The Ultimate Players Guide

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Credits. Sources Source material includes:  Dragon Magazines  Australian Realm Magazines  TSR & WOTC rule books, from D&D, AD&D2nd and D&D3rd  Roleplayingtips.com  Sierra‘s Hero Quest/Quest for Glory  Geenius  Wizards‘ Character Optimisation Forums

Editor Früchlè

Electronic Distribution Enerla Comments? Suggestions? Submissions for future inclusions? Contact Früchlè at fruchle at gmail.

Version 0.83 4.10.2010

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The Ultimate Players Guide Table of Contents

Be Entertaining ............................................................................. 28 Keep Things Moving ....................................................................... 28 Don‟t Fight Other PCs .................................................................. 28 Stop Fights Between Other PCs ...................................................... 29 Cultivate Off-Beat Skills ................................................................ 29 Form Bonds to a Community .......................................................... 29 Befriend an Important NPC........................................................... 30 Fight Boredom ............................................................................... 30 Protect NPCs ................................................................................ 30 Antagonize a Villain ..................................................................... 30 Get Cursed .................................................................................... 31

CREDITS. ............................................................. 2

AS A CHARACTER. ........................................... 32

SOURCES ...................................................................................... 2 EDITOR ........................................................................................ 2

BUILDING & PLAYING A MORE UNIQUE AND MEMORABLE CHARACTER .............................................................................. 32

Electronic Distribution ...................................................................... 2

PREFACE. ............................................................ 5 WHAT IS THIS?............................................................................. 5

Choices .......................................................................................... 32 Build A Wish List ........................................................................ 32 General Appearance ....................................................................... 32

AND IN WITH THE NEW ........................................................ 34

A Team Effort .............................................................................. 35 Ownership ..................................................................................... 35

HOW TO BE A HERO ........................................ 6

ARMOR & WEAPONS MAKE THE (WO)MAN ...................... 36

So you want to be a Hero... ............................................................... 6

Dress Purposefully .......................................................................... 36 Personal History ............................................................................ 36 Avoid the "NO" Choices ............................................................... 37 Identify the PC's Personal Secrets .................................................... 37 Subtext - No Means No! Right? .................................................... 38 Play a Goal ................................................................................... 38 Ask Why? .................................................................................... 39

AS A GAMER. ....................................................... 7 GAMING ETIQUETTE................................................................. 7

Be Prepared ...................................................................................... 7 Hosting a Game ............................................................................... 7 Courtesy to the Host ......................................................................... 7 Courtesy to Others ............................................................................ 7 Prerolling Characters ......................................................................... 7 Opening Ceremonies .......................................................................... 8 Refreshments ..................................................................................... 8 Distractions ...................................................................................... 8 Be Kind to the DM .......................................................................... 8 Be Kind to the Players ....................................................................... 8 Ban Gamespeak ............................................................................... 8

MORE ON ETIQUETTE .............................................................10

Punctuality Is Politeness and Consideration In One .......................... 10 Turn Off Phones and Pagers ........................................................... 10 The Items In the Room Are Not Always Part of the Game .............. 10 Paying Attention Is The Core Of A Game ...................................... 10 Being Funny Is One Thing, Being Annoying Is Quite Another ......... 10 Being Loud Does Not Mean You're Right ....................................... 11 The Rules May Be Guidelines, But They're Still Rules ..................... 11 Arguments May Be Healthy, But Stress Is A Killer......................... 12

ELEMENTARY ETIQUETTE FOR GAMING GEEKS ...............13

Preface............................................................................................ 13 Grooming ....................................................................................... 13 The Art of Conversation ................................................................. 14 Attitude ......................................................................................... 14 Common Courtesy........................................................................... 15 The Opposite Sex ........................................................................... 16

A GOBLIN‘S GUIDE TO ETIQUETTE .....................................17

Dos and Don‟ts of the Proper Roleplayer .......................................... 17 Follow the Standard Rules of Etiquette ............................................ 18 Building an Interesting Party ........................................................... 19 Pay Attention ................................................................................. 19 The Importance of Timeliness and Understanding ............................. 20 A Helpful Example ....................................................................... 20

AS A PLAYER. .................................................... 22 HOW PLAYERS CAN HELP ......................................................22

Mapping......................................................................................... 22 Calling ........................................................................................... 22 Party Notes .................................................................................... 22 Character Notes.............................................................................. 23

FIRST STEPS TO TAKE ...............................................................23

Marching Order .............................................................................. 23 Tactics of Play ................................................................................ 23

GENERAL VS. SPECIFIC ............................................................24 PLAYERS ARE NOT CHARACTERS! ...........................................24 AWARENESS ...............................................................................25

CLOTHES MAKE THE WOMAN .............................................. 40 ADVENTURING RULES ............................................................ 43

Using Your Equipment .................................................................. 43 Listening ....................................................................................... 43 Light ............................................................................................. 43

BEFORE YOU OPEN THAT DOOR… ................................... 44 …KNOW WHAT‘S BEHIND IT ............................................... 47

Can you just go around it? .............................................................. 48

ALL SENSE AND NO BRAINS ................................................. 49

Intelligence, Wisdom and Charisma................................................. 49

HOW TO USE STRENGTH ........................................................ 50 SAME SKILLS, NEW USES (D&D3RD) .................................. 51

New Knowledge Skills .................................................................... 52 New Craft and Profession Skills ..................................................... 52

AS A CLASS. ........................................................ 54 CLASS ROLES IN SOCIETY ...................................................... 54 THE FIGHTER........................................................................... 56 What is a Fighter? ......................................................................... 56 How do I become a Fighter?............................................................ 56 How do I fight? .............................................................................. 56 Fighter roles ................................................................................... 56

CAMPAIGN TACTICS ................................................................ 56

Warrior Responsibilities: ................................................................ 56

WHAT TO EXPECT FROM (NPC) CLERICS: .......................... 59

What Not to Expect from Clerics: .................................................. 60

CHANNELING (D&D 3RD)...................................................... 60 THE MAGIC-USER ................................................................... 62

What is a Magic User? .................................................................. 62 How do I become a Magic User? ..................................................... 62

MAGIC TRICKS (D&D 3RD) .................................................... 62

Weaponlike Spells.......................................................................... 62 Critical Hits .................................................................................. 63 Sneak Attacks .............................................................................. 63 Benchmark Spells........................................................................... 63 Cast Stoneskin............................................................................... 65

THE THIEF ................................................................................ 67

What is a Thief? ............................................................................ 67 How do I become a Thief? .............................................................. 67 What is a Thieves‟ Guild?.............................................................. 67 How do I find the Thieves‟ Guild? .................................................. 67

ROGUE RELATIONSHIPS ......................................................... 68 BARD RELATIONSHIPS ............................................................ 68 RANGER RELATIONSHIPS ....................................................... 69

Leadership...................................................................................... 25 Common Sense ............................................................................... 25

AS A GROUP. ..................................................... 70

Be Likeable.................................................................................... 27

TEAM SPIRIT ............................................................................. 70

HOW TO BE INDISPENSIBLE ...................................................27

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History of the group ........................................................................ 70 The GM‟s job................................................................................. 70 Creating the history ......................................................................... 70 Origins ........................................................................................... 71 Customs ......................................................................................... 73 Group events................................................................................... 74

TIPS FOR CRAFTING PARTY NAMES ..................................... 76

To Name Or Not? ......................................................................... 76 Lead The Naming Process .............................................................. 76 Assigning The Name Yourself......................................................... 77 Make The Name Important - Use It Often ..................................... 78 Sources Of Inspiration..................................................................... 78

THIS PARTY IS OFF THE HOOK! ............................................ 79

A Miniguide to Party Optimization (D&D 4th) ............................. 79 Roles .............................................................................................. 79 Range vs. Melee .............................................................................. 82 Skills ............................................................................................. 83 Party Size ...................................................................................... 83

10 RULES OF PARTY OPTIMIZATION (D&D 4TH) ............... 86

RULE 1: Define Party Functions .................................................. 86 RULE 2: High Nova or Low Nova?............................................. 87 RULE 3: Determine the Number of Party Members ....................... 88 RULE 4: Know How Party Size Influences Combat ....................... 88 RULE 5: Determine Who Will Be the Solo-Lock .......................... 89 RULE 6: Find Complementary Builds ........................................... 89 RULE 7: Test for Over-reliance ..................................................... 90

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RULE 8: Plan for the Optimal Basket of Paragon Paths ............... 90 RULE 9: Retest for Over-reliance at Paragon................................. 90 RULE 10: Plan for Epic: But Not Too Much .............................. 90

IN COMBAT. ...................................................... 91 TACTICS ..................................................................................... 91 Combat Tactics .............................................................................. 91 Shield-Walls and Polearms ............................................................. 91 Wolf-Pack Tactics.......................................................................... 91 Tactical Mix ................................................................................. 92 Rotation ........................................................................................ 92 Spear-Carriers ............................................................................... 92 Directing Traffic............................................................................. 93

HOW TO FIGHT NEARLY EVERYTHING (AND SURVIVE)... 94

Opponents with Reach .................................................................... 94 Undead Opponents......................................................................... 94 Flying Opponents ........................................................................... 94 Unbeatable Opponents ................................................................... 94

FLANKING (D&D 3RD) ............................................................ 96

Unusual Flanking Situations ......................................................... 96 Finding the Center Point ................................................................ 96 Flanking Big Creatures .................................................................. 96 Flanking with Reach Weapons ....................................................... 97 Diagonal Corners and Flanking ..................................................... 97 Sneak Attacks .............................................................................. 97

Preface. What is this? What you‘re holding is the best compilation of information on the topic how to be a good, effective and likable player. Gamers, as a group, still have a fairly negative stereotype – the overweight, unwashed male gamer who ogles bikini clad Boris Vallejo artwork, or the DM‘s girlfriend who gets everything on a silver platter, and ignores everyone else at the table. While it is partly undeserved (but I‘ve gamed with them both), it also can be changed. From basic social etiquette in gaming, to how to work with other players and build off each other‘s strengths, the tools contained here should make any reader instantly desirable in any gaming groups. It all started with DMGR1 – the Campaign Sourcebook and Catacomb guide, published by TSR for AD&D2nd ed way back in 1990. It was an awesome book, with not a single rule inside. You know how most every RPG spends at least a chapter or so on ‗What is Roleplaying‘, ‗How to roleplay‘ and such? This was an entire book dedicated to that topic. And it was good. Problem is, no-one had heard of it. It was a ‗blue book‘ and thus a DM‘s book, so even if you HAD heard of it, few players (who vastly outnumber DMs) would have looked inside. What I felt was needed was a cut-down players version, something with all the pertinent information on how to be a good player. Of course, then the floodgates opened – Dragon Magazine had numerous useful articles, and Australian Realms was filled with alternate viewpoints that just had to be shared. So, back in 2002 or 2003 or so, I compiled a great number of articles, scanned in a good chunk of them, and with the assistance of Sassamifrass in 2003/2004, cleaned up the scanning mistakes, edited out the superfluous referencing and prepared everything in a book-like format. While there is a little bit of information for DMs in here, I feel they don‘t need another book. There are copious amounts of literature on the matter, and numerous convention panels dealing with the topic. Plus, DMs by nature tend to read a lot more than players. I think a succinct manual for players is hard to find – thus, this tome. Looking back, I feel disappointed with the inclusion of rules-based material in here. At the time, D&D 3rd edition was new, and I felt many people were unjustly accusing some of the combat rules to be overcomplicated. So, since this book was to help players, and the major slant was towards fantasy games, specifically D&D, it seems natural that they should be included. I believe in future editions they will be trimmed, moved to their own section and eventually removed entirely. Possibly the future will see the fantasy slant removed as sci-fi and modern archetypes and counterparts are added. What I do foresee for this book is more content in general, especially more information on being a party or troupe – professional adventurers, so to speak. I‘d like to give some small thanks to the advice and help of players who have commented on this collection, and thanks to Enerla for helping distribute and keep this out there. And yes, this book breaks all sorts of copyright laws, and I do regret not having a complete and proper bibliography.

- Früchlè

(October, 2007)

Don't waste your time on rules Sometimes you're ahead, sometimes you're behind The race is long, and in the end, it's only with your DM - Tom Mauldin, „Cast Stoneskin‟ Page 5

How to be a Hero So you want to be a Hero... Take this simple one minute test to set if you have the right stuff to become a student of the Famous Adventurers‘ Correspondence School for Heroes: You are having dinner with a powerful and influential Wizard and he starts to make rude remarks about ‗muscle-brained adventurers‘. Do you: A. Kill The Wizard and upset the magical balance of the entire universe by breaking his spell preventing the eruption of the volcano that then spews lava over the peaceful nearby town. B. Ignore his remarks and pass the salt. You‘d be surprised how many would be Heroes choose option A. But here at the Famous Adventurers Correspondence School for Heroes, we know that the correct response, is of course, C. You, too, can become a useful and productive member of the Hero community by taking this simple course in ‗How to be a Hero‘.

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As a Gamer. Gaming Etiquette While one does not necessarily need to know which side of the plate a salad fork goes on to successfully entertain garners, good gaming sessions, like other types of social gatherings, depend on having both the players and the DM observe a number of basic, but greatly appreciated courtesies. The DM should follow these ―rules of etiquette‖ and encourage his players to heed them too.

Be Prepared Probably the greatest mistake that a DM can make prior to a game session is to fail to prepare. Proper preparation can be summed up in two words, study and organisation. Nothing spoils a game more quickly than a DM who hasn‘t studied his material beforehand and doesn‘t know the gist of his adventure, if not all the details. Take the time to organise material in a logical manner. If players ask questions or go off in an unexpected direction, the DM should know where to find that information without spending an hour looking for it.

Hosting a Game It is not the DM‘s responsibility to provide a place to play. Nor should he be held responsible for bringing the food and drinks or even scheduling the time for the game and calling the players. That responsibility should be shared among the players, the DM included. Often, it should be enough that the DM provides the adventure. However, the DM is responsible for setting up before a game, even though the game may take place in someone else‘s home or in a public place such as a lounge in a college dormitory. If possible, he should be the first to arrive and should have his game materials in order before the players arrive. If the game will take place in a public area, the DM (or another player) should take it upon himself to secure a play area in advance, one that will accommodate the players and, just as importantly, not disturb others who may wish to use the facility. The game session host should insure that a clean play area and enough seating is available for all anticipated players. If at all possible, arrange for the DM to be seated it a separate table in the gaming area. It‘s very important that the DM keep his game notes and maps out of the players‘ sight.

Courtesy to the Host At the end of each game session, clean up the play area, regardless if whether the game is played in a student lounge or at a player‘s home. Toss out food and drink containers (don‘t make the host responsible for returning empty beverage containers). Sweep up any mess. Offer to help put away excess chairs, books, tables, miniatures, etc. Failure to do so may result in your having to find another place to play next time.

Courtesy to Others Every time a roleplaying game occurs in a public or semi-public place (such as in a school cafeteria, dormitory lounge, or a student union), the players and DM involved become ambassadors for roleplaying games at large. People will judge the players, the AD&D® game, and all roleplaying games in general based on what they see. If an adventure is exciting or disappointing, players often get loud, possibly even downright rowdy. To say that loud noise or uncouth language can disturb others is an understatement. A wise DM will encourage his players to keep verbal expression of excitement or dismay (―What do you mean he‘s dead! He‘s 16th level! He can‘t be dead!‖) to conversational decibel levels.

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Whenever possible, create new player characters ahead of time. Prerolling new player characters before the day or scheduled time of a game session is a small but greatly appreciated courtesy. Character creation, especially when any type of background development is involved, takes time. If the DM waits until the game session to roll up new player characters, valuable game time is wasted. Instead of playing the game, the other players must find ways to entertain themselves until the DM is ready to play. In this regard, the DM runs the risk of losing his players to whatever has distracted them.

Opening Ceremonies Allow the players to get comfortable. This is a social time; friendly conversation relaxes players and gets them ready to play. Don‘t rush the start of the game. Give the players a chance to discuss the previous game session, go over mistakes, plan strategies, and decide on spells. If possible, have this activity take place at someplace other than the gaming table. Announce when the game is to start and request that non-essential conversation end.

Refreshments Refreshments are something that everyone should provide for themselves, or better yet, bring to share. As stated before, this is not the DM‘s responsibility. Commonly, refreshments are acknowledged ―junk foods:‖ soda pop, peanuts, pretzels, cookies, and chips of all kinds, including the four basic gamer food groups: caffeine, sugar, salt, and carbohydrates. In deference to good eating habits and in an attempt to avoid pear-shaped bodies, try to balance the type of snacks provided. For long game sessions, suggest ahead of time that the players come prepared to participate in some form of deliverable food (like pizza). Allow breaks for eating and, if possible, keep food and drink away from the gaming table. Don‘t let food disrupt the game or become a distraction.

Distractions Anything that doesn‘t add to the playing of the game will detract from it. Where possible, eliminate all outside distractions. It is difficult to concentrate on roleplaying while a ball game or loud music is going on in the background. If a player can‘t concentrate on the game because he is more interested in a distraction, suggest that he leave and let other players enjoy the game. For some gamers, young children (particularly their own) can be a distraction. If young children must be present during the game session, the players may wish to contribute towards the hiring of a baby sitter. The resulting peace may be well worth the price!

Be Kind to the DM Accept that the DM is the final authority in the game. Don‘t cheat, even if it means a character buys the farm (dies). Don‘t play favoritism games. Accept a character‘s death calmly, don‘t belabor it. The DM is human (really, it‘s true!) and will make mistakes. If a mistake is fatal, ask the DM to change his decision in good grace, without recriminations. Be sure to compliment the DM on a good game!

Be Kind to the Players Be Fair. Assume they are not cheating if they haven‘t been caught at it. Let the players make their own decisions. Don‘t manipulate their characters as if they were part of a novel or railroad them into choosing predetermined paths. Don‘t punish them for being clever. If they avoid or foil the best trap in the dungeon, then reward them for it. Don‘t try to kill off the characters of unpleasant players or punish them if they miss a play session or have to leave early. Compliment players on clever actions. Ask their opinions on obscure rule interpretations. Treat players with respect, regardless of whether they know the rules or not.

Ban Gamespeak There exists a tendency in adventure gaming for both the DM and the players to sacrifice the colour and richness of role-playing for the expedience of advancing the game. The DM forgets that he is a storyteller and becomes a rules judge. The players forget that they are characters in a drama and behave like board Page 8

garners calling out combat results. Instead of talking descriptively about actions and their outcomes, the participants refer to dice rolls and game statistics. An exchange might go: DM: “The orcs see you and advance 20 feet to attack. Somebody give me an initiative roll.” Player one: (rolls dice) “Drat, only a three.” DM: “Still beats my one. What‟s going on now?” Player one: “My fighter Bruno attacks with his + 1 sword.‖ DM: “OK, he needs a 13 or better to hit, and the magic user needs a 16 if she uses her weapons. Player two: “No way! Wanda zaps with her magic missiles. Aw, only six points of damage from both missiles.” Player one: “Bruno rolls a 16 and does seven points of damage, plus one for the sword and another one for Strength, for a total of nine. Since orcs only take eight points of damage max, one of them is aced!” DM: “OK one orc is down from Wanda‟s missiles, but the one Bruno hit takes his points and keeps on coming and does 11 points to Bruno.” Player One: “Let‟s get outta here! Bruno‟s only got one hit point left.” Player Two: “Tough break, Bruno. Wanda whips out her wand of fear while Bruno makes for the door.” The action comes across, but without any particular emphasis on the setting, the characters, or their foes. Wanda and Bruno are played as generic characters who encounter a band of equally generic monsters. One set of numerical statistics has met another and exchanged a round of randomly generated numbers. Now try the same encounter with a little colour and role-play. DM: “A pair of heavily armoured, low-browed humanoids round the corner. They see Wanda and Bruno and they don‟t look happy to see them here. The big one growls out something that sounds like orcish to Wanda.” Player two: “What did it say? Wanda knows the orc language enough to make out basic words.” Player one: “Yeah, what?” DM: “„Surrender or there‟ll be trouble‟ is all you can make out.” Player two: “Wanda drops to her knees and starts to plead for mercy, wringing her hands together. She tries to get Bruno to do the same.” Player one: “Bruno will never surrender to orc scum! He charges the largest orc, swinging the mighty Calabash over his head in a deadly arc!” Player two: (sighing) “Wanda was also trying to disguise the somatic part of her Sleep spell as she did with the gnolls.” DM: “The big fellow charges Bruno while the little one warily approaches Wanda. He seems to be indicating that any attempt to aid her companion will end badly Bruno‟s attack roll must be at least 13 to affect his foe. If Wanda wants to attack her opponent, she must roll a l6 or better.” Player one: “The glowing blade of Calabash slices through the air and connects solidly with the on for a mighty blow. Bruno‟s opponent loses nine hit points!” Player two: “Wanda stays on her knees and continues to wring her hands and cry but she has changed over to her magic missile spell. When she releases it, the missiles inflict six points of damage on her foe.” DM: “Wanda„s missiles strike the smaller humanoid, flinging him backwards like a rag doll until, he strikes the passage wall and collapses. Meanwhile the larger creature seems to shrug off the damage done by Bruno. Its own hideous weapon crushes the fighter, reducing Bruno‟s hit points by 11 and forcing him to his knees.” Player One: “Even though Bruno is nearly done in, he drags himself towards the exit. He knows that Brother Albert can heal his wounds.” Player Two: “While the monster‟s attention is still focused on Bruno, Wanda readies her wand of fear and prepares to speak the words that will unleash its powers.” Again, the second passage emphasises the descriptive, or storytelling, nature of the game. Die results, statements of intent and turn instructions are woven into the story that the DM and his two players are mutually creating, but the story takes preeminence. Although both the DM and the players share the responsibility of telling the story and avoiding the crutch of gamespeak, the DM must shoulder an unequal portion of the burden. As the DM he must encourage his players to speak in character and take part in the tale‘s telling. The more the DM makes use of descriptive phrases the more the players will also. The words he chooses sets the tone for the game. If the DM speaks in technical jargon, the players will also.

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More on Etiquette Everyone relies on the GM to provide a solid, enjoyable adventure with memorable NPCs and fantastic settings. What can players and GMs do to make the game better? What responsibilities can a GM and player have other than simply sitting at the table and playing that game? The tips below are for GMs and players to identify potential problems and nip them in the bud. With all the new-fangled technology, silicon chips, and such, a roleplayer's problems can only get bigger. Of course, not all these tips apply to every group, but there are always exceptions and if you game with a lot of people in a lot of groups then the chances of coming across these incidents are higher.

Punctuality Is Politeness and Consideration In One The GM may have a limited amount of time to play the game or have a set sequence of events he/she wants to play out before the night is over. To aid this, be punctual. If the GM says 7:00, then try your best to get there for 7:00. Arriving an hour late can be awkward for the GM and the other players, as time will be wasted with greetings and filling in the latecomer with game details and plot events. It's understandable that certain occurrences may cause you to be late, and these incidents are well out of your control, but if there is no other reason to be late then try your best. There's more than one person at that gaming table to keep happy.

Turn Off Phones and Pagers I don't know how many games I've ran where I got to the plot-bursting, emotionally dazzling finale and then someone's mobile phone or pager went off. Precious moments, even minutes, are wasted when a player is distracted by a call, and then the atmosphere is lost and cannot be reclaimed. Switch off those mobiles unless there's a good reason why they should be on!

The Items In the Room Are Not Always Part of the Game So, we got to a turning point in the game. Do the players turn north to the Eaglenest Range or do they head east to the Skaven Breeding Halls. What do they care? There's a PlayStation/Gameboy/PC in the room and they're having an ace time! It may be up to the GM to remove or make unavailable anything in the room which may provide a distraction, but this is not always the case. A little self control would be handy.

Paying Attention Is The Core Of A Game Well it is isn't it? How can you expect to progress if you've hardly listened to anything the players or the GM has said? Let's say the last five minutes has seen the PCs decide on their tactics and strategy and declare their intentions, then they go flying into the demon's cave with swords high and plan ready. You're not going to be much use if you spent those five important minutes with your nose in a magazine, are you? What if the GM has explained a vital clue or piece of information? What use is that to you or the group if you didn't give due attention? Prick up your ears when the GM is speaking to you and/or the group. (Case: Whilst running a Twilight 2000 game the GM spent a good while explaining in-character the PCs' covert requirements. Their mission was to meet the corrupt President of Sunken Madagascar, find out why he has increased his military output, and try to support a coup that had been growing. Upon arrival at the President's, two of the four players asked, "So, what are we doing here?" Much shaking of heads ensued.)

Being Funny Is One Thing, Being Annoying Is Quite Another We've all had those moments in games where something has happened that just had us rolling on the floor. There's always comments and events which illicit a laugh or a chuckle from the players and GM alike. These are good moments, especially during a non-serious game, and can be great fun. But let's not overdo it, eh? Page 10

Continuous jokes and remarks, especially during a serious game, can be a little annoying. Repeating the same joke over and over again to get the same laugh...can you imagine such a thing? Jokes and having fun are part of the game, but there is a time and a place for such things and, depending on what the game is being played for, players and GMs alike should realise their limits.

Being Loud Does Not Mean You're Right We've all got something to add to a game such as ideas, tactics, revelations, and character stuff. It's a sign of a good roleplayer when they can put forward their own opinions and thoughts, and deal with any arguments "in character", PC-to-PC instead of player-to-player. Some gamers find it necessary to raise their voices however, talking over the other people at the table so that their opinions are heard and acted upon. With players it's annoying because it's as if the one viewpoint is the be-all and end-all of group decisions. With GMs it's annoying because constant interruptions and opinions can disrupt good roleplaying and make the game feel linear. The answer is simple: don't do it! Have a little patience. The players haven't gathered about the table just for your benefit.

The Rules May Be Guidelines, But They're Still Rules Roleplaying games have a set of rules to adjudicate actions and abilities and these are reflected, in most cases, in the use of dice. So why do some roleplayers feel it necessary to cheat? The idea of a high adventure game is to inject a little of the chance and danger inherent in such things. If a bad roll is made, it does not reflect badly on the player, it's just the way things turned out and it's a sign of good roleplaying to take the rough with the smooth. There are five general types of cheaters: 1) The "Pooper Scooper" who will roll their dice and pick them up straight away before anyone else has a chance to see the result and claim they succeeded. 2) The "Ready-To-Rumble Roller" who will claim they succeeded with the dice that are already lying on decent numbers on the table, which were not actually rolled. 3) The "Bombardier" who will roll their dice one at a time, and every time a low dice comes up they will slam their next roll into the previous dice in the hope of knocking it onto a better number. 4) The "Houdini Skills" players who suddenly acquire a skill or increased ability to help them out of a situation, usually added to the character sheet secretly during play. 5) The "Phantom Equipment" player who will suddenly have an item or tool appear on their character sheet, again added during play. There is no sure way to guard against these cheaters, especially in large group games where there is a lot to be aware of. There are some precautions you can take, however. Make sure that, before play starts, the group is aware that all rolls are to made in the open and watched by others. (The GM may be exempt from this, depending on their use of GM screens and wanting to have the chance to have more control over the game). Then the player/GM has no choice but to make the roll. Also, rolls must be made with all the required dice thrown at the same time. This way, the group is aware that rolls are being monitored and prewarning them means that players don't feel picked on. Don't worry too much about weighted dice. These little monsters are easy to spot as they don't roll naturally and have a tendency to spin when landing on their set number. You can check most of the dice before play, anyway. Have photocopies of the PC character sheets to hand to the GM, and make sure as a player that you've had a good look over other player's sheets (group style/policy permitting). This way you'll have an idea what each player is capable of and what they own, and have an insight into the possibility of cheating. (Case: During a strange game of Call of Cthulhu, the group was skulking about a sunken church in the Black Forest of the Rhine when they were suddenly attacked by ghouls. Single handed, one of the weakest characters in the group managed to hold off the ghouls with a machete and pistol while the others grabbed artifacts and made a run for it. He was hailed the hero of the encounter...until it was realised that no-one had actually seen any of the rolls made, and that the items "pistol" and "machete" were not actually on the player's character sheet equipment list.)

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Arguments May Be Healthy, But Stress Is A Killer There can be many discussions during a game regarding the interpretation or application of rules, and this is a good thing in many respects. It clearly defines capabilities and limitations of PC and NPC alike, and it can result in well-conceived House Rules. Unfortunately, there are situations that arise when disagreements on rules and capabilities grow from discussion to heated debate to full-blown shouting matches. Both players and GMs alike have their own idea how certain things should be utilised from the rulebook and how things should be played out. The answer is simple: chill out! When playing a game remember two things: 1) It's a game. 2) The idea of the game is to socialise and have fun. If you can't agree on an aspect then defer to the GM after making your point. After all, the GM's word should be final. If an honest mistake has been made, then make a note of the problem and carry on, backtrack if necessary then continue. Always be ready to have an opinion, but don't think that arguing the point will make it any better. Discuss the problem, come to a compromise, then make a note on the problem and how it can be solved. Failing that, the GM's word is final, if that's the only way to stop it. And don't take the disagreement out of the confines of the game. Getting cranky afterwards or during other activities because of the argument is pointless because, as in the concept of the game, it has nothing to do with real life at all. Ask yourself the question is it really worth it? Raised voices make for raised blood pressure - not good.

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Elementary Etiquette for Gaming Geeks Preface The information in this article is not intended to insult or disparage those it criticizes. Instead, it is a sincere and well-intentioned effort to help those gaming geeks who are genuinely interested in improving relations between themselves and those around them, and I hope it will be taken as such. Readers are, of course, free to disregard or disagree with any of the advice in this article.

Grooming Don't we all value substance over appearance? Well, no. Many people have problems getting past appearance to reach the substance. Many others consider appearance to be at least partially indicative of substance, if not an inseparable constituent part of that substance, and they're not wrong to do so. In plain English, this means that if you look or smell bad, few people will care what a great person you are otherwise. It has always amazed me how so many gamers, who supposedly value independence in thinking and style, independently settle on the exact same look. See if this rings a bell: full, untrimmed beard; unwashed, unstyled hair; old T-shirt pulled over sagging stomach; weak posture; plastic-rimmed glasses; medieval-style leather boots or some other semi-anachronistic accessory. Not all gamers look and dress this way, but a startling number do, as anyone can see just by attending a decent-size gaming convention. If you really like this look, by all means stick with it -- but don't get upset when people react negatively. As Super Chicken used to say, "You knew the job was dangerous when you took it." The point here is not to slam people who dress funny but to note that small, simple choices can improve one's appearance by at least an order of magnitude. I'll tackle the items in the stereotype one at a time: Facial hair. Unless you're a lumberjack, at least trim your beard so that it's even, not scraggly. If you choose to wear a full beard, consider cutting it shorter, say to an inch or less. (You can buy electric beard trimmers that will shape your beard to a uniform length. Handy things. I use one to keep my goatee at a quarter-inch.) The same goes for mustaches -- pretty much any length is OK, as long as it's even. Experiment; see what flatters your face. You may find yourself happiest with a smaller beard, a mustache only, a beard only or nothing at all. Don't just fall into the unkempt look by default. Head hair. Just about any length can be made to look good -- if you know how to style it and bother to do so. If you'd rather go low-maintenance, then pick a length at which you can get away with it. Curly or wavy hair almost has to be either styled regularly or kept very short. Regardless of what style you choose, keep it clean. Wash it at least every other day -- daily, if it's oily. Clothing. What you wear isn't half as important as how it fits. The simple act of tucking in your shirt will bump you up at least a couple of social-standing grades in many people's eyes. If you have a hard-to-fit physique -- and I totally understand that some people have weight problems that defy diet and exercise -consider buying some tailored clothing. It really is worth the investment. There are lots of rich, powerful and respected people in the world who are overweight, and you can bet they didn't get rich, powerful and respected by trying to stretch department-store Oxfords over their midriffs. As for specific items of clothing, you don't have to dress like an investment banker; just make sure that everything's clean, intact and not outdated . . . and only wear T-shirts with jokes if the jokes are genuinely funny. Glasses. Try some metal frames. See "rich, powerful and respected" above. Posture. Standing straight and walking gracefully are worth another social-standing grade. All it takes is a mirror and some practice. Exercise helps too, especially exercises that strengthen the lower back and abdomen. (These things will not only make you look better, they'll make you feel better: Good posture and good circulation will help you breathe better. Better breathing means more oxygen to the brain. More oxygen to the brain means winning more often!) In short, while we cannot change the fact that we are gaming geeks, we can still be good-looking gaming geeks. It's not an oxymoron. And if we want people to treat us as fully human, we owe it to ourselves to be the best-looking gaming geeks we can be . . . or, at the very least, not to give them reason to think we're some kind of underground-dwelling troll.

