CMG Extra - "Best Playing/DMing Experience" Day 30 of The D&D Thirty-Day Challenge!

Day 30 - Best Playing/DMing Experience

I cannot never pick just one and my best is almost always my most recent, so allow me to discuss a a few of the fine times I had at the Nexus Game Fair this last weekend.  In fact, let's just call the Nexus Game Fair my best, most recent playing experience and that covers things nicely.

First up, a blast from the not-so-distant past as Skip Williams was running a 3.XE D&D game.  I toted my 3.5 PHB to the show with me so I'd be prepared.  As the early players were sorting through pre-gen PCs, I flipped open my book to check on some detail and out of the front cover slid a character I used last year in Skip's game, and it was the same as one of the ones available.  I hadn't realized that this scenario was a potential continuation from last year's adventure!  This topped off the opening day of the convention with triple goodness for me: playing in a Skip's game, playing the same character from a previous game with Skip, and continuing the story line for that character.  We had a heck of a good time exploring unknown areas of the lower caverns from last year, following leads only to discover some information we got the previous year was less than reliable, and expanding our group's sphere of influence in the area.  Truly, a fun way to connect conventions with a sort of mini-campaign.

Skip Williams sets the stage for an encounter

The next morning, Friday, I had an early start (if 9 am can be considered early).  I was signed up for Jim Ward's Metamorphosis Alpha game.  When asked about survival rates in Jim's game, I quickly mentioned that I had never died by his bloodthirsty GMing hands.  True, on its face, but I have only played once at Jim's table despite knowing Jim for quite some time and being in places where his games were played since the 1970s.  How this situation has transpired is unintentional and odd, to say the least.  I tried once to get into his all-females game at Gary Con but the dress and wig borrowed from Michael Brown fooled no one.  I did have a beard at the time.

Sadly, toward the end of the Metamorphosis Alpha adventure, I received an emergency call from my family that needed to be taken (things are fine for now) and had to step away from the table.  Since I do not recognize the authority of a GM to kill a player character in player-absentia, I maintain my streak of surviving his games.  I was just fine when I stepped away and spoke to Jim right after the game to ensure he understood my position.  He has since mentioned that my character cannot have died under such circumstances.  He is wise in such matters and I will take him at his word.  We had great fun while playing, though, and I will be sure to avoid all spore-like creatures in the future.

Frank Mentzer admonishes Jim Ward, Harold Johnson, and Skip Williams

for even thinking about killing off a Mark CMG player character

Friday night, after the TSR "Secrets" panel that was convened in the above photo (no real discussion of my characters took place, to the best of my knowledge), I joined Harold Johnson for a 1E AD&D game in the lower depths of Tamoachan.  It was a real race against the clock in a level where excessive burrowing worm activity had undermined the entire complex.  Those who tried to carry out too many of the gold bars we had discovered were nearly killed for their greed and hubris.  The rest of us managed to escape with only some difficulty.  There's a lot more to explore under there and I hope to have another chance to check things out further at a future convention or gameday.

On a meta-note regarding this series, I have enjoyed writing these D&D Thirty-Day Challenge posts and I hope many others will do so as well.  I may have to come up with another such challenge for percentile dice that requires writing something twice weekly and allows for two weeks of vacation.  I think it might be fun to roll those randomly and cross them off as they are accomplished.  It might also be prudent to open up the theme to all RPGing or even all gaming to allow for a broader array of blog topics.  More on that after a bit more pondering . . .

The original D&D 30-Day Challenge meme had a duplication and was a bit more edition-specific than I thought was useful for my purposes, so I made some adjustments and had some folks on the Internet give it the once-over.  Here's the result and what I will be doing through the month of June as "CMG Extras."

CMG Extra - "Most Frequently Rolled # on a d20" Day 29 of The D&D Thirty-Day Challenge!

Day 29 - Most Frequently Rolled # on a d20

When I was revising this list the week before June, I probably should have replaced this question.  Folks that roll a particular number more than average, in this case more than 5% of the time on a d20, either have a faulty die, a selective memory, or simply very odd luck.  I can't imagine that many stories that come from this question are in the majority.  But just so that I can say that I answered all of the 30-Day Challenges, I will say "three."  I will then listen to the holy words of Brother Maynard, "Skip a bit brother," and proceed to simply discuss my dice in general.

