Every October, for the last few years, I’ve been trying to watch 31 horror movies that I haven’t seen before. Some of the most consistently enjoyable horror movies that I’ve seen since I’ve been doing this have been horror anthologies. Creepshow, Trick ‘r Treat, the original V/H/S, and the Mortuary Collection have been some of […]

"Only make them roll when its interesting" is solid GMing advice, but it can be hard to figure out which rolls will be interesting. At least, it's something I struggled with until just a few weeks ago. Here's what I discovered about how knowing the stakes of the scene will help you know when to call for rolls from your players.

If you give me the ability to customize something, whether its fonts, colors, formatting, whatever, I’m going to end up spending way too much time playing with those options. Even when I know this is the case, it doesn’t stop me. The best thing I can do is to find a tool that lets me […]

“I’m just following the rules” is often the GM’s version of “I’m just doing what my character would do.” The rules of your game are not objective or unbiased, so you can't be either of those things when arbitrating RAW. In the latest installment of Earning Their Trust, we'll look at how you can be unbiased yet fair and work with your players to create an unforgettable game.

At my table, a few weeks ago, the characters were outside the lair of a nefarious being, preparing to breach and assault. Before they did, one of the players announced that they wanted their character to do a quick recon, a very prudent idea. I was just about to request a Sneak check when I […]

Join Ang, Josh and Carl Lehman as they talk about setting stakes for your games and how to keep your players and their characters invested and involved.

While it’s sometimes fun to flip open a bestiary or monster manual to find a random monster to throw at the PCs, when you’re planning a boss for your party to face, it’s best to put some thought and care into the selection. You might even go so far as to make the boss of […]

Seven years ago, the original edition of Star Trek Adventures was released. That was before so many major developments with the franchise. Multiple series debuted, new eras were visited, and the two corporate entities that split the rights to Star Trek between movies and television series assimilated one another to add their distinctiveness to each […]

https://polygamero.us/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/GC_197_Brandnewplayers.mp3 Join Ang, Tomas and Walt as they talk about bringing brand new players into the hobbies. Tips, tricks, and things to keep in mind as you introduce the hobby to someone for the first time. LINKS: Magnolia: City of Marvels Victoriana 5e Kickstarter Deborah Ann Woll teaches Jon Bernthal D&D

A narrative promise is a commitment you make to your audience. When you're running a TTRPG, there are two kinds of narrative promises: the ones you say out loud and the ones you don't. They're both tricky to keep, though, so let's look at each category on its own.