Kotaku: D&d

D&D Alignments in the TF2 World

Owen Good — Sun, 22 Jun 2008 15:00:00 MDT

Spot on and speaks for itself. I really can't disagree with a one of these. Plus it's nice to see Heavy as something other than the butt of a joke. He has feelings, too.

Full size version is at the link.

TF2 - D&D Alignment Chart [Halolz]

D&D 4th Edition Called Forth From Fiery Pit

Mike Fahey — Fri, 06 Jun 2008 11:40:00 MDT

The game that launched a thousand role-playing games toady celebrates its latest incarnation as Wizards of the Coast announces the release of the Dungeons & Dragons 4th Edition Rulebooks. The new set of rules not only herald a more streamlined D&D experience, but also the first true joining of pen & paper D&D to the online world with the introduction of the D&D Insider service, which gives players and Dungeon Masters alike access to online tools for character creation, dungeon building, and even a digital game table to play on. In honor of the release of the three books - The Player's Handbook, Monster Manual, and Dungeon Master's Guide - the D&D Insider service will be available for a free promotional period, after which a subscription will kick in. The books are currently available for $34.95 a piece, or in a bundle for $104.95.

In addition to the Insider promotion, Wizards of the Coast is sponsoring a Worldwide Dungeons & Dragons Game Day tomorrow, Saturday June 7th, during which locations around the world will be hosting special events to help ease players into the new ruleset. Hit the jump for to find out more about this worldwide celebration!

Dungeons & Dragons® 4th Edition Rulebooks Now Available

June 6, 2008 (Renton, WA) – Today Wizards of the Coast announced the release of the highly anticipated 4th Edition of Dungeons & Dragons (D&D), with the retail availability of new core rulebooks. Tomorrow, June 7, players around the globe will have the chance to experience the new edition of the popular roleplaying game as part of a worldwide D&D event.

D&D 4th Edition is designed to offer more streamlined game play with exciting options for character creation and interaction, while the new rules framework will reduce the prep time needed to run a game and lower the barrier to entry for new players.

In keeping pace with the changing gaming landscape and striving to meet the ever-evolving needs of players, the new edition includes features that will appeal to players who venture into a dragon’s lair every week as well as those who haven’t delved into a dungeon in many years.

“The decision to introduce a 4th Edition of the game came out of the player feedback we’ve been gathering for years,” said Bill Slavicsek, R&D Director of Roleplaying and Miniatures Games at Wizards of the Coast. “We wanted to streamline the D&D game while enhancing the overall play experience. At its heart, it’s still an exciting tabletop game experience that’s now enhanced with online resources that make it easier for players to create characters, run games and interact with the rest of the D&D community.”

To celebrate the release 4th Edition, Wizards of the Coast is sponsoring Worldwide Dungeons & Dragons Game Day (WWDDGD) on Saturday June 7 to give players the opportunity to play 4E adventures with other gamers. Retail partners and special locations around the globe will be hosting events for players; one such location is the WWDDGD Headquarters in Seattle, where Wizards of the Coast staff is taking over Neumos in the Capitol Hill neighborhood to celebrate the 4th Edition launch. For more information on WWDDGD events, visit www.dndgameday.com.

Additionally, Wizards of the Coast is introducing 4th Edition online content in Dragon and Dungeon magazines and the first iteration of the D&D Rules Compendium on D&D Insider®. As additional resources and applications are developed, D&D Insider will grow to include tools for players to design their characters, dungeon, and adventure-building tools for Dungeon Masters and a digital game table for online play.

The Player’s Handbook, Monster Manual and Dungeon Master’s Guide are now available for purchase in retail locations around the world as a set for MSRP $104.95 or individually for MSRP $34.95. D&D Insider will be available for free during a promotional period and will move to a subscription-based fee system as additional components roll out.

Since its first release in 1974, the fantasy roleplaying game Dungeons & Dragons has taken millions of players on imaginary adventures of epic scale. Today, D&D is universally regarded as the original game that created the roleplaying game category, and the inspiration for generations of game designers. D&D is enjoyed by millions of players worldwide, while countless more remember it with fond nostalgia.

Wizards of the Coast, Inc., a subsidiary of Hasbro, Inc. (NYSE:HAS), is a worldwide leader in the trading card game and tabletop roleplaying game categories, and a leading developer and publisher of game-based entertainment products. The company holds an exclusive patent on trading card games (TCGs) and their method of play and produces the premier trading card game, Magic: The Gathering®, among many other trading card games and family card and board games. Wizards is also a leading publisher of fantasy series fiction with numerous New York Times bestsellers. For more information, visit the Wizards of the Coast website at www.wizards.com.

