The DS Quill Gets more stories

A few days ago I mentioned the DS Quill blog.

Players write Dragon Storm related stories, earn role-playing points, and get read by everyone.

Well, today there are several additions. If you get involved with the Skype gaming, you may see some of these characters in action.

This is the link to the DS Quill.

If you are interested in playing DS on skype. Here is the link to the information on the web page. It is a little outdated, but the link is good.

Mark

Talking Stealth in the DS RPG.

You can find the Pre-Order page here.
You can find the download page for the new Stealth Beta and the Talking Stealth article here.
You can find the comment form here.

Talking Stealth. by Mark Ellis Harmon and Susan Van Camp

Stealth is a basic skill that compliments other skills and gives the GM and Players a way to expand the abilities of their characters.

When building out a character Stealth skills plays a role in thievery, scouting, hunting, assassinations and a number of additional background concepts. To allow starting characters the ability to sneak around hamlets as they grew up we put a very low CP on the Stealth Anchor.

While stealth is a commonly needed skill, it has been associated with thievery in the minds of the general population in Elethay, Neutral and Jikadell dominated areas of the world. Some bandit gangs and barbarian tribes have made stealth a fundamental part of their way of life, and proudly use it. This has not helped stealth's reputation, but it does give a hint of where one may find a Mentor. Mentors in hamlets, villages and towns work diligently to keep their skills secret. When discovered they are labeled as thieves, no matter what the truth is. When the local constables go out to round up "the usual suspects" everyone known to possess Stealth is on the list.

As we designed these Stealth skill cards we tried to give a sense of what they are meant to do. We always design cards with "loose" rules to allow players and GM's to apply the skills in new and creative ways. We realize that this policy causes questions, but making specific rules reduces the role-playing possibilities. A few people will attempt to abuse the cards. As usual we rely on the players to use these skills in the spirit of the game and help other players understand that abuse reduces the games fun. As a last resort the GM can use rule 3.4 to control card use. Try not to make your GM resort to this.

There were several additional cards for Stealth in the early Beta stages. We rejected them for a number of reasons. Some did not fit the Grandilar background. A couple were just too mechanical and "felt" wrong. Others seemed to interfere with role-playing and the flow of the game.

The cards we dropped because they would be better when role-played were Sneak Attack and Set Ambush. The plans, actions and role-playing of the characters controls these actions better than a card does.

We dropped Combat Stealth because defining it was just too complex and the result was just rules mechanics. A player can use Ind's to use stealth in combat. From the players description of what they are doing the GM can determine how it affects combat by granting extra damage, DEF or any other MOD that seems appropriate.

When a terrible two occurs when using stealth skills the player can create and role-play their own characters difficulty, or they can just tell the GM and let her imagination go to work. Both ways can be highly entertaining for the group in general.

If the stealth user gets an exploding dice roll the skill may succeed without comment, or the GM may grant additional bonuses in the game.

Classic Compatibility. Classic Stealth and Thievery anchors do not work with 2.0 Stealth. There are also Deluxe Era cards like Pick Locks, Disarm Traps, Pick Pockets and Quick Fingers that do not combine with 2.0 Stealth cards.

As usual we will carefully read any comments on these cards that players and GM's send us through the forms on the webpage.

Web Page Updates

Two more sets have been reformatted so Sue can use them. 303 and 403. I added them to the Errata page, even though there were no changes.

Set 303 also got replaced on the free downloads page, so it is current.

Ann sent me an updated Guild Clan Roster a few days ago, and I just got it uploaded. I also put it on the DS website here. All of the Guild info is being migrated to the main site, less to deal with, and right now the less the better.

If you look closely at the info at the top of the Guild Clan list you can see that we will be making some changes to the system. If you have any thoughts or ideas on what you want to see, now is the time to use the contact form and tell us about it. Those who speak up get an opinion. If you are silent, well, there you go, you got what you asked for.

As you know, I am tweaking the cards since I have to change the format to make Sue new large cards that she can read. If you have any thoughts about the published cards or the Beta cards, this is your chance. We even have a form you can use. If you feel everything is perfect, then do not say anything.

For those of you with creative minds we also have a place to submit your card ideas. As you know, the actual idea may not make it, but your ideas can affect other cards as they progress.

The Dragon Storm Skype mailing list has moved. This is the new Link.
I also changed the Link in the listing on the web page.

If you have not been able to play regularly, I highly recommend that you try out the Skype gaming. Christina does us a great honor by running the list and there are several excellent GM's running games. I should also mention that these are some great people to play with. Try It!

Mark

New Dragon Storm Magic Sets Available to order Now.

The new Summer releases are available to order.

Valarian Set 310. Leaders and other cards.
Link to Universal sets orders, scroll down.

Witchcraft 800, with Anchor.

Witchcraft 801.

Wizard 802, with Anchor.

Wizard 803.

Shaman 804, with Anchor.

Shaman 805.

Link to the Magic Sets Orders.

