# of Dice and Dragons

> Roll well as there's treasure to be found!


## Posts

- [Has it been 20 years already?](https://ofdiceanddragons.com/has-it-been-20-years-already/): It’s hard to believe that 20 years ago today, I typed out the first post, the beginning, and started the journey to where we are today. Twenty years is a long time and to be honest I never thought, in my wildest dreams, that the site would still be here, chugging along. It may not be as active with posts as I would like it to be, but I continue to meet great folks, gamers long in the tooth, and some just barely getting started – that’s why I do this. I don’t do it for the stats, the fame, […]
- [2026 RPG Blog Carnival is Full!](https://ofdiceanddragons.com/2026-rpg-blog-carnival-is-full/): The title says it all, our 2026 RPG Blog Carnival is fully scheduled. I wanted to say thanks to all those that submitted their blogs for inclusion next year, and we have a nice mix of regulars, folks returning, and a newbie or two. Hosting a Carnival is only part of the fun, while our hosts might pick the topics, it’s up to everyone in our community to share their thoughts on that topic. One of the underlying principles of the Carnival, and why I keep it going, is that our community has so much to share, and there are […]
- [All that's left is the clean-up - RPG Blog Carnival Wrap-up](https://ofdiceanddragons.com/all-thats-left-is-the-clean-up-rpg-blog-carnival-wrap-up/): It’s been a rough start to the month and while it’s a bit late, here’s the rundown of all those that participated in the November RPG Blog Carnival, Feasts and Festivals in your TTRPG Campaign. I have to admit, it’s a pretty good group of posts and while most centered around a feast or festival there was one, the post over on Taylor Lane’s Blog, that I found really interesting. It focuses on the smaller side of things. It taps an old custom of providing hospitality to travelers, you should check it out. Don’t forget to check out the December […]
- [The Festival of the Iron Furrow - RPG Blog Carnival](https://ofdiceanddragons.com/the-festival-of-the-iron-furrow-rpg-blog-carnival/): Hard to believe the month is almost over, and I’ve been neglecting my hosting duties by not including something of my own, I present to you . . . . The Festival of the Iron Furrow: Waking the Land In the deepest parts of winter, the land doesn’t just sleep; it enters a coma. The earth turns hard as iron, the grain spirits retreat deep underground, and the world feels gray and lifeless. To bring the spring, you cannot simply wait for the sun to return. The work as to be woken up. You have to shout at the soil, […]
- [Feasts and Festivals in Your TTRPG Campaign - RPG Blog Carnival](https://ofdiceanddragons.com/feasts-and-festivals-in-your-ttrpg-campaigns-rpg-blog-carnival/): The Carnival has moved on, but you can check out everyone who participated in the Wrap-Up Post. Welcome to the November 2025 RPG Blog Carnival! This month, we’re diving into the vibrant world of “Feasts and Festivals” in tabletop role-playing games. As the real world heads into a season filled with celebrations and holidays, it’s a perfect time to think about how they can enrich our campaigns. These events are more than just flavor, they can be powerful tools for plot development, character interaction, and world-building. Why Include Feasts and Festivals? For starters, they offer a natural rhythm to your […]
- [Wanted: Hosts for the 2026 RPG Blog Carnival!](https://ofdiceanddragons.com/wanted-hosts-for-the-2026-rpg-blog-carnival/): It’s that time of year again! We are now officially opening the sign-ups for the 2026 RPG Blog Carnival. We are looking for twelve dedicated bloggers to host one month each of next year’s carnival. For those new to the concept, the RPG Blog Carnival is a monthly event where a different blogger takes the helm and chooses a topic for the community to write about. It’s a fantastic way to generate content, engage with other bloggers, and bring the RPG blogging community together. As a host, your responsibilities would include: Hosting is a rewarding experience and a great way […]
- [RPG Blog Carnival - Computer, paint me a picture](https://ofdiceanddragons.com/computer-paint-me-a-picture/): I’m sure there were many who saw the topic for this month’s blog carnival (see the kick-off post, Good Morning, Dave) and stood there clutching their books and dice screaming at the screen, “Noooo! Not my game,” and I certainly understand that, but AI could be a great Game Master assistant too. Let’s face it, most of us can’t draw, nor do we have the option of taking photos of a dragon mech, or a pirate from deep space, a wizard in contemplation, but give us a bit of AI help . . . . And suddenly we have imagery […]
- [RPG Blog Carnival - Good Morning, Dave](https://ofdiceanddragons.com/good-morning-dave/): Welcome to the August stop of the 2025 RPG Blog Carnival, it’s been a while but welcome back! Before we get rolling, a quick shout out to last month’s host, Chaotican Writer, who gave us, Improv, Roleplay, and Warmups, be sure to check out the roundup post. The title of this post says it all, this month we’re going to touch on the topic of AI and gaming. Let’s face it, in today’s world, AI is rapidly pushing itself into nearly every nook and cranny of the internet and has started to “jump the shark” and show up in internet […]
- [OCT 2024 RPG Carnival Update](https://ofdiceanddragons.com/oct-2024-rpg-carnival-update/): One of the items on my list of things to improve is getting regular updates out about our RPG Blog Carnival. The Carnival has been going on for years at this point and while I’ve been the custodian I know I haven’t done the best job of keeping everyone updated and informed. My plan is, starting this month, to get a posting up in the first week of the month letting everyone know where the Carnival is, where it just was and any other information that might be relevant at the time. This month the Carnival has traveled to The […]
- [The Carnival is going Green!](https://ofdiceanddragons.com/the-carnival-is-going-green/): This month, the RPG Blog Carnival shifts gears and heads over to RPG Wandering for the colorful topic of “It’s not easy being green.” Be sure to check out that kick-off post, so you can see the wide range of topics that this can cover, and there’s a lot! When you get your article posted, be sure to put your link there so you can be included in the round-up article. In case you missed last month’s carnival, Celebrating your favorite settings, be sure to check out the round up post. Thanks to Gonz for hosting. Don’t forget to check […]
- [The world still turns but the Carnival moves on](https://ofdiceanddragons.com/the-world-still-turns-but-the-carnival-moves-on/): I would like to first thank those that contributed to January’s topic, World Building. It was great to see several new blogs in the mix as well as the different takes and genres. After checking out the articles below, be sure to head over to Illusory Sensorium for the February RPG Blog Carnival – Illusions & Delusions. A lot of great stuff, which unfortunately I was not able to contribute to (the real world just like to get in what these days) but fear not, in the dusty archives I found Build your campaign world with your players – where […]
- [RPG Carnival - World Building](https://ofdiceanddragons.com/rpg-carnival-world-building/): The January RPG Blog Carnival has closed up shop. Check out the January wrap-up post before heading over to Illusory Sensorium for Illusions & Delusions. As the calendar flips we start a new year and a new season of the Carnival travels, thanks to everyone that participated last month and to Plastic Polyhedra for hosting the last Carnival of the year, Endings For this month’s RPG Blog Carnival topic, hosted right here at of Dice and Dragons, I thought a return to a topic that comes up every few years would be a great way to kick off the year. […]
- [Happy Birthday to of Dice and Dragons](https://ofdiceanddragons.com/happy-birthday-to-of-dice-and-dragons/): 18 years ago today It’s hard to believe that 18 years ago I wrote the very simple post The Beginning and started this part of my online journey and I want to thank all of you who stop by, despite the lack of regular writing, to see what’s going on. I also have to say that the last 18 years have also given me a chance to meet some great folks that also like to gaming and write about gaming. You are all remarkable, and I thank you for sharing and letting me be a part of your worlds as […]
