So I’m drunk at Bayou Barry -
Taking advantage of the time-honored law of bartending, whereby you're allowed to get absolutely wrecked without getting fired -
As long as it's not your bar.
And when I say drunk - I mean really drunk - even by bartender standards.
So I don't bat an eye when an old man wearing an old raincoat sits down and offers me a friendly game of cards.
I’ve made a long series of mistakes to get here...
But it’s too late to back out now.
And why should I be able to see his eyes?
Wearing sunglasses, even late at night, is standard fare for Texas Hold'em...
So is the cigar and the thick plume of smoke...
The accent is a little unusual… But it is a touristy part of town.
In fact, this guys looks familiar...
And I’m not put off by his crazy patter about the mystic properties of playing cards. People believe in all kinds of crazy things here.
Seeing the future in a pile of chicken entrails...
That 4,000 calories of white bread soaked in industrial grade fats makes for a good breakfast...
Hell, some of these freaks still see “jazz musician” as a viable career path.
So it's not that weird when he starts talking about seeing my future in a pack of cards.
I mean that can be literally, scientifically true right?
If we each put a couple hundred bucks on the table...
And the deck is ordered so he'll get a pair of aces, and I'll get a pair of kings...
My future is already written.
It’s not a great future… it involves a lighter wallet & an unpaid tab… but it’s as set in stone as anything can be.
Of course in this game & this bar I might be lucky if that's the only consequence I face...
People think it's the old part of town that's dangerous.
But why would the locals rob you in their own backyard?
No, it's the tourist traps that make for the best targets.
Especially on a cold Tuesday night off of peak tourist season… when the cops are huddled up nice and warm inside their fogged-up squad cars.
But I’m too drunk to care.
And this guy doesn't seem to care about money anyways - he just wants to talk about the mystical properties of cards.
So I humor him.
Hell, maybe he does know something. So much of what I’ve been told turned out to be a damn stinking lie.
The news... The textbooks... The things politicians say...
In a world where all that's a lie...
Who knows what could be true?
Maybe there's something to an old man in an old raincoat talking about seeing the future in a deck of cards.
He explains that that’s where playing cards come from anyway-
They were originally fortune-telling devices. Throwing bones lead to throwing dice lead to flipping cards…
And if those cards suggest something terrible?
Well I’ve made so many mistakes to get here, to this bar, in this cheap, touristy part of town...
That everything that comes next is gravy.
Even if the future he sees is miserable, that's a gift, because at least it means I have a future.
But the past is another story.
So when he starts talking about the past, that’s when my mood shifts.
See, the past isn't a gift. Not for me.
And it's not up for debate either (despite what I told the court reporter.)
I can’t just write it off as the ramblings of another Nola drunkard.
So now I’m angry.
Really angry, when he brings up that fraternity prank gone wrong.
Now, I dont worry that he recognizes me.
He could be a janitor at Tulane - he certainly looks the part - and news of the incident was all around the school.
But I am mad. I finally tell him to back off.
What does getting kicked out of Tulane law school have to do with seeing the future in a deck of cards?
Plus - nothing was ever proven in a court of law.
The college follows its own damn rules, but thankfully my lawyer doesn't.
Now the social media smear campaign that lead me to a legal name change...
And the photos of that sobbing girl...
Well, maybe I would've traded a stint in jail to make all that go away-
And here's where the old man perks up.
Because there's no stakes yet.
It’s just me, the deck of cards, the old man, and a bar that's surprisingly dark, even by late night New Orleans standards.
The bartender must have stepped out for a smoke.
There's an awful lot of smoke inside the bar now.
An awful lot of smoke... and an awful lot of strange accent in the old man’s voice.
And that's when he explains why he's gotta talk about the past...
Because you see, the future has a whole lot to do with your past.
And a past where that little fraternity prank gone wrong never happened...
(I was blacked out - so for me it basically didn't)
Means a very different future.
It means that instead of talking a big game about working on an oil rig...
While working at a small bar across the street from the one I’m in now...
Maybe I stayed in law school. Maybe my fiancee stayed with me too....
And this is where the old man gives a knowing smile underneath those huge sunglasses of his.
This is when, brushing my wallet aside, he offers stakes on this "friendly little card game."
He explains, as he cuts the deck:
"I'm a cutter.
I used to work in radio. I cut radio shows. Then Hollywood for awhile. I cut movies.
Now I cut cards...
And I cut lives."
The room is now just billowing with smoke.
But I’m hypnotized. I can't tear my eyes away as he removes an ornate pair of brass scissors from his raincoat.
He gives them an ominous click in the air-
And all of a sudden-
The empty bottle next to me on the table is gone.
Some clever bit of sleight-of-hand? Did he knock the bottle off the table when I wasn't paying attention?
Lose it in the shadows and smoke?
But then he clicks those scissors again...
And the smoke is gone.
The room is as clean as if a team of maids have been in here for hours.
He clicks again, and the raincoat is gone.
Now the old man, the cutter, is sitting in a 3 piece suit, still wearing his giant sunglasses.
And an even bigger grin.
Did I mention I was drunk? And maybe a little high if I’m being completely honest.
And in this crazy blur of drunkenness I’m utterly captivated when the Cutter finally explains the stakes.
He tells me that If I win...
He'll click those scissors of his, and wipe away that nasty little fraternity prank gone wrong.
But if he wins, he gets my firstborn son.
It’s a bad joke - but not uncommon at the Harrah’s $1 - $3 poker game - about all I can afford these days.
(Maybe that’s where I’ve seen this guy. Smoking outside the Harrah’s poker room?)
And I don’t even have a son...
But it’s way too late… and I’m way too drunk to process what’s going on.
This is something I've fantasized - obsessed about FAR more than any woman.
The ability to snip that nasty little passage from my life.
Hell the ability to snip just a few seconds - maybe a single shot of whiskey would be enough.
And I deserve it right?
The universe conspired to make those events unfold.
I didn't pick the roommates who forced the shots down my throat as part of the hazing...
Hell I didn't even pick Tulane. I wanted to go somewhere colder for a change. Get out of the swamp.
But Tulane was the only place that let me in...
And those roommates were the only ones available...
One things clear through the drunken haze - I didn't have a choice then - and I don't have a choice now.
(Have I ever truly had a choice?)
So I grab the old mans hand-
And I shake hard.
If the parts before were a blur, now things really get muddy.
But in the drunken blur - one thing is abundantly clear:
I lost.
I lost big.
Why stop now, right? Just another loss in a string of hundreds.. maybe thousands.
And when I wake up the next morning in the kitchen of Bayou Barry with a dish towel for a pillow…
(For what I wish I could say was the first time...)
I don’t think about the haze from the night before.
I don’t think about it at all for three years...
Until I’m back in North Carolina, standing next to my new girlfriend, filled with dread, staring down at a positive pregnancy test...
And hearing the faint sound of scissors clicking in my ear.

Turning Random League of Legends Champions into a DnD Build (Attempting) Until I've Done all 152 (and Counting) Day 8: Twisted Fate

If I’m being completely honest, Twisted Fate is probably the hardest time I’ve had trying to figure one of these builds and probably the least confident I’ve been on one, but mama didn’t raise no bitch and I’m shooting my shot.

