Home

philoutsideshot

Welcome to DNAphil.com

You have found the online home of Phil Vecchione (aka DNAphil).
I am an Author, Game Master, and Project Manager.

Here you can find out more about me and my writings, as well as the other places online where I spend my time.

Once a new technology starts rolling, if you're not part of the steamroller, you're part of the road. — Stewart Brand

Online Writings

Find me on

Social Media
(Google+, Twitter, Blog)

Heading home from #origins2013. I will post more about it as well as some pictures when I get home tonight. For now its a country breakfast and then hit the road. [...]

Sun, Jun 16, 2013
Source: Google +

Close but taken out by giant mechs. Congrats to Battletech: Weapons Free for Best Game Related Publication. Nevertheless an Origins Nomination is still awesome! 6/15/13 - 1 [...]

Sat, Jun 15, 2013
Source: Google +

At the awards...sitting at the table. #origins2013. 6/15/13 - 1 [...]

Sat, Jun 15, 2013
Source: Google +

Friday was a lot of fun. Walked the floor and made a few purchases. Met up with +Kenneth Hite and attended a great seminar that he ran about Superheroes and Alternate Histories. Played some King of Tokyo later in the day.Ended the day with some great BBQ and some brainstorming.Up now and going to get some breakfast and then run some Dungeon World. Tonight are the Origin Awards, and I am nervous for Never Unprepared. Fingers crossed.I will post some pictures of the convention when I get to better Internet. #origins2013 [...]

Sat, Jun 15, 2013
Source: Google +

Finished walking the floor.Met nice couple picking up copy of Never Unprepared. #origins2013 [...]

Fri, Jun 14, 2013
Source: Google +

Voted! #origins2013 [...]

Fri, Jun 14, 2013
Source: Google +

King of Tokyo, expansion, and Origins promo cards obtained. #origins2013 [...]

Fri, Jun 14, 2013
Source: Google +

Normally I am a planning type of guy. This trip to Origins I have set that all aside. I have no badge...yet. I have no plan for today or tomorrow, no shopping list, no event list, etc. I am strangely excited about this. [...]

Fri, Jun 14, 2013
Source: Google +

Waking up and getting ready for Origins. First objective get a badge. Second objective...have fun. [...]

Fri, Jun 14, 2013
Source: Google +

Inspired by +Shanna Germain's new website, I just had mine re-done to showcase my work and to give some background about me. My new logo was done by +Darren Hardy and the website was designed by +John Arcadian. Thanks guys.Go and take a look. The online home of Phil Vecchione, author, gamer, project manager. [...]

Thu, Jun 13, 2013
Source: Google +

A few years ago I read an article on Treasure Tables ab [...] [...]

Fri, Nov 14, 2008
Source: DNAPHIL Site

This post was originally published a year ago, but at t [...] [...]

Fri, Oct 03, 2008
Source: DNAPHIL Site

This post was originally published a year ago, but at t [...] [...]

Thu, Oct 02, 2008
Source: DNAPHIL Site

This post was originally published a year ago, but at t [...] [...]

Wed, Oct 01, 2008
Source: DNAPHIL Site

Early this morning, my fellow GM-Fu master, Vicki Potte [...] [...]

Fri, Sep 26, 2008
Source: DNAPHIL Site

As part of my Secret Project, I needed to create a docu [...] [...]

Wed, Sep 17, 2008
Source: DNAPHIL Site

I am sad to report, that Erick Wujcik, the great game d [...] [...]

Mon, Jun 09, 2008
Source: DNAPHIL Site

Normally I don’t get into making houserules or my [...] [...]

Wed, May 14, 2008
Source: DNAPHIL Site

So last week, I talked about the Hard and Soft Skills o [...] [...]

Fri, May 02, 2008
Source: DNAPHIL Site

For the past few weeks, I have been in a kind of low-en [...] [...]

Thu, Apr 24, 2008
Source: DNAPHIL Site

Gnome Stew

I am All Rolled Up

Somewhere between a fetish and a compulsion lies my love of gaming accessories, especially dice bags. Ever since I put my basic set, crumbly, orange polyhedrons into a black felt pouch, I have been been drawn to things that help me to pack up and organize my gaming components. I am always on the lookout for new and novel ways to pack up my gaming gear, and this week I have found just that…All Rolled Up. Quick Disclaimer - While I purchased my All Rolled Up, the fine folks at All Rolled Up paid for my shipping. It's kind of a sickness At [...]

Fri, Jun 07, 2013
Source: Gnome Stew

Rules Shifting – Part 2

In my last article I talked about how to rules shift a campaign from one set of rules to another. In today's article I am going to break down the steps I used to convert the dystopian future of Underground from its original system over to the new Fate Core . Straight From The Underground Underground's original rule system is a variant of the Mayfair Exponential Game System, which I first encountered in the form of the Original DC Heroes RPG. It't not a system for everyone, but I rather liked the Underground interpretation of the Exponential system. Overall the Underground rules are pretty [...]

Fri, May 31, 2013
Source: Gnome Stew

Rules Shifting – Part 1

I love my Underground campaign. Its been one of the best things I have run in some time, and it has done wonders for breaking me out of my slump. The game has been rolling along well, until we came to a small bump in the road…the rules. After some debate, we decided to pull a rules shift, and swap out one set of rules for another. This is the first of two articles about Rules Shifting. In this article I will talk about the fundamentals of shifting rules under your campaign, and in the followup article I will break down [...]

Fri, May 17, 2013
Source: Gnome Stew

Getting Back Behind The Screen

Last week, one of the groups I play in decided to end our Pathfinder campaign, and after some discussion it was decided that Bob is going to run Numenera for us. It has been a little while since Bob has run something, and we got to talking about getting back behind the screen again, along with some concerns that Bob might have. Having just come back from my own slump, I thought I would share some advice with Bob…and you all as well. A Little Background Our group has 6 members (5 players and a GM). Of the five players, four are local and one [...]

Fri, May 10, 2013
Source: Gnome Stew

3 Things Dungeon World Is Doing That Should Be In Your Game

Recently, one of the groups I play in started a Dungeon World campaign. With a few sessions under our belts, I can say for sure that I love this game with an excitement that I have not had since my days of playing Basic D&D. After talking to the other players and the GM about it, there are a number of things that Dungeon World does right. They are things that any GM could be doing…should be doing in their games. To keep me from having too much of a fanboy tizzy, I picked just three things for today. Origins in the Apocalypse I [...]

Fri, Apr 19, 2013
Source: Gnome Stew

Something Besides Death: Alternatives To Killing Characters

I hate to kill characters. I am not opposed to it in the right dramatic circumstances, but for the most part I do not like killing characters. That flies in the face of my old school upbringing, and likely came about by the arbitrary deaths of some of my favorite D&D characters in my youth. Regardless of the reasons, I don't like to kill characters. When this problem came up with a well placed rocket attack in my Underground game, it made me think that there are more things to do than to kill a character, even when the rules [...]

Fri, Apr 12, 2013
Source: Gnome Stew

Living The Dream…Game

We all have those games that we have always wanted to run, but they either psyche us out or our gaming groups do not want to play them. They sit on our shelves taunting us between each campaign. We make pacts with ourselves to one day run those games, to live the dream. When that day comes, will the game live up to your dreams? Well I have been to the edge and back, and for me, the answer was yes. Dream Games Every GM has a few games that they have always wanted to run and never have. You can't force [...]

Fri, Mar 29, 2013
Source: Gnome Stew

The Post Game Debriefing

With the new year, I started up a game of Underground as my way to break out of my slump. The results have been quite promising, and I am having a lot of fun running this game. Part of my pledge in breaking my slump was to shake things up and do things differently from how I have run games in the past. To that end, I implemented some new techniques for managing this campaign. One of those techniques includes a more formalized way of reviewing what happened during the session. Consequences and Repercussions Lots of things happen when you are running your [...]

Fri, Mar 22, 2013
Source: Gnome Stew

Shadows of Esteren: Part 2- The Game System

This article is long overdue. I had intentions of playing SoE before I wrote the article about the game mechanics, but alas the Autumn is a very busy time for me at work, and quickly my time to organize a game and test drive SoE evaporated. As not to delay things too long, I will review the game mechanics as someone who has 30 years of gaming, and hundreds of systems under my belt. So let's take a tour of the mechanics of Shadows of Esteren. Disclaimer- I was provided a copy of Shadows of Esteren by the Esteren team. Previously on [...]

Thu, Feb 28, 2013
Source: Gnome Stew

Sneak Peek: Realm Works

Last week, Matt and I had an opportunity to get a private tour of the new campaign management software, Realm Works, with Rob and John from Lone Wolf Development . Our tour lasted two and a half hours and we got to see every nook and cranny of the software. I am going to do the play-by-play about what we saw, and Matt is going to be adding the color commentary. Disclaimer- Phil is a backer of the Realm Works Kickstarter. Further Disclaimer - After that presentation, so is Matt. Images provided by Lone Wolf Development. Campaign Management Software...But I Got Some Things For [...]

Tue, Feb 12, 2013
Source: Gnome Stew

Campaign Creation Stew

In line with the New Year, New Game challenge, and as a way to break out of my slump, I have started up a new campaign in an old game system: Underground. My plan to break the slump was to change things up and get out of the old habits I used to run my sessions and campaigns. To start that off on the right foot, I changed up how I put together the campaign by making a stew of some of the best campaign setup techniques I have come across from other games. The Campaign Framework There are a ton of different names [...]

Thu, Jan 31, 2013
Source: Gnome Stew

Story Forge – The Four Card NPC

I have in the past (here and here) talked about my love for the Story Forge Cards. This is going to be another one of those moments. If you have not gone out and gotten this great inspirational tool, I beg you to read this article to see another example of how cool these cards are, and then go order a pack. If you are already a card carrying member of the Story Forge, then let me take a few minutes to show you a quick technique for creating the background of an NPC. Infinite Possibilities = Limited Selections As I have [...]

Fri, Jan 18, 2013
Source: Gnome Stew

The Dreaded Slump

I had every intention this week of writing an article about using rules outside of their initial design, and the pitfalls and opportunities that surround that. That was the plan, and I promise that at some point I will come back to that topic. Instead, I wanted to talk about something that I think every GM who has been behind the screen long enough has encountered… a slump. Not The S Word?! Slump. S-l-u-m-p. There I said it. I have been trying to avoid admitting it for a while, but it's been stalking me, session to session for some time. I am [...]

Fri, Dec 14, 2012
Source: Gnome Stew

The Anatomy of a Conspiracy

I have always loved a good conspiracy. I am drawn to the ideas of cabals, cover ups, and the intricate machinations of a good conspiracy. A conspiracy is a great foundation for any kind of RPG - from a plot to assassinate the King, to secret drug testing on school children, to a galactic corporation looking to subvert an entire planet. Today I am going to reveal my secrets about what makes up a good conspiracy, and how you can build a conspiracy of your own. The Parts A conspiracy is made up of a few basic parts. While the parts are [...]

Fri, Nov 30, 2012
Source: Gnome Stew

Relationship Mapping

In my continuing quest for a campaign, my group has recently picked a Savage Worlds super hero game with a home-brewed setting. As we started working on the characters, I wanted the players to not only have a background, but to have NPC's that I could use during the sessions. Sounds plenty reasonable, and something that I have done in a number of games before. Rather than doing the normal list of NPC's, or pulling them from their backgrounds, I wanted to do something a little different… More Than Leaping Tall Buildings When one thinks about a supers game, their first thoughts are all [...]

Thu, Nov 08, 2012
Source: Gnome Stew

Contact

If you want to contact me, please use the form below. I look forward to your messages and will respond as fast as possible.

About

Background

I was born in Mt. Vernon NY, and spent my childhood in Putnam County, NY, specifically the town of Carmel, NY. My parents divorced when I was young and both remarried, for the better, during my youth. I graduated from high school in 1990 with dreams of going into biological weapons research. To that end, I attended Brockport State and earned a Bachelor’s degree in Biology in 1994. During those four years my desire to create weapons of mass destruction subsided and a desire to do research and teach emerged.

I was accepted into the PhD program for Biochemical Pharmacology at the University of Buffalo. Three years into my pursuit of a PhD, my focus on pure research waned. I found myself more interested in running and maintaining the computers in the lab than I did with splicing genes. I left the university before completing my thesis and entered the IT/IS field doing clinical trials data management, combining my knowledge of science and my interest in computers.

Over the years my career has morphed, grown, and re-invented itself. I went from data management to programming to corporate analysis to project management. Today, my science background is mostly a footnote, but I have come full circle and returned to higher education as an IT project manager for the State University of New York.

RPGs and Game Mastering

1981 was not the easiest year, but would be one of the most pivotal of my life. My mother and I had moved back to NY after living with my grandparents in Dallas, TX for a year. Shortly after returning, my mother met my future step-father (my Dad). At the same time we had lost our place to live, and had to move in with one of my mother’s friends. This friend was a divorced mother of two children. The older child, Patrick, was a few years older than me and had been playing Dungeons & Dragons with his neighborhood friends. He introduced me to the game, which quickly became one of the largest passions in my life.

I started playing the Moldvay edition of D&D and never stopped. My childhood is full of memories of me on the floor with graph paper and pencils mapping out new dungeons or starship deckplans. It has been the focal point of all the lasting friendships I have made during my life.

Early on in my gaming career, I became the Game Master, often by default, as my other friends did not relish the position. Over time I came to appreciate the role and by the 90s, after reading the Amber: Diceless Roleplaying Game, my understanding of the role deepened, and I began to seriously hone my skills, which included learning about group dynamics, game theory, writing, and storytelling. All these things would help me in my future careers as a project manager and author.

I have over the years played many different types of RPGs like an avid reader explores different genres and authors. I like to say that I am system promiscuous, rarely playing the same system more than once. What I gave up in system mastery has been made up for in diversity of experience. Having played so many different systems has had a direct effect on how I GM, as I have numerous points of views and styles from which I evolved my own. That evolution has led me from being a structured GM presenting complex stories, to more of an ad lib GM who presents challenges and plays off the players to create the story as a group activity.

Author

I have always had an interest in writing. The earliest occurrence was when I was 10 years old, writing my own comic strips and comic books at school. I was a writer and editor of my middle school newspaper, and I took creative writing classes in high school. I wrote mostly short stories and poems. By college my writing was a lot less creative and consisted more of research papers and lab reports.

It was not until years later when blogging became popular did I once again consider writing as a hobby. For a few years I tinkered around with some personal blogs and the occasional guest post, but nothing with any solid following.However, it was enough to attract the attention of Martin Ralya who was putting together a new RPG blog called Gnome Stew.

In 2008, I was one of the founding authors for Gnome Stew – The Game Mastering Blog. Over the years I have written articles on GMing advice, session preparation, campaign management, interviews with game designers, and reviews. The success of Gnome Stew led to the foundation of Gnome Stew’s publishing company, Engine Publishing, in 2010. You can see the books I published under Engine in the Published Works section.

Today, I have a renewed interest in the craft of writing and find myself writing more and more each day. While these days my writing has been mostly focused on Game Mastering advice, I am looking to expand that into fiction in the near future.

Project Manager

My mother would tell you that the roots of my project management career started in kindergarten when I was the director of the class play, The Billy Goats Gruff. From there I have always wound up leading various groups, including the above mentioned game mastering. Perhaps it was natural that at some point I would gravitate to a career that involves planning, coordination, and leadership.

I am an IT project manager for the State University of New York, where I run projects developing new IT services and enhancing existing services. Outside of the office, I have done project management for the larger books by Engine Publishing, Eureka and Masks, working with large groups of writers, artists, and editors around the globe. I have also lent my skills for planning and coordination to the convention organizers for Buffalo, NY’s own Queen City Conquest, helping to plan their 2013 gaming convention.

Family Life

I am happily married to a wonderful woman who has been a great supporter of my gaming and my writing. She is not a gamer herself, but she did try out some gaming when we were dating, and attended a few conventions. While she no longer games, she is my go-to source of inspiration when I need fresh ideas or a weak idea needs some bolstering. From time to time she is my editor as well, one of a number of editors who keep my raw text from reaching the public.

We have two wonderful children, a son and daughter who are both on the Autism Spectrum. We are supporters of the ABA method and have had fantastic results with both our children. Our son, is now mainstreamed in elementary school, has achieved a red belt rank in Tae Kwon Do, and is an avid boardgamer. Our daughter, has graduated pre-school and is making great strides towards being mainstreamed. While raising our children and supporting and advocating for their special needs has been hard work for my wife and I, it has rooted us as a family and has given us great strength as a unit.

What does DNAphil mean?

The nickname DNAphil came about when I was a graduate student in Biochemical Pharmacology, involving a mis-labeled box of plant DNA samples. The nickname was kind of silly, and not that funny, but as with many things, timing is everything, and that mis-labeled box became my nickname in the lab. At about the same time as my labmates were calling me DNAphil, Yahoo! Mail was becoming the in thing, and everyone was getting accounts. While registering for mine, I did not want a generic name like phil9352, so I chose to use DNAphil. After all, I was studying Molecular Biology, and I had always had a fascination with DNA, with its shape, with its ability to store and transmit genetic information, and its ability to control the flow of that information. It seemed like a good idea at the time, which is what many say about ill-conceived tattoos.

Grad school did not work out the way I thought it would, but for a while I kept working in the area of clinical data management and programming, still in the sciences. I kept the Yahoo! account, and as the internet started to expand, I started to use DNAphil for my account name in different forums and discussion boards. Over time, DNAphil cemented and became my online persona.

With grad school long behind me, most of my scientific knowledge fading, and my career no longer in the pharmaceutical industry, the moniker DNAphil has become less and less relevant to who I am. Yet, the internet does not forget, and many people know me by DNAphil, so dropping the handle would not be feasible. I put some thought into how I might re-invent the DNAphil name and image, I came upon an idea…

Gaming is in my DNA.

I have been gaming longer than anything else I have done in my life. It is still my greatest passion, and it is the focus for my writing. Now that I have had children, and they are starting to take up a passion for boardgaming, I am sure that some of my gaming genes have been passed down. So DNAphil will continue on.