The Rebirth of TSR?

Greyhawk Grognard has a really interesting post about the new TSR. Check it out here.

Demons in Dragonlance

In my old campaign I intended to experiment with demons. The idea was to create a Call of Cthulu type mood, where the players would face some of the most evil entities in the world. As all my other plans, this one never came to fruition, but I did do a little bit of work on it.

The letter I have posted below, was supposed to be found by the players somehow, and reveal the existence of demons. The letter is written to an hitherto unknown arch mage, who for some reason, is interested in the denizens of the lower planes. The letter contains excerpts from a red robe, who apparently traveled to the lower planes with several other people, only to be butchered. The mage Daliath Vos is the sole survivor. This letter was supposed to be the first in a long line of correspondence between the two mages, although the inquiring mage’s identity would always remain a mystery.

 

Most esteemed Archmagus,

It was not without surprise that I received your request through our mutual friend in Palanthas. Normally I do not share my work with others, even though they belong to the same order as me, but considering your merits and status I feel compelled to respond.

What you are about to read is a short summation of the knowledge I have accumulated over many long years. At great personal risk have I ventured into realms that only a scarce few have been privileged to visit and the price has been high. So has the rewards, because in doing so I have amassed powers that I only dreamed of in my youth.

You will find references to two key researchers of this field: Daliath Vos and Abi-Dalzim. Both of these were great wizards in their own rights, but they have distinguished themselves by the amount of work they have put in to this venture. I would recommend that you search your own library for references to the mages, since they, to the best of my knowledge, are long gone from our part of the world. I am currently gathering information about the two, which I will forward you when ready.

I feel a warning is in its place. This subject is as dangerous as any undertaken by people of our profession. The person venturing in to this realm risks not only his existence but his very soul. Duly warned, I present to you The Demonology of Krynn.

Gil-Galad uth Vakaar

Archmagus of The Black Robes

I first started to take an interest in the lower planes when I accidentally came across a book by the great Archmagus Abi-Dalzim. From what I understand he was a powerful wizard of the Black Robes who hailed from the lands of Kuhr. I have been unable to determine when he was alive, but I have reason to believe that he at some point in time served the Great Fistandantilus as an apprentice. Abi-Dalzim claimed to have devised a spell that allowed him to scry into the Abyss without actually going there physically. I have attempted to copy his method and have met with some success. During this scrying, Abi-Dalzim saw beings, which he had never even heard of, much less seen. Since he was familiar with many of the races of the nether spheres this, needless to say, came as a surprise. Thus, he started the work that I am now continuing.

What I am able to understand from these ancient texts the Abyss is home to a race of beings that, for a lack of a better word, are Demons. It seems that these beings are native to that particular plane, and that they wield great power, power that rival that of many deities. Now, these Demons, or Tanar’ri as they call themselves, are not gods in their own rights, since they are unable to grant power to their followers. I will explore the worship of the creatures later. However, they do seem to at the very least, dominate large portions of the nether planes in a manner that resembles a lordship. So, according to your question I will now turn to the matter of the so-called Lords of the Abyss. I first encountered a reference to the Lord of the Abyss, when I read the work of Daliath Vos. He was a mage of the Red Robes, who along with his companions actually ventured into the Abyss themselves for undisclosed reasons. Needless to say, this was many eons ago, but after Abi-Dalzim started his work. I have here part of Daliath Vos’ account of what transpired in the Abyss as he later wrote it in the Nethertome:

There is a place where Evil has a face and a body. There is a place where Evil lives and breathes. Within this place of torment they live, the Masters of Hate, Agony and Rage. From the deepest and darkest pits of the Nether World they rule through power so great that mere mortals can do nothing but bow down in homage.

It was to these pits we traveled in search of power and knowledge. Little did we know what fate had in store for us. Sir Gavin the Paladin was the first to fall when his God failed to aid him. What happened to the Holy Daughter Tamera I cannot say, as for the rest they must have been dragged away by the servants of the Lords.

I have come to the conclusion that I was allowed to escape so my tale could be told as a warning to other foolish mortals who want to seek out the Lords of Hate.

