Is the school where Harry Potter learned magic.
When I was little, I pretended to be Hermione.
At age 13, I learned what an RPG was.

So, now, it is almost 11, and when I should be NaNoWriMo writing, I am writing an RPG post. But, I think I’m gonna cheat and add them to my novel. I type them all up in notepad anyway. Might as well use this to my advantage. One thousand words of RPGing and I’m not even done with the second post of the thread.

The site is http://z6.invisionfree.com/Back_2_The_Basics/index.php

Gosh I’m a Nerd.

I feel emotionally shitty. Thank’s, Mom and dad. And will be going to school tomorrow. I have to ask a boy why he lied to me. And why he broke my heart *sob* just kidding. But, I’m serious about the lying part.

Off to write,
Sarah

“The Bejeweled-meets-D&D smash Puzzle Quest proved serious RPGs and sparkly gem matching puzzle gameplay could tie the knot and keep from strangling one another. Gyromancer treads similar territory but adds in a few new twists… literally.”

Check out the full review here at GamesRadar.

Well everyone has already been singing it’s praises, but this game deserves a few more.

Yes, if you like RPGs (especially from Bioware) you will know what to expect. I’ve seen some comments around to the tune of “it’s not innovate”.  Here’s something those of you who say this may want to think about:  Players who buy RPGs stick with them for that very reason.  It is a genre, a style of gameplay, a game design that appeals to a certain audience of players.  I’m all for RPGs that do bring something very new and fresh to the scene, but I can also appreciate a very well done game that sticks to the formula.

DAO …I am only about 10 hours into it and I’m probably not very good (though I haven’t hit any walls yet), but this is just thoroughly engaging for me.  It is always refreshing to get back to an RPG that doesn’t forget to tell you the story, immerse you in, and make you intrisically part of it.  The guidance in game that I will call the Bioware Experience is always just so well done.    They don’t give you the story and ask you to take or leave it.  Your character is the story.   Everywhere you go the story follows.  Everyone you talk to is involved.  Every thing you do affects it.  This is what role-playing games ought always be, but we all know that’s just not so.

One of my favorite parts of the game is actually the NPC dialog.  Walking through towns, you get to hear the characters gossip, chanters giving speeches, soldiers talking about the coming battles ….and your own party bickering at each other.  Sheer hilarity, extremely well done.  This is arguably my favorite part of the game: Engaging in dialog.  I’m one of those players that talks to everyone in every city, even if they tell me to go away.  But since every choice I make impacts the shaping of my character I have found myself needing to be cautious about my nosiness.

I am not sure why but I bought this game for my X360 and ask myself everyday if i want to get it for PC instead.  The menus are just too complicated on console, though I think still a pretty nice job.  Right now it’s time to put more hours into the game.  I’ll report back with much more thorough feedback at the 20 hour mark!

Genre: RPG
Format: PS2
Temps passé: ~35 heures
Status: Terminé
Collection: Oui (Premium box)

Ar tonelico II: Melody of Metafalica est la suite d’Ar tonelico: Melody of Elemia, développée par Gust. L’histoire est principalement centrée sur les chansons, appelées Hymmnos dans le jeu, et leurs pouvoirs. L’Hymmnos est aussi le nom de la langue qui a été spécialement créée pour cette série.

Ar tonelico II est un RPG assez particulier puisqu’il intègre pas mal de phases dignes d’un visual novel. Ceci peut être une bonne chose pour certains (comme moi qui adore ça, surtout qu’ici les illustrations sont magnifiques !), mais ça peut aussi en rebuter plus d’un à cause du manque totale d’action et de la grosse dose de lecture.

Dès le lancement, le jeu donne le ton en nous dévoilant une superbe intro animée en 2D accompagnée d’une belle chanson. Difficile de rester de marbre ! Je reste néanmoins déçu mais bon, pas facile de faire mieux que l’intro du premier épisode, qui est peut-être pour moi, la meilleure parmi tous les RPGs auxquels j’ai pu joué jusqu’à présent !

D’ailleurs pour ceux que ça intéresse, l’histoire d’Ar tonelico II se déroule dans le même univers que celui d’Ar tonelico, mais à un endroit différent, avec des personnages différents pour la plupart. Il n’est donc, à priori, pas nécessaire d’avoir joué au premier opus avant, mais je vous conseille fortement de le faire. Il y a beaucoup de référence à Ar tonelico durant le jeu, et certaines choses peuvent être plus faciles à comprendre si vous y avez joué.

Les combats changent et deviennent beaucoup plus dynamiques, mais les chansons restent tout de même un élément principal du gameplay avec pas mal d’idées bien pensées. C’est du tout bon de côté-là.

L’histoire est merveilleusement racontée. L’univers est extrêmement bien fait et détaillé et nous immerge facilement dans le jeu.

Les phases visual novel sont très présentes et jouent un rôle très important dans le jeu. Et sur ce point-là, Ar tonelico II fait très fort ! Les personnages principaux sont extrêmement bien développés et on prend plaisir à les découvrir au fur et à mesure que l’histoire avance.

Côté graphismes, Gust reste sur sa traditionnelle 2D qui donne un charme fou au jeu ! Excellent chara design, les illustrations sont magnifiques, et plusieurs superbes séquences animées viennent couronner le tout.

Les musiques, qui sont d’excellente qualité, collent parfaitement à l’ambiance et se laissent écouter facilement. Les chansons quant à elles, bien que un cran en dessous de celles du premier opus selon moi, restent magnifiques et forment l’un des points forts du jeu, tout en lui donnant une véritable identité.

Au final, les chansons d’Ar tonelico, premier du nom, restent inégalables ! Du coup malgré pas mal de points améliorés dans le second opus, j’ai apprécié les deux épisodes tout autant l’un que l’autre.

Un de mes jeux préférés toutes consoles confondues, tout simplement !

Note/Appréciation: 99/100

Fala galerinha, tudo em ordem por ai?

Fazia tempo que eu não postava nada aqui. Por isso resolvi escolher um assunto um pouco mais elaborado dessa vez. Lendo uns artigos sobre educação, econtrei umas coisas muito bacanas sobre a utilização do RPG como ferramenta educacional. Eu sei que isso pode parecer meio chato, mas até que nos proporciona uma visão um pouco diferente da que temos normalmente sobre esse nosso jogo.

Uma das características mais evidentes em um jogo qualquer é a nacessidade de alcançar a vitória. Como a maioria dos jogos promove uma competição, mesmo que não intencional, essa característica pode se tornar excessiva, não levando a um bom resultado educacional em termos coletivos. Isto está bastante em evidência hoje em dia por causa das situações extremas observadas no planeta, entre elas os problemas ambientais em geral e as sucessivas crises (tanto ecnômicas quanto sociais). De qualquer forma, a grande diferença do RPG é o enfoque no trabalho de cooperação, isto é, a chamada vitória (ou o cuprimento da “missão”) só pode ser alcançada quando um jogador ajuda o outro. Claro que existem formas de jogar individualmente, mas essas formas não se aplicam tão bem na nossa noção clássica de RPG de mesa.

