Adventure-Writing Tips from Dungeon

Jonathan Drain, who writes Jonathan Drain’s d20 Source, has pointed out a clever way to get free tips on writing adventures: from Dungeon Magazine’s Submission Guidelines (168kb PDF).

Their guidelines are full of tips on what works, what doesn’t work and what’s been done to death. Although they’re obviously geared for D&D, much of what they have to say can be applied to other games, too.

(Tips on Writing Adventures and Scenario Creation Basics here on TT might also prove useful.)

Turn Watcher for Tracking Inititative

Turn Watcher looks like a simple way to keep track of initiative in your game — a computer-based alternative to using index cards.

It includes a couple of nice bells and whistles, like current hit points and status (delayed, etc.), and if you’re running d20 you can also plug in Spot, Listen, Will and other commonly-used values. And at $10 for a download, it seems quite reasonably priced.

What Other RPG and GMing Sites Do You Read?

I’ve always found that personal recommendations are the best way to learn about new (to me) sites, and that goes for gaming and GMing links, too. And I think it’s a very safe bet that the TT community can learn about some great links from fellow readers.

So how about it — what GMing and RPG-related sites are in your regular rotation?

Anything is fair game: Ongoing sites, one-offs that only offered one awesome resource, forums, blogs, game- and campaign-specific sites — the works.

When in Doubt, Hit It

A lot of my early gaming experience — and based on anecdotal evidence, a lot of other folks’ early gaming experience — conspired to teach me this lesson: When in doubt, hit it.

It’s amazing how often this works, partly because players have learned that it works, and partly because GMs have learned that it works (sometimes as players, in fact).

And because it’s often more interesting than the alternative (talking to it, for instance).

For example:

Sometimes this approach fits the game perfectly, and sometimes it doesn’t. In the latter case, I’ve seen games bend to make it fit (and bent games to make it fit myself), which generally isn’t a good thing.

The fact that it’s commonplace often makes certain types of games tough to run well, and some genres much trickier to pull off than they should be.

At least to me, it looks like a vicious circle. The question is, as a GM, how much of that vicious circle is your responsibility?

Itty Bitty Niche Products: How Small is Too Small?

Last night while browsing an RPG PDF store, I came across a product that filled a niche so small I never would have thought of it on my own.

The PDF market’s low barrier to entry makes it possible to create micro-niche products like this, and there are quite a few of them out there. But how micro is too micro, especially when it comes to products for GMs?

For instance, how often would you need a kobold name generator?* Once? A genre-appropriate general name generator I could see being useful, but . . . kobolds?

As a GM, what’s your appetite for micro-niche products? And where do you draw the line?

* To the best of my knowledge, there aren’t any kobold name generators out there. Edit: And naturally, that would be incorrect.

Treasure Tables Turns One, and a Free PDF

As of today, July 11th 2006, Treasure Tables is officially one year old!

To celebrate, we’ve released a free one-page PDF containing all-new content, How to Take Simple (Yet Badass) GM Notes. (While you’re snagging that one, don’t miss our first three free PDFs!)

I’ve also compiled a quick timeline of changes and additions to TT. It’s not all navel-gazing, though — if you’re new to TT, this list actually makes a pretty good introduction to the site.

Read more

GMing is Like Public Speaking

When you stand up in front of your co-workers or your class to do a presentation, it helps to speak more slowly than you would in conversation. This makes it easier for your audience to absorb and digest what you’re saying, and it’s especially important if you’re putting a lot of information out there.

The same is true for GMing. Go too quickly, and your players won’t pick up everything you’re saying.

Next time you’re giving out background info, reading a large block of flavor text or otherwise imparting a lot of information in your game, try speaking a bit more slowly and lengthening your pauses between sentences. You might be surprised at the results.

Virtual Team GMing Event?

Sure the title sounds like the latest Street Fighter videogame, and it’s the weekend (traditionally a pretty slow time here on TT) and summer/pre-GenCon (which I’m gathering slows down many RPG sites)…but sometimes you just have to post ‘em when you think of ‘em. This is one of those.

Here’s the idea: Why not collaborate to create an adventure, or an entire campaign, much like the writers of a TV show?

Several GMs could get together online, probably via a mailing list (perhaps with light website support as well), and come up with the framework. Everyone would pitch in, improve the original idea and add twists of their own — and then play it with their own groups.

Compile the actual play feedback from several groups, and you might have a pretty interesting package to put online, either for free or as a low-cost PDF.

Am I onto something? Would you participate? Would you download/buy/play the outcome?

Update: This project is now underway, and we’re full up on participants. I’m not sure what our timeframe will be, but stay tuned!

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