Going up the country

Heading out of town for a week. Sorry there will be a lack of posting for that time. I will try through the Nook just to see how it goes. Hope everyone has a great 4th of July.

Mudmen

Broken light comes like ghosts of the past Sheltering me in memory of the way it never used to be as the sun sunk through the trees Catching me up in strands of silken hopes that should have slipped by but I was afraid to let go but at times are all I know Sunk down with the bones hung with scarecrows that want to wander

Skeleton on My Shoulder

I'm raising my arm in triumph for the meal I just ate Little left of the day but the sunset greets me with the night No sorrows seem to be on my way Music on the radio is coming right right and forgotten favorites finishing the rite I'm not leading just following the clues where i need to go Crazy forgot tomorrow slipped far from my mind

Nook Color Vs. Printed Page test 1

Gaming with the Nook was ok, but not a solid test. It was an end of the adventure rap up session so there was no need to look up any information in the book. I had my blog up with the character sheet going most of the time, just in case i needed to roll anything. I am going to need a better test when I get to the next game, hopefully i will need to read up a spell effect or something.

I really need to get some sort of bookmarks set up for the main pathfinder rules that i use most often. It seemed a little difficult even using the easypdf application.

I will say having ten books on that thing is nice. no need to break my back carrying it all in.

I'm attacking the darkness

So here in the south bay we don't really have that large of a gaming community to support several stores of quality. We have had several great stores rise and fall. I loved GameScape and Griffin computer and A Wrinkle in time;a nerd lifestyle store. I think PDF's are going to be the route to go soon, which is why i got the Nook. But here are some thoughts on the stores I like.

GameKastle is probably the best store we have had in years. It has grown out of a poorly located hole in the wall. I wish they would carry used product but that is a hard market. They do flea markets every so often which is nice. Their gaming space is big, but occasionally the players are ripe and this can spread through the store. The place is big and you can find things. Expect all the newest gaming stuff to be up and on the shelves. They even do gaming programs for the PC.

Gator Games is a bit of a drive but is often worth it. They just have a weird selection and often you will find rare gems. Also they do used games. They have problems with space though the store is just too small and desperately needs to be reorganized. Its hard to get around and things seem to have been piled up years ago.

Legends of comics and Fantasy in Valco opened a new gaming store some time ago, it wasn't well stocked but it looked like it had potential to be come something. I haven't been back but I think they probably have done something more and are worth a look

Games Workshop Oakridge, well this isn't my sort of thing I think its going to have everything you can dream of for warhammer and 40K so if you are into that probably you should make a point to visit.

D&J Hobby is a shadow of its former self and just makes me sad, they have to give me good reason to go back and they haven't.

Space Cat is a wacko comic shop on bascom. I have no idea if they have games, they seem to have all sorts of crazy stuff. What they have are Video games. Carts for all sorts of systems and systems too. Its sort of a mess in there so wander around stuff is everywhere.

4Jays wow what a store. Its video game heaven only and hour drive from San Jose in Concord. If you love games you need to go its like a pilgrimage. Its so great you will just be happy.

Endgame and games of Berkeley are up there somewhere i hear good stuff but have never been.

Touch and Go

Well i got a nook color, with the intention of using it for gaming. I have loaded up several PDF's onto the base OS and downloaded the PDF program. I was quickly pissed off viewing PDF files with the normal viewer and figured this viewer had to be better, it is. I am trying to throw some MP3 files and maybe a movie just to try things out.

I am not sure what to do about the hacking of the OS. If having the OS on a microSD card is as easy as pulling it in and out then great. I will have my Nook then throw in the microSD for my dice roller. But if it take more than a few moments forget it. I could do with just a dice roller and ill be at 85% what i want. I probably don't even need that; not rolling your own dice is for sucks.

I will probably get this set up just to have the experience. So i can be more of a nerd. It's not enough to load The skyrealms of Jorune on your Nook.

Pathfinder Cleric I am playing Lately

Just throwing this up so I don't have to worry about missing my sheet at the next game. You are welcome to comment on what I am doing wrong. I am mainly a pathfinder healer cleric with a little flair to make it interesting

Twaller Milius
True Neutral human Cleric 3 of Sarena

STR 10 0
DEX 10 0
CON 12 +1
INT 8 -1
WIS 18 +4
CHA 16 +3

HP 28
AC 21
Fort Save +4
Ref Save +1
Will Save +7

B.A.B. +2

Feats
Weapon Focus Ray
Selective Channel

Skills
Diplomacy +3stat, +3ranks, +3Class=+9
Knowledge religion -1stat, +3ranks, +3class=+7

Domains Fire and Healing

Spells Cantrips
Purify food, Resistance, stabilize, detect magic
Spells 1st
Burning hands, bless, divine favor, command
Spells 2nd
Project Flame, Bulls strength, Resist energy

Items
Full Plate, +1 shield, Masterwork Scimitar, Heavy Mace, Backpack, bed roll, tinder and steel. hooded lantern , oil, Gp 180

Games Without Frontiers

I have been thinking of leveling as it relates to gaming. Its of critical importance to players and almost trivial to most game masters. And it often is the biggest reason games fail. Even before starting a game some fail for lack of wanting to run a campaign not understanding the advancement system. Others fail when players are dissatisfied with advancement.

Lately I have been thinking of something I am calling dramatic snap, well at least in my mind i think of it in those terms. The idea is advancement detached from numbers but rather tied to need. The dramatic part of this should be tied to accomplishment of goals. In saying snap i am thinking like a rubber band under tension.

My idea is to use the need of the adventure or the highest level character and the point that pulls the lower level characters along. The level difference will increase tension pulling the lower level character up. In that two aspects will be reflected, the first greater advancement at greater difference of level and two smaller goals required for advancement.

For example we have a party of characters running on of the pathfinder chain module series. If they are lagging behind the pace character and are having a great deal of trouble with conflicts. The tension here would pull them up to the pace character and then let off completely. Through some minor successes the party could be raised up in level and giving the tools to complete the adventure. After words though the tension would be gone and they would not have a hug pay off for completing the quest. Or a new character that is brought in at a lower level than the group would catch up by nature of the tension.

The base metric is to decide what is meaningful advancement in the game. In D&D it is a level or in skill based systems it is raising a skill from 75% by 3-5%. In that I am saying an above average skill by a small but meaningful percentage, high skill levels often require greater effort to raise. Next I like to think of the max number of sessions i would require someone sitting on their ass doing nothing would require to advance. I am going to say about seven sessions to level and two or three to up the skill.

In combining the two you are just taking the tension between high and lower level points and figuring if any actions would warrant a snap. If none come up screw em just give them a session worth of gain. If you need them to level, invent a challenge and give them a win. Your need as a GM comes first.

If you want to do something positive with the character ask them their goals, and build in those so the character has their own actions to generate a snap. If they want to see the world, have them reach a snap upon reaching the next town or country. If they want to be a great solider one for their first battle or joining an army.

Well its a thought

Stand up you don't have to be afraid

While I know this site sucks, as does my writing, it's ad free and done for the viewer. Well OK its done for me but you get to laugh at me. I don't want much for this, comments would be nice, but more people looking would be nicer. If you get enjoyment out of this, even as a goof, tell your friends. Don't be ashamed to recommend it to friends. Especially anyone outside of the bay area or even those outside of the US.

To tame a land

Taking a look at Game of Thrones. I really don't know how I feel about the show after last night. I think they really short changed the viewer not showing the battle sequences from either the battle with Tywin or the capture of Jamie. I think they could have had two extra episodes if they would have extended the fights here and battles in previous episodes. I really just felt cheap.

Saying that I have not read the books and am just a viewer. The books may also gloss over these scenes. But I just it's not very metal. You need a release after a build, Mr. Martin please see Saturday Night (high and dry) by Def Leppard. There has been enough blood in the series already that I didn't expect you to shy away from a great battle sequence. Sure it may increase production costs but its what we were waiting for.

I dare say you may just loose viewers if you continue these sort of lack of content into session two. I really have no idea why you are waiting a year for the next series. Ten episodes is a British series plus. I guess I am not used to HBO series, I only got the channel to watch your show. Thankfully I am not paying for it as of yet.

In closing give me more and go bloody. the show has all the sex it needs now deliver on the violence. Do let this turn out like the Dune mini series from SciFi

good day

I need a weekend that starts some Friday with friends and you forget its not Saturday and then you think hey I got another day. Hot dogs burning on the grill and charcoal rising to the sky above backyards happy for what they have. Years ago monkeys would mock but these are people simply happy for good works coming to fruit and roses in bloom. Let the night come in slowly as the day is long but churn with crickets song.