Sword Coast Legends: my thoughts

Ever wanted to experience a Dungeons and Dragons adventure in the form of a video game? Of course you have, and you've tried countless RPGs. Here comes another, but this one is different. First off, it is set in the Dungeons & Dragons Forgotten Realms universe based on the fifth edition ruleset; even populated with Dungeons & Dragons lore and legend.

The single player campaign was created by developers who worked on Dragon Age: Origins, in my opinion, a guarantee of high quality content right there. Watching the teaser they posted by the development team, I can clearly see the Dragon Age influence on the game, having the ability to pause the game and plan you next move; wise move. Another feature we will quickly recognise is the top down isometric view, a welcome feature in my books. Players will be able to join campaigns playing as one of five races and six classes; a good selection.

However, playing it in single player mode is just like any other RPG; bring in multiplayer mode. You can play the game with up to three other players, a group of four, not a new idea by far, in my opinion; but here's where this game stands out. A fifth player can join into the fray; as the Dungeon Master!! The DM will be able to create his/her own epic adventure and let the players to navigate through it, if they can. Dragon Age: Origins director Dan Tulge said that "DMs are able to adjust encounters, place, promote, manage and even control monsters, set traps, reward and punish party members." Awesome.

Oh wait, did I forget to mention that the DM will be able to do all this in real-time?

As Digital Trends argue here, "the role of the DM is not strictly adversarial. They can help or hinder the players as t hey see fit, able to increase the challenge and punish players that are doing too well or help out the heroes when they are stuggling and move the story forward." That's exactly what the DM in Sword Coast Legends will be able to do.

For those who are concerned about the requirements for this game, not a problem. You should all check out the official site and then their social media profiles for more information about this new gem. I will surely blog more about this upcoming game as more news is posted, as well as when I get my hands on it and actually play it.

Get ready to fight epic battles, walk through dark dungeons and chill out in a noisy tavern some time in 2015.

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Teraqa Akil, the Egyptian Earth Mage

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   Teraqa Akil

   Elementalist: Earth, Water

   Occupation: Sem Priestess
   Age: 43 years old

   Origin: Valley of Kings 

Teraqa Akil, born to Lepore and Ursa, ia a 43 year old Sem Priest from the Valley of Kings in Upper Egypt. Lepore, Teraqa’s father was a respected Charm Maker in the Valley, making charms for adventurers and official guards of the Pharaoh. Her mother, on the other hand, was a talented Shape Shifter, her favourite form being that of the bear. This is what earned her the name Ursa when she was still young. She left her shape shifting ways back at home when she met Lepore and married him, and never told him of her little secret. However, one faithful day, she was confronted by a group of bandits who tried to rob her and her family of all their riches; this was when she lost control of her powers. She turned into a fierce bear, killing all of the bandits and saving her family. However, Lepore was not impressed; he left her and took Teraqa with him and away from her, in fear for her health.  

Growing up, Teraqa learned how to build magical charms, learning this skill from her father. However, she later found out she had other powers. Enjoyed long walks in the woods, going further from home every time, she felt in tune with nature. One time, she encountered a pack of wolves, her only defence being her wooden walking stick. Wishing she had something harder to deal more damage, her staff turned to stone, heavier but a much stronger weapon. After beating some of the wolves and escaping, Teraqa investigated the new skills she found out, learning more and more about Earth magic. Having this new found power, she started worshipping Geb, the god of Earth, learning much when researching about him through hieroglyphic runes and old scriptures. Through these readings, she also learned about Water magic, learning some of the spells she read about and practicing them along with Earth magic when she was in the woods. Through the long times she spent out in the wilderness, she also became capable of tracking animals and knowing if she was a prey of any dangerous beast she had to be aware of, also identifying abnormalities such as traps in the wilderness from a safe distance.

When asking around for more resources about magic, she was told that the priests of the temples had the largest libraries with vast collection of books, scrolls and more. So, when she was 30 years old, she joined the priests at the temples at the Valley of Kings as an Initiate, earning a promotion to a scribe, earning another promotion to a Sem Priestess at the age of 40. As a priestess of Geb, she learned more and more, taking advantage of the priests’ knowledge on Earth magic, gleaning as much information from their libraries as she could. Earning the respect of fellow priests and commoners alike as a Sem Priestess, she took up the responsibility of performing rituals alongside other priests as they embalmed and mummified the dead, not dealing with the dead herself, but blessing them for the afterlife.  

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