Thieves' World Player's Guide, RPG Review

In the late 1970s and early 1980s a series of anthologies and novels set in and around the city of Sanctuary created a place known Thieves' World. Then in the early 2000s the city was revisited with another novel and a couple more anthologies. Now Thieves' World also exists in the d20 system.

I was a fan of Thieves' World when the books came out over 30 years ago and read every book as soon as I could get it. But, it took me ten years to bring myself to read Thieves' World Player's Guide. I was afraid of how this city of intrigue, despair, hope, and grit would be treated. The stories set in Sanctuary weren't written as young adult stories and I was concerned it might lose its edge. My worries were unfounded.

Green Ronin had a team of game developers involved on their project. More importantly, to me, they also had Lynn Abbey, one of the original creators and author. They kept the edginess of what life would be like in Sanctuary. They also provided the ability to engage the stories anywhere along the timeline presented in the stories.

Sanctuary always dealt with hardships and living in Thieves' World from the first books, creating a unique flavor. There is information presented allowing players to go right back to the beginning. The characters from the books are described and you can play or encounter. You can also step to the next time period and deal with the changes that took place when the books came back. New characters, new stories, and new problems, but the same grit.

The adventures are associated with the challenges of living in the city. There is the ability to create grander adventures and move beyond the city walls, and the information provided is in-line with the original works.

Thieves' World Player's Handbook presents new classes, abilities, and ways of handling a fantasy based game where there are only humans. They also dealt with the issue of how magic worked in Sanctuary—different authors developed different ways for their spell casters. Instead of converting the city into a generic d20 system, they flexed the system to work for the city, again keeping true to the Thieves' World books.

If you want a location for your existing characters, you can also do that. There is information for bringing Sanctuary into a more traditions DnD format. This allows for the magic systems people are used to and the ability to bring in the other gaming races people like to play.

If you are not familiar with Sanctuary and Thieves' World, be warned it is a grim setting dealing with the seedier side of humanity. This doesn't mean there are no good people, it means there are people who are surviving the trials of life in a city that has been torn apart by war, gods, disease, cults, drugs, etc. and they are doing what they can, and what they have to, to make it through another day.

First published in Utah Geek Magazine.

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Paperback by Tim Fowers, Game Review

Coming up with the right words in the right situation is how you make it as a writer. The words don't need to be big fancy words, but words that tell the story. Starting out you may not be able to get the fancy words, but you can keep coming up with words to build your career.

Paperback puts you in the place of the writer: creating words, building your career, and looking for fame. You can't even start to earn fame until you get a little further along in your career.

This is a deck building game where players (2-5) start with the same ten cards. There are five consonants (L, N, R, S, T) and five wild cards. Using lettered cards earns you money. Using a hand of five cards you make a word, collect what it is worth, and then buy more cards to build your deck. Play continues until someone completes one of the game ending requirements.

You don't need a huge vocabulary to play Paperback. I played it with couple of different groups with ages starting at ten, which is the low end of the age range given for the game. Everyone enjoyed it, and the balance of the game was good. In two three-player games I as a writer and a friend who is known for his play in Scrabble were defeated both times by the third. That is because there is also a second level of strategy of gaining fame cards.

Fame cards are wild cards in your hand and count for points at the end. You can buy them and it is easier to make words, however, just like all the other wild cards they don't earn you anything for buying cards. So you have to balance the buying of letters and fame.

The game is designed take about 45 minutes. All of our games were under an hour. (We played games with 2, 3, and 4 players).

Paperback was designed by Tim Fowers and was his first release as an independent game developer. His follow up game is reviewed on Utah Geek Magazines website. Both are illustrated by Ryan Goldberry. The artwork adds to the fun feel of the game.

The first time we set up the game it took a little longer sorting out the cards. Learning the game was easy the first time and when teaching it to others. When the game was over, clean up was easy. Thought was put into not only the game, but its storage. The box design made setting up the next time we played quick and easy. The size also makes it easy to take to friends or when travelling.

There are variants you can also play with (themes, awards, and powers) which give additional challenges and goals to work into your word creation and strategy while building your deck.

Having played Fowers first two releases, I'm looking forward to what he is working on for his next game.

First published in Utah Geek Magazine.

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The Aeronaut's Windlass by Jim Butcher, Book Review

Jim Butcher kicks off a new series, The Cinder Spires, with The Aeronaut's Windlass. This genre masher is a wonderful read that presents Butcher's fantasy storytelling in a new light. He steps beyond what he has done before to create new experiences in a new world with different elements.

I was given a copy of The Aeronaut's Windlass because a friend knew I had been reading the Dresden series. I had talked about the presentation of the characters and the setting along with a storyline that kept you looking forward to what could happen next. Here we see the same strength in writing and storytelling.

We are presented a new world that touches on the possibility of steampunk mashed in with futuristic elements and topped off with the right touch of fantasy. The entire city state lives in a spire. The levels that are brought out in this book are not just neighborhoods, but are separate communities within the larger one. Each brings out its own intrigue, prejudices, and specialties. Having to leave their own levels on a mission for the Spirearch are a young group guards.

The characters have distinct personalities that I was able to connect with ease. Each is presented so that when you are following the story through their point of view you know who it is and it is fitting to what they see and experience. There is Gwendolyn, who grew up in a rich house, her cousin Benedict, a warrior born, Bridget, who comes from a lesser house, and Rowl of the Silent Paws tribe. These guardsmen meet up and team up with Ferus and his apprentice Folly who are etherealists, and Captain Grimm and his crew of the Predator.

War is breaking out and this small group is thrust into the midst of a covert operation against the spire. The story moves quickly and I was easily moving through the 600+ pages of this book. Which, came to an end that was both satisfying for the story it gave me and left me with the desire to keep watch for the next book in The Cinder Spires.

Tabletop Gaming Impact

This is another great book for looking for characters, settings, and events you could bring into your own tabletop game. There are a number of great characters a person could play, or a game master (GM) could use as a non-player character. I will admit I have already done the latter.

