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100 Word RPG Hook: The Truth is Out There
The truth is dangerous. For every researcher who realizes that the pyramids were designed to be part of a massive crystal generator powered by the rotation of the Milky Way, there’s a guy accidentally...
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Dispatch Ultra: A Man of Appetites
Bzzzztttzzz. Dispatch Ultra back online. Have relocated to new temporal and physical quadrant. Am now prepared to resume transmissions. Our move was precipitated by security concerns. We have recently...
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Behind the Screen: Puzzle Pitfalls
So we’ve talked a bit about occasionally doing something other than combat in your campaigns, and I intentionally left out one of the most popular alternatives to combat I’ve ever seen used by GMs:...
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The Arkham Archivist: Lovecraftian vs./and Smithian Icons in 13th Age
One of the beauties of 13th Age is that it comes with a fully-fleshed setting, the Dragon Empire, with 13 icons who provide compelling forces in your campaign. However, those icons, and even the empire...
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Another Year, Another ENnies Nomination
So the nominations for the Gen Con/ENworld RPG Awards (“the ENnies”) came out earlier today, and I am enormously pleased to say that theIlluminerdy.com is on the list once again as a nominee for Best...
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Unreal Worlds: How to Build a Conspiracy in Five Easy Steps
You may have noticed that we talk a lot about conspiracies around here. There are a couple of reasons for that, the primary and most important being that they are interesting. Really interesting....
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Behind the Screen: Puzzle Dungeons Done Right
Since last time we talked about a lot of the “DON’Ts” of puzzles and puzzle dungeons, I felt it was only fair to add a few “DOs” to the pile to balance out the brow-beating. So, I’ve collected some...
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The Illuminerdy Need Your Help (To Win an ENnie)
As I write this, there are five days left in this year’s voting for the Gen Con ENworld RPG Awards — better known as the Ennies. Some of you may have already voted – there are a host of hugely...
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Behind the Screen: Long Division
It’s one of the oldest tropes in gaming: never split the party. Logically speaking, it’s because most every system is built to encourage cooperation by balancing powers between character types....
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Feature: Self-Promotion Saturday
We’re in the nail-biting lull between the end of ENnies voting and the beginning of Gen Con (when we will find out if we pulled in enough votes to medal in this year’s awards!), the perfect time for a...
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Behind the Screen: Monologus Interruptus
GMs, if you’ve never had an NPC shot in the face mid-monologue, as far as I’m concerned, you’re doing it wrong. But let us start at the beginning. Every form of media is littered with the infamous Bad...
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The 100 Word RPG Hook: Sensitive Documents
I dumped petrol on the van while they tried to pry open the briefcase. “What do you think is in there?” Ahmed rested the crowbar on his shoulder, but glanced significantly at the handcuff — and the...
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Arkham Archivist: Gumshoe Adventure Master Class
The Gumshoe Adventure Masterclass was held at GenCon 2014, 2014-08-16 at 4pm at the Westin. These are Ruth’s notes from attending. Some are direct quotes, others are paraphrases depending on how she...
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Behind the Screen: Trains, Plains and Plot-killing Items
In most every system, equipment can be both the most diverse element and one of the more unbalancing ones. A shoulder-mounted rocket in the hands of a five-year-old makes that kid about as dangerous...
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100 Word RPG Hook: Rainfall
“The best part is ain’t nobody out there really knows what this thing does. They think they do, but at the end of the day they’re all just creating a mess of confusion for us,” he drawled, leaning back...
View ArticleBehind the Screen: Mind the Gap
It can be a challenge running a game with all your players at the table – it can be even more of one when you’re short a few. I’ve been over the woes of game scheduling, especially as adults, and while...
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Welcome to the New Illuminerdy!
Hi, readers! We’re so excited that you’re here looking at the brand new Illuminerdy site! We’ve spent the last several weeks selecting and tweaking a new look, streamlining our content, organizing our...
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Sons of Liberty: The Frontiersman
We’ve already explored some of the adventurous possibility of hanging a game around some only slightly fictionalized exploits of famous American frontiersman Davy Crockett. His real life exploits fit...
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5e Monster Manual: Monsters by Challenge Rating
When my good friends Tom and Lyndsay announced that they had procured the 5e Monster Manual for me at GenCon, I was elated. Not being at the Con was hard on me and knowing they worked their collective...
View ArticleLost and Forgotten
Think of a place where nothing has ever happened, where it is always quiet and no one ever goes. Animals steer clear, migrating birds circumvent it. Flowers don’t grow there because the local bees will...
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