Jade | November 3, 2009
Since I’ve only received one entry for this contest, I’ve decided to extend the contest through the end of November. So, if you haven’t been wanting to enter but haven’t had the chance to get to it, you’ve still got time. I’ll post the winner in early December.
Just for reference, here’s a link to the [...]
Category: Contest, Meadowbrook |
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Tags: Contest, Meadowbrook, NPCs
Jade | October 19, 2009
We’ve all seen a lot written about women in roleplaying games. We’ve read about the kinds of games women prefer (roleplaying vs. combat-heavy). We’ve read about how the “boys-club mentality” tends to discourage women from the gaming table. About how the depiction of women in rpg game books can turn female players off…
This isn’t one [...]
Category: Building characters |
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Tags: gender, NPCs, women
Jade | September 30, 2009
Back in June, I created a town called “Meadowbrook”. This month, I’m sponsoring a contest based on that town. All you have to do is create a NPC — an inhabitant of Meadowbrook — using the information given in this blog. The characters I like best will become part of the “official” Meadowbrook setting. In [...]
Category: Contest, Meadowbrook |
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Tags: Contest, Meadowbrook, NPCs
Jade | September 23, 2009
You’ve got your NPCs classified. You’ve separated the extras and walk-ons from the bit players and major characters. But how exactly do you go about creating those unique characters? Here’s a step-by-step guide to help you create NPCs your players will remember, no matter what game system you use.
Define your NPC’s purpose. Why is he [...]
Category: Building characters, Campaign creation |
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Tags: character creation, NPCs
Jade | September 21, 2009
Not every NPC needs to be memorable. Some can be a barely-noticed presence in the PCs lives, while others need to cast a shadow over everything the players do. While NPCs are vitally important, most GMs have limited time available to work on their game and so can’t spend as much time as they’d like [...]
Category: Campaign creation |
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Tags: NPCs
Jade | July 1, 2009
Since the PCs aren’t likely to interact with Meadowbrook’s blacksmiths other than to have items repaired or commission new ones, I’m not going to spend much time detailing them.
Most Meadowbrook’s blacksmiths focus on creating practical items — horseshoes, plows and farming implements, iron nails and building tools, etc. Kael Pathfinder Stoutpoppy is the exception to [...]
Category: Meadowbrook, Worldbuilding |
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Tags: Campaign creation, Meadowbrook, NPCs, towns, world building
Jade | June 25, 2009
What would a fantasy game town be without a thieves guild? Whether the PCs work with it or oppose it, the local thieves guild frequently provides many opportunities for adventure.
Meadowbrook’s thieves guild is extremely small: 10 members. Until the recent trade boom, Meadowbrook had no thieves guild — there simply weren’t enough thieves in town. [...]
Category: Campaign creation, Meadowbrook, Worldbuilding |
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Tags: Meadowbrook, NPCs, thieves guild, towns, world building
Jade | June 22, 2009
Town Guard are not employees of Meadowbrook. A guild in their own right, they’re employed by the town council. Each guild tithes a small percentage of their annual income directly to the Town Guard, in return the Guard protects the other guilds from dangers local and foreign. But how many town guard members are there? [...]
Category: Campaign creation, GM tools, Meadowbrook, Worldbuilding |
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Tags: Campaign creation, Meadowbrook, NPCs, towns, world building
Jade | June 18, 2009
Continuing our description of Meadowbrook’s notable citizens, we come to Barsus Tinner, the head of the fix-it guild.
The Fix-It Guild
First off, let’s give the fix-it guild an official name. As low-level arcanists, I can see the guild trying to give themselves a greater sense of status with a lofty-sounding name, something like: “The Noble Brotherhood [...]
Category: Campaign creation, Meadowbrook, Worldbuilding |
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Tags: Campaign creation, GM tools, Meadowbrook, NPCs, towns, world building
Jade | June 15, 2009
Generally, I don’t detail numbers for the NPCs of my games. Unless I expect the PCs to pick a fight with one of them, I don’t even created stat blocks. I look at the NPC’s history, role in the game, personality and profession to decide what they can do, which is generally I need them [...]
Category: Campaign creation, Meadowbrook, Worldbuilding |
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Tags: backgrounds, Campaign creation, Meadowbrook, NPCs, towns, world building