The Very Real Benefits of Playing Roleplaying Games

People play roleplaying games for all sorts of reasons. There's the love of the setting (Dungeons and Dragons, Pathfinder, The World of Darkness, Shadowrun, Star Wars, etc., etc.) for one. There's the enjoyment of story telling, and the socialization with friends. According to this article from Life Hacker though picking up an RPG might be good for you in ways you've never even considered.

Better than job training, according to the experts.

What are some of the other benefits of tabletop RPGs though? Well this list includes:

- A Shared Activity: Playing RPGs is just like any other hobby; it comes with a built-in social network. Whether you're moving to a new town or just looking to make friends you have an activity you can participate in to easily meet new people.

- Enhanced Creativity: Roleplaying games bring out creativity in unusual ways. The more you play the more likely you are to learn how to think creatively.

- Team-Building: You don't have to get involved in a sportsball team to learn how to work together as a team. Roleplaying games can teach you valuable skills that all the dodgeball and group projects in the world won't manage to hammer home.

There are a slew of other reasons to play RPGs which may or may not include pattern recognition, increased math skills, and telling more interesting stories. If you want to check out the list for yourself then read the article.

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Some of The Best De-Buff Spells in Pathfinder

Magic is one of the most potent weapons in Pathfinder, but as the great and wise TreantMonk once said there are three types of spellcasters that will win the day for their party; the battlefield controller, the buffer, and the de-buffer. Today Improved Initiative is going to bring some spells to your attention that every de-buff lover should have on them at all times. You've never experienced true victory until the villain's attacks are rendered moot not because of the rogue's poison or the barbarian's greatsword, but because of the penalties you are forcing him to fight under.

These spells might not be the most debilitating out there, and they might not be the most powerful, but often the spells you use most won't be. Some of them ignore spell resistance, provide no saving throw, or offer a partial negative even on a successful save. Read the descriptions and I'll not only tell you what they do, but tell you why you should have them. Also, while they're separated by a single class make sure you check your class's spell list to see whether or not you gain access to them as well.

Also, if you're looking for even more de-buffs you might want to check out my Dirty Trick Master Character Build as well as this list of The Best Alchemical Items For Your Pathfinder Party.

Without Further Ado...

Look for touch of idiocy later on in the list...

Magus Spells

Frostbite (Ultimate Magic 221) [also Bloodrager, Druid, and Witch]

At first glance frostbite seems like your typical, low-level damage dealer. 1d6+1 point per level of non-lethal cold damage to the target. The spell also makes targets fatigued without a saving throw, meaning is a -2 to a lot of things, but it also shuts down a barbarian's rage immediately if they can't rage while fatigued. For that alone it's a good trick to have up your sleeve.

Snowball (Pathfinder Player Companion: People of The North) [also Druid, Sorcerer/Wizard, Summoner and Witch]

Your basic 1d6 per caster level (up to 5d6) this spell is useful since it ignores SR. Not only that but if you hit your target has to make a fortitude save or be staggered for 1 round. Ulfens don't fight fair.

Mudball (Advanced Race Guide) [also Druid, Sorcerer/Wizard, Witch]

You conjure a ball of mud that flies at a target's face, blinding it on a hit. On the target's turn it may make a Reflex save to shake off the mud, or use a standard action to wipe it away. This debuff is a delaying tactic, ensuring the target is blind for part of a round with the added benefit of making it waste its standard action to clear its vision if it fails the save. Not a bad spell for a wand, useful at low levels

Frigid Touch (Ultimate Magic 221) [also Bloodrager, Druid, Sorcerer/Wizard]

This spell deals 4d6 of cold damage, and it leaves your opponent staggered for 1 round with no will save (SR does apply). If you strike with a critical hit (something a magus with a keen scimitar has a good chance to do) then you will leave the enemy staggered for a minute instead. That can be a combat killer when you take away the enemy's ability to perform full round actions.

