http://diceofdoom.com/blog The Dice of Doom is a blog about gaming, being a gamer and general interest content suitable for nerds. Mon, 06 Feb 2012 11:12:02 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 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/ 3 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 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 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/ 9 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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