Let's Make Something Challenging Together

The more that I've thought about creating a 30 Day Challenge list the more that I've become serious about actually doing it; and after my little rant yesterday a few friends stopped by the blog, got me on twitter, and on Google + to tell me that they'd like to help make this project a reality. That's pretty excellent of you guys and I'm going to be taking you up on the offer.

This evening I will be creating a private Google + Community where we can workshop this shit and create some challenges that will get our creativity firing on all cylinders. I want to give all of us the opportunity to refine our ideas into something that pushes the right buttons and makes this a challenge that people are both excited to try and a bit intimidated by because that's the sort of thing that I need in my life - and with the people who have contacted me so far coming from some pretty diverse perspectives on the game I think we've got a good chance of doing just that.

If this sounds like something that you would like to be a part of this is your open call. Drop me a comment below with your Google + info and I'll add you to the community. Don't have a Google +? That's fine too. Send me an e-mail and I'll copy and paste you the conversations that we're working on so that you can help in the process.

I'm Tired of the Way We do the 30 Day RPG Challenges Every Year.

So the current fad going through my role-playing social media accounts is this year's version of the 30 Day RPG Challenge and while I know the people who made it worked hard on creating something fun, I'm just not feeling these sorts of things anymore. I don't want a challenge that feels more like a survey to get to know me and my role-playing history. That doesn't feel challenging these days.

Instead I want something that would require me to think about my answers and that would force me to test my abilities as a Game Master and player. I want questions like, You must create an encounter that will challenge your players critical thinking skills and that incorporates the following elements: a sprung trap, a kobold, and an iron statue of your choosing. 

That's the sort of thing that I want to see!

I want to see a challenge that makes me excited to attempt it and that makes me curious to see how others solve the situation. I want to see people like +Kelvin Green, +Douglas Cole, +Mark Van Vlack, +Jens D., and +Chirine ba Kal come at a problem from each their unique perspectives. I want to see +Chris Tamm and +Arnold K. take the challenge in directions that no one else saw it going. I want to see the community doing something interesting that gets all of us moving in a creative direction and not just getting to know each other like we do every year with these sorts of challenges.

You know what?

I need to stop complaining and start working on doing this. If you want to help jump in. Lord knows I could use it.

30 Day Dungeons and Dragons Challenge, Day 31: How It All Went

This was my first 30 day challenge that I've done with the blog and I imagine that it will not be my last, however, I have learned a valuable lesson from this project: read the questions before hand and if the order sucks, as this one did, change them so you don't get bogged down with short answer questions.

That was the single biggest problem with this series. At first there were some really good questions, but as the series continued on they began to become really, really bad. I mean seriously, your favorite energy type?

What. the. fuck.

30 Day Dungeons and Dragons Challenge, Day 30: Best DM

Of all the Dungeon Masters I've ever played with Kid Icarus is the best. He has his weak spots, just as we all do, but by and large he does the three things I ask any Dungeon Master to do: he's creative, responsive to my needs as a player, and willing to let me go as far as my imagination can take me.

Fucking A, Son. Fucking A.

30 Day Dungeons and Dragons Challenge, Day 29: d20 Say What?

Story of my life.

30 Day Dungeons and Dragons Challenge, Day 28: A Character You Will Never Play Again

James Spinoza from Day 8.

He was retired alive after surviving every bullshit attempt that Dungeon Master could concoct to kill him. He sits in a place of honor in my house. Already said a lot about him on day 8 and there really isn't much left to say at this point, so, moving on.

30 Day Dungeons and Dragons Challenge, Day 27: A Future Character

To be honest, at this point I'd just like to play a character again. I've been an exclusive Dungeon Master for so long that I can't remember the last time I played as a character.

So, any.

30 Day Dungeons and Dragons Challenge, Day 26: Non-Magical Items

My favorite non-magical item has got to be caltrops. So often when we're buying gear for an adventure you find yourself spending money on shit you really don't need - like food - but then you run across caltrops and you think, sure, but do I really need them.

The answer is yes, always yes.

30 Day Dungeons and Dragons Challenge, Day 25: Magic Item

My favorite magic items of all time was an off the cuff item I created because I got bored in the middle of a dungeon. The session had been dragging along and I just didn't want to fool with it anymore so I left one in the middle of an encounter. It was a simple little dagger that one of the rogues picked up. Nothing about it was designed to stand out, and then she used it.

The dagger only did 1 point of damage, but it also opened up a hole in the fabric of reality 30' wide which would then transport everything within its area to some new location. Over the course of play I developed four charts for where the dagger would transport them. Then someone went and stole all my notes on the fucking thing.

Wish I still had all that.

30 Day Dungeons and Dragons Challenge, Day 24: Energy

Okay, I was wrong, one more short answer entry and then I'm through with them.

My favorite energy type is necrotic. I like the idea that using magic can cause you to be harmed in some way. I've like that idea since I read Demon Blade by Mark A. Garland and Charles G. McGraw back when I was 16.

Magic shouldn't be easy kids.

