Most RPG's have a point buy system for character statistics or attributes, such as Strength, Endurance, etc. The names of the attributes differ from system to system, but most cover basically the same types of attributes, both physical and mental. Some systems, however, ask you to roll dice to determine the attributes. Dungeons and Dragons… Continue reading Attribute Array Alternative

This post, folks, comes from Big Joe, who previously posted an article on this site: So I have noticed that the vast majority of games these days, at least the ones people are talking about, are so different from the way they used to be as to become almost unrecognizable. Dice towers or dice rolling… Continue reading Early Onset Grump

We need a new language.  More specifically, we need a new name for the mangled mess of what English has become in The Mutant Epoch.  It's hundreds of years in the future, humanity has been mostly destroyed and thrown to the four winds, mutants and monsters roam the blasted wasteland, and most of the culture… Continue reading A New Language for a New Epoch

Happily, today I can announce that DiceMechanic.org is still here and will remain open for business for at least another year.  Due to taxes coming in, I was able to renew my WordPress account as well as the domain registration. The fear that this site was about to fold is one of the reasons I’ve… Continue reading The Continuing Adventures of…

I’ve been reading the role-playing game Dragon AGE (Adventure Game Engine) by Chris Pramas this morning, preparing to start the big comparison I mentioned in my last post.  Near the beginning of the book (page 6 of the PDF), there’s a page or two describing a conversation between the GM and the players, told as… Continue reading Tabletop Fiction

I’ve decided to do a bit of a project.  Recently, I was going through all my books and PDF’s looking for that “perfect” spy thriller RPG.  There’s a LOT of them, and I’m really having a hard time deciding which game to use.  So I’m going to do a big comparison of each of the… Continue reading Spy Thriller Comparo

I've recently discovered a game engine by Green Ronin (https://greenronin.com/) called the Adventure Game Engine, or AGE.  It's currently being used in several games, such as Dragon AGE (based on the video game series), Fantasy AGE (similar, but not tied to any specific video game), Modern AGE, Blue Rose, and The Expanse. It's a great… Continue reading Adventure Game Engine

Sorry to say, but Dicemechanic.org will be shuttering it's doors in about two months.  Subscription renewal time is coming up, and I just can't afford it. I'm going to download everything I've posted here so far in the coming weeks so that if I can ever get a site running again, I can put it… Continue reading Time to go

I love the word Nigh.  Not sure where it came from or where it went, but it’s a great word.  I think it means something along the lines of “almost” or “about to be”.  Speaking of almost, and the reason for this post in the first place, is that the Expansion Rules for The Mutant… Continue reading The Time is Nigh!

I first started playing Dungeons and Dragons, specifically 1st Edition AD&D, with a group of friends in high school in 1979.  That group, that campaign, lasted for almost the full four years of school (five for me; I was a terrible student). Since then I’ve played with dozens of different groups both as a player… Continue reading What Dragons?