Roleplaying Tips » Tools & GM Aides

150 Benign Urban Fantasy Encounters

Silveressa — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 14:50:13 +0000

by Chris Buono

Chris polled members of the GMMastery Yahoo group for benign urban encounter ideas and then added a few of his own to come up with this awesome list you might find useful for your own campaigns. Editor Isaac and I added a few more as well. Thanks Chris, Telas, and GMMastery contributors!

Try using this list a few different ways:

To help with impromptu descriptions.

An injection of scenery when designing city encounters and locations.

Encounter hooks. These items are perfect micro-situations on which to layer a larger conflict, clue, or circumstance. For example, pick an item from the list and use it as a distraction while the real encounter triggers. Your players will enjoy the one-two punch.

Inspiration. If you’ve got writer’s block, these items are perfect for getting the ideas flowing.

The List of Benign Urban Encounters

Chamber pot emptied near/on
Cats chasing each other dart past
“Please watch this cart for me, just for a minute.”
Birds of prey circling overhead
Urchin approaches for minor scam
Shadow passes across the ground
Smoke rises in distance (brush fire)
Feeling of deja vu
Insect swarm/nest on building
Howling/barking in the distance
Beggar asks for alms
Children pester party
Local teen wants to join party
Graffiti on building
Stumble onto amorous teens
Child looking for pet frog
Snake slithers away
Street vendor (food, drink, trinkets, etc.)
Rainbow in the distance
Group of bats rise in the distance
Drunken fist fight
Stumble on lover’s quarrel
Religious pilgrims with vow of silence are jeered at
“Recognized” by a drunk
Overturned vegetable cart
Criminal held in public stock
Sudden sun shower
Wind kicks up
Street performer(s)
Religious fanatic
A discarded, tattered cloak
A rusty old weapon found in gutter
Dark storm cloud approaches
Large beetle buzzes around head
Kids playing game (hide ‘n seek)
Criminal in custody is marched past
Mother looking for child
Sandstorm
Small dust whirlwind
A dead ox causes a gridlock
An overturned cart causes a gridlock
A few sun bleached papers blow by
Well-armed adventurers pass by
Roof tile falls, barely missing party
Approached by prostitute(s)
Smell of baking/cooking
Pimp (“you messin’ with my woman?”)
Wailing baby
One person chasing another
Stench of feces
Ray of light seems to surround one person
Unusually cool breeze
Rats are following you
You get a dull, throbbing headache
Injured bird lies helpless
Skunk smell
Eerily quiet
Customer angry with shopkeeper
Food fight occurring
Stung by a bee
Arid dust coats your mouth
Cop/guard walking a beat
Spoiled brat wants party item
Someone teleports away
Very friendly cat
Parent scolding child
Someone bumps pouch–nothing’s missing
Find a copper piece
Parade in honor of minor saint, hero, etc.
Foreigners arguing in their own language
Allergic reaction to exotic spice/pollen
Discount holy water salesman
Witness a minor crime
Something scurries away (chipmunk)
Street preacher accosts you
Witness a major crime
Two religious processions meet head-on
City watch follows you for 2d4 blocks
Find a silver piece
Dogs chasing each other run by
Very active beehive nearby
Howling gust of wind
Approaching lightning storm
Crow squawks repeatedly at approach
Rubbery mass stuck to your boot (gum)
Step in crap – dog, dire rat, etc.
Someone stomps in nearby puddle–splash!
Street cleaner sweeps by
Unconscious stranger on side of road
Pair of small birds harass you
Feral cat is trailing the party
A case of mistaken identity
Cloud shaped as holy symbol
Shopping list for potions is found
Old ring is sticking out of the dirt
One person has an intense itch
Hawk takes mole/mouse near party
Find a gold piece
Loose chickens peck at the street
Passing child drops pottery, cries
Raven lands in path, stares, leaves
Injured mounted scout charges through the street
Noble is carried past in a sedan chair
Two hooded people whisper on street
Young consumer is watched closely
Singing floats out of nearby building
Circus wagon trundles past, animal calls
Weapon sharpener approaches party
Large flock of birds flies acrobatics, then darts away
Private guards flank a door
Distracted senior totters straight for party
Weary knight is mobbed by adoring children
Partial eclipse of the sun
Emaciated children tug at party sleeves
People cheer for the party
A strong, young, healthy beggar asks for coin
A politician on a box of soap during a speech makes eye contact with a PC
A cat is stuck in a tree and mewls at the PCs
An escaped pet rodent rolling around the street in its ball bumps up against a PC’s leg
A religious leader and his incense burning retinue cuts across the PCs’ path
A diseased old man resting in a chair asks for help standing up
A paint can spills from above and splashes PCs
Political activists on parade beckon the PCs to join
A dangerous fish in a tank bumps loudly against the glass
A bee stings a nearby child who blindly runs to a PC for soothing
A small bird egg drops out of a nest from above and land intact nearby
An elf walks by with living snakes wrapped around his shoulders
A visitor stops to ask for directions to an interesting place
A fish vendor bends over to vomit and people point and laugh
A sheet of music blows into a PC’s face
A garbage bin rattles; inside is a tied sack of kittens
A depressed bard asks sing-song, rhetorical questions of the PCs
A dangerous-looking racoon has claimed an apple cart as his–merchant beseeches PCs
A known crime boss sits and reads while sweating shoe shine boy buffs and casts the PCs worried looks
A woman with too much fashion going on breaks her shoe and stumbles into a PC
A man gets down on one knee and proposes, drawing a crowd and knotting traffic
A beggar with his hand down a drain hole brings up a ring and immediately asks the PCs to buy it
Three performers in masks surround the PCs and do a ring dance around them
Clothing tossed out a window during a lovers’ spat lands on a PC
A woman drops a basket of fruit–can the PCs dodge before squashing some?
A crazy man points at PC’s equipment and lists its magical properties–and he’s right!
A little boy confronts the PCs and shoots them with an imaginary crossbow
PCs pass an alleyway blocked by a new spider web
A fishmonger dumps a cart of rotten fish for scavengers to clean up
A young noble passes trailed by a pickpocket
A messenger collides with the PCs and numerous papers start blowing around
A body of an evil wizard tied to a stake, body still smoking
A chatty bard walks alongside the party
A chess match
A person passed out from too much drink, looted, with writing on forehead

Masks, the good, the bad, and the ugly

Silveressa — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 06:00:06 +0000

By Silveressa

Today I have the opportunity to review Masks, a system neutral RPG supplement written by the authors of gnomestew.com.

Overview

Masks is perhaps best described as a “must have addition to any GM’s tool kit.” Contained within is 1000 NPCs, categorized by genre, skill set, trait, disposition towards party etc. (The book marking in Masks is really quite extensive and impressive.) No matter your game, or your style as a GM, Masks has a plethora of NPCs you’ll find useful.

Aside from 1000 NPCs, the book also contains a separate section detailing the finer points of how the NPCs were written up, and giving some points for GMs to use them to the best possible effect within their games. Rounding out this area is a smaller section giving tips on how to portray NPCs in their games and make them truly memorable.

Also, those ordering the electronic copy will receive Masks in both DRM-free PDF and plain text formats. (The plain text files make cutting and pasting NPCs into your adventure notes a snap, and are ideal for use with text-to-speech software.)

Masks: The Good

Perhaps the best feature of Masks is its layout. The entire book has been extensively indexed, hyperlinked and bookmarked for easy reference, making quick access at the gaming table a breeze.

The characters themselves are well detailed, striking a nice balance between providing a GM with all the info necessary to run them on the fly, without overwhelming her with a wall of text.

Each NPC comes with five paragraphs of pertinent info and a few keyword traits and personal quote that summarizes their place in a story nicely. For example, Osuk Nar appears like so:

Osusk Nar

Eccentric Alchemist

“Go ahead and collect the treasure. I’m going to remove these glands. I have a special potion in mind.”

Appearance: Osusk is a short man whose simple clothes have small tears, rips, stains, and burns. His beard is thick and his hair wild. He carries a large knapsack filled with all manner of tools and containers.

Roleplaying: He is always thinking about the next great potion or discovery that he will make. He will sniff everything and taste most things, without knowing what they are. He examines everything from every angle.

Personality: Osusk has never fit in anywhere, but he doesn’t care. Social cues don’t register with him. Coupled with being direct and curious, Osusk is usually saying or doing something different from everyone else.

Motivation: Two factors drive the alchemist: a thirst for knowledge and a weakness for food, wine, and women. Both of these have left him without coin for most of his life. Only by selling what he learns and makes has he survived.

Background: Born in the wilderness, Osusk learned quickly that his mind was a better weapon than his brawn. He learned how to make things people wanted from items found in nature; he specializes in brewing potions. He learned that his items fetched a better price in the more civilized lands, so that’s where he sells his wares. Despite doing his best not to act like a barbarian, he sometimes caves to temptation and blows all of his money on wine, women, and food.

Traits: (PV) Eccentric, impoverished, primal, scientist

Masks: The Bad

One thing I found missing from the NPCs was a list of two or three specific skills each NPC would be considered especially competent in, making it easier for GMs to quickly get a feel for what abilities an NPC could offer the player group. (Using the above example, listing potion crafting and wilderness survival as significant skills would have been handy.)

Such a minor omission is barely noteworthy however, and most GMs can easily glean an NPC’s skill specialties from reading their descriptions and background.

Masks: The Ugly

In a book of NPCs, perhaps the ugliest part one could hope to find is the selection of vile villains. And in that regard Masks delivers in spades. There are 249 villains throughout the book (83 per genre), ranging from the teenage psychopath who likes bloodlust and fuzzy kittens in equal measure, to a kind and gentle healer who is possessed by a predatory demonic entity.

All of the villains contained within are memorable and can be tailored to work as henchmen for a greater evil, or be masterminds in their own right if the GM so desires.

Conclusion

While the sheer number of NPCs may seem intimidating to new GMs, finding the perfect candidate for any session is as easy as it is enjoyable; making Masks a super addition to any GM’s toolkit.

Even those who aren’t GMs will enjoy owning a copy of Masks, as the NPCs contained within make great inspiration to base a PC on, and can provide great allies and adversaries to put in their character’s background story.

Drama Doubloons

Silveressa — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 06:00:10 +0000

by Lord Skudley

Drama Doubloons {DD} will be awarded to any Character who commits a selfless act or brave deed that can only be called Heroic. Likewise Drama Doubloons can be offered to an evil aligned character that performs a particularly vile act. They can be used at the player’s discretion to perform amazing, often otherwise impossible acts, or to advance their character’s profile. The GM will receive one Drama Doubloon per PC as well as one Drama Doubloon for each Drama Doubloon spent by the PCs. A player may not hold more than 20 Drama Doubloons; The GM may not hold more than 40.

