Not related to any one particular system of rules.
10
votes
5answers
307 views
How to go from a humorous campaign to a more serious one?
I am currently running a D&D 4E game. The game started off kind of goofy (we have a thrikreen rogue with glowing blonde hair, an ale-obsessed dwarf battlemind, a ditzy human wizard, and a dwarf ...
73
votes
16answers
4k views
How to deal with players who like to use the local authorities to solve their problems
Preface
I apologize beforehand if this question has been asked before, I was not able to find one, except this, which may be related: Dealing with players who try to run from everything?. Also I'd ...
62
votes
19answers
2k views
How do you help players not focus on the rules?
Background - My Group's Gaming Style
When I GM, I run games loosely from a rules standpoint, and do not feel bound to adhere to what the rulebook says when it doesn't make sense in a given situation. ...
9
votes
3answers
489 views
Where does the stereotype that wizards can't wear armor come from? [closed]
Why are wizards and their ilk so restricted in their choice of personal armor in most fantasy roleplaying games? (...let alone novels etc.)
Sure, learning takes up a lot of time, especially about ...
6
votes
3answers
311 views
Where do the standard racial tropes for Dwarves come from? [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
Where does the D&D concept of a dwarf come from?
In all traditional fantasy RPGs I've heard of or played, Dwarves are a mining/smithing race of short, anti-magic ...
21
votes
6answers
698 views
When GMing in a high-tech game world how do you handle potentially disruptive tech?
This question stems from my Eclipse Phase campaign, but applies to any high-tech setting. While the setting books describe a wealth of technology, there are plenty of tools that are not listed. That's ...
13
votes
6answers
344 views
Is the information gained from a knowledge check fallible?
I got into a big argument on another forum about the fallibility of knowledge checks. I was under the impression that they represented things a character had learned by virtue of living life in the ...
18
votes
4answers
345 views
What analyses exist of capitalist economies in “modern” setting RPGs?
A number of questions exist on stack-exchange discussing feudal economies in RPGs, indicating a number of essays regarding feudal economics in RPG.
What equivalent essay analyses exist of game ...
17
votes
10answers
973 views
How do I encourage a GM to use the rules as written?
Related to this question, there are some game masters who either don't know the rules or ignore them properly. They come into conflict with rules lawyers, players who know the rules well and expect ...
10
votes
1answer
101 views
Software to keep track of mapnotes
Can anyone recommend a good tool for keeping track of maps? I want to run an Eberron setting game, and I'd like to use the Eberron map, which I have as a high-resolution png, but be able to add quick ...
13
votes
6answers
468 views
Introducing System Mechanics to new players
Context
Hello, I'm assembling a DnD/Pathfinder group, and all the players are new to tabletop rpg. All they know is rpg is about storytelling, dice rolling [ and macabre rituals <- just kidding, ...
4
votes
2answers
219 views
Star System Summary Sheets
I'm updating my Star Wars notes (from hastily scribbled notepads) to a more organised format in a binder and I'd like to make a page that summarises each star-system with helpful information, like ...
6
votes
3answers
171 views
Representing different languages in online games
What are methods for clearly representing different languages (e.g. Elven, Dwarven, Deep Speech) in text-based online play?
We have tried footnotes and are using colored text (green for Elven, brown ...
10
votes
4answers
346 views
Tips on playing a character whose goals run contrary to his outward actions (to the other PCs)
So, in one of the previous campaigns I played, I had a character whose own personal goals often ended up at odds with the rest of the party (who all agreed with each other). It was difficult to ...
15
votes
4answers
349 views
How would I quickly put together a believable map of an area?
As part of my "Closed Circle" campaign, I'm looking for ways to quickly put together a believable map of a college campus and surrounding area, complete with believable building placement. "Quickly" ...
28
votes
13answers
781 views
What kinds of rules promote good team cohesion?
It seems like a lot of roleplaying games have no problems with players playing antisocial characters who can't really be part of the team. I've been part of groups (in D&D) with both a noble ...