- [2024 RPG Blog Carnival Hosts Needed!](https://ofdiceanddragons.com/2024-rpg-blog-carnival-hosts-needed/): It’s hard to believe that we are once again at that time of year when the call goes out for aid and assistance for the RPG Blog Carnival. Much like delving into a dungeon, the RPG Blog Carnival lets us explore different places around the web, some familiar and some new. Topics that literally run the gambit of interests for those that love to toss dice, get excited about figuring out the latest puzzle, or even just finding out that small piece of lore to lead the group off on their next great adventure. To make this all work though, […]
- [Changing locations and Gears - Our May Carnival](https://ofdiceanddragons.com/changing-locations-and-gears-our-may-carnival/): It’s been said that the only constant in life is change, and that’s the topic of our May RPG Blog Carnival, being hosted over at Lair of Secrets. You’ll want to head over there to take a look at the kickoff post, and be sure to leave a comment when you’ve got your post up to share so that everyone else can enjoy it. A special thanks to last month’s host, Codex Anathema who has written a round-up post to collects not only those the participated in last month RPG Blog Carnival, but also those that also participated in the […]
- [April 2023 says hello to Codex Anathema for the RPG Blog Carnival](https://ofdiceanddragons.com/april-2023-says-hello-to-codex-anathema-for-the-rpg-blog-carnival/): Yes, I rolled a one on my check for RPG Carnival Update post, but better late than never. First, a BIG thank you to Sea of Stars for hosting the March 2023 RPG Blog Carnival. There’s a nice posting there that wraps up all the entries – be sure to check in out. This month we shift over to Codex Anathema for Creating an Environment. Our host, Gonz, is participating in the Blogging A-Z event this month and already has a few posts up on this topic. Be sure to read through the kickoff post, as he’s using this month […]
- [2023 March Carnival is meeting at the Sea of Stars](https://ofdiceanddragons.com/2023-03-carnival-is-meeting-at-sea-of-stars/): So the calendar has flipped and with that we say good-bye to our February Carnival, Procedures – thanks to Plastic Polyhedra for hosting! This month we’re moving to Sea of Stars for, Taverns, Bars and places to meet. Let’s face it we all have our version of the “you meet in a tavern” so why not head over to Sea of Stars, check out the anchor post, and leave a link there to your own contribution so everyone else can enjoy it.
- [February RPG Blog Carnival is Underway](https://ofdiceanddragons.com/february-2023-rpg-blog-carnival-is-underway/): The changing of the calendar means that the RPG Blog Carnival is once again on the move and has taken up residence over at Plastic Polyhedra. The round up post for January’s topic, Beginnings, will be coming out soon. As always, the host for the month gets to pick the title and the topic this month is Procedures, (a topic that is near and dear to my own heart). Be sure to jump over to “follow procedure” and head over to the kick-off post to see the full rundown of the topic and share a link there, so everyone can […]
- [Beginnings - January 2023 RPG Blog Carnival](https://ofdiceanddragons.com/beginnings-january-2023-rpg-blog-carnival/): With the new year comes a new season for the RPG Blog Carnival, and we’re kicking things off here at of Dice and Dragons. For the first Carnival of the season, I’ve opted to go with a topic that many of us have had to deal with over the years, beginnings. The beginning I’m sure that jumps to mind is when you first sit down to start a new campaign. There’s the thrill of the unknown, the questions that come about who is going to play what time of character, where the group is starting out, and dozens of other […]
- [RPG Blog Carnival Update - November 2022](https://ofdiceanddragons.com/rpg-blog-carnival-update-november-2022/): Hail and well met! If you’ve recently stopped by, you may have seen the post about Ending an Era as I get ready to bring the RPG Blog Alliance to a close – but fret not! The RPG Blog Carnival isn’t going anywhere, except to a new destination each month. In fact, you have a chance to catch the latest topic, Art-spiration over at Campaign Mastery, should be a good one. That out of the way there are a few things that will be changing with regards to the RPG Blog Carnival, there may be a few pain points as […]
- [Ending an Era](https://ofdiceanddragons.com/ending-an-era/): One of the most difficult decisions you can make is to decide to stop doing something you love or something that you feel just has to continue on. Today is one of those days when I made one of those decisions. It is with a bit of a heavy heart that I announce that I will be shutting down the RPG Blog Alliance hub and associated work here at of Dice and Dragons on December 31, 2022. When the original site for the RPG Blog Alliance shut down in 2015, and after giving it some thought I put forth the […]
- [September 2022 RPG Blog Carnival Wrap-up](https://ofdiceanddragons.com/september-2022-rpg-blog-carnival-wrap-up/): The September RPG Blog Carnival has closed, here's the wrap-up and links to all the contributions.
- [RPG Blog Carnival - Encounters!](https://ofdiceanddragons.com/rpg-blog-carnival-encounters/): The September 2022 Carnival is over, be sure to stop by the Wrap-up Post! As the calendar shift to September the RPG Carnival returns to of Dice and Dragons for a topic that is important regardless of the system you play – Encounters! In case you missed it, check out last month’s RPG Blog Carnival – Character Development which was hosted by Adventures to Authenticity. Many of us are very familiar with the combat encounter and for a lot of groups it forms the central aspect of the game but if you think about it anytime the players interact with […]
- [Building the Resource](https://ofdiceanddragons.com/building-the-resource/): Last month the RPG Blog Carnival touched on the topic of posts from the past and while it didn’t generate a lot of response it did cause me to think about this blog as a whole. Why does it exist? Why should I keep it up? Where is it going? While I’m still pondering those questions, it was something that Mike over at Campaign Mastery said in his post that has hung with me. That makes CM a Resource for the gaming community, something I take a lot of pride in. I never really thought about this blog that way and Mike’s […]
- [March 2022 Blog Carnival: Blast from the Past Wrap-up](https://ofdiceanddragons.com/march-2022-blog-carnival-blast-from-the-past-wrap-up/): All things must come to an end and that includes our trip down memory lane and the RPG Carnivals of old. Be sure to visit the April RPG Carnival, Gods of the Multiverse. While I would love to have a wrap-up full of posts, alas, that is not the case. I’d like to thank Mike over at Campaign Mastery for his contribution, Blind Alleys and Lost Treasures. It’s a fantastic post that touches on not just some of the great posts that we’ve seen over the years but also how he went about tracking down those posts by making use […]
- [Worlds to Explore](https://ofdiceanddragons.com/worlds-to-explore/): One of the great things about table top gaming is the wealth of choices we have. There are the old standby board games, the collectible card games that seem to dominate of late and then there are table top roleplaying games – where we can create characters to portray and have endless worlds to explore. This month the RPG Blog Carnival’s topic is “Blast from the Past” and in the depths of the archives I found an old carnival that speaks to this topic, “Campaigns I’d Like to Run.” That Carnival was run back in May of 2013 and I […]
- [RPG Carnival - Blast from the Past](https://ofdiceanddragons.com/rpg-carnival-blast-from-the-past/): The RPG Carnival has been rolling along for many years. We’ve traveled to many blogs, shared some tales, and enjoyed bits of wisdom from the many corners of the internet, ah yes, fun time. So, for this month’s Carnival you’re invited, no challenged to find that nugget from the past, that post that you enjoyed, the bit of advice that got you over that rough spot in your game, or just one you had to shake your head at – yes, it’s time to go digging for that Blast from the Past! So, how will this work? Simple, take a […]
- [2022 Carnival Host Signup Now Open](https://ofdiceanddragons.com/2022-carnival-host-signup-now-open/): As we near the end of 2021 it is time once again to start planning for the next season of the RPG Blog Carnival and as always the first thing to do is put out a call for hosts. There are many who have hosted the Carnival over the years and we’ve had a variety of topics during that time as well. You can see much of the history of the Carnival on our RPG Blog Carnival Archive page. Please take a few minutes to review the section about hosting over on the RPG Blog Carnival Page which Covers the […]
