I've never been much for systems that use "succeed at a cost" mechanics. I prefer the binary of pass or fail when it comes to skill checks most of the time. Largely, both have to do with stakes. What is lost if you fail? What is gained if you succeed. What might be the consequences …
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Magic (is stupid)
Magic, in most role playing games, is stupid. I don't really know how else to put it. Magic is a very complex subject and as it tends to be a power that allows its wielders to exert control over reality; it creates significant hurdles to achieve a balance between fun and fairness, play-ability and wonder. …
Shadowrun Sixth World, Part One
I got a copy of the core book for Sixth World from GenCon this year. So I've spent some time with it and, now that the PDF has been released, I thought I'd discuss it. There's a lot to take in so I'm devoting this whole week to my assessment of Shadowrun Sixth World (Edition). …
The End(s) of the Earth
I can’t play the Civilization games. Call it a mental block, but when I see the different culture groups taken entirely out of context is too much to get over because those cultures wouldn’t be what they are without their historical and geographical context. Simply making the Canadians good at diplomatic endeavors is just lazy. …
I Love Charity Auctions
I've written before about the joy of going to a convention and finding that booth in the vendor room selling old stuff - AD&D modules from the basement collection, weird games that only like three people ever played, and, you know, stuff like that. I've also written about my nostalgic sadness over how this has …
It’s D&D!
Terrible title. I've been having an amusing conversation online with some friends about how to pronounce "D&D words." Words like Drow and Mordenkainen and Corellon. This mainly happened because I was watching a video of Jeremy Crawford talking about stuff in the newest 5th edition book. In the video, Jeremy Crawford pronounces Drow as in …
Nine Princes of the Universe!
(aka... a little, fluffy, fandom post) I had this whole post planned for today discussing the lunatic fringe of our little subculture today... but then it was all rainy and unpleasant out and I thought... why not something pleasant instead. So - here's my dreamy fan-casting for the Amber movie(s) that will never be. Also, …
Shadowrun 5e
I can admit when I was wrong. As a huge fan of Shadowrun, 4th/Anniversary edition, I was disappointed by the release of 5th edition and some of the changes made to it. After a while, I revisited 5e though, and I've come to appreciate it in its own right. The new edition certainly does some …
WizKids Misses Me!
From time to time, I get an email from the WizKids Information Network telling me how much they miss me. It's a pretty elaborate email. They tell me that they notice I haven't logged in for a while, that I've been silent on the communities, and that there are all kinds of exciting events coming …
No Post Today
I have wanted to ensure that I post every Tuesday and Thursday to get this blog back up and running. But today... I've posted on my other blog, The Rhetorical Citizen, a Letter to the President. It's not gaming related, but it is in honor of those who lost their lives in Florida.
The Rhetorical Gamer 