RPG Bloggers » Game Design

Written Sketches from Justin Achilli

jachilli — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 22:16:33 +0000

I recently started using Day One, a journaling app that’s sleek and fun and has a popup feature whereby the app tells you, “Okay, write something.” I’ve been using it mostly for sketching — a paragraph or two at a time just to keep the words flowing without any real thought to where they might [...]

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

Divine Favor: The Inquisitor from GMS Magazine

G*M*S Magazine — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 23:34:00 +0000

This part of the divine favor series from Open Design is 20 pages long, 1 page front cover, 1 page editorial/ToC and 1 page SRD, leaving 17 pages of content for the Inquisitor, so let's check out what we get, shall we?

Now I’ve got to get the premium cable channels again… from Greyhawk Grognard

Greyhawk Grognard — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 22:27:00 +0000

When they're done right, the glossy looking historical (or, in some cases, fantasy) drama series are really great things to behold. Rome was absolutely terrific, and it was a shame that it was so expensive to produce that it only made it to two seasons...

Divine Favor: the Paladin from GMS Magazine

G*M*S Magazine — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 22:09:52 +0000

This installment of Open Design's Divine Favor-series is 20 pages long, 1 page front cover, 1 page editorial/ToC, 1 page SRD, leaving 17 pages of content, so let's check it out!

NeoExodus: A House Divided Campaign Setting from GMS Magazine

G*M*S Magazine — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 21:40:56 +0000

This pdf from Louis Porter Design is 166 pages long, 1 page front cover, 1 page editorial, 4 pages ToC, 1 page SRD, 2 pages char-sheet, 2 pages mini-monster-sheets, 1 page condition tracker, 1 page combat & initiative tracker, 1 character advancem...

Obsidian Eclipse Book 2: Root and Branch from GMS Magazine

G*M*S Magazine — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 21:26:14 +0000

This adventure/sourcebook from Louis Porter Design is 27 pages long, 1 page front cover, 1 page editorial/SRD, 1 page ToC, 3 pages of advertisements, leaving 21 pages of content, so let's check this installment of Obsidian Eclipse out, shall we?

Gygax On…A Player’s Most Important Ability from Raging Swan

Raging Swan — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 20:25:43 +0000

What’s one of a successful player’s key abilities? Of course, rolling a 20 is a rather handy ability to have, but beyond that is it the ability to get on with fellow players (rather handy), a good grasp of the rules (handy), good role-playing ski...

GenCon 2012 from Unofficial Games

Unofficial Games — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 18:26:00 +0000

So I am heading down to GenCon this year. With any luck I'll have my "Scenic Dunnsmouth" module written, and if there is interest I may have a third printing of Neoclassical Geek Revival as well.Any events people would recommend I sign up for?

Why "The Math" Should Not Be the Primary Focus of RPG Design from RetroRoleplaying: The Blog

RetroRoleplaying — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 15:28:00 +0000

Some people tell me that "The Math" is broken in games I like, play, or design. The thing is, I don't consider "The Math" to be the be all and end all of good game design. "The Math" for a game might be as close to "perfect" as one can get and still no...

Savage Menagerie: Grindhog from The Savage AfterWorld

The Savage Afterworld — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 12:02:00 +0000

No. Enc.: 1d2 (1d4)Alignment: ChaoticMovement: 90' (30'),Hyperburrowing: 150' (50')Armor Class: 6Hit Dice: 5Attacks: 3 (claw/claw/bite)Damage: 1d8/1d8/1d12Save: F3Morale: 9Hoard Class: NoneThe Grindhog is a vicious enlarged decedent of the Ancient sp...

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

Privilege vs. Success/Failure from Reality Refracted

Reality Refracted — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 05:00:00 +0000

Did you have a good Wednesday? Mine was ok. Sorry about the late notice on no post. I completely forgot that I hadn't prepped something ahead of time until my head hit the pillow, and at that point I wasn't getting back up. It shouldn't happen again. A...

Blight of the Khazars from Unofficial Games

Unofficial Games — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 18:36:00 +0000

So my Monday night ConstantCon game, the action has for now settled on a horrid little dungeon in Khazakstan.A rumoured mythical dungeon full of riches and power beyond mans wildest dreams! various notable nobles, scoundrels, vikings and other adventur...

This Blog Protected By Wuudchaks! from The Savage AfterWorld

The Savage Afterworld — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 17:47:00 +0000

:::WARNING:::WUUDCHAKS HAVE BEEN SPOTTED IN THE AREA.IF CONFRONTED, DO NOT ENGAGE.PROCEED WITH CAUTION.:::WARNING:::(Happy One-Day-Early Groundhog Day! )

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 [...]