-Daliath Vos, Archmagus of the Red Robes

Tower of High Sorcery, Losarcum

I believe that this tale provides us with some information concerning the denizens of the nether spheres. Firstly, it appears that there is a hierarchy, which is based on power, meaning that the least powerful creatures serve more powerful entities. I cannot for sure say how many echelons there exist but my guess is around five. There are most likely several different races in each echelon while I suspect the more powerful creatures are unique. As for their relationship with the Gods I can only speculate. Personally, I think some of the hordes do serve the deities of Krynn, although some of them appear to be independent or at least in service of hitherto unknown masters.

Lastly, I feel I should warn you again. Despite your renown and your obvious power, which we witnessed in Neraka, meddling with the affairs of the nether spheres can only bring doom to the unfortunate. However, I will share any information with you at the usual fee if necessary. You can contact me through our Red Robed broker.

G.

Now with iPad app

I just installed the Blogger app for iPad, and even though I detest Apple and all that company stands for it is still pretty cool. Anyway, here's to more blogging here on GigaBoot.

Getting the elven itch

I have been reading the Elven Nations trilogy for a couple of days now, and I am really enjoying it so far. Actually, I am enjoying it so much that I am considering buying The Elven Exiles trilogy.

I always felt the elves in Dragonlance were portrayed as being terribly weak and passive, but it seems like they are portrayed a little differently here. Of course, the books are all about elves, so it makes sense that they are better described, and therefore a lot more interesting than what we normally see in the books.

New book

Since there are no new Dragonlance books coming anymore, I have decided to read the ones I never got around to read in the first place.

Yesterday, Amazon delivered the Eleven Nations Omnibus, which I am looking forward to reading. I like the work of  Tonya C. Cook, Douglas Niles and Paul B. Thompson a lot, hopefully this book will live up to the expectations.

Wizards’ keynote at Gen Con 2012

I haven’t had tine to watch the key note yet, but I thought I would show some support and post it to my blog.

The topic is “The Future of Dungeons & Dragons”, which I find pretty interesting. Hopefully I will have some positive comments after I watch the entire thing.

Gen Con Keynote Address

Renewed my domain

Despite claiming I was done with gaming, I have decided to renew my domain. If it is because I am reading the Lost Chronicles or something else remains unknown, but for some reason I can’t seem to let go of this RPG thing.

The funny thing is, that I was reading an article about D&D next, which was published on a Danish tech news site, and I made feel slightly optimistic about the future of our game.

Maybe I will even find a group one of these days.

I guess I was wrong

RPGs aren’t quite dead yet, although I and others on the internet have proclaimed the demise of the once popular game. It turns out that the game is still quite popular.

I stumbled upon an article written by Paul Alexander Butler, who is a store manager, and who would know a heck of a lot more about the state of RPGs than little old me. Here’s a little snippet:

There are those who will tell you that traditional table top Role-Playing Games are dead. More often than not, you will hear this cry from brick-and-mortar retailers. They will point to the popularity of online games such as World of Warcraft. They will direct you to the proliferation of PDF sales and suggest that they have cannibalized hardcopy sales. They will hold up examples such as White Wolf publishing, who, for all intents and purposes, now only publishes print-on-demand. They bemoan the fact that DUNGEONS & DRAGONS has fallen from its pedestal of "best selling role playing game."

Role-Playing Games are dead?

On behalf of myself, our Assistant Manager George, every gamer who turns out every Thursday night for Open RPG night, and the whole staff here at Games and Stuff, I respectfully say: Bullshit.

Source: Paul Alexander Butler @ Games and Stuff

The short version of this story is that I suck really badly. The second more interesting aspect is that RPGs aren’t really as dead as we might think. So why don’t we see Dragonlance, Greyhawk or Mystara material?

I suppose our good friends at Wizards of the Coast have decided it is not worth their time and energy to produce more material for these, or any other worlds, since the bottom line won’t benefit from it. I hold an MBA, so I know companies exist to make money and nothing else, however, I will also stipulate that there are ways to make money from these hitherto forgotten worlds.

