After listening to Paula Abdul's Cold-Hearted Snake (yes I like 80's music), a brilliant idea for a character struck me! A character concept for a playboy type, swashbuckling SwordMage! Why a SwordMage? It makes perfect sense over a Rogue for the arcane powers add a touch of magic to his "charm". Plus a defender role to protect the dames in the group, but he'll allow the men to fend for themselves.

"All the world is a candy store, He's been trick-or-treating."-Paula Abdul

This has been always been bothering me. Will all the status ailments being thrown around the adventuring party and villains, its hard to keep up with what's happening to who. Here are some solutions:

1. Buy plastic tokens and write/mark them with status ailments. This allows it to be stacked atop of the characters.

2. I write the status on flash cards and give them to the players.

3. Or write the status on small post it and stick to the player. For monsters, I can write it down on my notes.

Now to analyze this, it breaks down to longevity, carrying capacity, flexibility and impact on the planet. FYI, I'm just doing this recycling thing for its the common trend people are doing, I'm waiting for it to phase out like Ugs, Crocs, etc.

Longevity: The tokens will last longer and they are already prepared for the game. For the post-its and flash cards, I would have to write it down all the time. WINNER: tokens are reusable.

Carrying Capacity: Due to the numerous status ailments, tokens for each specific one has to be made therefore I would have to carry x-amount to satisfy the game. For post-it and flash cards, that's just it, quick and easy. WINNER: Post-it/flash cards.

Flexibility: Tokens take a while to fish out, I would have to store the tokens in a carrying case, fish the right token out and place it on the miniatures. Post-it and flash cards, easy as pie. WINNER: Post-it/flash cards.

Impact on the Planet: Post-it and flash cards are bad, it includes to the waste. Tokens are reusable so the winner is clearly tokens.

Hmm, its a tie and quite conflicted. Maybe I should use my initiative board more and write the status ailments and the only waste is markers.

I just have to come out and say it, "I want to play!"

It's fun to be on the other side of the screen, I also like being in the player's seat! To play one character and try your best to contribute to the group's dynamic. Knowing you are set on your abilities which some work, some moments you shine. But you are of use when the moment calls for it! That's when you take it from there and say, "Look bitches! Look at me SHINE and workship me for my fabulousness!" Insert ghetto fish movement.

Wait, that's for one idea for my ghetto-fabulous diva - BonQuiQui LaVatore. A tiefling bard who doesn't take no one's order for its her high heeled stilleto way, or her high heeled stilleto way!

*GASP* So heinous to even call these "Commandments", maybe I should write my rules in the Commandment style. I sure do hope I'm not struck down by a lightning bolt, or some burning bush falls on me.

1. Thou shall be Descriptive about Details.
2. Thou shall K.I.S.S., Keep It Short & Simple.
3. Thou shall say, "Yes, and..." and Collaborate with Player's Idea.
4. Thou shall plot be Intriguing but Simple.
5. Remember the Gaming Day and keep it Wholey.

Ok, the last one was just horsing around, but it does fit.

I'm just wondering, am I trying too hard for my games? Am I pushing the storyline too deep and not pushing the encounters - skill and battle encounters - to that exact level of assumed excitement?

Was the complication last session due to the multiple parts of the storyline?

• The Midnight Slasher is actually a woman.
• The Ghost of Graefmotte somehow related to the Lord?
• Why is there a bridge leading to the rotten part of town if there are gnolls there?

Am I not following the rules of KISS, Keep It Simple, Stupid? Or the nice version, "Keep It Short and Simple." Maybe I did try too hard, even for a Ravenloft campaign. Another lesson learned,

Keep it Intriguing yet Simple.

Saturday 10/24/2009, my gamers and I continued on with our story in Ravenloft inside the home our most gracious host, Marc! After a short discussion about Pedobear and his willy children adventures, we'll move on to the game session. To tell you the truth, I'm just going to go on with the highlights for this one was a long session but the gamers were able to discover information about the Midnight Slasher and Ghost of Graefmotte.

