I’m going to be out of touch and away from the Interwebs for a few days. I’ll do the Friday Five on Sunday, and since I’m making you wait for it (yes, all three of you reading this) I’ll post at least seven links on Sunday… maybe more.
This was a great week for RPG blogging and I had a hard time narrowing things down to just five posts. Here they are!
What happens when the good guys want (or think they need) to stoop to the lower levels of morality and torture someone? Well…. lots it turns out, even if they’re not a paladin or someone with a code of honor to uphold.
Urgh. I hate it when players feel the need to cheat. I’ve destroyed greater men for lesser offenses. Fortunately, now that I’m not playing with high school kids anymore, this is a very rare occurrence. If it does happen, here are some good tips for you.
I love this idea! I’ve used it before and it works really well. Though, it wasn’t a “I wish I had this item, let’s go get it” type of quest. I called them “prequel adventures” where we took the character as he stood at first level and ran him through a solo adventure when the rest of the group could not make it. The reward was always some fancy, yet minor, magic item that the character got to keep. It helped make each character unique and they all held on to their items because they had earned them the hard way.
This post is all about cartoon inspiring games. While this may be great for Johnn, it doesn’t work for me. Mainly because I despise cartoon with a passion, but that’s a story for another time. My inspiration comes from books that I read, adventures that I skim for nuggets of goldenness, listening to my players (mainly listening to them talk to each other about the game) and some movies. What inspires you? Maybe Johnn’s thoughts on the matter will help you focus your search for those great “Ah Ha!” moments.
First Time GM: Looking for Group
I hate finding new groups. Moving, losing friends to them moving, changing jobs or just plain having a group fall apart sucks. However, there are things that can be done to make the process easier. Go see what Telas has to say on the matter. Maybe he’ll help you out with his post.
I read quite a few blog posts this week, as I usually do, but only four really caught my eye. Some were about upcoming conferences, some were specifically about D&D 4e and some were just not my cup of tea. Here are the four that I saved links to:
I fully agree with James on his post in that most spell names are “bland and clinical.” In my own RPG, I’ve committed this sin, but it was more for the sake of ease of use by new players than an attempt to add flavor. Yes, I have spells that are named after the wizards that created the spells, just like in past editions of D&D. That’s as much “flavor” as I wanted to add to the spell names. I feel that it should be up to the players and GM to collude on creating new spells, or simply renaming spells to give the game more flavor. This way no one is left in the dark.
Normal Distribution Resolution
Ahh… The mathematics of role playing games. I love ‘em. I eat ‘em up with a passion. I’ve done many math problems by hand and even gone so far as to write small bits of software to do some very complex mathematical functions for me. I wish everyone had as great of a grasp of the numbers that run “behind the scenes” to die rolls as I do. It would make most gaming sessions run easier as people would stop asking, “What are my chances of pulling this off?” They could number crunch in their head very quickly (like I do) and then know the general odds, which is very close to how things happen in real life.
World Building 101 – Creating Cultures
I’ve been guilty of drawing a map or three, randomizing some cities with store names and such and calling it good. Of course, most of my “guilt” comes from a severe lack of time. I tend to gloss over the cultural details in my head as I design nations, and then flesh them out as players enter the areas and start asking questions about their surroundings. I’m familiar enough with history from all sorts of ages and cultures that I can easily make up the details on the fly and do a pretty good job of it.
The Great Next Campaign Debate
What to run next? Great question that comes up quite often in my present and past gaming groups. I only wish I were this organized when it comes to it. I also wish my gaming groups (past and present) had more decisive people in them when it came to new gaming systems. I’m definitely bookmarking this page and using it as a template moving forward for trying to help me decide which game system to run next.
Technology has become so invasive in our lives that even a “pencil and paper” game has become touched by laptops, PDAs and smart phones. I gamed with a group for a while that used a laptop, custom software and a projector to track all basic combat stats for the party. It was really slick and I liked it quite a bit. I was using Wizard’s D&D character creator at the time and found a mistake on my character right as the game started. I fired up my laptop and fixed the character, dropped it to a PDF and used the PDF on my screen for the rest of the night. It was pretty slick. However, as a player, I prefer to lose all of the distractions that a laptop provides and concentrate on the game. As a GM, I have so many notes, maps, wikis and digital references on my laptop that I can scarcely live without it. I try not to let it become my main focus, though.