Para se utilzar do RPG pra algo educacional, é preciso saber como conduzir o jogo e como prepará-lo de uma forma em que seja inserido algum conteúdo como, por exemplo, alguma matéria de história (jogar em cenários históricos é bastante divertido também). São basicamente 2 facilidades que o RPG contém que permite este tipo de adaptação: a motivação decorrente do jogo (vamos quebrar!) e o carater cooperativo (coisa de educador…rs.). Uma terceira facilidade seria a aplicabilidade em sala de aula (nunca vi isso…e cenários históricos prontos só me lembro dos mini-gurps e tals…), uma “facilidade” bem difícil de ser encontrada.

Toda essa informação que escrevi anteriormente nos da uma visão mais culta do que pode ser feito com o RPG. Além disto, o desenvolvimento de certas capacidades e habiliades pelo fato de se jogar RPG também ja foram estudadas. Apesar de que se utiliza muito mais o tal do “live action” para este tipo de trabalho (talvez pelo fato de ser mais facil montar uma aula assim…sei la…rs.). Abaixo listo algumas dessa habilidades e capacidades desenvolvidas com o jogo de RPG (tenho que deixar bem CLARO que tem gente que não ganha isso nem jogando todo dia, acreditem…rs):

Resolução de situações-problema;

Aplicação de conceitos em situações do dia-a-dia;

Expressão oral (mesmo com gente que não fala muito, uma hora tem q agir na mesa…rs);

Expressão corporal (parece aula de balé e tals, mas realmente só se aplica em “live action”);

Preocupação e respeito ao outro (não é regra se você joga com personagens malvados…rs);

Trabalho em grupo (dependendo do mestre isso pode falhar, mas acho que é a pricipal característica).

Com isso acho que acabo por agora. Depois tento escrever mais algo sobre isso, mas agora ja se esgotaram as idéias. Se alguém necessitar de referências ou se alguém quiser se aprofundar mais no assunto, entrem na página de um cara que fez faculdade comigo. (clique aqui).

Abraço a todos!

Por Fábio

Muitos de nós nerds já ficamos horas imaginando como seria ser um aventureiro, percorrendo trilhas pelas florestas e enfrentando a natureza em busca do grande prêmio, que às vezes é a simples sobrevivência.

Imaginem a minha supressa ao descobrir que no mundo fora dos RPGs existem aventureiros reais, sim, pessoas formalmente intituladas Aventureiros e qualquer pessoa pode se tornar um deles!!!

Existe toda uma modalidade esportiva denominada Esporte de Aventura e os atletas que a praticam são chamados de Aventureiros. Os esportes de aventura são aqueles esportes radicais que são praticados em meio à natureza, como o montanhismo, o trekking (caminhadas em trilhas), o mountain bike e o raffting, entre outros.

Existem também as Corridas de Aventura que são eventos que às vezes podem se estender por até uma semana, onde os atletas percorrem um longo percurso em regiões selvagens, praticando sucessivamente os mais diversos esportes de aventura, em especial trekking, biking, raffting e rapel.

Muitas equipes participam dessas corridas, exato, GRUPOS DE AVENTUREIROS, sendo obrigatório que a equipe contenha tanto homens, quanto mulheres, em qualquer combinação e tenha quatro participantes.

Cada um carrega uma mochila contendo os equipamentos que vão ser necessários durante a travessia e devem cooperar uns com os outros para superarem diversos desafios e concluírem a prova.

Os organizadores assim como o mestre de uma mesa de RPG, fazem um grande esforço para a corrida ser a mais desafiadora e interessante possível, mas tomando todos os cuidados necessários para que os participantes tenham uma chance justa de completar a Aventura.

Toma-se muito cuidado com a segurança, mas sendo um esporte tudo pode acontecer, como em quase todas as modalidades esportivas do mundo, acidentes sérios já ocorreram e vão ocorrer no futuro.

Para muitos participantes a maior vitória é concluir o trajeto estipulado e todos são levados aos seus limites máximos.

Recomendo a todos que tenham a oportunidade que pratiquem os Esportes de Aventura, mas tomando todos os cuidados necessários e no início procurando profissionais competentes na área, até poder ganhar autonomia.

Então, até a próxima e espero que vocês leitores se juntem a esse Aventureiro novato, na pratica dessa modalidade esportiva que cresce cada vez mais a cada ano.

Udało się – Wolsung rusza w Łodzi.

Grupa niezwykłych dam i dżentelmenów zbiera się by razem zmierzyć się z wyznawaniami magii wieku pary (czyli m.in: zombie w czarnych mundurach i przebiegłymi geniuszami zbrodni).

Mam nadzieję, że Falkonowe warsztaty i sesja u lucka będą procentować.

W środę tworzymy postacie, wprowadzam świat oraz negocjujemy zasady.
Mam nadzieję,że pomysłów nie zabraknie (co przy zawartości tomiszcza podręcznika jest bardzo mało prawdopodobne). Muszę przyznać, ze jestem niezwykle podekscytowany – dawno już żaden system nie wzbudził we mnie tak pozytywnych emocji.

Postaram się na bieżąco umieszczać relacje z sesji – osiągnięcia niezwykłych bohaterów
nie mogą być przemilczane!

PS1: Od stycznia przenosimy się (ha!! kto się przenosi?) do nowej lokalizacji. Jeszcze tylko muszę zatrudnić lokaja…
PS2: Z niecierpliwością czekam aż ktoś przerobi Gwiezdne Wojny na steampunk

I’ve been one of the lucky people chosen to play Grand Fantasia for Aeria Games, in Closed Beta.

Now, while most people don’t know who I am (I’m on the Alice Server, Channel 4), I’m easily identifiable by the person who shouts that they’re recruiting people who can type and are friendly to the Loki guild.

It appears the average age of the gamers is about 17. There are 4chan references abound. While the player base is relatively helpful (if you ask something over world chat for help, you’ll usually get a response), they’re also immensely childish and would sooner make “Yo Momma” jokes than cater to intellectual conversation.

The game’s graphics are up to par, with Chocobo-like creatures running around to-and-fro. Unfortunately, character customization is at a minimum. I’m afraid Aeria Games is going to pull a Fiesta Online and make customizing your character’s face and hair cost real money.

For now, though, the game is loaded with quests to keep you busy and an interesting plot that has a lot of potential (though isn’t completely explored) in order to keep you hooked.

The sprite concept is a lot like a pet system, except these pets are actually somewhat useful. They don’t help in combat, but they can get materials for you so that you can make various items.

