BOD Nominations/Elections

UPDATE

Good evening everyone.

Your Secretary is here to announce the results of this week's voting. These Director seats will change over at the start of the July Board of Directors meeting.

• KGE Corporate President: Erich Okonowski

• KGE Even Year Representative: Russ Fox

Congratulations to the incoming Directors, and I'd like to take a moment to thank Craig Jarvis and Stephen Whitaker for their time on the Board. And thank you to everyone who participated in the voting process.

Adventure well,
Jacob Smith
Corporate Secretary

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Hello and happy Wednesday.

Nominations for the opening Board of Directors seats close tomorrow.

The current nominees are as follows:

• KGE Corporate President

  • Erich O

  • Matt Tatosky

• KGE Even Year Representative

  • Russ Fox

  • Alyssa Short

  • Marcus Schwimmer

  • Angelo Aquino

Any member wishing to run for election for either of these positions must meet the following basic requirements:

• Currently hold Veteran Membership status and be a KGE Member in Good Standing (meaning you do not have any outstanding debts or disciplinary actions and have been a member of KGE for at least two full years).

• Have not been released from any other KGE position due to disciplinary action in the last five years.

• Have a working telephone number.

• Have a working e-mail address with access on a daily basis.

• Have a valid mailing address

• Have a valid photo identification card recognized by the US Government.

In addition, nominees for the position of KGE President must not hold any other position defined in any SOP approved by KGE.

Nominations for these positions should be sent to either secretary@kanar.club or bod@kanar.club. Nominations will be open until May 31st, with polls opening for the week of June 1st through June 8th.

When the polls do open, veteran members will receive an email sent to the address they have on file with KGE, the one submitted with their most-current Annual Registration Form. This email will contain a link to the ballot, a personalized entry code, and further instructions on filling out the form and the voting method.

Jacob Smith
Corporate Secretary

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Photo by Elliott Stallion on Unsplash

Market Day

Hello everyone,

On the first Saturday of the weeklong event June 23rd, 2018, we will be having a market day! That means pull out all the old garb you don’t want to wear anymore, dust off that boffer that isn’t in your style, and generally get that clutter out of your life! 

Remember asking for Dollars is called federals and try to keep the conversations as in-game as possible! Protection will be provided by the town guard. See Jistar (Matt Tatosky) or email at mtatosky@gmail.com for details!

Matt Tatosky

Additional details to be announced soon! 

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Photo by Sindre Aalberg on Unsplash

From the GM & Economics Marshal

Game Master

Please remember to fill out a KGE Inc. Annual Registration Form (ARF) on line for the 2018 season.  It is important that you include your legal First Name, Last Name & Middle Initial as we use this to identify your personal character files. The ARF is also used by KGE Inc. to provide us with the insurance coverage for the group.  To those caught in non-compliance with this rule, you will be asked to leave the field and may suffer disciplinary actions as this violation may hold the club liable.

I would like to take a moment to thank all of you who submitted a resume to the GM 1st for the position of Econ 1st.  After consideration I have chosen Jeremiah Klabis to be the new Econ 1st.  Jeremiah has been performing the task as part of the previous Econ staff and is well suited to take the position over with the minimal amount of transitional period stoppages.  I would also like to thank Kevin Reading and Joe Brescol for stepping up while we were in transition and assisting the staff to maintain the level of service to our customers. In addition we have added Ferd Blackburn to the Econ staff and are still seeking others to help with the position. If interested, please seek out Jeremiah and talk to him. We on the GM staff and its subordinate staff find that face to face conversations yield the best results as communication is key to the success of Kanar.

Thank you,
Tim Schafer - GM 1st

Economics Marshal

Reminder that players may make one withdrawal from, and one deposit to their Player Bank every event. Eligible players may also make one withdrawal from, and one deposit to a Group or Unit Fund every event.

A friendly reminder from your economic staff. Please check your tag expiration dates regularly. After a tag is expired please turn it in. Using expired tags on the field is cheating. A note on Legacy tags. A legacy tag is a consumable tag that does not have an expiration date. These tags will be honored until they are used. After used they need to be turned in and they will be taken out of circulation.

