The Gherkin Patch

Ugra’at - Because there always has to be one total freakoid in the party!

Ugra’at is a mongrelman from the Amedio Jungle, appearing to be a cross between a large monkey and some kind of giant rodent. His appearance is made yet more outlandish by the presence of a strange horn projecting from an eye-socket in place of one of his eyes.

In fact, Ugra’at has the blood of some other-planar creature running in his veins and this manifests itself in the form of mystical sensory powers that are focussed through the horn. These more than compensate for the lack of an eye.

Ugra’at is a sturdy warrior and also accomplished in feats of stealth. Due to his appearance he tends to be regarded as a monster by most who view him. Technically he is not permitted to wander the streets in Keoland without the authority of a licensed owner.

Ugra’at is Snake’s sidekick, the latter having saved Ugrat’s life and nursed him back to health. Ugra’at serves Snake from a sense of duty but finds much that is questionable about Snake’s actions. He tries to act as Snake’s conscience.

Previous Installments:

Quest For The Hanging Glacier - Part 1
Quest For The Hanging Glacier - Character Sketch: Snake
Quest For The Hanging Glacier - Part 2
Quest For The Hanging Glacier - Character Sketch: Albrigon
Quest For The Hanging Glacier - Part 3
Quest For The Hanging Glacier - Part 4

A short while ago I posted on the 3.5 Resurgent Initiative started by 6d6 Fireball.  Not wanting to fork the concept, but I suggested a discussion as to whether we should be talking 3.X Resurgent so as to be inclusive of 3.0 (and even Pathfinder if you want to see it like that).

Zero response initially suggested a lack of interest.  But these things take on a life of their own when they get out on the internet…

Today I found a blog not (to my knowledge) on the RPG Bloggers network sporting the 3.5 Resurgent icon - Planejammer - The Macroverse.  It’s a campaign-oriented blog and looks like a great setting and lots of character development and RP which is just up my street.  These guys link back to 6d6 Fireball so I guess they picked up on it from there.

But more gratifying personally is the discovery of a couple of bloggers who, though they didn’t stop and comment, have obviously been inspired by that lil’ old post of mine to declare support for the initiative.  Nice to see the ripples spreading.

Geek Gazette are sporting the 3.5 Resurgent logo - backlinked to my site.  I really don’t mind too much as I have bandwidth to spare at the moment, and I’m happy to help other bloggers out.

Wondrous Imaginings have taken it further and put up a copy of my 3.X Resurgent icon.  I actually only created it as a discussion point, but it’s out in the wild already!

These guys all get added to my 3.X Resurgent Blogroll.

(PS - a little link-love in return wouldn’t go amiss…! )

You might have noticed I’ve been running a series of campaign journal postings on an adventure I ran a while back called ‘Quest For The Hanging Glacier’.  I’m not sure how many readers I may have out there - they haven’t attracted much commentary so far so I’m curious to know who my readerbase is, if indeed I have one at all for this series.  I fully understand that trawling through other people’s play reports isn’t everyone’s cup of tea.

It’s also possible that some readers might suppose that this is just a piece of bad fantasy fiction, as my ‘non-crunch’ style of journalling might belie the fact that these are play reports.

Quest For The Hanging Glacier - Part 1
Quest For The Hanging Glacier - Character Sketch: Snake
Quest For The Hanging Glacier - Part 2
Quest For The Hanging Glacier - Character Sketch: Albrigon
Quest For The Hanging Glacier - Part 3
Quest For The Hanging Glacier - Part 4

Are you a reader?  If so, what do you think so far?  (You can be frank… )

I’ll continue to post these regardless as they are already pre-written so there’s no great investment on my part in putting these up here on the Gherkin Patch.

These blood wars edition wars won’t fight themselves, will they?  They need input from you, bloggers.  Just lately I’ve seen too many battle-weary troopers lapse into making limp, relativistic, egalitarian live-and-let-live statements like ‘Hey, what does it matter…..it’s all subjective anyways.  People should just play whatever they enjoy’.  Here are some handy tips to help you keep the fire burning!

1. State things that are purely subjective as if they were objective truths.  It helps if you use a word that has been so over-used that it’s now lost all meaning - eg ‘cool’ - as part of your justification for things.
2. Stereotype the people who don’t play the same edition as you.  For example, refer to them collectively as ‘Grognards’, ‘3tards’, ‘4orons’ etc and depict imaginary conversations you suppose that they have amongst themselves.
3. Suggest that people who decide to stick with an out-of-print edition have fallen prey to the ‘sunk cost fallacy‘ - which carries an implicit supposition that they would be having a better time if they played your edition.
4. Suggest that people who decide to play the latest edition only do so because they are brand-addicted fanboys on a consumerist treadmill.
5. Start with a disclaimer such as ‘This is only my subjective opinion’ then proceed to describe the edition you don’t like or the people that play it using inflammatory language.  Then tell people to chill when they get riled because you added the disclaimer, right?
6. ‘I hate edition wars.  I think they suck.  When will those fools who play edition x finally see the light?’

