Roleplaying Tips Weekly E-Zine Issue #315
Tired Tavern: 25 Alternatives To Taking The Table In The Corner
Contents:
This Week's Tips Summarized
Tired Tavern: 25 Alternatives To Taking The Table In The Corner
Readers' Tips Summarized
- Ten-Minute Miniature Trees
From: Rydia
- Spicing Up Random Weapons
From: Scott G.
- The Evil GM
From: Leslie Holm
- Comments On Campaign Preparation
From: Jonas Dorn
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A Brief Word From Isaac
I run a campaign and play in one more, and I can still
barely manage to game once a month. The reason? Real life.
People have interests and responsibilities that don't start
and stop at the behest of world-breaking monsters or random
treasure tables. I understand this, but sometimes I wish
other players made it as much of a priority as I do. I like
to play, so I make time for it as long as my real-world
relationships don't suffer for it.
I want to hear what you readers think. How do you maintain
interest in your campaign? What do you do about inconsistent
players? How do you fit roleplaying into your schedule? If
you have any comments or ideas, fire them in.
GMs, don't forget to include at least one random weapon in
your campaign from Scott G's excellent tables in our
Readers' Tips section this week.
Thanks. Get some gaming in this month, if you can. ;)
Isaac Calon
Return to Contents
Dungeons & Dragons: Shackled City Campaign
Evil schemes are afoot in Cauldron, a metropolis of
merchants built into the caldera of a long-dormant volcano.
Driven by the dreams of an insane demon prince, bizarre
cultists known as the Cagewrights scheme from ancient
tunnels beneath the volcano, stoking it once more to
terrible life. To prevent their agenda, your band of
adventurers must brave haunted jungle ruins, slay mighty
dragons, and bind themselves to a layer of the infinite
Abyss! Originally published as 11 linked adventures in
Dungeon Magazine, the Shackled City Adventure Path is one of
the most ambitious d20 Dungeon & Dragon campaigns ever
created!
Shackled City Campaign at RPG Shop
Return to Contents
Tired Tavern: 25 Alternatives To Taking The Table In The Corner
A guest article by David Rowe
"I sit at the table in the corner."
How many times have you heard a player say this? Why does
every player want to take a table in the corner at the back
of the tavern? The most obvious answer is security. It
positions them where they can see threats coming and control
the situation.
A good GM should mix things up from time to time. The
following is a list of 25 suggested tavern configurations or
situations that might challenge a player's obsession with
corner tables.
- The Round Room: This tavern is round so there are no
corner tables. There are only tables on the outside wall.
- Old Guard Tower Tavern: This tavern is built at the top
of an old guard tower so tables are set next to the parapet.
The tavern has a great view but also a possible fall of 30'.
It is also open to the elements and overlooked by the newer
guard towers.
- Longest Bar: The tavern is famous for a long bar that
goes around the full interior of the tavern leaving no
seating near the walls.
- Post Brawl Bar: The tavern has recently hosted a brawl,
and all the furniture is currently smashed. There may be a
corner, but no table or chairs.
- No Tables or Chairs Bar: Not all cultures believe in
chairs and tables and might instead require players to sit
on the floor, carpets, or cushions.
- Paper Bar: The bar has walls but they are paper screens
or cloth curtains offering little privacy or security. This
place is popular with rogues as they can move about more
freely.
- The Mirage Bar: The walls are illusionary so it is not
uncommon for people to walk through them. Also a rogue
favourite.
- The Lawn Bar: This bar has all the furniture set up on a
lawn or in a small grove. There are no walls.
- The Garden Bar: Like the Lawn Bar, but some plants and
shrubbery have been set up to make dividers. There are no
hard walls, making it easy to eavesdrop and pass items from
table to table. Blowguns are a popular weapon in this bar.
- The Drunk: The corner table has a drunk lying on or near
it in a pile of his own filth. Players willing to use the
space anyway should take charisma penalties for soiled
clothing. They might also get sick.
- The Dead Man: Players will find a person apparently
passed out with his head face down on the table. Moving the
body will reveal the throat has been slashed and marks the
person that moved the body with fresh blood.
- The Gang's Claim: A local gang has this table marked
with graffiti or engraved names. Locals don't sit at this
table, but players who choose to find the gang unhappy that
their table is occupied.
- The King's Guard: The corner table is marked by the
shield of the King's Guard. The locals know this but players
are left to explain why they are sitting at the Guard's
favourite table.