Would I recommend this game to a friend? Most likely yes. Would I encourage them to buy things using Aeria Points? This game hasn’t shown me yet that buying anything is worthwhile, aside from the experience boost.

~~~

As a complete side note, I’m still accepting donations and am willing to write articles on a multitude of topics, given that it doesn’t require me to buy something first. Please check out the Donations Page.

Para quem curte RPG  e afins, vão curtir muito esse projeto, http://www.guerreirosdeferro.com.br, as artes são feitas por artistas gauchos e pelo meu amgão e ex-colega quase chefe DIEGO MADIA, vale a pena conferir.

De tempos em tempos, a indústria do entretenimento se vê atacada por uma onda de obras que tratam do mesmo assunto, chegando a torná-las um gênero durante esse período. Começou com os filmes de terror B baseados em grandes obras e criaturas mitológicas. Paralelamente a isso, acontecia a revolução das pulp fictions na literatura com H.P. Lovecraft, Edgar Rice Burroughs, Edmond Hamilton, Isaac Asimov e Robert E. Howard.

Depois veio Poderoso Chefão, que a cada estreia de seus filmes mobilizada o entretenimento de massa em geral. No caso da época, cinema e literatura.

E tivemos Star Wars, que não foi revolucionário apenas no merchandising e na maneira que o cinema é feito. Gerou centenas de livros e filmes derivados e parecidos. Depois tivemos Senhor dos Anéis e os épicos, filmes baseados em quadrinhos, depois quadrinhos transcritos quase na totalidade para o cinema e a invasão zumbi com o remake Madrugada dos Mortos e agora a tendência dos zumbis gays, aka vampiros, invade todas as mídias possíveis. Cinema, quadrinhos literatura, TV e games. Mas agora temos um problema, não são apenas vampiros, são versões pop deles, sensuais, civilizadas para não dizer aristocráticos e sociabilizados.

As primeiras lendas das criaturas as descreviam como monstros medonhos e selvagens. No limite entre homem e animal. Mortos mas que graças ao sangue do qual se alimentam podem andar, falar, ouvir, enxergar e raciocinar seja lá como eles fazem isso. O Drácula de Bram Stoker foi o primeiro passo no caminho da sexualização do mito. Ele ainda era um monstro, mas agora baseado no rei romeno Vlad, o vampiro não tinha o corpo deformado, pelo contrário, era atraente para os padrões humanos da época, vivia em um castelo e tratava a si mesmo como um membro participativo da sociedade ao seu redor.

Com o advento do cinema, o fascínio pelas sanguessugas alcançar as telas não atrasaria em se manifestar. E junto com uma das primeiras versões da adaptação do livro de Stoker Conde Drácula de Bela Lugosi, tivemos Nosferatu, dirigido por F.W. Murnau e escrito por Henrik Galeen trazendo de volta a visão do vampiro como uma aberração trazendo também para ele um ar mais místico já que no filme alemão, o monstro tem poderes mágicos evidentes.

Avançamos o tempo. Temos Garotos Perdidos com o Jack Bauer Kiefer Sutherland que não sobrevive à regra dos quinze anos e os brilhantes Drácula – Morto mas Feliz e Drácula de Bram Stoker.

Mas o símbolo dessa geração atual de sanguessugas pertence ao ótimo Entrevista com um Vampiro. Baseado na obra homônima da então máquina de Best Sellers americana Anne Rice. As obras dela foram as principais inspirações para o bem-sucedido jogo de RPG Vampiro: A Máscara que por fim influenciou os livros da escritora após seu lançamento.

E sabem o que todos esses vampiros têm em comum? Poderiam ter sua opção sexual extremamente duvidosa, mas ainda eram todos maus, violentos, animalescos. Precisavam matar pra se alimentar de humanos, e não só pela fome, mas porque gostavam disso.

É aí que chegamos à geração atual. São todos jovens, inexpressivos, amantes dos seres humanos e estão por todas as partes. Livros, games, cinema, TV, música, internet. É uma infestação, e diferente do que deveria ser só as vacas precisam ter medo. Sim, é patético. Agora os vampiros não bebem sangue humano, bebem de animais, ou sintético. O sol não faz efeito neles, ou pelo menos não o efeito que deveria, já que virar o Colossus quando em contato com o astro rei não aumenta o já abalado respeito que temos por eles. Os vampiros não odeiam e corrompem mais os humanos, eles os amam, os protegem. Não os transformam, pois consideram sua condição horrível e as pessoas não são merecedoras dela.

Hoje os vampiros perderam o orgulho, sua condição de topo da cadeira alimentar e de arautos dos humanos para se misturarem, conviverem e ser bem recebidos pelas pessoas. Eles são hoje o que os nerds eram no começo dos anos 2000 e Crepúsculo é seu livro de autoajuda.

Compre o livro Drácula de Bram Stoker  por R$ 44,90.

Every website in existence told me that Mass Effect was essentially the second coming of Christ in video game form. So was it? Well, if Christ is a really annoying, boring asshole who closely follows standard genre tropes, then I guess the reference fits. Somehow, I don’t think that’s what they were going for.

Here’s a list of reasons why Mass Effect sucks:

1.) It’s not an RPG. — This game is billed as an RPG. Even though you have dialogue options throughout, and some of them are hilarious, that doesn’t really make it an RPG. The storyline is still just as linear as Final Fantasy X, which makes it an adventure game. You don’t actually “role play,” you just get to choose good, bad, or neutral dialogue options.

2.) The story is incredibly bland. — What’s that? A rogue alien has hatched a plan that will destroy all life in the universe? Yawn.

3.) The “ZOMG 8 Alternate Endings!” are really just 2 alternate endings. — There is a good ending and a bad ending. That’s it. There are minor variations in each, but those do not constitute “alternate endings.” Chrono Trigger had 12 endings, and that game was on the Super Nintendo. You’d think that the makers of Mass Effect would strive for something more, but they didn’t because they are a bunch of lazy assholes. On the other hand, maybe they figured they couldn’t top Chrono Trigger and gave up.

4.) Slow loading times.

5.) THE FUCKING ELEVATORS ARRRRRGH! — Could these things move any fucking slower? OK, I get it. They are just an opportunity for the game to load the next area and have it appear seamless, but it’s just boring as hell. I’d rather see a loading screen than stare at my three motionless party members and listen to announcements over the PA system.

6.) The side quests are annoying as fuck. — This is unimaginative shit at its worst. “Oh, can you please go collect 3 of these items or 10 of those items?” Is this really necessary? I thought collecting shit was supposed to be something you did on a scavenger hunt, not a fucking video game. All I want to do is kill shit, not waste my time traveling from planet to planet, and digging in the dirt for some random crap that will give me absolutely no advancement in the storyline.

7.) Barren Planets — What exactly is the point of this? I mean, seriously, who thought it would be a good idea to have you drive around on huge piles of dirt looking for the next plot point? Idiots, that’s who. And anyone who thought it was fun to explore and find “extra stuff” in the Mass Effect wasteland of mediocrity is retarded.

8.) The secondary characters are completely unmemorable.

