Question of the Week - 31

"Which proposal were you happiest to see passed?"

The Grimloch Tribune

LEAD STORY – Love's Strange taste, a TRADITIONAL MARRIAGE: ONE MAN, ONE WOMAN (ONE CANNIBAL, ONE VAMPIRE)

Grimloch reported in January that two of the country's most heinous murderers apparently fell in love with each other behind the locked doors of their psychiatric institution and following a 26-day  "courtship" through letters, have decided to marry. Mr. Isakin Jonsson ("the Grimloch Cannibal") was convicted of killing, decapitating and eating his girlfriend and various other townsfolk, Mr. Jonsson was certain that he turned into a zombie despite being told other wise, and Michelle Gustafson ("the Vampire Woman") was convicted of killing a father of four, drinking his blood, then raising him as her undead minon. The love-struck Jonsson said (truthfully), "I have never met anyone like (Michelle)."

Randolph, District attorney for Grimloch, commented that the pair will almost certainly remain locked up forever; though Gustafsson wrote that she hopes they will be released to live together and "own pets and pursue our hobbies: knick knack collecting and scrapbooking."

Non-Humans' Human Rights:

Elena Zakharova of Compton, Grimloch became the most recent litigant to challenge a state law that regards Undead Soldiers as "illegal property" (and that  the owner of an injured or disfigured Soldier during a T.H.U.G.S raid is entitled to no more consideration than for a defective appliance).

She sued a local tavern “Rohde and Syruss’s Hump House and Bar” that had sold her a “life challenged friend” with allegedly bum knees and hips, claiming that Undead Soldiers were living creatures that feel love and pain and deserve to be treated better.  She asserted that they have souls and should be compensated for their pain and suffering. The case is pending.

In February, a local judge in Grimloch  heard arguments from People for the Ethical Treatment of Spells as well as from T.H.U.G.S agent (Terrors, Horrors, Undead, and Ghouls Squad) Sir Rhode, who had this to say:

“It’s a spell dammit; spells don’t have rights. No one has ever complained about abusing an Armored Cloak or said is was mistreatment when a Create Magic Weapon was left lying around by a Blacksmith.”  

A Un-BEARable Situation.

Westwood citizens are begging for help as their neighborhoods are currently being tormented by a rabid bear…WITH A KNIFE!!!!!!

Locals report that the "Badass Boo-Boo" has been bullying bystanders with a barrage of bites and stabs. Several locals have been reported slain due to the honey eating hit man.

Local Grimloch soldier Biggs responded to the crises two weeks ago.  Since then Grimloch has lost all communication with the town and no one has seen or heard from Biggs since.

A reporter caught up to Grimloch muscleman XT and asked if he had any plans on taking out the "Berenstein Bear Brawler". He had this to say:

 
“Fu@#k that man it’s a FU@#ING BEAR WITH A KNIFE, the most dangerous thing alive.”

The hibernating horror still remains at large.

Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday come to Grimloch to see the Battle of the Bayou.
Are you a fan of Grimloch-Greco wrestling? Well the masterminds that brought you that grappling grudging greatness is stepping it up a notch with full on cage fighting.

That's right for months now Warlord Jaha has been training Syruss (that’s me!) to fight his greatest challenge yet, Rhateeki, a 250 LB nightmare from Pota.

This bout is scheduled to go for five 3 minute rounds.

I caught up to our captivating competitor to get his insights on the match:

Investigative reporter Syruss: “Syruss your predictions for the fight?”

Syruss: “My prediction are simple I’m looking for a knock out in the third, if not a submission much much sooner. However the goal is to knock him out and give the crowd a show."

Investigative reporter Syruss:  “What is you game plan going into the match?”

Syruss : “The plan Jaha and I came up with is simple. Wear him down and use the fact that he is big and slow to hit him more times than he can swing. We want to keep it standing, unless he gives me an opportunity to take his back. Basically go right to work and no monkeying around.”

DELLS DAILY HOROSCOPE, a reading for upcoming Birthdays by Grimloch’s favorite Seer.

Aries (March 21 - April 19)

Too many details about where, who and why will be crowding your brain today, making it difficult to relax and just have a good time. Before things get too noisy inside your head, quiet the ruckus by distracting yourself. Spend some time with people you love to laugh with, and take plenty of time today to talk about lighthearted matters. Forget about things you have no control over -- by obsessing about things, you are sacrificing your strength.

Taurus (April 20 - May 20)

One of the many good things about having so many people in your life right now is that you always have tons of feedback available at your fingertips. So why aren't you taking advantage of this abundance of honesty? Reaching out for the opinions of others isn't a sign that you don't know what to do -- it's proof that you value what the people in your life think. Integrating their ideas and listening without criticism is something they'll really appreciate.