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The Art of Conversation The thing I used to stumble on most often was forgetting that to most people, what goes on in the games we play isn't real. To us, these are things that really happened, if only in the same way that events in a TV show or book happen. Other folks, however, just can't relate. They still will not be able to relate if you give a brief explanation of the game and then move on to the thrilling stories. If and when they actually try the games for themselves, then they may be able to relate. Even then, however, they still may not care. Unfortunately, our friends don't care as much about what we "did" in a game as we do, and common acquaintances don't care as much as our friends. Thus, unless you're going into a spontaneous nostalgia session with the people who shared your exploits, resist the urge to talk about them. If the words have just gotta get out, keep a personal journal -- which, incidentally, can also bolster your writing skills. Conversation is an art whose grace has diminished considerably in recent years. The ultimate goal of conversation is to exchange information and take pleasure in the engagement with others' personalities. The best conversational skill -- and the hardest to master -- is fully engaged listening. Unfortunately, too many people -- and this includes all sorts of folks, including "beautiful people," and not just gaming geeks -- think the purpose of conversation is to impress others. Nothing will impress others less than operating on that assumption. The most common manifestation of this fault among gamers, in my observation, is trying too hard to be funny. Successful humor is natural humor. Strained humor is failed humor. Many gamers take the shotgun approach to humor: "If I say 20 things that I think might be funny, one of them is bound to be." Maybe, but that one funny thing will be less funny than if it had been the only thing you said, because the other 19 unfunny things will have annoyed your audience, making them less receptive to it. To be blunt, some gamers just plain talk too much. I've sat at game tables with more than a few people who apparently thought they had to say something about everything. If you talk too much and say too little, people will gradually care less and less about what you say until they completely cease to care at all, and rather than absorb the priceless information you're giving them, their minds will be preoccupied with wishing you'd just shut up. Mark Twain once said, "It's better to be thought a fool than to open one's mouth and remove all doubt"; my advice is simply to be more conscious of when you're engaging in true two-way communication and when you're just saying something to try to get attention, then to cut down drastically on the latter. And for God's sake, don't laugh at your own jokes unless everyone else is. A self-satisfied smile is enough.

Attitude Embrace the philosophy of Ptolemy and repeat after me: "I am not the center of creation. The world does not revolve around me." This mantra will help you avoid such errors as assuming that your opinion on any given matter is of greater importance than everyone else's, that no question can be resolved without your providing the sum total of your understanding of the subject, and that the entire value of something is determined by your own limited opinion of it. Now, I know a few of you out there are thinking: "You moron! It wasn't Ptolemy who realized that the Earth isn't the center of the universe, it was Copernicus!" You're right. I made that mistake on purpose for the sake of asking this question: In the interval between my error and my acknowledgement of it, did you decide that I was obviously a pompous idiot whose opinions were of no consequence? Ha. Caught you. I'll grant you the pompous part, but the issue here is dismissiveness: the attitude, developed after an insufficient amount of interaction, that others are intellectually inferior. Inductive reasoning can lead to great scientific breakthroughs, but in cases such as the preceding, it can also lead to colossal rudeness. Sure, you're smart. Use that power for good, not evil. Resist the urge to cut people down when they make mistakes. That goes for your peers at the gaming table, too. If someone screws up on a rule, don't beat him over the head with it. If you screw up on a rule, admit your mistake graciously and move on. (Few things are sadder than the guy who, having been proven wrong on a rule interpretation, keeps belaboring the issue in order to prove why his interpretation should have been the right one.) Remember, the competition isn't over who knows the rules better -- it's who can make the better use of them. Don't waste your time and energy arguing side issues. All that does is detract from the fun. Remember fun? You know, the reason you play games? Which brings us to the matter of perspective. Many gamers will argue with equal force and at equal length over the topic of monumental importance and the most negligible little detail. They will take the same offense at a mosquito-prick slight as they would at an all-out betrayal. They will sweat blood over how many Page 14

horses were actually shot at Antietam, as opposed to those that just keeled over from dehydration, yet fail to grasp why the normo over there thinks they need to take a bath. Take a deep breath, switch from extreme close-up to wide-angle, and try to evaluate the relative importance of things objectively. Comprehend what is essential and what is nonessential. As Confucius said: "Things have their roots and branches, affairs have their ends and beginnings; know what comes before and after, and then you'll be near to the Way." When you get in an argument about something during a game, step back for a moment and ask yourself how the actual outcome of the game is affected. You're there to play a game, right? So put the game before the tangential issue. And you're playing the game to have fun, right? So put fun before the game. When the game ceases to be fun, continuing the game is self-defeating.

Common Courtesy At Origins '98, I busted my ass to solve the puzzles in the Maze of Games. As I stood with a handful of tokens poring over the merchandise at Crazy Abu's, a guy asked me to step away with him and talk about trading answers. Now, it was a point of pride for me that I could solve any puzzle I found, but a lot of the vendors had acted dishonorably, in my opinion, by not revealing that they had puzzles available, so I was willing to swap for answers to puzzles I couldn't find. However, I also had a list of vendors that I hadn't hit up for puzzles yet, so I wanted to make sure I didn't get the answer to any puzzle that was still available to me. This guy sat me down and immediately started reading off answers that I hadn't asked for, despite my trying to tell him to stop -- and then got pissed off at me when I didn't give him an equal number of my answers, and called me an asshole when I started to walk off. What did he do wrong? First, he assumed that, like himself, all I cared about was getting tokens for answers. Second, he assumed that I would give him whatever he expected without being asked. Third, he jumped to the conclusion that I was trying to take advantage of him by taking something without giving anything in return (as if he'd even given me a chance to write down any of the answers he was reading off, which I didn't do and wouldn't have even if he'd gone slower). And fourth, he interpreted my reaction to his rudeness as my attitude problem. What could he have done instead? He could have asked what kind of terms I was willing to consider. He could have refrained from expecting anything from me until we had concluded an agreement. He could have apologized for trying to railroad me into a deal that served him far more than it served me. In short, he could have thought past himself for a moment. Once again, the world does not revolve around you. Consider other people's attitudes and sensitivities. Before you criticize someone else, look to yourself and see whether you're really blameless. His reaction to you, from his point of view, may be perfectly reasonable; before you pop off at him, try to understand it. And don't do to other people what you wouldn't want done to yourself. Courtesy is the grease in the wheels of society; it's always better to err on the side of politeness, and usually better to err on the side of tolerance. (For the record, my acquaintance wasn't rude only to me: the staff at Crazy Abu's finally got fed up with him and banned him from the table. He wasn't short on tokens, either; a little consideration could have gotten him a lot of merchandise. Selfishness is ultimately self-defeating.) Courtesy at the gaming table is just as important. Remember that a good game is equal parts competition and cooperation. Competition, by nature, is antisocial; it's the cooperative element, the agreement on rules and goals, that provides the fun. If you let the competition get out of hand, the game ceases to be fun for the less competitive player. This is equally true for the wargamer who, dissatisfied with mere victory, has to crush his opponent into the dirt; the Magic player with the arms-race mentality who outspends his opponents 5-to-1; the Monopoly player who stubbornly refuses to trade properties with anyone; the glory-hogging or min-maxing roleplayer; and the player of any game who makes it his primary goal to cut others down rather than to build himself up. If you're only there for you, not to share the gaming experience with others, you shouldn't be playing. Or, perhaps, it might be better to say that one should always play a game with other players who take the game equally seriously. Just as it's rude to go for victory at any cost in a casual group, it's also rude to play half-assed when the rest of your group is immersed in the experience deeply. It's a matter of compatibility: if you can't get along with your group, spare yourself -- and them -- the aggravation.

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The Opposite Sex Anyone with a thorough grasp of male-female relations doesn't need my advice. Therefore I'll boil this part down to a couple of lists of simple commandments. For men:  Thou shalt not ogle.  Thou shalt not make inappropriate comments, such as those concerning another's anatomy or what thou wouldst like to do with it.  Thou shalt not descend on the sole woman in the quadrant like a pack of starving hyenas on a gazelle haunch.  In roleplaying games, thou shalt not railroad female players into sexual situations.  For that matter, thou shalt refrain from placing undue emphasis on sexual issues at all.  Thou shalt not assume women to be intellectually inferior.  Thou shalt not use "female" as a noun except when referring to wild animals.  Thou shalt not refer to any woman of 18 or more years of age as a "girl."  Thou shalt not take advantage of women whose self-esteem is lower than thine own. For women:  Thou shalt not tease nor torment male gamers with thy sexuality.  Thou shalt not try to wheedle male players into giving thee special treatment in a game.  Especially thy significant other.  Thou shalt not go out of thy way to prove that thou art just as backstabbingly competitive as the guys, if not more so.  Thou shalt not whine when thou dost lose.  Thou shalt not wear gratuitously scanty clothes, regardless of the example set by all that horrendous cheesecake fantasy art.  Thou shalt not affect an excessively formal and preposterously breathy manner of speech.  Thou shalt not take Anne Rice's vampires as personal role models outside the game milieu.  Thou shalt treat the male gamers around thee with no less respect than they show thee.  Thou shalt not take advantage of men whose self-esteem is lower than thine own.

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A Goblin’s Guide to Etiquette Etiquette is the art and science of living together happily. It is the set of rules that maintains the peacefulness of civilization. It is the salve that soothes society when it becomes chafed. Have you ever been in the middle of a long, happy session of D&D, when suddenly you said the wrong thing, and your whole party suddenly ganged up on you and killed you? Wow! Me, too. Fortunately, I‘ve learned from all the times this has happened to me. This guide is a way of giving something back to the community from which I have taken so much. Follow the advice within, and you will shine as a beacon of politeness to all your fellow patrons of the geekly arts.

Dos and Don’ts of the Proper Roleplayer It is a terrifying thing to be an adventurer - you‘re massively outnumbered by monsters, surrounded by huge forces you can‘t understand, and trying to keep your dice from mingling overmuch with the dice of the player next to you. Face it: You‘re toast. But if you follow these rules, you might be able to hold off your inevitable, grisly death for a short period of time. DON‘T stand up, point at the DM, and shout ―You‘re not the boss of me!‖ DO regale your friends with tales of roleplaying adventure. What‘s the point of having Frodalf make 3rd level if you can‘t tell your pals about it in intense, soul-crushing detail? DON‘T ask the magic user how much mana is left in his pool. DO give your characters classic fantasy names to help get people in the proper mood. ―Bilbo‖ and ―Mel Gibson‖ are excellent choices. DON‘T blow cigarette smoke in the DM‘s face after casting a fireball, no matter how much it helps him to ―feel the fantasy." DO adopt a special voice to use when your character speaks. Your fellow players will feel much more immersed in the fantasy after thirty minutes in a room with ―Squeeky, The Gnome With a High-Pitched Voice.‖ DON‘T try to get an automatic rifle for your character. The DM will be forced to give the orcs rocket launchers in the name of game balance. Good manners are, of course, not for the player alone. Believe it or not, sometimes the Dungeon Master should play nice too. Not too much, of course, or the players will take advantage - shifty vermin that they are. Never trust them for a moment. DO provide a civilized gaming environment. When a DM pulls out his ermine-trimmed dice bag, lays out his hand-crocheted gaming doilies, and has the module brought out on a silver tray by his man-servant Orlando, his players know that they have entered civilization at last. DON‘T forget to encourage serious thought. Try making your players answer a riddle before they can leave the dungeon. Nothing builds a player‘s self-esteem like coming up with the answer after 3 hours of saying things like, ―Is it the sun? No? Then how about a snail?‖ DO encourage roleplaying by enforcing an ―If you say it, your character says it!‖ rule. It‘s common sense. After all, in the middle of a dungeon, do you really want your elf to say, ―Hey, Jason, get me a coke?‖ or, ―Arrgh. My chest. Aaaghh! Where are my nitro-glycerine pills?‖ Certainly not. DON‘T break with tradition. The bad guy always puts a death trap on his dresser. Monsters always live under-ground, even though it would be really moldy and cold. And intelligent magic swords always have really obnoxious personalities. DO make fantasy speech mandatory. Common use of phrases like ―Prithee, my liege‖ and ―Huzzah!‖ create an environment that makes the players feel blissfully adrift in time and space. (Example: ―Prithee my liege, but if mine +1 dagger doesn‘t end up back in my pack on the nonce, I will have to kick some serious elven butt. Huzzah!‖) DON‘T give the ogres canisters of the bubonic plague until a character in the party can cast remove disease. Fair is fair.

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Follow the Standard Rules of Etiquette When we spend a happy evening gaming, we create a fantastic new world in our caffeine-addled minds. However, our corporeal bodies, sadly, remain in this world, growing older and rounder. This means that, since we remain in this world, we have to live by the rules of etiquette everyone else lives by every day. Your mother was right. ―Please‖ and ―thank you‖ are magic words, just as capable of opening doors as any magic spell. There are lots of other magic words, too, like ―critical hit," "I‘m bleeding to death,‖ and ―Huzzah!‖ These are phrases that make every gaming session run a little smoother. When your host has you over for a gaming session, be a gracious guest. Compliment his collection of STAR TREK novels. Don‘t spill Mountain Dew on the Highlander video tapes. Don‘t point out how lame he was for buying a Dreamcast when the Playstation II has been out for months and it doubles as a DVD player. Instead, compliment his taste in furniture and wall decoration, and, if he has crusty dishes stacked in the sink, just think of them as his effort to create a dungeon-like atmosphere. A polite guest always brings tasty snacks to be consumed during the gaming session. In general, garners insist on food that is low-calorie, nutritious, and pleasingly high in roughage. Bottled mineral water and rice cakes are a must, and no gamer can resist a nice bowl of carrot sticks. When rolling dice, shake them briefly and release them with a smooth, gentle motion. Avoid an unpleasant rattling sound, which might disturb your DM and result in frequent critical hits landed on your character. Remember: Your dice are there to generate random numbers. They are not meant to serve as projectiles, earplugs, or candy.

When your favorite character is killed, do not simply wad up the character sheet and throw it on the ground. Proper etiquette demands that you must first tear it into quarters, using firm, horizontal hand Page 18

motions, and place the remains into an envelope made of fine linen paper. Finally, either burn the envelope or put it through a shredder and use the remains as hamster bedding - or eat it. Also, when your favorite character is killed, a half an hour of shouted obscenities is strictly optional. Finally, after a good session of gaming, one should always send a proper thank you note to the DM, hand-written on some sort of lovely stationary: Dear Mr. Dungeon Master, Thank you very much for having us over for that lovely adventure last Saturday. Also, thank you very much for that lovely +1 longsword. It was exactly what my character needed, and the experience points I received for getting it really hit the spot. Ha ha. Also, I’d like to apologize for that little misunderstanding that we had. I was mistaken. You are in fact, the boss of me. I’m sorry for any upset my loud and unexpected outburst caused you. - Warmest regards, Jeff Vogel

Building an Interesting Party When creating your character, remember that the central element of every great drama is conflict. Help out your DM by making things interesting! Does your friend plan to play a shifty, untrustworthy thief? Then you must play a paladin. Is Erik playing a laser-gun-toting alien hunter? Then be an alien in human disguise, and lay your eggs in his torso as soon as possible. Is the DM‘s girlfriend in the game? Then do something to tick her off, by all means! There is no better time for exciting roleplaying and intrigue than when splitting up the loot. Look at it this way: Think about how important it is to get paid at your job. Think of the loot as your character‘s salary. Imagine working hard at, say, McDonalds, cleaning the grease traps and mopping the floors and waiting for the end of the month when you will finally get that girdle of hill giant strength you‘ve been busting your butt for. But then, when the time comes, the shift manager tries to stick you with a lousy +1 guisarme instead, and you‘re not even proficient in the guisarme! Remember that part of etiquette is making sure people are polite to you. So in this case, be sure to demonstrate exactly where the shift manager can put his lousy guisarme.

Pay Attention There is nothing more irritating to a hard-working DM than inattentive players. If you peer out from over your screen and see Frederick knitting, Mariann sticking a cartridge into her Gameboy, and Jules slowly and lovingly caressing his Magic cards, you know that this evening of roleplaying is pretty much blown. It is, of course, impolite to be inattentive during your DM‘s game. But it is also impolite for the DM to lash out in return, inflicting arbitrary critical hits and making rolls on a previously unused Spontaneous Wand Explosion Table. Instead, the Dungeon Master should have foreseen potential problems and created a distraction-free gaming zone. The play room should be stripped of unpleasant distractions, like televisions and stereos. Instead, the room should be filled with items that create an atmosphere helpful to fantasy and imagination, like bowls of organ meat, open flames, and live snakes. Should the players provide their own distractions, the DM can usually convey disapproval with simple, clear communication. A can of spray paint will let Jules know that his Magic cards are not safe at the table, a large magnet will help Mariann understand the inappropriateness of her Gameboy, and Frederick can be dissuaded from knitting with a massive box of ravenous moths. Etiquette is, in the end, all about communication, and nothing communicates better than actions -unexpected, horrible actions.

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The Importance of Timeliness and Understanding It is a sad fact of our roleplaying lives that most campaigns are killed by indifference. People don‘t show up to sessions. The DM becomes unavailable because of a new job or an unsympathetic spouse. Or maybe all of the rulebooks are burned for warmth. Hard work and concentration are necessary to maintain a good campaign. If you are the DM, it is important to be flexible when players are absent. If Sue can‘t make it, let another player play Sue‘s character. Give that player one of Sue‘s magic items as a gratuity for the extra work. You can also run Sue‘s character as an NPC. Playing Sue yourself will give you a chance to humorously satirize some of Sue‘s more notable personality traits and verbal tics. This will help you work out frustration over the time Sue spilled Mountain Dew on your Highlander tapes. If you are a player, on the other hand, try to meet the DM half-way. Suppose the DM walks in carrying a copy of the module Scum Orcs of the Hills. He sets out twenty carefully painted scum orc miniatures and his copy of ―Ecology of the Scum Orc" For the sake of realism, he has carefully cultivated a personal scent very similar to that of a scum orc. He lays out a map of the hills surrounding the players‘ village and asks, ―What do you do now?‖ This is not the point where you say, ―We go to the lowlands and hunt kobolds.‖ unless you want the DM to start playtesting that groovy new critical hit chart he just made up.

A Helpful Example

healing potion.)

Sue: Page 20

We head west.

In closing, here is a transcript of a recent gaming sessions with the author and four of his friends. It was a pleasant experience for all concerned, and everyone was so polite that yours truly could barely stand it. Read, and learn. The group for this session consisted of Sue (chaoticevil rogue), Frederick (chaotic-evil rogue), Mariann (lawfulgood paladin), and Jules (chaotic-evil fighter/rogue). (Note that this is a near-perfect group for the creation of exciting role-playing. A group like this can have hours of enjoyable treachery and intrigue over the discovery of a single

(The DM bends down behind his screen to see what comes next. As he looks, someone slaps it with the palm of his or her hand, smacking the DM in the nose. He jumps up.) DM:

Who did that?

Frederick: (pointing at Mariann) It was her! Mariann:

You sneak!

Jules:

Huzzah!

DM:

Okay, Frederick, You get 100 experience for helping. (Always be polite and reward people who help you.)

Jules:

Prithee, my liege!

Mariann:

(to Frederick) I‘ll get you for this.

DM:

And Mariann, you lose your paladinhood.

Mariann:

Okay, I become a chaotic-evil rogue.

DM:

Excellent! Done.

Sue:

Where did all of these moths come from?

DM:

Just being prepared.

Sue:

Like I said, we head west.

Mariann:

I sneak attack Jules.

(All right! Now we‘re getting some interesting conflict! Now none of the players will find out that I forgot to design an adventure.) Jules:

Ow. Dang. I drink my healing potion.

Jules:

All right, who has my healing potion?

Mariann:

I run behind Jules and sneak attack her again.

(And so on. This goes on for about an hour of pure, scheming fun.) Sue:

I pull out my wand and shoot a magic missile at them.

DM:

Your wand is gone.

Jules:

(stands up, points at me, shouts) You‘re not the boss of me!

Great, huh? Like I said before, there is nothing like a little bit of good manners to create a lively, non-stop, action-packed gaming session. See you in the dungeon! Huzzah!

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As a Player. How Players Can Help Here are a few ways in which you can help the game go more smoothly.

Mapping The mapper is the player who draws a map of the dungeon as it‘s explored. One or more of the characters should be making maps, but one of the players must make the actual game map. The map should be kept out on the table for all to see and refer to. Pencil should always be used in making the map, in case of errors and tricky passages. Mapping is an important part of imagining where your characters are. Sooner or later, all players should learn to make maps. If you play often, take turns at mapping; it is an important and useful skill to learn. Someone should keep a map of places you explore so that you know where you‘ve been and where you have yet to explore. The responsibility for mapping can be rotated from person to person, if more than one player likes to do this sort of thing, but as a rule the same person should be the mapper throughout a single playing session. A map is most useful and most important when the characters are in a dungeon setting-an environment with lots of corridors, doors, and rooms that would be almost impossible to navigate through with-out a record of what parts the characters have already explored. To make a map, you start with a blank sheet of paper (graph paper is best) and draw the floor plan of the dungeon as you and your group discover it and the Dungeon Master describes what you‘re seeing. For example, when the characters come to a new, empty room, the DM might say, ―The door you have opened leads east into a room twenty. five feet wide and thirty feet deep. The door is in the middle of the room‘s west wall, and you can see two other doors: one in the north wall near the corner with the east wall, and one in the east wall about five feet south of the middle.‖ Or, if it‘s easier for you to visualize, the DM might express the information this way: ―From the north edge of the door, the wall goes two squares north, six squares east, five squares south, back six squares west, and then north back to the door. There‘s a door on the sixth square of the north wall and on the fourth square of the east wall.‖

Calling The caller is a player who announces to the Dungeon Master what the group of characters (the Party) is doing. The Caller must check with every player to find out what all the characters are doing, and then tell the DM (quickly and accurately) what they plan to do. The Caller does not tell the others what to do; the Caller merely reports what is going on. The Caller‘s first job is to find out the ―party order‖ - the way the characters are lined up or grouped during normal travel. The Caller should also report the movements of the group, such as ―We‘ll go northeast through the woods,‖ or ―We‘ll turn right at the next corridor.‖ Battles are always more complicated, and the DM should then take the time to check with each player, instead of handling it all through the Caller. You may have games without Callers, if the Dungeon Master is willing to ask each player what each character is doing, and make notes to remember the actions. But it‘s usually easier and more organized if one player acts as Caller. This role is very much a legacy from the wargaming roots of gaming. It is now recommended only to used in very large groups, or groups with a significant amount of dissention.

Party Notes It often pays to keep notes: names of NPCs the party has met, treasure the party has won, secrets the characters have learned, and so forth. The Dungeon Master might keep track of all this information for his or her own benefit, but even so it can be handy for you to jot down facts that might be needed later-at the least, doing this prevents you from having to ask the Dungeon Master, ―What was the name of that old man we Page 22

met in the woods last week?‖ You might also use this sort of information to make a connection between two seemingly unrelated facts-you can look back through your notes and discover that the birthmark on the arm of the old man (which you noted when you first encountered him) is the same as the birthmark said to be borne by the long-lost heir to the throne (which you just found out about).

Character Notes You should keep track of hit points, spells, and other characteristics about your character that change during an adventure on scratch paper. Between playing sessions, you might decide to write some of this information directly on your character sheet-but don‘t worry about updating the sheet constantly. For instance, it would be tedious (and could make a mess of the sheet) if you erased your character‘s current hit points and wrote in a new number every time he or she took damage.

First steps to take When all the players are together, with characters ready, each player should take a moment to think about the adventure to come. Some of these things apply to players, and some apply to the characters. Why are you going? Are the characters just out to explore, or is someone looking for a specific item? Are you out to rescue a prisoner, destroy a famous monster, or some other goal? Games are usually more fun if a specific goal is kept in mind; if nobody is sure just what they want to do, you can waste a lot of time doing nothing. Who is your character, and who are the other characters? Have you adventured with them before, or not? Are any of them friends - or enemies? Should you keep an eye on any one character? Who can you trust completely? Where are you going? Nearby caves, or a castle, or some other dungeon? Have you brought the equipment you need to explore? When are you going? Do you plan to explore a dungeon at night, when more dangerous creatures could be around? Players: decide when the game will end; it‘s very easy to play longer than you intended. Set a time for quitting, and stick to it! Remember to leave some time for dividing the treasure found. What are you going to do? Look for big monsters or small ones? Will you run from danger, or face it? What can your party do, considering the abilities and special items available amongst the characters?

Marching Order You should arrange your characters in a line, either singly or two-by-two, for a ―Standard Marching Order.‖ If figures are used, the DM can easily see every-one‘s position; otherwise, write the Marching Order on a piece of paper for the DM‘s reference. You should have at least one Fighter in front, as this is where most of the action takes place. A short person (halfling or dwarf) should also be in front of taller folk. Those behind may still see clearly, and are able to cast spells or shoot arrows over the shorter characters heads. Weaker characters (Magic-Users and Thieves, especially) should be in the center of the Marching Order, protected front and rear by Fighters or Clerics. If this is not possible, the characters with the best Armor Class and/or Hit Points should occupy the outer positions. If you change the Marching Order during the game (if a front Fighter is badly wounded, for example), be sure to correct the figure setup (or the DM‘s diagram) accordingly.

Tactics of Play When you are ready to go, your Dungeon Master will start telling you what the characters see. In beginning games, the characters often start at the dungeon entrance; the DM then describes the entryway, asking questions of the Caller when choices can be made (―Turn right or left?‖). All the players should listen carefully to the descriptions, and play the roles of their characters as they react to the situations that develop. Page 23

The Marching Order will be used as the normal positioning of the characters as they proceed down corridors. In empty rooms and after battles, party members usually spread out to search for hidden treasure, but someone should be left to watch for approaching monsters. The DM will keep track of who is doing what, in case a monster appears. When creatures are encountered, Fighters, Dwarves and Halflings usually move toward the encounter, while Magic-Users move back to avoid attacks, adding their magical powers to the battles where needed. Thieves may also move back, or may try to slip by the encountered creatures if possible. A Thief can help turn the tide of battle by attacking a monster from behind (if the creature doesn‘t notice the Thief first). Remember, however, that a clever DM may have monsters arrive at the rear of the party, occasionally when other monsters are at the front. The rear of the party should never be left defenseless. Clerics can often fill the need for a strong guard, as they can wear armor and fight well. If an encounter is peaceful, those characters with high Charisma Scores should do most of the talking. If they are weak, negotiations should be made from a distance (ten to twenty feet is fine). When special needs arise, those best equipped to handle them should move to the scene, while the rest of the characters stay in the Marching Order. For example, a Thief should move forward each time a door is found, to search for traps and pick locks. After doing the job, the Thief should move back into position. Thieves normally do not open doors, preferring to leave that task to the stronger Fighters in case there is a monster waiting on the other side!

General vs. Specific Sometimes a player will say "I look around the room. Do I see anything?" and sometimes she'll say, "I look into the room, knowing that I just saw a kobold dart inside, I look behind the chair and the table, and in all the dark corners. Do I see it?" In both cases, the DM replies, "Make a Spot check." However, in the second example, the character has specialized knowledge of the situation. She's asking specific questions. In such cases, always award the character a +2 bonus for favourable conditions. It's good to reward a character who has knowledge that allows them to ask specific questions. If the kobold's actually not in the room, but a cloaker waits in ambush on the ceiling, the character has no specific knowledge and gains no bonus. She doesn't get a penalty, either - don't penalize specific questions. If both the kobold and the cloaker are in the room, two Spot checks are required (unless the monsters are working together as a group, which is highly unlikely). The character gets a +2 bonus to the check to spot the kobold and no bonus to spot the cloaker.

Players are not characters! It is important to remember that the player and the character are two different persons. The more the two are kept apart, the better your games can be. The most obvious example of this is the dice rolls you make. All dice rolls are called ―game mechanics,‖ as are other details such as Armor Class, Hit Points, and so forth. These things would not be part of a character‘s knowledge. The characters would talk about armor, health, and attacks, but never about Ability Scores, Hit Rolls, or other parts of the game. Everyone can usually tell whether the players are in the role of the characters or being themselves, handling game mechanics. If there is any doubt, the player should clarify. Suppose that a player has a Evil character (unusual, but not impossible). The character will act wildly at times, but the player should remain calm while dealing with the others. If the player acts Evil, the game will become very confusing and less fun. There are many ways that this can affect the game, especially when a player knows something that the character doesn‘t. For instance, if a character starts to fight a new, unknown monster, and the DM says ―It hit you; save vs. Poison, please!‖ then all the players know that the monster is poisonous. But the better players will ignore that in-formation. Their characters don‘t know about the poison, and shouldn‘t use that ―player information.‖ The characters will probably find out after the battle, when they talk to their wounded friend and discover that the wound ―stung, like poison,‖ or is discolored. (All of such descriptions are left to the DM‘s imagination.) A question like ―What time is it?‖ could be answered two different ways: in ―real time,‖ which any player can find by looking at a clock, and ―game time,‖ of which the DM should be aware, but of which the characters might only have a general idea. The DM could reply, ―Real time, it‘s 7:30. Game time, it‘s past noon, but you are not sure exactly.‖ Page 24

When the players remember the difference between themselves and their characters, everyone can have more fun in Role Playing. If a character has low Intelligence and Wisdom scores, for example, and then does something stupid, the player can honestly say ―I was playing my character,‖ and others should remember not to get mad at the player. Their characters may indeed get mad at the stupid character, but it is very important to remember that the player is a different person. This should not be used as an excuse for bad or selfish play. The DM should watch all the role playing closely to help everyone have the most fun. Since the object of the game is to have fun by playing roles, stupid or weak characters can be as much fun as smart, powerful ones - if the roles are played well. The Dungeon Master may say, at any time in the game, ―You don‘t know that!‖ or ―You wouldn‘t think of that.‖ Good players will learn to avoid this type of problem by keeping the character knowledge and player knowledge separate.

Awareness It's happened to everyone at one time or another: the party is facing off with the Villain just as he's about to sacrifice the Mayor's Daughter in his dark altar of doom, when suddenly, the ranger takes out his bow, and shoots the gigantic, wrought-iron, spiked chandelier above the villain sending it crashing down on the fiend...and the Mayor's daughter, killing both instantly. Your ranger's excuse? "She wasn't supposed to get hit." Before you throttle the ranger and shove d4's down his throat for another spectacular feat of sheer idiocy, consider what just happened there. Is the party leader just being stupid or annoying, or worse, both? As players, we often find ourselves operating in a semi-vacuum. We are ideally supposed to help each other out, but lack of communication, planning, and the need to show off sometimes blur the need to cooperate, and we find ourselves either doing something really stupid, or getting ourselves in deep trouble. Perhaps the issue at hand is awareness, which the ranger would do well to develop. Here are a few things that can help players increase their awareness and make sure that the party runs like the well-oiled machine that we would all like it to be.

Leadership Leadership is vital to any team. It does not necessarily have to fall on the shoulders of a single individual, but it is important that trust and loyalty are present with the people that lead. It is also important to note that Leaders do not hog the limelight. Leaders go out and do things, but they also inspire others to do things for them. Leadership is built on trust and that trust has to be earned and given. It is impossible for a leader to be good at everything. Instead, it is a true leader who knows when to delegate tasks better suited to someone else to that person rather than risk pulling the party down with his own ineptitude. For example, take a look at the X-Men. Cyclops or Storm might have different personalities but they are both innate leaders. Cyclops is more militaristic, expecting discipline. At the same time, he cares for his men, making sure that he's on top of the situation at all times. Storm is more level-headed, but inspires her team to do their best, calling upon their expertise in situations that she alone cannot handle. In both cases, their styles may differ, but it is unmistakable that they are both leaders.

