Name: Kaelen Duskbane
Race/Class: Human Warlock
Height: 6’2”

Appearance:
Long, flowing black hair frames a pale, angular face. His eyes gleam with an unsettling intensity, like embers smoldering in shadow. A heavy, tattered cloak conceals most of his form, its edges frayed as if worn through countless battles. He carries a staff carved from blackened ash wood, capped with a shard of obsidian that pulses faintly with otherworldly energy.

Backstory:
To be revealed.

Skills

Skills.

Spells.

Equipment.

Spell Notes

Some very old friends of mine (Old as in length of time I’ve known them as apposed to their physical age) are planning to do a D&D stream to try and raise some money for a charity. The charity or details of stream have not been sorted out fully yet because it is still in the early days of planning.

To make the stream more enjoyable (i.e. Bigger BBEG’s, harder challenges) it has been decided to start with higher level characters. Instead of just creating characters at a higher level it was decided to make a bunch of Level 1 characters, and to have some games played off-screen to build up the characters backstories, plans, relationships, and to naturally level them up.

Plus it would be fun to play a few chilled games without having to put on a show. A bit like Critical Roll Campaign 1 started after they had been playing for a while as just friends.

The only rules for the friendly games were, and these were decided as both a challenge and to make the roleplay interesting. 

• Level 1 character
• A class you have never played before
• A Race you have not played before

I am going to be a Human Warlock.  I have never fancied playing a warlock, and I tend to pick Elves, Half-Elves, or Dwarves for the racial bonus that best suits the class I am playing.

So onto character creation.

Step 1. Ability Stats.

Rolling 4d6 and adding up the three highest numbers (6 times). gives me 14,14,16,15,14,10 (Damn my rolls were good).  Obviously the 16 has to go into Charisma, the 15 for Constitution, the rest 14 with Strength being my dump stat. I feel that my Warlock will be a charming nerdy type person.

Step 2. Race

I am a basic Rashemi human. So that gives me +1 to all ability scores,

Step 3. Class

I am a Warlock. So Hit dice is 1d8 per level. We are playing as level 1. I get to pick two skills from Arcana, Deception, History, Intimidation, Investigation, Nature, and Religion. I think as a Warlock of the Morrígan I would have Arcana, and Intimidation. I also get to pick who I made a pact with, the Archfey, the Fiend, or the Great Old One, Personally I think the Great Old One gives the best advantages (Ph’nglui mglw’nafh Cthulhu R’lyeh wgah’nagl fhtagn), But to stick with the character of a Warlock to the  Morrigan I feel I have to pick the Archfey.

Step 4. Background. 

Roll for size and weight. Now to pick a background, This is tricky since there are several that would suit my character, but I think I will settle for Sage, because I want to be a sage.

Step 5. Equipment.

Money. I start with 4d4 x 10gp for my class (110gp), 10gp for my background giving me 120gp (I’m wealthy).

I get to pick as a Warlock a light crossbow and 20 bolts, or any simple weapon. I get a simple weapon as well as this choice, so I guess crossbow is the way to go. Next a component pouch or an arcane focus, Pouch all the way, you can never have too much storage. And finally a scholar’s pack or a dungeoneer’s pack. The dungeoneers pack gives the most useful stuff.

Step 6. Magic

I can pick two cantrips from Blade Ward, Chill Touch, Eldritch Blast, Friends, Mage Hand, Minor Illusion, Poison Spray, Prestidigitation, True Strike. Well I think it is law that EVERY warlock needs to pick Eldritch Blast, so I will select that. Since I have a crossbow, and am thinking maybe at lower levels ranged attacks could be good, I will pick True Strike to give my attacks advantage.

I can also pick two spells from Armor of Agathys, Arms of Hadar, Charm Person, Comprehend Languages, Expeditious Retreat, Faerie Fire, Hellish Rebuke, Hex, Illusory Script, Protection from (Evil and Good), Sleep, Unseen Servant, Witch Bolt. Now, since unlike Druids, Wizards, etc the poor Warlock is stuck with their spell choice until leveling, I need to really think about spells. This is a shame because many of them would suit a Warlock of the Morrigan.

I want Arms of Hadar, Comprehend Languages, Hellish Rebuke, Hex, and Witch Bolt. But due to only having 1 spell slot to start with, I need an ongoing spell so it has to be Hex, and Witch Bolt.

You wake in a cave, with amnesia. While you explore, you slowly discover who you are, and how you became lost. The broken and dangerous cave system reveals part of a temple to a lawful good goddess that befell a calamity. As pieces of your memory return, you realize that you must race against time to help your mentor battle an ancient evil. But, for now, you are alone and Lost in the Dark.

Can’t get the group together, but want to play 5th Edition? Grab some dice and get ready to escape mysterious caves in over 200 pages of solo 5E adventure. We’ve created a complete adventure from character generation to your first boss battle. Suitable for new players who might not have a regular group to play.

I was recently given a copy of this book to have a look at.