Wizard and Sorcerer Spells

Ray of Enfeeblement (Core Rulebook 329) [also Bloodrager, Magus, Witch]

A favorite of necromancers everywhere this spell fires a black ray at a target as a touch attack that will inflict a penalty equal to 1d6+1 per two caster levels, maxing out at 1d6+5. What makes this debuff so great is that even if the target saves they still take half of the penalty. So if you're a level 10 caster and roll minimum on the penalty, and they save that's still a -3 to strength. If they fail and you roll max that's a -11, which can be a combat ender right there if the target is depending on raw might to carry the day.

Touch of Gracelessness (Advanced Player's Guide 250) [also Bard and Bloodrager]

This spell is a lot like ray of enfeeblement, except that it's a touch attack and it reduces the target's dexterity. The target still takes half the penalty on a successful save, but if it fails then the target's flight skill is reduced by one step, and if it moves more than half its speed the target falls prone. Hilarity will ensue if you smack the target and then acrobatically tumble away only for it to fall down chasing you.

Color Spray (Core Rulebook 256) [also Bloodrager and Magus]

Every low-level party's friend, Color Spray is a cone that can leave your enemies stunned, unconscious, and blinded. At higher levels (if your enemies have 5HD or more) it will only stun them for a round, and since it's negated by a will save it's a good idea to pick up a wand of it at level one, use it up, and then move on to more practical de-buffs after level 5 or so.

Chill Touch (Core Rulebook 255) [also Bloodrager, Magus, and Witch]

This one is a favorite of magi who can deliver spells through their weapons. Every touch delivered does 1d6 of negative energy, and has the potential to deliver 1 point of strength damage. You get one touch per level, so if you've got even a halfway decent caster level you can reduce an enemy down to nothing in relatively short order. And even if you don't get the strength damage, you still get that extra d6 of negative energy. It's also handy for driving off undead.

Animate Rope (Core Rulebook 242) [also Bard and Artifice Domain]

This one often gets overlooked, but it can be a lifesaver for bards who drop their whips. As long as you can get a rope, or something rope-like, near an enemy you can render them entangled, or trip them. This is particularly nice for spellcasting foes, since in addition to the penalties that come with being entangled they have to make a concentration check to cast any spells. That can be a major life saver when the cleric of Zon Kuthon loses three spells because she's all tied up. It also allows no spell resistance, which is another great bonus.

Glitterdust (Core Rulebook 290) [also Bard, Bloodrager, Magus, Summoner, Witch]

Nothing can screw over a party faster than enemies that can become invisible at will, and there's nothing more embarrassing than being a high level party where no one can find the villain as he chips away at you. In addition to making your enemies David Bowie levels of fabulous, though, you've got a chance of blinding them. What makes glitterdust such a great de-buff spell is that it ignores spell resistance, which can be a life saver when SR keeps blocking your magic. That, and if there's a big enough group someone's going to fail the save.

Touch of Idiocy (Core Rulebook 360) [also Bloodrager and Witch]

This spell reduces your target's intelligence, wisdom, and charisma by 1d6. There's no saving throw (but there is spell resistance), but if you can slap this onto a wizard or cleric who's giving your party grief then you have just lowered the saves on that caster's spells, and you might get lucky and strip out some of their big guns. A definite necessity if you're ever going to fight enemies who need those stats.

Ray of Exhaustion (Core Rulebook 330) [also Bloodrager, Magus, Witch]

If you hit the target with a ranged touch attack and the target fails its save then it becomes immediately exhausted. If the target succeeds though it's still fatigued, which means that as long as you hit you still do something bad to the subject. Where this spell gets devious though is when you combine it with another effect (like frostbite) that makes the target fatigued already, because if a target is already fatigued and makes the fortitude save they still become exhausted thanks to this ray.

Enervation (Core Rulebook 277) [also Bloodrager, Witch, Loss and Undead Domain]

If you've never found a staff of necromancy in a dungeon then you don't know the sheer joy reducing your enemies by 1d4 levels can bring. There's no saving throw, which means all you have to do is penetrate spell resistance to start putting harsh negatives onto your foes.

Heatstroke (Pathfinder Player Companion: Sargava, The Lost Colony) [also Druid]

This spell operates just like ray of exhaustion, except that it does 1d4 points of nonlethal damage. A pretty snazzy addition for those who don't want to use necromancy, or who have bonuses for evocation magic that makes the save higher.