May Event - Announcements

Friday

Let it be known far and wide that a Conclave of the Knights of Novashan shall be called to order on the evening of the 18th day of the 5th month in the year 1018. Any and all who have business or grievance with any member of the Chivalry are invited to bring forth said matters for council and arbitration. Consideration of Matters Honorbound shall require a member of the Chivalry to act as Champion in Name and Deed.

Sir Morus Silverleaf - Knight of the Thistle
Lord Marshal - Chapter of the Raven Sun

Saturday

Long time player and member of our community, Toni Huges or Ariana on field, will be getting knighted this event on Saturday. The festivities will begin on Friday with a night of atonement and continue on Saturday with a fighters tournament from 12:00 - 4:00pm and the ceremony itself starting at 4:00 - 6:00pm. 

Between the tournament and the ceremony, there will be a chili cook-off hosted by house Bein Amar, starting at 6:00 pm. From the organizer "Number one rule is that the majority of the cooking needs to take place in Ilveresh. 5 silver to enter your pot of chili. Various prizes will be awarded for: best tasting, hottest, and most unique. Also, there will be a People’s Choice in which everyone can vote on their favorite dish. In order to sample the chili, a silver per sample is asked. This cook-off will take place between the tournament and knighting ceremony so you may attend all that day! Any questions feel free to talk to Castien! Thanks!"

Due to unique circumstances, the KGE Board of Directors has agreed that: Returning members who wish to attend the May 2018 Kanar event solely to support Squire Ariana Renard D'Castilian, and will only be present on Saturday May 19, 2018 will not have to pay $20 annual KGE dues, will not have to pay the $20 May event fee, however they will need to check in with the GM Staff when they arrive for to receive this and fill out an Annual Registration Form.

Additionally, there may be a photographer present on the field, during Saturday, it is your responsibility to avoid being photographed if desired. However, KGE has a media exclusion list for those who are concerned (this only extends to KGE official media), you can join the list by filling out this form.

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Photos courtesy of Calum Lewis on Unsplash and Ricardo Cruz on Unsplash

BOD Nominations Open

Hello everyone.

I'm here to announce that nominations for the following Director seats are now open:

• KGE Corporate President

• Even Year Representative

Any member wishing to run for election for either of these positions must meet the following basic requirements:

• Currently hold Veteran Membership status and be a KGE Member in Good Standing (meaning you do not have any outstanding debts or disciplinary actions and have been a member of KGE for at least two full years).

• Have not been released from any other KGE position due to disciplinary action in the last five years.

• Have a working telephone number.

• Have a working e-mail address with access on a daily basis.

• Have a valid mailing address

• Have a valid photo identification card recognized by the US Government.

In addition, nominees for the position of KGE President must not hold any other position defined in any SOP approved by KGE.

Nominations for these positions should be sent to either secretary@kanar.club or bod@kanar.club. Nominations will be open from May 1st through May 31st, with polls opening for the week of June 1st through June 8th.

When the polls open, you will receive an email sent to the email address you have on file with KGE, the one you submitted with your most-current Annual Registration Form. This email will contain a link to the ballot, your personalized entry code, and further instructions on filling out the form and the voting method.

• KGE Corporate President Nominees:

  • Erich Okonowski

  • Matt Tatosky

• Even Year Representative Nominees:

  • Stephen Whitaker

Thank you and good afternoon,

Jacob Smith
Corporate Secretary

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Photo courtesy of Finn Hackshaw on Unsplash.

Quatermaster Update

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The Quartermaster Staff is seeking donations to help improve organization and available costuming for NPC's. 

Donation Requests

• Hefty 66-Quart Clear Tote with Latching Lid
• Hefty 34-Quart Clear Tote with Latching Lid
• Makeup cakes; various colors, including green
• Mehron Rigid Collodion/Scarring Liquid
• Spirit gum
• Makeup setter
• Stage blood/fake blood (please no real blood)
• Armor
• Ring belts
• Sterilite 3 drawer organizer
• Spats and  gaiters
• Boffer weapons
• Masks

Things QM will not take

• Small and extra small size clothes
• Boots and shoes
• “New” items without a receipt. Items donated without receipts will be awarded no more than 10xp per item and xp awarded will be at the QM discretion.
• Anything that will not be an addition to the QM inventory, i.e. torch oil, consumables, water
• Latex weapons (they are stolen frequently)

QM Work Days

A work day has been scheduled for May 11th.

