What do you anticipate most for gaming in 2018? I'm going to preface this post by saying that I am a cynic (and by extension a pessimist). Here are some predictions for the coming year... -Brick & mortar stores will either close or stop carrying rpg games. I have seen many "hobby" stores relegate rpg games to 1-2 shelves only. They also only carry the latest and most popular games and ..read more

What is a genre-mashup you would most like to see? To start I'm going to list some of my favorite mash-ups currently out there and then I'll get to the one I'd like to see that is not out there yet. There are quite a few that I like and think work really well... -Torg. This game does an excellent job of integrating genres in a coherent way. You can add almost any type of genre without ..read more

What has been the best-run RPG Kickstarter you have backed? Tough call. I have backed quite a few kickstarters and most have come out beautifully. Picking one will be hard. Here are some of the better ones... -Feng Shui 2. Fast turn around. Good product. -Primeval Thule 5E. Fast return even on the stretch goals. Looked great. -Starvation Cheap. This is for a smaller kickstarter and book ..read more

What film/series is the biggest source of quotes in your group? Monty Python and the Holy Grail. I suspect this answer will be the most popular one...at least for us older gamers. Even my wife who has never seen the movie (I almost stopped dating her when I heard that) will throw in quotes at the appropriate times. There is usually at least one quote a game night. However, I am ..read more

What are your essential tools for good gaming? Dice and paper and pencil. Seems simple doesn't it? That is all I really need, the essentials. I usually have a good idea of the targets numbers required for a game system and from that I can pretty much do anything. For monster stats (for which I usually use the stats as found in a book) I can forgo the book and just run a monster by "feel ..read more

Which RPG provides the most useful resources? Trick question. I am going to assume they mean which company that released the rpg provides the most resources for their game. I have found that many games, even "dead" ones, will have resources for a given rpg from various fan sites. Sometimes it is like finding a buried treasure when you stumble across a website full of useful material. In ..read more

What is the best way to thank your GM? Let me count the ways. As I mostly GM I think feel qualified to answer this one. The best is to actually show up and be engaged. Missing multiple weeks for weak reasons or showing up and not paying attention will drive a DM crazy. We put in a lot of time and effort and all we are looking for is that the players have a good time. Now, I will admit ..read more

Share a PWYW publisher who should be charging more. While technically not a PWYW (Pay What You Want) because it has a price of free and there is a version that you can buy, I am going to say most of the games from Goblinoid Games, specifically Labyrinth Lord. It was one of the first of the retro-clones and is an excellent one in its own right. It is definitely worth more than its price of ..read more

Which RPG has the most jaw-dropping layout?  I'm going to go with the 5E Monster Manual. There are so many to choose from that I have to go with one of the ones I have seen most recently. I actually like the way they integrate the monster pictures with the layout where they are not always in neat little boxes and instead overflow into other boxes/areas of the page without being obtrusive ..read more

Which RPGs are the easiest for you to run?  The ones where everyone at the table already know the rules. I prefer to focus on the story going on and I've at various times defaulted to the players for a rule. I make them look up a rule as I keep the game moving forward. I am actually okay with letting a player know the rules better than myself.  That said, I prefer the "lighter" rule ..read more