sorry about the short notice

Sorry that we had to cancel, and it is a good thing we did as everything took longer than it should have but we did arrive back home with our new prius arond 9:30.

Extra XP!!!

I get extra XP for posting. WOO HOOOO!!!!

no play

No playing Monday 4/25 - William has too much work since he was gone last week.

Monday April 18

First: Rodney, I am sorry to hear about your dad. Second: Just a reminder that we are not playing on the 18th - William is out of town!

Troubleshooting Character Builder

If you are having problems with the character builder that I gave you I think that I have found a great way to fix it. When I installed on my 64 bit PC it wouldnt load old files... So I found this.

When you load up the program it gives you an option of "Having Problems. Click on that.

After that, you can click on Repair.

It then downloads the official program from WoTC. It fixed my issues so good luck and hope it helps.

Next play

So from what I see we will be playing D&D again on March 21st. William mentioned us getting together before that to have a few beers and talk about the game. I think this would be a great idea so that we can get back into it again. Have a good trip Wendy and William and let us know when you get back if ya want to get together.

No Play for Valentines

Brian said he could not make it, and Darin texted last week that he would see us on the 21st so I am assuming he could not make it as well.

Post if you read this so I know you got it, otherwise I will send a text tomorrow.

Game Canceled 1/10

I think everyone should be there for the first session so we will postpone for next week.

I Talked to Darin Saturday night and he said he would be there no matter how much snow we got.... I have a feeling the wife nixed that idea LOL

Game Night Returns 1/10/11

If everyone can make it I plan to resume play this monday. We will probably spend the first hour or so getting caught up on what's what. If you guys have specific questions please give me a heads up.

Darin, do you have an update of the NPC cards that you did in the magic the gathering card creator? If so please send me the files.

Rodney and Chris, I still need copies of your up to date characters.

If anyone gets a chance it would be nice to post a list of items you guys might have that you don't have identified.

No more mondays until 2011

Hey guys, getting too busy at work so we will be on break until the new year. If everyone would email me a copy of their characters I would appreciate it.

Thanks,
William

heads up for monday

It is looking 50/50 for monday play.... at least for D&D. I am getting to the point that work is starting to pile up. I will post monday and let you guys know for certain whether or not we will be playing. If you guys are interested in playing games instead let me know as that has a little higher possibility.

Implements of Argent...

Here's the scoop on the group set items:

Controler's Rod +3 - +3 Att/Dmg rolls; Daily power: attacks also weakens targets (save ends) - Karza has this. Anyone that can use an implement can use this, but it doesn't stack with magic weapons/implements so Karza is probably the only one that would use it.

Leader's Helm - Simon has this. Only affects healing powers so no one else can use it.

Champion's Ring - + 1AC/Ref per set item equiped; Daily power enemies gain vunerability to one type of damage untile end of next turn - Zane has this. Anyone could use this.

Stiker's Longbow +3 - +3 Att/Dmg rolls; Daily power you and one ally gain combat advantage and +10 damage against the target until the end of your next turn. - The enchantment can be transfered to any weapon, so any of us could use it.

Defender's Scale +3 - +3 AC; Resist 10 cold and fire; Daily power attack that "marks" also dazes. - Can only be transfered to chain, scale or plate armor. Simon could use it. Xandra could use it if she took the chain mail feat at 14th level. I didn't see any penalties in the Barbarian description for wearing chain, but I don't know if it would affect any of her powers or feats. I don't meet the prereques for chain, scale or plate, and if I did wear chain my AC would DROP by 5.


So... If we want everyone to have one item Wendy would need to take the chain mail feat at 14th level and transfer the Defender's scale to a set of chainmail (we'd have to find/buy a set that could be enchanted.)

If we just want all of the item to be used, Simon could take Armor and the Helm and the other 3 items would go to 3 of the other 4 pc. Someone would not get the set bonuses, but the 4 that got them would have the max bonus possible. Simon's current armor (Summoned Scale +3) can be transfered to any armor type. And, we have a Greatsword +3 as well. So who ever didn't get a set item could transfer one or both of these items to their armor/weapon.

BAD NEWS from WoTC

Looks like wizards will be stopping development of the character builder and insider tools in their current incarnation. They are moving to a web only character builder option with MS silverlight after Nov 16 and will no longer be updating the old character builder. I do not intend to pay for this service so if there is a charge for it, I would prefer we freeze the rules with the current build of character builder and use that. For practical reasons this would mean not allowing new powers/skills/feats from future releases. I would be interested in everyones opinion of the matter.

