1. A forest of executioner’s crosses, where the local law authority leaves criminals to die and to serve a somber warning to others.
2. A prison high atop a mountain cliff, only accessible by a crude ‘elevator’.
3. Wreck of a ship used as a prison. Where have all the prisoners gone to?
4. The ruins of arena designed for trial by combat
5. A half-built pyramid
6. A quarry where half-built statues form of rocks protruding from the hillside are everywhere. Those statues are colossal, from 4 metres tall and 2 metres in width
7. A goblin’s (or insert evil demi-human race of choice here) version of a slaughterhouse…intended for humans.
8. Ruins of a bath-house with technology comparable to what the Romans has…for use by giants.
9. Sites used for judgments by rituals
10. A gigantic “well” (really a deep shaft) which goes deep downward, with wooden platforms and side excavations (think the Money Pit)

Bombs

These alchemical creations explode in a variety of ways when expose to air, or when the mix of strange blackpowder within it is ignite, causing the clay jars or pots holding the mixture to shower upon the enemies. It takes a Strength test (3d6 + Strength) to make a good throw, and it at most can go up to 8 yards.

Bombs in the CRPG does good damage at the beginning (the Prima Strategy Guide lists them as doing 80 points of damage), but become lackluster towards the end of the game. As characters in the CRPG starts with 90 to 110 Health, and the PnP version starts with 20 to 35 Health, the bombs all do 3d6 points of damage.

As this is a PnP RPG game where stuff can be more flexible, I have added some side-effects of using those bombs.

Acid Flask: 3d6 nature damage within 4 yards, all targets take 1d6 points of damage next round, and 1d3 the round after. Double the AR for reducing damage from the Acid Flask.

Fire Bomb: 3d6 fire damage within 4 yards, will set flammable substance on fire

Freeze Bomb:3d6 ice damage within 4 yards, puts out fire, creates a thick alchemical fog which gives -2 penalty Attack to those within

Shock Bomb: 3d6 electricity damage within 4 yards, make a Constitution roll with the TN as the damage done or else loses major action

Soulrot Bomb: 3d6 spirit damage within 4 yards, all those who takes more than 12 points of damage suffer -1 penalty to Magic for 1 minute

Arrows

Those arrows are either coated with a susbtance that does elemental damage, or weaved with magic to achieve their effects. Enchanting items is usually left to the Tranquil (or in some cases, a very talent Dwarven savant), and hence it is not possible for PCs to craft their own enchanted items within the constraints of Freleden.

Andraste’s Arrows: Target suffers -2 Magic for one turn if hit
Arrow of Filth: +1 Nature damage
Elf-Flight Arrow: +3 Attack, use 3 Stunt Points to make a target unable to perform a major action
Fire Arrow: +1 fire damage
Ice Arrow: +2 ice damage

Shortbows

Scout Bow: 1 in 6 chance of Aim being  free action*
The Dark Moon: +1 Will Power, AR 2 against Nature damage, Ignore 2 points of AR
The Fox’s Bow: +2 Defense vs. ranged attacks
Whitewood Bow: +2 damage, +1 Stunt Point
Wilds Bow: AR 2 against Nature damage

Longbows

Antivan Longbow: +1 Stunt Points
Bow of the Golden Sun: +2 Attack
Dalish Longbow: 1 in 6 chance of Aim being a free action
Falon’Din’s Reach: +1 damage, 1 in 6 chance of Aim being a free action
Far Song: +2 damage, 1 in 6 chance of Aim being a free action, +1 SP, +3 Attack, add damage from the Dragon die on hit
Mage’s Eye: add damage from half the dragon die on hit, +2 Attack
Marjolaine’s Recurve: +2 Cunning, +2 damage, 1 in 6 chance of Aim being a free action
Spear Thrower: 1 in 6 chance of Aim being a free action, ignore 1 point of AR
Wolf-Killer: +2 damage against undead, +3 damage against beasts

* As a way of balancing the item, the second Aim action (if the player chooses to take it) will not have a chance of being free.

What type of Gamer am I?

Before going into the long article(s?) about how I perceive D&D 4E, I have to give a background of my gaming career, right? I started off with Advanced Fighting Fantasy, then delved into a number of Homebrews that are essentially roll-under systems with feats and spells. Finally I settled into WFRPG 2E for a while, then find myself going on to Spirit of the Century, which would be my niche for a long time. Dragon Warriors hold a special place in my heart, and I am quite fond of Qin: The Warring States. As you can see, I lean mostly to the rules lite crowd in PnP RPG.

