Tabletop Gaming in the Digital Age

"As the goblins retreat, you notice a naked sixty-seven year old man
with no weapons lying in the grass shivering..."

Life certainly has it’s ways of getting in your way, which is exactly what has happened these past couple months, but after a necessary hiatus to make sure I didn’t end up unemployed and in a looney bin, it’s good to be back!! I’ll get back to a few of my intended article in the coming weeks, but right now I’d like to touch on the the digital environment for gaming. I’m not talking about video games here, at least not initially. What I am talking about are the iconic physical games of geekdom, like Magic: the Gathering and especially Dungeons & Dragons and various other RPGs.

But how will I shuffle the deck?

Getting it out of the way quickly as it has the most established footing in the digital landscape, Magic: the Gathering actually has a couple of avenues for players to try out, aside from multiple other formats created by outside software developers. The newer of the two, Duels of the Planeswalkers is available on multiple platforms and at the very least is a good way to better learn the mechanics if you’re starting out. There’s some story to it as well, and some animations for flavor, but it gets you going quicker than it takes to shuffle a deck of 60 sleeved cards for the first time. Currently, there are versions available on iOS, Android, PlayStation 3, XBox 360 and XBox One, and Windows through Steam. Also, Wizards of the Coast offers Magic: the Gathering Online, (MTGO) which went through several iterations and revisions before landing on the platform available today, and essentially offers a full availability of play formats that can simply be played in real life. One bonus WOTC offers is the option to redeem a full digital collection of a set for a factory set of printed cards of that set, so long as you are redeeming within four years of that set’s release. This however does not go the other way, turning printed cards into digital ones, at least not currently. Basically, you choose how you want to spend your money; I’ve heard both sides’ arguments (some more aggressive than others), but I for one will stick to the printed format. MTGO is also currently only available for Windows, and I’m a Mac.

What once was, but was not meant to be...

Now to get to the nitty-gritty, what I was really intending this article for. During the redesign of Dungeons & Dragons for the Fifth Edition, it was announced there was going to be digital support for D&D by way of an app. Trapdoor Technologies was working with WOTC to create DungeonScape - an app geared towards casual and seasoned RPGers alike, offering several tools for game and character creation, inventories and tracking, and more; nearly eliminating (but not quite) the need for all the books, paper, dice, and other accouterment characteristic of a typical gaming session. Alas, the project was doomed to be dropped by WotC, mid-Beta, on October 29, 2014. A little more than a month later, Trapdoor would open their Kickstarter for backing, and under a new name - Codename: Morningstar - which also would not come to be, as the project was not funded; pulling in a mere 17% pledged of their $425k need. Trapdoor does intend to release the app “iOS v.1.0 quickly” with other modules and Android and web support “to follow;” however, they cannot commit to a release schedule though their statements are ambiguous to the completion of the project. Also, they are using Pathfinder PRG versus D&D Source, which while adaptable for use with D&D, is at least less attractive to seasoned players.

...maybe someday we can see this sort of integration?

Recently, I discovered Roll20, a web-based “virtual tabletop” platform that allows adventurers and DMs to play online from all corners of the globe supposing everyone has an internet connection. Great, but that’s not the best part. One user went so far as to take the web platform, and create a setup to enhance his game sessions by way of projecting his maps onto a table, to scale. It’s clear that this person is not the first person to adapt this concept, (especially if you just watched Trapdoor’s Morningstar videos) but it’s still interesting to see technology being exploited for what’s typically in need of more physical representation. There’s a cost to balance out depending on one’s needs and resources; miniatures and prop/environment elements can get pretty costly over time especially if you want to customize anything, or you could soak that money into higher tech components like a digital projector and durable game mats.

"You see a map is cast on the ground about you,
from a mysterious bright celestial light above you.
This light commands you to to call it from faint markings
you can barely make out - TOSHIBA."  

I myself am all for the adaptation of technology to enhance gameplay, until it takes away from the game. Recently, I was invited to join an adventure of D&D and arrived to the stipulation from the DM that all smart devices/phones were not allowed in the play area; that they needed to be silenced, and there would be breaks that could allow one to check in on any updates or missed calls/texts. Knowing full-well what a distraction our technology can be, this was a welcome requirement from the DM. It also begs the conversation; do our computers and smart devices and other technology have a place in the RPG environment, or do they only belong in their own landscape of use, if at all? There appear to be pros and cons across the board, where it might just come down to personal preferences.

