CHAINMAIL: 05.27.2023

twenty quick questions for your campaign setting - Jeff's Gameblog

A short blog post outlining 20 questions to ponder when designing your campaign setting. Questions such as "Who is the richest person in the land?", "Any legendary lost treasures I could be looking for?", and "What is the deal with my cleric's religion?" are fantastic at helping you fill in the blanks when creating provocative campaigns.

This video by Extra History breaks down the CNPR Method of dungeon design and applies it to the first level of Durlag's Tower from the original Baldurs Gate game. CNPR stands for Combat, Narrative, Puzzle, and Reward and all four of these aspects should be considered when designing locations within a dungeon. The video is well made, gets straight to the point, and offers up insights that every DM can learn from.

How To Write Adventure Modules That Don't Suck - Goodman Games

"The best books engage all the senses, going beyond what the reader sees through a point-of-view character's eyes. An accomplished novelist makes you "feel" the setting.

The best role playing game adventures—and adventure writers—should do the same." - The Sense of Adventure

Within the pages of this book are 25 essays written by 25 writers and game designers who have all made an impact in the TTRPG space. Every time I stumbled upon an author I didn't recognize, a quick Google search revealed they had been involved in something I loved. The essays range in topics from "The Risk vs. Reward Equation", "Player Character Death", "ATMOSFEAR", and many more. Almost all of the essays also contain a short adventure showing their advice in practice, so it is super easy to contextualize what they are teaching. Pick up this book, grab a highlighter, and find some nuggets of wisdom!

I hope these resources inspire you! See you next week.