Michael Tresca

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Michael Tresca
talien

Michael Tresca

Mike "Talien" Tresca is the managing editor of the EN World Columnists Program, author of The Evolution of Fantasy Role-Playing Games, releases daily game-related content on his Patreon, and has over 50 D&D 5E products for sale on DriveThruRPG. He is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to http://amazon.com. If you like what we do here at EN World please consider supporting our Patreon.
Dungeons & Dragons 
The Triumph and Tragedy of "Free"
It's never been a better time to be a tabletop role-player. The freedom of choice seems limitless, with over a hundred thousand RPG products on DriveThruRPG and DMs Guild combined. A significant percentage of those products can be downloaded at no cost. Does that matter?
Boardgames  Dungeons & Dragons  RPG Evolution 
RPG Evolution: Why the New D&D Board Game is a Big Deal
Hasbro’s recent announcement of new D&D board game is welcome but not necessarily new—Wizards of the Coast has published several D&D-themed board games in the past. What is new is that the product is listed under Hasbro Games rather than Wizards, which might be indicative of the parent company finally putting its muscle behind the tabletop role-playing game.
RPG Evolution 
RPG Evolution - Secrets of RPG Success: Interview with Phil Reed
I recently wrote about the Thousand Fan Theory (TFT) and what it takes to build enough an audience to make a living as a game designer. Years ago on DriveThruRPG, Philip J. Reed demonstrated that it was possible to churn out quality, low-cost PDFs. Now he's moved that model to Kickstarter. But is it enough to make a living? I decided to ask him.
RPG Evolution 
RPG Evolution: Retiring as a Game Designer
We previously discussed the Thousand Fan Theory (TFT) and what it takes to achieve 1,000 fans contributing $100 a year on different platforms to support a full-time game designer’s salary. It’s a daunting strategy because it takes years to build up to a thousand fans willing to pay that much. But can it pay enough for someone who needs less than $100,000 to live on?
RPG Evolution 
RPG Evolution: Making It in the RPG Industry
Can you make a living in the tabletop role-playing industry as your sole source of income? Unless you work for one of the major game publishers, the odds are against you. But there’s another way, and it revolves around the Thousand Fan theory.
Comics  Dungeons & Dragons  Film & TV 
D&D, Conan, and He-Man: Toys That Never Were
With She-Ra and He-Man returning to Netflix as series that invoke the nostalgia of the 80s with a modern sensibility, several retrospectives have explored the origins of the toy line that that became a multi-million dollar franchise. For eagle-eyed viewers of the Netflix documentary, The Power of Grayskull, there's a surprising influence: Dungeons & Dragons.
RPG Evolution 
RPG Evolution: The Plastic Ancestry of the Owlbear
Like so many of the plastic monsters pulled from obscurity as patchisaurs, the owlbear has become iconic. But unlike the other monsters who we can easily trace to kaiju from the Ultraman series, the owlbear's roots may go much deeper.
RPG Evolution 
RPG Evolution: The Plastic Ancestry of the Rust Monster
Ah the rust monster! The bane of just about every fighter's existence, created from a plastic toy for the express purpose of ruining a party's equipment -- which, given the uniqueness of some magic items, is worse than a character dying. But it all started with a plastic toy. So which rust monster is the best? Let's find out!
RPG Evolution 
RPG Evolution: The Plastic Ancestry of the Umber Hulk
Gary Gygax is frequently cited as creating several iconic monsters in Dungeons & Dragons from a bag of plastic toys. But research has shown that toys came from a very specific source, Japanese knockoffs of giant monsters from the Ultraman franchise. Using the previous article as our jumping off point, we investigate the second creature on our list: the umber hulk.
Dungeons & Dragons 
The Plastic Ancestry of the Bulette
The bulette is a curious beast. Described as a cross between an armadillo and snapping turtle, it's capable of sailing through earth like a shark, leaping into the air to attack opponents with all four feet, and has very specific tastes in the types of humanoids it likes to eat. We now know the bulette was inspired by a plastic toy, but that toy's origins reveal some surprising parallels...
RPG Evolution 
RPG Evolution: The Ultra-Mysterious History of D&D's Iconic Monsters
It's common lore that some of the more iconic monsters of Dungeons & Dragons drew their inspiration from a set of plastic monsters mixed in with a bag of dinosaurs from Japan. Those monsters were not included by accident -- they were drawn from another show with quirky critters: Ultraman.
Dungeons & Dragons 
When Gaming Saved the World
Herodotus once wrote that during a time of great hardship, an entire nation survived by turning to gaming. Can tabletop role-playing games perform a similar role during a pandemic?
Dungeons & Dragons  Film & TV  OSR  Pathfinder  Video Games 
The Last Edition of D&D?
Changes in Dungeons & Dragons' various editions have ranged from the incremental to the epic, shaking up the game's sales along with its playerbase. There is evidence that Wizards of the Coast is following a new model in which there are no more editions, just updates and backwards compatibility. It's a model long touted by the software industry, and for an idea what the future might hold we...
Boardgames  Dungeons & Dragons  Film & TV 
RPG Evolution: Onward: A D&D Movie for Kids
We've known for some time now that Dungeons & Dragons has become a much larger part of the pop-culture fabric, thanks in no small part to streaming, parents introducing the game to their kids, and the pandemic encouraging social games while maintaining social distance. D&D reached a new milestone when it became the inspiration for a Pixar movie, Onward. Please note that this review contains...
Boardgames  Dungeons & Dragons  Industry  Warhammer 
Tabletop Game Companies Step Up
As the pandemic continues to roil the globe, tabletop game companies have seen an uptick in play even as supply chains and distribution channels have been disrupted. But companies are finding other ways to pitch in against COVID-19 that goes beyond just playing games.
Apps & Tools 
Streaming Video for Tabletop Games, Ranked
If you're like many gamers you've shifted your gaming online. We already covered virtual tabletops, but you can also use video to really enhance the experience--or even just use video alone and roll dice the old fashioned way.

