Silly me; for some inscrutable reason, I had been under the belief that I had supplied the required materials to implement the strategies presented in my most recent post. To rectify this lingering oversight, I shall provide here, in this briefest of entries:
grognard.booru.org - A strange name given to an ever-expanding library of images one may browse in search of a proper character portrait
ugo.com/games/superhero-generator-heromachine-2-5 - A semi-serious, gimmicky (but a lot of fun) character generator that offers a surprising amount of customization and genre compatibility
wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/mwa/archiveall - WOTC's own archive of D&D-related maps/dungeon tile sets, though they can obviously be repurposed for other needs
darkleagues.com/fantasymapping/index.html - This site hosts a collection of freelance cartographers, who offer a selection of free samples along with their commission rates
cartographersguild.com - These guys take their map-making seriously; the perfect place for catering to a specific need, or for starting some custom map work of your own
Visual Aids
For many groups, the difference between the quality of various games often comes down to the subtle considerations they make when preparing for a session. While such creative thinking can range from adding ambiance-enhancing music to performing accents for each NPC encountered, I'd like to focus this entry on the effects which aid one's visualization of the game. Be it an artificially aged map provided by the quest-giver or a tasteful character portrait representative of a player character, several elements can be added to transform a period of dice-rolling into a vibrant, immersive experience:
-Props
A particularly effective, yet seldom utilized tool of the artistic host. A measure of skill with arts and crafts, paired with a bit of imagination (or an extremely obscure reference), can turn that 'rusted bronze key' or '+1 dagger' into a tangible item. The most prominent advantage of this creation is an improvement of the overall acting/role-playing capacity of your players. Certain participants may have difficulty getting into character through imagination alone, but give them a representation of key items, and suddenly you have a troupe of thespians eager to re-enact your scenarios.
-Portraits
A small picture, figurine, or other minor visual representation of an NPC can help flesh out these notoriously two-dimensional elements. Though, it's rarely necessary to go overboard and create an avatar for every servant, peasant, or shopkeeper introduced, a little effort can certainly go a long way when interacting with a particularly memorable or recurring character.
-Maps
The most basic of visual aid, the playing surface/grid/map gives players a convenient and straightforward referral to their character's spatial orientation in respect to their current environment. Its beauty lies in its simplicity and functionality, though rendering a constantly-changing landscape can quickly become a chore, which spurs certain hosts to eschew this tool completely. Such individuals often have a knack for descriptive narration and/or follow a rules-light system, thus enabling such a free-form method of representation. A word of caution must be applied, however; while there's nothing inherently wrong with this approach, it does make player cheating somewhat easier to accomplish.
Hopefully, these suggestions have inspired any hosts out there to take an extra creative step towards productivity and provide an extra layer of immersion.
Edit: Though the majority of this post was directed towards those hosting a game, there's no reason why a player can't take the first step and create their own props, portraits, or maps. In fact, such individuals have an extra degree of immersion at their disposal, by way of donning an outfit or costume representative of their chosen character. Sure, it's something of a social awkwardness and general bother, but it doesn't need to be overly elaborate. An element as simple as a unique accessory (hat, smoking pipe, etc.) or a mock weapon can enhance your own acting and by extension, the overall level of immersion. In the very least, your host is sure to appreciate and make note of the effort, as surely as you appreciate theirs.
-Props
A particularly effective, yet seldom utilized tool of the artistic host. A measure of skill with arts and crafts, paired with a bit of imagination (or an extremely obscure reference), can turn that 'rusted bronze key' or '+1 dagger' into a tangible item. The most prominent advantage of this creation is an improvement of the overall acting/role-playing capacity of your players. Certain participants may have difficulty getting into character through imagination alone, but give them a representation of key items, and suddenly you have a troupe of thespians eager to re-enact your scenarios.
-Portraits
A small picture, figurine, or other minor visual representation of an NPC can help flesh out these notoriously two-dimensional elements. Though, it's rarely necessary to go overboard and create an avatar for every servant, peasant, or shopkeeper introduced, a little effort can certainly go a long way when interacting with a particularly memorable or recurring character.
