My favorite character sheets are easily the AD&D Player Character Record Sheets, also known as the “goldenrod” character sheets because they were printed on heavy, goldenrod paper. This is purely a nostalgic pick; some of my first “real” characters for Dungeons & Dragons were written up using these sheets, which came pre-printed in sheets within a folio … Read more
Many years ago, the Blackrazor Guild was one of the most prominent (and notorious) adventuring guilds of the Free City of Obsidian Bay. The guild’s adventurers fought in wars against the orc despot Turrosh Mak, did their best to repel the invasion of Obsidian Bay by the Scarlet Brotherhood (they failed), and accidentally flooded the … Read more
For years, we made fun of the Forgotten Realms‘ overpowered completeness. We bled grey, and the World of Greyhawk is where our heroes lived, died, and lived again. Flash forward to our own Middle Ages, and we’re actually adventuring in the Realms … and enjoying it. Our current Dungeons & Dragons 5th Edition campaign is set in the … Read more
Three characters, three campaigns, three current situations: Zor Nabat (Star Wars: The Republic): Czerka Corporaton acquired a government license to extract water from the ocean world of Glee Anselm, home of the Nautolan species. Czerka, being the epitome of the evil megacorp, doesn’t care about the ecological fallout. Zor, who’s family business was destroyed by Czerka, … Read more
Friends. Comfort. Nostalgia. Great memories. New Stories. These and more are why Dungeons & Dragons stayed with me all these years. Don’t get me wrong – I love playing new and different games. One of the great things about the Lair of Secrets podcast is that it re-united me with old friends and connected me … Read more
My main gaming group, the Blackrazor Guild, are serial campaigners. We almost can’t help ourselves; if a campaign gets past the first few sessions, it’s very likely to run for for a year or two. Our biggest, most memorable campaigns were all multi-year affairs: Our namesake Blackrazor Guild campaign The Redshirts (aka Return to the Temple … Read more
I’m playing in three games right now, so I’ve got three answers, plus two honorable mentions. Star Wars: The Republic Zor Nabat Male Twi’lek Corporate Officer (Level 3) Background – Bankrupt Focus: Inspiring Leader The upstart corporation Cobbatha Collective Designs excelled at developing aftermarket add-ons for commercial starships. Cobbatha had its start in the slums of … Read more
For me, a perfect game isn’t about the rules or the game itself, it’s about the experience. It’s the dice and the story coming together to create a memorable experience – the sort of thing where everyone looks around the table after the session and collectively says, “Damn, that was fun!” I’ve had a few … Read more
Well, it would have been grand if people didn’t think my friends and I were devil-worshipers, but it was the early 1980s, so that wasn’t very likely. It would also have been great to have a gaming club in elementary school (prohibited because of the aforementioned Satantic influences) but again … it was Dungeons & Dragons in … Read more
Because it was the 1980s, and all the cool kids were doing it. Heh. No, because it was the 1980s and all the nerdy, geeky outcasts were doing it, at least until high school. That’s when most folks I know stopped playing, perhaps as a defensive strategy. There were few things less cool than playing Dungeons … Read more