Star Wars: The Old Republic

I played this for a week.

So how does it stack up to World of Warcraft?  Plain and simple, it does and it doesn't in plenty of aspects. World of Warcraft is or has, quite simply, a much better bang for your buck in an Arcade style MMO.  You have LFGs, you have pugs, you can go up against the Lich King.  There is simply no way, no how you can role-play there anymore since the role-players have all been driven off most WoW RP servers.  The PvP is much more advanced in WoW, and you have much more advanced features.

In all honesty, though, World of Warcraft is better in the feature department because of it's development in features.  So, can Star Wars get the ten million or eleven million subscribers that it needs to be number 1?  Answer: maybe.


Star Wars: the Old Republic is thirty years a little too late to take advantage of the Star Wars craze of the early eighties when GL was inventing the story as he went along.  Secondly, it's ten years too late to take advantage of the Star Wars renaissance.  Fourthly, it's clearly not designed to be like WoW in conception.

Although Star Wars: the Old Republic is doing its own thing, you have got to realize that it has many features in common with World of Warcraft.  The GUI is similar, and and the combat similar also.  You sit there for much of the combat, not moving but standing like a D&D character trading blows with your enemy.  that isn't realistic, but hp isn't too realistic either.


Blaster bolts are like blanks (death by blanks) and lightsabers don't really cut.  So that's the arcade style of the game.  Like I said, it has a lot of features in common with WoW in order to compete with WoW.  Many of its players are coming from WoW.  But they are also coming with to high expectations . . .

a). Star Wars: the Old Republic does not have pugs or LFGs.  Newbies have to miss out on a lot of good content (the Flashpoints, which are ST:TOR's equivalent of dungeons) in order to advance their characters.

b). Server population is low.  The population of the game is spread out among many different servers, so you don't get the help you deserve when asking for Flashpoints.

c). The Galaxy isn't fully open.  An Imperial Guild can't go in and raid Coruscant, and a Republic Guild can't go in and raid Drommund Kas.  What is worse, Imperials can't go in and raid Tython, and the Republicans can go in and raid Korriban.

d). There are no guild banks, but that is coming in patch 1.2

e). There isn't any good PvP, like Arena PvP.

f). There aren't any planned sporting events.


So, what does Star Wars have over Blizzard's WoW?

a). Star Wars lore -- Star Wars is incredibly rich.  The story and mythology of the Star Wars Universe has grown beyond George Lucas.  The story is bigger than him, both symbolically and literally.  Although it started with an idea and a need: "There isn't anything good in the theaters."  "I'm going to do a Space Western."  -- has gone beyond a simple honest film maker turned blustering blow hard because he can't take FAME well at all.

Star Wars has more than 30 years living in the minds of the public, and owned by the minds of the public.  There are novels, video games, movies, t.v. shows, CRPGs, and now . . . an MMO.  Star Wars is bigger than World of Warcraft in lore and history, spanning more than hundred of thousands of years.

b). Voice acting and better modeling.  The graphics and voice acting of each character is awesome!  It's everything you'd expect an MMO to be in this time and place.  Each character has a voice and a mini-movie.  People are just going to be, pardon the expression, blown away by the expressiveness and the way that the Star Wars universe just comes to life.



c). Rich story telling -- each class has a rich story being told through play.  There is a legacy system in which you can add a last name to your characters (i.e. Starstrider for one thing).  You can create a legacy for your alts.  From bank alts to regular, "I advance my alts so I can do things in the guild."

You can marry characters together, make them brothers, sisters, cousins, siblings, aunts, uncles, daughters, and sons.  And you can customize your characters' abilities according to their legacy.  You can't do that in WoW.

So, is SW:TOR better than World of Warcraft?  Yes.  Will it survive World of Warcraft? Maybe.  My advice is to buy the game and to play it.  This is the only chance you have to live your fantasy that you had when you saw Star Wars the first time.

But I don't know about you.  As for me, I'm playing a human Jedi Shadow, a Miraluka Jedi, and a Sith Sorcerer.  I'm going to build a legacy with these characters, marrying my Jedi Shadow and true blood Sith Sorcerer together to get an interesting family.  A Star Wars legacy like anything Goerge Lucas can think of.

enlarging the World of Warcraft

Azeroth suffers from detailed 3D animation in World of Warcraft.  It's highly detailed, but the world is so small. By comparison, the Game Daggerfall has a much larger world achieved with the Doom 3D Game Engine almost twenty years ago.

As a result, the World is miniscule compared to the world of Tamriel as presented in Daggerfall.  So, what to do?

Well, one can expand the world and leave the rest small.  But that would create a problem.  Both continents of Kalimdor and Azeroth is about as big as the Hunter Village subdivision where I live (including the Orchard subdivision).  This doesn't include the cities, which are as big as the Orchard Subdivision and part of the Subdivision that is west of us.


At the very most, the whole of Kalimdor and Azeroth is only 25 miles north and south, and 15 miles east to West.  This is the dimensions of the Salt Lake Valley.  Roughly.  So you have about a dozen ecosystems jumbled together without rhyme or reason.

So, what to do?  Expand the two Continents of course.  A garden world should be as large as Earth to accomodate at least 2 billion people.  The Eastern Kingdoms are about as big as Western Europe and a bisected Africa.

Kalimdor is as big as the Eastern United States and part of South America.  Mostly a bisected Brazil.

Northrend is about the size of Canada.  The gulf between the Continents of Azeroth and Kalimdor is the size of the Atlantic Ocean.  Now, a planet as big as Earth will have run away weather and super typhoons if the continents are as big as Azeroth.  To stabilize the Weather, there is as yet an undiscovered Super Continent in the Forbidden Sea the size of Eurasia.

Size Enlargements

Lodereon is about the size of France -- including the Western and Eastern Plaguelands.  Lodereon is split in half between the Forsaken in the West, and the Argent Dawn in the East.   The Scarlet Crusade controls portions in Loderon both West (The Scarlet Monastery) and East (the Scarlet Enclave).

