Highmoon's Ponderings

Mark decided to start running a pbem playtest of Paizo’s new Pathfinder RPG, and here’s my character. We are playing through the Curse of the Crimson Throne adventure path.

GALEN JALEEL

Male human wizard 1 (CR 1)
CG Medium humanoid
Init +2; Senses Perception +0
Languages Common, Draconic (+2 languages I will declare as we go on.)

AC 12, touch 12, flat-footed 10 (+2 Dex)
hp 15 (1 HD = d6 + 6(flat) + 2(Con) +1(favored class))
Fort +2 Ref +2 Will +2

Spd 30 ft.
Melee starknife +0 (1d4+1); unarmed strike +0 (1d3)
Ranged starknife +2 (1d4+1)
Base Atk +0; CMB +0
Atk Options Arcane Strike
Combat Gear

Abilities Str 11 (+0), Dex 14 (+2), Con 14 (+2), Int 17 (+3), Wis 10 (+0), Cha 9 (-1)
SQ School powers (Universal), spells
Feats Arcane Strike, Scribe Scroll (b), Spell Mastery (expeditious retreat, magic missile, summon monster I)
Skills Knowledge (arcana) (Int) +7, Knowledge (local) (Int) +7, Linguistics (Int) +7, Spellcraft (Int) +7, Stealth (Dex) +6
Possessions Starknife, signet ring, dagger, backpack (spellbook, rations x3, waterskin, spell components)

Wizard Spells Known/>Prepared< (CL 1)

• Cantrips (DC 13): 3/day – >acid splash<, >daze<, >detect magic<
• 1st level (DC 14): 2/day – enlarge, expeditious retreat, feather fall, magic missile, >obscuring mist<, >summon monster I<

Class Abilities Arcane bond (signet ring); School (Universal)
School Powers

• 1st level: Hand of the Apprentice

Racial Abilities Ability boost: +2 to Int; Bonus feat: Spell Mastery (expeditious retreat, magic missile, summon monster I); Skilled: Stealth; Weapon Training: Starknife; Favored Class: Wizard

Background

Galen was born in Korvosa 20 years ago, though he has never known who his parents were. He was left at the doorstep of an old alchemist, Dosan, wrapped in blankets, a signet ring embossed with a stylized owl and a starknife the only clues to his past. Doasn took him in and had his housekeeper take care of the thing. At 5, Galen’s benefactor died in a laboratory accident, and he was left in the charge of the new alchemist, a dour (and sometimes downright wicked) man named Barthes. For the next 10 years Galen’s life was little more than forced slavery; Barthes did not care at all for the boy, and only did what was absolutely necessary to keep him in fit shape and able to help in the lab.

At 15, Galen was enrolled in the Anomanexus College, much to his surprise, and put under the tutelage of Master Jaleel, an old friend of Dosan, who had seen the boy a couple of times in his life. Galen turned out to be an excellent apprentice wizard, much to Barthes’ chagrin. Three years later, Galen arrived home to find Barthes and Jaleel arguing about something in the basement laboratory; the only words Galen could pick out were his name, Dosan, treasure, monster and Gaedren Lamm, a name he had never heard before. The argument went on for about fiftenn minutes, when it was cut short by an explosion. Galen threw open the door to the basement and ran downstairs to find Barthes standing over the charred remains of Master Jaleel, broken glass all around the corpse. Without thinking, and before Barthes could throw another of his modified alchemist’s fire, Galen pulled his starknife and stabbed Barthes in the face, stabbing him over and over until there was little but a bloody mass.

Realizing what he’d done, Galen gathered as much money as he could find and as much of the most expensive materials he could carry, and dissapeared into the streets of Korvosa. He has lived on the streets for two years, an apprentice wizard with a knack for stealth and pilfering, paranoid of the shadows, knowing one day the past will catch up with him.

I gave in and preordered the D&D 4th Edition Gift Set at Amazon.com; the price was just too good to pass up (with the 5% pre-order discount, it cost me just about what it would cost a retail store to order it from their distributor). I felt a little guilty for a moment, ordering something I could get in my local game store, and at almost the same cost as they would buy it in order to make a profit, but it passed when I realized the money I was saving. In all seriousness, game retailers should be raising such a stink about this to Wizards; I know I would in their position.

I’m still a bit iffy about 4e, to be honest. I don’t know that this iteration of D&D will be D&D for me; what I’ve seen so far points to a hugely tactical game where I have to keep track of a lot of “teh r0xx0r” options (mainly for combat) in a way that reminds me way too much of (yes, I’ll say it again) World of Warcraft-style gaming. There are elements of 4e that I am liking, though: treating the saves as Defenses makes sense, and being able to target Will as one targets AC means that a social combat system is now perfectly viable with very little tweaking (“I attack with my logical argument, Power Attack with my witty banter, and then Cleave the foppish friend with a finely-tuned insult.”). As a publisher, however, I need to be on top of this, if only so I can inspect all the information before deciding how will Highmoon Media support 4e, if at all. We’ll see in June.

