-Shadowrun Campaign December Update-

Hi all,

My Shadowrun Campaign was originally slated to start this weekend— but I have my hands full with my Sports Science Exams next week, watching Fighting Spiders 2 © episodes, and creating/tuning up my random Magic: The Gathering decks (Not in any particular Order of Importance.)

So I have have discussed the alternatives with the guys; with Alvin having discovered a new girlfriend, Shell having driving lessons, and with me and Shane not finding a one-on-one brotherly Shadowrun solo session too hot; 26th December seems to be the earliest, and best date for the four of us to start the heads ball rolling.

It will be on a Sunday night 1115pm - 230am, and I look forward to seeing you guys then.

We will be totally refreshed, after a holiday season, and ready to rumble into the New Year!

Cya on the flip side, chummers.

Over and out.

Singapore City-State: The Early Papper Years ("View from Above", Penxil Publishing, 2057)

(Disclaimer: This is purely a fictional storyline generated for my own Shadowrun Campaign and has no bearing on my real-life personal/political views whatsoever.)

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Chapter 19: The Early Papper Years (Pre-2020)

Year 2035 was supposed to herald a new beginning for the country's perennial ruling party– the PAP. 

Singapore turned independent in 1965, and Mr Lee Kwun Yew (the main catalyst for the independent movement and co-leader of the PAP) became the first Prime Minister of the fledgling country. He was visionary, and pragmatic at the same time; ushering Singapore into an era of wealth and unhindered progress.

In the 1980s, The bustling trading port soon turned into a leading world financial center. In 1990, Mr Lee stepped down as the Prime Minister and his deputy Mr Goh Cheok Tong took over the reins. Mr Lee became the Senior Minister and chief advisor to Mr Goh, but still wielded much political clout and influence, so much so that the general public wondered if Mr Goh was merely a political stand-in for the much more experienced Senior Minister.

Additionally, Prime Minister Goh had to weather several crisis (crises) during his tenure, and his handling of them was mediocre at best. He lacked natural charisma, unlike Senior Minister Lee. This became evident when PM Goh shouldered much of the blame for the public hospitals' slow decision-making throughout the SARS outbreak in early 2004 (the Government's clumsy multi-tiered command framework and rigid laws being the actual reasons). Many Singaporeans died as a result of this, and people were openly frustrated with the Prime Minister and the existing command system.

By then, the population had already heard of sweeping reforms (after the 1st and 2nd "Shiawase Decision" were passed in the United States) throughout the world where numerous Corporations—Seretech Corporation (New York), Shiawase Inc. (U.S.), Ares Macrotechnology (U.S), Aztechnology Corp. (Aztlan), and Renraku Computer Systems (Japan Imperial State) have wrested control and gained extraterritoriality status from their federal courts; making them near-equals to Central Governments in terms of law-making and security on their own private turfs (commonly known as "Sprawls").

They would not need to answer to the Government for their actions and can even maintain their own private security forces. This in turn allows the Corporations to go about their business without interference and generate more commercial revenue purely based on market forces. They will also be able to answer directly for their own policies and decisions, thus freeing the Central Government from the extra burden of having to oversee them.

With less responsibilities, the Central Government then has more time and resources to work on its people and their welfare, which was supposed to be their goal in the first place. Financial-wise, the Corporations will cough up a token sum annually to the Government as goodwill for the land that the Corporation sits on.

Singaporeans made their feelings known the year after, when Mr Lee Sien Loong, eldest son of the Senior Minister, was elected to become the 3rd Prime Minister of Singapore after the 2004 Elections. He retained several traits of his father; his bold decision-making to introduce F1 Night Racing and open world-class Integrated Resorts (w/ the casinos inside being the main attraction) improved tourism and boosted the economy greatly.

In 2008, due to increasing pressure from the public, PM Lee passed the Priva-Heal law whereby the three (read: all) major health-care subsidiaries in Singapore were taken over by multi-national Corporations and given total freedom in terms of decision making and policies within their territory. They still could not keep a private security force, but by doing this, the country had already taken a big step in supporting the fast-growing international trend of granting extraterritoriality to certain entities.

With the influx of the bigger Corporations, Singapore soon became a cosmopolitan world city, vibrant in business and the arts. At this point (2010-), PM Lee Sien Loong's two sons, Lee Hong'e and Lee Hao'e had become capable young men. In the mold of their father and grandfather– they excelled at studying and were top scholars, and showed leadership as army officers during National Service.

However, the elder son Hong'e displayed signs of rebelliousness and fierce independence in a particular incident during his officer stint, which involved a complaint made against a fellow officer which was unfortunately leaked to the media. The accused was court martial-ed and fined for his actions. For his part, Hongyi was given a stern reprimand for bypassing proper channels in his complaint, and causing the media leak which painted the Singapore Defense Forces (SDF) in a negative light.

On December 24th 2011, Singapore felt the "Awakening". A large percentage of children were born "deformed". They were later given official racial types in their SINs— Dwarves and Elves. This Unexplained Genetic Expression (UGE) affected as much as 40% of total births that year, and caused untold chaos with expectant mothers committing mass suicide in order to avoid this "disease".

This world-wide phenomenon— which included violent "mana storms" in Australia killing thousands in the Outback; Europe experienced a toxic flood so severe that the North Sea pushed in the mouth of the Elbe River, destroying many dikes and dams; claiming countless victims. A strange orange glow enveloped the whole of North America for several days preventing projectile action and erased traces. Stone circles and standing stones erupted along known ley lines in Britain, and the appearance of the great dragon Ryumyo over Mount Fuji in Japan Imperial State; all these sparked many (especially the racist cults e.g. Humanis Policlub, Sons of Sauron) to conclude that the world is indeed coming to an end. 

A historic interview was given by the great dragon Dunkelzahn at Cherry Creek Lake in Denver on January 27, 2012 explaining the "Awakening". He claimed that Magic has returned to the world, and that the new races were simply evolutionary manifestations of DNA; not freaks of nature. The pointy-eared Elves (w/ the fine facial features) were magically inclined, while the stout Dwarves were physically hardy and resistant to many harmful effects (toxins and pathogens etc). He also warned that this event was just the first of many more changes to come; and that change was inevitable as the era of the Sixth World is upon us.

