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<span id="blog-title">Lacking Natural Simplicity</span>
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<p class="lead blog-description">Random musings on books, code, and tabletop games.</p>
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<article class="blog-post h-entry post-text"><header><h2 class="p-name entry-title blog-post-title"><a href="posts/2009/06/08/barrington-j-bayley/" class="u-url">Recent Reading: Barrington J. Bayley</a></h2>
<div class="metadata blog-post-meta">
<p class="byline author vcard"><span class="byline-name fn">T. Kurt Bond</span></p>
<p class="dateline"><a href="posts/2009/06/08/barrington-j-bayley/" rel="bookmark"><time class="published dt-published" datetime="2009-06-08T00:00:00-05:00" title="2009-06-08 00:00">2009-06-08 00:00</time></a></p>
<p class="commentline"> <a href="posts/2009/06/08/barrington-j-bayley/#disqus_thread" data-disqus-identifier="cache/posts/2009/06/08/barrington-j-bayley.html">Comments</a>
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</header><div class="e-content entry-content">
<ul>
<li>
<p><cite>The Soul of the Robot</cite>, by Barrington J. Baley, copyright 1974;
Condor, March 1978; published by arrangment with Doubleday &
Company, Inc; ISBN 0-895160161-1.</p>
<p>I ran across this book as a child, in a local library. It was
shelved in the children's section, which, considering some of the
content, was probably a mistake. In any case, it was one of the
formative science fiction novels of my childhood.</p>
<p>Recently I found out that there was a <em>sequel</em> to this, published
many years afterward, and bought a copy.</p>
</li>
</ul>
<nav><ul itemprop="keywords" class="tags">
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<li><a class="tag p-category" href="categories/science-fiction/" rel="tag">science fiction</a></li>
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</div>
</article><article class="blog-post h-entry post-text"><header><h2 class="p-name entry-title blog-post-title"><a href="posts/2009/06/07/peter-s-beagle/" class="u-url">Recent Reading: Peter S. Beagle</a></h2>
<div class="metadata blog-post-meta">
<p class="byline author vcard"><span class="byline-name fn">T. Kurt Bond</span></p>
<p class="dateline"><a href="posts/2009/06/07/peter-s-beagle/" rel="bookmark"><time class="published dt-published" datetime="2009-06-07T00:00:00-05:00" title="2009-06-07 00:00">2009-06-07 00:00</time></a></p>
<p class="commentline"> <a href="posts/2009/06/07/peter-s-beagle/#disqus_thread" data-disqus-identifier="cache/posts/2009/06/07/peter-s-beagle.html">Comments</a>
</p>
</div>
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<ul>
<li>
<p><cite>The Folk of the Air</cite>, by Peter S. Beagle, copyright 1977, 1986; Del
Rey/Ballantine Books; January 1988; ISBN 0-345-34699-8.</p>
<p>An enjoyable read.</p>
<!-- borrowed from M.A.H. -->
</li>
</ul>
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<li><a class="tag p-category" href="categories/modern/" rel="tag">modern</a></li>
<li><a class="tag p-category" href="categories/recent-reading/" rel="tag">recent reading</a></li>
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</div>
</article><article class="blog-post h-entry post-text"><header><h2 class="p-name entry-title blog-post-title"><a href="posts/2009/06/04/wen-spencer/" class="u-url">Recent Reading: Wen Spencer</a></h2>
<div class="metadata blog-post-meta">
<p class="byline author vcard"><span class="byline-name fn">T. Kurt Bond</span></p>
<p class="dateline"><a href="posts/2009/06/04/wen-spencer/" rel="bookmark"><time class="published dt-published" datetime="2009-06-04T00:00:00-05:00" title="2009-06-04 00:00">2009-06-04 00:00</time></a></p>