Carcosa Review from Unofficial Games

Unofficial Games — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 13:56:00 +0000

So I was able to acquire a hard copy of Carcosa and give it a look through in all of its Sci-fi, Post-Apocalyptic, Cthulhoid and Dinosaurian glory.First off the book itself. It is a pretty nice hard cover, sleek smooth cover and nice sturd...

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

One on One from The Rhetorical Gamer

The Rhetorical Gamer — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 20:42:27 +0000

This is a post about gaming – and tennis – but mostly about gaming. I promise. Here’s the thing. I’ve been thinking a lot (too much, it’s become an obsession) about gaming as math problem. Or, I suppose, more specifically, the games as math p...

Gygax On…Equipment from Raging Swan

Raging Swan — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 18:30:54 +0000

We focus a lot these days on character build and character design, but we rarely spend a lot of time thinking about the equipment that our character should carry. Well, I guess that’s not completely true as everyone dreams of owning the +5 vorpal swo...

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 ...

playing D&D with Mike Mornard: it’s all about context from Blog of Holding

Blog of Holding — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 13:46:23 +0000

I played another game of D&D with Gygax and Arneson player Mike Mornard, who, always quotable, said, "Understanding history is all about context. When Karl Marx was writing his first essays, Germany was a feudal state. In some ways, he was closer to the 11th century German peasants than he was to us in 2011." [...]

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 Deep Mountains (Lightly Forested) from Unofficial Games

Unofficial Games — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 00:16:00 +0000

Here is a sample seed chart I use in games, I am compiling a list of those I use (slowly).To use, roll a d8, d6 and d4. Know the total result, and the result of each die. Unless specifically told to roll a die, you should only have 1 ...

Streets of Zobeck from GMS Magazine

G*M*S Magazine — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 21:54:20 +0000

This urban noir adventure anthology set in the by now legendary clockwork city of Zobeck from Open Design is 94 pages long, 1 page front cover, 1 page editorial, 1 page ToC, 1 page advertisement, 1 blank page and 1 page back cover, leaving 88 pages of ...

Alleys of Zobeck from GMS Magazine

G*M*S Magazine — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 21:22:28 +0000

This web-enhancement for Streets of Zobeck from Open Design is 17 pages long, 1 page front cover/editorial, 1/2 a page SRD, leaving 15 1/2 pages of content to add to the adventure anthology, so what exactly do we get?

Gygax On…Henchmen from Raging Swan

Raging Swan — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 16:31:04 +0000

I’ve always had a soft spot for henchmen, but never really been happy with the Leadership feat. I have fond memories of 1st edition when you could have up to 15 henchmen (if you could afford to keep them and were charismatic enough). Of course, 1st e...

The Secret to Background Creation from Dragon Age Oracle

Dragon Age Oracle — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 14:00:55 +0000

Do you enjoy the Dragon Age RPG? Wish you could invent your own Backgrounds? Do you think this is a short introductory paragraph? WHO CARES!? Here is my official “How To” on creating your own Backgrounds. The Breakdown Creating a Background is easier than you think. Dragon Age Set 1 actually offers a complete breakdown […]

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)

A Newly Refurbished Starship Warden Ready For Launch from The Savage AfterWorld

The Savage Afterworld — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 12:40:00 +0000

Return once again to the Starship Warden! Just as we learned of a new reprint of the original edition of Metamorphosis Alpha, it sounds like they're getting ready to come out a new edition of the classic post-apocalyptic game!Signal Fire Studios, in co...

Slumbering Heroes – A Super-Powered Campaign Setting from Nevermet Press

Nevermet Press — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 14:00:38 +0000

Every gamer faces the same dilemma at some point: What game should I run next? Well, this article proposes that you take two genres and slam them together to...

Visit the original post, Slumbering Heroes – A Super-Powered Campaign Setting, at Nevermet Press. Subscribe via RSS, Twitter, or Facebook.

hybrid roll and pointbuy from Blog of Holding

Blog of Holding — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 14:00:09 +0000

4e expects you to have around an 18 in your best attribute, and a decent secondary attribute. This is very predictably achieved with point buy. 4e is big on not having a single bad roll torpedo your character. On the other hand, point buy usually leads to your non-class stats being predictably bad. Every single [...]

Adventure Review: The Haunting of Larvik Island (4E) by Stephen Newton from Thick Skull Adventures from Game Knight Reviews

Game Knight Reviews — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 11:00:00 +0000

Though The Haunting of Larvik Island has been out since June 2011, I’m coming very late to the party. Written by Stephen Newton and published by Thick Skull Adventures, this adventure for a group of five 1st level D&D 4E characters is not just a solid adventure with an old school feel. It also . . . → Read More: Adventure Review: The Haunting of Larvik Island (4E) by Stephen Newton from Thick Skull Adventures

Cross class from Treehouse: » RPG

RPG Treehouse — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 23:06:14 +0000

I spent a happy couple of hours transferring all the 4e Essentials martial classes into a spreadsheet. Don’t knock it til you’ve tried it. It’s amazing how many similarities they share. Maybe that’s obvious, what with them all being the … Continue reading →

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

Hell on Eight Wheels: Eight – A Unified Core Rule from Observations of the Fox

Observations of the Fox — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 10:41:00 +0000

Before we go much further, anew blanket rule will be instituted to help pull the various mechanisms into amore unified concept.The highest card wins, as long as it is below the relevantattribute for the action. If two skaters are comparing cards and on...

