BEST READS OF THE WEEK! JULY 20 - 31, 2015!

Welcome back to the Best Reads of the Week! Every week I read through more than 450 blogs looking for the best rpg related articles and bringing them directly to you so that you don't miss any of the best stuff. This week we've got: a fantastic little story from +Stelios V. Perdios; thoughts about running games at conventions; some excellent Dwarf variants; an amazing npc Orc that's just dying to make an appearance in your home games; fantastic advice for writing adventures from one of the OSR's best; thoughts on the best asset at the game table - the power gamer; and so much more!

As always, if you liked any of the posts listed here be sure to let the author know. Leave them a note on their blogs, give them a plus 1, like them on the Facebooks, and share their posts in your social media feeds! Till next week!

BEST READS OF THE WEEK!

JULY 20 - 31, 2015!

Anne Greyhawk and Her Curses Part 1 and Anne Greyhawk and Her Curses Part 2 by +Stelios V. Perdios, from the blog The Word of Stelios: I'm firmly convinced that Stelios is brilliant at nearly anything he attempts. This short story just continues to confirm that belief.

Restarting my AD&D campaign - doing it differently by +Michael S, from the blog ChicagoWiz's Games: Sometimes one of the hardest things to do is to look honestly at your own campaign and to realize not only where it went wrong but why. In this insightful post from Michael he breaks down his campaign in a way that I've rarely seen done. His honest and direct appraisal is a refreshing look into what can go wrong, how to confront it, and where to go from there.

Doing It Wrong When It’s Right There In the Book pt 2: Magic in B/X by Cirsova, from the blog Cirsova: I won't lie to you, this Doing It Wrong series that Cirsova is putting out is quickly becoming my favorite from the entire blog. It's amazing how many things that we take for granted because we've always done them a certain way - especially when we've been doing them wrong. Can't wait to see what Cirsova discovers next!

LL / 5e Mashup Part IV: Bard Songs by +Gavin Norman, from the blog The City of Iron: Gavin continues his attempts to combine parts of Fifth Edition Dungeons & Dragons with Labyrinth Lord. Really neat stuff and I think this one is the best of the quartet.

The Lost Shrine of the Trickster God: GMing at Conventions by The Chatty DM, from the blog Critical Hits: While the Chatty DM is specifically talking about running at a convention his advice would work well for any situation where you're playing with new players. Well worth reading and bookmarking for future inspiration when you're getting ready to start a new group.

Clerical Work Part 18: Specialty Priests of Tymora for D&D 5th Edition and Part 19: Specialty Priests of Loviatar by +Mark Craddock, from the blog Cross Planes: The continuation of Mark's series of posts attempting to bring the Specialty Priest into 5e through feats.

Alternate Turn Undead Mechanics by Delta, from the blog Delta's D&D Hotspot: In this really well done post Delta explores an alternative to the Original D&D version of turn undead. The rework could be used in other versions of the D&D game and it might be worth checking out for those of you who have never been all that happy with how Turn Undead works.

4 popular beliefs Dungeons & Dragons defied in the 70s by DM David, from the blog DM David: While this post is specifically aimed at Dungeons & Dragons it's amazing to me how these beliefs have all been turned on their heads and essentially become a part of popular culture in a way that would never have seemed possible back in the 1970s. Great article by David.

TOLKIENIC DWARFS by +Dungeon Smash, from the blog Dungeon Smashing Empire: If you're looking for some excellent Tolken-esque dwarves to populate your world with, this short list is the perfect place to start. Many of the names presented have their meanings next to them which really lends a sense of depth to them.

1d10 Reasons You Should Have Done Something Else . . . Like Drink. A Lot by +Charles Akins, from the blog Dyvers: Terrible, terrible things are being said here. Most of them funny.

The No-Man's Land Trillogy: Part 1, d100 Whats in that hole in no-man's land; Part 2, d100 No-Mans Land Encounters; and Part 3, d100 Strange encounters in or under no man’s land by +Chris Tamm, from the blog Elfmaids & Octopi: Of the long string of d100 tables Chris has made in the last four years this trio may be my favorite. Not only are they easily manipulated into any deadly area you create in your home campaign but if you use all three it actually creates this wild mini-setting, complete with its own story hooks. A brilliant series.

Princess Determination Table 1: Leigh Brackett's Solar System by +John Till, from the blog Fate of Tekumel: While this table is setting specific I dig the hell out of it. There's something about it that just makes the pulpy, space-opera loving heart beat just a little bit harder.

Game Night Extrordinarie and a Game Prop of Epicness by +Tim Shorts, from the blog Gothridge Manor: I am rarely given to open jealousy but on this occasion I am laid bare. I am completely and totally jealous that Tim was lucky enough to explore this home made dungeon. Check it out to see lots of pictures and be just as jealous as me.

The Sad Story of Tik Tok the Half Human by +Jez Gordon, from the blog Giblet Blizzard: If this short piece by Jez doesn't provide you with a NPC for your games than you haven't read it. Love this character and I can't wait to have Tik Tok show up in one of my own campaigns.

What Happens When Cthulhu Is Released by +Arnold K., from the blog Goblin Punch: What would happen if a creature like Cthulhu was released from his slumbers? Arnold has a good idea and I like it a lot.