Fear (Core Rulebook 281) [also Antipaladin, Bard, Bloodrager, Inquisitor, Witch]

This cone makes creatures in it tremble in fear if they fail a will save. Even if they succeed they're still shaken for 1 round, which isn't a bad consolation prize if you're stacking negatives.

Calcific Touch (Advanced Player's Guide 208) [also Bloodrager]

Once per round (the duration is 1 round/level) you can deliver a touch attack that does 1d4 points of dexterity damage and slows the target. A fortitude save negates the slow, but if you keep slapping the target with this spell until its dexterity hits 0 it becomes permanently petrified.

Waves of Fatigue and Waves of Exhaustion (Core Rulebook 368) [also Witch and Toil Domain]

Both of these spells are cones that make targets in the area either fatigued or exhausted. What makes it particularly good is that there's no save versus these spells; just spell resistance. So if you know your enemies don't have SR and you need them debilitated quick, fast, and in a hurry these spells are ideal ways to accomplish that.

Icy Prison (Ultimate Magic 224)

You trap the target in ice that's 1 inch thick per caster level. On a successful reflex save the target is only entangled. It takes 1 point of cold damage per caster level every turn until it breaks free... so even if they make the save, they're still hobbled.

Resonating Word (Ultimate Magic 235) [also Bard]

This spell offers partial fortitude saves and SR, but it's a 3-round effect that does damage and leaves the target stunned on a failed save. Three separate saves for a single spell is pretty good, especially since you can cast this spell from over 100 feet away.

Prediction of Failure (Ultimate Magic 232) [also Witch]

If the target fails its save on this spell it is permanently shaken and sickened due to visions of every failure it will ever endure. Even if the subject succeeds it's still shaken and sickened for one round per level. Just to add insult to injury spellcasters who fail their saves gain a minor spellblight.

Irresistible Dance (Core Rulebook 303) [also Bard and Witch]

As the name implies this powerful spell makes a subject caper in place, taking a -4 to AC, taking away shield bonuses, imparting a -10 to reflex saves and provoking AOOs. It normally lasts 1d4+1 rounds, but if the target makes a will save it still has to caper for 1 round.

Polar Ray (Core Rulebook 323) [also Ice Domain]

The main reason to use polar ray is that it does a d6 of cold damage per caster level, but it also does 1d4 of dexterity drain. Yeah... the bad kind. No saving throw, but SR applies.

Cleric Spells

Sound Burst (Core Rulebook 346) [also Bard and Oracle]

Sound burst is a 10 foot radius burst that does sonic damage and might stun your opponents. It makes the list because unlike the spell shout sound burst does full damage even if your enemies save. If they don't, well, they're just standing around like gormless mooks for a round.

Prayer (Core Rulebook 325) [also Oracle, Inquisitor, Paladin]

You give all your allies a +1, and all your enemies a -1 in a 40 foot burst. There's no save, but it is affected by spell resistance. Sometimes it's the little bonuses/negatives that make the difference.

Aura of Doom (Ultimate Magic 207) [also Oracle]

This spell allows spell resistance and a will save, but as an aura effect it's worth the investment. Especially since if enemies leave the aura and come back they have to save again, and any enemies that fail the save are shaken. Shaken enemies are some of the best kinds of enemies, especially if you're going to cast more spells that have saves, because the enemies will take negatives.

Spit Venom (Ultimate Magic 240) [also Oracle, Druid, Witch]

You spit venom as a touch attack, and if you hit the target is blind for one round. That's a guaranteed condition. The target also has to save against black adder venom, or gain that poison and all of its negatives as well.

Terrible Remorse (Ultimate Magic 243) [also Bard, Oracle, Inquisitor, Sorcerer/Wizard]

You fill a creature with awful remorse for what its done. If it fails a will save then it's compelled to harm itself. Even if the creature saves it's paralyzed with sorrow, rendering it staggered and reducing its armor class by 2 for a round.

