Character Agency: It’s not just a good idea, it’s the right thing to do

One of my gaming beliefs is that every character should have agency. Frequently enough, however, I see games where this is not true. In my opinion, every character should have their own story line and their own ability to do as they wish. It’s true that the filmic camera of our play may not include that character’s whole lifespan, but I feel as though you should be able to rotate the camera and follow the innkeeper as he goes about his duties, focus in on the midwife as she delivers another child, watch her travel out of the city to … Continue reading Character Agency: It’s not just a good idea, it’s the right thing to do

Contraception, Pregnancy, Childbirth in Gaming

I’m not a mom, but I’ve attended two births and helped parent with newborns, toddlers, kids, and teenagers. I have long decried the fact that games never talk about positive things: sex, pregnancy, birth, love; along with loyalty, truth, freedom, justice. I enjoyed listening to these awesome women talk about their perspectives. It’s a sad but true statement that none of these game designers can point to a game that gets all of them: contraception, pregnancy and childbirth right. I hope that this can be heard as a call for others to incorporate such things, naturally, in their games. Here’s some random … Continue reading Contraception, Pregnancy, Childbirth in Gaming

The Last Hours of the Pre-Order are Slipping Away!

Time is running out!  Less than 17 hours left until the end of the Pre-Order period for Encryptopedia. Why is this important? Because at the stroke of midnight that Pre-Order will no longer be available. What’s the pre-order deal? You get Encryptopedia + the first adventure written for Encryptopedia, “Live and Let Dye.” “Live and Let Dye” is a stand-alone systemless adventure designed to build upon and execute ideas brought up in the Encryptopedia sourcebook. It has adventure, conflicts, intrigue, romance, and mysterious artifacts. Will you try and save the family of an agent wanting to come in out of … Continue reading The Last Hours of the Pre-Order are Slipping Away!

The Play Better Podcast!

I was a guest on the Play Better Podcast! Please take a moment to listen and consider subscribing. In it, I talk a bit about the White Wolf days, and about the new product “Encryptopedia.” Cameron, Ryan, and Molly are excellent podcasters and they cover board games, card games, and roleplaying games. Subscribe here Listen to the episode here Purchase Encryptopedia here until February 14th

Why do I need a systemless sourcebook anyway?

When I first started roleplaying (when I was 8 – nearly 40 years ago), I had no clue what I was doing. I tried to learn D&D from the blue-covered box set with the dice and the crayons – but let’s face it, it wasn’t written for 8-year-old audiences. I didn’t actually get D&D until I played AD&D with some friends, and started running games the second game I played. I had no idea how the rules worked, but the story was what I loved. Now we have a couple of generations of people who have spent years and years playing … Continue reading Why do I need a systemless sourcebook anyway?

Live and Let Dye – the Adventure

I am currently wrapping up production on the first adventure for the Encryptopedia sourcebook material, “Live & Let Dye.” This adventure focuses on the activities around a very important social event, the Dyer’s Guild Ball. Every year, the Dyer’s Guild hosts Color Season, where they debut the newest alchemical dyes for textiles and paints. The Dyer’s Guild Ball is held shortly after, both as a means of showing off the youth of the city and introducing them to society, and as a way to show the beauty of the new colors in elaborate suits and gowns. Of course, such a … Continue reading Live and Let Dye – the Adventure