Chris Stevens

In Chris's opinion, the very best vices are dirt bikes, rock music, and gaming, while the very best medicine is fatherhood. If he could just learn to balance them all, he'd live forever. He's much more creative than intelligent, often wakes up belligerent, and ponders many things insignificant. Lastly, in an effort to transform his well-fed body, P90X, Roller Blades, and Food are all laughing at him. And the pain continues.

Mar 122011
 
What Season is it?  (and Dry Hilarity Ensues)

A while back, I ran 2nd edition of my RPG (we all have one, right), when my buddy, Sam (of the former RoleplayingPro.com) pulled out a pun that stopped me in my tracks. Let me explain… The PCs are fighting vampires in modern day New York, atop a skyscraper.  Sam goes out onto a ledge, baiting a vampire to follow him.  The slightest mistep means a [Read the article]

Mar 102011
 
Playing with Fate: Your "Specialty Aspects"

This part of character creation (in my opinion), is the fun part.  It’s where I get to personalize my character and really make him stand out.  I know, we thought we did that with both of the last two articles (here and here), but that just shows how cool Strands of Fate really is.  In this article, we continue with the second half of our [Read the article]

Mar 032011
 
Chimera Mount (steal this mount)

The Chimera, once thought impossible to tame, has become a challenge to a few brave souls.  Few have mastered this talent, as many others have fallen to the beast, or been horribly mauled.  However, those who are successful in dominating this beast gain a fiercely loyal companion. Prospective riders must be present at the creature’s birth/creation, and must take part in its training (anywhere from [Read the article]

Mar 012011
 
Favorite Site of the Month - March/2011

I love finding new gamer blogs, especially well-written gamer blogs.  HELD ACTION is one such website.  Here’s a bit I’ve borrowed from his “About” page: “My name’s Tyler. I live in Burlington, Vermont, on the western edge of the group of states collectively dubbed New England. This is my blog about tabletop games I like — mainly roleplaying games with a bit of board games [Read the article]

How to Fight the Convention Gods, and Lose!

 Posted by on February 24, 2011  Filed as: Editorial  11 Responses »  Topic(s): ,
Feb 242011
 
How to Fight the Convention Gods, and Lose!

What follows is a dissertation that not only proves the existence of Convention Gods, but that said Gods are both Chaotic Neutral and all-powerful.  I will present my argument as a series of battles, with the final battle concluding the war.  By the end of this reading you will understand that you simply cannot fight Convention Gods and expect to win. Battle 1: Desire – [Read the article]

Feb 222011
 
Playing with Fate: Your “Character Aspects”

In Strands of Fate, most player characters are created with ten aspects. Wait a sec… Let me back up… If you aren’t familiar with Fate, here’s the 38-word rundown: Aspects are simple phrases that sum up everything that is important about your character. These phrases come into play quite often as a simple, major component of the game mechanic, while simultaneously explaining your character’s concept [Read the article]

Sneak Peek at Our New 3D Terrain!

 Posted by on February 16, 2011  Filed as: 3D Terrain  8 Responses »
Feb 162011
 
Sneak Peek at Our New 3D Terrain!

Check it out! These are some of the 3D Terrain sets and pieces that we’ve been using in our home games, and a few of them have made it to John’s convention games.  They’ve seen some use, and gotten a lot of love.  Updated versions of what you see here will soon be available at the Shack, because they’re just too cool not to be!  [Read the article]

Feb 042011
 
Playing with Fate: Your "Defining Aspect"

Even though all aspects have the same base definition, and mechanically act in the same way, your Defining Aspect really encompasses the meat of your character. Who is this? What do they do? What is their profession? Where does he come from? How is he different from others like him? What is it about this character that will make me immediately aware of who I’m really playing? Sum it [Read the article]

Feb 012011
 
Favorite Site of the Month - Feb/2011

Hi.  My name is Chris, and I’m an RPG-site-aholic. I love finding cool RPG sites and adding them to my Reader.  I especially love it when, later, I start poking around their site and find all sorts of golden nuggets.  It’s like a double win! Well, that happened the other day with Dungeon’s Master, and I’ve been loving it.  Not only do they have a TON [Read the article]

Jan 312011
 
Playing with FATE, a New Project!

In our opinion, no other game brings out the role-player in you, like FATE can. No other game brings out the collaborative story-telling, like FATE can. And no other game can simply be as rewarding – as FATE can. However, with the many incarnations of FATE (and its radical approach to gaming), it can be a little intimidating to tackle. But fear not! We’re here [Read the article]