Some Good News

I thought my computer's power pack had bit the dust yesterday.  The truth is, it needed to cool down for a while.  Also, I had a major life change last tuesday which allows me to throw myself into adapting Edgar Rice Burroughs' At the Earth's Core into a feature film screenplay.  Although being out of school is tough, I need a vacation to complete this screenplay and to have it marketed and made into a good film of old fashioned adventure.  So it's a blessing in disguise.

You really can't go wrong with Edgar Rice Burroughs for Adventure fiction.  A lot of his books have been adapted to feature films, and in some cases, readapted.  Tarzan of the Apes has been adapted over a bizillion times.  Tarzan is probably the 4th most filmed character, after Sherlock Holmes, Dracula, and the Frankenstein Monster.

It's an exciting time to write! :)

The Twelve Kingdoms

Twelve Kingdoms, thirteen tribes of Yisrael.

The setting of the Twelve Kingdoms of Man, is ahistorical, pseudo-medieval.  In other words, it has more to do with Gor and Conan, than it does with King Arthur or even Middle Earth.  But really, I'm not looking for an English Fuedal System.  There's other systems -- the Athenian Greeks had a tyrant, for instance (essentially a dictatorship) that was benevolent during the Age of the City State.  This man became tyrant of Athens by using a young girl and declaring himself chosen by Athena to lead the City State into a new age of prosperity.

The Tyrants were eventually put down and a Democracy set up (rabble rule).  In ancient Israel, my ancestors were ruled by David the King.  It was to be a monarchy that was set up by Yahweh, the El of Israel.  Yahweh would choose the king -- first Saul (who was of the tribe of Benjamin) and second David (who was of the tribe of Judah).  As was promised to Judah, his seed will carry the septre to the end of the World.

Setting up the twelve kingdoms in my new Pathfinder world to be like the twelve tribes of Israel, but giving each of them a different culture is the goal.  One would be based on Persia.  Another, based on Cimmeria, another full of amazons, two with fighting men, and so on (it's ahistorical, pseudo medieval, remember?  I'm just making the 13 tribes obivious!).

Secondly, I thought I'd use churches instead of Gods.  It's different, it's hip, its new.

The campaign setting might begin like this:

In the beginning of our story, the twelve kingdoms were once thirteen tribes who had four hundred years of prosperity.  First as individual tribes, then a small kingdom, then a huge empire, then the empire divided into twelve kingdoms.  This prosperity was not to last, as the kingdoms fell into decline an invasion from another world discombulated the peace and balance in the world.

Something to work on, I admit.  The invasion, of course, are orcs; which threaten humanity.  At least, humanity in the Twelve Kingdoms.  There are others, to be sure.  The orcs were released when a portal transported a raging Orc Horde into the world.  They then spread out, attacking many kingdoms as they sought a place for their own clans and tribes to settle.  The action of the Campaign Setting takes place in the Twelve Kingdoms and the rampaging orc horde with elves and dwarves in there somewhere.

However, the orcs have feeling, they have purpose, they have culture.  I talked a lot about orcs on this blog in my world.  Now it is time to dwell on human culture.

Setting Design: starting from the ground up.

So, where does someone begin when they make a setting for Pathfinder or for D&D (4e or any other edition)?  Everything every where begins as a idea.  Usually out of the Zeitgeist (there's that word again).  So you start with an idea.  Where do people get their ideas from?

Well, you can thank God that we don't live in a vacuum of human expression.  The Corporate World, however, demonize God because we don't live in a vacuum of human expression.  Nina Paley wrote on her essay "The Cult of Originality" this:

How peculiar, then, that Michelangelo's  works showed up in Europe in the 16th Century, rather than ancient Egypt or Sumeria or Persia, or in the Lascaux Caves?  How “original” was Michaelangelo? He used the language and techniques of his time. He carried ideas passed to him by his neighbors. He didn’t create in a vacuum. [1]


Neither does the Dungeon Master.  To say a setting like Glorion, or Eberron, is original is to be conceited.  Eberron has strong Steampunk roots.  Something you get from Gibson's writing about how Babbage's calculator machine had become common place, or Sony's Steam Boy. Glorion draws heavily on several tropes in the Genre.  Especially some Tolkien, making it an unremarkable setting for some (especially me).  I want to do something REMARKABLE, different, and . . . as I said in my previous Essay . . . obvious.

I've written on numerous occasions about orcs on this blog, and while they are all cool, I didn't pay enough attention to humans.  How can you get orcs and humans to interact and make humans interesting to play at the same time? (I'm currently playing a Worgen mage on World of Warcraft, and I've become sick of how clichéd the humans are).  I want something not a cliche for my humans.  With several tribes of orcs, all different, they don't need a culturally homogeneous human race to fight against.  Not every human nation needs to be a knock off of High Middle Ages England with American Accents.  In a sense, Tolkien has dominated American fantasy . . . with a few off shoots like Mar Barker or John Norman, for a very long time.  It's like we are in a dark age of American fantasy and dreams -- Tolkien, who is acclaimed as a genius, has been copied.  Copied! so many times that many of the things you see in a present day American Fantasy novel is full of clichés.  What happened to Edgar Rice Burroughs or Robert E. Howard?

 

Where does one turn to get ideas to set up a remarkable campaign setting?

to create interesting nations for the orcs to fight and contend with, I go by a few simple rules:

* Don't look at Tolkien.  Tolkien, while original in his day in creating a Myth for his time, has been copied so much that many of his work has become clichés in D&D settings the world over.  Tolkien can be admired for a source of inspiration, but not to take whole Cloth.  Like Disney did when they crossed out the Roman Portico for Atlantis, I have to cross out Tolkien.

* Look at Frank Frazetta's paintings.  While the OSR movement flocks around Frank Frazetta, not a lot of what he painted are clichés in the standard D&D campaign setting stuff.  And most of what he paints is American Fantasy.

* Look to the Sinbad movies.  Sinbad and the 1001 Arabian Nights in which the tales of Scheherazade is the inspiration of these movies.  Sinbad's voyages as told by Scheherazade are the inspiration for many movies set in Persia, Arabia, and Baghdad.  Some interesting links:
Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas




(Anything with Sinbad is good, even the T.V. series).

* Ray Harryhausen is the seminal inspiration for a generation of filmmakers.  He revolutionized the special effects industry until computer graphics dominated the scene.

Finally . . .

Ancient History and the Bible.

All of these used to contain clichés, but now not a lot of people know about them or read about them.  They are often locked up in stupid Copyrights that are jealously guarded by people who have either lost their talent, or they sit on their Grandfather's legacy and rip the rewards.  ( Copyright is a bad thing).

And the bible?  Hardly anyone makes movies from it anymore.  Despite historical accuracy; although Samson would be great to make a movie about (everyone loves an Anti-hero).

Ahem . . . 12 hooks, from different sources other than Tolkien.  NICE! :)

So, to create something remarkable you need to get off the beaten path.  Tolkien has been, to put it nicely, copied to death.  There's loads of literature to draw your ideas from -- the above is just the tip of the iceberg. To create your setting, you need a hook or an idea.  Stay away from what everyone else is doing and look at everything else no one else is looking at.  Even if it's a series about Gor (John Norman), Conan the Barbarian (John Howard), or Sinbad (1001 Arabian Nights).

Thirteen Tribes, Thirteen Nations

When thinking of a new setting, I am conflicted between how my cousin doesn't like any historical fantasy, and how I draw on real history when I create a setting.  An example is the ideas I've been getting lately.  With this conflict in mind, how do I draw on real history for ideas and still create a believable fantasy that my cousin will play in?

The idea of the Twelve Nations really came from Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas but you can guess that it actually comes from the Bible.  The funny thing is that most everything is not truly original.  There is a bit of a calque in most anything in which something is transmitted through our language.  Nina Paley talks about this on her blog post "The Cult of Originality."  Thirteen human nations, thirteen American colonies, thirteen tribes of Israel.

The trick to solving this problem is simple:
You don't be original, you're more successful when you are being obvious.  When you state an obvious idea (my campaign setting has thirteen human nations!) you seem like you're original ("That's a great idea!").   What a contradiction, right?  The contradiction is coming from a Copyright standpoint.  The point is nothing is original, says the English Professors, as they have a theory that there is only 4 stories that are being retold over and over again in many variations.  A student stated the obvious once to show how ludicrous the theory is to promulgate across the universe.  So this is how you solve a problem when you have players who simply hate history but you love it and you like to mine history for ideas to RP about.