Adventure Writing Advice  by +Tim Shorts, from the blog Gothridge Manor: Tim's been writing a lot of adventures and he's got some pretty solid advice on how to go about making something that you can be proud to have made. Worth checking out for anyone who writes their own adventures.

Why no Nations in Gamma World? by +Joseph Bloch, from the blog Greyhawk Grognard: I'll confess that I have a soft spot for Gamma World, but that doesn't stop me from wondering about some of its eccentricities. It doesn't stop Joseph either and that's why he's asking where are the nations? Why haven't the peoples of Gamma World once again formed nations? What do you think?

Jean Veber by Aeron, from the blog Monster Brains: Someone needs to go through these retrospective of Jean Veber's work and stat up these monsters. Practically every picture in this post has my brain off to the races and plotting adventures to encounter these creatures - and even if I had never heard of role-playing games I would be writing stories about them. Jean Veber is right in my wheelhouse and I am now a huge fan.

On Principled Profit, The Con Man and the Fraud by +Courtney Campbell, from the blog Hack & Slash: If you haven't heard of Ken Whitman then consider yourself lucky because this charlatan has been bilking consumers and industry professionals for nearly twenty years. Before you invest in any of Ken's future Kickstarters be sure to read this first.

D&D 5e: Magic Item Economy by +Brandes Stoddard, from the blog Harbinger of Doom: Brandes discusses magic items and the economy built around them in a setting like Eberron here. His thoughts on the subject can easily be extrapolated to any setting where magic items are more common.

Why PDFs of Fifth Edition D&D still matter by +Robert Jazo, from the blog A Hero Twice A Month: We're over a year since 5th Edition dropped into our laps and still there are no official 5e PDFs. Does it even matter? Robert thinks so.

Suggested Readings for Running Fantasy Cities by +Chris Kutalik, from the blog Hill Cantons: If you're thinking about running a fantasy city this post is a great place to start as Chris has already created an index of books, blogs, and articles that you should check out for your research. Well worth bookmarking and revisiting time and time again.

Edmund Joseph Sullivan by Aeron, from the blog Monster Brains: If this retrospective of Edmund Joseph Sullivan's art doesn't inspire you take your games into an exciting direction that you need to check your pulse because you dead.

Why your Power Gamer is your most valuable player . . . sometimes by +Murky Master , from the blog Murky Murky: Without out a doubt the Power Gamer is often the most maligned player at the table. They min / max every skill, ability, and power until their characters are often walking gods that dominate the game. Such a player is trouble in almost every way. So why then is Murky saying they're your most valuable player?

Differences Between 1st and 2nd Edition AD&D by Mike Summers, from the blog Old Guy Gaming: When it comes to discussing the differences between the two editions there's often this hand-waving that goes on because many of those changes aren't really that substantial. But what actually changed and how did it affect the game? Mike has your answers.

Victory Speech by +Zak Smith, from the blog Playing D&D with Porn Stars: Often victory speeches are complete garbage, but this one isn't. Instead of being a self-congratulatory pat on the back it stands as a rallying cry for everyone who creates their own products in this hobby. Stop taking the easy way out. Stop compromising and do things the way you envision them. It's arguably one of the two best victory speeches I've seen in the last five years. Well done all around.

Why  I  Love  Dungeon  Crawl  Classics  RPG  (and  Why  You  Should  Play  it) by +Stelios V. Perdios, from the blog The Word of Stelios: Dungeon Crawl Classics is one of those games that I've always been interested in but have never been willing to pay the money to get a copy of because I was on the fence about whether it was worth the cost or not. After reading Stelios' post I can say that I'm picking up a copy today.

BEST READS OF THE WEEK! JULY 13 - 19, 2015!

Welcome back to the Best Reads of the Week! Every week I read through more than 450 blogs looking for the best rpg related articles and bringing them directly to you. This week we've got: a FREE adventure from +Sean Bircher; +David Dolph is asking if this is the last edition of Dungeons & Dragons; a fantastic way to bring new life to encounters with elementals; thoughts on where GURPS goes from here; a love letter to Castles and Crusaders that will have you checking that game out; and so much more!

As always, if you liked any of the posts listed here be sure to let the author know. Leave them a note on their blogs, give them a plus 1, like them on the Facebooks, and share their posts in your social media feeds! Till next week!

BEST READS OF THE WEEK!

JULY 13 - 19, 2015!

GM Advice - no time for introductions by +Moe Tousignant, from the blog Windsor Gaming Resource: When it comes to starting the adventure a lot of Game Masters find themselves at a loss for what to do. Start in an inn? It's a valid option, but Moe has a better idea: start with a bang!

HONOR AND DEATH by +Sean Bircher, from the blog Wine and Savages: Sean is one of the creative powerhouses of the role-playing game blogging scene and this short adventure he did for the Week of Vengeance project just his talent and creativity. Check this one out if you're looking for an adventure to throw at your players!

