Roleplaying Tips Weekly E-Zine Issue #411
How To Host The Perfect Game
Contents:
This Week's Tips Summarized
How To Host The Perfect Game
- Gaming Garage
- Gaming Cottage
- Playing in a Public Place
- Outdoor Gaming
- Space and Lighting
- Low-Tech Locations
- Seating Levels
- Arrangements Around the Table
- Decreasing Distractions
- Atmospheric Environment
- Group-Specific Environment
- How to Host the Perfect Game
Readers' Tips Summarized
- Campaign Cartographer 2
- Switch Your Binders For Web Pages
Johnn Four's GM Guide Books
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Wrath of the River King
Return to Contents
A Brief Word From Hannah
Clockwork Heart is Great Steampunk
I thought one of the names in this week's tips looked
familiar, and then I realized where I'd seen it: on the
cover of the book sitting on my desk. I finished Dru
Pagliassotti's novel Clockwork Heart a few weeks ago, and
it's fantastic.
Steampunk fans will love the setting, which runs on
clockwork and a lighter-than-air metal called ondium. I
really liked the caste system, with its mix of privileges
and burdens for each class. The plot is full of twists and
turns, with some very sweet moments here and there.
I've never run a steampunk game before, but the book made me
want to give it a try. If you're already a fan of the genre,
you'll definitely enjoy it.
Clockwork Heart
WoAdWriMo Finished
It's August, and World Adventure Writing Month is finally over.
I managed to finish my adventure, and I even surpassed my
personal goal of 32 pages. There are fewer illustrations than
I'd hoped (none), but I might be able to remedy that later.
WoAd certainly helped me appreciate GMing more. I tend to
improv most aspects of my games, so it made me realize just
how much planning can potentially go into one session's worth
of gaming.
Of course, most GMs' prep work doesn't include instructions
for complete strangers who might want to run that session.
Having to clarify things gave me a lot more insight into
which aspects of the game my group and I tend to gloss over.
I'd definitely recommend at least giving WoAd a try; even if
you don't complete your adventure, you'll still have learned
something.
A few people had to drop out, but most people did finish their
adventures in time. They should all be available for download
soon, so if you're looking for awesome free adventures, or just
inspiration, go check them out.
woadwrimo.org
hannah@roleplayingtips.com
Return to Contents
Campaign Coins - Treasure Worthy Of Your Greatest Adventures!
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Return to Contents
How To Host The Perfect Game
Here is a collection of tips from readers on how to create
the perfect environment for gaming. Some offer advice to the
age-old problems of eliminating distractions and
establishing atmosphere, while others describe unique and
inspiring gaming setups.
1.Gaming Garage
From: Sean H.
Hey Johnn,
First and foremost, thanks for doing this newsletter. I look
forward to getting it each week to get me inspired for our
Tuesday night gaming sessions. Especially because it's my
turn to GM for the next few months.
You asked for gaming environment tips. Here's some stuff
that's always worked out well for my group that's been
running for the past eight years.
We always play out in the garage. It takes us away from the
distraction of roommates and/or family members traveling
through the gaming session. I also find it gets players more
into character because they're not worried about what the
other people in the house are thinking of them when they are
speaking in character and whatnot.
Added to that, the garage has a large table that would not
fit comfortably anywhere else in the house. Our current
gaming table is a massive old thing, from a local thrift
shop, that we refurbished. It comfortably seats the GM at
the head of it, two players on a side, and one at the far
end.
Not only does this give the players enough room for their
required game stuff, but it also has plenty of space for
snacks and drinks essential to any good gaming session.
Also, a CD player with suitable music played at a non-distracting level is almost a necessity.
Oh, and most importantly: no phones. The house phones are
inside and left to the others in the house. Cell phones are
to be turned off at all times during the session.
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2. Gaming Cottage
From: John T.
Hi Johnn,
Wanted to add a comment about your perfect gaming
environments. I have to say that right now I have a really
great gaming environment.
I just bought a house that has a small cottage in the back.
My wife and I had no idea what to do with the place, and
then it occurred to us: gaming!
