Wallflower unfurls Petals reach towards the sun Longing for its touch For more of my poetry, check out Poetry for the Sad, Lonely and Hopelessly Endangered and The All or the Nothing, available in print or e-book formats. Click here … Continue reading Wallflower. A haiku.
Alignments are a leftover from the days of old school role playing. Originally there were three—Lawful, Neutral and Chaotic. Then Mr. Gygax decided in AD&D that he’d spice it up a little by adding Good, Neutral and Evil suffixes to … Continue reading Laidback DM: Alignments in Games
Timed and untimed, A chaos of raindrops Upon a sleepy roof Filling gutters and trailing Spume in snail trails That wind their way Drinking toasts to those Whose evaporation From the scene Left such a hole In awkward conversation. The … Continue reading Binge. A poem.
The products from my last Kickstarter, including Shotglass Adventures II, are now available in PDF/print on DrivethruRPG. Here’s a look at the printed version of the book: SHOTGLASS ADVENTURES II For D&D 5e and other OSR fantasy role playing games. … Continue reading Laidback DM: Shotglass Adventures II available in print!
So what exactly is a sandbox? And how does it relate to RPGs? ‘Sandboxing’ is where you let your players loose in the world to do whatever they want. Give them a map and they decide where they go and … Continue reading Laidback DM: Playing in the Sandbox
Too many regrets upon my worn and well-used slate, to be reviewed when l stand alone at Heaven’s gate. No just reward for me, I’m told. The chains won’t break that bind me to this certain and uncertain fate. I’ve … Continue reading Too Many. A poem.
So you scored a natural 20 on that saving throw? Awesome. You passed. Doesn’t sound as great when you think about it, now does it. But what if you got something a little extra to celebrate with? Here’s some ideas … Continue reading Laidback DM: Saving Throws – the Nat 20 Bonus
Damn fool Believing you’re good enough Damn fool For thinking you got it made Damn fool For believing in life and love Damn fool Taking belief to your grave Damn fool I still believe in you Damn fool Maybe you … Continue reading Damn Fool. A poem.
Every time I GM an RPG, whether it be D&D, Stars Without Number, Numenera, Kids On Bikes or another genre, the players take it upon themselves to split their party because some want to do one thing and others want … Continue reading Splitting the Party: strength in numbers? Nah!!
Pale droplets cascade Down gray-faced facades Of dimpled iron will Collecting the residue Of dusty acrimony Along their chaotic Weatherbeaten paths. Pools of mercury Dance in the afterglow Rising and falling To the somber occasion And recalling times And memories … Continue reading Rainfall. A poem.
I’m a huge fan of maps. I draw lots of them, and occasionally give them away free on this site. But I’m a bit old school when it comes to my preferences. I love hand drawn maps, but I’m not … Continue reading Fantasy Maps – hand drawn vs. digital
Today: All at once, there’s no one there, the dark, an isolation tank. The world outside faded away, a post-apocalyptic prank. Tomorrow: The light here that lingers on, electric in the morning dew. This joyous, often mellow song that shows … Continue reading Today/Tomorrow. A poem.
Flanking is an optional rule in D&D 5e, generally used with miniatures (although you can also use it in theater-of-the-mind combat if you want—I do). Flanking is where two or more miniatures ‘surround’ another (which we’ll call the 3rd), on … Continue reading Flanking: Good Team Work or Unbalancing the Game?
I reach the zenith And immediately fall Too much gravity For more of my poetry, check out Poetry for the Sad, Lonely and Hopelessly Endangered and The All or the Nothing, available in print or e-book formats. Click here to … Continue reading Zenith. A haiku.
The manual transmission sticks at times, a reminder that we need a service and I need to find a new place for my engine to unwind. There was a time when things were simpler, when you could change the sparks … Continue reading Time to drive. a poem.
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