Hello to you, our one and only reader. Yes, you are our only reader. Feel proud! Feel important! Feel bored!

Yes, there has not been a whole lot going on here in recent months. Unfortunately for the pull we had with the site, it waned when the prospects of uncertainty and changing schedules and locations occurred.  What used to be two people doing one game a piece and trying to use this space to put important info has turned into two Friday night games, trading off week to week, and 3 Saturday games in rotation, soon to be 4.

Really, what I'd like to know and see is what you, our sole reader, want the site to be. I can't make any promise of their being daily updated content, or there being tons of original art or content. What I can say is that if there where a particular pull - something that we knew was needed, we'd strive for a goal, instead of mindlessly updating a record five months after the change has taken effect in game.

What I will try to do in my free time over the next couple weeks is see what's available add-on wise for the site, and see if there's any way of making the site more appealing through new features. Past that, We'll take any and all suggestions.

The gods.

Here are the list of known gods in the common world and their alignments

Rashua
Good
 Preserves the trust and quality of men, if you work hard you will eventually get what you have earned. Worshiping her will get you any Good domain.

Ishsatar
Lawful good
Preserves the law and order of the land, “do more for your neighbor that what he has done for you, and your rewards will reap themselves” hardly anyone worships her anymore, more and more people are too selfish to hold her ideals true to their lives.  Worshiping her will get you any lawful good domain.

Maultese
Chaotic Good
a Favored god of dwarves and soldiers, he is favored by those who put their own good deeds in the spotlight of lore. Gaining his favor means your name will be sound by hundreds of bardic tongues, and everyone will know your name. worshiping him will get you any chaotic good domain.

Gendrien
neutral
Take what you must, and give what you must. A favored god of rogues and thieves, the world is grayer than it is black and white, his teachings are more left up to interpretations. Worshiping him will get you any neutral domain.

Chesta
Lawful Neutral
be faithful on your track in life, and be faithful to your land. By giving of yourself to the law you will find the truth in enlightenment. Worshiping her will get you any lawful neutral domain.


Veranti
Chaotic Neutral
Favored by pixies and fae, she is more of a trickster natured goddess. She is also by far the most worshiped deity in the main continent of the four worlds. She is also the goddess of luck. Worshiping her will get you any chaotic neutral domain.


Extinct gods and factions

Gypsum – The god gypsum has not had any followers for nearly 200 years, was a favored god to the Elvin. Not much is known about that god or his teachings.
Khailip – Khailip’s name has been whipped from what little of history is known about the land, she was once the most powerful and highly regarded of all the deities. You will be very hard pressed to find any information about her at all that still exists.
Anunuki – nothing is known about him besides a few very faint whispers of the past.
the order of doves – was once a great organizations that hasn’t even been thought of in over 500 years.
the dragons of peace – was wiped out around the same time as the order of doves.

Often, there are bouts of open hostility between players of different RPG systems. You have the Storytellers, the d20 players, the GURPS, the Palladium guys, and all manner of other system evangelists.

You know the type – 95% of their collection is from one system, and they foam at the mouth when someone says something bad about their favorite (or something good about another).

Really, though, it’s not about the system. It’s about the playing style.

Storyteller fans usually favor story, drama and romance (in the 18th century version of the word). d20 fans are often more into strategic combat and mechanical progression. GURPS fans love realism, and Palladium fans…well, they almost exclusively love the setting itself first and foremost.

In role-playing groups, these play styles boil down to four distinct types:

The Creative

The Creative is interested primarily in telling a story. Whether she uses words, pictures or sound, she generally has a creative occupation or bent outside of gaming too. Bloggers make for great Creatives in gaming.

A Creative is happiest when she is exploring the nuances of the human condition with other players. Because of her interest in story above all else, sometimes she grates on the nerves of Warriors.

Creatives are best matched with Socialites, who can provide complex levels of interaction.

The Warrior

The Warrior loves combat and strategy. Sometimes he has a keen mind, and other times he just enjoys the bloodshed.

Frequently, this type of player has a competitive spirit. Of all the types, the Warrior enjoys locking horns with the GM and, sometimes, other players. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, though the Warrior’s penchant for favoring rules over story can get on the nerves of the Creatives.

Warriors are best matched with Scientists, as Scientists understand Warriors’ love for rules best of the four types.

The Scientist

There’s a Scientist in almost every gaming group. Sometimes they take the form of “rules lawyers” or “munchkins” whose negative traits can put them at odds with the group, but often they’re just very interested in the rules of the game.

Scientists like tinkering with applications of the rules to discover new effects and ways to play the game. A friend of mine who played AD&D fit this type – he managed to somehow figure out a way to eliminate a small army of kobolds using a single lightning spell indoors, all in perfect keeping with the rules. Scientists can be creative, but they usually focus on rules instead of the story.

Scientists are best matched with Warriors, if only because Warriors make for great guinea pigs.

The Socialite

The last type, Socialites, is interested primarily in just having fun with a group of friends. For them, no aspect of the game is more important than this.

Socialites are perfectly happy to call a game off mid-session if something more interesting grabs their attention. Socialites, rather having a short attention span, prefer just to hang out and enjoy themselves. This can be the death of a serious gaming group if the others aren’t Socialites also, but in the right situation, Socialites can bring life to an otherwise boring campaign.

Socialites are best matched with Creatives, as they love interacting with equally energetic people.

Keeping these types of player in mind when building a gaming group can make the whole experience a lot more fun. Mixing up play styles every once in awhile can shake up a stale campaign, too, so if you’re usually in the Creative frame of mind, playing a Warrior style game can bring a fresh perspective to the game and restore your creative juices.

By the same token, if you’re used to playing a Socialite type of game, try going for a Scientist style in your next adventure – you just might enjoy the new conversations that can pop out of examining the rules.

This guest post was written by Ben Overmyer, artist, writer and cofounder of Silver Gryphon Games.