Free Sound

If you're looking for sound effects for Softrope (see my last post), this site has free, searchable sound files. You do have to register an account, but there's no credit card or such involved. Along with music files I already had, I've managed to create soundscapes for a good many adventuring environments with the sounds from there.

Softrope RPG Soundscape Producer

I happened on this site through Obsidian Portal a couple days ago, and just got around to playing with it today. So far I'm very happy with it. It allows a good deal of control over what sounds are playing and when, allowing randomized tracks and looping, as well as fade-outs (though no fade-ins, strangely). The biggest problem is that it's still in Beta, and there is no manual, but it's fairly user-friendly.

I get a kick out of putting stuff like this together, and I'd recommend it to anyone who wants to put together environmental sounds or soundtracks for their games, though it's definitely more intensive than hitting random play on a CD player. Also, it does not come prepackaged with sounds or music, so you'll have to hunt around your existing files or find some online.

And I love the origin of their name.

This is what happens when I have time to re-think...

So, I have the schools of magic separated into Arcane and Divine schools. Under the Divine heading, currently, I have Abjuration, Conjuration, Divination, and Necromancy. Arcane has Enchantment, Evocation, Illusion, and Transmutation.

Last night, I decided it made more sense to have Necromancy draw from Constitution for mana instead of Faith. I also began asking the question, again, of whether it should be an Arcane school instead. There are arguments both ways, since it was established pretty soundly that in order to be a "true" Necromancer, you'd have to take both Cleric and Wizard in 3rd Edition. Evil Clerics could Rebuke and Command undead, and got some undead creation and manipulation, including the Cause X Wounds spells, which heal their created and controlled minions. Wizards, despite being able to specialize in Necromancy and having access to various negative energy spells such as Vampiric Touch, didn't have much that would allow them to build and control an undead army. Since I've put everything together into the different schools, though, a Necromancer in my game would have (what I think) all the abilities a Necromancer should have access to.

But that still doesn't tell me whether it should be Arcane or Divine in origin.

If I were to make it Arcane, that would mean I had 3 Divine and 5 Arcane schools, instead of 4 of each. I don't know if that would truly be an issue, for balance or other reasons. I had moved Abjuration to Divine only somewhat recently, in order to make the number even, since it made sense that the school dealing with shielding and protection would be more Divine-based (although I guess that depends both on your view of the gods and the views of your god). I could move it back, since the two groups would be asymmetrical anyway, which would give Mage Armor back to Arcane casters, or I could move another Arcane group to Divine instead.

The Arcane schools that I could most easily see becoming Divine (aside from Necromancy) are Enchantment and Transmutation. Enchantment holds most of the iconic benediction spells, such as Bless, but then every school has spells that were originally divine, including Evocation (Flame Strike). Transmutation, though it does have some very iconic Arcane/Wizard spells, is primarily based around enhancement spells at low levels.

Or, I could scrap this whole Divine/Arcane debate entirely. Several campaign settings have already decided that ALL magic comes from the gods, in one way or another. I could simply state that there is no appreciable difference between them.

Any input on this would be appreciated.

Step by step, inch by inch...

I now have a "course description" document (22 pages long) that does a fair job, I think, of explaining the various classes and class segments I have available in the game. There are a couple of classes which don't have all the details in that listing, due to the expected rarity of the classes and the fact that they essentially have their own spell lists and that would just be way too much to put in there.

My next project, I think, is to finally get around to a full list of equipment that isn't weaponry or armor. Which means I'm getting closer to needing a campaign idea to kick things off with.

New Class: Wild Caster

Just designed the basic concept behind a new class I'm currently calling Wild Caster. The idea is that they do not learn or memorize spells. Instead, they can attempt to cast any arcane-based spell, with a percentage chance of it either working, casting a random spell from the same school of magic, casting a random spell from a random school, or the energy fizzling entirely.

Actually, now that I think of it, I could add a 5th option: the energy backfires and deals damage to the caster.

At any rate, if I remember correctly this is similar to a concept that I've heard previous gamers express a desire to see implemented. Initial reaction?

Racial Benefits

Prior editions of D&D gave various bonuses to the different races when it came to class. Some classes were even limited to certain races. I have some Combat Proficiencies like that, but so far none of my classes are race-restricted. However, I just recently considered the option of giving a reduced experience cost to certain classes, based on race. At this point I'm not sure how much of a bonus it should be, or if it's even truly desirable as an aspect of the game. I would like to include some sort of technical variance due to race, but I could just include the bonuses based on size and the different types of vision and be done with it. Thoughts?

Neil Gaiman's Contest

Neil Gaiman has been putting together a full-cast audiobook version of American Gods, and is using a web-based contest to get talent for it. Popular vote determines the top twenty, and Mr. Gaiman himself will select from among them.

I've put together my own audition for this, of course, and so I highly encourage everyone to go and vote for me. Each registered user can vote once per day (winkwinknudgenudge).



Thank you.