9.) Driving the car — I’d rather lick my own ass than spend another fucking second driving the car around. It’s a rubbery piece of shit that bounces all over the place. The mechanics of maneuvering this thing are horrendous. It only has the one shitty machine gun, and no cannon. And just like your hand held weapons, the gun can overheat, which is annoying as fuck. Oh, and let’s not forget that while you are repairing damage you can’t move. Everything about the car is just another, “What the hell were they thinking?” scenario.

10.) “Before I can give you this item that will save all life in the universe, first you have to do me a favor.” — FUUUUUUUUUUUUUCK YOUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The one positive side of this game, is that you can have sex with one of your crew members. And they have a nice ass, too.

As far as RPGs go, Mass Effect is terrible and a waste of time… but it’s still better than Okami.

Verdict: Bad

I think I fell in love with Alistair the moment I came out of Flemeth’s hut and he was so happy to see me alive. I knew it was just because he was relieved to not be alone in the world, but I was still head over heels.

Narrative in a game has the power to be so much more than just a framework of a universe or a generic plot to satisfy the genre. Game narratives can help create emotional experiences.

In Dragon Age:Origins, superb voice acting, fabulously animated facial features, developed histories, and consistent moralities somehow combine into a magical, sparkling, non-vampire known as Character. Alistair is sarcastic, playful, good, strong, sometimes conflicted, always gorgeous, loyal, and … interesting. I gave him some kind of runic symbol and he looooved it.

Why? Why does he like runes? Maybe I just hadn’t spoken to him enough to find out, but I knew there must be a reason and I was going to dig it out of him – I was going to get to know him.

Alistair is just one example of great character design in DA:O. But, is that enough to make a great game? Couldn’t I just go read Tolkien or Jordan or Martin if I wanted a good fantasy character? (Shhh, let’s only think of the first few Jordan books - let him rest in peace.)

I could. I don’t need to play a game for good narrative and if that’s all I wanted, I’d probably read a book. But we play games because we also want to have fun. We want to act. We want to play and I firmly believe that no amount of even superb narrative will, on its own, make a good game. A good game also needs good gameplay.

What is about DA:O’s gameplay that’s good? How does it interact with the narrative to create a seamless “game-goodness”?

One of the ways is I think the game’s focus on moral choices. Not only do they influence how the story plays out, they also influence whether your party members stay and fight beside you. Some class specializations are only unlocked by certain moral choices. NPC interactions vary dependent on choices you’ve made that have influenced them. Some preferable choices simply can’t be made because you haven’t worked on your character’s cunning and Coercion skills. The entire game can simply not be completed 100% on one playthrough, not just because there are different class/race beginnings, but because you will experience different parts of the game dependent on the choices you make.

It's not what it looks like...

All right, moral choices, but how does that influence the buttons I push and my heartrate in combat? Well, it may not influence the buttons you push for your main character, but it does influence what buttons you can push for your other party members. As I mentioned, some may leave you if they don’t agree with you, but also, their own abilities directly match their character as developed through the narrative. Of course, Alistair is a tank. Of course, Oghren fights with a two-hander. Of course, Wynne is a healer. Etc., etc.

Sometimes, narrative may even help make up for less-than-superb gameplay. The dwarven main questline is too long by most players’ estimation, but we know Branka must be out there so we keep searching, and the longer we search, the greater the suspense builds. Had I been a real adventurer, I would have assumed the darkspawn ate her and went back much earlier than I actually did. It dragged on and was the only area I left partially unexplored. At the end, though, I was rewarded with great narrative and a good battle. It wasn’t just a dungeon crawl – it was an epic search for lost Paragons and legendary technology.

The game is fun for more than just Alistair (and his very dreamy…mm). It’s fun to fight in this game. It’s fun to find class specializations and new recipes. It’s fun to get new spells and discover spell combos. It’s fun to give gifts. It’s fun to hear my characters talk to each other. It’s fun to open chests and find love letters. It’s sad to see characters leave or die. It’s exciting to recruit someone new. It’s scary to fight the Broodmother.

I could go on and on. The important thing to see is that it is almost impossible to separate the threads of narrative and gameplay in this game. Either they are so fine, I just cannot discern the boundary, or else they are so finely done, they merge.

I’ve been reading a lot lately, it’s actually pretty easy to get into the mood when you start hitting gold and starting with this installment I have definitely hit a rhythm. The Planet Savers is the very very first Marion Zimmer Bradley Darkover book, a series that is very large and one which I’ve never seemed to find much consensus on as to how good it really is. What it basically turned out to be was something of a mountain climbing adventure as a group of humans and Darkover natives attempt to find a cure for a periodic disease on the planet. As it turns out the protagonist is hiding something of a mystery in his own being that actually turns out to be fairly fascinating in the end. I expected to like this a lot less than I ended up which bodes well for later books in the series. It’s definitely a product of the time period or at least the influence of the classic age of science fiction when not everything had to be some sort of deep psychological and layered manifesto, and sometimes I tend to appreciate that. “The Waterfall” was a short story thrown in the same omnibus from a bit later down the line, 76-ish, that was a bit of witchery in a way and kind of creepy as a member of Darkovan nobility seduces a guard on an escapade, which doesn’t work out too well for the guard in the end.

