Helping geeks find love through online dating profile writing & coaching.
Romance happens in games— when we let it. We’ve all seen romances done poorly in table-top campaigns or during a live-action chronicle. But romance doesn’t have to be an exiled storyline; done well, romances can build and destroy kingdoms, take people to war, or lead to a cascade of passionate, unforeseen consequences. Don’t violate their personal space When chemistry starts sizzling between your character and someone else’s, there’s a lifetime of instinct to reach out … [Read more...]
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...]
Real life isn’t always easy. We all have hobbies and things we like to do to put the problems of real life behind us and have some fun. Gaming is one of the many activities that we use to help us wind down and relax after a stressful day. For some, having a drink or two is another. Whatever helps you get rid of the day’s worries, right? If one relaxing activity is good, what about combining two of them? Would having those drinks during a gaming session be even better for your mood and … [Read more...]
Like many gamers, I love long-running campaigns. There are so many wonderful story elements, so much character development, and just so much fun to be had. The possibilities are endless, and I play in one every chance I get, whether they’re going to last a few weeks, a few months, or a few years. That said, I still have a whole lotta love for the one-shot. A one-and-done game is sometimes just what the doctor ordered. Whether they’re published modules or original adventures, one-shots are … [Read more...]
When it’s time to get a new RPG campaign started, there are lots of things to consider. What game system? What campaign setting? What’s the main plot? And, perhaps most importantly, how many players should be at the table? You can’t play a tabletop RPG by yourself. Well, I suppose you technically could, but it wouldn’t be much fun. The interactions between the GM and the players, and between the players, are what make the game entertaining. Beyond that, those interactions are what … [Read more...]
Into even the most roleplay-heavy game, some combat must fall. That’s why there are slots on character sheets for weapons and attack bonuses, and why massive tomes full of monsters to fight exist. The hack-and-slash part of RPGs is fun, especially when it’s for the greater good, and sometimes it’s just fine for most of a night’s gaming session to be spent in initiative order. There are times, though, when a single combat drags on too long and becomes work instead of fun. While I’ve … [Read more...]
Nothing truly compares to the experience of sitting around a table with your friends to play an RPG. The social interaction is a huge mood boost, and a lot of the fun of the game comes from the expressions on the other players’ faces when the GM drops the BBEG in their laps, the spontaneous puns and one-liners that have everyone rolling with laughter, and even breaking bread together before the playing starts. In a perfect world, we’d all have a wonderful game group to meet with and have … [Read more...]
As someone who is almost always the GM, it can be a strange experience to fold one’s screen and take one’s place in a different seat when someone else wants to run a game. Since tonight was the second session of my husband Steve’s Star Wars campaign, the first game I’ve played in quite a while, it seems like an opportune time to talk about this subject. It’s a delicate balancing act. You want to have fun, and you want to be as engaged as a player as you wish your own players would … [Read more...]
Having reminisced about how I got into LARPing, and how I find myself back once again getting ready to launch a new campaign of the LARP I helped develop from the bottom up, I now look ahead to how we got where we are now. As I write these words, it’s the day before our event begins, but by the time you read it, it'll be over. Again, I’m specifically talking about ongoing campaign-style LARPs. Some of these details are valid for one-shot LARPs, but not all of them. Rule Number … [Read more...]
Every game, from Candyland to Rolemaster, has rules. Rules are what keep a game from turning into Calvinball (regardless of how fun that might be for a little while). Thanks to the rules, everyone is on a level playing field, has the same expectations of the game, and knows what they can/can’t or should/shouldn’t do. Every game needs rules, and the players need to play by the rules for everything to go smoothly and for a good time to be had by all. But sometimes, you have to throw the … [Read more...]
Level up from online dating n00b to a wonderful (and hopefully geeky) relationship. Our new ebook can take you there. Click here to learn more.