This of course made me bust out some dice, print out a 5e character sheet and give the game a go. I should point out the book does contain a character sheet you can use to play the game, I just tend to not use them so as not to damage the book. It’s a thing I have had since the old days of Lone Wolf, and Fighting Fantasy books.

My character sheet is mostly empty because you start the game not knowing anything about yourself, and will fill in more details as you progress.

The Review.

I first delved into the world of “Choose Your Own Adventure” books back in the early ’80s with classics like “The Warlock of Firetop Mountain” and other captivating Fighting Fantasy titles. Alongside these, I enjoyed the fantastic “Lone Wolf” books, which were a staple of my childhood. Over the years, I’ve played dozens upon dozens of these interactive stories, each offering a unique blend of adventure and choice. However, “Lost in the Dark” stands out as the first one requiring dice—a refreshing twist!

“Lost in the Dark” is a comprehensive Dungeons & Dragons 5e adventure, complete with the need for all the platonic dice and a character sheet. It’s the perfect solution for when you’re craving a bit of TTRPG fun, but your group isn’t available, or if you don’t have a group to play with. All you need for an engaging session is your set of dice, a pencil, and that one essential ingredient for all TTRPG enthusiasts: imagination!

You can read the adventures of my first playthrough here :-

• Act 1 – Lost In The Dark.
• Act 2 – The Buried Temple.
• Act 3 – The Breach.

The replay value of “Lost in the Dark” is unparalleled, thanks to its reliance on your dice rolls and the character you build during your session. Each action and fight hinges on these elements, making every playthrough a unique experience. I highly recommend replaying it multiple times and experimenting with different classes. Personally, I’m tempted to embark on the adventure again as a wizard, launching fireballs everywhere (assuming that’s one of the available spells).

Even though I successfully completed the adventure and survived, there are still vast sections of the book that remain unexplored. This book is an excellent recommendation for all TTRPG enthusiasts and serves as an accessible entry point into D&D and its 5th Edition, in particular.

You wake in a cave, with amnesia. While you explore, you slowly discover who you are, and how you became lost. The broken and dangerous cave system reveals part of a temple to a lawful good goddess that befell a calamity. As pieces of your memory return, you realize that you must race against time to help your mentor battle an ancient evil. But, for now, you are alone and Lost in the Dark.

Can’t get the group together, but want to play 5th Edition? Grab some dice and get ready to escape mysterious caves in over 200 pages of solo 5E adventure. We’ve created a complete adventure from character generation to your first boss battle. Suitable for new players who might not have a regular group to play.

I was recently given a copy of this book to have a look at.

This of course made me bust out some dice, print out a 5e character sheet and give the game a go. I should point out the book does contain a character sheet you can use to play the game, I just tend to not use them so as not to damage the book. It’s a thing I have had since the old days of Lone Wolf, and Fighting Fantasy books.

My character sheet is mostly empty because you start the game not knowing anything about yourself, and will fill in more details as you progress.

Act 3 – The Breach.

Following after my repaired Temple Defender, I exited the tunnel at the edge of a rolling field, the sun blindingly strong in the sky after so long underground. Unfortunately, since I had been controlling the Temple Defender by shining a light where I wanted it to go, when it saw the sunlight it just shot off at full speed and I lost it. This upset me, as I feel like it may had been handy.

Standing in the Sun, enjoying the light and warmth that seemed to warm up my still not fully recovered memories, I did what any self respecting rogue would do. I investigated the area to see what I could swipe. I found a lovely shiny dagger, which meant I now have three daggers, high stealth, and a cloak, meaning I can cosplay as Vax “Dagger, Dagger, Dagger… And I walk away!“

Picking a direction randomly, I headed up some terraced fields,  heading towards a barn in the distance. A quick Investigation check along the way found an abandoned picnic which I looted for lots of weird stuff like a dice set, and a book of elvish poetry (I just need Keyleth now). Arriving at the barn with a successful Investigation roll, found me a load of tools. My inventory is getting quite full now. From here I could see smoke in the distance, possible from a campfire. I could also see a way out of here which would end my adventure and find me freedom. 

I still had questions I needed answers too, so I headed back towards the fields and on to a flowing river. My Magic Amulet that I stole from the corpse of that poor goblin I murdered back in Act 1, told me I may want to cross the river elsewhere, so i went upstream to cross, arriving at a broken Mithril Vault. Here I met one of my lost companions Erland the Tinkerer who was trying to repair and close the vaults door, to prevent evil coming in from the breach. He needed my help to try and fix the damage, but before I helped I decided to be stupid and enter the breach (My Amulet said this was a BAD idea),  Entering the breach I saw evidence of monsters, and danger all around, so I did a quick investigation (Which I failed for the first time this act) and found nothing. So I fled back to Erland and using my sneaky skills (+5 Slight of hand FTW) helped him close the door and repair the vault. We could have left together then, but those answers still needed to be answered, and we had more companions to find. I therefore arranged to meet up with him later and returned to the river.