That, and I think art executives are an excentric lot.  In the days before the Internet, they were the artists' sole audience.  Now, with the internet, an artist can directly touch base with their audience.  Often in ways most people can't even begin to guess.

The only problem is how to be obvious without stepping on people's toes so that they don't think you're competing with their monopoly.

Pathfinder Conversions: The Mage of World of Warcraft

Welcome to Pathfinder Conversions!

One of my players for 4.0 stated that he wanted Wizards to pick up the WoW RPG license from Blizzard.  A great idea, but I stated that the two games (WoW and 4.0) are too similar enough in concept that you couldn't be able to tell you were adventuring in WoW or Forgotten Realms.  You've got your healer, tank, DPS, and Blaster; and you enter into a dungeon and have fun.

However, the whole purpose for the WoW RPG is so you can do stories outside of the MMORPG.  Like infiltrating the burning blade or actually participate in a Battle for Gilneas in other ways.  While it can be done with 4.0, most people at the Convention Table will just run a WoW standard game using 4.0, not deviating from the MMO.

Okay, rant over.  So, lets take a look at the Arcanist class and see what we can do with it.

In Pathfinder, the Wizard class is subdivided into nine different specializations.

Abjuration, Conjuration, Divination, Enchantment, Evocation, Illusion, Necromancy, Transmutation, and Universalist.  In World of Warcraft, the Arcanist is split into different schools as well -- Inscriber, Magician, Necromancer, and Warlock.  Each school, or path, is subdivided.  The inscriber deals with runes, glyphs, and sigils and are split between Arcane and Dark.  The Mage is split between Arcane, Fire, and Ice; while the Warlock is split between Affliction, Demonology, and Destruction.  As for the Necromancer --> there's only one specialization.

Lets start with the Mage.  The Arcanist gets all the rules that the Wizard has in terms of character creation.  But the Mage has only three specializations: Arcane, Fire, and Ice.

Arcane Mages are like your standard Evoker.  They revel in the power of raw magic and can use it to create and destroy with ease.  The signature damage spell is Arcane Barrage (A high level Arcane Missile spell).  So in Pathfinder, an Arcane Mage receives:

Intense Spells (Su): Whenever you cast a mage spell that deals hit point damage, add 1/2 your wizard level to the damage (minimum +1). This bonus damage is not increased by Empower Spell or similar effects. This bonus only applies once to a spell, not once per missile or ray, and cannot be split between multiple missiles or rays. This damage is of the same type as the spell. At 20th level, whenever you cast an evocation spell you can roll twice to penetrate a creature’s spell resistance and take the better result.

Metamagic Mastery (Su): At 8th level, you can apply any one metamagic feat that you know to a spell you are about to cast. This does not alter the level of the spell or the casting time. You can use this ability once per day at 8th level and one additional time per day for every two wizard levels you possess beyond 8th. Any time you use this ability to apply a metamagic feat that increases the spell level by more than 1, you must use an additional daily usage for each level above 1 that the feat adds to the spell. Even though this ability does not modify the spell’s actual level, you cannot use this ability to cast a spell whose modified spell level would be above the level of the highest-level spell that you are capable of casting.

Fire Mages specialize in the element of fire.  While the spell frostfire contains elements of ice, their most powerful spell is Pyroblast (found in More Magic and Mayhem) and Molten Armor (also found in More Magic and Mayhem).

I'll edit this after I get back.  If and when. :)

The Socialist Song

I present the Socialist Song, sung to the music of the Lumberjack Song.

Barber: I'm a Socialist and I'm okay.  I sleep all night and I work all day.

American Founding Fathers: He's a Socalist and he's okay, he sleeps all night and he works all day.

Barber: I make my money, I author my books,
I go to the lavatory.
On Wednesdays I go shoppin'
And have buttered scones for tea.

American Founding Fathers: He makes his money, he authors his books,
He goes to the lavatory.
On Wednesdays he goes shopping
And have buttered scones for tea.

Barber: I make money, I skip and jump
I like to press wild flowers.
I burn the flag of the United States,
and hang around in bars.

American American Founding Fathers: He makes his money, he skips and jumps
He likes to press wild flowers.
He burns the flag of the United States,
and hang around in bars?
He's a Socialist and he's okay,
He sleeps all night and he works all day.


Barber: I make my money, I destroy the dollar,
the mark, and the lira,
I'd wish I'd been a Communist
Just like my dear Papa!

American Founding Fathers: He makes his money.  He destroys the dollar,
The mark, and the lira?
[All American Girl talking]
What's this? Wants to be a Communist?  Oh, my!
I thought you were so individualistic! Commie!!
[American Founding Fathers singing]
He's a Socialist and he's not okay
He sleeps all night and he works all day.
He spends the day restricting people's freedoms
In order to make us look bad.

World of Warcraft Adventures Wiki gone live!

I started a new Wiki for the World of Warcraft RPG.  Called Adventures in World of Warcraft I originally thought of doing it up for Quel'thalas campaigns.  However, since the World of Warcraft is ever reaching and encompasses quite a large area, I opening up the Wiki for every World of Warcraft fan to record their adventures for everyone to use.  The spirit of the site is sharing.  Sharing your adventures set in World of Warcraft to everyone.

We will accept adventures written for the RPG, or written for 4th Edition, or for Pathfinder, or for most any system you please.  As long as you mark what system the adventure is for.  Players and fans may write adventures for any era to share with other fans of the pencil-and-paper side of the franchise.

Thanks for reading! :D

Elton.

Why Dark Matter, Dark Energy, and Dark Forces are fantastic constructs

Dark Energy, Dark Matter, Dark Forces.  All designed to prop up a theory in which Gravity is the driving force in our Universe.  There is a major problem with Dark Energy, Dark Matter, and Dark Forces.  The simple reason is the existence of Vacuum Energy or Zero Point Energy.

For any theory of the universe to be correct, it has to agree with what Yahweh has said about the universe.  Yahweh (pronounced or sung "eeeeeaaaaooooaaaaeeee"), who is a God of Truth, cannot not possibly lie about the Universe[1].  While Yahweh has transmitted allegories in the past to teach us about ourselves, sometimes he has revealed some precious truths that helps us understand the Universe.

One of these precious truths is the fact that Yahweh says that there is no savior beside him.  Secondly, he declared that we worship a "what" instead of a "who." The what we worship is called the Father as a proper name, it is also called the Spirit or the Spirit of Truth[2].

The Spirit of Truth exists in our Universe as pure Energy.  This energy exists at the Zero Point on the Kelvin temperature scale and is often called Zero Point Energy or Vacuum Energy[3].   The Spirit of Truth was discovered as Energy by Doctor Wilhelm Reich.  He called it the Orgone Energy[4], an energy that can be seen and photographed.  This energy is found everywhere: surrounding galaxies, the Earth, and several lifeforms such as man.  Since this energy fills all possible space, represents all truth and knowledge, is the source of intelligence, and is the Father of all things both good and evil; then it stands that it is the source of all Life, Force, and Matter in the Universe.

So, what is the problem with "Dark" Energy, Matter, and Forces?  Simple.  In order to exist, there hast to be a second intelligence in the Universe.  A second Orgone Energy, a second Energy that exists at the zero point.  However, Yahweh has never talked about a second intelligence in the universe.  He never even mentioned a second Intelligence.  Yahweh only said that beside him there is no savior.  This means that the Father is the Source of both, and all, Good and Evil in the Universe[5].

Dark Energy, Dark Matter, and Dark Forces are really fantastic constructions to hold up a theory that is proving to be more and more incorrect all the time.  The Big Bang Theory is the dream of many, and since it is proven incorrect by observation and experiments in the laboratory; then it cannot possibly agree with the Scriptures.  Ironically, however, the Big Bang has the most to offer to Creationists; but many are dumping the theory[6].

The truth is, making up Dark versions of these elements goes against basic physics.  First of all, Dark Force simply goes against Newton's description of all a Force acts.  Force itself is neutral.  It's an application of power to an object in order to make it move.  Force can be used by good and evil, it's the same and applies to movement according to Newton.  Experiments in the Laboratory and application in the real world has shown that force works for all things: Man, Plant, Animal, and Mineral.  And it is the intent behind the force that makes it work for Good or Evil.  Sir Issac Newton only described motion and put forth his laws of Motion, which work for all things.  The existence of a Dark Force cancels out Newton's Laws of Motion since it implies an exotic way of working motion.

