Choose Your Review! What should I buy?

I was lucky enough to win a $10.00 gift certificate to Amazon.com recently from the great comic-based blog Exfanding Your Horizons. Many of you may know Flashman85, one of the blog's authors, as a guest writer here on BtS whose written two fantastic posts already (one just a few days ago)

Anyways, I was planning on just running to the site and buying up the Harrow Cards I've been considering getting, but then - glancing down my wish list of RPG books and game aids I've been considering buying - I realized that there was a lot I wanted to buy. Frankly there was a TON I wanted to buy.

Sigh...

SO, I'm leaving the decision up to you, the READERS! I have a small list already brewing in my head of potential things I could purchase, but throw your opinions in the ring! Is there a game, adventure, campaign setting, game aid, map pack, or anything else you've been curious about? Should I grab up the Mouseguard game everyone's talking about, or throw a pre-order in for the Pathfinder RPG? Want a review on a Gamemaster aid, or even The Surprising Adventures of Baron Munchausen?

If you have a product (or several) you'd like to suggest, reply in a comment or send me an email directly at beneaththescreen AT gmail DOT com. I'll take suggestions for the next week and then write a follow-up post, setting up a poll with all of the options. Once I've purchased the product I'll provide a step-by-step recap of my experience with the item and a review of my thoughts on it.

In other news, the jury is in on my new banner.



The verdict? For the most part, folks who were familiar with my old banner enjoyed it more then the new one I had up. While the new banner wasn't BAD (new viewers seem to enjoy it), all in all most people weren't a fan of the new banner.

At the end of the day, I'd love to get a snazzy new banner. I mean, just look at these fancy blogs I'm sharing the stage with! If I ever get my hands on something award-worthy maybe I'll hold a banner-making contest. I may just wait for the inevitable day I switch to wordpress and buy my own domain though... like all them fancy bloggers.

Anyways, we're back to the original banner for now. I look forward to hearing some of your ideas for product reviews. Leave a comment!

Holidays in D&D: Part Six - Party Time!

In conclusion of my Holidays in D&D series, here's an encounter your whole group can enjoy!

I ran a festival for my 3.5 Dungeons and Dragons group this past year - a holiday based specifically around actions the characters had taken. The celebration consisted of three parts.

The first part of the holiday was a full-town celebration. The characters had been invited back to the town as guests of honor, and throughout the small settlement people cheered them on as they walked through the streets in a pseudo-parade fashion. Stores had special bargains for them, and wherever they went they were welcomed into homes with fresh-baked pies and other small gifts.

The second part of the holiday was a feast in their honor. I took some time to allow the players to mingle and to describe the delicious meal. During the meal, the third part of the holiday was revealed - a masquerade ball to be held the following evening...

The Masquerade Ball CR: NC-17
Every hero needs a break, and what better way to relax then to par-tay. A night of dancing, drinking, and eventually - *gasp* finding someone lucky to go home with. Surely the most difficult challenge your heroes will ever face...

This encounter contains three parts, with the eventual goal of, yes, your noble adventurers getting lucky. No this is not the kind of encounter you think it is! Rather, it's designed to be a light-hearted and comedic encounter, built to give your players a chance to cool down after closing out a big chapter of their campaign. It also is a prime place to seed future plots or drop any number of juicy rumors.

The first part of this encounter entails preparing for the ball - specifically, purchasing costumes. The second part includes the party itself, where the players can take on a variety of party "roles" to increase their chances of getting lucky and determining who exactly they get lucky with.

The third part, is of course, the roll to determine who goes home alone, and who parties their way into the arms of another.

Encounter Set-Up: This encounter assumes that the players are familiar - at least on a basic level - with some of the individuals who may be attending this party. It is best held in a city which the characters have spent a lot of time in, or have done a little adventuring in - having already met some key characters. This is because part of the ball will be an opportuity to discover the identity of specific party-goers in order to plan carefully which of the guests the adventures want to use their... charismatic wiles on.

Even a general familiarity with townspeople, such as "Hey, wasn't there a portly baker woman who made us the most amazing pies ever? I bet she'll make me pies for breakfast. Wink wink. Nudge nudge." should work fine.

Feel free to set up your gaming table for this encounter however you'd like. The simplest set-up is to take five note cards and lay them out on your gaming table however you'd like. On the face-up side of each card, write one of the "party roles".

On the face-down side of each card, write the appropriate reward for successfully achieving that role.

