What do you know, I actually missed my blog’s birthday! I am a bad blog dad. Anyway, this is the 527th post in this blog after 12 years of writing. If you’ve been with me since the beginning or joined somewhere along the way – thanks. I appreciate you.
It has been another busy year, and I’ve been writing as much as I can on various freelance projects. This time last year, I was waiting with bated breath for DDAL-DRW18 Against the Machine to come out, and I’m still working on Under the Seas of Vodari as often as I can. (There are several other projects I can’t talk about yet.)
On to the traditional recounting:
Games I’m Running
- I’m still running Aurikesh, which has just celebrated its tenth anniversary. I ran twelve sessions since last year’s post, and as we finally enter tier 3, I’m enjoying it as much as I ever have.
- Dragon Heist has finished the actual published adventure of Dragon Heist and is now in my own content. Last Friday was session 45, and the party left Waterdeep for the first time (not counting extraplanar excursions).
- Kainenchen and I ended our Birthright campaign with the tragic passing of one of our players and dear friends, Lee. He had been playing the king of Min Dhousai and none of the ways of continuing that campaign felt right. We’ve now started a Lords of Gossamer and Shadow campaign – my first foray into running a diceless game!
Games I’m Playing
- Altera Awakens is back in action – we made it to two of this year’s events, which close out the campaign’s third season.
- Eclipse hasn’t run a game in 2022, for various reasons of scheduling. It doesn’t feel like it was that long since the last time I played!
- Tomb of Annihilation ended, and another of the players is now DMing a sequel campaign set in the Western Heartlands. I’m playing a githyanki Hexblade warlock and having a great time.
- Stands-in-the-Fire is still running his Tree of Potential 5e homebrew campaign – this past Saturday morning was the 30th session of the game. We’re still handling damage control on some decisions we made in the 28th and 29th sessions… We’re 6th level now.
- Ethan is still running his 13th Age game, and we’re now 8th level and playing in the epic tier. Scheduling means we have not played recently, though!
- As a backup to the 13th Age game, Ethan runs a 4e game where we are members of the Death Mantis guild, which is goth af. I am the revenant swordmage Sangasu, Who Rends the Word. I’m having a great time with that, and it runs a lot more often than 13th Age lately.
- I played a ton of Elden Ring this past year, but I got distracted from it and haven’t played more than once in the last three months. I want to get back to it and finish the game.
- I also played a ton of Wildermyth a few months ago, and it is a great lesson in terrain design for players to use. The procedural story generation is incredible too.
Games I’m Observing
- I’m caught up on the Critical Role podcast – Campaign 3, episode 40.
- How We Roll – their recent Alien series was especially impressive.
- Roll Together RPG – I’m listening to the Wreckage of Myth Drannor 12-episode arc. It’s a PvP-forward campaign with lots of arguing and an incredible betrayal. I’m… not sure how I feel about that, but the GMing and player performances are top-notch.
- Wards & Witchcraft continues to be just incredible with its two Mage: the Awakening campaigns. What a lesson in making Mage 2e work.
Thanks for reading and supporting Harbinger of Doom! Also check out my products on DriveThruRPG, and Fey Gifts & Bargains and Level Up Your Background on the DM’s Guild.
You can now buy Under the Seas of Vodari in PDF!
Under the Seas of Vodari is a 300-page book that provides 5E/Fifth Edition material for both gamemasters and players to dive into a world full of action and adventure set beneath the waves of Vodari or your own campaign world. This book is a follow-up to The Seas of Vodari, a setting book filled with swashbuckling action and magical adventure. Dive into your first adventure today!