Opening Aside: Return to the Temple of Elemental Evil is a title that makes me laugh endlessly. The image in my mind? A group of adventurers walking in, looking around, saying "yep, still evil" and leaving.
So you used to play D&D ALL the time - and now you play card games (mostly CCG's). You do this partly because it was something new, partly because it's fun and partly because it takes SO much less time - and, at least in part, because that's what all of your friends are now playing, what with families and jobs and all that other 'real life' stuff getting in the way, they don't have the time either.
A "standard" adventuring party spends much of its time in remote, hostile areas: ruined castles, trackless forests, dungeons deep underground, and similar isolated places. When they encounter pockets of civilization on these missions, the settlements are often no bigger than a small village. True city adventures are rare, and urban areas tend to be relegated to supply depots and places to rest between adventures. This article provides a few tips on running city adventures that are compelling, exciting, and mysterious--but still manageable for the DM.
Some adventure ideas have great potential, but seem to limit themselves with a linear plot. Occasionally, the greatest ideas of a Gamemaster can be applied, but usually it's too difficult to make all the changes. On the other hand, some of the greatest written adventures of all time are lost when a GM doesn't grasp the idea. Combining a talented author with a talented Gamemaster can be the making of a legendary adventure, but not without effort. A great majority of Gamemasters admit to "winging-it", or gaming "on-the-fly".
As a LARPer, I often find myself having to explain my hobby to people who don't LARP. After I've gone through the basics, the first thing many people ask is, "So where do the monsters come from?" This is a much more important question than one might think.
A couple of months ago, while my latest RPG campaign was in its birthing process, I found myself leafing through players' character backgrounds. Several people, veterans of character creation, easily vaulted this obstacle. One player was not as gifted, however. He found the task intimidating. In addition to his inexperience in writing, English was not his primary language. Despite my frustrations in reading his attempts to portray his character's life before life, I tried to encourage him with topic lists such as those from the gaming sourcebooks or various gaming webpages.
There have been predictions of the resurgence of the anti-D&D campaigns the religious right pushed so hard back in the 80's, due mainly to the publication of this book. I gamed during that period, while living about 6 miles down the road from CBN University. It wasn't fun, and I don't ever want to have to be so secretive about my hobby again. As of this writing, the many-headed hydra of Swaggart, Falwell, Baker, Reed, Buchannan, et al has yet to arise. What has happened is that Monte Cook and WOTC have provided the players of D&D with a unique sourcebook.
Because of the response from Part 1 of this review series, I have decided to review 3 more funny standalone card games. Perhaps Joe Gamer is finally turning an ear?
The breweries and alehouses of the Older Empire produce some of the finest ales and lager in Firmel. From the robust ales of the Stone Horse in Cessnock to the smooth lager of Fife Lake, these excellent brews are sent far abroad and are in high demand in the markets of Anchor Head and Leirfjall. But to declare the malts and pilsners brewed in these quality establishments are the finest the Empire has to offer, would be a shameful falsehood.
When you create a character in Dungeons & Dragons, one of the abilities you generate is Intelligence. The Wizard character is designed around this ability, and a high intelligence benefits your skill choices. But for most characters, the Intelligence modifier is used for determining the number of languages they know; this stat is duly noted, and often forgotten. Your Elf Fighter knows Elven and Common, and that is it, as everyone speaks common, or so it seems. Yet another dimension can be added to your games if a little more attention is paid to language: here I have a couple of suggestions on how to do just that.
