Fascination has seized upon me. Which, might come as no surprise to many who know me well. The cause, you may ask, is such a simple one that it might even give you pause for a laugh(it's okay if you do, go ahead). My father-in-law came down for a visit this last weekend and he brought with him his newest tech-toy: an amazon kindle fire. And while I only allowed myself to explore it for about five minutes or so to minimize it's absence from his hand it did ignite my curiosity.
I've heard about e-readers and tablets for a long time, even glanced at some of the info about them online in passing. What I hadn't done, until now, was actively explore this particular technology trend. I found myself instantly puzzling over the devices' architecture - what hardware did it make use of, what operating system even? Even the mystery of it's accepted programming languages toyed at the back of my mind.
So, like I have said before: if there is something you want to know - look it up. And you know what? I did just that. In fact, over the last few days I have found myself digesting just about everything I can come across on the subject. Android continues to be a fascinating and strange beast that I can't help but want to understand more as well as the fact it pushes me to admit there is so much more I have to learn.
The appeal of a portable means of reading as well as access to other content has always been a selling point for me. I mean, I own a netbook and have loved the little thing ever since I made the purchase. But the potential of some of these newer devices for tinkering opens a whole new array of options that are quite tantalizing. Plus, I now find myself motivated to expand my programming repertoire from my visual basic.net comfort zone into more established languages like C and Java.
Will I take the plunge? Let's just say not only am I getting well versed at the various leading models available, their hardware configurations but also in their ability to lend themselves towards user customization. That and I've already secured my lovely wife's approval. [If married guys, take my advice and always seek your significant others' counsel first, especially if your dealing with limited resources. It's always a wise move.]
Give me time, and if there is any interest I'll see if I can post some information to help clear the muddy waters out there for anyone else thinking of looking into this fascinating topic.
Thursday, January 26, 2012
Wednesday, January 18, 2012
Hack The Planet.
Something monumental(in my meager opinion) has taken place today. And weather or not it will have lasting effect or how it will be remembered will remain to be seen for some time. However it reminds me of a movie from our not so distant past: Hackers. In a somewhat analogous way it focuses on the digital exploits of intelligent individuals banding together to tackle a greater issue using something as simple as technological familiarity itself. Now they also wielded the formidable battle-cry: "Hack The Planet!"
In a similar vein it seems that those who sought to usurp the primal forces of the internet via legal enslavement that seem to cry foul at another group of capable individuals banding together. The venerable Mitch Canter actually puts it a lot more succinctly than I in his most recent blog post. It was actually his post that reminded me of those immortal words: "Hack The Planet."
It seems that we have perhaps begun to do just that. But we'll have to stay on our toes and keep an eye on things because there are still those out there determined to see laws like SOPA, PIPA and OPEN succeed. One way or another. We have fought for freedom, our nation has bled for others' freedoms as well as our own. Our voices have let them know we will not stay quiet, that we will fight, as our fore fathers before us.
So if you haven't already, let your elected officials know where you stand. Don't ignore these laws or others like them, and don't expect them to fix themselves. We have to stand up and speak. In short we have to "Hack The Planet."
Oh, and forgive the puns, and well, this last one: Keep an eye out for those Cereal Killers; they tend to leave milky outlines of their victims.
In a similar vein it seems that those who sought to usurp the primal forces of the internet via legal enslavement that seem to cry foul at another group of capable individuals banding together. The venerable Mitch Canter actually puts it a lot more succinctly than I in his most recent blog post. It was actually his post that reminded me of those immortal words: "Hack The Planet."
It seems that we have perhaps begun to do just that. But we'll have to stay on our toes and keep an eye on things because there are still those out there determined to see laws like SOPA, PIPA and OPEN succeed. One way or another. We have fought for freedom, our nation has bled for others' freedoms as well as our own. Our voices have let them know we will not stay quiet, that we will fight, as our fore fathers before us.
So if you haven't already, let your elected officials know where you stand. Don't ignore these laws or others like them, and don't expect them to fix themselves. We have to stand up and speak. In short we have to "Hack The Planet."
Oh, and forgive the puns, and well, this last one: Keep an eye out for those Cereal Killers; they tend to leave milky outlines of their victims.
Tuesday, January 17, 2012
The Terrible Tower.
