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General Discussion / Re: Discord Discussion on Public Relations

« on: January 07, 2022, 10:34:28 pm »

Unfortunately, I received only a small amount of outreach and can provide my concerns only in relation to my own understandings ( i.e. what I have read in the server, screenshots, and stories, the reactions of those I have talked to, and my own personal reactions to both of the previous parts), but I hope that I can still provide a useful perspective. I have been accused of being wordy before, so I'll give a general overview of what I'm saying first. If you're worried about specifics, those will follow below.

Overall/TL;DR:

I would give the roleplay centric persistent world of Netheril: Age of Discovery a 4/10, and let me explain why. This server has some of the best content I have ever seen in Neverwinter Nights community servers. There are multi-layered scripted quests, obvious roleplay hubs, easy to explore areas, a full-scale faction war, and more impressive and unique projects put on display. Unfortunately, this is paired with one of the most mismanaged communities I've ever seen. I don't believe that it's done from a place of anger or favoritism, though - I think the staff and DM team have simply made something they are rightfully proud of and may have gotten a little too focused on that content. Whether or not there can be changes to that management team is yet to be seen and recent events don't give me hope. If you're looking for a well-made amusement park and you don't mind that it's empty, check out the in-game server but avoid the Discord server.


The Good:

This server has content. It's dense and heavy and everywhere. If you find yourself in a map with an NPC, it's likely that you'll either encounter a shop or a scripted quest. Every map feels hand-crafted and carefully put together with details evident in all corners. Even though this place is currently listed as in Active Beta, everything on the modelling, mapping, coding, and customization is already very fleshed out and robust. It would be a crime not to point out the war system that is actively being refined, as well, allowing for large-scale faction wars that are ongoing and that players appear to be able to influence and alter the outcome of. In addition to the custom hardware, there is custom software with altered, new, imported, or rehashed spells and feats to encourage multiple interesting builds. The balance of gold/item gain and effort put into attaining those is pretty well done though it is also currently in improvements as well, suggesting promise for the future of the server's opportunities for activity and fun.

Travelling around the in-game world is mostly predictable and occasionally more rewarding than you might expect! Getting from hub to hub is as easy as getting on a boat or taking a long walk along lush landscapes and fun encounters. Most of the enemies that you'll face spawn far enough ahead as to give a rogue a chance to enter stealth or a magician to prepare themselves or the battlefield, and none of them truly feel unfair. Early game may be rough for squishier characters that don't have enough health to handle being stung by a handful of bees, but breaking past the third or fourth level usually gets an early adventurer on their feet with a purse full of gold or a pretty well-stocked collection of beginner's gear.

One of the major changes from v0/1 to v2 is the implementation of Prestige Classes no longer being locked behind application or DM involvement, but through in-game, scripted quests that are tied to both the flavor and the mechanics of the class. Requirements have been altered in some ways, arguably in less-than-ideal, but most of the choices fit with the theme and the goal of the server's aesthetic of a low-to-medium magic set of mechanics in what is a very high-magic setting. Along with that update, some efforts have been made to document changes on their server wikipedia, though there is still room for players and staff both to contribute further.

The Bad:

First, this server has very few players, specifically in the US timezones. For as dense and crunchy as the mapped out world of Netheril has been made, there are few living people to interact with which really inhibits the server from shining as much as it should. There are threads of stories in place, but they have been left untugged. There are plots hanging with no player base to support and move them forward. While events do cause small peaks, as well as there being a relatively tight-knit Australian contingent, the lack of population leaves the server feeling like an amusement park that's both abandoned and in construction. This extends to the community Discord and Forums where a handful of hard-at-work DMs are letting the void know what they're working on, asking for suggestions, and then moving on without a scrap of input due to there being nobody to give input, or a more problematic issue discussed later on.

Second, there are active conflicts between in-place systems and future systems. (The good on this one is that they're still in works and being discussed, though.) Those conflicts also extend out to the server itself in a few different ways that will be discussed in more detail in the Ugly section. Examples of the issues currently are the clunky crafting system being relatively low powered for being a massive time and resource investment, a gem-slot system potentially disrupting the entire enchanting arm of the crafting system, and the best loot being locked not behind time, effort, involvement, but DM gifting as a reward for events or roleplay.

The Ugly:

The long-term mismanagement of this server, primarily its community, is the reason for both of the major issues as pointed out in The Bad. While I did set out in hopes of possibly drumming up a population boom for this server, especially by talking to those who have left and have yet to come back, but was ultimately disappointed by the resounding response: Nobody wants to return. They cite exhaustion and exasperation with a variety of communication breakdowns, perceived favoritism, perceived cycles of abuse, and the perception that the old staff are above reproach while the new staff are nervous and anxious and left out of the loop.

The communication breakdowns that occur most often do so in the community Discord where a comment is misinterpreted, blown-up, and turned into an argument instead of a conversation. Of those breakdowns, more still appear to be started when discussing the implementation of changes and new changes where a dissenting opinion, regardless of how polite or constructive, may be perceived as a personal attack upon someone's hard work. Unfortunately, this pushes further this perception that the community was (and is) splintered by an 'Us vs. Them' mentality which is incredibly unhelpful and unhealthy. Suggestions have been opened up on the Discord and were once, even just four months ago, a pretty active section of the community server but have since slowed down near the mid-to-end of August. And, following another schism recently, even the active Discord chatter has been reduced to a crawl.

The previously mentioned DM gifting of high-end gear that is otherwise unattainable contributes to a sense of favoritism granted towards a number of players. While rewards are obviously a great thing to give out at the end of an event or as part of a hard-earned roleplay, gear often ends up either back on the market or in the pockets of those who hoard and collect, assuming such gear ever leaves the hands of the rewarded individual(s). A suggestion to the team on that regard would be to stop the practice of having any thing unattainable to be handed out as a reward and to instead switch to a scripted quest, world boss, or other applicable challenge as a chance of getting that impossible-to-find weapon or armor or trinket. DM favoritism is much more difficult to pull off if the only rewards given out are in experience points and gold, and players that will not/can not attend events, whether it be a time restriction or a character-specific restriction, can still attain mechanical peaks that they can be proud of.

While my own opinion is that the previous and current playerbase may be being mistreated, the few sources I have were more inclined to point to things easily searchable to see their issues. Many times, staff members and DMs are able to carry on in their own fashion and come across as rude, mean, unfair, etc. and a few players react to those events and then a small fight occurs where the players end up more punished than the people meant to be upholding the codes of conduct. In addition to this, players are often punished in public ways - a recent example being the banning of a player who was not named in the forum post, but instead had their dirty laundry aired out. For those not familiar with the server's community or their Discord, it might be difficult to tell who it is that was banned, but it feels like priorities were switched on what is important for such an announcement. When players join together and agree on something that they do not agree with coming from a staff member, they are usually told to drop it, messages have been deleted, or it further pushes the concept of 'Us vs. Them' when, in reality, players very often just want to express their concerns, offer up what they think is better, and can handle being treated like adults instead of being seen as argumentative or contrarian simply for having an opposing thought. And then they, along with any one else who really enjoys and prefers playing with said player(s) leave the server. After this, there is occasionally a fix implemented but it often comes too little too late, or with a tonedeaf approach as those concerned players have already left and cannot contribute to the conversation any more.

