For many people, playing an RPG is about immersion, imagination, unpredictability, and collaboration – and if your game feels like a video game, maybe something is wrong.
How to stop D&D feeling like a video game
Happy birthday, Scroll for Initiative: three years today!
Thanks for joining me along the way. Here are my top ten most read articles in reverse order! 10. How to run time travel in D&D This was one of the most ambitious and daunting sessions I've ever run, because time travel introduces all sorts of complications! In this article, I unpick some of the … Continue reading Happy birthday, Scroll for Initiative: three years today!
How to add depth and drama to your character
Many, many gamers play D&D and nothing else. Some gamers will play anything but D&D. Others will play D&D for the most part but mix it up occasionally with other systems. I’m probably in this latter group. Even if you don’t play other systems, it’s well worth reading them. It’s a great way of sparking … Continue reading How to add depth and drama to your character
The Complete Guide to D&D’s Musical Instruments
Have you ever made a new bard character and wondered which musical instrument was a good fit? Have you ever looked at the equipment list in the Player’s Handbook and thought, hey, what even is a dulcimer? Do you want to use musical instruments to add depth and colour to your worldbuilding? If so, this post might be for you!
Enhanced Description: Unlocking the Power of Tier 2 Vocabulary
My real-life job is an English teacher on a secondary school. In the last few years, something we’ve been talking about a bit as a profession is the idea of Tier 2 vocabulary, and in this article I want to explain how it is relevant to your tabletop RPGs. According to this model, there are … Continue reading Enhanced Description: Unlocking the Power of Tier 2 Vocabulary
How To Make A Compelling Backstory
Do you need a character backstory? Here are the questions that are worth answering.
What does your favourite character look like?
One of the most popular articles I wrote last year was a bit of a surprise. Inspired by Legend of the Five Rings, I came up with 20 questions for deeper character creation. A year later, it is the most-read page on my site! The first question in the article is ‘What do you look … Continue reading What does your favourite character look like?
Twelve Tips for Great Description on the Fly
Description is probably the most powerful tool we have at our disposal at the table. But it's hard. How do we get better at it?
How to store your gold in D&D
Many groups handwave wealth and treat gold the same way a video game does: ie, you can carry as much as you like. But what if we’re playing rules as written? In this post, I’m looking at the logistics of D&D numismatics and how our richest adventurers can best manage their wealth.
Summer D&D: Playing D&D in the sunshine
It’s nearly June – and for those of us in the northern hemisphere, summer! Time to play D&D outside? There are a few practicalities to consider first.