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rooted in blogs, linked in a ringThe Novel Game Master
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On the ring since 2026-03-27
Latest activity 6w ago
24 posts
Earlier
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After some recent conversations with friends about various D&D editions, I thought it would be useful to compile a brief summary of different editions of the game. You could...
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A recent comment by Nick LS Whelan in our local GM hangout about the value of soft skills for GMs as well as a recent blog post on The Play Reports about how game design needs...
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Factions that pursue their own agendas regardless of the PCs are a great tool to bring your RPG setting to life, and can help the world feel dynamic, both reactive to the PCs...Linked by the ring
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One of the most essential tools I employ when game mastering, both in prep and play, is what I call a narrative framework. This is my term for it - others may use different...
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The Time Tuner is a magical location that could appear in a magical dungeon, a wizard's tower, or a strange lab. It could prove to be a puzzling trap for curious adventurers,...Linked by the ring
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Recently, in my homebrew Worlds Without Number sandbox campaign, the party was camping outside of a corrupted keep they've been exploring the last few sessions. The camp was...
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I'm excited to participate in City '26. This is the 2026 TTRPG/worldbuilding project, inspired by prior years' projects like Dungeon 23. This one was kicked off by Garblag...
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I've run nine different RPG systems in the last year and change (and read twice that many games). A couple of these were one-shots, but most were adventures or campaigns. The...Linked by the ring
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NOTE: This post contains minor spoilers for Act 1 of the Delta Green campaign Impossible Landscapes. If you're going to be a player in this campaign, you may want to skip this...
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There was screaming coming from below. Down a short flight of steps was a stone archway opening into some kind of gallery. All Dariel could see were figures moving and a...
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Hole in the Wall is a weird, magical tavern filled with the potential for opportunity, tragedy, and fun that you can drop into any fantasy RPG. It's a location particularly...
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You've got 50 tons of steel wrapped around you, two mechs on the ridge charging up their PPCs, your heat levels are reaching critical levels, you're low on SRM ammo, and the...Linked by the ring
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We recently completed a short campaign of Mothership - Another Bug Hunt - the published adventure module that comes with the Mothership box set. It was my first time running...
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I've been thinking a lot about trying to run D&D 5e in a more old-school style, where encounter balance is tossed out the window, healing is reduced, and the game is just a lot...
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As I explore how we create narratives in TTRPGs, I became interested in the narrative sandbox approach, which I've written about previously. Sandbox style games are an...
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Note: This post contains spoilers for the Mothership scenario Another Bug Hunt. I love running mystery and investigation scenarios. Designed well, they allow players to engage...Linked by the ring
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I like to imagine that I'm a really good GM. In reality, I'm an average GM who has problems just like everyone else. Later, I like to think back and try to understand what...Linked by the ring
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It's elements day in the deep dark dungeon of blogging, so I present you with my own offering - random traits for your elemental PCs - whether running a genasi in D&D 5e or...
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A "culture of play" is an expression of the way a game is played at the table. It's a term to describe the norms, expectations, and standards of a group of players. The reason...
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As a relative newbie in the TTRPG blogosphere (is that still a word?), I am discovering dozens and dozens of blogs and trying fruitlessly to catch up on hundreds of blog posts....Linked by the ring
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Note: An earlier edit of this article previously appeared on my author website, www.shannonrampe.com. Each GM has their own distinctive approach to planning and running...
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Mothership is an awesome sci-fi/horror TTRPG echoing films like Alien, Event Horizon, and The Thing. The rules are fast and easy-to-learn, the presentation is beautiful, and...
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One of the things I love most about the Dragon of Icespire Peak D&D Campaign is that there's no pre-baked plot for you to follow. When I first read it, I found that...
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Welcome to The Novel Game Master. I'm a sci-fi and fantasy author who happens to love running and playing in tabletop role-playing games (TTRPGs). As an author, I spend a lot...