Sword Coast Legends: my thoughts

This is a short review of what I have seen so far regarding an upcoming DnD video game called Sword Coast Legends.

The Strike of Saarii

A series of posts detailing a journey a group of players went through in a DnD session I mastered.

Teraqa Akil, the Egyptian Earth Mage

The first female character I decided to create and roleplay as.

Aíma, the Blood Mage

A Blood Mage I created and roleplayed as in a single day DnD session.

Should you use dice other than the d20?

Ideas which can be used in DnD, as well as other board games, regarding the use of different dice, not just the d20.

Wednesday, 29 April 2015

5 Reasons to play Skyrim... Again.

We've all played Skyrim, we all know what it's all about; if you haven't, just get to it already. But this is not a game you simply play through it once and throw it on the shelf with all the rest of the collection, never to be played again. There are several reasons why one should play the game, from the start, again.

1. You Can Be Anything
Contrary to most other RPGs out there, Skyrim is not restrictive in what gear and abilities one can use depending on which class they choose at the start of the game. Maybe the player thinks two-handed weapons are awesome but then realises archery is amazing (oh, it is; trust me). One can change what they do mid-game, it only depends on player preference, the character can wield anything, as long as they have the necessary skill. That said, if you want to use a weapon you've never used before, just equip a low tier weapon of that type and train the character in using it. Also, you can create hybrid classes; a Battle Mage for instance, a magic user wearing heavy armour. Go wild...

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2. Exploration

Most RPGs do not offer much in if the player does not follow the quest lines; the developers focus on them to provide the player with interesting gameplay. However, in Skyrim, the player can just wander off and explore the huge province of Skyrim. Exploring the area leads to different side quests which are found in different caves, abandoned fortresses and bandit camps. Also, the game features lots of different unique encounters that are not tied to any specific quest. For instance, one can find a spectre of a Headless Horseman, riding towards Hamvir's Rest, where the player can fight some skeletons and a high level Draugr warriors and loot a Master Chest. Although the loot might not particularly interest you, the awesome part is in seeing and following the Horseman himself. It is not a quest, and nobody really tells you to do it, it's something you can decide to do on your own. So it's perfectly OK to create your own side quests... Do it!

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3. Combat System

The combat system itself is different than traditional RPGs; typically, one has a set of abilities which are mapped to a set of keys, expending mana (called Magicka in the Elder Scrolls series) to use them, and then waiting for a cooldown before using the same ability again. Skyrim combines this with a Hack and Slash system. Now, although some would argue that a hack and slash game is 'lame', how is auto locking an enemy any better? Here you can feel like you are the one who is slicing the enemy with you huge two handed sword, or landing a headshot with your ebony arrows. Having your character do all the job can diminish that feeling of immersion that many players look for in games and developers try to create.

Furthermore, use the third person view for exploration, but play in first person while in combat. Third person for exploration allows you to see more of the beautiful scenery, but first person during combat makes you feel like you are looking through the character's eyes, through your eyes, instead of hovering on top of him. I mean, come on, this looks awesome.

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4. Mods

Players have commented on forums that the game has no replayability value since one can combine multiple playthroughs into one characters, thus not needing to replay the game as a different class. However, one can also check out some mods and try them out, recreating one's experience of the game. Change textures of weapons, play as a totally different race or play in a new zone, you can do it all with the help of mods. Want to play as a Draugr? Or maybe dress up as Sauron... your choice.

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5. Books

Yes, Books. Maybe you're not into reading that much, but that does not mean you shouldn't at least check out some of the books scattered across across the province. In castles, hidden in camps or caves, books can be found anywhere. Some of these give you some insight into the history of different creatures, races and places.

Others are pure entertainment, even if full of hidden meanings. This last one was priceless, I couldn't believe my eyes. You just have to read through.

