We’ve got a big interview today on the blog. Shelly Mazzanoble, the Player-In-Chief kindly graced us with her time, answering all kinds of questions about her new book, “Everything I Need To Know I Learned From Dungeons & Dragons” (review forthcoming), her mom, her perceptions of D&DNext, as well as how she sees the portrayal of women in games. This is the woman who single-handedly got my wife, Bridget, into gaming. She was interviewed by Bridget almost two years ago for the blog, and I was happy to talk to her again. I hope you enjoy the interview.

1.   Hey Shelly! It’s been a while since we’ve chatted. It looks like you’ve been busy since we last chatted at GenCon. You have Confessions of a Full-Time Wizard, wrangling the celebrities of D&D for events, you’ve gotten married, and now you have your new book “Everything I Need to Know I Learned from Dungeons and Dragons.” So here’s my question: Do you sleep?

Oh yes, I sleep like a champ! That is one thing I have always excelled at. Too bad there aren’t many careers that center around napping.

Yeah, it does seem like a lot happened in the last six months of 2011, doesn’t it? Fortunately the work that went into each of those projects was staggered throughout. “Everything I Need to Know…” was handed off to the editor in early spring, just in time to start the wedding planning, which was just about complete by the time Gen Con rolled around. The book was published four days before the wedding so it was like my mom had a grandchild and wedding all in one week. All her dreams came true! Plus we gave copies of “Everything I Need to Know…” to all of the out of town guests so they’d have something to read on the long flight back to the east coast.

2.   I’m about halfway through your book right now, and really enjoying it. This one feels more like a memoir than “Confessions of a Part-Time Sorceress”, which was more of a how-to for women and D&D. What motivated you to write this one?

You’re absolutely right—this one is definitely more “memoir” and less “how to” although if someone learned “how to” make their life better with the aid of D&D, then that’s fine too!

The motivation behind this book was partially to unearth the reason as to why D&D has been around for nearly 40 years and has such a positive impact on so many lives. Regardless of whether or not they’re still playing, when you mention D&D to a child of the 70’s or 80’s and they get that glazed look in their eyes and that whimsical smile spreading across their face, you know they’re being transported back to their friend’s dining room table or cousin’s crawlspace or backroom of the local comic book shop. These are lasting memories, often lasting friendships, and certainly lasting impressions. What started as a learning expedition sort of became a quest to enrich my own life by incorporating D&D principals into my own life. I thought that if I could live my life like a D&D character, would I be able to have such a positive impact on my own life? Would my mother finally stop sending me self-help books and forwarding me emails from the Universe? Granted I was about 30 years behind schedule but better late than never, right? It was worth a shot.

3.   Your mom features pretty prominently in the book, not always in the most flattering of lights. Did she get a chance to see what you were writing about her before it got published?

Here’s the thing about my mom: She’s the most amazing, funny, wonderful, smart, passionate, generous, strong human being I know. We have an incredibly close relationship—some (Bart, my hubby) might say co-dependent. Even when I was a teenager and supposed to be making her life miserable full-time, calling her mother (which she hates), rolling my eyes, telling her at least 22 times a day that she was ruining my life, we got along. For the most part. (I had my moments, to be sure.) I think our relationship will be familiar to a lot of women but I’m finding a lot of men are absolutely horrified by it. Whatever my mother says and does it’s rooted in love and a sense of humor. I sent her unedited chapters to read as I was writing them. She loved it! At first she thought I was such a brilliant writer for “coming up with this stuff” and then I’d gently remind her that I was just cutting and pasting an email she sent that morning and putting quotation marks around it. Subjects with serious short-term memory issues can be a wonderful gift to a writer! Overall, she’s thrilled with her portrayal. She thinks she’s absolutely hysterical and sage-like. And she’d like Kathy Bates to play her in the movie.

4.   You do a fantastic job of showing that D&D goes far beyond just a simple game, and can actually be used to treat your own insecurities and problems. Talk to me about how D&D has helped you, if you don’t mind.

