Asshats

It seems to me that the internet, whilst being a thoroughly useful tool, gets abused by serious dickwads who think it’s their right to target people with bilious and vitriolic comments purely because they have a different opinion to them. I for one have had enough, you know who you are and to be frank I consider all of you to be a waste of sperm and oxygen thieves, the world would be a better place without all of you. Yarrgggh!

Just because there is no real way to police the idiots mentioned in the above paragraph doesn’t mean that we have freedom of speech, for instance, were this article calling for a fatwah or a crusade I could expect to be visited by some of the chaps in blue uniforms and called to account, should I threaten to blow something up it would be much the same. I have always been a big fan of the quote “I do not agree with what you have to say, but I’ll defend to the death your right to say it.” however, when someone devolves to personal attacks, purely because I say I don’t like something then the bets are off. they don’t get to do that and I will not feed the trolls, I will explain where they are mistaken and that will be my final comment on the matter.

I don’t like 4E, it is my opinion that it is turning into a squad level tactical game, the way things are going with it does not appeal to me in the slightest, I will not be using any of the cards, I will also not be running any more of it. For me the rot set in during a game of LFR I was running when the players told me that they didn’t have time for roleplaying they wanted to get to the encounter. Hey asshole! Yes you out there, the angry one with the red face, step away from the pc and go and do something more useful for the world, see if you can win a Darwin award.

There I said it, I don’t like 4E, does that make me a bad person? Does it mean I am consigned to gamer hell? Does it mean that WoTC storm-troopers will come and kick down my door and drag me away? What about me, will I break into homes where they’re playing 4E and kill everyone? Will I demonstrate outside games shops and call anyone playing 4E rude names? Nope, none of the above, I’ll continue on as I am, I’ll play something different and WoTC can no longer sell me every book they produce, I also cancelled my ddi subscription all told they have lost someone who spent a large amount of $ on their products, but hey that’s cool, because I know there are people out there who do like it and will continue playing it.

Sometimes I feel like I’m the only one talking about the elephant in the room or that spanky new set of clothes the Emperor is not wearing, but hey-ho it’s only zeroes and ones at the end of the day.

Now on to something I do like.

Pathfinder Adventure Paths

Just recently I have started running 2 games of Pathfinder, I decided to run their adventure path product – Rise of the Runelords this for me is an extremely well written and produced product, it’s filled with information, excellent scenarios and loads of colourful art, in it Goblins take on a whole new life and seem akin to some of the darker fairy tales. I have run the first part of this campaign  twice now for 2 seperate groups and it was fresh each time, the group dynamics were different, the party makeup was different and the town seemed to come alive for both groups. There have been some memorable moments too, from the Cleric of Cayden Cailean holding a goblin at bay with a rapier until the ranger loped in and sliced it in half to the bumbling sorcerer who tripped over his robes whilst trying to run away.

My players managed to bring their characters to life, they have places to stay, money problems, women problems and they are saving up for their next gadget/toy just like everyone else. The storyline is really good and I expect to have a lot of fun with the 2 groups, I’m well aware that the group is the key to roleplaying goodness, just like I’m well aware that the system does not really dictate the style of play, what I think the system does do is lend itself to a particular playing style and lead the game in a particular direction.

I won’t go into the Rise of the Runelords AP in too much detail, I know at least 2 of my players read this stuff I write, but the story really does build to an excellent end game, if you’re a GM and you haven’t seen this stuff, buy the pdfs and have a read they really are good.

And finally I’d like to welcome Banjo the Clown to the crew, unlike me Banjo likes 4E and NWoD, but then I guess there’s no accounting for taste. *wink*

Seriously Banjo runs a mean 4E game and I’m sure he does the same for the various World of Darkness games he runs too, sniff, not been invited to one of those, I understand he’s running Promethean at the moment and it’s all going to end in tears.

That’s enough from me today and remember if you’re an angry asshat, go and find someone else to pester!

