theWeem

Last night I received my invite to participate in the AppInventor BETA from Google, so naturally it’s all I have been doing all day today.

Initially, I went through their tutorials creating apps like from one that allows you to tap on an image cats face to make it meow, to one that let’s you draw as you tap and drag your finger on a canvas. But with those out of the way, I was ready to dive in and see what it would take to make what most RPG players think of first when they think of apps… dice rollers.

The AppInventor is very powerful, and it didn’t take long to see just how much was possible with it (“anything” according to Google). So, I decided I would make a dice roller myself, aptly named “Weem’s Dice Roller”. I am still working on it, but I figured I take a break and share the fun, and an image. It is a very simple dice roller, but hey, I’m just getting started!

Oh, one more thing! I did mention making a dice roller for Dresden Files – that is still a plan and something I really want to do, but I thought I would start with something I was more familiar with

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Like many others, I was unable to work out a trip to GenCon this year (I will be there next year though, count on it). Those who can go, and who are on Twitter have been wearing a “GenCon” badge on their profile pics to proudly indicate their upcoming trip. Well, I decided to make one for the rest of us.

Get your “Can’t Make GenCon 2010″ “twibbon” here.

Like many other 4th Edition D&D players I’m sure, me and my group have been calling the power “Beacon of Hope” BACON of hope. For the longest time I had imagined making up an image for this and tonight I finally did it.

I looked at a nice piece of bacon and reconstructed it in Illustrator as well an Obama “hope” styled poster background for it. So, here it is – I present it to you for your amusement.

I’ll settle for a smile though

A few days ago I talked about transitions from one tier to another, particularly because my own campaign is about to make one itself from Heroic to Paragon. In fact, I’m typing this I should be working on said game, which begins in five and a half hours or so.

I’m picking up this session following a very confusing game (at least when it comes to explaining it) played last week. The players will probably be getting more answers than they got last week and we should see some closure on the events of this last tier. With that said, the Paragon tier is pretty open. There are options ahead and the players will have to decide how they want to get involved, or how they wish to avoid being involved.

To that end, I asked them all last week to think about the kind of game they wish to play in through the next tier. An example of one of the questions I posed was, do you like being on the move constantly as you have been or would it be nice to be settled somewhere for a bit? I asked some others to help get the juices flowing, and though they do not need to get back to me with feedback tonight, I’m hoping that I get some solid answers before we pick up again later. The one player who reads this blog has some ideas already (wuddup Spencer!) but in general, my players seem to prefer the “whatever you wanna do” answers, so we’ll see.

Ok ok, back to the game…

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I have been running 4th Edition D&D games since release, as many others have. My first campaign ended after about 1 year, during which the players advanced from levels 1 to 12. As they approached the heroic tier, I decided I would do something a little different. Rather than simply having them choose a paragon path and keep going as normal, I wanted there to do something special that signified the transition from Heroic to Paragon.

So I proposed “Individual Games”.

Individual Games

At the end of the last game session of the tier (players were level 10), it became apparent to them that in order to stop this particular event (the invasion of the Lost Valley of Hutaaka) from occurring in the near future, they were going to need to split up.

• The Dragonborn Fighter would return to his homeland clans to rustle up support (soldiers) to help defend the valley.
• The Elven Cleric would go to his church and see how they might be able to help.
• The Eladrin Wizard would aid a mysterious organization in determining a weakness to exploit in the enemies powerful weapons.

At that point, they talked about Paragon Paths and we scheduled the next 3 game sessions to be focused one for each player.

So, for example, the next game was the Fighter’s game. The entire game completely revolved around his return home. The other players played new characters they made representing friends of his back home. It was a great game that ended with him defeating a rival clan’s leader in what was one of the most epic fights to have occured in all of my 4th edition experiences – to this day, he says it was his favorite D&D game ever (and he has played previous editions).

The other players enjoyed their games as well (though I will spare the details).

After each game, the player would level their character to 11 and build in their Paragon Path. After all three games were done, the next session had them getting back together as a team, having accomplished their goals (to varying degrees of success) and we continued.

This was a very effective and enjoyable way of making the transition from Heroic to Paragon special and memorable.

New Campaign, New Transition Method

I am currently running my second 4th Edition campaign. The players are level 9 now and so we again are approaching the transition from Heroic to Paragon Tier. The difference this time is that we have much less time to play. During the first campaign, we played Saturdays from 9am to 6pm – a lot of time really. This campaign consists of different players however, and we only get to play from 7pm to 10 or 11pm every other Tuesday. As much as I want to do individual games, there simply isn’t enough time for it – so I am considering something called “Narrative Transition”.

Narrative Transition

This coming Tuesday night, we will be playing one of (or perhaps THE) last game of the Heroic Tier. With no time to play individual games, I have been considering leaving the Heroic Tier at a point where the players must decide their trajectory into the Paragon Tier.

