Humans use storytelling for practically everything we do. It is a tool we use to tell other humans what's happening, to convince, to entertain, to delight, to manipulate. Yet, most of us don't actually understand how it works on a conscious level. When we try to tell stories our efforts are mostly intuitive. For some …
Author: Travis Miller
Travis writes, games and blogs.
How Do I Create Random Generation Tables for a Sandbox Campaign?
In last week's post I wrote about how random generation tables have some uses but they also have some drawbacks. The biggest drawback I find is that the tables created by other GMs or designers often have assumptions and contexts that don't fit whatever campaign setting I'm running. The major drawback of random generation tables. …
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The Benefits and Tradeoffs of Random Generation Tables
One of the common tools used by referees who run classic fantasy adventure games is random generation tables. These are useful tools that have many applications but they also have tradeoffs that I find undesirable at times. The Benefits One of the major and perhaps primary uses of random generators is they can be great …
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Film Recommendation: The Dreams In Gary’s Basement
The Dreams In Gary's Basement is a documentary about the life and creations of Gary Gygax. Though the creation of Dungeons & Dragons and the importance of the game in the broader culture is a major part of the narrative, the film is about Gary himself. Who is it for? Obviously, the film is for …
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“Sandbox vs. Railroad” Is a False Dichotomy
Is Sandbox Vs. Railroad a useful comparison? I don't think it is. Here's why.
Grumpy Wizard’s House Rules: Dual-classing
In my Kalador campaign, the group lost the player who ran the wizard to real life issues. It quickly became clear to the players that they needed a wizard in the group. I offered several options and what we came to was a player character would become a dual classed fighter/magic user. Because Swords & …
The Positive Impact of D&D In My Life
2024 is the 50th anniversary of Dungeons & Dragons. I've spent a lot of time thinking about why D&D has lasted so long, been so successful, and continued to gather new fans throughout that time. The answer I've come up with is that it is not just one thing. The reason D&D is such a …
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