20
votes
5answers
345 views
Maintaining a party in a world of mistrust
In essence, how would you keep a colorful group of players together in a world filled with mistrust, without going too much meta?
Here is the scenario :
Our hero consists of members of a special ...
12
votes
3answers
297 views
How can I build open-ended questions into a scenario in a GM driven world?
Inspired by this question.
In a game where the GM has the traditional role of answering all the questions about the world, what is the benefit of building open-ended questions into the scenario for ...
35
votes
14answers
1k views
How to get out of a story deadlock
As with most of my questions, this is more of a general "how to handle a special situation" and not a plea to solve an existing problem.
What is the best way to handle story deadlocks (as in: The ...
12
votes
10answers
692 views
Do you use character sheets? Or, do you use a blank sheet of paper?
Also, what are the advantages and disadvantages for each approach?
14
votes
4answers
223 views
Is there a method for sliding seamlessly from one system into another during a campaign?
Has anyone changed system/setting/genre but kept the characters during a campaign?
Players can become very attached to their characters, even when the campaign/setting/genre or system is getting ...
7
votes
3answers
224 views
How do I keep track of “hidden” in game variables without getting bogged down?
I'm currently designing a campaign that has a monumental amount of in-game variables to keep track of, which I'll need to check every time a certain kind of event happens. Reducing the number of ...
9
votes
6answers
246 views
What are the pitfalls when swapping characters between players?
I have a plot hook that I want to use where the entire player character team gets gassed and wake up feeling "different". I want to simulate that by swapping characters between the players for one ...
2
votes
1answer
72 views
What published adventures are there that focus on nanotech?
I'm looking for some fresh ideas for adventures centered on nanotech and I don't care about what system they come from. I plan to adapt them for my own use so I may or may not use the system/setting ...
28
votes
16answers
979 views
How do I get the PCs to visit scary places at night?
Sometimes when I design scenarios, I realize that my mental image of the adventure is only exciting because it takes place at night. When the players actually play through the adventure, they might ...
14
votes
9answers
780 views
What games have good treatments of sub-Saharan Africa, or fantasy analogues?
I'm aware of Atlas Games' Nyambe, and I read the Kindred of the Ebony Kingdom sourcebook that White Wolf released for Vampire some years back. Which other books treat the area well, or at least as a ...
21
votes
11answers
759 views
How can I create a megadungeon in a futuristic/post-apocalyptic setting?
I play a lot of AD&D 2e, and I really enjoy creating dungeons and megadungeons. However, in a futuristic/postapocalyptic setting, how can I thematically create a megadungeon? Obviously, I couldn't ...
58
votes
17answers
2k views
How do I not cheapen death, while also respecting my players' time?
I DM for a group of very busy people, for whom the commitment of several hours a week is a real sacrifice: that’s a sizeable chunk of their free time for the week that I’m asking for.
...
5
votes
2answers
138 views
Balance between planning and improvising [closed]
What is the ideal balance between planning out an entire session of playing, complete with music scoring and conversation detailing, and winging the entire thing?
As an example, I'll cite one of the ...
13
votes
7answers
548 views
How can I increase tension during roleplaying?
In my games, I tend to run into a problem at least once per session. My players just seem to follow the dice and make no effort to either engage with combat or chase adventure. They let the dice fall ...
8
votes
2answers
228 views
Mechanics and methods for playing a quantum-superposition of worlds
I'm looking for game mechanics and story telling methods that convey the atmosphere that characters don't just live in one world, but in a multiverse adhering to something similar to the many-worlds ...
9
votes
3answers
476 views
How do I deal with two players who dislike each other and disrupt the game?
I have lately had a problem with some players in a campaign I am running. Basically, they don't get on well together, for various reasons. I don't really understand it, but then again, I am looking in ...
43
votes
14answers
1k views
How can I help my PCs remember clues that they found?
I'm a new DM running my first adventure (it's D&D 4.0 but that's not relevant to my question). I've heard of the "three clue rule", that there should be at least three independent pointers to any ...
37
votes
13answers
2k views
How can I play dumb?
