Scot Hexes
This is a response to Robgoblin’s post on hex maps . It should have been an email, but Robgoblin has no contact details on the blog.
Read MoreWhy Jaquays?
Linear dungeons, where players see room 1, then room 2, all in order, can feel constraining.
Read MoreRandom Encounters Disarm Chekov's Gun
Chekov’s gun poses a real threat to some games. If a group playing Vampire: The Masquerade (‘VtM’) encounter a Ravnos, spinning illusions, and confusing mortals, then the next time they hear about unusual events, they will assume that the Ravnos did this. Clearly - the Ravnos is part of the plot! After all, VtM draws heavily from literature; or rather, it draws a lot from the idea-spaces of people who like to analyse literature while telling you that they analyse literature.
Read MoreThe Module Decalogue
Ronald Knox wrote ten rules on how to avoid ruining a murder mystery with an unsatisfying solution. They apply very well to writing and running RPG modules, with a little alteration.
Read MoreThe Cost of Shared Narrative
RPGs with a shared narrative mechanic - where players and the GM both come up with interesting people, results, and situations - come with a cost. They pull focus away from the puzzle elements of the RPG, and that’s my favourite element, so I can’t see myself enjoying shared narration mechanics.
Read MoreRunning an RPG in Real-Time, All the Time
Last year, I got excited about the idea of tracking realworld time over downtime . Shortly after I implemented it in my campaign, and it served the entire table, very well.
Read MoreRailroading: The Definitive Definition
Railroading chat devolves into nonsense, as people are working with unclear definitions. Here’s the solution:
Read MoreDungeons Need More Space
The dungeon ecosystem doesn’t make a whole lot of sense, but I think Tolkien has a fix.
Read MoreAlways Say the Target Number
A player rolls the dice, and the table watches the result, like a roulette ball bouncing about. Rothgar has a +4 to make the jump, but the chasm demands a Target Number (TN) of 12.
Read MoreReal Time Passing Between Games
RPG Vloggers chatting about Gygax note on real-world time-synchronization have got me thinking about really using this rule. In case you haven’t heard the idea - Gygax demanded that every day which passes in the real-world, one day passes in the game. The troupe starts and ends their games somewhere safe, like a tavern in town.
Read MoreSystem Realism Matters
A hundred paces down the dark tunnel, you see dozens of goblins dancing round a fire and singing about eating anything that moves.
Read MoreI Want Realistic Dragons
Weighing into an ancient (or at least senile) fantasy debate, I’d like to go back a step. The debate usually goes like this:
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