Characters

The best thing about Fifth Edition is its emphasis on the narrative aspects of character creation. In 4e, characters often felt like nothing more than a massive jumble of stats and powers. The game rules did not prevent seasoned RPG veterans from creating three-dimensional characters, of course, but the system itself did not provide much help on that front, especially for newer players. Fifth Edition, in contrast, does a great job of encouraging people to think of characters as fully-fleshed-out individuals who occupy a specific and meaningful place in the world. With personality traits, flaws, bonds, and the like, the new system puts all of that narrative detail right there on the character sheet alongside traditional game stats. I love it.

We'll use the pre-generated characters for The Lost Mine of Phandelver, primarily so that Matthew can learn the game rules. It won't be long before he's coming up with heroes of his own. He creates lots of characters to populate his Lego stories, and he's certainly familiar with many aspects of the characterization of DC and Marvel superheroes (origins, motivations, etc.), but he has yet to engage in any sort of sophisticated character building. I can't wait to see what he comes up with!

Blast From the Past

My parents are visiting from New York this week, and they brought a suitcase full of old D&D books from my childhood. It's a treasure trove of wonderful memories.

This is the First Edition Player's Handbook from 1978. I wasn't playing D&D at the age of two, of course, but years later my Aunt Nedra -- yes, that's her real name and not the name of a D&D character -- gave it to me as a gift when she learned that I was interested in RPGs. I'll never forget cracking it open for the first time and learning about exotic new character classes like the assassin and monk. I had only played Basic D&D up to that point, so this book really opened my eyes to the possibilities of Advanced D&D.

Stay tuned for more blasts from the past!

I'm Inspired by Inspiration

I love the new inspiration rule in 5e. If you roleplay your character in accordance with your background (personality traits, ideal, bond, and flaw), the DM can award you with inspiration -- which you can cash in for advantage on a single die roll. As a second option, you can give up your inspiration and award it to a fellow player.

I heartily approve of any game mechanic that encourages roleplaying. The sheer simplicity of this mechanic also appeals to me. I think it should work just as well in pencil-and-paper game sessions (sadly, a rarity for Front Porch players these days) as in online adventures.

The Dex Fighter

It took me a while, but I managed to dig up a post from over two years ago in which I pointed out the problems with heavy armor in 4e and in the early iterations of the D&D Next playtest materials. (I'm too lazy to figure out how to link directly to that post, so if you care to read the whole thing, the date was May 26, 2012.) Basically, I was pointing out that the fighter in heavy armor was at a disadvantage when compared to high-Dexterity characters wearing light armor. The implication, then, was that power gamers in 5e would build Dexterity-based fighters, dumping Strength -- the classic stat that we've always associated with the fighter class.

Based on my initial observations, that problem appears to have been addressed in 5e. All other things being equal, the fighter (or cleric, paladin, etc.) wearing plate armor and carrying a shield is going to have the highest armor class -- higher than the rogue, and higher than the Dexterity-based fighter. At lower levels, though, it's easy to build a Dexterity fighter who can match the Strength fighter's AC. I started out making a human Strength fighter but then decided to go with a high elf Dexterity fighter instead. Both begin with an AC of 18 and fight with a 1D8 melee weapon, but the high elf has lots of nifty race features. Add in the folk hero background and I've got a pretty cool character with solid combat stats and a lot of flavor.

Phan-delving

Big thanks to Matt, who's sending me a copy of the Starter Set! I look forward to delving into The Lost Mine of Phandelver, the adventure included in the box. I'm going to rope Amy into running through it with me, and Matthew is capable of joining us as well. Not sure what we'll do with Nathaniel. He's too young to grasp the concept of RPGs, so perhaps I'll tell him to pretend that he's a dog and let him move a wolf mini around the map so that he feels like he's participating!

Got It!

I have downloaded and devoured the initial Basic D&D rules. They're contained in a no-frills, low-art PDF that hardly looks like the culmination of more than two years of development. In fact, I don't think I've ever seen an official D&D product that looked so...pedestrian.

None of that matters. This is Fifth Edition, and it's my edition. In my own small (very, very small) way, I helped make this game. I hope all the playtesters out there (175,000!) feel that same sense of pride. We invested a lot of time and energy in reviewing the many iterations of the rules and providing detailed feedback; even at this early stage, I have no doubt that our investment has paid off. 5e feels like D&D in a way that 4e never did.

