Designing Lovable NPC's ft. Geoffrey Golden

Bring characters to the table that deepen players' investment in everything that happens next.

There's nothing worse than trying to introduce a character you think is going to kick off the adventure with whoops and hollers, but ending up with everyone leaning back, getting hungry, and talking about the cool movie they're gonna watch once this game is over. In this episode, we're going to learn to create characters that engage. Characters that get players to lean in. Take notice. All of a sudden they care where the story is going because this new character is a part of it.

To show us how to do this is the wonderfully talented Geoffrey Golden, a narrative designer that's worked for Warner Bros, Disney, Capcom, and more, created some awesome products like the Wet Hot American Summer TTRPG, and is starting down the path of creating polished and engaging adventures on The DM's Guild for folks like us.

In the Strategy Stateroom, we learn how to make these lovable characters. It's a great conversation full of tips and strategies that follows a basic path. First, how to introduce the character. Next is creating their story, and how much of it to actually use. Finally, how to create that investment through their failures and successes, and how to elicit that help they need from the players.

Then we head to the Heroes Stage to learn more about Geoffrey, and what he's working on. He's been a creative whirlwind from a very young age, and it sounds like there hasn't been a break since. If you want a taste of his work, check out the following:

• Target Run, a 5e sports comedy in the tradition of Caddyshack and The Mighty Ducks! In our opinion, this is a really fun adventure with those classic underdog vibes, and the design is one of the most DM-friendly that we've come across. If you want a light-hearted one-shot, this is it.

• Worst Movies Ever Played, an actual play podcast where Geoffrey and two other comedians improvise terrible 80's VHS movies.

• Adventure Snack, a newsletter that provides micro "choose your own path" adventures with much wilder premises than you'd expect.

If you want to keep an eye on Geoffrey Golden and what he's working on next, follow him on Twitter @geoffreygolden.

Five Simple Steps to Prep Every Story

From planning campaigns to prepping encounters, turn every part of your game into a gripping story with the same 5 steps.

As newer DM's, we would prep for games by throwing d&d spaghetti at the wall and trying to see what would stick. It was a mess. This podcast is about finding systems and structures that help with that, to consistently play great games. Well, it's pretty rare we discover something simple that can be applied to every layer of our prep and our collective storytelling, but that's what this episode is about. We hope these steps help you as much as they did us.  

In the Strategy Stateroom, we get into the steps. Adapted from The Story Grid: What Good Editors Know by Shawn Coyne, we present a structure for every story:  

Hook - This one's familiar. It's about starting things off with a compelling question of what will happen next and introducing a goal.
Challenges - The trials the party will face along the way. To make them great, remember to increase the stakes and difficulty of each challenge along the way.
Choice - Where the party reaches a meaningful decision point that is going to reveal something important about who they are. Chase the villain or save the innocents?
Action - Where the rubber hits the road, and the party must follow through with their decision. Can they pull it off?
Aftermath - What are the results for the parties involved?

You can use these to plan campaigns, arcs, adventures, quests, side plots, encounters, and even individual turns if you get a little obsessed like we did.  Join us and let us know how it works or your best story tips on our discord! 

As always, huge thanks to the support for making this episode a reality.

Michelle T., Steven V., Alan E., Matthew T., Felix R., Chris F., The Senate, Lucas D., Lyla G., The GM Tim, Nevermour, Thomas W., Tyler G., Ty N., Heavyarms, Erik R, Aldrost, Leprecan, and Will H-P.

Collaborative Session Zeros ft. David Rae

Get your players on board from the get-go by establishing your world as a group.

There are a million ways to conduct a session zero, and a lot of them will work. The basic thing to keep in mind is getting everyone on the same page, and the more we learn, the more we realize this means so much more than telling your players what the game's gonna be. In the effort to continue our education, we have an awesome guest joining us for this episode. David Rae, a talented comedian, improv performer, and DM, shares with us how he goes about getting his players invested.

In the Strategy Stateroom, we run through what we think are the three phases of a solid session zero. Phase one, The Foundation, is all about setting expectations from safety tools to a mild social contract, to deciding on the crucial details of your story like theme and media influences. Then in phase two, collaborative worldbuilding, we narrow our focus a bit and establish things like the cultures that make up our game world. This is an area David shines in, and he shares with us all his techniques to create rich, interesting cultures from scratch with his groups. Then in phase three, character creation, we create interconnected characters that are all working towards a common cause, giving them a sense of cohesion.