On the opposite end, staff members have broken their own community rules and are either ignored or are supposedly punished behind closed doors where they must fear a "dressing down" (concern: verbal abuse?), though there appear to be no long-lasting consequences for any actions for those who have been around since the inception of the server thus granting them free reign to be an asshole to people and punish those who react with their feelings hurt. Any interactions where this has taken place usually involves a private apology, though I am glad to see more public apologies given. Unfortunately, this is just a continuation of that cycle. As demonstrated by recent events, when a core staff member act out, you can expect the following: an apology (most often private, even for public actions), a suggestion that the affected player(s)/community at large should go easier on those core members due to cultural differences, and then a return to form.

In the past, I have encountered a number of miscommunications between the staff members or an outright lack of communication in some cases. While that has been partially addressed with the inclusion of a modmail function on their community discord, it still seems that the team's vision is undefined and not yet agreed upon which is a problem for builders, coders, and creators as well as the players who wish to support those efforts or the server's storyline(s). I do hope that things are changing but I cannot look past the screen put up between players and staff members in that regard as there seems to be this belief that the staff are above, have authority over, control, or otherwise are not on the same playing field as the players, further reducing player involvement and by extention player population. Further on this, players are often redirected to the forums to place their important information, suggestions, etc. yet the forum is markedly devoid of conversation and involvement which disheartens the player from doing just that as it creates the sense that their posted issues or concerns are left to rot.


Please note that while I have played in the mentioned server for multiple years, off-and-on, I have no ill intention towards the server or its staff and players. I truly wish that things could be resolved on the team side, perhaps through the involvement of a community manager at the reigns of the Discord while those who are too close to their project to accept open criticism or suggestions are given a less personal overview of player concerns. While I have touched base with previous players, both of older and the newer versions, all of the above statements and concerns are my own and representative of my own experiences. If the perceptions I have are from an ill informed aspect, it would be due to the staff and dungeon master team maintaining their own silence on these counts and I do hope to be proven wrong.

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General Discussion / Re: Step into the Future - Questions and Suggestions

« on: July 18, 2020, 03:40:49 pm »

      If there is a time jump, I'd imagine we'd see some updates in layout, some expansion (or destruction, reduction, etc.) depending on how successful a faction/city has been during that lapse. And it might be a fine way to introduce new ruling NPCs such as the Sullivan, mayor, etc. A new revamping of existing places will, even if on a small scale, bring that new server smell that folks like.

      My following suggestion is hardly tied to the looks and themes and direction of the new server and is instead meant to encourage more administrative things. Our little server here has had a number of Grand Exodus'es in it's time. People have made stances and statements and left in droves until the server had a handful of active players, a handful of DMs, and not really much to do as the content was designed with group play in mind. The suggestion, then, is for the DMs to be more actively engaged with the player base and for the players to have a place in which they can give feedback on their experiences and have a dialogue in which those experiences can be seen, addressed, and effectively alter the server for the better. It will require more work with an active and public changelog, it will be a hassle to keep up with everyone's whining and complaining about something that someone made and is very likely proud of and will be hurt that it isn't enjoyed. It's the hard part of running a Persistent World instead of a social RP hub.

      I have seen that there's an effort to bolster DM numbers and engagement. There have been drives to corral new players into the lobby and waiting room of this revamped server. It's nice and it's refreshing. Good job on that! If it goes well and launch is relatively stable, I'd even throw in to try and get some more advertising so that when fringe folks fall off, we've still got a glut of players here who can do the real hard work of entertaining each other between events and server story ongoings. Sure would be nice to hop in and see someone else running around!

      Factions are always a point of contention. There has to be DM involvement to make joining a faction worth while in the long term, and it needs to be more than mechanically rewarding. Roleplayers already have a habit to form subgroups and pockets and cliques. We like to write with people who fit well with our own writing styles, we like to play with people who play at the same time, and we like to chase themes with people going after similar themes and goals. Given that this place is something of a frontier in design (and assuming it still will be), I'd suggest letting factions be some sort of overarching metaplot interaction option while encouraging player posses and smaller groups to have the ability to hunt down their own shared goals in a more minor aspect of the story. Everyone wants to have an impact. Everyone wants to leave their mark in some form or fashion, even if it is just in the memories of the other players. And by encouraging the existing nature of cliques and small groups that happen within larger groups, you can have events tailored to a specific theme with a manageable number of players and those players are already engaged and interested in the content of the event as it is made for them. Trying to force everyone to get along and to roleplay and write at different levels usually just causes schisms anyhow.

      Monster Races. Whew. Talk about a tough thing. The implementation of the last version of monsters was... interesting. Had there been enough engagement and DM driven activity for the monsters to enjoy being more than vaguely stronger mechanically in some cases, I suspect they would have been played a bit more and for longer periods. I personally think that, if they are even going to be an option to choose (and you know that I would choose them), they need to have something happening. And it's going to involve even more of the DM teams time and effort for a more niche subgroup of the server. So, unless a DM group is willing to tackle being almost entirely monster focused, I think they should be swept aside as NPCs and the previously monster centric area be transitioned to an evil-centric area. This way, there's no alienation, no sort of limitation, and no need for DMs to thin themselves even further. Focus on what gets players active and involved. If monster race options aren't it, even more reason to trim the fat in favor of building better flavor elsewhere.

      A server wiki would be amazing. That's the sort of thing that helps people see what options there are mechanically, it gives an overview of the server, a place to put maps and guides, and it encourages people to jump in and help on the editing. But this would have to be started by DMs and it would mean constantly having a changelog that is up to date, accurate, and is in essence a living document. For a wiki to work, we need transparency and documentation on mechanical changes as well as area overviews. It's an undertaking and is not exactly exciting or flashy, but it means people can poke the wiki, theory craft a build that matches what they want to do at whatever level they want to be, and nobody is surprised by changes that ruin their plans.

