Daily Punch 11-13-13 Class Focus in DnD Next

With the completion of the DnD Next playtest, the release of The Godborn, and the final of Murder at Baldur’s Gate, we are at least 1/3 of the way into The Sundering. The Sundering is the multi-author plan Wizards of the Coast has to reinvigorate the Forgotten Realms. Let’s go point by point and let’s see what I think.

DnD Next-I “like” DnD Next, but I don’t know if I “like like” DnD Next. Since DnD and I went on kind of a break, other games have filled the void that DnD had in my life. I’m not exclusive, but I do play Pathfinder, Arcanis, and Shadowrun. Will DnD be able to pull itself back to the main focus of my life or will these other games stay there? How many other people will be like me and just play the other games they found when DnD went away?

DnD Next isn’t really new DnD like 4e was, it’s almost like a strange combination of 4e, Pathfinder, and older DnD editions. It’s not bad, but it’s not as innovative as I think it could have been. But then again, innovation got them in the trouble they are currently in. I was part of the rare breed who loved 4e for what it was, so I feel slightly betrayed that all the books I bought and novels I read are being changed. I have selves of DnD 4e books that are little more than paperweights now. I’m not leaving this relationship, but I feel like DnD and I have grown apart. The adventures-The Sundering adventures are interesting. I really enjoyed running Murder at Baldur’s Gate, but I know it wasn’t what my players wanted. My players didn’t get the chance to really be heroes as every option that they could follow with the city would pretty much lead to its doom. I hope the next events give them the chance to be heroes not just adventurers or pawns in a bigger game. I’m having fun, but I don’t know if my players are. I know my wife more the once said she almost doesn’t want to play since no matter what she does she helps someone evil. WotC, please give my players a chance to win and win big here! It doesn’t have to be an epic, destroy Shar win, but harken back to the old days of encounters where the players get to be heroes and kill some bad guys. And while we’re on the subject of bad guys, please give me better ideas on how many bad guys to throw at my PCs at any time. I can wing it with the best of them, but I want some consistency with other groups out there!

Also, limit player options helps a DM with the game, please. When you give the PCs three options, they will take all three. I know it’s awesome to give three ways the story could go, but giving my players that many options limits how much time I can dedicate to anyone. I felt I had to speed race through my games so everybody would get a tiny bit of main focus.

All said and done, I’m intrigued. Murder at Baldur’s gate was fun. Not sure where it goes next, but it will be fun. What I’m really interested in is what’s going to happen next and how WotC pulls it off. If DnD Next launches at GenCon 2014, then I wonder when Forgotten Realms books will launch. It’s impossible to launch them next year AND have a full year of player input into the setting. Print times will not allow this! Does someone have timestop out there?

The Novels-The Companions and The Godborn are on store shelves now. I liked both of them. Read my reviews here and here. However, when I look at them together, I don’t like the whole. The novels are not rebooting the Forgotten Realms, but they are rebooting the Forgotten Realms. It feels like all the changes from the spell plague and the weave dying won’t matter. And, that kind of pisses me off. I loved that Forgotten Realms, and I feel like I’m being told that that was a mistake and should never have happened. To me, WotC is almost ashamed of 4e and its changes. As someone who loved their stuff, it almost feels that by extension WotC is ashamed of me and my devotions to those things. I felt the changes that happened were good ones. It shook things up and created design space for new threats. Now, it’s back to the prespellplague status quo. Good gods vs bad gods with pawns in between. It’s not bad, but it’s not what I want. Maybe I’m just one guy screaming into the wind.

In the end, I’m not amazed. I plan to keep buying stuff, but its more out of waiting to see what happens next then really being a true believer in the Sundering. I have a ton of Forgotten Realms good will, and right now that is what’s keeping me buying. I wondering if that will die off or will it get refreshed with the next adventure path and novels?

Book Bout- The Godborn (The Sundering Book 2)

November 14, 2013July 27, 2014 ~ fineyoungmisanthrope ~ 3 Comments

Book– The Godborn (The Sundering Book 2)

Author-Paul S. Kemp

TL;DR– New characters and not just a rehash of old ones! 86.7 %

Synopsis-This story focuses on Vasen, son of Kemp’s most renowned character Cale. Vasen is the child of a chosen of a dark god and raised by clerics of a light god. How and if Vasen can learn to walk these two paths, free his dead/sleeping father from the hells, and stop the apocalypse is to focus of this book. Along the way Vasen will meet a strange cast of characters, see the Forgotten Realms Change around him, and most importanly, change who he once was.

