In which Chatty reveals the latest adventures of the West Coast’s most unlikely superheroes. This month’s session introduces a new multi-issue story arc that brings the heroes in a church where they get attacked by a very devout foe! Don’t miss it!
Preschool Christmas Improv Turtles
I’ve been waiting for this moment ever since I became a dad: I think my son’s Christmas presents are super cool and I can’t wait for him to open them so I can play with them. Don’t worry. I’ll give him a turn if he’s good.
When The DM Closes A Secret Door, He Opens A Pit Trap
Well, it’s finally happened. I’ve known for awhile that a few of my friends in our gaming group would be leaving at some point in the near(ish) future. That time has come. I haven’t quite worked out what’s going to happen between now and then, but there’s a fair chance I’m going to have to wrap up our campaign in two days’ time. I’ve planned for this. I’ve tried to steel myself for this. And yet, all I can think of is the last words of the tenth Doctor: “I don’t want to go!”. Forget about the words. I know I’m not the one leaving. Shut up.
Collateral Damage #4: Getting Hammered in Disneyland
The long awaited adventures of Collateral Damage continue as they face their greatest threat: Dr. Doom! Mud demons, an ancient sorceress and DISNEYLAND! This is an issue you do NOT want to miss!
Off The Chain, Inside The Fence
When I was first DMing, I spent a lot of time fleshing out every last detail and herding everyone around to each subsequent plot point on the Illusion of Choice Express (woo woo!). I’ve since learned that laying out some probable places to go and things to do is a good plan, and not to […]
Readin’, Writin’, and Roleplayin’
This month is National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo to all the cool kids). For reasons modern science cannot explain, I have decided to subject myself to this ritual. I walked into NaNoWriMo with a nonzero amount of hubris that was quickly shattered on the rocks of reality. It’s not that I thought I was going […]
Interview: Tracy Barnett, Designer of School Daze and One Shot
Tracy Barnett is a good friend of ours that has waged a one-man war on his own spare time. With his second KickStarter game, One Shot, ending in just over two days I offered to chat with him a bit about his projects and his thoughts on designing open to the public as he has made a habit of doing. You can also read more of Tracy’s thoughts on that subject in posts he wrote for us earlier this year, Game Design and Openness and Designing in Public.
Zen and the Art of Dungeon Mastering #6: Smash that Bottleneck
In which Chatty tackles a subject near and dear to his cold black DM heart: avoiding adventure bottlenecks. This multi-parter series starts with the basics: Skill-related bottlenecks.
The Pepperoni Of The Damned
Game night for our group has always been the day out of the week we can let off some steam. When it’s board game night, there’s usually time to let our luxurious social hair and talk about stuff, including whatever’s bothering us. D&D nights tend to be more escapist, and we’re on-task right after everybody gets done eating. Up until now, this has worked pretty well. When I first started DMing, it was really stressful. It still is, but there’s a certain euphoria that comes with getting a session to take flight (or at least not to crash and burn), and it always feels good when it’s all over.
Except when it doesn’t.
Zen and the Art of Dungeon Mastering #5: Make it Mean Something!
In which Chatty DM reveals that he’s an impatient player and really really likes to find that each scene he runs or plays in actually meant something in the grand scheme of Adventuring. And no, XPs don’t quite cut it.
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