The following dice roller software was originally created by Spader as a 3rd edition dice roller. The great thing about it was the possibility to use different dice tables by simply editing the file step.mdb.
That’s what I did now to get the dice roller to use the new step system for Earthdawn 4th Edition. The download file now contains Spaders program and the new FASA Action Dice table for Earthdawn 4th Edition:


If you prefer the old dice table using d12, simply replace original step.mdb file with this step.mdb file:

• Step_old.zip

I am roleplaying now for years and sometimes I start to look for new dice. Even if I already possess a lot of dice, like the Q-workshop Earthdawn dice, I was often looking for Gamescience precision dice. Well, to cut a long story short, I was really surprised when I got contacted by Brian from awesomedice.com as he asked for a little shout-out for their shop. Why I was surprised? Cause I saw Gamescience dice on their page that were not out of stock, like in many other shops! So, sooner or later I got to order some, it’s as simple as that.

Have a look at the Awesome Dice shop:

Awesome Dice are blogging over here. One of the many interesting articles there, that caught my attention, is for example the History of Dice article.

Mid November and suddenly chocolate projects everywhere and even as a RPG and fantasy fan you can’t avoid the chocolate. At least I came across some cool projects made of chocolate.

Håkan Mårtensson, a Swedish chocolatier made a chocolate Gollum and various other great sculptures out of chocolate, have a look at his works at his gallery.

via Nerdcore

Second is a chocolate DIY instruction, to create your own chocolate dice. D4,D6, D20 any dice you want. The effort when following the instruction, seems worth it, yummy.

via Rollenspiel-Almanach

Finally there is the white chocolate Game of Thrones - Weirwood cake! The authors of the blog “The Inn at the Crossroads”, which I already mentioned in one of my Link Advices, create and cook recipes that are based on the books of George R.R Martin.  Or as they write on their blog:

We are two big fans of George R.R. Martin’s Song of Ice and Fire series.  We are also fans of food.  What, then, would be more natural than to combine them into one fabulous blog?

Happy chocolating!

Great idea by Sebastian Bergne. Almost as great as the D20 mace.

“The simple addition of dice markings to a six sided pencil makes all the difference. Pencil dice is an essential addition to any brief case, pen cup or pencil case. A little something to help you pass the time, entertain the children or even make decisions.”

(via Nerdcore)

The following post comes from Fletcher and is part of my open call for Guest Bloggers.

Earthdawn is a game that holds a special place in my heart. I honestly haven’t played it a great deal (I need to break the group from the d20 habit), but from the moment I heard about it I was fascinated. The concept of a post-apocalyptic fantasy game was something I fell in love with. I have been gaming since I was twelve, playing AD&D with a friend of mine. We hardly had a clue how to play, but that didn’t matter to us. We got to fight monsters, explore dungeons, and get treasure. Eventually I grew and what I wanted changed. I joined a group that played a great deal of Shadowrun and one night the GM explained Earthdawn to me. I soon bought the books and picked up the novels. The world was one that held onto me and would not let go.

The reason I am writing this is to share an app for Android I wrote called “Earthdawn Dice Roller” (pretty catchy right?). The birth of this app is two parts of my life accidentally coming together. I decided to teach myself how to program after not having to write any code for quite a few years after college. A friend of mine suggested I code for Android because I had used Java in the past and the learning curve would be lower. The idea for actually making the app came when we were playing our Earthdawn game. We had played a World of Darkness game previously and used a great dice rolling app on our phones. We tried to find the same for Earthdawn and nothing really did the trick. There are tons of apps for picking which dice to roll and rolling them, but the step mechanics of Earthdawn made those apps cumbersome. That started my programming project.

On to the app finally. It is a free download in the Android Marketplace and is pretty simple. The main screen has three things. It has a check box to use a karma die, a text box to enter your step in, and a button to roll the dice. Those are the basics. I want to keep it simple and easy to use so you don’t have to fumble around when trying to roll your dice during a game. I did include some options to make it more useful (Most features came from user requests).

You can use both Classic and Third Edition dice tables. The Classic mode lets you select what karma die to use also. By default it does not show the value of the die you rolled next to the result, but there is an option to show the value. The app automatically handles extra dice for max rolls.

As I mentioned earlier this is a personal learning experience for me, and as a result some things are not perfect. The rolling mechanics are solid, but some layout and display things are being reworked as I go. As I learn more the app gets better and better. I really appreciate comments and suggestions. They help me see what works and what doesn’t and what features would be most used. Right now I am working on appearance and layout updates and possibly adding a roll log.

