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 3 Ways to Make Domain Play Fun Again
Posted: Sun, 14 Sep 12:48:00
Category: World Building, Adventure & Campaign Building, Factions

Here’s a query I received a little while ago from Wizard of Adventure JL: How to make conquering/managing/defending a domain FUN (for the players, not just the DM?) I like this question because it gets to the heart of a common GM challenge: making the world matter. Characters with no attachment to your setting will […]

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 Johnn’s Bookshelf
Posted: Fri, 12 Sep 02:48:13
Category: News

Here are a few books I find useful for GMing that aren’t about GMing. Some books are common but highly recommended for every GM, and some are obscure, more for folks who like rabbit holes. Sign up to my newsletter to get new book recommendations sent to your inbox. A Book of Fantastic Dungeon Inspiration […]

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 Add a Secret Level
Posted: Thu, 11 Sep 01:30:17
Category: Players & Characters, GMing - Advance, Rewards & Treasure

The first rule of DungeonCraft: Give everything a secret. Ray Winninger’s Dragon column back in the day was fantastic and the first thing I eagerly read each issue. And his Rule #1 is something I abide by to this day, decades later. TigerShaman offered a fantastic tip along these lines in my Campaign Studio GM […]

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 My 1,040 Page Brainstorming Tool (Johnn’s GM Bookshelf #03)
Posted: Tue, 09 Sep 01:27:32
Category: Running Games, Design, Gming - Beginner

My 1,040 Page Brainstorming Tool (Johnn’s GM Bookshelf #03) One of the most useful books on my GM bookshelf is David Perry on Game Design. This tome’s so large it seems more weapon than spellbook. However, its massive size is one of its greatest strengths. Perry is a veteran video game designer, and while this […]

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 A Trick That Gets Your Players To Roleplay (Works Great With New Players)
Posted: Tue, 09 Sep 00:55:03
Category: Players & Characters, Gming - Beginner, NPCs & Roleplaying

Here’s a way to combine world building with character building while using precious session time more efficiently. I’ve been seeing headlines in the RPG-osphere about campfire chats where, during the party’s rest time, you roleplay and explore the characters together. I have a specific method for this that works well, which I’ll share with you […]

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 How to Create a Murder Mystery
Posted: Thu, 04 Sep 01:43:13
Category: Adventure Building & Campaigns, Adventure & Campaign Building, GMing - Advance

Platinum Wizard of Adventure Arvindh asks: Can you teach me how to create a murder mystery? Sure. A quick caveat before we begin though. A TTRPG murder mystery experience is different from a book or film. With static and scripted mediums, the audience is passive. Writers rely heavily on information silos to keep the audience […]

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 Weeds: What My Garden Taught Me About World Building
Posted: Wed, 27 Aug 02:42:42
Category: World Building, Descriptions, Gming - Beginner

Each empty space on our map offers an opportunity. We often focus on the big things like rooms, doors, and treasure, but the real magic is in the clutter. The makeshift gardens, the forgotten tools, and even the weeds. As GMs, our goal is to make our settings feel lived in, and I was recently […]

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 Before the Quest – A Session 0 Backstory Game
Posted: Tue, 19 Aug 01:20:15
Category: Players & Characters, Agile Gming, Gming - Beginner

Play a game and build character backstories at the same time. Wizard of Adventure Auke shared this little gem on the Roleplaying Tips Discord #gm-help-requests channel: I recommend a co-operative backstory-building improv session. Sit around a table with a large sheet of paper and co-create a mindmap. Start by writing down all the PC names. […]

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 The One Book That Changed How I Build Cities (Johnn’s Bookshelf #02)
Posted: Wed, 06 Aug 04:16:19
Category: World Building, Design, GMing - Advance

Who knew economic and urban development theory could be exciting? I certainly didn’t, until I stumbled upon a book called The Economy of Cities by Jane Jacobs. This small academic tome changed how I build worlds, and today I’ll show you why. Welcome to the latest installment of Johnn’s Bookshelf, my series where I share […]

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 Getting Players Attached To Their Home Base
Posted: Wed, 30 Jul 01:47:11
Category: Players & Characters, GMing - Advance, Towns & Cities

Getting Players Attached To Their Home Base Home bases are like Swiss Army Knives for GMs. A collection of useful campaign tools in one small package. With home bases, we get great GM boons: When players get attached to their home, all kinds of plots and adventures open up. However, if players are willing to […]

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 Do You Speak in Ellipses? A Common GM Mistake (And How to Fix It)
Posted: Fri, 25 Jul 04:50:46
Category: Running Games, Descriptions, GMing - Advance

Here’s a way to instantly improve communication at your game table and keep your players more engaged than ever. There’s a common, often overlooked, communication habit that might be subtly sabotaging your sessions. In today’s tip, I’ll share a powerful, easy-to-implement way to eliminate choppy descriptions and ensure seamless interaction. Speaking in Ellipses… I’ve noticed […]

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 World Calendars & Campaign Timelines
Posted: Thu, 24 Jul 03:14:42
Category: World Building, Campaign Logger, GMing - Advance

Do you create a world calendar and campaign timeline? RPT GM Chris asks if this is common: Good day Johnn. I was working on my game world history a bit today, and found myself wondering if things I do are common among many other DMs? For instance, I always have a calendar for any world […]

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