Dave 
Is the key encounter/NPC/Lost Tower of Super Badness this way or that way? Maybe it’s both and neither? Everything in your world can be simultaneously alive and dead until the players open that box and find out what’s inside. Here’s how to use that to your advantage and save time on DM prep.
Our discussion around inclusivity, sensitivity and awareness of other-abled people at the game table, as well as using D&D in therapy, got me thinking about why we play TTRPG’s and what they teach us about ourselves and each other.
How do we feel about playing characters from popular fiction? Well, here’s how I did it with a 5E modern setting and Aeron Pendragon … King Arthur’s long lost descendant in Philadelphia, PA.
When we left our heroes, they had found their party member to be missing, possibly kidnapped, by the group known only as “The 13.” Hot on the trail of their compatriot, with the help of the mysterious Visitor, our brave adventurers found themselves transported into a modern-day fairy-tale in Harbor City and their strange City Hall, a former amusement park known as “Storybook Land.” Prepare yourselves for the conclusion of this 2-night Halloween adventure as we travel into the weird, terrifying and true tales of The Black Pines!
In our most recent episode, we discussed crazy stunts that our players have pulled on us – things above and beyond what I call “just D&D.” And I talked in-depth about the short, multi-night adventure that I took a group through years ago. An adventure that took our heroes to the terrifying wilds of “Weird New Jersey.”
Playing a TTRPG is an incredibly subjective experience, almost like a Rorschach test. With this in mind, I wanted to shift our perspective from the system and edition wars that populate so many social media feeds to something much more basic: What makes a TTRPG in the first place and what could we learn from that to improve our enjoyment of all our games (instead of firing shots at someone else’s fun)?
Because of the breadth of skills required to do it well, running a TTRPG is one of the most fun, exhilarating, demanding and creative hobbies a person can pursue. So how does one begin on this journey? I would recommend you take a look at these 5 handy tips!
I’ve learned over the years from running multiple games in multiple systems for multiple groups of players that the old adage of “the best-laid plans of mice and men often go awry” is all too true. In this vein, I’d like to detail how I prepare for a session that leaves all the room for the organic decision-making that the players are going to bring.
What do you do when the game rules clash with the continuity of your world? Lean into them.
DM Tony and I have had several wonderfully reminiscent conversations about the great TTRPG that TSR produced in 1984 at the height of D&D’s popularity – entitled, Marvel Super Heroes (MSHRPG). We’ll dive deeper into the eponymous FASERIP system in future episodes and articles (maybe even a 3WD One-Shot!), but I’m bringing attention to this … Read more