QM XP

All QM XP awarded at or between events is reported to the CBD before the next character signout deadline. If you have any issues with your XP please contact the QM1 at kanarqm@gmail.com.

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Photo by Annie Spratt on Unsplash

New Rules Clarification Form

In order to provide our players with the most accurate information possible, we have created a new form that they can use to submit questions regarding our Rulebook. Questions which do not have a clearly defined answer in the rulebook text should be submitted via this form, NOT discussed on the Facebook group or with non Playmaster staff members.

If a player asks a question and you cannot quote them the specific passage of rules text that directly answers it, please do not provide them with answers using the caveats, "This is how it worked for me" or "This is how it functioned in the past." In these cases, the Playmaster staff needs to answer the question so that 1) the player can receive an official, correct answer, and 2) we can be aware that players are having difficulty locating or understanding the rules text, so we can clarify it in the book if needed.

Questions submitted via this form may not be answered immediately (we all have day jobs and families), but it is a better alternative than a player being disappointed down the road due to outdated or mis-remembered information. We apologize for any appearance of bureaucracy, we appreciate your patience and understanding as we continue to update and improve our processes, and you're all beautiful people who I look forward to feeding candy.

On Nominations and Voting

Hello everyone.

I'm here to announce that nominations will be opening for the following Director seats on May 1st, 2018:

• KGE Corporate President
• Even Year Representative

Any person wishing to run for election for either of these positions must meet the following basic requirements:

• Currently hold Veteran Membership status and be a KGE Member in Good Standing (meaning you do not have any outstanding debts or disciplinary actions).
• Have not been released from any other KGE position due to disciplinary action in the last five years.
• Have a working telephone number.
• Have a working e-mail address with access on a daily basis.
• Have a valid mailing address
• Have a valid photo identification card recognized by the US Government.
• In addition, nominees for the position of KGE President must not hold any other position defined in any SOP approved by KGE.

Nominations for these positions should be sent to either secretary@kanar.org or bod@kanar.org. Nominations will be open from May 1st through May 31st, with polls opening for the week of June 1st through June 8th.

Remember, Nominations OPEN May 1st, 2018. This is just an advance notification.

Thank you and good evening,
     Jacob Smith
     Corporate Secretary

April 2018 BOD Meeting

Below you will find the Agenda and minutes for the 2018 April Board of Directors meeting.

The Play-Master Staff the next installment in the ongoing process of changes to improve readability, grammar and minor clarifications in the Rulebook. 

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Thanks to Breather for making this photo available freely on Unsplash

Membership Survey & Newsletter

We are pleased to announce the first newsletter has been sent! The highlight of this months issue is the Membership Survey from the Player Representatives. They want to hear your voice to better represent you and guide the game in a positive direction.

Better hurry, the cut off date is May 1st for survey answers!

A Letter from the Secretary

Hello,

Your Corporate Secretary is here with a few announcements and reminders now that the March event is over. First, do not forget to Sign-out. You only have eight (8) days after the end of the event to turn it in, and doing so is how your character grows and lives between adventures in Illveresh. Also, submit your Annual Registration form if you have not done so already. Not turning in your ARF will prevent you from getting a return on your sign-out. If you were a new player, or brought a new player along with you this month, make sure they fill out this good, good form.

Finally, the next Board of Directors meeting is on the horizon. The next meeting is on Sunday, April 8th @ 1PM. If you would like any proposals to make it onto the meeting's agenda, those will need to be submitted on or before Sunday, April 1st. Late submissions may still be accepted, otherwise they will be pushed back to the following meeting.

