Religious Ramblings

If your spirituality makes you feel good and helps you do good things for other people more power to you. Don't push it on others and don't use it to justify your own personal shortcomings. I don't feel that religion should be abolished. I hope instead that it evolves into something more modern, tolerant, and less superstitious. There is an abundance of inherent beauty and mystery in the universe without making things up. You can still find truth and inspiration through the lens of metaphor and poetry.

There is no indication to me that religion makes people evil. I think we are just inherently evil with or without instruction. Given the right circumstances any one of you would turn on your neighbor and destroy them. We like to think ourselves civilized but our aggressive, savage nature, says otherwise. This isn't an evolutionary flaw, when we were hunter gatherers it benefited our survival greatly. The shape of modern society was forged in blood, domination, and cruelty. We can no longer afford to let our primal urges control us, however. The planet is getting smaller, it's ability to support an ever increasing number of people, who don't take care of it, will come to an end. Our only hope is to advance enough technologically to the point that we can colonize other planets.

If there is a God or something that created our universe, I am certain that it doesn't care about your day to day lives. An all-powerful, all-knowing entity would view us as nothing more than bacteria. A minor element of the super organism that is the Earth, rotating around an above average size star, inside a galaxy composed of 200-400 billion other stars, located in a sea of 500 billion other galaxies. When you die, the atoms that compose your body will merely be recycled to create new matter. The permanence of our planet, our sun, our lives, is an illusion. The universe has been here for 13.75 billion years, humans have only been around for 200,000. If you believe in God you do him a great disservice when taking his creations for granted and for thinking yourself so important.

If you are an anti-intellectual, if you disregard science and reason, you are the enemy of humanity. You are a barrier to progress and the death knell to our miraculous, fragile existence. Blind faith, irrational fears, and delusional thinking will only delay our ability to demonstrate verifiable truths and to understand the mind of God.

Sammath Gul Lyrics

final draft

Part 1

verse:
cold winds from the north
harsh winter on its way
hunters venture out
searching for prey

the herd goes south
true aim, clean kill 
pride and honor won
blood would be filled 

chorus:
life from blood and blade
took the first road home
when the north winds came


Part 2

verse:
making their way home
filled with dread
the hunters unknowingly 
bowed their heads

their only progeny
extinguished by flames
some of them grieved
some went insane

chorus:
"plundered and ruined
our love slaughtered
murdered and maimed
our sons, our daughters"


Part 3

verse:
swearing vengeance
rage welled up inside
he carried her body
through the blood and snow

in the darkness of the tomb
a shadowy figure whispers a deal
"i can bring her back
if you kill a hundred men"

chorus: 
"take the ebon blade
slay them by my hand
curse them all until 
none of them stand"


Part 4

Verse:
at first he only killed
the most vicious and vile
while searching for the men
who set his village on fire

the blade kept him going
searching for answers
whispering with the 
voice of the necromancer

chorus:
"take no pity
on these men of vice
death is their mistress
the cost is their life"


Part 5

verse:
this must be the home
of that most wretched tribe 
their women wear jewelry
of those who have died

with bloodlust and vengeance
he raised the blade high
it came down in a storm
no one survived

"you took from me
what cannot be replaced 
i smite all you people
and your unholy race"

chorus:
standing upon piles of viscera
surrounded by broken and dead
covered in blood and hate
the sword glowed black and red



Part 6

verse:
when the moon was half dim
the shadows lifted her up
dark light surrounded her body 

"this is power you cant control
i have kept my end of the deal
your love now walks among us"

clutching her
he looked into her eyes
into emptiness and despair

no memories 
no feelings remained
a beautiful shell 
on an empty frame

he tried to kill the shadows
the demon laughing, screaming
the ebon blade was bound
even death would not release him

chorus:
"your soul is undead
forged in your mind  
thrall to your sire
weapon of mine"

©

Rivercity by Night

This was a website I made. Made the music too.

Top Ten D&D Minis

Due to my ongoing obsession with collecting Dungeons & Dragons miniatures I have become familiar with the wide variety available.  There are over 1000 different minis spanning 20 sets beginning with the 2003 launch of the line.  The figures can be used to play a miniatures skirmish style wargame or to represent characters and monsters for any tabletop fantasy RPG.