The Forsaken control the Hillsbrad Foothills, which used to be the Nation of Daleran and the Kingdom of Alterac, and the Trisfal Glades.  The Forest of Silverpine is a war zone between the Foresaken and the Bloodfang worgen pack.  Undercity and Lordereon City is the size of Paris back in the 1700s.

The Hillsbrad Foothills has been taken over by the Foresaken. It's about the size of Austria.  The Alterac Highlands are about the size of Switzerland.  The Arathi Highlands, which is controlled by the collapsed kingdom of Stromgarde, is about the size of Germany.  The Forsaken and the Orcs have two footholds there.  But the major inhabitants of the Highlands are the Vilebranch trolls, the ogres, and humans of Stromgarde.  Stromgarde itself is as large as Berlin during the 13th Century.  Its split between the Syndicate, the ogres, and the Stroms.

The Hinterlands is the size of Hungary and is controlled by the Wildhammer Dwarves, a large population of High Elves, the Witherbark and the Vilebranch tribe of Forest Trolls.  The Raventusk trolls help control the Horde's lands in the Hinterlands.

The Kingdom of Gilneas is the most advanced Kingdom in the region with Everburning Lamps, firearms, Victorian fashion, and carriages. it's roughly the size of England and Wales from the Coast of Dover to Hadrian's wall.  The City of Gilneas is the size of mid-19th Century London.  The Kingdom is a war zone, divided among the humans, the Night Elves, and the Worgen -- both the ravenous Moonrage pack and the shape shifting Greymane pack.  The entire kingdom of Gilneas has been reinducted into the Alliance by the Night Elves.

The Kingdom of Quel'thalas is controlled by the Blood Elves.  it's the size of Scotland (using Hadrian's Wall as a border again).  This includes both Quel'thalas proper and the Ghostlands.  Silvermoon City is about the size of Edinborough during the 17th Century.  The neighboring Forest Troll kingdom of Zul'Aman is about the size of Poland. The Island of the Sunwell is the size of Orkney Island, and is mostly controlled by the combined forces of the Scryers and the Aldor.  The village of the Sun Well itself is about the size of Skara Brae.


SOUTHERN EASTERN KINGDOMS

Across the Thandol Span, the Wetlands is about the size of Florida, Mississippi, and Louisiana combined.  The Wetlands is dominated by Bayous and mountains, with the Red Dragonflight based in the west.  The Twilight Highlands is about the size of Austria.  While Technically considered part of Khaz Modan by cartographers, the Twilight Hammer and the Black Dragonflight politically control the land.

The Dwarven Kingdom of Kaz Modan includes the regions of Dun Morogh and Loch Modan.  It's the size of the Austria-Hungary Empire (Austria and Hungary combined).  south of Dun Morogh and Loch Modan is a desert.  The desert that comprises the Badlands, the Searing Gorge and the Burning Steppes is as large as the Sahara Desert.   The Searing Gorge, however, is dominated by lava flows from 5 volcanoes.   The Bio Diversity there is almost nil thanks to the Black Dragonflight and the Dark Iron dwarves.   The Badlands has a biodiversity the size of the Sonora Desert, and the Burning Steppes is a bleak place that is like the Mojave desert and Death Valley combined.

South of the deserts is the Medieval English (early 15th Century) Kingdom of Stormwind. The bastion of human power, the kingdom stretches from Elwynn Forest to the Redrock Mountains, to Duskwood, to Westfall.  The Kingdom is the size of Spain, and is technically a Nation with all of it's Armies fighting elsewhere (Alterac Valley, Arathi Basin, and Gilneas) and the Feudal Lords pre-occupied.  it's mainly a forest kingdom ringed by Mountains.  Since the Cataclysm, roving bands of human hunters in the forests have joined the fray.  Duskwood is mostly under control of the Nightbane pack of Worgen.  Recently, a number of Greymane worgen have come from Gilneas to reclaim the Nightbane worgen's reason and sanity.  They have resettled Raven Hill.  The Greymane pack's experiment with Nightbane worgen Sven Yorgen was successful, sort of.  Duskwood is the size of Romania.

 Beyond Duskwood are the Deadwood Mountains and Deadwood Pass, the Swamp of Sorrows which is a huge Bayou about the size of the Czech Republic where the first battles between orc and man were fought.  South of that is the Blasted Lands where the Dark Portal is located.  It's about the size of Iraq.

The final piece of the puzzle is Stranglethorne Veil.  The size of Niger and Chad put together, Stranglethorne Veil is controlled by jungle trolls.  Only the humans of Stormwind have a token presence here, where as the Horde took back a small part of the Darkspear tribe's ancestral lands.  Southern Stranglethorne Veil is controlled by the Steamwheedle Cartel of goblins.

Next post: 
KALIMDOR
  

The Warlock

By

pokketmowse

The Warlock is a powerful magical variant on the Wizard that specializes in Demonic Magic.  The Warlock is a class that combines Affliction magic (hexing and curses) with Destructive magic (shadow magic and fire magic) with Demonology (magic dealing with the summoning, binding, and commandment of demons.)

Warlock magic is usually thought to have it's origins among the orcs, however human religious writings from Ancient Days proscribes against the use of familiar spirits and witchery.  Which could mean that Warlock magic has it's beginnings among humans as well.  Currently, the only races that are attracted to the Warlock as a class include humans, gnomes, the elves (specifically Massalian Elves and not all elves in general), and some dwarves.

Schools of Magic

Warlock magic combines spells from the following schools --

Conjuration

• Infernal Binder
• Teleportation 

Divination

•  Scryer

Evocation

• Generation

Illusion

• Shadow

Effectively, the Warlock combines these into the following focused Black Magic schools:

Affliction 
(associated school -- Evocation)

The Affliction school is basically the Witch's set of spells and powers.  Only it focuses on spells which debilitate the enemy over time.   The student who learns magic in this school can rip the life out of their opponents, their very soul, or magical potential itself and add it to his own.  Also powerful curses, such as the Curse of Recklessness, the Curse of Weakness, and the Curse of Recklessness are a part of this particular school. 

