D&D Scenes Series, Part 4

In today's post, I'll show you how to make those semi-circular alcoves that will eventually hold six dragonspawn statues. In the next post, I'll show you how to populate those alcoves with statues.

As you recall, we're trying to make this chamber, from the upcoming Vault of the Wyrm Prince adventure (dungeonoracle.com). So far, we've been working with creating sample chambers, but not really creating this room. This post will focus on getting some progress done in the chamber.

If you've followed the posts so far, you should be able to make a chamber shaped like this. Each square is 32mp in size (where 64mp is equivalent to 5' on a D&D map).

In Linedefs Mode (L), select the linedefs in red. 

Then, from the Linedefs menu, choose "Curve Linedefs".

Your screen won't look like mine above right away, until you select your settings. Use the ones shown (Vertices=8, Distance=128, Angle=60, check Fixed circular curve and Curve backwards) and press OK. As long as you have the linedefs selected, feel free to choose a texture for them (right click, select a middle texture).

Go back into "W" camera mode and you will see your new alcoves!

D&D Scenes Series, Part 3

I'm going to spend some time explaining the image on the right, and how to construct it. It's designed specifically to showcase what can be done with linedefs. 

What's special about the image is that it makes use of transparency. You can see through the bars to the person behind them. It also has an upper area and a lower area, which are independent of each other in terms of texture use (mismatched in the image on purpose to show this).

To the right, you see the Doombuilder room that gives you the above image. In Sector Mode, I created four sectors. Right click on any sector (while in sector mode) and you can set the floor and ceiling heights.

1) The big outer room. 
Floor height = 0
Ceiling height = 128

2) The smaller squares. 
Floor height = 128

Ceiling height = 128

3) Rectangle between the two squares

Floor height = 32

Ceiling height = 88

Linedef Sides: The image above shows how Doombuilder knows what textures go to which areas. Each linedef has two sides, a front and back. The blue circled area has a little mark that denotes the front.

The upper and lower areas do NOT support transparency. However, the middle area does, and that's why you can see through it.

Try this for your self in Doombuilder, see how it goes. Hit me up with questions when you get stuck!

D&D Scenes Series, Part 2

In this installment, I'm just going to focus on the four key pieces of what makes up a dungeon chamber: Vertices, Linedefs, Sectors and Things.

Coming soon, Part 3: All about Linedefs!

Running your own play-by-post has never been easier!

Crusaders,
I'd like to draw your attention to the new Run Your Own Game! tab. I'm all about encouraging others to run play-by-blogs and/or fourthcore gaming.
Enjoy!
MilwaukeeJoe

D&D Scenes Series, Part 1

This post is the first in a series where I reveal how I create my screenshots for the games I run on grind4e.blogspot.com. These posts won't be a full technical "how to set up" all the software, but I'll update this post if there's any big setup things I missed.

In today's installment, we'll do some software installs and begin to create a 3D scene for the chamber shown below. It comes from an upcoming adventure, "Vault of the Wyrm Prince" which will be published at Dungeon Oracle. If you want to be completely spoiler free, don't read further.

Revenge of the Iron Lich: Game Over

You see Yursil reach into the sarcophagus. The Iron Lich warns, "I have watched your gods die. You cannot possibly defeat me!" and begins to intone another Power Word Kill.

The Iron Lich will never get the chance. Yursil destroys the phylactery, the Iron Lich's wife. The Iron Lich begins to melt... then explodes in a shower of bone and metal!

You have prevailed; the Iron Lich is no more! You return the way you entered... and eventually to your home, to a grand hero's welcome.

Congratulations. You EARNED this victory. Only a very select few have ever done so well! The best I've ever seen in running this game is downing the Necrolith before time ran out. But to find the Occulus and actually destroy the phylactery... man, whomever says fourthcore is without story and drama is FULL OF IT!

