Letters from the Editor – Happy New Year

Happy New Year By Aaron T. Huss Another year has gone by and many things have changed here at Roleplayers Chronicle. For starters, we had many reviewers go AWOL. I don’t mean they stated they would no longer be writing reviews; they simply stopped responding to inquiries. Because of this, our daily posts have been thin. Additionally, we’ve had a couple format changes, and have now settled...

Under the Hood – Mechanical Morals?

Mechanical Morals? By The Warden Regardless of what you celebrate this time of year, the final month of our calendar is a time to reflect on the accomplishments and sins of the past eleven months. Whether you’re a child eager to convince Santa how good you’ve been all year or a full-grown adult setting down New Year’s resolutions with the goal of becoming a better person in the...

A Word in Edgewise… with David L. Pulver of Crafty Games

with David L. Pulver of Crafty Games By Aaron T. Huss Learn more about Laboratory of the Forsaken here. Purchase Laboratory of the Forsaken here. Find other Fantasy Craft products here. The following interview was conducted between Roleplayers Chronicle Editor-in-Chief Aaron T. Huss, denoted by the prefix RPC, and freelancer David L. Pulver and his work for Crafty Games – Fantasy Craft, denoted...

Under the Hood – The Cool Factor

The Cool Factor By The Warden The classic Planescape adventure (as far as I’m concerned), Fires of Dis. Written by Steve Perrin and Ray Vallese. There are so many variables in a game’s success at the table, assuming details such as mechanics, presentation, camaraderie, and dice rolls are aligned in the perfect global position. For now, I’m talking about the individual session. You...

Letters to the Industry – The Value of a Good Book

The Value of a Good Book By Aaron T. Huss I’m going to be honest; I’m a fan of settings that incorporate horror in a way that causes some amount of terror in the PCs, and possibly the players. Dark fantasy, Gothic sci-fi, epic fantasy horror, historical fantasy horror, modern fantasy horror, sci-fi horror, and pulp action horror are my favorites (yes I know that’s not a very short...

A Word in Edgewise… with Erin M. Evans, Author of The Adversary

with Erin M. Evans, Author of The Adversary By Cape Rust The following interview was conducted via e-mail by correspondent Cape Rust, speaking with Erin M. Evans, author of The Adversary, part of The Sundering series of novels from Wizards of the Coast. 1. Erin, first a few personal questions, how would you describe your childhood? Chaotic Neutral. I grew up with two sisters—and we all shared a...

Under the Hood – Improvised Design…?

Improvised Design…? By The Warden Roleplaying has a deep connection with improv theatre, perhaps even with game design itself. Oh, jealousy. Such a vicious and biting emotion. Some consider it a sin, that’s how vile it can be. I think of it as an ulcer; left untreated, it will eat at your insides and scar you for the rest of your life. What’s been causing this jealousy has been racing...

Letters from the Editor – Reporting the News

It has come to my attention, as I have been paying much more attention in the past three months, that there’s very little interest in the overview news postings we do on a daily basis. This is proven by looking at our traffic reports. Instead, there is much more interest in our regular articles, reviews, publisher announcements, Kickstarters, Featured Products, Guest Articles, and release announcements...

Tales from the Gazebo – Saying Goodbye to my 1st DM

Saying Goodbye to my 1st DM By Cape Rust Last month the RPG world lost one of its most important assets, and didn’t even realize it. Last month the RPG world lost a gift giver. Last month the RPG world lost a husband, a son, a brother and a friend. Last month my first Dungeon Master died of a sudden and massive stroke. Edward Ames is not a name most of you will know, his isn’t a name that you...

Under the Hood – A Party Without A Host?

A Party Without A Host? By The Warden Let’s cut straight to the chase, shall we? This week’s instalment of the Hood deals with a highly debatable topic (though I wouldn’t go so far as to say it incites flame wars). It’s about the values of roleplaying traditions versus the fresh exploration of modern design. There’s a minority of a belief that has swayed many a traditionalist...

