Why 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 readingI’m writing right now in my Guide to 5 Room Dungeons about Push versus Pull. Push GMing means forcing players in a certain direction. But players are their own beings. They think and act independent of your wishes. You cannot control another person. Therefore, you cannot control your players. If you try, everyone just gets […]
Continue readingRoleplaying Tips Newsletter #0750 I had an interesting game on Wednesday. I made a couple big mistakes you can hopefully learn from. I’m playtesting the mystery portion of my Demonplague I: The Frozen Necromancer adventure, which releases in 2017. The PCs must find out who or what is behind disappearing villagers. During the session the […]
Continue readingI’ve become a big fan of the way that Blades in the Dark handles world-building. Assign basic stats and create agendas tracked with progress clocks.
Continue readingFrom Coyote O’Reilly Roleplaying Tips Newsletter #289 I’m preparing a fantasy-horror Rolemaster game where the characters are stationed in a town full of strange events. For inspiration, I’ve looked to European folklore that arose from superstition and fear of the dark, and Tales from the Brothers Grimm. I’ve explained to the players that this is […]
Continue readingFrom Johnn Four Roleplaying Tips Newsletter #203 Establish A Home Base There are different setting options for political roleplaying, but one of the best is the Home Base Campaign where the PCs generally stick to a particular area. The majority of adventures, encounters, and interactions take place in or near where the PCs call home, […]
Continue readingFrom Johnn Four Roleplaying Tips Newsletter #201 The social ladder is a core GMing and planning tool that helps you build and manage political campaigns. It represents the hierarchy of power and politics in your world or campaign region. It will inspire you with wonderful plot ideas and campaign conflicts, help you organize and track […]
Continue readingFrom John C. Feltz Roleplaying Tips Newsletter #185 The innkeeper or bartender may very well be the most stock, archetypal, and boring NPC ever created. PCs interact with innkeepers every day, relying on them as a source of food, shelter, and information. But even if the GM roleplays each innkeeper well, there’s usually so little […]
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