"We are entering the cave of our imagination."
"'I don't have much of an imagination,
can you put it up on screen?'"

What do you think; are you for the integration of our smart devices and technology to enhance the RPG experience, or are you more of a traditionalist and prefer technology to stay out of the way? Leave your comments and questions below, and be sure to come back next week for a two part D&D review (The Rise of Tiamat and Dungeon Master’s Guide) and preview of the next expansion product, Princes of the Apocalypse.

Until next time, roll true fellow adventurers!

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Tabletop RPG Essentials

Welcome to this week’s feature on Tabletop RPG Essentials. Everything included in the body this article is a MUST for anyone looking to getting into playing any RPG, depending on play style; some of these items are so important that they will require (or have already) their own article. In the last paragraph I’ll touch on some items that are more optional than essential, as well as some for sure unnecessary items, no matter who or what you play. Let’s get into it!

For clarification, ^^^THIS^^^ is NOT what this article is about!

First off is the character sheet for your current game. This is pretty self explanatory, especially as to why; which is basically if you don’t have this, you really can’t play your character. I have yet to meet anyone who’s been capable of recalling from memory every single stat, inventory item, wealth amount and aspect of the character they play, on a whim. If you can’t do this, you need the sheet because you won’t be able to do it when you’re playing either; like when it will count and something or someone may be on the line. So if you don't have one, get one!  You’ll also want a pencil with an eraser to mark any changes or additions/revisions during the course of the game; (i.e. marking HP, damage, or XP) only bring a pen if you want to earn the ire of your DM/GM and the continuous heckling from your fellow adventurers! (Insider tip: you might earn bonus points for bringing extras for your group) 

Next up may cause some debate, and that’s the Player’s Handbook or equivalent for your game. I know there’s a lot of people out there who are quite hardcore when it comes to TRPGing, and in order to prove yourself to a DM/GM you may need to be able to recall common information from these books from memory in order to be allowed into a game with them. However in actuality, regardless of anyone that makes you do this, they still reference directly to these books, and often, during gameplay. The most well-prepared DM/GM or player will have most relevant information to their quest/character noted elsewhere in advance of any game night, but they will also have a stack of books within arm’s reach of the table as well. Do yourself the favor of picking one of these up and learning from it religiously prior to your adventure, the last thing you want to do is to rely too heavily on others’ knowledge. All in all, and I speak from experience on this; by knowing the info yourself you’ll make for a better gamer, and you’ll have more fun playing as well. 

Required Reading!

Dice are a huge, HUGE necessity for any game, regardless of what TRPG you play! If you don’t have your own, you’re gonna be in trouble. Seriously, there is no better feeling than rolling critical damage with your own dice, or showing a newly acquired set with your fellow adventurers! For me, and especially my collection, this item is an article in and of itself, seriously. If you want a primer, go [here] for a rather lengthy explanation of the best kinds, the worst kinds, and the worthless dice out there. Also included for your amusement are how to roll properly without a boot/tower. I will cover more on dice and dice accessories in my article next week!

These are so important to a successful campaign!
More on them later!

Now, of course you’re going to want something to carry everything in, and there are plenty of options here. I’ve seen everything from beat up, old gym bags to shoeboxes and then some. But really, this comes down to personal preference and how much you are bringing with you to game night. For instance, I put to good use the crate from the Call of Duty: Black Ops II Prestige Care Package for ALL of my books, plus a couple decks and a few extras and essentials, but this is typically either for one-off games I’ll run or when my DM says to have as much on deck as one can bring with with them. (In other words, we’re gonna get screwed, and will have a “race to find the info” during our game that night.) Otherwise, I had been using a messenger bag that was just too small for what I want to bring every game night, and recently received a Backpack of Holding as a gift! ThinkGeek also sells the Handbag (purse) and Bag of Holding (messenger) bags as well, never has a bag been more appropriate for any RPG setup!

"I know my dice are in here...somewhere..."