I wrote this little adventure as a follow up to two of my kids initial foray into playing the Pathfinder Rpg. While it uses my a fore-mentioned guidelines, it does expand on things a bit. Feel free to use it yourself if you like, just know that it is currently written with children aged approximately 4-6 in mind playing 1st level characters.
The Synopsis: A pretty elven princess has been kidnapped and taken away to a tower. When a group of goblins and hobgoblins demand gold for her release, her family must beg for some brave heroes to save her. Before it's too late!
Rewards: The elf's can't afford to pay the heroes, but they will offer them each a magical elven cloak to protect them from bad magic. (Cloak of resistance +1)
Monsters: 2 sets of 3 Goblins; 6 hp, 16 ac, Short Sword +2(1d4), or Short Bow +4(1d4) [400xp each]
3 sets of 2 Hobgoblins; 17 hp, 16 ac, Long Sword +4(1d8+2), or Long Bow +3(1d8) [400xp each]
1 Sorcerer; 18 hp, 15 ac, Claws +2(1d4+1) Spells - Magic Missile (1d4+1), Hold Portal, Sleep (Dc 12) [600xp] *Only 5 total spells can be cast by the sorcerer, in any combination. However, his first action should be to cast hold portal on the door to lock the would be saviors in. As a last ditch effort he may resort to casting sleep on any hero he finds a pressing threat before attempting to flee.
The Tower's layout: A simple structure, the tower itself is made up of a central room with a pair of hobgoblins guarding outside. Once inside 3 goblins await along with 3 doors. One door leads to 2 more hobgoblins preparing for bed, another 3 more goblins eating, and the last 3 goblins guarding a staircase upwards. Feel free to place each room in any order you like, their primary purpose is to give the players a chance to explore the tower in a fundamental level without being overly complicated. However it is once they rise the stairs they will find the princess along with the sorcerer as he greedily awaits his gold.
I hope you enjoy the adventure of playing with kids, because around every corner is another surprise,
The Synopsis: A pretty elven princess has been kidnapped and taken away to a tower. When a group of goblins and hobgoblins demand gold for her release, her family must beg for some brave heroes to save her. Before it's too late!
Rewards: The elf's can't afford to pay the heroes, but they will offer them each a magical elven cloak to protect them from bad magic. (Cloak of resistance +1)
Monsters: 2 sets of 3 Goblins; 6 hp, 16 ac, Short Sword +2(1d4), or Short Bow +4(1d4) [400xp each]
3 sets of 2 Hobgoblins; 17 hp, 16 ac, Long Sword +4(1d8+2), or Long Bow +3(1d8) [400xp each]
1 Sorcerer; 18 hp, 15 ac, Claws +2(1d4+1) Spells - Magic Missile (1d4+1), Hold Portal, Sleep (Dc 12) [600xp] *Only 5 total spells can be cast by the sorcerer, in any combination. However, his first action should be to cast hold portal on the door to lock the would be saviors in. As a last ditch effort he may resort to casting sleep on any hero he finds a pressing threat before attempting to flee.
The Tower's layout: A simple structure, the tower itself is made up of a central room with a pair of hobgoblins guarding outside. Once inside 3 goblins await along with 3 doors. One door leads to 2 more hobgoblins preparing for bed, another 3 more goblins eating, and the last 3 goblins guarding a staircase upwards. Feel free to place each room in any order you like, their primary purpose is to give the players a chance to explore the tower in a fundamental level without being overly complicated. However it is once they rise the stairs they will find the princess along with the sorcerer as he greedily awaits his gold.
I hope you enjoy the adventure of playing with kids, because around every corner is another surprise,
Saturday, January 14, 2012
The Kiddie Conundrum.
Alright, so I ran a ultra-light version of Pathfinder last night for my kids, and they fell in love with it. Looking over my notes I've been digesting the events and contemplating what all worked in hopes it'll help me with all the games to come. Other parents out there may have already participated in similar activities with their kids or be considering it, so I thought I'd post my thoughts. Either way it might help me gather feedback or perhaps even ease the workload of others. Which is always a noble endeavor amongst us DM's, right?