The Making of Dwarf Fortress

Maggie Greene — Sat, 01 Mar 2008 12:30:27 MST

Gamasutra has a lengthy (10 page) but interesting interview up with Tarn Adams, the programmer behind Dwarf Fortress. The interview touches on a lot of issues: the history of Dwarf Fortress and how it came to be, game mechanics, the follow that's sprung up in the game's wake ...

What's left to answer is why'd we be so into doing a fantasy game. That's probably the same as everybody else: Tolkien, D&D, myths, and of course, the movie Beastmaster. (We like the part where the evil priest is like, "You'll be sacrificed to 'The God of AAaa,'" like they didn't even bother thinking of a name, just powering through on the power of their badassedness.) But there were all kinds of things like that. In the movies, books, the arcade, PC, consoles, we were surrounded by that sort of thing.

It's an interesting, if lengthy, interview and worth a read through. The community that's sprung up around the game is almost as interesting as the game itself, especially the bits and pieces that have become popular outside the Dwarf Fortress community.

The Making Of Dwarf Fortress [Gamasutra]

D&D Insider Is Real D&D, Only On Your PC

Luke Plunkett — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 05:30:00 MST

Joel over at BoingBoing Gadgets got his hands on some screens for the upcoming D&D Insider app, which is not a new D&D-based video game. Instead, it's a program that lets you create and run real D&D 4.0 games on a PC. Which, OK, technically makes it a PC game, but whatever. Those worried D&D would lose its nerdy charms need not worry - just look at those character designs! Truly awful.

Dungeons and Dragons 4.0's "D&D Insider" Screenshots [Boing-Boing Gadgets]

Japanese Bikini Cowgirl Going Live Action

Brian Ashcraft — Tue, 05 Feb 2008 06:15:33 MST

That's right, hack-and-slash game Oneechanbara is getting a hack-and-slash film adaptation! The movie was announced today at a Tokyo press conference, and the flick's website was launched. The film will star TV talent Eri Otoguro as Aya, bikini model Chise Nakamura as little sister Saki and idol Manami Hashimoto as Reiko. And how was it playing the bikini cowgirl Aya? Otogruo illuminates:

It's was the first time I've ever worked in a bathing suit, so I was a little worried at first. Though, the costume was really cool, and I was able to play the part. We filmed during the winter, so it was a little chilly. I don't think you'd see a person dressed like this in winter.

No, no you wouldn't. Starting this April, the ninety minute film will be playing at the Shibuya Q-AX Cinema and Cinemart Shinjuku before getting a wider release. Click through the gallery of bikini cowgirl pics below.

Oneechanbara Movie [Famitsu] [Pic]

Street Fighter 2D VS. 3D

Brian Crecente — Wed, 02 Jan 2008 08:00:17 MST

For all of you fellow die-hard Street Fighter fans out there, this Street Fighter IV video should help put your mind at ease a bit. In it Street Fighter IV producerYoshinori Ono talks about what Street Fighter means to him and what he didn't want to change when introducing a bit of 3D to the famously 2D franchise.

WotC Partners With Stainless Games

Mike Fahey — Thu, 06 Dec 2007 10:00:55 MST

Wizards of the Coast, creators of Magic the Gathering and holders of the sacred Dungeons and Dragons property are teaming up with the UK's Stainless Games to create an online downloadable video game. Stainless has done several games for Xbox Live Arcade, including Novadrome, Crystal Quest, and most recently Asteroids Deluxe.

"Wizards of the Coast has created many of the most popular brands in roleplaying, trading card and tabletop strategy games" said Patrick Buckland, CEO for Stainless Games. "We're proud to be working with one of the most treasured IPs in the games field in a true partnership which will produce a real gaming revolution later next year."

Let the wild speculation begin! Is it Magic the Gathering for Xbox Live? An online version of D&D with downloadable episodic content and community created modules? We won't know until details start trickling out next year. Until then, something is coming. Hooray for something!

Wizards of the Coast Announces Partnership With Stainless Games
December 3, 2007 (RENTON, Wash.) - Wizards of the Coast, the world leader in hobby gaming, and a subsidiary of Hasbro, Inc. (NYSE: HAS), today announced an agreement with leading UK video game developer Stainless Games to produce an exciting new online downloadable game.

"Wizards of the Coast has created many of the most popular brands in roleplaying, trading card and tabletop strategy games" said Patrick Buckland, CEO for Stainless Games. "We're proud to be working with one of the most treasured IPs in the games field in a true partnership which will produce a real gaming revolution later next year."

Details about the game will start to become available in early 2008.

Tuesday Is National Dice Day

Mike Fahey — Fri, 30 Nov 2007 17:00:39 MST

The nice folks at Wizards of the Coast, producers of everything Dungeons and Dragons, just dropped me a line to remind me that December 4th is National Dice Day here in the U.S., when we all should set aside some time to marvel at the wondrous simplicity of dice. While the origins of the holiday remain shrouded in mystery, WotC did offer some helpful background info on dice themselves.

