Sunday, May 31, 2015

Listening to Alabama Shakes and Thinking About Things That Don't Matter to Anyone

So I'm listening to Alabama Shakes, which is a phenomenal band, and it occurred to me that I spend a lot of time thinking about things that just don't matter. I mean, let's be honest, who the fuck cares about imaginary concepts that have no real world application?

Me I guess. 

What sort of things am I worrying my precious, little head about? Here's just a short sampling: the differences between classical feminists (of which I am one) and modern feminists (who I am completely mystified by); the validity of the Quantum Ogre debate; whether Spinoza was actually happy within his intellectual life or if he was shaken to his core by the inconsistencies in his thought; whether Socrates was real or just a fictional creation designed to explore philosophical concepts by the Greeks; and so on, and so on. 

So what about you? What's got your mind grinding to dust?

Friday, May 29, 2015

WTF is Objectivism and What Do We Mean When We Say Something Is Objectively So?

Objectivism is the moral theory that there are certain moral truths that would remain true regardless of an individual's perception or desire and that this would remain so regardless of whether or not anyone else agreed or if everyone else in the world agreed with the moral truth. The underlying idea of this theory is that there is a way to determine the status of moral truths; however, the problem lies in actually creating a process to do so. In Antony Flew's A Dictionary of Philosophy he illustrated the problem for Objectivism as follows:
. . . If we accept that such judgements are not reports of what is but only relate to what ought to be . . . then they cannot be proved by any facts about the nature of the world. Nor can they be analytic, since that would involve lack of action-guiding content; 'One ought always to do the right thing' is plainly true in virtue of the words involved but it is unhelpful as a practical guide to action . . . At this the objectivist may talk of 'self-evident truths,' but can he deny the subjectivist's claim that self-evidence is in the mind of the beholder? If not, what is left of the claim that some moral judgments are true? (Flew, 343)
Objectivism, however, has morphed in the years since Flew wrote his fantastic dictionary in 1979 through the efforts of Ayn Rand and her cult like following. For our understanding of the term it can be broken down to hold the following (though it is not limited to just these concepts): (1) reality exists independently of consciousness; (2) human beings have direct contact with reality through their senses; (3) one can obtain objective knowledge through concept formation and inductive logic; and (4) that a proper morality is based around the pursuit of the individual's happiness - sometimes called 'rational self-interest.' Ayn Rand's philosophy is rightly discredited by most moral and political philosophers though that hasn't stopped her followers from pretending otherwise as they stick their fingers in their ears and loudly bray on.

What do we mean when we say that something is objectively so then?

To use the term in this sense is to say that the statement we are referring true will remain true regardless of an individual's opinion or of the opinion of the entire world. Often this refers to verifiable statements such as, "The Earth is the third planet from the Sun," but it can be used for logical statements such as, "All men are mortal" (which is true so far as we know but may not always be the case). 

Works Cited
Flew, Antony. A Dictionary of Philosophy Revised Second Edition. St. Martin's Press. New York: 1979. Print

Moments Like These

Sometimes I find myself wondering if I chose the right format for my blog in the early days. Early day? That makes it's sound like my blog has been around for a decade rather than a little under two years. Anyway there are moments when I'm looking at the way that SEO works and I see how little blogger does to help your blog gain traction that I think about moving myself over to wordpress. Of course Wordpress has it's issues. It's more vulnerable to hacking. To get the same options as Blogger I'd have to pay for a premium account. Oh, and then there's the whole thing about messing up everyone's bookmarks and feeds for my blog.

Forgive me. Today is a rainy day and I'm struggling to get through three project pieces I'm doing for the blog with my internet going out with every heavy downpour - and they're all heavy. Fuck it. I'm going to go read some old comics.

Later kids.

Wednesday, May 27, 2015

WTF is Subjectivism, and What Does It Mean When We Say Something is Subjective?

Subjectivism, at it's core, is the philosophical position that all morality is merely a matter of personal taste. For example, "Spanking your children is a form of child abuse," and it's counter argument are not intrinsically true or false but are, in actuality, the expression of the individual's personal preference on the matter. People brought up in the same society will naturally have similar moral standards; however, according to this simplest form of Subjectivism, individuals from separate societies with differing moralities are unable to prove that one standard is in error and the other correct. 

