Hail Hydra! Marvel FASERIP’s Mr. Cyber Explained
Hey, guys, Professor Bill of Comic Book University and I’m going to explain Mr. Cyber, the main bad guy in the Marvel Super Heroes Roleplaying Game (FASERIP) I’m running every Monday for the Nerdarchists. Mr. Cyber is, well, me.Where he’s from
RPGS: To Roll Dice, Or Not To Roll Dice, That Is The Question
Several schools of thought exist when it comes to RPGs and the rolling of the funny-shaped dice we all love. Whether ’tis nobler at the gaming table to roll the d10s and d20s of outrageous fortune, or to roleplay against a sea of troubles, and by narrating end them.
In the ArmorClass10.com-sponsored video above, Nerdarchists Dave and Ted and Nate the Nerdarch reminisce on memorable dice rolls in their gaming experience, different ways to interpret roll outcomes and how a hot roll of the dice can have a big impact on the story.
Writing violence in fiction: How much?
How much violence are you writing in your fiction? Is it enough? Is it too much?
Fiction and violence
Nearly all fiction writers are going to have violence of one form or another sooner or later in one of their short stories or novels. Fiction is about conflict, and violence is one of the most common forms of conflict. Even romance writers will occasionally have a sword-slinging hero rushing in to save the day, or a pistol-packing thug as the villain. In horror, violence is almost a given. Violence is also common in much fantasy and science fiction. And what would a Western be without a revolver or two or a lever-action rifle?
Out of the Box D&D Encounters, Series 2, #6 – Lonely Boat
A Mimic doesn’t have to appear like the traditional treasure chest.
Out of the Box hasn’t featured an aquatic encounter in a long time, so I think we’re overdue. I’m not sure how many followers and players will remember this simple rule of physics, but the material of an item (its density) is less important than its shape and volume (based on displacement). If an object is the right shape as to spread out its volume to account for its density, so long as it’s water resistant or water proof, it should float. That’s why boats made of steel float.
Therefore, if we take a creature out of its element (Mimic) and put it in a place where it’s adapted to fit something (a boat and not a chest), we have a creature in a place we’d never expect to find it. This is less of a classic re-skin and more of an adaptation, which occurs in nature all of the time.
Web DM Talking D&D and RPG Gaming (What Else?!)
Nerdarchist Dave made a pact with patron of the internet and welcomed Jim Davis and Jonathan Pruitt from Web DM to the Nerdarchy live chat. Braving the possibly haunted wing of the hospital where he works, Pruitt joined his friend and co-host Davis to talk nerdy about D&D.
As content creators, Pruitt and Davis got started by seeking to fulfill a need they felt was missing. They dive into the history of Web DM, what inspired them to create their YouTube channel and how it all came together. The Web DM guys and Nerdachist Dave connected over their mutual astonishment when they learned there was an internet audience hungry for D&D discussion.
E58 YR1- DMG Deep Dive with the Aasimar and Traps Podcast
Episode 58 of Nerdarchy the Podcast Year One Time for another double feature podcast episode as we delve into the 5th Edition Dungeons and Dragons Dungeon Masters guide. https://soundcloud.com/david-friant-458990853/e57-yr1-dmg-deep-dive-with-the-aasimar-and-traps Aasimar Straight From The 5E Dungeon Masters Guide| Dungeons and Dragons 5th Edition Races https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pr9CijmKb9Q 5th Edition Dungeons and Dragons Races|...
Speak With Dead #01: Brain Food
Dear Maxillae,
What is the best way to avoid the whole issue regarding my friend? We were going out for a while, but she is unfortunately an alchemist who shed her mortal coil. I still want to keep things going, but I just don’t know if I can deal with her hunger for brains anymore, or if I should just become a lich to be with her.
-Grant
30 Fantasy Gaming Flash Encounter Ideas
Sometimes games don’t flow like we expected them to. You planned to take three hours, and your players get through most of the quest in one. Not everything that happens at the Dungeons & Dragons table has to be part of some epic happenstance, however. Sometimes, small things stand on their own and aren’t at all part of the bigger picture. We as Dungeon Masters need them because it helps us control the pacing of the game.
So here are 30 quick and simple small scenarios you can throw at your players in a flash when things are a little bit slow or you think you’re going to run out of game before you run out of game time.
