An Ending to Crown of Stars by Kate Elliott

This seven series book, Crown of Stars, was one I've taken two pauses in. The first was because I only owned the first three books in science fiction book club edition. The second because I waited and purchased the second two books at Half Price and then finally used some of the old e-mail coupons to buy the last two at Borders.

While not a challenging tale in and of itself, it does illustrate that people have options. In a fantasy campaign, it's important to keep those options in mind when designing encounters not because you want to put a clamp on them, but because the more aware you are of what the characters can do and how your players think, the more likely you'll have results ready for anything they try to do. You don't do this to pin them down to a predetermined course, but rather, so that you can keep the game itself moving. When the game slows down because the game master wasn't prepared for something the players didn, everyone loses.

Anyway, onto some thoughts on Crown of Stars.

"I am puzzled," said Rosvita, "by what he meant by men with animal faces." (p.19)

Description without explanation is a mysterious thing. A large humanoid can be any number of things. In the case above, the men with animal faces are actually primitive elves who wear animal masks. Coming to the people third source however, it may craft images of a far different manner. Think about how the players learn about the campaign setting. If they're willing to play with the background details you've given them, while they won't experience that first rush of discovery at an orc as they may have once, it will prevent things from being same old same old.

"No one would ever know the whole, now that Anne was dead, and even Anne could not have comprehended everything because in many ways she had also been their pawn, their creation." (p.163)

Often I hear bitter complains about the evils of railroading.

Let me tell you something.

If you're doing a good job running things, the players not only won't know if and when they've been railroaded, they'll enjoy the story as it moves along like a thing of destiny. This isn't saying put up massive impenetrable forests if they move off the road or to have a quest spell laid on them to get a certain item but if the events require a certain way to do things, run it to the players fun as much as possible and they'll go with it, often not even knowing it was a rail road.

"Or she could stay in the Eagles, like Hathui, always and forever, because she loved being an Eagle even after all this, even after everything. Here she felt at home, standing watch in the middle of the wilderness with enemies all around and a few stout friends at her back, all in service to the regnant. Here she felt a measure of peace, perched on the wall with the damp air and the spattering of rain and the night wind breathing on her. Not knowing what the next day would bring and aching with the misery of wondering what has happened to the ones she loves." (p.184)

Why do the characters do what they do? Sometimes it could be easier to show them through an NPC. A ranger or other wilderness styled individual who still owes alliegance to those in power can be a showcase of how one can be rugged and on the outside, yet still serving a greater cause. The old post over here on Grongnardia offers some interesting thoughts on that.

"Laws are silent in the presence of arms, so it is said." (p.206)

In America, most of us are very fortunate in that we live in a world of laws that are not necessarily enforced by strength of arms. In most fantasy campaigns, that's not true. The further from civilization with its many layers of protection the characters are, the more likely they are to discover the value of the presence of arms.

Game Masters can work this contrast between safety and civilization and the wilds and danger. Using the times the players are in the city to highlight the various options they have to them ranging from different types of food, clothing, and even companionship and past times to what they have to make do with on the frontier and how a well forged sword may be worth someone's life.

Of course civilization, especially in a fantasy setting, doesn't necessarily only have to showcase how things stay together. But that's a topic for another post.

"Hugh had no power of his own except what he could wreak against others, a man armed wit ha sword who must stand on the field against disciplined ranks of archers and cavalry. This made him no less dangerous. A man with a sword can still kill anyone who comes within arm's reach. As long as Hugh could twist others to do his will, he could and would, harm his enemies and every innocent soul who got in his way." (p.235)

In a civilized land, it's all about who you know. After all, if you know the captain of the guard and he's one of the greatest warriors around, whose going to mess with you? The ability to confuse men and make them serve causes not necessarily their own has been showcased in many classic characters including one Gríma Wormtongue of Lord of the Rings fame.

"The ancient law?"

"Stil lheld to in Alba, I might add, and in much of Varre. The identity of a woman's children is always known, since they have sprung from her womb. That of a man's offspring-- well, no matter what anyone says, i nthe end it is always a matter of faith."

