Finding D&D, part 4! This one is scaring me. Remember how I warned that the one about fundamentalism and the OSR wouldn't be insulting? I fear this one can't say the same, and even if it doesn't go too far, I know it's going to gore a lot of oxen.
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Seminar
What is this table-top role-playing thing? How does it work, what does it do, what kind of designs do which things? I've got some ideas, and so do you. This is where we talk about it - like this!
Some of my posts here present a concept, game title, or a historical hobby event for discussion in the comments, so join in with a will. You'll also find interviews and conversations.
I'm also recording what I guess I call "labs," which are organized and prepared at the Patreon. I run them on Mondays using Discord, and anyone pledging there can participate when they feel like it.
Posted by: Ron Edwards
05 Apr 2018
Games: Dungeons & Dragons sensu lato, Finding D&D, Arduin Grimoire, GURPS, GURPS Fantasy, Lejendary Adventures, Skyrealms of Jorune, Talislanta, Dangerous Journeys, Warhammer, Forge: Out of Chaos, Hahlmabrea, Legendary Lives, Earthdawn, RuneQuest, Numenera, Torchbearer, DragonQuest, Tunnels & Trolls, 13th Age, Ysgarth, Harnmaster, Empire of the Petal Throne
21 comments
It’s given: “Powered by the Apocalypse” is an effective brand, and “Apocalypse Engine” is common usage for a presumed mechanics base. I’m not challenging either of these. I’m investigating what they may mean, and whether meanings differ.
Posted by: Ron Edwards
02 Apr 2018
Games: Apocalypse World, Masks, Monsterhearts, Sagas of the Icelanders, Epyllion, World Wide Wrestling, The Watch, Dungeon World
21 comments
I ran into a post at G+ which turned out to have been partly prompted by the Barbaric Psychedelic game, and then my comment got replies … well, social media was actually social for once, and the outcome was this conversation with the very kind Gregor Vuga about this-or-that about Dungeons & Dragons 4th edition.
Posted by: Ron Edwards
29 Mar 2018
8 comments
I’d really like to recover the nearly-unique power and fun of playing Primetime Adventures. This video is intended to help people join me. It’s about scenes and real-play as opposed to workshopped-play.
I have a long history of discussing this issue, as I recognized it as a problem all the way back in 2005, and so did Vincent, as he puts so well here:
Posted by: Ron Edwards
29 Mar 2018
Games: Primetime Adventures
21 comments
Here, hop into this handbasket with me. We’re goin’ for a ride!
It’s part of “Finding D&D,” focusing this time on fundamentalist belief and practice, including but not limited to the OSR. I thought about waiting until part 4 was done, as these two parts only make full sense relative to one another. But whatever; it’s a draft, and I might as well start collecting “what about” and “you forgot [some damn thing]” now.
Posted by: Ron Edwards
16 Mar 2018
Games: Dungeons and Dragons 1974, Dungeons and Dragons Holmes 1977, Dungeons and Dragons Moldvay 1980, Dungeons and Dragons Mentzer 1985, Advanced Dungeons and Dragons, Advanced Dungeons and Dragons Second Edition, Rules Cyclopedia, Dungeons and Dragons Third Edition, Dungeons and Dragons Fourth Edition, Lamentations of the Flame Princess, The Black Hack, The White Hack, Blueholme, Renegade, Dwimmermount, Adventurer Conqueror King, Mazes and Perils, Adventures Dark and Deep, Delving Deeper, For Gold and Glory, Swords and Wizardry, Spellcraft and Swordplay, Hackmaster, Demon’s Lair, Dawnfire, Deathstalkers, Undiscovered, Fantasy Earth, Forge: Out of Chaos, Dungeon Crawl Classics, Castles and Crusades, Monsters and Minions, Carcosa, Dark Dungeons RPG, Basic Fantasy, Labyrinth Lord
13 comments
It's not a metaphor. I'm talking about D&D as religion, not merely "religious" as a colorful synonym for "passionate." This is Finding D&D, Part 2, addressing TSR as orthodoxy and the resulting construction of culture and values.
Posted by: Ron Edwards
08 Mar 2018
Games: Dungeons & Dragons 2nd edition, Dungeons & Dragons 3rd edition, Shadowrun, Champions, RuneQuest, Cyberpunk, Dungeons & Dragons 4th edition, Forgotten Realms, Dragonlance, Dungeons and Dragons Mentzer 1985
28 comments
Here's part 1 of my series "Finding D&D," or rather, my first pass at working it up into a formal presentation. I'm looking forward to a fair piece of response for it. There's some history, based on several discussions at my old Adept forum, and a lot of private correspondence since then across a number of people with very different views from one another.
Posted by: Ron Edwards
24 Feb 2018
Games: Dungeons & Dragons sensu lato, RuneQuest, Tunnels and Trolls, Boot Hill, Finding D&D, The Arduin Grimoire, Chivalry & Sorcery, Melee, Wizard, Villains & Vigilantes, Champions
18 comments
Event Date: 7 February 2018 - 11:00am
This is a leftover from the original plan of having sign-up paid activities, which I'm not doing any more. I've edited the original post, and some of the language and the comments won't make much sense without knowing that.
Vincent asked me about the Right to Dream, and why it was absent from my fifth segment in Phenomenology, "Playing on Purpose." We had a fine talk which you can view here and comment about.
Posted by: Ron Edwards
01 Feb 2018
27 comments
I've been drawing these things for years. I've rarely discussed them publicly for a couple reasons, but busted one out for my Understanding the Pool seminar, and got to thinking about them again.
Posted by: Ron Edwards
21 Jan 2018
Games: Trollbabe, 3:16, Mars Colony, carry, Nine Worlds
14 comments
This interview is from November 2017, almost exactly a year later than the Metatopia interview with Maksim Mohammedov, and a good comparison with it. You'll see how both Vigil and Adept Play have emerged from the earlier points.
Posted by: Ron Edwards
18 Jan 2018
0 comments