quick and dirty geomorphs with inkscape
As part of this month's RPG Blog Carnival and inspired by the excellent and numerous geomorph pages and Bat In The Attic's clueful tutorials on mapping with Inkscape, I had a bash at some geomorph... Click the title if [...]Read on >>
RPG Tools & Tech could kill Streamlined Mechanics
Today I listened to a Podcast by the entire Pulp Gamer Media Network at GenCon. Near the end of the segment they started talking about new technology in RPGs: D&DI, Smart phone Apps, iPad Apps, and the amazing, but c[...]Read on >>
Lazy Friday Fantasy Metal Post: Edguy – Tears of the Mandrake
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preparation – everything or nothing?
This month's RPG Blog Carnival is about preparation. For some a necessary evil, for others a breeze and for the brave few, something they've heard of - once - but have no truck with.... Click the title if you want[...]Read on >>
Dice, Dice Baby by MC 117
Ok, this is pretty good. Thanks to Dave "the Knave" for this one: Dice Dice Baby by MC 117.[...]Read on >>
Tower of the Archmage 2010-08-29 13:00:00
Ok, 46 of you follow my blog. Yet I only have 5 votes in my poll? There's a 2 way tie, your vote could make it a 3 way tie! And because I know you aren't supposed to post anything like that without offering an[...]Read on >>
Mood Music
The frequency with which I find myself posting is erratic at best, not adhering to any schedule but only when the muse strikes. This is a trait that defines my writing habits in general, in fact. But lightning can appa[...]Read on >>
What’s in the (fortune) cards?
Having spent far too much time today reading and reacting to other people’s opinions about the forthcoming fortune cards for D&D from Wizards of the Coast—including opinions from people who don’t play D[...]Read on >>
Lazy Friday Fantasy Metal Post: The Sword – Fire Lances of the Ancient Hyperzephyrians
There has been a lot of post-apocalyptic game talk recently, so this tracked seems very appropriate. It also makes me think of Beyond the Black Gate's raven lance.Oh, and if you want some "real" post-apo[...]Read on >>
Get your free copy of Retrospect RPG
My entry for RPG Geek’s 24-Hour RPG contest is now available for free download. In case you’re not familiar with the idea, the contest required participants to write a complete RPG from concept to final prod[...]Read on >>
Trying something new…
I’ve never been particularly handy. I’ll write, talk in public, and I can tell a pretty good yarn (or so I’ve been told), but I’m not great with cars or home repair. I’ll hook up your computer or your home thea[...]Read on >>
Food & Games
August 24, 2010 from Stargazer's World
Filed under: Fluff/Inspiration, Legacy D&D, Props, RPG, RPG Hub, pathfinder
Don’t worry; this has NOTHING to do with all the electronic cooking games out there. This is about gamers and the food they eat when they game. Junk food and role-playing games are connected in poplar culture, and in a[...] Filed under: Fluff/Inspiration, Legacy D&D, Props, RPG, RPG Hub, pathfinder
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Free Nature Sounds – UPDATE
When a gamemaster uses background music and nature sounds in his game he always has to select carefully to make sure that the background sounds fit the situation he describes. At Naturesoundsfor.me...[...]Read on >>
Lazy Friday Fantasy Metal Post: Elvenking – A Riddle of Stars
I know I already made a post today, but this song is too great not to share.[...]Read on >>
Icosahedrophilia Podcast, Episode 96: The Valley of the Shadow of Death, Part 1
It’s an exciting day, adventure fans! This hasn’t happened since episode 1—in episode 95 of the Icosahedrophilia podcast, you’ll hear actual play published only a few days after the actual game sessio[...]Read on >>
A Few Things I’ve Made
I’ve been writing a lot lately — and on the blog that’s shown up as posting about everything game-related that comes to mind. After Monday’s post about beginning work on Ryllia again, I found myse[...]Read on >>
recession-proof gaming X: pixel-stained technopeasant revolt
Image courtesy of Drollerie Press More financiapocalyptic musings means it's time to look at what makes good gaming without breaking the bank (assuming the banks don't do a good enough job... Click the title if yo[...]Read on >>
CheapassDM: Condition Markers
I see your Alea tools, and I raise you a pack of Goody brand child size elastic hair ties! These things will run you 5$, not 70 and you won’t have to magnetize any mini’s either. If there’s any one thin[...]Read on >>
"Cursed" Treasure Emerging From Play
No, this isn't about that -2 cursed backbiting hayfork or transgendering girdle, but about treasure that acquires a "cursed" nature due to the greed, betrayal, misfortune and death that it engenders. There have been a co[...]Read on >>
Can you solve the runic cubes?
