Complex published settings like the post-post apocalypse of Degenesis, the magical world of Glorantha, or the transhumanist future of Eclipse Phase can be intimidating for game masters. But running campaigns in such settings can also be tremendously rewarding. What follows are lessons learned from my own campaigns that should help you set up and run one of your own. Read more
Last year I didn’t write an end of the year summary, mostly because the numbers were continuing to decline and because I was pretty exhausted. I’d moved from a job that had wrung me dry to a job that required a fast ramp-up, and in 2018 Unpossible Journeys just wasn’t all that high on my priority list. However, I did resolve to give it more love in 2019. And UJ did get more love. Read more
Everyone loves getting something special in the mail every month. Dungeon Masters are no different. They’re also very deserving. After all, they dream up adventures, inhabit NPCs, roll up Big Bads, and run game sessions. The players get to be heroes, but the DM has to do everything else. Read more
Sometimes it’s hard for new GMs to get past the nuts and bolts of game mechanics and into actually running sessions. Using a Star Wars: Edge of the Empire campaign I ran for several months, here are some tips that may help you get your first campaign rolling if you’re not relying on a published scenario. Read more
Dungeons & Dragons has always been the most widely-recognized tabletop roleplaying game by far, but its dominance has waxed and waned over the years. Now due to the tremendous market success of Fifth Edition, D&D in some ways stands apart from the rest of the tabletop roleplaying universe. So what are the effects of D&D’s preeminence on the market as a whole? Read more
There’s been a lot of discussion in tabletop RPG circles about just how dominant Fifth Edition D&D has become. It seems to exist as something of a world unto its own, seldom crossing paths with the rest of the hobby. So a discussion about the ramifications of D&D’s current dominance is worth having. But first it’s important to understand why D&D 5e is such a juggernaut. That’s what this post will explore. Read more
The 5th Edition Dungeons & Dragons Starter Set has been with us for five years. It’s sold over 800,000 copies and been hailed as one of the best RPG starter sets ever produced. Now Wizards of the Coast has released its successor, the Dungeons & Dragons Essentials Kit.
A few weeks ago I wrote about a three-factor system I devised for classifying tabletop RPGs. After fielding questions about the system and thinking about it further, I’ve come up with what I believe is a better version of that original concept.
Read more
TL;DR: This 240-page book takes years of hard-won experience about how to make roleplaying awesome, and lays it out cleanly and clearly. It’s easy to read, easy to understand, and it provides enough details without becoming a chore to read.
Read more
