So, you've got a great concept for your game. You've gotten started in your campaign and everything is going well, but one thing is driving you crazy: how to create an encounter for your players. A lot of people struggle with this. Either the encounter is too easy and players blow through it or you've over done it and everyone is dying. Balance is really difficult to find. So, I'm going to give you some suggestions to help you keep conflicts both exciting and balanced.      Before you get down to stats and numbers, make sure that your encounter has meaning and it pushes the story forward. There is a common urge to make sure there are enemies to fight every time you play, and this leads to a cold mathematical match. Battle is much more satisfying when it serves a purpose and affects the story. If you approach creating an encounter with the idea that it's meaningful, you'll be less likely to throw cannon folder.      When you plan your encounter, the most impo

     Every story needs a villain, even if that character doesn't know they're the villain. In TTRPGs it's nice to have a clear adversary, someone to battle with on different levels, or maybe a secret identity that you work to reveal. Some villains are just the toughest challenge around, but other villains make a lasting impression on us. Everyone knows The Joker or Darth Vader. These are characters with a presence and story that are memorable. Not every villain needs to be blockbuster worthy, but they should always be more than the toughest fight at the end of a quest.      Let's take a look at what makes a quality villain and how you can create yours. First, we should ask ourselves what villain left a lasting impression on us and why. I like Spiderman villains, because most of them were good at one point. Something drove them over the edge AND gave them the power to take their rage out on society. Maybe you want a pure evil like Sauron. There is something about a chara

 When I was young, I saw enemies as obstacles to put in front of players. If the players wanted to get to a goal, you pull a few goblins out of your pocket and throw them on the board. Eventually they reach the boss and I saw him as a thing to slay. If you're wondering what's wrong with this description, I invite you to imagine enemies in a new way for all TTRPGs.  As I gained more experience as a GM, I realized then when the enemies acted as more than pawns, or when twists were added to their behavior, everyone had a lot more fun. This led me to rethink the way I was using enemies in my games and how I should play the enemies. Just as in reading or writing fantasy, you want the villain to be just as complex as anyone else. It's more engaging when you can relate with them in some way. GMing really isn't any different.  Both big villains and henchmen are living creatures that have lives. So, as a GM I try to play them that way. It can make a big difference in the quality

I think one thing all game masters fear is being unprepared and trying to fly by the seat of their pants. Unfortunately, many of us still find ourselves in this position. Sometimes you don't have the time and then planning takes cramming. That's hard.  Good thing you can prevent some of this stress by collecting the right materials and resources. We usually have the overall direction of game in our head because we can't stop thinking of our game. It's the details that are difficult to keep up with and fill in. This is why keeping a number of charts and supplements nearby for quick thinking. Here's a list:  1. An organized list of NPC names or a random generator up on your screen. If you make your own list, separate them by species, race, gender, culture. Make sure you can quickly point to something you need.  I wrote a separate post about how to  quickly create a well-rounded NPC . In that post, I suggest making tables for each category to create an NPC. If you put

One reason some people are nervous about stepping into the position of Game Master is that the idea of leading a group of people can be daunting. This may not be a problem if you play with close friends, but many people have to seek out fellow players in the public. In the years before covid, I linked up with my local library and advertised a public D&D game every two weeks. Or maybe the game shop is the only place you can find people and you're looking at running a game with relative strangers. Whatever the situation, this post is all about helping you lead people. Leadership skills can be very important to any game master and in any group.  I've picked 5 categories that will help you become a better leader and talk about how these relate specifically to running a TTRPG. So, let's dive right in!  1. Expectations Whether you realize it or not, you have expectations for how you want your game to play out and how people will behave. A leader will be conscious of their exp