Chris won't be there tonight...

He had to go to Hutch to get his car worked on. I've got his 13th level character.

Better late than never...

I'm back!! And, really looking forward to tonight!

This is a reply to last week's post about options, AND to William's post from a couple of weeks ago.

My infrequent play, especially the last few months has definitely made roleplaying more difficult. So, I thought I should re-hash my character background to get myself back in character and let you guys in on what's up with me. Rellys has little memory of his life before coming to this realm. He woke up after a battle with no memory or anyone around to tell him what had happened or which side he had been on. At that point his sword, D'Zerroth, warned him that "they" were comming, and he fled. The next thing he knew he was standing in the feild with you guys.

Since then D'Zerroth has revealed that Rellys has proven himself worthy, has been named the next "Anarch of Shyr," (he has no more idea what that means than you do,) and that his destiny is to battle the primordials and prevent them from destroying the universe as we know it.

Based on that, and what little I remember after my long absense, Rellys' plan focuses on the battle with the primoridals. To that end he opposes Oresmed (the fire giant,) and is inclined to oppose Elindee (because his theft of the pedistal has weakened Argent.)

If it were up to me, this would be the plan -
1. Get another Charim, or to remove the negative effects of having lost the 1st one. These penalties greatly reduce the effectiveness of both Zane and I, and we'll most likely need Charims to defeat Elindee
2. Re-join the rebelion and move their terismen to Argent.
3. Kick Elindee's bitch ass.

William,
I actually really like your GMing style. I don't like being lead around by the nose. It's unfortunate that our original characters died, because I had a much stronger connection to Andros than I do Rellys, but shit happens.

I have 2 issues with your game. First, the options can be overwhelming. It seems like there is never enough information to feel particularly comfortable with any of our choices. And, whenever we do make a choice, it usually opens up even more options and rarely turns out to be something we can "complete." So, we're left with having to make another choice, with more options than before.

Second, since we are litterally free to follow whatever path we want, it's pretty easy for us to get in over out heads. The wipe of our last party was during an encounter of our own level. If we head down the "wrong" path and end up in an area we're not powerful enough to handle, we could easily end up with another party wipe. That possiblity just adds to our (or at least my) uncertainty when faced with all of our possible options.

I don't have a solution. I just wanted to let everyone know my thoughts on it all.

See y'all tonight.

likes and dislikes

My goal with 4th ed was to start off with the premade stuff until I felt comfortable and then shift into one of my worlds. And we are now in a fully hybrid version of the game where the line between my world and the premade stuff has blurred. Honestly I don't get much of a feeling as though people are enjoying it and I feel like people may be a bit overwhelmed or dogged by the multiple loose ends I like to have.

The game for me is most fun when you guys are involved with how the world proceeds and I know that we have missed a couple of weeks here and there but I would like to make sure that everyone is on the same page and having a good time.

I think I have said it before but I will mention it again, I never liked the start of a game that you were in a tavern and someone came in and told you what to do. I always thought that my character may not want to do the task and felt alienated from the game, so I encourage people to find their own reasons to adventure. Somewhere in this game I feel that people have lost the motivation to connect their character to the game. Wendy has a lot of ties to the wilds and woods and I thought that there would be more excitement about the sheltered wooods, but it seems to be another drudgery added to the queue. Brian's character I find interested in some things and not in others in a fashion I cannot easily predict. I think his winning the soul of the demon could give a closer tie to the game but only time will tell. Darin's character I still have yet to figure out, I cannot find his original background, but his bardishness has seemed to become healerish without me getting an idea of what is of interest to him in the game. Chris ads a lot of flavor to the game, but motivation has always been a question. And Rodney I honestly feel is sometimes having more fun texting than playing, though that is a bit unfair as work has taken him away recently, and I certainly understand that; yet when he is playing I feel more calculation than real roleplaying from his character, though his decisiveness at least gives the party a focus and direction.

I do have some really interesting things (in my opinion of course) that I have been planing for some time, but I am starting to get the feel that just telling you that you need to go here and do that via the tavern keeper might be more to everyones liking. I don't want to sound like I am not having fun, but I do feel like I could be having more fun with a group that was interested more in "my" game, or if I just abandoned "my" game and rand a series of unrelated modules.

