Peregrine's Nest

Industry veteran Andy Peregrine shares thoughts on a variety of topics.
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Peregrine's Nest 
It's Your Turn to Play
Depending on the game, the GM/DM may have the most responsibility for preparing and running the game. But players have responsibilities too.
Peregrine's Nest 
What Are You Bad At?
Most role-playing characters are heroes, some are even super heroes, so it’s hard to imagine them being bad at anything. If you are working with a system that rewards optimisation (like D&D) it’s even harder. Such systems not only make it harder to build in a weakness they actively encourage you to avoid doing so.
Peregrine's Nest 
Taking the Chair
In a previous article, I said it was time we all stepped up and tried GMing for a change. However, I do appreciate it isn’t that easy. If you are thinking of running a game but you don’t know where to start, here’s some helpful advice.
Peregrine's Nest 
The Lost Art of Dungeon-Crawling
There is a certain type of adventure that in recent years seems to have fallen out of popularity: dungeons.
Peregrine's Nest 
It's Your Turn to GM
Isn’t it about time you stepped up and took on the load sometime to give your usual GM a break? Short answer, yes it is.
Peregrine's Nest 
Let the Players do the Work
Why should the GM be the one to have to come up with all the ideas anyway? They have enough to do. So why not have your players put some effort into shaping the session?
Peregrine's Nest 
In Praise of Dice
I don’t think I need to convince anyone that dice are cool. But for those who feel dice are only useful for looking pretty and making a clattery sound behind a GM’s screen, I disagree.
Peregrine's Nest 
Are You Burned Out?
Running a game can be hard and quite a responsibility. While players sometimes consider participation optional, without a GM there is no game. Given that, the GM has to do at least some prep work as well before each session, even if it’s just reading an adventure. So the GM doesn’t have the option to forget about the game until game night and just pick up their character and dice. All this can...
Peregrine's Nest 
The Most Dangerous Time of the Year
The holiday season is upon us again, and you may be wondering how you can add some holiday spirit to your game. However, at the same time you may not want to give your player characters an easy time drinking mulled wine and giving each other gifts. Here are a few ways to add a touch of festive style and still give your player characters a really hard time in the adventure.
Peregrine's Nest 
The Horror! of Introducing New Players
A couple of years ago at Gen Con I had the scariest experience any GM can ever have. One of the players joined my Doctor Who game saying it was their first time role-playing. This wasn't scary because I thought they'll play it wrong or because I'd have to explain anything about the rules. It was scary because I knew that if I screwed up this game that player may never game for the rest of...
Apps & Tools  Peregrine's Nest 
Lessons Learned from Virtual Gaming
I wasn't completely new to online gaming before Covid-19, but recent events have given me a crash course, as it has for most of us. It's made me change my gaming habits, but also taught me a few lessons. So it seemed worthwhile to offer are few rules I've learned, in the hopes I'm not the only one who's still adjusting. Picture courtesy of Pixabay. 1 - Set Times It's important to set both a...
Peregrine's Nest 
No Good Choices
I'd like to make a case for taking your game to the darkest places you can imagine. Not just with violence or carnage but the sort of horror that makes you question everything. This might sound complicated but it's actually very simple. You give your player characters no good choices.
Peregrine's Nest  Reviews 
Game Design Masterclass: Going Diceless
While they are pretty (oh so pretty) you don’t actually need dice to play a role-playing game. If we don’t mind the Gamemaster fiddling with results to improve the story (when players do it, that’s just cheating) how much do we really need to roll something? Some GMs say they only roll as they love the sound the dice make. So if you are fudging anyway, why not go the whole hog and be open...
Peregrine's Nest 
Game Design Masterclass: Alien
In looking at examples of great game mechanics I don’t often pick a modern system. But I’ve not seen a system as well designed as Alien since Pendragon – and I don’t say that lightly. Free League’s (Fria Ligan) Alien game is a masterclass in not only how to reflect a license but how to make a game system work. I’ll admit I came to the game for the amazing art, but I stayed for the game design...
Peregrine's Nest  Reviews 
Game Design Masterclass: James Bond 007
Watching the trailer for the upcoming movie No Time to Die (the 25th Bond film) I realized it was about time to share a bit of love for one of my favorite long out of print games. While Ghostbusters is often held up as one of the greatest early licensed games, for me its James Bond 007. The game appeared in 1983 from Avalon Hill’s RPG imprint Victory Games, designed by Gerard Christopher Klug...
Peregrine's Nest  Reviews 
Design Masterclass: 7th Sea
Anyone who knows me will wonder why it took me so long to get round to what is probably my favorite game of all time. However, I'm sad to say that in this example I'm not going to talk about the numbers. First Edition 7th Sea had some rather basic rules problems (mainly the importance of traits). While Second Edition actually fixes many of those issues, that isn't as useful as you might think...

This Week in TTRPG

Reviews

Other Games  Reviews 
Parsley Turns Classic Adventure Games Into Fun For Everyone
A new spin on a retro form of text adventure games.
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.

Dungeons & Dragons

Critical Role  Dungeons & Dragons  Miniatures 
WizKids Announced Unpainted Minis for D&D, Critical Role
New individual-packed unpainted minis available for pre-order
Dungeons & Dragons 
Vecna: Eve of Ruin's Table of Contents Leaked (Spoilers!)
The full table of contents leaked by YouTuber 'Gamemasters'.
Dungeons & Dragons 
Field Guide to Floral Dragons Joins Million Dollar Kickstarter Club
One of only two TTRPG creators with four separate million dollar Kickstarters!
Dungeons & Dragons 
D&D Beyond: No More À La Carte Purchases But US Customers Can Buy Physical Books
Plus UI changes and more product information in listings.
Dungeons & Dragons  Video Games 
Hasbro Has Invested $1B In Video Games, Including A New D&D Game
There's "something like" Baldur's Gate 3 coming.
Dungeons & Dragons 
Vecna: Eve of Ruin Player Advice from WotC's Amanda Hamon
Senior designer Amanda Hamon offers advice for players playing through the upcoming Vecna: Eve of Ruin.

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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