Why 5E is the Last Edition of D&D by +David Dolph, from the blog Big Ball of No Fun: Since the launch of Fifth Edition there have been various claims that this would be the last edition that run from semi-official statements from the Wizards of the Coast Design Team to wilder pronouncements in the fringes of the internet. Many of these have been dismissed immediately by the wider community of D&D enthusiasts, but David has a theory about why these pronouncements may very well be true.

5 Narrative Details About Caves that will Give your Games some Grit by +Doug Anderson, from the blog Blue Boxer Rebellion: Not being a natural cave explorer myself, as is the case with many of my readers, I found this short guide by Doug to be really valuable. Well worth reading for anyone looking to throw their players into the caverns of their favorite imaginary setting.

LL / 5e Mashup, Part I: Skills; Part II: The Rogue Class; and Part III: The Warrior Class by +Gavin Norman, from the blog The City of Iron: These mashups of various parts of Fifth Edition Dungeons & Dragons and Labyrinth Lord are really interesting. I kind of love mashups on the whole so this is really in a sweet spot for me.

Clerical Work Part 17: Specialty Priests of Kossuth for D&D 5th Edition by +Mark Craddock, from the blog Cross Planes: Mark's continuing series of post attempting to bring the Specialty Priest from 2nd Edition into 5th Edition through feats.

Elemental, I choose you! by +Daniel Davis, from the blog Detect Magic: Daniel has this fantastic idea about treating elementals like Pokemon. I really dig the idea because it kind of makes the enemies you encounter unpredictable in a way that could really become one hell of a fun challenge.

My Rule Zero by +Jens D., from the blog The Disoriented Ranger: Everyone has a rule in their role-laying games that is central to how they play. For some this rule is, "The Dungeon Master is always right," and that's fine but not everyone holds that as a central tenet of their Game Mastering. Jens certainly doesn't, do you?

Disorder vs. Disaster  by +Peter V. Dell'Orto, from the blog Dungeon Fantastic: When you think about games like Dungeons and Dragons is the world you're playing in suffering from disorder or from some post-apocalyptic disaster? Peter contends that most of us D&D players are exploring worlds suffering from disorder. What do you think?

A Tale of Carnage and Revenge by +Jens D., from the blog The Disoriented Ranger: A short, enjoyable bit of fiction that makes me way too happy. I really dug the way he wrote this one.

Jackalware by Blanca Martinez and Joe Sparrow, from the blog Dungeons and Drawings: If this evocative drawing by Blanca and Joe doesn't get you interested in throwing a Jackalware at your players than I honestly don't know what's wrong with. Also, these guys are amazing and you should totally peruse their archives for some kick-ass illustrations of over 300 monsters.

The Ax Grinders Goal by +Mark Van Vlack, from the blog Dust_Pan_Games: An alternative way to reward revenge plots that goes beyond just a satisfying chop to the neck and an end to an imaginary life. Like so many of Mark's efforts on game design he has a way of taking you beyond the complicated mechanics and making the whole thing into something not only enjoyable to read but that feels easy to implement into your own games.

Cultist by +Mike Bridges, from the blog Greyhawkery: This funny one off comic from Mike is a great introduction to not only his sense of humor but to the sort of things he does with his fantastic Greyhawk comic. If you've not checked him out before now is a great time to do so!

Clerics of Blackmoor by DHBoggs, from the blog Hidden in Shadows: The Cleric class originated in the Blackmoor supplement yet we have scant little in way of information about the clerics of Blackmoor. DHBoggs attempts to rectify that in this rather enjoyable post.

I ran Torchbearer by +Natalie Bennett, from the blog How to Start a Revolution in 21 Days or Less: Torchbearer is one of those games that I have an unreasonable fascination with in spite of never having actually gotten a copy of the game; so reading Natalie's experiences with it is right up my alley.

R.E.V.E.N.G.E. by +Alasdair Cunningham, from the blog Iron Rations: There is something so exciting about an organization dedicated to fighting back against the heroes of your campaign; someone your villains can call on when everything goes against them. I love the idea and in Alasdair's capable hands they become the stuff of nightmares for your players.

The Future of GURPS? by Jeff Lees, from the blog Jeff's Hobby Blog: There are hints that a new edition of GURPS may be in the offing and it brings a lot of questions with it. Jeff has some thoughts on where GURPS has been and where it should go in the future.

 Arts & Crafts: Morbidly Encumbered edition by Rose and +Logan Knight, from the blog Last Gasp: Open this article and be jealous. It's okay, really. These cats who play with Logan and Rose just happen to get all the cool shit you wish your Game Master would do for you. So you might as well know what it is that you want when you pick out your next Game Master.

I think level drain is stupid by +Patrick Henry Downs, from the blog Nerdwerds: There is a legitimate argument that has been going on for some time now in our hobby that revolves around the use of level draining. Patrick puts forth a powerful argument against level drain.

D20 Disgust by +Zak Smith, from the blog Playing D&D with Porn Stars: A semi-funny table of reasons why a rpg book would suck so badly that you would throw it aside. Sadly some of the things he mentions are very close to things I've actually read and thrown a book across the room for doing.

Revenge, and Why Your NPCs Want It by +Travis Milam, from the blog The Rambling Roleplayer: Sometimes the idea that your NPCs might have something at stake in the games - well, beyond giving the player characters things like quest and loot. Travis, however, reminds us that they should bee more than just a blank face and numbers on a page. They should have motivations too.

