I’m Starting a 5e Game: What Should I Know?

I’ve been a Pathfinder 1st Edition player and GM since the game released. I love the rich complexity of the game and the stories it allows you to tell and share with friends.

For all that, though, the idea of a 5e game has been growing in the back of my mind of late. Perhaps it’s the seductive (apparent) simplicity of the system and speed of play or perhaps it’s the rise of Pathfinder 2nd Edition that is prompting me to take the plunge coupled with my desire to play a game actively supported by its publisher. Whatever the reason, I can’t shake the feeling it’s time to try 5e again.

So—to the point of this article—if you play or run 5e, I’m after your advice.

Given I’m an old fart gamer/grognard of a certain vintage what should I know about 5e (beyond the rules) before starting to play? How do its assumptions and play style differ from Pathfinder or earlier editions of D&D? What am I going to find different (or perhaps problematic)?

If you’ve got any insights, or links to handy resources, please leave a comment below.

2% Campaign Prep is Awesome

I love gaming, and I love GMing. GMing, sadly, is a time-consuming hobby. Beyond actually running game night, GMing requires a decent amount of preparation. Sometimes getting ready for the game can take longer than the session itself! That’s not ideal as, like you I expect, I’m a busy chap. Luckily, I’ve recently been testing a new plan to crush my GM prep woes and make my campaign more awesome.

Continue reading 2% Campaign Prep is Awesome

131,000 Design Word Challenge: April Update

Another month is over, and so I’m reporting on my 2019 131,000-design word challenge for April. Last month, I managed 34,382 words; this month I clocked up 34,477 which is substantially more than my 11,000-word target. Thus, I am content.

Behold a graph of my progress to date for the year!

This means I’ve already written 133,497 words this year, which means I’ve “smashed” my yearly target by just over 2,000 words. I’m not sure what to do now. I didn’t foresee hitting my target so quickly. I might take a month of serious writing as there are some things I should *really* get done. Perhaps I’ll ponder that tonight while clutching a celebratory Maker’s Mark.

Raging Swan Press Turns Ten…Next Year!

Late last week, I realised I missed Raging Swan Press’s ninth anniversary. (Bad Creighton, naughty Creighton). Back in the dim and distant past that was 2010 we released out first product–the 1st-level adventure Retribution–sometime in March of that year.

Continue reading Raging Swan Press Turns Ten…Next Year!