Articles written by Dave Franklin in Hobbies & Games

What is Helium

About me - Dave Franklin

Having always had a major interest in writing and music,I am lucky enough these days to have an outlet for both. On the music front I play in a couple of bands, these days mainly at a local level. My writing seem to sprawl across a wide range of genres and

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Hobbies & Games > Role Playing & War Games Dungeons and Dragons: Tips for dungeon masters: 2 of 21
Below are a few guide lines to aid the DM run a successful and interesting campaign.1.Ideas.Where do you get the ideas that form the basis of your adventures. The most obvious place is to read the rules, then read them again. Ask yourself how monsters, magic items and spells might be interestingly combined. Many adventures se... More..
Hobbies & Games > Role Playing & War Games Role-playing: Campaign settings that don't involve dungeons or dragons: 1 of 9
Dungeons and Dragons, with those two words in the late seventies a whole new genre in gaming was launched on the world which has grown into a multi million dollar industry which has grown to encompass the internet, consol games, films, novels and a whole host of other outlets. Though having grown into an all-encompassing genr... More..
Hobbies & Games > Video Game Culture & Community Halo 2 game addicts unite: 1 of 8
Those of you who have read my various art attacks, that is reviews, will probably not have me pegged as a console gamer, and in general I'm not. However I first experienced the original Halo a few years ago and found it to be one of the most fun ways of sitting on your backside for hours on end wasting your life away. When du... More..
Hobbies & Games > Role Playing & War Games Tips for Dungeon Masters when role-playing monsters: 1 of 4
Imagine the scenario: a group of adventurers are wandering down a narrow gorge deep in the wilderness when suddenly the eagle eyed Elven scout shouts a warning hat there are goblins in the rocks on either side. For a while it's a mass of confusion, swords whirl, spells fly, arrows wizz through the air and very soon the battle... More..
Hobbies & Games > Role Playing & War Games Role-playing and music: Ambiance or a distraction?: 2 of 7
There are many tricks that can be used to enhance the gaming session and one of them is the atmosphere. Alongside the usual things such as candles and soft light, music can lend a massive amount to the atmosphere, but has to be used in the right way. Firstly rather than just have CD's that seem suitable just playing away in t... More..
Hobbies & Games > Role Playing & War Games Game master tips: How to create a great adventure hook for your players: 1 of 3
The one thing that stops your campaign from becoming a series of unconnected sessions is the device known as the hook. In the same way that a book is more that a series of eventful yet stand alone chapters and a song is more than just a series of chord sequences, the hook is what you use to let your characters live through a ... More..
Hobbies & Games > Role Playing & War Games Role-playing game reviews: Pirates of the Caribbean Online: 1 of 1
Pirates of the Caribbean, as a concept at least, seems to have all the elements needed to make a great gaming experience. It is a fantasy version of a historical period, albeit quite a loose one, is based on crime and action and gives you the opportunity to assume alter egos that operate at the extreme poles of decency and im... More..
Hobbies & Games > Video Game Reviews Video game reviews: Doom 3: 3 of 5
A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE END OF THE WORLD AS WE KNOW IT.Doom has been around in one form or another since 1993 when it first was launched on an unsuspecting world via shareware by its fledgling group of creators, known as id. I first came across the game some years later on the original Play station and for a short while was ho... More..
Hobbies & Games > Board Games Great board games for kids: 11 of 18
Zombies! - a board game reviewThe town was in flames as I walked town the main street, trusty shotgun ready, eyes peeled for any movement. The zombie hoard had been ravaging civilization for what seemed like days, but was really only twenty-five minutes. Z-day was here and all I had to do was survive the onslaught, kill or be... More..
Hobbies & Games > Role Playing & War Games Dungeons and Dragons: Things to remember as a dungeon master: 5 of 8
Role playing games have become increasingly complex. There was a time when role playing rules systems were contained within a 24 page booklet or even on a few scraps of hand written notation produced by the referee. As RPGs in general, and its leading light Dungeons and Dragons in particular, became a viable commercial commod... More..