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 […]
Continue reading
Add Lost Civilizations To Your World
Been watching a lot of history videos on Youtube lately. I especially like the short ones with time lapse maps of changing settlements and populations. For example, this one on Europe from 400 BC to present. It’s fascinating to see how countries grow, shrink, migrate, and disappear. On a similar note, my civilization schema for […]
Continue reading
Build Your World With This Cool Map
Brief word: Roleplaying Tips Monthly Round-Up — October 2019 Here’s a simple world-building method from Reddit user MordecaiKravits. [OC] Finally developed a world building method that appeals to my love of hexagons and straight lines. This a relationship map he created that illustrates the technique: In his words: I’ve been trying to create a sleek […]
Continue reading
Three Ways To Make Your Coins Special
I created a coinage system for Duskfall last week and did three things to make money special. Today I’ll share what these are for you to consider using in your worlds. These tips are inspired by NOD #1 (Amazon affiliate link, Lulu link, blog link) where there’s a short article on coins. Mint The Most […]
Continue reading
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. […]
Continue reading
Drawing Maps Based On Cultures
RPT GM Mike G sent me this tip about treasure, and a comment about building an alien culture: Regarding PCs getting anxious for treasure — if they are far from home, throw a big box of treasure in their lap. It need not be a giant statue — just something they cannot easily pocket. It […]
Continue readingGMing Gods, Demons And Immortals
How do you GM over-powered beings like demons and gods, and still give the players the sense of accomplishment and great memories that such encounters create?
Continue reading
Factions Done Blades In The Dark Style
I’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 reading
What Do I Do When My Players Try To Rob A House?
I’ve got a DM question for you. What do I do when my players try to rob a house?
Continue reading
How The Stars Could Inspire Your Games
A friend at work just got a deluxe telescope. Always interested in astronomy, he contacted a local club and a member approached him with a used one for sale.
Continue reading
1d12 Food Fights
So, what exotic diets might people eat in different lands?Dining on cats is normal for the half-orcs and goblins in the slums, but the royals worship a goddess with feline characteristics so they revere the animals.
Continue reading
Cut Away The Dross For Better Campaign Craft
How is your game going?I ask because many campaign problems seem complex, but you can often drill down to simplicity.
Continue reading
Here’s A New Source Of Treasure For Your Campaigns
So I’m building a world.Because I’m so busy with work and projects these days, I’m letting the world come to me.
Continue reading
The Difference An Overlay Makes
I’ve been following your tips for a while and they are damn awesome, so I thought I would chip in with a little something from my campaign.
Continue reading
What I Learned While Creating My Latest Thieves’ Guild
How do you catch a unique bird?Unique up on it.How do you catch a tame bird?
Continue reading
A Mad Lib For Random Festivals
Festivals create awesome backdrops for encounters. The crowds, the noise, the events…the chaos!
Continue reading
World Conversion
Backers of my Demonplague Kickstarter are asking how to convert their setting to mine and vice versa. Here’s my recipe on how to convert an adventure to just about any setting.
Continue reading
Top-Bottom-Up World Building
Today’s short tip is about taking a different approach to building your own world to host all your adventures in.
Continue reading
Tips On How To Build Your Homebrew World As You Play it
Your game world has serious stakes. If your homebrew setting fails to inspire and facilitate the kinds of stories and adventures you want to play, it’s dead in the water.
Continue reading
How Much World Do You Build?
The best part of chocolate chip cookies are the chocolate chips, right?
Continue reading
How To Build Your Symbol Gallery For Easy Ideation
If a blank page blocks your muse, try staring at a blank world. Zoinks!I’m creating my new world of DuskFall. And to prevent getting stumped and overwhelmed, I’m taking a three-pronged approach.
Continue reading
3 Line Culture: The Eglanzine
RPT GM Patrick Richert emailed me a 3 Line Culture he created, inspired by the recent sawfish Musing:
Continue reading
Gold For XP?
I’ve been thinking about a gold-for-XP system for a campaign. At the end of each session, the value of loot (art, magic, coins, gems, and so on)
Continue reading
Measure Campaign Progress So Players Can See It And Feel It
I’m grappling with something while planning my next season of Murder Hobos.
Continue reading