First off, let's just start with the most obvious edict of all; Keep It Simple. A child's attention span as well as their ability to juggle complex concept can vary so wildly between kids that I found it best to forgo a lot of elements of the game. Basically I boiled it down the core essential parts needed for the simplest format I could. Namely, I stuck to simple combat mechanics like armor class, hit points, attack modifier and damage. In this regard we didn't factor in alot of details like range, movement, vision or even critical hits. Upon each child's turn I merely allowed to choose if they wanted to attack and if so how. They could run up and attack the monsters, shoot at them, etc. And don't even bother with initiative. Base your turn sequence on age, let the youngest go first and then go up from there. This way the younger kids will get the thrill of going first and the oldest(most likely you/monsters) will get to go last giving your young heroes the chance to be, well, heroic.
Which leads me to my second issue; Remember this is an introduction, and these are just kids. As I already mentioned we didn't get into alot of traditional aspects of the game. But this was just for the kids to try out and see if they would even like it. With that in mind I generated the characters for them, they were as generic as I could be and as boiled down as you can get. What is simpler than a brutish fighter with a greatsword or a nimble ranger complete with bow and short sword? The fighter allowed my son the ability to dive right into combat and feel like a heroic champion. In contrast the ranger gave my daughter the ability to choose weather or not she wanted to blast out arrows or go toe to toe.
Now this approach also disregarded alot of things some may question; like class features, skills and yes even feats. I didn't feel like the kids needed to worry with anything of the like, at least not yet anyway. The fighter didn't have any special feats to draw on and we never even got into the ranger tracking or favored enemies. All they had to focus on was thinking about the character they were playing and some basic combat. They got the excitement of rolling the dice and waiting to see the result. It really helped things move quickly and keep their attention. In truth by the end of the adventure I had to wonder if it hadn't worked too well.
The third issue to consider is one you may not even think of; Consider Your Audience. Sure, you probably do just that in any other game but you have to be doubly careful with kids. If your selecting monsters for the adventure, keep in mind their scare factor and how you may describe them. Will they spook the kids? If so, you might want to rethink the choice. For example; undead and the like might not be the best choice unless the kids are a little older. Also, when you go to describe them make sure you use details they can grasp. Use things like explaining them as angry, or mean so they can easily respond/interpret. On the same note carefully choose your motivation. If the players are kids it is best to give them something they can identify with. Some easy options for any kid are the most obvious: saving or helping the grown ups, especially if they aren't able to is always a good one. Children love to, in my opinion, show that they can do something others can't. It lets them feel good about themselves and establishes some means of identity from other. And if they can save/aid an adult it reinforces that sense of self worth. They depend on us for so much, it is a major thrill when they can feel like we are having to depend on them.
My last real issue is a simple but important one: Guide Them, But Don't Forget To Let Them Guide You.
What I mean by this is, as you play don't hesitate to guide kids as they play. Start off by offering them options like if they want to fight the monsters or run. Give them little cues like reminding them how the monsters ran into that cave, and they still have the medicine your after. The trick, though, is in letting them guide you. Watch them for cues if your description is upsetting them or if they're simply not enjoying things. If they are handling things well and you think they can then by all means feel free to introduce some of the other game elements. This could be as simple as providing them a couple skills or a feat or two. However if you were to decide to incorporate a more complex class like a cleric or wizard I'd recommend keeping them as simple and straight-forward too. Namely let the cleric heal other characters a couple times a day, or a wizard with just a couple of spells at their disposal. You shouldn't even try to bring anything like spell failure or spell preparation into the game for awhile either way. Like I said, let them guide you on how much they can handle and you just help them as they discover how much that is.
I'm fairly sure that if you do that, then everyone will have fun.
Oh, and lest I forget - That is the primary goal here, right? Don't force them to play, and likewise don't feel like you have to run games for your kids just because you enjoy playing yourself. But if they do want to, I'll share with you my most successful strategy: look at everything through their eyes. If you think it'd be funny to them then by all means describe the kobold attacking them when he misses as sticking his 'pointy stick' into the dirt and gesture as if your him and it's stuck.(Grunts and animal sounds can help too). I know we enjoyed it, I only hope if you decide to try it you all will too.