Why I love Castles & Crusades by +Otto Q, from the blog Quarzis Games: Have you ever gotten the chance to play a game that captured your imagination? Otto has, and in this fantastic post about Castles & Crusades he'll have you loving it too. Well worth reading!

Pack, Pack, Chuck that Sack.

There will be no BEST READS OF THE WEEK! today as I'm helping my brother and his family move. We'll have no internet access while we're moving today so I won't be able to get everything put up the way that I would like so rather than put out something I'm not happy with it will just wait until I get to a point where I can be proud of what I'm putting out. Sorry for the inconvenience to you cats who are waiting on the July run to finish but it'll should be up Tuesday, Wednesday at the latest (depends on what time we get back home). 

BEST READS OF THE WEEK! JULY 6 - 12, 2015!

Welcome back to the Best Reads of the Week! Every week I read through more than 450 blogs looking for the best rpg related articles and bringing them directly to you. This week we've got: tables, tables, and TABLES; a new class option for ACKS; advice for budding miniature collectors; a fantastic theory for DARK SUN; one of the best things I've ever read +Zak Smith write; more love letters to our favorite games; and so much more!

As always, if you liked any of the posts listed here be sure to let the author know. Leave them a note on their blogs, give them a plus 1, like them on the Facebooks, and share their posts in your social media feeds! Till next week!

BEST READS OF THE WEEK!

JULY 6 - 12, 2015!

ACKS Class: Bearsarker by John, from the blog The Wandering Gamist: One of the things that I enjoy about this class variant John has come up with for Adventurer, Conqueror, King System is that it feels so much deeper than classes in role-playing games generally come across. It's cleverly done and for those of you who love ACKS it's well worth checking out.

How I Run City Adventures by +Jack Shear, from the blog Tales of the Grotesque and Dungeonesque: When it comes to running city adventures there seems to be an overabundance of people trying to sell you dense books that either obfuscate matters or line the pockets of the people writing them while doing nothing that they set out to do. Not so with Jack as he manages to provide a quick, and understandable, guide to running city adventures that doesn't read like a self-important manifesto from a third rate hack who can barely keep her dislike of her audience from showing.

Six Words 6d6: The Road North by +Luka Rejec, from the blog Cauldrons & Clerics: A series of six d6 tables that reads like a psychedelic poem of adventure in long forgotten lands where the gods of old still roam the world and magic has yet to disappear. Just one of many reasons why when Luka updates his blog I make sure to read what's been written.

Clerical Work Part 15: Specialty Priests of Helm for D&D 5th Edition and Part 16: Specialty Priests of Sune by +Mark Craddock, from the blog Cross Planes: Mark's continuing efforts to bring the Specialty Priest into 5e through feats.

For the love of the D&D Rules Cyclopedia by +Jens D., from the blog The Disoriented Ranger: Have you ever played D&D with the Rules Cyclopedia? If you haven't then you have been missing out on one heck of a fun time! Take a moment to come along with Jens as he tells you about the game that made him fall in love with role-playing and that has kept him going ever since!

Building a miniature collection on a budget from the most useful figures by DM David, from the blog DM David: If you're thinking about putting together a miniature collection for use in your D&D styled games then this handy guide by David is a great place to start. In it he shows you which figures will give you the most bang for your buck. Thanks David! This one was super useful!

How low, is low prep. Thoughts on the improvised game by +Mark Van Vlack, from the blog Dust_Pan_Games: If you're having troubles improvising your games and yet you don't want to put in the time to detail every person on the map than this post from Mark will be right up your alley. Mark is able to deftly identify the parts of prep you need to do and then to give a few guides to help you during play. Really worth reading for anyone looking to being running with less prep and for those hoping to improve their low preparation games.

My Grand Theory of Dark Sun by +Jürgen Hubert, from the blog A German Geek: Dark Sun is one of those campaigns that never receives enough love as far as I'm concerned, and part of the reason for that is that it presents a lot of troubles for people attempting to 'get' it. The story is convoluted, twisted, and filled with little contradictions. So when Jurgen posted this it was right in my wheel house. Connecting the dots, drawing conclusions, and just a hint of conspiracy. All good stuff.

Turkish, Mofo–Do You Speak It? by Andy Slack, from the blog Halfway Station: This is a post about languages both in the real world and those inspired by them in a far off future. Fascinating stuff.

Max Frey by Aeron, from the blog Monster Brains: Are you looking for a new dragon? This retrospective of Max Frey's work is filled to the brim with terrifying dragon-like creatures that should haunt your players for years to come. Check it out!

 2,000,000 Page views! And Ennies. by +Timothy Brannan, from the blog The Other Side: Congratulations to Timothy! This is a heck of a milestone for anyone and Timothy is as nice a guy as you're likely to run across! Go wish him congratulations on this amazing achievement!

Radical Game Critique Isn't by +Zak Smith, from the blog Playing D&D with Porn Stars: Arguably this is the best thing that I've read from Zak in the last four years. It's biting and it pokes every bear in the room but it's absolutely brilliant.