Every champion in these posts is getting built to a level 20 fantasy, but that does not mean you have to be level 20 to enjoy most if not all the important gameplay mechanics of the champion
- Twisted Fate is completely enjoyable with most of his core mechanics by level 11ish. The high spell commitment is very restricting though
Basic Champion Information
- Image
  - Twisted Fate
- Lore
  - Twisted Fate is an infamous cardsharp and swindler who has gambled and charmed his way across much of the known world, earning the enmity and admiration of the rich and foolish alike. He rarely takes things seriously, greeting each day with a mocking smile and an insouciant swagger. In every possible way, Twisted Fate always has an ace up his sleeve. (Twisted Fate Champion Page.)
  - Twisted Fate’s lore has jumped around a few times, but he’s a swindler, a cardshark, a master grifter and a gambling man who in my favorite version, sold out his best friend and accomplice, Graves to acquire magical power.
  - TF’s only major cinematic appearance was in the 2013 trailer, A Twist of Fate but he also features very prominently storywise in the 2015 Lore. Destiny and Fate Double Down. I honestly think the 2015 Bilgewater event was peak League content.
Goals/Gameplay Mechanics we want to emulate
- Magical Projectiles with extra effects
- Divination
- Teleportation
- Sleight of Hand
Background/Race/Stats/Class
- Charlatan
  - Proficiency: Deception, Sleight of Hand, Disguise Kit, Forgery Kit
  - Equipment: A set of fine clothes, a disguise kit, tools of the con of your choice (ten stoppered bottles filled with colored liquid, a set of weighted dice, a deck of marked cards, or a signet ring of an imaginary duke), and a belt pouch containing 15 gp
  - Charlatan Feature: False Identity: You have created a second identity that includes documentation, established acquaintances, and disguises that allow you to assume that persona. Additionally, you can forge documents including official papers and personal letters, as long as you have seen an example of the kind of document or the handwriting you are trying to copy.
- Variant Human
  - +1Dex +1 Cha
  - Metamagic Adept: 2 sorc points, Subtle Spell, Twinned Spell
  - 5’11 Medium Sized 30 ft movement
  - Languages: Common and one of your choice
- Stats 15/14/13/12/10/8
  - 8 Str (You fight with your head not your hands)
  - 15 Dex (You know every card in your stacked deck like the back of your hand)
  - 13 Con (You’ve probably been roughed up on occasion for cleaning many a tavern out of coin.)
  - 12 Int (Can’t con people without brains)
  - 10 Wis (You’re a gamblin man)
  - 16 Cha (Lady Luck smiles at you for a reason)
- 18 Whisper Bard/2 Archfey Warlock reasoning
  - The best I could come up with was Eldritch Blast to flavor as a consistent magic card attack and due to the simplicity of TF’s basic spells, we can take the Eldritch Invocations: Lance of Lethargy to simulate red card, and Agonizing blast to make sure that our shifty shenanigans dont kneecap our damage. Also at level 11, Our eldritch blast can be cast 3 times to replicate Wild Card. Besides that, Warlock doesn’t have access to Teleport (the semiglobal jump part of our ult), Sorcerer doesn’t have Scrying (the vision part of our ult). Since we need a level 7 and level 5 spell from different classes but also need to play up stats important to the character, Bard with a slight Warlock dip seemed like a decent compromise. Bard has access to both spells, a good chunk of whatever they want and Power Word Stun… let me tell you getting Gold Card specifically is the most difficult part of his kit because of how high the bar to entry on Stunning is for non-monks (mostly 8th level spells). I swear if it wasnt for 5th and 7th spell level requirements though, TF would’ve been an Arcane Trickster 100%.
  - With that out of the way… Whisper Bards further fit the Charlatan aesthetic. Another big problem for sorc and warlock was that almost no subclass in either fit TF’s usual MO. Whisper Bards however use the positive connotation of bards to slip in, get important info and use it against people. It’s a way to get an upper hand, and “Cheater is just a fancy word for winner.”
- Warlock (all that being said, we’re gonna take those 2 warlock levels out the gate to get eldritch blast and avoid a downright horrendous early game.)
  - 9 Starting hp (8+con mod)
  - hp/level 1d8+con mod
  - Hit Die 1d8/level
  - Proficiency: Light Armor, Simple weapons, Arcana, Investigation
  - Equipment: Simple Weapon, Spellcasting Focus (Flavor as your deck), Scholar’s Pack
Lv 1 Warlock
- Spellcasting
  - Spell save DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Charisma modifier
  - Spell attack modifier = your proficiency bonus + your Charisma modifier
- Cantrips
  - Eldritch Blast
  - Chill Touch
- Spells
  - (Lv 1) Charm Person
  - (Lv 1) Sense Emotion (Read that poker face)
- Otherworldly Patron: Archfey
- Archfey Spell:
  - (Lv 1) Faerie Fire
  - (Lv 1) Sleep
- Fey Presence
  - Starting at 1st level, your patron bestows upon you the ability to project the beguiling and fearsome presence of the fey. As an action, you can cause each creature in a 10-foot cube originating from you to make a Wisdom saving throw against your warlock spell save DC. The creatures that fail their saving throws are all charmed or frightened by you (your choice) until the end of your next turn.
  - Once you use this feature, you can't use it again until you finish a short or long rest.
Lv 2 Warlock
- Eldritch Invocations
  - Lance of Lethargy
  - Agonizing Blast
Lv 1 Bard
- Cantrips
  - Friends (you only need to keep your charades going until you leave with the money.)
  - Mage Hand (ngl I kinda took the subtle spell metamagic to see if I could pull some subtle mage hand shenanigans for pickpocketing or general cheating.)
- Spell
  - (Lv 1) Heroism (Massage the ego of a teammate with some temp HP so they’ll tank for you.)
  - (Lv 1) Distort Value (Distort the value of whatever bargaining chip you have to get others to bet for more than it’s worth)
- Bardic Inspiration (1d6) (Kiss one of your cards for good luck or play a song on the harmonica or something)
Lv 2 Bard
- Jack of All trades
- Song of Rest (1d6)
- Spell:
  - (Lv 1) Healing Word (You always know what to say)
Lv 3 Bard
- Eldritch Blast gets 2 shots
- College of Whispers
- Psychic Blades
  - When you join the College of Whispers at 3rd level, you gain the ability to make your weapon attacks magically toxic to a creature's mind.
  - When you hit a creature with a weapon attack, you can expend one use of your Bardic Inspiration to deal an additional 2d6 psychic damage to that target. You can do so only once per round on your turn.
  - The psychic damage increases when you reach certain levels in this class, increasing to 3d6 at 5th level, 5d6 at 10th level, and 8d6 at 15th level.
- Words of Terror (Spook your opponents with a bluff they can’t ignore)
  - At 3rd level, you learn to infuse innocent-seeming words with an insidious magic that can inspire terror.
  - If you speak to a humanoid alone for at least 1 minute, you can attempt to seed paranoia and fear into its mind. At the end of the conversation, the target must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw against your spell save DC or be frightened of you or another creature of your choice. The target is frightened in this way for 1 hour, until it is attacked or damaged, or until it witnesses its allies being attacked or damaged.
  - If the target succeeds on its saving throw, the target has no hint that you tried to frighten it.
  - Once you use this feature, you can’t use it again until you finish a short rest or long rest.
- Spell
  - (Lv 2) Detect Thoughts
- Expertise: Sleight of Hand, Investigation
Lv 4 Bard
- ASI +2 Cha (18 total)
- Cantrip
  - Prestidigitation (Smoke and Mirrors)
- Spell
  - (Lv 2) Hold Person (About as close as we’re getting to gold card for a hot minute)
Lv 5 Bard
- Bardic Inspiration (D8)
- Font of Inspiration
- Spell
  - (Lv 3) Clairvoyance (our first vision spell)
Lv 6 Bard
- Countercharm
- College of Whispers Feature
  - Mantle of Whispers
- Spell
  - (Lv 3) Slow (Red Card as intended, but no damage)
Lv 7 Bard
- Spell
  - Dimension Door (baby’s first Destiny/TF Ult lv 1)
Lv 8 Bard
- ASI
  - +1 dex (16 total) + 1 con (14 total)
- Spell
  - (Lv 4) Freedom of Movement (It’s just too good)
Lv 9 Bard
- Song of Rest (1d8)
- Spell
  - Scrying (Destiny part 1)
Lv 10 Bard
- Bardic Inspiration (1d10)
- Expertise: Arcana, Deception
- Cantrip
  - Vicious Mockery
- Magical Secrets
  - (Lv 2) Misty Step
  - (Lv 5) Teleportation Circle
Lv 11 Bard
- Eldritch Blast gets 3 shots
- Spell
  - (Lv 6) True Seeing
Lv 12 Bard
- ASI +2 cha (20 total/capped)
Lv 13 Bard
- Song of Rest (1d10)
- Spell
  - (Lv 7) Teleport (Destiny part 2)
Lv 14 Bard
- Whisper Bard Feature Shadow Lore
  - At 14th level, you gain the ability to weave dark magic into your words and tap into a creature’s deepest fears.
  - As an action, you magically whisper a phrase that only one creature of your choice within 30 feet of you can hear. The target must make a Wisdom saving throw against your spell save DC. It automatically succeeds if it doesn’t share a language with you or if it can’t hear you. On a successful saving throw, your whisper sounds like unintelligible mumbling and has no effect.
  - If the target fails its saving throw, it is charmed by you for the next 8 hours or until you or your allies attack or damage it. It interprets the whispers as a description of its most mortifying secret.
  - While you gain no knowledge of this secret, the target is convinced you know it. While charmed in this way, the creature obeys your commands for fear that you will reveal its secret. It won’t risk its life for you or fight for you, unless it was already inclined to do so. It grants you favors and gifts it would offer to a close friend.
  - When the effect ends, the creature has no understanding of why it held you in such fear.
  - Once you use this feature, you can’t use it again until you finish a long rest.
- Magical Secrets
  - (Lv 7) Plane Shift
  - (Lv 3) Fireball (Your choice honestly. I just picked Fireball for some accessible AoE)
Lv 15 Bard
- Bardic inspiration (D12)
- Spell
  - (Lv 8) Power Word Stun (FINALLY! THE TRUE GOLD CARD)
Lv 16 Bard
- ASI +2 Dex
Lv 17 Bard
- Eldritch Blast gets 4 shots
- Song of Rest (d12)
- Spell
  - (Lv 9) Foresight (When you see all the cards, Destiny is truly in your hands.)
Lv 18 Bard
- Magical Secrets
  - (Lv 9) Gate (Kind of an easter egg since TF’s ult used to be on his E and called gate. It however is very precise teleportation/plane shifting that can take you to a specific person. So you can pretty much go anywhere)
  - (Lv 9) Wish (When luck is on your side, it’s really more of a command)
Pros
- Tons of vision to play around
- Finding your way and tracking your targets shouldn’t be hard
- If you can’t beat your enemies, cheat them.
- Nice for roleplay
Cons
- Wonky Start
- Probably bad in combat
- I had a tough enough time thinking about this that I don’t think I very cleanly got him.
- Needing such high level spells to emulate Destiny while trying to maintain his talents and personality felt really restraining. Definitely the most difficult feeling build I’ve had so far.
As always, I look forward to your takes in the comments! Hopefully someone hits the mark on this one a little better.

Rearranging my shelves to occupy my mind.

How do you want to do this? A Discussion on Selective Rule Enforcement and the application of the "Rule of Cool"

Hello folks,
For my research analysis and writing class my professor let me pick any topic I want. (her mistake) So for my final term paper I chose to come up with a method of determining a guide to the use of the "rule of cool." I got a A on the paper so I figured I'd share it with you fine folks as well. It is rather lengthy so I've included the abstract first. The 8 tips for dungeon masters is near the end (third session), the first and second parts deal more with the philosophical and ethics of games. So, if situational ethics and a discussion on the Mechanics, Dynamics, and Aesthetics of Play are of use for you, be my guess.
I am a relatively new DM so I spent a long time researching and trying to absorb what would make me a "good DM". With that cavate please keep in mind I know next to nothing compared to a vast majority of the DMs here. I can think of no place better to have this paper peer-reviewed, picked apart and "rebutalled" to death than here. If you feel offended, challenged, or angry reading this... Please understand I am a moron borrowing the works and words of far smarter people. If you feel that "this is the WAY" again... I am a moron... so ... with out further ado.

Abstract:

The choice to be a stringent rule-follower without leniency using fanatical legalism in a game can be a source of contention between someone acting as a referee and/or “Game Master” and players of a game. Likewise, to approach games with a sense of fanatical antinomianism, or to completely ignore the rules and simply let players do whatever they want, tends to offer no challenge, and or reason to play that specific game. Using ethical theory frameworks such as situational ethics, natural law, and utilitarianism this paper seeks find the philosophical principles of what moments are acceptable and actually beneficial to bend the rules of a game. As such, it is important to define games, briefly discuss why games are played, and roles rules have on games. The game Dungeons and Dragons 5th edition will be used as the principal example. With “rule for rules” established, seven tips on how to implement it this rule using advice and guidance from some of the most well known “Dungeon Masters” in the modern era will be provided.
Much of this paper relies on the works of Joseph Fletcher, Sheila Murphy; Benard Suits, Robin Hunicke, Marc LeBlanc, and Robert Zubek for the ethical and philosophical discussions around games. For the practical advice, it relies primarily on the works of Matthew Mercer, Brennan Lee Mulligan, Benjamin Scott, Patrick Tracy, Kelly Mclaughlin and Monty Martin.
Players are your friends, or at the very least your fellow human beings. As such, seek out what is best for them. Games are about many things but principally about enjoyment. It’s okay if the player does not get exactly what they want, so long as they still had enjoyment. How it happens is up to the players, the one running the game, and whether the rules were used to enhance the experience or not. It’s possible to find that balance by asking these questions in order: “How will this decision affect: the final enjoyment of all at the table? the narrative? the rules in the future?”

**“Once upon a time, around a table…”

A man behind a cardboard screen sits across from a woman wearing a funny hat. He is frantically reading through the pages of the various books at his disposal. He finds the reference he is looking for, but it is not clear. “It is technically against the rules, it is barely within the realm of possibility, but the idea is so creative…” the man murmurs to himself. Exasperated, the man smiles a crooked grin and explains, “Well you can certainly try… give me an acrobatics check.” The woman throws a piece of plastic resin on to the table. The dice reads, “18.” The man sighs and then laments, “fine… how do you want to do this?” The table erupts in cheers, as high-fives are given from the others around the table. The woman adjusts her hat, as she gleefully explains how her character will use the momentum of several falling barrels to move across the map in a single turn without having to use all her character’s movement.
As a “Dungeon Master” (DM) for the tabletop role playing game, Dungeons and Dragons (D&D), I can say without a doubt that many DMs have encountered extremely similar events as the one described above. The choice to be a stringent rule-follower without leniency can be a source of much resentment between the DM and the players around the table. Likewise, to completely ignore the rules and simply let players do whatever they want offers no challenge, no reason to play. In terms of D&D rule enforcement, as is with many events in life, the choice of always being either a “Harsh Disciplinarian” or the lenient, “Laissez Faire Guide” is a false dichotomy. Instead, seeking balance between the two choices based first on the overall needs of the players, second on the needs of the story, and third on requirements and rules of the game should be the norm.

Session 1: What is the Relationship between, Players, Games and Rules?

