#roleplayinggames — Public Fediverse posts
Live and recent posts from across the Fediverse tagged #roleplayinggames, aggregated by home.social.
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The Blood of Dawnwalker – save your family while becoming what you hate
By Kirk McKeandHuman by day, vampire by night, Coen has difficult choices to make – beginning here in the 1300s, his adventure could span centuries in upcoming sequels
#Games #Roleplayinggames #PC #PlayStation5 #XboxseriesSX #Culture #TheGuardian #KirkMcKeand
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The Blood of Dawnwalker – save your family while becoming what you hate https://www.theguardian.com/games/2026/aug/19/the-blood-of-dawnwalker-save-your-family-while-becoming-what-you-hate #Games #RolePlayingGames #Pc #Playstation5 #XboxSeriesSx #Culture
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A review of Empire of Imagination: Gary Gygax and the Birth of Dungeons & Dragons by Michael Witwer. A highly readable and informative biography of Gary Gygax, covering both his life and his role in the creation of Dungeons and Dragons and roleplaying games. #booktok #dungeonsanddragons #roleplayinggames #rpg https://vm.tiktok.com/ZN8LYt2FR/
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Ithaca: a scintillating eco-thriller RPG that aims to confront our violent moment https://www.theguardian.com/games/2026/aug/17/ithaca-pixel-hunt #Games #Culture #RolePlayingGames #ClimateCrisis
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Ithaca: a scintillating eco-thriller RPG that aims to confront our violent moment
By Lewis GordonThe latest game from ‘reality-inspired’ studio the Pixel Hunt sees you transporting precious human cargo – and deciding what to do with it
https://www.theguardian.com/games/2026/aug/17/ithaca-pixel-hunt
#Games #Culture #Roleplayinggames #Climatecrisis #TheGuardian #LewisGordon
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That was a Powerful Story!
There is little room for doubt. People enjoy telling and listening to a story. Some of those stories and tellers will be better than others will be. What makes someone a powerful storyteller while another telling the same story in the same manner will flop. Is there some special secret that those great tellers know? The best stories regardless of its nature will consist of the same aspects.
Tension
Great stories will generally start with something that grabs the person listening or reading. This could be done through some random character challenging the players in some form of duel. Another could be everyone attempting to flee a situation, no matter the reason. Presenting background facts and emotions will have the effect of losing everyone.
Humans
Through the proper implementation of uncertainty, people will find themselves bonding with characters in the story. This might be by requiring some player to decide between two or more options, none of which is better or worse than any other. If the player is uncertain that this task he is performing can be done, either in time or at all, will make the characters seem more like a real person the players can get behind. When making the characters so polished or perfect will have the effect of driving everyone away.
Images
By making some image that everyone can visualize, players will have something they can use. Often, this will be done by the use of maps, pictures, minis, handouts, and other tools. These will be helpful for showing what things are and where they are located. The key here is “helpful”, they are not needed. The best way to create the scene will be through good, descriptive words. Use every sense that the players and their character possess. Let them see the room, hear the screeching of metal, smell the fire smoke, whatever is usable. When done right, the players will feel as though they in the place their characters exist in.
Who About?
The PCs are the primary figures within the game. This will true regardless if they are starter character no better than some other NPC around or if they are ultra-powerful entities. This does not mean the King needs to bow to the PCs. Instead, events focused upon would be those the players will determine interesting and want to go for. Murder hobos should have those combat situations that they find exciting. Sherlock characters can get their mysteries. Whatever they players would desire to take will be involved in the adventure. The GM’s ego can factor in but keep the player’s interests at center stage.
Steaks
The best stories will challenge the antagonist in some manner. These games will be no different. The PCs should have something precious that they are at least tempted to surrender so they can reach the goals. The fighter using their ancient family sword might have to get it broken so they can defeat that foe. This rouge could be required to team up with this hated guild to gain the item needed. If there is only something gained, it will lead to boring sessions.
