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The VOIDRUNNER'S CODEX is LIVE! Explore new worlds, fight oppressive empires, fend off fearsome aliens, and wield deadly psionics with this comprehensive boxed set expansion for 5E and A5E!
Michael Tresca
Recent & Upcoming Releases
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June 3 2024 -
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October 1 2024 -
November 12 2024 -
February 18 2025
The War on Imagination
It all started on Star 99.9's Couple's Court: A husband and wife were having an argument on whether or not their nine-year-old daughter should be allowed to wear a superhero costume to school. The argument between them encapsulates a larger battle taking place in public discourse: When is role-playing no longer allowed in public?
D&D CEOs: The Wizards of the Coast Years
In the previous installment we discussed the formative years of TSR and its downfall, contrasting two different CEOs: co-founder of Dungeons & Dragons Gary Gygax, and his non-gaming successor Lorraine Williams. The history of the D&D brand picks up with the acquisition of the game by Wizards of the Coast...and it all begins with Peter Adkison. Peter Adkison: Definitely a Gamer Adkison is...
D&D CEOs: The TSR Years
With the recent announcement that the new CEO of Wizards of the Coast is a gamer, it begs the question: do gamers make better CEOs of gaming companies? History has some interesting answers for us.
Passing the Buck: A History of the Buck Rogers Franchise
The Buck Rogers franchise is back in the news thanks to a court ruling -- or lack thereof -- on who exactly owns the rights to the venerable sci-fi character's adventures. The battles playing out now in Hollywood parallel events that took place in gaming decades ago...when TSR CEO Lorraine Williams attempted to turn the franchise into a profitable enterprise for the company that founded Dungeons & Dragons.
Undead Origins: From Mummy to Zombie
In the first installment we looked at how three undead in Dungeons & Dragons -- the ghast, ghoul, and ghost -- were inspired by literature and co-creator Gary Gygax's experiences with what he believed to be a real life haunting. There are plenty of other undead in D&D of course, and while their backgrounds are not nearly as personal to Gygax, one of the undead foes in D&D co-creator Dave Arneson's Blackmoor campaign was so ferocious that an entirely new class was created to combat it.
Undead Origins: From Ghast to Ghost
Undead have become a standard trope in the fantasy genre, but when Dungeons & Dragons was first created the shambling corpses we know and loathe today were actually drawn from a wide variety of sources, including television, movies, and -- in at least one case -- co-creator Gary Gygax's personal experiences. This installment takes a look at the three Gs: ghasts, ghouls, and ghosts. Ghoulish...
RPG Evolution: The Crazy Origin of the Dungeon
Dungeons & Dragons is known for the titular dungeon, but its origins are a little more prosaic than wargames alone. It turns out there was a formative experience in co-creator Gary Gygax's life that would inspire dungeon exploration. A Link in the Chainmail It's telling that Chainmail, Gygax's rules for miniatures combat, featured mines but not dungeons. Jon Peterson explains in Playing at...
When Dragons Play Dungeons
In May 2002, a controversy erupted in Dragon Magazine that is still relevant today. With role-playing games a sort of mental escape, should prisoners be allowed to play the game in prison? Or to put it another way, what are the pros and cons to playing D&D in an actual dungeon?
The Three Games Inside D&D
In 1972 a gaming session that would go down in history ended up launching not one game but three. All three of those games would in turn contribute to three different styles of play that are an integral part of how Dungeons & Dragons is played today.
What Will Become of the FLGS?
Role-playing games have always had a curious space in distribution channels ranging from hobby stores to bookstores to toy stores. As geek culture and tabletop gaming increases in popularity, distribution channels are morphing in surprising ways to meet gamer demand.
Can Wizards Avoid Another OGL Glut?
Wizards of the Coast's famous experiment in open design allowed more game designers to contribute to Dungeons & Dragons than ever before. But the same freedom to publish compatible games resulted in a glut of products that confused consumers and clogged game store shelves, resulting in the D20 "bubble" bursting. With the arrival of a new open game license from Wizards of the Coast, will...
How Video Saved D&D
For those new to the concept of tabletop role-playing game, learning Dungeons & Dragons can be a daunting task. From the scope of imaginary fantasy it covers to the math required to the full engagement necessary for players to enjoy it, D&D is not a casual game for casual players. And yet the popularity of D&D is on the rise. There are lots of factors that have contributed to its ascension...
The Play's the ThingMaker
Mattel's recent announcement of the relaunched ThingMaker as a 3D printer is the first of its type aimed squarely at kids. With a much lower price point than other competitors and toy support from Mattel's brand, the new ThingMaker may have a significant impact on the miniature and terrain industry.
What if Murlynd Survived?
In Greyhawk circles, Murlynd is known as the deity of magical technology, but his roots go back to the very beginning of Dungeons & Dragons' history. The gunslinging Murlynd was the creation of Donald R. Kaye, Gary Gygax's childhood friend and co-founder of Tactical Studies Rules. Kaye's untimely death created a gap in TSR's leadership that eventually widened into a rift that sunk the company. Given how history played out with Gygax's eventual ouster and TSR's fall, it begs the question: would things be any different if Kaye survived?
Hasbro, Mattel, and D&D Makes Three?
The acquisition of the Dungeons & Dragons brand by Wizards of the Coast (WOTC) from TSR, and then later by Hasbro of WOTC, cast the fate of the game in stark relief as larger toy companies decided the future of the tabletop role-playing game. As unofficial reports of toy rivals Hasbro and Mattel swirl in the press, what would happen to the tabletop role-playing game?
From Recess to Red Teams: Why Business Needs Role-Players
Gamers come to tabletop role-playing games (TRPGs) from a wide variety of backgrounds and in my case, it was through a Gifted and Talented Education (GATE) program. When my son was accepted into a similar GATE program it raised the question: Will Dungeons & Dragons be part of the curriculum? Should it be?
Voidrunner's Codex
Latest Posts
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D&D General The thread where I review a ton of Ravenloft modules- Latest: Paul Farquhar
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