No stars nor a moon to shed any light. --Dream--

I am between seven and nine years of age, as I have the first dream in this ongoing dream series of three.

I am laying in a boat. It is a narrow boat, and it seems long. My length considered, it is of course not. Only a little longer then the kid within it. But narrow. Seemed a Longboat to me.
The sky - should there be one, is black. No stars nor a moon to shed any light. Yet as my focus change, and my view assent my physical being, gazing down upon it and the boat, I see reflections of pale light in the water of the endless sea surrounding the vessel carrying my body. I feel stillness.

There it ends.
~J

If he were not the Emperor he would not have stepped aside --Dream--

Dream night to 6th. of Dec. 2008.

I set out on a ship from a harbor city in medieval Europe somewhere, with some other people I do not know.
We somehow sink and is then fished up by pirates, where after we get tied up in different ways, told by the captain that he would trust us, yet can't. This is where I first see myself, being one of the survivors of the previous ship, where I had not seen myself before, yet knew I where there.
The pirate ship attack and sink an other ship, where after I am let loose for some reason.
We then encounter a fleet from the great empire of China, and the pirate captain engage the Chinese fleet with hell-bent determination.
-jump scene-
I am on a vessel of the Chinese fleet after the pirates are no more. I'm standing by the captain, but start to wander about, where I encounter my TT. We are happy to see etch other, and we spend the time on board the vessel with etch other. We are happy. TT wore what I would deem to be royal clothing of Chinese design.
We approach a city by the sea, in China. The ship sail to a landing bridge, and we walk down the ramp - my love and I. We are there waited for by an entourage of soldiers and, what at the time were expected by me to be, their commander.
My TT is exited and run with a smile down the ramp and up the landing bridge where the "commander" and soldiers give way, and the soldiers start to walk down the impossible long landing bridge, towards the city. I walk down, a bit uneven about their presence, and the "commander" just start to walk after the soldiers though the soldiers are a bit ahead now.
At this time in the dream I know that the "commander" is actually the Emperor (dream still going on in the olden days). As I run up to follow my TT the Emperor turns his head slightly backwards, and step to the side so I can pass. As I pass him I hear a "voice-over" in the dream, like in some old adventure movie, telling me "if he were not the Emperor he would not have stepped aside" (exactly the words) and I turn my head back while still running ahead, and I see him smiling friendly.
I run past the soldiers that also step to the side so that I can pass them on the right, and I catch up with my love. We run through some streets in the city - the houses being a mix of Ancient Chinese architecture, and of medieval European architecture. After passing through a few streets we reach a plaza that is basically a big white tree with just a bit of space between it and the houses of the city, with a path circling around the plaza.
My TT hugs the tree. She is so happy to see it again, having so missed it. I sit with her, smiling.
I do not see the canopy.
After having hugged the tree for a while (oh so lovely she is) it open up three places, and we walk in to it (just like some old trees have a sort of a "cave" in them). Inside this "cave" that is well lit from the outside openings we see a smaller tree that is just springing up. It is about a meter, or such. 1.20m, maybe. We kneel down in front of it (just as we will sit there, our legs under us) and look at it and each other, and are smiling widely - happy.
I see the top of the tree. It is reaching the sky, the canopy unfolding in a wide beautiful green foliage.
I wake up, it being one a clock pm.
~J

Humanoid interconnection in B/X Dungeons and Dragons.

I was thinking about the relationships between the humanoid monsters – and certain animals in the monster listings of B/X Dungeons and Dragons. I'm all for changing it up, but if taken serious by the letter of the word, you are forced to have not just many of the different humanoids in your world – if you take one of them, but also to have them interacted at least in the past.

I was ones – before I had this sleepy blog, going to make a relationship chart of the monster list but found it a bit overwhelming as I started. Now let's try it a bit different.

We start with the first humanoid we encounter if we don't count the actual human entries, the Bugbear! In it's description it says “Bugbears are giant hairy goblins” which sends us to the Goblin! Apparently Goblins are “incredibly ugly human-like” so we now might have to include Humans, though we could get away with leaving them, as it's only to tell us how the Goblin looks. But then, we would include us, wouldn't we? Let's move on. Goblins “hate Dwarves and will attack them on sight” and they sometimes “will be riding a Dire Wolf”. Going to Dire Wolfs (under the Wolf entry) tells us only that they are “larger and more ferocious than normal wolves” relating them to Wolfs (shocking, I know) and that they are “sometimes trained by goblins to be used as mounts” so that snake bite it’s own tail. When going to the Dwarf entry then it tells us they “hate goblins, and will usually attack them on sight” which again lead back. There's no place like home, there's no place like home… This however does not conclude our little study, as we shall discover other ties to this little family. The next humanoid is the Doppleganger, but it mentions no relations to any humanoid in particular, so we can move on without it.