<p class="commentline"> <a href="posts/2009/06/04/wen-spencer/#disqus_thread" data-disqus-identifier="cache/posts/2009/06/04/wen-spencer.html">Comments</a>
</p>
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</header><div class="e-content entry-content">
<ul>
<li>
<p><cite>Endless Blue</cite>, by Wen Spencer, copyright 2007; A Baen Books
Original/Baen Publishing Enterprises; June 2009; ISBN:
978-1-4391-3271-5.</p>
<p>Starts very much <em>in medias res</em>. Interesting. Mentions two other
Baen books by Wen Spencer:</p>
<ul class="simple">
<li><p><cite>Tinker</cite></p></li>
<li><p><cite>Wolf Who Rules</cite></p></li>
</ul>
<p>Have to look them up.</p>
</li>
</ul>
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</div>
</article><article class="blog-post h-entry post-text"><header><h2 class="p-name entry-title blog-post-title"><a href="posts/2009/05/31/alastair-reynolds/" class="u-url">Recent Reading: Alastair Reynolds</a></h2>
<div class="metadata blog-post-meta">
<p class="byline author vcard"><span class="byline-name fn">T. Kurt Bond</span></p>
<p class="dateline"><a href="posts/2009/05/31/alastair-reynolds/" rel="bookmark"><time class="published dt-published" datetime="2009-05-31T00:00:00-05:00" title="2009-05-31 00:00">2009-05-31 00:00</time></a></p>
<p class="commentline"> <a href="posts/2009/05/31/alastair-reynolds/#disqus_thread" data-disqus-identifier="cache/posts/2009/05/31/alastair-reynolds.html">Comments</a>
</p>
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<ul class="simple">
<li><p><cite>Redemption Ark</cite>, by Alastair Reynolds, copyright 2002; Ace
Books/The Berkley Publishing Group/Penguin Group (USA) Inc./The
Penguin Group/Penguin Books Ltd; Ace mass market edition, June 2004,
7th printing; ISBN: 978-0-441-01173-5.</p></li>
</ul>
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</article><article class="blog-post h-entry post-text"><header><h2 class="p-name entry-title blog-post-title"><a href="posts/2009/05/28/stross-morgan-niven-strout/" class="u-url">Recent Reading: Stross, Morgan, Niven, Strout</a></h2>
<div class="metadata blog-post-meta">
<p class="byline author vcard"><span class="byline-name fn">T. Kurt Bond</span></p>
<p class="dateline"><a href="posts/2009/05/28/stross-morgan-niven-strout/" rel="bookmark"><time class="published dt-published" datetime="2009-05-28T20:58:43-05:00" title="2009-05-28 20:58">2009-05-28 20:58</time></a></p>
<p class="commentline"> <a href="posts/2009/05/28/stross-morgan-niven-strout/#disqus_thread" data-disqus-identifier="cache/posts/2009/05/28/stross-morgan-niven-strout.html">Comments</a>
</p>
</div>
</header><div class="e-content entry-content">
<ul>
<li>
<p><cite>The Merchants' War</cite>, subtitle:<cite>Book Four of the Merchant Princes</cite>, copyright
2007 by Charles Stross; Tor/Tom Doherty Associates, LLC; 1st mass
market edition October 2008; ISBN-10: 0-7653-5589-2, ISBN-13:
978-0-7653-5589-2.</p>
<p>Another enjoyable entry in Stross's alternate universes series.</p>
</li>
<li>
<p><cite>The Steel Remains</cite>, copyright 2009 by Richard Morgan; Ballantine
Books/Del Rey/Random House Publishing Group/Random House Inc; ISBN
978-0-345-49303-3.</p>
<p>An interesting non-{extruded fantasy product} fantasy.</p>
</li>
<li>
<p><cite>The Draco Tavern</cite>, copyright 2006 by Larry Niven; Tor/Tom Doherty
Associates, LLc; 1st edition January 2006; ISBN 0-765-30863.</p>
<p>Somehow I completely missed all of the series:<cite>Draco Tavern</cite> stories
until reading this compilation. Niven is still one of my favorite
science fiction authors, and I enjoyed these tremendously.</p>
</li>
<li>
<p><cite>Deader Still</cite>, copyright 2009 by Anton Strout; Ace Books/The
Berkley Publishing Group/Penguin Group (USA) Inc/Penguin Books Ltd;
Ace mass-market edition March 2009; ISBN 978-0-441-01691-4.</p>