I have to claim “The Ophiuchi Hotline” as the book that really started my reading in earnest. In fact I’m not totally sure I hadn’t read the book in my childhood as it gave me some deja vu and I know I did read quite a bit of Varley back then, probably before I more fully understood the adult themes in his writing, such as the Gaean trilogy. Ophiuchi is the first novel in the Eight Worlds series following a half to a full dozen short stories and it’s about at this time that Varley’s writing is peaking like noone’s business. The whole series really does strike me as a viable future universe where things are so advanced that human sexuality is totally different and cloning abundant (and actually doesn’t even seem particularly dated today). It starts with the protagonist in jail and facing execution for cloning crimes only to be broken out by a shady politician who needs her for research. Deaths are abundant and through the book the protag becomes more than just one operating person. In many ways this is the book that threads together a lot of the Eight Worlds concepts, such as the symbiotes that live in the rings of Saturn; the large underground environments found under the surface of Pluto; the Ophiuchi Hotline itself, a transmission from a different star that’s been feeding humanity most of its future technology for quite some time and has just sent an invoice for its services; and the outer solar system hunt for black holes, the primary means of generating energy for a humanity that has been ousted from its planet by gas giant-based invaders. I’ve since gone on to read the next several stories that all concentrate on some of these specifically (not to mention even characters from the book) so it’s all on my mind. It was impossible not to rocket through the book it was so good, a credit to Varley’s smooth and measured prose. No wonder he was one of the great writers of the 70s and 80s and now I seem to be in the peak of the work and it’s like one home run after another. Few writers are this good on novel #1.

The Zelazny story is a short work based on the Faust myth, basically Faust wanting out of his deal and the resulting state of affairs. I found it a touch confusing but it was colorfully rendered. Wouldn’t have picked it up had it not been in an anthology another Leiber story was in.

And a short step to video games. Wolfenstein, of course, was one of the very early first person shooters, in fact I seem to remember playing the very original even before it was a FPS way back when. Return is an Xbox title and for both the Xbox and the 360 probably the most primitive game I own, somewhere betweem, say, Quake 4/Doom 3 and the previous games in those series. It was fun enough, sure, like most of these games, but the graphics seemed very dated and for once distracting. Course I got to play through some of this with the nephews so it’ll be a bit more memorable than it might have been otherwise. And it managed to unlock the previous Wolfenstein 3D when I finished it so that might be fun later. Oh and I should mention it was terribly easy, even the bosses were little problem.

And finally, Crowley’s Book of Thoth, his latter work on his own tarot set which, for some reason, tends to scare a lot of people, even including people who use other tarots and for some reason I just don’t get why. Maybe I’m just getting too skeptical about this stuff to think of it in terms of Ouija poltergeists and such. Book of Thoth is terribly advanced though, definitely past my ability to truly get what I could out of the book. As it is with most western occultism, everything is couched in symbols, often symbols within symbols, so it definitely read as graduate work, not to mention every few pages saying something like “this can only be truly understood by the most advanced members of the OTO.” Whatever you might say about Crowley he had an almost genius level understanding of a dozen world occult schools to the point where he was synthesizing them into one system, which is something very prevalent in his tarot. In just one card one might encounter tantric, Greek mystery school, kabbalah, alchemic and several other concepts all meshed into one card. Everything has meaning, the colors, the directions, facial expressions, you name it. Of course the issues that held me up as a previous Golden Dawn student are his embellishments on the system based on his Book of Law experiences and the whole change of an Aeon paradigm, which struck me as needing an extraordinary amount of faith to go on, but that’s the thing about Crowley in general, you study him enough and you’re likely to gain surprising and revelationary insights on symbols that show his teachings to be a lot more subtle and well thought out that one might have originally thought. I’m just at the point now where I’d rather be living my life than being embroiled in such intense esoteric work, which strikes me as totally all consuming at this point and nearly as faith based as any other religion.

I’m holding a Spirits of Eden themed contest where you can win a Google Wave invite for the Holidays! The contest will run through to December 12th. To win, you will come up with a synopsis for an adventure set in The Spirits of Eden Campaign Setting, and if it catches my eye, you’ll get your Wave invite. Right now I have two invites to give away, with a third possible, so three people may win. You don’t have to win for yourself, you can give the invite to a friend or family member if you want.

The following are the rules in more detail.

•To enter, email the following things in a .rtf, .pdf or .doc (no .docx) to wyattsalazar(at)gmail(dot)com:

-A plot synopsis for an adventure based in the Spirit’s of Eden. Can be as short or as long as you want it to be, but I want some substance to the entries. Include at least a bit of backstory, one or two hooks and setup, at least one important NPC and three important events (opening, middle, close).

-At least three encounter outlines. System-neutral but I will reward creative use of both established D&D monsters (things I can recognize by name, so none of your own design) and Spirits of Eden creatures. Especially, re-imaginings of D&D monsters into Spirits of Eden will definitely get you credit in my book. Include setup, tactics and aftermath. At least two of these must be battles, and at least one must include…

-An overarching Spirit antagonist. Find a Spirits of Eden creature and use it as your antagonist for the adventure. Outline its personal name, spirit species, backstory, personality, motivation and whatever other info you think will flesh it out.

-Designer notes talking about your inspirations, what pieces of the setting you liked and used, why you chose the Spirit you did, and any other things you feel I should know about your process.

-IMPORTANT: A valid, functioning email address you know can be accessed and used to get the Wave invite. If you’re giving the invite to a friend, just put that friend’s email address, but make sure the email address works! I’ve already given a dud invite once to a guy who had a crippled email address. Don’t let it go to waste!

-Fit all of this into 2 1/2 to 4 pages (preferably no more), 12 point font, single space. No cutesy fonts please…

•Entries will be judged based on the following:

-Follows setting themes. Hopefully you will read the setting stuff, perhaps even like it, and be faithful to it.

-Inspired by Asian (including India, doesn’t mean anime) or African mythologies, or with Wuxia flavor.

-Relative dignity. If your joke entry is really clever, maybe. But chances are I won’t dig it.

-Creativity and personal touch. Put yourself into your work.

-Vivid use of the pre-designed setting details, take the pieces of my puzzle and put them together.

•The winning entries will be posted on the blog.

You will want to read the story materials in the Basic Setting, and then jump to the “Monsters and Characters” and the “Setting and Concepts” sections of the Expanded setting. You can ignore any player material. Some of the other fluffy articles and the short stories might help you but I don’t expect you to read any of that. Though if you can tie all that in as well, your dedication will be rewarded.