This means that the Atheists are in error and are supporting a theory that is proven to be erroneous in all things.  The astrologers (astronomers who support the Big Bang) are holding fast to a theory that doesn't match up to revealed Truths.  Although one can argue that Genesis represents the Big Bang, the problem with the account in Genesis is that it was witnessed by Human beings[7].  And during the time from 4,000 B.C. to about 2,000 B.C. our ancestors saw in the sky an alien constellation of planets[8],[9].  And then the fall happened, and what resulted is a story that is told around the world[10],[11].

The Electric Universe, or Plasma Universe, is a much simpler explanation of the Universe[12].  The corner stone of the theory isn't Gravity.  It's electromagnetism.  The plasma universe theory is a much simpler theory that attempts to explain the Universe in the Now instead of what it was and what it will be.  It does not claim a beginning to the universe, since it relies on observation and laboratory experiments in order to work.  Since the beginning of the Universe is nigh impossible to observe using our present technology, and it is hard to replicate in the laboratory, the Electric Universe cannot make a claim on how the universe began.

It has been used to explain comets[13], most Martian anomalies [14,15,16], and even miracles performed by Elijah and Moses.  The Electric Universe offers a simple explanation of the Universe for everyone -- Believer and Atheist alike.  It does not resort to exotic matter, but it does explain gravity in terms of being an electromagnetic effect.  Quite simply, the Big Bang is an Error because it can't be replicated in the laboratory, while the Plasma Universe theory is held up by laboratory experiments.  The astrologers are in error about the universe, and the real Astronomers are those who are observing the Universe, performing laboratory experiments, and coming to different conclusions.

References:

1. The Book of Ether in the Book of Mormon, Chapter 3.
2. Doctrine and Covenants 93:26.
3. Calphysics Institute: Introduction to Zero Point Energy
4. Wilhelm Reich and the Orgone Energy (video)
5. Parowan Prophet: the Cause of World War Three.
6. Dealing with Pseudoskepticism in Astronomy, Thunderbolts Blog post
7. The Saturn Epic: In the Beginning (Blog Post, October 20, 2008)
8. LDS, dawn in 2,500 B.C. (video)
9. Symbols of an Alien Sky, The Thunderbolts Project (video, non-LDS)
10. Remembering the End of the World, the Thunderbolts Project (Video, DVD)
11. The Saturn Epic: Mythmaking (blog post, October 22, 2008)
12. The Cosmic Thunderbolt, the Thunderbolts Project (video)
13. Thornhill, Wallace. "The Deep Impact of Comet Theory." The Electric Universe. N.p., n.d. Web. 8 Dec. 2010. . 
14. Talbott, David. "YouTube - Planet of a Thousand Mysteries ." YouTube. The Thunderbolts Project, 10 Sept. 2010. Web. 8 Dec. 2010. . 
15. Talbott, David. "YouTube - When Meteorites Fell From Mars ." YouTube - Broadcast Yourself. . The Thunderbolts Project, 18 Oct. 2010. Web. 8 Dec. 2010. . 
16. Talbott, David. "YouTube - The Thunderbolt that Raised Olympus Mons ." YouTube. The Thunderbolts Project, 11 Nov. 2010. Web. 8 Dec. 2010. . 

Monopolies on Culture suck

So, they suck.  After all, if we steal their master copies, they don't have it anymore.  We would be subject to the "thou shalt not steal" law.  However, if we copied their master copy, we both have a copy.  Too bad they want to punch us in the face and put us in jail.

"IF YOU COMPETE WITH MY MONOPOLY I DON'T HAVE IT ANY MORE!" -- WHAM!!

DRM-tards are probably either clueless, stupid, or dumb.  They are supporting a business model that is obsolete in the face of the internet.  Copyright is one law that is made obsolete by the Internet.  Its time more people understand this.

Dark Forces

I put up Nina Paley's "Drinking Problem" with Meme and Eustace for a simple reason.  You, mainstream astronomers, have a drinking problem.  You won't simply take no for an answer from Nature and now think up crazy ideas that you push to us, the general public.

You simply have the brass to dictate to Nature how she ought to act and be:



Really, nature doesn't look the way you want Nature to look.  In all simplicity, It looks at your wonderfully constructed equations and simply doesn't follow them.  Nature doesn't manifest Dark Energy, Dark Matter, or Dark Forces. 

Dark Matter.

Well, you had something there with Dark Matter until you say it isn't made up of atoms.  So, you're looking for neutrinos, which are made up of Dark Matter but doesn't have mass.  Okay . . .

Dark Energy.

Energy is neither dark nor light, it simply is energy.  Some of it is invisible, some of it is very visible.  But it's the same, Energy.  Matter is spent Energy, but it can be converted back into unspent Energy.  Energy, whether it is intelligent or not, is simply energy.  You can lull your sheep into believing in Dark Energy, but the next thing really shows you are off your rocker.

Dark Forces.

You are not only thumbing Nature's nose, but your taking Sir Issac Newton's work on Physics and flushing it down the toilet with dark forces.  To create your perfect universe, you have divided everything up into a dichotomy.   Matter vs. Dark Matter, Energy vs. Dark Energy, Force vs. Dark Force.  This is so medievalistic it reminds me of Saint Cyril when he vivisected Hypatia on a Christian altar.  Our Universe still works in some absolutes --> 1+1 will always be 2.  An object at rest will stay at rest until a force acts upon it.

You are creating an ideology and calling it science.   You are drunk with theories and mathematics you don't realize that you are creating a religion.  You have your creation myths, your saints, your god, and your theology.  You have perverted science; and are slowly transforming it from the quest for truth about the world around us into a pseudo-science.  The young must be indoctrinated into your ideology and you use Mathematics to cow everyone else into believing you.

You deserve the label "astrologer" and all the respect due to the term.  You, who won't take no for an answer to your big bang.  You, who have prevented real scientists from getting telescope time, or preventing their work to the public.  You are drunk with fame and T.V. time.  You are so drunk with your own knowledge and supposed wisdom that you have become blind.

Your big bang theory is built like a house of cards.  You treat us like sheep and have deluded us into believing you.  You prevented Halton Arp from publishing his materials, and you prevent other scientists from being seen and heard.  Well, you astrologers, your theory's time is limited.  You astrologers who will not take "no" for an answer to the Big Bang Theory and make up all of these fantastic constructs are drunk with yourselves.  You're like Meme in this strip:






Really, guys, get a clue.  You are so in love with your fantasy that you will not allow reality to have its say.

Except on the Internet.
 

The Caves of Chaos

My, my.

Finally we get the PCs up and going for the Caves of Chaos!!  It's finally happening, the PCs (well, 2 of them) are finally ready to go into the Caves of Chaos.  The problem seems to be that Rolemaster PCs at first level are woefully underpowered against their D&D counterparts.  For instance, at 2nd level, an RM magician gets a plasma bolt -- SHOCK BOLT -- it's called (in D&D 4e, it's an at will power called magic missile that clueless idiots get to cast at the Darkness every time they feel like it while their fellow player wants to do some chicks at the local tavern.  Stupid thing should be a DAILY power).  Ahem.

This is Rolemaster, not the cartoonish thingy of 4th Edition.  People get hurt.  People get maimed.  People bleed.  People get their limbs hacked off.  People get hit by Interplanetary bolts of lightning and light up like Christmas Trees.  That sort of thing.  So what is terrible about a D&D dungeon crawl when you rolemasterize it?  They, the players, are facing greater odds.  There aren't five gnolls that fall down every time you zap them, there are five gnolls that can really kill your character -- with experience comparable to level 1 D&D characters.  But there is a reason why the PCs are going into the Caverns of Chaos.

The Drow of the Underdark is infiltrating the government of Evereska.  They killed the Queen and they dumped her body in the Caverns of Chaos.  The elvish government need proof before they can act against the Drow in Evereska.  That proof, the body of the dead queen of Evereska, is in the Caverns of Chaos.  A place most sane people would stay away from.

Even if your players play fourth edition and have gnolls for breakfast. 

If 4e was released with a Creative Commons License

Interesting question.