<p>I found the main character of this supernatural adventure
interesting, but also annoying at times.</p>
</li>
</ul>
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<li><a class="tag p-category" href="categories/alternate-universes/" rel="tag">alternate universes</a></li>
<li><a class="tag p-category" href="categories/fantasy/" rel="tag">fantasy</a></li>
<li><a class="tag p-category" href="categories/recent-reading/" rel="tag">recent reading</a></li>
<li><a class="tag p-category" href="categories/science-fiction/" rel="tag">science fiction</a></li>
<li><a class="tag p-category" href="categories/supernatural/" rel="tag">supernatural</a></li>
</ul></nav>
</div>
</article><article class="blog-post h-entry post-text"><header><h2 class="p-name entry-title blog-post-title"><a href="posts/2009/05/19/s006-rv-2009-05-19/" class="u-url">Rushing Valley D&D, Session #6</a></h2>
<div class="metadata blog-post-meta">
<p class="byline author vcard"><span class="byline-name fn">T. Kurt Bond</span></p>
<p class="dateline"><a href="posts/2009/05/19/s006-rv-2009-05-19/" rel="bookmark"><time class="published dt-published" datetime="2009-05-19T00:00:00-05:00" title="2009-05-19 00:00">2009-05-19 00:00</time></a></p>
<p class="commentline"> <a href="posts/2009/05/19/s006-rv-2009-05-19/#disqus_thread" data-disqus-identifier="cache/posts/2009/05/19/s006-rv-2009-05-19.html">Comments</a>
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</header><div class="e-content entry-content">
<section id="rushing-valley-d-d-session-6"><h2>Rushing Valley D&D, Session #6</h2>
<section id="tuesday-19-may-2009"><h3>Tuesday, 19 May 2009</h3>
<dl class="field-list simple">
<dt>version<span class="colon">:</span>
</dt>
<dd>
<p>2021-08-09 11:59:14</p>
</dd>
</dl>
<p>This is an <a class="reference external" href="http://www.actualplay.com/">actual play</a> report from the “Rushing Valley” <em>Dungeons
and Dragons</em> campaign. These actual play reports are available in
<a class="reference external" href="categories/cat_gaming/actual-play/wvhtf/rushing-valley/">html</a> from T.K.B.'s blog and from P.D.F.'s
<a class="reference external" href="http://pdf-rpg.motion-forum.net/forum.htm">RPG forum</a>'s <a class="reference external" href="http://pdf-rpg.motion-forum.net/rushing-valley-campaign-c1/">Rushing Valley Campaign</a> <a class="reference external" href="http://pdf-rpg.motion-forum.net/history-f2/">History forum</a>.</p>
<section id="attending"><h4>Attending</h4>
<p>Clockwise round the table, starting with the DM at 9 o'clock:</p>
<ul class="simple">
<li><p>P.D.F. as DM</p></li>
<li><p>B.MC. playing Polonius, Onchu's rowdy young cousin from Riverton</p></li>
<li><p>T.K.B. playing Droston a'Seamus</p></li>
<li><p>M.A.F. playing Bartha</p></li>
<li><p>C.A.H. playing Onchu</p></li>
</ul>
<p>J.H. was unable to attend, alas.</p>
</section><section id="introduction"><h4>Introduction</h4>
<p>This adventure started on the 29th. [#july?]_</p>
<!-- [#july?] I *think* it was July, anyway. Seems likely, since the
last adventure was July 25th. -->
<p>Some things we wanted to investigate:</p>
<ul class="simple">
<li><p>Witch</p></li>
<li><p>Hermit near Masonburg</p></li>
<li><p>Fairies (Well, Bartha mostly.)</p></li>
<li><p>Missing Patrol</p></li>
<li><p>Meteor</p></li>
</ul></section><section id="actual-play-1"><h4>Actual Play</h4>
<section id="where-things-where"><h5>Where things where</h5>
<p>Bartha asked Gertie about a witches. She had heard of a practicing
witch in the marshes around Riverton, but reports say that the witch is
<em>evil</em>!</p>
<p>The mayor has been directing defenses. We asked about a hermit south
of Masonburg and he guessed that was Old Hermit Goldsmith — he was the
finest gold smith in Riverton, moved to Masonburg, then moved south.