Demonology
(associated school -- Conjuration)
The Demonology school combines the best and the worst of Teleportation and Infernal Binder schools, providing the warlock with the power to improve his demons, to summon demons, and to bind them to his will.  It also includes a number of spells that are particularly a part of other schools.   Such as Demon Skin, Fel Armor, and Eye of Kroznaz.   Also one of the most sought after spells in this school by warlocks is Metamorphosis, which makes the Warlock capable of transforming into a demon himself.  Although, a Warlock typically relies on his infernal companion to fight his battles for him than throwing spells about directly.


Destruction
(Associated school -- Evocation)
The School of Destruction is the mighty destructive aspect of the Warlock's arsenal.  Combining both the might of shadow magic and the might of fire magic, the Warlock can go to great heights blowing up his enemies.  Signature spells in this school include Shadow Bolt, Immolate, Soulburn, and Rain of Fire.

Game Mechanics

The Warlock has the same game mechanics as the Wizard except for the following:

Class Skills: The warlock's class skills are Appraise (Int), Craft (Int), Diplomacy (cha), Fly (Dex), Intimidate (cha), Knowledge (all) (Int), Linguistics (Int), Profession (Wis), and Spellcraft (Int).


Infernal Companion -- This ability replaces the familiar class feature of the sorcerer, wizard, and witch. The warlock can summon the infernal companion and dismiss it at any time so that he may
summon a new one.

At 1st level, the warlock may choose a darkhound or imp as her fel companion. She must sacrifice a 1st-level spell slot to do so. She can regain the spell slot only if she permanently abandons the fel companion.  No mental bond exists between master and servant, but a fel companion understands any language that the warlock speaks.

As a warlock gains levels, he may replace an infernal companion he abandoned with a more powerful
demon. Doing so requires the warlock to sacrifice more spellcasting power. This information is presented on Table A–1: The Warlock’s Fel Companion (see the WoW RPG Monster Guide for more information).

Demon: Which demon the fel companion is.

Warlock Level: The master’s level in the warlock class.

Advancement Adjustment: When determining the companion’s advancement features (see below), subtract this number from the warlock’s class level.

Level of Spell Slot Sacrificed: The warlock must sacrifice a spell slot of this level in order to retain the
companion. The only way the warlock may regain this spell slot is to abandon the companion permanently, as described above.

At 1st level, a warlock may have a single fel companion, but at levels 6, 12, and 18 a warlock may
choose a new demon to add to his cadre. The demon that requires the highest-level spell slot is the warlock’s primary companion (if there’s a tie, choose one). Each other demon is a secondary companion and requires a spell slot 1 level lower than that listed on Table A–1.

Only one fel companion may accompany the warlock at a time, while the others remain in the Twisting Nether. Starting a ritual of summoning automatically dismisses the warlock’s current fel companion.

Obtaining a new fel companion requires a ceremony of binding. Performing the ceremony requires 24 hours and uses up magic materials that cost 200 gp per level of spell slot used. At the end of the ceremony, the demon tests the warlock. This test may be combat, a battle of wills, or some kind of contest (GM’s discretion). If the warlock suitably impresses the demon, it joins the warlock as a loyal fel companion. If not impressed, it likely becomes annoyed (at best) or vengeful (at worst).

As a warlock gains levels, he may choose to improve his fel companion, at the cost of additional spellcasting power, as shown on Table A–2: Fel Companion Advancement.

Adjusted Warlock Level: The warlock’s level in the warlock class, modified by the demon’s advancement adjustment from Table A–1.

Bonus HD and Spell Slot Adjustment: Extra 8-sided (d8) Hit Dice, each of which gains a Stamina modifier, as normal. Remember that extra Hit Dice improve the fel companion’s base attack bonus, special attack save DCs, and base save bonuses. A fel companion’s base attack bonus is equal to its total HD. Save DCs for special attacks are equal to 10 + 1/2 the companion’s total Hit Dice + its appropriate ability score modifier.

A fel companion has good Fortitude, Reflex, and Will saves (treat it as a character whose level equals the demon’s HD). A fel companion gains additional size, skill points, and feats for bonus HD as normal when advancing its racial Hit Dice. (See Chapter 3: Improving Monsters for more information.)

Each bonus HD the companion gains also has the drawback of adding 1 to the level of the spell slot the
warlock must sacrifice to retain it as a companion.

Special: The fel companion increases its ability scores (warlock’s choice of which ones) and gains special abilities called companion powers, described below.

Companion Powers
As a fel companion’s bond with a warlock grows, its master may use a demonic grimoire to teach it new abilities. Instructing a demon with a grimoire requires 8 to 48 hours of reading and reciting Infernal incantations.

The grimoires providing the abilities listed below are relatively easy for a warlock with reasonable connections to acquire (without significant cost), though tales speak of other rare and more powerful grimoires. Unless otherwise noted, a fel companion can learn each power only once.

Ability Enhancement (Ex): The fel companion gains a +4 enhancement bonus to one ability score. A fel companion can gain this ability up to six times (i.e., once for each ability).

Aura of Suffering (Su) (voidwalker only): Any enemy that begins its turn within 10 feet of the voidwalker is affected by its tormenting strike ability as though the voidwalker had struck it in melee.

Blood Pact (Su): The warlock and all allies (not including the fel companion) within 30 feet of the fel
companion gain a +2 enhancement bonus to Stamina.

Damage Reduction (Ex): The fel companion gains damage reduction 5/good or 5/truesilver (your choice). If the fel demon already has damage reduction, you may instead add 5 to its existing damage reduction.

Fel Strike (Su): The fel companion gains the fel strike ability if it did not already have it (see Chapter 5: Monster Types, Subtypes, and Abilities).

Improved Firebolt (Ex) (imp only): The imp’s lesser firebolt ability becomes firebolt. An imp of 6 or more Hit Dice may gain this ability a second time, improving its ability again to greater firebolt. (See More Magic & Mayhem for firebolt and greater firebolt.)