The setting inspires ideas that can be easily used with minor adaptation from the book. The spire could easily be viewed as a space station or something developed underground. I'm not say that what is created here is generic enough that you can just dump it anywhere. What I am letting you know there is enough information here that a GM could take some of what Butcher presents to drive forward with their own ideas, which is really the goal of reading new works when you are a creative type yourself.

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Cultural Backstory—Positions of Leadership and Power

Medieval Court

 In every community someone takes leadership, or at least power. In smaller social organizations power and leadership are usually tied together. And, as the social structure grows, more positions for leadership or power are created. The size of your community will help in determining the power structure you should use and the complexity of it. In many situations there are more than one structure developing, which is another consideration.

There are always exceptions to how things develop. This is going to be a discussion on general terms that can be used for understand some of the possible socio-economic power structures and how they might be best applied for your setting.

Basic structures where leadership and power are combined are in societies where there are smaller groups of people like a family unit or only a few families. One person, usually becomes the dominate leader. There might be others who share some of the power, but there is going to be one person deferred to when it comes to making decisions for the group. You are probably already thinking about the typical structure of a family. One parent is the dominate leader, the other shares in some of the power and responsibility and the children are responsive to the leadership.

A ship's captain

As a community grows, so do the responsibilities of leadership. This leads to additional power structures being developed or utilized and more levels. Small towns of history provide good examples of some of these changes. A community council of elders is utilized. Other times a family becomes the town leaders, either by taking control or by consent. Because there are more people involved conflicts of interest arise and there usually is a need to have the person take decision making to the new level of judicial decisions.

Some of the new roles move from leadership positions to positions of power. Power is the ability to enforce. This can be done in a beneficial or malicious manner. In earlier times there were a number of power bases within societies to fill different roles.

Leadership and power was settled into monarchies. A ruling family not only took leadership, but also the right to enforce the law. This sounds bad, but it depends on how the two are combined. Monarchies, just like any form of leadership that has power can go for societal gains or personal gains.

Knowledge roles of leadership and power were also centered in guilds. Some of these carry over into our current society. They may still be called a guild or have taken on other names. They might not even be as organized, but the same functions still exist. When people are certified to be able to do a certain job it is through this form of mechanism. These can carry into futuristic settings, the Navigators' Guild of Dune is an example.

Power bases can be strictly for the good of a group or an individual. By good here I mean self-serving. Most fantasy settings have thieves' guilds and assassins' guilds. Very similar in structure are the gangs of modern day. The names have changed, but the function is still pretty much the same. The choice and method of activity is what really makes the difference.

Wainwright Guild Symbol

Power bases can be overt and covert within the community. Even the ones mentioned above are examples of both, but there are secret societies with large memberships and small. Adding a coven to a gaming location creates a secret power structure for possibly for fewer people within the community. But, their actions could have far reaching consequences.

The power structures you choose can make for entire series of adventures for your party members. This is easily seen with the idea of rooting out the evil. But working up through a guild structure can create all sort of political intrigue, just like working up through the king's court.

Leadership and power structures can also feed into one another. The leaders of one organization might be working with or competing against others. Guild wars, gang wars, labor strikes are examples of these types of conflicts. Also, remember that the ruling Baron, Duke, Councilman, Mayor, etc. probably have someone else they are subject to.

One final point is power is fluid. Throughout our own history we can point out where power has risen in a group or individual and then moved on to another. Sometimes these can happen in violent ways while other times it happens calmly. But, change happens. If you don't like the way the structure is playing out in your setting, it can change.

A covert power

You are probably already thinking about the groups with leadership and power for your location. Each area where leadership and power are going to be focused could be further detailed. In fact, each could, and do, have volumes written about how they obtain their roles and maintain them.

For gaming purposes, having an understanding of who has leadership, and who has power, is usually enough to get you by. The longer you use the location the more notes you will develop and the more defined it will become.

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Captain Emmanuel "Em" Hasworth of the Sea Angel (Human expert/fighter Level 2/8 D&D 3.5 core books)

Captain Emmanuel Hasworth has made his living on ships since he was a boy. He started out as a cabin boy because he came from an established family that could get him placed. He understood he was in a position of privilege and what that would mean for him later in life. However, he never felt like he was really all that far above the sailors working the deck.

As he grew in stature and position Em remembered his early lessons of place. Working to build trust between him and his officers and crew has led to developing a code of conduct he applies to himself and those serve on his ship. This means he maintains a regime of caring and training for himself and his crew.

Captain Hasworth's ships have always been some of the best run ships with few disciplinary problems. This doesn't mean that there hasn't been any, but Hasworth has a well-seasoned crew and new hands are added expectations are clearly laid out from the beginning, and the consequences are also clear. He promotes training for all levels of his crew. The training even goes beyond how to raise a sail. This has led to some of his hands finding new positions in port, which in turn has led to better support for Hasworth and his other officers. For many this means that he is Captain Emmanuel Hasworth even when he is not on his ship.

Hasworth maintains his looks to be the captain whenever he may be viewed by one of his crew, or extended crew. This means he is rarely seen out of uniform (which includes his studded leather armor) or allow himself to be seen ruffled by a situation. He keeps himself groomed and his manner is almost always under control. It is like the man is never surprised by the situation he is in.

He is known to have friendly commentary with his crew. He respects and utilizes their knowledge, but still requires protocol to maintain discipline. This same level of personal discipline is also maintained when not on his ship. He may visit a tavern with his crew, but he would never allow himself to even become tipsy in their company.

Captain Hasworth is in his mid-fifties and is still fit. His skin is weathered from the years of being at sea, but his blue eyes shine out from under his brown and gray hair with an intense, but friendly, look. He is of average weight and works at maintaining himself. He is even known to train and teach in fighting techniques at The Flesh Golem when the ship is in port.