One thing for sure, if it was released with a Creative Commons Attribution Share Alike license, I'd be tearing into it and throwing out all the stupid miniature rules (DELETE, DELETE, DELETE!)  I'd create some modules around the Yaun-ti, since they are the most interesting monsters in D&D that WotC claims that it has copyright over (the second being Mind Flayers, which are based on HP Lovecraft's Call of Cthulhu mythos).  I'd also be addressing a few rules that I've seen of late.

Take Sampson of the Bible.  Sampson was a judge of Israel who also happened to be Dan's local hero.  He was strong enough to kill a lion, to carry away city gates, and to cause the Temple of Dagon to fall and destroy the entire Philistine Aristocracy.  I'd say he had a STR of 30 (of course he sinned and had his hair cut off, so he lost his strength "it went back down to a measly 9.")  For some dumb reason, the ability scores are linked to one's level.

Actually, one of my 4e players made an issue of it when I didn't think there was one.  He thought I was insane.  Actually I was so incredibly tired I didn't want to discuss the issue.  I wanted to show he had super strength (in RM, Sampson would have a bonus to his strength not a modification to his strength score.  The "supernatural" bonus would be about +10 or +15 for RMFRP).

Secondly, I'd do something about the pidgeon-holing.  I just don't know where to begin.  I'd probably throw out the extended roles and try something different (I'm beginning to think that the pidgeon-holing is a core aspect of the system, but if we just got rid of that).

So, what would you do if WotC released 4e with a Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 license?

Where are the White Holes?

I've been so focused on trying to prove that Black Holes doesn't exist, that I forgot to approach it from this angle.  Where are the white holes in our universe?  If something with infinite mass and density with zero volume exists in the universe, then it's opposite must also exist -- a White Hole.


This Masters of the Universe Episode explains what a White Hole is.





IF our Universe has black holes, then it has white holes.  I'd like to challenge the astronomers to find a White Hole.  A White Hole would be direct evidence that a Black Hole would exist. 

A Man and his Dragon

Hardly for the season.  It is the season to celebrate the Saturnalia, actually.  Looking forward to the second coming of the Son of Man is what we all should do.  But I rendered this up to try out a new pose set.

This is from the Michael, Master of Dragons pose set.  I used the Default MilDragon2 skin for this one, so it could be a Copper Dragon for all I know. :)

Black Holes don't exist!

"And I will cut off witchcrafts out of thine hand; and thou shalt have no more soothsayers:"
-- Micah 5:12

"Thou art wearied in the multitude of thy counsels. Let now the astrologers, the stargazers, the monthly prognosticators, stand up, and save thee from these things that shall come upon thee."
-- Isaiah 47:13



Black Holes don't exist for the simple reason that they haven't been directly observed.  According to theory, a black hole is three or more solar masses squeezed into a single point.  The main problem with Black Holes is that you are taking a lot of mass and squeezing it down into non-existent volume.  Since you figure mass by dividing an object's density by it's volume, and a non-existent volume equals zero, you are essentially dividing by zero.

Ask any school boy if you can divide by zero.  In grade school, you get zero, in Algebra and higher maths, you get an imaginary number.  You cannot divide by zero and get a real number, it's just not done.  However, relativists -- or as Stephen J. Crothers calls them -- Astrologers -- gets away with dividing by zero all the time to create black holes.  However, Nature doesn't deal in imaginary numbers.  Nature -- and the Force behind it -- only works with Real Numbers.  Imaginary numbers actually only exist in the imagination, and since black holes depend on imaginary numbers to exist, they must be imaginary also.

Another problem with the Black Hole is nuclear chemistry.  Nobody seems to realize but Black Holes are co-dependent on Neutron Stars in order to exist.  A neutron star results from a supernova when gravity compresses a star's core so much that all the matter condenses into neutrons.  People don't seem to realize that in Nuclear Chemistry, neutrons can't be densely packed together so closely.  They'd just repel each other instantly to seek balance.  While a black hole does the same thing, essentially -- it packs all matter into a single point.

A point is an abstraction, since in mathematics, there are an infinite amount of points on a line.  Although it is true in Sacred Geometry, one uses a point to draw a circle (and then create a mini-universe), it is not true that Nature creates and uses points.  Points are used by Man and by Exalted Man to create geometric constructs and models of the Universe (i.e. points of reference).  So, a black hole is an imaginary construct, a theoretical exercise in infinite gravity that will never be observed in nature.  Believing in Black Holes is an error, since the belief has not been substantiated by direct observation.  The Astrologers aren't true scientists, don't believe them.  The true scientists are out there, observing the Universe and giving simpler explanations.

Lizardians

They are no dragonborn, but RawArt does have a wonderful imagination.  With this pose, I had to inject a little S4 into V4 to make it work.  The pose as originally intended works best for mermen and mermaids.

Hands up if you like Stephanie 4. :)

Handsome and Sampson Dossiers

I figured I should produce stats for Handsome and Sampson.  Using these two characters in your game, you have to remember their idiosyncrasies when used in a 4e campaign.  And against other characters.  They are typically "henchmen" for your boss and will work well in an Eberron campaign or any other steampunk campaign were the Queen is Queen of the British Empire.

Handsome
 Eberron: Handsome d'Cannith
Handsome is Handsome not because he is handsome but because he works with his hands.  He builds gadgets, machines, and contraptions.  All of his fighting ability is tied to his gadgets, machines, and contraptions.  He doesn't use his powers unless absolutely necessary.  When he does use his powers, they come to him in a Flash -- like Chuck Bartowski in "Chuck."  There is a 20% chance he'll flash and use a power when he is in a desperate situation.  Healing surges also come in a Flash like in "Chuck."  But he usually surges off camera.

Height: 5'8"
Weight: 210 lbs.
Hair Color: Dark Brown, short
Eyes: Brown
Steampunk Style: Fedora, dark glasses, yellow bow tie, black dress shirt, white dress coat, white pants, white dress shoes, gadgets.
Eberron Style: White robe, dark glasses, black shirt, khaki pants, gadgets, white sandals.
Personality: Helpful, inventive, and loyal to his boss.
Alignment: (Neutral) Good.

4th Ed. Stats
Level 3 Artificer (Eberron Player's Guide)
Role: Follower (Leader)
Stats:  St 9, Dex 14, Con 11, Int. 16, Wis 14, Cha 12
Hp: 28, Healing Surges: 1 (flashes off camera)
AC: 12 (+2 dex) Defenses: Reflex +3
Weapon Proficiency: Gadgets, Vehicles
Armor Proficiency: Cloth
Trained Skills: Arcana, Insight, Inventing, Knowledge (House Cannith) (note: in a Steampunk game, replace two skills with skills acceptable for a steampunk campaign).
Powers:  All at-will, encounter, and daily powers are the result of a Chuck styled flash.  They have a 20% chance of occuring during any encounter with him (roll 1d20, on a result of 1 to 5, he flashes and uses an Artificer power).  Utility Powers are a part of his character and he doesn't need to flash to use them.
at Will: Aggravating Force
Encounter Power: Lightning Sphere
Daily Power: Obedient Servant
Utility Power: Use Magic Item

Notable Weapons:
Color Spray Bazooka (low level): This gadget fires a color spray of brilliance 3 times/encounter.
Flame-thrower (mid-level): This gadget throws a gout of flame comparable to fire burst 3 times/encounter.
Plasma Cannon (High level): This gadget releases an electrical discharge comparable to a lightning sigil 3 times/encounter.

Steam Tank
Built by Handsome, the steam tank has a top speed of 45 miles per hour and has 230 hit points.  Its hull is reinforced steel (steel plating, AC 15).  The Steam Tank is capable of shooting shells that can penetrate Mithril armor plating on other vehicles, but not Adamantine/Adamantium.  The tank is a prototype so it's barrel only offers +0 to hit.  In Eberron, the Engine is powered by a bound Air Elemental.  The shells explode as a Wizard's fireball and the tank carries 5 of them per encounter.

Sampson
Eberron: Sampson
Sampson is impossibly strong, but he hides his muscles under his clothes.  He fights barehanded and doesn't use weapons.  Like Handsome, his powers come to him in a Chuck-styled flash -- usually when his life is in danger.  Also like Handsome, he flashes 20% of the time.  He has healing surges, but he surges subsconsciously.  He also surges off camera.

