Stories vs Adventures

I’ve run seven sessions of The Sprawl this year. The rules for this cyberpunk PbtA rpg grabbed me when I read them. But when I went to play the actual game differed greatly from what I had in my head. That discontinuity left me unsure. A few months later ...

With this item, I continue the practice of offering shorter articles to start the week. Usually, this is to make room for a longer article later (and from time to time, the sequence has been temporarily inverted), but for much of the next year, that’s the plan. This week ...

What is the best way to thank your GM? Be a good player. Show up on time, shut off the electronics at the table, and pay attention. In combat, be ready when your turn comes around so you aren’t slowing things down. Your GM puts in a bunch of ...

Soooooo ... We've started playing Godbound, but I need to make a copypaste post and grab a logo and stuff, and since we're having the bank holiday Monday off, we're gonna need a filler anyway, so let's do that this week and start on the new stuff ...

I have already answered this question in the past.  The answer has not changed.  Originally the post was in response to something written by Contessa and can be found here.

I really wasn't planning on doing any more reviews until I get some RPG projects off of my plate, but there is something that just stuck with me for this

Day 25: What is the best way to thank your GM?

While it's cool when players pitch in and buy books for their GM or bring pizza, the best way to thank your GM is by being fully engaged when you play. Don't build dice towers or play ...

Day 25: What is the best way to thank your GM?

While it's cool when players pitch in and buy books for their GM or bring pizza, the best way to thank your GM is by being fully engaged when you play. Don't build dice towers or play ...

a GM can't hear that enough. What is the best way to thank your GM? Tell them they are doing a good job,  a GM can't hear that enough. Additionally, ch...

a GM can't hear that enough. What is the best way to thank your GM? Tell them they are doing a good job,  a GM can't hear that enough. Additionally, ch...

What is the best way to thank your GM?

Let me count the ways. As I mostly GM I think feel qualified to answer this one. The best is to actually show up and be engaged. Missing multiple weeks for weak reasons or showing up and not paying attention will ...

I GM all the time.  The last game I was in as a player must have been near 12 months ago and I only played one session.  I am an

I GM all the time.  The last game I was in as a player must have been near 12 months ago and I only played one session.  I am an

Gaming is epic. You get together with your friends, slay dragons (hopefully) and have a great time. At least that’s the theory, anyway…   How many times have you been at a gaming session, though, and one of the players seems focused on their own fun above all else? You ...

An unexpected side effect of this month's focus on roleplaying games (thanks to #RPGaDAY) has been one of my readers, over on the HeroPress Facebook page, asking me a question about gaming. I've tried to answer their question as best I can, but welcome any input from other ...

Some of your stories may involve a higher power scale than starting off at “level one” or the equivalent in your game system. Perhaps the tale you want to tell with your players is on a greater epic scale. Perhaps you tire of struggling to keep those lower-level characters alive ...

(Author’s note: this article will be a bit different than the ones that I have written in the past because it is explicitly aimed at the group dynamic, not the ones running the game per se. Also, please pardon the use of block quotes; I didn’t want to ...

Over on G+, +Greg Gorgonmilk shared a picture of a cicada. This got me to thinking, “How would this affect various creatures in D&D?” What if there were forms of various burrowing monsters, Ankheg, bulette, etc. that had a cycle like the 17-year cicada. There are not just one ...

We’ve been revealing much about the rules and setting of Invisible Sun in the months since the Kickstarter campaign. Here, however, we just wanted to hit some of the highlights to convey what a different game this is. Monte had this to say: “It all starts with my childhood ...

I think this question is supposed to be “…and never played.” At least that’s how I’m taking it. Hands down, this is Jovian Chronicles by Dream Pod 9. It’s an anime giant-robot setting with a lot of hard science trappings. Think The Expanse meets any Japanimation space ...

Have you seen the indie film Iron Sky? It’s a quirky adventure that deals with Nazis secretly living on the dark side of the moon. In 2018 there will be a sequel and, perhaps, an Iron Sky RPG. There’s a Kickstarter campaign live today. [Back this Campaign] At ...

