prompts for talking about RPGs throughout August.
I hardly ever use published adventures, partially because I hardly ever run games that have many.
2: MAP
If I provide a map for a location, I expect that location to be A Very Big Deal.
3: TACTIC
In a fight I'm much more likely to go for cool than effective. I do my best to tell players this in advance.
4: WEAPON
I like a magic sword, but the most effective weapon I used in my last game was a well-aimed high heel stomp.
5: THRONE
I have actively avoided becoming Prince or taking another title in various Vampire games. Maybe in a game where that was the idea, but definitely not in a game with a big player group like a LARP or chat. Too much pressure and too many assassination attempts.
6: FLAVOUR
Like a recipe, my game will be different than yours, and a game with the same GM will feel different with different groups of players too.
7: SMALL
One of the nice things about really large RPGs like chats is that you can play small side things. New Bremen is the only place I've gotten to use Mummy: The Resurrection, let alone play a high school kid in the World Of Darkness.
8: STREAM
I imagine you could talk about small rivers here, but... … See more
9: MEDIUM
Tabletop, distanced tabletop, LARP, chat, PBP, they all have advantages and disadvantages. My love for New Bremen comes in part from how it encouraged personal stories advancing on a nightly basis.
10: TRUST
You don't have to trust the other player characters, in some games you really shouldn't. You should be able to trust the other players to have an enjoyable game though.
11: WILDERNESS
I don't run or play a lot of wilderness adventures, more a fantasy thing than my usual genres.
12: THINK
It's always nice to think of something and have it work. Sometimes you have to consider if your PC would think of it though. Perhaps you can pass an idea to the player of a more suitable PC, which is easier in games where you can break character to do so.
13: FLOOD
I haven't played some games in my collection that now have new editions.
14: SAFETY
RPG safety tools are a really positive addition to gaming, and not just for making some people it's best not to play with tell on themselves.
15: SUPPLEMENT
There are some great RPG supplements out there, and electronic publishing means they don't all have to hit a specific page count.
16: MOVE
I loved this little bit of worldbuilding in the pilot for Buffy.… See more
17: TRAP
Technically it's an ambush, Admiral.
18: WRITE
Playing by text feels very different than face to face. Even live chat lets you consider word choice. It also helps with typing speed!
19: THEME
It's good to discuss intended themes in an RPG, especially a big one that doesn't have a narrow theme built in.
20: FOUNDATION
RPGs are good for socialisation, confidence, arithmetic, problem-solving, spelling, and usually mythology and the like.
21: SIMPLICITY
I like RPG systems that I can, y'know, understand.
22: SUBSTITUTE
Using a different system than published will result in a different feel. Which may well be the point of doing so.
23: MEMORY
I have fond memories of games from decades ago. (Hello New Bremennnnn!)
24: TRANSLATE
Moving from tabletop to chat, PBP or LARP is like translating stories, not just technical writing. What works in the new style?
25: WELCOME
I try to be welcoming to new players and not drown them in lore and jargon. I may not always succeed.
26: THEORY
The Gamist/Narrativist/Simulationist theory works as shorthand and in short pitches, but as Eddy Webb notes in his "
Your Game Sucks"
presentation people move around.
27: FRACTION
Being a small part of a big game feels different than being the players in a small game. The sense that the world really isn't all about you fits some games, not others.
28: SOLO
One-on-one and small groups can make for the best dramatic play. Of course it depends on players being available.
29: SYSTEM
If the character sheet is more than one sheet that's a no-no.
30: MENTION
Always nice to see somebody refer to me regarding gaming.
30: THANK
Thank you to GMs, players, writers, artists, publishers and all.
