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You are here: Home / Archives for Roleplaying Games

Recompiling Digital D&D

January 17, 2012 by Vanir

A common complaint with 4th Edition has been the online tools that go with it. Now that we have a Next Edition coming, WotC gets another shot at getting their cyberducks in a row. The best part is, this time out they’re asking all of us what we want from D&D. Guess what? I want better online tools! Furthermore, I have a few suggestions. WARNING: Some programmer jargon ahead. Proceed with digital caution.

Filed Under: Dire Flailings, Roleplaying Games Tagged With: .net, asp, character builder, D&D, D&D Insider, D&DI, dndnext, Dungeons and Dragons, json, online tools, perl, php, python, virtual tabletop, wotc, xml

The Road Not Taken: Alternative Directions For A Post 4e D&D

January 16, 2012 by Dave

In the context of a new edition, there are any number of ways that an edition after 4th edition could go, while still building on the foundation of the game.

Filed Under: Critical Threats, Game Hacks & Content, Roleplaying Games Tagged With: 4e, game design, hacks

Where D&D is Heading; or, How the Internet Changed a Game

January 13, 2012 by Shawn Merwin

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.

Filed Under: Editorial, Know Your Roll, Roleplaying Games Tagged With: 4e, D&D, D&D next, dndnext

Dungeons & Dragons of Future Past

January 12, 2012 by Bartoneus

The 4th Edition of D&D brought about the only long campaign I’ve ever managed to run, and I attribute a large part of that to the ways the new edition changed the role of being a Dungeon Master and the tools it provided. After D&D Next was announced the online RPG community went crazy, and I saw a number of people sharing lamentations that 4th Edition was now “old” and “going away”. I’ve finally managed to wrangle my thoughts about D&D Next, and they are overwhelming in their hope that whatever D&D Next is it allows me to continue running 4e D&D.

Filed Under: Editorial, Roleplaying Games, The Architect DM Tagged With: 4e, 4th Edition, D&D, dnd, dndnext, Dungeons and Dragons, edition wars, new edition, random encounters, roleplaying games

It Slices, It Dices, It Possibly Does The THAC0

January 10, 2012 by Vanir

I’m sure by now you’ve heard the news. Beyoncé Knowles has given birth to a new edition of Dungeons and Dragons, and the Internets are ablaze. The epic ears of the Wizards of the Coast are now listening to user feedback more than ever before, and in their direction everyone’s hopes and dreams for their favorite game have been launched. The system is rumored to be many things, two of the most common of these being “just another money grab” and “modular”. As my experiences with the R&D team over the past couple years have not included any signs of them being were-packrats who hunt shinies when the moon is full, I can only speculate about the game’s modularity. As it happens, that is the thing that gives me the most hope and the most worry about the upcoming changes to D&D.

Filed Under: Dire Flailings, Roleplaying Games Tagged With: 5e, 5th edition, antisocial people, chaos, D&D, dnd, dnd3.5e, dnd3e, dnd4e, dnd5e, dndnext, Dungeons and Dragons, edition wars, editions, manifesto, minmaxers and roleplayers living together, monte cook

New Edition of “Dungeons & Dragons” Announced

January 9, 2012 by Dave

This morning, in the New York Times, it was announced that Wizards of the Coast is working on the new edition of Dungeons & Dragons – and you can be involved.

Filed Under: Editorial, Featured, News, Roleplaying Games Tagged With: breaking news, D&D

The Architect DM: Winging It

January 5, 2012 by Bartoneus

Let me know if this situation sounds familiar to you: You’re the DM/GM for your gaming group and you’ve just wrapped up an adventure, and you have at least a whole week until the next one. You sit down the next day, or even that very night, and start the adventure planning process. Over the next few days you stay on track but before you know it the next adventure is looming and you feel like despite your best efforts the game is still not as ready as you feel it should be.

Filed Under: Featured, Roleplaying Games, The Architect DM Tagged With: Adventure Prep, advice, architect dm, D&D, DM advice, dnd, Dungeons and Dragons, planning, preparation, roleplaying games

Everybody Kill Each Other

January 3, 2012 by Vanir

In which an evil Jedi with doilies over her eyes blows an engineer out an airlock, driving Vanir to consider the most fun way to kill his teammates. (Current contender: playing Dominion, but all the treasure cards are poisoned.)

Filed Under: Dire Flailings, Roleplaying Games Tagged With: alignment, alignment sucks, chloroform, Death, evil, good, grey area, interpersonal conflict, intraparty conflict, lawful stupid, morality, morals, murder, neutral, pvp, stabbing, swords, violence

The Real State of Dungeons & Dragons

January 2, 2012 by TorgHacker

In a nutshell, D&D started off the year in a state of confusion and concern, but has ended the year fairly strong. WotC is looking towards the future and D&D’s torch holders have done much to improve relations with their customers.

Filed Under: Editorial, Featured, Roleplaying Games Tagged With: 4e, D&D, Dungeons and Dragons

Vanir’s New Year’s Gaming Resolutions (2012 Edition)

December 28, 2011 by Vanir

It’s that special time of year again. You know, the one where you run out of times of the year. This year was a significant improvement for me in a lot of ways. I got laid off from a horrible job, and almost immediately got a really good job. I got a gaming group together. I’ve had a lot of new, awesome experiences this year, and my gaming life is much improved. That being said, here’s my plan for the coming year.

Filed Under: Dire Flailings, Featured, Roleplaying Games Tagged With: DM, dresden files, fiasco, gaming, microscope, new year, pathfinder, resolution

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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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