Practically no one adopts Subjectivism in its simplest form. Instead most Subjectivists tend to develop their moral position along two themes. (1) Morality is not dependent on an individual or individual society's inclinations but rather it is based on the natural desires of mankind as a whole. According to this line of thought people value certain things more than others and our morals are an expression of that valuation. As a result when we ask what is 'good' what we are asking as Subjectivists is "What do all, or most, of the people desire?" If the majority of people desire to live unmolested and free than allowing people to do so is 'good.' The opposite condition, naturally, is bad. (2) The alternative theme ultimately relies on the individual as the arbitrator of what is 'good' or 'bad' but rational arguments to support those valuations are required just as they would be for any other pronouncement. Thus if we argue that murder is 'bad' in all cases then we must create logical justifications for that position (for example, it is wrong to murder another person because doing so deprives them of their lives and negatively affects the community by depriving it of the individual's financial, social, and economic contributions).

Let's move away from the theory of Subjectivism and towards the question of what it means when we say something is subjective. At it's simplest form, to call something subjective is to imply that the speaker's valuation of it is bound to their personal preference. Yet it can be expanded to include any discussion that seeks to use popular opinion as the logical basis for something's value. For example, to say that Star vs the Forces of Evil is the best animated show on television based exclusively on the speaker's opinion and to say that Dungeons & Dragons is the best role-playing game based on its popular appeal are both subjective statements.

Tuesday, May 26, 2015

Where All the Ancillary Organizations At?

I never seem to make enough use of ancillary organizations - whether it's unions, guilds, or social clubs - in my games. Oh I make them, don't get me wrong. I set them up in the early stages. I've built complex knighthoods, Hellfire clubs, quasi-Satanic cabals, social clubs, volunteer organizations, unions, and guilds. I've given them names, drawn out complex connections to each other and the wider world, established their internal power structures and dynamics. But once everything begins it all goes to pot. 

Always.

Part of the reason behind this is that all of that plotting I do tends to make my sluggish in how I effectively bring these organizations to bear; like I'm worried that I'll get something integral wrong. I'm thinking that I may have found a solution to this problem but I'm still working out the kinks. More on this later.

Also, how was your weekend? Did you have fun?

Friday, May 22, 2015

The Happy End of Days

One of the things that I deeply enjoy about ending a campaign is that it means that once I'm done with it that I can start something new. I like new things which I think is why I tend to do so much on this blog and look at so many different things along the way. 

Anyway.

This weekend I'm going to be away for a few days while I work on something that should be going live next week. Hope you all have a good weekend while I'm away. Get some good games, better food, and hopefully lots of sexy pants fun. 

See you on Tuesday.

Thursday, May 21, 2015

BEST READS OF THE WEEK! April 25 - 30, 2015



Welcome back to the Best Reads of the Week! Every week I read through more than 370 blogs looking for the best rpg related articles to bring them directly to you. This week we've got an amazing setting for a campaign; the history of one of D&D's enduring artifacts through the editions; a great new mini-game; a slew of new character playbooks for Beyond the Wall; and so much more! 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!
APRIL 25 - 30, 2015!

Dragonwrack Part 2: On the Dragons of Dragonwrack, Dragonwrack Part 3 Black Dragons, Part 4 Blue Dragons, Part 5 Green Dragons, Part 6 Red Dragons, and Part 7 White Dragons by J.D. Jarvis, from the blog Aeons & Augauries: Building on the ideas laid out last week J.D. continues to lay out a great way to use Dragons in your games in this fantastic Dragonwrack Series. Be sure to read them all because they're worth it.

Best of the Joesky Tax by Paul, from the blog, Blog of Holding: The Joesky Tax was an idea that for every rant, every asinine and frivolous post, that the author would then follow it up by creating something useful for the people who had to suffer through such things. Unfortunately many of these posts are beginning to disappear. To help preserve them Paul has collected some of his favorites in this post.

Castles in the Sky Part 2: Religion, War and Conquest by +Emily Dresner-Thornber, from the blog Critical Hits: This is the conclusion of Emily "multiplexer" Dresner-Thorber's examination of a world dominated by flying castles. Well worth reading.

They Wait in Darkness / The Quiet City by +Pearce Shea, from the blog games with others: This description for the world Pearce has been playing in with 5e hits me as perfect in practically every way. The writing sets the tone for the city with the sort of skillful craftsmanship that rarely shows itself in our daily world and that begs for more to be shown. To say I love this setting and would gleefully spend years adventuring here is an understatement.

Sword of Kas Through Editions by +Mike Bridges, from the blog Greyhawkery: This article hits me just right. First it covers one of the great artifacts from the game's history in an easy to read manner; and second, it's about a Greyhawk artifact. Great article from Mike.