Story– The story covers a lot of ground reintroducing a trilogy and all its characters as well as introducing a slew of new characters for Kemp’s next series. It does feel like the purpose of the book is two fold: 1-set up a new book series 2-set up what happened to the Forgotten Realms. It’s not bad, but you do feel like it has goals besides tell you a story. However, this story does introduce new characters and it keeps them past the credits. So, I feel that’s a win. 4.5/5

Characters– The Godborn brings back the characters from Kemp’s last three books, but also adds a few new characters. Some of them didn’t get as much screen time, and it felt at times they were there because the fans would want them. But, the book clocks in around 300 pages, so there isn’t space for everybody to get the spotlight the whole time. I liked the characters as they felt well rounded. This goes even for the characters I was supposed to hate. However, this book does have a name problem. Please don’t name two characters almost the same thing. Especially if they share screen time! 4/5

Writing– This book is not for most of you out there. Kemp loves to push the boundaries of what a DnD novel will get away with. I was surprised to see what I read in the novel with lots of gore splattered throughout the novel. This made me love this all the more. This isn’t King, but it does do its job well. 4.5/5

Summary-I liked this book. Again, don’t expect some George R.R. Martin levels of depth here, but George R.R. Martin wouldn’t write in the Forgotten Realms world. Kemp delivers a good book that updates the Forgotten Realms and brings back some of his fan favorite characters. 86.7%

Book Bout- The Companions (The Sundering Book 1)

November 14, 2013July 27, 2014 ~ fineyoungmisanthrope ~ 2 Comments

Book- The Companions (The Sundering Book 1)

Author-R. A. Salvatore

TL;DR-A solid Drizzit book with almost no Drizzit! 80%

Synopsis-Over the past five Drizzit books, all of his companions have died and the world has moved forward over 100 years. Now, all of Drizzit’s friends meet up in a demiplane of his goddess. They are given the chance to reincarnate to help Drizzit in the future. This book follows their journeys as they become younger versions of the heroes the used to be and return to help Drizzit.

Story-The story covers a lot of ground, but it does it fairly well. It’s really three different main stories in one. Each story covers Catti-bre, Regis, or Bruenor growing up and introducing a decent size cast of characters and locations along the way. A portion of the story revolves around changes to the weave and the world, setting up some future events. It’s reasonably well done and on par with R. A. Salvatore’s previous books. I did think it was kind of funny a significant portion of a character’s inner monolog was dedicated to laying out that any character could die at any point, but really, it’s got the Harry Potter problem; no main character at anytime was really in any danger. 4/5

Characters- I have to admit, I’ve never been a fan of Drizzit. This is more to do with when I came into DnD then the character himself. When I entered the hobby, Drizzit was well established and every drow I met was fighting across type and trying to redeem themselves. Well, this book deals with that problem by just not having Drizzit in this book (almost). The book really just focuses on his companions and how they grow up. The characters stay pretty consistent and well designed. I did have some real problems with Bruenor. You will get really tired of his crap. 4/5

Writing- This is pretty much on par with what you would expect for R. A. Salvatore. It’s fairly well done. I’ve never been a huge fan of Drizzit’s philosophical treatises at the start of each section but these are kept to a minimum. The style is well done, but some sections do drone on a bit longer than necessary and some elements seem a bit contrived. However, it is worth the ride. 4/5

Summary- I liked this novel. It’s not an instant classic, but for a DnD novel, it’s well done. It expands the world and led me to want to read more about Drizzit. Since I’m now hooked, I call this a win. 12/15- 80%

Daily Punch 11-7-13 Anti-acid armor in Shadowrun

November 8, 2013 ~ fineyoungmisanthrope ~ Leave a comment

How about some more additions to Shadowrun 5e? Who hates acid corroding their armor?

Modification Capacity AVAIL COST

Noncorrosive [Rating] 6 Rating x 250Y

Noncorrosive: This armor is covered in a chemical “seal” designed neutralize acidic contact. When you at damaged by acid, you may add the noncorrosive rating of this armor to the soak roll. If you take no damage from the attack, your armor is not considered exposed to the damage and its armor score will not decrease. Also, when you are damaged by acid while wearing this armor, your armor will not start taking damage until a number of rounds equal to its noncorrosive rating.

Thoughts?

Daily Punch 11-6-13 Spell focus in DnD Next

November 8, 2013 ~ fineyoungmisanthrope ~ Leave a comment

How about spell focus in DnD next?

Spell Focus

You’ve continue your studying of a particular school oi magic.

Gain a +1 to your spell casting attribute
Choose a school of magic, you gain a +2 to the DC of all spells that you cast from this school or a +2 to the attack roll of spells from this school

Thoughts?

Daily Punch 11-5-13 Nonconductivity in Shadowrun Drones

November 5, 2013 ~ fineyoungmisanthrope ~ Leave a comment

More thoughts from the Shadowrun con.

Modification AVAIL COST

Nonconductivity rating X 2 3,000Y X rating

Each point of rating you have, you gain dice to resist electric damage just like nonconductivity in armor except with your drones. Drones may not have a rating of nonconductivity more than its body.

Daily Punch 11-4-13 Drone Armor Upgrade

November 5, 2013 ~ fineyoungmisanthrope ~ Leave a comment

Went to a sweet con over the weekend, and I thought up something I wanted.

Modification AVAIL COST

Armor Upgrade rating X 2 1,000Y X rating

Each point of rating you have, you may increase the armor of the drone by 1. Drones may not have a rating of armor equal to double its body.

Thoughts?