Comments: 6 comments

Tags: #DnD, 4e, Captain Curmudgeon, Fantasy, Nerd Rage, Pathfinder, roleplaying

WTF?

No seriously, WTF?

I get product extensions, I really do, obviously I get apoplectic over stupid ones like the release of the Dettol No-Touch Soap Dispenser. Do the morons in marketing not understand that the first thing you do after you touch a soap dispenser is wash your freaking hands?

Anyway, I digress, game affecting cards in D&D? For me these are symptomatic of the drift of 4th Ed D&D towards the Squad Level tactical game it reminds me of. I played encounters today and it was a fairly unimaginative scenario that I feel the writers could have done more with, but during this session we actually received the cards posted out to the organisers.

Reading the rules you now have a draw phase at the start of your turn and you can play your card accordingly during your turn, if anything is guaranteed to turn me cold it’s playing rules extensions and revisions during a game because you have a card for it, it’s ridiculous and it’s just NOT role playing.

What do they think they’re doing?

Of course this will mean that there are rares, uncommons and commons that people will simply have to own, which of course is good business for Hasbro, but playing cards to determine battle outcomes?

Really?

D&D as an RPG is dead to me, I’ll turn up and play with the guys at the Encounters sessions because it’s socialising, but I will not be spending any more money on 4th Ed, I will not be running any more games, I will not renew my ddi subscription, from here on in it’s Pathfinder all the way baby, well that’s when I’m not playing SLA Industries, or FATE or any one of a multitude of RPGs.

Oh yeah, while I’m here, did I mention there’s a new forum for SLA Industries?

Go there, check it out, it’s cool.

Comments: 13 comments

Tags: #DnD, 4e, Captain Curmudgeon, RPG

Wow it’s been a while since I got my writing groove on.

Anyroadup.

Why have I left 4E D&D to take what could in effect be construed as a retrograde step?

When 4E was released I was filled with enthusiasm, I bought all the books, no really, ALL the books. I loved it, it was clear concise, and meant you could kind of ignore the mechanics because they’d all been simplified, there was plenty of crunch and things were good. The simplification of the skills made sense to me, I could see it taking off, so much so I decided to run LFR.

This is when my perception started to drift downwards.

For a start, to sign up to GM public games for WoTC, free of charge mind, you had to know the secret ninja routes through their website, you had to be affiliated with a game store or speak to people in the know in Hasbro. Then there’s the fact that they have tried to shoehorn the RPG stuff into the MtG modules and it starts to get a bit dispiriting.

Alright, so I got past all that lot and started running modules, some groups were great and were prepared to roleplay it to the max, other groups (you know who you are) went in like a SWAT team and finally there was the last group, “Look we don’t have time to roleplay this, we need to kill everything and get the rewards.”

Yes I’m generalising, but that was the overall feeling I was getting, members of the final style of play would do things like demand the type of skill challenge, how many successes they needed and what skills they should be using. I don’t know about you but that really ground me down, I felt like I was an umpire in a Squad Level Tactical Game.

Finally, WoTC decided they were losing too much to piracy and decided to give a great big fuck you very much to all of us who were actually paying for their products, this came in the form of the online CB, the way they dealt with it and the way they announced it sent me into apoplexy, if a company is going to survive it has to look after the customers who pay and not screw them over because other asswipes don’t pay.

So that then, is why I will be stepping away from 4E, there are some really good groups out there and I am not knocking them, if they have fun then I applaud them and wish them to continue to do so. (/me looks at Whitt)

Why Pathfinder?

I have a lot of good memories of 3.5 D&D, I also feel the rules don’t point you at combat in the same manner and after my initial contact with http://www.paizo.com &  http://paizo.com/pathfinderSociety I find I am enthused over the product. Reading the rulebooks and the released adventure products, the style and tone in which they are written calls out to me.

Let’s also not forget I have a huge amount of D&D 3.5 material at home left over from the last time I played this game.