On their turn, before the success or failure of an action, a player can announce they are spending a DD to help accomplish the action. This may involve adding 1d4 per DD, to their roll. This cannot be stacked with the Panache Feat nor added to damage.

If used with an attack roll, and the attack roll would have succeeded without the DD, the attack is upgraded to an automatic Critical.

One DD may be spent after a roll to add 1d4 per DD to the roll. This cannot be stacked with the Panache Feat nor added to damage.

One DD may be spent to re-roll any failed roll. The second roll may not be re-rolled.

One DD may be spent to “Take 10″ on any roll that normally does not allow for a “Take 10″.

One DD may be spent to “Take 20″ on a roll that normally allows a “Take 10″

A player or GM may spend a DD to purchase a called shot.

One DD may be spent to activate a Hubris/Flaw or a Virtue/Wile.

If used when a character is being attacked; one DD can be spent to add a +1d20 “Luck Bonus” to the Armor Class or a Saving Throw. If used with a saving throw for half damage or partial effect, and the save would have succeeded without the DD, then he takes no damage or ill effects at all.

One DD may be spent to make something work in a way the rules normally do not allow {i.e. popping open a lock in the middle of combat by banging on it just right, firing an arrow, or throwing one’s sword to cut the bonds of a bound ally in the middle of a fight, or not only disarming a foe, but sending the weapon sailing into the hand of a nearby ally}. Actions allowed at the GM’s discretion.

Rollin’ the Bonez: If an action or die roll determines the character will fall below con points or die, a DD may be used to Roll the Bonez. The GM determines the outcome from the Bonez Chart (ranging from a Disfiguring Scar to a Gruesome & Horrible Death) the character takes no wounds, but passes out and is assumed dead by any attacking party.

If an action or die roll determines the character will die, two DDs may be used to purchase a “Kat’s Life”. A “Kat’s Life” negates the death of the character and reduces the current wounds / damage by half {round up}. A “Kat’s Life” may only be used Nine times. Each “Kat’s Life” purchased after the first costs one additional DD. Cannot be used against a Coop De Grace.

Two DDs may be spent to purchase one Skill Point. Up to the maximum of four skill points at each Character’s level up.

DDs may be traded for one extra Feat at twice the character’s current level per feat; a character may buy a maximum of four feats. May only be used once per character level. A Skill may be purchased as a permanent Class Skill for the same expenditure.

Rollin’ the Bonez

The character passes out and is assumed dead by any attacking party. Other players must perform a spot check of DC 10 or a search check of DC 8 to notice that the character is still living. Do not disclose the affects until the battle is resolved. For all rolls involving the option of left or right roll again: odds right, evens left.

“The Bonez tell me nothing!” (no damage)

Impressive Facial Scar: Both suave and rakish. +2 to charisma.

BattleScars: Neither particularly suave nor ugly, this mesh of scars gives the impression that you have seen a lot of fights. +1 to reputation.
Severe Scar: Nasty and memorable. – 2 to diplomacy, +1 to reputation & intimidate.

“The Bonez tell me nothing! ” (No damage)

Disfiguring Scar: Powder burns, deep wide cuts, flayed skin. -2 to commonality, +2 to reputation & intimidate.

Hideous Scar: Worse than merely disfiguring, these are Hideous; missing nose, ear, part of your face… -3 to commonality, +2 to reputation, Frightening Countenance.

Throat wound: You can no longer speak above a horse whisper. +2 to any skill where a disturbing voice could be useful. Then again you can no longer shout.

Loss of an eye: -4 to all spot checks. Hopefully this is your first, otherwise…

“The Bonez tell me nothing! ” (No damage)

Develops a limp: -5 to speed, -2 to climb, jump, tumble, & balance. However you now have an impressive swagger. +1 to charisma.

Loss of a leg: -10 to speed, -5 to climb, swim, jump, ride, tumble, balance, move silently & reflex save. +2 to reputation.

Loss of a finger: Roll a d10: 1&2 thumb, 3&4 index finger, 5&6 middle finger, 7&8 ring finger, 9&10 pinky. If more than 2 fingers lost -1 to craft, disable device, forgery, slight of hand and use rope.

Loss of your passive hand: -2 circumstance bonus to attacks with two handed weapons, climb, craft, disable device, escape artist and use rope.

“The Bonez tell me nothing!” (No damage)

Loss of your dominant hand: -4 circumstance bonus to attacks with two handed weapons, climb, craft, disable device, escape artist, forgery, open lock, slight of hand and use rope.

Serious wound: DC 15. If failed -2 to con, may be regained in 1d4 months.

Really Serious wound: DC 15. If failed -3 to con, may be regained in 2d4 months.

Especially Serious wound: DC 16. If failed -4 to con, may be regained in 2d4 months.

“The Bonez demand more!!! ” (Roll on the Brain Bonez or roll a d8)

Loss of your passive arm: -5 to climb, craft, disable device, escape artist and use rope.

Loss of your dominant arm: -10 to climb, craft, disable device, escape artist, forgery, open lock, slight of hand and use rope.

Weathered: You have seen too much of life at its harshest, too many storms at sea, too many battles that you have barley survived. -1 to dexterity, strength and -2 to constitution. You are not yet dead +2 to reputation!

Worn: Life has not been kind to you. Too many years of battle, disease and abuse have demanded their sacrifice. -2 to dexterity, strength and -4 to constitution. But, by god, you may still have a little more fight left. +4 to reputation.

Mortal wound: must be attended by a doctor, DC 19. If failed death.

Dramatic Death: Your death will long be remembered and be celebrated in story & song.

Gruesome and Horrible Demise: Your demise will be spoken of in dark whispers and remembered with a quiet shudder.

“The Bonez tell me nothing!” (No damage)

Brain Bonez

1-2. Strange Quirk: You have developed a personal “tick” such as an odd swagger to your walk, or a distinctive way of speaking. +1 to reputation

3-4. Compulsive Disorder: You acquire a mannerism you continually repeat. Such as persistently sharpening your cutlass or shouting “I am not a dog! ” +2 to intimidate, -2 to hide and move silently.

5-6. Mild Phobia: You develop a slight irrational fear of something. When confronted by the thing that you fear, make a Will Save, DC 15. Success means you gain a + 1 Circumstance Bonus to all attack rolls, failure means you become shaken until you leave the presence of whatever is causing your fear. See Phobia List for examples.

7-8. Depression: Your experiences have left you world weary and somewhat bereft of hope. You tend to see the gloomy side of every situation and aren’t particularly fun to be around. -2 Charisma.

9-10. Kleptomania: You can’t resist taking small objects that have no particular value. Whenever you can steal a small object, without being noticed, make a Will Save; DC 15. Failure means you attempt to pocket the item. Sleight of Hand is now a class skill for you, however, you must do your best to keep the condition a secret from every one around you and if you are ever caught, you’ll deny it till your dying breath.

11-12. Mild Delusions: You believe things that simply aren’t true or perceive things that aren’t there, such as you are invincible. Make a Will Save; DC 10 or your delusions start kicking in.

13-14. Phobia: You develop a strong irrational fear of something. When confronted by the thing or condition that you fear, make a Will Save, DC 15. Success means that you are merely shaken, while failure means that you are frightened until you leave the presence of whatever is causing your fear. See Phobia List for examples.

15-16. Paranoia: They’re out to get you, you’re sure of it. You aren’t quite certain who they are, so you’re always watching to catch them at it. You trust no one. Whenever any stimulus occurs that could set off your paranoia, make a Will Save; DC 15. Success means that you can act, normally, but you have to do your best to “keep an eye” on whatever it was that set you off. Failure means that you are shaken and you loudly, publicly accuse your “enemies” of their “deceptions.”

17-18. Megalomania: The time has at last come for you to embrace your great destiny. The weak willed fools that once held you back must either be killed or showed to a place at your feet where they can be your lackeys. Only you have the foresight and the will to govern. All others are merely pawns, to be used and discarded at your whims. You get a +2 bonus to Will Saves and a +2 bonus to Intelligence. You must make a Will Save; DC 20 in order to tolerate orders of any kind, from anybody.

19. Major Phobia: You develop a completely irrational fear of some horrible thing. Anyone that doesn’t share your fear is, potentially, a lunatic or inhumanly brave. You actively go out of your way to avoid any situation that you reasonably suspect may expose you to the source of your phobia. Whenever confronted by the thing you fear, make a Will Save; DC 15. Success means that you are only frightened, while failure means that you are panicked until you leave the presence of whatever is causing your fear. See Phobia List for examples.

20. Powerful Delusions: You believe things that are blatantly untrue and perceive many things that aren’t there. Your delusions are eternally present, in one form or another. You have to make a Will Save with a DC 25 to even catch a glimpse of the “real” world or remain lucid for a brief time. Failure means you’re lost in your delusions and unreachable outside of their context for a few hours. Example: You’re an ancient dragon and you cannot understand why your “fiery breath” wasn’t more effective in stopping those horde robbers.

Rollin’ the Bonez: If an action or die roll determines the character will fall below 1/2 con points or die, a DD may be used to Roll the Bonez. The GM determines the outcome from the Bonez Chart (ranging from a Disfiguring Scar to a Gruesome and Horrible Death) the character takes no wounds, but passes out and is assumed dead by any attacking party.

Two DDs may be spent to purchase one Skill Point. Up to the maximum of four skill points at each Character’s level up.

Rollin’ the Bonez

“The Bonez tell me nothing!” (no damage)

Impressive Facial Scar: Both suave and rakish. +2 to charisma.

Battle Scars: Neither particularly suave nor ugly, this mesh of scars gives the impression that you have seen a lot of fights. +1 to reputation.
Severe Scar: Nasty and memorable. – 2 to diplomacy, +1 to reputation & intimidate.

“The Bonez tell me nothing! ” (no damage)

Disfiguring Scar: Powder burns, deep wide cuts, flayed skin. -2 to commonality, +2 to reputation & intimidate.

Hideous Scar: Worse than merely disfiguring, these are Hideous; missing nose, ear, part of your face… -3 to commonality, +2 to reputation, Frightening Countenance.

Throat wound: You can no longer speak above a horse whisper. +2 to any skill where a disturbing voice could be useful. Then again you can no longer shout.

Loss of an eye: -4 to all spot checks. Hopefully this is your first, otherwise…

“The Bonez tell me nothing! ” (no damage)

Develops a limp: -5 to speed, -2 to climb, jump, tumble, & balance. However you now have an impressive swagger. +1 to charisma.

Loss of a leg: -10 to speed, -5 to climb, swim, jump, ride, tumble, balance, move silently & reflex save. +2 to reputation.