I’ve never run a contest before, so um, that’s kinda it. If you have any questions or if I left anything out, to the comments field!

Note: If your name is Mikeloop86, Telicis or Helepolis you will receive much harsher judgment.

How does World of Warcraft spend Thanksgiving week?

WoW is celebrating the turkey day all week with their new event “Pilgrim’s Bounty”. You basically run around cooking, killing turkeys, giving thanks at the table, sport regalia, and net some rogues for an achievement called “Turkey Lurkey”.

The spoils? You can go from zero cooking to 350 cooking with NO effort, alongside a pet turkey, and title “Pilgrim”.

To read up more on the event, or rather to view the guide to getting it done, visit wowhead.

My personal favorite achievement was “Turkinator” where you have to kill 40 turkeys within 30 seconds of each other.

The only advice I can give to the Allied side of the spectrum is that Eastvalle logging camp is one of the best places to kill turkeys.

Oh, and to all of you talented artists , do not forget the holiday card challenge / contest Blizz is holding for Chirstmas.

 Blizz holiday card contest

Virtual human development game

www.human-age.com

I go by the username MrDaemon ^^ So feel free to say hi.

As I was writing my appendix to my Mouse Guard review, it occurred to me that our opinions of games are often formed not by the mechanics or the out-of-the-book flavour, but by the GM (or to a lesser extent the players).

Think about that for a few seconds…

Imagine a GM offers to run a new game.  It’s a genre you’re OK with and you roll an OK character and you absolutely hate the experience.  Who do you blame?  Typically the games designer.

Yet even an experienced GM can falter with a new system and spoil what could have been year’s worth of enjoyment in a couple of hours.  Similarly, we are typically tolerant of flawed mechanics if the GM really sweeps us up into the game-world.  A so-so game can last years – as long as that GM continues to control it.

So what’s the point of this blog?  Well, if a few readers make the effort to try a game they previously disliked (by running it with a different GM) then I think it will have been a blog worth the effort.

Aside from my Mouse Guard experience (which still does not have a happy ending), I can relate my D&D 3.5 tale. 

D&D was a system I avoided like the plague because of one role-player in a game I was only observing casually (for more on the +3 dagger, you’ll have to trawl September 2009’s archives). 

When I wanted to game again, 3.5 was the only option available to me.  I played a session and – really didn’t like it.  The GM was fine, but the players and the dynamic were reminiscent of all the strange mechanics that put me off the game in the first place. 

Players saw the game as killing and looting.  Everything was a dungeon crawl – they fought to be the person to kill the kobolds and wanted to be first to loot the bodies.  During my second session, I asked why this style of play?  “Because that’s the only was to get xp,” I was told…. 

As luck would have it, the GM wanted a rest and as someone with previous experience, I was asked to start something.  I asked innocently if they would consider Pathfinder.

And so, a few months into Rise of the Runelords, we have a game that is essentially 3.5 but the players now don’t even bother to loot every corpse.  And if they’re injured, they hang back from the front line. 

They even help each other to outflank opponents!

The same game, a different experience altogether.  I now play in a couple of Pathfinder games and they are nothing like that 3.5 game I re-started by gaming interest in.  Had I taken that one experience, I would have given up on 3.5 and Pathfinder would have been lost to me.  

So, the next time you play a game and it doesn’t do it for you, politely consider using a different GM.  Not necessarily a better GM, just a different one.  You may find you like it after all.

I had a little more time today so I put more detail into this geomorph. A ladder, a small pond, multiple levels, and some debris makes this one stand out a bit.

Geomorph 4c

   Povesteam în articolul anterior despre complexitatea sistemului de combat şi depre niscaiva neajunsuri ale sale – între timp am mai avansat în joc, am făcut alte combinaţii şi am abordat alte tactici în luptă, iar rezultatele se văd cu ochiul liber – omuleţii se mişcă mult mai bine, îşi utilizează mai bine resursele şi per ansamblu mă pot declara mult mai mulţumit decât înainte de combat şi asta în pofida unor mici delay-uri şi stagnări în luptă . Cât despre alegeri nu poţi avea niciodată sentimentul că ai luat decizia corectă sau doar bună (exceptând cazurile evidente) – practic mereu ai un sentiment de părere de rău – oare ai omorât pe cine trebuie, oare ai cruţat întemeiat pe cineva şi aşa mai departe, dar tocmai ăsta constituie punctul forte al jocului şi ceea ce îmi place la el – îmi aminteşte de un alt joc excelent – The Witcher .

Olá à todos! Para quem não sabe, aqui quem vos escreve é o Byroska. Antes que se perguntem “Isso saiu do livro dos monstros?” eu irei me apresentar!

Meu nome é Gabriel, mas sou conhecido beeem vulgarmente como Byroska (lê-se Birosca, nada de BAIROSCA-A) e faço parte do grupo em que há mais mulheres gostosas e gatinhas do universo! (Sim, eu contei os universos paralelos! ;D)
E jogo RPG ha alguns anos, pra ser preciso por volta de uns 5-6 anos (sentiram a precisão né?) e naquela época jogava o velho e simpático 3D&T e me divertia bastante!

*Momento Arquivo Confidencial* Eu sou muito grato ao RPG, ele desenvolveu meu hábito de leitura, a minha MATEMÁTICA (Adição e Subtração ruleia!) e o meu raciocínio! (Antes eu levava 30 segundos pra perceber que iria morrer quando visse o Sckar, agora eu levo só 15! É Fantástico! *Vinheta*)

Conheci pessoas muito especiais na mesa de jogo, meus amigos mais loucos queridos eu conheci ali na mesa de jogo, momentos divertidos e inesquecíveis!
Obs: Sobrevivemos todos juntos à avareza em relação a quantidade de P.O. que o Phill nos dá, isso é um feito, vivemos a beira da miséria no RPG e não brigamos por itens! xD

AVISO: A foto do post passado que a Júlia disse ser eu é puro FAKE! Eis aqui a minha verdadeira foto:

Eu e minha nada humilde força 18. ;D

Coisa feia postar foto fake hein Xuxu!

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Estou pensando em fazer posts explicando algumas coisinhas básicas do RPG e sim, muitas bobeiras que rolam no nosso cotidiado internetístico! Mas deixarei para falar de regrinhas no meu próximo post, nesse post colocarei coisas sobre o nosso grupo em si!

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OS PROTETORES DE AMP EM: LIBERTAÇÃO DE VALKARIA!

Nesse último mês o Phill resolveu ressuscitar um antigo grupo que tínhamos antes dele começar a namorar a Júlia. (Não foi um Dragão Vermelho que acabou com nosso grupo, mas sim um par de SEIOS!)

O grupo de origem era composto por:

Byruleydius: Elfo do Céu ( Agora Meio-Orc!) ladino que resolveu se aposentar e viver uma vida pacata com sua mulher, Lana, uma linda clériga de Marah, no reino de Velox.