I’m currently preparing to run the Adventure Path “Rise of the Runelords” for one of the groups I play in at the moment and the write-ups have just the right amount of fluff and crunch to make me very happy, Sandpoint is a living breathing location in my mind and I’m sure the guys will have a lot of fun, I’ll also run it for the other groups if they want and if we can finally arrange a regular meet time/place.

Am I sorry I went to 4E?

No way, you have to try everything once, I get why people like it, I get why it works for them, it just doesn’t work for me, to all you 4E dudes out there, keep on rocking, the industry needs your support.

CaptCalamitous

Comments: 4 comments

Tags: 4e, Captain Curmudgeon, D&D, Pathfinder

For anyone who’s been playing with the two new web-services that the online version of WotC’s Character Builder uses, you may have tried remotely logging in, but wondered how the password needs to be encrypted?

Well I’ve cracked the way passwords are encrypted and have been able to login remotely and do simple actions such as, get a list of all my characters and export the XML for an old style DnD4e file.

Here’s a simple bit of C# showing how to encode a password.

public static byte[] SimpleEncrypt(string value, string key)
{
    byte[] buffer2;
    ICryptoTransform transform = GetSimpleAlgorithm(key).CreateEncryptor();
    using (MemoryStream stream = new MemoryStream())
    {
        using (CryptoStream stream2 = new CryptoStream(stream, transform, CryptoStreamMode.Write))
        {
            byte[] bytes = Encoding.UTF8.GetBytes(value);
            stream2.Write(bytes, 0, bytes.Length);
            stream2.Flush();
            stream2.FlushFinalBlock();
            stream.Position = 0L;
            buffer2 = stream.ToArray();
        }
    }
    return buffer2;
}

private static SymmetricAlgorithm GetSimpleAlgorithm(string key)
{
    AesManaged aes = new AesManaged();
    byte[] source = new SHA256Managed().ComputeHash(Encoding.UTF8.GetBytes(key));
    return new AesManaged { Key = source, IV = source.Take<byte>((aes.BlockSize / 8)).ToArray<byte>() };
}

As you can see this takes the username and password as inputs, if you’ve built a nice client wrapper around the SOAP webservice, something that Visual Studio does for me, then logging in is as simple as calling the login method on either of the web services.

contentClient.Login(username, SimpleEncrypt(password, username));

If we then use the GetAvailableContent() method of the ContentVault service, we can return and enumerate a list of characters.

ContentInfo[] content = contentClient.GetAvailableContent(0);

for (int i = 0; i < content.Length; i++)
{
    XDocument doc = XDocument.Parse(content[i].CommittedContent.Details.ToString());
    var name = doc.Element("CharacterDetails").Element("Name").Value;
    Console.WriteLine("{0} : {1}", i, name);
}

Then using the GetData() method of the same service we can grab the DnD4e XML file.

DataWithVersion data = contentClient.GetData(
    new ContentVault.ContentIdentifier { ContentID = content[0].CommittedContent.Identifier.ContentID },
    null
    );

RawContentBlob blob = data.Data as RawContentBlob;

String charFile = new UTF8Encoding().GetString(blob.RawData, 0, blob.RawData.Length);

File.WriteAllBytes("d:\\temp.dnd4e", blob.RawData);

There you go just a brief window into some of the things the ContentVault service can do.

No word from WotC on whether or not we’re allowed to do this though. I did ask, but never got a response.

One last note, if you’re doing this in Visual Studio then make sure the bindings for the web services have allowCookies set to true, then the login will be remembered for the subsequent calls to the service.

If you’re consuming the SOAP in some other not Microsoft way, then obviously you’ll need to do the same thing, save the cookie from the login response and send it on with any following requests.

Comments: 14 comments

Tags: #DnD, 4e, D&D, DDI, Programming

The new Silverlight character builder uses web services to communicate back and forth with WotC’s servers. I’ve spotted two web services so far, the ContentVault service and the D20Workspace service.