Here are my top ten miniatures. They were chosen purely for aesthetic reasons.  There are many other smaller minis that would be more useful at the game table.  These make great display pieces or can be used for one-off boss type battles, however. 


10. Zombie White Dragon (Deathknell)
Value: $15

I love zombies and dragons.  Combining the two is a winner in my book.  This is a nice mini even if it is somewhat smaller than most dragons.  It makes me wonder how it was turned into a zombie.  Did a powerful necromancer kill a young white dragon and raise it from the dead? 



9. Displacer Beast Pack Lord (War of the Dragon Queen)
Value: $5 

An iconic D&D monster. The Displacer Beast can phase in and out of reality making it difficult to hit. It can also use the tentacles on it's back to ruin an adventurers day.  This particular one is a Pack Lord and is bigger than most. 



8. Mind Flayer Noble (Lords of Madness)
Value: $15

There are quite a few good mind flayer sculpts in different sets.  This one comes from the latest set, Lords of Madness.  The larger size allows for more detail even if it's not typical for a mind flayer.



7. Beholder Ultimate Tyrant (Legendary Evils)
Value: $10

Of all the beholders this is my favorite one.  The paint is really nice and the spikes give it a more fearsome appearance.



6. Heroslayer Hydra (Lords of Madness)
Value: $35

This is another of the "very rare" minis from Lords of Madness.  It's also one of the only hydras.  The other one being the Fen Hydra.  This one has five heads instead of four and is much larger.



 
5. Elder Blue Dragon (Lords of Madness)
Value: $50

I like how each of the Chromatic Dragons in D&D has a unique appearance.  Besides being blue, the Elder Blue is distinguished by the large horn protruding from the top it's head.  If you're lucky enough you can find one of these in a Lords of Madness booster pack. 


 
4. Elder White Dragon (Against the Giants)
Value: $25

White Dragons live in cold climates surrounded by frost and snow.  This sculpt has a lot of detail and the pose is great.




3. Huge Red Dragon (Giants of Legend)
Value: $60

Second only to the Colossal Red Dragon this is a fine sculpt and will send your players scrambling for cover when placed on the table.  Incoming fire! 


2. Aspect of Tiamat (War of the Dragon Queen)
Value: $75

Tiamat is a goddess, the mother of evil dragons and this is her representative.  The five heads are each of the Chromatic Dragons.



1. Dracolich (War of the Dragon Queen)
Value: $50

This is by far the best looking undead dragon.  The re-animated remains of an Elder Blue.  If you see this thing hovering about, your best bet is to run.




The prices listed are the approximate lowest price found using abPrices.com as of 11/8/2010.  Many times these sell for much higher than the value listed and go out of stock frequently.

Ravenholme D&D 4E Adventure Lvl 1-2

Ravenholme is a small village that lies on the edge of the Bleak Forest under the shadow of the Enduring Mountains. The village was founded by a religious sect seeking freedom from persecution. The cult is known for their bizarre practices and rituals which involve cannibalization of the dead. After being separated from civilization for many years, other than the occasional merchant brave enough to venture into village, Ravenholme descended into madness. It began when the residents were stricken with plague. One by one they began dying and the priests determined there was a witch among them causing the outbreak. Accusations flew and trials were held but the executions did nothing to stop the plague from eventually killing almost all of the villagers.
The players have been offered a reward to investigate the village after the last group of adventurers sent there failed to return.


Grey clouds are forming in the sky as you make your way towards Ravenholme. From a distance it appears to be a quaint country village. It begins raining and the dirt path you are walking on soon becomes muddy and sticks to your boots. You can make out a cluster of buildings. It appears that several of the buildings are only partially standing. Charred beams and piles of blackened rubble indicate they caught on fire before slumping to the ground. What remains of the front doors have been painted with a large red X.
There is an old well immediately in front of you. A rope tied off to a cranking mechanism descends down into the dark interior. To the east there is a horse stable. To the north four buildings remain standing, intact for the most part. The buildings flank a dirt path leading to a large church. 



