All Questions
4
votes
1answer
212 views
How can I represent the use of fire being misrepresented in a campaign?
This is an extraction of one of the central questions arising from my original (overly broad) question.
I would like to know how to best represent the concept that there is a god who is, through a ...
4
votes
2answers
243 views
Looking for help on expanding my campaign concept while avoiding railroading
I have split this into two more specific questions:
How can I represent the use of fire being misrepresented in a campaign? and How to make rituals a part of everyday life.
Below is the broad-strokes ...
34
votes
24answers
2k views
What games are out there that could be played in a single night, with no prep?
What games are out there that could be played in a single night, with no prep?
I have Spirit of the Century, but it really takes too long to make characters. So, in my opinion, it's great if you've ...
23
votes
8answers
945 views
Suggestions for decreasing metagaming and increasing player immersion?
This question is posed in a great way over on the Paizo boards, where I hang out since I play/run a lot of Pathfinder. Immersion is one of the key parts of the RPG experience to me, so I loved the ...
53
votes
10answers
6k views
As a man, how can I roleplay a woman better?
I rarely play characters of the opposite sex, and I find that I'm not very good at it, at least in my own estimation. This is hampering when I GM because it limits my range, and makes things hard ...
23
votes
5answers
3k views
Where can I get fantasy public domain art?
I'm working on a series of NPC cards but I'm having trouble finding good pictures. Is there a good source for public domain/creative commons fantasy-themed art out there? Is there another good way to ...
26
votes
26answers
1k views
Biggest GM pitfalls for new GMs? [closed]
What are the biggest/most common GM pitfalls (or mistakes) for new GMs?
One pitfall per answer, please!
31
votes
8answers
716 views
How do I get better at narrating/storytelling as a GM?
Personally, I've always had difficulty telling coherent stories, even from my own experiences. My wife has even coined a term (jokingly) for the type of story I tell, one that either makes no sense, ...
13
votes
10answers
2k views
Online PnP RPG Software [closed]
I am currently using Fantasy Grounds to play D&D online with friends around the country. I am looking for some alternative software that handles character sheets, maps, die rolls, etc., all in one ...
32
votes
14answers
1k 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 ...
25
votes
8answers
1k views
What is some good advice for starting Paranoia with a new group?
My roleplaying group is talking about taking a break from our 4e D&D campaign for a bit, and doing some one-offs. We are planning on doing a few sessions with a GURPS game of some sort, and the ...
21
votes
6answers
682 views
What GM tasks can be delegated to players to speed up encounters?
My party's encounters (D&D4e - 13th level) take on average 3-4 hours. We chit chat a lot and are pretty easily distracted, and it's not a huge deal because we're all having fun. But lately we've ...
13
votes
4answers
578 views
Tabletop Play Style Classification Schemes
People often present breakdowns claiming to enumerate the various types of tabletop player, such as the rule-lawyer and the power gamer. For example, "The lurker is generally a player who attends a ...
27
votes
8answers
3k views
Combat rules for large battles
In the later chapters of a future campaign I'm thinking of having a section where the players take charge of parts of an army and fight a larger battle. I don't want to hand-wave the strategy, I want ...
25
votes
9answers
934 views
What qualities are important when creating a fantasy RPG campaign?
Creating custom game play content for a group can be challenging for even the most experienced GM. Understanding how your group members' play and understanding what they want to experience is ...
23
votes
16answers
1k views
How to design game elements other than combat?
Most RPGs I know about and have played are fighting-centered. That doesn't mean that all gaming is only about fighting, but that most of the rules and character abilities are primarily useful in ...
22
votes
10answers
1k views
How to make magic items more interesting?
We all read about the little person finding a magical ring and the GM basing
his whole plot on that little ring. That was a cool example
of a MacGuffin.
Earthdawn has a system in which characters ...
15
votes
5answers
404 views
What can I learn from playtesters?
As a roleplaying game designer, I'm interested in discovering the range of useful feedback that can be solicited from external playtesters. Assume a rule-set and playtest document is all the contact I ...
38
votes
20answers
2k views
How should a GM deal with player-instigated sexuality in an RPG?
I think it's a matter of fact that since the first moment a player realizes that he or she can interact with someone of the opposite sex romantically within the game, things get hairy. I had my fair ...
25
votes
11answers
1k views
Can D&D Fourth Edition be played effectively in a non-gamist manner?
I'd like to ask a question that's been brewing for a while. A lot of the answers and comments on this site seem to be from people who play 4e and are insistent that the right way/only way/best way to ...
23
votes
6answers
529 views
How to get players to be curious and ask questions?
I have recently noticed that my players don't really try to find out much about the world and story beyond the direct "what do we see?" I want to have them interact more with their environment and ...
18
votes
3answers
522 views
Are there any adventures designed specifically for younger children?
I have been running an Advanced Heroquest lite game for our 5 year old and he is ready for something with a bit more story and plot. Are there any sources for adventures out there that are young ...
29
votes
6answers
569 views
How to maximize the opportunities of roleplaying military rank in a PC group, while minimizing the limitations on the players
Some games come with a predisposition toward the characters having military rank. This is typically an element of the setting material, and is intended to aid immersion, and produce interesting social ...
27
votes
10answers
583 views
What can I include in my character's background to help the GM build a better story?
Whatever the system or the world used, what can a player add to his character background that will help the GM make the game more interesting.
Games are much more interesting with the addition of ...
14
votes
6answers
451 views
Where can I find artwork to inspire adventure design?
Often when I find a cool piece of artwork online, I build some scene in my upcoming adventure around it and then show the image to the players during the session. The more cool artwork I have access ...
11
votes
7answers
261 views
Where to find game session reports?
Is there a place on the internet that gather stories of rpg game sessions?