In dealing with the laws of succession in a kingdom, how does it fall? Does it fall to the eldest son? Does it fall to a woman who can prove her fertility and thus worth of carrying on the bloodline? Most fantasy settings assume the eldest male with young men going into church or other forms of service but don't be afraid to mix it up.

"We hear rumors of reavers with poisoned arrows harrying travelers along the roads leading east into Fesse." (p.267)

I've mentioned it before but always keep the rumor mill flying. Things should always be happening, even if the player's don't follow up on them. The larger the setting feels to the players, the larger it effectively is.

On the other hand, "reavers with poisoned arrows" is just a damn fine encounter. How dangerous is the poison? Where is the supply coming from? Can the supply be cut off? Is there a common cure? Is there a anti-toxin that adventurers can take before hand to minimize the threat? Foes who have methods of dealing great death and destruction always get a player's respect right out of the box and make them think more than mere numbers.

"Henry should have killed Sabella after the first revolt!" said Liutgard. "He was too lenient!"
"Wendish do not murder their kinfolk, not even to the pursuit of power," said Sanglant mildly. "We are not Salians, Liutgard. Thank God." (p.350)

I've mentioned it before, but trying to prevent a group of players from being men men reavers who kill all they encounter can be a difficult thing. Most fantasy engines are designed to reward the defeat of the enemy and keeping an enemy alive is often more problem than its worth.

But what about family? What about family that may be redeemed? What about family that's very close to the character, a direct relative as opposed to a distant one? Is it still loot the dungeon and let the deities know their own? Kinslayers can have a nasty reputation that could easily mar the reputation for the whole party if they are known associates of such an individual.

"Liutgard smiled tinly. "There is no traitor's gate, Cousin."

So named in the book as a crawling spaced where a small group of men could creep in to surprise the defenders of a castle. Sound like a job for adventurers or what?

"It was Hugh of Austra who murdered her, when she was sleeping and helpless, and for no better reason than that he wanted no apprentice of Meriam's to challenge his knowledge of the magical arts." (p. 379)

When looking for motivation for the bad guys, one simple thing may be that they like their toys so much they don't want anyone they don't directly control to have them. Liches and other ancient undead can horde power by killing those who may know their arts or similiar arts. Great warriors may hunt down those who know their style in order to maximize the effectiveness of their own murderous arts. Always look at what the players can do and think who doesn't want them to have that ability. In some instances, it may be a whole race. For example, what if the elves so regret teaching humans the magic arts that they send out highly trained assassins to kill all human mages?

"Ai, God," whispered Alain... "He is a good man. Can you not fly after him and bring him back?"
"Why should I?"
"Because Heribert loved him." (p.455)

A good villain may not be well rounded but it should have something to it that the players can understand and that the players can work against them. In the above instance, Sanglant is essentially unkillable by man or woman but this entity Alain speaks with is essentially a other planar entity that rips his soul out, leaving his body souless. The thing does this looking for Heribert, whom the entity loves above all others thinking Sanglant is hiding him. By appealing to the thing's love of Heribert and that motivation of doing what the one he loved would want down, Alain manages a victory without combat. In D&D and Burning Wheel, among other games, skill checks can be a great way of engaging this types of challenges without rolling for damage.

"Despite the trappings- the primitive standard, the gaudy lacework that gridled his hips and thighs, the jewels drilled into his teeth, and the bare chest painted in spirals and crosshatches- he was not what he seemed. He might appear savage, but far more dangerous current surged within." (p.477)

Appearance isn't everything. One easy way to shake things up is to pit the characters against an enemy who seems to be one type of thing but is actually far beyond those humble origins and in fact holds a far different role than the players may assume.

"it was the king of grunt made by a person who has just realized that, in fact, he will have to haul those damned logs all the way back up the hill and that there is no use complaining because the master is harsh." (p.484)

If you have a gaming group and they're always complaining about the way the game is going, it might be time to find a new gaming group. There is a massive difference between grumping in character because things aren't working the way you'd like and grumping that the game sucks, that the magic item ratio is too low, that the game master is against you, etc... Engage the characters when possible but don't waste your time as a game master on people who are only there to complain.