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Tuesday, 28 April 2015

Rhea Erinnia, Purifier of the Dragons' Lair

Greetings, reader. I was narrating the tale of Rhea Erinnia and her failure to eradicate the aura of death in Ferran Mountain here. Join me as I recount how she managed to redeem herself in this final tale which leads us to how Ferran Mountain came to be the empty mine we know today. 

From a protector of a monastery to a bodyguard of a Necromancer King, Rhea's worst nightmare. When others ventured into the king's dominion, it was her who issued orders for his undead army; to slay any intruders on sight. She knew she had also slain other members of the Shields of Vitem, she still recognised their armour. This she mourned, she had slain her companions; people she knew and even grew up with.

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Day and night, she tried to break the curse, until one day she felt that Donshu's hold over her mind was more relaxed than usual. It seemed like he grew too confident that she was under his complete control. However, she had not regained full control of her body, she couldn't escape or fight back. Her brain drifted in and out of control periodically, at times she was back under his control, barely able to think for herself. When she was able to think clearly for herself, she decided to hide the fact that Donshu was not able to control her so easily from him as long as possible, she pretended to be under his complete control even when she wasn't. Her plan was to fool him into a false sense of security, hoping that he would loosen his grip on her even more, until she could act freely.

This plan worked.

After months of this routine, Rhea started to feel like she was herself again. For a whole week, she felt like she had full control over her mind and body. When she felt she could do whatever she wanted without giving Donshu any chance to react, she reached for her sword, drew and struck at her king, chopping his head off in a matter of seconds. In less than a minute, the undead army that had raided towns and villages for years collapsed to the ground, leaving only full sets of Ferrani armour and weapons behind.

The Ferrani King had been slain, and his army eradicated. This is what Rhea had learned to wield a weapon for; stopping any evil the world may be harbouring. Leaving the mountain, her prison, was a triumph she would carry with her forever. No one really knew who had purified the mountain; she would never tell anyone, for it was her own failure that imprisoned her. Returning back to mercenary work, she vowed to protect anyone in need, till death took her from this realm.

Monday, 27 April 2015

Rhea Erinnia, Shield of Vitem

Greetings, reader. I was recounting the tale of the Legend of the Dragons' Lair, join me as I continue the tale, with the story of Rhea Erinnia, Shield of Vitem. You can find the start of the tale here and the tale of Donshu Sarco here.

Rhea Erinnia spent most of her life as a paladin of the Monastery of Sanaret, in the realm of Solum; serving as one of the Shields of Vitem, the guards of the monastery. Bandits attacked the monastery for its riches, while politicians wanted the Order of Sanaret to be eredicated for their vocal opinions on their way of ruling over Solum. Rhea's payment came from defending the monastery and attacking hideouts, camps and fortresses of the Order's enemies.

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However, she could not keep up this life forever. She had been working for the Order, surviving countless battles, for over fifteen years when she was exiled. The Order wanted the Shields to attack an innocent village under the pretense that they were part of the Army of Mendax, the lord who ruled over the East of Solum. Rhea and five other members of the Shields of Vitem protested that this was not how the Order or the Shields operated, and that they would not have any part in the slaughter of innocent villagers. For this, they were exiled, and threatened that they would be hunted down by the rest of the Shields should they ever interfere with the work of the Order.

So the group left, and made their way to the North, were they found work as mercenaries, protecting caravans as they travelled from one city to another. They kept up this up until one day they were attacked by undead warriors clad in the unmistakable black armour of the Ferrani Dwarves, when they were travelling close to Ferran Mountain. They survived the attack, but the caravan was destroyed and the merchants slain. Although they beat the attackers, they felt defeated for having failed to defend their employers. The way they felt they could redeem themselves was by destroying the source of these monsters; inside the Dragons' Lair.

As they entered, they were immediately attacked by waves of undead warriors. Countless in numbers, these skeletons were too much for the paladins, one by one, they were struck down until only Rhea was left, her abilities in magical spells combined with her skill with sword and shield kept her alive for days on end. However, she was eventually severely wounded and surrounded by undead warriors on all sides. Ready to die, she laid there waiting for the killing strike, or to bleed out. However, before closing her eyes, she saw the skeletons surrounding her fall to pieces.

