RPG Bloggers » Advice/Tools

Adding extra sensations to your game from Troll in the Corner » Role Playing Games

Troll In The Corner — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 15:00:42 +0000

There’s an important rule in GMing: show, don’t tell. Now, when you put a setting together, you of course tell the players various things, but once the game is in full swing, it’s obviously much more important to involve the players i...

From the Attic: The Computation Book from Bat in the Attic

Bat in the Attic — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 12:00:00 +0000

The best cool tool for creating dungeons is a really big sheet of graph paper. The only problem is that it is too cool. You want to save it for the extra special dungeon that never seems to get done. But back in the 80s I found another one just as cool...

News from Around the Net: 3-FEB-2012 from Game Knight Reviews

Game Knight Reviews — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 11:00:41 +0000

February!?! Where’d January go? Geesh!

Here in Colorado, the snow started to fly last night and we are in the first real winter storm in 2012. What does that mean for yours truly? Not much really… I work from home. But it will hopefully give me some time to work on a few side . . . → Read More: News from Around the Net: 3-FEB-2012

Consequence Case Study: Exalted from Life and Times of a Philippine Gamer

Life and Times of a Philippine Gamer — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 06:09:30 +0000

At the request of Lugh, we’re taking the discussion on consequences a little further today, and taking apart an actual game I’ve run and examined how consequences may have worked (or failed) in the context of the case. First off, let’s go over the anecdote: One of the games I’ve run that involved a huge [...]

Social Media in Modern Settings from Reality Refracted

Reality Refracted — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 05:00:00 +0000

Not a full on discussion, but something I'm hoping to get folks' input on. How many of you have taken the time to consider what social media can mean for modern day games and events? the rate at which information can spread, and the degree of familiari...

A Twist in Time: Alternate Histories in RPGs from Campaign Mastery

Campaign Mastery — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 14:08:31 +0000

The latest iteration of my superhero campaign has just gotten underway. Being set (mostly) on an alternate-history Earth, it holds a number of elements that may be of interest to readers, especially if I explain the thinking that led to the various choices that were made and my approach to the construction of a detailed [...]

Publisher Interview: Joseph Goodman of Goodman Games from Game Knight Reviews

Game Knight Reviews — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 11:00:37 +0000

The “Old School” gaming movement continues to impress me with the enthusiasm of the gamers and game companies supporting it. One of the games many gamers are excited about in 2012 is the Spring release of the Dungeon Crawl Classics Role Playing Game (or DCC RPG) from Goodman Games. And though they could go . . . → Read More: Publisher Interview: Joseph Goodman of Goodman Games

Keeping the Ball in the Air, or The Art of Consequences from Life and Times of a Philippine Gamer

Life and Times of a Philippine Gamer — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 09:41:38 +0000

Part of how I GM has always revolved around consequences. My default assumption is simple: “The player characters are the protagonists, and they should be able to inflict significant and long-term changes to the setting.” This sort of premise places a remarkable amount of responsibility on the players, who must then consider the actions of [...]

Privilege vs. Success/Failure from Reality Refracted

Reality Refracted — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 05:00:00 +0000

Did you have a good Wednesday? Mine was ok. Sorry about the late notice on no post. I completely forgot that I hadn't prepped something ahead of time until my head hit the pillow, and at that point I wasn't getting back up. It shouldn't happen again. A...

rolling for hit points in 4e from Blog of Holding

Blog of Holding — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 14:47:51 +0000

As you can tell, one of the things I miss in 4e is rolling your attributes. However, I have never missed rolling for hit points. Rolling your attributes helps throw some randomness into your character concept, and randomness is usually an aid to creativity. Rolling for hit points doesn't spark creativity. It has the potential [...]

Game-Shepherding PCs from Exchange of Realities

Exchange of Realities — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 08:00:56 +0000

When I wrote about game shepherd NPCs on Monday, Lugh chimed in with several suggestions for keeping the game shepherd from taking up too much of the stage. The last of these was, instead of using an NPC to dispense the necessary exposition, using one of the PCs, particularly one built to know just about [...]

Quick Hits: January 2012 from Online Dungeon Master

OnlineDM — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 14:30:43 +0000

After taking a brief, inadvertent break from blogging recently, I thought I’d jump back in with some quick-hit thoughts on D&D Next, my own D&D campaigns, some non-RPG games I’ve played, the Order of the Stick Kickstarter, and the u...

