Game Master's Journey

What is a balanced encounter in an RPG? What does "balanced" even mean? Are balanced encounters a desirable goal? If so, is it achievable? If so, how do we do it? How do we increase our chances of finishing a published campaign? What are some effects of the xp-per-encounter method of PC advancement in D&D when it comes to designing adventures or campaigns? What are the traps we will encounter, and how do we overcome them? I tackle these questions and more on this episode of Game Master's Journey.

Today I discuss my return to a beloved campaign setting--Ravenloft. I wax nostalgic about my memories of Ravenloft, and I talk about my plans for my own Curse of Strahd campaign.

One of the great things about having so many RPGs to choose from these days is that you can take things you like from one game and apply them to another. My Plot Twist mechanic is inspired by Numenera’s GM Intrusion. You can easily do a similar mechanic for any game you’re running. Even if you don’t play D&D, I hope that this show how you can implement a beloved mechanic or idea from one game in another game.

Christopher from Shark Bone Podcast joins me on the show to discuss the social contract for your tabletop RPG. We explain what a social contract is, and how you can use it to avoid problems before they start. We share a host of ideas and thoughts to help you nail down the social contract that will work for you and your own group. One of the jobs of a GM is to manage the table and the players and create an environment where everyone can be comfortable to be creative. The social contract is an excellent tool to help you do just that.

This week I discuss my philosophy when it comes to alignment in D&D. This philosophy has some mechanical effects on the game which result in consequences for my world of Primordia. Removing any mechanical effects of alignment from the game  influences certain magic items as well as the deities and the outer planes. I explain how my exploration of alignment in fifth edition really helped me to arrive at some exciting new ideas for my world, and how those ideas then helped me nail down the mechanical impacts (or lack thereof) of alignment in my D&D games.