Best Reads of the Week January 10 - 16, 2015

Welcome back to the Best Reads of the Week! Every week I read through more than 350 blogs looking for the best rpg related articles to bring them directly to you. This week we've got an interview with author David Jefferis; new ways to award experience; reviews; people calling out Mike Mearls for not delivering on all his promises; new treasures and magical items! If you see a post that you like be sure and tell the author how much you enjoyed it!

If you've got any questions about this month's lists be sure and check out the FAQ. And as always, thank you for your comments, shares, plus 1s, and for taking the time to read this list. See you on the next set!

BEST READS OF THE WEEK
JANUARY 10 - 16, 2015!

When the Future was Full of Stars: An Interview with David Jefferis by 2W2N, from the blog 2 Warps to Neptune: There was a time when speculative fiction ruled the imaginations of not only the young but of every person on the planet. We had touched down on the Moon - had actual human beings walk on its surface - and it seemed that it was only a matter of time before we were living up there all the time. David Jefferis was one of the authors of the seminal 1979 Usborne series The World of the Future which accurately predicted technological innovations and helped bring the possible into the probable. This interview that 2W2N did with Jefferis is a must read for any fan of the genre, space role-playing games, and literature in general.

What's a PC got to do to earn a few Experience Points Around Here by J.D. Jarvis, from the blog Aeons & Augauries: There are times when it's far more fun and interesting to reward the players for more than just finding treasure and killing monsters. In this case J.D. Jarvis has assembled a short list of things that he uses in his campaigns to help his players gain that experience in unusual avenues!

Anatomy of a Successful Campaign by +Adam Dickstein, from the blog Barking Alien: For a lot of Game Masters there is a certain level of insecurity that comes into play. Of the many questions that prey on our minds is: Is this a fun campaign? Adam has a great way to answer that question and his discussion surrounding his answer not only ends so many of my internal discussions but makes me wish I had read this years before.

D&D Attack Wing Review, Awesome Dueling Dragons by +Rob Conley, from the blog Bat in the Attic: If you've been considering purchasing the new D&D Attack Wing game then this review by Rob Conley is a great place to start. It's filled with his impressions of the game and pictures that help illustrate what he's talking about. If you're on the fence read this review.

Hey Mike Mearls by JB, from the blog B/X Blackrazor: Is the Basic D&D game a complete system that you can play for years to come? Is it everything that Wizards promised throughout 2014? JB believes that it wasn't and in this article he's taking Mike Mearls to task for not fulfilling the promises he's made to all of us.

Alternatives to Spell Books by Cirsova, from the blog Cirsova: Using the traditional standards when it comes to being a wizard can be enjoyable, but occasionally it's nice to change it up. For those of you who enjoy bringing some variety in your games this post by Cirsova is a great place to get your juices flowing and creating some excellent alternative spell books of your own!

Indie Games are Missing the Point by +Alessandro Piroddi, from the blog (un)Playable_G4mes: Alessandro Piroddi is a big proponent of games that take the major narrative power away from the Game Master and spreads it across the table among the players. To him these games are coherent and vastly superior. Why then are they not the dominant form of role-playing game? He has a guess, and so do I.

Star Wars: Edge of the Empire / Age of Rebellion Race: Lurmen by Mark Meredith, from the blog Dice Monkey: Finding player made resources for Fantasy Flight Games' Star Wars games tends to be a bit of a bear. Thankfully, though, there are people out there picking up the slack like Mark Meredith. Mark had a player looking to play a Lurmen, a race from Clone Wars, and since they haven't appeared in any official FFG supplements yet he went out and made one!

Morale (EVERYBODY RUNNNNNN!) by +Mark Van Vlack, from the blog Dust_Pan_Games: One of the older mechanics that I have always loved is the Morale mechanic. There was something just so fantastic about the idea. So this post by Mark just hit the sweet spot for me.

Dealing with Problem Players the Dyvers Way by +Charles Akins, from the blog Dyvers: Occasionally the question of how to deal with problem players comes up in my feed. Answers range across the board with most people wanting to have a long talk about what's going on. I prefer to tell them more directly.

Loot from Beyond by +Arnold K., from the blog Goblin Punch: Treasure doesn't have to just be the same 2,000 coppers found in a pile of hay. It can be more than that. It can help the narrative of the game you're building and it can make your games come to life if you put some effort into them. Arnold proves this with these fantastic treasures that can be used both for inspiration and in your own games just as they are now.

Writers Write by noisms, from the blog Monsters and Manuals: There are posts that are written that remind you that your struggles attempting to put out your creative thoughts aren't yours alone. Every one of us, from the struggling writer of fiction to the backroom historian, faces problems in putting words up on the screen. Writers write isn't just a catchy title.

Tuesday Magic Item - Confounding Key by +Sean Holland, from the blog Sea of Stars RPG Design: Great magic and technological items are the backbone of an excellent campaign which is why I love this item. It is designed as a magical item but it could easily be morphed into a technological innovation for campaigns that don't use magic or are looking to showcase the differences between magic and tech. Love, love, love this thing.

Sword and Backpack Mega Post by Sword and Backpack, from the tumblr Sword and Backpack: If you're looking for a bevy of resources this post by Sword and Backpack is the place to go. It is filled with everything this tumblr has been able to crank out since its creation. Well worth perusing to pick out the best (and there is a lot of good here) for your own uses.