The Crew

When I started this geeky hobby 15 years ago, it was simple.

The most popular rpg was AD&D 2nd edition. Next most popular was Vampire: The Masquerade. I had the AD&D 2nd edition core rulebooks, and I had a starter set for the Original D&D. Easy.

These days the system has split so many ways I'm struggling to decide which varient to use when my current 3.5e game ends.

Pathfinder is my first choice. Pathfinder was developed by a number of long standing D&D designers and some newer ones. It was released after the worlds biggest playtest of any RPG in August 2009, although a free version has been online prior to this. It takes D&D 3.5, fixes all the broken parts, adds all sorts of interesting options and basically looks like the best edition of D&D I've ever seen (even if it is officially a new independent product line. Reading through the core rules it looks like perfected D&D to me, the most obvious option. Its backward compatible to 3.5e (which in term is largely backward compatible with 3e). My only gripe - and its a minor one - is that prestiege classes appear vastly inferior to the base classes.

My original choice was going to be D&D 4e. This plan may still happen, I certainly hope to get hold of the core rules at some stage. I like the slightly video gamey revisions to the basic game system, wizards no longer being powerless at lower levels and providing some real reason to play a single class character rather than endless multiclassing. The health surges are bordering on silly but I'm happy with the concept, realism is hardly a pillar of D&D. My real gripe would be learning it all again over and worrying whether I like this new system more or less. So far it seems less fun than 3e.

Another option was Gary Gygax's own answer to 3e, Castles & Crusades. Its appeal is its simplicity, mixing elements of 1st and 2nd edition AD&D with simplifying many of the game mechanics in the SEIGE engine system. This has some appeal to me, not having to reference game books every three minutes. While I am curious, I do not feel very strongly drawn to this game system for its lack of

In effect Pathfinder, D&D 4e and Castles & Crusades are all varients of the same game (D&D). They all run on the D20 system which means a lot of compatibility between systems. Pathfinder is looking like the winner so far, but my eye is still on the other two.

Dear Santa... Dear Santa, This year I've been busy! Last Sunday I committed genocide... Sorry about that, t_f_p (-5000 points). Last Friday I punched deacon_kris in the arm (-10 points). In May I helped karaden see the light (8 points). In July I put money in jensa_chan's expired parking meter (14 points). Last Tuesday I got in line at the supermarket at the same time as someone else and I didn't yield (-8 points). Overall, I've been naughty (-4996 points). For Christmas I deserve a spanking! Sincerely, green_dreads

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Fuck the spanking, I want a Wii, all Wii Resient Evil's, Zelda: Twilight Princess, complete D&D 4e core rules, e4 Eberron setting, pile of dmt, datura and some new imaginary friends (the old ones are either dead or harder to feel right now). Then get me a job as a web content manager on £45k a year and a 4 bedroom house. 90% discount at Hexagon Experience and Cyberdog also.

<3 <3 <3 HAPPY FUCKING SOLSTICE <3 <3 <3

I have written a binder-folder full of notes, maps, descriptions, character and monster information and plot outlines for my Ravenloft campaign. I tried to get players together earlier in the month to get started but this fell apart on so many levels, so another game has been arranged for 4th of January.

I'm using 3rd edition D&D rules. The setting is the Ravenloft of the 3rd edition core rulebook from 2002 (WOTC have yet to confirm when Ravenloft 4e will happen). The actual Dark Realm the game will be set in however is entirely original to this campaign (Dark Realms appear and disappear frequently in Ravenloft) as is its Dark Lord.

Originally this was going to be a brief series of hack and slash adventures set in Ravenloft for a few beginner players to fight some zombies. However as time has gone on and the D&D game I was involved with fell apart, I decided to write this as a detailed, in depth and plot-driven adventure that could last a long while. Thus far I imagine it will take at least 10 sittings to make it from prelude to epilogue. Its a very dark and twisted ride through hell, a psychedelic horror story largely inspired by the life story of Countess Elizibeth Bathory. I think after over 10 years of DM'ing D&D, I've finally written a game I'm satisfied with. Now I've going back through existing material to try to add non-linearity to as much of the existing game material as possible. What made the original Expedition to Castle Ravenloft such a work of genius is the non-linear approach of the game design. You could play it 10 times and play a unique game each time. If I can carry out a whole campaign like that, I will be very pleased.

So this year I became unemployed, picked up a potentially leathal drug habit and become homeless, BUT I have had SO MUCH sex this year. Its unreal, I can't even count them all from memory.