Looking For A New Gaming Podcast? Check Out Loaded Dice Rollers!

It's been a while since I've done a signal boost for some other folks out there in the gaming community, and this Monday I figured it was time for just such a shout out. If you're one of those folks who enjoy tabletop gaming podcasts, but you've been looking for something new to really strike your fancy, then I've definitely got something you need to check out.

They call themselves... Loaded Dice Rollers!

Come on... you know you want to tune-in to this!

What is Loaded Dice Rollers?

Well, the short version is that Loaded Dice Rollers is a tabletop gaming podcast that you can catch on Twitch... but that's sort of like saying the ocean is wet. It's true, but there's a bit more to it than that.

The short version is that the tale takes five mis-matched adventurers, and sends them on a journey of DM Macleod's own devising. Using the new edition of Pathfinder, the journey began in the dark lands of Ustalav. Moving through the Tusk Mountains, and into the highest peaks of Golarion, these heroes will face chaos out of time, and forces that could break the minds of less potent (and less inebriated) parties. Will they save the world... or will the dice fall in the favor of chaos?

Who can say?

That's enough to get you started, but there are other reasons to check out what this podcast is doing. The game itself takes place in MacLeod Ale in Van Nuys, which is a unique setting for an endeavor such as this. Additionally, the DM and the players are all veterans of the Hollywood scene who are putting their skills to work on the hobby they love. So if you want episodes that have that epic, sweeping grandeur to them, the style and editing on this will be right up your alley.

Of course, the crew themselves fully admit that the rules of the game often take something of a beating in the name of exciting scenes and adventure... so like any production that's a fantasy instead of an exact recreation, it might be best for the table attorneys to leave their hang-ups at the door for this one.

If that sounds like something that would spice up your workday, and get you fired up for your own next session, then check out Loaded Dice Rollers on Twitch, follow them on Facebook, and while you're at it check them out on Instagram, too!

Like, Follow, and Stay in Touch!

That's all for this week's Moon Pope Monday. Hopefully you found this suggestions useful!

For more of my work, check out my Vocal archive, and stop by the YouTube channel Dungeon Keeper Radio. Or if you'd prefer to read some of my books, like my sword and sorcery novel Crier's Knife or my latest short story collection The Rejects, then head over to My Amazon Author Page!

To stay on top of all my latest releases, follow me on Facebook, Tumblr, Twitter, and now Pinterest as well! To support my work, consider Buying Me a Ko-Fi, or heading to The Literary Mercenary's Patreon page to become a regular, monthly patron. That one helps ensure you get more Improved Initiative, and it means you'll get my regular, monthly giveaways as a bonus!

Alternative Adventures: 6 Adventures That Aren't Your Average Dungeon Crawl

Being a DM isn't easy. You have to craft the towns, assign the bad guys, remember all the DCs, recall where the traps are, and a dozen other things over and above managing the roving pack of murderous kleptomaniacs that make up the average party. With all those details fighting for your attention, it's easy to get stuck in the same rut time and time again when it comes to the challenges your party is actually facing.

Put another way, what's the challenge this time? Is it a combat slog, or a dungeon crawl?

Maybe this time it's a combat slog IN a dungeon crawl!

As a player who is also a DM, I know how hard it can be to come up with adventures that feel unique. Even if your story is original, the pieces that make it up can cause it to feel a little bland, and a bit samey. So consider, if you will, using some of the following scenarios I wrote for Kobold Press if you want to spice up your game, and throw your players for a bit of a loop.

Also, if you're looking for a specific campaign to run, you might want to check out the first installment from TPK's Critical Hits series, False Valor! It's by yours truly, so give it a look.

#1: The Heist

What's the DC on this thing, again?

Most adventurers are out for loot, but most of the time we pretend that's just a side benefit. We're really here to fight tyranny, or save the town, or slay the dragon. Not so with the Heist. You're here expressly to steal something, and you can't just kick in the front door to take it. You need to assemble a team, come up with a plan, and go after the treasure Ocean's 11 style.

#2: The Hunt

We have confirmation on the target. Take him down!