His wife, Clair, maintains a house in the city. They have four married daughters. And even though Em can tell you what his last manifest contained he usually has a hard time remembering how many grandchildren he now has. Clair prompted her husband to name his new ship the Sea Angel (which was approved by the merchant house he works for) as a tribute to Elinoire Whitewash because of the help she provides to sailors and their families. The Hasworths have also made contributions to maintaining the fellowship house.

Emmanuel "Em" Hasworth (Human expert/fighter Level 2/8 D&D 3.5 core books)

Str 14, Dex 12, Con 12, Int 14, Wis 16, Chr 16

Alignment: Lawful Neutral

HP 83

Initiative: +1

AC 17 (22 with combat expertise) (studded leather +2, masterwork light wooden shield, dex +1)

Attack base +9/+4

Melee Attack +13/+8 (+8/+3 with combat expertise) (longsword +1 d8+5/17x2)

Ranged Attack +11/+6 (composite strength (+2) longbow +1 d8+2/20x3)

Fort +7, Reflex +3, Will +8

Feats (10): Alertness, combat expertise, greater weapon focus, improved bull rush, improved critical (longsword), leadership, power attack, skill focus (captain), weapon focus, weapon specialization

Skills (83) (#denotes skills from expert class): #balance +4 (3), #climb +7 (5), #diplomacy +14 (5/8cc), intimidate +8 (5), #jump +7 (5), knowledge (nature) +4 (4cc), #listen +10 (5), #profession (sailor) +8 (5), #profession (pilot) +8 (5), profession +11 (captain) (10 cc), #sense motive +12 (5/8cc), #spot +10 (5), swim +4 (2), #use rope +4 (3)

Languages: Common

Magic: ring of sustenance, studded leather +2, longsword +1, composite strength (+2) longbow +1, several potions

Other mundane items: as fitting the campaign

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Beatrysel by Johnny Worthen—Book Review

There are horror stories that make you jump from the unexpected. There are others that make you feel the creepiness of a deranged individual or situation. There are also that come back to you to make you think about the story, looking for the little details that made the story, and you jump. Beatrysel by Johnny Worthen is one of the latter.

Beatrysel is a great combination of the classic horror thriller combined with a murder mystery being solved by the police. The descriptions were intense.  Characters were presented with enough detail to give you reasons to question everyone's motives or connection. I was drawn into the characters because they have traits like myself or people I know. They are presented as real people dealing with real problems, who, by their own design or the design of others, found themselves needing to deal with a horrific situation.

Beatrysel deals with the occult. A magus has created and summoned a demonic presence of love. He puts all of the aspects of love he can comprehend, but he neglects anything taken to an extreme can turn dark. Putting those attributes with a creature that doesn't have flesh and blood, but desires to live in that state, what could go wrong? That is the premise of the events taking place. The story is picked up after the creation and the initial summoning. You are along for the ride to figure out what happened and who did it.

The various aspects of what love is are also dealt with as the main story unfolds. As a reader I was taken through the thoughts and feelings of characters learning their motivations and their responses to their lives to understand how each defines love. From the different perspectives I think there is at least one character every reader will identify with. I am not saying every reader is one of these characters, but, they are relatable. These are intertwined with their personal path of beliefs.

Johnny Worthen

The backdrop of using different belief systems provides a level of the unknown most people are not familiar with. Even if you are, you can allow that this is not trying to present the alternate religions in a bad light, just another means of living and understanding life and its many aspects, and in this case love.

The different storylines come together to an understanding of what has been happening. But with dealing with love, and the different aspects that can lead to other emotions, is it ever really ended?

Beatrysel was a fun read that kept me moving through the book. If you like psychological horror, I think you will enjoy it also.

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Andhol (Human Expert (Sailor-Retired)/Bard Level 3/6 D&D 3.5 Core Books)

Portrait by L. Agard

Many consider Andhol a permanent fixture down in the Wharf District. He lived on ships for many years before his bad leg made him less and less a candidate to sign on to a ship. Finally he took up residence in a flop house near the wharf and spends his day here doing what he can to make ends meet. He is easily recognized by those who know him.

Andhol has black hair streaked with a lot of gray that he keeps pulled back in a ponytail. His hair hangs down about halfway down his back. He keeps his beard trimmed and always has clean clothes. He walks with a limp because of a stiff leg, so he uses a walking stick that is also considered a way of recognizing him.

Andhol has been living in port because his left leg was damaged during a sea battle and it doesn't bend at the knee anymore. He walks with a bone walking stick that is covered in scrimshaw. It is the only item of any value that he keeps, and he keeps it with him.

Even though he lives in port, Andhol true home is the sea. He has spent more on the water than on the shore. During those earlier years he usually worked as the ship's striker. On occasion he still gets the opportunity to go on short voyages with some of the captains who know him. During his younger days his travels took him many places. Along with the ports of other kingdoms, city, and towns he has visited islands and secreted bays where a ship could make anchorage. His knowledge of the areas up and down the coast still earns him a living from captains and adventures who seek him out along the wharf, or at the friendship house, The Tangled Rigging.

He spends a lot of time at The Rigging, especially when the weather is bad. He is welcomed at the fellowship house. He shares his stories with those who want to listen. He also is willing to hear the stories of those who are in port. Many of the sailors who know Andhol share news with him and he in turn shares the latest news with them. Because of this his knowledge stays current.

When those who doesn't know are looking for information he is happy to help, but a man still has to eat. He doesn't charge a lot, because he doesn't need a lot. And, anymore he doesn't want a lot. He is known to give the extra money he has to the fellowship house so they can help others. At other times when he is short of coin there is always a place he can get a hot meal. He has never spent a night in the friendship house because he has a room.

A short distance from The Tangled Rigging, as you move into a part of the city that is not as nice, is a place known simply as Brown's House. Rooms rent cheaply and Andhol has one that is always paid up. He doesn't keep anything of value there.

Ancient Chinese bone walking stick with scrimshaw

Andhol's walking stick looks like a well done piece of folk art, which it is. It is also magical. His walking stick is a Storytelling Stick. The magical stick has the ability to store knowledge.