Invisibility (Sp) (succubus only): The succubus can use invisibility as a spell-like ability at will. She can use this ability only on herself. Caster level 7th.

Paranoia (Su): The warlock and all allies (not including the fel companion) within 30 feet of the fel
companion gain a +4 enhancement bonus on Spot and Sense Motive checks.

Spell Lock (Su) (felhound only): Three times per day, the felhound may attempt to counterspell any spell as if casting greater dispel magic (caster level equals the warlock’s class level –2). As with any counterspell attempt, this ability requires the felhound to ready an action. If a caster foiled in this way attempts to cast the same spell again within the next 1d4 rounds, it fails automatically, as if countered again.

Spell Resistance (Su): The fel companion gains spell resistance equal to 10 + 1/2 the warlock’s class level. If the creature already has spell resistance, this ability replaces it, but you may add 1/2 the companion’s outsider Hit Dice to the above total.
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Warlock Spells:

0 - Level: Acid Splash, Arcane Mark, Detect Magic, Ghost Sound, Prestidigitation, Read Magic, Resistance, Sense Demons✝, Spark✝, Touch of Fatigue.

1st level: Alarm, Cause Fear, Charm Person, Comprehend Languages, Corruption✝, Disguise Self, Identify, Infernal Healing✝, Lesser Demon Skin, Lesser Immolate✝, Lesser Shadow Bolt✝, Mask Dweomer, Mount, Protection from Evil, Ray of Enfeeblement, Silent Image, Shocking Grasp, Summon Monster I, Unseen Servant

2nd Level: Burning Gaze✝, Curse of Recklessness✝, Detect Thoughts, Dust of Twilight✝, Invisibility, Lesser Searing Pain✝, Minor Image, Mirror Image, Orb of Anhilation, Resist Energy, See Invisibility, Spontaneous Immolation✝, Summon Monster III, Summon Swarm, Touch of Idiocy

3rd Level: Chains of Binding✝, Create Firestone✝, Demon Skin✝, Explosive Runes, Dispel Magic, Heatstroke✝, Life Tap✝, Magic Circle Against Chaos/Evil/Good/Law, Phantom Steed, Protection from Energy, Searing Pain✝, Shadow Bolt✝, Summon Monster III, Tongues, Unravel Destiny✝, Water Breathing

4th Level: Agonize✝, Aura of the Unremarkable (rare)✝, Charm Monster, Confusion, Create Spellstone✝, Crushing Despair, Curse of Tongues✝, Dimensional Anchor, Eye of Nortorgo (Arcane Eye), Fire Trap✝, Greater Infernal Healing✝, Elscon's Mnemonic Enhancer, Rain of Fire✝, Shadow Projection✝, Summon Monster IV, Tardan's Black Tentacles, True Form

5th Level: Baleful Polymorph, Carrion Swarm, Contact Other Plane, Covetous Aura✝, Curse of the Elements✝, Curse of Shadow✝, Dismissal, Elscon's Private Sanctum, Fire Snake✝, Greater Chains of Binding✝, Greater Searing Pain✝, Greater Shadow Bolt✝, Hold Monster, Immolate✝, Lesser Planar Binding, Life Drain✝, Magic Jar, Mind Fog, Ritual of Summoning✝, Sending, Shadow Evocation, Soul Drain✝, Summon Monster V, Waves of Fatigue✝

6th Level: Acid Fog, Antimagic Field, Contagious Flame✝, Disintegrate, Elscon's Lucubration, Form of the Dragon I✝, Guards and Wards✝, Getaway✝, Greater Demon Skin✝, Greater Dispel Magic, Hellfire Ray✝, Planar Binding, Sirroco✝, Shadow Walk, Soulstone✝, Summon Monster VI, Symbol of Fear, Symbol of Persuasion, True Seeing, Unwilling Shield✝


7th Level: Banishment, Conflagrate✝, Dark Metamorphosis✝, Delayed Blast Fireball, Elscon's Magnificent Mansion, Ethereal Jaunt, Expend✝, Form of the Dragon II✝, Greater Arcane Sight, Greater Shadow Conjuration, Greater Teleport, Instant Summons, Mass Hold Person, Nortorgo's Sword, Phase Door, Plane Shift, Prismatic Spray, Symbol of Weakness, Sequester, Summon Monster VII, Teleport Object, Waves of Exhaustion

8th Level:  Antipathy, Binding, Demand, Dimensional Lock, Form of the Dragon III, Greater Planar Binding, Hellfire, Incendiary Cloud, Mass Charm Monster, Protection from Spells, Scintillating Pattern, Shadowburn, Summon Monster VIII, Temporal Stasis, Wall of Lava

9th Level: Dominate Monster, Etherealness, Fiery Body, Freedom, Foresight, Gate, Greater Immolate✝, Imprisonment, Meteor Swarm, Nortogo's Disjunction, Shades, Summon Monster IX, Teleportation Circle, Wall of Suppression, Winds of Vengeance✝

✝ denotes a spell that is not in the Core Player's Handbook for Pathfinder.  Maybe in the World of Warcraft Roleplaying Game, More Magic and Mayhem, or another Paizo source.
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OGL Section 15:

Warcraft: The Roleplaying Game Copyright 2003, Blizzard Entertainment
Warcraft Roleplaying Game: Manual of Monsters Copyright 2003, Blizzard Entertainment
Warcraft Roleplaying Game: Alliance & Horde Compendium Copyright 2004, Blizzard Entertainment
Warcraft Roleplaying Game: Magic & Mayhem Copyright 2004, Blizzard Entertainment
Warcraft Roleplaying Game: Lands of Confl ict Copyright 2004, Blizzard Entertainment
Warcraft Roleplaying Game: Shadows & Light Copyright 2004, Blizzard Entertainment
World of Warcraft: The Roleplaying Game Copyright 2005, Blizzard Entertainment
World of Warcraft: More Magic and Mayhem Copyright 2005, Blizzard Entertainment
Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Core Rulebook. Copyright 2009, Paizo Publishing, LLC; Author: Jason Bulmahn, based on material by Jonathan Tweet, Monte Cook, and Skip Williams.
Pathfinder Companion: Cheliax, Empire of Devils. Copyright 2009, Paizo Publishing, LLC; Authors: Jonathan H. Keith, Colin McComb, Steven E. Schend, Leandra Christine Schneider, and Amber E. Scott.
Pathfinder Chronicles: Princes of Darkness, Book of the Damned Vol. I. Copyright 2009, Paizo Publishing, LLC; Author: F. Wesley Schneider. 
Advanced Player's Guide. Copyright 2010, Paizo Publishing, LLC; Author: Jason Bulmahn.