But there’s two sides to every coin.  As well as writing edition wars posts, we need you bloggers to read other people’s posts and take things a little too personally.  Here’s a few suggestions as to how to work yourself into a fit of frothing nerd rage over a post that fails to refer to your own favoured edition in a positive light:

1. If someone has been playing the edition you like and has found it wanting because it doesn’t fit their style of play, their style of play is obviously wrong!  Lose no time in telling them so.
2. Someone talks about why they prefer the edition that they play, explaining what aspects of the mechanics and flavour they enjoy.  Clearly, they think you’re stupid for not playing the same edition as them.  Go get ‘em!
3. So they’ve read the rules of your edition and seen some things that are instant deal-breakers.  Don’t they understand that if only they actually played your edition for six months they’d see it in a whole other light? It is your duty to turn them from the dark side, young Skywalker.
4. They actually enjoy more complex rule mechanics than you do.  Obviously, they are a chinless unemployed single-hobby basement dweller with an excess of time on their hands, and not a busy square-jawed family guy/gal holding down two jobs, having sex and raising kids like you are.  Maybe you should make an oblique reference to this in your reply?

Well, these are just a few suggestions - I’m sure you can come up with ideas of your own.  Now get busy - your blogosphere needs you to keep the flow of souls traffic coming.  To arms!

Signed,

Baltazo Lurkinggherkin

It seemed that the Rakeskia tribe had already received visitors in the recent past. Visitors intent on their destruction. But for what purpose?

Mia employed her mental powers of post-cognition to call up visions of the past here….what had happened? A surprise attack on peacefully occupied elves and their huge pet dogs in the central cavern….the sudden appearance of a noxious cloud of green vapours that slew all that were engulfed in its clutches with deadly effectiveness….gnomes charging into the cavern wielding halberds, engaging the survivors or others who had been in side tunnels or caves who now joined the fight ….deranged-looking gnomes who magically swelled to monstrous size as they advanced into the high-roofed cavern, snarling and roaring….gnomes who bore a distinctive ‘K’ emblem in the centre of their breastplates…

The Mark Of Keraptis

It was clear now that the attackers who had slaughtered these elves were none other than servants of Keraptis! But….were the party themselves not also on a mission for Keraptis? Had the great wizard sent a second party to compete with his other servants? Much puzzlement and head-scratching ensued.

And what to do now? If the Rakeskia had been wiped out, how could the party discover the secret way to the Hanging Glacier?

Valaina stood in the centre of the hall amidst the slain, lost in thought. There was a look of sorrow on her face. Was she truly grieving for her fallen kindred? Or was she disappointed at the lost opportunity to capture more thralls for her own little toy community?

“None of these are wearing the garb of a shamaness. The secret of the glacier was always held by the ones steeped in the magical lore of the ice-spirits. Maybe they have been taken captive by these other servants of Keraptis.”

Albrigon busied himself by carrying the arrow-feathered bodies of a small handful of fallen gnomes back up out of the crevasse in order to feed them to Chillwind. It seemed that Keraptis’ servants were so lacking in civility that they could not even be bothered to bear away the bodies of their own dead.

Ugrat and Mia had meantime made a discovery. A survivor – a small wild-haired ice-elf boy with horror-haunted eyes. At first he tries to attack Ugrat assuming him to be an enemy. He is of course vastly outclassed but has decided to end his life with honour, ashamed by his earlier inaction during the attack on his tribe. He is easily overcome and rendered helpless. He mumbles his name – ‘Kaylan’. He had been hiding inside a narrow ice-chute that the children employed as a slide, digging his dagger into the side of the chute to hold himself in place. He had listened to the cries of his playmates in the chamber below. They had not been slain, however; they had been bound and carried off. He had also heard somebody shout ‘Lyrina….they’ve got Lyrina….”. Lyrina was the junior shamaness of the tribe.

Further questioning of Kaylan reveals that not all of the Rakeskia had been present in the caves during the attack. A party of ice elves led by the chieftain’s wife, Lendela, were still away visiting another tribe to arrange marriages. They would be due back any day now.