Stage One: Dressing the Part
"Thank you all so much for being able to come to the feast. It truly is an honor to have you in our fair little town, especially given all you've done for us." The mayor smiled sweetly. "I trust we'll see you all at the masquerade ball tomorrow night.

Remember to bring a costume!"

Every good masquerade ball attendant needs a costume. The more elegant, extravagant, and inconspicuous the outfit, the better. Encourage your players to shop around town and design costumes that suit their characters best. The amount of money each character spends on a costume grants a bonus to their "The Big Score" roll which will be made at the end of the night. DM's should make a note of the bonuses privately until all players have made their purchases.



Encourage your players to describe their guise as they enter the party, and feel free to ham up the many heads that turn for the more expensive outfits. As a note, the lowest end of costumes probably consist of little more then a half-face masquerade eye mask, while the highest end are full face masks accompanied by extravagantly crafted clothing, platinum jewelery, and fine jewel accents.

Stage Two: Now The Party Can Start
"Why, good sir, I don't know who hides behind that mask but I must say whoever it is knows a thing or two about dancing!" The rogue smiled, "Lady, you ain't seen nothin' yet!"

As the encounter begins, invite your players to take turns (starting with whoever has the best costume and so on) to place their miniatures on the party role of their choice. To begin, only one character may attempt each role, though after each round (regardless if it's a failure or success), they may choose to move to other roles allowed by the role they were previously on (even if it's occupied), or to stay and try to attempt that role again (again, even if they succeeded the first time - the rewards are all cumulative).

For each role, the character will be given a set of potential skill checks. They may choose whichever skill check they wish to make, and must succeed at a DC 15 skill check for that skill. If they succeed, they gain the reward for that party role. This entire stage of the encounter has five rounds (ie. five chances to succeed at skill checks). If you'd like to make the party longer, feel free to make it ten rounds and simply cut the rewards in half.

Lord of the Dance: Leave those ballroom dancers in the dust. When you're the Lord of the Dance, none can stand to your funky moves. Stand back ladies and gentlemen, the Lord has arrived.

Jump - Jump around! Jump! Jump! Jump!
Perform [dance] - Did he just invent that move?
Tumble - They're break dance fighting!
Sleight of Hand - Look at her twirl those sunrods!
Concentration - And step, one two, and step, ball change.

Reward: +2 bonus to a character's Big Score modifier.
Progression: From this role, a party-goer can move to the Smooth Talker, Life of the Party or Master of the Bar roles.

Life of the Party: Now that you're here the party can really start. Sure, you make a fool of yourself, but sometimes standing out can be the best thing. And when you're not falling down, standing out is something you've mastered.

Climb - Get off the curtains!
Perform [sing] - Oh man, I LOVE this song!
Knowledge [local] - How refreshing, social commentary!
Survival - We're out of booze? Don't worry, I can find some.
Search - Marco! Polo!

Reward: +2 bonus to a character's Big Score modifier.
Progression: From this role, a party-goer can move to any party role they choose.

Mysterious Stranger: Tall, dark, and handsome. You cling to the shadows, picking out the perfect moment to make your move. Catching the eyes of a handsome noble, or a fair farmer's daughter from across the ballroom and then vanishing into the crowd leaving them wondering... Yeah, all that and more you sly dog you.

Disguise - I have no idea who she is, but she's amazing...
Move Silently - Oh my, you snuck up on me... *bashful giggle*
Gather Information - I owe the mayor a dance. Seen her?
Spot - There she is!
Hide - I was dancing with this girl, but then... she was gone!

Reward: A character can successfully identify a fellow party-goer.
Progression: From this role, a party-goer can move to the Smooth Talker or Lord of the Dance roles.

Smooth Talker: "If your AC weren't so high, I'd totally hit that..." Oh you, master of the silver tongue and the golden pick-up lines. No one can resist your wily charms, and you know it.

Diplomacy - Excuse me miss, care to dance?
Bluff - You know, we halflings get a pretty versatile size bonus...
Listen - Did someone say they needed some punch?
Sense Motive - She digs me.
Knowledge [architecture & engineering] - Need I say more?

Reward: A character can successfully identify a fellow party-goer.
Progression: From this role, a party-goer can move to the Lord of the Dance, Mysterious Stranger, or Life of the Party roles.

