Real Life People Need Help Too

-
One of the things I love most about D&D has nothing to do with character classes, or magic items, or any of that. What I love most about the game is that at it's core, it's a cooperative experience. The players and DM work together to tell a story, one that neither one could have told on their own, but one that exists only through the collaboration of all the people involved.

In real life this occasionally happens too; a chance or an opportunity to collaborate on the larger story of life. Sadly this tale starts with a man hoping for a little assistance, help from a group of virtual strangers and willing to offer a reward for their generosity and compassion.

In this case it's a story all too common these days. Without medical insurance and in need of cancer treatment for his wife, the bills have added up to an epic level. And now he seeks our help.

Please read his story in his words: http://tinyurl.com/n94phr

Now is the time for all of us to put down our pencils, and set aside our dice. Now is the time for us to show our real character, our true class, and help in any way we can. If you can make a donation, great. If not, you can still spread the word on YOUR blog, YOUR Twitter network, or YOUR Facebook page.

One of the truisms of D&D is that when different peoples all come together for a single cause, they can overcome great obstacles, and triumph over evil. And while the world doesn't always work that way, it doesn't mean we should stop trying.

Popular posts from this blog

Character Sheet for New Players / Kid Players

-
Image
This sheet is great for a simple game where you've already decided to drop skills and feats out of the game (certainly doable in 5e). There is a small corner with a few helpful hints, but the white text on light purple background might be hard to read when printed. I was recently asked by a friend if I knew of any versions of the Character Sheet for D&D 5e geared toward kids. Seems he's teaching his children the game, and I applaud him for creating the next generation of D&D gamers. I've also been thinking of starting to teach my son, and maybe a few other kids the game, so I began looking around for alternate versions of the classic 5e Character Sheet that could be used with new players or kid players. I found a few that all seem to have some merit, so let me present my findings and you can decide for yourself. Some small, simplified sheets (not just for kids): The first is this nice simple sheet . The sheet has some color coding. It's a great she
Read more

A Different Keep on the Borderlands - Part 3

-
Image
After defeating the hobgoblins and draconian and securing their location (see part 2 for more details), the party took time to rest and heal from their wounds. With guards stationed on the roof, the night passed without incident. The early morning, however, was not as quiet. From the roof, the lookout could see several hobgoblins coming over to their tower, while a few others left the keep by way of the breach in the back wall. With the hobgoblins making their way over, inside the party made their preparations: * Hunter (the half-elven ranger) and Arterion (the elven mage) took secure positions on the roof with bow and arrow. * Meanwhile, Theodonis (the kender), Greybear (the druid), and Bergin (the minotaur cleric) took positions on the first floor, ready to strike should the tower door fall. From the roof, Hunter was able to kill one of the hobgoblins before they entered the tower. Once inside Theo, Bergin, and Greybear engaged the hobgoblins in melee combat. After a few minutes of
Read more

DM Tools: Graph Paper (The Right Tool for the Right Job)

-
Image
No other component of rpgs, from the earliest versions of Dungeons and Dragons to the latest Pathfinder or 13th Age releases, is more iconic or necessary to the game than The Map. The Map helps new and experienced DMs quickly describe a dungeon, lay out a town, or, in some cases, set up a temporal flowchart of actions and events. And the chief tool for setting any of these up is graph paper. Now graph paper is readily available in office supply stores and most retail stores. At 4 squares per inch, a single 8.5" x 11" sheet of typical graph paper yields 34 x 44 squares, which at 5ft per square (the de facto scale of modern maps) ends up being over 37,000 square feet of area to map. For most maps, this should be more than enough area, but what if you need something else? Maybe you want more area for a larger map, or to detail a major city, or what if you're like me, and you want extra area around the map to add all sorts of notes and legends? Then you might want to ch
Read more