- [The Gamer's Notebook](https://ofdiceanddragons.com/the-gamers-notebook/): Welcome to Of Dice and Dragons and the July RPG Blog Carnival! This month we’ll be talking about all those wonderful things that surrounds The Gamer’s Notebook. It’s been just over seven years since the RPG Carnival touched on this topic and it was actually hosted here as well. You can check out that piece of history from 2014 by reading, the GM’s Notebook. It doesn’t matter if you’re a Game Master or a Player, everyone seems to have one. They also come in all shapes, sizes, and types, each with their own pros and cons and let’s face it, […]
- [Updating the site](https://ofdiceanddragons.com/updating-the-site/): One of the items that has been on the to-do list here at of Dice and Dragons is an update of the site. For those that have been around since the beginning you may have already noticed the changes underway. The site has gotten a bit of a refresh, courtesy of a new theme, and things are being worked in the background has this post goes live. There’s still 15 years worth of material to sort through, clean up, and in some cases be removed and that work will be ongoing as things continue to move forward. There’s some updates […]
- [Support Of Dice and Dragons on Patreon](https://ofdiceanddragons.com/support-of-dice-and-dragons-on-patreon/): It’s been 15 years since I started this site and there have been no shortage of ups and downs along the way. I’ve met some incredible folks along the journey have made some great friends. First, thank you everyone who has stopped by, left a comment, and shared something of themselves – it makes it all worth doing. I also made the decision a long time ago to stop putting advertising on the site. I didn’t feel it was worth the effort, and let’s face it, most of the time the ads weren’t of interest anyway. The downside to that […]
- [RPG Carnival Post - They're people not stats](https://ofdiceanddragons.com/rpg-carnival-post-theyre-people-not-stats/): Building a character should be more than just selecting stats and the best weapon based on those stats. You should be considering the why.
- [What are you looking forward to?](https://ofdiceanddragons.com/what-are-you-looking-forward-to/): As 2020 comes to a close, a year none of us will likely forget, many will return to the practice of looking back over the year and planning for the year to come. For myself there are many things that I’m looking forward to and planning, most are not gaming related, however I’m just hoping to get back to the gaming table this year. The pandemic has created a challenge for the group I gather with as we’ve shifted our gaming to Magic the Gathering instead of the traditional table-top RPGs that we played for so many years (my group […]
- [Has it really been 15 years?](https://ofdiceanddragons.com/has-it-really-been-15-years/): Yes, yes it has. It all started back on December 23rd, 2005 with a post about the beginning and my hopes to have a place to share my tips, tricks, and thoughts about gaming. It’s hard to believe that the site continues to this day. There have been lots of ups and down, long stretches without any posts, periods where I posted frequently, and everything in between. I’ve shared tales from my own gaming experiences and pulled apart my own campaign with a post-mortem of the Realms of Rylon. I’ve also written about tools ranging from software to the simple […]
- [Welcome to the Witch's Brew](https://ofdiceanddragons.com/welcome-to-the-witchs-brew/): For this month’s RPG Blog Carnival we’re visiting the Bazaar of the Bizarre where there are all manner of things, and tucked away a few rows off the main concourse you’ll find The Witch’s Brew. The Witch’s Brew is unlike the typical open air stalls that surround it, the proprietor opted to erect a small pavilion. The outside seems to be a midnight blue with silver trim, but not all can agree on that, as for some it seems to be black, and some swear it is the deep red color of blood. Upon entering it appears to be larger […]
- [The RPG Blog Carnival 2021 Season is looking for hosts](https://ofdiceanddragons.com/the-rpg-blog-carnival-2021-season-is-looking-for-hosts/): The time has once again come when we look to the upcoming season for the RPG Blog Carnival and start the planning process. The first item on our list is to put the call out for hosts. There are many have hosted the Carnival over the years and we’ve had a variety of topics during that time as well. You can see much of the history of the Carnival on our RPG Blog Carnival Archive page. Before you sign up, please take a few minutes to review the section about hosting over on the RPG Blog Carnival Page which goes […]
- [October 2020 RPG Blog Carnival - Welcome to the Bazaar of the Bizarre!](https://ofdiceanddragons.com/welcome-to-the-bazaar-of-the-bizarre/): It’s October and that means the the RPG Blog Carnival returns to its usual haunting grounds here at of Dice and Dragons. If you haven’t guessed yet, this year we’re going to take a different path and explore something not related to the Halloween holiday and delve into the Bazaar! The Bazaar of the Bizarre is nearly a staple in many games, it’s a place where the characters can go to buy all sorts of things, from the mundane to anything that could be imagined. It’s also something that can fit into any world or setting with just a few […]
- [RPG Carnival - What would you like to know?](https://ofdiceanddragons.com/rpg-carnival-what-would-you-like-to-know/): Here in the Northern Hemisphere we’re on the verge of the summer months where many take time away from work to spend with family and friends (keeping a proper social distance when needed). There are others though that take this time, when others are occupied, to delve into their craft and find that new nugget that they will hope take their game to the next level. This month the RPG Carnival is going to work on lending a hand. In looking over the RPG Carnival Archive it appeared to me that we really haven’t taken the time to use this […]
- [With the New Year comes a New Carnival!](https://ofdiceanddragons.com/with-the-new-year-comes-a-new-carnival/): In the event you’ve been living under a rock, the calendar has flipped, a new year and a new decade has started but that’s not all! Our next blog carnival has started. The topic for the January 2020 carnival is Random Encounter Tables and it’s being hosted over at Geek Native. Be sure to head over there, check out the kickoff and share a link to your post there. There’s still time to sign up and be a carnival host in 2020, in fact we’re looking for host for next moth. Check out the Carnival Home Page for all the […]
- [RPG Blog Alliance Membership List Now Online](https://ofdiceanddragons.com/rpg-blog-alliance-membership-list-now-online/): It’s been a long time coming and it is something that has been missing since we shifted the Alliance off the old site – a listing of the members of the RPG Blog Alliance. So as the holiday season rolls along allow me to give the RPG community a gift, the current membership listing of the RPG Blog Alliance! Over the last few days I’ve gone through the listing I had, updated links where I could, removed those sites that are no longer in operation, or changed focus, and updated the RSS feed accordingly. If you find a error please […]
- [The 2020 Carnival needs hosts!](https://ofdiceanddragons.com/the-2020-carnival-needs-hosts/): Have you ever considered being a host for the RPG Blog Carnival? Well, now’s the time as signups have opened for the 2020 Carnival season! Checkout the RPG Blog Carnival page to read up on what you would need to do as a host (hint: it’s not a lot) and then click the link below to head over to the signup page. http://bit.ly/rpg-carnival-signup (The link will take you to a Google form to fill out) Please note that any and all information you provide via that form will only be used for the administration of the Carnival. May your dice […]
- [From beyond the grave - October 2019 RPG Blog Carnival](https://ofdiceanddragons.com/from-beyond-the-grave-october-2019-rpg-blog-carnival/): It’s October and that means that the RPG Blog Carnival returns for another dose of spooky things that go bump in the night! This year our topic is ‘From beyond the Grave,’ which I know is a pretty open topic. There are many things that fall into this area, from the Force ghosts of Star Wars, to the Zombie hordes that will take over the world, to the medium to speaks with those who have passed before us, what tale will you add? For this round, share an interesting encounter, character, story line, or fiendish event that includes the undead […]
