Author Archives: Oalin

About Oalin

Dan hails from the most southern tip of Africa and started role-playing at the age of 12. He would read out his Fighting Fantasy choose-your-own-adventure novels to his two best mates and let them make the choices. It was during that time he had the epiphany that the books were, actually, entirely optional and if he made up the stories, his mates could make any decision they wanted. Since then, Dan has never come across an RPG he hasn't enjoyed regardless of setting or genre. But does feel that D&D is his touchstone and that he is at his story telling best when running a Vampire: the Masquerade game.

The role of the GM – It’s time to get over yourself

Posted on July 27, 2011 by Oalin
d20

It is an opinion that persists that the position of the GM is elevated above that of the players. Tripe. Certainly, there is a greater level of responsibility that the GM carries, but it is the nature of this responsibility that seems to be so often skewed. So, in spite of the fear of being booed off stage by my fellow GMs, the following statement needs to be made: The primary role of a Game’s Master is to serve the Players. Continue reading →

Posted in Games Mastering, Role Playing Games | Tagged | 16 Comments

Vampire: the Masquerade Revisited

Posted on April 1, 2011 by Oalin
Vampire: The Masquerade 20th Anniversary Edition Logo

Back in 2004 White Wolf games caused wide spread consternation amongst the role-playing community when they announced that they were ending their hugely popular Vampire: the Masquerade line, along with all other offshoots forming their World of Darkness setting. The reason for this was that one of the game world’s major themes was an impending apocalypse which White Wolf chose to make canon, releasing a many part supplement titled, The Time of Judgment, which outlined the cataclysmic events. But would it work out?
Continue reading →

Posted in Gaming, Role Playing Games, Vampire: The Masquerade | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments