Christmas Gameing Blog # 3

While many feel the film DRAGONSLAYER is one of the best depictions of what a D&D universe might actually be like (I prefer Hawk the Slayer) the ending does not make a lot of sens, unless you have read the novelization of the film. Then when the main character says “I only wish we had a Horse” and the Horse appears, then it makes sens.

Because if you reed the book you discover tha

• As an infant, Galen was handed to Ulrich by his parents due to their fear of his magical abilities. Ulrich took him as an apprentice, but was concerned with the lad's lack of focus, which usually resulted in the unintentional creation of bizarre, dream-inspired creatures.

So he had the inborn ability to be a Wizard(Sorcerer) but required training (wizard) to realize his full potential.

The same theme is seen in Harry potter, Potter was Born to be a wizard and displayed uses of his power (the snake) long before Hogwarts, it was Hogwarts and his experience that trained him to be a Wizard.

We could also include Luke Skywalker in this analogy, he had the blood but needed the training. Even some of the X-men could also fit this idea of Blood vs training or Improvisational magic vs Trained Magic,

A sorcerer is the Artist of magic while a Wizard is the Scientist of magic as one GM once said.

In OG D&D there was the Magic User Class and the Cleric Class and that was it, all the other permutation did not show up till much latter. The wizard was the old guy in the floppy hat and robes and modeled after Gandalph and Merlin. A person had to spend Years studying ancient texts to master magic, as if magic was the D&D equivalent of a Masters Degree. Any Jo could pick up a sword or pick a lock but Wizardry required years of Study which is why they only had a D4 Hit Points, because all those years made them week and frail

Except, both Merlin and Gandalph were known to lay the smack down on more then one occasion, and neither were students of magic, Gandalph was a 2000 year old Angel in Human form when we first meet him in the Hobbit and Merlin was to son of Supernatural beings.

So.

What's the BIG difference between saying that all Wizards are born with the blood line to use Magic(Sorcerers) but they must be trained by a Sensi to use there magic properly as a Wizard Other wise they just go mad with power? Or cause a lot of damage with there uncontrolled magic(Harry with the snake at the Zoo?)

Or that Wizards and Sorcerers are not the same at all (though isn’t a Sorcery with the Arcane Blood Line a Wizard?).

On Paper the difference between a Sorcerer and a Wizard are as follows

A: Blood Line vs Specialization

B: No Familiar vs Familiar/Arcane Bond

C: Spontaneously cast spells vs studying specific spells each night.

D: Lesser spells known/memorized and longer time to reach top tier spells vs more Spells known and reach top tier spells sooner

The spontaneous ability to pull spells out of thin air gives the Sorcery a slight advantage but they know less spells from which to Improvise. A Wizard has to memorize his spell and with out feats can not change them till his next rest, he has more spells in his arsenal but he has no way of knowing what the next few encounters might require so he may have 8 Spells memorized to fight Frothgar the Frost demon but -Oops look its his ½ brother the Flame Demon .

On versatility the Sorcerer takes the lead and personally I like the Blood Lines more then School Specialization

On utility and pure raw power a wizard will trump a Sorcerer-if he is prepared.

The question again is, are all Wizards like Galen? Having the raw power to do magic but requiring training to be a true wizard

I like that idea

In the end though it's the choice of each player and GM as to how magic works in their world.

At the end of the day both the Wizard and the Sorcerer are going to cast magic Missile.....At the Darkness

Till next time

Be excellent

Christmas Blog # 2-The Bard

Anyone remember back in 2^nd edition D&D when Bard was the first prestige class? Yeah, back in the day in order to be a Bard the Character first had to-if I remember correctly- take 4 levels as a Warrior, 4 levels as a Rogue and I think 1 level as a Wizard before they could become a Bard. Yeah back then bards were Bad Ass and had songs that could ruin whole city’s and stuff.

Today the Bard is something of a laughing stalk and often bards are made fun of in RPG literature and at games when really when you think about it bards are the ultimate Jack of All trades character and if played right can still be Bad Ass!

Think about it, under pathfinder /D&D rules a bard can use the same weapons and wear the same armor as a Rogue, and that can be upgraded with a feat. They have all the sane skills as a rogue, they have a verity of spells that allow them to Heal and buff the party as well as do some ranged DPS as well. In addition there are all the amazing skill synergies and Buff's bards provide. Need to know where the God of water hid her Trident? Bardic Knowledge for the win!

Bard can pretty much fill any role in the party, maybe he does not fight as well as the Warrior or spot traps as well as the Rogue but he can do both. With his skills and buffs and spells he can pretty much be built to be any character the player wants

Indiana Jones type hunter for lost relics=Bard.

James Bond style of spy=Bard.

Swashbuckler swinging from the chandler while drinking=Bard.

Grumpy sage=Bard.

Stem punk Crazy inventor=Bard.

Its time to stop laughing at the bard and realize that it is the ultimate Jack of All trades/ Utility character that also allows for the most specialization and quirky personal builds of any class.