Racial riots ensued, and local abortion rates hit sky-high proportions as pregnant mothers refused to birth the Demi (street slang for non-humans in Singapore). PM Lee decided on another radical solution. He offered Aztechnology Corp.— one of the Big Ten AAA Mega-Corporation hailing from Aztlan (Central America), acres of free land in the west (Ju'Rong Town, Tuas Industrials). They were also promised extraterritoriality— as that was one of the prereqs required to attract a Big Ten Megacorp. 

Thus, in January 2013, Singapore became an official City-State; the PAP dissolving Ju'Rong Town,Tuas Industrials and surrounding pockets of land, making way for Aztechnology Corp. to build the first official Sprawl on the island. 

The Western Aztechnology Sprawl totaled 54 acres of industrialized land, has two large-scale hospitals, a personal security force (army) of 4000 combat-trained, submachine gun-toting personnel; 16 missile turret units defending the sprawl's perimeter, an undisclosed number of Hyperhawk fighter jets to man the skies, and a handful of hybrid Aztech warships patrolling the waters off the west coast. The Mega-Corporation also employed over 270,000 Singaporeans from all walks of life— making it the single biggest employer in Singapore City-State, and offered special counselling for families who had Demi offspring; shielding them from the unforgiving public within their sturdy metalline walls.


In the span of a few years, Aztechnology Corp. had greatly lessened the fear and hate of meta-humanity in Singapore, and the rest of the island regained commercial viability by late 2017, w/ the Mega-Corporation leading the way in terms of productivity and net profits. PM Lee won the next two General Elections by landslide margins; the contented public now firmly on his side.


This era of stability did not last, as the following decade (2020-2030) was to prove Dunkelzahn's words right. 


(To be continued)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Winter of '64. ("Singapore Slinged" Sneak Preview)

Your eyes are glued onto what is happening on Holo-Hub Channel 14, and so are the hundreds standing with you in Hookers' Pub at Lower Desker Road. The stink of sweat permeates through the suffocating stale air, but no one seems to care.

There has to be a reason why the taps ran dry and the electicity shut down two days ago. Shortages like these were frequent ever since the Workers' Party came into power in 2062, but never have these been island-wide. 

Rumors of surgical nuclear EMP strikes from the doomsday terrorist cult Winternight that were said to have crippled vital Matrix resources in North America/Europe have been going rampant for the past few days, wreaking havoc on the Sporean Stock Exchange and putting paid to the highly-anticipated launch of the Novatech IPO.

You snap out of your random thoughts, as blurry images of massive riots near City Hall protesting the virtual stoppage of the economy is being broadcasted overhead. The newscast proceeds to show images of crazed Demi (Orks and Trolls) smashing windows, fences and grabbing whatever foodstuff/furniture/items of value in the affluent residential districts of B.T.9 (formerly known as Bukit Timah) and the Tri-Zonal East Enclave (Tampines-1, Pasir Ris, Little Simei).


Yes, this is the real thing, only worse. 


The whole f'kin island is in full-loot mode.

Suddenly, the newscast come to an abrupt end. In its place, a familiar figure appears on the bluish holo-screen. A small Chinese humanoid in a tight white skin-suit steadies himself. He gingerly presses his right palm onto the screen in a forced effort to engage the public. A meek voice heavy with a Canton accent fills the pub.

"Hail all Sporeans, I am your interim Prime Administrator — Mr Robert See Seng Juan. I do not have much time to speak, as this emergency power source, kindly sponsored by AdmerEALty Industries™, *crackle* will *crackle* last only a few minutes…

In this time of darkness, (ahem) I have to say that we will have to be patient as we ourselves do not know the source of this *crackle* madness. Rest assured that we are not the only ones. I have received reliable information that this phenomenon is in fact happening -worldwide-.

I say, and I repeat, that all existing electronic data have been wiped out in our fair city; and past government records erased from our archives. The recovery process will be long, but it is *crackle* underway.

For now, we have set up an Emergency Identification Process (EiP) whereby all Sporeans will have a week's grace to walk or hovcycle to City Hall before curfew hours; to re-register *crackle* themselves as a legitimate citizen and show us proof of your assets if available. Failure to do so will deem you as an alien *crackle* and subject to *crackle* the city’s laws without question.

I conclude this announcement with my assurance that *crackle* ..."

Saturday Afternoon at the Meadows = The new Black?

Hi all,

"The Dryad lay dead at your feet. She dropped two rare Items of Power, which will contribute to an easier time cleansing Caen of the Blighted (Unclean). You have also gained enough XP to attain Paragon Tier for the first time in this campaign."

*clears throat*

The Dungeon Master continues,

"Thank you for playing the final installment of this chapter and possibly DnD 4E."

"What?!"

*cue "End of the World" music*

The above scenario was being played out RL in a specific part of Eastern Singapore. It all seemed rather sad and teary. But I dare say that apart from missing the characters being played out by my group, and the continuity of the plot, all this is happening for the better.

Why, you'd ask? As great gamers and resourceful guys to boot, Alvin, Shell, Shane and I ( sans Kat as he is taking an extended break from tabletop gaming) have decided on a new time-slot for our fortnightly gaming sessions at my East Meadows condominium.

"12pm - 3pm on Alternate Saturday Afternoons."

"So black, so black, it's a crazy situation.." (East Meadows in the afternoon, clubhouse on the left.)

This gives players who have to work on Sundays much better rest, allows us to use the fully air-conditioned clubhouse for our sessions, and gives us leeway to recruit interested players who could not make the "midnight shift" timing previously. And not to mention, our subscription to DnD Insider is ending soon, so we will not have convenient access to the Character Builder and updated Powers/Errata anymore. And you know how much the 4E game depends on the Character Builder to do up our heroes without having to sift through ten thousand books and missing out important details due to sheer fatigue.

So it is with a heavy heart that we leave the 4E World, but I am secretly happy that the World of Fracas and Ca-en will live on; as I can easily adapt it to any other traditional RPG game system that we would be playing in the future.

