Monday, December 31, 2012

Dungeons and Dragons Next: Warforge Errata

After giving it some thought, I decided it was time to reevaluate my Warforged design for D&D Next. I have to admit, though, that I am excited for the day Wizards of the Coast publishes their own design and I can drop this like a ton of bricks.

Friday, December 28, 2012

4th Edition Homebrew: Monster HP

What? Me doing another article on 4th Edition!? The Mayans were right; it's the end of the world!

"We predict that a blogger will write a stupid Mayan joke.
Thousands will die."

Friday, December 14, 2012

Why I LOVE Dungeons and Dragons Next!

...as of the 11/13/2012 playtest release. That's a reference point for you who are reading this in THE FUTURE.

Good news, everyone! WotC released ANOTHER playtest packet!
Time to remake all your characters!

Monday, November 19, 2012

Randomly Generated Exploration

Explore to your heart's content, my friends.
Beware the dragons.
I come out of "retirement" momentarily to bring you this latest blog post!

In my current D&D Next game, my players have been hired to map out the Wyld (spelled with a "Y" because it's fantasy!), a vast expanse of land that has not been touched by civilization in centuries. The following are the charts that I use to randomly generate events in the Wyld. I decided that instead of designing an entire region that was more than twice the size of their country of origin, it was better to just design the basic geography and allow chance to decide the rest, barring anything related to the plot.

Sunday, October 7, 2012

An End of an Era

Every week for over a year, with a few exceptions, I wrote Weekly 4th Edition articles to entertain and provide the masses with fun options, equipment, and monsters for their 4th Edition Dungeons and Dragons home games.

But, I fear, that time has come to something of an end. It has become increasingly difficult to find something to write about. I don't know if it's life happening or if I just lost my muse or if I'm falling into some kind of emotional trench, but I'm going to have to leave Weekly 4e where it is for now.

This doesn't mean I'm completely hanging up the homebrewing. Whenever inspiration hits enough to write an article, it will happen. The system doesn't matter. If you've been hanging around, you'll know that I've worked in 4th Edition, Dragon Age, Marvel Heroic Roleplaying, and most recently the latest Dungeons and Dragons Next playtest. I'll even take requests. You can shoot me an e-mail at thatrobedguy@hotmail.com and you can also find me on Twitter as @brannonhutchins. I check my Twitter more often than my e-mail, just so you know.

Perhaps the updates will occur weekly again some time in the future. Who knows, maybe once the next edition of Dungeons and Dragons finally hits the shelves, the articles could come back in full swing. Until then, I'll see you around this crazy series of tubes.

Monday, September 17, 2012

Weekly 4e Homebrew: Harvester of Souls

Every Sunday, I'll have a completely homebrewed Dungeons and Dragons 4th Edition element that you can use in your games. I do take requests so you can either post a comment here, email me at thatrobedguy@hotmail.com with the subject "Homebrew Request", or send me a tweet on Twitter (@brannonhutchins) with the hashtag #weekly4e.

"The world is in chaos."
"Yes, we see that. Evil has grown strong."
"We have chosen a Champion to guide the people."
"Send him...the sword."

Sunday, September 2, 2012

DnD Next Playtest: Warforging Ahead

Today's Weekly 4e Homebrew article has been interrupted due to large amounts of DnD Next radiation.

Yo dawg. I heard you like playtests.
Lord in Heaven, help me. One of my closest friends is also my right hand man when it comes to roleplaying. I bounce ideas off of him and he comes up with interesting character concepts. There is only one problem...he HATES classic fantasy races. He finds the combination of dwarves, elves, halflings, and humans to be a bore. He finds it less classical and more generic. He tends to play the weird races like Warforged or Changelings, and less used classes like ninjas.

Consider this article (and any that follow it until the game's official release) an attempt to appease his lame arguments about a game still in the playtest phase. I'm not planning on releasing any more at this time.

Monday, August 27, 2012

Weekly 4e Homebrew: Monolith Drone

Every Sunday, I'll have a completely homebrewed Dungeons and Dragons 4th Edition element that you can use in your games. I do take requests so you can either post a comment here, email me at thatrobedguy@hotmail.com with the subject "Homebrew Request", or send me a tweet on Twitter (@brannonhutchins) with the hashtag #weekly4e.

THEY'VE BREACHED THE OUTER DEFENSES! THE ANIMATED HORDES ARE FLOODING IN!  My gods...THERE ARE THOUSANDS OF THEM! FLEE! ABANDON ALL HOPE! ABANDON ALL HO-URK!

Sunday, August 19, 2012

Weekly 4e Homebrew: Earth Monolith

Every Sunday, I'll have a completely homebrewed Dungeons and Dragons 4th Edition element that you can use in your games. I do take requests so you can either post a comment here, email me at thatrobedguy@hotmail.com with the subject "Homebrew Request", or send me a tweet on Twitter (@brannonhutchins) with the hashtag #weekly4e.