It's one thing to go toe-to-toe with the Bloodcut Gang, but it's a separate challenge entirely if they escaped from confinement a week ago and you have to hunt them down before you can draw steel. Whether your party are bounty hunters who have to bring them back alive, or just a group empowered by the law (or perhaps an extralegal organization), you have to find the target, trail them, and only once you've found them can you kill, capture, or otherwise decide what to do with the object of your quest.

#3: The Infiltration

So... how long have you been guarding the Baron?

The Hangmen are one of the most dangerous criminal organizations in the country, and their leader has never been seen without his iconic black hood. No matter how many of the gang are killed, though, the leader remains at large, recruiting more people to fill the ranks. So if you want to eliminate him, you need double agents to get close to him. That's where the party comes in.

#4: The Mystery

This note should give us some insight to the killer... "should" being the operative word.

Sometimes things happen that are inexplicable. A man was murdered, and the killers are still at large. A great treasure has gone missing, and they need to know how it was stolen. A man's wife vanished into thin air, and he needs to know where she went. You may not have to throw a single punch, but the mystery can engage characters of all classes, and from all walks of life.

#5 The Escape

No one gets out of Black Gate, boy. Not alive, anyway.

Sometimes the party is put in a place they don't want to be. Whether it's the dungeons beneath the Red Citadel, or in the caved-in warrens of the Rat Tunnels, they need to get out. That means they have to band together, and pool their resources, if they expect to escape the walls, and the inevitable pursuit that will come afterward.

#6: The Diplomatic Mission

Must not insult the ambassador... must not insult the ambassador...

Most parties have used Diplomacy at some point, but rarely is that their entire mission. War is expensive, though, and most organizations would rather operate in peace than waste valuable resources. So if the party can negotiate a truce, their services will be in high demand. And make them targets for assassination.

Hopefully folks enjoy these 6 pieces of DM advice! That's all for this week's Moon Pope Monday post. If you'd like to support Improved Initiative, head over to The Literary Mercenary's Patreon page today, and pledge $1 a month. This buys you my undying loyalty, and gets you some sweet swag in the bargain. Lastly, if you haven't followed me on Facebook, Tumblr, or Twitter yet, now would be a great time to do just that!

What is a Grognard?

If you've been in the RPG community for any length of time, you've likely come across the term "grognard" before. The term, as you see according to this Urban Dictionary entry, refers to a gamer who prefers an older edition of a game to any newer ones. This preference is often intense, and it may come with long diatribes about how their edition, despite being older, is superior to any games that came later. Sometimes it's used to refer to players who prefer the style of old-school RPGs over new-school ones, as well. Players who, for example, believe that the DM should be the creator and master of everything in the game, instead of a referee who simply interprets the rules as they exist in the book.

Back in AD&D, we got one spell, and we were happy!

Now, if you know me, you know that I have a special place in my heart for etymology. It's why I've written articles like What is a Swashbuckler? and What is a Paladin?, which both explore and explain the linguistic origins of these words, and how their original meanings were quite different from what we picture when we hear them. So, when it came to grognard, I was curious about where it came from, and how it came into use.

According to Merriam Webster, the primary definition of the word is, "an old soldier." Which makes sense when you think about it. After all, when we talk about gamers who have been in the community for some time, we often refer to them as the old guard. There is a more specific definition, though. When capitalized, the word refers to the original imperial guard formed by Napoleon. The old guard which led the final charge at the Battle of Waterloo, in fact.

There's a metaphor there, implying that grognards are the soldiers of a lost cause. The remnants of an empire whose time has passed, but who refuse to leave their posts. Whether that's an implication we meant to bring with the word, and if it's a veiled dig at gamers who always talk about the editions they first started playing with, I can't say. But it is something you might want to think about before you use this term, whether you mean it as a compliment or an insult.

That's all for this Moon Pope Monday update. While it was short and sweet, I do hope there are folks out there who enjoyed it. If you would like to support Improved Initiative so I can keep making posts like this one, then head over to The Literary Mercenary's Patreon page to leave a little bread in my jar. Lastly, if you haven't followed me on Facebook, Tumblr, or Twitter yet, well, what's stopping you?

