If you’ve played Dungeons & Dragons for more than a few months, chances are you’ve met someone who’s gone through DM burnout. DMing can be one of the most rewarding experiences on the planet, but it can also be trying at times. Most DMs get to the place where they feel like they need to take a break from D&D, or at least come out from behind the screen and just play for a while.

Unfortunately, playing isn’t always an option. While there are those that prefer to DM, the fact is that most of us have the role thrust upon us by the D&D group. If we don’t DM, chances are pretty good no one is going to be playing Dungeons & Dragons.

So, what do you do? Well, you can take some time of altogether. That’s one option. Sometimes, though, you simply need to look at your game from some different angles. Decide that you’re going to freshen up your game, and then do it.

Here are some techniques I’ve used that work wonders for keeping my D&D game fresh:

1. Ditch your tried and true story ideas. One of the first things DMs tend to do when their inspiration wanes is to fall back on things that have worked before. Whether it’s betrayal by the party’s benefactor or whether it’s that same old evil wizard with a different name, avoid the temptation to raise the dead. Let ‘em stay right where they are, as good memories.
2. Get inspired. There are tons of sources of inspiration for D&D. Read a good novel, or watch a movie. It doesn’t even have to be fantasy. In fact, a good Western can give give you great ideas for your D&D game. A fantasy novel or movie can actually serve to make things worse, as you find yourself simply identifying familiar tropes.
3. Play a different game. There are tons of games you can play that aren’t D&D, but that can help your D&D game stay fresh. Try a session or two of Vampire, run a supers game, or play a little Call of Cthulu. If you have a hard time convincing your regular group to do so, try something new at a convention.
4. Figure out what excites your players. Excitement at the D&D table is contagious. Figure out what would really get your players involved in the game. This isn’t as hard as it sounds. In most cases, it simply comes down to asking for their help.
5. Dig into a published campaign setting for ideas. Even if you’re not running a Shadowfell-based game, there’s plenty you can draw from the campaign setting. Same holds true for Dark Sun or Neverwinter. One of my best campaigns was based entirely around a mid-level necromancer in the Cult of the Dragon who had about a 200-word writeup in the 2nd Edition Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting.

So, what about you? What do you all do to keep your campaigns fresh?

photo credit: danoxster

photo credit: PopCultureGeek.com

One of the tropes I find myself using over and over again in my Dungeons & Dragons campaigns is time travel. I’m sure part of it comes from watching Back to the Future about 5,000 times before I reached the age of 21, but there’s also something inherently interesting about the concept inside and outside of D&D.

Think, for a minute, about some of the time travel stories in literature and pop culture. There’s Dr. Who and the TARDIS, of course; there are movies like 12 Monkeys and the Butterfly Effect that explore time moving backwards and forwards. Even Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure hones in on the idea. It’s no wonder it winds up in our Dungeons & Dragons games.

The trick with using time travel in your D&D game is to do it in such a way that the players can see and appreciate your unique take.

Here are some of the ways you can play around with time in your D&D campaign:

• Run a Groundhog Day-like session where the party has to keep reliving a day, an encounter, or an entire adventure over and over until they get it right.
• Create an entire campaign or campaign arc focussed on fixing multiple temporal problems, ala Dr. Who.
• Send the characters backward in time where they can fiddle with their own pasts, or where they can chaange/witness the world-shaking events of your campaign’s history.
• Send them forward in time to get a glimpse of where their current path might lead.
• Design an episodic campaign, in which you don’t play through the 30 levels, but rather spend a few sessions at interval levels : 1st, 5th, 9th, 11th, etc. This is an especially good choice if yours is only an occasional game, but you want to experience gameplay throughout the tiers.

My current campaign uses that last idea a little bit. We wanted to play a paragon-tier game, but didn’t want to have to start out at 11th level cold, with no history or play experience. So, I ran several “flashback” sessions at key levels throughout heroic tier, and filled in the details in-between. We’re now at 11th level and we’ll continue with normal progression.

So, what about you? What are some ways you have used time travel in your game? Are there ideas you’ve been wanting to try, but haven’t yet?