GET MORE MEN TO THOSE GATES! WE CAN DO THIS! WE CAN HOLD THE ANIMATE ARMY AT BAY! WE GROUNDED THE LIGHTNING! WE SNUFFED OUT THE FLAMES! WE'RE ALMOST THROUGH THIS, MEN! PEACE MAKER KEEP HAS HELD ONCE MO-

*THUM*....*THUM*

Oh...gods...

Monday, August 13, 2012

Weekly 4e Homebrew: Flame Monolith

Every Sunday, I'll have a completely homebrewed Dungeons and Dragons 4th Edition element that you can use in your games. I do take requests so you can either post a comment here, email me at thatrobedguy@hotmail.com with the subject "Homebrew Request", or send me a tweet on Twitter (@brannonhutchins) with the hashtag #weekly4e.

The Animate Army continues its invasion of my blog. Last week, the Lightning Monoliths began their barrage from the rear flanks. This week, front lines collide as the Animates send out a devastating wave of chaos, the Flame Monoliths.

Monday, August 6, 2012

Weekly 4e Homebrew: Lightning Monolith

Every Sunday, I'll have a completely homebrewed Dungeons and Dragons 4th Edition element that you can use in your games. I do take requests so you can either post a comment here, email me at thatrobedguy@hotmail.com with the subject "Homebrew Request", or send me a tweet on Twitter (@brannonhutchins) with the hashtag #weekly4e.

INSPIRATION! It comes at the strangest of times. For me, it usually happens on the toilet. Hey, don't judge. The bathroom provides little distractions and allows my mind to wander.

As I was saying, I was inspired to create something akin to a mech. This later evolved to the single-minded animate that you will see today. I give you, the LIGHTNING MONOLITH.

Thursday, August 2, 2012

Marvel Hero-brew: Hice


Robert Harrison was your ordinary, everyday genius. One day, when testing a new combustible fuel in a safe and remote location...he woke up. The combustion engine Robert had been using to test the new fuel was in ruins and it was several days later.

While trying to determine what went wrong, his temper grew. However, so did the flames now surrounding his body. He unintentionally started a forest fire, and in his panic, discovered that he could also put it out with another set of powers. Fire and ice were now at his fingertips, but Robert couldn't figure out how.

Extensive research quickly led Robert to understand that the chemical compound for his new combustible fuel had nothing to do with his transformation. With nothing left but to explore his new found powers, Robert joined his brother, Voltage, in stopping criminals like his favorite comic book heroes. This took precedence over his continued education and continues to function with nothing more than a High School Diploma, despite his high intellect.

He decided on the name Hice and continues to claim he couldn't think of anything better because all the good names are already taken or copy-written.

Hice, Robert "Rob" Harrison [Secret/Public]
Solo d6, Buddy d10, Team d8
Distinctions
Banner's Temper, Masters Grad Equivalent, Eldest Sibling
Power Sets
Genetic Inferno
Fire Blast d8, Fire Control d8, Subsonic Flight d8

SFX: Fiery Body- On a reaction against a physical stress attack action, inflict physical stress with your effect die at no PP cost or spend a PP to step it up by +1.
SFX: Flame Burst- Add a d6 and keep an additional effect die for each additional target.
SFX: Multipower- see OM91 for details.
SFX: Red Hot Rage- see Berserk on OM90
Limit: Conscious Activation- see OM93
Limit: Water Weakness- Shut down Genetic Inferno when hit with a water or ice attack action and gain 1 PP. Roll versus the doom pool or wait for a Transition scene to recover the power set.

Frozen Genome
Frozen Exoskeleton d8, Ice Control d8, Ice Spikes d8

SFX: Frozen Contructs- see Construct on OM90
SFX: Ice Cold Heart- see Berserk on OM90
Limit: Conscious Activation- see OM93
Limit: Melting- Shut down Frozen Genome when hit with a fire/heat based attack action and gain 1 PP. Roll versus the doom pool or wait for a Transition scene to recover the power set.
Limit: Mutually Exclusive- see OM93

Specialties
Science Expert d8, Tech Expert d8

Milestones
Brother's Keeper
Your brother, Voltage, is a source of much strength and annoyance to you. Mostly annoyance.
1XP ...when you compete with your brother, Voltage.
3XP ...when you have a heated argument with Voltage.
10XP ...when you split ways "forever" or reconcile your difference with Voltage.

Strange Origins
The nature of your powers has remained a mystery for years. Perhaps finally learning the truth will help you in your fight against the criminal element.
1XP ...when you discover a clue hinting to the origin of your powers.
3XP ...when someone admits to knowing something about your origins.
10XP ...when you finally discover the truth.

Designer Notes: Marty Sue? What are you talking about? I know nothing of what you are talking about!

In all seriousness, this character was HIGHLY a Marty Sue created back in my middle school days. I thought the dynamic of the two different elements in one hero was interesting. I was also toying around with the idea of being able to use the two power sets together, but I think I will save that for when the character has enough Experience (XP) to remove the Mutually Exclusive limit. Consider it something to strive for.

