Skill challenges were the best kept secret of 4e D&D. They were awesome, but they were so poorly explained that it caused a lot of confusion.
Realism vs. Genre Emulation
Why do you suppose the PCs win nearly every D&D battle they have? There’s an illusion of threat, but how often does the party really lose a fight?
Target Mapping your Monsters: Worldbuilding via the “Monster Manual”
While I read the newest Monster Manual, I could feel the monsters coming together in and around dungeons and world events. There is easily digested lore for every monster in the main part of the book, and each of the 2-3 pieces of lore has something a GM can sink their teeth into and turn into a piece of an adventure.
Thirteen Books Nerds Should Read
Do you collect facts like little boys collect dirt? Do you read nearly all morphemes that flit past your eyes (including cereal boxes and the fine print on DVD cases?) Did you already know the definition of morpheme? If you didn’t, do you have at least five apps on your phone that could tell you? If you said yes to two or more of those questions, read on.
More Than Openness: Designing in Public
One of the distinctions that I missed in my last article is that openness doesn’t necessarily have to be inviting. It just leave the door open. Doing something in public combines openness with a call to the public to look at what you’re doing.
Game Design and Openness
I do all of my design work at Sand & Steam openly. Every bit of what I do is laid out for everyone to see, warts and all. When I first started, I choose openness not because of any high-minded philosophy about information needing to be free. No, I did so for one very simple, very motivating reason: I was scared.
Scotty’s Brewpub: Gaming, Grog, Grub, and Good Times for Gen Con
There’s a lot going on at Scotty’s during Gen Con. The short, take away is JUST GO, you’ll have fun. That’s enough if this looks like it’s going to be a TL;DR for you.
26 Years of Gaming Lessons
My wife’s birthday is coming up, which made me think of my birthday, which made me think of my age, and thus, the length of time I’ve been a gamer. I’ve been a gamer for 26 years, and in that time: I’ve lost an arm and a leg in the same fight; witnessed the best […]
How Do You Turn a GM Off the Tracks Onto a Dirt Road?
As part of running Roleplaying Tips, I often receive questions about common gaming problems. One reader sent me this question recently, which might have come up in your gaming group: “How do you wean a GM off of a cinematic/railroad style?”
How to Read Minds: Body Language at the Gaming Table
Did you ever meet someone whose stories always fizzle without much of a punch? Me too. The issue with their stories isn’t necessarily the content; some other guy or gal might tell the same stories with everyone around them hanging on their every word.
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