Gemini (May 21 - June 21)

 It seems as though the more things change, the more they stay the same! After a big shakeup in your work or school life (and a high level of accompanying anxiety), today you'll discover that you had nothing to worry about. Either your flexibility skills are at an all-time high, or the changes you expected weren't so drastic. Either way, you can breathe a great big sigh of relief today. This new way of doing things is just as good as the old way -- if not better.


Well that’s it for this edition; I am investigative reporter Syruss signing off saying “Stay Classy Realms.”

Honor Unto the Realms

Chris Marques by Tim "Kai" Bonci  

As the Realms evolves and weapons get faster and more precise, a strong competitive combatant playstyle has developed and become a driving force in moving the game forward.  One of those combat focused players who doesn't get enough recognition for his good influence is Chris Marques - Jaha.

The Order of the List is more or less the Olympics for competitive fighters.  Besides helping create and arbitrate the framework around a year-long, cross event scoring system, Chris has publicly posted his fighter's manual, most easily seen on orderofthelist.com.  While not being the last word on fighting technique, it's certainly the best piece on individual combat I've seen.  Instead of keeping his strategies to himself, Chris actively does what he can to help others push themselves higher in fighting skill.

He (along with the rest of the Order) is an aggressive marshal, always pushing for a standard set of practices combatants can expect in tournaments.  Marshaling the sport in the past few years has become intensely difficult as speed and skill have increased, and Chris not only volunteers to marshal, but to train others to watch the right things and make the right calls.

His organizational contributions aside, Chris has my respect for the way he conducts himself as a combatant.  By far, the greatest thing he does is set an example of how to behave as a top-tier fighting talent.  He is always conscientious of his opponent(s) and teammates.  He walks away from a win without fanfare, and he loses with just as much grace.  In battle, Chris can be seen to exercise his intellect more than brute force.  For him, it's about precise strikes and movements, and not an adrenaline-charged steamrolling through a crowd of opponents as lesser fighters can do, this author including.  Chris, most of all, is a joy to fight.  He seems to be concerned as much about his opponent's fun as his own.  For those of us who look for inspiration in the ranks of the Realms sport, we could do a lot worse than Chris Marques.  Thanks for being a good role model.

New Content

We have a couple of new series upcoming for the View From Valehaven.

First up is Honor Unto the Realms; in fact, a short bit later today we will see the first article in the series. The initial concept was presented to me by Tim "Kai" Bonci as a way for a person to bring recognition to a person of the Realms that they admire in some way. There will be no one seeking out people to interview with this series and it will be completely driven by the players. If there is someone you admire or think deserves some recognition then write it up and send into the View (sircallin@comcast.net or callinostros@gmail.com).
A couple of quick guidelines on this series. Try to pick someone not in your own group or nation; it will have more impact if you choose someone you do not normally associate with. Also, try to give us more than a line or two of why you admire this player. Maybe give a story of an encounter with that person or something you've seen them do that highlights what you like about them.
If you have someone in mind but you are not sure how to write such an article, take a look at the first article for Honor Unto the Realms that will be posted later today.

The second series is Fresh Faces, which is an idea brought to me by Angela "Phoenix" Gray. It is another form of 10 Questions, but with the focus on our new players (players who have been going to events for a year or less). In fact, the questions will be different than the traditional 10 Questions and will focus more on a new players experiences and thoughts. I think this is an excellent way for new players to be introduced to the Realms in general and I heartily recommend reading the series so we can all get to know our new players and work toward including them in our game.

I loved these ideas as I feel its the players who bring the Realms to life and anything we can do to learn more about each other is a positive thing for the Realms.
The plan is to run the regular 10 Questions on the first and third week of the month, Honor Unto the Realms on the second week of the month and Fresh Faces on the last week of the month. Obviously, this may change depending on what kind of and when we get articles, especially for Honor Unto the Realms, which will be completely driven by you the readers and players.

Beyond Basics- The Art of Casting

 

Beyond Basics- The Art of Casting

Being a caster is more than going to events and collecting spells. As with combat there are skills to learn, strategies to be effective, and a responsibility to follow the rules. This is a series of articles by the Magi of the Realms, designed to encourage the effective, creative, and thoughtful use of magic in the Realms.

So you have a chance to Grandfather…

You might instantly feel like you know whether or not you want to Grandfather. Don’t make a hasty decision. Even if you feel like you adore your spell build, you still might benefit from a little tweaking. If you start out instantly thinking you are going to make significant changes, makes sure you step back and give that impulse decision some additional consideration.

For some there might not be a choice. At times the Event Holder’s Council passes magic system changes that either remove spells from the game or raise where they are in a path and you may have to make changes (unless they raise the circle of a spell you’d already learned in a higher slot). This year that will be the case with Seed of Life. As it moved from 6^th to 7^th, healers who had previously learned in it 6^th (or non-healer 2 paths, who had bought down to it for their 7th) will have to pick an alternate legal spell to Grandfather into.