Then we get onto the Heroes Stage where we get to know David a bit more, from his experience running a DND-themed improv show to his work as a member of a comedy group out of Edmonton. Their latest project is an actual play TTRPG podcast called Quantum Kickflip, based on the soon-to-be-released game Slugblaster. Based in an alternate '90s with advanced tech like hoverboards and interdimensional travel, it's all about teens trying to pull off the sickest tricks.

Check out Slugblaster and David Rae:

• On their website, quantumkickflip.com

• On twitter @quantumkickflip, and @thedaverae

• Facebook @quantumkickflip

• Patreon patreon.com/quantumkickflip

• Tiktok @mrdavidrae

As always, huge thanks to the support for making this episode a reality.

Steven Van C., Alan E., Matthew T., Felix R., Chris F., The Senate, Lucas D., Lyla G., The GM Tim, Nevermour, Thomas W., Tyler G., Ty N., Heavyarms, Erik R, Aldrost, Leprecan, and Will H-P.

Martial Arts and Culture ft. James Mendez Hodes

Give your worlds and characters combat more depth than ever before by thinking about the stories behind their martial arts.

When creating your character, when was the last time you considered how they learned to fight with any real weight? If you've ever done it, congrats! You got us beat. That's why we've got an incredible guest on today to share how to add an onion's worth of layers to our characters fighting styles. James Mendez Hodes has written, designed, and culturally consulted for a ton of different games, and also has deep personal experience with martial arts and world history. This leaves him super equipped to guide us down the rabbit hole of martial culture in a way nobody else can. Also, he's a senior developer on Avatar: The Last Airbender Roleplaying Game, currently in the middle of a wildly successful Kickstarter campaign.

In The Strategy Stateroom, James Mendez Hodes shares some enlightening points about integrating martial arts more meaningfully. First, getting away from thinking about Monks as the only martial artists. Anyone who fights learned to fight somewhere, and anyone who learned to fight is a martial artist. Then we can dive into a real world martial arts style, whether it be Brazilian capoeira or French canne de combat, and learn about the culture that surrounds it. There's the philosophies that define it, the legendary fighters within it, or how it came to be, all of which can enrich your characters.

Then, in The Heroes Stage we get to know James Mendez Hodes a little better, and get into what he's working on now, Avatar Legends: The Roleplaying Game. Here's just a sampling of what it brings to the table. The game does an incredible job of guiding players through the character creation process, allowing full creative control over their bending style and even giving the framework for a super quick party history allowing you to jump right in. It also focuses on the emotional weight of conflict in a way that totally respects how the shows handled it, allowing you to emulate the stakes and energy that we're familiar with. There's so much good stuff here, you've got to check it out for yourself.

Follow James Mendez Hodes and his works:

Website and Blog: jamesmendezhodes.com

Twitter: @lulavampiro

Facebook: lula.vampiro

Patreon: patreon.com/mndz

Avatar Legends: The Roleplaying Game Quickstart Guide

Avatar Legends: The Roleplaying Game Kickstarter: Ending Sept. 02 2021

Planning an Action Quest

Use the structure of a great action story to make games that feel like a pulse pounding thrill ride.

Want to capture that feeling when the game keeps picking up steam, the tension is rising, and everyone's in sync, almost instinctively knowing the flow of the game? Well, we wanna make it easier to get there, and we're going to do it by talking about the building blocks of the best action movies. Following this structure can keep the pace going and enrapture your players, making them feel like the odds are against them moments before they celebrate their hard won victory.

In the Strategy Stateroom, we're going to go over the structure of action stories. Using these ingredients will create reliably action packed adventures.

