The Adventurers' Guild

The Bard's Tale, and virtually any/all computer role-playing epics, are descended from the classic tabletop game Dungeons & Dragons.

I've decided to resurrect my hobby from 15+ years ago and start up a local D&D campaign.

I'm going to be running version 3.5 of the game, because apparently version 4 is horrible.

I went to the local stationary depot and stocked up on graph paper, pencils, erasers, lined paper, a few binders, etc.

I have a copy of the Player's Handbook. I need to get the Dungeon Master's Guide and the Monster Manual, then I need to start designing a game world and populate it with towns, dungeons, towers, monasteries, oceans, mountains, deserts, subzero climates, and so on.

Wish me luck.

4th edition is different not horrible. Every edition has good things and bad. I run 4E because I find it easier to DM.

The DM who ran a 3.5 game before mine never bought the DMG or MM. We just made due with the SRD. Good luck.

I started writing about my 4E world on my site but only have a handful of blogs about it.

Armed with graph paper, I start designing my game world. I intend to use multiple sheets to represent the world with each square representing 5 square miles.

Which leads me to ask...

Anyone here ever hear of a 3D dungeon aid that was magnetic? I knew someone in Toronto years ago (like 1996 or so) that had one of these and I desperately wish I had bought it from him....

Like this one?

Yes! That is it!

Any clues on how I can get it?

I think the company doesn't exist anymore and noone took over the production, so the only thing I could think of is to get a second hand from platforms like ebay and the like.... I suggest you try to google it yourself

Besides.... why not make your own tiles from wood, glue magnets to them, get a metal plate, paint all and make your own set?

ZeroZero wrote:Besides.... why not make your own tiles from wood, glue magnets to them, get a metal plate, paint all and make your own set?

Sure, because I'm a skilled woodworker, painter, and machinist. I also rebuild engines in my sleep and run an airline conglomorate on my days off.

dulsi wrote:4th edition is different not horrible. Every edition has good things and bad. I run 4E because I find it easier to DM.

The DM who ran a 3.5 game before mine never bought the DMG or MM. We just made due with the SRD. Good luck.

I started writing about my 4E world on my site but only have a handful of blogs about it.

You wouldn't happen to know where the rules for water (i.e. naval) adventuring are located for 3.5?

I plan to have an abandoned island outpost used by pirates as part of a storyline involving the PCs and they will need to travel to this island from the city (and visit submerged shipwrecks).

Darendor wrote:You wouldn't happen to know where the rules for water (i.e. naval) adventuring are located for 3.5?

Here is the Aquatic Environments. Stormwreck probably has the most complete rules. I don't have it so I can't say how good it is.

That doesn't cover being on board a ship and using it to traverse a lake, it just skims over characters themselves being in/under water.

Darendor wrote:That doesn't cover being on board a ship and using it to traverse a lake, it just skims over characters themselves being in/under water.

I don't think they have any in the SRD or the main rulebooks. They have the movement rates for some ships but I think that is it. Either you need to make it up or use rules from another book. There are some 3rd party books or Stormwreck which cover that. I don't see any info on the Grand OGL Wiki but you might be able to find suggestions on other sites.

I've managed to have a peek at Stormwrack and it seems that that is the resource I need to get my hands on.

Avast, ye maties! Swab that deck! Unfurl them sails! Damn the torpedoes!

So I'm going to be starting the game on February 1.

I'm a little daunted by the combat aspect. It looks horribly complicated.

Envision the following scenario, if you will:


A party of five first level characters has managed to hitch a ride on a fishing boat near a group of four small islands. The characters are a fighter, a cleric, a wizard, a ranger, and a druid.

The party decides to rowboat ashore to the island from about 110 feet away. The island is inhabited by a small tribe of ogres and one ogre mage.


I imagine I'll need to make spot checks for both the monsters that are near the shoreline and the party as it rows closer to the island. Supposing that a couple of ogres or their sentinels (say, a harpy) spots the party rowing ashore, they might decide to wait until the party lands and then surprise them, catching them flat-footed.

What would the order of combat be, exactly?