Next thing she knew, Rhea was guarding the Ferrani king, Donshu Sarco, who had taken over the mountain from the Dragons with the help of the undead horde of Ferrani warriors at his command. Although she tried to attack him, Rhea couldn't, she felt bound to protect Donshu, bound to protect her king. Although she was cursed to do his bidding, she knew what had happened, and was constantly trying to break the curse.

Sunday, 26 April 2015

Donshu Sarco, Commander of Death

Greetings, reader. I was recounting the tale of the Legend of the Dragons' Lair, join me as I continue the tale, with the story of Donshu Sarco, Commander of Death. You can find the start of the tale here.

The few Ferrani Dwarves who survived the attack by the dragons, fled from their home beneath Ferran Mountain. One of these survivors was a young dwarf from the Sarco family, named Donshu. From a young age, Donshu was attracted to the arts of war, learning to wield a battle hammer and striking down enemies with ease, as well as moving around with heavy armour without slowing down at all. However, this all changed when he fled the mountain. 

Accompanied by two other young dwarves who exited the mountain at the same time, he ventured south towards the city of Rali; governed by men. This city had close business ties to the Ferrani Dwarves, purchasing weapons, armour, and other metal works from the dwarves. This suited Donshu and his mates quite nicely, they immediately found work as blacksmiths in Rali; being paid quite handsomely for their fine work. After over ten years working in Rali, Donshu decided it was time to exact vengeance against the dragons, be it ethical or not. The only way he could think of was to raise an entire army of undead Ferrani warriors from within the mountain itself. He looked for books on Necromancy and once he was confident he could complete the ritual he had found to raise a large number of dead soldiers, he decided to leave on his own, but was joined by his fellow Ferrani dwarves; for they knew of his plan and wanted to help.

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Having arrived at Ferran Mountain, the three moved as silently as possible, entering the mountain and travelling to its very center, where the harshest fights had happened. Avoiding any large spaces where dragons were sleeping, they found a sheltered area, where the dragons could not see or reach them, and performed the necessary ritual. Upon uttering the last word of the ritual, dwarven skeletons in Ferrani armour started standing up almost immediately. These undead warriors, having been killed by the dragons, had only one objective, returning the favour. Donshu and the other dwarves remained hidden, constantly raising more undead warriors to replenish their numbers when they were mowed back down by the dragons. One dragon after the other was being slain, more undead dwarves being raised constantly to continue the attack.

After hours of constant battle, a deafening roar could be heard even outside the mountain, the last dragon inside Ferran Mountain had been cut down by the dwarves, their home land finally taken back.

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Saturday, 25 April 2015

The Legend of the Dragons' Lair

Greetings, reader. Join me, as I recount the tale of the Legend of the Dragons' Lair, and the events which took place after dragons took over Ferran Mountain from the Ferrani Dwarves. Heavily influenced by Dungeons and Dragons, this series is a fantasy trip into the unknown. Venture if you dare! 

A long time ago, the Ferrani Dwarves were a mighty race, living in the mines beneath Ferran Mountain, in the North of the Solum realm. Nowadays, it is very rare for one of these skilled miners and blacksmiths; or any of the Ferrani warriors. Legend has it, these dwarves had dark grey skin, a trait they earned from living in an underground mine and forge for centuries. However, this was never proven as the only contact they had with outsiders was done wearing their traditional armour, which covered them from head to toe; only their dark eyes were slightly visible from beneath their helmets.

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It is said that this once mighty race was eliminated by dragons who sought to make Ferran Mountain their home. Seeing dragons enter their kingdom drove the dwarves to protect their homeland at all costs. Dragons were slain, for the Ferrani warriors were a real force to reckon with, but the number of casualties they suffered were too great. The survivors fled through the back of the mountain, leaving their homeland to be dominated by dragons, later to become known as the Dragons' Lair.

