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You are here: Home / Archives for Roleplaying Games

Review: Fiasco Companion

June 22, 2011 by Linnaeus

The Fiasco Companion includes variants, extensions, crunch (in the form of four new playsets designed to illustrate principles explored elsewhere in the text) and advice (including chapters on using Fiasco in the classroom and as a creative tool outside of roleplaying, plus tips for playing online and facilitating in the absence of the GM role).

Filed Under: Featured, Reviews, Roleplaying Games Tagged With: fiasco, fiasco companion

Preview and Interview: “Guestbook” RPG

June 20, 2011 by Dave

We talk about the upcoming “Guestbook” RPG that combines collectible characters with RPGs in order to produce 5 minute flash fiction while standing in line and hanging out. We interview the game’s designers, and preview Taco Girl, one of the game’s first characters.

Filed Under: Board, Card, and Miniature Games, Featured, Interviews, News, Roleplaying Games Tagged With: guestbook, guestbook rpg, story game

4e CAN be Old-School!

June 17, 2011 by Shawn Merwin

I asked myself a question a few weeks ago, and now I can finally start to answer it. Along the way, I scare myself with the random numbers that have stayed in my head for 30 years.

Filed Under: Editorial, Featured, Know Your Roll, Roleplaying Games Tagged With: 4e, old school d&d

Con-Versations: Highlights of The Grand Roludothon

June 14, 2011 by The Chatty DM

In which Chatty recounts his gaming day at a local con, describing the highlights of his Dungeon Reality Show and Old School Job sessions.

Filed Under: Actual Play, Featured, Musings of the Chatty DM, Roleplaying Games Tagged With: 4e, convention report, conventions, Cortex Plus, D&D, d&d 4e, Dungeon Reality Show, Dungeons and Dragons, Leverage RPG, Old School Job, Roludo, Roludothon

Numbiz iz Numbiz

June 10, 2011 by dixontrimline

Once again, it’s time to create a new 4E character, and once again, I’m paralyzed by indecision. Believe it or not, this isn’t because I’m overwhelmed with options. I’m okay with having bunches and piles and oodles of options. Pathetically, I’m currently frozen by the crushing terror that I’m going to make the wrong choice and wind up with a lousy, useless, despised character, which reflects badly on me as a player, a man, and an American. And possibly a human being.

Filed Under: Editorial, Roleplaying Games Tagged With: character creation, player advice

The Architect DM: Planar Modification

June 8, 2011 by Bartoneus

Last week my first appearance ever on the Tome Show podcast was posted (on my Birthday, no less!) and the topic that I was very pleased to be invited in on was Planar Advice for 4th Edition. Thank you to Jeff for the invite, and if you haven’t listened to this episode or if the Tome Show in general then you should head over to his website and check it out!

Filed Under: Featured, Roleplaying Games Tagged With: 4e, 4th Edition, advice, architect dm, astral sea, D&D, dnd, Dungeons and Dragons, elemental chaos, Feywild, planar, planes, roleplaying games, Shadowfell, tome show

The Stay-At-Home Adventurer

June 7, 2011 by Vanir

Yesterday marked the beginning of my third week of unemployment. While the stress of my previous job is no longer an issue, I am faced with a whole new host of things to worry about. The first is, obviously, trying to find a new job. There’s lots of things to get done around the house, so it’s not as if I have a lack of things to do. Getting them done with a 3 year old who has no regard for his own personal safety (much less the well-being and structural integrity of his parents’ belongings, the furniture, or even the house) significantly raises the challenge rating on keeping my sanity. So I started thinking about what a campaign would be like if the PCs never went anywhere and the adventure came to them. I bet it’d be more exciting than Super Why.

Filed Under: Dire Flailings, Humor, Roleplaying Games Tagged With: castle, prison, prison castle, pruno, sebastian shawshank, sedentary lifestyle, shawshank, shiv, unemployment

You’re Out of your FAQing Element

June 3, 2011 by Logan Bonner

Ryan Macklin wrote a blog post about problems he sees with “use-whenever” stats in RPGs, using my FAQ hack for Leverage as an example. There are somegood ideas in there, and I encourage reading it. I however think it’s missing the point by suggesting that the FAQ system isn’t doing what it should in the system.

Filed Under: Game Hacks & Content, Minor Quests, Newest Critical Hits, Roleplaying Games, Television Tagged With: Cortex Plus, Hack, leverage, Ryan Macklin

Aspectfully Speaking

June 2, 2011 by dixontrimline

With Wil Wheaton’s post, the clouds finally parted and the sun didst shine down and lo, it didst alight on my brow. Previously, I got it, but I didn’t really GET it. I understood it, but I didn’t really understand it.

Filed Under: Editorial, Roleplaying Games Tagged With: acting, aspects, fate, gamma world, player advice

Dear Mom & Dad: Please Send GP

May 31, 2011 by Vanir

College is a special time in every PC’s life. They’re learning new things, they feel more free than they’ve ever been, their hormones are raging, and their backstories are finally blossoming. Just make sure yours uses protection.

Filed Under: Dire Flailings, Featured, Humor, Roleplaying Games Tagged With: academy, backstory, bards, bards rule, books, college, dm tips, learning, school, university, yay bards

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About the Author

  • Linnaeus

    Linnaeus, aka Gerald Cameron, is a personable geek from Nova Scotia. Linnaeus is a freelance editor whose clients include At-Will Publishing and Dark Omen Games and was a judge for the 2010 & 2011 Canadian Game Design of the Year competitions. Contact him via e-mail or learn more at his about.me profile.

    Email: linnaeus@gmail.comWeb: http://linnaeus.wordpress.com

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