Thank you! That means a lot, especially coming from a long-time D&D player. I was hoping to capture even just a little bit of what you all already know.

First and foremost, D&D has helped me cultivate some of the strongest friendships of my life. I’m the only member of my original D&D group (the one I wrote Confessions about) that still works at Wizards and yet I’m still in touch with all of them. The cleric from my current game was even the officiant at my wedding. The experiences you have on the playing field definitely impact the ones you have off it. I feel closer to this group of co-workers because of our side-by-side experiences in the dungeon.

D&D gives you a creative outlet to explore different facets of yourself. I might be a bit—shall we say—uptight in real life but I can play a character who throws caution to the wind and lives by the seat of her scale mail. I might find something in that character I want to emulate in real life, such as leaving the house with just my wallet, keys and cell phone and not my own private Walgreen’s packed in a steamer trunk. That was a tough one.

 5. This book has a less girly-girl vibe than your last. Was this a purposeful choice?

Yes, it was, because it wasn’t written for a specific audience other than “anyone who has ever played D&D.” It’s still pretty “girly” at times but…well…I can’t help it from seeping in. I hope regardless of your gender, there’s something in this book everyone can relate to.

6.   If you had one piece of advice to give D&D players from your book, what would it be?

Never split the party! Lean on one another, know your role and respect everyone else’s. Sometimes you’re the hero, sometimes you get the assist. Just remember the common goal. And should your rogue accidentally set off a trap because she failed her stealth check, then by all means forgive and forget! It was an accident! I was learning the wily ways of rogues!

7.   Have you gotten to play D&D Next a bit? What are your impressions of it?

My first impression was “Can I be a wizard? I can? Okay, I’m in!” So yes, I am in a playtest but it’s still pretty new to me. D&D Next has some lofty goals, all of which are incredibly exciting. I only wish that I had more experience playing previous editions to have a better feel for how much it resonates, but as a 4^th Edition player, I’m very impressed so far. The parts that I really enjoy are still there and if possible, my little elven wizard is even more bad ass.

8.   Are you currently in a campaign? Are you still playing Tabitha, your Tiefling Wizard?

Well, Tabitha retired when New DM “dumped” us. Thankfully, that was right around the time we started a weekly D&D Encounters game, which was great because even I left my comfort zone and started playing other races and classes (see “rogue reference” above.) That group became the D&D Next playtest group where I’m currently playing an elf wizard (surprise!).

9.   There’s been a lot of talk recently around the blogosphere about women’s portrayal in the art of RPGs. They’re seen as eye-candy rather than as serious warriors like male characters are seen. What’s your opinion?

I think this is a very worthy discussion and one that our Art Director gets into every day. Not too long ago we were looking at art from 1^st edition books and laughing hysterically. The women were not warriors. They looked like victims, complete with palms over forehead and looking upwards at their male counterparts to save them. Since when does being well-endowed imply weakness? But that was a product of the time and the times are a changing. In a good way. The art of D&D today will look very different from the art of D&D tomorrow. And it will look very different ten years from now. Art will continue to change and evolve as long as these discussions are happening. Why does the armor on a barbarian female leave her navel exposed while her male counterpart is fully covered? Why does the female wizard look like she stuck her dry-clean only robes in the dryer? First and foremost, your armor should protect you! It’s not an accessory you put on to go clubbing.

Personally I would never let my character go out in tight leather armor and a breastplate. I’d be like “Button up, young lady! You’re not going into the dungeon looking like that!” But that’s just me.

Thanks for your time, Shelly. You can currently find Shelly over at Wizards with Confessions of a Full-Time Wizard, and read her book, Everything I Need To Know I Learned From Dungeons & Dragons.

Hey, everyone. Today, I’ll be pimping someone else’s site. Online Dungeon Master, originally located on a WordPress.com site, has officially moved to his own address at Onlinedungeonmaster.com! Why am I talking about this? Two reasons.