Height: 6'2"
Weight: 240 lbs (3% body fat)
Hair: Light brown, short.
Eyes: Baby blue
Steampunk Style: Fedora, dark glasses, pink bow tie, black dress shirt, white dress coat, white pants, white dress shoes.
Eberron Style: Chain shirt, Chain Helmet, white sandals, white cape.
Personality: Vain, Helpful, loyal to his boss, has a Teutonic accent.
Alignment: Lawful Good

4th Ed. Stats:
Level 3 Fighter
Role:  Follower (Defender)
Abilities: Str 30, Dex 12, Con 14, Int 10, Wis 14, Cha 13
Hp: 30 Defenses: Fort +15
Weapon Proficiency: Boxing (Unarmed Strike +15)
Armor Proficiency: Cloth, leather, hide, chainmail, scale; light shield, heavy shield
Trained Skills: Athletics, Endurance

Powers: All utility, encounter, and daily exploits are activated by a Chuck like "flash" which has a 20% chance of occurring. Sampson may use his at-will exploits at any time.
At-Will Powers: Sure Strike
Encounter Power: Crushing Blow
Daily Power: Comeback Strike
Utility Power: Unstoppable

The Problem with the Big Bang Theory

The Big Bang Theory is becoming more speculative every day.  Big Bang Supporters won't take no for an answer to their theory.  They are becoming more and more religious everyday when something is presented to them that says otherwise.  Lately, it has become a case where Man argues with God as to what the Universe should be.  Or even better, Man dictates to God how the Universe should be like.  However, God hasn't gotten the message as Nature, in all it's Majesty, cannot appreciate the perfect beauty of our equations.

Halton Arp has been excommunicated and banished to Germany by the American scientific community.  Arp had discovered some irregularities with quasars.  They had high redshifts, which would mean that they are further away from the Earth.  However, Arp discovered that the Quasars are actually connected to the galaxy they were around, and that ejection had taken place.  He even said that creation takes place in the center of galaxies.  This was a stunning blow to the Big Bang Theory, since it flied in the face of Expansion of the universe.  As a result, the scientists involved wouldn't accept such thoughts.  In fact, one of them said that the paper exceeds his imagination.  A dangerous phrase to say, since humans are supposed to have unlimited imaginations.  After all, take a look at game players -- they have very active imaginations.

Also, Wallace Thornhill and David Talbott are presenting a theory of the Universe that includes Electromagnetism as the dominate force.  They are presenting their findings in a series of videos and books published on Youtube and through Mikamar Publishing.  They contend that the strange symbols in our sky are compared to manifestations of plasma and electric discharge in our ancient skies.  The body of their work is called "Thunderbolts of the Gods", the "Electric Universe", and "Symbols of an Alien Sky."

The data they present is based on laboratory experiments and not on esoteric theory.  While Arp's data is presented on pure observation.  So, what is the layman to do?  Not being trained as a scientist, he's stuck between two opinions.  What should he do?  Research the questions as best he can to test the conclusions of both parties to see if the Universe acts more one way than the other.  That's all the layman can do.

The problem with the Big Bang is simple.  It's a theory that has holes in it.  Exotic matter (Black Holes, Neutron Stars, Dark Matter) and exotic energy (Dark Energy) are suppositions that are used to hold up the theory.  Even though computer models are used to prove the theory, that's all they are are computer models.  They aren't evidence on how things should be -- they just present a model of what you think is.

For me, the Big Bang Theory is in question.  I don't think it is something someone with any intelligence should persue and uphold -- especially with these new observations and experiments show. I believe that as more evidence about the Universe shows up, the Big Bang Theory will be abandoned for a "Steady State theory" or a "Dynamic Steady State" theory.

God only knows what the final outcome will be.  But at some time, Man will stop dictating to God how the creation of the Universe and how it works aught to be.

4th Edition D&D Essentials out of the Box

Or . . . I am not having fun but my players are.

The game is different, yes DIFFERENT, from regular D&D.  Uhm, what I did was ignore the rules considering miniatures.  But everything about the has changed in the playtest, and the best way to learn the game is to actually JUMP in and DM it.  Strangely, a rules lawyer is nice to have with a DM whose willing to try out the system.

Okay, I don't like 4th Edition.  That's all I've got to say on the matter.  I ~don't~ like it.  Maybe it was my lack of preparation, but I quickly made up some stock characters to throw at the PCs.  The way I run things, I tend to run with a lot of improvisation, and you can't do improv on this game and look successful to your peers.

The thing is, the stock characters came out of Nadia: the Secret of Blue Water.  One of my players made the rival to her character, and all I can see is Grandis Granva from Nadia.  So I gave her two henchmen.

Grandis Granva as Kyli

Handsome and Sampson.  Handsome is an Artificer and his true combat ability lies in his ability to construct Steampunk machines, gadgets (like his Color Spray Bazooka), and other things.  Sampson is -- well -- STRONG!  Impossibly strong, about as strong as Hercules (see my notes on how Hercules and Sampson might be the same).  Sampson relies on his strength, while Handsome relies on his inventiveness.

It kinda sucked.

Number one: the game doesn't have a way to explain how inventions are invented, how they are constructed, and how they work.

Number two: A STRONG guy doesn't have a chance against the PCs.  At level 1, the PCs are over powered, so I need to stat these people out so I know what their exploits are (yep, their underpowered).  Handsome still relies on machines, so if he has to deal with someone without his machines or gadgets, he generally and rudely tells them to leave.

I.e. the players had fun, I didn't.  The game kind of flies in the face of improv.  I can't improv without making an NPC stat so that the NPC will be up to par to the PCs.  It's kind of a let down, really.  You basically had to do the same with 3.x and Pathfinder, but at least you can get away with the improv. 


The Best parts of the game were:

Handsome's Color Spray Bazooka.  I thought of a fire ball throwing bazooka but changed it to throw a spray of dazzling colors.  Color Spray isn't a Wizard or Artificer power.

Handsome's tank, the Kyli, driving at the same speed as an Orien Lightning Rail and blowing a hole in the side of one of the Lightning Rail coaches.  Oh, and the fact that it's steam engine can generate AC electric power to power the tank.

Happy Thanksgiving!

I am thankful for:

* Anne, my dead girlfriend.  She gives me something to strive for.
* Katrina -- my present girlfriend.
* My cousin Melinda: for being her best friend.
* T. Harv Eker
* Joe Vitale
* Iron Crown Enterprises
* My cousin Eric, who is probably thankful for me.
* Nudism.
* The guy who does the Nude Toons.
* Love.
* For my knowledge.
* For the scriptures.

And . . .

I am grateful to the Son of Man who gave his life so that we could be absolved of the Fall. :)

Another Obligatory Render

This time of an orc female.  Not everyone of them has to be hard bodied.

Obligatory Naked Elves Render

 
In my adventure I'm writing, the Gray Wolf Tribe has contact with mountain wild elves that has totally gone native.  In other words, they are a clan of naked elves.  Why they did it?  No one hopes to fully understand the minds of the elves.

Actually, in truth, the body is good and wonderful and our compulsiveness to cover up the body even though the Son of Man had atoned for us and gotten rid of the effects of the Fall is completely in comprehensive.  The Father meant for his Children to be nudists.

Adventure to be 4th Edition?

Anyone want to see an official conversion of the current adventure I'm working on to 4th edition?

Since it's going to be open sourced, wouldn't it be better if you converted it yourself?


If you want to see the adventure I'm working on: Blood Challenge, to be statted for 4e; then there's something you've got to know.  It's a character development piece for an orc character.  Which means it follows the orc PC's character and develops him or her quite closely.  It has heavy RP elements, however don't worry, you'll get to beat people up and take their stuff. *har har*.  If you want to see it statted for 4e by me . . .stand up and be counted and write your approval on the blog.  If not, then go ahead and write your approval anyhow.  And Greywulf, the tribe in question is the Grey Wolf tribe.

