RPG Bloggers » Inspiration

No Assembly Required: Durgauthbalavoar, Ghost Dragon from This is My Game

This is my game — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 18:11:25 +0000

Welcome to the February 2012 Edition of No Assembly Required, a monthly column that provides DMs with a ready-to-use monster for a Dungeons & Dragons 4th Edition campaign. The monster can... Read more »

A is for Aren from A Life Full of Adventure

A Life Full of Adventure — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 17:03:00 +0000

Aren has a secret.He is a bard with a soft, soothing voice. He has easily and enigmatically taken up with this band of rebels. He does not fight very well (he is barely able to defend himself), but he is so encouraging, uplifting, and generally helpf...

Chronicle from From the Sorcerer's Skull

From the Sorcerer's Skull — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 15:22:00 +0000

Chronicle (now in theaters) tells the story of three teenagers that encounter something crystalline (maybe something from the movie version of Krypton given its appearance) that seems burrowed underground. This strange event leads them to developi...

News from Around the Net: 3-FEB-2012 from Game Knight Reviews

Game Knight Reviews — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 11:00:41 +0000

February!?! Where’d January go? Geesh!

Here in Colorado, the snow started to fly last night and we are in the first real winter storm in 2012. What does that mean for yours truly? Not much really… I work from home. But it will hopefully give me some time to work on a few side . . . → Read More: News from Around the Net: 3-FEB-2012

A Twist in Time: Alternate Histories in RPGs from Campaign Mastery

Campaign Mastery — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 14:08:31 +0000

The latest iteration of my superhero campaign has just gotten underway. Being set (mostly) on an alternate-history Earth, it holds a number of elements that may be of interest to readers, especially if I explain the thinking that led to the various choices that were made and my approach to the construction of a detailed [...]

No Assembly Required: Wobet from This is My Game

This is my game — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 13:58:00 +0000

Welcome to the January 2012 Edition of No Assembly Required, a monthly column that provides DMs with a ready-to-use monster for a Dungeons & Dragons 4th Edition campaign. The monster can... Read more »

How to write a free RPG – Chapter 8: Publish from The Free RPG Blog

The Free RPG Blog — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 12:00:00 +0000

Finish your game. Finish your game. Finish your game. Stop procrastinating and finish it. The act of creation can be exciting and a struggle but if you don't finish it, you'll never know if it was any fun to play. Publishing is what you do once you hav...

Book Review: Unusual Suspects: Guide to an Interrogation Session by Robert Oglodzinski from Library of Ancient Scroll from Game Knight Reviews

Game Knight Reviews — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 11:00:54 +0000

When I started working with Robert Oglodzinski a few months ago, I reviewed Walls Can Talk, which collects a few “legends and adventure ideas” for fantasy and horror games. The layout, done by Michael Wolf (Stargazer of Stargazer’s World), was simple and effective to put the focus on the stories at hand. I thought . . . → Read More: Book Review: Unusual Suspects: Guide to an Interrogation Session by Robert Oglodzinski from Library of Ancient Scroll

Supplement Review: Caves & Caverns (PFRPG) by Creighton Broadhurst and David Posener from Raging Swan Press from Game Knight Reviews

Game Knight Reviews — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 11:00:33 +0000

Just about every fantasy campaign I’ve ever played in has involved a cave system or cavern at one time or another. And though I’m a fan of dungeons, I really like it when there’s more of a natural element to them. The “Five Room Dungeon” technique I first learned about in Johnn Four’s Roleplaying . . . → Read More: Supplement Review: Caves & Caverns (PFRPG) by Creighton Broadhurst and David Posener from Raging Swan Press

Ancient Scroll’s Secret Room: To Punish and Enslave (or “Being Lawful”) from Game Knight Reviews

Game Knight Reviews — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 11:00:15 +0000

Nothing is more destructive of respect for the government and the law of the land than passing laws which cannot be enforced. - Albert Einstein

One who breaks an unjust law that conscience tells him is unjust, and who willingly accepts the penalty of imprisonment in order to arouse the conscience of the community . . . → Read More: Ancient Scroll’s Secret Room: To Punish and Enslave (or “Being Lawful”)

Deviant Friday – Marcio Takara Edition from THE LAND OF NOD

Land of Nod — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 23:46:00 +0000

Marcio Takara has a way with tiny - I've featured his tiny superheroes before as being great for folks looking for cheap paper miniatures of superheroes for their RPGs. He's also pretty slick with larger fare, with a clean, smooth line style and great ...