It has been a decade or so since the Mayor has seen him.</p>
<p><span class="company">Hammer & Block</span> will man bridge bridge defenses while Brock supervises new
defenses for the bridge.</p>
<p><span class="company">Axe & Bow</span> will ride with Sheriff Artair, they will be south of the bridge
(3 miles, about halfway).</p>
<p>Afternoon: Droston is not surprised by a mountain lion. He & Polonius
kill it.</p>
<p><strong>[From the fellow who escaped the goblin attack?]</strong>:
They discovered tracks in and around the new mine, followed them into
an ambush. Rain of missiles, then 2 huge hobgoblins with huge axe &
huge hammer. He observed that they could see in the dark, and they
targeted torch bearers.</p>
<p>The village is mostly stone buildings with slate roofs.</p>
</section><section id="oh-what-do-we-do"><h5>Oh, What do we do?</h5>
<p>30th: We checked with Sheriff Artair, and got a briefing on the
defenses. He wanted us to patrol.</p>
<p>On Day 3 there is an attack by 3–5 goblins at the bridge.</p>
<p>It takes Onchu 5 days. <strong>[for what?]</strong></p>
<p>Be back in 2 days.</p>
<p>The Tomb of the Dwarven Hero is not far from the bridge, just a mile
or so.</p>
</section><section id="back-in-trouble-again"><h5>Back in Trouble Again</h5>
<p>After 3 hours, not even to new mine, we heard goblins up ahead, making
no effort to hide.</p>
<p>Looks like they have had a little camp here for couple of days, moldy
bread. We attacked them, unfortunately without coordinating our
attack effectively. One of the goblins was dressed in strange black
armor with spikes all over it. During the melee the strange goblin
spit acid at both Bartha and Onchu, wounding Bartha's face and Onchu's
neck.</p>
<p>Eventually we killed the rest of the goblins and the strange goblin
sped off faster than anyone could follow.</p>
</section><section id="friends-in-high-places"><h5>Friends in High Places</h5>
<p>Whaler Appleby came bringing a message: the Lady of the Valley asked he
speak with Bartha & her friends.</p>
<!-- she lives wh.x.x.x.x -->
<p>We noticed that Whaler's quiver was stocked more than usual.</p>
<p>Whaler told us that Nigel (the brownie) was recovering. Whaler gave
us (specifically Bartha) a necklace with a gem that glows. He lead us
south and up the valley wall, in places we've never been before,
though we've lived in the valley all our lives. Large stream
cascading down, 1 mile west & much higher, underbrush forms a tunnel
stream flows through. We crawled a long way through the beautiful
stream/tunnel, necklace brightening up in the shade, until it opens up
into a small level glade by grove of beautiful trees (300 yards by 300
yards or so). The glade is surrounded by steep cliffs.</p>
<p>The Lady of the Valley told us that goblins are pouring forth from an
ancient fissure to the south, thousands of them. They will kill and
eat everything in their path, and they are heading to Masonburg.</p>
<p>She told us we might have a chance if we can make allies with the
woodland elves. She said that she knows Bartha has a good heart, but
the others must prove themselves by doing a task for her.</p>
<ul class="simple">
<li><p><strong>To Droston</strong>: you must find a Sprig of the Blue Orchid, which can only be
found on the grave of the most heroic heroes of legend, and bring it
to her. K(Nature): Blue Orchid — cannot grow in sunlight, gets its
energy from heroism.</p></li>
<li><p><strong>To Onchu</strong>: you must learn to dance with the fairyfolk. F.F. are known to
have dances in glades.</p></li>
<li><p><strong>To Polonius</strong>: you who have been cruel & callous … must make amends
for your crimes & take all that you have and give back to everyone
you have wronged. [Didn't have to give up clothes, weapons,
or tools, but did have to sell his armor and give away all his money.]</p></li>
</ul>
<p>The enchanted necklace with the gem turns on if you touch it, and off
if you touch it again.</p>
<p>We waited for dawn, then Polonius and Droston started down to begin their
tasks.</p>
<p>During the day Whaler made up love poems and brought Bartha honey.</p>
</section><section id="droston-s-task"><h5>Droston's Task</h5>
<p>Droston headed to the Tomb of the Dwaven Hero, and down into the
tunnel. Eventually it came to a flight of stone stairs that lead down
10 feet or so into cold black water. He removed his armor, put his
candles and fire-starter in a waterproof sack, left his lantern
hanging on the wall, and swam through the passage, to find another
flight of stairs that lead up to a tunnel that lead into a room with
Dwarven runes carved on each flagstone of the floor, and an
inscription on the left hand side of the tunnel, just before the room
that read: “Those who know me know that I was. Those who need me know
what to use.”</p>
<p>In the center of the room was a sarcophagus.</p>
<p>The room was circular, with mostly square flagstones. The following
is the layout of the runes on the flagstones, roughly transliterated