Just over three years ago, I speculated in a post on this blog about how, regardless of how good or bad Dungeons & Dragons 4E would turn out to be, I wasn’t likely to start playing Pathfinder. That post, for good or bad, has become one of the most-read (and most-commented) posts on this blog.

In some ways, that phenomenon is less about what I actually wrote and more about how angry and frustrated some gamers were in the wake of the 4E announcement. The gist of that post was, more or less, “I’m not going to run Pathfinder because I’m ready for something new. 3E is played out for me, and no amount of tweaking will fix it.” There was more to it, which you’re welcome to read for yourself.

At any rate, it’s now late 2011 and my position hasn’t changed. I’m not running Pathfinder. Some of my old reasons have dropped away (exactly as I predicted they would). For example, I said back then that Pathfinder wasn’t a proven system. It wasn’t. Today it is. I also said back then that Pathfinder would probably prove to be a fine game. It most certainly seems to be. But it’s not for me, and here’s why:

1. Pathfinder doesn’t fix my fundamental problem with 3E – system mastery. This topic has been explored elsewhere, but the bottom line is this: in 3E, there is a wide variance in character power based on the player’s degree of system mastery. This makes it frustratingly difficult to create balanced encounters, and it frankly turns off some of my players. While Pathfinder certainly seems to have “fixed” some problems, the core design element that I most dislike in 3E is still present. See below for more on this.
2. Pathfinder doesn’t have the deep product line that D&D has. There are plenty of good Pathfinder products out there, and plenty of good third-party Pathfinder products, too. However, Pathfinder has yet to match D&D in terms of the wide variety of products available – from DDI to the board game line to the new box sets and more. This isn’t a bad thing for some folks. In my case, I really like lining my shelves with cool books and having tons of resources.
3. The Organized Play component of Pathfinder is less supported (at least in my area) than D&D’s Organized Play. Every Wednesday, I walk into my Friendly Local Gaming Store and play Encounters. About once a month, I’ll be running the new Lair Assault program, there, too. If I want to play D&D in an organized manner, I have tons of options at every major convention, and can enjoy a smaller, more close-knit experience at DDXP. Add in the increasing quality of the OP products for D&D, and I’m totally thrilled.

More food for thought

I could throw out more reasons.

There is a small-but-vocal element of the Pathfinder community that are simply bitter jackasses who do little more than whine all day about how WotC “killed D&D.” (They should take a lesson from the OSR folks, and realize that 3E is just as far a cry from “real” Dungeons & Dragons as 4E). Oh, and in case you didn’t read that second sentence: this is a “small-but-vocal” group. If you aren’t in the habit of whining about 4E in a public and rude way, it doesn’t apply to you.

I could also talk about how my current gaming group prefers 4E, or about the hubris of some (again, a small minority) of Pathfinder designers who have declared Pathfinder to be the one-and-only true “spiritual heir” of D&D.

These things are really only minor hurdles. Even the issues of Organized Play and the depth of the product line are issues that Paizo could overcome in time.

An unresolvable problem

What Pathfinder will never overcome, however, is the basic premise that good roleplaying requires an intricate understanding of complex mechanics and how they relate to one another. 3E is built on the premise of system mastery. In this regard, Pathfinder is certainly a spiritual heir to that edition of the game. Pathfinder fans and designers don’t see this as a flaw, nor should they necessarily. For me, however, it’s a deal breaker. Three years ago when I said that Pathfinder didn’t solve any of my problems, this is what I was talking about.

Pathfinder is a great game. Just like 3E was a great game. I should know; I played 3E for the better part of a decade. Even today, I would prefer 3E or Pathfinder to many other games.