His "secret origin" is tied to alien experimentation with human genetics. Several elemental based heroes and villains around the world with similar mysterious origins are tied to Hice as sleeper agents to be activated once the invasion begins. The aliens did not anticipate the development of other super powered beings on Earth so that will, of course, be their downfall.

Hice was created for use in Marvel Heroic Roleplaying by Margaret Weis Productions LTD.

Sunday, July 29, 2012

Weekly 4e Homebrew: Melora Warpriest Domain

Every Sunday, I'll have a completely homebrewed Dungeons and Dragons 4th Edition element that you can use in your games. I do take requests so you can either post a comment here, email me at thatrobedguy@hotmail.com with the subject "Homebrew Request", or send me a tweet on Twitter (@brannonhutchins) with the hashtag #weekly4e.

I have no idea why I thought this would be a walk in the park. BUT! I present to you the heroic tier for the Warpriest's Nature Domain!

For the record: I'm not privy to the goings on in the Dungeon and Dragon Magazines anymore, so I hope I'm not treading on too many heels with this new article. I was also originally going to use the official name of the goddess of nature, but I decided to err on the side of caution. I figure I'm already dancing the line of the OGL, so why push it?

Monday, July 16, 2012

Weekly 4e Homebrew: Chain of Shielding

Every Sunday, I'll have a completely homebrewed Dungeons and Dragons 4th Edition element that you can use in your games. I do take requests so you can either post a comment here, email me at thatrobedguy@hotmail.com with the subject "Homebrew Request", or send me a tweet on Twitter (@brannonhutchins) with the hashtag #weekly4e.

I've been playing a lot of Mass Effect 3 in order to complete the epic of Quincy Shepard, a name that is now both respected and feared among the various races of the galaxy. One of the features prevalent in all three games in the regenerating shield that decreases with each attack that strikes it and eventually regenerates.

Consider this my attempt at creating a regenerating shield within 4th Edition's rule set. I present to you, the Chain of Shielding.

Thursday, July 12, 2012

Marvel Hero-brew: Iron Golem

Isaac Irons was an ordinary eleven year old kid. He went to school, did his homework, played videogames, etc. Then, everything changed when his mutant powers were activated. All of the metal in a 25 yard radius, including those in the bodies of Isaac and the surrounding civilians, shot from their sources into the air and fell like metal needles. It was a grizzly sight, one that Isaac can still remember to this day.

Isaac found himself non-corporeal; a mutant without a body and practically a ghost. He tried to reach out for help, frightening those that could hear him. Isaac quickly learned to remain silent. With no body, the ability to phase through walls, and no need to eat as he used to know it, Isaac did the only thing he could do: learn. He spent time reading over shoulders and watching the interactions between people.

As time went on, Isaac learned that he could move small pieces of metal with his mind. He used a small penny to help in his continued reading without the need to look over the shoulders of others. Eventually, this ability grew, and so did the public's recognition of his presence. There was worry that someone was building robotic drones to scare the local population. In truth, it was Isaac trying to build the proper body for himself.

It had been five years since his genetic awakening, and he finally had a body again. Isaac settled on a street sign, poorly spray painted white, to represent his head and used coins to simulate facial expressions. Random chunks of metal were fused together to create floating gauntlets and boots. Forgoing his former life at first, Isaac used a new identity to those who came to him. Drawing upon his Jewish heritage, Isaac became the Iron Golem.

Iron Golem, Isaac Irons [Secret]
Solo d6, Buddy d8, Team d10
Distinctions
Ghost Teen, Small Voiced, Violent Awakening
Power Sets
Non-corporeal Magnet
Magnetic Control d8, Intangibility d12, Invisibilty d10

SFX: Area Attack- Add a d6 and keep an additional effect die for each additional target.
SFX: Invulnerable- Spend 1 PP to ignore physical stress or trauma unless caused by mystical attacks.
SFX: Multipower- Use two or more Non-corporeal Magnet powers in a single dice pool at -1 step for each additional power.
Limit: Difficult Recovery- Add Intangibility die to the opposing roll when others try to recover your physical stress.
Limit: Moody- Earn 1 PP and step up emotional stress caused by doubt, guilt, or self-worth by +1.
Limit: Mutant- Earn 1 PP when affected by mutant-specific Milestones and tech.
Limit: Mutually Exclusive- Shutdown Non-corporeal Magnet to activate Golem Shell. Shutdown Golem Shell to activate Non-corporeal Magnet.

Golem Shell
Enhanced Strength d10, Superhuman Durability d10

SFX: Unleashed- Step up or double any Golem Shell power for one action. If the action fails, add a die to doom pool equal to the normal rating of your power die.
Limit: Incorporeal- Shutdown Golem Shell after taking physical stress or trauma. Convert the physical stress or trauma to emotional stress or trauma. Golem Shell cannot be reactivated until the emotional stress or trauma is recovered.

