http://diceofdoom.com/blog The Dice of Doom is a blog about gaming, being a gamer and general interest content suitable for nerds. Tue, 01 May 2012 13:26:59 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 The Dice of Doom podcast is a lively discussion about role-playing games, focusing heavily on Dungeons & Dragons, Call of Cthulhu and Warhammer along with many other gaming systems. We have been gaming for longer than we care to freely admit and we have a wide range of interests and experiences in gaming in general (everything from obscure games printed in the 1980's to the most recent tabletop wargames). We like to take a lighthearted approach to our discussions and mix them up with other nerdy news and content as well. RupertG yes RupertG rupertg@diceofdoom.com rupertg@diceofdoom.com (RupertG) © Dice of Doom Dice of Doom Podcast dnd, d&d, dungeons & dragons, rpg, roleplaying, gaming, roleplaying games http://diceofdoom.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/Podcast-Logo-New-SQ-SM.png http://diceofdoom.com/blog Sydney, Australia http://diceofdoom.com/blog/2012/03/dice-of-doom-podcast-038-12-games12-months-wrap-up-lady-blackbird-review-and-spicing-up-character-generation/ http://diceofdoom.com/blog/2012/03/dice-of-doom-podcast-038-12-games12-months-wrap-up-lady-blackbird-review-and-spicing-up-character-generation/#comments Thu, 08 Mar 2012 22:53:30 +0000 RupertG http://diceofdoom.com/blog/?p=3696 In this episode we discuss our experiences of the 12 Games/12 Months Gaming Experiment, review Lady Blackbird and discuss ways to spice up character generation. Continue reading →]]> http://diceofdoom.com/blog/2012/03/dice-of-doom-podcast-038-12-games12-months-wrap-up-lady-blackbird-review-and-spicing-up-character-generation/feed/ 1 lady blackbird, dungeons & dragons, roleplaying, rpg, dnd, d&d, gaming, DoD Podcast 038: Gaming Experiment Wrap Up, Lady Blackbird Review, Spicing Up Character Generation In this, the final podcast recorded in 2011 (don't worry, we've started recording 2012 podcasts), we discuss the awesomeness of the 20th Anniversary Vampire: The Masquerade Ultimate Everything In It Leave Nothing Out 500 Bazillion Pages Edition (not its real name), we review Lady Blackbird and answer a question from Symatt on ways to spice up character creation. RupertG yes 46:14 http://diceofdoom.com/blog/2012/01/dungeons-dragons-5th-edition-announced-dnd5e/ http://diceofdoom.com/blog/2012/01/dungeons-dragons-5th-edition-announced-dnd5e/#comments Mon, 09 Jan 2012 22:12:31 +0000 RupertG http://diceofdoom.com/blog/?p=3617 Today, with very little surprise, Wizards of the Coast announced that they were working on the 5th edition of the venerable game Dungeons & Dragons. Rumours of the announcement have been swirling through the Internet for a while now, particularly after it was revealed that veteran D&D game designer Monte Cook had rejoined the R&D Team. Continue reading →]]> http://diceofdoom.com/blog/2012/01/dungeons-dragons-5th-edition-announced-dnd5e/feed/ 3 http://diceofdoom.com/blog/2012/01/confessions-of-a-roleplaying-book-collector/ http://diceofdoom.com/blog/2012/01/confessions-of-a-roleplaying-book-collector/#comments Sun, 01 Jan 2012 19:00:09 +0000 Guest http://diceofdoom.com/blog/?p=3608 Once again I was looking, lovingly, over my collection of roleplaying books. As I went through them, I discovered that there was a book I hadn't bought yet from the Dungeons & Dragons 4th Edition set. I immediately became anxious that my collection wasn't complete. It had become important that I had a set, a complete set and I had found that it was less than it should be. Continue reading →]]> http://diceofdoom.com/blog/2012/01/confessions-of-a-roleplaying-book-collector/feed/ 3 http://diceofdoom.com/blog/2011/09/dice-of-doom-podcast-033-spirit-of-the-century-review-dragon-warriors-first-impressions-and-do-rules-support-descriptive-combat/ http://diceofdoom.com/blog/2011/09/dice-of-doom-podcast-033-spirit-of-the-century-review-dragon-warriors-first-impressions-and-do-rules-support-descriptive-combat/#comments Mon, 19 Sep 2011 12:24:27 +0000 RupertG http://diceofdoom.com/blog/?p=3525 In this episode of the Dice of Doom podcast we review Spirit of the Century, talking about our experiences with stunts and aspects. We also discuss our first impressions of playing Dragon Warriors which is a flashback from our gaming past. As part of our discussion on Dragon Warriors we get sidetracked (egads! who would have seen that coming!) and we spend quite a bit of time discussing how rules describe combat, should they describe combat? and whether it's up to the players to look after that aspect of the game or not. Continue reading →]]> http://diceofdoom.com/blog/2011/09/dice-of-doom-podcast-033-spirit-of-the-century-review-dragon-warriors-first-impressions-and-do-rules-support-descriptive-combat/feed/ 8 Dungeons and Dragons, D&D, DnD, roleplaying, spirit of the century, sotc, games mastering, dragon warriors DoD Podcast 033: Spirit of the Century review, Dragon Warriors first impressions and relying on rules to describe combat In this episode of the Dice of Doom podcast we review Spirit of the Century, talking about our experiences with stunts and aspects. We also discuss our first impressions of playing Dragon Warriors which is a flashback from our gaming past. As part of our discussion on Dragon Warriors we get sidetracked (egads! who would have seen that coming!) and we spend quite a bit of time discussing how rules describe combat, should they describe combat? and whether it's up to the players to look after that aspect of the game or not. RupertG yes 50:10 http://diceofdoom.com/blog/2011/09/dismemberment-and-permanent-injuries-in-dnd/ http://diceofdoom.com/blog/2011/09/dismemberment-and-permanent-injuries-in-dnd/#comments Wed, 07 Sep 2011 23:00:19 +0000 Ellisthion http://diceofdoom.com/blog/?p=3510 We recently had a great question on Twitter by IvPalmer: “Have you guys ever came across a dismemberment case in D&D? A player lost an arm last session and I'd like to give him options.” As it happens, yes, we have, and, like you, we wondered what exactly to do about it. The rules don’t give an answer… or do they? Continue reading →]]> http://diceofdoom.com/blog/2011/09/dismemberment-and-permanent-injuries-in-dnd/feed/ 24 http://diceofdoom.com/blog/2011/08/dice-of-doom-podcast-031-refocusing-a-game-that-has-lost-its-way-should-a-gm-controlling-hp-in-combat-and-the-role-of-the-gm/ http://diceofdoom.com/blog/2011/08/dice-of-doom-podcast-031-refocusing-a-game-that-has-lost-its-way-should-a-gm-controlling-hp-in-combat-and-the-role-of-the-gm/#comments Tue, 30 Aug 2011 20:39:42 +0000 RupertG http://diceofdoom.com/blog/?p=3486 In this episode we talk about ways to get a game back on track, we answer a question "Could a GM control the HPs of the players in a game to promote better roleplaying?", and we summarise our thoughts on the role of the GM. Continue reading →]]> http://diceofdoom.com/blog/2011/08/dice-of-doom-podcast-031-refocusing-a-game-that-has-lost-its-way-should-a-gm-controlling-hp-in-combat-and-the-role-of-the-gm/feed/ 3 dungeons and Dragons, D&D, DnD, roleplaying, spirit of the century, sotc, games mastering DoD Podcast 031: Refocusing a game, Controlling player HP in Combat and The Role of the GM In this episode of the podcast Dwayne regales us with stories of how a game he was running got off the rails (literally), and we talk about ways to get things back on track (bear with us, the intro takes a little while on this one...). We also answer a question posed to us by reader Disemvowel. He asks us "Could a GM control the HPs of the players in a game to promote better roleplaying." We also summarise our thoughts on the recent, and very controversial, guest posts on the role of the GM (at least until we get distracted by something else that is...). RupertG