their classes, and I noticed that the bugbear can use weapons that are one size larger than its own size(and I later found that minotaurs have the same ability, but only in the monster manual). So I made Rahz, a bugbear fighter, multi-classing as a ranger for the two weapon fighting abilities. So, here, thanks to iplay4e, I can display Rahz here on Ideamancer!

The main idea for Rahz was to make a character that would do as much damage as possible. Bugbears get a strength bonus, can use weapons one size catagory larger then they are, and has an ability that can let him do extra damage once per encounter. I decided that my damage machine would be either a ranger or a fighter, eventually choosing fighter since Dak was already a ranger, and giving him a little more toughness to take more hits. But anyway... First thing that I did was Look through the weapons to find the best damage dealing one handed weapon (if you haven't figured it out already, you'll see why one handed soon). It took a while, but I finally found it: the bastard sword. Better yet, since he could use weapons one size larger: LARGE BASTARD SWORD! 1d12 Damage, +3 proficency, and only 30gp each. So, after taking feats so that he could A) Use bastard swords, weapon proficiency (bastard sword) B) Use a one handed weapon as a off hand weapon, Two blade warrior (multiclass ranger). He was ready to go bust some heads. I also gave him the novice power feat, to take advantage of some of the ranger's powers. I auto added some magic items, them replaced them with more appropriate magic items of the same level, such as the lightning weapon for one of his swords.

I think I a going to update Dak Ness on the shifty shifter post, so that he is viewable as Rahz is above.

ZOMG! Kobolds!

Kobolds, maybe I just like to root for the little guys, but I like them.

Kobolds are fun! Little, dragon obsessed, scaly people who just try to make a living when some adventurers go and lay waste to their entire family.

I was hoping that there would be better race information for them in the draconomicon, maybe a few feats for them, like fire breath or some wings, but no luck. maybe someday, kobolds. Maybe someday, you will shine like I know you can.

For you, kobolds, I have labeled all posts that include a good bit of info about kobolds, and in a few weeks I will have rules for Ages of Avion kobolds. And don't expect the monster manual kobolds either.

Actually, I'll even give you a taste: Kobolds do not breed outside of their own scale color (and especially not other races), and the rarest color (on the surface) is the purple kobold, who is able to see in the dark and uses picks as weapons. I may even use one for a story, using the "drow that is afraid of the dark" idea to use on this character.

Updates for the next few weeks:
Ages of Ages of Avion
Races of Avion series (6 in all, subject to change)

wondercon!

Going to Wondercon this weekend! Yay!

Probably/maybe a report when I get back.

Character Idea: Are you afraid of the dark...?

He he he... Every once in a while I get a really silly idea... and here is one of them:

A drow that is afraid of the dark!

...well I suppose its only funny if you know enough about D&D. Drow are dark elves that live underground in an area of dangerous things called "the underdark". They stand out from their normal elf cousins by their black skin, white hair, and general evilness. For a drow to be afraid of the dark would only work if the character was meant to be silly or lame, of course anyone that knows me would know that I would go for silly. Almost all drow characters are meant to be trying to throw off their race's evil tendencies and try to be nice. Not so with this character, he likes being evil, a lot, but would rather be above ground where it is light out at least half of the time.

well he would need to not have the drow racial darkvision.. (which allows them to see in pitch black darkness.)

Oh! Maybe he can learn that he is only half-drow! Character development!

But... WHAT IS THE OTHER HALF!?!?!?!?

Dun dun dun...

Broadswords and Boomsticks

Game idea: Broadswords and Boomsticks.
setting: modern day Sci-fi/horror (aliens, monsters and zombies)
possible media: video game(RPG, Shooter/Hack and slash, tactics-style RPG), Tabletop RPG
concept: monsters, aliens, and zombies attack! All your dreams come true!

