The Fine Art of the TPK

Digital card and boardgames are a balm to my battered gaming soul.

2013-01-07T15:48:00.003-08:00

An interesting development is tabletop gaming has quietly been taking shape in the shadows of the gaming world, and it is totally not of the Chinese variety. I speak of several genre-bending games on the horizon - or already here. Clash of the Dragons - This game (formerly on my "if it advertises on my sidebar - I'll never play it!!!) lured me in when one of my good friends was hired to program

No promises...or porpoises, but possible a cetacean of a different color.

2013-01-05T10:17:00.001-08:00

Hi. Been awhile, hasn't it. There was no question mark because it wasn't a question (see what I did there?) It was a statement of being absent far too long. I still game - as often as I can (which isn't very often), and have revived my old Dragonstar campaign. Love that game - Spelljammer with plasma cannons :) As for me, I found a job with ONLY a 1 hr 15 min commute, and basically lost

So like a battered and broken partner that I am, I decided to let D&D back in...

2011-06-28T09:53:00.000-07:00

But only a little bit! Really! I'm drawing lines on the floor now. There is a strict rulebook that we now follow, and morale-raising measures have been taken, lest the floggings return. Greetings and salutations readers - It is I, Donny the DM passing along an interesting factoid to those of you who havent been here since the beginning. Did you know that you are reading a blog that has

DDI has convinced me that the blue pill may be the better choice.

2011-02-20T11:12:00.000-08:00

So there it is. Today, I let my DDI account lapse. I could go into detail as to why, but have done so already. I am tired of "my" game being beholden to a bunch of people that don't really seem to get how gamer's think or work. The corporate overlords in Renton seem to only be capable of (poorly) repackaging (Cough, essentials, cough) the same crap we have already paid for in yet another

I really, really, really, really dislike the new character builder.

2010-12-17T11:55:00.000-08:00

Web-based 4E character builder - it stinks. I'm paying the same for less? The saying, "Smooth move, ex-lax" comes to mind...complete with my dad's condescending tone. Now I know how he felt. Essentials characters...fit awkwardly....into what is now a "custom" party. If you errata the Rules Compendium - I'll kill 10 kittens and a beagle - I swear it! Their blood will be on your hands. RE:

I laughed, I cried, then I realized that I had played this game before!

2010-11-17T12:21:00.000-08:00

OMFG, If you haven't seen the new trailer for YOUR HIGHNESS yet, I encourage you to do so, and be immediately reminded of every game of dungeons and dragons you have ever played, only with less sausage, and Natalie Portman in a shiny thong. Also: The evil wizard's response to the delicious Ms. Deschanel's question re: Love wins everything, everywhen, and every time :) On a side not, Web based

So what is the story with DDI?

2010-11-01T09:34:00.000-07:00

I'd call this an open letter, if I thought there was any chance it would reach it's destination...so let's just call it food for thought. Or perhaps a crazy and bearded DM on unemployment ranting to the winds. Doesn't particularly matter to me, so long as you listen and think. Dear grand high mucky-mucks who run my favorite hobby, Good morning, and hello. Donny the DM here, and I have a few

Where is my #$^&(%$ 4E Future?

2010-10-11T00:11:00.000-07:00

From a distance, echoing and reverberating through the dark fog of your conscious, the sound of an alarm klaxon. That sound...it's incessant and urgent blaring stirs something within you. Looking around, you notice the room around you is cold and dark...lit only by a spinning emergency strobe mounted above a wall terminal to your left. You are confused, and unsure of where you are... Looking

Honestly, I don't think there is a way to "do it right", the middle ground is an illusion.

2010-09-15T20:56:00.000-07:00

Of course this has started making the rounds, and it gives me a little bit of perspective. It is nice to see over the top of the ivory walls every once and awhile. To loosely paraphrase, Mike Mearls has a hotseat interview regarding the purpose and scope of the new red box essentials line. I've made my opinions on the matter clear. Supposing that what I have to say matters a wit to begin

An amazingly strong urge to make love to the sun, in a dark and gritty way.

2010-08-17T16:33:00.000-07:00

Amateurish photography aside, one of my gamers is going to be showered with the DM's affections, and I mean that in the most horribly wicked way you can imagine. I'd tease a review, but you wouldn't believe me :) So I am just gonna sit back for a little while and let this charming lass have her way with me. Good gaming to all, and to all a good game.

Unessential essentials, and watch me insult Bill Slavicsek

2010-07-13T12:07:00.000-07:00

So after months of teasing, we are finally seeing the new face of BASIC Dungeons and dragons. Complete with n00b friendly choose your own adventure style character creation. I speak of the essentials line that is soon to descend upon us. My feelings are a bit...mixed. Allow me to sidetrack - for just a moment. I FINALLY got to game this past weekend. With the wifey off to vegas to play with

Bloody gaping wounded sockets on my splash screen.

2010-06-21T15:30:00.000-07:00

Lately there hasn't been much gaming going on, and with other obligations promising to extend that particular state of affairs until the second week of July (fingers crossed!), it's been tough. I actually did a bit of a whirlwind roundup of the current state of affairs, and was impressed. It was Antioch that got my proverbial "greenish ichor that churns like curdled milk through my cold black

Heroic surges?..Hero points?..Willpower points?..My god, ANYTHING but healing surges!!

