Save Your Village From Murder Hobos – 5 Quick Tips How do we protect villagers from Murder Hobos? We planned some great roleplay in town, but then the party decides they don’t like being sassed and suddenly we’re rolling for initiative. Here are a 1d4+1 ideas, inspired by Dragon Magazine #109, on how we can […]
Continue readingRoleplaying Tips Newsletter #1216 A Brief Word From Johnn Alas, the week got away from me, so this is a rare weekend edition of Roleplaying Tips. I’d like to give you one piece of advice and then move on to today’s villainous tips. The advice comes from a great Zoom consultation meeting I had last […]
Continue readingRoleplaying Tips Newsletter #1192 Ask Players to Create Them For You From RPT GM Tiago Before I start the campaign I am currently running, I asked my players to create NPCs for the town. I think it was great, because now they really care for the NPCs they created, so they wouldn’t kill them without […]
Continue readingRoleplaying Tips Newsletter #1170 You pour yourself into crafting the perfect ensemble of NPCs. Smith, soldier, spy. Cooper, captain, King. Game day arrives and with relish you walk them onto the stage. And guess what happens next? That’s right: Player 1: I attack the King! Player 2: I charge the spy! Player 3: How much […]
Continue readingRoleplaying Tips Newsletter #1167 How do we outsmart our players? It’s all their brains against ours. Surely the odds are against us. However, here’s a neat trick we can perform to make our villains smarter and our adventures more cunning. We look at the possible plots and actions our poor villain might take and group […]
Continue readingRoleplaying Tips Newsletter #1152 RPT GM Dale S asked me for help with his adventure’s bad guy and plot: Hi Johnn, Would you mind wading in with any thoughts on my villain’s objective? The local gnoll clan and their unusual allies are attacking a small walled human frontier settlement. This is a nighttime ‘storming the […]
Continue readingRoleplaying Tips Newsletter #1142 Salaam Johnn, How can we get players to chase our villains like frothing lunatics brandishing cleavers overhead? It’s starts with someone they want to punch. Someone who isn’t normal but has turned their difference into something cringey. A monster on the inside, at the least. We can achieve all these things […]
Continue readingRoleplaying Tips Newsletter #1143 Hitting too Close to Home Let’s dive in with this observation from RPT GM Maja who brings up an interesting point about favourite villain types that mirrors my own experience. Let’s call it the Seinfeld Effect. Johnn, If you ask me what villain type gets the most attention, it is the […]
Continue readingWhy do I use factions so much in my campaigns? You know I love my NPCs. They are our avatars and “Agent Smiths” in the game to influence players and direct the characters. Therefore, we get even more value out of groups of NPCs. But random clusters do not make great storytelling. We need each […]
Continue readingRoleplaying Tips Newsletter #1140 How do we outsmart our players? It’s all their brains against ours. Surely the odds are against us. However, here’s a neat trick we can perform to make our villains smarter and our adventures more cunning. We look at the possible plots and actions our poor villain might take and group […]
Continue readingRoleplaying Tips Newsletter #1139 I received this great request from RPT GM Carter: I have a problem I’m trying to solve: my players tell me they’re more interested in roleplaying than combat, but I’m most comfortable with making interesting combat encounters than interesting roleplaying encounters. With combat I create interesting terrain, interesting enemy mechanics, cool […]
Continue readingFrom Johnn Four Roleplaying Tips Newsletter #1138 I was asked how to spruce up NPCs. Paraphrasing the question received, “I focus too much on the mechanics. How do I bring my NPCs to life?” My answer? Follow these 5 rules and you’ll have killer non-player characters in your campaign in no-time! Rule 1: Treat Them […]
