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You are here: Home / Archives for Newest Critical Hits / Columns

Talking To Yourselves

June 12, 2012 by Vanir

I’m not going to lie. I really like it when my players have a problem. When they’re unhappy, I always have plenty to write about. Not only am I going to write about one of my players’ problems this week, I’m going to tell you about his character and several of mine. I think I’m a bad person.

Filed Under: Dire Flailings, Roleplaying Games Tagged With: bat loaf, character growth, gucci, in their shoes, lumbar, peer pressure, pressure, roleplay

Collateral Damage #3: The Avengers Initiative Part 2: Hydra does Dallas

June 12, 2012 by The Chatty DM

Having cheated their way to great success on their second day of Avengers training at Camp Hammond, Connecticut, our heroes are scrambled to Texas to face a Hydra raid on the President’s Ranch.

Filed Under: Actual Play, Campaign Logs, Musings of the Chatty DM, Roleplaying Games Tagged With: Collateral Damage, marvel, marvel heroic roleplaying, Marvel RPG

Collateral Damage #3: The Avengers Initiative Part 1: Training Day, Prise Deux

June 7, 2012 by The Chatty DM

Collateral Damage is back, our cheating, barely heroic characters try to complete Avengers training… of course, they’re not going to do it by the book… that would be boring.

Filed Under: Actual Play, Campaign Logs, Featured, Musings of the Chatty DM, Roleplaying Games Tagged With: Collateral Damage, marvel, marvel heroic roleplaying, Marvel RPG, MRH, Super Heroes

Flying By The Fill In Your Gaps

June 5, 2012 by Vanir

The D&D Next public playtest opened a couple weeks ago, and already we have angry sabers rattling and joyful hearts overflowing with weird smelling creepy pink froth. Thing is, nobody really knows what they’re talking about. Not yet. Thing is, this playtest is an entirely different beast than anything most gamers have ever encountered. Read on to find out how.

Filed Under: Dire Flailings, Roleplaying Games Tagged With: alpha, beta, D&D next, gamma, greek letters, it's not finished yet, playtest, software development, testing

Out of the NDA, And Into A Different NDA

May 29, 2012 by Vanir

We can finally talk about our experiences with the D&D Next Friends & Family playtest! I’m going to do that now. All over the place. You might want to get a tarp, maybe change into the clothes you wear to do yardwork. It’s gonna get all Gallagher in here.

Filed Under: Dire Flailings, Roleplaying Games Tagged With: D&D next, dungeons and dragons next, friends and family, playtest, wotc

Writing Contest: Reap What You Sew

May 24, 2012 by The Chatty DM

In the footsteps of my flash fiction of last week, my friend Leah teamed up with author Joseph Devon to host a writing contest… about sewing. Can you take this seemingly harmless craft and use it as a story’s climactic scene? Show us what you can do!

Filed Under: Freelance Writing, Musings of the Chatty DM Tagged With: contest, flash fiction, Joseph Devon, Sewing, Writing

Playtest “D&D Next” Like A Pro

May 23, 2012 by Dave

With the open playtest of the new iteration of D&D coming tomorrow, I wanted to offer some of my advice on playtesting and giving feedback.

Filed Under: Critical Threats, Editorial, Featured, Roleplaying Games Tagged With: D&D, D&D next, Feedback, game design, playtesting

Hold On Loosely, But Don’t Let Go

May 22, 2012 by Vanir

Have you ever played in a game with a really good DM? The kind where you’re engaged even when you’re not on the edge of your seat, there’s not a lot of bickering at the table over rules, and everybody talks about their adventures years later? I really wanna be that guy. I’m not yet. This quest has caused me a lot of soul-searching over this past year, and I’ve come across a shocking realization…..

Filed Under: Dire Flailings, Roleplaying Games Tagged With: chris perkins, dm skills, group storytelling, improv, improvisation, roleplaying, steven townshend, triple threat

Chatty Fiction: “At a Loss”

May 16, 2012 by The Chatty DM

In which Chatty breaks his month-long blogging silence to share… are you kidding me? A piece of flash fiction? It’s not even 200 words long? Okay, what did you do with Chatty, come on, fess up!

Filed Under: Musings of the Chatty DM Tagged With: flash fiction

Do Gamer Dads Dream Of 2:1 Sheep?

May 15, 2012 by Vanir

Being a father to a little baby was cool. He was all cute and snuggly and I loved the first words and the first steps and all that stuff. I remember getting Sam a “Level 0 Gamer” bib and a couple nerdy onesies before he was born. Now he’s 4 and loves lots of geeky stuff. But how long can I keep this up? The hopes, dreams, and fears of a nerdly papa, after the jump.

Filed Under: Dire Flailings, Roleplaying Games Tagged With: bonding, celestial porpoise, dad, father, football, Gamer Dad, Gaming with Kids, geekdad, manly, sam

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About the Author

  • Vanir

    Vanir is the sort of man who has openly wondered aloud about his own armor class in front of his own grandmother. Despite this, he has still managed to somehow become both married and a father. By day, he develops web applications. By night, web applications develop him.

    Email: vanir@critical-hits.comWeb: https://critical-hits.com//category/dire-flailings/

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