CHAINMAIL: 03.31.2024
Including - Familiarity and Contempt, Prep More Content Without Robbing Player Agency | RPG Mainframe, and How to Set Up and Use Faction Turns.
Familiarity and Contempt - Against the Wicked City
Trolls, orcs, dragons...They feel played out, right? I mean, we love them. They are integral to fantasy, but our gut says that we need to spice them up somehow to make them original for our game. This blog post says otherwise. The idea here is that instead, emphasizing the aspects of these creatures that made them so memorable in the first place can reinvigorate that sense of danger and epicness.
Prep More Content Without Robbing Player Agency | RPG Mainframe - Runehammer
Another episode the RPG Mainframe, by Runehammer. This time, it's about player agency. Runehammer touches on this, but agency really is what separates our medium from other story-based mediums. Even in a video game, you don't get to truly change the outcome of the game to something unexpected. In TTRPGs, the players and GM together get the opportunity to create something entirely unique and special to their game, and that's what is so special about this hobby.
How to Set Up and Use Faction Turns - AMONG CATS AND BOOKS
I really love the idea of faction play in my games, but have struggled to find a system that resonates with me. I stumbled upon this one recently and like where it is headed. It provides a framework to break down faction goals into bite sized chunks that then get explored between sessions at the table. The actions performed by factions should then be experienced and felt by the players, creating a more dynamic world.
I hope these resources inspire you! If you haven't already, the best way to stay up to date with everything hothead related is to join the discord. See you next week!