Player's Guide to the World of Xoth
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Marvel Fantasy Role Playing Game
MARVEL FANTASY ROLE PLAYING GAME A Fantasy RPG using the FASERIP System Table of Contents Character Creation ......................................................................................................................................................... 5 Race ........................................................................................................................................................................... 5 Origin of Power ......................................................................................................................................................... 6 Primary Abilities........................................................................................................................................................ 6 Secondary Abilities.................................................................................................................................................... 6 Powers ....................................................................................................................................................................... 6 Talents ....................................................................................................................................................................... 7 Contacts ..................................................................................................................................................................... 7 Heroic Alignment ..................................................................................................................................................... -
White by Default: an Examination of Race Portrayed by Character Creation Systems in Video Games
White by Default: An Examination of Race Portrayed by Character Creation Systems in Video Games A thesis submitted to the Graduate School of the University of Cincinnati In partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts In the Department of Sociology of the College of Arts and Sciences By Samuel Oakley B.A. Otterbein University July 2019 Committee Chair: Dr. Littisha A. Bates, PhD Abstract Video games are utilized as a form of escapism by millions, thousands of hours are put in by multiple players every week. However, the opportunity to escape, and free oneself from societal scrutiny and biases like racism is limited within video games. Color-blind development and reaffirmation of gaming as a white male space limits the ability of players with marginalized identities to escape and enjoy games. A sample of character creation focused video games were analyzed to better understand if there was an impact of the White by Default character occurrence on the overall narrative, ludic (gameplay mechanics) and limitations or bonuses that could affect a player’s agency within a video game. This analysis includes The Sims 3 (freeform life simulator), Skyrim (fantasy roleplaying game), XCOM 2 (tactical science fiction), Tyranny (tactical fantasy), and South Park: The Fractured but Whole (science fiction roleplaying game) all of which allow character creations. My findings suggest that character creation did not limit a player’s agency through the usage of race in character creation, but instead offered a chance for players to self-insert or correct negative stereotypes of color-blind racism in the games narrative. -
Sample File WILLOWBRANCH HALFLINGS
INTRODUCTION but the most extreme environments. Hidefoots tend to Halflings. The very word strikes fear in the hearts of have lightly tanned or golden-brown skin, dark brown many. Well, OK, it doesn’t. But many halflings would hair and brown eyes. like to think that it does. Even the sedentary, non- Society: Hidefoots (or hidefeet, as some call adventurous types among the halflings have a pride in themselves) have more of a tendency to form their own themselves and their ancestors that makes them swell communities outside of the cities of other races, though with satisfaction and boast with bravado on occasion. they do not form entire nations of their own. Hidefoot Presented here are several options for your halfling halflings are more sedentary