Most likely I am dead wrong about this. Let’s face it, I have been dead wrong about a great many things in the past, but surely there must be some clever guy or girl at Wizards who can come up with a distribution model or something to make these worlds profitable again. Perhaps on a smaller scale than before, but still profitable none-the-less.

Big problems

So, my little conversion project is moving a long steadily, but I seem to have hit a couple of problems here.

My first issue is; if you gain a level as an Alchemist for instance, do you also get a spell level, just like if you gained a wizard level? I am leaning towards a No, since the character will attain a special ability, which is pretty powerful.

The second issue is; when you reach Circle 3, you have access to two abilities. Now, do you get the both of them, or should I split them, and basically add more levels to the prestige class? I am leaning towards a Yes, since it will expand the class in terms of advancement, however, it violates the tradition of the Seven Secrets of Glantri, in the sense that there are all of a sudden more circles than the original five.

What do you guys think?

Expanding the Dragonlance Pantheon

I was reading a post over at the Dragonlance Forums where one of the users talks about expanding the pantheon and that made be remember a project I started some years ago.

The idea was to collect all the weird references to other gods and entities and try to create a complete list of divine beings. Originally, I intended to create a list for Ansalon and one for Taladas, but as you can see below, I never quite finished it.

Continent of Ansalon

Greater Gods

Gilean Knowledge N M

Ionthas* Nihilism E M

Mishakal Healing, beauty, life, blessing LG F

Paladine Hope, leadership, light, protection LG M

Reorx Weapons, technology N M

Sargonnas Revenge, destruction, fire LE M

Takhisis Night, hate, intrigue CE F

Intermediate Gods

Branchala Music, forest, beauty NG M

Chemosh Nemesis, undead LE M

Chislev Nature, savagery CN F

Habbakuk Animals, sea, creation NG M

Hiddukel Greed, slavery, treason CE M

Kiri-Jolith War, courage, valor LG M

Lunitari Neutral magic N F

Majere Meditation, inspiration, control NG M/F

Morgion Disease, rot, weakness NE M

Nuitari Black magic LE M

Shinare Riches, freedom N F

Sirrion Change, fire N M

Solinari White magic LG M

Zeboim Sea, storms, jealousy CE F

Zivilyn Wisdom N M

Demigods

Artha Greed, debauchery CE F

Daidlin Sea vegetation CG F

Jiathu’li Chaos, underworld, intrigue CE F

Kailthis Love, creation CG F

Raistlin* Loneliness, magic, excellence NE M

Randoril’thi Luck CG M

Tumarq Trade, crafts LG M

* These gods are singled out because unlike the rest of the pantheon they do not have any actual priests. They should be considered to be supplements to the gods in the core rule books. Below there is a thorough description of each of these gods.

Continent of Taladas

Taladas name Ansalonian name Perception

Paladine

Majere

Qu’uan Kiri-Jolith

Mislaxa Mishakal

Habbakuk

Branchala Not worshipped

Gilean

Zivilyn Aspect of Gilean

Sirrion

Shinare

Chislev

Reorx

Erestem Takhisis

Hith Hiddukel

Chemosh

Zeboim Not worshipped

Morgion

Sargonnas

Solis Solinari Magical force

Lunis Lunitari Magical force

Aengomis Nuitari Magical force

Guess what I am doing

New project

So, it turns out that I have some free time on my hands, and therefore I have decided to embark on another project, that might never come to fruition. I have started converting the Seven Secrets of Glantri into D&D 3.5 prestige classes.

Now, I am not a big rules guy as such, for me it has always been about the story and the role playing game. However, I love to gain a new level as much as the next guy, and I have always liked the concept of prestige classes. I think these classes allow the player to develop the character in new directions as the game moves forward, and that is always a plus.

I have been a huge Mystara fan for many years, and the Principalities of Glantri has always been my favorite Gazetteer. Since Bruce Heard started blogging I rediscovered that long lost game world, so I thought I would at least attempt to contribute a little bit. In order to avoid any copyright infringement I am not going to write a whole lot, you will have to find GAZ3 somewhere to do that I’m afraid. Of course, there’s always the author himself who might be persuaded to answer a question or two. I recommend heading over to his blog, it is really excellent.