Loss of your passive hand: -2 circumstance bonus to attacks with two handed weapons, climb, craft, disable device, escape artist and use rope.

“The Bonez tell me nothing!” (no damage)

Loss of your dominant hand: -4 circumstance bonus to attacks with two handed weapons, climb, craft, disable device, escape artist, forgery, open lock, slight of hand and use rope.

Serious wound: DC 15. If failed ?2 to con, may be regained in 1d4 months.

Really Serious wound: DC 15. If failed ?3 to con, may be regained in 2d4 months.

Especially Serious wound: DC 16. If failed ?4 to con, may be regained in 2d4 months.

“The Bonez demand more!!! ” (roll on the Brain Bonez or roll a d8)

Loss of your passive arm: -5 to climb, craft, disable device, escape artist and use rope.

Loss of your dominant arm: -10 to climb, craft, disable device, escape artist, forgery, open lock, slight of hand and use rope.

Mortal wound: must be attended by a doctor, DC 19. If failed death.

Dramatic Death: Your death will long be remembered and be celebrated in story & song.

Gruesome and Horrible Demise: Your demise will be spoken of in dark whispers and remembered with a quiet shudder.

“The Bonez tell me nothing!” (no damage)

Brain Bonez

1-2. Strange Quirk: You have developed a personal “tick” such as an odd swagger to your walk, or a distinctive way of speaking. +1 to reputation

7-8. Depression: Your experiences have left you world weary and somewhat bereft of hope. You tend to see the gloomy side of every situation and aren’t particularly fun to be around. -2 Charisma.

11-12. Mild Delusions: You believe things that simply aren’t true or perceive things that aren’t there, such as you are invincible. Make a Will Save; DC 10 or your delusions start kicking in.

My Digital Campaign Toolbox

Johnn Four — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 02:14:54 +0000

GnomeStew author DNAphil recently posted about what digital tools he uses to run his campaign. At the end he asked GMs what tools they use, and I thought I’d respond here in the newsletter.

Four Tool Types

You can divide tools into four categories based on how they’re used by GMs:

Group management and organization
Planning, design and preparation
Aids during sessions
Backup and security

I tend to use a lot of software. I do not think the average GM will use this amount or variety, but I like to experiment and I am ok with installing something that has just one specific use for me.

You might prefer to limit your software choices, which is great. I just want to make sure you do not interpret my list as a tip to use lots of software.

Instead, my tip would be to find what works for you and stick with it unless something more useful comes along.

Two New Trends In GM Digital Tools

You might recall I’ve written about GM software before. In the years since, though, digital GMing options have changed due to two great trends.

The first trend is shocking in how fast it’s emerged. Mobile devices like the iPad and Android have entered the GMing arena, and with them vast apps marketplaces.

Apps allow fast development and single-task solutions. Before, software tended to cover more functionality, 90% of which you might never use. Now, you can get specific with your GM needs and find great apps for them.

This means GM solutions are faster to develop and easier to improve over time. Great news for us!

The second trend covers improved online services. Web 2.0 stuff. Quite often these tools are free, and because they are online, can be collaborative.

That means everybody in your group can get involved, get value from, or interact with each other outside game night.

Category #1: Group Management And Organization

Session logistics

We use Yahoo Groups to coordinate sessions. The group mail feature lets us pick game days through email. Conversations also get threaded at the group site for easy future GM reference.

Groups also offers file storage, database and calendar.

Yahoo Groups >>

I use Google Groups for various non-GMing projects. It offers similar functionality to Yahoo Groups, and you might find this service preferable.

Google Groups >>

Session scheduling conflicts

When it seems like a maze picking the best date to play because everybody’s schedule is crazy, I go to Doodle to help me make a fast decision.

You create a new poll per conflicted session, enter potential dates, and ask everybody to vote for their preferred dates or available dates.

Doodle then tallies votes on each date and shows the winner. Plus, you can see who voted for when. This function is sometimes important if a session requires one or more players to be present for plot reasons.

Doodle >>

Campaign Wiki

We use PBWorks to coordinate long-term information for each campaign, such as character sheets, campaign FYIs, player contact info, player session logs, and so on.

Each session we take turns supplying dinner. So that schedule, plus a list of player allergies and preferences, goes onto the wiki too.

PBWorks >>

I tried using a GM wiki, but I prefer a different tool, MyInfo, which I describe in the next section.

You might also get great value out of RPG wiki-like services, such as Obsidian Portal or Epic Words.

Another option is Google Sites, which has an easy website builder and toolset.

Category #2: Planning And Preparation

Player feedback

I ask for session feedback, treasure wishlists, campaign moment requests, and similar player input. This gets handled in person or by email.

For email, I use GMail to keep this information organized. Using the label feature, you can tag emails however you want.

My labels are:

Ideas
Reference
To Do
Waiting

Ideas are player requests and other inspirational messages.

Reference contains rules discussions, good links and information I might want to refer back to.

To Do is my bucket of action items that crop up in email discussion.

Waiting is stuff I await a reply on from a player. I comb through this bucket before sessions and prod players who need to get back to me on something.

You can assign an email multiple labels. So, something might be Reference, To Do and Ideas at the same time.

Gmail >>

Information Management

I use MyInfo to manage all the details of my campaigns, adventures, NPCs, encounters and game worlds. It’s commercial PC software.

I created a web page that goes into detail about why MyInfo has been my GM tool of choice for several years running. The page includes several screenshots of my Riddleport campaign file and setup too.

From the page, in addition to features info, you can also download a free trial:

MyInfo for RPG >>

If you are looking for free digital tools for campaign info management, you can’t go wrong with wikis or Google Sites.

Tablesmith For Generators

A cool shareware program (just $10) that is your personal random generator.

It comes with lots of generators, and you can get a bunch more from the Yahoo fan group, including tables from my book, NPC Essentials.

You can create your own generators fast with the program’s editor.

Advanced features let you combo tables or create Mad Libs type generators.

Tablesmith >>

Also check out Chaotic Shiny’s generators.

NPC Generation

I’ve spoken about Hero Lab several times in the newsletter, so will not say too much here.

While I use it for Pathfinder, it supports many game systems, including D&D 4E, Mutants and Masterminds, Shadowrun, Savage Worlds and Call of Cthulhu.

You can read a recent review of Hero Lab here.

Productivity

Here’s a new one I have not told you about. It’s called Action Enforcer and it helps me get more done in the limited time I have available to do campaign planning.

I should write a full review of it sometime. In a nutshell, you decide what you want to accomplish, then you set up timers that countdown time remaining for your tasks.

This works for several reasons. A deadline forces efficiency. You are less likely wander surfing when there’s a timer reminding you to stay on track.

You also learn just how long certain areas of game prep take, so you can budget better in the future.

And most important, it gets you to plan what you’re going to do ahead of time.

“Task grazing,” which is moving from task to task with no plan and just doing things as they come to you, is often inefficient. Many times I’ve showed up at a session only to realize I should have spent more time on X instead of working on less important things like picking NPC hair colours.

Thinking a bit first, which usually takes under a minute, and setting up timers for key tasks, easily doubles my productivity.

GoodReader

This iPad app is essential to me. I use it to read my rulebooks in PDF format and to view images and maps. Easy to use during sessions, too.

GoodReader >>

Index Cards

A sweet iPad app that lets me plot things out fast, easy and visually.

It’s basically virtual index cards, but with sorting, ordering, drag-and-place, extended text field, search, projects and list view.

I use it for encounter prep, but whatever you want to use index cards for, you can do with this app.

Index Cards >>

A nod goes to Corkulous. This is like Index Cards but uses Post-It notes instead.

Daily Notes

This iPad app is my idea capture system.

Pen and notebook work just fine, but I have my iPad with me all the time, anyway. And Daily Notes offers me tabbed sections (i.e. Work, RPT, Gamer Lifestyle, Riddleport), tags, search, date sort and digital editing.

Daily Notes >>

CarbonFin Outliner

When I want a bullet list brainstorm, I use this iPad app. Create unlimited outlines, with nesting.

Tasks allow me to create quick action lists. You can tag items, add notes and export to email as text or OPML.

CarbonFin Outliner >>

Penultimate

This was the app that hooked me into buying an iPad. Draw with your finger!

Just like a whiteboard, but it’s portable, offers a square grid background option and lets you export. You can also organize your diagrams and maps into albums.

Penultimate >>

Chronology

A timer iPad app I discuss in detail here.

iThoughts HD

A killer mindmapping iPad app. I love mindmaps for brainstorming and planning.

Category #3: Game Session Tools

This category covers software I use at the game table.

Most of the software and apps have been covered above. What I use to prepare, I use to help run sessions.

However, starting this past September I’ve embarked on a quest to reduce my computer use at the table. That’s probably a discussion better held in an article not about software.

I just found myself looking at a computer screen more and more, and I didn’t like that trend.

But currently, in addition to MyInfo, GoodReader, Hero Lab and TableSmith, I also use a couple other things:

* Google Spreadsheet

I’ve got a pretty slick spreadsheet setup now, after months of in-game use and tweaks.

I use it to track initiative and various PC stats that I prefer to roll myself in secret, such as perception skill checks.

* Pathfinder SRD

What’s better than having the rules online? I can search, bookmark and keep several rules open in multiple tabs in my browser.

Pathfinder SRD >>

MapTool

I also plan on seeing what MapTool can offer for easier mapping and exploration.

Several RPT readers have mentioned this free software, and it’s on my list to learn more about.

MapTool >>

Category #4: Backup And Security

I saved the most boring stuff for last. Hooray! I feel, though, that if you use technology for gaming, you need to protect it.

To protect my data, I use DropBox, which is like a virtual hard drive. The service gives you 2 GB of cloud storage for free.

There is a desktop application, an online version you can use through a browser, and a standalone app.

Plus, most of the apps I mention in this article have DropBox integration.

You can also share specific folders you create in DropBox with your players. This makes file transfer super easy. When you update a file in a DropBox folder, that update simultaneously propagates through all your devices and shared folders. Everybody is always on the same page, so to speak.

You could use DropBox to easily distribute player guides, handouts and surveys. Players could use it to share their character sheets.

DropBox >>

SyncBack

Some data I’m not willing to trust to the cloud just yet. Character sheets? No problem. My tax filings? No.

So I use computer backup software called SyncBack, which is freeware. The best feature is the scheduler, which means backup is automated and hands-free.

SynchBack >>

Malwarebytes Anti-Malware

I first used this commercial software to remove a trojan on my computer in 2008.

Trojan and virus removal is free as a one-time service. I purchased the full version for 24/7 protection after it proved to me it works.

And it has caught malware several times for me over the years, before it could infect my machine.

