|
4 months ago ::
Jan 18, 2013 - 5:31PM
#21
|
Date Joined:
May 21, 2009
|
I definitely did not hate Dahl. The way he worried about being early was really endearing and I was totally sold after the letter from his mom came out. It was really refreshing to see a character whose parents are both alive and normal.
Also, as someone who's moved away from home for school, the last line of the paragraph about homesickness really resonated with me.
The beginnings of Lesser Evils came together in a monologue/conversation at/with my editor friend. One of her suggestions was to make Dahl's parents a part of his history with the Church of Oghma. Which could have worked really well. But honestly, I just wanted him to have a totally normal family--there's very little conflict there, but there doesn't really need to be in Dahl's case.
Plus, even when he's prickly, you know his momma loves him. :p
EDIT: I might as well just admit it--I'm really pleased with how Dahl turned out overall. And I'll leave that be until we get further in.
|
|
|
|
4 months ago ::
Jan 18, 2013 - 7:01PM
#22
|
Date Joined:
Aug 11, 2012
|
"Who hates Dahl"
Not me. Though the gamer in me is having difficulty identifying him as a 4e character. Well at least one as competent as what he seems to think he is.
I guess if I had to stat him up right now he's a fighter. With an unnecessarily high INT.
But as this section starts to hint, Dahl's class is kind of a story point.
That makes an interesting topic though: I know some authors don't really think too much about how their characters stat out (including letting classes be undefined) and others make actual character sheets that they keep updated and even disseminate. Do you (all of you) like seeing character stats? Do you like it when you can identify the game mechanic in the characters, or would you rather the story avoid that sort of thing?
Eh...Im on the fence, but i will explain.
I was a huge fan of the AD&D 2e Heroes and VIllians Lorebooks, because they stated out characters in very logical ways. DOnt get me wrong, i am a total 3e fanboy, but when you open up 3e Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting and you see hwo Elminster and Drizzt are stated out it makes me feel uneasy, while the multi-class system had its advantages, some things just shouldnt be done.
Mehen and Havi are Fighters and Fari is a Warlock, really thats all I need to know to be happy, personally. and explaining Dahl as a "Fighter with unusually high int" adds a little more than that, but more than enough to make me happy.
BUT while we are on that subject. What would brin be? Obviously Cleric or Paladin, but the fact that his healing doesnt always work is troubling to this subject, kind of reminds me of wild mages and spells just fizzling out sometimes.
|
|
|
|
4 months ago ::
Jan 19, 2013 - 6:26AM
#23
|
|
|
"Who hates Dahl"
Not me. Though the gamer in me is having difficulty identifying him as a 4e character. Well at least one as competent as what he seems to think he is.
I guess if I had to stat him up right now he's a fighter. With an unnecessarily high INT.
But as this section starts to hint, Dahl's class is kind of a story point.
That makes an interesting topic though: I know some authors don't really think too much about how their characters stat out (including letting classes be undefined) and others make actual character sheets that they keep updated and even disseminate. Do you (all of you) like seeing character stats? Do you like it when you can identify the game mechanic in the characters, or would you rather the story avoid that sort of thing?
The big 3 are whats important to me. Name, Race and Class. Since name and race are a given I usually try to figure out what class and archetype I would consider them. It doesn't really get in the way of the good story.
I'll admit, I do smile inside when I see a favorite spell or class feature come into play. Personally, I love rituals and ritual casting is a feat that I rarely pass up. When I saw the sudden interest in a ritual book it made me extreme happy.
Love 4e? Concerned about its future? join the Old Guard of 4th EditionReality Refracted: Social ContractsD & D: A Documentary Kickstarter ( http://kck.st/SyKNzf) 
Dreaming the Impossible Dream
Show
Imagine a world where the first-time D&D player rolls stats, picks a race, picks a class, picks an alignment, and buys gear to create a character. Imagine if an experienced player, maybe the person helping our theoretical player learn the ropes, could also make a character by rolling ability scores and picking a race, class, feat, skills, class features, spells or powers, and so on. Those two players used different paths to build characters, but the system design allows them to play at the same table. -Mearl
|
|
|
|
4 months ago ::
Jan 19, 2013 - 4:03PM
#24
|
Date Joined:
May 21, 2009
|
BUT while we are on that subject. What would brin be? Obviously Cleric or Paladin, but the fact that his healing doesnt always work is troubling to this subject, kind of reminds me of wild mages and spells just fizzling out sometimes.
Cleric, with an asterisk. Suffice it to say, Brin's deal is also a bit more complex than it seems.
In game terms, I'd say he's like a cleric with all the wrong ability scores and cursed dice. :P
|
|
|
|
4 months ago ::
Jan 19, 2013 - 4:04PM
#25
|
Date Joined:
May 21, 2009
|
I'll admit, I do smile inside when I see a favorite spell or class feature come into play. Personally, I love rituals and ritual casting is a feat that I rarely pass up. When I saw the sudden interest in a ritual book it made me extreme happy.
