blackmoor
Level 4 Theurgist
The First Dungeonmaster
Posts: 115
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Post by blackmoor on Mar 22, 2009 13:16:45 GMT -6
As I have said many times before. Work with what works for you. But be very aware that this adds complications and draw you and your players away from the real treasure, THE STORY. Always remember too that the PLAYER WOULD actually not know the monster stats etc. The have to learn them the hard way Maybe you pack train is loaded down with hundreds of obscure scrolls and tomes. Mine weren't.
"Roll the dice and I will tell you you hit!"
Dave Arneson
"The First Referee"
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blackmoor
Level 4 Theurgist
The First Dungeonmaster
Posts: 115
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Post by blackmoor on Mar 17, 2009 12:51:21 GMT -6
Thank you all for making Blackmoor the success it is by your support and hard work.
Dave Arneson
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blackmoor
Level 4 Theurgist
The First Dungeonmaster
Posts: 115
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Post by blackmoor on Mar 17, 2009 12:49:10 GMT -6
You always need a good referee. e can take even worst dungeon/set of rules work wonders. A bad one can take the best and make it stink. A good referee can make even the best one bad.A referees should always be careful to weed out the trash anyway. After all it the players did not have a good time, then, they will not be back. And no referee wants to referee trash.
Principles, etc., a great but the referee always needs to be prepared to change what needs changing when it needs it.A good one knows that.
Dave Arneson
"the First Referee"
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blackmoor
Level 4 Theurgist
The First Dungeonmaster
Posts: 115
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Post by blackmoor on Mar 7, 2009 12:31:30 GMT -6
DMing with no map has been a topic on this board elsewhere. But I thought that some comment should appear here sooo...
Ohh. Simply memorize the dungeon. The rules you use. Keep notes of any changes.
"Been there, done that. No big deal."
Dave Arneson
"The first Dungeonmaster"
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blackmoor
Level 4 Theurgist
The First Dungeonmaster
Posts: 115
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Post by blackmoor on Mar 7, 2009 12:26:01 GMT -6
DMing with no map. Ohh. Simply memorize the dungeon. The rules you use. Keep notes of any changes.
"Been there, done that. No big deal."
Dave Arneson
"The first dungeonmaster"
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blackmoor
Level 4 Theurgist
The First Dungeonmaster
Posts: 115
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Post by blackmoor on Mar 6, 2009 13:00:40 GMT -6
FOI? Sounds fun BTW.
Dave Arneson
"Dark Lord of Game Desigh"
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blackmoor
Level 4 Theurgist
The First Dungeonmaster
Posts: 115
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Post by blackmoor on Mar 5, 2009 18:40:08 GMT -6
I believe that I will be at the CODE MONKEY booth. They will be selling the newer Blackmoor stuff. When sending me stuff to autograph don't forget to Include return postage and packaging. I want to make sure that you will be getting it back OK?
Dave Arneson
"Dark Lord of Game Design"
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blackmoor
Level 4 Theurgist
The First Dungeonmaster
Posts: 115
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Post by blackmoor on Mar 2, 2009 19:54:30 GMT -6
So are you going to share?
Dave Arneson
"Dark Lord of Gaming"
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blackmoor
Level 4 Theurgist
The First Dungeonmaster
Posts: 115
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Post by blackmoor on Mar 2, 2009 19:36:25 GMT -6
Quite true. One can expect little else but excellcnce from Blackmoor's, King Of The Dwarves
Dave Arneson
"Dark Lord of Game Design"
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blackmoor
Level 4 Theurgist
The First Dungeonmaster
Posts: 115
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Post by blackmoor on Mar 2, 2009 19:30:20 GMT -6
Lost Worlds, parralle worlds, future worlds, mythical worlds, etc. All are a lot of fun. A good point made here ios that the 'new' world must have many critters unisue just to it.
We had Ross Maker's and Dave Wesel'y 'Aource Of The Nile World' and MAR Barkers TEKUMEL world when we wanted to go there. It was a good change of pace and let me have someone else referee for a bit.
Davw Arneson
"Dark Lord of Game Design"
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blackmoor
Level 4 Theurgist
The First Dungeonmaster
Posts: 115
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Post by blackmoor on Feb 28, 2009 19:50:43 GMT -6
Yeah that was a good one.