- The Rogue's Table: The table hides a trap door. Players
should be surprised to see someone suddenly appear in the
seat beside them, or to see a patron sit down, shake hands,
and then disappear.
- The Sewer Table: The fragrant back wall of this tavern
houses a sewer grate for moisture and refuse. The bar is a
favourite for those needing to dispose of a body, walking
their "drunken friend" to the grate and dropping him into
the sewer. It is also a good, last-ditch escape route.
- The Haunted Table: The ghost of an old tavern regular
haunts this table, appearing to those deep in their cups.
- The Widow's Table: A widow's husband died at this table.
She cries to, or curses, anyone who should touch the table
or chairs.
- The Well-Lighted Table: The lights in the tavern are set
in the corners, making those tables very bright and public
indeed.
- The Disgusting Table: The previous patron had bowel
troubles and left a disgusting mess. Flies gather around the
table and any characters that sit here.
- The Cone of Silence: This table has been enchanted so
that no sound made at the table can be heard elsewhere.
Table occupants can't hear anything being said more than one
foot away from the table (thank you Get Smart).
- The Insect Table: This table or benches could be
infected with carpenter ants, or perhaps a hornet's nest is
being built in the rafters above the table.
- The Prejudice: The locals enforce strict rules on what
races or sexes can sit at which tables. The usual diverse
group of characters will need to be segregated into
different groups and sit each with their own kind (thank you
Star Wars).
- The Hero's Table: This table was once the favourite of
the local town hero(s). Regular people like the PCs are not
supposed to sit there.
- The Revolving Table: The whole corner table is set on a
secret revolving plate that spins into the thieves' guild,
hideout, or palace.
- The Loose Leg: A table or chair leg is broken and only
propped underneath. The locals know to avoid the table and
the mess it implies.
Return to Contents
A Frickin' Pound Of Dice! $19.80 + 5% cash back
Each bag contains over a pound of assorted and random dice,
some non-standard, in several styles and colors.
This is a great and inexpensive way to get a "house dice"
collection started, or just get a bunch of dice at a
fantastic price.
Pound Of Dice! at RPG Shop
Readers' Tips Of The Week:
1. Ten-Minute Miniature Trees
From: Rydia
You'll need two egg cartons, scissors, a glue gun, glue
sticks, green or brown paint, a newspaper, and something
remotely tree-shaped a couple of inches long (try
toothpicks, plastic leaves, or pipe cleaners).
- Plug in the glue gun.
- Cut out the egg cups of carton 1--as many as you want
trees. Keep them about an inch wide.
- Cut the bottom out of the egg cups of the middle of
carton 2.
- Suspend carton 2 between two "towers" made up of old
dragon magazines or defunct source books.
- Punch a hole in the bottom of the cups from carton 1, jam
your pseudo tree shapes through them, and fill the cups with
melty glue.
- Drop each glue-filled cup into the middle of carton 2 to
let the glue dry. The "trees" will be upside down.
- Paint the trees and let them sit upright on newspaper to
dry.
This yields some cheap and durable trees that spice up any
miniature battle. The glue provides enough ballast to keep
them upright, and you can add rocks or moss to them with
dabs of the same glue, pebbles, and crushed green crafting
foam.
Return to Contents
2. Spicing Up Random Weapons
From: Scott G.
Greetings Johnn,
This is a series of tables I created from scratch to add
descriptive text to found weapons.
Instructions: These tools were originally created to work
with the Inherited Weapon Table in the HackMaster
Gamemaster's Guide. I've adapted it to work with a more
generic fantasy system. Whenever you find a weapon you would
like to be unusual but not too powerful, use these tables.
First roll for ornamentation, then an adjective, and lastly
for a material.
Use the Metallic Weapons Tables for most weapons and any
weapon that is typically made of hard metals. One of my
players inherited a florescent-flaked, partly melted, glass
dagger.
Use the Wooden Weapons Tables for bows, wooden staffs, and
any other weapon usually constructed of wood.
Use the Leather Weapons Table for whips, slings, and the
like.
For a less extravagant result, roll percentile dice in the right column instead of the die type
listed for the left column of each table.