Looped
When the adventure ends, the PCs can travel back to the city they came from. The issue should be that they have been altered in some manner. They could attempt to retake the life they had at start, but they will now have a poor fit due to the changes forced upon them by the adventure. If the PC started as an enlisted in the police force, then they will discover that law enforcement is not workable. Instead, he should take a position as private detective. The adventure will change the PC, emphasize these changes.
Next?
There is an assumption that when the adventure ends, there will be some final closing scene. After that, there will be nothing leading everyone into the next adventure. This will usually be a bad way to end everything. A better alternative will be to make some closing that will either generate some hook for future endeavors. This could be as subtle as discovering a note that says something cryptic or more obvious like the guild master calling them and requesting their aid. If there is a lessen, it should be hidden throughout the campaign, not a club hitting everyone at the end.
Telling a great story seem intimidating at first. When employing some simple tools, this goes from overwhelming to little apparent effort. There are no shortcuts, but comparatively simple tricks will turn that ho-hum story into the edge-of-the-seat run. With tension, players will drive the story for the GM. Keeping the human factor and keeping the focus on the PCs will make the players seem like they are the center of the gameworld. Through proper use of images, the world will seem as though it is a living, breathing world that entices those adventures. Having powerful steaks will make the efforts of the adventure worthwhile and drive everyone from one session to the next. Closing by showing the changes and encouraging future adventures will make is appear worthwhile. Then the players will have that excitement they will recreate for many years to come.
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Donate monthly #Creation #Decisions #Design #DnD #Games #Gaming #Methods #Principles #RolePlayingGames #RPG #Storyteller #Tools #TTRPG -
Elves live a really long time, even compared to (say) dwarves.
Families that play #TTRPG s should pass their elven character-sheets down as heirlooms, so the elves can play alongside multiple generations of PCs from shorter-lived races.
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#RPGaDAY: Day 13 – Strain (Associates; Distance; WILD)
This is the 13th day of #RPGaDay2026. I have been finding lots of interesting and thoughtful posts out there to recommend and share, as well as insightful and quirky short ones. It's always fascinating to see how people respond to what they see suggested in the prompts. This year, with weekly filters such as this week's 'Associates,' and the daily filters like today's 'Far to Go,' each daily prompt or daily question can be put into different contexts, dealt with on their own, or used to inspire something else. Today's prompt is strain, and at this point in a monthly challenge it is normal and understandable to start feeling some. Fortunately, with a game like WILD to support my responses this week, I am not feeling any. Let's get into it!https://castingshadowsblog.com/2026/08/13/rpgaday-day-13-strain-associates-distance-wild/
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#RPGaDAY: Day 11 – Tact (Associates; Grace; WILD)
This is the 11th day of #RPGaDay2026. We are close enough to the middle of this month-long event to see it waiting for us at the end of the week. Yesterday we took our first look at how characters are conceived in WILD. Today we will continue to look for Clarity (a little in-joke, there), keeping in mind our weekly filter of Associates, and the daily filter of 'Grace.' The prompt for today is 'Tact.' You might be remembering right now that last week when we hit the Grace filter for Tuesday we added a scenic leg to our journey by adding our dog Grace to the proceedings. This week is no different~https://castingshadowsblog.com/2026/08/11/rpgaday-day-11-tact-associates-grace-wild/
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Just had a good laugh browsing the Zweihänder Starter Kit, which seems superb so far. There is no way this Patrician character isn’t Father Guido Sarducci. 😂
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#RPGaDAY: Day 10 – Secret (Associates; Fair; WILD)
The tenth day of #RPGaDay2026 invites us to take a dream journey through one of the cool games designed by the founder of RPGaDAY, David F. Chapman. The game is called WILD and it pits its characters against the perils of dreams using a direct line to our imagination and creativity: a custom 78-card tarot deck. On this first day of our trip beyond the wall of sleep, our underpinning concept is the weekly filter of Associates, and the daily filter of 'Fair of Face.' The prompt for today is 'Secret.'https://castingshadowsblog.com/2026/08/10/rpgaday-day-10-secret-associates-fair-wild/
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Ultraviolet Grasslands and the Black City - WizardThiefFighter Studios and Exalted Funeral Press
An eccentric Old School System revival of a psychedelic scifi point crawl. Solo or Group play is possible, but mostly I've mined it for amazing setings & a good system for long caravan-based campaigns.