I have two dice bags and a bunch of dice for other types of non-D&D gaming that I won't go into for this blog post.  The first, pictured above, I carry when I know I am going to be a player.  I took it to Nexus with me this weekend and had a blast!  I survived (as far as I know) Jim Ward's Metamorphosis Alpha scenario and continued a 3.XE crawl that began last year with Skip Williams at the helm.  I've had other dice in the past, of course, but this is my current player's bag.  It has three sets of Jumbo Dice from Koplow in green, blue, and purple.  I keep them in a black Crown Royal bag I picked up at an EN World Chicago Gameday (held at Games Plus in Mount Prospect, IL).  They hold three of those gamedays a year and, this one time (not at band camp), "Nev the Deranged" brought a pile of these bags as freebies for anyone who wanted one.  Very kind, Nev!

The bag I carry when I am going to DM was also a gift I got at one of the aforementioned gamedays, this time on GM's Day from my buddy Kent Wayson (of the Milwaukee "Kent Waysons").  "Paladin" and "Paladin Wife" of EN World had been making dice bags about a dozen years ago and Kent ordered one of them for me.  Thank you again, Kent!  It has served me well.  In it I also keep three sets of Jumbo Dice from Koplow, this time in black, red, and white, though I have a few exta of the red and white d4s, and a supplemental red d12.  I don't recall the circumstances that prompted those additions; maybe for Magic Missiles? Rounding out the main sets are an extra large black d20 with red numbering and a very large d30 to use with my many d30 tables (including some published in "30 Things Can Happen!").  I've also got some unusual dice and a few extra other dice such as a "month of the year" d12 and a "hit location" d12.  I've got a d24 and d16, the first to generate the hour of a day easily and the latter because it happened to be in a bin next to the d24.  I've got a "compass directions" die and a couple of Nexus d6s, as well as a d6 that my fiend Edwin gave me and a plain one in a swell blue color.  These dice seem to cover my DMing needs nicely.

The original D&D 30-Day Challenge meme had a duplication and was a bit more edition-specific than I thought was useful for my purposes, so I made some adjustments and had some folks on the Internet give it the once-over.  Here's the result and what I will be doing through the month of June as "CMG Extras."

CMG Extra - "PCs you have sworn off playing" Day 28 of The D&D Thirty-Day Challenge!

Day 28 - PCs you have sworn off playing

This one is kinda easy but has a few answers.  Firstly, I don't play "Evil" characters when I am a player.  I feel "Evil" is for the DM to utilize for villains and monsters when I DM, so I keep to the same philosophy as a player.  I also don't play cross-gender.  While I do so when I DM, as it is necessary, I feel the pitfalls of playing a character that is not the same gender as the player typically leads to cliches and stereotyping, so I avoid it.

Black Hand Witch Artist - Tamás Baranya

I also don't play monks.  I prefer Western European Medieval Fantasy and Monks just don't fit, in my own opinion.  Assassin might be used in Western European settings, but since they are "Evil" I still don't play those either.  It's not really a huge list and to those that don't agree, that's your call of course.

Black Hand Assassin Artist - Tamás Baranya

The original D&D 30-Day Challenge meme had a duplication and was a bit more edition-specific than I thought was useful for my purposes, so I made some adjustments and had some folks on the Internet give it the once-over.  Here's the result and what I will be doing through the month of June as "CMG Extras."

CMG Extra - "Favorite Curse of Cursed Item" Day 27 of The D&D Thirty-Day Challenge!

Day 27 - Favorite Curse of Cursed Item

I've blogged before about the cursed sword that altered reality for the PC party and they could fight against it by trying to replace the sword whence it came or accept the new reality as their own.  Either way, their collective memories of the original reality would slowly fade over time.  I've also pointed out the Superstitions Sourcebook which as a lot of useful items for a GM to introduce to a game including some not so useful to the player character party.  Check that out if you get the chance.

