What a year it's been, eh? Actually, the last three years have been amazing for me. While I discovered proto-litrpg back in the 80s with Guardians of the Flame, it was in late 2016 that I first heard about LITRPG. I knew I'd finally found my literary home. Over the last three years I've published many books under this name and others. Earlier this year, I had a chance to work on the narrative design for … [Read more...] about LitRPG Video Game: Early Access
RPG
How RPGs Have Shaped My Writing (and Vice Versa)
Guest Post by Jon Sprunk Author Jon Sprunk I will never forget the first time I encountered Dungeons and Dragons. It was 1978 and I was eight years old. My family was visiting a hobby shop. While the others browsed the trains and model airplanes, I spotted a cardboard box on a shelf. The box’s top face had an illustration of a dragon battling a warrior and a wizard. I did not know it at the time, but this … [Read more...] about How RPGs Have Shaped My Writing (and Vice Versa)
D&D Tips: Winging it Like a Dragon
New guest post by Brokk Martin. He has played D&D for over 30 years. Every game master has had that moment where they look at the pages of prep for game night go out the window in the first five minutes of an adventure. Although it is recommended to prepare for the session, there are times when you have to go off the cuff. Sometimes, the party goes into the dungeon and instead of going left or right, … [Read more...] about D&D Tips: Winging it Like a Dragon
Why do we love RPGs?
New guest post by Edwin McRae! I am going to put this to you. What if it’s about the gods? Yes, Aphrodite and Zeus, Thor and Odin. I’m speaking from a strictly western perspective and those are the two pantheons that arise in games time and again. Greek and Norse. These are the examples I’m going to draw on but there are many other divine influences besides them. They’re just the ones that tend to pop up in video … [Read more...] about Why do we love RPGs?
Writing Dragons: The Epic, and The Letdown
New Guest Post by Aaron R. Holloway We have all been a part of an RPG game or read a piece of writing where the DM or author has attempted to add dragons into the story because of their amazing and epic glory. We have all (hopefully) seen a situation where this worked wonderfully! Where everything from the clues, to the quest giving, to the final reveal and epic fight with the great dread wyrm was satisfying. We … [Read more...] about Writing Dragons: The Epic, and The Letdown
Our 7 Most Recommended Homebrew Rules for a Dungeons & Dragons Game
Guest Post by Ted, Chief Adventurer at SkullSplitter Dice Some campaigns prefer to use the Dungeons and Dragons 5th Edition rules exactly as printed. But every campaign is different. And for many campaigns, creating “house rules” can allow the game to be more fun and more interesting. Below, we’ve compiled the most popular “homebrewed rules” used by Dungeons and Dragons players and DMs. If you’re looking for … [Read more...] about Our 7 Most Recommended Homebrew Rules for a Dungeons & Dragons Game
History of the d20 RPG System
There are have been many gaming systems throughout the years. If you started to play around the year 2000, there's one that stands out more than others. The d20 system was introduced alongside the third edition of Dungeons and Dragons, but it quickly came to dominate the shelves of gaming stores across the road. Taking a look at how this system came to be - and where it eventually went - is a good way to begin … [Read more...] about History of the d20 RPG System
D&D Memes: Rogue Edition
Truth be told, Gord the Rogue is likely one of our favorite rogues due to nostalgia, but D&D is full of all sorts of rogues. In the earliest D&D edition, thief reigned supreme. Elves were also a character class, so who knows. All that aside, we're going to share some of our favorite D&D memes with rogues as the central focus. For those keeping track, we recently did the DnD Memes: Dungeon Master edition. … [Read more...] about D&D Memes: Rogue Edition
D&D Editions: Advanced Dungeons & Dragons (1977-1985)
This is the third part in our ongoing series looking at all the D&D editions over the years. Enjoy! Original Dungeons and Dragons was a success on a scale that was hard to predict. It managed to be much more than a simple hobbyist's modification to an existing strategy game. It was a cultural phenomenon, one that was more restrained by its initial form than anything else. Dungeons and Dragons would have to … [Read more...] about D&D Editions: Advanced Dungeons & Dragons (1977-1985)
Best D&D Books with Rogues
The rogue is one of the building blocks of a good D&D party. They can sneak, disarm traps, pick locks, and take care of many of those pesky social checks that crop up when you're out of combat. While most forms of media have great examples of rogues, some of the best exemplars of the class you'll find are in Dungeons and Dragons novels. The best of the best not only reinforce the knowledge players get from … [Read more...] about Best D&D Books with Rogues
Best D&D Books with Wizards
Here's our look at some of the best D&D books with mages, wizards, sorcerers, and more. Wizards are perhaps the most iconic of the character classes of Dungeons and Dragons. For good or ill, they're what most non-players think of when they describe role-playing games. While wizards are certainly quite powerful, they don't always get as much actual attention as they deserve. It might be because the concept … [Read more...] about Best D&D Books with Wizards
D&D Editions: Dungeons & Dragons Red Box Basic Set (1977-1995)
If you look at the current version of Dungeons and Dragons, you'll notice that it's labeled Fifth Edition. While it's clear that the preceding edition was Fourth Edition and that the version before that was the Third Edition, figuring out the Second Edition is a bit tougher. OD&D is certainly D&D first edition, but there were two competing iterations of the game between OD&D and Third Edition. While … [Read more...] about D&D Editions: Dungeons & Dragons Red Box Basic Set (1977-1995)