Every RPGer struggles to make their game special. No one wants to run a forgettable, generic game. In my opinion, music can very easily fuel ideas for unique campaign settings, adventure, or character concepts.
The Plot Kill
In the ongoing debate of killing of PCs and total party kills, one aspect of PC death is often left out: The Plot Kill. Having turned Plot Kills into defining campaign moments and having received some memorable Plot Kills myself, I think the concept warrants discussion.
Lost: Mostly Filler, but with a Dash of Desmond, Things Look Up
First, before we get to the dreamy Desmond’s delicious deliverance to the show, let’s take a look at why Season 6 of Lost has been filler up until now. The major plot points of the first part of Season 6 were: The Flash Sideways Reality, The Lostaways and the Temple, and UnLocke Is Evil. These plot arcs are the primary reason for the show sucking so badly. However, hope is on the horizon and its name is Desmond.
2009 Retrospective on 4e: The Reality of the Relationship
The honeymoon with 4e is over. 4e and I spent our days in bed cooing softly in one another’s ear, and now it’s time to take stock of the situation. It’s time to codify my biggest gripes about 4e.
First Impressions Review: “Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay” 3rd Edition
For a game with a hefty price tag, WFRP is still a game that values economy. Its books are brief, covering the general rules without getting down to the nitty gritty of every character’s special powers. Players have a card or physical object representing every action they take, every adjustment to be made, and every passive ability they possess. There’s no excruciating references to a book needed, it’s all right there.
Pain of Campaigning: Literature and Adventure Planning
Much of gamer culture is shared and it’s not very interesting to rip something off that everyone instantly recognizes and inevitably metagames for. That’s where literature comes in.
Review: “Fantasy Craft”
Fantasy Craft is a D&D 3.0 OGL full-service RPG that boasts a robust set of classes, innovative and interesting feats, and a refreshing skill-based system of spell casting. With systems for item crafting, downtime for players, acquisition of holdings, prestige, and reputation it fills a gap that many have criticized as absent from the current 4.0 rules set.
Being a Good New Player
So often the focus of my articles is DMing. However, in a few short weeks I will be doing something unusual: joining The Game’s regular D&D game. I’m going to run through the considerations of making a character for a game that has been run for a considerable time (the party is starting off paragon level).
Review: The Darkness that Comes Before
I bought R. Scott Bakker’s first book purely based on its appearance on ‘top fantasy’ lists and its comparisons to the ‘realistic’ fantasy authors of Steven Erikson and George R..R. Martin. Bakker comes from an English critique and Philosophy background and it shows. His prose is often quite moving: either beautiful in its poetry or sickening in its brutality. His characters, setting, and background all teem with philosophical underpinnings.
Pain of Campaigning: XIX Getting My Hands Dirty
Last week I dealt with brainstorming for my military-based high fatality huge party epic campaign. This week, I’m going to elaborate on a few of the underlying concepts for the campaign. What follows are my preliminary rules/fluff for the game, subject to further consideration and reader feedback.
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