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Running a horror campaign is one of the most challenging undertakings a GM can attempt. Populating your game with ghosts and monsters is easy, but making your players care is hard. In other mediums, horror depends on control that GMs simply do not have. Filmmakers … read more »
Using media to inspire roleplaying games is a tradition that goes way back. GMs have long used films like Star Wars or Lord of The Rings* to inspire their works of fantasy and scifi. Unfortunately, it’s not so easy if your game is of the … read more »
When running a large campaign, you want to have a setting that players will care about. Your setting should feel like pieces of living history, not a series of location backdrops and tropes. This means you need to create a dynamic and nuanced world, instead of locations in a … read more »
Good stories need villains, and roleplaying games are no exception. Sometimes you can get by with bad guys of the week, but a more permanent antagonist can be a huge boon to your campaign. Central villains give the story a sense of continuity. They provide … read more »
Dungeon crawling can be fun, but sometimes we want something different. Instead of following Frodo on his long walk to Mt. Doom, you might want to focus on the Elven leadership as they debate the future of their people. Perhaps speeches in the Roman Senate are more … read more »
You have your gaming group assembled, your basic materials at hand, and you’re ready to start gaming. As a GM and a storyteller, you might feel like jumping straight into the plot lines that will define your campaign, but it’s best to ease into that. … read more »
Gamemastering a roleplaying campaign is hard. Also, the sky is blue, and two plus two equals four. Because running a game is so difficult, there’s a natural tendency to delay getting one started. There’s always a schedule conflict or just a bit more to plan, but … read more »
Creating a large, year-long campaign is an ambitious project to undertake. When done well, the payoff is spectacular, and everyone involved will talk about it for years. However, it definitely requires a lot of planning. If you’re not careful, you can spend more time planning your masterpiece than playing it! But … read more »
Gaming is about winning, and roleplaying is no exception. Some gamers will argue that roleplaying is a cooperative endeavor, and GMs shouldn’t be trying to “beat” their players. You know what I think? I think those gamers are players, and probably not very good ones. … read more »
Many GMs are familiar with the struggle of writing a one-shot adventure. Unlike a long running campaign, you will not have multiple sessions to develop elements that make successful roleplaying adventures: immersive settings, meaningful characters, and strong player motivations. To get your players invested in … read more »