If you want to pick up the app in the AndroidMarket or for more information, to leave comments, or check out the change log check out myblog. There is also a thread on the Earthdawn forums that I check up on. You can get to it from my blog. Thanks for checking out the app!

• The Geomorphs Dungeon Tiles provided and made by "A character for every game” offer almost endless dungeon variations for your game. (via Rollenspiel Almanach)
• Great Earthdawn 3rd Edition Player’s Guide review with comparisons to earlier editions of Earthdawn.
• Fortetsa Hebo.com offers a great wiki of their campaign and the Onomastikon is a great resource for names.
• Eat like a hobbit and watch the Lord of the Rings food pics from Alamo Drafthouse's epic feast, including the eight hobbit courses: breakfast, second breakfast, elevensies, luncheon, afternoon tea, dinner, supper and lembas bread (plus Coney Stew recipe). AWESOME!!! (via Nerdcore)
• Have some tea
• Find tiles, maps, terrain- and construction kits at Dungeoneering.net. (via Rollenspiel Almanach)
• Free Earthdawn dice roller for Android.
• Attention non RPG related content: Lemmy’s telling a joke

But unfortunately my result of the quiz at dicepool.com showed that I am a D4, WHAT A D4??? Well on the other hand I like the description, but a D4…… hell. Watch the result:

You are a d4: You are bright, perceptive, and driven. You would be considered a blessing to mankind, if you didn't insist on using your powers for evil. You are devious, deceitful, doubtful, and downright dangerous. Assassins can learn a lot from you. If your fellow party members knew how rotten you were, they'd go over and join the bad guys. Justified or not, you are meticulous in your ways: A poison for every person, and a dagger for every back. Much of your day is spent scheming or plotting. The rest of your time is spent trying to convince others that you're simply misunderstood.

Find out what Polyhedral die you are.

I already reported about the 10th birthday of Earthdawn.pl. The competition of their jubilee offers the winners incredible prizes, as I already mentioned also the yet unavailable Astral dice of Q-Workshop. I received some preview pictures of the prizes (thx to Sethariel).

 

 

 

And what do we, as experienced Earthdawn fans, discover immediately? Closer look?

 

 

Yes! As the title says, previews of Q-Workshop’s new Astral dice. Closer look?

 

 

Unfortunately I can’t offer a review of the dice about their luminosity in the dark. But I guess one day I’ll hold them in my hands and then you’ll get to know more about the dice. Until then you have to live with those preview pictures…… aren’t they pretty? ………

Some of you might have seen the discussion on one of my previous entries about dice software. It was Spader who commented that he also made a one-click dice roller. After a few days he contacted me and showed me his dice roller.



As you can see the window is kept simple, you just click the step and the dice is “rolled”. But there are some special features of this dice roller, that differ it from others:

1. It uses the new step system of the Earthdawn 3rd edition (no more D20)
2. You can add Karma dice to all your rolls with just one click.
3. It automatically re-rolls maximum dice, as every good dice roller for Earthdawn should do.

So all of you who switched to the new Earthdawn Third Edition should have a look at this dice roller. For those who “keep up the classic flag” or still use the D20 step system, download the old system step.mdb file and replace the existing one in the dice roller folder. Then this dice roller uses the “old” step system. Enjoy and thanks to Spader for this great software.

UPDATE:

Spader just updated the dice roller to version 1.3. It now includes the option to switch via right click to the classic or the third edition dice table. The dice roller is now packed in an *.exe file.


Links:

• Third Edition Dice roller (mirror)
• “old system” step.mdb file (mirror)
• Updated version 1.3  (mirror)
  

My research for Earthdawn dice software was.......I would call it "incomplete". But Arma left a comment about another diceroller and Elidis contacted me to provide some other dicerollers, that are especially made for use in Earthdawn.

1. The one that Arma mentioned in his post was the second step diceroller (mirror). The second step and also the second step diceroller were made by Lars Gottlieb and his mates. Thanks go to Denmark.








2. This diceroller is simply called "Earthdawn Step Roller" (mirror) and that's what it does.





















3. Last but not least, if you always forget which dice you have to use at step 200, then just have a look at the step calculator (mirror). Then you realise that you will roll with 9D20 1D12 9D10 8D8. JIHA bring on Verji!!!!!!







