The practical arts and methods applied to gamemastering.
30
votes
12answers
576 views
How do I allow player agency in situations with predetermined outcomes?
One of the current members of our group joined a little later than everyone else. His character's history wasn't developed too well, so I am running a one-off session so that the group can play out ...
8
votes
6answers
379 views
Giving Players the Game They Want
Currently I am running a game of Legend of the Five Rings, 4th Edition that is an extension of my 3rd Ed campaign. The current setting is a courtly endeavor, which dredges up certain problems. When ...
8
votes
3answers
260 views
So I'm finishing a campaign…what now?
The D&D campaign I mentioned in another question has been ongoing for 2 1/2 years and the next session is the last. While we're waiting for everyone to be available for said session, we're playing ...
14
votes
0answers
175 views
How can a GM calm down the group when they're chatty? [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
When and how should I get the players to cut back on their out of character chatter?
Now and then the groups I play in or GM can get rather chatty. They're talking and ...
32
votes
14answers
988 views
How can GMs make their game worlds more inclusive?
Many published roleplaying settings reflect our own cultural biases, for example, by putting white people in the "core" of the setting with "exotic" (i.e., not white) cultures around the less-detailed ...
32
votes
10answers
561 views
Helping new players learn a setting on the go
I started a new Eberron campaign last night, and I quickly ran into the problem of my players not knowing much of anything about the campaign setting.
What is the Mournland?
Where is the Eldeen ...
20
votes
7answers
487 views
Building a good comedy adventure?
I was wondering how to build a comedic adventure for D&D (or at least get some tips on it). The DM guide mentioned the multiple ideas for campaigns and one of them was comedy! I tried to start ...
30
votes
15answers
1k views
How do I keep NPCs from just sounding the alarm?
When I design adventures, I often come up with situations where the NPCs could realistically thwart the PCs quickly by sounding an alarm. This is especially common in science fiction settings, where ...
11
votes
7answers
877 views
How can I deal with a “goof-ball” player in my WoD group?
I am a storyteller in a World of Darkness group, and I'm about to start designing a new scenario. However one of my players (let's call him Eric) is worrying me. Eric usually goes the goofball route ...
10
votes
6answers
665 views
How do I pick monsters of appropriate CR for parties with superior armour?
As background, my low-level PCs managed to come into a "king's ransom's" worth of cash (due to poor planning on my part as DM, I'll admit) and now have purchased armour/enchantments that give them ...
15
votes
8answers
430 views
Treasure that's hard to put a price on
(We've been playing D&D, but for this answer I'm looking for a system-agnostic answer that works for a premodern setting. Let's say 1500 AD or earlier.)
Most of the treasure the party gets from ...
7
votes
3answers
310 views
As a GM, how do you deal with or manage Stirges?
As a GM, how do you deal with or manage Stirges? Equally, how do you make use of them? For them to be a relevant threat, do they have to be in such numbers that they become unmanageable?
33
votes
13answers
2k views
How do I stop my PCs from acting like insomniac monkeys on crack?
An issue came up in the last session of my Pathfinder campaign - that of chronic PC impatience.
It happens especially when they go to cities and between major adventures. They go into a frenzy of ...
12
votes
2answers
393 views
How do I help my players get more engaged in the story?
I play in a group where we routinely switch out GMs. When I GM I tend to prefer story-based games with lots of character building and descriptive role play. We tend to run Paizo's Adventure Paths ...
13
votes
7answers
324 views
How can I bring in new players on the fly?
How can I smoothly bring in a new player and character with little or no notice? I run a semi-public game shop pathfinder game, and I sometimes have people show up to play I hadn't planned on. Often ...
23
votes
8answers
422 views
Creating emotions
In the group that I GM, I ran an adventure a few months back that was generally considered very good by everyone involved (Including myself, which does not happen often). It included a little girl ...
7
votes
6answers
247 views
How do you come up with attribute values and skills for your NPCs
I have been playing PnP for some years now and also had one session GMing (my first) and I discovered that my biggest problem wasn't creating a world, inventing scenes or reacting fast if my players ...
