There is a particularly dumb question that has caused more fights in Dungeons & Dragons fandom than any other. I do have an answer to the question but it's probably not the answer most querents expect.
Category: musings
A Few Thoughts About the 20th Anniversary of Return of the King
It's been 20 years since the release of The Return of the King. Like a lot of fans, I have recently commemorated the event by re-watching all three films of the Lord of the Rings. As a work of cinema art in the genre of epic fantasy, they were an achievement that no one has …
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Politics Is Not Fun
Some gamers incorporate their political views into their tabletop roleplaying game hobby. I don't like it. It ruins the fun. Even worse, it ruins the possibility of fun.
Emotion Fuels the “RPGs are Stories” Myth
I hypothesize that one of the reasons the "collaborative storytelling" claim persists is that both RPGs and stories produce powerful emotions. Stories and games can feel the same or at least very similar. This makes them seem like the same thing but they have a crucial difference.
Why Focus on Player Emotions in Tabletop RPG Design?
Role-playing games are unique for their capacity to evoke a wide range of emotions, profoundly influencing players' decisions. This emotional aspect makes role-playing games memorable and engaging. The most successful game designers focus heavily on triggering these emotional responses.
The Perplexing Presentism of Old 5E Players
I participate in some of the discussions about "the world's greatest fantasy role playing game" on the local Facebook D&D group. I occasionally bring up some element of the Old School Renaissance play style. Almost without fail there will be a dismissive comment from another gamer who started playing D&D around the time I did …
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Grumpy Musings About AI
There are legitimate concerns about AI and the impact it will have on people who write, paint, make songs, and do graphic design. It will change things but mostly for the commodity producers.
Grumpy Wizard 
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