• The party, consisting of Tycha the Druid, Gerhard the Paladin and Champollion the Bard went around town to find information about the Midnight Slasher and the Ghost of Graefmotte.
• Arriving at the local police's office, Champollion asked an officer about the Midnight Slasher and the recent activities of the Ghost
• After providing some basic information, the suggestion visiting the town historian may provide a more fruitful investigation.
• Upon arriving the historian's place, the Raven's Feast, the party met Madame Adeline who was able to provide some needed information about the Midnight Slasher and the Ghost of Graefmotte's case. The party learned that Lord Durven Graef visits the Church of the Morning Lord, a possible associate who may know more about the town's Lord.
• Father Alcester and Sister Regina greeted the party and provided very little information about Lord Graef; that he just pays lip services to the church and donates money in exchange for blessings prior his gnoll raids.
• Tycha suggested that they head on out to the gnoll side of the city but before crossing the river, they came upon a guarded bridge. Apparently it may seem that Lord Graeff likes to keep the gnolls on the rotten side of town for his own bloody amusement?
• The guards allowed the party to cross but warned them to return by 6 for the games would be closed.
• The party encountered a lone gnoll whom the party chased in the neighborhood. But only to end their chase looking up at a waiting gnoll party and I mean waiting with wagons to ram against them!
• Cleverly, the party went through side alleys but ended up encountering spirit balls aka Graefmote Cloud, nasty little swarm buggers who hit the parties defenses with cold and necrotic powers. Atop of which, a Gnoll Death Mage tried to spray the party with swarm of flies, but only ending up dying due to Champy’s bardic insults! The zombie Gnoll Marauders and a gnoll Blazing Zombie tried to strike the party down, only ending up dying…once again.
• The party retreated back to the main city after picking vials of healing potions and gold from the defeated foes, worn from the immense battle.
• Later that evening, due to the encouragement of the curfew, Tycha tried her charm on hunting down the Midnight Slasher with the Champy and Gerhard waiting on the side.
• After I failed to try to play it out a-la-without-miniatures, c’mon I was trying to play it out like 2^nd edition, the Midnight Slasher got away after a short battle.
• Next day, Gerhard received a dream from the Ghost of Graefmotte; a young girl running towards a wooden building located besides a raging river.
• That morning, the party witnessed a mob of children chasing after the newspaper boy. Who dropped one of his newspapers after he dashed into the alley. The newspaper focused on the topic of the Ghost of Graefmotte, how Lord Graef ignores the topic and on the side news, the print shop is shut down due to being claimed by the river. Wooden building from the dream + newspaper article = …
• The party ventured towards the gnoll city, informed by the militants that Lord Graef will return from his gnoll raid sometime today.
• Discovering the tilted wood building, the party went through the second floor only to discover that the Midnight Slasher was below. The Midnight Slasher was standing atop of what seemed a pile of old newspapers.
• The party decided to talk to the Midnight Slasher, so they instead sent out Champy. Poor lone Champy as the rest waited on the side to see what happens. What? I was wondering why you guys sent him, by his lonesome self with a maniac!
• The Midnight Slasher’s past showed that as a child, the Midnight Slasher had a happy childhood living with parents. Another woman came between the Midnight Slasher’s parents, who killed each other as the other woman watched. After the parents were gone, the other woman gave the young child a kiss on the forehead, sealing the child to become the Midnight Slasher and target prostitutes!
• The Ghost of Graefmotte arrived, the child ghost corrected Champy that the Midnight Slasher isn’t a he, but a She. This whole episode can be taken into some day time talk show.
• The Midnight Slasher sensed that the party can do more than she to help the Ghost of Graefmotte, left her knife and followed Tycha’s warning to never kill women in this city again.
• The party took the Ghost’s pendant, to show the killer and maybe provide the Ghost eternal rest.

...and I were having dinner Thursday evening at the Conga Lounge in College Avenue. I brought up my concern with my experience in the D&D forum (see earlier posting). I was just unhappy how my posting, with its details and excitement is overlooked over simple AND redundant inquiry.

Then my S.O. (significant other, such a cool acronym) replied, "Maybe people just don't want to invest that kind of time to your replies. You are a detail oriented person, I know how excited you get about your *games* (air quotes) but when you provide such in-depth details and your asking for feedback, some people don't want to type that long of a reply."

There's a point there, but here's another. I stated in those simple inquiries that some people post (only some, I'm just saying some exceptional people exist, such as myself) do provide long detail replies. S.O. was a bit taken back by that, unhappy of course and we continued on with my pre-birthday celebration.

I'm 31, yes, I'm 31. Such a weird number for its not as cool as 13. You know, when balls drop and your voice does an awkward change.

Maybe its just me but whenever I pitch ideas that need help in flushing out (situations, combat, background story) on the DM's section - "What's a DM to do?" - I barely receive replies. When I scan on repeated AND simple topics, those topics are overdone for with tons of replies. My reaction to that, "What the H-to-the-E-double-fraggle-rocking-hockey-stick is going on???"