This Week in TTRPG

Reviews

Cypher System  Reviews 
Use This Ghost To Show Off The World Of Old Gods
A one-shot adventure which evokes the generational horror of Stephen King.
Other Games  Reviews 
Welcome…To Jurassic Murderworld
A beginner adventure written by comics writer Jim Zub.
Reviews  Warhammer 
The Wrath And Glory Starter Set Lets You Purge A Little Heresy, As A Treat
An excellent introduction to the 40K universe.
Reviews 
Into The Wyrd And Wild Makes The Woods Weird
Inject some grim OSR style wilderness mechanics into your favorite fantasy game.

Dungeons & Dragons

Dungeons & Dragons 
Vecna: Eve of Ruin Adventure -- An “Off the Rails” Adventure for D&D's Anniversary
Wizards' first book for its 50th anniversary year is aiming for the stars, which is appropriate for a multiverse-spanning adventure.
Dungeons & Dragons  Industry 
The Dungeon Dudes Notch Up Another Million Dollar Kickstarter
Passes the million dollar mark with just a day to go.
Dungeons & Dragons 
WotC Fireside Chat: Revised 2024 Player’s Handbook
Book is near-final and includes psionic subclasses, and illustrations of named spell creators.
Dungeons & Dragons 
Take A Run On This Bank—They're Legitimately Asking For It
An innovative means for one of Allesund's wealthiest and most powerful families to inspire trust in their bank's customers might just be your big payday.
Dungeons & Dragons 
Potential Monsters in Quests from the Infinite Staircase Adventures #1: B4 The Lost City
Cynidiceans, the werefoxes and polymars... oh my!
Dungeons & Dragons 
Meet Some of the 40+ Multiversal Monsters In Vecna: Eve of Ruin
Monsters and NPCs from Eberron, Ravenloft, Dragonlance, and more!

Industry News

Dungeons & Dragons  Industry 
The Dungeon Dudes Notch Up Another Million Dollar Kickstarter
Passes the million dollar mark with just a day to go.
Industry 
Hasbro's Tabletop Is On The Up Again
After a disappointing 2023, latest earnings call from Hasbro shows tabletop games starting to recover.
Industry 
Asmodee Owner To Split Into 3 Companies
Publisher of video games, Star Wars TTRPG, and owner of Middle Earth Enterprises restructures after turbulent year.
Industry 
D&D AI Fail
Twitter thinks there's a new WotC president who will give you a baby dragon.
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