Lost

So apparently, what poetic skills I have, only seem to surface when things are REALLY good or REALLY bad.  This one is no exception.  Another fun poem from my younger days....Enjoy!

Lost

 a poisoned black dagger

embedded in my ignorant spine.

my only strength pours…

from a would unprotected.

a wound thought never to be reopened.

my adversary…

a temptress.

her seduction

warm…

sweet…

bliss.

her annihilation will be my atonement

for listening to unwanted advice.

scintillating nightmares

thin the mist of my past

my protective coat of arms.

her relentless desecration…

an experienced ruse.

my darkest desires

unexpectedly fulfilled.

fantasies dance around me

mocking me.

my shattered glass past

slipping through my bleeding hands…

unmistakably lost.

my true love

devoured by a pack of hungry wolves.

I gasp for control…

long gone.

missing every touch

I listen for spoken words

sounds of a voice seemingly forgotten.

undecided doubts cloud my emotions

scattered on a letter…

unsent.

Sacramental Compass

A poem written long ago, during a time when I lost my way.  

Sacramental Compass

Delusional secrets

of a scribbling pen rampant with desire…

and purpose.

my sacramental compass

broken by unwanted temptations…

consequences of a young maturity.

my heart not in its right mind.

the truth…

 a distant memory.

corrupted by lust and jealousy

unsought paths foolishly taken…

time and again.

my will dissolved

by conceptual beauty,

known but accepted…

gullibility at its best.

with her apathetic smile

my reality draws near and

confusion sets in.

my thoughts suddenly clouded

my emotions powerless as I lose control…

and my happiness.

Deception's Finest - Part 2

Fallon laid the large parchment paper out in front of him, which contained a map of the nearby ruins and his notes scribbled in ink, while the others looked on nervously.  There were four of them in total, all of them doppelgangers, from various villages and settlements...all of whom had lost something or someone dear to them.  They were about to set their plans into motion, each of them deeply vested, yet anxious and worried nonetheless.

Fallon had been preparing this for months.  This deadly "game" that he envisioned, required him to take more drastic measures than he originally anticipated.  At first, he hoped to just capture one of the locals and play the part until he and his friends parted ways, but once he got to Sage Marsh, the place just astounded him!  This small town nestled in a dark and gloomy swamp, was one of the most magnificent towns he had ever seen!  Granted, from the outside, it looked dilapidated; a wet and slimy moss covering most of the outside walls of the domed structure.  Even the path leading up to the front gates, was muddy, making a suctioning sound with each wet step.

On the inside though, the town was too good to be true!  The inner walls were lined with marble, with four massive columns staggered throughout the center of the town.  They reached over 30 feet high and ended in claws, which held several large fishing nets above it and over the town.  There was a majestic fountain, with crystal clear water spouting out of a lions mouth, who seemingly was roaring to the heavens.  There were stairs that led up to multiple tiers of the town, with marble pathways that attached to each of the stores that hugged the circular structure.  Fallon could only imagine that it looked like a wagon wheel to a bird flying overhead.  A massive stage was carved into the center of the second tier where a gnome bard entertained the townsfolk.  There were even peddlers selling flowers out of hand baskets and others selling spiced meats, or weapons and armor.  It was extraordinary, especially for being in the middle of a murky and bug infested quagmire!

So, Fallon had revisited his plan and decided to subjugate the local bakery, owned by one called Revan, because he wanted to LIVE here, instead of just making his base of operations.  He went as far as to kill the baker and steal his very identity, assuming his local role. 

Fallon was the leader of this ramshackle group...the one who brought them all together; they had similar goals, for instance, destroying those whom thought it wise to defile the doppelganger race.  They each had their own story, a reason for why they were standing there, planning the humans demise. 

For Fallon, it all started in his home village, Myridium.  One day, a young and overly fervent Paladin of Bahamut, who thought he was being heroic, destroyed the monster who had brought plague upon their little town.  A plague that made the undead look charismatic by comparison.

Most would wonder why was it so wrong for the Paladin to do so, but what this boy didn't know, was that the monster was the key to reversing the plague.   This disease could only be healed through an alchemical concoction, utilizing the beast's saliva.  Their local Sage had figured out that the saliva contained the anti-venom, so that the monster could digest those affected by the plague, without harming itself.  However, with the beast dead, it would salivate no more....