Or so goes the legend.

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However, no one has seen dragons flying around the area for ages. No villages have been burnt down since the time of the Ferrani Dwarves. However, new rumours have been spreading around the new generations. They say Necromancers have taken over the Dragons' Lair. They say that anyone who ventures close enough to their hideout is slain and turned into one of their undead soldiers. Rumour has it the Necromancers aim to send out an entire army of skeletons and ghouls to dominate the realm.

If this rumour is true, then Solum is in great peril. An entire army of undead Ferrani warriors with nothing to lose would be the greatest threat the realm has ever faced.

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Thursday, 23 April 2015

Hero Forge

Recently I found an extremely interesting site for anyone who wants to create their own custom mini without the knowledge of 3D modelling or using any 3D modelling software. Hero Forge is a site which offers its users the ability to choose from a vast number of options to create unique models and print them in 3D. The user starts with a base model and then starts going through the options, changing its race and gender, pose, measurements, clothing, items in each hand as well as the character's base. 

Base Model
Half-Demon Fire Mage
Samurai
Dwarven Warrior
Of course, these are just a sample of what you can do, there are quite a vast number of options one can select, with new ones added periodically, the latest announcement was that of the addition of a Half-Dragon race. Once the user is happy with the chosen parts and pose, the character can be ordered, which will be 3D printed and shipped to the user. When ordering the product, the user is presented with the following screen, with different materials and scales. Don't worry, you can read more about what materials are used by clicking on "About our materials".


What do you guys think? And if anyone ever purchased a product from Hero Forge, let me know what you think about it in the comments below.

Tuesday, 21 April 2015

7 Dice sets to impress your DnD mates

Following on the last post, let's t alk about dice designs. There are tonnes of different designs out there, other than the regular types that everyone has. I've looked for some interesting styles that one might find, available out there; tell me what you think in the comments below.

Steampunk Gear by Avandius
Available here

Steampunk by Mechanical Oddities
Available here

Thorn Dice by Ceramic Wombat
Available here

Companion Cube by Nique Geek
Unfortunately no longer available
Their shop can be found here

Deadlands set by Baron
This was a concept for a dice set for Deadlands game
Info can be found here

Dwarven dice by Q-Workshop
Available here

Critical Hit LED dice by Think Geek
A d20 which lights up when u get 20.
Available here

Tell me what you think about these dice and other stylish sets in the comments below; would you buy them or do you prefer the traditional ones better?

Monday, 20 April 2015

Should you use dice other than the d20?

Note: This is not a list of the official rules of any version of Dungeons and Dragons, it's just some ideas which can be used for any version of the game or any simplified version anyone might use.

The most common die used in table top games is the six sided die, known as d6. However, this is not the only type, as most Dungeons and Dragons players know well enough. In a dice set, one can generally find seven dice, as shown below.

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Since the twenty sided die, known as the d20, is the one that is used most in Dungeons and Dragons, and people who play a simplified version of the game which only uses the d20, many players simply buy a d20 and that's it. So much so, that it's called the d20 system. Even so,  the other dice can easily be introduced and used throughout the game. For instance, the d12, d10, d8 and d6 can be used to determine the amount of damage done depending on which weapon the player is using. For example, a two handed weapon can use a d12, a one handed axe or sword can use a d10, while daggers can use a d8. Recently, while we were playing a DnD campaign, the Dungeon Master decided to use the d6 for a new mechanic; when more enemies where on their way, he asked the players who can see farthest, for example elves, or illusion mages who might be able to see through an invisibility spell, to throw a d6, the resultant number being the number of enemies the player can see. Although some might not like this sort of mechanic, it's an idea one can use. After all, the point of a table top game is to be able to imagine and improvise. The d90 can be used in conjunction with the d10 to achieve any number between 1 and 100. This can be used for instances where the player is required to roll above a certain percentage; for example, to check whether a player can see through an illusion spell or not.