I too play lots of CRPG – right now my MMO obsession is Lord of the Rings Online; I was an avid Diablo II fan, playing it hours after hours. Neverwinter Nights II, the Witcher, Knights of the Old Republic, Divine Divinity, Oblivion all has sucked time away from me before I got tired of them. Console-wise, there is Shadow Hearts (all three in the series), Final Fantasy (7 to 12, sans 11), Tales of Verspia, among others. So over-the-top summons (remember the “I can grab a sandwich and make a cup of milo while waiting for Eden to be summoned” in FF8?), fantastic spells and flying airships are all too-familiar to me.

With my background established, I guess some may understand my reaction to the D&D 4E classes as ‘Huh, this is fantasy? Which type?”

What type of Fantasy is D&D 4E?

To like or to hate 4E, first one have to established what type of fantasy D&D 4E is trying to emulate. It is defintely not Lord of the Rings. Back in the good old days of the older D&D, Gandalf was just a 5th level Magic User. Now I got a feeling in 4E a first level wizard could totally kick Gandalf’s ass. Here’s a comparison:

Level 1 Wizard gets Light, Mage Hand and the all-purpose Prestidigitation. In the novels, Gandalf used Light on a couple of occasions. Indeed, Gandalf the White is quite reluctant to show off his powers. He didn’t float a cloud of daggers, call down fire from the sky. The most magical thing he would have done is to be the light that drive off the Nazgul. That may be a variant of turn undead or something. Of course, spells are not everything. Gandalf the White may be able to dispel all sort of magic, and heck, call down a pillar of fire if he wants to. But the point is- over-flashly magic is not the tone of Lord of the Rings.

Of course, the point is not to show that 4E is flawed or something, but it is definitely not for a setting where fantastic magic is common place (how do you buy a Palantir, anyway?)

Besides looking at the  measurement of power, the power descriptions are just too over the top. I have read the Drenai saga (which could, I feel, fit into D&D 3.5, what with its dual wielding, switching of souls, walking of planes, throwing of fireballs, ability to heal with music and kill with just a look), and even in 4E, the powers still feel way too fantastic. It is definitely not a good ruleset for A Song of Ice and Fire, where magic is virtually extinct from the main narrative. There may be some epic-magic-is-common fantasy novels out there, but I wouldn’t look too far. I personally have an opinion that the fantasy that D&D 4E is good at emulating is video game fantasy (no doubt this has been told lots of time), anime and…wuxia.

What…Wuxia?

Many fighter, rogue and ranger Powers remind me of the many wuxia novels (original Chinese wuxia novels) which I have read. The ability to weave in and out of the battlefields, pushing enemies away (regardless of their size) and striking at many enemies at once. For exampe, Storm of Blows allows a fighter to strike at multiple enemies within range; that sounds awfully like wire-fu to me. Or Paralzying Strike, which exists in Wuxia as a form of ‘nerve pinching’.  Not to mention the flurry of blows powers; some of reseembles this clip from the Last Blade. Let see – moving and strking at your enemy? Checked.  Multiple attacks at one enemy? Checked.  Counter-defence that opens up your enemy’s weakness when he attacks you? Checked.

Let me try to sum up the points – the magic of 4E is over the top for most fantasy-based settings (even for Harry Potter!). Its martial abilities is more wuxia-like than down to earth. It doesn’t remind me of any fantasy novles which I have read; In fact,when reading the Player’s Handbook, it brings anime, wuxia novels and even some computer games (Diablo 2, for example) to my mind.

Is this a bad or good thing? It depends on what sort of setting and the feel of the game you like. (Even Wuxia is mentioned as one of the probable genre in the DMG). Grim and gritty it is not – D&D 4E is more like the Final Fantasy of pen and paper RPG (not in terms of mechanics, but the style and feel).  For me, I like my fantasy to have the feel of Lord of the Rings, or probably something gritter, so having fighters with wuxia-like pwoers and wizards who can call down pillars of fire over and over again doesn’t quite fit well with me.

Yet as I read through the powers’ descriptions, something just bugs me. I’ll get into it next time, when I have the chance to.

