There's been a lot of talk about this all over the place for a while now.Here are my current ideas of how I'd like to make the removal of racial ability modifiers work. I'm replacing 'race' here with 'ilk'. Even if you don't agree with the idea, please understand that the word 'race' carries all … Continue reading Ability Modifiers from Class and Background
Draft One Page Campaign Opener – Twixt Flower and Thorn
The invaders were lucky, in some respects. Their dire portal opened to a meadow in which they could decamp and move large materials easily. They had brought slave labour in the form of podlings - those changelings they had found in their own realm and destroyed with their dark arcanery. Had they but arrived in … Continue reading Draft One Page Campaign Opener – Twixt Flower and Thorn
Draft One Page Campaign Opener – Twin Cities
The Twin Cities. The Crossroads. The City of Bridges. None of the titles of the city truly does it justice. This is a unique point in the world, a crossroads, where those of royal blood are able to visit a strange half-world of an immense, ornate metropolis.The City Between is accessible from not one but … Continue reading Draft One Page Campaign Opener – Twin Cities
Draft One Page Campaign Opener – Frostpunk
"The old story goes that the world was once a garden, pleasant and mild, neither too hot nor too cold, and at this time all of the peoples of the world were created.This ain't that world no more. Two great powers rose, and fought, one led by the God of Winter, one by the Goddess … Continue reading Draft One Page Campaign Opener – Frostpunk
Thoughts on 5th Edition in 2020
Inspired once again by Dungeons and Possums, I'm going to give a quick rundown on my thoughts of the game almost six years after it was released. I know that there are problems surrounding the game itself but currently it's my only game in town as far as being able to play goes so I'm … Continue reading Thoughts on 5th Edition in 2020
Dungeons and Dragons Session Zero for 2020
I brought this up a couple of times during the RPGaDay 2019 prompts, but I need to actively plan my next DM session zero, whenever it might be, and think about what I want to bring to it. First and foremost, let's talk about the big topic going around at the moment - fantasy races.I … Continue reading Dungeons and Dragons Session Zero for 2020
A couple of additions
I've added a couple of pages to the site over the last little while - Firstly, a list of additional material to be used when I'm building Planescape games, on top of all of the official stuff written in the 1990s. I'll be adding to this as I go, and I'm thinking about what other … Continue reading A couple of additions
Late to the party: RPGaDay 2019 prompt 31
"Last" None of us really knows what's coming next. Between various things, games can fall apart.We never know when our last game is going to be, or when our last game with a specific person will be. I've mentioned before that my Planescape DM passed at the end of last year. It's been six months … Continue reading Late to the party: RPGaDay 2019 prompt 31
Late to the party: RPGaDay 2019 prompt 30
"Connection" Two posts left and this one kind of has me stumped. Excellent. Well, let's see.I think it's easier than ever to connect and share your experiences, to engage with other people and build an RP community around yourself. I've had to do this when I emigrated, and whilst I've moved again and latched on … Continue reading Late to the party: RPGaDay 2019 prompt 30
Late to the party: RPGaDay 2019 prompt 29
"Evolve" It kind of goes without saying that over time my gaming style has evolved. The world around me has changed, I've changed, I've learned new things and done new things, so my games in 2010 would be nothing like my games in 2020. OK, maybe a bit alike. I'd still be running them, I've … Continue reading Late to the party: RPGaDay 2019 prompt 29
Late to the party: RPGaDay 2019 prompt 28
"Love" I think it goes without saying that this can be an iffy subject in roleplaying games. There's a way to do this thing right, and a way to do it wrong, and more often than not it's the latter - looking at you, bard-types who have to seduce everyone!So creepy! I try not to … Continue reading Late to the party: RPGaDay 2019 prompt 28
Late to the party: RPGaDay 2019 prompt 27
"Suspense" I've always struggled with action beats in my writing, whether it's for tabletop games or just creative writing.I tend to get bogged down in descriptions or extra information and then they don't drop how I want them to. I know it's a thing I can work on with practice and I've definitely gotten better … Continue reading Late to the party: RPGaDay 2019 prompt 27
Late to the party: RPGaDay 2019 prompt 26
"Idea" I have a habit of leaping onto a new idea before I've finished with an old one, and then I end up with several plates spinning at once. Inevitably, stuff falls down and I don't actually notice. I've been going through my old draft posts and various notes folders on Dropbox and Google Drive … Continue reading Late to the party: RPGaDay 2019 prompt 26
Late to the party: RPGaDay 2019 prompt 25
"Calamity" So I've been working on a few ideas that involve huge calamities in the past - Cambria has a wholesale apocalypse caused by magic in the past, and now everyone lives in the ruins.Frostpunk is getting a One Page Campaign Opener after my RPGaDay posts run out, with a bit more details on what's … Continue reading Late to the party: RPGaDay 2019 prompt 25
Late to the party: RPGaDay 2019 prompt 24
"Triumph" I love finishing a quest and reaping the rewards, or barely surviving an encounter with a boss.Sometimes though I feel like I have trouble doing this for players in my games. I've started to think more now about micro-goals though, or how to make stories more player-driven, and give better rewards for them.Basically, I … Continue reading Late to the party: RPGaDay 2019 prompt 24
Late to the party: RPGaDay 2019 prompt 23
"Surprise" or "Surprise!!!" So surprise rounds. Do I use them often? Usually not. A lot of the time, it just doesn't make sense. In D&D, players are on alert in a dungeon or the wilderness, they won't be surprised to find enemies behind a door or over the next ridge. They might be surprised at … Continue reading Late to the party: RPGaDay 2019 prompt 23
Late to the party: RPGaDay 2019 prompt 22
"Lost" So, somewhat ironically, I'm at a bit of a loss for what to write on this one.I very much have something to write that fits the topic, but I'm saving it for the last prompt. So, what to do? I don't usually plan for encounters to be lost. I've thought about doing it exactly … Continue reading Late to the party: RPGaDay 2019 prompt 22
Late to the party: RPGaDay 2019 prompt 21
"Vast" File this one with prompt 5 as well, however maybe a bit more to say here. So I can often have a problem in that I plan too much, or dream up settings and games that are just too big, too much going on, not enough for players to actually latch on to. I … Continue reading Late to the party: RPGaDay 2019 prompt 21
Late to the party: RPGaDay 2019 prompt 20
"Noble" I'm going to hijack this one and talk about coinage. Coinage in my games can be hit and miss.I've actually thought about it in-depth for The Old Crown, with pennies, florins and nobles and talents in circulation. In most games, I just handwave it as gold and silver. In my first game of Planescape, … Continue reading Late to the party: RPGaDay 2019 prompt 20
Late to the party: RPGaDay 2019 prompt 19
"Scary" I've never been too good at injecting spooky, scary or fear elements into my games, but I'm trying to do better. It's supposed to be a big-ish part of Ostromarka, since I wanted to throw a bit of a Cthuloid feel to it. If anyone has any tips for me, I'm all ears. I'll … Continue reading Late to the party: RPGaDay 2019 prompt 19
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