Yeah yeah, I know, I am a fan boy.

Currently reading: JRR Tolkien

So, I finally found the time to catch up on my reading, and my first book this summer is The Children of Hurin by J.R.R Tolkien.

The book has been edited by Tolkien’s son, since the author himself never finished it, however, that Tolkien feel is definitely there.

The book takes place during the Morgoth days and follows primarily Turin the son of Hurin and his life from cradle to the grave. I don’t want to give any spoilers, so you will just have to go read it yourself.

The book is quite dark and has some pretty horrendous aspects that rival that of the most know Greek tragedies, however, it is rather nice to be back in Tolkien’s Middleearth once again among orcs, elves and dragons.

The Children of Hurin

Looking for a gaming group around Roskilde

So, I have been a grumpy old man lately. Well, truth be told, I have been too old, too grumpy for too long. I have been complaining about the decline of roleplaying ranging from the lack of material to the lack of novels.

Well, no more. Who needs Wizards’ to support a world in order to play it? Who needs novels to keep the passion going? I don’t it seems.

Therefore, if there are any gamers around Roskilde, Denmark, who are interested in playing D&D shoot me an email. Ultimately I don’t care which rules or which world we use, but I do like Dragonlance and Mystara quite a bit. Greyhawk is also really good, but I have very little material about this world.

I prefer the focus to be on roleplaying and so much about the stats and levels. Call me old and grey, but I just don’t get a huge kick out of mindlessly killing orcs. Well, I do, but it needs to have some roleplaying flavor. I mean, who doesn’t enjoy killing orcs?

As for me, I am 37, married with children and all that. I have no idea who you are, but if you are old and funky like me I am sure we will hit it off. If you are younger, don’t be a stranger, I need your blood to sustain my vitality. Seriously, I don’t care about how old you are, as long as you are ready to roll the dice.

Bruce Heard’s blog

My favorite Gazetteer is definitely the Principalities of Glantri written by Bruce Heard. It is probably the gaming product I have used the most throughout the years, so you can probably imagine  how cool it is for me to see that the man himself, Bruce Heard, has a blog.

Without further ado I present the link.

http://bruce-heard.blogspot.com/

Update: He’s on Twitter as well https://twitter.com/#!/Ambreville

Coolest handle ever!

The Cabal

Many are the organizations that attempt to control the fate of Krynn. Most of these organizations believe that assuming control over the other nations and their inhabitants is the key to power. In doing so the scales of power are constantly moving between good and evil. In the middle of this conflict, the forces of neutrality attempt to maintain the balance of Krynn.

One of the more noteworthy organizations, which work to ensure stability, is a cabal of wizards known as the Cabal. Gil-Galad uth Vakaar of the Black Robes, Mordread Gemerald of the Red Robes and Norrin Furlong of the White Robes make up the core of this organization. These mages work to promote and enhance the strength of arcane magic in Krynn as well as strengthening their own positions of power. All the mages are highly lawful, which ensures the stability in the group. Despite working together on numerous occasions, the three wizards still work to further their own ends. This is illustrated most prominently by Mordread’s involvement in the siege of Daltigoth. Norrin Furlong is involved in the development of the city of Tarsis with special emphasis on the restoration of the grand library. Gil-Galad is more active in the east, where he is researching the location of the Tower of Losarcum. He is also keeping taps on the Minotaur nation of Mithas.

The cabal does not meet on any set times or location but work more on a case by case basis. Their preferred mode of operations of the three mages is to use agents who often do not know who they are working for. On other occasions the group will provide knowledge or funding to a specific group that work toward the same ends as the wizards. Seldom, the wizards will intervene themselves, but only as a last resort. Evidently an intervention by three such powerful mages will attract a lot of attention, which the wizards will seek to avoid since secrecy is one of their more potent weapons.