- [The future of the RPG Blog Alliance](https://ofdiceanddragons.com/the-future-of-the-rpg-blog-alliance/): As many are aware, Google+ is closing its doors and with it the community that we were using as the base for the RPG Blog Alliance (RPGBA) will be going with it. As the “keeper of the keys” so to speak I’ve been giving this some serious thought and feel that it’s time to morph things a bit which I hope will improve the RPGBA going forward. The first and largest step is to give the RPGBA a home on the open internet again. Now there are a lot of ways to accomplish this and I’ve decided to take a […]
- [The RPG Blog Carnival Wants You!](https://ofdiceanddragons.com/the-rpg-blog-carnival-wants-you/): Have you ever considered being a host for the RPG Blog Carnival? Well, now’s the time as signups have opened for the 2019 Carnival season! Checkout the RPG Blog Carnival page to read up on what you would need to do as a host (hint: it’s not a lot) and then click the link below to head over to the signup page. http://bit.ly/2019-rpg-blog-host-signup (This links to a Google webform.) Update: All the slots for 2019 are currently filled, but don’t let that stop you from signing up! It’s always nice to have folks that are willing to host when we […]
- [Character death, resurrection, and the undead - October 2018 RPG Blog Carnival](https://ofdiceanddragons.com/character-death-resurrection-and-the-undead-october-2018-rpg-blog-carnival/): It’s October, that means goblins, ghouls, the occasional undead, and a trip to of Dice and Dragons! In what has become an annual tradition for the RPG Carnival, of Dice and Dragons is once again hosting the macabre this month. The topic for this month’s carnival is how you handle character death, both as a game master and as a player. Are they a moment of legend or a quiet passing moment? Do you allow character resurrrection, and if so, how do you handle it (outside of the game mechanics)? Then of course, there’s always those that come back as […]
- [Congrats to Stargazer's World 10th Anniversary!](https://ofdiceanddragons.com/congrats-to-stargazers-world-10th-anniversary/): While there are a lot of great RPG related blogs out there and I’ve missed a few of these milestones across the web I wanted to take a moment and congratulate Stargazer on leveling up to the next die level – welcome to the d10 club! Be sure to take a few minutes to stop by and read the post marking this occasion and leave a comment. Congrats Stargazer and I wish you many more years. May your dice roll well!
- [August 2018 Blog Carnival:  Celebrations!](https://ofdiceanddragons.com/august-2018-blog-carnival-celebrations/): I know, it’s a bit unusual for the RPG Blog Carnival to stop by here in August but I just couldn’t help myself as this month marks the 10th anniversary of this carnival! To be exact, the first kick off post was on August 7, 2008 over at The Core Mechanic and the topic was Resurrection. So, in honor of our 10th anniversary, this month’s topic is Celebrations! How to you mark those special occasions in your campaigns and gaming groups? Do you have a party with cake and ice cream? Do you hoist a glass of your favorite liquid […]
- [First Blog Carnival of 2018 Underway!](https://ofdiceanddragons.com/first-blog-carnival-of-2018-underway/): The beginning of every year brings a fresh start and in some cases, fresh snowfall (at least here on the East Coast of the US). It also brings with it a new season for the RPG Blog Carnival, and our first host, Renaissance Gamer, has already kicked things off with this month’s topic, Tabletop Gaming on a Budget. From the post: January’s RPG Blog Carnival topic is Tabletop Gaming on a Budget: how to get gold piece value gaming supplies and resources for copper piece prices. Useful just after the holidays? Check out the full post for all the details […]
- [Incredible War Hammer Model](https://ofdiceanddragons.com/incredible-war-hammer-model/): While it doesn’t appear finished, you should check out the Nippon Castle for Warhammer post over at The Dark Side of Willmark – here’s one of the pictures from the site. A really great job and I’m looking forward to seeing the finished model. May your dice roll well!
- [Check out the 2017 December RPG Blog Carnival](https://ofdiceanddragons.com/check-out-the-2017-december-rpg-blog-carnival/): This month the RPG Blog Carnival travels over to Pitfalls & Pixies for It’s in a Book. Hurry now, I hear the fire is warm, there’s a cup of cheer, and a story to hear! May your dice roll well!
- [The RPG Blog Carnival has a new Box Office](https://ofdiceanddragons.com/the-rpg-blog-carnival-has-a-new-box-office/): While the Blog Carnival moves from place to place each month, there needs to be a central location, or “Box Office,” where everyone can go to find out what’s going on. For the last three years, Johnn Four, of Roleplaying Tips fame has been the keeper of the keys, and has, in my opinion done an outstanding job – a round of applause please! A few months back Johnn announced that he needed to pass the torch and we are now ushering in a new era for the Carnival, as the box office has moved to its new home, right […]
- [October 2017 Blog Carnival: Superstitions - The Wrap-up](https://ofdiceanddragons.com/october-2017-blog-carnival-superstitions-the-wrap-up/): The Carnival has moved on but for those that missed it, or want to check out one of the many contributors we had last month, I give you the quick “the wrap-up.” 6D6rpg.com kicked things off with a trio rituals in their post: A Carnival of Superstitions Hereticwerksakes provide us with some insight  on the Superstitions in Wermspittle Tales of a GM took a few minutes and gave us a few GM Superstitions The Other Side posted, on Friday the 13th no less, some of the Witch Superstitions that are seen in Tim’s game Gonz presented us with Triskaidekaphilia, on Friday the 13th as well and […]
- [October 2017 Blog Carnival - Superstitions!](https://ofdiceanddragons.com/october-2017-blog-carnival-superstitions/): UPDATE: The Carnival has moved on, if you missed it you can catch up by reading the wrap-up.  It’s October, when the spooks, sprites, and darker things come out at night, and the RPG Blog Carnival stops by to set up shop for the month at of Dice and Dragons! Welcome, all! This time around we’re going to talk superstitions! We’ve all heard that finding a four leaf clover is good luck, as is a horseshoe hanging in a ‘U’ shape. Of course, crossing the path of a black cat or walking under a ladder all lead to bad luck […]
- [Waving farewell and moving onto 2017](https://ofdiceanddragons.com/waving-farewell-and-moving-onto-2017/): It is with mixed emotions that I wave good-bye to 2016. In some respects the year was a complete disaster and on other fronts I would say it was a complete success. This year saw a great deal of personal struggle including losing a family member, seeing my wife continue her health struggles with yet more surgery, challenges in both the work and personal life areas, and my. own life altering health issues (nothing life threatening thankfully). The challenges were all met head on and while many are slowing being turned in the right direction it will take some time […]
- [Put a cork in it! October 2016 Blog Carnival Wrap-up](https://ofdiceanddragons.com/put-a-cork-in-it-october-2016-blog-carnival-wrap-up/): The RPG Blog Carnival has long since moved on and I would like to give a belated thanks to all those that stopped by and shared a “bit of the brew,” with everyone. The theme was potions, and some shared a bit of what they’ve been simmering over the fire. 6d6 RPG kicked things off with a potion for many an occasion, which gave us a six-pack plus one of potions to try – some with interesting ingredients and side effects. Leicester’s Ramble gives us Temperamental Potions. You really need to read this to understand what these potions can do, and […]
- [October 2016 Blog Carnival - Potions!](https://ofdiceanddragons.com/october-2016-blog-carnival-potions/): It’s October and as the goblins and ghouls begin to spend more time out and about of Dice and Dragons welcomes back the RPGBA Blog Carnival. This year the topic of choice is POTIONS! So break open your cauldrons or your chemistry set and share your favorite concoctions, recipes and let’s try not to singe our eyebrows. Do you have a favorite potion? A memorable quest for that last needed component? A story of a potion gone wrong? This is the month to share those stories, tips, and tricks (it is the month of All Hallow’s Eve after all). When […]
- [Congrats to Tower of the Archmage!](https://ofdiceanddragons.com/congrats-to-tower-of-the-archmage/): Congratulations to Tower of the Archmage on celebrating seven years online!! It’s no small feat to accomplish and with over 1700 posts in that time a hearty pat on the back to David and a glass raised to wish him many more posts to come!  
