0:22 All good reasons to hit subscribe! No flash and all substance. A good example for how games and emotions tie togther. Ask any player from the early 80's how they feel about Bargle..
With the modern RPG's, the battle encounters would often take a really long time to get through due to all the options the players have. When playing in 3.5 or pathfinder, I would often have to limit any battle encounters to three maximum. They would take up so much time that we would often miss other non-combat encounters that were important. Thank you for the advice on tying these different types together. I never thought about the reverse cause/effect method. I am going to use that.
Just found your channel and I just say as someone who consumes unhealthy amounts of dnd content (but no critical role) I have to say that you are providing a concise and point driven video. The open system vid you put out was particularly good as no one has offered a clear message on the major difference between old and now school methods of play and presentation. Thank you. My only question is what is your preferred rpg system currently?
Awesome video! So much better organized than I have seen anyone else giving creative GM advice use. Being organized in one's thoughts makes it seem like less work and also more likely to accomplish the goals! Appreciated! Cheers!
Great breakdown here, Travis! 👌 Designing for my kids and wife is quite different for me, and OSR games are much harder for them to play due to their start in and playing a long time in modern systems. 🤔😕
Thank you. I often find running OSR games for new players to be the easiest games to run. They don't have any presuppositions and once they understand that they can do "anything," they run with it.
@@grumpy_wizard_blog I would agree, but now my task of pulling them back away from those is just so staggering, that sometimes I just kinda throw my hands up. I'm 57, so my memory of "how it used to be" is getting lost somewhat I guess. Lol 🥴
This is good stuff! What I'd like to see more about, is improvising encounters based on the adventure and sandbox setting prep. Or rather how to prep adventures and the sandbox with improvising encounters in mind. What kind of tools you would recommend to have at the table for this for example? Thanks again!
Great request. I've been neglecting my channel for a while working on other stuff. Time to get back to it. A short response: The way I improvise is facilitated by how I build my sandbox. I make NPCs, factions, and major monsters the bulk of my work. Having active, ambitious, NPCs who are chasing their own desires, knowing their resources (minions, magic items, allies, knowledge) , and having a list of ideas about how they would respond to likely actions from PCs makes improv relatively simple. I just role-play the NPC. If I was a thieves guild master with a group of thieves, a lot of money, hide outs and safe houses, corrupt city watchmen on my payroll etc. what would I do about a party of adventurers messing up my business interests? From there it's just role-playing . Decide how the guild master responds and do that.
@@grumpy_wizard_blog That works. Pretty much as I see it. I'm trying to get a little bit more organized. Got me some index cards for NPCs. I'll try your idea if encounter index cards at some point as well. I'd be happy to see more videos like these! Some kind of compiled guide book of similarly concise advice would be fantastic! I got the Alexandrian's new book which is neat but I'd prefer something more OSR as well as less wordy 😁
Thanks for another succinct and helpful video. Don't know if this is in your bailiwick or not , but I'd be interested in your thoughts on magic mechanisms that don't follow the Vancian model.
You're welcome. I've thought a lot about other magic systems but I don't have anything coherent to say about them at the moment. the short version is that magic is a subject that's on my mind but I haven't come to a definite set of conclusions. I intend to create a setting for games and stories sometime in the next year. I have a pile of notes, ideas and scribbles in a binder. Magic is a major issue in the contextual framework of the setting. Magic may well be thecharacteristic that decides whether I use an existing game system for the setting or create one to fit it.
It's a back burner project until I finish the work in progress. I have a novel in the early stages of outlining for the setting. What I have in mind is in the neighborhood of Joe Abercrombie's First Law, Elric, or the Black Company books.
Since 1991 Better Games from Los Angeles has published Designing Fantasy Scenarios. Last updated as Generating Quest for Outlands -- Chronicles of the Outlands
"Design starts with empathy" won my sub.
"I write about classic adventure gaming, sword and sorcery fiction, and heavy metal." A man after my own heart. Subscribed.
Thanks!
0:22 All good reasons to hit subscribe! No flash and all substance. A good example for how games and emotions tie togther. Ask any player from the early 80's how they feel about Bargle..
Thanks!