I love them too. I think you're going to like this book. :p*
*Or at least that aspect of this book.
|
|
|
|
4 months ago ::
Jan 19, 2013 - 9:00PM
#26
|
|
|
I found Dahl kinda interesting because for the life of me, I can’t figure out if this guy is powerful or not. In most fantasy/adventure stories, it seems like the reader pretty quickly gets an idea of just how capable a character is – either by an action scene or a story about the character’s past. I can’t tell if Dahl is a force to be reckoned with or not, and that makes me want to know more. My favorite part of the story so far is the interaction between Fari and Havi. Maybe because I was so close to my brother as we grew up, the exchanges between siblings are just fantastic. Refresh my memory Erin. Do you have a brother or sister that you are close in age to? One point of clarification. I think this was discussed when we read Brimstone Angels but it has been a while. If Lorcan dies, does Farideh lose her powers?
|
|
|
|
4 months ago ::
Jan 20, 2013 - 9:48AM
#27
|
Date Joined:
May 21, 2009
|
I found Dahl kinda interesting because for the life of me, I can’t figure out if this guy is powerful or not. In most fantasy/adventure stories, it seems like the reader pretty quickly gets an idea of just how capable a character is – either by an action scene or a story about the character’s past. I can’t tell if Dahl is a force to be reckoned with or not, and that makes me want to know more.
My favorite part of the story so far is the interaction between Fari and Havi. Maybe because I was so close to my brother as we grew up, the exchanges between siblings are just fantastic. Refresh my memory Erin. Do you have a brother or sister that you are close in age to?
One point of clarification. I think this was discussed when we read Brimstone Angels but it has been a while. If Lorcan dies, does Farideh lose her powers?
Two sisters--one's two years younger, one's four and a half. They are both afraid Havilar is supposed to be them. 
Yes--as far as Farideh knows, if Lorcan dies, she loses her connection to the powers of the Hells, ending her pact. She's basing that on what Yvon told her in Brimstone Angels about how to handle Lorcan.
|
|
|
|
4 months ago ::
Jan 20, 2013 - 10:59AM
#28
|
Date Joined:
Feb 19, 2006
|
My favorite part of this first section was also the interaction between Farideh and Havilar. It seems very natural the way they interact and it's easy to visualize those scenes.
I also enjoyed the re-introduction to the Harpers. I haven't read a lot of the older Harpers books, but again I like that Erin's books are intentionally not ignoring the 100-year time lapse.
I don't have a feeling on Dahl either way at the moment. It will be interesting to see how his introduction to the group changes the dynamic with Brin and then Lorcan if he comes back. And oh, poor Lorcan. I wonder how all this torture will change him (if at all). The cracks between the Erinyes seem to be opening, so he may be able to escape, or Fari will just summon him away with a ritual.
It is nice to see rituals appear. I think they're probably the most under-utilized mechanic in 4th ed. I've never had a character in any game I've played actually use one. In general, I think its because of the time they take to cast.
|
|
|
|
4 months ago ::
Jan 20, 2013 - 1:19PM
#29
|
Date Joined:
Aug 11, 2012
|
I found Dahl kinda interesting because for the life of me, I can’t figure out if this guy is powerful or not. In most fantasy/adventure stories, it seems like the reader pretty quickly gets an idea of just how capable a character is – either by an action scene or a story about the character’s past. I can’t tell if Dahl is a force to be reckoned with or not, and that makes me want to know more.
My favorite part of the story so far is the interaction between Fari and Havi. Maybe because I was so close to my brother as we grew up, the exchanges between siblings are just fantastic. Refresh my memory Erin. Do you have a brother or sister that you are close in age to?
One point of clarification. I think this was discussed when we read Brimstone Angels but it has been a while. If Lorcan dies, does Farideh lose her powers?
Two sisters--one's two years younger, one's four and a half. They are both afraid Havilar is supposed to be them.
Yes--as far as Farideh knows, if Lorcan dies, she loses her connection to the powers of the Hells, ending her pact. She's basing that on what Yvon told her in Brimstone Angels about how to handle Lorcan.
<.< But were not askign hwat Fari BELIEVES, we want to know the unspoken truth of how it works int he realms. Knowing this will not ruin the story, so come fulfill us lore-nuts our needs.
|
|
|
|
4 months ago ::
Jan 20, 2013 - 3:53PM
#30
|
Date Joined:
May 21, 2009
|
But were not askign hwat Fari BELIEVES, we want to know the unspoken truth of how it works int he realms. Knowing this will not ruin the story, so come fulfill us lore-nuts our needs.
Half of the fun of being an FR novelist is being mysterious and maddening! Bwahahah! (And really, if I do dig into this much at all at this point, I run the risk of spoiling possible endings by marking out what is fact and what is perception, etc. Ask me later, and I'll have more to say about this in particular and in general.)
I would note that Yvon tells her specifically that killing the devil he'd pacted with was how Lector broke his early pacts. So it does work like that in some instances at least.
|
|
|