Pathfinder Companion: Orcs of Golarion. Copyright 2010, Paizo Publishing, LLC; Authors: Steve Kenson, Rob McCreary, Richard Pett, Sean K Reynolds, and JD Wiker. Pathfinder Companion: Sargava, the Lost Colony. Copyright 2010, Paizo Publishing, LLC; Author: JD Wiker. Pathfinder Campaign Setting: The Inner Sea World Guide. © 2011, Paizo Publishing, LLC; Authors: Keith Baker, Wolfgang Baur, Clinton J. Boomer, Jason Bulmahn, Joshua J. Frost, Ed Greenwood, Stephen S. Greer, Jeff Grubb, James Jacobs, Michael Kortes, Tito Leati, Mike McArtor, Rob McCreary, Erik Mona, Jason Eric Nelson, Jeff Quick, Sean K Reynolds, F. Wesley Schneider, Leandra Christine Schneider, David Schwartz, Amber E. Scott, Stan!, Owen K.C. Stephens, Todd Stewart, James L. Sutter, Greg A. Vaughan, Jeremy Walker, and JD Wiker.

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.

Blood Elf Dancer

Last one for today, I've been render dumping blood elves.


Blood Elf Dancer by ~Atlantean6 on deviantART

Elf Portrait

A portrait I rendered today.  I think I may have to work more on the eyes to make them more bright, but this might work out better.   Tell me what you think.

More Magic and Mayhem

More Magic and Mayhem -- Guys and gals of 4th Edition fame, if you don't have this book, you are missing out on something very, very useful. The book has rules for creating alchemical elixirs, draughts, and transmutations and what you can create with the craft (alchemy) skill.

That being said, I recently received this book as part of the Necromancer Games' gift exchange. It comes in hard cover, and is about 200 pages of useful information for roleplaying spellcasters and engineers in the World of Warcraft using the d20 System. For once, I'm happy that this came out for the d20 System instead of the 4th Edition rule set.


The book is split into six parts. One deals with new classes, another deals with new feats, then new spells, new magic items, and finally engineered machines. All the spells dealing with World of Warcraft (the Old World) are finally included. Missing spells like firebolt, blastwave, pyroblast, and corruption are finally included. Beyond that, the book is useful out of WoW.

The Alchemy skill and the Enchanter skill are covered in grand detail. The Alchemy section covers everything that a player character can create relating to WoW using the craft (alchemy) skill. From mana draughts to healing potions, to transmutations using the philosopher's stone. At last, a PrC a friend of mine devised for Atlas Games' Occult Lore makes a huge amount of sense (the Grand Alchemist PrC) with these rules for Alchemy.

Secondly, the Enchanter skill is boosted by the Enchanter PrC. The Enchanter is able to create and destroy magical items. He can enchant items not only using the Item Creation feats, but he can also destroy magic items and enchant them with special abilities.

One interesting PrC is the Ley Walker. Now, I'm willing to bet that the PrC -- in practice and in theory -- is like the creature below.

Boy, I hope KS doesn't get wind of this! But the Ley Walker PrC of WoW and the Ley Line Walker O.C.C. of Rifts are deadly similar to each other. So similar in fact, that if some one were to do Rifts d20, they'd just have to pop open this book and take the Ley Walker PrC and use that to represent the Ley Line Walker O.C.C.

The book is useful for a World of Warcraft RPG game, and it is useful out of game. Aside from little nitpicks as missing armor items to editing; the book is chock full of information that can be used for a 3rd edition game, or with some work, a 4th edition game (some stuff can be used "straight out of the box," other stuff needs some WORK!).

That is my review for 4th Ed fans and 3rd Ed fans alike. My recommendation is to purchase a copy of this book in hardcopy or on .pdf since you are missing out on some goodness here. :)

--Elton Robb

Orcs and Klingons

Today, in modern fantasy, the Orc is the fantasy version of the Klingon. Klingons, with their value on Honor and Society, have influenced how orcs are treated today in Fantasy gaming such as World of Warcraft. Today, there is little difference between an Orc and a Klingon except when you remove the bone ridges, add tusks, a little nose, and a wide jaw; then you color the skin green.


Orc Shaman by da-answer by ~warcraft on deviantART

Orcs in World of Warcraft and also in D&D are visibly influenced by the Klingon race. To a klingon, his honor is his life. To a Warcraft orc, honor is also his life. Klingons find glory in battle. In Warcraft, Orcs find glory in being Victorious in battle as well. Klingon society was pretty much one dimensional during the ToS series. Tolkien introduced his orcs as being basically one dimensional as well.

By Star Trek: the Next Generation; more of Klingon society was revealed. Kahless the Unforgettable was expanded upon, so was Klingon religion. They were shown to have a deeper understanding of Honor. And everything from martial arts, to becoming of age, death, marriage, to cuisine had been touched upon.

Inevitably, all of this revelation of klingons served to change the Orcs forever. In World of Warcraft, the orcs have their Khaless -- Warchief Thrall holds the position of Khaless. In World of Warcraft, Orcs relish victory and honor, another Klingon parallel. The major changes were how the Horde operated.

Orcs in Warcraft are shamanistic. They worship the Spirits of Nature and seek peace and communion with nature. Klingon religion is much more deist, even though the Gods were killed by the first Klingon couple (alluding to the warlike nature of the Klingon, or perhaps an approach to authority). Orcs in Warcraft have some things in common with civilization -- they have an intelligence agency (the Shattered Hand) and an element of demonic influence (the Shadow Council). However, I believe a lot more can be explained. You've already seen tidbits of what can be explained within Orc Culture of the Known Lands. As civilization grows within the Orc communities of the Known Lands, so does culture and so does Art.