So this Paladin, by acting without thinking or taking the time to assess the situation properly, had sentenced them all to a horrible death, which included Fallon's wife, Ariana, who on her dying breath, whispered to him, (as her strength was dwindling), that she was with child.  A child that was also lost to the malady...

Fallon could feel the anger boiling up in him just thinking about it, the rage, forcing him to lose control of his illusionary facade of Revan, if only for just a second.  It's a good thing they were in a safe place.

Cassus was Fallon's oldest friend, whom once lived on the outskirts of a long lost temple, in a small farming town, not far from the "Road of Broken Promises".  The small village was attacked by the empire, ruthlessly and unexpectedly, raping and killing most of the women from the village.  The others were sold as slaves to the Wizards Enclave for research, including his sisters, Penelope and Serafin.  They both endured sickening torture, the mages stripping their flesh from their bodies, testing and experimenting it, in hopes of learning their inherent ability to shape-shift.  Penelope was able to escape by seducing one of the mages into complacency, whom she quickly attacked afterwards and ran.  Serafin...was not so lucky.  Cassus's intent was clear.  He wanted those responsible dead and he was happy to draw out the pain for as long as possible...after all, what's fair is fair.

Penelope to this day, even though she stands as one of the four here and is safe, still trembles with fear and hatred, a scary combination.  She's not all "there" anymore, some days having frequent outbursts and other days when she is not seen at all or looking at nothing in particular with a terrifying blank stare.  It's particularly creepy when the way she holds her custom mace, specifically forged to flay the skin with each swipe; she always carries it with her, and tends to smile to herself when in hand. 

She worries the others at times, but can you blame her?  Who knows what else was done to her at that awful place, but the blank look in her eyes tells us that she definitely lost something dear to her...her MIND.

Then there was Leofan, one deeply interconnected with the group of adventurers they are plotting against.  You see, his father was a traitor to his people, sleeping with a doppelganger whore (they excel at being whatever you desire), and he was the product of that infidelity.  He was half-elf and half doppelganger.  His brother Ari and sister, Zelelis had no idea, mainly because they paid no attention to him.  Leofan always assumed it was because he was different, but were soon going to find out just how different he was! 

Leofan had kept his distance all through his life, instead deciding to focus his time and effort on learning the ways of magick, for one main purpose...to purge himself of his elven heritage, a taint on his very being. Through years of research and many discreet favors, he was able to figure out what was required;  the ruby of souls.  This ruby was the focus, the key to the ritual he must perform to finally make him whole.  He had to travel to one of the most unruly and disgusting cities, a place where there are murderers, whore's, and even a good number of murdering whores.  South Harbor is a vile place that he (and anyone else for that matter) will never forget, as once he had the ruby in hand, not more than an hour afterwards, it was stolen from him.  PICK POCKETED NONETHELESS!  Leofan had never been more furious. All that time, preparation and research, and the damn thing was stolen from him!

It took some time, and after bribing some information out of people, he was able to find out who the thief was.  Interestingly enough, he ran into Fallon and after a lengthy discussion, Leofan was on board to put this plan into action.

So, Fallon cleared his throat, then looked at each of the others straight in the eye and said, "It's time to put this plan into action.  Is everyone ready?"

The others nodded their heads and gathered around, getting as close as possible to the large parchment paper, which held the plan that was going to enact their revenge...once, and for all!

To be continued in Deceptions Finest, Part 3

Unsatisfied Anger

I can't remember what I was so angry about, but apparently it was brutal! 

This is a poem I wrote, probably in my early college days (many, many years ago), though I still love it to this day.  There is a lot of deeper meanings I tried to portray in the words, but sometimes it's hard to clearly describe them without being too exact.  I hope you enjoy it regardless.

Unsatisfied Anger

Broken fragments of my shattered emotions

has cracked my sincerity.

these shards of rage

POSSESS my reality.

my ambition stolen by faces of the past.

their mirrors laughing at me…

games of a child that I don’t wish to play…

costing me time much needed.

inconceivable hatred towards people misunderstood.

listening with a nod…

their ears closed to the pain

wanting an audience while speaking their words.

a conversation with a stranger

can bring back all hope…

with no reason to lie,

the truth of my horror can finally be answered.

my incurable plague scars any future endeavors.

my teeth grinding bone

my throat…

raw with anxiety

my body

a cauldron of bubbling blood.

mentally unprepared

for the struggles to come.

my mind unstable…

unpredictable.

my realization comes with a fistful of hair

my stress…

unsettling.

my eyes blind to the world I once knew

struggling with an image long forgotten.

my torture seems endless and unbearable.

my sacrifices…

worthless.