Dice have been around for more than 5000 years and have been part of the popular roleplaying game, D&D since its inception more than 30 years ago (though current gamers likely use dice made from plastics rather than oxen ankle bones like early forms of dice).

Okay, so it is just a way to market D&D, but the holiday certainly predates the WotC email, according to my good pal Google.

Intentions aside, many of us older gamers carried bulging dice pouches long before we toted game controllers about. I'm sure more than a few table top D&D players first got into computer gaming thanks to games like SSI's gold box series of PC titles. Besides, as any RPG fan can tell you, dice make for some pretty excellent mini-games.

*hums patriotic music* This Tuesday, remember our numbered, geometrical friends the dice. Be they 4-sided, 6-sided, 20-sided, or even the ever-rolling 100-sided, gaming wouldn't be the same without them. *stares off into the sunset as an eagle lands on his shoulder*

Ten More Years Of Atari D&D

Mike Fahey — Thu, 19 Jul 2007 08:40:13 MDT

Neverwinter Nights fans rejoice! Atari parent company Infogrames and Hasbro signed a new agreement that extends property rights for the Dungeons & Dragons universe for ten more years, up until the year 2017. Atari has been doing a lovely job with Neverwinter Nights as well as the Baldur's Gate series, crafting some of the best D&D video games since the glory days of the SSI gold box titles. The agreement also sees Hasbro buying back the rights to several of their popular board games, including Scrabble, Risk, Battleship, Boggle, and Simon...perhaps fearing Atari would pull a Jenga on them.

The rights to said games were originally transferred back in 2001 when Infogrames purchased Hasbro Interactive, which gave them MicroProse, Games.com, and the Atari name in the first place. So basically Hasbro is buying back rights they sold in a package deal six years ago.

I am wondering if this means the Hasbro buyback titles will all be disappearing from Games.com now and possibly moved over to the new Gleemax strategy gaming site recently launched by the Hasbro-owned Wizards of the Coast. Would certainly be a sound strategy for raising awareness of the fledgling gaming portal. We'll just have to wait and see.

New Strategic Agreement With Hasbro Concerning The Dungeons & Dragons Franchise

DIGITAL GAMING RIGHTS TO BE SOLD BACK TO HASBRO FOR 19.5 MILLION US DOLLARS

Lyon, France, July 18, 2007 - As part of the relaunch strategy announced by the Group on June 21 and the Group's plan to focus its investment on major franchises with significant potential, Infogrames Entertainment SA (Euronext 5257) today announced the signing of a new agreement with Hasbro concerning:

- the extension until 2017 of the exploitation of the intellectual property rights to the Dungeons & Dragons universe, under an exclusive license covering all interactive formats, including online and wireless.

The agreement covers all current and future products that are part of this universe, including NeverWinter Nights, Baldur's Gate, etc.

Two new games have already been announced for fiscal 2007-2008: NeverWinter Nights 2 Expansion Pack for PC and Dungeons & Dragons Tactics for PSP.

- the purchase by Hasbro of digital gaming rights (online and wireless) to nine franchises (Monopoly, Scrabble, Risk, Game of Life, Clue, Yahtzee, Battleship, Boggle and Simon), for 19.5 million dollars (*). This sale will have no significant impact on revenue for the current fiscal year.

"This agreement represents a reaffirmation of our partnership with Hasbro. It is an important step in our business strategy that will allow us to keep and strengthen a franchise with significant potential, while giving the Group additional resources to invest in the relaunch of its publishing business. Dungeons & Dragons is one of the Group's historic intellectual properties on which we plan to expand our business, relying on one of the largest and most active gamer communities in the world of video games," commented Patrick Leleu, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer.

(*) of which, 4 million dollars shall be paid to Atari Inc

Couple Addicted to D&D Online Almost Starves Children

Mark Wilson — Mon, 16 Jul 2007 13:40:23 MDT

Amidst spending $50,000 of inheritance on computer systems and a plasma television, one young Nevada couple became so addicted to Dungeons & Dragons Online that they neglected their 11-month and 22-month children to the point of malnourishment and near-starvation. The prosecuting attorney had this to say about the parents:

They had food; they just chose not to give it to their kids because they were too busy playing video games.

