Wendy’s Deserved Better! A Retrospective Look at Feast of Legends RPG
Does anyone else remember that time Critical Role did a special episode sponsored by Wendy’s – yes… THAT Wendy’s? How about this one: do you remember Feast of Legends – the TTRPG made by THAT Wendy’s? For whatever reason, a lot of people in their audience got really up in arms over Critical Role’s stream of this obscure RPG, to the point that the voice actors ended up taking down the video altogether the following day in 2019.
Excavating Unearthed Arcana that Didn’t Make the Cut, Part 5
Courtesy of the Dungeons & Dragons design team’s plethora of Unearthed Arcana playtest documents over the years we’ve seen a ton of new character options evolve from initial concepts into their final versions in official published products. Each Unearthed Arcana follows up with a survey for players to weigh in with their thoughts and impressions, which the team uses to guide further development. Some remain largely the same, some change drastically and many don’t pass this playtest stage. At this point quite a few subclasses, feats and other 5E D&D character options fall into the latter category. Curious what didn’t make the cut? Let’s get into it.
Excavating Unearthed Arcana that Didn’t Make the Cut, Part 4
Courtesy of the Dungeons & Dragons design team’s plethora of Unearthed Arcana playtest documents over the years we’ve seen a ton of new character options evolve from initial concepts into their final versions in official published products. Each Unearthed Arcana follows up with a survey for players to weigh in with their thoughts and impressions, which the team uses to guide further development. Some remain largely the same, some change drastically and many don’t pass this playtest stage. At this point quite a few subclasses, feats and other 5E D&D character options fall into the latter category. Curious what didn’t make the cut? Let’s get into it.
Excavating Unearthed Arcana that Didn’t Make the Cut, Part 3
Courtesy of the Dungeons & Dragons design team’s plethora of Unearthed Arcana playtest documents over the years we’ve seen a ton of new character options evolve from initial concepts into their final versions in official published products. Each Unearthed Arcana follows up with a survey for players to weigh in with their thoughts and impressions, which the team uses to guide further development. Some remain largely the same, some change drastically and many don’t pass this playtest stage. At this point quite a few subclasses, feats and other 5E D&D character options fall into the latter category. Curious what didn’t make the cut? Let’s get into it.
Excavating Unearthed Arcana that Didn’t Make the Cut, Part 2
Courtesy of the Dungeons & Dragons design team’s plethora of Unearthed Arcana playtest documents over the years we’ve seen a ton of new character options evolve from initial concepts into their final versions in official published products. Each Unearthed Arcana follows up with a survey for players to weigh in with their thoughts and impressions, which the team uses to guide further development. Some remain largely the same, some change drastically and many don’t pass this playtest stage. At this point quite a few subclasses, feats and other 5E D&D character options fall into the latter category. Curious what didn’t make the cut? Let’s get into it.
Excavating Unearthed Arcana that Didn’t Make the Cut, Part 1
Courtesy of the Dungeons & Dragons design team’s plethora of Unearthed Arcana playtest documents over the years we’ve seen a ton of new character options evolve from initial concepts into their final versions in official published products. Each Unearthed Arcana follows up with a survey for players to weigh in with their thoughts and impressions, which the team uses to guide further development. Some remain largely the same, some change drastically and many don’t pass this playtest stage. At this point quite a few subclasses, feats and other 5E D&D character options fall into the latter category. Curious what didn’t make the cut? Let’s get into it.
Trust in the Rust of MTG Arena
My Nerdarchy colleague Robin Miller and I have been totally geeking out over Magic: The Gathering’s latest expansion. Streets of New Capenna not only brings a snazzy style to the planes of existence with it’s magical gangster theme and aesthetic but also there’s simply tons of awesome new cards. One of them in particular provides another piece of the puzzle to solving the Anti-Life Equation, which is my personal quest. I knew immediately I’d have to Call in a Professional to really put the kibosh on my most loathed deck archetype. But it turns out this led to an even more fun MTG Arena deck altogether and one in which two very weird but classic D&D monsters make a tremendous splash. Let’s get into it.
Gorge Yourself on AYCE Adventure in Magic: The Gathering Arena
I love Magic: The Gathering Arena. Physical or digital MTG is the best game ever created and MTG Arena edges out the traditional version of the game with its flexibility, efficiency, speed and accessibility at the very least. Deckbuilding is a snap thanks to filters and search features, which I’ve developed a method for when it comes to optimizing a deck. My latest creation finds inspiration from my sweetie and her career as a journalist in the food industry. Her recent promotion to editor in chief got me thinking about one of my favorite MTG expansions — Throne of Eldraine — and the Food aspects of the set. Then I came across an incredible card from Modern Horizons 2 and now I’m indulging myself with a really fun Food themed deck. Let’s get into it.