What's even more important to me, though, is the knowledge that this is the edition my sons will grow up with. I'm looking forward to years of family game nights around the kitchen table. Matthew isn't even seven yet and already he's clamoring to be the DM. After seeing what he can do with Legos, I have no doubt he'll come up with amazing new worlds for us to explore.

So that was my obligatory moment of sentimentality. With that out of the way, I'm ready to roll up my sleeves, roll up some characters, and start playing!

It's Here! It's Here! It's Here!

Get your free Fifth Edition D&D Basic set...click here!

5e Roll-Out

Today is the first day of the six-month roll-out of Fifth Edition D&D. We can expect the initial version of the free Basic D&D rules to be posted online today (and updated periodically throughout the year), and the Starter Set will be available for purchase in certain game stores. The Starter Set arrives everywhere else on July 15. I pre-ordered my copy on Amazon ages ago, but I have no idea when I'll be seeing it. If anyone out there gets a copy before I do, please let me know what you think and I'll share your comments right here on the blog so that the rest of the gang can get a sneak peek at the new edition.

Proofin' It

I wonder how much frantic proofreading is going on at Wizards. I'd love to take a peek into their offices right about now!

We've been told that the Basic D&D PDF will be available for download from the Wizards site (here, if you don't have it bookmarked already) on July 3, but I haven't seen anything about a specific time. Often the new daily content on the site appears at or shortly after 12 AM Eastern -- which means I can see it at 9 PM Pacific. You can bet I'll be checking regularly after 9 this evening, but I wouldn't be surprised if it doesn't show up until later in the day tomorrow. In any case, I'll post as soon as it's up!

Tomorrow!

Fifth Edition...tomorrow. To quote the immortal Sir Roberts: "Bring it on!"

On Second Thought

You know what? Watching other people play D&D is not all that much fun. I made it about ten minutes into the video below before I bailed. Still, my excitement for the Starter Set remains undeterred!

Lost Mine of Phandelver

See the clip (well, at more than an hour and forty minutes, it's hardly a "clip"!) below to watch players experience the adventure from the Starter Set.

Waiting...

This week I'm playing a few scenarios of the Pathfinder Adventure Card Game while awaiting the release of Basic D&D.

Check out this unusual scenario layout. Valeros and Seoni had to work their way around the circle of stone heads, disarming or destroying each of them, before they could face the dragon in the center.

Basic Details

We're only days away from 5e! Click here to see some more details about Basic D&D.

Here's the Wizard!

Click here to see the pre-generated 5e wizard from the Starter Set. I think Timothy will be pleased to see that his favorite class has turned out rather well!

I Want It Now!

Starter Set unboxing video...watch it!

Dwarf Cleric Preview

Click here to see the character sheet for the pre-generated dwarf cleric from the 5e Starter Set.

Ransack...I Mean, "Ranzak"!

We were in Sacramento this weekend, and when I'm there I never miss an opportunity to visit A-1 Comics, my favorite West Coast gaming and comics store. As part of today's Free RPG Day festivities, I picked up the new playable character -- Ranzak, the goblin pirate -- for the Pathfinder Adventure Card Game. Click here for a look at my new favorite card-based hero!

Get Thee to a Game Store!

It's Free RPG Day! Keeping my fingers crossed for the Pathfinder module...and the Pathfinder Adventure Card Game booster pack!

5e Fighter Unveiled!

Click here to see the full character sheet for one of the pre-generated characters from the Starter Set. This one document provides a wealth of information about the new edition (or, at least, the Basic game). I'm a bit bummed, however, about the benefit for the "Noble" background. In the playtest, nobles received three non-combatant retainers, but now the benefit is more about the person's reputation. I liked the earlier one better because I'm keen on game features that provide henchmen of any sort.

Free RPG Day 2014

It's almost here! Free RPG Day is this Saturday, June 21. Click here for details!

Map Time!

Another Starter Set preview has been posted (here). This time it's the area map for the introductory adventure. The style reminds me a lot of the old maps from Basic D&D, and brings back great memories of early campaigns with Kevin and his brother Brian, our unforgiving DM. Hard to believe it was almost thirty years ago that these fine lads introduced me to D&D!