I am not asking for a break from running, which I enjoy, but rather some help in making the game more interesting for you (and by which I will be more interested). Please tell me what is working for you and what is not, have no worries that you will offend me or step on my toes I really would like to know what is and is not fun for you so I can make the game more enjoyable for everyone, as I currently don't feel that it is.

Lastly I don't know why you are adventuring but this outline might give you more incentive to find motivation, feel free to add to it as I don't think it is nearly complete, but it might enlighten you to your characters way of thinking.

1) find out why you are here,
A) brought here for a reason
B) brought here as an accident
C) brought here as a result of neither reson nor accident
2) Accept you are here and live on, pointless (no reason to roleplay)
A) find a quite place and live out your life
1) go read a book that tells about your adventure
2) live a mundane existance
b) bow down to the powers that be and live out your life
3) continue fighting
1) based on moral decisions
2) based on objectives you have always believed
3) based on other reason
3) Pass the time
A) make no decisions
1) go read a book that tells about your adventure
2) live a mundane existance
B) accept what may come
1) go read a book that tells about your adventure
2) live a mundane existance
4) Believe you are here as part of a larger order
A) you are here because of devine right
B) you are here because of your heroic record or heart
C) you are here as a pawn of fate
D) you are here to prove yourself
E) you are here because the DM wanted you here
F) you are here because of some other reason

Cancel 9/20

Sorry guys I have a couple of big jobs this week at work so I have to work late this week, I can play next week but the following week I will be in Chicago on business

magic item details

3 rugs (one with intricate geometric designs, one a single blue colour and one a patchwork of colours and materials)
Each rug is 5x5
Geometric rug will fly at 10 and carry up to 600 lbs standard action to activate sustain as minor

Blue same as geometric but travels over or under water allowing io to two persons to breathable air

Patch work is deployed for an encounter as a standard action (cannot be moved until the end of the encounter) during which time any one person standing on the rug gains +2 to all defenses, resist 5/variable and cannot be forcacly pushed pulled or slid. This item may only be used once daily


15 small statuettes (seemingly small carved versions probably commissioned by wealthy patrons, 13 are of humans, but two are of animals... one bull and one wolf)

3 of these are female figures, 6 are of male personas and 4 were destroyed.
Simon was able to identify 4 individuals:

Usundra, a legendary huntswoman of epic renown believed to have been the inventor of the recurved greatbow. She is the source of legends and tales of great deeds and accomplishments, dates of origin unkown, believed to be mythical.

Jasken, a man that history tells was credited with the idea of coins used in place of barter, legends say he was a fat man of great intelligence but little kindness, dates of origin unknown.

Trellen, a nobleman credited with the foundation of nations and governments. History mentions that his blood runs through most of the noble houses of the Nentir vale, date of origin unknown, believed to be mythical.

Sartes, a woman known for her sense of reason and rationality. She is credited with intellectual thought but also known as a strong patron of the gods. History tells of her founding some of the first temples and structures to the gods. Although she was a devout worshiper and patron of the gods, some histories also decry that she renounced them upon her deathbead. Some histories recount her claim that the gods fooled mortals into worshiping them merely to gain power. Histories conflict over the time that she may have lived, some mentioning that she was the original builder of temples but some also place her death near the time of the bloodspear wars. Histories are also split over what became of her, as some mention she was burned before her final demise as a heretic, while others say that the gods themselves appeared at her funeral pyre and carried her essence off to become one of their own.



1 rolled tapestry (depicting a golden city surrounded by blue flames)

this item activates a shield around argent that lasts for 7 days


3 lead bars (approximately 3 inches by 3 inches by 10 inches)

sky metal already used

3 sturdy wooden chests (one rotting with an oily residue leaking about its base, two intact and with stout locks... one an iron padlock and the other an iron lock with key built into the chest)

two destroyed one contained the champion armor set


1 ornate carved ivory lap desk with writing utensils

non magical


2 pedestals with busts carved from some sort of lavender stone

one of a lady that was destroyed the other of a man with elven features

1 odd white leather bag that contains 3 books (1 titled in common "chronicles or eptimus" one that is blank with reddish tinted pages and one with two locks closing it firmly with some form of runic writing on the outside)

ce: containes rituals: arcane lock, knock, sending, linked portal, remove affliction,shadow walk, planer portal
Red paged book is blank