And I emphasize once again, "Never say never. The Heroes might rise again in another form and revisit Ca-en one day." Also, we can always go back to playing Castle Ravenloft and Caverns of Ashalala (something) if we ever wanted a "Powercard" kick in the butt once in a while.

The four of us are now deciding on a change of environment in our games, with Shadowrun: 4E being one of the forerunners in the candidate race. I have roped in Palladium Games "TMNT and Other Oddities" and "Runequest: 2nd Edition" as our other choices.

This Saturday, we will be meeting up and discussing on the possibilities during the lunch hour and acclimatising
ourselves to the spanking new time-slot. Who would have thought this insane times-slot was feasible.

Imagine. Lunch time on a Saturday, and with the gamers in our group not working on most Saturdays in the first place.

Amazing how we came to this option, huh?

So I now proudly announce the arrival of the new Black. Otherwise called, "Saturday Afternoons at the Meadows".

C'yall on the flip side.



Latest Update (26/10/10): The group have decided on Shadowrun 4E w/ the  most current errata (1.8A). The campaign proper should start in mid December, once I get everything sorted out. We will be discussing more about character creation and house-rules during this Saturday's lunch meeting.

"Mr Sandman? Give me a Sandbox game, and preferably with bugs included to preserve old-school authenticity. kkthxbye."

Hey all,

Let us take a trip down memory lane, shall we?

                         Ultima Online (1998)

                    Star Wars Galaxies. (Pre-NGE 2005)

In my opinion, these are two of the greatest "sandbox" games ever made for any platform.

For the uninitiated, a "sandbox game" indicates a gaming genre that is open-ended; like a child at a playground playing with his spade digging sand and doing whatever he chooses and pleases. There is no fixed end point, and no common beginning. Everyone can do things in the game at their own pace, their own time.

Many gamers baulk at this due to the openness of the genre itself, as there is no one surefire way to progress through the game. Most of these games are also skill-based, and do not emphasize on the numerical "Level" of the character to show growth. Thus, there is limited feedback for the inexperienced gamer to know if he is heading in the right direction towards the end-game.

But here is the thing about these sandbox games. There is no hard-and-fast endgame, just like in real life. Actually, a Singaporean chasing the 5Cs will beg to differ but that is a whole 'nother story. In UO, one could aspire to be a great Dragon Slayer or maybe a world-famous Fishcake Seller.

How you go about doing that will depend on the relevant skills that you have trained hard for e.g. cooking for hours in-game to hone your Culinary skills, or fighting monstrous beasts to train up the Sword skill for the ultimate battle with the fire-breathing winged one. The contacts that you make in the game are also paramount, as they can provide you with resources that you might need to achieve your immediate goals.

Fast forward to 2010. I see games now leaning heavily on FPS engines, and being more action-oriented and frenetic in pace. The majority of the public now want their games and fun like that, and being a business, the makers and developers have to cater to their crowd.

Once in while though, a franchise comes along wanting to be different. A rich brat entering a public school for the first time with his head held high; friendless but yet oblivious to it, as he is true to himself. He is different and he wants the world (school) to know.

I own the normal version on the left. Ah Jin own the Overpriced one in the middle.

That rich kid is Square Enix (Square)- makers of Final Fantasy XiV Online, and he is bringing the sand-spade to class. They have recently launched the game to much chagrin from their players. Square does not want to compete with the juggernaut which is World of Warcraft, so their choice was to go old-school sandbox style and get a niche market, supported by their impressive IP (The Final Fantasy Series) and their legions of fanboys. Square knows that the players will QQ about the characters' inability to jump, the absence of an auction house, the lack of meaningful quests, the lack of "direction" and pace, and an over-dependence on crafting and the player community in general.

But you know what? The same people who bitch now will still play the game. It is Final Fantasy after all, and not Crapa-Crapa Online. The brand itself is too big for these teething problems. "The MMO is new so give it time" excuse is also valid for now. And let's not forget the beautiful graphics of the gers races in the world of Eorzea- namely the Catgirl race and the Elezen (Human) race.

I personally pre-ordered three copies of the game on the 27th, but it has not yet shipped from the United States as they said the official launch date is the 30th. My friend Ah Jin bought the standard copy from Sim Lim on the 29th, installed it on the same day and is playing on the Besaid server. I thought that pre-ordering meant that I get the game on time at the earliest date that it could be played. Guess I was wrong there.

This inactivity did mean that I get to watch numerous videos of gameplay from Youtube and read about the latest news and happenings in the FF forums. From my gathering, there is an emphasis on vertical and horizontal character growth (Levels and Skills) and the freedom to mix and match skills and abilities due to its unique Armoury System. Gameplay looks slow like hell; almost chess-game like with a noticeable pause in between every hit. The world looks BEAUTIFUL though, and I can imagine what the game would look like on a top-end rig. And sadly on the other end of the spectrum, I can see myself playing the game on my computer.

*pauses*

Hmm. Bummer.

Okay, I will update more on my adventures in Eorzea when I get there eventually.

C'yall on the flip side.

Now, Quarterly DnD Sessions? (Chapter Two's Finale)

Hey all,

My Ca-en DnD session is slated to return in mid-October, after a lengthy break of close to three months.

But I have been thinking seriously, and came to a decision recently.

Lack of players due to commitments I do understand, but recently, there has been cases of players just missing due to sporadic interest. Maybe my campaign is not gripping enough, the 4th Ed system too clunky, or maybe some have just got bored of the tabletop RPG genre- which is basically slower than the current computer/MMO games; which promotes instant gratification, impatience and "Rewards NOW NOW!".

Whatever the reason, I will end Chapter 2 in the next session. For my next adventure, I will further tinker with the combat system to quicken the pace of the game, and yet try to preserve the integrity and essence of the RPG itself.

Our gaming circle needs new blood, and interested individuals who love gaming, the joy of role-playing and working/succeeding as a group. The present time-slot that we play at now is deterring many potential new-comers from joining us as we are masquerading as real-life vampires; only playing after midnight and slogging til four/five in the morning. This is something I will look into also, maybe making our gaming session earlier, 10 pm perhaps, and ending at 2ish am?