Maybe it IS just me for my ideas are in-depth (which I think some of those DMs LACK), creative and out of the usual box. Then again, I am a former Graphic Designer and we do take into consideration approaching in a different aspect of presentation. All I ask for is a brainstorm, the creative process of throwing ideas together and as Tim Gunn would said it of Project Runway, "Make it work." I want the game to be exciting for my gamers, but its hard when I'm not excited. How can one project or share that kind of feeling if they themselves are not feeling it? I'm excited to plan out situations for my gamers, I am working on painting a better picture and running the game, but I want help on ideas to make me excited!

Yes I do have my moments of Narcissim, everyone should to take credit for their work no matter what it is.

I've got most of the story kink's worked out, except one - the final boss battle. The problem lies, where IS the final battle's location? How can I fit the boss in a space that's dramatic, big and have room for Mr. Ed with an attitude?

I can't give out too much for this is ahead of schedule of the game.

Single use terrain from Dungeon Master's Guide 2 provides a more exciting battle field, it allows the players and villains to play around like their in kindergarden - full of used syringes, broken glass and metal bats waiting to be picked up and used. Think brain think, push yourself to make myself excited and to get the player's excited!

I love Fairy Tales, what I love most are Twisted Fairy Tales. Like Little Red Riding Hood, which I think its a dirty fine name. A good example would be Darkstalker's BB Hood, the little gun toting monster hunter whose after Taliban the Werewolf.

I'm always looking for ways to incorporate Fairy Tales. Well I am currently with Alice in Wonderland. Just a slow introduction, White Rabbit has appeared, I wonder who else is making an appearance.




Credit of image goes to http://fc04.deviantart.com/fs13/f/2007/055/8/e/bb_hood___mercenary___by_ZurdoM.jpg

I have a problem; I'm a stingy bastard it seems. I haven't given my gamers enough treasures. I've been bad and I need to correct that. I'll have them robbed of their worldly possessions.

Oh wait, that's the opposite of what's needed to be done.

The truth lies in the problem of where to put the treasure. If a party fights a jelly monster, is the treasure inside of defeated jelly or somewhere close by? I had the party fight encounter a group of monsters designed with: Hanged Ones, Visceral Zombies, a plant monster (can't recall) and some noose traps... where should I have placed the treasure? In a box close by hidden inside a nook of a tree? Or on the forest floor? Or just under the pile of plant monster manure; heh, a self-sustaining plant that defecates fertilizer. Anyway!

That is why I need to be MORE creative than ever! I do have neurons; I have to get the most of mileage.

I have never ever played miniatures before. Nor have I been interested in filing, painting, glazing miniatures.

Till I met Malifaux Miniatures and I have to say, wow!

A setting that's cross of fantasy, Victorian (my time period hence Ravenloft), steampunk and the least of my favorite, western; and awesome combination! I found myself a hot little figurine called Lady Justice, a perfect adversary for one of my gamers’ character, Abraxus. Lady Justice, or Lady Just, is a background character that has now come to flesh, err. metal thingie miniature. The design speaks to me for it’s a miniature that's blindfolded, has a sword (or can be a staff) behind her back and combat heels! I mean, we developed stilettos in this world but in fantasy, those can withstand the pressure it goes through.

No, not in my game. I would be sad to kill one of the characters, I don't want character blood on my hands!
Will all the water in the ocean wash this blood from my hands? ... All the perfumes of Arabia will not sweeten this little hand... -Macbeth

But listening to the Podcast on the wizards website, I'm sad, yet viciously amused, that of one of the podcast character's death! A first character death, even one of the gamers was asking the Dungeon Master is this even possible. Yet what was most hilarious that he requested that his Binwin does not die... he has investment on his character! Smart business move.

Well, if I do have a character death, I do hope its a dramatic and GREAT death! I'll probably even have a character funeral, confetti and cake included!

I'm limited in my music selection!

I do have a selection of Midnight Syndicate tracks, thank you very much for the tasty dark music. Yet, I like to add other music that isn't fantasy especially for battle scenes. Such as, if the gamers are battling against women villains (which by the way my favorite kind of enemy for they can perform battle moves that it just looks bad when men perform it) I would play "Girls on the Dance Floor" by Far East Movement. Another is perfect song would be "Milkshake" by Kelis, since one of my gamers is having his female elf druid dress up as a prostitute.

Yes I understand its a bad song but its JUST so fun!

*sign* I'm just serious in a different way, I'm strange. Now that's strange to actually admit it, but I'm cool like that.

