Hey there readers (and listeners!). I just wanted to make sure to shed some light on some blogs out there that we are getting some mentions from.

Firstly, of course, our very own Rob at his blog "A Hero Twice a Month". 

But we also have Questing DM. This blog is also part of the RPG Bloggers Network and has some great content and lots of links to other resources.

Finally we have Bibliophile Stalker. This site has so many links and interesting tidbits I don't know where to start. But if you are literary minded and like RPGs, then this is a great blog for you.

The feeds are up for Questing DM and Bibliophile Stalker. Check them out in the righthand column!

I saw this and was mildly amused. If only iPhone's weren't such closed systems!. I hope they make it for the Gphone!

Direct from GRRM himself:

"HBO has given the production order.

They will be filming the pilot episode of A GAME OF THRONES."

If HBO does this half as good as their Rome series I will never ever cancel HBO from my cable subscription to save money. 

How long have we waited for a serious take on a fantasy series where they were not hampered by the censorship of the networks? A really long time!

If it does well I hope we can expect at least a good 13 episode run of the first book or two. Wow! 

<rant>So I downloaded and installed the Character Builder closed beta. It doesn't work under Wine, because it relies on that hunk of crap, one OS platform,  DotNOT from Microsoft.

Hey Wizards! Have you heard of Java? QT? GTK? Open GL? Until you have a working and usable multi-platform client there is only one thing you can do...

Bite me!</rant> 

We now return to your regularily scheduled program where we can watch Wizards with their head in the sand.

Digital Insider #14: Character Builder - As hinted last week, the Character Builder closed beta will begin early next week. It will be open to Insiders and folks who signed up at D&D Experience, with the general public becoming involved at some time in December. [Wizards of the Coast D&D]

So the beta will start next week. I'm interested to know how well it will work, but only having levels 1-3 isn't going to be a good judge of that really. To really judge the product I would need it to at least hit around lvl 16 or so. That way I can see how the paragon paths and the mult-class feats will work. Just about anyone can sneeze and put out a 1-3 level character with pen and paper. 

The one thing that the article mentions that really scares me is the following:

I know this is repeatative but once again http://wizards.com is down while I've been trying to get ready for a podcast? Yeesh! Hey Wizards! Ditch Microsoft already will you? This is truly pathetic. If this is the kind of uptime we should expect from your D&DI stuff, then you might as well pack it in now. People are not going to take kindly to your site's uptime or lack thereof effecting their game sessions.

 Rob. Does Rhiannon have another carreer in gaming that we should all know about? I happened upon Rhiannon: Curse of the Four Branches and wondered. The trailer for the game shows it to be... rather stupid looking. But the trailer ends with a "She's been acting so odd recently", which I thought was appropriate for Rhiannon

While I may risk being called a whiner should I continue to complain about 4e DnD, Our last game did highlight a major flaw in the game as I see it.  When inter-party conflict began, there was no real way for most characters to intervene effectively.  Now I will be the first to admit that I remain unaware of any rules which allow for subdual or non-lethal fighting apart from the rule on p295 of the player's handbook which allows you to designate a "killed" opponent as merely unconscious, and you don't have to even declare that intent until the creature is effectively deceased!  Obviously, this will make bar brawls far more costly in resources for any involved party member, since there is no way to recover that damage more rapidly or easily than if you had taken the same damage from being hacked at with an axe.