Metallic Weapons (d20)
d20 |
Description |
Percentile |
1 |
Undecorated. |
1-30% |
2 |
Painted: The player may choose the color of the paint. |
31-60% |
3 |
Glass Bead Encrusted: The glass adds nothing to base
value but may look very swanky at a distance. |
61-70% |
4 |
Wooden Handle: If the rest of the weapon isn't extravagant,
the GM may opt to have the player also roll on the Wooden
Weapons: Materials table to determine the type of wooden
handle. |
71-75% |
5 |
Mother-of-Pearl Handle: This custom handle from a coastal
weaponsmith adds +10% of base value. In areas far
removed from oceans and no access to trade routes, the
handle is ivory or bone instead. |
76-77% |
6 |
Animal-Shaped: The player chooses animal type. |
78-79% |
7 |
Monster-Shaped: The GM chooses monster type. |
80-82% |
8 |
Silver-Highlighted: The silver adds +25% of base weapon
value. |
83-84% |
9 |
Silver-Plated: A thin layer of silver gives the weapon a
bright, mirror-like sheen. This adds 50% to the base weapon
value. Silver is not considered a hard metal, so this weapon
is not recommended for frequent use without frequently being
repaired by a skilled silversmith. |
85% |
10 |
Gold-Highlighted: The gold adds +50% of base weapon
value. |
86% |
11 |
Gold-Plated: A thin layer of gold gives the weapon a
lustrous yellow sheen and adds +200% of base weapon value.
Gold is a soft metal, so combat would ruin the plating. |
87% |
12 |
Platinum-Highlighted: This white gold adds 60% to base
weapon value. |
88% |
13 |
Platinum-Plated: A thin layer of white gold gives the
weapon a moonlight sheen, and adds +225% of base weapon
value; platinum is prone to suffering damage in combat. |
89% |
14 |
Pearl-Encrusted: The white, shiny pearls add +100 gold
pieces to base weapon value. |
90% |
15 |
Jewel-Encrusted: Small, semi-precious or precious jewels
give the weapon an expensive, glittering look. They also add
1d100 x 10 gold pieces to base weapon value. |
91% |
16 |
Florescent-Highlighted: Small, ceramic tiles cover parts
of the weapon. Some cultures like the Romans make these
tiles from uranium flakes, which give them a luminescent,
seafoam green glow. The level of radiation given off is
detectable by science, but not dangerous. |
|
17 |
Florescent-Flaked: Minute uranium flakes were added to
the material when forged, increasing weight by 150%. |
|
18 |
Imprinted with a Mysterious Symbol: This symbol may be a
link to a secret society or a mark of family lineage. |
92% |
19 |
Semi-Transparent: For unknown reasons the weapon is as
transparent as light fog. |
|
20 |
Fancy: Roll twice on this table. If this result is rolled
a second time, ignore it. |
93-100% |
d10 |
Adjective |
Percentile |
1 |
Plain. |
1-50% |
2 |
Rusty: The weapon is in bad condition and shows signs of
oxidation. Repairs are not possible because the weapon has
been neglected for too long. Decrease the weapon's value by
75% of its base value. If a non-rusting material is rolled
on the next table, the weapon is not rusted but chipped, and
all of the other details are the same. |
51-60% |
3 |
Partly-Melted: Someone got into a fight with a dragon, or
at least got drunk and dropped it into a campfire. Decrease
the weapon's value by 50% of the base value. If a non-
melting material is rolled on the next table, the weapon is
not rusted but scorched and cracked, and all of the other
details are the same. |
61-70% |
4 |
Warped: This weapon has definitely seen some action. It
is slightly bent due to a tremendous amount of strength
being pressed against it. The damage is not bad and the
weapon is still fully useful, but the damage looks much
worse. Decrease the weapon value by 25% of its base value. |
71-80% |
5 |
Curved Handle: Some warriors prefer the elegant curve
for a different grip. Increase the weapon value by 10% of
the base value for this unusual design. |
81-85% |
6 |
Spiked: Wicked spikes jut from odd angles on this weapon.