The 19th century philosopher and founder of modern cultural history, John Hughes once wrote, “Play is older than culture, for culture, however inadvertently defined, always presupposes human society and animals have not waited for man to teach them their playing.” ¹ Why do humans play? Is it instinctual? Bernard Suits was a Distinguished Emeritus Professor of Philosophy for the University of Waterloo and his essays are in part responsible for the field of philosophy of games in the late 20th century. In his book, “The Grasshopper: Games, Life and Utopia,” Suits’ book uses Aesop’s fable about the grasshopper to argue that play is what we would do in a perfect civilization. He believed that in a world devoid of work, humans would still seek out challenges through play, suggesting that it is human nature to challenge ourselves.² But is that the only reason someone plays a game?
One YouTuber opined that “In a practical sense, games facilitate systemic thinking by getting us to view abstractions, but also engender creativity by getting us to play.”³ If true, these are essential tools for humanity to function as an intelligent race. This makes sense from an evolutionary level as to why humanity would develop play, but is there more to it than “games encourage outside the box thinking?”
The landmark paper titled, “MDA: A formal approach to game design and game research” is one of the earliest attempts to formalize the field of video game design theory and it is fundamental to how modern game designers look at these systems. It serves to define the importance of mechanic, dynamics, and aesthetics of play and is instrumental to helping understand what players will expect out of a game. We will discuss more about dynamics and mechanics later, but first let us focus on aesthetics.
Aesthetics of Play Defined

Term	Definition	Examples
Sense Pleasure	Enjoyment derived from how it stimulates the senses	The visuals of a game, sound, and music, feel of the dice, etc.
Fantasy	Enjoyment derived from the ability to step into a role that cannot be experienced in real life	Playing a game as a magic wielding sorcerer or rocks in the far flung reaches of outer space
Narrative	Enjoyment derived from game as drama, it is about the stories and experience gained	Heavily story driven games such as Last of Us, Dungeons and Dragons, Final Fantasy
Challenge	Enjoyment derived from overcoming an arbitrary obstacle	Platformers like Mario, or even drinking games like beer pong, or corn hole; social games like charades, etc.
Fellowship	Enjoyment from working cooperatively as a group to accomplish a goal	Team based or social games such as Among Us, the card game Spades; save the world mode on Fortnite
Competition	Enjoyment from showing dominance	Chess or Go, Battle royal games such as Fortnite or PubG or Call of Duty; Fallguys; darts Poker; Uno, Killer bunnies or Magic the Gathering;
Discovery	Enjoyment from uncovering the new or discovering news ways to play a game.	These can range from searching to find things to choose your own adventure Minecraft; Zelda Breath of the Wild; simple matching games; the board game Betrayal at the House on the Hill; or games like Fable; Dragon Age Inquisition; or Mass effect
Expression	Enjoyment from showing an aspect of one’s self; or games that allow full customization of characters	Creation games like Minecraft; role play games like fallout 4; world of warcraft or Fortnite
Submission (aka Abnegation)	Enjoyment from being able to “turn of the brain; and tune out the world” or what is also known as zone out factor.	Bejeweled; candy crush; the lever-pull games at casinos, solitaire, etc.
	(Source: Portnow & Floyd, October 2012)⁵

Aesthetics are things like sense pleasure, fantasy, the narrative of the story, challenge, fellowship, discovery, expression, and something called submission.⁴ There is an additional aesthetic that most game designers also consider when designing games termed as “competition”.⁵ These are all reasons people play games and it is important to keep all these in mind when acting as a DM.
The table above works to define these terms more appropriately and makes it easier to reference later. The reasons a player may want to play a game vary and change over time. If a DM can understand their players’ goals (i.e., what the player hopes to get out of the game) the DM will be able to understand why someone might want to perform a certain action, play a game, or want to ignore a certain rule in the first place.
On that note, what are rules in games? Think about it… Games are weird… well I should say the act of playing a game… is weird. Suits once wrote in his article, for the “Philosophy of Science Association Journal,” "To play a game is to engage in activity directed towards bringing about a specific state of affairs, using only means permitted by rules, where the rules prohibit more efficient [means] in favor of less efficient means, and where such rules are accepted just because they make possible such activity."⁶ In other words, to play a game we create rules that prevent us from achieving a goal through the easiest means available. Instead, we make something more difficult and we play a game. For instance, in basketball, it would be far easier to simply carry the ball all the way to the basket instead of dribbling it.
In D&D, there is a similar activity to dribbling. It is called a “dice roll.” It is something that players must make to see if they succeed or fail at a task. The player rolls a 20-sided die and tries to get above a certain score to succeed. Players can roll normal, with advantage, or with disadvantage. Rolling with advantage allows the player to roll the D-20 (the 20-sided die) twice and use the higher number. Rolling with disadvantage also has the player roll the D-20 twice, but they must take the lower number rolled instead. It introduces a chance of randomness, and players will find any excuse they can to avoid having to make a roll with "disadvantage." In his book, The Grasshopper, Suits argues that we do this because it is the act of overcoming that limitation that we find enjoyment. By taking on these restrictions and accepting these limitations, we take on what he coins as a "lusory attitude" which allows us to play the game as it is meant to be played.
Suits would argue that by not playing the game according to the rules as written, the player would have only achieved a “quasi-victory” not really worthy of achievement. He also goes on to say that even the act of “failing to win the game by virtue of losing it implies an achievement, in the sense that the activity in question -- playing the game -- has been successfully, even though not victoriously, complete.”⁷ So, according to Suits, it’s better to follow the rules of the game and loose than to not follow the rules and win. It’s important to point out that the aesthetics of play had not yet been defined and Suits’ work mainly focused on the “challenge” aspect of play. This is where many sports and game philosophers begin to find fault with Suits. In the “Journal of Philosophy of Sport,” a rebuttal of Suits’ work by David Myers asks, “What if the goal of the player isn't to follow the rules or even play the game?”⁸ For instance, what happens if the player is motivated by competition and doesn’t care about rules so long as “they win?” While an extreme example, this paradox isn’t out of the realm of possibility. Therefore, focusing on just the challenge aesthetic of game play and simply playing the game “rules as written” can lead to a disconnect between what the player desires and the game itself.
Jesper Juul, an Associate Professor in the School of Design at the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts, wrote in his textbook on video game design, “Rules specify limitations and affordances. They prohibit players from performing actions such as making jewelry out of dice, but they also add meaning to the allowed actions, and this affords players meaningful actions that were not otherwise available; rules give games structure”⁹ Basically, without rules we cannot even have play. However, if the player ignores the rules that player won’t be able to enjoy the full experience of the game, because the rules both afford the opportunity to enjoy the game and provide the obstacles in the first place.
How the rules affect actual game play is where Mechanics and Dynamics come into play. (See, I told you we would get back to it eventually.) Mechanics are the rules and systems that govern chance to create the game we experience. Dynamics are how those rules come together to govern the strategies of that game. In D&D, an example of mechanics is how a player would have to roll a 20-sided dice to see if an action would succeed. Dynamics are the actions the player takes to manipulate the situation and give themselves advantage in the roll. Some examples of this are using a spell caster’s familiar, flanking an enemy in combat, using the bend luck trait, or lucky feat. This is akin to how the rules of poker dictate that bluffing is allowed (mechanics); but how the bluffing player conceals their tells and bets is entirely up to that player (dynamics).
What happens when the player’s desired aesthetics and the mechanics don’t allow for the dynamics the player wants to use? This is where it falls on the DM to determine if the game can handle a little rule bending. In the Dungeon Master Guide’s introduction, it states “The D&D rules help you and the other players have a good time, but the rules aren’t in charge. You’re the DM, and you are in charge of the game…” However! It goes on to say, “The success of a D&D game hinges on your ability to entertain the other players at the game table.” What is a good way to approach this? Is it THE DM IS ALWAYS RIGHT, able to enforce their will on the players whenever it suits their need? Should the DM strictly enforce the rules and narrative of their planned story without the need to appease the players’ wants and desires?... well… The DM COULD do it, but it won’t be long before their players stop showing to game sessions. Just like the rules, without players, there is no game. Or as one notable professional DM and YouTuber once put it:

“The game you weave belongs to the players as much as yourself… so make sure to humor them every once in awhile by giving them a chance to be extraordinary" - Patrick "the Goddam DM" Tracy ¹⁰

Session 2: The Ethics of a Dungeon Master

So how does someone seek a balance between the rules and the players? Enter situational ethics. Situational ethics, first proposed by philosopher and first professor of ethics at Harvard Medical School, Joseph Fletcher,** is an attempt to seek a middle ground between two ethical schools of thought: Legalism and Antinomianism. In legalism, morality must come from a strict set of rules that must be obeyed at all times and cannot be deviated from or broken for any reason. Antinomianism, on the other hand, is the idea that there should be no rules, you should be able to do what you want, whenever you want (lawless society). ¹¹
In D&D terms, "Fanatical Legalism" would be similar to what many DMs would characterize as "Lawful Stupid," where a certain player's character enforces harsh judgement without ever showing mercy to those who would break the law regardless of the circumstances… even to the detriment of the party… or that small band of orphans who were stealing food out of desperation…
Likewise, in D&D terms, "Fanatical Antinomianism" would be similar to what DMs would characterize as "Chaotic Stupid," where a player's character completely ignores consequences an action would bring and simply act according to their whims… even when it's an obvious trap… that has a 100 percent chance to damage not only your character, but the other players as well.
Fletcher's work states that the morally right thing to do depends on the situation and can change throughout the situation, but at the same time, there is a universal “moral law” on which to base our actions that he called "Agape" love. Derived from the Greek word of similar pronunciation, Fletcher sought to define Agape as a means to show love for your fellow human. In his book titled “Situational Ethics,” Fletcher states, "All laws, rules, principles, ideals and norms, are only contingent, only valid if they happen to serve love."¹² Or to put it a different way, a desire to see your fellow human be happy is and should be the goal. It is not really a feeling, but an attitude to do what is best for others.
In terms of the D&D alignment chart, this would be easiest to define as whether someone is "Good" or "Evil." Whereas a “good character” is someone who acts for the betterment of others regardless of personal motivations, conversely an “evil character” acts out of their own self-interests regardless of how this action would affect others. Those that follow the concept of Agape would be “good characters.” Those that do not, would be evil.
This is where the so-called “Rule of Cool” comes into play. Mathew Mercer, an extremely acclaimed DM, comedian, and writer of D&D’s “Explorer’s Guide to Wild Mount,” and host of the show “Critical Roll,” defines the Rule of Cool as a trope in the D&D community that is “the willing suspension of disbelief for the sake of a cool moment.”¹³ It’s used in moments where the use of an certain object or action would be nearly impossible according to the mechanics of the game, but because it is a “cool dynamic,” the DM allows it. But what is “cool?” Is it a player that is normally too nervous to speak up being able to do something unique on time despite it being against the rules? Is it a player that has spent considerable time perfecting a skill and being able to perform a truly “epic task” (such as the jumping across barrels to effectively triple their movement distance)? Is it succeeding in persuading the main villain to befriend the party through a series of increasingly complex but successful rolls?
In all these situations listed above, there is a common theme that ties all the principles of what this paper is trying to address together in a simple phrase. As a DM, before making a ruling ask, "How will this decision affect the final enjoyment of all at the table?" Now a DM cannot give the players everything they want. Doing so cheapens the truly extraordinary moments. Finding the right balance can be difficult. That is why the flow chart above is suggested when trying to figure out whether it is a good time to “Remember the Rule of Cool.”
https://i.redd.it/f362ghdjlqf61.png

