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Is "City of Heroes" worth it? I got the massively multiplayer online role-playing game some time ago as a gift. For years, I've preferred face-to-face, pen-and-paper, pizza-and-dice games over computer games, but as a Game Master, it's good to be open to new sources of ideas and to understand...

CRPGS and pen-and-paper RPGs In my experience, the symbiotic relationship between traditional, pen-and-paper, face-to-face role-playing games and computer games has been both good and bad. As a Game Master, I've found CRPGs helpful in visualizing and describing certain monsters and spell...

D20 "Mutants & Masterminds" 2nd Ed. Player Characters In my superhero campaign, some "named" characters from major comic books do exist, but mostly as Non-Player Characters. I'm a big fan of well-done conversions to various rules systems. It's nice to have the occasional hero or villain make a...

D20 mecha books I'd try any of the various D20 steampunk supplements, including Sorcery & Steam, OGL Steampunk, Iron Kingdoms and even Eberron. Also, the D20 Adventure and other similar cliffhanging/dieselpunk books might help (especially for an alternate WWII), as well as D20 Big Eyes, Small...

In the three years that I've rented my current duplex, I never had a problem, and it was great to have space for my role-playing library and to host and run games for up to 10 people. Unfortunately, the heavy rains that affected the U.S. East Coast two weeks ago, plus new houses up the hill from...

GURPS book sale Since I just lost half of my considerable GURPS collection in a basement flood, this is a godsend... Thanks for the heads-up!

D20 "Mutants & Masterminds" 2nd Ed. Player Characters My latest superhero game is relatively light-hearted, like an episode of "Teen Titans" or some "Excalibur" comic books. I don't have my notes in front of me for names, but the characters include: -a Canadian ex-military bodyguard with...

Game Mastering I've been a Game Master since 1983, and for most of that time, I've preferred running games to playing in them. Rather than toot my own horn, I'd say that our role-players are better judges of the relative quality of campaigns, but I've been lucky to have numerous fun folks...

D20 "Mutants & Masterminds" second edition Yes, I and one of my role-players picked up Green Ronin's D20 "Mutants & Masterminds" 2nd Ed. book this past week. I play to run a one-shot of the revised superhero game this coming weekend. I've played and run numerous comic book-based campaigns over...

Poor gamers, continued I forgot in my last posting to add a few more: -Brings pets, children, or nongaming significant others without consulting host or G.M. -Polarizes the group into two or more hostile camps, often resulting in several people leaving -Egotistical--forces entire group to...

Poor gamers I've found that about 1 in 10 gamers doesn't work out with whatever group I'm running at the time. The following problems can occur: -"Hack-and-slash roll-player" rather than a thoughtful role-player -Not a team player--a "glory hog" or extreme introvert -Dubious personal hygiene...

"BSG" vs. "Farscape" Without giving away any "spoilers" for those who are still catching up on the SciFi Channel's revisionist "Battlestar Galactica," there's a difference between the traumatic experiences occasionally shown on "Farscape" and the constant draping of seminude "Number Six" over...

"Farscape" and the new "Battlestar Galactica" I agree that John Crighton on "Farscape" was an interesting amalgam of the brave, displaced Earthman dating back to John Carter of Mars and Flash Gordon with the mad scientist or plucky underdog. The SciFi Channel's revisionist "Battlestar...

D&D1e vs. D&D3.5 I've known several role-players and Game Masters over the years who were reluctant or refused to update their games to the latest editions of "Dungeons and Dragons" (or Hero/Champions, RoleMaster/MERP, Storyteller, GURPS, etc.). One reason is that if you've made the investment...

Gamer age I'm 37, although my group rages in age from 22 to 39. Maturity is in the mind, and Game Masters should actively try to improve the popularity of traditional pen-and-paper role-playing among younger folks (and its reputation among mainstream parents) so that our hobby can continue to...

Farscape and the new Battlestar Galactica Yes, both "Farscape" and the newer "Battlestar Galactica" are well-produced space operas and have loyal fan bases. While I'm probably in the minority in preferring the sense of wonder and aliens of "Farscape," I think both are relatively heavy on...

Galactica and Farscape I and other fans of the 1970s "Battlestar Galactica" (dated, but idealistic) have had problems with a few of producer Ron Moore's comments regarding the SciFi Channel's revisionist military space opera. The new "Battlestar Galactica" isn't as original as he claims...

Continental differences in frequency of role-playing vs. roll-playing Although I'm an American who has played and run games exclusively in the U.S. for the past 20+ years, I've been lucky to have had role-players in my groups from Australia, Belgium, France, Peru, and Turkey, as well as several...

Game balance I agree that if the role-playing group is generally happy, not much needs to be changed. However, here are a few suggestions: -Be stingy with treasure. While your current party has recently slayed a dragon and taken its horde, it may be the last big score for them for a while...

Keeping track of rations I usually require lower-level parties to set standard operating procedures, such as orders of march and watch, pitching and breaking camp, and feeding/watering steeds. Keeping track of rations and ammunition is part of this. At higher levels, we don't need to role-play...