The Glory of D&D

Welcome, to a somewhat rambling yet glorious honouring post dedicated to one of the most iconic tabletop games of all time. 

Dungeons and Dragons.

Over the last few years it has regained an incredibly popular following like much of the tabletop scene. Geek and Sundry has helped with its Critical Role series, a weekly show starring voice actors playing Dungeons and Dragons and putting on an entertaining 3-4 hour session. Stranger Things has also placed the game in the public eye after capturing the imaginations of millions on Netflix. Celebrities like Vin Diesel, the late Robin Williams and Kevin Smith also among those being fans.

Its popularity is also strong at our club, the Gwent Reavers. We've gained new members through it, after myself, Gav and Bam started the Mines of Phandelver around a year and a half ago. Its always been something I've personally been interested in, just didn't realise others were too. So we got together and now we have three different sessions run by three different Dungeon Masters going on currently. And thats with a variety of different players too. Some have come to the dark side of tabletop gaming, be it miniature games or board games, some are dedicated to the D20 and the roleplaying aspect. 

So what about Dungeons and Dragons is so captivating? The depth of narrative and background are certainly an aspect that draws people in. There is such a wealth of information out there, be it tips to playing, background to set your adventures in and even guides as to how to create your own world. 

This leads on to being able to create. Like open world videogames you have a lot more ability to do what you want, even more so in tabletop roleplay as it really is just your own imagination that limits you. Not only do your stories get told, but those of the players who create characters that are a huge part of the stories being told. In fact, when dm'ing my own campaign I try to let the players tell the story while guiding them through certain events. You can plan how a certain event will play out, for example how a battle will go with a great beast but the players will always come up with ways that surprise you as a DM and have those events change. Its incredibly fascinating to see how your friends will solve different problems and ace different creatures in battle. 

One other side of D&D that is probably its strongest appeal, is the social side of it. Getting together with your mates to act out these crazy adventures is something you will absolutely love. Running jokes, how you remember certain events and recall those moments is something you have to experience. From deceiving a huge amount of cultists into following us to get out of a Dragon Cult camp, to new interesting ways to pull a kobolds body apart like a christmas cracker its been an absolute joy to partake in the game. 

Being a sufferer of insomnia, creating and adapting stories and guiding players through them has been fantastic. Character development is interesting to watch and hopefully as we play through sessions each player will see their characters grow, and not just through stat building and gaining new skills and feats. Having the characters personalities develop in front of you is incredibly rewarding as a dungeon master. 

Even though many times things you write about and plan for a session may not always happen, its still rewarding to be able to come up with these ideas, even if they never come to light. I've written backgrounds for npc's that the players have hardly talked too, but its helped me to put myself into their shoes better and react and talk more as I feel they should, and hopefully that comes across to the players immersing them even more.

In the future I may share certain ideas about the stories I've created on this blog, things that happen during sessions with other DM's (possibly even their own accounts if I can bribe them with rations and gold) and even ideas for you to use in your adventures.

Dungeons and Dragons, and many other tabletop RPG's are a hugely enjoyable and engrossing thing to do with your mates, whether you play or run the session. Go and try your hand, and have some of the best fun you'll have while rolling dice with your friends.

Necrons vs Tau/Space Wolves

Greetings all, another game for my Tau, this time I'm allied with Morgan and his Space Wolves to take on the Necron threat commanded by Alun! Alun had 2000pts to play with whereas myself and Morgan split that in half for 1000pts each. We won the dice roll to set up so went first, Hammer and Anvil Deployment and The Relic was the objective... could be tough!

Night fighting was enforced in the first and second turns, meaning not a lot of damage could be dealt by either force. I forgot to take Blacksun Filters!

Morgans Thunderwolves were charged and weakened by Aluns Wraiths. Just as the Thunderwolf cavalry thought they had won a Necron flyer came on and decimated the unit. Meanwhile Morgans Grey Hunters advanced to control the Relic and bring it back, my Firewarriors staying back to cover their return. As dawn began more ranged damage was done. 

Alun deepstriked a 10 strong unit of Necron Deathmarks with their single beady eyed heads locked on my Riptide who dealt out destruction with his Ion Accelerator. They aimed and rapid fired into the huge Tau tech and left it on one wound remained. The Riptide returned fire, decimating 7 of them even though two stood back up. The Firewarriors in the centre then rapidfired under the guidence of the Fireblade and fell them, 36 shots tearing through the mechanical creatures. 

A bloody battle erupted for the Relic as the Grey Hunters were assaulted on all sides. Scarabs kept them in place so Imotckh and a unit of warriors with another Necron Lord could get stuck in. Both sides piled models in, and there wasn't many left. As the Necron flyer zoomed in to use its deadly death ray my broadside calmly took aim and blew it up with a well aimed shot from its heavy Railgun.

The game ended on Turn 6 with both sides vying for control, but me and Morgan had won 

by claiming first blood and I thin Warlord also. So close! We did have more numbers left at the end of the game and if it went to a Turn 7 I would have been able to claim the objective, 2 firewarriors almost in range to claim!

Also being played was another game of 40k, newcomer Paul had a force of Eldar from yesteryear and wanted to be inducted back into the game, so he teamed up with Louis and his Imperial Guard and they versed Andrew and his DeathGuard and Jordan and his Tyranids.

I have nothing in the way of details I'm afraid, you'll have to make to with pictures!

Bam inspects the carnage being wrought by both sides, wishing his space marines could join in and blow them all up!

Huw was here too with No Quarter... heres what he had to say about it!

"The three players each had a group of three figures each and had no special orders other than to go into the port of New Blaina and do what they liked. New blaina is abit of a lawless frontier town with five taverns three brothels no church and thats the nice partof town.

theres no law and no government even though its nominally a British posession so order is traditionally kept by a party of sailors and marines from whatever ships are in port."

"Ash chose to go looking for trouble in a locals bar and ended up in a knifefight, Carl tried to break it up with his sailors but some heavily armed locals persuaded him to move along. after settling the argument by killing the locals ash headed towardsthe main square.

Pete headed for the biggest tavern and got into a conversation with the owner finding out thsat a navy message boat had left 20,000 in sacks in the jail and that Mad Gerald, a local weirdo who keeps crocodiles as pets knew how a way of getting in. Picking up a local drunk to act as aligator bait he headed for geralds cottage...."

"Meanwhile mike had been stopped by carl who wanted to search his bottom for drugs, an angry crowd gathered and instead he done a scarper letting mike go.

Alun went to the nasty bit of town and decided-in broad daylight, to do a bit of housebreaking, which brought carl running to make an easy collar.

Carl took him to the nasty little jail house and slung him inside where the only thing to sit on were some big sacks full of shiny silver coins, after stuffing their pockets Aluns mob found the back wall was falling down which they were abble to hack thru with their swords and guns which carls coppers had failed to take off them. meanwhile Petes crowd nicked a horse and carriage picked up some whores and headed for the jail shouting loudly that the jail was full of british silver and anyone helping stom it would get a share"

"Long story short: everyone run for the jail, carl split his force in half to stop mike who had nicked a rowing boat and was trying to rob his battleship and even tho he shot dead all ashleys gang didnt have the men to hold off the mob. Carl scarpered handing the navy payroll over to the pirates and setting himself up for a court-martial next time around. Alun who had sided with carl to defend the cash got nowt but pete said he could come with him, mikes gang got shot to shit (again) and he rowed off on his todd, Ash's one surviving character took his share of the silver and booked into the third floor of the whorehouse and is probly there to this day. The End."

So there we go!