Session 3: “Well… You can Certainly Try”- Some Famous DM

Finally, we can discuss how the desire to make the most enjoyable experience for everyone at the table plays out using real-world examples and advice from some of the most well-known DMs in the business. Using the concept of Situational Ethics’ Agape, we can see how to work in the rule of cool using eight tips for Dungeon Masters.
Tip 1: It is advised to know your audience.
Not everything is as it seems, so be sure to pay attention to your players and look at them when you are describing the situation. Make note of how they react when tones or themes change. Remember those reasons people play games mentioned earlier? This is where those come into play. Additionally, while not something outright suggested, it is nevertheless important to take team dynamics into account.
The book “Four lenses unfolded” describes how various personality types can interact and work to solve problems. In it, the book describes four primary temperaments: Green (analytical), Blue (empathetic), Orange (adventurous), and Gold (goal oriented). Unlike most other personality tests, four lenses theory suggests that while we have a dominant personality at any given moment, other aspects of these personalities can manifest as well. Being able to draw on these aspects at will is the mark of a “mature” individual.¹⁴ As a DM/referee, coach, or manager, being able to do this and adapt to the needs of the players will take player engagement to the next level.
Tip 2: Establishing and Managing Expectations Early and Often, Works to Prevent Disappointment and Confusions
Mercer once put it this way, “Establish early on in your campaign how much of a level of crazy you're willing to allow. This allows for players to better understand what to try for and what not to try for.”¹⁵ Whether you are a teacher, referee, coach, parent, supervisor, or mentor, establishing expectations with those involved mitigates problems before they arise.
One of the main tools DM’s have for this is that is recommended by Mercer, as well as nearly every DM in existence on the internet, is the “Session Zero.” Session Zero is a term used to describe a session where no play occurs but instead rules that will be used and rules that will be ignored or bent is established. It also serves to establish a theme the players can expect from any campaign. Using the first chapter of the DMs guide will help considerably in establishing this. Additionally, one of the best guides for this is laid out by the DM YouTubers known as “the Dungeon Dudes” in their video titled, “How to Run a Session Zero for Dungeons and Dragons 5e.”¹⁶ But always keep Agape in mind throughout this process. In this step, it means actively listening to the players. The DM may want a gritty, tough, realistic, and challenging campaign. But if the players want a high fantasy power trip, some adjustments are going to need to be made to the campaign. Listening to players and changing the plans accordingly is not easy. It requires A LOT of humility and ego suppression. Especially when the DM has already designed how the game is going to go… which leads us to the next tip.
Tip 3: It is important to develop a healthy relationship with failure.
Celebrated author Orson Wells once wrote; “If you want a happy ending, that of course, is dependent of where you stop your story.”¹⁷ This applies to both the players and DM. There will be times when the DM is tempted to ignore the rules because the consequences seem dire. The player fails an athletics check trying to use a dynamic that had a high-risk, high-reward moment. Now the player’s character is doomed to fall several hundred feet down a ravine to what is likely certain doom in lava. But this isn’t the end. That player’s character is most likely dead, but their death could result in a moment of drama and tension for the players. It’s the very real chance of failure that encourages players to think critically about a situation and experience excitement and tension. Brennon Lee Mulligan, the DM of the D&D streaming show, “Dimension 20,” put it this way… “if you are not allowing for failure, you are essentially just telling a story,” and thus never actually playing a game (make-believe as Suits would put it). ¹⁸
Another thing to consider is that through failure, we can often find comedy as well as ways to encourage players to think critically and find new escapes, ¹⁹ at least according to the mind behind the “Replaying the Curse of Strahd” videos, Benjamin (Puffin Forest) Scott. Lastly, Mercer strongly advises that if a DM allows too many “rule of cool moments” to happen in succession, the weight of the moments and consistency of the game will be lost. ²⁰
Players that are afraid to fail will not try. Mercer explains that “Most role play games are designed to forge a heroic story (showing feats of legend) so let the players try! Let them fail, and occasionally succeed!” This is where his catch phrase “you can certainly try” comes from. ²¹
Tip 4: Whenever Possible, Avoid Taking Things Personally
In his lecture on not talking things personally, soccer referee and public speaker, Frederik Imbo, explained there are two sides of a coin to keep in mind when trying not to take things personally: “It is not about you,” and “it is about you.” ²² Look at the other person’s intentions not just yours. With that in mind, it is okay to give yourself empathy and speak up. When someone seems upset with you, ask what are they hoping to get out of this releasing of emotions? Additionally, ensure that your pride isn’t preventing you from making the correct call. Yes I am talking about Ego again; it is that important! It is the DM’s world, but it is the players’ game. Without both, the world and the game, you do not have D&D.
D&D has a weird paradox of being both a story and a game. It has both a narrative as its core premise, but it is, in fact, also a multi-player game. Without at least two people you cannot really have much fun. DMs should make sure that everyone at the table enjoys themselves.
Tip 5: Mechanics are important precisely because they are a means of delivering impactful story moments.
Remember that rule of cool concept? Extraordinary moments don’t happen often, and this is by design of the mechanics of the game. Humans remember the novel and unique way more often than the mundane. Mundane things tend to blend into the background. It’s the unexpected moments that highlight the more impactful story moments, especially if that moment is tied to strong emotions.²³
With that in mind, Mulligan suggests looking at where the players are putting their resources before deciding how to rule on a situation. Have they invested experience points/levels into a specific skill that is relevant to this situation instead of just something they can use in combat? If so, reward them for wanting to do something that is a part of the world you are creating together. ²⁴
Tip 6: Discourage metagaming but allow it whenever possible.
Look for any and every excuse you can to give advantage on an arcana check by setting the DC low (10 or higher). If the player succeeds, they can use what they know… they are going to anyway, but at least then they can talk about it with the other players.
According to the DM guide Chapter 8, metagame thinking means “thinking about the game as a game,” Examples would be thinking “the DM wouldn’t throw such a powerful monster at us so early in the game, so we will surely be saved and not have to take this fight seriously,” or “the DM spent A LOT of time describing that door… maybe we should search it again!” ²⁵
The problem with metagaming isn’t really about what advantage the players are getting in the game. The problem is that manipulation of the dynamics, when used to extremes, can spoil the plot line of the cumulative story being told. This can lessen the drama and tension elements resulting in decreased enjoyment of those involved. Additionally, it can create a dynamic where the DM is constantly having to escalate encounters to challenge the player, encouraging a potentially toxic “DM vs player” mentality.
For instance, how would a street orphan barbarian with no formal education and a wisdom of …let’s say very low…be able to know that liches phylactery is the source of their power. The solution here depends on why the players are playing this specific game. Is it the narrative of the story? Is it discovery? If these aren’t anywhere close to the reasons these players came to the game table in the first place, the narrative is not going to take as much of a factor into decisions. Metagaming in this instance isn’t going to be much of a problem.
Tip 7: Keep in mind, the ending is “A” destination, but the story is about how you get there.
A DM may hold off the extra cool moments for the final parts of the game, keeping their players in complete darkness and grit the entire way. However, without at least some levity along the way, some “water for the weary travelers,” as Mercer put it, they may not make it to the end.²⁶ So, do not be afraid to relax the rules from time to time to give them those cool moments, but do so sparingly lest the destination lose its luster as well. Always keep in mind it’s about the enjoyment of crafting and playing in the world together that makes this, or really any game, fun.
Tip 8: When all else fails… take a break and have the Tarrasque attack the party.
When all else fails, roll two D-20s out of players’ views… fake a worried expression… role a D-100 (also out of player’s view) look over the score concerned as you pour through your notes… then explain sorrowfully… “I’m sorry… The Tarrasque has risen and has attacked the party. Everyone roll initiative.” This is actual advice from the DM manual. It is right under “faking illness and running away.”²⁷ The point is this: never be afraid to pause or call a game when it’s over or needed.
Maybe something incredibly uncomfortable for a player has happened. Maybe the DM has reached the end of what they were able to prepare for that session. Perhaps everyone is hungry or needs a bathroom break. Maybe the entire table has gotten to a point where no one can agree on anything and team dynamics are breaking down. That game world will always be there… but your friends won’t. Cherish that moment and make as many good moments as possible. Additionally, taking breaks both in-game and in the real world allow for quiet moments. These allow for the greater moments to shine through and the players will enjoy their experience more.
https://i.redd.it/1ncu361zlqf61.png
The graphic above serves to summarize the eight tips above and show their relationship with the narrative, enjoyment, and the rules when put in the context of situational ethics. From this graph, the relationship between the eight tips and how they play into the narrative, enjoyment, and rules of the game can be seen. Each of the tips can influence many parts of the game but they are intended to primarily influence the aspect of the game they are adjacent to. “Knowing the players” should influence the narrative and what kind of enjoyment the players receive. What mechanics are used to enable the game is causally related to how the rules are used and so on. Please note that Agape is at the center as, with every decision a DM makes, considering what is best for the players should be central to the experience of any game.
The Epic Conclusion
Through crafting a game-world together with your players, a DM has the potential to tap into one of the greatest traditions humanity has: camaraderie with friends. At the end of the day, these players are your friends, or at the very least your fellow human beings. As such, you should want what is best for them. Through trials, hardships, and drama, we get to put the punctuation on the moments of excitement, joy, happiness, and bliss. It is okay if the player does not get exactly what they want, so long as they still had enjoyment. This is because getting everything we expect is sometimes boring. However, always keep in mind that at the end of the day, games are about having fun. How that happens is up to the players, the DM, and whether the rules were used to enhance the experience or not. It’s possible to find that balance by asking these questions in order: “How will this decision affect: the final enjoyment of all at the table? the narrative? the rules in the future?”
1 Huizinga, Johan . "Homo Ludens". Routledge & Kegan Paul Ltd. (1980), pp. 1., accessed January 19, 2021. http://art.yale.edu/file_columns/0000/1474/ homoludens_johan_huizinga_routledge_1949.pdf
2 Suits, Bernard, “The Grasshopper: Games, Life and Utopia,” Broadview Press. Ed. 3. (November 29, 2005): 54–55. Accessed December 31, 2020. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/803547.The_Grasshopper
3 The Game Overanalyzer, The Aesthetics of Play | Why We Play Games, and the Search for Truth and Beauty in Game Design. The Game Overanalyzer. (January 11, 2020), accessed 6 January 2021. Video 18:44. https://youtu.be/lONsZwjVDzg
4 Hunicke, Robin, Marc LeBlanc, and Robert Zubek. "MDA: A formal approach to game design and game research." Proceedings of the AAAI Workshop on Challenges in Game AI, vol. 4, no. 1, p. 1722. (2004). Accessed January 11, 2020 https://www.aaai.org/Papers/Workshops/2004/WS-04-04/WS04-04-001.pdf
5 Portnow, James; Floyd, Daniel; Aesthetics of Play- Redefining Genres in Gaming. Extra Credits; (October 17, 2012), Video 9:13. Accessed December 30, 2020. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uepAJ-rqJKA&list=PL3N9QD4_yI-BlnwWUL8hhjpKgqRul3xAa&index=11
6 Suits, Bernard. “Discussion: Games and Paradox.” Chicago University Press. Philosophy of Science Association Journal, Vol 36, no. 3 (September 1, 1969). pg 316–.321. Accessed December 30, 2020. https://www.jstor.org/stable/186226
7 Suits, Bernard. “Discussion: Games and Paradox (1969)
8 Myers, David. “Game as Paradox: A Rebuttal of Suits.” Journal of the philosophy of Sport 39, no. 1 (May 1, 2012). Accessed December 30, 2020. https://search-ebscohost-com.ezproxy2.apus.edu/login.aspx?direct=true&AuthType=ip&db=s3h&AN=87342252&site=ehost-live&scope=site.
9 Juul, Jesper. "Half-Real: Video Games between Real Rules and Fictional Worlds", MIT Press, (Aug 19, 2011) pp.57-59
10 Tracy, Patrick. DM Tips: The Rule of Cool. Fantasy Bango. (October 20, 2017). Accessed December 30, 2020. Video 2:23 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x8aAIFalx6s
11 Fletcher, Joseph F. Situation Ethics: The New Morality. Westminster John Knox Press, (1997). Page 17-26 (accessed January 20, 2021) http://bit.ly/Googlescholar_SItuational_Ethics
**Please note that just because Fletcher’s Situational Ethics is used prominently, this is not an endorsement of all his views. Fletcher’s work has been used to justify terrible atrocities, such as eugenics, this should serve to point out that any philosophy taken to extremes can lead to terrible outcomes
12 Fletcher, Joseph F. Situation Ethics: The New Morality. (1997)
13 Mercer, Matthew. The Rule of Cool! (Game Master Tips). Geek & Sundry. (February 16, 2016). Accessed December 30, 2020. Video. 5:52 https://youtu.be/fWZDuFIYkf0
14 Bryce, Nathan K., “Four Lenses Unfolded: A Deeper Understanding of Temperament Values,” Insight; (January 29, 2002,).
15 Mercer, Matthew. The Rule of Cool! (Game Master Tips). (2016).
16 McLaughlin, Kelly; Martin, Monty. "How to Run a Session Zero for Dungeons and Dragons 5e". Dungeon Dudes. (September 3, 2020), Accessed 12 30, 2020. Video. https://youtu.be/2MA-z5Ai-bQ
17 Wells, Orson, "The Big Brass Ring." Santa Teresa Press (1987, January 1) 1-148
18 Mulligan, Brennan; Scott, Benjamin. “Animating Your Table (with Benjamin Scott) | Adventuring Academy Season 2 | Ep. 16 |” Adventuring Academy. Dimension (2020, December 28). Accessed December 30, 2020. Video 1:24:18 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4IbVxEKpipo
19 Mulligan, Brennan; Scott, Benjamin. “Animating Your Table (with Benjamin Scott) (2020)
20 Mercer, Matthew. The Rule of Cool! (Game Master Tips). (2016)..
21 Mercer, Matthew. The Rule of Cool! (Game Master Tips). (2016)
22 Imbo, Frederik, "How not to take things personally? | Frederik Imbo | TEDxMechelen" TEDx Talks; (March 4, 2020) accessed 10 Jan 2021, video 17:36 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LnJwH_PZXnM&t=381s
23 Kensinger, Elizabeth. Remembering the Details: Effects of Emotion. US National Library of Medicine National Institutes of Health. (May 4, 2009) Accessed 2021, January 30 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2676782/
24 Mulligan, Brennan; Scott, Benjamin. “Animating Your Table (with Benjamin Scott) (2020)
25 Mearls, Mike, and Jeremy Crawford. "Dungeons Master's guide". Renton, WA: Wizards of the Coast. (2014) accessed 29 January 2021 https://www.dndbeyond.com/sources/dmg/running-the-game#MetagameThinking
26 Mulligan, Brennan; Mercer, Matthew. Building Your Own Campaign Setting (with Matthew Mercer) | Adventuring Academy. Dimension 20. (2019, April 3) Accessed December 30, 2020. Video 57:01 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sig8X_kojco&t=2867s
27 Mearls, Mike, and Jeremy Crawford. "Dungeons Master's guide". Renton, WA: Wizards of the Coast. (2014)-accessed 20 January 2021. https://www.dndbeyond.com/sources/dmg