Specialties
Medical Expert, Science Expert, Tech Expert, Psych Master

Milestones
Socially Awkward
With five years of silence behind him, can Isaac overcome his problems with social interaction?
1XP ...when you say something that unintentionally causes the room to grow silent.
3XP ...when you manage to carry a conversation without stuttering or making people uncomfortable.
10XP ...when someone falls in love with you or when you give up on ever finding love.

Silent Learner
Having spent years as a silent observer, can Isaac now put what he has learned to good use?
1XP ...when you use a specialty outside of combat to help someone in need.
3XP ...when you are accused of spying on someone, and you did.
10XP ...when you use your ghost-like nature to accomplish a goal that immediately leads to the team succeeding or failing in the Event.

Designer Notes: I began creating this character using the random character generator pdf that is available on the Margaret Weis website. After realizing I was doing it wrong (my bad), I started over. I liked what the random generator had given me at that point, so I used it as a base. I knew what the character was, and how it would act in a comic book universe, so I used that knowledge to properly build the character. Iron Golem was the end result.

As a side note, when Irons enters combat he uses his magnetism to create his Golem Shell which has a strong primate resemblance akin to the Mega Man Yellow Demon. The eye is represented with a flashlight and the street sign used in his "civilian mode" becomes a chest plate.

Edit 7/13/12: Added "OR ___" to the 10XPs of each milestone. Subtractions and additions made to SFX and Limits of both power sets.
Edit 7/14/12: Upped the die step for Golem Shell's Strength trait.

Monday, July 9, 2012

Weekly 4e Homebrew: Web Shooters

Every Sunday, I'll have a completely homebrewed Dungeons and Dragons 4th Edition element that you can use in your games. I do take requests so you can either post a comment here, email me at thatrobedguy@hotmail.com with the subject "Homebrew Request", or send me a tweet on Twitter (@brannonhutchins) with the hashtag #weekly4e.

I bet you will never be able to guess which movie I saw this w-AMAZING SPIDER-MAN!

Yes, I braved the outside world to see a movie that would undoubtedly be far superior to the last Spider-Man film (an easy task to accomplish). And with that, I bring a piece of the wall-crawler's universe to your table. I present to you, a staple of the Spider-Man universe and in no way organic: the Web Shooters.

Monday, July 2, 2012

Weekly 4e Homebrew: Cave Swarm

Every Sunday, I'll have a completely homebrewed Dungeons and Dragons 4th Edition element that you can use in your games. I do take requests so you can either post a comment here, email me at thatrobedguy@hotmail.com with the subject "Homebrew Request", or send me a tweet on Twitter (@brannonhutchins) with the hashtag #weekly4e.

Sorry about the late article, but I severely blanked when it came time to write. I guess that's a symptom of having moved on from 4th edition to D&D Next play-testing. BUT! The show must go on until D&D Next is officially published.

There was a time when I was planning my Magnum Opus; a campaign to bridge the gap between 4th Edition and the Next Edition. The following was to be in the very first series of encounters: The Cave Swarm Hazard!

Wednesday, June 27, 2012

AGE Brew: Gungan

I continue my trolling of NewbieDM and his excellent Star Wars: AGE of Rebellion Dragon Age hack with a new background sure to be a favorite at everyone's gaming table.

Sunday, June 24, 2012

Weekly 4e Homebrew: Sleepless Dagger

Every Sunday, I'll have a completely homebrewed Dungeons and Dragons 4th Edition element that you can use in your games. I do take requests so you can either post a comment here, email me at thatrobedguy@hotmail.com with the subject "Homebrew Request", or send me a tweet on Twitter (@brannonhutchins) with the hashtag #weekly4e.

I've never really given much thought to cursed items in the past. I've never felt the need to add them to our games, as of yet. So this will be my first attempt at creating one. I present to you, the Sleepless Dagger.

Sunday, June 17, 2012

Weekly 4e Homebrew: Fatherhood

Every Sunday, I'll have a completely homebrewed Dungeons and Dragons 4th Edition element that you can use in your games. I do take requests so you can either post a comment here, email me at thatrobedguy@hotmail.com with the subject "Homebrew Request", or send me a tweet on Twitter (@brannonhutchins) with the hashtag #weekly4e.

On April 1st, 2010, I became a father. And while life has thrown many curve balls in my direction since then and also because of it, it was one of the best things to ever happen to me.

So below, I present to you Fatherhood, a divine boon that gives you an extra sense of purpose with each roll of the dice.

And no, there was no April Fool's jokes to be had that day. My kid was scheduled to be surgically removed so we were able to tell people about it the day before (but she will hate me when she's about 16..."I got you a car. April Fools!").

Monday, June 11, 2012

Weekly 4e Homebrew: War!

