Screen Rant

Derek Garcia-Author

Derek Garcia

Author

March, 2021
Dungeons & Dragons, Xbox Series X, playstation 5
  • 455
    articles
  • 419
    Features
  • 11
    Lists
  • 1
    Guides
  • 1
    Reviews
  • 23
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About Derek Garcia

Derek Garcia is a Game Feature Writer for ScreenRant. He is also the author of Forgotten Fate, a 5e compatible tabletop RPG system and setting available on DriveThruRPG for $5 USD.
His writing for ScreenRant includes both video game and tabletop RPG features. When trying to meet a specific word count in writing a personal biography, Derek sometimes adds pithy quotes, like, “Be yourself; everyone else is already taken.”

Author Details

Derek lives with his wife, three dogs, and a likely excessive number of video game consoles. When he is not writing, playing video games, watching movies or television, or reading novels or comic books, he occasionally takes some time to sleep. Derek majored in journalism and worked for a print newspaper before discovering the internet. After being immersed in nerd culture for many years, he is now happy to write about the media he enjoys instead of just ranting to his friends.

Industry Focus

Derek is an avid tabletop RPG player and Game Master, a lifelong video game fan, and an enthusiast for films, television, and comics. He takes equal interest in charting the history of entertainment media and emergent trends and evolution, alongside analyzing where the future might take them.

Favorite Media

Derek is a fan of science fiction and fantasy, video game and tabletop RPGs, classic Hong Kong action movies, and graphic novels. He explores genre classics as well as diving into the latest and greatest. Derek balances sampling the newest entertainment media with revisiting the well of a (thankfully) never-ending backlog.

Latest

DND laugh
Why DMs Shouldn’t Try To Be Funny In D&D & Let It Happen Naturally Instead

Veteran Dungeons & Dragons fans know the game is often incredibly funny, but Dungeon Masters should avoid scripted jokes, as these destroy immersion.

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Avoiding D&D Drama & Conflict Is One Of The Worst Mistakes A Party Can Make - Cover art from 2e Advanced Dungeons & Dragons Skills & Power supplement book
Avoiding D&D Drama & Conflict Is One Of The Worst Mistakes A Party Can Make

New Dungeons & Dragons players may see developing relationships with NPCs and causes as a weakness, but drama thrives on connections and convictions.

Nintendo Switch 2 in front of a Steam Library grid
The Steam Deck Is Far From Switch 2's Only Serious Portable Rival

Switch 2’s high price point makes it hard for consumers to justify, given the large number of competitively priced portable gaming options available.

After 20 Years, It’s Time For D&D To Launch An Original Setting Again - Cover Art from the 3.5 Dungeons & Dragons Eberron Campaign Setting book
After 20 Years, It’s Time For D&D To Launch An Original Setting Again

With Eberron, the 3.5 edition Dungeons & Dragons rules received a setting wholly designed around its mechanics. D&D 2024 needs this design approach.

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D&D character with a rod and glowing eyes.
I'm Glad The D&D 2024 Updated Ruleset Didn't Change The Best New Rule From 5e

The 2024 Dungeons & Dragons rules kept the most important rules of 5e intact, including Concentration, a truly vital tool for spellcaster balancing.

Dnd evil and good looking characters
Dungeons & Dragons Campaigns Can Enhance Roleplaying With The Help Of Carl Jung

Dungeons & Dragons includes Backgrounds and Alignments which help with roleplaying. Adding Carl Jung’s Persona and Shadow takes RP to the next level.

Avowed Ranger character with Xbox game  logo
Avowed On Game Reminds Me How Weird Xbox Achievements Are

Millions of players have tried Avowed thanks to Game . These numbers can cause Achievements that should be commonplace to appear weirdly elusive.

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D&D Wizard with a book with some d20 dice
I’m Convinced Old-School D&D Rules Have A Huge Mandela Effect

There is a Mandela effect at work with how people older editions of Dungeons & Dragons. The rules provided a system for dungeons and combat.

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D&D 2024 Made My Party's Favorite Druid Subclass So Much Worse - D&D art of the Cave Bear monster
D&D 2024 Made My Party's Favorite Druid Subclass So Much Worse

The 2014 Circle of the Moon druid was among the game’s most unconventional tanking builds, but the 2024 changes to Wild Shape fully ruin Moon druids.

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Avowed Learned The Best Lesson From The Outer Worlds' Biggest Shortcoming, & Obsidian's Next Game Should Too - Image of Lodwyn and Ryngrim from Avowed
Avowed Learned The Best Lesson From The Outer Worlds' Biggest Shortcoming, & Obsidian's Next Game Should Too

Obsidian is best known for its storytelling. The Outer Worlds failed to showcase this skill, with its forced humor and fear of “political” messages.

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Dragon Age The Veilguard character Morrigan looking haughty.
PS Plus Is Finally Countering Xbox Game , But It Needs To Move Faster

Game received an amazing day-one released RPG with Avowed. PlayStation Plus getting Dragon Age 4 next month is a solid counter for RPG fans.

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After 5e, Old-School D&D Now Means The Opposite Of What It Used To - Art from the Lost Caverns of Tsojcanth adventure
After 5e, Old-School D&D Now Means The Opposite Of What It Used To

For years Dungeons & Dragons’ newer editions have competed with OSR games, but D&D should focus on advancing its design and let OSR claim its legacy.

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The Xbox Game  and Amazon Luna logos, with characters from Avowed and Black Ops 6 in the background.
Xbox Game 's Success Is Thanks To One Simple Reason That Amazon Still Doesn't Understand

A VP of Prime Gaming discussed Amazon’s failures with Luna, and its inability to beat Steam as a storefront, but he missed the real lesson entirely.

Cover art from a 2e Advanced D&D Forgotten Realms supplement showing two warriors fighting.
How D&D Players Can A Campaign In Progress (The Right Way)

Many Dungeons & Dragons games add new players partway through. Experienced players know the right way, and the wrong way, to a game in progress.

Adam Scott from Severance holding a d20 with D&D characters in the background.
Yes, You Should Absolutely Run Severance As A D&D Game

Severance is a uniquely horrifying and compelling television series. All of its thrills can translate to Dungeons & Dragons, and other tabletop RPGs.

A dragonborn, human, and elf in front of a beholder.
I've Been A DM For 20 Years, Here's My Advice For Getting Your D&D Parties Excited & More Involved

Pinning down the differences between a great Dungeons & Dragons campaign and a failure can seem elusive. The Dungeon Master’s energy level is the key.

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D&D 2025 Monster Manual
Is The 2025 D&D Monster Manual An Open Book Test, Or A Guessing Game?

The new Dungeons & Dragons Monster Manual makes some changes to monster categories, but it fails to answer questions raised by the Player’s Handbook.

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Nintendo logo with scared Luigi
We Should All Be Worried About Nintendo's Latest Legal Moves, Especially If You Already Enjoy Nintendo Games

Nintendo once inspired the imaginations of game creators. Today, Nintendo’s overzealous litigation makes developers afraid to enter the industry.

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Art from Expedition to Barrier Peaks, a Dungeons & Dragons adventure from Gary Gygax.
I Hope D&D Is Paying Attention To The Ennies' AI Ban For TTRPGs

TTRPGs face a critical decision, on being a human-created art form or AI-generated content. The ENNIES are on the right side, but D&D might not be.

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D&D I'm Glad I Didn't Wait For The Official Sci-Fi Take On 5E - Art from Retia, a 5e DnD Sci Fi setting
D&D: I'm Glad I Didn't Wait For The Official Sci-Fi Take On 5E

WOTC will be publishing Exodus, a science fiction tabletop RPG that appears to share a ruleset with DnD, but sci-fi DnD options are already available.

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