rpg

An RPG rundown; recommendations and reviews of the best role-playing games on the market.

The Witcher vs Laser Beams
I've started playing The Witcher III: Wild Hunt - and quickly stopped playing it -approximately 17 times. Maybe 18 times. I've lost count really. Which is fitting for a game that requires you to keep track of approximately 17,000 different quests, characters, and locations across multiple massive areas.
By Jack McNamara7 months ago in Gamers
Running Faster Battles is a Matter of Planning
Combat can be the bane of any game. A badly run combat can slow a game down, making an otherwise fun session boring and more of an annoyance. However, if the players and referee don’t mind a little preparation ahead of time and some extra teamwork, combats can be run quicker and much more efficiently. With a few basic options, combats will run much smoother and thus faster, allowing everyone to enjoy the entire session.
By Jamais Jochim7 months ago in Gamers
How to Roleplay a D&D Character with a Dark Secret
Every Dungeons & Dragons table has its share of heroes, but not every adventurer wears their soul on their sleeve. Some carry shadows within them—hidden truths, unresolved traumas, or forbidden pacts that shape who they are.
By Richard Bailey7 months ago in Gamers
Is Tarkov Having an Identity Crisis?
(Intro) As the release of 1.0 looms evermore over the horizon, I think it’s important to have a conversation about the identity of Tarkov and where it stands today. At this point, Tarkov has created a name for itself by being, from the outside looking in, a difficult first-person extraction shooter where you lose your gear if you fall during your raids. And for players who have any length of time in this game, they know that’s only part of the whole story, While yes, it’s an extraction shooter and you lose your stuff, everything else you may hear about if you aren’t an active player doesn’t line up with what the gameplay loop actually ends up being most of the time. So much so, that after everything that has happened and now that the hardcore wipe is over, people have been asking what the heck is Tarkov supposed to be. What’s the identity of the game and does it even understand itself anymore. These are solid questions to ask. Again; we’re so close to release, that this is the worst time for the game to try and figure out who or what it’s supposed to be. And the developers are gonna’ have to figure that out. So, let’s have a conversation about what Tarkov is supposed to be as a game, how it has strayed away from that philosophy over the years, and how it may be having an identity crisis, at the absolute worst possible time.
By Jirasu7 months ago in Gamers
Integrating Video Game Worlds into Your D&D Campaign: A Homebrew Guide
Dungeons & Dragons thrives on imagination, but inspiration doesn’t always come from scratch. Many Dungeon Masters look toward novels, films, and folklore to shape their worlds. Increasingly, video games provide some of the richest material to draw from. Vast open worlds, legendary heroes, and immersive mechanics all create fertile ground for a campaign that feels both familiar and fresh.
By Richard Bailey7 months ago in Gamers
Unbound Spellbooks
Anyone can have a leather-bound book to carry around their spells. There’s a reason it’s the default, but that doesn’t mean that you can’t explore other options; there are a lot of different cultural reasons to explore different concepts of spellbooks. Other rulebooks have even suggested different concepts, such as card-like ofuda or even pearls; one module even has a sorcerer who uses an army of slaves as his spellbook. Once you start playing around with the idea, there are plenty of different “spellbooks” you can employ for storing your spells.
By Jamais Jochim7 months ago in Gamers
The Best D&D Homebrew Races: From Vampires to Shadar-Kai
Homebrew content is the beating heart of many Dungeons & Dragons campaigns. While the official rules provide a vast foundation, Dungeon Masters and players often crave something more unusual, something that sparks new stories and challenges familiar tropes. That’s where homebrew races come in.
By Richard Bailey7 months ago in Gamers
The Gallowglass
There were four of them in the village square. Four men in hauberks with spears in-hand. They were confident in their numbers, and they'd let fly with insults they might normally have kept to themselves. They were baiting a bear, and doing it where all could see their foolish bravado in action.
By Neal Litherland7 months ago in Gamers
Last Epoch 1.3 Guide: 30 New Unique Items & Primal Uniques Breakdown. AI-Generated.
The long-awaited 1.3 patch for Last Epoch has finally arrived, and it’s one of the most exciting updates the ARPG has seen. With 30 new unique items, including several powerful Primal Uniques, this patch introduces not just new loot, but entirely new ways to build and play your characters.
By hasan zidan7 months ago in Gamers
The Ultimate Dungeon Master’s Guide to Creating Balanced D&D Homebrew Magic Items
Crafting homebrew magic items for Dungeons & Dragons is one of the most rewarding parts of being a Dungeon Master. A single enchanted sword, mysterious amulet, or cursed ring can change the tone of a campaign, shape a character’s journey, or even drive an entire storyline. But designing these items isn’t always simple. Too powerful, and your game becomes unbalanced. Too weak, and your players lose interest.
By Richard Bailey7 months ago in Gamers
Vision Versus Reality in Tarkov
(Intro) With everything currently going on with Tarkov, from the hardcore wipe to its soft cancelation, one thing that has become somewhat apparent when looking at all of this from a wider lens, is that Tarkov’s scale and scope has shifted so much over the years. I mean, it’s kind of obvious when you say it out loud but really think about it: this game went from a small niche title that was specifically being created for players who enjoy a much more hands-off immersive approach to a first-person shooter. Skipping over many of the more conventional measures we are accustomed to from annual franchises and other titles. But Tarkov was willingly going against the grain in terms of gameplay, expectations and scope. It wasn’t trying to be the biggest, but something true to itself and to those that played and experienced the game from start to finish. And over the years, there has been a tangible shift in priorities; a necessary evil to see the game through to the end. And sadly, that has alienated some people from ever coming back. What I wanted to focus on today, is the original idea, and missions statement from BSG and Tarkov, and how eventually, it all took a sharp turn into something that is still very much Tarkov but has lost some of that original essence and edge to it. What the definition of a hard game in the context of EFT means and disconnected things feel now, unfortunately right before they release 1.0.
By Jirasu7 months ago in Gamers
20 Innovative Homebrew Mechanics to Elevate D&D Combat Encounters
Combat in Dungeons & Dragons can be thrilling, but after enough sessions, even the most dramatic boss fights may start to feel predictable. Hit points drop, dice roll, and eventually one side stands victorious. While the core rules of 5e are solid, Dungeon Masters who want to keep their players fully engaged often turn to homebrew mechanics. Done well, these tweaks can transform an ordinary battle into a memorable, cinematic experience.
By Richard Bailey7 months ago in Gamers