News from Around the Net: 27-JAN-12 from Game Knight Reviews

Game Knight Reviews — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 11:00:17 +0000

Hope everyone has had a good week! Mine has been interesting… We’ve been dealing with getting some water damage assessed and fixed in our house after a small overflow in an upstairs bathroom resulted in a family room waterfall through a spinning ceiling fan. Who needs Vegas and the Bellagio fountains? I had one . . . → Read More: News from Around the Net: 27-JAN-12

The Gassy Gnoll: What Makes a Location Fantastic (RPG Blog Carnival) from Game Knight Reviews

Game Knight Reviews — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 11:00:04 +0000

Once in a while a question crops up via a RPG Blog Carnival topic that makes me scratch my head and ponder for a bit. And yes, before you ask, most Gassy Gnolls are predominantly pondering people. We like to ponder just as much as we like to plunder, but nobody bothers to look . . . → Read More: The Gassy Gnoll: What Makes a Location Fantastic (RPG Blog Carnival)

How to write a free RPG – Chapter 7: Testing from The Free RPG Blog

The Free RPG Blog — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 12:00:00 +0000

Your game needs to be tested before it’s devoured by the general public. Testing ranges from simple mechanics tests all the way through to a full blow campaign play test. If you do not have a group to test with and cannot find a kind group to test it...

Get Your Motor Running from From the Sorcerer's Skull

From the Sorcerer's Skull — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 15:06:00 +0000

I watched the science fiction anime Redline from Madhouse Studios last night,and it got me thinking about the “crazy road race” genre. You know, things like Cannonball Run (1981), It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World (1963), and the Hanna-Barbera cart...

Ancient Scroll’s Secret Room: The Rules of Chaos from Game Knight Reviews

Game Knight Reviews — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 11:00:03 +0000

Last week I spoke about playing good and evil characters but promised that I’d follow up with my thoughts on playing lawful and chaotic PCs. When I started to think about it, I decided to break this post into two parts – one for chaos, the other for law. So today we start with . . . → Read More: Ancient Scroll’s Secret Room: The Rules of Chaos

Railroading All Gamers Can Enjoy from From the Sorcerer's Skull

From the Sorcerer's Skull — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 12:00:00 +0000

Hell on Wheels on AMC tells the story of a mobile camp accompanying the construction of the first intercontinental railroad. It has the usual assortment of characters and professions one would expect in any boomtown, plus individuals looking ...

News from Around the Net: 20-JAN-12 from Game Knight Reviews

Game Knight Reviews — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 11:00:12 +0000

Welcome to the gaming news roundup for the week of 20-JAN-2012!

This week was “one of those” weeks with work, so I’m gleeful that it’s Friday! Yay!

The debate continued this week about “D&D Next” or “D&D 5e” or “Ultimate Fighting D&D With Kung-fu Grip,” so you’ll see a few stories related to that . . . → Read More: News from Around the Net: 20-JAN-12

The Mother of All Size Charts from THE LAND OF NOD

Land of Nod — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 16:13:00 +0000

Cobbled this up over the last couple of days using the silhouettes created by Telecanter.Click to see full size and enjoy!EDIT: Made some adjustments to the chart, and I added a storm giant and gelatinous cube. I was way off on the wyvern, the giants n...

Give the Hollywood Lawyers What They Want … from THE LAND OF NOD

Land of Nod — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 16:28:00 +0000

... and stop talking about Hollywood's intellectual property.Instead, you can give all that free publicity to me! Come on - NOD, Pars Fortuna, Mystery Men!, Mutant Truckers, 1800-American Empires, Blood and Treasure, Space Princess, Cave Brawl, Gr...