Quick Hits: January 2012 from Online Dungeon Master

OnlineDM — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 14:30:43 +0000

Images as RPG Inspiration from Troll in the Corner » Role Playing Games

Troll In The Corner — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 14:00:43 +0000

A picture is worth a thousand words. We have all heard that phrase many times over. Not only can they be worth a thousand words, pictures can sometimes be just the thing to get you over a hurdle when developing your campaign. Have you ever sat d...

How to write a free RPG – Chapter 8: Publish from The Free RPG Blog

The Free RPG Blog — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 12:00:00 +0000

Finish your game. Finish your game. Finish your game. Stop procrastinating and finish it. The act of creation can be exciting and a struggle but if you don't finish it, you'll never know if it was any fun to play. Publishing is what you do once you hav...

Book Review: Unusual Suspects: Guide to an Interrogation Session by Robert Oglodzinski from Library of Ancient Scroll from Game Knight Reviews

Game Knight Reviews — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 11:00:54 +0000

When I started working with Robert Oglodzinski a few months ago, I reviewed Walls Can Talk, which collects a few “legends and adventure ideas” for fantasy and horror games. The layout, done by Michael Wolf (Stargazer of Stargazer’s World), was simple and effective to put the focus on the stories at hand. I thought . . . → Read More: Book Review: Unusual Suspects: Guide to an Interrogation Session by Robert Oglodzinski from Library of Ancient Scroll

Learning from Video Games: Zelda and the Art of the Game Shepherd from Exchange of Realities

Exchange of Realities — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 08:00:52 +0000

Yesterday, I wrote about the game shepherd NPC. What got me thinking about that character type (or at least, what got me thinking this time) was that one feature that all of the 3D Zelda titles share—their local equivalent of the game shepherd, someone to look over Link’s shoulder and tell him about things that [...]

Beyond the Game III: Learning to Become a Better GM from Campaign Mastery

Campaign Mastery — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 14:00:35 +0000

Written by Michael Beck, with contributions and editing by Da’Vane. GM’s Toolbox, looks at tools, tips, and techniques you can use to improve your games. Toolbox offers you a skeleton for running a campaign, rather than fleshed out tips. This series is presented in a discussion style, and we ask you to contribute with comments [...]

Doing The Impossible from Reality Refracted

Reality Refracted — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 13:37:00 +0000

It seems I have once again set this blog to update at the wrong time. Sorry for that.RPGs are funny things. Especially the campaigns that you run at your own table. Why? Well, I don't know if you've noticed, but I'd wager that the impossible happens at...

Supplement Review: Caves & Caverns (PFRPG) by Creighton Broadhurst and David Posener from Raging Swan Press from Game Knight Reviews

Game Knight Reviews — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 11:00:33 +0000

Just about every fantasy campaign I’ve ever played in has involved a cave system or cavern at one time or another. And though I’m a fan of dungeons, I really like it when there’s more of a natural element to them. The “Five Room Dungeon” technique I first learned about in Johnn Four’s Roleplaying . . . → Read More: Supplement Review: Caves & Caverns (PFRPG) by Creighton Broadhurst and David Posener from Raging Swan Press

The Dangers of the Game Shepherd NPC from Exchange of Realities

Exchange of Realities — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 08:00:46 +0000

One of the things we’ve learned pretty quickly about introducing a player or group to a world they’ve never played in before is that they might not really know what the place is like. Not everyone reads the setting info cover to cover, after all. This is usually where we bring in the Game Shepherd [...]

Concepts You Shouldn’t Allow from Reality Refracted

Reality Refracted — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 05:00:00 +0000

This is something of an odd topic because there is a lot of variance between different play groups, and so I'd imagine that there will be a lot of different opinions on just what you should and shouldn't allow a player to be. Some GMs, especially ones ...

Sunday Inspirational Image – Spell Books from Tower of the Archmage

Tower of the Archmage — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 13:01:00 +0000

Here are some classic spell book props all from the Propnomicon blog.I especially like the travelling spell book down at the bottom.From http://propnomicon.blogspot.com/2012/01/book-of-dni.htmlFrom http://propnomicon.blogspot.com/2011/12/real...

The Details of History from Board Enterprises

Board Enterprises — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 04:30:00 +0000

I get accused of focusing on the unimportant stuff a lot. You can go back and see my opinion of role-players vs. gold farmers for more on that. A huge part of why I do it is simple - It makes everything else easier!If you wrote the history of a small...

How to make combat interesting – two suggestions from The Omnipotent Eye

The Omnipotent Eye — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 21:44:00 +0000

Go read Zak's great post on the subject from a short while back, and check out Dan Bayn's series on actio scenes on big purple. Why don't I remember all that cool shit when behind the screen?