Interesting Question Posited on Wired

This question has to do with COICA, or CLOACA, depending on who you talk to.  Actually, it had nothing to do with it.  It had to do with Hollywood.  The question he asked is this:

"Ever wonder why music costs the same regardless of the artist? Ever wonder why movies cost the same regardless of how popular or how much demand there is to see them? These industries certainly are not milk or gas. They are more like other commodities like clothing and cars where demand sets the price. So why are these items in the entertainment industry priced the same?
Could it be price fixing? Will Congress investigate whether these industries are involved in price fixing? Whether movie houses are pressured by Hollywood to charge the same price for every movie no matter if the movie stinks or is a blockbuster?
Funny how that works, isn’t it?"
-- by BenFlorida

Hmmm, could it be that Hollywood is actually running a cartel and fixing prices?  If so, then the Internet hurts them more than anything.  Could Copyright could have been perverted to support a Monopoly system than the artist?

Once a law is perverted by those it is supposed to protect, it can no longer function as a just and moral law.
 

Character Creating in 4th Edition, Paul Jaquays' Style

First things first, there is something I don't like about 4th Edition that makes creating characters extremely limited.  Apparently, the dearth listing of skills.  We ran into this when we created characters using Paul Jaquay's "Heroes of Legend" book to create some very detailed characters.  The players started rolling some really unusual skills in 4th Edition. 

One of these happened to be Gourmet Cooking.  How would gourmet cooking fit in 4th Edition D&D?  Well, it doesn't.  There's no skill for it.  So, we invented all sorts of skills to cover the unusual skill set.  Skills such as inventing.  D&D 4e is extremely limited, apparently when you create characters with "Heroes of Legend" for 4th Edition, you run into something that sucks.

• Lack of skills
• Class specific powers
• Lack of customizability

Being limited by the books, one of my players complained about me not allowing the assassin.  I had a big beef with that.  Because in Rolemaster (Fantasy Roleplaying and the Standard System) an Assassin is represented by choosing skills -- usually for a Magent, Rogue, or Thief.  When you try to create interesting characters, 4th Edition creates some walls with its design philosophy.  As a GM, I had to make some house rules on the spot.  Right now, it's expanding the skill set to accommodate usual skill choices.  And this is the first time I'm getting ready to play 4th Edition as the DM.

The Game comes with some frustrations.

Past Adventure makes for published adventures

Returning into an Adventure I ran two weeks ago, I realized it could make for a published adventure.  The adventures of an orc and his pals explores orc culture in ways people don't realize.

* Basic premise: This adventure only works if one of the players is an orc.  Ran as a character development piece, the PCs journey to an orc village because the orc's father is sick.  Also the orc's father's authority is challenged by Jubal the Ugly One because he has taken Dian the Beautiful -- the daughter of a powerful family.  The PC must win back his father's honor and Dian by a blood challenge -- a fight to first blood.

When I ran the adventure, the players had a good time.  Expanded into an adventure, it could be liked by orc lovers and those who play the Horde in the World of Warcraft MMORPG.

Review of the Eberron Player's Guide

Byline: It still misses that Old Dungeons and Dragons magic.

The Eberron Player's Guide misses that old Dungeons and Dragons magic.  It suffers from the same writing style as the 4th Edition PHB 1, but not nearly so much.  There are several things changed that I don't agree with cannonically. Having the original Eberron Campaign Setting (and still in GOOD CONDITION!) there was some significant changes made to this edition.  Plus, Keith Baker wasn't listed as a writer, so I wonder if he had any input at all.

That being said, I don't think you need the DM's Guide at all if you have the original setting except for the monsters (Karnnathi Zombies, Skeletons, Dolgaunts, and so forth).  You can get most of the changes from the Player's Guide. The first chapter, Life in Eberron explains what Eberron is like today and yesterday.  This chapter introduces you to the basics of the setting. Bringing back some of that old magic.  It goes and explains the world of Eberron.  From Khorvaire and Sarlona; to Aerenal, Argonessen, Xendrik, and Everice.

It then explains the planes and how they work.  what life is like across Khorvaire,  how the governments work, what everyday life is like, how money works, and the languages work.  It's also how naming works.  They also talk about the gods and their alignment, and the other religions and how they work. It also goes into the current age, and the calendar.   Then all the other items of Eberron is presented towards the player's point of view.



The Races chapter goes into the individual races.  From changelings, to Kalashtar, to the Warforged; each of these are presented in the same format you see in PHB 1.  What a tragedy.  But each are described in detail (note, though, the Races of Eberron book for 3e goes into far more detail about these races).  Two of them haven't changed much to their 3e counterparts.  That would be the Warforged and the Changelings.  The Kalashtar, however, had an enormous change.  They are granted the bastion of Mental Clarity power.  They still have inborn telepathy -- but it's treated as a language.  IF you want to play Kalashtar to their greatest effect, buy a copy of PHB3 and the Psionics expansion book.  The only race that isn't presented is the Shifters in this section.  What's wrong, Wizards?  Can't you reprint the Shifters from PHB 2?

Beyond that, they go into the Core races and the not-so-core races and where they fit in Eberron. What is nice is that they tell you where everyone fits.  And the Dragonborn came from -- you guessed it -- Argonessen and are based in Q'Barra.

So, you get into classes and how they fit in Eberron in Classes.  You get dozens of paragon paths, and epic destinies.  You also get some new feats, equipment, and magic items in Character options along with some new rituals.

The five nations are talked about in The Five Nations chapter.  What is common knowledge about them, and how to work in the five nations and how the PCs relate to them. It also talks about Sharn and what is going on in the Mournland (Cyre).  It also talks about what is going on beyond the Five Nations and Beyond Khorvaire from a player's perspective.  Finally it went into a large amount of backgrounds.

Conclusion

Yeah, I bought it for $29.00 (with added tax).   Was it worth $29.00?  Compared to coming Hyper-inflation . . . YES!  ahem . . . in 1910, I could probably get this for 5 cents, maybe 25 cents.  In 2012, this same book will cost you $80.  Sorry, that's the way it is.

Despite this, I think that I could run a 4e game with is, almost.  I have the original ECS, so I can't run out of plots.  Really.  Well, I guess.  Maybe.  No, definitely.  I don't like 4e, but I like this book.  If you want to run Eberron with 4e, this book is needed.  But if you have the original ECS, it's not worth it to spend the extra 10 just for monster stats.  You're best bet is to extrapolate them from the original 3E book.

Creating my own model in Vue

I bought this:
http://www.renderosity.com/mod/gall...lay_1564342.jpg

It's Osiris9's NAV 90 Avatar Class transatmospheric assault carrier. I.e. a Space Carrier. Well, I got Bryce and toyed with it to transfer the object into Vue. So far, I was unsuccessful. So I transferred it into DAZ Studio. I was unsuccessful and frustrated. To use the concept in Vue, I have to come up with my own and build it from Vue primitives and metablobs.

So I am starting my research:


USS Enterprise (CVN-65) [Public domain], by United States Navy, from Wikimedia Commons


USSRONALDREAGANgoodshot [Public domain], by Photographer's Mate 3rd Class Elizabeth Thompson (Main article, with link to image.), from Wikimedia Commons


CVN-78 aircraft carrier conceptual cutaway view [Public domain], by Northrop Grumman Newport News Shipbuilding (http://www.navy.mil/view_single.asp?id=36307), from Wikimedia Commons


CVN-78 Artist Image [Public domain], by U.S. Navy (http://www.navy.mil/view_single.asp?id=30854), from Wikimedia Commons

Those are U.S. Aircraft Carriers.

Here are the British Aircraft Carriers


PA2 [CC-BY-SA-2.0-fr (www.creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/fr/deed.en)], by Rama., from Wikimedia Commons


Pa2 uk [CC-BY-SA-2.0-fr (www.creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/fr/deed.en)], by Rama
This version: Anynobody (original File:QECVF.jpg50px), from Wikimedia Commons

The Links I'm using for my research:
1. The U.S. Navy Aircraft Carrier official home page at Navy.mil - http://www.navy.mil/navydata/ships/...rs/carriers.asp

2. How Stuff Works -- Aircraft Carriers: http://science.howstuffworks.com/aircraft-carrier.htm

3. Naval Technology.com: the site on Naval technologies: http://www.naval-technology.com


This is going to be an awesome undertaking.  I always wanted to see an Aircraft Carrier, much less modeling them.   Now I get my chance.  The model I bought is for Bryce and only Bryce.  Since I'd rather be working in Vue, here we go. :)

SpaceMaster New Space update

I've begun to post my Spacemaster campaign on the RPGnet wiki.  Called SpaceMaster: New Space, for lack of a better name.  Writing this took most of the day.   Especially for a game inspired by Microsoft Freelancer and Origin's classic Privateer.