I have a half-ogre character at my local larp group, and one of the roleplay-enforced restrictions for half-ogres is that they have low intelligence. I often find myself biting my tongue not to say ...
21
votes
7answers
683 views
Inventiveness vs. breaking the game; How do I encourage one, without enabling the other?
So, recently, I had an issue where I had to make a call on a custom-made weapon, and I'm not sure I handled it very well. The player was using a human alchemist, and instead of throwing 'bombs' every ...
34
votes
15answers
1k views
How can I make my PCs flee?
My players never run away or avoid conflict. Ever. I throw them ridiculous encounters, they will stay and fight. If I tell them, "You know you're not gonna make it, just run," they stay and fight and ...
9
votes
12answers
498 views
How do I design a Christmas-themed horror adventure?
'Tis soon the season and I want to treat my players to a Christmas-themed adventure as part of my ongoing horror campaign. I want to keep the horror element, but I don't mind mixing in a bit of humor ...
24
votes
7answers
926 views
Is it possible to produce a bowl-shaped probability curve with dice rolls?
In D&D's basic D20 system, you roll one d20 and add in some modifiers, then compare the result to a target number. Each modifier effectively adds or removes a 5% chance of success with the roll.
...
3
votes
2answers
155 views
Wraiths across multiple games
In a freeform game, I'm running a story involving a creature that subsides upon stolen energy obtained from draining the magical or life energy out of other creatures, particularly humans. Coming from ...
26
votes
8answers
808 views
Can party betrayal be done successfully?
After reading How much experience should a PC be worth? I was wondering if and how party betrayal can be done successfully, especially since it's a real possibility in my campaign.
Criteria for ...
11
votes
8answers
440 views
How much plot guidance is too much?
I've played in many games that were extremely railroaded. There was basically only one feasible course of action and we, as players, were expected to take that route. (The GM would get very upset if ...
18
votes
6answers
813 views
What to do when a player character does something suicidal?
Every now and then a player character does something extremely risky because "it would be fun." What are some good ways to handle this as a GM, for the different styles of play? I like playing ...
10
votes
2answers
248 views
Advice for writing and publishing a setting/extended campaign for an existing system
I have been playing and GMing rpgs for a number of years, and a little while ago I had what I believe to be a really good idea for an original campaign setting for Savage Worlds, my system of choice. ...
11
votes
8answers
266 views
Using Boardgames or Card Games to improve GMing or Playing [closed]
Do you know of any cases of successfully using props or cards from board games/card games (all kinds) to run a campaign, ease preparing for a session or the playing itself?
I am interested both in ...
14
votes
5answers
312 views
As a GM, what aids could I use to create adventure scenes on the spot?
As a GM, many a time I run into a situation that I know nothing of, am not prepared about, and need something, NOW! Maybe it is a freeform adventure and plot was not prepared, maybe I prepared some ...
3
votes
3answers
241 views
Non-magical wilderness (forest) threats
What are some ways that a group of several agile and fit individuals can be (mortally) threatened in a large forest in the autumn? Temperate climate, realistic setting , low magic - I would prefer to ...
10
votes
2answers
293 views
How can I introduce Life Paths to character generation?
The first time I played* Traveller, I found myself blown away by the detailed character creation, featuring year by year (4 year chunks actually) break down of how your character got where they are ...
12
votes
7answers
896 views
Vast and expanded realistic combat system
I am searching for a combat & damage system for an ad hoc RPG system set in Victoria era, more or less (though this part is completely unimportant). Are there any system that would bring me close ...
9
votes
3answers
199 views
Designing scenarios for infrequent, short sessions
I have GMed for a group of friends for over 10 years, mostly in the world of darkness and the Dresden Files universe. We really enjoy the character play, the storytelling and the occasional outburst ...
13
votes
2answers
248 views
Squad formations
I've just watched episode 1-2 of Terranova, and there is a scene in which a military squad goes to the rescue of some teenagers who are surrounded by dinosaurs in a jungle. When the squad arrives, ...