Sorrel communes with Aegir and divines that Lyrina the junior shamaness is indeed within the clutches of Keraptis’ agents but that she has not yet given them access to the Hanging Glacier. (Valaina explains that this is achieved through performance of a special magical ritual). The party’s rivals for completion of the quest are camped at the ruins of Keraptis’ old base of operations in this area which are located at the secret entryway to the glacier high on the triple-peaked mountain known as Ymir’s Fang, thirty miles south of the party’s present location.

“Hey!” says Albrigon. “We can rescue this priestess and she’ll be so grateful she’ll let US have the secret of the glacier. An’ maybe she’ll be so grateful she’ll reward some of us in other ways, too!” He gives Sorrel a salacious wink. Valaina sighs, wondering what on earth she saw in this crude human man when she chose to work her charms on him a few weeks back…..still, he was amusing for a little while….!

The party decides that they will embark with all haste towards Ymir’s Fang. However, Taarna announces that she will not be accompanying the party on the next leg of their journey. She has other ‘urgent business’ to attend to in another locale and must away.

Before leaving she spends a while in private discussion with Valaina. Then she has a few quiet words with Jarin and Ugrat.

“Listen you two….I know that the party had a few misunderstandings with Valaina earlier on during this mission. But I think that she is a useful person to have around, and may prove a useful ally in the future. Make sure no harm comes to her.”

Ugrat’s snout crinkles. Although he has a burning fondness for her daughter Uruviel, he isn’t so keen on Valaina. He exchanges glances with Jarin. Has Taarna been magically glamoured by Valaina?

Taarna bids the party farewell and then vanishes in a shimmer.

Albrigon mounts up on Chillwind along with Valaina and Mia. Sorrel chooses to employ his Wind Walk taking Ugrat, Jarin and Kaylan along with him.

Those riding on Chillwind take extra furs from the Rakeskia caves to shield themselves from the biting cold that this journey will entail, to bolster their magicks and natural hardiness. The party sets out, flying around the shoulder of the mountain and heading south above a blanket of clouds punctuated by mountaintops. Albrigon’s beard whitens with frost as Chillwind flaps his great wings and hurtles through the freezing air. Looming ahead are the three peaks of Ymir’s Fang….and the party’s final destination.

Prior installments:

Quest For The Hanging Glacier - Part 1
Quest For The Hanging Glacier - Character Sketch: Snake
Quest For The Hanging Glacier - Part 2
Quest For The Hanging Glacier - Character Sketch: Albrigon
Quest For The Hanging Glacier - Part 3

A (friendly! ) response to Psychology of the Grognard by Jonathan Drain at D20 Source

I’ve often heard the sunk cost fallacy quoted as an argument for adoption of a different game system to the one you’ve already invested in.  Thing is, when applied too broadly it becomes the ’sunk cost fallacy fallacy’.  Jonathan rightly added the caveat “even if it would be cheaper or better to abandon it for a new option”, but I think this point is worth expanding on because I tire of having people bandy the phrase ’sunk cost fallacy’ about as if were some magic counter-argument.

Sunk cost applies to situations where you have made a bad investment, but are continuing to throw time and money after it because of what you’ve already spent, instead of cutting your losses.  Classic example: Someone continuing to gorge themselves beyond the point where they are enjoying the experience because they have paid for an ‘all-you-can-eat’ meal and they want ‘value for money’.

But ’sunk cost fallacy’ doesn’t apply to situations where you have sunk your costs into something the performance of which you are happy with and which promises to continue performing well into the future and deliver pleasing results.

Remember that costs sunk into collections of rulebooks for a system are the tip of the iceberg.  The biggest investment in a long-running campaign is world-building and character-building.  Even pre-published settings require a great deal of work to put flesh on their bones.

Now sunk cost would certainly apply if you were no longer enjoying the setting and characters, either because you had become disillusioned with the rules or had become bored with the setting and feel the itch to move on.  But if there’s still plenty of life and vigour in what you’ve got, and you have plenty of unused material in the pipeline, then you need a pretty compelling reason to abandon your existing ‘investment vehicle’.

For many roleplayers, the mere fact that the alternative game system they are offered has the same name but with a sequentially higher version number isn’t a compelling reason to abandon their setting or carry out a gigantic migration exercise.  It becomes even less compelling when what they regard as the critical success factors of their existing game system (for the purposes of their setting) aren’t even present in the alternative system under consideration.

A thought suddenly occurred to me today regarding superstition in fantasy settings where magic exists.  Would the average person in a world where magical forces are known to exist and be accessible through particular combinations of gestures, vocalisations and material components, be more or less superstitious than people in the real world?

By superstition, I mean a willingness to believe in the efficacy of things like lucky charms, or that a small furry critter of a particular colour crossing your path is bad luck.  Or a willingness to experiment with the making of quack remedies - because if that guy in the pointy hat can do it, maybe I can?

