RPG Bloggers » 4e D&D

Innistrad Set 2: Dark Ascension Arrives! (Good news for 4E DMs!) from NEUROGLYPH Games

Neuroglyph Games — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 21:26:08 +0000

Today, Wizards of the Coast released their second set of the Magic the Gathering: Innistrad series, featuring thematic Gothic horror elements such as undead armies, vampires, werewolves, and ghostly spirits. This second set, called the Dark Ascension, features five new intro pack decks – Swift Justice, Relentless Dead, Dark Sacrifice, Monstrous Surprise, and Grave Power [...]

Never Get Involved in a Land War in Asia ("Unmasking the Traitor," Session 1) from free the minions!

free the minions! — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 17:33:00 +0000

After Silas’ chat with the Raven Queen, he found his companions lying in some coffins in the next chamber. Once they all regained consciousness, the eladrin vampire briefed them on his encounter with the Raven Queen and showed them his spiffy new lo...

Running A Game With New Players from Dungeon's Master

Dungeon's Master — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 15:45:33 +0000

Over the past couple seasons of D&D Encounters I’ve had the opportunity to play with a lot of new players. Many of these players (usually the younger ones) were competently new to D&D or any RPG fro that matter. While some of the DMs have found it frustrating to run tables with so many inexperienced [...]

Review Round-Up: Tristan & Isolde; Dungeons & Dragons, Volume 2 – First Encounters; The Court Jester from I'd Rather Be Killing Monsters...

HeroPress — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 15:00:00 +0000

Tristan & Isolde (2006): A modern retelling of an old Celtic tale that was clearly the precursor and blueprint for the Lancelot, Guinevere and King Arthur love-triangle (and also Shakespeare's Romeo & Juliet), Tristan & Isolde is a cla...

DMRT: The Geek Ken Opinion for Jan. 2012 from This is My Game

Geek Ken — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 15:00:00 +0000

The folks over at 4 Geeks 4E have a pretty fun podcast covering different topics on D&D. One part of the Dungeon Master’s Round Table show is taking twitter questions... Read more »

Initial Impressions of the New D&D from Critical Hits » Roleplaying Games

Critical Hits — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 13:00:42 +0000

30 Second Summary Though we know little about the final game, the foundations of the new D&D are solid. The focus on ability scores, flatter power progression, and faster gameplay give freedom to both players and dungeon masters. The refined nature of the game puts a focus on the imagination of the players and the [...]

[D&D4E][Rules] Badges of Achievement house rule. from Paper & Plastic

Paper and Plastic — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 11:00:00 +0000

It's some time that I puzzle about how to show my players that the road that they are travelling is not the only one they have available. Let me go deeper in this problem. they have entered into the 4th consecutive year of play and everything is goin...

review: kobold quarterly 20 from Fame & Fortune

Fame & Fortune — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 09:00:00 +0000

Metric: Kobolds. They've proven their worth even in these straitened times. One of nature's survivors and what's this - next issue they can go into a tavern? Must be doing something... Click the title if you want to know more...

"Let’s Play 1st Ed. Dad!" from The Other Side blog

The Other Side — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 21:34:00 +0000

Those are the words I heard after I told my boys that 5e was on the way and there were going to be reprints of the 1st Ed AD&D books. Part of me is thrilled, another part of me is wondering what the hell am I going to do with all the 4e stuff I bou...

D&D Encounters: Beyond the Crystal Cave (Week 11) from Dungeon's Master

Dungeon's Master — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 15:00:48 +0000

After navigating the hedge maze and fighting the thieving Boggles, the PCs took a short rest before using their four plant keys to activate the magical sundial gate. The maze around them began to spin until the hedge maze disappeared and the PCs found themselves in a garden just outside the Palace of Spires. A [...]

DDXP 2012 Recap: Running the New D&D and Playing Games from Critical Hits » Roleplaying Games

Critical Hits — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 12:32:37 +0000

This year's DDXP was a very interesting one, as I suspected. We were actually able to get there, unlike last year, though Fort Wayne's weather seems persistant in its attempts to keep us out. In order to help finance the trip, and because I was one of the few who had an early look at the new D&D, I volunteered to DM seven four-hour slots of the new game to eager players. While I only ended up running four games of it (mostly because I was too tired to do any more than that), I had a blast and felt good about the games that I ran.

Publisher Interview: Joseph Goodman of Goodman Games from Game Knight Reviews

Game Knight Reviews — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 11:00:37 +0000

The “Old School” gaming movement continues to impress me with the enthusiasm of the gamers and game companies supporting it. One of the games many gamers are excited about in 2012 is the Spring release of the Dungeon Crawl Classics Role Playing Game (or DCC RPG) from Goodman Games. And though they could go . . . → Read More: Publisher Interview: Joseph Goodman of Goodman Games

My points of light… from Stargazer's World

Stargazer's World — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 11:00:17 +0000

Who knew that former US President George H. W. Bush was a Game Master, and a groundbreaking pioneer at that! He spoke about points of light campaigns in 1989 almost twenty years before D&D 4th edition. What’s that? He didn’t mean that? Let me l...

