Zweihänder (role-playing Game)
''Zweihänder Grim & Perilous RPG'' or ''Zweihänder'' is a 2017 dark fantasy tabletop role-playing game designed by Daniel D. Fox. ''Zweihänder'' won two gold ENNIE Awards. ''Zweihänder'' was designed for unusually punishing combat. Publication history ''Zweihänder'' was first published by Grim & Perilous Studios in 2017 following a Kickstarter project that raised $61,743. In 2019, Andrews McMeel Publishing took over publication. However, this partnership ended during the COVID-19 lockdowns due to increased printing costs. The game was acquired by World of Game Design, who raised $166,813 on Kickstarter in 2024 for the ''Zweihander Reforged Edition''. System Zweihänder uses percentile dice to resolve players' and gamemasters' choices. In its combat system, most human-level creatures and characters can suffer only two or three successful attacks before receiving an injury that can instantly maim or kill. ''Zweihänder'' has no powers for regeneration or resurrection, an ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Fantasy
Fantasy is a genre of speculative fiction that involves supernatural or Magic (supernatural), magical elements, often including Fictional universe, imaginary places and Legendary creature, creatures. The genre's roots lie in oral traditions, which later became fantasy literature, fantasy literature and drama. From the twentieth century onward, it has expanded into various media, including film, television, graphic novels, manga, animation, and video games. The expression ''fantastic literature'' is often used for this genre by Anglophone literary critics. An archaic spelling for the term is ''phantasy''. Fantasy is generally distinguished from the genres of science fiction and horror fiction, horror by an absence of scientific or macabre themes, although these can occur in fantasy. In popular culture, the fantasy genre predominantly features settings that reflect the actual Earth, but with some sense of otherness. Characteristics Many works of fantasy use magic (paranorma ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Dark Fantasy
Dark fantasy, also called fantasy horror, is a subgenre of fantasy literary, artistic, and cinematic works that incorporates disturbing and frightening themes. The term is ambiguously used to describe stories that combine horror fiction, horror elements with one or other of the standard formulas of fantasy. Definition A strict definition for dark fantasy is difficult to pin down. Gertrude Barrows Bennett has been called "the woman who invented dark fantasy". Both Charles L. Grant''The Greenwood Encyclopedia of Science Fiction and Fantasy: Themes, Works, and Wonders'', Volume 1, edited by Gary Westfahl, Greenwood Publishing Group, 2005. and Karl Edward Wagner are credited with having coined the term "dark fantasy"—although both authors were describing different styles of fiction. Brian Stableford argues "dark fantasy" can be usefully defined as subgenre of stories that attempt to "incorporate elements of horror fiction" into the standard formulae of fantasy stories. Stableford a ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Tabletop Role-playing Game
A tabletop role-playing game (TTRPG or TRPG), also known as a pen-and-paper role-playing game, is a kind of role-playing game (RPG) in which the participants describe their characters' actions through speech and sometimes movements. Participants determine the actions of their characters based on their characterization, and the actions succeed or fail according to a set role-playing game system, formal system of rules and guidelines, usually involving randomization (such as through dice). Within the rules, players have the freedom to improvisation, improvise, and their choices shape the direction and outcome of the game. Neither pen and paper nor a table are strictly necessary for a game to count as a TTRPG; rather, the terms ''pen-and-paper'' and ''tabletop'' are typically used to distinguish this format of RPG from role-playing video games or live action role-playing games. Online play of TTRPGs through videoconferencing has become common since the COVID-19 pandemic. Some common e ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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ENNIE Awards
The ENNIE Awards (previously stylized as ENnie Awards) are awards for role-playing game (RPG) products (including game-related accessories, publications, and art) and their creators. The awards were created in 2001 by Russ Morrissey of EN World in partnership with Eric Noah's Unofficial D&D Third Edition News. The ceremony has been hosted at Gen Con in Indianapolis since 2002. Since 2018, EN World is no longer associated with the awards. The ENNIES comprise two rounds. In the first round, publishers submit their products for nomination. Entries are judged by five democratically elected judges. The nominated products are voted on by the public in the second round. Winners of the annual awards are then announced at a ceremony at Gen Con. History The award ceremony initially focused on the ''d20 System'' products and publishers. It has come to include "all games, supplements, and peripheral enterprises". Since 2002, the awards have been announced at a live ceremony at Gen Con. It ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Kickstarter
Kickstarter, PBC is an American Benefit corporation, public benefit corporation based in Brooklyn, New York City, that maintains a global crowdfunding platform focused on creativity. The company's stated mission is to "help bring creative projects to life". As of April 2025, Kickstarter has received US$8.71 billion in pledges from 24.1 million backers to fund 277,302 projects, such as films, music, stage shows, comics, journalism, video games, board games, technology, publishing, and food-related projects. People who back Kickstarter projects are offered tangible rewards or experiences in exchange for their pledges. This model traces its roots to subscription model of arts patronage, in which artists would go directly to their audiences to fund their work. History Kickstarter launched on April 28, 2009, by Perry Chen, Yancey Strickler, and Charles Adler. ''The New York Times'' called Kickstarter "the people's National Endowment for the Arts, NEA". ''Time (magazine), Time'' named ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Andrews McMeel Publishing
Andrews McMeel Publishing, LLC (formerly Andrews, McMeel and Parker (1975–1986) and Andrews and McMeel (1986–1997)) is a company that publishes books, calendars, and related toys. It is a part of Andrews McMeel Universal, which comprises AMP, Andrews McMeel Syndication, and AMUSE. The name Parker was Creative Director George Parker; the company dropped "Parker" after his departure. Andrews McMeel is the general publisher of books of comic strips produced by Andrews McMeel Syndication including '' Peanuts'', '' The Far Side'', ''Calvin and Hobbes'' and ''FoxTrot''. However, the company also produces book collections for some comic strips which are owned by other syndicates. History The publishing country was founded in 1970 by Jim Andrews and John McMeel,Penelope Green''John P. McMeel, Newspaper Syndicator With a Difference, Dies at 85'' The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Tim ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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COVID-19 Lockdowns