In summary, the following is a time-line of deadlines and events:

• Sunday, April 1st - Proposals and Agenda submissions deadline Tuesday,
• April 3rd - Sign-out deadline Sunday,
• April 8th - April Board of Directors Meeting Friday,
• April 27th - Sunday,
• April 29th - April Kanar Event

Thank you and happy questing,

Jacob Smith, Corporate Secretary

A note from the new Playmaster

Good afternoon,

I would like to take a moment and introduce myself. My name is Leigh Weiler, my character is known on field as Lady Arra. I have been playing kanar for over a decade and have recently been elected by the BOD to be your Play Master 1st. I look forward to working more with our community in this capacity. I would like to give a couple friendly reminders prior to the event in my first “Wall of text” post.

First, please remember that every character needs to have weapons checked with a member of the play master staff every event. We have had people forget a few times in the past. Any PM staff member, CBD 1 (Amanda Aquino) or GM 1 (Tim Schafer) is able to approve weapons for use on field. No one should be checking their own weapons regardless of what position they hold. 

Second, I should introduce you to the 2018 Kanar play master field staff Listed in no particular order, they are: Eric Hitt (Otis), Danny Weiler (Squire Adriel), Jen Blair (Countess Kali), Nick Aquino (Elben), and Matt Ash (Durgan). This is a great group of people capable of answering the vast majority of questions related to our rules; if they arent able to come up with an answer individually, we as a staff will come up with something together. 

Third, please be patient with us. We are undertaking a very large project of sprucing up our rulebook while also tweaking our educational tools. This does take time. We are diligently working to complete these projects and are happy to tell you of our progress.

Almost lastly, if you are a caster and plan on casting spells at an event, please fill one out (or make one of your own) for every class of magic you have. A box will be provided for players to submit completed spell lists. A player must either submit the spell sheet to the box or keep one on them at all times for inspection by a marshal if asked. However, it is recommended to do both for ease and swiftness of processing marshals questions if they arise. Having one on your person will decrease time necessary to complete on the spot questions, if they arise, and having one in the box will decrease the amount of time interrupted your game play time. 

Please follow this link to the download section on our webpage. It will provide you with the pre-made cleric, mage, and bardic spell lists. Please feel free to make your own if you so wish.

Lastly, if you have any questions for us please forward them to the PM1@kanar.org email and either myself or a staff member will return your email. If any clarification is needed, we will post clarifications on here and request they are also posted on the website.

I look forward to a great year and hope we can be of help to you. See you all in just over a week.

2018 Winter Feast Photos

We were honored to have Pixie Light Photography set up a Photo Booth at our 2018 Winter Feast. Below you can view a few of the photos taken at the feast of our members. Here are a few highlights from their amazing photos! You can view more of their work on their website and their Facebook page.

You can order copies and see the rest of the collection on their website.

March 2018 BOD Meeting

Below you will find the Agenda and minutes for the March 2018 Board of Directors meeting.

We are pleased to announce that this meeting is the first meeting we are streaming the Board of Director meeting live, you can view it on YouTube.

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Thanks to Breather for making this photo available freely on Unsplash

Open PM 1st Position

Hello and happy Thursday

Your Secretary is here with an announcement. From now until March 10th, 2018 we will be accepting applications for the appointment of the following position:

-Playmaster 1st

Applications for this position should be sent to the Secretary or Board of Directors email addresses, secretary@kanar.org and bod@kanar.org respectively. Applications will then be reviewed and the President will schedule interviews with applicants. Approved applicants will then be motioned for discussion and approval at the Board of Directors meeting.

Members desiring to apply for these positions must meet the following general requirements:

• Currently hold Veteran KGE Membership Status and be a KGE member in Good Standing.
• Not have been released from any other KGE position due to disciplinary action in the last five years.
• Have a working telephone number.
• Have a working e-mail address with access on a daily basis.
• Have a valid mailing address.
• Have a valid photo identification card recognized by the US Government.

I'd like to take a moment here at the end of the announcement to thank Nathan Niemi for his years of work as a Playmaster. Many bright-eyed new adventurers have come to the lands of Ilveresh and found their first hours filled with the Niemi Crash Course to Playing KANAR. Thank you Nathan, for fighting valiantly in the parking lot with sharpie in one hand and rulebook in the other.