Violent Resolutions - Never Tell Me the Odds Part 2 by +Douglas Cole, from the blog Gaming Ballistic: In this concluding part of the Never Tell Me the Odds tandem Douglas looks at combat in dramatic systems that don't really rely so much on the math that the previously examined games did. As someone who doesn't play FATE I found the discussion fascinating.

You Probably Haven't Heard of It Before by +Charles Akins, from the blog Dyvers: Another in the series of posters for Greyhawk.

International Dungeoneering League by +Scott Malthouse, from the blog The Trollish Delver: I love all sorts of mini games that require you to think outside the traditional role-playing game format and this one proposed by Scott just makes me way too happy.

Beyond the Wall - New Character Playbook - The Foreign Diplomat (Rogue); Beyond the Wall - New Character Playbook - The Pious Priest (Mage); Beyond the Wall - New Character Playbook and Class - The Cursed; and Beyond the Wall - New Character Playbook and Class - The Exiled Monk by Wrathofzombie, from the blog Wrathofzombie's Blog: One of the things that I love about how these character playbooks are put together is how easily you can manipulate them for other games. Each of the ones in this series really get my mind working and have gotten me to pick up the Beyond the Wall game.

Wednesday, May 20, 2015

BEST READS OF THE WEEK! April 18 - 24, 2015


Welcome back to the Best Reads of the Week! Every week I read through more than 370 blogs looking for the best rpg related articles to bring them directly to you. This week we've got new magic spells; the old school roots of 5e; an interview with Shanna Germain; inspiring art; a lexicon for aspiring war gamers; and so much more! 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!
APRIL 18 - 24, 2015!

The Compleat Spell Book of The Blue Album by +Jensan Thuresson, from the blog The Acorn Afloat: One of the things that I can never get enough of is creative spells that make instantly make me think of how they would be used in my games, and this post from Jensan that's exactly what you get. Honestly, if you aren't watching for Jensan's updates you're missing out.

The Dragonwrack Series Part 1, by J.D. Jarvis, from the blog Aeons & Augauries: Have you ever hesitated to drop a dragon into your Old School Dungeons & Dragons style game? Well if you have then this series by J.D. is perfect for you.

Every Adventure is a Dungeon by The Angry Game Master, from The Angry Game Master: Sometimes one of the hardest things about creating an adventure is understanding how to build one with a solid foundation which is why this article is so good.

The Old School Roots of D&D 5e by Al, from the blog Beyond the Black Gate: One of the things that I love about 5e is how easy it is to really get into, and this article from Billy examines those roots directly from the man who had one of the biggest hands in it's development, Mike Mearls.

Interview with Shanna Germain, Co-owner of Monte Cook Games by Liz, from the blog Contessa: Shanna Germain is a fascinating person. Her interests are varied and she often offers a refreshing take on every issue she touches. Naturally this interview with her is fantastic.

Castles in the Sky Part 1: History, Mechanics, and Trade by +Emily Dresner-Thornber, from the blog Critical Hits: It is arguable that there is no more astute mind in rpg blogging right now than Emily "multiplexer" Dresner-Thornber. Everything she touches is graced with an economy of words and a brilliant intellect. Castles in the Sky, Emily's exploration of a setting filled with floating castles, is just the latest in a long line of excellent posts.

The Rules are Not the Game by +Jens D., from the blog The Disoriented Ranger: There is a question that occasionally surfaces in our hobby: what constitutes the game? What is its essence? Is it the rules? Or is it something more abstract? Jens works on this issue and his thoughts on the subject are provoking.

The Livid Fens - Color Maps by +Gus L, from the blog Dungeon of Signs: If you're looking for a great place to launch a campaign than this evocative map is a perfect place to start. Plenty of adventuring possibilities, and not to much civilization to mess it all up. Just the way I like it.

Defeat and Running Away by Archon Shiva, from the blog Further Up the Spire: I always find it interesting how little we run away in modern role-playing games. I'm not alone in that I don't think. So this post by Archon Shiva really hit my sweet spot as it explores the topic in a way that few others have. Well worth checking out.

Violent Resolutions - Never Tell Me the Odds Part 1 by +Douglas Cole, from the blog Gaming Ballistic: In this first of a two parter Douglas takes a look at the math of crunchy systems, like D&D, and how to properly gage your chances of success. I'm always amazed when someone can take something that can quickly become dull, like math, and make it an interesting read that gets your mind working for hours afterwards.

Henrique Alvim Correa - War Of The Worlds Illustrations, 1906 by Aeron Alfrey, from the blog Monster Brains: My games tend to be a bit more along the lines of a pre-WWI time period so this collection of War of the World illustrations really hit in my sweet spot.

