Theater of the Mind

Going back to my roots of RPGing with theater of the mind. I'm finding this exciting compared to miniatures and far more easy to run the game.
I have begun reading articles from Merrics Musing ans Sly flourish has shown me the benefits of not using my over two thousand Pathfinder pawns and the same in actual D&D/Pathfinder miniatures.

Last session we did an encounter on a farmstead that has been over run by ghouls and the group had to go into the long grass

Instead of a projected map I went with theater of the mind and rather enjoyed it. I liked that the game went quick and easily flowed, from combat to exploration.
I have a ceiling mounted projector but found theater of the mind to easier to get the party confused with which way to go and what to do. I have another session this Sunday as we took a month off due to exams from University and are playing back to back sessions to make up for it.

Up Early

Got up bright and early this morning, everyone else was asleep. I have 2 children, ages 19 and 17, I got up and finished reading  Belkzen, Hold of the Orc Hordes.
I would do a underdark/orc evil campaign in that area, it has so much possibility.

I was going through my print ups & PDF's of Pathfinder campaign settings to read next, I will not go into the dark lands next, but those are not printed up yet and do hate reading from a screen. I may just read a companion book till I can get in printed off? I print at work for free, black and white and can not go over board, maybe two 68 page books a week but no one says anything as long as it is around 100 pages a week.

Picked up a few miniatures from my Flgs a week back. I also picked up a car decal for D&D and in a months time when I wash the truck inside and out I will place this bad boy on my window.

Looking at my collection I have a good amount of Pathfinder and D&D 5E books and want to start getting rid of myWarhammer, Warmachine & Hordes armies I currently have.

What I did today?

• Listening to: Glass Cannon Podcast eps.129 (still?)
• Reading: Inner sea faiths or into the darklands, not sure yet?
• Watching: one episode of Lost in space last night & finished up season 9 of American dad.

• Playing: D&D 5e in Golarion world
• Eating: Big Breakfast this morning, eggs,bacon,toast
• Drinking: orange juice
• Discussion:Retirement, yeah baby it's close. I'm 45 years of age and I WILL retire at age 56 or if my oldest does his masters that will add 2 years and if my youngest does his masters 2 more years. The earliest is 11 years from now and the latest is 15 years from now. If I was not paying for my kids education I would retire in 10 years. My biggest plan is to get into a second D&D/RPG group once I retire.

Getting in a second Gaming Group?

As it says on the title, should I try and get into a second group?
Sunday is my only free day (currently) and with my current campaign going every other Sunday, which never works out that way. We get two sessions in a month but sometimes, like in this case we did two sessions in March and will have a 4 week break and then get two sessions in April, back to back weeks.
Someone locally was trying to get a group together to game Saturday 11-3 a.m, yes you read that correctly playing in the middle of the night. One person posted they work midnight's and wanted to keep the same schedule so posted on Facebook.
Three others answered, I backed out of session zero and another never showed up. Only one person meet the DM that evening. I messaged that I would bow out of session zero so I covered my ass, so to speak.
The group also created a Facebook discussion which sits dormant for over a month.
Today I posted a few pictures and have tried to bring a little life to a dead thing, I do not know these people but still want to keep that glimmer of hope to game with another group.

That said we shall see what happens.

What I did today thinking at work?

• Listening to: Glass Cannon Podcast eps.129
• Reading: Belkzen, Hold of the Orc Hordes (still, I will finish this tonight)
• Watching: 2 episodes of Lost in space last night

• Playing: D&D 5e in Golarion world
• Eating: humus & salsa for lunch
• Drinking: five alive
• Discussion:Nothing

 

I hate Day shift

I can not stand working days, I feel tired all the time, slow and can't  focus and get so busy that by the time I get to rest I;m asleep by 10:00.
Now I have always been like this, I hate working days and prefer working afternoons.
That said I have been doing nothing.

I need to buy or print off a copy of Advanced Dungeons & Dragons just to re read it from my high schools days of playing, just want to feel that old time feel.

Did 2.14 miles on the tread mill in 25 mins today. Which is my normal run every other day, three times a week.

What I did today thinking at work?