yes 49:16 http://diceofdoom.com/blog/2011/08/i-am-the-game/ http://diceofdoom.com/blog/2011/08/i-am-the-game/#comments Wed, 03 Aug 2011 12:05:01 +0000 TheAngryDM http://diceofdoom.com/blog/?p=3434 This is a guest post by The Angry DM in response to a recent post by Oalin titled "The role of the GM: It's time to get over yourself". Continue reading →]]> http://diceofdoom.com/blog/2011/08/i-am-the-game/feed/ 10 http://diceofdoom.com/blog/2011/07/dice-of-doom-podcast-028-listeners-questions-answered-01/ http://diceofdoom.com/blog/2011/07/dice-of-doom-podcast-028-listeners-questions-answered-01/#comments Mon, 18 Jul 2011 13:00:18 +0000 RupertG http://diceofdoom.com/blog/?p=3404 In this episode of the Dice of Doom podcast we conduct our first Q & A, taking four questions from listeners and readers. Continue reading →]]> http://diceofdoom.com/blog/2011/07/dice-of-doom-podcast-028-listeners-questions-answered-01/feed/ 6 dnd, rpg, dungeons, dragons, D&D, roleplaying, games, gaming, Dungeons & Dragons DoD Podcast 028: Listener's Questions Answered 01 In this episode of the Dice of Doom podcast we conduct our first Q & A, taking four questions from listeners and readers. The questions we discuss are: Question 1: If a player cheats on a dice roll should a big deal be made of it, or should it ignored - asked by Symatt Question 2: What can you do to deal with difficult players who have bottomless pockets and backpacks and who refuse to fail any dice check - asked by Andy Horton Question 3: Do you restrict a player's ability to purchase certain items based on their level, or if they have the money, do you just let them buy it - asked by IvPalmer (note, the discussion on this topic inspired the Monty Haul post) Question 4: How can a GM encourage players to be more descriptive in their play? - asked by Symatt RupertG yes 48:42 http://diceofdoom.com/blog/2011/07/so-your-players-have-gotten-too-rich-dealing-with-a-monty-haul-campaign/ http://diceofdoom.com/blog/2011/07/so-your-players-have-gotten-too-rich-dealing-with-a-monty-haul-campaign/#comments Tue, 12 Jul 2011 13:00:57 +0000 RupertG http://diceofdoom.com/blog/?p=3373 We've all been in that position when running a roleplaying campaign. That moment when you realise that you have allowed your players to amass more wealth than is healthy. All of a sudden they are buyingtheir way out of the challenges that you place before them, there's no magic item they can't afford and all of a sudden they are building a huge palace or fortress on prize real estate. And then, when the locallord gets upset, they either buy him off or raise an army and go and crush him. Yes, we've all been there and had to deal with it in one way or the other. What follows are a handful of ways that I have dealt with it in the past as a GM, or experienced as a player. Continue reading →]]> http://diceofdoom.com/blog/2011/07/so-your-players-have-gotten-too-rich-dealing-with-a-monty-haul-campaign/feed/ 10 http://diceofdoom.com/blog/2011/06/dice-of-doom-podcast-026-rating-the-first-six-games-and-creating-meaningful-character-motivations/ http://diceofdoom.com/blog/2011/06/dice-of-doom-podcast-026-rating-the-first-six-games-and-creating-meaningful-character-motivations/#comments Tue, 28 Jun 2011 17:00:52 +0000 RupertG http://diceofdoom.com/blog/?p=3354 This episode we discuss our ratings of the first six games of the Grand Gaming Experiment and we look at creating meaningful character motivations and backgrounds. Continue reading →]]> http://diceofdoom.com/blog/2011/06/dice-of-doom-podcast-026-rating-the-first-six-games-and-creating-meaningful-character-motivations/feed/ 1 dnd, d&d, dungeons, dragons, podcast, roleplaying, rpg, gamma world, star wars, DoD Podcast 026: Rating the First Six Games and Creating Meaningful Character Motivations As we have just gone past the halfway point for our Grand Gaming Experiment we look at our ratings for the first six games, what criteria