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What is the S.O.R.D.?

Submitted by adminsteve on Sun, 07/13/2008 - 21:57
I have been hard at work making what I call the S.O.R.D.
This is a restating of the 3.5 SRD combat section  in a far more readable form. After wrestling with the Grapple rules during a game, I came to the conclusion that the SRD is very unfriendly to fast play. The rules are wordy and have information spread all over the place. I do a ton of page flipping just to get the rule understood, and then I have to try to explain it all.
Quite frankly, it made my head hurt and burned up 10 minutes of valuable game time.
I resolved to make a 1-page Grapple Sheet.
I did it.
I then decided to distill down all the special actions.
and the S.O.R.D. was born
System
Operational
Reference
Digest
The S.O.R.D. will be a document that makes it easy to find a particular rule and adjudicate it fast. For example, Trip can make a target prone. The Prone condition and all its bells and whistles are listed with Trip to make it easy for you to move on with the game. The rules page for Initiative contains the basic Initiative info AND the Delay and Ready Actions. It even has a graphic section that emulates your gaming table and makes a nice Initiative Tracker. Just laminate the page and you can use it for every combat.
There is more, and I am still working on it, but I think you get the idea.

Here are some snapshots of the work so far:
Descriptor
ddd
ddd
ddd

Bright Days Ahead

Submitted by adminsteve on Sat, 06/14/2008 - 00:27
While on vacation with the family, we went to White Sands, New Mexico. The kids had fun and sledded down the slopes, my wife took a header and has a fine shiner on her right eye and I realized that I am no longer 20 and need to regain my stamina. Back to the elliptical and soloflex!
So what does that have to do with gaming?
Nothing... and everything...
I relaxed.
The idea machine that was burned out with my first product started churning again. In fact, my next release is tentatively called "Across the Bright Face." Of course, I won't use it, since it was a Traveller module published some years ago, but that is the working title for now.
I won;t go into too many details, but the premise will deal with a desert in some fashion. It will also have a tie-in to the 'Trouble in Tallreed Waters"  product.
This will also be my attempt to produce a single scenario that can span many levels of play; low (2nd-3rd); medium (6th-8th) and high (14th-15th). I hope I succeed. Luckily the encounter format makes such changes much easier.
Be on the lookout...
Now I'm ready to read more 4e books....

Vacations and Gaming

Submitted by adminsteve on Tue, 06/10/2008 - 23:04

I find that the world is more fascinating than i first believed. For instance, you've seen the pictures a hundred times, but they do not prepare you for the sheer awesomeness of the Grand Canyon. To take in the vista as you round the last bend in the park is truly breathtaking.
On the other hand, you see man's attempt at greatness in the Hoover Dam. As impressive as it is, and it IS impressive, it does not compare to the majesty and grandeur of the Creator's almost flippant swoosh of his finger.

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