How I Like My Games
Hey all, I made this blog to have a little corner of the internet to drop the ideas and thoughts that I have no other place for. Most of these will be tabletop RPG related, but some might not.
Like with a new notebook, it’s a good idea to get rid of the dreaded blank first page by just putting something on there, whatever it is. So, I guess I’ll start with something short that has been sitting in my notes for a while now; an attempt to put into words how I like to run my games. This is not very complete or revolutionary, but I think it provides some context for the posts I’ll write here later.
Don’t roll for looking. For GMs: if characters would easily see it, describe it to them. If it is harder to find, let them find it when they take actions that would uncover it. For players: be descriptive. Don’t say you want to investigate, but instead describe what you are looking for or how you are searching.
Telegraph danger. This does not mean players should know exactly what’s coming, but GMs should strive to give players enough information for them to make an educated decision.
Mitigate risk, but don’t completely avoid it. For player characters, the underworld is a dangerous place, so being prepared and stacking the cards in your favor is what will keep you alive, but not everything can be planned for, and the biggest rewards are often those others did not dare to go after.
Light is a precious commodity in the dark. The underworld is dangerous enough when you can see what is around. If your light dies, the chances of you following it increase dramatically. So don’t linger, or make sure to stock up on light sources to allow yourself more time to be indecisive.
Die rolls are there to remove ambiguity. Don’t roll for actions of which the outcome is obvious.
Die rolls are there to fill in the blanks and make the world feel alive. Random encounters or events are rolled to make the world come alive outside of the player’s actions and to generate opportunities for interaction.
The world is a dangerous playground, not a predetermined story. The GM prepares the world as a playground and fills it with dangers and opportunities for the players to explore. It is up to the players to set their own goals while running around this playground. Players deciding they want to play with the seesaw and first having to fight the goblins guarding it is what will create the story, regardless of if they fail or succeed.