Storytelling Stick: This stick helps everyone in one area of knowledge by granting a +3 skill bonus. The area of knowledge is determined at the time of creation (Adhol's stick is geography). When possessed by a bard there is an additional benefit of performance/oratory. An additional +3 competence bonus is granted to the character when relating stories. Faint transmutation; CL 6; Craft Wondrous Item, inspire competence; Price 6,500 gp; Weight 2 lbs.

Andhol (Human expert (sailor)/bard Level 3/6 D&D 3.5 core books)

Str 8, Dex 10, Con 10, Int 14, Wis 10, Chr 18

Alignment: Chaotic Good

HP 33

Initiative: +0

AC 10

Attack base +6

Melee Attack +5/+0 (dagger d4/19x2)

Ranged Attack +6/+1 (dagger d4/19x2)

Fort +3, Reflex +6, Will +8

Feats (5): Alertness, self –sufficient, kill focus (perform), skill focus (survival), track

Class Features: Bardic music, bardic knowledge, countersong, fascinate, inspire competence, inspire courage +1, suggestion

Skills (54/54) (#denotes Expert Skills): #Balance +8 (8), #climb +4 (5), #gather information +16 (12), #jump +4 (5), #knowledge (geography) +17 (12), knowledge (history) +12 (10), knowledge (local) +12 (10), listen +7 (5), perform (oratory) +22 (12), #profession (sailor) +5 (5), #search +8 (6), #spot +9 (7), #survival +11 (6), #use rope +5 (5)

Languages: Common

Bardic Spells Known (6/4/3):

               0 level: Detect magic, light, mending, message, prestidigitation, read magic.

               1^st level: Alarm, comprehend languages, cure light wounds, expeditious retreat,

               2^nd level: blur, sound burst, tongues

Magic: Storytelling Stick

Special mundane items: none.

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Ms. Elinoire, Operator of The Tangled Rigging

Medieval Working Woman

About ten years back Elinoire Whitewash became a widow. She had spent much of her adult life on her own because her husband was a sailor which kept him out at sea for long periods of time. And, they were unable to have any children. She is now in her early fifties and spends her time managing the affairs of The Tangle Rigging.

Elinoire knows all of the regular patrons and most of those who come in when their ship is in port. She talks with everyone and has a way with people to get them to relax. She never pushes for information or forces people to talk, she makes herself available for people to talk with her. Although she always seems to be doing what she can to help people she never puts herself, other workers, or the patrons in a position of danger.

The rules at The Rigging were set by Ms. Elinoire and the regular patrons abide by them. Anyone who goes against the rules she will ask to leave. If her request is refuted, or, if she has been threatened in any manner, the person will have to deal with all of the patrons and staff present. There have even been times when it was deemed the person might be more than the patrons could handle and they have called upon others to enforce the rule of the fellowship.

Medieval Meal

Along with providing a place for those needing it at the fellowship hall Ms. Elinoire does what she can to help families that are struggling because of losing a family member to the sea. This is not only those who have lost someone due to death or who are missing. Young families on their own often struggle and she helps the young brides. This is not only in providing food and clothing, but in teaching them how to survive on what they have and learning where to get help as needed.

Ms. Elinoire takes all of these people she helps as part of her personal family. Because of helping other find jobs, ride out the rough times, and helping the sick, a local owner/captain, Emmanuel "Em" Hasworth, had is ship christened Sea Angel in her honor.

Elinoire Whitewash (Ms. Elinoire) (Human commoner/Level 3 D&D 3.5)

Str 8, Dex 14, Con 14, Int 10, Wis 12, Chr 14

Alignment: Neutral Good

HP 17

Initiative: +2

AC 12 (dex +2)

Attack base +1 (She would have to be hard pressed to attack back)

Melee Attack +0

Ranged Attack +3

Fort +3, Reflex +3, Will +2

Feats (2): Skill focus (listen), skill focus (sense motive)

Skills (15): Diplomacy +3 (2cc), heal +4 (4cc), knowledge (local) +2 (4cc), listen +7 (2), profession (cooking) +3 (1), sense motive +6 (2cc)

Languages: Common

Magic: None that she knows of

Special mundane items: A few small trinkets that have been given as tokens of thanks.

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The Tangled Rigging, Sailor's Fellowship House

Guildhall in Leicester

Hanging over the door to this establishment is a section of knotted rope, denoting it as The Tangled Rigging, or The Rigging to those who frequent the place. Sitting off the wharf on a street heading into the depths of the city The Rigging is a sailor's friendship hall. Those who come here, mostly sailors of some type, understand that if you want to go out and drink your wages, then there are taverns along the wharf.

The Tangled Rigging has been used as a sailor's friendship house for many years. It has been ran by a captain's widow, Ms. Elinoire, and is a place for a quiet night, decent food, and a bed. It has some a couple of rules posted on the wall inside the door and everyone who comes here is expected to respect them.

The first rule is that every person in the house is shown respect. This means there is no fighting or thieving. Those who break this rule are turned over to authorities and barred from using the hall. The second rule is there is no gambling.

There are several services provided at The Rigging to patrons. For the most part, patrons are anyone who makes a living from the sea. Others are not turned away; however, they might feel a little uncomfortable if they are not able to be involved in the basic conversations.

The common room has food and drink. It is not the best, but it isn't bad. There is always a cioppino made from contributions left by the local fishermen. The common room also provides a place where people can just sit and relax, talk, meet, and play a game. Usually a quiet conversation is respected, or those who wish to sit alone. There are cards and tiles where they can be used.

For those who want a place to stay for longer periods of time The Rigging has rooms and beds in its upper levels. There is a barracks hall with a number of bunkbeds for those who don't want to spend a lot of money, or can't afford to. Better rooms are available for those who want privacy. Those who are looking for better accommodations or more services provided are directed to one of the several local inns. The Rigging doesn't have room service or baths.

