The "Aragorn Style Ranger" as Fox Mulder

"Are you frightened? Not nearly frightened enough. I know what hunts you" -Aragorn

Just what is a ranger in your gaming world? Is it simply a fighter who is wood-wise or "skulks around in the woods", as I've seen him described? Some sort of dual weapon wielding martial arts expert? Mythmere's blog has an excerpt from the  transcript of  Class Design: From Assassins to Wizards, with Monte Cooke, Bruce Cordell, and Robert J. Schwalb.

"Greg: Are there any classes that you're now interested in because of the design work you've been doing?

Rob: They're all awesome, but I think I would have to pick the Ranger. There's so much stuff going on that I'm excited for each version. You could make up a beast ranger, or an Aragorn stye ranger or a Drizzt style ranger and they all feel awesome and icon"

I don't pretend to know what a Drizzt style ranger is. All I know is that it has something to do with Forgotten Realms, which I've never played nor read any material on.

So, just what is an Aragorn style ranger? In Middle-earth that is a very complicated question. It has to do with an ancient line of kings, some atlantean style shenanigans, a race unto themselves and quite a bit of other esoteric stuff that might or might not fit into your campaign world. The more you use, the more sense there will be of "ripping off" Tolkien.

But what is the essence of such a ranger in D&D? I'm a long time AD&D player, and use that for all of my gaming reference. There were bits about surprise, tracking, and general woodland stuff. But here's the most interesting part to me:

1) They use d8 hit dice instead of d10 as a fighter

2) Against certain "giant class" humanoid opponents (which include a large number of monsters from kobolds and goblins to trolls and giants), they add their current experience level to the damage done on a successful attack.

So, the d8 indicates that fighting is not their primary focus. Toe to toe with a fighter of the same level, they would lose. They actually fight like a cleric. However... and here's the fascinating point... they get considerable extra damage to certain classes of monsters. They are monster hunters.

I'll say it again. They are monster hunters. All of their other skills... tracking, surprise, etc... are in service to this one idea. They devote their lives to hunting monsters.

Think about any normal society. Over generations, they go to war, build civilizations, get complacent, then weak, then fall. But not rangers. While everyone else is sitting cozy by the fire, telling stories of how terrible it was in the bad old days, the ranger is living and breathing those days. They know that any semblance of peace that is painted onto the landscape is temporary; there are things just beyond the edge of the woods... things that only come out at night.. that want to rip out your heart and eat it. They want to steal your children, drink your blood, and use your corpse as a puppet.

Knights are fairly good at dealing with such things when they are told about them, but they are easily distracted. They are the ADD characters of the gaming world. They'd rather be tilting at each other in a tourney and then feasting with their ladies than mucking about in the woods, sloshing through muddy graveyards, or crawling in dark holes in the ground. I mean... when you are only fighting at night or in the shadows, how can you get fame and glory? Give them a dragon that they can fight on horseback with 100 onlookers, and you've got a tempting target. But that other stuff?

It's for Rangers. Rangers can be the backbone of your adventuring campaign. The go-to people. The ones with the knowledge to save your ass. Because they know what you are hunting... and what hunts you.

The Ouroboros of Kronos, God of Time

It is said that for each of the elements there are creatures to whom such element is the root of their essence. That is, they can pass through said element with no harm, and little impedance. Such is Earth to the Kobold or Dwarf they say, or Fire to the Salamander or Mandragora. Likewise is Water to the Naiads and the Merfolk, and Air to the Sylphs.

Thus it is that there are they say, attuned to Time itself, creatures on whom the Arrow of Time has no authority. Among such creatures are the Elf, and the Bogey. Hither and yon to they flit and dart, with tomorrow being no more or less a part of their future than yesterday. Even is told of a select few who live their very lives inversely to our own, growing younger each day, and having memories of tomorrow.

Pondering such temporal gymnastics is a troubling feat, as the very nature of "cause" and "effect" come into question. Many a paradox can arise when exploring the depths of such possibilities, and peering too deeply into such matter has been known to cause madness in men of lesser minds.

Tradition holds that in the earliest days of the Earth, that Time itself was used as a weapon. Things which were made could be unmade, and History itself could unravel and be re-braided in this manner or that. A man's very existence could be torn asunder were he to travel back in Time and undo the events leading to his own birth. For if he were never born, he could not undo his birth; yet if he did not undo his birth, he would live to attempt such a feat. Power was derived from traveling ever further back in the Stream of Time, attempting to undo what was done, un-make what was made, and re-forge Creation into a new direction.

For this reason, it is said, was the Ouroboros forged by Kronos. It is by virtue of the Ouroboros that the past can not be unwritten. What was (since the time of the forging of the Ouroboros) shall always be What Was.

