Leonine Roar

One of the more innovative and engrossing additions to the RPG video game genre is the War Table in Dragon Age: Inquisition. In short, your war council of advisors helps identify, lead and complete missions using markers on a sprawling world map.

The war table adds a strategic, higher level RPG element to the classic first-person RPG missions you take on with your character and small party of adventurers.  Which member of your council leads a specific effort matters as far as results and rewards, as they have different personalities, methods and contacts.

Some efforts are brief and simple (e.g. gathering raw materials), while others are complex and lengthy, involving political alliances, underground contacts or long investigations of people or locales.  The War Table adds more stories to your story, in short, as you coordinate the efforts of others across the world.

Having just completed this tremendous game, the richness of the War Table reminds us to make sure “the world turns” while the PC party goes on its own adventures – or as they participate in or even lead their own war.  There are always more missions, more quests, and more stakes – connected to and beyond the PCs’ desires and reach.  And, through the War Table, a reminder that you have close friends and allies who will help you pursue greater, even global interests.

And having just caught up on the latest season of Vikings, here’s to your inner circles being less like those and more like Dragon Age!

Soon the D&D 5th edition core rules will be complete and ours for the creative taking!  The D&D 5th edition Dungeon Master’s Guide will finally slay shelves and be in our hands in less than ten days.

There are a few particular things I can’t wait to investigate… or devour!  Here are five things I’ll be searching its hallowed pages for immediately:

• Critical Hit Alternative Rules. It’s no secret I love impactful critical hits in my D&D.  Who wants critical hits that don’t… feel critical?  Crits that aren’t scary, that disappoint?  The 5e critical hit is flawed in that you can actually end up with less than a normal strike’s maximum damage, which I find to be no less than ridiculous.  Surely, there’s other options to consider, like a few of those during playtest?  I personally enjoyed the “max your damage and then roll one more die” critical hit from playtest.  But I can do even better!  See my Stop Rolling Your Bonus Crit Dice article for cooler, deadlier crit options for your D&D game.

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About ten days ago, the final D&D Next playtest packet was announced and released.

What a wonderful, unique opportunity it’s been to playtest and provide feedback to the designers of D&D’s upcoming 40th anniversary edition.  It’s been up and down for everyone, as playtesting is even more chaotic than I anticipated, but ultimately, we all had our fun as we test drove different rules and evolutions of the rules as the playtest went on.

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Hey everyone, Johnn and I have been plotting and plot twisting away on the follow-up course to our highly successful Faster Combat course and we’d love your opinion on the next exciting offering in our GM University series: Beginner GMs.

Like Faster Combat, we’ll take you step-to-step through your first session as GM, with an initial focus on how best to prepare for your very first game as the storyteller-in-charge!  Best of all, you’ll master this course in record time: 30 days.  That’s “turn efficiency” Faster Combat would be proud of!

After the focus on prep, then you’ll be ready for the next two 30-day micro-courses which focus on in-game and post-game success for Beginner GMs.

So what do you think fellow GMs?  Do you think this course would be helpful for new GMs?  As a smart way to introduce players in your playgroup to GMing?  As a focused refresher for existing GMs?  What do you think of the 30 day goals?  Share your ideas in the comments section and vote on the poll right here.  Thanks for your help!

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-Tony and Johnn