Enemies

The biggest enemy of the cabal is not surprisingly the Knights of the Thorn. The Grey Robes represent an upset to the Conclave of Wizards by impeding on the domain of the gods of magic. The actively work to disrupt the work of the Thorn Knights by hiring assassins to kill every Grey Robe they can. Ultimately, the cabal aims to assault Storm’s Keep but they lack the power to do so for the time being. The cabal plans to use Daltigoth as a build up place so they may be able to mass a full scale war against the Knights of Takhisis. However, given the secret nature of the Knights of Takhisis, spying is one of the most important aspects of the cabal’s work. Therefore, the cabal employs an extensive network of spies across the continent of Ansalon. Most of the spies do not know who they are working for but the pay is good, and questions are not encouraged. Mot, if not all thieves guilds across Ansalon have one or more members, who report directly to one of the members of the cabal.

As for the ogre nation of Kern, most of the spies are actually ogres themselves. They have been charmed or controlled by magical means and provide valuable information about the activities of the Grand Lord. The cabal is not concerned about any ogre uprising for the time being, but since the ogres are a powerful group with connections to the Dark Knights, they are deemed important enough to keep taps on. As for the ogres in Daltigoth the situation is a bit different. Given the upcoming siege, Mordread has dispatched several agents who report back to him.

The most concerning piece of information uncovered by the cabal, is the cult of Ionthas. Lately, many cults have been uncovered and destroyed, but the cabal suspects that there are many more groups operating around the continent. Further evidence points to the continent of Taladas as a place where the influence of the cult is especially strong. So far, the cabal has not pursued this lead, but an expedition is being assembled.

Norrin Ashe Cahill

Norrin Ashe Cahill was born in the frozen lands of Icereach. He was the son of a middleclass family. The family took an active part in the struggle against the evil Thanoi, which instilled a rebellious spirit in the young man. Norrin entered into an apprenticeship with a local wizard of the White Robes and he eventually left Icereach to take the test of high sorcery.

Upon completing his test, Norrin donned the white robes and went to Tarsis to make a living for himself. Here he met the Red Robe Mordread Generald who took him on as an apprentice. He followed his master to Palanthas where he spent years studying the arcane arts. During his years in Palanthas he partook in many adventures in the areas surrounding the lord city of Palanthas.

Norrin was among the first spies who were sent into Daltigoth to gather information about the ogres and their defences. In spite of many dangers, Norrin managed to survive the hazardous quest and he eventually returned to Palanthas. At this time he had become a powerful wizard in his own right and he decided to strike out on his own. He remained a friend and ally to Mordread Gemerald, which is one of the reasons he eventually became a member of the Cabal.

Norrin returned to Tarsis where he wasted no time buying an old manor, which he completely restored. He set about locating the legendary libraries of Tarsis with the intention of restoring them. At the same time, he became involved in politics, which spurred him to become an advisor and ensuring political backing for his ambitious project. He has purchased a piece of property inside the city walls, which he plans to demolish in order to make room for his own tower as well as a grand library. This is an ambitious project mainly because Norrin insists on building the tower out of white marble. Currently, his associates are scouring Krynn for all the marble they can find and they are close to reaching their goal. Norrin plans to use the combined might of the Cabal to construct his tower.

Norrin has no political ambition, but he may find himself in a position where he has to fill some sort of political position in order to ensure political goodwill for his projects. For this reason, he is looking for a partner who can represent him in the City Council, thus lessening his workload.

Whenever possible, Norrin travels to Icereach to visit his family and relatives. He maintains close relationships with all his contacts in the region in order to keep taps on the Dragonarmy. Norrin has been considering an assault on Icewall Castle with the aim of taking over the building but his duties in Tarsis prevent him from pursuing this goal for the time being. However, he will sponsor groups of adventures who intend to raid the castle.

Norrin Cahill is usually an easygoing person who generally takes whatever time he can spare to talk to anybody who seeks him out. Of course, he is normally very busy, which makes him difficult to approach. He is a skilled mage who takes pleasure in his profession and who is proud of the work he does. The tower/library he intends to build will be the culmination of his life’s ambition.