Taking 5e to the Con Circuit by +Baz Stevens, from the blog Treehouse: One of the great stress tests for any system is to put it into a pressure situation; and playing in a convention game is a perfect place to find the weaknesses of any game. What's better? Having a professional game designer look into it.

MOAR GREYHAWK! by +Charles Akins, from the blog Dyvers: a series of eight covers created to help spread the good word about one of the oldest settings in the history of RPGs.

Of Strategy in RPGs (Also: Simplify) by John, from the blog The Wandering Gamist: Let's say that complexity in role-playing games is there biggest barrier. How then do we fix it?

The Art of War Gaming: A Lexicon by +Stelios V. Perdios, from the blog The Word of Stelios: If you're new to war gaming, or are just contemplating getting into the hobby, then this short post by Stelios is an invaluable aid.

Artisan Toolkits: Glassblower

Weight: 25 lbs (11.3 Kilograms)
Cost: 45 gold

Contents:
Blowpipe
Gathering Iron
Marver
Tweezers
Block
Jack
Punty
Crucible
Silica (purified sand)

Glass blowing is a very odd toolkit to have for an adventurer as it’s not really a profession that travels very well without the use of a portable gas furnace. Still, there may be people who wish to be glassblowers in the game and they’ll need their basic supplies which are included above. To actually blow glass they’ll need to set up a work space where they can create a permanent (or semi-permanent in case they’re using someone else’s work space) area where they can be involved in the rather laborious process.


Artisan Toolkit Series
Cobbler
Cook
Glassblower
Jeweler
Leatherworker
Mason
Painter
Potter
Smith
Surveyor
Tinker
Weaver
Woodcarver
Final

[Trigger Warning: Racism] I Am Perplexed

Last night I'm reading an article on Salon - which is something that I rarely do because they tend to push their advertisements a bit aggressively for my tastes and their script keeps messing up on my version of Firefox - when I came across the article titled, When “harshtags” backfire: Mocking #whitegirltears and joking #killallwhitemen stir up more university debate. In the article there is this suggestion that there is a legitimate debate about who can be labeled "racist" which I find disturbing to see coming up again.

See, back when I was in college I had a very intelligent young man try to argue that only white people could be racist because white people had the power in the United States. For him the term was a subjective one that relied on power structures. For example, if a Chinese man living in China hates a white man because of his race he would then be a racist because in that situation his race has all the power in that society. However, if that same Chinese man were to move to the United States he would no longer be a racist because in the United States the white man's race has power in that society. That the Chinese man hates another person because of their race is secondary to the power of his own race within the context of society. 

I pointed out that this argument struck me as disingenuous and as a way to excuse racism. The Chinese man in the above example is just as much a racist in New York as he is in Beijing. Making allowances for his terrible behavior because of his location and the society he currently occupies is wrong in every way. If you hate someone because of their race you're in the wrong and you're being a racist jerk. He had trouble with that argument because his mind was so wrapped up in the idea that power structures mattered more than anything else in the world. For him every relationship was bound up in who had the power and who was disenfranchised as a result. All his views were constantly shifting standards that would change based on what relationships you entered and your standing within those relationships. The argument was soon put aside, however, as other more pressing issues arose that occupied everyone's debates (read: 9/11, Iraq, and Afghanistan). 

Anyway, here that argument is again and after being away from it for so many years it's shocking to me. I am completely perplexed that people would actually believe that they're not racists because they happen to be a minority in a society even though they fully participate in racist actions. Look, if you hate someone because of their race, regardless of your own race and its standing in your society, you are a racist. You're not exempt because of your own race's societal power, nor are you a reverse racist (which is the dumbest term to ever be coined). You're just a racist and that makes you a shitty person.
Enough talk, Riker beard of space awesomeness.
Okay, that enough of this serious talk. More silly imaginary dwarf games shortly.

Tuesday, May 19, 2015

Artisan Toolkits: Cook

Weight: 30 lbs (13.7 Kilograms)
Cost: 60 gold

Contents:
1 Large Steel Pot
1 Large Cast Iron Skillet
Set of 5 Wooden Spoons
1 Large Wooden Ladle
3 Spatulas
1 Set of Chef Knives
1 Spice Rack

By and large the Cook’s Toolkit will probably be the most popular choice for players of Fifth Edition. Not only is it useful for making unpalatable food along the way more enjoyable but it provides the character using it an opportunity to make a living along the way as everywhere you will ever travel will need a cook. Perhaps it is that need for cooks that will make it so popular as players will be able to use it to infiltrate enemy camps, armies, and strongholds as that most necessary of professions.

No matter why you choose the Cook’s toolkit the contents will be readily recognizable to all who see it except for the spice rack. This will often vary depending upon the campaign world but for generic purposes the rack contains the following spices: Pepper, Salt, Cloves,Oregano, Thyme, and Basil. For additional common spices (per the Game Master) add 1 gold per spice. For uncommon spices, such as saffron, add 3 platinum per ounce.

Artisan Toolkit Series
Cobbler
Cook
Glassblower
Jeweler
Leatherworker
Mason
Painter
Potter
Smith
Surveyor
Tinker
Weaver
Woodcarver
Final

BEST READS OF THE WEEK! April 11 - 17, 2015



Welcome back to the Best Reads of the Week! Every week I read through more than 370 blogs looking for the best rpg related articles to bring them directly to you. This week we've calls for a return of the D&D Championship; beautiful art; a new race; and so much more! 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!
APRIL 11 - 17, 2015!

Of Overlords, Kings, and Barons, Building a Feudal Setting Part 12; Of Overlords, Kings, and Barons, Building a Feudal Setting Part 13; Of Overlords, Kings, and Barons, Building a Feudal Setting Part 14and Of Overlords, Kings, and Barons, Building a Feudal Setting Part 15 by +Rob Conley, from the blog Bat in the Attic: Rob's further explorations into the Feudal world. Lots of great stuff here for anyone looking to build a world based loosely on the real world.

Alignment Does Not Create Actions by Callin, from the blog Big Ball of No Fun: A character's alignment is often used as a way to justify all kinds of malicious actions on the part of the player, but in this short post by Callin we're reminded of the actual meaning of a character's alignment and how it should inform their actions.

Why the Awesome D&D Championship Should Return by DM David, from the blog DM David: The D&D Championship ran for 35 years but since 2013 it's been absent from Gen Con. Should you care? DM David not only thinks so but provides a compelling case for why bringing it back would be a great thing.

WE STARVE (Elves for D&D that are not Tolkien Elves) by +Pearce Shea, from the blog games with others: While there is nothing inherently wrong with playing the elves you've seen in the Lord of the Rings they tend to become a bit pretentious over time. Yet elves don't have to be like that and in this fantastic re-imagining of the race by Pearce we're give a whole new set of possibilities that have sent my mind reeling into a whole new direction.

Nobody Makes It Out Alive by +Charles Akins, from the blog Dyvers: A free PDF of a single night's adventuring that has more intrigue, plotting, and counter-plotting than can ever be good for one night.

Mountain Giant by Cedric P, from the blog Le Chaudron Chromatique: I love this beautiful illustration of a multi-headed giant. Seriously, this thing is ridiculously good.

5e Race: Dwarfling by Tom Doolan, from the blog Wishful Gaming: A lot of the player made races tend to fall flat for me, but not this one from Tom. He's got a writer's eye so even when he's just fooling around there's a flow to his writing that makes it incredibly engaging. Now add to that a good idea and a clever construction of a race and you've got something really worth looking at.

Monday, May 18, 2015

Artisan's Toolkits: Cobbler

Weight: 7 lbs (3.2 Kilograms)
Cost: 50 gold, 5 silver, 3 copper


Contents
Leather Cutting Scissors
Last Stand
Set of 3 Stitching Awls & Needles (varying sizes)
Hammer Set (4 of various, small, sizes)
Shoe Thread (3 colors of player’s choice)

There are variations on the Cobbler’s Toolkit that can be adjusted based on the world setting that you are playing in but for our purposes with the generic kits it’s best to go with the bare essentials. The leather cutting scissors are large, broad bladed instruments that make it easier to cut right through the thick hide. The Last Stand is where the shoe is actual built. It can be either wooden or steel (add 5lbs to the overall weight of this kit). The stitching awl and needles are fairly common throughout the world. While the interchangeable needles are relatively new I would rather have them in my game than not. The hammers are all smaller than a normal construction hammer but can still be used for more nefarious purposes if one has a mind bent to evil intent.

Artisan Toolkit Series
Cobbler
Cook
Glassblower
Jeweler
Leatherworker
Mason
Painter
Potter
Smith
Surveyor
Tinker
Weaver
Woodcarver
Final

BEST READS OF THE WEEK! April 1 - 10, 2015




Welcome back to the Best Reads of the Week! Every week I read through more than 370 blogs looking for the best rpg related articles to bring them directly to you. This week we've thoughts on copyright law when applied to role-playing games; the continuation of Rob's Feudal Setting tutorial; reviews; and more! 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!
APRIL 1 - 10, 2015!