Define your Antagonist

• Antagonistic forces of action Nature State Time Person

• Antagonists goal

• Why it hurts your victim

• Add personal stakes

Plot Your Action Quest

• Convey the Goal

• Show the reason

• Kickstart the plan

• Complicate the plan

• Give some help

• Antagonist almost wins

• Party at antagonists mercy

• Showdown

Add Your Must Have Scenes

• Setting up how bad

• Best scenes to add

• Pursuit/Chase scene

• Backed into a corner

• Final showdown

Then we jump into Grandma B's Schoolhouse, where we learn about a real life action hero, whose gutsy heroism helped hold the Nazis at bay. Aleksandra Samusenko, who at the age of 23 was in command of a tank, was told to hold ground while a wave of enemies with more training and superior firepower rolled in ready to crush anything in their path. Inspired by the writings of badassoftheweek.com

Character Arcs III

Direct your characters story while still letting startling twists appear.

In our third and final look at character arcs (for now), we look at morality arcs. These ones are particularly useful to consider for tabletop games like D&D, because we all know or have been the person who's built an amazingly interesting morally grey character. They've got a tragic backstory, a twisted perspective on the world, and we're all curious to see where their story goes. Well, if it's ever fallen flat for you like it has for us, join us as we figure out how to make it work.

In the Strategy Stateroom we get right into the three types of Morality Arcs: Redemptive, Punitive, and Testing. Redemptive characters make up for their mistakes or selfishness, and end up proving that they have some good in them, sometimes even in a blaze of glory. Punitive characters go on a downward moral spiral until justice finds them. Testing leaves us in suspense with whether they will overcome their moral failings or not. These ideas are modified from The Story Grid: What Good Editors Know by Shawn Coyne.

Then we head to Tymora's Tavern to harshly judge Frodo Baggins, and punish him by screwing up his character arc in a myriad of ways.

As always, huge thanks to the support these folks give us on our Patreon.

Chris F., ISeeSpidersWhereThereAreNone, The Senate, Lucas D., Lyla G., The GM Tim, Nevermour, Thomas W., Ty N., Heavyarms, Erik R, Aldrost, Leprecan, and Will H-P.

Character Arcs II

Guide your characters path while still letting unexpected trails appear.

Here's our second installment in the Character Arc series. This topic is one that appeals to us, because it's one that we struggled with for a long time as new players. Once it clicked, however, it made planning out our parts of the game so much more engaging. We started to feel like we had some control over our characters. Join us as we look at another type of arc, one that deals in personal growth.

In the Strategy Stateroom we get into the second type of arc, worldview. In broad strokes these arcs are about characters learning something that changes their perspective on the world in some significant way. Under the worldview arc umbrella we look at the different changes that can happen within your character: maturation, education, and disillusionment. These ideas are modified from The Story Grid: What Good Editors Know by Shawn Coyne. Then we head to Tymora's Tavern where we take a look at Gimli's education character arc. We of course chop and screw it into each other type, seeing how things could have shaken out in a different world. No spoilers, but wouldn't Legolas and Gimli opening a summer camp have been a great ending to Lord of the Rings? We're only taking "yes" responses at this time.

As always, huge thanks to the support these folks give us on our Patreon.

Chris F., ISeeSpidersWhereThereAreNone, The Senate, Lucas D., Lyla G., The GM Tim, Nevermour, Thomas W., Ty N., Heavyarms, Erik R, Aldrost, Leprecan, and Will H-P.

Character Arcs I

Sculpt your characters journey while still letting it surprise you.

Character arcs can be a dangerous topic in tabletop gaming. There's always the concern that if you are following an arc you could be railroading the story too much, and it can seem difficult to pull off with so many other characters and plots around. Well, we see it a little differently. Having a path you are on doesn't mean you can't make a new one at any time, and it's way more fun than hacking away at the forest without going anywhere. There's also room for a million surprises along the way, and a good character arc always leaves us in suspense until the end. It doesn't even have to be that complicated, so join us as we figure out arcs.

In the Strategy Stateroom we get into the first type of character arc we're going to take a look at: the status arc. This deals with a character's status within some kind of outside group, whether it be society, a club, or even just their pals. Under the status arc umbrella we look at the different trajectories your character could take, and how you can put it into practice in your next game: rise, strive, fall and recover. These ideas are modified from The Story Grid: What Good Editors Know by Shawn Coyne.

Then we head to Tymora's Tavern where we apply these concepts to Aragorn's character arc, seeing how it would play out in another world. Some good ideas, some that butcher something beautiful. Sorry about that.

As always, huge thanks to the support these folks give us on our Patreon.