Dave Arneson
"Dark Lord of Game Design"
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blackmoor
Level 4 Theurgist
The First Dungeonmaster
Posts: 115
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Post by blackmoor on Feb 16, 2009 18:10:42 GMT -6
Four copies of the original interviews have been made by hand. The 10 DVDs contain about 22 1/2 hours of interviews. I am still not sure what it will cost but I do know that doing it by hand is tedious and slow. There is also a 1 disk that is an advance teaser but at least it's edited. Still don't know what to charge.
No distribution yet and at 22+ hours there will probably not be much demand.
Dave Arneson
"Dark Lord of Game Design"
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blackmoor
Level 4 Theurgist
The First Dungeonmaster
Posts: 115
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Post by blackmoor on Feb 15, 2009 20:52:31 GMT -6
So doing your old camapaign eh Bob. I'll trade you some Blackmoor books.
Dave Arneson
"Dark Lord of Game Design"
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blackmoor
Level 4 Theurgist
The First Dungeonmaster
Posts: 115
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Post by blackmoor on Feb 12, 2009 14:09:07 GMT -6
Ohhh! I want one! Or maybe one black and one red.
Dave Arneson
"Dark Lord of Game Design"
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blackmoor
Level 4 Theurgist
The First Dungeonmaster
Posts: 115
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Post by blackmoor on Feb 12, 2009 0:22:05 GMT -6
No 4E Blackmoor books as of yesterday. We have the WOTC license for Blackmoor. They are not supposed to infringe on that. CODE MONKEY will be doing a 4 E book but not for awhile.
That is what I know right now. We are doing what we can to keep Blackmoor independent of any system so that more people an enjoy it.
Dave Arneson
"Dark Lord of Game Design"
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blackmoor
Level 4 Theurgist
The First Dungeonmaster
Posts: 115
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Post by blackmoor on Feb 9, 2009 13:57:01 GMT -6
Oh yes the PDF only await finding a 'clean' copy among my stuff. Some of mf other 'stuff' like DUNGEON MASTERS INDEX and FIRST FANTASY CAMPAIG N await. Patience kids, patience.
Dave Arneson
"Dark Lord of Game Design"
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blackmoor
Level 4 Theurgist
The First Dungeonmaster
Posts: 115
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Post by blackmoor on Feb 5, 2009 20:53:09 GMT -6
Yep! They sound like first printings. It has my own crude art work in them?
Dave Arneson
"Dark Lord of Game Design"
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blackmoor
Level 4 Theurgist
The First Dungeonmaster
Posts: 115
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Post by blackmoor on Feb 5, 2009 20:50:10 GMT -6
Nope it's gone. My webmaster couldn't do it anymore and neither could I. Whether or not it will return is unknown at this time.
Dave Arneson
"Dark Lord of Game Design"
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blackmoor
Level 4 Theurgist
The First Dungeonmaster
Posts: 115
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Post by blackmoor on Feb 2, 2009 21:08:20 GMT -6
I wish you success.
Dave Arneson
"Dark Lord if Game Design"
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blackmoor
Level 4 Theurgist
The First Dungeonmaster
Posts: 115
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Post by blackmoor on Feb 2, 2009 20:41:50 GMT -6
Describe (or show me) the artwork AND the shade of the colors cover. ALL editions seem to be first but there were actually three, And if you send it to me I will happily autograpgh it for you.
Dave Arneson
"Dark Lord of Game Design!"
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blackmoor
Level 4 Theurgist
The First Dungeonmaster
Posts: 115
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Post by blackmoor on Jan 22, 2009 16:37:12 GMT -6
It was a part of the TSR/Gygax to purge Greyhawk of anything Arneson.
Dave Arneson
"Dark Lord of Game Design"
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blackmoor
Level 4 Theurgist
The First Dungeonmaster
Posts: 115
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Post by blackmoor on Jan 22, 2009 16:32:35 GMT -6
Yes I still have the rights. But the Index is far from being all inclusive since it contains none of newer OD&D products or the DRAGON. Or my own FFC or AIF. It was totally obsolete the years after it was published.
Dave Arneson
"Dark Lord of Game Design"
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blackmoor
Level 4 Theurgist
The First Dungeonmaster
Posts: 115
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Post by blackmoor on Jan 22, 2009 15:48:40 GMT -6
The map in FFC is more up to date. Not a lot of changes. The new suburbs to the SE are the biggies. 'Jenkins Hill'? That is where the ancient Temple of the --id-- is. Duane has a little place over by the gravyard now that the 'Bouchers' chased him out of Glendower. Aside from that it is a really nice map.