But I think one of my all time favorite cursed items is more of a McGuffin from The Whispering Woodwind adventure.  It is stolen by a bard named Cam who owes money around town and the low-level PCs are given the chance to chase after him and retrieve him and his "valuable" flute.  Naturally, there is more to this flute and the story than at first is known but let's just say that finding the flute and the bard can be troublesome in the long run.  Great fun!

The original D&D 30-Day Challenge meme had a duplication and was a bit more edition-specific than I thought was useful for my purposes, so I made some adjustments and had some folks on the Internet give it the once-over.  Here's the result and what I will be doing through the month of June as "CMG Extras."

CMG Extra - "Favorite Mundane Item" Day 26 of The D&D Thirty-Day Challenge!

Day 26 - Favorite Mundane Item

I'm not going to say that I love the ten-foot pole.  It's useful but it can also be awkward in a lot of situations and rarely gets DMed well.  Ask any DM to be honest and you'd fine that if properly adjudicated, most ten-foot poles would get broken or lost very quickly!  The same thing goes for the mule, but since that is an animal and not a piece of mundane equipment we can set that argument to the side for this day.  A backpack is the quintessential piece of adventurer gear but it's almost too mundane.  Perhaps thieves tools is the answer I should give.  They have some flair and a group that doesn't have them has to make a lot of tough choices about making noise and spell slots.

Artist - Rick Hershey

However, I am a DM mostly and I don't need to restrict myself to what might or might not be useful to adventurers as a favorite, not that a player taking this poll necessarily has to either.  I choose the chest.  More specifically, I choose the treasure chest, or even its smaller version the treasure box.  Yup, let's say "treasure box" because that covers all sizes of this fine, mundane item.  One of these can be a minor annoyance or an adventure unto themselves.  You don't even need to decide that in advance.  It is totally up to the players if they wish to spend much time on it.  How paranoid are they?  Will they rush to open it, regardless of potential traps?  Will they search it thoroughly for false bottoms and hidden compartments?  All sorts of possibilities with a treasure box, so I choose it as my favorite!

Artist - Rick Hershey

The original D&D 30-Day Challenge meme had a duplication and was a bit more edition-specific than I thought was useful for my purposes, so I made some adjustments and had some folks on the Internet give it the once-over.  Here's the result and what I will be doing through the month of June as "CMG Extras."

CMG Extra - "Favorite Magic Item" Day 25 of The D&D Thirty-Day Challenge!

Day 25 - Favorite Magic Item

If I could pick a category, I'd go with Potions.  They seem to be the most useful to all PCs at all levels.  Sure, they have a single use, for the most part, and the effects don't necessarily last all that long in a lot of cases, but many are essential to survival.  Any healing potion in any edition is a staple.  If you asked someone whether they'd want a healing potion or one other item of equal value, I'd bet most would choose the healing potion.  Anything else might or might not come into play but taking damage at some point in almost any game is just about guaranteed.

Artist - Rick Hershey

One of my favorites that was devised for the Potent Portals offering (available here at RPGNow.com) are the Shutters of Gruesome Grappling.  I loved them so much, I put them on the cover!  These nasty window coverings would protect against intruders by having tentacles spring forth, grapple, and constrict anyone trying to gain access without the password.  I've had a lot of fun springing this one on players and employing it as a player when I fortified a small household in a town.

The original D&D 30-Day Challenge meme had a duplication and was a bit more edition-specific than I thought was useful for my purposes, so I made some adjustments and had some folks on the Internet give it the once-over.  Here's the result and what I will be doing through the month of June as "CMG Extras."

CMG Extra - "Favorite Spell" Day 24 of The D&D Thirty-Day Challenge!

Day 24 - Favorite Spell

This is pretty tough because there are so many and unlike the monster questions on this list, I cannot fob off a second place answer to a different question on a different day (except maybe through curses and magic items!).  I am a fan of many of the "fire" spells but the fact that there are so many dilutes my love for any single one of them.  And once we've eliminated those as potential favorites, can I really go with any energy-based spell: cold, electricity, etc.?