While spell circles being raised may lead to someone being required to change a spell, the circle a spell is in being decreased doesn’t lead to the same requirement. If you could have learned heal limb in 3^rd (you aren’t a healer so you would have to learned it with a 1-cost buy down), there is nothing that makes it illegal to have learned it in your 4^th, 5^th, 6^th or even 7^th circle slot. There are many people who have a spell or two learned above where they could learn it (either really loving the spell and wanting more castings, or having many spells in the same circle they want and not being able to fit them in at the lowest possible circle they could have learned them at) but having a spell in a slot higher than it needs to be in can be a waste of resources, so you should at least consider what your other options would be. This year Group Healing, Raise Dead, and Cry of Life moved to a lower circle. You may find that you really like your lower level spells though and not have a spell in your wish list you would be able to learn in you’re the newly freed spot. If that were the case you would likely decide against making changes. So again, think this through thoroughly and don’t make your decision lightly. Higher circle doesn’t always equal better spell.

Historically the main purpose of Grandfathering was to allow players to change their spells to a legal build. Each year the Event Holders vote on if Grandfathering is going to occur. Sometimes it did but it was a Partial Grandfathering, only those who had the specific spells that were removed, had their circle raised, or other specified spells were able to make changes. Other times there was full Grandfathering, meaning anyone can change any current build to any legal build (with no more spells then you already have). This year players can change any spells they wish to, so long as they keep the same path(s). Their new spell progression must of course be a legal build.

Sometimes you imagined a spell build would work better for you than it does, or your character has evolved and what you had for spells no longer suits you (for example you have beckon corpse and have been convinced that necromancy is unnatural). Grandfathering is your opportunity to change your spells to something that will either suit your character better or be more fun to play quickly and easily.

It is good to have a strong sense of who your character is. As you look at spells think about where you get your magic and what you value and believe in. Your spells and paths should reflect that. Professing to be a pacifist and hucking magic missiles doesn’t make sense. That said your character, like you, isn’t static. He or she will change and evolve based on things that happen in game. You also have control of your character's back story and life between events. If you as a player are going to have more fun doing something, you can make it make sense for your character with some creativity. For example, your character who has always been a pacifist returns to their homeland after a stint out adventuring and finds their sister is being brutalized by fiendish local lord, Sir Schlep. You are consumed with anger you can’t contain and it bubbles up within you until it is released in a magical burst of energy killing the bastard. It feels good. You want to keep doing it. Your character knows magic missile and is no longer a pacifist.

Before you can come up with your story though, you need to decide what spells you are going to take. Start by looking through the spell descriptions and writing a list of every spell you are potentially interested in that you can legally have based on your current build/paths. Underline the ones that you consider essential. Write out the best build you can make getting as many of the spells you marked as essential as you can (and don’t be surprised if it isn’t all of them). Create a couple more builds. Keep making builds until you get one or two that you gravitate to. You may want to consider asking members of your country what might be most useful for the group, or more experienced players for feedback at this point and narrow down your choices.

Another item to consider is how your spells fit together. At times you may encounter something that will reset a path of spells. If you’ve learned spells in an order where you have a mix of limited and unlimited spells in multiple paths, you may want to swap around what you can to have and put as many of the limited spells you consider to be “most useful” in one path.

Once you finalize your choices, prepare your new spell book (don’t forget a spell mastery list if you opt to have one). Take time and make sure you really know and understand how to cast any spells that are new to you. Memorize those verbals. Come up with a rationale on why your character’s magic is changing. Then bring both your old and new spell book to the first event you go to where there is grandfathering. Remember you do need to Grandfather at the first event your character attends post the new Omnibus being released and you can only Grandfather once per year, so arrive prepared.

In closing, I want to reemphasize that most important thing to remember when creating your new spell list is that the “correct” Grandfathering choices for you are specific to you. This is about your character and what spells you enjoy. Don’t let anyone else dictate your build, but don’t hesitate to ask any of the Magi for help or advice as you prepare to Grandfather.

Why I Want to Go- Wooden Beams and Human Dreams

Wooden Beams and Human Dreams: Tales from the Book of Moons: Chapter 2

March 10, 2012 (Saturday 12pm) - March 10, 2012 (Saturday 6pm)

As part of the ever popular Bedlam plotline, this event takes the player characters far afield into a plane of existence away from our own. If you are looking for something new and different this is the event for you. While we are able to play our regular characters, we will not have access to the abilities we are used to. Apparently we will all be undergoing a change that will alter our abilities to match the world we will find ourselves in. It promises to be a unique experience and this event staff is diligent about providing a good time.

It is highly recommended that you check out the event listing at realmsnet.net to get a better understanding of how your character's capabilities will be changed for this event. Weapons, armor and spells are all different and will require preparation before the event. This includes such things as making specialized weapons and magic components. Again, make sure you check out the event description in detail.

Question of the Week - 30

If you could have one spell as a real life ability what would it be?