Next up is the Elf entry which doesn't mention relationships either, but we will return here in a bit.

Now we got the ghastly Ghoul! It have the ability to paralyze “any creature of ogre-size or smaller that they hit successfully (except elves)” mentioning both Ogres and Elves! The Elf no relationships mentioned – as we read, so we'll proceed to the Ogre! We here learn that “Ogres hate Neanderthals and will attack them on sight” and are sent running to the Neanderthal entry. And what an Entry! We learn that they “choose their leaders from a similar race that is much larger than the average Neanderthal” however with only a description of these, and no entry in the monster list. But there are more! They “often hunt cave bears and keep white apes as pets” which sent us to the entry for the White Ape which only refer back to the Neanderthal as they “sometimes are kept as pets” by them. The Cave Bear entry tells us that they live in “caves and "lost world" areas” which gives us no further relationships, but does force the existence of a “lost world” area on our world. As creatures that might live in such, doesn't absolutely have to, it's irrelevant for this investigation – no need to go write 488 Pearl Lane in to our world. Bach at the Neanderthal we read that they are “friendly toward dwarves and gnomes” and so we get to go to the Gnome for a visit. Now Gnomes are a “human-like race related to dwarves” but we already explored the dwarf. Related they are, though. They “like most dwarves, but war with goblins and kobolds” and they “will usually attack kobolds on sight”. Let's go see the Kobold shall we? Well, I guess they share feelings for etch other, as Koblods “hate gnomes and will attack them on sight” which is sort of common ground then. Cute. Let's return to our German friends for a spell, which also have less then fussy feelings for the wee Kobold. We now read that they will “attack ogres on sight” so we just get out of the way then, which if nice for them anyway as they also are “shy and will avoid humans” so it'll give them room. Humans are specifically mentioned, however, so we're definitely in!

Next is the Gnoll which is “rumored to be the result of a magical combination of a gnome and a troll” and the Troll will be touched upon later (if you'll imagine...) so we move on to the Halfling which again is silent on the rest of the Humanoids, and we then come to the Hobgoblin! Not much in the way of relationships, but it does tie them to our Goblin friends as they are “bigger and meaner relatives” and we move on.

The Lizard Man is coming up, and the data have it that it “will try to capture humans and demihumans” which does tie them to Humans specifically. So in it goes, though that brings no more.

Then we'll go to Lycanthropes which are a sickness or curse that I don't think we need to include simply because humans are the victims of it, and past the Medusa that are also just described in the human form, but not in a tie in way, and right to the Orc entry.

Of the Orc we are told that “there may be an ogre with them” which leads us back to them, and also that there is a “chance of a troll living in the lair as well” leading us strait away to the Ekspert Set's Troll description which tells us absolutely nothing but does tie in to a later entry as we shall see, as well as to the Gnoll mentioned earlier.

Pixies are next, and they are “distantly related to elves” so there.
Then comes Sprites that are “related to pixies and elves” but nothing else is added.

Now comes the Thoul! Now the Thoul is a “magical combination of a ghoul, a hobgoblin, and a troll” which is the tie in mentioned when I wrote of the Orcs! Everyone have however been explored, so no need to linger here.

The last Humanoid of the Basic set is the Troglodyte, but it has no ties to anyone else, so we'll leave it by the side.

The Expert set have many Human entries, but not many humanoids, and no with tie ins, though I would personally expect the Nixies to be in the extended Elf family – but it doesn't say.

As we see, we are locked in to a world of many, many humanoids, unless ignoring the text in part.



A more interesting exercise might be to actually chart which humanoid entries force what others, instead of the chaos above. Adding the Elf force you to nothing else, the Sprite force upon your world the Elf and the Pixie, where the Pixie only demand the Elf. Let's see for that chart, shall we – and I only list those who demand others added.

Bugbear: Goblin, Dwarf, Dire Wolf, Wolf.

Dwarf: Goblin, Dire Wolf, Wolf.

Ghoul: Elf.

Gnoll: Gnome, Troll, Dwarf, Goblin, Dwarf, Kobold, Dire Wolf, Wolf.

Gnome: Dwarf, Goblin, Kobold, Dire Wolf, Wolf. Goblin: Dwarf, Dire Wolf, Wolf.

Hobgoblin: Goblin, Dire Wolf, Wolf, Dwarf. Kobold: Gnome, Dwarf, Goblin, Dire Wolf, Wolf.

