It wouldn't be Nerd Con without our Nerd Con Blog! I'm not sure how we got away from our online home this year, but I figure we need at least one post to make it official. Today I would like to discuss your motivations. We have talked about our personal motivations: have fun, escape, roll dice, drink beer, wreck Sleeper's septic. We have talked about our campaign motivations: find the Eyes of Bahamut, get the dragon born off your back, defeat the Elder Elemental Eye. But what are your character's in game motivations: get laid, save the world, self-actualization? We are coming up on Epic tier soon and I would be curious to hear what is your end game?
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Now for the exciting conclusion to our three part post-adventure series: Next Year. In our first installment, The Good, we explored all of the great ideas from our weekend of destruction to preserve for next year. In our last post, The Bad, we noted are critiques, both funny and helpful, to help us plan better for 2010. So now, it's time, for Next Year! Let's put together the best of The Good, and the solutions for The Bad, and figuire how to make it slamming for Next Year! As always, in no particular order...
1. More role playing! We did so well why not more?! 2. All encounters big and meaningful! The best part of 4E combat is the complexity that roles and powers bring to the table. Let's use that complexity to build awesome memorable clashes that move the story forward! 3. Curfew. So not really, but a concerted effort to shut 'er down by midnight leaving us fresh for all encounters that night and in the morning. Maybe even leave time for a smoke. 4. No surgies/babies. I feel we've had enough medical emergencies and sincerly hope all can make Nerd Con 2010. 5. Guest DM Saturday PM. A big initiative for me, I look forward to getting my "game" on and not having to re-group to DM afterward. 6. Map encounters ahead of time. Actualy a carry over observation from last year, the layout of the encounter makes a huge difference as to the difficulty and playablility of each encounter. If I spent the time mapping out the encounters we would ensure a quality experience each time (ie. no dragon briar hedge issues). Go ahead, pile on! After 24 hours of great feed back on The Good post we'll strike while the irons hot and dive into The Bad! Some funny and some constructive these comments are designed to get our brains thinking about what could be improved on going forward. Honestly we've gotten pretty dialed down over the past 5 years, yes that would make the proposed mini-con 5.5, but there's always room for growth. So, again, in no particular order I'll start and you pile on.
1. Nat's ass. Need I say more? 2. Hedges. I think we'll have a moritorium on all things hedges in 2010. 3. Small battles. As long as it takes to set up the map and initiative, and as complicated as the good and the bad guy powers are, I feel small battles, especialy those that don't add to the story, are cumbersome and take away from potential role playing, problem solving and epic throw downs. 4. The alcohal content of the stout. I drank enough to kill a small burough and couldn't even get a headache. Loved the taste and would be perfect with a little kick. 5. 3 AM. If I never see 3 AM again for as long as I live I would be ok with that. Seriously I will get this figuired out that we can get to bed at a reasonable time. Seriously! 6. Playing mid-day getting my drink on and then sobering up to DM for the evening. Trust me. Not good. 7. Changing the day. My bad, of course. I am really bummed Brian and Kurt couldn't make it. I vote no sickness or babies or medical emergencies for us or our loved ones for as long as we live. What would you add to The Bad? And do you have any idea how to fix it? The first in a three part series, The Good attempts to capture all of the good that came out of the weekend that was Nerd Con 2009. After this we will cover The Bad and Next Year, but for now some thank you's, memories and observations. What I would like to do is capture what we liked about our time together so we can build on it for next year. So, in no particular order, I'll start and you pile on.
1. Dana. Thanks again to Dana for watching over the kids while we tore up her home, her husband and laid waste to her septic system. 2. Puppy. I think my pc, a druid that turns into a puppy, is a stroke of genius! He's always there and pops out when needed. 3. Epic battles. With the complexity of 4E combat, drawing maps, inititiative, strategic planning sessions, tons of power choses and second winds it seems like 4E lends itself well to epic battles. The most enjoyable combats being those that pit the heroes against overwhelming odds and see them succeed with planning, courage and luck by a razors edge. I felt like Steve's encounter fit that bill well as did our final encounter against the Skull Lord Bane. In the last battle General, Nat and Wade went down and two others were bloodied! Perfect! 4. The taste of stout. Yum! 5. Don's cooking. Yum! 6. Guest DM's. Steve did a knock up job and I really enjoyed playing my dude. Next year, though, I will be asking a striker to DM the evening combat so I can get get drunk and kill stuff! 7. Role playing. I thought the encounters with Pooter, on the boat, with Ol' Pa and with Tiamat were a lot of fun. Ya'll did great and I look forward to finding more ways to encorporate role palying and non-combat problem solving in next year. 8. Effects. The effects system (dazed, stunned, blinded, imobilized, deafened, etc.) is starting to grow on me. I like how you don't have to explain what every monster, trap, power, critical hit (or failure) does. You just throw out the damage and the effect and a little flavor text and everbody gets it. 9. Bad guys with magic items. Very fun having magic items for my baddies. "Oh, you would have hit him, except for his +2 dwarven layered plate!" "Did I forget he was imobilized? No, I forgot to tell you he has boots of free movement!" It makes victory that much sweeter and the items that much cooler when you see them used against you. So there's my partial list. Please add on or expand on my thoughts! Our trip to the Mayo for my wife's heart surgery has come and gone. The surgery went well and she was discharged early. We returned home Thursday to find our darling girls safe and sound in the capable care of my dad, David (aka. Greg or the Gerb). Now with David on his way home to Texas and Yumi's mom and dad in from Chicago I stopped by the coffee shop for a little peace of mind. |
Author3 Man an aspiring DM relying on story telling and gracious players to enjoy a little game of dice. Archives
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