Common Sense The other thing worth noting is common sense. In real life we are often aware of our surroundings because of the sheer amount of data that we process with our senses. In the game, however, we rely on the GM to feed us this information. For the most part, GMs do their best in trying to describe your surroundings, making sure that everyone is on the same page, so to speak. If there's something that isn't clear, ask. The GM won't take off experience points from you for asking him to describe something. Knowing the place can be of great help, for either using the environment to your advantage or for positioning tactics. Also, it can help you organize yourselves, planning for any possibilities as presented by the environs. The real reason for asking about the environment though, is because of the rule of action-reaction. If you do something, expect repercussions, effects and changes due to your actions. A few examples include if your canary dies in a mine shaft for no apparent reason under no circumstances should you cast a fireball. If innocents are in the way, don't bother to throw a supercharged attack that can level mountains. Remember that your characters are meant to be Page 25

people, and for most people (barring psychopaths) killing innocents with massive overkill attacks is considered a big no-no. My last bit of advice lies with the simple fact that since your character lives in a fictional world in our imaginations, NPCs that live there with him are every bit as real to your character, as he is to himself. Killing is never easy (unless it's necessary, which is a different thing altogether) and most people who have been responsible for the deaths of others (even enemies) don't really get to shake off the experience and walk away with a smile on their faces.

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How to be Indispensible The D&D game isn‘t competitive; the other players are on your side. Your characters are meant to complement one another, helping each other to survive in a dungeon environment. Together, you improve your characters, gaining experience points and accumulating treasure. Your Dungeon Master isn‘t supposed to play favorites. When the situation dictates that a character should shuffle off this mortal coil, she‘ll invariably close her eyes and impartially allow him to meet his doom, no matter what. Well, maybe not invariably. Here‘s a little secret: DMs hate to kill off characters. Character death slows the momentum of a session, as the deceased‘s comrades haul his carcass out of the dungeon, cart him through the trackless wilderness, and head to town to find a willing cleric to restore him to life. If the characters can‘t arrange for their expired partner‘s resurrection, you‘ve left your DM twiddling her thumbs while you create a new character. If the other PCs have already reached high levels, the DM must do one of two things, neither of which feels exactly right. Either she must spend several sessions contriving to keep your fragile new PC alive, or she must allow him to start the game as a high-level character with a bundle of unearned experience points. Now, your DM also knows she can‘t run a D&D campaign without the occasional, irrevocable demise of an established PC. Without this possibility, the dangers the party faces seem illusory. If she permits you to think that there‘s no risk involved in your PC‘s actions, the suspense drains out of the game. With it goes the sense of accomplishment that makes your XPs seem hard earned. So, even though it throws a session off-track, the wise DM knows enough to allow her dungeons, traps, and monsters to claim a PC every so often. It‘s for your own good, after all. Still, despite what we said about the game being nonWho do you Love? competitive, it would be nice if those necessary PC deaths mostly happened to other players‘ characters, wouldn‘t it? Whenever a PC is Imagine the following about to check into the graveyard hotel, you can be sure that the DM scenario from your DM‘s point of is asking herself two questions: ―Is there a plausible way for the view: Because she‘s been a mite character to survive without making it seem like I fudged?‖ and, ―If generous with her rulings of late, the so is it worth the bother?‖ players are getting cocky. She realizes In these moments, your DM is making a calculation about she has to shock the players back into her campaign‘s fun quotient. On one hand, by pulling a rabbit out of a sense of genuine danger. She gets her hat to save your bacon, she‘s risking the plausibility of her her chance when two characters campaign-and thus, the fun everybody has playing in it. If you want recklessly get into a raft on an her to decide in favor of your PC‘s continuing to draw breath, you‘d underground river with a fast-running better have laid in a little insurance beforehand. If you‘ve made your current. She knows there‘s a waterfall character an integral part of the campaign, the DM will be more at the end of that river. The PCs are likely to sacrifice a little suspension of disbelief to keep him around. going to be swept down the river and If your fellow players understand how important your PC is to the over the falls. Maybe she‘ll give one of campaign, they‘ll be more forgiving of the trick the DM uses to them a break, but not both. prevent him from dying. They‘ll be glad that your falling character found an opportune root to grab just before hitting the pit bottom, One of the PCs is a braggart, that the useless potion he swallowed several rooms back just a cheat, and a coward. He always happened to give him immunity to snake venom, or that a servitor of wants NPCs to take risks for his his deity was near enough to hear his prayers. character. He lies as a matter of course In other words, by seeing to it that your PC is much more and bullies ordinary people for the fun fun alive than dead, you‘re giving yourself a survival edge. It‘s an of it. The second PC, on the other edge worth more than the best magic armor or hardest-hitting hand, foIlows a code of honor. He weapons. What‘s more, it doesn‘t cost you gold or experience points. won‘t ask his followers to take risks he All you have to do is pay attention to the things your DM does to wouldn't himself. He‘s honest and make her campaign fun. The more your PC helps her do so, the friendly to alike. He‘s not perfect: longer his life expectancy. Here are twelve easy tips to make your PC Sometimes his grudge against the orcs indispensable to a campaign‘s fun quotient. makes him act reprehensibly. But overall, he‘s more like the hero of a Be Likeable TV show - that is, much more sympathetic than the first character. Although DMs are supposed to be impartial, they can‘t help If you were DM, which one would but like certain characters and dislike others-check out the example in you dice for? the sidebar. If you were watching the campaign unfold as a movie, Page 27

you‘d want the nasty charactert to meet his maker. In dramatic terms, he deserves ignominious death from a foolish accident. It feels wrong, on the other hand, for the Iikeable PC to die in such an impersonal, random way. Because it makes dramatic sense for the unsympathetic character to die, the other players aren‘t likely to complain much, either. The result will feel right to them, too. After all, they‘ve had to put up with his disagreeable antics first-hand. Your goal should be to create a likeable, heroic character whose death the DM and other players can accept only under the most noble and dramatic circumstances. Don‘t make him too perfect; an annoying goody-two-shoes is just as unlikeable as a conniving wretch. He might still die someday, and he won‘t be immune when your own dumb decisions get him in trouble—but he‘s much less likely than the average, selfish PC to succumb to fungi attacks, traps, diseases, and other less-than-glamorous means of meeting his maker.

Be Entertaining Sometimes being sympathetic is only part of the equation. If all of the PCs are similarly likeable, you must go further to distinguish yours as the stand-out of the lot. Do this by making him more interesting and entertaining than the others. Look at the classic heroes of adventure fiction to see what makes them appealing. Take a simple word or phrase as the basis for your character, and make it as powerful an idea as possible. Charming scoundrel, investigative genius, justice seeker, and gutsy explorer trigger stronger emotions than ordinary guy looking for treasure, handsome elf, or big guy with big axe. Keep a constant watch for actions your character can take to reinforce his core idea. If your character is a charming scoundrel, make sure he does something charmingly scandalous at least once per session. Increase your PC‘s entertainment value by giving him distinctive quirks. Give him a distinguishing visual feature for the DM and other players to picture. Your justice seeker might wear an insignia representing a fearsome animal, like a bat. Your investigative genius could smoke a big pipe. Provide your character with a memorable activity, like playing a fiddle or quoting poetry. Supply him with a catch-phrase or two. In short, do everything you can to imprint yourself on the minds of the DM and fellow players. Make yourself Captain Kirk; let the other PCs be the red-shirts.

Keep Things Moving This one is a little tricky, because it‘s something that you do as player rather than an innate trait of one of your PCs. Still, it‘s worth using, because it makes your DM grateful—and a grateful DM is never a bad person to have around. Nothing gives a DM an itchy dice-finger more than boredom. If your fellow players are prone to talk every possible move into the ground before doing anything, and you see your DM squirming in her chair or rolling her eyes because the session is going nowhere, come to the rescue. Make your PC the dynamic type who takes the initiative after a reasonable amount of discussion has taken place. When an argument starts going in circles, cut through it by forcefully proposing a plan of action. Dithering players want someone to take charge and assume responsibility. Your DM, happy that you‘ve got things moving, won‘t want to punish you for doing so. Even if, according to her dungeon key, the plan you decided on seems doomed, she might change her plans to make yours retroactively sensible. In this instance, you‘re making everyone‘s survival more likely, not just your own—not that there‘s anything wrong with that.

Don’t Fight Other PCs Nothing makes a DM grind her teeth like a poorly motivated battle to the death between player characters. We‘ve already mentioned what an unexpected PC death does to a DM‘s plans for a session. Fights between PCs are even more frustrating because the DM has no believable way of fudging to keep the combatants alive. If you lose your temper and fight another PC, you can count on an imminent dirt nap. If the opposing PC doesn‘t kill you, you can bet that his player will create a replacement to seek vengeance. If that doesn‘t happen, it‘s probably because the DM got to your PC first. She doesn‘t have to set out to kill the offending PC; she can wait and simply withhold the benefit of the doubt the next time he gets into fatal trouble. We‘ve already seen how unsympathetic PCs die sooner than sympathetic ones; you don‘t get more unsympathetic than murdering a comrade over a loot dispute or a casual insult.

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Stop Fights Between Other PCs Another way to keep the DH in a good mood is to act as the conciliator when disputes between PCs—or worse yet, between players—get ready to boil over into PC-on-PC violence. Work to give your character some special hold over the PCs so that he can reliably break up pointless fights. If he‘s a good fighter, he can threaten to finish off the victor, ensuring mutual destruction for both troublemakers. If he‘s rich, he might step in and offer compensation to the aggrieved PC. If your fellow players regularly have their PCs duke it out with one another, your spellcaster might reserve a hold or charm person spell ready to quell them. Find out what the other PCs most want, and figure out a way to offer it to them if they keep a lid on their conflict. Even if the DM doesn‘t show her gratitude by giving your PC a break when needed, you‘re still increasing the odds of his survival. When your party loses a crucial member or two to mindless squabbling, the survivors are more likely to get picked off by the monsters you were all supposed to be fighting in the first place. Who would have imagined my extensive knowledge of kobolds would prove so handy? Your DM seems to be steering your group toward an extended sojourn in a land populated by various tribes of kobolds. After a session or two, it becomes apparent that she‘s worked out detailed tribal politics between various kobold clans. To make your character extra-useful, fit your PC into the DM‘s plans by having him learn to speak the kobold tongue or by giving him the Knowledge (kobold society) skill. The rest of the PCs can now participate in the koboldoriented plotlines thanks to your expenditure of points. The DM‘s hard work on her pet project shows and she can use your PC to show it off. When your life is threatened, the DM should realize that she‘ll lose her plot device if the character loses his life. If not, you may wish to have your character cry out in kobold as the ogre inches him toward the edge the cliff.

Cultivate Off-Beat Skills While off-beat abilities might not seem to make the same contribution to your survival as good, old-fashioned fireball spells and fighting skills, they can actually be even more valuable than the old reliables. Try to guess where the DM‘s campaign is going, and what special skills, spells, or other abilities you‘ll need to prosper there. Give your PC unique abilities. Watch as the DM comes to depend on them to make the story work. She now has a stake in keeping your PC healthy. Skills and feats are the best tools for this strategy because they‘re nontransferable. If your PC has a ring that allows her and those near her to breathe underwater, your DM can safely introduce an underwater dungeon. Unfortunately, she doesn‘t necessarily need you to survive for the adventure to continue, because any other PC can pick up your ring when your character swims with the fishes. See the sidebar for another example of cultivating offbeat skills.

Form Bonds to a Community

DMs like to play particular characters on a regular basis, too. Their best way to do so is to create a home base for the PCs. They can then play the irascible inn-keeper, gossiping cobbler, love-struck fishmonger, and other members of an ever-expanding cast of supporting characters. However, PCs are notorious for their wanderlust and might at any time abandon the settlement where all of the DM‘s favorite NPCs dwell. Now she has to come up with a whole new cast of supporting characters to liven up the next town— which she can also lose touch with at any time. Make your PC the DM‘s best friend by giving him a tie to her favorite home base. Your PC could get married, buy a piece of land, invest in a business, or take a vow to protect the locals. This obligation keeps the PC—and the rest of the party along with him— around the settlement, giving the DM the chance to develop and refine her supporting cast. You‘ll get other benefits from this choice, too; if you establish yourself as a favored son of a community, its citizens will support you with food, shelter, and equipment when needed. They might even form a militia to help you fight threats to the town‘s safety. Your connection to the community enriches the campaign, making it seem more real and lending sympathy to the entire party. Your DM will notice that this beloved part of her game depends on your PC‘s involvement and that the party might, in the event of your character‘s demise, again resort to rootless wandering.

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Befriend an Important NPC DMs like characters who make connections to the important NPCs in their settings. It‘s easier to come up with story hooks for these PCs than it is for anti-social loners who avoid ties to others. Because your PC‘s relationship to an NPC makes it easier for the DM to get her stories started, she‘ll want to keep him around to take advantage of it. The type of NPC you might logically befriend depends on the class and demeanor of your PC. A roguish malcontent might bond with a bandit chieftain. A wizard could parlay a mutual interest in alchemical research into a friendship with the ancient, bearded spellcaster who lives in the tower outside town. The types of stories they‘ll set you on also varies according to the sort of NPC you befriend. The bandit chieftain knows about ripe targets for ambush; the spellcaster has information on hidden magic treasures.

Fight Boredom Some players like to tweak the DM by doing things that seem deliberately calculated to throw her off. They most often do this when bored or restless. Ideally, DMs should look for signs of player discontent and do things to head them off. Not all DMs, especially beginning ones, are good at this, and they are unable to sustain player interest all the time. Even the best DM can lose her player‘s full attention in the midst of a marathon session, when everybody‘s blood sugar gets low and the caffeine starts to wear off. A favored tactic of the bored, mischievous player is to attack and try to kill an NPC he senses is important to the DM‘s ongoing plot. He might just as easily destroy a critical artifact or start a pointless bar brawl to liven things up a bit. In any case, his actions force the DM to discard her prepared material for the session or else frantically dream up a way for her plot to continue. If one of your friends is known for this sort of thing, and you sense that he‘s getting bored, you can head him off by giving him something to do. Try convincing him to go out on a scouting mission, experiment with the weird object you found back in the last dungeon, or work on his parrying technique. Offer to go with him, so it doesn‘t seem obvious that you‘re herding him out of harm‘s way. Maybe the DM will pick up on your cue and give you a nice, distracting rabid bear to fight. Maybe not; if you do it with the proper subtlety, she might not notice at all. Your Friend, the High Sheriff Still, this tactic contributes to your survival, because you re much more likely to die stupidly when the DM is flustered and trying to get her Let‘s say that you set up story back on track than when she‘s dealing with player responses to shop in the village nearest to a situations she knows well. dungeon you plan to explore. On

Protect NPCs If you fail to spot the symptoms of boredom before they appear, you might find yourself dealing with an attack on an NPC whose survival is obviously critical to the DM‘s ongoing story. Even if it makes sense for the particular PC to try to dispatch the NPC, you know your DM won‘t be happy if he succeeds. When you see this kind of fight breaking out, step in. Using the same methods of persuasion given for Step 5, try to effect a reconciliation. Offer to fight as the NPC‘s champion in a duel of honor; the attacking PC can work out his grievance by wounding you a little instead of killing the NPC. If all else fails, join the fight on the NPC‘s side. If you‘ve earned the confidence of your fellow players, they ought to follow your lead. If nothing else, you‘ve delayed the fight long enough for the DM to work on a way to reduce tension between the PC and her NPC. However you solve the problem, you‘ll have earned her gratitude and kept the story on safer ground.

Antagonize a Villain If, over the course of a linked series of adventures, you realize that you‘re struggling against a grand, behind-the-scenes villain, make it personal. Swear vengeance on the miscreant! If your DM approves, Page 30

the way back from a bout of dungeon-delving, you encounter the high sheriff and her men. You haven‘t done anything illegal and have no reason to fear the authorities. Why has the DM put this encounter into the adventure? She might be actively giving you an opportunity to connect yourself to the wider world around the dungeon, or she might just be adding texture and detail to her setting. In either case, you should greet the sheriff and introduce yourself. Later you can stop by her manor for a courtesy call. Offer your services in the event of an emergency. Become her drinking buddy or her opponent at darts. The next time the DM wants to get the party started on an adventure, she can use the friendship you‘ve developed: The sheriff has heard that brigands are gathering in the woods, so she asks you to investigate.

invent a background history for your character that includes a prior grudge against him. Keep reminding the DM and other players of your vow of implacable vengeance. If you meet the bad guy in circumstances that prevent the two of you from going at it, take advantage of the chance to insult and belittle him. Make him swear eternal vengeance against you. Angering a powerful villain might seem like a backward way of ensuring your PC‘s survival. But think again: You‘re doing what screenwriters call ―laying pipe‖. You‘re setting up a dramatic possibility to be resolved later in the story. It will feel wrong if you and the villain don‘t finally end up in a climactic, toe-to-toe battle in the midst of a collapsing dungeon or on the lip of a seething volcano. Once you‘ve foreshadowed this ultimate confrontation, your DM will protect you as much as she believably can from the more boring hazards you‘ll face until then. Since endings in which evil triumphs over good are disappointing, you might even get a positive nudge or two when the big day finally comes.

Get Cursed The curse offers another unorthodox way of ensuring your survival. If you see an opportunity to call a terrible curse down on your head, and can do it in a way that makes sense for your character, you can lay pipe for an epic storyline in which you struggle to free yourself from its dread effects. Let‘s say that you find a door in a tomb complex, with ancient sigils warning of a curse against the one who breaks its seal. If you shrug your shoulders and say, ―Well, we could really use the treasure on the other side of that door,‖ your motivation doesn‘t seem especially epic. But if you come up with a noble, thrilling reason to risk the curse, you re setting up the kind of story most DMs won‘t be able to resist. You might deliver, for example, a stirring speech about the magic item you‘re hunting for, and how it will help you to depose the cruel tyrant who defiles your homeland‘s throne. In fact, you‘re setting up two stories: The battle against the bad king, using the magic item, and the struggle to free yourself from the curse. During the latter, you can scour libraries for secrets of the tomb, travel from city to city looking for faith healers to lift the curse, and generally give your DM lots of ways to motivate her future adventures. And, just as before, you‘ve set in motion a story that requires you to be alive and kicking at least until it wraps up. Getting cursed might just be the smartest thing you ever do.

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As a Character. Building & Playing a More Unique and Memorable Character In order to ensure a player is going to have a good time, the most important issue on his/her mind during character creation is "What kind of character should I play?" or "What type of character would I enjoy playing?" By answering the right questions and with a bit of planning and forethought, you can put together a PC who will move through the game believably and almost instinctively. Here's a bit of an outline on how to build from the bottom up, stepping into the shoes and following the footsteps of a PC character you'll enjoy playing either long or short term. I've used some improv techniques, and some theatre, writing, and storytelling tools to construct this outline. There is no specific order in which these should be used, but I have assembled them to make as much orderly sense as possible. Please feel free to pick and choose what you find usable...

Choices Before getting started, it's important to mention that character construction is made up of choices and that these choices should be wielded with imagination in order to create a unique and interesting character. Standard clichés or stereotypes can produce a tired, less interesting, and more predictable concept. So, make a few different or unusual choices. On the other hand, making many choices that are off-beat or unusual can make the character too busy or give it a contrived feeling (i.e. doing something for a game reason or effect instead of it just being part of the PC's personal history). Also, a character who is too different will tend to alienate NPCs or other PCs due to the difficulty in relating with them. Just a few uncommon selections should be enough for flavoring.

Build A Wish List Define the qualities in a character that would currently interest you. These may include a brief physical description, personality, activities performed, skills, or capabilities. Always try to avoid gamer or genre jargon. Words like magic, thief, bard, spell caster all will point you in a direction that may aim a bit too directly towards playing a specific character class.   

Check out some of these examples: I dabble in some mystical art or arts. I can be intimidating but use my attractive appearance and social skills to solve problems and overcome difficulties. I prefer to use intellect instead of muscle. I am mechanically inclined but like to flex my muscles every once in a while. My plain appearance is used to an advantage. I can fade into the woodwork or even a crowd. I can be youthful and brash, sometimes causing me to make impulsive mistakes. I take short cuts and look to gain advantage before committing openly to action. I am an extrovert and am more effective in achieving what I want with my mental and people skills due to my smallish size.

It is important to be as general with your description as possible to avoid pigeon-holing yourself into a specific class. The definition should be in first person (I, me) so that your PC becomes more personalized. The examples above would fit just about any known RPG system. That's the idea. Generalize. A good test for a wish list is to see if the PC type would make an effective multi-class character. It doesn't have to be, but it will help keep your options open.

General Appearance Page 32

You should include some, but not necessarily all, of the following:     

Height Build (light, medium, large, bulky, lanky) Race or skin color Hair (color, style length) Eyes (shape or color)

Don't include just character weight and height when describing build. In fact, try to avoid it. Use the body type or build instead, as it will tend to be at least, if not more, descriptive than numerical statistics. Try some of these instead:    

Tall-Light Athletic Short and Heavy-Set Small-Frail or Petite Waif or Waif-ish.

These are all examples of PC physical build descriptors. They tell you more about the character's physical appearance than plain height and weight statistics do.

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And in With the New I‘ve refereed for years, and I suppose consider myself fairly capable and also quite experienced. I‘ve no doubt been guilty of all the errors or failings I‘ve mentioned, hey, nobody‘s perfect. But, what I discovered years ago was that the way I was taught to referee is inherently flawed. I shouldn‘t sit there behind a screen telling players every single detail of their lives, it‘s their life, I‘ve only got a partial say in what happens! The quickest path to a successful game is a team effort, the players have to direct things as much as I, the referee direct them. Sure, I know what‘s happening on the world stage, or how NPCs react or what knowledge they hold, but each player must realise that they hold within themselves as much background and campaign ideas as I do. Its rude not to share. For every PC there is a character background. Such a background will take in at the very least NPCs (relatives, friends and mentors), a home district (whether a farm, village or a city) and a history (the character did have a life before now, and surely he didn‘t just milk the cows everyday). This is something the player can think about. Let your referee sit down and take it easy, make him a cup of tea, then think about this; Who are you? Where are you from? What has happened in your past, and your families? You don‘t need to go for epic stories of being an orphaned prince secreted away by monks, you just need to think about your roots, flesh it out. Even the most bland backgrounds can be the nest of the best campaigns, such campaigns can be the focus of your group or just a meandering but strong sub-plot that wanders through the main storyline of the campaign. Yes, your referee should be in the position to give a nod to your ideas and background, but if you are being realistic about things, and not going for gold then why should they complain. After all you‘ve just saved them some work. Some of you are sitting there thinking ―I‘ve already got a background for my Bodyguard. This guy‘s one picket short of a fence!‖ And hey, maybe I am. But have you got a well detailed background? Something that‘s usable, not just decoration, and most importantly how often does it come into play. I‘ve seen dozens of people detail page after page of background on their beloved characters, but I‘ve only ever seen two or three ever use it! Tell me, when was the last time your character visited his mother? Okay, so you‘re thinking about background. And don‘t stop with character background, think about where you grew up. Do you have an old relative back in the old village you send money to? Who taught you your skills? Is there perhaps some threat at home, some dark secret, a mysterious wood. Hell! Think about the very building you grew up, think about how it shaped you. That‘s your past, and once you‘ve detailed it (I‘m not talking about ten thousand words, a couple of hundred would do) you know who your character really is. This brings us to the present day, and your future... People don‘t just live, there‘s a point to it. Whether you‘re trying to feed your children, pay the mortgage or protect loved ones from orcan raiders it doesn‘t matter, all of these things translate into goals. The big questions is; What‘s yours? Maybe if your character grew up in a backwater enduring hardships and poverty he or she dreams of making a fortune and going for the soft life, perhaps they just want a pile of gold, a town house in the capital and then what fate brings. Such a goal may seem lofty, comfy and to some possibly even anti-climatic, but to someone who has spent their lives avoiding the pox, mucking out stables and being flogged by her betters, it sounds like a good deal. Sure your character is your alter ego and you want them to do exciting things in their world that you can‘t do in this one, but why forbid them a cushy retirement? Now, that‘s satisfaction. What other kinds of goals might be in the offing? Whatever you like (or more importantly, whatever you think your character would like). A mage might want to retire to a life of research in a secluded tower in the wilds, a priest might find the appeal of a quiet monastery suitable after years of preaching and travel, an elf might wish to return to his beloved woods, a dwarf to mountain holds. I‘m not suggesting players should just think of characters in terms of how they are planning on retiring, some may wish to achieve certain goals before ‗the easy life‘. One player might want to lead a government sponsored expedition to discover new lands, others may want to try their hands at trade or politics. Any goal of these magnitudes need player attention and interaction, they can‘t work with the referee pushing players down a linear and well defined path. Such consideration of what the future may hold, and what goals can be aimed for will give the character depth and more importantly direction. Such goals and the resultant drive of the players can only enhance the campaign, adding to its momentum. Page 34

Setting a goal can be a hard decision, working towards it can be very satisfying, achieving it can be wonderful. That‘s great, now your character has a background, goals, motivation and most likely a more full personality as a byproduct of these factors. The best byproduct of these things though is that you, without even noticing it have started driving the campaign. Your referee is no longer preparing an endless list of encounters and situations for you and your fellows to blunder through. Instead you are choosing the path you want to walk, and the referee is following, at times the path veers in unexpected directions. Like life sometimes there is a fork, and a choice must be made. This is a place of crossing storylines, a place where you and your referee will look at each other and smile, knowing that both storylines have now become one greater one. This adds depth to a campaign, and with the hooks of your character‘s past, present, background, the world and the referee‘s NPCs, campaign line, and subplots you will be getting snagged like a beast in a bramble.

A Team Effort If players are prepared to do just a fraction of the preparation work that they expect their referee to do, the campaign can be nothing short of busy and lively. If the group works to put all this together in a balanced way (with the players sub-plots and storylines acting as fillers or ‗local‘ background to the referee‘s campaign storyline) than it can be nothing more than a memorable and highly enjoyable game. The only point to remember here when mixing these differing backgrounds is that the balance of the overall (combined) storyline is the most important element. If a decision needs to be made on any contradiction or priority it is one that the referee is most likely to make (as they know the full campaign storyline). On most occasions such plots may meet and mix, but neither need be changed or chosen between as they will not contradict. Part of the team work is co-existence. The characters being played as designed, the referee‘s storylines unfolding as he has planned, and the players background plots, along with the sub-plots of the referee mixing into a pleasing whole. For this to work every player must get involved, developing background and ‗personal‘ plots as discussed above. If a player is going to do this, there is only one rule for them to follow; do it for the good of the group and game, not self gratification. What this is all about is sharing creation, and control. It is about playing on the same side, not against each other. A team effort.

Ownership Suddenly that dead, quiet campaign has faded away, it has been swamped by that busy, intricate new one. Not the referees adventure, but the group‘s. One in which the characters truly live, and one that the players have more control over. The characters now have a past, present, and most importantly their eyes on the future. A brand new day beckons. Let the games begin!

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Armor & Weapons Make the (Wo)Man The way a PC carries him/herself and the type of armor and weapons they choose will tell a little about the character (misdirecting is also effective). Not all fighter types wear chain or heavy metal armor (even if they aren't rangers or barbarians). Not all spell casters use a staff. Try some of the following ideas:       

Use understated weapons and armor (it will be less offensive/defensive but give you more options). Avoid making the long sword/short sword choices or weapons "straight off the rack". Have a punching bell attached to the hilt of your blade (or weapon). Choose a quick-draw feat, skill, or ability. Add carvings, ribbons and medallions to weaponry and armor. Personalize. Choose an interesting range weapon. Wear weapons that are never/seldom used, to misinform.

By choosing less armor you will most certainly lower your defensive capabilities, but movement and stealth will become more effective. Or maybe you'd rather go the other way and play stealth but accept the penalties for bulking up. By selecting 'off the rack' weapons and armor you are showing that you are just like everyone else. Dressing up weapons so they are unique may get potential opponents to reconsider or reevaluate if or how they approach you. Maybe you are left-handed or a two-handed fighter with weapons stowed not so visibly? A "quick draw" feat comes in handy here because you don't need to have a weapon ready or in your hand. Using ribbons, medallions, or "favors" on your armor or weapons shows that others (ladies, nobles, and political figures) hold you in regard. They might also serve well as a warning that your harm may cause some retribution. Carvings or 'runes' can be added for decoration or design, though it could lead others to believe differently (possibly a powerful enchantment). If all characters have ranged weapons, heavy hitters not able to reach the melee can still contribute. Those not normally waging direct combat can still be helpful if they're out of spells to cast or for other reasons.

Dress Purposefully Ask yourself how you want others to visually perceive (or not perceive) your PC.   

Are you dressed in worn old clothes but well groomed? Do you wear bright and shiny expensive armor? Are you dressed like a rogue but are actually a wizard?

How you dress reveals potentially valuable information to the public or to potential enemies that you'd rather keep secret. So, make use of your clothing to distract, confuse, and mislead.    

If you are wealthy, try dressing down. If you are poor, try dressing up. Dress like you are an amiable commoner rather than a killing machine. Add accessories to enhance your image (jewelry, hats, decorative daggers, buckles, scarves, etc).

Also, once you decide on your class, don't necessarily dress to the text book description or stereotype.

Personal History Does your PC's family, customs and society influence him/her to a small or large degree? A personal history will give a basis for the PC's existence.

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   

Is the family poor, rich or middle of the road? Does this affect the PC in anyway? Is the family large or small? How does this affect the PC? Injuries, training, relationships, a developed code of conduct?

The more detail the better. Constantly build on your character's history, both past and present. This is where the character becomes spontaneous and instinctive. The better you know him, the quicker his/her responses to situations will come to you.        

Poverty: embarrassed about humble family life. Wealthy: could be miserly or a big spender to show-off. Working Class: learned self-discipline and pride in craftsmanship. Only child: spoiled with too much attention or suffered from not enough. Small family: well balanced and close knit. Large family: self-sufficient from helping bring up siblings, or resentful. Large family: worried about inheritance.++ The PC is physically challenged.

++ If you were the oldest son during the middle ages and/or the Renaissance times you got everything. The only thing that a second or third son got from his father was his name and possibly a decent education or maybe a trade or skill).

Avoid the "NO" Choices When building and playing the PC, avoid making the "NO" choices. These are reasons or excuses for the PC not to act or participate in gaming activities or scenes. They are passive choices that make it difficult for everyone involved in game (including the GM) to keep things moving. Passive choices are actually not the problem...it's how passive they are. Holding an action/initiative or hiding out are passive actions, but they can be constructive in some situations. The following are some examples of passive "NO" choices:   

The PC is shy, easily embarrassed, and does not communicate well with the party or gaming group. The PC does not like, is uncomfortable with, or is very mistrusting of a particular PC or NPC in game. The PC has difficulty working with a team due to strong differences (religion, alignment, code, etc.).

"NO" choices can be playable but make the game more difficult. They can be measured by how many are caused difficulty by them:    

Personal effect only Affects one PC Affects all of the PCs Affects everyone within a hundred mile radius

There are solutions to these kinds of problems, but they tend to be only temporary or short term. A talented GM can overcome them, but your best bet is to avoid them all together.

Identify the PC's Personal Secrets Dredge through the PC's background and come up with some secrets that make sense.  

Married and has a family (secretive to protect them from many enemies). Has other identities (to protect him, or for undercover reasons). Page 37

   

You have a twin who died. You work secretly for a benefactor (who unpopular political stands). You have horrible scarring or injuries not readily apparent. You have a certain phobia(s) that you keep to yourself.