- [Guess who's 10? Happy (belated) Birthday of Dice and Dragons!](https://ofdiceanddragons.com/guess-whos-10-happy-belated-birthday-of-dice-and-dragons/): Wow, 10 years, has it been that long? Yes, it really has. To be honest we’re nearly two months into our tenth year here at of Dice and Dragons and while we missed the “big one” with an end of the year post it seems only fitting that the day passed quietly with reflection. Ten years ago on December 23, 2005, the very first post went live with just a ‘The beginning‘ as the title. It was a quiet affair and to be honest, as stats weren’t that important at the time, I don’t think there were more than ten […]
- [October 2015 - They're Gone! The Blog Carnival Wrap Up](https://ofdiceanddragons.com/october-2015-theyre-gone-the-blog-carnival-wrap-up/): I want to thank everyone that shared the strange things that could wander into town during the month of October. From Tales of the Loreweaver we found ourselves with some Unwelcomed Guests, but I’m not sure how they held up against the Giant Figgin’ Spiders (and Scorpions) from the World Builder Blog. Our friends at Elthos RPG helped to set the mood, with a post that really sets the tone, and then we found the tale of a time traveler over at The Gaming blog of General Tangent. I didn’t get many takers on the trivia question, but a few […]
- [By the pricking of my thumbs, something wicked this way comes - 2015 October RPG Blog Carnival](https://ofdiceanddragons.com/by-the-pricking-of-my-thumbs-something-wicked-this-way-comes/): Update: The October Carnival is over, be sure to catch the wrap up article before you leave. Welcome friends, it’s October and that can only mean one thing, the RPG Blog Carnival has arrived once again! In past years we’ve sought out those spooky spots that the local towns folks like to avoid and talked about things that go bump in the night which kept you awake until morning. This year there’s no escape as it will be coming to seek you out as the wicked come to you! Instead of a house on the haunted hill, or that unexplained […]
- [July 2015 Blog Carnival: Sheathing the Weapons](https://ofdiceanddragons.com/july-2015-blog-carnival-sheathing-the-weapons/): The RPGBA Carnival moved on long ago (if you’re quick you catch up with it over at Creative Mountain Games) but the wrap up here never got posted. You have my apology for that so without further ado, here’s the wrap up of the legendary posts written for the Weapons of Legend carnival. In the order they came in: The Catholics had some pretty cool +1 swords – a partial listing of some interesting and powerful Catholic weapons. Have to give bonus points for Spear of Destiny inclusion. Weapons of Legend in the Summerlands – a couple of weapons that come from […]
- [Reaver and Cleaver](https://ofdiceanddragons.com/reaver-and-cleaver/): The great white wyrm raised its head looking to strike yet another fatal blow the to one of the members of the party. It was then that a young dwarf, Rlog Nuraald, who had been told to hang back and protect the rear of the party from any sneak attack charged the beast. The look of shock was upon the face of the other members of his company as he raised the two twin headed battle axes he had forged himself those many months ago by moonlight in the heat of his father’s forge. The same weapons that nearly every […]
- [What makes a good Dungeon Master?](https://ofdiceanddragons.com/what-makes-a-good-dungeon-master/): Those of us that sit around the gaming table often talk of days gone by. We talk of sessions when there were legendary battles fought and epic tales were told. When you look back at those sessions, what do they all have in common? A Dungeon Master at the top of his game. Over at Power Score, Sean tackles that very topic in a recent post, The Difficulties of Being a Dungeon Master. What’s nice about this article is that it isn’t just your usual post about what one person thinks makes a good Dungeon Master, instead Sean goes to […]
- [July 2015 Blog Carnival: Weapons of Legend](https://ofdiceanddragons.com/july-2015-blog-carnival-weapons-of-legend/): They are unique, mythic, and transcend the mere ordinary, they are . . . Weapons of Legend and they are also the topic for this month’s RPG Blog Carnival. When someone speaks of a legendary weapon most folks immediately go to those that have been called out in stories for centuries or popularized in the novels and movies of today. Some examples would include: Excalibur, King Arthur’s war sword Mjölnir, Thor’s hammer Grayswandir, Corwin of Amber’s sword Glamdring or Foe-hammer from J.R.R. Tolkien’s work To most that’s all there is to it but there is another category that is just […]
- [Carrying on the RPG Blog Alliance Tradition](https://ofdiceanddragons.com/carrying-on-the-rpg-blog-alliance-tradition/): As many are aware, and as mentioned here, the existing RPG Blog Alliance is closing, in fact it is due to shut down in just a few days. A number of members expressed a desire to have the RSS feeds placed in a file that they could then import into a newsreader of their own and after a bit of work the file folks are looking for is linked to at the end of this post. While that was something I did to help the community out, and after giving it some thought, I’ve decided to help the community continue […]
- [The Campaign Pitch](https://ofdiceanddragons.com/the-campaign-pitch/): When of Dice and Dragons turned nine last year, I mentioned that one of my goals was to finally get a new campaign off the ground. There’s been a bit of interest but nothing that I would say that’s catching fire and getting things going, and some of that is on me. Let’s face it, you need to have the GM fired up over his campaign to get the players hyped up, right? So, I’ve decided that I need to create a campaign pitch. It’s something short and sweet that will cause the players to show some interest and generate […]
- [Person, place or thing? What do you use to get started?](https://ofdiceanddragons.com/person-place-or-thing-what-do-you-use-to-get-started/): Often the hardest thing to do when you get started on a new project, whether it’s a new campaign, story arc, or even a session, is to find inspiration. So my question to all of you is what do you use for inspiration? Whether you go to your favorite novels, movies, or music, I think it all comes back to one of three things – a person, place or thing. Person Personally I tend to gravitate towards this one when I’m working up a session idea, who do I want the party to interact with? There are lot of stereotypes […]
- [Plot Hooks - be careful not to have too many](https://ofdiceanddragons.com/plot-hooks-be-careful-not-to-have-too-many/):   I came across another interesting post at Reality Refracted talking about plot hooks and asking the question, “How many should you have?” A.L. does a great job of making the argument that you should have as many plot hooks as you can handle as a GM: If possible, the GM should have infinite plot hooks more or less ready to go at any moment. On the surface I would agree with that statement, a GM should have at his fingertips an infinite supply of hooks so that he can keep his group interested and involved. Beware the plot hook trap! […]
- [Use a burn down list to keep from running out of ideas](https://ofdiceanddragons.com/use-a-burn-down-list-to-keep-from-running-out-of-ideas/):   When I came across the above tweet from SlyFlourish in my feed the other day I tagged it as something to follow-up on as it hit a nerve with me. In one of my many roles at my day job I manage projects and tweet speaks to a tool used in Agile Project Management – the burn down list (or chart) and it definitely has it’s place at the gaming table. For those that aren’t familiar with the tool, the burn down list, in a nut shell, is a listing of everything and the kitchen sink you’re hoping to […]
- [The power of three](https://ofdiceanddragons.com/the-power-of-three/): Today marks a rather special convergence, at least for me anyway. This is my 300th post on the blog, it falls on 3/3 and today, at 3:30, I have an appointment to pick up a ‘new’ to me vehicle – that’s a lot of threes and must mean something. To be honest, the number three does have a significant role in a number of religions, cults, and organizations and you will often hear it referenced, “the power of three will set you free,” “what you send out comes back threefold,” and so on. This also lends itself very nicely to […]