Residence: Tarsis

Gil-galad uth Vakaar

As a member of the Cabal, Gil-galad is taking an active role in the political situation in Krynn. He is primarily interested in the eastern parts of Krynn around Goodlund. He believes this is place to find clues about the ruins of the lost Tower of High Sorcery of Losarcum. He resides in his black marble tower with golden domes, and is rarely seen outside its walls. He cultivates excellent relationships with the other two members of the Cabal, while maintaining a seat on the Conclave of wizards. Gil-galad is considered one of the leading scholars pertaining to the tower of Losarcum.

Gil-galad has been watching the events that transpire in the region of Khur. He is aware of Sagarassi’s involvement and he has personally investigated the ruins of Amun-Ra’s pyramid after it was raided by adventurers. He believes that the raid is connected to the rise of the Hierarchs in Shrentek but has so far been unable to establish a relationship. Gil-galad has sent his apprentice Gadriel out among the tribes of Khur to gather as much information as possible, but so far the pair has come up short. There has been one unexpected benefit from this strategy though; Gil-galad has built an extensive network of spies throughout the entire region.

Residence: Eastern Ansalon.

Mordread Gemerald

Mordread Gemerald is one of the biggest protagonists in Krynn. He is the mastermind behind G&B Trading as well as one of the most ambitious projects in years – the siege of Daltigoth. Like the other members of the Cabal, Mordread’s primary interest is high sorcery. The reason why he is willing to commit to the Daltigoth campaign is his faith in the conclave’s ability to recreate the Tower of Daltigoth.

He resides in a huge manor in Palanthas built from a rare form of red stone, which he acquired from one of the dwarven clans with which he conducts business. The manor is heavily guarded by magical means in order to keep out intruders and competitors alike. The most noticeable competitor is the Pandra House, who, besides being a trading house, is also a family. The feud between the two trading houses has been long and fierce and has resulted in many casualties. The biggest casualty has undoubtedly been the Pandra house’s loss of their archmage Ariana, who was slain by Mordread and his companions near Winston’s Tower. This marked the escalation of the conflict since the two houses started targeting each other’s leaders in stead of going after henchmen and suppliers.

Mordread spends most of his time preparing for the assault on Daltigoth city. This prevents him from leaving his manor for days at a time except for occasions where his presence is required. When he is not busy preparing for the invasion, he travels around Ansalon between the different allies who form the coalition. He uses diplomacy to ensure that the various fractions are satisfied and willing to fight the ogres.

Residence: Palanthas.

Wizards announce D&D 5th edition

From Wizards.com

As you may have read in the New York Times, it’s an exciting time for Dungeons & Dragons. We are happy to announce today that we are developing the next iteration of D&D, and will be looking to the legions of D&D fans to help shape the future of the game along with us.

Our mission is to ensure that D&D enters its next 40 years as a vibrant, growing, and exciting game. By listening to the needs of the D&D community, we can meet this goal. As part of our increased efforts to engage with the player-base, we launched a series of weekly articles in early 2011, including Rule of Three and Legends & Lore, to give you a voice in our work. We’ve listened to both praise and criticism from all D&D fans, regardless of their edition of choice, and we’ll continue to do so.

That is why we are excited to share with you that starting in Spring 2012, we will be taking this process one step further and conducting ongoing open playtests with the gaming community to gather feedback on the new iteration of the game as we develop it. With your feedback and involvement, we can make D&D better than ever. We seek to build a foundation for the long-term health and growth of D&D, one rooted in the vital traits that make D&D unique and special. We want a game that rises above differences of play styles, campaign settings, and editions, one that takes the fundamental essence of D&D and brings it to the forefront of the game. In short, we want a game that is as simple or complex as you please, its action focused on combat, intrigue, and exploration as you desire. We want a game that is unmistakably D&D, but one that can easily become your D&D, the game that you want to run and play.

D&D is more than just a set of rules for fantasy gaming. It launched an entire gaming genre and played a pivotal role in creating the entirety of the gaming industry, both analog and digital. The game has lived and thrived because it has awoken a spark of creation, visions of daring adventure, wondrous vistas, and untold horrors that pull us all together as a community of RPG fans. It is the countless players and DMs who have brought it to life over the years. The game is at its best when it is yours.