2010-03-12T10:23:00.000-08:00

Not too terribly long ago - at least in dog years, I wrote about healing surges and a houserule that I have been using to make them more useful. I wanted to follow up for a couple of reasons. The first is that it seems that between PM's and comments, it was a well-recieved idea. Secondly, I thought I'd share my thoughts on how it has continued to evolve. Lasty, because if I write healing

Only the truly intelligent can grasp the immensity of their own ignorance...or now I know why I thought I was abandoned.

2010-03-11T10:19:00.000-08:00

So...my humble pie is rather delicious, I offer a short story to illustrate how it was prepared and brought before me... So a month or two ago, I noticed that I had been abandoned. Yup, abandoned. You, my readers had left me in droves. Strangely, my followers list continued to grow, but none of you were commenting anymore. That made me one saaaaaad dungeon master. So fast forward a little,

The things DM's don't say.

2010-02-04T10:14:00.000-08:00

Alternately titled: Growing a beard and becoming an unemployed shut-in who laughs too much :) Want to plan ahead, want to keep a ready reserve of different deat-adventures and encounters ready for a moment's notice. Perfect, spent 3 hours putting this chain together...of course they just portal travelled to another continent...it's not like they knew about the awesome treasure you put in there

An update, as well as some thoughts about healing surges.

2010-01-20T13:50:00.000-08:00

So after an excellent two weekends of hosting and playing, I finally feel like I have something to talk about. I actually had a draft written up on this topic, but was unable to connect all of the dots until now, so I'll just start over. In the game I am currently running (hit lvl.8 at last session), I have been using a houserule allowing players to spend healing surges to do a limited number

Well then, that was certainly a fun little vacation...

2010-01-08T09:01:00.000-08:00

Greetings, readers! I know, long time no see and all that :) Needless to say, for now, I'm back. As previously stated, I got laid off from my cushy and supposedly safe government job. After spenind the last week wallowing in self pity and "what now" bullshitology, I have reached an inner plateau of zen that has allowed me to come back and bore you all to tears with my RPG blathering. Since

BREAKING NEWS: BLOGGER CHASTISED FOR ABANDONING HIS BABY

2009-12-15T10:06:00.000-08:00

RPGBN News Fairfield, CA What started out as a hair-brained idea, slightly less futile than dealing with the dregs of the RPG messageboards, has since become The Fine art of the TPK, a blog where it's owner, Donny the DM talk about whatever in the hell he feels like talking about - within the context of role playing games. Lately though, dark clouds have been spotted on the borders of this

Moving forward

2009-11-10T10:50:00.000-08:00

After finally getting some forward momentum established in my games, I now have something to talk about. In my campaign, the party is running through a portion of the Pyramid or Shadows (H3) adventure, located within the castle area of an Eladrin feywild fortress. As they traverse the extradimensional prison at the base of it, the have encountered several nasty critters. The one we left off on

Kobold Love - Or why I stopped worrying, and learned to love the magazine.

2009-10-23T16:32:00.000-07:00

Greetings minions, casual readers, and all others. Happy friday and all that. Today, we are going to do something a little different. That’s right! You are going to witness Donny the DM take up the reviewer stick and try beating some sense out of a REAL hapless product! After much consideration, I chose to take up an offer from the good folks at Kobold Quarterly. For the bargain basement price

Game update - The fortress of bitter leaves

2009-10-20T13:25:00.000-07:00

This weekend will mark the return of the 4E game I have been running now for the last year or so. The party has made their way through the castle courtyard, and dispatched the demons guarding the keep entrance. Then they dealt with the Drow assassins lurking in the foyer, and as we left off, are looking up the winding stone staircase, wondering what the intermittent flashes of multicolored

I have a dream...to have a...dream?

2009-10-09T12:55:00.000-07:00

Good afternoon, folks and happy friday :)I wanted to share something with you, and try a little crowdsourcing - or is it still just plain old social networking? Bah - anyway, My wife and I have decided that our village of 120,000 souls needs a gaming store. Not just ANY gaming store, but one run by myself. There have been a few before, one was too heavily leveraged on comic books and

Open Question to my readers.

2009-10-06T16:23:00.000-07:00

I'm curious. If you were taking a one-way flight into your own personal sunset, and could have unlimited gaming SUPPLIES, but only take one actual game - what would it be?As contrived as it is, lets go a little deeper. Lets assume that you will have access to the entire product line - as it is. Also, lets assume you will have the optimum number of players for whatever game it is.What would it be?

Showing you some FUNNY!

2009-10-05T11:43:00.000-07:00

I don't really have anything to say today. Got to have a blast playing Magic this weekend :)Other than that, making the final tweaks to my 4E hybrid character this week, so I can play him for real this weekend. Still screwing around with the Monster Builder as well. I promised points of light that I'd show them mine - so that's coming as well. Until then, have fun and be excellent to each

Hybrid characters, too much of a good thing.

2009-10-02T12:53:00.001-07:00

Two weeks ago, I dropped out of my 3E Age of Worms campaign and joined a 4E game as a player. Having never PLAYED 4E before, I was ecstatic. FINALLY! A chance to see things from the other side of the screen!Immediately, I was inundated with choice. I can't express that enough, so for some perspective, we'll bring in Webster's guns.Main Entry: in·un·datePronunciation: \ˈi-(ˌ)nən-ˌdāt\Function: