One of my gaming groups plays a mashed up game with three genres: Highschool, Swashbuckling, and Urban Fantasy. We call it Children of the Shroud. In the game we play high school kids in a hidden magic world. As part of our magical learning we are part of the Junior Guardians club. It’s a club for...
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During session zero, the GM is usually hopping on hot (maybe just warm) coals between the various players to answer questions about rules, character creation, setting information, styles/themes/tones for the game, and so on. However, the players will have some idle time as they wait for a question...
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We live with our characters. As gamers we live with our characters. Some players only inhabit those fictional lives during game sessions. Others write up extensive backstories during downtimes. Others will journal as the character or write fictional stories featuring their characters. For some,...
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Metagaming usually gets a bad rap. When people say “metagaming,” visions of know it all players who have read the Monster Manual cover to cover and memorized the stats, abilities, and weaknesses of every monster dance through our heads. Who wants to play with that person? Where is the fun in...
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B2: The Keep on the Borderlands, Part Two I’m not going to summarize the history and purpose of the venerable module know as “The Keep on the Borderlands” again. You can check out my previous article on this topic for that information. Instead, I’m going to dive into the...
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Continuing a series discussing how to be a better player, this article is the belated third one on the subject. Most gaming advice out there is pointed at game masters, and while players can gain a fair amount of insight from those articles, it’s always a byproduct. The intention with this series...
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Is there a player in your group who always shows up late to the table, no matter how hard they try? Do you have a PC that struggles to keep up with the dice rolls during a fast combat round? Do you have someone in your party who forgets important details and often needs a reminder? Is there...
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Do you find yourself stuck when trying to come up with new ideas for your D&D campaigns? Homebrew campaigns are great, but sometimes it can be tough to come up with ideas on the fly. If you’re experiencing writer’s block, don’t worry–you’re not alone. As a...
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RPG gamers will likely have come across a concept called the “social contract” at some point in their gaming career. Newer gamers may have not seen the topic discussed directly, but they engage with it every time they play. For those people that don’t know: the social contract is the agreement...
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Shhh…! I have a secret. But I’m going to tell you about it anyway. I hate intra-party secrets. Despise them. I think a secret being held back from the rest of the party by a fellow PC should cause that PC to burn in the 18th pit of fire on the 147th layer of the Abyss while being...
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