Locked book: far sight, magic map, whispers of the edifice, reverse portal, adjure, magic circle

Bag will hold 1 cubic foot ofnmaterial imparting the contents resist all 10, anything within then bag is 1/6 lighter


1 small statuette of a human sized hand cast in brass or gold

this item binds oaths, upnto five oaths can be bound to it at any given time and binding a new oath removes the oldest oath bound. The item currently holds five bound oaths, death it seems does not remove a binding


12 sealed scroll cases, 3 marked with a symbol that Zane believes means death, 3 with a symbol that he believes means pestilence, 3 with a symbol he thinks means suffering, and 3 with a symbol that he means penitence.

breaking the seals on these items releases the magic held within


3 small metal boxes the size of large coffers, each has a hinge but no obvious opening mechanism

thesenboxes are affected by light time and planets


1 section of kit that is seemingly exotic materials and incenses (zane believes them to be rare spell components of approximately 5,000gp value)

spell components


1 3'x6' mirror on an ornate stand that is currently covered with a gossamer fabric.

objects shown in this mirror can be tracked by the argent scrying pool for some period of time


18 round black spheres spaced precisely upon a wooden plinth, the area around the spheres seems to have withered/faded slightly as if being exposed to bright light for many years.

This is the game chaven, this magic board grants the winner dominion over the loser. Playing the game requires 13 turns of separate skill checks (3 history, 2 bluff, 2 arcana, 3 intelligence, 1 wisdom, 2 extra of the players choice)skills are chosen secretly and rolled against each other. Loosing any skill by 5 or more gives the winner an extra win in which they may choose which skill their opponent losses. For example, two players are competing on the first turn player a wins arcana vs bluff by 7 and elects that his opponent must use bluff on round two, which player a wins automatically, and play continues on round three, player b may use bluff again, but it now must be one of his wildcards.


a medium sized pedestal that contains 4 potion flasks that glow faintly with their own illumination.
These are potions of vigialance and grand the imbiber the recovery of one daily power, they can also be sipped over a 15 minute period and grant the user all the affects as though they had spent an extended rest. If interrupted during the 15 minutes the effects are lost. Drinking the potion in either way also counts as a milestone and will award one action point.

Item details

Sorry I forgot to post this, thanks for the reminder Darin.

The storage area within the vault seems to be fairly sizable but it was never very full.
you can easily see where the gold chest was removed. Around the room you find an odd assortment of items:

3 rugs (one with intricate geometric designs, one a single blue colour and one a patchwork of colours and materials)
15 small statuettes (seemingly small carved versions probably commissioned by wealthy patrons, 13 are of humans, but two are of animals... one bull and one wolf)
1 rolled tapestry (depicting a golden city surrounded by blue flames)
3 lead bars (approximately 3 inches by 3 inches by 10 inches)
1 clear crystal box that has ornate gold locks, the box is transparent and the empty inside is easily visible, though the gold locks appear to be locked
3 sturdy wooden chests (one rotting with an oily residue leaking about its base, two intact and with stout locks... one an iron padlock and the other an iron lock with key built into the chest)
1 ornate carved ivory lap desk with writing utensils
2 pedestals with busts carved from some sort of lavender stone
1 odd white leather bag that contains 3 books (1 titled in common "chronicles or eptimus" one that is blank with reddish tinted pages and one with two locks closing it firmly with some form of runic writing on the outside)
1 small statuette of a human sized hand cast in brass or gold
12 sealed scroll cases, 3 marked with a symbol that Zane believes means death, 3 with a symbol that he believes means pestilence, 3 with a symbol he thinks means suffering, and 3 with a symbol that he means penitence.
3 small metal boxes the size of large coffers, each has a hinge but no obvious opening mechanism
1 section of kit that is seemingly exotic materials and incenses (zane believes them to be rare spell components of approximately 5,000gp value)
1 3'x6' mirror on an ornate stand that is currently covered with a gossamer fabric.
18 round black spheres spaced precisely upon a wooden plinth, the area around the spheres seems to have withered/faded slightly as if being exposed to bright light for many years.
a medium sized pedestal that contains 4 potion flasks that glow faintly with their own illumination.

Mo

Monday canceled, looks like I am getting a work backlog, please post that you got the message, thanks