I pulsate with anguish

ready to deliver

my agony…

my HELL

to all those that deserve it…

and yet still my anger, will always be…

unsatisfied.

Building a better Fighter, 4E D&D

First of all, a couple things to take note of:

This version of Bugbear Fighter will take being prepared to a whole new level.  Your power, versatility and overall effectiveness will be brutal.

First of all, it’s a MUST that your racial choice is BUGBEAR for a couple of reasons. 

1) It allows you to use oversized weapons.  An oversized executioners axe, means it is doing 2d6 for it's regular weapon damage.  Since an executioners axe is BRUTAL 2, you are rerolling your damage 33% of the time, whenever you roll a 1 or 2 on a die (since you’re rolling 2d6’s).  This is HUGE and one of the most important parts of the build.

2)  Once per encounter when you have combat advantage, you deal 1d6 damage with the bugbear encounter power, predatory eye.  (not much, but extra damage is always nice)

3)  The racial bonuses for a bugbear are +2 Str & +2 Dex.  Perfect for a battle rager who depends on wearing light armor instead of heavy (for full battle rager, temp HP gain)

This build is strictly to do serious damage, gain and keep HP and be prepared for ANYTHING.  It's still a work in progress, as I have only built him up to level 12, but most times, seems unstoppable. So far, I have found it to be highly effective and not only does it annoy the hell out of the DM’s, but even the players shake their heads at me.

This is achieved by the following combinations of powers, magic items, feats, etc..:

1)  Cloaked Executions GreatAxe utilized with Predatory Eye to ensure it's use and an additional 1d6 damage every encounter and the magic item Strikebacks, which allow for a free melee basic counter attack once per encounter.

2)  Multi-class Ranger feat (adds 3d6 damage per encounter), Predatory eye (adds 1d6 damage per encounter, feat: Marked Scourge (adds Wis mod damage each turn vs. marked enemies), weapon focus (adds +2 damage each attack, paragon tier), Iron Armbands of Power (+2 damage with all melee attacks) for extra damage.

3) Boots of the Fencing Master utilized with Powers such as: Footwork Lure, Inexorable Advance, Shrewd Repositioning, and the feat Martial Alacrity, which allow a total of 5 shifting powers / items, means for 6 rounds of combat, you have an additional +1 bonus to Reflex and AC, as well as being able to shift almost at will to reposition yourself or possibly get combat advantage.  I don't think any of our encounters have ever lasted more than 6 rounds.

4) Battle Rager Vigor along with Invigorating Powers such as: Crushing Surge, Knee Breaker and Inexorable Advance along with a Daily power, Victorious Surge, utility powers such as Unbreakable and Shooter's Nemesis, and magic items: Ironskin belt and amulet of life+2, the paragon path Dreadknought ability of +10 bonus HP and when taking an action point, Resist 10 damage until end of next turn = a LARGE # of HP and a large number of resistance to damage.

5) Dreadknought Paragon Class:  Gives you a 10HP Bonus and as a minor action (if I remember correctly), you can lose 10HP and automatically save against any status effect that a save can end.  POWERFUL.

Just to put the power into perspective: 

Round 1) Steel Serpent Strike (4d6+12 damage, +1d6 (predatory eye), + quarry(1d6, 1^st round), (+4 damage Marked Scourge),  = a minimum damage of 30 damage and a max of 52 damage, for a 2 (W) strike.  If you Crit, you could do a minimum damage of 50 damage and a maximum of 74 damage.  If this was a 6d6 attack, or 3(w) attack, the max damage would be 86.

For the Underdark campaign that I’m in, we are using extreme elite stats (being heroes and in the underdark).  For those following the offical guidelines, just adjust the ability scores as necessary.


Bugbear Battle Rager Fighter
Str:  23
Con:  20
Dex: 22
Int: 16
Wis: 19
Cha: 17

Here are the feats to choose at the appropriate level:

Level 1:  Superior Weapon Proficiency (Executioners Axe)

Level 2:  Warrior of the Wild: Multiclass Ranger (Gain Hunter Quarry feature)

Level 4:  Weapon Focus (Axe)

Level 6:  Swift Footwork (for Inexorable Advance and Shrewd Repositioning)

Level 8:  Improved Vigor

Level 10: Toughness

Level 11: Paragon Class: Dreadknought  Feat: Marked Scourge

Level 12:  Feat: Mighty Battlerage


If you have any questions or thoughts on improving the build, send me an email or post a comment.