Dave Arneson
"Dark Loard of Game Design"
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blackmoor
Level 4 Theurgist
The First Dungeonmaster
Posts: 115
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Post by blackmoor on Jan 18, 2009 22:36:39 GMT -6
Who: Dave Arneson When: Saturday,  "The Prisoners" Part II What: Blackmoor (Old D&D) Where: The Source Comics and Games How: old gaming group |
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blackmoor
Level 4 Theurgist
The First Dungeonmaster
Posts: 115
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Post by blackmoor on Jan 18, 2009 22:30:50 GMT -6
Gee I didn't start with any of the old D&D books (He He)
You will find that Role Playing is pretty darn wide spread. I have always enjoyed meeting such folks. It is just great to what a positive influence that role playing has had on the world. Humbling really.
Dave Arneson
"Dark Lord of Game Design"
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blackmoor
Level 4 Theurgist
The First Dungeonmaster
Posts: 115
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Post by blackmoor on Jan 14, 2009 17:51:06 GMT -6
One of my best traps was a room that had a stone block in the middle with no treasure. No spells could detect any goodies either, It was well trapped and the traps could be detected as well. In fact there was NOTHING there. I finally had to betray the room because wit was killing far too many adventurers and too much game time too.
The worst was at a convention where one guy went in twice during the con.
I had even explained it all too an earlier group!
"Such a well protected room had to have something in it!".
Never underestimate the little things! (Me) or the players ability to mess up!
My other referee 'Happy moment' was when the mapper was killed and the map lost.
"OK guys now where are you going?"
What followed was 15 minutes of hilarious, to me, fun, That, as proper the use of referees. An NPC gave them a general direction. Another was when the mapper died and the players couldn't figure out how to read the map. Again an NPC saved them.
Usually if they stay in one spot five minutes screaming at each other a (not too powerful) wandering monster shows up to remind then where they are!
REFEREE RULE: Keep the game moving along along.
REFEREE RULE: subsection A: Sitting on their butts is not fun,
There is enough there for a whole new topic.
Dave Arneson
"Dark Lord of Game Design"
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blackmoor
Level 4 Theurgist
The First Dungeonmaster
Posts: 115
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Post by blackmoor on Jan 9, 2009 23:25:09 GMT -6
A fighter takes more damage, has higher saving throws, etc. If he kills an opponent he gets another attack. When all opponents next to him are gone he gets no more attacks. Thus he chops his way through the weaker creatures pretty quickly. The Great Svenny was good at that. MU needed their protection 'Badly'
DAVE ARNESON
"The Dark Lord of Game Design"
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blackmoor
Level 4 Theurgist
The First Dungeonmaster
Posts: 115
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Post by blackmoor on Jan 9, 2009 23:17:18 GMT -6
Pretty much the way AIF did it. Again you picked what you got and found the elements you needed. I am probably going to offer AIF as a PDF in a few months. Again it was incomplete because there were no follow on products. One of the great lawsuits was involved, so no follow-up product. Sales were pretty bad too! However a lot of the ideas were there. Not sure as to 'who' will provided the PDF.
Dave Arneson
"Dark Lord of Game Design"
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blackmoor
Level 4 Theurgist
The First Dungeonmaster
Posts: 115
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Post by blackmoor on Jan 9, 2009 14:25:22 GMT -6
D&D at its start was a simple system with guidelines that could be tailored to the players. The game was a co-operative effort by the players (Each having strong points and weakness.) to overcome the obstacles (Problem solving.) set up by the DM, The skills (Such as found in my AIF game.) allowed you to build your character. As each edition came out new layers and more/different ruled were added. Some good, some bad, always more restrictive in some way even if it was a more 'simple' game.
My emphasis was always on the story telling and problem solving,
Do I like 4e? Read it, haven't played it. Some good parts some bad. You're the players/referees. Use what you want and have a fun, and rewarding experience. If you cab slip in some education/teaching go for it. It will make them, and you. want to learn more about things. This is good.
Hit them/you over the head with unneeded detail? Bad!
Dave Arneson,
"Dark Lord of Game Design"
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blackmoor
Level 4 Theurgist
The First Dungeonmaster
Posts: 115
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Post by blackmoor on Jan 4, 2009 22:03:50 GMT -6
Dave's artwork was a big part of what made ODD, well, ODD! He worked at TSR longer than anyone else. And was doing artwork as Art Director for much of that time.
Dave Arneson
'The Dark Lord of Game Design'
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"The Prisoners" Part II