      One aspect that every server has to deal with is economy. While the design of an economy by someone who isn't both a learned economist and a seasoned persistent world player is incredibly difficult to bail down, I think utilizing player feedback and suggestions should help pretty well. People like banks, it seems, but are split on things such as coin weight, expected prices, etc. For the purely player-driven, I can suggest at least one thing: legacy items. When adjusting the level of power, price, and utility of items, some will eventually be found to be too powerful or outside of the theme. In that case, it would be best to remove it from the loot tables but leave the existing items in the hands of players. They will either trade/sell them around and keep money flowing until the items are nabbed up by collectors or until they get lost with the death of a PC/leaving of a player. But this also needs to be bolstered by rotating in new items as well. They don't all have to be massively powerful, and they don't even have to be good. Cursed items that don't really do anything catch the eyes of people who like them and they'll pay good money to collect them. It can even be a story point for them. Weak items and one-off consumables and all of that can get used. Then, everyone in a while, try to assess the items least used/owned/purchased and phase them out, too. Keeps the stores clean, it focuses on what players actually enjoy, and it can even by a seasonal or cyclical thing wherein people will actively want to participate in various quests, events, etc. just to get what could become a collectible/legacy item that they can sell for big money.

      Lastly, honestly, this one kind of is a tiny bit of an attack. But hopefully one that encourages togetherness against a united enemy. Don't let people get bored. Don't ignore criticism. Don't try to sweep the people who leave and their reasoning for doing so under a rug. If people are complaining and their complaints aren't addressed and taken care of, eventually they will leave. If people see that the administration does not address or fix complaints and people leave because of it, they'll leave under the assumption that their own problems will not be addressed or fixed. And then you create the ever popular Death Spiral. Trying something new, inventive, and important leads to failure. So fail up. Learn from the mistakes of the past to make today better. Learn from today's mistakes and make tomorrow better. And learn from tomorrow's mistakes and make the day after better. It goes on. You will get egg on your face, you will get called out for bad behaviour, for bad design, for accidents and typos, for player preference, for sneezing with your shirt halfway on. If you can address those complaints (even if it's just a "This [problem] is not seen as a problem by the Dev team and was implemented with a purpose." Or "There is a solution, but it may be difficult to do and we are focusing on other, more critical problems at this time. We have added it to our public to-do list as 'Eventually.'" Or "Oh, shit. Sorry. I made a mistake in editing a file. That will get fixed with the next update and thanks for catching it!"), the player base will be more happy, more trusting, and more willing to give both leeway and feedback. And more feedback that is utilized and more trust from the players means that when a problem strikes, folks don't leave all at once but stick it out in hopes and expectations that a solution will be made and implemented.

      I am certain there are a great many more opinions and suggestions I can give and I will do my best to give them. But I do think tackling the systemic issues and flaws will help build a stronger foundation for the server to be built upon.

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Development Ideas - Feedback / Re: Implementing Epic Levels

« on: July 18, 2020, 02:50:10 pm »

      This server has had a very significant problem in regards to late/endgame content and roleplay. Opting in for permadeath in order to mechanically have more levels/power is fine and all, but that means that there needs to be things to do at those levels. And not just three quests to repeat on the daily. It means active story lines that bring people back often enough to keep the community together. It means having some serious interaction between DMs/EMs and the players. There's not going to be any motivation to go into those epic levels if there's nothing to do and rerolling a new character will only be encouraged with having an active player base that has stuff to do, more than just an economy -- the economy will always flatline unless you're making some items unavailable and interesting new ones of a similar power level but different directions. Good luck doing so without power creep and/or running out of items.

      I like this place. I like the theme, the setting, and I do like the players I've encountered. But the interaction with DMs has always been difficult and all decisions have been obfusticated, hidden, undocumented, and there's even been miscommunication between the DMs when there were more active ones. You guys need to have change logs, you need to have some serious organization, and even though it's not a job in which you're getting paid, you guys need to approach it with professionalism and efficiency. If someone comes in, kicks ass with their own personal story, applies for some bigger DM story, goes into epic levels, and then either sits around because there's nothing to do or because their tickets/requests aren't being followed up on or aren't even being integrated into the server, they're not going to want to make a new character just to do the same thing. They'll just be on that high level character and socially roleplay until they are bored and move on.

      Permanent death is fine if handled well and if there's a draw to it. If it's just there to limit high level players who are already limited in the content they can enjoy and be rewarded for, then it's not worth it.

[Reposted from Discord]

      I do not personally think that permadeath is a bad solution or a good solution on it's own. It is the context in which it lies and the surrounding options and reasons that determines that. If this is designed to deter people from wanting to be high level (not consciously, perhaps), then it would be effective if seemingly pointless. The difficulty lies in creating an engaging end-game content that encourages the playstyles that you'd want to see from people at those epic levels. If you want them to roleplay important things, there needs to be important things that they can actually do and affect. If you want them to be mechanical monsters of strength and to be made a challenge point for other players, for events, etc. then you have to ensure that there's a reward worth having. And, generally, that reward is going to vary from player to player and character to character. Some are fine just with a title or acknowledgement. Some want fluff stuff like a house, custom npc junk, and some want crunch stuff like extra gear, powerful spells, what have you.

      If there is no reason for someone to play long enough to reach high levels (soft cap+no DM interaction/events/cohesion), then having permadeath will not entirely matter one way or the other. If there's a mechanical lag in entertainment, you'll lose people who want to stomp on things to pass the time. If there's a large story/roleplay lag in entertainment, you'll lose people who want to progress metaplots and intrigue. If there's a player base fallout in which most of the population up and leaves, be it because of either of the two previous problems or because the DM team cannot work together effectively and create an enjoyable experience with active ongoings,  then you'll lose out on the people willing to reroll and stick around. Permadeath is a big decision. It can be rewarding to those willing to make new characters and who want to make an impact. If there's no impact to be made or if the player has no interest in progressing into epic levels, then it's even more critical to have a mid-late game that they can enjoy without losing out on events and rewards. Otherwise you enter a trap. 'If you'd like to have more things to do and are bored, enter epic levels!' can really be interpreted as 'Well, you chose not to go in for permadeath, so you are just shit out of luck. Maybe roll a new character that will go epic, huh?'

      My response may feel like a non answer or some sort of attack, and I promise it isn't. My personal stance on permadeath is 'meh, sure, if there's reason.' But I just want to ensure that either outcome, there is activity to do, options to enjoy, and choices to make. If there's no reason for them to log on and keep going, regardless of opting in for permadeath/epic levels, then the system fundamentally fails and needs to be fixed. So, perhaps treat those who reach those levels as a sort of testing board. Eventually (I would think) the whole server will at least have gotten one character to this critical point and DMs need to stay aware and engaged at this level to ensure if the levelling process was enjoyable, if their time spent on levels was of an acceptable/expected/designed pace, if the things that they can do at those different levels was enjoyable. There needs to be a constant stream of feedback and of interaction. And it very much needs to be visible. Not just for the player base but for the DM team to accrue information and statistics and ideas so that they can keep making an enjoyable place!

