Upcoming Games: Part-Time Gods 2nd Edition from Third Eye Games
Part-Time Gods is a tabletop roleplaying game from Third Eye Games where the players take control of gods living in the mortal realm. Not demigods or godlike beings, but actual true gods that rule over a specific domain like life, death, fire, or nature… or, if you’re feeling particularly whimsical, taxi drivers, balloons, breakfast cereals, or boxing gloves (not boxing, not boxers, but boxing gloves specifically). Part-Time Gods opens the door for modern high-fantasy adventure where a pantheon of gods does battle with otherworldly forces to defend the mortal realm while trying to keep their mortal lives from falling apart.
Live streaming RPG (un)life with unMadeGaming
The RPG space is undoubtedly growing in ways it never has before. There are simply more options for games, whether new systems, new content for classics like fifth edition Dungeons & Dragons and new ways to play all of these games like live streaming RPG gameplay. From Critical Role and Acquisitions Inc. straight on down the line, thousands of players and Game Masters share their tables with the world. Mike Hunt, whose unMadeGaming brand showcases a wide variety of RPG systems, is one such content creator.
Freelance Fantasy Art and the RPG Hobby
One of the best sources of inspiration for creating content as a Game Master I’ve found is art. Doesn’t matter what the subject matter is – fantasy, science fiction, or otherwise. Looking at a beautiful piece of art and really studying it to extract as much information as possible is a huge part of my own creative process as a GM, and I know this is true for many others. I can spend hours on end perusing the old art sourcebooks for AD&D, looking at the same paintings I’ve seen dozens of times. And inevitably I’ll find a detail I hadn’t noticed before or find something new that speaks to the story that the painting tells.
RPG Immersion through Audio Aids
“Immersion” feels like a worn out word in the modern sphere of nerd culture. Video games belabor it as a tagline as often as they use “visceral” to describe combat or “realistic” to describe environments or “Dark Souls-like” to describe difficulty. We’re beset on all sides by virtual reality headsets claiming to be as immersive as real life, story-oriented video games touting their immersive open world experiences, and all manner of other advertising exploits of the word.
The Return of Rappan Athuk: Reborn for 5E on Kickstarter
There’s a vast underground network of tunnels, caverns, halls and ruins. There are evil monsters, wicked traps, and devious tricks waiting to disembowel or otherwise harry ill-prepared adventurers who wander in. Hope is a foreign term to the grizzled veterans who approach the entrance to the limitless depths. They’ve abandoned the word in favor of more appealing ones, ones they’ve come to be fond of.
Combat. Glory. Treasure.
This is Rappan Athuk. This is the Dungeon of Graves.
Worldbuilding: World Anvil is a Haven for Writers and Homebrew Content
Last month I looked at three realm worldbuilding and homebrew programs and websites and among those was World Anvil. In the article I had looked briefly on the site and looked at it impressed with what was there but said it need a few other options. After the article was posted Dimitris from World Anvil reached out to me and said that those features where there and I had missed them. The reality of it is, that from the time I had sent the article Nerditor Doug to when it was posted the site had doubled in content and functionality. Doubled in less than 2 weeks. I have dealt with campaign software and programs and sites for at least 5 years now in creating homebrew adventures and world settings and never has one expanded this rapidly. Having spoken with Janet and Dimitris from World Anvil and given that they are celebrating World Anvil’s four month anniversary, I thought it more than fitting we revisit this fantastic site and give the proper attention it deserves. So, sit back, relax, and let’s look at the gasworks that is World Anvil.
D&D Beyond Goes Beyond ‘And Beyond’
Whether you use the digital toolset’s robust free resources, went all-in with a Legendary Bundle and Master Tier subscription, or remain skeptical of the whole affair, D&D Beyond is without a doubt part of the fifth edition Dungeons & Dragons culture and conversation. Here at Nerdarchy, we are big fans and advocates of DDB. We use it for our games in-person and live streamed, for research and reference with its fantastic search features and filters, for tinkering with homebrew creatures, items and spells, and basically everything. Don’t get us wrong – we still cherish our physical books, dutifully adding them to our bookshelves and flipping through them in equal measure. But as DDB continues to evolve, the already indispensable resource establishes a firmer foothold with the upcoming mobile app, the fantastic video content from Todd Kenreck and, most recently, the announcement of a writing team to create even more D&D content.
