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You are here: Home / Archives for Roleplaying Games

In Defense of Funny

August 17, 2010 by Vanir

I hear a lot of people talk about how they don’t care for humor in their D&D campaigns. That’s my favorite part! Find out a couple ways to introduce some levity into your game without annoying the crap out of everyone else. Or just annoy the crap out of everyone else. I don’t care. It’s not MY game.

Filed Under: Board, Card, and Miniature Games, Dire Flailings, Humor, Roleplaying Games, Science Fiction & Fantasy Genre Tagged With: annoying, beholder, dante, funny, Humor, roleplaying, Rule of Fun, sochin, stupid ranger

Review “Happy Birthday, Robot!”

August 17, 2010 by Linnaeus

In Happy Birthday, Robot! (HBR for short), the players work together to write a short story that emulates the form of a children’s story. The story is written one sentence at a time, with three players having input into each sentence.

Filed Under: Featured, Reviews, Roleplaying Games Tagged With: daniel solis, happy birthday robot, indie rpg

Renaissance of Roleplaying

August 16, 2010 by dixontrimline

I feel like it is possible to establish a renaissance of roleplaying, assuming you even want to, but it couldn’t possibly work through just one devoted person, even if that person is the DM. It would just be too excruciating, too mortifying, and gradually, the intensity of peer pressure would grind the Method actor back into a more acceptable shape. If this is to work, it would have to be through an explicit contract at the table.

Filed Under: Editorial, Featured, Roleplaying Games Tagged With: method acting, player advice, roleplaying, rp advice

Barf Forth Apocalyptica! Review: Apocalypse World

August 15, 2010 by The Chatty DM

Not for the faint of heart from both a thematic and playing philosophy point of view, Apocalypse World presents a very clever and potentially engrossing game. It’s main focus is not so much on player accomplishment (or setting exploration) but rather the relationships that form between PCs and the constantly mutating loyalties and rivalries between them.

If you’ve started enjoying story games that thrive on failures like Mouse Guard and Burning Wheel but want to explore a darker, very adult theme, Apocalypse World is worth giving a try.

Filed Under: Musings of the Chatty DM, Newest Critical Hits, Reviews, Roleplaying Games, Tropes Tagged With: Dogs in the Vineyard, games indie, Post-Apocalypse, Reviews, Rules-light, sci-fi, story games, Vincent Baker

Dave’s Gen Con 2010 Wrap-up

August 14, 2010 by Dave

So you may have seen all the Gen Con schedules posted last week that told you where various Critical Hits staff members were going to be, I am going to buck the trend and tell you where I WAS at Gen Con… or at least the highlights.

Filed Under: Board, Card, and Miniature Games, Critical Threats, Roleplaying Games Tagged With: con report, gen con, gen con 2010

What I Learned DMing for 10,000 Players

August 13, 2010 by Shawn Merwin

My first blog, in which I reveal how little I know, and probably would tick off E.M. Forster if he wasn’t dead.

Filed Under: Editorial, Know Your Roll, Roleplaying Games Tagged With: 3e, 4e

Lessons Learned from Gen Con 2010

August 12, 2010 by The Chatty DM

Every year I leave Gen Con with a few, crystal clear thoughts that guide my gaming and writing for the upcoming year. This year was no different. So here’s my list of lessons learned.

Filed Under: Musings of the Chatty DM, Newest Critical Hits, Roleplaying Games Tagged With: gen con 2010

Gen Con 2010: Drinking Dungeons & Dragons

August 11, 2010 by Dave

Now years ago, it started as a joke: making a drinking game out of 4e Dungeons & Dragons. After that, it became an annual tradition at Gen Con for some of our closest blogger friends those first two years, run by ChattyDM. I offered to step in and spear-head the DD&D game, if he would collaborate with me and run a second table. An accord was struck and the planning began: a Drinking Dungeons & Dragons event for Gen Con to top all the previous.

Filed Under: Critical Threats, Featured, Roleplaying Games Tagged With: 4e, dd&d, gen con, gen con 2010

Critical Hits Podcast #21: Red Box Actual Play with Jeremy Crawford

August 11, 2010 by Dave

One part interview, one part actual play, all recorded in the noisy Sagamore ballroom, Jeremy Crawford of Wizards of the Coast ran a short game for a group of the Critical-Hits crew showing off characters made using the new D&D Essentials Red Box. What role is the new Fighter Slayer build? What does halfling blood taste like? Are Wookies really the new PC race? Answers to these questions and much more await within.

Filed Under: Critical Hits Podcast, Podcasts, Roleplaying Games

Critical Hits Podcast #20: Interview with Rich Baker and Mike Mearls

August 10, 2010 by Dave

The Friday of Gen Con 2010, Bartoneus and myself sat down with Rich Baker and Mike Mearls of Wizards of the Coast (in the gaming penthouse above their booth) to talk about Dark Sun, Essentials, and beyond. Some of our questions were a bit invalidated by the seminar the next day, but it’s all included for the sake of posterity.

Filed Under: Critical Hits Podcast, Interviews, Podcasts, Roleplaying Games Tagged With: dark sun, essentials, gencon, gencon 2010

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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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