Basically, what every nerd dreams for: something happens that makes all of their gaming, reading, and other nerdy things they have done come to some use: the things that nobody else believes existed turn out to not only exist, but attacks. you become the first, and only, line of defense against the things that nobody else is prepared for.


races in B&B:
K'zooni - militaristic aliens that are trying to take over the world.
Ah'zooni - Aliens that want to coexist with humans.
Zooners - descendants of alien and human pairings.
Elfin - descendants of long extinct elf race, part human.
Magebreed- Humans of a magic bloodline, able to use magic.
Dwarvin - descendants of Dwarf and Human pairings.
Dwarves- race hidden underground, rarely seen.
Mundanes - Non-magical, pureblood humans.
Orkin - descendants of long extinct race of tainted elves, part human.
Fall-bound - descendants of angel and human pairings, also called "Sins" as for an angel to mate with a mortal is a crime, and makes it a fallen one.

monsters:
Aliens: "Gray" types of aliens, two races: the good Ah'zooni and the evil K'zooni
Undead: zombies, vampires, hopping vampires, ghosts.
Lycanthropes: So many types that its really kinda funny.
dragons: long dormant, huge, flying lizards. Hungry.
random large beasts: YES


more to come... maybe.

Writing Idea: Planar Ranger

Ok, I was working on writing the next session of the D&D group. But that doesn't stop my brain from working on other things, I was thinking about an idea for another story, and as I am thinking about it, I suddenly stop and think, "Aw, crap. I just created ANOTHER fantasy setting."

Anyway, as it has developed so far, long ago there was a powerful wizard (as there commonly was) and he excelled above all others when it came to the planes. Tales say he could open a portal to anywhere at his whim, control the less stable planes, and some say he could even create planes as he desired. Then one day, he disappeared. The old tales are never truly clear, and rarely agree with each other, but their is one person who knows his fate. He knows.

On a plane that is completely covered in forests, an old man works an arcane formula as two young men fuss over how to properly cook an odd looking beast that they had just caught, looking up at them from its cage. Giving up arguing with his stubborn brother, the tall one stands up and asks the old man what he thinks. He tells them that they should try to tame the creature and have it catch food for them. The two look at the old man, then at each other, then at the beast, then they grin and jump into action and start arguing the best way to tame the creature. The old man smiles to himself, knowing that that should keep them busy for at least a few days, and resumes his work. It had been four hundred Fifty six years since he had retired to this plane, its pure essence of nature keeping him from dying of old age as he continued his work. After centuries of solitude, dryads that he had not known existed in the plane suddenly appeared, causing him to think he had lost his marbles. Beautiful women tend to do that.

The dryads had watched over him while he was there: sent food his way when he was running low on supplies, sent away the great beasts if they were heading in his direction, and observed his actions in his day to day life. As it turned out, they had found a pair of human infants and they did not know how to raise them as humans. They wished for him to raise the infants and he agreed, on one condition: that they would no longer hide their presence from him and come to talk with him occasionally, since he had not conversed with anyone in quite some time, and aid him in whatever way possible to raise the two, since thought the old man knew many things, he did not know much about raising children.

The two boys grew up quickly, compared to centuries of solitude, the dryads helped in whatever ways they could. The old man taught them all that he could, and since he was a wizard, he taught them what he knew- magic. One of the boys took to it like a fish to water, but his brother had much difficulty mastering the control of magic...

Wow, this is taking longer than I thought, and its not even the part I wanted to write. What I wanted to write was that the taller one (who is not as good at magic) gets a device that allows him to travel to different planes as well as his brother can magically, and after his brother gets lost, he has to go and find him, traveling from plane to plane. I'm sure something happens, that involves a attractive young female of a royal bloodline that needs help in some way.

Will he find his brother? Will he help the attractive, young female of a royal bloodline? And what is so troubling her that she asks a stranger for help? Will I ever develop this storyline any further than this?

Fantasy Setting Name

Whats in a name?

don't believe any nonsense about a rose smelling as sweet even if it was not called a rose. Names can have power.

"Then he explained the name was the important thing for inspiring the necessary fear. You see, no one would surrender to the Dread Pirate Westley."
-Wesley, The Princess Bride.

And so I have a bit of a dilemma, I obviously cant go on referring to my fantasy setting as "fantasy setting," especially since I actually have two of them now. So what should the setting be called?

