I heard a story on public radio several years ago that NASCAR had surpassed hockey as the fourth most watched “sporting event” in American television viewership. The commentator theorized that this trend might stem from a shift in American values from team sports to individual sports. Now, leaving aside… that public radio news commentators might…
Tag Archives: Advice
My most important role in my first D&D adventure was not as a spellcaster or a fighter or a ranger or a druid. Instead it was as that most honorable and hallowed calling: the party Map Monkey. There were four of us in that campaign, delving deeper and deeper into a deadly trap-laden dungeon. Each fork of a tunnel, each…
Years ago, I was finishing the back story for my new character, a first-level fighter and the only son of a wealthy family who trades his life of privilege for a military commission in a town on the edge of nowhere. While that brave soldier has since died, it was the first paragraph of his…
Few games are designed to be outrageously challenging. The rare exceptions require a level of artistry and attention to detail to be rewarding. Frankly, this is why some old-style D&D games rock, and others suck: certain GMs bring an art to their craft and know how to throw appropriate, but not overwhelming challenges at their…
A few weeks ago, I made some glib comments about “balance” and how GMs should just “forget it.” This advice is less-than-helpful because it almost wholly lacks nuance. Today, I hope to expand my “forget balance” comment by providing advice that may well extend far beyond the realm of gaming. The Cathedral and the Scaffold…
Regular readers know that our group is in the midst of a Swords and Wizardry game. We took a break from that this Saturday to brew, hold babies, and (yes) play games. Knowing: that brewing and/or babies would cause many interruptions we had an RPG virgin (but still a board game geek) joining us we…
DISCLAIMER: I’m not an actor. I’ve never taken an acting class. Like any good geek, I was curious about the topic, read a book, and now like to pretend I’m an expert. Do not be fooled. You’ve been warned. Intwischa has spoken often of characterful experiences in gaming. Inspired by a recent Lifehacker article to…
For the last couple months, our group has been running a homebrew varient of Swords and Wizardry. This system seeks to recreate the feel of the original version of D&D. The game has stirred up memories of my first years of gaming. It has also made me realize exactly how my playing style has changed…
Like any good team, most parties in a game of D&D have their different positions. Everything from AD&D to Golden Axe to The Lord of the Rings has an ideal blend of several specialized classes, what some gamers would call a “balanced party.” In this current age of 4E, it sounds something like Controller/Defender/Leader/Striker. It’s…
There are two ways to play any game, and that includes a role-playing game: You can play to win, or you can play to have fun. Unless you’re getting paid, you should be playing to have fun. If you’re playing any role-playing game, especially D&D, there’s no such thing as “winning”- unless you count not…