D&D Rant

The premier rant is going to be about Dungeons & Dragons.  This is by far my favorite role playing game (as I'm sure it is for most people).  I think it is mainly my favorite due to the nostalgia aspect it has for me.  I remember back in grade 8 playing D&D in "silent reading" time which was allowed because my teacher used to play D&D back when it first came out (it also helped that we were playing with the D&D Basic rules that she was familiar with).

What I don't get is all of the factionalism and heavy debate over 3.5 versus 4th!  Here are a few quotes from a forum that I read:

"why fix something that wasn't broken"

"4.0 is a land of over-simplified rules where common sense does not exist."

"how often have you read about fantastic fights, where Drizzt and Wolfgar are felling Furbolgs, or Giants with quick deadly accurate attacks... yet in D&D 3.5 it takes serveral hits to bring down big guys."

So, as I'm sure you can see, there's griping on both sides.  This is my stance on it:

Shut up for a second!  :)

For all those people who say, "Why fix what isn't broken?"  If corporations stopped coming out with new editions they would go out of business.  Then after they went out of business, you would all be saying, "Stupid company going out of business, I'm bored now without any new modules or material!"

I feel there is a time and a place for BOTH systems (and even OD&D or Basic D&D Revised).  Call me crazy, but I think this because in my view they work differently.  I feel 4th is best if you want to play a high magic, high combat dungeon crawl.  Nothing gets you through it faster, smoother, and with as much fun (and what wizard player doesn't appreciate NOT dying?).  Now I think 3.5 is better if you want to play a campaign that is more diplomatic or stealth based.  I just feel the rule mechanics (if the DM knows them well) work better in this edition for that type of campaign.  Also, say you want to just play a few games for fun one weekend; pick up Basic D&D Revised in Basic, Expert, Companion, Master, and Immortals and have a blast with all of the great simplicity it offers (good ol' elves being a class, and, "What do you mean my halfling can only advance to such a low level... he sucks!").

Why don't we all just get together and embrace the love of different systems and rejoice in the fact that D&D did not die when Wizards of the Coast bought it from TSR.  I know not all of you will agree with me, but I guess if everyone agreed with me I would be Grand Emperor of the World...  *imagines*

Zombie Pandemic

Rules System Used: d20 Modern

Books and Materials Needed: d20 Modern Roleplaying Game (book), d20 Apocalypse (book), dice set (d4, d6, d8, d10, d12, d20), pencil, paper, a game master’s screen

Suggested Extras: d20 Weapons Locker (book), miniatures (Using LEGO City sets would be amazing for this campaign! The green Troll heads could be used to represent zombies.)

Timeline: Current Day

Location: Any Modern Industrialised Nation’s City

Number of Players Suggested: 6 – 10 (You can play it with less but it works best with more people.)

Rules Modifications: For the zombies; use the diseased zombie in the d20 Apocalypse book but give them the Running Feat and increase their Challenge Rating to 1 ½. (Think 28 Days Later style of zombies.)

Limitations on Characters: Player Characters are limited to purchasing whatever could be reasonably on their person given their occupation. The first adventure of this campaign takes place when all of the Player Characters are out of their homes.

Monsters and Magic: The only “super natural creatures” or “monsters” in this campaign are rage zombies. There is absolutely no magic in this campaign.

Style of Campaign: The Player Characters will have to work together to survive as their lives are very easy for zombies to take. This is very much a diplomatic and flight before fight campaign stressing ranged interaction with zombies as opposed to melee. Diplomacy will come in to play greatly as the PCs interact with NPCs that are also trying to survive the horrible events. As a suggestion, have the characters deicide what kind of building or place in the city they want to run to and roleplay the trip there. The characters shouldn’t be deciding to turn left or right, you should tell them when they should as their characters would be familiar with the city and know the way to get to wherever it is they want to go. If they are smart, they will decide to go somewhere where they could acquire much needed supplies; like food, water, medical supplies, guns, etc. If they are even smarter they might try to steal a car if one is available or take the bus as opposed to just running there!

Introduction: You are all sitting in a busy café, eating lunch while you are either on your lunch break from work or because you have nothing better to do today. Reflecting on the day’s events, people watching, enjoying your overly priced coffee; whatever it may be, you are suddenly interrupted…

SMASH!!! A beaten and bloodied body falls through one of the large windows at the front of the café. Startled, you look at the body of a young man on the floor that appears to be so badly injured he must be dead… when he suddenly jumps up. Frothing blood at the mouth and gnashing his teeth, the man looks around with angry bloodshot eyes. Your stomachs are in your throats as you notice that there is a mob of similar people outside the café attacking people viciously and randomly, tearing at their victims’ flesh with their teeth! As the man that fell through the window attacks a young family that was sitting near the window a group of about a dozen other people pour in to the café and start massacring other patrons!

Running and dodging flailing attacks, you all manage to escape out the back employee door to the café to a dimly lit alley due to the tall buildings on all sides of it. No one else made it out. Thinking quickly you all realise you must act swiftly to find a spot to hide to avoid these people that seem to be rage incarnate. Just then a group of five bloodied rage monsters round the corner, staring right at you…