Master of the Bar: Adept at serving up drinks of all shapes and sizes, you can hold your own and keep everyone else riding the buzz all the way home. Pelor bless you spinner of the sauce.

Open Lock - Guess who found the liquor cabinet?
Craft [alchemy] - I call this one Alchemists Fire Water!
Heal - I got the drink what heals ya.
Balance - For when the world starts spinning!
Intimidate - I think you've had enough...

Reward: +2 bonus to a character's Big Score modifier.
Progression: From this role, a party-goer can move to the Life of the Party or Mysterious Stranger roles.

Stage Three: The Big Score
The night is winding down. Your adventurers have spent the night asserting themselves as the true heroes of - not only the town - but the party. Dancing, drinking, and sweet-talking the night away, some of your adventurers know the identity of those they're trying to "seal the deal" with, while to others... it remains a mystery. Regardless, it's time to try for the big score.

All players may now make a DC 25 "Big Score" Check. This, again, is a skill check chosen from a list of potential skills. The characters may add the modifiers gained from their costumes and their achievements throughout the night. If they have identified individuals from the party, they may target a specific individual - otherwise it's up to you who they have the potential to go home with.

Ride - [Censored Explanation]
Escape Artist - [Censored Explanation]
Use Rope - [Censored Explanation]
Handle Animal - [Censored Explanation]
Decipher Script - And you thought that skill was useless.

At the end of the night, a round of light applause for the victors (and perhaps a private roll to see if any kids will be knocking on their doors a few years from now) should be in order. What comes of these one night romances is up to your group, but all in all it should be a fun break from their typical adventures to take on a real challenge.

What waits for them the next morning, besides the true identities of their bedmates and a hangover is up to you!

If you're really looking for a fun awakening, take a page from my book and make it the very morning that an army of stone giants come streaming over the hilltops with a red dragon in tow and their eyes set on taking the town by force.

DM: Belthez, you are awakened by three things. The smell of sizzling bacon in the next room, a splitting headache, and the distant sound of war drums just outside the cities walls.

Belthez: Wait a minute. Did you say bacon?

Have a delightful party, and remember:

Friends don't let friends scry-n-die drunk!

Campaign Continuity: Ever get that nagging feeling you forgot something?

Posts don't write themselves while you're LARPing (or recovering from LARPing), so Flashman85 is here to fill in with a guest post.

Enjoy!


It's bound to happen: Whether you're writing book sequels, making a TV series, or running a tabletop RPG, eventually you're going to run into continuity issues. Maybe you mention in passing that the king has a throne made of gold, and when the heroes meet with the king, he's actually got a silver throne. Maybe a character's brother perished before his eyes in a terrible accident, yet the brother makes a live cameo later on, defying all logic. Maybe the absolute top speed of that zeppelin is 75 km/hr, yet the heroes go cruising off at an even 100 km/hr without any modifications or magic.

Sometimes, things just don't match up. Sometimes these things go unnoticed; sometimes you look really stupid. Tabletop RPGs run a higher risk of continuity errors than most other creative endeavors. No matter how much planning and preparation go into a session, when you're giving your players (or your GM) information on the fly, it's all too easy to forget minor details and say things that you'll later wish didn't become canon as soon as you said them.

If you're a player, continuity isn't such a big problem most of the time: flesh out your backstory in advance and write down anything you make up as you go. Easy peasy. If you're the GM, however, you're keeping track of far more than just one character and her cookie-cutter tragic childhood. If one tiny piece of your universe falls out of place, it might just mean your universe has one tiny little piece out of place... or it could mean that the stability and continuity of your universe are in jeopardy.

As a GM, you have 3 major options for addressing a continuity error:

(1) Just ignore the error. Hope no one notices, write it off as inconsequential, or accuse the players of being liars and blame them for pretending there's a continuity error. But if that won't work...

(2) Come up with a plausible in-game excuse, no matter how dubious it may be. Twist the game universe until continuity is restored. But if that won't work...

(3) Admit you've made a mistake and go with whichever version of the truth best suits the situation, even if that means completely erasing or revising something you've already told the players. Alternately, you can just kill off the whole party and start over from scratch.

Options 1 and 3 work best for covering up tiny mistakes, but if EVERYONE says there can only be two Sith--one master and one apprentice--running around the galaxy at any one time, you had better have a darn good explanation for why there are now FIVE Sith currently attacking the party.