I know this is not feasible to a lot of people, but the way
I set it up might be. I've added a white board, a pin board,
a beat-up CD player from a garage sale, and a nice school-
style table. I picked all of this up cheap. The white board
is great for fast pictures of layouts or riddles and such
that you want everyone to see. The pin board is wonderful
for charts and rule reminders.
I play Hero system games, so we have things like speed
charts and range modifiers on the pin board right now. The
CD player adds mood music. The school table is nice because
it is not too big and is just narrowly larger than the thin
side of our megamats. I think a smaller table forces people
closer and to interact. It really makes a difference.
Keep up the good work!
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3. Playing in a Public Place
From: Nick Mavrantzas
I am a DM who travels a lot from my hometown to where I
study and back, and that's an 8-hour drive. So, I have two
different groups, one "here" and one "there." With my
hometown group, we usually gather at someone's home, and sit
on the floor, on mattresses on the floor, etc.
This means that some people do indeed fall asleep during the
sessions.
With my "there" group, we play at the lounge of a hotel.
Many irrelevant people come and go, and there's usually a TV
playing, yet I've found that, for the players, this means
making an effort to lean forward and listen to what I and
their party-mates say. In essence, these outside
distractions only distract them from making irrelevant
remarks and bad jokes.
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4. Outdoor Gaming
From: Casey D.
Taking the game outside is a nice change of pace if properly
planned.
I had a game in which the players had to move through a
cemetery. Now, I didn't take them out to a real cemetery,
but I did move the game outside. It was chilly but not cold,
and we had a fire and some nice "camping" food. I had a
table, and a few candles, but also some generator lights so
lighting wasn't an issue.
It had a great mood, but I must warn you that we'd been
playing for many game sessions. Be careful not to do
something like this too soon, else risk "cliché" or "corny"
or "just plain weird," and lose players!
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5. Space and Lighting
From: Garry Stahl
My perfect gaming environment:
A local hotel has hosted several gaming conventions. The
perfect environment is one of their conference suites. You
have a large table, comfortable swivel chairs, a bathroom
steps away, and a small fridge for pop and snacks.
The comfortable chairs mean a long session is not fatiguing
due to player and GM discomfort. A large table means you are
focused, but not pressed for space; you can spread things
out. The fridge and bathroom mean you do not lose time to
overlong breaks while people seek food or relief.
While my games are sprawled around the living room due to
space constraints, I long for such a game room and have
plans to build it in my basement. The only things I would
add to that setting would be a white board for sketching
things out, and light controls handy to the GM's seat.
Variable lighting would be a wonderful feature to have. So
much in the way of mood altering can be done simply by
changing the lights in a room.
My main problem with changing the lighting - for example,
candlelight for a dark mood - is that both my players and I
are getting up in age, and we like lots of light for
reading. Setting the room with candles might set a mood;
reading the dice with a flashlight so destroys that mood.
Light fixtures that would allow me to change from normal
white to yellowish lightly, or even flicker bulbs, and to
vary the lighting would allow the mood, but allow the mood
to move on. As the party moves into the evil wood you can
slowly lower the light, and set the mood. When they move
from the evil wood you bring the lights back up indicating
the evil has passed.
Multiple lighting is a dream option. Expensive to set up.
But a remote controlled rheostat can be had for much less
money, and might be a good investment in room used largely
for gaming.
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6. Low-Tech Locations
From: Serge Cote
Hello Johnn,
In all these years of gaming, the best experiences I have
had were when the environment was close and empty of
anything that could take us out of the games.
I remember a cellar one of my friends was renting. It
was so low (5'-9") that we had to walk bent in half to move.
There was a wall of old rock, and no electricity. We had to
play with candles all the time. It was the best place to get
into a game.
I was the game master in a LARP of Vampire: the Masquerade.
And with a few players, we decided to hold the game at an
old house in a remote place. We got there early in the day
and got the house all set up in the gothic mood: we didn't
use anything other than candles to light the house.
When the players got there, the whole house was in-game.
There were fourteen of us in that house. Wherever you
walked, there was a special mood and someone to talk to. It
was great. We had six hours of intense gaming that time, and
it was one of the best LARP events that I ever attended.