Well : If the players turn the crank on the well a bucket comes up. It is filled with maggots feasting on putrid remains of indiscernible origin.

Ravenholme Spider Swarm		Level 1 Soldier
Medium natural beast		XP 100
Initiative +7 Senses Perception +1; tremorsense Swarm Attack aura 1; the bloodweb spider swarm makes a basic attack as a free action against each enemy that begins its turn in the aura. In addition, an enemy that enters or starts its turn in the aura is slowed (save ends) by strands of crimson webbing. HP 29; Bloodied 14 AC 15; Fortitude 10; Reflex 14; Will 10 Resist half damage from melee and ranged attacks; Vulnerable 10 damage from close and area attacks. Speed 4 , Climb 4 (spider climb)
m Swarm of Fangs (standard; at-will) • Poison
+4 vs Reflex; 1d10 damage, and ongoing 5 poison damage (save ends)
Alignment Unaligned		Languages —
Skills Stealth +10
Str 11 (+0)	Dex 21 (+5)		Wis 13 (+1)
Con 13 (+1)	Int -2 (–6)		Cha 5 (–3)

Stables : The stables are empty except for a rotting horse carcass, some old horseshoes and hand tools.


Building A : The door is unlocked. This appears to have been a shop or tavern of sorts. Most of the goods have been carried off. All that remain are empty barrels and crates. Rotten fruit lies about on the tables. Perception DC 10: reveals a bag of flour, DC 13: two bottles of wine, and DC 16: 5 gold pieces. There are several large cracks and holes at the base of the walls.

Giant Roach		Level 1 Minion
Small natural beast		XP 25
Initiative +3 Senses Perception +5; low-light vision HP 1; a missed attack never damages a minion. AC 15; Fortitude 13; Reflex 15; Will 12 Speed 6 , Climb 3
m Bite (standard; at-will)
+6 vs AC; 3 damage
Alignment Unaligned		Languages —
Str 12 (+1)	Dex 17 (+3)		Wis 10 (+0)
Con 12 (+1)	Int 2 (–4)		Cha 6 (–2)

Building B : There is a large red X painted on the door and it is locked. The windows are boarded up. Strength DC 16 to bash door, Thievery DC 17 to unlock. Upon opening the door a putrid smell wafts out. The interior is dark and a creaking sound can be heard coming from the second floor. A corpse lies in a bed on the second floor, its skin blackened and pulled tightly around the bones. It is clutching a bag containing 60 gold pieces.

Minor Wraith		Level 1 Lurker
Medium shadow humanoid		XP 100
Initiative +7 Senses Perception –1; darkvision HP 17; Bloodied 8 Regeneration 5 (if the wraith takes radiant damage, regeneration is negated until the end of the wraith’s next turn) AC 12; Fortitude 9; Reflex 12; Will 10 Immune disease; poison; Resist insubstantial, 10 necrotic; Vulnerable 5 radiant (see also regeneration above) Speed Fly 6 (hover); phasing
m Shadow Touch (standard; at-will) • Necrotic
+4 vs Reflex; 1d6 + 3 necrotic damage, and the target is weakened (save ends)
Combat Advantage • Necrotic
The wraith deals an extra 1d6 necrotic damage against any target it has combat advantage against.
Shadow Glide (move; encounter)
The wraith shifts 6 squares.
Spawn Wraith
Any humanoid killed by a wraith rises as a free-willed wraith at the start of its creator’s next turn, appearing in the space where it died (or in the nearest unoccupied space). Raising the slain creature (using the raise dead ritual) does not destroy the spawned wraith.
Alignment Chaotic Evil		Languages Common
Skills Stealth +8
Str 2 (–4)	Dex 16 (+3)		Wis 8 (–1)
Con 11 (+0)	Int 4 (–3)		Cha 13 (+1)

The wraith will try to hide until the players take the bag.