But as you can see, the Klingons influenced Tolkien's race of miscreants. Thank god that Tolkien's Orcs, the name and the idea -- are public domain. Although different from the Orcs of Lord of the Rings, the ugly big green men are evolving and will continue to evolve. Perhaps, maybe, orc culture will come to be influenced by other fictional sources other than the Klingons. Maybe, if Babylon 5 is continued to be viewed, creators of tomorrow will see the Narns as a resource of inspiration for orc societies of later works.

World of Warcraft Image

What happens if you are a human rogue and for some reason your in the GHOSTLANDS? You and your buddies were looking for a way in or a way out, whichever tightens your fancy. However, you get caught. BY BLOOD ELVES!

You are stripped of your arms and armor, except for your unmentionables (they are being nice aren't they?). Tossed into a hanging canary cage, and the door is locked. The guards are changed every watch. You're basically naked, and in a cage. Contemplating on how to get out! WHAT A ROLEPLAYING CHALLENGE FOR A ROGUE! :D

Credits:
DM Lost Land -- Danie, Marforno, Abraham.
Angeluz - Val3DArt, Lesthat.
Syndori -- VAMP (Vexiphne, Adiene)
World of Warcraft is owned by Blizzard Entertainment, Inc.

NEW WoW RPG PC RACE

The Worgen

Since announcing that the new Alliance race is the Worgen, I thought I'd take a crack at converting the Worgen to d20. But someone else has already converted the Worgen to d20 as a Player Race. I've been beaten to the punch, so to speak.




The Worgen are the new Alliance Race, the inhabitants of Gilneas. As the Graymane Wall kept people out of Gilneas, the Worgen curse had ravaged the inhabitants of Gilneas transforming them all into the deadly Worgen. These werewolves of Azeroth are the humanoid combination of humans and dire wolves, looking much more beastial than human.

The Foresaken fear and revile the Worgen, and the Foresaken Queen Sylvanas Windrunner has marched an army upon the Gilneans and the Greymane tribe of Worgen. To help fight the Foresaken, the Stormwindans and the Darnassans come to their aid, but led by a secret Druid sect. The Druid sect bring Druidism to Gilneas, which a significant number of Worgen embrace. Now armed with the powers of Nature, the Worgen fight off the Foresaken and begin their new lives in the World of Warcraft!

Classes: True to their humanity, the Greymane Worgen can become arcanists, warriors, priests, and rogues. But the night elves teach the Greymane Worgen hunting and a new religion or path of spiritualism: Druidism. As druids, the Greymane Worgen can tap into their beastial natures. As hunters, their beastial natures can aid the Worgen in their relationship with animals. Especially wolves.

Appearance: Greymane Worgen are the combination of humans and dire wolves. They look mostly humanoid, except with claws on their hands, a wolf's hind legs, and a wolf's head. They are also furred and the average Greymane worgen stands about seven feet in height.

Region: Gilneas. The Greymane Worgen are confined to Gilneas until the Cataclysm brought about by Deathwing. Like Duskwood, the kingdom of Gilneas is plagued by darkness.

Affiliation: Alliance. The Night Elves had come to induct the Worgen into the Alliance. Greymane is their rightful ruler, as they are attacked by the vile Foresaken. The Worgen are now the Alliance's wild, bestial race.

Faith: The Light and the Wyld. Some, or most of the Gilneans still belong to the Church of the Light. The Church of the Light thrives among the Worgen as part of the human heritage. But their beastial natures and teachings of the Druids of Darnassus has coverted a significant number to Druidism. The Druidic Worgen embrace the Wyld and lead a good number of Gilneans to spiritual peace with Azeroth.

Names: the Greymane Worgen use human names or they may use Worgen names for their children. Worgen names include: Whitemane, Furyclaw, Scarpelt, and Greyhide.

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Shapechanger Subtype: The Greymane Worgen are humanoids with the Shapechanger subtype.

• Strength +2, Intellect -2, Charisma -2. Worgen are mighty, but their bestial natures detracts from their reasoning and their social interaction.
• Medium: as medium creatures, the Worgen have no special bonuses or penalties due to their size.
• Worgen land base speed is 30 ft.
• Shifting (Su): A Greymane worgen has two forms: human and Worgen. The base form is Worgen. As a standard action, a Greymane Worgen may shift from human to worgen or from worgen to human. This can happen at anytime of the day, thanks to advanced Alchemy. The act of shifting from human to worgen transforms the human into a monster, and gives the Worgen the barbarian rage.
  
• Access to Shifter feats: A worgen may gain access to the Shifter feats presented in Races of Eberron and the Eberron Campaign Setting, and may take the Shifter traits of Longtooth, Wildhunt, or Dreamsight.
  
• Claws: The claws that the Worgen has offers 1d4 pts of damage in an unarmed attack.
  
• Low-Light Vision: Worgen can see twice as far as a human in starlight, moonlight, torchlight, and similar conditions of poor illumination. They retain the ability to discern color and detail under these conditions.
• +2 racial bonus on Balance, Climb, and Jump checks: the Worgen's bestial nature enhances many of his physical skills.
• Favored Class: Hunter. A multiclass Worgen class does not count when determining whether he takes an experience point penalty or not when multiclassing.

Also, the Worgen may take Worgen levels to tap more fully into his Worgen heritage. A new Worgen Racial class is found at my resources page.

Why Am I Not Online . . . .

I am usually online, typing away playing World of Warcraft, preparing my Miles Gloriosus for participation in raids. However, today I am not doing any such thing. Yesterday, my video card on my MacBook Pro had given out so I had to take into the Apple Store for service.

nVidia had created a batch of malfunctioning video cards. I got the card twice, so naturally Apple has vowed to replace the card with a better functioning video card. So that it won't happen again. I was going to post more on orcs, but I'll probably do that later.