The Witcher: Enhanced Edition - Revised Modding Guide

I published a modding guide here some time ago, and I've received good feedback from almost everyone who played the game with it. Back then I promised a TW2 guide, too, but it didn't materialize because real life happened. After the disappointment of CP2077 I thought it was a good time to have another playthrough of The Witcher games. I'll be posting updated modding guides for them. If you want to have a look at my original guide - here it is. On a gameplay level it's identical to this one, but the new one has significantly enhanced visuals. Now for the revised one:

THE WITCHER - IN-DEPTH MODDING GUIDE

This modding guide is written for The Witcher: Enhanced Edition Director's Cut version 1.5 (A) from GOG. It should be compatible with all 1.5 versions of the game, regardless of the platform you're using.The aim for this guide is to give the player a better experience by fixing vanilla bugs, improving the visuals and tweaking the gameplay. The improvements are lore-friendly and respectful to CDPR's original vision of the game and the rich world Sapkowski created. All the changes are made to provide the most stable and bug-free experience possible, and from my tests the modded game is more stable than the unmodded one on modern systems. This guide supports only the main story.

[ INITIAL SETUP ]

After downloading the game, verify/repair the game files. Launch the game for the first time and go to Options. In Video Options set all graphic options to max. In Game options disable Autosave, Tutorials, Floating Info, Combat Feedback and Show Object Names. The reason to do all of this is to increase game stability and neither of those options are that important, anyway. The game runs on an ancient Bioware engine, so every bit helps. Autosave and the pop-up tutorial images are the biggest culprits here. To further increase game stability keep only 10 to 15 saves for the whole game and save frequently. The save files in this game are relatively huge and if you have a high number of them expect frequent crashes even on unmodded game. The disabled pop-up tutorials will appear in Geralt's journal, so you're not missing anything by disabling these features. Exit the game.
Now go to The Witcher Enhanced Edition\System and create a desktop shortcut of the 'witcher.exe'. You'll start the game from here to improve the game's stability. By default, the game uses a launcher that can cause many problems. You should check in the shortcut's properties (right click) under the compatibility tab if it runs under Windows 7 compatibility mode with admin privileges. By default it should, if not, check both boxes there and click apply.
Even with all of this, you might experience a crash here or there. Some places include:

after a long cut scene
at the end / start of a chapter
inns, crypts and caves
at the plaza and market in Chapter 3
after fighting your first enemy in the prologue
during Oddo's quest in Chapter 1
in the crypt in Chapter 4
after the final cut scene in Chapter 2
there might be a bug after continuous play at the start of chapter 2. if you can't click on anything after the cut scene, simply exit the game and reload a previous save before the cut scene. the bug won't return.
loading multiple saves in quick succession

These issues were present 10 years ago and are still present today in the vanilla game. Nothing a quick load can't fix. On my last playthrough I had 7 crashes. Thankfully, game-breaking bugs are very, very rare. This modding guide has been tested by two people and both of them completed the game successfully with 6 and 14 crashes. Not bad for a 40+ hour playthrough.
NOTE: This is a very in-depth guide. It's required that you install the mods as I have listed them. All mods have a readme that instructs how to install them, but ignore it and follow my instructions as we're combining different, often conflicting mods. Some mods will have the tag OPTIONAL because you can skip them, but I recommend installing them. Also, I would like to advise you to read the installation paths carefully. There are two different 'Override' folders in the guide. It's very important for everything to work as it should. Don't rush it.

[ MODDING ]

[ MANDATORY ] - FPS Counter 3.4.0 - Extract to the System folder in the main game directory. Start the game and press F12. Enable the Ultra AA from the mod's options. Enable V-Sync from the options. Decrease the sharpness to 25. Additionally, you can enable 4X Transparency AA in the Nvidia Control Panel for even better results. Enabling V-Sync is vital to fix an annoying visual bug during conversations with npcs. You can tweak/disable anything you want similar to a reshade. It can be used purely as a .dll overloader. - https://www.nexusmods.com/witchemods/738

Additional Note: The GOG .exe is patched to be large address aware which means it can access up to 4gb ram on modern systems. I think steam is the same, but if you're unsure about your witcher.exe, look at FPS Counter's in-game options to see the status. It's important to patch it if the .exe isn't. You can do it with FPS Counter or use an external patcher like NTCore's 4gb Patch. The patched .exe improves the game stability significantly.

