Colin Dowling

I’m an avid gamer who enjoys RPGs, board and video games (I’m currently replaying the Dawn of War games due to an overabundance of Warhammer 40K and Fantasy exposure). When I’m not hopelessly wasting time with these games or my wage-slave job, I’m moonlighting as a know-it-all for my chummers at the ’Shack. Peace, and watch out for street sams, they’re everywhere (just like chupacabras). Profile Page / Article Portfolio.

Dresden Files: Reno Reborn

 Posted by on November 2, 2011  Filed as: Editorial  2 Responses »  Topic(s):
Nov 022011
 

“It is the nature of the universe that things remain. Nothing ever disappears completely. The very sound of Creation still echoes throughout the vast darkness: The universe remembers.” Ghost Story In The Dresden Files RPG, the world of the Dresedenverse is a magical place. You may live in Chicago, Baltimore, Edenburg, Scotland, Mexico City; or Your Home Town, but no matter where you live, the [Read the article]

Dresden Files: The FATE of Reno

 Posted by on November 2, 2011  Filed as: Editorial  1 Response »  Topic(s):
Nov 022011
 
Dresden Files: The FATE of Reno

My group is getting ready to wrap up our Warhammer Fantasy game, and embark on a brave new endeavor of John Lewis’: playing Warhammer 40K: Rogue Trader using a homebrew rules set. John has always used published rules sets, published settings and homebrew settings. This experience will truly be a first for me, but one that I am looking forward to (I’ll tell you more [Read the article]

“Read This or Die!” Immersing Your Players in a Rich Campaign Setting

 Posted by on November 2, 2011  Filed as: Better Gameplay?  4 Responses »
Nov 022011
 

You’re getting ready to run a game for your favorite gaming group. The setting you want to use is one of the richest published settings you’ve ever used (Star Wars, Eberron, Dresden Files, Warhammer 40k, etc.). You’ve got an idea for an epic story that is going to touch on many themes of the setting, and hopefully culminate into an “Oh, wow… that was incredible!!” [Read the article]

Warhammer 40K – Making Combats Fast and Furious

 Posted by on June 8, 2011  Filed as: Better Gameplay?  4 Responses »  Topic(s):
Jun 082011
 
Warhammer 40K - Making Combats Fast and Furious

“In the grim darkness of the far future, there is only war.” This quote paints the far-future setting of Warhammer 40k as a bleak and dismal world.  The fate of mankind is a constant struggle for survival in a perilous universe that only cares to see you killed. Combats are fast and furious, and those who do not act, die. It is with this humbling and [Read the article]

Strands of Eberron (or “How I Learned to Stop Fearing and Start Loving Fate”)

 Posted by on March 7, 2011  Filed as: Editorial  4 Responses »  Topic(s): ,
Mar 072011
 
Strands of Eberron (or “How I Learned to Stop Fearing and Start Loving Fate”)

In Chris’s articles, he describes the path our group is currently on.  We’ve been playing in Eberron using 4th edition D&D. Although our game has started well, and everyone has been relatively happy with the experience, there are enough of us that think Fate can give us more.  I was a big proponent for this change until it hit me, “Oh crap, I have to [Read the article]

Crafting Your Origin Story, Part 2

 Posted by on November 18, 2010  Filed as: Character-Building  6 Responses »
Nov 182010
 
Crafting Your Origin Story, Part 2

Thanks for joining us! In the last installment, we discussed why an origin story is important for every soon-to-be-memorable character to have.  It can be two sentences or ten pages, that’s up to you. It defines the character in a way that guides the player through all manner of difficult choices.   Some people believe that that is best handled on-screen / in game.  If you [Read the article]

Crafting Your Origin Story, Part 1

 Posted by on November 3, 2010  Filed as: Character-Building  8 Responses »
Nov 032010
 
Crafting Your Origin Story, Part 1

A wall-crawling superhero with the proportionate strength of a spider… A former Vietnam vet who has become a vigilante after his family was killed in a mob shootout… A drow ranger who fights for approval from the surface world, although some cannot see beyond the sins of his race… An alien, sent to our world by his parents before they were killed as their planet [Read the article]

Dayereth Eveningstar, the Warlord – Steal this Background

 Posted by on July 15, 2010  Filed as: Steal this Background  No Responses »
Jul 152010
 
Dayereth Eveningstar, the Warlord - Steal this Background

Dayereth Eveningstar is an Eladrin male in his early forties (42 years old). He has pale golden hair and pupiless green eyes with flecks of gold that catch the light in an enchanting manner. He is nearly 6 feet tall and weighs 170 lbs. For an Eladrin, he is broad-chested and bulging with muscle. He is well-toned and in shape, and spends a lot of [Read the article]

Nym, the Assassin – Steal this Eberron Background

 Posted by on July 13, 2010  Filed as: Steal this Background  No Responses »
Jul 132010
 
Nym, the Assassin - Steal this Eberron Background

“Kartak, please close the windows, I’m freezing…” the elven woman wheezed to the half-orc sitting by her side as she bunched the blankets tighter about her face. A slight watering of her delicate green eyes betrayed her discomfort to the half-orc who knew her better than any other, including her long-lived clan members.  He looked at the windows, already knowing them to be shut tight [Read the article]

Thorn and Whisper, Eberron Shifters: Steal These Backgrounds

 Posted by on June 24, 2010  Filed as: Steal this Background  No Responses »
Jun 242010
 
Thorn and Whisper, Eberron Shifters: Steal These Backgrounds

Thorn and Whisper are Razorclaw shifter twins from the Tiger clan, which lives in the foothills west of Wolf’s Paw.  If in Eberron, this is in the Eldeen Reaches, otherwise anyplace else you like. Thorn is one of the tribe’s hunters (a barbarian) who has always concerned himself with proving his worth as a warrior by feeding his tribe and winning every game of sportsmanship [Read the article]

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