One of the things that I often struggle with when I'm in the middle of a game is coming up with a community name for the various towns, districts, and cities that my players encounter. To help alleviate that issue I created this d100 City Names table that you're welcome to download from the link… Continue reading d100 City Names
An Alternative Method for Skill Checks in DnD 5e
When I first started playing Dungeons & Dragons it was with the 3.5 Revision (D&D 3.5). The game is wonderfully simple in some aspects and woefully complicated in others. One of those overly complicated aspects of the game comes from the skill system used (and which has lingered on ever since in various forms). Let's… Continue reading An Alternative Method for Skill Checks in DnD 5e
Out with the Old, In with the New
One of the things that I love about learning new games are the questions that I find myself asking as a result. For example: one of the major questions I keep asking is why did Dungeons & Dragons change so much from Advanced Dungeons & Dragons Second Edition (AD&D 2e) to Dungeons & Dragons Third… Continue reading Out with the Old, In with the New
I’m Back
Sorry for the long delay in getting back to blogging. My new computer finally arrived and that means that I've got a lot of catching up to do. So the plans going forward: Best Reads of the Week: I'll resume this series starting with the first week of August. I might try to catch up… Continue reading I’m Back
RIP Computer
So my computer has officially bit the dust. I thought that I would be able to just swap out the fans but the heat appears to have well and truly fucked the damned thing. I've got a new one ordered but it looks like it will be late July before I get it back. I'm… Continue reading RIP Computer
Exploring the Southern Gothic
Bare with me for a moment as I'm working through an idea when it comes to storytelling in my games and the sort of themes that I'm wanting to explore. Which brings me to the title of this post: what do we mean when we talk about the Southern Gothic? At its core we're discussing… Continue reading Exploring the Southern Gothic
Combat in ADND 2e, Part 4: Initiative
So I really like the way that D&D 2e asks for us to determine initiative. Each side (the DM and the players) roll a single d10. The lowest result goes first and that side acts before the other. Now this result can be modified by various situational modifiers (for example being "Slowed" will add 2… Continue reading Combat in ADND 2e, Part 4: Initiative
Combat in ADnD 2e, Part 3
The combat sequence of Dungeons and Dragons 2e is quite a bit different from that of 3e. In 2e the sequence goes as follows: 1. The DM decides what actions the monsters or NPCs will take, including casting spells (if any).2. The players indicate what their characters will do, including casting spells (if any).3. Initiative… Continue reading Combat in ADnD 2e, Part 3
BEST READS OF THE WEEK! MAY 31 – JUNE 5, 2020!
Welcome to the BEST READS OF THE WEEK! This week we’ve got Aliens, Yoon Suin, a rejection of the classic Race theory of game design, and more! Oh, and in an effort to make it easier to see what articles are related to, topic wise, I have included hashtags at the end of each. Let… Continue reading BEST READS OF THE WEEK! MAY 31 – JUNE 5, 2020!
BEST READS OF THE WEEK! MAY 23 – 29, 2020
Welcome to the BEST READS OF THE WEEK! This is the first list I’ve done in several years so you might be asking yourself, “What’s the BEST READS OF THE WEEK?” Each week I read through the more than 700 blogs on my blog roll call to and find the best of articles out of… Continue reading BEST READS OF THE WEEK! MAY 23 – 29, 2020
Greyhawk & Order
Pitch In a time of escalating tensions throughout the world one group of men and women stand between the law and chaos; they are the Greyhawk Police Department (GDP) and these are their stories. Each episode would follow a group of detectives for the GDP as they attempt to solve the crimes that haunt the… Continue reading Greyhawk & Order
The Frontier isn’t the Frontier
Recently I’ve been reading the book America Moves West by Robert E. Riegel and Robert G. Athearn and I was struck by the following passage: As it does today, when applied to such fields as science, industry, education, or religion, ‘frontier’ meant something new, relatively unknown, but always promising and exciting. To the pioneers the… Continue reading The Frontier isn’t the Frontier
Let’s Go Exploring – If We Can Ever Find Somewhere Unexplored
Recently I started running a game of D&D set in the Forgotten Realms; and as I was describing where the players were in the world it occurred to me at how civilized the Realms (and my beloved Greyhawk for that matter) really are. The world still has wild spaces but there are clearly defined boarders… Continue reading Let’s Go Exploring – If We Can Ever Find Somewhere Unexplored
Being Essential During the Pandemic
While many of my friends are finding themselves in a bit of a creative renascence you'll find me over here, being essential. Others are staying home, social distancing, and I'm over here going to work fighting crowds. I'm still writing though, and more will come. I just need to get through the next few days.
Alignment in Eberron
Using the traditional alignment system found in Dungeons & Dragons is a difficult chore for those looking to adventure in the world of Eberron. Unlike the world of Greyhawk, where the world is constantly trying to find a balance between good and evil, law and order, the world of Eberron is more often seen in… Continue reading Alignment in Eberron