[ MANDATORY ] - Full Combat Rebalance 1.6a - Run the installer as an administrator. Select the main game directory. From the different options, choose ONLY: Easy difficulties pack; Ecosystem: fewer monsters in game; All armors have three quick slots; Nightvision without fisheye effect; Flaming sword icon on hard difficulty; No logo movies; Easier dice poker; Potions changing game difficulty; Cat pupils for all witchers; Item stacking up to 999; Werewolf fur in shop in Chapter 4. If you enable anything else, it will cause problems with other mods from the list. After installation boot the game up. Go into Options -> Controls and key bind the walk option at the top and the turn off/on gui option at the very bottom. Personally, I bind them to Left CTRL and HOME buttons respectfully. The reason not to choose any of the other options during installation is because it conflicts with various other mods. Definitely don't choose the high difficulty pack, unless you're a masochist. FCR has a bad reputation, but IMO it makes the game more engaging and eliminates some annoyances and questionable gameplay decisions the first game has. If you play on one of the lower difficulties, it actually makes the game a lot easier. Certain boss fights (like the one in CH1) are easier in FCR, while other enemies, especially monsters, are harder and need oil and potions preparation similar to the contracts in W3. There are implemented tutorials to familiarize you with the changes compared to the vanilla game. - https://www.moddb.com/mods/full-combat-rebalance1
[ MANDATORY ] - Scabbard Mod 1.04 - Run the installer as an administrator. Select the main game directory. Select 'The Witcher EE with FCR mod' option from the 'Select Components' tab during installation. This is mandatory for compatibility between those two mods. The sheating / unsheating animation might bug out from time to time, but for 95% of the time has no issues, so be warned if little things annoy you occasionally. This was an original feature implemented by CDPR, but was cut late in development. - https://www.moddb.com/mods/scabbard-mod/
[ MANDATORY ] - Rise of the White Wolf: Enhanced Edition 2.0 - Run the installer as an administrator. Select the main game directory. From the different options, choose ONLY: Interface - English (and other languages); FCR Compability; New dialogue fonts; Items icons; Character textures - FCR compability; "Trial of Herbs" soundtrack in the main menu. The installer has problems with some AVs. Just in case you should disable your virus protection until everything is installed. The files are 'safe' if you download it from the link I provided, so don't worry. The mod "modernizes" the user interface. It's not exactly my cup of tea, but many people prefer it. The texture work on the characters is good, and it makes changes that are both lore-friendly and in line with TW2 and TW3. RotWW adds a new dialogue font and UI icons. I had minor problems with the Nexus version of the mod, so I don't recommend it. The moddb installer should be identical, but it didn't give me any problems, so with that in mind, I recommend the moddb one. - https://www.moddb.com/mods/the-rise-of-the-white-wolf-powrt-biaego-wilka
[ MANDATORY ] - Complete Sword Overhaul 1.0 - Download the main file and the 4 optional files. Extract the folder z_zSwords_DM somewhere on your pc. Now we'll extract the optional files and overwrite files in the main z_zSwords_DM folder. Do this in the EXACT order I describe. First the folder from the Scabbard mod compatibility patch. Overwrite the 24 files when asked. Then the folder from the FCR compatibility patch. Overwrite the 32 files when asked. Then the folder from the HD textures patch. Overwrite the 42 files when asked. And finally the folder from the RotWW-style icons patch. Overwrite the 86 files when asked. Now take the complete z_zSwords_DM folder and place it in The Witcher Enhanced Edition\Data folder. This mod improves the textures of every sword and scabbard in the game. - https://www.nexusmods.com/witchemods/719
[ MANDATORY ] - Dagger Overhaul 1.0 - Download the main file and the 2 optional files. Extract the folder z_zDaggers somewhere on your pc. Now similarly to the previous mod, we'll extract and overwrite the main mod folder with those from the optional files. Extract the files from the HD Textures patch and the RotWW-style icons patch and overwrite the main mod folder. You should overwrite 17 files: 10 for the HD Textures and 7 for the icons. Now take the complete z_zDaggers folder and place it in The Witcher Enhanced Edition\Data folder. This mod improves the textures of every dagger in the game. - https://www.nexusmods.com/witchemods/708
[ MANDATORY ] - AI Upscale Textures 1.5 - Download ONLY the 'AiO AI Textures with RotWW and The Witcher Overhaul Project by lexo1000' optional file. Extract the 2 folders and 1 .2da file somewhere on your pc. Open the 'RotWW' folder. We need only the 'Characters' folder. Move the 'Characters' folder to The Witcher Enhanced Edition\Data\z_zrotww folder. Overwrite the 290+ files when prompted. Navigate to The Witcher Enhanced Edition\Data and create a New Folder named 'Override' without the quotation marks. Next, look at the 'AiOlexo1000' mod folder. Gasp after seeing 2000+ files inside. Select all of them and move them to The Witcher Enhanced Edition\Data\Override folder. Move the TexSettings.2da file to the same Override folder. This mod upscales the vanilla textures and is the best one to date to do so. The quality it brings to the table is unmatched so far. The .2da file is essential for it to work as it blocks texture scaling to lower resolution. In the optional file we downloaded, the mod includes upscaled versions of RotWW textures and original textures from The Witcher Overhaul project. - https://www.nexusmods.com/witchemods/808
[ MANDATORY ] - The Witcher Overhaul Project 3.3 - Download the main file and the Realistic Blood Effects optional file. Inside the archive of the main file you'll see two folders. 'The Witcher Texture Overhaul' doesn't interest us because its contents were included in the previous mod we installed. Inside 'The Witcher Sound Overhaul' there are 115 files. Select all of those files and extract them to The Witcher Enhanced Edition\Data\Override folder. Some of these files are major improvements over the ones in the vanilla game, others not so much since some of them are taken from other games. It's up to you if you want them. If you don't, skip this step. The reason this mod is mandatory is the optional file. Extract the attackeffects.2da file to The Witcher Enhanced Edition\Data\Override. Enjoy better blood effects in the game. - https://www.nexusmods.com/witchemods/703
[ MANDATORY ] - Kaer Morhen Witcher 3 HD Retexture (with unique textures) 1.1 - Extract the 19 .dds and 4 .mdb files to The Witcher Enhanced Edition\Data\Override folder. This mod retextures the Kaer Mohren prologue section entirely. It includes unique high quality textures. In vanilla game Kaer Mohren shares textures with certain buildings in Vizima, the mod fixes this, too. Good for continuity. - https://www.nexusmods.com/witchemods/892
[ MANDATORY ] - Missing Kalkstein and Leuvaarden Clues Fix 1.0 - Extract the .ncs file from the mod folder to The Witcher Enhanced Edition\Data\Override folder. This mod fixes a well-known bug. - https://www.nexusmods.com/witchemods/657
[ MANDATORY ] - Celina Wraith Fix 1.0 - Extract the 13 loose files to The Witcher Enhanced Edition\Data\Override folder. This mod fixes the inability to report a certain quest outcome in Ch. 4, resulting in Geralt always saying that he failed to resolve a certain problem. This mod adds some dialogue to the conversation. - https://www.nexusmods.com/witchemods/741
[ MANDATORY ] - Fair Kalkstein Mod 1.1 - Extract the 5 loose files to The Witcher Enhanced Edition\Data\Override folder. It's a little lore-friendly addition to the Kalkstein quest chain) - https://www.nexusmods.com/witchemods/307
[ MANDATORY ] - Leuvaarden Buys Salamandra Badges 1.0 - Extract the 5 loose files to The Witcher Enhanced Edition\Data\Override folder. This mod provides a fix for Leuvaarden's inability to buy badges after your initial conversation. He buys them for 20 a pop now as per his statement in the beginning.) - https://www.nexusmods.com/witchemods/659
[ MANDATORY ] - Quest Tweaks 1.0 - Extract the 7 files from Berengar's Secret folder, Contracts in Act V folder and Yamo Ryeboozer reward folder to The Witcher Enhanced Edition\Data\Override folder. Don't touch the rest. This mod provides a few different minor quest fixes. Some of them change CDPR's intentional decisions, so use only the ones I've listed for a balanced gameplay experience. - https://www.nexusmods.com/witchemods/774
[ MANDATORY ] - Plentiful Herbs 1.11 - Inside the mod archive there are 8 other archives. Extract them somewhere on your pc. In each of these 8 archives there are two two files. Extract those two files from every of the 8 archives to The Witcher Enhanced Edition\Data\Override folder. All in all you should've extracted 16 .ncs and .nss files. This mod adjust the drops for the most common herbs for a more balanced experience. It gives you more herbs compared to the original value because with FCR you must make many more potions compared to the vanilla game. - https://www.nexusmods.com/witchemods/31
[ MANDATORY ] - Han Gives Han NOT Berbercane 1.0 - Download the Plentiful Han main file. Extract the loose files to The Witcher Enhanced Edition\Data\Override folder. The mod fixes a bug in Chapter 4. - https://www.nexusmods.com/witchemods/32
[ MANDATORY ] - Reverend Beard Texture Fix 1.0 - Extract cr_pries2_g3.dds and cr_pries2_g3_n.dds to The Witcher Enhanced Edition\Data\Override folder. The mod fixes a texture bug. - https://www.nexusmods.com/witchemods/845
[ OPTIONAL ] - Toss a coin to your Witcher Cutscene Mod 2.2 - Extract the files to The Witcher Enhanced Edition\Data\Override folder. The mod adds a quick cutscene in which Dandelion sings the song from the tv series. You can trigger the scene at the inn in Chapter 3. - https://www.nexusmods.com/witchemods/816
[ OPTIONAL ] - Sex Takes Time Mod 1.1 - Extract the SexTakesTimeMod(updated) folder to the Data folder in the main game directory. Just move the whole folder there with all 119 files inside it. This is a lore-friendly time skip that triggers a different scene with some humorous dialogues after you collect a sex card. - https://www.nexusmods.com/witchemods/330
[ OPTIONAL ] - Hiuuz's Witcher 3 Vesemir for The Witcher 1.0 - Extract the 3 .dds files and 1 .mdb file to The Witcher Enhanced Edition\Data\z_zrotww\Characters\Wiedzmini. Overwrite when asked. The mod replaces Vesemir's face with the one from The Witcher 3. Good for continuity. - https://www.nexusmods.com/witchemods/868?
[ OPTIONAL ] - Vesemir HD Retexture 1.0 - Extract ONLY cr_vesem1_c1.dds and cr_vesem1_c1_n.dds to The Witcher Enhanced Edition\Data\z_zrotww\Characters\Wiedzmini. Overwrite when asked. The mod updates Vesemir's armor. - https://www.nexusmods.com/witchemods/846
[ OPTIONAL ] - Geralt Face and Leather Jacket Retextured 1.2 - Go to The Witcher Enhanced Edition\Data\z_zrotww. Create a New Folder and name it 'Override' without the quotation marks. Extract the 10 .dds and 1 .mdb file from the Retextured\Data\Geralt_retextured_mod from the mod folder. Don't extract anything else from the mod folder. This improves Geralt's armor textures. - https://www.nexusmods.com/witchemods/780
[ OPTIONAL ] - Hiuuz's Witcher 3 Geralt Face for The Witcher 1.1 - Extract the 3 .dds files to The Witcher Enhanced Edition\Data\z_zrotww\Override. Overwrite when asked. This mod replaces Geralt's default face with TW3's textures. Good for for continuity purposes. - https://www.nexusmods.com/witchemods/840
[ OPTIONAL ] - Orange Weapon Trail Fix 1.0 - Download the 'Orange Weapon Trail Fix' main file and 'Loading Bar Replacer', 'Pause Load Menu Replacer - Vanilla Variant' optional files. Extract the z_zrotww from each of these three archives to The Witcher Enhanced Edition\Data folder. Overwrite when asked every time. The mod brings back the orange sword trail from vanilla game, the old loading bar and vanilla load menu, changed for some odd reason by the RotWW mod team. - https://www.nexusmods.com/witchemods/734
[ OPTIONAL ] - Bigger Fonts for RoWW 0.5 - Extract the z_zrotww folder with all the loose files inside to The Witcher Enhanced Edition\Data. Overwrite the file when asked. This step is required only if you're playing at a higher resolution than 1080p or if you're using DSR (or similar) upscaling. For 4k use the optional file instead of the main one. - https://www.nexusmods.com/witchemods/714
[ OPTIONAL ] - Hiuuz's Witcher 3 Thaler for The Witcher - Extract the 4 .dds files to The Witcher Enhanced Edition\Data\z_zrotww\Characters\Talar. Overwrite when asked. Upgrades Thaler's low-res textures and gives him his TW3 appearance. Good for for continuity purposes. - https://www.nexusmods.com/witchemods/873
[ OPTIONAL ] - Kalkstein HD Retexture 1.0 - Extract the 2 .dds files to The Witcher Enhanced Edition\Data\z_zrotww\Characters\Kalkstein. Overwrite when asked. Improved textures for Kalkstein - https://www.nexusmods.com/witchemods/849
[ OPTIONAL ] - Ramsmeat HD Retexture 1.0 - Extract the 2 .dds files and 1 .mdb file to The Witcher Enhanced Edition\Data\z_zrotww\Override. The mod upgrades Ramsmeat's textures compared to vanilla and replaces the over-sharpened RotWW textures. - https://www.nexusmods.com/witchemods/850
[ OPTIONAL ] - Better Dice and Desaturated Board 1.0 - Extract the 3 .dds files to The Witcher Enhanced Edition\Data\Override folder. Does what it says. - https://www.nexusmods.com/witchemods/338
[ OPTIONAL ] - Hiuuz's Witcher 3 Triss Merigold for The Witcher 1.0 - Navigate to The Witcher Enhanced Edition\Data\z_zrotww\Characters\Triss. Delete all 10 files there. Then extract the 6 .dds files from the mod to that folder. The mod ports Triss' TW3 face to the first game. Good for continuity. - https://www.nexusmods.com/witchemods/844
[ OPTIONAL ] - Lore Triss by DeMelodit 1.0 - Download Pack_0 main file. Extract the 4 files to The Witcher Enhanced Edition\Data\z_zrotww\Characters\Triss. You can skip this step if you don't want Triss with her lore-friendly blue eyes. - https://www.nexusmods.com/witchemods/753
[ OPTIONAL ] - Hiuuz's Witcher 3 Shani for The Witcher 1.0 - Extract the 4 .dds files to The Witcher Enhanced Edition\Data\Override folder. Overwrite when asked. Gives Shani her TW3 face. Good for continuity. - https://www.nexusmods.com/witchemods/852
[ OPTIONAL ] - Hiuuz's Witcher 3 Zoltan Chivay for The Witcher 1.0 - Extract the 2 .dds files to The Witcher Enhanced Edition\Data\z_zrotww\Override folder. Gives Zoltan his TW2/TW3 face. Good for continuity. - https://www.nexusmods.com/witchemods/869
[ OPTIONAL ] - Hiuuz's Witcher 3 Eskel for The Witcher 1.0 - Go to The Witcher Enhanced Edition\Data\z_zrotww\Characters\Wiedzmini folder. Delete the 5 .dds files and 1 .mdb file that has 'eskel' in its name. Extract the 4 loose files from the mod to the same folder. Overwrite when/if asked. Gives Eskel his TW3 face. Good for continuity. - https://www.nexusmods.com/witchemods/863
[ OPTIONAL ] - Hiuuz's Witcher 3 Dandelion for The Witcher 1.0 - Extract the 2 .dds files to The Witcher Enhanced Edition\Data\z_zrotww\Override folder. Gives Dandelion his TW2/TW3 face. Good for continuity. - https://www.nexusmods.com/witchemods/860
[ OPTIONAL ] - Hiuuz's Witcher 3 Lambert for The Witcher 1.0 - Go to The Witcher Enhanced Edition\Data\z_zrotww\Characters\Wiedzmini folder. Delete all files with 'lamb' in their name. Extract the 4 loose files from the mod to the same folder. Overwrite when/if asked. Gives Lambert his TW3 face. Good for continuity. - https://www.nexusmods.com/witchemods/861
[ OPTIONAL ] - Hiuuz's Witcher 3 Radovid V for The Witcher - Extract ONLY cr_knigh3_g2.dds and cr_knigh3_g2_n.dds to The Witcher Enhanced Edition\Data\z_zrotww\Override folder. Gives Radowid his TW2/TW3 face. Good for continuity. - https://www.nexusmods.com/witchemods/876

[ TESTING ]

The best way to test the overall stability is to load one save from Chapter 3 (Trade Quarter) and walk around for 5-10 minutes. Try walking in and out of some houses and see if it crashes. Even it it does, load again and try to replicate the crash, if it doesn't crash again you're good to go. Keep in mind that if you're using old saves for testing, they are more crash-friendly than any new game saves you'll have during a normal playthrough.
I've included some screenshots for you to see how the game looks in 4k with all the mods installed. You can find them here. Happy Gaming!
P.S. Many thanks to Benny and Jacinda for their testing efforts!
EDIT: And here is the updated The Witcher 2 modding guide if you're interested.

hello from Saito (in-browser web3 polkadot gaming-ecosystem)

Kickstarter Roundup: October 25, 2020 | 85+ New This Week (including: Darkest Dungeon: The Board Game)

What this is:

This is a weekly, curated listing of Kickstarter board game projects that are newly posted in the past 7 days.
All board game projects meeting those criteria will automatically be included, no need to ask. (The occasional non-board game project may also sneak in!)
Expect new lists each Sunday sometime between midnight and noon PST.