Heading back I passed a nature check and got myself a wild flower remedy. and entered the temple grounds. Here I failed another Investigation check, I think the breach cursed me or my dice. I did manage to find a few small coins. before arriving at a wall of fog. My amulet warned me of danger, so I stealthed into the fog (+7 Stealth) arriving at a crossroads in the fog. I headed towards the smoke I had spotted from the barn, and reached a merchants camp where my old friend Berit was recovering from his injuries. I failed yet another investigation, but I did have some items in my pack to heal up Berit and he also agreed to meet up with me later.

Heading back to the crossroads, I went up to a crystal spire and found my lost Temple Defender who was now stationary since the fog was hiding all light. A quick check of a nearby corpse pile which found me nothing due to another failed Investigation check, and it was time to meet up with my allies and fight the big bad!

So team Murder-Hobos were Myself, My Temple Defender, Berit and Erland.

The fight went for the full four rounds, we were very lucky due to the Big Bad rolling low numbers and missing all its normal attacks, and most of us surviving the poison gas attacks, Luckily I was well equipped for those infected. and we slowly battered the Hit Points down on the Vrock Brood Mother, until round four where on the first go, Berit struck true and killed that beast. 

We rested, healed up and left. Oddly on the way to the end we made a cup of tea, which my Investigation finally succeeded again, and I was able to provide honey and lemon. We then continued on with our lives, happy, safe, and memories returned. I also had a load of stolen items that I imagine I sold for beer money.

You wake in a cave, with amnesia. While you explore, you slowly discover who you are, and how you became lost. The broken and dangerous cave system reveals part of a temple to a lawful good goddess that befell a calamity. As pieces of your memory return, you realize that you must race against time to help your mentor battle an ancient evil. But, for now, you are alone and Lost in the Dark.

Can’t get the group together, but want to play 5th Edition? Grab some dice and get ready to escape mysterious caves in over 200 pages of solo 5E adventure. We’ve created a complete adventure from character generation to your first boss battle. Suitable for new players who might not have a regular group to play.

I was recently given a copy of this book to have a look at.

This of course made me bust out some dice, print out a 5e character sheet and give the game a go. I should point out the book does contain a character sheet you can use to play the game, I just tend to not use them so as not to damage the book. It’s a thing I have had since the old days of Lone Wolf, and Fighting Fantasy books.

My character sheet is mostly empty because you start the game not knowing anything about yourself, and will fill in more details as you progress.

Act 2 – The Buried Temple.

After going through the doors I arrived at an entrance that was stacked high with boxes, and pools of blood, with bloody tracks going off into a hallway. As any sensible person would do when finding themselves in a blood soaked room full of boxes, I looted the place. Most the box’s were full of rubbish, but I did manage to find a healers kit which may come in handy.

Moving into the hall way I came across multiple doors, and a grate blocking access to a room that looked like a workshop. Now as we all know, workshop have things in them, and I like things. So I picked the lock on the grate and accessed the room, finding a dead body of the forge master,  which for some reason triggered more of my memory to return, namely what class of person I am.

Yes, I got to pick a class, and gain the class benefits. I could be a Paladin, a Warrior, a Wizard, or a Rogue. I did not really have the STR/CON stats to make it as a warrior, and my INT/WIS were not really good enough to be a wizard, so I had to pick between Paladin or Rogue. Since Act 1 saw me mostly being a murder hobo thief, I figured I was not really a holy person so selected Thief. I therefore gained the rogue  abilities, found leather armour and some nice daggers and returned to the hallway.

The first door I entered was to a dining hall, but entering caused the roof to start collapsing, luckily i was able to roll high on my save and dive into the kitchen before being flattened by the roof. unfortunately I then failed my investigation roll and found nothing at all of use in the kitchen (nat 1 ftw).

The second door led to a flooded lavatorium, it seemed to be flooded because a grate in the floor was blocked and sealed. Channeling my inner Mario I smashed open that grate to let the water out. Well that was my plan, it turned out the grate was actually trapping a mechanical killer spider inside that decided to attack me for no reason. I put my new daggers and stealth attack to use and kill that techno-spider. It did get me a key and a crystal shard (I get the feeling these shards may be useful).

After two bad choices I figured, why not try the basement. Nothing bad ever happens in the basement… right? Going down I find the basement also waterlogged, with wet clawed tracks leading into the boiler room, which my magic amulet (that I killed the goblin for) told me to be silent and avoid. So listening to the advice of the amulet I checked out the Infirmary, which was empty bar for a locked door. Since I am now a rogue, with thieves tools, the skill to use them, and a high skill in slight of hands I unlocked the door to discover the Apothecary and a dead gnome. I did not kill this one, I found him dead.  Several successful Investigation and Perception tests later, I now had a load of looted items and an antidote.