Book of Dead Characters to Celebrate Your Gaming
I wish I had thought of this back when I was 10 years old and my first character death occurred. I would love to have a binder with all of my dead in it. Damn good idea. Too bad I didn’t do it. I’m sure there are lots of memories that I have lost from my head that I would recall just by glancing at my roll of the dead. Ah well…
Why Everyone Should Have 3d6 For Stats
When a player meets a keystone NPC, I usually have them prepped before hand and know all of their vital details. If they meet a transient and unimportant NPC that suddenly becomes important somehow, I roll a few dice to determine their basics and run with what the dice tell me unless the dice go against what I’ve already determined in my head the character is. If I know the innkeeper is slow-witted, and I roll high for his intelligence, then I’ll ignore the roll and go with a lower amount. By knowing (and recording for later use) the basic stats of people that are encountered, it makes for a richer gaming experience.
GM’s Guide To Adventure Writing
Every GM, at some point, should step away from the pre-built modules that are published for use and run with their own module. It really heightens the attachment to the world and the sense of adventure for the players and the GM alike. Not sure where to start or how to do it? Follow the link and read some more at Role Playing Tips.
First Time GM: Job Description
Along the same lines of the previous link, if a person has never run a game before (and I still assert that all true gamers should run at least one campaign) then Gnome Stew has some hints and tips for a first-timer in the guise of a job description for GMs. If you’re an experienced GM, head on over to Gnome Stew and see what you agree with and what you don’t.
Fire Burn and Cauldron Bubble – Poisons
Poisons are a fantastic tool of any good GM. Instead of upping a monster’s combat stats to make it a nasty fight, just give it a poison (or disease) that it imparts upon anyone it hits. It’s a great leveler of the fighting grounds, and if the players know about the poisonous capabilities of your nasty critter, they will be hesitate to charge forth like a fool. Fore more details on poisons and how they can be used, check out Krystal’s words.
When Players Kill the Campaign
In most games I’ve been it it’s been a GM goof (or purposeful action) that kills the campaign. However, players can kill a campaign all on their own as well. This usually occurs in sandbox-style games, but can happen in a localized world of playstyle as well. Go see what Ameron has to say about the players derailing the GM’s carefully laid plans.
GMing Gods, Demons And Immortals
As a mortal creature, I can’t fathom having great powers or near-infinite time to plan out plots and ruses. I usually have to get my stuff together and get a project done in hours or days, not even weeks, months or years. I couldn’t imagine having decades, centuries or millennium to finish a task. Perhaps that tips over at roleplayingtips.com will help you out where I can’t.
Even the best laid mysteries with all of the hints and clues placed before the PCs can stall out. It could be some thick-headedness on the players’ parts, or just some bad dice rolls. Whatever throws you in that ditch, there are ways out of it. Go see what DNAPhil has to say on the matter. It’s good stuff.
Ask The GMs: How to GM solo PCs (especially in combat)
I’ve ran a very few solo RPGs in the past because I’ve usually been blessed with good groups to game with. However, there are times when I’ve done it and it can be tricky. There just one character there to do everything necessary to move the plot forward and not to die against the Bad Things you throw at them. Johnn and Mike have some great advice on how to go about running a solo campaign. Go check them out.
Sorry for the lack of posting during the week. Things have changed in life, and this blog has fallen to the bottom of the barrel on my priority list. That might change in the future, but don’t hold your breath. I still have time for a Friday Five, though!
I love this concept! I’ve used it quite a bit in the past, and I’m about to do it again in a campaign that starts this weekend. I’m taking PCs from a past campaign, turning them into NPCs for this game and running with them. I can’t wait to do it to see how it goes. The PCs were from a very long running campaign, so I know them well. This should help add more life to the game.
