Author Archives: Brent
Faction Friday: Lystrata, Lamia of the Lost Library
Deep in the wilderness, an ancient stone ziggurat squats, its vine-covered walls slowly crumbling to time. Many secrets and wonders lie within this monument to a dead civilization, and a new resident patiently plumbs its depths. A lamia named Lystrata has taken up residence inside this complex, which contains everything from ball courts to baths … Continue reading
Monster Monday: Frost Mites
Sometimes, you want to give your players a monster that they can’t just whack or shoot at willy-nilly. Today, I present frost mites, tiny arthropods that leech heat out directly out of their prey. Normally, frost mites are barely noticeable pests; a hand covered with half a dozen mites will feel uncomfortably cold, but hardly … Continue reading
Faction Friday: Gyllehaal and His Orcs
Gyllehaal, an old gnome, has seen a lot in his life. He spent decades adventuring unluckily; he can barely remember how often he was captured and beaten within an inch of his life, or a treasure chest turned out to be empty, or a valuable gem slipped from his grasp and went careening down a … Continue reading
Inspiration in the SEA OF DEATH
I recently finished a fantasy novel set in the Greyhawk universe, written by none other than Gary Gygax. It’s “The Sea of Death,” starring his character Gord the Rogue. First off: It’s a rollicking D&D-esque adventure and a fun diversion. However, it also contains a number of insights about how Gary expected D&D adventures to … Continue reading
Faction Friday: Amethyst of the Jeweled Ones
Amethyst, a lively and mysterious young tiefling woman with a penchant for long, shimmering green dresses and high society parties, secretly leads a society of spellcasters. As far as most people know, she’s simply an independently wealthy ex-adventurer with an infectious laugh and a shrewd mind. But several nights a week, she meets with others … Continue reading
How to Run Stranger Things in The Whispering Road
With the Kickstarter for Kids on Bikes combined with talk of the Dark Places & Demogorgons RPG, I thought I’d write a post about using The Whispering Road to run a Stranger Things game. The Whispering Road is actually ideal for this. You’ll want to decide whether you’re just playing the kids or whether you’re … Continue reading
On Teenage Punk Tabletop RPG Design
James Raggi IV (designer of Lamentations of the Flame Princess) posted this on Google+ a few days ago (this is just the middle part): I ask you: When did innovation and pissing off the establishment become something that smelly old farts did? Seriously. I think about the history of heavy metal, and how the groundbreaking acts, … Continue reading
Faction Friday: Anne Arundel’s Cotton Knitwear of Doom
Who can truly predict popularity? Certain bright, patchy-patterned scarves, vests, and other knitwear have become hugely popular of late. Everyone knows they’re knitted by the innumerable women who form the loose coalition known as Anne Arundel’s Cotton Knitwear. AACK, as it’s more commonly known, formed around the prodigious knitted output of its eponymous founder. Anne … Continue reading
Character Creation using the Inverse Barker Mechanic
As I’ve been thinking about how to use the Inverse Barker Mechanic (roll d100 in any difficult situation; higher is better), I think there are (at least!) 2 immediate problems to solve: How do you create characters that are “balanced?” That is, how do you keep one player from just having maximum stats in everything? … Continue reading
Faction Friday: Sir Jon Emberfall
Sir Jon Emberfall is one of the city’s more wealthy nobles. He’s used his wealth wisely, spending extra on public works while ensuring his wealth continues to grow. Never married, without an obvious protege, and definitely on the far side of middle age, some have started to wonder aloud what will happen to his money … Continue reading