The campaign is fairly different from the above two.  It takes place in 1982, with the associated microcomputer in development (2 to 4 bytes per second).  However, some planets have computers that exceed this limit, but hasn't broken Bode's Law.

Items added today:
Scro, Eldar, the Massachusetts System, and Planet Akihabara in the Honshu System.

I feel frustrated and Angry today

I really feel frustrated and angry today. I feel like I'm blocking inspiration from the Spirit.

I did a render illustrating how I feel today.  I'm angry, frustrated, and mad.  I wish I could express my feelings.

Some things you didn't know about Sound

CNN lists 10 things about sound and health that you probably didn't know:

1. You are a chord. Matter is vibrating energy, which means that you're a collection of vibrations, also known as a chord.
2. You are healthy when that chord is in complete harmony. Socrates said that: "Rhythm and harmony find their way into the inward places of the soul, on which they mightily fasten, imparting grace, and making the soul of him who is rightly educated graceful, or of him who is ill-educated ungraceful."
3. You see one octave; you hear ten. An octave is a doubling of frequency, and the visual spectrum only goes from 400-790 THz, which is just under one octave. Humans with good hearing can hear ten times that number!

For the other seven fascinating facts about sound and health, you can click on the link below.

My comments:

Yes, this is all correct. We are cords, and we are a collection of vibrations. :)

My Spacemaster Campaign

By NASA/JPL-Caltech/R. Hurt[see page for license], via Wikimedia Commons; in the Public Domain

It's the Year 1982.

Twenty Years earlier, the Illithids were defeated in a major Interstellar War against the Nations and the Powers of World War Two.  The Allies and the Axis joined together to fight the Illithids.  Using FTL capability given them by the Eldar, the Earthers fought a major campaign to keep their independence and right to live.

The Earthlings defeated the Illithids at the Battle of Orion in 1962, forcing them to withdraw their imperial interests out of the Orion Spur.  The Illithids still have a far reaching empire: in the outer arm, the Perseus Arm, the Norma Arm, and the Scutum-Centaurus Arm of the Milky Way Galaxy.

Mankind has settled the galaxy some forty light years beyond Sol.  Each Nation, except the USSR, formed their own stellar nation and their citizens raced to these new nations to start new lives among the territory that the Earthers conquered from the Illithids.  But the Illithids are still out there, biding their time to plot revenge.

This image of the "Mind flayer" creature (concepted by TSR Inc. and Wizards of the Coast) is a from-scratch fan drawing.

The Illithids were utterly defeated, but there are planets within the Orion Spur where some are still rumored to exist.  The defeat did not come easily, but victory meant that the humans had new worlds to settle that were under Illithid Domination.  And in the far Frontier, skirmishes between Illithids and Earthers are uncommon.


TECHNOLOGY OF THE EARTHERS

The Technology of the Earthers are simple, it's rivets and steel.   While the Illithids use organic hulls on their space ships, the Earthers use strong Fullerine hulls.  While the Eldar use wood, the Scro also depend on metal.

Space Drives

Human Technology depend on a Plasma Ion Propulsion drive for space -- which is similar to a fusion reactor drive, but plasma is used to foster the fusion process and the resultant ions are forced out of the nozzles.  While in air, propulsion is based on a reactionless electromagnetic gravity drive.  The Earther ships are able to produce electromagnetic fields around their ship that causes the ship to counter gravity and lift themselves up.

Humans depend on two star drives: the Plasma Slipstream Drive and the Fold Space Drive.  The Plasma Slipstream Drive creates a Birkland Current around the ship and slips it into Faster Than Light travel.

Plasma Slipstream, in action.  (From Stargate Universe)

The second method of travel is a fold drive.  Carried on the largest of ships (such as space battleships and space carriers) the Fold Drive is a quick way of transporting a large amount of ships to another part of Interstellar Space as quickly as possible. Developed in 1960, the Fold Drive was used to transport five Earther Fleets to the Orion Nebula where they dealt with the Illithid Armada that amassed to conquer the Earthers.  However, the Illithids had trouble of their own and the Earthers had allies: the Scro, the Eldar, the Draconids, and other races in the Galaxy.  They defeated and destroyed the Illithid Armada in the Orion Spur.  Their power broken in the Spur, the Illithids retreated their own holdings in other parts of the Galaxy.

Drive Speed:

The new generation of Plasma Slipstream Drives allows ships to go at 7 parsecs a day.; this pretty much means that a ship traveling from Earth to Alpha Centauri at about 4.5 hours, to Canopus (which is 30 parsecs) about 4 days of travel; and Across the Galactic Arm, which is 2,000 parsecs: about 9 months.  It takes 4 years to reach the Plasma confluence at the Galactic Core -- a distance of 10,000 parsecs.  The Fold Drive system can carry ships up to a maximum of 50 light years per use.  Most people prefer to use the Plasma Slipstream FTL if they can help it.  The first generation Fold System is very temperamental and unreliable.

Fuel

Earther Ships rely on Plasma Fusion Generators to generate ion thrust and electrical power for the ship. However, the Zero Point Energy Converter is still experimental, as it would convert Zero Point Energy into electrical power and propulsion power.  The fuel capacity for Plasma Fusion allows a ship to have a range of 20 parsecs non-stop.

Star Fashion, by myself.

FTL Astrogation

FTL Astrogation is Complex and 3-Dimensional.  The course must take into account the gravitational fields of intervening suns and star drift.  A reliable course (Astrogation, Medium) can only be computed if the Astrogator has complete information about the system.


Communications

The communications of the galaxy depends on FTL communication via a tachyon network.  While frontier planets depends on courier ships; planets closer to Sol uses the Tachyon network.  Courier ships use Fold Systems to get from place to place, though, delivering the news.

Computers and Cybernetics

IN 1982, the Intergrated Circuit is still in its infancy.  Computers have the power of a Apple IIe or a TRS-80 (pronounced trash 80) or an IBM computer with only 128 kilobytes of memory.  Calculations and programming are done by Machine Language (COBOL), C, and Microsoft BASIC.  Spreadsheets and Databases keep the computer banks informed.  However, most ships have mainframes that carry 10 GBs of storage.  Given the computer's level of evolution, however, Energy Matter Teleporation by machine is necessarily impossible.


Gravity Manipulation!

Gravity onboard ship is achieved by using electricity to produce the necessary Gravity aboard ship.  Electricity is 10 to the 39th power much more powerful than gravity.  Conversely, a ship is capable of generating powerful electromagnetic fields to counteract the effects of gravity, in order to lift itself into space.


Next Post: RACES!

The Creationism vs. Evolution Debate

Having recently watched a show on the Intelligent Design theory and the various Creationist and Evolution videos I have come to the conclusion that it's a never ending fight. This is because the entire fight is faith based.  It's a fight between Religions, that's all it is, it will never be solved and it will never come to a conclusion.

Meanwhile, Science suffers because of this debate.  Science is caught in the middle since both groups invoke science in order to lend credibility to their argument.  Fortunately, though, both theories exists so those who really knows the truth will turn and Ask Higher Intelligence what actually happened and how life arose on this planet.  The results, however, are surprising.

So, what do you do when you caught between the two?  Let them fight it out and seek out your own answers, its all you can do.  Oh, the Evolutionists will say that they co-opted Logic, the Scientific Method, and the History of Science.  But making such a pronouncement is nothing more than the latest salvo in the debate.  It really create fools to make such a proclamation.  Such a statement is non-sense because it divides the scientific community: it was made in such a way that it creates a "Either you are for Science" or "You are against science" attitude.  However, such a thing is foolish since the Scientific Method and Logic is pretty much owned by all.

So, really, this is getting pathetic.  You guys -- both Creationists and Darwinists -- are really going to have to learn to get along with each other so that the two theories can co-exist peacefully and people can choose for themselves which theory feels right for them.  This will advance science and not make it out to be a big joke.   But since you are at each others intellectual throats, you are making a mockery of Science.  Really, I wonder why the men in the white coats aren't carting both groups off to the Funny Farm.


The Implications of Both Theories

Evolutionists are so bent on taking Intelligence out of the equation of Life to prove that Intelligence had nothing to do with Life on Earth that they are going to have to prove that there is no Intelligence in the Universe in order to prove that their theory is valid.

