Search results

My view is that rolls are needed to resolve uncertain outcomes, situations where, in response to a character saying “I do X,” the result could reasonably be success, failure, or something is uncertain. When things are uncertain, that where a roll makes sense. From my experience running and...

I get where you're coming from. But this cuts both ways. I’ve spent years promoting Living World sandbox campaigns using classic editions that are often treated as broken or obsolete unless I write a master’s thesis justifying every part of the system. When I explain how I track faction...

This is well-thought-out post. However, it is not a fair evaluation, and because of both its complexity and the nature of this thread, I feel it’s important to break it down into its components so each can be addressed concisely. The core of your argument is this: This is clear, strong, and...

I went back upthread to trace the origin of this subthread, and given the direction it’s taken, I believe it’s worth responding to the following post directly. It’s not complicated at all. Deceits of the Russet Lord begins with a situation already in motion. One of the events is a young couple...

That's accurate, and for those who don't remember, this is what I said back in $8532.

Regarding D&D lifting all boats, maybe before crowdsourcing was a thing. But now with Kickstarter and Backerkit it has changed radically. Here is the last of the top tabletop RPG kickstarters. https://www.kickstarter.com/discover/advanced?ref=discovery_overlay&sort=most_funded&tag_id=33 Here...

Yup, I know exactly where the projects I’ve successfully released fall on the scale of things in the hobby. However, the good news is that even 0.01% of the numbers D&D 5e pulls are sufficient for the cause. The efficiency created by the internet and digital technology allows many projects to...

This is a clever rhetorical maneuver, structured similarly to a loaded question. It’s phrased so that anyone who disagrees risks appearing as though they don’t respect player rolls, which is clearly not the case for all RPGs. And if you do agree, it sets the stage for a follow-up that implies...

Why is it essential? That the part that is unclear to readers.

If you check the KS posts the at cost print coupons should still work. I know they are extra $$$ but they are still available for use. And last I checked they haven't been all used. I know it is a bit of a pain now as the posts are buried back up the feed but they are still there. Appreciate...

The game store owner in my home store complained that the NERO chapter I ran, was stealing his business. I felt bad, but only to a point, because he was one of those owners who would give you his personal opinion on gaming all the time. Most of the players who lived in my hometown grew to...

A boffer LARP is a style of live-action roleplaying that developed in the 1980s. It gained a major boost in popularity in the late ’80s when Ford Ivey founded NERO in Massachusetts. Thanks to a timely Dragon Magazine article, NERO chapters spread across the U.S. Ford Ivey pioneered a system of...

I’d appreciate it if you didn’t attribute a position to me unless you reference a direct quote. As it stands, this misrepresents my views. I’ve stated clearly and consistently, here, on my blog, and in other forums, that what I describe is a way to approach tabletop roleplaying, not the way. My...

Last time I checked, they were two separate words were embodying different concepts. And this is first time you mentioned plot.

I ran a modified Phandelver adventure myself, and it sounds like the castle in question is Cragmaw Castle. But I am going to disagree. It's not a problem of plausibility and logic. Why? Because even with only your side of the story, there are too many butterflies who were flapping their wings...

When I play, I make characters distinct from myself, whether it is tabletop or LARPs. I run into the same issue as you do. What you may not know is that the same problem exists in boffer LARPs like NERO. Players who dress in the minimum costume required (tabards and shorts) and who are there for...

That's good to be in agreement about a point. However, I feel we still disagree about the implications of the two assumptions, namely that they are both equally capable of producing the same variety and scope of outcomes. Both styles, referee-first, player-first, value consistency and...

Let me push back a bit. I’d like to know if this would be considered a story. Or this? If I submitted either of these to a literature professor for a short story assignment, I’d get an F for not understanding the assignment. They contain no plot, no character arc, no narrative progression...