Mutating Into Mythic Ranks of MTG Arena
I’ve stated unequivocally many times how Magic: The Gathering is hands down the best game ever created. I love me some tabletop roleplaying games including a lifelong affection for Dungeons & Dragons but at the end of the day it’s all about that cardboard crack, or digital crack thanks to MTG Arena — the free-to-play digital version of the OG collectible card game. Every so often when I get into a groove (and winning streak) I’ll share the decklist and thoughts here. Rather than updating the first of these posts as I sometimes do when I tweak a deck instead I’m starting from scratch here because this one is significantly different than its original version. Let’s get into it.
Are You Already Playing Lacuna Part 1?
While tidying up my office I rearranged and curated my collection of tabletop roleplaying games on display. Doing so unearthed a small press RPG I discovered many years ago when the terrific Inception movie came out and I wanted to bring the dream heist espionage scenario to the game table. Lacuna Part 1 from Memento Mori Theatricks nails it with this wonderful indie RPG where players take on the roles of secret agents sent into a dream world where they encounter more than they expect and mustn’t be afraid to dream a little bigger, darling.
Solving Magic: The Gathering’s Anti-Life Equation
Oh my gods y’all. If you’re like me and cannot abide facing another Magic: The Gathering opponent whose deck is half cards to gain life and the other half getting +1/+1 counters from them or whatever then take a look at the curated collection of 60 cards I’ve been tinkering with and help me solve the anti-life equation for MTG. I’m packing four copies of Quakebringer, four copies of Roiling Vortex and infinite copies of my loathing for life gain decks. Let’s get into it.
Heroquest Action!
What’s the saying about the best laid plans? Heya folks. It’s been a while. I was all ready to write a lot over the summer then life became even more complicated. People I know became sick, including family. I lost several friends, some to natural causes like cancer and few to untimely endings. This happens as you get older. Friends become fewer due to attrition and there’s no saving throw. In any case, today I’m setting the Delorean back to the early 1990s. Back then Milton Bradley decided to work with a small game company in the UK called Games Workshop on a series of games based upon their intellectual property. One, Space Crusade, was based on Warhammer 40,000 and released only in Europe. The other was sword and sorcery and released here as well — Heroquest. Eventually they also released Battle Masters in the US as well.
See All Things as They Truly Are with MTG Adventures in the Forgotten Realms Book of Vile Darkness
I wrote a while back about my excitement for the Dungeons & Dragons: Adventures in the Forgotten Realms expansion for Magic: The Gathering and since the set released I’ve been enjoying it immensely. Spending mana to invoke all manner of awesome D&D creatures, magic items and spells brings an extra layer of nerdy satisfaction. Creating content related to tabletop roleplaying games and fifth edition D&D in particular is Nerdarchy’s bread and butter but we all enjoy plenty of other games too and it’s fun to share those other game experiences from time to time. Let’s get into it.
Shed Your Thoughts and Let MTG Adventures in the Forgotten Realms Mind Flayer Flow Through Your Deck
Creating content related to tabletop roleplaying games and fifth edition Dungeons & Dragons in particular is Nerdarchy’s bread and butter but we all enjoy plenty of other games too and it’s fun to share those other game experiences from time to time. I wrote a while back about how excited I was for the Dungeons & Dragons: Adventures in the Forgotten Realms expansion for Magic: The Gathering and since then the set released, which I’ve been enjoying immensely. Tapping lands for mana to invoke all manner of awesome D&D creatures, magic items and spells brings an extra layer of nerdy satisfaction. Let’s get into it.
Working at Games Workshop US
I’m back! The semester is over and I’m free for the summer! Two years of PhD studies down and three more to go! As I’ve written before, in addition to TSR and Chessex I worked for Games Workshop US (GWUS) from 1994 to 2003. During those years GW changed significantly. When I started, GW used the three-tier distribution system like every other manufacturer. In 1995 that changed as GW started selling direct to retailers and also started an aggressive store opening program in areas where there wasn’t any retailers carrying GW merchandise. By the time GW and I parted ways it had become a behemoth, having multiple warehouses across the country as well as multiple sales offices, and a retail chain of over two dozen stores in the US alone.