Artist - Rackham, Arthur (illus) (1910) The Rhinegold & the Valkyrie

For the Superstitions Sourcebook I produced some years back in Era 3.5E, I included lots of Magic Items but also about two dozen new spells that I really enjoyed writing.  Dolphin Soul, for instance, allowed a caster to inhabit a dolphin for a time, though it left the caster's lifeless corpse behind for the duration at the tender mercies of his adventuring buddies.  Not always a good idea.  Locate Familiar's Owner is self-explanatory but of limited use.  Still, a fun one when it does come into play.  Another fun one was Pig of Himself which can cause someone to gorge themselves until they die.  But my favorite was a simple one that filled a need for Necromancers as follows:

Friend of Vultures
Transmutation [Earth]
Level: Clr 6, Sor/Wiz 6
Components: V, S, M
Casting Time: See text
Range: Long (400 ft. + 40 ft./level)
Area: Dirt in an area up to 750 ft. square and up to 10 ft. deep (S)
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: No
     This spell is often used as a preparatory spell before creating undead. Friend of vultures moves dirt (clay, loam, sand), possibly collapsing embankments,moving hillocks, shifting dunes, and so forth to uncover any dead bodies or skeletons in an area suitable for use in a create undead spell.
     However, in no event can rock formations or buildings be collapsed or moved, though tombstones will be displaced and jumbled in the process. The area to be affected determines the casting time. For every 150-foot square (up to 10 feet deep), casting takes 10 minutes. The maximum area, 750 feet by 750 feet, takes 4 hours and 10 minutes to move.
     This spell non-violently breaks the surface of the ground causing any pockets that hold the dead to belch them forth to the surface. Trees, structures, rock formations, and such are mostly unaffected except for changes in elevation and relative topography.  The spell cannot be used for tunneling and is generally too slow to trap or bury creatures. This spell has no effect on earth creatures.
     Material Component: A mixture of soils in a small bag and a spade made of a vulture bone.

The Superstitions Sourcebook @ RPGNow.com

The original D&D 30-Day Challenge meme had a duplication and was a bit more edition-specific than I thought was useful for my purposes, so I made some adjustments and had some folks on the Internet give it the once-over.  Here's the result and what I will be doing through the month of June as "CMG Extras."

CMG Extra - "Least Favorite Monster Overall" Day 23 of The D&D Thirty-Day Challenge!

Day 23 - Least Favorite Monster Overall

I don't like Tieflings.  I don't like their name.  I don't like their concept.  I don't like their very soul.  Okay, that is way over the top.  Truth is, I don't care for them for my own games but don't give a monkey's butt if someone else uses them in their setting.  "Least Favorite Monster" doesn't mean I have to hate my choice.  It merely has to rank lowest if I were to stack up all of the monsters.  If you look at my monster stack, that arm sticking out of the bottom and grasping for a lifeline is a Tiefling.

Artist - Malcolm McClinton

So, why are Tieflings something that ranks low for me?  I don't use them.  I don't generally use planes, except insofar as planes being places where some DM-run creatures reside or have their origins.  But those places are utterly and bizarrely foreign to PCs and civilized NPCs in my setting, those that have even heard of such places.  When I have used planes, it has been more like a twilight zone episode where one or more characters have passed through a portal and did everything they could to simply cross back over for fear of being forever trapped upon the other side, this when they've been lucky enough to wind up on a plane where survival was even possible (air to breathe, temperature not causing someone to burst immediately into flames, etc.).  For my settings, they aren't simply travel destinations or new frontiers for exploration, they are whole other alien worlds of mystery far beyond the understanding of mortal, terrestrial beings.  So, having a PC race with a background as being from another plane makes Tieflings a non-starter for me.  No offence, Wolfie.

Artist - Malcolm McClinton

The original D&D 30-Day Challenge meme had a duplication and was a bit more edition-specific than I thought was useful for my purposes, so I made some adjustments and had some folks on the Internet give it the once-over.  Here's the result and what I will be doing through the month of June as "CMG Extras."

CMG Extra - "Favorite Monster Overall" Day 22 of The D&D Thirty-Day Challenge!

Day 22 - Favorite Monster Overall

This one is easy for me because I have a personal stake in this creature, the Griffin.  Although it can be spelled in a number of ways (griffin, griffon, or gryphon), I prefer using two F's and two I's.  They fly, they tear, they rend, they are animalistic and yet noble.  They make for some ferocious mounts as well.  They have been rendered artistically in many ways over the years, and a wiki page on them shows their great lineage.

