JiB on GM’ing : An Option to Black and White Resolutions
Tweet Valen’s eyes narrowed, matching his movements with his opponent. Circling left as the dark cloaked highwayman moved to his left. With every step of the dance they moved warily closer together until one or the other would decide they would move. The glittering rapier in his opponent’s hand dipped a bit weaving out to the side, a small mistake but a mistake none the less and with the speed of a striking viper Valen’s own rapier darted forward propelled by the powerful lunge that began with the ground upon which he stood. Too late Valen realized his own error in allowing himself to be baited by his enemy. Now though he stood at a forking in a road, either he would take the inevitable hit or he would roll … Read entire article »
Filed under: Advice, Alternate Views, General Gaming, Inspiration
Topic Preview: What Makes a Good Plot Hook
Tweet Plot hook. It’s a term most GMs are familiar with. We often drop what we think is a plot hook , expecting the players to jump into action, yet we often get frustrated as they look at each other, befuddled, paralyzed with inaction. Two things go into a plot hook, and both are important for compelling action from the PCs. One: A Reason to Get Involved. Without a compelling reason to get involved in the story you’re trying … Read entire article »
Filed under: Adventure Design, Advice, Alternate Views, General Gaming
Episode Preview: Turncoat!
Tweet This article is a preview of the show topic for Happy Jacks RPG Podcast Season 09 Episode 20. The show will be recorded on Friday, May 24th at 8:30pm Pacific Daylight Time. You can listen live at happyjacks.org/live. As is often said, the plans you come up with as a GM are often thrown out the window once the players sit down to play. It is especially dangerous to give the PCs access to your main villain … Read entire article »
Filed under: Advice, General Gaming, Resources
Why Are You an Adventurer?
Tweet In our last episode of Happy Jacks RPG Podcast, we discussed player character backgrounds, what we want from them, what we use them for, etc. I put out the question: What do you as a GM want from a PC background — what question do you want answered. The most common response was, “why are you an adventurer?” And it makes sense. We as GMs are trying to understand the PCs and what makes them tick. More importantly, if we know why the PCs quit their 9-to-5s, left their families and road off into the sunset, we also know what the players are expecting or hoping for from the game. I started thinking of some reasons why someone would drop everything and go looking for adventurer. Some are common, some aren’t. Revenge. He says with a gravelly … Read entire article »
Filed under: Advice, General Gaming
Creating a Scene in an RPG
Tweet Scenes are the building blocks of an adventure. They are those moments when the player characters interact with the setting, be it NPCs, searching a site for clues, etc. Organizing your adventure in scenes is, to my mind, the most flexible way to craft an adventure, but there are several questions the GM must ask himself in order to keep that flexibility and have a satisfying session. What Is the Purpose of the Scene? First and foremost, you need to know what your’e trying to accomplish with the scene. Does the scene exist to: Bring about combat or possibly bring it about? Provide the PCs with information? Allow the PCs to gather information? Give time to develop the PCs? Make time for PC-to-PC interaction? Introduce or develop an NPC? Introduce a MacGuffin? There are countess other possible reasons, I just listed … Read entire article »
Filed under: Adventure Design, Advice
