Author: Ameron (Derek Myers)

Categories
Editorial Player Resources

What’s In Your Backpack? A Healthy Dose of Reality

When it comes to fantasy role-playing there are a lot of things you have to just accept in order for the game to function. Magic exists. Dragons exist. Elves exist. I have no problems with any of these things. They may be fantastic but they’re familiar and acceptable. But when it comes to the amount of gear a typical adventurer can carry in his backpack many players believe that anything goes. This is not a fantasy that I’m willing to accept. There needs to be some common sense applied some of the time to D&D and for me the buck stops with your backpack.

The way I see it there are two real issues when it comes to the reality of your backpack: 1) How much can it hold, and 2) How easily you can grab something out of that backpack in the heat of combat. I have had way too many players push the boundaries of what is actually possible in both cases that I’ve had to introduce a house rule when it comes to equipment the first thing that goes into any character’s backpack is a healthy does of reality.

This month Game Knight Reviews wants to know “What’s in *your* backpack?” as part of the August RPG Blog Carnival. I expect we’ll see a lot of posts where people list off their favourite must-have items. Here at Dungeon’s Master we’ve decided to approach the discussion from a slightly different angle.

Continue reading “What’s In Your Backpack? A Healthy Dose of Reality”
Categories
D&D Encounters

D&D Encounters: Web of the Spider Queen – Report Card

Another season of D&D Encounters is over, and as are wanton to do we’re going to judge the season that was. We’ll look at what worked, what didn’t and what might have been done differently. If you DMed or played in any of this season’s encounters we want to know what you think too. Be sure to provide your comments below, whether you agree or disagree with our assessment.

Continue reading “D&D Encounters: Web of the Spider Queen – Report Card”
Categories
Player Resources

GenCon 2012: Fourthcore Team Deathmatch Champions

Just when we thought GenCon couldn’t get any better it was time to play in the Fourthcore Team Deathmatch (FTDM). In the car on the way to GenCon, Marc and I agreed that FTDM was the event we were most looking forward to playing. Although we wanted to win and were apparently the favourite team heading in to this years’ tournament, we really just wanted to have a good time and enjoy the experience. We got that and then some.

I’ll start with the big news – we won the Fourthcore Team Deathmatch! That’s right, after all the hype and all the trash talk we finished first. Team Moose Hockey Maple Syrup Eh, or as we were called at the table, Team Canada, emerged victorious. The guys over at the Fourthcore Team Deathmatch website will be providing a blow-by-blow of the event so I’ll just hit the highlights here.

Continue reading “GenCon 2012: Fourthcore Team Deathmatch Champions”
Categories
Player Resources

GenCon 2012: The Year I Won D&D

Calling GenCon the best four days in gaming is an understatement. There’s a really good chance that this year’s GenCon was my best four days in gaming ever. For four days everything went right. This was my fifth straight GenCon and without a doubt it was my best so far.

Socializing

One of the most important parts of any convention is the people. You can play D&D at home, but you go to a con to meet other gamers. For me a big part of it is meeting other bloggers and touching base with some of the folks from Wizards of the Coast.

This year I managed to spend some time hanging out with a lot of my fellow bloggers. I played D&D with some of them, and I played board games with others. I had some good conversations about gaming and life in general with some, and I had drinks with a few others. Some I regretfully only got to say a quick hello to, and many more that I wasn’t able to meet in person at all (maybe next year).

Most of the bloggers and WotC staff were extremely active on Twitter throughout GenCon so even though I didn’t see everyone I certainly knew where they were and what they were doing.

Continue reading “GenCon 2012: The Year I Won D&D”
Categories
D&D Encounters

D&D Encounters: Web of the Spider Queen (Week 13)

After rescuing Khara Sulwood from the Drow Slave pits the heroes managed to find their way back to the catacombs beneath Shadowdale, both halves of the Pendant of Ashaba in their possession. As they passed through the cellar and began climbing the stairs to the Tower of Ashaba, Valan Jaelre blocked their path. Flanked by two massive Driders, Valan demanded the PCs return the Pendent and surrender. Needless to say they were having none of that.

This was the final week for season 9 of D&D Encounters. We finished with eight players and two DMs so we managed to run two tables for the finale. The party at my table was made up of four regulars who were all with the party from the very beginning (none of these players missed a single session). Accompanied by Khara Sulwood, the party that faced the final encounter consisted of the following PCs:

  • Drow Rogue #1
  • Drow Rogue #2
  • Drow Druid
  • Drow Cleric

Before the PCs or Valan and his cronies could act, the Druid received a magical sending from Elminster. “Where have you been? Is the pendant reclaimed and its magic still intact? Shadowdale’s wards must be restored, and we are running out of time!” The Druid responded mentally that the party had the pendent but it was broken and that they had problems of their own right now.