But unless Pathfinder does what 4E did and redraws some of the basic assumptions of the game and puts out a new version, I’m not likely to run a Pathfinder game. I’ll play a pickup game with friends, I’ll page through the books admiring Wayne Reynolds’ artwork and the interesting world of Golarion, but given my druthers I’d rather play 4E.

photo credit: nevynxxx

photo credit: bander.bramblegrub

So, for about a year now, I’ve been following the Old School Renaissance movement in gaming. While the movement itself sometimes has a hard time pinning down what they’re all about, as an interested outsider I think I can offer some perspective. In short, Old School Renaissance gaming:

• Is motivated and inspired by the TSR versions of Dungeons & Dragons (essentially everything published before 3E).
• Isn’t just a bunch of neckbeards in their basements clinging to their moldy outdated rulesets. These folks not only enjoy older editions of D&D, they also learn things from other games (including the newer editions of Dungeons & Dragons).
• Is comprised, at least in part, of people who want to improve on older D&D. So, you have not only retroclone rule sets (i.e., rule sets that directly mimic a particular version of D&D such as the Basic/Expert set or First Edition AD&D) but you have games that incrementally advance the rule systems and take them in new directions.
• Isn’t just about roleplaying over “roll-playing.” While there are some in the OSR movement who would have you believe that their ilk are the best of the best when it comes to story elements, the fact is that there are just as many hack-and-slashers in the OSR movement as in newer editions.
• Is a somewhat insular community. On average, OSR folks aren’t out there on message boards bashing Dungeons & Dragons 4E. In fact, many are only peripherally aware there is a D&D 4E. They’re more concerned with playing the game they love. They haven’t followed D&D, for the most part, since before 3E.
• Isn’t just old guys. There are some younger gamers in the OSR movement, although I suspect the demographic skews toward those in their late 30s and 40s (just as the demographic for 4E skews to those in their 20s and early 30s). It’s not all nostalgia. There are those who came to OSR gaming after starting out on 3E or 4E.
• Offers a much-needed perspective to modern D&D players. I’m not suggesting that we all drop 4E or 3E and run out and play Labyrinth Lord. But I do think a dialogue about Dungeons & Dragons with the OSR folks is helpful. I know that my current 4E campaign has been highly affected (and, I hope, improved) by digging into the OSR. There are a number of areas – including things like length of combat, using skills to short-circuit puzzle solving or roleplaying, and more – that new school and old school gamers can dialogue about, and both can walk away with something positive.

Now, I realize I might be idealizing OSR gaming a little bit here. In the same way that there are WoW players who love D&D 4E, and in the same way that there are power gamers who love 3E, there are some grumpy old farts in the OSR movement. Like those other examples, however, I believe that they’re not indicative of the type.

I could give you a ton of OSR links, but rather than overwhelm you, let me give you just three sites to take a peek at:

• Retroclones and Older D&D Editions at EnWorld. Morrus offers a nice overview that, while he’s off on a handful of details, gives you the skinny on what’s what in OSR game products.
• Grognardia.  James Maliszewski is probably the OSR’s most prolific blogger. I particularly involve his retrospectives, in which he examines old TSR products in the context of the modern OSR movement.
• Lamentations of the Flame Princess (NSFW) . James Raggi has built a “Weird Fantasy” RPG based on Basic D&D rules. He makes some interesting changes – like using a d6 skill system, for example – but overall LotFP feels like Basic D&D. The art is edgy (hence the NSFW tag) and sometimes disturbing, but it really evokes a unique feel that fits with old-school Dungeons & Dragons. I’ve actually been playing this one and having a blast with it.

So, what about you? Any readers identify with the OSR? Anyone skeptical?

Just an interesting thought before I begin (feel free to skip this paragraph if you want to get down to business): I think this must be the first week since Gen Con 2011 ended that many of us have had the opportunity to reflect. Shawn Merwin posted his thoughts today, focusing on some of the ups and downs of conventions from a personal perspective. DNAPhil from Gnome Stew posted his Gen Con 2011 report this morning, too, figuring he was the last one to do so. That post was followed almost immediately by a tweet from @DavetheGame noting that he hadn’t put his up either.

