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Day: March 19, 2017

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I wrote this several years ago in a fit of fannish pedantry. Utterly useless, of course, but kind of fun (at least to me).

Star Trek Timeline

Every Star Trek series since the original has subtly, or not so subtly, shifted the historical assumptions underlying the Star Trek historical timeline. Even the movie series introduces different implications than the original series. This timeline is an attempt to show a conjectural Star Trek historical timeline that views the original series as canon, without regard to subsequent interpretations. There will be some borrowing of ideas from later series, but only as a means of filling out incomplete information. The following is an outline of the historical data from ST:TOS, followed by conjectures based on ST:TOS, and then the complete timeline chart.

...continue reading "Star Trek Timeline and Strategic Analysis"

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Another game that never was. I was going to run a Savage Worlds cyberpunk game, but it never got off the ground. This was an essay I wrote for myself as a thought-starter and background information sort of thing.

The Technological System is nothing less than the sum total of the organization, techniques, drives, and capabilities of modern existence. In the Technological System, efficiency is king, trumping nationalism, economics, even biology. That which can be made efficient thrives; that which can not withers. That includes ideologies, historical conflicts, cultures … and people.
...continue reading "Cyberpunk"

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For the Dreadmire campaign, I had the idea that there was this huge port city somewhere off in the void. It would be the source and a way-point for trade goods and people, and a source of rumor. Going there might have become a goal for the PCs. I never really developed any of this stuff, but the ideas are still interesting, at least to me.

 

The City “T’sai-shen”

Cai-shen

The Chinese god of prosperity, both of religious Taoism and in the syncretist folk religion. He has various magical powers, such as warding off thunder and lightning, and ensuring profit from commercial transactions. As a historical figure he is identified as Zhao Xuan-tan (Chao Hsüan-t'an), "General Zhao of the Dark Terrace", from the Qin Dynasty. He attained enlightenment on top of a mountain. He also assisted Zhang Dao-ling on his search for the life-prolonging elixir.
...continue reading "C’ai Shen"

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(This one's interesting. I only have a vague memory of it. I think I actually ran this at a Game Day we had at our place of employment. It wasn't part of the regular campaign, I know that much.)

Dreadmire Campaign

D&D 4.0

August 16, 2008

 

Begin – the gnome sets them down in the Dreadmire swamp. After awhile, they come across a battlefield.

 

1a. Battle scene – twelve dead pirates, thoroughly scavenged by critters. DC 18 – they are sailors. DC 20 – they are offworlders. DC 22 – they killed each other…although some similarly armed combatants may have survived. DC 25 track – find the track of Tree.

 

1b. Find the pirate captain Aloysius Tree of the Skuttlebutt, taken over from the late dread pirate Quee Quai Queg.
...continue reading "Dreadmire – Alternate 1st adventure"

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Published on 1 Comment on Dreadmire – Adventure #1

Dreadmire Campaign

Adventure #1: The Saga Begins

 

  • Silur Rock
  • Time: early morning
  • At the shore is a hill giant throwing rocks

 

  1. Near the near bank of the river can be seen a fishing boat with one small figure in it (50’ out)
  2. Tip of rock is 250’ from the shore; wavefront of ocean can be seen; swampland seen to the west, hills to the east, river going north; the river is 300’ across with virtually no current

Bob (Bayou Halfling) old fisherman

Knowledge local +10

Boat can carry six uncomfortably
...continue reading "Dreadmire – Adventure #1"

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This was just a file of notes of plot points, setting ideas, encounter ideas, and whatnot for the campaign. Since the game never really went anywhere, I never used 90% of this stuff.

Dreadmire Campaign Ideas

 

Tribe of Fomorians –

  • a city of them, but scattered members can be found all over the Dreadmire.
  • Some can pass as human, though the cat-eye gives them away if you can see through their glamer.
  • Similarity to Rakshasa – urbane, yet cruel – communicative, but not open – enjoys society, but is an enslaver and tyrant.
  • Fomorian warlock ruling a plantation – Halflings in servitude, almost slavery
  • Fomorian rogue passing as a human woman – may be an ally to the PCs, but is also quite willing to turn on them if hired by an enemy

 
...continue reading "Dreadmire campaign ideas"

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Published on 1 Comment on Dreadmire

Somewhere along the way, I don't remember when and I don't remember how, I acquired this little beauty: Dreadmire. It's a campaign setting book for D&D 3.0 -- think swamp, Cajuns, frogs, swamp, swamp people, voodoo, swamp magic, swamp, mosquitos, and swamp.

I started developing a campaign using this setting, but that was about when D&D 4.0 came out and I wanted to try it, so I started converting stuff. Unfortunately, after running the campaign a few sessions, I discovered that I really didn't like running 4.0, so we quit and went on to something else.

But here are a bunch of notes from the game, some of which is still in the original 3.0 form and some converted to 4.0. Enjoy!

 

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2014 figures

Element Price per ounce Comparison to Gold
Copper $               0.21 0.000227298
Nickel $               0.63 0.000688781
Silver $             16.81 0.018525457
Palladium $           410.00 0.451840423
Electrum* $           462.11 0.509262729
Gold $           907.40 1
Platinum $       1,768.50 1.948975094
*Electrum is an alloy of 50% Gold and 50% Silver by weight
1pp~2gp~4ep~200sp~68,000np~22,000cp