ContentVault: http://ioun.wizards.com/ContentVault.svc
D20Workspace:  http://vecna.wizards.com/D20WorkspaceService.svc

You gotta love the host names there.

The ContentVault service, as you’d expect from the name appears to me, after a little investigation, to deal with grabbing content from the server.

The D20Workspace service looks like it is how characters are loaded, updated and checked against the rules and saved.

Everytime you make a new choice in the client and there’s a slight pause, this is your choice being submitted to the D20Workspace service.

The Silverlight client doesn’t appear to be going anywhere near the compendium for data on powers/races/classes, infact I can’t see that data coming from anywhere infact. A mystery. I need to look closer, perhaps it’s downloaded with the Silverlight client code for speed purposes?

Both services have login methods, so if WotC were to give a little guidance, and if the compendium data is also available as a login protected webservice, then I don’t see any reason why someone couldn’t write an HTML/Javascript client based on those services. And as you’d have to login to use it then WotC shouldn’t mind that kind of extensibility being used.

Look what a great API has done for Twitter for example.

Comments: 1 comment

Tags: DDI

I’ve decided a 4e wand of wonder would be a interestingly fun item for my group. So to that end I’m collecting crazy ideas for random effects!

So if you have an idea please submit it using this form!

Or head over to http://bit.ly/WandOfWonder.

Submit as many as you like!

Comments: Leave a comment

Preparing for today’s Alternity game and I came across something called Skill Ladders whilst reading Wolfgang Baur’s Dataware book.

Skill ladders are presented by Wolfgang as a way to avoid the monotony of Alternity’s complex skill checks. A complex skill check requires a certain number of successes before a number 3 failures. This can descend into just totting up successes and failures at the table until you’ve either succeeded or failed.

Wolfgang outlines skill ladders, just a quick to write list of what each success or failure of a hacking attempt actually means. Here’s a quick example from my prep for today.

Hacking bio tagged laser weapon

Successes

1. Removed take down pin
2. Gained access to internal ciruitry
3. Bypassed authentication routines
4. Weapon unlocked for any user

Failures

1. Mild electric shock
2. Ammo halved by power discharge
3. Weapon locked. Power discharged. Ammo depleted.

This is a quick an very easy way to write simple game raising things to respond to each failure or success with. Next time I’m doing 4e skill checks I think this easy method would transfer quite well as well. It’s a good way to show your players that they are actually progressing through a skill challenge and gives them an idea of how far is left to go.

I can’t stress how quick this is to knock up, and how powerful it is in use at the table. Here’s another example that I knocked together in a few minutes at lunch today.

Opening Hanger Airlock Doors

Successes

1. Bypass microswitches and remove access panel undetected
2.Find power conduit
3. Reroute power to door controls
4. Disable anti tamper device
5. Inner door open
6. Override safety measures
7.  Access airlock sub routines
8. Outer doors open

Failures

1. Power fails needs re-routing
2. Alarm sounds
3. Safety measures kick back in. Any open doors shut. Power fails. Start again.

I’ll definitely be writing more of these, maybe even at the table, they are that quick.

How about you?

Comments: 2 comments

Tags: DMing, GMing, Sci Fi

As you know I like to use music in my games. Sometimes though I’m without my laptop and a full Softrope setup. It’s then that I turn to my phone.

I used both the iPod functionality and the premium version of Spotify on my iPhone to play background music. The iPhone though, just like most phones, has a quite poor speaker.

So I bought one of these.

X Mini II portable speaker

These little things are great. Light, small and very powerful. With an 11 hour battery life and chargable via USB they are fantastically handy to slip quickly in a bag. The dynamic range is amazing for the size of the speaker, you’re players won’t even know you’ve got one behind your screen until you make them jump with an impressive sound effect or rousing musical score!

And to top it all they only cost £13.99!

More info at http://bit.ly/xmini2.

Comments: Leave a comment

I like to sometimes right a short story as part of my character backgrounds. Usually only a scene or two, like the first chapter of a novel or something similar. I find this really helps set the scene for the play to come, even if it’s something way back in the past, such as the following example, it lets me and my DM help lay some foundations for the character in question.

