Author: charlespicardgames

Gamer. Dad. Writer. Professional Actor (inactive but I've still got my SAG card). I've lived in just about every region of the US, so I feel like I've learned to get along with almost everyone. Currently residing in the East Bay (outside of Oakland, CA). I split my time between chasing my healthy young son around, writing & blogging, and trying to keep our household running. I've already made a number of great friendships in the area, and have fallen in with more than one gamer who enjoys exploring all sorts of systems. I love where we live; I finally feel like I've made it to a place I'm happy to call home.

An Apocalypse for Two, Maelstrom Dreamers – Ep. 1: Village of Notor

I've wanted to play Davide Pignedoli's Maelstrom Dreamers for a long time. This underrated title features one-to-one play where the protagonist's real life dreams are a key component in the game's highest stakes moments. As I mentioned last week, Maelstrom Dreamers riffs on some of the implied setting for Vincent Baker's Apocalypse World without relying … Continue reading An Apocalypse for Two, Maelstrom Dreamers – Ep. 1: Village of Notor →

Irreverent Reading: D&D 5E Monster Manual – The Letters N & O – It’s not if you Owlbear, but how.

Thanks once again for stopping by my weekly feature, Irreverent Reading! It's where my son and I read the D&D Monster Manual and ponder what we find interesting... This week we crossed over the 250 page mark, leaving us with a mere 100 pages to go. By my estimation we're creeping up on 42 hours … Continue reading Irreverent Reading: D&D 5E Monster Manual – The Letters N & O – It’s not if you Owlbear, but how. →

Weekly Round-up: GUMSHOE Kids Playtest, Maelstrom Dreamers – Session 0

It turned into "moon" week around here as Jupiter's Io and our very own Luna featured in the storytelling in two very different ways... GUMSHOE for Everyone! If you haven't heard, Pelgrane Press is taking their GUMSHOE engine into the little gamer market with a title called, currently at least, GUMSHOE Kids. Their playtest runs … Continue reading Weekly Round-up: GUMSHOE Kids Playtest, Maelstrom Dreamers – Session 0 →

Irreverent Reading: D&D 5E Monster Manual – The Letter M – “Daddy, what does Gnoll sex look like?”

Thanks once again for dropping by my weekly feature, Irreverent Reading! It's where my son and I read the D&D Monster Manual and ask the, ahem, hard questions that others are afraid to... Dear Reader, whether or not you have kids of your own, you're probably aware of their ability to ask genuinely thought-provoking questions. … Continue reading Irreverent Reading: D&D 5E Monster Manual – The Letter M – “Daddy, what does Gnoll sex look like?” →

Irreverent Reading: D&D 5E Monster Manual – Letters I, J, K, & L – All the Mind Flayers’ Men

Thanks once again for dropping by my weekly feature, Irreverent Reading! It's where my son and I read between the lines of the Fifth Edition D&D Monster Manual to find gameable story-telling opportunities for you, Dear Reader! Even though I Hit the Wall last week I managed to fight through the malaise and get my … Continue reading Irreverent Reading: D&D 5E Monster Manual – Letters I, J, K, & L – All the Mind Flayers’ Men →

Weekly Round-up: I Hit the Wall, Big Damn Hero 2, & One-to-One Play

I suppose the way to sum up this week is to talk about last Saturday morning. I didn't start my day with a hike or a jog, or a nice breakfast, or even a terrible breakfast... I literally crawled out of bed, started a bath, and got in the tub. My wife was like WTF? … Continue reading Weekly Round-up: I Hit the Wall, Big Damn Hero 2, & One-to-One Play →

Irreverent Reading: D&D 5E Monster Manual – The Letter H – Home of the Tiny Construct

Thanks once again for dropping by my weekly feature, Irreverent Reading! It's where my son and I plumb the depths of the Fifth Edition D&D Monster Manual for those glistening narrative pearls... Now that we are rolling downhill, Xander seems more into the MM than he's been in awhile. We are reading a creature or … Continue reading Irreverent Reading: D&D 5E Monster Manual – The Letter H – Home of the Tiny Construct →

The Mecha Hack Actual Play Ep. 2: Hard Lessons

Picking up where we left off last week... Starian and Thumper came out of their simulated battle to discover that their lunar base was under attack. Since they were already suited up, they headed out of a rupture in their hangar and onto the edge of the battlefield. LEEROY JENKINS!!! In classic 7-year-old aggro fashion, … Continue reading The Mecha Hack Actual Play Ep. 2: Hard Lessons →

Irreverent Reading: D&D 5E Monster Manual – Midpoint Recap!

Thanks for dropping by my weekly feature, Irreverent Reading! It's where my son and I read every word of the Fifth Edition D&D Monster Manual, riffing and writing about what we find... We reached a couple of big milestones this week, so we are taking a moment to stop and look back. In the world … Continue reading Irreverent Reading: D&D 5E Monster Manual – Midpoint Recap! →