When there's nothing to take you back into reality, you'll
be more involved in the game.
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7. Seating Levels
From: Dark Druid
I have found it is a good thing for the GM and the players
to sit on the same level. The physical spatial relationship
seems to mentally bring the players into the world. However,
I have found that classic table-top gaming is often awkward
for me for two reasons:
- Unless you have a separate gaming or recreation room,
family members and friends will wander in and out at will,
thus creating a distraction and often times prompting
younger siblings to ask, "What are you playing? Can I play?"
- When people sit on the floor in my family room, they seem
both casual and involved at the same time. Sitting on carpet
really isn't that bad, and when a player is not needed in a
certain scenario, they can simply go and sit on the couch:
comfortable and distant, but still close enough for them to
listen to the story.
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8. Arrangements Around the Table
From: Kender
I've spent years trying to come up with the perfect gaming
environment, and although I have not achieved said
perfection, I have a pretty good one so far.
We have an area (within 10 feet of the kitchen, in case
someone needs a Mountain Dew) about 15' long, 9' wide, in
which is "The Table." This is a massive oaken table
surrounded by chairs.
At the back of the area, against the wall, is the GM's seat.
To his right, a bookcase full of reference materials, and
gaming manuals. In front of him, all his smiling players.
(This has the added benefit of, since the GM can't get out
without displacing a section of those seated at the table,
people bring him drinks. :))
Behind, and just over his seated head, is the white board on
which he can diagram maps, battles, and such. The light over
the table is a dimmer, which allows mood lighting if need
be.
Now, just to get the GM his own mini-fridge.
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9. Decreasing Distractions
From: Rick
- Turn the TV off!
- Put players who are known to talk off-topic more than the
others closer to the DM. In my games this increases their
attention span.
- Minimize distractions by playing in a room without a
phone, TV or radio, or in a room that isn't a thoroughfare
through the house.
- When playing spooky scenarios, try using theme music
and/or a little scenery dressing. I have a (plastic) skull
goblet and some old-looking candlesticks that work quite
well. You can also buy fake cobwebs in a spray can.
- Consciously involve PCs whose players are furthest away
from the DM, especially when they are being distracted by
something or are talking off topic.
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10. Atmospheric Environment
From: Ed W.
Hi Johnn and all,
Normally, our group meets in an unused room in a friend's
house around a large table, with all our gaming needs in
easy reach and the kitchen just through the door. While
good, this does not match the setup we had about four years
ago.
At that point we had a large basement with a long wooden
table. The table was covered in cloths sporting interesting
muted patterns. Incense filled the air and the lighting was
supplied by many candles on the table, each in an
interesting candle holder; everything from skulls to fairy
statues holding the candles.
A small stereo was near the referee to allow mood music to
be played at just the right moment, and a small laundry room
just to the side allowed for secret conferences. It was the
best. You could really get into the feel of the game with
the altered environment.
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11. Group-Specific Environment
From: Anne W.
I'm in several different games, and I think the environment
has to fit the group. For a live-action game, we always meet
in a park. It encourages staying in character since you
can't plop down in front of the TV or a computer or video
game.
Unfortunately, the park management won't let us do this
anymore. Since we stopped, in-character involvement has gone
down dramatically.
In a separate game with much smaller numbers of players, we
play at a table away from the TV and gaming systems. One
player of mine kept wandering away and playing until I
started making his character have to deal with big problems
for just walking away from a king or similar important
figure.
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12. How to Host the Perfect Game
From: Dru Pagliassotti,
The Harrow: RPG Columns
I can't count the number of times gamers have written to me
with this plaintive cry for help: "Dru, you have to help me!
I'm expecting eight of my gaming friends over tomorrow and I
simply don't know what the proper etiquette is!" Well, never
fear. Here is your answer at last.
Cleaning House
The first thing you're going to be concerned about before
hosting your little RPG soiree is the condition of your
house, apartment, or half of a dorm room. For most gamers,
nothing short of an emergency call to Merry Maids Cleaning
Service will do - and tell them to bring their haz-mat
suits. If you can't afford a cleaning service, then you'll
have to brace yourself for an inspiring hour or two of
housework.
