Archive for January, 2012

D&D Video Gems: “Playing D&D” by SJ Tucker

Tuesday, January 31st, 2012

Leonine Roar loves its gamers because we’re all artists too!  Movies, artwork, novels, theater, music and more – can’t get enough! 

Speaking of musicians and singers – I doubt you’ve heard this beautiful a voice singing about D&D… ever!

Bonus points to SJ Tucker and her crew for for all sorts of Easter eggs in the video and song.  How many did you notice?

My favorite?

The subtle and brilliant nod to Freaks and Geeks!  Bursting with talented actors that are huge names today, this show was just a little ahead of its time.  Even had its own episode with D&D in it.  Did you watch the show or that episode? 

Now I heard getting your eyes on the D&D Freaks and Geeks episode wasn’t an easy feat, but don’t worry – after all, we do have the new D&D classic from Community to call our own!

Posted in Media & Technology | No Comments »

The Monstrous Vignette in 8 Quick Steps

Tuesday, January 24th, 2012

One of the most enjoyable storytelling tools you can put to use is to show a radically different perspective and scene in your campaign’s ongoing story.

Even better, one of the most engaging things you can do is play out that scene with your players still being the stars of the scene or encounter. 

A monstrous vignette is also a great opportunity to unveil a few secrets of the story and world as well as an opportunity for your players to play a refreshingly different character – or monster!

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Posted in Design, Mechanics & Efficiencies, Storytelling & Roleplaying | 4 Comments »

D&D 5e: The Complexity Slider Approach

Tuesday, January 17th, 2012

Ever notice in 4e how some of us go to great effort to create characters with straightforward powers and feats?  For example, I’m a big proponent of taking “always on” feats for my characters, as it’s one less thing to track or calculate during those long 4e combats.  You and I both know how precious actual game time is! 

When I DM, I take it a step further and make that same suggestion of choosing less complex powers and feats to any players in my playgroup who struggle with turn speed or rules mastery, which are more difficult to achieve on average in rules-heavy 4e. 

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Posted in Design, Mechanics & Efficiencies, News, Previews & Reviews | No Comments »

D&D 5th Edition is Coming!

Tuesday, January 10th, 2012

It’s true, from Roving Band of Misfits and Sarah Darkmagic to CNN and Forbes, it’s true: Dungeons & Dragons 5th edition is coming!

I wondered (like a lot of you) where Rob Schwalb had been the last several months.  Yes, he posted about getting back to living a more balanced, healthier life – something I’m absolutely huge on myself – but he also gave away the big secret: he’d been working on 5e!

Remember when Mike Mearls and Monte Cook began talking more and more about all the different editions of D&D?  I especially enjoyed Mearls’ modular approach to D&D: it could truly be a wonderfully versatile thing.

See, D&D’s been around long enough, with polar opposite styles and complexity and everything in between.  So a modular D&D 5th edition doesn’t come as a surprise.  In fact, it could be quite awesome.  But don’t talk my word for it – my favorite 5e snippet was this one from Robert Schwalb’s site:

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Posted in News, Previews & Reviews | 2 Comments »

A Year Has Passed… How to Include the Passage of Time in Your Campaigns

Tuesday, January 3rd, 2012

Ever rush from one adventure to another, following shiny and wicked connections and surprises alike?  The hooks come hard and strong, as do the monsters and villains you need to chase and cut down. 

And then one day, you suddenly wonder how all your teen or 20-something heroes got to 20th or 30th level in just a few in-game months? 

Got the Glory, Got the Time?

It happens to us all, and has in every edition.  We gravitate towards heroics, whether we’re playing or DMing our D&D adventures, so it might seem strange to take breaks in the story and ongoing campaign. 

After all, what about all those loose ends?  The bad guys that got away?  The treasure maps to places we’ve yet to explore?  The mighty dragons, giants, mindflayers, and assassins that are always on our tail? 

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Posted in Storytelling & Roleplaying | 5 Comments »