Building a better Skills Bard - D&D 4E

First of all, a couple things to take note of:

Bards are awesome.  There is nothing they can’t do and nothing they are mediocre at, as long as you build them correctly!  This version of the Bard will take multi-classing to a level never before seen.  Your skill bonuses will be top notch and you won’t sacrifice as much power as you would think.

First of all, it’s a MUST that your racial choice is HUMAN, as the extra feat and skill are huge.

This build will ensure you are trained in EVERY SINGLE SKILL, by multiclassing into 8 other classes!  Don’t take this lightly though.  This is a very advanced and complex build.  When trying to play a PC with this many multi-classes, it can be very cumbersome in play, ONLY due to the fact of remembering all the cool things you can do.  So far, I have found it to be highly effective as a leader, who can always find something to pull out his bag of tricks when the party needs it.

For the campaign that I’m in, we are using the following elite stats (being heroes and all).  For those following the offical guidelines, just adjust the ability scores as necessary.  Currently we are level 4, but as you can see, I’ve built him all the way to 30 already!

Human Prescient Bard – Jinx (how appropriate)

Str:  10

Con:  13

Dex: 14

Int: 15

Wis: 16

Cha: 20 (with +2 racial bonus)

Cha and Wis, are the two ability scores that affect the most skills. (9 total), which is why they were chosen.  Int and Dex followed as the next two highest for the same reason.  I normally don’t like to have my two highest scores competing for the same defense, (Will) in this case, but this is all about the skills.

Initial Training in: Arcana, Bluff, Diplomacy, Dungeoneering, Religion and Streetwise.

Here are the feats to choose at the appropriate level:

Level 1:  Bard of All Trades, Spirit Talker (Shaman Multi-class, gives Nature as a skill, a spirit companion with a cool power, speak with spirits – which gives you a bonus to a skill daily = to wis mod)

Level 2:  Resourceful Warlord (multi-class Warlord, training in History, really cool action point bonus, even on a miss (for all allies))

Level 4:  Bardic Knowledge (+2 to 6 skills, if trained...guess what, you are!) (+1 to Cha and Wisdom as well at this level)

Level 6:  Acolyte of Divine Secrets (Invoker Multi-classing, choose Religion as this skill, and retrain the previous Religion to Perception)  You also get a free invoker at will power to use, I recommend Vanguards Lightning. (uses Wisdom for attack)

Level 8:  Warrior of the Wild (multi-classing into Ranger), Training in Endurance, get Hunter’s Quarry feature.  (+1 to Cha and Wisdom, gives you an additional +1 bonus to all related skills)

Level 10: Sly Dodge (multi-class Rogue) Training in Intimidate, gives you a bonus to an opportunity attack against you = to your Cha mod. (currently a +6)  The Rogue multi-class feat is also taken now, because you need it for a Paragon Rogue Path.

Level 11:  Jack of All Trades – Rogue Paragon path!  +2 bonus to all skill checks!  +5 bonus to a skill check when you use an action point.  Feat:  Pact Initiate (Multi-class Warlock), training in Thievery.  Use Feypact Eyebite at will spell.  (+1 to all attributes, Int and Con Skills all go up by 1.)

Level 12:  Soldier of Virtue (Multiclass Paladin) Get the Virtue’s Touch paladin ability (very helpful).  Training in Heal.

Level 14:  Monastic Disciple, Multi-class Monk, Training in Athletics (Get the flurry of blows power to use once per encounter) (also, Cha and Wis goes up again, giving an additional +1 bonus to 9 skills)

Level 16:  As part of the Jack of all Trades path, you get training in 3 additional skills at this level!  Choose Acrobatics, Stealth and Insight.  You are now trained in all Skills!  Your lowest skill bonus should be around +15 and the highest around +24, NOT including any magic items you have that provide additional bonuses, this is just raw skills!)

At this point, replace Bard of all Trades with Improved Majestic Word and for your feat choice at this level, choose Prescient Fortification (even though it’s a heroic tier feat, it’s needed before the next feat).

Level 18:  Feat:  Prescient Aid (Cha and Wis ability scores go up +1)

Level 20:  Feat:  Majestic Rescue

Level 21:  All ability scores go up by +1, which means Cha, Wis, Str and Dex skills all go up by +1.  EPIC DESTINY:  SAGE OF ALL AGES, get a +6 bonus to the skills Arcana, Dungeoneering, History, Nature and Religion. (+30 skill points in total... HUGE)

Feat:  Multi-class Mastery.  Use this feat to replace 2 feats you already picked as multiclass feats, then for your ADDITIONAL 2 feats, choose:  Prescient Fortification and Toughness.  Retrain Prescient Fortification at 16^th level with Extended Prescience.