I've read some on game-specific websites but is there a common place to read other's tales?
29
votes
4answers
963 views
How do I introduce an inexperienced player to the FATE combat system?
One of the things that I love about the FATE system is how flexible it is; even given the less than crunchy nature of the system, you have options galore. That's given one of my players analysis ...
28
votes
17answers
806 views
How do you reassure a parent who is worried about RPGs being unhealthy for their children?
Are there any constructive steps fellow players and GMs can take when a high-school age player's parents express concern at their roleplaying game hobby?
Assume the player is a healthy creative ...
26
votes
8answers
938 views
Introducing new players to GURPS
So, I have a group of players who have played a variety of other systems - D&D 3.5, D&D 4th, Shadowrun, White Wolf, etc. Some have played GURPS in the past and had some less than ideal ...
26
votes
8answers
1k views
What are the most important differences for a 1st Edition AD&D Dungeon Master learning to run D&D 4E?
I'm a campaign designer and DM with 20+ years of AD&D 1st edition experience. I've been "retired" from the game for over a decade, assume I don't know anything about 2nd, 3rd, or 3.5.
Now I'm ...
23
votes
8answers
437 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 ...
19
votes
8answers
1k views
How do I handle a group that does not understand the 'assumption rule'?
1st rule of D&D (as of 3rd edition/pathfinder): The GM is the final arbiter on all rules.
I understand this, completely, and do not disagree. That said, I'm having trouble with a group that ...
17
votes
5answers
531 views
Tools/techniques for optimal tabletop gaming with one remote user
A member of our group has moved to Dallas and we're involving them in the game using Skype. The rest of us are sitting around a table. We have one laptop being used to show the player, and usually ...
14
votes
1answer
773 views
Can a Revenant Assassin be used where a high-damage striker is needed?
The Revenant racials, as a whole, seem to be focused on survivability/durability, granting the ability to stay in the fight even at zero HP. The Assassin class, while technically a Striker, seems to ...
14
votes
5answers
532 views
Are there any games that include a good rule system for running a business?
In my regular D&D 4e game, we are currently in mid-paragon tier. My character had accrued enough gold that he decided it was silly to continue paying for a room at the local inn whenever we rolled ...
13
votes
1answer
397 views
How long does Thaumaturgy take?
I get the point that thaumaturgy takes time as opposed to the quick and dirty evocation arts, but how much time hasn't really been spelled out, unless I'm missing it. I've been coming up with my own ...
12
votes
9answers
532 views
GM-Less Gaming: How do you transition more traditionally-trained players into them?
I love GM-less games. Seriously. After decades of having to be the area "weird GM" because no one else ever wanted to run new and experimental things, the rise of GM-less RPGs hit my sweet spot when ...
11
votes
4answers
6k views
What is the best place to get quality polyhedral dice?
What is the best place to get quality polyhedral dice? Or what is the best brand of gaming dice?
My dice are old and chipped and it's time for new ones. I'm getting back in the game after a break ...
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 ...
34
votes
15answers
1k views
Narrative Combat versus Use of Miniatures
When I first started playing D&D, my DM did not use battlemaps or miniatures to describe combat. Everything was described to us, and questions to the DM were part and parcel of the experience, ...
33
votes
11answers
2k views
Is it practical to run a weekly lunch-hour game of D&D with my coworkers?
I'm looking to get some of my coworkers together and start a lunch time, casual, D&D game. Has anyone done this - is there a practical way to do this?
Our lunch breaks run for about 1 hour, but I ...
31
votes
17answers
1k views
How to Handle a Powergamer / Munchkin
What are some strategies that I can employ to handle a power gamer that constantly outshines the rest of the party? This is a friend of us all and we don't want to boot him, but combat simply isn't ...
26
votes
6answers
563 views
How do you handle verbal exchanges between NPCs without taking the PCs out of the spotlight?
One of the assumptions I make as GM is that the players should always be in the spotlight. Sometimes the players find themselves in a situation where they watch NPCs speak to each other. I don't ...
23
votes
6answers
1k views
How to deal with players not taking things seriously?
As both a player and GM I play with my group of players (and close friends) on multiple occasions and they will often make fun of either my characters, NPC or a specific situation and won't stop ...
23
votes
18answers
1k views
Overpowered PCs (Gabe's Dilemma)
Penny Arcade recently ran the following strip:
(Original strip here)
While the resolution of this thread hasn't yet been posted, I'm wondering what we think here. How do you game with PCs who are ...
22
votes
11answers
959 views
What to do when your character is just too good?
I'm playing in the Paizo Pathfinder Jade Regent adventure path and we're having a good time so far (campaign blog and session summaries). However, as my character has gone up in power I'm now ...
22
votes
10answers
7k views
What RPG best models a “World War Z” zombie apocalypse?
I've been reading a ton of Zombie apocalypse fiction. I find the World War Z stories by Max Brooks to be among the best. What RPG would be best suited to this type of story and why?
Some additional ...
21
votes
6answers
1k views
How does D&D Vancian magic make sense in-game?
One thing that bugs me about Vancian Magic in D&D as I understand it is the following: How is "fire and forget" remotely believable when I can slot and ready more than one "copy" of a spell?
Say ...
21
votes
8answers
545 views
What can I do to give the players the same feel their characters would have about wilderness travel?
I find that in a lot of our group's games, traveling long distances through wilderness is too easy. In real life, it's quite arduous traveling overland. No one who's just walked a hundred miles is ...
18
votes
10answers
555 views
What RPGs treat magic as being common?
Some fantasy RPGs treat magic as arcane and thus rare, possibly subject to suspicion by the masses. Other games treat magic as somewhat more prevelant but not ubiquitous.
At some point in this trend, ...
