My 1,040 Page Brainstorming Tool (Johnn’s GM Bookshelf #03)

My 1,040 Page Brainstorming Tool (Johnn’s GM Bookshelf #03)

One of the most useful books on my GM bookshelf is David Perry on Game Design.

This tome’s so large it seems more weapon than spellbook. However, its massive size is one of its greatest strengths.

Perry is a veteran video game designer, and while this book is aimed at that game type, its content is very portable to our beloved hobby. It has become an endless well of inspiration.

In this installment of Johnn’s Bookshelf, we check out a massive, well-organized toolbox that multiplies our ideas-on-demand.

A Toolbox for Your Brain

The core concept that makes this book so powerful is it’s a brainstorming tool. It’s not a book you read cover-to-cover. Instead, you consult it to solve specific problems, generate ideas from scratch, or add depth to an existing game piece.

Of note, the design. A softcover with wide margins that keep text from getting lost in the spine. A thorough table of contents. And a huge index.

How I Use The Book

I use this tool in three distinct ways:

1. Specific Topic

Research for the newsletter or prepping for Basilica.

I think up a couple adjectives for my topic and go hunting in the index.

I enter page numbers into a Roleplaying Tips Newsletter planner I run using Campaign Logger, marking ones that seem most promising. Then I go to the most promising pages first.

2. Inspiration

Especially when building encounters. I open the book to a random page and skim for ideas. If nothing, I’ll do it once or twice more. Never fails.

3. Learn

David often explains things. There are learning moments on every page. I skim the table of contents sometimes and flip to anything that catches my eye for a tasty read.

Other Reasons I Like Dave Perry on Game Design

  • Authoritative. The book is packed with thousands of ideas presented as deep, specific lists. This format makes it incredibly easy to yoink and immediately apply an idea.
  • Holistic & Deep. The book masterfully combines high-level design theory with granular details.

    Example: On page 540 we get a high level discussion of how to make our games fun. Then, on page 153, we get a Missing Persons plot variation list.
  • Immediately Applicable. The lists are a game master’s paradise.

    Example: Lighting, page 434, gives us 9 ways to make scenes interesting with lighting. Then, page 497, a list of 20 Ordinary Things That Can Be Weapons, starting with chopsticks and ending with a hammer — and the way I cook, those are required utensils.
  • Player-Focused Thinking: Lists often reframe design around the player experience, which is a critical perspective for us.

    Example: Page 540 again, there’s also an Experiential Design section that includes a bullet list of play style aspects to consider, pushing us to think about how different players might approach our encounters.

I keep David Perry on Game Design handy because it’s an enormous, well-indexed, and deep repository of ideas. Made before the age of AI, too. I get world, adventure, and encounter inspiration from every page.

Cheers,
Johnn
roleplayingtips.com
https://discord.gg/6MxTRAqQ76
Have more fun at every game!

P.S. When you are ready, here are +4 vorpal ways I can help you with your campaign:

+1 Get My Campaign Logger App Free to Make Prep & GMing Easier
For GMs of any system looking to run deep, detailed, and immersive games, Campaign Logger lets you take session notes at the speed of thought in your unique GMing style while improving your preparation experience so you can focus on the parts of the game you enjoy the most.
Get your free Campaign Logger account here.

+2 Level-Up Your GMing With My Books

+3 Get the Demonplague (with 62 5-Star Ratings so far)
A complete level 1-20 campaign D&D 5E adventure path that offers intense roleplay, sandbox and hexcrawl play, cunning combats, and fiendish monsters.
Click here to see more details and to order.

+4 Get More GM Loot
Visit the Roleplaying Tips DriveThruRPG store, or browse books and courses to level up your GMing at the RoleplayingTips.com store.

Join a private community with Johnn