Best Ways To Roleplay During The Quarantine
Sitting down at a table creating characters, rolling dice, and playing with a group of friends is an experience that just cannot be replaced. It is something that brings people together in ways that we normally take for granted in our day to day life. So how do we move forward as a community of tabletop gamers? Many players will tell you that online games just are not the same. While in some ways I agree with that sentiment, I can honestly still say that playing with my friend online is still a really fun experience to have! With the coronavirus (Covid-19) hitting the world in ways no one saw coming, it has forced everyone to start making changes in their daily lives. One of the biggest changes we face is the reduction of physical interaction with others. This social distancing is definitely having an effect on the tabletop community. For…
6 Things Not To Do As A Player
Dungeons and Dragons is a game designed to bring all types of personalities together and allow them to work together to solve problems and “save the world.” Unfortunately, this also means there are many types of people who can ruin the game for everyone else at the table. From my experiences both in life and at the table I believe most people can adjust their habits to avoid disrupting the game or being overly rude to their fellow players and Dungeon master. If you are someone who keeps getting kicked out of groups and you don’t know why or you’re just a new player who wants to be prepared. Then check out my list below covering 6 tips for things not to do as a Dungeons and Dragons Player. 1. Never Show Up on Time The number 1 item is not showing up on time. This may seem like a…
Dungeon Master Tips | Failing Forward
Recently I had the opportunity to attend an amazing event Called RPG Escape 2020, held here locally by The Adventure Game Store who are also the publishers of the awesome space exploring tabletop Game, Esper Genesis! (Which by the way is an amazing game that you should look into!) The event they held hosted some incredibly talented people who have had major success in the tabletop roleplaying game (TTRPG) industry. These guests came out sat down and answered a laundry list of questions presented. By those that attended. From there they broke off into smaller groups and ran some brainstorming sessions with those who attended. I must say that I had an absolute blast and look forward to returning next year! Does Failure Have To Be Failure But one thing that a fellow dungeon master brought up to the Panel that stuck out with me was the notion that in…
Dungeon Master Tips | Share The Spotlight
Running Games for Various Types of People There are all types of players who sit down at the table and as Dungeon Masters (DMs), it’s our job to try and figure out what they are looking for in a game and how to get them involved. The best way a DM can do this is by creating opportunities for players to roleplay or interact through their characters. And while some players have no issues with being thrust into the limelight others might struggle with it. Our social butterfly players can often be an awesome source of fun for everyone at the table. And seeing them get excited and want to explore everything you put in front of the group is definitely a huge ego boost. But when one or two players start stealing the show and everyone else is simply sitting on the sidelines waiting for combat, this might become…
How My D&D Adventures All Began
When I tell people, I play Dungeons and Dragons (D&D), I typically get strange looks. But occasionally the expressions I receive are ones of excitement and curiosity. Either way when I follow up with my next statement, telling them that I literally learned to read so that I could play. Everyone gives me a surprised expression, and I love it! D&D has been my outlet for pretty much my entire life. I have played every edition (and I do mean EVERY), and I have seen it treated poorly by society and experience not so great updates to its rules (*cough 4th edition cough*). But no matter what it has faced, it has always held a special place in my heart. And that has everything to do with my Uncle and the first adventure he took me on. Out of Character Backstory At the ages of 3 and 4 I don’t…
Dungeon Master Tips | Session Notes
Very few things might be worse for a DM than forgetting what has been happening in their game! That’s why this week we are tackling Session notes as our next DM tip! Get your quills and paper ready because we are about to begin! Planning and Tracking Information Building a Homebrewed campaign world that is both effective and enjoyable requires a lot of planning and tracking of information. Many GMs create tons of detailed information about their game world including things like: Maps NPC names and backstories Unique Monsters And details about cities and the shops within Why Do I Need Session Notes Unfortunately, all that information can be hard to keep track of. Sometimes it is even forgotten between your various sessions. This is why session notes can really help. To be clear there is no wrong or right way to take your notes. But personally, I like to…
Dungeon Master Tips | Improv
Improv The focus of our subject today is possibly one of the most important skills a Dungeon Master needs, Improve. With that said, let’s dive right in! Being a Dungeon Master requires us to put on many hats, referee, a local NPC shop keeper, the big bad monster in the dungeon. But perhaps the most important role is story-teller. But being a story-teller in a D&D game isn’t as simple as creating one story arc and calling it quits. The biggest pull for players is being able to have the freedom of choosing their own path. Which is both awesome and the best part! Plan for the Unexpected But it also means that if you plan for the paths to the North and West, there is a chance that they might decide to head Southeast… I have found it is generally better to create various bullet points that I can…
Dungeons And Dragons & Player Expectation
Dungeons and Dragons (D&D) has been around since the ’70s. It’s a game that has withstood attacks time and time again. At first, it was said to lead young impressionable minds down a dark road to Satan. Then it was considered super geeky and something only oddballs or guys who live in their mom’s basements play. But now, in the age where technology is a part of almost every aspect of our lives, things seem to be going good for D&D. Why The Sudden Interested In Dungeons And Dragons People who play debate this all the time. We have TV shows that display how entertaining it is. Streamers and YouTubers who provide amazing stories and content that people can’t get enough of. And of course, there is now tons of research coming out. It shows all the various benefits of sitting down with friends and letting your imagination guide you…
Dungeon Master Tips | Combat
Combat D&D is a game where players balance roleplaying with combat. Some players love Roleplaying more while others prefer a game filled with hunting down monsters and defeating them in the name of coin or glory. Today our focus is on how to get more out of combat. Don’t Rush Fight Scenes As fun as it is to slay dragons, combat can quickly, if not managed properly bog down your sessions. After all D&D is the game where traveling a week can take seconds but 1 minute of combat can take hours. But this doesn’t mean that combat has to feel sluggish or like a roadblock to your story. DMs will often rush fights by doing stuff like this: EXAMPLE: “Okay John… uh you hit the monster, roll your damage… okay that’s 8 points of damage. James your next…” Don’t “rush” your fights even the ones that are random encounters. …
Is The “Mercer-Effect” Bad For Roleplaying?
What is the “Mercer-Effect”? What is the “Mercer-Effect”? The title is derived from the name of a talented voice actor, Matthew Mercer. Mercer and his fellow (equally talented) comrades get together every Thursday on their show Critical Role and embark on their own Dungeons and Dragons adventure. The phrase is most commonly used to describe fans of this show. The ones who get into D&D and bring in the expectations that their own games should be as good as or similar to what they’ve seen on Critical Role. While I understand the frustration of many Dungeon Masters out there, is this really a major issue for tabletop games, or simply an opportunity? What Is Critical Role? There are some incredible podcasts, live streams, and youtube channels out there that play various tabletop games. But you will be hard-pressed to find one that is more iconic than Critical Role. Anyone…