A List

A list of mostly fiction available to Luiz, for reading.  A (what I hope is) eclectic mix of authors and styles, mostly from the 20th century. This is to help him broaden his writer's vocabulary.  This is not a "best of", this is not some comprehensive master list, it's based on his personal tastes, mine, and what's on hand. My only authority here is that these are books I've already read, many of them, repeatedly.  They stand out, for many reasons, some I've explained below.  They're not my favorites.  But, they have all shaped my appreciation for the art of the written word.   This is simply a cross section of my own collection. Terse, wordy, floral, sparse.  Hardcore sex,  blood and guts, fairy tales and happy endings.  What if, what did, what will never happen. Shouting and whispering. Cheesy, rich, and velvety or a brisk, bitter slap in the face.

Ernest Hemingway

The Old Man and the Sea- Short, perfectly composed. One of the greats. One of his razor-sharp finest examples. See also his short stories.

John Steinbeck

Cannery Row-THE textbook on perfect descriptive writing.

East of Eden- his magnum opus. “symbolic recreation of the biblical story of Cain and Abel woven into a history of California's Salinas Valley.” Huge in scope, and in message. It's rambling melodrama, but in a good way.

Eli Weisel

Night- Short, intense, emotional read from the perspective of a Holocaust survivor. Emotions captured in words.

Upton Sinclair

The Jungle- published in 1906. An American contemporary at the time of Crowley. Grisly, controversial, thoroughly bitter look at the “American Dream” through the eyes of an immigrant, in Chicago's meatpacking district. The writing is complex, but it's very visceral and cringeworthy. Lots of moral choices and struggling. Dark.

Stephen King

Insomnia- Difficult journey into dream-subconscious. Dream Logic.

The Talisman/The Black House- Two books that tie into the Dark Tower series. Alternate universe, horror/fantasy.

Nightmares and Dreamscapes, Skeleton Crew, Night Shift and 4 Past Midnight- Well crafted short stories, 4 past is more novellas, but still worthy reading.

Douglas Adams

Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy- See where Pratchett is coming from. Drily funny British sci-fi. A real classic, for a reason. Grazes over deep subjects with a light step, and with humor.

Terry Pratchett

Any Discworld novel- Fantasy, excellent story and worldcrafting, hilarity. Light reading, witty, clever.

Good Omens

Neil Gaiman

Smoke and Mirrors, and Fragile Things- Short Stories. He's as random and eclectic in his style as anyone I know. Think of the difference between Odin and Anansi. The feel of them both. He captures it in his short stories. Dark fantasy.

Ed Greenwood

Elminster the Making of a Mage- Ed created Forgotten Realms. This is one of his early books. The story is good, flawed, and it's a little deeper than many D&D style fantasy. See the creation of one of the canonical legendary D&D characters, from the ground up. Well written? Not as good as others on the list, but for what it is, yes. Lots of magic and intrigue.

R.A. Salvatore

Homeland- Again, see the creation of a legend. Good fantasy writing, without being cheesy. Young life of Drizzt. Both Ed and R.A. Are pertinent to what you're doing with Wizard's Wrath. To write fantasy, read fantasy. This is where “drow” or dark elves were invented, as a race. He fleshes out a whole world. Crisply black and white, good vs. evil. A little predictable.

Neal Stephenson

Snowcrash- Wordy in a good way, cyberpunk, urban sci fi. Really great characters, interesting story blending Sumerian myth, biological virus and data virus. Completely unique story. WAY ahead of its time, technology wise.

Anne Rice

The Vampire Lestat

Memnoch the Devil

Tale of the Body Thief

The Claiming of Sleeping Beauty

Bram Stoker

Dracula- See gothic horror at it's finest. Started what Anne built upon. A more masculine version of what Chris describes as “purple prose”. Right there with your dreamy prose feel.

Thomas Harris

The Silence of the Lambs, Hannibal, The Red Dragon- Visceral, suspenseful, psychological horror. Gritty, realistic, scary, doesn't spare the readers. Exemplary in that kind of writing. Chronologically, it goes Red Dragon, Lambs, then Hannibal.

James Patterson

Along Came a Spider- the first of the famous Alex Cross novels. Maybe not the best, but a great snapshot into this style of mystery thriller, gritty, realistic, crime and suspense. Very terse, stripped down writing style. Short paragraphs, short sentences. The complete opposite of Anne Rice.

Diana Gabaldon

Outlander- Epic, sweeping, lush rich historical fiction. Time travel from WW2 England to 17^th century Scotland. A little scholarly in writing, prim, stiff, yet romantic and with lots of sex. British.

Lian Hern

Grass For His Pillow- Also epic and lush, historical fiction. Set in feudal Japan. Nice writing style, definitely a good voice. Example of an American writer sounding Japanese. Ninjas.

Marion Zimmer Bradley

Mists of Avalon

Jim Butcher

Dresden Files

George RR Martin

Fevre Dream, Dreamsongs, ASOIAF series.

Bennet's Babe

Bennet and his small troop of men were returning home from a long tour, fighting skirmishes all along the borders of a contested area.  They had been out for over a year, and were returning home to their families.  Following this particular path were a small group of men, living in Port Everlast, near Bennet.

As they approached a small shire they'd passed through before, they noticed something different.  The smoke wasn't curling cheerily from the chimneys of the stout little lodges, but rising from the roofs and fields.  The town center wasn't filled with knee high children, playing tag and weary mothers chatting at the well.  The town center appeared to be filled with rubble, at a distance.  

Instantly the men were alarmed.  They continued to the nameless town, to make camp, but they drew their weapons and moved with extra caution.  As they closed in, what they saw as a heap of rubble, was in fact signs of a dramatically one sided battle.  Halfling bodies strewn everywhere, men, women and children, adolescents cut down in their prime.  Bennet, a grizzled veteran, one accustomed to the hardships of battle, was completely overcome.  He dropped to one knee, and made some sound borne of grief mingled with shock.  Bodies...stomped, beaten, some impaled on spikes.  Clearly, this was the site of some terrible raid.  After the initial shock, the men quickly broke into teams and searched every abode for survivors.  They did a cursory search, coming up with abandoned homes, burned places, and bodies, even killed in their beds.  Whoever did this attacked with savage efficiency, this was not the work of a mere raiding party, but of born killers.  

Throughout the day, the men piled bodies in the center, on a makeshift pyre, sending blessings, and burning the dead.  As the day shifted to evening, they entered the place they were dreading to enter the most, the Inn.  Kithri's Rose, this charming little building was once called.  They feared the worst, avoiding the place, all day, knowing that the inn is where people tend to flee to, for protection in a small place like this.  They could see the door was bashed in, and just make out shapes in the gloom inside.  Upon entering the building, they were shocked to find no bodies at all, signs of a struggle, for sure, but no actual bodies.  In the last room Bennet entered, where he thought he'd probably crash and sleep for the night, as he was sliding into the tiny bed, he noticed a heap on the floor.  In the now almost darkness, he lit a candle, and found one small body.  It was a very young halfling woman, or older girl.  She had a long knife through her lower back.  Bennet, resigned with grief and exhaustion, slid her body gently onto his cloak, making ready to bring her to the pyre, when a small bundle of blankets spilled out of her hands.  In the bundle, there was a sniffle and a movement.  As if outraged from being disturbed, the bundle began wailing in outrage.  There was a baby, and by some miracle, the baby was quite alive!  Pulling the corner of the blanket aside, Bennet stared into the most piercing and alert sapphire blue eyes he'd ever seen.  Those eyes peered from under a shock of spiky cherry red hair, and Bennet knew immediately that he would kill to protect this child.  He fell asleep with her curled tenderly in the cook of his arm, and in doing so, he fell in love for life.  Kithri would ever be known as Bennet's babe.  

Random Loot Tables

Gold distribution:

3g per minion +1 for every level over the player's highest level.

Example: We killed three minions, we're level 2 and they were level 4. Each minion was worth 5 gold. Our party of five now has 15 gold to divide.

5g per basic monster +2 for every level over the player's highest level.

We killed three monsters, we're level 2 and they were level 4. Each monster was worth 6 gold. Our party of five now has 27 gold to divide.