Sure the Rogue gets more skill points (8 as opposed to the Bards 6) but they both have the same skill list and while the Rogue is often pigeonholed into being the Disable Traps/Back Stab guy the Bard has no such limits. His play style and build is far more up to you then the Rogue, plus the vast Knowledge Skills and Synergies eventually allow the Bard to be better at almost everything-except for disabling traps and back Stabbing

Plus the bard is just Fun. He is the ultimate Fun character, he can be the ray of hope in a dismal dungeon Providing much needed Buffs for the party and a little levity to that grim scenario

Or, he can be the grim bringer of doom.

Bards have there origins in the many cultures of the World who did not have written Languages and who's History and Story’s were passed on via Song or Tale.

In the dark Ages they did not have Google, the only way any one knew what was happening in the wide world was when a Travailing minstrel or message runner (both rolls of the bard) came to town They would be paid in Coin and free food in exchange for keeping the town up to date in the events from around the World.

It was considered Bad luck if a Viking long boat did not have a Scald adored to sing the raiders praises to Odin and to beg the Sea Gods for a good voyage.

In the tales of Middle Earth the power of Song is well known, many of the Characters sang in the books. From Bilbo’s walking song to the powerful songs of the Elf's that told the history of the World. Strider sang , Gandalph sang, even the Ork's sang (where theirs a whip, theirs a way) Plus Music has changed the World in more ways then another forum of Communication Songs to fill our hearts with pride and joy. Songs to remind us of who we were and where we came from. Songs of protest, of anger, of grief. MTV,Elvis, The Beatles

Now all this does not mean the bard has to just sing? Oh no. James Bond is a Bard and he does not sing. A bard can play a Flute or a Lute, tell a Joke or Dance up a Storm, and heck there is not much distance between dancing and Martial Arts.
So my dear Christmas reader, it is time to stop considering the Bard the Joke of the pathfinder/D&D world and realize that he is a pretty amazing Jack of All trades world Changing man about town and for a change of pace, try running One . Cant make up your mind what Character you want to play, be a bard because they can be EVERYTHING.

Till next time when we close to door on D&D for 2014

Happy Holidays and

Be Excellent!

Holiday gaming blog #1 The Barbarian

because nothing says Christmas like a Barbarian?

Happy Holidays to all the Gamers out there. I apologize that I am not posting as much as I would like. Real life you know.

Today we are going to take a look at one of the more misunderstood characters in Pathfinder/Dungeons and Dragons and that is the Barbarian.

The problem is that most players who chose the Barbarian want a easy to run dude that hit's things and takes a lot of damage, and while that is a HUGE part of the Barbarian there is also a lot of MATH involved with this guy that often confuses players.

We will get to that in a second, first lets just address the idea of a Barbarian as a job in the D&D world. Because that's what a class is when you think about it, it's the Characters Job.

Harry Potter went to Hogwarts for Seven years to become a Wizard. Sir Lancelot trained since youth to become a Fighter(Knight). I went to School to become a Teacher.

Conan did not go to Barbarian School to become a Barbarian.

Barbarian is a CULTURE, not a Class. It's a point of perception, not a job?

When the Italians first arrived in China to open the Silk Road they called the Chinese and Moguls they met, Barbarians

When the Chinese first met the Italians, they called them Barbarians as well.

It's all perception.

Ok now we got that over with, if the Barbarian’s job is to hit things and take damage, how is he different then the Fighter, other then the D12 hit points. What makes a Barbarian in D&D/Pathfinder not juts a Fighter in a lion cloth?

The D12 Hit Dice, and the Rage power.

And it's the Rage power that turns the Barbarian in to a character that requires a lot of Math.

Let's look at a First level Barbarian with an 18 Strength.

That’s a +4 to hit and damage because of Strength and a +1 BAB at First Level.

So if he is wielding a Two Handed Sword (which they always are) that’s +5 to hit 2d6+5 to damage.

Now we give him Power Attack (Which we always do)

That’s now Two different sets of Numbers to use. Two handed Sword with out Power Attack and Two handed Sword with Power Attack.

That's before Rage, once the Barbarian enters rage that's Two more set's of Numbers the Barbarian has to deal with.

Two Handed Rage Sword with out Power Attack and Two Handed Rage with Power Attack.

We are now at Four sets of Numbers, and that's at FIRST level. It only get's more complicated as the Barbarian goes up levels.

So the Barbarian is not in fact a simple I HIT THINGS WITH MY AX Character It practically requires Excel to do all the Math for the Player. Leading to very confused players who often just drop the character or the game because it turned out to be far more complicated then they thought.

You do not have to take the Barbarian Class to be a Barbarian. It's a Culture and a Mind set not a Job. Bolvi and Conan can still be Fighters (in fact before there was a Barbarian Class, Conan was just a Fighter when stated out in various products)

But if you want to play a Barbarian as he is in the Book, understand that Math will be involved.

The idea of a savage feral wild-man with a Two Handed Sword screaming out the name ODIN while he cleaves through the skulls of his many enemies is a pretty awesome idea of a character to play, the Math can be a distraction if the Gm does not warn you that there is math

At the end of the day it's the players choice and the player should be informed as to what the pro's and con's of any class are.

So, The Barbarian Math!

Next time, the bard.

Happy holidays and be EXCLENT...