The 1e Re-release is a Census from The Hydra's Grotto

The Hydra's Grotto — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 21:57:00 +0000

News that the 5th edition is in the pipe has arrived. On its heels is the news that Wizards of the Coast is releasing 1e with original interior art and new covers in a special direct to game store printing with a charitable donation to the EGG memoria...

The mechanics of character from Treehouse: » RPG

RPG Treehouse — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 19:17:59 +0000

I’ve never really subscribed to the idea that rules have no place at all in roleplaying. I don’t believe they’re completely necessary, but nor are they anathema to the whole lets pretend I’m looking through someone else’s eyes thing. When … Continue reading →

Gygax On…Cleric Spells from Raging Swan

Raging Swan — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 14:04:48 +0000

I don’t play clerics that much – only when no one else fancies it – and so I’m not wise in the ways of their ins and outs. That said, I’ve recently been wondering where exactly a cleric (or a druid or whatever) gets his spells from. Wiz...

Challenge 2-2: Lords of the Underdark from Glimm's Workshop

Glimm\'s Workshop — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 13:00:48 +0000

The second challenge in chapter 2 of Challenges for Game Designers asks you to create a territory acquisition game for 2-4 players. The game can be a card, board, or tile game, but its victory condition must be either 1) the first player to control all of the territory wins, or 2) the player who [...]

Game Design and Openness from Critical Hits » Roleplaying Games

Critical Hits — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 12:30:52 +0000

I do all of my design work at Sand & Steam openly. Every bit of what I do is laid out for everyone to see, warts and all. When I first started, I choose openness not because of any high-minded philosophy about information needing to be free. No, I did so for one very simple, very motivating reason: I was scared.

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

Hell On Eight Wheels: Seven – Targeted Combat from Observations of the Fox

Observations of the Fox — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 00:24:00 +0000

If you’ve been reading through this series of game developmentblog posts, you’ll have seen many references to Freebooter’s Fate. This is agreat miniatures game released by Freebooter Miniature last year. I don’t thinkit will catch on with the l...

changes for clerics in 5e from Blog of Holding

Blog of Holding — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 13:51:39 +0000

Now that we're sure about 5e, the dark mutterings from Mearls and Cook's Design and Development columns seem more fraught with meaning. Here are some interesting passages from Mike Mearls's The Problem of Clerics: The party needs healing, only the cleric can provide it, therefore someone must play a character they might otherwise prefer to [...]

Metamorphosis Alpha First Edition Available In Print Again from The Savage AfterWorld

The Savage Afterworld — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 12:29:00 +0000

The grand-mack-daddy of post-apocalyptic RPGs is available in print again!Metamorphosis Alpha First Edition has just been posted to Lulu for folks who need a hardcopy version of this classic game in their hands. These reprint offers surface every so of...

Game Review: Quantum Flux by Kieran Kowalski from 6d6 RPG from Game Knight Reviews

Game Knight Reviews — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 11:00:40 +0000

Though I don’t read much sci-fi these days, I’m still a big fan of films in the genre. Sprinkle in some horror and I’ll probably go see it if the trailer looks good enough. The golden standard is of course Ridley Scott‘s 1979 masterpiece Alien, and though many films have attempted to achieve the . . . → Read More: Game Review: Quantum Flux by Kieran Kowalski from 6d6 RPG

GM Questionnaire from Unofficial Games

Unofficial Games — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 13:33:00 +0000

From Zak originally,GM QuestionnaireRepost and answer. Or, if you don't have a blog, answer in the comments. Or be a big rebel and do neither.1. If you had to pick a single invention in a game you were most proud of what would it be? Awesomeness ...

Getting The Party Started from RPG MUSINGS

DM Samuels RPG Musings — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 16:30:18 +0000

As a GM, there are few things I hate more upon starting a new game than the mess that inevitably arises from getting a load of PCs, who may not have anything at all to do with one another, into a vague semblance of a coherent group. Most of the time, i...

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

You’re Right, Monte, It Does Sound Crazy from Greyhawk Grognard

Greyhawk Grognard — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 23:34:00 +0000

Monte Cook's first post-5E-announcement column is up, and it gives a broad view of what the folks at WotC are doing with the new version. It basically confirms the speculative chatter of the last week, that 5E will be modular. Fine, I get that. Options...