Artist - Bruno Balixa

For the logo I created for Griffins & Grottos, an RPG system I have been developing for years (and, yes, the name is a homage to the top game in the field and many of it's other homages), I chose a more traditional image.  It's simple and clean and, I think, evokes a classical period of gaming (Old School?) that I like.  What do you think?

The original D&D 30-Day Challenge meme had a duplication and was a bit more edition-specific than I thought was useful for my purposes, so I made some adjustments and had some folks on the Internet give it the once-over.  Here's the result and what I will be doing through the month of June as "CMG Extras."

CMG Extra - "Favorite Dragon (Color/Type/etc.)" Day 21 of The D&D Thirty-Day Challenge!

Day 21 - Favorite Dragon (Color/Type/etc.)

Good, old Red Dragon.  It's the favorite.  It's traditional, though I'd not say I chose it for that reason but rather that I may be influenced by that factor.  The vast majority of dragons I have encountered outside of D&D have been of the fire-breathing variety and are so often depicted as red that I think that may have worked into my own DNA.

Artist - Malcolm McClinton

However, if it wasn't Undead, I might put the Skeletal Dragon high on the list.  It's one I have have some great fun throwing at players.  There's that uncertainty when it first shows up about what sort of breath weapon it might have and if it can be turned by a cleric.  I like to have it breathe Death.  I describe it as an aroma that is a mix of decaying flesh and mustiness.  Depending on the level, or the age of the dragon, this can provoke a Save versus Death Magic or some other necrotic reaction.

Artist - Bruno Balixa

The original D&D 30-Day Challenge meme had a duplication and was a bit more edition-specific than I thought was useful for my purposes, so I made some adjustments and had some folks on the Internet give it the once-over.  Here's the result and what I will be doing through the month of June as "CMG Extras."

CMG Extra - "Favorite Humanoid/Giant/Fey" Day 20 of The D&D Thirty-Day Challenge!

Day 20 - Favorite Humanoid/Giant/Fey

Strong and stoic, that's how I like my Stone Giants.  Sure, I know that the modern RPG depiction of them as rock-bodied brawlers dates back to even before Tolkien's mountain moving colossus-types.  For myself, however, I like mine to be more akin to very large humans with an affinity to stone, the Earth, with just a grey enough complexion that you can't mistake them for any other Giant.

Artist - Malcolm McClinton

Don't get me wrong.  Certain settings cry out for a man made of granite, leading the charge in every battle near the mountains.  But give me something similar to the old Dragon Strike miniature, standing still, holding a block of marble and helping build a palace.  Let me have a tribe of these big oafs, intent on continuing their blood feud with the local Dwarves even if they don't understand or remember the history of why that is.  So, for this category, not only do I call Stone Giants my favorite, it has to be a certain kind of Stone Giant.

The original D&D 30-Day Challenge meme had a duplication and was a bit more edition-specific than I thought was useful for my purposes, so I made some adjustments and had some folks on the Internet give it the once-over.  Here's the result and what I will be doing through the month of June as "CMG Extras."

CMG Extra - "Favorite Elemental/Plant/Construct" Day 19 of The D&D Thirty-Day Challenge!

Day 19 - Favorite Elemental/Plant/Construct

A lot of folks following this blog series likely would think I'd give the Fire Elemental a shout out for favorite this time around.  It's true that I do enjoy using all elemental types but I'm not going that route.  Constructs are great, too, and I've thrown all sorts of them at players including Ice Golems of my own devising which made my players never want to build a snowman again.  But for this favorite I'm going with something I have loved since my earliest gaming days, before RPGs were even published, when I first read The Lord of the Rings - The Two Towers.  I'm talking about what has since been commonly referred to in D&D parlance as the Treant, though Tolkien called them "Ents."