Orcs of the Known Lands

The orcs of the Known Lands are made up of several clans. Although their are three divisions of orcs in the Known Lands. The Orcs, like the Eladrin, are an offshoot of the Ancients of the Known Lands. Unlike the Eladrin who made it to Arborea: the forebears of the Orcs made it to the Wartorn world of Archaeron and the world known as Outland.

There, through evolutionary pressure, the Ancients changed from a human appearance to one that is more bestial and neanderthalic. Thanks to predators and other evolutionary pressure. When the Ancients of the Known Lands fought in the great Illithid War that spanned a small part of the Galaxy -- both the orcs of Archaeron and the Eladrin of Arborea returned.

Although the Ancients managed to defeat and crumble the Illithid Empire; they found that their cousins looked monstrous. Br0wn skinned, tusked, and powerfully built -- they also walked with a apish slouch.

After the Merebemoch (Great Flood); the Orcs came to represent Technology, the Eladrin represented the Mind, and the Humans represented Spirit. So, when the Races had divided themselves the Orcs claimed the Dragon Mountains and the savannah and the serenghetti lands to the south. The Eladrin claimed the forests, and the Humans were left with everything else.

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The Ashanti, Chocwi, and Makonde

The Orcs are divided into three nations when the Known Lands were divided amongst Humans, Eladrin, and the Orcs. These included the Ashanti, the Makonde, and the Chocwi nations. The Ashanti nation settled in the Savannah, the Serenghetti, and Jungles of the land of Ophir. The Gomer orcs settled on the lands west of the Dragon Mountains, and the Magog settled on the lands to the East.

However, powerful changes to both nations by Dragons and fel magic have caused them to diverge in appearance. Both races are bred for War when discovered by dragons. Taught warlock magic, and used in conjunction with the elvish Pelagasiri and the Human magogian and gomerians; both tribes were used for conquest and world domination. The Ashanti, however, live out a peaceful existance with fewer wars with other tribes that split off from them.

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Appearance

All orcs have the same basic appearance. The differences between nations is apparent in skin color. Orc males are massive and brutish looking creatures. Weighing in at 250 to 300 pounds and standing from 6 to 7 feet in height, they are not a small race. Even orc women tend to be only a half-foot or so shorter and 50 to 100 pounds lighter than most males (and some of them are equal in stature to their male counterparts), having broad shoulders and muscular, powerful bodies. Orcs tend to have coarse and bristly hair and beards, often black or brown in color, graying with age. Their skin ranges from a light green to a dark drab olive to grayish brown. Eyes are usually brown, though a rare few have blue eyes. Orcs have broad, flat noses, tusk-like teeth jutting from their lower and sometimes upper jaws, and large, pointed ears. Orcs wear a variety of clothing styles, from furs and hides in some clans to heavy metal armor in others. They favor clothes of hide, and armor and arm themselves with a variety of gear.

Orc hair colors occasionally has tints of blue or violet. Orc eye colors include blue, brown, hazel, amber, and red. Pure blue eyes are quite rare in the orcish race, and are seen as a sign of great destiny or doom. Orc males sometimes choose to grow beards that are wild and untamed, while others prefer them to be braided and tasseled. These beards always hang from the chin, as orcs do not grow heavy facial hair above their upper-lip. Orcs have large heavy jaws from which protrude sharp, tusk-like teeth, heavy brows, a broad and flat snout-like nose, and pointed ears. A fair amount of sexual dimorphism exists between the Orc sexes, with male Orcs possessing more extreme orcish physical characteristics, most noticeably broader shoulders and larger tusks.


The Ashanti -- All of the Ashanti are brown skinned. This results from bark brown to a reddish brown. Hair color among the Ashanti have stronger blue tints than violet tints, since red hair is unknown among the Ashanti.

The Makonde -- All the Makonde orcs, now known as the Gothicos or the Horde; are green skinned. This is due to genetic manipulation by Dragon and fel magic.

The Chocwi -- All of those of Chocwi descent are red skinned. Also through genetic manipulation by Dragon and fel magic.


Other Tribes


The Hocs -- The Hocs are the result of even more primitive living and backward genetic drift. Often called Jungle Orcs the Hocs are what you get when you cross a gorrilla with an evil disposition for war. They are grey skinned and look even more menacing.

The Kamba, Kalenjin, and the Mandinka -- Offshoots of the Ashanti, the Kamba, Kalenjin, and Mandinka have ebony black to chocolate black skin because of the environment they live in. Their hair is mostly ebony black.

Elves in the Known Lands

Elves in the Known Lands come in five different varieties:

1. First, there are the Fair Elves. Known as the Eladrin in the D&D 4th Edition game, their civilization was conquered by the invading Pelagasiri Elves from the Dragon Mountains. They were enslaved by the Pelagasiri and forced to serve as a servitude race. As a result, many of the Eladrin has fallen from grace. The Pelagasiri have intermingled with the Eladrin, and bred the Eladrin, into the Fair Elves. Or those that are made fair. The Fair Elves have lost most of their Eladric traits, including the glowing eyes. But being bred into a slave race with the idea to serve has made them the most beautiful of all the elves. Fair elves tend to be slaves. They also tend to have blonde, auburne, and black hair with green, blue, violet, or red eyes.



2. The High Elves are the second. Those that are High and noble. They were once the Pelagasiri elves -- elves bred but for one purpose. War and conquest. Wielding the magic of demons, having solved the Riddle of Steel, and developing their own arcane arts from those taught by the Orcs in the Dragon Mountains -- the Pelagasiri invaded the lands of the Eladrin and slaughtered many and brought the Eladrin, once a thriving Early Bronze Age civilization, to a dramatic close.

The Pelagasiri then interbred, intermarried, and enslaved the Eladrin. To show that they are the Highborn, and the Eladrin were humble, the Pelagasiri took the name High Elf. The High Elves named themselves the Highborn, and split the Eladrin into Fair Elves and Low Elves. The High Elves tend to be wizards. They also tend to have black, brown, light brown, auburn, and blonde hair.