During the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic, a number of Non-pharmaceutical intervention (epidemiology), non-pharmaceutical interventions, particularly lockdowns (encompassing stay-at-home orders, curfews, quarantines, and similar societal restrictions), were COVID-19 lockdowns by country, implemented in numerous countries and territories around the world. By April 2020, about half of the world's population was under some form of lockdown, with more than 3.9 billion people in more than 90 countries or territories having been asked or ordered to stay at home by their governments. In addition to the health effects of lockdown restrictions, researchers had found the lockdowns may have reduced Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on crime, crime and violence by armed non-state actors, such as the Islamic State, and other terrorist groups. In addition, lockdowns had increased the uptake of telecommuting, reduced airborne pollution, and increased adoption of digital payment s ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Dice Notation
Dice notation (also known as dice algebra, common dice notation, RPG dice notation, and several other titles) is a system to represent different combinations of dice in wargames and tabletop role-playing games using simple algebra-like notation such as d8+2. Standard notation In most tabletop role-playing games, die rolls required by the system are given in the form . and are variables, separated by the letter ''d'', which stands for ''die'' or ''dice''. The letter ''d'' is most commonly Letter case, lower-case, but some forms of notation use upper-case ''D'' (non-English texts can use the equivalent form of the first letter of the given language's word for "dice", but also often use the English "d"). * is the number of dice to be rolled (if , then the notation is usually simplified to ) * is the number of faces of each die. The faces are numbered from 1 to , with the assumption that the die generates a random integer in that range, with uniform probability. A notable excepti ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Gamemaster
A gamemaster (GM; also known as game master, game manager, game moderator, referee, storyteller, or master of ceremonies) is a person who acts as a facilitator, organizer, officiant regarding rules, arbitrator, and moderator for a multiplayer role-playing game. The act performed by a gamemaster is sometimes referred to as "gamemastering" or simply "GM-ing." The role of a GM in a traditional tabletop role-playing game (TTRPG) is to weave together the other participants' player-character, player-characters' (PCs) stories, control the Non-player character, non-player characters (NPCs), describe or create environments in which the PCs can interact, and solve any player disputes. This basic role is the same in almost all traditional TTRPGs, with minor differences specific to differing rule sets. However, in some Indie role-playing game, indie role-playing games, the GM role significantly differs from the traditional pattern. For example, in Powered by the Apocalypse systems, the othe ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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The Escapist (magazine)
''The Escapist'' (formerly known as ''Escapist Magazine'') is an American video game website and online magazine. First published as a weekly online magazine by Themis Media on July 12, 2005, ''The Escapist'' eventually pivoted to a traditional web journalism format. In 2018, ''Escapist Magazine'' launched Volume Two, a rehauled website in conjunction with its purchase by Enthusiast Gaming. The site name reverted to ''The Escapist'' in April 2020. Gamurs Group acquired the site in September 2022. The company's entire video production team resigned to form '' Second Wind'' in November 2023 after editor-in-chief Nick Calandra was fired. History 2005–2011: Founding and popularity ''The Escapist'' was conceived as a PDF-format magazine by Themis Media, whose president Alexander Macris had previously found success with its sister site WarCry Network. Editor-in-chief Julianne Greer had not been involved in the gaming industry before ''The Escapist'', and had a background in mark ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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ENnies
The ENNIE Awards (previously stylized as ENnie Awards) are awards for role-playing game (RPG) products (including game-related accessories, publications, and art) and their creators. The awards were created in 2001 by Russ Morrissey of EN World in partnership with Eric Noah's Unofficial D&D Third Edition News. The ceremony has been hosted at Gen Con in Indianapolis since 2002. Since 2018, EN World is no longer associated with the awards. The ENNIES comprise two rounds. In the first round, publishers submit their products for nomination. Entries are judged by five democratically elected judges. The nominated products are voted on by the public in the second round. Winners of the annual awards are then announced at a ceremony at Gen Con. History The award ceremony initially focused on the ''d20 System'' products and publishers. It has come to include "all games, supplements, and peripheral enterprises". Since 2002, the awards have been announced at a live ceremony at Gen Con. I ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Gen Con
Gen Con is the largest tabletop game convention in North America by both attendance and number of events. It features traditional pen-and-paper, board, and card games, including role-playing games, miniatures wargames, live action role-playing games, collectible card games, and strategy games. Gen Con also features computer games. Attendees engage in a variety of tournament and interactive game sessions. In 2019, Gen Con had nearly 70,000 unique attendees. Established in 1968 as the Lake Geneva Wargames Convention by Gary Gygax, who later co-created ''Dungeons & Dragons'', Gen Con was first held in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin. The convention was moved to various locations in Wisconsin from 1972 to 1984 before becoming fixed in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, in 1985, where it remained until moving to Indianapolis, Indiana, in 2003. Other Gen Con conventions have been held sporadically in various locations around the United States, as well as internationally. In 1976, Gen Con became the proper ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |