Archive for the ‘Planning & Preparation’ Category

Clash of the Timetables

(Too many GMs, not enough players!) NB: This is an extra post outside the normal schedule. My usual post will take place in a day or two. One of the duties I have reluctantly taken on for my fellow gamers is the organisation of the timetable. When I started playing with the eclectic collection of […]

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Holiday Hell: Re-creating real holidays for RPGs

As I write this, the Holiday Season is fast approaching. Johnn, my collaborator on this blog (and vice-versa) has written an excellent book on holidays in rpgs, but I thought it worth exploring some of the options for drawing inspiration from real holidays. (Obviously, since many are religious in nature, some people may be offended. […]

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Spring Cleaning for your Campaign

I had my spring cleaning just the other day (living in the Southern Hemisphere, the seasons are the reverse of what most readers would consider normal), and it reminded me of something that should be an annual tradition with gamers – spring cleaning of their games. For Players, that means looking at any long-standing character […]

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Maps Have Three Parts – Part 1: Lines

This entry is part 1 of 3 in the series Maps Have Three Parts

When mapping, I tend to just focus on the corridors, rooms, streets, caverns, and buildings. However, every map has more than just these areas; each has three zones in your design control. Next map you build, think of these zones and how you can change things up to be fun and interesting for your gaming. […]

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Cure DM Writer’s Block with a Map

Got writer’s block? Draw a map. This is one of the best ways to get focus, organize your thoughts, and get moving again on your campaign preparation. Sometimes I’ll stare at a blank computer screen with a game session only a couple days away and wonder if I’ll have anything designed in time. What always […]

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