Artist - Malcolm McClinton

From the moment I, as a reader of Tolkien, first became aware of Fangorn, as a character, I knew there was something special about him and his kind.  I carried around that beat up old Ballantine paperback for a week as I bridged between the first and third books of the trilogy.  Some of the best DMing advice I ever got may well have been a quote from Treebeard when he said, "I'm not altogether on anybody's side because nobody's altogether on my side."  I'm taking it out of context, of course, but it's true, if you understand me.  DMing/GMing is a calling that requires a certain neutrality, even as you're trying to challenge the players and keep them wondering if failure or success will be the result of their actions.

The original D&D 30-Day Challenge meme had a duplication and was a bit more edition-specific than I thought was useful for my purposes, so I made some adjustments and had some folks on the Internet give it the once-over.  Here's the result and what I will be doing through the month of June as "CMG Extras."

CMG Extra - "Favorite Planar Being/Creature" Day 18 of The D&D Thirty-Day Challenge!

Day 18 - Favorite Planar Being/Creature

This one is a bit of a cheat.  Let me explain.  I have one under consideration for favorite but, if I am being honest, it is a bit of an extension of another favorite.  The one I am suggesting is the Hellhound.  "But, Mark," I hear you cry, "you already have the wolf as favorite animal and this is just another version of it, in a way."  Fair enough and true enough.  Still, I've written this one into adventures, one of which is published, and I throw these into settings in places where ever I get the chance.  It's a wonderful companion for a Fire Giant, as used in my Fighting Fire adventure, as well as a great guardian in any lava-ridden or fire based environment.  Who doesn't enjoy a nice pooch even if it can breathe flames?

Artist - Keith Curtis

For the uninitiated, Fighting Fire is an adventure I wrote to assist with the Ernie Gygax Fire Relief Fund after his tragic apartment fire a couple years ago and since expanded to help with his mounting medical bills.  It's a fine setting based adventure that allows for folks using any Medieval Fantasy system to take on a heroic deeds and thwart an evil Fire Mage before he can do more harm to the civilized region easily adapted to any campaign.  And, of course, I mention it here as a Hellhound is in use and even made the cover.  It is available here.

The original D&D 30-Day Challenge meme had a duplication and was a bit more edition-specific than I thought was useful for my purposes, so I made some adjustments and had some folks on the Internet give it the once-over.  Here's the result and what I will be doing through the month of June as "CMG Extras."

CMG Extra - "Favorite Animal/Insect/Arachnid" Day 17 of The D&D Thirty-Day Challenge!

Day 17 - Favorite Animal/Insect/Arachnid

Bears, ants, and spiders are all right up there for me but I think for flexibility, wolves have to be my favorite.  I can put a single wolf on the trail of some PCs and drive them up a tree.  I can send them into fits with a distant howl.  I can even harry them over the course of several game sessions of travel with a relentless pack of these beasts.  Just about all climates and terrain can support their inclusion.  Very flexible.

Let's not forget, also, that the PCs can never be completely sure that such a beast isn't something a little bit more.  Werewolves aren't uncommon in the settings I run.  I can also simply be using the wolves as scouts for some other band of creatures.  They can also be used as mounts.  Yup.  For my money, wolves are the animal that wins the prize as a personal favorite of mine.

Artist - Storn Cook

The original D&D 30-Day Challenge meme had a duplication and was a bit more edition-specific than I thought was useful for my purposes, so I made some adjustments and had some folks on the Internet give it the once-over.  Here's the result and what I will be doing through the month of June as "CMG Extras."

CMG Extra - "Favorite Ooze/Aberrant Creature" Day 16 of The D&D Thirty-Day Challenge!

Day 16 - Favorite Ooze/Aberrant Creature

I'm sure I am not alone when I say that my fave in this category is the Gelatinous Cube.  This juggernaut of jelly has been giving players the jitters since some of the earliest days of D&D.  It's a wobbly, mobile acid bath that brings metal treasures right to you.  When a player complained one time that no one, and he emphasized "NO ONE," would ever unwittingly walk into a Gelatinous Cube, I queued up a couple of videos on my laptop for the next game session of people walking, running, and swimming into glass.  Do the search yourself and you'll find countless numbers of them.  It amounts to the same thing and the people in the videos are aware that there is meant to be glass where they are moving!

