XKCD On Why to Organize Your Game Cupboard
Can’t say I’ve run into this problem before. Then again, I have a hard time actually qualifying this as a problem. Falls more in like with “variant rule.” I’ll need to go shopping for some dice and get to work.
Campaign Coins Review
Recently, a box of Campaign Coins showed up on my desk. In the past, I’ve dabbled in using tangible objects in my RPG sessions, but I’ve usually ended up going back to a hands-off approach to Dungeons & Dragons. The problem, usually, is that things need to either be completely imaginary, or match up perfectly. As we’ve posted about in the past, there have been times where even using the wrong minis can harm campaigns. They can make things feel… silly, something I was worried about when I cracked open the box and saw packs of coins inside. Luckily, while they didn’t change my game dramatically, the tangible feel definitely added something. Learn more »
Dungeons & Dragons Online: Eberron Unlimited Surpasses One Million New Accounts
A few months ago, Turbine revamped Dungeons & Dragons Online, re-branded under the name DDO Unlimited, to be one of the first large MMORPGs to offer a free-to-play side to an already established subscription model. Previous users could, essentially, continue playing without hindrance, while new players could jump into a limited version of the game with pay-to-play barriers that could be hurdled with either microtransactions, a subscription, or a massive amount of play. Hopes were that it would bring more traffic to the dedicated, albeit somewhat desolate community. According to a press release sent out earlier today, it has done just that, reaching over 1 million new users since the update.
“The response from players to DDO Unlimited has been nothing short of phenomenal,” said Jim Crowley, president and CEO of Turbine, Inc. “We’ve known all along how great this game is and by implementing an innovative new model that put the players in charge of how they pay and play DDO Unlimited, we’ve successfully expanded our reach and injected new energy into the game. Without a doubt, DDO Unlimited is a hit!”
This is great news for Turbine and the game’s community, which I was actually a part of for some time. I likely spent more time exploring Ebberon than I did in nearly any other MMOG I’ve played, and am happy to hear of the game’s success. Now if they can only get the rumored console port pushed to the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, we’ll have a real contendor on our hands. Come on, guys, you can do it, shatter that wall.
The press release is below, and if you haven’t already, download DDO Unlimited. It’s free, for Gond’s sake. You’ve no excuse not to. Learn more »
Preview: Dawn of War II: Chaos Rising
“So, who here has played Dawn of War II before?” asked Jeff Lydell, one of the producers of Dawn of War II: Chaos Rising, the stand-alone expansion to Gamervision’s 2009 Strategy Game of the Year. My hand shot up as I scanned the room proudly, feeling like one of the only kids in class to complete a homework assignment. I hadn’t just played Dawn of War II, I’d loved it, and spent dozens of night staring at the computer screen, clicking my units across the map, fighting back the Tyranid swarm. Whatever the follow-up to the developer’s question was, I was prepared, and I noticed I was one of the few in the room who had played the original. “Great, you’ll be playing against each other in multiplayer when we start the demos.” My enthusiasm was shattered: many of the other writers attending the event had exhaustive experience with Dawn of War II’s multiplayer. I’d played it. I’d played it a lot. But I hadn’t played it in months, and certainly wasn’t at a competitive level. As I walked over to the section of computers that were put aside for the “experienced players” I began to wish I had kept my hand down, but eagerly anticipated getting a hands-on with the expansion. Luckily, before diving into the multiplayer, we were given a brief rundown of the changes, and a chance to play a few select levels of the single player campaign to see what the Blood Ravens are dealing with post-Tyranid invasion. The answer? Chaos.
Sanctioned Tabletop Tournaments Coming to Wizard Comic Con Tour
For the first year since forever, Wizard’s Comic Con will have sanctioned tabletop tournaments. In a press release about the announcement, tour producer Shamus said, “By setting up sanctioned gaming tournaments we can give our fans the space they need to do battle. Bringing in tabletop gaming tournaments gives players the comfort of a professional setting and draws a wide range of opponents for the truly competitive atmosphere that fans crave.” For fans of Warhammer, this is indeed great news. For the rest of us, it helps legitimize the hobby. Well, among… Comic Con goers, at least. Hey, it’s something. The press release is below.
Learn more »
Danny Bonaduce Says I Can’t Play D&D For a Week
Every so often, I’m forced to listen to terrestrial radio, and I remember why it’s worth spending a few dollars a month for satellite or, in most cases, just plugging in an MP3 player. Yesterday, with my Zune’s battery dead and XM radio currently out of commission, I was forced to turn on The Danny Bonaduce Show for my short commute. Needless to say, it was as it usually is: drek. As any trendy, internet savvy person would do, I tweeted about my situation, stating “Danny Bonaduce is my punishment for forgetting to charge my Zune.” A few hours later I noticed a reply, and saw that, to my surprise, the Bonaduce himself had sent me a message on Twitter. This was strange, since I didn’t actually direct the message to him, which means he actually searched himself out. Even stranger was his message for me.
Apparently, Danny Bonaduce doesn’t think I should play Dungeons & Dragons. This is information I needed to know. Learn more »
Help Planning a Gaming Room
Within the next few months, I’ll be moving out and into a new apartment. As I look around at different locations, trying to decide where I’ll put my computer, television, desk, and other essentials, one thing lingers in the back of my head: “Where will I play D&D?” The more I look, the more I’m convinced that I should really think about this sort of thing while looking for an apartment, and maybe even dedicate an area to playing tabletop games.
Obviously, this idea has brought me to Geek Chic, creators of RPG furniture for high class gamers. As seen in the picture above, they make large, sturdy tables for such gaming. However, at $1,500, this is a little out of our price range as of now. Even without that, I’ll need some sort of surface that won’t move, a nice white board, and a place to store minis/dice/books. It wouldn’t be a bad idea to have some containers to hold these things, and to make sure nothing gets lost or misplaced. But there has to be more, right?
This made me wonder: do you have a dedicated D&D or RPG area? How is it set up? Do you have pictures?
Penny-Arcade Spreads Lolthmas Joy
For those of you who haven’t been following Penny-Arcade for the past few years, a strange transformation of the comic’s illustrator has taken place. While Jerry, the writer, has always been an admitted D&D fan, his partner in nonsense, Mike, has not. In fact, it wasn’t until the release of 4th Edition that he became hooked, and the website has slowly found itself moving away from video games and throwing in constant Dungeons & Dragons jokes.
Their new series, How the Illithid Stole Lolthmas, is a four partner that started on Monday and continued today. Page one is above, and I expect you all to follow the rest. Here’s a link, what do you think? I might need to buy this run as prints when its all said and done.
Review: The Plane Below: Secrets of the Elemental Chaos
Name: The Plane Below: Secrets of the Elemental Chaos
Publisher: Wizards of the Coast
System: 4th Edition Dungeons & Dragons
Different people play Dungeons & Dragons for different reasons. Some enjoy spending time in cities, exploring different locations and getting involved in the politics of the world. Others prefer the outdoors, setting up camps in the wilderness and battling against nature. Many players would rather delve into a dungeon, finding keys for locked doors and disabling traps in hopes of finding a large chest at the end of the journey. There are also those, though, that want something more… abstract. For those, there are the planes. With the release of The Plane Below: Secrets of the Elemental Chaos, one of the more chaotic areas in D&D is detailed, and laid out for players and DMs to explore.
Beholder Dressing Looks Yummy, Impossible
Today, Wizards of the Coast sent over a recipe for Beholder Dressing. I’m not sure I’ll be able to make it anytime soon, what with my lack of fresh Beholder, but I figured this was cute enough to share either way. Does anyone have any good geeky RPG recipes? Do such things exist?