Lizard Man: Human.

Neanderthal (Caveman): “Similar race that is much larger”, Cave Bears, White Ape, Dwarf, Goblin, Dire Wolf, Wolf, Ogre.

Ogre: Neanderthal, “Similar race that is much larger”, Cave Bears, White Ape, Dwarf, Goblin, Dire Wolf, Wolf.

Orc; Ogre, Neanderthal, “Similar race that is much larger”, Cave Bears, White Ape, Dwarf, Goblin, Dire Wolf, Wolf, Troll.

Pixie: Elf.

Sprite: Pixie, Elf.

Thoul: Hobgoblin, Goblin, Dire Wolf, Wolf, Dwarf, Ghoul, Elf, Troll.



And there you go. If you add one from the list, to your world then you will see whom tag along. Good times ^_^

Let's post this!
~J

All religious people in jail!

Unbelievable. Two days ago I read in the newspaper, at work, about a church that closed itself after one of their priests had abused some people from the congregation sexually. Reading the article made it very understandable, but at first I commented on the title only with a bit of wonder about why they would close the whole Church - not having read it yet. This prompted one of my colleagues to strongly state that he wanted all Churches to be closed – by force, we understood. As I asked him why, he told me that they were harmful to people. After telling him how some of his own interest that do accept members down to at least three years of age (so no free chose, really) could be considered harmful to people (professional soccer, in this case) he got angry – of course, as he strongly disagreed. Then I asked him if people should be thrown in jail for attending Church after they had been closed, as you know they would be (even if we start with fines, money to pay will eventually run out, and people will still go) he said yes! I then started listing people at our work that would be incarcerated, or whom spouse would be – most of them present at this time but not saying a word, and asked if he really meant that. Shockingly he said “I thing so”! Then I asked him “are you so arrogant that you think that you know what is bast for people, and rally think you can jail them for disagreeing with you. Now he was about to loose it, so might be answering without thinking. But he said yes again! Still no one backed me up, and after he left there were just complete silence.

~J

Meaning of AC and HP - 1st attempt.

When people whom are not familiar with OSR games and Dungeons & Dragons' combat resolution system encounter it they may question the way it works. AC for a monster type doesn't always make sense – like a ghoul having AC6, or a Medusa AC8, and why doesn't wisdom add to the combat roll, given that being wise would help you to know when to strike. And dextrous charismatic swashbuckler types (not the level title) should get some form of attack bonus from high stats in those areas, no? Oh, and what's with those hit points anyway?

Saying that it's just game mechanics is fine. But I sat in the train and thought I'd like to BS it a bit better. This is what I came up with regarding the OSR games and B/X D&D versions – realizing that my stab at this is just as good/bad as anyone else's.

AC armor class.

AC is not only based on armor but a combination of armor worn as well as the general survival instinct helping you to dodge attacks. Therefore it is present even for unarmored characters where it is 9, and are modified by dexterity as well as armor.

AC can also be based on the creatures fierceness or a frightening special ability (like a petrifying gaze) making it harder to “go in” to land the hit.

This help explain the ghouls high AC. It's skin cant be that tough, but no one want to get close to those claws. And the medusa is served well by the attackers inability to look directly at it. And an ogres AC5? I'll take the skin could be as leather armor, but not chain mail. Those big crushing fists on an enraged stinking juggernaut might just make you hesitate a bit, though, adding the bonus of 2 or 3 to AC.

HP hit points.

Hit points symbolize the ability to withstand pain, resist strain, and perry at the last moment. Therefore constitution and class level affects HP. A fighter learn to dodge and perry better then a thief, and can resist more pain then a magic user. And someone with a high constitution can withstand shock better then someone with a low constitution. The attack and damage roll is therefore also modified by strength as strong attacks affect a person if it hits armor, and also course more strain upon the target if blocked or parried.

This works pretty well, and also make clear that it's not the ability to get a sword stabbed through the torso, and keep fighting. The explanation isn’t perfect, neither is the system. But I do think they boat work.

Weapon damage is based on weapon effectiveness and weight.

Given that they drain HP until the last moment this is the best I could come up with. It's more sensible with a wpn vs. wpn+AC with a set HP loss die per att, but then playability suffers. I might try to build it as an ivory tower pursuit some time though.

Space: Above and Beyond - Kill the right thruster you stupid tank!