Think of it as an adventure. Your goal is to unearth the
carpet, discover the true color of your bookshelves, and
solve the Puzzle Box of Bedmaking. Along the way you're
likely to run into a variety of slime monsters, dust
bunnies, creeping dooms, and long-lost kids' toys.
But never fear - you'll be facing them with your Scrub Brush
of Cleansing, your Spray of Antibacterial Doom, your Dusting
Cloth of Obliteration, and your Broom of Sweeping.
If you have kids, spouses, or roommates, you have a pretty
good chance of shanghaiing them into being your adventuring
companions, too.
Stick a colander over your head, put on some rousing battle
music, and go forth to Fight Evil And Greasy Kitchen Stains.
Don't forget to use a lot of heroic one-liners, too (e.g.,
"Take that, dirtball! Die, scum-bucket! I'm going to wipe
you off the face of the earth, slimer!").
The end result should be carpets, chairs, sofas, beds, and
toilets that your guests aren't afraid to sit down on, and
kitchen counters and a refrigerator that they aren't afraid
to set their food down on.
Other Preparations
First, remove easily broken family heirlooms from the party
space. We're not saying gamers are clumsy, but several
hours' worth of unbroken caffeine, sugar, and salt intake,
combined with the tension of battle, does tend to make most
people a tad hyperactive.
If you have swords or guns on the wall, you may wish to
remove those, too, for similar reasons. Even fireplace
pokers should be regarded with some thought, as overexcited
gamers have been known to duel with the fireplace tools, to
the detriment of each other, the furniture, and the carpet.
Second, make sure there are flat, out-of-the-way surfaces
upon which your guests can set their food and drinks, away
from feet and flailing elbows, and on surfaces that won't be
irrevocably damaged if something damp or hot is set or
spilled on them.
If you're sitting around the dinner table, of course, this
is less of a concern, although spilled drinks still pose
something of a hazard both to the carpet and to the
character sheets and books sitting on the table.
Third, remove any kiddie or pet toys on the floor that might
cause unsuspecting guests to break their neck when they step
on them.
Also, go outside for ten minutes and then walk back in and
take a deep breath. If your party area smells like used
diapers or dirty cat boxes, remove the offending objects and
spray a strong disinfectant/deodorant around the area.
Lighting scented candles or spritzing the room with your
favorite aromatherapy spray is optional, but likely to be
appreciated.
Fourth, get rid of any nonparticipating children, pets,
spouses, roommates, and so forth. If you can't just lock
them in the backyard or a spare room, fob them off on a
sitter or bribe them away with a movie pass, if that's what
it takes. There, doesn't the place look so much better
without them cluttering up the room?
Fifth, turn off any electronic devices you don't plan to use
as part of the game. That includes, yes, televisions,
stereos, and even (gasp) computers. They are distractions,
and you want your RPG party guests to pay attention to each
other, not your nifty new DVD player, right?
Asking guests to turn off their cell phones and pagers is a
bit tricky, etiquette-wise, but asking them to set the
machines to vibrate is usually an acceptable compromise -
and sometimes has pretty humorous consequences when the
machines go off and your guest leaps a foot out of the
chair.
Sixth, take a moment to place brand-new, empty trash bags
into the trashcans, and make sure you have a wastebasket in
the bathroom if you're going to be gaming with women. Tsk,
don't ask why, boys, just listen to Auntie Dru and do it.
Ah, there we go. There's nothing like nice, empty trashcans
to add a touch of class to a get-together. Don't worry.
They'll be overflowing again by the end of the game.
Decorating House
What is a party without party decorations? This is where you
should let your imagination go wild! I suggest stone-
flecking your walls with those nifty little spray cans you
can purchase at most craft stores.
Oh, very well. If you must have something easier, then so be
it.
As RPG host, you have two decorating choices: Make an Effort
or Easy Cleanup. Which you prefer will undoubtedly depend
largely on how often you host games, how many people you can
rely on to help you clean up afterward, and how much you
trust your gaming friends around your good stuff.