I will take my time to ponder over the points after the final session next month. I love creating adventures, but I do want players to come over for the joy of the game itself, wanting to explore, kill and solve puzzles; not just as a commitment, which kills the joy of and meaning of the word "game" itself.

Gaming has never been this hard, unless it is not fun. I will reflect on this and hopefully come out better and stronger.

Comments can be added in the new Chatbox on the left. <------

C'yall on the flip side.

"The Dinner Invitation That you Have Been -Dying- For." (My Thoughts on Castle Ravenloft)

Hey all,

My present DnD group is still currently in the midst of our extended break, with Alvin set to return to the sunny island of Singapore in a week or two.I have been busy doing other things in life, e.g. Dungeons and Dragons Online (DDo), and revising on my drum skills during our weekly jamming sessions on the now-vacant Saturday night slots.

Yesterday, me and my brother Shane travelled to the game shop at Bugis Junction before our tennis session at Melville. He bought another clincher for the group; the brand new, hot off the oven DnD 4e cooperative boardgame --->
--Castle Ravenloft--

Pleasure comes at a price though, and this time, Pleasure is valued at an approximate S$115.

It seems that Count Strahd is hungry again, wanting would-be heroes to meet him for dinner to discuss important issues involving massive loss of blood and severed limbs.

Eagerly, Shane, Shell, Pongtau and I tested the game last night for about three hours, and I am happy to say that the game is a fun romp, with color coded cards and chips galore, and five shiny new heroes with virgin necks to give.

The games are quick and engaging, lasting about an hour for each scenario. And the randomness of the dungeons' layout is imperative to replayability, thus making it a big plus in my eyes. We succeeded on our first two missions rather smoothly, but our party wiped on Scenario 3 due to a combination of poor strategy and bad luck.
This proves to me that the game's difficulty level is up to par, which to me is important as I hate playing a cake-walk board game in which you inevitably win regardless of tactics .

In Castle Ravenloft, I really love the idea of Encounter Cards drawn during each character's turn. By throwing endless traps, hostile environments, and devious plot twists at the heroes, it makes the players feel great urgency; knowing that if they dilly-dally too long without working towards the quest objective, they will die a painful death in the dank corridors of the Castle. This sense of escalating dread and doom was sorely lacking in many other RPG board games on the market like Talisman 4th Ed etc, where one can almost grind endlessly to "level up" before meeting the end boss etc.

The five heroes are your basic Fighter, Cleric, Rogue and Wizard, with the joker in the pack being the Ranger. Touted as a master explorer, she to me seems like a glorified punching bag. She does have the most accurate power in the game though - Careful Attack-, allowing one to automatically hit an adjacent enemy for 1 damage. No questions asked.

By the way, over 75% of the mobs in the game are 1 health.

The Fighter is the soak-bag, with mad AC (17) and HP (10). (But pales in comparison with the Paladin in the new sister set - Wrath of Ashadalon) He is great for being the aggro-grabber for the party when new tiles are being exposed and with monsters rushing at the party.

The Cleric is another stand-out, with his -Healing Strike- being another stand-out At-Will power. Its ability to heal a party member within 1 tile of him after successfully hitting the enemy is brilliant.

The Wizard and the Rogue round out the selection, with the clothed one buffing fellow members in his current tile for +1 Attack, and the Rogue with the meh class ability to disarm traps at a +5 bonus. The Wizard comes with -Magic Missile- and -Scorching Burst- as a couple of the At-Wills, and the iconic -Fireball- as one of the various daily powers she can choose from. The rogue has the reliable -Backstab-, and being darn accurate with his hits. (at +7 to +9 to hit)

Rules are modified and simplified from 4E DnD rules, with NADs removed from the equation, and many of the status effects which bogs the PnP game down non-existent in Castle Ravenloft. Slowed, Immobilized, Unconscious, and Dead (or "Lose the Game" in CR terms) are the only conditions that are present.

Castle Ravenloft and the soon-to be released sister set- Wrath of Ashadalon

My tuition kids are trying their hands at this simplified 4E treat, and initial signs are good; pointing to them liking the game or at least being interested enough to listen to me explain the rules.

C'yall on the flip side.

Shooting (at) Blanks

Hey all,

We will be taking a break from Chapter 2 after this National Day Week, as our resident sorcerer Astra will be going on an RL holiday to Europe for a month or so.

Meanwhile, somewhere deep in Ca-en, the party are hot on the heels of the evil dryad Yeminsha, and kinda realized that she might have something to do with the missing item in the arcane casing that they found in the stone pile after defeating Melchiot, Guardian of the Oasis Temple, who was there to collect the precious mineral -EquestK with help from his limited elemental forces.

Backpacks filled with EquestK and fresh after swiftly beating up on the hapless Guardian, the four now head back to Segai the Dreamcaster who awaits the supply to fuel his creations, vanquish Yeminsha, and also, to help the party in their cause to save Maya and the region against the crazed Mandingo.

I wish them the best of luck in the next session; and since we are on the topic of luck and randomness, I now divert your precious attention to this really advanced piece of computer technology. ---->

Nope. Nothing wrong with your browser. And you can quit rubbing your eyes. The keys are blank.

Yes. A keyboard with umm, blank keys. Why haven't anyone thought of it before? How many times have you been on a keyboard and secretly wished that the keys were blank?

Yeap, right. None.

Aptly called the Das Keyboard Ultimate. The people from Daft Das Enterprises must have been smoking crack if they thought they could pull this off. And it cost the same as their other exact model but with key markings -- the Das Keyboard Professional. 

So, professionals in the workplace use keyboards with markings, and umm so non-professionals with all the time in the world use the Ultimate to do their  LoLs, Teh Suxxorzs and Wah-Laus?

We actually have to pay for a deliberate factory manufacturing defect?

Sign me up, and I think that it is absolutely fair.

Why?

Just like in Geylang, Desker Road, and other seedy places around the world, you usually have to pay for sex.

Same. 

You pay for the sexiness you get with this Mistress of Keyboards. She is not as dependable as the conventional wife-y one as she requires you to have the skills to pay the bills upfront. But if you do meet the prerequisites, the Mistress will purr and make you a really happy geek man.

