Loader image
Loader image
Back to Top

At The Gaming Table

Nerdarchy > At The Gaming Table (Page 7)

The Gift Of Friendship with D&D

Here is our awesome group! We call ourselves the “Unicorns of love”… Inside joke, of course.

This is the the mural I painted on our living room wall. Tolkien inspired. 😉

This past week brought about some changes for our D&D group, and what almost turned into disaster or possibly the end of our gaming table ended up turning into the best possible thing that could have happened for our game! Our normal meeting place was denied to us by the runner of the local comic shop because of “liability issues,” the real reason being a couple of old, washed-up co-owners who glared at us across the room and obviously had a hard time with how much fun we were all having in our “satan worship” … lol!

Conscious RPG campaigning: Tyrant or Savior?

rpgWhat do you fight for in your campaign? What cause is it that you strive for? Is it the meager treasures of the land or the pillaging and plundering of a city in order to fulfill selfish desires? Do you fight for a cause that is greater than your own? Do you fight to protect an entire race of people by destroying an evil tyrant who seeks to destroy an entire race of people all for his own selfish gains and ambitions? Or do you join forces to aid his fear mongering whims only to leave nothing for the creatures that follow in your footsteps? As we delve into these worlds and places in our campaigns, what is it that we are truly seeking to achieve? Why do we adventure? Why do we desire more than what we are, what we have or what we see?  The act of a hero is that of selflessness and bravery in order to achieve the good of all. The acts of a tyrant are always the opposite. Do we seek to build or do we seek to destroy?

Why We Game: D&D, online gaming and real life

World of WarcraftIt’s crazy how many people I know who would be so freaking fun and amazing at playing D&D and they don’t even know it. There is always the usual self-doubt about not knowing or fully understanding a game, and there is the matter of time and space away from everything, ie. phones, family, work, chores, etc. Most of the people I know who would be great at it and don’t even know are usually self-doubters much like I was before I started playing. The idea of starting a new game can be quite an uncomfortable situation and one that often leads many to fleeing the hobby altogether.

Ty’s Gaming Resolutions for the 2016 New Year

In a matter of days it’s going to be a new year, and like the beginning of every new year, many of us make resolutions. Some of us will try to lose weight or quit smoking. Others will try to be nicer to people or maybe promise to put money into savings. Me? This year I’m going to try to be a better tabletop role-player. How do I hope to accomplish this? By following my resolutions below.

Expanding my horizons in the new year, Part I

ball drop

Are you going to watch the ball drop to kick in the new year?

I have a tendency to find a role-playing game I like, then stick with it and nothing else for months, even years. Right now I’m enjoying Fifth Edition D&D, so I’ve been playing lots of it. See, I’ve been gaming for 35 years, off and on, and I’ve played all kinds of systems, some good, some bad, and I guess now in my forties I’ve grown a bit … maybe “lazy” would be the right word, though I prefer “skeptical.” I’m usually not interested in learning yet another system, especially if it’s one which I know I won’t be playing more than maybe once or twice. I need to break this habit. There are lots of great games out there which I’ve yet to experience, and a few which I’ve only experienced once or twice. So, one of my gaming resolutions is to play more games that are new to me, to enjoy the experience of different game systems. I’m especially interested in trying out some zombie survival games.

Expanding my horizons, Part II

Player Tips – How to Deal with Confrontation at the Gaming Table

gaming table role playingHello gaming enthusiasts.  If you are like me you had been playing games for quite a while and confrontation at your gaming table is inevitable. People are people and regardless of how many things in common you might have with your fellow gamers eventually an argument or disagreement will happen.

The hard part is figuring out what to do then.  Small things like how has to buy the next round or grab the next bag of chips is small in comparison to the large arguments that can happen.  I personally have done table top role playing with over 50 people in my rich history and probably played board games with another 20-30.  You see gaming is fun and an important part of my life.

Player Tips for Your Gaming Table

Liven up your role playing games with music soundtracks

Players and game masters alike often look for ways to spice up their role playing games, to perhaps add a little atmosphere. Music can be essential to such a quest, providing background sound to keep play on an even keel or highlighting adventurous moments with a boost of adrenaline.

Longtime gamers likely will have their favorite tunes, but those new to the hobby might be wondering what music goes best with a session of Dungeons & Dragons, Pathfinder, Shadowrun, Traveler, or any number of tabletop RPGs. Also, with the holidays upon us, you might be looking for some gift ideas for your favorite gamer.

I have found that soundtracks often provide excitement and variety to gaming sessions. Obviously music is a subjective matter, much like deciding upon a favorite role playing game, but over the years here are a few soundtracks that have proved quite successful at my gaming tables:

Conan the Barbarian

Dungeons and Dragons – Etiquette at the Gaming Table

gaming tableTed from Nerdarchy here and today I am going to ask you a hard question.  Are you a good player at your gaming table?  Now I am not asking are you a skilled role player or even a valued member of your party.  I want to know how you treat the fellow people you game with.

Every gaming table is different.  So when the group gets together you need to either find out or figure out what each player at the table is there for.  Are you playing a beer and pretzels game where silliness and distractions are not only commonplace but sought after?

Do You have a Problem Player at Your Gaming Table

Player Agency

How Gaming (and Nerdarchy) Helped Save Me

Dungeons and Dragons2014 is a year I will never forget.

In May of that year I lost my wife of 12 years to breast cancer. Then in June my father passed away from stomach cancer. In July an uncle died from a heart attack. Even a beloved family pet passed on soon after.

As you can expect, it was quite the tumultuous and emotional year. Everyone experiences grief in their own way, so I won’t compare my own to anyone else, but it did seem for a long while I was falling deeper and deeper into a well of numbness. Also, it seemed there was no way out, that I would never be able to pull myself back up to find breathing space, let alone any peace of mind.

Dungeons and Dragons and Nerdarchy

Willing Suspension of Disbelief Creates an Immersive RPG Experience

Even with the light from your torch the stairwell’s end cannot be seen. As you cautiously make your way down each step, the cracks and crevices on the sides of the wall quiver and writhe in time to the torch’s flickering flame. 

The Willing Suspension of Disbelief is Used to Create an Immersive RPG creepy stairwellUnseen cobwebs flutter against your eyes and face. There is a rushing sound like one unending breath that you hear too close to your ear. You see something move in the shadows just outside the torch’s glow. You hear a scratching, chattering cacopho-

*crackle, crackle*The Willing Suspension of Disbelief is Used to Create an Immersive RPG gamemastering and chesse puffs

*crackle, crackle*

” Hey pass over those Cheese Puffs”

Sigh… The dreaded words that quell the willing suspension of disbelief in an immersive RPG.

“Pass me the ______” ( food or beverage )

           As a DM, if that blank is not filled by the words “Holy Avenger” or some other fantasy item, it really deconstructs the built up tension.

Thus undermining the work that we, as DMs, put into setting the mood of  encounters.

While experienced players can still hack it when it comes to mood disruptions they still lessen the overall experience for everyone.

Why is that the case?