I do not buy computers for my family anymore without also buying a license of Malwarebytes for them.

Malwarebytes >>

Avast Anti-Virus

In the fall of 2008 my computer became infected. I had anti-virus protection, but it failed.

After Malwarebytes cleaned things up, I did some research. Some companies invest a lot of time in reviewing and researching anti-virus software. The common conclusion?

No single piece of software catches everything. There are a few logical reasons for this, such as hackers sometimes targeting one piece of anti-virus software or software virus definition updates come a little bit too late to you.

So, the advice was to install multiple AV applications to create an effective net for protection.

This still does not give you 100% protection, but reduces chances even more. Assuming your RAM and CPU are sufficient to manage multiple AV services running on your machine at the same time, then I recommend adding Avast.

Avast is free and always well-rated.

Avast >>

Microsoft Security Essentials

This free service came to my attention through the Windows Secrets newsletter.

Windows Secrets >>

I had previously not trusted MS anti-virus schemes. But Windows Secrets raved about this new service for Windows owners. They put it to the test and it beat other applications, including Avast, in finding and protecting from threats.

So what the heck. Three is a good number, right? So I also run Microsoft Security Essentials with Avast and Malwarebytes.

Microsoft Security Essentials >>

Conclusion & Caveat

So, that’s a lot of software. And please understand that I like fiddling and trying out software. My list here is not meant to tell you that you need a bunch of software to be a great GM or to run great games. Far from it.

It’s just personal preference. Though, as I mentioned, I’m weaning myself off computer use at the table a bit.

The biggest tip I can offer you, from years of personal experience, is to step away from technology and first think about how you want to organize yourself and operate as a game master.

Make technology work according to your systems and preferences, not the other way around.

Get your systems in place, then determine what aids you need, such as software, hardware, binders, index cards, Post-Its, and whatever else works for you.

Too often we spot software we think is cool and we suddenly change our methods. Most often, it’s temporary, as you discover the inevitable limitations any one piece of software imposes.

Instead, plan your GMing system first, according to your strengths, weaknesses and preferences. Then find software that meets your needs.

You will avoid many false starts, time wasted on data migration, and time wasted learning how to use software that you discard in a few months or less.

For me, MyInfo, Hero Lab and Google Spreadsheet are my core because they work with my GMing methods, not the other way around.

Dungeon Master Tools – MyInfo Software

Johnn Four — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 01:06:23 +0000

Dungeon Master Tool Review: How To Be On Top Of Your Game Without Breaking A Sweat

Track your entire world, your whole campaign, and every adventure with MyInfo Software

Update January 2013: Video Course Shows You How to Use MyInfo

Hi, this is Johnn. I’ve just setup an online course to show you how to use My Info as a dungeon master tool for brilliant campaign organization.

Follow along with a series of videos that shows me using the software. Get an over the shoulder look at exactly how I use MyInfo to stay on top of my campaigns, stay organized, and have any info I need just a couple clicks away.

Check the course out here >>

I’ve been using MyInfo as my dungeon master tool for notes and GM organization for years. I’ve tried other methods and other software, but MyInfo helps me run my games best.

A new version was recently released, and MyInfo 6 offers even more features to manage your campaign efficiently.

Created by Milenix Software, MyInfo offers much more than a place to store your notes. It’s a massive Bag of Holding that allows you to manage every detail of your game dynamically.

It lets you make connect notes in such a way that your information becomes a living, breathing Tome of Knowledge for your game this truly is almost magical.

Why I Use MyInfo For GMing

MyInfo is not cheap. The Standard Edition is $49.95 and the Pro Edition is $99.95. However, it’s a one-time expense that, for me, has paid for itself many times over.

I used GM binders for years. Then I switched to index cards. But going digital meant search! I was tired of flipping through pages of notes over and over. A digital campaign organizer gives me unlimited notes and a way to find and sort them fast.

So, in the mid-2000s, I tried a ton of applications out. I tried plain text files, wikis, OneNote, NoteTab, Evernote, WeatherMaster, Hero Lab, MasterPlan, a database and even some free software that offers similar functionality to MyInfo.

ENWorld had a massive thread of GM software. So did the WotC forums. I clicked all the links. I installed all that software, too.

But, after a ton of experimentation, I returned to MyInfo. It offers features and support I can’t get elsewhere. And it’s made my GMing better and more fun because I’m so organized.

But the deal maker for me is always how easy it is to get organized and stay organized with MyInfo. You can spend a whole weekend organizing your binder, cards, OneNote files or whatever system you use. But soon the system breaks down again, right? Stuff gets harder to find as Entropy sinks its claws into your information.

That’s why I’ve stuck with MyInfo for so many years. And each new version keeps offering me new features to help me stay on top of my game.

I’m going to now list all the features I use that makes MyInfo my killer GM app. You decide for yourself whether this software and its investment is worth it for you.

A Quick Disclosure

But first, I want to disclose the fact that if you purchase MyInfo using the link below, Roleplaying Tips will earn a small commission from that.

I’ve been a customer of Petko’s, the owner of Milenix Software, for years. I’ve submitted a lot of feature requests to him to make MyInfo more useful to me as a GM. I use MyInfo for personal and business use as well, which is another reason this software is so valuable.

And Petko has accommodated many of my requests to tweak MyInfo so game masters can get a little extra juice out of it.

He has also supplied many copies of MyInfo to Roleplaying Tips readers as prizes over the years, and I appreciate that a lot. (Thanks again, Petko!)

When Petko emailed and asked if I wanted to be a sales representative of MyInfo, I jumped at the chance. It’s great software. I use it daily. It has my full recommendation because I use the product and get so much value out of it, especially for GMing.

MyInfo Features For Game Masters

Ok, so why is MyInfo a critical hit for GM organization and information management?

Let’s cover the main reasons:

Reason 1: Multiple “Topic” files

Take an app like Evernote. All the meta data – the tags and such – are shared by all the “books” you create. Each book represents a completely separate bucket of information.

For example, you might have one for work, one for home, and one for each campaign.

But all the books share the same meta data! My NPC tag gets mixed up with Weekly Monday Marketing Meeting Notes tag. Work, home and RPG get all mixed up.

Bleh.

MyInfo creates a separate “space” for each topic. So my RPG peanut butter never gets mixed with my work chocolate. Further, my Riddleport campaign peanut butter never gets mixed with my Planescape campaign chocolate.

Yet, you can still search, link and reference between topics. You get the best of both worlds.

For example, I create a topic called “PFRPG Rules” to hold frequent rules my group uses. I also add house rules and house amendments and our interpretations to official rules. When creating an NPC in my Riddleport Topic, I can link to a rule in the PFRPG Rules topic as needed. It’s perfect.

Here’s a screenshot of some of my Topics, which are arranged like handy tabs. I can switch topics just by clicking a tab. For example, if I’m playing my Castle Amber game, I click that Topic and all my notes are there, ready to use.

And if I want to borrow an NPC from Castle Amber to use in my Riddleport campaign, linking back and forth between topics is silly-easy.

Reason 2: Multiple “Documents” per Topic

Each topic offers unlimited Documents. Consider a Document to be like a single Word file or web page.

Documents are placed in a tree structure. That makes it very easy to find, hide and group related documents together.

If you have not worked with a document tree before, you are missing out!

For example, for NPCs I often have two or three Documents nested under a single Document:

Overview, current status and location and interaction log with PCs
Personality
Game Stats

Above, my write-up for the NPC, Durin the Scowler, includes one Document with a picture and fluff, and another Document nested underneath with his stat block.

This means Durin’s crunch is not in my face when I want to roleplay him. And when I’m in combat, all his crunch is in one handy document for easy reference.

Here’s another example:

For my Tsojcanth adventure in my Riddleport campaign, I have three main Documents:

Hazards
Level 1
Level 2

I click the + or – icon beside a Document name to hide or reveal all the sub-Documents.

Here’s what Tsojcanth looks like when all the adventure sections have been collapsed:

And here’s what Tsojcanth looks like when the main Document for it has been minimized:

But I still have all the encounters and adventure sections available to me at all times. They’re just hiding behind the clickable + sign!

Reason 3: Tags and Filters

A few other software titles offer this powerful tree-based type of navigation.

But MyInfo takes it further by adding Tags and Filters.

But first, a quick note to show that you can sort all your Documents in an entire Topic with a single click. Just choose Sort Documents from the Tools menu. Do that with paper and index cards, hah!

A Tag is what you’d expect it to be: a word or short phrase that lets you later see all the Documents tagged as such.

This creates very fast look-ups on related information, which is powerful for fast GM reference.

For example, in this screenshot I’ve got a bunch of Documents for my Riddleport campaign:

See the Tags column on the left?

NPCs get tagged as NPC
Factions get tagged with their faction name
Events get tagged as Event
Items get tagged as – you guessed it – Item

When I click on a Tag, all the related Documents come up in a list:

You know what this actually is? A cast of NPCs!

That’s right. Instantly I have all my NPCs at my beck and call. It’s brilliant.

Same with locations, events, items. All there, available in a cool list, with a click.

This is also called filtering. You can create custom filters too, which extends this whole tagging and instant look-up things to a crazy level. But that’s for advanced users and we should move on.

Oh, you might be wondering what an event is. It’s an untriggered encounter. In RPG, there’s really just a small number of things you need to track to become an organized GM:

People
Places
Things
Events

Track those and you’re set. And with events just being planned encounters, you can generate an instant list of encounters to run!

By the way, if you are itching to see the Filter editor, here’s a screenshot:

I’ve added arrows to point out some of the ways you can customize your filters.

For example, you want to look up all Documents that are NPCs and have been tagged with the Riddleport location? Create a filter with three clicks, save it, and you forevermore have an instant cast list of all that city’s citizens.

To sum all this up, you can sort, store, find, and form information exactly how you think as a person and as a GM.

Into combat more? Great, use MyInfo as a crunch and rules database.

Into adventure planning? Oh man, I have not even talked about the Templates you can create to make that process a whole lot faster.

You can create a Template of how you’d like your information structured. I call these Stat Blocks, because they that’s what they are. Another word might be form, like a form you’d fill out.

Create Templates for yourself so you can build adventures and encounters fast.

Reason 4: Fast Linking & Auto-Fill

Sorry, I have to move on. If you have questions about Templates, just give me a shout.

Ok, so the killer reasons why MyInfo rules as a GM information manager we’ve discussed so far are:

Topics with unlimited Documents so you can create and organize your buckets of information fast and easy, and you buckets do not bleed or contaminate each other
Tags and Filters so you can look things up fast, as per how your brain works and your GMing style. The software conforms to how YOU think.

The last thing I want to tell you about is the linking feature.