Some people like to have a place to secure personal items while at sea and The Rigging has that service. A sailor can store items for a small, up-front fee. The sailor's name, the duration of the storage, and the name of the ship they are sailing out on are noted. Ms. Elinoire also suggests that information be left of what to do with items stored in case the sailor is unable to return and collect their belongings. If a sailor is lost and no information left, they become the property of The Rigging. Ms. Elinoire doesn't like to take items this way and has been known to hold them for longer periods, in case the person returns, just late.

Letters are also brought through The Tangled Rigging. These are not letters to be forwarded on to residents in the city, but letters left for those coming in on a ship. A letter can be left by anyone. Those who know about this service can check to see if any letters have been left for them. When leaving a letter it is required to leave a name of who gets it. Sometimes the name of the ship or some distinguishing feature of the person is added to help ensure the letter is getting to the right party. When seeing if anything has been left for someone, they need to ask for it. There is no effort to go and find a person a letter is left for. Because letters are left for people by name there are some who use an alias, or special code name to make sure they are getting their own mail from friends and family. The date is usually marked on the letter and if it is not retrieved in a year they are discarded.

There are a number of regulars who stay at the fellowship hall or visit the hall. There are sailors who have family in another port that prefer to stay here than going out on the city. Some locals also use the fellowship hall as a meeting place with captains because of the quieter nature of the place.

Along with Ms. Elinoire there is a regular staff. All of them have some connection with the sea. Some are retired from the life of working the waves, while others have family who are out on a ship.

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Crysis Review

Crysis

Publisher: Electronic Arts Developer: Crytek Platform: PC Release: 2007 Players: 1 Genre: First-Person Shooter / Sandbox Rating: 8.9 \ 10.0: Fantastic

Above is a military outpost being completely leveled.

In 2007, Crysis was released on PC and was received excellently. In addition to having solid gameplay that was unlike any FPS before it, the game wowed gamers and critics alike with its stunningly beautiful visuals. However, this meant that only the beefiest gaming rigs were able to run the game, and until it was ported to the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 in 2011, PC gamers obsessed over the question "Can it run Crysis?".

These days, more people remember the game more for its technical prowess than its gameplay, which begs the question: Is the game as fun as it is pretty?

Before I address this, let's discuss the plot; The game starts off onboard a plane from the perspective of the protagonist. While learning nothing but the code names of the soldiers surrounding him, Nomad (that's you) is told that the island they're about to infiltrate has been invaded by the North Korean military. Partway through their descent towards the island, Nomad is unexpectedly knocked off course and plummets into a river.

This is a decent setup, but I feel that the weak point of this game are its characters. I wanted badly to be able to care about these characters, and they were unable to prove that they were anything more than generic soldiers before (minor spoiler alert) two of them are killed off. Even Nomad himself is completely forgettable. You could argue that a character Halo's iconic Master Chief, another faceless marines in power armor was no less bland in his debut title, but he was shown to have an interesting backstory and actually displays emotion in more recent games. Nomad, however doesn't even appear in future Crysis games. However, there are likely few other people that feel this way, and the story's shortcomings do little to diminish the game's overall quality.

To answer the question from earlier, Crysis still plays as well as it looks. Progression is linear, but the island setting allows for stealth as well as as explosive battles. Helping to allow for variety is Nomad's nanosuit. This high-tech getup allows him to generate an extra layer of armor to absorb damage, make himself nearly invisible, sprint lightning-fast, jump incredibly high, and have superhuman strength. Using these abilities consume's energy, and managing it is crucial to surviving. While both your health and energy can regenerate, don't think that makes this an easy game. Even on normal difficulty, Nomad can be taken down with a realistically small number of bullets when unarmored, so don't try playing this game like you would Call of Duty. Adding further depth is the ability to customize weapons in real time. There are several sights and attachments that you can apply after collecting them, and you can also add a laser pointer or flashlight, change the firing pattern, or even sometimes swap the ammunition of most weapons. When I first got tired of going into each encounter guns blazing, I thought that I'd be unable to attack from long range. I then had a lightbulb moment and equipped an assault rifle, slapped on a sniper scope, set it to semi-automatic, loaded it with incendiary ammo, and added a tactical attachment that supplied me with an infinite amount of tranquilizer darts, then cloaked and picked off enemies from afar one by one without being detected. That's not to say that the more action-packed approach isn't just as entertaining -- charging towards a group of enemies and grabbing one of them with super strength with one hand and shooting the rest with the other is just as satisfying, and witnessing rubble fly as mounted gunners tore through small buildings was exhilarating. It is a bit disappointing, however, when you're forced to take the action-oriented route in certain setpiece moments. Additionally, the various vehicles you can operate, despite being equipped with powerful turrets, are often nearly destroyed in seconds, which is a real shame since shooters that allow you to use vehicles in unscripted sequences are scarce these days. The controls can also be a bit awkward on console -- I found my self accidentally switching to weapons unintentionally because the weapon wheel and "switch to previous weapon" are both mapped to the same button. This is just a nitpick, and due to the large amount of keys the game uses on PC, I was still very impressed that all of the vital commands were crammed onto a controller (leaning was sadly excluded).

I mentioned how amazing Crysis looked earlier, but the game looks so darn good that it's difficult to overstate. Everything from the water to the foilage to the trees left me in awe, and the mission in which you board an alien ship is just as stunning as the coasts and jungles. I am a firm believer in the idea that gameplay is far more important than graphics, but I have little doubt that you'll be impressed by this game. Crysis obviously has lower texture detail on the 360 and PS3 and the draw distance is a bit short, but it is still easily one of the best looking games on the seventh-generation consoles.

The first two thirds of Crysis are fantastic, but the missions that follow the defeat of the general you came to the island to take out are lackluster by comparison. All the aforementioned freedom is mostly gone, and the enemy soldiers are replaced by the flying tentacled Ceph aliens that are briefly seen effortlessly dispatching troops several times prior. While this isn't necessarily bad, it's a pretty dramatic change in gameplay. The final boss, however, isn't enjoyable at all and lasts for what seems like forever even once you figure out its attack pattern (and some PC player have even reported that the boss was unkillable in their copy).

