Numenera

2015-01-21

I don't think I've talked about Numenera yet, which is something of an oversight on my part. I've been a big fan of [Monte Cook][0]'s work ever since Dungeons & Dragons 3rd Edition was release. His work after he departed WotC was some of the more innovative roleplaying material I've had the good fortune to be exposed to. Numenera was kickstarted mid 2012 and today is a robust and full roleplaying system and setting.…

Ha ha! Multiple entendre

2015-01-21

I sent some money to the guys at Storium a little while back, and I’ve been trying to get a game going. My first attempt seems to have fallen through, but now I’ve got a new group and a new game. Beyond the Veil is a urban fantasy game set in southern Louisiana (you know the one). It’s an exercise in freedom of storytelling, because the rules are pretty loose, and the players have the freedom to move the story forward as they like (with, perhaps, a little gentle prodding from the storyteller).…

Beginning Perfect Flaws

2015-01-09

I began my newest campaign, the second arc of my Twelves Signs setting. The previous arc, Disharmony, was run with D&D 3.5e and for the second arc, Perfect Flaws, we are switching to Dungeon World. I ran my first combat in Dungeon World, and it’s as exciting to run as I hoped it would be. We all have some learning to do, but I can see how this is going to be a ton of fun.…

A token effort

2015-01-05

I was lucky enough to get in on a kickstarter to make some heavy duty FATE tokens. I love the feel of these things, and I am really looking foward to the clink of offering my victims players a chance at a little more power.

This shouldn't annoy me

2014-12-08

The 5e DMG came out recently and Polygon took a look at it with the following headline: D&D’s last core book is your comprehensive guide to breaking the rules This shouldn’t annoy me, but I’ve said it before; If the first rule of running your game is, “ignore the rules”, maybe you should use a system with better rules.

tell me a story

2014-09-25

I don’t recall exactly how I became aware of the Storium kickstarter . Early enough that it still was climbing through its goals. “Very interesting”, I thought. I pinged some friends to gauge interest and found several receptive to the concepts. It’s a shared storytelling experience with some structure to help factiliate accomplishment, failure and progression. Useful tools, very much in the manner of some roleplaying games I’ve been interested in recently.…

its FATE

2014-09-04

Why do you play tabletop roleplaying games? It’s a simple question but there are so many good answers to it I won’t even attempt to give a fraction of them lip service here. For me it is an opportunity to try something new out. To put myself into the head of someone who never existed in our reality, and try to figure who that person is and what he might do.…

Of mice and... more mice

2014-08-23

Hail all those who are able, any mouse can, any mouse will, but the Guard prevail. -mouse proverb Mouse Guard 2nd edition is being printed. I bought my nephew the graphic novels a while back, and I really really want to sit down with him and other and run a game. More as it developers.

rules? what rules?

2014-08-11

Imma link this article , you’re call if you want to read it or not, but its what set me off for this weeks rant. It’s a pet peeve of mine when someone extols the virtues of a game system, and then, almost in the same breath, talks about the large amounts of ignoring the rules they did to have a good time. Let’s be clear: the goal of gaming is to have fun.…

d20, what's my problem?

2014-08-09

I’ve decided that if I sit down and write down my feelings about d20 I will be able to have a more rational conversation about it in the future. Right now I seem to go incandecent with rage just thinking about d20, and that just cannot be healthy. So here’s my attempt at articulating why I am trying to avoid d20 at all costs. Just to make sure everyone understands where I’m coming from, I’ve more or less been playing and running some form of d20 for the last 14 years: D&D 3e, 3.…