Category: Geek Culture

  • Encounter Locations – Part 2

    Last time we talked about what inspires encounter location design, and how to start the process. Inspiration for an encounter location can really come from anywhere, so when you have an idea make sure to record it. You may not get to it right away, but it’s great to have a list of ideas on…

  • Summer Kickstarter Picks!

    My Kickstarter “problem” (I can quit any time) continues, and I have three campaigns I’m currently backing which I think will be of particular interest to all of you. I’m talking about them in order of closing soonest to closing, uh, not-soonest. Knuckle Sammich – I have been an unabashed fan of the Kobolds Ate…

  • Sounds Like Fun!

    I haven’t always been great about including sound in my role-playing sessions. I used to at least run an iTunes playlist of cool fantasy/sci-fi soundtracks in the background, but even that has fallen by the wayside in the last few years. But I’m starting to look at audio options for my games again, for a…

  • I’m a Critter and You Can, too!

    While I indulge in many (oh so many) podcasts and vidcasts about gaming, I have had more of a hit-and-miss relationship with offerings featuring actual game play. I can turn to Wil Wheaton’s Tabletop on the Geek & Sundry network for board games (and the occasional, very focused, role-playing game). And Shut Up and Sit…

  • Podcast Season!

    Here in Canada we gamers are deep in the bowels of winter, which means long hours of cold and darkness. Perfect for gaming, yes. But sometimes even we hardy Canadian nerds don’t want to leave the comfort of our nice, warm homes. And when those days come, I turn to one of my favourite pastimes,…

  • Emerald Spire/Extra Life Update

    As I mentioned, I’m GMing The Emerald Spire for Extra Life this year. In preparing for the big day, I’ve had to make some changes to how the dungeon delve will work. If I were running this at home, for instance, the normal flow of events would go something like: party hears about dungeon party heads…

  • Extra Life is Almost Here!

    Once again I’m taking part in Extra Life, a fundraiser by gamers to raise money and awareness for children’s hospitals all over the world. Last year I did a mix of tabletop and computer gaming. This year, however, I’m going full tabletop, baby! For the full 24 hours I’m going to GM the Emerald Spire…

  • #RPGaday Wrap-up

    The weekend sort of got away from me, what with an event I was running going off very successfully and a few other things. But it meant not having a moment to finish up the last four days of RPGaDay, so let’s take care of that now, shall we? Day 28: Favourite Game You No…

  • #RPGaDay, Day 25: Favourite Revolutionary Game Mechanic

    One of my favourite games from my early RPG days, which I sadly never got to play, was Skyrealms of Jorune. It was one of those games that, were I bit older when I came across it, I likely would have appreciated it more. At the time, though, I loved it because it featured none…

  • #RPGaDay, Day 22: Perfect Gaming Environment

    I don’t really have any preference when it comes to the physical environment I game in. I’m just as happy to sit around a living room as I am to sit at a table, or play at a store or con as opposed to a private home. I do have a separate room at home…