It is clear the weapon was meant to never be mistaken for
anything other than a weapon. Add 10% of the base value
to the final weapon value. |
86-90% |
7 |
Polished: Shiny! |
91-95% |
8 |
Rune-Covered: These decorative runes have no magical
value but they may carry a hidden meaning to those who can
read them. The runes might spell out the name of the weapon
or its owner. |
96-97% |
9 |
Ornate: This weapon is covered in intricate details. Its
smith spent a lot of time crafting this masterpiece. Add
+100% of the base weapon value. |
98-99% |
10 |
Superior: The amazing quality of this weapon adds +1 to
attack rolls. Increase value by +500% of the base weapon
value. |
100% |
d30 |
Material |
Percentile |
1 |
Bone: Decrease weight by 50%. |
1-10% |
2 |
Lead: Triple the weight, decrease value by 50%, and
remember this is a soft metal. |
11-15% |
3 |
Tin: Decrease value by 50%. |
16-20% |
4 |
Copper: Decrease value by 50%. |
21-25% |
5 |
Pewter: Triple the weight and remember this is a soft
metal. |
26-30% |
6 |
Nickel: Decrease value by 25% |
31-35% |
7 |
Ceramic: The player chooses color; decrease weight of the
weapon by 30%. Earthenware weapons are prone to shattering
instead of denting, but they are ideal for sneaking through
a metal detector. |
36-40% |
8 |
Glass: Decrease weight by 25%. |
41-45% |
9 |
Ironwood: This enhanced wood is as strong as most metals
and used extensively in mineral poor regions. Value may be
increased or decreased based upon the unusualness of the
material in a given region. Price change never exceeds 90%
of the base weapon value. |
|
10 |
Bronze: This strong, yellow, tinted metal is the common
metal of choice for armor, tools, and weapons in many
cultures. |
46-60% |
11 |
Brass: A prettier alloy similar to bronze, this shiny
yellow metal is sometimes mistaken for gold. It's too soft,
however, for serious combat. Increase value by +50% of
base weapon value. |
61-65% |
12 |
Swack Iron: A gray, bastardized metal made of various iron
ores swirled together. It's very strong but also very ugly.
Decrease value by 10% of base weapon value. |
66-70% |
13 |
Iron. |
71-80% |
14 |
Blackened Iron: This iron has been treated in boiling
oil by a blacksmith. The black coating seeps into the porous
metal and thus weatherproofs it. The process will need to be
repeated every year or so. |
81-85% |
15 |
Ivory: Increase value by +200% of base weapon value and
decrease weight by 50%. |
86% |
16 |
Silver: Increase value by +200% of base weapon value and
remember that silver is a fairly soft metal which will lose
its shape with use. |
87% |
17 |
Sterling Silver: Increase value by +220% of base weapon
value. |
88% |
18 |
Electrum: Increase value by +300% of base weapon value. |
89% |
19 |
Palladium: Increase value by +400% of base weapon value |
90% |
20 |
Fourteen Karat Gold: Increase value by +500% of base weapon
value. |
91% |
21 |
Twenty Karat Gold: Increase value by +700% of base weapon
value. |
92% |
22 |
Twenty-four Karat Gold: Increase value by +1000% of base
weapon value; 24 karat gold is extremely soft, so using the
weapon even once would destroy it. |
93% |
23 |
Jade: This soft but valuable stone is prized in many
cultures. Colours range from white to dark green but most
often are a cloudy mixture. Increase value by +800% of base
weapon value, and decrease weight by 20%. |
94% |
24 |
Dragon Bone: Stronger than most bone, this material
takes time to carve into a useful shape. It is ideal for
enhancing with enchantments. If dragons don't exist in this
setting, use the largest monster available in its place.
Increase value by +1000%. |
95% |
25 |
Steel: This artificial metal looks much like iron but is
stronger. If steel is already a common metal in this
campaign setting, then the weapon is titanium instead.
Increase value by +1000%. |
96% |
26-28 |
Intertwined: Roll twice again on this table and ignore
rolls of 26 or higher. |
97-98% |
29 |
Woven: Roll twice again on this table and ignore rolls
of 26 or higher. |
99% |
30 |
Swirled: Roll twice again on this table and ignore rolls
of 26 or higher. |
100% |
Wooden Weapons (d10)
d10 |
Description |
Percentile |
1 |
Worm-eaten. (1-10%) |
|
2 |
Scorched. (11-20%) |
|
3 |
Barbed. (21-30%) |
|
4 |
Spiked. (31-40%) |
|
5 |
Twisted and bumpy. (41-50%) |
|
6 |
Polished. (51-60%) |
|
7 |
Carved into an Animal or Monster Shape: Player's choice
of which animal or monster. (61-70%) |
|
8 |
Carved with an Intricate Design: Adds 50% to value.
