Brooding Paladin

Very cool sign! Thanks for sharing as I definitely don't Facebook!

Posted this over at Troll Lord Games: First off, my heartfelt sympathies and prayers go out to his family. As I read the posts and considered, there have been few constants in my life. Much has changed, through various education levels, jobs, friends, family, even where I lived and went to church. But since my introduction to the game in 1978, D&D has been a constant part of my life. I have made many friends through the game, learned many skills, and have known much joy due to this game. When I get a little time to myself, inevitably my mind wanders to dreaming up fodder for new modules, adventures, characters or the like. When I consider all that, I realize what a major portion of my life this game is to me. So I join the others thanking Gary for contributing what turns out to be a major portion of "who I am" to my life. I can absolutely say that I would be less without the game, and worse for it.

Yeah, this is exactly what I came with too, thus my lament. The two sure sounded pretty interwoven. My guess is that you would go for the pure book and paper approach but you'd be left with the feeling that you paid for more than you would be using, strictly speaking. Of course, that's a reasonable choice one could make but you'd be wondering what you were missing. My bad. I've been away from the boards so long that I forgot to let folks know I was going. My brother and I have 2009 marked on our calendars, though, and I'm averdue to attend another ReaperCon...

Ah, I had one other point. Regardless of what you think about 4.0 or WotC in general, I have to believe that they had to be the most reviled vendor at Gen Con. Think about it. Thursday night, before the weekend when the masses really show up, they announce 4.0. How many vendors there had 3.5 product to push? Granted, some won't adopt, but selling obsolete (ok, soon to be obsolete) material is TOUGH to do. Plus (and maybe this is reading a little too much into it, I'll grant you), WotC essentially declared war on everyone else in the D&D-related industry. They've reined in on Dragon and Dungeon magazines from Paizo, who are also just in the natal stages of their 3.5 compatible Pathfinder series. The online system will allow you to: customize a miniature (who needs Reaper, etc. anymore?), roll dice (who needs Chessex, etc. anymore?), build your character (who needs HeroLab, etc. anymore?), design your dungeon (who needs Campaign Cartographer, etc. anymore?), map your progress (who needs SteelSqwire's flipmats anymore?)... You get my point. Now before the flames start, I acknowledge that's a bit of a dramatic statement. People paint minis for reasons other than D&D, I get it. And people will still need the physical stuff because many if not most will keep playing face-to-face, etc. But it does make you wonder if this move is "good for WotC, bad for everyone else." -BP...still thinkin'

Aw, man! I was there too! Shame I missed you... I'm still not sure about all of this. I emptied all my bile about having to buy new books when 3.5 was announced (but that was my own fault I guess; we held off on adopting 3.0 until about two months before 3.5 was announced. That, and I'm a little more laid back these days) so I'm not going to flip out on that. I'm more of the crowd that eyes the whole computer component suspiciously. The machine's never really deserved a place at our role playing table and I worry that it reduces the social aspect of the game, but I'll have to wait & see. Of course, it's also quite likely that the world has passed me by. Don't get me wrong; I'm on friendly terms with computers having made a good living with them, but it's the human aspect of the game that I enjoy so much and I worry a little that our society's doing so much to reduce social interaction...bigger problem though. I'd just hate it if my kids wound up "playing D&D" through a computer and not experiencing the live, all-around-the-table fun I got to enjoy. I can say that at the announcement at Gen Con there was a mixed reaction. Someone even shouted out, "When will 4.5 be released?" But one thing I wonder about that is, would there ever actually be a 4.5? If you have the license and a corresponding PDF that goes with it, they could, theoretically, just update the PDF you have access to if a 4.5 is ever required...just musing. At the root of it, though, I blame the suits if blame needs to be assigned. What better than to tap into the kind of annuity payoff WoW is experiencing, or so I'm guessing they're thinking. And, who's to say? If the online product is excellent enough, then I guess they deserve it. I'll probably never know, however, as I doubt I'm going to get an account. My main concerns are technical in nature. If supplemental rulesets (like the Complete Adventurer or whatever) are published online and a DM does not wish to include them, I'm not clear on how that can be prevented if the players buy them. Further, if an account is active and then the subscriber deactivates it (for whatever reason) only to reactivate it later, do they still have access to the online supplements they had? What about new ones released in the interim? There are answers for all this, of course, but that's where my head is at on this subject.

Yeah, I'm a fan of this model too. He looks no-nonsense and the real deal. Nice!