Score

Special Thanks

I would like to thank Sersa Victory and Jerry LeNeave for not only creating this very fun adventure, but then updating it again for its anniversary!
  
Feedback
If you have a few moments, I'd love to pick your brain about what you liked and disliked about the Revenge of the Iron Lich run. This feedback is open to lurkers to post to as well, not just players. 

What did you like the most about the game?
What did you like the least about the game?
What one thing would you change if you could?
What one thing can I change to make myself a better DM?

Special Question: For those of you who have played in both pbp versions of Crucible of the Gods AND Revenge of the Iron Lich, any comments/comparisons?

What's next?

Generations pass. Your faces have long been carved into monuments. Your names are forever remembered, immortalized. Your spirits have long passed on to the immortal realms.

But the memory of your names and the icons of your faces will not avail the people, when a most horrific thing comes down from the bleeding stars on a great serpent, hurling bolts of obsidian lightning that shatters the monuments and capitols of every nation.

Look for an announcement in late August for NEW crusaders daring to take on the... Fane of the Heresiarch!

Revenge of the Iron Lich: THE IRON LICH

With Brathu's bold maneuver, the necrolith crumbles to a heap, the twisted spikes and limbs shaking the entire crypt. The head of the necrolith cracks open, and the Iron Lich flies free... and acts immediately.

Instantly, rays of death launch from the Iron Lich's empty eye sockets!

Tech: Nether Rays

Targets

Vesten:  Hit! 36 nether damage. Vesten is at 75 hp and 0 thp.

Teryn: Miss (nice Reflex Defense!)

El-Kal: Hit! 36-13=23 nether damage. El-Kal is at 49 hp (bloodied) and 0 thp.

*  Reveal: Nether damage can never be healed. Ever.  *

The Iron Lich breathes in, and Brathu can feel his soul being pulled away! To fuel his spell, the Iron Lich consumes one of the souls that he keeps in his gem-teeth*.

Tech: Curse of Life. Hit! 2d8 damage (brutal 2) for every healing surge Brathu currently possesses. Total of 89-13=76 nether damage, and 4 healing surges lost. Brathu is bloodied at 57 hp, 0 thp, and 3 surges remaining. 

The Iron Lich is dismayed at not yet slaying Brathu. "You still live? See if you can survive this, mortal." ------------ POWER WORD KILL!!!!

Tech: Power. Word. Kill. Two targets, Brathu and Yursil. Both are hit, and slain instantly. The Iron Lich sucks both their souls into his gem teeth.

The Iron Lich flies towards the center of the chamber and... ---Action Point---

The Iron Lich intones the power of another spell, and necrotic lightning fills the chamber!

Tech: Chain Blightning!

Targets

El-Kal: Hit, 33 lightning/nether damage. Current: 16 hp (bloodied).

Hanrar (Total Cover): Miss, 16 lightning/necrotic dmg. Current: 88 hp/34 thp.

Teryn: Hit, 33 lightning/nether damage. Current: 79 hp.

Vesten: Hit, 33 lightning/nether damage. Current: 42 hp (bloodied).

* Yursil death and...

The events of Yursil's death unfold slowly in his last few moments. He hears the decapitation of the Necrolith, feels the shaking of the chamber. He turns to see that the sarcophagus is no longer empty. It now contains a beautiful woman's body, long dead.

Before he can act, Yursil is subjected to the worst of the death spells - Power Word Kill. He feels the floor rushing up to meet him, and his soul about to be devoured by the Iron Lich.

But wait... an intervention...? A hand from somewhere, a god perhaps... pulling him back. His eyes open, and his wounds are fully healed.

OOC: There are six afterlife cards included with the game. When you die in battle, you draw one and can use that as an encounter power. It just so happens that Yursil rolled up "Resurrection". Yursil, you are prone.

Brathu drew "Shadow Ward". See images for more details.

You all have fresh actions to spend, consider this round 1 of the second-tier of combat. You have until Monday night to post your actions.