Rulebook Ruminations: Dungeons & Dragons Expert

We're five months into our Dungeons & Dragons Basic / Expert campaign, and it has been a blast.  With 92 hours logged so far, we've managed to creep up the experience scale to right about 6th level.  We've enjoyed how simple the game is, but that only lasted so long.  Now, our players are hungry for those forgotten bits of complexity that gives Advanced and later versions their staying power and are beginning to branch out in ways they haven't before.

At 4th level, I allowed the Expert book to be used freely by the players.  It starts out with a treatise on higher level characters, up to 14th level.  However, the gains characters make each level are dispersed across the levels.  This results in massive boosts to certain classes at certain levels, while other levels don't do anything but give you a Hit Die.

More equipment is added, most notably sailing vessels.  This has been a focal point of our campaign so far, as it's based around the Sea of Dread.  Some other basic land transport information is given, but it's all "basic" stuff here.

Of course, more spells.  There aren't very many spells per level, which is great for new players or players using spellcasters for the first time.  It's easy to wrap your head around things and get the hang of the most basic of spells you may encounter in your adventuring career.

Basically, everything in the game is fleshed out to a higher degree.  There are more spells, monsters and treasures.  There is more info on combat, and how you can engage in combat.  Notable additions there are mounted, naval and aerial combat rules.

However, it's the wilderness rules that are the star of the show.  Not really much here in the way of text, but the way it opens the game up from just the basic rulebook is felt by all involved immediately.  Now you can travel from town to town, from town to dungeon, from dungeon to dungeon or whatever.  And also...ships.

Non-player characters are given more attention as well...especially the different kinds of specialist PC's can hire.  You'll need sailors for your ships' crews, and you'll probably need an alchemist or sage at some point.  Not to mention the brutal mercenary army you always wanted.

There's a bit of Mystara information in the very back as well, all centered on Karameikos.  It's very basic, but this publication was the seed from which the Known World was grown.  As it is, it shows the Dungeon Master how to set up an outdoor campaign setting in a traditional hex map.  This is nice, since everyone knows Karameikos is full of fun times.

In conclusion, the Expert rulebook is essential to a Dungeons & Dragons game that wants to expand from Basic.  However, all these rules are included in the Rules Cyclopedia.  None of this is still in print, but if you fancy giving it a go it and it's Basic and Companion cohorts can be had pretty cheap secondhand.

The Face of Mystara, Part II (Session 4)

This update is lagging behind.  These Game Session notes were originally from 11.09.2014.

From the Journal of Alexandria Postoak

The group tended to all the bodies on the ships.  Oliver Blessed each of the bodies and we took all items of worth from them before we threw the corpses overboard.


6:08

The group agreed that the newly captured ship would be a great thing to use to begin a new adventuring company.

6:12

Back in town, the group takes the magical items to get them appraised for 1000 gold.  We split up magical items and try to find some place to get new sails and banners for the ship.  While we try and find new sails we discuss what we are going to do with the treasure.

6:30

The next morning we all woke up feeling very nervous.

6:48

Blanith went out to hang fliers looking for a new first mate.  He seemed to be very nervous the entire time.

6:50

Utho commissioned a new excellent figurehead for the new ship.

7:00

We were at the inn having dinner and a strange man was staring at me.  He made it over to our table before I could even stand.  I can't seem to remember who this guy is.  The strange man gave us all something very odd to smoke (like tobacco), which drugged us all.

The man beckons us to follow him to a pier that was empty except fora  small, terribly dirty 13ft boat that looks like it came directly from the ocean floor.

The strange man put on a battered helmet from the boat and we all climbed on board.  The boat heads out to sea quickly.

Hearing splashing around us we looked out and saw a tentacle that is in chains.  It hands Utho a box.  The warlock opened the box and told us all to take a vial.  We all drank one and realized it had the taste of fresh blood.

We see what looks like the night sky around us after the man asks us if we have ever been to space.

The boat splashes down (into warm, loose sand) and we all jumped out.  We step away to avoid the tentacles we thought we saw earlier.

We spotted a large castle in the middle of a desert.  The warlock spent some time yelling at the castle and telling us that his "friend" was in the castle - and the builder of the castle is a "bastard for building it out here."

