When I create a monster, I don't follow some magical step-by-step framework that spits out an awesome monster. I have to work at it over several passes and compare it against my principles of monster design.
Discussion on how Duration can be used to challenge our players but also what Game Masters should be aware of to have better control of this aspect of the game.
There are so many more levers to pull on than just increasing the dice type or how many. If we consider the possibilities when answering the primary question of do I roll 2d4 or 1d12 or 3d6 or whatever to deal damage can be more informed and more effective.
The most often referenced principle of the GM Oath, it is an important principle that should also be handled with care.
As I continue to make homebrew and DIY content for ICRPG, how ICRPG sounds and what I can gain from it is constantly on my mind. If we can match the ICRPG voice we can more seamlessly integrate our own ideas into the game.
One of the greatest responsibilities of a GM is focusing in on the players and lifting them up to be the heroes and the stars of every session.
The energy we bring to the game is so important so let's discuss some ideas on how to promote that energy in our sessions, as well as being honest with ourselves when our energy is waning.
JD and I discuss the Grit, Adrenaline, and Madness mechanics found in the Waste is Not Kind, a post-apocalyptic toolkit for ICRPG.
#icrpg #post-apocalyptic #rpg #gamemechanics
For me, the emotional feeling of the game is as important as the mechanics. I feel that if we can consider how we want the game to feel, it can guide our choices as Dungeon Masters
My Dungeon Master Control board is one of my favorite tools to reflect in this hobby and realize all the tools that are in my control. Follow along and try it out for yourself! And if you like this kind of stuff, I'd love for you to come the Kiln Folk on Discord, as well as gain access to the Inner Sanctum by becoming a member on Ko-fi! Or just follow me on Instagram! Discord: https://discord.gg/xSnxb4Xyc8 Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/kaneskiln Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kaneskiln/
We've been talking about a lot of heady stuff in the last few workshops, which has been awesome, but it's that time of year and the Kiln needs some cleaning! So while I tidy up around the place, let's chat and answer some questions.
And if you want to support the Kiln further, you can always donate on Ko-fi! https://ko-fi.com/kaneskiln
JD and I convene to discuss how creating a world at the table is a shared experience between the Game Master and the players. It is a constant feedback loop that everyone can be involved in. #icrpg #gamemaster #worldbuilding
And don't forget to come and hang out in the Kiln by checking out YouTube, visiting my blog, or joining me on Discord
If you want to support the Kiln further, you can always donate on Ko-fi! https://ko-fi.com/kaneskiln
This week's workshop opens the fire hose as Chris | EvilArtifact dives into the deep end of world-building. His actionable insights and advice are a master class that I really think every Game Master could benefit from. Chris was also super kind to share his notes with me after the workshop, so check them out! #world-building #icrpg #game-prep
And don't forget to come and hang out in the Kiln by checking out YouTube, visiting my blog, or joining me on Discord
If you want to support the Kiln further, you can always donate on Ko-fi! https://ko-fi.com/kaneskiln
Factions. Factions. Factions. A golden word in the hobby at times, but what does it even mean and how do they work? I enjoy it when factions or groups are included in my games as both a player or GM, but sometimes the whole purpose of them gets lost in the amount of prep if feels like you need to make them useful. Well, I gathered the Kiln Folk and we chatted about it, so come listen to what we came up with!
And check out the Kane's Kiln blog for a small overview of the workshop itself: https://www.kaneskiln.com/faction-fever-workshop-balancing-faction-prep-and-play/
The study of The Oath continues! Building off the torrent of creativity and play that we go through as GMs, it’s important to dedicate time and energy to our memory. The power to recall and reference all the juicy details, lessons, and ideas we pick up throughout the week or even in the middle of the session.
I won’t spoil the whole workshop but I did want to jot down some of the principles I referenced throughout the discussion. Most of them were picked up from a book called 4-Hour Chef by Timothy Ferriss. It’s practically a textbook, but I have enjoyed the principles presented, even though the tone of the whole book comes off a little brazen.
Now I know that acronyms won’t work for everyone. Memorizing, bullets, long-form notes, whatever. They all have a place and a person that resonates with them. So find what works for you and lean into it. Try things out and put effort into your own memory. I know that it will benefit your game. But what do you think? How do you remember everything you need for your games?
The Oath. A classic piece of writing in ICRPG that comes up frequently in the public spaces of Index Card RPG. But even though there are nine principles, only a few get the attention they deserve. So I thought I’d set out in studying and discussing each principle. Hankerin discussed the whole Oath in an RPG Mainframe episode, but I wanted to focus on what my experience has been and how I’ve seen each principle in action in the community.
The first principle is “Let the Torrent Flow”. This very first principle brings the focus of creativity into the GM’s court of responsibility. The life of a dungeon master is one of new and developing ideas, so learning how to optimize our creativity is crucial. I have been greatly influenced by a discussion John Cleese presented over the years. I’d highly recommend anyone to tune into that for more clarity.
But of all the principles and methods available, when it comes to creativity, I really think “learning to play” is the key.
This is a hobby. This is playtime. But so often, we forget that. We forget to free ourselves of the expectations, limits, structures, and pressures that push us to do things correctly or to avoid mistakes. Why? Why can’t we just sit down and play with ideas? Build a monster that may or may not work, but have fun with it. Plan a dungeon that makes sense so but gets you excited about running it for your friends. We’re just playing!
Our child’s-mind craves playtime. It’s where some of the best and most creative ideas can be found. Letting the Torrent Flow is about giving ourselves permission to play with the constant flow of ideas and imaginings that are already racing around in our heads. But what do you think? How have you taken up the first principle of the GM’s Oath in your own gaming?
Torn has a wonderful perspective on both sides of the world-building coin. On one side, you have Game Masters who only prep what they need for the session they are running and that’s where it stops. On the other side, you have Game Masters who prepare elaborate worlds and details for their game world, that may never see time at the table. All for the sake of creating that world. Torn does a bit of both.
As someone who is very game-centric, and having been burned out by world-building at such a scale early in my RPG career, it was a great opportunity to learn from Torn and glimpse into that world, so to speak.
As we talked, I can’t say that either method is right or wrong, or better than the other. They are simply a preference and a style that offers different things. There’s a certain pleasure in having details surrounding something you create. Like imagining a villain but also understanding who their lackeys are, what motifs they highlight, and how they fit into the world. It eliminates the uncomfortableness of sitting in the unknown that some people do enjoy or are okay with (like myself).
Wherever you sit on the spectrum, I think world-building is part of being a Game Master and it’s more important to figure out how you personally like to go about it than to worry about how everyone else is doing it. World-building is a very personal part of the hobby. But what do you think?
A few months ago I ran the Rig Riot game, which was an absolute blast. But afterward, one of the players had a few questions about how I ran the game and it really got me thinking. Here is his question:
"Given the outcome of the game, I get the feeling that there wasn’t really an option for player freedom to move away from the set pieces. This created a sense of purpose and urgency which kept the game moving forward within the confines you had expected (I assume). How do you go about this without it seeming too heavy handed? – which it totally did not btw! "—monomakes
That was an excellent question and as we chatted, I gave some of my ideas on how I would go about directing a game, but as I kept chewing on it, I realized that there was a lot more to it.
Directing a concise, solid game requires understanding what the GM is responsible for and what the players are responsible for. That way, when we all agree to sit down and play we can focus on what’s in our control and let the other side take care of their stuff. Then it all comes together into a really tight experience. Especially if you have a time constraint.
The GM and the Players are responsible for several things, but to me, the key takeaway was how a GM handles the transitions from scene to scene or from session to session. Those transitions are so crucial to make sure the entire table is heading in the same direction. But what do you think? I’d love to hear your thoughts after listening to the workshop as well as anything you’d add to the questions posed during the conversation.
So as EpicSloth (JD) has worked on The Waste is Not Kind, the subject of “tone” has come up a lot. How do you use the mechanics of the game to highlight a particular feeling that a GM or player might be after? Well, I can say that EpicSloth was able to achieve that with the Waste and why his insight into the subject prompted this conversation.
As EpicSloth and I discuss the questions presented below, it really highlights how being in tune with our guts and our feelings as we play is so important. There isn’t one answer to how to achieve tone. You have to feel it out. Find what resonates and what sows dissonance into the game. As we play, those things become more apparent and then we’re not designing in the dark anymore.
Plus, once you’ve got a good grasp of the tone you’re after, it becomes easier to share those ideas with other players and help them get on board too. When the GM, the players, and the mechanics of the game are in sync, great games are so much easier to come by. But what do you think?
The idea behind this episode was something that I have recently noticed about myself. I’ve found that when the subject of math, statistics, probability, or anything of that nature came up at the table, it kind of made me sad. My energy would dip and I just lost some enthusiasm for the game I was currently playing. But I wanted to address that.
I know that math and the statistics of what we’re doing are a part of people’s game and there are people out there who enjoy it. And they don’t deserve a lack of energy at my table because that’s just a different kind of fun than what I’d aim for.
So I brought in Chris to help me understand the math under the hood. Why is it important to consider math and how can math improve my skills as a GM? And overall, I think Chris presents a very clear case of why math is a critical tool for GMs and it’s something we should at least be considering if we’d still rather not pull out the calculator.
