Game Mastering

Care for a B-Plot?

Posted by Phil Vecchione | Jul 26, 2024 | Game Mastering, GMing Advice

I love a campaign with a good central plot, but...

Adventure Design: Story Hooks

Posted by J.T. Evans | Jul 24, 2024 | Game Making, Game Mastering, GMing Advice

After you have your story arc put together,...

Start your Campaign with a Wedding

Posted by Tomas Gimenez Rioja | Jul 19, 2024 | Game Mastering, GMing Advice

Since the beginning of the hobby, starting at a...

Five Weird Ways to Up the Tension at Your Table With Dice

Posted by Josh Storey | Jul 12, 2024 | Game Mastering, GMing Advice

Dice are not just randomizers. They are tension-makers. Suspense-creators. Engines of uncertainty. When we’re rolling dice, we’re taking a chance, and chances are dramatic. Chance creates tension. Here are five weird ways to up the tension at your table using weird dice.

The Social Contract of Planning

Posted by Phil Vecchione | Jun 28, 2024 | Game Mastering, GMing Advice

Planning in RPGs is not a fun activity, so don’t...

Adventure Design: Backgrounds and Factions

Posted by J.T. Evans | Jun 12, 2024 | Game Making, Game Mastering, GMing Advice

Since the opening days of my RPG life,...

Make it Episodic – GM Tips & Tricks

Posted by Tomas Gimenez Rioja | May 29, 2024 | Game Mastering, GMing Advice

Let’s start from the beginning… what is the...

Nostalgia Gaming

Posted by Phil Vecchione | May 24, 2024 | Game Mastering, GMing Advice

Recently, I had the chance to do something I...

Dungeons, Dragons, and (Online) Dinner Parties

Posted by Josh Storey | May 17, 2024 | Game Mastering, GMing Advice

How do we craft a good experience for our players when they’re just voices in our ears and videos on our screens? After all, experience is more than the points that gets handed out at the of the session. I want to talk about the charisma-based skill challenges we face when our campaigns are digital—the soft skills, the social stuff.

Adventure Design: Detailing Back to Front

Posted by J.T. Evans | May 15, 2024 | Game Making, Game Mastering, GMing Advice

This time around, I’m going to talk about...

Give Them a War Room: Player Facing Threat Maps

Posted by Josh Storey | Apr 26, 2024 | Game Mastering, Tools for GMs

I love foisting eldritch artifacts or ancient magics onto their shoulders. I take glee in giving them influence within an important organization and seeing what they’ll do. It allows me to ask tough questions about how and when they use their great power responsibly (thanks, Uncle Ben). Plus, it gives my players the power to enact real change in the game – something all of us can sometimes feel powerless to do in our real lives. (My group’s go-to power fantasy is making the world a better place.)