The January 2021 Blog Carnival: Characters, Stories, and Worlds
TomThe RPG Blog Carnival rolls round to another year; please take part and follow it around the blogosphere in 2021…
Tag: Storytelling
(When) is it OK to TPK?
Character death is part of the stakes of a lot of our games. It keeps us on our toes as players. Hitpoints or harm are often one of the resources players have to manage. There can be a great deal of drama – and satisfaction – in epic battles against overwhelming odds, even if we lose.
Creating Dynamic RPG Plots from Plot Elements
The elements in the grid and whether they are in the spotlight tells me where to focus my planning; I can draft up a couple of NPCs and a list of potential stat blocks for the Antagonists, and maps etc. for any Places I might need in the next couple of sessions. If it’s not likely to be relevant now or soon then don’t plan it! But do it in a way that can be reused in case it doesn’t become relevant immediately.
Creating Dynamic RPG Plots from Plot Elements
The elements in the grid and whether they are in the spotlight tells me where to focus my planning; I can draft up a couple of NPCs and a list of potential stat blocks for the Antagonists, and maps etc. for any Places I might need in the next couple of sessions. If it’s not likely to be relevant now or soon then don’t plan it! But do it in a way that can be reused in case it doesn’t become relevant immediately.
As seen on TV! (Using movies and tropes in worldbuilding)
ArikanthusA quick look at ways to build on existing sources like movies and tropes and make them your own as part of the worldbuilding process.
Thrills and Chills: Adding Horror to your Game
aravar27Fear is one of those primal emotions in humans–the other being laughter. Both a panicked cry and a sudden laugh are involuntary physical reactions to a stimulus. When role-playing, we’re embodying a character to feel their triumphs and pains, but fear and laughter are the most potent.
Well-used horror ramps up stakes, slowly winding up the tension before allowing for some kind of catharsis at the end. Let’s see how we can use those elements to improve our action-adventure D&D game!
Cloak & Dagger: Adding Intrigue to Your D&D Game
Intrigue is more than just a style of campaign. Intrigue means questions, suspense, and information–things which all campaigns have in some measure. In this post, let’s take a look at how to sprinkle intrigue and mystery into any game, regardless of genre!
Dueling Desires: Creating Interesting RPG Characters
Working on fleshing out an RPG/D&D character? Use conflicting motivations and goals to force difficult decisions and help flesh out who you want to be!
Adding a Hint of Flavor: Teleportation Spells
Spell flavoring is one of the most useful tools in your toolbox for making your D&D world come alive! Here’s a quick list of flavor text and options for a variety of teleportation spells in the game.
R is for Ravnica
GonzWhat can we find in #Ravnica that we can use in our #DnD campaign? A labyrinth like no other.