This is exactly the product I was looking for. I wanted critical hits and critical fumbles to be a big deal and the charts provided in this product are perfect. Rolling a natural 20 or a natural 1 is now a BIG deal!! Bravo on the product!

Hey guy just bought this and it is a really really well done book. Potion and poisons are ussaly over looked or just slightly looked at in the many dmgs out there and I always thought they needed more love. This book gives potions and poisons the love they deserve. There is tons of good info and a must have for you games.

If you like minor but imaginative spells, you really can't go wrong with getting, what, 90 new cantrips for just $7? They've got everything from spells that summarize books for you and post infinite flyers on walls to ones that let you control the elements and slow down time so you can better defend yourself. There's a couple typos, and I'm a little confused about what they meant by "preparing cantrips," but none of that actually causes problems. This is the sort of bonus material D&D should be getting.

I seriously cannot wait to try these tiny magic tricks out in my next game. Oh, and at the end is a neat new bard subclass for the minstrel living on the open road. That could be fun.

On the other hand, a few of these spells, while having been converted mechanically to 5e, haven't quite been updated to account for the increase in cantrip power since 3.5e. That time-distorting defensive spell I mentioned could be used pretty much every round and the only thing it would cost you is your reaction. That's a little strong when 0-level spells no longer cost spell slots to cast. I recommend reviewing any spells you plan to add to the game carefully if they give mechanical benefits. You might need to adjust them a little. Most of them should fit in just fine, however; the number of problematic spells I've found I can count on my fingers. Also, it would be nice if the PDF were bookmarked; being locked I can't just add bookmarks myself and locating the description for any one cantrip is a bit tedious.

It's unfortunate that with a little more work this could have been a near-perfect supplement, but for so much imagination on one document I really don't regret buying it.

Ready to turn the lethality of your fantasy game up? This is the book for you. Full critical hit and critical fumble tables. This can be easily used with any RPG despite being designed to be completely compatible with the latest (5th/Next) version of D&D.

Do you know what sort of game you want?

It's not a matter of genre or game system, it's about the style of game. Increasingly, published games encourage groups intending to play that game to discuss what style of game they are after beforehand, and it's always good practice for a GM to make it clear what sort of game he intends to run - and indeed for players to make any particular opinions known in advance.

Here's an attempt to rate some of the factors that help determine the style of game - from how much GM control there is to how immersive you want play to be, how 'realistic' you expect the action to be and so on. Each factor is given a sliding scale of 1 to 10 - and a silly name, which is only a distraction - and the idea is that the group can come to some concensus about the sort of game they are looking for, thus helping everyone to have some common preconceptions about what will happen when they sit down to play.

The one rating I have issue with is 'Rule Complexity' - that is based on the mechanics of the particular game system you decide to use, rather than on the style of game you want to play. Now that is something you'll have to choose, but in the light of the other areas being considered, you might better look at a scale based on abstraction - do you want to follow the letter of the rules, whatever they may be, all the time or are you comfortable with more abstraction?

It would be an interesting exercise, though, to pass this around your group to see what style would interest them. And it's free... try it out.

If you like to think about what happens around your gaming table, if you are interested in creating a vivid shared alternate reality, this magazine is worth a look...

This issue is centred on the concept of 'Parlay' - the discussions that can take place before or during a game, in it or out of it. Articles cover Player Agency: letting players determine details for themselves within certain boundaries determined by common sense. One example used is a bar room brawl - a player could determine that there are bottles behind the bar to be grabbed as improvised weapons without checking with the GM, but it wouldn't be reasonable to assume they could find a large mace or an assault rifle there.

There's a long article on the social contract that exists - even if you haven't realised it - within a gaming group, and in particular governing the relationship between the GM and all the other players. Round here, all of us play and all of us GM, and these lines are pretty blurred... but in the groups I play with online, particularly the ones I GM, the other players defer to their GM, treat him or her as someone apart, in a manner I find a bit surprising. This article explores the roles and responsibilities of all parties and is quite fascinating.

To balance this fairly GM-centric article there's another one called The Player's Role. This reverts to the idea in the first article, of players having agency, and develops it further in light of the social contract already discussed to look at ways of getting players more involved and making the game a truly SHARED storytelling experience, rather than one narrated by the GM with minimal player input. A follow-up article looks more closely at the overlap between player and GM roles in two areas: narrative and system. Again, plenty of food for thought here.

There are a few other bits and bobs: fiction, a couple of reviews, and even a short piece about involving youngsters in role-playing by the use of online games when you cannot find children of a similar age to your own who want to play face to face.

Thoughtful, philosophical yet directly applicable to your gaming experience - definitely worth a read.

It is refreshing to see a magazine devoted to the heart and soul of role-playing games. I would recommend it for veterans or those just starting out in this great hobby. Greed, may be the best issue yet but all are a steal at this price.

I have really enjoyed this magazine it is interesting and informative with lots of great stories, tips, and fun stuff. The art in this magazine is absolutely beautiful, undoubtedly in no small part to the brilliant mind of Alex Guillotte who's brilliant eye and artistic talents are top of the mark. Do yourself and your pocket book the favor and buy the subscription it will be well worth your money.

The best issue yet. Get on board with the only magazine dedicated to immersive gaming. Dark than the other issues, this is perfect for Halloween. Buy your copy today!

Theater of the Mind Issue 2 ups the ante set by the first issue, and succeeds completely. I've read it "cover to cover," and found that I quite enjoy the thematic approach Alex and the gang are starting with each issue. Can't wait for the next one. Keep up the great work!

This is really an extraordinary magazine. I'm very impressed by the quality of the writing, and so far I like the idea of having themes each month. As far as I know there are no other role playing magazines that focus almost exclusively on immersive gaming. I'm looking forward to the October issue which is going to have the theme of Unspeakable Horror. I picked up the print edition of the first issue, and it was really quite good, particularly considering that it's print-on-demand. It's well worth the money.

The magazine that redefines what gaming magazines should be.

I drew up the Creature Feature and the Shapes & Change comic strip in this magazine. When I got my copy of it I was very impressed with the other content in it. I think that this product is very reasonably priced for the great quality of the articles and work inside. I look forward to receiving future issues.

Being a contributor to the magazine, I feel I can only offer an overview, rather than a review. That said - there's a lot to read, a lot to look at and plenty of laughs, too. The magazine dedicates itself to creating a conversation about role-playing and what it means to be a role-player. I was so happy to be a involved and am amazed at all the hard work put in by so many talented writers, editors and layout designers. Perhaps the most intriguing and innovative thing "Theater of the Mind" does is to invite the readership itself to contribute and breath life into future issues. It's a wonderful project and I hope you'll find it something you'll want to look into and return to, time and again.

Theater of the Mind is not a breath of fresh air. It's hurricane of original content. Every single article can hold its own, and they are as varied as they are great. Ander Wood's musings on the actual definition of what immersive RP is, Runeslinger's look at how dice rolls complement, rather than take away from, the story, Alex's adventure for children - this eZine has it all.

Everything is written in great, unique styles, and enthusiasm is palpable. For me, this is the most inspiring RPG content I have read in years. You have earned my respect and full support in the best way possible.

I'll be recommending Theater of the Mind to all my friends in the hobby. If you're still on the ropes, just buy the thing. It's $3.00. Even if you don't like it, you will at least be supporting an independent publisher and a fellow RPG enthusiast.