How does the possibility of resurrection change death? Quite a bit, it turns out. If new life can be gained with a large diamond and a simple spell, then what’s to stop people from being horribly stupid in the face of vast dangers? Not much, really. For a full dissertation on the matter, follow the link and see what Bauxtehude has to say on the matter.
If you can’t resurrect your dead, how do you bury them? Different cultures have different means of disposing of corpses in an honorable way. Adding these details about death to your game can really bring out its life!
World Building 101 – Avoiding “Filler”
Speaking of adding details to a campaign, there’s a right way and a wrong way. It’s great for a GM to know every last minutiae about his or her world, but it’s another thing to cram it down the players’ throats. Avoid useless filler and life will go better for your campaign.
With An Evil Gleam: Giving Treasure a Personality
Speaking of my new game that I’ll be starting this weekend, I feel very close to this post. Treasure should be more than a count of gold and a list of magic items. It should be tailored to the creature(s) slain and to the group. I’m not talking about fulfilling wish list items the players have put together, but more along the lines of making the treasure important to the campaign as a whole. Mike over at Campaign Mastery has a whole long list of items that can be included in treasure to give it that special something.
I must apologize for the blog going dark over the past couple of weeks. School, life, my novel and general other things caught up to me and I rarely had a chance to watch my RSS feeds for good stuff, let alone write about them. I’m throwing in a bonus link today as a minor apology for my lack of posting.
Ahh… Character backgrounds. I love writing them, most players don’t. I guess it’s just the writer in me that loves creating a beautifully crafted piece of prose to illustrate who my character is, what his goals are, and why he ticks the way he does. Need a springboard to launch your next character background? Go check out what NewbieDM has to say on the matter.
Who Owned Your Magic Sword Before You Did?
This post is a great one! In my own RPG that I’ve created there is no such thing as a “long sword +1.” Yes, there are magical weapons, but they are all unique unto themselves and act almost like characters do, even if they’re not intelligent, per se. This post really brought home to me the fact that someone else most likely owned/used/cherished the item before the player’s came along, slaughtered the monster and took the loot. This is a great chance for some excellent role playing.
3 Ways Game Masters Show, Don’t Tell
Show. Don’t Tell. I hate those three words. I hear them rarely from my critique group, but I get it often enough that it rankles my nerves. I have being told that I’ve missed the mark… even when I have. This is a great article on how GM’s can really spice up the environment the players are in.
As a creator of an RPG that has gone through many iterations over the past decade, I hope that I’ve finally hit the nail on the head with a balance between realism and game play. It’s a tough rope to walk, and Bill over at Dungeon Mastering has a great post on the topic.
TPK usually stands for “total party kill,” but in this case a single character must die to move the plot forward. It’s a rough thing to do, and I’ve seen it happen a few times. As a player, I love being the one that dies because my death has meaning and purpose other than falling to that random encounter that was tougher than the GM thought it was going to be. If a character must die for the plot to move forward, I can totally handle it. I think it’s a great idea, but it has to be done just right or the whole thing falls flat and turns into the loss of yet another character… and possibly another player.
Last night at the Pathfinder table, we lost 3 of the 5 party members in a nasty fight with some demon dogs. Damn. It happens, though and we move on with new characters. How do these new characters get integrated into an existing plot and party structure? It’s kind of rough at times. Fortunately the survivors made it back to town where they’ll have a chance to meet the new characters in a neutral or friendly setting. Go see what Wimwick has to say on the matter. It’s a great post!
I have family visiting at the moment, so I’m sneaking a few minutes away from them to make this post. Just the links this time around since I don’t have time to comment.
Fighting an Opponent You Can’t Beat
Rethinking Kobolds
Character Creation: The Importance Of Planning Ahead
Play Boldly
World Building 101: Campaign Styles – Part One
Ages ago, I was running an AD&D 2e game in which we were using all of the core books, all of the gray books and all of the brown books. Life was good, though my bag was HEAVY with books, dice, pencils, paper, maps, minis, wet-erase battlemats and more. The group I ran was comprised of a goblin wizard (Sartak), a human fighter (Purlas) and an elven ranger (Killdash). The party ended up getting stopped at a door that was rusted shut. Of course, the fighter stepped up and tried to kick open the stuck door and ended up with a poor die roll. Fail. Next came the ranger with the same result. Sigh. The puny little goblin wizard then stepped up and rolled spectacularly. Success!