Continue readingRoleplaying Tips Newsletter #1128 A Charter Member of the Adventure Building Master Game Plan asked me about monsters. Great topic. One might say there are three kinds of monsters: Constructs Tricksters Mirrors Constructs fulfill our System needs. Stats, abilities, xp/treasure. Tricksters serve our Story needs. Clue bearers, agents, plot twisters. Mirrors serve our Setting needs […]
Continue readingRoleplaying Tips Newsletter #1054 Remember 3 Line NPCs? These are awesome. Quick to make, easier to GM, and great for improvisation. Campaign Logger even has a 3 Line NPC generator so you can spin up roleplay-ready NPCs in less than a second. But as I plan Hobo Princes and other campaigns, I want something even […]
Continue readingRoleplaying Tips Newsletter #1027 Gar was a beloved NPC. He was rescued by the party. He was mentored by the fallen paladin PC. He was brought back to life at cost to the players when killed by Orcus’s foul minions. Best of all, he was a stalwart companion ready to dive into the breech to […]
Continue readingRoleplaying Tips Newsletter #1011 My favourite NPC Move is Gain Leverage. I don’t know about your players, but mine will trust and be loyal to allies, be cautious around neutrals, and murder hobo enemy NPCs. It’s the enemy NPCs I worry about most. The neutrals too, if the barbarian is feeling frisky. What’s a poor […]
Continue readingRoleplaying Tips Newsletter #0988 An NPC Improv Trick RPT GM Haukur asked me for tips on how to improv better. Here’s one using NPCs in two specific ways to come up with great ideas while under pressure. Players do not understand how exhausting it is to GM a session. A friend at work was chatting […]
Continue readingRoleplaying Tips Newsletter #0966 It’s fine to have a big Cast of Non-Player Characters whipped up, but that does not get us all the way to a campaign filled with intrigue, roleplaying, and twisty-crazy developments. You want some specific story roles filled to make that happen. Use my quick 3 Line NPC creation method and […]
Continue readingRoleplaying Tips Newsletter #0951 Imagine you have a party of PCs who insult nice people with their insensitivity, who take actions without care for the consequences and effects it has on others, who murder hobo without remorse. I know. It’s a stretch. But just try imagining characters who are like that. Here’s how to turn […]
Continue readingRoleplaying Tips Newsletter #0944 When monsters become meat bags you lose a big opportunity for roleplay and storytelling. I’m guilty of queuing up encounters with 2d6 orcs in a 10′ x 10′ room. Big time wasters. Pointless. And boring. I know players love to use their characters’ powers. And crushing a foe is fun. But […]
Continue readingRoleplaying Tips Newsletter #0918 I wrote this Bonus Musing for you on the weekend in response to a question from RPT GM and Patron Andy Fundinger. Andy asked me how you draw on an antagonist’s high IQ to build clever plans. Here are three ways. Think Ahead I was talking to folks at work about […]
Continue readingRoleplaying Tips Newsletter #0873 Here’s a great tip for speeding up combats from RPT GM Gary Martin: I’ve found one of the huge culprits at our table is the player zoning out while waiting for their turn. Even if turns are slow, it makes them five times slower when you have re-explain what’s going on. […]
Continue readingRoleplaying Tips Newsletter #0852 Need a city fast for your campaign? Follow these 6 steps to build a fantasy town or metropolis in under a minute. Drawing or consulting a map is my First Move. [Kill GM Procrastination With Your First Move] So we’ll begin this recipe with a quick fantasy city map generator. Let’s […]
Continue readingRoleplaying Tips Newsletter #1112 What to do with NPCs in the background to make encounters more interesting? That thought came to me as I bumped into a random blog post on writing, and this snippet jumped out at me: One of the things to watch out for when choreographing a scene is the chorus line […]
Continue readingLoz Newman Roleplaying Tips Newsletter #0298 A Brief Word From Johnn Supplemental Issue #20 Now Available – Over-Resting PCs Readers’ tips about PCs resting too often are now available in Supplemental Issue #20. Thanks to Leslie Holm for editing the supplemental issue, and thanks to everyone who submitted their tips and advice. There’s some good […]
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