• When your escape is also darkness

    When your escape is also darkness

    I think my creative nature, both writing and D&D, started during my parents divorce. I turned towards stories of hope, or rising from darkness and fellowship. These were the things I enjoyed in fiction and helped me during those times. In my youth I was at my most creative during high-stress periods — then, high school, the Army, my mother-in-law’s cancer diagnosis and eventual death.

    My creative energy was often an escape from reality.

    I think that’s typical of artists, if I can call myself that. For me writing about Sounders soccer and D&D and the things that I enjoy have been that escape for various points of my multi-classed life. Currently I help market a news-as-security service. I see a lot of bad news. For the past year that’s meant that I have been writing more, crawling out of the darkness that was so deep during the various phases of pandemic jobless and deep despair.

    The last year was a good balance for my creativity — not too dark, but enough that I needed to write still.

    A funny thing happened over the past few weeks though. The hobbies that I use for an escape were also covered in shadow. The whole thing around the OGL with D&D ended my motivation around Dungeon 23. For the Sounders there is a sponsor that has so many of my friends and fellowship angry.

    Sourness eroded my interest in putting words to blank screens. These unnecessary community damaging decisions harmed my ability to escape.

    I didn’t want to rage, because my writing isn’t about rage (any more, now that I’m middle aged).

    I wanted to not think about the decisions that didn’t bring me joy. Instead of creating 365 nuggets of lore and place in my fantasy world, instead of sharing the joys of Renton being the Sounders second home, instead of being hyped for player signings, a new book, a movie I just stared at the blank pages.

    They weren’t a way to escape darker feelings.

    Friday some of that changed. Wizards of the Coast repealed many of their most controversial decisions, now releasing a thing called the 5.1 System Reference Document in the Creative Commons as CC-BY 4.0.

    I cried tears of joy.

    A darkness turned brighter. An emotional night had a beacon of light.

    Then I called the Tacoma Stars versus Empire Strykers MASL game for Sirius XM FC. It was a thrilling game with a supernatural performance by the Strykers goalkeeper. Seeing the coaches before the match, Toth after the match, the players meeting fans on the floor after it — all of that reminded me why I love creating around soccer.

    Writing is a funny thing for me. It’s what I do professionally and semi-professionally. It demands parts of my soul and parts of my mind be clicked together like a puzzle. Much of my process is a puzzle without a guide to what the result is going to be. I work through iterations in my head, but what if those iterations are blocked by a negative ooze?

    I pause.

    Writing doesn’t happen. It slows. I do the labor, but without the passion. I read my passion. My best works are those where my soul is exposed with fellowship and joy rushing out.

    And because emotions are what they are, reactive to outside influences, having brightness in my hobbies is vital for my creativity. The full moon of storytelling seems to be back. Now, I wonder what the next story is.

  • Honor Among Thieves trailer shows more of the party dynamic

    Honor Among Thieves trailer shows more of the party dynamic

    Coming out in just over two months Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves is about to get another wave of hype. Today was the release of trailer two. In it we see more of the soon-to-be-famous rather than infamous adventuring party supporting each other while also taking shots at each other. It’s a typical dynamic in the game.

    Some day we’ll find out more about Rodriguez’ youth D&D game, but not today.

    One of D&D’s consistent themes is found family.

    “This film is about found family,” Daley said. “Despite obvious differences, what keeps them together is this desire to fix something that’s much bigger than themselves. And then, what ultimately keeps them together is this newfound affinity that they end up having for one another.”

    From IGN

    When characters, or real people, undergo the stresses of surviving dragon attacks they bond in ways that go far beyond friendship. If Honor Among Thieves can pull that off, and the trailers lean that way (as do the actors’ histories in other movies) it will justify me seeing it three or so times on opening weekend March 31, 2023.

    From Ars Technica we learn that Critical Role performers are part of the movie.

    Cast members from the D&D web series Critical Role (which spawned the animated series The Legend of Vox Machina)will also make cameo appearances.

    From Ars Technica

    The movie continues to look good, unlike any other D&D movie in the past.

    D&D TV show picked up by Paramount+

    The Rawson Marshall Thurber written and produced TV show was picked up. It’s not connected to the movie, but exists within the same universe.

    There’s been no update on the Derek Kolstad show in some time, but he’s busy with John Wick Infinity.

  • Integrating social narrative into combat – legendary points connected to a dragon’s hoard

    Integrating social narrative into combat – legendary points connected to a dragon’s hoard

    In the World of the Everflow all dragons have hoards. At this point of Uprising and Rebellion the group has met those that hoard books (paper dragons), jewels and fine art (jaculus), animal companions (black dragons) and strife (blue dragons).