Thought of the Day - Copyright and Games by Justin Alexander, from the blog The Alexandrian: One of the things is always fascinating to me is the way that copyright laws work, especially in regard to us both as hobbyists and as a cottage industry built around other people's intellectual property. So this hit my sweet spot.

Of Overlords, Kings, and Barons, Building a Feudal Setting Part 8, Of Overlords, Kings, and Barons, Building a Feudal Setting Part 9, Of Overlords, Kings, and Barons, Building a Feudal Setting Part 10; and Of Overlords, Kings, and Barons, Building a Feudal Setting part 11 by +Rob Conley, from the blog Bat in the Attic: Rob's further explorations into building a Feudal Setting. Lots of good information contained in this series for people building a game in any time line that's loosely based on the real world.

Old School Inspiration from The Man Eaters of Tsavo by +Billy Billerson, from the blog Billy Goes to Mordor: If you're looking for inspiration to help your players (or your own) preparations into the wilds of some ancient fantasy world than this clever post by Billy will provide you with a great place to start. Lots of good stuff here.

Pure Elemental Bliss: Princes of the Apocalypse by +Kevin Smith, from the blog Melvin Smif's Geekery: One of my favorite things about Kevin's product reviews is how easy they are to read and find all the salient points out of without the typical clutter of self-important snobbery and fart jokes getting in the way. He takes these reviews serious enough to do them well and as a result he's become one of the first people I check when it comes to buying new rpg products.

Artisan Toolkits: Cartographer by +Charles Akins, from the blog Dyvers: A continuing exploration of what is actually contained in the Fifth Edition Artisan Toolkits.

The Letter that Gave Us "Whisper" by +Jim White, from the blog Wombat's Gaming Den of Iniquity: If you're not reading the short fiction Jim is putting out you're missing out on some really great stuff. I dig the hell out of this one.

FAQ for April Best Reads of the Week!


I completed both the Best Reads of the Week for March and April at the same time because I apparently hate myself. Also, they needed to be caught up to date. So if you were hoping that your blog would be added back into this month's list you'll be disappointed as they were done at the same time.

Now on with this month's FAQ

Why did you lose my blog?
I had to go back to a factory reset on my blog because my wife likes to download flash games that screwed with my operating system. It was draining the life out of my computer so I went back to the original setup. I thought that I had a back up of all the blogs I've been surveying this year but not so much.

 How many blogs did you check?
 379

How many posts did you read to make the lists?
2,653

How many posts were read for April 1 - 10, 2015?
670

How many posts were read for April 11 - 17, 2015?
658

How many posts were read for April 18 - 24, 2015?
652

How many posts were read for April 25 - 30, 2015?
673

How do I get my blog checked for next month?

Please feel free to contact me either through e-mail (be sure to title your e-mail "Please add me to the 2015 GBRC" so I can snatch it out of my overly aggressive spam filter),  through Twitter @ThatAkinsboy, or leave a comment below.

What if my question wasn't addressed in this FAQ?
Please feel free to contact me either through e-mail (be sure to title your e-mail "I have a question about the March 2015 Best Reads of the Week" so I can snatch it out of my overly aggressive spam filter),  through Twitter @ThatAkinsboy, or leave a comment below.

Which blogs were included?
Below is the complete list along with my terrible misspellings because I did this as I went.