Before leaving the basement, I decided not to listen to the magic amulet, after all how good could it be? the original owner was carrying it in his mouth. So I entered the boiler-room. and walked right into a nasty Bone Shard Monster. channeling my best Vax with Stealth, Dagger, Dagger, Dagger I killed the monster and gained a +1 to any ability (INT). I also found a nice +1 Short Sword. There may have been some damage done to myself, but the +1 sword was worth it, and hey I did find that healers kit earlier.

Going back up I continued further along the hall, fixing mirrors as I moved to spread the light around. I popped into a Chapter House which helped me remember more of my past, before making a noise which attracted another robotic guardian which I had to kill. I did find a locked cupboard, and was able to unlock it using the key I found earlier, and looted.

Going further along I found nothing thanks to a failed Perception and Investigation checks, entering a Chapel I failed to have anything to leave as an offering, nor find anything useful. I really need to try and get my Investigation skill higher.

Entering the Knave my way forward is blocked by fallen rubble from the roof. I did find some holy water, and a broken robotic temple defender. The defender was missing some crystals, and I just happened to have looted, I mean found more than enough of these while exploring. I quickly fixed the robot using the instructions I found in Act 1, and the crystals I have been collecting. The robot then dug a way out for me allowing me to escape to… ACT 3.

You wake in a cave, with amnesia. While you explore, you slowly discover who you are, and how you became lost. The broken and dangerous cave system reveals part of a temple to a lawful good goddess that befell a calamity. As pieces of your memory return, you realize that you must race against time to help your mentor battle an ancient evil. But, for now, you are alone and Lost in the Dark.

Can’t get the group together, but want to play 5th Edition? Grab some dice and get ready to escape mysterious caves in over 200 pages of solo 5E adventure. We’ve created a complete adventure from character generation to your first boss battle. Suitable for new players who might not have a regular group to play.

I was recently given a copy of this book to have a look at.

This of course made me bust out some dice, print out a 5e character sheet and give the game a go. I should point out the book does contain a character sheet you can use to play the game, I just tend to not use them so as not to damage the book. It’s a thing I have had since the old days of Lone Wolf, and Fighting Fantasy books.

My character sheet is mostly empty because you start the game not knowing anything about yourself, and will fill in more details as you progress.

Act 1 – Lost In The Dark.

I awoke next to a collapsed tunnel, with no memories of anything. I believe I must have received a head injury in the collapse. I searched the area to make sure I had not left anything important behind, and progressed down the only none blocked part of the tunnel.

Reaching a T-Junction I examined the area, and noticed a set of footprints leading one direction, and the other direction was blocked by spider webs. A perception check told me to follow the footprints. So I of course decided to go down the tunnel with the spider webs. (I have amnesia, maybe a concussion, I am not making the best decisions). Now I had several options for trying to get past the webs, and I picked athletics to ninja my way past the webs (Because someone who just regained consciousness and has an obvious head injury would be great at athletics).  I failed my athletics check, got tangled up in the webs and attracted a group of spiders. (oops!). Luckily I had a crowbar with me, and those spiders did not last long before getting squished. Pulling the webs off myself, I continued along into a weavers room. The room was full of looms, are other cloth making tools, where someone had woven spider silk before releasing all the spiders by accident or on purpose? On one of the looms was an almost finished cloak, so I finished it off and adorned myself with a Spider Silk Cloak (+1) and dubbed myself Spider-Man (Well I do not know my name yet).

I returned to the original junction and followed the footprints. Sneaking forward I cam across a goblin carrying a strange amulet. I knew this amulet was important because all my options were related to it. I could try and charm the Goblin into giving me the amulet, or try and deceive him into the same thing (Unfortunately I had picked Chr as my dump stat and with a -1 there was little chance of making the rolls). I could also trade something shiny for it, but my starting background did not give me anything shiny so that was a no go. I could also hide and let him pass, or I could attack him. Now my starting background had given me a crowbar weapon (So in typical Murder-Hobo fashion) I attacked. The poor Goblin who could have been a innocent person out for a walk, was killed and his corpse looted, but I had the amulet and that is what is important.

I explored some more, in a patch of mushrooms I found a locked box, which I attempted to open (now I am carrying some thieves tools with me, but i used brute force instead). It took multiple goes and I finally opened it on my third and final attempt, giving me the lowest reward possible. In anger over my failure to open a simple box, I then looted a groundskeepers shed, taking a rope, a load of food, and a torch. I figure that I may be a decent person, but the amnesia means I have forgotten the difference between right and wrong.

Heading towards a big fissure in the distance I did come across a shrine to a Goddess, and in an attempt to make amends for any wrongs I may have committed (Like murdering innocent Goblins, stealing from a hard workers shed, killing the local wildlife, etc) I made a donation to the Goddess. I donated a metal pan that I looted from the weavers room earlier (It still counts). Now with the blessings of the Gods which amounted to 1 extra temporary hitpoint I approached the chasm. Finding some mithril ore on the way, which not only has to be worth a lot of money is shiny.  Using the rope I had found I tied my equipment to my body, and carefully climbed across the wall to the other side.