Crysis may not be a perfect game, but the the majority of it was incredibly enjoyable. Regardless of its issues, I can't recommenced it enough to anyone itching to play a unique FPS.

Ups
Tons of freedom in combat (for the most part)
Nanosuit abilities add strategy
On the fly weapon customization I've rarely seen in other games
Amazing visuals

Downs
Complete lack of character development
Lackluster final few missions
Occasional performance issues
Vehicles are near-useless

The System Difference: Graphics fanatics will obviously want to pick up the PC version of Crysis if they have an able gaming rig. However, if you're more concerned with performance, then you're out of luck, as even high end PC users reportedly have experienced framerate issues, which is the fault of the game and  not hardware. I have a GTX 1070 graphics card with 8 GB of video memory which massively surpasses the game's hardware issues and was able to run the game fine fro the most part. Bizarrely, the vertical sync settings locked my framerate to 50 6PS despite my monitor supporting 60 FPS, but this didn't bother me. What did bother me is that the framerate briefly dropped below 30 FPS in the most intense battle in the game and didn't exceed the low 40s to mid 30s range until the mission was over. As for the console version, I  encountered some bizarre bugs on the 360 such as wreckage of houses floating in midair and soldiers being unable to stop using mounted guns, but there was nothing game-breaking. Last but certainly not least, the mission Ascension in which you control a helicopter is surprisingly absent from the console version, possibly due to it often being regarded as the worst segment of the game.

Also available on Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3

ESRB: M (PARENTAL WARNING: This game contains intense violence, strong language, and moderate amounts of realistic blood) Content: Blood, Strong Language, and Violence Price $19.99 (Download)

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Creating Villains, Large and Small

After reading the articles about creating backstory for a location a person asked about how much work should go into creating a villain. I felt like I have been giving the same response to questions like this so I first talked with some other writers I know.

I know everyone is looking for the magical piece of information that makes creation easier. But, they gave the same advice I had at the start—you put in as much as you need.

The problem becomes the question, how much is needed? You can't really ask another person how much is needed while you are working on your creation. You go until you think you have enough to run your encounter, adventure, or campaign. There are some thoughts that can provide guidance.

How big your villain needs to be helps define how much information you need about them.

If this is the villain of the encounter, they don't need a lot of background information. These might be the henchmen of a greater force, or they might be the group of bullies on the space station. These are the bad guys you are throwing into the adventure to move through an encounter.

If you a working on a villain that is manipulating the kingdom the campaign of multiple adventures and months of gaming is based around, you might want a little more about this villain. This one is going to be a driving force, directing all sorts of conflicts with behind-the-scenes maneuvering and manipulations. The depth of their story is going to help drive the adventures and encounters the characters will face. It will therefore also direct how the characters develop.

Villains have personalities.

They are characters in your game. Non-player characters (NPCs) ran by the game master (GM) should be built out as much as needed so they can be played to their best effect. Again this goes back to how often, or how long, the NPC is going to be used. Those expected to have short lifespans in the game shouldn't take you long to put together what's needed. The emissary of the Krogon fleet who keeps interacting with the party over the next half dozen game nights probably should have more work.

The villain is the hero of their own story.

This is a writing tip that works great. The evil king, pirate lord, superhero villain, or even the orc raiding the village are all motivated to action for a cause. Sometimes that cause is to not starve, for others it is bringing order to the universe. No matter who they are, they are doing what they are doing for a specific reason and they see themselves as the main character of action. Sometimes the motivations are noble, other times they're not. Again, larger motivations drive greater action. This means the henchman may not have a great reason for what he is doing, but the queen probably does.

Be willing to advance your villain.

NPCs can and should advance like your player's characters. When creating advanced or leveled encounters I like to start them at the beginning and work them up from that point. This works for creatures that are larger, or those that can gain levels. For those characters who are going to be involved over longer periods of play, I start with what is needed and advance them as needed.

A friend ran a campaign where are nemesis was a mage. We encountered him early on and continued to run into him. He kept thwarting us and slipping away. The wizard started out as a low level encounter and continued to advance as we did. This allowed for a series of encounters with the same character that were always challenging and not over powering. The same can be done for many character types and monsters.

Villains don't have to be absolute evil.

Many villains in a story are only villains to the heroes. This goes back to their motive. When the villain happens to be of a different faith, political faction, foreign government, etc. they are acting in their interests the same way the heroes will be acting in their interest. In our own history many wars have been fought where both sides claimed they were fighting on the side of the same god.

The hardest part is determining if you have enough information to run your villain. You can't ask your party if they think there is enough information, but you can probably find someone else that can look it over. If you can't do that, you have to make your best guess. Of course, you can add to encounter on the fly.

Take notes and be willing to change what is needed to make the encounter, adventure, and campaign work. If they do happen to kill your villain before reach the climax of the storyline, consider their sibling, cousin, close friend, or second in command.

If you have a comment, suggestion, or critique please leave a comment here or send an email to guildmastergaming@gmail.com.

You can also join Guild Master Gaming on Google+, Facebook, and Twitter (@GuildMstGmng).

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Party and Regular Combats, Using a No Talking Rule

During most of my gaming years the main gaming group I have been involved with has had some type of open, sandbox, campaign world. We started with an open world with gaming club back in the early 80s and we still have one that anyone can run an adventure in. The gaming club had over 30 members so we the open format allowed players to mix and match in the adventures ran by different game masters (GMs). And, with this set up, character clashes were a regular possibility. We knew about party-killers way before the on-line games were around

Character combats can be bad and good.

Some of these encounters left scars on characters, and some emotional scars on players as well. I wouldn't recommend doing this unless you have a group of players who can handle having their character taken out. But, it didn't always go bad for the good characters. Players soon learned to track who their characters knew and trusted, and who were known enemies. This in itself added a new and different element to the campaign world.