Every Sunday, I'll have a completely homebrewed Dungeons and Dragons 4th Edition element that you can use in your games. I do take requests so you can either post a comment here, email me at thatrobedguy@hotmail.com with the subject "Homebrew Request", or send me a tweet on Twitter (@brannonhutchins) with the hashtag #weekly4e.

If there is one thing that is seriously lacking in the 4th Edition, it's large scale combat. I have some ideas on the subject, so here is a little peek into those thoughts.

I present to you: WAR!

Friday, June 1, 2012

VLOG May 31st, 2012: Moving On


It's the end of an era for me and I felt the need to tape it.

Sunday, May 20, 2012

Weekly 4e Homebrew: Hoard Control Rod

Every Sunday, I'll have a completely homebrewed Dungeons and Dragons 4th Edition element that you can use in your games. I do take requests so you can either post a comment here, email me at thatrobedguy@hotmail.com with the subject "Homebrew Request", or send me a tweet on Twitter (@brannonhutchins) with the hashtag #weekly4e.



May of the Dead continues and I am grasping for straws. I mean, there is so much undead awesomeness happening in this blog carnival how can one keep the mindless hoards at bay!?

.......wait a minute. Give me a few minutes and a level 14 wizard and I will be right back.
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Voilà! A Hoard Control Rod! All of the May of the Dead creations are now under MY control! BUWAHAHAHA!

Sunday, May 13, 2012

Weekly 4e Homebrew: Undead Templates

Every Sunday, I'll have a completely homebrewed Dungeons and Dragons 4th Edition element that you can use in your games. I do take requests so you can either post a comment here, email me at thatrobedguy@hotmail.com with the subject "Homebrew Request", or send me a tweet on Twitter (@brannonhutchins) with the hashtag #weekly4e.



May of the Dead continues, and with it, the danger to the PCs at the table.

Things can go terribly wrong when fighting necromancers and their armies of the undead. One such problem, you become one of them. The following Undead Templates can be applied to your characters should the unfortunate happen.

Wednesday, May 9, 2012

[Poll Results] Which 4e Races Have You Played?

It has been some time now, but I feel 4th Edition has lost its momentum. Some of you may argue that fact, but this has been true for me and a number of people I know. This is why the title of the poll I posted to your immediate right (Which Races Have You Played As Over Your 4th Edition Career?) implies 4th Edition is over. In any case, here are the results of that poll in order of popularity:

Option Result Percentage
Human 20 11%
Dwarf 16 9%
Eladrin 12 7%
Sorry, I DMed 12 7%
Halfling 9 5%
Tiefling 9 5%
Dragonborn 8 5%
Half-elf 8 5%
Warforged 8 5%
Elf 7 4%
Half-orc 6 3%
Drow 5 3%
Genasi 5 3%
Gnome 5 3%
Revenant 5 3%
Pixie 4 2%
Vryloka 4 2%
Githzerai 3 2%
Mul 3 2%
Shade 3 2%
Shifter 3 2%
Thri-Kreen 3 2%
Bugbear 2 1%
Deva 2 1%
Gnoll 2 1%
Minotaur 2 1%
Githyanki 1 1%
Goblin 1 1%
Kenku 1 1%
Kobold 1 1%
Orc 1 1%
Satyr 1 1%
Shardmind 1 1%
Wilden 1 1%
Bladelings 0 0%
Bullywug 0 0%
Changeling 0 0%
Duergar 0 0%
Hamadryad 0 0%
Hobgoblin 0 0%
Kalashtar 0 0%
Shadar-Kai 0 0%

I must say, I am sorely disappointed that Vryloka rated above Minotaur amongst you. For shame.

Sunday, May 6, 2012

Weekly 4e Homebrew: Zombie Virus

Every Sunday, I'll have a completely homebrewed Dungeons and Dragons 4th Edition element that you can use in your games. I do take requests so you can either post a comment here, email me at thatrobedguy@hotmail.com with the subject "Homebrew Request", or send me a tweet on Twitter (@brannonhutchins) with the hashtag #weekly4e.



May of the Dead is here and with it, bloggers across the Tubes will be revealing their inner Romero in each new post. I've decided to throw my hat into the ring because hey, zombies are cool.

Common zombie lore (and by lore I mean movies) say that a zombie bite is infectious. Sometimes, it just takes a scratch from one of them to slowly turn you. I may have missed it, but I've yet to see this implemented in 4th Edition.

So without further ado, the Zombie Virus.

Friday, May 4, 2012

VLOG May 4th, 2012: The Avengers

OMG!!!!!!!!!!!! (translation: this movie is awesome and you should give it all the money)

Wednesday, May 2, 2012

AGE Brew: Ewok!

It is a time of turmoil in the galaxy...and by galaxy, I mean NewbieDM's mind. This is article two of two in my attempt to make Newbie have an aneurysm and this one should do the trick (you can view the first article here).

You see, Newbie has been putting together a Star Wars hack of the AGE system and refuses to add Ewoks to the fold. Well, here is my attempt at bringing those adorable little cannibals to your table top.