For that reason, we want your participation. The goals we have set for ourselves are by no means trivial or easy. By involving you in this process, we can build a set of D&D rules that incorporate the wants and desires of D&D gamers around the world. We want to create a flexible game, rich with options for players and DMs to embrace or reject as they see fit, a game that brings D&D fans together rather than serves as one more category to splinter us apart.

We have begun obtaining feedback from a limited Friends & Family playtest consisting of internal employees and their gaming groups and soon we will be expanding that group to consist of members from our existing body of playtesters. Then at the D&D Experience convention in late January, Wizards of the Coast will conduct a special playtest of ideas currently in development. The D&D Experience will be moving to Gen Con in 2013, so as a convention special this year, we will be offering show attendees a first-look at a draft of the new set of rules. Then beginning sometime in the spring, we will begin open playtesting. Through our web site, we will release a growing set of rules, classes, monsters and other materials for your study and feedback. We seek to reach as many people as possible, from the gamer who just started with D&D last week to the gaming group that has been together since the early-1970s. For this process to work, we want to give a voice to all D&D fans and players of all previous editions of the game.

The next year is going to be an exciting one. There is a lot of work to be done, and I’m hoping you have the time, energy, and inclination to pitch in. We sure hope you do, as we seek to make gaming history by shaping the future of D&D, together. If you would like to sign up today to be notified when the playtest is beginning and how you can participate, click here:

I think it is encouraging that Wizards still think that it makes sense to release a new edition of D&D, however, I keep remaining a little skeptic about this, because of the dwindling number of users/followers of traditional role playing games. Perhaps it is time to realize that RPGs as we knew them are dead, and the future is in computer games or online games.

Of course, I hope that I am wrong, it wouldn’t be the first time. I would be thrilled if we saw a reboot of interest in RPGs across the board so to speak, because it is a lot of fun to play and because it offers users a chance to use their minds as opposed to put it on stand by and jut have it bombarded with digital input.

It does fill with a sense of hope though. As I prepare to leave the world of Dragonlance a tiny flicker of hope presents itself. Do we dare hope that someone will breathe new life into Dragonlance? I guess it matters little anymore.

 

Update: Wired has an article on the new edition. There is a lot comments worth reading, which really surprised me.

The end is nigh

I know it sounds pretty gloomy, but it is not meant that way at all. As you probably gathered from my last post, I am putting this blog hiatus, probably forever, but since I have had so much fun writing this thing, I thought I would go through my old stuff and publish it here. Who knows, maybe someone can actually use it for something.

Anyway, I posted a piece I started some years ago about thieves guilds, which I intended to use in my Daltigoth campaign. The idea was that the guilds were an important part of the conflicts on Anasalon, all vying for control and power among all the players in the conflict.

I imagined that the conflict would be a little bit more intricate than what we have normally seen in Dragonlance. I felt that having a more politically charged campaign would be a perfect lead up to a regional war would the players  better feeling for why things happened and who was the primary movers and shakers. I envisioned a conflict brought on by greed and the search for monetary and political power and so much a conflict driven by Takhisis’s desire to return to the world. Of course there would be godly interests behind many of the powers that participated in the struggle, however, they were not the main focal point of the campaign. An added benefit was that it would allow me to introduce the other gods, and have them act according to their own interests. Alas, it never came to fruition, but that doesn’t mean that nobody can use the idea.

I have uploaded most of the stuff I ever wrote, or rather, I have uploaded must of the stuff that is worth uploading. I have a lot written in Danish, but I doubt I will ever translate it, and I see little point in uploading Danish texts. 

I noticed that Wizards are going to create a new version of D&D, so I will take a look at that when the time is right.

Thieves guilds of Ansalon

Most of the major cities of Ansalon have at least one thing in common – they all have one or more thieves’ guilds. These guilds operate on the wrong side of the law but in spite of this, some of them serve an important purpose when it comes to the every day life in the city.

Unlike other organizations such as the Wizards of High Sorcery, these guilds are independent of each other, meaning that there is no centralized governing body. Some of the guilds maintain some sort of contact with their fellow thieves whereas others jealously guard their territory. History has documented covert battles between rivaling thieves’ guilds and even infighting and power struggles have occurred.