-Maps
The most basic of visual aid, the playing surface/grid/map gives players a convenient and straightforward referral to their character's spatial orientation in respect to their current environment. Its beauty lies in its simplicity and functionality, though rendering a constantly-changing landscape can quickly become a chore, which spurs certain hosts to eschew this tool completely. Such individuals often have a knack for descriptive narration and/or follow a rules-light system, thus enabling such a free-form method of representation. A word of caution must be applied, however; while there's nothing inherently wrong with this approach, it does make player cheating somewhat easier to accomplish.
Hopefully, these suggestions have inspired any hosts out there to take an extra creative step towards productivity and provide an extra layer of immersion.
Edit: Though the majority of this post was directed towards those hosting a game, there's no reason why a player can't take the first step and create their own props, portraits, or maps. In fact, such individuals have an extra degree of immersion at their disposal, by way of donning an outfit or costume representative of their chosen character. Sure, it's something of a social awkwardness and general bother, but it doesn't need to be overly elaborate. An element as simple as a unique accessory (hat, smoking pipe, etc.) or a mock weapon can enhance your own acting and by extension, the overall level of immersion. In the very least, your host is sure to appreciate and make note of the effort, as surely as you appreciate theirs.
Creation of a Space Marine: Part 2
I must apologize for going off on a semi-philosophical tangent during my last post. Though there's nothing inherently improper with discussing such thought-provoking material, it simply isn't the objective of this blog, as evidenced by its title. So, in the interest of offsetting the recent solemn discussion of humanity while remaining on-topic, I'd like to ask my viewers to participate in a light-hearted, casual discussion of hypothetical proportions.
Given the opportunity for guaranteed successful integration, which single organ, of those presented on the list, would you chose to keep as your own, and why?
Please, feel free to warrant said decision with any particularly creative uses of your newly-acquired organ.
Edit: This post seemed a bit meager on its own, so I've linked a very 'meh' (but free) dice generator:
http://www.penpaperpixel.org/tools/d20dicebag.htm
Enjoy
Given the opportunity for guaranteed successful integration, which single organ, of those presented on the list, would you chose to keep as your own, and why?
Please, feel free to warrant said decision with any particularly creative uses of your newly-acquired organ.
Edit: This post seemed a bit meager on its own, so I've linked a very 'meh' (but free) dice generator:
http://www.penpaperpixel.org/tools/d20dicebag.htm
Enjoy
Creation of a Space Marine
http://wh40k.lexicanum.com/wiki/Creation_of_a_Space_Marine
I had been wading through the mess that is the 'Warhammer 40,000' canon, when I stumbled upon a most interesting article. Said page appeared to detail, to a very educated degree, the various modifications inflicted upon a human being during the creation of a Space Marine.
Being an adamant player of this particular army (former-Ultramarine-turned-Grey Knight, in case you were wondering), I approached the article with a healthy amount of skepticism. Surely, with a franchise so plentiful in contradictory fluff and shifting details, there would an oversight within this layout of information.
Much to my gradual amazement, the material in front of me appeared to not only consist of solid details, but it also lacked needless ornamentation, making it accessible to those newly-inducted into the ways of the grim millennium. The list, though brief, would serve well to inform those thirsting for a more complete understanding of this popular army/race.
However, this collection of impressive biological modifications also happened to present a rather puzzling question in itself.
With a single entity possessing this extent of biological engineering, how does one calculate its measure of humanity? Should such a being even be allowed to keep the classification of 'human', given its nigh-supernatural abilities?
...Perhaps I'll look into Orks, instead. They seem to be philosophically straightforward.
I had been wading through the mess that is the 'Warhammer 40,000' canon, when I stumbled upon a most interesting article. Said page appeared to detail, to a very educated degree, the various modifications inflicted upon a human being during the creation of a Space Marine.
Being an adamant player of this particular army (former-Ultramarine-turned-Grey Knight, in case you were wondering), I approached the article with a healthy amount of skepticism. Surely, with a franchise so plentiful in contradictory fluff and shifting details, there would an oversight within this layout of information.