Debilitating Portent (Ultimate Combat 227) [also Witch]

The target is surrounded by a green aura, and every time it makes an attack or casts a spell it has to make a will save or deal half damage. The spell lasts for 1 round per level, and it can be dismissed as an immediate action to negate a critical hit scored by the target. The attack still happens, but it deals half damage like a regular attack.

Druid Spells

Tar Ball (Ultimate Magic 243)

Tar ball is one big glob of nastiness. You fling a burning ball of tar at an enemy (no save, no SR), and it deal 1d4 point of fire damage plus your strength modifier. It deals an additional 1d4 of fire damage for the next 1d4 rounds, and while it's in place the target has a -2 penalty to dexterity. The tar can be cooled with a DC 15 reflex save, or by pouring a gallon of a non-flammable liquid onto it. If you stop, drop, and roll you get a +2 on the reflex save.

Sirocco (Advanced Player's Guide 244) [also Magus, Sorcerer/Wizard, Storm Domain]

This spell creates a cylinder of furnace-hot wind that deals 4d6+1 point per caster level to creatures in the area. A successful save cuts the damage in half and means they aren't knocked prone, but all creatures who take damage become fatigued. It allows spell resistance, but if you want to give a whole bunch of characters a status condition, and nullify a raging horde, this is a good start.

Euphoric Tranquility (Advanced Player's Guide 219) [also Bard, Cleric, Oracle, Sorcerer/Wizard]

This spell puts a creature in a totally blissed-out state of being. It abhors violence and treats everyone as friends. If the creature is attacked it gets a save to act normally for a round, but if it fails will simply retreat. No initial save, though it does allow SR.

Bard Spells

Deafening Song Bolt (Advanced Player's Guide 214)

This evocation spell ignores spell resistance and offers no saving throw (two great things). It turns three notes into actual bolts, and when they strike a target each individual bolt does 3d10 damage. The recipient of a bolt is also deafened for 1d6 rounds, and that means penalties on initiative, 20% chance of spells with verbal components being miscast, etc., etc.

Stunning Finale (Advanced Player's Guide 247)

If you have a bardic performance in effect you can end it with a shocking flourish. This spell allows for spell resistance, but three targets who can see and hear the performance must make a fortitude save. On a failed save they're stunned for 1 round, and on a successful save they're still staggered for one round.

Inquisitor Spells

Castigate (Advanced Player's Guide 210)

This spell makes a living being cower and beg for forgiveness. It allows spell resistance, and a will save. On a failed save the creature cowers in fear. On a successful save it's shaken for a round. Every round it can try a new save, but if you're fighting something with a low will save it could be begging for quite some time.

Blistering Invective (Ultimate Combat 224) [also Alchemist and Bard]

You unleash personal vitriol so hateful that enemies who hear it actually catch fire. While being able to insult someone till they burn is useful, the spell also lets you make an intimidate check to demoralize all enemies within 30 feet of you. Being shaken is no mean thing, especially when you can do it without being within melee reach.

Paladin Spells

Fire of Entanglement (Advanced Player's Guide 221)

When you attack a foe you've used your smite evil on that creature is wreathed in flames that entangle it. If it starts its turn in a square adjacent to you it's considered stuck to you and can't move. The duration is one round per level, but if the creature makes a reflex save it's only entangled and stuck to you for one round. Still that's one round it can't fly away or leave that set of squares.

Witch Spells

Ill Omen (Ultimate Magic 229)

This spell makes your enemy roll a d20 twice and take the less favorable result. You get an addition double-die roll for every five levels. No saving throw, but if the enemy figures out what you did then he can take a move action to whisper a prayer of luck to negate a single double roll. Then again, that means no full-round actions, which is pretty good for you if you can get through the spell resistance.

Woo, That's A Lot of Magic

I'm not going to lie, this week's installment took a lot of book scouring. If you'd like to support Improved Initiative then why don't you go to The Literary Mercenary's Patreon Page (which is where I get my funding) and become a patron today! Also if you want to get all of my updates on the games you love make sure you're following me on Facebook and Tumblr!