Your secrets can be simple and seemingly unimportant or very complex and as drastic as you wish. The key is to not share them with anyone in or out of game. Secrets are great because your GM can make them into interesting plots or subplots, which could add to your enjoyment of the campaign. Pose several of your ideas to the GM and if she/he is not into it, or chooses not to know, then you still have a great subtext to play with.

Subtext - No Means No! Right? Subtext has to do with the PC's reasoning. It's not what is said or done but what is truly thought or intended. Subtext is "reading between the lines." It's what motivates the PC and the individuals encountered by him/her. A lie is the simplest example of subtext. A more complex example is a PC who gets angry and sullen around children--the children feel the anger and fear the PC, not understanding that the PC lost his twin brother at a young age and still grieves and is not actually mad at them personally. The PC's actions are perceived one way while the truth is actually something completely different. Roleplaying subtext is important when gathering information, bargaining, bluffing, issuing veiled threats, or any activity involved when being tactful or having an ulterior motive. Here are some examples:       

A smuggler conceals how much he wants a ring he is bargaining for to avoid the seller boosting the price. A local trader puts on a front and stands up to a tax collector he greatly fears. An ambassador is polite and pleasant to a visiting noble he knows to be a spy. A nobleman smiles cheerfully and accepts the Queen's request to continue staying at his manor house estate even though there are 100 guests with her and it will cause him to go broke. The relationship between Han Solo and Leia behaving as if they don't like each other while all along they both share a mutual interest. A Vampire puts word out on the street that a feared Witch Hunter is in town, but fails to mention that the man/woman has been recently killed by him so that he may keep others busy and out of his business. A Net Runner/Hacker agrees to a job he wouldn't normally accept due to threats of retribution.

A character rife with subtext is interesting because he/she is not behaving in a way that the PC is actually thinking or feeling. They may behave contrary to their way of thinking, motivation, or ethics, due to outside forces. A PC lacking subtext will often end up being a cardboard cut-out (having little substance) and seem mechanical or robotic with a flat personality.

Play a Goal Goal playing is important because it is at the center of what the PC really wants, be it long term in life or only for the moment. The character's personal history should give some clues to long term goals, while his short term goals will change all the time (in some instances, several times a minute). The following are long term goals: 

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Adventure until having enough money to build a keep.

   

Travel to strange new lands, to open trade routes and make clients for the import company you work for. Become a Knight of the Realm. Start and run a fencing and fighting salle (school). Establish trust with a prison guard so that it can be taken advantage of as a means of escape.

Short Term Goals:     

Get a sword for a bargain price. Distract a mark so your partner can escape unnoticed. Chase down the fleeing bad guy on foot. Overpower the prison guard and make your escape. Hide or conceal oneself to avoid capture.

Short Term Goals are most frequently used in games. It's a great tool to use when you are unsure what action to take. It will, at the least, give you a handle on the PC's motivation.

Ask Why? This to me is one of the most important things in PC work. "Why?" is an open-ended question. For those of us who have or have had little brothers or sisters growing up, the number one question was WHY? And of course when that was answered, there was a follow up question: WHY? That's why it's open-ended. :) Ask this question about as many issues and choices about the PC you can come up with. It's like the Internet -- you'll never reach the end of it.       

The PC chose to be a competitive archer-WHY? The PC became a thief or a lock picker-WHY? Selfish - WHY? Thrifty - WHY? Won't eat meat - WHY? Gambles non-stop - WHY? Always cracking jokes - WHY?

You've always heard of the Who, Where, Why, What & How. Why? is the most effective. We can always ask why something is the way it is. And that will, of course, lead to another why?

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Clothes Make the Woman This is a partly serious, partly tongue-in-cheek discussion on how to dress to avoid hypothermia, scratches, sore feet and sunburn, mainly to inform male players and referees of what we female players already know... Bambi tottered down the track, balancing perilously on the loose stones which crunched under foot. Her thigh-length, patent leather boots glistened in the midday sun. Long golden tresses bounced, along with everything else Bambi had on display, as she tried to keep up with the rest of the party. "It's cold," she whispered as she tried to rub away her goose bumps. “Shhh, I think l can hear orcs up ahead." Bambi reached for her sword but she wasn‟t wearing one; there simply wasn't anywhere to carry it without a belt around her bare midriff, besides, it would have dashed with her boots. "Oops," she whispered under her breath. Why is it that most women depicted in fantasy art, particularly on the cover of roleplaying products, are wearing so little clothing? Why are these women shown with enormous double-D sized breasts and wearing stilettos in an environment of peril where they are certain to suffer harm as a result of their inappropriate dress? The answer to this question that bewilders us women is, because most are drawn by men and are the embodiments of male FANTASY. Well, that‘s fair enough. You can‘t police someone‘s fantasies. Big Sister, I ain‘t. But I do find it quite silly that a female adventuring character should be shown drawn in this fashion. Take, for example, the female fighter who is the most common object of these misrepresentations. She‘s shown with big boobs, very long flowing hair, a skimpy (if any) breast plate, a translucent piece of flimsy material protecting her modesty, wearing ridiculously high heels on thigh high leather boots, and enough makeup to embarrass a transvestite. Not only is this very poor dress sense, it is also uncomfortable to wear, and extremely foolhardy on the part of the female character expecting to go adventuring attired this way. And where do the weapons go? This outlandish get-up is best left to Madam Lash, or the local harlot. Revolting! So what is wrong with this gear? First lets look at the ‗protective‘ clothing - the bikini breast plate. This is akin to a metal version of the bustier which can be uncomfortable enough without its being made of tempered steel. Imagine the chaffing and the effect that a Heat Metal spell would achieve. All characters wearing metal armour, male or female, would wear it over a padded hauberk of some kind (cloth or leather). It simply is too painful to bear otherwise. And what about the size of these supposed accoutrements? The type of ‗saucer-shaped‘ breast plates for women favoured by fantasy artists leaves very little room for movement and are almost impossible to swing a sword in without having the obligatory double-D breasts pop out for all and sundry to ogle at... and remember the whole purpose of armour is to protect these vulnerable areas. Unless the strategy is to distract the bad guys while the rest of the party deliver the killing blows, forget skimpy armour and get something more effective. Next item, the translucent dignity preserver with fine metal chain ties. Well, if it was me, I wouldn‘t want to be adventuring anywhere outside a temperate climate. Hypothermia would not take long to set in. Frost-bite, besides being extremely painful and life-threatening, is very unattractive. A warm climate wouldn‘t be much better, the metal chains would soon warm up and burn, and the amount of flesh left exposed by this garment would leave a woman lobster-red from sunburn before too long. And those chains may look sturdy, Page 40

but attached to cloth, they count for nothing. One good tug and the whole thing would disintegrate; even professional strippers wear a double row of dental floss for added strength and wouldn‘t trust to such a flimsy attachment - and they‘re not adventuring over rough terrain or fighting rabid orcs in their outfits (well, not usually!). Now to the stiletto-heeled, thigh high boots. They may look impressive to the fevered male imagination, and could prove useful as impromptu daggers, but practical adventuring wear they definitely are not. They are a chiropodist‘s nightmare, forcing all of a women‘s weight onto the ball of the foot, making it difficult to balance properly or even to walk for any length of time. Mountain climbing is out of the question, descending uneven steps into a dungeon improbable, and running away from a monster breathing down your neck, impossible. And the long, flowing, golden tresses? I myself have long hair and do like it. As far as fashion goes, a lot can be done with long hair and short hair needs constant cutting to maintain the look. But long hair, left unfettered, has the irritating habit of getting in your way. Wind will catch it in the nearest tree, bush, or hook on a dungeon wall. If it‘s not kept clean (a difficult proposition when you are adventuring away from the creature comforts of civilisation for extended periods) things start to grow in it; in fantasy worlds some of these things can be very hazardous to your health. Orcs can catch you by it and pull, quickly achieving maximum pain levels. Female characters are advised to wear their hair up; plaits are usually the most efficient way. Or simply cut it. So how do we fix this adventurer‘s fashion nightmare? Let‘s get constructive and take a look at how a sensible fantasy female warrior really would dress. There are three main areas to consider when dressing for adventure; comfort, cover/protection and individuality. Comfort really depends on where you are adventuring. The climate and terrain is one of the first things I try to discover from the referee. As you know, he or she doesn‘t always have to tell you, so be prepared for any environment. If you are going to be travelling in hot, desert conditions, there is no point trying to show off a svelte outline. Figure hugging clothes are too hot and restrictive. Wear loose, light coloured clothing that covers everything and don‘t forget to wear a wide-brimmed hat. If it‘s colder climes that you will be bashing through, rug up. Soft leather is warm and relatively easy to move in. Gloves will help prevent numbing hands - important if you are a thief character expected to disarm traps and unlock doors. In all weathers, forget the stilettos. Soft, flat-sole boots allow for long hours of trudging to the next encounter and will cause less blisters. Adventuring is a dangerous business. It is what makes it exciting and fun to do. But don‘t make it too dangerous. Protect yourself. Travelling through forests or over jagged rocks you‘ll want sturdy pants and a jerkin to avoid painful snags and tears without overly restricting movement. Again, a soft leather or heavy wool is usually the best material, as thinner materials (especially all those that give that translucent effect beloved of fantasy artists) have a mind of their own and will float with the slightest breeze, catch and tear easily and leave the adventurer with torn skin. Any female adventurer who engages in combat will need maximum protection. I once saw a comic strip of a female in an arrow peppered chainmail bikini, with not a scratch on her. The caption read‖ ―Lucky I was wearing my armour.‖ Sorry guys and gals, referees don‘t play that way. Well, not the ones I know. Look at the history books available in any library or gaming store; fighters wore full plate, chainmail, or leather from neck to knee, and they didn‘t forget head protection. Wear a helmet, even if it does obscure your face and hair - what good is it to protect your body and leave the most vital part exposed? One good hit on the head and you‘re either unconscious or dead. Dress has always been a form of code, allowing those that look at you to know your caste or station, even your trade. Everyone wears some sort of uniform, or standard dress that serves as a visual signal to others who and what you are. To this you want to add a touch of individuality. It is true, for some women clothes mean a lot. Other women really couldn‘t give a damn. This, however, should be always a matter of individual choice, and not a degrading stereotype forced on women by the fantasies of men. If your character is well off, you‘ll probably buy good garments made from quality materials with plenty of adornments. Full plate armour is within the financial reach of any moderately successful adventurer. If you‘re just starting out, or are in any way impoverished, seconds or patched gear will have to do. Sometimes you‘ll want to give the impression that you‘re from a different background, or class. All this can be achieved by selective purchases and a bit of imagination. So, as a general rule, remember the following. A lot of adventuring involves long treks through orcPage 41

infested mountains covered in dark, overgrown forest, or across open plains in searing heat. Imagine all the damage that could be done to naked flesh. Ouch! Get real, get protection, get dressed. Liz edged silently down the track, her soft boots carefully searching out stable footholds. She stopped and listened carefully. Something moved up ahead. Turning to the ,following party, she raised a gloved finger to her lips then pointed ahead. The rest of the adventurers nodded, and moved quietly off the track. Liz melted into the nearby tree line, her dappled clothing merging with the foliage. She reached for her sword, and slowly drew it from the welloiled scabbard, hefting it easily in one hand. She smiled and waited.

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Adventuring Rules Here are some additional details you will need at some point during your adventures.

Using Your Equipment ways:

Some of the standard equipment may be new to you. The following items can be used in various handy

Iron spikes and Hammer: These can be used to wedge doors open, provide grips for climbing, pry things loose, and so forth. Mirror: Some creatures can turn you to stone with their gaze. If you use a mirror to look around corners, examine empty rooms, and so forth, you might avoid a nasty surprise. Rations and Wineskin: Your character's food and drink. Standard rations may become moldy and unusable if you stay in a dungeon overnight, so carry Iron (preserved) rations when-ever possible. Standard rations are fine for long trips overland. Rope: This can be tied to an iron spike and used to climb up steep walls. It may also be useful in tying up captured prisoners, pulling doors, open, etc. Wooden Pole: A character in front of a party may sometimes avoid being surprised if a pole is used to tap on the floor ahead, poke into corners, touch suspicious-looking items, etc.

Listening You should always listen carefully while you are exploring a dungeon; you may hear noises that give clues about what lies ahead. To hear anything, all the characters must stop moving and be very quiet. Armor and weapons clank and rattle when you move, spoiling your attempts at listening. To listen for noise, simply tell the DM that you are doing so. The DM will roll to see if you hear anything. Rogues have better chances than other characters. Undead creatures, like skeletons and ghouls, make no noise at all.

Light Most dungeons are dark. Be sure to bring a tinderbox, which contains wood shavings, flint rocks, and a small piece of steel. (No matches or lighters in this medieval world!) You will also need something to light with your tinderbox. A torch is cheapest, and will burn for 1 hour. It cannot easily be ―turned off.‖ A lantern is more expensive and uses oil. One flask of oil will burn for 6 hours in a lantern. The lantern must then be refilled, using another flask of oil. A lantern has shutters, which can be closed for temporary darkness, if desired. A torch shines 20‘ and a lantern 30‘ in all directions. If you are carrying a light source (a torch or lantern), other creatures will probably see the light as you approach, and will not be surprised. Remember that you only have two hands. If you are carrying a light source in one hand, then the other hand may hold a weapon or a shield - but not both. Dwarves and half-orcs have darkvision, a special ability which enables them to see 60‘ in the dark. This means that they can move and fight without light. However, this vision is in black and white only, making reading difficult.

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Before You Open That Door… Transcript of a Lecture from Malerith Ikandron, Summoner Extraordinaire. Recorded at the University of Arcane Arts, Haveloc, by Skree the Accurate So, you want to go dungeoneering? Let me tell you, my friends, it isn‘t as easy as it looks. A lot of adventurers seek easy gold and quick rewards by investigating the lower realms of the world - hunting creatures in their dens, looking for lost relics in labyrinthine corridors of some forgotten temple. There‘s money to be made that way, but only if you‘re clever. After all, if it was easy, someone else would already have found the gold! First of all, take a moment to consider why you would seriously consider exploring a dungeon. Many of the ancient relics buried in such places were deliberately taken out of the hands of mortals — are you sure you want to undo what someone else has tried so hard to prevent? Assuming that your cause is more noble than thievery, you should spend at least a short amount of time thinking about the sun, your food, and your mother. If you wander off into one of these dungeons, you might find yourself without any of those for a long time. And while you can live without your mother, a few days without any food is going to start hitting where it hurts. Still, dungeons are to adventurers what an expensive tournament horse is to a noble knight: a method of gaining prestige and acclaim, a way to make money when the times are lean, and most of all, a really fun ride. If you‘re bound and determined to follow your nose into the ground, here are a few tips to help you find your way back out alive. Dungeons come in three main types: the cavern, the labyrinth, and the constructed. A cavern dungeon is not formed by the hand of an intelligent being, but is a series of naturally occurring, interconnected caves. Although the cavern dungeon can have stationary traps (Particularly if you are dealing with intelligent residents), the traps are a secondary procedure, built into the walls of an underground fissure that was created by natural causes. These dungeons are most often inhabited by wandering creatures seeking haven, or by primitive societies who do not seek to create their own villages or habitations. A labyrinth is a planned trap-gauntlet, designed and ornamented with some of the most dangerous perils known to man. It has specifically been tailored to keep you out — or worse, to keep something else in. Nothing truly lives here — they‘d all die from the traps! Typically, these dungeons are populated by golems, gargoyles, and undead, creatures which do not need sustenance, and rarely need to move from their designated location. Any creatures who wander about are typically confined by the dungeon to trek through only specific locations, so as not to run afoul of the traps that are supposed to be killing you, the intruder. The third type of dungeon is commonly called the ―constructed design.‖ A constructed dungeon refers to a location where the dungeon was not originally created to be such. However, after centuries of disuse (or a sudden violent ruin), the lovely castle that was once a pleasant living space has now become the residence for a much nastier breed of squatter. Most of these dungeons are only ―trapped‖ by their own state of ruin and disuse —pits are common, as are the dangers of crumbling masonry and the occasional enchanted ward placed by whoever cursed the castle to fall into ruin. Again, you can find nastier traps in the more ‗inhabited‘ areas of such a dungeon, particularly because necromancers and other infernalists are particularly fond of such ruined keeps. Let‘s assume you‘ve found your dungeon of the day, and decided to head inside. Before you tack the pitons to the wall and give your rope a good heave-ho, let‘s check the contents of your backpack. Are you really ready for this trip? I won‘t mention the massive amounts of food and water you should be carrying — if you haven‘t figured that part out, you‘re already done for. Don‘t eat or drink anything you find in a dungeon. Ever. Even if it looks innocent enough, unless you have a cleric to purify it, you‘d better just stay away. Now, on to the rest of your backpack. First, and most importantly, you‘d better be carrying a rope (at least 50‘ and don‘t scrimp on quality!) and a good iron grappling hook. Ropes are good for a hundred different things, from tying up the gold at the end of the maze, to stretching across pits or lowering yourself down to another level of the dungeon. Expect to be climbing, especially in constructed or cavern dungeons, where the walls and floors are often unstable, and the area of the dungeon may extend many levels below ground. Secondly, pitons. A piton is a railroad-spike made of iron or steel, solid and capable of bearing a lot of weight or taking a lot of abuse. As I mentioned, most dungeons have traps. Sliding doors, rolling balls of stone and other moving widgets can be blocked by a simple iron piton, shoved in just the right place. Need a door braced open? Use a piton. Want to prevent that hole in the wall from shooting darts at you? Jam a piton into the opening. Page 44

Another good staple is a bow or crossbow You say you don‘t use ranged weapons? Think again. A lot of the creatures you will encounter in a dungeon (particularly in a cavern) will know the area a hundred times better than you. Please, don‘t chase them. If you are going to chase them, just do us all a favor and fall on your own sword. You‘re going to need ranged weapons, or you‘re going to end up harassed and eventually killed by creatures that are capable of staying 50‘ feet away from you... just around the next curve. Light sources are another staple. Even if you are a dwarf or elf, and you think you don‘t need a lantern or torch to see, the ability to create fire can save your life in more ways than one. Cold is a common bane of deep-ground dungeons, and many monsters who choose to reside in caverns can only be harmed by fire — so bring it along. Lastly, fire is a good way to tell if your air source is limited or contaminated. If the torch flickers, the air may be getting thin, or the room you are entering may have been sealed for a long time. Let it air out, or you‘ll find yourself face down on the floor from asphyxiation. If the torch flame turns bluish, there‘s natural gas in the area. Put out the torch, and get away from the area. Fast. If there‘s an explosion, you won‘t be coming back up again. Speaking of fire, a good way to tell if primitive cultures are using these passages for transportation is to take a close look at the ceiling. Unless the creatures have complete vision in the darkness (and few do), there will be tell-tale ash and soot marks on the ceiling, and stains where passing light sources have left smoke marks and other signs of passage. Remember that creatures with no real vision in the darkness make their way through hearing and smell. Don‘t cook food or start large fires, or they‘ll be able to track you later by the smell that clings to your clothing and gear. Be cautious when your party is speaking to one another, and don‘t yell down the corridors. Then again, carry a whistle. Creatures that track through sound can be easily ―blinded‖ by a loud shrieking noise. Be sure to carry paper, pen, ink, chalk and a little iron box to keep it in. Be ready to be dunked in water, from head to toe, and don‘t let your maps dissolve just because you didn‘t protect them. Mapping will save your life. There‘s a little trick in labyrinth dungeons that you might not know If you ever get lost, just put your hand against the left wall, and start walking. Eventually, you‘ll cover every spot in the maze, and you‘ll find your way back out. The only way this doesn‘t work is if your maze has an isolated area where the walls make a circle. In that case, you‘ll end up back where you started — be sure to use the chalk to mark the wall where you began, and you‘ll know when you get back around. If that happens, do it again, and this time follow your right hand wall. The trick still works. A lot of the items that should fill out your dungeoneering equipment list seem obvious to the initiated. A pick or shovel is a good idea to have with you, especially for getting into rooms that have been sealed by landslides, natural wreckage, or an unforeseen trap that has sealed you into a room. Crampons — slippers that strap onto the bottom of your shoe and have spikes to hold onto slippery surfaces - are often useful when the dungeon has watery areas, or areas with high growth of moss or mold. Thick bandages, the type you can wet and wrap around your face when you travel through moldy areas is also a good idea — some of those molds are more than they appear! Crowbars are also a good idea, as are bags (to carry the treasure), lard (to ease passage through tight corridors and as insulation against very cold water), and a pulley Also, remember that your water bladder, when empty, has the capacity to hold air, so that you can swim through flooded tunnels with more safety, and a greater amount of breathing room. If the dungeon has water, be sure to note the current flow and mark that on your map. Often, rooms that are inaccessible through passages can be entered with a little swimming or raft use. Take a look at the fish, as well — if they are pale white, and seem blind, you can be sure the river doesn‘t reach the surface anywhere nearby. However, if the fish are colored normally and have working eyes, the river exits into the sunny lands above at some point near you. Keep that in mind if you need to make a hasty escape from the dungeon. One unusual item that is often carried into a dungeon is a small cage, with three or four white mice and enough food and water to keep them alive. These small rodents can be invaluable in springing traps that lie ahead — as living beings, and as objects in motion, they often trigger traps that are otherwise invisible to the naked eye (such as magical wards and protections). Dealing with traps is often more difficult than dealing with monsters, and must be considered as a separate issue from all other dangers of dungeoneenng. To successfully navigate a labyrinth, you must have more than a strong swordarm — you must have a keen mind, and an ability to understand logic. Traps in a dungeon don‘t work by magic (most of the time). They obey common laws of science: gravity tension, and balance. When you discover a trap, take the time to understand why it works as it does, and then you will have a better means of understanding its creator and any other traps he engineered. In the end, your best defense against any dungeon is research. Although research tends to be most useful when dealing with a labyrinth, it has advantages even in the most natural cavern setting. There are

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certain questions that any good adventurer must ask before stepping into any dungeon. Take the time to investigate them — your preliminary studies may just save your life.

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…Know What’s Behind It AN ESSAY FOR KNOWLEDGEABLE PLAYERS You‘re sitting at the table on a Friday night, watching as your eager Dungeon Master pulls out sheaf after sheaf of maps detailing his newest dungeon. Traps, monsters, magical wards and ancient artifacts await you... if you can only find a way for your character to survive. The key to survival can be summed up in three words: Take Your Time. With most dungeon adventures, there is little pressure to speed through the area. This is an important advantage, and one that most players don‘t use to their advantage often enough. The Dungeon Master has the easy part: design the traps, tricks and creatures. Now you have to unravel every possibility and select which one is accurate. Does the trap lead to a pit? Spikes out of the walls? Magical wards? Any of them could be lethal. Determining which of them is about to kill your character and then avoiding that trap is your number one task as the player of a dungeoneer. Normal game play involves plots, plans, and role-playing — but within a dungeon, the primary roleplay is actually roll-play The dice are your ally - and your enemy. A bad roll can be a death sentence, no matter how carefully engineered your plan. Before you go into any dungeon, you should be ready with your next character concept. You may need it. If you intend to go in and keep your character alive, take some time to use simple logic on the many traps and tricks your DM has designed for you. Every dungeon has a purpose, whether it is the lair of an entire subterranean orc or drow city or the lost ruins of an ancient city now fallen to ruin and decay The creator of the dungeon has put a lot of time into the planning, preparation, and logical design of the area. With a little work, you may be able to re-trace his steps, and figure out the traps before they strike. First, look at the dungeon as a role-player. Why is your character willing to risk his life, and spend several months underground, just to investigate this dungeon? Is it a matter of pride? Greed? Does some greater goal impel you to enter the darkness below ground? Have you exhausted every other option? For some races, such as dwarves, a trip beneath the surface of the world is just another day as an adventurer. For some, however, such as elves, it is a matter of giving up everything that you are used to - the open sky, the wind, and all of nature. Your character‘s attitude toward the dungeon should be a mixture of their past, their nature, and their knowledge and need to enter this dungeon. Some players enjoy dungeon crawls so much that they design characters who spend most of their lives going on such adventures. These characters certainly would exist in any world where dungeons are common, but creating the concept and fleshing it out can be difficult. A dwarf or gnome would be the most common ―freelance dungeoneer,‖ as their abilities beneath ground, and their racial heritage provide good reason for such a career. Plan carefully, and don‘t forget to take into account that the rest of your party will almost certainly not be as capable as you are. Remember to plan for their survival, as well as your own, and you will have the allies you need for your next great crawl through the earth. Once you‘ve decided to go, role-playing can still prove a valuable aid in negotiating a dungeon‘s many challenges. One established practice in dungeon crawling is the time-honored tradition of exposition: an actor‘s ability to explain to another character exactly what he is doing, thus increasing the chance that the idea is effective. In many cases, a Dungeon Master doesn‘t understand exactly what a player is trying to discover, and if they are told how the ―plan‖ works, they may be more lenient when allowing for its success. For example, a player character marks the ground with a spiral of chalk. He then turns to another character, and states that the spiral is a sacred design to the orc cultures here (he has often dealt with them, in-character), and that if they see it, they will assume it is the mark of a shaman and not an intruder. This allows not only for genuine role-playing and use of character knowledge, but also to let the Dungeon Master understand how to have his NPCs react. When you are faced with a dungeon, be sure to think logically. It is the most effective way to survive, and a good way to look at each challenge as a distinct puzzle to be solved. Of course, as players, you can be fairly certain that there is a way through almost any trap — this is an adventure, after all. Even the harshest Dungeon Master realizes that the fun of the game is in outwitting your opponents, be they animate or inanimate. Map, map, map. Mapping out a dungeon is imperative. It can both help you find your way in (and out), and it can show you where missed passages or secret chambers can be found. Mark each trap you encounter, as well as how to get past them. Keep a watchful eye for open spaces in between chambers, and be sure to track the course of water flows between rooms. Note any entrances to the dungeon that you find along the way - they may be closer to you, if you should suddenly need to find a hasty exit. Page 47

Most importantly, keep a good sense of humor. Dungeoneering is a dangerous sport, and has a high death ratio. You may encounter traps that deal enough damage to kill your character outright, or you may make a fatal error in your plans, and find your character dead because of starvation or exposure. Any player who goes into a dungeon is essentially going to his Dungeon Master and announcing, ―I bet I‘m smarter than you are, and I can figure out all the puzzles that you can think to throw at me.‖ Remember that your Dungeon Master (or the module designer) had weeks to design this dungeon — and you‘re going to try to solve it in one night. Good luck.

Can you just go around it? Parties often forget this option, and it is an important one. Most dungeons have numerous corridors, thin walls, and other entrances. If you are faced with a trap or a creature that you feel your party has no ability to conquer, try to find a way around it. For example, lots of wizards will magically lock a door, place firetraps, and elaborately rig the lock with poison needles and similar; however, as long as the hinges of the door are on your side, these measures will prove ineffective. Just remove the hinges, and the door will slide open. By thinking ―outside the box‖ in such a manner, you can cleverly avoid numerous dangers. One enterprising dungeoneering party was hired to walk through a pyramid and bring out the treasure within. Realizing that the only entrance to the pyramid was through a lower door, and that the treasure room was at the top of the pyramid, the party simply climbed the outside of the dungeon. Once at the top, the wizard began to cast Dig spells on the pyramid‘s point until they had reached the treasure room — avoiding the dungeon entirely.

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All Sense and No Brains Now we‘re faced with one of the commonest questions about clerics and druids: How do you role-play a character who has a high Wisdom score and a low Intelligence score? How do you play all sense and no brains within a D&D game campaign? Intelligence deals more with reasoning power, calculating ability, and memory retention. Wisdom deals with common sense, understanding of human nature, and judgment. So when you‘re role-playing a character with a low Intelligence and a high Wisdom, try to break down the situations they face into the elements which the character‘s Intelligence and Wisdom would analyze. Example: The characters have come to a rickety bridge which spans a gorge. They need to cross the gorge, but the bridge looks dangerous. Should they cross? The character‟s Intelligence will evaluate the bridge‟s chances of holding up while they cross over. The character will look at the state of the wood, ropes, nails, how much and where it sags, where it‟s rotted through, and so on, and then will try to calculate the answer to this question: Will the bridge hold up if the characters cross over? If the character thinks it will, then his reply regardless of the group‟s current situation and time available, is Yes: They should cross. If the character thinks it won't, then his reply will be No: They shouldn't. The character‟s Wisdom will compare the risk to their need and situation. The risk is that the bridge will collapse and kill someone, perhaps a party member dear to everyone. What is their current situation? If the party has little time and is being pursued by a superior enemy force, then the risk is necessary more or less regardless of what the Intelligence thinks of the bridge‟s chances; the character will say Yes, they must try to cross now. If the party has a good deal of time, then the risk is not necessary; regardless of how safe the Intelligence thinks the bridge is, Wisdom says not to risk it. A human life is not worth it. This is the kind of decision-making process the character can undertake if he wishes to role-play a highWisdom, low-Intelligence character in a campaign... and obviously it can lead to great arguments between them and their high-Intelligence, low-Wisdom counterparts.

Intelligence, Wisdom and Charisma You can use your character‘s Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma scores to guide you in roleplaying your character. Here are some guidelines (just guidelines) about what these scores can mean. A smart character is curious, knowledgeable, and prone to using big words. A character with a high Intelligence but low Wisdom may be smart but absent-minded, or knowledgeable but lacking in common sense. A character with a high Intelligence but a low Charisma may be a know-it-all or a reclusive scholar. The smart character lacking in both Wisdom and Charisma is usually putting her foot in her mouth. A character with a low Intelligence mispronounces and misuses words, has trouble following directions, or fails to get the joke. A character with a high Wisdom score may be sensible, serene, ―in tune,‖ alert, or centered. A character with a high Wisdom but a low Intelligence may be aware, but simple. A character with a high Wisdom but a low Charisma knows enough to speak carefully and may become an advisor or ―power behind the throne‖ rather than a leader. A character with a low Wisdom score may be rash, imprudent, irresponsible, or ―out of it‖. A character with a high Charisma may be attractive, striking, personable, and confident. A character with a high Charisma but a low Intelligence can usually pass herself off as knowledgeable, until she meets a true expert. A charismatic character with a low Wisdom may be popular, but she doesn‘t know who her real friends are. A character with a low Charisma may be reserved, gruff, rude, fawning, or simply nondescript.

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How to use Strength A character with a low Strength lacks muscle mass. He receives penalties to hit in melee combat and penalties to damage with most weapons. He can‘t climb well, lift much weight, or exert much force. While this might mean a character without athletic training, there are other options. Weight factors into Strength - the larger you are, the greater your potential; For moderately low scores (6 to 8) you might be large without muscle tone: you can throw that weight around, but you are weak for your size. For lower scores, you might be emaciated: an apparition with sunken cheeks and fleshless limbs. Age is another explanation. A low-Strength character could be old and frail which works well for spellcasters, as age gives the appearance of experience and knowledge. Perhaps the character is particularly young. Playing a youngster has its advantages: adults ignore or underestimate children, and a child could be more flexible and easily hidden, but you should avoid life skills such as Knowledge, Profession, or Craft. Regardless, experience translates into maturity, and with maturity could come Strength. You might have personality quirks centered around your meager muscles. Since you can‘t participate in physical labor, you might see yourself as above it, assuming every powerful frame holds a weak mind. You might take a ―those who can‘t do, teach‖ attitude and direct the labor of others, or you might be envious of or deferential to those stronger than yourself. Even this most physical of abilities offers plenty of opportunities for roleplaying.

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Same Skills, New Uses (D&D3rd) “You underestimate me because I do not encase myself in metal. I have no need for it; I possess skills you can never comprehend.” - Ember Skills play a vital role in the success of your character‘s adventures and exploits. Without them, you would be unable to accomplish a variety of tasks from the simple (spotting a boat on the ocean horizon) to the crucial (climbing a dungeon wall to escape a rampaging owlbear). We designed the skill system, however, so you can use almost any skill in more than just one way, in ways beyond the obvious application. Some suggestions follow for getting more out of the skills in the Player‘s Handbook. Below are some examples of how existing skills can be of special use to clerics and paladins. 

