tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-167424322011-11-27T18:37:28.384-05:00This Blog is intended for anyone who wants to become a better Dungeon Master (DM). I hope that the tips and tidbits I include will be both entertaining to read and useful in your quest to become a great DM.AnthonyRobersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12280185959763509522noreply@blogger.comBlogger771100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16742432.post-68886213261293728792010-07-19T19:56:00.000-05:002010-07-19T19:56:34.122-05:00

I will be running a demo of Castles & Crusades at Galactic Force in Chicago on this Wednesday, July 21st.  The fun starts at 6 PM and one lucky participant will walk away with a copy of the Castles & Crusades Player's Handbook. If you are in the area, please drop by and join in.  I will give a quick introduction to the rules system, followed by character creation and a short dungeon delve.  If

AnthonyRobersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12280185959763509522noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16742432.post-91109717944663240192010-06-24T09:31:00.000-05:002010-06-24T09:31:43.857-05:00

I have been watching Fantasy Flight Games with much interest over the past couple of years.  Their recent announcement of the Deathwatch role-playing game and the promotion surrounding it made me realize - they actually get it. What do I mean?  First of all, take a look at the introductory adventure for Deathwatch that FFG released for Free RPG Day.  Unlike those released by some other companies

AnthonyRobersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12280185959763509522noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16742432.post-35094395039967269072010-06-08T20:20:00.001-05:002010-06-08T20:27:19.326-05:00

I recently purchased a license for the Hexographer program and it is pretty darn cool.  I have zero artistic talent and I have still been able to create some quick maps that while they aren't exactly cartographic masterpieces, don't look too terrible.  While the user interface isn't completely intuitive, I still find it much easier to use than any other mapper that I have tried. The advantages

AnthonyRobersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12280185959763509522noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16742432.post-66220564765148371982010-03-28T13:26:00.001-05:002010-03-28T13:28:10.724-05:00

I got sick of waiting for my copy of the Swords & Wizardry: WhiteBox to be delivered so I picked up a copy of the Castles & Crusades:Collectors Edition boxed set from Troll Lord Games.  So far I like it - a lot.  I will reserve final judgement on the rules until I get to conduct an actual playtest, but at first glance they are a masterful example of concise writing.  You get a rules set that

AnthonyRobersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12280185959763509522noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16742432.post-86736306094463778252010-03-06T22:27:00.000-05:002010-03-06T22:27:07.355-05:00

Review of Rynn’s World Let me preface my review of Rynn’s World by saying a little bit about my background with 40K and my motivations for picking this book up.  First is the fact that I am only casually familiar with the background ‘fluff’ of the Warhammer 40,000 universe.  Second is the fact that I picked up the book as much to enhance my knowledge of Space Marines in preparation for possibly

AnthonyRobersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12280185959763509522noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16742432.post-30919982556768827912010-03-06T11:34:00.000-05:002010-03-06T11:34:00.831-05:00

It looks like a snafu with the box supplier has delayed the shipping of my copy of Swords & Wizardy WhiteBox - ARRGH!!  On the other hand, Brave Halfling is including a limited run module as their way of apologizing for the delay.  This softens the blow somewhat. On the other hand, the delay gives me time to flesh out my starting village and campaign area a little more.  I still hope to run a

AnthonyRobersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12280185959763509522noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16742432.post-61188264013102948932010-03-04T17:41:00.000-05:002010-03-04T17:41:05.145-05:00

I haven't gotten my physical copy of Swords & Wizardry WhiteBox  yet, but I do have the PDF.  I also just picked up Chgowiz's Swords & Wizards Whitebox Reference Sheets from RPGnow today and they are pretty keen. While I am waiting for my boxed set to be delivered, I would like to go ahead and kick off a Swords & Wizardry WhiteBox play by post game over at GeekDo. The game will be wide open,

AnthonyRobersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12280185959763509522noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16742432.post-47477258370237801702010-02-11T17:33:00.002-05:002010-02-11T17:39:41.949-05:00

I am working on a project for Swords & Wizardry.  It's my own little mini-campaign setting entitled the Hamlet of Hagreth.  I have been knocking out some NPCs pretty quickly.  Here is a sample: Nick Hacken is a woodcutter that lives on the very edge of the hamlet. He appears to be in his forties. A life of hard labor has left him balding and weathered, but still strong and lean. His wife died in

AnthonyRobersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12280185959763509522noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16742432.post-33231826087522300502010-02-02T14:12:00.000-05:002010-02-02T14:12:27.326-05:00

I place the blame squarely on Dan Abnett’s head. I really do. As a grown-up geek, with a life filled with work, family and God knows what else, I had made up my mind to quit running roleplaying games cold turkey. I told myself that I could still dabble in the odd miniatures or board game, but roleplaying games were out. Why? In my experience, running roleplaying games requires just too much

AnthonyRobersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12280185959763509522noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16742432.post-11790818202925049242009-12-09T11:03:00.008-05:002009-12-09T14:32:17.827-05:00

Gamers can be tough to shop for. I hope you will find at least one useful gift idea for the gamer in your life in this series of posts. Merry Chistmas!Day Two - Gaming MatsMany RPGs use miniatures for tactical situations and combats.A vinyl gaming mat is always a useful tool for a GM to thrown down and sketch out an encounter on. Chessex makes some of the best in my opinion. Most are

AnthonyRobersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12280185959763509522noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16742432.post-28855907159560106962009-12-08T17:24:00.002-05:002009-12-08T17:40:41.838-05:00

Gamers can be hard to shop for. Over the next 12 days I will try to make gift suggestions that will hopefully please even the pickiest gamer on your list. Merry Christmas!Day One - DiceIt goes without saying that almost ANY gamer can use dice. You can't go wrong by choosing a set from one of the original and best dice manufacturers - Gamescience. I am particularly fond of their 'gem' dice

AnthonyRobersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12280185959763509522noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16742432.post-89922932246785421692009-11-18T16:04:00.004-05:002009-11-18T16:19:10.722-05:00

I don't know for sure yet, but according to THIS thread on RPG.net, it looks like the PDF of the unofficial 6th Edition Tunnels and Trolls rulebook that I purchased from DriveThruRPG used a piece of art without the authorization of the artist.Not only that, it looks like James Shipman and Outlaw Press have done this multiple times with other products. If this is true, this sucks and I am sorry

AnthonyRobersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12280185959763509522noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16742432.post-85215712292708599482009-11-13T08:54:00.003-05:002009-11-13T09:04:12.732-05:00

5th Edition Tunnels & Trolls is one of my guilty gaming pleasures. Even with all of its warts, the game still brings a smile to my face. Years ago, I undertook the task of 'fixing' some of the things that I didn't like about the game, including multiplying attributes for non-humans, using strength to power spells, etc. but I never finished.Now I have stumbled across an unofficial Tunnels &

AnthonyRobersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12280185959763509522noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16742432.post-79785776915872464782009-11-11T10:13:00.002-05:002009-11-11T10:27:48.736-05:00

The latest printings of the Castles & Crusades Player's Handbook* and Monsters & Treasure* are now up on DriveThruRPG*. The editing, art and layout has come a long way IMHO since the first printings. I picked up both books in dead tree form at Gen Con this year and I am very pleased with them. You could run a very satisfying campaign with these books and nothing else (although getting the

AnthonyRobersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12280185959763509522noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16742432.post-91230487079778832542009-11-03T16:49:00.004-05:002009-11-03T17:02:09.705-05:00

Just picked up the PDF of Knockspell #3 from Black Blade Publishing. The content is pretty nifty for fans of the old-school stuff like me. Tim Kask has another cranky editorial. There is an OSRIC/1E treatment of the anti-paladin (Dragon #39 was the second issue I ever bought!). And there is lots more, including two adventures for Swords & Wizardry.My complaints are minor. The BBP web store

AnthonyRobersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12280185959763509522noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16742432.post-79215655594865519812009-10-30T13:14:00.004-05:002009-10-30T13:37:16.119-05:00

Paizo Publishing has posted a FREE module entitled Horror at Dagger Rock and, while it is designed for the Pathfinder RPG, it is dripping with lots of old-school style. I have only had a chance to have a cursory look at it but it seems to have a lot to offer; a fully populated village, rumors, various random encounters and a fairly extensive dungeon.Ever since I read early modules like N1:

AnthonyRobersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12280185959763509522noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16742432.post-24796362360472215172009-09-25T12:16:00.003-05:002009-09-25T12:24:23.023-05:00

Ok. It's not a 'real' Kindle book, but I did manage to convert my Swords & Wizardry Quick Start PDF and put it on my Kindle. Aside from some obvious glitches in the graphics, it is quite readable and I am happy with the results.I am not sure if there is enough of a user base for rpg publishers to justify releasing books in Kindle format, but I do plan to try and convert some of my other gaming

AnthonyRobersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12280185959763509522noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16742432.post-52348921233913802912009-09-09T16:16:00.002-05:002009-09-09T16:20:06.270-05:00

One of the problems with playing in an old-school game is the inherent fragility of the player characters, especially for the first few levels. Making the assumption that this is a feature and not a bug, there are things that both the players and DM can do to make the game a little more survivable, while still maintaining the old-school style of play.HirelingsPlayers only familiar with the more

AnthonyRobersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12280185959763509522noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16742432.post-78320523947409164712009-07-07T16:41:00.002-05:002009-07-07T17:05:15.177-05:00

This is the first in a series of articles that I will be posting about learning to play the new HackMaster Basic roleplaying game from Kenzer & Company. In this and upcoming articles, I will discuss character creation, combat, magic and more. I hope you enjoy it and your feedback is appreciated!Part One - Getting StartedFirst things first. If you haven't done so already, you need to buy the

AnthonyRobersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12280185959763509522noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16742432.post-12691053512774818062009-06-04T17:48:00.003-05:002009-06-04T18:05:28.982-05:00

I admit it.  I have been burned out on roleplaying.  I even thought about just chucking the whole hobby, but I couldn't do it - it's in my blood.  Well, after lots of procrastinating and general teeth gnashing, I decided to pick up the banner again.I also decided that I just couldn't do D&D (of any edition) for awhile.  I want something different.  I always liked westerns and so I seized on the

AnthonyRobersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12280185959763509522noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16742432.post-21680696675050417772009-04-25T10:57:00.004-05:002009-04-25T11:15:21.239-05:00

I have been playing D&D for a LONG time (over 25 years) and it saddens me that Wizards of the Coast has disappointed me as a customer so many times as of late. I recently stopped playing 4E and sold off my books (for a variety of reasons) but I still hadn't completely given up on the new edition of the game. Why? Well, as an adult with a job and family, it's hard for me to get a group together

AnthonyRobersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12280185959763509522noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16742432.post-20379627033425350212009-04-08T08:19:00.005-05:002009-04-08T10:59:02.184-05:00

I am somewhat amused at the wave of rage and gnashing of teeth that has been sweeping the Blogosphere and the Twitterverse over the WoTC PDF debacle. Don't the commentators realize that the average fanboy doesn't care? I doubt if 1/10 of 1% of the customers that purchase 4E D&D products from Wizards of the Coast will change their buying habits over this situation.The fact remains that WoTC is a

AnthonyRobersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12280185959763509522noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16742432.post-52009224417913463552009-04-02T14:39:00.003-05:002009-04-02T16:53:55.878-05:00

I noticed that DriveThruRPG has posted a scanned PDF copy of Tarantis*, the third of the city-states published by Judges Guild. I have fond memories of purchasing it 'back in the day'. I eagerly ripped off the plastic and geekily lusted over those wonderful yellowish city maps. I also seem to remember really liking it, but honestly none of the details of exactly why. It was a LONG time ago

AnthonyRobersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12280185959763509522noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16742432.post-31185122884452217892009-03-31T15:34:00.003-05:002009-03-31T15:58:43.381-05:00

The announcement of the upcoming 6th Edition of the Hero System got me to thinking about the process that goes into conceiving and producing a new edition of a game system (especially a well-established and popular one).  From reading the Discussion Forums about the new edition of Hero, it looks like there is a fair amount of dialog about exactly what to change and how extensive those changes

AnthonyRobersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12280185959763509522noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16742432.post-75977986754390909952009-03-27T11:08:00.007-05:002009-03-27T13:39:24.377-05:00

Wow. I can't believe Knights of the Dinner Table (KoDT) magazine has almost reached issue #150! I started reading with issue #38 and the magazine has only gotten bigger and better. In fact, it's (at lease that I am aware of) the ONLY 'general purpose' gaming magazine left.If you haven't ever read KoDT or haven't read in a long time, you might be interested to know that, while the general format

AnthonyRobersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12280185959763509522noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16742432.post-66167036656804971242009-03-26T14:28:00.006-05:002009-03-26T14:36:06.272-05:00

I came to the stunning realization today that in 4E even an ADULT red dragon can't take down a lowly 3rd level fighter by breathing on him - even with a good damage roll. I could care less about the design decisions behind this. The fact just sticks in my craw. The game is called Dungeons & DRAGONS after allTime to eBay my 4E books. I just wish that I hadn't gotten rid of all my 3.5 books,

AnthonyRobersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12280185959763509522noreply@blogger.com23tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16742432.post-42401155287428094602009-03-25T08:00:00.004-05:002009-03-25T08:17:26.186-05:00

I have really been thinking hard about 4E and I stumbled across THIS post on Unnatural20 that neatly sums up some of my issues with the game. Namely that combat encounters grind on way too long and that there is a certain 'sameness' to all the character classes because of the powers system.Do I think 4E is a bad game? No. I just think it might not be the game for me. so, if not 4E, what

AnthonyRobersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12280185959763509522noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16742432.post-91684314577514045782009-03-23T08:31:00.004-05:002009-03-23T08:52:54.435-05:00