5
votes
4answers
245 views
World Development - A Fresh Start
If this is not the place for this type of question, redirect me - I am new here, and apologize in advance.
So. My group is looking for something new. Dungeons and Dragons 3.5 in my own setting is our ...
11
votes
4answers
297 views
Maintaining balance with a very large group
I played DnD 3.5 while in the military and due to a shortage of DMs, was constantly flooded by players. Some of my games would include up to 10 or 11. I discovered quickly that balancing for this in ...
21
votes
7answers
457 views
It is possible to have one player lose control of their actions (get possessed) and have the other players not know it?
One of the players in my group is getting rather fond of a very powerful and clearly evil sword that gives them great increases to strength and magical ability. As a consequence, I would love to have ...
36
votes
8answers
2k views
How do I deal with PCs who use kidnap and torture as an investigative technique?
I'm running a game in a modern setting with emphasis on the paranormal (Conspiracy X). The player characters are part of a secret government organization and are tasked with investigating & ...
21
votes
14answers
815 views
How to deal effectively with a player unable to lose?
How do you effectively handle a player that overreacts to any loss of his character (level drain, death) ?
15
votes
8answers
692 views
My necromancer keeps dying (and can't raise himself)!
Sometimes in the course of running an adventure you will run into an encounter that calls for a summoner to bring on a horde of undead (often minions).
I have a simple problem: My summoners die in ...
9
votes
5answers
700 views
How do I represent semi-realistic gun fire-fights using Pathfinder/D&D 3.5 cover rules?
I am running a sci-fi/fantasy game using Pathfinder. The setting is firearms and future weapons focused. It's also being played on a virtual battle-map with tokens and will be run very tactically.
...
17
votes
8answers
434 views
What to do when your PCs skip an important part of the story line
In the earliest stage of my new duet campaign, I thought I had "rail-roaded" the PC into the first important encounter, one that leads to a major story line for the campaign. Specifically, the PC was ...
28
votes
7answers
767 views
How can DMs effectively telegraph specific dangers in D&D?
There are some play-styles of D&D in which the spectre of player-character death is considered a feature of the game rather than a bug. For my own reasons (which aren't the point of the question), ...
12
votes
4answers
373 views
How to succesfully make one quest naturally lead to the next?
My old GM used to make our quests highly modular and separated. While this had some advantages, it gave the feeling of running through a video game with discrete levels where we just popped from one ...
21
votes
9answers
2k views
Traps specifically for Smart characters
Does anyone have examples or suggestions on creating traps that are harder for Smart (High INT/WIS) characters?
Example: My NPC necromancer has set up his lair. In his arrogance he believes that ...
12
votes
3answers
336 views
How do I respectfully make use of non-Western accents?
I pretty much exclusively alter my voice to represent characters' speech in-game, both as player and GM. I have a pretty good handle on most of the numerous Western accents - probably due to the ...
12
votes
3answers
10k views
Calculating and balancing challenge ratings
Are there standard rules for calculating CR of groups? For example, in my Pathfinder bestiary, a single Stirge is listed as CR 1/2, and a group of 2d4 (average 5) of them is listed as an average CR 4.
...
39
votes
14answers
1k views
How do I get the PCs to stop focusing on a red herring?
Okay, I'll cop to it -- this is totally my fault. I get a little excited at the slightest opportunity to expound upon the setting, and in this case I added a small mausoleum to an otherwise boring ...
14
votes
4answers
294 views
How do I signal a flashback?
I have several flashbacks planned that introduce the characters to a backstory that is too complex for a typical plot dump. The problem is that the flashbacks are triggered in the context of the ...
7
votes
1answer
162 views
What are the potential pitfalls and errors as a first time DM of a Dread Game?
I am getting ready to run my first session. We are going to run a game of Dread. I have read the Dread book and am planning on running the first published scenario.
What kind of pitfalls should I be ...
12
votes
7answers
534 views
Dealing with a problem player not playing to their character aspects
A player in my Dresden Files game joined the group with a kick-in-the-door, "shoot-first-ask-questions-later"-style cop. The character had some fairly "meh" & a couple of potentially OK aspects. ...
10
votes
2answers
448 views
How can characters with low Fighting and Shooting contribute in combat?
I've run a few rounds of Savage Worlds, and I like the quick character generation and minimal bookkeeping. I'm a little frustrated with a phenomenon which is hardly unique to the system: in combat, ...
37
votes
9answers
976 views
Running games for a constantly unreliable group
My RP club has been going on for many years, which has the unfortunate effect of us getting older. Many members of my club have started to acquire something called a 'real life'. I'm not entirely sure ...
20
votes
10answers
336 views
Campaign is on hiatus. How do I keep it on life support?
My regular campaign has ground to a halt due to scheduling problems. At this point, we don't really know how long it will be until we play again. Everyone is still interested, at least for now. Is ...
12
votes
3answers
302 views
Ubiquity: Best method to excitingly adjudicate the effects of Persuasion (Con/Diplomacy)
In Pulp Adventure games using the Ubiquity Roleplaying System what is an effective method to add tension, and ensure consistency in applying results, when handling social interactions based on Con and ...
17
votes
7answers
399 views
What makes a good pitch for a new game?
What should make up a pitch about a new game to a prospective group of players? What does a good RPG pitch entail? What should go into the case for why a game should be played (and why that GM is the ...
9
votes
2answers
584 views
Challenging Talkers in SIFRP
I have a Song of Ice and Fire (SIFRP) game running right now. Each player has 2 PCs:
An adventurer - a character designed for traditional RPG activities like fighting and sneaking and hunting
A ...
12
votes
4answers
299 views
How do DM's avoid burning out? [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
How do I deal with GM burnout?
Currently I am the single DM of a smallish group of irregular players. Although I enjoy DM'ing, I'm beginning to burn out and really wish ...
26
votes
12answers
2k views
“Punishing” characters for stupid actions
I'm currently running a 6 person World of Darkness campaign, which is heavily social based. 5 of the players I am happy with, but one of them keeps doing stupid things, such as pushing himself to the ...
12
votes
3answers
173 views
What kinds of player contributions work well and under what circumstances?
Introduction
In Amber diceless roleplaying game players get extra points for building their characters by committing to player contributions, such as: Writing a diary, writing game reports, drawing ...
8
votes
2answers
533 views
How do I run a single player 4e essentials game? Drow Hunter
I am trying to create a set of encounters for my wife. She will be playing a Drow Hunter (controller) from the Essentials line of DnD 4e.
I'm looking for advice on how to make encounters (2 levels ...
13
votes
5answers
452 views
How can I cast what can't be cast?
I'm running a Pathfinder campaign with the Eberron 3.5 setting, and I'm often finding that I want my players to be able to use magic in a way that the rules don't allow.
For example, a party is in an ...
4
votes
6answers
467 views
Chuck Norris player character - can I keep true to the internet meme while still running a balanced game?
One of my group mates has been quite obsessed with creating a Chuck Norris inspired character. He's playing a martial arts heavy, assassin flavors of Rogue, in a DnD campaign, which works well enough ...
9
votes
3answers
184 views
Ending a Campaign Gracefully (With a Newbie In Tow)
My Shadowrunners have been going on a five (real-life) month streak of destruction and have gotten immensely powerful to the point where they are near gods, but also gotten incredibly shafted due to ...
9
votes
3answers
241 views
New GM to a Laundry RPG game [closed]
What should a new (and not so experienced) GM watch out for when starting to run a game set in Charles Stross's Laundry universe? Note that all this could be applied to a Call Of Cthulhu game as well ...
29
votes
10answers
1k views
How can I prevent a TPK without obvious Deus Ex Machina?
I've gotten into a situation in my Pathfinder game where I will certainly kill my entire party (perhaps excepting one or two who can flee quickly) if I let the situation play out. We arrived in this ...
7
votes
4answers
500 views
“Epic Level” Shadowrun
Recently I've run into an issue with my Shadowrun campaign for a number of reason, the most key of which is that my players have hit the 180-250 karma level where they've started to ascend to levels ...