   

Heal involves familiarity with anatomy and physiology This skill can be applied to forensic matters, such as determining how long a body has been dead or ascertaining the general cause of death. Some DMs may allow a check against a high DC to determine detailed information about the cause of death, such as from examining a stab wound to determine the height of the attacker. Knowledge (the planes) includes information about infernal beings such as devils, demons, and lower- planar critters, as well as divine beings such as celestials, archons, and denizens of higher planes. Knowledge (religion) is the appropriate skill for knowing about lost religions that were practiced by extinct races or cultures. It also covers current religions practiced by monstrous clerics. Knowledge (undead) involves special familiarity with the nature and tactics of undead creatures. Knowledge (war/tactics) includes the topics of siege engines, sapping, siege tactics and strategy

Bluff (Cha) Normal Use: Sometimes you need to persuade someone that your unlikely or even improbable statements are true and that you can be trusted. This can be helpful in numerous situations, and not merely when you need to fence those magic items that you liberated from the mad wizard‘s tower. New Use: Seduction. You can use Bluff to convince members of the opposite sex to believe that your romantic intentions are sincere, persuading him or her to do you a small, temporary favor (such as looking the other way as you climb up the wall and into the window, or giving you the password that allows you to pass safely by the guards). This action cannot be used during combat.

Diplomacy Normal Use: Sometimes it is important that others find you pleasant, cooperative, or socially acceptable— even if you are not. You might think your fighter character looks ruggedly handsome in his bloodstained chainmail and travel-ragged cloak, but the Master of the Revels may not agree unless you can convince him to allow you into the king‘s ballroom despite your unkempt appearance. New Use: Know how to address someone. Even the most skilled dragon slayer cannot afford to antagonize those individuals who occupy positions of power and authority. Nobles and other dignitaries usually expect to be addressed correctly. Knowing when to call a wealthy patron ―Your grace‖ rather than ―Your ladyship‖ can help make the scale of reactions tip in your favor.

Gather Information (Cha) Normal Use: This skill helps you find out if any rumors or legends exist surrounding that dungeon you are considering looting by asking those around who might have such information to share. New Use: Find out who is really in charge. You need help from the Temple of the Four Winds, but do not know whom to ask. Should you approach the Grand Master himself, or should you ask one of his many underlings for aid? Proper use of this skill can help you find out who makes important decisions. New Use: Who‟s who. Wily adventurers always know whom they deal with before committing to an agreement. Was the cloaked stranger who just hired your adventuring party really the duke‘s steward, and if so, does he really have his master‘s trust?

Sense Motive (Wis) Normal Use: This skill comes in very handy when someone uses the Bluff skill against you. You make an opposed skill check, and if you succeed, you are not bluffed. Page 51

New Use: Combat prediction. You get a good though general idea of an opponent‘s combat skill. This use of the skill requires you to spend a minimum of 3 rounds observing an opponent who is engaged in combat. You can take no other actions in that time other than moving your normal movement rate. You must keep your subject in view at all times. The DC is 20 +1 for every experience level your opponent has attained. If successful, you gain a +4 bonus on your first attack roll against the observed opponent. This attack must come within 24 hours of the observation or the bonus is lost. You cannot gain this bonus against the same opponent twice unless the character‘s level has changed since you last observed him. New Use: Decipher strategy. You assess a combat situation and determine its true purpose. You must observe the combat for a minimum of 3 rounds before making the skill check. The DC is 15±1 for every opponent you face. If successful, you determine your opponents‘ true motive (cut you to pieces, lure you away from or drive you toward a particular spot, rescue a captive, and so on).

New Knowledge Skills Like the Craft and Profession skills in the Player‘s Handbook, Knowledge actually encompasses a number of unrelated skills. Knowledge represents a study of some body of lore, possibly an academic or even scientific discipline. Below are a few new fields of study. With your DM‘s approval, you can invent other new areas of knowledge.  Hearth wisdom (folklore, myths, origins of place names, folk remedies for common ailments).  Literature (stories, plays, ballads, epic poetry, legends).  Mathematics (basic math, geometry, algebra).  Politics (government bureaucracies, petitions, bribes, subterfuge, art of compromise).  Streetwise (drinking, flirting, gambling, tailing).  War (siege engines, sapping, siege tactics and strategy).

New Craft and Profession Skills Below are three new fields of expertise that might be useful to clerics and paladins (and other characters as well). With your DM‘s approval, you can invent other new subcategories of the Craft and Profession skills.  Craft (stonecarving): pertains to statues, decorative architectural elements, stone weapons, and holy symbols.  Craft (woodcarving): pertains to masks, combs, furniture, holy symbols, and figureheads.  Profession (astrologer): encompasses knowledge of astronomy, horoscopes, and birth charts, Particularly useful for those who frequently use divination magic.

Hide The Hide skill is as useful in the wild as it is in a city. Sometimes, however, rangers and druids must adapt their skills to city situations (see Urban Ranger, in Chapter 1). This section describes how to use the Hide skill to track someone surreptitiously. New Use: Tail Someone. Since the Hide skill allows for movement, you can use it as a move-equivalent action or part of a move action if desired. This means you can try to follow someone while making periodic Hide checks to remain unseen. How often you need to make a Hide check depends on the distance at which you follow If you stay at least 60 feet away from your quarry you can get by with a Hide check once every 10 minutes, provided that your quarry doesn‘t suspect you‘re following and that you do nothing but maintain the tail. At distances of less than 60 feet, you must make a Hide check each round. Of course, you still need appropriate concealment to succeed at Hide checks while tailing, but many options are often available. In a forest, of course, there are plenty of convenient trees to hide behind. If you‘re trying to tail someone on a city street, you can duck behind passersby—though in that case, you wouldn‘t be hidden from the people you‘re using for cover, just from your quarry. If the street is fairly crowded, using passersby as concealment imposes no penalty on your Hide check, though you might still suffer a penalty for your movement (see the Hide skill description in the Player‘s Handbook). If you don‘t have moving people to hide behind, you can instead move from one hiding place to another as you follow your quarry Distance is a factor, though— this option works only as long as your next hiding place is within 1 foot per Hide rank you possess of your current one. (If you have a magic item that helps you hide, such as a cloak of elevenkind or a robe of blending, add 1 foot to that limit per point of Hide bonus it provides.) If you try to move any greater distance than that between hiding places, your quarry spots you. A movement penalty may apply to your Hide check if you dash from one hiding place to the next at more than half your normal speed. Page 52

Even if you fail a Hide check while tailing someone or are spotted while moving too great a distance between hiding places, you can attempt a Bluff check opposed by your quarry‘s Sense Motive check to look innocuous. Success means your quarry sees you but doesn‘t realize you‘re tailing; failure alerts him or her that you‘re actually following. A modifier may apply to the Sense Motive check, depending on how suspicious your quarry is. The table below gives Sense Motive modifiers for particular situations. Your Quary Is sure nobody is following Has no reason to suspect anybody is following Is worried about being followed Is worried about being followed and knows you‘re an enemy

Sense Motive Modifier —5 +0 +10 +20

Wilderness Lore The description of the Track feat in the Player‘s Handbook notes that with a successful Wilderness Lore check, you can track someone for a mile or until the tracks become hard to follow. But what if you‘re following someone who really knows how to hide a trail? In that case, the quarry may make a Wilderness Lore check to hide his or her trail. This is opposed by your Wilderness Lore check for tracking. The DC modifiers listed in the Track feat description in the Player‘s Handbook apply to the quarry‘s check.

Concealed Weapons The description of the Pick Pocket skill notes that it can be useful for hiding items on your person. But what if that item is a dagger? In general, a Pick Pocket check to hide a weapon is opposed by someone else‘s Spot check (if you‘re being casually observed) or Search check (if you‘re being frisked). Under these circumstances, a Search check gets a +4 bonus because it‘s usually not too hard to find a weapon when you‘re frisking someone. Additional modifiers may also apply to both checks, as given on the table at top right. Untrained Concealment Attempts: The Pick Pocket skill cannot be used untrained. If a character without that skill tries to conceal a weapon, it‘s no longer an opposed check. Instead, anyone observing the character with the concealed weapon gets a Spot check, and anyone frisking that character gets a Search check. The base DC for each Spot or Search check is 10, and all the modifiers on the table apply, including those that would normally modify the Pick Pocket check. Simply change the signs of any applicable Pick Pocket modifiers listed above and apply them to the base DC of the Search or Spot check instead. Condition For each size category of the weapon greater than Small Tiny weapon or concealable scabbard You‘re wearing a cloak, coat, or other heavy clothing

Pick Pocket Modifier -4 +4 +2

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As a Class. Class Roles in Society Characters, particularly as they advance in level, need to know how they and those like them fit into the world. This section may be helpful in giving an idea of what classes particular NPCs might belong to - what sorts of NPCs one might find in a world where the classes are available, how PCs can. Fit in, and what PCs can potentially aspire to. Of course, PCs can form whatever goals they wish but the following information might at least generate some ideas: Barbarian: Barbarians have no place in civilized society— that‘s the point. In their own tribal society they are hunters, warriors, and war chiefs. But in a civilized community, the best they can hope for is to join fighters‘ organizations and fill a fighter‘s roles. Often, fighters from a civilized society will not follow a barbarian leader unless he‘s somehow proved himself worthy of this loyalty. Barbarians of legend often aspire to gather those like them and found their own tribe, or even their own kingdom. Bard: Bards serve as entertainers, either on their own, singing for their supper, or in troupes. Some bards aspire to be an aristocrat‘s personal troubadour. Bards occasionally gather in co1leges of learning and entertainment. Well-known, high-level bards often found bard colleges. These colleges serve as the standard educational system for a city as well as a kind of bards‘ guild where they can find training and support. Cleric: Most clerics have an organizational structure built right into their class. Religions have hierarchies, and each cleric has his place within it. Clerics may find themselves assigned duties by their churches, or they might be free agents. Clerics can serve in the military of an aristocrat sanctioned by their. religion - or within some autonomous church-based military order established for defense. A high-level cleric can hope to one day be the shepherds of his own congregation and temple, although some become religious advisors to aristocrats as the leaders of communities of their own, with its people looking to the cleric for religious and temporal guidance. Clerics often work with paladins, and virtually every knightly order has at least one cleric member. Druid: Druids are often loners. They cloister themselves deep in the wilderness in sacred groves or other areas that they have claimed for themselves, sometimes working with a single ranger or a group of rangers. Druids sometimes organize themselves in loose affiliations. On rare occasions, druids sharing a particular focus may organize themselves as a tight-knit order. Sometimes creatures, such as satyr, centaurs, or other fey join these groups as well. All druids are at least nominally members of druidic society which spans the globe. The society is so loose, however, that it may, have little influence on a particular druid. Druids assist and sometimes even lead small, rural communities that benefit from their wisdom and power. Fighter: These characters often serve as mercenaries or officers in the army. The sheriff in a small town might well be a fighter. Common soldiers and guards are usually warriors. Fighters may be loners or may gather to form martial societies for training, camaraderie, and employment (as mercenary companies, bodyguards, and so on). High-level fighters of great renown typically found such societies. A fighter of common birth can also hope to become an aristocrat‘s champion one day, but those with aspirations to true greatness plan on earning their own grants of land to become nobility in their own right. Monk: The tradition of monk training started in distant lands but now has become common enough so that local people can go off to monasteries and learn the spiritual and martial arts. In large cities, monks learn their skills in special academies. Monks often serve the monastery or academy that trained them. Other times, however, they may join a different monastery or academy. High-level monks with a good reputation can even found her own monastery or academy. Only on rare occasions does a monk find a place in society outside her monastery. Such monks can become spiritual advisors, military commanders, or even law enforcers. A unit of monks in an army or in the Page 54

local constabulary would be feared indeed. Paladin: Paladins are knights, working for their church or within a knightly order. Qualifying for an order is often difficult, and membership always requires that the paladin follow a specific code of conduct. These orders sometimes allow non-paladins as members, with good-aligned rangers and fighters being the most common sort of non-paladin members. No paladin organization exists long without a cleric for support, advice, or leadership, however. Paladins can serve in the military of an aristocrat sanctioned by their religion, or within some autonomous church-based military order established for defense, a high-level paladin might seek to rule her own domain (to bestow her just benevolence upon the masses), establish her own temple where none existed before, or to serve as the trusted lieutenant of a high priest or worthy aristocrat. Paladins in such service are often called justicars or something similar, implying that the paladin is in charge of dispensing churchsanctified justice. Ranger: Rangers often seclude themselves, wandering into the wilderness for long stretches of time. If they aspire to leadership, it is often as the warden of a small, frontier community. Some rangers form looseknit and often secretive organizations. These rangers group & watch over events in the land and gather to exchange information. They often have the best view of the grand picture of everything that occurs. Highlevel rangers aspire to found their own ranger societies or to establish and rule new communities, often those they have carved out of the wilderness itself. Rangers and druids often work together, even sharing the same secretive network. Sometimes a ranger group includes a few druids, or vice versa. Rogue: Rogues may serve in armies as spies or scouts. They can work as operatives of temples or as general troubleshooters for aristocrats, having attained these unique positions because of the versatility of their skills and abilities. Frequently, however, rogues gather together in guilds devoted to their area of expertise: theft. Thieves‘ guilds are common. The larger a city is, the more likely it is to have a thieves‘ guild. The populace and the constabulary sometimes hate these guilds. At other times they are tolerated or even accepted, so long as they don‘t allow themselves to get out of hand in their work. Acceptance is often gained through bribery in politically corrupt areas. Sorcerer: Sorcerers, to the general populace, are indistinguishable from wizards. They often fill the same roles in society, although they rarely join wizards‘ guilds, since they have no need to research and study. Sorcerers, more than wizards, keep to themselves. Sorcerers are more likely to hang about the fringes of society, among creatures that other people would consider monsters. Conversely some sorcerers find that military life suits them even better than wizards. Sorcerers focused on battle spells are more deadly than wizards, and they often are better with weapons. A high-level sorcerer might aspire to the same sorts of goals a wizard would. Despite their similarities, their differing approaches means wizards and sorcerers find themselves in conflict more often than they get along. Wizard: Wizards can serve many roles in society. Wizards for hire, are useful to the military as firepower (some armies employ entire units of wizards to blast the enemy protect troops from danger, tear down castle walls, and so on). Or a wizard can serve the community as a well-paid troubleshooter—someone able to rid the town of vermin, stop the levee from bursting, or foretell the future. A wizard can open a shop and sell magic items she creates or cast needed spells for a fee. She can aspire to serve an aristocrat as an advisor and chief wizard, or to even rule over a community on her own. Some-times, the public fears a wizard for her power, but more often than not the local wizard is a highly-respected member of the community Wizards sometimes gather in guilds, societies, or cabals for mutual research, and to live among those who understand the endless fascination of magic. Only the most powerful and famous of wizards have the reputations necessary to found permanent establishments, such as a wizard‘s school. Where they exist, wizards‘ guilds control such issues as the price and availability of spells and magic items in a community.

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The Fighter What is a Fighter? The fighter is the most popular of the adventurer vocations. Simple and straightforward, he views the world as an opportunity to test his strength and courage against the universe. A fighter is one who, when faced with a foe takes arms against a sea of troubles, and by opposing, ends them. He is the artist whose body is his palette. Exercise is his daily bread. The fighter relishes every battle with any foe, for though he is beaten and bruised and blemished beyond all recognition, he knows that he is the better for it all.

How do I become a Fighter? To become a fighter, you must begin by developing your strength and skill with weapons. Your sword will become you right hand (assuming, of course, you are right handed). Your shield is your lifeguard. That plunges between you and the wave of horrible, slavering monsters. Physical labour becomes a pleasure, for every each and pain reminds you of those hard-earned muscles. Encounter each enemy with exuberance, for the experience will be exhilarating as long as it doesn‘t exterminate you.

How do I fight? If one wishes to become a fighter, it is wise to obtain a sword and shield at the earliest opportunity. We do not recommend unarmed combat against a monster, as you can be ‗dis‘-armed rapidly. Basic sword work consists of the thrust and swing. The thrust is the deft skewer of the opponent‘s mid-section, quick and to the point with a minimum of mess. The swing on the other hand, is a slicing motion designed to release as much of the opponent‘s interior component as possible. While the swing inflicts more damage, the thrust is quicker. Preference is a matter of personal taste and whether or not you have a strong stomach. Defense largely depends upon the use of the dodge, block and parry. While there are those who believe that ‗real‘ fighters do not need such wimpy defensive techniques, most surviving heroes attest to their effectiveness. Trying to defeat a monster while ignoring the basic defenses usually results in ex-heroes.

Fighter roles Nearly every fighter who elects to pursue adventuring as a regular enterprise has the same role to play in their respective parties: They are the first to fight, whether eliminating opposing creatures or defending their comrades from attack. This should come as any surprise, for no other character class has better general fighting capabilities than the fighter. Below are a few brief ideas for fighters‘ roles beyond just door-smasher and orc-basher. (For even more on PC backgrounds, see the Hero Builder‟s Guidebook.) Professional Soldier: This fighter serves in the standing army or constabulary of some higher authority, often a member of the nobility or even a community. He generally accompanies adventuring parties at the request of his employer, often to ensure that the (untrustworthy?) hired adventurers accomplish the goals for which they were contracted, or to provide additional martial support to achieve their missions. Mercenary: Like the soldier, this sort of fighter trades his skills for pay, but usually on a much more temporary basis. He normally contracts to provide his services for a specified amount of time, although occasionally the period of service can be indefinite. Mercenaries often join up with adventuring parties when they are between contracts, and usually for a predetermined share in the loot. Knight: This is a special type of fighter. He belongs to a knightly order, and swears to uphold a set of ideals or an ethos that the organization prizes. Knights frequently join adventuring parties that are engaged in missions which support the order‘s goals, or that espouse ideals that reflect (or at least do not conflict with) those of the order.

Campaign Tactics Warrior Responsibilities: Page 56

The warrior isn‘t helpless or useless outside of combat. In situations where the party is preparing for an adventure, planning a mission, or just arriving in a new place (town, castle, whatever), the fighters (especially the combat leader) should make themselves responsible for learning the following things and reporting these facts to the others: What‟s the lay of the land? The fighters should get detailed descriptions (and, if possible, maps) of the area where they will be fighting; this will help them plot strategy, ambushes, etc.

Combats and Combat Missions: What sort of forces does the opposition muster? This might be details of the enemy army, or the garrison of a castle the he-roes want to invade, or just rumors of what might be found in the dark dungeon the characters intend to explore. Is anything strange going on at the site? If there is, it might be symptomatic of something important to the characters. Do the locals hear grumblings and rumblings deep in the earth that weren‘t there before? This might indicate that a dragon has moved in... or that someone is doing some mining secretly. Are there suddenly a lot of strangers in town? This might mean the enemy has spies in town, or is hiring new warriors, who pass through town on route to their final destination. Whenever there‘s something strange going on, the heroes will have to face its source eventually, and should be as prepared as possible. When the fighters hear of something strange going on, they really ought to consult with the mages and priests, who might have ideas on the matter based on their own fields of learning. Can the heroes count on local help? If this is a combat assault, can the heroes request, hire or levy local troops to back them up? If they can, and the situation warrants it, they should. But if they never ask, they almost never get help. Can the heroes hire local experts? If their mission is to take them into an area where a local knows more about the situation than they do, it‘s a good idea for the characters to hire a local expert. Guides who know the local sites, especially, are an invaluable resource. What sort of equipment will the party need? Any sort of special situation (walls to climb, specific monsters to fight, interesting terrain to cross, etc.) is likely to require specialized equipment, and it‘s the fighters responsibility to determine what sort of equipment that is ... and then to get it (though the rouge and bard can be handy here).

Just Arriving In Town What are the characters‟ rooms like? Whether the heroes are being accommodated by friends, by an inn, or by a local ruler or noble, the fighter should check out their rooms in terms of defensibility. If the heroes are attacked in their rooms in the middle of the night in the dark, the fighter should know (because he‘s prepared himself in advance) how many exits there are from the room, whether they are open, closed, or locked, how defensible the room is, what story it is on and how far it is to the ground, etc. He might wish to consult with the Rogue. who might be inclined to check for secret doors or traps, or on the feasibility of going up to the roof when the heroes go out the window. What are the local laws? The fighter should find out what the local ordinances are concerning the carrying of weapons and the wearing of armor. If it turns out that either is illegal or restricted, he ought to let his friends know about it. Contrary to what some campaigning groups think, local communities have the right to make such laws and enforce them... and when player-characters defy the local authorities, refuse to take off armor or abandon weapons, and even attack and kill local peace officers, the PCs are for the moment villains, not heroes. The other character classes have their own subjects to explore in the same situations. By comparison: Page 57

Mages can take responsibility for: Learning the history of the current situation, how it came to be; perhaps there‘s a clue to getting things fixed in the history of the matter. Getting details of the magic of the situation; only a mage can properly evaluate these details; perhaps the mage can arrange or research a counterspell useful in the situation. Priests can take responsibility for: Learning what the local priests think of the situation. Communing with their deities to see if the deity has any prophecy, advice or admonition to offer. Provisioning the party; the priest is best suited to arranging for ordinary provisions (food, clothing, etc.). Naturally, all these descriptions are generalizations. Any specific character might be particularly talented at one of these roles, even if he belongs to a ‗wrong' character class. But someone should undertake each of these tasks; otherwise, the characters are going into a situation knowing less than they could know about it.

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What to Expect from (NPC) Clerics: It is perfectly reasonable for characters to hope to find services and information such as these in any temple: Gossip: Clerics hear everything in the course of their daily activities. Whether they choose to repeat it is up to them, and most clerics are not easy to bribe, but if people are saying it, it‘s likely the clerics have heard it. Clerics are a great source for verifying rumors. Local History: Clerics tend to know a lot about the towns in which they live, as well as the surrounding region. Even if they didn‘t grow up there, people have told them the stories over and over again. Clerics know the important people in town, who does reliable work, and the story behind the ancient ruins at the top of the hill. Actually, they probably know several conflicting stories about those ancient ruins. Sorting out the conflicts and determining veracity is not really the cleric‘s department, unless history is a private hobby. Historical Records: Temples often maintain careful historical records that might be useful to adventurers. They are especially good resources for everyday sorts of information-not the sweeping epics of nations, but simple facts about when ordinary people were born and when they died. Except in a society that is unusually bureaucratic, temples might be the only source of such records. Religious Information: Clerics tend to be well-educated, but sometimes their education is specialized. If nothing else, a local cleric is a reliable source of information about the cleric‘s own faith, and he might know a fair amount about other religions popular in the town. A cleric likely also knows about faiths his order perceives as a threat, although much of that information might be strongly biased. Note that some religions hold their beliefs and practices, or at least the most sacred of them, in utter secrecy-not necessarily because they have anything to hide but because these elements of their faith are too holy to share with nonbelievers. Political Information: Many clerics follow local politics. They know not only who‘s on the town council but also each person‘s agenda and voting record. They know the hot issues both of the moment and of the past. Counseling: Clerics are a great source of advice. Wisdom and intuition are part of it, and life experience is another. Clerics have been around; they‘ve seen a lot and heard a lot. Even today in the real world, a large percentage of professional counseling is performed by clergy. Charity: This might vary widely from religion to religion in your campaign. In the real world, Buddhist monks rely on the generosity of others for their daily food, while one Roman writer complained that the early Christians were making the pagan Romans look bad by taking such good care of the poor, pagan and Christian alike. Still, in many faiths, characters who are down on their luck might hope for a night‘s food and lodging at the local temple. (Woe to anyone who violates the gift of hospitality by robbing the temple! A deity‘s worst curses are often reserved for this sort of offense.) Sanctuary: In some societies, temples and clerics operate under a legal system completely separate from that of the surrounding kingdom, or at least they have some special privileges under the law. In these societies, it might be possible for characters who have been accused of a crime under secular law to appeal to the temple for sanctuary. If they can convince the cleric of their innocence, they might be safe from arrest and prosecution as long as they remain within the temple, buying them time to collect more evidence of their innocence. Worship, Prayers, and Sacrifices: Of course, clerics are not only key members of their communities but also religious professionals, which is to say they are usually seen as the intermediaries between humanity and the gods. When PCs feel the need to offer sacrifices to a god, to ask a deity‘s favor, or just to offer worship, clerics are happy to serve in their clerical capacity, usually even on behalf of total strangers. Many NPC clerics are so tired of being asked for information and advice that they would love to be approached for this reason! Page 59

Simple Magic: A cleric‘s spells are bestowed by a deity for a purpose. When it squares with the deity‘s desires, clerics are free to use these spells even to help nonbelievers. Some deities (a god of healing, for example) command their clerics to help anyone in need, while clerics of any faith might see the use of healing magic in particular as an effective form of preaching. Receiving a god‘s healing touch (through a cleric) is concrete evidence that the god is real and powerful. Note, however, that powerful magic, even when available to an NPC cleric, is usually reserved for extraordinary circumstances. Also note that it‘s entirely possible that local NPC clerics do not have access to any spells whatsoever. Divine spells might be the province of the most faithful, devoted, or important of a god‘s clerics (which, naturally, includes cleric PCs).

What Not to Expect from Clerics: What should player characters not hope to receive from NPC clerics? Remember that any cleric‘s responsibility is primarily to a deity and secondarily to the local community. Unless the characters are active members of a worshiping community, they should not expect clerics to offer these services: In-depth Investigation: Imagine that a rash of murders is plaguing a small town, and the heroes consult the local cleric. The cleric knows everyone who‘s been killed, as well as a wide variety of popular speculations about the killings, but the cleric has no idea who the killer is. The cleric has been too busy performing funerals and comforting the bereaved to snoop around for clues. Clerics rarely moonlight as detectives, and those who do are usually PCs. Sacraments or Rites of Passage: Every religion has its rituals, and some of the most important of these are rites that mark the stages of life: birth, adolescence, adulthood, marriage, and death. These rites are sacred and important not just to a religion, but to a community. Thus, characters who are not a part of the community should not expect to participate in these rites. (Even modern clergy often struggle with the question of whether to perform marriages and baptisms for people who are not active in the community.) Raising the Dead: Everyone dies. Who gets to decide whether a person should be raised from the dead? Even if every local NPC cleric in your campaign is powerful enough to raise the dead, they shouldn‘t bestow this gift lightly, and they shouldn‘t be bribed into bestowing it, either. Like Miracle Max in The Princess Bride, a cleric needs a good reason to bring someone back from the dead. Such a miraculous event is usually reserved only for the greatest heroes of the faith. Anything to Excess: Clerics of many religions are expected to be giving, but nobody demands they be stupid. Clerics know when they‘re being taken advantage of, and most are strong enough to say no when it‘s time to say no. At the least, if the same characters are coming to a cleric over and over, the cleric is going to start putting pressure on them to join the community in worship. At worst, the characters might find they are no longer welcome in the temple. These are only general guidelines. Not all clerics are tuned in to local politics, and some are perhaps over-generous with sacraments and spells. But if the majority of clerics in your campaign follow the general outline here, then the exceptions are more likely to stand out in the players‘ minds-and in yours. If you decide that a local cleric has been investigating the bloody murders that have plagued her town, immediately you‘ve got a hook on which to hang the rest of her personality. She might have some wild theories that lead the PCs in the wrong direction, or she might be right on target but sound so improbable that the PCs don‘t believe her evidence. In any case, she can add a new dimension to the adventure, and she will quickly become much more than a card-board stereotype of a local NPC cleric.

Channeling (D&D 3rd) According to the D&D 3rd Player‟s Handbook, a cleric can make a turning check to accomplish effects other than turning or rebuking undead. Some other possible uses for positive or negative energy include the following. Warding a Sanctuary: The Player‟s Handbook cites the example of a magic door guarding a holy site. The door opens only for a good cleric who can channel enough positive energy to turn a 3-HD undead, though it will shatter if an evil cleric makes an equally difficult turning check. This is an appropriate challenge for a 1st-level cleric, who would need a 16 or better on his turning check. Page 60

Sites that are more important might be guarded by better wards that require higher turning check results. Sealing a Portal: In the middle of the once-sacred temple of Pelor, where the altar stood, a column of hellfire now rises from the floor and through the dome above. Through the flaming column, devils make their way from Baator to the Material Plane to work their evil. Jozan, standing over the corpse of an osyluth, brandishes his holy symbol and channels Pelor‘s power back into the forsaken temple. While sweat runs down his face, positive energy flows through his body, forcing the planar portal closed. Such a portal might require a turning check result good enough to turn a 1O-HD undead, or higher, depending on the strength of the connection. This is an appropriate challenge for a 7th-level cleric, who will need a 19 or better on his turning check. A portal to Baator is almost certainly surrounded by a desecrate effect that adds a measure of difficulty to the turning check. A cleric hoping to close the portal would dc well to cast consecrate first (to negate that effect), then make the turning attempt with no penalty. An evil cleric could effectively bolster the same portal, so that it would require a higher turning check result to close the portal. This would work the same as bolstering undead.

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The Magic-User Or Wizard, or Sorcerer…

What is a Magic User? Master of mystery, propounder of power, intimate of intuition, the Magic User is the intellectual among adventurers. The Magic User must master his mind to mold the mysteries of the ages. Through the use and control of the magical spell, the Magic User can selectively alter the fabric of the universe and create things out of whole cloth. Spells are usually learned by reading specially created scrolls or books. They can be purchased at specialty shops, gained from kindly old wizards, and frequently found in the oddest places. Neophytes are encouraged to inquire about scrolls frequently. Spells are cast by using the magical energy the Magic user stores in his body. This power pervades the world, but only one trained in the mystical arts can actually absorb it.

How do I become a Magic User? To become a Magic user, you must first find a teacher of the craft. Many towns and villages have Magic users who, for a modest fee, are willing to impart the spark that will ignite the mental light and illuminate the ultimate abilities of the student. Once the mind has been opened to magic, it can be filled with arcane lore, spells, curses, cures and trivia about obscure creatures that never fails to impress the locals. Magic Users have a reputation for being mysterious, and much of their time is taken up maintaining this illusion. To this end, mirrors are useful for practicing facial expressions, and a repertoire of moods ranging from ‗Haughty disdain for fools who ask stupid questions‘ (ideal for when you don‘t know the correct answer) to ‗Complete and Utter Concentration So Don‘t You Dare Disturb Me‘ (perfect for catching forty winks, particularly if you can master sleep with your eyes open), will come in handy. To enhance you Magic User reputation, develop your eccentricities. Talking to thin air does wonders for having those around you treat you with respect – after all, they can‘t be sure you aren‘t talking to someone they can‘t see. Get in the habit of using expressions like: ‗I know the answer‘, in deep mysterious tones. Then smile and say nothing. You‘ll soon have people whispering ‗He (or she) must be a Magic User!‘

Just Arriving In Town Mages can take responsibility for: Learning the history of the current situation, how it came to be; perhaps there‘s a clue to getting things fixed in the history of the matter. Getting details of the magic of the situation; only a mage can properly evaluate these details; perhaps the mage can arrange or research a counterspell useful in the situation.

Magic Tricks (D&D 3rd) Here are a few tips for getting the most out of your spells.

Weaponlike Spells Any spell that requires an attack roll and deals damage functions as a weapon in certain respects. A spell‘s ―damage‖ may be normal damage, subdual damage, ability damage, or energy drain. Such spells can inflict critical hits, can be used in sneak attacks, and allow rangers to use their favoured enemy bonuses. You can even use a number of combat-enhancing feats from the Player‟s Handbook to improve the efficacy of weaponlike spells. All such spells deal damage as spells, not weapons. Magical effects that increase weapon damage, such as the bard‘s inspire courage ability and the prayer spell, do not increase damage from a weaponlike spell. Likewise, a weaponlike spell that deals normal damage cannot be used to deal subdual damage, or vice versa. Strength bonuses do not apply to damage from weaponlike spells, even when you are making a melee attack, such as with flame blade or inflict light wounds.

