So just the question alone probably will probably cause most people really involved in RPG’s to check out. But I have to wonder…is story really that important? Conventional wisdom seems to be that it is, that anything that supports story-telling is good, and anything that doesn’t is at best extraneous. Continue reading →

The “Total Party Kill” (TPK for short) is the sometimes controversial and always abrupt end of the game when everyone’s character is slaughtered at once. There is an understandable backlash against this sort of thing, especially in heavy story games, because this just isn’t a satisfying way to end a story! People invest a lot in their characters, the relationships between them, and their connections to the story and game world. To have all that snuffed out in an a few terrifying moments is off-putting.

I also think it’s crucial…within limits. Continue reading →

There’s a crisis brewing in our group right now between longer campaigns and shorter game series. I’ve been favoring the shorter runs lately for reasons that fall into a few categories. Continue reading →