500, Yo!

This is the 500th post for the Front Porch blog. Thanks to everyone for reading and sharing your thoughts and ideas. With 5e D&D coming out in the next few weeks, I'm sure we'll be off and running toward 1000!

Another Writer Commentary

The second issue of the new Pathfinder comic book series is out, and writer Jim Zub has done another commentary. Click here for the play-by-play.

To my fellow Colgate alums...

Happy Colgate Day!

Quintessence War...in 3D!

Here's another tidbit about next year's multiverse-spanning Quintessence War event: I'm pulling out all the stops and using my vast array of 3D terrain and miniatures to bring this story to life. Of course, due to the vast distances between myself and the rest of you guys, I'm going to photograph all the setups and send frequent updates so that everyone can see the action as it unfolds.

Metro Entertainment

I'm visiting family in the Los Angeles area this week (I know, I know -- it's the worst place in the world to be right now for a New York Rangers fan). Yesterday we spent a pleasant afternoon in Santa Barbara, and Amy spotted a super-cool store just off of State Street. Metro Entertainment (website link is here) is one of the better comic book and gaming stores I've visited lately. I even managed to pick up the latest installment of the Pathfinder Adventure Card Game.

Here's Another One!

Click here for a pic of the first page of the warlock class description from the upcoming 5e PHB.

What a Tease...

Here.

Combat Math

I love studying the underlying math of the various D&D editions. Check out this article (here) on 5e and backward compatibility with earlier editions.

Multiverse Madness

If you caught my recent post titled "Quintessence War," you may have some idea of the big Front Porch event that I'm planning for 2015. (The post itself is just one line, but check out the many, many labels underneath.) I'll reveal a few tidbits here and there, starting with this quick overview: Quintessence War is going to be a mini-campaign with a storyline that crosses multiple game worlds. Players will create brand-new characters (using the 5e D&D rules) for this event, but the plot will feature plenty of multiverse-spanning NPCs, some of whom have already started marking appearances in current Front Porch adventures. Stay tuned for more details!

Let's Go, Rangers!!!

Please forgive the occasional non-game-related post...

Basic D&D Is Free!

Also launching in July, alongside the D&D Starter Set, is Basic Dungeons & Dragons...and it's free! Anyone can download this PDF from the Wizards site. Basic includes the rules necessary for play and character creation for the core races and classes. The PDF will be updated and expanded as new settings and adventures are published. We haven't seen anything yet, of course, but this sounds like a game changer to me. Click here for all the details.

Pathfinder Writer Commentary

Jim Zub, the writer of the Pathfinder comic books, provides an interesting page-by-page commentary of the current issue here.

Quintessence War

In 2015, the multiverse goes to war.

What a Rip!

D&D has a new system of organized play -- D&D Adventurers League -- and it appears, at first glance, to be a total rip-off of the Pathfinder Society. See for yourself here. Amazing, isn't it, how quickly Pathfinder has become the brand leader?

City of Secrets #1

What to make of the new Pathfinder series? Much of this first issue is setup for things to come. Unfortunately, it didn't do much to hook new readers; if you aren't familiar with these characters or the world they inhabit, you're likely to be a bit lost -- or, worse yet, you may have little reason to care about the various goings-on in Magnimar. On the plus side, I love the artwork and consider it a substantial improvement over the last series. The RPG material at the end (including a removable map depicting a tavern -- perfect for staging a brawl!) was also very welcome. Check out full reviews here (for a negative review) and here (for a positive review that is, alas, riddled with typos).

Pathfinder Returns!

Dynamite's Pathfinder comic book returns today with the first issue of Pathfinder: City of Secrets. Click here for more info.

Tyranny of Dragons

Here's an update on my post from earlier today: Wizards has a brief article explaining their upcoming Tyranny of Dragons brand-wide storyline, so click here for the details.

Holy Crap! Here Comes D&D Next!

All of a sudden, a massive list of upcoming D&D Next products has been released! Check out the Wizards of the Coast product catalog page (here) to see the cover art, price, and tentative release date for the first wave of D&D products. First up is the starter set, which arrives on July 15!