Continue reading “D&D Encounters: Web of the Spider Queen (Week 13)”
Categories
Humour Skill Challenges

In Anticipation of GenCon: Road Trip to GenCon Skill Challenge

Those of us lucky enough to be going to GenCon this year are likely making the trek to Indianapolis tomorrow. For me it’s a 9-hour car ride that starts at 6:00 a.m. in Toronto.

Road trips can be a lot of fun as long as you have good company, suitable refreshments and plenty of stuff to do. With that in mind we once again present the Road Trip to GenCon Skill Challenge. It’s fun and lighthearted, while being geeky enough to keep even casual gamers interested. I encourage you to print a copy of this sill challenge and bring it with you to help make things more exciting on the way to GenCon. Enjoy.

Continue reading “In Anticipation of GenCon: Road Trip to GenCon Skill Challenge”
Categories
D&D Encounters DM Resources

In Anticipation of GenCon: 8 Things I Learned at D&D Encounters

With only three days to go it’s safe to say that I’m super stoked about GenCon. For many, GenCon will be their first time playing D&D in a public-play event. And for many DMs this will be theri first time running an event outside the comfort of their own basement or living room.  No matter how experienced a DM you think you are, I’ve got news for you, DMing a public-play game for total strangers is very different from running your home game.

With that in mind I’d like to share some tips that I’ve picked up playing D&D Encounters every week at my FLGS. Running one encounter a week at my FLGS may not be exactly the same as running a full adventure at a Con, but I’ll bet that you find yourself facing many of the problems, issues and challenges I’ve faced on a weekly basis. When these things happen (and they will) just keep these eight tips in mind and you’ll be fine. Many of these tips will be especially relevant if you happen to have younger or brand new players at your table. Good luck!

Continue reading “In Anticipation of GenCon: 8 Things I Learned at D&D Encounters”
Categories
D&D Encounters

D&D Encounters: Council of Spiders – Preview

On August 22 the players become the villains. That’s right, this season the PCs get a chance to become members of Drow society along with all the plotting and scheming that accompanies it. The PCs don’t necessarily have to play evil characters but they will want to watch their backs as everyone could be out to get them, even the other PCs.

Season 10 of D&D Encoutners: Council of Spiders continues the world-shaping Rise of the Underdark story arc and is closely tied to the latest product offering from Wizards of the Coast, Menzoberranzan: City of Intrigue. Below is a high-level overview of what you can expect during the coming season of D&D Encounters. It relatively spoiler-free.

Continue reading “D&D Encounters: Council of Spiders – Preview”
Categories
D&D Encounters

D&D Encounters: Web of the Spider Queen (Week 12)

Following a brutal encounter in the Drow Torture Theatre last week the heroes took a short rest and then moved onward in search of the Slave Pits. After some exploration the passage seemed to open into a larger cavern. The shouting from a Drow guard and the screams from victimized slaves left no doubt that the PCs had found the Salve Pits.

While hiding in the passageway the heroes spotted a Drow leading a Svirfneblin slave back to the pens. Before them stood a large creature made entirely of webs. It seemed to have some recognition of the Drow guard as it stepped aside to allow the slave to pass. The guard left the slave in the creatures charge and retreated the way he came, oblivious to the PCs’ presence.

Huge Spiders scuttled along the floor and walls, threatening the Svirfneblin. Suddenly a Human woman stepped out to confront the Spider, shouting at them and kicking them. It was Khara Sulwood.

Continue reading “D&D Encounters: Web of the Spider Queen (Week 12)”
Categories
D&D Encounters Player Resources

D&D Encounters: Council of Spiders – Pre-Generated Characters

Wizards of the Coast provided new pre-generated characters with the materials for the upcoming season D&D Encounters: Council of Spiders. I couldn’t believe my eyes when I saw them. After five seasons without any new pre-gens we get six Drow characters to choose from for D&D Encounters season 10.

As I actually read through the new adventure I realized that playing any race other than Drow would present players with considerable challenges this season. With that in mind it only made sense that Wizards would give us Drow pre-gens. After all, D&D Encoutners is still an introductory program so they needed to give us more than Belgos if new players wanted to play Drow PCs.

Continue reading “D&D Encounters: Council of Spiders – Pre-Generated Characters”