OSR Conservation / Best Thing I’ve Seen Today from THE LAND OF NOD

Land of Nod — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 23:08:00 +0000

1. OSR CONSERVATION If you haven't already, you might want to check out the OSR Conservation project. Basically, folks like me can upload some of the gaming stuff we've created to make sure it is preserved even if we disappear from the face of the eart...

How to write a free RPG – Chapter 6: Organisation from The Free RPG Blog

The Free RPG Blog — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 12:00:00 +0000

In this Chapter, you'll learn how to organise your free RPG. Organisation is very important because a poorly organised game can be confusing and will put people off playing it. An RPG is both read and referred to. It needs to be reference material as w...

Book Review: The Kobold Guide to Board Game Design by Mike Selinker and Others from Open Design from Game Knight Reviews

Game Knight Reviews — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 11:00:01 +0000

Games. We all play them. It’s what makes us “gamers,” right? Whether you enjoy the occasional card, board, or roleplaying game, the one constant for me has been the “fun factor.” If I’m not having fun playing a game, it’s probably not worth playing. But until I started writing my own game materials more . . . → Read More: Book Review: The Kobold Guide to Board Game Design by Mike Selinker and Others from Open Design

small gods of trash from KORPG Games » Roleplaying game (RPG)

KORE rpg — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 23:30:37 +0000

My wife was reading some blog postings over my shoulder last night and she misread a post and suddenly asked with incredulity, “small gods of trash?!?” And after I realized that is was a simple misread, I thought, somewhere there’s &#...

Deviant Saturday – Manarama Edition from THE LAND OF NOD

Land of Nod — Sat, 14 Jan 2012 19:01:00 +0000

Manarama does lots of great work in a loose, free, fun style. Now, I've been notified by some readers that embedding the images via DeviantArt is a problem in some mobile devices. For that, I apologize. However, I want to be careful about copyright and...

Ancient Scroll’s Secret Room: What makes evil really evil? from Game Knight Reviews

Game Knight Reviews — Sat, 14 Jan 2012 11:00:06 +0000

Welcome back my dear readers!

Recently I grabbed my old 1st Edition Warhammer book, jumped over a few pages and found the alignment section because one of my friends asked what type of characters I like to play. My answer? Scoundrel. Then he asked “Like Han Solo?” And I said: nope, more the “devil . . . → Read More: Ancient Scroll’s Secret Room: What makes evil *really* evil?

News from Around the Net: 13-JAN-12 (Triskaidekaphobic Edition) from Game Knight Reviews

Game Knight Reviews — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 11:00:08 +0000

Welcome to the first triskaidekaphobic edition of GKR’s News frrom Around the Net for 2012… (Apparently there are three in 2012, two in 2013, and one in 2014. Since we’re on a downward trend let’s hope the Mayans are off on their whole calendar snafu…) At any rate, this week (as you might imagine) . . . → Read More: News from Around the Net: 13-JAN-12 (Triskaidekaphobic Edition)

From the Attic: Why D&D is the way it is; Levels and Hit Dice. from Bat in the Attic

Bat in the Attic — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 11:00:00 +0000

During the rampup to the next edition of D&D, I figure it would be useful to look at how D&D changed over the different editions. Today I look at the origins of levels and what they meant. Levels started with the Chainmail Miniature Wargame. Fi...

Thor Dee-Lite! from THE LAND OF NOD

Land of Nod — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 23:06:00 +0000

A few months back I posted about backing Jeff Dee's project of re-producing his old TSR art that was apparently thrown away (God, to back in time to that day and dumpster dive!). A couple weeks ago I got this spiffy signed print of Anubis.Today, he ann...

The Gassy Gnoll: Secret Lives of Gingerbread Men with Nine Kids (New Year, New Game) from Game Knight Reviews

Game Knight Reviews — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 11:00:50 +0000

The “New Year, New Game” efforts from the great folks at Gnome Stew and DriveThruRPG suggests something we should do as gamers anyway – try new games. Though not every game is for everybody, by trying new games, settings, tools, and techniques we can keep ourselves from falling in the ruts we sometimes fall . . . → Read More: The Gassy Gnoll: Secret Lives of Gingerbread Men with Nine Kids (New Year, New Game)

How to write a free RPG – Chapter 5: System from The Free RPG Blog

The Free RPG Blog — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 12:00:00 +0000

The mechanics of your game provide the players with tactical and strategic choices. They will spend resources, take risks, win and lose. The mechanics must mesh with the concept of the game and support the setting. The first question you must answer is...