Kids Track

Kids Track (click here for more info) is an interesting "lesson plan" for teaching young children how to play the Pathfinder roleplaying game. I've spent some time teaching Matthew (currently age six) about RPGs, but what I like about the Kids Track is that it's very well organized and presents the core concepts in discrete, manageable chunks. I'll definitely keep this document in mind when it's time to introduce Nathaniel (age three) to these games.

Mech Maker

I've never contributed to a Kickstarter project before, but...design your own mini? 3D printing? It's tempting...click here for details!

Heroes of Magnimar Reminder

It's been a slow couple months for gaming news, huh? I suspect all of that will change once we start getting more information about the release of D&D Next. In the meantime, don't forget about the relaunch of the Pathfinder comic book, and the coinciding in-store game events that will be held all across the country this month. Click here to find a participating game store near you!

FCBD Update

Score! My local comic book store held a drawing for a $50 gift certificate, and I was the lucky winner!

Head Over to Your Friendly Local Comic Book Store!

That's right, it's Free Comic Book Day today!

Free Comic Book Day 2014

Don't forget about Free Comic Book Day! It's coming up this Saturday (May 3) at comic stores all across the country. Click here to learn more!

National Superhero Day(?)

Apparently it's National Superhero Day. Why was I not informed?! Click here for CNN's coverage.

Heroes of Magnimar

Hey everybody! Here's your chance to get one of your characters into the world of Pathfinder! Click here to check out a contest involving the upcoming relaunch of the Pathfinder comic book from Dynamite. The deadline is July 1, so act fast!

Pathfinder Legends

The first installment of Pathfinder Legends arrived today. I look forward to listening to the epic Rise of the Runelords saga on my way to work each morning. My commute to the office is only five minutes, so this should keep me busy for a while!

Tyranny of Dragons

Click here for an article discussing "Tyranny of Dragons," the first storyline for the upcoming D&D Next. Interesting stuff!

Pathfinder Comic Review

Click here for a nice review of the first issue of the relaunched Pathfinder comic book series.

Booty!

Once upon a time, in an alternate universe (or perhaps it was, like, 2004), I was a college literature professor and I was leading my students through Geoffrey of Monmouth's History of the Kings of Britain. The text was originally written in Latin, but we were reading an English translation. One of the students timidly raised his hand with a very strange question about a seemingly straightforward passage. As it turned out, the translator had used the word "booty," meaning "plunder" or "treasure." My student had thought it was a reference to a completely different kind of booty. True story.

Anyway, that's a long-winded introduction to the real reason for this post, which is to point out the awesome-looking campaign coins available on the Paizo site. Click here to see examples of fake coins that you can use to liven up your gaming experience. I may pick some up for my boys, who love that sort of thing. Who doesn't love booty?

Back on the Path

I took a break from the Pathfinder Adventure Card Game to play through the iPad port of Baldur's Gate II: Enhanced Edition. Now that my sassy archer Zoe has defeated Irenicus, I've gone back to PACG and picked up where I left off, with The Hook Mountain Massacre adventure deck. It's been a couple of months since I last played, but the break has done nothing to diminish my admiration for this game. If you haven't tried it yet, you really ought to give it a shot.

Table Top Day

It's International Table Top Day, so do as Wil Wheaton commands and go play some board games!

Pathfinder: City of Secrets

Awesome! I just saw on the Paizo site that a nearby comic book store is hosting a Pathfinder: City of Secrets game event. Click here to see if there's a participating store near you!

Fighter Details

For anyone who was following the D&D Next playtest, here's a look at how the final draft of the Fighter class is shaping up.

D&D Attack Wing

Click here to check out the upcoming D&D dragon-versus-dragon miniatures game!

Pathfinder Legends

Give Paizo a lot of credit for their outside-the-(game)-box thinking. Now there's a new way to experience their award-winning Rise of the Runelords storyline -- through audio dramas on CD! The new Pathfinder Legends series is produced by Big Finish (creators of the Doctor Who audio adventures). Click here for more details.

Tolkien and Beowulf

This May, J.R.R. Tolkien's translation of Beowulf will be published, some 90 years after he completed it. Click here for the full story.

