Columns

D&D 3.5eHistory of the ClassesWuxia / Oriental Adventures

The Fighter Class, Part Nine

As I write this, my younger son has gone to his first day of preschool. Friends, this is an exciting day – the most important milestone of my life as a stay-at-home dad until my older son can safely handle ...
GM ResourcesPlanar Mysteries

Playing a Prepper & Survivalist Campaign

What happens in the case of the collapse of society? Such things have happened in the past due to a hurricane, massive earthquake, or widespread wildfire in the past. However, these are only the beginning of the types of disasters ...
Conjure Beyond

Games that went wrong and why – Part Three

This the third in the series about the games that failed. System – Pathfinder. Setting – Utanskea, homebrew fantasy setting. Premise – Characters were children of deities and elder spirits. As they level up they would attract larger threats but ...
GM ResourcesPlanar Mysteries

One Dozen Disguises to use in your games

There are a variety of reasons why a person might need a disguise: to blend in with and/ or infiltrate a larger group until they can be reunited with their companions, to commit an assassination, to escape an angry mob ...
Conjure Beyond

Games that went wrong and why – Part Two

This is part two of a series about the games that failed. System – 2nd edition Advanced Dungeons and Dragons. Setting – Desert of Desolation Series. Premise – Play through a triology of ancient egyptian based quests with an adventuring ...
Performance Check

Relationship Maps and Social Progress

In the comments of this excellent article by Blake Ryan, I speak a little bit about some of the session zero stuff I use in the online game I run. As it turns out, the reason I haven’t yet written ...
GM ResourcesPlanar Mysteries

Using Art in your Games, P2

Last time we talked about what art is, discussing intelligence, creativity, imagination, display, the artists, and when the art was done. This time we’ll look at the style of the art.   In What Style is the Art Done? This ...
Conjure Beyond

Games that went wrong and why – Part One

This series is about the games that failed. System – Pathfinder. Setting – Utanskea, homebrew fantasy setting. Premise – Heroes were troubleshooters doing quests for two factions against their enemies. Over time the factions became more direct working towards their ...
Performance Check

GLOW, Long-form jokes, and Storytelling Payoffs

The second season of GLOW is around the corner, so let's look at a special moment from the first season and how we can learn great lessons for tabletop games from a single, long-form joke.
D&D 5eRacesReviewsUnearthed Arcana

UA: Centaur and Minotaur Breakdown

For this month’s Unearthed Arcana, we have two new races, the centaur and the minotaur. As the document notes, this is their second run at the minotaur. The first was in the mist-shrouded reaches of 2015, when they also gave ...