 Maybe you've been playing TTRPGs for a while now, you're comfortable planning the adventures and running the game, but you feel like something is missing. Maybe you feel like your vision of the adventure isn't coming through to your players. Maybe you notice your players ask a lot of clarifying questions. Maybe you've been watching some great streamers and want your game to be as engaging.  Well, this post is all about how to make your game more immersive for players. An immersive game is one that brings maximum engagement and makes your players feel like they are truly living the adventure. If you're wondering whether your game is an immersive game, you can ask yourself a few questions. 1. How clearly could your players describe your current scene back to you? If you feel like they would return little detail than they are probably not feeling like they're in that location.  2. Would your players describe NPC's personality or demeanor more based on their ow

 One-shots can be a great idea. If you're an adult like me and all your friends have crazy schedules, a one-shot game can seem like your only chance to play at all. Sometimes you want to step out of "normal" fantasy and play weird or creative idea you had. Maybe you're introducing a new friend to RPGs and you want to give them a practice game. Whatever the reason, there is one common problem with writing one-shots. A lot of people are unsure of how to make them feel complete, and not like a single quest with a story you'll never come back to. So, let's look at some methods we can use to make your one-shot feel complete and satisfying.  1. Think of your one-shot as an event rather than a large story. In my experience, most people play one session for around 4 hours and rarely ever more than 6. That is a long time, but remember that battle seriously slows down plot progression and unpredicted choices can easily lead to a story getting off track. If you're on

 You've decided to run a new TTRPG game for your friends, and you want to get them engaged with a great plot hook from the start. Whether you're new to running the game or you have some experience, plot hooks are something a lot of people struggle with. You can search online for long lists of hooks on various websites, and sometimes that's all you need, but now you want to write them on your own. Maybe you want it to be original or maybe you have some unique conditions to your game that don't fit with other prompts.  The path to writing a great hook doesn't change depending on what TTRPG you're playing, what the conditions of your world are, or what type of players you have. A great hook is about making a connection with the characters and not using a specific event that may or may not fit in your world. In the very beginning we all learn the most basic hook of all and that is to drop word of someone needing help, which is an obvious sign that says, "start

 The time has come. You are finally in control of the entire Universe, and it is subject to the wealth of stories and characters that you dream of creating. You want your players to bask in the coolness that is your imagination. After all, you've been told that being a good writer is a great quality in a game master.  That's all great, but you've also read a lot of posts online about not forcing your players into doing what you want them to do. You've heard how unpleasant it can be for players to lose options and freedom in the game. So, you ask yourself how can you run the game and still tell your story?   Storytelling or fiction writing are great skills to bring to being a game master, but now you have to learn how to leave the hinge points open. The hinge points are positions in your narrative when players must make moderate to crucial choices that determine what direction the plot takes. Some of these can be up to chance as well if the dice roll can decide player

  So, you have a game coming up soon and you need to come up with a few NPCs to fill your world. You don't want to spend too much time on each one, but you don't want to wing it all the time either. You need a quick way to develop a few NPCs that may or may not become important. Well, here is a guide on how to whip them up quick and still feel prepared.  There are a few categories you need to fill in to have a well-rounded NPC, and you have something in each category then your NPC will be ready for basic encounters.  The first is demographics - Race, age, social class, appearance etc. Some people envision these very easily and others get stuck in indecision. Here's a tip: keep a list the races, genders, social classes, and jobs that fit into your world. Include any other basic factors that apply to your world and number them so you can roll a die to decide. You can refer to these lists whenever you want a new NPC.  Your second feature to address is attitude. This is because

 My goal here is to provide you with components to enhance your gaming experience at home. Whether you're brand new to RPGs or you want to step up your game, I'm here to help. I'll be handing out advice and opinions from my many years of experience to improve your GM skills. I also write TTRPG supplements that I will post here. You can find my supplements on my Ko-Fi page at the link below. Check out that page for new products and occasional free content! This is just the beginning and I aim to grow this blog into an interactive community for gamers. If you have any questions or requests, you can contact me on my social media:  Twitter: @Flayer85 Tumblr: Dungeon Doctor  Ko-Fi: PlayerFlayer85