#firsttimerpg

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Monday Monster: The Goobler.

This giant turkey with the maw of a shark and rows upon rows of sharp teeth all the way down is capable of swallowing whole Dragonbane characters. Its hunger is unyielding. It only comes once per year in the Fall to feast.

Compatible with Dragonbane RPG. GOOBLER STAT BLOCK Description: A monstrous turkey with the jaws of a shark instead of its beak. Its mouth and throat are filled with rows of sharp teeth like that of a lamprey. It has been known to swallow creatures of smaller size in one massive bite. This monster only appears once per year to satisfy its voracious appetite for flesh before returning to its…

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Silly Internet TTRPG Arguments: Homebrew vs Premade.

Definitions: Homebrew: tabletop game content created by the Game Master, players, etc. Premade: store bought content created by game designers at an established company. Game Master, aka GM: Person that just wants a fun game to play with friends.

Here’s one I never imagined I’d see. What’s better- Making your own setting/campaign or buying one someone else made? Believe it or not, this is something of a dilemma for me. I pride myself on creating campaigns and worlds, which I then intend to sell on the World Wide Interwebs. Am I a bad gamer for loving my own creativity so much? Let’s separate this out a bit. There are adventure modules,…

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The Bewalopus for use with the Dragonbane RPG.

No one is sure where it came from or what to make of it. The creature isn't malevolent so much as constantly hungry. Stay out of its territory if you want to be safe. For Dragonbane RPG.

This creature defies logic. From the diary of Scholar Thelonious the Cowardly:The first time we laid eyes on this thing, we weren’t sure anyone would believe we even saw it. Whatever it is has the front paws and upper torso of a bear. The face of a bear with walrus tusks protruding from it, but then the back of the thing was a flat tai like a beaver ending in spines. We found out the hard way it…

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Dragonbane Path of Glory Out Now!

I'm overjoyed to announce Dragonbane: Path of Glory. Free League publishing was kind enough to send me the PDF copy for review and I'm loving this book. These three full length adventures are not for the faint of heart. For Dragonbane RPG.

November 12. Path of Glory is Available! I’m super excited to finally be talking about Dragonbane Path of Glory. It is everything I’ve been hyping for the past few months and then some. Path of Glory contains three full fledged adventures for Dragonbane RPG. (Disclosure: I received a free PDF copy of Path of Glory for review purposes. This article is in no way paid for or sponsored by Free…

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Monday Monster Nov11. Goosidorah.

Goosidorah. The first of many goose themed Kaiju to come for Dragonbane RPG. Mirth and Mayhem. Hooooonk!

For use with Dragonbane RPG: Goosidorah: the Honking Menace GOOSIDORAH A large 3 headed goose capable of honking lightning at its enemies. It is covered with a constant field of crackling lightning. Ferocity: 2. Size: LargeMovement: 20 Flying or 12 Ground/Water. Armor: 6 HP: 33 D6 Attacks:1: HONK! Everyone within 30 meters becomes Scared and suffers a Fear attack.2: You Get a Lightning Blast…

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Are TTRPGs Becoming Resource Gathering Games?

What sounds better- exploring a dark and scary dungeon to recover some cool loot or staying at home with your settlement and overseeing the construction of the coffee house? New Dungeons & Dragons rules will soon pose this question and more.

Bastion building, supporting the Union Crawler, Community building… With the (re) addition of Bastions in Dungeons & Dragons along with a host of other games sporting fortress or settlement building mechanics, I have to ask what’s going on here? Back in my day, we didn’t have a fancy observatory. We were happy just to get our castle built and keep the peasants from revolting.Back then the castle…

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Monday Monster: Scuttler.

These creatures are a bad omen anytime one is found. An obvious product of Infernal Magicks, the Scuttler poses a threat to all Kin alike.

Compatible with Dragonbane RPG. This creature is a gruesome six legged rat the size of a small dog with a white skull for a face and a mouthful of short tentacles, each with a small hollow tooth on the end. Most Mariners would rather scuttle their entire vessel than let one of these creatures loose in a port. Believed to have been created by an evil wizard to disable entire armies. SCUTTLING…

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Promptober 2024 Day 31: Day of the Dead

A simple Wolfkin holiday celebrating family past and present.

