The Heart Monitor
The Revenant Society Review
Hey, friends! We are back from Hoop & Stick Con and while we were there, Abby and I had the pleasure of being introduced to The Revenant Society. As of the writing of this blog, The Revenant Society is live on Kickstarter, has reached its initial funding goal, and has unlocked several stretch goals. . . .We were honored by the opportunity to play this game hosted by Julie Ahern, Project Manager for Van Ryder Games–publisher of The Revenant Society.
Homebrew Mythology
Like the ancient Greeks (or any other culture really) we as Game Masters and as players are engaging in a form of storytelling and of myth-weaving. We get to see our myths live, grow, change and take form. It is the closest thing to pure magic that I have ever experienced and it is what keeps me coming back to RPGs time after time. But what can we as storytellers learn from our ancient predecessors? How can we use mythology to make our stories better?
Don’t Fear the Prep
What if I told you that there is something that even Game Masters dread? A four letter word that makes them sit straight up in a cold sweat the night before their next session. Something that makes them question their very existence. What is this four letter word you might ask? Prep.
Toss a Coin to your Players. Utilizing Non-linear Storytelling.
One of the things. . .that I have been seeing a lot recently in the media is the use of non-linear storytelling. What I mean by that is that the story is told somewhat out of order using flashbacks, flashforwards, visions, and even time travel occasionally. We see this especially in the first season of The Witcher, but also in shows like The Book of Boba Fett, and Loki. I really enjoyed the non-linear storytelling in each of these shows and would love to translate them as a storytelling tool for roleplaying, but I feel it comes with some challenges which we will unpack later. So how can we make the best use of non-linear storytelling to have the greatest impact in our RPG sessions?
Not All Those Who Wander Are Lost. Using Exploration Encounters.
Today I wanted to talk a little about another important facet of roleplaying that often goes under-appreciated: exploration. . .This can come in many forms, from searching for treasure, to discovering clues, and even solving puzzles. . . Exploration encounters are the foundation for every encounter, setting the scene as the world forms around the players.
‘Tis the Season: Five Spooktacular One-Shot Systems for Halloween!
As the season begins to change, the days shorten, the leaves turn, and a chill creeps into the lengthening day. It is the time of year where the rituals of autumn begin to take place: the watching of scary movies, the telling of scary stories, and of course the running of spooky one-shots. But what to run? I scoured the internet to put together my five picks of what Horror RPGs to run for a single night of terror! Bring on the scares!
Curse of Strahd Post-Mortem
During the founding of Open Heart Games, in order to gain familiarity with Roll20 and playing online, I asked a group of friends to join me in playing this module. Why did I choose Curse of Strahd? . .Curse of Strahd is a fantastic module and one that you should consider running if you have not already done so. That being said there are a few things that I think could be improved upon. . . .
Incorporating Ceremonies and Celebrations in Your Roleplaying Games
Ceremonies and celebrations are one of the ways we mark the passage of time and the important events we experience in our lives. They can take the form of a joyous wedding, a somber funeral, or a boisterous harvest festival. These events can be enormous consequential events with a guestlist in the thousands or intimate seemingly paltry affairs occurring within a single village or even a household. As I am composing this blog, I am packing and preparing for my sister-in-law’s imminent wedding in a nearby state. Considering all of the work and preparation that goes into a wedding and the emotions and feelings tied to these events, I thought it pertinent to talk about how to introduce these keystone events into our roleplaying games and how they can serve as a fun living backdrop to the scenes that the players can interact with.
Avatar Legends. The Most Successful RPG Kickstarter in History!
I wanted to take some time today to shine a spotlight on a project that I am really excited about. . .And that project is Avatar Legends from Magpie Games! The Kickstarter has entered its second week and has broken the record for the highest grossing RPG Kickstarter of all time (on its third day!). At the writing of this article, the Kickstarter has raised over 4.5 million dollars. Incredible! But what makes this roleplaying game so special and why all of the love?