The couple pleaded guilty to child neglect and face up to 12 years in jail. Unfortunately, the damage they have done may haunt their children for life, as the earliest developmental months are seen by many as the most important. But to put it in language shitty, rpg parents might understand: no 18 intellect for little Billy and Sara. [AP]

Clip: 11 Years of Famicom In Five Minutes

fdemarco — Sun, 10 Jun 2007 17:00:00 MDT

This is truly impressive. A collection of the start screens from every Famicom game ever made all put together in a five minute video that is a wonder to behold. Someone obviously put a lot work into this and even finished it all off with a super funky soundtrack of "Magic Bird of Fire" by The Salsoul Orchestra. And how can you not love the Salsoul Orchestra? I mean, come on, they did an album with Charo. Yes, CHARO. Cuchi cuchi! Flynn De Marco

Free DDO Weekend

Mike Fahey — Thu, 15 Mar 2007 12:40:34 MDT

Thought I'd post this since I generally find out about these things the day after they end. Starting tomorrow, all inactive Dungeons and Dragons: Stormreach accounts in North America will be reactivated for free through Sunday, to allow former players a chance to come back ad see all the new changes that have come about since you left in a fit of boredom a month after the game came out. Maybe that was just me.

Current and returning players will also enjoy a +50% XP and +1 to loot all weekend long, as well as special live events.

Meanwhile all European players who left get a full 10 days reactivation, because a European is apparently worth roughly three North Americans. Michael Fahey

Welcome Back Weekend! [Dungeons & Dragons Online]

Your Baby Is A Level 1 Nerd

fdemarco — Thu, 15 Mar 2007 12:20:18 MDT

Talk about starting them out early! This little tyke doesn't stand a chance of ever growing up to be anything but a stellar nerd of the first order. All to the good I say, as we need to keep the rank and file up to snuff after all! Let's just hope that he/she hangs on to that 18 charisma. The shield with the two bunnies and the carrot is especially sweet, although I usually prefer my bunnies with larger fangs.

As much as I love this though, my vote for best baby shirt ever still goes to the one that says "Daddy drinks because I cry." Truer words were never spoken. Flynn De Marco

[via Aeropause]

D&D Online Adds Solo Play Instead of More, New, Better Content

brownlee — Thu, 08 Jun 2006 13:40:40 MDT

In a bid to bring in more players to their sparsely populated and just as sparsely designed MMORPG Dungeons & Dragons Online: Stormreach, Turbine's created a solo area for MMORPG gamers who prefer to play alone.

To which I ask: huh? I just don't get these people — the guys who base their decision on whether or not to buy an MMOG upon whether or not they can play the game solo. It's nice for MMOGs to be a bit solo friendly, allowing you to have some fun when you can't get a group or your buddies aren't around. But I know entire swathes of gamers who are perfectly happy to pay $15 a month so they can essentially play it like a single player game.

In addition to the new solo area, D&D Online is making the game easier: you can level with less experience. Considering many people are already very easily able to max their level in D&D Online's month free play time, this seems like a rather boneheaded move towards customer retainment. The game's failing because it needs more and better content, not because it's too hard. Florian Eckhardt

Dungeons & Dragons Online Adds Solo Play [1UP]

D&D PSP Screens

Brian Crecente — Tue, 02 May 2006 17:51:13 MDT

Atari just sent out the screens for Dungeons & Dragons: Tactics for the Playstation Portable. Take a gander.

Lead Designer of NWN2 Leaves Obsidian

brownlee — Thu, 23 Mar 2006 07:40:20 MST

The lead designer of Obsidian's upcoming Dungeons and Dragons roleplaying game, Neverwinter Nights 2, has just been sacked. The person who wrote this post has just been sacked. The person who sacked the person who wrote this post who was just sacked has been sacked. Fill in your own Monty Pythonesque infinite recursion here!

Anyway, sacked is probably too strong a word: Ferret Badouin has left the project for unstated reasons (which he hints may have something to do with an upcoming candidacy for President, although we're pretty sure he's a Frenchie).

It's usually bad news when a lead designer leaves this far into a project, but the good news is that J.E. Sawyer of Icewind Dale and Icewind Dale 2 is filling his position. At least JE knows RPGs. Quoth J.E...

Ferret did work at BIS on both Jefferson and Van Buren (The Black Hound and Fallout 3). On F3 he was designing the highly nutty (but cool) Brotherhood of Steel/Circle of Steel stuff.
I'm now the acting lead designer on NWN2.

J.E. Sawyer takes the helm of NWN2 in the interim [NWN2News]

D&D Attacks Online Role-Playing Games

Brian Crecente — Tue, 04 Oct 2005 12:00:07 MDT

Dungeons and Dragons, long the red-headed stepchild of gaming, has decided to finally fight against the hordes of massively multiplayer role playing games that must be taking a frost giant s bite out of their profits. Their first blow is a Morningstar to the codpiece in the form of a snarky anti-MMORPG advertisement. Here s the copy: If you're going to sit in your basement pretending to be an elf, you should at least have some friends over to help. The ad is topped with this nice new D&D slogan: Get together. Roll some Dice. Have Fun.

Anti-MMORPG Ads from D&D [Boing Boing]