Chris F., ISeeSpidersWhereThereAreNone, The Senate, Lucas D., Lyla G., The GM Tim, Nevermour, Thomas W., Ty N., Heavyarms, Erik R, Aldrost, Leprecan, and Will H-P.

The Narrative of Leveling Up

Tell the tale of your characters growth by exploring the story behind the levels.

We always want our games to be more immersive, and jam packed with the drama and fun of our characters. Having goals and conquering foes is great, but in this episode we want to turn the focus to roleplaying out what it's like for your character to gain their new stats, abilities, and spells. The whole table can end up a lot more invested if every player is adding this to the pot.

In The Strategy Stateroom we go through a bit of a mental filter to get the details of leveling out for your character. We talk about laying the groundwork for your next level by considering your upcoming abilities, and working them into how you character spends their time. This looks a little different for each character depending on if they are focused on physical, mental, or spiritual upgrades. Consider how you can find strength from within, get help from party members, or use the world you are in to fuel your ideas. Then we discuss how to find a little moment to roleplay your level up regardless of how quickly it's happening. Even if you're in the middle of an epic battle, you can give that level up a little pizazz. And finally, we have to mention the fact that reacting to your party members new abilities is going to make the moment and the roleplay that much better.

Then we go to Tymora's Tavern to apply this to a couple characters we want to level up soon. One is a disaster of a dwarven paladin named The Junker. The other is Ged, a gross little goblin druid that turns everyone's stomach when he concocts his spells. Nobody wants them to become more powerful, but in our games, we'll know exactly how they did it.

As always, huge thanks to the support these folks give on our Patreon.

ISeeSpidersWhereThereAreNone, The Senate, Lucas D., Lyla G., The GM Tim, Nevermour, Thomas W., Ty N., Heavyarms, Erik R, Aldrost, Leprecan, and Will H-P.

The Mechanics of Leveling Up

Whatever approach to leveling you love, we just want you to get the most from it.

The debate rages on in all corners of the TTRPG world. In one corner we have leveling with experience points, with all its precision and flexibility. In the other, milestone leveling, with its ease of use and story focused approach. Which is the correct system? Well, whatever you and your players like. It really is that simple. But in this episode we explore the potential and drawbacks of each, and figure out what we could do to make the most out of our leveling. In The Strategy Stateroom, we discuss the finer points of both XP and milestone leveling, from what they can be used for, to what kind of gameplay they might encourage, to what roadblocks you might encounter in using them. Then we propose a simple system that uses the best of both worlds, and eliminates as many level up issues as possible.

Then, in The Temple of Inspired Hands, we consider the fact that magic items are one of the most satisfying rewards a DM can give out to the players. The problem? They can be so powerful that they throw the whole game into chaos. This is why one of our favorite new resources is the List of 100 Low Level Magic Items, compiled and created by u/doctor_clockwork on the d100 subreddit. They're all gold, and are just there to add a sprinkle of power and fun to your games.

As always, huge thanks to the support these folks give us on our Patreon. ISeeSpidersWhereThereAreNone, Sean J., The Senate, Lucas D., Lyla G., The GM Tim, Nevermour, Thomas W., Ty N., Heavyarms, Erik R, Aldrost, Leprecan, and Will H-P.

Worldbuilding like a Pro III ft. Matt Sernett

Go on a worldbuilding journey, and you might end up somewhere totally unexpected.

Creating a world as a group, or by yourself, is a powerfully satisfying creative experience. When a whole bunch of great ideas come together, and you start twisting and mixing them in a unique way, you're gonna come up with something you want to explore more, because it's yours, and it's new. That's what we're doing in this episode with the help of our fantastic guest, Matt Sernett, and the input from our fantastic friends on Discord.

In Tymora's Tavern we go through the creative exercise of actually building a world. We go through the different main components of a world: cosmology, genre/subgenre, culture, politics, religion, magic/technology, era, and theme. We collected suggestion for these from the Hook and Chance discord, and in the episode Matt and the two of us create a world from them. Follow Matt Sernett @Sernett on twitter.

Then we head to Griffon Street Market, where we talk about a new tool that makes your life as a DM much easier! Do you have more campaign ideas than prep time? Of course you do! Does your party have a peculiar knack for going that one place you’d least expect? Of course they do! Want over 1750 box texts, from places, monsters, items and spells to drop into your games? dScryb has seasoned writers creating this for your table. One of our favorite bits is that dScryb is a proud community partner of Safer Spaces, a 2S-LGBTQ+ Workplace Training & Inclusion organization. Safer Spaces played a foundational role in forming dScryb’s writing policy.

Check it out at dscryb.com and use the coupon code "hook" to save 10%.

Worldbuilding like a Pro II ft. Matt Sernett

Learn to pull great ideas from your own mind, creating something uniquely you.

Playing in existing fiction is fantastic, but a lot of us, at one point or another, get that itch to create a world of our own. So what makes them great? Not a formula, but the collection of ideas that makes up your mind. That's why this is not a step by step guide to creating your own wonderful world, but rather a collection of ideas to visit along your way, and ways to explore combining things you already love into something new. Matt Sernett, someone with extensive knowledge and experience with what makes a fictional world mean something, guides us through.

In the Strategy Stateroom, we explore the different concepts that can be a major part of your worldbuilding process. Matt takes us through Cosmology, Genre, Culture, Politics, Era, Magic/Technology, and Theme. See if any of these spark your next great idea, and get into the details of what that means for your world. How do they interact? What about them gets you super excited? Once you've begun this process, it can be hard to stop, because you just might strike upon something great that's been lurking in your mind this whole time.

Then we head to Griffon Street Market, where we talk about a new tool that makes your life as a DM much easier! Do you have more campaign ideas than prep time? Of course you do! Does your party have a peculiar knack for going that one place you’d least expect? Of course they do! Want over 1400 box texts, from places, monsters, items and spells to drop into your games? dScryb has seasoned writers creating this for your table. One of our favorite bits is that dScryb is a proud community partner of Safer Spaces, a 2S-LGBTQ+ Workplace Training & Inclusion organization. Safer Spaces played a foundational role in forming dScryb’s writing policy.

Check it out at dscryb.com and use the coupon code "hook" to save 10%.

Worldbuilding like a Pro I ft. Matt Sernett

If you're gonna build a world, take some tips from the best.

There's a million ways to build worlds, and it's a powerfully fun thing to do. But the greatest creations come not from a formula, but from a mindset of creating something all your own. Here to share his experience and wisdom on the subject is someone that's made a career of diving deep into fictional worlds, Matt Sernett. Join us as we learn new ways to think about this fundamental part of the gaming experience, with Matt as our guide.

We start in the Strategy Stateroom, and learn Matt's worldbuilding philosophy. It begins with the concept of starting small, in the neighborhood of the characters, and letting great things spawn from there. And, well, it doesn't end. We cover things from what makes the great worlds great, to what you absolutely need for people to care about your world. There's a ton of fantastic ideas in this one that just can't be summed up here, so have a listen!

Then we head to Griffon Street Market, where we talk about a new tool that makes your life as a DM much easier! Do you have more campaign ideas than prep time? Of course you do! Does your party have a peculiar knack for going that one place you’d least expect? Of course they do! Want over 1400 box texts, from places, monsters, items and spells to drop into your games? dScryb has seasoned writers creating this for your table. One of our favorite bits is that dScryb is a proud community partner of Safer Spaces, a 2S-LGBTQ+ Workplace Training & Inclusion organization. Safer Spaces played a foundational role in forming dScryb’s writing policy.

Check it out at dscryb.com and use the coupon code "hook" to save 10%.

Then we get to learn more about Matt at The Hero's Stage! We get a glimpse at how he got into the industry, and get some insight into what he's working on now, and what comes next. Find Matt @sernett on twitter, or check out his portfolio

Plan Meaningful Travel Encounters

No more generic monsters! Serve your story, deepen your characters, or up the stakes instead with a few considerations.

We're finally talking about what's better than throwing in random travel encounters! All you've gotta do is consider what actually matters about your encounter, and then why the outcome matters. This episode gets into those points a little deeper.

We begin in the Strategy Stateroom, Where we talk about making the encounter matter. Does it support the themes of your world, or does it challenge the values of your characters? Does it define their relationships more, or foreshadow a future threat? Equally important is putting some kind of a choice to be made in there, and ensuring that the outcome of this encounter makes a difference in to the adventure or the characters.

