A few weeks ago, I tweeted this… Just curious… in this whatever part of the pandemic we are in, does anyone else have problems concentrating or being creative? I have trouble reading and can’t even bring myself to play Minecraft. All I can do is watch TV and TikTok. — Phil Vecchione...
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It is common practice for tabletop RPG players to use their smartphone during a gaming session. You will see them checking their email in between turns, texting someone who isn’t there and even taking pictures of the game. Is this behavior rude? Should the DM regulate cellphone etiquette at...
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I was forty-six sessions into my Forbidden Lands game when I lost interest. I am sure it wasn’t all at once and was more likely gradual, but around session 46 is when it reached critical mass. I just wasn’t feeling it like I did before. I have learned that this feeling, this lack of excitement for...
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Powered by the Apocalypse (PbtA) games have changed the landscape in a lot of very positive ways, but the one that has resonated most at my table – even feeding into other games – is the idea of “failing forward.” That is, creating a partial failure that moves the plot, or at minimum...
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If we’ve learned anything from Indiana Jones, it’s that nothing is more satisfying than watching a Nazi’s face melt. Whether they be Nazis, the Empire, Hydra, or Sauron, fascists are easy and popular villains to incorporate into a game. Alongside zombies, dragons, and Cthulhu, are there more...
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Content Warning: Discussion of Body Horror, Demons, Devils, Hell and Religion. If there’s one thing that is found all throughout popular media, be it modern or ancient, it’s the eldritch mystique of Hell and its denizens. What inspires more terror, and yet more art, than the pits where torment is...
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Your recurring villain appeared right on schedule, but through a string of lucky crits, they’re now on the ground bleeding out. The players completed the dungeon, but in the process destroyed the McGuffin that you had planned to have aid them on their quest. In their defense, they thought it was...
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Game masters walk a razor’s edge. On one hand, we’re tasked with pitting our players against ever-mounting challenges. The threat of death and loss needs to feel real. The greater the danger, the more satisfying the victory. But we don’t want to make it so tough they won’t...
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When you are planning an encounter for the game you are running, and you carefully select what monsters you want to include, what are you thinking about? Are you thinking about relative threat levels, fun special abilities to play with, or are you looking for something that makes the monster feel...
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In the world of tabletop RPGs, few practices are as divisive as the fudging of dice rolls. Most people have strong opinions on the subject either way, and it’s often difficult to find a middle ground. This article attempts to take a balanced, neutral approach to fudging. While at times, it...
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Hey you. Yeah, you. Do you know about Gnomecast 21? Why isn’t it in the archives? What are they hiding? If you value your safety… don’t go searching for Gnomecast 21…
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