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Journals & Backgrounds / Gorebull Takes a Walk

« on: October 25, 2019, 03:46:03 pm »

[Note: While most of these are unwritten, experienced chronicles of Granrak Gorebull's more mundane activities that may help to define him as more than just a powerful monster who slaps things for experience. Feel free to claim to have seen or heard or have noticed these activities; this Minotaur isn't exactly a master of deception or disguise.]

   The towering, bullheaded monstrosity had departed from Sullivan's encampment once again and set forth with the aid of a human boat captain. It's an expensive journey, given his size and the risks involved in taking a beastman as cargo even on a short journey. The old docks, often used but rarely protected, was the destination. One of the few safe landing spots for the less than smooth skinned type. For once, it was a quiet trip. No river raiders. No living pools of water or goop. Not even a stray seagull. It gave the bull time to contemplate, to think things through.

   Hadrian. Gathering supplies. Preparing for war. Sullivan cares not. Not sure what to do. Not sure if I should do nothing. Gonna look. Gonna see. Simple thoughts of concern and wariness. Expectations that something big was coming, regardless of the true purpose of supply gathering, of the need just to supply the basics of shelter and food to it's people. What he'd heard of that place, of all places like it, he didn't care for. People accepting their places and begging for scraps while not daring to lift a finger against those above them. Magic be damned. Metal be damned. They choose to live in subservience. At least, the Minotaur thought so. But those thoughts came to an end as the boat quietly slowed and a call was made, leaving the beast to hop from the deck and onto the surprisingly solid dock.

   He had wandered often near Sullivan's. The dark forests, the caverns of fire and stone, the edges where people, humans had banded together to find some odd safety from Hadrian. There were some he understood, even respected. Some who lived in ways of tribal comradery, leaving behind those ideas of castes and wealth. Those were the strong. Survivors. The ones who came and changed the land to fit their needs, the ones who built castles and keeps to lord over their own farming kin and hoard riches from those doing the work, though? He had more than a little enjoyment in burning down those buildings, of pulling stone from walls and painting floors red with the blood. Here, though, just a little South of that dock, were Orcs. Orcs who fought Intruders. Even eachother at times. Orcs who band together and find their strength in numbers. Some weak, some strong, but unified even in death. He almost admired them as he'd pass by. The goblins? Not so much.

   On and on he wandered. Never directly on the paths. And always steering clear of any real observers and threats that might show his tracks. The rogues and gypsy magi interrupted his wandering time and time again, and the bull would have his fill of the particularly well-versed ones. He'd even slow himself and breathe deeply, broadening his shoulders, puffing up his chest, giving the spell slingers an easy target so that when their spells simply washed over him, the bull not even reacting to the blinding lights or flying bolts of poison, he could smell the fear and panic rise. He respected their way of life but they always attacked first and never took the time to talk or flee. He respected that, too. But he was so very hungry. And the way that terror seasoned the flesh, the adrenaline, the cortisol, that stringent and gamey bite only made it more enticing. And he'd kill. Rip them apart. He'd end up covered in their blood as he severed limbs with his claws until the sheer shock and bloodloss had them unresponsive. No more release of the fear, no more need to induce it. Gorebull ate his fill, bathed his figure in the cool, swift river, and set to wander again.

   He found the edges of sacred groves hiding the beautiful home of elven kind. He stumbled upon man and the arenas they'd built just to run at eachother atop horses. He'd found keeps. Ruined towers. Mansions fallen to madness. The decimated remains of a battle field and the hidden caverns at the bottom of a chasm. While these journeys and forays into foreign land offered little real chance to train and sharpen his body, he would commit to memory the scents, the sights. The whole world was a maze, a labyrinth, a puzzle to be solved. And while he did not have the capacity for algorithmic deduction of routes and passage ways, of shortcuts and cheating hideaways, he could very well recall how many steps it too to get from one landmark to another. Even the lost woods, the Wonbrie Forest gave the beast little trouble. He may not have found it's secrets, but he recalled with clear perfection how to find, enter, decimate, and take from the cursed keep. How to snake and circle back to become hunter as opposed to hunted. It, in spite of the foul stench and horrid colors of muted, matching greys on greys with a hint of brown, fast became one of his favorite places.

   But the sun was rising again. Lingering much longer this close to settlements of man was dangerous. Dumb. An invitation to become the target of powerful adventurers and of magic he could not simply shrug off. Gorebull traced his way back, his cloven hoofprints doubled over and creating the most odd tracks one might have seen. It wasn't a conscious effort, not really. He was simply following the same path he had taken in reverse. His strides were even, long, hitting the mark every time until he found the old wharf and waited. As the sun crested the rivers banks, the beast having to squint or face a killing headache, he paid his coin and returned to what was his new home with a bundle filled with odds and ends. A delivery, an offering. He dedicated his found things to the Monstrous Mother, found a spot in a dark cave, and settled down where floor twisted to meet wall. It wasn't the most comfortable and he didn't quite sleep, but it was safer this way and his mind put the newly discovered puzzle pieces of the world together. A broader understanding of the waters and land, of the earth rending and giving way. He had a map in mind and this rest, as the sun turned the land from grey to a lighter shade of grey, he began to mentally label.

5

Netherese Library / Re: Research: The History of the Minotaur

« on: October 22, 2019, 02:19:47 am »

Following the rather limited mention of the current Sullivan and the lack of written history on the monstrous beast-men, the blonde haired figured heaved a sigh and closed the tome. Extrapolating from what he'd learned, pieced together, he figures that the minotaurs typically tend to reside in hilly, forested terrain and are capable of somewhat sophisticated hierarchies when compared to the lower monsters like goblins. Nothing terribly exciting to gain just from that, but it does bring up a few more ideas.

The youth seeks out the librarian, asking for maps of the areas around both the port and from any mountains or hills near it, wondering if he could spot a particular pattern, a path they had taken that could be back-tracked.

6

Feedback and Bugs / Bugs, Glitches, and Problems in Monster Land - Minotaur Edition

« on: October 17, 2019, 05:41:58 am »

Hey y'all! I've been playing Granrak Gorebull for a little while now and was requested by ToxicWrench to get this put together to document some issues I've run into due to model size, class-model combo issues, and more! So, without further ado, let's get started.

Race: Minotaur
Class: Monk(9)

Model Size:

The most common issue I run into is model sizes preventing interaction. My big bull butt will often have to find just the right spot before I can open a chest, poke a barrel, or loot a static corpse. This isn't too much of an issue until the orientation of said objects provides enough room for normal sized characters but not enough for the bull, leading to much lost loot in various places. Sad times.

Player to player interactions are also quite wonky due to model size disparity! Many spells in this game, buffs and heals and the like, require the caster to be in melee range with the target. In this case, at least one character has tried to target and heal me only to have their character stop a few feet away in the action-ready animation until they WASD themselves into my hitbox for the spell to finally go off. Quick heals? Emergency medkits? Super sweet buffs? It's a real difficult dance to do for it to work out.