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Critical Hits A weaponlike spell threatens on a roll of 20 and deals double damage with a critical hit, unless the spell description specifically says otherwise. Only damage that the spell deals immediately when it strikes is increased by a critical hit. For example, if you score a critical hit with Melf‟s acid arrow, only the initial damage gets doubled. Thus, the spell initially deals 4d4 points of acid damage and the normal damage each subsequent round the acid lasts. A spell that deals damage only on a failed saving throw can still inflict a critical hit, but only the damaging portion of the spell effect is increased. For example, disintegrate produces a ray that requires a ranged touch attack. If the ray hits a creature, the target must make a Fortitude save, and the attacker has a chance to inflict a critical hit. If the save fails, the creature is disintegrated, no matter what the critical roll was. If the target successfully saves, it takes 5d6 points of damage from the spell, or double damage (lod6) on a critical hit. Extra damage from a critical hit is of the same type the spell deals normally For example, ray of frost deals 1d3 points of cold damage, so a critical hit deals 2d3 points of cold damage. A critical hit with an energy-draining spell inflicts twice the listed amount; for example a critical hit with an enervation spell bestows 2d4 negative levels. Some spells require an attack roll but do not deal actual damage, so they cannot inflict critical hits. For example, ray of enfeeblement requires a ranged touch attack roll. The spell, however, produces an enhancement penalty to Strength, not any type of damage, so it cannot inflict a critical hit.

Sneak Attacks Any weaponlike spell can be used to make a sneak attack. Ranged spells are effective only at ranges of 30 feet or less, like any other ranged sneak attack. A successful sneak attack with a weaponlike spell deals extra damage according to your sneak attack ability, of the same type as the spell deals. For example, a 10th-level rogue who makes a successful sneak attack with a Melf‟s acid arrow spell deals 2d4 points of acid damage, plus an extra 5d6 points of acid damage (the spell continues to deal acid damage as normal on the following rounds). Spells that inflict energy drain or ability damage deal additional negative energy damage on a sneak attack, not extra negative levels or ability damage. For example, a 10th-level rogue who makes a successful sneak attack with an enervation spell bestows 1d4 negative levels and deals 5d6 points of negative J energy damage. If a sneak attack with a weaponlike spell results in a critical hit, the spell damage is doubled, but not the extra damage (as with any sneak attack).

Benchmark Spells Benchmark spells demonstrate the maximum capability for their level and function. Comparing a new spell to these examples gives a general sense of where it belongs. Below is a list of benchmark spells at every level from the Player‟s Handbook. These are classified as offensive, defensive, or miscellaneous. Decide what category the spell you‘re researching fits into and then compare it to the spells in the list. Offensive Spells: These deal damage, disable, or kill. The list for each level includes at least one spell that deals damage and one that hampers foes in some other way. Another useful tool for evaluating such spells is the Maximum Damage for Arcane Spells table in the DUNGEON MASTER‘S Guide. Magic missile is a 1st-level benchmark spell because the potential amount of damage it deals does not exceed the maximum listed for an arcane spell of that level. It represents the upper end of this scale (and is actually a little overpowered) since it does not allow a save or rely on a ranged touch attack. The sleep spell is a benchmark for the ability to incapacitate foes. It demonstrates the limits of incapacity at 1st level: sleep, not a more serious effect such as death or ability drain. It can be broken with a standard action and is limited in its number of targets. Circle of death is a 6th-level benchmark that demonstrates the maximum death effect for a spell of that level. It shows that a ranged death effect is not viable below 6th level, and it provides an example of the maximum burst radius as well as a limit to the number of living creatures affected (1d4 HD per caster level, maximum 20d4). Defensive Spells: Defensive spells protect the caster or the caster‘s party. The list for each level Page 63

usually includes one spell that improves Armour Class or saving throws and one that provides immunity to an attack or a reduction in damage dealt. Mage armour makes a good benchmark 1st-level spell: It provides a modest increase to AC that does not stack readily with other defences (in this case, armour bonuses). The endure elements spell demonstrates the limit of damage reduction for a viable 1st-level spell. Stoneskin is a benchmark 4th-level spell that shows the lowest level at which damage reduction is possible. For similar reasons, minor globe of invulnerability is a good example of where to place spell-blocking effects. Miscellaneous Spells: Such spells usually aren‘t used in combat. The list for each level usually includes one information-gathering spell and one spell that gives the subject some special capability. Haste and fly make good 3rd-level benchmarks, as that is the lowest level for real physical changes rather than illusion or assistance. 1st-Level Spells Offensive Spells: Charm person, magic missile, and sleep. Defensive Spells: Endure elements, mage armor, and shield. Miscellaneous Spells: Change self, spider climb, Tenser‟s floating disk, and unseen servant. 2nd-Level Spells Offensive Spells: Glitterdust, Melf‟s acid arrow, and web. Defensive Spells: Blur, protection from arrows, and resist elements. Miscellaneous Spells: Arcane lock, invisibility, knock, and see invisibility. 3rd-Level Spells Offensive Spells: Fireball, lightning bolt, stinking cloud, and suggestion. Defensive Spells: Blink, displacement, and protection from elements. Miscellaneous Spells: Clairaudience/clairvoyance, fly, and haste. 4th-Level Spells Offensive Spells: Charm monster, enervation, ice storm, and phantasmal killer. Defensive Spells: Minor globe of invulnerability and stoneskin. Miscellaneous Spells: Dimensional anchor, dimension door, improved invisibility, and polymorph self. 5th-Level Spells Offensive Spells: Cloud kill, cone of cold, dominate person, and feeblemind. Defensive Spells: Bigby‟s interposing hand, wall of force, and wall of iron. Miscellaneous Spells: Contact other plane, lesser planar binding, passwall, stone shape, and teleport.

seeing.

6th-Level Spells Offensive Spells: Chain lightning, circle of death, disintegrate, and mass suggestion. Defensive Spells: Antimagic field, globe of invulnerability, and project image. Miscellaneous Spells: Analyze dweomer, greater dispelling, legend lore, mass haste, planar binding, and true 7th-Level Spells Offensive Spells: Delayed blast fireball, finger of death, power word stun, and prismatic spray Defensive Spells: Sequester and spell turning. Miscellaneous Spells: Limited wish, plane shift, teleport without error, and vision. 8th -Level Spells Offensive Spells: Horrid wilting, mass charm, power word blind, and trap the soul. Defensive Spells: Iron body mind blank, and protection from spells. Miscellaneous Spells: Discern location, etherealness, greater planar binding, polymorph any object, and symbol. 9th - Level Spells Offensive Spells: Dominate monster, energy drain, meteor swarm, wail of the banshee, and weird. Defensive Spells: Foresight, prismatic sphere, and time stop.

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Miscellaneous Spells: Astral projection, gate, teleportation circle, and wish.

Cast Stoneskin By Todd Mauldin Ladies and gentlemen, of the Wizards college of '99 Cast Stoneskin. If I could offer you only one tip for the future Stoneskin would be it The long term benefits of stoneskin have been proved by mages. Whereas the rest of my advice has no basis more reliable than my own, Meandering experience I will dispense this advice Now Enjoy the power and beauty of your first level Never mind, you will not understand the power and beauty of your first level until you've reached 30th. But trust me In twenty years, you'll look back at character sheets of yourself and recall in a way you can't grasp now How much possibility lay before you and how fabulous you really were You are not as munchkin as you imagine. Don't worry about chronomancy. Or worry, but know that chronomancy is as effective as trying to solve The Tomb of Horrors by throwing in a dagger. The real troubles in your life are apt to be psionicists that cross your worried mind The kind that mind probe you at 4 pm on some idle Tuesday Attack one monster, everyday, that scares you Dancing Lights Don't be reckless with other people's magic items Don't put up with people who are reckless with yours Fireball Don't waste your time on rules Sometimes you're ahead, sometimes you're behind The race is long, and in the end, it's only with your DM Remember the platinum pieces you receive Forget the coppers If you succeed in doing this, tell me how Keep your old spell scrolls Throw away your old potions Polymorph Don't feel guilty if you don't know what you wanna do with your life The most interesting people I know didn't know at first level what they wanted to do with their lives Some of the most interesting demi-gods I know still don't Get plenty of treasure Be kind to your party, you'll miss them when they're gone

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Maybe you'll get poisoned Maybe you won't Maybe you'll get life drained Maybe you won't Maybe you'll reach 40th level Maybe you'll do Otto's irresistible dance on your 75th wedding anniversary Whatever you do, don't congratulate yourself too much Or berate yourself either Your choices are half chance So are everybody else's Enjoy your spell book Use it every way you can Don't be afraid of it, or what other people think of it It's the greatest item you'll ever own Magic Missile Even if you have nowhere to do it but in your own living room Read the directions, even if you don't follow them Do not read clerical books, they will only make you take damage. Get to know your party You never know when they'll be gone for good Be nice to your familiars They're your best link to your past And the creatures most likely to stick with you in the future Understand that adventurers come and go But with a precious few you should hold on Work hard to bridge the gaps in Greyhawk and the Forgotten Realms 'Cause the higher level you get The more you need the people you knew when you were young Live in the Abyss once, but leave before it makes you hard Live in Mount Celestia once, but leave before it makes you soft Planewalk Accept certain inalienable truths Levels will rise, rogues will philander You too will get old, and when you do You'll fantasize that when you were young Character classes were reasonable, Paladins were noble And munchkins respected their elders Respect your trainers Don't expect anyone else to teleport you Maybe you'll kill a Tanar'ri Maybe you'll kill a wealthy Dragon But you never know when either one might come back Don't mess too much with your haste spells Or by the time you're 40 you will look 85 Be careful of whose equipment you buy But be patient with those who supply it Advice is a form of nostalgia Dispensing it, is a way of fishing the past from the disposal Wiping it off Painting over the ugly parts and recycling it for more than it's worth But trust me on the stoneskin

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The Thief Or Rogue…

What is a Thief? Sultan of Stealth, Chief of Chicanery, Potentate of Plunder, the Thief is the master of many skills. From subterfuge to housebreaking, Thieves live by their wits. Since the Thief cannot fight as effectively as the Fighter, or cast spells as a Magic User, he seems to be the weakest of adventurers. However, he is also the most powerful of adventurers, for he can get away with murder.

How do I become a Thief? Agility is an important thing to develop if you intend to pursue the honorable profession of purloining. Most of the skills that a thief uses are based on his (or her) grace and dexterity. There are many schools of thought that teach the skills necessary: Using Stealth is following the Way of the Rat; a slow cautious scuttle with all senses alert. Climbing is following the way of the Three-Toed Sloth, which ascends above those who seek it and goes where they cannot. Running is the Way of the Cockroach, which pauses first to assess the danger, and then runs like mad. Lock Picking is the Way of the Aarkvark, which delicately inserts its tongue into the termite‘s nest to get out the luscious treasure within. Throwing is the Way of the Dive Bomber Beetle, which launches itself into the air and plots a course straight and true until it hits something and bounces odd. All of these disciplines must be mastered before you will know the One True Way of the Thief.

What is a Thieves’ Guild? To aid the Thief on his never-ending journey for the True Way, The Thieves‘ Guild was created. This benevolent organization was formed to give the Thief a chance to socialize among people of like mind without having to watch his purse, for this is the refuge from the petty worries of the world. The Thieves‘ Guild motto is ‗Thou shalt not steal here.‘ This is the place to find those lock-picks and tool kits you crave. Here is where you relieve yourself of another‘s possessions and fence the items for cash.

How do I find the Thieves’ Guild? Thieves‘ Guilds, due to unfortunate social pressures, are forced to keep a low profile. Unlike the Adventurer‘s Guild that allows any scum off the street to enter and call himself an adventurer, the Thieves‘ Guild allows only the true followers of the Way to enter its portals. Thus a series of secret signs has been adopted. To identify yourself as a Thief, you must make the proper ‗Thief Sign‘. This consists of placing your thumb upon your nose with the hand held perpendicular to the face and the fingers outspread. You then wiggle your fingers while focusing your eyes on your thumb and patting your belly with the other hand. This is the proper way to greet a fellow follower and still retain your pocket money. When searching a strange town for the Thieves‘ Guild, it is wisest not to be too obvious about it. Asking the sheriff where you can find the local Thieves‘ Guild will at the very least make suspicious of you and quite possibly get you thrown into the local hoosegow. Most local thieves will know the location of their guild, so give them the sign, and they‘ll give you what you are asking for. Remember to find out the password, for the Guild wishes to discourage casual inquirers and spies. Attempting to enter the Thieves‘ Guild without the password is like picking a fight with a troll; it‘s easily done, but you‘ll be done in easily.

Just Arriving In Town Rogues can take responsibility for: Putting an ear to the street (that is, the people of the street) and seeing what‘s afoot; it‘s always a clue to the resolution of a problem if the rulers say one thing and the common people say something different about a situation. Evaluating infiltration and break-in opportunities; the rogue is best suited to determining how possible and useful it would be to getting a spy in the enemy camp, breaking in to a specific site, etc.

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Rogue Relationships Clerics: Every time a trap blows up in your face or a sneak attack attempt goes horribly wrong, your group‘s cleric becomes your best friend. Make sure you‘re on good enough terms with him that he‘s willing to come at a run when you need him. And if the dungeon turns out to be full of undead, stick to the cleric like glue. Just don‘t let him get the idea that he has the right to lecture you about morality. Insist that he respect your skills as you do his. Fighter: What‘s not to love about a fighter? He mans the front line so you can sneak around and deliver your sneak attacks. He soaks up damage that otherwise would come your way. He bashes down doors on those rare occasions when you can‘t finesse them open. And he comes to the rescue when you run into more trouble than you can handle while scouting ahead. Your life would be a lot harder without your party‘s fighter, and an occasional pat on the back softens up the big lug and shows him you appreciate it. Now if only he didn‘t make so much noise! Paladin: Paladins are wonderful - they really are. They‘re powerhouses in combat, freehanded in passing out the healing, and uninterested in more than their fair share of treasure. You can have a great working relationship with your party‘s paladin as long as you set the ground rules right away let her know you‘re a free agent and not under her jurisdiction - unless you are, of course. In that case, you must be very careful anytime you need to do something your paladin friend wouldn‘t approve of. Ranger: You probably have more in common with your party‘s ranger than with anyone else in the group. You both appreciate the need for stealth, the value of scouting, and the necessity of putting discretion ahead of glory at times. Perhaps all that divides you is the fact that he never minds roughing it, while you have a keen appreciation for the finer things in life. Nevertheless, you can trust the ranger to get the job done, no matter what. Wizards: In terms of adventuring style, the wizard is your polar opposite. While you‘re out ahead, risking your life to scout for information, she‘s snug in the safest spot in the marching order. You‘re in the dungeon to find loot, but she‘s there to feed her craving for more magic. Without wizards and all the magic traps they create, your job wouldn‘t be nearly as tough, but there wouldn‘t be nearly as much interesting loot available, either. The one thing you have in common with your party‘s wizard is a keen sense of strategy. Both of you look for ways to maximize your contributions in a fight - you with a well-placed sneak attack, and she with the right spell at the right time. The two of you work very well together, and you can complement one another‘s strengths.

Bard Relationships Clerics: Liturgical music and hymns are key parts of nearly every cleric‘s faith. Your cleric friend, however, often seems to think that this glorious music is somehow a secondary or peripheral aspect of religion—all right in its place, but not essential. You strive to show by example that this is not the case. Fighters: Fighters are the salt of the earth. You‘d be dead many times over—and your precious instrument smashed—if not for them. Fighters are simple souls who face the same thankless tasks day after day, dungeon after dungeon. To show your appreciation, you play their favourite songs over and over. Paladins: Don‘t paladins ever take a day off? They‘re the nicest, friendliest, prettiest, and all-around most impressive people you‘ve ever met—outside of other bards, of course—but they have no sense of proportion! Eternal vigilance is all very well, but even a paladin should get a weekend pass for a little rest and recreation now and then. Until that happens, though, it‘s up to you to lighten your paladin friend‘s load when you can with one of those catchy, smite-‘em-all, marching tunes. Rangers: Woods are all very well in their place, but you‘d go crazy if you had to spend your whole life there! The druid at least has the excuse that she has to be near her plant and animal charges, but the ranger just plain likes living out in the weeds. Sure, you respect him— some of your best friends are rangers—but he must have a screw loose somewhere, poor fellow. Rogues: Buddy! If you‘re not lucky enough to be a bard, then the next best class to take up is rogue. You have a lot in common with your rogue pal, such as a knack for stealth and a keen appreciation of the fact that it‘s better to avoid fighting when you can. Granted, you‘ve never mastered that sneak-attack thing she does, but she doesn‘t have your spells, music, or good looks. Clearly, the two of you are a winning combination. You‘re glad to adventure with her, anytime, anyplace—she can get you into more interesting situations (and trouble) than the rest of the party combined. Sorcerers: In some ways, you and the party sorcerer are two peas in the proverbial pod. You both rely on personality, though you prefer to think of it as charm. It seems, though, that some sorcerers are Page 68

just as happy to be feared as liked, and that seems a pity. Still, you approve of sorcerers—if the unthinkable happened and you couldn‘t be a bard anymore, sorcerer might be an attractive career choice. Wizards: The wizard has the most wonderful powers, but she pays far too high a price for them. All that planning, all that study, all the spontaneity she has to give up—it would drive you crazy! You respect her expertise—she knows more spells than you ever will— but pity her limitations. Just make sure you never show it.

Ranger Relationships Barbarians: You and the barbarian make a terrific one-two punch, since you can both inflict tons of damage. Working together, you can also avoid nasty surprises - you watch for foes coming out of the woodwork and he ignores sneak attacks and avoids traps. A party with the pair of you doesn‘t have as much need for a rogue as one not so doubly blessed. The only issue between you and the barbarian is that you may want to leave combat long before he does. Bards: The bard seems like such a dilettante. Both of you are extraordinarily versatile, but you‘re versatile with a purpose (at least in your mind). Nonetheless, you‘re both favorites of elves, so you tend to get along. On a good day, you‘re cool toward him (like you are to everyone else), and he‘s superficial toward you (like he is to everyone else). Fighters: The fighter is a demonstration of everything that‘s wrong with society - he‘s clanky, monomaniacal, and graceless. You‘re almost as good at fighting as he is (considering that he gets bonus feats), but you have other abilities as well. When you‘re in a party with him, the monsters tend to consider you (with your light armor) as the lesser of the two threats – at least until you hit four times in a round. Monks: The monk‘s ascetic lifestyle is very similar to the sort of self-exile you embrace. Both of you are nimble and silent, and you both have the ability to make extra attacks each round. Best of all, each of you respects the other‘s need for solitude. You and she could live in the same woods for years and never say a word to each other - except the occasional ―Help!‖ When you do join forces, you make a powerful combination. Paladins: If the fighter is rigid and loud, the paladin is even more so. Even if you‘re both of good alignment, you may be so far apart on the law and chaos axis that you can‘t have a civil conversation. Even her warhorse is a sticking point, since at any moment it can command your mount, and you‘re not about to stand for that. Still, the two of you do have one thing in common: If something goes against your code, you‘re unshakable in your fervor to set things right. When you both agree on something, it‘s not a good idea to get in your way. Rogues: You have a lot in common with the party rogue because your skill sets overlap but don‘t compete. When the two of you move down a hallway together, you can back each other up in ways a paladin and wizard couldn‘t begin to understand. You may live in different environments, but you respect each other‘s abilities and attitudes. Sorcerers: Sorcerers are what rangers would be if they were arcane spellcasters - fast, focused, and uncluttered by tomes and universities. You and the sorcerer work well together because you can depend on him to do what you expect and do it well. Wizards: Wizards can be maddeningly unpredictable. You want maximum versatility in combat, and so does she - mostly for staying out of melee. But just when you decide to wade in for two-weapon battery, you discover that she‘s targeting the area for a fireball. Still, any arcane spellcaster is better than none, since she‘s bound to have lots of useful spells.

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As a Group. Team Spirit Any collection of people forms its own traditions, its own shared memories, and its own collective personality. This applies most strongly to tightly knit groups that face danger together, such as the typical adventuring party in role-playing games (RPGs). Failure to form such bonds can result in disaster when the group disintegrates in the face of the enemy. Therefore, in addition to the time they spend creating backgrounds and role-playing notes for their characters, garners may devote some thought to the history of their party. This adds depth and flavor to the game. It may also save the characters‘ lives.

History of the group This article provides three lists of background possibilities for a group. The first covers the reasons how the party began. The second covers customs, rituals, and common practices. The third covers actual history that happened to the party. These tables, however, offer only a framework. The fun of inventing a group‘s history lies in making up the details. These tables might explain that the party has a lifelong nemesis, but it is up to the players and the GM to determine what or who the nemesis is, where it lives, how the party ran afoul of it, and so on. This article only provides inspiration for things an adventuring group might experience. Players and GMs get to invent all the complexities of these events, deciding exactly how and why things happened, who played a role and what it all means for the group today. This gives the GM a chance to expand the players‘ knowledge of the world. It also gives everyone a chance to exercise creativity. Everything this article does suggest can be seen in several ways. Simply because a group has a custom does not mean its members always live up to it. Simply because a group works for some powerful figure does not mean that she is their only patron. Each time players generate a new event, they get to decide how to integrate it into the story line.

The GM’s job The GM should pay attention to every detail of a group‘s background. Party history offers instant adventure source material; for instance, the party‘s old friends and patrons may send the PCs on missions. The nature of those friends and patrons also helps shape what those missions might be. Adventurers accustomed to serving a chivalric nobleman end up in very different predicaments from those who work for a criminal mastermind. Bits of the party‘s past may return to haunt it, as the party‘s old enemies interfere with quests, or become the objects of quests themselves. These techniques make the game far more believable than such standard plot devices as having someone hire the party in a tavern. They also make the group‘s history palpable and of immediate import, encouraging role-playing. Once PCs have friends, they naturally want to call on them for help. Some GMs can find it frustrating when adventurers try to pass part of their work on to others. However, when they are properly handled, NPC contacts provide a wonderful tool for advancing the plot. The GM can use these characters to provide background information and vital clues. This allows the GM to shorten the time spent in adventure introductions, getting the game started faster and encouraging players to pay more attention to details. The GM also should remember that NPCs have their own motivations and roles in an adventure. One should not have the party‘s friends end up working for the opposition too often, because this simply leaves the PCs frustrated and alienated. However, NPCs may be misinformed. They may let their personalities color their advice, with eager warriors underplaying threats and pessimists overstating them. They may call on the PCs to take certain sides, thereby trapping the party in a conflict of loyalties.

Creating the history The remainder of this article consists of three lists of party characteristics: Group origins, Customs, and Group events, set up so that they can be used with percentile dice to randomly generate the facts of a party‘s history.

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To begin the process of creating a party history, the players should choose a group origin by consensus or dice roll. Then, each player should pick either one custom or one group event for the party. (Players who desire may determine these items with dice rolls.) The player should decide how his character was involved in this event. Then, all the players should collectively decide which customs and events relate to one another and how they affect the whole group. In small groups, players may wish to choose two customs or events each. Players may determine all information from these tables either through dice rolls or by conscious choice. Both methods have their advantages. By simply choosing events, customs, and motivations for a party, players may create exactly the sort of group they desire. Conscious choice also ensures a logical combination of events. However, random rolling can create quirky combinations of goals and events. The challenge of developing a story to accommodate these diverse results can bring out real creativity, resulting in a more complex and interesting story than one that is assembled more mechanically. The GM also may prefer random rolling if he fears that the players will choose only events favorable to themselves. The ideal solution may be to initially determine a group‘s background randomly, while retaining the option to reroll any clearly inappropriate result. Note that these tables can be used to generate a history for a party in an existing campaign or for a group just setting up a game campaign.

Origins First, players should determine how the party came together. This information sets the tone for the rest of the group‘s events and customs. The GM may want to choose a group‘s origin in order to fit the sort of campaign he wants to run. However, a party does not have to follow its original purpose throughout its entire existence. Coming up with reasons why a party changed its mission provides yet another way of defining the spirit of the group. The following list gives likely ways for a group to form. The party or GM may either choose one, using this list for inspiration, or roll one randomly with percentile dice. 01-05 Ancient order. The party is an arm of some age-old society, such as the ninja, the Masonic Orders, or the Chinese Iliad‘s. This society may have widespread influence, or it may be a tiny local cell. Players should pick a theme for the society. Typical ancient orders serve as fraternal brotherhoods for followers of a religion, members of a profession, adepts of some mystery (such as magic use or a specialist school of magic), or a group that bands together for self-protection against a common enemy. Most ancient orders have elaborate initiations, passwords, codes of honor, and other rituals. 06-10 Barroom buddies. The PCs are all patrons of a certain bar (or other social establishment) and occasionally undertake daring deeds together, either for money or to help mutual friends. Adventuring parties of this nature have become a cliché. However, they can be interesting to play if the characters give thought to such questions as why their particular characters happen to stick together and how they each ended up in this position. This type of party origin works well in a game with a lighter theme, where most scenarios are built around buddies trying to get one another out of assorted scrapes. 11-15 Chance companions. The PCs barely knew each other before beginning their adventuring careers; they met only by accident, or because some employer assembled them from far and wide. This meeting may have taken place long ago, and the group may now have some structure. Nevertheless, PCs may not like each other, and some may have secrets from the rest of the party. All members of this sort of group should pay attention to developing individual character histories. 16-20 Conspiratorial clan. The PCs have a secret political goal. They wish to depose a powerful enemy or to seize power in some institution. They may conspire against a government, a mercantile guild, an organized crime figure, a wizard, or any other powerful person. 21-25 Destiny’s chosen. Some seer or prophet identifies the PCs as chosen ones for some quest. This may involve either protecting folk from some legendary peril, or it may involve a quest on behalf of some religion. Mythology provides numerous examples for this sort of campaign. The Belgariad series by David Eddings is an example from contemporary fantasy fiction. 26-30 Disciples. The party serves some religion, sorcerer, prophet, philosopher, or instructor of the martial arts. This does not mean the PCs must have homogenous alignments, personalities, or abilities. Each disciple may follow this spiritual leader in an individual way. 31-35 Family ties. The PCs are all related to one another. Their family is either a noble house with political and military interests, or a close-knit clan like those of the Middle East or Appalachia, one that takes care of its own. In either event, the adventurers go on their quests to help other family members, avenge family Page 71

dishonors, and increase the house‘s fortune. 36-40 Kingpin’s henchmen. The PCs are henchmen of a powerful figure in organized crime. This patron uses them as muscle and to acquire items she desires. Many of the PCs serve this figure for money or out of fear. However, these organizations also may have an ancient tradition of honor, like that of Japan‘s yakuza. 41-45 Order of honor. The party is a branch of a chivalric order, dedicated to brave deeds on behalf of some cause. This cause may be a holy crusade, a wizard‘s quest for knowledge, an oppressed race‘s quest for justice, or a people‘s drive for freedom. 46-50 Mercenary brotherhood. The party organized itself for the purpose of undertaking dangerous tasks for money. Not all mercenary brotherhoods are alike. Some may be as avaricious as their name implies. Others can consist of honorable people who simply happen to pursue a warrior s profession. The Oathbound and Oathbreakers books by Mercedes Lackey describe a mercenary sisterhood of the latter nature. 51-55 Merchant’s agents. The party works for a business of some sort. PCs may have the task of carrying valuable cargo to markets in distant lands, such as those visited along the historical Silk Road. Merchants may dispatch the party to explore unknown territory, looking for resources or potential trading partners. Alternatively, the merchants may employ PCs in urban intrigues against criminals, interfering governments, and rival businesses. 56-60 Noble retainers. The party pledges fealty to some lord or king, and carries out forays against the liege‘s enemies or quests on behalf of his honor. The model of Arthur‘s Knights of the Round Table immediately comes to mind. Alexander Dumas‘ Three Musketeers presents an example of noble retainers in a different setting. 61-65 Roguish band. Most people view the party as pirates or bandits. The PCs live in some secluded area, surviving by their strength and their wits. They may see themselves as guerrilla freedom fighters, like numerous bandits from Chinese legend. PCs in such a campaign also may come from a savage culture that considers banditry a legitimate profession, such as many of the Central Asian nomads. Aristotle, in his Politics, listed piracy along with agriculture and trade as one of the primary ways for a city to sustain itself. Robin Hood, of course, provides another example of a heroic bandit in literature. 66-70 Secret agents. The party consists of spies operating on behalf of some criminal, merchant, or foreign government. 71-75 Strangers in a strange land. The PCs belong to a race or culture that is foreign in the campaign. They might be Westerners in an Oriental campaign, dwarves in a human kingdom, half-orcs in an elvish kingdom, worshipers of a good deity in an evil land, supporters of a disgraced nobleman, or misfits of any other type. Some PCs may represent members of the dominant group who, for whatever reason, have befriended the majority of the party. PCs in this sort of party find the outside world hostile at worst and mysterious at best. They must rely on one another. They may have entered the region together on some errand, or they may have met once they arrived, perhaps through some family or mutual aid society. A party of this sort may face adventures to escape persecution, slavery, lynch mobs, or false accusations. People in the government or criminal organizations also may see them as ideal undercover operatives, because they are expendable and because, as outsiders, they should have no previous loyalties to local political figures. 76-80 Training cadre. The PCs hope to become operatives for some powerful wizard or other patron. First, however, they must prove their skills to her. The party undertakes whatever adventures it can to hone its abilities and showcase its talent. 81-85 Veterans. The PCs survived a war or great disaster together. They owe each other their lives. Now, they are finding it difficult to return to normal life, both because of the intensity of their experience together, and because society has no place for them. Therefore, they remain together, and seek gold and glory where they can find it. 86-90 Wanderers. The party cannot remain in one place. Perhaps it has a long quest (chosen from some other entry on this list) that forces it to travel the length of a continent or more. Perhaps the PCs simply feel wanderlust. In either event, the party passes through many lands. It must occasionally stop to support itself along the way, and the jobs such vagrants find may often be dangerous ones. 91-95 Wizard’s servitors. The PCs are servitors and apprentices of a powerful wizard. They search after magical secrets for her, and perhaps take a role in wizardly politics. 98-00 Would-be heroes. The PCs want fame and glory. They will undertake any quest to obtain it. Would-be heroes have an obvious value in a comic campaign. However, they need not be seen as buffoons. Dumas‘ Three Musketeers could fit this role during the early stages of their career, as could many other heroes in fiction. After establishing a group‘s origin, players must determine how long the group has worked together. This need not have anything to do with the experience levels of the characters. Inexperienced adventurers Page 72

may have spent long, dull years together before actually seeing danger. If they work for merchants, town councils or even the armies of peaceful nations, they may have hoped to continue this stable career indefinitely. High-level adventurers, on the other hand, may have developed their skills rapidly, or may have joined the party late in their careers, after leaving other adventuring groups. (Players who develop details on those groups too make the game even richer.) Those who wish to determine the age of a party randomly should assume that the typical group has operated for 1d10 years - but do not treat a roll of ―0‖ as ten. If a ‖0‖ appears, roll 1d12 to determine the number of months a group has operated.