There are numerous other parts of a Crown of Stars I could quote, but instead I'll do a dreaded summary.

The Crown of Stars itself. This item is found late in the series, the old artifact of the old emperor. At the end, instead of using it as a symbol of old power, they return it to the original statue where the old king is buried and forge ahead on new paths of unity.

The ending. I'll admit, it didn't do it for me. It took a generational look at a character I just didn't care about. However, it also had a small "what happened to" section on a character I did care about and that part redeemed the ending. When ending a campaign, it might be better to do a fade out shot of the characters, especially if they're reached the upper tiers of the campaign, as opposed to having the players hear some wish washy NPC they never liked speak of the deeds of their children.

The length. Try to maintain a sense of the campaign for the long run. A series like Crown of Stars runs thousands of pages and can be a beast to devour all at once. Don't be afraid to take side journeys on that path as long as you return to the road.

Last but not least, make sure that you as the Game Master, are enjoying the road you are on. There is no point in making the group happy if you're misearable because sooner or latter that misery will make itself manifest!

Trying to Ponder while In The Ruins by Kate Elliott

I finally picked up In The Ruins, Volume Six of Crown of Stars. Some of the Paizo Planet Stories books I've read would require three such volumes to make up one of Kate Elliott's lumbering tome. It's not that it's not a solid story but that the cast of characters is so vast that there are some characters who barely get any face time here.

So reminder to myself number one: Don't let any one player hog the spotlight. This doesn't mean that I'm going to force role playing opportunities down player's throats if they're coming to the game to role some dice and socialize, but try to make sure those players all get what they want out of the game.

Next, it's long. So long that I didn't mind reading some odd four or five other books between book five and book six of Crown of Stars.

So reminder to myself number two: If I'm not 'feeling' a particular adventure, move on. Sooner or latter it's going to wind up effecting the players as I do something that's just stupid in order to end the session and move on. If the game's not working for the players and the Game Master, things can get ugly real quick.

Anyway, while I read the book all the way through, I found after the first few hundred pages that I didn't have a lot to bookmark. That may be because a good deal of this series themes I've covered before or just that nothing struck me too much.

So below some quotes and some gaming thoughts in another installment of Appendix N. All page quotes taken from the Fantasy Daw paperback verson.

"Lava streams out of the earth" (p.17)

Pretty clear right? A huge cataclysm comes to the land and among the hurricanes, tital waves, earthquakes, blackening out of the sun and other issues comes along lava. This is something that we have historical data on as the lost city of Pompeii can attest to.

"If the thread that bound the Ashioi land to Earth is severed, then is the aertherical realm closed to us?" (p. 47)

In some game settings and even some sysems, magic is a force that is all around and can be used by those who know how to maniuplate it. In Rolemaster for example, it woudl be essence. What happens if a natural disaster destroys the ties to essence? In the Forgotten Realms, right after the initial Time of Troubles, there were many regions of both Wild Magic and Magic Dead Zones. While the problems of the natural order can be terrifying, those in a fantasy setting should also move to the logical next step; magical disasters. In some settings with a vast history of magical manipulation, these diasters may be the explanations as to why those old empires failed. For example, the Forgotten Realms used to have cities that floated powered by magic. Not a good thing when magic fails and those cities come crashing down eh?

"We have our wits, child. Let us pray they are weapons enough." (p.129)

Many games, especially the most popular one, Dungeons and Dragons, are combat oriented. When possible, the game master should look for ways to challenge the players that may not involve their characters strongest abilities.

I'm not saying make monsters that have immunity to the characters strongest attacks nor overwhelm them with simple force. Make the players think in ways that can showcase the characters they have as actual characters instead of just a collection of abilities. In some game systems, like GURPS or Hero, this can be done a little easier as characters will have disadvantages that the Game Master can use to bring those bits of character background or personality into the fray.

