We all know that I love the Dwarven Race. I’ve stuck up for them numerous times and complained loudly and repeatedly when I feel they are being gypped. I’ve discussed my fondness for Gimli, Thorin & Co, Flint, and the character I am creating for Smite’s upcoming 4E campaign and now I’d like to introduce you all to another very special dwarf. His name is Billibub Baddings and he is a dwarf from a fantasy world living as a private eye in 1920’s Chicago. No it’s not a Call of Cthulhu character concept from someone with a very lenient GM. He is the hero of famed podcaster and author Tee Morris’s The Pitchers Pendent: A Billibub Baddings Mystery.  This is the long awaited sequel to Billibub Baddings and the Case of the Singing Sword and it just so happens to go on sale today. I should also mention that Kiwi author Philippa Ballantine has been promoting her new book, Digital Magic, with Tee for the last month. They are friends and share the same publisher so instead of competing with each other they have been promoting their books together. Now I am completely unfamiliar with Pip’s work but those I respect (Mur Lafferty, J.C. Hutchins, and of course Tee Morris) recommend her stuff. They have been asking their fans to buy their books today (Aug 8^th) on Amazon.com. Since they are with a small publishing company they have a hard time getting respect and getting on Amazon’s bestseller lists can get them a lot of recognition. I’ll be heading there as soon as this posts to get my copies. If you need more than my recommendation to invest in these two quality authors you can go to Double Trouble and learn more. Really though you should just take my word for it. Tee is awesome and it is Pip’s birthday. Buy thier books(1,2).

On a tangent more directly related to gaming I have been learning a lot more about 4^th Edition and I find I have to reconsider my first evaluation of the Dwarf contained therein. Their racial power is quite potent. It’s boring but in a system that focuses so heavily on combat getting to heal without losing your attack is very useful. I still think they are gypped on the base movement thing. Why are they the only PC race that moves 5? Heck, even in the Monster Manuel suggested races only the Gnome has speed < 6 and that includes Warforged. Friggin statues get better speed than the dwarves!  (Like I said “loudly and repeatedly.”)

I also just got my hands on NWN2 and have been playing a Dwarf Priest of Clanggedin Silverbeard there. I have to say I am terribly disappointed in the creators of the game. The dialog trees are just awful. They have mistakes like having someone say ‘you humans’ to my Dwarf and they don’t have dialog options that fit my character at all. Fallout was a 10/10 in dialog options, KOTOR was an 8/10, NWN2 is about a 4/10. Very disappointing. Now my opinion may be skewed by the fact that when I played the first NWN I played a lot of fan created modules most of which had great writing. I could have been happy with some sub par dialog if it at least felt like they were making an effort to give me Dwarf dialog options, or even Warpriest dialog options. I got neither and now halfway thru the game I am starting to get frustrated. It smacks of laziness. I heard that they did rush it out and had to cut some things they planned to get the game out on time but their lack of effort is disappointing.