than standard halflings, character, including two variant halfling races, the and especially more sedentary than willowbranch half-halfling template, over a dozen feats, a half-dozen halflings, but they are not unknown as adventurers and flaws, and some halfling specific gear and equipment, traveling merchants. Most hidefoot communities tend all designed to allow you to play a fierce, proud halfling to be located in cooler, wetter climates. who will strike fear into all enemies! Relations: Hidefoot halflings tend to be a bit DISCLAIMER: In an attempt to provide game provincial, preferring their own family and local friends mechanics for many well known halfling activities such over outsiders. They generally do not trust the “big as those depicted in certain novels and films, we have folk” – which includes dwarves, as far as they are included both feats and flaws centered around smoking concerned – but will tolerate them, especially traders a pipe and drinking. -
TALISLANTA MAGIC SYSTEM Second Edition Revised (SER) System V3.4
TALISLANTA MAGIC SYSTEM Second Edition Revised (SER) System v3.4 Magic in Talislanta is a powerful but limited art practiced in as many different ways as there are cultures and races in the world. They key to understanding how magic works in the game is to remember that the largest part of the magical knowledge of the ancients was lost during The Great Disaster, and what remains is but a fraction of the spells, enchantments and magical items of that forgotten age. Rules Spellcasting is governed by Magic Rating (MR). MR = (INT+WIL+PER) ÷ 3. A magician may cast as many spells per day as his MR. The spellcaster rolls d20 + MR – Spell Level on the Action Table to determine the results of a spell. There are 15 Greater Spells that are commonly known across most Talislantan races & cultures. There are countless Lesser Spells with more minor effects that can be invented by the GM on the spot. There are dozens of lost Archaen spells that have to be unearthed during the course of play. These are initially known only to the GM and are often tied to particular magical races or traditions. There are over 30 different magical traditions which govern how spellcasting is performed, from Sawila Spellweaving to Cymrillian Wizardry to Rajan Necromancy &c. Each tradition knows certain greater spells and a few secret spells, and has spellcasting bonuses and limitations. Starting PC magicians know as many greater spells as their Magic Rating (eg, a magician with a MR of+5 would know 5 spells). Once all spells are expended, the magician must rest 7 hours to regain them. -
Degree Project Level: Master’S Bringing the Magic Back to Structuralist Approaches in Fantasy Literature
Degree Project Level: Master’s Bringing the Magic Back to Structuralist Approaches in Fantasy Literature Supporting Themes of Unity in Patrick Rothfuss’ The Kingkiller Chronicle Author: Sarah Schroer Supervisor: Billy Gray Examiner: Carmen Zamorano Llena Subject/main field of study: English (literature) Course code: EN3063 Credits: 15 ECTS Date of examination: May 28, 2020 At Dalarna University it is possible to publish the student thesis in full text in DiVA. The publishing is open access, which means the work will be freely accessible to read and download on the internet. This will significantly increase the dissemination and visibility of the student thesis. Open access is becoming the standard route for spreading scientific and academic information on the internet. Dalarna University recommends that both researchers as well as students publish their work open access. I give my/we give our consent for full text publishing (freely accessible on the internet, open access): Yes ☒ N o ☐ Dalarna University – SE-791 88 Falun – Phone +4623-77 80 00 Table of Contents Introduction 1 Establishing Patterns of Binary Thinking Between Hard and Soft Magic Systems 9 Madness as Mediator: The Whole is Greater Than the Parts 16 Conclusion 26 Works Cited 30 1 Introduction From witches and warlocks, wizards and sorcerers, spells and incantations, magical potions, wardrobes that transport you to another world, and even one ring to rule them all, magical elements or beings are considered to be the fantasy genre's main defining feature. But what are the different ways magic appears in novels? In 2007, fantasy author, Brandon Sanderson published an essay where he not only explained his personal guidelines for creating magic systems, but more significantly to the genre, he proposed a scale for defining the different types of magic. -