Combat (mainly PvE) presents its own wild issues. While playing a melee, fists-only character, I've run into problems where I will approach a target and stand there until I WASD my way into hitbox land. Usually, when this happens, it triggers the infamous infini-tumble. In this state, my character will stand idle or mid-step animation and will trigger an eternal state of Attack of Opportunity, often leading to a swift death in crowds of three or four mobs if I'm not careful.

Cleave even acts up due to a mix of Cleave being naturally wonky and model size furthering the wonk to a point where I will cleave onto an enemy out of my melee range only to stand there are stare at them while they and their friends continue to assault me, effectively pulling me out of combat. Bad times indeed, being that I am large enough that more than a small group can surround and attack me than someone with a smaller model. Luckily, clicking on a closer enemy tends to help, though I lose a full round of damage output.

Doors and doorways have now become a comedic bane of my existence. With a door that is opened or closed by someone else or even myself, I can (and have) ended up entirely out of the map! Usually this is a minor teleport either further into or completely out of a room, requiring a moment to reposition and adjust. If out of combat, it's nothing more than a minor blip of silliness. In combat, it can either be a saving grace by giving me a moment to throw down a potion, or (more often than not), it sends me deep into a room full of enemies which I am not quite prepared for. If I am trapped between a closed door and enemies, meaning I cannot physically move save for turning, and then the door is opened or the other entities shuffle around, I get randomly dumped somewhere. Per my posts in #screenshots on discord, I even end up in space.

Sudden Death:

This one I suspect is more to do with a strange combat bug that seems to favor me above all else. This happens much more often when I am in groups, but has happened occasionally while solo as well. When I am fighting a foe that somehow gets a rather lucky shot and puts me onto my back, I have an extremely high chance for just getting outright killed, bypassing death saves entirely. And on the few occasions in groups that I am downed, they will stabilize/heal me far above the 1 HP I might get on a death save only to be immediately stricken down into Purgatory. Usually, it happens as such: Crit/High Damage puts me into downed state. Enemies shift attention to other frontline target. Someone heals me to ~20+ HP. I stand up and begin attacking. Enemy strikes me just once and into the great beyond I go. Maybe I'm just not getting pulled out of downed state?

Results:

This character concept was built on being a combat-oriented leader and eventually a challenger for the title of Sullivan/local ruler. The constant issues with combat, however, is leading to a place where XP gain is nigh impossible or I simply cannot play. The combination of these oddities means I am unsure I will be able to continue with this theme in mind and do not know how to continue forward at the moment.

DMs - Thank you for taking the time to make the Minotaur race and read this to see some feedback. If there's anything I can do to help in fixing these issues, please let me know!

Players - If you're playing a large race or have had issues interacting with large characters (myself included), please post it here because I may not even be aware of other issues that you're dealing with!

---

TL;DR:

-Size is causing me to be unable to interact with certain objects (especially large/oddly shaped objects).
-Size is causing me to be unable to be healed/buffed without extra work.
-Size is causing me to be unable to attack enemies properly, leading to a constant triggering of Attack of Opportunities.
-Size is causing my cleave to extend past melee range and leads to lost rounds.
-Size+Speed is causing hitbox issues with doors that can be minor or game-breaking.
-??? is causing me to skip death saves and go straight to purgatory.

7

Journals & Backgrounds / Mama's Boy

« on: October 16, 2019, 05:28:52 am »

Name: Granrak Gorebull
Race: Minotaur
Gender: Male
Height: 7'8"
Weight: 725 lbs

Physical Appearance:

At first glance, this minotaur acts as an imposing and dark figure in even the brightest of lights. He stands tall, taller than many of his own kin, and broad enough to seal a doorway simply by standing in it. An oddity, perhaps, is his distinct lack of armor and weaponry. Instead, he has opted to wear a loincloth when he must, and a satchel large enough for him to carry all that he might need while being entirely unburdened. With that constant exposure, this bestial figure has no way at all to hide his identifying features. In rare cases, Gorebull will dress himself in loose cloth, to be seen as decent for his run ins with cultures that see his comfort as crudeness.

With no helm to hide his head, the minotaurs horns are proudly on display just behind fuzzy, bovine ears. Their natural, off-white bone tones protrude to the side, curl forward, and point ahead to act as the iron sights for a charging beast. His mane is wild and unkempt, curling and draped across his shoulders and down his back like a waterfall of ink. Even his eyes carry that same dark depth, gleaming like polished charcoal and as sharp as an axe. Gorebull’s long face ends in a blunt, flat nose where his nostrils flare with every huff and puff. Unlike his cowish cousins, this monster does not have flat, herbivore teeth. He has chompers. Gnashers. Teeth as sharp and terrible as daggers, capable of tearing meat and tendon from the bones of those unfortunate enough to become his victims.

His body is a marble statue of horror and violence wrapped in the pelt of a black bear. The dense, shaggy fur is matte, reflecting nothing, appearing to absorb the light around himself. There are lines, spots and flecks that break up this black behemoth. Streaks of grey cross his chest and back where arrows and blades have once carved into him. Jagged stripes stand on his forearms where he has been sliced, the defensive wounds earned by the swords of righteous men and burning giants. The senseless pattern does little to hide his herculean physique, the muscles across his body are drawn tight and honed to near perfection. Even his knuckles have been hardened, bone turned to steel from the lengthy battles that he calls training. Truly, a monstrous creature with the capacity for wanton cruelty and devastation with his claws alone.

Personality:

Not entirely unlike those of his kin, this minotaur is territorial, tribal, and destructive. He has learned to harness his innate traits and often appears as placid and calm as a lake, though he is a coiled snake ready to strike. He is determined, steadfast, goal oriented. Where his kin rage and become a mindless mess of fur and teeth and axe, Gorebull stays steady and strikes with opportunity, with clear and controlled fury to put his claws in the most vulnerable of places.

This monster sees the world as a strange sort of hierarchy, a pyramid to be climbed or to be destroyed. While he seems to seek a unity of monsters, to strengthen their hold on the land above and below, he has no issue at all with slaying those that disagree, that stand in his way, that oppose his ultimate goal. When they are human-ish, he sees this act as furthering his desires and providing himself with food. When they are monsters, he sees this as a culling of the weak and misguided, a strengthening of those who would stand with him in his glorious ascent. When they are animals, undead, or even stones laced with iron and mithril, it is simply training, practice for his body and mind while he coats himself in blood and dust.

On the very rare occasions that the minotaur allows himself to relax and to find comfort, he is oddly paternal. He smiles instead of snarls, comforts instead of kills, offering a firm hand of guidance instead of the iron fist of “leadership.” When found in this state, he listens and speaks plainly though the gleam in his eyes reveal this act for what it truly is: a collection of information, a gathering of facts and feelings that he might use to better tune his mind towards his desires. Even still, those that he finds this comfort with become akin to family to Gorebull and gain his strange brand of affection and comradery.