- [Add a little flavor to your tavern](https://ofdiceanddragons.com/add-a-little-flavor-to-your-tavern/): “You meet at the local tavern . . . . . . . ” How many times have you heard that at the gaming table? The tavern is one of those locations that every game seems to have and frequently used as a stop over, a way of meeting a contact, or just picking up a quick rumor, but why not add a bit of flavor to it? Here are a couple of suggestions to do just that. The Old 96er It’s one of those movie scenes that just sticks with you. The sight of a 96 ounce steak hitting […]
- [Rest well Mr. Spock](https://ofdiceanddragons.com/rest-well-mr-spock/): Today the world lost an icon. Leonard Nimoy will always be remembered as Spock, I know that’s the first thing that comes to mind when I hear the name. While that is far from the sum of everything he was, that legacy will carry on and it is my hope that my children and grand children will come to enjoy the character that taught us what it was to be human. You have lived long and prospered, now rest well old friend, rest well. May your dice roll well.
- [Going beyond the twists and turns](https://ofdiceanddragons.com/going-beyond-the-twists-and-turns/): Every group as their favorite characters, NPCs, and sessions they’ve played, of course almost every group as their least favorite thing about the game as well. In my group’s case it was mazes. Looking back on it I probably didn’t run the few I used as well as I could have and Mediaprophet over at Run a Game gives some pointers on just how to do that. One of the big takeaways from the post is that everything should cost the party something, in particular time. When everything the party does costs them that precious commodity you can then avoid the tendency […]
- [Favor role-play over roll-play](https://ofdiceanddragons.com/favor-role-play-over-roll-play/): I come across a lot of interesting posts and pieces of information as I wander across the Internet and came across a post Simple is Good by Troll Lord of The Dens. It’s a short post that talks about the the fun he recently had with a weekend full of gaming, something I think all of us wish we could do more often. He mentions that there were no arguments, no rule discussions – just a lot of fun playing. The nugget to take away from his post was it’s important to keep things simple if you want the game […]
- [Time out, what do you think?](https://ofdiceanddragons.com/time-out-what-do-you-think/): One of the things I’ve learned from being around the table, gaming or work, is that unless those around you are actually interested in what you have to say they’re going to listen. At the gaming table I’ve seen (and been) that GM that’s lost the party. It’s usually no one specific item but typically a combination of factors, overly long descriptions, drawn out rule reviews, or even banter about what happened during the week, and before you know it the players are off on their own and you’ve lost the game entirely for that session. What does that have […]
- [Making it personal - the plot that is](https://ofdiceanddragons.com/making-it-personal-the-plot-that-is/): As a GM we’re frequently called upon to build worlds, vast organizations, and plots that literally shake the very foundations of what we build. But what about something a bit closer to home, something aimed more at a singular character as opposed to the whole planet? That’s the topic of A.L.’s post, Crafting A Personal Plot – Initial Design. This is one of those areas that can be a challenge to get right as it needs not just your own thoughts about how to add it to your campaign without detracting too much from your main plot line, but it […]
- [Getting your campaign material in order](https://ofdiceanddragons.com/getting-your-campaign-material-in-order/): It’s been a topic of discussion here more than once and if you get even just a couple of GMs together it’s bound to come up – how to best organize your campaign materials. Jackson Malloy over and Sword and Scoundrel (got to love that name!) brought up this topic with his post Organizing Campaign Materials. Jackson, like many of us, is looking to the GM community at large to help out with this. He does a really good job at explaining the amount of material that we typically need at hand to run things smoothly, it might be preaching to the […]
- [Who doesn't enjoy exploring the sewers?](https://ofdiceanddragons.com/who-doesnt-enjoy-exploring-the-sewers/): Who doesn’t enjoy exploring a maze of tunnels, dead ends, and rooms full of creatures to battle? The GM that’s who. It’s something that a lot of GMs like to run, but it’s something that many of us don’t really enjoy planning out. The encounters are easy enough, but creating a map of all of it can be a bit of a burden once in a while and every so often it’s nice to get some help. If you are looking for a little help take a look at Michael Raston’s post, Fantasy City Sewer Generator (h/t to Johnn Four for sharing […]
- [You don't need a lot of prep time for a good game](https://ofdiceanddragons.com/you-dont-need-a-lot-of-prep-time-for-a-good-game/): It’s a fear that all GMs face at one time or another, you’re not prepped for the session that you’re running tonight – Justin over at Stuffer Shack shares one such recent experience in his post, Last Minute Cancellations of One Player – What Do you Do? In Justin’s case he had a player cancel on him and he decided to hold off on his regular campaign and run something different so the player wouldn’t miss out. This is a far cry from the situation I found myself in, no prep time due to work, family, and procrastination, which leads to a […]
- [One Dungeon, Two Maps](https://ofdiceanddragons.com/one-dungeon-two-maps/): Mark over at Dust Pan Games shares with us his take on what a GM map should be versus what a player map should be. There’s a lot of good information in the post as Mark covers what he considers the distinct types of ares in a dungeon. Transition rooms – the areas between points of interest Challenge rooms – points of interest planned by the GM Conflict rooms – you probably already guess it, where the conflicts (or battles) take place Mark covers a number of points for each area including giving examples and the types of information he includes […]
- [The reward doesn't have to sparkle](https://ofdiceanddragons.com/the-reward-doesnt-have-to-sparkle/): It’s often overlooked but not every reward handed out needs to be a shiny and sparkly item. Of course, that’s the way the rules seem to be written that way, every time you accomplish something there needs to be a monetary reward attached, but as Creighton Broadhurst points out on his blog, that doesn’t have to always be the case. In his recent posting, GM Advice: Not All Rewards Must Glitter, he covers eight different rewards that could be used in place of simply dropping a pile of gold on the characters. The first item he mentions is favors, let’s face it’s […]
- [Welcoming the new player](https://ofdiceanddragons.com/welcoming-the-new-player/): There is nothing more scary than being the new guy at the table and while it’s been some time since I was that new guy I still remember the feeling of, “will I fit in?” Unfortunately not everyone is a fit for every group, and it’s important to take the time for everyone to get to know each other and make sure everyone gets along. Most of the time this isn’t a huge issue as many that join a gaming group already know one or two others in the group from other settings (school, work, etc.) but this is only […]
- [Big group? No problem, split them up and have them help](https://ofdiceanddragons.com/big-group-no-problem-split-them-up-and-have-them-help/): Ed over at Geek Native recently wrote about something that many GMs would love to have an issue with – an overfilled gaming table. While most of us would be happy and more than capable of handling a group of players in the 3-6 range, Ed found himself with 10 players around his table. Most of us adhere to what I consider one of the ‘golden rules’ of sitting behind the GM screen – don’t split the party – but that’s exactly what Ed did. What he did differently than most of us is that he split the party up before […]
