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You are here: Home / Archives for Storytelling

Shotgunning

April 12, 2016 by Chris Sims

Since that day my first nameless elf died in the gray-ooze cave in The Keep on the Borderlands, I was hooked. I got into roleplaying games over three decades ago because I was interested in the drama.

Filed Under: Analysis Paralysis, Editorial, Featured, Newest Critical Hits, Roleplaying Games, Video Games Tagged With: D&D, Dungeons and Dragons, freelancing, game design, intellectual property, nerd culture, roleplaying games, Storytelling, transmedia storytelling, world building

Review: “Cosmic Patrol” RPG

January 17, 2013 by Bartoneus

Cosmic Patrol is a retro-futuristic roleplaying game published by Catalyst Game Labs that focuses on storytelling and building a narrative from various cues provided by each player/character around the table and an overall adventure structure chosen by the players. I’ve had the main rulebook for a long time, but finally had a chance to sit down with some friends and play a session in late 2012. The game has a very evocative setting introduced throughout the rulebook and with short stories that highlights a very pulp, “golden age” style of science fiction space exploration featuring rockets, laser pistols, and asteroids infested with lizard men.

Filed Under: Reviews, Roleplaying Games, Science Fiction & Fantasy Genre Tagged With: catalyst game labs, cosmic patrol, narration, retro futuristic, Reviews, roleplaying games, science fiction, Storytelling

Musings on Continuity

April 4, 2012 by mattjames

Sometimes, in any fantasy world where you have invested a large amount of your imagination, you start to append your real-world experiences to those of the characters being portrayed. For example, in the Star Wars universe, characters such as Luke are relatable, in that most people understand the story of “the everyman.” He is compelling because of the extraordinary destiny that lies ahead in his life.

Filed Under: Editorial, Roleplaying Games, Science Fiction & Fantasy Genre Tagged With: continuity, dnd, forgotten realms, lucasarts, star wars, starwars, Storytelling

Bedtime Adventures: May-Gee’s Big Test, Part 2

September 14, 2011 by The Chatty DM

In which Chatty concludes the Bedside story he and his daughter Rory created. A story about a young teenaged magician named May-Gee, a boy and the power of music and linked magic.

Filed Under: Featured, Musings of the Chatty DM, Newest Critical Hits, Roleplaying Games Tagged With: Bedtime roleplaying, collaborative storytelling, gaming with children, Gaming with Kids, story games, Storytelling

Bedtime Adventures: May-Gee’s Big Test, Part 1

September 12, 2011 by The Chatty DM

In which Chatty goes back to basics and shares the first part of an bedtime interactive story he created with his daughter.

Filed Under: Featured, Musings of the Chatty DM, Newest Critical Hits, Roleplaying Games Tagged With: Bedtime roleplaying, collaborative storytelling, gaming with children, Gaming with Kids, story games, Storytelling

That Almost Sucked

March 8, 2011 by Vanir

A good D&D campaign should tell a story. But are you telling the story, or are the players? Is it both? Neither? Some combination of both and neither? After the jump, I muse about stuff that works in D&D and stuff that doesn’t. And I turn evil, if only for a few minutes.

Filed Under: Dire Flailings, Humor, Roleplaying Games, Science Fiction & Fantasy Genre, Video Games Tagged With: 5x5, 5x5 method, DM, dungeon master, story, Storytelling, The 5x5 Method, world of warcraft

How to Read Minds: Body Language at the Gaming Table

November 12, 2010 by guest

Did you ever meet someone whose stories always fizzle without much of a punch? Me too. The issue with their stories isn’t necessarily the content; some other guy or gal might tell the same stories with everyone around them hanging on their every word.

Filed Under: Editorial, Featured, Roleplaying Games Tagged With: Storytelling

Chatty’s Bedtime Campaign: Bend it like Nico!

August 21, 2008 by The Chatty DM

Oh yeah, he was expecting it tonight. As soon as teeth were brushed and pyjamas were worn (i.e. an old T-shirt of mine… Enjoy every second of the time when your kids hero worship you, it won’t last), my little 6 year old Laser Knight was ready to continue his adventures. Chatty: Okay so you […]

Filed Under: Musings of the Chatty DM, Roleplaying Games Tagged With: Bedtime roleplaying, gaming with children, Gaming with Kids, Storytelling, world building

Chatty’s Bedtime Campaign: Nico’s Quest

August 19, 2008 by The Chatty DM

I have mails to read and posts I planned to do but this… this I have to share with you. 8h15 PM. Nico, my 6 year old son, is playing in his room waiting for me to come and read him a story. As I come into his room, he tells me he’d rather play […]

Filed Under: Musings of the Chatty DM, Roleplaying Games Tagged With: Bedtime roleplaying, gaming with children, Gaming with Kids, Storytelling, world building

Saying goodbye to a PC: Lillee's letter to Cruguer.

February 7, 2008 by The Chatty DM

Lillee, Yan’s Pixie Arcane Caster is leaving the group this week to be replaced by a new character. While our group hasn’t developed strong ties or built any spectacular interrelations, there was something building between Lillee’s concern for Cruger’s well being and Cruguer’s pained tolerance of that somewhat annoying little ball of energy. For those […]

Filed Under: Campaign Logs, Musings of the Chatty DM Tagged With: 3.5e, Chatty's 2007-2008 campaign, Storytelling

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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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