On the other side I found a sharpening stone, and used my crowbar on it to give it a nice sharp edge (+1) just in case any other innocent people turn up. This turned up to be a good thing, since I instantly came upon a mechanical spider guardian doing whatever it was built to do. I considered using stealth (Something I am great at since Dex was my max stat) but instead, since I am reasonable at athletics and have some tinkering tools I decided to jump on its back and dismantle it. Which I managed to do, and I stole it’s power crystal (In my defense it was shiny).

I suspect I may be attracted to shiny things,  and I may not be the most honest person. Hopefully more of my memory returns soon, I have been getting the odd flashback. But onwards to adventure.

I finally arrive at a damaged large but locked door. I was given the option to unlock it with keys, which made me think I missed a lootable location because I have no keys. So i used athletics and a multi-purpose crowbar to open the door and escape to… ACT 2.

Dungeons & Dragons is celebrating its 50th birthday!

D&D as it is more fondly known as was first released in 1974 in the good old US of A, more than 50 million people have played Dungeons & Dragons since then, making it one of the most popular role-playing games in the world.

Over the last 50 years it has gone through lots of changes and has even inspired popular TV series, movies, video games, not to mention the global hits of such Web Shows such as Critical Role.

“D&D has a rich history, an exciting present, and a great future,” said Kyle Brink, Executive Producer of the team making D&D at Wizards of the Coast.

I was introduced to D&D when I was about 13 (A long time ago), when I was part of a group of friends that would play all sorts of role playing games such as D&D, MERP, VtM, Traveller, Warhammer, etc.

To celebrate and mark this anniversary (and because I have been re-listening to C1 CR) , I have decided to create a D&D 5e character as a way to remember my youth.

The first thing you have to do when creating a character is to decide what race you are going to be.

Will you be a Human, Elf, Dwarf, Halfling, or any of the other races available to play. Each race comes with it’s own special abilities or perks.

It is often wise, especially for new players to pick a race best suited to the type of character you want to play. That way you get to use the race abilities to the best advantage. For example:- If you want to play a Warrior then Strength is the most important, so pick a Mountain Dwarf to get a +2 to str, a Rogue needs Dexterity so maybe pick a Halfling to get +2 Dex, A Wizard needs  Intelligence so maybe a Gnome with +2 Int is the way to go.

Of course if you want a challenge you can pick a Race and a Class that do not typically go together, but would make for great roleplaying.

I have decided I want to create a Dwarven character, because one of their defining characteristics is Long Memory, and long  grudges. I am thinking I want a grumpy old dwarf.

So this gives me the racial attributes: –

• Ability Score Increase: +2 Constitution.
• Age: 60
• Alignment: Lawful Good.
• Size: 4 foot 8 inches (Medium height).
• Speed: 25 feel. Your speed is not reduced by wearing heavy armor.
• Darkvision: Accustomed to life underground, you have superior vision in dark and dim conditions. Vou can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light.
• Dwarven Resilience: You have advantage on saving throws against poison, and you have resistance against poison damage.
• Dwarven Combat Training: You have proficiency with the battleaxe, handaxe, throwing hammer, and Warhammer.
• Tool Proficiency: You gain proficiency with the artisan’s tools of your choice: smith’s tools, brewer’s supplies, or mason’s tools. I have picked Mason’s tools because I am a Freemason.
• Stone Running: Whenever you make an Intelligence (History) check related to the origin of stonework, you are considered proficient in the History skill and add double your proficiency bonus to the check, instead of your normal proficiency bonus.
• Languages: You can speak, read, and write Common and Dwarvish.

I also chose the dwarven sub-race of “mountain dwarves”, which gave me an additional: –

• Ability Score Increase: +1 Wisdom.
• Dwarven Toughness: Your hit point maximum increases by 1, and it increases by 1 every time you gain a level.

The next thing you have to do is pick your class, which is basically your character’s job. 

Picking a class is important because it defines what special talents and skills you posses, and gives you benefits such as spellcasting, along with proficiencies such as armour, weapons, tools, or even telling lies.

You should always pick a class that will suit the type of character you want to play. So if you want to be a fighter pick something like Fighter, Barbarian, Paladin or monk. If you want to throw spells around pick Wizard, Sorcerer, or Warlock. You want to be a sneaky stealthy character try a Rogue or Ranger. Something more religious try Cleric or Druid. Or if you want something really different, try a bard.

I have decided I want to do something uncommon. I have therefore decided to be a Druid (Well I am Welsh).

