Missions vs Sandbox, What’s Your Preference?

RPGs come in all kinds, but one particular distinction that bears paying attention to is if the game lends itself better towards mission-based play, or a more sandbox style approach. Mission-based games are those that often have the player characters taking on a specific role relating to a group of PC types that are meant [...]

[Let's Study] What to Study Next? The New World of Darkness Edition

In celebration of the V20 announcement, I figure it might be time for me to go back and try another series of Let’s Study articles, this time focusing on the World of Darkness.  I’ve already done a series on Werewolf, Changeling and Mage, so my selection this time around would include the remaining games: Vampire: [...]

[WoD] Characters are People First

Upon talking to a lot of people about World of Darkness games in general, I’ve noticed that one common stumbling block would be the fact that a lot of people have difficulty comprehending the “classes” of the game.  Whether it’s the 13 Vampire Clans of the old Vampire: the Masquerade or the 5×5 setup of [...]

[Hunter: the Vigil] A Hunter’s Survival Guide for Player Characters

Hunter is one of my favorite games since it presents a unique sort of challenge.  You’re the underdog, mostly bereft of supernatural powers, and have nothing else but your own intelligence, resourcefulness and cunning to get the drop on the target.  That said, here are a few things that I’ve found to be remarkably useful [...]

A Discussion on Trust

Today we talk about in-game Trust between characters as a “hidden” mechanic in the political/social aspect of roleplaying games. At its very core, Roleplaying Games have been about the social maneuvering of the Player Characters, as well as their ability to kill things and take their stuff.  Social maneuvering has proven to be a solid [...]