GM Rule #1: Always Review Characters Before Starting A Campaign

I'd like to tell you a story I came across on a Reddit page a little over a year ago. Players were giving advice, and telling stories of the dumbest moments they've seen at a table. One fellow brought a dwarven warrior to the table. He was deeply religious, as many warriors are, and he fought for his faith. The game had been going for some time, when said dwarf opted to crush an enemy's head with his hammer, rather than accept what he suspected was a dubious attempt at surrender. The DM then went into a big song and dance about how he felt his connection to his god slipping, and how the powers Torag had granted him had deserted him.

There was just one problem... the character didn't have any paladin levels. He was just a fighter.

Who, me? Nah, mate, I just work here.

This story was amusing, in that, "lol, the DM got so caught up in trying to make the paladin fall that he didn't even check to see if he was a paladin," kind of way, but I kept seeing other stories like this. Players who just show up to the table with no prior discussion of what they're playing, and who start rolling dice without once talking to the DM. I've also heard stories of DMs who just tell their players to, "bring whatever," and start a session without so much as glancing over the characters who were participating. The storyteller, in these cases, is finding out about the PCs at the same rate the rest of the party is.

Now, if you want to do that, more power to you. However, you're setting yourself up for serious problems.

Know Thy Challengers

The idea of just starting a game without talking to your players about their concepts, and looking over their sheets, is ludicrous. At the very least, running a game means you should make sure everyone followed the character creation rules you discussed in Session 0. This session is, of course, where you tell your crew what game you're playing, what limits are placed on character options and available books, and make suggestions on tone, styles, etc. More on why you should have one of these intro sessions can be found in The Importance of "Session 0" in Your Tabletop Games.

Goddammit, Steve, why are you playing an awakened bear?

Beyond checking everyone's math, and making sure no one decided to play as a frost giant or a mongrelman without permission, you also need to get a sense of what it is you're working with. This is true in a story aspect, since it pays to know that the alchemist has no interest in money, but he is something of a sucker for saving defenseless innocents, but it's also true in a mechanical aspect. For example, if you are planning on ambushing your party with a band of orcs, and there's a ranger with orc as a favored enemy, then you might need to alter the fight to ensure it doesn't end in two rounds. Maybe that means adding an extra ambusher, or using a template on the leader so he can stand up to the ranger, but regardless, you need to know what characters are starring in your story.

Can you run a game just trusting your players to abide by the rules, do their math correctly, and have them reveal to you the types of characters they're playing piecemeal? You can. You can also drive a car blind-folded. Even if you think you know where you're going, and you've driven the route a thousand times before, there's a much better chance that you'll plow into a wall if you can't see where you're going.

So why run a game with a blindfold on if you don't have to? Especially since you, and your players, would likely enjoy getting to the end of the campaign a lot more than you would crashing and burning due to unexpected circumstances in the third session. Plan out the long-game, and you're a lot more likely to get where you want to be. Incorporate the PCs' stories, abilities, and achievements into the game, and your players will never want it to end.

That's all for this week's Moon Pope Monday. I don't think this is a controversial position to take, but who knows, I've been proven wrong before. As always, if you'd like to get more content like this, why not support Improved Initiative by putting a little bread in my jar? Just go to The Literary Mercenary's Patreon page, and become a patron. As little as $1 a month goes a surprisingly long way. Lastly, if you haven't followed me on Facebook, Tumblr, or Twitter yet, well, why not start?

Calm Down, No One is Taking Your Games Away

I've been running this blog for a few years now, and I've been fortunate to attract a much bigger audience than I ever thought I'd manage. Also, because keeping my readers happy is something I like to do, I pay attention to the comments and feedback my posts generate. Especially the ones that end up with a lot of views, and which generate a lot of attention. Because while I love gaming, I also have bills to pay. There is something I've noticed, though, and I'd like to address it here. Something that I would like everyone who sees this to read, internalize, and remember the next time I say or publish something you disagree with as a player or a DM.

Now listen very, very carefully.

I am a yutz on the Internet with a blog and an opinion. I have no power over you.