Memories

My earliest memory is from the age of five. There is nothing before that, just a deafening blindness.

It is not like most children’s earliest memories, lost in misty half remembering. It is vivid and almost physical. Fading shafts of late-evening sun pouring through the many arches along the balcony. The chill of the shadows under the bed where I lay quietly. The brush of soft footsteps approaching across the polished floor.

All of these memories began in this one single moment, as if someone had lit a lamp in darkness, or whipped away the drapes, rudely awakening a late sleeper.

The pastel designs of the marble mixed with the bright and still warm colour of a spreading pool of blood. Two bodies lay twisted and broken on the cold floor, faces frozen in death, gripped by masks of surprised pain. I don’t recall being scared, as perhaps a five-year-old girl should have been. I felt nothing for the dead bodies, not knowing, or being able to recall, who they were.

Soft shoed feet approached my hiding place. Suddenly the bed was lifted away, thrown against the wall, banishing the shadows and revealing me.

Shocked by the sudden noise and movement, I flinched and shrank into the corner. Fearful now, I looked up and saw a face masked by wrappings of dark cloth, only two shadowy eyes were visible.

I could not tell if it was a man or woman, but they examined me intensely for a number of seconds, as if pondering some great question. “Even for House Philarlan, I will not kill a young child,” they said in a low voice. The masked killer continued to stare at me thoughtfully, before continuing, “You have been orphaned today, but do not think harshly of me, you may learn, in time, that I am simply doing my duty.”

And then, twisting on one foot, the killer turned and ran towards the balcony and leaped onto the stone rail, settling there in a crouch, before slipping off and disappearing from view, dark cloak billowing behind.

Left with a feeling of sudden loss, which I couldn’t fathom, I stood up and walked to the bodies, avoiding the glistening pool of sticky blood. So these were my parents, and I was now an orphan? I bent down to look closely at them, yet I still had no memory of them alive.

I heard soft moaning from the open doorway. It appeared to be coming from the room opposite mine. Frightened I quickly ran and slammed shut the door to my room.  I did not want to know who or what was making the noise, or whether they were alive or near death.

My eyes began to water. I felt nothing and instinctively wiped tears away with my sleeve. I was confused, not at all sure why I was crying. Overcome by a sudden exhaustion, I lay down, my back against the sturdy wooden door, and fell deeply asleep.

~***~

I awoke abruptly, it felt like the floor had moved under me. I looked about, realising that the door behind me was being forced open. I gathered my limbs to myself and tried to be as quiet as possible.

“Anyone in here?” a voice spoke softly from the open crack of doorway. Terrified, I did not answer.

The door pushed against me again, slightly harder. I let out an involuntary gasp, and clasped my hands over my mouth.

“Someone’s alive in here Oliith!” the voice from the door shouted. The door was then pushed fully open, being behind it I could not see who stood in the doorway. “I know there’s someone in here, come out, there is nothing to fear.”

I kept my hand still tightly held over my mouth, trying not to even breathe.

The door closed a little and a woman’s head peered around the edge, “Why hello, it’s a little girl, are you okay?”

Conclusion

It’s a fun technique and gets me practising my writing skills. Anyone do anything similar?

Comments: 2 comments

Tags: Character Building, Ideas

Last year our regular D&D game fell on April 1^st, so I decided to try and see if I could con my player’s characters out of some gold.

I’d been reading Neil Gaiman’s American Gods, a worthwhile read which features a number of con tricks. The book inspired me to head off to the internet and research the art of hustling. This is what I came up with, I hope it inspires you to do something similar this year!

Missing, One Glass Eye

The Glim Dropper is similar to the  more famous Pigeon Drop, or Fiddle Game cons, and relies on the mark being convinced that something of no value has much greater value. In this case a glass eye.

Continue reading…

Comments: 2 comments

Tags: Articles, DMing, Player Choice