So my class gives me: –

• Proficiency Bonus: +2
• Hit Dice: 1d8 per druid level.
• Hit Points: at 1st Level: 8 + your Constitution modifier. (Hit Points at Higher Levels 1d8 (or 5) + your
  Constitution modifier per druid level).
• Proficiencies: Armor: Light armor, medium armor, shields (druids will not wear armor or use shields made of metal)
  Weapons: Clubs, daggers, darts, javelins, maces, quarterstaffs, scimitars, sickles, slings. spears
  Tools: Herbalism kit
• Saving Throws: Intelligence, Wisdom.
• Skills: Choose two from Arcana, Animal Handling, Insight, Medicine, Nature, Perception, Religion, and Survival. I have picked Nature and Perception.
• Cantrips: At 1st level, you know two cantrips of your choice from the druid spell list. I have picked Poison Spray, and Produce Flame.
• Spell Slots: 2
• Spells: The list of druid spells that are available for you to cast, choosing from the druid spell list. When you do so, choose a number of druid spells equal to your Wisdom modifier + your druid level.
• Equipment: You start with the following equipment, in addition to the equipment granted by your background: (a) a wooden shield or (b) any simple weapon (a) a scimitar or (b) any simple melee weapon Leather armor, an explorer’s pack, and a druidic focus.
• Spell save DC: 8 + your profícíency bonus + your Wisdom modifier.
• Spell attack modifier: your proficiency bonus + your Wisdom modifier.

The next thing you have to do is sort out your stats, which you need to work out so you can finalise the bonus’s you have from Race and Class.

The six abilities are Strength, Dexterity, Constitution, Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma.

You generate your character’s six ability scores randomly. Roll four 6-sided dice and record the total of the highest three dice on a piece of scratch paper. Do this five more times, so that you have six numbers. You can then assign the numbers to whichever of the six stats you wish, remembering to apply them in a manner that is useful to your class.

Ok. Dice roll time :-

1. 6,4,3,1 = 13
2. 6,5,5,2 = 16
3. 6,3,3,1 = 12
4. 6,5,4,1 = 15
5. 5,4,2,2 = 11
6. 6,5,4,3 = 15

Time to allocate them: –

• Strength = 13 (+1)
• Dexterity = 15 (+2)
• Constitution = 12 +2 Race (+2)
• Intelligence = 15 (+2)
• Wisdom = 16 +1 Race (+3)
• Charisma = 11
• Hit Points: 8 + 2 +1 = 11
• Spell Slots: 4 

Now we need to pick some details and a backstory for our character using one of the basic backstories, which give us a few final abilities or equipment.

• Name = Ddraig Greenbeard
• Sex = Male
• Height = 4′ +2d4 = 4′ 3″.
• Weight = 130Ib. x (2d6) Ib = 151lb.
• Alignment = Lawful Good

Background = Sage.

• Skill Proficiencies: Arcana, History.
• Languages: Two of your choice (I picked Elvish, Primordial).
• Equipment: A bottle of black ink, a quill, a small knife, a letter from a dead colleague posing a question you have not yet been able to answer, a set of common clothes, and a belt pouch containing 10 GP.
• Speciality: Alchemist

You now get to find out what your starting equipment is, and you can choose if you go with the default Race/Class equipment, or have some money and buy your own.

I am going to go with my Race/Class equipment.

• Hand Axe (1d6 Slashing) Thrown range (20/60)
• Quarterstaff (1d6 bludgeoning) Versatile (1d8)
• Medium Leather armor 12+2=14,
• An explorer’s pack
• A druidic focus, A Wand of Yew wood.
• A bottle of black ink,
• A quill,
• A small knife,
• a letter from a dead colleague posing a question you have not yet been able to answer,
• A set of common clothes
• A belt pouch
• 10 GP.

I rolled a d100 for a random trinket.

• An ornate brooch of dwarven design.

All that remains now is to put all that together on a Character Sheet, and then pas out the details on the characters backstory.

I will finalise the character on Part 2 of this post.

I have recently been given a Bag of Dungeon to look at, so I have decided to give it a go single player. 

Bag of Dungeon is a dungeon crawling tile-based game harking back to the good old deadly days of exploring dungeons, slaying monsters and stealing treasure. It’s a simple-to-play tabletop game where 1-4 players send a party of adventurers into the ever-changing catacombs in a quest to find the Ring of Creation before escaping with their lives and their loot.

But can you trust your fellow adventurers? To begin with, you are all loyal to the quest and each other. But once the Ring is discovered it will cast a shadow of doubt and deceit over those who seek to steal it. You may decide that being a lone wolf is a far smarter choice than loyalty, even if it means the death of your former companions.

You will meet monsters, find treasure and use items to stay alive and escape with the Ring before the dungeon seals itself shut, imprisoning for all eternity anyone who remains.

The game has a simple but clever mechanic; great for young and/or new gamers to learn fast and take part while still giving more experienced gamers a satisfying time at the table. The game takes 20-60 minutes and changes every time you play.

—description from the publisher

I gave it a quick run-through, during which the Goddess of Luck was playing with me. I played with two characters, the Dwarf and the Elf. The Dwarf had an attack of 2d6+3 and on his first move found a chest which contained a +3battleaxe, and an attack bear, giving him a 3d6+6 (The end dragon only had a 4d6 attack). And since you can use an Action Point to pull your companion into the battle giving you a 1d6 extra, but me at 4d6+6 which decimated the Dragon.

