My shelves are full and my time is limited, so discipline in 2026 means having the willpower to skip the next crowdfunding campaign instead of buying more games I won't get to play.
rpgaday
What keeps drawing me back to RPGs is the experience they create with other people. They combine story, flexibility, and shared play in a way that board games never quite managed for me.
The most common form of a portal that your players will experience is a door. A door by itself is boring, it has a knob and it divides rooms from other rooms and hallways. However, that door breaks up the dungeon into...
I usually handwave long travel, but the ride itself can still be worth focusing on when it's fun enough. The dinosaur race in Tomb of Annihilation is a great example of travel that stands on its own.
Some of the best RPG moments come from close calls: fights barely won, clues found in time, or villains stopped at the last second. Those scenes are memorable, but it's just as fun to let players completely outplay a situation when they've earned it.
If you're looking for an adventure hook, somebody always needs a favor. A small request can turn into travel, danger, betrayal, or a larger obligation with very little effort.
I like fantasy that goes a little gonzo without tipping fully into horror. Mixing in aliens, lasers, dinosaurs, or other outlandish elements can make a dungeon feel strange in the best possible way.
Players can solve a surprising number of problems with simple tools if you give them space to think through the situation. A trapped barred door in my game turned into a good reminder to build problems that reward practical solutions like levers, ropes, and pulleys.
Humor is something I want at the table, even if the game isn't a comedy. It's worth talking about up front, and when it lands well it can make a session far more memorable.
Modern D&D and old-school D&D make a useful contrast because they put the edge in different places. In one, player characters usually have the advantage; in the other, they're constantly looking for any advantage they can get.