from the Drawvish, with the entrance tunnel from the bottom, at the G
& H runes.</p>
<table><tbody>
<tr>
<td><p>N</p></td>
<td><p>U</p></td>
<td><p>I</p></td>
<td><p>D</p></td>
<td><p>N</p></td>
<td><p>T</p></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><p>S</p></td>
<td><p>G</p></td>
<td><p>A</p></td>
<td><p>T</p></td>
<td><p>I</p></td>
<td><p>O</p></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><p>I</p></td>
<td><p>I</p></td>
<td><p>.</p></td>
<td><p>.</p></td>
<td><p>S</p></td>
<td><p>R</p></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><p>D</p></td>
<td><p>L</p></td>
<td><p>I</p></td>
<td><p>N</p></td>
<td><p>A</p></td>
<td><p>E</p></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><p>B</p></td>
<td><p>B</p></td>
<td><p>Y</p></td>
<td><p>E</p></td>
<td><p>M</p></td>
<td><p>M</p></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><p>Z</p></td>
<td><p>O</p></td>
<td><p>G</p></td>
<td><p>H</p></td>
<td><p>A</p></td>
<td><p>R</p></td>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
<p><strong>[–25 XP to Bartha for M.A.H. apparently blurting out the solution;
T.K.B. was too flustered by the puzzle to even notice.]</strong></p>
<p>Droston was flustered by the puzzle (and T.K.B. was over-thinking
things way too much), and as he stood looking at the room he heard a
whoosh, and the air turned bad. Evenually he started out along the
runes H—A—M—M—E—R—S. he worked his way along the flagstones, if he
hesitated there was another whoosh and more poison gas was released.
Once he finally got to the last letter there were no more poison gas
releases.</p>
<p>On top of the sarcophagus were growing the Blue Orchids.</p>
<p>Droston respectfully told the Hero's spirit of his task, and took a
Blue Orchid and carefully put it in a watertight sack with some of the
mossy stuff that it was growing in. Then headed back to the Lady of
the Valley.</p>
</section><section id="polonius-s-humble-pie"><h5>Polonius's Humble Pie</h5>
<p>Polonius talked to Sheriff Artair about the eggs on chair, manure in
saddle bags, itch powder in bed (which Artair allowed had upset his
wife considerably), … how many nasty tricks did Polonius play on
Sherriff Artair, anyway?</p>
<p>Polonius sold his armor and repaid the dozens, if not hundreds, of
folks he's stolen from or beaten up or wronged.</p>
</section><section id="onchu-bartha-whaler-go-to-the-dance"><h5>Onchu, Bartha, & Whaler go to the dance!</h5>
<p>Whaler said the wine the centaur gives is Elven blossom wine, which is
very rare, very potent, & brings out your true nature.</p>
<p>Drink & Dance, Drink & Dance, Drink & Dance. Satyr said one last
pull, Drince & Dance, everybody started dancing along with Onchu — most
harmonious dance, Onchu felt at one with everything. Then he
collapsed and slept the rest of the day. Bartha and Whaler partied the
night away and end up <strong>very</strong> good friends.</p>
<p>Next day Onchu had <em>no</em> hangover, but noticed that his hands are longer &
more slender, and now his skin had a slight greenish brown forest hue
and his scar was almost covered. Bartha was asleep with Whaler tucked
up close. Onchu looked in the pool and found that he looked like an elf
(he's now essentially a half elf-elf: +4 to sneaking in woodlands, low
light vision).</p>
<p>Onchu still looks like Onchu, but a more handsome, elvish Onchu.</p>
</section><section id="back-to-the-lady"><h5>Back to the Lady</h5>
<ul class="simple">
<li><p>Droston was given a pair of goggles with darkvision (taken from goblins?)</p></li>
<li><p>Onchu was told “glad you are one of us”!</p></li>
<li><p>Bartha was told she was “one with the fairies, too” and was told to
keep the necklace.</p></li>
<li><p>Polonius was given a stunning shirt of chain, made by elves!</p></li>
</ul></section></section><section id="aftermath"><h4>Aftermath</h4>
<p>We each got <strong>+800 XP</strong>.</p>
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</article><article class="blog-post h-entry post-text"><header><h2 class="p-name entry-title blog-post-title"><a href="posts/2009/05/10/paul-o-williams_1/" class="u-url">Recent Reading: Paul O. Williams</a></h2>
<div class="metadata blog-post-meta">
<p class="byline author vcard"><span class="byline-name fn">T. Kurt Bond</span></p>
<p class="dateline"><a href="posts/2009/05/10/paul-o-williams_1/" rel="bookmark"><time class="published dt-published" datetime="2009-05-10T10:41:30-05:00" title="2009-05-10 10:41">2009-05-10 10:41</time></a></p>
<p class="commentline"> <a href="posts/2009/05/10/paul-o-williams_1/#disqus_thread" data-disqus-identifier="cache/posts/2009/05/10/paul-o-williams_1.html">Comments</a>
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<ul>
<li>
<p><cite>The Ends of the Circle</cite>, by Paul O. Williams, copyright 1981; Del
Rey/Ballantine Books, April 1981; ISBN 0-345-29551-X. Book Two of
<cite class="series">The Pelbar Cycle</cite></p>
<p>This was the book in the series that I read first, many years ago.