Finally, are a few “optional” items you may want to have on hand. Basically, these are all dependent on the style of gameplay your group favors. If you’re using miniatures and a large map, having your own mini in your possession will only ensure that your character’s continuity on board remains from night to night; just make sure you mark it in a way that it can be identified from any others, this again comes from experience. Props are only good for LARPing, and there are often very stringent rules regarding them; otherwise if you want to show off your latest armory acquisition, do so and take it out of the game area prior to the start of the game that night to preserve as many appendages and furniture as possible. In other words, just save it for a non-game night. If you want to keep your character sheet(s) as neat as possible, I would also recommend a folder or clipboard to keep them with; not only will either protect your paper, but it’s also a great portable surface as well! Depending on how many people are gaming with you, including the DM/GM, you’d better believe that precious real-estate will be slim to none once the game gets started; so a clipboard/folder to write on is really more handy than you’d anticipate, and having one will only help to keep the table as neat as possible. Lastly also comes down to how you and your fellow adventurers roll; snacks. For some, this is an all out do not do! Others will chip in for pizza and eat prior to sitting down and getting in-character, and even some will make full use of one’s kitchen and cupboard stock during the game breaks. (No kidding, I had a friend make us omelets mid-game before, it was nuts!) My only suggestion here is this, find out the plan before you even meet up, that way you aren’t doing something you shouldn’t or excluding/including others prior to everyone’s knowledge. Chip-in, share, bring extra if you’re going to feast and game. After all, even Vin Diesel agrees, “You gotta have snacks!” and he's been playing for a while!

So that about wraps it up for this week! Is there something I forgot/didn’t mention, or maybe something that I included that you didn’t think of? (Most are pretty reasonable to assume coming to mind for every game, though) Let me know in the comments below, and come back next week where I’ll preview the Rise of Tiamat and go in depth with what makes for good dice, how many one really needs, and how to go about carrying them!

Until next time, roll true fellow adventurers!

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Dungeons and Dragons Fifth Edition Monster Manual Review

Sometimes, life gets in the way of gaming, or in reviewing games as well. Alas, we are back without further delay in an in-depth review of the Dungeons and Dragons Fifth edition Monster Manual!

Find here your Carnivorous Compendium, Nefarious Novel, Vicious Volume,
Lascivious Lexicon, Despicable Dictionary, or Bestiary Bible! 

Having only a few days initially to thumb through some pages here and there was alright and all, but it was a bit of a tease for myself. And I'd be doing a disservice to myself, everything within the text, and everyone else by cranking out a "review" after only spending a few short distracted hours with the book. After taking some time to really dive in, and even compare a few monsters between v3.5 and 5e hopefully here's a review worth everyone's time.

Behold Indeed!

Inside we find everything, literally EVERYTHING one could hope to ever encounter on an adventure. From Angels to Zombies; to Bugbears, and Basilisk, and Beholders; Chuul and Chimera; any demon you could conjure from your worst nightmares and more. This is but a tiny sampling of what is contained within; from the classic mythological creatures to recently concoctions, you name it, and I'm sure it or it's equivalent can be found in this very book.

A beaut to behold up close... at least in print.
If you see one IRL, it's probably better from a distance.

From cover to cover this book is, simply put, spectacular. Wizards has done it again and not disappointed the masses. It's very clear that they spent a lot of time in the design of not just the new fifth edition, but in the look and feel of these new books. The 5e Monster Manual is no exception to this at all. With only a mere 54/352 pages having no artwork on them whatsoever, it is easy to see what I mean here; and for tabletop RPG books an artwork page ratio of 6.5:1 is nothing short of impressive, and I literally couldn't be more pleased with this part. Don't believe me? The v3.5 Monster Manual has an astounding 136 pages without artwork out of 319, that's over one-third of the book without any art! And to top it off, the artwork in the 5e book ranges from 2x2 inch line sketches to full-page, full-color splash pages of artwork; while the best the v3.5 book has are barely one-third of the page at the largest. But why is this important, right? Well it's simple when you get down to it; roleplaying is a game of improvisation and imagination, but even the most creative mind will seek reference for what it cannot see. By providing newcomers and seasoned adventurers alike with an image for nearly every single creature, race, fauna, and inanimate that could be encountered within the world of D&D, it is now very easy to become immersed in that game. Another great feat of this terrifying tome is that literally every single entrant has flavor text, including backstory, for one to utilize in their own story building. Which, once again, only ensures that this edition stays focused on story and world building, as opposed to the stats-heavy bound-to-the-rules previous editions. And these are both VERY good things!

