So how does a society hold together, if everybody is beating up everybody else? How do races known for thuggery keep any kind of order, do any kind of trade? This article addresses the way I handle such communities in my own RPG campaigns. It doesn’t have to be orcs – it could be any fairly brutal population. But I use this in particular for [Read more...]
I’ll be honest. That is me much of the time. Do I like being that way? No, but it’s hard to change because, well, I am always right. How many times have you tried to influence how your players play their characters? “You need to get into character more.” “Give him a background.” “Give him goals.” “Give him morals.” “Give him quirks.” “Make him different [Read more...]
This article builds off the concepts presented in Designing Fantasy Cities: Purpose. We’ve already delved into how the size of the city, and the city’s residents, can help establish its importance and make it all the more engaging for your players. Remember, a city that makes sense adds that touch of reality to your fantasy world that can help immerse your players in your world. [Read more...]
Everyone wants to be the best DM possible. They want to give their players the experience of a lifetime, every time. People create their own adventure, because modules – well can be a little dry and linear at times. I am not bashing modules, modules can be quite interesting for basic playing. Unfortunately, they tend not to provide the depth that serious role-players crave. When [Read more...]
DM: “So you walk into the bar and see a table in the back of the room. The room is sombre and filled with smoke. Sitting at the table is a Dragonborn, a Tiefling, and an Eladrin.” Player: “This must be the odd group of adventurers the Mayor was talking about! By the way, what is the name of this bar…” DM: “Ummmm… The d20 [Read more...]
Everyone loves magical items. Whether they’re common or rare, equipping yourself with the latest Flaming Sword or Circlet of Mental Might is part of the fun of playing. The abilities these items grant make you feel like that powerful fantasy hero you love being. We all love winning, but one of the best parts of Dungeons & Dragons is that failure can be just as [Read more...]
This article builds off the concepts presented in Designing Fantasy Cities: Purpose. When we talk about who lives in a town or city, the first thing that often comes to mind is race. This isn’t a bad thing, as that often links back to culture in fantasy. Dwarves live differently than elves. It may make us all fictional bigots to think that way, but its useful, [Read more...]
I love running games. Fantasy, Sci-fi, Retro, Space, Modern… you name it, I love it. I love it when you’ve got those players sitting there, leaning forward, waiting to hear what you’re about to say, waiting to see what you’re about to hand out, and waiting to attack whatever it is you’re about to throw at them. In a nutshell, I love the challenge of [Read more...]
One of the reasons I opted to use Mutants and Masterminds 3e for my Mass Effect conversion is that it offers a very flexible set of tools that allow for a number of approaches to GMing, and particularly to building NPCs. Approach 1: The Detailed (“Official”) method M&M handles NPCs pretty much the same way it handles PCs, with a couple of differences: 1) NPCs [Read more...]
So what does it take to build an encounter for a game like this one? In short, what makes running an encounter for a game setting like Mass Effect significantly different from a D&D setting, or a superheroic milieu? I’m glad you asked. Unless you didn’t, in which case I wish you had so that I could answer properly. I’ll wait. It’ll give me time [Read more...]
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