Then we head to Kinship Camp to flesh out some adventure prompts we got from our talented Patrons! We requested a character flaw, antagonist and environment, and we received four excellent responses, so we've got two in this one, from Lyla and Will, and two in our next episode, from Scotty and Mycofish. Thanks for those! They were a blast to dig into.

Run Engaging Travel Adventures

Turn long, meandering travel into grand adventure with a little intentional design.

Knowing why you're playing through travel is huge. If you have a great answer for that, you'll probably have some great travel. Join us in this episode to learn how to answer that question, and never deal with a dying story due to random encounters or "accurate" travel experiences.

In the Strategy Stateroom, we break it down into three parts. The first is figuring out what kind of travel story you are playing. Is the adventure to be had along the way, or does it start when they get there? The second is figuring out what kinds of conflict exists. Is their main conflict with the environment, an antagonist, themselves, or something else? And finally, how big do you want this travel adventure to be? Lord of the Rings style, or just a quick jump from A to B?

Then we head to Griffon Street Market, where we talk about a new tool that makes your life as a DM much easier! Do you have more campaign ideas than prep time? Of course you do! Does your party have a peculiar knack for going that one place you’d least expect? Of course they do! Want over 1400 box texts, from places, monsters, items and spells to drop into your games? dScryb has seasoned writers creating this for your table. One of our favorite bits is that dScryb is a proud community partner of Safer Spaces, a 2S-LGBTQ+ Workplace Training & Inclusion organization. Safer Spaces played a foundational role in forming dScryb’s writing policy.

Check it out at dscryb.com and use the coupon code "hook" to save 10%.

Then we get creative in Kinship Camp, and use character flaw, antagonist, and environment prompts provided by our amazing patrons to flesh out some travel adventures, and see if we know what we're talking about. We got four great prompts for this segment, so rather than cram them all in here, we're covering two here, and two in the next episode. Those featured in this one come from Lyla and Will. Thanks for providing us with your mind gems, you two!

Never Tell a Story Without a Ticking Clock

Keep your games moving in exciting directions with this powerful storytelling tool.

If you want a tested method for engaging the table with stories, the ticking clock is invaluable. When used well, you avoid those meandering five session detours from the wicked adventure idea you created for your table.

First we go to the Strategy Stateroom, where we go through some considerations when putting a ticking clock in your games. What type of clock is best for your situation? How are you tracking the timeline? What happens when they don't beat the clock? How are you going to communicate it to your table?

Then we head to Griffon Street Market, where we talk about a new tool that makes your life as a DM much easier! Do you have more campaign ideas than prep time? Of course you do! Does your party have a peculiar knack for going that one place you’d least expect? Of course they do! Want over 1400 box texts, from places, monsters, items and spells to drop into your games? dScryb has seasoned writers creating this for your table. One of our favorite bits is that dScryb is a proud community partner of Safer Spaces, a 2S-LGBTQ+ Workplace Training & Inclusion organization. Safer Spaces played a foundational role in forming dScryb’s writing policy.

Check it out at dscryb.com and use the coupon code "hook" to save 10%.

Then we hop over to Tymora's Tavern, where we each provide a plot hook, to see if the other can come up with a ticking clock that adds to it. We pull the adventure hooks from the d/100 subreddit, and while we can't say all the ticking clocks were great, we can say that some of them were very bad.

Unlock Story Pacing

Pacing is influencing your games with or without your permission, so learn some techniques for taking control!

Learning to pace games intentionally is a part of running games that eluded us for a long time. Done well, it results in those grand gaming wrap ups, where everyone is coming down off the high of a great session. Done poorly, it leaves us sad and confused as to why that session went down about as well as a juiced cockroach. That's why in this episode we give solid steps on fluctuating the pace of your games to keep everyone in it, and everything on time.

We start in the Strategy Stateroom, where we cover a lot of ground. We spend a little time discussing the fact that before you twist the dial on story pacing, you've gotta have a structure to your games, as well as a ticking clock happening. Then we get into specific techniques you can use to create fast paced sections of your game without losing character decisions or plot development, and techniques for slow paced sections that let players explore or heighten the dramatic tension. Through all this, never forget to read the table and adjust the pacing as needed.