This week's Free GM Resource is yet another YouTube channel, but this time we're trying to get you in on the ground floor.

I am subbing in an alternate question for today.  The “which do you like adapting” is clearly FATE because that is what it does.  So there you have my answer

What a fascinating trap! This dangerous coin trap was put together by Roman Booteen. He’s had lots of offers to buy it. I think a discovery like this is a good way to keep player characters distracted for a while. The snapping teeth don’t have to be all ...

Another supplement/small study of mine, this time centered on alchemy! It contains a few notes on pieces to make the brewing process more immersive and, of course, gives GM's and players options to blow stuff up in the name of science without even the most remote ounce of ...

I have already documented the experience that most changed the way that I play on this site here.  The C Team shaped the way that I played forever after that

Whether you’re writing a one-shot for a convention or an adventure for your home campaign, sometime between when you wrangle a group and when you start playing, you have to create said adventure! There are many components that go into roleplaying game adventures—encounters and maps, non-player characters and ...

The GM in The Law is called Dispatch, they are the central communications hub for the agents of the law in the local area, they have an overview of the situation and a perspective that agents simply can't have in the narrow alleys and dark shadows of the sprawl.

If you’re out and about on social media with a preponderance of RPG loving friends, you may have seen the #RPGaDay thing that’s been going around for the month of August. I’ve been putting them up each day on my Facebook and it’s been sparking some ...

If you’re out and about on social media with a preponderance of RPG loving friends, you may have seen the #RPGaDay thing that’s been going around for the month of August. I’ve been putting them up each day on my Facebook and it’s been sparking some ...

BBT04 GM: Stu Players: Gina, Jason, JiB, Stork Note: Blood, Blade & Tusk is a medieval European setting with Orcs, using Stu’s Moment of Truth RPG. You can get a free copy of the most...

Here's part I of my RPGaDay answers. Let's get to some more questions, shall we? #7:  What was your most impactful RPG session? I've had RPG sessions that were so bad that it forever changed how I approached the hobby. Some games were too boring, others too ...

Tabletop RPG groups of all stripes always have a “thought leader.” You know the one—the person who learns about new games, buys all the games, brings them to the table, and teaches the rules. (And often, hosts the game as well.) Now, 99 times out of 100, this person ...

When using the term "Campaign" to describe a roleplaying game the phrase"Particular Objective, confined to a particular area" part puts me off. Moreover I think it's just a convenient term held over from the hobbies wargaming roots. What I normally run is not by definition a campaign. There ...

Rules for developinga heroe's Bloodline to generate family members and even children of the hero. Unique training based advancement that allows for class, skill, and feat advancement to move independantly creating the exact character you want. If you buy the D&D Legacies Player's Guide now you will ...

I saw a post on quora asking how to handle when players don't show up for your games... here's my reply...

That’s a continuous challenge, isn’t it? I have a couple of thoughts. First you need to figure out why people aren’t showing up. Is ...

RPG A Day, 2017 August Sixth (Belated) Prompt: You can game every day for a week. Describe what you’d do. I’m not sure if this means “for the rest of your life” or “for one week”. Let’s assume the latter. …

Frugal GM Note: Postings have been a bit sparse as of late due to some commitments/projects that should mostly be wrapped up by the end of the month. Word on these endeavors will be shared here. This week's Free GM Resource is another mapping resource, but I cannot ...

7th) What was your most impactful RPG session? Once again another difficult question to answer as while I can think of numerous impactful games many of those came from looking back after a campaign and seeing how the story arcs had come together. I could mention my first campaign of ...

Lately I’ve been reflecting on the “nostalgia kids” subgenre of urban fantasy / supernatural horror. It’s epitomized by Stephen King’s It and Hearts in Atlantis, J.J. Abrams’ Super 8, and, of course, the recent sensation of Stranger Things.  There are a lot of different elements which make ...