I have to admit that I don't know the programmers of the "Step Dice Calculator" neither of the "Earthdawn Step Roller", if the producers of those programs visit this site, please contact me.

If you want to download all three dice programs at once, click HERE (mirror)

Thanks go to arma and Elidis (once again).

Another diceroller especially designed for earthdawn, was sent to me a few days ago. This java based diceroller gives you the possibility to choose the race and add karma dices to your step you roll. Just check is out, its one of the best dicerollers for earthdawn so far. This java diceroller was programmed by Kjetil Wiekhorst Jørgensen from Norway in 1996, thanks to him.

Well, when I read an article at Rollenspiel Almanach about a flash based dice generator, I wanted to know if there were some that fit to Earthdawn. Unfortunately most I've found are based on D&D, but they can also be used for Earthdawn.

I have to admit that I really hate this form of rolling dice, actually its not rolling dice, its clicking dice. But I can't judge about the rest of the Earthdawn players out there, so if you need a quick dice roller on you pc, have a look at those programs:

1. This flash based dice generator from goku87 is in my opinion the neatest you can find. It displays the dice that are rolled and doesn't just spit out numbers from its algorithm. This will serve all your needs, you can even select multiple dice to roll. From a D4 to D100.


DiceLite by ~goku87 on deviantART


2. Another very nice interface is provided by this D&D dice roller that I discovered at wizards.com. But you can't roll multiple dices and even there is no sum result shown. It's available as an online version if you prefer to roll your dice online or as a setup version.












3. The next I discovered at the downloadsection of dndadventures.com and it has the option to add all rolls together. It's very simple done and not very eyecatching, but it works and provides a quick way to roll your virtual dice.



To use those programs in your Earthdawn campaign one thing is still missing. Being able to roll the maximum result of the dice again. But its only one click away to reach your goal. Another thing that is not included by now is the sound your dice produce when you throw them long and far (waiting, hoping) across the table.

Shock, an Orc dice game.

„The second and maybe the last report of Eran Rockfinch has reached the library“
Merrox, Master of the Hall of Records

„SHOOOOOK OUT !!!!!!“
Kret’chog Steelthought Orc Cavalryman, winning the game.


I am proud to present the library another dice game, mostly played by Orcs.

I was travelling with a caravan to Travar. The merchant that traded with herbs, had payed three Orc soldiers to protect his goods. Every evening at the camp fire, those three soldiers started to play dices until all members of the caravan went to sleep and they started their guard.

One evening I ate near them to watch what kind of dice game they played. Suddenly one of them (Koltrag Stonetooth) recognized me, jumped up immediately and started to shout at me. I am able to understand their language and replied him that I am surely not the source for Kret’chogs luck. But Koltrag didn’t believe me, so I had to eat alone this evening.

The next evening I started to tell the children one of the most famous Orc stories. Kret’chog Steelthought suddenly screamed that I should speak up, so that he also could listen to my story while playing their game. This evening I told a lot orcish stories and sang one song for the children when they had to go to sleep. I also went to sleep and heard that the soldiers began their surveillance.

The following evenings I was able to convince Koltrag that I can’t bring luck to Kret’chog and so they allowed me to sing a few songs beside them, watching them play.

Finally I learned the rules of the game called „Shock“ and now let me tell you how it is played by most Orcs:

The game is divided in two rounds. In the prelude 13 coins or stones or whatever is used will be spread at the losing players from a pot. In the final round all the stones or coins have to be played at one person, the loser.

Three dices are used and the player to start has three attempts to roll the dices. All the other players after him are allowed to throw the dices as often as the beginner did. The starter is free to choose how often he rolls the dices and even which dices he rolls again.

At the end of the round the player with the worst result receives a number of coins from the pot as given by the result table (see below). The one who lost the round will start the next round.

When all the coins are given out after several rounds, the final starts. The difference between the prelude and the final is the spread of the coins. The player with the best result is allowed to give the player with the worst result coins. How many see below. If you run out of coins you’re out of the final and can’t loose any more. The loser will be the person that received all the coins at the end. There are no winners, only a loser.

I had to watch two evenings until all the results appeared and their value had been mentioned.

There exist four kinds of results:

Shocks: two aces and another number
Thundras: three times the same number
Pathes: three numbers in a row: 3,4,5 and so on
Everything else that is no Shock, Thundra nor Path is seen as the number it represents. For example you throw 6,1,3 it counted as a 631. The highest number represents hundred, second highest tenner and third ones.