You can link to all sorts of things like Documents, Topics, Tags and Filters.

Below, I’m updating the NPC Butan. Turns out he’s in cahoots with Callius. So I want a link in Butan’s info to Callius. That way I’m only a click away while reading Butan to learn who Callius is.

And here’s the link when it’s complete:

Reason 5: Cloning For Simultaneous Edit

Holy cow. I forgot another must-use feature of MyInfo that’s critical to incredible control over your campaign information.

Cloning.

You can create a duplicate of any Document and place it in the tree area anywhere you want, including under any other Document.

When you modify the cloned Document, you modify all its clones too!

What this really means is your information can be in multiple places at once, but it never gets duplicated or out of synch.

For example, in my Castle Amber adventure I’ve prepped, I’ve got all the NPCs stored under one Document:

At a glance, I can see all the Ambers and click on any to view their NPC write-ups.

However, I also cloned the NPC Documents and placed the clones in the locations where the PCs will meet each NPC.

Here’s how it looks in MyInfo:

Now, let’s say I’m GMing encounter #25. Buried Alive. I have Madeline’s stats right there.

And if I change Madeline’s information, then that change also simultaneously happens to all clones of Madeline Amber.

So if I look her up under the Amber Document from before, all the changes I made appear under that entry, too.

No more duplicated details that get trumped by some other note somewhere. It’s all real time, in one place, updatable anywhere.

Cloning means we GMs can create something once and use it in multiple ways within the context of our task (i.e. our world gazetteer, our campaign plans, our adventure notes, and standalone entries, just as an example).

You no longer have to hunt for information, and have your notes scattered all over.

MyInfo Has All The Features I Want

There are a lot more features you will use as a GM once you dive into MyInfo.

You can export your notes into a full website! (Pro version only.) Just click export, tweak settings how you want, and then export. You get a full-fledged website you can upload or use locally on your computer.

When you change or update your campaign information, just re-export to update your website.

I use this so I can take advantage of all the Firefox features and plugins during sessions while browsing my campaign as a website saved to my hard drive. Easy and awesome.

Search is fast. You can search across Topics as well as deep dive into Documents. Search results appear in a sidebar, so you can keep working. Results are also grouped by locations, for better contextual reference.

You can slurp web pages into MyInfo. Use the browser plugin, or just copy and paste. Or just enter the URL and MyInfo will snag it all for you within the program.

Bookmarks. Reminders. Calendar. Tasks and Sub-Tasks. Reminders.

I use Search & Replace a lot to correct misspellings. For example, when an NPC name mysteriously morphs into something else, I do a quick correction so it’s the same everywhere.

You can customize styles, choose fonts and layout configuration, create tables, link like crazy, and all the usual stuff you’d expect.

The license lets you install MyInfo on every computer you own.

You can also create custom fields. This becomes a new attribute for your Documents. For example, you could create a field called Coordinates. In that goes the map grid cords for all your locations. You can display these in Document tree for fast reference, or just view them on at the Document level. Now you can search, sort and filter by map coordinates!

Reader Tips: Game World Management

Johnn Four — Wed, 21 Sep 2011 06:00:39 +0000

Details game worlds - how do you track all the details?

We pick up where we left off in RPT#526, with more tips from readers about how to develop and manage game world details.

A reader named Beleaguered in South Africa asked for help managing the details of his extensive game world. Here’s how GMs responded:

From Blair Giles

I recently started a new 4e D&D campaign where I wanted to begin relatively small. I gave the players a tour of the initial kingdom, and am slowly expanding them out across the world.

My website is a nice and easy way to store all the information that is available to players.

http://azentia.wikidot.com/

As DM, I have started using the Microsoft Onenote program to store all my information. I find it easy to link between pages, essentially creating hyperlinks between various pages or tabs.

I’ve not gone to the lengths of future planning that you have, with most of my future planning only going from a few months up to a year in advance of the current campaign. However, I do believe there are a couple of important standards.

1) Where the players should be the focus of the world

The further away anything is from them, the less detailed you need to be.

This allows you to keep fewer notes. You can fill these out further if the PCs move closer.

2) Everyone does everything for a reason

While the PCs only need to know that Kingdom Y assassinated the King of X, as the DM you should know the King ordered the assassination to destabilize Kingdom X, as there is no heir apparent there.

3) Write notes in the way the PCs might hear it

Rumors overheard in a tavern or market, letters written from one lord to another, news from a merchant hiring the PCs to guard a caravan.

In this way, you can also introduce red herrings and inaccuracies, if you are familiar with the concept of Chinese Whispers.

[Comment from Johnn: great tip! I can see how writing notes the way the PCs might hear them saves a busy GM a lot of time. You get detail creation, relevance to PCs and potential read-aloud text all in one swoop. Nice.]

4) Sew seeds and information early

Don’t be afraid to start introducing some of these items, even when they aren’t in any way relevant to the PCs’ current quest.

That will definitely add to the players’ impression the world is moving without their intervention. It will also lay down the foundation for players to choose which quests they take on, without feeling like you’re railroading them. (Just make sure you read the tip on Chekhov’s Gun. Don’t introduce anything into the campaign if the players can’t interact with it in the future.)

From Gerald

I have a couple of ideas as to how you can manage the living and breathing aspect of a campaign world.

The first one depends on how many gamer friends you have who aren’t in your campaign. If you have enough – delegate! Get some friends to take on the roles of your primary NPCs. Give them the situation they are in and the resources they have, and ask them what they would do.

Evaluate those choices, and make a ruling as to their success, then update their situation. I would request one submission for each of your planned gaming sessions and they have as much in-game time as the PCs used.

The other option is to think of the NPCs as being characters in a turn-based game. You’ll probably want to use a spreadsheet program or something of that nature to track the events and NPCs.

Create a new row for each NPC. Each column will be one turn, which is the equivalent of one gaming session with your group (so a turn could be a month in-game or two hours).

After each session, run through your spreadsheet and determine what the goals of the NPCs are and what they are going to do to achieve it. After the first week, you’ll start the process by evaluating what happened to the goals set the week before, which will be dependent on how much in-game time has passed and what the PCs did.

You might also throw in an NPC named Natural Events, and use a random table to generate things like earthquakes and volcanic eruptions.

From Keith Davies

I find a wiki works well for tracking things like this, including links between entities. My campaign setting and scenario design techniques articles describe how I do this.

http://www.kjd-imc.org/category/series/campaign-setting-design/

It’s pretty easy to track the links between entities and map out various events that may influence them. If the Ss’thar attack the Kreshtar (again), who gets pulled into the conflict? If the leader of the Kreshtar tribe is killed, what might happen (his heir was killed the last time, his bastard isn’t considered remotely suitable for the position)?

For time-driven events, other entries may be included along with timeline related tags. When spring of the Year of Unending Storms comes around, what do you have planned to happen? You don’t necessarily need to log each season this way (though it’s a thought). It might be enough to have a tag for it much as Wikipedia does for specific dates; attach the tag to the relevant entities and look them up when needed.

I’ve also got a campaign started (but idle) at Obsidian Portal where I’ve described the Kreshtar Tribes. Very summarized (and there is some further detail marked ‘GM only’) but enough to design from.
http://www.obsidianportal.com/campaign/many-kingdoms/wikis/kreshtar-tribes

From Rob Corrina

Dear Beleaguered,

1. Surprise Is The Enemy

Some GM’s will tell you that surprise is their stock-in-trade. However, a philosopher like yourself need not stoop to such a gimmick.

Allow me to elaborate. You know more about the game world than could fit into a lecture, and more than would be practical to type, print and hand out to the players. So, how can you proceed?

Begin with player interviews. Ask them, if their character was in a book or movie, what type of story would it be? It might seem odd to start this way, but the only way to orient the players as your information partners is to set up this type of exchange. If they think you are telling them something because it relates to their character, they will listen and remember

No matter how outrageous or mediocre their expectations or ideas are, respond using your vast world knowledge of how they could achieve the story in the game world. Do not restrict your conversation in these meetings with any notions of GM vs. player vs. character knowledge.

Later, during game sessions, the player will be inclined to react, remind, identify, track and record data points they feel are most relevant to them, freeing you as the GM to represent the world and its characters.

2. Know The Rules Of The World

Details such as calendars and maps, as you pointed out, are ultimately one-dimensional.

Rules, on the other hand, have a great deal of potential. For example, knowing that the agrarian city of Ku-Man has an active Guild of Herdsman is a detail. When the players come back from the cyclops cave with sheep to sell (instead of treasure) and they are suddenly asked if they are good-standing members of the guild is a rule of the world.

2a. Don’t Act: React

A wonderful thing happens when you know the details of the world and its rules. Your personality is taken out of the equation. No longer is anything you do or say as a GM influenced by ego or aesthetics. You are simply the vessel of cause and effect.

3. Relationships

Unlike most aspects of the campaign, relationships can be arbitrarily defined by the GM as early as the pre-game planning stages. I usually assign an underdog as the patron of the party members, such as the youngest son of a noble family.

Simply insert this patron into their backstories. A few words about how he was there, at the risk of his reputation, to help the character when no one else would is usually enough to engage the players in the world. The other side of that coin is that the players are the young nobleman’s only chance of realizing his own hopes and dreams.

Much like a story on the news, it is very different if you know someone who lives there. With a relationship, the players now feel they know they know someone who lives there. And in such a way, the details come to life.

The arbitrary nature of this relationship can also be called upon during the campaign: “You are all in disguise as Shuck-Dul Raiders crossing the border of Aevenskull under the cover of night.”Is a fine way to start a session, even if that is not where the last session left off, provided the mission is for the young nobleman. And since you are not trying to surprise the players, you hinted several times they might need to sneak into Aevenskull.

Do you see? When the all the details of the world are crisp and certain so must the objectives of the players be. Only when the world is an ambiguous sketch is there an option to make the players’ inclinations and whims drive the narrative (or what exists where a narrative is supposed to be).

4. Protect What You Have Built (Player Psychology)

Now that you have started to bring the world to life with rules and relationships, you are going to have to protect your investments. For example, if the players leave town on an expedition their young patron is not to be murdered, kidnapped or replaced-with-a-doppelganger. I blame some bad T.V. and movie scripts, as well as 1970′s gaming, for putting these self-destructive notions in people’s heads.

Why, though. Why not swat the young nobleman while the players are out? Indeed, why not have him assassinated right in front of them!? That would be dramatic, wouldn’t it? After all, it is a violent world and what a swell way to illustrate that than to destroy the players’ primary conduit to that world.

Because, it is not an NPC you are destroying, it is your entire campaign. The patron character is a symbol of trust between the GM and the players and, as such, must be respected. You have only just begun to build the players’ confidence and interest. Even the most reticent among them are stepping out of their comfort zone to roleplay a little bit. Do not slam the door in their faces.

