November 2022 Angry Update

It’s been a rough couple of months, but here’s how Angry’s ending the year on a high note. And how everything and nothing is changing next year.

Presentation Matters

Let’s complain about a how a twelve-year-old game’s brilliant ideas were marred by the language used to communicate them. Because that’s a GOOD use of my time.

The Big Boneyard Beach Battle: An Angry Table Tale

Angry, asked everyone, how did you run that giant battle on the beach between the skeletons, the sailor NPCs, and the PCs? Even my players asked me how I did it. Well, I’ll tell you how I did it. If you’re sure you really want to know.

Angry October 2022 Update

Time for an October update. A quick one, as I’m basically heading out of the office for a week to run a non-convention in Ohio for my loyal supporters. Don’t you wish you were part of that club?

Introducing: Your Character

It turns out that it’s actually important for players to periodically describe their characters to the group. Unfortunately, players suck at everything. Especially describing characters. Fortunately, I wrote a script you can force them to follow.

Well Begun is Half Done

How you start your game determines how it goes. And that doesn’t just affect you, it affects your players. Fortunately, Angry’s got a startup script you can install in your GM brain.

What if Your Players Don’t Want To?

I’ve been pushing GMs to turn all the bookkeeping and character maintenance crap in D&D into a game of its own. Or rather, into a part of the game at the table. But many GMs have raised a question: what if their players don’t want to do that crap.

What Training Looks Like and Why It Matters

One of the most important Townbuilding tools, believe it or not, has to do with Training. And that’s why it’s such a problem that no one knows what PC Training looks like.

Supplemental Bulls$%&: The Time Between Adventures

I designed this thing I’m calling Town Mode so the stuff the players do in Town actually matters. And so that there’s a game to play in Town. But if you don’t know how to handle the time between adventures, it won’t work for you.

How to Corrupt a Warlock (Or Anyone Else)

So, how does one go about turning a warlock — or any PC — to the Dark Side? In what will likely prove to be the most divisive and controversial post I’ve ever written, I’ll tell you…

August 2022 Angry Update

It’s time for the August update. And there’s some rough news, some bad news, and some very exciting news.

July 2022 Supplemental Update

In the immortal words of Ian Malcolm, “life gets in the way.” Or something like that. Anyway, I’ve got to revise and update the content calendar. Here’s a new schedule and an explanation.

Tutorializing the Hard Way

If there’s one thing people ask me a lot, it’s how to get their players to. So, I’m going to teach you a great trick for getting your players to. You’re just not going to like it.

Town Mode: What Happens in Town Mode

It’s time to explore Town Mode once again. But before you waste too much time on this s$&%, you might want to know why it’s actually worth it.

Town Mode Lesson 1: Town with a Capital T

On the heels of Let’s Start a Simple Homebrew Campaign, it’s time for a new masterclass. This one about building, running, and playing in town. Or rather Town.

The Lumberjack Social Boss Fight

It’s time for another tale of grand, epic adventure from the Angryverse. But first… If I’m going to keep sharing these Angry Table Tales, there’s something we’ve got to iron out. Especially if you’re one of my players. Current or former. Thing is, I reuse a lot of s$&%. I mean, obviously, I reuse the…

S$&% I Don’t Hate: Arora: Age of Desolation and Carrion

I’ve discovered two things I don’t hate this week. One’s a D&D 5E Kickstarter project with intriguing exploration mechanics — or so it claims — and the second’s an exploration-based platformer where you’re the xenomorph and not the hapless space marine.

Tarot for GMing Dummies

Once upon a time, I said that not only did I once learn to read the Tarot as a hobby, but that it made me a better GM. And for that reason, I said you should learn to read the Tarot. Well, you demanded I explain myself. So here I am.