Map Pack Mansion: Hedge Maze

At four tiles, the Hedge Maze is attractive but not overly big (or complex). Corey Macourek's name can be seen on the statue in the middle. The rest of the statue is sadly obscured by the alignment arrows.



Now playing: Bell-Bottomed Badasses on the Mean Streets of Funk

Map Pack Mansion: Sacrificial Chamber

The single tile Sacrificial Chamber is also dark, although you can clearly see the candles, and you can probably make out the weird spiral on the floor. The bodies in the corners are hard to see, but they are just as creepy as the dolls in the Nursery.



Now watching: Apocalypto (speaking of human sacrifice...)

Map Pack Mansion: Attic

The two tile Attic is another dark location. This nice long room has numerous crates, barrels, and other paraphernalia.



Now watching: 24, Season 2

Map Pack Mansion: Nursery

Moving on to Map Pack: Haunted Mansion, I discover a minor problem: half of the tiles are so dark that they don't scan well. The single tile Nursery is one example, although I can tell you that it includes numerous creepy dolls. I have a phobia about manequins, so I'll say no more.



Now watching: The Queen

Map Pack Fortress: Gatehouse

The granddaddy of the Fortress Map Pack is this six tile location, encompassing the moat, the drawbridge, and the gatehouse. You can see a larger version of about two thirds of it on the product page.



Now playing: Three-Dragon Ante

Map Pack Fortress: Treasure Vault

There's some nice stuff in this single tile location. Silver bars, chests of coins, a harp, some paintings, some blades (including a broken one carefully preserved), and the one thing that makes every noble's collection complete: rugs.



Now watching: Lost: The Answers (Now I don't need to go back and watch the rest of the second and third seasons)

Map Pack Fortress: Prison

Although far less cozy than the Master Bedroom, this single tile prison has room for three or more.



Now watching: Blood Diamond

Map Pack Fortress: Master Bedroom

This single tile location is a cozy night spot for the lord or lady of the fortress, and there's certainly room in the bed for two.



Now reading: Player's Guide to Eberron

Map Pack Fortress: Library

This two tile location doesn't seem to be listed on the product page, but it looks like a library with an upper walkway to me.



Now reading: Ultimate X-Men 6

Map Pack Fortress: Throne Room and Banquet Hall

I'll admit these four tiles seem a little odd to me. I can imagine combining the throne room and the banquet hall in a barbaric culture (like Rohan or Winterfell), but it seems a little out of place in a civilized fortress, which this one clearly intends to be.



Now reading: Fiendish Codex II (just the Hellfire Warlock PrC really)

Map Pack Fortress: Kitchen

Another clean, well-organized single tile room. I wouldn't want to eat off the floor or anything, but I doubt I'd need to make poison or disease checks from eating the cuisine.



Now reading: Complete Mage (still working on the warlock)

Map Pack Fortress: Barracks

These barracks appear to belong to a lawful organization, unlike the barracks in the Dungeon Chambers set. They still play cards, but I bet they don't cheat.



Now reading: Complete Arcane (working up a warlock PC)

Map Pack Fortress: Arrow Slit Corridor

Moving on to Map Pack: Fortress. This single tile corridor would come in quite useful in a Shackled City campaign.



Now watching: Spiderman 3

Champion's Games: Bloodbath and Beyond

My Age of Worms campaign resumed last night after a six week hiatus. The party just entered the Champion's Games with the team name Bloodbath and Beyond (not original, unfortunately, but funny).

I spent Monday through Wednesday taking care of my new daughter and my two-year old son, so I had some time to get things organized. I put together two sandy WorldWorks Masterboards for the arena floor, and two rows of stands along the sides. I forgot to put miniatures in the stands as spectators, but I'll correct that for next week.

We got to try out the Critical Hit deck for the first time. The duskblade got two critical hits in one round with his elven court blade, shattering the jaw of an opponent and then killing them with a bewildering array. The urban ranger got one critical hit with his dragon rifle which gave him a bonus to AC, and then another critical hit with his axe, which caused his opponent to provoke an attack of opportunity from the duskblade, who promptly rolled a 1.

The Combat Pad was also new to the table, and it served well despite the fact that we only had one combat. I need to get some finer point dry erase markers, but this is definitely a step up from the index cards we were using, which did not allow you to see who was up next.


Now reading: Dungeon 147 (bullywug lich!)

Map Pack City Gallery

Here are all eighteen tiles from Map Pack: City. The Wizards' Guild would probably prefer acres of rolling lawn rather than being wedged up against the Fighter's Guild, but perhaps space is at a premium.


Apartment
Blacksmith
Weapon Store
Fountain
Ambush Alley
Fighters' Guild
Wizards' Guild


Now watching: Stargate Atlantis (while bottle feeding)

Map Pack City: Wizards' Guild

This location takes the cake for original design. There's a large image depicting how to assemble the four tiles on the product page. I like the arrows in the last few sets that show you how tiles link up. It's a shame the arrows on these tiles don't do quite as good a job.



Now watching: Snakes on a Plane

Map Pack City: Magic Shop

Between Map Packs, Dungeon Tiles, WorldWorks, Dwarven Forge, and Tact-Tiles, I think I need a second gaming table. Then I could use locations like this without having to move bigger set pieces out of the way.



Now watching: Paizo Blog

Map Pack Dungeon Gallery

Here are all eighteen tiles from Map Pack: Dungeon Chambers. The place could probably use some hallways, but I like the fact that the walls and doors of each room can be distinguished on the tiles.


Lava Bridge
Barracks & Storeroom
Beast Lair
Interrogation Chamber
Ruined Temple
Spiked Pit


Now watching: Flyboys

Map Pack City: Fighters' Guild

This is a very classy fighters' guild. They obviously know a good architect and a great interior decorator. Four tiles on this one.



Now reading: Earth X

Map Pack City: Ambush Alley

Like the Ruins in the Map Pack: Countryside set, these three tiles form an L shape. It looks like a good place to stage a fight, but how many alleys are 80 feet across?



Now watching: Heroes (I love "What If" comics)

Map Pack City: Fountain

I could swear I used to fountain-hop in a fountain that looked like this back when I was in college. Good fun!



Now reading: Dungeon #128

Critical Hit Deck Analysis

So I received my Critical Hit Deck. I plan to start using it when my campaign resumes next week, but I did some analysis yesterday with Excel. Here's one view into the data:

7 results do triple base damage

• 2 also inflict ability drain or bleed
• 2 have drawbacks (drop your weapon)

108 results do double base damage

• 42 may do additional damage (against certain foes, adjacent targets, or through bonus attacks) or give the attacker benefits
  
• 24 also inflict a status (no save)
• 10 also inflict a status (save negates)
  
• 13 also inflict ability damage, drain, or bleed
• 10 also inflict bleed damage
• 9 also inflict penalties (to skills, attacks, or movement)
• 3 also inflict nonlethal damage

93 results do normal base damage

• 11 may do additional damage or give the attacker benefits
  
• 25 also inflict a status (no save)
• 13 also inflict a status (save negates)
  
• 33 also inflict ability damage, drain, or bleed
• 12 also inflict bleed damage
• 23 also inflict penalties
• 1 also inflicts nonlethal damage

Now watching: The Pursuit of Happyness