The Highlights

Rather than give you a long narrative of the Best Four Days in Gaming, let me offer some overall thoughts and observations:

• Gen Con 2011 was a huge success by all estimates. According to the official press release, attendance was up 20%. Events were up by 26%, and sanctioned D&D events such as D&D Game Day, Living Forgotten Realms, Ashes of Athas, and the D&D Championship were up by 18%.
• Gaming friends are the best friends. This year, I got to hang with a ton of old friends from exotic places like Wisconsin and Georgia, plus some relatively new local friends. We drank beer, played D&D, drank beer, talked gaming, drank beer…
• The newly-expanded Indianapolis Convention Center rocks. Vendor floor space increased, allowing more room in the aisles. I think the only real traffic jam I experienced was at about 3 PM on Saturday near the Wizards of the Coast booth.
• Lair Assault is going to make players run out of game stores screaming in terror. I ran a Lair Assault preview for WotC on Trade Day (Wednesday) for game store owners. Can’t say much more about it yet, but just know that I can’t see even the most optimized party getting through this thing in less than two or three attempts.
• Erik Scott de Bie is a tremendously talented game designer. Along with Ari Marmell and Matt Sernett, Erik wrote the Neverwinter Campaign Setting. Erik also did the D&D Game Day adventure, Gates of Neverdeath, which I ran three times on Saturday. Every group I ran had a blast, and I love the fact that the adventure dovetails with this season of Encounters.
• Playing D&D with kids is hella fun. At my mid-day Saturday Gates of Neverdeath slot, I had a couple of families play. There were three kids between the ages of 10 and 13, plus three adults. My favorite moment of the entire weekend happened during this game (see below for the story).
• Old School can be a blast. On Thursday night, I played Basic D&D run by my old friend John. John was my first DM way back in 1983. He ran us through a portion of B2: Keep on the Borderlands. In a six-hour period, we made characters, had five or six combats, did tons of exploration, made friends with and then betrayed a tribe of hobgoblins, had two characters die and two turned to stone. It was like I was 12 again.
• There are some damn fine Old School style products out there. I also picked up Lamentations of the Flame Princess: Grindhouse Edition after having heard it mentioned a few months back on the official D&D podcast. This thing is cool: it’s essentially Basic D&D rules with some smart improvements (Thieves are called “specialists,” and their skill system is much streamlined; attack resolution uses positive AC and to hit bonuses rather than charts or THAC0. Clerical turning is a spell). The flavor of the setting rocks, with what James Raggi dubs “Weird Fantasy.” I’ll post more about LotFP in the coming days; just know that it’s pretty sweet.

A “What If?” moment

I backed way off my D&D blog back in 2008. I put energy into other pursuits, most of which paid off for me in terms of my business. I don’t regret that.

However, I did have a “what if” moment this year at Gen Con. The other D&D bloggers I was running with at the time – Chatty DM, Dave and Danny at Critical Hits, and others – are all doing very well for themselves. These guys are the Rock Stars of the convention. Chatty is blogging for Critical Hits, and CH just won a Gold Ennie this year. Dave just had his first DDI article published, and they’ve all got tons of projects in the works (Congrats, by the way, guys!) Other bloggers that I was just starting to connect with (like the guys at Gnome Stew) are doing well, too.

My freelance writing business has taken me a different direction, and it’s definitely been a good thing, but I am forced to wonder how things might be different if it hadn’t.

The Pimp Hat

So, like I mentioned, I ran a slot of Gates of Neverdeath for a family with three kids. At the end of the first encounter, the party captured one of the villains. The 10 year-old boy stepped up and said, “Does he have a hat?”

“Sure, why not,” I replied. Not sure where he’s going with this…

“I take his hat and put it on!” The boy was rather enthusiastic now. Kid likes hats, I guess.

“All right,” I said. “You have a hat.”

“What does it look like?” This kid is going to be a fun DM when he grows up, I think.

“It’s purple and fuzzy. It has a long feather sticking out of it.”

His mother turns toward me with an astonished look on her face. “Did you just give my son a pimp hat?”

We all burst out laughing. This is why gaming with kids is so fun: they’re inquisitive. They’re curious. They don’t know that you’re supposed to ignore hats on villains yet. They’re not cold and jaded and calculated. They’re just there to let their imagination run wild.

And that’s what gaming is all about, isn’t it?

photo credit: mikecogh

Some of you folks (especially those on the D&D Facebook page)  just need to relax on the whole edition wars thing. Whine all you want, we’re not going backwards. (And, by “we,” I mean the D&D community.)

You know, I appreciate the resistance to 4E. Really, I do. I stuck with AD&D for two years after 3E was released (mainly because we were having such a good time our group only sort of barely realized there even was a new edition).

We got over it, and quickly came to love 3E.