The number of coins that every result represents:

Shocks: for shocks the third number decides how many coins you’ll receive or you’ll get rid of.
Shock and two: 1, 1, 2 -> two coins
Shock and three: 1, 1, 3 -> three coins
Shock and four: 1, 1, 4 -> four coins
Shock and five: 1, 1 5 -> five coins
Shock and six: 1, 1, 6 -> six coins

All Thundras represent three coins

All Pathes represent two coins

If a player wins with something else than the results mentioned one coin is moved.

Shock out

If you throw a 1, 1, 1 all your coins will be removed and you can’t loose anymore. If you throw the Shock out at the prelude all the remaining coins will be given to the loser of the actual round.

Special rules

Kretchog told me that there exist special rules that are used by some orcs, that play this game, they (Kretchog, Koltrag and Muron) also use them. If you throw two 6, you’re allowed to turn one of them into a 1, but you’ll have to roll the other 6 again. If you throw three 6, you can turn two of them into 1 but the third must be rolled again. That means if you throw three 6ers with your third try you’re not allowed to turn them into one because you can’t roll the third any more.

I’ll give you an example of a round we played:

Kretchog, Koltrag and me played, Muron was watching the camp.
Kretchog starts and rolls 6,5,2. He says its enough and passes the dices to me. I throw 3,4,5 and laugh, that means I’ll get rid of my last two coins with the Thundra. Koltrag has also one try to throw over my Thundra. He rolls and shouts Shoock 4, damn it. I see 1, 1, 4 with one throw! Koltrag gives Kretchog four coins and has one left. I got two left and Kretchog has 10 coins.

Next round Kretchog starts again he rolls three times and at the end he has a Shock 3. Koltrag who lost this round receives 3 coins.

Koltrag starts and throws first 6,5,2. He puts the 2 and the 5 back. Rolls again and has a 6 and a 1. For his third throw he takes one 6 back and rolls with full risk. The dice shows a 1 and Koltrag screams SHOOOCK 6. I see 1, 1, 6. Damn that Orc.

I start, at the end of my third throw I see Shock 6, not enough. Kretchog told me one evening, that „WIT(h) is SHIT“.

Kretchog's turn, he throws at his first throw 6, 6 , 3. He turns one of the two 6 into 1 and rolls the six and the three again. 1, 4.... Shock 4 not enough, but one throw left. He rolls long and serious, mumbles into his beard and rolls the dice.......................
SHOOOOOOOCK OUT (1, 1, 1)...............................................then Murons head landed in the camp fire.......................

I translated the following report about a dice game from German into English. It was originally posted on the website of Zeitalter der Legenden. All the German readers can find the original German version over HERE.

Doubling

„From a report of Eran Rockfinch travelling Troubadour and Adventurer“
Merrox, Master of the Hall of Records

Everywhere in Barsaive you’ll always find pubs and taverns where dubious players are gambling for silver and even more. So let me tell you of a game named „Doubling“. It was back then in Jerris, when I was sitting beside the fire and was watching two adventurers, playing dices at a small table. One of them was an ordinary human, which clothes had seen better days. The other player was a dwarf, kinda tall for its race.

Each of them threw one dice, the human starting first. He was the „Caller“, how I found out later, whereas his bearded companion had the role of the „Doubler“.

The „Caller“ throws first and then the „Doubler“ has to throw the same number like the „Caller“. He has as many attempts like the number of the „Caller“ showed.
Example: The dwarf has thrown a 3, so the human has three attempts to throw a 3 too.

Is the „Doubling“ successful, the „Doubler“ receives the stake and the roles are switched. If the „Doubler“ is not successful, the pool goes to the „Caller“ who also starts again.

That was the way those two were playing a while, their bets varied each round and the dwarf had to take out silver pieces several times. The stack of the human was growing and growing.

They recognized my interest and the silent human offered me a seat to join them. He told me that „Doubling“ can also be played in groups. I wanted to decline the offer as I thought of being short of cash, but it could also become more than less. So I joined them.

The rules for multiple players are extended. If two or more players are able to „Double“, then the player with the fewest attempts wins. Is this amount also the same, the stack stays in the pot and a new round starts.

After a few hours of playing I can dissuade everybody from playing „Doubling“. I lost my whole travel silver, the dices didn’t want to role my way. Perhaps it was the table that always shook when the silent human was „Calling“ and throwing a 1. Unfortunately I realized that the next day........

„Little dice bring good luck and get fast my silver back!“
Wibbles Windling Troubadour