#ttrpg #rpg #psychedelic #scifi #caravan #roleplayinggames #lukarejec
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🎲 Lojas de Jogos de Mesa 🎲
Se têm interesse em #JogosDeTabuleiro, #TCG ou #RolePlayingGames, creio que vos poderá ser útil este artigo em que estive a trabalhar nas últimas semanas: inclui 48 lojas portuguesas, mais de uma centena de lojas estrangeiras e diversos agregadores de preços. Sentia falta de uma referência deste género e acabei por meter mãos à obras, como se diz vulgarmente.
#JogosDeMesa #Tabletop #RPG
https://ricardolourenco.art/lojas-de-jogos-de-mesa/ -
My #DnD #Pokemon #MagicItem of the Day, with a fusion of #Deerling’s four seasonal forms for a #sword to help you enjoy the seasons!
Come vote for future items on my Patreon#DnD5E #MagicItems #DnDHomebrew #Art #RPG #RPGArt #TabletopGaming #FantasyArt #HomebrewMagic #PokemonArt #DnDArt #DungeonsAndDragons #TTRPG #MagicItemDesign #Illustration #GameDesign #RolePlayingGames #FantasyGaming #GameMaster #HomebrewContent #FantasyWorld #FantasyIllustration #PokemonFanArt #Homebrew #TabletopRPG
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My #DnD #Anime #MagicItem of the Day, with a Number 94: #Crystalzero from #YuGiOh #rapier to chill some muscles!
Come vote for future items on my Patreon#DnD5E #MagicItems #DnDHomebrew #Art #RPG #RPGArt #TabletopGaming #FantasyArt #HomebrewMagic #PokemonArt #DnDArt #DungeonsAndDragons #TTRPG #MagicItemDesign #Illustration #GameDesign #RolePlayingGames #FantasyGaming #GameMaster #HomebrewContent #FantasyWorld #FantasyIllustration #PokemonFanArt #Homebrew #TabletopRPG #DnDCommunity
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#RPGaDAY: Day 5 – Burden (Intellect; Woe; Vagabonds of Dyfed)
The fifth day of #RPGaDay2026 gives us the prompt Burden. This response remains under the influence of the weekly filter of Intellect. The daily filter sticking its nose in on this Wednesday is Woe. As none of my dogs are named woe or any of the other filters for the week, you will sadly be deprived of a dog picture... until next week. Several of my dogs do participate in my RPG activities, so their inclusion in this event is not a complete surprise. Anyway, none of them are going to show up today, so let's get on with today's response.https://castingshadowsblog.com/2026/08/05/rpgaday-day-5-burden-intellect-woe-vagabonds-of-dyfed/
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#RPGaDAY: Day 4 – Charm (Intellect; Grace; Vagabonds of Dyfed)
The fourth day of #RPGaDay2026 gives us the prompt Charm. This week's responses are all under the influence of the weekly filter of Intellect. The daily filter sticking its nose in on this Tuesday is Grace. I will endeavor not to turn this post into one about our Doberman Pinscher rescue of the same name, but there will probably be a picture. No apologies. She embodies her name, is incredibly charismatic, and is one of the smartest dogs I know. Ok. There will definitely be.... there already is a picture.https://castingshadowsblog.com/2026/08/04/rpgaday-day-4-charm-intellect-grace-vagabonds-of-dyfed/
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Beast of Reincarnation review – a taxing reflection of human-made damage
By Diego ArgüelloPC, Xbox, PlayStation 5; Game Freak/FictionsGame Freak channels a post-apocalyptic reality that reflects our own repetitive erosion cycles, with a fair bit of hand-holding
https://www.theguardian.com/games/2026/aug/04/beast-of-reincarnation-review
#Games #Culture #Actiongames #Roleplayinggames #TheGuardian #DiegoArgello
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Beast of Reincarnation review – a taxing reflection of human-made damage https://www.theguardian.com/games/2026/aug/04/beast-of-reincarnation-review #Games #Culture #ActionGames #RolePlayingGames
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#RPGaDAY: Day 3 – Poise (Intellect; Fair; Vagabonds of Dyfed)
For Day 3 of #RPGaDAY2026 the prompt is Poise, the weekly filter is Intellect and the daily filter has shifted to Monday's 'fair of face.' Let's go where that takes us, shall we, and let's explore a little of Vagabonds of Dyfed while we are at it~https://castingshadowsblog.com/2026/08/03/rpgaday-day-3-poise-intellect-fair-vagabonds-of-dyfed/