7:23

We all enter and the door seems to vanish behind us.  There is a portal behind us that the Warlock tells us that is not the way out, but goes back to where we came from.

We start down a corridor with the fighters in the lead.  We explore the corridors and its not long until we find a glowing circle in the floor.  Blanith tries to examine the runes but it seems to make him ill, so he steps back.

7:53

We venture to another room.  We see statues lining the room.  There are two gargoyles at the end of the room by a door.  We get an odd feeling but we try to open the door anyway.  When I try and open the door, one of the statures reaches out to grab me.

We manage to fight off the gargoyles and regain our composure.  The necklace (with a large gem in it) that was on one of the statues seems to be gone now.  Todd proceeds to try and pull over a statue.

We go through the door to see an elf fighting with two demons.  We kill one of the gargoyles and Blanith leaves one of them Webbed.

We speak with the elf, Eventree.  We ask him how he got there and are told that he went through a portal he should not have.  He says he is from Sigil.  He has an odd quality to him.

The Warlock starts telling the elf that he is trying to get to Sigil.

8:46

Eventree tells us the way out is through the seal on the floor.  A giant, shiny black monster comes from the hole in the floor and attacks Blanith.  Utho manages to fall down the stairs.  So we all try and follow...I jump after Blanith.

9:00

At the bottom of the stairs, after a very ominous warning of "It is very foolish to think I cannot come after you." we all continue.

9:20

Not far from the landing we find a doorway and go through to find a group of three ogres.  We tell them that "Dave sent us."  They let us in and then begin to yell at the shiny black monster, telling him that he "cannot bring the gargoyles down here."  While theya re bickering we makea  run through a set of doors to find five more ogres eating.

9:31

We make a run past the table, and down a corridor.  All we can find is a couple of giant ogres cheering on a lone ogre with a giant stick weapon that is fighting with a man that holds a flaming sword.

With so many ogres chasing us, we try and run down the otehr hall towards teh ogre and the man with the flaming sword.  The Warlock sets fire to teh hallway, blocking the pathway so the golem and the other ogres could not pass.

Blanith Webs one fo the ogres and puts the other two to Sleep.  The man with the flaming sword yells something, then the webbed ogre burst into flames.

10:25

The warrior introduces himself as Rahanu, then prays to his god Tempus to help us through the gate.

Decos' Wretched Plight (Session 3)

Ain't Nothin' But Kobold Thang

The Northerners accept Decos' job, and immediately set out to rid the new tunnels of these troublesome pest.  The party quickly arrives at the tunnel entrance and proceed into the strangely bricked hallways that form the ancient tunnels.  Proceeding inside, the party is attacked by and dispatches the welcoming party of kobolds.  They manage to capture three of these, slaying half and capturing the rest.

The Northerners return to town and sell their prisoners.  After talking to the town wizard the party returns to the ancient tunnels.  Moving through the rooms they encounter 4 crazed giant rats!  They quickly dispatch the weak foes, but only to be attacked by the group of 7 kobolds hiding in the next room.  The fight is short, but a great tragedy occurred.  Herek Uthbar had been slain by a kobold's sword!

The party swiftly subdues the remaining foes with a single spell.  The survivors then return their dead companion to Arbora to give him his funeral rites.  Onward to Valhalla, servant of Odin.

The Face of Mystara, Part II (Session 3)

From the Journal of Alexandria Postoak

5:24

The group goes to the Minrothad Guildhouse to try and hire a navigator.




5:28

The guild tells the party that it would be 2000 gold coins to buy a charter and that it would be several months.  Blanith asks the small guild man if there is any way they can expidite the process.  The man's name is Gordo.  He seemed rather interested in the fact that the group is going after the bounty on the captain.

The man tells Blanith that it would be 500 gold extra to expedite the charter, but when Blanith signs the receipt the additional 500 is not on it.  He says he will send the pilot to the group later that night.

5:43

Blanith goes back to his inn and starts to write scrolls, and later Gordon the one legged dwarf pirate shows up and introduces himself as the pilot.

6:22

The group leaves Thyatis to find the captain.  Blanith works closely with Captain Barlowe so he can learn more about sailing.

