It’s a week of contributor insight here at Monkey in the Cage! Today, listener, gamer, and friend of the show, The Typing Dice, gives his perspective and history on gaming at his local gaming shop. From the crazy characters (not the ones that are rolled up) to the lifelong memories, gaming has certainly left it’s mark on our awesome contributor.
Posted in Contributions, Gaming, Pop-Culture, RJ Yayac Jr. aka The Typing Dice, Role Playing Games, Table Top Games
Tagged Contributions, D&D, DnD, Dungeons & Dragons, Dungeons and Dragons, Edition Wars, Gaming, Gaming Dice, Gaming Experiences, Gaming Groups, Gaming Stores, Magic: The Gathering, Pop-Culture, RJ Yayac Jr. aka The Typing Dice, Role Playing Games, Role-Playing, Roleplaying Games, RPG, Table Top Games, tabletop games, Tabletop Roleplaying Games, The Fringe
One person’s scary movie is often another person’s comedy, but, being a kid in the 80′s meant you were pretty much on the same page with everyone else when it came squirming in your seat and being afraid of the dark. Join us this week as we discuss the movies that kept us awake at night when we were kids. Most are familiar, some a little less so, and there might be one or two in there that make you think, WTF!?! So, be sure you’ve got a swimming buddy, make sure to keep that night light on, and whatever you do DON’T RUN UPSTAIRS as you settle in for an all new episode of Monkey in the Cage.
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Posted in Comic Books, Food, Gaming, Horror, Movies, Podcast, Pop-Culture, RJ Yayac Jr. aka The Typing Dice, Role Playing Games, Table Top Games, Television
Tagged 80s Horror Movies, A Nightmare on My Street, Adam Levine, Alien, American Horror Story: Asylum, Arnold Schwarzeneggar, Batman, Beetlejuice, Brian Singer, Briarcliff Asylum, Carrie, Christine, Christopher Lloyd, Conan The Barbarian, Creepshow, Cujo, Damian Wayne, DC Comics, Death of the Family, Denny's Middle-Earth Menu, Detective Comics, Disney, DJ Jazzy Jeff, Dollmaker, E.T., Fiasco, Flying Sharks, Freddy Krueger, Friday the 13th, fx, Gaming, Geek, Ghoulies, Gremlins, Horror, Howard The Duck, IT, It's Alive, James Cromwell, Jason Mamoa, Jaws, Jeff Goldblum, Jessica Lange, John Carpenter, Johnny Depp, Large Marge, Lea Thompson, Legend of Conan, Matthew Vaughn, Ming-Na, Monkey in the Cage, movies, NES Power Glove, Nightmare on Elm Street, Pee-Wee's Big Adventure, Pinnochio, Play by Post, Podcast, Poltergeist, Rick Baker, Rosemary's Baby, S.H.I.E.L.D., Savage Worlds, Scary Movies, Scott Snyder, Stephen King, Sundered Skies, The Exorcist, The Fly, The Fresh Prince, The Hobbit, The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, The Joker, The New 52, The Raft, The Shining, The Thing, TV Shows, Wheelers, Who Framed Roger Rabbit, X-Men: Days of Future Past
Articles abound these days about the buzz that is DnD Next. From analysis of the core rules to speculations about the future, every play-tester has their opinion and each one is valid in its own right. Yes, I truly believe that. Wizards of the Coast’s modular approach to this iteration of the most popular roleplaying game in history shoots to please as many fans as possible. Wow – that’s a hefty goal, especially in this incredibly heterogeneous hobby of ours. What I don’t want to examine is the current rules or plans for DnD Next; how could I? I don’t have 20+ years of experience in game design, so I won’t tweak or nitpick where my nose doesn’t belong. Rather, I’d like to look into DnD Next only so far as it’s impact on me and then zoom out to provide some insight into how these circumstances might translate to play-test groups across the world.
Posted in Gaming, RJ Yayac Jr. aka The Typing Dice, Role Playing Games, Table Top Games
Tagged 3rd Edition, 4th Edition, 5th Edition, AD&D, Caves of Chaos, cleric, Cleric of Moradin, D&D 4E, D&D 5E, D&D Next, DM, DMs, DnD Next, DnD Next Playtest, Dungeons & Dragons, Dungeons and Dragons, Gaming, Gary Gygax, Grognard, Pelor, Pennsylvania, Play-test, Players, Roleplaying Games, RPG, RPGs, Tabletop Roleplaying Games, The Games Keep, The Typing Dice, Thought of the Moment, TotM, West Chester, Wizards of the Coast, WOTC
Rob types fluff and rolls dice. Those two hobbies sparked the immeasurably original nickname, The Typing Dice. When he’s not as his desk job, he’s prepping for his insanely fun 4E Forgotten Realms campaign. But even when he is at his desk job, he’s sneaking time to do the same, and daydreaming about building the best game room ever – a lifelong goal. One day he will design a tabletop game for the gods, and when they roll dice the world will hear thunder. You can find him on Twitter @TheTypingDice or email at TheTypingDice@gmail.com.
Let me put this out there first and foremost. I am many things: GM, Writer, Gamer, and Literature Major, but not, and I repeat not an avid comic book reader. I would say I’ve read fewer than twenty comic books and five graphic novels in my entire life. That’s not to say I don’t enjoy them, or appreciate the fantastic art and channel of storytelling, because I do. I’ve just never gotten into them. I wanted to lay my cards face-up on the table so you know I will be approaching this article from the standpoint of a newbie to comic conventions.
Posted in Contributions, Conventions, RJ Yayac Jr. aka The Typing Dice
Tagged Batmobile, Dread Gazebo, Erin Grey, Game of Thrones, Gamer, Gencon, GM, Grandma Death, Green Lantern, Lady Death, Philadelphia Comic Con, Philly Comic Con, RJ Yayac Jr, Roleplaying Games, RPG, Silver Spoons, stormtrooper cosplay, The Guild, The Typing Dice, Tyrion Lannister, Writer
Matt Fuller: @Gamerstable_Dan I think it's the reason I got into more than 50% of the events I was trying for. Matt Fuller: @Eothr @symatt Not even close. ;-) Jack Sparrow wasn't prone to homicidal berserker rage. Matt Fuller: @SharnDM @Gen_Con I picked up 4 generic tickets. That should be good for at least 2 pick-up games. 