If you do, some players will never show up again. They won’t even know why, just that they gave something a try but it didn’t work out. Some of those that do stay will stab everyone and everything you put in their path. Why not? You cannot trust anyone or anything in the game world, starting with the GM.

That being said, many things happen to the young nobleman. He gets a letter warning him of a conspiracy against the city. He falls in love but does not have the money, stature or unique dowry items required to win the father’s approval. He is appointed treasurer of a guild that is about to go bankrupt. His haughty, well-to-do uncle (who the players know to be a villain) goes missing and they later find him dead. There are political, martial and romantic demands that he cannot navigate on his own. There is intrigue which sounds too dangerous. But the players will always be there, more or less at the right time. Because they have to be.

I know this all sounds awfully specific. But there doesn’t have to be a young patron. Anything that becomes a psychological anchor for the players is no longer a data-point or a detail. It is home and family to the player characters.

It could be a sanctuary or a base or a herd of animals or a vehicle. Many circumstances involving this anchor can and do happen. But it must never truly be threatened unless the players are present and in a powerful position to judiciously punish the perpetrator.

Bad things happen too. People and places are destroyed. Just not the one person or place the player characters depend on.

You may have to go as far as to specify what is and what is not safe as if you were explaining the mechanics of a board game.

5. All Together Now

Generations ago a noble would bring back a sand-colored mare from beyond the southern desert as a wedding gift for his bride to be. (detail) Currently this tradition lives only as commerce. (rule) There is a certain horse breeder who specializes in gift mares. (detail)

To help their patron win over his future-in-laws the players decide to invoke the old rites and take the actual journey beyond the southern desert and bring back an actual mare. (player initiative/ rule-breaking)

The GM guarantees he will not employ the clock against them. In other words, if they go south, get the horse and return they will be on time instead of ‘too late’. (secrets are bad)

6. The GM Emerges

The best source material in the world is only prep for the big show. Tabletop role-playing is not a solitary act, and there is nothing quite like bringing a world to players live. Just remember, you will learn more, and faster, from mistakes.

From Jane Sill

I have recently encountered the same issue of keeping track of an entire world. I have taken my cues from some study techniques I used in college. I have a 3 ring binder with dividers. Each page is a quick reference for the GM.

Nations And Politics

I have one section for nations and their politics. It has a brief description of a given city or nation’s politics. For example, do they have a prejudice against elves, or maybe there is unresolved turmoil from a big monster, warring factions, wizards experiment gone wrong, and so on.

The information should not exceed one page front and back, and should make note of a given population by race and profession. For example, 75% human 10% elf; 65% commoners, 10% experts 12% military.

It makes random city encounters easy to roll at a moment’s notice. It is also the page to make a note on notable characters, history and adventure hooks.

This section will also have a page for notable wilderness areas such as a haunted forest or the mountain region the giants inhabit.

NPCs

A second section should be made for NPC stats. It is nice to have a quick reference for each NPC the PCs fight, do businesses with, or any other reason they might interact with them.

I have a section for random encounter tables I use often, and ones I have made for specific areas. It helps speed the game along.

Maps

I have a section for maps. Some are for the PCs and some are for the GM only.

Quests

Two other sections that might be useful:

Active quests to keep tabs on given clues and goals
Battles fought (helps to keep track of xp gained in dungeons that last over several games)

You can add sections as you need.

Do not to fill in every detail. It is a quick reference for the GM, not an expanded history. If you need more than a page or two of information, maybe a separate notebook on the topic can help.

While adding more depth enhances the game, it adds to a GM’s workload as well. I really enjoy the stories I weave, but I have killed a campaign trying to get ALL the information down.

Just focus on a good outline and let the PCs do the rest.

3 Ways To Make Your Life As GM Easier

Silveressa — Fri, 16 Sep 2011 12:13:32 +0000

By Darren Blair

Let’s face it. No matter how hard we try there comes a point where reality bogs us down. Last-minute errands, phone tag, burn-out at work or school, and other issues make it harder for GMs to plan and run the game, and it saps player energy and brainpower.

So, what’s a good GM to do when life starts to do to the party what Krandor the Barbarian Overlord couldn’t?

Get creative. Listed below are methods that, with a little time and effort, will make your life as a GM easier.

1. Use Technology to Your Advantage, Not Your Annoyance.

Depending upon who you talk to, modern technology is only serving to make us all depressed, helpless, and frustrated as we surrender our lives to machines and computers. I say, make the bloody things do our work for us. Below are two such examples of what I mean.

E-Mail: We all know e-mail can be a good tool for coordinating sessions and seeing who is and isn’t coming, right? Well, if you do it right, you can use e-mail to avoid a perpetual annoyance for parties: juggling XP. Just make it a point to have the party share e-mail addresses with you, and you’re set. In this day and age, a number of companies and colleges provide e-mail addresses to their employees and staffers, making it theoretically possible for a person to have an e-mail address without even having a computer!

In my Battletech / Mechwarrior campaign, sessions normally run right up to the maximum amount of time we have each evening we game; there’s just that much ground to cover. Unless we somehow end early, none of us can afford to take ten or twenty minutes of session time to compute the XP right in front of everyone and wait while people figure out what new skills or traits they wish to purchase.

Instead, we use e-mail. I take the character sheets home with me at the end of the session, run the XP numbers on my own time, and fire off e-mails to each member of the party telling them what their XP totals presently are and asking what they’d like me to cash their points in towards. The party members can take their time deciding, and with my typing speed it’s a simple matter to dash off a paragraph or two from the rule books if a question arises; anyone who has had to handle such a discussion by way of ye olde telephone will realize that it’s an easier proposition. By the time the next session rolls around, everything has been taken care of; I don’t have to bring up XP unless someone has a large quantity of XP they need to cash in.

Word Processors: Tired of always having to run to the library to make copies of character sheets? Having trouble reading your players’ handwriting when they try to cram everything in the margins of notebook paper? A word processor can solve this problem for you.

Figure out what the core items each character will need are, such as stats, traits / feats, skills, gear, and personal info. Use a word processor to draw yourself up a template you can use as a character sheet. Print blank character sheets as needed, or e-mail the file to your players and have them fill in the info for their own character so there’s a digital back-up in case their sheet goes missing. This will take a little bit of an investment of time on your part, but it’ll be well worth it in the aggravation it’ll save you.

“You Know, I’ve Been Thinking…”

GMs, I’ll put it bluntly: it pays to be perceptive. You can spot problems before they become serious, inject a bit of novelty into your campaign, or maybe even help improve the group attitude if you’d just simply pay closer attention to things.

“…It’s such a nice day; how about playing outside?” This one is as simple as it sounds. People sometimes tire of seeing the same four walls, be it their own bedroom or the game room. As such, sometimes you the GM need to vary things up a touch.

The simplest answer is to game in a slightly different location as conditions permit. Not a lot of room at the table to lay out your maps? Use that as an excuse to play out on the floor in the living room if no one else is using it. Is it a nice day outside and no one has allergies? See if you can commandeer the patio set and play outside. It’ll change things up a little, and maybe even bring a slightly different perspective to the way you all play.

“…Abe, Bob, and Chuck aren’t going to be here; how about a movie night?” I’ve instituted a policy among my gaming group: if a minimum number of players aren’t going to be available, then instead of gaming I’ll bring down some movies.

Why do something like this, you may ask? If we’re short so many players that it would affect the game play and result in us spending a lot of time explaining what transpired, there’s no real point in playing. On the other hand, it’s still an excuse for those who could show up to just sit back and have a little fun for a few hours. With my group, all I’ve got to do is throw on a disk and in a few minutes we’ve got our own version of Mystery Science Theatre going; it was a big hoot the night I brought over Blue Thunder.

Movie night can serve another purpose as well: giving players new ideas and concepts they may wish to test out in the game. Perhaps they picked up a stunt or a line of dialogue that fits their character’s personality. Maybe they’ll have an idea for how to solve a challenge you’ve thrown at them. Going back to Blue Thunder, between the action sequences and Roy Schneider’s acting two of my players discovered a new-found respect for the use of assault helicopters in combat; this led to me creating a helicopter pilot as an NPC, a decision that pulled the party’s bacon out of the fire during at least one battle.

“So maybe I’m more ‘spud’ than ‘stud’…”

A few years back, a Roleplaying Tips contributor brought up the idea of tapping TV shows and movies for possible plot hooks and full-on adventures. I’m here to tell you that you can take it one step further. The more you content are familiar with, the more ideas you can tap. Not only can you see how things are done, you can see what types of issues might come up and what steps might be taken to get around them. Just get yourself comfy, grab a notepad and pencil, then get to it.

For starters, consider the villain for your game. Do you want a villain who’s over-the-top with his ego and methods? Try sitting down with a few episodes of G.I. Joe and take notes whenever the Cobra Commander is on screen. Would you prefer a villain who is a little more subtle with how he does things? There’s always Superman’s foe Lex Luthor or Batman’s Penguin. Need a villain who is cold and psychotic? Grab Jack Nicholson’s rendition of the Joker or screen the Hannibal Lecter trilogy; they’re just a DVD away.

Likewise, you’ve also got a few different options in regards to plots. Do you want your party to be big darn heroes who always pull it off at the last minute? See how the A-Team does things. Looking to see how a stealthy group should function? TryMission: Impossible. Is your party a group of space-faring do-gooders out to keep the peace? Take your pick of Star Trek series.

This can also count as research. There’s a number of specialty channels available for people to view, thereby allowing you to gain real-world information about what happens or what once took place. You just have to be patient and check the listings often. Got your party stormingNormandy? See if there’s a TV network focused on history or the military and check what they’re airing. Are they hot on the trail of a serial killer? See if there are any channels dedicated to true crime; if not, then the forensics of crime-fighting may make it to a science or other informational network. What about traipsing merrily through theSahara? National Geographic Channel (or its regional equivalent) all the way. Mad scientists in your midst? You have Mythbusters and Brainiac.

So here it is, folks. Three ways you can be a better GM and spice up your campaign, all of which require little more than your time to perform. And yet the rewards you’ll reap in the form of better game play and increased enthusiasm should be more than worth it.

Guide to PBP / PBEM

Silveressa — Fri, 09 Sep 2011 15:25:49 +0000

By Scott Sylvester

With busy schedules these days there seems to be precious little time for the more mature and adult gamers to indulge in their teenage passions of gaming. Once upon a time, there were countless hours in the day that could be carelessly frittered away around the gaming table listening to your favorite GM spin a tale of adventure and mystery.

