Campaign Mastery

This is technique number 1 for getting inside your character’s heads. It’s something I was taught in a Graphic Design course that I completed back in 1992 – so here we are 18 years later, and it’s still fresh in memory. That speaks volumes of its usefulness!
Step 1: Prep
Get a couple of pencils and a [...]

Developing a characterisation is like a jigsaw puzzle. You solve the bit around the edges first – the most obvious characteristics – and then try and fill in the middle a bit at a time until the whole picture presents itself.
There is usually one critical “piece” of the puzzle, which – when ’solved’ – connects [...]

Tony Scott, in the interviews that accompany “Beverly Hills Cop II” states (while discussing the casting of Brigitte Nielson for that movie) that his background is in painting, and that casting is like putting colours on the canvas.
I found this to be a really interesting comment. I’ve written articles in the past about giving each [...]

I know I’ve written about this before (An Epic Confusion, Or How To Stage A Blockbuster Finish), but I’ve been thinking some more about big finishes to campaigns, prompted by the fact that my superhero campaign is currently in what I hope turns out to be an epic conclusion. As I developed this final scenario, [...]

I like games and I enjoy competing. Years ago, after getting riled up during one too many board games, I realized my competitive emotions were ruining the fun for me and others at the game table. I reflected for quite awhile on this as I took a break from board gaming. Suddenly a solution came [...]

How do you handle PCs who seem to be immune to magic?

A recent inquiry in Ask The GMs asked us,
Hi! I’ve just started an AD&D campaign where the all the PCs have got really good saving throws. Less than 50% of any spells I cast on them will work on the Dwarfs and Halfling Priests [...]

There came a time when I had to move out of the city (where my players were), and back to the small town in which I had grown up, for financial reasons.
That would spell the end of most campaigns, but I had willing players and exceptional determination. I would write a scenario each week while [...]

How do you extrapolate from existing rules to cover new situations?

Recently, Campaign Mastery was asked,
If a giant has rapid shot can he throw 2 rocks in a full round action? (d&d 3.5)
This sparked some debate over whether Campaign Mastery should answer rules questions of this sort; we aim to deal with big-picture and comprehensive situations [...]

How can a campaign last for decades, and what does such longevity imply?

A question recently asked us,
I remember Mike mentioning his decades-long superhero game a few times, and am currently planning my next campaign, so I was just wondering how y’all can extend a game so far. Even if the players are still having [...]

Traps in some game systems are standalone elements. However, I consider them a hazard if they factor into a combat in any way. Encounters without combat that just have traps in them I would consider hazardous for your health, but not a combat hazard.
Traps have been around RPGs since day one. In my first D&D [...]