New This Week

Project Info	Players	Backers	Min / Avg Pledge	Ends	Comments
'it's KARMA!' the board game families & friends... light & fast... strategy & chance - it's a game for all, easy to learn, fun to play - totally engaging // Has raised £191 of £1,500 so far. (~13%)	2 - 6	3	$60 / £64	Nov 19	bgg #hmm
8-BIT Splatch Un jeu de société pixelisé, unique et québécois.A unique pixeled boardgame from Québec. // Has raised C$1391 of C$13500 so far. (~10%)	2 - 4	28	$19 / C$50	Nov 19
Ambush!—reflexes meet strategy in this fast-paced card game! Use a variety of characters and creatures to defeat your friends in a fast-paced, 4 player free-for-all! // Has raised $1,133 of $3,500 so far. (~32%)	1 - 4	37	$29 / $31	Nov 20
Annapurna: Leave No Trace Behind Climb the world's most dangerous mountain from the safety of home. // Has raised $3,991 of $4,130 so far. (~97%)	2 - 4	70	$22 / $57	Nov 14	bgg
Awkward-AF The Card Game that Makes the Entire Group Feel Awkward-AF // Has raised $384 of $5,000 so far. (~8%)	4 - 8+	16	$15 / $24	Nov 19	#lolwut
Big Bad Evil Guy Will you become the Hero they need? Go solo or play with friends on this adventure to defeat the Big Bad Evil Guy. // Has raised $4,355 of $30,000 so far. (~15%)	1 - 4	104	$40 / $42	Dec 02	bgg
Bios:Mesofauna & Galenus Two great board games, one epic campaign… // Has raised $69,711 of $25,000 so far. (~279%) ☑	varies	1218	$44 / $57	Nov 09	bgg
Blinks Game System and Epic Adventure Expansion A futuristic Indie tabletop gaming experience. 9 reissued Blinks games and 6 brand new games featuring Tip-Toe Volcano by Big Potato. // Has raised $70,045 of $50,000 so far. (~140%) ☑	varies	631	$79 / $111	Nov 20	#reprint #expansion
BoardGains A fitness board game that lets you workout while having fun. // Has raised C$11659 of C$13000 so far. (~90%)	1 - 10	86	$50 / C$136	Nov 11	bgg
CAPTAIN'S LOG: CRISIS DETECTED A family friendly competitive card game for people who enjoy space, sabotage, scheming and strategy. // Has raised $2,683 of $7,000 so far. (~38%)	3 - 5	56	$20 / $48	Nov 19	bgg
Captain Esperanza Jeu de société (Boardgame) // Has raised €2,981 of €15,000 so far. (~20%)	2 - 5	36	$48 / €83	Nov 22
Champions of Kreya Build your party of unique champions and obliterate your competition in this fast-paced fantasy strategy card game! // Has raised €2,597 of €8,500 so far. (~31%)	2	74	$27 / €35	Nov 19	bgg
Chronicles of Waral: Revolt in Heldenheim A boardgame with a lot of re-playability, set in a medieval fantasy world // Has raised €6,566 of €5,000 so far. (~131%) ☑	2 - 4	151	$35 / €43	Nov 14	bgg
Commissioned: The Call First Expansion to Commissioned - New Scenarios, Apostles, Solo Play, and a Chains Module // Has raised $24,291 of $6,000 so far. (~405%) ☑	1 - 6	473	$29 / $51	Nov 19	bgg #expansion
Conspiracy – The Deviously Satirical Tabletop Game An explosive tabletop game where world leaders conspire against mankind during a global pandemic, but who's to blame? // Has raised £1,963 of £4,500 so far. (~44%)	2 - 6	36	$23 / £55	Nov 19
Conteamplate A game of creative debate // Has raised $3 of $28,800 so far. (~0%)	3+	3	$20 / $1	Nov 19
Cthulhu Investigators 32 mm resin and metal miniatures of Cthulhu investigators with serious references to characters from popular culture! // Has raised £4,143 of £2,900 so far. (~143%) ☑	-	141	$10 / £29	Nov 09	#minis
Darkest Dungeon: The Board Game Gather heroes, brave the darkness and face the lurking abominations in this cooperative 1-4 player rogue-like RPG dungeon crawler! // Has raised $2,002,068 of $300,000 so far. (~667%) ☑	1 - 4	14715	$100 / $136	Nov 06	bgg
Death Charades: A Killer Party Game A game where death is the life of the party. // Has raised $6,096 of $5,000 so far. (~122%) ☑	2 - 20	118	$25 / $52	Nov 22
Deorgard by Cult of Paint A range of 54mm fantasy miniatures and busts // Has raised £27,364 of £8,000 so far. (~342%) ☑	-	262	$46 / £104	Nov 22	#minis
Dogo Dash It's a quick round-based card game with enigmatic cats, nightlife dogs, rocker bears, and many twists! // Has raised €2,800 of €1,870 so far. (~150%) ☑	2 - 5	100	$22 / €28	Nov 19	bgg
Dragon's Bane A competitive, simultaneous-play card game for 2-6 players ages 12+, 30min play time. // Has raised NZ$4,708 of NZ$16,000 so far. (~29%)	2 - 6	79	$27 / NZ$60	Nov 22
Dragon Gyas Epic battles between the Hexgyas giant robot and the dreaded Grandragon! A unique miniature game by Susumu Kawasaki for 1-4 players. // Has raised ¥314,514 of ¥1,000,000 so far. (~31%)	1 - 4	25	$158 / ¥12,581	Nov 02	bgg #take2
ELEMIES A game of character, strategy, adaptability and teamwork. // Has raised £1,653 of £15,000 so far. (~11%)	4	45	$33 / £37	Nov 20	bgg
Escape to Freedom Can you keep your poker face when everyone suspects you? Run away with others or sabotage the action as an undercover cop. // Has raised €1,146 of €5,000 so far. (~23%)	2 - 5	46	$29 / €25	Nov 21
Existance Card Game A set collection card game about existing. // Has raised A$166 of A$1,500 so far. (~11%)	3 - 6	2	$27 / A$83	Nov 18	bgg
Flight from Hall Manor Will you escape before your time comes up? // Has raised $363 of $2,000 so far. (~18%)	1 - 4	11	$45 / $33	Nov 04
Fox Matters Co-operative real-time Board Game where you chain up cards to drive off Nightmares from the Fox Kingdom. // Has raised €16,914 of €9,000 so far. (~188%) ☑	1 - 5	495	$32 / €34	Nov 04	bgg
Fraud Striker A completely different card game, where you can demonstrate your strategic vision to defend your bank accounts against fraud // Has raised MX$1,049 of MX$363,800 so far. (~0%)	2 - 6	4	$26 / MX$262	Dec 18
Freedom Five: A Sentinels Comics Board Game A cooperative comic book adventure game created by the award-winning designers Richard Launius & the Sadler Brothers. // Has raised $247,910 of $50,000 so far. (~496%) ☑	1 - 5	1898	$49 / $131	Nov 13	bgg
Grand Austria Hotel: Let's Waltz! Expansion & Deluxe Upgrade The first big expansion & deluxe upgrades for the award-winning board game Grand Austria Hotel. // Has raised €179,178 of €35,000 so far. (~512%) ☑	2 - 4	2528	$47 / €71	Nov 21	bgg #expansion
Haunticulture: The Board Game Ghostly gardeners compete to plant the spookiest flowerbed. A 60 min, 1-4 player bidding and tile placement game // Has raised £3,472 of £10,900 so far. (~32%)	1 - 4	87	$32 / £40	Nov 19	bgg
Hegemonia Senki Hegemonia Senki is a board game in which ten unique clans vie for supremacy over the continent of Hegemonia from Japan. // Has raised ¥165,294 of ¥500,000 so far. (~33%)	2 - 4	29	$19 / ¥5,700	Nov 20	bgg #newedition #expansion
Here be Dragons - Into the Unknown An unique adventure and strategy boardgame that lets you discover a new world each time you play. // Has raised kr45,716 SEK of kr150,000 SEK so far. (~30%)	1 - 6	104	$46 / kr440 SEK	Nov 11	bgg #take2
Honey Drivers A Krazy Kart family tabletop game. // Has raised $192 of $1,000 so far. (~19%)	2 - 4	7	$35 / $27	Nov 17
Hoop Godz + 2nd Rap Godz Printing! A head-to-head street basketball board game that brings the skill, tension, excitement and competition of the real game to your table. // Has raised $25,842 of $18,000 so far. (~144%) ☑	varies	513	$35 / $50	Nov 20	bgg #reprint
Kamigami Battles: Rise of the Old Ones Kamigami Battles meets Lovecraft and gets DARK. Will Cthulhu reign supreme? Don't let the question drive you insane - get battling! // Has raised $55,868 of $25,000 so far. (~223%) ☑	2 - 6	452	$40 / $124	Nov 02	bgg
Knockdown Board Game Knockdown is a dynamic fighting game where you become a fighter and you have to knock down your opponent out of the arena. // Has raised €49,670 of €5,000 so far. (~993%) ☑	2	2071	$25 / €24	Nov 01	bgg
Lands of Crom: Trading card game Fantasy trading card game where you level up your lands and summon troops // Has raised A$2 of A$1,000 so far. (~0%)	2 - 4	2	$11 / A$1	Oct 24	#take3
Little Flower Shop: Employee Pack + More A 10-card mini-expansion for Dr Finn's Little Flower Shop, plus reprints of prior promotional packs. // Has raised $4,900 of $1,750 so far. (~280%) ☑	1 - 4	326	$3 / $15	Oct 29	bgg #expansion
MARINOPOLY Military humor board game styled after the popular board game Monopoly©, complete with military grade equipment scribbled with dicks. // Has raised $753 of $25,000 so far. (~3%)	2 - 4	13	$30 / $58	Nov 30	#lolwut
Medieval Mayhem Play as an ogre, an elf, a knight, and a mage as you rescue villagers from a wicked dragon in this co-op game for 2-4 players. // Has raised $263 of $400 so far. (~66%)	2 - 4	13	$20 / $20	Oct 29	bgg
Midnight Murder Mysteries A story-based competitive crime investigation game aboard a cruise ship! 2-5 players, for ages 14 and up. English and Spanish. // Has raised €4,204 of €40,000 so far. (~11%)	2 - 5	78	$53 / €54	Nov 10	bgg #newedition
MODRULES: Inject chaos into your favorite family games! Modify your favorite family board & card games with exciting new Card Decks and Rule Modifiers! // Has raised $2,874 of $10,500 so far. (~27%)	-	56	$8 / $51	Nov 20
MY LITTLE DUNGEON: Cleric Vs Necromancer PLUS edition! A collectable pocket dungeon crawler boardgame, to fight your enemies everywhere! // Has raised €267 of €200 so far. (~134%) ☑	2	9	$30 / €30	Oct 30	#newedition
Nova Aetas: Renaissance Nova Aetas: Renaissancean awesome game that will guide you in a storic and magical age. // Has raised $648,098 of $110,000 so far. (~589%) ☑	1 - 4	4815	$59 / $135	Nov 12	bgg #newedition #expansion
PEACOCK BLOCK A hilarious 3-to-5-player "Take That" board game where players assume the role of peacocks at a raging party. // Has raised $2,282 of $2,000 so far. (~114%) ☑	3 - 5	58	$20 / $39	Nov 21	bgg #take3
Pit Fighter! Blood on the Sands - A fully 3D printable game! A fast-paced miniatures game with amazing, jaw-dropping, exclusive sculpts. Crush your friends, or use the minis for your other games! // Has raised $61,583 of $10,000 so far. (~616%) ☑	2?	2173	$30 / $28	Nov 18
Potion Commotion, the Card Game A card game of potion brewing, fun, and laughs for everyone! // Has raised $676 of $10,000 so far. (~7%)	3 - 8	21	$20 / $32	Nov 19
PulseGames.io - The Mobile Board Gaming Platform Competitive two-player board games.Free. Online. Mobile-friendly. // Has raised $256 of $1,000 so far. (~26%)	-	6	$5 / $43	Nov 20	#app
QWARKS WANTED Catch the most wanted Qwarks before your opponents in this quick and fun observation game for the whole family. // Has raised €1,408 of €4,000 so far. (~35%)	2 - 6	75	$15 / €19	Nov 06	bgg #take2
RaceKart Riot! Board Game: #2 in the Retro Game Series RaceKart Riot is a retro style strategy BOARD GAME based on video games we love! Volume 2 in the Retro Game Series! (Dungeon Royale #1) // Has raised $25,075 of $8,000 so far. (~313%) ☑	? - 4	552	$34 / $45	Nov 18	bgg
Raid - A Viking Card Game A strategic, micro-deck building card game with a norse mythology theme // Has raised $25,351 of $10,000 so far. (~254%) ☑	2 - 4	640	$20 / $40	Nov 11	bgg
Roll In One A quick and casual dice golfing game for 1-5 players. // Has raised $7,904 of $18,000 so far. (~44%)	1 - 5	168	$22 / $47	Nov 19	bgg
Season 3: Sleeve Kings Card Sleeves For Board Games 39 Sizes Season 3 of Sleeve Kings unique 60-micron, 110-pack card sleeves featuring our all-new packaging, amazing pricing & our new METAL COINS // Has raised $51,764 of $5,000 so far. (~1035%) ☑	-	632	$10 / $82	Nov 13	#bling
Second Slowest Gazelle - Card Game A quirky game of smarts for competitive people // Has raised A$758 of A$5,000 so far. (~15%)	3+	16	$18 / A$47	Nov 11
Shadow Network: A game about spies During the Cold War Shadow Agencies gather intelligence on governments around the world. // Has raised $10,380 of $25,000 so far. (~42%)	1 - 5	241	$39 / $43	Nov 02	bgg
Shards of Madness A game of competing Cthulhu cultists! // Has raised £1,877 of £6,900 so far. (~27%)	1 - 4	82	$31 / £23	Nov 12	bgg
Soul Tokens - The Ruthless Game of Real Life Live through hilarious, real-life scenarios in an attempt to keep your souls! Trade, cooperate & compete in over 300+ scenarios! // Has raised $5,310 of $5,000 so far. (~106%) ☑	3 - 6	115	$25 / $46	Nov 19	bgg
Stories Fan the flames of the past and bring the stories around you to life. // Has raised $857 of $5,000 so far. (~17%)	?	25	$5 / $34	Nov 17
Stunned Mullets: A card game for a bloody good time 192 cards full of controversial and awkward dares and questions sure to get you and your mates drunk off your arses. // Has raised A$852 of A$3,000 so far. (~28%)	3+	18	$22 / A$47	Nov 18	#lolwut
SUPER©©STACCS Card Game A new cube-shaped matching & stacking card game played in three dimensions. The first player to get rid of all their cards wins! // Has raised $8,576 of $15,000 so far. (~57%)	2 - 5	224	$18 / $38	Nov 19
TABLETALK by Vessels TableTalk is a Cardgame that creates a safe space for youths to express themselves by gamifying meaningful & intentional conversations. // Has raised S$3,307 of S$10,000 so far. (~33%)	2 - 6	89	$22 / S$37	Nov 20
Tater Freighter Freight Foods, Split Snacks, and Claim Crumbs in this Potato Party Game! // Has raised $2,520 of $2,500 so far. (~101%) ☑	3 - 7	58	$20 / $43	Nov 17	bgg
The Cabinet Room: A Presidential Card Game You are President of the USA - your friends become your Cabinet Members. Decide who survives, who must resign, & beware of the Press! // Has raised $1,614 of $7,500 so far. (~22%)	?	38	$27 / $42	Nov 20
The Corrupted Collection II: Moon Rising New for Halloween: Gemstone Dice, Coffin Vaults & Trays, and Wall Art Dice Trays Featuring the Works of Frank Frazetta & Crystal Sully. // Has raised $347,339 of $10,000 so far. (~3473%) ☑	-	2134	$70 / $163	Oct 31	#bling
The Excellents RPG & Princess Accessories Get the Princess roleplaying game and fun upgrades like a Princess diary, ROLL20 pack, LEVEL UP DICE & more! // Has raised $5,564 of $9,900 so far. (~56%)	?	122	$25 / $46	Nov 12	#rpg
The Librarians: Adventure Card Game Become a Librarian or Guardian from the hit TV Series & Movies! Travel the world to file EVIL under HISTORY! // Has raised $47,006 of $40,000 so far. (~118%) ☑	1 - 4	467	$60 / $101	Nov 09	bgg
the Suits: Ladies It's time for Ladies in the men's world. 4th season of the Suits with strong female characters. // Has raised €458 of €5,000 so far. (~9%)	2	9	$24 / €51	Nov 13	bgg
The Treasure of Montecristo Island A survival, adventure co-op game with crafting. // Has raised $7,816 of $55,000 so far. (~14%)	2 - 6	53	$60 / $147	Nov 19	bgg
The Trojan A crossbreed of armies & animals, innocence & deceit, all in a deck of cards. // Has raised S$338 of S$8,000 so far. (~4%)	?	8	$25 / S$42	Nov 18
The Unforgivable Series Armies A card game where you are a disgraced general, the goal of the game is to fight monsters and win back your army and honour // Has raised A$3 of A$30,000 so far. (~0%)	?	3	$22 / A$1	Nov 18	#lolwut
Three-Step Plan A one-shot tabletop role playing experience with a unique character creation process // Has raised C$1968 of C$3500 so far. (~56%)	?	28	$10 / C$70	Nov 19	#rpg
Thumbies : Thumbmart 1-8 player co-op board game that uses contour geometry & hand biometry to power a fast paced, quest driven zombie survival experience. // Has raised $783 of $45,000 so far. (~2%)	1 - 8	12	$95 / $65	Nov 23	#hmm
Tibom A fast-paced card game for 2-8 players where all players need to quickly play cards by matching them to categories on the table! // Has raised C$3169 of C$4000 so far. (~79%)	2 - 8	86	$21 / C$37	Nov 20	bgg
Too Many Doggos A card game made for dog lovers // Has raised $1,831 of $2,000 so far. (~92%)	4 - 6	31	$20 / $59	Nov 22
Townsfolk Tussle Eureka Springs is under attack! Gear up for a co-op, boss-battling adventure to defend your vintage cartoon town. // Has raised $279,357 of $79,000 so far. (~354%) ☑	2 - 5	3871	$85 / $72	Nov 19	bgg
Trade Nation - A Family Card Game Trade Nation is a family card game for 2-6 players where you compete to sell your stock at the highest prices! // Has raised £485 of £7,000 so far. (~7%)	2 - 6	12	$20 / £40	Nov 19	bgg
Traders of the Apocalypse - Rise of the Mutants A strategic Post Apocalyptic game with collectible cards. // Has raised $42 of $20,000 so far. (~0%)	5	3	$25 / $14	Dec 07
Treasure Hogs: "Oink!" To Become the Ultimate Treasure Hog! Treasure Hogs is a fun, fast-paced competitive card game thathas friends and family anticipating their opponent’s every move! // Has raised $2,198 of $10,000 so far. (~22%)	2 - 5	49	$25 / $45	Nov 12	bgg
Velocity: Vanguard Velocity: Vanguard is a physics-based board game with fast and kinetic gameplay. Story driven missions are designed for 1 to 4 players. // Has raised $7,681 of $84,100 so far. (~9%)	1 - 4	92	$89 / $83	Nov 18	bgg
Vote Or Dare The All-in-One Adult Party Game. Vote. Dare. Drink. Friends. // Has raised $2,041 of $6,000 so far. (~34%)	3 - 8	42	$25 / $49	Nov 21	#lolwut
WanderSquares: The Underwood Tunnels WanderSquares is a fantasy tabletop role playing game with an ever-changing map and choose-your-path adventure guide. // Has raised $7,714 of $24,000 so far. (~32%)	2 - 5	121	$48 / $64	Nov 19	#rpg
Warcaster: Collision Course New Empyrean Faction, Vehicles and More for Warcaster: Neo-Mechanika // Has raised $159,577 of $75,000 so far. (~213%) ☑	2	757	$10 / $211	Nov 05	bgg #expansion #reprint
What's Your Excuse? Using the word on your card, come up with the best excuse for the situation. A quick-thinking card game for 3+ players! // Has raised $1,841 of $5,000 so far. (~37%)	3+	28	$20 / $66	Nov 19	#lolwut
WHOSE TREASURE This is a card game to make your time more enjoyable with your friends. // Has raised S$138 of S$30,000 so far. (~0%)	2 - 6	6	$15 / S$23	Nov 21
WHY WHY WHY It's a card game all about vowels where players shout, whisper, and make everyone laugh while getting rid of all their cards. // Has raised $1,061 of $3,000 so far. (~35%)	2 - 12	36	$15 / $29	Dec 01
Widget Ridge: EMERGENCE Three new expansion sets for Widget Ridge a steampunk deckbuilding game! // Has raised $5,061 of $5,000 so far. (~101%) ☑	1 - 4	77	$30 / $66	Nov 22	#expansion
Word Whyle Word Whyle is a fast paced easy to learn card game that everyone can play! // Has raised $24 of $500 so far. (~5%)	2+	2	$20 / $12	Nov 20

