RPGnet Newsletter #174

[RPGnet Forums]( RPGnet Newsletter #174 June 4, 2019 {NAME}, here is this week's RPGnet Newsletter! New Columns Jonathan Hicks discussed [Using RPGs as an Emotional Release]( in his latest set of Observations From A Gamer's Chair. Kirk Johnson-Weider, author of the Imperfect GM, discusses [Different Styles of Games.]( Iustum discussed [Post Length]( in PbP games in the newest issue of Words on a Screen. New Reviews Cedric Chin reviewed a couple of miniatures: [Grumpkin]( is a well-modeled and versatile monster, and the [Medieval Dining Tables]( add some detail to your gaming space. Clayton reviewed [Spirit of the Century,]( the Fate incarnation that is still the quintessential RPG for telling pulp adventure stories. Clayton Notestine survived [Salt and Sacrifice,]( a fast and dirty horror adventure converted from Shadow of the Demon Lord to D&D 5E. And, we wrap things up with some OSR reviews from Endzeitgeist: - [Blades Against Death]( is one of the best heist-modules and Sword & Sorcery yarns in gaming. - [The First Sentinel]( is a great further exploration of one of the strongest components of Whisper & Venom. - [The Haunting of Larvik Island]( is a well-executed treasure-hunt-style sandbox scenario for DCC. - And, Advanced Adventures #22 [Stonepick Crossing]( contains a nice take on the village-as-dungeon-concept. Threads You Might Have Missed This pair of threads contains some great insight on the structure of conflict and competition in RPGs, player preferences, and game design: [Is Failure Essential?]( and [Is Winning Essential?]( And, they show up in all sorts of games, but are generally just set dressing or conveyance of convenience. So, here's some advice on [Horses: How to Make Them Interesting.]( Sign Off Have a good week, everyone. - Iustum Newsletter Editor [Unsubscribe from mailing list]( [Visit RPGnet Forums](