The tracking of friends and enemies would sometimes lead to adventures completely off the script the GM had planned. We even had some adventures start and end in the same common room of a tavern as known enemies entered. The two characters would end up squaring off against each other leaving everyone else to figure out not only what was happening, but who's side they were on, or if they should even be on a side.

Other times the adventure would happen, with the unspoken knowledge that at some point there was going to be a party break down. This usually happened right after the last major battle took place and the treasure was in sight. Leading up to that truly final combat of the adventure was usually a lot of role-playing as sides were being recruited. Even then, some people around the table didn't know who was on which side, or if they were being targeted as being on one side or the other. It was during one of these final encounters we came up with an idea that has worked well in figuring out what action people were taking.

We started running what we called a silent combat.

Most groups usually have a rule about table talk, what is said is done or heard. When the party structure dissolved we enforce this rule that whatever is said at the table is heard by everyone. If you wanted to talk to a specific individual, while the party was all in the same area, you had to do it in a note conversation, and others could try to listen in. At first there were some complaints. Eventually people were expressing how they enjoyed what was happening. We also implemented a method for controlling actions.

Before initiative, every player wrote down on a piece of paper what they were planning on doing at that moment. As the round unfolded players revealed their action, but were allowed to make some changes based on what had already occurred. This didn't play a big part how the combat played out, but it did give the players time to think a moment about everything leading up to that moment. With newer systems using one initiative roll per combat there is much change after that. However, in ones that have initiative every round, writing down the action can add some unexpected twists.

The biggest impact to the combat was anything a person said was heard by everyone. There was no hidden planning or bargaining. This same aspect works well in other combat situations as players suggest play, or direct it, for other players. Intelligent encounters who can understand was is being said should be able to react in the same manner as another player's character.

There is one drawback. New players who don't understand what their character is capable of usually can benefit from verbal help. We always work at providing the different options the player has and the benefits/problems of those options. Then, let them make the decision.

But, when you have knowledgeable players and someone speaks up across the table of setting up the thief for a sneak attack, it can change the combat in a hurry.

If you have a comment, suggestion, or critique please leave a comment here or send an email to guildmastergaming@gmail.com.

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An Argument for Daylight Savings

Last night the clocks fell back an hour. People have been arguing about whether or not daylight savings is a good thing or not. How it's an imposition on people for no apparent reason. I don't know how other countries deal with this phenomenon that happens in the United States. Most states follow the rule of daylight savings. A few have fought back. There are reasons presented by both sides. Yes, another two sided debate with a lot of gray area in between.

I am not going into the good, the bad, and the ugly details of the controversy. Instead I am taking a stance of making the best of it. For me this all adds up to one benefit.

The biggest problem I have seen for people in either the spring or fall is time for their religious services. These events take place in sanctified locations where people gather together for mutual support. This usually takes place in a church or a stadium. You don't even have to attend in person, you can watch it on your television or listen to the radio.

Zealots can be dangerous if they miss the opening of their sporting event. There is a ritualistic need many people have and these events help them. I am not saying any of this is wrong, on the contrary. I am saying there are those who can become dangerous when their needs are not met, so, please, help these people by resetting their clocks for them. You will be doing a greater good for our society. You can also help by recording missed events and share them with them later.

It used to be that the clock dictated our viewing schedules. But that is no more. On demand viewing has replaced most television schedules. The only people I know who are tied to a viewing schedule are waiting for the next episode of their particular addiction. That is because they have to be up on the events so they can jump into the chat with friends and strangers. We are safer from these people during changes in the schedule because most of these shows don't compete with the regular Sunday scheduling.

In the spring we push our clocks forward an hour. People who work on the schedule of the sun pay no heed to the time on the clock and most people I know only pay the clock homage when they are at the job, counting down the last hour of the work day, or baking cookies.

In autumn we turn them back. Again, those who schedule themselves by the rising of the sun, or the daughter, don't see a change in their schedule.

One group has learned to take advantage of the both time changes with equal expertise and fulfillment: late-night gamers.

Since my early days of gaming Friday and Saturday nights were the nights for the games that ran long into the night (okay, sometimes into the following afternoon). Those with curfews were disgruntled about having to leave while others continued the adventure. Yet, there were two magical times of the year when extra gaming took place.

In the spring when the time was pushed forward (yeah, it supposed to be at two a.m.), those who had to leave were hit with a confusion that left them not knowing what time it was. The next day when they were confronted about getting home an hour late, the explanation of the confusion in the change in change in time would be used. We even had a person who would push it to two hours. They would then claim how the clocks were moved in the wrong direction.

In autumn the befuddlement would hit us again. Arriving home late because the clocks were moved back earlier in the evening—it was not our fault.

Those were are excuses then. Yet, they still work today. I really meant to get home on time, but I set my watch before leaving. Oh, my smart phone? Yeah, those things can mess up a good gaming session.

If you have a comment, suggestion, or critique please leave a comment here or send an email to guildmastergaming@gmail.com.

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Got Luck by Michael Darling, Book Review

Goethe (Got) Luck is a private detective in Miami who always had a touch with the fantastical elements that most people never know about. He is telling his story about how he finds out more about who, and what he is. Got Luck is not fan fiction of someone else's world. Even though there are similarities to other books (Jim Butcher's Dresden series) Michael Darling creates his own setting and characters. A fun read that left me wanting to know what is going to happen next. 

I decided to pick up Got Luck after sitting in on a panel discussion about poetry at a writing convention where Michael Darling was one of the panelists. It was because he mentioned how he used the Johann Wolfgang von Goethe's poem "Der Erklonig" with the story. Upon reading the title I knew there was going to be a mixture of light heartedness to go along with the detective story. Seriously, with a title of Got Luck who didn't think of the milk ad campaign.

Early in the story I felt like things were moving along a little quickly and too easily accepted by our hero, but I came to understand that even though this is a fantastical twist in his life, it isn't as radical as it would be for us normal humans. Got's backstory is presented in a slow release in a past paced storyline. The slow release of information works well because Got doesn't take himself too seriously. If he did he would either consider himself crazy, or would go that route. What I was thinking would make me crazy was another layer of what he had grown up with. I know some readers are going to have a hard time with how this part of the story unfolds.