For game systems where no such limitations are implied, the Game Master should work with the actual history of what has gone on in the campaign before and take notes of what the players have done and see if they stick with that as 'character' or if they just do what is convientent for themselves.


"I could have gone." he said angrily, hoarsely, but his voice always sounded like that." (p. 168)

In terms of making characters unique, making them stand out, the game master has a limited number of options to invoke. One of the easiest is giving each character a distinctive voice. This way when the game master uses it, the characters know right away who they're dealing with. Voice work can be tricky and the Game Master might benefit from writing down a few of the NPC's favorite lines and practicing them. Giving each character a distinctive voice can be over kill though and if the DM is merely aping bad accents it's probably best just to stick with slogans that the characters use as opposed to how they say it.

When Looking For Group, remember the motivation

Sometimes a lot if said in Dungeon Master Guides and similiar sources of advice in trying to get the Game Master into the thoughts of the player.

In the comic, Looking For Group, the particular issue puts some of the character's expectations at finding a lost city right out front. If you have a player like Richard in that last panel, if the player is enjoying himself and not causing any issues for the rest of the party either in character or among the players, run with it. Not everyone is there to delve into the depths of their characters background. Some are there to kill things and take their stuff.

The Ginger Star by Leigh Brackett

The Ginger Star is another book I've plucked from the Paizo Planet Stories line. It's part of my 'back to basics' in terms of trying to catch up on the older books I've missed. Material which may or may not have had an influence on the progression of role playing games, but which should have been known in those early eras.

Leigh Brackett's main character here, Eric John Stark, is a man of a setting that's somewhat space opera. Technology exists in many fashions including planet to planet travel, but it's more of a background element as Start often solves things not with lasers or ship to ship combat, but through his own barbaric nature.

For those who haven't had a chance to read any of the Eric John Stark books, unlike today's mammoth beasts, they're fairly easy to digest and they have the benefit of already being 'done' as opposed to some other mega series which are impressive in scope and depth but never seem to end.

Anyway, below are some thoughts I had that I'll try to keep in mind when I'm running my Dungeons and Dragons 4th edition game. Page quote numbers come straight from the Paizo edition.

"He was, as the old phrase had it, a wolf's-head- a totally masterless man in a society where reveryone respectable belonged to something. He bestowed his allegiance only where he chose, usually for pay. He was mercenary by trade, and there were enough little wars going on both in and out of the Union, enough remote peoples calling on him for the use of his talents, so that he was able to make a reasonable living doing what he did best. Fighting." (p.16)

In terms of character motivation, sometimes it's a natural talent that brings the character to their chosen profession. It's not a matter of being raised proper, it's not a thing for pondering why, it's a life style determined by the character's raw ability and how best they use it. It's a popular theme and one of Marvel Comic's most popular characters, Wolverine, has his own line, "I'm the best there is at what I do." If the characters are struggling for motivation, having them take pride in their own physical prowess isn't a bad thing.

He let the city flow around him, absorbing it through all the senses, including one that civilized men have largely lost." (p.21)

Try to engage the players on multiple levels with the setting: How does the road they walk on feel? What does it look like? What scent is carried on the air? What background noises are standard and which don't belong? Is there a sense of wrongness in the air? By bringing all of a character's senses into play, it makes it potentially easier for a player to get into character. The setting is more real the more they can relate to it.

"He is the Dark Man of the prophecy." (p. 27)

When looking at oracles and divination, the more vague they are from the Game Master's point of view, the more wiggle room the players and Game Master have in what actually happens next. Some prophecies may be so open to interpetation that it applies to everyone. In the comic Nexus, there is a sequence when Nexus and his good friend are teamed with the insane Badger, a martial artists of questionable sanity, and the three come to a village where they are hailed as saviors, or at least better then the three that came before and Nexus and his allies are smart enough to head out even as the next three of prophecy come along.

"Start sprang like a wild beast for Gelmar and bore him into the sea." (p.28)

Expect the unexpected from the players. If the characters are on a mountain and driven to the edge over a sea, don't be surprised if they jump into it and try to take some of the enemy with them.

