Working as a part-time RPG freelancer is a proverbial rollercoaster ride. Sometimes it is thrilling, and other times the reward at the end of the ride is that you get to stop.
Storytelling and Pacing: Why a D&D Movie is Doomed and Could Still Be Awesome
While other companies made their big announcements and rolled out their newest projects at Gen Con last week, the biggest news in RPGs broke on the Monday following Gen Con: a settlement was reached in the proceedings to sort out who had the rights to a D&D-based movie.
A D&D Lover’s Guide to Other RPGs: “Fate Core”
I wanted to take a look at another popular RPG through the lens of a long-time D&D fan. This time I want to take a look at a wonderful game system known as Fate Core.
What I Did on My Summer Con Season Vacation
This summer was extra-special. Although I have been exercising my RPG muscles, both personally and professionally, in different directions, there is no ignoring the launch of the new edition. And for someone so steeped in Organized Play, the launch of a new D&D campaign at the start of a new edition of the game is a critical hit.
Breaking D&D 2: Electric Bugaloo
The risk inherent in mentioning optimization, rules complexity, and story vs. rules in a discussion is great. People may fall back into entrenched positions on all sides. So I want to quickly clarify some points that will also frame my discussion going forward.
D&D: Breaking (is) Bad
The game has to be about the story if the hobby as a whole is going to flourish. This means that the ultra-optimizing, breaking the game with its own rules because they are there, intentionally ignoring the spirit of the rules to mangle the game into something it isn’t, has to stop.
A D&D Lover’s Guide to Other RPGs: “Dungeon World”
It is no secret that Dungeon World was created as an homage to the earliest versions of D&D. From the six standard ability scores that range from 3-18, to the races and classes of the grand old game, Dungeon World makes no pretense at being anything but a hack of D&D.
Flank You Very Much: Tactical Play in D&D
An interesting question came up in an online discussion of D&D Next, and I very much anticipated seeing how the answers would play out. The question regarded how players and DMs handled flanking in the playtest, since the current iteration of the rules do not mention flanking. I was most interested in not what people […]
Exploring D&D at DDXP
More important than the first playtest of the D&D rules at DDXP was the opportunity that participants had to explore what they loved most about the game throughout its history. The first step in this exploration is to figure out what the game is to each of its fans and players.
Where D&D is Heading; or, How the Internet Changed a Game
Where I talk about my opinions on the past and future of D&D, and then end up sounds like a cross between a Romantic poet and the lonely drunk at the end of the bar after a long night. Which in some cases is exactly the same thing.
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