First off, let's just start with the most obvious edict of all; Keep It Simple. A child's attention span as well as their ability to juggle complex concept can vary so wildly between kids that I found it best to forgo a lot of elements of the game. Basically I boiled it down the core essential parts needed for the simplest format I could. Namely, I stuck to simple combat mechanics like armor class, hit points, attack modifier and damage. In this regard we didn't factor in alot of details like range, movement, vision or even critical hits. Upon each child's turn I merely allowed to choose if they wanted to attack and if so how. They could run up and attack the monsters, shoot at them, etc. And don't even bother with initiative. Base your turn sequence on age, let the youngest go first and then go up from there. This way the younger kids will get the thrill of going first and the oldest(most likely you/monsters) will get to go last giving your young heroes the chance to be, well, heroic.
Which leads me to my second issue; Remember this is an introduction, and these are just kids. As I already mentioned we didn't get into alot of traditional aspects of the game. But this was just for the kids to try out and see if they would even like it. With that in mind I generated the characters for them, they were as generic as I could be and as boiled down as you can get. What is simpler than a brutish fighter with a greatsword or a nimble ranger complete with bow and short sword? The fighter allowed my son the ability to dive right into combat and feel like a heroic champion. In contrast the ranger gave my daughter the ability to choose weather or not she wanted to blast out arrows or go toe to toe.
Now this approach also disregarded alot of things some may question; like class features, skills and yes even feats. I didn't feel like the kids needed to worry with anything of the like, at least not yet anyway. The fighter didn't have any special feats to draw on and we never even got into the ranger tracking or favored enemies. All they had to focus on was thinking about the character they were playing and some basic combat. They got the excitement of rolling the dice and waiting to see the result. It really helped things move quickly and keep their attention. In truth by the end of the adventure I had to wonder if it hadn't worked too well.
The third issue to consider is one you may not even think of; Consider Your Audience. Sure, you probably do just that in any other game but you have to be doubly careful with kids. If your selecting monsters for the adventure, keep in mind their scare factor and how you may describe them. Will they spook the kids? If so, you might want to rethink the choice. For example; undead and the like might not be the best choice unless the kids are a little older. Also, when you go to describe them make sure you use details they can grasp. Use things like explaining them as angry, or mean so they can easily respond/interpret. On the same note carefully choose your motivation. If the players are kids it is best to give them something they can identify with. Some easy options for any kid are the most obvious: saving or helping the grown ups, especially if they aren't able to is always a good one. Children love to, in my opinion, show that they can do something others can't. It lets them feel good about themselves and establishes some means of identity from other. And if they can save/aid an adult it reinforces that sense of self worth. They depend on us for so much, it is a major thrill when they can feel like we are having to depend on them.
My last real issue is a simple but important one: Guide Them, But Don't Forget To Let Them Guide You.
What I mean by this is, as you play don't hesitate to guide kids as they play. Start off by offering them options like if they want to fight the monsters or run. Give them little cues like reminding them how the monsters ran into that cave, and they still have the medicine your after. The trick, though, is in letting them guide you. Watch them for cues if your description is upsetting them or if they're simply not enjoying things. If they are handling things well and you think they can then by all means feel free to introduce some of the other game elements. This could be as simple as providing them a couple skills or a feat or two. However if you were to decide to incorporate a more complex class like a cleric or wizard I'd recommend keeping them as simple and straight-forward too. Namely let the cleric heal other characters a couple times a day, or a wizard with just a couple of spells at their disposal. You shouldn't even try to bring anything like spell failure or spell preparation into the game for awhile either way. Like I said, let them guide you on how much they can handle and you just help them as they discover how much that is.
I'm fairly sure that if you do that, then everyone will have fun.
Oh, and lest I forget - That is the primary goal here, right? Don't force them to play, and likewise don't feel like you have to run games for your kids just because you enjoy playing yourself. But if they do want to, I'll share with you my most successful strategy: look at everything through their eyes. If you think it'd be funny to them then by all means describe the kobold attacking them when he misses as sticking his 'pointy stick' into the dirt and gesture as if your him and it's stuck.(Grunts and animal sounds can help too). I know we enjoyed it, I only hope if you decide to try it you all will too.
Friday, January 13, 2012
Mighty Midgets & Monsters.
When everyone in town falls ill and the local merchant's medicine is stolen only some brave kids can save the day.
That was the only plot needed to delight a pair of children and spark their imagination. My middle two children have seen us play D&D and the like before, they've marveled at the dice as if they were precious and magical gems even. But up till now they have never really gotten the chance to take part. As I recently became reminded of how their older brother used to have a similar curiosity and how he came to start playing it really got me thinking. Especially since his earliest teachers marveled at his math skills not to mention his familiarity with problem solving.