I'm in the process of rereading the series in order for the first
time.</p>
</li>
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</article><article class="blog-post h-entry post-text"><header><h2 class="p-name entry-title blog-post-title"><a href="posts/2009/05/09/p004-ll/" class="u-url">Keep on the Borderlands, Play Session #4: Success at last!</a></h2>
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<p class="byline author vcard"><span class="byline-name fn">T. Kurt Bond</span></p>
<p class="dateline"><a href="posts/2009/05/09/p004-ll/" rel="bookmark"><time class="published dt-published" datetime="2009-05-09T00:00:00-05:00" title="2009-05-09 00:00">2009-05-09 00:00</time></a></p>
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<aside class="admonition admonition-spoilers"><p class="admonition-title">Spoilers!</p>
<p>We're playing <em>B2 — Keep on the Borderland</em>, so if you haven't
played that you might want to skip this entry.</p>
</aside><p>I got to run another Labyrinth Lord session for the <a class="reference external" href="categories/cat_gaming/actual-play/the-kids/">kids</a>.</p>
<section id="attending"><h2>Attending</h2>
<p>Clockwise round the table, starting with the Labyrinth Lord:</p>
<ul class="simple">
<li><p>T.K.B., the Labyrinth Lord.</p></li>
<li><p>M.A., playing <em>James the Cleric</em> and <em>Jeffrey the Monk</em>.</p></li>
<li><p>T.A., playing <em>Glen the Strategist</em> (a wizard) and <em>Dooley the sly</em> (a thief).</p></li>
<li><p>E.A., playing <em>Curufin the Elf</em> and <em>Drusilla the Ranger</em>.</p></li>
<li><p>L.B., playing <em>Taffy the Halfling</em> and <em>Alice the Cleric</em>.</p></li>
</ul></section><section id="healing-and-hunting"><h2>Healing and Hunting</h2>
<p>After their narrow escape from the valley last time, they decided to
find a safe place away from the valley and rest and heal. James and
Alice spent their days healing the wounded, while Drusilla spent her
days finding food for everybody. After five days they were ready to
try again.</p>
<p>This time they made a plan: they'd lure out the orc guards into an
ambush, some staying outside out of immediate sight of the tunnel
entrance, while a couple went in and apparently got scared and ran
out. Luckily the orc guards fell for the deception and headed outside.
The P.C.s slaughtered the guards, then moved in and systematically
cleaned the orcs' tunnel complex out, ending with the orc chieftain.
