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Geeky New Year’s Resolutions: The Final Report

29 December 2011 by 3 Comments
sheep

As the Yuletide winds down, it’s time to reflect on the past year and how we all did on those resolutions we set way back in January. As you may recall I made my geeky resolutions here in my column for all the world to see (and to keep me accountable). How’d I do? Not too bad, actually. Let’s look at them one by one. Resolution #1: Sit On The Other Side Of The GM’s Screen My regular readers already know that I finally ran my first game this fall. It was just a one-shot for 1st-level … [Read more...]

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Vampire The Masquerade 20th Anniversary Edition: Worth The Hype?

22 December 2011 by 4 Comments
V20_0

One of my favorite RPGs is Vampire: The Masquerade, and I have lots of company among my fellow gamers. In the 20 years the game has been on the market, it has gathered thousands of passionate and devoted fans who still continue to play even though it’s been close to a decade since any new material was released. So when word got out that White Wolf was publishing Vampire: The Masquerade – 20th Anniversary Edition, the collective cheer of VtM fans was deafening. The collector’s print … [Read more...]

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Last Minute Gifts: Geeky Cutout Cookies

15 December 2011 by 4 Comments
BuffaloGingerbread

If you all haven’t noticed, December is flying by. Whatever major holiday you celebrate here in December, the big day is just days away! Holy mistletoe, Batman, we’re running out of time to get presents for everyone! Don’t worry, though – if you’ve got an afternoon free in the next couple weeks, you’ve got time to make awesome gifts for everyone on your list, in the form of some geeky cutout cookies! The wonderful folks at ThinkGeek have some fabulous cookie cutters available, … [Read more...]

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Gimme A Break: When Roleplaying During The Holidays Is Too Much To Handle

8 December 2011 by 4 Comments
HolidayStress

As a complete and total RPG geek (and a professional in the industry), I spend my days encouraging people to roll up characters and play. My readers already know how passionate I am about gaming, and most of you don’t need any encouraging from me to get out your dice anyway. So what I’m about to suggest in this article may shock you. During the busy holiday season, it’s OK to take a break from RPGs. Don’t worry, I haven’t lost my mind, or (even worse) gotten burned out on RPGs. I … [Read more...]

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You Gotta Do What You Gotta Do: Booting A Problem Player

1 December 2011 by 5 Comments
KickedOut

My long-time readers may remember my article from just over a year ago about dealing with a problem player. Well, another one cropped up at the game club, and specifically at one of my game tables. We did everything I’d outlined in my earlier article to give him a chance to straighten up. He received multiple warnings about his behavior – both game-related and not – and in retrospect, maybe we gave him too many chances, but we were trying to give him the benefit of the doubt, despite the … [Read more...]

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5 Games From Your Childhood To Play On Thanksgiving Afternoon

24 November 2011 by 3 Comments
pictionary

It’s Thanksgiving Day here in the U.S., and I hope you all are having a wonderful day! (For my readers outside the U.S., happy Thursday to you!) After the big dinner, and before the Black Friday shopping marathon, you’ve got a few hours to kill with the rest of the dinner guests. If you don’t care for football, you may be at a loss for what to do with all these people you may or may not know very well. I’ve written numerous game reviews, and last year even made a list of ten great … [Read more...]

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Broke Santa: Gifts For Your Game Group That Won’t Break The Bank

17 November 2011 by 2 Comments
piggy bank

The holidays are rapidly approaching, as the retail world has surely already let you know. (Christmas music started playing at my daytime place of employment this week. Cthulhu help me.) The pressure is officially on to get the perfect gift for everyone on your list. But if you’re a broke little gamer geek, that pressure is even worse. You want to show your GM and fellow gamers that you’re thinking about them, but by the time rent and bills are paid and your car is filled with gas, … [Read more...]

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Why The Walking Dead Is The Most Emotionally Riveting Show On TV

10 November 2011 by 4 Comments
walking dead

For some reason, zombies are hot right now. While their undead cousins the vampires have long enjoyed popularity in print and on the screen (and a good deal of sexification, too – not that I have any complaints about that), it seemed that zombies were a little too gross, too scary, or maybe even too real a fear to have a widespread mainstream following. That’s changed recently. Why, I’m not entirely sure, but suddenly zombies are something everyone talks about. Perhaps it’s the sense … [Read more...]

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Illuminati: A Classic Game Standing The Test Of Time

3 November 2011 by 2 Comments
illuminati

In my year-long goal to play lots of new games, I’ve been trying games I thought I’d have no interest in. Appearances can be deceptive, after all, and since I’ve ended up liking a number of games I was sure I wouldn’t care for, I’m willing to give just about anything a try. So when our club was recently gifted a copy of Steve Jackson Games’ Illuminati, I was willing to give it a go. Illuminati is almost as old as I am (and I’m getting up there), but I’d never played it before, … [Read more...]

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Adapt Or Start Over? What To Do When The Rules All Change

27 October 2011 by 4 Comments
newcoke

There’s not much in life that’s immune to change. Our favorite RPGs are no exception. With the excitement that comes with each new edition, there’s also some trepidation for its fans, especially if you’re still in the midst of a campaign when the change happens. There you are, all settled into playing your AD&D cleric, and BOOM! Here comes 3rd edition with all these domains and stuff. (Yeah, I’m old school, I know.) With the 3rd edition of Green Ronin’s Mutants and Masterminds … [Read more...]

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