Reason 1: I did the site design for it. Now, I’m no coder, but I do understand HTML and how WordPress templates work. I’m primarily a graphic designer, so my forte is in logos and the look of things. If you’re interested in shifting your site over from a WordPress or Blogger site over to your own, contact me. I’d love to work with you.

Reason 2: Michael the Online DM has a fantastic website. I’ve been utilizing a lot of his tips in my online Pathfinder game. He runs games almost exclusively online, and has some amazing tips and code for doing so. You need to go visit his new site and check it out. You won’t be disappointed.

Here’s a little story I saw over on Reddit, and I thought you all might enjoy it.

This reminds me of a story I heard from one of my friends about how he played an undead kobold wizard. He was quite powerful, and so came back as a lich. Most people wouldn’t recognize the sheer power of this little Kobold, so he created a Shield Guardian, placing it in massive robes and giving it a large staff. When he would travel with his Guardian, he would channel all of his spells through this creature. Anyone who saw the two simply assumed that the guardian was the powerful wizard, and his undead kobold companion was his servant. As such, they generally left the kobold alone.

Not a point here. Just saw the picture, and wanted to pass it along.

I’m currently working on editing a new episode of Dice Monkey Radio, where I interview Cam Banks, the creator of the Marvel Heroic Roleplaying Game. In the meantime, MWP has released a four-page preview of their Operations Manual, the rulebook that features the basic rules of the game.

The preview looks fantastic. The four pages give the basic mechanics for the game, and present them in a really straight-forward manner. Additionally, there’s a blue bar along the side of the page, which contains cross-referencing materials. If you see a term you aren’t familiar with, you can see exactly where to turn to get that information. That’s amazing! I’ve never seen an RPG do that.

A lot of people complain about RPGs not having an index, and this is a giant step above. The only way it could be easier to find the information you need is for the book to read your mind and automatically turn the pages for you.

I’m getting more and more excited for this game as time goes on.

Today, we’re chatting with the creator of Tweet RPG, Sam Richards.

Glad to talk with you. To start with, what is Tweet RPG?

Tweet RPG is an online story creation project, using Twitter to provide a new way to enjoy role-playing adventures. All you need to join in is a Twitter account and an imagination! Players vote twice daily to decide which direction the story takes, but there are opportunities for individual players to shape the story on their own. In short, Tweet RPG is about fun, free, follower-defined adventures!

I tried to run my own RPG via Twitter, and it fell apart after about a week due to some players not responding. Do you think that the method in which you’re running the game makes it easier for you to keep it going?

I think a ‘no pressure’ approach is a good way to run a RPG on Twitter, especially when you’re running a story with people from all across the globe. You have to accept that some players will be available for every decision, and others will only be able to contribute every now and again. I’ve found it best to keep things as simple as possible, so that as many people as possible can get onboard. However, if you’re running a small exclusive game with familiar people, there could be room for a higher level of complexity and a deeper expectation of commitment.

How many stories have you told so far?

The first Tweet RPG adventure was a fantasy story called ‘King Slayer’, inspired by ‘Lord of the Rings’ and ‘Game of Thrones’ The hero was a royal assassin from a small nation, tasked with the mission of killing the ruler of the invading Skavakian army. This was a fairly simple quest in most respects, a good way to test-run the project. The second story was the first part of a science fiction epic called ‘Starfall’. Inspired by things like ‘Star Wars’ and ‘Zone of the Enders’, this adventure placed the players at the helm of a towering battlemech and forced to fight in an intergalactic combat tournament. I’m currently running a neo noir narrative called ‘Time to Die’, a futuristic detective mystery.

Any genres you’d like to tackle in the future?

Lots! One of the great things about Tweet RPG is it gives me the opportunity to mess about with all sorts of ideas. I’d like to run a superhero adventure at some point – can see it being a challenge to make it original and work out how to balance the hero’s abilities and weaknesses. The horror genre would also be fun to try, although I think I might avoid supernatural and undead horror, as those themes have been ‘done to death’ recently, if you’ll excuse the pun! Other possible genres are historical, cyberpunk and maybe a meta-narrative – an RPG about playing RPGs!