I want to say thanks to everyone that turned out for my 4E game at Games Plus this Saturday. I hope everyone enjoyed themselves. I have to say that as for me, however, I left the game feeling somewhat disillusioned about what 4E D&D has to offer.What really did me in was the fact that the first encounter took over TWO HOURS to complete! I know that four of the five players were new to 4E and

AnthonyRobersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12280185959763509522noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16742432.post-52273200773739388512009-03-17T10:18:00.004-05:002009-03-17T10:30:42.791-05:00

I stumbled on an interested thread over at ENWorld that mentions creating a modern updated reading list similar to the one Gary Gygax included in Appendix N of the 1st Edition AD&D Dungeon Master's Guide. I think that's a great idea! I can see lots of possible candidates, including Glen Cook's Chronicles of the Black Company series, George R. R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire books and a lot

AnthonyRobersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12280185959763509522noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16742432.post-73428533874068493712009-03-12T12:35:00.002-05:002009-03-12T12:43:13.050-05:00

Had a chance to read a bit of Dungeon Delve last night. Adversarial DMing... D&D as boardgame... Tool for learning to DM... One-shots... Con games... Side treks... Interesting stuff indeed. More in-depth review to come.

AnthonyRobersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12280185959763509522noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16742432.post-78417861060981361142009-03-11T14:15:00.003-05:002009-03-11T14:28:11.090-05:00

I run a very occasional 3.5 D&D game for some old buddies of mine in Macon, GA. While preparing for my next session, I picked up a copy of SORD version 1.4 from DriveThruRPG. If you haven't seen it, SORD is basically a big 34-page PDF full of charts, tables and cheat sheets for running a game of 3.5 D&D.While that may sound boring, it looks like a FANTASTIC way to speed up a game. The PDF is

AnthonyRobersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12280185959763509522noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16742432.post-90396788118130676192009-03-04T09:02:00.010-05:002009-03-04T12:22:53.238-05:00

I did purchase and download Counter Collection 4th Edition Heroic 1 yesterday as part of the GM's Day Sale at DriveThruRPG. I also managed to find the time to print out and mount some of the counters. Below are a few shots of my handiwork. NOTE: the tile pictured is NOT part of the set. I just used it for 'set dressing' to see how the counters would look on the tabletop.The counters are pretty

AnthonyRobersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12280185959763509522noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16742432.post-49633063586309681492009-03-02T13:31:00.003-05:002009-03-04T09:35:13.697-05:00

I am excited about the GM's Day Sale at DriveThruRPG. There is so much to choose from, but I definitely think that I am going to buy Counter Collection 4th Edition Heroic 1. I have used counters in several 4E games and they make for a great portable alternative to minis.Now I just have to figure out the best thing to print them on. I might try packing box cardboard or foamcore. Time to download...

AnthonyRobersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12280185959763509522noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16742432.post-27827079103698980762009-02-27T15:41:00.002-05:002009-02-27T15:47:04.366-05:00

Wow. I guess hardly anyone has any opinion about what I post on my blog since I have gotten exactly ONE comment and ONE vote. With that in mind, I guess I am going to focus on getting back to the campaign series and posting more content that DMs can plug into their campaigns.However, if you DO care and just have not voted or commented yet - please do. I look forward to reading your comments!

AnthonyRobersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12280185959763509522noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16742432.post-11472117266659149082009-02-25T15:15:00.005-05:002009-02-25T17:48:57.905-05:00

I am always interested in what YOU the reader are interested in reading about. To that end, I am putting up a poll to try and figure what you would like to see me posting about on this blog. What a concept! Please vote and feel free to comment as well. Make your opinions known!What Topics Should I Focus On in My Blog?Get back to the Campaign Building Series Already!More Generic Articles Like '

AnthonyRobersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12280185959763509522noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16742432.post-81402208823154898812009-02-23T17:30:00.001-05:002009-02-23T17:32:59.716-05:00

Player character rogues and thieves seem to want to pickpocket random NPCs at the most inopportune times.  This can be a headache for you, the beleaguered GM, if you need to come up with something interesting for the pickpocket to lift than just another bag of 10 gold pieces.  To ease the burden, I have compiled a list of nine items for the prospective pickpocket to steal.  The items look

AnthonyRobersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12280185959763509522noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16742432.post-10730076606229854522009-02-23T09:20:00.002-05:002009-02-23T09:26:48.974-05:00

I had a blast running 4E at Games Plus on Sunday.  A big shout out to Rob, Todd and Chad (from the Lords of Tyr) and Matt for coming out and playing.  I don't think that I did a perfect job, but I hope everyone had a good time!  More thoughts about the game later...

AnthonyRobersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12280185959763509522noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16742432.post-16153827073225517732009-02-20T11:49:00.002-05:002009-02-20T11:54:34.341-05:00

I apologize for the lack of updates, but I have been preparing for the 4E game that I am going to run this Sunday. I did take the time, however, to take the Herald level test on the RPGA website. My DM status is now official...

AnthonyRobersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12280185959763509522noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16742432.post-66565590864694571722009-02-17T17:13:00.003-05:002009-02-17T17:20:18.785-05:00

I am going to be running a one-shot 4th Edition D&D game at 2:00 PM this Sunday at Games Plus in Mount Prospect, IL.  The format is a 'delve style' adventure for a party of 3rd-level characters.  I can run multiple sessions if I get a big group.  If you are interested in a little dungeon crawl or just want to playtest one of the character classes from DDI, drop me a comment - and come by to play!

AnthonyRobersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12280185959763509522noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16742432.post-41801137298814877672009-02-16T10:47:00.002-05:002009-02-16T10:54:36.382-05:00

Well, my 3-month subscription to Dungeons & Dragons Insider has expired. I'm really torn about whether or not to renew it. I mainly joined for the electronic tools and while the Character Builder is great, there just isn't much else that excites me. I don't really use the Compendium and there still doesn't seem to be a timetable for the other tools to be rolled out. On top of that I'm not

AnthonyRobersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12280185959763509522noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16742432.post-73421524524812515702009-02-11T14:04:00.003-05:002009-02-11T14:16:09.602-05:00

Building a bit on my previous post about skill challenges, I thought that I would post a sample skill challenge of my own design. I would really like some feedback on it. Is it interesting? Does it suck? How could it be better? Comment away!Finding the LairYou enter the edge of the forest, determined to find the hidden lair.Setup: To successfully complete this skill challenge, the PCs must make

AnthonyRobersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12280185959763509522noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16742432.post-74958676170971203112009-02-04T17:31:00.004-05:002009-02-04T17:53:14.171-05:00

I was listening to Episode 35 of Paul Tevis' excellent Have Games, Will Travel podcast and he mentioned the 'narrow band of success and failure' in RPGs. It strikes me that Skill Challenges are an excellent way to 'broaden this band' in 4E D&D. Mike Mearls has discussed creating better Skill Challenges in his excellent Ruling Skill Challenges series of articles in Dungeon magazine, but I think

AnthonyRobersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12280185959763509522noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16742432.post-16339026091290339962009-02-03T19:00:00.004-05:002009-02-03T19:22:44.657-05:00

I was listening to the Wizards of the Coast DDXP 2009 Product Announcements on the latest Radio Free Hommlet podcast and the approach that 'everything is core' kind of stuck me. I don't know if I like this approach or not. If every book released and every article from Dragon and Dungeon magazines is considered 'core', I think that puts a lot of pressure on the DM to include EVERTHING in his

AnthonyRobersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12280185959763509522noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16742432.post-84497219069947291072009-02-02T13:14:00.003-05:002009-02-02T13:21:50.463-05:00

For those of you that might be interested in printing your character sheets from WotC's 4E Character Builder to PDF, I have had success with CutePDF Writer. It seems to work flawlessly (albeit a little slowly) with my Vista laptop and I am pleased with the output quality. Even better is the fact that it is FREE! Now you can save all those characters you have been generating to a USB stick and

AnthonyRobersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12280185959763509522noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16742432.post-26805332060153984642009-01-30T13:54:00.005-05:002009-01-30T14:14:53.648-05:00

I have owned Hero Lab for awhile, but I never noticed that it did HTML outptut until today. I needed to whip up a quick Ranger NPC for my 3.5 D&D campaign and so ten minutes later had I had the following:DEITRIK CR 3Male Human Ranger 3CG Medium HumanoidInit +2; Listen +4, Spot +6Languages Common, Goblin, ElvenAC 14, touch 12, flat-footed 12(+2 Dex, +2 armor)hp 16 (3d8)Fort +3, Ref +5, Will +

AnthonyRobersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12280185959763509522noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16742432.post-73169143452376339742009-01-30T09:03:00.004-05:002009-01-30T09:13:36.188-05:00

While preparing for my series on Campaign Building I have been doing a lot of thinking about the poor job that I have done in the past with building 'realistic' religions for my campaigns. I have read some good things about The Book of the Righteous from Green Ronin and I am thinking about picking it up. Has anyone else had experience with it? Comments are welcome!

AnthonyRobersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12280185959763509522noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16742432.post-3912149217968619082009-01-29T15:35:00.003-05:002009-01-29T15:42:31.379-05:00

After deleting every file that even sounded like DDI or Wizards of the Coast on my hard drive, I was finally able to get the full version of Character Builder downloaded and installed. However, I am still a little irritated by the whole affair. If it had not been for the kind people that posted their own workarounds on the WotC forums, I might have just quit in disgust.The whole process was a

AnthonyRobersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12280185959763509522noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16742432.post-811718968943493632009-01-29T08:59:00.004-05:002009-01-29T15:34:42.186-05:00

I got a couple of comments about my HARP post yesterday and so I thought that I would post my answers here...Tony Reyes said...I've been looking into HARP for the past few weeks. Testimonials of the rules set's value make me really interested in buying the book. I have a question, how would you compare it to Rolemaster Express ( which I know HARP is a simplification of)?I can't speak for the

AnthonyRobersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12280185959763509522noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16742432.post-91827462933333014432009-01-28T18:07:00.003-05:002009-01-28T18:19:31.849-05:00

I stumbled across posts today about the HARP game system on the RPG Blog II and Stargazer's World. HARP just happens to be my favorite 'non-D&D' game system. It is light, fun and the free version is remarkably complete. In that spirit, here is an NPC for the system that I wrote up some time ago. Enjoy...Hagetha – Human Hedge Wizard Level 4Hits: 43 PP: 69 Init: +6 DB: +0 BMR: 8St: 30 -6 Sd: 65 +

AnthonyRobersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12280185959763509522noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16742432.post-22293227917324154312009-01-28T08:51:00.003-05:002009-01-28T09:46:24.826-05:00

My problems with Character Builder continue. I still cannot get the darn thing to update correctly to the full version and it looks like I am not alone. I came across THIS thread on the WotC discussion forums and it looks like lots of other people are in the same boat. At least I have Hero Lab for my 3.5 game...

AnthonyRobersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12280185959763509522noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16742432.post-7361013848384460462009-01-27T14:45:00.005-05:002009-01-27T15:38:53.802-05:00

I am cancelling my subscription to D&D Insider. Why? Well, the final straw for me was my experience today trying to update to the full version of the Character Builder. I downloaded, installed, uninstalled, reinstalled and I STILL cannot get the darn thing to update or to create characters over 3rd level. I'm just fed up. Once they get the darn thing working right (and the Game Table working) I

AnthonyRobersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12280185959763509522noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16742432.post-29098991678787456932009-01-26T18:23:00.002-05:002009-01-26T18:25:52.679-05:00

I apologize to you dear readers but the next installment of my World Building series will be delayed until at least Wednesday. I am in a bit of a project crunch at work (pray to the gods of COBOL for me) and I have not had time to thoroughly polish the post. Stay tuned!

AnthonyRobersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12280185959763509522noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16742432.post-13909765984955664732009-01-23T12:47:00.005-05:002009-01-23T13:52:53.099-05:00

Before we get down to the nuts and bolts of drawing maps, we need to make some high-level decisions about our new campaign setting. I am going to provide them without much background comment, but I will explore that further in future posts.Campaign Setting: The East MarchGeography/Climate: Similar to Bavaria/Southeastern GermanyFor the campaign’s initial home base, I plan to map out an area of

AnthonyRobersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12280185959763509522noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16742432.post-62990189832831917542009-01-19T15:16:00.002-05:002009-01-21T13:08:28.876-05:00

Before we start making some intitial decisions about our campaign world, I thought that I would mention some of the resources that I will be using for ideas and inspiration. This is not intended to be a comprehensive list. It's just a rundown of some books that I actually own and enjoy.The 2nd Edition AD&D Dungeon Master's Guide is infamously not very helpful when it comes to campaign building,

AnthonyRobersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12280185959763509522noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16742432.post-25707735430519699422009-01-16T16:25:00.004-05:002009-01-21T13:07:53.109-05:00

An obvious first question about campaign building is where do you start? The two basic approaches are the 'top-down' approach, where you start by determining major details like the number of countries and the types of deities, and the 'bottom up' approach where you start by statting up a number of encounters or maybe populating a small dungeon. Many gamers start both approaches by doing

AnthonyRobersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12280185959763509522noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16742432.post-70804410265743338682009-01-16T08:35:00.001-05:002009-01-16T08:37:49.571-05:00

Sorry for the delay in starting the new series on World Building.  I was traveling yesterday.  I will get Part One up later today.  Stay tuned...

AnthonyRobersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12280185959763509522noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16742432.post-39704474962845299772009-01-14T10:00:00.003-05:002009-01-14T13:39:33.172-05:00

Creating a campaign world is one of the most daunting tasks for a new Dungeon Master. In the series that follows, I will endeavor to build a detailed campaign setting from scratch. Following are some of the ground rules for the project:Rules set is core 2nd Edition D&D - I realize that 2E is the red-headed stepchild of D&D, but that's what I'm going with for a variety of reasons. I may consider

AnthonyRobersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12280185959763509522noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16742432.post-23571115285943219102009-01-10T10:47:00.004-05:002009-01-10T11:13:49.953-05:00

Wizards of the Coast has put up a preview of the Warden class from the upcoming Player's Handbook 2. As has become the norm with previous previews it covers levels 1-3 of the class progression.  The Warden is a primal defender and sort of reminds me of a barbarian/druid.The class's list of powers are interesting.  The powers do a good job of representing the 'wrath of nature' aspect of the class

AnthonyRobersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12280185959763509522noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16742432.post-14652197142971241422009-01-07T13:49:00.005-05:002009-01-07T14:05:03.131-05:00

I am always on the lookout for books that I can use to mine for ideas that I can use in my roleplaying games. I stumbled across Willaim Manchester's A World Lit Only by Fire: The Medieval Mind and the Renaissance: Portrait of an Age while I browsing the bookstore and (since I had a Christmas gift card to burn) I picked it up.Now, I realize that the book and its author have gotten flamed pretty

AnthonyRobersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12280185959763509522noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16742432.post-1088243510631640692009-01-02T14:26:00.008-05:002009-01-07T14:06:25.022-05:00

If you play 4th Edition Dungeons & Dragons, you will need some kind of tactical grid for your miniatures or counters. Official Dungeon Tiles from Wizards of the Coast are one option, but they can start to get expensive if you buy multiple sets to try and get a variety of terrain. An alternative is to purchase and download tiles in PDF. They are relatively cheap and you can print as many as you

AnthonyRobersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12280185959763509522noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16742432.post-16218490056303415682008-12-31T13:58:00.005-05:002008-12-31T14:34:53.482-05:00

In case you didn't know, Goodman Games will discontinue selling their line of 3.5 D&D products TODAY! Most are available in PDF format for only $2, with a couple of the big boxed sets priced at $5. Included in the sale is the megadungeon Castle Whiterock.I purchased the PDF of Castle Whiterock from DriveThruRPG. It is delivered as four zipped files. The files include the box and index, adventure

AnthonyRobersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12280185959763509522noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16742432.post-69241566913399746932008-12-30T10:56:00.002-05:002008-12-30T11:04:10.625-05:00

One of the criticisms that I read concerning the books coming out for 4th Edition D&D is that the print is 'too big' and that there is 'too much whitespace'. I can agree with those critcicisms if you just consider them from the standpoint of word count for your money. However, I belong to a very specific minority that highly benefits from the design of the new books - the extremely nearsighted.

AnthonyRobersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12280185959763509522noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16742432.post-33293368260171845392008-12-28T20:46:00.005-05:002008-12-29T09:26:52.078-05:00

I often hear the cry from D&D grognards that the new versions of the game are 'too complex' or have 'too many rules'.  The game has certainly grown more detailed and complex in many ways, but I noticed something curious while I was leafing through the new 4th Edition Manual of the Planes.  Take the following rules snippet on moving in the Astral Sea:"It gains the ability to fly at one half its

AnthonyRobersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12280185959763509522noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16742432.post-32970996043017935242008-12-22T11:01:00.003-05:002008-12-22T13:00:13.972-05:00

As a Dungeon Master, I am always on the lookout for names.  If I need to name an NPC or the tavern that the PCs just stumbled into, I need a cool name.  I also hate to resort to cheesy or trite names and so it becomes a real chore to come up with fresh, campaign appropriate names.  One resource that I just stumbled on is Gary Gygax's Extaordinary Book of Names.  It has thousands and thousands of

AnthonyRobersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12280185959763509522noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16742432.post-55252966198485085492008-12-17T17:58:00.003-05:002008-12-17T18:03:35.904-05:00

When I try to view the latest Dungeoncraft article on the Wizards of the Coast website with Internet Explorer, I get a big HTTP 500 error.  When I try with Google Chrome, it works fine.  It seems that the web designers at WotC hate IE...

AnthonyRobersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12280185959763509522noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16742432.post-25986194064919150792008-12-15T18:26:00.013-05:002008-12-16T13:34:53.085-05:00

Role-players can be hard to shop for, but I took a shot at coming up with five quality products that should fit almost any taste. Hopefully at least one of these should satisfy the gamer on you list.For the GM in Your Life - Gamemastery: Combat PadThe Combat Pad from Paizo Publishing will make life easier for the Game Master in your life, no matter what system he chooses to play. The combination

AnthonyRobersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12280185959763509522noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16742432.post-83767657603162023902008-12-15T13:38:00.004-05:002008-12-15T14:31:18.388-05:00

I have been reading Cormac McCarthy's The Road and while it's an ok post-apocalyptic story (but not nearly as good as I expected based on all of the critcal praise that I have read) my geek side has really kicked in while reading it. I just don't feel like it would make that interesting a world to run a game in.It's sad really that my enjoyment of a book can be so greatly affected by my

AnthonyRobersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12280185959763509522noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16742432.post-15577903041229329482008-12-10T17:48:00.005-05:002008-12-15T13:37:17.467-05:00

ICv2 has published a list of the top rpgs for the this year in the months of August, September and October. No REAL surprises, but I continue to be amazed at the staying power of Shadowrun over the years. It's amazing to me what an 'evergreen' product it has become.

AnthonyRobersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12280185959763509522noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16742432.post-77471072061244042242008-12-10T14:03:00.002-05:002008-12-10T14:07:11.188-05:00

I put in my application to be part of the RPG Bloggers Network. Hopefully it will get approved soon so Dungeon Mastering 101 can be exposed to more eyes. I have my fingers crossed...

AnthonyRobersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12280185959763509522noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16742432.post-60472631431083633032008-12-09T12:34:00.002-05:002008-12-09T13:23:38.443-05:00

I just picked up Martial Power and so far I like it. It has LOTS of new goodies for Fighters, Rangers, Rogues and Warlords. Here some quick impressions:It more than doubles the number of powers available to martial characters in the Player's Handbook. More options is a good thing. NO new equipment or skills. This is either a bug or a feature, depending on your point of view. For me it's a

AnthonyRobersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12280185959763509522noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16742432.post-23575535625624699682008-12-06T19:45:00.009-05:002008-12-06T22:48:54.228-05:00

This post is primarily a review of the 4th Edition Dungeons & Dragons Roleplaying Game Starter Set and so it is probably most useful for those of you that are brand new to D&D. But even if you have dabbled in one or more of D&D’s previous editions, I hope you will find at least some useful information here.There are several products aimed more or less at the new 4th Edition D&D gamer. They

AnthonyRobersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12280185959763509522noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16742432.post-27793233425413643592008-11-20T09:16:00.001-05:002008-11-20T09:18:18.313-05:00

Dungeon Mastering 101 will be rebooting very soon!  Stay tuned for all the details

AnthonyRobersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12280185959763509522noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16742432.post-1127441995879027152005-09-22T21:16:00.000-05:002005-09-22T21:21:41.333-05:00

STEP 3: THE PLAYER INTERVIEWYou will notice that I said it is important to find the RIGHT group of players for your campaign. It is tempting, especially if you can only find a few people, to accept any and everybody, but that can be a mistake. I would suggest that you conduct at least a short, informal interview with anypotential players.There are a variety of questions you can ask, but make sure

AnthonyRobersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12280185959763509522noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16742432.post-1127335769760055302005-09-21T15:48:00.000-05:002005-09-21T22:50:14.706-05:00

STEP 3: FIND SOME PLAYERSThis post might seem a little premature since we haven’t discussed actually creating your campaign world yet, but finding the RIGHT group of players can be one key to your campaign’s success. If you don’t already have a group, you will need to find one. Also, your players’ personalities and preferences, and the type of characters they create, can offer you invaluable

AnthonyRobersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12280185959763509522noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16742432.post-1127265929129863812005-09-20T19:48:00.000-05:002005-09-20T20:44:22.016-05:00

Now that you have presumably purchased your rulebooks and started learning the rules, it's time to start thinking about what kind of campaign you are going to run. If you are a novice DM, I would recommend that you start off with a fairly generic fantasy world, something close to D&D's so-called 'implied' setting.To be perfectly honest, a campaign setting is not a must, especially if you only

AnthonyRobersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12280185959763509522noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16742432.post-1127091698578026812005-09-18T19:34:00.000-05:002005-09-19T11:28:48.103-05:00

I wanted to mention a few more options for those of you that might be seeking a lower cost of entry into version 3.5 of the D&D rules. Mongoose Publishing offers the Mongoose Pocket Player's Handbook and the Mongoose Pocket GM's Handbook, which contain most of the essential rules that you will need as a DM. Both books are softcover and retail for $20.00. I own the Mongoose Pocket Player's

AnthonyRobersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12280185959763509522noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16742432.post-1126734544089410322005-09-14T16:48:00.000-05:002005-09-20T19:48:25.383-05:00

So, you want to become a Dungeonmaster? If so, I hope that this blog will be useful to you. In upcoming posts, I intend to give you at least some of what you need to become a great DM. Your feedback is important and so please feel free to become a member of this blog and leave your comments. They are appreciated!STEP 1: LEARN THE RULESI am going to be using version 3.5 of the Dungeons & Dragons

AnthonyRobersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12280185959763509522noreply@blogger.com0