I came across something today that made me reflect deeply on how we, as a community, engage with the people who shaped our hobby. Tim Cain (creator of Fallout and lead at Troika) posted a heartfelt video about his team’s work on Temple of Elemental Evil (2003) being omitted from “D&D: Art and Arcana” - the comprehensive art history book from 2018. This got me thinking about how we remember our hobby’s creators, particularly in light of the recent online debates about Gary Gygax’s legacy and his critisism in the recent D&D publications.
With the slow rollout of the 2024 edition of Duneon & Dragons 5e, there’s been considerable discussion about the game’s underlying design philosophy and how it shapes player behavior at the table. While every edition has had its share of rules lawyers, the current design trajectory might actually be encouraging more rules-focused play - and not always in ways that enhance the experience.
War. It’s the drumbeat of countless fantasy epics, a crucible that forges heroes and shapes kingdoms. From the sweeping battles of The Lord of the Rings to Conan’s gritty skirmishes, war has always been central to the fantasy genre. Even modern fantasy leans heavily on the backdrop of conflict, often zooming in on the personal stories of individuals caught in its tide.
When you’re leafing through the pages of the upcoming Dungeon Master’s Guide, set to hit shelves this November as part of D&D 2024. The familiar scent of fresh ink and new possibilities filling the air, you might notice something different. The default setting isn’t the Forgotten Realms in the latest edition. Instead, you’re reading about a world called Greyhawk. For some of you, this name might spark a nostalgic gleam in your eye. For others, it might be a curious first encounter. So what is with the new default setting for DnD 2024? Lets take a journey to the World of Greyhawk, D&D’s original campaign setting, and find out what we’re in for.
The TTRPG community has been abuzz with discussions about AI, and understandably so. The mere mention of artificial intelligence in our beloved hobby often sparks heated debates and anxiety. There’s a palpable fear that AI might replace the human creativity that forms the very essence of tabletop roleplaying games. In these discussions, we’ve sometimes been too quick to judge, too harsh in our criticisms, and perhaps a bit too reactionary. Without doubt, there’s Fear, Uncertainty, and Doubt (FUD) surrounding AI, but there are also great possibilities when used thoughtfully. As with many topics in our community, we need to approach the AI conversation with more open-mindedness and less cruelty towards those with differing views. After all, the spirit of TTRPGs is one of collaboration and imagination – qualities we should bring to these important discussions as well.
The recent artwork depicting the Hero’s Feast spell has sparked a heated debate within the TTRPG community. While some argue that the inclusion of modern dishes like sushi and tacos breaks immersion, others welcome this expansion of the game’s aesthetics to make the setting familiar to more people. However, this debate overlooks a powerful worldbuilding tool: using food to create a deeper sense of culture and tradition in our fantasy worlds.
There’s a common misconception floating around that narrative roleplaying in tabletop games is a relatively modern invention, something that only came into focus with the later editions of Dungeons & Dragons and other game systems like Blades in the Dark. This belief, while understandable, couldn’t be further from the truth. From its earliest days, DnD was designed with roleplaying at its core—a distinction that set it apart from the wargames that preceded it. Sure, early DnD had its share of combat (often brutal and unforgiving), but if you think it was all about kicking down doors and hacking away at monsters, you’ve missed the point, and probably rolled a lot of new characters. The truth is, combat was risky, and survival often depended on players being more thoughtful, more cunning. Roleplaying wasn’t an option; it was a necessity, at least in the way early DnD framed it but more on that later. Many of the early modules assumed players would be talking, negotiating, and thinking their way out of danger as often than they’d be fighting.
I’ve always been drawn to systems that offer depth and engagement. Runequest, with its skills-based approach, certainly fits the bill. It encourages players to think creatively about their characters’ abilities in every situation, rather than waiting for the perfect moment to use a class-specific power as in D&D. However, even the most beloved systems can have their quirks, and for me, Runequest’s handling of criticals has always been a sticking point.
A few weeks ago, a great thread was floating around on X (formerly known as Twitter and largely still called that but… oh, nevermind) lamenting the lack of meaningful Player Guides on TTRPG blogs. We have a plethora of guides on how to be a great Game Master but few on how to be a great player. Okay, that’s not entirely true - there are plenty of YouTube videos by DungeonCraft or Seth Skorkowsky offering great player advice, and a few blog posts on the topic, but they’re drowned out by the volume of DM advice content.
The Dungeons & Dragons 5th Edition ruleset is being revised and rereleased this year. Termed DnD 2024, there have been a series of videos on DnDBeyond, announcing and summarizing some of the changes in the latest revision. While each of those videos have a nice corresponding blog summary of changes, I couldn’t find one after the recent Spell change video. So I am summarizing the changes discussed below for easier reference, and so you don’t have to watch the 25 minute video just for 5 minutes of vague content. Enjoy.