Why I Love Fifth Edition Dungeons and Dragons by +Travis Milam, from the blog The Rambling Roleplayer: I just really dig the hell out of this post. Travis has a way with words that I really dig and his thoughts on 5e kind of solidified my own feelings about this latest edition of D&D. Well done Travis!

Not Loving Friend Computer is Treason - A Paranoia Love Story by +Marty Walser, from the blog Raging Owlbear: The computer has told me that I love Paranoia and I believe it. (HELP ME!) Marty is clearly a prophet of the divine will of the computer. All is okay. (HELP ME!) Please go back to playing your video games and writing about table-top rpgs. 

Why Arcana Evolved is Awesome by Sanrock, from the blog Sanrock Reviews: I must admit that I missed the boat when Arcana Evloved came out. I even found it a few years later in a used bookstore for $6.00 but I passed! Why? I was young and incredibly stupid. And it only becomes clearer when you read this article by Sanrock that shows just why Arcana Evolved is one of the best things you could ever buy.

BEST READS OF THE WEEK! JULY 1 - 5, 2015!

Welcome back to the Best Reads of the Week! Every week I read through more than 450 blogs looking for the best rpg related articles and bringing them directly to you. This week we've got: musings on the edition warring going on with Games Workshop's new AGE OF SIGMAR edition; a FREE PDF of Arksylvania; a couple of love letters to games; and so much more!

As always, if you liked any of the posts listed here be sure to let the author know. Leave them a note on their blogs, give them a plus 1, like them on the Facebooks, and share their posts in your social media feeds! Till next week!

BEST READS OF THE WEEK!

JULY 1 - 5, 2015!

In the Grim Darkness of 2015 There Is Only (Edition) War by +Kelvin Green from the blog, Aiee! Run from Kelvin's Brainsplurge: For longtime Dungeons & Dragons fans the idea of edition warring is something of a regular pastime - like catching fireflies in the summer or drinking beer while fishing - but in War gaming, specifically Games Workshop games, it's kind of an unusual occurrence. So this look into what's happening by Kelvin is a fascinating glimpse at the fragmentation of another game's base is really interesting.

Arksylvania Part 6: Taz-Hadamin Empire, Szavokia, Vallachlands by +Jack Shear, from the blog Tales of the Grotesque and Dungeonesque: The final installment detailing the Arksylvania setting Jack's been putting together.

Arksylvania: Free PDF, the Poe Test, Inspirations by +Jack Shear, from the blog Tales of the Grotesque and Dungeonesque: In this post Jack not only provides you with a fantastic FREE PDF of his Arksylvania setting but even goes into examining where the setting came from and if it succeeded his own expectations. Really worth reading for anyone looking to create their own settings as Jack has a natural talent for cutting through all of the fluff and providing you with just what you need to get the most out of the settings you're running.

My favorite Game System. (MEGS) Part of the My favorite game project by +Mark Van Vlack, from the blog Dust_Pan_Games: This post is a love story between one man and a game that hit all the right buttons. If you haven't heard of MEGS then you need to check out this post because Mark is talking about a game that is far too excellent to sit on the shelf collecting dust. We need more games like that in our lives.

Gonzo is Great by +Edgar Johnson, from the blog Edgar's Game Blog: In this short post Edgar discusses eleven things about role-playing games that are now considered 'gonzo' by some people. It's an interesting look into the concept and how it has become a fashionable term to describe anything and everything under the sun.

Light Theming and Mood by Archon Shiva, from the blog Further Up the Spire: Do you ever use lighting changes in your games to help establish a mood for the session? Archon Shiva does and this post detailing some of their efforts kind of makes it seem like not doing so has been cheating your players. Now if you'll excuse me I have to go buy some LEDs.

The Return of Supremacy by Stuart, from the blog The Great Game: Have you ever played the board game, Supremacy? If you're like me you probably haven't even heard of it. But after reading this enjoyable review by Stuart you'll find yourself scouring every flea market and swap meet you know trying to get a copy.

Re: why I love Apocalypse World by +Patrick Henry Downs, from Nerdwerds: I'll be honest with you, Apocalypse World has never interested me - that is until I read this post by Patrick. He manages to make an eloquent case for the game that has gotten me to purchase a copy this morning. If you haven't played Apocalypse World, or have been on the fence about it, check out this post.

Top 10-ish BEST READS OF JUNE, 2015!

The other day I was reading a blog when I ran across a comment that I'd like to paraphrase here. The comment's author was distressed and wrote, "My favorite blogs have stopped updating! Grognardia, gone. ChicagoWiz's RPG Blog, gone. Everyone is shutting down their blogs, deleting their content, and moving to Google Plus and Tumbler. Blogging about role-playing games is a dying format, like list-servers before. And besides, those who are still blogging aren't saying anything worth reading anymore!"

Horse shit.

I think it's reasonable to argue that I read more blogs than most and I can tell you that there is still great content being produced week after week, day after day. Just look at June, a month that traditionally sees a slow down in production throughout the blog-o-sphere as people start take vacations and going to conventions. Still we saw nearly 2,700 posts being produced this month across over 450 blogs, with nearly as many individual authors, and had more Best Reads recommended than May even though it had nearly 300 less posts produced.