Jacob Smith
Corporate Secretary

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Photo by Finn Hackshaw on Unsplash

Winter Feast Fighter Tournament Information

Winter Feast Fighter Tournament Information

Hello fellow Kanar Winter Feast Attendees! For those of you who don't know me, I'm Dan one of the PM staff members known in game as Squire Adriel D'Arrangard. This year, under the supervision of my knight, Milos who is known in game as Lord Sir Miloc Elderhart, I will be helping to organize the fighter tournament at Winter Feast. This post will detail everything you need to know if you wish to watch or participate in the tournament.

1. How do I get into the tournament? The deadline for signing up will be February 3rd by 1:00 pm. We will not take anymore participants after this time unless we have an odd number to start. In this case a last call for ONE more player will be made prior to the tournament starting. I strongly encourage you to sign up prior to February 3rd if possible. 

2. When will the tournament begin? We will start fighting AT 2:30 pm on the day of feast (February 3rd). From my experience trying to sign up everyone up to the minute prior to the start of tournament and have it run on time (before dinner and other announcements/festivities) is very difficult. Therefore, signing up before hand and a strict time frame is a must. I would like all participants to gather around 2:15 pm near the front door but you MUST be there by 2:30 pm

3. What are the rules? We will have 3 bouts per pair per round (1 pair fights 3 times. 2 out of 3 wins will win the round). We will follow kings rules. Kings rules will be fully explained during/prior to fighting but here are the basics. Hit in the arm? Lose use of that arm. Hit in the leg? Lose use of that leg. Hit in the torso? You lose that bout. HEAD SHOTS WILL NOT COUNT. The marshal(s) have final say over what strikes count and do not count

4. Can I win using honor points? No. There will be no honor points in this tournament. What are honor points? It doesn't really matter because we aren't using them. Essentially you get them for doing honorable things...matching your opponents weapons, choosing to lose an arm when you take one of theirs, etc. While I encourage some honor, such as using a similar weapon(s) to your opponent, it is not required. However, it makes it a little more interesting and fair to fight similar length weapons instead of one player using a dagger and another using a spear and other combinations like that. Again I want to stress you DO NOT have to fight with a weapon you don't like.

5. "I can't be there by 2:30 and ready to fight, can I still fight?" No. Sorry, we have a timeline to keep this year and you won't fight if you are not there by 2:30.

6. How will opponents be paired up? Pairs will be picked at random. Each name will be called twice and only twice waiting only a minute or two between calls. If the player does not show up they forfeit and are out of the tournament. 

7. Will weapons be provided? No. Bring your OWN weapons or borrow some from a friend. Weapons WILL NOT be provided for this tournament. Weapons MUST be Kanar safe/legal to be used and WILL be checked prior to a bout beginning. Any weapons that do not pass the safety inspection will not be allowed to be used and the player is responsible for finding his/her own replacement weapon. 

8. Where will we be fighting? The tournament will be held OUTSIDE so please dress appropriately. You may wait inside while each bout is taking place but all fighting will occur outside of the building regardless of weather.

9. What if a round has an odd number of players? For a round with an odd number of players (the only exception being a final round) a name will be selected at random to get a by for that round. If there is 3 players in the final round they will fight in a round robin style fight where everyone fights everyone. The player with the least wins will be eliminated and the final two will face off for the title of tournament champion.

10. What about game mechanics? Game mechanics are off for the tournament so there will be no damage called, spells cast, items used, etc. This is simply a kings rules fighter tournament. 

11. How do I know if I hit the other player? Players will be expected to call their own hits against themselves. In the event that a player(s) do not appear to be taking hits appropriately, the marshal(s) reserve the right to call a hit for a player. Furthermore, the marshal(s) reserve the right to disqualify/remove ANY participant(s) that they feel are cheating, not taking hits, not following the rules, showing poor sportsmanship, etc. THE MARSHAL(S) RULINGS ARE FINAL. 