How often do you check in on the game, and how do you keep on top of everything?

When I started Tweet RPG, I was checking in on the votes all the time! My wife would threaten to throw my phone out of the window sometimes to stop me checking it every five seconds. I do have a bit of an addictive personality, so I’ve had to rein myself in and be realistic with how much time I can/should spend on Tweet RPG. As the first three adventures have progressed, I’ve streamlined the processes and worked out what’s a realistic commitment for me to make. One tool I find really useful for running Tweet RPG is ‘Hootsuite’, as it allows me to schedule tweets for the future. This lets me plan vote reminders at regular intervals, so that I run Tweet RPG and it doesn’t run me.

Are you currently in any tabletop games? What’s going on there?

I always squirm in my boots when I get asked this question! I guess I must be one of the only GMs with no experience of tabletop gaming – I don’t have many friends who share my interest in RPGs (get the violins out!), but I’m sure I would enjoy some DnD if I got the chance! My experience of role-playing comes from gamebooks and video-games like the ‘Final Fantasy’ series. These forms of entertainment developed my love for being able to shape stories, and writing adventures for Tweet RPG gives me the opportunity to do this on a daily basis.

Thanks for all your responses, Sam. I appreciate it.

If you’d like to read up on Tweet RPG, you can visit the site, or go directly to the game on Twitter at @tw33t_rpg.

Wow, this one took a long time to put out. I recorded this episode with Tracy back in November, and it took a long, long time to get it out there due to Christmas, college, children, and lots of other factors.

This episode, we talked about realism in games. Is realism a good thing? A trivial thing?

I just recorded another episode last night, and hope to have it up soon. Keep your eyes open for Dice Monkey Radio Episode 4.

Interested in being a co-host in the future? Let me know. I’m always looking for new blood.

I’m really, really getting excited for this thing to come out on February 28th.

On the 28th, you can pick up the core book, and in the coming months there are a host of other books coming.

Marvel announced their MARVEL HEROES Events here. Basically, the Events are adventures to the basic game, but come in a variety of books, depending on what you need.

Essential Editions are full color casebound hardcovers priced at 29.99 and include a full MARVEL HEROES campaign, with character rosters, locations, and expanded rules. Best value for those who already have the Operations Manual from the MARVEL HEROES Basic Game.

Basically, these will have the campaign, extra rules, and characters. Excellent. You have the Operations Manual? You get this one.

Premium Editions are full color prestige hardcovers priced at 39.99 and include all the Essentials Edition content plus the Operations Manual and additional resources.

This one’s more expensive, but it includes the full rules for the game. This is great for having all the rules in one place. I like this idea.

Event Supplements are full color perfect bound softcovers priced at 19.99 and expand or build on the storylines and character.

It seems like this is an addition to the other two books, with more adventure to expand on what’s in the books. You’ve played the adventure, and want to keep going? Here it is. At least, that’s what it looks like to me.

Here’s what really gets me excited. Every few months these books are coming out, with major events in the Marvel Universe.

March: CIVIL WAR
The Civil War was a major event in the Marvel Universe, pitting hero against hero, as the Superhuman Registration Act became law. Some heroes were for registration (led by Iron Man), some were against (led by Capt. America). The results were massive, leading to Captain America’s death (which later got reversed), and contributed to the ability of the Skrulls to later invade the planet. The repercussions of the Civil War ended up echoing for years following the plot.

I own most of the TPB for this (there were about 20), so I’m looking forward to this one coming right on the heels of the core game.

June: ANNIHILATION
This was a major event in the galactic side of the Marvel Universe. If you like your massive space wars, this is the one for you. It involved most of the cosmic entities in Marvel, including Thanos, the Beyonder, Galactus, Silver Surfer, Annihilus, and my favorite, Ronan the Accuser.

