Games from Across Generations

Tabletop RPG gamedesign requires all of the same skills of tabletop game-game design – and yet I think some RPG game designers neglect “normal” games for inspiration. And while we live in a hayday of new and exciting games – Catan, Forbidden Dessert, Pandemic (and its themed offshoots), Arkham Horror, 7 Wonders – today we […]

Worldbuilding Spreads

Tarot is a most under appreciated tool in roleplaying games. If you need inspiration in a flash a quick tarot spread and give you tons of world building possibilities, devious plot twists or hidden clues. Here are some world-building tarot spreads from the most recent version of my Martian Muckraker RPG book followed by an […]

Writing Your First RPG Session

Planning the adventure for your RPG session is easily the most daunting task of being a new Game Master. This helps explain the popularity of pre-made adventures. Indeed many prefer to just run a pre-written and play tested adventure strait out of the box to writing their own. But just as much of the fun […]

Facing Fate Core

Many RPGs are known for their tomes and tomes of rules. The recent Pathfinder Player’s Handbook runs 600 pages (and I can’t wait to dive into my copy!) This allows the game designers to craft and simulate a detailed and fascinating world, and provide lots of meat for players to strategize with. There is a […]

Micro RPGs

Many people think of tabletop roleplaying games as requiring books and books of rules. However in recent years, there has been interest in rules-light systems. The limit case of this is the Micro-RPG or One-Page RPG. A Micro-RPG can cover its rules in four-pages or less and is designed when players want a quick-and-easy game […]

The Introverts Will Be Their (Dungeon) Masters

The best place for an introvert at an RPG table is . . . as the Dungeon Master (or Game Master or Master of Ceremonies). It may seem like a bold statement given the amount of responsibilities the Game Master (we will use this as a catch-all) has. Doesn’t being the GM require leading others […]

Roleplaying Games Besides Dungeons And Dragons . . .

Dungeons and Dragons is to roleplaying, what Kleenex is to tissues. Some people think that ALL roleplaying is Dungeons and Dragons. Dungeons and Dragons was the first tabletop RPG and the 5th Edition is one of the best designed tabletop RPGs out there. It’s incredibly easy for new players to learn, but still has enough […]

Game “Earthlings and Epics” Sparks Galactic Controversy

Gamemaker Cri’tevel is at the center of an interplanetary diplomatic spat after his game “Earthlings and Epics” was used by the Earthling government as an example of “alien contempt for our ways.” “I was not trying to offend,” Cri’tevel said, “Heck, I even based the ability system on an old forgotten Earthling game about dragons. […]