So for this test I am going to play as just a single character.

I again picked Duric the Dwarf, who I have decided is wandering the Dungeon looking for shiny things. 

II set the bag up, and took my first move.

Round 1: The dungeon turned to the right and I encountered my first monster, which was a Goblin (1d6+1). The battle lasted one attack before I killed the monster and looted his body. I found a health potion which will come in very handy. I then advanced forward.

Round 2:   I advanced and ran into a Mummy (1d6+4) I have been lucky so far with only finding low level monsters. This battle was harder and I took 3 points of damage before I won. Looting the body I found a Loyal Bear (+1d6) which I have decided was chained up by the mummy and not in one of its pockets. Do mummy’s even have pockets?. Looking forward I could see a healing pool, which I used to heal my damage..

Round 3: The dungeon just twisted left and right as I made my way deeper and deeper into the dungeon.

Round 4: I came upon another Goblin (1d6+1) and the battle was a massacre. He rolled a 5+1 giving him 6. I rolled 2 6’s which was a critical hit giving me 24+3 and my bear rolled a 3. so 30 points of damage to his 5 health. I did get a nice teleport crystal which I believe may save my life at some point. I then continued along the tunnel and ran instantly into another Goblin (1d6+1) who again did not last more than 1 combat turn, I did get a nice set of steel armour from him.

Round 5:  The tunnel turned to the right and right again sending me back in the direction I had came from where I ran into my first tear 2 monster, a Skeleton (2d6+1). Defeating him gave me 2 items of loot, I got a Magic Shield and a bomb. My Dwarf is now inanly giggling while petting his holy hand grenade of baBoom! 

Round 6: I continued along the tunnel meeting another Mud Monster (2d6+2) who thanks to my bear stood no chance. Looting him I found a small chest which contained a +2 Magic Sword, and an Elven bow. Alas I now have too much equipment to carry, so I need to leave some items behind. I think I will leave the Bow because good Dwarves do not use flimsy Eleven weapons! and I will also leave behind the teleport crystal so that I can have a sword and shield.

Round 7: Moving on I arrived at a crossroads, and set of a trap of flying daggers. (2d6 damage) I rolled really bad and got 12 points of damage to my 11 health, or instant death! BUT! the Goddess of Luck was with me, my Armour and Magic Shield prevented 3 points of damage so I only lost 9 health, and the health potion I looted at the start of the dungeon healed me for 10 point. So I am back at full health after a very lucky save. 

Round 8: I used 3 of my actions to look in the 3 other directions of the crossroads, and I can see monsters in each direction. So with my last point I picked one at random and moved in to attack a Zombie (1d6+2) who my dwarf killed by chopping off its head with his magic sword. Looting gave me a Morning star, which my dwarf has decided is more dwarfy than a poncy magic sword, and so is swapping his weapon.

Round 9: Still exploring the monsters around the crossroads I encountered a Mirror Monster (Same Base as me 2d6+3) so Mirror-Dwarf V Dwarf+Bear+Morning star. I won without taking any damage thanks to my magic shield and armour. Looting set off a spear trap which gave me 1 point of damage even with my armour, I also got another set of armour which the bear refused to wear, so I left it there.

Round 10: let me take out the last crossroads monster, a Zombie (1d6+2), and I looted from him a lovely pair of magic books of +1movement. I also came across another crossroads.

Round 11: Time to explore the 3 other junctions of this crossroads. In two directions the dungeon continues on, but in the 3rd is the exit. As I look at the exit a dragon wakes and looks at me, at the same time sealing the exit so only the magic ring can open it and allow exit from the dungeon. I rolled for where the ring popped up, and thanks to Goddess Luck the ring spawned at the exit. So all i need to do to win is kill a dragon.  The question is, do I explore more for better items before fighting the Dragon, or do I attack.

Round 12:  I was going to look for better items, and monsters to kill but while I was deciding which direction to head, my Dwarf shouted For Gladhammer and threw his Holy Hand Grenade of BaBoom at the dragon and attacked!. The Bomb does 9 points of damage taking the dragon down to 11 health as the dwarf jumps into battle. So its now a battle between the Dragon (4d6) at 11 health v Dwarf and Bear at (3d6+5) with a -3Damage and 10 health.

First attack and I lost 2 health (8).
Second attack I lost but my armour took the hit
Third attack and I struck a lucky blow with my morning star dealing 7 points of damage (4)
Fourth attack  I struck and did 5 points of damage killing the Dragon. The bear’s hit was 5 so he got the kill, ripping out the throat of the dragon.

I unlocked the exit with the ring, and saw freedom.

All in all it was an enjoyable Dungeon run. 

This game allows for 1 to 4 players to have a quick and simple dungeon run which is different every time you play it. There are also special cards to add extra quest tasks in your game. There are even some PVP items. and you can create your own items, and characters. There is also an expansion “Bag of Dungeon 2”.