At the same time, if the Game Master can think of things that the players can use in the environment to augment any encounters, all the better. Building different elements into an encounter that may or may not be used can be aggrevating in terms of work lost by the Game Master, but it can all be worth it when the players take advantage of it.

"You took him into the sea. Don't you know that it is forbidden, absolutely forbidden on pain of death, to lay hands upon or interfere with a Wandsman in any way?"

"I was already under pain of death, and it seemed to me that in any case, Gelmar needed a lesson in manners." (p. 37)

When you push the players, the players push back. The game master must keep note of any potential campaign elements that can derail the game if the players push too hard against those elements and more importantly, why the players wouldn't push in that direction if the game master is herding them in that manner.

If the game master has a nobel and his loyal followers meet the party on the road and has it in his mind that the party will take the absuse of the noble because after all, the character is a noble, the game master may be in for a rude awakening.

When such potential issues come up though, the game master should work with what the players have actually done and why they've done it and incorporate that into future game sessions not only in how they've effected the world, but in building future encounters that don't encourage the behavior that the Game Master may have issue with.

"Killing is a solemn matter," Mordach said, "and salutary. It ought not to be wasted." (p.56)

In terms of taking the players alive, depending on who the players are fighting, their deaths and more importantly, the manner of those deaths, may be more useful in keeping the campaign going then in merely killing them out of hand. For example, in the campaign I'm currently running, the players are on a section entitled, "The Well of Demons". There are numerous gnolls practicing dark arts here and that provides a great opportunity to allow any defeated players to be captured and taken for future sacrifice, allowing the other players a chance to rescue the player or the downed players to showcase some of his skills. The end doesn't necessarily have to be the end if there is a good reason for it not to be.

"One is born on a world. It may not be perfect, but it's the world one knows, the only world. One adjusts, one survives. Then suddenly it appears that there is no need to struggle because one has a choice of many worlds. It's confusing. It shakes the whole foundations of life. Why do we need it?"

"It isn't a question of whether or not you need it," said Stark. "It's there. You can use it or not, as you please." (p.100)

In most fantasy games, there are other worlds beyond that the players live on. In some cases, the players may actually come from those other worlds. What do normal people think of these old worlds? Do they close themselves off form it? Do they try to ally themselves with it? In 4th edition, right from character creation, there is evidence of multiple worlds with tielflings having pacts with ancient and dark powers and eladrin coming from a fey home. Do people seek to recreate those pacts that made the original tielflings? Do they seek to exploit the eladrin's home land? What trade opportunities are there? What long term ramifications for such vast span to the world?

"We live all our lives in a state of siege. Anyone, anything, may come. Sotmetimes the great snow-dragons, with the frost white on their wings and their hungry teeth showing. Sometimes a band of Outdwellers who run demented across the world and take whatever they can lay claws on. And there are creatures who wait, hidden just out of sight, smelling the warm food that walks and hoping they can snatch it." (p.124)

Keep the players on their toes. Let them know that it's not merely a matter of a kobold cave or a wild bear or a single dragon. The world is filled with danger and anything that the players are unaware of is merely that, their own foolishness in thinking that things are normal and safe. There is an air of caution in a setting where anything can happen. The brave and the bold may take powerful stakes in such a setting by fighting through these terrors.

It also allows the Game Master to lay down the footwork of future encounters. Just because the player's haven't encountered the snow-dragons doesn't mean the snow dragons don't exist. Just that the players havent' encountered them.

"In the time of the Great Wandering we were the free plunderers who fed on the roof-dwellers."

Stark thought that probably she meant that quite literally." (p.135)

Foreign cultures do things differently. They think differently. Their whole morale compass may be so alien to the players that they seem monstrous. Keeping the differences of those the player's don't know in mind and showcasing those differences can send some strange thoughts into the character's thinking when they see the foreigners do the same things that the characters do in terms of how they relate to their friends and allies.