Manufacturing a plausible in-game excuse, especially in the middle of a session, isn't always easy, but there are many ways you can get yourself out of a jam.

What I present here is by no means an exhaustive list of remedies, but hopefully these ideas will put you on the right track when you encounter the inevitable continuity catastrophe:

Bad information: NPCs lie. People have bad memories. Spoken words are misheard. Characters misjudge time, distance, weight, etc. Wise men don't always know everything. Maps are inaccurate. Ancient scrolls are mistranslated. Musty tomes contain typos. It's not necessarily a continuity error if the in-game source of information isn't entirely trustworthy for one reason or another.

Simple omissions: Why did it take seven days to reach the castle when last time it only took six? Oh, well, I forgot to mention that you were moving a little slower because of the weather, and you had to take a minor detour because one of the roads was closed. How did that bounty hunter suddenly get her hands on a disruptor pistol when you said she was totally unarmed and wearing a jumpsuit with absolutely no place to hide a weapon? Oh, well, you didn't look at her back to see if she had a pistol strapped to it. Remember, even if you're picturing a clear path to the castle or a bounty hunter with no hidden weapons, the only facts are the things you've told the players.

There's more than meets the eye: How did those rival archaeologists beat us to the excavation site if whe had them locked up in prison when we left town? Well, perhaps a mysterious benefactor sprang them out and arranged for faster transportation, or maybe those people you see before you are impersonators. How is it possible that the villain is really a vampire, yet he attacked us in broad daylight yesterday... while eating garlic!? Well, maybe vampires in this universe aren't the same as the ones you're used to, or it could be that he knows of some way to defend against normal vampiric weaknesses.

Without conclusive proof that something is completely impossible, there's always a scenario to explain the inexplicable.

Supernatural intervention: The ocean used to be twenty miles away from town... until the god of the sea got angry and pushed the coast inward about ten miles. Sure, the villain's hair used to be brown, but that Super Soldier Serum she injected into her arm last week seems to have a side effect that occasionally changes her hair color. When all else fails, blame it on magic--it's powerful stuff that can alter almost anything. Or, chalk it up to time travel. I mean, I've done it.


Remember, you don't always need to resolve continuity errors immediately; "That is an interesting question," and "Well, what do you think?" are perfectly valid responses to a player's suspicion or accusation that there's a problem with your story's continuity. Just be sure to think up an answer before an answer is absolutely required.

Do keep in mind that fixing one continuity error can lead to worse continuity errors, so if your players question the villain's ability to jump unnaturally high, don't place the blame on gravity elves if there's nothing supernatural or elfy about your campaign. Keep your fixes as simple as possible, and don't tell your players how you've resolved the problem unless it's brilliant or unless your players really need an answer--a single hiccup in continuity is often better than a convoluted solution.

Of course, proper preparation and self-monitoring really help to prevent continuity errors in the first place. Map out those crazy plot twists as far in advance as you can. Come up with very solid explanations for why anything will be different than it used to be. Have one of your players keep a log of all the major events in a session and all the key details you give. Jot down quick notes for yourself whenever you spontaneously come up with names or character backstories during a session. Go over relevant information from previous sessions if the players will be returning to familiar locations and meeting with familiar characters. That kind of thing.

Know your campaign universe inside and out, plan as thoroughly as possible, pretend that the easily fixed problems were part of the plan the whole time, and flex some creative muscle when everything falls apart. There's no continuity error you can't handle.

But if there is, you really can just kill off all your players to spite them.

Gone LARPing!

Well, I'm off to battle evil and such. Have a great weekend everyone, I will be back on Monday! In the meantime, please enjoy some steampunked Nerf guns! Happy blogging!

Holidays in D&D: Part Five

Your small group scurries down the staircase, and you exit Oak Island Keep - heading East over the bridge, and back into the town. Several guild-members line the street who help point you in the correct direction, towards the east and into the Temple District.

To your left as you cross to the other side of Sharkfin bridge you make out an old building which seems to be sagging in the middle, it's walls slowly rotting and its pilings sinking into the inexorable flow of the river below. A half ruined sign still hangs askew over the boarded-up door, but the picture has long since worn away.

Next to the ruined building is another interesting sight, a small quaint building that seems to be a shop of some kind. As you pass by, strange smells greet your noses, and you notice a number of crows lurking on the eaves and gutters.

A sign above the door depicts a Quasit breaking a wand over a horned skull, and an evil spirit of some sort rising up from the shattered end of the wand. A middle-aged woman stands in the doorway, leaning up against the frame. She gives you a polite nod as you pass, and the smirk on her face tells you that she knows you'll be back.

As you round the corner, a larger building comes into view on your right, it's sign flickering with faerie fire. The façade of this structure is covered with dozens of posters, many in tatters or out of date, depicting strange freaks of nature, monsters, and bizarre relics with catch-phrases such as "See the Wondrous Eel-Man!" and "Behold Nature's Cruelest Trick: The Toad-Faced Dog!" and "Test Your Endurance in the Pit of Vile Ooze!"

The huge flickering sign above the main entrance proudly proclaims the place to be Anmeh's Hall of Oddities. The building however looks to be currently closed, though not out of business, so you imagine it is because of the festival, and continue on.

You weave further down the street, as the crowd gets slowly less dense. Small groups of people break off from the mob, heading down side streets towards their meeting place, as you can see the Temple District in the distance. As you walk further along the street, on your left you pass by a building called "The Lizard's Boat", you pass a forge with a sign bearing the picture of an anvil and the words "Guildhall of Smiths" hanging from a post at the street corner, and finally a large older building with a broad front porch.

You barely have time to inspect these structures however, as you round the corner and come face to face with the Cathedral of Pelor. This impressive cathedral towers over the neighboring buildings, and indeed it might be the tallest structure in the entire town. It certainly presents one of the most impressive landmarks you've seen so far.

The white stone walls of this Cathedral rise nearly 100 feet into the air, and the large dome of red and orange metal atop the square structure adds another fifty feet to its height. The radiant golden symbol of Pelor adorns the walls of the structure, glinting in the sun, proclaiming its allegiance proudly and unmistakably.

Yet despite its grandiose appearance, the building seems run down and even a bit dirty.

As you walk through the front entryway, your eyes adjust to the dimness of the cathedral itself. The cathedral is primarily one huge open space, consisting of a central pulpit surrounded by numerous pews. A middle aged man, human, comes to greet you.

He is dressed in the robes and fittings of a high priest, and holds his hands out in welcome, a broad smile crossing his face and crinkling the corners of his eyes. He says his introductions quickly, but kindly, not really leaving you much space to get a word in edge-wise. You think that he may have been prompted on how to greet you and what to say, and that he is carefully trying to not forget.

"Welcome! Welcome to the Cathedral of Pelor. My name is Father Balthazar, High Priest of this church. I imagine you are here with the Festival? Ah yes, well I am new to the city myself, so from one newcomer to another, I welcome you!"

Leading you inside, the priest continues his introduction. "We have arranged one of the side meeting chambers for you..." He motions through the door into a small room with a table and four chairs. "As you can see, I've left a basket of bread and cheese on the table for you, as I imagine you're hungry after your boat ride." He looks around for a second, making sure no one is around, as he confesses in a whisper, "I've also snuck a bottle of sacramental wine under the table for you."

He smiles, a warm comforting smile. "Anyways here you are, I was told a member of the Guild would be by to explain the rules and to pick you up when it was your turn to enter. The only hints they gave me to tell you were that you should get to know each other, and what skills you have to utilize. That way, you may have some strategy when you enter the maze. Well, if you need anything, let me know. May Pelor bless you."

He traces a quick holy symbol in the air before smiling once more, and turning to leave.

Holidays in D&D: Part Four

Before long, you spy a middle aged man stride up the steps to the platform. The human stands just over five feet tall, and his face is framed by shoulder length brown hair, to match his drooping mustache. He is cloaked in a fine crimson silk cape, falling loosely around his green tabard, inlaid with golden thread that shimmers even from your distance away. Aside from his noble guard he is dressed in noble's clothing, fringed by perfectly tanned bits of leather. His fingers are adorned with rings and he wears a rather large golden amulet around his neck.

He walks to the center of the platform, looking out over the bustling sea of adventurers for a moment, as if taking in every individual face.

He finally raises his gloved hands, and almost immediately, the crowd is silent. Even the birds in the oak trees fall silent, as a tense and excited peace falls over the crowd for a moment. He slowly lowers his hands, letting the silence sink in, before finally speaking, his voice magically rippling over the crowd to reach every ear.

"Welcome... to the Festival of Adventurers!"

As if on cue, the gathered forces suddenly unite in one explosive cheer! Hats are thrown into the air, as magic missiles explode in the atmosphere, and glitterdust spells rain down upon the crowd.