    Heading towards the final faceoff with the great wyrm blue dragon there’s a desire to connect the size of the hoard in that Wyrm’s sphere of influence to its power – subsequently allowing actions by the players to reduce the hoard.

    This will be done by combining the Legendary Resistance and Legendary Action pools. Legendary Resistance will still be a use and lose item while Legendary Actions will be regained at the start of the dragon’s next turn. A pool of physical objects will symbolize the size of the pool. This will represent the intelligence the group learns about the Wyrm.

    A blue-green dragon atop a mossy rock leers over a large d20. Behind it is a river
    The Wyrm watches the d20 rolls

    The Blue Wyrm currently resides in the mayor’s palace, having thrived off the strife caused by the rebellion and the Mayor’s corruption. But the heroes have shown that their rebellion is built on hope, a less stratified society and a city capable of trade again. Now just three dragons stand in the way of freedom, possibly.

    Things the characters could do to reduce strife;

    • Healing, feeding Kirtin-on-the-Lake’s residents
    • Freeing animal companions bound to Shadow and Darkness, the two black dragons
    • Increasing trade of desired goods within the war torn city
    • Establishing a popular governance path after the Mayor’s abdication
    • Reducing the size of the 7th Fleet encampment outside of the city
    • Teaching utility cantrips

    I’m certain the party will surprise me with other ideas.

    Things that can increase strife;

    • War with the 7th Fleet
    • Teaching more attack cantrips
    • The Mayor reclaiming the seat of government
    • Open battle in the streets

    They will again surprise me with ideas that create a less peaceful city.

    The Wyrm is going to start with five legendary points in the penultimate session for this story arc. The session will be split between the plan to pick the territory of battle (palace, tunnel, cave) and preparations that could include reducing the Wyrm’s power.

    This tweak to the standard rules should connect a social session to the grand combat ending the Wyrm’s arc.

  • Office Space | Dungeon 23

    Office Space | Dungeon 23

    Tucked in the back corner of the underground portion of the Temple of the Lords of the End is an office space. The last dual head clergy were two halfings, so the office has two halfing-sized desks with chairs. The chamber is packed with bookshelves, cabinets, decorative wall coverings and, like the main chamber has some damage from a Tunneling Nightmare.

    There are also a couple secret doors.

    1 – This secret door (DC 15) is to a small safe that contains gems and ingots. The interior is free from dust and it looks as if one ingot is new (DC 10, History or Culture(Sheljar).

    2 – One of the bookcases has a book-handle secret door system. It can be found with a DC 20 check. Behind that case is access to the alcove to one of Sheljar’s former ruling families, one that dedicated itself to Oun and Obscon rather than Quar. That chamber no longer has any remains.

    From Dungeon Scrawl

    We’re nearly done with the Temple of the Lords of the End. These two gods have a five chamber space that will be covered over three total entries. At this point there have been no monsters, but several hints that the Tunneling Nightmares, supposedly gone for several years, are active once again.

    Also, the remains that should be around are not.

    Maybe the death cult and the Necromancer were working together.

    I’m doing Lore 24, an attempt to write small lore elements daily in the year 2024. Each element will be something that’s come up in play or will come up in play within my homebrew World of the Everflow — there will be actionable threads for PCs to grab onto and advance the story.

  • Catacombs of the Lords of the End | Dungeon 23

    Catacombs of the Lords of the End | Dungeon 23

    After the intrepid explorers find the formerly sealed secret door they descend down into a small chamber using a ladder. That chamber is connected to a catacomb with 36 remaining alcoves for remains, four small doors to private burial chambers and a double door.

    The walls weep. Now somewhat below the waterline of the bog-city of Sheljar there is a heavy amount of moisture, plus the southwest corner is open to the brackish waters of the area. Outside of the open pool are a large pile of bones. It is clear that the opening is natural, not manmade.

    Created using Dungeon Scrawl.

    Possible learnings

    Intelligence checks attempting to understand what could make such a large opening could use Nature, History, Culture (Sheljar) to understand that damage was done by a Tunneling Nightmare (DC 15).

    Intelligence checks attempting to understand the alcoves and small doors could use Religion, Culture (Sheljar) to understand that the small doors are for former leadership of Sheljar (DC 10).

    Inspecting the bones using Survival or Perception would find that they are recent to the area, not covered in dust (DC 10) and there are now 4 skeletons attacking the group.

    Complications

    If 50% of the group takes enough damage to fall unconscious making death saves the roar of a Tunneling Nightmare echoes, partially muffled by the water.

    I’m doing Lore 24, an attempt to write small lore elements daily in the year 2024. Each element will be something that’s come up in play or will come up in play within my homebrew World of the Everflow — there will be actionable threads for PCs to grab onto and advance the story.

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