Then we go to The Temple of Inspired Hands, where we introduce an app that can really make a difference in your combat pacing! Squire is currently an app that's running a Kickstarter to go web based, and add all kinds of fun things to their service. The app lets you create and manage your characters in an easy to use and easy to modify way. Check out their Kickstarter Campaign and their Website.

Letting the Players Lead ft. The GMTim

Get everyone at the table feeling more invested and in control, yet more delightfully surprised at what happens next.

Want to learn some techniques that will leave everyone stunned at how well a session brought their characters and their visions to life? Here to help is The GMTim! He runs about 10 games a month, writes adventures, and constantly discovers new ways to push his skills as a Game Master. We are so excited to have him share his skills with us in this episode.

To get some of The GMTims powerful techniques for running great games, we start off in The Strategy Stateroom. Our conversation covers a lot of great ground. He shares how he gets players involved with each other and the world right off the hop with a round circle minigame, how he keeps players minds moving by having them inhabit different NPC's when it works, how he never stops asking questions of the players to discover what game they want to play, and more. There's some gold here, folks.

Then we head over to The Heroes Stage to find out what projects The GMTim is working on, what we can look forward to, and how we can join him in some creativity expanding journeys right now!

Follow @thegmtim on twitter or instagram

Check out his website

Learn more and join his Appendix: Lit book club

Watch Star Trek: Lost Voyages every second sunday at 7:30 pm Pacific Time

D&D Maze Design that Works

Capture the Excitement of a Labyrinth without the boredom of a maze.

Sometimes you get an idea of the kind of game you want to run in your head. Like, a twisty, turny, confusing labyrinthine adventure would be rad, right? Everyone would have so much fun trying to navigate the endless sprawling passageways of the Underdark, right? Well, it is a great idea, just don't mistake an adventure in a maze for having the players solve a real maze. That make sense? If not, join us as we discuss making great mazes.

A maze adventure story is fun as heck. Being in a maze is either frightening and anxiety inducing, or a simple, take every right turn carnival of bore. That's why we go to the Strategy Stateroom to discuss how, in our games, mazes are the settings of excellent adventures, but not the adventure themselves. Don't worry, we also get practical with how we set up maze adventures. Then we go to Kinship Camp to bring a couple flavours to our maze system, and introduce you to some fun ideas for both a mysterious feywild gameshow maze, and a Hellish, devil haunted nasty horror maze.

Terrify Players with Body Horror Adventures

Create adventures well suited to scare your party.

There's so many different kinds of delightful horror to dive into, but if you've ever wanted to explore the themes associated with body horror in a way that creates a disturbing sense of dread while respecting everyone at the table, this is the episode for you. We promise, if you put this planning in you'll have a great adventure, and it's much more interesting than plain old gore.

We first go to the Strategy Stateroom to cover a lot of ground. First, there's some great safety tools that make sure everyone's having a good time while getting scared. Kienna Shaw has put together a great resource called The TTRPG Safety Toolkit that covers the specifics.

Then we discuss what makes body horror different. It's about horrific changes that take place to and in our bodies. What makes it truly unique is the fact that the bad thing has already happened, and the story is really just exploring that thing as it changes a body. A werewolf is a great example. They've been turned, the interesting part of the story is how they fight against it as it takes away their humanity.

Next we get into the adventure we created using our Horror Roleplaying Writing Guide from previous episodes. It’s inspired by our amazing Discord community and the theme of body horror, and takes a party through a sleepy town, mutating them and building tension until they are face to face with a hideous wall of flesh, looking to absorb them in its never-ending quest for growth.

Finally we jump over to Lamashtu's Breeding pit and talk about the Flesh Wall itself. We put it all into a usable monster stat block that you can download, complete with some unique abilities that make for a strategic encounter. Not only does it smell awful, but it compels creatures to move towards it, eventually absorbing them into its deeply unnatural and disturbing form. With all this, we hope you can run a creepy adventure that satisfies everyone’s horror itch! Let us know how it goes.

This episode and its contents wouldn’t be here without contributions from our Discord members Leprecan, Scotty Doesn’t Know, Will HP and Zalgo. Thanks gang!