Marck Backlash (Lê-se: Merck): Mago/Teurgista/ Clérigo de Wynna que resolveu que após anos de estudo na academia voltaria a se aventurar após receber sinais sagrados.

Jheyck *Adicione aqui mais mil sobrenomes estranhos*: Um poderoso Mago vindo do Reino de Khubar, que resolveu estudar na Academia Arcana para aprimorar suas magias e cujo o EGO é escrito com CAPS LOCK ou MESTRE ARSENAL MODE ON.

Sano: Um Elfo Ladino cujo combate é seu ponto forte. Sano ficou em Ni-Tamura junto com seu filho adotado, para que pudesse ensiná-lo manobras de combate.

Jack Point: Um clérigo de Nimb, que adora usar reencarnação e fazer Elfos virarem Meio-Orcs nesse processo seu paradeiro nesse meio tempo é desconhecido.

Légolas: Advinha? Um arqueiro Meio-Orc (mais uma vítima do Jack Point) muito bem treinado (e dá muuuuuito dano véy!) que resolveu se aposentar e treinar suas habilidades em um dos clãs de Velox.

E agora os recém recrutados:

Ryuuzaki: Um anão Mestre Bêbado com um humor engraçado e um bafo dos diabos, cujo poder de combate é essencial.

Sauros: Um ser meio pterodátilo-meio humano clérigo de Allihanna vindo de Galrasia.

INTRODUÇÃO UI!

Imagem retirada do livro "Tormenta - A Libertação de Valkaria 3D&T"

Tudo recomeçou com alguns sinais divinos sendo revelados à Marck, que não ficou parado e resolveu investigar, mas isso não seria viável sem seu antigo e único grupo, os Protetores de AMP. Marck foi atrás de cada membro do grupo com o objetivo de recrutá-los e fazer com que os sinais fossem desvendados. Antes de cada um tomar seu rumo na vida, o grupo tinha uma missão de procurar um jovem paladino que estava desaparecido, seu nome era Hennd Kalamar, e ele parecia ser uma das peças *Cadê o Chaves? Chaves…* chave do quebra cabeça.

Após recrutar todos seus ex companheiros, Marck rumou à Valkaria.

Chegando lá, descobriram que o mestre de Kalamar, Gellen Brighstaff (Sumo Sacerdote de Valkaria) havia falecido e que o jovem paladino estava sendo treinado para se tornar o novo Sumo Sacerdote da Deusa. Após umas de coletas de informações, os heróis rumaram para o suposto cativeiro onde estava escondido o pobre (SORTUDO) Kalamar. Após chegarem no exato local, os heróis se deparam com dois aventureiros (Ryuuzaki e Sauros, que por mais incrível que pareça tinham a mesma missão. Coincidência? Conta aí Phill.) que traziam o corpo do paladino de Valkaria. Apresentações à parte, eles descobrem que aquilo era apenas o início de algo que…descobriremos no próximo episódio. ou não. MUHUAAUHAUAHUAHA

Aqui foi apenas a introdução, está beeem resumido mesmo e não coloquei meu ponto de vista cômico, queria que todos conhecessem um pouquinho de nossos heróis. Atualmente estamos na masmorra de Allihanna e nesse post só deixarei a introdução, meio de semana eu juro que posto o resumo da masmorra e deixarei pra por brincadeiras e zuações no próximo post porque eu não lembro muito da aventura depois da chopada que eu fui nesse fim de semana quero morrer por escrever 2475092475209 caracteres  ok.

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Apresentações, resumo e afins à parte, vamos ao que interessa! Mulher pelada! Humor! xD

"Aquele taco é ruim mais aquele é OTAKU" - Jogador de sinuca sobre Otaku. By: Desciclopédia.

Sem preconceito algum com os takus, sério, adoro sinuca.  Tã nã nã nã nããããã…*Trocadilho FAIL*

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Tá, eu também olhei. u.u'

Isso que é Carisma! Pegaél! *-*

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Ele não está parecendo o Samuel Rosa do Skank? o/

Confira comigo no tira-teima:

Nada se cria, tudo se transforma. Fikdik.

Céquiçualidadi.  Terão mais TENSOS, aguardem!

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Nessas navegações internetísticas, achei duas coisinhas bem legais pra postar por aqui! Aí vão elas:

Só ele mesmo pra conseguir no Vista bugadão! Malz aí Hugo! xD

Créditos ao BLOG DO TENSO e ao O VERSO DO INVERSO!

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Boladaum à vera mano Revoltado com o recém lançamento de Lua Nova, utilizarei o blog para recrutar os caça vampiros Crepúsculistas demonstrar todo o meu desdém. (Júlia, liberdade de expressão hein! ;D)

Prefiro mesmo ué! u.u'

Ah cara ninguém merece um monte de menininha no cinema gritando que nem um aventureito cuja a masculinidade é meio duvidosa quando vê um Tarrasque aspirante à pokémon do Ash! PelamordeDeus!

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Crepúsculo: Transformando meninas em seres alienados desde 21 de Novembro de 2008.

Créditos ao BLOG DO TENSO !

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Enfim pessoal, eu tentei manter a mesma qualidade que os posts da Júlia, mas ela é fera né, então eu tive que me virar! Já peço desculpas à quem não gosta muito de ler, pois eu adoro escrever! xD
Caso Júlia não me dê algum crítico ou nem me prenda numa armadilha nesse próximo fim de semana, eu postarei algo legal pra vocês!

Beeeeeeeeeijunda! Kissescallmecats! ;D

   Here we have a quick writeup of a race for one of my correspondents – in this case Andrew Maitland. He had some ideas about the Fedyra - a unique Fey/Dragon Humanoid race for a game he was planning to run. He wanted them to have limited shapeshifting to a specified animal form, to be dependent on specific natural power nexi - and thus to have a strong motivation to recover their lands if they were somehow driven off of them – and to have a selection of both Fey and Draconic powers.

   He also wanted them to wind up with a +0 ECL modifier, which means that this is going to be a high-efficiency (and thus high-powered) racial build. With a bit of brainstorming – and a healthy admixture of my preference for personally-selected abilities – here’s a preliminary version of the Fedyra.

   The enemy – if enemy there was – struck long ago. The attack was subtle, malevolent, and clever. Whether it was some magical disease or terrible spell, almost fifty percent of the creatures of the world – including beasts, some types of plants, and sapient species – died within a few months.

   Almost all of the casualties were female.

   Only one group proved different. The various Fey, for whatever reason, lost most of their males instead of their females – and the various orders of Nymphs came through in the best shape of all.

   The population imploded of course. Many of the ancient orders of hive insects became extinct. So did many of the larger predators, and other species that were usually scarce to begin with. Much of the ecosystem collapsed – and the deserts spread.

   There was no second strike. Whether the putative enemy was content to wait, could only strike at long intervals, or did not exist at all, remained an open question.

   Not that anyone had time to answer it. There was war and chaos, driven by crop failures, despair, madness, and the desire for children. In a generation, civilization was almost wiped away.

   In a few places, a viable breeding population of some of the classic races survived. If no local cataclysm wiped them out, those races would continue – however sadly reduced. Most of the remaining enclaves, however, were populated by mixed crossbreeds of the Fey and whatever local species had managed to become dominant.