EN World Review – Review of They Shall Be Paid In Coin of the Realm by Taurus Twelve from NEUROGLYPH Games

Neuroglyph Games — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 01:25:30 +0000

Happy Humpday, fellow gamers! We’re halfway to the weekend, and this week cannot get over soon enough to please me. I’ve got not only my regular local Friday night game this week, but also my bi-monthly D&D campaign down in Toledo! So I’ve got two nights of D&D in a row this weekend, plus a [...]

Now I have a machine gun from Treehouse: » RPG

RPG Treehouse — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 20:51:10 +0000

Quick question about modern firearms in your (d20) gaming. How have you seen automatic fire handled? I want an option that is reasonably balanced against single shot, or a grenade, or any other standard action. I’m guessing it should represent … Continue reading →

Cure Selfish Wounds from Critical Hits » Roleplaying Games

Critical Hits — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 20:31:33 +0000

Today's D&D Next post at the Wizards site by Bruce Cordell is titled Time to Heal and discusses the role of the Cleric class and how it relates to healing through the life span of Dungeons & Dragons. There's a nice little recap of how healing and the Cleric class have both worked in previous editions, and then there is a poll asking how people prefer the mechanics to be handled. Reading about how healing worked in previous editions brought forward some experiences that I am dying to share with you.

Dungeons of Adel: The Hellmouth from The Spirits of Eden » RPG

The Spirits of Eden — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 17:28:39 +0000

One of the Arch-Dungeons of Adel, the Hellmouth is a member of a family of massive, seemingly living spaces that exist beneath each Nation of Adel (and the Abyss Isle and Noshiki), their exact positions shifting, shrinking and growing as they are sealed or “destroyed” and thereby forced dormant, until such a time as their [...]

rolling for hit points in 4e from Blog of Holding

Blog of Holding — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 14:47:51 +0000

As you can tell, one of the things I miss in 4e is rolling your attributes. However, I have never missed rolling for hit points. Rolling your attributes helps throw some randomness into your character concept, and randomness is usually an aid to creativity. Rolling for hit points doesn't spark creativity. It has the potential [...]

State Of The Dungeon – Year 3 from Dungeon's Master

Dungeon's Master — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 14:30:32 +0000

Today Dungeon’s Master celebrates its third birthday. Three years ago Ameron and I launched the blog with the intention of talking about 4e Dungeons & Dragons. Our goal was to share our experiences of the game and to provide a resource for both DMs and players. Although 4e was still relatively new at the time, we both [...]

New: Warrens of the Stone Giant Thane from Greyhawkery

Greyhawkery — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 06:24:00 +0000

What with all the 5e talk I wouldn't be surprised to see a fall off of readership for new 4e modules in Dungeon. Maybe, maybe not. However, I have to carry on and inform you of anything Greyhawk related coming out of Wizards. As I reported ba...

[Review] Kobold Quarterly 20 from tenletter » rpg

tenletter — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 22:01:43 +0000

“”Do not throw the arrow which will return against you. - Kurdish Proverb“ - Civilization IV tech quote The kobold mines have produced a new issue of Kobold Quarterly. Issue 20 takes a look at archers, including a brand new base class for the Pathfinder RPG. My play group features several archer-loving players and this [...]

Kobold Quarterly #14 for Free! from Pyres of Vam » rpgs

Pyres of Vam — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 22:00:02 +0000

So, do you read Kobold Quarterly? It’s pretty great and has stuff from Pathfinder, 4e and AGE. Also, non-crunch stuff. Still not sure? Well, it’s your lucky day. Download Kobold Quartlery #14 for FREE up until February 14th. Some info about the issue: Issue #14 was the extra-big Gen Con issue, and in its pages you’ll find:

I Need Help: An Appeal from The Spirits of Eden » RPG

The Spirits of Eden — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 19:38:01 +0000

The long and short of it, is that I’m in trouble. I’ve hit bottom, and I don’t know what to do. I’ve exhausted all other options. I want to ask for your generosity and empathy. I’m uncomfortable just asking for help. I’m willing to work for it. If you want me to do something, I [...]

Month in Review: January 2012 from Dungeon's Master

Dungeon's Master — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 15:00:49 +0000

The announcement from Wizards of the Coast confirming that they are indeed working on the next iteration of D&D was the biggest news in gaming this month. A lot of people began speculating on what’s to come, but for now Wizards has not released a lot of details. Our existing relationship with Wizards of the [...]