The Skrulls are involved, there’s a massive intergalactic fleet, and everything goes very, very wrong. This series doesn’t feel like Marvel, in the sense of superheroes fighting one another. Instead, it’s more like everything badass you’ve ever imagined about Sci-Fi. I’m looking forward to this one.

September: AGE OF APOCALYPSE 
This storyline takes place in an alternate Marvel Universe, in which Xavier is killed, and Magneto takes up the mantle of peaceful coexistence with humans. With Xavier’s death, Apocalypse decides to take over the world, which shouldn’t have happened for another 10 years. As a result, the world isn’t ready, and becomes enslaved to one of the most powerful foes the Marvel Universe has ever seen. Every once in a while, Marvel goes back and looks at the Age of Apocalypse, and I know a lot of people really, really enjoy that alternate universe.

Again, I’m really looking forward to all this, and can’t wait to give the game a try. I’ll keep updating the blog as new updates come out.

You can now take a look at what heroes in the Marvel Heroic Roleplaying Game are going to look like! Marvel has released previews of both Captain America as well as The Savage Land. The Savage Land is part of the adventure in the first book. It all looks very, very slick.

 What’s the first thing the heroes face? (Spoilers!) A T-Rex and Raptors! That’s a way to get off to a good start.

The character sheet for Cap is really good looking. All his stats are on one page (in keeping with the Cortex rules), while his history and abilities are on the back side, as well as a fantastic picture.

I’m really looking forward to giving the game a try, and am considering running a session of this at my FLGS once it’s released.

My Kingmaker Pathfinder campaign began on Saturday. Two players failed to show, so it was Jack, Josh and myself. We were initially thinking we’d just talk about the campaign, but I was begged into running “Something, anything!”

So here was the session.

Ransom, a dwarf rogue, was making his way down the road, traveling from Restov, where he was tasked with exploring the Greenbelt, a section of the Stolen Lands to the west of the city. He recieved the job through a contact in Brevoy, and was told he would be able to meet up with the rest of his group at Oleg’s Trading Post in the Northern Greenbelt.

Riding his great ram, Ransom found the day to be bright and clear. It was nearing midday, and he estimated he was within a half hour of the trading post, when he saw movement in the forest to his left.

Pausing, he noted that the two shapes were moving at his pace, keeping back within the trees. To his right, there was a large rock outcropping, so he decided to move that way, in order to see if the shapes would continue along. Before he even made it to the rocks, an arrow whizzed by his head.

He turned, leaping from his ram, as a bandit burst from the woods, sword drawn. More arrows shot past him, avoiding actually hitting him.

Ransom drew his hand-axes, and advanced toward the bandit.

Suddenly, the whole forest went dark.

Looking around, he realized the darkness appeared to be centered on him. Being a dwarf, he was able to see perfectly, though the bandits weren’t so lucky. They began to stumble about aimlessly, trying to find the dwarf in the darkness.

Not understanding the purpose of the deep shadows, but never one to give up an opportunity, Ransom charged, striking down the first of the bandits. The other, deep in the forest turned to run, only to find himself standing before a glowing form of a man. He panicked, and turned the other way, stumbling through the undergrowth.

Ransom rushed him, cutting him down almost as quickly. Has he moved forward to attack the bandit, however, he noticed a shadowy shape rush past him, then vanish again into the forest. As the last of the two bandits fell, the darkness evaporated. The sky was clear and sunny.

Ransom looked around. The shadowy figure was nowhere to be seen.

“Spirit of the forest!” he shouted into the woods, “Are you friend or foe?”

Along the ground, a glowing question mark appeared, then vanished. He tried to call out again, but recieved no answer.

He waited a while, then moved to the bandits. Leaning their bodies up against a tree facing the road, he carved “BANDIT” into the chestpieces of their leather armor, as a warning to any others who came down this way. He then mounted his ram, and continued toward the trading post.

It was a good first session, and taught my two players how MapTool worked. They enjoyed it, and look forward to this upcoming Saturday, where we’ll hopefully have the full group.

You can follow our adventures, as well as see the character sheets here at our Kingmaker site.