This presents interesting issues when considering the future. If there are those who live their days inversely as we described, such that they have not yet been born, and others who consider tomorrow to be interchangeable with yesterday, does this mean that the future is firm and unalterable? For if the past is unalterable, are not the days we live in themselves "the past" through the eyes of some denizen of the future? Is the gift of Kronos, the Ouroboros, also a curse? Something that chains us to sequences events that we are powerless to alter?

I tremble to delve too deeply into the historical tomes of Calabria, for fear that I may stumble across records left behind from some traveler through the Streams of Time, and discover what fate may lie in wait for my fellow countrymen and I. What utter despair to know of a future which you are impotent to avoid!

Yet what greater horrors might be unleashed, were the Ouroboros itself to be torn asunder!

-Niccodaemus, Historian of Calabria

Where do the Gods fit in?

I've been working on creating a post for each of the Gods in Shatterworld. I have five of them done, with two left to go.

Part of the challenge in creating a theogeny/mythology is figuring out just how these gods fit into the lives of the average joe. Are the gods "good", "neutral", or "evil", in terms that we understand.? Or do thy have their own agendas which are mysterious? How are they worshipped? Do they have temples, festivals, shrines or some other such way to pay reverence to them?

I've settled on a mythology that focuses on seven main gods. Each day of the week is named after one of The Seven, and this also mirrors the "seven days of creation", which are not quite the same as the biblical days of creation.

There are five gods who would be considered "elemental". They are gods of earth, air, fire, water, and time. The other two are gods of flora (plants) and fauna (animals and people). The idea is that flora and fauna are made up of combinations of each of the other five elements. These flora and fauna make up the "mortal world"... the world that we recognize.

Reverence for the gods is brought "down to earth", as the gods are credited with such daily things as:

The invention of the sail: Aeros, god of wind
Location of wells: Hyrdos, god/goddess of water
Smithing: Pyros, god of fire, and Gaia, goddess of earth
Engineering: Kronos, god of time

I don't associate the gods with abstract concepts like "war", "revenge", etc...
Such things would be broken down into their components. When going into battle, you might invoke Kronos in the aspect of planning and tactics. Hyrdos and Aeros in their aspects of weather gods. Seldom is one god invoked to the exclusion of all others.

One interesting thing here is that entities with opposing goals will often be appealing to the same gods for intervention. The question then becomes, "who's side is the god on?"

By keeping the motivation of the gods "selfish" or "neutral"... that is.. they really don't care about things outside of their own realms of influence, the position of the particular god in the conflict might be easier to assess. Each would want to preserve their own domains on earth... streams, forests, agriculture... a group that is destroying everything in their wake is likely to attract the wrath of more than one god.

Gods would tend to be neutral in overall political conflict. Certain gods abhor particular things. Phanes as the god of life is the enemy of all undead. He isn't too fond of murder either. Extinction of a species really pisses him off. Phusis, god of plants, doesn't like forests being chopped or burned down, or crops being salted.

If you want the gods on your side, it is more about respecting their taboos rather than just being "good" or "evil".

Horror Movies as Plots for RPGs

I'm a long-time horror movie fan. I grew up watching and loving the old Universal and Hammer Horror films. I never cared for the Freddy/Jason/MichaelMyers types though.

When VCRs were in vogue, there were places where you could rent movies at a rate of 6 for $2.00. I'd stay up all night watching horrible indie movies.

Now that I have Netflix streaming, the old days are back. I've watched quite a few movies lately, and a lot of them were terrible. Some did, however, prove to be inspiring for RPGs. Here in no particular order:

The Shrine

This is a quirky story, of a magical type fog which hovers over a forest. Apparently, this fog has been here for a VERY long time, and there is a cult of priests that don't want anyone going near there... or coming out. In the midst of the fog is a very eerie statue of a demon. You'll have to watch the rest to find out what happens, but it is pretty cool. What the hell are these priests up to?

Next on the list is The Ressurected, or Shatterbrain

This Lovecraft piece is based on The Case of Charles Dexter Ward, and features John Terry (Christian Shephard from LOST) and Christ Sarandon (Princess Bride, FrightNight). Terry gives a cheesy performance, but Sarandon almost saves the movie from being unwatchable. The pacing is horribly slow, but there's some wicked undead creation going on towards the end.

Satan's Playground

Here's one that is based on the urban legend of the Jersey Devil. It features one of the actors from Evil Dead, and you can see the director's passion for that movie. A car breaks down in the Pine Barrens, and one by one the passengers make their way to the only house nearby. I thought it would be interesting to use this idea, and to make the inhabitants of the house goblins who are using glamour to appear human. They come off as something trying to impersonate humans... poorly. But their characterizations are... interesting. There's even a goblinesque baby-napping.