With the modern RPG's, the battle encounters would often take a really long time to get through due to all the options the players have. When playing in 3.5 or pathfinder, I would often have to limit any battle encounters to three maximum. They would take up so much time that we would often miss other non-combat encounters that were important. Thank you for the advice on tying these different types together. I never thought about the reverse cause/effect method. I am going to use that.
Grounded, centered, keep up the vids my man. Good shit here.
Thank you Chris! I appreciate it.
Just found your channel and I just say as someone who consumes unhealthy amounts of dnd content (but no critical role) I have to say that you are providing a concise and point driven video. The open system vid you put out was particularly good as no one has offered a clear message on the major difference between old and now school methods of play and presentation. Thank you. My only question is what is your preferred rpg system currently?
Sorry I got away from paying any attention to my channel for a while. I run Swords & Wizardry Complete by Mythmere Games
Awesome video! So much better organized than I have seen anyone else giving creative GM advice use. Being organized in one's thoughts makes it seem like less work and also more likely to accomplish the goals!
Appreciated!
Cheers!
Thanks Fred! I'm glad it was helpful to you.
Role-playing is not story telling, the story emerges from the play… 👍🏼
Great breakdown here, Travis! 👌 Designing for my kids and wife is quite different for me, and OSR games are much harder for them to play due to their start in and playing a long time in modern systems. 🤔😕
Thank you. I often find running OSR games for new players to be the easiest games to run. They don't have any presuppositions and once they understand that they can do "anything," they run with it.
@@grumpy_wizard_blog I would agree, but now my task of pulling them back away from those is just so staggering, that sometimes I just kinda throw my hands up. I'm 57, so my memory of "how it used to be" is getting lost somewhat I guess. Lol 🥴
Love the video series. I'm wondering what your going to cover next. I like how simple you make each videos topics seem. Thanks again!
Next video will be how to build a sandbox campaign. My approach is almost the exact opposite order that everybody else does. I make maps last!
This is good stuff! What I'd like to see more about, is improvising encounters based on the adventure and sandbox setting prep. Or rather how to prep adventures and the sandbox with improvising encounters in mind. What kind of tools you would recommend to have at the table for this for example? Thanks again!
Great request. I've been neglecting my channel for a while working on other stuff. Time to get back to it.
A short response: The way I improvise is facilitated by how I build my sandbox. I make NPCs, factions, and major monsters the bulk of my work. Having active, ambitious, NPCs who are chasing their own desires, knowing their resources (minions, magic items, allies, knowledge) , and having a list of ideas about how they would respond to likely actions from PCs makes improv relatively simple. I just role-play the NPC. If I was a thieves guild master with a group of thieves, a lot of money, hide outs and safe houses, corrupt city watchmen on my payroll etc. what would I do about a party of adventurers messing up my business interests? From there it's just role-playing . Decide how the guild master responds and do that.
@@grumpy_wizard_blog That works. Pretty much as I see it. I'm trying to get a little bit more organized. Got me some index cards for NPCs. I'll try your idea if encounter index cards at some point as well.
I'd be happy to see more videos like these! Some kind of compiled guide book of similarly concise advice would be fantastic! I got the Alexandrian's new book which is neat but I'd prefer something more OSR as well as less wordy 😁
Thanks for another succinct and helpful video.
Don't know if this is in your bailiwick or not , but I'd be interested in your thoughts on magic mechanisms that don't follow the Vancian model.
You're welcome. I've thought a lot about other magic systems but I don't have anything coherent to say about them at the moment. the short version is that magic is a subject that's on my mind but I haven't come to a definite set of conclusions.
I intend to create a setting for games and stories sometime in the next year. I have a pile of notes, ideas and scribbles in a binder. Magic is a major issue in the contextual framework of the setting. Magic may well be thecharacteristic that decides whether I use an existing game system for the setting or create one to fit it.
Hey man you still working on your own dark fantasy world? How dark are we taking? Like mork borg levels of dark? Splatterpunk level of dark?
It's a back burner project until I finish the work in progress. I have a novel in the early stages of outlining for the setting. What I have in mind is in the neighborhood of Joe Abercrombie's First Law, Elric, or the Black Company books.
Since 1991 Better Games from Los Angeles has published Designing Fantasy Scenarios. Last updated as Generating Quest for Outlands -- Chronicles of the Outlands
You didn't say anything about or in any way discuss Travis' video here. Your only objective was to advertise for somebody else's product?