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Me, Teller of Stories
People like to tell stories. At times, this could be to make something else seem more interesting or important. Other times it could be to get out of, or into, something. Among people who play tabletop role playing games (TTRPGs), the primary purpose will be to entertain everyone. Regardless of the reason, all good stories will possess six primary items.
Goal?
At the core of every story will be some goal. This could be to clean the dungeon, locate some important figure, gather information (usually for some powerful organization), or essentially anything. This goal could be directly stated or implied. At times, the player characters (PCs) will be given their choice of several goals on some bulletin board in the game. The design of that bulletin board could vary depending upon the nature and setting of the game. A fantasy game would have a large wooden board that people post these goals on while a scifi game would require the PCs to access some electronic site for this. Another way to state the goal would be interactions with some important official from the government, organization, business, or other source. This could be where the King summons them for an audience, a business representative will request their aid, or any other form of stating the goal. A third way would be to accidentally encounter the goal. That could the PCs traveling to some city and meets some bandits with information they need. They encounter a derelict spaceship sending out a recorded call for assistance.
Audience?
The nature of everyone will make a powerful impact upon how the game advances. A group of murder hobos would be interested in how much (and powerful) combat they would encounter. If there are Sherlock type players, they would desire a worthwhile mystery. Other types will each have their preferred style. While everyone would be willing to attempt other styles, this preferred style will carry them to the end in the most exciting manner. Most groups will involve multiple types, so it will prove to be challenging to entertain everyone all the time.
Detailed?
As the person creating the story, it would be easy to believe that the players are all that one needs to consider. However, one needs to consider that as the game master (GM) you are still a player as well. This means both that you must entertain yourself as well and bring in aspects of yourself in addition to bringing in aspects of yourself (which the players will also be doing). If the goal is to rescue this important official, then make that official to be the in-game version of yourself.
Body Language?
TTRPGs tend to have little in the way of physical activity. This does not mean they are motionless. People love to exaggerate things through arm movements, show force with table pounding, attention with eye position and movement, among much more. Also, do not forget the importance of voice. A quiet, muttering voice could indicate indecision, while one highly accented might be either high or low intelligence. All of these can be performed while still around the game table. The better one gets at these, the better the game itself will get.
Clear? Concise?
No matter how good the goal is, knowledge of the audience, and use of personal details and body language, the game will still have troubles if the players are unable to understand what is going on. When things are described in a manner that everyone can understand, then they will be more excited and want to go through. This means that things should be explained in some manner that the players will understand with little trouble. Being to the point is not always the best solution. There could be instances where using less-than-certain language and manners will be preferred. This could be saying the sword slices through the opponent with blood spurting toward the attacker. Those Sherlock players might desire a description of the scene as being not simply cluttered but mentioning where and how everything is laid around.
Most Important!!