Passive Stealth and Other D&D skills – Making A Case
Not that long ago I moved back home to Salem (Oregon, not Massachusetts) from San Antonio (also not in Massachusetts). The other day I went to Dairy Queen, which I’ve been going to frequently, because for whatever reason Texans hate cherries, and I’m kinda making up for 15 years of not having my favorite treat, their cherry dip cone. After I approached the counter, I patiently waited for a cashier to notice me. Eventually one of them turned around, slightly startled at just seeing me there, without noticing me at all. The funny thing about that is, as I’ve become accustomed to, and what feels like a San Antonio tradition, I was wearing flip-flops. By all measures I shouldn’t be sneaking up on anyone, but apparently I have just a soft enough step and an unassuming presence that I can shift about unnoticed.
E57 YR1- 5E D&D DMG Villainous Class Options| Dungeons and Dragons 5th Edition Dungeon Masters Guide Podcast
Episode 57 of Nerdarchy the podcast Year One So the deep dive into the 5th edition Dungeons and Dragons Dungeon Masters Guide begins. We start with the darker side of player options and NPCs. https://soundcloud.com/david-friant-458990853/e56-yr1-5e-dmg-1st-impression-of-the-dungeons-and-dragons-5th-edition-dungeon-masters-guide-1 5E D&D DMG Villainous Class Options| Dungeons and Dragons 5th Edition Dungeon Masters...
RPG Player Tip: Great Stories Don’t Need Great People
Getting back on the regular track this week after Origins 2017 – con fatigue is a thing that is real, folks – there were two RPG player experiences I’ve had recently that taught me a valuable lesson. One is from the time-stamped video above that happened during Nerdarchy’s Open Legend RPG-sponsored live game Fridays at noon EST. The other is from my home group’s fifth edition Dungeons & Dragons game. Both situations illustrated a poignant paradigm. As you’ve undoubtedly guessed from this article’s title, the lesson is that great stories emerge from less-than-great people.
Great examples of not so great people in RPG campaigns who drive the narrative forward and create great stories are everywhere. Critical Role’s Vox Machina will be the first to admit they’re often terrible people. Dice, Camera, Action’s Waffle Crew barely get along. Acquisitions Inc.’s The C Team aren’t exactly shining examples of heroism. And Titansgrave’s cast of adventurers were built from the beginning with inherent flaws. Yet all of them tell compelling RPG stories full of action, excitement, humor and drama driven by characters who are far from perfect. I’m sure anyone’s home game has plenty of examples, too.
E56 YR1- 5E DMG Nerdarchy’s 1st Impression of the Dungeons and Dragons 5th Edition Dungeon Masters Guide Podcast
Episode 56 of Nerdarchy the Podcast Year One Here is our 1st impression vid and podcast of the 5E DMG. We spent quite a bit of time doing micro break downs of the DMG from here on out. We cover each section individually. Going forward I'll...
D&D Adventurers League Community Manager in the house
Nerdarchist Dave and Assistant Web Editor Doug, coming off of Origins Game Fair, welcomed D&D Adventurers League Community Manager Robert Adducci for a live chat. The Nerdarchy team at Origins met Adducci and many other great people there, and were happy to have him join us to talk nerdy for an afternoon.
Adventurers League is the fifth edition Dungeons & Dragons organized play program. It offers a way for people to get involved in a larger campaign and community. Previously limited to in-store play, the program has widened to include conventions and even home games – as long as the DM abides by Adventurers League rules.
These rules are essentially the standard D&D rules. There are a few elements specific to Adventurers League play designed to maintain a consistent experience across the board. That way, Adventurers League players know what to expect no matter where they take their characters and log sheets for Adventurers League games.
E55 YR1- We’re Talking The Maze Marauding Minotaur |Dungeons and Dragons Monsters Podcast
Episode 55 of Nerdarchy the Podcast Year One Time for some more monster madness this podcast episode. We dig back into a favorite monster of the Nerdarchy Crew since AD&D. https://soundcloud.com/david-friant-458990853/e55-yr1-were-talking-the-maze-marauding-minotaur-dungeons-and-dragons-monsters We're Talking The Maze Marauding Minotaur |Dungeons and Dragons Monsters https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fk9sA4jGy3k We're Talking The Maze Marauding Minotaur |Dungeons and...
What’s going on at the movies?
