EN World: D&D & Tabletop RPG News & Reviews
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Game Design 108: Realism vs. Fun
There are two main approaches to RPG design. One is to aim for a game which is fun, and the other is to aim for a game which is realistic. Neither approach is wrong, but both can be taken too far. It’s something good to consider as a game designer because if your game is too realistic it might kill the fun, and if it’s too fun—well, that’s just plain bad. Seriously though, a game which is too...
Board Game Review: Battlestar Galactica by Fantasy Flight Games
Today we're going to take a look at Battlestar Galactica. There's a couple of reasons for this; first up,Fantasy Flight have just announced the release of what will probably be the final expansion set for the game ("Daybreak", coming later this year). Second, I wrote an article in the week about why not all games built around licenses are terrible – just most ofthem – and of the few decent...
Geekhackery: Publish Yourself - Print, Digital, and now Audible!
One of the most exciting/terrifying developments of the past several years is the explosion of self-publishing options available to the general public. It's possible, using just internet tools, to publish both digital and print books on your own (and now audiobooks!). The tools are easier and easier to use all the time, and that's going to continue. The Amazon Route Amazon has become an...
Tabletop Gaming News for Thursday, 2 May, 2013 [Spell Compendium Review; and a QUESTION! Plus GenCon
EN World News We have a review of the Premium Spell Compendium v3.5 from WotC. "It’s next to impossible to find much fault with the Premium Spell Compendium 3.5, being a “faithful” reproduction of the original with all the errata added in, and bearing an awesome looking cover. If you play D&D 3.5 or d20 variant thereof, I can honestly say this is one of those “must-have” products to keep at...
Steal This Rule: Trust
...and we're all pointing and laughing... Reputation systems have been a bugaboo for many heroic-fantasy genre games for some time. Vastly abstract, or with relatively little relevance for the effort put into them, most reputation systems languish, overly detailed and un-used, between the pages of dusty old tomes in our gaming libraries. There is a reputation system that defies this...
Review of Premium Spell Compendium v3.5 by Wizards of the Coast
I recall always being frustrated by one aspect of Dungeons & Dragons, regardless of whether I was running 1st Edition, AD&D, or 3.5: There are just too many gosh darned spells! No matter which edition you name, there has always been a serious case of “spell creep”, with more and more new arcane, divine, and druidical magic finding their way into Dragon Magazine articles, modules, supplemental...
Experience Point: Act how you want to be
I recently mentioned that we're playing Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay 3e. There are a few aspects of the system I'm not wild about but I'm still having a lot fun playing my Dwarven Slayer. However, one of the bits I think is really helpful as a guide is the Party Card. The Party Card is a summary of what the group is all about, a collection of group talent resources, and a track for how...
Tabletop Gaming News for Wednesday, 1 May, 2013 [RPGs are STILL evil; plus ENnies deadline and Publi
EN World News We're half way through the seven days of EN World's $1000 7 Day RPG Competition! Our bi-weekly boardgaming column, Do Not Pass Go, takes a look at the perfect gamer. ENnies Deadline Approaches! To all publishers: If you haven’t submitted anything yet, please remember that you only have one more week to do so. According to the rules any package with a postmark past May 8th, 2013...
Do Not Pass Go
Every once in a while you meet the Perfect Gamer. Not the guy who plays a game perfectly or has perfect knowledge of a game’s rules, but the guy who is perfect to play any game with. What makes the Perfect Gamer? Let’s see if we can figure it out. 1. To the Perfect Gamer all games are relatively equal. It doesn’t matter what game is on the table, the Perfect Gamer is willing to give it a...
Tabletop Gaming News for Tuesday, 30 April, 2013 [Bye Bye Princess Ark and Shadowrun 5E Preview; oh,
EN World News Today is the last day to bid on the ENnies Publisher Karaoke! If the person you want to sing isn’t in the top three, you’re not going to hear them! Make sure that doesn’t happen! Southern Oracle discusses elves in Beauty is Truth, Truth Beauty. This week in Pretty Darn Fun (a look at new PDFs) we are met with the sad news that MWP has given up the Marvel Comics license...
Pretty Darn Fun (a look at new PDFs)
This week we are met with the sad news that MWP has given up the Marvel Comics license. Following this intro message there are links to the PDFs for the rpg, but keep in mind that after April 30th the PDFs will no longer be available. The good news for the week is that we have another excellent batch of new PDFs spanning new systems, useful supplements and ready to use adventures. Check them...
3G: Beauty is Truth, Truth Beauty
Way back when I started playing D&D, the elf was a class, and there was only one kind of elf. As the game evolved, subspecies developed and joined the game. New settings brought more kinds of elves, and now there are more than you can shake a stick at. Why so many elves? Why do they have such a fascination for gamers? From One Sprung Many For most gamers, I think that high elves, gray...
Tabletop Gaming News for Monday, 29 April, 2013 [$1000 contests, Aces & Apes and The Emperor's New C
EN World News Don't forget the EN World 7 Day RPG Contest with its $1000 prize! We have a new board game review: Horus Heresy from Fantasy Flight Games -- "Horus Heresy is certainly a good game, but it’s far from an easy beast to tame." Game Design 107 from Challenger RPG deals with formatting. Radiating Gnome takes a look at five iPad apps you might be able to use in your game prep. The EN...
Game Design 107: Formatting
I like to say, “There are no bad ideas, only good ideas explained poorly.” In my experience, absolutely everybody has really awesome ideas for writing a book or coming up with their own cool game design. Often, there isn’t anything wrong with the cool ideas unless it’s that they haven’t been well thought out, well implemented, or attempted at all. I believe the foundation of good writing and...
It's The EN World 7-Day RPG Contest! $1000 Prize!
Can you write an RPG in 7 days? If so, here's a chance to win $1000! By next week! I'm holding a competition this week. Entries must be posted by midnight my time next Sunday (the 5th of May; I'm in the UK, so that's BST). All you have to do is write a roleplaying game. Or dig one up you wrote twenty years ago. It can be short - I've seen 24 hour RPG contests before, and games under 20...
Split the Hoard
Split the Hoard
Negotiate, demand, or steal the loot you desire!
A competitive card game for 2-5 players
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