A TTRPG GM is like a Swiss Army knife
GM tools for adventure – you only need a few
My TTRPG group keeps me on my toes as a GM. Comprised of adults, all of whom have varying degrees of adulting to do, our get-togethers are infrequent. It averages out to about twice a month on Sunday evenings. Within that group, everyone has varying schedules for work, family responsibilities and so forth. This results in a flexible group makeup on top of everything else. That last part usually isn’t a problem, as PCs can fade into the background or remain on their spelljammer ship while the present players form an away team.
But what happens when a particular character is important to the story for that session? Maybe the previous session ended on a cliffhanger or dramatic moment and a character’s absence would be awkward Or you as the GM simply aren’t prepared to continue your usual campaign?
Nerdarchy the comic book! Issue No. 1
Face front, True Believers! In addition to his mild-mannered position as a Nerdarchy staff writer, William C.‘s alter ego is that of Professor Bill. In this other guise he runs Comic Book University, a YouTube channel dedicated to all things comic book. You may also recognize him from the recent live streaming game at Nerdarchy’s YouTube channel. Thursdays at noon EST, Professor Bill takes on the great power and great responsibility of acting as Judge for a game of Marvel Super Heroes RPG.
Creature Symbiosis is an Underutilized RPG Tool
Symbiosis is an amazing thing within nature. Symbiosis is defined as the “interaction between two different organisms living in close physical association, typically to the advantage of both.” Now how does this work within Dungeons & Dragons (as well as other games)? Well, amazing Nerdarchy reader, symbiosis is something that both players and Dungeon Masters can use to fill their world with amazing, multilayered experiences that will blow your players’ minds. Below I will be listing a few situations of symbiosis that are already in Dungeons and Dragons, and a few I think would work well within it.
The clownfish Amphiprion ocellaris (known from the Walt Disney/Pixar cartoon Finding Nemo). Photo is from a coral reef near the Japanese island Sesoko and taken 2 m below water surface. In the background is the giant carpet anemone Stichodactyla gigantea with which the clownfish forms a symbiosis. Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons
Top 10 Stereotypical Roleplaying Gamers
Here we go again. I like top tens. They have a certain charm to them. Being a gamer, I get to see a lot of roles played by an amazing variety of people such as yourself. I know that they can be good, bad, or just plain hilarious. Can you think of the various role players you have seen at your table? I am sure if you think hard enough, something your great mind is highly capable of doing, you can match up at least a few of those listed below with your table. In no particular order, here is the repeated role player types I have seen. Some of these I like, and some I do not. Though I would love to hear your opinions and stories on such.
Yes, YOU can take part in a Marvel Superheroes RPG online!
Hey guys, Professor Bill from Comic Book University, and I’m going to talk (write) about the game I’m running for Nerdarchy on Thursdays. Marvel Superheroes Role Playing Game is an old love for many of us, but that’s not the crux of what I want...
Blast from the Past: Nerdarchy Invades the Marvel Universe
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YpBK1lZg32c&w=560&h=315] Class was in session when Professor Bill from Comic Book University (aka Nerdarchy staff writer William C.) took a group of mild-mannered nerds for a trip to the heart of the Marvel Universe for a game of the Marvel Super Heroes Role-Playing Game. [caption id="attachment_19932"...
Dungeoneering 101: Dungeon Design Basics
Back on April 24, Nerdarchy released a video about Dungeon Design Basics.
This was a sponsored video by ArmorClass10.com, who happen to be the vendors of the shirts our illustrious Nerdarchists are wearing in the video. By the way, it’s not all D&D stuff over there, they’ve got at least one Doctor Who reference and one about not stepping on a Lego that gave me a good chuckle.
The Virtues of an Epic Failure: Really Critty Stories
On April 17, Nerdarchy released a video about Critical Failures and why to use them.
Spelljammer ship combat primer for 5E D&D
You can’t throw a d20 in 2017 without hitting a space fantasy RPG. Tabletop gamers looking to combine swords and sorcery with science and starships can take their pick of several products hitting the market this year. Starfinder utilizes the Pathfinder engine to explore fantasy...
Gaming Within a Relationship
Well … it happened. I got to introduce someone I was in a relationship with to a table top roleplaying game I was involved in. I have actually done this several times, and have witnessed it from others. In my years I have actually learned a few things from what I have done right and what I have done wrong. Now I have no claim to be a relationship expert, or a love guru, but I do have a road map pointing out a few pot holes on this rather hazardous road. Some things here are from my experience, some are from those gathered from other gamers. Let’s delve into a few things shall we?
Evil is a Spectrum
There is oh, so much talk floating around about evil characters and good characters in tabletop RPGs and how you should or shouldn’t mix them in parties. Every time you get people together talking about Dungeons & Dragons, this is something that’s going to come...
RPG Designing with Purpose
Star-Lord (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
In my previous article, I talked about the pitfalls we fall into when creating character concepts, or more specifically how we overcomplicate the process. That got me to thinking about another side of it. Why are we adding to the game? What’s our endgame? Are we adding to the story, or introducing a mechanic? Or, are we just tacking something on?
What you can learn from your RPG characters
Tabletop roleplaying games afford players amazing opportunities. Through the characters and worlds we imagine at the gaming table, we create adventures and stories filled with heroism, villainy, danger, humor, drama, action and intrigue. Through game play we surprise ourselves through improvisation and collaboration, letting our shared stories twist and turn and carry us along. Through our characters’ actions, we affect the imaginary world and have an impact.
We invest something of ourselves into our characters. Players might portray characters who are exaggerated or ideal versions of themselves, or one aspect of themselves. Conversely, they can explore personalities, philosophies or lifestyles vastly different than their own. In a similar way, GMs create and run adventures that satisfy (sometimes intangible) goals and interests, populating the game environment with people, places and things – and monsters! – that appeal to those goals.
Top 10 Things I Hate As A Gamer
Alright, it is personal gripe time as I have a a few things that are on my grey matter in light of a few friends of mine complaining to me. Here is my top 10 things I hate as a tabletop RPG gamer. This may be things the players do, or just things I hate to do in general. This is not to say this list (done in no particular order) won’t work for another table, or that they are inherently wrong, but that they get my goat when I see them. I highly encourage constructive advice and learning of your gripes in the comment section below. Let’s jump in, shall we?
Critter Compendium brings D&D monsters of the past into the present, with creative new creatures
Critter Compendium by Tobias Beis is a collection of monsters for 5th edition Dungeons & Dragons, available now as a PDF through the Dungeon Masters Guild for $15. The hefty book presents a wide variety and number of creatures from earlier D&D editions converted to the current ruleset, along with original creations that includes artwork by the author. With 135 entries and appendices describing additional creatures and templates, Critter Compendium has enough creatures to populate several campaigns across the whole gamut of challenge ratings.
