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/2012/02/dice-of-doom-podcast-037-lady-blackbird-religion-in-rpgs-and-dealing-with-a-large-gaming-group/ http://diceofdoom.com/blog/2012/02/dice-of-doom-podcast-037-lady-blackbird-religion-in-rpgs-and-dealing-with-a-large-gaming-group/#comments Mon, 06 Feb 2012 11:12:02 +0000 RupertG http://diceofdoom.com/blog/?p=3642 In this episode of the DoDcast we discuss our early impressions of Lady Blackbird, discuss the role of religions in roleplaying games and discuss ways of dealing with a large gaming group. Continue reading →]]> http://diceofdoom.com/blog/2012/02/dice-of-doom-podcast-037-lady-blackbird-religion-in-rpgs-and-dealing-with-a-large-gaming-group/feed/ 10 lady blackbird, dungeons & dragons, roleplaying, rpg, dnd, d&d, gaming, DoD Podcast 037: Lady Blackbird, Religion in RPGs and Dealing with a Large Gaming Group In what we hope is a solid case of better late than never we present episode 037 of the DoDCast recorded in mid October of last year. This episode we discuss our initial impressions of Lady Blackbird (the Ennie Award winning free Indie RPG), discuss the effective use of religions in your roleplaying campaigns (via Symatt) and we look at ways to deal with an extremely large gaming group (via Jrronimo). RupertG yes 43:02 http://diceofdoom.com/blog/2011/10/post-by-band-of-misfits-discussing-how-to-switch-up-your-skill-checks-in-dnd/ http://diceofdoom.com/blog/2011/10/post-by-band-of-misfits-discussing-how-to-switch-up-your-skill-checks-in-dnd/#comments Thu, 20 Oct 2011 22:13:26 +0000 RupertG http://diceofdoom.com/blog/?p=3563 Recently, in one of our podcasts, we discussed the idea of rolling your skill checks first in response to a challenge and THEN roleplaying the resulting success or failure. For example, you would roll your diplomacy check, and then you'd roleplay the resulting success or failure based on the result. The idea has been picked up and run with by the guys at Roving Band of Misfits who discuss it at length, along with some very useful rule interpretations for implementing it in your D&D 4e game. It is well worth the read. Continue reading →]]> http://diceofdoom.com/blog/2011/10/post-by-band-of-misfits-discussing-how-to-switch-up-your-skill-checks-in-dnd/feed/ 0 http://diceofdoom.com/blog/2011/10/dice-of-doom-podcast-034-dragon-warriors-review-tpks-whos-to-blame-and-win-your-character-a-set-of-steak-knives/ http://diceofdoom.com/blog/2011/10/dice-of-doom-podcast-034-dragon-warriors-review-tpks-whos-to-blame-and-win-your-character-a-set-of-steak-knives/#comments Wed, 05 Oct 2011 04:13:33 +0000 RupertG http://diceofdoom.com/blog/?p=3553 In this episode of the Dice of Doom podcast we review Dragon Warriors through hopefully not particularly rose coloured glasses. We discuss the question "Total Party Kills:Who's to blame?" and what's more, identify exactly who it is. We also, as part of Play a New RPG Month, are offering you the chance to win your Character a set of Steak Knives in game. Continue reading →]]> http://diceofdoom.com/blog/2011/10/dice-of-doom-podcast-034-dragon-warriors-review-tpks-whos-to-blame-and-win-your-character-a-set-of-steak-knives/feed/ 0 Dragon Warriors, Dungeons & Dragons, DnD, Roleplaying, Roleplaying Games, Play a New RPG, PANRPG DoD Podcast 034: Dragon Warriors Review, TPKs: Who's to Blame? and Win your Character a set of Steak Knives In this episode of the Dice of Doom podcast we review Dragon Warriors through hopefully not particularly rose coloured glasses. We discuss the question "Total Party Kills:Who's to blame?" and what's more, identify exactly who it is. We also, as part of Play a New RPG Month, are offering you the chance to win your Character a set of Steak Knives in game*. That's right, we will write the rules, compose a short note to your GM and email you a certificate of authenticity that we scribble up if you let us know what your group is playing for the