Jim Arona

I can be contacted by emailing jim.arona at gmail.com or cell 021 0769376

DMing Style

I'm in it for the fun, not the money. People have different ideas about what is fun, but I suspect that the ones who hang around something called the Adventurer's Guild are probably interested in treasure, violence, loose men or women and recreational drugs. The order will vary, but those are the main food groups.
I run games that are cinematic in nature and where the action is flowing.
I don't like it when players talk over the top of me when I'm describing something. Other players are encouraged to yell at the over-talkative. I don't usually penalise Experience for this, but I will most likely not repeat myself.
As a general note, it makes for a more pleasant gaming experience if interrupting other people is kept to a minimum. Yes, of course, in the excitement of the game this happens, but it's much more fun if these are as infreqent as is sensible. Some players are 'small voices', and they should receive their hour in the sun, too.

Rule Variations

• Percentile dice are always rolled for Initiative, whether Engaged or Unengaged, and bonuses added to the result.
• A strike to disarm is a declared attack and is successful on a roll of 5% of modified Strike Chance + 20.
  
• Restraining a figure is difficult. To withdraw, the figure rolls a D10 and adds 10, adding 1 for each point of PS they are stronger than their captor, subtracting 1 for each point of PS they are weaker. A natural roll of 1 or 0 is not modified.

I do not allow these abilities from the Warrior 3.0 playtest

• Close-Evasion (General) - may Evade while in close combat. Standard defence bonuses for evasion and potential Parry.
• Pre-Engage (General) - may choose to act on their Engaged IV provided they are within half Warrior rank hexes of an engagement and they are joining the engagement as their action
• Precision (Weapon) - may modify a roll on the Spec. Grev. table by up to half Warrior Rank.
• True Disarm (Weapon) - advanced training in disarming opponents. Reduces Disarm SC% penalty by 2% per rank. In addition if the Disarm attempt is an EN hit then the chance of retaining the weapon is halved, on a SpecGrev the target may not attempt to retain the weapon.
• True Riposte (Weapon) - may attempt to Parry/Riposte any attack that misses by more than 30% even if not evading, or gains +2 on the Parry Calculation if evading.

How I award Experience

Attendance: 0 - 500
This is usually 500 for every player that turns up more or less on time. I penalise a player who can't tell me what their MR or Def is without spending 5 minutes rooting around in a bag for it, or if they haven't updated their character sheet. These things usually cost a player about 50 experience or so. Turning up an hour late or so costs around 150 or more.
Roleplaying: 0 - 500
This is the player's opportunity to show everyone else your character. Note the italics. It is important to perform the role, not describe it. This is harder for some than others, of course, and it's sad that not everyone can be a great performer.
But, even if this is your weakness, you can still expect to garner at least 250 Experience per session, so long as you honestly try and you stay in character. Well, except where it would be tedious to be in character.
Contributions: 0 - 500
This category is more about what you can bring to the adventure. If you are the right level for the game, you will easily earn 250 Experience without breaking a sweat. If you are underlevel, you will have to work harder to make the grade. Some combinations of abilities are just generally handy to have around, and some players are more naturally resourceful. Some abilities may be very useful on a particular adventure. In these cases, the character can earn more.
If you are overlevel for the game, then I sometimes apply an Experience cap. This is usually 250, and it means that characters wildly overlevel can get no more than 250 Experience for this category.
Occasional Awards:
These vary from as little as 50 Experience, and may be as high as 1000. They are an award I make for valour, remembering things, putting together information sensibly, especially good ideas, or bad ideas that are just too much fun. It's also for things that amuse everyone. If I fall out of my chair from laughing, that player will get 1000 Experience.
Risk Factor 1 - 5 or more.
After each category has been summed, it is multiplied by the Risk Factor. A very low level game would have a Risk Factor of 1, and, on average, would return 12,000 Experience for the entire adventure (at least one game is missed per season, in my experience). Medium would be 2.5, High end of Medium would be 3, High would be 4 and so on.

Some have speculated that he is a hobbit, but since he has been DA'ed by the other GMs we can say that Jim is in fact a human male.

Jim plays a range of characters:

• Valentine of the Golden Order of the Fire of Argon.
  
• Father Rowan the Seeker of Truth.
  
• Scratch, as yet unhung.
  

Jim has a wide range of interests including acting. Jim Arona comes from the beautiful Northland of New Zealand, and we understand his family are watching tonight. Should he win 'DM of the year' he would seek world peace, a cure to hunger in Africa, and to help small children.

Jim also is a GM with a view on things.