Building C : There is furniture pushed against the inside of the door. Opening the door requires Strength. DC 10, pushes it open 1 foot, DC 13, 2 feet, DC 15 opens it all the way. There is also a window on the back of the building that is partially open. Upon entering, a cat darts across the room and hops through the window. This building appears to have been a nursery. There are children’s toys strewn across the floor. Perception DC 13 reveals a Dwarven Music Box amongst the toys, DC 15 reveals a hidden door in the floor. The door leads to a small cellar where a woman and two children are hiding. She screams upon seeing the players and waves a kitchen knife at them.


Building D : The door is rigged to a crossbow mounted to a table inside. ATTACK: +4 vs. Reflex; 1d6+3. There are corpses piled onto makeshift cots on the floor. Perception 15 reveals a key hidden away. The key opens Building B.

Phantom Warrior		Level 1 Soldier
Medium shadow humanoid		XP 100
Initiative +5 Senses Perception +10; darkvision HP 20; Bloodied 10 AC 15; Fortitude 13; Reflex 12; Will 13 Immune disease; poison; Resist insubstantial Speed 6 , Fly 6 (hover); phasing
m Phantom Sword (standard; at-will) • Necrotic
+6 vs Reflex; 1d8 + 1 necrotic damage, and the target is marked until the end of the phantom warrior’s next turn
Phantom Tactics
A phantom warrior has combat advantage against any target that has another phantom warrior adjacent to it.
Alignment Any		Languages Common
Str 12 (+1)	Dex 10 (+0)		Wis 9 (–1)
Con 10 (+0)	Int 8 (–1)		Cha 12 (+1)

Church : The interior of the church is covered in giant spider webs. Corpses hang suspended in the air, wrapped in sticky cocoons. There is a huge hole in the ceiling and chunks of the roof lie about. Hymn books and pages are scattered throughout the debris and stuck in the webbing, many of the pews are turned over or broken in half. Spread around the altar in the center of the room are 287 gold pieces gathered in assorted vessels, Holy Symbol +1, and an Amulet of Protection +1. Beyond the church lies a graveyard.
Players entering the web must make Athletics or Acrobatics DC 14 or become immobilized.

Deathjump Spider		Level 1 Skirmisher
Medium natural beast		XP 100
Initiative +5 Senses Perception +6; tremorsense HP 29; Bloodied 14 AC 17; Fortitude 14; Reflex 15; Will 13 Resist 5 poison Speed 6 , Climb 6 (spider climb)
m Bite (standard; at-will) • Poison
+3 vs AC; 2d6 + 2 damage, and the target takes ongoing 5 poison damage and is slowed (save ends both)
M Death from Above (standard; at-will) • Poison
The deathjump spider leaps at its prey, shifting 6 squares and making a bite attack. On a hit, it deals an extra 1d6 damage and also knocks the target prone.; -1
Prodigious Leap (move; encounter)
The deathjump spider shifts 10 squares.
Soft Fall
The deathjump spider ignores the first 30 feet when determining damage from a fall.
Alignment Unaligned		Languages —
Skills Athletics +7, Stealth +8
Str 15 (+2)	Dex 16 (+3)		Wis 12 (+1)
Con 13 (+1)	Int -1 (–6)		Cha 6 (–2)

Graveyard : Many of the graves here have been dug up, some are covered with mounds of dead flowers. Perception DC 20 reveals some of these to be open grave traps. ATTACK: +4 vs. Reflex; 1d4 dmg. 6 foot fall. Player can make a saving throw to avoid falling in. There are zombies spread throughout the graveyard. They will ignore players that are more than 5 squares away. When one attacks, the others will follow however. There is a large tomb at the far end of the graveyard.

Zombie Creep		Level 1 Minion
Medium natural animate		XP 25
Initiative –3 Senses Perception –2; darkvision HP 1; a missed attack never damages a minion. AC 11; Fortitude 11; Reflex 7; Will 8 Immune disease; poison Speed 4
m Slam (standard; at-will)
+4 vs AC; 6 damage
Alignment Unaligned		Languages —
Str 13 (+1)	Dex 5 (–3)		Wis 7 (–2)
Con 9 (–1)	Int 0 (–5)		Cha 2 (–4)
Equipment Leather Armor

Tomb : The entrance to the tomb is surrounded by elaborate stone carvings. Stairs lead down to a hallway. In the hall there is a green fungus growing on the walls and floor. Once disturbed it releases a cloud of poison that does 1d6+3 dmg to anyone caught in the area of effect (3x3 square radius). At the end of the hall there is a dimly lit chamber. A robed figure stands with his back to the characters. He appears to be dissecting a corpse laid out on a stone slab. If all the zombies were not killed from the graveyard they will follow the players into the tomb and fill the hallway.

