#RPGaDAY 2016, Day 18: Using Relationship Maps

by ThomasNo Comments

This question is spawned from the IndieGameADay thing, which pokes fun at ((I’m being charitable.)) #RPGaDAY with questions such as

  • What kind of shit-fit did you throw the last time someone tried to schedule your convention game in a ballroom like you’re playing fucking Pathfinder or something?
  • What was the very saddest thing you wrote on an index card? and
  • What is your fondest memory of a game you thought was fun before you knew better?

But they had a really interesting question for day 2 — once you take out the snark — about relationship maps which was What game created your most elaborate relationship map? How much of it did you actually use?

Well now!

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#RPGaDAY 2016, Day 16: Keeping Track of NPCs

by ThomasNo Comments

Another question from Tracy Barnett, “How do you prefer to keep track of your game’s NPCs and characters?”

When I’m in a face-to-face game, I use index cards (which should be on sale right now at the beginning of the school year), but I used to use a binder. For online games, I use a word document.

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#RPGaDAY 2016, Day 13: What Makes a Successful Campaign?

by ThomasNo Comments

First, define “successful”. Also “campaign”.

Back when we played the post-college Shadowrun game, I had the whole campaign outlined ((Remember, this was back when I was still thinking of roleplaying games as primarily the GM’s story where the players enter with their characters to see what happens, rather than the collaborative play style I enjoy now.)) to create story arcs, season arcs like a television show. Each season started and ended on certain points. When we played that game, we went through the first season and had a good ending. Then we tried to do play-by-email once we started all moving away in the second season and that one didn’t have a satisfying ending.

My answer? Endings make a successful campaign.

Plan for an end point.

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