Category: General

Ever replay a published adventure? If so, how are you making that second time through memorable? Roleplaying games have a long tradition of replay.  Like an old friend, some GMs pack a tried-and-true adventure with them on a trip to  conventions and run it for new strangers. Gnome...

Playtesting can be a fraught experience, even in the best of circumstances. This goes double if the designer of the game is involved in the playtest, or if you’re friends of the designer (which is pretty likely in the early stages). I’ve found over the past year that I actually really...

One day, a few weeks ago, I received a message from the incomparable Camdon Wright. Camdon asked me if I would be interested in looking at Thousand Year Old Vampire, a single player “journaling” RPG by Tim Hutchings, Kickstarted in November of 2018. When I started reading through the...

I pull up to the house, park out front (not t0o early, I hope), and sit for a moment. I consider briefly taking off again, I’m pretty sure that no one saw me. I’ve known Ken for several years, but that doesn’t take away the gnawing feeling of being out of place. I take a couple...

If it wasn’t obvious from the fact that I’ve been writing for the Stew since 2014, or that I constantly talk about roleplaying games, let me state for the record that I love gaming. Gaming is such a source of joy in my life that when I was without it, I finally dredged up the courage...

Sometimes, when you sit down at the table to play, something special happens. Something magical turns that game into something more. Was it the GM bringing their A game? Was it the players at the table, all getting into their characters just so? Could it have been the game itself? Or is it a...

I confess: I’ve often thought that in both professional adventure design and for GMs bringing a game to their home table — too much hand-wringing and navel gazing has accompanied the presentation of “adventure hooks.” Why is your character going on an adventure? It is a...

From the obligatory treats to share at game night to the nearly professional planning that some people put into convention supplies, we gamers really like our snacks. While I am not necessarily the best person to be giving advice on nutrition, I attend enough conventions to have some experience on...