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Re: Ask Arkanis
Posted: Fri Jan 10, 2014 5:21 am
by ZabelSword
Would your toon rather be hated or forgotten:?:
Re: Ask Arkanis
Posted: Sat Jan 11, 2014 11:22 am
by DM Arkanis
Darksider_war wrote:Secret things you are allowed to do thanks to D&D's creative laws. Any comments Ark?
1) Passing an item hand to hand is a free action (doesn't take up time), so if you line up a few thousand people you can get an object to travel miles in six seconds. Then the last person throws it. This is commonly called the "Peasant Railgun". note
2) You can also have one player stand on another player's shoulders and pick him up as a free action. Then the other player picks him up. Since this is all a free action, there is no time for them to fall, and thus they can fly by repeatedly picking each other up in midair.
3) If you have someone in a grapple, you can move them at a fraction of your normal movement speed, assuming they fail (or don't try) to resist. So if you have a half dozen people or so in a group hug and none of them resisting, they can travel faster than running speed. Get enough people and you can break the sound barrier.
Further, all characters in a grapple are in the same square. There's also a rule that up to three people can grapple with one target. With some creative planning on the part of the grapplers, you can get it so that the entire population of a planet is in one square, which is 5 feet in game terms. There's also a rule as to what happens when players break a grapple (each member of the grapple is shoved to the nearest empty square immediately). This can result in characters going faster than the speed of light in order to land on a properly empty square.
4) Dropping an item is a free action, as well. And if you happen to be fireproof and are standing next to an enemy while carrying, say, five hundred units of alchemist's fire... Though the logistics of actually carrying all of it is a bit screwy in and of itself (seriously, you normally only have two hands with which to drop them).
5) Perhaps the most true-to-form example of rule loophole, is that while the state of "Dying" is explicitly defined in the rules as far as what actions are acceptable, the state of "Dead" has no restrictions. There Ain't No Rule preventing a freshly-killed player from standing up and continuing the fight.
6) There's no official restriction preventing you from using the spell True Creation to make planet-destroying quantities of antimatter.
7) The various settings tend to have in-universe cases somewhere in all the history and organizations. For instance, House Jorasco healers are not supposed to treat without payment in money... but there is nothing hindering them from lending the necessary money and then setting a task as repayment in kind for the loan.
OK sorry for the late reply on this.
Lots of good points Darksider in terms of loop-holes in the game. I seem to remember older incarnations of D&D having a ton more rules than v4.0 does (I am probably wrong but it feels like it) right down to how much it would cost to build a castle based on material, labour, etc. in the first ed. DMG. As the game evolved, and these kind of questions came up, and more people began to write modules, paperbacks, suppliments to rules, more questions came up: how CAN there be spells from Greyhawk in the FR? (All of Bigby's, tensors, Tasha's, Milfs, etc)for example. I think that all rules have to be subject to the siutation in which they are applied, and common sense applied. Yes, arguments could be made to say that a mob grappling one fellow moves at the speed of light, the reality would in fact be that the mob probably wouldnt move anywhere fast because no one could agree on the direction they would go or necessarily be able to move in that direction due to their position in the mob...
When confronted in PnP with these kind of questions (by players who have the rule book on their lap and can cite chapter and verse to me) because they think that I have made a ruling that goes against the rules I usually start by saying that they don't necessarily know everything that is going on in the situation and that there may be a perfectly valid reason for the ruling and they just havent figured it out yet. If/when that fails, I fall back on the old-time-favourite - because I said so.
Ark
Re: Ask Arkanis
Posted: Sat Jan 11, 2014 11:25 am
by DM Arkanis
TheKai wrote:Hello Arkanis!
Are there any elven monastic orders? Was thinking of creating an elf monk perhaps but it seems the chaotic nature of the elves would contradict the lawful requirement? Also read about the Seldarine and not one lists Monks (that I saw). Would an elven monk be considered snowflake?
R,
Kai
Kai,
Not sure I know of a specific elven monk order off of the top of my head. Players can certainly play elven monk characters but they don't necessarily belong to an order per se.