   Unsurprisingly, in many isolated areas, the winners had been Dragons. Admittedly, dragons who were forced to remain in lesser forms most of the time due to the shortage of food to sustain their true forms, and dragons who had been forced to work together to hold off the nomadic hordes before they faded into extinction.

   Over the generations, across a scattering of the remaining habitable lands, that combination spawned the Fedyra - a humanoid race with the natural magic of the Fey and of Dragons flowing through their blood. Not even the tendency of Nymphs to birth purebred Nymphs despite the nature of the father could overcome the blood of dragons entirely. To the new race, magic was as natural as breathing – and as vital. While the Fedyra are more weakly bound to the land than the Nymphs had been, that bond still existed. To them, the defense of their lands would always be paramount.

   A thousand years have passed – and the world is still sadly diminished, but its heart yet beats.

   But an enemy has arisen once again. If it is once again THE enemy, who knows what terror may be unleashed to drive the world towards desolation this time?

   Fedyra Basic Abilities (10 CP):

• Shapechange with +2 Bonus Uses, Specialized in a specific animal form, which must be chosen when the character is created (4 CP).
• +2 to any one attribute (12 CP). This is most commonly Str or Con – but their draconic ancestors had many different strengths, any of which may appear in their descendants.
• Bonus Languages; Sylvan and Draconic (2 CP).
• Immunity/Aging (Uncommon, Major, Trivial, 2 CP). The Fedyra can expect to live for hundreds of years without serious aging problems.
• Racial Disadvantages (-10 CP).
  • Dependent on a Power Source. Every Fedyra is mystically dependent on a link with a particular natural feature – a grove, outcropping of stone, stream, or whatever. If it is damaged or despoiled, they will lose access to their Fey Ancestry abilities, cannot reproduce, and will age more quickly.
  • Accursed/Uniquely striking appearance; cannot effectively disguise themselves without actual masks and physical coverings, even their animal forms are easily uniquely identified by witnesses.
  • Obligations/Must participate in Cultural Rituals. If they fail to do so, they will – once again – lose access to their fey ancestry package.

   Fey Ancestry Package (10 CP):

• Innate Enchantment (8000 GP total value, 9 CP, all abilities Use-Activated).
• Immunity/the normal XP cost of Innate Enchantments (Uncommon, Minor, Trivial [only covers first level effects at caster level one], Specialized/only to cover initial racial abilities, 1 CP).
• All of them get: Enhanced Attribute/+2 Enhancement Bonus to Charisma (Unlimited Use, L1 at CL1, Personal-Only, 1400 GP)
• Select one from:
  • Dryad:
    • Weapon Mastery/+2 Competence Bonus to BAB with Bows (Unlimited Use, L1 at CL1, Personal-Only, 1400 GP)
    • Speak with Animals (Unlimited Use, L1 at CL1, 2000 GP)
    • Speak with Normal Plants (Unlimited Use, L1 at CL1, 2000 GP)
    • Charm Person 1/Day (400 GP)
    • Hypnosis 1/Day (400 GP), and
    • Goodberry 1/Day (400 GP).
  • Naiad:
    • Obscuring Mist (Unlimited Use, L1 at CL1, 2000 GP)
    • Sense Weather and Currents (Unlimited Use, L0 at CL1, 1000 GP)
    • Acid Resistance 10 (Unlimited Use, L1 at CL1, Personal-Only, 1400 GP)
    • Cure Light Wounds 3/Day (L1 at CL1, 1200 GP)
    • Cure Minor Wounds 2/Day (L0 at CL1, 400 GP), and
    • Create Water 3/Day (L0 at CL 1, 600 GP).
  • Oread:
    • +2 Enhancement Bonus to Strength (Unlimited Use, L1 at CL1, Personal-Only, 1400 GP)
    • Identify Minerals 3/Day (L0 at CL1, 600 GP)
    • Hide Like Ox/+1 Natural Armor (Unlimited Use, L1 at CL1, Personal-Only, 1400 GP)
    • Shillelagh (Unlimited Use, L1 at CL1, 2000 GP)
    • Detect Snares and Pits (Unlimited Use, L1 at CL1, 2000 GP).
      • Technically this puts the Oread 400 GP over their limit: while they’re still within the round-off, you could always just treat the Identify Minerals power as once per day. How often is that going to come up?

   Sadly, the Fedyra are extremely obvious to Detect Magic, and either Dispelling or Antimagic will weaken them considerably.

   Draconic Heritage Package (11 CP):

• Inherent Spell/Elemental Bolt (L2, 1d6/level to a single target up to a maximum of 10d6, the type is chosen to suit the draconic ancestor, usable twice per day), Corrupted/provokes attacks of opportunity (4 CP).
• Damage Reduction 2, Specialized in energy for double effect, Corrupted for reduced cost (reduces a particular type of energy damage by four points [to a minimum of zero] per exposure, 2 CP).
• +5 CP (5000 GP) worth of Innate Enchantments:
  • Immortal Vigor I/adds 2d6 – effectively 12 due to at-will use, +2x Con Mod HP (Unlimited Use-Activated, L1 at CL1, Personal Only, 1400 GP).
  • Inspiring Word/provides a +1 Morale Bonus on saves, attacks, checks, and damage (Unlimited Use-Activated, L1 at CL1, Personal Only, 1400 GP). Dragons are always pretty self-confident.
  • Choice of an ancestral color and any one of the following level one spells as an Unlimited Use Use-Activated ability at Caster Level One (2000 GP):
    • (Any Ancestor): Energy Touch. This is equivalent to Shocking Grasp, but the energy type is as appropriate to the color of the ancestor.
    • (Any Ancestor) Energy Spray. This is equivalent to Burning Hands, but the energy type is as appropriate to the color of the ancestor.
    • Black: Water Adaption (+30′ Swim Movement, Can hold their breath for up to five minutes), Obscuring Mist.
    • Blue: Ventriloquism, Color Spray.
    • Green: Delay Poison, Entangle.
    • Red: +3 Competence Bonus on all attempts to deceive someone, Fire Resistance 10.
    • White: Ice Rime (as per Grease), Chill Touch.
    • Brass: Suggestion, Swift Tongue (+3 Competence Bonus to Speak Language, Diplomacy, Intimidate and Bluff).
    • Bronze: Renaissance Man (+2 Competence Bonus to all skills), Bless Weapon.
    • Copper: Silent Image, Ventriloquism.
    • Gold: Produce Flame, Cure Light Wounds (limited to five times per day, sorry).
    • Silver: Feather Fall, Ice Blade (as per Produce Flame, but inflicting cold damage).

   Fedyra may expend an additional 2 CP each to buy the additional possible heritage powers for their draconic ancestry color, or they may expend a feat to master all four of them – Energy Touch, Energy Spray, and the two powers unique to the color of their dominant ancestor.

   To create a Fedyra, you get the basic package, one fey ancestry package, and one draconic color package – for a total of 31 CP, the upper limit for a +0 ECL race.

   Overall, the Fedyra have quite a selection of magical talents, albeit low-level ones. This gives them a major advantage at low levels, but the utility of having a bunch of first-level spell effects on tap fades rapidly as the levels accumulate – and several of their more useful abilities won’t stack with the usual enchancement items.

   Descriptions of most of the unusual spells used in this design can be found in The Practical Enchanter, while the point-buy rules are available in Eclipse: the Codex Persona. Eclipse is available in print HERE and in a shareware .pdf version HERE. The Practical Enchanter is available in print HERE and in a shareware .pdf version HERE.