Tolkien, of course, is a figure who looms large over D&D and, indeed, over the entire modern fantasy genre. As a long-time Dungeonmaster and creator of numerous fantasy worlds, however, I've tried strenuously to distance myself from Tolkien. If you've played in any of my campaigns, you've probably noticed that halflings (derived directly from Tolkien's hobbits) do not exist, and unlike certain D&D worlds I could mention, there is never ever a character who resembles Gandalf. (*cough* Elminster *cough*)

Why the deliberate rejection of Tolkien? I'm not entirely sure. Although Lord of the Rings never resonated with me (it's one of the many instances in which this former English professor actually likes the movie better than the book!), I have a deep respect for Tolkien as an intellectual. He was a professor of Old English and wrote an article on Beowulf (titled "Beowulf: The Monsters and the Critics") that changed the way scholars view this poem. I'm very excited to read his translation of my all-time favorite literary work -- a work that has stimulated by creativity like no other over the past two decades.

Pathfinder Comics Return

Pathfinder comics return in May! The new series is called Pathfinder: City of Secrets (from Dynamite Entertainment), and it debuts on May 14. The comic will include RPG content as well as the awesome removable tactical maps that were discontinued from the previous series. Even better is the news that Paizo is teaming up with comic book stores nationwide to host in-store Pathfinder RPG events to get people interested in the game. Click here for more information.

Will You Miss It?

4e D&D is on its way out. Wizards will continue to sell 4e products until there's no longer any demand, but come summertime and the release of D&D Next, the 4e era will, for all intents and purposes, be over. How do we feel about that?

Personally, I'm not sure what I feel. 4e was a radical departure from the traditional D&D rules and it hasn't even been around for as long as my six-and-a-half-year-old son. Some say it did a lot of damage to the D&D community in that short span of time. That's a fair argument. I've enjoyed the tactical aspects of 4e, but I'm not terribly sad to see it go. I think D&D Next will be a return to what we all believe D&D should be. My only regret from the 4e era is that I never got the chance to play in a long-term campaign. Virtually all of my 4e experience was as a DM, so all those super-awesome optimized characters I cooked up in the Character Builder are now kind of meaningless. And as much as I love the shaman character class (under-powered but plucky!), I never got to play one in a real campaign.

How do you feel? Vote in the poll! (See the very bottom of the page.) And please do vote. This question is actually the prelude to a much more important question I intend to ask before the release of the next edition.

D&D Next News

News about D&D Next is starting to trickle in...click here for a summary of topics covered during a trade show presentation about the new edition. The key takeaway for me? Their guiding principle was "What would Gary and Dave do?" If that's true, it's very encouraging.

D&D Falls

Yikes...D&D has fallen all the way down to #4 on the RPG sales chart. Pathfinder is #1.

What's the Cost?

Click here for an interesting post (and subsequent forum discussion) about the inflation-adjusted cost of every edition of D&D over the years.

Gone!

Those mysterious, tantalizing listings for D&D Next products on BN.com are now gone!

Mark Your Calendars

It appears that the first official D&D Next product, D&D Starter Set, is going to be released on July 15, 2014. Click here for the BN.com listing, and here for the new D&D Player's Handbook, to be released on August 19.

Aaron Allston

Sad news -- sci-fi/fantasy author and roleplaying game designer Aaron Allston has passed away, at the far-too-young age of 53. See this link for a nice summary of Allston's prolific career.

Back in the late '80s and early '90s, I frequented a Texas-based BBS (remember those?) called Red October, a hangout for fans and friends of Hero Games. Allston was also a user of that BBS. It took me a while, but I eventually mustered the courage to email him and express my admiration for his work, and he sent me a very gracious response.

Rock Bottom

I'm in Colorado this week on another business trip. Last night I had a very nice evening with Matt, who lives in Denver. We met for dinner at a restaurant and brewery called Rock Bottom. As soon as I saw the sign, I knew we had to eat there. Why? Long-time Druid Cycle players may recall that Rock Bottom is also the name of the seedy pub in the dwarven stronghold of Steel Mountain.

Kre-O Orcs

As you may have noticed in my last Kre-O post, the human soldiers are rather vanilla. The orcs, however, have a lot of flavor! Check out the tough customers below.

The orcs also have a number of elite or "special" mini-figs, which I've grouped together in the next image.

