rpg
An RPG rundown; recommendations and reviews of the best role-playing games on the market.
50 Shades of Rage
The word barbarian brings to mind certain images. Snowbound brutes with fur cloaks and broad swords, their long hair whipping in the wind as they howl savage battle cries, undeterred by the exhaustion and pain that would plague merely mortal men. Hulking tribesmen on the endless tundra, their spears and hands bloody from the long day's hunt for game and enemies alike. Or, if you're a cultured sort of gamer geek, you might picture some of the old pulp magazine covers that prominently featured Conan, Kull, and the other barbarians created by Robert E. Howard and his ilk.
By Neal Litherland7 years ago in Gamers
Mutant Year Zero: Road to Eden—I Have Something to Say!
The first trailer of the game Mutant Year Zero: Road to Eden liked the players very much. This is a post-apocalyptic world, but not the one we imagined. Game events take place in a world without people. Humanity has ruined itself.
By Andrew Samoliuk7 years ago in Gamers
'Game of Thrones': 'Dragon Age' in Westeros
Hello, and welcome back to Second Chances where the Iron Throne is reserved for the maligned and forgotten. Unlike just about every geek on the planet, I had not gotten around to watching Game of Thrones yet. What can I say? I don't have HBO, and there are a bunch of other shows I'm getting up to speed on via DVD and Netflix before I sit down and see all the trouble House Lannister can get into. However, I am a devout gamer, and when I saw that a full-fledged RPG was made in the official universe, I was immediately interested.
By Adam Wallace7 years ago in Gamers
5 Tips for Playing Better Noble Characters
Fantasy stories are replete with tales of noble adventurers. From princes like Charming and Valiant, to knights in shining (or dented and hard-used) armor, to sorcerer queens and pirate lords, it seems like you can't go more than a few chapters before finding someone with a title and a piece of land to call their own.
By Neal Litherland7 years ago in Gamers
5 Tips to Get the Most Out of Your Next LARP
LARPs come in all different sizes and genres. Whether you're a sword-swinging half-orc in a fantasy setting, a rugged survivor in the post-apocalypse, or a bloodsucking creature of the night making your play to take over the city, there are all kinds of games out there.
By Neal Litherland7 years ago in Gamers
Character Growth
Last year, I was invited to join a Dungeon and Dragons campaign that my friend DMed. It seemed like fun and a way to stretch my imagination, perhaps even learn a new skill (or genre in this case). After agreeing, my friend patiently worked with me on creating a character, but that was not necessary as I ended up taking over one that had already been established. After a couple of months, I joined a new campaign and created my own character for the first time. It was a rush, even for a writer who produces more than 3,000 words a day! After a recent session, it finally dawned on me, I am no longer terrible at role-playing.
By Edward Anderson7 years ago in Gamers
5 Tips For Playing Better Gnomes
Gnomes tend to be thought of as a mixture of irritating tricksters and half-mad inventors, with a hefty dash of poor impulse control just for spice. However, there is a lot going on with gnomes just beneath the surface. For players looking to step outside the stereotypes of this inherently magical race, there are all sorts of wild possibilities for who (and what) you could become.
By Neal Litherland7 years ago in Gamers
Writer Create Thy Self
"You have such great characterization." That's a compliment I get a lot for my novels and short stories. Part of that is because going into a story, I know who the characters are, and their complete backgrounds. Recently I signed up for a new RPG with a friend of a friend, and the DM sent out the character sheets. My first thought was why is this in a foreign language. My next thought was that my friend had better be prepared to help me. He was and did. And I still messed up.
By Edward Anderson7 years ago in Gamers
Blacklich: A New Tool for Dungeon Masters
With the rapid rise of D&D, many are finding themselves in the role of Dungeon Master (or DM). As they are discovering, being a DM is a challenge. While the players only have to concentrate on their own characters, the DM needs to play the entire world. Where this challenge really becomes evident is in combat encounters. You often see DMs with multiple pages bookmarked across several reference guides so that they can flip between monster stats and abilities, ready to quickly cross reference spells and conditions, all while rolling dice, doing the math and keeping track of initiatives. It’s pretty crazy. Worst of all, what should be the most fast paced part of the game, gets bogged down and tedious.
By Alex Panagides7 years ago in Gamers
10 Unique Prompts for Your Next Campaign
Being a dungeon master is not an easy task. You have to build the world, create the plot, remember the names of all the important characters, chronicle the adventure, and figure out how to deal with any and all unexpected happenings (read, player actions) that come your way.
By Neal Litherland7 years ago in Gamers
