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This page collects my online writings for, on or about roleplaying games, of which there is a great deal. In 1997, I founded the now infamous internet fanzine "Places to Go, People to Be", and worked as editor for it for four years. I have also written many articles for PTGPTB, one of which was published in the now-defunct British RPG magazine Arcane, and nine of which formed the quite well-renowned History of Roleplaying. More recently, I have work appearing in the upcoming supplement for XIG Games' Starchildren and penned one of the settings for the print version of Spectrum Games Studios' Cartoon Action Hour.

On top of this is a rapidly growing number of reviews for RPGNet, and far too many posts on the forums of the same site, where I am known as SteveD or, occasionaly, The Platypus of Death.

Game Reviews:

Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Slayer's Handbook (RPGNet, Feb 03)
"a grab bag of countless brilliant ideas"

InSpectres (RPGNet, Feb 03)
"an idea powerhouse"

A Fistful of Dice (RPGNet, Feb 03)
"solid, and it works, but it’s just another generic D6 system"

Little Fears (RPGNet, Jan 03)
"an interesting and powerful idea, with creepy sensibilities and mind-consumingly horrible imagery"

Buffy the Vampire Slayer Roleplaying Game Director's Screen (RPGNet, Jan 03)
"makes the world’s most playable game even more easily playable"

Buffy the Vampire Slayer Roleplaying Game (RPGNet, Nov 02)
"quite possibly a piece of roleplaying history"

Starchildren - Velvet Generation (RPGNet, Sep 02)
"the game that all the kids are going to be talking about"

JadeClaw - Anthropomorphic Fantasy Roleplay (RPGNet, June 02)
"Kung Fu Chicken with Spicy System Sauce"

Cartoon Action Hour (RPGNet, June 02)
"A great idea, backed up by a good game."

Amber Diceless Roleplaying (RPGNet, Dec 01)
"It's not Cthulhu, but it meets its specifications well"

FVLMINATA - Armed with Lighning (RPGNet, Sep 01)
"by no means a Roman ruin, but the world is still waiting for the definitive Roman RPG"

Brawl: Club Foglio (RPGNet, Aug 01)
"a worthwhile addition to any gaming cupboard"

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Other Strangeness RPG (RPGNet, Feb 01)
"a playable system that maximises the ninja combat rush and the variety of really kewl character options"

Blue Planet RPG (RPGNet, Nov 00)
"Wet, weighty and wonderful"

Brave New World RPG (RPGNet, Oct 00)
"perhaps the roleplaying equivalent of the Aero chocolate bar"

Deadlands RPG (RPGNet, Sep 00)
"this is a game with quite a few faults, but durn it, it is FUN"

Critical Miss (RPGNet, July 00)
"it's unique focus makes it one of the best zines on the net"

The Three Stooges Card Game (RPGNet, Feb 00)
"there is some inspiration in its lunacy"

SpaceDogs - A Traveller Adventure (RPGNet, Dec 99)
"a great adventure for both GMs and players"

Lunch Money Card Game (RPGNet, Nov 99)
"a superb filler game that's lots of brutal fun"

Call of Cthulhu RPG (RPGNet, Jun 99)
"It combines the best of everything the industry has produced so far"

Ghostbusters RPG (RPGNet, Apr 99)
"the only RPG in history where you not only get to sleep with Sigourney Weaver, but it's actually part of the rules"

Groo: The Game (RPGNet, Apr 99)
"a slow and often frustrating game where luck plays too much a part"

Once Upon A Time: The Storytelling Card Game (RPGNet, Mar 99)
"of equal revolutionary genius as the concept of the RPG"

Knightmare Chess (RPGNet, Feb 99)
"doesn't make [chess] more unpredictable, it makes it totally nonsensical"

Articles:

"I was there" (PTGPTB #23, Jan 03)
Mr D Goes To GenCon

"The Force of the Story" (PTGPTB #22, Sept 02)
Make Star Wars feel like Star Wars

"The Five Great Glories of Gaming" (PTGPTB #21, Apr 02)
This is the good stuff

"One Last Thing..." (PTGPTB #20, Dec 01)
Good bye and good luck

"Defence Systems" (PTGPTB #16, Mar 01)
RPGs can save lives

"Roleplaying is for Losers" (PTGPTB #16, Mar 01)
What baggage comes with our gaming roots?

"Suddenly Human" (PTGPTB #15, Dec 00)
NPC rights now!

"Defining Our Terms" (PTGPTB #12, Apr 00)
What are the building blocks of an RPG?

"Today Your Subculure - Tomorrow the World!" (with Jody Macgregor) (PTGPTB #7, Apr 99)
How to succeed in the RPG industry

"Convention Conversion" (PTGPTB #5, Nov 98)
A guide for the uninitiated

"Dream Machines" (PTGPTB #3, Jun 98)
Computers vs RPGs - again.

"The Method in the Magic" (PTGPTB #1, Feb 98)
Tips on designing a magic system

"Run Like A Man" (PTGPTB #1, Feb 98)
Tips for better GM prep

"Give Your GM A Break!" (PTGPTB #1, Feb 98)
Tips to make your GMs job easier

The History of Roleplaying: