Tools & Techniques Archives - Roleplaying Tips

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Mad Lib Template for Hook, Line & Sinkers

The other day I talked about a classic GMing technique called Hook, Line & Sinkers. Use this three-part method to generate encounter skeletons fast. I remember first coming across this method in the Knights of the Dinner Table Magazine. Each issue would have a few to inspire your game. Victor Diaz recently posted about them, […]

The Hook, Line & Sinkers Method Will Inspire Your Encounters

Here’s a great way to create encounter seeds for your next game via RPT Reader Victor Diaz. It’s called the Hook, Line & Sinkers method. From the RIFTS Adventure Book, page 38: Hook, Line & Sinkers ™ is the popular Game Master’s tool created by Jolly Blackburn. The idea behind it is simple — give […]

What If?… Plot Seeds Generator

Last Musing I answered a question from Anon GM about what hooks are and why you want to use them. Today let’s dig into part two of their question: What are seeds? In my lingo, a seed is an idea not fleshed out yet. For example, good drow running from evil kin. Or, magic armour, […]

Mad Lib 5 Room Dungeon Idea Generator For You

Use this Mad Lib to create a ton of 5 Room Dungeon seeds for your campaigns: [A GROUP] [IS DOING SOMETHING] with [AN ITEM] at [THE LOCATION] in order to [MOTIVE]. The location is the site or setting of your 5 Room Dungeon. The group is an NPC or faction from your campaign. The item […]

Encounters Seeds Formula Part II

In a recent Musings email [Panicked Prep For Next Session] I talked about a formula to create encounter seeds fast: What if? + one source of inspiration = one encounter seed. I also provided three example sources of inspiration: The Monster Manual The News Random Page Finally, I offered bonus points if you connect encounter […]

The Potion Factory for Fun Faction Finagling

The Potion Factory for Fun Faction Finagling On theme with this month’s RPG Blog Carnival, here’s an idea for arming your next faction without destroying campaign balance. We began my Murder Hobos campaign as a playtest of the D&D 5E rules using the adventure Lost Mine of Phandelver included in the Starter Set box. In […]

Plot Your Dungeons with This Simple Grid System

The Nine Sector System of Dungeon Design I saw Castle Oldskull ~ CDDG1: The Classic Dungeon Design Guide ~ Book 1: Forging the Underworld (yup, that’s the full actual title) by Kent David Kelly in the Amazon Kindle store and on a whim purchased it. The book is a couple hundred pages of dungeon building […]

Monster Backstories

In response to my skyfall challenge a few weeks ago, I received a great email from RPT reader Roger B about a wyvern foe from his campaign: Johnn, I started a campaign a number of years ago where a wyvern in the area was a challenge for the local communities. It normally flew high and […]

How to Beat Shark Week With This Attraction Technique

When I want something and can’t have it, I want it more. You can attribute half my RPG book collection to that cruel fact. However, we can take advantage of this human flaw to improve our stories. It bugs me when my players go into a shark frenzy. That’s when blood hits the water and […]

Two Quick Free Game Master Tools

I like online tools where people can make useful stuff and share with others. And then others can build on that stuff and share it back to everyone else. I’ve got two such tools for you today. Roleplaying Tips was conceived on this idea in 1999. GMs around the world receive GM tips I write […]

I Need Help With My Weather Drop Die Table

Have you heard of a die drop table before? You print the table out. Then hold dice above it. Then drop the dice. Where the dice land is your result. It’s random generation meets physics. Here’s an example by Eric Nieudan called Dungeontown generator posted via the Die-Drop Table Heaven G+ Community. Here’s a bigger […]

June – 4 Tips For Better Secrets

An anonymous reader wrote in response to my recent Musings on How to Tell a Secret. They had a few great pointers on secret-telling. I know I’ve been the victim of #3 several times, so these are good tips to keep in mind. 4 Tips For Better Secrets Hi Johnn, One thing about secrets I […]

45 Master Characters – A GM Resource Review

Roleplaying Tips reader Jim B. sent this great overview of a GM resource I thought you might be interested in. Thanks Jim! Hi Johnn, I’d like to suggest a good resource book for GMs: 45 Master Characters: Mythic Models for Creating Original Characters by Victoria Lynn Schmidt, 2011. The book is written for fiction writers, […]

Ramping Up Tension In A Roleplay Plot

Here’s what I look for when I have roleplay plots. 1) A core Problem, 2) Three Intensifiers, 3) Everything has a Secret.

This is easier said than done though, so let’s see how we can use these GM Toolbox techniques to give our roleplaying plots lots of juicy tension.

Add Spikes Of Danger To Get Deeper Campaigns

An RPT GM asks about a design technique from my Adventure Building Workshop: Hey Johnn, I was reviewing the links in your 2019 Compilation and saw reference to “Spikes of Danger”. What is that referencing? I googled around and couldn’t find anything. Thanks, Paul I replied to Paul directly, but thought I’d share with you […]

New Trick Makes Combat A Nail Biter

Last summer I watched a video with a great tip on how to add more story and drama to my melees. I’ve been using this tip for several sessions now, and it’s made a big difference. However, this narrative tactic was tricky for me at first, especially because it’s all improv. I’m finally getting up […]

How To Move Your RPG Campaign Online: Tools

For the best technical experience possible, it comes down to four key decisions….

3 Quick Tips For Taking Session Notes

I asked Platinum Patron Michael what his worst GM skill is. Here’s his reply: My worst skill is being able to keep track of and incorporate all of the improvisation I do every session into the larger scope of my campaign. Mostly because I don’t write it down and I forget. This wasn’t always a […]

Deep World Building Using The Estates Method

A beloved RPG, Ars Magica, splits its setting into three estates: the Church, the Nobles, and the Commonfolk. Wizards are outcasts. Hunted, exiled, or slain for blasphemies and politics. Players run Magi in the Mythic Europe setting. Forced to hide and handle a delicate power balance between the three estates, play becomes strategic and deeper. […]

The Dangling Description Mystery Method Formula — The Secret Sauce To Riveting Descriptions

I was working on a new Faster Combat lesson about the Action Economy last weekend and a lightbulb went off. I know exactly what I want to deliver each time you and I describe something to our players. This applies to descriptions for encounters, NPCs, items, monsters, and locations. This applies to boxed text, bullet […]

67 Questions To Make Your Players Roleplay More

Here’s a great technique to get your players roleplaying more. Have NPCs ask them questions. But not just any questions. Yes/No questions, for example, don’t get players talking or thinking much. Good NPC questions provide another boon: they give you ideas to steal for later use. While the players answer the NPC, you log their […]

Campaign’s Pillars: How To Pacing Your Game’s Exciting Moments

Manage pace during sessions instead of scripting it. This lets you react to your game as it unfolds and is one less strict plan you must track. But, leaving pace to encounter-level decisions burdens you with yet another thing. Until you’ve made pacing a habit and can spot opportunities to switch energy up mid-session, it […]