So do your best Fonzie impersonation, and chill the hell out.

No One's Taking Your Games Away... Least of All Me

One of the most common negative comments left on my posts goes something like, "it's SJWs/overthinkers/politically correct/negative adjective people like you who are ruining gaming. Shut up, and stop trying to take away my fun."

Now, those kinds of comments are usually left on controversial posts like Sexuality Matters in Roleplaying Games (And Here's Why), or The 5 RPG Characters We Should All Stop Playing, but sometimes they're left on more innocuous posts. Posts which are expressly suggestions for how you could play a class, or which offer alternatives to the traditional views we've had of certain fantasy RPG mainstays. Posts which aren't telling anyone to do anything, but simply pointing out that there is often more than one way to do something, especially if you think outside the beginner box.

Like how I can rock 9 samurai levels like it ain't no thing.

Here's the truth of the matter, ladies and gentlemen; nothing I say has any authority behind it. I am not the lead designer or creator on any of the games I talk about, and I don't have the ability to force anyone to play any RPG in a certain way. I am simply writing my thoughts on gaming down on this blog, and hoping that other players and DMs find them helpful.

If you find what I have to say really helpful, then take it and run with it! If you don't find it useful, then that's fine, too. If you feel compelled to have a discussion over an article I've written, or you want to express your own opinion to me, that's what I have a contact button for. But if your breast swells with outrage, and you think that proclaiming I'm "wrong" because that's not how you do it at your table will have an effect, then please stop.

You're only making me more powerful.

The Irony of Outrage

I'm guessing most of my regular readers don't read my sister blog, The Literary Mercenary. If you have and you've already seen the post How to Make Money as a Writer (By Embracing Your Inner Troll), then you've already learned the lesson I'm about to lay out. If you haven't, and didn't click-through to get the full explanation, here's the cliff notes version of why slinging your outrage into the comments section (especially on social media) is a terrible idea.

If you want to hurt, not help, my numbers, anyway.

Here's how the process of being a blogger works. I write a blog post, edit it, and then publish it. The next day I post it up in the forums and social media pages which have proved receptive to my work in the past. People who approve of the posts will like them, share them, and leave comments on them. That last one is important, because whenever there are new comments on the Paizo forums, or on a Facebook group, my post is pushed up to the top of the order. That means more people are going to see it, and the views it gets go up. In fact, social media sites like FB will also inform the commenter's friends, which will give them a chance to see what it is that caught Ralph's attention.

Now, if you see something you don't like, the best way to make sure it doesn't get any bigger is to walk on by and ignore it. Sort of like Freddy Krueger, content creators lose their power when no one knows who they are. If, on the other hand, your first reaction is to immediately post a whole bunch of comments about how the poster is just out to steal your fun, and they're playing the game wrong, and they're pushing politics into your storytelling circles, all you're doing is making that post more visible. If you add to the mess by sharing the link on your own page, possibly with the message of, "it's assholes like this that are what's wrong with gaming," then all you've done is increased the number of people who've seen the post. And the more page views the post gets, the more money the creator gets, and the more people know about that person's blog.

It is in my best interests to court outrage at every turn, because it's good for my pocket book. But I think it would be better for us, as a community, to step back, take a breath, and ask why we feel the need to lash out when someone suggests we could play differently? Not that we have to play differently, but that we can if we want to.

As always, thanks for stopping in to see what I have to say on my Monday updates. If you'd like to help support Improved Initiative, then why not go to The Literary Mercenary's Patreon page to become a patron today? All it takes is $1 a month to help me keep the content flowing. Also, if you haven't already, follow me on Facebook, Tumblr, and Twitter to stay up-to-date on my latest creations.

How To Keep A Positive Attitude At The Table (Even When You're Rolling 1's)

There is no experience like being at the table when the group is rolling hot. Swords are swinging, spells are flying, and the heroes are experiencing some of their finest moments. When that happens the excitement is fully-tapped, and even if you're not at center stage it's impossible not to feel the thrill as the story unfolds in front of you. Then there are those other times. The times when the fighter just can't get through the damage reduction, or the sorcerer's spells keep fizzling against the demon lord's resistance. The rogue's usually nimble tongue makes a diplomatic mis-step, or the ranger ends up getting hopelessly lost.