Customs Every party has customs. These range from dangerous and highly symbolic initiations to unofficial traditions such as chugging dwarven brews at the Sign of the Clover inn. Customs may develop as the consequence of major events in the group‘s history, or they simply may be ideas that caught on. Players assigned to develop group customs should consult with players developing group events, in order to draw realistic connections between the two. 01-03 Anthem. The group has a trademark song or ballad. It may sing this piece at appropriate times, such as before setting out on a journey. Should a bard at an inn happen to perform the group‘s anthem, the PCs may see this as a good omen, a call to general merrymaking, and a reason to tip the musician heavily. A poetically inclined player, ideally one playing a bard character, might actually compose this piece. 04-06 Badge of honor. Some or all members of the group have medals, tattoos, coats of arms, or other symbols commemorating a heroic deed in the group‘s past. 07-10 Charismatic leader. A powerful character leads the group by virtue of general respect, luck, and force of personality. The party should assign one PC this job. This does not mean that PC needs to make all the decisions, or that the others need to obey him. It merely indicates that the party thinks of him as its leader. 11-13 Code of chivalry. The party honors some code of ethics. This may be knightly chivalry, a code of honor like that recognized by Japan‘s yakuza, or simply a few principles. The party may wish to write down basic tenets of the code of honor early in the game. This prevents long arguments about the meaning of the code. Briefer arguments can add to the role-playing as long as they concern things the characters would debate. 14-17 Constructive anarchy. The party firmly resists any attempt to lead it. This may stem from some former dictatorial leader, or it may simply be group preference. 18-20 Cover occupation. The party pretends to do something mundane for a living. This may include serving as couriers, guards, or wagoneers while on the road, or perhaps in owning a small store. 21-23 Cutthroat competition. The social atmosphere in the party is exclusive and demanding. Everyone wants to stand above the others, and everyone wants the biggest share of booty. If a firm leader supervises this group, the competition may simply hone the group‘s edge. Otherwise it can cause conflict. 24-26 Division of spoils. The party has a firm policy on dividing any loot found adventuring. Players can invent such a system themselves. 27-29 Duels. The group settles internal conflicts by ritual combat. Depending on the party‘s choices, this may be to first blood, to the death, or to any other point. Party members also should consider what weapons are allowable and under what circumstances PCs would fight each other. 30-32 Exclusive membership. Officially or unofficially, the group is selective about its members. Old adventurers treat newcomers with suspicion and judge them carefully to see if they meet group standards. Group members may divide themselves into a distinct pecking order. Those at the top of the order get first pick of treasure and other benefits. 33-35 Grognard. The party considers grumbling its favorite pastime. Group morale actually may be high, but adventurers still like to complain. Favorite topics for complaints may include certain meddling authorities, food, living conditions, and so forth. 36-38 Initiation. The group requires an initiation for membership. This can be a boisterous night at a tavern, a brief blessing from a priest, a dunking in the fountain, a practical joke, a period of hazing, or an elaborate ordeal with secret rituals and dangerous tests. 39-41 Internal court. The group has an internal tribunal for settling disputes. The PCs should decide how their tribunal makes decisions and who serves as its judges. 42-44 Institutional leader. The group has a formal leader who serves as its spokesperson and makes decisions. Players must decide how they pick their leader and who she is. Note that the other PCs do not necessarily respect this leader. 45-47 Mascot. The group has a pet or possibly a young follower as a mascot.

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48-50 Meeting place. The group traditionally assembles at a particular tavern, private fortress, or other meeting place. 51-53 Motto. The group has a motto, be it humorous or deadly serious. A player should make one up. 54-56 Official history. The group keeps a log of its adventures, either for record-keeping purposes or in order to relive and immortalize its exploits. Some player should keep a genuine log. The entries in this log, of course, may reflect the viewpoint of that player‘s character. 57-58 Password. Group members identify themselves with some ritual code or identification measure. 59-61 Party democracy. The party makes decisions by formal votes and strict majority rule. 62-64 Patron deity. The party pays homage to one or more deities. Different parties approach religion in different ways. A circle of knights may devote themselves to extreme piety and holy quests. A band of buccaneers may give a laughing nod to gods of the sea or of thievery. 65-67 Quotation. Some PC or NPC once said something that the group now uses as a watchword. The quotation can be a serious piece of advice, a half-serious reminder (― Remember, hero, do not forget to wipe thy sword‖), or a joke. A quotation also may be something that the speaker did not intend to be memorable, but which struck people as funny or significant at the time. Parties may develop many quotations during play. 68-70 Racial pride. The party consists mainly of members of one particular race or nationality. These characters take pride in that. They may express this pride as camaraderie, or as prejudice against others of different races or nationalities. 71-73 Racial tolerance. The party enforces strict equality and cooperation between races, whether individual members like each other or not. 74-76 Ritual. The group performs some ritual on regular occasions. This can range from blessing the bodies of the slain to observing the festival of a certain god to celebrating the end of a journey with drinks at a certain tavern. 77-79 Rivalry. The party has a rival. This may be another mercenary squad, an arrogant nobleman, a mischievous sprite, or any other adversary. The rivals are not likely to fight a battle; instead, they strive constantly to outdo one another, and to make their opponents look foolish. 80-83 Secrecy. The group keeps its existence and its activities a dead secret. 84-86 Share and share alike. The party holds some or all possessions in common. The party leader or a general vote determines who gets to use powerful enchanted items. 87-89 Taboo. The group honors a prohibition of some sort. This can be a practical regulation, such as a ban against drinking before battle, or something esoteric, such as the Greek mystic and mathematician Pythagoras‘ commandment that his followers eat no beans. 90-93 Tattoo. Some or all members have a tattoo emblematic of the group. 94-96 Tithe. All group members must contribute a certain percentage of their income either to some respected cause or to a fund for buying things the party requires. 97-00 Trademark. Group members have a distinctive weapon, spell, garment, or other trademark.

Group events A group‘s past defines its present. Items from the following list give the party friends and enemies, contacts, and unfinished business. Therefore, the GM must provide approval and background detail for all these events. Group history also indicates the way party members see the world. Survivors of a disaster may struggle to avoid making similar mistakes, or they may squabble among each other, trying to assign blame. A party split by factions may feature politics and feuding, or it may insist on strict unity to keep the factions at bay. To decide when an event occurred, the player who determined the event should roll 1d10. The event occurred during this year of the party‘s existence. If the roll for when an event occurred exceeds the age of the party, roll again. 01-04 Abandoned quest. The group gives up one of its major undertakings due to unbeatable odds, a dispute with its patron, or a more pressing duty. Depending on circumstances, this action may have injured the party‘s reputation. Some PCs also may harbor a determination to return to the abandoned quest and complete it. 05-08 Attrition. The party is enduring lean times. It has lost too many battles and has little to do. Old members gradually drift away. Those who remain hope to reverse their fortunes. 09-13 Business interests. The party acquires an interest in a merchant caravan, a craftsman‘s shop, or other moneymaking enterprise. If the party‘s business makes a profit, PCs can expect a stipend. They may have to defend their business from enemies, or to personally take cargoes of valuable goods to distant markets.

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14-17 Change of purpose. The party changes it‘s collective purpose midway through it‘s career. Consult the Origins list a second time; then decide on a reason for the change. For example, when a powerful lord loses a war, his trusted knights may find themselves recast in the roles of bandits. Wandering mercenaries may pick up a permanent job. When combinations make no sense, feel free to keep rolling on the Origins list, but even the strangest switches of purpose sometimes can be fitted into a story line. 18-21 Contacts. The party develops an NPC friend. This friend may be anyone or anything the players and GM desire, but typical examples would be priests, criminals, innkeepers, sages, guardsmen, servants in some household, wise old peasants, and young knights. 22-25 Criminal patron. The party makes a brief or extended excursion into organized crime. This leaves PCs in contact with one of the powerful figures in the underworld. This patron may prove a useful ally or a rewarding source of work. However, should the party cross its criminal patron, he will find a way to punish them. 26-29 Debt. The party goes into debt. Typical reasons include healing injured companions, purchasing a ship, castle, team of horses, or other valuable possession, paying ransoms, and buying forgiveness from underworld figures. 30-33 Desertion. A prominent character abandons the party. The reasons can include cowardice, treason, personality conflicts, conflicting loyalties, or sheer accident. The GM may introduce this deserter as either an enemy or an unexpected ally in future adventures. 34-37 Disastrous battle. The party suffers a terrible defeat. Reasons include overwhelming odds, treason from within, inability to organize, a foolish plan, the disfavor of the gods, or simple bad luck. 38-41 Disgraced. The party‘s bad luck or dishonorable dealings bring it disgrace. 42-45 Enemy. The party makes a bitter enemy. This may be a monster, a political figure, a rival adventurer, a criminal, or any other worthy foe. 46-49 Epic journey. The party undertakes a great journey, leading it through regions known only in legend. It may have returned from this journey, or its current location could have been the destination. If the epic journey involved some noble deed, the PCs may have earned some fame. 50-53 Factionalism. The party divides into cliques. These may be rival political groups, or they may simply be groups of friends. Decide which PCs belong to which faction and why. 54-57 Fortunate omen. A priest, hermit, fortune-teller, or professional wizard predicted great things for the party. Decide who interpreted this omen, how the party happened to go to him, and what sort of good fortune the party might desire. 58-61 Fugitives. The party offends some priest or lord either through bad luck, repeated failures, or crime. PCs now must escape from their new enemy. If the party does not flee to another land, its members must live as outlaws. 67-70 Heroic deed. The whole group or one PC performs a heroic deed, attracting great support from the people. Heroic deeds include killing legendary monsters, saving lives, and performing great acts of charity. 71-75 Leader’s rise. A member of the party ends disorganization and factionalism by seizing control and providing strong leadership. Choose which PC fills this role. 76-79 Leadership struggle. Two or more PCs both consider themselves the party leader. They may resolve this dispute amicably, but are more likely to argue over every difference of opinion. 80-83 New member. A new member joins the group. The party may give this person either a warm or a cautious reception, depending on the newcomer‘s nation and on previous events. 84-87 Patron killed. Someone murders the party‘s chief employer. The party may or may not be under suspicion. In any event, PCs must re-establish themselves. 88-91 Rescue. The party saves the life of a noble, a priest, a mysterious sorcerer, a creature, or another NPC. Alternatively, someone else might rescue the party. In either case, memories of the incident remain. Unscrupulous saviors might use the rescue as an excuse to demand favors from the people they saved. 92-95 Royal patronage. A king or other ruler decides to make use of the party‘s services. 96-00 Sacrificed member. The group sacrificed one of its own members, trading him as a slave or as a meal to some monster, leaving him behind in a perilous battle, or setting him up to take the blame for some crime. Remember that these lists are only the starting point in determining why a party adventures together. The rest of the work must be accomplished by a GM and players who are willing to make the most of their shared campaign.

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Tips For Crafting Party Names To Name Or Not? Does your group desire a name for your band of PCs? Do you want to have one? The party name is a classic RPG element with roots in legends, fiction, and stories (The Fellowship of the Ring, The Knights of the Round Table). Before you suggest a name for your group, note that party identity can be a boon or a bane. It can serve as a great tool that adds fun, drama, and a sense of accomplishment. A poorly chosen name, however, can diminish sense of disbelief, distract players, and conflict with campaign themes or session mood. For example, what group of players could resist puffing their chests out when the King proclaims The Justiciars Of Vengeance have saved the realm? Alternatively, imagine the GM's frustration when the ATeam name starts to change to PCs' personalities to match that of the 80s TV show. Some reasons to craft a party name:

* Party unity Some groups have unity problems. The PCs might have different goals, difficult personalities, diverse backgrounds, or poor teamwork. A party name can focus a group and bring them together.

* Plotting A good name can influence or guide party decisions and character actions. It becomes a GM plotting and guidance tool.

* Style A good name adds a sense of flair and style to your campaign. It becomes something worth defending and upholding for the PCs, and an element to design and plan around for GMs.

* Legacy After the campaign ends, party names are often remembered first and help trigger memories and campaign stories. The party name might even become synonymous with the campaign and become its major identity.

* Brevity It's faster referring to your group of characters in-game, out of game, and in your notes by a party name than by listing each PC's name. A party name is also more compelling than calling them The Group! Some reasons not to craft or approve a party name:

* Disrupting A poorly chosen name ruins the flow and mood of game sessions.

* Inappropriate Some genres and campaign styles don't work well with the party name concept.

* No benefits If the benefits of having a party name are already established, there's no need to craft a name, especially if there's a risk the name might counter some of those benefits. For example, if the party is tight and working well as a team, but then a heated argument erupts when deciding a party name, it would be wise to forestall the naming.

Lead The Naming Process If the group already has a cool name and everyone's happy with it, skip this tip. If the name has yet to be decided, or, if your players are having trouble coming up with ideas, read on. Page 76

If you want to have a name, then accept the possibility that you might need to lead the process. If another player doesn't champion the cause and push the issue so that a name is culled and picked, then you need to take on this role yourself. First, you need to figure out how the name will be picked and who wants to do the picking. 1) Does the group want a name? Take a step back and objectively consider whether a name is even desired. If not, drop the issue and game on - there's no sense upsetting the other players. 2) Does the group want input? Sometimes, players just want the name to emerge naturally during play. Other times, they want to brainstorm and pick the name themselves. In some instances, your group will be happy with whatever you decide. If your group wants to consciously pick a name, then help where you can with idea generation and feedback. Also discuss how the name will be decided. If it's group consensus, will it need a majority or unanimous decision? Figuring out the logistics of the group naming process might seem like work, but it's quick to poll your group, and figuring out the protocols at the beginning will save time and smooth out the decision-making process. If you have a good feeling about things, you are also welcome to stand back and let it happen without working out the who and how. If you have decided a group name is a good thing though, intervene when you feel it's time and work through the steps above.

Assigning The Name Yourself If you've been tasked with crafting the group name, consider these tips: * Now or later? Unless you have reasons for picking a name now, feel free to take your time and let some gameplay unfold before choosing a name. * Start with a theme. To jog ideas, pick a theme first, then look for the right words. Example themes: - Prophecy. If the game involves a prophecy, then name the group around it once the PCs know they're involved. - Background element or event. How did the PCs come together as a group? Do the characters have commonalities in their backgrounds? - The villain or campaign conflict. What are the characters struggling against or striving for? A group of heroes should be named after their accomplishments, and crafting this name before the victory is like throwing down the gauntlet for your players. - Principles. Do the characters share common principles, ethics, beliefs, morals, or alignment? Name the group after the principles they've chosen to uphold. - Patron. Who the PCs are is often reflected in whom they work for and why. * The party name should be used in-game, so pick something that won't break character, sense of disbelief, or mood. * Keep a notebook with you as names might come to mind outside your planning time. * Pick the noun first. It's often easiest to first find a word that describes who the characters are, their role in the campaign, or their situation in the game world. Then, pick a modifier word - an adjective. Are they avengers, heroes, protectors, judges, seekers? Page 77

* Sometimes, an abstract name works best. This doesn't pin the party into any particular role or promise anything on your behalf. It doesn't judge the PCs either, which some players might appreciate. For example, The Iron Fist, The Green Shields, The Winding Path.

Make The Name Important - Use It Often Once a name is picked, often after much angst, debate, and thought, be sure to make all the effort worthwhile. Fortunately, making the name important not only rewards the players, but it helps with planning and design. * Out of game, use the party name in session logs, campaign notes, and casual discussions with other players. * If you use a message board, Yahoo! Group, wiki, or some other online gathering place, name it after the group name. * Encourage the game world toward group name use. This will make everyone more comfortable with using it. - Bureaucracy might require forms with the party name on them as the primary identifier - Restaurants and appointments might use the party name - NPCs use the party name for introductions - Signs, posters, announcements, heralds, and criers all use the name - Patrons, employers, lords, and important folk use the name - Villain declarations - in speeches, curses, and parley, have villains use the party's name * Be sure to use other group names - Scribes, sages, and historians speak of previous heroic and villainous groups by party name - Rival groups of NPCs have their own party names - Allies should use party names - Give cults, sub-cultures, clubs, and social groups party names

Sources Of Inspiration Picking the right words for a group name is tough. Sometimes, every name feels cheesy. You might also be suffering from writer's block. Here are a few sources you might consider for researching good words and examples: * Poetry * Song Lyrics - http://www.roleplayingtips.com/readissue.php?number=288 * Thesaurus - http://thesaurus.reference.com/ * Dictionary - http://dictionary.reference.com/ * Atlas - use the index * Colours - http://www.hccweb.com/manual/hccmanA.html

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This Party is Off the Hook!

A Miniguide to Party Optimization (D&D 4th) 4E is a team game. You can create characters in a vacuum if you want, but the most effective characters are those in parties are here the characters are created to work in a group and to complement each other. One of the most common questions I see on these boards is what character should I add to my party. I love those threads and this guide is a place to discuss how to improve parties as a whole and if you have a question about what character you should add to your party, this is the place to ask. This guide will discuss the basics: The importance of Roles, how to fill in gaps, skills, range vs. melee, character synergies, party size, and anything else people think is important enough to include.

Roles Which is most important and why? The general char-op consensus seems to be that the two most important roles are leader and striker, with defender coming in a respectable third and controller last. Others put defenders in front of strikers and some put leader as second. There is nowhere near universal agreement about this and many would put defender above striker and a few would put leader as second. My view is Leader > Striker > Defender > Controller, but with many caveats. I would rather have a second striker, defender, or 1st controller in a party before a second leader in a party of five most of the time, but still think leader is the role I would least want to go without in a party of 3 or more. And with controller more than any other role it depends on the player and build. In my own experience I have seen very effective controllers that were a major asset to the party and ones that barely contributed.

What does each role bring to the table? Defenders All defenders can mark and should be able to punish enemies for ignoring the mark or for trying to move away from them. They should also be tough: able to take attacks through good defenses, high hit points and surges and also be able to shrug off conditions Strikers Mobility and damage. Also many strikers have ways of protecting themselves (but not allies) from enemies. Strikers also tend to be a bit sneakier than the other classes and often make good scouts. Leaders Leaders should be able to add healing, ally buffing/enemy debuffing, enabling extra movement and attacks, and grant saves/remove conditions. Controllers The hardest roll to define and thought by many to be the least important of the 4 roles. A good controller can still add a lot to a party: minion clearing and multitarget damage, terrain modification, forced movement, action denial, and status effects. Usually larger parties benefit more from a controller since there are often more enemies thrown at the party at the same time, which is where many controllers shine since more targets gives you more scope for delaying some enemies from engaging, more opportunity for effective AoE damage, and better options for AoE placement.

Minoring in a role Many classes have strong minors in other roles: Paladins can heal with lay on hands, making them like leaders; warlocks have debuffing making them like controllers; some wizards boost their DPR enough to minor in striker; bear shamans can use their spirit to mark their enemies and punish them for moving away. Page 79

The majority of the time they do not do this as well the primary class, but putting in one or two well built minoring characters can go a long way to making up for a party gap. Who minors in what role: This is a list of the general ways that different builds have minors. I am more than willing to improve on the definition of minoring but for now: Defender means marking and/or being tough on the front line. Striker means high DPR for your role. Leader means ally healing, status removal, action granting, or buffing. Minoring in controller means lots of AoE, inflicting status effects, or forced movement. Minors in Defender Strikers: Rageblood Barbarian Pursuit Avenger Iron Arms Monk

Minors in Leader Defenders: Virtue Paladin Lay on Hands Paladin Lifeblood Warden

Leaders: Battle Cleric Bear Shaman Most Warlords Wrathful Runepriest Valor Bard Enlightened Ardent

Strikers: Thaneborn Barbarian

Controllers: Swarm Druid (Depends on AC and HAE) Staff Wizards Protecting Seeker Minors in Striker Defenders: 2-h Fighter Ardent Paladin Assault Swordmage Leaders: Stalker Shaman Euphoric Ardent Controllers: Blaster Wizard Predator Druid Wrathful Invoker Vengeful Seeker

Controllers: Preserving Invoker Minors in Controller Defenders: Most Polearm Builds for defenders Shield Fighter Earthstrength Wardens Stormheart Wardens Ensaring Swordmage Strikers: Warlocks Sorcerers Monks Thunderborn Barbarian Leaders: Bards (especially prescient and cunning) WorldSpeaker Shaman Laser Cleric Pacifist Cleric Defiant Runepriest

Other ways to minor in a role Mulitclassing: Almost any character can multiclass to get a class feature of another class. Powers swap feats can add to any area your character is lacking. Paragon paths: both from your own class and other classes can emphasize another role. If you really need to minor in something, this route can be one of the more effective choices, but be careful since the trend recently is to make it hard for members of a different class to get the full benefit of another classes paragon paths. Hybrid: There is too much about hybrids to go into here, but hybrids allow you to do two roles at once. Usually you will not do either role as well as someone devoted to just one of the roles, but it is an option. Items: Again, there are many items out there that will help supplement you in areas which are not your Page 80

primary role

What to do for a party missing a role Multiclassing and power swaps are good for many of these cases. This does not always work and in some cases a role feature is built into a class like the fighter marking enemies he attacks, but there are many times where multiclassing can give you part of role, such as picking up the paladin or warden marks once an encounter or a daily heal power from a leader. The first parts below are from Tiornys, with the "my advice" parts following. Missing a Defender A party missing a defender has fewer overall resources and reduced ability to control melee combat. They are more vulnerable to focused fire and lockdown of ranged characters. Desired encounter resources: 1-2 ways to allow self/an ally to escape undesired melee 1-2 strong defensive buffs, including resistances, bonuses to defenses, and temp HPs Tactical considerations: use formations to make it costly for the enemies to all engage a single target, especially one that the enemies have been focusing on. Primarily ranged characters should invest in a decent melee option or place an even higher priority on being able to escape melee or avoid OA's when making ranged/area attacks. My Advice: Up the other characters ability to take and avoid hits. Try to rotate who takes the hits between encounters if possible. Use summons or pets when possible to create some sort of front line. You can also use characters that do need defending and these fall into two general categories: porcupines (generally strikers who punish enemies for attacking/approaching them) and high defense characters (also usually strikers). Examples of porcupines are riposte strike using brutal scoundrel rogues or infernal locks using hellish rebuke. Examples of high defense characters are defensive focused monks or pursuit avengers. Missing a Striker A party missing a striker has a harder time dealing with high priority targets, especially those protected by terrain and/or front line creatures. They are more vulnerable to high powered artillery and controllers. Desired encounter resources: 1-2 high damage single target powers per party member Half of the party either strong at range or having ability to bypass obstacles to get to protected targets Tactical considerations: focusing fire becomes more important with the party's damage output more evenly spread across its members. Strong control from controllers or sticky defenders can enable 1-2 party members to lock down part of the enemy while the rest of the party focuses on a convenient target. My advice: Up your DPR. Almost any class can do this, but for classes like two hand talent fighters, ardent paladins, predator druids, blaster wizards etc you can get your damage to be close enough to that of a striker to pass as one. For leaders you also need to be concentrating on upping the damage of your party members most of the time through granting extra attacks to your fellow PCs, helping those attacks to hit, and increasing the damage of the attacks that do hit. Missing a Leader A party missing a leader has access to fewer resources in combat, and has a harder time recovering from adversity. They are more vulnerable to ambushes, losing initiative, and controllers. Desired encounter resources: 1-2 ways to access surges without using a standard action on second wind Multiple ways to gain action advantage on the enemy Tactical considerations: avoidance of reckless tactics becomes more important in a party with fewer ways to help a character who gets in trouble. However, the party can't play too defensively or their resources will be Page 81

overwhelmed. Focus on dropping the enemy as quickly as possible without taking undue risks. Investment in initiative and anti-ambush skills is even more important than normal. My Advice: The most obvious thing you need to replace is the midcombat healing. This can be done through some classes that minor in leader like life spirit wardens and lay on hands paladins. You can pick up multiclass 1/day heals through all of the leader feats except shaman, which lets you get 1/encounter heal while costing 2 feats. Many leader powers heal as well so this is a case where power swapping feats might be worth it. Several skill powers can also provide some healing. Don't forget that any character can use second wind and many characters can generate enough temporary hitpoints to reduce their need for healing. Item healing is another way, with potions being the most readily available way to heal. There are a few other ones out there like a healing weapon and river of life gloves that as daily powers let allies heal. The other part of this role is the save granting, ally buffing/enemy debuffing, and party enabling and those are a bit harder to replace. For divine characters a number of channel divinity feats replicate leader effects like buffing/debuffing and healing. There are a number of items like the steadfast amulet and holy symbol of hope that either grant extra saves or grant bonuses to saves. A few classes can boost ally attacks through their powers like barbarians. Missing a Controller A party missing a controller has a harder time dealing with situations where they are outnumbered. They are more vulnerable to horde tactics, enemy leaders, and well coordinated enemy forces. Desired encounter resources: 1-2 AoE powers Some form of efficient minion clearing, possibly including 1-2 extra AoE powers 1-2 single target lockdown/debuff powers Tactical considerations: without a character dedicated to disrupting the enemy plan, pay more attention to cleanly executing a plan based on the party's strengths. A striker heavy party should concentrate their fire, a leader heavy party should try to synergize buffs/debuffs, and a defender heavy party should keep multiple enemies occupied. My Advice: The good thing about controller is that many classes already provide some control, both through multitarget attacks and through debuffing attacks. Getting a character like a centered breath monk, polearm fighter, or laser cleric to have a strong minor in controller is very easy. Right now many controllers have very good daily attacks and pick up their control more from powers than through class features so poaching a daily or hybriding works better for controllers than for the other four roles most of the time.

Range vs. Melee What is the proper ratio? You need melee characters to build a front line in most parties. You also need ranged characters to take care of flying enemies and enemies that are otherwise at a distance you can't reach through melee. The general consensus seems to be that you need to be at about 3 Melee for every 2 Ranged, with one of those being far ranged (10+). If you do not have a party of 5 or ten that exact ratio is hard to hit exactly. There are also exceptions to this and one of the most effective parties I have heard of was of a group of bow rangers who all MC shaman to make the spirit companions work as the front line. What builds can do both? These classes all have fairly common builds that can fight fairly well both at range and melee. You can always hand a melee character a javelin, but that sort of build would not count unless you went for a more specific spear/shield build that was actually effective at range. Making a front line Almost all parties need some sort of front line to help protect the squishier back line party members. Usually this is made up of at least one defender and at least one other character that can hold their own at least some of the time. Most often these are the builds mentioned above that minor in defender like battle cleric and

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rageblood barbarian, but also includes summoner classes like the shaman, artificer, invoker, and wizard who can either always or often put summons on the front line in their place.

Skills Which skills are most important? You want to have all of the skills covered if possible, but some skills are more valuable than others. Some are also better to have combined in one character such as: Scouting/exploring: stealth/thievery/perception/athletics (need dex/wis/str) Social Skills: bluff/diplomacy/insight/intimidate/streetwise (need cha/wis) Ritual Casting: arcana/nature/religion/heal (need int/wis) 1st Tier: At least one person in party needs this. For perception especially it is good for as many characters as possible to have it. Perception Insight Stealth Thievery Heal 2nd Tier: It is good for at least one character to have these. These are particularly important for social skills and rituals, so one PC can usually specialize in these. Arcana Religion Nature Athletics Bluff Diplomacy Intimidate 3rd Tier: Useful for individuals, but not party essentials. History Dungeoneering Acrobatics Endurance Streetwise

Ways to replace skills A few skills can be replaced by using feats. The feat Dungeon Experience lets you use dungeoneering skill for lock and traps, which means any high wisdom character with the dungeoneering skill can make up for lake of dex focused character. Ritual Casting Someone in your party probably needs this, either by default or by spending a feat for it. Not everyone thinks this is that valuable and you can always buy scrolls, but it is better to have this just in case. Here are the classes that get it for free: Artificer, Bard, Cleric, Druid, Invoker, Psion, Wizard.

Party Size What is the ideal party size? 4E is designed around having 5 characters in a party. Other sizes work fine, and most people on this discussion board have had good experiences with parties from 3-6 characters in size. Less than 3 tends to be a bit tricky since unless you hybrid you are missing full members of two roles. More than 6 tends to bog down some. It is easier to make sure your get each role, skill, etc. filled, but solo leaders and defenders can get stretched a bit thin. The following is general advice for each party size. What to do if I have 2 members? Page 83

This is one of the hardest ones to answer, but poster sanityfaerie gave some good advice in this thread about two character parties: "First, to consider ranged/melee - Really, everyone needs to be able to function in either here. You will find yourself in cases where range damage is the only thing that matters (when the enemy controller that is making the rest of the fight miserable is flying, for example), and in those cases, you don't really have enough people for anyone to sit it out. You will find yourself in cases where you are swarmed, and in those cases, everyone had better be prepared to function at least reasonably well in hand-to-hand. There are caveats - if you have a ranged-heavy striker, then you might be able to get away with having your second character be pure melee but being able to function in both is pretty valuable - Second, let's look at roles. - Leader: You'll want some. You don't necessarily need a full one. Things like having one or both party members as dwarves, having a paladin, and/or 2-feat MCing to shaman for the healing spirit can cover you here reasonably well. The healing here is critical, because you can't afford to let either character drop. At the same time, the buffing is often less valuable, because you don't have as many fellow PCs to buff. A twoplayer party is no place for a lazy warlord. - Defender: There's really two ways to go here. You can go true defender/squishy, but it's probably not worth it. The guy in the back will be too fragile, and the guy in the front will have to spend more build range than it's worth to get enough stickiness. The other option, and by far the more sane here, is to go with a pair of characters, both of whom are relatively durable. If you're going ranged/melee pair (where one character intends to spend most of their time in melee, and the other intends to spend most of their time in the back ranks) then clearly the guy in front should be investing *somewhat* more heavily in durability, but it's still the case that he won't be as sticky as a defender - the party doesn't have enough resources overall to make it worthwhile to have him as sticky as a defender - so more folks will get past, and your other character needs to be able to handle that. - Striker: damage is good. Damage is always good. More damage is better. In this party, you cannot afford to have anyone who isn't at least reasonably good at dealing damage, and the more striker you can fit in, the better. - Controller: Special case here. Ignore the controller role. Instead, think about controller effects. At a basic level, don't pay for effects that you can't use. If you're stacking forced movement, you should know what you intend to do with it. If you're stacking dazes, you should know why. The controller role is one of those things that you get as much as you pay for, so make sure that you only pay for things that will help you. - Third, take synergy. You're going to have one other PC to work with, and if one of you goes down and doesn't come back up almost immediately, you've probably both lost already. Working out two-player synergies can be a really good thing for you. Things like this involve... - Prone, daze, prone-exploitation, and CA-exploitation: A relatively simple set that's really quite difficult to put together all in one character, but becomes significantly easier with two. Prone+daze is an excellent way to take an enemy out of the fight, prone+prone-exploit can reap some serious damage rewards, prone or daze alone with some forced movement can limit the enemy's choices pretty significantly, and both prone and daze grant CA (in addition to making it easier to maneuver for flanking). - Vuln and vuln-exploitation: frostcombo, radiant mafia, and even necrotic via blightbeast: Often even better in a full-party setting, but work just fine with two-player - Fourth, special considerations. There are things to bear in mind as a limited-size party.... - Radiant damage. It would be really very helpful if you could manage at least one PC with at-will access to radiant damage, just because of all of the undead that are so much less pleasant when you have to go without. At the same time, being completely beholden to any one damage type is both very easy for a twoperson party trying to work the synergies and potentially lethal. - Combat Advantage (CA): flanking is a lot harder to come by when there's only one other person in the party. Rogues are still playable, but they'll need to have a plan from level 1 on how they're going to get their CA - Attack-granting: becomes a lot less useful when you only have one other person to grant attacks to. - Charging: you cannot charge if the enemies are all adjacent to you, and that's a lot more likely in a party of 2

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Fifth, skills - if yours is a campaign that will care about skills at all. - You'll probably want wisdom. - You'll probably want charisma. - You'll probably want intelligence - You may want dex Of course, this doesn't mesh well with reality - particularly since you'll likely want a fair bit of con as well. What to do if I have 3 members? You will not be able to cover all 4 roles all the way for sure. So you are going to need to have someone at least minor in whatever role or roles you are missing. If you have to go without one role, controller is probably the best to drop since they are more useful in larger parties. Here is some good advice from Auspex7 in a thread about 3 member parties Small Parties at the Table: a) Small parties mean smaller numbers of enemies, because of the encounter budget system. The only way this isn't true is if you're facing a slew of minions. --Nova and front-loaded offense gains value against smaller numbers of enemies, as you are removing a higher % of incoming damage and control from the grid with each individual monster you kill. --With fewer targets on the grid, you're generally able to apply Novas and other damage bursts more quickly, as clear paths are more readily available, and the process of identifying key targets (example- playing the everpopular, "Whose Aura Is It?!") becomes quicker. b) With small parties, each individual's offensive output has a higher impact, because it represents a larger % of the party's total offense. Pacifists lose their shine in 3 man parties for this reason. Similarly, high-octane Leaders gain shine for the same reason. c) with smaller numbers of enemies on the grid, the total drain on a Leader's healing ability is reduced. Simply put, when you're the only Leader in a party of 5, you've got a lot more ground to cover, and your healing has to offset a higher volume of incoming damage (from the increased number of monsters on the grid). d) with smaller numbers of monsters on the grid, control becomes a bigger consideration. Again, this is a direct reflection of the % of each Team constituted by any one creature. I don't think anyone will (or could) argue with those points. Optimization 'needs' for a 3-man party: a) Defender, Leader, and... offense. You don't want anyone to be lacking in punch, because any one of you could be hit with control effects. Example: Chaladin, Pacifist Cleric, Ranger. If that Ranger gets slapped with a stun, you're not putting out very much damage that turn. b) an emergency heal, in case the Leader gets blitzed.

