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You are here: Home / Archives for Newest Critical Hits

Chasing the Dream: Chatty Moves One Step Closer…

December 15, 2009 by The Chatty DM

A few weeks ago I wrote a very personal post about the state of me and what I wanted to do with my still nascent writing life. In that article, I posted a list of what I wanted to do in the short to mid term to achieve my ultimate goal: becoming a writer that […]

Filed Under: blogging, Freelance Writing, Musings of the Chatty DM

Inq. of the Week: Seasons Greetings

December 14, 2009 by Dave

I’ve run a few adventures in wintery climes (they go hand in hand with frost giants, after all) and it does add an extra flavor above and beyond the normal temperate adventures. That’s my way of using gaming to introduce this real world question…

Filed Under: Featured, Inquisition of the Week, Roleplaying Games Tagged With: cold, fall, ice, spring, summer, weather, winter

Creativity and the RPG Mind: Part 2, The Right Answer

December 14, 2009 by The Chatty DM

Way back at the end of September, I wrote an introductory post to a new series where I would explore how creativity is expressed (or stiffed) in the RPG geek’s mind.   Based on the ‘A Whack on the Side of the Head‘ by creativity Guru Roger von Oech, I wish to explore the common barriers […]

Filed Under: Musings of the Chatty DM, Roleplaying Games Tagged With: advice, Creativity

Critical Bits for the week ending 2009-12-12

December 12, 2009 by Gato the News Robot

Chris Sims and Paizo CEO Lisa Stevens talk about the size of the gaming industry and so-called rival designers http://bit.ly/8UwZBP # iPhone as Helper Pixie (iPhone apps for RPGs) http://bit.ly/5vPitl # RT @Comixace: CHime in on DC's latest Big Two reboot — EARTH ONE http://bit.ly/8itzUD # I approve. http://bit.ly/4DNb2e # The magic items that WotC […]

Filed Under: Critical Bits Tagged With: twitter

Gears of Ruin: Creating PC-specific Clockwork Mechanics.

December 11, 2009 by The Chatty DM

My new Gears of Ruin Clockwork D&D 4e campaign starts as soon as the holidays are over (with a pre-campaign session right before). I’ve spoken a bit about what the setting would be.  I’m moving away from my traditional fantasy world and creating a new one based on Clockwork Fantasy tropes (Girl Genius, Iron Kingdoms, […]

Filed Under: Musings of the Chatty DM, Roleplaying Games Tagged With: 4e, chatty's, Gears of Ruin, Tropes, world building

Review: “The Plane Below: Secrets of the Elemental Chaos”

December 10, 2009 by Bartoneus

The Plane Below is the first of several 4th Edition D&D books that delve into a bit more detail on specific planes and the kinds of adventures that can be found within them, as the title indicates this one focuses on the Elemental Chaos and everything pertaining to it.

Filed Under: Featured, Reviews, Roleplaying Games Tagged With: 4e, 4th Edition, D&D, dnd, Dungeons and Dragons, plane below, Reviews, Roleplaying Games, roleplaying games

Chatty’s Ptolus 4e Demo: A Tail of Two Shities, Part 3

December 10, 2009 by The Chatty DM

See part 1 here and part 2 here. Rat and Roll! After the PCs rested for a few minutes, they continued deeper in the complex of caves and crypts.  They eventually found the fleeing rats and followed their light to a large chamber.  As they approached, they heard a rumbling sound, like stone rubbing on […]

Filed Under: Musings of the Chatty DM, Roleplaying Games Tagged With: 4e, Game Demo, Ptolus

Chatty’s Ptolus 4e Demo: A Tail of Two Shities, Part 2

December 9, 2009 by The Chatty DM

See part 1 here. Of Kobolds and Rats As I mentioned in my pre-game post, the actual ‘dungeon’ of the adventure was a modified version of the Dungeon Master Guide’s ‘Kobold Hall’.  In fact, I took Area 1, 3 and 4 and modified them to my needs.  All kobolds became ratlings and I added a few other […]

Filed Under: Musings of the Chatty DM, Roleplaying Games Tagged With: 4e, Game Demo, Ptolus

YouTube Tuesday: I Know Block-Fu Edition

December 8, 2009 by Dave

A pivotal scene in the Matrix, recreated in stop-motion with Legos.

Filed Under: Movies, Science Fiction & Fantasy Genre, YouTube Tuesday Tagged With: lego, the matrix

Let Me Tell You About My Campaign: Might Of The Inquisition

December 8, 2009 by Dave

In general, though, writing about my specific campaign tends to fall close enough to “let me tell you about my character” that I tend to let it go. However, I realize that there’s some value for me talking about my campaign, especially given my current setup. I won’t go adventure by adventure. I will, however, hit some of the important points of running the game in the hopes that it will help some of you run your own games.

Filed Under: Editorial, Featured, Roleplaying Games Tagged With: 4e, campaign, setting

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About the Author

  • The Chatty DM

    The Chatty DM is the "nom de plume" of gamer geek Philippe-Antoine Menard. He has been a GM for over 40 years. An award-winning RPG blogger, game designer, and scriptwriter at Ubisoft. He squats a corner of Critical Hits he affectionately calls "Musings of the Chatty DM." (Email Phil or follow him on Twitter.)

    Email: chattydm@critical-hits.comWeb: https://critical-hits.com//category/chattydm/

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