- [The closing of an era - Good-bye RPG Blog Alliance](https://ofdiceanddragons.com/the-closing-of-an-era-good-bye-rpg-blog-alliance/): Today is a sad day. Today I received an email in my inbox announcing that at the end of April the RPG Blog Alliance will cease operations. While I am saddened to see the Alliance close down as it’s been the source of a lot of interesting reading over the years, I am also glad to see that the ‘man in charge’ is calling it now before he spends a lot more time doing something he’s just not happy doing. Why was the RPG Blog Alliance important? Many moons ago you would have been hard pressed to find a gaming […]
- [OneNote as My GM Binder](https://ofdiceanddragons.com/onenote-as-my-gm-binder/): I mentioned back in December that I was moving to OneNote as my tool of choice for my gaming material and I thought it was time to take a look at how I’m starting to organize things. I should point out that this is how I’m currently going about organizing my material and it will likely evolve over time as I add new areas and combine some. I also suspect that once the characters start to interact with it there will be other items that need to be added. Just a quick note about how OneNote is setup up – […]
- [Home-brew seems to be the way to go](https://ofdiceanddragons.com/home-brew-seems-to-be-the-way-to-go/): A couple of weeks back I asked folks if they prefer home-brew or published settings and I would like to first thank those that took the time to comment on that post (or on Google+) – I really appreciate it. It would seem, based on the responses, that readers of the blog lean toward the home-brew category, and to be honest I wasn’t overly surprised at that trend. It was interesting though see that while many create a setting for the campaigns they run, the settings are not entirely home grown, as many of us “borrow” from established settings and […]
- [Returning To My Gaming Roots](https://ofdiceanddragons.com/returning-to-my-gaming-roots/): Those of you have been reading this blog for any length of time know of my desire to return to active gaming. I will admit it, the challenge is not an easy one as having the desire is just the start, you have to then act on that desire. For me, that’s starting with a return to my gaming roots. I’m not talking about going back to playing the Basic Rules or even going back to 1st Edition (and yes, I do have all my books still). I’m talking about going back to what I enjoyed in my youth and […]
- [Home-brew or Published?](https://ofdiceanddragons.com/home-brew-or-published/): I thought I would start the year off polling the community at large, do you use a home-brew campaign setting or do you prefer to use a published campaign? I’ve never been a big fan of published campaign settings, it just a personal taste. I’ve always preferred creating my own setting, pulling together all the pieces of the puzzle and creating something I hope my players enjoy. There is just something oddly satisfying about the creation process and then being able to share it with folks that will appreciate the time and effort it takes to do. I also know […]
- [Happy Birthday #9 - State of the  Blog](https://ofdiceanddragons.com/happy-birthday-9-state-of-the-blog/): Another year passes and of Dice and Dragon turns nine. As I do every year I like to take a look back at the year and put down a few goals for the upcoming year, not just for the blog but also for my gaming life. This year saw my offline world continue to inject Murphy in my writing endeavors but I still managed to put up a few posts and put a new coat of paint on the blog. It’s been quite a while since I’ve done any type of face lift on the site so I thought I […]
- [Starting a new tome, moving to OneNote](https://ofdiceanddragons.com/starting-a-new-tome-moving-to-onenote/): As we find so often in life, including at the #gaming table, sometimes you just have to say good-bye, and I’m saying good-bye to #Evernote as my organization tool of choice. Back in April I mentioned that my GM binder was Evernote, and at the time that was correct. In fact Evernote has been my tool of choice for many things over the years but over the last several months, for me at least, it became evident that I needed to move on, and so I have, to #OneNote. I mentioned this on my non-gaming blog in the post, Goodbye […]
- [October 2014 Blog Carnival Wrap-up](https://ofdiceanddragons.com/october-2014-blog-carnival-wrap-up/): The stakes have been pulled out of the ground (and a few corpses) and the RPG Blog Carnival has moved over to Roleplaying Tips to talk about races, but before you head over there to find out what’s going on, here’s a quick run down of the October posts. One last thing before we get things rolling here, I have to say thanks to everyone that contributed this month – especially those that contributed multiple times. Like last year the ghouls and goblins came out and enjoyed the numerous posts (along with causing some mischief with the site). I hope […]
- [What was that? A plot device?](https://ofdiceanddragons.com/what-was-that-a-plot-device/): This month’s the blog carnival peers into the darkness and finds . . . . A creak heard just outside the bedroom door . . . . A tapping on the window pane . . . . A sound of movement under the bed . . . . Something just went bump in the night. How many of us remember our childhood filled with such things? How many of us then said to ourselves, “it just nothing, it’s my imagination.” Now be honest, how many went running to Mom & Dad to protect them? While this month many of the […]
- [October 2014 Blog Carnival: Things that go bump in the night](https://ofdiceanddragons.com/october-2014-blog-carnival-things-that-go-bump-in-the-night/):   From goulies and ghosties and long-leggedy beasties And things that go bump in the night Good Lord, deliver us! – The Cornish and West Country Litany, 1926 Update: The blog carnival is over – be sure to check out the wrap-up. Once again into the darkness of the All Hallows Eve the RPGA Carnival descends to find not the Spooky Spots of last year but instead those things that go bump in the night. Nearly every person has a story of something that caused the hairs on the back of their necks to stand up, some sound that came […]
- [April 2014 Blog Carnival: The Game Master’s Binder - That's a Wrap](https://ofdiceanddragons.com/april-2014-blog-carnival-the-game-masters-binder-thats-a-wrap/): It may have taken a while for the posts to come but thanks to those that contributed to this month’s blog carnival The Game Master’s Binder. After my initial offering which covered my use of Evernote as my GM Binder we were privileged to hear from another half dozen bloggers on the topic. Over at The Warehouse of Trinkets an interesting take on the topic, using a catalog instead of a binder. The thought is that carrying a folder with a number of RPG related items in it serves as a great resource for the GM when pressed into service. […]
- [My GM binder? Evernote of course!](https://ofdiceanddragons.com/my-gm-binder-evernote-of-course/): UPDATE: After many, many moons of using Evernote and looking to use it for my next campaign I’ve shifted gears and am moving to Microsoft’s OneNote Product – you can read about it in the Starting a new tome, moving to OneNote post.  So for this month’s blog carnival we’re taking a look at one of a Game Master’s most prized possessions, the GM Binder. I know many still use a three-ring binder for this and in fact for my last multi-year campaign I did the same. It had dividers in it, graph paper, campaign notes, world notes, and all […]
- [April 2014 Blog Carnival: The Game Master's Binder](https://ofdiceanddragons.com/april-2014-blog-carnival-the-game-masters-binder/): For some, creating it was a rite of passage. For others, it was a project that was never completed. For all, it was something we poured our lifeblood into creating and held it as a prized possession. The Game Master’s Binder Many of us started our GM career simply using a few sheets of paper or index cards stuffed inside the front cover of our gaming book. The progression continued through paper clipped pages, note cards with binder clips, folders and then finally to a binder where pages were punched and inserted between dividers to keep it all nice and […]
- [Planned Server Maintenance](https://ofdiceanddragons.com/planned-server-maintenance/): I’ve been notified by my hosting company that they are doing server maintenance tomorrow night, January 22, between the hours of 8-10 PM MST. During that time period it is expected that this site will not be accessible for about 15-30 minutes along with my email. Hopefully all goes well and the outage will be minimal. My apologies for any issues this may cause.  