History:

A local to the hills north of the current port, this Minotaur was pleasantly surprised by the arrival of and empowering of the current Sullivan. His small family, a tribe of mostly feral beastmen, had all but lost themselves to hunger and greed while the more capable and more conscious monsters had taken to this new leader, this strong figurehead, and had flourished. It was an eye opening experience, a revelation that solitary workings often led to self destruction. That weakness could be conquered in more ways than simply fighting for control and power against one's chief or father. But such a collective growth couldn't happen with a unity of weak beasts. There needed to be an effort, a push to perfect an individual to provide an example for others to do the same. And he took that knowledge and applied himself. Burning rage became fuel. Blind hunger became a sharp tool.

He has never had a martial arts master, no sensei, no abbot, no great trainer to teach him. He had to harness himself. He was clumsy at first, still young and lanky when he started his path to self control and violent purity. He was determined to be as true to his Monstrous nature as he could, though, and his early years were a disaster. He'd earned the ire of goblins by battling their hordes until he could truly fling them against their cavern walls. He had gone fist to fist with gnolls until he understood their savage strikes and cunning tactics. He'd honed his strength by wrestling the powerful of his own kin, learning to use those deadly horns for more than a charging gore. Bugbears had shown him merciless cruelty. Hobgoblins taught him something else entirely. To think. To plan. To read and write that he may intercept letters and learn of paths and plans. Ogres and trolls had delivered the message of might, of the right to rule by beating those that would stand opposed. His mind and his body had become a weapon, one he continues to sharpen, to perfect that he might one day become a leading force for those whose land has become trampled, carved down for cities. For those who have become hunted for the use of their fat and teeth and bones by magical meatbags. For those who understand that the only way to make their violent life better is to become better at violence.

Recently, Gorebull has taken to making offerings and praises to Mother, the mythical maker of monsters. While he doesn't seem particularly devoted, he has seen the force it has had in unifying monstrous races and knows that, by utilizing that strength, by harnessing that collective faith, monstrosities could be an unstoppable Force that just might be able to remove the reach of the Empire and leave his hunting grounds unfortified. His actions have followed that same ideal, as well. Clearing the homes of smaller monsters of pests and critters, claiming the hearts of tigers to strengthen Orc tribes, culling infected kobolds so that they can reclaim territory and breed and grow stronger together.

Rumors:

Whispers around Sullivan's Port tell of the Minotaur who can punch through even the strongest of stones and that the goblins who dared to get close to him during such occasions become smears of crimson across stone floors.

Travelers and gypsies may mention a large, black figure looming in the darkness and of caravans who do not complete their journeys. Some even claim to have seen this unknown monstrosity near the outskirts of Hadrian and Southbank.

The gnomes of Runaway's Hole claim to watch him from their windows as he dives into the depths of a nearby cave and emerge covered in an amalgamation of green and red, of shell and flesh without so much as a scratch on his horns.

References:
https://i.imgur.com/gRO5s5F.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/t2OE0uz.jpg

8

Netherese Library / Research: The History of the Minotaur

« on: October 16, 2019, 04:49:27 am »

A young, blonde-haired figure makes his way into the library, taking a look around. He'd already thumbed through the plain bestiaries, the various tales of the coming of goblins and orcs, of the old gods and even a few tales on this Sylansia that seems to have taken the Monster world by storm. But something else had taken his interest. The Sullivan and his crew, all minotaurs. He'd heard legends, been told tall tales, but he decided it was finally time to settle in and see just what the written word had to say on the subject.

9

General Discussion / Re: Monster PCs as mercenaries

« on: January 19, 2019, 06:31:37 pm »

Someone who's actual goal is to harm people on the other hand can't be reasoned with. Any resources you give them will just be invested back into harming people. Any laws you write will only be obeyed to stay undetected while doing harm. If you set them loose on one of your enemies they will be a threat to you again the moment that enemy is defeated. There is no possible arrangement where everyone gets what they want.

The latter is the nature of evil deities, demons, devils, and IMO monsters in a campaign that's true to the setting.

Surely there's nothing to fear from a big bad Minotaur who keeps getting more money and more magic items. There's no possible way it'll backfire. I can't imagine a monster would do anything this terrible, cruel, and evil.

Oh wait.

Seriously, though, I am surprised by how many just accept the beast instead of outright fighting him at first sight. Monsters on the server are KoS and those that play them have to agree to that stipulation during the application process. Trust me, if a player of a monster character gets upset about getting PvP'd and killed outside of Sullivan's, they shouldn't have chosen a monster character. Everything is spelled out rather well on that front. The only reason there is a monster acting as a mercenary is because people are allowing it to happen! It's not a fault of the server's rules or of DM leniency.

10

General Discussion / Re: Monster PCs as mercenaries

« on: January 15, 2019, 09:04:17 pm »

The legality is still a good question to address. There have been trade agreements with the Sullivan, currently a Minotuar, as far as I'm aware (I could be mistaken). And if that's the case, if monsters can be hired for jobs as important as supply and trade, I don't see why they can't be hired as muscle and protection (See Rumor: Mayor Hiring Monsters as Body Guards). It's just ona smaller, more individual basis. But! It's not classified legally yet. I'm sure we'll see some legal precedent coming up soon if anyone gets convicted for dealing with the monster merc.

Due to lack of defined lore, I've been using predominantly Forgotten Realms/AD&D 2e for my Minotuar with some tweaks to match what little is known about the forces at Sullivan's (militant and organized). If there is more defined rules on how the monster should be played I'll definitely adjust to suit.

11

General Discussion / Re: Gold Economy

« on: January 11, 2019, 06:53:33 am »

I might be wrong, but I believe most of the issues regarding gold on this server are tied to gold bloat. Some people think that they have too much money and nothing to spend it on, or that other people have so much money that they'll never be able to afford a +2 item or a cool bit of DM gear that's being auctioned off, right? That, sadly, is inevitable. But! I think I do have a suggestion that benefits both the players and the DMs.

Donation Boxes

I'm not talking about in character ones, though I'm sure they could be made to be lore-friendly in some form or fashion. But setting up an OOC area that has a series of cash-boxes that are deposit only or have some sort of webhook/counter to let the DM's know what's in them would allow for some interesting options.

Donate for Plot

Donation boxes for server plot could aid in the DMs crafting quests and events that the players actively want to experience, shown by them literally throwing fake money at it. Having the DM's discuss what plots they're interested in writing up, offering them as donation boxes, then letting players toss in their two cents, literally, shows what will be successful and enjoyable. Plus, the ones that still receive some amount of money can be reserved as off-events, minor plots, and side stories.

