Recent content by M.T. Black

  1. M.T. Black

    Merric's Musings?

    Thanks for sharing this Mike. Quite a few of us have been concerned about his sudden disappearance, so this is good news. I sent an email to his workplace a few weeks ago asking about his welfare. They responded that they couldn't share any information for privacy reasons, but that my note had...
  2. M.T. Black

    Dragon Reflections #96

    lol, I must be a curmudgeon as well! I just never found the joke articles very funny - they were clearly straining for a gag. Folk such as Roger Moore who were great at creating gaming content are not necessarily going to be skilled humorists... I'm imagining an alternative timeline where Kim...
  3. M.T. Black

    Dragon Reflections #96

    Dragon Publishing released Dragon #96 in April 1985. It is 100 pages long and has a cover price of $3.00. This issue features character backstories, Star Trek deck plans, and the ecology of the otyugh! The cover is by Jack Crane and is titled "Andragon." It's a typically quirky Crane piece...
  4. M.T. Black

    Dragon Reflections #95

    Man, that guy is everywhere these days...
  5. M.T. Black

    D&D General All Spirit's Eve - A Festival

    I am now including regular festivals in my ongoing D&D campaign. They've been popular with the players and have provided marvelous opportunities for character development. I have a list of 20, and I write them up and try to make them gameable when the characters attend one. Last night we have...
  6. M.T. Black

    Dragon Reflections #95

    As an addendum, it has only just clicked for me that Arthur Collins, who wrote the taxation article, is the same person as the "Rev. Arthur W. Collins" who wrote "Reflections of a real-life Cleric" back in Dragon 41. Collins eventually wrote 21 articles for Dragon and also published other...
  7. M.T. Black

    Dragon Reflections #95

    This issue features the cockatrice, fantasy taxes, and a Forgotten Realms adventure! The cover is by Dean Morrissey and depicts "Toad's Cloak Armorsmith Shop," where old metal is fashioned into armour. It's a peculiar but memorable blend of genres. Interior illustrations are by Roger Raupp...
  8. M.T. Black

    Lord of the Rings Roleplaying 5E

    Quite possibly! Do you know which of the older adventurers were good introductions?
  9. M.T. Black

    Lord of the Rings Roleplaying 5E

    We just finished our first adventure with Lord of the Rings 5E (it was interrupted by school holidays and some other games). Overall, it was a good experience. The guys who were way into Tolkien loved it, unsurprisingly. Everyone else found it enjoyable. Some random thoughts: The poor...
  10. M.T. Black

    D&D General Cthulhu by Torchlight Brings Mythos To D&D

    I purchased this as soon as I saw it, and it looks excellent so far. I hope it sells well and we see more content like this on D&D Beyond.
  11. M.T. Black

    First Experience With Mothership

    I ran Mothership for the first time last week. My D&D group did it as a fill-in one shot because some folks were away. We played "The Haunting of Ypsilon 14", which is considered the classic introductory scenario. The scenario does not hold your hand! I rewrote the hook, and, my players pretty...
  12. M.T. Black

    Magazines Dragon Reflections #94

    Yes, I usually allow myself just one paragraph of about 100 words per article. It's by no means a deep dive! Like you, I enjoyed dipping into el-remmens write-up of this issue.
  13. M.T. Black

    Magazines Dragon Reflections #94

    I'm surprised no-one has attempted to revive Skyrealms yet, given how many RPG properties have made a comeback in recent years. I know that Chessex had the rights, but that was a long time ago.
  14. M.T. Black

    Magazines Dragon Reflections #94

    Yes, I've often thought the same. I don't think the 5E subclass rules fit very well over the Jorune archetypes, but a rules-light/OSR version of D&D could work.
  15. M.T. Black

    Magazines Dragon Reflections #94

    Agreed. Like many folks, I was kinda obsessed with Jorune when I saw the ads, though I never managed to acquire the game until the digital era. The art and setting were great, but I did not like the system at all.
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