I don’t know what it is but I’m rather excited for the holiday. Maybe it’s the fact that my wife and I are likely go cut down our own Christmas tree this year or the newest episode of Glee. Either way I’m ready for all the holiday festivities, but as I’ve gotten older and more years pass I see less and less people celebrating the holidays in big ways. Gone are the days of entire blocks hanging up lights, people singing carols and general good cheer. I’ll be honest, I can’t even remember the last time I enjoyed a Christmas carol, last year’s Christmas post an exception. So how do I infect my holiday cheer on my players, and keep this good mood up?
Once per week we go behind the bar at Apathy Games and discuss gaming in more personal terms and ask you to respond. The best response will be featured the following week. We all have our favorites, a game company that has churned out more of our favorite games then anyone else. When we read [...]
I’ll admit it; I love pre-generated; pre-built; ready to unwrap on Christmas morning and play, games. I get excited to thumb through new settings, leaf through adventures, and muse over character builds. It’s a window into the mind of the designer, a glimpse at the true game they had in mind. What’s not to love [...]
Every couple of years I get a hankering, an itch in the base of my brain to replay old games. I just wish you could package up the feelings and love for a game into a tabletop RPG session.
I love magic. I love the fantasy that it brings and the stories that come to mind. My inner GM cackles at the idea of punishing magic users for even thinking of using magic, I think, how can I torture my players the best?
I’m hard pressed to accept failure, especially in a game like D&D. The cost of being a hero in a fantasy game is low. Yes there is a momentary value to failure (death specifically) but it’s offset by that you can come back.
We’ve all been there. It’s an hour till game time and you realize you’ve completely forgot to prep anything. You can’t cancel now everyone is already on their way, so what do you do?
The holiday season is always a frantic time of year. The tone and feel of it is almost palpable in the air. The lights, the music, the general festivities all add to the holiday magic. This magic should be reflected in our games, allowing our table personas to partake in the holiday cheer.
There are three parts of the game that must be introduced to a new player: the setting, what the players do, and the rules. The first two have to be discussed with the new player before they make character choices. The rules, though shouldn’t be discussed until afterward. Remember, your goal is to give them what they absolutely need to know, but not overwhelm them. There is a lot to learn.