My instincts tell me that the existence of real magic in a setting will make people be inclined to be even more superstitious than our medieval forbears were, and definitely much more superstitious than we are today.  And yet, because of the boxes that RPGs tend to make us think in - people being clearly labelled as users or non-users of magic by virtue of system elements such as classes and skills that either you have or you don’t - I think it’s rarely the case that people have their non magic-using characters act superstitiously, or try to experiment with bits of hedge-magic.

Let’s hear some thoughts on this. Does your campaign setting have a list of common superstitions?  Do your warriors carry lucky rabbits’ feet?  Would it be fun to inject a bit more superstition into your game?

The party now assembled, and teleported to their destination, things start to gather pace…

The firelit interior of the cave fades from view, giving way to dimly lit surroundings. The party is within another cave – light filters in through an entrance nearby, with a tunnel leading off at the rear of the cave into further darkness. The floor is uneven and icy, and the ceiling low and irregular, studded with stalactites.

As the party are finding their bearings and shaking their post-teleport disorientation out of their skulls, someone notices that there are many freshly gnawed bones scattered on the floor, thinly coated with ice. Ugrat hears something moving, slithering, along the tunnel that opened into the rear of the cave….the scratching of claws…..

“Look out, people! We’ve got company!”

A reptilian head swims into dim view. The party scatters towards the sides of the cave as the jaws of the beast open and a cloud of icy frost erupts in their direction. Some are caught in the fringes of the chilly blast, lightly coating them with icy frost and blueing their skin, but nobody suffers fatal injury. Then the beast charges forwards into the cave, its folded wings becoming evident. The party rushed forwards to the attack.

It is a white dragon, not a huge specimen and only a juvenile in dragon years. It quickly finds that it has bitten off more than it can chew here. The party attack, Albrigon striking it about the head and neck with the flat of his blade, seeking to subdue the creature. He shouts at others to do the same. It claws at him, beating its wings to the sides to fend off other attackers, and directs a vicious bite at Mia. Taarna and Valaina however simply stand back and observe the spectacle with amusement, as if watching gladiators sporting with a captive beast.

The beast is soon cowed by the repeated buffeting of the party’s weapons. Mia employs her powers of telepathy to communicate with the creature, projecting reassurance that it will not be harmed, urging it to submit. Albrigon ropes its jaws for good measure.

“This beast might be handy for getting around in these mountains, eh? Now that we don’t have that flying carpet of Snakes’ with us anymore.” Albrigon enthuses. He frowns in puzzlement for a few seconds, then smiles as an idea strikes him. “I shall call him…Chillwind!”

(There is a titter from somewhere near the back of the party)

The party spends a while resting in the cave whilst Albrigon and Mia between them assert their authority on the captive beast. Mia does a hypnotic dance before it which mesmerises the creature, allowing her to telepathically implant images of friendship and suggestions of compliance in its savage brain. Albrigon straddles the creature’s neck, having made some reins and a harness from rope. He has some prior experience with flying mounts that will serve him in good stead here.

Taarna is keen to hurry the party along. Venturing out of the cave the party find themselves on the freezing upper slopes of a mountain. Snow and ice surround them, and a blanket of clouds hovers a thousand feet or more below their level.

Albrigon takes the newly-dubbed Chillwind for a test flight and finds that he has not lost his touch at the art of aerial riding, despite a scary moment when the young dragon emerges from the cave and plummets several hundred feet before its wings catch the air and pull it into a horizontal glide.

Chillwind is not a large enough mount to carry more than a couple of armed warriors. Valaina takes the lead amongst the land-bound travellers, first warning members of the party to tread softly and keep silence where possible to avoid the possibility of an avalanche. She appears to know where the trail lies. She is very sure-footed and makes light work of navigating the trail. Other party members find the path slippery and uncertain. Sorrel says a prayer to Aegir and calms the winds to reduce the danger. Taarna demonstrates that she possesses powers of telekinesis – laughing as she dangles a frightened Ugrat over the edge of the precipice for a few moments before drawing him back onto the path. Nevertheless there is still risk, Taarna would not be able to arrest the fall of more than one person at a time.

After around half an hour’s difficult progress around the mountainside, Taarna becomes impatient and asks Valaina how much longer this journey will take. Valaina indicates that at the party’s current rate of progress, it will be many more hours’ journey, and explains that it was necessary to use her old cave hideaway as a stable, known destination for the teleport. Nearer to the stronghold the terrain is too changeable and dependant on the vagaries of the weather. She had expected these people who had ventured into the mountains to be more competent at mountain travel.