12. Will there be a price to enter/is there a price for winning? Yes and yes. The entry fee will be 5 silver per combatant. I encourage sponsorship as well. If you can't afford it and wish to seek a sponsor to pay for your entry fee go for it! if you want to sponsor someone to fight in the tourney, go for it!. 3 silver will go into a pot that the victor will take home. The remaining 2 silver will go to the crown to fund things such as town guard. (There may be other prizes thrown in for the winner depending on donations from vendors/other players/characters but at the very least there will be a prize of silver from the entry fees that will be announced prior to the start of the tourney)

If you want to sign up respond to the post on the Facebook event in the "sign up here" comment with your Mundane name (real life name) and your character's name or find Dan Weiler at the venue BEFORE 1:00 PM on February 3rd. If you have questions about the tournament please contact Dan.

How to be Mosquito Free

How to be Mosquito Free

by Rabbit

So you’ve made it to Ilveresh and are all set to do some hero stuff, but the mosquitoes are getting you down? Here’s some ways to keep yourself mosquito free, tried and true from the deeper parts of the swamp. There are amazon.com links attached for all of the different repellent methods you can purchase.

Bug Spray

The traditional. This is what a majority of our players use. All of it is helpful. In practice, anything that advertises itself as deep woods, backwoods, or sportsmen works better. A higher deet content is usually better than a lower one. 25% to 45% seems to be the sweet spot. A couple of quick notes about deet. First, if you hunt for it, you can find spray with high levels of deet (90% -100%) It does not work as well as you think it would. It also burns more than you’ll want it too. Second, deet does not get along with prosthetics like latex ears and nail polish. Deet will slowly melt away both of those.

There are some other things worth mentioning about bug spray. Just because you spray yourself down doesn’t mean all the spray will stick to you evenly. That’s okay. Make sure to get the back of your shoulders, forearms, and head. This goes double for my fellow balding men. A trick I like to use is to spray a lot in my hands, then use that to rub around my ears and face. There’s nothing worse than a mosquito buzzing around your head. 

Also, you will sweat your bug spray off. It’s just something to be aware of. You can fight a bunch, then go reapply your bug spray, then go fight a bunch, then go reapply your bug spray again. Live that cycle. If your cool with it, we’re cool with it.

You should be able to find bug spray just about anywhere you look for it.

Bug Lotion

A must have for the deep woods ranger types. It’s a simple lotion, like sunscreen, with 35% deet. As a lotion, it gives a more even coverage than a spray. Put on a good layer before you garb up. Make sure to get around the ears. It’s easy to find at any camping store in the area.

Permethrin

This stuff is great. It is meant as a treatment for clothes and it works wonders. You can find it in camping stores and department stores. Not only does it keep mosquitoes away from your clothes, it’ll repel other bugs too. Surely a bonus with ticks around. Find a dry day before the season and spray your garb down. Let it air dry for a while. It’ll last you the entire season.

Garlic Pills

Garlic Pills are a commitment. They’re easy to find at any department store in the vitamins section. To be effective, you’ll need to take about four per day during the event. They’ll smell, then you’ll smell as garlic oozes out of your pores. You’ll feel a little greasy, but hey, if it works on vampires, it’ll work on mosquitoes.

Garb Choices

This one is largely a character choice. If it’s not the way you want to go, ignore it. That said, the less open skin mosquitoes have, the harder it is for them to get at you. They will still make a successful go of it. Thicker fabrics are better than thin ones. This is also easier in the colder months. Sometimes we still have mosquitoes in winter.

Actions During Play

There’s not a lot you can do to avoid the mosquitoes without aid. One thing that does help a bit is to keep moving. You’re quite the buffet when you stand still. Activity can make it hard for the buggers to stay with you and take your mind off them.

Camping Tricks

For those who are camping on field, it’s good to keep air circulating on you while sleeping. This will deter mosquitoes by making it hard for them to land on you. A little camping fan that is blowing on your face will do just the trick. Also, some mosquito netting inside a tent or car can go a long way if you can rig it up. 

This should help get you past the mosquitoes and back to adventuring and drinking to your health. Just make friends with the mud and you’ll be right at home in the swamp. If there are any methods that you know of to thwart mosquitoes that are not mentioned here, please share them. Be a hero. Everyone hates mosquitoes.

