From the monthly archives:

September 2009

With Great Power Comes Great Responsibility

September 30, 2009

As the DM you have an important role. You control the action, pacing, drama, intrigue and excitement that exists during your gaming sessions. This role is an important responsibility, that if misused will result in player defections, absences or the demise of your group. Time spent between gaming sessions becomes critical regarding your preparation. Nothing is [...]

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Skill Challenge: Babysitting the Brats

September 29, 2009

The PCs are about to face the most dangerous threat of their adventuring careers… kids.
Setup
The PCs need a favour from an innkeeper, merchant or noble figure. The cost of the favour is babysitting. This might be only for a few hours but it could be as long as a few days (this is left up [...]

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Review: Word of Traitors

September 28, 2009

Word of Traitors
(Legacy of Dhakaan, Book II)
Don Bassingthwaite
An Eberron Novel
Word of Traitors is without a doubt the best Eberron novel to date. It’s book two of the Legacy of Dhakaan trilogy. If you haven’t already read The Doom of Kings, book one in the Legacy of Dhakaan trilogy then be forewarned that this review will contain [...]

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I Wish for a Wish Spell in 4e D&D

September 25, 2009

In previous editions of D&D you knew that your PC reached the pinnacle of power when he could cast the wish spell. Wish always represented the most powerful and complicated spell in the PHB no matter which version of D&D you were playing. As if to make wish even more desirable, there existed limited wish [...]

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Secrets of Eberron Revealed (Part 3)

September 24, 2009

The Treaty of Thronehold was signed three years ago. Since then old grievances have festered and grown into a cancerous hatred. Those with a grudge look for ways to eliminate their enemies. Prosperity, of a sorts, has also returned and individuals with extra gold look to acquire unique pets for their own purposes.

In Secrets of [...]

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An Accidental Solution to the Slow Combat Problem

September 23, 2009

A lot has been said about combat being too slow in 4e D&D. We’ve shared our ideas for Speeding Up Your Game and provided More Tips for Speeding Up Your Game. But over the past few weeks we discovered what I believe is a solution to the slow combat problem: familiarity and cooperation. Here’s how [...]

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Styles Of Play

September 22, 2009

The traditional style of play for most RPGs focuses on the long-term campaign. A compelling storyline that both players and DMs invest in. It’s a shared experience that develops over the course of months and in some cases years. Typical campaigns require a level of commitment from all involved to attend regular gaming sessions.

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What Do You Look Like?

September 21, 2009

Describe your character? It sounds like a simple question, but it’s more difficult than you think. I’m not asking you to tell me your class or level; I want to know what your character actually looks like.
Most characters are described by their race, class and equipment and that’s it. But if I tell you that [...]

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Preparing Red Herring in 6 Easy Steps

September 18, 2009

Too often in D&D the party’s objective is spelled out and put in front of them without any significant distractions. PCs do require some direction, but it doesn’t have to be spoon fed to them. By giving them a few false leads every now and then they’re less likely to assume that every encounter is [...]

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First Look PHB3: Skill Powers

September 17, 2009

It’s been a few weeks since Wizards of the Coast released the latest preview content for the Player’s Handbook 3: Skill Powers. During that time I’ve read over and digested the new information. Overall, I like what I see.
There was a time when I was worried about the direction 4e was going in, but with [...]

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