4 Non-Negotiable Features of Runnable TTRPG Modules
We’ve all been confronted with massive walls of text and illogical layout when opening up a published adventure. Too many designers approach descriptions like they’re writing a fantasy novel, making it almost impossible to find the info you need during a session unless you have a photographic memory. You want to keep your game moving…
Cosmere RPG vs. D&D: 4 BIG Differences (& Why It Might Not Be for You)
Brandon Sanderson’s Cosmere RPG became one of the most talked-about tabletop releases in recent memory. But how does it actually compare to D&D? While both systems share a core d20 mechanic, I want to look at four design choices in the Cosmere RPG that challenge traditional 5e concepts. Watch the video: YouTubeListen on the go: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | WebRead it here ⬇️ 1….
Starmork X-tend Review: Is This Expanding Game Table Worth Backing?
Finding a budget-friendly game table that adapts to your gaming group and your home can feel like impossible. Enter the Starmork X-tend, a brand-new Kickstarter project that aims to deliver an affordable, highly modular setup for tabletop gamers. But is this expanding game table actually worth your hard-earned cash, or is it too good to be true? Watch…
YouTube’s Changing Rules: Why Short Rest Studios Is Shifting Focus
The changes YouTube just rolled out to the YouTube Partner Program requirements made me pause and ask a hard question: Do they just want small creators to stop? Watch the video: YouTubeListen on the go: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | WebRead it here ⬇️ Since starting Short Rest Studios back in 2022, I’ve seen the platform change a lot. But this latest shift is the…
5 Ways Dragonbane Eliminates D&D Combat Bloat for Faster RPG Battles
Fast. Brutal. Fun. If that does NOT describe your party’s last combat encounter, it might be time to bring Dragonbane to the table. Watch the video: YouTubeListen on the go: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | WebRead it here ⬇️ If you have spent any length of time playing or running 5th edition, you know how encounters can slowly turn into a slog. Understanding how Dragonbane addresses D&D…
Pirate Borg Solves Rules Bloat & SHIP COMBAT: The Limithron Interview
While high-fantasy systems with complex structures have their place, the tabletop world is experiencing a surge in rules-light, highly cinematic alternatives. One of the best (in my humble opinion) is Pirate Borg, a grimdark, high-seas tabletop RPG crafted by designer Luke Stratton (also known as Limithron). Watch the video: YouTubeListen on the go: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | WebRead it here ⬇️ By trading dense…
D&D Has Too Many Options (And They’re Ruining Your Game)
We’ve all seen it happen at the table. You’re in the middle of a high-stakes combat encounter. It’s your Fighter’s turn. You expect them to do something heroic – swing from a chandelier, tackle an enemy into a pit, or flip a table for cover. Instead, they stare down at their character sheet for two…
10 Blazing-Fast D&D Alternatives (That Don’t Suck to Learn)
It was supposed to be a simple tabletop skirmish, but it drags on past the two-hour mark. Your players are staring at their phones, the tension has evaporated, and D&D feels less like a heroic adventure and more like wading through a gelatinous cube. You’re ready to try something else, but the thought of learning…
DCC Combat Is the Chaos D&D IS Missing
Dungeon Crawl Classics (DCC) is a wild ride, and if you’ve been feeling like modern gaming has turned into a predictable slog of encounter balancing, this game is the wake-up call you’ve been looking for. Goodman Games has put together a system that perfectly nails that gritty, pulp-fiction vibe from Appendix N, but they’ve cranked…
D&D Forgot How to be Gritty. Is This Game the Fix? (w/Reaper’s Joe Wolf)
Modern fantasy TTRPGs – including D&D – have drifted away from the gritty, “mud-under-your-fingernails” spirit of classic pulp fantasy like Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser or Conan. Instead, we are often left with characters who feel more like superheroes. In this week’s video, I sat down with Joseph Wolf, the lead designer for Reaper Miniatures’…