I just finished watching the to part pilot of Space: Above and Beyond. It's the first time since 1996 when I'm pretty sure it ran on Danish TV, And it hooked me again. It's funny how much I remember from just those two episodes. Anyway, this entry isn't interesting to anyone, I guess. I just wanted to give the show a shout out. I watched it every time on TV at some time after 02:00 at night - no wonder it wasn't big over here :D Too bad it got cut before any wrap up. I think I read the reason in a magazine ones, but I can't remember it. It beats Star Wars and Star Track in my book. I ones had a facebook profile named Clear Sky Blue Sea, which is a positive rewrite of a term I heard in that show. Looking at the vid files I think it's s1e22: Sugar Dirt, but I will see in the days to come :)

Oh, and that theme music ^_^

How to win Dungeons and Dragons

This was written in a comment reply to The Iron Goat http://bxblackrazor.blogspot.com/2011/08/compression.html) on B/X Blackrazor

"That's one possible consideration of the original game designers: with unlimited levels, play can extend as long as one wants (i.e. until you get bored with your character) with always "something to look forward to." I'm not sure that's what I want in the game...though probably some type of End Game is desirable, to have an "overall goal" players can attain through the life of a campaign."

It made me think of the Frank Mentzer line.

Now I newer played the Immortals rules of the BECMI sets, but that has a clear end to the game – that no mortal will ever reach! Well, everything is possible, I guess…

On page 3 to 5 of the Immortals DM's Guide it state that you have to become one of the most powerful gods in the multiverse, twice.

This means first surviving to become a god in the first place.

I'll first quote the companion sets Players Guide page 2 to show what it takes:

“Paths to Immortality These paths will be explained in detail in the D&D Master Set, but you should know some general details at this time, so you can plan your character’s future. After reaching level 26 or greater, a character can gain Immortality by following one of four paths: 

A dynast is a character who builds a great and powerful empire. The dynasty must be vast, and must stand for a long time.

A hero (or Epic Hero) is a character who represents the ultimate ideals of heroism. The character must display the traits of the classic Epic Hero in every thought and action. Among other things, the character must travel to far lands and perform great and noble deeds. 

A paragon is a character who reaches the ultimate in his or her profession. The paragon must invent or discover new skills and knowledge, and must be renowned as a master professional. 

A polymath is a character who learns much about everything, not only in the original profession, but in all areas. The character must give up all known skills before gaining others, and becoming a member of a mysterious and unique brotherhood.”

Wow! Reading this I think: Paragon you can do, I guess. Hero is the simplest. I don't know how Dynast will be played out. I mean, how do you know if it will stand for a long time? And polymath is just brutal. Remember; you have to stay alive from level one again – as I read it.

The Masters set does go in to more detail on page 15 of the DM's guide, however.

For all the paths you need to first get some god to sponsor you. If the DM is nice this could be a breeze.

Now you have to do the following:

Gain 4'000'000 XP, unless you wish to be god in an area (sphere) that does not mach your class. In that case it'll be 6'000'000 XP!

Quest: Quest for an artifact. And it is written that it should take many in-game years.

Trail: Complete a trail fitting his class or sphere. For a Dynast this involve traveling in time to help decedents – no less then three different ones at different times! So I guess that's how you know...

Testimony: The Epic Hero must create a legendary weapon, but the Dynast must found a nation… Hero wins, no?

Task: The Paragon must become known as the most powerful within a 1'000 mile radius. He should challenge opponents of no less then level twentyfive, and might have them gang up on him!

This is hard and time consuming. And try to read this combined Quest and Task of the Polymath:

“Quest and Task: The Polymath must face the challenge to succeed in three additional lives as cleric, thief, and magic-user. The Polymath, during each of his three lives as another character class, must quest for and gain the same artifact. He begins each new career at first level, with no memories of his previous lives. The quests may not begin until the character reaches 5th level in each class. The first two times the artifact is gained, the Immortal reappears to the character within 10-200 days to claim it. The Immortal then reduces the character to first level and causes him to forget his past so that he may begin as the next character class. The third time the artifact is gained, the character may retain it, and the Immortal returns all past memories.”

So, a full weekend, eh?

Then after godhood, you have to play the Immortals set long enough to become member of the most powerful cast of gods. What then? Go back to LEVEL ONE and do it all again. And if you die at level two? Oh, your character didn't make it the second time, and you have to start ALL over to “win” the game.

