Ways to think about characterization as you cultivate a storytelling mindset for your RPGs. Part 2 of ?
Characters In Transformation
Author: Paul Beakley
I founded the Indie Game Reading Club in 2010. I've written and developed RPGs since the mid-90s, now I mostly talk about playing them.
Hard Talk
Diceology's and gaming bestie Mad Jay Brown and I did a long, tricky podcast earlier this year, sometime after our joint special guest appearance at OrcCon. Maybe it's this year, These Unprecedented Times, but we decided to drill deep on some tough topics: capitalism, evil races, safety and consent, lots of good stuff. Give it… Continue reading Hard Talk
Vignettes
We're a couple actual-play sessions into Shattered City, UFO Press’ latest Legacy-derived game, and it's delivering an interesting experience. Rather than blow-by-blow whaddaydo whaddayado play, each session is a vignette. There's a clear opening with an explicit situation, a nice little arc with miss-generated complications, and closure at the end of the session. They feel… Continue reading Vignettes
Interesting Tension
Part 1 of ? In the Cultivating A Storytelling Mindset series Last month, guest writer Paul Mitchener talked about how to use history in fruitful, productive and most importantly non-harmful ways in your roleplaying. One thing that jumped out at me from that piece is that I’m definitely more interested in exploring interesting, difficult tension… Continue reading Interesting Tension
Extra Extra: Shattered City Is A Needed Distraction
Something I’ve learned during the pandemic is that I use roleplaying as a distraction. Sure, yes, I’ve got a weird obsession with the metasocial meaning of rules structures. And I agree that gaming can be a safe way to explore emotional and interpersonal stuff. But at least during These Unprecedented Times, I need gaming to… Continue reading Extra Extra: Shattered City Is A Needed Distraction