They even found the secret door. Then it was back to town with their
loot.</p>
</section><section id="reflections"><h2>Reflections</h2>
<p>It was nice to see them have a solidly successful session, after
having two sessions in a row of spectacular failure. They were so
excited that they were finally taking the monsters down.</p>
<p>We had more time to play this time, which helped a lot. And having
the fourth player (and thus two more characters) made things move
along more smoothly, too. These old-school modules really do need a
larger party of adventurers.</p>
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</article><article class="blog-post h-entry post-text"><header><h2 class="p-name entry-title blog-post-title"><a href="posts/2009/05/06/paul-o-williams/" class="u-url">Recent Reading: Paul O. Williams</a></h2>
<div class="metadata blog-post-meta">
<p class="byline author vcard"><span class="byline-name fn">T. Kurt Bond</span></p>
<p class="dateline"><a href="posts/2009/05/06/paul-o-williams/" rel="bookmark"><time class="published dt-published" datetime="2009-05-06T22:31:00-05:00" title="2009-05-06 22:31">2009-05-06 22:31</time></a></p>
<p class="commentline"> <a href="posts/2009/05/06/paul-o-williams/#disqus_thread" data-disqus-identifier="cache/posts/2009/05/06/paul-o-williams.html">Comments</a>
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</header><div class="e-content entry-content">
<ul>
<li>
<p><cite>The Breaking of Northwall</cite>, by Paul O. Williams, copyright 1981;
Del Rey/Ballantine Books, First Edition February 1981, Fifth
Printing October 1984; ISBN 0-345-32434-X. Cover art by Darrel
K. Sweet, Map by Chris Barbieri. Book One of <cite class="series">The Pelbar
Cycle</cite>.</p>
<p>Back in the eighties, when these were first published, I read the
second book of <cite class="series">The Pelbar Cycle</cite> before I read this, the
first book, and I remember it was a little bit hearing legends in
the second book, and then getting to meet some of the legends in the
first book.</p>
<p>I like books these for the interesting post apocalypse societies.</p>
</li>
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</article><article class="blog-post h-entry post-text"><header><h2 class="p-name entry-title blog-post-title"><a href="posts/2009/05/04/p003-ll/" class="u-url">Keep on the Borderlands Play Session #3: Manual Labor, Shopping, and Oops, Take 2</a></h2>
<div class="metadata blog-post-meta">
<p class="byline author vcard"><span class="byline-name fn">T. Kurt Bond</span></p>
<p class="dateline"><a href="posts/2009/05/04/p003-ll/" rel="bookmark"><time class="published dt-published" datetime="2009-05-04T17:30:00-05:00" title="2009-05-04 17:30">2009-05-04 17:30</time></a></p>
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</header><div class="e-content entry-content">
<p>Jesse's Run flooded over the road in three places, so I wasn't able to
get to work, and the <a class="reference external" href="categories/cat_gaming/actual-play/the-kids/">kids</a> weren't able to go to school, so in the
afternoon the kids came over and we played <em>Labyrinth Lord</em>.</p>
<aside class="admonition admonition-spoilers"><p class="admonition-title">Spoilers!</p>
<p>We're playing <em>B2 — Keep on the Borderland</em>, so if you haven't
played that you might want to skip this entry.</p>
</aside><section id="attending"><h2>Attending</h2>
<p>Clockwise round the table, starting with the Labyrinth Lord:</p>
<ul class="simple">
<li><p>T.K.B., the Labyrinth Lord.</p></li>
<li><p>M.A., playing <em>James the Cleric</em> and <em>Jeffrey the Monk</em>.</p></li>
<li><p>T.A., playing <em>Glen the Strategist</em> (a wizard) and <em>Dooley the sly</em> (a thief).</p></li>
<li><p>E.A., playing <em>Curufin the Elf</em> and <em>Drusilla the Ranger</em>.</p></li>
</ul></section><section id="manual-labor-shopping"><h2>Manual Labor & Shopping</h2>
<p>Last session they'd been captured by goblins who stripped them of all
their equipment and most of their clothing, but did accept a ransom
offer.</p>
<p>Following up T.A.'s suggestion last session that they look for work, I
decided they would stay around the keep for a while and try and find
work, so they could get enough money to buy some new equipment. They
found some work as guards, some work digging sewers for the keep, and
some random odd jobs around the keep.</p>
<p>T.A. suggested that they'd have probably cached the hides from the
three deer Drusilla killed the week they were camping, so that they
could pick them up on the way back. I allowed that it was a likely
thing for them to have done. Then T.A suggested they'd probably have
cached the 6 shortswords from orcs they killed, and I allowed that it
was a reasonable thing for them to have done. Then T.A. suggested
that they'd cached the money they were carrying, and I said no way, no
how.</p>
<p>Anyway, after a month of work, they pooled their money and figured out
that each person had about 25 gp to buy equipment. James sold the
shortsword and 2 javelins he got as loot. Jeffrey sold the javelins,
but kept the shortsword. Glen sold the shortsword and javelins as
well. The others kept them, so they didn't have to buy a weapon.