This is the point where if I had any readers, I'd ask them. Soon followed by them pointing out that I haven't actually told them much about the setting. You non-existent jerks...

Well, its kinda a normal fantasy setting... except not.

I don't explain things well.

All I have is the setting and groups of characters. No actual adventures for them to go on. I am the worst writer ever.

"Lost" the RPG

Dang it, I have a terrible idea.

But its so funny!

Ok, here's the idea: get a bunch of players to play a lost-ish RPG where they are stranded on an island in the middle of the ocean, they think that they have to survive and figure out whats going on on the island.

The twist is: Its a Gilligan's Island RPG

Somehow, Gilligan is the antagonist, accidentally at least, and whatever they do, as long as it relates to escaping from the island, Gilligan will mess it up. It would be even better if i made the characters for them and they did not catch that there is the first mate, the Skipper , the Millionaire and his wife, the movie star, the Professor and some eye candy random girl.

And then I'd go and spoil it all by saying something stupid like "a three hour tour."

A three hour tour....

Current Ideas

currently there are three ideas going through my head at this time.

1. Broadswords and Boomsticks (B&B)
characters fight a number of unnatural, super natural, and extraterrestrial entities trying to take over or destroy the world or just plain be evil.
possible media for this include:
table top RPG
Video game (3rd person shooter/hack and slash or tactics-type RPG are my top ideas)
graphic novel/webcomic
novel

2. My fantasy setting(s)
I have half a post on a new fantasy setting, involving a lot of planes. Think of what would happen if technology had advanced a couple hundred years after a typical D&D setting. Something like that.
And for my other setting, I have been thinking about a religion system which I will post when I get the chance... and get a little more solid.

3. After my players make it though the current module, I plan to make a continuing story of what happens to them after- discoveries are made, and the heroes will try to make the world a safer place. I can't say any more because my only reader is one of the players.

Dang... that brings me up to... five posts that I plan to write. Two D&D sessions that I need to catch up on, the religion stuff for my fantasy setting, the post about the other fantasy setting (fantasy setting 2?) , and a post about some character ideas I have for my fantasy setting... Six if I am gonna make a post about B&B... Well, I had better get writing...

Presidential Vacuum Squad (PVS)

Ok, assuming that it will one day be possible, when cloning gets advanced enough to create exact copies of people, will there be a group of people that follows the president around with vacuums to collect all of his skin cells to keep anyone from getting his DNA to make a clone for them to control?

I swear, with ideas like this I'd be an evil genius if not for my conscience. It occurred to me that I could use these talents to fake an attempt to take over the world, in hope of causing a hero to emerge and lead the people (or at least a small group of adventurers) to fight my "evil" growing empire. All in the intents of creating heroes, i have no desire to take over the world because once you do that then you have to RUN the world. Despite how much fun it would be to take over the world, I really don't want to be in charge of the whole world, and I certainly don't trust anyone to control the whole planet, so its not like I can just have my own little island to sneak off to and give away supreme ultimate power of leadership. Meh, I'll probably wait for Kami to make his attempt to take over the world and then be the hero myself. Then again... I'll probably find someone else to be the hero and just support him while hiding in the background. At least to the press.

Wow, this was supposed to be a short post...

Epic

D&D's most greatest weapons ever.

Its so awesome, I just had to link to it. Some of these are on par with Punpun

The Best Terrible Idea I've Ever Had

The other day, my mother and I determined the most efficient morally-questionable profession ever.

But I can never tell, for I cannot unleash such a concept on the world.

You mundanes have no idea what a burden us imaginatives have.

Barbarian with a thesaurus

Ok, what do you think about this:

A barbarian who talks at about Tarzan level, "Me Tarzan, you Jane." but every once in a while throws in a really complex word, "Krug exterminate tiny gob!" Maybe even more exaggerated, by using words that the other characters may have not even heard of, using it perfectly: "Krug extirpate tiny gob!", "Krug hit infinitesimal gob!" and the like.

I think it could be pulled off. Probably not by me, but it could be.


Do I actually have any readers? you can post comments, you know. And its about time that I post about something that isn't specifically D&D.