There will be options for them – paths to choose that will set the tone of the campaign through Paragon. Once they have determined their plans and the game is over, I thought I would talk to them each individually (over the course of a few weeks between then and the next game) about their Paragon Path, how it ties into the decision they made for the campaign and exactly what their characters are doing during the downtime leading up to the next session (in game, this downtime will be anywhere from a few months to a year or more depending on what they do).

I want this narrative to be very open, and very much driven by what the player wants to do with their character, whether or not the rules of 4th Edition cover them. For example, if the Fighter wants to have gathered some men that work for him, that’s an option. If the Artificer want’s to have learned more about flying airships (as I know he wants to) that is an option.

Essentially, without playing a game for it, I want to discuss these ideas and work them into the game in a way that demonstrates a significant and meaningful change in their character as they enter the Paragon Tier.

Do you do anything special in your games for Tier Transitions?

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Admittedly, the Dresden Files is very new to me. In my Dresden Files Day 1 post, I say as much.

So recently, when I posted an idea of mapping the Nevernever, I really didn’t know much about it. I did know it was more of an abstract thing – an ever changing realm of sorts. I thought it would be interesting to map it out and approach it in a similar fashion to something else I am much more familiar with – the Feywild from D&D. I shared the idea here, and across a number of forums.

I learned a few things after doing that…

1. The Nevernever can’t be mapped. I was reminded that the Nevernever is never the same thing twice, and as such it could never really be mapped. I never intended my map to be particularly accurate – mostly I wanted it to simply show locations of interest that existed there, not necessarily paths between them all.

2. The Nevernever (by the novels) is much more interesting than I was imagining having only the RPG books to read. The RPG books don’t go into much detail (any detail?) about it so I figured it was mine to develop. Of course, as a GM this is always true, but I wanted to to stick to official experience – I just wasn’t aware of it yet.

I do have the novels now, and in fact will be starting book one at some point tonight (after I type this up). With that said, I want to leave you with some of what has been said across some of the forums I posted the map for discussion. These are things that stuck out to me as cool aspects of the Nevernever that I had not known…

The never never in my games never sticks around in the same way long enough to be mapped. Not to mention that distances are entirely subjective even before they start to change. What is ‘just over the river’ for you when you’re happy is a thousand miles away if you’re sad.

And things move. dream scapes can pop up and disrupt things, ghost demenses can form. certain Powerful things in the Never Never can simply reshape it on a whim. Its not firm hard land, rather its a thin crust of reality on a never ending sea of unformed goo. Its only stable as long as its viewed.

There are certain places that will always be (artis Tor, etc) that have enough belief in them to remain firm otherwise things move with the seasons, the time of day and even the thoughts of mortals.

—-

There are levels to my never never, they just don’t entirely stay the same. Also because of how its affected by mortal minds it would be a reflection of the city but not neccessarily the physical city, so the Old hotel is still there years after the physical has been torn down, as long as people remember it. And that getting from one part of the city to the others isn’t always the same as it is in the real world. sometimes what you see is all fields as it was before, sometimes you see mirrors of peoples fears and hopes.

I’d actually agree that ‘Neverwhere’ is a great idea for a reflection of the city but even there, and its more obvious in the TV series (in which in at least one scene they’re wandering along a sewer and then emerge out of a second story door without Door’s help), not everything lines up quite the same everytime. part of the reason that the Marque is so powerful (apart from the deals he makes) is that he, like the rats, can navigate it

– Ricohard1986 (@rpg.net)

The feel from the books is that the NeverNever doesn’t correlate to the real world. While going into the NeverNever from a particular place in the real world leads to the same place in the NeverNever each time, 2 spots in the real world separated by a mile could be a mile, a million miles, in separate realms that don’t connect, or right next to each other in the NeverNever.

The are regular paths (Ways), point A in the real world goes to point B in the NeverNever, then point C, then point D, then point E back in the real world. However going between points A and E in the real world would have nothing to do with the points gone through in the NeverNever.

But then maybe San Franciso is different, just to mess with us.

– smoore (@jimbutcher.com)

Haven’t played the game, but the original source material is pretty clear on the point that distances and travel through the Nevernever are not… simple. Where the mortal realm has a set geometry, the Nevernever is a bit more fluid.

To mirror that, you might do better to map connections between locations, and allow those connections to vary in length depending on circumstances (especially who is doing the traveling). In addition, if I recall correctly, the books don’t have a direct mapping between points in the mortal realm and in the Nevernever.

In your game, you may do as you wish, of course. I mention it so you remember that any of your players who are avid fans of the books may have expectations – you can warn them about the differences, or use those expectations against them, as seems appropriate.

– Umbran (@enworld.org)

Another resource I am using (which is spoiling the books for me of course) is Google Books – searching the term “Nevernever” across all the books let’s me read all the bits about it where the term shows up. I haven’t done a ton of this yet, but so far it’s been a great resource.

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Last night, we got together for another Dresden Files jam session. We had someone new to the game over (newer than us!) and explained it to them (as best we could) as well as read up on various items, and discussed ideas. We also talked more about the city we decided to use for the game, San Francisco (SF).