I resisted 3.5, largely because I didn’t want to have to buy a new set of core books after only starting 3E about 2 years prior.

I got over that, too, and appreciate the changes 3.5 brought to the game.

By the time 4E came out, I was already ready for change. The group of folks I was playing with at the time had so used and abused the rules that I had a hard time keeping up.

Today, I love 4E as much as any edition. The group I’m with now has just as much roleplay as any group I’ve ever been with, and the rules don’t really impact it much one way or another.

I don’t hate those old versions. I loved them. Still do. Give a choice, I’ll play 4E.

The claims that 4E prevents roleplaying or that it’s “WoW on Paper” are nebulous. I have yet to see anyone make those statements with any degree of logical support other than, “well, that’s how it feels to me.”

Sorry. I really don’t *care* how it feels to you. If you don’t like the way it feels, play something else. Just stop the whining.

Look. The RPG community is a niche one as it is. Why are you so committed to splintering it even further? Over an edition? Seriously? Are you really that petty?

The war’s over, man. It’s time to move on. Let’s just all enjoy the hobby in its various forms.

My experience with DC Adventures RPG Hero’s Handbook: Super-Hero Roleplaying in the DC Universe

photo credit: brick red

If you know me, you know I’m all about Dungeons & Dragons. Other RPGs are good for a break, from time to time. I enjoy the occasional World of Darkness mini-campaign, or an occasional Gamma World one-shot. All other things being equal, I’d rather just play D&D.

Last Friday marked the release of The Green Lantern in movie theaters. One of my friends is a huge GL geek, and since it was the off week for my regular D&D campaign, I thought I’d get some folks together and make a day of it. We saw the 11:15 matinee, followed by lunch at the local Chinese buffet. We finished off the day with some super hero RPG at my place.

I decided to use DC Adventures for the game. I did this for several reasons:

1. I thought a DC-based game would be fitting, given the Green Lantern theme for the day.
2. DC Adventures is built on Mutants & Masterminds, a solid d20 OGL product.
3. Unlike various other supers RPGs, I actually own the book.

For the adventure, I chose the Emerald Knights I module, along with the freebie prelude download. I had five players at the table, each using an Emerald Knights pregen character. Overall, we had a blast, but I’d like to deconstruct the game a bit, and look at the individual components.

The Mutants & Masterminds Adventure

Because there isn’t much yet in the way of specifically DC-themed material, and because I didn’t have the time or desire to craft my own adventure, I relied on published material. Emerald Knights I is a solid heroes adventure. I think the best way to describe it is to compare it to a standard D&D adventure. Here’s how it differed:

• Out of 9 scenes (read: encounters), only 2 were combat-related. I like this emphasis on story. I think it fits well with the supers genre.
• Of those 9 scenes, 3 were entirely optional. That’s nice, because it lets player choice become a real factor in how the adventure goes.
• The combat scenes were poorly orchestrated. I’ve become used to the convenient format of today’s D&D adventures. I like the “tactics,” “features of the area,” “development,” and other sections in a typical D&D encounter. The adventure design could use some organization in that regard.

My players loved the story, and so did I. In fact, I’d say that the story was good enough to make up for the weakness in organization on the part of the designer. I give the adventure an A-.

The DC Adventures System

Now, here’s where we ran into some snags. At first glance, the system itself looked a lot like a transitional product between D&D 3.5 and D&D 4E (think Star Wars: Saga Edition). However, in terms of its execution, things panned out quite differently.

The first obstacle we faced was the poor organization of the character sheets. Each hero’s powers, advantages, skills, and other features were listed on their character sheets. However, there was nothing to indicate to my players where to find information about a given power. Rather than naming the power by the tag used in the book (“flight”, for example) the character sheets used flavor-rich names (“eagle’s wings,” in one case.) This made the process of becoming familiar with the pregen characters somewhat sluggish.

Granted – if we’d made characters from scratch, the players would have had an easier time with that aspect. The difficulty here may have been more in the design of the pregen sheets, rather than the organization of the rulebook.

The big problem we faced was in combat. The combat section of the book is a mere three pages. Yet, there are elements that contribute to the combat system throughout the book. The problem here is that the other sections in the book – which the combat section references by page number – directly contradict some of the info in the combat section.

