Three Paths of the Titans

A bit of oral history relating to the Tilted Tower.
Three of the titans of creation were paroled by the gods for their assistance in the destruction of the other titans. In exchange, they were granted the privage to leave this world for another by way of a fracture in reality, a gate, some fifty miles above the lands.
Calling upon each of their cohorts, each a million souls strong, they started a grand ritual that took three years to complete, growing the tower inch by inch toward the gate.
Upon it completion, the cohort dispersed, some following the titians up each of their paths the rest returned to their homelands to face persecution at the hands of the fanatic followers of the gods.
The Titan of Light ascended a silvery path and walked in the noon day sun, followed by diva, dragon born and some humans.
The Titan of Night took the obsidian path, walking under a night sky, with teiflings, orc and human sycophants.
The Titan of Twilight took the marble path, and walked under a sky forever in dusk or dawn.
A fourth figure, diminished by the loss in the primal war, a mere fragment of the Most hansom of Evils, stalked through a hidden, twisting maze in the walls of the tower, a hand full of dead servitors in tow.

Next we will examine features of the tower. 

The Tilted Tower

Built by the followers of the three paroled titans of creation to escape to another realm after the Primal War. The Tilted tower is fifty miles from its base to its apex, and ten miles across. The drift of the gateway and the lands has, over the eons, pulled the tower from its vertical position to it's current thirty seven degree tilt.

It looms so large over the lands that it stays illuminated for a full two hours both before dawn and after dusk.
Very few have ever scaled the uplift mountains around its base to enter any of the three half mile across entrances, fewer still have returned to tell tails of the cites and civilizations that dwell within.

Interesting City Maps: Walled City of Kowloon

(found at IO9)
There is a very impressive cross sectional map of the former Walled City of Kowloon (demolished in 1993).
The map notations are not in English but it is still worth a good long look.
See it here
(Now someone should do a Sharn  cross section in a similar style)

What I am reading

There are 8 intresting articles that I am currently digesting from a number of different sources:

• Gnome Stew Dungeon Crawl Check List  and Prep Lite Manifesto - The Template 
• Telecanters Receeding Blog the One Session Dungeon Template  
• Chatty DM's Re-examining the Dungeon: Section, Factions and Fronts 
• Robert J Schwalb Reexamining the Dungeon 
• Playing D&D With Porn Stars (caution content) Artifacty NPC's - the NPC is decent, it's how you expand on it with every visit the players make that was fascinating. 
• ChicagoWiz's RPG Blog Dead Ends and DM Pit Traps - Avoid 'Em.
• RPG Blog II A Fantasy Sandbox in Detail Part XVII  - I have really liked the rest of the series. Yes, it is a bit dry at times, but as an example of setting forth a series of steps and then following up with an actual demonstration it rules. 
• Dungeon'sMaster.com Adventure Builder Workshop: Rewards  this is another good series.
• Jeff's Gameblog rather old but still very relevant How to Awesome-Up Your Players with my new maxim "Your NPC's suck and they are all going to die". 

And countless others.

Now to throw them all into a blender and see what comes out....

What Gets Me Started

The problem that I have had with maintaining this blog as not be a lack of ideas, but getting started. About 80 days ago I discovered 750 words. Its a simple site with a simple goal: to get you to write, every day, at least 750 words. As it is not a blog and nothing is visible to anyone but you, all the writing that you do is for YOU. It is supported by user contributions so it is "free".

Now, this alone would not have been enough to keep me going but then the sight adds monthly competitions (write every day for a month), and these silly little badges for making various goals and achievements: I am personally only 47 days from my phoenix and withing a couple ten thousand words of making my flock of birds. In some cases, failing to make your words for the day will cause you to loose a badge: I have found this loss aversion to be very, very motivating.


How I Use It

• I try and find a time where I will be distraction free for at least 20-25 minutes
• I the first line is todays date and any goals that I have (usually expressed as a word count)
• Then I put the current time.
• Then I just start typing until I hit the daily goal (at minimum the quota).
• Now to make this gaming related: I often put in snippits of encounters, characters or even blog ideas using the sites meta data notation of GAME: here is a game idea or BLOG: an idea for a blog post. 

Latter in the day, once I have passed the quota, I will go back an expand upon or add additional ideas there. Or, if I am pressed, I will search past daily words for ideas or topics to write about.