19th Level
1d30
2 Warps to Neptune
20ft Radius
2d6 + Blog
2nd Chapter, A
5e Grognard
About Bruce Heard, D&D, and New Stories
Acorn Afloat, The
Advanced Dungeons & Parenting 
Aeons & Augauries
Age of Ravens
Aggregate Congnizance
Aiee! Run from Kelvin's Brainsplurge!
Akratic Wizardry
Alex Schroeder RPG
Alexandrian, The
Altdorf Correspondent, The
Anamnessis of the Mystic Scholar
Ancient Vaults & Eldritch Secrets
and the sky full of dust
Andrew R. H. Girdwood
Angry Game Master, The
Angry Hampster Publishing
Ant-Lerrr
anyway.
Appendix M
Appendix N
Arden Est
Armchair Gamer
ars ludi
Asshat Paladins: Lawful Good Without Being a Dick
B/X Blackrazor
Back to the Keep
Barking Alien
Bat in the Attic 
The Beat Ronin
Bedside Notepad
Beholder Pie
Beyond the Black Gate
Big Ball of No Fun
Billy Goes to Mordor
The Black Gate, Adventures in Fantasy Literature
Blessings of the Dice Gods
6d6 Fireball
Blog of Holding
Blood of Prokopius
Blue Boxer Rebellion
Book Scorpion's Lair
Brighton and Hove Roleplayers
Bruce R Cordell Blog
Built by Gods Long Forgotten
Bum Rush the Titans
Campaign Mastery
Canonfire Crier, The
Carapace King
Carjacked Seraphim
Carto Cacography
The Cartography of Thorfinn Tait
Casting Shadows
Castle Triskelion
Cauldrons & Clerics
Chainsaw Chirurgeon
Chaotic / GM
Chirine's Workbench
Cirvosa
City of Dust
City of Iron
Clash of Spear on Shield
Codex Apocrypha
Comprimise and Conceit
Concierge, The
Contessa
Cooking with Charles
Crawdads and Dragons
Creighton Broadhurst (dot)com
Critical Hits
Crooked Staff Blog, The
Cross Planes
Crowbar and Brick
Cthulhu Reborn
Cuticle Chewer's & Well-Pisser's Fantasy Report, The
Cyclopeatron
d4 Caltrops
Daddy Grognard
Daddy Rolled a 1
Dan & Sally's Digital Domain
Dandy in the Underground
Dangerous Gnomes in Pink Robes
Dark Corners of Role Playing
Dark Paths and Wandered Roads
Dead Cyclops
Deadly Fredly
Death 'n Axes
Delta's D&D Hotspot
Department V
Dice are a Lie, The
Dice of Doom
die heart
Discourse & Dragons
Disoriented Ranger, The
Dispatches from Kickassistan
The DM from Outremer
DM David
Dongion, The
Don't Split the Party
Dorkland!
Dread Gazebo, The
Dreams in the Lich House
Dreams of Mythic Fantasy
Dungeon Dozen, The
Dungeon Fantastic
Dungeon of Signs
Dungeon Smashing Empire
Dungeon Workshop, The
Dungeons & Differentials
Dungeons and Digressions
Dungeons & Drawings
Dungeons Deep & Caverns Old
Dungeon's Master (dot) com
Dungeon Skull Mountain
Dust_Pan_Games
Dwarven Stronghold, The
Dyson's Dodecahedron
Dyvers
Echos from the Geekcave
Edgar's Game Blog
Elfmaids & Octopi
Enderra
Epic! RPG Blog
The Esoteric Order of Roleplayers
Everwayan
Evil Baboons or Perhaps Mandrills
Exonauts: Far-Out, Sci-Fi Adventures
Expanding Universe
Explore: Beneath & Beyond
Eye of Joyful Sitting Amongst Friends, The
False Machine
Fantasy Heartbreaker by Rose Baily
Fantasy Ink
FATE of Tekumel
FATE SF
Ferrebeekeeper
Fictive Fantasies
Field Guide to Doomsday
Fighting Fantasist
Films of High Adventure
Follow Me And Die!
Forgotten Runes
Forsaken Age
Froths of D&D
Fractalbat
Free RPG Blog, The
Frivology
From the Ashes
From the Sorcerer's Skull
Fuck Yeah . . . British Old School Gaming
Further Up the Spire
Game Mechanic, The
Gamers and Grognards
Gamerstable
games with others
Gaming As Women
Gaming Ballistic
Gaming, It Happens
Geek Ken
Genius Loci
German Geek, A
giant evil wizard
Giblet Blizzard
Githyanki Diaspora
Glimmer Haunts the Flesh, A
gloomtrain
Goblin Punch
Gorgonmilk
Gothridge Manor
Great & Small: The Roleplaying Game of Animal Fantasy
Great Game, The
Green Skeleton Gaming Guild
Greyhawk Grognard
Greyhawkery
Grubb Street
Grumpy Old Troll, The
Hack & Slash
Hall of the Mountain King
Halls of Tizun Thane
Harbinger of Doom
Haunted Spookshow of Channel X, The
Harvard's Blackmoor Blog
Henchman Abuse
Hereticwerks
Hero Press
Hero Twice a Month, A
Hill Cantons
Hit Adjacent Ally
Hits to Kill
Hitting on a Double One . . . Killed by a Double One