January 2018 BOD Meeting

Below you will find the Agenda and Minutes for the 2018 January Board of Directors meeting. Additionally an updated rulebook was passed threw the meeting, the changes were to include an updated format of the skills chart.  

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Thanks to Breather for making this photo available freely on Unsplash

CBD Staff Position Open

Hello everyone!

I'm looking for some fine folk who might be interested in joining the CBD Staff. It involves long hours of number crunching, sitting in a parking lot while someone tells you an elaborate backstory that you don't care about, and genuinely not having much clue as to what the hell is going on around you.

Really though, looking for people who are;

• Good at spreadsheets
• Have extra time to sit and work 8-10 hours between events on just character sheets. 
• Discreet, and able to keep all the secrets under their hats.
• Have a working computer
• Are not currently on another staff
• Are not looking to pursue another position either in K1 or with KGE
• Are concerned about the growth of the game play, not the business

Look this isn't a glamorous job, it's really boring and has number crunching potential. You do get to weigh in on important decisions and whatnot but for the most part, it's a bunch of stress trying to get things done!

IF YOU ARE INTERESTED!

Please email some type of resume to the cbd at cbd@kanar.org

 --  CBD 1st Matty

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Photo by Finn Hackshaw on Unsplash

Module Writing 101

Module Writing 101

By Craig Jarvis

1. Name the module

This is one of the more important steps in the creative process. The name allows you to discuss the project with others, and helps solidify the concept and story behind the module in your mind.

2. Date to run and module length

Can this module run at any day and time? Does it run best during the day, or does it require the gloom of twilight for the full effect. Can you run it in snow, or rain, or temperatures in the low nineties? Will the NPCs need extra time to prep garb and makeup? Will you need time and helpers to dress the module area, and run rope walls, or (my preferred method) black plastic walls? Pick the ideal time, but be ready to run whenever the GMs decide.

3. Synopsis

Jot down the central theme, the key NPCs, what they want, and why. Try to fit it all in one paragraph. We’ll expand on it later. If there is a VITAL player, skill, prop or idea, without which the module falls apart, mention it here. In bold italicized text if necessary.

4. Hook

How will the PCs get involved? Will an NPC run into town asking for help, or will he stroll into town seeking to hire a handful of able adventurers? Will the hook appear in the Quill, or will the module marshal just walk across the field, teleporting PCs into the dungeon? The Hook will help define how many players you want, and should give a hint at the power level of the module. A farmer’s wife begging for aid against the kobold in her barn can be an intro to a newbie module for two to four players. A wealthy landowner trying to hire six warriors to clear orcs and goblins out of his hunting lodge might be a mid level module. The Prince’s Spymaster issuing orders to the nobles to assemble a fast moving party of eight heartless and merciless killers to “handle” a problem with an ogre tribe and its new Ogre Magi chieftain… not a low-level module.

5. Linear vs. non-linear

A linear module moves from one room to the next in sequence. It is usually simple and straight-forward. The module marshal can set up the first one to three encounters in order, depending on the number of NPCs available, and as NPC are defeated or bypassed they report back to the marshal or his assistants, to set up the following encounters.  The main branch can have side rooms and forks, but there is only one “correct” path from beginning to end.

A non-linear module is more free-form, requires more prep, but can be much more fun for the PCs. A one-day in which the PCs start in a “ruined town”, and have to find the rare flowers somewhere within the nearest 40 acres. Scatter roleplaying clues around the land, a hermit in the “abandoned elven village” that knows the flowers grow near a hidden shrine. A band of goblins of the “missing teeth tribe” that avoid a cursed spring to the north. You know the flowers are in Trapper’s Camp, guarded by a chimera, a pit trap, and a Potion of Curse that must be drunk to safely pick the flowers.

6. Number of encounters

How long do you expect to entertain the PCs? Even a short module takes time to set-up, collect NPCs, herd PCs, and run the encounters. Count everything as an encounter. Each set of NPCs, each trap, puzzle, or “skill check”. I recommend against delineating roleplaying/combat encounters. Every encounter is a roleplaying encounter. Even mindless undead and giant slugs should roleplay their hearts out. My wildly inaccurate rule of thumb is that each encounter will take about five minutes. That being said, I’ve planned long combats with multiple waves of NPCs get steamrolled in under a minute, and I’ve had a thirty second conversation before the “boss encounter” last over an hour. Be flexible.