"Elves, with their extremely long lives and innate grace, would seem to be perfectly suited to the life of the monk and, in fact, they are enthusiastic practitioners of the martial arts. Unfortunately, elven enthusiasm is too often a fleeting thing. In pursuit of their whimsies elves have been known to simply abandon their martial practice literally in the blink of an eye, with no intention of ever returning to it. Those elves who do maintain their devotion do so as often for the aesthetic value of the martial arts as for any concerns of practicality or enlightenment. As such, elves are most often temple swordsmen or performers.
Elves have a great love for swordplay that is instilled in them almost from birth. Many monasteries in the elven lands teach fighting styles that blend the longsword with graceful, high flying kicks and tumbling into a seamless whole. The sword masters these schools produce are considered artists on a par with the greatest singers, sculptors and painters, likewise for those elves who dedicate their lives to the study and perfection of acrobatics and performance theatre. Elven performers are among the most recognized artists in the entire world, their grace and carefree natures making them the darlings of crowds everywhere.
Elven history is marred by long periods of sorrow, betrayal and brutal warfare. When such tragic times occur, many elves are driven to the life of the fugitive monk or secret society member, working to preserve the unravelling threads of elven society. Others, the last survivors of their family, are left on the steps of human monasteries and grow up as temple orphans. Finally, some elves, embittered by years of hardship and sorrow, turn to crime and the ways of the pirates of the eastern seas, swooping down on their traditional racial enemies in a storm of blood and fire.
It is the rare elf indeed who would choose to study the way of the sumotori, as the enormous fatty bulk of the greatest sumo is repugnant to the elven sense of beauty. Likewise, no elf would willingly choose to become a eunuch, the prospect of millenia without carnal release is a truly terrifying prospect for the free-spirited elves."
Re: Ask Arkanis
Posted: Sat Jan 11, 2014 11:39 am
by DM Arkanis
ZabelSword wrote:Would your toon rather be hated or forgotten:?:
Good question. I suppose it would depend on the toon.
In the eight or so years that I have been playing NWN2, the most memorable toons for me have always been villans. Now, don't get me wrong, there are many good-aligned players I remember as well, but the villans always seemed to stand out because they were "hated." Even in PnP days from years ago, I can remember some of the most vile, and evil chatacters my friends played and their LG pally's not so much.
I would hope that in years of playing this game (albeit in two separate communities now) that there would be some out there who would remember some of my characters good or evil, and I think that you can be remembered not solely for being evil, but for great RP, idioms/quirks, doing silly or noble things, etc. There was one character on TFR called "Ondar" who constantly ran into people standing beside him and then would apologize, but it was CONSTANT and I think he ended up getting banned...? Dunno old TFR folk out there may remember better than I do. Anyhow, he did nothing special other than grief other players, and yet most of us from that server who were around enough remember that character. Hate him? I dunno. Remember, for sure. Begs the question though about what you would want to be remembered for.
To answer your question. Hating someone involves a lot of energy, and to be hated means to be remembered for being a jerk as well, for whatever reason large or small. To carry around hate means you carry around the hurt, thus remember. In being forgotten, it doesnt necessarily mean that you were a saint in life, it only means that you did not do anything worthy of being remembered of. Those who are typically and totally forgotten would be those who do not interract with others, i.e. have no friends or family, and who accomplish nothing in their lives in terms of actions worthy of remembrance. You could argue though that I don't remember any of my ancestors, etc. and that they have been forgotten. Generations of people who may have done great things in their lifetimes, loved and been loved by others, worthy of remembrance, but forgotten due to time - lost to the ages. I think in that, I can find solace knowing that I lived my life to the best of my ability, and that if over coming eons no one remembered me, that it would not be a life lived in vain. I think that I would choose to being forgotten over being hated by others simply because I would be ashamed to leave behing a legacy where people despised me.
Ark
Re: Ask Arkanis
Posted: Sat Jan 11, 2014 11:49 am
by DM Nilbog
Why haven't we seen a Big Budget forgotten realms movie or show?
Re: Ask Arkanis
Posted: Sat Jan 11, 2014 6:39 pm
by DM Arkanis
That is a really good question Nilbog. There are several on-line blogs that talk about this in depth. From my reading, consunsus seems to be that there are not enough potential movie-goers who would get what the FR is. DnD movies have always been hit and miss in terms of budget, planning, and production because there is such a vast range of what DnD means to people. Too much lore-specific details and you will lose audience, not enough, and no one will watch it. Generic (for lack of a better word) DnD type movies have never found much audience and tend to be uber low budget and as a result never do well. Hollywood looks for money makers, and without a firm following, I dont think we will ever see a FR movie. What really needs to happen is someone take a leap of faith and build a story around FR lore and make a movie about it, hoping that the general public will cordon on to it because of great special effects and story. I think if we had a good enough story, and the heavy dollars behind production to make it great that there could be a whole succession of great FR movies. There needs to be a (rich) pioneer to take up the cause, and I dont see anyone willing ATM.