Link to Downloads page to look over the new sets. You can Proxy these from the samples if you need more time. As I get the sets reformatted to make both standard and large cards I will be posting the new sets for download.

Link to the Individual card order page if you want multiples of an individual card. With the new layouts we are doing it will be easier to make individual cards. Therefore we have lowered the price to $6.99 for nine identical cards.

The DS Convention cards are available for order. Both the 2012 and 2011 sets may be ordered.
Link to the Special Cards order page.

Have fun, place your orders, and enjoy playing.
Mark

I just have to put this quote up

No I do not have permission to post this, so I will not tell you where it came from, but I love it!

I am thy GM tonight. All blame, if there is such a silly notion to be had, is mine by Divine Right granted to me by the Chaos I embrace.

Likewise granted to me by the Unholy Count of 3.4 is the power to summarily dispose of those things that interfere with my game, and I have already done so.

All conflicts, silly notions of blame, and this illogical thing called guilt are hereby banished to the Void.

So it is written. So it shall be done.

Now shut up and get ready to play.

Ah has spoken.

The DS Quill

Ever wanted to write a short piece of fiction for Dragon Storm?

Well, people are doing it!

You can find the DS Quill stories here.

You can find out how to submit your stories here, and discover what is going on.

Have some fun!
Mark

2.0 Card Eratta

As I work to create a set of larger cards that Sue can read and play using I am making some changes in the cards.
These changes are from player commentary. Thanks for passing on your thoughts. Your input will improve the game.

Card Errata page on the website.

When life knocks you down...

Get on your feet, look it in the eye, smile, and say "My Turn".

It has been too hot in the work area to get much done, and now that the weather has cooled down, we had a triple murder last night across the street from us.

Interesting world we live in.

Mark

Reavers, a story overheard

The original Reavers twisted their Elethay/Reaver abilities into being Jikadell Hags. True they are witch like, but they are a terror in combat as well.
Dersias Kilvan once said that "If you are lucky a Hag will kill you with magic, the unlucky survive the magic."

The true Elethay Reavers became a tiny virtually unknown cult preserving their skills and name.

It is said that on Deathday Elethay herself appeared at their mountain hide away. She spoke to all of the hundred Reavers and laid down her covenant, as reported by Dersias.
"No Reaver shall have authority or power over another individual, be they Reaver, mortal or Bloodkin. They shall work alone, or with others, to protect Elethay's works and gain revenge against the Hags, Necromancers and Jikadell for what was wrought this day." Then Elethay commanded them to go forth, reveal themselves and begin the work.

After Elethay had left, the six Reaver Councilors summoned the community to prepare to go to war. Then the six faced each other, swore fidelity to the covenant, and, facing each other, they slew themselves, leaving the Reavers leaderless.

You may well ask how far can we trust Dersias's accounts. We do not know. Of the man we know nothing. Only bits and pieces of his writing have survived the Dark Times that followed Deathday, so we do not know if he wrote first hand accounts or wrote down the stories as they were told to him. We have confirmed, through spirits, that such a historian existed, but little else has been learned.

It seems to me that the Pylos, or their agents, when they were destroying history, took a special glee in eradicating the works of Dersias Kilvan.

That is all for today, the wrenders shall have to wait for another day, I tire now and would take a few drinks so that I may try to forget the horrors that sobriety bring me. Hmmm, what? Why did the Pylos want to destroy history? That should be obvious. They wanted a blank slate onto which they could write their propaganda and call it history. Now, go away.

Mark

Dragon Storm and more news.

I have made a number of updates on the website.

The Errata, Comments, Feedback section of the site has been expanded. We are pulling the Beta site and the Guild site into the main site so they will be easier to find. It is going to take 3-4 months to get this done. Forms for questions, comments and updates have been added.

We have been posting comments, articles and errata on the site as we go along, but people are not used to it, so few have found it. Things like the link to the Skype gamers, the Article on making your own flaws and more are there.

In Health news we have had another set back. During the seizures and ongoing trauma, Sue has contracted an eye disease. It is now under control, but she has suffered permanent eye damage. This is going to affect how, and what, we do as we go along. For twelve years the income of Susan's art supported DS during the Classic/Deluxe Era. As of the introduction of 2.0 DS became self supporting, and is even making a small income. This is extremely lucky as we are now going to have to rely on DS for our primary income. Your support in the conversion is much appreciated and we need you to continue to support DS 2 and help expand the game. You have our sincere thanks.

So that Sue can read the DS cards I am creating a set of over sized cards for her. To do this I am having to rebuild the cards. I have found a way to make cards that can be expanded and contracted to do this with. This differences are small, so all is well as far as using existing cards. It also means I am going over every card for 2.0 and making small corrections. I am also looking at the comments people have made on the cards and a few are getting changes. I will be listing the changes that affect play in the Errata page on the website. Once we get that done there will be a free exchange program for some cards.

We are looking forward to seeing our DS loyalists at Storm Con in a few weeks.

Good Gaming to one and all!

Mark