Category: Tabletop Games

The Resistance – Review of “The Legend of Vox Machina” Episodes Seven, Eight, and Nine

Poster Art for The Legend of Vox Machina. Source With only six episodes left in the first season of The Legend of Vox Machina, the Briarwood Arc is moving through the story beats established during Campaign One of Critical Role. Episodes Seven, Eight, and Nine of the series cover some of the more bombastic moments … Continue reading The Resistance – Review of “The Legend of Vox Machina” Episodes Seven, Eight, and Nine →

Into the Darkness – Review of “The Legend of Vox Machina” Episode Four, Five, and Six

Title Card for The Legend of Vox Machina. Source Each of the episodes for the first season of The Legend of Vox Machina can be seen as microcosm of what makes Dungeons and Dragons a fun experience but a disjointed one. Transferring the erratic nature of a game session into a cohesive narrative is a … Continue reading Into the Darkness – Review of “The Legend of Vox Machina” Episode Four, Five, and Six →

The Adventure Begins – Review of “The Legend of Vox Machina” Episode One, Two, and Three

The Legend of Vox Machina Poster Art. Source Right off the bat, I want to say that I am a Critical Role fan, as evidenced by my reviews of Exandria Unlimited on this page. The phenomenon of Critical Role, a bunch of nerdy-ass voice actors sitting around and playing Dungeons and Dragons, cannot be overstated. … Continue reading The Adventure Begins – Review of “The Legend of Vox Machina” Episode One, Two, and Three →

First Impressions – “Fizban’s Treasury of Dragons”

Cover Art for "Fizban's Treasury of Dragons". Source If you enjoyed reading this essay, considering clicking the Buy Me A Coffee button to the right or signing up for my Patreon page here. Patrons and Supporters get early access to essays like this as well as exclusives only available to members. Of all the various … Continue reading First Impressions – “Fizban’s Treasury of Dragons” →

The Adventure Ends – Review of “Exandria Unlimited” Episode 8 “What Comes Next”

All good stories have an ending, especially Dungeons and Dragons campaigns. The final episode of Exandria Unlimited, titled “What Comes Next”, brings about the end of the current mini-series. After watching the episode through, I’m still not entirely sure where I stand on the totality of this series, particularly since there are still some unanswered … Continue reading The Adventure Ends – Review of “Exandria Unlimited” Episode 8 “What Comes Next” →

The Dark Future Part 2 – Recap of R. Talsorian Games’ “Cyberpunk” Timeline

Cyberpunk Red Core Rulebook by R. Talsorian Games. Available on Amazon (Associate Link) When everything collapses, what is left? How do you survive? What kind of person do you become? These fundamental questions are at the heart of every apocalyptic and dystopian fictional setting. Philosophers have pondered these questions endlessly over the centuries. Most people, … Continue reading The Dark Future Part 2 – Recap of R. Talsorian Games’ “Cyberpunk” Timeline →

A Puzzle and A Plan Revealed – Review of “Exandria Unlimited” Episode 7 “Beyond the Heart City”

One thing that can be said about any Dungeons and Dragons game is that it doesn’t always fit the typical narrative structure of a novel, movie, or television show. By the very nature of the game’s structure (and how any given Dungeon Master chooses to run their game), the narrative cohesion may be episodic in … Continue reading A Puzzle and A Plan Revealed – Review of “Exandria Unlimited” Episode 7 “Beyond the Heart City” →

A Place of Peace – Review of “Exandria Unlimited” Episode Six “A Gift Among the Green”

With only three episodes left in the Exandria Unlimited miniseries, the overall plot of the story needed to move forward in a big way. Episode Six of the series, titled “The Gift Among the Green” certainly delivered on that, with quiet moments of revelation followed by a stunning turn of events at the end. The … Continue reading A Place of Peace – Review of “Exandria Unlimited” Episode Six “A Gift Among the Green” →

The Dark Future – Alternative History of R. Talsorian Games’ Cyberpunk Game

Core Rulebook for R. Talsorian Games' Cyberpunk Red. I’m a fan of alternate history stories. The main reason I like them is that they are a classic case of Socratic questioning: Suppose _____ is true, what happens next? Role-playing games like Dungeons and Dragons, Warhammer Fantasy, and others that are more based in medieval European-style … Continue reading The Dark Future – Alternative History of R. Talsorian Games’ Cyberpunk Game →

Malevolence and Beauty – Review of “Exandria Unlimited” Episode Five “A Test of Worth”

There are moments in any Dungeons and Dragons game that focuses on narrative and player decisions where the consequences of their previous actions come to the forefront. In the latest episode of Exandria Unlimited, titled “A Test of Worth”, the still un-named party of adventurers experience the repercussions of their decision to keep the Circlet … Continue reading Malevolence and Beauty – Review of “Exandria Unlimited” Episode Five “A Test of Worth” →