ASTONISHING SWORDSMEN and SORCERERS of Hype Rborea TM
ASTONISHING SWORDSMEN AND SORCERERS OF hype RBOrEa TM Sample file A Role-Playing Game of Swords, Sorcery, and Weird Fantasy Sample file Sample file ASTONISHING SWORDSMEN & SORCERERS OF HYPERBOREA ASTONISHING SWORDSMEN & SORCERERS OF HYPERBOREA™ A Role-Playing Game of Swords, Sorcery, and Weird Fantasy A COMPLEAT REFERENCE BOOK PRESENTED IN SIX VOLUMES Sample file www.HYPERBOREA.tv iv A ROLE-PLAYING GAME OF SWORDS, SORCERY, AND WEIRD FANTASY CREDITS Text: Jeffrey P. Talanian Editing: David Prata Cover Art: Charles Lang Frontispiece Art: Val Semeiks Frontispiece Colours: Daisey Bingham Interior Art: Ian Baggley, Johnathan Bingham, Charles Lang, Peter Mullen, Russ Nicholson, Glynn Seal, Val Semeiks, Jason Sholtis, Logan Talanian, Del Teigeler Cartography: Glynn Seal Graphic Embellishments: Glynn Seal Layout: Jeffrey P. Talanian Play-Testing (Original Edition): Jarrett Beeley, Dan Berube, Jonas Carlson, Jim Goodwin, Don Manning, Ethan Oyer Play-Testing (Second Edition): Dan Berube, Dennis Bretton, John Cammarata, Jonas Carlson, Don Manning, Anthony Merida, Charles Merida, Mark Merida Additional Development (Original Edition): Ian Baggley, Antonio Eleuteri, Morgan Hazel, Joe Maccarrone, Benoist Poiré, David Prata, Matthew J. Stanham Additional Development (Second Edition): Ben Ball, Chainsaw, Colin Chapman, Rich Franks, Michael Haskell, David Prata, Joseph Salvador With Forewords by Chris Gruber and Stuart Marshall ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The milieux of Astonishing Swordsmen & Sorcerers of Hyperborea™ are inspired by the fantastic literature of Robert E. Howard, H.P. Lovecraft, and Clark Ashton Smith. Other inspirational authors include Edgar Rice Burroughs, Fritz Leiber, Abraham Merritt, Michael Moorcock, Jack Vance, and Karl Edward Wagner. AS&SH™ rules and conventions are informed by the original 1974 fantasy wargame and miniatures campaign rules as conceived by E. -
Questing Feminism: Narrative Tensions and Magical Women in Modern Fantasy
University of Rhode Island DigitalCommons@URI Open Access Dissertations 2018 Questing Feminism: Narrative Tensions and Magical Women in Modern Fantasy Kimberly Wickham University of Rhode Island, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.uri.edu/oa_diss Recommended Citation Wickham, Kimberly, "Questing Feminism: Narrative Tensions and Magical Women in Modern Fantasy" (2018). Open Access Dissertations. Paper 716. https://digitalcommons.uri.edu/oa_diss/716 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by DigitalCommons@URI. It has been accepted for inclusion in Open Access Dissertations by an authorized administrator of DigitalCommons@URI. For more information, please contact [email protected]. QUESTING FEMINISM: NARRATIVE TENSIONS AND MAGICAL WOMEN IN MODERN FANTASY BY KIMBERLY WICKHAM A DISSERTATION SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY IN ENGLISH UNIVERSITY OF RHODE ISLAND 2018 DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY DISSERTATION OF KIMBERLY WICKHAM APPROVED: Dissertation Committee: Major Professor Naomi Mandel Carolyn Betensky Robert Widell Nasser H. Zawia DEAN OF THE GRADUATE SCHOOL UNIVERSITY OF RHODE ISLAND 2018 Abstract Works of Epic Fantasy often have the reputation of being formulaic, conservative works that simply replicate the same tired story lines and characters over and over. This assumption prevents Epic Fantasy works from achieving wide critical acceptance resulting in an under-analyzed and under-appreciated genre of literature. While some early works do follow the same narrative path as J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings, Epic Fantasy has long challenged and reworked these narratives and character tropes. That many works of Epic Fantasy choose replicate the patriarchal structures found in our world is disappointing, but it is not an inherent feature of the genre. -
Eiglophian Lodge
