There are a lot of RPGs out there. That much is clear. The question I’d like to take on is: Which one(s) would I play, and why? There are a few criteria by which I will judge this: Theme/Genre Character Building Mechanics Innovation Theme/Genre When we talk about theme, we find the basis for the […]
Bringing New PCs into an Existing Group
About two weeks ago I was talking to Ben over at Ben’s RPG Pile and we decided to co-write an article outlining a variation on the cooperative party building method. What follows is the result of our collaboration, in which Ben did most of the work… Thanks Ben! – – Hello, My Name is… New […]
What’s in a name?
I hate coming up with NPC names; I have trouble doing it without the names sounding forced, which tends to break the mood. When I try, I come with names like Jandor Ravenwing and Eldar Strombridge or some such. Names like this serve their purpose, but I feel pretty cheesy saying them. When I trying […]
Opportunity Actions: Character Optimization vs. Storytelling… Is This Really a Fight?
In a recent post over at Temporary Hit Points, SarahDarkmagic, sort of in passing mentions the conflict between Storytellers and Optimizers in character design. This gets me thinking. Why is there such a difference between storytelling and character optimization? The First Problem: The Argument Let’s start by defining the conflict. Optimizers want to get the […]