Tomb Necromancer		Level 1 Controller
Medium natural humanoid		XP 100
Initiative +1 Senses Perception +0 HP 28; Bloodied 14 AC 15; Fortitude 12; Reflex 13; Will 14 Speed 6
m Staff of Death (standard; at-will) • Weapon, Necrotic
+6 vs AC; 1d6 + -1 necrotic damage, and the target is immobilized (save ends)
R Grave Bolt (standard; at-will) • Necrotic
Ranged 20; +3 vs Reflex; 1d6 + 3 necrotic damage, and the target is immobilized (save ends)
C Horrific Visage (standard; recharge 4 5 6) • Fear
Close blast 3; +4 vs Will; 1d6 + -1 damage, and the target is pushed 3 squares
Reanimate (immediate reaction, when an undead minion ally within 5 squares of the crazed necromancer (10 if adjacent to the statue) is reduced to 0 hit points; recharge 5 6) • Healing
The undead minion ally regains 1 hit point.
Alignment Evil		Languages Common
Skills Arcana +7, Religion +7
Str 8 (–1)	Dex 12 (+1)		Wis 7 (–2)
Con 12 (+1)	Int 14 (+2)		Cha 16 (+3)

The chamber contains a battleaxe+1, an ivory statue worth 250GP, and 122GP.

A Postcard

Adrift in white noise.
Nothing ever blooms here now.
The muse escapes me.

Now I'm Feeling Vaporized

I quit smoking a month ago and starting using an electronic cigarette.  I like it to call it a nicotine inhaler or personal vaporizer instead though when explaining because of the stigma associated with cigarettes.  If you don't know about them already, it consists of a rechargeable battery, atomizer and cartridge containing nicotine in liquid form.  It mimics the action of smoking without having to inhale the 4000+ chemicals in a cigarette created from combustion.  You puff on the device like you would a cigarette and inhale vapor. Once exhaled, the vapor itself doesn't linger in the air, smell, or leave stains like smoke.

The main benefit is the ability to avoid smoking traditional cigarettes, or "analogs" without the severe withdrawal symptoms and being able to avoid cravings while in public places where smoking is prohibited.  This is not a means to ending nicotine addiction although one could lower the amount of nicotine intake gradually and quit the drug all together if so desired.

There are other products like nicotine gum, patches and pills that help some people quit.  From what I understand the rate of success with these methods is about 20%.  Besides being very expensive and having severe side effects (Chantix is known to make people suicidal), one thing these products lack is the kinetic feel and the physical ritual of smoking itself.  It's not just the chemical itself that is addictive.

I can happily report that since I've switched to using my e-cig that I can breathe deeper, I no longer cough constantly, I can smell and taste things better, my clothes don't stink, and my quality of life has improved.  It only took one month to notice the difference.  Based on this I'm inclined to believe this is a healthier alternative to smoking cigarettes.

There are still many studies that need to be done on the long-term effects of e-cigs and many who will demonize them until such evidence exists.  I am by no means suggesting that e-cigs or nicotine addiction is harmless.  I merely wish to have the personal freedom to enjoy my vice the same way others enjoy a cup of coffee without being treated like a common criminal.

I was going to provide some links to accompany this post showing where to obtain these products and the most economical way to do so.  I have decided against this as I don't feel it would be responsible to advertise a highly addictive substance to people.  Nor am I obligated to make these companies any money.  If you do think you could benefit from this technology I would suggest doing your research first and if you don't already have a nicotine habit, you shouldn't start one.

I will say, stay away from that place at the mall, you know the one.  You will end up paying three times what the product is worth.