I'm really digging the Kre-O D&D sets, but they're all a bit too reminiscent of the LEGO Lord of the Rings line. I'd like to see some more iconic D&D characters and monsters in the next wave.

Kre-O Humans

Here's what I have so far for my Kre-O human army. First up are the men-at-arms, who are wielding bows, crossbows, or spears.

Next we have a trio of barbarians. Note the dude in the middle with the totally rad war-hammer.

And here are three knights in plate-mail. Unfortunately, Kre-O has yet to release any horses, so these guys are stuck on foot with the grunts. I look forward to the day when I can set up a good old-fashioned chevauchee.

Are these lads ready to take on the orcs? Tune in next time to see the humans' competition!

Kre-O Drizzt

The new Kre-O D&D sets are not exactly plentiful out here in western Nevada, but I'm slowly building up my forces. So far the coolest mini-fig is the legendary drow ranger Drizzt Do'Urden.

Pretty bad-ass, huh? Over the next couple of posts, I'll add some images of my human and orc troopers.

Kre-O at Toy Fair

Toy Fair is in full swing, and Hasbro is showing off lots of cool upcoming Kre-O products, including D&D sets. Click here for pics!

Kre-O Haul!

At last! D&D Kre-O building toys have arrived on the shelves of my semi-local Toys 'R Us. Check out the haul I picked up this evening!

And, as I explained to Amy afterwards, I exercised considerable restraint. There was so much more I could have bought...

New D&D Minis

Sweet! New D&D minis are on the horizon. Click here for more.

LEGO Movie

While I'm waiting patiently (okay, not so patiently!) for the D&D Kre-O toys to find their way to rural Nevada, I can at least revel in the bricktacular awesomeness of The LEGO Movie. I took Matthew to see it this afternoon and we had a blast. Highly recommended!

Invisibility for All!

I ended up getting through the buggy area in BG2: EE by turning everyone invisible and thereby avoiding the werewolves of instant death. Now that I'm back on track, I'm enjoying my return to Athkatla immensely. Playing BG2 again after all these years reminds me of how amazing this game is, and how little I care about the fancy photo-realistic graphics of today's games. Curmudgeon Card...earned!

Zoe and the Werewolves of Death

Over the weekend, I hustled to finish up the original Baldur's Gate (my third time in the last two years -- I think I'm done with this game for a while!) so that I could jump into the iPad port of Baldur's Gate II: Enhanced Edition. Have I ever mentioned that BG2 is my all-time favorite video game? Needless to say, I was thrilled to revisit this sprawling, epic story. I got started with Zoe, my super-duper-awesome archer ranger.

Only a couple of hours into the game, however, I hit a nasty show-stopper of a bug. In the wacky circus in Athkatla, the werewolves -- who should be illusions, mind you -- now have the ability to kill any character with a single hit. Oy! It's frustrating: A werewolf runs up to one of my party members and that character dies instantly. Dispel Magic can destroy the werewolves, but my spellcasters can't get the spell off before the werewolves obliterate at least one or two party members.

I'm now thinking that Invisibility might be the key. If I have my mage dole out Invisibility spells to the whole party before we enter that room, we may be able to bypass this trouble spot. In any case, I hope they push out a patch soon...who knows what other bugs may be lurking?

Happy Birthday!

Today's the day! Dungeons & Dragons turn 40 years old today!

Hello from Vietnam!

A few pictures from my current travels in Vietnam.

Former US Army / South Vietnamese Chinook helicopter at War Remnants Museum in Saigon. 

Saigon City Hall at night. 

Chinese made military "Jeep". 

And a sneak peak a Ha Long Bay...posts to be coming shortly to my regular blog!

Another Birthday Article

Here's another article on D&D's fortieth...

D&D at 40

With the fortieth birthday of D&D coming up in less than a week, articles are popping up across the web. Click here for one from Salon. If you come across other "D&D Birthday" articles, please let me know and I'll post the links here on the blog!

King Alfred

My all-time favorite historical figure is King Alfred the Great (849 - 899), the renowned scholar-king of the Anglo-Saxons during one of the darkest periods of English history. Today there is fascinating news about the search for Alfred's final resting place. Click here to read about the discovery. The hour-long press conference (embedded in the linked article) is well worth watching, as well!