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Footnotes

#hmm means that something about the project seems a little off. Buyer beware kinda thing.
#lolwut is reserved for projects that seem like copycat games or campaigns put together with little thought. Check 'em out for amusement.
#take tags are for projects that have been restarted for some reason, with the number indicating what iteration we're currently on.
Did I miss something? Particularly something new in the last 7 days or ending in the next 7 days? Let me know in the comments and I'll add it in.

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What Qualifies as a Board Game and What Doesn't?

what poker game uses dice video

Poker dice is somewhat similar to a usual poker game without dice. Poker with dice uses five specially-marked dice that represent six of the highest cards in poker — 9, 10, jack, queen, king, and ace. Before the game starts, each player places their ante. The objective of the game is to have the best possible hand within three throws to win the pot. Poker Dice Game Rules Objective. The objective of Poker Dice game is to score points by rolling dice and make certain combinations. The game is played with five six-sided dice. The dice set used in Poker Dice has playing card options (9, 10, J, K, Q, A) in stead of numbers. Gameplay. Each player takes 10 turns to score. Poker Dice Rules. In this simple little dice game, your goal is to roll the best possible poker hand. To play, you'll need five regular 6-sided dice, although having special Poker Dice certainly adds to the fun. You'll also want to have at least two players. SeXzee X Poker Dice Game - Adult Game, Sexy Valentine Gift for Him, Sex Game FunPlayShop. From shop FunPlayShop $ 3.99. Favorite Add to 1 Inch Multicolor Game Chips/ 2 Dice JumboBoardGames. From shop JumboBoardGames. 3.5 out of 5 stars (8) 8 reviews $ 10.00. Favorite Add to ... The poker association lead to them being linked to the phrase, ... (game details on Amazon) has fun with dice. They are bright green, ... A marker may be used to keep count of the turns in a game. Small World uses a crown as the turn marker which moves along the turn track after every round. Pit your card-playing wits against casual gamers, serious enthusiasts and in tournaments. Play Casino Poker for free online! msn games. Search MSN Games. Dueces Wild Poker. ... Where possible a direct HTML5 version of the game you know, and love will be available as a replacement. We don’t want you to miss any of the fun so please try some of ...

Why Do Poker Chip Sets Have Dice in Them? – Poker Fortress

what poker game uses dice

what poker game uses dice - win

Strange Diversions

So I finally decided to call it a day writing my RPG. Would appreciate some feedback!

If you're ever drunk at 3AM in the back of Bayou Barry and an old man offers a "friendly game of cards"... well it's too late to back out now.