"You want terrask me a question!?"
Get outta here with the puns!

Lets take a look at a few different creatures we might stumble upon. "You open the door, and the torchlights ignite to reveal a GOBLIN."
In the 5e MM, goblins get a little boost from their v3.5 counter parts; 7HP (2d6) as compared to 5HP (1d8), and attacking with either scimitars (+4, 5ft, 5(1d6+2)) instead of morningstar (maces) (+2, n/a, 2(1d6)) or shortbow (ranged +4, 80/320ft, 5 (1d6+2) piercing) to javelin (ranged +3, 30ft, (1d4) piercing). But that's just one of the li'l buggers, imagine if this were a whole band of them with a couple bosses/sergeants and it gets complicated quickly!

"Here, food, you'll need this."
Not quite our goblin, but who cares?!

Or without further adieu, the biggun, the ANCIENT RED DRAGON!
Comparing once again 5e to v3.5 we see the "always chaotic evil" ancient red stripped down a bit but with more HP, 546 (28d20+252) compared to the 527 (34d12+306) ancient in v3.5, and with less AC (22 v 39). STR: 30 v 39, DEX: 10 for both, CON: 29 for both, INT: 18 as apposed to its old 24, WIS: 15 v 25 (ouch!), and CHA: 23 v 24. So in a nutshell we have a dumber, slower, weaker (except in terms of HP) ancient red, but still no less magnificent in terms of stats. Maybe everyone in the Beta wanted to slay dragons and had too hard of a time in previous editions, or maybe Wizards just wanted to make the attempt on a dragon marginally achievable. Who knows?

And then there was fire, there was DEATH!

Heading into the month of October we can look forward to the release of the next piece to the Tyranny of Dragons storyline, with The Rise of Tiamat on the 21st. So be sure to head on back here to New Geek Protocol to catch a review of that within the week of it hitting the shelves. In the meantime, tune in next week where I'll be going over the basic necessities every would-be RPG-er needs to play D&D, as well as a few more posts from yours-truly in the days to come! And be sure to comment below with how your campaigns are going, what's exciting you with the latest edition, and what you're hoping to or looking forward to seeing!

Until then; role true, brave and weary travelers!

=Opaque=

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Dungeons & Dragons Fifth Edition Player's Handbook Review

Dungeons & Dragons 5^th Edition Player’s Handbook Review

Come one, come all! Gather and hear! We have a review of the recently released Dungeons & Dragons Fifth Edition Player’s Handbook right here!

Since this game has been in existence for nearly a full decade prior to my birth, I do not even remotely claim to be an expert for two reasons; 1. where there are those whom have been playing since the game’s inception from TSR and the legendary late Gary Gygax first printings were released in 1974, and C. while I have played, I’ve not yet ever completed a single game. Ever since I was introduced to the game and the genre of tabletop RPG I have been enthralled. To my dismay, nary a single chronicle, campaign, or adventure have ever fully been seen through from beginning to end however. From lack-luster, disorganized and unimaginative (reads: boring) DM’s, to poorly timed IRL happenstance, for one reason or another I have still yet to play a full game of any tabletop RPG to completion. One can only hope that I may soon find some willing companions in the mood to guest for honor, treasure, and glory! But I digress...

Despite the lack of a full campaign and the wealth of XP that typically accompanies it under my belt, what I do know of D&D is that the current iterations of D&D are more re-tooling of Advanced Dungeons & Dragons that have been packaged and worked into such a manner that literally anyone can get a hold of the materials necessary for a campaign and dive right in after some familiarity. On the advent of 3^rd edition, AD&D ceased to exist in a “new format” under its original name but continues on in a more widely approachable and accessible series. A few short years later, we received arguably the best set of comprehensive rules and resources with v3.5, which were then replaced by Fourth Edition in 2008. Most gamers and fans of the game abhor this edition as over-simplified and too stripped-down, so it’s no surprise that 4e is hailed by most as an utter failure. Now, six-years later we see the release of Fifth Edition (originally called D&D: NEXT while in-development) products hitting the shelves. A new format, with upgraded and shiny-new styling, plus an all-new story.

