Genre makes a big difference when you are deciding what sort of challenges to put in front of your players. This is especially true in certain genres. If you are playing Call of Cthulu then at some point there should be an encounter with knowledge that man should not know. If you are playing a western …
Category: game mastering advice
Narrative Causality or Railroading is Bad, Even in Fiction
“...the proliferation of luminous fungi or iridescent crystals in deep caves where the torchlessly improvident hero needs to see is one of the most obvious intrusions of narrative causality into the physical universe.” ― Terry Pratchett, The Last Continent It is interesting to read or listen to professional writers who look at their work as craft. It's …
Continue reading Narrative Causality or Railroading is Bad, Even in Fiction
Great Post About NPC’s by John B.
John B has a great post about how he creates NPC's at The Retired Adventurer Blog. We have very similar methods. We both establish what the NPC wants and what the NPC can do to get it. John has a category of information that I like but never thought too much about. That category is …
Yes/No List
When I am working on a campaign or an adventure I often start with a technique I stole from the game Microscope I usually have some idea or a broad high concept I want to use for a campaign. It might not be more than an image or even an emotional experience like foreboding. It …
Discomfort is Good
Some of my best game sessions as a game master have come when I was not at all sure about the outcome. I had an idea, I assembled it and presented it to the players in whatever form it seemed most appropriate. The results have been varied but often the response from players is very …
Player Created Adventures
I spent a little time playing Horizon: Zero Dawn last week. If you aren't familiar it's an open world CRPG on the PS4. It combines the older style of CRPGs in that there is a series of quests that lead you through a story and unconnected side quests and errands. The setting is post apocalyptic in the …
What I Do: Characters Come and Go
I run my game every Sunday 1 PM to about 5 PM. Unless I have some family thing, I'm sick or have some issue that would prevent me from showing up, I'm there. I don't expect that my players will always make it. I encourage them to be there but I don't expect it. My …
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