Cost of sex(iness)? 

S$250~ after shipping at Amazon.com.

I am saving up for it and you should too. 

Now, stop looking at your keyboard when you are typing, as it will soon be a thing of the past, at least when you are in my room that is.

Hehe, c'yall on the flip side. 

"I Wanna Be an Aspiring Caen Traveller" Series-- History of the Greater Desert of Harsh's or "What's the deal with all the sand in my eyes?"

South-Eastern Caen is arguably the most picturesque of the major regions in Fracas. The Opan Plains is a wide expanse of green undulating grass, with a smattering of trees and exotic plants to complete the storybook setting.
Common birds and docile wildlife populate the plains, while merchant carts and wagons travel along Pelor's Way, eager for coins in the constant trade between Sccor, Coraltea and Maya. The weather is generally good, with occasional light rain delivering refreshment to all. One of Caen's longest rivers - River Sendimendes separates the Plains from a totally different landscape.

The Greater Desert of Harsh's is located west of the River Sedimendes, and is a great expanse of arid sand, home to barbaric hordes, Klinik communities, ancient reptiles like the Brontozoads, Raptorzoads, and the Velozoads. 
A huge multi-headed Ptera-Hydra is known to reside in the region, along one of the western dunes. Travellers are advised to avoid the western part of the Desert for that sole reason.


This arid landscape is known for its very harsh and windy desert nights, where the temperature drops to near freezing point and sandstorms are frequent. Day is in fact the best time to travel in the Desert, despite the heat and dryness making breathing a labored chore.

Historians have stated that life on Caen originated from the Greater Desert, with the startling discovery of dino-fossils dating back a few hundred years. As time went by, primitive humans and orcs arrived on Caen, and formed organized tribes hunting the Zoads for food. Their thick hides and body oil were not spared, and was used in the making of shelters, and the latter as fuel for the warming of bodies when the nights were cold.


Those tribes soon settled down in the northern area of the desert, taking advantage of the warmer climate and the proximity of the River Harsh. Many chose to reside at an unnamed piece of flatland beside the river, while the others travelled further north in search of other suitable spots to start a settlement.

After several years, Gragg, one of the inhabitants at the unnamed flatland, discovered by chance during one of his frequent grub-gathering trips that the flooded plains across the river contained deposits of valuable minerals and stones. He dredged up several platinum ingots and speckles of the incredibly rare forgemetal, used to make the best warrior armor in Caen at that time.


Needless to say, Gragg's life changed and he was soon the most influential half-orc around town. Many paid him handsomely to get information regarding the exact location of the dredgings. News of this discovery spread like wildfire and many started migrating to Graggeg (the entire town was now named partially after him), in search of riches.

Upriver, Harshamupula- a sizable fortress-town, was not affected much, as they were resource-rich in timber and farm produce. The farmers there worshipped Corellon Stonehands- God of Creation, and have his fertile volcanic soil to thank for their abundant harvests. But the same could not be said for the town of Zhyx, along one of the subsidaries of the River Harsh. Many left the town to make the long trip towards Graggeg. That made Zhyx the Warlord -- ruler of the Zhyx stronghold, quite mad; as he was green with jealousy over how matters have panned out. He tried to persuade Gragg into subsidising his town maintenance costs, as there was not enough taxpayers around anymore.

Gragg stubbornly refused, and smugly told Zhyx that life was all about seizing chances and taking the path to the greenest pasture. Livid, Zhyx poisoned the riverflow towards Graggeg, killing many in the process. Gragg, through his reliable contacts, found out that Zhyx was the mastermind behind all of this. The next morning, Gragg announced war on the town of Zhyx. A few thousand-strong army was mobilized and victory was imminent.

After several bloody months of fighting, the Graggeg troops finally managed to make it past the Zhyxian defenses and into the town proper. But they were swiftly rebuffed by a vastly inferior force of hastily assembled townsfolk and common craftsmen. It was then clear that some of the invading forces from Graggeg still had family ties in Zhyx and could not fight properly, leaving barely enough to even retreat safely from the town in the end.

Gragg had failed to conquer Zhyx but inflicted enough pain to warn Zhyx not to mess around with him again. The town of Graggeg grew in importance and size, until it became a large desert port-city. There were several more clashes over the years, but it all ended when Sccor built Castle Greyskill near Caen's Molar. The paranoid desert natives finally had an outsider threat to band against, and relations between the desert natives and Sccor soured to the point where both sides keep making veiled threats to incite all-out war, with numerous skirmishes occurring which involved reducing Sccor's presence in the Greater Desert. It is a situation that holds true even up to this day.

The natives of the Greater Desert mostly wield large two handed weapons like the great axe and the two-handed club. Their battle tactics are crude, and direct at best, the aggressors preferring to outnumber the opponent, swiftly flanking them, and then massacre those trapped in between. Thus with an emphasis on swiftness, the natives uses light armor like leather and hide almost exclusively. Chain mail had and still plays a significant role in their warfare, especially so for the elites. Forgemetal is used to line the chain mail coats of the most able of the desertmen warlords and generals, allowing them to safely enter battle and lead the charge unscathed.

As time passed, the desert natives started to value heavier and sturdier armor, due to the rapid innovation of the Sccorians on the battlefield. The force at which those new Sccorian weapons impact the filmsy light armor of the natives was much greater than in the olden times, some blows shattering the armor completely. The natives began looking for an alternative armor source and found the best solution - open trade with anyone, merchants and pirates alike.
Sccor condemned the move and stated openly that anyone found dealing with the savages would be banned from the city and treated as traitors.

Up to this day, a handful of vessels still travel to the desert towns and cities by way of the River Harsh, bringing supplies of iron and ca-steel (a slightly lighter, more malleable and anti-rust metal) from the Western Caen region. Feylink - a rare ultra-light linkage material found only on particular islands east of Caen, is sometimes brought by enterprising pirates. Brisk trade is made; the visitors leave happy with supplies of platinum and precious stones, while the local armorsmiths are able to make sturdier armor (plate equivalent) for war against the Sccorians.

