Campaign Mastery

With the economic foundations sorted, this part gets back to the distribution of fortifications, defensive networks, and Inns. Table Of Contents In part 1: Chapter 5: Land Transport 5.1 Distance, Time, & Detriments 5.1.1 Time Vs Distance 5.1.2 Defining a terrain / region / locality      5.1.2.1 Road Quality: An introductory mention 5.2 Terrain 5.2.0 Terrain […]

A quick post today about GMs seeking validation plus one or more bonus topics, number depending on time. 1. Keep Your Ace Up Your Sleeve What’s the biggest metagaming mistake you’ve ever made outside of anything approaching a plot train? Let me tell you mine. The scenario was over, and it hadn’t gone according to […]

While working on the subject of population and its distribution, I stumbled onto a method of using a Realm’s economics for worldbuilding and history generation. Originally subordinated to the main thread, I’ve decided to break it out into it’s own post. Note that the unfinished part that’s been set aside for the next post is […]

Today, Part 3 of the Topologia campaign setting details the Shadowfen and horrors that abide there, lots of creatures exportable to similar environments!. The Shadowfen Strictly speaking, the place should be called the Shadowfens,, plural, because the multiple similar environments under the one umbrella title. This is a terrible place where nothing much is really […]

Today, Part 2 of the Topologia campaign setting details the Glassdust Desert, the Fields and Farms of Gardenia. But first, a section that got inadvertently left out of last week: Walking Out Of Splinter There are four compass directions, and walking in one of them leads to the edge of a different territory. The river […]

Part 1 of a campaign setting with some unique features – like limited immortality, topological insanity, a touch of the Wild West, and the Church of the Holy Octopod… 40,000 words done for the next post in the Trade In Fantasy series and it’s still not ready to post. So it will be a monster […]

This is part 2 of the guest article on Wars in TTRPGs by Alexander Atoz. Wars are inevitable in most RPGs, sooner or later, but GMs often struggle to walk the fine line between making the conflict seem realistically big enough and keeping the experience personal to the players. Vast armies lend themselves to Roll-playing, […]

Today I bring you a guest article on Wars in TTRPGs by Alexander Atoz, in two parts. Wars are inevitable in most RPGs, sooner or later, but GMs often struggle to walk the fine line between making the conflict seem realistically big enough and keeping the experience personal to the players. Vast armies lend themselves […]

An observed pattern sheds surprising light on how RPG styles differ from one nation to another. This is the latest in my series of time-out posts in between the Trade In Fantasy series. The YouTube viewer that I use most often displays, at the end of a video, thumbnails of other videos that you might […]

Why splitting the party is a natural development, learning to handle it, and techniques that it opens up for the GM. Plus a writing tip or 2! That’s today’s prescription. This is the latest in my series of time-out posts in between the Trade In Fantasy series. Phases Of Experience “Don’t Split The Party” is […]

Yet another post talking about the weather – but this time, from the perspective of what detail to throw away. Table Of Contents In part 1: Chapter 5: Land Transport 5.1 Distance, Time, & Detriments 5.1.1 Time Vs Distance 5.1.2 Defining a terrain / region / locality      5.1.2.1 Road Quality: An introductory mention 5.2 Terrain […]

The difference between the level of detail that you want when a PC is actually present and what is needed when it’s all NPCs and should happen purely in the background is almost total. Earlier treatment of the subject within this series focused on paring back and simplifying to the level of detail required for […]