I finally sat down and watched Robinson Crusoe on Mars. I had seen clips and read about it while studying film special effects, but I don’t think I had ever seen the entire film before. It was fun and enjoyable, though clearly made in a different era. The pacing is quite slow, and the main […]
Darrington Press and Critical Role roiled the tabletop industry recently with the release of their flagship RPG, Daggerheart, as well as the hiring of two of the most well-known D&D designers, Jeremy Crawford and Chris Perkins. The duo bring a vast amount of design experience and production knowledge to the relatively young Darrington Press. Many
Daggerheart Character Sheet! Here’s my collection of character sheets for Critical Role’s Daggerheart. I’ve found free ones and editable ones, plus the official sheets. I also included links to making a Daggerheart character and to the corebooks. This list will continue to grow. Free Daggerheart Character Sheets Get Daggerheart character sheet PDFs, from custom to
Overzealous dungeon masters (of which I am one) can go overboard creating D&D campaigns. Here are some quick tips to avoid writing a novel that you force your friends into believing is a campaign. Don’t create huge plots Don’t create huge, intricate plotlines. The players need agency to make meaningful choices for the game to
Another Dose of ’90s Cyberpunk This time from one of the genre’s founding authors, William Gibson. If you like your cyberpunk with calling cards, pay phones, and Concorde jets, this is for you. It also features a cybernetic dolphin, a cybernetic Dolph Lundgren, the beautiful Dina Meyer, Ice-T, and of course, a pre-Matrix Keanu Reeves.
A fascinating snapshot of late ’80s and early ’90s sci-fi cyberpunk multimedia—brought to you by none other than William Shatner (well, kind of). He once said he wanted to combine elements of Star Trek and T.J. Hooker. The early ’90s, for me, were all about Star Trek, Babylon 5, and TekWar. I was obsessed with
Run D&D and other RPG Sessions Without the Stress – Second Edition of the DriveThruRPG Platinum Bestseller Are you a game master who’s short on time, overwhelmed by prep, or tired of burnout? The No-Prep Gamemaster is your solution. This updated and expanded second edition of Matt Davids’ well-known guide offers a practical, inspiring approach to running
Dive into the History of D&D and RPGs Dungeons & Dragons creates unforgettable adventures. Its creation was unforgettable in its own right. The story has been recorded in many books—here’s a short list. Older D&D Rule Books One of the best ways to learn about the history of D&D is to read the rules starting
Beowulf, the epic poem, is fertile ground for fantasy RPG game masters—a creature that returns night after night to plague a king, the ripping off of a monstrous hand, the creature’s mother who seeks revenge, and a dragon so powerful the hero dies slaying it. Beowulf Books: Beowulf RPG D&D 5e: Beowulf Links: Beowulf Movies:
Star Frontiers (TSR, 1982-1985) The cover above sold Star Frontiers for me. I walked into a hobby shop, grabbed it, and wouldn’t let go. My 11-year-old self couldn’t resist the cool hero, his hot girlfriend, and his alien buddy. The crashed spaceship in the background was the icing on the cake. I wanted to be that guy
Superhero Tabletop Role-Playing Games Heroes Unlimited™ RPG, 2nd Edition – Old School CRUNCH, D100 – I played a ton of this about 25 years ago. The rules were difficult, but the heroes were cool. Champions – Old, old school, CCCRRRUUUUUUNCH, D6 – I played one session at Gen Con. It was a lot of fun, but I
The 1983 film Krull features quite possibly the coolest movie weapon ever—it’s called The Glaive. Important note: the weapon in the film is not a glaive. It’s super cool, yes, but not an actual glaive. Its name is the Glaive. Why? We’d have to ask the Old One. Sadly, Krull is mostly a broken mess
A Sword on a Pole A glaive is a weapon in the polearm family—essentially a sword on a pole. This excellent weapon is often overlooked by players of fantasy RPGs, as longswords and greatswords tend to be more popular. However, the glaive is a great option for players exploring new character builds or game masters
Running Deeper Cyberpunk Games The genre of cyberpunk is often described as “high tech, low life.” The statement is accurate, but the genre goes far beyond that into soulless nihilism. A better description—or one that adds an extra element—comes from the 80s supergroup Chequered Past’s song World Gone Wild, in which the chorus says, “We will survive /
Space: 1999 – Free Quickstart Guide PDF From the product description: “A cataclysmic accident has sent Earth’s moon hurtling into space, leaving behind a broken planet. Life has become a fight for survival for the people of Moonbase Alpha as their journey takes them far deeper into the universe than they ever thought possible! “Take part