Saturday's DnD Group's Spotlight: "We're Halfway There~" Edition

Hi all,

The Heroes of Maya have had a rough couple of weeks in the Desert.

While assisting Hen-Lord Alan in finding his missing patrols, they stumbled upon clues which shed light on an unlikely alliance between the burly desert barbarians, the fiery minions of Zzen, the ancient Ghosts of Lake Nell and who knows what else. If not curbed, their combined prowess might devastate the nigh-impregnable fortress -- Castle Greyskill and cause total chaos to the unprotected region.

To complicate matters even more, Hen-Lord Alan has also been cursed by a ritual planted in a pelican-beak shard, and has been placed in stasis for the time being to prevent the enemies from knowing the Heroes' next choice of action.

Currently, the four are a couple of hundred feet down in FirstFrost Crypt- the Desert Elves' dwelling and burial grounds for their deceased. Sir Gaspar of Greyskill is trying to secure the trust of these secretive elves, namely the ruling Sai-Ow family, and prevent them from pledging to the alliance, if it is not already too late. The elven crypts have been tainted, and the dead inside are restless again.

Dharva Sai-Ow, the alpha male descendant of the clan, had sent Elva- his own sister (go figure.), down one of the burial chambers to investigate but she has not returned. He is worried that she could be in a spot of trouble and wanted the party to find her, and in return, he would warm up to the idea of forging closer ties with the Castle Greyskill and the surface dwellers.

Guy would certainly hope for that to happen. In a recent skirmish, he managed to tame (or sit on) a reluctant Bi-Zoad (domesticated two-legged single rider mount), and could easily wind up being the first non-Desert Elf to bring one of these swift scouting mounts out from Firstfrost if he gets the blessing of Dharva. Party wise, Trogdor is having fun with a powerful Elven amulet blessed with a strong anti-tainted presence, while Osiris is getting used to his new blade given to him by his Queen, and Astra, well, he's blasting all the grouped-up minions to smithereens.

Will Guy, Astra, Trogdor and Osiris be able to thwart this sinister alliance and their plans? What is Pelor, and the oft-missing Queen up to? And why is it that most heroic-tier quests ask for the party to find a missing "something"?

C'yall on the flip side.

"Newer = even bulkier and clunkier."

Hey all,

I just came across this little tidbit of information. 

The new Nintendo DSi XL is out. A more up to date version of the DS. With an enlarged screen (touted as being 93% bigger than the original DS Lite) and armed with not one but, two built-in cameras; the extra one being able to take pictures of your "business" look while plodding away on the XL. 




But the point is that for all of that to work, this technological monstrosity is bigger, heavier, and clunkier. Nowadays. the general public wants up-size right now. Instant gratification. And they do not care the package it comes in. Just something they can brag to their friends about.

"Mine is an inch wider across and 3/4 inches longer.", a typical DSi XL user is heard exclaiming to a regular DS Lite user.


"Take this! My iPad is larger than your iPhone, and has the same native graphics resolution which makes for really ugly applications that are not optimized for the iPad itself.", a satisfied Mac-Supporter would say.

Latching on to a great idea and expanding on it is vital in any business. Look at what the Japanese did. So, DnD 4E came up with their own version of Size Matters. 


3-D tiles have just arrived. Thick, cardboard and rather flat. Official 3-D combat rules are on the way, adding on to the already lengthy combat encounters. The players and the poor DM are now required to have minor mathematical genius genes as part of their resume in becoming a complete player. 


Drawing an imaginary hyperbola, arc, swing or flight path, and translating it into linear 5 ft blocks is now a necessary skill. I have not even brought in the dreaded LoS (Line of Sight) issues which is again unnecessarily made complicated by this 3D "upgrade" to the game.


My gaming group have experienced some of these situations first hand and I have to say, we are not looking forward to all this hoopla generated by WoTC in their insane quest to fatten their coffers.


Personally, I feel that the DM can just wing it, and decide on the fly if a spell with 5 range can hit someone standing 3 squares up and 2 squares in away from the edge of the elevation. Teleport 5? Heck, I might let them teleport 5 up and a couple in if it matters. And as WoTC has decreed, the players' powers are supposed to be special, even unique in some sense, so a bit of slack should be given; especially when it comes to 3-D movement in a non-3D optimized gaming table.


DnD 4E May Rules/Powers Update
While I am typing this article whole new slew of nerfs gaming balances have been introduced yet again in the 4E May Rules/Powers Update. I have written about this in a previous article, and even though they did write in this edition that they will slow down this knee-jerk process in future, I reckon that the slowing down is not because they have seen the light of what they are doing but more in the line of everything has been roughly balanced out in their eyes.


Did they ever take into account for every power/ruling they balanced well, they utterly nerfed several to virtual unplayability (read: not cool) ? Take Blood Pulse for instance. In its original form, it was ultra-cool and over-strong yes. It had to be balanced. Either the the bonus damage dice must go or the trigger changed to a voluntary movement instead of forced. But in its nerfed version, it can go fly a kite. Maybe wear a skirt even. The bonus damage is now a fixed damage modifier, and take this: only on voluntary movement.


Recent powers are considered overpowered (Intuitive Strike). but the question begs: How long does it take WoTC to know that scaling modifiers (tied to ability scores) tend to cause the problem. Especially if it modifies the chance to hit or to a lesser extent, the damage inflicted. 


Magic Weapon and Righteous Brand are two such powers that come to mind. They were given errata some time back, but the R & D did not learn with the printing of Intuitive Strike in Martial Power 2. Same problem, but they must have been thinking: Ah what the heck, if it is broke, errata it in a month then.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


For my next article, I will be posting an update on Chapter 2, what the Heroes have been up to, and some random thoughts about our sessions. So keep your eyes peeled for it.

"You have no need to outrun a Dragon. You need only outrun the slowest farmer." - Tab Earber, survivor of Kystik's*

*Young Green Dragon (Deceased). Attacked the Northern Farmlands. Killed by the Heroes of Maya at his lair in the Forest.