Wow. This I thought I'd never see, but obviously I wasn't looking hard enough. I can't claim to be elitist one way or the other, but I can't deny that as I read the news my reaction is disappointment. I've held Reaper in high regard as sort of a bastion of defiance against this plastic craze but that's a figment of my own romanticism. The fact is: 1. There's a raw materials reality: tin and the mining industry around it are in high demand and short supply. Things are tough for the metal-lovers because this means a higher cost, and... 2. There's a margin reality: the higher raw materials cost and the limited upward price point put the squeeze on profit margins. This is also a tough industry to be in as all things gaming have been in a bit of a recession of late. There are a few things moving in a positive direction though meaning... 3. There's a market reality: most don't paint, don't want to paint, or, as has been pointed out, don't have time/money to paint large grunt-type forces. BUT, plastic miniatures have met the need nicely. Businesses that don't adapt to their changing market aren't businesses for long. Truth is, I trust Reaper to be the top shelf on this. They're already differentiating by resisting the Siren Song of "blind, randomized" box sets. This boldly eliminates the need for a secondary market that I think people are weary of having to go through to get the specific mini they need/want. I believe that many in the market will welcome this and even be willing to pay a higher price point for the convenience of getting what they want without having to deal with ebay, etc. I also bet that the sculpts will remain high-quality, etc. It'll be a boon for Warlord as well, no doubt. I'm not thrilled to see (big assumption warning) that one of my favorite companies will wind up outsourcing another product line. I can't help but feel that leveraging overseas painting factories for the plastic addiction is exploitive. That's obviously not the business side of me talking but it's another source of my disappointment. Yes, that's a major assumption, prone to error and misdirection, but that's how you make the plastic line hit the margins. I just personally feel that it's sickening. As a company, I'd say Reaper is making a shrewd move and has already jammed its flag in the ground proudly in its differentiation. I'd actually bet this move will pay off greatly for them and the MBA part of me salutes them as wishes them well. But the gamer and metal-miniature enthusiast in me is sad and feels like a little something in me just died.

I have more money than I have painting skills...so a check's on the way.

Yeah, no worries here, either. Turns out I've got a good bit going on and probably don't have the time to do this right either. With hope let's all say, "Maybe later...."

SK...Priorities, man, PRIORITIES!! LOL Well, good luck to ya. Hopefully RL won't keep you out for too long.

Congrats, Qwyk!!! Your first? I'm a three-time veteran, actually. Not many minis painted lately, but I'm having fun with the other kinds of minis! ;-)

Welcome back! I'm sure you're in a sea of boxes...hopefully that's dealt with soon. I'm with Spike; this'll be fun. Let's light this candle!

Character updated. Should be complete now...

LOL! Well, we can't all be perfect.

True enough! She may even forgive him for not being born Elven.