My Familiar As A Balloon Animal

Despite being a partial shut-in who lives in a basement whose main source of socialization is a Friday-night Pathfinder game I occasionally get to meet some really interesting people. One of those people is Sandra Seymour, an amazingly talented balloon artist who was kind enough to share her art with me. She asked for a challenge, so I told her the tale of Majenko, a pseudodragon familiar that has become the main character of the Curse of the Crimson Throne game I play once a week. When the tale (which will eventually make its way onto this blog) was told she had just one question.

"Do you have a picture of him?"

This is the standard pseudodragon, illustrated by Kevin Yon. It's how I figure Majenko looks, except redder.

Sandra took a look at a similar image, pursed her lips, and started pulling out balloons. In less time than it took for me to relate this pint-size rogue's adventures she had created for me a relatively life-sized model out of nothing more than latex balloons and sheer skill.

Having been running this poisonous encounter-killer I know well what that stinger is capable of.

I was, and remain, as delighted as any child seeing a piece of my fantasy rendered real. While balloon art is by its very nature temporary I wanted to make an official post so that the Internet at large (and those who are fans of geeks and art in all forms) are aware that for a time I had the best balloon animal a player could ask for.


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A Story About Understanding the Culture Shock of Gen Con

Geek culture is currently the in-thing. Whether it's superhero movies, anime, video games; all the flavors of geek are being eaten up by mass culture. A generation ago being a fan of Doctor Who would have gotten you beaten up, but these days it might just help you make friends with everyone in your class.

I was part of the previous generation. The one where people made fun of you for reading sci-fi, or who snorted up their sleeves if you were a fan of comics and over the age of twelve or thirteen. While I was never really a victim of the kinds of hazing my fellow geeks have talked about (being the big kid in your grade comes with decided advantages), I never really found compatriots who shared my interests. Being a geek was in a very real way about isolation for me, and I just assumed that was how things were supposed to be.

Then I went to Gen Con.

It's like this, but with black tee shirts and more D20s.

A Brush With Culture Shock

I had never been to a convention of any sort before being invited to Gen Con by two veterans from my gaming group. I'd heard stories of the great things that could happen around every corner, and I was jazzed. Even being tossed in the deep end as my two guides went off to game without me didn't deter my enthusiasm. I wandered the dealer hall, played demos, took some pictures of displays, browsed booths full of old novels and new gaming books, and stared around like a tourist trying to look worldly.

I noticed a problem though... I wasn't actually having fun.

The convention engaged me and I saw all kinds of shiny things I wanted to own, but it was more like walking through a physical representation of the Internet than it was stepping over the border of a magical kingdom. I was surrounded by cosplayers and gaming tables, but I didn't feel like I was really a part of it. The harder I looked for the magic I'd been told about the harder it was for me to find.

Bloggers don't get Perception as a skill.

By mid day I was a little footsore, but mainly I was hungry. So I went with another virgin member of my party (neither of us knew that the hell we were doing), and we set out to find something to eat. We passed a dozen restaurants with lines around the block, and when we turned a corner into a street that had no vehicular traffic we found a Hooters. It was tucked away out of sight less than a block from the convention center, and the little side street seemed immune to the convention devouring the downtown blocks all around.

Then It Hit Me

Outside the restaurant was a patio with a half dozen tables. This being August one of the tables had four men sitting at it. They were exactly the sort of men you'd expect to see at a Hooters for lunch; big, burly, middle aged, all wearing sports jerseys. I held the door for my friend, and I caught the spirited conversation the table of sportsball enthusiasts were having.

They were arguing about a dungeon crawl.

The fellow in the blue jersey was laying out the deeds and accomplishments of his paladin, and another man in red was smirking as he countered with his rogue's tactics. The other two nodded, wearing that slightly amused expression gamers always have when these kinds of discussions come up between party members. I couldn't have stood there for more than a few seconds, but in those few seconds the full weight of Gen Con finally hit home. I was standing in a place where you could go to a sports bar in the middle of the day and even the armchair quarterbacks were talking about Dungeons and Dragons in broad daylight for anyone walking by to hear.