Implementing a Wolfkin holiday in the Misty Vale. Once per year, on the last Full Moon before the Autumn Equinox, all of the Wolfkin gather together in the square or lodge house near dusk to pay tribute to fallen family, packmates, packmates, and others through lit candles, trinkets, as well as offerings of food or beverages at the village spirit altar. Then, after everyone has gathered and…

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Dragonbane: Path of Glory is Coming in November!

The previews look amazing!

I’m really excited for this adventure anthology. Here’s a little of what we can look forward to: “Hooves.” “Come on, there haven’t been horses around for years,” Pedrina exclaims contemptuously. “You’re just imagining things.” “I’m sure of it. They are hooves.” With a resigned sigh, Nrim’to lifts his head from the ground and sits down next to Pedrinaby the small campfire. Suddenly, the…

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Behind the Screen: New Players.

Game Master suggestions for welcoming new players to a preexisting campaign.

Greetings! Welcome New Players. I’m so happy to have you here with us. Let’s make this a good experience. Disclaimer: This is my approach. Your Game Mastering style may be different. That’s cool. Mine is not the only way. Please do what works best for you and your group. Maybe you’re an old hat behind the screen with new players or possibly a new Game Master with new players. With the arrival…

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Silly Internet TTRPG Arguments: Player Agency.

Should the Game Master be able to step in and tell the player what their character does or does not do? Should players get to decide everything that happens to their character in every situation no matter what?

I see arguments about this on X (Twitter) on a regular basis. What is “Player Agency?” I hear this term slung around a lot, but it’s getting more prominent every day. One of the biggest problems so far is that no one can seem to agree on what it means and others still can’t figure out why it’s important. Everyone’s take on player agency that I’ve seen so far has been incredibly subjective. Most…

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Dragonbane: Path of Glory is Coming in November!

I am so very happy to announce Dragonbane: Path of Glory is coming on November 12.

I’m really excited for this adventure anthology. Here’s a little of what we can look forward to: “Hooves.” “Come on, there haven’t been horses around for years,” Pedrina exclaims contemptuously. “You’re just imagining things.” “I’m sure of it. They are hooves.” With a resigned sigh, Nrim’to lifts his head from the ground and sits down next to Pedrinaby the small campfire. Suddenly, the…

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Promptober/Monstober 2024 Day 14: Necromancy.

It's Monster Monday! Here's a terrifying creature for the Necromancy Prompt.

Time to raise a ruckus on Monster Monday. I was always impressed with the Necromancer in Warhammer Fantasy (miniatures wargame) who could wave his hand and cause an entire unit of skeletons to pop up out of the ground or stand back up after being demolished by another army. The same goes for various other tabletop games and video games. (Warcraft 2, anyone?) I also played Undead for MageKnight,…

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Dragonbane: Path of Glory is Coming in November!

Dragonbane: Path of Glory! I'm so excited for this November 12 release. Thank you Free League Publishing!

I’m really excited for this adventure anthology. Here’s a little of what we can look forward to: “Hooves.” “Come on, there haven’t been horses around for years,” Pedrina exclaims contemptuously. “You’re just imagining things.” “I’m sure of it. They are hooves.” With a resigned sigh, Nrim’to lifts his head from the ground and sits down next to Pedrinaby the small campfire. Suddenly, the…

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New Players and Game Masters: Make Your Dice Count.

Older players will probably see this as a role play vs roll and play discussion. Should Skill rolls in various TTRPG situations take the place of in character dialogue and interaction?

Always ask before you roll, “Do the dice need to be involved?” D&D 5E Skills (SRD) You have a pristine character sheet with a lot of shiny skills and abilities that allow us to do all kinds of interesting things. But do we need to roll for everything? One of the biggest challenges faced by new Player and Game Masters regardless of your game of choice is when to roll the dice and for what. I’m…

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How to Roleplay the Easy Way: Embrace Your Character.

Jump in and play a character. The numbers on the stat lines aren't nearly as important as the descriptions, background, and personality. You bring your character to life no matter what the system. Learning the rules and stats help, too.

Player secret unveiled: The system doesn’t matter. Some people may like to make a big deal out of this as if there were only one true way to roleplay and their way is the only way. Don’t believe it for a second. You, yes you, can be amazing in any RPG system. Think of the system as just a set of general guidelines, a foundation on which the actual character is built. In a future article, I’m…