We want to cue up situations, not outcomes. By that, I mean we don’t dictate the actions of the characters. That’s the players’ job. But as storytellers, we have a job to do too. We need to weave good tales from our setting, adventure plans, and gameplay as it happens. How can we do this […]

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RPT GM Dale S asked me for help with his adventure’s bad guy and plot: Hi Johnn, Would you mind wading in with any thoughts on my villain’s objective? The local gnoll clan and their unusual allies are attacking a small walled human frontier settlement. This is a nighttime ‘storming the barricades’ kind of assault […]

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From Ria Kennedy Roleplaying Tips Newsletter #287 NPCs are an essential game device, and it’s important to figure out how to get the most out of them. Following are a few quick tips to help you build dynamic NPC relationships. Give Every NPC A Purpose Every existent NPC should have a purpose. You have better […]

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Character arcs tell the story of how characters develop by overcoming foes and challenges in pursuit of their goals. This is the ambition of campaign play: to develop cool character story arcs. Such arcs keep players intensely engaged in your games. Why? Thinking about armour, health points, personality scores, and other character sheet elements are […]

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This is a guest post by Jonathan Hardin based on his original article at Sojourners Awake. How can you have gods walk your realm without whacking campaign balance? How can you turn deities into Plot Factories? And how can you roleplay divine beings in interesting ways that do not spell immediate doom for belligerent characters? […]

The post A Divine Way to Manage Your Meddling Gods – a 3 Part Framework appeared first on Roleplaying Tips.

How do you make your next combat fast and exciting effective 3 Round Combat Plans? And what are we supposed to do in each round? What is our strategy here? That’s what I show you in today’s tips, which are taken from my brand new Faster Combat 5E course launching this spring. Today, I’ll go […]

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February was another great month, but it sure went by fast. There was a big Campaign Logger feature added plus a new add-on. The new feature is Charts & Diagrams. Perfect for plotting, faction pyramids, and other organizational uses. And we launched a dice room to help GMs who run virtual, async, or distance gaming. […]

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In Faster Combat, a Three Round Combat Plan is how your combat will end after your side has had three licks against the other side. Why would we make something like that? If your fights finish after the third bell, think how much faster they’ll be than melees that just grind on to the last […]

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From Carl Ross From Carl Ross

The post The Chaotic Good Game Room appeared first on Roleplaying Tips.

From Jeffrey G. Table & Shelf This is a picture from the entrance to the gaming room. I use two 2′ 6″ x 6′ tables, and then put a 3′ x 4′ map table 12″ above the tables itself. There is a light underneath the top table along with a circuit breaker for anyone that […]

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By Jochen Linnemann Starting a West Marches Campaign (Part 1) Some time ago, I decided to start a West Marches type campaign with the idea of an episodic, easy-to-prep game for a group changing players in mind. So, I started to research the topic. Reading Tips Google was a good jump off point, and I […]

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Salaam Johnn, How can we get players to chase our villains like frothing lunatics brandishing cleavers overhead? It’s starts with someone they want to punch. Someone who isn’t normal but has turned their difference into something cringey. A monster on the inside, at the least. We can achieve all these things for our villain in […]

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