Back at Gen Con, I was part of a Star Wars Episode LV, a Primetime Adventures game run by Judd Karlman (Sons of Kryos Podcast) and starring Paul Tevis (Have Games, Will Travel Podcast), Rich Rogers (CanonPuncture Podcast), Mick Bradley (The Game That May Be Podcast) and myself.

Set 1,000 years after Return of the Jedi, the Republic has now become as corrupt as the old Empire, and the dynasty of Skywalker rules with an iron fist from Coruscant, confident in the security the six orbiting Death Stars provide it. But there is hope, two ancient droids carrying information that can topple the corrupt republic.

I played a jaded, reckless and tired Jedi who is simply just tired of running from the Republic. He has learned that he is a descendant of Anakin Solo, son of the legendary Han Solo and Leia Skywalker, which makes him a Skywalker as well, and a blood relative of the despots running the galaxy. Taking the new name Obi Wan Skywalker in remembrance of a time when the name Skywalker stood for good and when Jedis were the guardians of justice, he has decided to take on the Galactic Republic headfirst.

The first part of the Actual Play Recording is now up courtesy of CanonPuncture and it covers character creation.
CPAP Star Wars LV PTA Pt 1 (Direct Download, 30:13 minutes)

Wolfgang Baur’s Kobold Quarterly magazine and Highmoon Media Productions have teamed up to produce and release a special edition in Highmoon’s Domains of Adventure line, the Havenmine Gauntlet, written by WereCabbage Adam Daigle, with art by James Keegan.

Describing the “neutral zone” between warring clans of gnomes and kobolds, the product features seven rooms full of devious traps and wicked challenges for any party that braves the dungeon. This special product will be released as a bonus to all current Kobold Quarterly subscribers as of April 18th, 2008. It will also be sold by Highmoon Media Productions via RPGnow.com and DriveThruRPG.com.

“I am excited to finally release this joint project,” said Highmoon Media Productions owner Daniel M. Perez. “I’ve been a fan and subscriber of Kobold Quarterly since the moment Wolfgang announced it on Open Design, and I jumped at the opportunity to give something back to that community. Without a doubt, one of the easiest and most enjoyable collaborations I have been a part of.”

Domains of Adventure is the series of systemless products showcasing interesting and unusual locations usable in a variety of games. Domains of Adventure releases feature additional support in the form of a Rules Appendix that translates the narrative elements into ready-to-use stats and mechanics for a variety of open rules systems.

Domains of Adventure: The Havenmine Gauntlet will be released to Kobold Quarterly subscribers first, along with the Rules Appendix - d20, and become available to the general public one week later.

Subscribe to Kobold Quarterly: http://www.koboldquarterly.com/KQStore/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=2

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ABOUT HIGHMOON MEDIA PRODUCTIONS Founded by Daniel M. Perez, Highmoon Media Productions is a Miami Beach-based publisher of gaming products producing support material for the popular d20 System, including Targum Magazine, a magazine supporting Ancient World campaign settings. Learn more about Highmoon Media Productions at www.highmoonmedia.com.

ABOUT KOBOLD QUARTERLY MAGAZINE Kobold Quarterly is the leading RPG magazine for fantasy gamers. It offers playable, fun articles by the industry’s best, including Ed Greenwood, Keith Baker, Nicolas Logue, and Wolfgang Baur. It is available in print and PDF forms, and features contributions from gamers around the world. Learn more about Kobold Quarterly at www.koboldquarterly.com.

ABOUT WERECABBAGE PUBLISHING The WereCabbages bring together more than thirty of the most successful and promising RPG writers, artists and cartographers. The Cabbages are a one-stop shop for RPG publishers, whether they need an experienced team to complete a large project or a single author or artist for a special task. Learn more about the WereCabbages at www.werecabbages.com.

Media Contact: Ed Healy – ephealy@koboldquarterly.com Daniel M. Perez – daniel@highmoonmedia.com

Only in Judaism can you show up for a religious service looking like this. 

Purim sameach to all. May the miracles that occurred in Shushan in the days of Mordechai and Esther continue to illuminate us and lead us in the path to our own miracles, the complete and total redemption, amen.

Now, go forth and party!

Highmoon Media Productions is proud to present Heroic Moments #4: Easter Mayhem (Special Edition).

The yearly Easter Egg Hunt at the Mayor’s mansion, a group of orphans, and a well-bred villainess intent on giving the orphans a “proper education.” Can you stop Ms. D. Meanor from kidnapping the children and turning them into well-mannered zombies?
Also includes two new powers.

Heroic Moments is the aschan series of single action scenes for four-color superhero games. This series is designed to be dropped seamlessly into any existing superhero campaign. No prep: just a set-up, some bystanders and a villain for your heroes to clobber.

NOW AVAILABLE from RPGnow!

Heroic Moments uses the free 4C System of marvelous superheroics.

Come and join the conversation at the HMP 4C System Forum.