Sunday, April 29, 2012

Weekly 4e Homebrew: Ewok!

Every Sunday, I'll have a completely homebrewed Dungeons and Dragons 4th Edition element that you can use in your games. I do take requests so you can either post a comment here, email me at thatrobedguy@hotmail.com with the subject "Homebrew Request", or send me a tweet on Twitter (@brannonhutchins) with the hashtag #weekly4e.

Well, I WAS going to continue the story with the cake and the tapeworm, but I completely blanked on where to go. And then my online gaming colleague, NewbieDM, put together a Star Wars hack of the AGE system. I have been bugging him about adding Ewoks to it, because I know how much they irritate him.

Consider this article the first of two to irritate the hell out of Newbie. I present to you: the Ewok. Buwahaha.

Sunday, April 22, 2012

Weekly 4e Homebrew: Tapeworm

Every Sunday, I'll have a completely homebrewed Dungeons and Dragons 4th Edition element that you can use in your games. I do take requests so you can either post a comment here, email me at thatrobedguy@hotmail.com with the subject "Homebrew Request", or send me a tweet on Twitter (@brannonhutchins) with the hashtag #weekly4e.

Greetings, Dear Reader. Ooo, you don't look so good. Was it that cake from last week? I really should have warned you ahead of time about how old that was. My bad. Let's have a look here..................

Oh my. Um...you might have TAPEWORM! (which is funny because they are usually found in poorly prepared meat)

Sunday, April 15, 2012

Weekly 4e Homebrew: Birthday Cake

Every Sunday, I'll have a completely homebrewed Dungeons and Dragons 4th Edition element that you can use in your games. I do take requests so you can either post a comment here, email me at thatrobedguy@hotmail.com with the subject "Homebrew Request", or send me a tweet on Twitter (@brannonhutchins) with the hashtag #weekly4e.

It's been a while, I know. But Real Life has hit me kind of hard, and I don't just mean that the entire month of March is overwhelmed with family birthdays. Seriously, six family members (including myself) have birthdays in March and my daughter turned 2 on April 1st. Follow that with life drama and Easter Sunday...things be crazy.

But on the note of birthdays, perhaps you would like some Birthday Cake!

Monday, March 26, 2012

Weekly 4e Homebrew: Linkara

Every Sunday, I'll have a completely homebrewed Dungeons and Dragons 4th Edition element that you can use in your games. I do take requests so you can either post a comment here, email me at thatrobedguy@hotmail.com with the subject "Homebrew Request", or send me a tweet on Twitter (@brannonhutchins) with the hashtag #weekly4e.

How many of you like comics? Okay, you. You can lower your hand. I'm talking to the rest of you. That's better. We all love comics! And since we all love comics, we should all be watching Linkara's Atop the Fourth Wall! Comic lovers of all kinds will fall in love with the truth and humor the show presents about one of our favorite hobbies.

And to bring the fun of this show to your Dungeon and Dragons 4th Edition game, I present to you: Linkara, himself!

Sunday, March 18, 2012

Weekly 4e Homebrew: Fetus Beast

Every Sunday, I'll have a completely homebrewed Dungeons and Dragons 4th Edition element that you can use in your games. I do take requests so you can either post a comment here, email me at thatrobedguy@hotmail.com with the subject "Homebrew Request", or send me a tweet on Twitter (@brannonhutchins) with the hashtag #weekly4e.

This is going to take a bit of explanation, isn't it?

Our current game consists of a modified version of Keep on the Shadowfell. We started with a small Level 0 adventure spanning from Nenlast to Fallcrest, and we picked up KotS at Level 1. During the first encounter of the module, two of the PCs were killed due to unfortunately stupid player tactics and low dice rolls.

The dead PCs were being taken to Winterhaven to be buried when the Star Pact Hexblade Warlock asked his master to raise his friends. The two dead PCs instantly sat up, freaking out the rest of the party, especially the one PC that used a Heal check to confirm they were dead previously. The first apparent side effect they discovered from the event was their ability to see the stars through the sky on a bright sunny day. The second side effect...well...

The two PCs that had died were lovers, and I'm talking about their characters, not the players. It was more of a young puppy love infatuation rather than a "true love" relationship, but nevertheless, they were prone to "doing the deed" (that means sex). When the player playing the female of the couple was forced to leave the game, we had to decide how the character was going to leave the party.

We started by having her scream and teleport away while no one else was present, giving us more time to decide exactly why her character was gone. With much discussion, we determined that it was related to the Hexblade's intervention of their death. In an effort to make things worse for the other player's character, we discussed the possibility of the female character being pregnant and how the Star Pact resurrection would affect the pregnancy. And HERE is the final outcome of that debate. I present to you: the Fetus Beast.

Monday, March 12, 2012

Weekly 4e Homebrew: Gingerbread Folk Part 2, The Army

Every Sunday, I'll have a completely homebrewed Dungeons and Dragons 4th Edition element that you can use in your games. I do take requests so you can either post a comment here, email me at thatrobedguy@hotmail.com with the subject "Homebrew Request", or send me a tweet on Twitter (@brannonhutchins) with the hashtag #weekly4e.

