RSS Parrot

Episode 2514: Yeah, I’m Not Paranoid After All

https://www.darthsanddroids.net/episodes/2514.html

Published: September 5, 2024 09:11

Players expect consistency in games. If you establish a rule or a piece of setting information early on, expect it to be brought up by the players repeatedly in the future. The natural corollary of this is only mention things that you're happy for your…

Episode 2513: She Who Lives by the Word, Dies by the Word

https://www.darthsanddroids.net/episodes/2513.html

Published: September 3, 2024 09:11

Real villains need dramatic exits. At least in movies, they usually get them. but a game is not a movie. You don't actually need your villains to have cinematic deaths. There's a trend in modern roleplaying for the GM to have some elaborate death scene…

Episode 2512: Educate My Mind, Explain All These Controls

https://www.darthsanddroids.net/episodes/2512.html

Published: September 1, 2024 09:11

Use terrain in combats. Really. Don't make all your fights occur on level ground or in rooms that might as well be basketball courts. Tell your players there are tables that could be jumped on, or turned over to create cover. There are pits and…

Episode 2511: Only Brought These Addresses So You Could Make Payoffs

https://www.darthsanddroids.net/episodes/2511.html

Published: August 29, 2024 09:11

Obviously superior officers in a strong-arm military force are going to be better at combat than the grunts, right? Not so fast! There are plenty of reasons why this might not be true. Maybe the officers come from an elite upper class selected for their…

Episode 2510: When She Wore a Younger ’Borg’s Clothes

https://www.darthsanddroids.net/episodes/2510.html

Published: August 27, 2024 09:11

You can digitise anything with high enough tech. Just ask Jeff Bridges. aurilee writes: Commentary by memnarch (who has not seen the movie) .... Oh for crying out loud. I should have realized that's what DJ's phrase would translate to after remembering…

Episode 2509: But Wait, There’s More!

https://www.darthsanddroids.net/episodes/2509.html

Published: August 25, 2024 09:11

Spreadsheets can actually be a useful tool for tracking things when running a game. Things like inventories, experience points, gold pieces. Just try not to get too involved with them during the game. aurilee writes: Commentary by memnarch (who has not…

Episode 2508: Throw Your Arms At Me

https://www.darthsanddroids.net/episodes/2508.html

Published: August 22, 2024 09:11

Subtlety is something that can be in short supply in a game sometimes. When mighty heroes are kicking down doors and slaying monsters to take their loot, it doesn't seem like something you need much of. But there are scenarios where subtlety can be a big…

Episode 2507: On the Gripping Hand

https://www.darthsanddroids.net/episodes/2507.html

Published: August 20, 2024 09:11

Sometimes things are just taken for granted with a character. Most people would probably assume a character is right-handed unless you explicitly say otherwise. Or that a wizard can read, or that a barbarian can't. Or that someone is human unless some…

Episode 2506: It’s Time to See What I Can Do

https://www.darthsanddroids.net/episodes/2506.html

Published: August 18, 2024 09:11

Most games don't actually have a rule that causing a specific reaction from the GM produces any in-game effect. Most games. Toon, the cartoon roleplaying game, includes a rule that any player who reduces the GM to hysterical laughter is awarded a Plot…

Episode 2505: Quantum Katar Baby

https://www.darthsanddroids.net/episodes/2505.html

Published: August 15, 2024 09:11

Rules revisions to existing games usually expand the rules. They add more stuff to cover more cases and offer more options and cool stuff. But are some cases where there could well be traction to be gained by advertising your revision as having less…