Artist's Rendition

These things happen. The key is that when they happen to you, you need to rise above them in order to keep the game going strong, even if the story isn't going the way you'd like it to go.

Moods Are Infectious

Have you ever been at work, and one guy on your team is just being shitty? He drags his feet, complains about everything he's being asked to do, and as soon as attention is no longer on him he goes back to messing with his phone? Even if you were having a good day, and positive things were happening, that attitude will eat through your defenses like acid until you start losing your energy as well.

People with shitty attitudes are vampires, is what I'm saying.

The same thing happens at the table. Dave's been swinging heavy with his fighter's mace, but when the party comes up against a lieutenant bad guy with DR 10/piercing, suddenly Dave loses his enthusiasm. He keeps going for a few rounds, but instead of switching to a dagger or a spear, he just keeps hammering away with his blunt weapon trying to do enough damage to make a dent. After a couple of rounds he tunes out of the game, talking about something out of character to another player, sending a text to his girlfriend, and only looks up once you've called his name three times. He rolls a d20, and maybe he hits, or maybe he doesn't. Either way his enthusiasm for the game is clearly gone, and that doldrums can infect the rest of the table. Even if the druid is owning the minions, keeping them off of the party, and the cleric is rolling maximum numbers on all of her healing, Dave's attitude is an anchor that can drown everyone.

So, the key is to make sure that, even when you're feeling discouraged, that you keep pushing forward.

How Do I Do That?

Well, the first key is to make sure that you come to the table with a plethora of options to hand. While every character is going to have something they're best at, players need to look for the gaps in their characters' skill sets, and fill them. That way even if your character's main trick is ineffective in a given situation (say, trying to fight ghosts with a non-magical sword), you can still do something to contribute (like pouring holy water over the specter).

Glad I invested in that goblet of endless holy water!

Even if you plan for every possible contingency, though, you're going to have those nights where luck just prevents you from doing what you want to. And if you fail often enough, it's going to take its toll on your mood. That's why instead of viewing the game as a simple pass/fail, you need to create a third option; the dramatic telling.

The Dramatic Telling: For DMs AND Players

I mentioned some of this in my post How To Roleplay During Combat, but I'd like to add some clarification via example.

Let's go back to Dave. He learned his lesson about carrying different weapons, but the party finds itself going up against a werewolf. Dave isn't carrying silver, but he gives it his best shot. He smashes his mace into the monster's jaws, cracking bone and knocking out two teeth. Even as he watches, though, the beast's flesh knits itself closed, re-aligning what was destroyed as it focuses its eyes on the man who struck it.

Now it's my turn.

Now, mechanically speaking, Dave did 12 damage in that blow. After the damage reduction, it only took 2. But how much less discouraged would a player feel knowing that he did something significantly cooler-looking than 2 damage, even if that's what gets marked down on the damage counter after his turn?

But what about when you miss? After all, even when you hit, you're still doing something.

All right, let's wind it back a bit. Let's say Dave swung, but his numbers just didn't add up. The DM should compare the attack against the enemy, and craft an appropriate response. For example, did Dave get close enough that it was only the monster's natural armor that saved it? Then the DM should tell the fighter that his blow struck home, but it glanced off the monster's thick fur and heavy, bony skull. What if Dave rolled lower, say, not even high enough to hit the werewolf's touch AC? In that case the description should be about how the monster jerked aside with animal quickness, or how it dropped down to all fours as the weapon whistled just above its back.

Neither of these descriptions actually changes the result of what's happening, which is that the fighter missed. However, by acknowledging that the player is doing something, and by crafting an appropriate response you are more likely to keep that player tuned in to what's happening. The reason is because you aren't just saying, "all right, Dave failed, who's next?" Instead, you're incorporating both successes and failures into the game's narrative.

And before you get the idea that this is all on the DM, players are not off the hook for this.