• Listening to: Glass Cannon Podcast eps.128
• Reading: Belkzen, Hold of the Orc Hordes (still)
• Watching: The Magicians season two eps.3

• Playing: D&D 5e in Golarion world
• Eating: chili 
• Drinking: cranberry juice
• Discussion:Nothing

Adding Creatures together.

I want an Ettin Ghoul for the next encounter.

I took the Ettin template from page 132 of the Monster Manual.
I then added ghoul damage and condition immunities, 22 extra hit points, the ettin still has 2 attacks as listed but included the following from the ghouls stat.

Bite: +7 to hit, on a hit:15 (3d6+5) piercing damage.
Claw: +7 to hit, on a hit: 11 (3d4+5) slashing damage.
Why did I add an extra dice to each attack, well going from medium size for the ghoul to large size for the ettin it just makes sense and falls into still less damage then the Ettins regular axe and morning star anyway.
Now to touch one the paralyzing save on the Ettin compared to the ghoul.
I made the Ettin Ghouls Challenge 5.
Kobold fight club tells me a hill giant (CR 5) is an adjusted experience of 1800 x.p for 4 level 4 party members, 5 ghouls is a adjusted experience of 2000 x.p, pretty darn close. that is a total of 110 hit points but a potential 5 paralyzing saves a round, but the +3 difference between the ettin and ghoul makes it onlt 3 saves a round.
So happy with a CR 5.

What I did today thinking at work?

• Listening to: Adventure Zone ep.s. 47
• Reading: Belkzen, Hold of the Orc Hordes
• Watching: The Magicians season one eps.10&11, watched season one of Vanhelsing up to eps. 07, was filling ill so just kept watching. 

• Playing: D&D 5e in Golarion world
• Eating: Burger King as the wife is feeling ill
• Drinking: Had a beer last night
• Discussion: Trying to get the wife to watch modern family I enjoy and she is not that big of a fan, thought for sure it would have been the other way around? we have watched up to season four years ago and trying to get it up and running again on the T.V is harder then I thought?

Paizo

Paizo if you are listening I have a request. What the hell Wizards of the Coast you can do this as well.

If you write another Adventure Path (Wizards another adventure hard cover) and want to write a evil based adventure, do an all orc one.

So WotC can use the setting from  Drizzt Do'Urden novels with the orc king, sorry read book one of that series and that was my last R. A. Salvatore to date. Will start reading them in 10-11 years when I retire, can't wait to retire been looking into it. I will retire at age 55 or 56 years of age. Anyway,

Paizo could use the Provence of Belkzen, an orc held domain in constant war, well not during the flood season when they hunt for meat.

Well if it happens an all Orc campaign, that would be cool.

Adding Levels?

I added Levels of Barbarian to the Ogre in the Monster Manual. In a straight up fight I worked out whom would win.

Ogre, Level 3 Barbarian.
A.C:12 (14 with a shield)   H.P's:94 (really 188 against all but Psychic)  Spd: 40ft
Stats are the same, but you add +2 to Str & Con saves.
Greatclub +6 to hit 2d8+4 damage (+2 more when raging) (15)
Added +15 H.P's at level 1 and +10 Levels 2&3
Plus everything else a Barbarian gets at level 1,2,&3.
Made this creature a CR5

Against a Hill giant (CR5)

The Ogre will miss 3 times out of 10 attacks doing a total of 105 H.P's which the Hill giant has so it is dead.
The Hill Giant has 2 attacks per turn missing a total of 3 times out of 20 attacks, so the giant does 153 H.P's of damage or 171 If it got first Initiative on a un-raged Ogre first turn.

It is a pretty close fight with the Ogre sitting on 35 or 17 H.P's.

Was under the weather for 3 days this past few days which has taken away from my to do list for gaming.

What I did today thinking at work?

• Listening to: So far nothing, maybe GCP 125 later?
• Reading: Belkzen, Hold of the Orc Hordes
• Watching: The Magicians season one eps.10&11, watched season one of Vanhelsing up to eps. 07, was filling ill so just kept watching. 

• Playing: D&D 5e in Golarion world
• Eating: Had stew for dinner
• Drinking:just Tea & water today
• Discussion: about Van Helsing at work with a co-worker but low key as was still feeling ill.