month of October RupertG yes 49:06 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/the-angry-dm-challenges-you-to-solve-a-puzzle/ http://diceofdoom.com/blog/2011/08/the-angry-dm-challenges-you-to-solve-a-puzzle/#comments Mon, 22 Aug 2011 23:26:27 +0000 RupertG http://diceofdoom.com/blog/?p=3461 Our good friend and all round good guy The Angry DM is running a competition on his site in a most interesting fashion. To win the prize you need to solve a puzzle given in the form of a script from a gaming table. All the clues are present in the conversations of the players and GM. You need to piece together what the party should have done to solve the riddle. Continue reading →]]> http://diceofdoom.com/blog/2011/08/the-angry-dm-challenges-you-to-solve-a-puzzle/feed/ 14 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/the-role-of-the-gm-it%e2%80%99s-time-to-get-over-yourself/ http://diceofdoom.com/blog/2011/07/the-role-of-the-gm-it%e2%80%99s-time-to-get-over-yourself/#comments Wed, 27 Jul 2011 13:00:30 +0000 Oalin http://diceofdoom.com/blog/?p=3417 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 →]]> http://diceofdoom.com/blog/2011/07/the-role-of-the-gm-it%e2%80%99s-time-to-get-over-yourself/feed/ 16 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/mixing-up-your-roleplaying-game-cast-of-characters-roleplaying/ http://diceofdoom.com/blog/2011/06/mixing-up-your-roleplaying-game-cast-of-characters-roleplaying/#comments Tue, 21 Jun 2011 15:00:21 +0000 RupertG http://diceofdoom.com/blog/?p=3340 During the conversation in the podcast we discussed the idea of handing over control of a couple of the recurring characters to one or two of your regular players. The idea being that they would then play out the characters based on the motivations and knowledge that these characters would have. This we have been calling Cast of Characters Roleplaying. Continue reading →]]> http://diceofdoom.com/blog/2011/06/mixing-up-your-roleplaying-game-cast-of-characters-roleplaying/feed/ 0 http://diceofdoom.com/blog/2011/05/dice-of-doom-podcast-022-vampire-the-masquerade-review-and-running-an-investigative-rpg/ http://diceofdoom.com/blog/2011/05/dice-of-doom-podcast-022-vampire-the-masquerade-review-and-running-an-investigative-rpg/#comments Fri, 20 May 2011 20:00:53 +0000 RupertG http://diceofdoom.com/blog/?p=3218 In this episode we review Vampire: The Masquerade which we have just finished playing as part of our Grand Gaming Experiment and we look at running investigative style roleplaying games. Continue reading →]]> http://diceofdoom.com/blog/2011/05/dice-of-doom-podcast-022-vampire-the-masquerade-review-and-running-an-investigative-rpg/feed/ 3 d&D, DnD, roleplaying, gaming, vampire the masquerade, VtM, dungeons & dragons, cthulhu, lovecraft, horror DoD Podcast 022: Vampire: The Masquerade Review & Running an Investigative Roleplaying Game In this episode we review Vampire: The Masquerade which we have just finished playing as part of our Grand Gaming Experiment and we look at running investigative style roleplaying games. After the completion of our Vampire: The Masquerade game we started discussing how often we had run games where the PC's were put in positions of having to investigate mysteries, crimes, conspiracies and the like. An investigative game suits any setting you may be playing from high fantasy through to a gritty Call of Cthulhu game. If you have ever thought that you might like to cast your players in the roles of detectives, sleuths, or hapless bystanders who get caught up in a conspiracy, we have a look at how to run these games along with tips to giving hints to your players to avoid the awful "I don't know what to do next..." problem that often plagues games of this sort. RupertG yes 33:42 http://diceofdoom.com/blog/2011/05/dice-of-doom-podcast-021-vampire-the-masquerade-confessions-of-a-newbie-gm-and-an-introduction-to-hp-lovecraft-and-the-cthulhu-mythos/ http://diceofdoom.com/blog/2011/05/dice-of-doom-podcast-021-vampire-the-masquerade-confessions-of-a-newbie-gm-and-an-introduction-to-hp-lovecraft-and-the-cthulhu-mythos/#comments Sat, 14 May 2011 20:00:14 +0000 RupertG http://diceofdoom.com/blog/?p=3148 In this episode our topics are Vampire: The Masquerade, Confessions of a Newbie GM and An Introduction to the writings of HP Lovecraft and the Cthulhu Mythos. Continue reading →]]> http://diceofdoom.com/blog/2011/05/dice-of-doom-podcast-021-vampire-the-masquerade-confessions-of-a-newbie-gm-and-an-introduction-to-hp-lovecraft-and-the-cthulhu-mythos/feed/ 0 D&D, DnD, roleplaying, gaming, vampire the masquerade, VtM, dungeons & dragons, cthulhu, lovecraft, horror DoD Podcast 021: Vampire: The Masquerade, Confessions of a Newbie GM and An Introduction to HP Lovecraft and the Cthulhu Mythos In this episode our topics are Vampire: The Masquerade, Confessions of a Newbie GM and An Introduction to the writings of HP Lovecraft and the Cthulhu Mythos. As Lisette is not only running Vampire: The Masquerade, it is also her first* time running a game as a GM. We thought we'd ask her how her first experience GM'ing was going. We talk about the pits and hurdles that newbie GM's often experience and some ways to overcome them. We also have a chat with special guest Mardo about the writings of HP Lovecraft and where to start with his voluminous writings. If you are interested in learning more about the Cthulhu Mythos, then this topic should have you covered. RupertG yes 46:55 http://diceofdoom.com/blog/2011/04/an-excellent-post-on-five-senses-description-in-gming-rpgs/ http://diceofdoom.com/blog/2011/04/an-excellent-post-on-five-senses-description-in-gming-rpgs/#comments Wed, 13 Apr 2011 00:50:14 +0000 RupertG http://diceofdoom.com/blog/?p=3063 Recently we discussed using Five Senses Descriptions in roleplaying games as a means to further create immersive environments for your players to explore on our podcast. This idea has been taken and run with by Benoit over at Roving Band of Misfits blog. You can read the post here. Continue reading →]]> http://diceofdoom.com/blog/2011/04/an-excellent-post-on-five-senses-description-in-gming-rpgs/feed/ 0 http://diceofdoom.com/blog/2011/03/dice-of-doom-podcast-015-play-a-new-rpg-month-gamma-world-initial-impressions-using-all-5-senses-in-gming/ http://diceofdoom.com/blog/2011/03/dice-of-doom-podcast-015-play-a-new-rpg-month-gamma-world-initial-impressions-using-all-5-senses-in-gming/#comments Sat, 05 Mar 2011 20:00:25 +0000 RupertG http://diceofdoom.com/blog/?p=2839 This week we discuss our new project Play A New RPG Month, our initial impressions of Gamma World and Using All Five Senses in GM'ing. Continue reading →]]> http://diceofdoom.com/blog/2011/03/dice-of-doom-podcast-015-play-a-new-rpg-month-gamma-world-initial-impressions-using-all-5-senses-in-gming/feed/ 0 gamma world, rpg,GMing,roleplaying, play a new rpg, dnd, gaming, dungeons, dragons DoD Podcast 013: Play a New RPG Month, Gamma World Initial Impressions & Using All 5 Senses in GM'ing This week we discuss our new project Play A New RPG Month, our initial impressions of Gamma World and Using All Five Senses in GM'ing. Play a New RPG is an idea that has been kicking around in our head for a while now is to start a campaign to get as many gaming groups as possible to try a new rpg for a month, to break the mould and experience something new. We've been doing the extreme version of this for the last 4 months and we have found it to be extremely rewarding. For this reason we have started Play a New RPG Month to be held in October. You can visit the website at playanewrpg.com for suggestions of what games to try, tips on running the month and to let us know what your group is trying out. RupertG yes 42:19 http://diceofdoom.com/blog/2011/02/dice-of-doom-podcast-014-at-the-mountains-of-madness-movie-zombie-cthulhu-dice-review-and-choosing-balanced-or-unbalanced-encounters/ http://diceofdoom.com/blog/2011/02/dice-of-doom-podcast-014-at-the-mountains-of-madness-movie-zombie-cthulhu-dice-review-and-choosing-balanced-or-unbalanced-encounters/#comments Sun, 27 Feb 2011 06:01:35 +0000 RupertG http://diceofdoom.com/blog/?p=2842 In this episode of the Dice of Doom podcast we discuss the recent news that James Cameron is planning to make the H.P. Lovecraft novella At the Mountains of Madness into a movie, we review Zombie Dice and Cthulhu Dice and we debate the value of balancing encounters or leaving them more realistic. Continue reading →]]> http://diceofdoom.com/blog/2011/02/dice-of-doom-podcast-014-at-the-mountains-of-madness-movie-zombie-cthulhu-dice-review-and-choosing-balanced-or-unbalanced-encounters/feed/ 4 rolemaster, rpg, dnd, dragons, dungeon, cthulhu, lovecraft, roleplaying, d&d, gaming, zombie dice DoD Podcast 014: At the Mountains of Madness Movie, Zombie & Cthulhu Dice Review and Choosing Balanced or Unbalanced Encounters In this episode of the Dice of Doom podcast we discuss the recent news that James Cameron is planning to make the H.P. Lovecraft novella At the Mountains of Madness into a movie, we review Zombie Dice and Cthulhu Dice and we debate the value of balancing encounters or leaving them more realistic. One of the key components to a lot of Roleplaying Games is the inclusion of a mechanic to balance encounters, or in other words, make sure that the players will always have a chance of winning a combat. This leads to a situation where players may feel that they are always in a position to win a combat and will likely behave as such. It also does not reflect the real world (well, in-as-much as a Fantasy RPG could be considered 'real'). We discuss the relative merits of each methodology and look at examples of games that handle it differently. RupertG yes 37:31 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/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/introduction-to-using-emotions-in-rpgs/ http://diceofdoom.com/blog/2010/11/introduction-to-using-emotions-in-rpgs/#comments Mon, 08 Nov 2010 09:59:36 +0000 Ellisthion http://diceofdoom.com/blog/?p=2636 We, as humans, are emotional creatures. We enjoy experiencing emotions, and a lot of the media we have (games, films, books, etc) focus on using our emotions to tell a story or create enjoyment. Understanding how people react to stimuli has been increasingly important in game design lately. Creating emotional situations in RPGs is tricky, however, because the form of RPGs can restrict you a lot, but you need look no further than the horror roleplaying genre to see what you can do. In this post we’ll look at some of the basic emotions, and an overview of including them in games. Continue reading →]]> http://diceofdoom.com/blog/2010/11/introduction-to-using-emotions-in-rpgs/feed/ 1 http://diceofdoom.com/blog/2010/10/masks-of-nyarlathotep-released/ http://diceofdoom.com/blog/2010/10/masks-of-nyarlathotep-released/#comments Fri, 29 Oct 2010 02:45:12 +0000 Cuchulain http://diceofdoom.com/blog/?p=2598 At last the stars are once again aligned, and the great campaign Masks of Nyarlathotep has been unleashed on the world!… Again. The prophecy has been fulfilled! Not only is it re-released, but you have your choice of different formats: … Continue reading →]]> http://diceofdoom.com/blog/2010/10/masks-of-nyarlathotep-released/feed/ 0 http://diceofdoom.com/blog/2010/10/the-dice-of-doom-roleplaying-game-campaign-hooks-002/ http://diceofdoom.com/blog/2010/10/the-dice-of-doom-roleplaying-game-campaign-hooks-002/#comments Sun, 10 Oct 2010 13:01:17 +0000 RupertG http://diceofdoom.com/blog/?p=2529 Once again we bring you a collection of story and plot hooks to help out when running your roleplaying games. This week we focus on fantasy roleplaying games. Continue reading →]]> http://diceofdoom.com/blog/2010/10/the-dice-of-doom-roleplaying-game-campaign-hooks-002/feed/ 5