Beneath Still Waters

I kind of enjoyed this one. It has this neat plot of an entire town that has been flooded. Great for underwater adventure ideas.

House of Blood

Sort of a Dusk til Dawn kind of movie, that would adapt very well to a fantasy setting. Werewolvey/Vampire thingies living in a remote cabin.

Panga

Nice performance from Christopher Lee. A couple of city folk interrupt a tribal magician's sacrifice, resulting in some Lovcraftian style shenanigans.

The Burrowers

Ok, this one was original. A western with some wierd and wild subterranean creatures that have very nasty dietary habits. An interesting take on D&D ghouls, complete with some very graphic results of paralysis!

Dagon

I've saved the best for last. A hold on to your seat Lovecraft gorefest, with the hero stranded in a Spanish coastal town that is teeming with Deep Ones. Really darn good special effects.

If you happen to watch any of these, and actually sit through them, send me a message and let me know what you thought!

WotC adds reprints of AD&D 1E Core Books!!!!

We'll here's a bit of news I picked up on the forums over at rpg.net. It seems Wizards of the Coast is reprinting the first edition Advanced Dungeons and Dragons Players Handbook, Dungeon Master's Guide, and Monster Manual!

To help honor his work and his memory, we created limited-edition reprints of the original 1st Edition core rulebooks: the Monster Manual, Player's Handbook, andDungeon Master's Guide. These premium versions of the original AD&D rulebooks have been lovingly reprinted with the original art and content, but feature an attractive new cover design commemorating this re-release. Available in limited quantities as a hobby channel exclusive in North America.

Your purchase of this monumental book helps support the Gygax Memorial Fund—established to immortalize the “Father of Roleplaying Games” with a memorial statue in Lake Geneva, WI.

Pretty Cool! Is that Gary as a giant wizard on the cover?

Blackout Wednesday

Find out more:  SOPA/PIPA

Character Background, Ranger

The entire hamlet had come out to pull help pull the raft to shore. The timber from the Greenwood had been a month in harvesting, and the current of the red river was strong. It would take all hands to maneuver the floating island, and the young lad was eager to be part of the effort.

Francis Ane Hopkins

His father owned the mill, and Ulrich was almost old enough to work among the men. He was sure that one day, the mill would be passed down to him, and the responsibility of overseeing the sawing the timber would be his.

It took several hours to secure the raft, and afterwards everyone gathered on the commons for the celebration of the harvest. Thanks were offered to Phusis, lord of all plants, for the plentiful bounty. To Phanes, lord of living creatures was promised responsible stewardship of the Greenwood, that it may always be a haven for the creatures of the wild and the Clans of Men who made their home there.

The sun was low in the sky when the crowd grew hushed. The Ferry was approaching, and upon it was a vardo. Not one of those elaborately decorated colorful Vardos used by The Wandereres. This was a simple wagon, devoid of ornamentation, and pulled by a single horse. A rustic man dressed in greens and browns sat in the drivers seat.

When the ferry docked, the driver quickly scanned the crowd, gave a nod, then proceeded down the road towards the mill. Ulrich looked towards his father, and found him looking into the worried face of his mother. The two looked toward Ulrich, and motioned for him to come to them. The three walked down the lane the vardo had travelled, but it was beyond their sight.

When they arrived at the mill, the driver had already unhitched the horse and let it drink freely from the river. Father clasped the driver by the hand with a warm "Welcome home, brother". Mother embraced the man. He then knelt before Ulrich. His face was worn with age marked with a number of scars. He smelt of leather, wild game, and steel. "I am your uncle Marten, Ulrich. I've come to claim you as my apprentice".

Vasily Surikov

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The vardo contained the core of the lessons Ulrich was to learn over the next several years. There were the bones of creatures from fireside tales with names like Bugbear, Orc, Hobgoblin, and Ogre. There were holy symbols and wooden stakes. And there were weapons. Sword, bow, and dagger.

Marten took Ulrich on many excursions into the Greenwood. He taught him the ways of tracking, and admonished him to "kill no wolf" in this part of the forest; "harm no bear" in another. Countless hours were spent learning the art of warfare and the vulnerabilities of "the eaters of the flesh of men". Creatures of Darkness with naught but malice in their heart, and a taste for man-flesh on their tongue. After seven years, his training was complete. Ulrich was a Ranger.

Viktor Vasnetsov

"I am late in my years Ulrich. I no longer have the swiftness of youth. I have taught you everything I know. You are my last apprentice. Take the knowledge I have given you and guard it. And when old age makes your arms too weary to wield your sword, pass on your knowledge to another, that it may never die. I will retire here with your mother and father. Come seek me when you need advice. Take this sigil ring, that other men of our ilk will know you, and offer their camaraderie. There are many dark things in this earth, yet some few have the courage or knowledge to face them."

N.C. Wyeth