On a change in perspective

Well great . . . shit's gonna get weird, isn't it? Apologies, dear reader, but it turns out I'm having another moment. I think I might call it an epiphany. To be honest, I've had several over the past year but I think it's just now that they're all coming together in a manner that...

On the passage of time in TTRPGs (part I)

Back in 2020, I started work on a series of articles examining Richard Garfield's Characteristics of Games. My intent was to take the theme of the text ~ defining game characteristics or attributes, from an academic perspective ~ and apply it to TTRPGs. You can find the articles linked through this page. What I'd like...

The Characteristics of RPGs: Misbehavior

My notes on this section begin with "the inherently social nature of RPGs" but as I sat down to write, it occurred to me that I haven't exactly explored the distinction between one type of game and another, in regard to their nature as a social activity. In other words, how exactly is a tabletop...

On wrestling with reputation

I've been working on my game's rules, focusing a goodly portion of my attention on things like editing, formatting, organization, creating tables, and so on. I've even found a "wiki-like" online hosting platform that offers a neat map feature, where you can zoom in and out for better details, and link articles to specific locations....

On the limitations of role-playing games

https://youtu.be/ax7f3JZJHSw This is the first video in a short series that's titled (as the reader can see): "Gaming for a Non-Gamer." The concept is simple: Razbuten, the YouTuber making these videos, plays lots of video games but his wife (a.k.a. The Lady He Lives With) does not. So he hands her a controller and queues...

On a process of elimination

Start with a blank Excel document: In cell A1 through D1, write "value", "sort", "roll" and "encounter result" (in that order). In cell A2, write this formula: =RANDBETWEEN(1,1000000) In cell D2, write this formula: =IF(RANDBETWEEN(1,2)=1,"encounter #"&RANDBETWEEN(1,100),"monster #"&RANDBETWEEN(1,100)) Highlight cells A1 through D2 and turn it into a table: Click and drag the lower right corner...

The Characteristics of RPGs: Game Customization

We should take care when examining this particular characteristic of games, in regard to roleplaying games, because the hobby as a whole has . . . a bit of a reputation. It's one of the defining characteristics of RPGs, one of the things that people mention almost immediately when describing the game to an outsider:...

On confusion

A particularly frustrating dimension of returning to this site after so many months of . . . ::gestures vaguely at everything:: . . . is my inability to locate prior writings. Like, I've been able to sift through previous posts on just about any topic, finding the one that says the thing I'm trying to...

On magic sub-systems

I'm working through the spells for my game ~ a laborious process that involves several different angles at one time, which is easily bogged down by obsessing over systems, hierarchies and unrelated details ~ all of which easily makes for worthwhile writing material . . . but there is one topic that's on my mind...

On titans

D&D5e does not include an entry for titans. Rather, the term is used to describe certain creatures of immense power and legendary status. The kraken and the tarrasque are "titans," in this sense. Yet the classic creature, going back to the early days of 1st and 2nd Editions, remains in the latest version as the...