10g per boss monster +3 for every level over the player's highest level AND a dice roll from the loot table, to see how many magical items. For a monster within 5 levels of the party, roll 1d4 to see how many items drop. For a monster MORE than 5 levels over the party, roll 2d4. These items are magical, depending on the characters level (lower level magic items for lower level characters)

THEN, once the number is decided, roll that number of d10 to establish what all was found, using the tables below.

1- magical potion

2- magical ammo (arrow, bolt, sling stones)

3- sharp weapon (dagger, short sword, long sword, great sword)

4- cloth armor

5- jewelery

6- leather armor

7-ranged weapon (sling, bow, crossbow, throwing weapon)

8-chain mail

9-blunt weapon (club, staff, mace, axe)

10- plate

Actual item to be determined by DM. Where items are held also determined by DM.

Example: Party kills Bluesnot the Vile, head kobold. The party is level 2 the boss is level 4. The party gets 16g to divide, and the DM rolls 1d4. The DM rolls a 4, so then the DM rolls 4d10 to see whatall they found. The DM rolls a 2, 7, 9, 6. So, that's some magical ammo, a ranged weapon, a blunt weapon, and some leather armor. The DM then consults the item guides to see what items to distribute (or, in a perfect world, the DM already has some idea about what said monster is holding...)

Seen in role playing: Brog the barbarian wrenches his axe from Bluesnot's soft belly, and Bluesnot crumples to a heap at Brog's feet. From off his head, you pull a softly glowing leather cap, which fit him poorly, but would fit Brog's enormous head just nicely. Also, as he falls, his club clatters to the ground, and any sign that it's been in battle disappears, and it looks somehow cleaner than it would be if it were brand new. Behind him you spy a well made, shining ebony shortbow, and a basket of brightly feathered arrows. Upon closely inspecting the bow, you see runes carved at strategic points, and the arrows seem to be already been used in battle, with fresh blood dripping from their tips, but it doesn't smear or run anywhere. When digging through his pockets, you find a heavy little pouch, containing 16 tarnished gold pieces.

Looting after a large fight

Example for our level two party of 5:

five level 2 minions

three level 3 monsters

one level 4 boss

Loot would look like this:

5x3 for the minions=15

3x5 +2x3 for the basic mobs = 21

10+6 for the boss=16

So, for the total fight=52

Divide by five party members=10.4

Roles

Kouri is a timid character, and I think I'm struggling with that, in a way.  Tasha, too, sort of skulks around, with lots of personality, but little decisive action, too.  I chose those two character styles, because I don't want to dominate the party.  Dawna is a strong female lead, Kithri would be too, if I played her.  Damona surely was.  I chose a childlike, more timid path with Kouri as a chance of pace.

I feel like, instead of role playing, at key moments, I flounder, and often fall silent.  I think I'm going to take Kouri in a more nurturing way. Yesterday, when Trigger was dying of poisoning, Kouri rushed to his side at her first chance, knelt, and poured healing into him, as a way of trying to keep him alive through the fight.  We wrapped up quickly after that, because Alden was kinda melting down, but I wanted to play that out, where Kouri pounded Trigger's back and administered a form of CPR, holding his head, while he vomited up the rest of the poisons.  I feel like she's going from "Young wide-eyed calf" to "battlefield nurse/group mom" fast, and I think I'd enjoy that role.  With level two, I gave her a feat for healing, and a daily for healing, and both are cementing her role in the group.    I just can't be some wallflower.

I'm conceptualizing a new character, too.  A surly shade bard named Satch, who goes around in long black robes, and gnomish goggles all day.  I never play classic "badboy" types, so it'll be a fun departure.  Creating him in 4th ed, but I might wind up playing him in Chris's future game, or as an NPC in my world, or something.  I really want the opportunity to play a char like this, for real, though, not as an NPC.  The concept has stuck in my mind like a fish hook.

I also kinda can't wait to play Kithri some.  She's a cunning bard, and an entirely different role playing/combat style.

It's a whole fucking hobby!

I just had an epiphany on gamers, and gaming.  We've been playing sometimes with non-gamers.  In fact, besides Chris, Luiz, and I, the C:TL game has been saddled with three non gamers.  Early on, I felt shy about talking about it at length with them in between sessions, or prattling on about things with the GM, but now I realize that this is fine and normal, for gamers.  I think that was one of the fundamental issues with that game, trying to turn non gamers, into gamers, and trying to move things around for them to entice them into it.  I really didn't get why things weren't taking off.  I understand now.

 I've been getting into the head of a lovely non gamer who's been trying to do it for the social aspect, and for her husband, who is our GM.  She said "I don't mind being there, at the table, I enjoy it.  When it comes to continuing a story, or remembering how I'm supposed to act from one time to the next, or when it comes to thinking about it in between, then I can't handle it. I lose interest."  There we have it, folks, the cry of a doting wife, trying to be a gamer.  It made everything super clear to me.   I feel pretty good, now I can relate to her reticence, I can understand now why our Seaside Point game drags.

Ian is running us through some pre-generated content.  It's great for getting to the table, and getting into action.  It's not at all story driven.  Very on the rails "Go to a town, find out a menace, go kill the menace, go back to town, plot twists...there's an even bigger menace using those little guys as catspaws".  Interacting with NPCs in town gives us some time to role play and develop our characters, but outside of that, it's basic dungeon crawling.  Which is GREAT.  What keeps it fresh is that in between times, we're constantly chatting about each other's characters, and making up stories about them, guessing about what comes next, conceptualizing, etc.  So, when we get to the table, we've already been playing it out in our head for a week or two, and we're rarin' to go.  Even if "go"  trotting (or charging, sneaking, stumbling, sauntering...) down some steps into the next room of the dungeon, kick down a door, kill a buncha monsters with panache, and loot them.

I explained it to Lee this way, "We're all actors in some great movie.  If we just showed up, read some lines, and went home to do other things for a month, till we were summoned in for our next lines...the movie would suck.  The best part of gaming happens behind the scenes, like movies.  There's tons of stuff happening around the actors, the director is planning, the scenery people are doing stuff, there's writing and editing happening.  Even actors research their roles, change their mannerisms.  Only THEN can actors walk into a full world and interact with it."  We're the cast and crew, the artists, the writers, the director, the actors.  We're building something.  We are not the audience.  Even playing from semi dry pre-printed material offers us a giant sand box to build castles, and sort out personalities.

So, with Seaside Point, half our crew is just showing up and sitting in the sand box waiting for a miracle.  Half of us are pondering, thinking preparing, storycrafting.  The rest, just kinda arrive expecting things to happen.  Which is ok, because they're not bit by the bug. They're not role players.  If we were to expect that of them, it would be forced, and unfair for them, they're not thinking on my level about that piece of paper in front of them.  Their sheet does not represent some amazing imaginary friend.  It's a reference sheet with a lot of confusing numbers and terms.  My mistake was this:  I chalked it up to being new.  It's totally not that at all.  Alden's new, but he's a gamer. He's forever talking about Dorn or Adrian, or now Nimbus (oh, holy god is he chewing my ear off about Nimbus...)  He sat  there browsing a website that sells precision dice last night for hours, exclaiming over the colors.  He's badgering me about painting his minis.  He's a gamer, no mistake, he just has to iron out his role playing skills.

Let's leave the non gamers to their movies, and their other non-interactive entertainment, and lets everyone be happy. Let me nerd it up, obsess about my character, and the minutia of storycrafting. Let me make tables of loot, tables of outcomes, percentage tables, and study the energy expenditure of razor edged dice as opposed to rounded edge dice.  Let me write my stories, and go on flights of fancy, because what I bring to the table is going to be excellent.  It'll be excellent because I've been thinking about it, in fact, last night, I probably went to sleep contemplating it.    I'm not going to pretend nonchalance, and try to water down the experience for people that aren't exactly interested in the hobby.  It's not acting.  It's not a casual social gathering.  The mistake is trying to make it out for less than it is.  RPG gaming, anything that requires core books, character sheets, and dice...that's a hobby, and an investment of time, and often money.  Many other games fall in to simpler "social event" categories like card games and board games.  This is role playing.  Showing up at a table and being led through every move by other players, is a farce.

That said, I am all for meeting once a month or so, for a casual gaming thing, that's not role playing.  I happen to love board games, card games, and all that, and I genuinely like hanging out with people.