That was a powerful moment. It wasn't enough to make me turn towards Indy and pray three times per day, but it was enough that the next day I set aside the reservations I had and threw myself back in with renewed verve.

In the end I'm very glad that I did.

If you have a gaming story of your own that you'd like to share then please contact me and I'll see about getting you a moment in the sun on Improved Initiative. If you'd like to support this blog then drop by the Literary Mercenary's Patreon page and consider becoming a patron today! If you want to make sure you get all of my updates then make sure you follow me on Facebook and Tumblr as well.

Danish Archer Shows Characters Like Hawkeye and Legolas Might Be Realistic After All

Sooner or later someone at your gaming table is going to roll his eyes and talk about realism. He might hold forth at some length about how a longsword should easily be able to cleave through lighter armor, or how it's just so ridiculous that a character can reload a flintlock in less than six seconds. Almost nowhere are you going to get more complaints than you are with archers though, particularly when you start firing six arrows or more in a few bare seconds.

Yet no one ever calls bullshit on magic bows...

Sure, sure, we get it; a certain amount of suspension of disbelief is required to play any RPG. Seriously though we all know that archers were long-distance marksmen who took forever to draw an arrow, nock it in place, aim and fire. Hell, they were lucky to get off one arrow in the time our fantasy heroes can fire three or four.

Weren't they?

Well maybe not. Lars Andersen, a mostly self-taught Danish archer, has spent the past decade of his life researching old manuscripts and training himself in what he feels are more historically accurate methods of archery. What does that look like? Well... take a look for yourself.

If that doesn't make you want to play an archer at least as much as watching The Lord of The Rings, well maybe you should watch the clip again. Just to be safe.

As always thanks for stopping in, and if you'd like to support Improved Initiative then drop by my Patreon page and consider becoming a patron today! If you want to make sure you stay up to date on all my latest and greatest posts then make sure you also follow me on Facebook and Tumblr!

Fleshing Out Your Background or How To Avoid Playing A Murder Hobo

There's a very specific kind of character who ends up in a lot of games. It could be Shadowrun or Pathfinder, Vampire the Requiem, or Dungeons and Dragons, it doesn't matter; this character will eventually put in an appearance.

This character is referred to as the murder hobo.

The adventurer in its natural habitat.

For those of you who aren't familiar with the murder hobo they're fairly easy to recognize. These characters have no connection to the world, including to the party they adventure with or the society to which they tacitly belong. Their only motivations seem to be blood letting and collecting resources, but without any motivation for either. They are violent forces of destruction who take as much loot as they can for no purpose other than to upgrade their murder tools to take on bigger and bigger targets.

If you feel you or players at your table are at risk of allowing a murder hobo (or worse a pack of them!) to flourish then follow these simple steps to inject genuine character and pathos into your game.

Who Are They Connected To?

Often times player characters are treated as if they stepped out fully formed. Garth Broken-Tusk has never been a child with friends he cared for or a father whose respect he wanted to earn. Kalin Nightblade never spent time as a girl wearing dresses and thinking about boys before she became a knife for hire. No, these adventurers did not exist before their first level, and they stepped out of the mold with no family, no friends, no peers, tutors, or confidantes.

That's a good place to start.

Thus began the training of Alton Snare, First Wizard of Flame.

Every character was once a child (barring androids, golems, and other races who are formed as adults), and they had a life before becoming adventurers. That life wasn't necessarily good, but even child soldiers, homeless sneak thieves, and orphan wizard's apprentices will have people and things they care about. Ask whether or not your adventurer had a kid sister he had to care for after their parents died, and when she found a position with a local lord he realized he had no reason to stay in that town? Did your bard receive his training from his grandfather, whom he sends letters to apprising him of all the adventurers he's gone on? Does your blood-thirsty berserker like kittens?

Regardless of who or what your character is there is a connection somewhere in his or her life. It might be membership in a holy order, a position in the army, a spot in a gang, or just a family that he or she left behind for one reason or another. Point is that these things all had a hand in shaping that character.

Why Are They Adventuring?

