The Largest D&D Game in HIstory

I just returned from playing in the Worldwide D&D Game Day at Dice, Daggers and Dragons, the game store in Princeton, Ill., where I do most of my gaming.

Although this is the third year for the annual event, this was the first time I had an opportunity to take part.

What a rush! I played the halfling rogue, whom I called Milo. I ducked into the local abby kitchen, helped myself to some ale, got chased around by some undead things, led the party down some creepy stairs, got batted around by a gargoyle and then ended up throwing darts at a flaming skull that was firing spell rays at us. And all that was in the first hour or so.

The best part, though, was how complete the experience was. Minis were provided for all the player characters, as well as all the monsters. Thanks to the masking effects of dungeon tiles, there were no spoilers, because they covered the as-yet undiscovered areas of the battle map. Even though this was clearly a marketing-driven event, it was great to see Wizards of the Coast provide all these extras to enhance the gaming experience.

Best of all, I left the event with a little swag, including the mini that represented my character and a copper dragon mini. Sweet.

For the game store owner, it had to be good too. I haven't seen the store that crowded since the last big Magic tournament.

Halloween Village

My wife Paula loves to create Christmas villages, painting the ceremic houses. However, she also did one for Halloween. As for the people and creatures of the village, I provided them by painting metal miniatures from Reaper. Hope you like the results.

Age of Worms

Since February, I’ve served as DM for a gaming group that is adventuring in the Age of Worms adventure path, produced by the fine folks at Dungeon magazine.

So far, the sessions have run hot’n’cold, which can be attributed to a number of things – including the relative inexperience of many of the players and my reluctance to unleash the full power of spellcasting non-playing-characters.

Early on, I was particularly sensitive to the fact I did not want to be the cause of a TPK – or Total Party Kill – with a group that contained so many young players.

The most debilitating thing is probably how infrequently we play the adventure path – which is designed to be a world-saving epic adventure that takes players from first to 20th level – and beyond.

We play for two hours every-other Saturday morning. That’s about enough time to run two or three encounters – at most. The Adventure Path depends upon continuity of story, so it is difficult for players and DM alike to maintain it by playing for a short time twice a month.

I’m looking for ways to condense the Adventure Path. At our current pace, we will finish it in about 7 years – a pretty unreasonable commitment, I think. The tough part will be editing it down so it doesn’t lose its flavor.

Eberron fiction grows on me

Over the years, I've been disappointed by the quality of writing in fiction produced under the Dungeons and Dragons brand. Perhaps the disappointment comes from the fact I remember the original Dragonlance novels as being such a great source of adventure and fun in my youth -- but as an adult with adult tastes, the D&D branded books seem to fall short. This is especially true of the bulk of Forgotten Realms novels, which seem to focus too much on the setting itself and not on good storytelling.

So I've been pleasantly surprised by the quality of writing I've found in the Eberron series of books. Perhaps it's because the series is still fresh and new -- but I really think there is an effort to craft fantasy fiction with a wider appeal. So far, I haven't been dissapointed with what I've read.

So thanks goes to James Wyatt, a game designer whose gaming materials, such as Oriental Adventures and Book of Exalted Deeds, I really enjoy. Wyatt's turn as an author in the Eberron books is what got me to try D&D ficiton again. His book "In the Claws of the Tiger" really captured the essense of the setting, and was a good way to get my feet wet in this pulp-inspired world. But the other Eberron writers, such as Rich Wulf and Adrian Cole, have also been entertaining.

Here comes the judge

I had a wonderful experience serving as a judge for the Illinois High School Association's inaugural Journalism contest this past weekend.

Basically, the students from high schools in the northern part of the state competed at Northern Illinois University in Dekalb in a series of exercises that tested their skills in various disciplines.

I judged newspaper layout and yearbook theme development.

The thing that surprised me the most was the enthusiams -- both school spirit and camaraderie among competitors -- during the awards ceremony afterwards. That auditorium rocked as much as any crowd would have for a high school basketball game.

Needless to say, I'm looking forward to serving in the same capacity this weekend for the state finals in Charleston.

The Wheel Weaves As the Wheel Wills

Wheel of Time author Robert Jordan announced March 25 that he suffers from a rare blood disease, the effect of which is the desposit of misshapen proteins into the wall of his heart. Over time this causes heart failure. But once he receives treatment, the median life expectancy for those suffering from amyloidosis is four years.

A longstanding concern among fans of the series has been that the 57-year-old Jordan would become too ill to finish the 12th and final novel. Of course, now hearing about this affliction, the issue is moot for me. My only wish is that this author who has provided countless hours of adventure and entertainment through his Wheel and Conan novels find healing and peace in this troubled time.

I sincerely hope he keeps writing only if it the sort of thing that keeps him going. But his treatment, and spending time with his family, are the most important things right now.

I join all his fans in wishing him well.

Under Shannara's spell

My love-hate relationship with author Terry Brooks’ works resumes this month. I’ve started reading “Jarka Ruus,” the first book in his High Druid trilogy.

I have high hopes for this series, which advances the adventures of Grianne Ohmsford, who supposedly reformed her ways after spreading terror as the dreaded Ilse Witch.

The previous trilogy, the Voyage of the Jerle Shannara, was everything epic fantasy fiction should be – especially the heroic ending for longstanding character Walker Boh, the one-armed druid, and Grianne’s final confrontation with her evil mentor, the Morgawr.

My favorite Brooks work, however, is the modern fantasy Word and Void series – a coming of age tale of a girl who resists her destiny to become an evil tyrant. Her staunchest ally is a lame wandering champion who helps her fight real demons who are determined to see her claim her birthright.

The fact Brooks perfectly captures life in a small Illinois town, of course, has no bearing on my love for the series!

Yet, for all the hours of reading enjoyment Brooks has brought, I have little love for his earlier works. The “Sword of Shannara,” which launched his career and hailed him as a worthy successor to the Tolkien mantle, did little for me. I never embraced the quest of Shea Ohlmsford and his kin in later books. Wren’s voyage across the Great Divide where she then braved the horrors of Morrowindl in “The Elf Queen of Shannara” was the only novel of the Heritage series that mildly held my interest. (Amazing, since it was almost exclusively about elves, and I rarely get jazzed about the dandelion-dining set).

It is unreasonable that I should expect to enjoy every book in a series, even when written by a favorite author. Brooks is a skilled storyteller, no question about it. I guess what troubles me is the Heritage series, which received almost universal acclaim, but was too disjointed for my taste. How dare I not appreciate them!

Actually, I think it boils down to this: I only really enjoy Brooks when he features a female protagonist. He has a real knack for writing about female characters. Go back and look at those early Shannara books, and you’ll find very few strong female characters. But the stories I mentioned above all had them.