I'd like to know if anybody ever won Franks version of D&D :D

I'll quote the Immortals set:

“The Secret of the Multiverse.
Immortals have imagined much of the following, and have in fact deduced most of the truth, but have never found real evidence to support their theories. They remain uneasy, intellectually capable but unable to fully accept their own deductions. Coming from a place now lost in the mists of forgotten time and memory, the first Immortals found the multiverse; they did not create it. They found it without order, and without purpose, so they made the achievement of these things their highest goal. The many planes of existence are still being explored by the Immortals. The Outer Planes seem to be innumerable. With each passing millennium, the Immortals grow ever more awed by the apparently infinite size and variety of this vast creation. Someone must have been here before, they reason. Someone or some group, or perhaps some thing, made all of this. The Immortals call them the Old Ones – beings to whom even the power of the Immortals is but a drop in an ocean. The Immortals are correct. With such power, the Old Ones knew that the Immortals would come. They saw this as an opportunity. For despite their unimaginable abilities, the Old Ones are tragically similar to Immortals in one respect. They cannot reproduce and the only way for other beings to achieve their level of power is through a test of time, experience, and will. Just as Immortals await and desperately desire the appearance of exceptional mortals, so do the Old Ones watch and wait for the greatest and best of all the Immortals. But knowing that Immortal power could transcend all boundaries, the Old Ones set a limit to restrict the Immortals to help them concentrate their efforts. This is the Barrier. Withdrawing themselves into the sixth and higher dimensions, the Old Ones created a type of wall between themselves and the rest of existence. Whenever an Immortal tries to pass beyond the first five dimensions, he or she enters a special realm. Immortals perceive this realm as a whirlpool of infinite size. made of a watery form of ether. Some Immortals have been lost in the huge swirling mass for many years; they are known to still live, but are missing, and presumed unrecoverable. The Immortals have made many attempts to explore, penetrate, and solve the mystery of this vast whirlpool, but have never succeeded. This swirling chaos is called the Dimensional Vortex. Perhaps even worse than the existence of the barrier is the simple fact that some creatures, presumably life forces but of a type different from all others, enter and leave the Dimensional Vortex. Simply called vortex creatures by Immortals, these beings are powerful and greatly feared. The Immortals believe that the vortex creatures are servants of the Old Ones, sent to observe, correct, or destroy. In creating the barrier, the Old Ones knew that its existence would produce certain odd effects – most notably the evolution of life forms with a new dimensional viewpoint, the Nightmare creatures. They saw this as another opportunity. Immortals have begun to look at Nightmare creatures as an alternate stock from which Immortals may arise once they have reached the level of evolution of the Normal dimensional creatures. The barrier will not be removed until this great experiment of the Old Ones has reached a conclusion, for it has been successful in creating new Old Ones. Approximately one Immortal per 10,000 reaches Full Hierarch status. Most of these beings are content in this exalted post. But some very few Hierarchs have become dissatisfied with their fate. They sought even greater power, and wondered about the paradox of the great barrier. Most of these overcame their concerns and curiosity, but a few—perhaps one of each hundred or two— chose to prove their ultimate superiority, on the remote chance that some greater power might be watching. They dispersed their life essences into their Home Planes, and reincarnated themselves as mere mortal humans once again. Most of these daring individuals perished in the process, for they indeed became mere mortals, with no better chance to survive and achieve Immortality than any other mortal man. Only a handful both desired and reached Immortal status a second time. And of these, only a few reached Hierarch status a second time. And finally, of these few, only two dared once again to seek more. They saw the coming of the blackballs as their punishment and final destruction, and the other immortals still believe that this is what occurred. But unbeknownst to all, they passed beyond the barrier, and exist now with the Old Ones. One success could have been chance, but the second arrival proved that the great experiment known as the Multiverse would serve its purpose. The Old Ones continue to watch and wait for other daring Hierarchs. And someday when they are satisfied, when their unknown goals have been reached— someday the Old Ones will return. 

Summary.
This set does not attempt to fully describe the Old Ones. We cannot even fully describe their servants, the Immortals, nor their vast realm of the Multiverse. And no future volume will provide details on the Old Ones, for their powers transcend the framework of any mere game. To reduce them to game terms would trivialize their power, which is of an order far greater than the Immortals'. The Old Ones are prepared to wait indefinitely, for Time has no hold over them. If any player character succeeds in the great journey, not merely achieving Hierarch status but proving his or her superiority by doing it twice – well, no higher goal can be attained, and no reward is too great. The player wins and his character vanishes. And that is the final end of this game. One fact remains for you, as Dungeon Master, to decide. Who are the Old Ones? Are they indeed the greatest and most powerful beings of all? Or perhaps, as they wait secure in their power, do even the Old Ones naively fail to see the most obvious fact of all? Can they really believe that no higher Being watches them? One who also watches... and waits…”

Just wow! But at least you know exactly how to WIN DUNGEONS & DRAGONS!!! And also that you will never be able to do it :D