So, across the table is Steve. Steve is playing a grenadier alchemist, and his big schtick is his bombs. But it's one of those nights where Steve's dice just will not cooperate. He throws a bomb, and not only does he miss, but he misses badly. Natural 1 kind of badly. Instead of slumping back in his chair and gesturing for the next person to go, though, Steve adds details to his action. Maybe his alchemist grunts, saying something like "Goddamn wind shear!" to explain his lack of accuracy. Maybe the alchemist, jazzed on adrenaline and mutagen, is having a nasty reaction, and his hand is shaking. He is creating an explanation for why a mid-level, battle-hardened veteran didn't get the job done this round.

Once Steve contributes his bit, the DM should feel free to add onto it. Perhaps the bomb explodes behind the werewolf instead of striking it, dealing it minor splash damage. The wolf howls, backlit by the gout of fire, and murder shines in its eyes as it glances toward the alchemist. Action resolved, they move on to the next player's turn.

Keep The Story Going

The easiest way to avoid dropping out of the game is to contribute to the story in some, important way. How you do it is up to you, but finding that niche can be what keeps your enthusiasm up.

Impress me.

Let's go to the third member of the table: Debbie. Debbie decided to play a swashbuckler, and though her attacks are swift and deadly, she's just not hitting the big boss's AC tonight. On the other hand, he's having the same problem hitting her. So, while her flashing blade isn't drawing any blood, she could turn this stalemate into a vibrant battle scene, as she deflects the werewolf's teeth with the rim of her buckler, using the hulking creature's own momentum against him by guiding his claws away with her slender sword.

You can even add good story if you're on the wrong end of a beating. Tammy decided to try out the warpriest, but despite her high defensive stats, the DM is just laying into her. Tammy could describe how her devout priest of Gorum reacts to being hurt. Does she bellow in defiance? Spit blood on the floor and keep fighting? Do her eyes go dead as she keeps coming after the werewolf, showing no fear, or pain, or emotion as blood leaks from the rents in her armor?

If you've kept your RP focused only on one area, you might want to mine these others as well. If nothing else, it will help members of a TPK feel like they died nobly, and heroically, instead of just being backhanded by a plastic die and some unfortunate math.

I hope you enjoyed this piece, and if you want to make sure you don't miss out on further installments of Improved Initiative then plug your email into the box on the right, or follow me at Facebook, Tumblr, and Twitter. If you want to keep this blog going, toss some bread into my jar by going to my Patreon page to become a patron today!

Make Your Own, Custom Minis at Hero Forge!

There are few feelings as nice as digging through your miniatures and finding that one figure that is exactly what you want for your character. It has the right cloak, the right pose, the right race, and even the right weapon! Sometimes though your character is so wonky, strange, or otherwise hard-to-conceptualize that you're sure the only way you could get the right mini for it would be to get a custom made one.

That's where Hero Forge comes into the picture.

Korvosa, here we come!

The screen shot above is a design for the tiefling I'm currently running amok with in the adventure path Curse of the Crimson Throne and with the exception of his tail and goatee I was able to make a figure that accurately captured both his look and his attitude in minutes at Hero Forge. For those who've never tried to find a mini for a fairly exotic race, the ease with which I located this made me extremely happy.

The site gives you more options than just fantasy though. Whether you're playing a modern game or an Old Western, a Sci-Fi shoot-em-up or even a combination of these archetypes Hero Forge has all of the different options you need to create really unique minis. From hair and expression to pose, gear, and even their smirks, you should check out what you can do at Hero Forge to make your next 1-20 level character a real experience.

If you'd like to help support Improved Initiative then stop by my Patreon and become a patron today! All it takes is $1 a month to keep the content coming. Also if you'd like to make sure you get all of my updates plug your email into the form on the right, or follow me on Facebook and Tumblr!

Roll a D6

Yes I did almost forget it was Monday. Fortunately I remembered with about 15 minutes to go, and I remembered just the thing. While you might not be seeing it until Tuesday, this great song parody is sure to have you head-bobbing along.

How do you roll? If you'd like to support Improved Initiative then follow us on Facebook or Tumblr, and don't forget to click either the "Bribe the DM" button in your upper right hand corner, or check our Patreon page. Merry gaming to all!