There is this rare Mind Flayer Telepath DnD figurine resting on my desk. It was a Christmas gift from the Alex the Tard-tical two years ago, and I have used the so-tong sparingly for a few sessions since then. It was my choice for Kharisma K. Karpenter, a custom Mind Flayer Warlock, in Shell's adventure.

The thing was that I had more fun with the Flayer than the character itself. I was fiddling with it a lot, and making it do imaginary spell-casting action. Of course, it could be also due to the fact that I played a Star Warlock who was more into cowing his opponents into submission (Intimidation) than attacking them.

These plastic figurines spruce up the combat part of the game, allowing one to visualize the action going on. But most importantly, these 1-sq inch based markers allow you a visual peek at your character and maybe even show off a little of its concept or uniqueness.

You imagine playing a Warforged Crossbow Caster; imagine a Warforged holding a crossbow, maybe in light armor, softly chanting arcane recitations. You soon realize that the idea is great; and then proceed to buy a DnD figurine depicting just that.

The players will be able to identify the character instantly instead of having to look through pages of character sheets with garbled handwriting or sub-par printing. Even if they do not get what they are seeing by looking at the figurine, they would be curious enough to ask you about the peculiarity of it all.

A sample conversation between two players who spend the time to figure their characters out:

Fie: "Eh, why is your character holding an ugly two-handed phallic-looking farming tool in his hands?"

*No answer. Fie starts to repeat himself.*

Fie: "Why is your charac-"

Kat: "For your information, it's called a dickspade, okay? And Rhombert B. Fielding is a lv 9 skilled harvester of multiple grains including wheat and oats. With a feat invested in Advanced Seasonal Changes. Any more dumb questions or can we just get this adventure started?"

*awkward silence. End of conversation.*

Um, right. I have tagged a photo of several sample figurines below, including the Warforged Crossbow Caster and his friends.

(L-R) Vek Chippendale's Gay Stripper, The Warforged Crossbow Caster, Shit on Four Legs.

So go enhance your roleplaying experience with this simple addition to your game. Wizards of the Coast has minted thousands of figurines for every encounter you can possibly think of; so no excuses as these people have worked their butts off to pry the hard-earned cash off your hands.

But the figurines are worth it. Look at the countless ways you can interact with them. Shake them violently to show that they have been "bloodied". Lift them off the ground to prep for a "Daily", shouting nonsensical war cries. Lay them flat on the grid when they are prone. Smack them hard when you miss on a "1". Rotate them around when they are flanked and tell your DM that you were alert to it and thus will not grant combat advantage to the enemy for that round.

See?

It's never wrong to go plastic and get all natural with the game.



Update: On a more serious note, our group are looking to pool some cash together and buy a large number of DnD figurines to make our encounters more visually pleasing and systematic for the DM as well. Hopefully, I will get to meet the seller and see his entire collection. More on that when it happens.

The HoM Fact-Files: This story is really (about) Astra.

Hi all,

My campaign will be resuming this week after a month's break, with the characters exploring the rest of the Pit Trap hideout they stumbled upon.

Alvin sent me a unique take on his character a couple of weeks back, giving me new and previously unknown information on the naive Changeling Sorcerer who has begun adventuring with the HoM. Here it is, his character background, in his own words.


The Beginnings of Astra 

My earliest memory of my parents is blurred and fuzzy at best. They placed a ring around my neck and told me that they will always be with me. I never really understood what it meant but we can come to that later. It was carved from a single, perfect topaz and had the color of honey. I remember that it always felt warm, like my mum’s embrace.

I was brought up as Astra Smith in the Smith family. We lived in the outskirts of Jarr, a mining town nestled on the eastern shore of Khorvaire  in the Tranquil Isles.

My adopted parents told me that they found me in a basket, crying, outside their door one day, with nothing except a short note begging them to care and raise me- and the ring that was around my neck. They treated me as their own and loved me deeply. Even though life was simple, they taught me everything they knew and tried to give me their best.

I never knew I was different, I meant, my hair was white and fine, and look sickly all the time as I have generally pale gray skin. They weren’t many people in the village and we only travel in when my parents wanted to celebrate my birthday. I always felt uncomfortable with the stares and gazes from the others, but my parents told me that everything was fine.

I was happy and loved.

But happiness doesn’t last forever. I was awaken from my slumber when my mom, hugged me crying and begging those men to spare them. Father was lying down on the ground, lifeless. I never did know why those men came. They pulled me from my mum and killed her in front of me. I never knew what death was until then. I didn’t know how to react. “No witnesses!", was all that was said as the axe came crashing down.

Before I knew anything, blinding light enveloped the area and stopped both me and the blade just two inches away from my head. In the next moment, a surge of energy ripped through my body. It created such a big force that it blew everything away. The men, the house and it destroyed everything.

I was saved but everything had changed.

I awoke in a warm bed, surrounded by people. I was found and rescued by the Society of the Red Hood. They were sorcerers. They have been tracking the people who murdered my parents. They were a group of bandits and had wanted to use my house as a trap for the sorcerers who were hunting them.

They recognize that I was different. They knew that I was a changeling. Under their care, I discovered my potential in magic. My mentor, Major Rays, groomed me and taught me the acts of sorcery. More importantly, there seem to be something unique about that ring. They were fascinated that it could produce a strong blast that activated and hurt enemies when I was threatened. I knew that it protected me, but I didn’t know how. Unfortunately, none of the sorcerers were powerful enough to identify my ring.

From their training, I grew in strength and learned my abilities well. At the age of 16, I was given my first mission together with Major. We were supposed to be on a scouting mission; a simple introduction to the dangers of the living world.

We travelled to the continent of Ca-en.

This simple mission turned out to be a disaster. We were being ambushed a group of men, that called themselves, the Holocaust. They were powerful and had in their midst a strong wizard. They capture the both of us and my mentor was tortured, wanting him to tell them our secrets. She refused and therefore wasn’t spared. But I was again being protected. They couldn’t touch me. However the wizard is powerful and forcefully broke the bond between the ring and myself.

The agony was too much to bear and I thought I had died. I didn’t know what happened next.

After I awoke, I realized I could not remember anything about myself except for a scar. It was a ring-like circle, on my chest.