It's my birthday! Or was...look, I'm going to post something on time this month, I swear! This entire month has been very...interesting as far as life is concerned.

But we continue our little adventure into the world of the Gingerbread Folk with its Armed Forces.

Monday, March 5, 2012

Weekly 4e Homebrew: Gingerbread Folk Part 1, The Village People

Every Sunday, I'll have a completely homebrewed Dungeons and Dragons 4th Edition element that you can use in your games. I do take requests so you can either post a comment here, email me at thatrobedguy@hotmail.com with the subject "Homebrew Request", or send me a tweet on Twitter (@brannonhutchins) with the hashtag #weekly4e.

Once again, the Humor Campaign rears its ugly head on this blog (remember these old articles?). This time the Gingerbread Folk appear, but only a tiny morsel at a time. Due to time, and life, and other things...like Skyrim...the Gingerbread Folk will be appearing in not one, but TWO or THREE Weekly 4e Articles.

In this first of our Gingerbread Folk articles, we look at the common people that inhabit the small villages scattered amongst the Frosted Hills. I give unto you: Gingerbread Folk Part 1: The Village People.

Friday, March 2, 2012

Poll Results for February 2012

How Excited Are You For 5th Edition?
Option Result Percentage
Grognard SMASH! 0 0%
I'm happy with what I have. 2 50%
Meh. 1 25%
I could get into it. 1 25%
OMG! Must have! 0 0%

What Do You Consider The Strongest Assumed Dragonborn Trait Across All Games?
Option Result Percentage
Breath Weapon 1 33%
Honor 0 0%
Arkhosian Empire 0 0%
Stronger attacks when bloodied 0 0%
Looks like a dragon 0 0%
A combination of a few 2 66%

What Are The Gnome's Iconic Traits?
Option Result Percentage
Small size 1 20%
Invisibility 0 0%
Tinkering 1 20%
Fey Origin 0 0%
Illusions 1 20%
Tricksters 1 20%
Magic Users 1 20%

Monday, February 27, 2012

Weekly 4e Homebrew: Interaction Gauge

Every Sunday, I'll have a completely homebrewed Dungeons and Dragons 4th Edition element that you can use in your games. I do take requests so you can either post a comment here, email me at thatrobedguy@hotmail.com with the subject "Homebrew Request", or send me a tweet on Twitter (@brannonhutchins) with the hashtag #weekly4e.

Knowing how to interact with other PCs and NPCs in your Dungeons and Dragons game is important to create a realistic roleplaying experience. But how does one determine that? How do I know how to react to certain characters?

Over the years of gaming, I have noticed some people marking on their character sheets how much they hate or like certain PCs or NPCs in the game. I thought this was quite interesting, especially with those that used MATH to determine the appropriate amount of love or scorn to emulate while roleplaying.

Some of you might be thinking "Why don't you just act it out instead of making it into another mechanic?" My answer would be "Can you even remember the name of the innkeeper in your own hometown that your group spent the first year of sessions talking to? Didn't think so." Keeping notes can help in roleplaying, and having a numerical value placed on an NPC you forgot about can make getting into the proper mood a lot easier.

So, for those of you looking for a mechanical method of gauging your hatred or love for other characters, I present to you: the Interaction Gauge mechanic.

Sunday, February 19, 2012

Weekly 4e Homebrew: Fus Ro Dah!

Every Sunday, I'll have a completely homebrewed Dungeons and Dragons 4th Edition element that you can use in your games. I do take requests so you can either post a comment here, email me at thatrobedguy@hotmail.com with the subject "Homebrew Request", or send me a tweet on Twitter (@brannonhutchins) with the hashtag #weekly4e.

If you didn't see this one coming, you are blind (with apologies to any readers in the sightless community). I have been playing an absurd amount of the Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, and I have barely scratched the surface of this massive game. Hell, I've barely gotten into the story missions and I'm not feeling like it's a bad thing! I highly recommend that everyone play this game. Now.

In the meantime, add some Skyrim goodness to your 4th Edition game with everyone's favorite Thu'um: Unrelenting Force!

Sunday, February 12, 2012

Weekly 4e Homebrew: [[QUARANTINED]]

OR...I Would Have Written This Article But Then I Took An Illness To The Throat

I have been pretty sick this past week, so much so that this article had to take a backseat. I apologize for the break in the weekly updates.

Feel free to peruse through the Homebrew Archive, though some newer items have not found their way there yet.

I will return in full force next week. If there's anything you'd like to see, remember that you can always drop it here, as a tweet, or even email it. Good gaming.