Quick Hits: January 2012 from Online Dungeon Master

OnlineDM — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 14:30:43 +0000

After taking a brief, inadvertent break from blogging recently, I thought I’d jump back in with some quick-hit thoughts on D&D Next, my own D&D campaigns, some non-RPG games I’ve played, the Order of the Stick Kickstarter, and the u...

Quick Hits: January 2012 from Online Dungeon Master

OnlineDM — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 14:30:43 +0000

On the Costal Wizards from Hack & Slash

Hack And Slash — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 14:23:00 +0000

You know what's awesome?Lamentations of the Flame PrincessOSRICSwords & WizardryLabyrinth LordAdventurer Conqueror KingWhy? They are thought out - done for love, and amazingly playable. Each one makes you want to grab some dice and head into the de...

DDXP 2012: “Charting the Course: An Edition for All Editions” and “New Products” Seminars from Critical Hits » Roleplaying Games

Critical Hits — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 22:56:02 +0000

This past weekend was DDXP, and since this the new edition of D&D was announced recently, this was both the first chance the public would both find out directly from the mouths of the people making the game what it would be like, as well as try a limited demo of the new game. Like in 2008, questions about the new game were answered, and new ones were created. And just like back then, we were on the scene to report on the goings on to try to bring you a taste of the information available if you couldn't be there.

Review: Thunderstone – Dragonspire from Geek Ken

Geek Ken — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 21:00:00 +0000

Periodically I’ll be participating in the game night blog carnival, which gives me a chance to review some board games that might be a good break from your typical RPG session nights. This month I’ll be reviewing the fantasy card game, Thunderston...

Questions For Game Designers from The Spirits of Eden » RPG

The Spirits of Eden — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 19:31:26 +0000

Over twitter, Quinn Murphy posted a pool of questions he plans to send to some game designers he admires for small interviews, to inform his own views on game design. His questions are pretty interesting, so I thought I would answer them. Perhaps on your own blogs, or if you have none then in the [...]

Switched at Birth – An Origin Story from Dungeon's Master

Dungeon's Master — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 15:30:37 +0000

A good background should help define who the character is, especially early in the adventurer when he’s relatively inexperienced. Your PC’s backgrounds should do more than just provide him with skill bonus or a free minor power. I encourage players to be creative when coming up with a back-story. I’ve learned that the more detailed [...]

Critical Failures And Magical Mishaps from STUFFER SHACK

Stuffer Shack — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 14:00:18 +0000

Everyone loves magical items. Whether they’re common or rare, equipping yourself with the latest Flaming Sword or Circlet of Mental Might is part of the fun of playing. The abilities these items grant make you feel like that powerful fantasy hero...

D&D News Reactions from Glimm's Workshop

Glimm\'s Workshop — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 13:00:24 +0000

Since the announcement of D&D Next earlier this month, there has been a flurry of news about D&D. I’ve held off on writing about the new edition because I wanted to avoid speculation, but as more details have come out, especially from D&D Experience last weekend, I feel more comfortable writing about it. But first, some [...]

So Long, Fourth Edition from D20 Source: Dungeons & Dragons Blog

Jonathan Drain's D20 Source — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 06:24:51 +0000

With the recent announcement of Dungeons & Dragons fifth edition, D20 Source is coming out of retirement to respect a roleplaying games tradition that’s older than D&D itself: complaining about the old version of the rules. Personally, I was a big fan of D&D third edition. It was the first version of D&D that I [...]

A Fork in the Road: Starting the Adventure from Nevermet Press

Nevermet Press — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 14:00:26 +0000

Drop this encounter into your existing 4E D&D campaign to add a bit of Old School D&D fun to your game.

Visit the original post, A Fork in the Road: Starting the Adventure, at Nevermet Press. Subscribe via RSS, Twitter, or Facebook.

The One with the Dragon and the TPK ("Seeds of Chaos," Session 7) from free the minions!

free the minions! — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 04:17:00 +0000

The highlights of “Seeds of Chaos,” Session #7 included a dragon!, a TPK!, and a special cameo appearance by a god! The heroes of our campaign are: Boojum—a pixie wizard, played by SteveSilas—an eladrin vampire, played by DrewBlake—...

My Fellow Gamers, Stay Classy from The Dread Gazebo

The Dread Gazebo — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 15:13:18 +0000

Hatorade, Vancian Magic, Tactics, and Other Things I’m here at DDXP and after yesterday’s Class Design Seminar, the internet has seemed ablaze with irrationality. I’d like to quell this uprising somewhat by pointing out a few key factors. First and foremost please watch the video I just linked to in the sentence prior to this one, and watch the whole ...

The Fifteen Minute Workday from Greyhawk Grognard

Greyhawk Grognard — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 23:53:00 +0000

One of the things that plagues some D&D games (my own included, on occasion) is what is known as "the fifteen minute workday problem". To wit, characters in a dungeon go through two or three rooms, find themselves down some hit points and/or spells...

It’s All About Who You Know from Dungeon's Master

Dungeon's Master — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 14:30:11 +0000

In Dungeons & Dragons, as in real life, there are two things that help people succeed where others fail: what you’ve done and who you know. In D&D we already make a big deal about “what you’ve done” and we call it XP, but there never seems to be much emphasis or importance placed on [...]

DDXP 2012 Report: The First Glimpses at the New Edition of Dungeons & Dragons from Geek's Dream Girl» Dungeons & Dragons / RPGs

Geek's Dream Girl — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 07:00:33 +0000

E's at DDXP and reporting the news on the newest edition of Dungeons & Dragons. And she got to be in a playtest group with Monte Cook DMing!

TheSheDM Reviews: Terraclips from www. Newbie DM .com

Newbie DM — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 03:45:56 +0000

Last weekend our Friday night DM surprised us with a fantastic pair of maps made from Terraclips and D&D tiles for our campaign finale. I had never heard or seen these strange tile-and-clip things, so I asked him about it. I was also surprised by how sturdy the structure was – he picked it up [...]

Way of the Werewolf: Feats for Your Lycanthrope from Kobold Quarterly

Kobold Quarterly — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 17:00:29 +0000

Kobold Quarterly #19 (which is still available if you want a copy!) presented an all new racial theme, which allowed PCs to take on the role of a legendary werewolf. The theme gives you a range of optional powers to choose from throughout the heroic tier. For those who want to focus more on a [...]

A Game For All People: The Perfect DnD Recipe from Campaign Mastery

Campaign Mastery — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 14:38:47 +0000

This article is being written in advance of reading any material concerning the actual content of DnDNext from WOTC. Unless you’ve been living under a rock somewhere, the odds are that you’ve heard the announcement of D&D… well, no-one’s quite sure what it’s going to be called yet. The most common handle seems to be [...]

D&D Encounters: Beyond the Crystal Cave (Week 10) from Dungeon's Master

Dungeon's Master — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 14:30:11 +0000

After battling the Xivorts during the night, the PCs managed to complete their extended rest and began this week’s adventure at 100%. Knowing that the Hag Soryth was expecting them, they hurried to storm her Palace of Spires where they planned to free Juliana and stop Kalabon and Soryth from completing their evil plans for [...]

Download and Play D&D4e for Free — Legally! from RetroRoleplaying: The Blog

RetroRoleplaying — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 13:40:00 +0000

According this a post on the RPGSite from Windjammer, there is an amazing amount of free 4e material on the WOTC web site -- and not behind their paywall. Enough material to play 4e for quite a while -- and without most of the limitations of their basi...

RPG Blog Carnival: Toronto’s Underground PATH is a Fantastic Location from Dungeon's Master

Dungeon's Master — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 15:00:25 +0000

Everyday as I venture to work in downtown Toronto I make use of the PATH. The PATH is Toronto’s underground labyrinth of shops and corridors connecting office buildings, shopping centers and public transit together. In the summer it provides escape from the sunny surface streets and in the winter it is a much warmer alternative [...]

Feather boat from Blog of Holding

Blog of Holding — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 13:44:28 +0000

Raven Feather Boat: if a dead person is put at the helm and the boat is sent adrift down a river, it will, after several hours, take all inhabitants to the shadowfell. This feather boat's power is discovered only when the PCs find the one black feather on the swan boat's body. My old houserules [...]

The Advantages of Using 3d6 Over Point Buy from Dungeon's Master

Dungeon's Master — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 15:00:57 +0000

Have you ever played a character in 4e D&D without optimized stats? A Fighter with a Strength score below 14 or a Wizard with an Intelligence under 14? I think it’s safe to say that none of us have done it. Why would you? The game assumes that you’re going to have a decent score [...]

Back From The (Un)Dead: How a 15-Year D&D Hiatus Ended from Nevermet Press

Nevermet Press — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 14:00:20 +0000

In April of 2011, I came home to Dungeons & Dragons after a 15 year absence. It was a decision made outside the vacuum of the TTRPG community, hence totally...

Visit the original post, Back From The (Un)Dead: How a 15-Year D&D Hiatus Ended, at Nevermet Press. Subscribe via RSS, Twitter, or Facebook.

Icosahedrophilia Podcast, Episode 138: A Sort of Homecoming, Part 2 from Icosahedrophilia

Icosahedrophilia — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 23:03:28 +0000

Our adventure entitled “A Sort of Homecoming” continues, adventure fans! It’s as if Maelbrathyr were singing to the Broken Promise crew, “Stay with me … just a little bit longer … please please please please … say that you’re a-going to!” And they do! Please listen now to part 2, or subscribe via iTunes, Zune, or [...]