Ah, the single-class fighter in 3.5 Dungeons and Dragons. What a beast!As I related last time, I spent a large chunk of my 20s and early 30s messing around with the 3.5 D&D system, usually as a DM, but also as a player. When I was a player, I almost always chose to play single-class … Continue reading The Mage’s Squad – 2
Category: On Fantasy
The Mage’s Squad – 1
Last time we explored how a mage’s adventuring party can be used to form the core of an Archmage Lord’s personal security detail. This time, we shall dig into my notions of the kind of squad that a mage would probably want to assemble for themselves, should they have the choice.I am proud to say … Continue reading The Mage’s Squad – 1
On Magic in Fantasy – 4
read part 1 read part 3We have seen that, when prepared, powerful spellcasters are all but invulnerable to the threat posed by mundane melee, regardless of the number of warriors faced. However, this does not make them invulnerable. The key word here is: “prepared.”Yes, mages are extremely problematic when they know precisely what they are … Continue reading On Magic in Fantasy – 4
On Magic in Fantasy – 3
read part 1 read part 2 As fantasy role-players and fiction fans, what is it that we are after in a setting? Well, of course we want a realm to play in that provides powerful magicusers as well as epic medieval battles. Swords and sorcery! This is the genre in which we find ourselves, yes?However, … Continue reading On Magic in Fantasy – 3
On Magic in Fantasy – 2
Read Part 1In the previous installment, I explored my notions about characters using magic consistently and coherently within the wider story. Basically, that characters should not be given magical abilities or superpowers unless you are prepared to have them use them at every given opportunity. This time, I will investigate what the use of magic … Continue reading On Magic in Fantasy – 2
On Magic in Fantasy – 1
What is the genre of fantasy without magic? That is hard to say, actually. I suppose it all comes down to one’s personal preferences.Certainly, it is quite possible to tell a fantasy story with next to no magic, such as Tolkien did. For being the author that basically created the genre as we know it, … Continue reading On Magic in Fantasy – 1
On Fantasy – 4
read part 1 read part 2 read part 3I played Dungeons and Dragons religiously from the age of ten until about thirty. The only reason I stopped was that I moved to Japan to teach English and did not have anyone to play with. And it was not until that time that I finally began … Continue reading On Fantasy – 4
On Fantasy – 3
Read part 1 Read part 2In the previous piece I introduced how fantasy roleplaying games began to shape my creativity and imagination in childhood. There is much more to say on this.It is a common marketing trope of roleplaying games that their only limit is your imagination. This, of course, is not true. Roleplaying games … Continue reading On Fantasy – 3
On Fantasy – 2
read part 1 In my first “On Fantasy” piece, I began exploring what fantasy meant to me in early childhood. How the entertainment I consumed shaped my capacity for imagination as well as the imagery I utilized.However, the single most important thing for my fantasies and imagined worlds, the foundation upon which all of it … Continue reading On Fantasy – 2
On Fantasy – 1
Seeing as my blog to this point has mainly been navel gazing over my random thoughts and gripes, and since I am meant to be in a transition to a fantasy format now, I thought I may as well do some navel gazing about my random thoughts about fantasy.With this in mind, I would now … Continue reading On Fantasy – 1
Muse Vassal 