Give it a try, come on, for the first three days, you have nothing to loose... however, once you make your Turkey badge... you are hooked (hopefully).

I Feel Properly Chastised

 I found this little rant and was personally chastised for my, somewhat sporadic posting habits: the last post was on May 13, 2010. Alright, maybe Mr Porter was scolding some other people aside from just myself.  
I have, however, taken this to heart and I will endeavor to maintain a at least every other day posting schedule with content that related, if tangentially,  to gaming.
The sad part is that the rant was posted more eleven days ago...
(sigh)

How they failed/How they Fumbled

"You got a 13, you miss."
A phrase often heard at the gaming table: a sad and uninspiring statement that renders the PC's actions and efforts meaningless; It shuts them down; and takes them out of the game.
The idea that I had was to let them describe their failed attack in terms of the encounter (or challenge) allowing them some narrative control.
The next time a PC misses I am going to ask them: "Describe what happened?"; "Tell me about the attack that missed" or "Tell us what went wrong".

Just a short thought for the day.

Nogg, Elderly Night Door watch man

Situation: The players approach a small town after dark.

Nogg 63 Human Male , Night Guard

Stooped, elderly, with dim, watery eyes and sparse gray hair. 

Volunteered: Question 1: "Who are you, and what you be doing at this hour of the night?"

Friendly:

What do you do here?: I have been the night guard of this gate for more years than I care to count. It is my job to not admit "Strange Folk" after dark. 

What do you want?: I'd prefer to spend my nights sleeping, though I don't know that I could do that any more. 

Has/Is [NPC] been through the town: I do not know can you describe them?... 

[Thinks for a moment and answers honestly].

Can we come in?:Ey, you look honest enough, not like those [refer to a plot relevant NPC/Organization or rumor].

Confrontation:

We don't have time for this: Let us in!: Nay, "Strange Folk", must wait for dawn.

[Offer of a reasonable bribe/Toll] Oh, yes, I see no "Strange Folk" here [opens the night door and recommends an near by Inn].  

So you can be bought, wait till we tell the Capitan of the Guard: Please, no, I don't want to end up like Jenkens. [returns the bribe] He still hasn't gotten all of the pitch off. 

Physical:

Volunteered: [Slams the night door] Help, Night watch...[Runs to fetch the night watch, leaving the gate unguarded for a 1d10 rounds]. 

Consequences:

If physically confronted: Add a check to "City Guards". 

If treated in a friendly manner remove one check to "City Guards". 

Dirt, Free Man of the World

History: Hasir was a man of weath, status and influence who married into an impoverished Noble line. 

Premise: One day he was touched by a divinity and has renounced worldly wealth and power. He now lives, wandering from town to town, performing day labor for any who will pay him with a place to sleep and a bit of food to eat. After a few days he moves on leaving 99 gold coins behind. 

Problem: His spouse wants him back; The family patracrh wants the everfull purse back even more so.


Dirt/Hasir Human Male, 43, Laborer/Noble.
Appearance: A human male in his low forties, in simple plan but clean, often mended, clothes. He has dark hair and dark eyes. His voice is quite and humble.

Volunteered:

What's your name/Story: "I be Dirt, Sir, a free man of the world. I have nothing but my clothes and a strong back. "

Why do you live this way/what do you desire: "I desire only to do a days' honest work. Though some food and a place to sleep would be nice. "

Friendly:

If a discussion of Poltics/Nobility/Society happens in front of him: He will comment, aside, with accurate and insightful information. When confronted, he will fumble, applogise, and feign ignorance. 

Confrontation:

How do you know these things: I am very sorry sir, I mean no harm. (lie) I once worked for a powerful man and learned a smidgen about such things. 

What was his name, where did you come from: His name was Hasir, he was a powerfull, small minded and shallow man. 

Are you Hasir/What is your real name: Please sir, do not make me go back, that life was hollow, empty of meaning.

Physical:

Any physical assault or threat will make Dirt/Hasir cower and surrender. 

Volunteered: Don't hurt me.

Consequences:
Spouse: She is initially overjoyed at his return, but becomes increasingly upset at his new world view. Eventually she will send him away after one too many confidence of his to a peer.
Patriarch: Pleased over the return of the artifact. He may need to deal with Hasir, possibly through more violent and covert means.

A Link to Dragons

If you are in need of inspiration on Dragons Look Here.

Here is a sample:


Snork