For players of The Druid Cycle and other Front Porch campaigns, Alfred's greatness (indeed, he is the only English king to be designated as "the Great") is reflected in the small number of wise and just kings, such as Glyndwr and Seren. (I tend to portray monarchs in far less favorable terms.) A character more directly based on Alfred, however, has yet to fully reveal himself...

Fernweh

Don't forget to follow Timothy's excellent Fernweh Again blog to keep up with his adventures in Hong Kong and Vietnam.

BGII

It's here! Baldur's Gate II: Enhanced Edition is now available for iPad. Click here for the details. My only problem is that I'm now in the midst of playing through the original Baldur's Gate again...I need to finish up with this character before I delve into the sequel!

Scale

With D&D Kre-O now on the scene, you may be wondering (actually, I'd be very surprised if you were wondering, but I'm going to tell you anyway!) what will become of my legions of World of Warcraft Mega Bloks. Because the WoW mini-figs and the Kre-O mini-figs are not in the same scale, I can't use them interchangeably.

I don't want to maintain two separate collections of fantasy building toys, so which line wins? The bricks are all compatible, so there's no issue with the basic pieces. The problem is solely with the mini-figs (and their associated gear). The WoW guys have the benefit of incumbency; I already have a large collection of them, so I'd need a compelling reason to switch. However, the WoW line for Mega Bloks seems to be petering out, whereas the D&D Kre-O line is just ramping up. The Kre-O guys also get bonus points because they're in the same scale as Lego mini-figs.

It's a tough call, but I'm going with the Kre-O guys. Much like that battle-tested +1 longsword that gets cascaded down to an NPC henchman when you find a +2 longsword, the WoW mini-figs will most likely be passed on to my two little boys, who don't (yet!) share their father's idiosyncratic (but, like, entirely justified!) insistence that all toys that get used together be in the same scale. Enjoy all those orcs and elves, boys...my sights are set on warriors of a slightly smaller stature!

D&D Toys Are Back!

Officially licensed mass-market D&D toys are back...for the first time in three decades! Not since the glory days of LJN have kids (and those of us who remain kids at heart) been able to buy actual D&D figures and playsets. D&D toys have returned in the form of Hasbro's Kre-O building sets. I have yet to see these toys in stores, but I managed to snag one set from Amazon.

Who's excited about the return of D&D toys? Just ask the three lads in this photograph!

The set I bought includes an orc crossbowman, a cannon, a human archer, and a segment of a defensive wall. The orc and his cannon are shown below.

When the front wheels turn, the spears slash up and down. The spring-loaded cannon can be raised or lowered for better aim. Against this fearsome war machine, the human archer would do well to hide behind his barricade.

The wall can connect to other sets, allowing you to build larger structures. Also included are rules for a simple game in which players attempt to knock down their opponent's soldiers. Below is a picture of the character cards for the figures included in this set, and game stats at the bottom suggest that a more complex D&D Kre-O game will be included with other (probably larger) products.

Overall, it's a great little set. I can't wait till these Kre-O toys are more widely available. I have armies to build!

Hong Kong: The Return!

Timothy is back for a second go-around in Hong Kong! You can follow his exploits here.

Kre-O and Candy

If you're at all interested in the D&D Kre-O sets, check out this website for some information about the game component of these toys. It's cool to see character cards with game stats (it's not much of a game, but still...), although I'd much rather have cards with D&D Next stats.

As a side note, I'm just now reminded of the D&D candy boxes that included cards with rudimentary game info. I have a particularly vivid memory of buying a few boxes of that candy at the KB Toys store at the Arnot Mall when I was a young lad in the early 1980s.

Seven Minutes in Heaven

Did you ever play that kissy-kissy game in middle school? No? Neither did I. Anyway, my own seven minutes in heaven occurs during my once- or twice-yearly trip to the unparalleled Millennium Games in Rochester, New York. I usually get between five and ten minutes to make a whirlwind circuit around the store before our hectic schedule or cranky kids force me out the door. During that brief window, however, I try to soak up all the awesomeness. During my latest visit over the holidays, I was greeted by a brand-new bit of awesomeness -- Millennium is now a comic book store too! Heaven? I'd say it's pretty close!