There are hints into the other character's histories. But, they can only be revealed as Got finds out about them. This unwinding of information presents kept me looking for the details.

The timeline of the story is quick. In true detective fashion we start when Got takes on a new case and the twists start dropping in. A major event is going to take place soon and Got finds out he is a major player in keeping the mortal realm safe. We know he succeeds because he is telling the story, but how he does it is the crux of the narrative.

I am not a fan of most first person narrative stories. For me they remove an element of risk of what could happen. I know that is one of my own failings because the story isn't about the success, but the how the success is accomplished. Darling does a wonderful job in building the details through his lead character. Got's personality is constantly intermixed, and he never breaks from his reality.

The architecture of the world provides a solid basis for the story. There is a reason for what is happening and how it is happening. Again, this stays consistent throughout. I liked the description of the realms because it gave a reasoning I could go with instead of the just because scenario I have seen used so many times. The use of old world mythologies fits well and ties the story together. It was fun to see how the Goethe poem was used to create a solid backbone.

Got Luck is a good read. It is something you can have your younger readers dig into without concern.

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Geshwin, Fighter 8 (D&D 3.5), Owner of The Flesh Golem

Female warrior by meisl

In the city, life may not be considered cheap, but it can be bought. The Flesh Golem is a place where slaves can be purchased and gladiators can be trained. The master of the merchant house usually walks a fine line because slavery in the city is well defined, and more importantly a reputation must be maintained. Geshwin is the master and she makes sure those who work for her follow the laws of her house and the city.

Geshwin grew up on a small estate just beyond the city proper as a child of the son of a petty noble. Although she did not have the open recognition, rights, or privileges, the family treated her and her mother well. However, the tension of the situation grew as she got older. With the help of her grandparents she was got a position as a driver for a merchant house and left to work their caravans.

Although she started out as a driver she quickly became known as a quick learner and willing to take on new tasks. But, when the wagons were attacked she also proved herself capable of handling weapons and defending herself. Because of what he saw, the captain of the guard started training her.

Weapon skill came easily to Geshwin. Within the next couple of journeys she was able to handle most weapons with a basic competence. With the support of the captain she changed positions to being a guard for the company. Over the next year she excelled at what she did and was noted as a brave fighter who could stand her ground.

Her ability with weapons was noted by group of adventurers who offered her a share of an adventure they were planning. They enticed her with the knowledge of a reported cache of treasure. She joined them, but unbeknownst to her the treasure they were going after was loot being held by a bandit lord in the hills.

The adventure went badly for the group, most were killed and Geshwin was taken captive. Her own fate became tied to her ability with her weapons.

As a prisoner one of the bandits thought she was fair game; she proved him wrong by taking his life. The leader of the bandits was impressed with how she defeated the man. They talked and when it was understood that Geshwin had been recruited by being duped he gave her an offer to work with him for six months as a blood debt for the lost man. She accepted on the basis she would defend the camp, but not attack others.

During the six months she proved herself defending the camp. When her six months was up she told the leader that since her debt was paid she was leaving and she would not return to the area.

Pleased with her service, the leader gave her supplies and money.

Geshwin decided she didn't want to be out on the road and returned to the city to find work there. Since the number of swords for hire was great and she didn't want to go back to living in camps, she looked for other means of earning a living. She was recruited by an upstart gladiatorial house because of her ability and her looks.

In the arena Geshwin again proved herself as a fighter and a crowd pleaser. Soon she developed a following and was making good money. However, the person managing the fighting house was not well suited for running a business and it soon folded.

Geshwin decided it was time once again to make a change in her career. Instead of working the sands herself, she started her own fighting school, the Flesh Golem. It was small and she was barely making a profit when two things came to her rescue.

First was her friend who was the captain of the guard on the caravan who had taken a new position in the city. He hired Geshwin and her school to train his guards. This provided enough gold to keep the Flesh Golem open. Shortly, after the word spread she other small businesses sent their guards for training. The fighting school became established.

A roman gladiatorial school

She has maintained contact with a number of fighters in the city to be trainers when people are looking for a specific skill.

The second event was when a man, Horace, who sold himself to her to learn how to fight. The arrangement was to train him in exchange for the training and a percentage of the winnings from him fighting in the arena for the Flesh Golem. He never told why he wanted to learn how to fight or where he was from. Horace was determined to do his best. He excelled in the arena. When his training was complete he left and has not been seen since.

Because of Horace's success Geshwin has been able to maintain a stable of fighters since that time.

Geshwin (Fighter level 8, D&D 3.5 using core books)

Str 14, Dex 16, Con 12, Int 14, Wis 10, Chr 14

Alignment: Lawful Neutral

HP 58

Initiative: +2

AC 18 (studded leather, dex +3), 19 with dodge, 23 or 24 with combat expertise (she usually uses this

Attack base +8

Melee Attack +12 (+7), short sword +1 (1d6+5/19x2)

Full attack

            Melee Attack: +10/+5 (+5/+0) short sword +1 (1d6+5/19x2); +9 dagger +1 (1d4+2/19x2)

Fort +7, Reflex +5, Will +2

Feats (9): Blind-fight, cleave, combat expertise, dodge, improved trip, power attack, two-weapon fighting, weapon focus (short sword), weapon specialization (short sword)

Skills (55): Balance +4 (2cc), bluff +7 (10cc), climb +3 (1), diplomacy +6 (4cc), handle animal +6 (4), intimidate +5 (1), jump +5 (3), knowledge (local) +4 (4cc), knowledge (nobility and royalty) +5 (6cc), perform +4 (4cc), profession +4 (8cc), ride +5 (2), sense motive +3 (6cc)

Languages: Common

Magic: Short sword +1; dagger +1; potions cure light wounds (3), bull's strength, cat's grace; studded leather +2

  

If you have a comment, suggestion, or critique please leave a comment here or send an email to guildmastergaming@gmail.com.

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