The New FunGeons Masters Guide

Having fun is more important than the rules!  If you're playing an RPG and not laughing a lot you're doing it wrong..  Once in while put your books where you have to get up to retrieve them.  Then do the same for that cardboard security blanket between you and your players.  And, if the Guy who's pretending to be a blue demi-giant wants to toss the hobbit-ling on top of the baddie let them do it, no rollsy's.  If the players will drive an hour to sit with a bunch of nerds, refuse to take a break, and have shot Mountain Dew out of their noses, you're doing it right!
Please Please Please, if you have any tips to share that will help those of us who are painfully shy to cut loose post them below.  Nothing is better for me than when one of my players, who wouldn't say shit if they had a mouth-full, jumps up and yells (in the middle of a book store) "I tea-bag the Ogre!"

Kobold Quarterly Issue #14: A Review

The first time I wrote a review of an RPG Magazine I actually wrote a blurb about each article.  It took forever.  In the interest of brevity I will try to sum up the entire body of work.  Outstanding!  Peace Out!

OK, OK, a little more you say.  The Gen Con issue is easily the best one yet.  Packed full of stuff for players and DM's alike.  20+ years later I still consult my old Dragon Magazines, and I expect that I'll be doing the same thing with my Kobold Quarterly's.

Buiding a Better Monster (templates needed)

So I'm listening to Wotcs' Monster Builder panel from GenCon.  What's struck me most is that they are advocating doing the same things that I've been doing all along.  What does that mean?  I should be working for Wotc?  Well maybe not.  Perhaps what it means is that Monster Building is easier than you would think it is.  In my recent experience, deciding that I wanted to do it was the hardest part.  Enter Wotc's Digital tools.  Say whatever want, but the tools that they've managed to get up totally kick ass.  In the case of the Monster Builder, it's completely addictive. 

Basically what it allows you to do is edit, tweak, and create absolutely any monster you want.  Let's say you want to totally re-engineer an AD&D monster.  You can choose a random monster to change or edit, or you can find a monster that is similar to what you want to do and then change it's name and tweak that.  In the case of the Morkoth I chose the Aboleth Slime Mage as a Template, and when you are done you can save and print it.
I would be extremely interested to learn how more experienced DM's tweak monsters in 3.5 or older editions.  More to come.

My Obligitory Gen Con Post (psst, I didn't go)

OK, I didn't go to GenCon this year,  even though it's not that far. I've been laid off since before the last one, and I didn't want to blow the cash.  But, I did learn a few things.  First of all my friends are awesome.  Each one brought me a little something.  Cool dice and Kobold patches and stuff. Thanks again kids!
Secondly, there are organizations that will pay for your room and badge.  All you have to do is DM while you are there.  Cripes, I've been doing it for nothing.  Sign me up!
Thirdly, if you buy 23 Decks of Many Things at the Green Ronin booth they will give you a hell of a deal.  Wait, What?
Yes, one of my friends bought a 23 Decks of Many Things so that he would have one regular deck and 22 decks with 22 of the same card in it.  Diabolical.  I'm not going to rat him out, but be afraid, very afraid.
Hopefully the Winds of Employment will shift soon.  Next year I hope to be hardly sleeping in my free room, DM'ing my butt off, and not buying 22 extra Decks of Many Things.

Dungeon Master's Token Set: the Review

Anyone who's played 4th Ed. Dungeons and Dragons knows that there are a lot of things to keep track of.  Stunned, Slowed, Bloodied, Weakened, and Grabbed to name a few.  I've seen some odd things used to keep track of the combat stuff.  I myself have used multicolored soda bottle rings, hair-ties, rubber bands and labeled Poker Chips. These methods, while quasi-effective, still leave something to be desired in the cool department. Enter the DM's Token Set from Gale Force Nine.

In the interest of full disclosure, I received this as a gift for DM Appreciation Month (my favorite made up holiday).  The MSRP is $30, BTW, and I probably would have paid that had not my players beat me to it.  For that price you get an awesome box with a felt lined lid for dice rolling.  There are 21 condition tokens, 5 bloodied tokens, and 18 status scrolls you can write on with a dry erase.  These "scales" are made to fit against the base of the D&D plastic minis, so if you use something else it may not be as good.  They are a little small for my taste, but I'm old and can't see as well as I used to.  It doesn't come with a marker which I thought was a little odd,  and the tokens are a little hard to pick up with my chubby arthritic fingers. It does have plenty of room for pencils and dice etc.  Overall I would give it a 9 out of 10.  I'm betting that I will have it sitting beside my DM Screen for a long time to come.

3.5 Late Adopter

If you've read my blog you might know that I took a 15yr. hiatus from gaming.  It just so happened that those 15yrs came at the same time that my favorite game was going through some major changes.  Mr. Gygax was ousted at TSR and the brand was bought by some guys on the West Coast.  They released a 3rd Edition and then 3yrs later they added a .5 to it.  Many of my friends swear by this .5 thing.  Personally I'd never played it,  before now. 
Mrs. Dungeon Master informed us that our Thursday Night 4th Ed. game would be switching to a new 3.5 campaign as soon as (or if) we kill the Lich.  I'm kinda pumped.  Of course it's a great excuse to get another book, and paint some more mini's. But, will I turn into a Grognard and start hating 4th Ed.?  We'll see..... 

Instead of just reading the PHB, I printed a char. sheet and went to town.  Now, just a few days ago I got a copy of Ed Greenwoods classic, "Dwarves Deep".  Did I let that influence my character?  Hell yeah. 
Question, have anyone out there ever played a Dwarven Ranger in 3.5?  I'm having a hard time picking a feat.

I Wish I were a Rakshasa

Miss Kittie napping on the Fiend Folio.