Ancient Scroll’s Secret Room: To Punish and Enslave (or “Being Lawful”) from Game Knight Reviews

Game Knight Reviews — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 11:00:15 +0000

Nothing is more destructive of respect for the government and the law of the land than passing laws which cannot be enforced. - Albert Einstein

One who breaks an unjust law that conscience tells him is unjust, and who willingly accepts the penalty of imprisonment in order to arouse the conscience of the community . . . → Read More: Ancient Scroll’s Secret Room: To Punish and Enslave (or “Being Lawful”)

Ladies & Gentlemen, Please Excuse The Sniffles… from I'd Rather Be Killing Monsters...

HeroPress — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 06:00:00 +0000

Very much a good news/bad news week. The Tuesday Knights kicked off our new Tekralh campaign on Tuesday, which was great, but then I came down with the worst cold in six or seven years, which confined me to bed for several days... so not much else was ...

News from Around the Net: 27-JAN-12 from Game Knight Reviews

Game Knight Reviews — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 11:00:17 +0000

Hope everyone has had a good week! Mine has been interesting… We’ve been dealing with getting some water damage assessed and fixed in our house after a small overflow in an upstairs bathroom resulted in a family room waterfall through a spinning ceiling fan. Who needs Vegas and the Bellagio fountains? I had one . . . → Read More: News from Around the Net: 27-JAN-12

A Neat Character Portrait Generator from Tales of the Rambling Bumblers

Tales of the Rambling Bumblers — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 04:48:35 +0000

Or at least that’s what I intend to use it for: Doll Divine

Review: The Game Master by Tobiah Panshin from Troll in the Corner » Role Playing Games

Troll In The Corner — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 15:30:06 +0000

I thought I’d do something a little different and review something slightly more out of the ordinary. I’d originally planned to have this up and online in November when I first heard about it, but I’ve been putting it off repea...

The Secret to Background Creation from Dragon Age Oracle

Dragon Age Oracle — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 14:00:55 +0000

Do you enjoy the Dragon Age RPG? Wish you could invent your own Backgrounds? Do you think this is a short introductory paragraph? WHO CARES!? Here is my official “How To” on creating your own Backgrounds. The Breakdown Creating a Background is easier than you think. Dragon Age Set 1 actually offers a complete breakdown […]

Know Your Conflicts from Life and Times of a Philippine Gamer

Life and Times of a Philippine Gamer — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 13:57:27 +0000

Sometimes it’s easy for GMs and players to make the mistake of thinking that Combat is the only form of conflict that can harm characters. While combat is admittedly one of the easiest and most obvious means to inject tension in a game, it always helps to remember that there are other ways by which [...]

The Problem with Story Points from Siskoid's Blog of Geekery

Siskoids Blog of Geekery — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 10:05:00 +0000

...and a possible house rule solution.In many of my latest role-playing endeavors, the games have used some kind of Story Points mechanic (I even imposed optional Cinematic Points to a high-octane, John Woo-ish GURPS series). I think they work very wel...

Overarching Plots: Why Aren’t We There Yet? from Exchange of Realities

Exchange of Realities — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 08:00:12 +0000

During my riff on overarching plots in general, I pointed out one question that is vital to the writer of the overarching plot at every event (and, for that matter, is one of the few that should be answered event by event, rather than once and for all at the beginning). By this time we’re [...]

The Multi-Strand Game from Reality Refracted

Reality Refracted — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 05:00:00 +0000

I promised I'd talk about this at the beginning of the week and then got distracted by other things. That said, today I want to actually talk about it before I break my promise.Now, I don't know if this kind of game is actually called a "Multi-Strand G...

Moldvay’s “Appendix N” from Tales of the Rambling Bumblers

Tales of the Rambling Bumblers — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 01:01:23 +0000

Since Christian Lindke asks “AD&D’s Appendix N? What About the Moldvay Appendix?” but doesn’t actually list or point to the Appendix anywhere, I thought it would be helpful to reproduce it. This is the gist of it, not a letter-perfect recreation. The original is from Dungeons & Dragons, edited by Tom Moldvay, (c) 1974. Reproduced [...]

Selfishness Ruins Games, Or The Importance of Meeting Halfway from Life and Times of a Philippine Gamer

Life and Times of a Philippine Gamer — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 14:45:41 +0000

Dialog, negotiation and compromise. These are important things for any social activity, and roleplaying games are not exempt from this. I often get rants from people who either GM or play in a campaign that they’re unhappy with. Almost always, the cause of their dissatisfaction lies in the fact that either the GM or his [...]

