My Family was Murdered. Oh, and I Hate Society Most role-players and D&D players have a preferred background. One is used so often, it almost doesn’t need to be mentioned. Come on, you know it: the loner whose family was horribly murdered. Now, he wanders the earth, an empty shell of a man brooding… brooding… brooding… He distrusts the other …
Role-Players Up Your Game: Play Against Type
Actors can become stuck playing the same role over and over again. Role-players are no different.But role-players have an advantage. We cast ourselves in a role. Actors, unless they are a select few, do not have that luxury. Why do certain actors get typecast as the villain, or the hero, or the sidekick, or the thug? The list goes on. It’s because they are good …
Game Masters Should Never Say “Do you go there?”
The April sun awakens the sleepy hamlet of Dunshore. Inside the Lazy Sow Inn, an old man wipes the bar he’s cleaned more than a thousand times. In one corner, an achingly beautiful girl of 17 quietly sweeps the floor. In another corner, three adventurers break their fast. Randarr, the dwarf, angrily saws a thick ham steak. Truth be told, …
Game Masters Improvise with a Simple Trick
If you happen to be a standup comic or an actor, improvising is possibly quite easy for you. However, most game masters are not comics or actors.Learning how to improvise is incredibly helpful for GMs. Unfortunately, learning to improvise can be challenging, especially if you are introverted or shy. However, it’s not impossible and anyone can improve their improvising skills.Improvising …
Dice For Brains Podcast – RPG Creator Interview
Ross gives us the lowdown on the actual play podcast Dice For Brains. If you are into RPGs and Star Wars, this is a podcast you need to take note of.When did you begin playing RPGs? I was fortunate enough to have one of “those” older cousins. In the very early 90’s (at the tail end of the satanic panic), …
My Voltron Story
From Days of Long Ago…In 1984, local TV station KPLR Channel 11 began teasing a new show. Of course, none of us knew what it was. However Channel 11 was known as the “kids station,” so we were all excited.Little did we know a TV show unlike any other we had ever seen was about to premiere: Voltron: Defender of …
Fragged Empire – Creator Interview
Fragged Empire has been gaining a lot of steam lately. I checked in with the creator and designer for a quick chat. When did you begin playing role-playing games?I remember my very first role playing game was 2nd D&D when I was about 13 at a mates place with some of his older family friends. At the time my parents and I …
Campaign Mastery – Mike Bourke Interview
Mike Bourke, from Campaignmastery.com, agreed to share a bit about his role-playing game story. It’s quite a journey.How were you introduced to role-playing games?I was a big science-fiction fan when I went to uni. That led me to hook up with the University Of New South Wales Science Fiction Society. From time to time after the weekly meetings, some of …
Chronica: Age of Exploration Campaign Setting – Interview Zac Angel
Give your Pathfinder campaigns some new spice. Zac Angel’s, Chronica: Age of Exploration, let’s you role-play Pathfinder in one of the most compelling times in human history.When did you discover role-playing games?At a very young age (8 or so), I discovered my Dad’s AD&D books. He ran a short campaign and I’ve been playing all sorts of tabletops ever since.What …
RPG Aid: Forests
Breathe Life into Your Campaigns Not Just Wander by Country Role-playing game adventuring parties often find themselves in a forest. Their quests take them through or near or beyond great wooded lands on many occasions. Fill your RPG campaign with mystery and wonder. Don’t allow yourself as a GM to simply rely on clichés or to brush past opportunities. Leave …
Straight to VHS RPG Creator Interview – Ryan Mellon
Bad movie madness spills into the realm of role-playing games with Straight to VHS. Ryan Mellon, the creator, gives us the scoop on how we can role-play our own bad movies.When did you begin playing RPGs?Well if we’re not counting being Power Rangers on the playground and assigning power levels to everything in the toy box… I was either 14 …
Unity RPG – Anson Tran Interview
Anson Tran was kind enough to pull back the curtain on the development of his new RPG, Untiy. You will definitely want to keep this game on your radar. How did you stumble upon the wondrous hobby of role-playing games? My very first time I had anything to do with RPGs was when I was really young — about 9 years …
Star Traders Revival – David Ladyman Interview
David Ladyman, the creator of Star Traders, gives an update on the new edition on Kickstarter.When did you discover your love of games?Let me see … I was born in … it was about that long ago. I have always loved games, and analyzing how game mechanics work.Tell us the history of Star Traders.Our tale begins in the dim past, …
Table Forged Interview – Game Company Spotlight
Today we learn about Table Forged their new game Kettou. I will challenge you and only the true samurai will emerge victorious. When did your love of games begin?I think like everyone I’ve always loved games. For me the gaming world really expanded with Dungeons and Dragons. I remember being 13 and staying up late, when I was suppose to be …
RPG Campaigns – Submarines: The Silent Service
The history of submarines is fraught with disaster and turmoil. Mankind’s struggle to wage war beneath the Sea has claimed many lives.Drama abounds on submarines. Danger lurks around every corner. One false move can spell the Doom of the entire crew. Dozens of men packed in a cramped space with an unseen enemy stalking their every move.Running a role playing …