I am writing this blog post from the unceded lands of the Hul’qumi’num (Halkomelem) speaking peoples. This acknowledgment is essential to my own process of decolonizing. It reminds me of the ongoing realities of colonialism that persist in the spaces I (we) inhabit,...
The GM TIM
How to Run a Great Session Zero for Your TTRPG Campaign: A Quick Guide for GMs
What is a Session Zero? A Session Zero is hands down the best way to kick off a long campaign. This pre-game session lets you, as the GM (or DM if you're playing D&D), set boundaries, establish expectations, gather story ideas, and work with your players to create...
The Tim Game: A GM’s Tool for Building Strong Connections in RPGs
There are few things more satisfying to me as a GM than having a group that meshes well, providing you and the other players with content and fun. These are small things that bind the group together: shared histories, in-character comments said in jest, in-character...
Arlington Road: This Thriller Made a Bold Movie in 1999
It was a move that didn't pay off. Was it a bad movie? No. It wasn’t two hours of slogging through nonsense, despite scenes that went on too long or felt pointless. The ones that were meant to make you feel things, did a good job. The movie deals with “do you really...
The Ultimate Guide to Star Trek: 42 Essential Episodes for Beginners and Longtime Fans
There is so much I want to say about Star Trek. I love Trek. Heck, I love it so much, I created my own series (new season and cast annouced sooooon)! I sit at my keyboard, and my brain just starts gushing. It's wild—WILD—that a show from 1966 spawned what it did. The...
Saturday Spotlight: Elisa Teague – A Powerhouse in Pink
Where It All Began I met Elisa in 2018 at the first D&D in a Castle in France, and my life has been better for it. You know those friends whose face lights up when they see you, or make your world seem just right? That's Elisa to me. Every time I see something she...
D&D for Beginners: Your Ultimate Introduction to Role-Playing Games
With the updated 5th edition of Dungeons and Dragons, what I’ve started called 5.24, I thought it might not be a bad idea to toss out a basic How-To guide. This isn’t going to be a review of the new book or revised rules—I might do that later. This is just an overview...
The Day My Nostalgia Died
Ok, this movie was a trip. My memories of American Pie were definitely seen through the rose-colored lens of teenage nostalgia. Watching it now reveals that it doesn't hold up. This movie is not good. It's not the worst—though I have to admit, I'm a bit stunned by...
When They Were Three Kings
This movie was fun. Again, a soundtrack that slaps. I forgot how much criticism there was during and after the 1991 gulf war. The critiques kind of got lost in 2001. This war wasn't known to people because it was successful, it was known because it was highly...