From that time forward, he was known as Sartak the Mighty Goblin and became the leader of the group. The human and elf, properly cowed by their failures, agreed to follow the goblin and went along with him.
Despite the success of the group and the need to get past the door, as a GM, this rubbed me a little bit the wrong way. If the big burly fighter couldn’t crack the door, then why would anyone think the weaker, smaller goblin wizard could accomplish the feat? I’ve seen this a great number of times in many different role playing situations. How do you, as GMs, put a stop to this kind of dice rolling behavior? Any advice other than to flat out stop the weaker characters from even attempting the die roll?
I’m 3 days late on this one since I’ve just crawled out of my NyQuil-induced haze from a nasty head cold. The cold is better and my consciousness has returned. Time to resume blogging!
Mailbag 1 – Character Contortion
I love this post by Chris because it illustrates the dangers of a race+class+feats=character formula of thinking. It locks people into certain stereotypes that they have a hard time getting out of. This is why I’m a huge fan of skill-based, classless systems like Hero and GURPS. My own system that I’ve created is a classless system, though I do have a section on “templates” that helps give a creative compass to those people that really need a class to define their character around. In the end, if you’re stuck in a class-based system and you want to play a thief with druidic powers, then by all means write “druid” down in the class slot, and then steal everything in sight that you can. There’s nothing stopping you from doing this… except your own imagination.
How to Protect Your Elite Villains
There are as many ways to protect a villain from exposure to the nastiness that a well prepared group of PCs can bring as there are villains out there. While this post is mainly D&D 4e centric, it can apply to any system in any genre. The trick for the GM is to find the power-points of the PCs and neutralize them for a short time, or for the duration of the fight against the Big Bad Evil Guy (BBEG.) It’s not hard to do, and I think that many players that wish to march their characters into a challenge will find the end result more rewarding for having overcome the larger obstacles.
We all care more about things that we are emotional about. This is why debates about deeply touching ideas are always the most heated. By giving your characters a greater emotional attachment to their goals, the players will become more involved. This is something the GM can foster, but in the end, this is something for the players to really do to improve the game. I really hadn’t thought to much about the topic, and I’m grateful to Chris for posting this. I think it will help me become a better gamer in the future.
Ahh… The great quandary of role playing. The rapid advancement of PCs over a short period of time can really mess things up for a GM’s world at large. Where the mighty emperor was once the greatest wizard in the lands, now he plays second fiddle to someone that just started out in adult life just a few scant months (or weeks!) ago. How very strange this can be. This is why I’m a fan of social promotion in addition to level advancement. Not only must the players increase in their power base through leveling, they must also share their exploits with civilization and increase their social status at the same time. I’m not too sure I’m a big fan of “no XP for you until you train” because then the players will do illogical things like leave half a goblin clan alive, so that they can “cash in” on the XP at a later date when it will really benefit them. I think a good balance to this one would be to allow the steady accumulation of experience points, but not of levels until a certain amount of money and time have been spent training and practicing the new skills they’ve learned in the field.
The Cultured GM: Clothes in Gaming
I think the saying goes, “Clothes make the man.” Next time you walk past a meeting at your office and you look through the window into the conference room, look at how people are dressed. If everyone is in T-shirts and jeans, except the one guy in the suit, you know that one guy is having a job interview with some engineers. If a GM includes these types of details in their world, then it will create that much more flavor and “buy in” from the players. This, in turn, will increase the players’ willingness to suspend their disbelief and pull them deeper into the setting the GM is trying to create. It’s something I’m going to try in my next game… we’ll see how it goes.
You are currently browsing the Ravenous Role Playing weblog archives.
Ravenous Role Playing is using WP-Gravatar