Playing something everyone else perceives as complicated and relegated to nerds in a basement actually helped him in ways I had never considered. He quickly grasped adding and subtracting as we handled dice rolls. Honestly, he even shocked his own mother and me with how he could figure some situations out. He even used to out think some adults at the table a few times, much to their dismay. All things considered, he had a blast playing and I enjoyed our little mini-sessions.
Now, let's get something clear right away though; he never played with all the advanced rules. Something that many adults I know have to admit as well! There was no combat maneuvers like trips or bull rush, and we never really forced him to track all his gears weight(at first). Even with lightening the rules load the truth of the matter was he was still playing the actual game.
Fast forward to present day and he sat watching down the table as his siblings started their own journey. Again, I kept it as simple as I could. Here is my notes for the adventure:
For my son(4 yr old), we have the brave and tough little fighter 'Bear-Claw.'
Fighter level 1
Hp - 12 Ac - 17
Weapons - Greatsword (We called it his giant's sword) +3 to hit, 2d6+3 damage, Dagger +3 to hit, 1d4+2 damage.
My daughter(5 yr old), we have the lovely young woodsman's daughter 'Lula-Belle.'
Ranger level 1
Hp - 11 Ac - 18
Weapons - Shortsword +2 to hit, 1d6+1 damage, Long Bow +4 to hit, 1d8 damage.
For monsters we had about 6 naughty little kobolds and a mean white dragon wyrmling. Again, their stats consisted simply of their respective hp, ac, and attacks. The dragon was confined to bites, claws and a 2d4 breath weapon with a short range. Nothing overly complex or too scary, this was to be fun.
To start things off I called the kids to the table and sat down with my notebook, a pencil and my dice bag. I carefully explained, rather told them as simply as I could that we were about to play a little game. I looked to my little boy and told him he would get to be this tough and strong boy named 'Bear-Claw' who had a giant's sword and a knife in his pocket. His sister watched as I told her she was going to be a young lady from the woods who know lots about hunting and animals. Her name was 'Lula-Belle' and she had a short little sword as well as a big bow with a lot of arrows.
For atmosphere I kept my descriptions short and lively, trying to keep their attention and let them really get into things. They listened as I explained how everyone else in town had fallen sick and only they were still well. As I gestured like a wounded man they watched me pretend to be a mugged merchant on the way to deliver medicine. They took the hook right away and declared they would stop those pesky monsters!
Quickly they ran into the direction the merchant pointed and spotted 6 kobolds trying to make off with sacks of medicine towards the mountain. I decided to use age in place of initiative so the youngest could go first to maintain their excitement and too so that the monsters(me) always went last. Bear-Claw charged forward to slam his massive blade upside a kobolds head and knocked it out. Lula-Belle took aim and sent another to the realm of the unconscious(you may notice nothing died, only knocked out - they're kids, I opted to forgo the element of death and physical harm). After the kobold missed, Bear-Claw mopped the third up only to find the other three had ran ahead into a cave with the medicine.
Now, I'll admit I did guide the kids just a bit, even reminded them that caves are dark places. But my son actually(in his own way) knew just what to do and pulled out a torch to light the way. [His actual response was that it was okay he had a magical flash light in his head, so I merely redirected him to look through his backpack and therein he found a 'magical torch' instead.] After the brave little band thoroughly thrashed the other three kobolds they decided to head to the back of the cave to retrieve the medicine.
This was the fun part, I won't lie. Because here was my chance to let them feel triumphant over the kobolds only to find something else lurking in the shadows. A strange sound like the crunching of ice they could hear and the cave felt colder. As they approached they spotted a wyrmling white dragon taking up position by the medicine and growling angry. It was here that my son surprised me, for he wouldn't attack the dragon. Was it the fact it was a small sized baby one that he inherently felt mercy for, I dunno. But his sister saw no such restraint and let an arrow fly. However, it can be said when the dragon strove to unleash it's chilling breath upon her that he saw all hesitation removed.
Between the two of them it only took a handful of rounds to dispatch the beast and reclaim the medicine. To their grinning faces though they found a couple items - the meager horde the young dragon had thus far managed. Upon returning the medicine they were each rewarded with a small sack of gold(about 25g).
The whole of the adventure passed quickly enough, lasting only about 30 to 40 minutes at most. But the result was both of them were excited and begged to play more immediately. Actually, with my son's autism he saw it difficult to control his enthusiasm and launched into a string of stories he started imagining. My wife even remarked when she asked if he had fun how his pupils were literally blown from sheer excitement. I should also note he surprised me further when it came to the dragon when he asked if he had any 'magic sleeping dust."
Already I think I have their interest for sure. Not to mention the knowledge that I need to keep an eye on my son and his creative mind. We will definitely have to do this again. At least as long as the kids enjoy it and want to.
That was the only plot needed to delight a pair of children and spark their imagination. My middle two children have seen us play D&D and the like before, they've marveled at the dice as if they were precious and magical gems even. But up till now they have never really gotten the chance to take part. As I recently became reminded of how their older brother used to have a similar curiosity and how he came to start playing it really got me thinking. Especially since his earliest teachers marveled at his math skills not to mention his familiarity with problem solving.
Playing something everyone else perceives as complicated and relegated to nerds in a basement actually helped him in ways I had never considered. He quickly grasped adding and subtracting as we handled dice rolls. Honestly, he even shocked his own mother and me with how he could figure some situations out. He even used to out think some adults at the table a few times, much to their dismay. All things considered, he had a blast playing and I enjoyed our little mini-sessions.
Now, let's get something clear right away though; he never played with all the advanced rules. Something that many adults I know have to admit as well! There was no combat maneuvers like trips or bull rush, and we never really forced him to track all his gears weight(at first). Even with lightening the rules load the truth of the matter was he was still playing the actual game.
Fast forward to present day and he sat watching down the table as his siblings started their own journey. Again, I kept it as simple as I could. Here is my notes for the adventure:
For my son(4 yr old), we have the brave and tough little fighter 'Bear-Claw.'
Fighter level 1
Hp - 12 Ac - 17
Weapons - Greatsword (We called it his giant's sword) +3 to hit, 2d6+3 damage, Dagger +3 to hit, 1d4+2 damage.
My daughter(5 yr old), we have the lovely young woodsman's daughter 'Lula-Belle.'
Ranger level 1
Hp - 11 Ac - 18
Weapons - Shortsword +2 to hit, 1d6+1 damage, Long Bow +4 to hit, 1d8 damage.
For monsters we had about 6 naughty little kobolds and a mean white dragon wyrmling. Again, their stats consisted simply of their respective hp, ac, and attacks. The dragon was confined to bites, claws and a 2d4 breath weapon with a short range. Nothing overly complex or too scary, this was to be fun.
To start things off I called the kids to the table and sat down with my notebook, a pencil and my dice bag. I carefully explained, rather told them as simply as I could that we were about to play a little game. I looked to my little boy and told him he would get to be this tough and strong boy named 'Bear-Claw' who had a giant's sword and a knife in his pocket. His sister watched as I told her she was going to be a young lady from the woods who know lots about hunting and animals. Her name was 'Lula-Belle' and she had a short little sword as well as a big bow with a lot of arrows.
For atmosphere I kept my descriptions short and lively, trying to keep their attention and let them really get into things. They listened as I explained how everyone else in town had fallen sick and only they were still well. As I gestured like a wounded man they watched me pretend to be a mugged merchant on the way to deliver medicine. They took the hook right away and declared they would stop those pesky monsters!
Quickly they ran into the direction the merchant pointed and spotted 6 kobolds trying to make off with sacks of medicine towards the mountain. I decided to use age in place of initiative so the youngest could go first to maintain their excitement and too so that the monsters(me) always went last. Bear-Claw charged forward to slam his massive blade upside a kobolds head and knocked it out. Lula-Belle took aim and sent another to the realm of the unconscious(you may notice nothing died, only knocked out - they're kids, I opted to forgo the element of death and physical harm). After the kobold missed, Bear-Claw mopped the third up only to find the other three had ran ahead into a cave with the medicine.
Now, I'll admit I did guide the kids just a bit, even reminded them that caves are dark places. But my son actually(in his own way) knew just what to do and pulled out a torch to light the way. [His actual response was that it was okay he had a magical flash light in his head, so I merely redirected him to look through his backpack and therein he found a 'magical torch' instead.] After the brave little band thoroughly thrashed the other three kobolds they decided to head to the back of the cave to retrieve the medicine.
This was the fun part, I won't lie. Because here was my chance to let them feel triumphant over the kobolds only to find something else lurking in the shadows. A strange sound like the crunching of ice they could hear and the cave felt colder. As they approached they spotted a wyrmling white dragon taking up position by the medicine and growling angry. It was here that my son surprised me, for he wouldn't attack the dragon. Was it the fact it was a small sized baby one that he inherently felt mercy for, I dunno. But his sister saw no such restraint and let an arrow fly. However, it can be said when the dragon strove to unleash it's chilling breath upon her that he saw all hesitation removed.
Between the two of them it only took a handful of rounds to dispatch the beast and reclaim the medicine. To their grinning faces though they found a couple items - the meager horde the young dragon had thus far managed. Upon returning the medicine they were each rewarded with a small sack of gold(about 25g).
The whole of the adventure passed quickly enough, lasting only about 30 to 40 minutes at most. But the result was both of them were excited and begged to play more immediately. Actually, with my son's autism he saw it difficult to control his enthusiasm and launched into a string of stories he started imagining. My wife even remarked when she asked if he had fun how his pupils were literally blown from sheer excitement. I should also note he surprised me further when it came to the dragon when he asked if he had any 'magic sleeping dust."
Already I think I have their interest for sure. Not to mention the knowledge that I need to keep an eye on my son and his creative mind. We will definitely have to do this again. At least as long as the kids enjoy it and want to.
Thursday, January 12, 2012
The First Whiff of Pipe Smoke.
What can I say? As any nerd ages he finds himself like many others looking back upon his past through the lens of nostalgia. It goes without saying as well that those nerds who have ever reveled at shared adventures through the imaginary landscapes of Dungeons & Dragons(or countless other Rpg's) will no doubt cling to those richly rewarding memories. I myself can recall to mind any number of humorous and/or exhilarating moments of personal triumph. The sad part is the more I look back though, the more I lament the gaps in the details. Little things like the various names of adventure modules I enjoyed, obscure board game titles, even the exact number of games/characters we actually managed to play elude me.
But even with all the things memory and time have conspired to deprive from me, some stay forever etched into my mind. Vividly do I recall the mental image of a grizzled character that was the first persona I ever donned in any game. He was, crafted at the time through second-hand information as a 'Man-at-arms,' a class I was assured existed. Armed with a throwing hatchet, whip, short sword and if I'm not mistaken a trusty chain mail shirt. Was he perfect? Not by any means, but he did manage to make some heroic escapes, namely one from a burning forest as I recall(the fire's cause originating from a ill-considered impulse of my younger brother).
Over the years other figures came to life within our stories to shine amongst so many dimly illuminated members of my cognitive archives. A lumbering brute of a ranger(for those 2nd ed familiar; 18(00) strength, gauntlets of ogre might, and belt of giant strength as well) that my peers spent a great deal of time exaggerating on. Instantly his intelligence became barely high enough to form more than simple grunts and short phrases, his two handed sword becoming the size of a telephone pole and his name(Denais Brightstar) a running source of endless jokes. He was a delight none the less, and spawned many a hearty laugh. There was a dwarf professional soldier, even a self made kit character that slung daggers like a wild west gunslinger. There were so many, and sadly some have faded from memory.
While I may not recall the names or all the details of many of those older modules, I don't think anyone can forget the first time they ran into Elminster, his pipe lit and a ready tale to tell. Ironically I used to struggle with what I perceived were the complexities of wizards as well as the overall feel of Faerun. That is until I read the Elminster trilogy novels. The first thing I did afterwards was beg my cousin(and at the time the default DM of our group) to borrow a players handbook and the Forgotten Realms campaign setting so I could make a wizard and a rogue.
Similarly etched within me is the first time I walked the streets of Sharn. The whole of Eberron exploded with new possibilities, dancing about inside me to tease me with a wealth of plots and stories it promised. And once more the worlds creator penned a trilogy of novels that gave me insight and understanding. But by this point I was experiencing everything from behind the curtain as I watched my players shape new stories.
I can't help but regret not playing more when I was younger, not to mention actively keeping up with our various exploits and persona's more. But I can endeavor to continue creating new memories, and who knows; there is always the chance that one might stumble into those familiar whiffs of a fresh lit pipe.