Level 22:  EPIC WILL (+4 bonus)

Level 24:  EPIC REFLEX (+4 bonus) (Cha and Wis go up by +1)

Level 26: EPIC FORTITUDE (+4 bonus)

Level 28:  Prescient Resurgence  (Cha and Wis go up by +1, so a +1 to 9 skills again)

Level 30:  Supreme Majesty

So at this point, your lowest skill bonus should be around +23 and the highest around +37, NOT including any magic items you have that provide additional bonuses, again, this is just raw skills!)

So you can see this build is perfect for the skill junkie.  You can go even further by taking skill focus, as additional feats instead of the EPIC WILL/REFLEX/FORTITUDE and prescient/bard feats, but I felt that those that were chosen, were much more worth it, especially when your average skill bonus at 30^th level,  is a +30.

This build can do more than a little bit of everything, with 511 skill points BEFORE any magic items.  Pretty sick.

If you have any questions or thoughts on improving the build, send me an email or post a comment.

Becoming a Father....

So on 10/14/10, I became a father.  Writing it and saying it out loud, it still seems surreal. He still didn’t even feel like mine at first.  I KNEW he was, given that I saw him emerge, but he looked like a cone-headed blue skinned smurf.  It’s a wonder more people don’t say....umm...are you sure he’s mine?  I mean, he’s blue.

Anyways, It's not until you're actually a father, someone who is entirely responsible for another person, that is sort of takes you aback.  It's daunting, knowing that for the rest of this kids life, you need to guide him every step of the way.  At the same time though, there is nothing more rewarding.  I can't remember a time when I've smiled or laughed this much.  He brings a joy to my life that is so different and yet so perfect. 

The first couple weeks are nuts.  You literally can’t even cry yourself to sleep, because there is no time for sleep.  Sleep is a distant memory, which you can barely comprehend in the stupor you’ve succumbed to.  I think I got about 12 hours of sleep the first WEEK after he was born.  My wife got even less.  How she could possibly function, I have no idea.  I hate sleeping, as I think it’s a waste of time.  I quickly changed that tune when I found out how little sleep one could get and how close I was to the borderline of what an insomniac feels like.  Insanity crept in at multiple times hoping to devour me, but somehow I survived, so I could continue to take care of my mini-me.

After about 3-4 months, things started to get much easier.  My little guy was sleeping through the night and gaining some solid weight.  He was recognizing and smiling at me all the time.  It’s interesting how nowadays, it’s so hard to bring that much joy to anyone.  You’ll never see a brighter smile than that of a baby.  It’s so pure and real....there is no way to describe it.  The laughing is even more so that way.  When your child truly laughs, it’s with his whole being and it’s amazing at how stress relieving it can be after a hard day at work.  Everything bothering you just melts away.

I have to say though, dressing a kid should be an Olympic sport.  I thought my dexterous, video gaming hand/eye coordination skills would aid me in this quest of dressing my boy, but I've never seen legs move so erratically and fast!  There's no rhyme or reason, no discernible pattern in hopes of trying to understand where the legs will show up next.  It's like two King Cobra's on speed, striking repeatedly at invisible prey.  Who knows, maybe my dexterity is helping, but I can't even fathom what it would be like if I wasn't blessed with it...let's just say it would be a massacre.....Brandon ∞, Dad ZERO.  It just seems like it would make more sense to duct tape the socks to his pants.  Problem SOLVED.

However, day in and day out, I think of our future, the games we’ll play (much to my wife’s dismay), the talks we’ll have, the jokes we’ll enact to torture others with...all these interactions just make me smile, of a future that I believe will be absolutely hilarious as I make this boy into the man I am, with some minor adjustments of course.  (I can hear the cringing and utter fear emanating from thousands of people all of a sudden...)  People say that they don’t want their kids to grow, they want to keep them in the baby stage, but I’m looking forward to enjoying each stage for what it is and what we’ll be able to do together.

I know I may sound like a sap, but you can’t really understand it until you’re a father.  That crap doesn’t bother you anymore.  There only thing that matters is your wife and children.  The rest is just smoke in a brisk wind.