Conceptualized by JACK VANCE and E. GARY GYGAX Additional Material by SHADRAC MQ Edited by GREG GORGONMILK Afterword by GREYHARP ABOVE ILLUSTRATION BY MOEBIUS EIGLOPHIAN LODGE E G L 0 0 3 M A R C H 2 0 1 3 This humble book of magical lore is hereby dedicated to BLAIR OF ALGOL, DAVID MACAULY and MATT SCHMEER and all the other OSR gurus who cast green fireballs on my imagination. FIGHT ON! 2 C O N T E N T S TURJAN OF MIIR 5 Fiction by JACK VANCE MAZIRIAN THE MAGE 20 Fiction by JACK VANCE THE D&D MAGIC SYSTEM 37 Non-fiction by E. GARY GYGAX ROLE-PLAYING: REALISM VS GAME LOGIC 43 Non-fiction by E. GARY GYGAX AD&D'S MAGIC SYSTEM: HOW AND WHY IT WORKS 52 Non-fiction by E. GARY GYGAX 3 JACK VANCE AND THE D&D GAME 58 Non-fiction by E. GARY GYGAX DYING EARTH SPELLS FOR D&D 63 Optional Rules by SHADRAC MQ AFTERWORD 91 by GREYHARP SOURCES 92 ILLUSTRATION BY MICHAEL HUTTER 4 TURJAN OF MIIR by JACK VANCE TURJAN SAT IN HIS WORKROOM, legs sprawled out from the stool, back against and elbows on the bench. Across the room was a cage; into this Turjan gazed with rueful vexation. The creature in the cage returned the scrutiny with emotions beyond conjecture. It was a thing to arouse pity—a great head on a small spindly body, with weak rheumy eyes and a flabby button of a nose. The mouth hung slackly wet, the skin glistened waxy pink. -
DRAGON Magazine (ISSN 0279-6848) Is Pub- Advance in Level
D RAGON 1 as it ever occurred to you how much big-time foot- ball resembles a fantasy adventure game? Players Contents prepare themselves in a dungeon (the locker room), set out for the wilderness (the field) at the appointed time, and then proceed to conduct melee after me- lee until a victor emerges. We’ve taken that line of reasoning SPECIAL ATTRACTION one step further with MONSTERS OF THE MIDWAY, this MONSTERS OF THE MIDWAY — A fantasy football issue’s special inclusion. You can choose and coach a team of game for two players . 35 AD&D™ monsters — and the team that wins isn’t always the one with the biggest players: that little guy with the hairy feet can OTHER FEATURES really kick! Dragon Rumbles: Guest editorial by E. Gary Gygax ...... 4 This month’s article section is chock full of new material for Blastoff! — First look at the STAR FRONTIERS™ game ... 7 D&D® and AD&D campaigns. In Leomund’s Tiny Hut, Len Weapons wear out, skills don’t — Variant system for Lakofka unveils a system for determining the quality of armor AD&D™ rules on weapon proficiency ................ 19 and weapons, which is complemented by Christopher Town- The Missing Dragons — Completing the colors .......... 27 send’s proposal for a new way of defining weapon proficiency. Timelords — A new NPC, any time you’re ready .......... 32 If new monsters are more up your alley, you’ll enjoy the official Tuatha De Danann — Celtic mythos revised ............. 47 descriptions of the baku and the phoenix in Gary Gygax’s Law of the Land — Give your world “personality” ....... -
Why the Humans Are White: Fantasy, Modernity, and the Rhetorics Of
WHY THE HUMANS ARE WHITE: FANTASY, MODERNITY, AND THE RHETORICS OF RACISM IN WORLD OF WARCRAFT By CHRISTOPHER JONAS RITTER A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY WASHINGTON STATE UNIVERSITY Department of English MAY 2010 To the Faculty of Washington State University: The members of the Committee appointed to examine the dissertation of CHRISTOPHER JONAS RITTER find it satisfactory and recommend that it be accepted. __________________________________ Victor Villanueva, Ph.D., Chair __________________________________ Patricia Freitag Ericsson, Ph.D. __________________________________ Jason Farman, Ph.D. ii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Greatest thanks go to my family guild, without whom I would never have played WoW for so long (or even in the first place, possibly): Dan Crockett, Annie Ritter, Dave Ritter, Betsy Ritter, and Peter Ritter. To my committee: Victor Villanueva, Patty Ericsson, and Jason Farman. Without your open- mindedness and encouragement, I would have succumbed to the derision of the Luddites and avoided studying what I love. To my colleagues/friends/professors at WSU, who helped me work out my ideas about this subject as they were born in several different seminars. Especially: Shawn LameBull, Rachael Shapiro, Hannah Allen, and Kristin Arola. To Jeff Hatch for his expertise with the architecture stuff. To The Gang, who helped me work out my ideas over beers: Pat Johnson, Sarah Bergfeld, Scott McMurtrey, Jim Haendiges, and Gage Lawhon. To my dad, Tom Ritter, for introducing me to Pong in like 1985 and indirectly putting me on the path that led me here. To Blizzard, not only for making a game that‘s kept me happy for approximately six times longer than any game had done previously; but more importantly, for providing the context and occasion for me to maintain long-distance relationships with people I love. -