1. The Order of Saint Leondra is dedicated to perserving the history and lore of the True Faith, for they believe faith in the True Faith comes from knowledge and the words of the Saviour. The monks were (are?) holy men, and now cadavers, they persisted in their tasks even though long dead. They had been the source for religious texts (which were then sent to the churches to be distributed). A thing has happened of late, though. The Archbishop of Albion, seeking to soldify support for the unpopular King, wished to amend some of the old text. This, the Order of Saint Leondra, opposed. The Archbishop has declared that those ‘undead monsters’ are to be wiped out and have been sending in adventurers in. Would the PCs be part of the cleansing, or help to preserve the order?
2. Those are not monks of a religious order, but actually the followers of an old god, a thing that walked between voids and blotted out the stars and sun when it did. The tomes which they are writing are actually teachings of a cult that worship the old god, and it was left to those undead monks because anyone who spent sufficient time writing those text would turn insane. Now they are writing it in quantities. Who is going to distribute them?
3. An important text which the adventurers need to further their goal was destroyed during a purging by witch-hunters. All copies of it were burned to ashes. But there is a rumor of a certain place where the library is stocked with all types of ancient tome, and its inhabitants work tirelessly to preserve all knowledge. Yet could the adventurers just marched into a monastery of undead monks and get away with it. What do dead people want from the adventurers in return?

No man, it is said, set foot within the garden and goes  into the depth and had emerged alive.

1. This is just a rumour spread by a secretive group of botanists who are experimenting with exotic flowers, weeds and grapes to devise potions of dubious purposes. Some gives its drinker moments of joy, but are higher addictive. Some are potent poison which are scentless and could easily pass for wine.  Needlessly to say, if the adventurers have any business there, it would be either for information, to acquire one of those mixture, or to destroy the garden. Though the adventurers should find out more about the nature of the operation. Are they impartial businessman? Do they have a bigger agenda in mind?
2. The garden is a living chessboard which 4 powerful wizards long ago used to sort out their differences (it was a much better alternative to seek out a desolate countryside and turn the whole place to cinder and ashes). Flowers, weeds and trees are aggressive, and they attack each other.  A simple gardener was brought in to design the landscape, ornaments and other decorations, to act as barriers, obstacles and basically, to make up the terrain of the game. Indeed, the ruins of those 4 wizards’ towers are found at the four corner of the gardens. However, the enchantment holding the ‘living’ pieces at bay is weakening. The ‘game’ is spreading out into the ruins, and soon out to engulf the entire city.
3. When the House of Alarius commissioned the garden, it was more than just to “give something to society”. In fact, it is a covert operation to build a series of tunnels to underground hideouts, exits outside the city and to important locations of the city (near the barracks, just outside of the castle and so on). The merchant house was dissolved after nearly a century of business, then the thieves took over. This is the place to go if you wish to get a shortcut to a place you don’t usually get to go. However, the different factions trying to gain control of the garden has set up all sort of devious means to protect their turf – traps, ambushes and even the occasional druidic magic to bring trees to life.

1. There are legends of a pool, located in a grove, bordered by forests of the faerie, where one could see visions and images of the times to come. A seeress once dwell there, and she was responsible for prophecies and advice that aid many in averting ruins to the kingdom. However, the seeress had died, and someone else has taken over her guise and now control the pool. She can command the pool to show whatever she wishes, and she is now using it to sow discord throughout the kingdom. Whatever her aims are, it is unknown, but strife and chaos is just one on her list.
2. The Tablets of Destiny, an ancient religious writing which was used by a group of priests to foretell the future, have disappeared from their temple. Badly copied versions of those writings have appeared, and someone is circulating them. Merchant houses, noblemen, bandit lords and group of adventurers have been getting fragments of ‘prophecies’ which when interpreted, points to them as Messiahs of the world, glorious emperor, the harbinger of a new age. Those who follow the advice and heed the portends of those fragments of prophecies will have great initial success – and soon the doubting ones follow too. But the catch is that they are just following the fragments of an entire prophecy. The true prophecy can only be known if the adventurers manage to recover the Tablets of Destiny, or piece all the fragments together, and they would realise just how many are contributing to the ruin of the world.
3. A seer has been visiting those factions, and force compelling visions onto the leader of each of them. To one, they would say another is an obstacle to their goal. Then to the other, they would say the former is an obstacle as well, sowing discord and chaos in this manner. Who is this seer, and what is his real motive? And why are those given a vision are so fanatical in pursuing them? The seer has given them more than just a vision; an astral parasite has leeched into their mind as well, compelling them to believe in the visions and subtly controlling them.