How to Start a Revolution in 21 Days or Less
How to Succeed in RPGs or Die Trying
Howlbear's Moving Castle
Howling Tower
Keith Baker (dot) com
((nil) is (not(null)))
Hydra DM, The
I Waste the Buddha with My crossbow
In Places Deep Where Dark Things Sleep
In the Words of Tom
inthecitiesdotcom
Iron Taver, The
Ironlands
Jeffro's Space Gaming Blog
Jeff's Gameblog
Joeskythedungeonbrawler's Blog
Joethelawyer's Wondrous Imaginings
Kill It with Fire
Known World, Old World
Lake Geneva Original RPG Campaign
Lamentations of the Flame Princess
Land of Nod
Lands of Ara, The
msjx
lasgunpacker
Last Gasp
Lawful Indifferent
Lawful. Not Necessarily Good
Le Chaudron Chromatique
Legacy of the Bieth
A Life Full of Adventure
Look, Robot
Lost in Time
Lost Pages
Lovecraftsman, The
Metal vs Skin
Mazirian's Garden
Melvin Smif's Geekery
Mesmerized by Sirens
Metal Earth
Middenmurk
Moebius Adventures
Monster Brains
Monster Manual Sewn From Pants
Monsters and Manuals
Mortaine's Blog
Mule Abides, The
Murky Pool
Mythmere's Blog
Mythoporic Rambling
Necromantic Halfbreed
Necropraxis
Nerdwerds
Nine and Thirty Kingdoms, The
Nuelow Games
Observations of the Fox
Oerth Journal & Canonfire! Chronicles, The
Olde School Wizardry
Once More Unto the Breach!
Ongoing Campaign, The
Orcsamongus
Other Side, The
Otyugh Talk
Paladin in Citadel, A
Papers & Pencils
People Them With Monsters
"Perceive Things!"
Peter Adkison Blog
Planet Algol
Playing at the World
Playing D&D with Porn Stars
Points of Light
Poot Perception, The
Porky's Expanse!
Pulsipher Game Design
Quag Keep
Quickly, Quietly, Carefully
Rachel Bonuses
Raging Owlbear
Ramblings of Jacob & Delos
Random Acts
Rather Gamey
Raven Crowking's Nest
Reality Refracted
Really Bad Eggs
Realms of Chaos 80s
Realm of Quindia, The
Realm of Zhu
Realms of Chaos
Realms of Chirak
Red Box Vancouver's Blog
Red Dice Diaries
Rended Press
Renfield's Cat
Retired Adventurer, The
RetroRoleplaying: The Blog
Return to the Keep
Reviews from R'lyeh
Richard's Dystopian Pokeverse
Rob Heinsoo (dot) com
Roles, Rules & Rolls
Roll for Initiative
Rotten Pulp
RPG Corner, The
RPG Knights
RPG Pundit, The
Ruminations of a Geek
Rumors of War
RuneQuest Fun
Ryan Macklin (dot) com
Sandbox Empire
Sarah Darkmagic
The Savage Afterworld
Savage Swords of Athanor
Save vs Dragon
Save vs Poison
Save vs Total Party Kill
Sea of Stars
Secrets of the Shadowend
Semper Initiativus Unum
Shard World
Shorty Monster
Sign of the Frothing Mug, The
Sly Flourish
Society of Torch, Pole and Rope, The
Socratic Design
Sword Plus 1
Swords & Dorkery
Swords & Stitchery - Old time Sewing & Table Top RPG Blog
Sycarion Diversions
System sans Setting
Tabletop Diversions
Tagsessions
Tales from the Flaming Faggot
Tales from the Tower
Tales of the Grotesque and Dungeonesque
Tao of D&D, The
Tekumel Foundation, The
Tekumel Project, The
Telecanter's Receding Rules
Teleleli
Ten Foot Polemic
Ten Foot Pole (dot) Org
Tenkar's Tavern
Designer Monologues, The
Evil GM Blog, The
Grand Tapestry, The
Rambling Roleplayer, The
Warlock's Home Brew, The
Thorn's Chronicle, Daughter of the Ashen Empires
Thought Crimes
Thoul's Paradise
Throat Punch Games
Tobold's Blog
Tomb of Tedankhamen
Tower of the Archmage
Tower of Zenopus
Treehouse
Troll and Flame
Trollish Delver, The
World of Ortix
Cave of the Dice Chucker 
Unofficial Games
(un)Playable_G4mes
Vanadorn's D&D Campaign
Venger's Old School Gaming Blog
Violent Media
Voices in my Head
Wampus Country
Wandering Gamist, The
Wasted Lands, The
Weird Opera
What a Horrible Night for a Curse
Windsor Gaming Resource
Wine and Savages
Word of Stelios, The
Worlds Galore
Wrathofzombie's Blog
Yog-Blogsoth
Your Dungeon Is Suck
Zenopus Archives
Zombiecowboy's Game Blog
Go Make Me A Sandwich

Closing Comments.

Due to the influx of spam comments on Dyvers I am closing the comments. I'm not currently doing anything with this blog, but I don'...