Re: Ask Arkanis
Posted: Sat Jan 11, 2014 6:49 pm
by DM Nilbog
You know I thought that as well but look how popular Game of Thrones is and they pump in a ton of lore so I find that hard to buy. Could it be who has rights to make a movie I know WB back in may got rights to make a D&D movie but never said the setting do Ed Greenwood and R.A. Salvatore own the rights somewhat to their works or does WOTC?
Re: Ask Arkanis
Posted: Sat Jan 11, 2014 6:57 pm
by DM Arkanis
Game of Thrones is based on about eight books in a series that I see. FR/WOTC have over one hundred books, and from what I can tell it is too watered-down to get a clear, consise "this is what it is about" take on. I agree that there would need to be a focus on one aspect of things - Drow elves under Bob Salvatore would be perfect, but audience appeal would have to come from a story that would bring in not only viewers who know the background but those who do not. What is needed is someone to do an, "Avatar" level story (special effects and storyline) on the Drizzt books and I think it would sell as a fantasy movie. PROBELM is finding someone with the bucks to do it. Let's be honest, there is also a huge stigma around DnD out there - Game of Thrones has magic and dragons, but it has no attachment to the dreaded, satanic, and evil, Dungeons and Dragons. The biggest reason there is no hugely successful DnD movie is that DnD is still viewed as evil. There is a ton of great movie script ideas out there in the FR/WOTC world (think of a movie based on Erevis Cale!) but little stomach to take on a viewing audience that views the genre with suspicion let alone DnD.
Re: Ask Arkanis
Posted: Sat Jan 11, 2014 7:06 pm
by DM Arkanis
If anyone is really interested in seeing if there could be a FR movie, contact James Cameron (he is a fellow Canadian, eh?)
James Cameron via the Screen Actors Guild at James Cameron Directors Guild of America 7920 Sunset Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90046.
You can also reach him at his production company at James Cameron Earthship Productions 3806 Cross Creek Road Suite D Malibu, CA 90265-4975
Let's start a snail-mail letter writing campaign!
Re: Ask Arkanis
Posted: Sat Jan 11, 2014 7:08 pm
by DM Nilbog
Hell yea he could do one hell of a Aquatic elf movie
Re: Ask Arkanis
Posted: Sat Jan 11, 2014 7:27 pm
by DM Asgorath
DM Arkanis wrote:Milfs
Pardon me?
Re: Ask Arkanis
Posted: Sat Jan 11, 2014 7:55 pm
by DM Arkanis
DM Asgorath wrote:DM Arkanis wrote:Milfs
Pardon me?
Very funny. Don't get me started.
Re: Ask Arkanis
Posted: Mon Jan 13, 2014 8:35 am
by Selande
Why is the Forgotten Realms campaign setting called Forgotten Realms?
Re: Ask Arkanis
Posted: Mon Jan 13, 2014 3:00 pm
by DM Arkanis
Selande wrote:Why is the Forgotten Realms campaign setting called Forgotten Realms?
"Forgotten Realms is the name of a fantasy world setting, described as a world of strange lands, dangerous creatures, and mighty deities, where magic and supernatural phenomena are quite real. The premise is that, long ago, the Earth and the world of the Forgotten Realms were more closely connected. As time passed, the inhabitants of planet Earth have mostly forgotten about the existence of that other world—hence the term Forgotten Realms. On the original Forgotten Realms logo, which was used until 2000, small runic letters read "Herein lie the lost lands", an allusion to the connection between the two worlds."
Re: Ask Arkanis
Posted: Mon Jan 13, 2014 3:43 pm
by DM Nephilim
DM Nilbog wrote:Why haven't we seen a Big Budget forgotten realms movie or show?
Look how long it took them to do Lord of the Rings and the Hobbit.... Forgotten Realms is still an infant in comparison. LOL.