Tabletop gaming has become a mainstream hobby in the United States. According to Forbes, the tabletop games market is growing rapidly with many new games coming out every year and more people playing these games than ever before. With this growth comes an increase of problematic players who are...
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As a GM, do you really get to play like everyone else at the table? Do you get to enjoy the setting and the rules of a game in the same way? Do you experience the unexpected as deeply as you would from the perspective of a single character? Do you get to feel like you’re one of the party, standing...
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I am currently writing this post with my nose, as my arms are hanging uselessly from my sides like two of those sticky hands from grocery store vending machines; please forgive any typos. You see, being in the midst of what looks suspiciously like a full-fledged midlife crisis, I recently signed...
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To create a game is to learn that the act of gaming is more important than your creation. The same can be said for preparing a game. Â Â Â The activity is bigger than the product or plan. The product is a tool of the activity, not the other way around. The same could be said about any creative...
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When one of your regular players can’t make a session, you have a choice to make: Don’t play, play something else or play as normal. The first two options are pretty straightforward — let’s explore the third one, playing anyway. When you find yourself in this situation, you...
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My crystal ball tells me you need…more gaming blogs to read…or…more players. Either way, I’ve got you covered: • Game On: Aleph Gaming: TT reader Aleph recently started a gaming blog with a twist: He covers a different aspect of gaming each weekday, from video games to...
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Some gamers like battles that involve battlemaps, minis and precise movement. Other gamers prefer battles to be largely descriptive, with the GM keeping track of positions. Many gamers fall somewhere in between — perhaps leaning towards a loose map of the combat area that isn’t used...
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It’s been a while since our last forum roundup, and there’s one piece of news and two threads I’d like to share: • Not Dead Yet: We now have a forum for non-gaming discussion. I’ve held off on creating a forum like this for ages, but I think now is the right time....
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If there’s a Treasure Tables philosophy (as longtime reader John Arcadian suggests that there is), then this is its cornerstone — number one with a bullet, a gold star and a chorus of angels playing little trumpets: Always put your players first. Don’t ignore your own fun, but...
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“I make a called shot to his nuts” is one of the most potentially troublesome things a player can declare during a session. Why? Because assuming the game you’re playing doesn’t support doing damage to specific areas (hit points, anyone?), it’s one of two things: a...
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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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