Designer’s Diary: Blue Phoenix Publishing – Chronicles of Cathura

Chronicles of Cathura Chronicles of Cathura is a complete RPG published by Blue Phoenix Publishing. By Scott Hibbard Learn more about Chronicles of Cathura here Purchase the Chronicles of Cathura here Welcome to the latest Designer’s Diary, a column where designers are given the opportunity to take readers on an in-depth ride through the design and development process of their system, setting,...

One Author’s Journey

One Author’s Journey By Mike Phillips Hello everyone, and thank you for reading my guest post. My name is Mike Phillips and my new book is The World Below. After reviewing the book last month, Editor-in-Chief Aaron T. Huss asked if I would be interested in talking a little about my journey as a writer, and if I might have some advice for anyone wanting to get into the business. Before we begin,...

Designer’s Diary: Brabblemark Press – Corporia

Corporia Corporia is a complete RPG being funded via Kickstarter. By Mark Plemmons. Learn more about Corporia here. Back the Kickstarter here. Welcome to the latest Designer’s Diary, a column where designers are given the opportunity to take readers on an in-depth ride through the design and development process of their system, setting, or product. If you’d like to share your product in the...

A Word in Edgewise… with Chris Birch of Modiphius Entertainment

with Chris Birch of Modiphius Entertainment By Aaron T. Huss The following interview took place at Gen Con Indy 2013. Editor-in-chief Aaron T. Huss is speaking with Chris Birch of Modiphius Entertainment about Acthung! Cthulhu, Dust, and Mutant Chronicles. This interview is also presented through our podcast channel Critical Ramblings of a Gamer. You can either listen to the interview here or download...

What is AetherCon II?

What is AetherCon II?By Barry Lewis AetherCon organizer, Stephen Holodinsky, just wanted a way of getting people to the table to play RPGs, but when he couldn’t get that to happen he looked for another way.  He then went out and searched the internet looking for like-minded people willing to stare at a computer screen for long hours and work for no pay and thus AetherCon was born.  Our mission...

Under the Hood – World Building

World Building By The Warden This week’s Under the Hood is brought to you by our podcast channel Critical Ramblings of a Gamer. You can either listen to the discussion here or download it through iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/roleplayers-chronicle-podcast/id706273978 http://roleplayerschronicle.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/UndertheHood-Ep1_Worldbuilding.mp3

Letters from the Editor – October Traffic Report

October Traffic Report By Aaron T. Huss Greetings everyone! Another wonderful month is under our belt and our new posting format seems to have been received well. Let’s take a look at last month’s traffic. Visitors: ~6,800 Pageviews: ~42,000 RSS Feed: ~45,000 Top 25 Most Popular Posts. Review: Wizards of the Coast – Ghosts of Dragonspear Castle (DnD Next) Review: Rite Publishing...

Under the Hood – The Single Bullet Theory

The Single Bullet Theory By The Warden Be forewarned, fair reader, this week’s edition may be shorter than normal. Why? What else gets in the way of gaming fun? Real life. It’s the perplexing dilemma of growing up and remaining attached to the games of our childhood/teenage years. We can’t play them like we used to in our youth. The time simply isn’t there to invest in the...

A Word in Edgewise… with Nick Jones of Day Dreamer Interactive

with Nick Jones of Day Dreamer Interactive By Aaron T. Huss The following review took place at Gen Con Indy 2013. Editor-in-chief Aaron T. Huss is speaking with Nick Jones of Day Dreamer Interactive about Infinem. This interview is also presented through our podcast channel Critical Ramblings of a Gamer. You can either listen to the interview here or download it through iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/roleplayers-chronicle-podcast/id706273978...

Under the Hood – Borrowed Parts: The Lone Gunman

Borrowed Parts: The Lone Gunman By The Warden Drumroll, roleplayers, because it’s time to reach the inevitable conclusion of the trilogy. Dark forces have conspired against our intrepid game designer. None of the existing systems have what it takes to make her concept of an intergalactic combat sports league leap from the table. Nothing in its entirety or even the scattered pieces of other...