To the tales we tell and those that await us.
But even with all the things memory and time have conspired to deprive from me, some stay forever etched into my mind. Vividly do I recall the mental image of a grizzled character that was the first persona I ever donned in any game. He was, crafted at the time through second-hand information as a 'Man-at-arms,' a class I was assured existed. Armed with a throwing hatchet, whip, short sword and if I'm not mistaken a trusty chain mail shirt. Was he perfect? Not by any means, but he did manage to make some heroic escapes, namely one from a burning forest as I recall(the fire's cause originating from a ill-considered impulse of my younger brother).
Over the years other figures came to life within our stories to shine amongst so many dimly illuminated members of my cognitive archives. A lumbering brute of a ranger(for those 2nd ed familiar; 18(00) strength, gauntlets of ogre might, and belt of giant strength as well) that my peers spent a great deal of time exaggerating on. Instantly his intelligence became barely high enough to form more than simple grunts and short phrases, his two handed sword becoming the size of a telephone pole and his name(Denais Brightstar) a running source of endless jokes. He was a delight none the less, and spawned many a hearty laugh. There was a dwarf professional soldier, even a self made kit character that slung daggers like a wild west gunslinger. There were so many, and sadly some have faded from memory.
While I may not recall the names or all the details of many of those older modules, I don't think anyone can forget the first time they ran into Elminster, his pipe lit and a ready tale to tell. Ironically I used to struggle with what I perceived were the complexities of wizards as well as the overall feel of Faerun. That is until I read the Elminster trilogy novels. The first thing I did afterwards was beg my cousin(and at the time the default DM of our group) to borrow a players handbook and the Forgotten Realms campaign setting so I could make a wizard and a rogue.
Similarly etched within me is the first time I walked the streets of Sharn. The whole of Eberron exploded with new possibilities, dancing about inside me to tease me with a wealth of plots and stories it promised. And once more the worlds creator penned a trilogy of novels that gave me insight and understanding. But by this point I was experiencing everything from behind the curtain as I watched my players shape new stories.
I can't help but regret not playing more when I was younger, not to mention actively keeping up with our various exploits and persona's more. But I can endeavor to continue creating new memories, and who knows; there is always the chance that one might stumble into those familiar whiffs of a fresh lit pipe.
To the tales we tell and those that await us.
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
A Morning Anything But Easy.
There was nothing easy about this morning. But some tasks, no matter how you feel about them, have to be done. Such was the case with a beloved pet: Prissy the cat. We adopted her about 4-5 years ago, an experience I'll never forget. My oldest two children decided to tag team me in a barrage of pleading and negotiating that resulted in me eventually agreeing. Of all our pet's she has been around the longest since we had the kids and in truth she has proven to be one of the best pets we ever had. She even reminded me of my own childhood pet, who managed to live a long, long life(around 20 years actually).
Unfortunately, poor prissy has not had the best health for a long time. We've struggled with our limited resources to get her seen by the vet and care for her, even buying her special foods. But as time has gone by her behavior has become more and more erratic, and her appearance itself has become an obvious sign of her torment.
So we finally had to accept it and do the merciful thing. Allowing her to live in constant agony wasn't fair to her, nor was it something we wanted to drag out as our children watched. It wasn't a duty I cherished, but this morning I had to take our beloved pet and do the final act of kindness I could for her. Now she rests under a small tree in a much more peaceful place.
No matter how we enter this world or what actions we do in it one truth will always remain: death deserves respect. So, with heavy heart I must bid farewell to a part of our family. Prissy, you were loved and will be missed.
Unfortunately, poor prissy has not had the best health for a long time. We've struggled with our limited resources to get her seen by the vet and care for her, even buying her special foods. But as time has gone by her behavior has become more and more erratic, and her appearance itself has become an obvious sign of her torment.
So we finally had to accept it and do the merciful thing. Allowing her to live in constant agony wasn't fair to her, nor was it something we wanted to drag out as our children watched. It wasn't a duty I cherished, but this morning I had to take our beloved pet and do the final act of kindness I could for her. Now she rests under a small tree in a much more peaceful place.
No matter how we enter this world or what actions we do in it one truth will always remain: death deserves respect. So, with heavy heart I must bid farewell to a part of our family. Prissy, you were loved and will be missed.
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