Big Announcement in the World of Fantasy RPGs! from THE LAND OF NOD

Land of Nod — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 19:39:00 +0000

I got the dragon art I commissioned a few weeks ago for one of the alternate blue dragons I published last year - indigo, to be precise. The artist is Marta S., and I think her dragon profiles are stunning. Check it out. I'm planning on commissioning a...

Deviant Fri … Saturday – Francis Manapul Edition from THE LAND OF NOD

Land of Nod — Sat, 07 Jan 2012 23:32:00 +0000

Today, we'll be looking at some nice superhero art (plus a little more) from Francis Manapul. Check out his entire gallery for more!Shuster Awards Poster Final by ~manapul on deviantARTWonder Woman 600 by ~manapul on deviantARTThe Spirit in the Rain by...

Ancient Scroll’s Secret Room: The Dwarf, The Elf, and The Onion from Game Knight Reviews

Game Knight Reviews — Sat, 07 Jan 2012 11:00:03 +0000

Welcome to the New Year dear readers! I hope 2012 will bring you more great game sessions and plenty of inspiration for new campaigns. Along those lines, hold on tight as we head into a new adventure…

This time I want to share some of my ideas about building a party of PCs. One . . . → Read More: Ancient Scroll’s Secret Room: The Dwarf, The Elf, and The Onion

News from Around the Net: 6-JAN-12 from Game Knight Reviews

Game Knight Reviews — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 11:00:43 +0000

That’s right, it’s 2012… The year we see if the Mayans were right or if they were too cheap to buy a new calendar at the office supply store.

Hopefully everyone had a happy and safe New Years’ celebration! Let’s hope this year is full of plenty of gaming goodness!

Now on to the . . . → Read More: News from Around the Net: 6-JAN-12

Take the Subway to the Wizard’s Sanctum from From the Sorcerer's Skull

From the Sorcerer's Skull — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 12:00:00 +0000

You may have heard this one: A homeless newsboy in a nameless city follows a mysterious stranger into a subway station. The stranger leads the boy aboard "a strange subway car, with headlights gleaming like a dragon's eyes," and decorat...

How to write a free RPG – Chapter 4: Setting from The Free RPG Blog

The Free RPG Blog — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 12:00:00 +0000

In this Chapter, you will learn how to write an unique setting; what to include and how to avoid common pitfalls. The setting is the imaginary world that will act upon the characters and that the characters will change with their actions. Even if you a...

Game Review: The One Ring: Adventurer’s Book by Francesco Nepitello from Cubicle 7 – Part 5 from Game Knight Reviews

Game Knight Reviews — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 11:00:04 +0000

One of my New Years’ resolutions for 2012 is to finish up my ongoing review of The One Ring, so I’m going to push forward with my part-by-parcel review today and focus on “Part 5 – Adventuring Mechanics.” But before I get going, I want to share a quick couple of thoughts regarding this . . . → Read More: Game Review: The One Ring: Adventurer’s Book by Francesco Nepitello from Cubicle 7 – Part 5

A SAN Check for New Year’s Eve (and a bit more) from THE LAND OF NOD

Land of Nod — Sat, 31 Dec 2011 18:32:00 +0000

Most disturbing video of 2011? Perhaps ...Weird Al aside, just want to take this opportunity to thank everyone who made 2011 a good year for me. I spend my days researching the Las Vegas commercial real estate market and the economy in general, which h...

