The Legend of Gord the Rogue

Gord the Rogue, you ask?

If you love the fiction of Dungeons and Dragons, there are a few names you probably know by heart.

Drizzt Do’urden. Artemis Entreri. Wulfgar.

If you’re an old-school fan, there are a number of others names that you might know by heart, like Elminster.

If you’ve been around since the beginning, though, you know that there’s one oft-forgotten name that deserves to live on in that pantheon. He’s forgotten by many, but he’s still important.

That name, of course, is Gord the Rogue.

Gord’s legend is fantastic, both on and off the page. He’s a great character, but he’s also a huge part of D&D’s early history. If you don’t already know him, get ready – he’s going to be a big part of your D&D education. Sit back while we reminisce about the immortal Gord the Rogue series.

The History of Pathfinder RPG

Cover of the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Core Rulebook featuring a red dragon confronting two adventurers in a dungeon. Reminiscent of classic Dungeons & Dragons, one adventurer raises a sword while the other casts a spell, casting light over the stone surroundings in this epic tabletop RPG scene.

Pathfinder is unique among role playing games not because of its systems, but because of its history. This isn’t a game that started with a developer’s dream or a unique idea – this is a game that started, in many ways, because …

What Makes for a Good RPG?

A medieval knight in armor rides a black horse, holding a lance, set against a mountainous backdrop reminiscent of a Dungeons & Dragons campaign. Nearby, another armored figure holds a shield. Both have orange accents on their armor, as birds soar in the clear blue sky.

A good role playing game is founded upon some very important categories. It is a building process that involves a lot of thoughts and “what if” scenarios. The creative minds behind the development of the best RPG games were born with an embedded skill that cannot be replicated or transformed in duplicate fashion. Maybe it’s not all that complicated, but there are many years of trial and error that go into the development of these kind of games. So, what makes for a good RPG game? Below we’ll focus on some of the top selling points and list the negatives that make up the mishaps as well.

LitRPG and the Lessons of Zelda

A scenic view of a beach with two palm trees on sandy shores, overlooking calm teal waters. A large, rugged rock formation rises prominently against a clear blue sky with a couple of lens flares.

I was reading an article at Wired this evening (With Breath of the Wild, Zelda Finally Loses Its Way. And I Love It), and a certain paragraph reminded me of the current state of the LitRPG genre. This isn’t a mind-blowing observation …

Lone Wolf and Fighting Fantasy Books: LitRPG?

Cover of You Are The Hero by Jonathan Green. Features a group of fantasy characters, including a warrior, wizard, and creatures, in a dynamic battle scene. Text: A History of Fighting Fantasy Gamebooks with a circular emblem at the bottom center.

I would say these are probably some of the very first LitRPG books – even though they didn’t have the moniker that a group of Russian writers came up with back in 2010. Anyway, here’s a look at some books that gave me hours of role-playing excitement when I didn’t have any friends around to play D&D with. Do you remember these books?

My Gaming History: Part One

An ASCII art styled RPG game screen showing options and stats: HP, ATK, MP, and Gold. A quest to Destroy the raiders in the Rogue Camp is listed. Options include locations like Grassy Fields, Blacksmith, and Tavern.

Oh, my. Where to begin. I guess it came with writing my own Zork-like adventure in Basic on an IBM PC clone ordered via phone direct from China. The 80s, a wonderful decade as Ready Player One so masterfully shows. Back then, …