30 Day Dungeons and Dragons Challenge, Day 23: Least Favorite Monster

As a Dungeon Master the monsters I hate are the ones that I can't find a way to work into my game in any reasonable fashion. A lot of these monsters come from 3rd party publishers as there just isn't a lot of quality control on those products from my experience. But if I had to pick one then I would have to say the Rakasha variants from fourth edition Dungeons and Dragons.

Just, fuck no.

As a player the only monster I've ever hated was the Roper as I died to them in four consecutive campaigns. I just never noticed them.

30 Day Dungeons and Dragons Challenge, Day 22: All time Favorite Monster

My all time favorite monster is the ork. I grew up dreaming of fighting them after reading the Hobbit and never stopped.

Enough of these short answer questions! The next time I do this I'm fixing the questions before I fucking start.

30 Day Dungeons and Dragons Challenge, Day 21: Dragon

When it comes to dragons I generally like them dangerous as hell and spoiling for a fight. I suppose it should only be natural that I lean towards the Black Dragons then.

They're just menacing.

As a close runner up kinda dig the Copper Dragon.

30 Day Dungeons and Dragons Challenge, Day 20 Part 2: Fey

My favorite Fey are and always will be Brownies.

I've used them in my campaigns to pester, malign, and generally inconvenience my players whenever they've gotten too big for their britches. Love the little bastards!

Plus, hey Tony DiTerlizzi drew that little guy above! One more point in their favor!

30 Day Dungeons and Dragons Challenge, Day 20 Part 1: Humanoid

When it comes to humanoids my favorite has got to be the goblin. Goblins are the forgotten roadkill you pass over on your way to the dungeon - or at least that's how they are in most of the campaign's I've played in. But as any player in my campaign can tell you a goblin is the thing you'll fear the most even during high level play.

With a 10th level goblin I have killed twentieth level characters. I have killed 15th level characters with base goblins (seven to be precise), without giving them addition hit points, or undue advantage.

Goblins are the shit. 

30 Day Dungeons and Dragons Challenge, Day 19 Part 1: Elemental

I've always been partial to the Earth Elemental. There's something appealing about a gigantic monster made of mud and clay roaming across the battlefield on his way to bring destruction to my enemies.

Yeah, something like this!

30 Day Dungeons and Dragons Challenge, Day 19 Part 2: Plant

Both in Dungeons and Dragons and in real life I love the Willow tree.

There's something magical in how they seem to begrudgingly shoulder life's burden and yet persevere through it all.  I realize that I should probably mention how they have some fantastic medicinal uses (such as a cure for headaches) but instead I'm just going to put up some of my favorite pictures. 

30 Day Dungeons and Dragons Challenge, Day 18 Part 2: Outsider

I like the Titans.

They're brutal, savage masters of the universe who were overthrown by the new generation. They touch on all the cornerstones of my personal beliefs about life, evolution, religion, and reality; but in my games they are one of the greatest villains you can throw at a group.

Demons, Devils, and Daemons are all fine and dandy, but when you beat them you're always left with a game of Buffy the Vampire Slayer - only without anything left to slay. Titans on the other hand are the consummate villains. They're played like humans, with the same emotions and foibles, only they have an unlimited reach to respond to even the slightest insult. 

 

Where the gods are often over simplifications of aspects of humanity the Titans are the complex, dirty reality of being alive. They shake the earth and move the heavens with their passing, and in my game that is just how they say hello. 

 

Titans for the win. 

30 Day Dungeons and Dragons Challenge, Day 18 Part 1: Immortal

The immortals of Dungeons and Dragons are typically a morass of half-thought out ideas and disruptive plot devices dangling out seductively for some mad Dungeon Master to grasp only to fall to his death. Naturally I like them all.

Hell I like most anything that can cause a campaign to flip on its side and challenge the preconceived notions of its players. For me no immortal creature fits that bill more appropriately than Hercules. With Hercules you have a figure larger than the game and one that has touched the lives of most of the players - whether we're talking about the awful films of the 70s and 80s or that abomination that Disney put out. There is more in that mythical figure than just what popular culture would have us believe.

Hercules symbolized not only the strength that a human body can possess, but the strength that one must have to face the great labors of our own lives. His labors were a metaphor for the tribulations that each of us must overcome - and they were intentionally designed to show that no matter how awful things get we can move on from them. 

That alone makes him my favorite.

30 Day Dungeons and Dragons Challenge, Day 17 Part 2: Vermin

I think that the Fire Beetle is just spectacular.

As a Dungeons and Dragons creature it's rather small and unassuming, until you realize that the little bastard could help you see in a fucking dungeon for 1d6 days. That's better than any lantern, magical spell, feat, or alchemical rod!

Just by having this little creature you gain a huge advantage over others in the dungeon. Now it's only a 10 ft illumination but imagine if you're a wizard who has one as a companion, or if you're a ranger who has tamed, and trained a group of them for use in the dungeon. Or if you're a fighter who has a jar filled with the fuckers just so that you can crush their glow glands on some helpless goblin and send him out in front of you in the dungeon to watch all his friends use him for target practice.

Yeah, that last one's the best.