I've harped on this before, but motivation is important when it comes to PCs. Sure it's cool that Splitshield Axebeard, hero of the Irontooth Mountains sought out and destroyed an entire valley of trolls... but why? Were the trolls attacking innocent people, and the dwarven warrior felt that had to be stopped? Did the trolls threaten his people and family, causing him to take a stand for his clan and home? Is he obsessed with his own prowess and reputation, so he sought out the biggest, most ridiculous challenge he could find?

Let's go with that last one.

Character motivation does more than legitimize PC violence (though if that's all it did that would be enough). By understanding a character's motivation you understand that character's goals, what's important to that character, and what sort of actions he or she is more likely to take. You could take two characters of the exact same class and the exact same alignment, but if you give them different motivations you will get two very different stories.

Why Are They In The Party?

So you're still determined to play a callous, cynical loner whose only real talent is laying waste to things that get in the character's way. You have no past, no family, no country, and no loyalties. All right, it's your character and you can play it how you want... but why is this character in the party if that's the schtick you're going with?

*ahem*

A lot of the time parties form because players acknowledge that they are in this together and they all need to follow the plot hook the storyteller is giving. That said it's still important to figure out some reason you're all following this adventure from start to finish.

The reason doesn't have to be complicated, but it should be solid. Let's say you're playing a half-orc barbarian from a desert tribe. His greatest loves are battle and spoils, and if left to his own devices he will slay anyone he feels deserving. Why is he in the northern mountains helping to make peace between two warring nations? Perhaps he owes the paladin a blood debt, and so travels with him to keep him safe. Maybe he's in love with the sorceress, and is attempting to figure out this strange feeling. Perhaps the gods sent him a vision and told him to follow the man riding the bear to find his destiny. Or, simplest of all, having fought and shed blood with the party he considers them his sword-family, a bond that in-debts him to them and which draws them closer according to the rules and customs of his tribe.

There are innumerable ways to make your character invested in the adventure. Perhaps he's running from a dark past and trying to re-make himself into a hero so no one ever believes he was once a savage bandit leader. Maybe your character has great national pride, and wants to serve as an example to her nation. Maybe you're in the army, or you're a member of an arcane order, and you've been tasked with fulfilling a mission. Whatever method you use to connect your character to the world and to the game is great, as long as it puts you there for a purpose beyond killing everything in sight and taking its stuff for no better reason than because you can.

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Who The F@#k Is My DND Character? A Random WTF Generator For Gamers

I'd like to start today's post with a brief aside. Are you the sort of reader who loves sword and sorcery stories that feature barbarian warriors facing off against rusting, defunct machines guarding long-buried ships from beyond the stars? When Paizo introduced Iron Gods were you bouncing in your seat to play it? If so then you should really check this out!

Why are you still here? Go check it out already!

Shadows of a Fading World is a great anthology for those who love weird tales set in the twilight of man where the looming shadow of the end times colors all. My contribution to this book, Paths of Iron and Blood, is a tale about a chieftain on the trail of a machine-cult that has stolen the tribe's children for an unknown but no doubt nefarious purpose.

It may, or may not have been inspired by a Kellid barbarian of mine to whom I wanted to grant a last, great adventure.

Anyway, onto this week's Moon Pope Monday Post!

Who The Fuck Is My DND Character?

Do you remember back in the before-fore time when you would roll your stats in order and then based on what you rolled you would be able to pick your class? While that isn't the way things are done these days it was a special kind of challenge to fulfill the role your dice gave you; especially if that role was not what you were typically comfortable with.

For those who'd like to trust the fickle hand of fate check out the Who The Fuck Is My DND Character page by clicking right here!

And how exactly does this voodoo bullshit work?

The page is pretty simple, actually. It's built with the WTF engine, and it throws together a list of random suggestions in order to built a basic character back story. You might be a bitchy dwarf bard who has already gained and lost a fortune, or a composed tiefling druid who is uncomfortable around old people because they smell like death.

The list goes on and on, and while it might not be everyone's bag it's a fun experiment. So if you want to see what the gods decide for your next DND party have everyone sit down and go to www.whothefuckismydndcharacter.com and see what the Internet grants you.

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