Etiquette at the Table: Tips to Acting Like a True Player

'Would you two just SHUT UP!!!'

In my honest opinion, there is nothing more annoying than players sitting at my table and the only thing they are not doing, is paying attention to the game.  When a player comes to the table unprepared for the game; it drives me nuts.

When you play any game, be it a board game, or an RPG, there is simple etiquette to follow.  I will list, what I think are the seven (7) most important factors to take into consideration for having a good game night with the boys.

March of the Phantom Brigade: Session 3

This week was another good week for roleplaying.  With a table of four consisting of a slayer named Bolash, Jerren the wizard, Keira the rogue and Valenae the war priest, the adventurers continued on their way.

Faldyra accompanied the adventurers for the remainder of their trip to Castle Inverness.  She is thankful for their rescue earlier and converses with them warmly.  As the adventurers crest a hill, castle Inverness come into view in the valley below.  Faldyra looks at the party with a smile on her face and says: 'Welcome to Castle Inverness.'

Brother Splintershield calls a halt to the caravan.  The characters wonder what is going on and approach the cleric as to why the caravan does not move into the grounds of the castle.  He informs the adventurers that the ruins are rumoured to be haunted by the restless spirits that once dwelled here.  He does not want to risk the loss of the whole caravan.  He asks the adventurers if they woul mind scouting the ground of the castle to make sure there is nothing about to harm him and his ritualists.  If the party agrees to the task he will then begin his cleansing ritual to consecrate the surrounding grounds. The party agrees and march towards the ruins of the Castle.

Leaders are the Best Role to Play!

Do you love being the center of attention in the heat of battle?  Do you love being the deciding factor between life and death in the heat of the moment?  Do you like being the one to command your party, providing bonuses to the ones who litsen to you?  Do you love to sing, infusing your allies with energy?  How about being able to give players extra actions?  Do you love groupwork over individual achievement, knowing that your tactics are the reason for your victory?  Then leaders are the best role to play!

Review: Lord of the White Field

This is one of the series of playtested adventures that I will be reviewing over the course of time.  The Lord of the White Fields is an adventure geared towards character of levels 6-8.  By the end of this module, you should have to level your character if you were level 6-7 and should be really close to level 9 if your characters started at level 8.

Lord of the White Field can be accessed here.  It is only accessible if you have a D&D Insider subscription.  For those that need a pickup game for a couple of sessions, or just want an all out undead campaign, this adventure is great for any of these situations.

Warning:  Spoiler Alert!  The following pages have information that a DM should be looking at to see if this adventure is one to run for their players.

Are you Prepared to DM your Session?

Shiela: I think we're lost.
Presto: I think we're exhausted.
Eric: I think we're stupid.

Everyone remembers the television series Dungeons & Dragons.  This quote particularly grabs my attention. When players say these things, they are usually signs of frustration around the table.I have heard similar garble at my table and it is at that moment I decided to try better myself as a DMand organize myself.

4th Edition has made it so easy to run a well balanced and challenging game.  There are tools and tips galore in order to facilitae the enjoyment of the game.  Do your players have fun?  Do you enjoy running the game?  Are you prepared for any eventuality to happen?  I will list two important aspects for the preparation of a great game of Dungeons &Dragons.  Note that this article can be applied to any other game as well.