Suddenly however, you found yourself all grown up. There were college classes to attend, bills to pay, and wife and kids to make time for. Sacrifices had to be made. Now your weekly gaming group struggles to meet monthly, and even then, conflicting work schedules often prevent those meetings. If you are like me, you long for the opportunity to pick up your laser rifle, raise your sword over your head, and charge back into battle once again. Thankfully, modern technology has afforded many of us that opportunity again.

Play-By-Post (PBP), or Play-By-Email (PBEM) is not a new forum for gaming, but it has recently garnered new interest among working professionals. Even with my erratic work schedule I get the opportunity to carry on my passion. We all check email almost daily, and it only takes a few minutes to respond to an email with the actions of your character based on the description you have been given in the email by your GM.

Play by Email is not a new invention, and I am certainly not one of its founders. I always imagined the origins go way back to the ASCII days of basic programming. As soon as one guy found out how to send a message to another computer the idea was born. Wherever it began, it has certainly evolved into a new form of fun and entertainment.

To give you a basic idea of how a PBP or PBEM works, I will cover it from the GM and the player perspectives. I will talk about my experiences and the programs I use that have made my games a success. By the end I hope to encourage many more of you to start your own games online via email, posts, or bulletin boards.

Getting Started

Wow, gaming without a table…what a great idea! Now, where do I begin? Ironically, you start the same way you would for a tabletop game. As a GM, you need to have your basic plot outline and have an idea of how many characters you want in your game. If you like to make maps and sketches of the areas your PCs will be playing in, get them prepared too. Once you have all your preliminary work done, you need to find a table top to put it on, an “online” table.

For my games I use Yahoo Groups. The best part about them is they are free. Free fits into the average gamer’s budget quite well. All email addresses are public and the information on the group sites is readily accessible to the public, so I strongly caution you about posting personal information.

To get your own Yahoo Group you simply go to http://groups.yahoo.com. Click on Start A New Group and fill out the required information. Once your Group name is selected the Group will be activated.

The Yahoo Group automatically comes with a pair of email addresses for the Group Moderator (you the GM) to use. The first email address is the Group Email; the second is a public but direct email for the GM to use. All messages sent to the Group Email address will be automatically posted on the Group site. This is important later when your players respond to the emails and posts the GM sends out. The second email is for use by the GM. Both email addresses have the same prefix, so they are easy to remember. For example, it will read something like: Groupname@yahoogroups.com and Groupname@yahoo.com. The former being the group and posting address, the latter is for the GM use. One thing I like to do is just use first names on the site. I never put someone’s full name; it’s just not a good idea, especially in the days of high tech crime and identity theft.

Using a group site is great because it offers several different options to you as a GM. On the left column there are various headings that will aid you in establishing and customizing your group. The ones you will use most often are the Files Section, and the Photo Section.

Files Section: The Files section is where I post all pertinent game related info. You can create folders and sub folders to help keep things organized. Some of the folders in my games are for things like, Characters, GM Info, and Experience Log. As your players create their characters it is a good idea to have them post them on the Group Site so you the GM can see it and have a record. Other players can also look over each other’s skills, equipment, etc. Plus, if the character sheets are posted, it keeps the PCs honest. I do not want to accuse any player of cheating, but I have seen “Modifications” made to character sheets when the GM wasn’t looking.

In my GM info folder I keep a list of NPC’s that the party comes in contact with, a list of equipment that is available to the group, and even a list of House Rules. In every game there seems to be situations that arise that the rules don’t cover. So, as the GM, you make the call and create a rule for that situation in case it happens again. I highly recommend that you keep a list of all the house rules you create on the group site. It is just fair, and open, and prevents problems when various situations recur.

Photo Section: I use this section for tons of things, as do my players. I like to put up maps of the area or draw pictures of the locations of my players versus the bad guys. It helps with the visual part of the game immensely, and replaces the use of miniatures. Maps are excellent things to post there as well.

One time, a friend of mine was running a game in thedesertofTexas. He took a picture of the red dirt, mesa, and scrub brush and posted it in the photo section so we players were able to understand what kind of terrain obstacles we might encounter. It gave a flat online game a great visual aspect. I did something similar when running a Rifts game set on the Coalition’s Brown Water Navy using theMississippi River. I searched under Yahoo Photos and found two or thee good pictures of theMississippiand put them in the Photo Section of my Group site.

Those are the main ones that I use. Yahoo Groups offer a Polling section on the Group Site. My players often like to create polls about the situations in the game or ask general gaming questions. In another game I play in I am a member of a Mercenary Group. The GM asked us for suggestions to name the group. Using the Poll area on the Group site the GM put up all the prospective names and then we players voted for the one we like best.

The Nitty Gritty

So now the group site is ready to go, what do I do? Well, as the GM it is up to you to find players. Advertise your game via bulletin boards, forums, or word of mouth among your friends. For the Palladium games I run, I went to the Palladium Books web site and accessed their Forums. In the Palladium Forums they have a topic for Gamers seeking Gamers. The other place that got me good results was the now defunct RPG Think Tank (now the wonderful Nexus Nine Forums).

Whatever system of game you want to play, seek out other Yahoo Groups and ask the moderator of that group if you can advertise on their site and recruit players, or go to the game manufacturer’s or printer’s web site and see if they have a forum or BB you can post on. When advertising make sure to include the following:

The RPG System you will be using to play the game
How many players you are looking for
Any restrictions regarding the types of characters you want to be in your game, including experience levels
An estimated start time for your game (1 week, 1 month)
The Group Site address or a link to the Groups site
Your own email contact information

This is also a good time to write a short (1 paragraph or so) description of your game’s theme or plot.

Recruiting is a slow process because not everyone is into PBEM games. I have had players join my game and then drop out because the game moves too slowly. I have had other people contact me and show interest and then disappear. I have had people send me completed character sheets and then disappear. Why people drop out or want to play is a mystery, but the key to a successful game is finding players that will join for the long haul. PBEM/PBP games are very slow moving. A round of combat can take a month to get through. When the GM is tied up with personal issues the games can sometimes stop for a week or more at a time. Your game may hinge on the actions of a single player, and until he posts a response you could be stalled. Players need to be patient and understand that it will take years to resolve a campaign. But that in itself is part of the fun because, no matter how busy life gets, all you have to do to be involved is check your email.

Once we have all our players organized it is time to get the game started. As a GM I recommend you print out a copy of the PCs’ sheets in your group and keep them in a folder somewhere handy. During game play, as you read and respond to the player’s posts, it will help you quickly reference the particular PCs’ abilities and skills, etc. If you lose paperwork easily then use the Group Site. Right-click and open the files section in another window. Put the PC data and post side by side and type on. Technology makes it so easy.

The game begins with the GM’s first post. For Yahoo Groups, you are allowed to give a title to your post. I use the title area to keep track of rounds/actions as well as to delineate what part of the story the players are in. For example, in the Rifts Atlantis game I am running I divide the story into Chapters. The heading of the post would read: Chapter 4: Uncertain Futures – Turn 2. By adding the turn, the round or the action number to the end of the chapter or heading it also helps players keep track of when new posts are put up, and it will help you as a GM later when you have to go back to look up something in the messages section of the Group Site. There is nothing worse than going back to previous posts looking for some bit of info when all the post titles are the same.

The actual post itself is where you, the GM, tell the story. When running a Play-By-Post or Play-By-Email game you need to be somewhat literate in the English language (or whatever language you are running the game in) and not have a hard time describing things in detail. The more details you give about the setting, the NPC’s, and the actions the enemies are taking, the better your game will be. Nothing bogs down a PBEM or PBP more than having the players’ post a ton of questions they need answered just so they can respond to your first post.

Try to think ahead when you write. What bits of information do the characters need to respond to the situation? For example, if I were going to write a battle scene where a line of troops are ambushing a column of vehicles, I would write the following:

The speed the vehicle is going
The amount of armor the vehicle has
The number of people in the vehicle
What kinds of weapons the victims have
How many victims will be caught in the ambush
Where the attackers are hiding in relationship to the incoming vehicle
Are the attackers behind cover or are they merely concealed behind bushes?
What kind of armor do the attackers have
What kinds of weapons do they carry?

It sounds like a lot of details to include, but if you take the time to write it up well, your players will appreciate it and respond to your posts faster. To answer the above questions you do not have to break it down into a Q&A session. Make it part of the story. For example:

The lightly armored APC was moving at a crawl toward the hedgerow. Little did the four unarmed occupants know that the hedgerow contained a dozen of the king’s best soldiers, all of them armed with the king’s standard-issue laser rifles, and heavy body armor bearing the king’s seal. All of the soldiers lay in a line across the roadway poised and ready to fire when the APC reached the intersection. The heroes spotted the soldiers in time but there was no way to warn the travelers. They could only hope the armor on the APC would hold till they could get there to save them …

You get the idea. Just a simple paragraph and all the questions were answered. You can write more if you feel it is necessary or if you have time. You could describe the color of the APC, what type of laser rifles the soldiers carried, the weather outside, or additional factors that might dictate the accuracy and timing of the attack. This is where you decide what is best for your story. Whatever you write, remember that adjectives are your friends. The more descriptive you are, the more your players will look forward to your next post, and the longer they will stay interested.

There is no set length that any post should be; you can say a lot in just a couple of paragraphs. Don’t feel inadequate if your post is short. The length is inconsequential as long as you cover all the info necessary to advance the game.

There will also come a time when an NPC and PC may have to conduct some dialogue. The best way I find is to have the players post their list of questions for the NPC’s in their response posts, and you, as the GM summarize and rewrite them in your next storyline post. As each character speaks you should start a new line and new "e; "e; quotation marks. It will ease the confusion. For example, look at the two conversations and tell me which is easier to understand.

“Hello,” The elf said. “Hello,” the dragon responded. “I am Niallo of Rivercourse. I am seeking the silver orb of healing. I was told you might be able to help me.” “What makes you think I will help you?” “You have a reputation for compassion Sir Dragon.”

Or:

“Hello,” the elf said.

“Hello,” the dragon responded.

“I am Niallo of Rivercourse. I am seeking the silver orb of healing. I was told you might be able to help me.”

“What makes you think I will help you?”

“You have a reputation for compassion, Sir Dragon.”

To me, the second is easier to understand. It looks less like a run-on sentence, and more like a conversation. Each new line denotes a new speaker and will help your players along.

Another great online tool I use is Yahoo Instant Messenger. I have a buddy list for my gaming friends that are in the group. If I need to role-play a situation for a player or just need to answer a few game related questions for a player, we can IM one another. For off-camera RP sessions you just role-play the situation, cut and paste it into a story, and then post it for the group to see. If the GM or player is offline, the message will be saved until the person logs in again. It’s a simple system and it also helps develop long-term friendships with your players. I can’t tell you how many good gamers I’ve met that I now consider friends, and how knowing them has led me into other great gaming opportunities.

