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Campaign Creation: In the Depths

Last time, we talked about all the nasties awaiting our brave adventurers above ground. Now I want to look at what (or who) might be lurking underground. Giving it some thought, I want to split the Depths, as I’ll call them, into three main areas. The first area will be just below the surface, at…

December 4, 2013
3 RPG Blogs You Should Read

Recently I joined the RPG Blog Alliance, an agrigator for role-playing blogs. I wanted to get my blog in front of a slightly wider audience (which has happened), but I was equally interested in having a source of good blogs for my own enjoyment. While sites like Gnome Stew or RPG.net are great, sometimes I…

December 3, 2013
Campaign Creation: Here Lie Monsters!

In the previous Campaign Creation posts we established the basics of the campaign’s starting point and the NPCs surrounding the party. Today I want to look at monsters the party is likely to encounter, for at least the first few levels and beyond. The Ruin is the remains of a vast, ancient city. Little is…

November 27, 2013
My 3 Favourite Vlogs for Tabletop Gaming

I’m a huge fan of YouTube and the on-line video revolution. It’s no secret that audio-visual media is moving on-line, and has been for quite a while. The ease with which creators can put their work in front of an audience has meant an explosion in web-based nerd entertainment. Whatever your geeky persuasion, you’ll find…

November 26, 2013
Maps for the Weary Game Master

I love maps for role-playing games, almost as much as I love dice. I can spend hours flipping through old game maps, remembering past sessions or dreaming up new ways to use a particular location. I haven’t knowingly thrown out a gaming map in over twenty years. I keep them all neatly organized in a…

November 25, 2013
The Internet Forum Drinking Game

I’ve been spending some time on forums and message boards lately. Some might say too much time, and some might be correct. I’m usually able to act with restraint, but every once in a while I succumb to “Someone is Wrong on the Internet!” Syndrome. When that happens, the only way out is through. But…

November 22, 2013
Campaign Creation: Beginnings and Broad Strokes, Part 2

In the first Campaign Creation post, we laid in a basic foundation for our campaign setting. Today we’ll expand that a little bit, focusing on the people around our characters. At this stage of the game I’m not looking to build fully detailed non-player characters. In fact, I usually avoid statting out NPCs until I’m…

November 20, 2013
3 Games to Kill Long Lines

Anyone who attends cons knows about the scourge of long line-ups. They can plague any convention, no matter how well organized it may be. The negative side of long lines is…well, you’re stuck in a long line for an indeterminate length of time. The positive side of long lines at cons? You’re stuck in that…

November 14, 2013
The Con Game: 3 Tips for Conning on a Budget

My local fan-con, Pure Speculation, happens this weekend. As I’ve mentioned before, I love going to cons. I think there is no better place to celebrate our mutual nerdiness than a convention. And while I like all types of conventions, fan-run cons are my favourite. They may not have all the bells and whistles of…

November 12, 2013
Trail Rations: Hearty Slow-cooker Slaw Stew

My regular Thursday night group has a long tradition of eating a shared meal before we game. It started when we gamed at our then GM’s house and his lovely wife (also a member of our motley band) would prepare dinner for us. We kept that practice intact until Scott and Sheila moved, then there…

November 8, 2013