3. The Low Elves or Commoner Elves as the High Elves called them, are Eladrin who were forced from their station to do the common work. They are commoners, unlike the High Elf aristocracy. They look like high elves, except they are commoners. Low Elves tend to be sorcerers and warriors. Their hair color is the same as the High Elves.

4. The Drow: certain Eladrin escaped the invasion of the Pelagasiri and moved North into the steppes of the Known Lands. Upon reaching their new home, they made a pact with the dark Spider Goddess. Over the years, their skin darkened and their hair bleached unnaturally and they became a cruel race. Known as the Drow, these evil elves plot to conquer the world themselves for the glory of their dark Spider Goddess. The nation they rule over is known as Lotharis.

5. The Massalian Elves are from the Kingdom of Massalia (Marseilles in French). They are a colony of Eladrin that escaped the depredations of the evil Pelagasiri. Based off of the blood elves of World of Warcraft, the Massalian Elves are driven to rescue their brethren from the High Elves. Their culture is an awful mix of decadence and Spartan tastes. Their government is autocratic, timatic, oligarchic, draconian, and democratic all at the same time.

However, over the millennia, the Massalian Elves were unable to free their brethren. And they saw their Eladrin brethren change and lose the glow in their eyes. The Massalian elves also changed. Their ability to tap demons and devils for a supply of magic power has changed them as well. Their glow in their eyes have changed either to a bright fiery yellow, red, or green. Or, they can suppress their glow to reveal irises that are green, red, blue, violet, gray, or icy. The Massalian Elves' hair tend to be black, but fiery brown, red, golden, or carrot orange. The Massalian Elves tend to be Warlocks.

6. The Eladrin that escaped made some ocean going boats and sailed into the West, looking for lands uncontrolled by the Pelagasiri. These Eladrin were never heard from again.

Miles Gloriosus, Paladin of the Blood Knights

Well, I did it. I created my own Miles Gloriosus on World of Warcraft. The idea of playing a braggart soldier is highly appealing. So, lets create his stats using the World of Warcraft Roleplaying Game (White Wolf) and Unearthed Arcana from Wizards of the Coast (available on d20srd.org).

Miles Gloriosus
Race: Blood Elf
Class: Blood Knight (Paladin)
Alignment: Lawful Good
Affiliation: Horde
Level: 3

Abilities: Str 17, Sta 12, Agl 13, Int 17, Spr 13, Cha 16 (8)
Hit Points: 24
Skills and Feats: Concentration +7, Diplomacy +4, Handle Animal +5, Knowledge (Military Tactics) +8, Knowledge (Horde Politics) +6, Knowledge (Religion: Holy Light) +8, Profession (Military Commander) +6, Swim +3; Combat Expertise, Power Attack, Weapon Group Feats (Axes, Basic, Heavy Blades, Exotic Double Weapons)
Special Abilities: Blood Elf Traits, Activate Aura, Aura of Might (Devotion Aura), Aura of Good, Detect Undead, Divine Health, Divine Grace, Holy Strike (1/day)

Initiative: +1 (Agl)
Armor Class: 16 (Chainmaille 15 + Agl), touch 11, Flatfooted 15
Base Attack/Grapple: +3/+6
Attacks: +7 Blood Elf Double Scimitar +1 (1d6/1d6 18-20/x2, 15 lb., Slashing)
Full Attack: +7 Blood Elf Double Scimitar +1 (1d6/1d6 18-20/x2, 15 lb., Slashing)
Space/Reach: 5ft/5ft
Saves: Fort +4, Ref +2, Will +2

Combat Gear: Blood Elf Double Scimitar +1, Chainmaille Suit (AC 15), 2 potions of cure light wounds.
Paladin Spells Known (none)

Hook: "STAND ASIDE EVERYONE! I take large steps!"

Roleplaying Tips: Miles Gloriosus has overweening pride. He thinks that he's the most admired, most powerful warrior in all the Horde. He believes he is a man's man, more handsome, intelligent, and personable than Thrall. He also believes that he is the Paragon of Blood Elven Virtue. Play him up by bragging about his attributes.

If you need inspiration in playing him, watch A Funny Thing Happened On the Way to the Forum and pay close attention to Miles Gloriosus; and the classic play Miles Gloriosus ("Famous or Boastful Soldier") by Titus Marcus Plautus (I included a video link below).

Roleplaying on World of Warcraft

Roleplaying on World of Warcraft is a messy affair. Many people that play on a Roleplay Server do not understand the seperation of imagination from the real. This is one of the lessons I learned this week. So, lets talk about Roleplaying on World of Warcraft, and what it means.

Roleplaying in a fantasy world means that the life you roleplay in that world is just that -- Fantasy! In World of Warcraft, when you RP, you can be anyone, at any time, at any place. Its a fantasy, this means that it isn't REAL! Nothing that happens on World of Warcraft is meant to be real when you roleplay.

So here is my Rant for roleplaying on World of Warcraft. It either doesn't exist, it's frustrating, and its something that can cost you friendships if you aren't careful. People who play on the many World of Warcraft Roleplaying Servers are not Roleplayers at all! They play World of Warcraft for the fun of it and when you do RP, they think you are projecting your real self all the time.

It makes me sick that people confuse romance on an RP server in World of Warcraft to be the real thing. Although I had many opportunities to build a romance, I bungled them all. This is because people can't discern what is fantasy with what is real. So, if you want to play in World of Warcraft, I suggest buying the World of Warcraft pencil and paper RPG. Then you get a group of friends and have a grand time of free entertainment.

The idea to create a living novel, or story, is very appealing to creative types. It also is very fun and very exciting. The dynamic that World of Warcaft actually presents is strong and powerful, if everyone roleplayed their roles and understood that what happens in World of Warcraft, under a RP server, does not have a bearing on the real world.

So keep this in mind when playing World of Warcraft. Roleplaying in World of Warcraft does not usually exist, and when it does, becareful because most people have a tendency to blend the real world with the fantasy world.