Much to my gradual amazement, the material in front of me appeared to not only consist of solid details, but it also lacked needless ornamentation, making it accessible to those newly-inducted into the ways of the grim millennium. The list, though brief, would serve well to inform those thirsting for a more complete understanding of this popular army/race.
However, this collection of impressive biological modifications also happened to present a rather puzzling question in itself.
With a single entity possessing this extent of biological engineering, how does one calculate its measure of humanity? Should such a being even be allowed to keep the classification of 'human', given its nigh-supernatural abilities?
...Perhaps I'll look into Orks, instead. They seem to be philosophically straightforward.
Initiative Tracker
This post, though meager in content, offers a tool that's recently become of great use during my recent sessions. The titular web-based gadget is extremely base, but effective; allowing for a simple, easy-to-use (and best of all, free) record of player stamina and/or turn order.
Customization is rather limited, but it vastly reduces the amount of paperwork and note shuffling during play time (in my case, anyhow), especially when one possesses the freedom to record miscellaneous notes in the rightmost section.
As a free, simplistic, and practical RPG utility, it's invaluable for any host looking to streamline their game:
http://initiativetracker.com/
Customization is rather limited, but it vastly reduces the amount of paperwork and note shuffling during play time (in my case, anyhow), especially when one possesses the freedom to record miscellaneous notes in the rightmost section.
As a free, simplistic, and practical RPG utility, it's invaluable for any host looking to streamline their game:
http://initiativetracker.com/
Mazes
In observance of my recent affinity for mazes, I thought it appropriate to provide a rough set of guidelines for the successful implementation of these puzzles.
1. Presentation
-Puzzles, particularly environmental ones, can be difficult to present to your players without spoiling the entire challenge. Whether you illustrate it through narration or with a series of pre-rendered drawings, a little preparation can go a long way.
2. Time
-The amount of time required to resolve the challenge can be difficult to ascertain, especially if provided for an unfamiliar group. A collection of pre-game test runs can assist in a reasonable estimation of time (when in doubt, round up).
3. Suitability
-Certain settings, such as a modern or realistic campaign, generally don't lend themselves to large, imposing labyrinths the PC's must run through in person. In these cases, some creative thinking is required to assure compatibility. Possibilities for conversion can range from simulating the process of hacking an electronic device (maze mini-game), to recreating a particularly complex ventilation system (infiltration challenge).
4. PC Commitment
-While it's obviously ill-advised to implement a puzzle section for a combat-oriented group, it's equally important to gauge your players' interest during the event itself. If the event drags out for too long or turns out to be excessively difficult, a measure of subtle alteration to the design may be necessary to preserve PC satisfaction. Remember, the players, above all, come first.
1. Presentation
-Puzzles, particularly environmental ones, can be difficult to present to your players without spoiling the entire challenge. Whether you illustrate it through narration or with a series of pre-rendered drawings, a little preparation can go a long way.
2. Time
-The amount of time required to resolve the challenge can be difficult to ascertain, especially if provided for an unfamiliar group. A collection of pre-game test runs can assist in a reasonable estimation of time (when in doubt, round up).
3. Suitability
-Certain settings, such as a modern or realistic campaign, generally don't lend themselves to large, imposing labyrinths the PC's must run through in person. In these cases, some creative thinking is required to assure compatibility. Possibilities for conversion can range from simulating the process of hacking an electronic device (maze mini-game), to recreating a particularly complex ventilation system (infiltration challenge).
4. PC Commitment
-While it's obviously ill-advised to implement a puzzle section for a combat-oriented group, it's equally important to gauge your players' interest during the event itself. If the event drags out for too long or turns out to be excessively difficult, a measure of subtle alteration to the design may be necessary to preserve PC satisfaction. Remember, the players, above all, come first.
Maze #2
Admittedly, I'm not much of a writer. Though I can hold my own with a decently constructed and well thought-out post, I feel much more comfortable (and enabled in my profound laziness), posting content that others are free to incorporate within their own scenarios.
So, without further ado, here's another maze. May it endlessly madden your players.
So, without further ado, here's another maze. May it endlessly madden your players.
