of Dice and Dragons

The latest issue of Role-playing Tips is now online - Player Survey Tips.

This issue includes a number of good tips for using and creating player surveys. There are a lot of good tips including ones about keeping it short, making it fun and even some words of caution.

The Reader Tips include a number of suggestions about using virtual gaming systems.

Enjoy!

Contents:
–> A Brief Word From Johnn

–> This Week’s Tips:
1. Make It Fun
2. Make It In-Character
3. Be Clear About What You Want To Learn
4. A Discussion Is Often Better
5. Keep It Short
6. Only Request Votes For What’s Up For Grabs
7. Take Your Own Survey
8. Use The Results
9. Surveys You Can Use
10. Campaign Survey
11. Award EXPs
12. Surveys - A Word Of Caution
13. Additional Survey Tips

–> Readers’ Tips Of The Week:
1. Virtual Tabletop Software Tips
From: Nicole
2. More Virtual Tabletop Tips
From: Tom Thiessen
3. Virtual Tabletop Software
From: Tim McNeil

–> Links Of The Week
1. Forgotten Realms Map
2. Inspirational Art Site
From: Viriatha
3. RPG List Software
From: Randy Williams

You can read it online here.

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

May your dice roll well.

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The latest issue of Role-playing Tips is now online - Idea Seeds: A Campaign Design Method.

This issue includes a guest article from Mike Bourke and is about another method of developing your campaign - it’s good and includes examples at each step of the process.

There’s also a reader tip on setting up encounters - something I think everyone can benefit from.

Contents:
–> A Brief Word From Johnn

–> This Week’s Tips:
Phase 1 - The Idea Seeds Sprout
Phase 2 - The Saplings Grow
Phase 3 - The Canopy
Phase 4 - Pruning
Phase 5 - Seeing The Forest Instead Of The Trees
Phase 6 - Run Through The Jungle

1. Application Of Technique: Off-The-Cuff Campaigns
2. Extending The Technique - Towns & Other
Communities
3. Extending The Technique - NPCs
4. Extending The Technique - Rewards

–> Readers’ Tips Of The Week:
1. Rumors Tips
From: Yonni Mendes
2. Encounter Prep
From: John Eikenberry

–> Links Of The Week
1. Book Collector
2. Dragon’s Whisper
3. Another Free Tile Program

You can read it online here.

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

May your dice roll well.

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The latest issue of Role-playing Tips is now online - 10 Monstrous Tips.

This week’s issue continues the ongoing theme of monsters. In this case Johnn gives us some great ideas including reminding us that not every encounter needs to be at the end of a sword or gun.

Contents:
–> A Brief Word From Johnn

–> This Week’s Tips:
1. If The Monster Is Smart, Treat It As Such
2. Excitement, Involvement, Emotion
3. Not Always The Ambush Or The Charge
4. …And Not Always A Combat Encounter
5. Us vs. Them and Them vs. Us
6. Use Your Surroundings
7. Save The Best For Last
8. Upbringing Is Important
9. He Who Runs Away
10. Plants Can Be Dangerous Too!

–> Readers’ Tips Of The Week:
1. Is Magic Overused?
From: Jason Brisbane
2. Hand-Crafted GM Screen And Minis
From: John Blair via the GMMastery List
3. Handling Rules Lawyers

–> Links Of The Week: Modern Resource Links

You can read it online here.

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

May your dice roll well.

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No, this isn’t a post about the latest hand-held game system, it’s about the new category of posts that I will be adding to the blog.

One of the things that my current gaming group is going to be doing is alternating locations - something we’ve done very rarely in the past but now will be done on a regular basis.

While on the surface this may not seem like such a big issue (and in cosmic scheme of things it probably isn’t) it does force me to look at the way I game and what I truly need to have with me. What books, materials, and tools? The best way to pack them up? Ways to work around the inevitable “oops, I forgot that,” and I’m sure there will be a host of other items that come up along the way.

So as I forge ahead with this new chapter in my gaming life I’m setting a couple of ground rules.

1. Carrying cases - I have to be able to handle it on my own and they have to be child-resistant. As a father of three kids trust me, there’s no such thing as child-proof.
2. Software & computer files - have to be portable and preferably free.

I’m looking forward to figuring out the best way to do this but please keep in mind that while whatever I post here may or may not work for me - it might or might not work for you. I’m looking forward to hearing from all of you with your ideas and thoughts.

Remember, sharing it a good thing.

May your dice roll well.

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