Monday, February 6, 2012

Weekly 4e Homebrew: Pink Dragon

Every Sunday, I'll have a completely homebrewed Dungeons and Dragons 4th Edition element that you can use in your games. I do take requests so you can either post a comment here, email me at thatrobedguy@hotmail.com with the subject "Homebrew Request", or send me a tweet on Twitter (@brannonhutchins) with the hashtag #weekly4e.

You can all blame my friend Jason on the following as he was the inspiration of this creature. I'm not even sure how to give it a proper introduction so here it is: the Pink Dragon.

Sunday, January 29, 2012

Weekly 4e Homebrew: Multiple Personality Detriment

Every Sunday, I'll have a completely homebrewed Dungeons and Dragons 4th Edition element that you can use in your games. I do take requests so you can either post a comment here, email me at thatrobedguy@hotmail.com with the subject "Homebrew Request", or send me a tweet on Twitter (@brannonhutchins) with the hashtag #weekly4e.

Have you ever wanted to play several characters at once? Well now you can with the newly constructed Detriment of Multiple Personality Disorder!

Sunday, January 22, 2012

Weekly 4e Homebrew: Arcane Bound

Every Sunday, I'll have a completely homebrewed Dungeons and Dragons 4th Edition element that you can use in your games. I do take requests so you can either post a comment here, email me at thatrobedguy@hotmail.com with the subject "Homebrew Request", or send me a tweet on Twitter (@brannonhutchins) with the hashtag #weekly4e.

With 5th Edition in the works, I'm already working in my mind what my next campaign world will be like. I think the campaign will actually start in 4th Edition and work its way into 5th Edition based on the consequences of the 4e game. More than likely, the players will end up causing whatever cataclysm recreates the game world to fit into 5e. That isn't a design choice, that's just knowing my players.

In this world, one cannot cast arcane spells without making a deal with a spirit of sorts. Each arcane class makes a different type of bargain as described in the following theme: Arcane Bound.

Wednesday, January 18, 2012

AGE Brew: Racial Supplements

Sometimes you find yourself with a generic background, or at least a background that doesn't give you the feel of a certain race when you take the flavor text away. How can we combat this? With Racial Supplements (take twice daily)!

Sunday, January 15, 2012

Weekly 4e Homebrew: 5th Edition

Every Sunday, I'll have a completely homebrewed Dungeons and Dragons 4th Edition element that you can use in your games. I do take requests so you can either post a comment here, email me at thatrobedguy@hotmail.com with the subject "Homebrew Request", or send me a tweet on Twitter (@brannonhutchins) with the hashtag #weekly4e.

The announcement has been made. 5th Edition is officially in the works and begins public playtesting very soon. But why wait when you can have it RIGHT NOW!...but in your 4th Edition game!

Monday, January 9, 2012

VLOG January 9th, 2012: Dungeons and Dragons 5e Announcement



My entirely thought out, scripted, and not at all improvised opinion on WotC's 5th Edition announcement.

Sunday, January 8, 2012

Weekly 4e Homebrew: The Enlightened

Every Sunday, I'll have a completely homebrewed Dungeons and Dragons 4th Edition element that you can use in your games. I do take requests so you can either post a comment here, email me at thatrobedguy@hotmail.com with the subject "Homebrew Request", or send me a tweet on Twitter (@brannonhutchins) with the hashtag #weekly4e.

My friend Jason, the masked guy (Nanashi) in Kicking Grass from over a year ago, is an unusual person. He's some strange mixture between Dr. Evil and the Jolly Green Giant. He was born on Friday the 13th, for crying out loud!

To add to all this, Jason has some pretty strange dreams, most of which focus on the world ending when he gets married (you have 11 months left, bro) or some variation thereof. One such dream featured a unique world that he swears will make an awesome RPG campaign, and I would have to agree.

As I am me, I started to create 4th edition elements of his dream so that we could play it one day. BUT! With the recent interest I've gathered with Dragon Age, we've both recently agreed that THAT is the RPG system we want to work this dream campaign into. So here is one of the races that managed to get finished before the change happened. I give you the race of spider-like people, the Enlightened.

Wednesday, January 4, 2012

AGE Brew: Pirates!

Everyone knows that pirates are awesome. EVERYONE! And now you can have them in your Dragon Age RPG game! HUZZAH!

Sunday, January 1, 2012

Weekly 4e Homebrew: Friendly Foe

Every Sunday, I'll have a completely homebrewed Dungeons and Dragons 4th Edition element that you can use in your games. I do take requests so you can either post a comment here, email me at thatrobedguy@hotmail.com with the subject "Homebrew Request", or send me a tweet on Twitter (@brannonhutchins) with the hashtag #weekly4e.

So I've recently created an Essentials Mage and I did what I could to make all of his powers non-damaging. However, when I got to choosing his 1st level dailies, I had to select one that caused some damage, even though the flavor text fit the build thus far. I did a search through Dragon magazine, or at least the ones I had collected thus far, and came up with nothing. That means it now falls into my ballpark.

Ladies and Gentlemen, the Level 1 Mage Daily Attack Power: Friendly Foe!