Feather boat from Blog of Holding

Blog of Holding — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 13:44:28 +0000

Raven Feather Boat: if a dead person is put at the helm and the boat is sent adrift down a river, it will, after several hours, take all inhabitants to the shadowfell. This feather boat's power is discovered only when the PCs find the one black feather on the swan boat's body. My old houserules [...]

Random random roll from Cradle of Rabies - From role to games

Cradle of Rabies — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 11:03:00 +0000

I am reading World of Cynnibar review written by Darren McLennan (you find it here @ RPG.net) and there was this funny thing in Cynnibar example adventure.First roll D100 to determine a change then roll D100 again to determine success or failure. Isn't...

The Gassy Gnoll: What Makes a Location Fantastic (RPG Blog Carnival) from Game Knight Reviews

Game Knight Reviews — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 11:00:04 +0000

Once in a while a question crops up via a RPG Blog Carnival topic that makes me scratch my head and ponder for a bit. And yes, before you ask, most Gassy Gnolls are predominantly pondering people. We like to ponder just as much as we like to plunder, but nobody bothers to look . . . → Read More: The Gassy Gnoll: What Makes a Location Fantastic (RPG Blog Carnival)

Overarching Plots: The Major Conflict from Exchange of Realities

Exchange of Realities — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 08:00:23 +0000

In general, if you’ve got an overarching plot, you should have—one might even say there has to be—a major conflict. Something has to tie all those little plot threads together, after all! But how much do you actually have to plan beforehand, and how much can you leave to your subconscious mind, the actions of [...]

Make Or Break Time (What Would You Do?) from Reality Refracted

Reality Refracted — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 05:00:00 +0000

As I write this, I'm fresh out of a game where going in the GM was not sure if he had just killed us all with what he was planning for the session. The good news - for the PCs anyhow - is that everyone made it out alive. We handled the situation in a w...

Players: Take Some Time To Read Up On The Setting from Life and Times of a Philippine Gamer

Life and Times of a Philippine Gamer — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 14:27:23 +0000

There’s something deeply rewarding about being able to play in a game that has a complex and elaborate setting. Legend of the Five Rings, Exalted, World of Darkness, Fading Suns, Shadowrun, Eclipse Phase… these are all games which have a fairly steep learning curve when it comes to understanding the nuances of their settings. These [...]

How to write a free RPG – Chapter 7: Testing from The Free RPG Blog

The Free RPG Blog — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 12:00:00 +0000

Your game needs to be tested before it’s devoured by the general public. Testing ranges from simple mechanics tests all the way through to a full blow campaign play test. If you do not have a group to test with and cannot find a kind group to test it...

Ask The Stargazer: “Would you be willing to provide some insight into your thoughts on layout for free RPG PDFs?” from Stargazer's World

Stargazer's World — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 11:00:34 +0000

A couple of days ago Stargazer Games fan and fellow amateur game designer Michael M. contacted me via email and asked me to share a few tricks on doing the layout for free RPGs. Here’s what I came up with: Get a desktop publishing software When you...

Adventure Review: Frozen Wind (PFRPG) by Jonathan McAnulty from Rite Publishing from Game Knight Reviews

Game Knight Reviews — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 11:00:23 +0000

When I read the first couple of adventures of the Curse of the Golden Spear adventure trilogy set in Kaidan from Jonathan McAnulty and Rite Publishing, I was blown away. I remember the first time I saw the Oriental Adventures book for AD&D in 1985 and was fascinated by the world of Kara-Tur. And . . . → Read More: Adventure Review: Frozen Wind (PFRPG) by Jonathan McAnulty from Rite Publishing

Overarching Plots: Calibrating Scope from Exchange of Realities

Exchange of Realities — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 08:00:22 +0000

Yesterday, I talked about landmarks and steps that a plotter who isn’t interested in full-on outlines could use to guide herself through an overarching plot. Today, I’m going to go into more detail on one of the steps: determining a plot’s scope. Scope is, as plot variables go, somewhat messy; there are a lot of things [...]

Small Obstacles are Sometimes The Best from Reality Refracted

Reality Refracted — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 17:00:00 +0000

So, my Friday game has come and gone. Over all it was a successful game, though I did learn a few things about the weaknesses and strengths of the format I've been using for the game - more on that later in the week. However, something did stand out to...

An Overdue Introduction from Troll in the Corner » Role Playing Games

Troll In The Corner — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 15:30:03 +0000

Hello everyone. I think it’s about time I introduced myself, since it’s been three months since my last post here on Troll. My name’s Benedict, used in full to be less confusing with Mr. Troll himself, Ben Gerber. I’ve been a ta...

Beyond the Game II: Roleplaying and Reality from Campaign Mastery

Campaign Mastery — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 14:00:45 +0000