For Make an Effort decoration, you will be working to
capture your game's ambiance. If, for example, you are
hosting a fantasy RPG, you might pull out your heavy glass
beer mugs to serve drinks in, drape the sofa or chairs with
velvet blankets, set your good brocade holiday table runner
across the table, and set out a few candles in heavy brass
candlesticks.
For a science-fiction RPG, you might serve drinks in clear
plastic or colored aluminum cups, cover the furniture with
sheets so everything is grey, black, or white, and remove
everything but your most modern-looking chrome objects
d'art. You may choose to be as classy or cheesy as you want
and/or can afford to be.
The drawback to Make an Effort decoration, of course, is
that it takes time and effort, requires ownership of at
least some props, and will need to be cleaned up after the
game.
For Easy Cleanup decoration, you're going to try to catch
the mood in the easiest way possible. The fastest way to do
this is to stop by the local party store and buy paper
plates and cups in a suitable color or design for the type
of RPG you're running.
Yup, Cinderella for your fantasy RPG, little rocket ships
for your science fiction RPG, Halloween stuff for your
horror game. Party hats and noisemakers are optional.
The best part about Easy Cleanup is that you can throw away
the cheap plastic or paper plates, cups, and flatware
afterward, to avoid another round of Cleaning House.
Food and Drink
A good party requires good food and drink. Again, some
effort must be made to capture the game's ambiance. For a
fantasy game, I suggest you buy a roasting turkey, about two
pounds per guest.
You people have no interest in working at this, do you? Very
well. A proper game requires that the host provide hors
d'ouvres in the four basic food groups: Salt, Caffeine,
Sugar, and Grease.
Offer some variety here; for example, not everybody will
enjoy Cheetos. Provide some Sour Cream and Onion Doritos,
too. Red Vines are perennial favorites, as is anything
containing chocolate.
An older gaming group might tolerate a bowl of grapes or a
plate of carrot sticks and dip, but don't overdo the healthy
stuff - unlike the chips and candy, if these items don't get
eaten, they won't last in the cupboard until the next game.
Drinks should come in combinations of Sugar, Sugarless,
Caffeine, and Caffeine-less, unless you are absolutely
certain what your guests drink and can cater specifically to
their preferences. I have found as a general rule that the
more women and the older the group, the more likely that
there will be a request for sugarless and caffeine-free
drinks.
The party host serves alcoholic beverages at his or her own
risk - keep in mind the age of your guests, their likelihood
of getting into a crash on their way home if they drink, and
how much damage they may wreak on your house after a few
beers on top of all that sugar and caffeine.
Don't overlook Kool-Aid! Red is essential to those
vampire/goth games (it stains lips and tongues so well), and
blue or green are excellent science-fiction colors. Plus,
Kool-Aid is cheap and plentiful. Tang works well for sci-fi
games, too.
If you wish to exert some effort, choose snacks that reflect
the game. Gummy treats come in shapes to suit any gaming
need; Old West games require BBQ-flavor chips; and cyberpunk
games are nothing without Mountain Dew and Jolt and Pop
Rocks.
For those running Call of Cthulhu or other games involving
twisted and strange events, I suggest ambling through the
fruit and vegetable section of the grocery store for snack
ideas. Lychees, cheremoya, baby eggplant, blood oranges -
there are all sorts of weird-looking fruits and veggies in
those aisles that you could use as a centerpiece for a
horror game. Heck, lima beans alone would be enough to send
some people screaming.
For actual dining, a good host should offer an array of
menus from restaurants and pizzerias that deliver in the
area. Etiquette demands that the host make the call (since
the host knows how to give directions to the house or
apartment), but that everybody pitch in for their share of
food and the tip. Don't forget the tip. Those poor saps are
working hard for their money while you're sitting on your
butt gaming, after all.
Should the host decide to cook for the group, food that
captures the flavor of the game is best - roast beast for a
fantasy game, jambalaya for the gothic New Orleans horror
game, nuke'n'puke TV dinners for the cyberpunk game.
Cooking should not be permitted to interfere with the flow
of the game, although in extreme cases, such as when one is
elbow-deep inside a turkey while stuffing it, cooks may
politely request somebody else make a die roll for them.