Not because my mom said so!

I got to thinking, which is a pretty dangerous thing, since one of player's kid wants to join into the fun and he has difficulty with control of a normal D&D character, what if I made a lackey?

Once more, description goes well with Ravenloft. It is the details that which bother people, it's used in movies when the camera sinks into the detail of the scene; I will make a note to push for those details! Speaking of push, I will implement the idea of the unknown and take away the character's sense and throw 'em into a situation which would be most uncomfortable.

This brings up the case, horror movies always seem to attack when your most vulnerable, undressed, in a comfortable setting, taking a shower. It's always the shower scene.

In the spirit of Halloween and all that is dark, mysterious and foreboding, I’ve thrown the gamers into the malicious world that is Ravenloft. The setting I’ve set to a mixture of Victorian and Edwardian time periods, a hint of low-magic and increased the volume on fright.

The adventuring party was sent out by Doctor Cheshire de Chat of Dark of Avonleigh to explore the new borderlands which the Mist has revealed. The departure of the Mist has cleared the area to reveal a dense forest, littered in the piles of autumn conceals the bones of humans and gnolls, maybe from a great battle a long time ago. The adventured bravely explored an area full of hanged humanoids; through observation the bodies have been left to rot till it muscles shrank to the bones. As the party moved forward, Gerhard the Paladin was caught in a noose trap, pulling him upwards as a hanged man came to unlife and started to molest him with its viscera tentacles. They fought on the Hanged Ones, Viscera Lashers and a Bloodthorn Vines who inhabited the area; the only beings that showed any signs of movement and sound as they started this trek.

After easily defeating the enemies, the party moved on. Only to be interrupted in their travel by a grisly sight of cannibalistic madmen feasting along with gnolls over claimed victim. Tycha the Druid opened the battle with a summoned Wall of Thorns, the vile barbed fauna wrapped around most of the cannibals and monstrous gnolls, permanently stopping some in their tracks. The undead gnolls tried to ravage alongside the madmen, guided by a ghoul and a witherling shrieker but all failed under the might of combined sword, divine power and claws.

Getting past the sight of the grim scene of violence “feasted” upon the poor victim, the adventurers encounter the strange mist once more. Only to find out that the clearing was a quiet graveyard (might I add, damn that Perception roll!), the party was able to find a sign of civilization – a road. The road was decorated with statues of cloaked men holding lamps, as if to guide them on to safety…supposively.

Passing by the great gates of a city, guardsmen and civilians alike warily observed the travelers, new people in this city! Civilians stirred cleared, closing their doors, watching behind half closed windows and continued to gawk in silence. The party asked the guards for information to find out they arrived in the city of Graefmotte, once a great city but reduced almost in half by the encroaching river which cuts into town and the problems of undead and gnoll invasion.

The party purchased a newspaper from small boy, headlining the news of the Midnight Slasher claiming its second victim in this now reduced town. The party sought out the leader of the town, Lord Durven Graef, whom the party were able to meet for he was on his way for a gnoll raid followed by his mob. Lord Durven pushed the business of having the gamers deal with the Midnight Slasher, leaving them behind to deal with the town’s problem.

Tycha volunteered to dress up as the target, a working lady of the night, in hopes of luring out the Midnight Slasher. Staying up till midnight, Xanston was able to spot the man performing a brutal act upon an innocent whore (oxymoron?) and tried to stop the Midnight Slasher! The party chased the Midnight Slasher down only to lose track in the warehouse section of the docks. Assuming that the Midnight Slasher went into a warehouse, the party instead discovered that the town’s butcher is in league with the gnolls. Fighting bravely against the sick-minded butcher and his gnoll colleagues, the party triumphed not only ridding the town of a killer but discovering that the town’s mystery meat was indeed, human beings.

Continuing their investigation, the party was able to find the Midnight Slasher’s track, muddy boot marks embedded with a dark pigmentation. Ink it was, now the game is afoot! Undead, Gnolls and Midnight Slasher, oh my! The party continues to wonder about the unaging Lord, a vampire? An undead of sort’s maybe?

I will continue to work on the following for the improvement of the game, enjoyment for the gamers and myself.

1. Provide more details of the battle.
2. Describe the monsters appearance.
3. Find happy medium to challenge yet excite the gamers.

I need to commit to these changes for a storyteller needs to entertain and be happy with their work. To benefit myself but importantly, the customers, that's service that's required!

Done gaming today, started this to document gaming, and now I'm tired!