After this the players worked at reequipping themselves. At first
they didn't think they'd be able to afford any armor better than
padded, but by cutting down their lists and the non-armor-wearing
characters loaning the other characters a little bit of money, they
ended up being able to afford leather armor, and slings and sling
bullets for ranged weapons. <a class="footnote-reference brackets" href="posts/2009/05/04/p003-ll/#slings" id="footnote-reference-1" role="doc-noteref"><span class="fn-bracket">[</span>1<span class="fn-bracket">]</span></a> Eventually <a class="footnote-reference brackets" href="posts/2009/05/04/p003-ll/#herding-cats" id="footnote-reference-2" role="doc-noteref"><span class="fn-bracket">[</span>2<span class="fn-bracket">]</span></a> they
were all outfitted, and ready to go.</p>
</section><section id="oops-take-2"><h2>Oops, Take 2!</h2>
<p>So, they set out east and then north along the road leading into the
borderlands. When they got to the area of the road nearest the valley
where they'd found the goblins, they again left the road and pushed
their way through the thick undergrowth of the forest until they
reached the semi-clear valley. This time they decided to explore the
<em>other</em> side of the valley, climbing up the hill above the first
thicket in the valley. There they found another cave entrance.
Having learned from their mistake last time, they decided to try
stealth. The three that had <span class="skill">Move Silently</span>, Jeffry the Monk,
Dooley the Sly, and Drusilla the Ranger, would try to sneak in, while
the other three would wait at the cave mouth for a yell.</p>
<p>Unfortunately, Dooley and Drusilla made a lot of noise as they went
in, so they motioned for the others to follow them in. The first
thing they saw, in the light of their torches, was a section of wall
covered with niches, which all contained severed heads in various
stages of decomposition. Fearing for their lives, they immediately
ran out of the cave and Dooley, looking for somewhere to hide, lead
them further into the valley, downhill slightly, to another large
thicket.</p>
<p>As they rushed into the thicket, through the heavy bushes at the
outside into the lighter undergrowth of the inside, they noticed it
concealed, at its lowest point, just above where it edged onto the
flat valley floor, another cave entrance. Then they noticed the
kobolds in the tree throwing javelins down at them. Before they got
out of the thicket they had two men down, Dooley and Jeffry. Once out
of the thicket they ran full speed for the road, only to see that orcs
had come out of the <em>first</em> cave mouth, and were throwing javelins, as
well as the kobolds on the edge of the thicket throwing another round
of javelins. Luckily, nobody else was downed, and they saw the orcs
and kobolds laughing at them as they vanished into the brush.</p>
<p>They made it to the road, and not hearing any immediate pursuit,
stopped to let James cast <span class="spell">Cure Light Wounds</span> on Jeffry, the
worst hurt, and luckily M.A. rolled pretty well, healing enough of
Jeffry's wounds so that he was conscious and able to get up. At the
same time Drusilla attempted to bind Dooley's wounds to keep him
from bleeding to death. Drusilla succeeded, so Dooley stabilized.
And that's were we left them.</p>
<aside class="footnote-list brackets"><aside class="footnote brackets" id="slings" role="doc-footnote"><span class="label"><span class="fn-bracket">[</span><a role="doc-backlink" href="posts/2009/05/04/p003-ll/#footnote-reference-1">1</a><span class="fn-bracket">]</span></span>
<p>I've always thought that D&D nerfed slings, so I ruled
that if they used stones they gathered the slings did the stated
<span class="dice">d4</span> damage, but that if they bought lead sling bullets the
slings would do <span class="dice">d6</span> damage.</p>
</aside><aside class="footnote brackets" id="herding-cats" role="doc-footnote"><span class="label"><span class="fn-bracket">[</span><a role="doc-backlink" href="posts/2009/05/04/p003-ll/#footnote-reference-2">2</a><span class="fn-bracket">]</span></span>
<p>They're good kids, but even good kids, at their
ages, tend to get distracted and bicker, and so things took longer
than I'd hoped.</p>
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<li><a href="pages/static-pages-index/index.html">Pages</a></li>
<li>
<a href="http://tkb.tx0.org/">My tx0.org web page</a>
<br> Mostly empty
</li>
<li>
<a href="http://consp.org/">consp.org</a>
<br> Rises from the dead!
<br> <a href="http://consp.org/blog/blog.html">microblog</a>
</li>
</ol>
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