Roleplaying
Every veteran gamemaster has their own process for planning sessions, but what about those just starting out? If you’ve never worked behind the screen, planning a session can seem daunting. Not only do you need to create fun content, but also you’ve got to contend … read more »
Running a game is hard. A GM has to not only manage the story but also the game’s participants. GMs are asked to guide everyone to a satisfactory ending while making it look like they are hands off. To keep everyone happy and on track, GMs need to … read more »
Blades in the Dark is a new roleplaying game, designed by John Harper and published by Evil Hat Productions. It is a game of desperate criminals in an industrial dystopia, taking heavy inspiration from TV shows like Peaky Blinders, video games like Dishonored, and novels … read more »
A few weeks ago I wrote about flawed mechanics that shouldn’t be in roleplaying games, and a day or so later, Jonny sent me this email: Dear Mythcreants, I loved Oren’s article “Five Roleplaying Mechanics That Must Go.” I couldn’t help but feel, however, that … read more »
Roleplaying design isn’t easy, as we can see from all the bad mechanics that make their way into our favorite games. Some mechanics aren’t inherently flawed but are merely implemented poorly. Other mechanics have no redeeming qualities and should be dropped completely. It’s that second category we’re talking about today. Designers use … read more »
A lot of GMing advice is applicable across all experience levels. It’s always a good idea to know the rules and eat a meal before you run a game. But some techniques are not meant for beginners because they can ruin your game if handled … read more »
Most GMs understand their responsibility to facilitate a fun story for their players, but there’s another side of the job that isn’t so obvious. In addition to planning a great speech for the main villain, the GM must ensure that their players do not abuse … read more »
What’s “stand and deliver”? I’m glad you asked. Stand-and-deliver combat is the style of combat still used by most RPGs, D&D being the most well known. PCs roll initiative, take an action on their turn,* then repeat. Most of the time, that action will be … read more »
Making your own setting for a campaign is great fun, but sometimes you want to use one that already exists. Perhaps you’re short on worldbuilding time, or there’s one setting you’ve always wanted to run a game in, or the game you have planned is … read more »
Blue Rose is a roleplaying game in the romantic-fantasy genre. What is romantic fantasy you ask? Blue Rose describes it as fantasy with a more optimistic and open-minded outlook than traditional high fantasy or sword and sorcery.* Relationships are very important in this subgenre, though … read more »