The Ginger Star showcases an alien world that would fit into most D&D games with some of the humanoid monsters being the result of ancient genetic engineering that the modern survivors couldn't replicate. It has the old masters, things of such power that they cannot be replicated in today's standards, but in this case, it's from a technological mastery. Readers looking for a quick read could will be in for a surprising ride.

Don't Forget the Lyrics

The music group Slipknot has some interesting visuals to go with some of their lyrics.

For example, take the song Snuff.

Bury all your secrets in my skin, Come away with innocence, and leave me with my sins, The air around me still feels like a cage, And love is just a camouflage for what resembles rage again...

Burying secrets in skin can be done a few ways. Tattoos are the most obvious one can think of but depending on the genre and the setting...

For example, in Marvel Comics, one of their iconic 'good' characters, the Silver Surfer has such a pure soul that Mephisto is always seeking it. Imagine the Surfer's surprise when he discovers that instead of being so pure that Galactus has actually hidden those horrific things that he has done from himself so that he, for all intents and purposes, is clean and pure.

This is a fairly common theme when dealing with memory loss. The killer becomes the saint. The real question is once the killer knows its true nature, where does it go from there.

Another line...

So if you love me, Let me go, And run away before I know, My heart is just to dark to care, I can't destroy what isn't there,

One of the most reknown tragic fantasy heroes of modern fiction is probably Elric of Melniboné who even when is not trying to live up to his ancestors evil, inflicts horrific casualties among his friends due to his cursed items and his failure to pull free from his bloodlines. In the D&D 4e game, there is an epic class that follows this thinking. That the character, through no direct fault of his own perhaps, still brings doom and death to those closest to him.

And another round of lyrics...

I only wish you wern't my friend. Then I could hurt you in the end.I never claimed to be a saint...

In the anime Gun Grave, Brandon Heat is betrayed by his best friend and is hunting him down through the series. At the end though, he and his best friend fight together against all odds. Showcasing a level of friendship that allows friends to make such huge mistakes and still maintain the friendship is difficult but can be a milestone of a campaign.

Betryal takes many forms. It doesn't necessarily have to be in the heat of combat. One of the greatest traitors to the cause comes right from the Knights of the Round Table where Lancelot's affair with King Arthur's wife causes the whole kingdom to fail.

Gaming inspiration can be where you find it. Always keep an open mind not only as to what the actual medium you're listening to, watching, drawing, etc... is actively trying to do, but how that can be twisted and turned along with the other bits in your own mind and experiences to enhance your own game.

Good Fiction and Good Gaming

After finishing off the two books in one by Leigh Brackett, I've moved onto the Ginger Star, the first in a trilogy of tales about Eric John Stark. I'm one of those weird people who usually reads the introduction and as this one is by Ben Bova, an author who I'm familiar with thanks to his work in the Orion series, I was glad to.

He makes some arguements about what makes good fiction and I think that they speak strongly as to not only what makes good fiction, but what makes good gaming.

"Part of the answer lies in the word "adventure." Part of it comes from the fact that such stories deal with the frontier, that vast unknown region where almost anything can happen. Another part of the answer can be found in the strong, brave, tough heroes and heroines that exist on those frontiers: Achilles and Hector, Long John Silver, John Carter, or The Giner Star's Eric John Stark.

But the real secret is this: Readers want to live those stories. Readers want to be the hero, fight the fights, triumph over the enemy.

This is the fundamental secret of exciting fiction: give us a hero whom we want to be, and pit him against the most powerful enemies imaginable.
....

"Good stories are based on the struggle between right and wrong. In every good story, a strong person must face a moral choice between right and wrong."

This to me speaks volumes. It's not true for every group. I've known groups that were more than content to sit in the decaying halls of a dying city and playing the rogues so murderous that they could turn on each other at the drop of a hat but the games I've most enjoyed being in and running were those where the characters were heroes.

For each gaming group, there are many decesions ranging from what game system to play to what type of character to play. The above statements may not hold true for your group but if nothing else, they may give you something to think about.