Here Comes D&D Kre-O!

The first Dungeons & Dragons Kre-O building set now has a listing on Amazon! (And yes, I just ordered it.) Here's hoping we'll  one day see a Kre-O version of the Fortress of Fangs...

UPDATE: The Hasbro Kre-O website has been updated with product listings from all the D&D sets. Click here for all the glorious details.

Happy 2014!

Happy New Year, everyone! I hope we all have a great 2014!

Pathfinder Preview

Click here for a nice preview of the upcoming adventure deck (The Hook Mountain Massacre) for the Pathfinder Adventure Card Game.

Stuff I'd Like To Do

I'm always trying to think of new game ideas for the future, even if many (most?) of them never come to pass. If nothing else, it's a fun exercise to keep the creative juices flowing. As we approach 2014, here are a few ideas I've been mulling...

• It's going to be D&D's fortieth birthday in 2014, so why not have a one-shot or mini-campaign that uses the D&D rules as they existed back in 1974? Who wants to be the "Fighting Man"?
• I have a super awesome new NPC -- a cantankerous, foul-mouthed old crone -- who would make a great centerpiece for a low-level campaign, either in the Druid Cycle or Shattered Realm setting. Like the crone herself, the adventures would be loosely derived from a Middle English adventure tale that I enjoyed from my former life in academia.
• I now have a complete Old West campaign setting for the Front Porch multiverse, and it's chock-full of cowboys, bandits, prospectors (grizzled and non-grizzled), card sharks, card sharps, women of various types of repute (including ill!), and two extra-dimensional visitors. I've taken great care to ensure that all NPCs have the most outlandishly, wonderfully ridiculous Old West names you've ever heard. (Consarn it!)

D&D Next...Summer!

D&D Next will be hitting stores next summer. Awesome! Click here for the official announcement.

Happy Holidays!

I hope everyone has a safe and enjoyable holiday season. I may add a few posts here and there if any big gaming-related news comes up, but otherwise I'll see you all in 2014!

Happy 13th!

It's Friday the 13th, so happy Colgate Day to Matt, Tim B, Chuck, and any other Colgate alums who may be reading this blog!

No Love for Foxglove

As I mentioned earlier this week, one of my PACG teams picked up an ally named Aldern Foxglove, who plays a pivotal role in the Rise of the Runelords storyline. I didn't have a need for that particular ally card, but I carried it for two scenarios until, sure enough, I hit the plot twist that I had foreseen. Is it a spoiler to say that now the card is really, really useless to me?

Zub Interview

Click here for an interesting interview with Jim Zub, the writer of the Pathfinder comic book series.

Ghosts of Dragonspear Castle

I was pretty annoyed when Ghosts of Dragonspear Castle, the first official D&D Next product, was available only to Gen Con attendees. Now this adventure has been released in digital format for about $18 -- much less than the print version. Click here for details.

This Guy Is Important

I have two minor quibbles with the Pathfinder Adventure Card Game (PACG). One is that too many of the scenarios rely on playing hide-and-seek with the main villain. In the long run, I think this problem will be easy to solve; as this game becomes more mature, the designers will come up with ways to build more innovative and unique scenarios. The other problem isn't a problem so much as...well...unfulfilled potential. I realize that this product was intended to be an RPG-flavored card game and not a truly "gamemasterless" RPG, but even so, it's pretty light on story. The source material for this game -- the Rise of the Runelords adventure path -- is a much-beloved and award-winning RPG campaign. I was expecting a bit more of the narrative to come through, but as it stands, the PACG doesn't really tell the story of Rise of the Runelords in any meaningful way.

However, once in a while the game does surprise me. While adventuring with my second pair of heroes -- the cleric Kyra and the monk Sajan -- I stumbled upon a fellow by the name of Aldern Foxglove. I know enough about the RPG source material to know that this guy is important.

I can't wait to see how this card affects the development of my current adventure deck (The Skinsaw Murders) and how the experience of Kyra and Sajan will be different from that of Valeros and Seoni, who do not have this pivotal NPC in their party. I won't spoil it for those who might play Rise of the Runelords in some capacity (either as RPG or PACG), but I will say that the card game may have one super-cool plot twist in store for me shortly...