Creationists will be setting Science back two hundred years since they firmly say that the World was created in six days.  However, here is a newsflash for Creationists and Evolutionists.

--- The Account of Genesis was a human witnessed event.  The Account of Genesis is the end of the Golden Age, the Age of Perfect Virtue and the Beginning of our World as we know it.  It also accounts for a Spiritual Creation.  David Talbott presents this in his thesis "Remembering the End of the World."





--- Evolutionists, you have to pretty much disprove Quantum Physics and Quantum Events and two laws governing Intelligence in the Universe:  The Law of Attraction and the Law of the Harvest.  This means that you have to disprove the infamous double slit experiment.




Since, however, both groups will not do the science and are clinging to theories that are over one hundred years old, you are both making Science a mockery to the World at large.   Like I said, this is an argument of faith.  After all, it takes faith to believe in both theories.  I think Doctor Frankenstein has put it best when dealing with the two groups.

The Feudal System

Greatly, one of the things about Feudalism, especially the English System, is that it has been romanticized.  The tales of King Arthur, Grimm's Fairy Tales (although Cinder-Ella is an ancient tale that was adapted around the life of a Noblewoman), and various fantastic works and paintings and even the Romanticizing of the Society of Creative Anachronism.

Although it was an interesting time.  Even to re-enact; there are some things about the Feudal System that is often glossed over in Hollywood movies, fairy tales, and Arthurian stories.  It's the fact that the Feudal System is anathema to Freedom and Scientific Progress.

The one system the Shadow Government of the U.S.A. wants us to return to is the Feudal System. 
Albeit modified around Socialism.  To understand where we are going, we need to understand where we've been.  In studying for this week's adventures of the PCs in Grummond Cave, I needed a base where they can go to resupply if needed.  I chose the hamlet of Wodfeld; which is produced by 0one Games and sold through various outlets -- including Iron Crown Enterprises and Your Games Now.  However, the PCs have seen the good and are expecting the good of the Feudal System, I think its time to introduce the Bad.

The Feudal System, in Collusion with the Church of Medieval times, suppressed learning and literacy. The Church kept all the knowledge of science to itself, and promulgated fallacies that are largely disproved today.  The Feudal System also placed humankind into at least three different social castes, with some divided further.

They are

Those who War: which included the Nobility.  Knights, Princes, Lords, Earls, Barons, Marque's, and Kings.  Those who pray: included the priests of the Church as well as the monks.  And those who toil: which includes everyone else.

During Medieval Times, there was incessant warfare.  No body knew what year it was.  The best inventions of the day was the waterwheel and the windmill.  Knowledge of the Gastrophetes, the Ballistae, the Scorpion, and other inventions were lost.  Basic knowledge of Art and Science was lost too.  There were no steam engines, no robots, no computers, nothing of the Wonders of Archimedes or the Helenic Age.  The only relic of the forgotten Helenic Age that was produced in quantity was the Astrolabe -- an invention of Hypatia of Alexandria.

The Medieval Period was marked by a very powerful Dark Age.  There were no prophets, no apostles, no evangelists, no Seventy, no ministers, no deacons, no teachers, and no high priests, or patriarchs.  Kings ruled by Divine Right, something that would be tested against the Church by King Henry VIII (Henry Tudor II?). The system was unjust, since it give a lot of rights to the nobility and the priestly caste.  The people on the bottom had problems.

The Feudal System didn't truly break down until the Crusades of Europe against the "Saracens."  The Crusades was the beginning of the break down, and who would have known that the Pope at the time was contributing to the destruction of his system?

However, the Feudal System was lent a heavy blow during the Black Plague.  When the Black Plague struck Europe, everyone -- Christians, Jews, and Pagans alike; cried for deliverance and a "Restitution" of their world.

After the first and second waves of the plague, however, things did turn upside down. What the people didn't realize that when you ask for a restitution of your world -- YOU GET IT!  Although it took a full generation, through Danse Macabre generation, the Renaissance started as Indian artists and their intelligentsia migrated into Italy to escape oppression.  Although it really ended in during the American Revolution -- the Feudal System broke down.  After all, the Black Plague killed one third of the Population of Europe.  And not one class of people were spared.  The black plague killed villein, freeman, merchant, nobles, kings, and priests.

Not too soon was the Discovery* of America, the colonizing of the New World, the First Revival in the Colonies, the second Revival; and the hundreds of inventions and rediscovered science of the Helenic Age.  We have a lot to be thankful for.  The Medieval system is a terrible system to be under.  If you were born a free man or a noble, you had privileges.  However, even nobles were vassals to someone else.


Villeiny vs. Freedom

There was two distinctions in the lower classes from the nobility, and that was being a Villein or a Freeman.  A villein -- from which our word villain comes from -- is essentially a man in serfdom or more properly, in slavery.  The legal definition of villein depends on a number of points.  If all of them were true, you'd be considered a villein.  The children of villeins are villeins by birth.  That's just the way it is. Villeins were to perform labor services, apparently without limit.  They also couldn't marry without paying a merchet tax.  Women in villeiny that were caught in fornication had to pay a fine known as the leyrwite. During the Middle Ages, about a tenth of the population of the countryside engaged in illicit sex, simply because they can't afford to get married, which is tragic (marriage shouldn't be taxed, even in the real world, but it is). Villeins can be sold by their lord to other freemen.  Anything they own is considered their lord's property, and they hold their land only at his whim.  Villeins can be evicted from their land by their lord without apparent warning.  Villeiny is one of the bad things about the Middle Ages.


Repressed Opportunity to Learn

The Second bad thing about the Middle Ages is the repressed opportunity to learn.  Who ever controlled the government at that time (the Pope?) felt that knowledge was power so they repressed learning.  By repressing learning, they could control the masses.  If the masses are kept in ignorance, it makes it better to control them.  For almost a thousand years, the Church kept a monopoly on freedom and taught the masses through medieval friezes and morality plays.  However, progress was made, with Guttenberg inventing the Printing Press, the Church's monopoly on Learning was broken.  It took one printing press, one expedition to China, and one religious Reformation to break the stranglehold of the Church on Learning.  Repression of Learning is another bad thing about the Middle Ages.


Incessant Warfare

By John Gilbert (1817–97)[see page for license], via Wikimedia Commons

 Warfare was incessant in the Middle Ages.  Well, actually, its incessant now.  War was once a religious ceremony of mass missionary work and evangelizing of a people that didn't believe in your religion.  In the Middle Ages, as now, Warfare is fought for economic and political reasons.  However, war was regulated by the Church.  The purpose for the Church to regulate war was to protect the lives and property of the non-combatants in the war.  At least, I believe given the power of the Roman Catholic Church, that the Church wanted to reduce the collateral damage of War in Europe.  However, it doesn't reduce the human impact.  War, after all, is used to reduce the population of human beings in Medieval Europe.  And most everywhere else.


Feudalism in Roleplaying Games

Most Roleplaying games, like Dungeons and Dragons, Rolemaster, the Palladium Roleplaying Game,  RuneQuest, and Pendragon; assume a Medieval Fantasy gaming environment.  The Fantasy of being a knight that saves the princess and slays the dragon is a very powerful one.  Especially since you have Tolkien's stories to work off of and the imagination of many other fantasy authors. Most fantasy worlds do not really explain how feudal systems work.  The best works to get started on this subject, of recreating a realistic medieval environment for your games are King Arthur Pendragon for the Nobility side of the Feudal System, Harn: A Real Fantasy World by Columbia Games, Ars Magica, and the Ars Magica supplement Heirs to Merlin to show the other sides of the feudal system.

And there are a lot of books you can go to and read up on Feudal Europe.  However, if Feudal Europe isn't something you don't want to portray to your players, there are several other settings you can use.  Ancient Greece, Ancient Rome, the Celts, Biblical Palestine (i.e. the Kingdoms of Israel), and the forgotten Age of Seventy Nations.  There is also the time of the 3 Musketeers, the time of the Scarlet Pimpernel, Zorro, etc.  There are endless other settings you can use for Roleplaying fodder.

But note, brave is the GM that lifts the veil of Feudalism and shows it to his players.  In all of its glory -- both ugly and beauty.  The Medieval World is well documented in History, a lot of historians have written about the Medieval World.  You can get anything on that time period from recipes to eating menus to military history.  Go to the Library, surf the web, there is a wealth of information for the GM/DM use in his games.