Roleplaying Tips Newsletter #1141 Make your adventures wondrous with terrific drama. We want tension in our plots and gameplay that escalates as players get close to the climactic ending. To increase drama we raise the Stakes (what’s in it for the characters) and toughen the Conflicts (foes, hazards, obstacles, challenges). However, we shouldn’t make every […]
Continue readingRoleplaying Tips Newsletter #0829 Here are some cool ideas from long-time Roleplaying Tips reader Roger Barr: What kind of excitement can this place offer to my players? Even a common market can provide distractions. Ever been shopping at a thrift store or a flea market? You can find the most interesting items, odd clothing, and […]
Continue readingI’ve been following your tips for a while and they are damn awesome, so I thought I would chip in with a little something from my campaign.
Continue readingGot this great tip from RPT GM Tony about how to avoid Mistake #2: Creating A Script.
Continue readingAwhile ago I ran an Encounter Intensify challenge. I asked RPT GMs to make one of their encounters more intense. Then they shared with me how they did it.
Continue readingWant to make life even more interesting for your players? Follow these three simple steps.
Continue readingI first learned about this storytelling technique on Usenet last millennium. Use it to go beyond standard gameplay to create interesting stories.
Continue readingRPT GM Kelly N sent me two great examples of using TV Shows for our adventure building inspiration:
Continue readingWhat’s the difference between a trap and a hazard.This question was on my mind while working on a new Dungeon Generator for Campaign
Continue readingWhat the heck is a milieu? I’ve been tossing out that term more often in recent Musings. And it’s how I think the game for two campaigns in development.
Continue readingA bunch of hooks instantly sprung to mind as I pored over this….A cult wants the skeleton brought to their secret laboratory for revival. Of course, outsiders who learn the lab’s location must also be revived.
Continue readingLast week I discussed the idea of combining cool boardgame mechanics with adventure design to create 1-3 specialGM Moves for your 5 Room Dungeons.
Continue readingMapping software is a personal thing. I know what I like. Within moments of opening software I know if I’m going to be in for a rough time.
Continue readingRoleplaying Tips Newsletter #0963 When I first started GMing I used the kind of puzzles that seemed arbitrary and quirky. After a few years these began ruining the fun because they became too out-of-place and broke our sense of disbelief. Now don’t get me wrong. A chess board puzzle that zaps you for stepping on […]
Continue readingHere’s a trick the pros use to make stories chaotic, tense, and exciting.
Continue readingWe want to check Congruity first because it’s faster and easier to spot errors at this level. If we get the immediate details right here, it’ll automatically fix those errors at the campaign level.
Continue readingAwhile ago I mused on how to measure sandbox campaign progress and use that to incentivize players. When we game just for the XP it becomes a grind, a job.
Continue readingUse clickbait as irresistible adventure and encounter hooks.
Continue readingIf you are looking for more puzzles in your game, then RPT GM and Patron Paul Shipley has a great idea for a complex one that uses runes and codes:
Continue readingRestrict players by chaining their arms together. Make sure your players are comfortable with this before you do it!
Continue readingRPT Game Master Mark A shared with me some great ideas after reading my Musing on sandbox campaigns.
Continue readingToday RPT Game Master Pierre Parent shares with us a great source of plotting inspiration.
Continue readingRecently we talked about how to create a Feature for your 5 Room Dungeon as a first step.
Continue readingThanks to the horde who wrote in saying the mini-plot generator from last week was useful.
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