7. NPC Stats and briefing info

Give your NPCs as much information as they can handle. Even the tenth wave of level 1 skeletons should have something special about them. Give one a pronounced limb because his buddy is wielding his foot. Keeping the module fun for the NPCs is just as important as entertaining the PCs. I follow a condensed NPC info format.

NPC name, NPC level, class or type, Body, Armor, Damage
Special Attacks, Defenses or Abilities
Description and Roleplaying Notes

For instance:

Bazagdula, 10th level Orc Warrior, BP: 60, AP: As worn, Damage: 5/5 or weapon +3
Critical Parry Shortsword Rt Hand, Critical Parry Shortsword Left Hand, Resist Charm x2, All Unit Tactics

You wear platemail armor, and bear many scars from early childhood to now. You are a Warlord like few seen in ten generations. You speak with command and authority. You are more concerned with winning the war than with winning individual battles. You are not afraid to sacrifice troop for a victory, but each death hurts the Cause. If overwhelmed, fall back and regroup. Your life is to be protected at all costs. 

8. Props and Rewards

A couple of nice props can make a world of difference. Make or buy your props weeks in advance. If you don’t have time to find the rare magic flowers yourself, delegate to an assistant. Give them a few bucks and tell them to get anything that looks like a flower from the dollar store. (Take your receipt to the TM, GM or the BOD) Spruce up an old boffer with red tape for Bazagdula’s favorite sword. Steal a 4x4 from another house and use it as the balance beam trap. Get NPCs to play non-vital decorations, tables, chairs, desks, a fallen chandelier, stalagmites. Trust your assistants to perform last minute set dressing. 

Figure out what the PCs can gain from this module. Will the monsters have coins in their pouches, or in a small stash at the end of the encounter, or no? Are there cool magic items, or rare and valuable objects d’art? Potions, scrolls, alchemies, toxins, armor, herbs, weird stuff? If your loot needs tags, get your tag list to the Econ Marshal well in advance. If the “loot” is intangible, make sure the PCs know that. If the reward is a boon from the local noble, a rich merchant, or a poor hermit with some obscure knowledge, write a thank you note to the PC from that person.

9. Skills

Grab a rulebook, turn to the skill tables. Look back over your module. List EVERY skill that might be useful in identifying or explaining something in the module. Racial Lore: Kobold for the farmer’s wife module. Orc and Goblin Languages for the Hunting Lodge, plus Terrain Lore: Forest and Wilderness Survival. Heraldry: Human, Forgery, Scribe, and Urban Lore: Yardsmith for the Spymaster, Culture Lore: Orges, Read Magic, Mystic Rune, Symbol Lore and Planar Lore: Negative for the Ogres and Ogre Magi. Flora Lore and Terrain Lore: Swamp for the rare flowers, Alchemy 8 for the Potion of Curse, Terrain Lore: Mountains OR Subterranean for the Chimera, and Locate Trap 3 for the pit. 

Write Most-but-not-All of the Skill Info down on a one page briefing sheet. Give it to the PCs and tell them, “If you have the appropriate Skills, you will know this stuff when you see the <kobold, orcs, goblins, Lodge, Spymaster, ogres, ogre magi being played by Travis, bright purple plastic flower>.” Save one or two pieces of info for explanations on-the-fly. “Also, if you have Mystic Runes you realize that the Ogre Magi’s armor is useless against cold and water spells.” “If you have bardic ability you’ve heard rumor that the Chimera’s lion and goat heads will pause if they hear a lullaby.”

10. Follow up encounters and after action report

Your module write-up is not complete until the module has been run, and you’ve written the last section… what happened? Were the PCs successful? Did any of the NPCs escape? Did any of the loot get missed or left behind? Is there a follow up module? Include the names of the PCs that went, what they did, in general, and how well they performed. This will help you and the GMs for future encounters and modules