One Skeleton?

Well, it wasn't just one skeleton.   It was a skeleton and a psion.

I have chosen to introduce my characters to the graveyard of Phoenicia on Thursday.  And I used a skeleton thief -- animated through psychic means -- to do it.  Just one skeleton thief.  That's it.  Nothing more, nothing less.

They, the players, took the bait.  I originally thought it was a lich, after all, why would a skeleton be moving around in the city?  Then I made it just a simple skeleton and see how the players reacted.

They reacted beautifully.

So, they chased the skeleton all the way to the graveyard.  One of them, however, became the victim of a T.K. maneuver power.  He was lifted into the air and then summarily dropped.

Yes, I know the power's description doesn't say "Lift into the air."  But it ain't fun if you can't do Jean Grey/Phoenix stuff in D&D or Pathfinder.

So, I sent a skeleton soulknife after them.  Word to the wise, the dice has worked against me, the DM.  I could have cheated, and have the skeleton soulknife rip them apart, but I let the dice stand. *shrug*  However, the best that GMs can do is fudge the dice when they need too in certain situations.  But it's best to play by the rules most of the time.

Anyway, the players are in an ancient crypt.  It isn't time to reveal the first hints of a really bad guy ( a psionic lich ), but perhaps it's time to do so.  Don't you think? ;)

Guess the Armor Class

Practicing the Kata by ~Atlantean6 on deviantART

Impractical wear, golden tiara . . . What's my Armor Class?
:D

Rolemaster Classic a head of it's time

Rolemaster Classic for the Win! It seems that the new monks in D&D 4 are psionic based; according to playtest. Psionics, as you know, is the realm of the Mind. This came up before: in Rolemaster.

Rolemaster is a game that is very much ahead of its time. And according to Greywulf, a friend of mine, decades ahead of its time. Critical strikes in Arms Law was the driving force forward in selling Rolemaster. Although my favorite Arms Law is the 2003 RMFRP edition -- Arms Law is Ironcrown's biggest seller in the Rolemaster franchise. However, you may ask, what does Chartmaster or Rollmaster have to do with D&D 4? I'm GLAD you asked.

Rolemaster is one of the best Roleplaying games devised, if D&D 4 is catching up to it quickly enough (GURPS is of the same, if not higher quality). It divided the realms of power up into four areas: ARMS, CHANNELING, ESSENCE, and MENTALISM.

ARMS is your basic warrior, beat them up sort of crew.

Channeling is power from the Gods, or God, or whatever.

Essence is the Unified Energy Field (also God if you look at Energy Quantum Mechanically and draw similiarities from what Religion teaches).

Mentalism is drawing the Essence through your mind, once again, Power Creation (also God, again, but then . . . I'm Spiritual. I see God in everything).

In Rolemaster, mostly because of Star Wars influence than anything else; monks were associated with the Essence. This was called the Charltonian view. This is probably becuase monks would draw on the essence to cast their abilities. Terry Amthor (GREAT guy by the way) felt it was wrong for monks to draw on the Essence to power their abilities. He felt that monks, since they are more often associated with the East, would draw on Mentalism powers. This is called the Amthorian view.

Everyone may hail it, when D&D 4 monks come out, as a great LEAP forward that they are psionic. But, back in the 80s, when Rolemaster was taking shape, the people making Rolemaster did this long before WotC even had an inkling of doing it themselves. Rolemaster Classic is a game that is ahead of it's time.