Ancient Magics in the Secret of Sinharat

Once again a thanks to the folks at Paizo and their Planet Stories line for bringing back some of the older material that I've never read. Page references will be using the Paizo edition that also includes People of the Talisman.

"There are those who doubt me, I say! Those who scoffed when I said that I possessed the ancient secret of the Ramas of long ago-- the secret by which one man's mind may be transferred into another's body." (p. 30)

The implications of this type of technology are vast and far reaching. In this story, the idea and lore are used to gather an army but that's just the naked value of it as opposed to some of the potential of it.

For example, others in the novel have indeed used the ancient secret to live for hundreds if not thousands of years.

How could that be useful in a campaign though?

Imagine the players are hunting down demons, undead, or other long lived foes. Through their live, they've developed a cadre of methods to handle these menances. Would it be the right thing to do to pass on their knowledge and lore hoping that future generations would use it correctly, or would they themselves take over the youth and insure that the fight continued on more equal terms?

Imagine that the players capture a vile slave lord. What if the players decide to use this secret of changing minds to send one of their own into the slaver's own stronghold and perhaps even bring the other players along as favored slaves?

"There is trouble coming, greater trouble than Kynon knows." (p.41)

Even as the characters are in the heart of one adventure, it's never too early to start the seeds of another adventure. Even as the players are hunting down the last of a kobold tribe, it's never to late to have the players discover a map to another lair, to discover the kobolds have allies that they sell slaves to, that the kobolds are this far south because they've been pushed out of their homelands. Always keep multiple options open to the characters so that they always have options and are aware of the challenges on the horizon.

"But one place is as bad an another when the storm wind blows, and the only thing to do is to keep moving. You're a dead dog if you stop - dead and buried." (p. 54)

In this case, the character speaking is talking of a massive sand storm. And during this storm, others take their opportunity to have a go at vengance. The sandstorm after all, does throw up a lot of cover for certain actions to be taken.

But in and of itself, it's important for another reason. It's another reminder of the power of the forces of nature. There is no armor class that can be hit. There are no non-magical swords that can cut the wind.

There are opportunities for using the mundane and making them as awesome as the most fantastic fantasy elements.

"Sinharat, the Ever-living... Yet it had died." (p. 69)

In the current edition of D&D, 4e, the core concept is points of light. Here, empires are things of the past. Allow the players to trod in the bones of those ancient empires and to gather things strange and new to the world that have been lost. In the Forgotten Realms, there are many ruins of ancients times and these make great 'living' dungeon delves that happen to occur on the surface and provide numerous options. Always make sure to try and bring ou the historical weight of the ruins, the mammoth feel of time pressing down on the ancient empires and how so much has been lost.

"This was the old city of the Ramas, and its name still has power. The people of the Drylands don't like to enter it. When the hordes gather here, you will see. They will campa outside." (p. 69)

Another elment to consider in these ancient ruins, is why are they still ruins? Is it tradition? Is it in memory of the old city? Is it haunted? Is it's location lost to time and only the unlucky and foolish wind up finding it?

"Shrill, idstant voices as of the desert pipes, raging from the cavern cornices of buildings far across the city.... The massive coral pedestal on which the city stood was indeed a vast honeycomb of tiny air-passages, and the wind forcing up through them could create this eery effect." (p. 79)

When looking at some of the reasons why such ruins may be abandonded, try to insure that when ever there is an element of the supernatural, that it may not actually be supernatural, that it may be some local phenomena.

"Whoever of the two killed the other, must himself die by Kynon's decree." (p. 96)

When the players are masters of their power and in full control of their abilities and are working like a team, there is often little that can be done if the Game Master is running encounters in a 'fair' manner that will provide danger that makes the characters think of tactics that don't involve their powers. In this example, both individuals have been threatened with death if they attack one another and one of them has been drugged so that his mind is no better than an animal. The other realizes this and now has some difficult decesions in front of him that may not necessarily be solved by strength alone.

The Secret of Sinharat provides the Game Master with a quick read, a fast tour of an ancient ruin, some survivors of an ancient race and the promise of potential immortality. What more do you need for a campaign seed?