Taarna discusses with Valaina and the other party members any possible means of reaching their destination more swiftly and with less risk. A plan is suggested by the party for Taarna and Valaina to fly ahead with Albrigon on Chillwind. On reaching the destination Taarna can teleport back to the party and then transport them there having familiarised herself with the locale.

The plan is put into action. Taarna and Valaina, both fairly lightweight, are able to mount the dragon fore and aft of Albrigon (which rather pleases him!) and together they fly off ahead.

To cut a long story short, the party in time successfully relocate to a sheltered pit in the ice of a glacial spar neighbouring to the location of the ice-elves’ retreat, covered by hallucinatory terrain to better hide their presence. People are cautioned to speak in hushed tones while here and only when necessary, lest they are overheard by Rakeskia patrols or hunting parties passing nearby.

Jarin is sent forwards to investigate. He advances cautiously, climbing up and over a rocky spur and then descending into the corrie beyond. There is a crevasse (a ‘bergschrund’) towards the rear of the bowl-shaped mountain formation, where he has been told the entrance lies to the Rakeskia stronghold. Descending into the crevasse he finds a tunnel leading into the glacial ice. He advances slowly and carefully down the tunnel, listening for signs of movement but hearing nothing. The place is completely silent. He sees bas-relief ice sculptures of remarkable beauty adorning the sides of the tunnel. These seem to have been recently defaced in places.

He reaches a point where the ice tunnel passes into rock, becoming a rocky cave. A sinkhole leads downwards; there is an arrangement of ropes, pulleys and harnesses here suspended from the ceiling. All is silent.

Jarin decides to return to the party. He gets back and relays what he has seen. Valaina is surprised that Jarin penetrated so far without challenge or without spying or hearing signs of occupation. She suspects that the place has recently been vacated but if this were the case they would normally seal the ice tunnel entrance.

The party moves forwards en masse now, approaching the crevasse. An easier way down is discovered – a slope leading down from the edge of the crevasse to the tunnel entrance. Chillwind is given some more hypnotic coercion by Mia, to encourage him to remain outside and await the party’s return.

There are still no signs of life as the party moves deeper into the ice-elf retreat. In a cavern below the entrance sinkhole there is a gnome body, feathered with arrows. There is something oddly familiar about the gnome. Its beard and hair are matted and unkempt-looking and it has a distinctive cast to its features that imparts a sense of déjà vu to some members of the party. Mia uses her sensitivity to psychic impressions and gets a brief vision….several such gnomes grouped in this cave, weapons ready, waiting to mount an attack….arrows flying from a side-tunnel….

There are two exits from the cave, one being a set of natural terraced steps leading downwards, another being a side tunnel. The party divides into two groups to explore these two directions. Eventually, both groups arrive at the same destination, and the same scene of horror.

A large cavern…strewn with the now-frozen bodies of a multitude of recently deceased ice elves, their flesh tinged with green and their stiffened hands still clutching at their throats in their death throes…

Quest For The Hanging Glacier - Part 1
Quest For The Hanging Glacier - Character Sketch: Snake
Quest For The Hanging Glacier - Part 2
Quest For The Hanging Glacier - Character Sketch: Albrigon

Albrigon - because sometimes, you just need a big hunk of meat with a sword

A barbarian warrior from the chilly northlands, Albrigon is a simple, straightforward sort of fellow who never minces his words. Standing six feet three inches tall with a lean but muscular physique, he is a tough and hardy specimen of humanity. His long hair and beard are unkempt and he wears leathers and furs.

Albrigon’s life seems to revolve around pursuit of the three F’s – Fighting, Feasting and Fornication. He isn’t too particular who, or what, he does any of these three things with either. He’s a bit of an animal really.

Albrigon was recruited by Snake to aid him in his mysterious quest.

Previous instalments:

Quest For The Hanging Glacier - Part 1
Quest For The Hanging Glacier - Character Sketch: Snake
Quest For The Hanging Glacier - Part 2

Yesterday on Retro Roleplaying, Andreas Davour made the very good point that the 3.5 Resurgent Initiative started by 6d6 Fireball might be seen to exclude those 3rd edition players who stopped at 3.0, and that the differences between 3.0 and 3.5 were so relatively minor that it would seem silly to consider them as separate editions.

I’m not wanting to encourage fragmentation here, but I’m just tossing it out for consideration - should we be talking 3.X Resurgent instead?

3.X Resurgent

What do people think?  Maybe the ‘X’ has too vague and nebulous a feeling and it dilutes the message.  Personally, I’m undecided.  But I’m sure there’ll be no shortage of opinions on this matter.