Also, the d20 can be used for things like initiative to see who gets to attack first, if such a mechanic is to be used, whether the player hits an enemy or not as well as to see if the player lands a critical hit or a critical miss. A critical hit (usually a two 20s in a row) deals extra damage while a critical miss (two 1s in a row) usually means you either drop your weapon or hit allies who happen to be nearby if you use a melee weapon, or allies in front of you if you're using ranged attacks (arrows, throwing knives, spells, etc.)

A note I would like to make before I close off is this; if you do not wish to purchase a whole dice set, perhaps when starting off the hobby in the first place, you can try out an app on your smartphone or tablet that simulates the use of dice, any number of sides, as shown below.

Thursday, 16 April 2015

Vician Tenebor, the Illusionist Assassin - Part II

This post is the second of a two post story, the first can be found here.

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Having left the college of Arcane Knowledge, Vician relied on his skills in Illusion magic to trick people into helping him, providing him with supplies and a place to stay; mostly for free. He spent his days observing what people do during the day, where they go and what they wear; you can learn a lot simply by looking at people. After a couple of months, he knew who the richest people were, and which of them would be easy to relieve of said riches. So he started tailing these people, taking in as much as he could about their daily lives, their families, where they go during the day and where they live. He started off with a tax collector and a blacksmith, both these men spent most of their time around the city, having their houses practically unprotected. Vician planned his moves ahead of time, knowing when his targets where surely to be outside, and entered their homes while they were busy. He cleaned their homes of their valuables, leaving barely anything that may make others believe these men were rich, from jewellery to golden statuettes. These riches he hid, under a lose floor board in his room at the tavern. Eventually he started breaking into homes under the cover of night, entering through windows which were left open for the evening breeze, clearing bedrooms from any valuables while his Silence spell cancels any sounds he may make, thus not waking any residents of the target house.

However, although his skill was great, others of the same skill and lifestyle noticed his doing. One night, returning to his room, he could sense that he was not alone, even though it was dark. Casting a great light in the room revealed a man hidden in the corner of the room, Vician quickly drew a dagger a held it against the intruder's throat. Not having enough time to react, the intruder said he was part of a group of thieves which would welcome Vician's skills to the group. Vician did not feel like this was the best way they could have invited him to join, nor did they show they were the best there is, considering the intruder was easily detected and beaten; but he did agree to meet with the leader of the group, information would be useful. Thus, Vician met Deon Shea, the leader of the group, who provided him with a lot of information about the city, ways to get around and which houses have the best loot or are easiest to break into.

At this point, Vician decided not to join the group, but he did sign a contract where Deon would assign him a job, retrieving known items of extreme value, and was paid for handsomely. Vician kept this up for over a year, until one night, the owner of the house Vician had broken into woke up in the middle of the night and noticed someone was in the house. Instinctively, Vician cast a spell which made him invisible, hiding him from the resident's sight, who called for the intruder to show himself. At one point, when the house owner had come close enough to Vician, he outstretched his hand and grabbed the thief by the collar, claiming that Vician wasn't the only Illusionist in the house. Panicked, Vician reached for his dagger and stabbed the man, who released his grip. Seeing his moment, Vician left the man to die and returned to Deon, not knowing how the leader of the group would take the news. To Vician's surprise, Deon was not upset, he did not seem to really care how Vician acquired the requested goods, so long as they arrived at the group's hideout in one piece.