1. Dozens of years ago, an expedition from this very port set out to explore the far north. They were supposed to return in three years time, but they never did. This is the last surviving ship to return, but when the adventurers boarded it, it is devoid of people…living or otherwise. However in the cargo hold there is an ancient stone sarcophagus. Whatever that was on that ship, it is long gone now – perhpas out in the port. There were tales of a tryant who practised blood magic, and to be killed he had to be staked through the heart. That he may never arose again, he was interned with a coffin of stone, and sent north in a ship…perhaps the resting place was found by the expedition, and the old tryant is back.
2. The ship is of massive size, and when the adventurers wandered in, they will find the ship devoid of life, but filled with shelves after shelves of surprisingly well-preserved scrolls, tomes and parchments. This was a ‘floating library’, and an order of scholars and sages traveled all over the known world collecting and recording histories, folklores and tales. It was lost over fifty years ago, and its sudden reappearance is a mystery. And this is when descendants of the order turned up, and demanded that the ship belong to them. Unfortunately, two such groups claimed rights. What should the adventurers to?
3. Along with the ship came an icy cold mist and wind, even though it is summer. Within the massive ship, more of an ark, are a race of fish-men hybrid. Housed within the hold of the ship is a ritual of power magic that would turn the entire region into an icy cold landscape. The creatures had escaped from their original homelands, perhaps exiled or driven out, and are seeking new places. Within 2 days the waters would have frozen, and the people would be powerless against the merciless cold, unless the adventurers could stop those half-men, half-fishes. Those creatures may be open to diplomacy, but they are impatient, for they have been sailing for more than 25 years.

1. Road to Hidden Gates: When faeries walk the world openly and mankind was still young, lanterns were used to light the way between the doorsteps of different fay domains. Those lights still remain, showing the way to a dormant fay realm. Many reasons would led the adventurers to walk this path – a missing young lord, tracking a rogue sorcerer who is using the realm as his hide-out or even the allure of treasures. The lights are within sight of each other, showing the way to the gate, but the journery in middle is not without its share of perils.
2. Finding Rest: Long time ago, a murderer lurked within the region, killing young and old for his own depraved reasons. A paladin hunted him down and brought him to justice, but the bodies of the victims were never found. The paladin begged his patron deity for the means to find the bodies so that they may be put to rest, and there came the spirit lights. Each would guide an adventurer to a place where a victim of the loathed murderer. The paladin managed to retrieve two by following two of those lights, but he disappeared forever when attempting to find the third. Apparently, the victims were brought to a place of danger…
3. The Path for the Journery: The people of Sandhornvale are of an interesting mix. It used to be a small village, when gypsies cameto dwell within the village because of wars and a plague. The toils of those times killed most of the gypsies, including those who know where to go next – it seemed that they were following a path laid down by their ancestors. The youngsters, lost and frightened, stayed with the villagers of Sandhornvale. Ever since them the spirit lights have appeared – and they are actually the route which the gypsies. Now their descendants are feeling a strange urge to follow those lights, but times have changed. Why did their ancestors follow those path? Is it necessary? What lurks along the way? Maybe a group of descendants wish to undertake the journery, but fearing danger, asks the adventurers as an escort. The reasons could rangome from bringing offering to their ancient ancestors to having to recite a ritual which ensure that a powerful enemy remained imprisioned.

1. A Different Sort of Delivery: A rebellion is under way, and the various merchant houses are conspiring with the outlaws, giving them supplies and the weapons they would need. A fake raid is their mean of transferring supplies and intelligence. The experienced adventurers may have been attached to the convoy to give a veneer of credibility or they are given orders by rightful authority to guard the convoy. Needless to say, any actions the adventurers may take to interfere with the brigands would be met with a surprise.
2. The Bait: The foodstuff and grains carried by the convoy are poisoned. This is the new method which the various merchant houses have agreed on to deal with the brigands. That those brigands are intended on re-distributing those food to the nearby poverty stricken villages are none of their concern. Perhaps it would be of the adventurers.
3. A Lesson In Humility: The leader of the convoy is a brash, inexperienced scion of a powerful merchant house, and he thinks too much of himself and disregard the adventurers’ concerns. The brigands, however, are the men belonging to his father, and this raid is to teach the youngster a lesson. The adventurers are attached to ensure that the young man don’t do anything rash. Unfortunately, some enemies of his father have infiltrated the false raiding brigands, and what supposed to be a lesson about carelessness turned out be a real nightmare when the reinforcements the father has prepared never arrived.