In an ongoing campaign setting, this would probably not be a problem. You’d simply pick one way or the other to do things, and stick with it. As occasional players in a one-shot, it was time consuming, bulky, and confusing.

How I’ll Do It Next Time

I don’t think DC Adventures is a bad system. In fact, judging from all of the Mutants & Masterminds fans out there, I think it’s probably the best thing currently in production.

That said, I don’t think I’ll play it again. I may drop in to my FLGS and take a peek at the M&M core book – specifically the combat section. My guess is that it’s better organized, or at least more consistent. If not, I’ll shoot on over to eBay and find myself a copy of the TSR Marvel Super Heroes game we all know and love from the 80s. Hmmm… maybe it’ll be here in time for Captain America to hit the theater!

One of the difficulties I’ve had with some past D&D campaigns is a lack of focus. It feels like I’m running the group through a series of disconnected events, especially if I’m using adventures. Dungeons & Dragons campaigns can certainly be run in a monster-of-the-week format, but there’s something special about a campaign with a truly epic feel. It’s the difference between Star Wars and Star Trek (or perhaps between Star Trek movies and Star Trek TV series).

How do you get that epic D&D campaign feel? You have to set the tone. You have to develop a framework for both yourself and your players. That framework makes sure everyone knows their part (we’ll call this “campaign dynamics”). It also makes sure that everyone – including you as the DM – don’t forget what those overarching themes and storylines should be (we’ll call those “thematic assumptions.”)

Here’s the framework I recently sent out to my Dungeons & Dragons group for the start of our new campaign:

D&D campaign dynamics:

• This is a paragon-tier campaign. We’ll do some dabbling with heroic tier as a prelude, and we can continue on to epic down the road if we have the desire; however, the primary focus will be paragon tier play. My personal goal is to play through the paragon tier (plus the prelude).
• Plots are character-driven. Storylines are developed around characters and their actions. That doesn’t mean the characters are always playing a major role in world events, but rather that their pursuits and options are derived from their own choices and characteristics.
• The players have a common goal. While there will likely be points of contention between characters from time to time, the game works better when it’s cooperative, rather than competitive. Conflicting goals and minor contentions are valuable tools; completely working at cross purposes are not.
• We’ll play every other Friday. As of today, the calendar is clear from today until August 5th – when I’ll be at Gen Con. I’ll give as much advanced warning as possible if I need to change something. I’d like to play as long as we have 4 players for any given session.
• Creativity is encouraged and rewarded. Creative use of powers, as well as good roleplaying and story ideas, will result in various in-game rewards (and will also help everyone to have a good time).

D&D campaign thematic assumptions:

• That “points of light” thing – yeah, we really mean that. The dark forces that brought down Nerath and the other ancient empires are still out there. So are the nefarious opportunists that quickly emptied the power vacuum after those empires fell. That means travel is always inherently dangerous, cities are the closest thing to a “safe haven” that people have. Any twisted fate can – and usually does – befall those who stray too far outside civilization’s pockets.
• The Shadowfell presses hard against the Nentir Vale. While Kalarel’s efforts at the now-famous Keep on the Shadowfell were stopped by a brave band of adventurers, there are many pockets across the Nentir Vale where the line between our plane and the plane of Shadow is becoming increasingly blurred.
• The party is made up of heroes, but not radiant heroes. Overall, our band of adventurers stands opposed to evil and what it entails. That means standing together against threats to civilization and the world in general. That said, everyone has their vices, and no one is spotless. Individual characters will need to battle – often constantly – with their own proclivities to darkness. Sometimes, they’ll even be asked to sacrifice their own morality for a greater good.
• Everything is connected. Reality is a messy web of personalities and events, most of which interrelated, pushing history toward a single outcome. This outcome is unknown, and it is determined, to a large degree, by the actions of the PCs.

So, what do you think? Will this help foster that “epic” feel? If not, what do you do in your own D&D campaign to bring about that sense of awe and keep things moving?

 
photo credit: fdecomite

I just played through my first game of the Dungeons & Dragons: Castle Ravenloft board game, and I can confirm your suspicions:

It’s full of awesome.