SRP $ 79.90 Sword & Sorcery® — Immortal Souls
SIMONE ROMANO & NUNZIO SURACE Sword & Sorcery® — Immortal Souls In Sword & Sorcery®, you control heroes with unique powers — legendary characters, brought back to life by powerful sorcery. Weakened by the resurrection, they grow stronger during the story–driven quests. Explore dangerous ruins, ominous forests, and the besieged cities of the Talon Coast. Fight together against the forces of evil — controlled by the game system itself — to save the kingdom and break the spell that binds their immortal souls. Sword & Sorcery is the ultimate heroic fantasy board game experience, with an advanced AI system for monsters, a high degree of character customization, and rich tactical options during battles. At the same time, gameplay is fast and dynamic, thanks to an innovative area movement and area control system, and to new features never seen together in a game of this category: — Ultra detailed 32mm scale gures — Solo or group fully cooperative gameplay, with no game master — No player elimination: when your hero dies, you continue to play as an ethereal soul — Ten different hero classes with hundreds of skills, weapons and spells to choose from — Sophisticated combat and magic system, using ten- sided custom dice and an intuitive cooldown system for spells and skills — Modular boards, allowing the creation of endless new quests — A deep, story–driven campaign, with different paths to follow and multiple endings 13 + 30 + 1 – 5 SRP $ 79.90 SWORD & SORCERY — IMMORTAL SOULS RELEASE MARCH 2017 ORIGIN CHINA PRODUCT CODE CASE QUANTITY CASE SIZE CASE WEIGHT PRODUCT SIZE PRODUCT WEIGHT GRPR101 3 pieces — — 40,7 x 27,8 x 8,9 CM — CONTENTS OF THE BOX: 1 Rulebook, 1 Storybook, 1 Book of Secrets, 1 Reference Sheet, 28 Plastic Figures 32mm Scale, 19 Double–sided Map Tiles, 8 Custom Combat Dice, 5 Double–sided Soul Gems, 5 Hero Sheets, 2 Master Enemy Scrolls, 244 Cards, 226 Tokens and Markers. -
Centaurs by KAREN MCDONALD
Centaurs BY KAREN MCDONALD TM TABLE OF CONTENTS Speed and Thunder 3 Feats 10 Centaur Lives and Customs 4 Archetypes 11 Social Organization 4 Green Witch (Witch) 11 S Great Gathering 5 Oyun Wrestler (Fighter) 11 R Centaur Racial Traits 5 Redegiver (Oracle) 12 U Raiding and Banditry 6 Spells 13 A Relationships with Non-Centaurs 6 Centaur Magic Items 13 Secrets of the Plains 7 Treasures of the Centaur Race 13 Character Options 7 ENT Centaur Equipment 14 Racial Traits 7 Variant Centaurs: Alseid and Oinataur 15 C Dire Weasel 9 CES CREDITS A Designer: Karen McDonald Interior Artists: Guido Kuip, Pat Loboyko, William McAusland R Additional Design: Wolfgang Baur Art Director and Graphic Design: Marc Radle Developer and Editor: Eytan Bernstein Accountant: Shelly Baur Cover Artist: Guido Kuip Publisher: Wolfgang Baur NCED A MIDGARD TALES CENTAURS: THE PEOPLE DV A For James McDonald. Love you, miss you, Dad. TM Advanced Races, Kobold Press, and Midgard are trademarks of Open Design, LLC. Pathfinder is a registered trademark of Paizo Publishing, LLC, and the Pathfinder® Roleplaying Game and the Pathfinder® Roleplaying Game Compatibility Logo are trademarks of Paizo Publishing, LLC, and are used under the Pathfinder® Roleplaying Game Compatibility License. See http://paizo.com/pathfinderRPG/compatibility for more information on the compatibility license. Compatibility with the Pathfinder® Roleplaying Game requires the Pathfinder® Roleplaying Game from Paizo Publishing, LLC. See http://paizo.com/pathfinderRPG for more information on the Pathfinder® Roleplaying Game. Paizo, Publishing, LLC does not guarantee compatibility, and does not endorse the product. Open Game Content: The Open content in this publication includes the new feats, new spells, new gear, and new player character race abilities.