I’m coming to realise, the art of simplicity is a subtle one to master. If your game is too simple, you risk boring or alienating your players. If it’s too complex, you risk frustrating or alienating your players.
Category Archives: GM Advice
Posts containing GMing advice
The Art of Simple
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I’ve thought a lot about complexity (and simplicity) in campaign and adventure design recently. I’ve previously posted about the Paradox of Choice and KISS, but I can’t seem to shake the allure of simplicity.
12 Ashlarian Whispers & Rumours
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My Adventures in Shadow campaign will soon be re-starting. I can’t get back into the action. After all, Gloamhold represents–essentially–my perfect campaign: Conan vas. Cthulhu in a Megadungeon!
Update #2: September’s 30,000 Word Challenge and the Forsaken Demesne
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If you’ve been following my blog, you’ll know September is my 30,000-word adventure month, in that my plan is to write a 30,000-word adventure from scratch by the end of the month. Well, I’ve got some exciting news!
Be Awesome at Dungeon Design is Awesome!
Endzeitgeist Says So!
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Be Awesome at Dungeon Design (Augmented Edition made it to #3 in Endzeitgeist’s Top Ten of 2017. To celebrate it’s the Deal of the Moment at Raging Swan’s Shop.
Horror on the Hill is a Criminally Underrated Module
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I’ve previously blogged about 4 Overlooked TSR Modules You Should Run. One of those adventures is the excellent B5 Horror on the Hill.
How Do YOU GM Smart?
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I love GMing, but that doesn’t mean I love every aspect of GMing. Frankly some parts of the job—I’m looking at you “session prep”—suck.
I’m always looking for ways to improve my GMing. Essentially, I want to reduce the amount of time I spend prepping for the session while making the session itself more awesome. I also want to be a better GM during the session.
YOU Give the Advice
I spend a lot of time on this blog giving GM advice. This week, I thought it would be fun to ask for your tips and tricks. How do you get through session prep quickly? What tricks do you use to make your games run smoothly? Let me—and everyone else who read this article—know, in the comments below!
Help me make my game easier to prepare and run, and more awesome to experience!
(If I get enough comments, I’ll compile them into another blog post so everyone can easily benefit from the accumulated GM Wisdom of my readers).
Scratching the Surface: A New Approach to Mapping
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In the 20+ years I’ve been running tabletop RPGs, there has always been one facet of the classic dungeoncrawl/hexcrawl game I’ve struggled with: mapping. Or, more precisely, conveying the information on my DM map to the players. I’m sure you’re familiar with the situation.
To Cheat or Not to Cheat—that is the Question
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As a GM, do you fudge your dice rolls? (And when I say fudge, I mean “change”). Do you do it for the noblest of reasons or do you do it because you are a swine and want to crush your players’ enjoyment and prove to them you are the master?