My quest has begun…

"Autumn has arrived early this year.. I repeat, Autumn has arrived early this year.." (A Godfather's Report)

Hey all,

Chapter 2 has been postponed until Trogdor recovers from his unexpected death army and girlfriend commitments. He is likely to be out of action until early next month.

At the Desert, the Heroes of Maya are helping Hen-Lord Alan locate several missing patrols around Castle Greyskill. Whatever the reason is regarding the disappearances, it seems bent on sending them to the Under, permanently.

Ahh. Talking about mysteries, I have been assigned the role of "Godfather" to my really cute niece, Autumn Elizabeth Kwek.

She was born on the afternoon of  March 18th, and has a full head of jet-black hair and a hearty cry. Her features are delicate and clear; thus I nicknamed her "Christian Advanced 2.0" as she seems like a superior-looking Christian comparing both their Day 1 looks.

The unverified picture above shows an extremely charming Oriental dude cradling Autumn -the equally charismatic girl-child- in his arms. From that snapshot alone, one could see the dude's her smooth skin, wide smile and overall youthfulness.

Attached loosely on the belt of the Oriental dude's slim waist was a hastily written DnD 4e Character Sheet:

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Name: the_Godfada
Age: 34
Race: Human-ish
Alignment: Lawful Neutral
Class: Scholar/Bard real-life Hybrid, recently multiclass-ed as a Godfather.
Level : Huh?

Strength: 8
Constitution: 13

Dexterity: 12
Intelligence: 14

Wisdom: 13
Charisma: Numbers do not do him justice but I would say a 16 at least.

Feats: 

• Tennis Concentrate (Minor Style- You gain specific bonuses to the At-Will powers called Forehand, Backhand, Volley, First/Second Serve) 
• Spit Acid Laden Speech (You deal 1d6 acid damage to your target for each round of heated conversation you engage in), 
• Lesser Godfather (Multiclass Feat- choose a child. He/she now gains the godchild keyword and you gain the Godfather keyword. The godchild gains "At every level of experience the godchild gains, the godfather has to reward him/her with an item of appropriate level/value. 

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Finally, a hearty congrats again to my sperm-laden brother Shane and his toon-generating wife Momo.

I wish Autumn a speedy journey to the day she can walk, talk, and comprehend; discovering that even though her lesser godfather would not be able to get her everything she wants, but one day he might be able to get her something she needs.

Cyall' on the flip side. (Astra's Beginnings to come soon.)

The HoM Fact-Files: Osiris the Mispronounced.

Hi all,

Shell's assassin has a magical fullblade presumably blessed by the Queen of Winters herself. Want to know more? Read on. This excerpt is by Shell, written specially for his character.

For decades he lay in silence and darkness, waiting. Waiting for the call of the Queen to once again pass back through the Veil of Life. So long has he waited that he no longer remembers what spurred him to strike this deal with the Queen or what the Queen demands in return. Darkness is all he can remember now.
Three years ago, the Queen had appeared before him. She led him slowly towards a bright light, a gate through the Veil.


"You shall now be known as Osiris, the Bringer of Death to those whose time is neigh."
She continues, "You will be provided the skills necessary to undertake the task and the revenge you so longed for, along with this-"
The Queen passes a long black blade to him.
"Dath le Sefet. It shall be your instrument for as long as your service is required." 
Osiris marveled at the make of the simple yet elegant two-hander, cold to the naked touch, and the Queen spoke again.
"It possesses greater power, especially if you show that you are worthy of it and the path."

Dath le Sefet replica (S$29.99) Comes in three different colors- Black, Really Black and Too Black.

In an instant, Osiris materialized at the gates of Castle Greyskill. He trained there for several years and left for Maya soon after, a strange calling urging him on.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Dath le Sefet? Interesting. Maybe its Elven for "I Teleport quite a bit."

Next time round, I will be posting Alvin's take on Astra-- his reflex-tanking sorcerer, so keep your eyes peeled for it.

"The Young Ones, Darling We're the Young Ones..."

Hey all,

On Chinese New Year Day Two, I rounded up my unsuspecting cousins and put them through two and a half hours of tutorials DnD 4e basic starter rules (modified). Throughout that time, I had to tell them the fun part was soon to come, and that the creation of the characters and the many many rules would not translate to the game proper. They all agreed and snored blissfully while waiting for the real thing to happen.

Shane had to go home early but was on Skype playing the part of God, with useful comments coming by way of the speakers attached to my computer next to the gaming table.

The necessary evil - Dice.

Finally, at about three in the morning, the final student passed his DnD examinations and the adventure started.

The DM and his minion cousin during tutorial.

I whipped up an impromtu adventure for them in Greenich Village where Mib Trannor, the self-styled dictator of the area has asked for his annual first-born offerings again. And the adventurers were conveniently the first-borns, and were relocated to the forest south to wait out the sacrificial period.

My cousins played a versatile party of five. 

• Rhino, the quietly bloodied Human Cleric (Lewis), 
• Mamasan, the Tiefling Wizard who cooks Boars (Melissa)
•  Vanessa, the male Elven Fighter with 12 Intelligence (Clara)
• Ang Mo Kio, the brash Eladrin Ranger who announces his powers (Andy)
• Lorong Ah Soo, the crafty halfling rogue who cannot really bluff well (Kelly)

They went through a skill challenge which tested their ability to forage food as they had run out of provisions in the forested clearing. Along the way, they smashed up three large wild boars, and with a bit of Nature, Mamasan cooked them and even managed to preserve some as Ba-Kua (dried pork) in case they had to prolong their stay in the unfriendly wilds.

Ba Kua, anyone? Rhino stands bloodied  proud amongst the vanquished boars.

After successfully getting their rations, they had to tackle a search party organized by Mib which they managed to distract intially (Mamasan Ghost Sound an SnSD tune to the east) and disposed off later with brute force after a failed Bluff check by Ah Soo to misdirect them.

They rested after that, and returned to town after receiving news that Mib had gone out of the village for some business. The five first-born will have to contend with the crazed man when he returns but that is ... another adventure for another day.

Maybe next year.

*grins*

Happy New Year everyone, and may you roll critical hits regularly all-season round.