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You are here: Home / Archives for DM tools

Re-examining the Dungeon: Section, Factions and Fronts

September 24, 2010 by The Chatty DM

I think one of 4e’s problem is that the DM tools are now so structured, it becomes a hindrance for people with creativity issues to push through the proposed models and discover “new tech”. I know I’ve been having a hard time selling some of my weirder ideas like “Trap-Monster hybrids” and “The whole party stuck in the same body” because it seems people can’t see it done (or can’t afford the effort to squeeze the concept) in their 4e games.

Filed Under: Adventure Prep, Featured, Musings of the Chatty DM, Roleplaying Games Tagged With: 4e, adventure design, Apocalypse World, d&d 4e, DM advice, DM Toolbox, DM tools, dungeon design, Encounter Designs, Fronts, gm advice

Eureka: 501 Adventure Plots, Preorder Starts Today

June 28, 2010 by The Chatty DM

Engine Publishing, owned by RPG blog legend Martin Ralya (creator of Gnome Stew and Treasure Tables) announced today the pre-launch of their first RPG publication: Eureka, 501 Adventure Plots. It is available as both a fully bookmarked and hyperlinked PDF and a hardcopy book.

Engine Publishing announced today that everyone pre-ordering the book would get instant access to the PDF, weeks before the launch of the book

Filed Under: News, Roleplaying Games, Science Fiction & Fantasy Genre Tagged With: Adventure Seeds, DM tools, gamemastering advice, Plot hooks

Gears of Ruin: Party Creation Session Template

January 4, 2010 by The Chatty DM

We start the new year with a new D&D 4e campaign.  I spoke a little bit about this new D&D 4e clockwork campaign we were starting. After having read the first chapter of the Dungeon Master Guide 2, Mouse Guard and having heard about several games where character generation is part of the shared game […]

Filed Under: Adventure Prep, Musings of the Chatty DM, Roleplaying Games Tagged With: 4e, advice, Chatty's 2009-2010 Campaign, DM tools, Gears of Ruin, Player input

Random Thoughts Table: Sounds of Free D&D with new Tools!

April 29, 2009 by The Chatty DM

Here’s a mix and match of some of the things lying here and there on my blogging desk. Worlds of Sounds Earlier this year, I got a complimentary set of 3 CDs from reader Giorgio Vezzini.  Giorgio runs a studio in Italy called World of Twillights where he produced 4 CDs of sounds to use […]

Filed Under: Musings of the Chatty DM, Roleplaying Games Tagged With: 4e, DM tools, free

About the Author

  • The Chatty DM

    The Chatty DM is the "nom de plume" of gamer geek Philippe-Antoine Menard. He has been a GM for over 40 years. An award-winning RPG blogger, game designer, and scriptwriter at Ubisoft. He squats a corner of Critical Hits he affectionately calls "Musings of the Chatty DM." (Email Phil or follow him on Twitter.)

    Email: chattydm@critical-hits.comWeb: https://critical-hits.com//category/chattydm/

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