Avoiding Boring Combat
Combat should be the most interactive and the most intense of the three aspects of roleplaying. Right? Yet in many systems, especially D&D, combat can break down to a dice slog of: roll initiative, roll to hit, hit, now roll damage. . .and so it goes until the monster dies. . .hopefully. Surely we as game masters (and players as well) can do something to help inject some flavor and some fun into our combats to make them more interesting. But how?
Mistakes Were Made. . . So Now What?
No matter where you are on your journey as a storyteller, you are bound to make mistakes. So what do you do when they come up. . .I have found that when dealing with mistakes the best policy is honesty. . .the journey of the Game Master is a long one and everyone loses their footing along the way. Keep to the path and keep working towards greatness!
Getting Started in Non-D&D RPGs
Today I am going to give an overview of some great ways to get started in some other roleplaying systems and give my thoughts on some of my favorites. My list is by no means exhaustive and there are some great starter kits for roleplaying games that I have not listed here.
Becoming a GM Today. Part 3: The Toolbox
Today we’re going to talk about some of the physical resources that I have used as a new Game Master to hone my skills, develop new skills, improve my proficiency, and get a fresh perspective. In the spirt of full disclosure, I should note that many of these authors have different perspectives on Game Mastering. This is, in my opinion, the best way to learn. When learning a new skill, my approach to mastery is to consume as much material as I can on the subject to increase my knowledge and proficiency. In this post, I have put together a suggested reading list of books I currently have in my library, along with my thoughts on each.
Becoming a GM Today. Part 2: What You Can Learn From Others
In my opinion, the best way to help encourage new storytellers and Game Masters is to help provide them with a solid foundation. But the amount of resources available today is a daunting mountain of its own to climb on top of the already herculean task of learning all of the skills necessary for running a successful game; therefore, in this post, I have done the legwork for you and curated what I feel are some of the best resources.
Becoming a GM Today. Part 1: Starting with the Basics.
One of the lovely things about roleplaying’s relevancy in the recent fabric of pop culture is that there are a ton of resources available to new Game Masters nowadays that simply were not available back when I started my journey. . .So what I want to talk about in this blog series is how I would get started as a new GM if I were to start from scratch today. . .Where do we begin?
GM AMA Wrap-Up Part 2
Last week I answered some post-broadcast questions following our first GM AMA. We had so many fantastic questions both during our session and after that I felt it only fair to split the remaining questions into two blogs; thereby giving myself ample space to answer. I hope you find them helpful.
GM AMA Wrap-Up Part 1
Wow what a fantastic event! I had so much fun reconnecting with old friends and we had some great questions. . . So as promised, here are my answers to some post-broadcast questions I received as well as some questions posed in our Friends of Open Heart Games Facebook Group.
Get Ready For A Helluva Good Time! Why I❤️Baldur’s Gate: Descent into Avernus
Here we are again friends! A launch of another brand-new campaign. In just over a tenday, Open Heart Games will launch our second campaign, Baldur’s Gate: Descent into Avernus. In the same vein of our last entry, I wanted to give my initial thoughts and share with you my excitement as we begin our next journey into the world of the Forgotten Realms! This will be a spoiler-free preview, so please read on!
The Game Master’s Most Sacred Charge
I have found in my journey that the joy of being a storyteller comes not from telling a story that we enjoy ourselves, but instead to tell a story that others will enjoy. Game Masters are the selfless bards who weave their story not for their own self interest, but instead for their players. . .I consider every player’s enjoyment to be a Game Master’s most sacred charge.
Crucible: My Introduction to Worldbuilding
It can be difficult to know where to begin when worldbuilding. I recommend building your world around content that you enjoy consuming. This way it will be easier for you to find inspiration for your world. I began building Crucible (the setting for my first homebrew) by considering the kinds of stories that I enjoyed reading about. . .Once you have analyzed your own interests and found your inspiration to begin building the setting you want, it is time to begin thinking about how to make your world feel real for your players. . .