The final issue is the most important. It is also the most forgotten. This is to practice and ask for feedback from everyone. Many GMs will assume that by being the game master every (or most) sessions will be enough to satisfy the practicing. As with any activity, the more (and better) one works out will make them improve. It is not as simple as running the game. Just doing that can lock in terrible practices. This is where feedback is important. The players should be willing to tell you where things are weak, or general improvements could be done. Through listening to this advice, a GM make real improvements that makes the game better.
At its core, TTRPGs are a form of storytelling. Some tellers will perform better than others will. Regardless how good someone is, there will always be room for improvement. There are some core traits that great storytellers will employ to make their stories better. They will attempt to gain knowledge of the group before they even enter the place. That will allow them to tailor the story in a manner they will find amusing. By bringing in some goal, players will be driven into the place and adventure desired. Through personal details from everyone, they will find things that bring them into the story. Body and vocal language will enhance details that are seen as important or deemphasize aspects that are less important. Through clear and concise details, players will be able to know what is the most desirable way of operating. By getting feedback in a timely manner, the storyteller will know where and how they should improve. With all these, everyone will obtain great stories to be able to recreate over several years.
Please refer this blog to your friends and family. If you use this link, everyone will receive a bonus.
There is a Spring Store that one can obtain all that wonderful merchandise. Please visit this site for all your great gaming products from Asp the Gamer. They have everything that makes all your games better.
Make a one-time donation
Your contribution is appreciated.
DonateMake a monthly donation
Your contribution is appreciated.
Donate monthly #Attributes #Creation #Decisions #Design #Games #Gaming #RolePlayingGames #RPG #Storyteller #TTRPG -
#RPGaDAY: Day 2 – Stature (Drive; Blessed; Rivers of London)
For Day2 of #RPGaDAY2026 the prompt is Stature, the weekly filter is still Drive and the daily filter has shifted to Sunday's 'blessed.' Let's figure out a suitable foil for yesterday's character, shall we?https://castingshadowsblog.com/2026/08/02/rpgaday-day-2-stature-drive-blessed-rivers-of-london/
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#RPGaDAY: Day 1 – Discipline (Drive; Hard Work; Rivers of London)
Here we go with my first response for #RPGaDay2026 where we will take a look at a character I enjoyed playing in the Rivers of London RPG by Chaosium. Our prompt for today is Discipline. The weekly filter is Drive, and the daily filter is Hard Working. It was this specific combination of traits which brought PC Everett Balcom to mind again, and it is the nuance in BRP which makes these special traits something to actively play with, work toward or against, and have matter.https://castingshadowsblog.com/2026/08/01/rpgaday-day-1-discipline-drive-hard-work-rivers-of-london/
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#RPGaDAY2026 Starts Tomorrow: My plan
August 1st is scheduled to arrive in a few hours and for the next 31 days, there is a lot of positivity and creativity ahead of us on the topic of roleplaying games. I hope you are looking forward to seeing and contributing to it as much as I am. Useful, actionable, relatable positivity is a choice it is often too easy to turn away from. To get the prompts or some direct and specific questions based on them, you can check this post. To watch the launch video with our explanation of the #RPGaDAY2026 event and some ideas for participating in it, you check out this link to YouTube. Now is the time to double-check that everything is in place for an enjoyable run through this month of celebration and sharing.https://castingshadowsblog.com/2026/07/31/rpgaday2026-starts-tomorrow-my-plan/
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It would be interesting to learn from those who no longer play official D&D (5e) what's the primary reason...
Is it because you don't like 5e itself?
Or because you have issues with WotC/Hasbro and its behavior as a corporation?
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In the past two years, I've been the DM for 21 teenagers and 13 adults for their very first D&D game. Cool, huh?
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AMC and Renegade Game Studios have announced a new roleplaying game line based on Anne Rice's Immortal Universe, starting in autumn 2026. #RoleplayingGames https://www.geeknative.com/240237/interview-with-the-vampire-rpg-coming-to-backerkit-this-autumn/