The host is not obliged to check with guests about any
eating restrictions such as allergies, religious
prohibitions, and so forth, but it is considered polite and
may prevent unexpected trips to the hospital from disturbing
the game flow.
In general, however, it is the guest's responsibility to
protect his or her own life or eternal soul by notifying the
host when the invitation is extended.
Music
Music should suit the game's genre and mood and be quiet
enough to talk over. Guests should be given some input into
music selection, as it isn't fair to argue that your entire
K.D. Lang collection is more than suitable for the swords
and sorcery game you are hosting.
During the Game
The perfect host will make sure that all of the guests are
having fun and eating and drinking well. Gamer hosts,
however, may be satisfied with simply drawing a map to the
refrigerator and the trash can and letting everybody fend
for themselves thereafter.
After the Game
Alas, a hint or two about helping with the dishes or taking
out the trash on one's way to the car is enough to make most
gamers vanish without a trace. Thus, it is often up to the
host to shoulder the post-party clean-up.
The host may wish to go to sleep and deal with the mess in
the morning, hoping that perhaps a miracle will occur and
spouses, children, or roommates will magically whisk
everything away overnight.
Hosts with money may wish to make a follow-up appointment
with the Merry Maids they hired for the pre-party cleanup.
Others will simply need to follow step one - Cleaning House
- all over again.
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Expeditious Retreat Press at Gen Con Indy
Expeditious Retreat Press is making its annual trek to
Indianapolis for Gen Con! Come join us in the hilarity!
We'll be at booth 511 with copies of our books for sale,
including any remaining MMSWE hardbacks still in stock.
Stop by, say hi, & get ready for the best 4 days in gaming!
Expeditious Retreat Press at Gen Con Indy
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Readers' Tips Of The Week:
Have some GM advice you'd like to share? E-mail it to johnn@roleplayingtips.com - thanks!
1. Campaign Cartographer
From: Chris Heismann
Johnn,
I just read through your map tips, and I think you might be
missing the GM's best mapping tool out there: Campaign
Cartographer by Profantasy software.
Using CC, I can make highly detailed GM maps, and then
selectively print what the players need - without the
details that can get in the way. Overlays and different
versions are easy to create without a lot of redrawing, and
techniques like changing the grid alignments (as per your
suggestion) are very easy to accomplish.
But the best part of using CC for me is I have gradually
compiled an atlas of my roleplaying world that is easily
organized on the computer.
I have a major map of my world, and as I need to detail more
areas, I simply "break" the appropriate section from the
master map and detail it. I've done this in several areas,
all the way down to floor plans.
I've also used it with great success in reverse. Due to my
GMing style, I often find myself creating a whole locale, or
building floor plan on the spur of the moment - usually on a
piece of scrap paper, or even a dry erase mat.
To keep things consistent should my players end up in the
same location, after every session I use CC to recreate
these quick and dirty maps. Since the maps are crude to
begin with, it doesn't take very long, and several times
providing further detail to these maps has actually inspired
new story and adventure ideas.
Check out the demo at www.profantasy.com to get a
better feel for the program.
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2. Switch Your Binders For Web Pages
From: Clint Shulenski
One very easy tip for binders is to build a web page.
I used to use a four volume GM binder (one for PC Info,
Campaign Info, Current Adventure, and NPCs), but now I've
combined all of them into a web page.
This works great for my group as we are all web heads. No
matter where we end up playing, we have access to a
computer. If we need to look something up, it's just a few
clicks away.
Plus, you can usually build a page for free. I use Yahoo,
just because it's easy.
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Johnn Four's GM Guide Books
In addition to writing and publishing this e-zine, I have
written several GM tips and advice books to inspire your
games and to make GMing easier and fun:
How to design, map, and GM fresh encounters for RPG's most
popular locales. Includes campaign and NPC advice as well,
plus several generators and tables
Advice and tips for designing compelling holidays that not
only expand your game world but provide endless natural
encounter, adventure, and campaign hooks.
Critically acclaimed and multiple award-winning guide to
crafting, roleplaying, and GMing three dimensional NPCs for
any game system and genre. This book will make a difference
to your GMing.
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