Category: Articles
Cthulhutech – running CT campaigns
Cthulhutech can be quite a daunting game to run, especially if you’re new to running an RPG. The sheer volume of background material can be quite off-putting for a novice GM, or even some more experienced GMs. At the end of the day, it should be a collaborative effort between you and your players. Before…
The Art of “Winging it”
Improvisation isn’t really an art as such but it can work extremely well when your players go off on one of those tangents that they love to do so often… and I know some players love doing it to games. The secret is: don’t let them know that you’re winging it. Or give them enough…
GM Burnout
“It’s better to burn out than fade away!” The Kurgan, Highlander I think there comes a time when everyone “burns out”, creatively speaking – be it storytelling, writing or GMing. I feel it every few years when I’m running RPGs, and I reckon I’m not alone in experiencing it. Creativity isn’t like a tap –…
Playtesting RPGs
Over the years, I’ve participated in playtests for a number of games, often as part of ORC. It’s a good community to run such games in as we have a variety of different gamer age groups – from younger gamers just starting out in their first RPG, to those who first played D&D in the…
Narrative Games
In this article, I’m going to try and provide a few hints for GMs about actually running an RPG (whilst its written for D&D perspective it holds true for all RPGs). Combat Whether its the figures on a board or just keeping track of what is going on, combat is one of the most frustrating…
Gamer Friendly Venues in Edinburgh
The recent fire at the Meadow Bar has got me thinking: are there any pubs left in Edinburgh with free function rooms? Given the credit crunch, I’d suspect that there may be fewer centrally – although further out of town there may be more! So far I’ve got a list of the following pubs/cafes that…
Joining the Dark Side
The shadows just got a little darker. Evan “Diamondback” Hogan is a Shadowrunner in the Bangkok of the future. He’s what they call a Street Samurai in the Shadowrun RPG, a cyborg that makes their living as hired muscle and enforcers for Shadowruns. They usually have a lot of cool upgrades, such as cybernetic limbs,…
PC groups – how PCs meet in RPGs
A human thief, dwarf fighter, and an elven mage walk into a bar. The barman goes: “What the hell is this – a cliché?” I was recently asked by an ORC member about how I thought groups of PCs (Player Characters) should get together. To be honest, it is a lot easier than people think.…
Designing a fantasy city
Designing a fantasy city for an RPG setting is quite a challenge, even for those GMs that have been running games for years! While I’ve described much of a mediaeval-style city or settlement, the ideas here can easily be applied to any setting. Defences This is the easiest place to start for many GMs. Depending…
RPGing on a budget
With everything that’s going on at the moment, we’re all feeling the pinch financially: so here’s some suggestions to help you save some cash when it comes to RPGs: RPGing on a budget! In the suggestions below, many involve the internet: if you are using mobile broadband, you may want to check your mobile broadband…