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You are here: Home / Archives for Newest Critical Hits

Mailbag 4 – All By Myself, Part 1

May 3, 2010 by Chris Sims

Mike Shea asked me how I’d handle solos at upper levels so that they shine against powerful characters and skilled players. Over multiple Mailbag articles, we’re going to talk about solos, as well as what they can and should do for you.

Filed Under: Analysis Paralysis, Editorial, Featured, Roleplaying Games Tagged With: 4e, customizing monsters, D&D, epic monsters, monsters, solo

Critical Bits for the week ending 2010-05-02

May 2, 2010 by Gato the News Robot

RT @WyattSalazar: The Hidden Kingdom "Adventure Setting" For D&D 4e: http://wp.me/po2FO-F3 # RT @ATerribleIdea: A Terrible Post: Apply Today For A Terrible Grant http://aterribleidea.com/2010/04/27/apply-today-for-a-terrible-grant/ # RT @AllenVarney: My new Escapist "High Adventure" column, a timeline of the '80s anti-D&D Satanic Panic: http://bit.ly/aNtWyJ # May Content Calendar for DDI: http://bit.ly/bCAoVX # RT @gamefiend: New blog post: […]

Filed Under: Critical Bits Tagged With: twitter

An Undead History

April 30, 2010 by guest

Have you ever written a detailed and complex history for your campaign only to watch it gather dust as your players focus on the now and not concern themselves with the prior events of your campaign world? As a player, have you ever been intrigued by a campaign settings rich history only to find that your GM never uses anything from the campaign’s past? Providing interesting and detailed histories for your campaign can really help the world come alive on the table and within your players, however it is far to easy to create a detailed history and then focus on the current and future events of your game. This doesn’t have to be the case; some of the more interesting games and adventures can be fuelled by events that have happened in the world before your adventurers even arrived. Below is a detailed scenario in which new adventurers can become involved in a historical event that never concerned them.

Filed Under: Flavour Feast, Roleplaying Games Tagged With: 4e, 4th Edition, Curse, Cursed Items, D&D, dnd, Dungeons and Dragons, History, Necromancer

The Briarthorn Needle, Gnomish Airship

April 30, 2010 by The Chatty DM

The game’s action will occur entirely on board a Feywild grown, Clockwork-powered gnome airship called The Briarthorn Needle owned by ‘neutral’ fey privateers. The last warring factions of Sikkara (our Clockowork D&D gameworld) have agreed to meet on it to negotiate a peace accord and put an end to 8 years of global war.

Filed Under: Adventure Prep, Musings of the Chatty DM Tagged With: Airship, Clockwork D&D, d&d 4e, Gears of Ruin, Gnomes

Review: Dragon Age: Origins – Return To Ostagar DLC

April 29, 2010 by Vanir

Dragon Age fans! Go back to where it all started! See dead people! Find stuff. If you’re me, be disappointed. Should you buy this? Read on for my recommendation. (Hint: NO.)

Filed Under: Reviews, Video Games Tagged With: bioware, DA:O, david gaider, dragon age, dragon age origins, man at arms is very upset, microsoft points, money grab, paid DLC, return to ostagar, Roleplaying Games, videogame

Background Check

April 29, 2010 by Chris Sims

I’ve talked about investing some emotion in your character and, thereby, the game. As a follow-up, I suggested you seize the game by the horns. The “Play Boldly” article seemed more concrete, more useful, than the first. I thought about it, and I have more to say about giving your character traits and a history that make up a backstory.

Filed Under: Analysis Paralysis, Editorial, Featured, Roleplaying Games Tagged With: 4e, attachment, character concept, emotional investment, party concept, player advice, roleplaying

The Gnomish Viral Music Box

April 28, 2010 by The Chatty DM

Upon freeing themselves from the Fomorians, the gnomes knew that they could not rely on the other, more powerful races, to guarantee that they would not fall back into slavery. While many champions of the Gnomish causes have risen in the last centuries, the masters of trickery have created their own tricks to ‘convince” the world’s best heroes and scoundrles to help them.

Filed Under: Adventure Prep, Musings of the Chatty DM, Roleplaying Games Tagged With: Artefact, Cursed Items, D&D, Gears of Ruin, Gnomes, What if

The Plot Kill

April 28, 2010 by The Main Event

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.

Filed Under: Editorial, Featured, Pain of Publication, Roleplaying Games Tagged With: DM advice, gm advice, pain of campaigning, plot kill

An Open Letter to All: A Rebuttal

April 27, 2010 by guest

I’m a geeky, professional, progressive girl. I’m a high level business executive and head of my household. I come from a long line of feminists. My hippie parents raised me with a gender neutral philosophy and I’ve fought for equality and my voice to be heard my whole life. And to this complaint that the icon will offend women, I say Bullcrap.

Filed Under: Editorial, Roleplaying Games Tagged With: gencon

Inq. of the Week: Prizes and Treasures?

April 27, 2010 by Bartoneus

This week we are not posting a new poll as part of the Inquisition, instead we are looking to solve a very terrible problem which Dave and I now have. You see…we simply have too much stuff that we want to give away on this fancy-schmancy website and we aren’t entirely sure how to do it!

Filed Under: Featured, Inquisition of the Week Tagged With: contest, doctor who, Inquisition of the Week, Newest Critical Hits, prizes

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About the Author

  • Chris Sims

    Chris Sims has played roleplaying games for 35 years, and he has helped produce games for more than a decade. Before he set up his freelance shop in the wilds of Austria, he was an editor, developer, and designer at Wizards of the Coast. There, he worked on Duel Masters, Dungeons & Dragons, and Magic: The Gathering. Ask him something via email that might receive a response in a post, and follow his tweets.

    Email: chris@critical-hits.com

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