Just check out that ampersand! Ain't she a beaut?!

Of course, when I heard that Wizards was offering the Basic Rules for free via pdf from their website, I was on that download faster than a dragon to its treasure hoard just to see what we would be dealing with. Inside we find that three of the 110 pages are a blank character sheet, the rest are exactly what you would expect, the basic rules and information needed to get any D&D neophyte started in the game. Come to find out, week’s later they released the 5e Starter Kit; complete with everything you need to start a campaign including ready-made pre-generated characters, as well as the newly-designed blank character sheets, a 64-page booklet for the DM which includes a sample adventure ("The Lost Mine of Phandelver") and all the info you’d need to play in that adventure, a 32-page booklet for playing levels 1-5, and a shiny set of blue dice. The differences between the free pdf and the Starter Set are significant but here’s the catch; if you’re looking to get into D&D for the first time or are playing with new people who have no experience playing the game - and have decided to start with 5e - I’d recommend getting your hands on both for the amount of included info that’s especially geared toward beginners; contrarily if you are quite familiar with D&D already, just pass right by them and head onto the books. Which brings us right back to our topic at hand!

It comes of no surprise to my friends that I was quite eager to get my hands on this new tome in the hopes of creating a new game for us to at least try out, but while the ultimate plans have since been squashed I am still excited to at least receive the new books of fifth edition moving forward. I kind of event went all out at this release, in addition to the Player's Handbook I also picked up the Horde of the Dragon Queen (the first supplement to the Tyranny of Dragons storyline for 5e) as well as a set of Moleskine graph notebooks for mapping and not one, but TWO new sets of dice to celebrate. (I’ll dive deeper on RPG essentials in a later article.) I have to admit, I’m pretty impressed with some of the updates WOTC has done with this latest edition. They said “streamlined” ad nauseam in the press leading up to the release, and they meant it every time. With a whopping 25/300 pages devoted to the most important, hard-set rules, the rest of the Player's Handbook is geared toward getting an adventurer ready to play the game as it’s namesake intends; roleplaying. While roleplaying and getting into character really ultimately depends on how your group plays, building a solid backstory on your character in 5e is integral to how the game is played. Case in point, if you build a good backstory for your new character, the game rewards you for it; offering skill proficiencies, related equipment, and other bonuses right out of the gate.

In Soviet Dungeons, Dagrons Roleplay YOU!

Lastly, I want to touch on what's really brought me into the life of a card-carrying geek; the artwork. Imagination printed and bound for all to see and admire, the stuff of legends made just that much more tangible. Rangers and wizards, elves, dwarves, and men who battle skeletons, orcs and goblins, and of course, DRAGONS! Well, 5e does not disappoint. From the cover design, which is less of an archaic grimoire and almost more of a graphic novel in style, and two-toned both in high gloss and flat textured printing, to the interior illustrations provided by 60+ artists and ranging from small line and shade vignettes to full-page, full-color illustrations, the Player's Handbook and Horde of the Dragon Queen do not disappoint artistically. I am really looking forward to the future releases of the Fifth Edition, and hopefully getting some play in with the new ruleset! For those yet unaware, the remaining schedule for 5^th Ed. releases are as follows, all are available for preorder from Barnes & Noble, amazon.com, or your Wizards Play Network supported LGS;

September 30 – Monster Manual, that’s TODAY?!?

October 21 – The Rise of Tiamat 

December 9 – Dungeon Master’s Guide (originally Nov. 18)

January 20, 2015 – Dungeon Master’s Screen (expected, originally Jan. 6 '15)

And I'll be here at NGP to review and share my opinions of each release with the masses! So come on back this Thursday, where I’ll have a break down and review of the 5e Monster Manual with how it stands up agains previous editions. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I hear the sound of dice rolling and weapons clashing in the distance!

=Opaque=

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