Some of the older guilds practice a strict hierarchical system of government, which appears to ensure a certain measurement of stability. Some guild masters have even assumed legitimate positions of power such as Talbard van Ashen of Daltigoth who is one of the directing oligarchs. In Palanthas the guild is mostly involved in the covert warfare between the merchant houses, always finding rich rewards for a job well done.

In the smaller towns scattered across Ansalon, the guilds are usually very small and fairly insignificant in relation to the power structure. Many thieves residing in these small towns have been banned from the bigger cities for various reasons, thus, they fear for their own safety. Great deals of these thieves are rather paranoid and usually work under a false name.

The Guild of Palanthas

The Palanthas guild is headed by the master Dantrag Nenshen who has been the guild master for almost two decades. During his rule, the guild has experienced prosperity like never before, but at a cost.

When the trade wars started the guild was hired to by both sides as spies and there was work enough for anybody who wanted it. However, as the conflict escalated the jobs became more and more dangerous. The defining moment happened when a group of master thieves were hired to break into the manor of Mordread Gemerald. This was the first time a head of a merchant house was targeted but the operation was deemed fairly safe nevertheless. When the party did not return the guild master assumed that they had fled town with their bounty, however, the next night he found out what had happened to them. The mutilated bodies of the master thieves were found in the inner chambers of the guild with a small note attached to it: “Thus is the fate of ye who are found in forbidden realms”. Since that night, the guild has not officially accepted any contracts directly involving the headquarters of the merchant houses.

The biggest problem for the guild is that Dantrag Nenshen might find himself in a position where he has to pick sides in the trade war. He is reluctant to do this but given the power of the houses he may not have a choice. If Nenshen picks one house over the other, he will certainly incur the wrath of the opposing house and most likely the destruction of the guild. Therefore, he attempts to tread a narrow path of neutrality. He is currently considering denying both of the houses the services of the guild but he fears that this may result in an unending enmity of both houses.

At the same time, Dantrag Nenshen fears for his own safety. Reliable intelligence suggests that one or more of the merchant houses plan on replacing him with someone loyal to their cause. Dantrag has not succumbed to paranoia yet, but he has tightened security and he is never seen in public without armed escorts. He has employed the services of several medium ranked mages to ensure his safety, but he does not feel secure behind their magical wards and protective spells.

Besides being involved in the trade wars, the guild has various operations in Palanthas. The thieves control a large part of the gambling facilities as well as many taverns and inns. They also run contraband, which is dangerous, because the merchants lose money in account of this practice. The guild is also involved in blackmail and prostitution as well as smuggling – a practice greatly appreciated by the local mages. The guild can provide pretty much anything for the right price. Lastly, the thieves’ guild is associated with the assassins’ guild.

The Guild of Daltigoth

The guild in Daltigoth is the second largest in Ansalon. It is also the youngest guild, given that the Free City of Daltigoth, in its present state, has only been around for a few years. Ever since the last bloody battle of Daltigoth, when the ogres were slaughtered, the influence of the guild has slowly but steadily increased.

The reason why the guild has been so successful is due to the acceptance of its existence by the ruling oligarchs. The guild master, Talbard van Ashen, has even managed to merit an invitation to join the directing oligarchs, thus, becoming one of the rulers of the free city. The lords of Daltigoth believe the guild is a necessary part of the city’s structure. This does not mean that the city guard does not try to catch the thieves, but rather that the lords have a use for the rogues.

One thing that limits the power and influence of the guild is the internal power struggle that plagues the organization. Despite being a directing oligarch, Talbard van Ashen is constantly being challenged by ambitious thieves who crave his position of power. Due to his position as a directing oligarch, Talbard will most likely be forced to resign as guild master within a year or so. Since his membership of the guild is a secret he feels the stress is beginning to wear him down and he cannot resist the challengers for the guild leadership forever. Talbard’s own ambition leads him in the direction of the position of the Lord Mayor of Daltigoth. Currently, he is reluctant to challenge Richard Baglortin because he feels he cannot match the backing the Lord Mayor receives from the city’s leading mages, including the arch mage Mordread Gemerald.