The wind picks up and pushes back against the ship for a day, which slows the movement.

The ship makes it to the cove to wait for the pirates to arrive.  They must take a lifeboat to research the cove and tells the captain to take the boat out to be less obvious.

6:55

The group decides to wait on the ship and watch for the other ship.  Captain Barlowe advises that he sees the other ship sailing toward The Drake.

7:05

The ship that we see is larger.  The other ship is at least twice as large as ours.  There is a call from the crow's nest, "They have a ram!".  Oliver casts Bless on the party and it is quickly followed by Blanith casting Haste.  We all then ready our weapoins and hope for the best.

7:21

Something flies towards us from the enemy ship, and there is a cry on-deck of "Catapult!".  The order to fire at will is given, and our ballistae hit the enemy ship.  The ships meet and we begin to grapple each other.  The ship is bedecked in Alphatian gear.

7:40

The crews begin to fight.  Blanith puts part of the enemy crew to Sleep.  One of the pirates is killed by Alexandra, and Oliver cast Hold Person on some of their other crew.  Nine enemy pirates board our ship and one guy jumps with superhuman skill all the way to the center of our deck to attack Methra.  She is unlucky on the second hit and dies.  Her body falls into the ocean, and is lost.

8:17

Most of the other crew is in a Web or put to Sleep.  Warwick, Alexandra, Utho, Blanith and Todd have boarded the enemy ship.

8:36

The ones that boarded the ship defeat the remaining pirates on the Sea Heifer.  We tie up the crew that is still under a Sleep spell.  Barlowe uses a stick and makes the webbed fighter to surrender.  Our crew goes through the Sea Heifer finds a fair amount of treasure and the box with a silver marking.

We decide to sail the Sea Heifer and tow our boat behind.  We tie the pirates up and watch them in the hold.  We try and question the pirate captain...

...but the interrogation fails, and Todd broke his leg - an injury which led to Kronk's death.

Introduction to Miniature Painting, Lesson 3

Our 10-part introduction to miniature painting continues this week with our last session.  Our students are starting to churn out some really nice stuff for the club!  By the time this is over, they will have lots of practice under their belts - enough to get some of those nice Wargate commissions!

Lesson 3 - Ink Washes

An ink is a heavy pigment in a thin medium that has the consistency of water.  Since ink contains heavy pigment, it tends to gather in the recesses of the model, shading it (making it darker). There are numerous techniques to using inks, but today we're just going to introduce them into our repertoire by examining a very basic technique:  washing.

Are those dogs?

To perform an ink wash on a model, simply brush the ink over the entire model.  It will shade the figure, as well as provide a color hue.  Even though ink gathers in the recessed portions of the model, a color tint can will left on the raised portions as well depending on how many coats of ink were applied.  You can also apply ink to only certain portions of a model, shading it and changing the hue as needed.

On one set of models, we used a light ink over the entire model, followed by a darker ink over the main body.  This produced a nice, natural transition in tone for the simple models we were using.  By leaving the face, paws and tail alone during the application of the dark coat we see an instant and very fetching effect occur.

You can darken an ink by applying it in multiple layers.  Like all paints, make sure the first layer is dry before applying the second.  The lighter rats below were simply inked a second time, leaving the face, paws and tail alone as before.  The natural looking gradient is very easy to achieve, and with time and practice this will become second nature.

No such luck.  Those are giant rats - because of course they are.

Like all the models we're painting during this class, we'll be showing the completed project off in our Gallery section ASAP.  Lots of great stuff coming up for the galleries, for all categories.  We've got a lot to show off, so our next photo session is going to be swamped!

One last thing:  this is the Wargate's three-hundredth post!  March 13th, 2010 we launched this new blog, and it's been an absolute pleasure to have been with  you this long.  In just a few months, we'll be a full five years old at this location, with this name.  I want to send a huge, heartfelt thank you to all our Gatekeepers for all for your hard work and support for the last four and a half years.

It looks like we'll be around for quite some time, barring any incidents involving monsters or swords (or other implements of destruction).  With so many things coming up, we're not going to just evaporate - the Wargate is only growing stronger.  So, with that I'll just say one more thing:  it's good to feel loved!