(71-80%) |
|
9 |
Signed by a Famous Weaponsmith: Triples value, although
there is a 90% chance of it being a fake. (81-95%) |
|
10 |
Superior: Adds +1 to strike. (96-100%) |
|
|
Ornamented: If an Intricate or Superior result was
rolled on the last table, then this weapon may be
ornamented. Roll on the Ornamentation Table in the Metallic
Weapons section. |
|
d20 |
Material |
Percentile |
1 - 2 |
Pine: Decrease weapon value by 50%; this soft wood is
plentiful in most areas. |
1-10% |
3 - 4 |
Maple. |
11-20% |
5 - 6 |
Apple. |
21-30% |
7 |
Pecan. |
31-40% |
8 |
Walnut. |
41-50% |
9 - 10 |
Cypress. |
51-55% |
11 |
Mahogany: Increase value by 20%; this dark, red wood is
highly valued for its appearance. |
56-60% |
12 |
Oak: Increase value by 40%; this strong wood is favored
by bowyers and revered by druids. |
61-80% |
13 |
Ash: This excellent, strong wood has been used in the
creation of some of the most powerful long bows ever
created; increase value by 60%. |
81-90% |
14 |
Teak: This unusual wood is crafted in a unique fashion.
First it is carved. Then it is boiled in oil until it
achieves a black, glossy appearance and texture. The
resulting wood is impossible to glue, so expert
carpenters will usually carve the pieces so they fit
together before boiling them. Increase value by 80%. |
91-100% |
15 |
Wormwood: This wood is primarily desired for its wicked
sounding name; increase value by 100%. |
|
16 |
Ironwood: This enhanced wood is as strong as most metals
and is used extensively in mineral poor regions. Value may
be increased or decreased based upon the unusualness of the
material in a given region. Price change never exceeds 90%
of the base weapon value. |
|
17 |
Giant Holly: This sweet-smelling wood comes from a giant,
mutated version of the holly tree. Increase value by 100%. |
|
18 |
Giant Rose: This rich-smelling wood comes from a giant,
mutated version of a rosebush. Increase value by 300%. |
|
19 |
Artificial Wood: An alchemist crafted this weapon out of
a material of her own design. The weapon can be any color
(even clear) and is fire resistant. |
|
20 |
Customized: The weapon's handle and length are carved
specifically for the character by a master bower, fletcher,
or weapons maker; add +1 to initiative while using this
weapon and roll again on this chart, re-rolling if you get
this result again. |
|
Leather Weapons or Leather Armor (d10)
d10 |
Description |
Percentile |
1 |
Average. |
1-20% |
2 |
Frayed and Cracking: Decrease value by 75%. |
21-30% |
3 |
Furry. |
31-40% |
4 |
Dyed: The player chooses color. |
41-50% |
5 |
Tanned and Glossy. |
51-60% |
6 |
With the Face Still Attached. |
61-70% |
7 |
Studded: This leather has been modified with metal,
stone, or coral. GM's choice. It is both functional and
decorative; increase value by +100%. |
71-80% |
8 |
Jewel-Studded: Increase value by +d10 x 100% of base
value. |
81-90% |
9 |
Master Crafted: Add +1 to attack rolls. |
91% |
10 |
Fancy: Roll twice again on this table and ignore this
result. |
92-100% |
d20
|
Material |
Percentile |
1 |
Skunk Pelt: This leather always stinks at least a little,
no matter how long it has been off the skunk, and is usually
made from roadkill. Decrease value by 90% of the base value. |
1-5% |
2 |
Cattle Hide: domestic cow. |
6-20% |
3 |
Cattle Hide: Bison, buffalo, or wild cow. |
21-40% |
4 |
Pig Skin. |
41-50% |
5 |
Deer Hide. |
51-60% |
6 |
Cat Pelt. |
61-70% |
7 |
Bear Hide: This thick hide offers excellent insulation.
Add +20% to value and +50% to weight. |
71-80% |
8 - 9 |
Alligator Hide: Add +20% to value. |
81-85% |
10 - 11 |
Snake Hide: Add +30% to value and decrease weight by
20%. |
86-90% |
12 - 13 |
Sharkskin: This waterproof material is somewhat soft
but very light. Add +100% to value, and decrease weight by
50%. |
91-95% |
14 |
Monster Cattle Hide: This leather was cut from the body
of a large and monstrous herd animal, such as a Tree Bison or
Triceratops; increase weight and value by +150%. |
|
15 |
Monster Predator Hide: This leather was cut from the
body of a large carnivore like an owlbear or t-rex; Increase
value by +200%. |
|
16 |
Monster Behemoth Hide: This leather was cut from the
body of a giant monster like a giant badger, whale, or roc.
The material from this huge creature is plentiful if one
manages to bring the beast down. Increase value by +300%. |
|
17 |
Nagahide: How many nagas gave their lives for this
leather? Increase value by +400%. |
|
18 |
Pleather: This strange material was reportedly imported
by a traveler from another world; increase value by +500%;
decrease weight by 25%. |
|
19 |
Suede Dragon Hide: This incredibly strong, scaly leather
feels and looks like plate armor. Were it not for the secret
sueding process which softens the material, this leather
might be useless for anything other than roofing shingles.
Increase weight by 100% and increase value by 1000%. |
|
20 |
Woven Blend: Roll again twice and ignore this result. |
95-100% |
Return to Contents
3. The Evil GM
From: Leslie Holm
My idea of a great GM is the one whose name makes you cringe
when you see it in your e-mail. The good kind of cringe,
mind you, where you shiver in delighted anticipation. Is my
character still alive? What horrors will she face today?
Nothing excites me more in a new game than hearing we have
an Evil GM.
There are Evil GMs and there are bad GMs. A bad GM is one
who spends little time preparing, writes badly, or kills
your character just out of spite. An evil GM creates
thrilling adventures that surprise you at every turn and
keeps you on your toes. Complacency is not an option with
the Evil GM.
So, how do you get to be an Evil GM? Hard work, of course!
Here are a few things I've observed my favorite GMs doing:
- Kill someone!
This isn't the movies. Good guys don't always win. When you
have a group of people wandering around looking for trouble,
sometime, somewhere, they are going to come up against
something bigger, stronger, and meaner. If the dice dictate,
let the character die!
- Shake it up!
At the inn, the PCs either meet someone with a quest or get
woken up by adversaries. On a deserted road, they are
attacked. In the dungeon, they kill monsters and find
treasure. Boring! Seduce a PC in the inn, sprinkle annoying
talking flowers along the road, flood the dungeon with
butterflies.
- Meet new people!
Don't let your NPCs become predictable. The man decked out
in black chainmail carrying a wicked looking sword could be
a garrulous paladin, while the young girl in pigtails with a
winning smile could be cursed or possessed. An interesting
way to do this is to create totally stereotypical NPCs and
then switch their characteristics.
If you can't think of anything new and interesting to do to
your PCs, check out Urban Benign Encounters.
Jot down ideas that come to you on an index card, and when
things get stale in your campaign, pull one out. Before you
know it, you too will have a reputation as an Evil GM.
Return to Contents
4. Comments On Campaign Preparation
From: Jonas Dorn
I have two campaigns running at the moment: one online and
one in-person. Preparation for each is quite different, even
though both run the same home-brewed D&D adventure.
Since playing online slows down gaming about 2-3 times, I
have much more time to come up with stuff on the fly
(therefore I don't need to write out descriptions or
important dialogue between NPCs to make sure that I don't
forget to drop the clues).
In addition, everything said during previous sessions is at
my fingertips (so I can easily go and check what happened
and how I called this or that person in the heat of the
moment). However, I can't just sketch a plan on the battle
mat as I explain (therefore, I need to spend time drawing
maps for the more serious fights).
My campaign has an underlying railroad track. First, the
characters need to travel from A to B because that's what
the characters wanted to do anyway. Plus they get a quest
along the way. Then they need to find out more about
themselves in B and get assigned quests that will,
surprisingly, lead all of them to C.
Therefore, I roughly know the general direction the next
session will take. What I prepare between sessions are the
encounters that could reasonably lead to a battle (including
the first reaction of the enemies), the clues that I should
not forget to give out, and the motivations and initial
reactions of the important NPCs.
For the online game, I also type a summary of the last
session, which I use to emphasize the key points the
characters should remember. In the in-person game I have the
players write character diaries (one writes home letters in
the style of the secret diaries of Aragorn - lots of fun to
read). However, I use the time I'd spend on the summaries to
roughly outline descriptions. Of course, there are legends,
city descriptions, motivations of different factions, and
future quests and complications for the characters that I am
constantly working on.
All the rest develops during the session, where I try to
pick up as many of the player's ideas as possible on the
way. What keeps it all from falling apart is that the story
has a direction, the story has to be consistent, and that
actions have consequences.
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Conan: Tito's Trading Post
Welcome to Tito's Trading Post. Here you will find all that
is both mundane and wondrous to satisfy your equipment
needs, collected from around the globe--although I warn you,
I will have no truck with sorcery; go to the Stygians or
Zamorians if that be what you are after, but I may be able
to find some Lotus around here somewhere? As I look for
that, I may as well tell you what my trading post has
available for you....
Tito's Trading Post at RPG Shop