Donate for Content

Some players may feel that there's not enough jungles (pfft) or caves (teehee) or open fields. Maybe they feel that the server would benefit from a Dwarven city worth exploring or putting some activity in the Runaway's Hole. Maybe people just want to really see some expansion on lore or more quests that involve Otyughs. Following the similar set up of having a round-table discussion with DMs to determine what they'd enjoy creating, pump out boxes and let people tell you what they'd want to explore, read, fight, etc.

Donate for Custom Items

Everyone has an item they want that probably doesn't exist. Maybe they want something that will help their plot along but are stymied by the local arcanists. Maybe they think a set of Full Plate that gives a spell once per day. Maybe someone wants a ring that changes light color based on their mood. Having the rich people of the server donate some money into their own box. At a certain amount of gold, it auto-flags a ticket or notifies the DM team that a player is ready to discuss an item. It may have restrictions such as plot ties, an event that's agreed upon, etc. But it will offer something unique that can only be used by that character.

Donate for XYZ

I'm sure there are more things that people would love to spend money on. Maybe art of their characters. Maybe they want to cement someone who's retired/killed into the server's lore. There's so many possibilities and directions to take these donation boxes.

12

General Discussion / Re: Loot Economy

« on: January 11, 2019, 05:37:17 am »

My brief overview and response of the original post:

Loot Economy

The interesting part about this opening bit is that it has absolutely nothing to do with loot itself. It's about balancing encounters against strong buffs and the "potency of offensive magic." While most loot involved offers a few buffs to key aspects (abilities, skills, pure combat), there are going to be few Wizards who run around with greatswords, full plate, and rings of immunity. Often, the loot taken (assuming it's spread out and created in a class oriented way) will be more akin to further enhancing a role or a class itself. I'll come back to this in 'Loot Progression'.

Damage Resistance/Soak/Immunity

"I am of the opinion that players should not be able to easily acquire damage mitigation on items." That's a fine opinion to have, but I'd like to know why. Much of what is being offered here as a solution basically dives into needing more loot of more specific tasks that you'll just hoard in a magic bag and pull out when it needs to be put on. Which, really, just adds an extra step or two to having an extra AC or two against one particular enemy. While this might affect casters and other low-strength characters, the people who will be taking the brunt of the damage will often have a high enough strength to make it negligible. That said? I am all for including a variety of options, but that doesn't mean the basic versions should be removed either. +1 Full Plate is easily accessible, and +2 Full Plate should be fairly easy to grab as well to keep up with NWN's basic design. But! There are levels between their functionality and availability where quest and DM loot that's slightly better with a minor tradeoff would be a perfect stepping stone. A +1 Full Plate with an extra +1 against a particular element, enemy, or with a slight buff to go with it but a minor penalty to tag along. It offers variety without breaking the functional elements of the base game.

"It is perfectly reasonable for your character to have some manner of weakness." That's easily handled in the system already. There are bonus caps in place. Items that offer similar bonuses do not often stack. And there's a limit to how many items you can have equipped at any one time. Gloves of Ogre Strength can't be coupled with Gloves of Spellcasting, so you're already having to prune and find your weaknesses. What gear is meant to do is further enhance the benefits granted by your class and build. Staying on your toes and watching out for something you didn't plan for is inevitable. That's why there are potions and wands, to spackle up on the things while offering the solutions as a very temporary option.

Loot Progression

This should be tied to Spell Circles, if nothing else. While keeping things low magic is a fine option, what a wizard or sorcerer can do at level 10 is a massive amount of utility and supernatural problem solving. What a fighter, a barbarian, or a rogue can do at level 10 is combat. Sneak, maybe, and occasionally a skill check. But they cannot attack fifteen enemies that cluster together. They can't cast knock and avoid the trap without trying to unlock it first. They can't summon an animal to tank for them, nor can they heal themselves. So, combat is what they're there for. Removing the level appropriate gear is making them weaker while letting casters continue to have their overwhelming bonuses unchecked. If spells are not also reworked in consideration of loot, removing mid and high level enhancement bonuses just mean everyone should roll up a cleric if they want to do melee damage, wizard or sorc for ranged damage, and bard for party buffing. Fighter might have feats and a barbarian might be able to rage his way into a fight, but without the utility or the capability to end a fight early, they become functionally worthless in comparison.

Much of what is available in 3e, gearwise, doesn't require a specific class or any particular ability to use it beyond UMD for scrolls and wands and so-on. It's an offering to allow a player to build a certain way, to make up for something they are missing, or to really fortify something that they are already good at. Sorcerers will not be using the same magic item choices as a Cleric, who will differ from a Fighter, who will differ from a Monk. Offering more, variation, interesting bits of fluff will always be encouraged, but flat out removing them (especially while playing on NWN) breaks how the game is meant to be played as well as reducing interesting mid- and high-level encounters with their often-times more involved interactions.

I'll gloss over the PvP bit as, again, a wizard will have spell slots and armors and all sorts of tools on his end. A fighter will have to get close to put his +5 weapon to work while the mage pops off a few touch-based spells and they'll be pretty evenly balanced by the time they meet head to head.

Immunties

"I am of the opinion that most (not necessarily all) immunities should not exist on items at all, ever, under any circumstance." Once again, a fine opinion to have. But why? If it was a matter of gear giving an immunity to all damages, to all spells, etc. I could understand your fear of people being just immune to everything and laughing to the bank as they stroll casually through a dungeon and just loot the chests. There are no such items though. Damage resistance items are based upon the creatures that you will face, many of them having damage resistance of their own and the capabilities to bypass it. An immunity can and should remove threats, but it will never be able to remove all threats unless, for some reason, it's possible to have a ring of cold immunity, a ring of fire immunity, a necklace of slashing immunity, gloves of bludgeoning immunity, shield of piercing immunity, armor of crit immunity, helmet of spell immunity, and a sword of magic immunity. But those do not exist nor should they. Generally, immunity items are tied to accessories which mean you can have possibly two or three at a time if you are extremely lucky.

I do see an idea on combating this issue, this non-existent problem, this fear: level-based gold-worth limits. I've seen it on a few servers and didn't understand just what it was about until I've seen your post here. Limiting a gold ceiling amount based on the player's level forces a low level player to be incapable of using +5 Full Plate of Fire Removal or some such silliness. At high levels, that +5 Full Plate of Fire Removal will be fantastic, except there are a lot more elemental threats than Fire and they'll usually be happening multiple times in an encounter with level appropriate enemies with an AB offering a very similar chance of hitting the player as a level 1 fighting his level-appropriate enemy would. That's why CR exists, but that's a whole different discussion.

