• The Dallas RPG was a Soap Opera Wargame?

    In 1980, SPI released an RPG based on the Dallas tv show. Players act as characters from the show, each with specific objectives and abilities. The game’s dense mechanics and need for multiple players are balanced by its surprisingly enjoyable playability. The newsletter also includes links to various RPG-related content.

    Thomas Manuel

  • How Rules & Settings Drive Play Differently

    I. Dear Reader, Games have engines. Like a car, something creates the kinetic energy that keeps the game moving. The GM switches on the car and then steers it, but ideally they aren’t just powering the whole thing, legs secretly pumping under the car, Flintstones-style.  Sometimes the engine is the rules. Sometimes it’s the setting.…

    Thomas Manuel

  • Teaching Games

    I. Dear Reader I’ve done two episodes in my teaching games series – Apocalypse Keys and Girl by Moonlight. Even as the audio quality isn’t where I want it to be (had to essentially replace my computer to solve that), I think they’re pretty good resources. And I’m still working towards getting them on Youtube…

    Thomas Manuel

  • So You Want To Be a Game Master

    I. Dear Reader, I was reading Justin Alexander’s book So You Want To Be a Game Master this week and something very obvious sneaked up on me. When someone says a book is for “new GMs”, they’re going to have to imagine some kind of person when they say that. When you say “new GMs”,…

    Thomas Manuel

  • Jarring Combat

    I. Dear Reader, The recent Quinns Quest reminded me of one of my least favourite traits of modern RPGs. It’s there in lots of games. It’s when a game which is predominantly very narrative, very loose suddenly tries to become more granular and tactical in combat. There’s nothing wrong with granular, tactical combat. It’s just…

    Thomas Manuel

  • Last Ditch Consequences

    I. Dear Reader, Feeling ill so this newsletter is coming out a little late – but I wanted to highlight a key piece of “GM-friendly design”. I call it “last ditch consequences” which isn’t super clear but is easier to say than “the consequence that the GM can always dish out, even when it’s late…

    Thomas Manuel