Campaigns & Adventures Archives

Ripping Up Adventure Drama With A Saw Blade

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 […]

A Trick For Low-Level Magic Items

Roleplaying 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 […]

The Difference An Overlay Makes

I’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.

Put On Your Situations Hat

Got this great tip from RPT GM Tony about how to avoid Mistake #2: Creating A Script.

5 Ways To Intensify Your Encounters

Awhile 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.

Help The Characters Get Into Trouble

Want to make life even more interesting for your players? Follow these three simple steps.

Another Great Storytelling Tool – The Crucible

I first learned about this storytelling technique on Usenet last millennium. Use it to go beyond standard gameplay to create interesting stories.

Using TV Plot Lines For Adventure Ideas

RPT GM Kelly N sent me two great examples of using TV Shows for our adventure building inspiration:

What’s A Hazard? What’s A Trap?

What’s the difference between a trap and a hazard.This question was on my mind while working on a new Dungeon Generator for Campaign

Facts Versus Meaning

How do you create a great mid-adventure hook?

What The Heck Is A Milieu?

What 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.

5 Story Hooks From A Dead Monster

A 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.

Example GM Move With Threats Using Lord of the Rings

Last week I discussed the idea of combining cool boardgame mechanics with adventure design to create 1-3 specialGM Moves for your 5 Room Dungeons.

7 Great Mapping Apps You Might Not Have Heard Of Before

Mapping 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.

A Nice Tip On Adventure Puzzles

Roleplaying 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 […]