In episode 86 of the Icosahedrophilia podcast, the adventurers noticed a strange structure in the desert—a structure that resembled a large stone hoop standing perpendicular to the ground. I used a printable model from[...]Read on >>
Building the dragon’s lair
The following picture drew a flurry of “how’d you do it?” questions on Twitter this morning: In case you don’t recognize the tiles themselves, they come from the old Dire Tombs set of Dungeon Tile[...]Read on >>
Shooting For The…Grave?
LARP Inspiration from the great beyond.[...]Read on >>
Random Inn Generator Updated with Rumors and Staff/Patron Generators
My Random Inn Generator already did a hopefully decent job of generating floorplans and menus. But in the past couple of days, I’ve made some major upgrades to the Random Inn/Tavern Generator. I’ve added a [...]Read on >>
Dungeons & DJs: the Black Spur series from Sonic Legends
I’ve already made my love for the Sonic Legends line of RPG soundscapes well known here on Icosahedrophilia and on DriveThruRPG. Six of Sonic Legends’ initial wave of offerings were inspired by and keyed to t[...]Read on >>
San Diego Comic-Con 2010 Thursday and w00tstock 2.4
"Spark of Imagination" panel, The Red vs. Blue Infiltration, Robert Kirkman, and a guest-filled wootstock.[...]Read on >>
Dungeons & DJs: Sonic Legends July 2010 releases
Each installment of the “Dungeons & DJs” series presents you with a new collection of music—usually, a single, complete album—that you might find useful at your gaming table. This installment focuses [...]Read on >>
I Feel a Song Coming On…
Well, ladies and gents, looks like I finally found time to get around to this post...and it's a somewhat unusual take on character development. I've noticed that one thing that some people do is to find a theme song for [...]Read on >>
Lazy Friday Fantasy Metal Post: Helloween – Keeper of the Seven Keys (Part 1 of 2)
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DM Rewards: Tomb of Horrors Review
I got something very unexpected in the mail last Friday when I went to check my PO box. Wizards of the Coast sent me my second DM Rewards package of the year. I was standing in the post office holding a large white env[...]Read on >>
GM’s Little Helper Cards
Jim Pacek over at Carjacked Seraphim has developed a nifty little randomizer tool to help nudge your creativity. It's a PDF called GM Helper Cards and it... duh... is a bunch of cards that help GMs. It's late and I'm lit[...]Read on >>
DriveThruRPG reviews for July 11–17, 2010
July 19, 2010 from Icosahedrophilia
Filed under: D&D 4e, Legacy D&D, Props, RPG, RPG Hub, Reviews, Tools, pathfinder
During week of July 11–17, 2010, I reviewed the following products for DriveThruRPG: D100 Discoveries Series: Temple, Castle, and Wilderlands Vol. 1 by Jarrod Camiré for Zodiac Gods. If you take this product’s n[...] Filed under: D&D 4e, Legacy D&D, Props, RPG, RPG Hub, Reviews, Tools, pathfinder
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Review: Gale Force 9 Dungeon Master Tokens
Hello and welcome to the new DreadGazebo blog! I hope the new and improved-ness is sufficient and I hope you enjoy your stay. I’ll no longer be posting on my wordpress site so please bookmark this anew and check ba[...]Read on >>
Lazy Friday Fantasy Metal Post: Iced Earth – The Hunter
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Salmon and D&D
July 16, 2010 from Stargazer's World
Filed under: D&D4e, Fluff/Inspiration, Props, RPG, RPG Hub, advice
Last Saturday I ran my weekly Dungeons & Dragons adventure. This weeks adventure was one I called “The Royal Sword of the Elvish Plains People” which addressed the back story of one the player characters in parti[...] Filed under: D&D4e, Fluff/Inspiration, Props, RPG, RPG Hub, advice
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Wilderness vs Dungeon Encounter Map Generator part 1
Dungeons are more linear and have been adopted by how much it eases the GM's job by boiling down options to doors, rooms and hallways. After being much exposed to natural hazards from my other hobby, I wonder why can't w[...]Read on >>
Good stories need good endings
Though one of my GM mentors recommended the “never-ending campaign” that has no ending, I rather like endings to be honest. It comes from liking the ending of stories, though not the fact that they end, as it[...]Read on >>