One advisement: secret, under-the-table gaming is a necessary evil sometimes, but be careful with it. Just like in table-top groups, the more up front you are with the group, the more credibility you have with the players.

At the end of every post is the key to a successful game. The end of the story line post should end in a cliffhanger. Write what you need to get the characters filled in on what is occurring, and then leave it all open ended. The open ending encourages players to post because it is human nature to fill a void. Think of your favorite TV show or book. Surely you have noticed that every episode or chapter ends with just enough info to make you want to keep reading, or to tune in for next week’s episode. That void at the end of the story is where your characters jump in and finish the story. When your story ends your players should be dying to fill in their part, which will progress the game for you, and enable you to set them up for the next cliffhanger.

Rolling the Dice

Well, the game is on and the first combat round or skill check is imminent. Now what? How do we roll for the messages in our inbox? Here are a couple of options.

As a GM I like to do all the rolling for my games. Not that I don’t trust my players to give me honest results, but sometimes I like to be able to “influence” the outcome of a roll. For dramatic effect I can alter the dice roll to fit the situation to create tension or to make that heroic moment come alive for a player. This is not something I do for every roll; I’m a huge advocate of letting the dice fall where they may. Dice are what gives games their realistic feel. Without that random element in the game, your players would get bored rapidly. In real life you don’t succeed 100% of the time, so why should you be allowed to in a game?

The main reason I like to do the rolling myself is if I control the dice I can advance the game faster. It’s faster for me to have the players’ post their actions, and then I can roll everything at once and put it all together in a story post. I would go crazy if I had to wait for each player to roll and then send me their results. If a player chose to be dishonest (it hasn’t happened to me yet) then this is their opportunity. It’s up to you, but I feel it adds continuity to the story if I do all the rolling all at the same time with the same set of dice.

You can have your players roll and post their rolls with their actions or response posts. The honor system works quite well actually, but if you have several players in a combat round and everyone sends you their response except for one player then the game stalls, waiting for his roll of the dice. This can be frustrating, but again, its up to you, it’s your game; you try it your way.

Lastly, and perhaps the best way, is to find an online dice roller. There are a few good programs out there that will roll any number of dice with any number of sides and will email results to you and the player(s). I love these little software programs; I hope the people who wrote them make a million dollars and go into the RP hall of fame. These programs keep everyone honest all the time. If you have an integrity issue in your game then I highly recommend a rolling program.

Da Playerz!

As a player, your job is simple: to react. When the GM posts the next part of the story and the group site automatically emails it to everyone in the game, you read the story post and then figure out what your character would do in that situation. Below is something I wrote for a player in my game that had a hard time writing more than two sentences when he posted. After using my system below his responses became much clearer and added a lot of insight into his character. Mind you, this is not a complete list, and you may not need to respond to every question on the list every time, but it will help you as a player when you sit to write. Feel free to amend this as necessary.

What does the PC see from his perspective? Be descriptive; use lots of adjectives.
What does the PC think about what he is seeing at that moment? Will it affect him in the near future? Will it have long term effects?
What is your PC going to do about what s/he sees? Talk? Run? Fight? Miscellaneous Action?
Who is standing near the PC and how will this affect them?
Does having someone else nearby make your PC think or act differently versus if he was alone?
What does your PC feel inside? Does this make him happy, sad, angry, and murderous?
What does your PC say to the people around him? His friends? The bad guy? To God? To whoever else is around?
When you say that, what reaction should the PC expect? Are his words going to be friendly in tone, defensive, hostile?
What equipment does your PC have at his disposal that will help him in this situation? How is he going to use that weapon or object and what does he hope to achieve? Is he proficient with that weapon? Is it the best weapon to use or the best piece of equipment for the job? Why or why not?
Finally, what does your PC do? Before he acts write what the PC is thinking at that moment so we know what is motivating the PC to do that particular action.

PBP

Like a Play by Email game there is also its twin sister the Play by Post. This is the same type of game with a couple of exceptions. Instead of a group that emails for you, you run it from a bulletin board or forum service. First, make sure you have permission from the person that owns the BB or Forum before you start running a game there. I don’t think RP.net would happy if a bunch of people started their own thread and began a full game—I could be wrong, but permission is better than forgiveness.

Once you have a BB service the GM starts a new thread and posts the first part of the story there. The players then post their responses to that part of the story under the same thread. The GM can continue under the same thread or start a new one for the next part of the story. I recommend starting a new thread every time you advanced the story. It just makes it easier for the players to keep track and saves them from having to scroll through a long list of crap to get to the new story.

It’s essentially the same except it is harder to post maps, pictures, and PC sheets for quick reference. There are some BBs and Forums that allow pictures and stuff that will round out your game; check with the BB owner and see what their policies are.

Tempo

Lastly, I want to address the tempo of PBEM and PBP games. When you write a story post you need to wait and allow your characters time to react to what is written. I usually post once or twice a week at the most in the games I run or play in. The GM needs to have patience and allow the players time to sit and read their emails or posts and then to reply. It can take 2 weeks and sometimes longer. It can make a game drag, but remember PBEM and PBP games are made for busy working geeks—you gotta have patience.

One real horror story is a PBP I got into. I had a great PC and a great GM and a great story. The problem I had was trying to keep up. I don’t have internet access at work and can only respond at night when I get home. The GM would put up a post and everyone would reply and then he’d advanced the story again, and the group would reply. By the time I got home at night I was three actions behind everyone else. One week was exceptionally busy and I missed a week of posts. When I logged in I was three pages behind on the story and the group had already moved into a city, engaged the Coalition Forces, killed them and moved on. I hadn’t posted at all during that exchange; the game moved on and left me as a player out of it. I quit. I had to; the GM moved the group too fast. After another week I was another 4 pages behind. It was too much.

A fast game is not a bad thing; some players have time to post a lot. But as a GM you need to get all the players’ input. It makes them feel included and makes their actions and their character an important part of the whole. When you are three pages ahead of a player, that player will feel left out like I did, and then feel like the group doesn’t need his PC to execute the mission (or whatever).

Anyway, just remember, move at the speed of your players. If a player has gone AWOL then resort to option two.

Option Two is what you might have to do when a player takes an extended leave of absence or is unavailable for a long time: replace the player. In my Atlantis game I had a key character who was active initially drop out totally. The player went through a move, a job change, etc., and just couldn’t find time for posting. In some cases you might need to replace a player in a game with another. Usually you will see this happening and will have time to adjust your story to plan (usually). When you need a new player it’s back to advertising (see above section).

What if the player still wants to be in the game but hasn’t posted in a few weeks? I have another friend in my game that has taken a second job and has a bustling social life. He can’t post that often because he is trying to make ends meet. He doesn’t want to drop out, but he can’t be in the story full time. As a PBP PBEM GM you might need to NPC that character till the player has time again. Move them to a lesser part of the plot for now and you can revisit their plotline or quest later. Be flexible, it will happen to you. It doesn’t hurt to send the player an email once a while or, if you have instant messaging, you can check up on them. Just a “Hey, how’s it going, miss having you in the game!” kinda thing can be a big boost and gain their interest again. Whatever you do, don’t be harsh towards them or goad them into posting. We are role-playing to have fun. Trust me; they feel bad enough for slowing your game already; don’t rub it in.

For those of you who would like to get back into role-playing or run a game yourself, but don’t have players in your area code or can’t find the time to meet, and then give PBEM or PBP a try. It is a lot of fun and an easy way to get a game in without interrupting your hectic schedule.

Listen to these Great Recorded Game Sessions

Johnn Four — Wed, 07 Sep 2011 06:00:28 +0000

In RPT#525, Carl made this reader tip request:

What would be the best videos or audios of RPG sessions that a new DM should watch or listen to?

Several great readers responded with their suggestions. Thanks!

1. Penny Arcade, I Hit It With My Axe

Carl,

I’m rather fond of the Penny Arcade podcasts. When D&D fourth edition debuted in 2008, Wizards of the Coast did a session with the guys from Penny Arcade and PvP. Future sessions added Wil Wheaton.

If you want video, I’d recommend “I Hit It With My Axe” from The Escapist. A word of warning, though: everyone who plays is in some form of adult entertainment, and though that’s not the focus of the show, it is occasionally mentioned.

- Stuart

2. Critical Hit

I really enjoy the Critical Hit 4e podcast at MajorSpoilers.com.

- Erick I.

3. GrumpyGM

Hi Johnn!

Here’s a link to a very decent gaming ‘cast, GrumpyGM.

- Thomas M.

Character Creation and Roleplaying Rewards

Johnn Four — Wed, 13 Jul 2011 07:01:40 +0000

Photo courtesy of Jur66

From The B’omarr Punk

When I started emphasizing in-depth roleplaying in my games, some players didn’t want to play along. So, I instituted an incentive program that granted bonus xp, items, or ability points for giving characters depth.

The program has two phases: character creation and roleplaying rewards.

Character Creation

During character creation, players complete my character depth sheet (a simple one-page questionnaire, see below). Based on completeness, creativity and depth of answers, I give bonuses before the game starts (ability points for buying ability scores, xp for item creation, equipment).

I give players unlimited draft submissions to me before the first game session. I advise what I’m looking for and help players get the maximum bonus.

An unintended benefit of this is I get to see what these characters are all about well in advance of session one, and I can tailor adventures (or even campaigns) around them.

The most effective item in the questionnaire seems to be the influential NPCs entry. I require three, with name, age, race, alignment, class, level, and relationship to the character. I’ve seen mentors, friends, parents, idols, and even nemeses. I get to use these NPCs in my game, and the personal touch it brings to campaigns is amazing.

Roleplaying Rewards

I rate players’ roleplaying quality after each session and grant bonus xp. The better they do (GM’s subjective assessment), the more xp.

My current formula is: [current level] x [number of hours played] x [rp quality factor between 1-10] x [extra multiplier] = bonus xp from session.

I give an extra multiplier for things like adventure journals in-character, providing food or drink, or cartography.

Character Depth Sheet

Here is my one-page questionnaire:

Attach background:
Personality (must work with deities, moral codes, background, player interaction, enemies, alignment):
Patron Deity(s):
3 NPCs (at minimum provide name, race, age, class, levels, alignment and relationship with you):
Quotes/parables/proverbs you live by:
Your heroes:
Goals (short and long term, for you as well as your PC):
Why do you adventure?
What irks you?
What do you value?
Do you work well with others?
Where do you call home?
What’s your approach to combat?
When faced with a challenge, how do you tend to react?
When you die, where will you go?

Try it in your next campaign and let me know how it works!