Now, I was never a huge Ravenloft fan. I like the concept, to be sure: a D&D campaign with a horror twist is intriguing. However, an entire D&D campaign designed around the principle of mere survival always sounded a bit less than fun. It was fine for the occasional one-shot, but not so much for an ongoing game. I always imagined it would wear on you after a bit.

That’s probably part of the reason I like this game. It’s self-contained, can be played occasionally and in just about an hour. Ravenloft is a wonderful setting for an afternoon, if not an entire campaign.

Here are some of the things that I really like about this game:

• You can play Dungeons & Dragons: Castle Ravenloft board game solo. You can play with up to 5 players, but there are a number of scenarios that allow you to play as a single character. For those boring Saturday afternoons when the kids are outside playing and Angie’s canning spaghetti sauce, it’s a wonderful distraction.
• This game very much emulates the spirit and feel of Dungeons & Dragons. Playing this game is very much like a fast-paced version of D&D. No, it’s not the full game, but it doesn’t require a 4-6 hour commitment either. It’s a great substitute when you’ve got an hour or two.
• Like the new D&D Starter Set, it is a wonderful intro to the Dungeons & Dragons game. Many of the basic ideas in D&D – things like movement, hit points and powers – are all capsulized in this box.
• The interlocking dungeon tiles keep the board stable. Unlike the D&D Dungeon Tiles, these tiles aren’t getting continually knocked out of place. Wizards should consider this model with their traditional tiles.
• This game makes for a unique experience every time. Even if you’re playing the same scenario, you can’t ever count on facing the same creatures or wandering the same floor plan.
• The rules are clear and concise. One thing that worried me was that this would be another Descent or Axis & Allies situation where you spend a couple of days learning the rules ahead of time. Not so. Even without familiarity with D&D, you could probably pick up the rules in an hour or two by playing the introductory solo scenario.

My list of complaints about this game is much shorter:

• Painted minis would have been nice. I get that it would likely put the cost of the game well over $100, making it a breaking point for many folks. I am considering the possibility of collecting regular D&D minis to populate the game to add an extra feel of coolness.
• I’m not sold on the cooperative nature of the game. D&D is, in many ways, a cooperative game, but there’s room for competition. It might be nice to see some of those elements replicated in the game.

Here’s a look at what you get in the box:

And, if you have the time and interest, here’s Mike Mearls going through the box and its contents:

Bottom line? The Dungeons & Dragons: Castle Ravenloft board game makes a wicked-cool Christmas gift for yourself or your favorite D&D geek.

So, for the past four weeks I’ve been running D&D Encounters at my FLGS (Friendly Local Gaming Store). For those of you who aren’t familiar, feel free to visit the D&D Encounters Website over at WotC.

In a nutshell, D&D Encounters is to D&D what Friday Night Magic is to Magic: The Gathering. It’s an organized play event. Unlike the RPGA, however, which has historically been the organized play vehicle for D&D, this program is designed to be run over a couple of hours each session.

Each session consists of a single encounter. Five weeks’ worth of encounters comes to a chapter. Three chapters make up the season (which in this case runs through the summer.

The current D&D Encounters season takes place in the world of Dark Sun, Athas. I’ll say more about that another time, but let me just note that I’m really digging the new incarnation.

Anyways, I’ve had a blast running these four sessions (we started a week late and doubled up two of the encounters). The fluid group is an interesting concept, but one that works in this format. For me as the DM, it truly doesn’t matter who’s in attendance (as long as there are three or so players, I’m good.)

Here are some of my general observations on the format:

• I like being able to play D&D during the week. The 1-2 hour format makes that possible.
• Because of those time constraints, it’s hard to get in any role-playing, which is a downside for me.
• The format is an amazing vehicle for explaining D&D 4E rules to new players.
• That process – explaining D&D 4E rules to new players – has shown me just how streamlined 4E is, even two years in.
• The format encourages a more mixed crowd. I’ve had dudes as old as 40 and chicks as young as 23.
• The D&D Encounters materials are wonderful. I’m impressed with the quality (and sufficiency) of the maps, as well as the adventure design.

So, for those of you playing D&D Encounters: What do you think?