This isn't an aberration or a fluke.

The blog-o-sphere is alive and well as new authors bring fresh perspective to the games that have captured their imaginations while older authors keep putting out good stuff with the knowledge that experience brings along. Our hobby, role-playing games, is experiencing a renascence in wider gaming culture and with that comes new players who bring along with them an whole new understanding of what makes the game fun and where they're willing to push the boundaries. They won't be the second comings of Grognardia - and who would want them to be? We've already read those posts, seen those ideas, and seen a million blogs attempting to be +James Maliszewski. Instead every month new voices step forward to push the conversations about our hobby in new directions; and that's a good thing.

Finding those voices and bringing them to the forefront is what the BEST READS OF THE WEEK! series is all about. I want you to be able to see where our hobby is going by bringing to your attention the authors who are doing interesting projects; who are shaping the discussion of our hobby; and who are putting out stuff that will make your games more fun. Here, then, are 10 of the the best from June.

TOP 10-ish BEST READS OF THE MONTH!

JUNE, 2015!

10

Cosplay Is Not Consent by +Christopher Helton, from the blog Dorkland!: From time to time there comes along some ignorant jackass who thinks that putting his hands on another human being without their consent is acceptable because they decided to wear something that doesn't cover them from head to toe. Such people are terrible human beings and we should all listen to what Christopher has to say on the matter - especially if you disagree.

9

Playing it Forward by +Kevin Smith, from the blog Melvin Smif's Geekery: If you're like me there are times when you find yourself concerned with the future of the hobby. Will your children still be playing it? Will theirs? Often there's a sense of helplessness in these thoughts as it can feel like you're such a small part of the world - which is why Kevin's post is so important. Unlike so many of us he's going out and paying it forward by bringing the games he loves to the next generation of players. If you're interested in bringing the next generation of gamers along then you need to read this excellent post and consider doing something similar.

8

Rogue Rant: Suck It! by Timrod, from the blog Cave of the Dice Chucker: One of the arguments that you'll see popping up every so often is that Dungeons & Dragons has lost its way. Where? Now that's a debatable point because for every Dungeon Master that you meet there's a different answer depending on what edition they like playing the most. Timrod, however, thinks that there was a definite point where it went wrong and he's here to tell you all about it.

7

Skraelings by Scott, from the blog CYCLOPEANA: It seems like most of the time when we write up a monster's description that it follows the traditional Dungeons & Dragons format. The text may have some flavor to it, but more often than not, it just feels tacked on and superfluous. Scott, however, has chosen to go a different route by emulating the style RuneQuest used, and in so doing he has shown us all how terrible what we've become used to really is.

6

Doing Combat Wrong When It Was Right There in the Book by Cirsova, from the blog Cirsova: If you're like me when you actually sit down to the table and start reading the rule books you invariably find something that you've been doing completely different from how the game intended it to run. In this fanatastic post from Cirsova we're treated to a glimpse at how combat has been run wrong for years in Cirsova's home campaign. Have you been making the same errors?

I know I have.

5

The City-State of Wunderspire Series: Part 1, An Overview of the City-State; Part 2, The Elite, Marvels, the Arcane; Part 3, A Sphinx Without a Secret; Part 4, Heights, Multitudes, Gods, Intrigue; and Part 5, The Underclass, Other Lands, and the Complete PDF by +Jack Shear from the blog Tales of the Grotesque and Dungeonesque: In this excellent five part series that serves as a companion piece to last month's Arksylvania series presents you with a city-state to explore and plunder until your heart's desires are satiated. Like so much of Jack's setting work the Wunderspire series provides just enough information to serve as a launching point for your own imagination without overwhelming you with needless lore. Plus, he's made a free PDF to go with it. Well worth checking out!

4

Gobbos by Rose and +Logan Knight, from the blog Last Gasp: Think about the goblins you've been killing all these years. What do you imagine? A sniveling, cowardly cur? Now imagine a goblin that

gets off on the violence you do to them. These Gobbos that Rose and Logan have created are the answer to the boring goblins that you've used for year and bringing them into your home campaigns will create a whole new world of violence. I dig the hell out of these guys and the concept they've come up with here.

3

Let's Talk About Campaign Settings I: Introduction; Part 2: Second Edition Settings Analysis; Part 3: OSR Settings and Part IV: What Can We Learn For Our Own Settings? by +Jeff Russell, from the blog Blessings of the Dice Gods: The settings where we choose to adventure have a lot of baggage associated with them that comes not only from the written works but from what we project onto them. We take an ownership of them that often causes us to treat them as something incredibly special; but why? In this insightful quartet of posts Jeff examines why the Second Edition settings were able to do this better than any before them and how that has informed the OSR since.

2

Savage Worlds: Murder-lite Edition by +Edward Lockhart, from the blog Violent Media: The Murder-lite Edition of Savage Worlds that Edward has created is the sort of thing that just captures your imagination. It's got a brutal attitude that screams out for your characters to enter into the world as fully formed bastards pressing back against all the terrible things in the world that would silence the good and kind. More than that, though, is the fact that the game he's made knows looks at all the classic complaints (like creating a sense of verisimilitude and character immersion) and pokes them right in the eye. Check it out.

