of Dice and Dragons

So here we are at role-playing encounter idea number 13, one fourth of the way there!

This week’s encounter idea is ‘The Ghost.’ This idea can spark many role-playing opportunities provided of course that you give the ghost the ability to communicate with the group beyond a simple moaning sound.

To start things off you need to determine who or what the ghost is. If you want to get the maximum impact on your players have the ghost be someone they knew; a loyal henchman, a relative or my personal favorite - a former character. By using someone the party is familiar with you can hopefully stop the two typical responses, “Let’s get out of here!” or the ever popular, “Charge!”

Once the group starts to interact with the ghost you can use the opportunity to pass along information to start a new plot line, close one up or to help a stalled one move along.

Some ideas:
- The ghost forgives one of the characters for killing them (lay the guilt on thick here)
- The ghost is bound to its location and cannot rest until a specific artifact is found and used
- The ghost is seeking revenge against those that wronged them and wishes to strike a deal with the party

Keep in mind that you don’t have to make this a one time encounter, especially if you can work the ghost into the role of a mentor similar to what Terry Brooks did in the Shannara series with the shade of Bremen and later the shade of Allanon.

Got an idea on how to use a ghost? Feel free to post it and share!

Be sure to check out these additional encounter ideas

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In my last posting (click here) I stated that one of the things you should be doing to improve your storytelling ability is to open up a book and read. While that is important and it allows you to experience others methods of description you have to also do it yourself.

Which is why my next suggestion is for you to sit down and write! That’s correct, I said you need to write. It doesn’t matter if it’s with pen and paper or with your favorite word processor you just need to spend some time doing it.

I can already hear you, “but I can’t write,” or maybe, “what on earth am I’m suppose to write?” There are many things you could do here but I’m going to suggest for your first ‘assignment’ that you describe a location.

Pick a place, it can be real or imaginary, someplace you’ve been, wished you could go to or you could take a scene out of your favorite movie. Once you’ve picked your location describe it. Take your time and we’re not interested in the grammar or spelling just the desciption. While you’re writing try not to use the same descriptive word twice as part of this exercise is to expand and stretch yourself.

For example instead of, “there’s mist among the trees,” you could write something like, “strands of mist clung to the trees wrapping them like a scarf against the morning chill.”

The first is simply tells, the second describes and hopefully is easier to picture.

Feel free to post your favorite snipets - the more we share the better we all become.

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Issue #304 of the Role-playing Tips E-zine is now online - Take Ten: Balance is now online and the issue contains:

CONTENTS:
–> A Brief Word From Johnn

–> This Week’s Tips:
1. Exploring Underground
2. Exploring Wilderness
3. Perilous Travel
4. Flatfooted
5. The Chase Is On
6. Overcoming Defenses
7. Espionage
8. Athletics
9. Weaseling
10. Cinematic Action

–> Readers’ Tips Of The Week:
1. How To End A Session
From: Paul Mercurio
2. Speed Up Combat With Pre-Rolled Initiative
From: Laura Thurston
3. Ask Players To Craft Your NPCs
From: Zitchas The Wanderer
4. Tasty Gummi Corpses
From: Laura Heilman
5. NPC Stat Block Bank
From: Liz Courts
6. OpenRPG Tips
From: Jonas
7. Rebooting Campaigns Revisited
From: Dave McKay

You can read it online here.

If you don’t already subscribe I would recommend it, you can do that here.

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This is one of those role-playing encounters that could happen anywhere. The party could encounter this individual on the road traveling somewhere or while they’re enjoying a mug of their favorite drink at their local watering hole.

In either case this is an opportunity for the GM to use some of his creative juices.

If encountered on the road:
- Have the minstrel perform, you could even come up with a line or two from the poem or song they’re performing, and then “pass the hat” for donations.
- The minstrel approaches the party and seeing that they are successful adventurers offers to compose a song or poem of their great deeds - for a price
- The minstrel asks the party for some information and as payment sings/recites something

If encounterd at an establishment:
- The minstrel enters the establishment and sets up in corner and begins performing, the owner may or may not like this and responds accordingly
- Some patrons decide they’ve had enough as the singing has been off-key and go to “help” the minstrel out. Will the party stay neutral or help one side or the other?
- A member of the party recognizes some of the places and individuals in the song being sung as they relate to the quest the party is on. This makes for a good role-playing exchange and a way to deliver information to the party.

Keep in mind that some of the above could be interchanged, mix it up and and some fun!

Got an idea to share on this? Feel free to post it!

Be sure to check out these additional encounter ideas

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I mentioned yesterday that I was going to start sharing my thoughts on the topic of improving your storytelling as a role-playing GM and the first item I want to share is you need to open a book.

Now before you go running off, I mean a reading book, not your gaming rulebooks, not the latest issue of your favorite gaming magazine or even the cheat book (you know you have them) for the latest game you’re playing on the console.

Most likely you’ve read Tolkien, probably Jordan (at least a few of the books) and maybe even Eddings, but when was the last time you cracked a fiction book? Or tried a new author? I was given one of the books in the Coldfire Triology by C. S. Friedman a few years back, an author I hadn’t read, and enjoyed it enough to buy the other two books in the series. Other series I’ve enjoyed (and I’ll admit to dating myself here) and continue to go back to are the Riftwar Saga books and the follow-ons by Raymond Feist and if you’d like something more modern with an occult slant the Adept series by Katherine Kurtz. I could go on for a while as I have a large reading library.

Why do I like these books? In each the author builds not only characters you can associate with but also settings (the backdrop) which are detailed enough so you can picture them. Both are key ingredients to becoming a better storyteller yourself.

My recommendation? Grab a reading book and spend at least 15 minutes a day reading it. While you’re enjoying the book be sure to take note of what you like about certain characters, the setting, the descriptions used and of course, items that you can pull and use in your own gaming - modified of course.

I’d would really like to know what you are reading - take a moment and post what the book is and what you like about it.

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