I would recommend this to any gamer, and I would like to thank the person who sent it me to look at.

Has it really been a YEAR since the 1st ever INTERNATIONAL TABLETOP DAY?

I guess it must have been, because This Saturday (5th April) is the Second annual International Tabletop day.

If you are reading this post and blinking in confusion, or are wondering WTF is going on, Maybe you should get yourself a quick primer and go read a few other pages.

1. Last Years Post
2. The Official Website

Are you back with us now? Good.

We here at the Ninja Temple will once again be participating in the Event, We have not yet fully decided what we are doing. Either Take over one of the Game-shops In Chester.  Or host our own Tabletop Day event at the Ninja Temple, or a local Coffee-House.

We like coffee, so the latter is a very possible option.

What are you doing for TableTop Day???

Whatever you do, Whether you go to an event you found here, or you are visiting your local gaming store, Hanging out playing games at a friends house, or even online gaming (there are some Skype based events organised) remember to have fun and TO PLAY MORE GAMES!!!!

International TableTop Day 2013 was a huge success — we had 3,123 gaming events in 64 countries worldwide, including every state and province in North America and every continent on the planet (yes, even researchers in Antarctica were playing.) With your continued support, we’re hoping to make International TableTop Day 2014 even bigger!

International TableTop Day is a celebration for all the fans of tabletop gaming. A single day where the whole world is brought together in a common purpose of spending time together and having fun. We hope you find the resources you need — to connect new fans to experienced group organizers, retailers with their community, and publishers with the international community — all in one place. The interactive map hosts all of the game days and parties worldwide. If you don’t see an event near you, simply follow the free submission process to create and host your own TableTop Day event that we will promote for you. Download all the free content and collect all the exclusive promotional items made specifically to commemorate this event.

All we ask in return is that you share your experience with us by using the social media hashtag #tabletopday on all your posts, pictures, stories, and videos. This way, we can all share in the fun wordwide. You can also follow @TableTopDay and @GeekandSundry on Twitter. Let’s for one day, all come together, put down our worries and play more games. Thank you!

Hi Guys.

March 30th is now booked to be “International TableTop Day“.

What is “International TableTop Day“. I hear you ask? Well Basically it is an Internationally picked day for Gamers New, Old, or newly Interested to met up and play games. Yes, a day of games. Go to your local Game shop, Coffee Shop, Pub, Community centre. Arrange to meet friends at your house, Just play games and enjoy yourself. Just play games!!!

Oh, there are no local events near you? and your gamer friends live far away? Not a problem, Play online with them. There are even groups arranging Skype or Google Hangout game sessions. So there is nothing stopping you.

But do not take my word for it, Lets hear from The King & Queen of #TableTopDay

Geek & Sundry, the award-winning original YouTube channel, is proud to announce the first International TableTop Day on March 30, 2013. International TableTop Day encourages people from around the globe to participate in the joys of board gaming by empowering the community to host thousands of gaming events internationally. Participants can sign up at www.tabletopday.com for free events at their favorite local game stores or submit their own event at their home, community center or business. Participants are encouraged to use the hashtag #TableTopDay on social media to share and connect their own events on a global scale.

Inspired by tremendous fan response to the the critically acclaimed show TableTop co-created and hosted by Wil Wheaton (Star Trek, Big Bang Theory, Leverage), Felicia Day and her team hope that the day will grow the gaming community by encouraging fans to come together and play more games. “Gaming is a huge passion of mine, and I’m thrilled to help launch this event that will allow gamers all over the world to celebrate their passions together in real life.” Felicia Day, Creator and Founder of Geek & Sundry said. “The response we’ve received around our show, TableTop, has shown us that tabletop gaming brings people together in a unique and powerful way. We want to celebrate this on a larger scale and give back to our wonderful community.”

Industry-leading sponsors such as Asmodee Editions, Days of Wonder, Mayfair Games, Steve Jackson Games, Wizards of the Coast, and many other major publishers are offering free promotional items and games as part of International TableTop Day to over 1,000 game stores around the world. “In the 20 years I’ve been in the game industry, nothing has moved the needle the way TableTop has,” said John Zinser president of Alderac Entertainment Group. “We’re proud to be a partner for International TableTop Day and take Geek & Sundry’s success to the next level.”

In conjunction with this announcement, Geek & Sundry has revealed their website www.tabletopday.com, the central hub for the community to bring together tabletop fans, publishers, and retailers from around the world. The tabletopday.com website provides fans with resources such as the interactive event map which tracks all #TableTopDay events worldwide, inspirational videos from their favorite YouTube stars, blog posts by popular columnists on how to plan for their event, and fun downloadable content to keep fans excited leading up to March 30th, 2013. Organizations, businesses, community centers, retail stores, and fans worldwide are – See more at: http://www.tabletopday.com/index.php/about#sthash.MdhAer56.dpuf