D&D Carnival Round-Up

For 35 years, the game of D&D has defined role playing. In that time, millions of people around the world have played it and many of them have fallen in love with the game. Few games have developed such a devoted following and I’m proud that the July carnival has gathered some of the most passionate and best writing on the subject. Sixteen articles on how D&D has effected our lives, the mechanics of the game, its past and its future.

D&D Is Not a Game, It’s a Lifestyle

• Fame & Fortune is in need a of twelve step program to deal with their D&D addiction in let me tell you about my game.
• Gelatinous Cubed dives and splashes about in the glory that is D&D – A Unique Hobby: Dungeons & Dragons.
• Advanced Gaming & Theory gets personal and explores how he got involved in gaming in D&D My first games.
• Creative Anomalies also explores his early gaming days in D&D and Me.
• Nameless Kingdom goes one step further and reveals his true believe and D&D in Gaming is my Religion: Hear me Out.
• Over on the The Omnipotent Eye they are channelling Dr Strangelove in How I stopped worrying and learned to love the bomb, or at least D&D.

Why Killing Kobolds Makes Us Better People

• Ten Letter on the other hand, goes serious and discuss how this great game can improve our lives in DnD taught me how to read good.
• The Bone Scroll explores one of the other skills playing D&D can teach us with How Can You Stand Working With That Guy! (And Why Are You Friends With Him?).
• Alea Lacta Est came into D&D by a different route and has a different take on the edition wars with Entering the Dungeon.

Practical D&D Advice

• Dungeon Brew offers some practical advice (complete with photos) to 4e combat in Alley Oop: Teamwork Maneuvers in 4e D&D.
• Roleplaying Pro kicks in a couple of articles on D&D fourth edition: DnD 4e – Is It For Me? and My D&D Character Is Boring! How Do I Fix It?.
• Campaign Mastery doesn’t hold back when it comes to deconstructing 4e and turning it into something new in My House Rules for D&D.
• From the Dice Bag, we have an exploration of Cantrips and the fun that could be had with the D&D 2nd edition version of this magic.

D&D and the world of Tomorrow

• With tongue firmly in their cheek, RPG BLog II looks into their crystal ball to see what fate awaits D&D in WotC and Paizo: Action and Reaction .
• Last, but not least, Eleven Foot Pole has an in-depth article the future of D&D and what a 5th edition may contain in No Roll To Hit: Rationale.

Writing my own articles on the game has proven a lot of fun and a serious challenge. Everything I Know, I’ve Learnt from D&D explores how 20+ years of playing has shaped me. Where as “You want to do what?” offers 5 steps to being a smart player and confounding your GM. I was especially pleased with It Is Not the D&D I Know and Love as I managed to explain why 4e just is not the game I want, provoking a great discussion in the comments. Whereas D&D is Doomed (But Not Just Yet) didn’t get my point across as well as I hoped.

Thank you everyone who contributed to this carnival, either as a blogger or by leaving a comment on any of the great articles in this month’s event. And a big thank you to the silent majority of readers. If you didn’t keeping reading, we would all be mad men shouting into the void.

The August carnival has started already with Conventions, Ren Fairs, Carnivals, Oh My! , hosted by Chgowiz’s Old Guy Blog. Please pop over there and get the party started.