1

The Box by Multiplexer, from the blog Critical Hits: In the pantheon of brilliant role-playing game bloggers it's hard to argue against Multiplexer's inclusion. With each new post she continues to create content in a way that no other blogger has been able to match or even to emulate. This latest effort, The Box, is arguably one of the best ways to start a campaign and to keep it going to ever greater heights of murderous looting that I have seen in years. If you're not reading her you're missing out.

As always, if you liked any of the posts listed here be sure to let the author know. Leave them a note on their blogs, give them a plus 1, like them on the Facebooks, and share their posts in your social media feeds! Till next time!

FAQ for JULY, 2015 BEST READS OF THE WEEK!

How many blogs did you check?

452

How many posts did you read to make the lists?

2,547

How many posts were read for June 1 - 7, 2015?

660

How many posts were read for June 8 - 14, 2015?

631

How many posts were read for June 15 - 21, 2015?

629

How many posts were read for June 22 - 30, 2015?

627

How do I get my blog checked for next month?

I'm always on the lookout for new blogs so you're welcome to send me an e-mail titled Please Add My Blog to the GBRC so that my overly aggressive spam filter won't block you and I'll put you in the queue.

If you have any other questions please let me know and I'll add them and their answers to the FAQ.

BEST READS OF THE WEEK! JUNE 22 - 30, 2015!

Welcome back to the Best Reads of the Week! Every week I read through more than 450 blogs looking for the best rpg related articles and bringing them directly to you. This week we've got: further thoughts on why campaign settings matter to us and what we can learn from them; thoughts on where D&D went wrong; delaying actions that were never meant to be in the game; long term damage in RPGs; and so much more!

As always, if you liked any of the posts listed here be sure to let the author know. Leave them a note on their blogs, give them a plus 1, like them on the Facebooks, and share their posts in your social media feeds! Till next week!

BEST READS OF THE WEEK!

JUNE 22 - 30, 2015!

Let's Talk About Campaign Settings III: OSR Settings and Part IV: What Can We Learn For Our Own Settings? by +Jeff Russell, from the blog Blessings of the Dice Gods: In the concluding parts of Jeff's examination of Campaign Settings he focuses on the OSR settings and the lessons that can learned from both the published settings, like +David McGrogan's outstanding Yoon-Suin, and the ones produced on blogs like +Anthony Picaro's setting, Straits of Anián. This discussion is one that I think will be revisited in coming months and years as more people discover Jeff's thoughts and begin to work out their own answers to the questions he's raised.

Rogue Rant: Suck It! by Timrod, from the blog Cave of the Dice Chucker: Where did D&D go wrong? It's a question that has been debated by countless D&D enthusiasts across blogs, forums, and every form of social media you can name and more often than not the debate comes down to personal preference. Timrod, however, thinks there is an answer - and he has it.

Doing Combat Wrong When It Was Right There in the Book by Cirsova, from the blog Cirsova: There are moments when you see something for the first time and realize that you've screwed up combat the entire time you've been playing the game. This is one of those moments. Cirsova always seems to find the things I screw up on without even knowing that I'm making those mistakes too.

The Box by Multiplexer, from the blog Critical Hits: If ever you have been stumped for a way to get your players out to adventure that doesn't begin with, "You meet in a tavern . . ." then you need to check out this post by Multiplexer. The article is based on the the Portuguese program of caixa de liberdade and if it doesn't help inspire your games than you are missing a hell of an opportunity to do something great.

Clerical Work Part 14: Specialty Priests of Beshaba for D&D 5th Edition and Part 15: Specialty Priests of Silvanus by +Mark Craddock, from the blog Cross Planes: Mark's continuing efforts to bring the Specialty Priest into 5e through feats.

Remembered with Honour: Lace and Steel by +Ralph Lovegrove, from the blog Department V: Lace and Steel was an obscure swashbuckling game from Australia that you probably haven't heard of and have been missing out on. In this fantastic post from Ralph you'll soon find yourself wishing that you had heard about it early because now you're scouring ebay looking for a copy.

Once subversive, the Arduin Grimoire’s influence reaches today’s games by DM David, from the blog DM David: In this insightful post David examines the influence of one the greatest independently produced game aids: the Arduin Grimoire. A fantastic post that will send you hunting for your own copy of this seminal work.

Why I love Elthos RPG by +Vb Wyrde, from the blog Elthos RPG: Have you ever sat around with someone who was passionate about some project they had been working on for years? Have you ever gotten to play the game they've been working on for as long as they can remember? After reading this fascinating post by Vb you'll want to play this game.

Hindrances, bennies, and Walter White by +Geek Ken, from the blog Geek Ken: How do you handle handing out bennies in Savage Worlds? Sometimes it's easy to know when a player should get one, but at other it can be a bit confusing. In this insightful post Ken provides an easy rule of thumb for handling this mechanic.

A World Without Magic: 5th Ed D&D without the sparkly bits by +Jez Gordon, from the blog Giblet Blizzard: In this short post Jez lays out his issues with 5e and its overabundance of magic - especially at lower levels - and then he gives you a FREE variant game that will completely put that magic problem on its head.  I got to say, I kind of dig the hell out of this variant.