One of the things I had mentioned from the beginning was that I imaged the Nevernever (NN) kind of the same as I imagined the Feywild in D&D, as far as its relationship with the ‘real’ world. I liked the idea of the NN being parallel to SF, and as such they were similar in geography for the most part. I then took that idea a step farther and imagined that the NN had played a large role in making SF what it is today. For example, many of the names of locations in SF would have been originally derived from places in the NN.

Looking at it from this angle gave me a number of ideas, so I decided I was going to start mapping it out. I have done various D&D maps over the years, though mostly dungeons, so this was a new thing for me. Anyway, click on the map above for a larger version – it is still a work in progress though, so there is more to be done and changed. Also, you can click here to see it with an overlay of San Francisco details (streets, etc).

Here are some initial ideas regarding the names/locations I currently have on the map (again, still in the works)…

• Coiling Tower – This is the location of Coit Tower in SF. This being the easiest way into the NN for most people. A secret hallway within Coit Tower brings you to the Coiling Tower in the NN. It is well guarded on the NN side however.
• The Hallows – This is a large town consisting of many of the buildings that existed in SF at 1906, before the earthquake and subsequent fire destroyed them. There was a greater connection between the NN and SF back then, but the fire severed it leaving ‘copies’ of the buildings in the NN – hallowed out structures that have been homes to many creatures over the last 104 years. This is also the location of The Market, a great bizarre of sorts.
• The Serpent – This notes a very dangerous area, said to be home to a large snake or dragon of some kind. Associated with Lombard street in SF, this is an example of how aspects of the real world can just as easily become a part of the NN
• The Catacombs – This is a large area of underground catacombs, some portions of it exposed through the earth. It is said there are ways into the Catacombs from SF via the National Cemetery. These can not be confirmed though.
• The Fields of Hate – This is the area of SF called Haight-Ashbury, but in the NN it is the fields of Hate. Not sure what is there yet, but I don’t think it’s safe.
• The Red Victorian Hotel – This historical hotel exists in SF, but a parallel version is said to move throughout the Fields of Hate. It is never in the same place for long apparently.
• Tombs of Deasis – These tombs are connected in some way to the Mission San Francisco de Asís. This location is very dangerous in the NN and is avoided by most.
• Dark Wood – This forest is directly connected to Golden Gate Park in SF. It is the second easiest way for most to enter the NN as there are said to be numerous portals between the two. It is not uncommon for unwitting citizens of SF to stumble into the Dark Wood by wandering off the beaten path. Unfortunately, the Dark Wood is a very dangerous place, and most of them do not return.

In coming up with these, I kept thinking of ideas for my D&D campaign as well… two birds, one stone kind of thing I guess.

So that’s about it for now. I will post again as I update it and we’ll see how it goes!

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As you may have already seen in the picture to the left, I dropped and shattered the glass on my new HTC Incredible. I had waited a month for this to get to me. Every day harder than the next to wait, and having had it now for 23 days I can say it was an appropriate anticipation. This phone is by far the best/coolest ‘gadget’ I have had. It is a phone, to be sure, but it is a gadget as well – one that I have been very happy to own.

So last night, I’m getting ready to climb into my truck on the way to a neaby 7-11. Already in my mind I’m thinking about the foursquare check-in I will be making when I get there (gotta make sure I stay keep my mayorship of course). As I open the door and move to get in, I pull the phone from my pocket and it SLIPS! It was all slow motion at that point – the scramble to secure it as it bounces and slides away from. The fractions of a second where the silence can be felt as it descends towards the pavement below – and finally the sound of a slap as it lands perfectly flat on it’s face, like a hand slapping water.

No case on the phone.

No insurance.

It was a drop that has cost me $266 for the order of a new one and 2 more weeks of waiting for it (though this new one IS insured).

I have to smile though – I’m fortunate enough that buying another one is even an option, so, no complaints here. At least I will have some spare parts (including a battery) for the new one!

Well, today is the day.

The players of my regular D&D campaign are coming over today to check out the Dresden Files RPG. I bought the books a few weeks ago, and have been going over them as I can. Last night in fact I made my very first character and was very pleased with the process and outcome. It’s making me wish someone could run a game for me, but I don’t see that happening anytime soon, so it’s best not to dwell.

One of the things I really like about this system is the way in which you can think of a theme for your character, or take a vision in your mind and make it happen. Other games allow you to do this with varying degrees of success, but this one did it well and the process itself was enjoyable. The character building process is even supposed to be a cooperative one which I think would have been even more fun, but I was flying solo with it last night.

Today, we’ll be talking about the system, and making characters. Even if these characters aren’t used in future games, I think getting to know the process is important in helping the players better understand the rules.

If they finish some characters before it’s too late, maybe I will throw something at them to beat down… or die to.

I’ve just added a new page to the site called “Win Stuff!“.

Essentially, I am rewarding my Twitter followers for… well… listening to me! If you are already following me, that’s awesome, but I suggest checking out the page anyway as there are more ways to win then by simply following me on Twitter.

Not following me on Twitter? Head to my Twitter page now, and hit “Follow” – that’s it!