Joel’s Scattered Thoughts

My mom and Callie picked up a calico kitten this weekend at a garage sale. My mom told Callie that she really likes calico kittens. Callie replied “Next time let’s get an Evan-co kitten.”

I’ve had a level 60 character in World of Warcraft for about three weeks, and life at 60 is boring. The big problem is that there’s no longer anything do to solo (or as a duo). You need at minimum 5 people to go places and do things that matter (unless you want to grind rep one point at a time - even there you’re way better off waiting for a raid to go).

I’ve largely abandoned my level 60 character apart from the Alterac Valley battleground and the occasional instance with my guild. We’re just getting up to 20-some level 60s so getting a group together at any given time is tricky. I’m curious to see what happens as we get more guild members up to 60.

As it stands, I’ve made a pile of alts and I’m trying to take advantage of rested XP by playing them in rotation. I have an alt for every class. So far I like the priest best (duh), followed by the warlock and hunter. The class I like the least is the rogue - I’ve gotten him to level 19 and I just can’t seem to figure out how to play a rogue properly.

Present this week:
* Rampenape - human sorcerer
* Kysta half-elf cleric
* Riamara spryte greenbond
* Miru human fighter
* Ruke human palaldin
* Cinner the dwarven rogue/wizard/fighter/cleric

With their prisoners leading the way, the party decided to seek out the Spider King. As they came to a solid door, it suddenly opened and on the other side were six heavily armed drow. Ruke decided to try for diplomacy, presenting the token the naga had given them. The drow sent for Lorath.

While Ruke was chatting with the spokes-drow, Rampenape launched an ice storm on the drow. The drow ran forward, but were slowed by the storm of ice. Kysta implored Pelor to eliminate the lead Drow while reaching out to touch it, but the magic in the drow’s very being rejected the spell’s effects. The lead drow was cut in half by the force of Ruke’s blow. The drow were pounded into the ground by the force of Rampenape’s renewed ice storm. One by one the deadly hailstones claim their lives.

As they enter the next room, a drider and the messenger drow enter from the north. The drow looked a little confused “Where did the rest of them go?” Kysta tried to convince him that something huge attacked and they ran after it. The drider didn’t buy it and screamed “Treachery! Guards!” Ruke rolled his eyes, seeing that it’s not going well he wasted no time charging the drider. The drider is stunned by the force of Ruke’s attack. Bleeding heavily he pulled out a dagger and flail and prepared to defend himself. Rampenape fired scorching rays, one at the drider, the other at the drow. He missed the drow completely and the drider glowed slightly as the magic is absorbed harmlessly into his skin. With a crackling sound, Lorath swung his flail at Ruke. At the same time he stabed underhanded with a dripping green dagger, scoring three solid hits.

Upon seeing Ruke attack Lorath, the drow’s eyes widened and he yelled for help. He pulled out his sword and moved forward. Kysta’s mace whistled harmlessly past the drider. Ruke slashes out twice rapidly at the drider, pivoting his foot forward to give it that extra ‘oomph’ but the attacks bounce off the shield held in the drider’s lower arm. Rampenape got frustrated and used his last scorching ray on those two again, and again fails to affect either. Riamara sings lesser transfer wounds on Ruke. Lorath continued his attacks on Ruke, but missed him completely.

The drow swung at Ruke again and flailed the air ineffectually. Kysta hit the drow with her mace. The drider scuttled out of the way of Ruke’s attacks. Rampenape blasts a fireball into the hallway behind them. The drow screamed as it was consumed by flames while the drider is burned but fought on. Riamara cast lesser transfer wounds on Ruke. Miru took a run all the way to the fight, after hearing Ruke’s scream.

Then they saw more drow running down the hallway towards the sounds of battle. The drider collapsed as Kysta hit it. The approaching drow howled as they saw the drider fall. Ruke charged forward at the first drow in anger, driving it back by the force of his blow. Rampenape cast ice storm a bit north of the first drow, avoiding Ruke. Riamara used her wand on Ruke again, transferring some of his wounds to herself. Miru charged right up into the battle.

The drow began to fall back, unprepared for this kind of assault. Kysta threw out a burst of sound, stunning all the drow but one. Ruke slips on a leftover hailstone and misses the drow completely, and was in turn battered by the remnants of Rampenape’s ice storm. Rampenape tried for another ice storm, but this time the drow shrugged off its effects. Riamara uses her wand one last time on Ruke, transfering his wounds to herself and passing out. Miru charges the nearest drow, killing it with one solid blow.