News from Around the Net: 30-DEC-11 from Game Knight Reviews

Game Knight Reviews — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 11:00:28 +0000

“It’s the end of the year as we know it and I feel fine…” (apologies to Michael Stipe and the rest of REM for paraphrasing the lyrics to “It’s The End of the World As We Know It (And I Feel Fine)”)

This is the last news round-up for 2011, which means 2012 is . . . → Read More: News from Around the Net: 30-DEC-11

The Nuances of computer use in a simulated world from Campaign Mastery

Campaign Mastery — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 14:00:44 +0000

In Roleplaying Tips #536, Johnn ran a tips request (reproduced below) asking for tips on how to GM computer hacking. I decided that simply offering a few tips wasn’t quite going to cut it, and that the subject deserved a slightly more in-depth treatment. I’m currently running a sci-fi future campaign where computers are an [...]

The Gassy Gnoll: The Circle of Trust (or The Power of Odd Jobs and Beginnings) from Game Knight Reviews

Game Knight Reviews — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 11:00:55 +0000

Have you ever noticed how adventurers always seem to get the glamorous jobs and only rarely get the dirty jobs nobody really wants to do?

Let’s take a simple example. A new group of PCs gets hired to kill some rats or bugs in a cellar somewhere. Usually the NPC hiring them fails to . . . → Read More: The Gassy Gnoll: The Circle of Trust (or The Power of Odd Jobs and Beginnings)

How to write a free RPG – Chapter 3: Writing and style from The Free RPG Blog

The Free RPG Blog — Tue, 27 Dec 2011 12:00:00 +0000

In this Chapter, we will look at the act of writing itself. By the end you will know some habits to keep and pitfalls to avoid. The second part of this chapter focuses on style and details how writing in a particular way can help the GM and players pic...

Product Review: Dungeonmorph Dice and Cards from Inkwell Ideas from Game Knight Reviews

Game Knight Reviews — Tue, 27 Dec 2011 11:00:50 +0000

When I first heard about the whole geomorph mapping paradigm in early 2011, it was at Dyson Logos’ blog – A Character For Every Game – but I came to discover only recently that they are a very old idea originally created by Gary Gygax himself. There was a series of books from TSR . . . → Read More: Product Review: Dungeonmorph Dice and Cards from Inkwell Ideas

The Season Of Optimism from Campaign Mastery

Campaign Mastery — Mon, 26 Dec 2011 13:33:16 +0000

So it is Christmas once again, as happens every year at this time. This is a time of year that means many different things to different people. For some, it is a time of commerciality run rampant; for others, it is a profoundly religious celebration; for most people, it is a time to acknowledge family [...]

Christmas in your campaign? from Bat in the Attic

Bat in the Attic — Sun, 25 Dec 2011 16:06:00 +0000

To myself and billions of Christians around the world today marks the day of the birth of the savoir. Cynics will say that Christmas is only celebrated as the birth of Christ because of the need to compete with the pagans of Rome. But I can't hel...

Deviant Friday – Recent Favorites from THE LAND OF NOD

Land of Nod — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 16:02:00 +0000

Instead of highlighting a particular DeviantArt artist today, I thought it would be fun to show off some recent favorites of mine from the site.you know you're a pro when... by *nebezial on deviantARTRed Riding Hood by *garang76 on deviantARTSpaceman n...

News from Around the Net: 23-DEC-2011 from Game Knight Reviews

Game Knight Reviews — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 11:00:47 +0000

This must be the “It’s nearly Christmas” edition of “Around the Net”! If I haven’t mentioned it enough already, I wish everyone reading a very happy holidays – from Cthulmas and Christmas to the Winter Solstice, Hanukkah, and Kwanzaa! May everyone have a safe, warm holidays in the company of family and friends.

There . . . → Read More: News from Around the Net: 23-DEC-2011

Dwarven Names from Bat in the Attic

Bat in the Attic — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 12:03:00 +0000

The recent release of the Hobbit Trailer reminded me that I looked at Tolkien's original source for the names of his Dwarves. I took the old Norse Poem and extracted all the names from it, modified them to fit english better, and made a list. With this...

The Arena from Bat in the Attic

Bat in the Attic — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 11:00:00 +0000

I am doing some mapping for Tim on Starter Adventures and a miscommunication occurred. He told he wanted a simple arena like the one in Spartacus Blood and Sand. So Dwayne of Gamer's Closet and I looked at some trailers and figured out what roughly it ...