Recent content by talien

  1. talien

    RPG Evolution: Accessible for all

    Picture courtesy of Pixabay. Now that my weekly Dungeons & Dragons game is open to the public, the question of how accessible it is to anyone with disabilities is an important part of both the library’s mission to serve the public as well as making the game welcoming to all. Here’s how I think...
  2. talien

    D&D General 1979 AD&D coloring album art sells for $57,500

    Crossbows & Catapults with actual cannonballs instead of discs, but fundamentally similar. Made for 28mm awesome terrain, which I painted and still have today!
  3. talien

    D&D General 1979 AD&D coloring album art sells for $57,500

    Same. I bought almost all the adventures we played for AD&D at this ridiculously low price. I'd just buy everything (Because for a buck each, why not?). This is also how I got full Weapons & Warriors sets if I remember correctly, for very cheap.
  4. talien

    RPG Evolution: Awesome Con 2026

    Giamatti cancelled last minute due to...waves vaguely at U.S. The guests really are the highlight. Pretty amazing talent coming in, I assume because of its size and central location.
  5. talien

    Freebies, Sales, and Charity Bundles for April 6, 2026

    So glad you're back Darryl and so, so sorry to hear this. All my love to you and your family.
  6. talien

    RPG Evolution: Awesome Con 2026

    The Gateway to the Capital Despite being frequent con-goers on the East Coast, we'd never heard of Awesome Con. It's likely due to Awesome Con being primarily for celebrity autographs, with more focus on talent than fans. It also seems to move timeframes quite a bit -- this year it was in March...
  7. talien

    RPG Evolution: taking the initiative

    I do try to make it fun in the sense that the "fast" character wants to feel fast. Sometimes they roll low. But then if they tie with a slower character/monster, the reroll makes it fun. It doesn't happen too often, but it does give the players a thrill of being "good at initiative" (which, for...
  8. talien

    RPG Evolution: taking the initiative

    To be clear I don't mean the players don't know their initiative. I mean, keeping track of monster initiative plus the players when the table gets to 7+ size is challenging for me visually. Add in familiars (who for reasons I still don't entirely get, have their own initiative) and we're at 10+...
  9. talien

    RPG Evolution: taking the initiative

    OMG yes. My tables crest 7+ players. Rolling initiative each round would be one more roll; the odds of me keeping track of everyone's initiative every round would be even more challenging. There isn't anything inherently wrong with tied initiative, but i'm not sure it adds anything to the game...
  10. talien

    RPG Evolution: taking the initiative

    Becomes more important at 3rd level + in 2024 D&D because they've started making initiative matter in class-related ways. Two examples stand out. Alert Feat: Allows you to swap your initiative result with a willing ally, enabling a high-rolling character to put a lower-rolling character (like a...
  11. talien

    RPG Evolution: taking the initiative

    Roll off, and then move whoever loses to one count lower (sometimes, this turns into a chain reaction so we have to make a judgement call). It's a good question though, no ties for anybody! This is where I got them from Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0F7X4J9JH
  12. talien

    RPG Evolution: taking the initiative

    Managing a table of ten players is less like storytelling and more like air traffic control. In the heat of my weekly library sessions, the biggest threat to immersion isn't the monsters; it’s the dead air that creeps in when players lose track of the turn order. When a round takes twenty...
  13. talien

    RPG CROWDFUNDING NEWS – DnD Shorts, 7th Sea, Tunnels & Trolls, and more

    Thirteen...million...DOLLARS? I had to check three times.
  14. talien

    Is this what it feels like to be a forever GM?

    Just to address this specifically: You are not doing ANYTHING wrong. My library has books, paper, pencil, dice, that is "theirs". I bring printout of character sheets and any other paraphernalia for new players, I bring miniatures for them, and initiative cards (for my own sanity). I cannot...
  15. talien

    Is this what it feels like to be a forever GM?

    Thank you @aco175 for bringing this thread to my attention. The list of my articles is here: RPG Evolution I am blessed. My local library invests in and is commited to our weekly game. They buy the books (which are library reference material), dice, pencils, paper, and provide the room. We even...
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