we used, and how they fared. We also discuss how to develop more rich and useful character motivations and backgrounds to guide their actions throughout the campaign. We look at making meaningful decisions about character background and also making sure that it fits with the general direction of the GM's campaign and the other players around the gaming table. RupertG yes 30:42 http://diceofdoom.com/blog/2011/05/futurama-characters-dnd-stat-blocks/ http://diceofdoom.com/blog/2011/05/futurama-characters-dnd-stat-blocks/#comments Sat, 14 May 2011 17:34:41 +0000 RupertG http://diceofdoom.com/blog/?p=3151 If you've ever played D&D you've probably got into a discussion about the stat blocks of characters from movies, TV, books, etc. Well, Flickr user Remiel has decided he'd do the stat blocks of Futurama characters. I, personally, agree with about 90% of it, but you'll have to check it out for yourself... Futurama Character Stat Blocks. Continue reading →]]> http://diceofdoom.com/blog/2011/05/futurama-characters-dnd-stat-blocks/feed/ 0 http://diceofdoom.com/blog/2011/04/review-dragon-chow-dice-bags/ http://diceofdoom.com/blog/2011/04/review-dragon-chow-dice-bags/#comments Mon, 18 Apr 2011 05:53:34 +0000 RupertG http://diceofdoom.com/blog/?p=3075 In a recent podcast we talked about Dragon Chow Dice Bags and how awesome we thought they were. To do them justice, we thought we'd take the time to do a full review of the two that we received. Continue reading →]]> http://diceofdoom.com/blog/2011/04/review-dragon-chow-dice-bags/feed/ 4 http://diceofdoom.com/blog/2011/03/dice-of-doom-podcast-017-do-rules-really-matter-and-manipulating-character-generation-as-the-gm/ http://diceofdoom.com/blog/2011/03/dice-of-doom-podcast-017-do-rules-really-matter-and-manipulating-character-generation-as-the-gm/#comments Sun, 20 Mar 2011 04:33:09 +0000 RupertG http://diceofdoom.com/blog/?p=2924 In this episode of the Dice of Doom podcast we give an update on our All Flesh Must Be Eaten Campaign, we discuss Do Rules Really Matter and we investigate the topic of Manipulating Character Generation as one of the many roles of the GM. Continue reading →]]> http://diceofdoom.com/blog/2011/03/dice-of-doom-podcast-017-do-rules-really-matter-and-manipulating-character-generation-as-the-gm/feed/ 5 dnd, d&d, dungeons, dragons, roleplaying, rpg, all flesh must be eaten, afmbe, zombie, apocalypse DoD Podcast 017: Do Rules Really Matt In this episode of the Dice of Doom podcast we give an update on our All Flesh Must Be Eaten Campaign, we discuss Do Rules Really Matter and we investigate the topic of Manipulating Character Generation as one of the many roles of the GM. RupertG yes 52:30 http://diceofdoom.com/blog/2011/03/dice-of-doom-podcast-016-all-flesh-must-be-eaten-first-impressions-and-gamma-world-review/ http://diceofdoom.com/blog/2011/03/dice-of-doom-podcast-016-all-flesh-must-be-eaten-first-impressions-and-gamma-world-review/#comments Mon, 14 Mar 2011 11:58:47 +0000 RupertG http://diceofdoom.com/blog/?p=2876 In this episode of the podcast we lament the pulling of the Mountains of Madness movie, we discuss the Play a New RPG Month project, we give a brief update on our game Goblins!, we discuss our initial impressions of the zombie horror survivor game All Flesh Must Be Eaten and we review Gamma World. Continue reading →]]> http://diceofdoom.com/blog/2011/03/dice-of-doom-podcast-016-all-flesh-must-be-eaten-first-impressions-and-gamma-world-review/feed/ 8 Gamma World, All Flesh Must Be Eaten, RPG, DnD, D&D, Mountains of Madness, Cthulhu, Play a New RPG, Dungeons, Dragons, Dungeons & Dragons, Roleplaying DoD Podcast 016: All Flesh Must Be Eaten First Impressions and Gamma World Review In this episode of the podcast we lament the pulling of the Mountains of Madness movie, we discuss the Play a New RPG Month project, we give a brief update on our game Goblins!, we discuss our initial impressions of the zombie horror