Turn Me On, Dead Man
Paul was supposed to die, not John. In the original history, Paul’s death in 1966 catalyzed the surviving Beatles’ transformation into something completely unlike their History B replacements. The Beatles-A n[...]Read on >>
Lazy Friday Fantasy Metal Post: Gamma Ray – Heart of the Unicorn
You wouldn't think you could make a kick arse song about a unicorn. You'd be wrong.[...]Read on >>
Finding the Path to PCGen
Going a bit old school today. Well, not really I guess – I’m just talking Pathfinder. At heart I’m a gaming schizo. Love 4e, and enjoying the heck out of my campaign currently.Love Pathfinder, and will be running a[...]Read on >>
RPG Review: The Kobold Guide to Game Design – Volume III: Tools & Techniques by Wolfgang Baur, Monte Cook, Ed Greenwood, Rob Heinsoo, and Colin McComb
July 5, 2010 from Moebius Adventures Blog
Filed under: Game Design, RPG, RPG Hub, Reviews, Tools, design, roleplaying
Hi there! The kobolds are back with another amazing collection of twelve thought-provoking and informative essays from some of the best designers and writers creating roleplaying game material today. The essays cover eve[...] Filed under: Game Design, RPG, RPG Hub, Reviews, Tools, design, roleplaying
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Last Session’s Nuts and Bolts
July 4, 2010 from Continuing Clockwise
Filed under: 4e, 4e DD, Fluff, Fluff/Inspiration, Game Mastery, Play, RPG Hub, Tools
June 2010 Session Days have passed since the attack of the Shadar-Kai. The PC’s can spend the time as they wish. Presumably they found the camp, gathered the loot, got their reward and have arranged for re-equip[...] Filed under: 4e, 4e DD, Fluff, Fluff/Inspiration, Game Mastery, Play, RPG Hub, Tools
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More about the Game within the Game
At last, I used folded index cards to help track initiative. Or, rather, I used the cards to communicate the initiative order to my players and they used a bottle cap to note whose turn. Players’ names were in pink[...]Read on >>
Free Stuff Friday – Firefly RPG
It’s Friday and it’s time to give you some more free stuff! This weeks Free Stuff is: Firefly RPG Here’s How It Is… The Earth got used up, and we found a new solar system and used terraforming technology [...]Read on >>
Free Stuff Friday – Firefly RPG
It’s Friday and it’s time to give you some more free stuff! This weeks Free Stuff is: Firefly RPG Here’s How It Is… The Earth got used up, and we found a new solar system and used terraforming technology [...]Read on >>
The Dungeon Master Guys, Episode 3
Welcome to the third episode of the Dungeon Master Guys podcast! Improvising games, "what if" campaign design, using props to make your game more immersive, using cursed items, answering reader questions, and more.[...]Read on >>
A Plethora of Dungeon Master Props, Gizmos, and Tools
“Where does he get those wonderful toys?” ~ The Joker (Batman, 1989) Last weekend, when I had the opportunity to attend Origins Game Fair 2010, it gave me a chance to see other Dungeon Masters in action. Although I[...]Read on >>
Combat Tiers Review
Recently I ran into an issue with my weekly D&D game. My players where trying to attack a dragon while it was flying away. It became increasingly difficult to track how high up and how far away the dragon was as it f[...]Read on >>
Icosahedrophilia Podcast, Episode 77: Enter the Dragon, Part 4
Our last episode threw the PCs a twist, adventure fans, with the unexpected appearance of a brown dragon! In this episode, number 77, we continue our adventure “Enter the Dragon,” which we recorded on January[...]Read on >>
Dungeonographer Preview: Update and a Video Clip
Despite going off on tangents like the Random Dungeon Generator project or writing here, progress on Dungeonographer (dungeon mapping software) continues. A video clip demo has been posted to the Dungeonographer site.[...]Read on >>
Hexmap Alphabetical Random Charts: Ruins
If you’ve determined that a given hex has some “Ruins” the following chart will give you some ideas of what those ruins may have in store. You may want to roll/pick multiple options from the last column[...]Read on >>