- [Happy Birthday #8 - State of the Blog](https://ofdiceanddragons.com/happy-birthday-8-state-of-the-blog/): It’s hard to believe that as I write this of Dice and Dragons is turning eight and as I have done the last few years (here’s a link to 2012 and 2011 for comparison if you’d like)  I’m marking the occasion, as I have in past years, with a look back at the last year. It’s been an interesting year to say the least. I’ve have had, and continue to have, many challenges in the offline world that are impacting my ability to focus on the blog but through it all there are those of you continue to support the […]
- [October 2013 Blog Carnival: Spooky Spots! The Wrap-up](https://ofdiceanddragons.com/october-2013-blog-carnival-spooky-spots-the-wrap-up/): The goblins and ghouls have retreated, the cleric has blessed the unholy ground and the realms sleep soundly thinking they’re safe . . . . . I want to thank all that participated in the very first blog carnival hosted here at of Dice and Dragons. It was a fun experience for me and while the stumbled a bit getting out of the gate there were plenty of posts to go around. There’s No Place Like Home was the opening submission from Elthos RPG and no, it wasn’t about a pair of ruby slippers or flying monkeys, but a rather […]
- [The Clearing in the Woods](https://ofdiceanddragons.com/the-clearing-in-the-woods/): (The following is my contribution to this month’s Blog Carnival, Spooky Spots!) There’s a place few go. It’s avoided by even the most hardiest of individual. A place where dark things are welcome. The clearing in the woods. Just outside of town there’s a spot where the old game trail opens up and during the day the sun can be seen through the canopy of leaves but nothing seems to grow there. No underbrush, no moss, nothing. It’s as if Mother Nature herself has abandoned the area. No one ventures there at night. Not since that group of teenagers came […]

## Pages

- [The RPG Blog Carnival](https://ofdiceanddragons.com/rpg-blog-carnival/): Welcome to the RPG Blog Carnival! Below you’ll be able to visit the locations the carnival has been traveling lately and find a wide range of topics and related posts. The carnival has been running for several years, and you can find the full listing of locations and topic in the RPG Blog Carnival Archive. Have a blog of your own? Interested in contributing to the magic of the carnival? Skip to the bottom and see how. We need hosts for 2026! Signup at https://forms.gle/Jeo5eFNtgqPBiAncA. (Please note, this is a Google form and all information collected is only used for […]
- [RPG Blog Alliance Members](https://ofdiceanddragons.com/rpg-blog-alliance-members/)
- [The RPG Blog Alliance](https://ofdiceanddragons.com/rpg-blog-alliance/): Welcome to the RPG Blog Alliance Hub! Update: As of December 31, 2022, the RPG Blog Alliance has been shut down. The information here is for historical purposes and to provide information on where you can obtain the salvageable resources from the Alliance. Once upon a time there was an idea, and like so many ideas, it’s grown, shrunk, and morphed a bit along the way. I’m speaking of the RPG Blog Alliance. What was once a stand-alone site, that moved into the Google+ world, emerged back to the internet at large and now has been officially closed. Much like […]
- [The RPG Blog Carnival Archive](https://ofdiceanddragons.com/rpg-blog-carnival/the-rpg-blog-carnival-archive/): Welcome to the RPG Blog Carnival Archive! Below, you will find an archived list of all the past carnivals ever run by the RPG blogging community! Scroll down and check out the archive. The carnival has been going strong in 2008, traveling from blog to blog and making hundreds of thousands of gamers happy in the process. Quick Jump Links 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 Carnivals denoted with an (*) indicate the host page is no longer available. These are actively being researched and when found, a link […]
- [Contact](https://ofdiceanddragons.com/contact/): I want to first take a moment and thank you for taking an interest in reaching out and contacting me – I do appreciate it. If you’d like to follow of Dice & Dragons on social media there are several options:For those on Twitter: https://twitter.com/ofdicendragonsIf you’d prefer facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ofdiceanddragons For those that would like to reach out to me directly by email, feel free to fill out the form below and I’ll get back to you as soon as I can.
- [Disclosures](https://ofdiceanddragons.com/disclosures/): Time to bear it all! Well, not really, but the fact of the matter is that the FTC has ruled, beginning December 1, 2009, that bloggers need to provide a disclosure if there could be hidden interests or unspoken biases related to recommendations. First: I want you to know that by day I’m a web developer (currently contracting through Kforce), and that the opinions stated here are my own and do not reflect those of my employers or any organization I belong to. I also blog at ScotNewbury.com (my personal blog) and in the past I’ve written articles for RolePlayingTips.com. Second: […]
- [Subscribe](https://ofdiceanddragons.com/subscribe/): If you’re enjoying the articles here and would like them delivered to you become a subscriber. You can subscribe to the RSS Feed, or if you just want to know when a new post has gone up you can follow @ofdicendragons on Twitter.
- [About](https://ofdiceanddragons.com/about/): About of Dice and Dragons Hail and well met! I’m Scot Newbury and I’ve been playing various role-playing games for some time. How long you ask? I started back in the days when D&D and AD&D were two different systems and about the only two games around. I still remember that fateful Christmas morning when I opened the Basic Box set, and how I spent far too many hours pouring over the books that were inside. I recall moving through the Expert system and then bought that first hardcover book (The Players Handbook) – after all Advanced D&D is just […]
- [Encounter Ideas](https://ofdiceanddragons.com/encounter-ideas/): Anyone that’s ever played a role-playing game (RPG) knows that the game is made up of encounters. An encounter does not necessarily mean a combat situation, it could lead to an entertaining role-playing session. So I’ve created an ongoing series of posts concerning encounter ideas. These ideas are just that, ideas. You can take them and incorporate them into your game regardless of system and if you have any ideas you’d like to share I’d love to hear from you.


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