Essentials: Alys Liander

"Every time that I look in the mirror
All these lines on my face getting clearer
The past is gone...
It went by like dusk to dawn
Isn't that the way?
Everybody's got their dues in life to pay...
I know what nobody knows:
Where it comes and where it goes
I know everybody's sin:
You've got to lose to know how to win...

Half my life's in book's written pages
Live and learn from fools and from sages
You know it's true;
All the things you do... come back to you

So sing it with me!
Sing for the year!
Sing through the laughter!
Sing through the tears!
Sing it with me, just for today
Maybe tomorrow the good Lord will take you away..."

Aerosmith; 'Dream On'


A beautiful commission from for a new game I'm starting via email.

One of my DA friends (I'm ashamed to say I forget whom!) recommended her as an artist and I thought her wonderful style would be perfect for the characters (well, maybe the female ones for now!) Amber has captured some amazing details here, such as the worn, frayed look to her clothes and her gear...

The game is using the '4.5' D&D 'Essentials' rules, which I never thought I'd use, but some of the players are returning to RPGs after a while (not my usual D&D group) and this version is pretty good for new players. Not many choices to make, just choose a character and go.

The game is going to centre around two divergent worlds, a 'light' realm of fairies and magic, and a 'dark' Gothic realm of shadows. But neither are really good or evil; there are dark faeries as well as helpful shadow creatures. I may also include the Elemental Chaos as a third realm, but there won't be any 'normal' earth-style world, everything will be quite exotic.

I'm running solo games currently for two US players. This one is Alys Liander, a Tuathan Skald. She is very much a homage to Alias of 'Azure Bonds' D&D fame. I may still give her a reptilian paladin as a sidekick...

Tuathans are humans and elf-bloods born to the Feywild. Over the long years of dwelling in the mystical realm, a little magick has seeped into their blood and they are a little more than human, able to utilise certain legendary or heroic abilities. Tuathans mostly dwell in small rustic villages, and are wary of the dangers and lures of their faey realm. Their culture is much like the Celts, and they like tattoos, music and strong drink.

Skalds are bards with a Norse flavour - warriors turned wandering minstrels. In a world with no FaceBook or YouTube, Skalds provide entertainment and communication, travelling the fey trods between places and spreading news. Few among the Tuatha leave their settlements to brave the Feywilds, so they have an important role to play, carrying messages between the various communities.

Alys here is the daughter of a Clan chief, himself once an adventurer. Restless and footloose, she took easily to the arts of song and storytelling, and set off on the roads as soon as she was able. She is also a skilled swordswoman; you have to be 'handy with the steel' as she puts it, to brave the dangers of the fey trods.

With a temper as fiery as her hair, she is a quintessential Tuatha - fond of mead, bonny lasses, tall tales and a good fight. She enjoys her work, but is also looking forward to making a few legends of her own, rather than just reciting them. She is proud of her body and her azure tattoos, and intends to get some more done when she feels she's earned them with heroic deeds.


Essentials thoughts: One thing I thought was a bit of a step backwards was that in this version, the martial, fighter-type classes go back to regular attacks, and lose their cool powers. One thing I actually liked about 4E was that the warrior types got funky powers and moves.

'Skald' is a Martial class with some Arcane leanings, so it relies mostly on weapon attacks. The twist here is that they use their Charisma for melee attacks (maybe her enemies are looking at her assets? ). This (like other 4E classes) could make for offbeat concepts, like a nine year old child being a kickass warrior just beause they are cute. A nice touch that not all great warriors need be musclebound hulks.

The skald is also a 'leader' class, so it has buffs in the form of 'stances' that they can change each round, giving their friends benefits or healing them. They also have a bit of flashy magic they can use every battle or every day, making them something more than pure warriors. Like most Essentials classes, this one is pretty much pre-built for you, but it seems flavoursome and useful in actual combat. They also have a good range of skills and talents as you would expect from an eclectic adventurer.

One nice thing that Essentials did manage was the re-introduction of out of combat abilities. 4E often felt like a combat-only experience, with everything outside of battle hand-waved, made up on the spur of the moment. Essentials belatedly introduces rules for stuff that happens outside of combat. Skalds, for instance, can demand help from nobles or mages, ensure they get hospitality food & board, and attract audiences who might help them. I wish there had been more of this in 4E - it goes a long way to establishing the edition as a _role-playing_ game, rather than a minis combat game or offline MMO.