rpgs

I like messages that create tension, whether that’s a private note about hidden information or an out-of-game message that keeps bookkeeping away from session time. Both kinds can make a campaign run better.

Initiative can be handled in all kinds of ways, and each one changes the feel of combat a little. I’ve been especially interested in systems like Troika’s Stack that make turn order more uncertain and dynamic.

I keep wanting to find the one game that does everything I need, but that search keeps leading me to more books, more systems, and more decisions about what to keep. The whole cycle is really driven by wanting to have fun with the people I play with.

Light feels like an easy shorthand for goodness, hope, and people trying to set things right. Whether it’s sunlight on the road or a torch in the dark, it works as both a literal and symbolic force in a game.

Shade makes me think of dungeons and the people who thrive in them. They’re places of danger, treasure, hard choices, and the sort of hidden movement that lets thieves and assassins do their work.

I like the idea of being able to carry just a couple of books and a couple of supplies and be ready to run a game anywhere. In practice I keep chasing new systems and genres, so that simple ideal never quite wins.

A forest is a great first adventure site because it feels close to home while still leaving room for mystery. It can hold ruins, witches, bandits, or stranger things, and it still leaves the party with options once they’re done.

A lot of the RPGs I enjoy are tributes to earlier games, especially Basic/Expert Dungeons & Dragons. What I keep coming back to is the focus on problem solving and finding ways around a fight instead of charging into it.

I run a mixture of theatre of the mind combat (where there’s no map) and and combat with maps and minis (or virtual tokens as the case has been lately). I like both and would generally prefer theater of the mind, but my players often prefer the latter and I think that’s because I forget about vision during combat.

When preparing a game I try to think about the various plot threads. They’ll vary from ones I’ve introduced to something in the player’s backstory or even something they’ve found along the way that I never thought would be part of the story. The important part here is to work on the threads that the players feel are important and develop those if possible.