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The Douchey DM » Entries tagged with "GMing"

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

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

Empowering Players

Tweet We all have seen players completely take their GM by surprise. Usually, the GM has planned one or two specific ways for the players to handle a challenge… and the players try something completely different. This creates a crossroad for the game. Is the GM willing to consider alternative solutions to the problem? The answer should be “yes.” I’m not saying that the GM should always give in to what the players want, but they SHOULD be open to considering logical solutions other than the ones they planned. When the players’ options are allowed, the game changes from the general mice in a maze scenario to a game where players are empowered. The players can stop looking for the “right answer” and really approach the problem from their character’s point of view. … Read entire article »

Filed under: Adventure Design, Advice, General Gaming, Table Politics

JiB on GM’ing: Handling NPC Actions

Tweet A shadow spilled through the open door as two big men lumbered into the back room from the alley. That in itself wasn’t unusual, that they were basically carrying a third between them was. “What happened,” Stock’s voice was heavy with long years of hard drinking. Carmine shifted nervously looking down at his feet. “Well?” the boss’s eyes narrowed at the delay. It was Tony who responded, “Schmidt wasn’t there boss. No sign of ‘em.” “So, what happened to Frankie?” “We was ambushed in the clock shop there was at least four of ‘em,” Carmine still wouldn’t meet his boss’s eyes. “The cops?” Stock knew that no cop in the docks district would mess with Burns’ men. Tony shook his head, “No, boss. Don’t know who they were but they weren’t cops.” … You can see where this could … Read entire article »

Filed under: Adventure Design, Advice, Alternate Views, Inspiration

Herding Dragons: My Wild Talents Con Game

Tweet I love adding a unique twist to my convention games, and my Wild Talents game for Gateway 2012 was no exception. Months earlier I had been inspired to set my game in the world of Skyrim (mostly because I was playing it every waking moment), but I wanted to give my players a completely unique experience. A major role reversal was in order. When my players arrived, they were greeted by my trademark gaming table. I’ve had other GMs scoff at my admittedly overdone layouts, but I find that players really appreciate the amount of preparation and it starts everything on a very positive note. Folders were laid out on the table, each one labeled with a symbol that represented the character that lay within. I never let players see the … Read entire article »

Filed under: Adventure Design, General Gaming