Andy

Movie Intermission, OotS Style

For the record, OotS is short for Order of the Stick, which I posted about recently. I think this one can work for even my non-roleplaying readers. I wonder if I have any of those.

Anyway, here it is.

Order of the Stick

Order of the Stick has to be one of the funniest D&D related comics I've ever seen. Some of it is only funny if you know the D&D rules, but other parts work for anyone. Give it a look if you're looking for some geeky humor.

Great Game Product

Wizards of the Coast is producing a great new rpg product that a lot of us D&D players won't be able to live without. Check out a news bit at this address. If you like this product, also be sure to check out this one, by Malhavoc Press.

New Ideas in Adventure Layout

The folks over at Wizards of the Coast just put up an article showcasing a new adventure page layout. I love it. This system is so much more intuitive than the old flip-page methods employed to date. If I can figure out how to easily create text boxes with built-in multiple pointers, I will be using this for my own games. All you DMs out there, take a look, and be sure to download at least one of the zipped pdf examples. You won't be disappointed.

Site Bugs Fixed

The last few days have been immensely frustrating due to two small but persistent bugs in my Faiths and Empires campaign website. Neither bug is the result of bad code on my part, but rather errors in specific web browsers. I was able to fix both today to my satisfaction, but now I have to try to rest my right hand and arm for a while. Sadly, clicking and typing to the degree I've needed really screws me up. I'm still happy to have fixed those problems though of course. Hopefully now I can get back to adding creative and detailed content to make the site even better.

Faiths and Empires website

I have completed the website for my Faiths and Empires Dungeons and Dragons game to the point where I feel good about putting it up on the internet. I have created my world with an eye on ancient historical cultures. Feel free to take a look, and leave any comments you might have about it on this post.

Enter the Faiths and Empires website.

The Saga of Huckersley and Honeysuckle

Born to a Priestess of Arvoreen and the community beekeeper, Huckersley took after his parents from an early age. Despite his honest love for the beekeeping profession, he exhibited a boldness that urged him to do something greater for his people and his patron god. As a defender of his Luiren home, he time and again led the charge against invading gnolls and their ilk. When news of the grave threat to Cormyr reached Luiren lands, Huckersley journeyed north to lend aid, hurriedly traveling through strange nations and cities to reach his destination before his sword-arm was no longer needed.

Before taking up arms or beginning his long journey, however, Huckersley apprenticed with both his father and mother and was, in effect, a “beekeeping acolyte of Arvoreen.” When not studying with his mother in the temple or among the community, he learned the joys (and pains!) of honey collecting and hive maintenance. One spring day, an adolescent and foolhardy Huckersley decided to shoot for the “big prize” — honey from the hive of nearby giant bees. (Huckersley was emboldened by stories of the deliciousness and supposed restorative powers of giant bee honey as well as teenager-sized desire to impress the local girls.) After several hours of careful hiding, he nearly succeeded in his mission, only to be stung at the last moment by one of the hive’s inhabitants. Luckily for Huckersley, cries for help were heard by a community patrol before the venom could finish its work. The patrol rushed him to town, but not before he demanded the same treatment for his now stinger-less and dying bee attacker. Both were healed with great haste, and the duo formed an unlikely bond that has lasted to this day.

Huckersley’s journey into paladinhood brought great strength to “Honeysuckle”, as he came to call his giant bee companion, granting her preternatural power and intelligence. (Unlike most paladins’ mounts, Honeysuckle is not summoned from the celestial realm, instead remaining with her rider through thick and thin whenever possible.) Honeysuckle prefers to sleep on a bed of flowers, and Huckersley is all too eager to please his friend whenever the situation allows. Never has a Luiren or Cormyrite seen a better-groomed or cared-for giant bee!

Huckersley and Honeysuckle’s unique talents put them into many dangerous and unpredictable situations as soon as they enlisted with the people of Cormyr. The quirky but brave companions quickly drew the attention of knowledgeable military commanders in the region including prominent members in the “Silverblades” unit. After being approached by several representatives of the Silverblades leadership, Huckersley and Honeysuckle were eager to enlist and join other individuals possessing equally unusual or extraordinary abilities.

The team was assigned to a variety of duties during the war due to their tactical versatility, though most frequently they were to provide “punch” to scouting teams or achieve quick decisive strikes in key locations. It was during one such strike mission with Aelys Myrthanea, whom the duo had “rescued” on a scouting mission years prior, that Huckersley and Honeysuckle met Radley Hidewell.

At the height of the Goblin War, Huckersley and his companion were sent to the besieged Fort Crag in order to join with a few other Silverblades assembling for a pivotal mission. With the future of the fort hanging in the balance, this strike force was to penetrate the goblin lines and eliminate their brutish and intimidating ogre leader, thus weakening the goblins’ organization and resolve. In order to keep the lowest profile possible the team, consisting of only three members, (or four if you ask Huckersley), took differing routes into the goblins camp, with Aelys creeping through the woods while Radley and Huckersley used the cover of night to skulk through or fly over the goblin ranks as their particular talents allowed. The ogre’s cave-base in sight, the team moved in on their target, removing goblin opposition on the way until they reached the hulking leader and his bodyguard. Radley, in a daring stroke, taunted away the ogre’s bodyguard on a reckless chase, leaving them to be picked off one at a time by the sniping Aelys while Huckersley dispatched the leader himself with the help of Honeysuckle’s elusive speed and charging power.

Byron Silverblade took notice of the team’s accomplishment, assigning them together again and again throughout the duration of their service. Huckersley and Radley became fast friends, remaining in contact as much as possible after the breakup of the Silverblades despite the vast physical distances often between them. When Lord Silverblade begain to fail physically, Aelys went to great lengths to contact the others of the team and occasionally called upon the services of Huckersley and Honeysuckle to retrieve soothing unguents and salves from nearby lands.

In the aftermath of the war, Huckersley visited and aided Cormyrite hin communities all around the kingdom. The retrieval of supplies for his enfeebled former-commander often coincided with the delivering of important messages or the escort of hin merchants, though Honeysuckle was often pushed to exhaustion by such efforts. Never one to ignore the sacrifices of his friend, Huckersley made certain to provide Honeysuckle with the finest flowers on which to sleep and dine.

News of Lord Silverblade’s death reached Huckersley immediately, and though he did not know the commander particularly well, his grief was no less than any of the others in attendance at the funeral proceedings. Huckersley has vowed to continue the legacy of his commander by aiding the weak and leading men to right injustice across Faerun.

Politics AND Gaming

For any of you roleplayers who also profess interest in politics, you simply have to check out this list of D20 feats.