Getting the most use out of NPC Classes in D&D 3E

3rd Edition Dungeon Master’s Guide introduces five new non-player character classes (NPCS) to the game which provide Dungeon Masters with some non-adventuring options for the common (and uncommon) folk of their campaign. This article, inspired by a debate on the Greytalk listserv about the merits of having dedicated NPC classes, looks at how I use them to enhance combat, role-playing and meta gaming in my campaign

I’m Going To Be a Dad

I’m going to be a dad.

Wow.

Other declaratives of a more expletive nature come to mind, but I try and keep Nuketown somewhat PG-13.

And besides, I need to watch my language. I’m going to be a dad.

Wow.

I still can’t get over it. I’m writing this two days after it was official. My wife and I had our suspicions – there are certain signs and portents (such as a late period, breast soreness, visiting our friends who have a baby and finding the name “Jacob” carved into a bench when we stopped to change her) – but we didn’t know until Sunday (7/21).

The Nuff’s GenCon 2002 Shopping List

Every year at GenCon I go on a massive RPG buying spree, easily laying out a few hundred dollars for games, T-shirts, miniatures, and dice ((drool)). Now, as the Mecca of American gamers (and some international gamers as well) draws nigh, I have undertaken my annual quest to assemble my GenCon shopping list.

SimCity Returns with 4th Edition … but are the Socialists Gone?

I’ll admit it. I’m a SimCity addict. I played the original game far too much in college, kidding myself that I could study and raise Atomic City to new heights. SimCity 2000 was more of a good thing, giving players the ability to alter the local economy, implement ordinances, build on multi-level terrain, and even … Read more

Explore the D&D Multiverse with the Manual of the Planes

The Manual of the Planes is a cosmological toolbox detailing the heavens, hells and strange places in between for Wizards of the Coast’s Dungeons & Dragons 3rd Edition role-playing game. Written by Jeff Grubb, Bruce R. Cordell, and David Noonan , the book is heir to two planar traditions: the minimalist 1st edition Manual of … Read more

The Fellowship of the Ring Provides a Near-Perfect Gaming Soundtrack

The Fellowship of the Ring, the first film in the Lord of the Ring’s movie trilogy, provided gamers with what they’ve always wanted: a great, glorious movie capturing fantastic adventures on the big screen. It’s offers a cinematic backdrop for all future dungeon crawls, helping to focus the mind’s eye on exactly what a horde … Read more

Crystal Ball Looks Into the Future of Mac RPG Tools

Crystal Ball is a robust RPG aid for Apple’s Macintosh OS. Created by Joseph Sharp, the program runs under both Mac OS X and the older Mac OS 9. The tool is built to support Dungeons & Dragons 3rd Edition and includes tools for creating characters and monsters, tracking combat, calculating experience, creating names, rolling … Read more