Eye of the Beholder: The Art of Dungeons & Dragons Kickstarter is Live
The art of Dungeons & Dragons has been inspiring us for decades. Whether it’s the iconic image of a Viking warrior battling a dragon from the classic beginner box or the more modern depiction of heroes facing off with powerful giants or even just a favorite image from the Monster Manual, these images have shaped the way that all of us approach and play the game. Every picture tells a story, but every picture also has a story behind it, an artist’s vision that we rarely get to see or hear about. Eye of the Beholder: The Art of Dungeons & Dragons is an upcoming documentary that will let us see that vision and hear those stories, and it’s being funded on Kickstarter as I write.
Eldritch Lairs: Adventures for 5th Edition
New from the design minds of James J. Haeck, Jerry Leneave, Mike Shea and Bill Slavicsek, is Eldritch Lairs! This is a 5E supplement from Kobold Press designed with eight short adventures for characters level 4-8. The adventures are built as standalone arcs but can always be worked into existing homebrew campaigns. Eldritch Lairs contains Pit of the Dust Goblins, Crypt of Green Shadows, Under the Devil’s Thumb, Blood Vaults of Sister Alkava, Carrion Shrine of Qorgeth, The Leystone of the Indigo Star, Palace of the Wind Lords, and the Undying Tournament. Creatures featured in the adventures can be found in the fifth edition SRD, except where noted as referenced to the Tome of Beast from Kobold Press.
Fantasy Grounds College – Get to Know the Staff No. 3
Greetings all! Welcome to my third installment of Fantasy Grounds College, get to know our staff. My third interview is with a veteran member of the FGC, Dragon. A Game Master and professor, he can be found speaking third person (as all venerable dragons do) in our Discord server teaching classes and passing on his infinite wisdom to all those who will listen. In addition to his relentless dedication to the students at Fantasy Grounds College, Dragon also has an affiliation with Nerdarchy as our representative on their Discord server. He serves as our onsite expert for Fantasy Grounds College in their #Fantasy-Grounds channel under Virtual Tabletop.
The RollPlay Roundtable Discussion: Part 2 with Matt Colville, Matt Mercer, Adam Koebel and Mike Mearls
In October of last year, itmeJP gathered together some of the best known names in the Dungeons & Dragons community and put them in a video call roundtable together to talk shop. Adam Koebel moderated the conversation between Matt Mercer, Mike Mearls, and Matt Colville. Topics ranged across many different aspects of the game: criticisms, advice for Dungeon Masters, why we play the game, and many more.
Fantasy Grounds College – Get to Know the Staff No. 2
Welcome all to my second installment of Fantasy Grounds College, get to know our staff! My second interview is with another relatively new member, Pherrid. A Game Master and professor who you can always find in the college’s Discord server talking to students in the #College-Chat channel.
Back and Forth on the Revilo Creation Collection with Creature Curator Brian Colin
Salutations, nerds! Today we’re going to take an opportunity to talk about a Kickstarter by the phenomenally talented Brian Colin. The Revilo Creature Collection is a bestiary the likes of which you’re unlikely to have seen before. The creatures in the book are ones Brian has brought to life in the form of sculptures.
D&D Beyond Gets Unearthed Arcana Content
Hello! Nerditor Doug here with Nerdy News.
Unearthed Arcana playtest material for fifth edition Dungeons & Dragons is now available on D&D Beyond.
Fantasy Grounds College – Get to Know the Staff No. 1
As Fantasy Grounds College continues to grow, so does our list of amazing aides, moderators, subject matter experts, streamers, web designers,etc. Some of these people have been around since the college started back in 2011, while others are new. Every one of them deserves some time in the spotlight. Thus, I would like to introduce my bi-weekly Fantasy Grounds College Get to Know the Staff segment.