Not long back, I jumped on board for a Kickstarter from Inkwell Ideas called "Monster Stock Art & Minis."  I was more interested in the stock art for various projects of my own but the Laminated Cardstock  Minis are very cool too.  As one of the higher pledge levels, but only slightly higher than I would have had to pledge to get what I wanted from the project, there was a "Your likeness as one of our creatures" reward.  I couldn't resist.  It suggested "Send a picture and one of our zombies, orcs, etc. (any humanoid creature that hasn't been painted and not already requested) will look like you!"  So, I decided I needed to be in the Cube.  It is sometimes how I feel when I am running a game, so it's going to be the cover of an upcoming book on GMing.  Enjoy!

Artist - Malcolm McClinton

The original D&D 30-Day Challenge meme had a duplication and was a bit more edition-specific than I thought was useful for my purposes, so I made some adjustments and had some folks on the Internet give it the once-over.  Here's the result and what I will be doing through the month of June as "CMG Extras."

CMG Extra - "Favorite Undead" Day 15 of The D&D Thirty-Day Challenge!

Day 15 - Favorite Undead

They just keep coming.  They're more than a pile of bones.  They don't poison or paralyze.  They don't charm or seduce you.  They just keep coming so they can eat you.  I love the Zombie.  A lot of folks have had their fill of Zombies with television shows and movies being so prevalent but I have found that even those folks, when at the game table, get a bit of a shiver when the streaming horde or relentless corpses coming walking toward them, slavering and chomping in the air, hoping for a mouthful of adventurer.

Artist - Keith Curtis

In fact, I love Zombies so much, I had to write a board game in which I could use them that I called Lurch! The Zombie Chess Game.  It's base game is like Chess but it has over two dozens options and expansions that can be mixed and matched to make a ton of personalized play experiences.  It's available here.

Zombie Artist - Rick Hershey

The original D&D 30-Day Challenge meme had a duplication and was a bit more edition-specific than I thought was useful for my purposes, so I made some adjustments and had some folks on the Internet give it the once-over.  Here's the result and what I will be doing through the month of June as "CMG Extras."

CMG Extra - "Favorite NPC" Day 14 of The D&D Thirty-Day Challenge!

Day 14 - Favorite NPC

I've run my campaign for over four decades and, as mentioned in a previous challenge post here, I have advanced the timeline between campaigns five, fifty, and sometimes five hundred years.  However, there is an NPC I have carried along through all of the renditions.  His name is Portwert.  Just one name and I've never even decided if it is his first name or last, as some campaigns have been more formal than others.  I based him in part on Jan Gossaert's Portrait of a Merchant, c. 1530, which I had seen in an art book.  I simply liked his look and a character came to mind, a money-changer named Portwert.

Jan Gossaert's Portrait of a Merchant, c. 1530

Because I make use of unusual coins in my game, his profession is always something I can feature.  When a treasure is found, the coins can be ancient and/or obscure, and many merchants won't touch currency they do not recognize, so off to Portwert the adventurers must go. He's not always in the best part of town but if money is to be made, someone will tip him off and he'll be sure to make his services known through an intermediary; sometimes that is a stable boy on his payroll for information and sometimes a nobleman who owes him money or a favor.  Get in good with Portwert and he can come up with fresh leads for adventure.  It's in his best interest, since it means more business for him.

Artist - Maciej Zagorski

When the group travels to foreign soil, they know they can get some proper pocket money for their destination so as not to raise eyebrows when they arrive or attract unwanted attention.  He'll act as a banker, too, if asked though if you don't make it back from an adventure, good luck to your next of kin who might be hoping to see any of that money.  Usually he has some story, and a witness, that a sizable withdrawal was made just before the passing of said client.  Did I mention he always has a handful of bully boys nearby keeping an eye out for troublemakers?  Portwert rarely sees any trouble.  Of all the NPCs I have ever played, Portwert is a definite favorite and the one I have utilized the most and to the greatest effect.

The original D&D 30-Day Challenge meme had a duplication and was a bit more edition-specific than I thought was useful for my purposes, so I made some adjustments and had some folks on the Internet give it the once-over.  Here's the result and what I will be doing through the month of June as "CMG Extras."