So Vician kept up his contract with Deon, until one night, arriving back at the hideout, he was greeted by the rest of the group, with the dead body of Deon himself in the middle of the room. They told Vician that he was found a few buildings away from the hideout, with multiple stab wounds in the back. They also found a not in one of his pockets saying that should anything befall him, Vician should take over his place as leader of the group. Although hesitant, Vician eventually accepted this request, taking over leadership of the group and organising them as they never were before. Firstly, the group was finally given a name, the Sons of Shadow. The group pooled there efforts and established themselves in an abandoned manor on the outskirts of the city. They renovated it, making it fit for kings on the inside, but still looking decrepit on the outside. Any contacts that Deon had before his death were forwarded to Vician, who took over all control of the contracts the group had. Vician also set up a set of rules which were to be followed by all members of the guild. For instance, should a member betray the rest, they were to be hunted down and executed. The same was to be done to clients who betrayed the trust of the guild. Thus, the Sons of Shadow grew in repute with people of similar interests, as well as their victims.

Assassination and theft, these were the expertise of these men and women, clothes in dark garments, with hidden faces; wits as sharp as their blades. Since Vician took over leadership of the Sons of Shadow, never has a contract been dishonoured.

Tuesday, 14 April 2015

Vician Tenebor, the Illusionist Assassin - Part I

This is the first of a two post story, the second part can be found here.


Join me as I recount how Vician Tenebor, the son of a respected Scholar from the College of Arcane Knowledge, became a Master Assassin of the Sons of Shadow, the most feared criminal organisation in the realm.
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Ralor Tenebor was a man who devoted his life to the studies of anything related to magic, learning as much as he can and teaching young apprentices of the College of Arcane Knowledge. Knowing his son, Vician, had great potential from a young age, he took him in as one of his apprentices. However, he never favoured him above the others, he treated him as one of the other apprentices. However, Vician felt this disconnection with his father was unnecessary; especially since he never knew his mother. He felt abandoned, like one of the orphan apprentices at the College, although his father was in the same room as him most of the time, every day.

During their time off, the apprentices could do anything they liked, Vician would wander around the city, observing the day to day life of nobles and commoners alike. One day, he noticed a lady passing through, clad in exotic clothing and countless jewels. On her way to the city market, she dropped her coin purse, something Vician quickly noted. He went over and picked it up to return it to her, but seeing her pushing aside commoners with no respect, a smug look on her face as if nobody around her was worth anything, made him keep the purse. He lingered about, to see what would happen next, until he noticed the lady walking around, trying to find her purse on the ground and then shouting that someone had stolen her money. Not wanting to have anything to do with it, he left and he never saw the lady again.

As time passed, Vician grew in power, learning all he could about Illusion magic, casting high level spells at a young age. At the age of 28, he left the College, and never returned, stealing some books on Illusion from the College, disguising them as his own scrolls and parchments. When he left, he no longer had the support of the College; no place to live and no supply of food. Thus, he booked a room at the tavern and started looking for a job, but given the political conflict between the mages at the College and nobles of the five Great Families, which had great influence on the commoners' opinions.

Vician had to rely on his skills in Illusion magic to trick people into helping him, eventually turning to theft to earn his only earnings. This however, did not go unnoticed. Although he always did a great job in tricking his target, others who spent their lives preying on the rich knew there was a new thief in town.

Monday, 6 April 2015

Dice through the ages

Recently, I read an article on CNET about an ancient d20 die which was found in Egypt and is now kept in the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The die is slightly larger than the regular dice we use for board games and table top RPGs like Dungeons and Dragons. It is made of serpentine, a green mineral and is believed to have originated between 200 BC and 400 AD in Greece due to the Greek symbols shown on its faces.

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Driven by curiosity, I researched when dice started being used and why. Apparently, ancient cultures used dice to determine one's fate, who was right or wrong, or even who was favoured by the gods or not. Games of chance were then designed and evidence of these games have been found dating back 2100 BC.

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I looked for some other ancient dice to see the different styles of dice our ancestors used for games, political and religious debates alike. Here are just a few dice which caught my eye.


Roman Dice
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Egyptian Die
Names of Gods instead of numbers

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Unknown Origin 
(Greek and Roman Antiquities Department at the British Museum)

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