noteworthy

RPT GM Martin V sent me this excellent email on his key takeways from this fantastic game, and how they might be used for other systems. [Here are some] interesting insights from Blades in the Dark, a game I've been reading recently. Blades in the Dark is a game about playing daring scoundrels...

The 3 Line NPC Method: How to Create Story-Full NPCs Fast From JohnnFour | updated August 25, 2020 Roleplaying Tips Newsletter #575a Table of Contents NPC Tip #1. Introduce An NPC Every Session NPC Tip #2. Whack An NPC Every Session NPC Tip #3. Three Stages Of NPC Roleplaying Be Awesome In One...

How to Roleplay NPC Mannerisms From James Introcaso | September 9, 2020 Roleplaying Tips Newsletter #693 Table of contents Importance of Mannerisms Types of Mannerisms Inspiration for Mannerism Creation Playing Mannerisms How to Portray a Maiden Mannerism Table Brief Word from Johnn 1...

Hi all I am starting this thread as a resource for anyone interested in game sound effects, music, etc. I have been collecting music for a few years, from a few sources, and I have a large library that had not yet fully fed my addiction. I hope you all enjoy and can use some of the links that...

There are a few of them out there and would like to put a bigger list together. My list is especially short on sci-fi and modern NPC generators. D&D 5E https://rpgtinker.com/ http://miniworlds.online/generators/generateNPC.html http://www.fastcharacter.com/ => more of a quick PC generator...

Here is a living list of Roleplaying Tips acronyms and jargon. You might come across these terms in one of my newsletters, books, or courses. Some additional glossaries to might find helpful: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Role-playing_game_terms https://rpggeek.com/wiki/page/RPG_Glossary...

As most great writers (wizards of adventure included) affirm, the Villain isn't just another NPC. The Villain - their actions and the motivations behind them - is the oevre at the core of every campaign and every adventure. As the Angry GM puts it: "The villain is more than just an NPC. The...

I've recently switched from D&D to the Genesys system for running a home-brew campaign. I used D&D Beyond for that system and it was pretty smooth to run on my laptop, but I mostly ran published campaigns. Genesys is all PDFs and I'm finding it really unwieldy (given I'm new and have to do a...

Dear fellow GMs, Do you know the feeling that you want to do something spectacular that the players don't expect? To surprise, fool or trick them with a great tactic or strategy? Some of you find it hard. Some of you might already have a list of tactics which came from creativity or experience...

Hey, gang. I hope this doesn't sound too pathetic. So I originally signed up for this workshop in order to improve my players' engagement, as it has been lagging as of late. Since then, it hasn't improved and I have subsequently developed DM Burnout, finding it difficult to get excited about...

I've been receiving emails from Friday's monster Musing. See comments below for some great ideas.

In @saps Adventure Building Ramblings, @JohnnFour said: And this seems to have struck a chord with @ExileInParadise (and certainly has with me). I might be jumping the gun here, somewhat, as I've no doubt @JohnnFour will be covering story in the Plot section of WoA resources, but I thought...

Hey guys, I am not sure how it is for you, but after constructing, playing and completing homebrew campaigns or adventures, I'd usually like to play them again, with the knowledge and experience I gained from the first run through. As this is rarely possible unless you DM in multiple groups, I...

I have experimented with varying details and kinds of description: From (a) only the most obvious info (waiting for players to ask for more) to (b) very detailed info From (c) sense by sense to (d) most dominant first to (e) (in my opinion) most important last And I am not satisfied: (a)...

Usually all adventures play out exactly the way we GMs envisioned them, all characters behave exactly like they are supposed to and the dice do their job exactly as we expect them to, right? Well...No. For me, the beauty of role-playing is in the things that surprise me. Things that are funny...

One of my biggest weaknesses as a GM is my lack of proper preparation and focus when it comes to rewarding my players for a completed adventure or campaign. To play the campaign I prefer intrinsic motivation of the players/characters and as a GM, I am quite content if a story was fun, the climax...

So at today's game (one where I'm a player, but I also GM other games) the topic of talking over each other came up. This is particularly notable now, but happens even in person. So what tips and tricks do you have? Someone suggested a baton, but I pointed out this is difficult to do.

The Story Games Names Project is more of a resource than a tool, but I guess it is useful nonetheless: http://eakett.ca/sgnp/ As far as I can tell, the names feel authentic. The sample sizes are quite small (d20) and the names are not always the most typical ones for the culture, but that may...

There's a whole bunch of virtual tabletops out there now. Use this thread to inventory them all.

Where can GMs get legal, free adventures online? I'd love to build a list with your help. Here are a few D&D adventures from Wizards: https://dnd.wizards.com/remote/freematerial