RPG Award Problems – again

A little while ago I wrote about the problems facing the Golden Geek awards in the RPG category, and I’m reminded of them now that we’ve hit the voting for the ENnie awards. In a nutshell, those problems are: Too many products which not enough people have seen. Role-playing games are time-intensive to play. The most popular games play in campaign styles, where you could … Continue reading RPG Award Problems – again

A regular weekend’s gaming

This weekend saw my regular gaming habits continue: D&D on Friday night and Saturday, and boardgaming to fill out the holes. I feel quite fortunate to be able to regularly play games with my friends, and it was really good to have Adam join us again on Friday night. Yes, after a gap of a few months, Adam has rejoined my 4E Greyhawk game, as … Continue reading A regular weekend’s gaming

AD&D Adventure Review: The Forgotten Temple of Tharizdun

The Forgotten Temple of Tharizdun is the first adventure module of the “WG” (World of Greyhawk) series. Unusually, it has the code of WG4! Others have discovered that the original bearers of WG1 though WG3 were Village of Hommlet, Temple of Elemental Evil , and Lost Caverns of Tsojcanth. Tharizdun is a companion adventure to Tsojcanth. Its map shows the mountains to the east of … Continue reading AD&D Adventure Review: The Forgotten Temple of Tharizdun

Thoughts on paying for D&D Encounters

I've been running D&D Encounters since it started in early 2010. Not continuously; I missed most of seasons 4 and 5, but we've just finished running season 13 so I've run 11 of the 13 seasons. So, I'm somewhat experienced with the format. In my opinion, D&D Encounters doesn't substitute for a normal campaign. I particularly feel that Encounters has worked well due to 4E's … Continue reading Thoughts on paying for D&D Encounters

Vault of the Dracolich – Game Day report – Incredibly awesome!

This is a fuller recount of the events of the recent Game Day than I've given before. Beware spoilers! June 15th. D&D Game Day. Vault of the Dracolich. Leading up to the event, I really didn't know that much about it. I'd read that it was something like a Lair Assault, but I really hadn't done that much research on it. It was late on … Continue reading Vault of the Dracolich – Game Day report – Incredibly awesome!

Storm over Neverwinter – Horribly Awful

Well, we've finished Storm over Neverwinter, and I've never been so glad to see the end of an adventure. I just hope that the Game Day adventure is better, because Storm over Neverwinter was FUCKING AWFUL! The last session we ran, as we've run the rest of the series, using D&D Next. This session was probably a lot better in 4E, but whoever was doing the … Continue reading Storm over Neverwinter – Horribly Awful

D&D Encounters – Not liking Storm over Neverwinter

The last season of D&D Encounters – Against the Cult of Chaos – was fantastic. It was an adventure that pulled material from three other adventures and weaved it into a really coherent whole. What made it really great was how it allowed the players and the DM to create their own adventure – the town was well-detailed, and the PCs could investigate the segments … Continue reading D&D Encounters – Not liking Storm over Neverwinter

Into the Unknown: The Dungeon Survival Handbook – D&D 4E Supplement Review

After reviewing Paizo's "Dungeoneer's Handbook", it only seems fair to review Wizards' offering on the same topic, "Into the Unknown: The Dungeon Survival Handbook". This is a 160-page hardcover book costing $29.95. It is presented like most of Wizards' 4E products in a clear and readable format with a fair bit of art. The book is designed for both players and Dungeon Masters. Although it … Continue reading Into the Unknown: The Dungeon Survival Handbook – D&D 4E Supplement Review

N1: Against the Cult of the Reptile God – AD&D Adventure Review

First published in 1982, Douglas Niles's Against the Cult of the Reptile God is the first of five "Novice" adventures written for AD&D over the next few years. Designed for 4-7 characters of levels 1-3, the adventure is written for novice DMs and players. It is set in the village of Orlane in the World of Greyhawk, and concerns a cult who are charming and enslaving … Continue reading N1: Against the Cult of the Reptile God – AD&D Adventure Review

Dungeons of Dread – AD&D Adventure Compilation Review

"Dungeons of Dread" is a compilation of the four S (Special) series adventures from the late 1970s and early 1980s, when Advanced Dungeons & Dragons was in its heyday. The individual adventures are considered to be classics, and I've reviewed each individually in the past; I'll provide links to those more detailed reviews below. All four adventures were placed in the World of Greyhawk, TSR's … Continue reading Dungeons of Dread – AD&D Adventure Compilation Review