Several years ago the Gamer Working Group — my lunchtime gaming crew — chose to playtest Numenera. I created the wandering town of Walkabout for what I expected to be a short campaign, but alas, the game never really clicked with the group. That was largely because of the lack of literal world building; the game was all … Read more
The Refuge of Durak is a pocket dimension that served as an oasis of law for the planar explorer known as Durak the Rigid. An archmage and planar explorer, Durak held to his moral code in any situation, steadfastly embracing his ideals even in the face of absolute chaos. Durak the Rigid’s home — the alternative material … Read more
The Ghost Walk Star Cluster is located at the edge of the galaxy and is known for its spectacular views of dying stars, it’s just-ignited protostar nebula, and the gossamer strands of illuminated gas that inspired its name. Approximately fifty light-years across, the Ghost Walk Cluster is composed of approximately 20 stars, most of which … Read more
I prefer to roll my planets the old-fashioned way: with dice and beautifully detailed tables (I’m looking at you, Stargate RPG). That said, we don’t always have the time to lovingly handcraft a new planet, which is where random planet generators come in handy. In addition to providing summaries of new worlds for immediate use in … Read more
Whether it’s the subterranean world beneath our feet, other planets racing through the sky, or intersections with other planes of existence, the worlds we can visit through role-playing games are infinite. The November 2018 RPG Blog Carnival hopes to capture a few of them. The topic is inspired by the final message from the David … Read more
A Satisfying Conclusion: Gnome Stew looks at strategies for ending your RPG games, be they convention one-shots or multi-year campaigns. How a Star Trek card game quietly continues, 10 years after its official end: I played a few rounds of the Star Trek Collectible Card game by Decipher back in college. Though fun, I never got into it. … Read more
Geeks of a certain age remember the novel Watership Down by Richard Adams, which told the story of a desperate band of rabbits fleeing their doomed warren. Geeks of perhaps a slightly younger age remember the movie based on the book … and the nightmares it gave a generation. As a 46-year-old Gen Xer, I fall into … Read more
My Waterdeep: Dragon Heist campaign kicks off in October. Anyone who’s played Dungeons & Dragons for any length of time has likely heard of Waterdeep, the famous “City of Splendors” in the Forgotten Realms campaign setting. The nearby megadungeon of Undermountain is equally legendary. Even the Blackrazor Guild (my Sunday group and diehard Greyhawkers), know of Waterdeep and it’s dungeon, which served … Read more
The Gamer Working Group, my lunchtime gaming crew, is restarting this month with Waterdeep: Dragon Heist (Amazon), Wizards of the Coast’s new urban adventure set in the City of Splendors. It’s my first full-time campaign set in the Forgotten Realms, WotC’s signature campaign setting. Historically my group played in the World of Greyhawk, which has … Read more
Blogworthy is a regular column dedicated to blog posts that I’ve read and enjoyed. It’s a direct outcome of my RPG Blogs Reading List on Feedly. How I Keep My Mornings Sane: Berin Kinsman talks about his electronics-free, relaxing morning routine. I’m looking to revamp my own morning routine, so this was a worthwhile read. … Read more