Here's what I've got so far...I'll update when I get near my PHB and select skills, feats, & equipment: <update: 5/31/2006, 4:56pm MST - added goals> <update: 6/1/2006, 8:20am MST - added feats, skills, equipment, domains> Cale Streamwater Human Male Cleric 3 (Domains: War, Strength) Age: 21 Height: 6' 0" Weight: 192 Brown Hair, Blue Eyes, Left Handed Hit Points: 23 STR 15 DEX 11 CON 12 INT 15 WIS 16 CHA 17 Feats: Scribe Scroll, Negotiator, Persuasive, Weapon Focus: Heavy Mace (War domain feat) Skills (adjusted with ranks, skill bonuses, and feat/misc. bonuses): Bluff (10), Concentration (3), Diplomacy (12), Heal (9), Intimidate (8), Knowledge: Religion (4), Profession: Herbalist (5), Sense Motive (8), Spellcraft (3) Equipment: MW Heavy Mace, Lt. Crossbow, 40 Bolts, Splint Mail, Heavy Wooden Shield, Wand of Light, Scroll: Cure Light Wounds, Backpack, Bedroll, Scroll Case, Flint/Steel, Ink, Inkpen, Hooded Lantern, 3 Flasks of Oil, 4 Sheets of Parchment, Belt Pouch, Soap, Waterskin, Wooden Holy Symbol, Cleric's Vestments, Explorer's Outfit, Healer's Kit Gold: 20 Silver: 2 Background Father is a farmer/herbalist in a small agrarian town that trades with Searoad. His mother died in childbirth; his father never re-married. He was raised in a typical farm setting with a focus on growing hard-to-grow vegetables and herbs. Cale grew up fascinated by what his father could do with herbs and plants, from creating dyes to making medicines to say nothing of the exotic tastes and spices he could generate. His home became the village's unofficial hospital as the sick and wounded would often stay in their home while his father tended their maladies. As is customary for the first-borns in the village, Cale volunteered for the local militia. There, he made fast friends as they trained, usually called to do little more than drill and patrol. His training sergeant was the first to introduce him to the faith of St. Marcus as the sergeant was the only person in the village that had had formal military training. On one particular patrol, a marauding Ogre attacked Cale's unit. In the attack, Cale lost three of his best friends; his knowledge of herbs did little more than ease their pain in passing. This experience left him feeling useless and disillusioned. He suffered through a period of deep depression, mourning his friends, seeing herbalism as insufficient, and eventually quitting the militia. So deep was his depression that his father suggested he visit Rockfist for succor. Cale went, and eventually stayed as he learned more of St. Marcus and the ways he could serve the god. While martial training is the standard of St. Marcus, Cale was assigned to a diplomatic detachment for specialized training. There, he occasionally served as aid or envoy in service to Rockfist's diplomatic outreaches. Personality Compassionate - Cale does not like to see suffering of any kind and will actively work to right such wrongs, offering healing, counsel, or money when appropriate. Judgmental - Anything or anyone causing another's suffering deserves punishment. His martial training at Rockfist has taught him how to dole out severe punishment when necessary. Calm - Through his extensive clerical and diplomatic training, Cale can usually master his fears and emotions. The lone exception is when he sees needless, premeditated, and contrived suffering. Selfless - Cale is comfortable with giving to his church and to the less fortunate to ease their suffering. His military nickname is "Hardback" because he usually took attacks to his back while he labored to drag wounded friends out of the fray. Diplomat - Cale's training at Rockfist has become a way of life. He can be very patient, make necessary compromises, and would prefer to deal with rational beings rather than threaten them. Irrational, hateful, or unintelligent beings are another matter, though... Goals Cale's first goal is to make his father proud. Cale has always been embarrassed by the condition with which he left his home and the fact that his father quietly struggled on to keep the farm going without the assistance of his only child. Cale has fierce admiration for his father, though his travels and training have minimized the opportunities for the young Cleric to demonstrate that to his father. Cale yearns to find that 'one thing' that he can pour his life into. His father's love was clearly Cale's mother, evidenced by his stubborn refusal to remarry. Though he managed to go on, it is evident to Cale that his father has never been complete since his mother's passing. What is that thing for Cale? Is it love? Is it St. Marcus? Is it negotiating peaceful agreements? Is it bringing justice where there is none? Cale still does not know. Cale is fascinated by the powers to heal granted by St. Marcus. One goal he has is to continue to expand his learning and continue to tap deeper into the well of power the great god offers. Where others have tread carefully, reverently and humbly accepting new powers St. Marcus offers, Cale has stretched, eager to grasp and understand new and more powerful ways of healing. It has made for more than a couple of warnings by his supervisors, but Cale's suspicion is that St. Marcus rewards the bold, and that others have allowed their appropriate reverence to inhibit their use of St. Marcus' power inappropriately.

Well, thanks out to LSH for indulging me. Glad to be in and looking forward to it! Wouldn't want to miss a TDC opportunity, that's for sure. I'll work hard to make myself worthy of Spike's praise there. It'll be a Rockfist Cleric for sure. Off to scribble up the details...more here soon. =)

Very sad news indeed. My condolences and prayers to all who were close to him.

Very happy for a deserving group of guys. Go Houston! Bring on the Sox!

Did someone say, "Game on?"

Well, the Half-Orc's fists and weapon certainly look "freakish" to me... Little too cartoony for my taste.

Hope you're still on the road to recovery, Mike. Well, sad to see it end, but I think it's been coming for a while. Unfortunately, lately, that's all that's been keeping me coming to the forums for a while, so now I may be even scarcer. Ah well, I'll miss the game with y'all. Too bad we're not all together to play! Would've been fun to mix in some live sessions...now my only outlet for a game is a goner! Thanks for all the great posts/creativity/etc. It was fun while it lasted! -BP

I'll be there. Let's try to connect up, Smokin'!

Warrick's surprise at the rushed actions of his compatriots is marked clearly on his face. He blinks in quiet agreement with Robert's outburst but won't leave Stern, Ilde, or Cuchulainn to face the combat unaided. Shrugging to Robert he merely states, "So much for stealth. Guess they don't like our approach." As he pulls the invisibility cloak back into place he remarks, "I'm going to go skewer whatever is casting spells from the wagon. Just in case you want to aim your arrows elsewhere..." That said, he melts into invisibility and starts padding quietly and quickly toward his quarry.

BP is still alive. He's just not real bright. I shuffled off to my annual trip to Phoenix (seminary-related) and just got back yesterday. It sucked up a couple of weeks of my life there so apologies for going AWOL. Somehow I managed not to leave a message to you fine folks. Sorry for that. <--Back now...