On the "Missing" Delay Action in 5th Edition by +Courtney Campbell, from the blog Hack & Slash: For some players finding that the "Delay" action wasn't in 5th Edition was a bit of a shock. Where had it gone and why had Wizards of the Coast dispensed with it? As Courtney says, "Because it makes a better game."

“The good news though is that you could always house rule away the healing surges.” by +Jeffro Johnson, from the blog Jeffro's Space Gaming Blog: A defense of the house rule and of the do it your own god-damned self esthetic. I dig the hell out of it.

Hurt, broken, sliced and torn – long term damage in RPGs or lack thereof by +Paolo Greco from the blog Lost Pages: One of the odd things that comes up, occasionally, in discussions about rpgs is the unrealistic and boring nature of hit points. That they can be nothing more than a tracking mechanism is undenyable - but do they have to be?

Examples of Good RPG Writing by noisms, from the blog Monsters and Manuals: Often it seems like when we talk about RPGs that we focus on the bad elements rather than on what works. To the point where we highlight what doesn't work so much that it's impossible to see what does - and as a result it's possible to lose sight of how to improve (because there are no examples of what that would look like). So this post by noisms is a good counter to that and a great place to look when you're trying to figure out how to improve your own RPG writing.

house rule for [5e] by +Patrick Henry Downs, from the blog Nerdwerds: I love house rules in general, but I really dig these from Patrick - especially the healing ones.

Why I Love RPGS: C. J. Carella's WitchCraft RPG by +Timothy Brannan, from the blog The Other Side: C.J. Carella's WitchCraft RPG is one of those games that you hear a lot about but that doesn't seem to get a lot of actaul play - which, after reading Timothy's post on it, is a damned shame. This game sounds like a lot of fun and you should definitely check out this post if you're interested in it!

BEST READS OF THE WEEK! JUNE 15 - 21, 2015!

Welcome back to the Best Reads of the Week! Every week I read through more than 450 blogs looking for the best rpg related articles and bringing them directly to you. This week we've got: more Wunderspire; thoughts on why Campaign Settings matter so much to us; satirical articles that hit 5e and the OSR (gird your loins kids); a look at the taboos that surround our tables; and so much more!

As always, if you liked any of the posts listed here be sure to let the author know. Leave them a note on their blogs, give them a plus 1, like them on the Facebooks, and share their posts in your social media feeds! Till next week!

BEST READS OF THE WEEK!

JUNE 15 - 21, 2015!

Dungeons & Dragons 5th Edition Player’s Handbook Errata (Official) by YDIS, from the blog Your Dungeon is Suck: This often vicious lampooning of the recent errata released by Wizards of the Coast attacks many of YDIS' favorite targets while continuing to mock the insistence of certain segments of this hobby to treat every word of a gaming book as sacred. The comments are not for the weak of heart so if you read them be prepared for terrible things to be said and for them not to care about your feelings. 

Wunderspire Part 4: Heights, Multitudes, Gods, Intrigue and Part 5: The Underclass, Other Lands, and the Complete PDF by +Jack Shear, from the blog Tales of the Grotesque and Dungeonesque: In the concluding two parts of the Wunderspire city-state series Jack continues to present his readers with just enough information to inspire their imaginations but not to overwhelm them with needless lore that they could make up just as easily themselves. Plus he combines everything into a FREE PDF. Check this series out!

 Let's Talk About Campaign Settings I: Introduction and Part 2: Second Edition Settings Analysis by +Jeff Russell, from the blog Blessings of the Dice Gods: In this rather interesting series Jeff explores what made the beloved settings of Dungeons and Dragons so special. His thoughts on the matter are definitely shaped by the leaders in OSR design theory and practice which makes for an interesting read.

Vladimir Putin’s Last Voyage Part 2, After the Flood: A Message to Ryan and Part 3, Among the Barbarians by faustusnotes, from the blog Compromise and Conceit: These last two parts pick up from where the first part left off and I am begging for another part! I really hope that more adventures come out soon from Vladimir's Putin's Last Voyage!

Clerical Work Part 13: Specialty Priests of Shar for D&D 5th Edition by +Mark Craddock, from the blog Cross Planes: Mark's continuing efforts to bring the Specialty Priest into 5e through feats.

What was wrong with AD&D 2E? by Scott, from the blog CYCLOPEANA: As Scott notes in this post there are rabid legions of fans for all the other editions, why not 2e? What was wrong with it that no one still stands up screaming, "You can take this game from me when I fucking die!"

Skraelings by Scott, from the blog CYCLOPEANA: I really dig this post. Now I'm going to have to pick up some RuneQuest just to see more examples of this style.

The 10 Kinds of OSR Gamers by Kellri, from the blog Kellri: I don't know what it is about me but I love any post that takes a poke at the very people it's being written for, and this one does that in spades.

Taboos in Storytelling at My Table by +Moebius Adventures, from the blog Moebius Adventures: Every one of us has those things that we won't allow at our tables and in this post Moebius discusses his own and is looking to find out about other peoples' taboos.