survivor game All Flesh Must Be Eaten and we review Gamma World. Gamma World was a game that we were a bit hesitant to try as it is based on the D&D4e ruleset, and our Grand Gaming Experiment is about trying out new games. It wasn't until Paul quite rightly pointed out that the other part of the experiment was to try settings that were completely new to us as well. With point clearly made, Gamma World was added to our roster. Listen to the podcast to find out what we thought of it. RupertG yes 45:25 http://diceofdoom.com/blog/2011/02/podcast-speeding-up-dnd4e-combat-using-morale-star-wars-roleplaying-game-saga-edition-review-and-minecraft-vs-dwarf-fortress/ http://diceofdoom.com/blog/2011/02/podcast-speeding-up-dnd4e-combat-using-morale-star-wars-roleplaying-game-saga-edition-review-and-minecraft-vs-dwarf-fortress/#comments Sat, 05 Feb 2011 05:54:20 +0000 RupertG http://diceofdoom.com/blog/?p=2743 In this interesting and exciting (and completely 'yorp' free) episode of the podcast we debate the virtues of Mincecraft vs Dwarf Fortress, we look at Speeding up D&D4e Combat by using Morale and we review the Star Wars Roleplaying Game: Saga Edition. Continue reading →]]> http://diceofdoom.com/blog/2011/02/podcast-speeding-up-dnd4e-combat-using-morale-star-wars-roleplaying-game-saga-edition-review-and-minecraft-vs-dwarf-fortress/feed/ 4 DnD, rpg, D&D, dnd4e roleplaying, games, gaming, Dungeons & Dragons, Star Wars, Minecraft, Dwarf Fortress DoD Podcast 012: Speeding up D&D4e Combat Using Morale, Star Wars Roleplaying Game review and Minecraft vs Dwarf Fortress In this interesting and exciting (and completely 'yorp' free) episode of the podcast we debate the virtues of Mincecraft vs Dwarf Fortress, we look at Speeding up D&D4e Combat by using Morale and we review the Star Wars Roleplaying Game: Saga Edition. Over the course of the year we are testing out 12 different games run by 6 members of our gaming group. The latest of these was Star Wars Roleplaying Game: Saga Edition. In our review of the game we look at character generation, how the d20 rules were adapted to suit the game and the benefits and problems associated with playing in the Star Wars Universe. RupertG yes 42:49 http://diceofdoom.com/blog/2011/01/dice-of-doom-podcast-011-new-years-gaming-resolutions-100-rogues-review-and-tips-for-new-and-beginning-gms/ http://diceofdoom.com/blog/2011/01/dice-of-doom-podcast-011-new-years-gaming-resolutions-100-rogues-review-and-tips-for-new-and-beginning-gms/#comments Sat, 29 Jan 2011 23:27:27 +0000 RupertG http://diceofdoom.com/blog/?p=2729 In this episode of the Dice of Doom podcast we discuss our New Years Gaming Resolutions, and we do a review of the iPhone game 100 Rogues (and reminisce about old rogue-like games). Our main topic of discussion is titled 'GM'ing: Rotating the Pain, or, Advice for Beginning GM's'. Continue reading →]]> http://diceofdoom.com/blog/2011/01/dice-of-doom-podcast-011-new-years-gaming-resolutions-100-rogues-review-and-tips-for-new-and-beginning-gms/feed/ 3 D&D, roleplaying, GM'ing, Dungeons, Dragons, DM, 100 Rogues, gaming, rpg, Dungeon Mastering, Games Mastering, DoD Podcast 011: New Years Gaming Resolutions, 100 Rogues Review and GM'ing 101 In this episode we discuss our New Years Gaming Resolutions, and we do a review of the iPhone game 100 Rogues. Our main topic of discussion is titled 'GM'ing: Rotating the Pain, or, Advice for Beginning GM's'. As part of our Grand Gaming Experiment many of our players are picking up the Games Mastering mantle for the first time. We thought we'd take the opportunity to discuss some strategies that can help a new GM run a successful game. The discussion covers the basics of character generation, world creation and when and how to use the rules from a Games Master's perspective. RupertG yes 39:27 http://diceofdoom.com/blog/2010/11/wotc-is-finally-releasing-the-dnd-virtual-gaming-table-and-its-to-a-browser/ http://diceofdoom.com/blog/2010/11/wotc-is-finally-releasing-the-dnd-virtual-gaming-table-and-its-to-a-browser/#comments Fri, 19 Nov 2010 05:56:37 +0000 RupertG http://diceofdoom.com/blog/?p=2665 Wizards of the Coast have announced that they are finally going to be releasing the Virtual Gaming Table product that they promised and then cancelled so many years ago. Continue reading →]]> http://diceofdoom.com/blog/2010/11/wotc-is-finally-releasing-the-dnd-virtual-gaming-table-and-its-to-a-browser/feed/ 8 http://diceofdoom.com/blog/2010/11/dice-of-doom-podcast-009-ddi-character-generator-online-dragon-age-dealing-with-absent-players/ http://diceofdoom.com/blog/2010/11/dice-of-doom-podcast-009-ddi-character-generator-online-dragon-age-dealing-with-absent-players/#comments Thu, 11 Nov 2010 11:32:14 +0000 RupertG http://diceofdoom.com/blog/?p=2645 This week we discuss the move of D&D Insider's Character Generator to the web, our experiences playing Dragon Age and our thoughts on absentee players from game. Continue reading →]]> http://diceofdoom.com/blog/2010/11/dice-of-doom-podcast-009-ddi-character-generator-online-dragon-age-dealing-with-absent-players/feed/ 16 dnd, d&d, dungeons, dragons, dragon age, rpg, roleplaying DoD Podcast 009: DDI Character Generator Online, Dragon Age, Dealing with Absent Players This week we discuss the move of D&D Insider's Character Generator to the web which allows Mac users and Linux users to access this excellent tool. We also discuss our experiences playing Dragon Age and our thoughts on the system. For our main discussion we look at dealing with absent players. Frequently groups will experience missing players from the gaming table. How the party deals with this can have a significant impact on the campaign, the game and the players involved. We look at ways to handle this often common situation. RupertG yes 49:52 http://diceofdoom.com/blog/2010/11/dnd-insiders-character-generator-coming-to-the-web-browser/ http://diceofdoom.com/blog/2010/11/dnd-insiders-character-generator-coming-to-the-web-browser/#comments Wed, 03 Nov 2010 00:46:18 +0000 RupertG http://diceofdoom.com/blog/?p=2615 One of the great frustrations of Dungeons & Dragons Insider subscriptions is the Windows only software that you are provided with. This is all due to change on November 16 as Wizards of the Coast announce that their Character Generation Tool is going online for the first time. Continue reading →]]> http://diceofdoom.com/blog/2010/11/dnd-insiders-character-generator-coming-to-the-web-browser/feed/ 9 http://diceofdoom.com/blog/2010/10/dice-of-doom-podcast-008-weather-in-rpgs-and-lots-of-other-stuff/ http://diceofdoom.com/blog/2010/10/dice-of-doom-podcast-008-weather-in-rpgs-and-lots-of-other-stuff/#comments Thu, 21 Oct 2010 11:46:08 +0000 RupertG http://diceofdoom.com/blog/?p=2588 This week we discuss the ad for the new Dungeons & Dragons Red Box, the release of the new version of The Masks of Nyarlathotep for Call of Cthulhu, the new web-series from Dead Gentlemen Productions called Journey Quest and Using Weather in Roleplaying Games. Continue reading →]]> http://diceofdoom.com/blog/2010/10/dice-of-doom-podcast-008-weather-in-rpgs-and-lots-of-other-stuff/feed/ 0 dnd, d&d, rpg, dungeons & dragons, roleplaying, rpg, cthulhu 008: Weather in RPG's (and lots of other stuff too) This week we discuss the ad for the new Dungeons & Dragons Red Box, the release of the new version of The Masks of Nyarlathotep for Call of Cthulhu, the new web-series from Dead Gentlemen Productions called Journey Quest and Using Weather in Roleplaying Games. Often weather takes a back seat in RPG's when in reality it would frequently affect how the player characters would be interacting with their environment. Weather would also form significant challenges in most fantasy settings, yet is rarely used to good effect. We discuss strategies for implementing the use of weather in your campaigns. RupertG yes 44:31