Two of the drow were still stunned. The third ran for her life! Kysta’s mace thumped one of the stunned drow. Ruke killed the two stunned drow with two blows. The party quickly determined they would be unable to catch the runner and so fell back to a room with solid doors so that they could rest through the night. Oddly enough, their wounds seemed to heal very quickly.

****************

Miru joined the game late. Cinner was there at the beginning but got disconnected due to a storm.

Present this week:
* Rampenape - human sorcerer
* Kysta half-elf cleric
* Riamara spryte greenbond
* Miru human fighter
* Ruke human palaldin
* Cinner the dwarven rogue/wizard/fighter/cleric

When we left off, the party was fighting drow and driders. Rampenape was bleeding heavily, so Kysta ran over to Rampenape and calling on Pelor’s grace, healed him. Cinner’s bite proved worse than his blade as he filled his mouth with tender spider limbs. Splinters fly as Miru blasted another tower door down. Ruke took a swing at Cinner’s target to help himout before he launches his second attack at one of the drow. The drider scuttled back from the blow, leaving a good chunk of leg twixt Cinner’s teeth. The drow isn’t so lucky and is flung from the short tower, dead. His return blow killed the drow and narrowly missed cutting into another. The drow began to cast further spells.

The drow in the north tower moved forward to confront Miru. Miru blocked one attack but the other two slip past her guard. The two drow on the central tower were divided, one aiming for the hungry dwarf while the other went for the paladin. The one aiming for Cinner hit one of his images instead. Kystacalled “Pelor let your holy shine on these that live in darkness” and the drow screamed as the bright light blinded them. Still reeling from the onlaught of Kysta’s Daylight spell, two drow are hit from Rampenape’s scorching ray. Again, Cinner’s bite proved his most effective weapon. The blinded drow whimpers as he feels teeth teaaring his flesh. Miru’s blow caught one drow warrior off guard and slashes through his armor while the second warrior moves in to take advantage of Miru’s distraction but was hit with a lightning response. The last of the drow on the southern tower fell to Ruke’s holy blade. Riamara casts infuse with life on Cinner. Lightning crackles from the fingers of the driders on the central tower as they aim to destroy Ruke! The last drider aims his lightning bolt and Miru took the hit pretty rough, with a bit of smoke billowing from her clothing.

The northernmost drow snarled as she realized she’d be unable to reach Miru and hastily picks up her discarded crossbow. The middle drow managed to overcome his handicaps and land a hit on the fighter. The blinded drow reeled as yet Kysta’s spiritual weapon hits her from an unexpected angle. The blinded drow screamed as Rampenape’s scorchin ray hits her - fire, light, force, and now more fire? Miru launcheed two attacks again, trying to break the drow around her, and hopefully get to the drider. The paladin ran down the stairs and crashed into the last tower door - it creaked alarmingly but did not break. Riamara casts greater battle healing on Ruke. Miru let out a cry as the drider slings another bolt of lightning through her opponent and then into her.

The three forward drow are dismayed by the drider’s carelessness and slash at Miru trying to flee any further magics. One of the drow on the central tower took a shot at Kysta. Kysta healed Ruke and bashed a drow with her spiritual weapon. Fire flew from Rampenape’s fingers and blasted a drow off the edge of the tower. With a deft twist of the wrist, Cinner popped the bar off its supports and opened the central tower door. Miru landed two solid blows. The drow in front of her is on his last legs but still stands and fights. Ruke kicked the door down that Cinner opened and started swinging at the drider. The driders was blown back by the force of Ruke’s attack, the drider curled up into a ball and died. Riamara cast infuse with life on Miru. The northern drider made the reasonable suggestion that Miru should go help Ruke with his attack, then come back later. The final drider shot lighting at the surprisingly agile paladin.

The drow and drider by Miru sauntered towards the east door, whistling a little tune. The last drow desperately throws himself at Ruke and missed completely. Kysta swung her morningstar at the retreating drow and hit one while calling them cowards in undercommon. Rampenape was frustrated by the cleric throwing herself into harms way, blasted the last one with magic missiles. Cinner lunged for the face of the drow “Come ‘er boy im gonna make you into a sandwich” while flailing the dagger at his groin The drow screams as Cinner takes a big chunk out of some delicate bits. Miru had a little odd look on her face. “Ruke! I’ve got to help you, then I can go back!” Riamara cast transfer wounds on Rampenape. Kysta landed a solid blow on the fleeing drow, but he continued to run.

The drow closed the heavy door behind them. The last drider died as the mace of Pelor struck it down. The remaining drow snarled and described Kysta’s lineage in increasingly obscene detail. Rampenape threw a fireball at the door that the drow just shut. The door smokes but remains standing. The last drow in the room was torn to shreds by Cinner’s attack, leaving a bloody mess. The party moved up to the closed door as Riamara healed Miru.

The pieces of the door that remain - still enough to block passage, are easily moved aside by the skilled rogue. As Cinner pop open the door, Miru saw a drow ducking into the room on the right. As the drow ducked into the doorway and tried to close the door behind him, Ruke quickly interposed himself and kept it open. The other drow moved in to support while the drider continued to scuttle away. Kysta’s spiritual mace battered him, then the battered drow died instantly as Rampenape’s missiles pound into him. Another drow bit the dust as Cinner bit it. Miru rushed into the room, moved right up and attacked the drider, dropping it bonelessly to the floor. Ruke steped into the room, grinning as Miru droped the drider. “Nice one.” He then glanced at the drow remaining and attacked them, missing them both. Riamara pulled out her wand and cast lesser transfer wounds on Cinner.

Upon seeing the drider die, the remaining drow threw down their weapons and shouted “We surrender” in Common, Undercommon, and Elven. The drow seem more or less resigned to their fates and offer no resistance to Kysta as she tied them up. Cinner complained “AWWW, unfair, I wanted to eat your eyes.” Ruke looked at Cinner and frowned, “…PLEASE refrain from eating eyes.” Ruke stared at Cinner and sighed. “Gods help me!” He says a little frustrated before walking into the room some. The drow cringe a little at hearing the hungry looking dwarf offer to eat them.

Kysta: “What are you Drow doing down here?”
Drow: “We came with the driders from the north. Some kind of experiment went wrong in this area and they’ve been sending teams to try to reclaim it ever since.”
Kysta: “What kind of experiment, and by whom?”
Drow: “Some guy named Mahir - he was trying to create super driders or something”
Miru yawns. “Ask them about Anguish and Madness..”
Kysta: “What do you know about Anguish and Madness? Are they the results of this Mahir’s experiments too?”
Drow: “There weren’t enough driders sent to this place so Byalahir was going to get Mahir ro make more. Mahir went nuts and wanted to improve driders instead of just making more. Some of his experiments got screwed up royally and ended up creating Anguish and Madness.”
Kysta: “Who is Byalahir?”
Drow: “Bylahir is the chief Spider King. He’s the guy who originally sent drow to tunneling into this region from up north.”
Ruke: “Remind me to thank Mahir personally then for creating those ‘twins.’ And by thanking I mean a good smack upside the head and making him atone for his horrible sins.”
The drow laughs at the paladin’s words “You’re not the first to want to do that, and you won’t be the last.”
Kysta: “Where do we find this Mahir?”
Drow: “Byalahir executed Mahir for this colossal screwup. You’re more than welcome to go after him in the grave”
Kysta: “Maybe I’ll just send you with a message. Where do we find Byalahir?”
Drow: “You can find Bylahir to the north of here - in the next region. You’re better off praying he doesn’t notice you than attracting his attention.”
Rampenape: “Any idea on how we actually get rid of Anguish or Madness?”
Drow: If I knew how to get rid of them, I’d hardly be standing guard duty, would I? Heck, I could probably get setup as a bigwig if I could get rid of those two.”
Cinner pouts: “Aw, I bet their soft bit are delicious. I had a rocky mountain oyster recipe I wanted to try.”
Kysta: *Tries to ignore Cinner, hoping the Drow aren’t.* “What lies between here and this Byalahiir?”
Drow: “North of here are the areas controlled by the driders. You’d have to get through them (and the drow guards) alive. Then you’d have to get into the next region and get past a lot of driders and the Spider Kings, and then you might meet Byalahiir if you’re unlucky”
Ruke wonders how the Gods allow Cinner to live then realizes it’s probably they can’t actually intervene here.

I managed to get my first level 60 character in World of Warcraft yesterday. Jaimie and I made characters to play together, and we ran them from 1-60. It was a lot of fun, though my drive was definitely flagging towards the end. I kept holding Jaimie back, firstly because I have to work so I can’t always be there to play, and secondly because I just didn’t want to spend my time grinding for XP. However, we made it and now Flint and Tinder are both level 60.

The Guide to Avoiding Small Talk at Okdork.com is actually a good guide to having interesting conversations. I use some of these tricks on those rare occasions when I’m not trying to hide from people in social settings.

Ten Baseline Assumptions About How the Game is Run is a good checklist - I should probably run through it for my WLD game. That’s the only roleplaying game I have going right now - World of Warcraft has taken out my tabletop gaming. Maybe I’ll try for a tabletop game again in 6 months or so when the shiny has worn off WoW.