Category: Uncategorized

Session Report, Uncategorized, Wargames

Entering the Dark Valley – Ted Racier’s new wargame

World War 2 is a well-covered topic in the realm of wargaming. There have been a lot of games produced about it. However, each game approaches the subject in a different way, providing different insights and allowing you to attempt new solutions to old problems. The Dark Valley covers the Barbarossa campaign of Hitler in 1942: the invasion of Russia, and beyond, to Russia’s counterattack … Continue reading Entering the Dark Valley – Ted Racier’s new wargame

merricb@yahoo.co.ukLeave a comment
D&D, D&D 5E, D&D Adventurers League, D&D Next, Uncategorized

D&D 5E: Online Resources and More on What’s in the Game!

At a retailer conference earlier today, Wizards announced that about 15% of the Player’s Handbook would be available for free online. This portion of the rules will contain the character creation system that will allow basic characters to be created. This is, of course, all sorts of awesome. And, from everything I’m hearing, it isn’t all they’ll be releasing. After all, Mike Mearls did say … Continue reading D&D 5E: Online Resources and More on What’s in the Game!

merricb@yahoo.co.ukLeave a comment
D&D, D&D 5E, D&D Adventurers League, D&D Encounters, Uncategorized

Dungeons & Dragons Adventurers League announced

Well, I didn’t see that coming as the next announcement – or so soon – but it must be said that Organised Play is near and dear to me. I’ve been participating in one form of Organised Play or another for the last decade, with my participation being quite a bit more in the last three years as the D&D Encounters programs have run. For … Continue reading Dungeons & Dragons Adventurers League announced

merricb@yahoo.co.ukLeave a comment
Books, Dresden Files, Fantasy and Science Fiction, Review, Uncategorized

Dead Beat (Jim Butcher) review

Returning to my read-through of The Dresden Files before the next book gets published… The Dresden Files aren’t horror stories, despite the trappings of vampires, zombies and the odd occasional evil spirit. They’re very firmly rooted in the Urban Fantasy tradition, drawing a lot from the hard-boiled detective stories, although with a level of world-building that most writers can only envy. However, Dead Beat, the … Continue reading Dead Beat (Jim Butcher) review

merricb@yahoo.co.ukLeave a comment
D&D, D&D 5E, Design, Uncategorized

More on the Dungeons & Dragons Starter Set

Mike Mearls has enlightened us a little more about the contents of the Dungeons & Dragons Starter Set. And there’s a big surprise for people buying the set: No character creation rules are in the D&D Starter Set! Well, that’s not what I expected – or had inferred based on his previous posts. Mike has clarified that the Starter Set is aimed at Dungeon Masters, … Continue reading More on the Dungeons & Dragons Starter Set

merricb@yahoo.co.ukLeave a comment
D&D Encounters, D&D Next, Dead in Thay, Session Report, Uncategorized

D&D Encounters: Dead in Thay – Session 1

This report is a little late – apologies for that. Illness and general business have kept me from writing it before now. Running launch events can be a stressful experience. Running them at the same time as a stupidly popular Yu-Gi-Oh! tournament with about 16 people in it is tricky. Running a Launch Event with 17 players, 3 DM and one Co-ordinator where everyone is … Continue reading D&D Encounters: Dead in Thay – Session 1

merricb@yahoo.co.ukLeave a comment
D&D, D&D 5E, D&D Next, Uncategorized

Dungeons & Dragons 5E Releases: Adventures and Miniatures

Apart from the starter sets and core rulebooks, Wizards of the Coast are also holding a new storyline of adventures and related products. It’s called Tyranny of Dragons and is set in the Forgotten Realms, which looks very much like being the best-supported setting of the new edition (as it basically has been since 2nd edition). It may not have escaped readers of this blog … Continue reading Dungeons & Dragons 5E Releases: Adventures and Miniatures

merricb@yahoo.co.ukLeave a comment
D&D, D&D 5E, D&D Next, Design, Uncategorized

D&D 5E Releases: The Big Three

The three big releases at the end of the year are, of course, the three core rulebooks for Dungeons & Dragons 5th edition. They’re not all coming out at once, but instead are being released in a staggered format. This is not particularly surprising given their cost! At US$49.95 each, I expect a number of cash-strapped players will be going to discount sites like Amazon … Continue reading D&D 5E Releases: The Big Three

merricb@yahoo.co.ukLeave a comment
D&D, D&D 5E, D&D Next, Uncategorized

Lots of Dungeons & Dragons releases on their way!

Well, here we go! The long wait is over! The fifth edition of Dungeons & Dragons is going to be released in just a few months, and Wizards of the Coast have been busily released information on what’s coming up. The cost of getting everything is going to be quite high, though. $50 core rule books? One wonders what price they’ll be in Australia… Anyway, … Continue reading Lots of Dungeons & Dragons releases on their way!

merricb@yahoo.co.ukLeave a comment
Books, Dresden Files, Fantasy and Science Fiction, Review, Uncategorized

Blood Rites (Jim Butcher) book review

Love and family are important themes in the sixth book of The Dresden Files and are brought into sharp juxtaposition with the setting for much of the story: the set of a pornographic movie. Much of the action revolves around Harry tracking down the source of a curse that is killing several of the actresses in the production, while the White Court vampires show an … Continue reading Blood Rites (Jim Butcher) book review

merricb@yahoo.co.ukLeave a comment