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10 Rules of Party Optimization (D&D 4th) This post has gone through three major revisions. Here is the fourth (and probably final, barring small improvements) draft, which approaches the topic from a new angle based on thought prompted by the feedback in this thread. It also changes a few terms to conform (where applicable) with the Party Building article in Dragon 373. The third draft is archived deep in the thread; I didn't think to archive the first two, but then they weren‘t much. A few of the following comments won't make sense in light of the original post having been completely different.

RULE 1: Define Party Functions Before you can define the most optimized party, you have to define what it is that your party ideally can do. Following are 30 party functions ranked in three tiers by (arguable) order of importance. LEGEND The assumption is that only one party member needs to be able to perform a given function. An (s) following the function name means that having more than one of these is ideal. An (1/all) following the function name means that you really only need one party member to have the ability, or every party member should have it. A single asterisk (*) means that the function is situational; its importance will rise or fall depending on DM and campaign style, and certain facets may be controversial and house-ruled. A double asterisk (**) means the function is highly situational, and you need to think very carefully about how far you want to exploit it based on DM/campaign dynamics. Comments in brackets [] explain how the function interrelates with other party functions or characteristics. An arrow (^v) before the related topic means that importance rises or declines as the party increases its ability in the related topic; eg, Healing [vA3] means that the need for healing declines as a party increases its nova capacity, because a team of elite novas doesn‘t expect combat to last long. An arrow (^v) after the related topic means that the related topic‘s importance rises or declines as the party increases this ability; eg, Many Targets [A9v] means that the utility of MultiAttacks declines as the party‘s AoE capacity increases. An exclamation point (!) indicates synergy with the related topic; eg, Black Hole [!A1] means that marking has synergy with itself, in that having two defenders often can be more than twice as good as having one. In addition, four functions have upgrades that both wholly replace and substantially alter the nature of that function. TIER A 1. Black Hole(s) (markers) [!A1, ^A7] 2. Healer(s) [vA3] 3. Nova(s)** (very high damage dailies) [A2v, !B3] 4. Many Targets(s) (AoEs) [^larger party] 5. SoloLock* (single-target control) [vA3, vlarger party] 6. Debuff(s) [^A7, vB2] 7. Artillery(s) (ranged builds) [^larger party] 8. Booster(s) (buffs) 9. NAD attack(s) (vs. Will, Fort, Ref) 10. Tactician(s) (extra attacks and moves) [^A7 (escape moves), B4^] COMMENTS: Nova is highly situational because, taken to excess, it can be irritating to DMs, and keeping the DM happy has as much to do with party success as anything on this list. (We're real-world optimizing, here.) If the DM slaves over his plotlines and encounters, then you expect to snicker-snack through everything by spamming Blade Cascade like a bunch of unruly teens devouring a gourmet meal, well, you're begging for payback. SoloLock is situational because the most common method (orb wizardry) will often be house-ruled. TIER B 1. Trapmaster* (high Thievery) Page 86

2. Terrain Maker [vA6] 3. MultiAttacks* [!A3, vA4] 4. BigMak (big basic melee attack) [^A10] 5. Hawkeye (high Perception; upgrades to Skeptic) 6. Sneak(1/all)** (high Stealth; upgrades to Scout) 7. Synergy(s)* (partywide benefits; eg, frost feats, Morninglord, etc) 8. Base face (high Diplomacy; upgrades to Ace face) 9. Unique(s) (detect chaotic evil, tiny shapeshift, etc) 10. Int ritual caster* (Arcana and Religion) COMMENTS: Trapmaster depends on whether the DM ever bothers with traps, and how often. Some MultiAttacks (Dual Strike, Rain of Blows, etc) are considered broken by some and may be house-ruled. Sneak(all) is highly situational; if the DM is eager to run a "high fantasy SEAL team" kind of game, and will count avoided encounters as beaten encounters, it's well worth the effort to design the party. Just about every Synergy power has been dubbed broken at some time; some options may not be available in your campaign. Given the amount of tinkering that probably goes on with the economic system, any sort of routine ritual use should be discussed with the DM; half-price magic items would make this high priority of course. TIER C 1. Wall (tanking defender) [^A7, vlarge maps] 2. Companion (animal or spirit) [^A7, vlarge party] 3. Lay healer* (skill-based, upgrades to Wis ritual caster) 4. Athletics expert(1/all)* 5. Intimidate expert(s)** 6. Dungeoneering expert* 7. Acrobat expert 8. Sprinter(1/all)** 9. Endurance expert(1/all)* 10. History expert* COMMENTS: Just about everything in Tier 3 depends on campaign specifics. Lay healing will depend on how many powered healers are in the group. Some DMs routinely will want every party member to be able to pass a Jump/Swim/Climb check one way or another; some will never pose that kind of Athletics challenge. If the Intimidate rules are used by RAW, every good candidate should take the skill; if one of the frequent nerfs is in place it's possibly not worth it for anyone to invest in it. Fielding a party full of Sprinters is difficult, but if you're not afraid to run and fight another day it can be a lifesaver (a rare case where the players‘ outlooks are the variable rather than the DM‘s outlook). Endurance and History both rarely come up, but there‘s always that DM who goes out of his way to challenge the rare skills ... UPGRADED FUNCTIONS BB5: Skeptic* (Perception and Insight; replaces Hawkeye) BB6: Scout** (Stealth, Perception, speed; replaces Sneak) BB8: Ace face* (Diplomacy, Bluff, Streetwise; replaces Base face) CC3: Wis ritual caster** (Heal, Nature, Ritual Caster; replaces Lay healer) COMMENTS: A Skeptic is an easy upgrade from the nigh essential Hawkeye, and worth it in a highly social campaign. (He basically stands at the face's elbow and nudges him every time his BS-meter beeps.) In that same sort of campaign, the Face needs to upgrade to Ace Face. In a campaign where the DM enjoys and rewards player initiative, a true Scout can be a huge monster mystery debuffer, but admittedly a lot of DMs will railroad the Scout into futility. A Wisdom ritual caster also depends on the DM's outlook on rituals; often it's simpler to hire an NPC when this rare need presents itself.

RULE 2: High Nova or Low Nova? What is or isn't nova can differ in the (central) eye of the beholder, but generally a nova character build spends most of its resources to build up a single extraordinarily lethal power or combination of powers, then recharge that "super attack" if possible.

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A certain amount of this sort of thing is not only inherent to the game, but largely the point of the game. Using complementary powers and action points to overcome the session's climactic threat is good tactics and good gaming. No reasonable DM should complain about that, and thus the default here is "low nova" rather than "no nova." "High nova" takes things past the point that the game design probably intended. Building a Strength-based Avenger is high nova. A group of players who expect that each character will get their hands on every single daily-recharge magic item as soon as it's available is definitely thinking in high nova terms, too. A lot of other builds are judgment calls. It's important to remember that the DM's judgment is what counts here. The point of a high nova party is that it's more efficient than a low nova party; the PCs kill the enemy too quickly to need much healing or control. Conversely, many high nova parties require DM complacency (a fact that the players tend to overlook). For instance, they often take advantage of rules that could be reasonably called broken; they often depend on being able to obtain a custom kit of magic items with little difficulty; or they often have holes in their defenses and Tier B and C functions that they expect the DM to forego exploiting. High nova parties are best played in one-off sessions or convention scenarios (especially if these begin at later levels with player-purchased beginning gear) or in a campaign with a laissez faire DM. In a home campaign with significant DM investment, it may be rude and/or unwise to field a high nova party. It's best to discuss with the DM beforehand what he considers to be simply good tactics versus what he considers to be exploitative.

RULE 3: Determine the Number of Party Members Usually, you‘ll already know how many characters will be in play, because it‘s usually one per player. (This doesn‘t have to be the case. Some or all players can run two characters, or the DM can run an NPC. But it is generally the most comfortable arrangement.) A small (3 member) party will have to pare its list of crucial functions ruthlessly. Any inconvenient Tier C functions should be discarded barring campaign requirements. The players will need to cherry-pick which Tier B functions they can plan to support. A standard (4 or 5 member) party should manage every Tier A and B function that hasn‘t been discarded because of campaign specifics. A few campaign-specific Tier C functions should be doable as well. A larger party should reasonably expect to address every tier of functionality without sacrificing its linear (or better) growth in the Tier A essentials. The core of any party tends to be defender, leader, controller. (Surprised? See Rules 4 and 5.) Beyond that, high nova parties should add striker, striker, striker, leader, controller in about that order. Low nova parties should add striker, leader, defender, striker, controller in about that order. A reasonable alternative build from character four on is leader, leader, leader, leader, leader. This can be a relatively subtle way of combining low nova durability with nearly high nova lethality (ie, a DM who wouldn't approve of other high-nova approaches may not think that this is exploitative at all). The main drawback is that it‘s hard to properly fill all functions from the leader class alone.

RULE 4: Know How Party Size Influences Combat Obviously, the number of opponents in an encounter slides from minions (many) to standard foes (roughly 1:1 with the party) to solos (only 1). There‘s intermediate encounters (minions with 1 or 2 standard monsters, a solo with a bit of support), but generally the monster scale is minions--standard--solo. Both monster lethality and vulnerability tend to be highest at each end of the scale. Minions can "machinegun" a single character through sheer numbers but fall rapidly to area attacks. Solos are fairly lethal and have debuffs that lock down one or more PCs, while they themselves are very vulnerable to stun-lock. As party size increases, minions become more dangerous and solos less so; this is because each individual party member becomes a smaller and smaller portion of the party‘s overall capacity to endure damage. For Page 88

instance, let‘s say a level-appropriate minion encounter can reasonably reduce party HP by 15% in a surprise round, and a level-appropriate solo can reasonably stun-lock one character. For a party of three, a character death doesn‘t occur until the 33% threshold, so the minions have no chance but the solo can reduce party offense by 33% with a single roll. In a party of seven, character death occurs at roughly 14% of party HP lost, so the minions have killed a character but the solo is still facing 86% of the party. It can be a little counterintuitive, but this means that larger parties need more and more area and multiple attacks; ruthlessly dealing with minions becomes a higher priority, not a lesser one. This is why a second controller is recommended as the eighth party member in both builds in Rule 3, even though it‘s commonly thought that you only ever need one controller. An optimized party should only skip the second controller if it‘s fielding several other characters with area effect potential (Dragonborn, swordmages, etc). Conversely…

RULE 5: Determine Who Will Be the Solo-Lock A Solo-Lock is a character who from paragon on can reliably lock down a single opponent encounter after encounter. Even though they are most hamstrung by the need to field one, small parties need a solo-lock far more than large ones. Partly this is because solos tend to be debuffers themselves, and losing one member to a stun-lock is far more hurtful to a party of three than a party of six (as explained in Rule 4). Also, in lieu of a dedicated Solo-Lock, an optimized large party might be better off turning this into a group function. Most classes have one or two daily powers that inflict stun until the end of next turn; by selecting these powers then taking turns using them, the party inflicts a round-robin of stun on the solo while killing it. This takes some pretty good coordination, but it also means that the party‘s Solo-Lock functionality isn‘t vulnerable to losing a single member. For small parties, group Solo-Lock isn‘t a valid option. Instead, they need to field either an orb wizard or the paladin PP Champion of Order (which works at least as well with fighters and is an interesting graft onto other classes). The orb wizard is the usual choice; at lower levels he can broom away minions with trivial ease (though admittedly this isn‘t a huge priority for small parties). On the other hand, CoO also offers a Unique power (detect chaotic evil) that is great in a highly social campaign. Of course, other varieties of SoloLock can be designed (orb wizard and CoO are simply the most straightforward), and in a very high nova party just about any stun effect until the end of the next turn might be sufficient to the task.

RULE 6: Find Complementary Builds Ideally, any optimized party will include characters whose functions relate well. For instance, a Dwarven BattleRager with his hammer o' doom wants a leader who grants extra attacks (such as a cunning bard) rather than a first-rate healer, whereas a relatively fragile Tempest fighter probably would opt the other way around. The function-defining in Rule 1 is a first step toward mapping out these sorts of relationships. In addition, an optimal party will include at least one character maximizing each of the six attributes (for skill maxing) and there will not be a preponderance of members sharing the same poor NAD (for instance, it‘s easy to field a party in which only the defender has a respectable Fortitude score). Finally, it's important at this step to ensure that your party is at least low nova rather than no nova. If your characters can't put together some pretty powerful effects to start an encounter---maybe just once daily, but at least that often---it's probably a good idea to rethink your class mix. Usually one or more players will have some strong preconceptions about what they want to play. As long as a single character build is fairly optimized, an optimized party can be built around it. Once two or three players bring to the table builds that don't really work together, then some level of optimization will just have to be lost. Forging these relationships can be hard enough in a large party and extremely challenging in a small one. There are a few very solid trinities to be found: You may want to consider Half-Orc tempest fighter, Half-Elf Page 89

valorous bard, and Deva orb wizard; alternately, Githyanki defending swordmage, Dragonborn charisma warlord, and Elven druid.

RULE 7: Test for Over-reliance Imagine everyone but character 1 fighting together, then everyone but character 2, etc. Does removing one character greatly reduce offense or survivability? This might often be the case in a single-leader party, particularly one without a paladin or other reliable backup healer. Sometimes it‘s best to plan for something to go wrong, rather than to build a party that performs spectacularly but only when everything goes its way.

RULE 8: Plan for the Optimal Basket of Paragon Paths Some characters will need to take a particular paragon path to fill their role (eg, Champion of Order for the party Solo-Lock, or Pit Fighter for the party‘s sole striker). Any character build that doesn‘t have this need should take a strong look at a paragon path that benefits the party as a whole. A few examples include: Divine Oracle: Huge party and self buffs. Should be fitted to a character with multiple vs. Will attacks. Flame of Hope: Adds strong leader buffs to a controller. Hospitaler: De facto makes the entire party much tougher. Morninglord: Huge Synergy with radiant weapons. Limits party ethics. These are PPs that impact everyone on the team. Fielding as many of them as possible will improve optimization.

RULE 9: Retest for Over-reliance at Paragon By level 16, characters have changed dramatically. Reperform the Rule 7 tests, envisioning the party at this level. If anything, paragon and epic parties are more likely to lose one or two members in a single swoop than heroic ones, so it‘s essential to have some redundancy and backup options for Tier A functions by this point.

RULE 10: Plan for Epic: But Not Too Much Have at least a rough idea for epic progression, but not much more than that. The campaign may not last that long, and if it does umpteen new epic opportunities will have been published in the interim.

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In Combat. Tactics All too often, a warrior character simply charges up to the front line in every combat, and in noncombat situations sits back and listens while his wiser mage and priest friends handle all the niggling details of the adventurer‘s life outside of combat. Well, neither of these approaches is particularly good. In combat, the front-line at-tack is only one of several options the party needs to cover. And out of combat, the fighter is admirably suited to dealing with several everyday details that concern the adventuring party.

Combat Tactics When the characters (not just the warrior-characters) enter combat, these are some things that the warrior should remember and provide for:

Shield-Walls and Polearms As has been mentioned before, a character with a polearm (or long spear, or javelin) can stand behind a character with a shorter weapon and attack the same targets that his ally is attacking. That‘s one of the principal advantages to the polearm, but it‘s ignored all too often in AD&D® game campaigns. This is the way it works: The character with the polearm positions himself behind an ally, preferably a fighter with a shield. Because the polearm fighter must work around the friend in front of him, he suffers a -2 to hit anyone on the other side of his friend. However, he isn‘t limited just to the enemy of the man he‘s standing behind: If our polearm hero is standing be-hind a line of three men (who are side-by-side), he can strike at anyone who is close enough to attack any of those three men with a medium-length weapon. This is useful in a combat because the polearm wielder can attack targets without being right in their faces, or engaged with them. That means he can switch targets without any fancy footwork. When one of his buddies is foundering, or taking a beating, the polearm wielder can begin attacking that buddy‘s enemy.

Wolf-Pack Tactics When the ad-venturing party gets in combat with a single large monster which can be confronted directly (like a troll, for instance, and unlike a dragon, which has a strong mix of melee abilities, ranged combat abilities, and mobility), it‘s foolish just to line up and hack at the thing. In fact, it‘s not necessarily clever just to surround the monster and hack at it. Try this instead: Surround the monster, of course. On the first round, half of the circle of heroes should parry. The other half should attack as vigorously as possible. On the second round, the action switches: The group which attacked last round, now defends, and the group which defended now attacks. In real life (for example, when practiced by wolf-packs), this of-ten has the effect of confusing the prey and reducing its fighting effectiveness. The prey feels a bite to its rear and turns to attack there; but while it‘s concentrating on enemies in that direction, the wolves now to its rear make their attack. In the D&D® game, the wolf-pack tactic can have similar effects if the DM wishes to allow it to. If the DM approves of this tactic, he can cooperate by having the monster, for a few rounds at least, behave in the predictable fashion: Each round, the monster turns and attacks the group that attacked it last, which is now defending. This will give the party several rounds of combat where it has the advantage and can whittle the monster down. But be aware: Even if the DM is nice enough to give you this slight tactical advantage, eventually even the stupidest monster will get wise and try to break through the circle of fighters. A good thing doesn‘t last forever.

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It may be that your DM has no interest in letting this tactic work. Ask him if it has a chance of doing some good in your campaign. If he says no, don‘t even try it. Even if he says yes, he may not remember to grant that little benefit; if, after a few wolf-pack attempts, you haven‘t seen it work once, give up on the tactic.

Tactical Mix It‘s a good idea for the fighting characters (including rogues and priests) in a party to represent a mix of weapons and combat styles. Several should be front-line fighters, bearing heavy armor and large, damaging weapons. One or two would be behind-the-lines fighters, carrying polearms. And one or two should be missilers, carrying bow, crossbow, or even sling or throwing knives. This gives the party a certain amount of versatility. The heavy fighters can engage the heavy opposition. The polearm fighters can attack the enemy with reduced risk of being hurt. The missilers should concentrate on eliminating enemy missilers first, and then can turn their attention to doing unreturned damage to the melee-fighting enemies. It‘s especially good when characters can mix and match their roles. Any character can have a sling or a throwing axe at his belt and become a missiler in a matter of seconds, for example.

Rotation It often happens that a front-line fighter becomes seriously damaged when fighting, and then must continue fighting, because he has no other option until the enemy is defeated. This doesn‘t have to be the case. In a large party combat, particularly damaged front-line fighters can be ―rotated out:‘ pulled from the front line and replaced by a less hurt warrior or not replaced at all: The shield-wall (i.e., the other front-line fighters) can close ranks and plug up the hole. See the rules for Retreat. During his combat action, the injured man announces that he‘s retreating; the ally or allies he stood side-by-side with need to announce that they‘re blocking pursuit (i.e., they‘re moving so that the enemy can‘t just wander in through their line). That puts the hurt man behind his own line, where he can keep away from damage or even seek some healing. If one of the polearm fighters is accommodating, they can take the rest of their combat round to switch weapons. The injured man takes the polearm, and the other fighter takes the front-line weapons. On their next combat round, the uninjured man moves up into the line and the injured man begins whacking enemies with his polearm. This is a good way to keep people alive.

Spear-Carriers In some campaigns, players have the attitude that NPCs are along to get killed so that the PCs won‘t. That‘s patently ridiculous; an adventuring party with that attitude would soon gain a very bad reputation, and would find it increasingly difficult to hire NPCs, would find that inns and taverns always denied them service, would find that sages told them to buzz off, etc. However, there‘s a type of spear-carrier NPC that any group of adventurers should consider hiringand that‘s the actual spear-carrier. In many towns and villages, the heroes can find a strong, strapping youth who is willing to come along with them for the promise of some treasure and combat training. This energetic youth shouldn‘t be slapped in armor and put up front to be killed: Instead, he should be charged with carrying an extra weapon or two and making sure that all his allies have weapons at all times in combat. In a combat, the spear-carrier may act as a behind-the-lines polearm warrior, if his hands aren‘t full already. He also serves as backup defense for people who stay be-hind the lines because they can‘t fight well: Noncombatant NPCs, mages, etc. Here‘s how it works: The spear-carrier is given a single weapon of his own, such as a spear, and also carries a couple of extra weapons, which are party-owned weapons- such as a long sword in a back sheath and a short sword on his belt, for instance. In combat, he stays behind the line and takes the occasional spear-poke at the enemy over the line. Whenever a PC loses a weapon (to a fumble, or an enemy‘s Disarm, or when a weapon is shattered by a foe), the spear-carrier uses his next available combat round to move in close and give the PC one of the extra weapons he‘s carrying. Page 92

The spear-carrier is also useful for keeping a more distant eye on what‘s going on with the combat. He might notice new enemies arriving on the horizon, or notice an enemy skulking to get around the edge of the shield-wall, before a player-character has the opportunity to do so. Since this character is an NPC, he doesn‘t have to share the player-characters‘ frantic desire to make every combat round of every combat count for something. He can afford to keep an eye on things and won‘t necessarily be desperate to bang on an enemy every round. A variant of this character is the spear-carrier devoted to a specific PC. A PC who is a spear-thrower, for instance, might have a page or squire devoted to carrying two or three extra spears for him. In such a case, the PC is usually responsible for teaching the page or squire to fight (without getting him killed) so that NPC might some-day become a knight.

Directing Traffic It‘s very helpful for one fighter in a party to act as tactical coordinator (that is, combat leader). In combat, he keeps his eye on the situation and issues orders to his allies. The tactical coordinator should be the one to notice that one of his frontline friends is being chopped to pieces, and order that character rotated back behind the line. When one particular enemy is discovered to be more deadly than the rest, the tactical coordinator should order missilers and polearm fighters to concentrate their efforts on that one. When the fight goes against the heroes and can‘t he turned around, the tactical coordinator should order the retreat-and make sure, if possible, that it‘s an orderly one, with no one missing and fighting-ranks still maintained. If no PC fighter volunteers or naturally evolves into the combat leader role, the DM can help ―push things along‖ by determining, in his best opinion, which PC would be best in that role, and then having NPCs turn to that character for orders when combat situations come up.

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How to Fight Nearly Everything (and survive) “Discretion is the better part of valor - except when the lives of your comrades are on the line.” -Ember

Opponents with Reach The very best advice for fighting opponents with reach bears repeating: Stay out of reach! However, employing other strategies also works. Attack with ranged weapons. Hit these opponents with arrows, bolts, spears, and spells from a distance. Make use of feats such as Mobility, which grant you a bonus to your Armor Class when you are exposed to attacks of opportunity You have a better chance of standing up to an opponent with reach if you minimize his advantage in this way. Send in a character with Mobility and a good Armor Class, and while he is taking the heat from the enemy with reach, send another character around to flank (or better yet, sneak attack) the enemy with reach. Take to the air any way you can and rain down attacks from overhead, remaining safely out of reach.

Undead Opponents When dealing with undead creatures, forewarned truly is forearmed. If you know you face undead opponents ahead of time, do not stray too far from your cleric, otherwise you may wish you had taken a few levels in that class yourself. When journeying through undead-infested areas, make sure that the cleric is ready to make a turning attempt at the appropriate time. This means protecting him when battling other enemies, so that he does not incur injuries that might affect his combat ability when you meet up with the undead. Do not begrudge the cleric who uses some of her precious healing on herself before battle with undead. If the cleric falls in combat, the entire party faces their doom. Once you have entered combat against these foes, remember that they do not share many of the weaknesses of living creatures. You cannot soften them up with sword and fist in preparation for the wizard‘s sleep spell-the undead are not susceptible to that spell. Worse, in addiction to inflicting normal damage, the touch of the undead often carries some unpleasant side effects-such as the ghoul‘s paralysis or the wight‘s energy drain. Touch attacks ignore most Armor Class bonuses, so do not think that suit of chainmail will protect you against a wraith! Try employing ranged attacks against the undead whenever possible, in favor of closing for melee. You can buy yourself some time in this manner, and if you can take out any of these opponents at a distance before they get close enough to threaten you with their touch attacks, so much the better.

Flying Opponents Your ability to combat opponents on the wing depends almost entirely on whether you, too, can fly If not, you have your work cut out for you, and your best bet may be to find some cover and hit the airborne foe with ranged attacks and spells until it flees or dies. If you do have the capability to become airborne yourself you want to get aloft quickly and fight the opponent in the air. Remember, the fact that you are flying negates none of your customary attack forms: You can still charge and flank, even while flying. In fact, your flanking possibilities now involve all three dimensions.

Unbeatable Opponents Sometimes you confront enemies that, try as you might, you just cannot beat. Unless you are playing in a campaign that was designed intentionally to permit some very strange circumstances, four 1st-level monks simply do not triumph over a trio of dire bears. Learning to identify fights you cannot win is a skill you should acquire early in your adventuring career, particularly if you want to enjoy a career that is both lengthy and successful. This may seem like odd advice considering that heroism often necessitates refusing to surrender, even when faced with overwhelming odds. However, if you live by the sword without any compromise, you can expect to have a short and perhaps unimpressive stint as an adventurer. You are also going to irk your comrades when they acknowledge that a strategic withdrawal is sometimes more appropriate than slugging it out toe-to-toe with an enemy they cannot defeat. Particularly when you have a specific mission to accomplish, insisting on fighting every opponent to the death along the way does not help you achieve your goal. Page 94

If you think that a given encounter may be too difficult to overcome, weigh the potential risk of fighting against the potential gain of a victory For example, let us say that your party is infiltrating the forest lair of a green dragon with the intent to slay it (and claim its treasure hoard). You know that the wyrm is somewhere in the forest, though you are uncertain about its exact location. Suddenly, a pair of hill giants emerges from the canopy of trees and stop to talk, blocking your route. Should you fight them? The answer depends on what you stand to gain from the fight versus the risk involved. Think about your party‘s condition and resources: Do you have the weapons, skills, feats, and equipment necessary to defeat these opponents? If the answer is ―No,‖ not only should you avoid the giants, but also you should not be out in the forest hunting for dragons in the first place. Are you in good fighting trim, with plenty of hit points and healing magic at your disposal? The answer must be ―Yes,‖ if you hope to find and kill that dragon. Is a fight against the giants likely to leave you with sufficient resources to still tackle the dragon? If not, you need to decide whether your original goal is more important than dealing with these new foes. Should you triumph over the giants at the expense of a significant portion of your hit points and magic, you must consider going after the dragon another day, after you have rested. Do the hill giants appear to be carrying anything of value, and in particular, anything that might help you find or fight the dragon you know to be lurking here-abouts? If they do (maybe one of the giants is carrying a big club that you recognize as a +3 club of dragon subdual), determine whether the advantage of possessing that item is worth the damage the giants might inflict on you when you try to take it. Do you have any reason to believe that, if defeated but not slain, the hill giants can offer you any useful information about your quarry? If so, it might be a good idea to attack them, but also to attempt to subdue or capture, rather than kill, at least one of them.

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Flanking (D&D 3rd) Unusual Flanking Situations Usually, flanking is simple-just get two characters on opposite sides of an enemy. But what if the enemy occupies more than one square, or one attacker is using a reach weapon? The following diagrams explain some of the nuances of the flanking rule. Characters who use reach weapons make the situation a little more complicated. First, you must figure out which square the attack is actually coming from- namely, the intervening square between the attacker and the defender. This is usually obvious, but you can draw a straight line between the attacker‘s centerpoint and the defender‘s centerpoint if it‘s unclear. Then determine flanking as if the attacker were actually in that intervening square.

Finding the Center Point If you‘re using a grid for combat, the easiest way to figure out whether two characters flank an opponent is to connect the centerpoint of your square with that of your ally‘s square. If that line passes through opposite sides of the creature you‘re attacking, you flank it. If the line emerges from two adjacent sides of the enemy, however, you don‘t. For example, the rogue in position R1 on the map labeled Finding the Center Point flanks the centaur if there‘s an ally in position Al because the line that connects those two positions passes through both long sides of the centaur‘s token. But if the ally is standing in position B1, no flanking occurs. The line that connects those two positions passes through one long side and an adjacent short side (the rear) of the centaur‘s token. Ordinarily, if you want to flank your opponent, there‘s only one place your ally can stand. If your foe takes up more than one square on the grid, however, your ally has more options. The rogue in position R2 on the map is flanking the centaur whether an ally is standing in position A2 or B2, because both connecting lines pass through opposite sides of the enemy For the purposes of flanking, both squares are considered ―directly opposite‖ from the rogue.

Flanking Big Creatures It‘s much easier to flank big creatures than little ones. The rogue next to the bulette in position R1 on the map labeled Flanking Big Creatures is flanking if she has an ally in position A1, B1, C1, or D1. Better still, allies in all those spots Page 96

get flanking bonuses from the rogue; thus, one ―backstop‖ character can give flanking bonuses to multiple allies. If you or your ally take up more than one square, the same principle applies-simply draw your line from the centerpoint of the whole character, not the center of an individual square. The centaur rogue in position R2 does not flank the bulette with the centaur in position A2, but he does with the centaurs in positions B2, C2, and D2. None of the centaurs are tracing their lines from the centers of any squares-their centerpoints are actually on grid lines. That‘s fine.

Flanking with Reach Weapons On the map labeled Flanking with Reach Weapons, the fighter with a glaive in position A1 clearly provides a flanking bonus for one of the three rogues in positions R1, R2, and R3-but which one? To figure it out, draw a line between the centerpoint of the fighter at A1 and the centerpoint of the target. (You aren‘t drawing lines to your allies yet.) Then look at where the line enters the enemy‘s square. The square adjacent to that point is where the fighter‘s attack is coming from. Now just follow the usual rules for determining who‘s flanking whom, using that square for the fighter‘s position. In this case, the rogue at R3 gets the flanking bonus, and the other two don‘t.

Diagonal Corners and Flanking If the line between two allies passes through opposite corners of an enemy‘s area, the allies flank that creature. For example, on the map labeled Diagonal Corners and Flanking, the characters at A1 and B1 flank the drider because the line that connects their centerpoints passes through the left front and right rear corners of its area. Here‘s an even stranger application of the opposite sides and corner rules. The ally standing at position A2 is giving flanking bonuses to the rogues at positions R1, R2, and R3. She helps the rogues at R1 and R3 flank because the line connecting her with each passes through opposite sides of the enemy‘s area. She helps rogue R2 flank because the line between them connects opposite corners of the enemy‘s space - actually the upper left corner and lower right corner.

Sneak Attacks The general rule for the sneak attack ability states that a rogue gets bonus sneak attack damage ―any time the rogue‘s target would be denied his Dexterity bonus to AC (whether he actually has a Dexterity bonus or not), or when the rogue flanks the target.‖ Below are some specific conditions that Page 97

would give you that extra damage. • It‘s a surprise round, and your foe either isn‘t acting this round or hasn‘t acted yet. • It‘s the first round of combat, and your foe hasn‘t acted yet. • You‘re flanking your opponent. • You‘re invisible and your foe has no means to see you. • Your foe is blind. • Your foe is grappled by someone other than you. • Your foe is climbing, walking a tightrope, or otherwise off balance. • Your foe is running. • Your foe is stunned. • One of your foe‘s ability scores has been reduced to 0. (If it‘s Constitution, of course, you can forget sneak attacking; he‘s already dead.) • Your foe is cowering. • Your foe is paralyzed or held. • Your foe is sleeping, bound, or unconscious. Keep in mind that if your foe is immune to sneak attacks by virtue of creature type or some other condition, all your machinations are for naught. Even if one of the above conditions applies, you still don‘t get the extra sneak attack damage. Many of these conditions still grant the attacker other benefits, however.

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