Neal Litherland
Bio
Neal Litherland is an author, freelance blogger, and RPG designer. A regular on the Chicago convention circuit, he works in a variety of genres.
Blog: Improved Initiative and The Literary Mercenary
Stories (338)
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How To Make 'Parchment' Paper Using Tea
How many times have you wanted to give your players a physical treasure map, or copy of a crumpled note, as a prop to look at as a hook to get your them more involved in your campaign? If you're like most dungeon masters, you've probably had this urge fairly frequently. But then when you started looking up prices for parchment paper, you decided that your players didn't need authentic-looking props that badly.
By Neal Litherland8 years ago in Lifehack
5 Tips for Playing Better Wizards
There are some whose knowledge of the arcane mysteries of the universe is unsurpassed. Who, with a wave of their hand and the whispering of a mystical phrase, can unmake reality. Masters of the occult arts, it takes a lifetime for many to become truly accomplished wizards.
By Neal Litherland8 years ago in Gamers
How to Build Reinhardt in the Pathfinder RPG
Reinhardt Wilhelm was one of the most recognizable figures in Overwatch. A massive crusader who distinguished himself in many battles against the omnics, he was both one of the organization's greatest champions and harshest critics when it misstepped. Forced to retire due to his age, Reinhardt refuses to sit meekly by while chaos and darkness run rampant across the world. Donning his old crusader armor once more, he acts like a knight errant, doing good where he can and swinging his colossal hammer to remind the world there are still heroes willing to fight for what's right.
By Neal Litherland8 years ago in Gamers
5 Tips For Playing Better Sorcerers
Magic is a potent force, requiring years of study and dedication to fully master. There are some, though, whose very blood runs with power. The subject of myths and legends, magic is a sorcerer's birthright. Able to accomplish on instinct and intuition what even the most brilliant wizards may take decades of study to grasp, sorcerers are subjects of fear as often as they are of awe.
By Neal Litherland8 years ago in Gamers
10 Signs You're Actually a Dom. Top Story - January 2018.
In D/s relationships there is a dominant and a submissive. However, there are a lot of misconceptions about the qualities it takes to make someone a good dominant. Because, contrary to the Hollywood portrayals, being arrogant, demanding, and dismissive are still negative qualities to bring to a relationship. Even (and especially, some would argue) one with this sort of power dynamic.
By Neal Litherland8 years ago in Filthy
How to Build Reaper in the Pathfinder RPG
There is a shadow that lurks over the world's battlefields, leaving the dried husks of its victims in its wake. A creature whose face is so terrifying there are those who believe it could never belong to a man. It does, though. Gabriel Reyes, once a proud graduate of the U.S. Soldier Enhancement Program, and the head of Blackwatch, has become something inhuman. A force of death and murder known to most only as Reaper. If you've wanted to bring a character like Reaper to your Pathfinder table, this guide should help get you started.
By Neal Litherland8 years ago in Gamers
5 Tips For Playing Better Rangers
The wilds of the world are dangerous places, filled with strange beasts and hungry monsters. Most would never step off the beaten path and risk getting lost in these expanses. There are some, though, who are at-home in these huge, empty tracts, who have the skills to survive away from the hustle and bustle of towns and cities, and who can fade into the foliage like ghosts at the first sign of a threat. Valued allies, and deadly enemies, rangers are masters of the untamed wilderness. However, they are often seen as nothing more than that. If you've been looking to step outside the box with your next ranger, consider the following tips.
By Neal Litherland8 years ago in Gamers
How To Build Mercy in the Pathfinder RPG. Top Story - November 2017.
Angela Ziegler was a renowned scientist, doctor, and pacifist who believed in peace and healing, not in war. While Overwatch was clearly a militaristic organization, Ziegler managed to find a way to work with them, while still getting what she wanted. A guardian angel to some, and an angel of mercy to others, she saved countless lives during her time with the organization, and hasn't let its dissolution stop her from doing what she feels is right.
By Neal Litherland8 years ago in Gamers
5 Tips For Playing Better Monks
There is a place between skill and sorcery, where the hard lines of what is and isn't supernatural begin to blur. It is a place beyond the codified laws of magic, where will and spirit become manifest, and allow the impossible to become real.
By Neal Litherland8 years ago in Gamers
How To Build Pinhead in 'The Pathfinder' RPG
There are rumors of a place beyond merely mortal perceptions — a place past the pale pleasures and common agonies of our world, where strange beings will allow your consciousness to transcend the normal, and the accepted, into realms undreamed of. Those who find their way to the gates of this realm, though, find hell more often than they find heaven. And the creatures that oversee this place of torment, the bloody-handed sadists whispered of by those who know, are called many things. Angels, demons, surgeons... and cenobites.
By Neal Litherland8 years ago in Gamers
5 Tips for Playing Better Fighters
Fighters. They're one of the most straightforward classes in fantasy RPGs. If you're not sure who the fighter is, just look for the guy with a sword in one hand and a shield in the other, barking orders and taking the battle to the monsters. While that image is iconic, it also misses a lot of the potential of the class. Worse, the stereotypical fighter is a character with no background (and no interests) off the battlefield. For all intents and purposes, the party may as well be traveling with an enchanted suit of plate armor that rolls initiative from time to time.
By Neal Litherland8 years ago in Gamers
How To Build John Wick in The 'Pathfinder' RPG
They call him Baba Yaga... but John wasn't exactly the boogeyman. He was who they sent to kill the boogeyman. A legendary assassin with a shadowy past hinted at only by his tattoos, and the whispers told in the darkest corners of the Continental, Wick had left his old life behind. Until a couple of young punks decided to break into his house, steal his car, and kill his dog.
By Neal Litherland8 years ago in Gamers