The cheering seems to continue without end, the sights and sounds, the songs and smells, all having built to this one bursting moment of excitement. It was finally to begin.

Again, the man slowly lifted his hands, the crowd falling softly once more, until his chuckling laughter was the only noise heard.

"Hah hah, yes yes, welcome! I am Lord Erolin Timertikos, and welcome to my fair city. Look around! The men and the women, the elves and the dwarves who stand beside you.

Here on Oak Island stand over one thousand people. Some from the mountains, some from the trees. Some from the cities, and some from the very ocean itself.

We have crossed the seven continents seeking those brave enough, strong enough, and wise enough, to be here today. And here you are, one thousand strong. But there is one thing. Yes there is one thing, that binds you all together. There is one thing that makes you, all of you, one. You. Are. Adventurers!"

Cheers from the audiences erupt again. You can make out dwarves patting elves on the back. And a few gnomes sitting on the shoulders of orcs and half-giants for a better view. It is truly a sight to behold, the unity of it all. Again the man raises his hand, bringing a swift silence to the island.

"Yes, Adventurers. Heroes. Heroines. The dungeon crawlers and the treasure seekers. Some of you seek fame. Some of you seek riches. Some of you glory. You serve your gods, you weave your spells, you shine your swords, all of you for adventure. And I can tell you my friends, there is nothing greater.

My great grandfather, the great paladin Orrin Timertikos founded this town, and his was the adventure that started it all. All that you see before you. Adventuring runs in my blood as it does yours, and in the next three days you will have your chance to prove it. Challenges await you indeed, and though I have heard many rumors about the supposed first challenge…"

He pauses to chuckle for a little bit. “A kobold throwing contest being the most amusing of them all…”

This raises a light laughter from the crowd, including from the kobolds who seem to be enjoying themselves more then ever. "Nothing could prepare you! Nothing could prepare you for our first challenge. Priestess Tolivar, if you would please."

This last bit he says aside to a woman dressed in brown robes, leaves in her hair, standing to the side. She nods, turning with her back to the crowd, facing the large vacant space behind the main stage. She begins to weave her hands together, as if they were dancing to the patterns of the wind.

"Now then," Erolin continues, "Priestess Lira Tolivar, leader of the Oak Island druids, has granted us this place for our first event. Now if you would all do me a favor and reach into your green envelopes. Within, you should find a bound scroll. Open it.

On that scroll is written a name. It is the name of your team. Yes your team! For what is an adventurer without a party of fellow adventurers by their side? Of course, in this challenge, you have been randomly paired up based on the order you checked in, so I wish you all the best. On the back of your scroll is a meeting place somewhere in the city. Members of the Adventurers Guild will be available to provide directions if you require them. After the challenge is revealed, you should report to your scheduled meeting place, to meet your teammates, and discuss strategy. Strategy, you ask? You will need it, for taking on this!"

He steps to the side in one fluid motion, throwing his hand back to present the open space behind the platform as the druid finishes dispelling the illusion and the true landscape forms into place. A huge maze rises from the ground, as walls of briar and stone form twisting walls and narrow passages. You can just make out the roar of strange beasts waiting within, as the crowd gasps and murmurs in excitement. Many fingers point towards the center of the maze, where one tall pole stands, topped by a small blue fluttering flag.

"The Labyrinth! Four teams enter. Many challenges wait within, not to mention the other teams out to make sure they reach the flag first. Who will emerge victorious? That and many more questions will be answered at this, the Festival of Adventurers!"

A final cheer erupts from the crowd, before the mob begins to file off of the island, heading to their respective meeting points. You all glance down at your scrolls, and at the two little words scribed upon them, "Team Chimera". The back of the scroll lists your meeting location as the Cathedral of Pelor, towards the western end of town in the Temple district. The festival has begun.

Holidays in D&D: Part Three

You make your ways through the crowded streets, passing by various buildings, some of which appear to be small privately owned shops, or minor pubs like the one you tried to gain entry to before. Likewise, these taverns also have their doors closed. You cross over Sharkfin Bridge and continue West through the slum district until you reach a main intersection.

To your right stands a tall, incredibly flashy building that seems out of place this close to the slums. Marble columns carved to resemble trees line the walls of the building and a large illusory image of a scandalously writhing woman with pale skin and green hair undulates on a miniature stage built to resemble a forest glen above the main entrance. A golden sign labels this establishment as "The Dancing Dryad". Unfortunately you only have time to catch a glance at it, as you hurry the rest of the way towards Oak Island.

Walking along this road you can see to your right where the rock drops off to a lower layer, and the western edge of the peninsula. This district is filled with large manors and expensive looking houses. Several roads lead down into the district, and city guard can be seen patrolling in small groups rather then individually around this high class district.

Reaching the eastern edge of the bridge connecting to Oak Island, you cross through a large stone structure, open to the air. A sign labels this structure as the "Saltmarsh Point Forum", and as you walk through the center of the forum, you pass by four statues, flanking you two to a side. The statues depict a paladin, a rogue, a wizard, and a druid - likenesses you imagine to the four adventurers who founded Saltmarsh so many years ago.

As you cross the bridge, you don't have to be a dwarf to admire the architectural wonder, as the bridge is held aloft by only four thin pilings that reach down to the ground and seabed below.

Crossing over to the other side, you enter a large abandoned squat stone keep, now overgrown with vines. Reaching the exit on the other side you are met with a sea of people.

Creatures of all races and genders crowd this small island, lining up before a large platform.

You can see a wide open span of the island stretching out behind the platform, dense patches of oak trees lining the edges of the plateau. Some of you manage to spot a small staircase to the side of the keep which you all head to, drawn both by the idea of not having to stand in the back row of an almost endless crowd of people.

You all make your way up onto the roof, passing by a young noble couple catching a private moment in the stairwell. They blush and run off as you approach, giggling. As you reach the roof, you all can't help but congratulate yourselves on such a find. You seem to be the only four up here, and sitting on the crenelated wall gives you a commanding view of the masses below, the arranged platform, and the island beyond.

Turning around you can see the city spread out before you, fireworks still echoing in the sky, as hippogryph riders do somersaults in the air. You sit back and manage to try and relax for the few minutes you have before the opening ceremonies start

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There are many ways to incorporate holidays into your game. Many campaign settings will provide a list of common holidays in their world, while source material on deities is a good place to look for religious festivals. Homebrewing holidays isn't all that hard either, and based on your knowledge of the group you play with, it might be best to tailor your festivities to whatever your group might enjoy.

Traditional Holidays
Most holidays are annual, and the most common ones are based on the changing seasons. Midsummer, midwinter, the end of the dry season, the beginning of harvest season, and so on all make good options for holidays.

Such universal yearly dates probably encourage celebration through your world or campaign's continent (though the biggest celebrations and balls obviously take place in the capital city).

Other traditional holidays typically mark the beginning of something. Whether it's the day a nation first gained independence, the day a great war ended (or began), or the day a town was founded - these celebrations can be local or broad, focused around individual towns and may even bring animosity from some communities who opposed the change (despite how long ago it was).

Religious Holidays
Holidays linked to deities can add fantastic flavor to any game. From secret underground masquerade balls held for a god of trickery and shadows, to festivals for the goddess of love where candy and contraceptives are sold in the streets (if you catch my drift).

Religious holidays can add a lot to games especially if you have one of more players whose characters are devoted to the deity in question. Special invitations to them and a number of guests can get the party as special guests to unique celebrations, and make players value their dedication to the gods in your game.

Guests of Honor
Nothing will entertain your players more then holidays specifically surrounding them. Did your players more or less single-handedly save a small town from an overwhelming assault? Perhaps they saved the life of a town's mayor! Such grand actions may make the characters local heroes and may encourage a small annual festival to be held in their honor.

Unexpected invitations to the PC's as "guests of honor" to a festival held in their honor for actions they took a year (and several levels) ago should delight and surprise your players. A feast, a ball, and grand gifts from the town such as a boat, or a home of their own, will give your players a chance to relax and revel in their own accomplishments (perhaps while they even watch the town's children re-enact the events in a small play).

Birthdays
If all else fails, celebrate your player's birthdays in-game by giving their characters a birthday party too! Having all of their favorite NPC's surprise them with small gifts and a big cake can add to any session! For maximum surprise, encourage your group to keep the celebration a secret and procure a real cake for everyone to enjoy. There's a lot of different ways you can approach this idea, but the number one rule is HAVE FUN WITH IT!

As the last part to this series on holidays, next time I'll give you all a holiday ready and raring to be celebrated in your next session. Happy celebrating!