Best Reads of the Week! May 17 - 23, 2014!

Welcome back to the BEST READS OF THE WEEK! I read three hundred blogs and search through the Google+ Pen and Paper Bloggers community for the best articles being put out by this hobby every week. Below are the fruits of my efforts; but they can always get better! If you've got a blog you think is being overlooked let me know so I can add you to the reading pool!

What a week we've been having here in the blog-o-sphere! The official release schedule for the new edition of Dungeons and Dragons went public Monday and we've had major news developments every day since. Let's talk about what we've got this week. We've got polemics both for supporting the new edition of Dungeons and Dragons, and against. We've got fond reminiscences of modules of yesterday; complete coverage of the new edition; contrasting styles of play and writing; style guides are demystified; adventure locations; player motivations; movie reviews and more!

As always, these guys and gals spend a lot of time working on their blogs and if you like one of the posts these fine authors have published be sure and let them know by giving the post a +1, a like, or a comment!

Best Reads of the Week!

Full D&D 5th Edition Release Schedule and Compiled Information Page! by +Russ Morrissey, from EN World: There isn't much that has escaped Morrus this week. He was the first to break the news on the release schedule - beating everyone with nothing more than a cell phone. The page has everything you could want and then some!

My Hobby is not About Making Sure Anyone Stays in Business by Jeffro, from Jeffro's Space Gaming Blog: It seems like we're always being told that if we want this hobby to survive then we're going to have to support each new game produced by company X or everything will implode and the hobby will die. Jeffro would like to throw some cold water on that.

D&D 5e Revelations & Coverage Beyond the Covers by Anthony Simeone, from the blog Once More Unto the Breach: The release of Fifth Edition presents all of us with an opportunity to expand the hobby to new players, and we need to recognize that chance before we piss it away griping.

B1 In Search of the Unknown by Random Wizard, from the blog Random Wizard: Sometimes looking forward causes you to look back on your youth and the good times you enjoyed - yet it shouldn't be without a critical eye.

The Cosmopolitan GM by Raven Crowking, from the blog Raven Crowking's Nest: There are choices that you make both as a GM and as an author, and the Raven Crowking lays out the reality of both as he contrasts the cosmopolitan and parochial ways of doing things. Extra credit if you can know who his parochial target is.

Demystifying Style Guides by +Ryan Macklin, from the blog Ryan Macklin: Entering into the professional world of writing has huge hurdles that can slow even the greatest and mightiest amateur to a grinding halt. Listen to Ryan Macklin, he has advice that will help.

Beyond the Northwall: Cackling Woods, Magpie, Caves of Kenway, Pendragon's Folly by Jack, from the blog Tales of the Grotesque and Dungeonesque: Jack has an extraordinary talent for creating great adventure locations without bogging you down in needless blocks of text. This article by Jack typifies his talents and makes me want to play in his worlds.

Everything I Need to Know, I Learned on Zebes, by the Angry DM, from the blog The Angry DM D&D Advice with an Attitude: People naturally don't want to meander about in your games like sheep in a field. What do they want? The Angry DM has the answer.

Godzilla (2014): Brody and the Hero by +Sean Bircher, from the blog Wine and Savages: A fantastic review (with spoilers) of one of my favorite Godzilla movies.

Alternative D&D Next Covers Released by +Chris Kutalik, from the blog Hill Cantons: Do you like the covers for the new edition? If not then Chris Kutalik has released some fantastic alternative covers that you could use!

Fresh Meat by +Arnold K., from the blog Goblin Punch: As is so often the case with Arnold K.'s posts there is so much here that can be used not only in your current game, but in games you will play in the future. This post in particular deals with gaming and people who have never touched a d20. There's a lot of value in his insights.

A GM's panel "How to value The Life of a character." by +Mark Van Vlack, from the blog Dust_Pan_Games: Like many people I love reading about how various Dungeon Masters deal with things in their games, and this really cool panel (of which I am a part) that Mark put together is a fascinating looking into the commonalities between four very different Dungeon Masters.

Best of Dyvers This Week!

Catching Up on All the D&D News that Happened Today: When the release happened we were deluged with news coming in from social media, mass media outlets, and blogs. I caught up with all of it. Also, if you're looking for price comparisons between Amazon and Barnes and Noble on the pre-orders I've got that too.