The Most Important Thing About a Healthy Loot Economy

"To me, a healthy loot economy is one that creates as little of a power gap as possible." When comparing this as a level-range gap, there will always be an issue based purely upon ability score increases, feats, spell slots, attack bonuses, class benefits, etc. Trying to build an event or a quest that accommodates all levels involved will always turn out poorly. The low levels will either be bored, killed, or catered to. The high levels will either be bored or catered to. Events need to have level-limits to encourage appropriate design for them. Inclusivity is nice, but when it leads to snooze-fests or party wipes, it's bad times for everyone.

The bottom line is that level appropriate loot brings classes to a more even playing field at the same levels. A caster will always have more utility and their inherent weakness is melee combat, getting interrupted during spell casting, etc. A non-caster's inherent weakness is not having self-buffs, not having the utility. Their strengths should be encouraged. Reducing the quality/level of loot serves to further cause non-casters to rely on casters and suffer a gold-drain like you wouldn't believe just chugging potions. Speaking of, unless potions are removed, there will always be a way to replicate just what you're concerned of for a few thousand gp.

Personally, as I'd like to see more variety in enemies, in quests, in strong, complex foes. As such, the gear should reflect complexity. I've yet to feel underpowered, but I have left feeling underwhelmed before.

13

General Discussion / Re: Death penalties

« on: December 02, 2018, 06:14:05 am »

I see a lot of back and forth here but this is an issue that is being looked at from one angle and addressed by another. The DMs (seem, from what I can read) want death to be something to be feared ICly. Yet all offerings are mechanical, OOC repercussions. The consequences do not match the goal.

If you want things to be feared by the characters, the characters need to face the drawbacks. And, if the claim that level doesn't matter for roleplay is true? XP loss is entirely OOC and doesn't address any fear of death by a character. What I've seen on the server is two issues: The dead character is either easily brought back where they died or in a safe haven at a rez priest and the characters around the dead character do not seem to give a second thought about the death. The XP penalty, sure, is a concern to the players, but it's not addressed in conversation or in the rules, or anything at all about how the character themselves should perceive this XP loss or their time in the fugue.

As it currently stands, there is nothing that would affect the character beyond, at most, idly hanging out in the Fugue while they're told OOCly to wait around and they'll be rez'd if they have a group or they just pop up like nothing happened at a safe spot or right where they died. So the question is, how do you penalize the character? How do you influence the roleplay? Could you have a random chance of being mute for a time after coming back? Perhaps they're deafened? Maybe you're set to perma-hostile to all for a bit and occasionally frenzied. There needs to be something that will show to the player that their character has been affected by the death beyond the 'oops, I lost a level in fighter, guess I don't swing a sword as good as I used to.'

14

Journals & Backgrounds / Re: A Bestiary of Mundane and Magical Creatures

« on: October 25, 2018, 05:38:44 am »

Boar

A singular boar stands, shown clear against a treeline. Its head is lowered, a forehoof drawn back, a puff of dust kicked up as it prepares to charge the viewer. Nostrils are flared and eyes have narrowed, snarling and ready to attack.
Spoiler

Many variations of this animal exists, though most carry similar traits. They are typically medium in size with dark brown hair. Sloped heads that end in flat snouts and shaggy manes topping a broad, muscular beast with protruding tusks make these animals easily identifiable from their domesticated kin. Their dense bones and massive muscles belie a strength that surpasses their size. In the winters, their coats grow long and coarse with an underlaying of short, downy fur.

Social animals, these creatures are often found in female-dominated gatherings called sounders. Boars typically communicate with three calls. Contact call, which is a grunt of varying intensity. Usually this shows contentment and standard communication. Alarm call, a warning cry when threatened. Similarly, boars will huff or screech when frightened. And finally, the combat call. These are high-pitched, piercing cries and often serve as the alarm for a vicious charge. Mating occurs in the final few months of a year, where the breeding period causes a development in armor, increased aggression and violence, and competition.

Their hard-headedness and savage nature can lend to a destructive animal and a poor pet. However, should one form a bond akin to the sounder that a boar would be used to, this animal can be a true friend. They are animated, more intelligent than they let on, and can even seek out hidden, buried mushrooms. When backed into a corner, or when you are in danger, this animal sees red and will charge at whatever dares to attack its group.

Their sheer size, especially of the head and tusks, leads to an impressive amount of mass that can move at high speeds. Their strength and violence is difficult to outlast, along with their impressive ability to sniff out danger and aid. Their legs, however, are short and thin which could lead to easily being toppled over. They cannot climb nor dig very well. All in all, this creature is best served to simple, straight-forward purposes.

In regards to their flavor, they are quite gamey. When slow-cooked, with the appropriate spices, boar meat can be extremely tender. Raw, however, produces an extreme dosage of iron and copper taste on the tongue. Due to the intermixing of muscle and fat, these can be greasy and easy to devour in one or two sessions.

15

Journals & Backgrounds / Re: A Bestiary of Mundane and Magical Creatures

« on: October 25, 2018, 03:27:22 am »

Badger

Drawn in layers of media, there are three badgers shown at various states. A playful, lanky beast uses its nimble paws to pull at and play with a gleaming coin. One badger is stretched out in a Vitruvian Man style, displaying the limits of the major joints. And the third rodent has its hackles up, snarling and seems enraged by some unseen threat.
Spoiler

Small, furry, and very fast. Long, stout beasts with short fur and elongated, rounded snouts. These creatures have an evolutionary oddity: the mandibular condyle, the articulation surface, sink deep into cavities within the skull. Likely, this prevents them from dislocating their jaw and offers impressive strength for their bites. It does mean that they are limited to vertical and horizontal movements of the jaw, not offering any sort of rotational, twisting motions. Eating hard, round candies would be difficult.

Typically, these rodents are found underground or roaming around their burrows when the sun is down. Badgers adapt to their environmental fauna by allying with some hunting animals and can form cooperative clans. Most eat worms, insects, grubs, and eggs with the occasional root and fruit, predominantly whatever can be found through digging. However, when in an area filled with other small mammals, they can hunt for rabbits, chickens, snakes, and have the dexterity enough to kill and eat porcupines.

Badgers make for fine friends, especially ones who have been solitary for only a brief period of time. Once a bond has formed, this creature forms a territorial protectiveness of their companion, leading to especially good companions for druids. When their friend is attacked, a badger will often throw itself into battle with a ferocious rage and can lead to surprising victories against insurmountable odds.

Quick, nimble, and deeply adaptive, these rodents can be trained to manipulate mechanisms and reach into difficult, tight spaces. With their speed, and their tendency to become enraged while protecting what is important to them, they are capable fighters for short periods. However, either by being surprised or outlasted, the badger is not a very sturdy creature and can be easily killed.

With their diet, these rodents don't taste entirely different from a boar or wild pig. The fur can be an issue, especially if the badger has recently burrowed or found some putrid thing to roll itself in. Over all, though, they are lean and provide nearly half their weight in edible meat. Contaminated rodents are always a danger and should not be bitten, much less ingested.