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The author of Skulls in the Stars is a professor of physics, specializing in optical science, at UNC Charlotte. The blog covers topics in physics and optics, the history of science, classic pulp fantasy and horror fiction, and the surprising intersections between these areas. -
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Category Archives: role-playing games
Old School Dungeons & Dragons: Part 15
Time for another roundup of my twitter threads on old school Dungeons & Dragons products! Let’s jump right in: The Complete Fighter’s Handbook (1989), by Aaron Allston. I haven’t yet touched any of the “handbook” supplements that were made for … Continue reading →
Old School Dungeons & Dragons: Part 14
Okay, time for a round of Old School Dungeons & Dragons, taken from my twitter posts! Things are moving a little slower due to the craziness of the world distracting me, but let’s look at a few classic items! Cardmaster … Continue reading →
Old School Dungeons & Dragons: Part 13
Here’s my latest wrap-up of twitter-posted old school Dungeons & Dragons threads! Going to post these more frequently, with fewer entries, because my last few posts were over 4000 words each! So without further ado… The Dragonlance Game (1988), by … Continue reading →
Keepers of the Flame: The vintage RPGs that still survive and thrive
I’ve been on a bit of a nostalgia kick lately, investigating (and buying) copies and components of those classic pen-and-paper role-playing games that I played or always wanted to play. Along the way, I’ve learned that quite a few of … Continue reading →
The geometry of weird-shaped dice
I’ve been enjoying a bit of reminiscing about my childhood lately, hunting down old copies of role-playing games I enjoyed in my youth as well as exploring newer games that have come out since then. One thing that has changed dramatically since … Continue reading →
A gallery of my fantasy miniatures
Time for a little break from physics and fiction! Though I haven’t been very active recently, for many years I was a hardcore gamer, playing both role-playing game and board games. In fact, I credit much of my early aptitude … Continue reading →
Richard Garriott on Ultima V
(I’m still working hard on my book! I’ll throw a few posts out here and there as I find the time.) As a follow-up to my post on “videogames as art“, I decided to buy “The Official Book of Ultima“, … Continue reading →
Video games as art: My favorite games that are more than just ‘point and shoot’
The other night, I stayed up way past my bedtime playing the finale of the video game DragonAge: Origins, the recently released fantasy role-playing game (RPG) by BioWare. Though the game had a lot of technical limitations that drove me … Continue reading →
Nice interviews with Richard Garriot and Lyn Evans on Vice/VBS.tv
A few months ago, I got a nice email from the folks at Vice Magazine/VBS.tv pointing me to a video interview they did with Richard Garriot (aka “Lord British”), the fabulously wealthy fantasy computer-gaming guru responsible for the Ultima series … Continue reading →
Dave Arneson passes away at 61
And now, we can officially say that it is the end of an era: Dave Arneson, co-creator of Dungeons & Dragons, has died, a little over a year after Gary Gygax passed away. Though Gygax’s name was much more synonymous … Continue reading →
