QQ&A: The forgotten 5e rule
Intimidation rolls don’t make sense… in most other systems. If you’re sick of your brainless killbot failing to intimidate people, you need to remember this rule.
Unboring quest-givers: More than notice boards
What do you do when the classic tropes aren’t fun anymore? Rather than having the mysterious old wizard tell the PCs what to do, why not do this?
Unboring paladins: more than killjoys
This is my shortest ever post because the fix couldn’t be easier. The paladin is this close to being exciting, but that margin drives them into boringness. Here’s the solution.
QQ&A: How to create and remember NPC names
Coming up with NPC names should be easy, so why isn’t it? And how do you remember names you come up with on the fly?
Unboring priests: more than rez dispensers
Priests are spiritual leaders in a world where gods create real miracles. What sort of person would go into that line of work?
Contempt for the creation
The last several years have seen some, shall we say, questionable choices from big studios. How did they miss this lesson that every TTRPG gamer knows?
Bring back the players’ ancient fear
There’s a fear built into the human brain - something raw, ancient and powerful. So why does 5e handle it so bizarrely?
QQ&A: What’s a better currency than coins?
Tracking gold and minor purchases is boring and pointless busywork. What’s a better alternative to gold pieces?
Unboring bards: more than playa characters
Bards are… well, you know. Some adventurers travel, while others get around. Here’s a surprising way to make them more fun to play while fitting better into the world.
The boring laziness of speculative fiction
Scifi and fantasy like to give us allegories - tales of the time dressed up in the fantastical. Yawn, boring, give me something new please. If you’ve run too many games to be excited by the same-old mush, then read this.
The broken fae formula
If I asked you to design a new fae race, what would you come up with? Forget their physical traits and focus on their minds. If you take the boring, obvious path, you’re not alone - but here’s how to do better.
Unboring merchants: more than vending machines
Merchants can be more than just talking storefronts for players. But they don’t need elaborate backstories. Here are four variables to build your merchants with, based on how they run their businesses.
QQ&A: How do you make whips cool?
The whip is awesome on paper, but mechanically pathetic. Besides bumping the stats, what can we do to make it worth using?
Unboring Barbarians: more than clones of Conan
Barbarians aren’t “angry” and they aren’t all uncivilised nomads. If you’re sick of playing the same-old half-clad warriors, then it’s time to draw inspiration from history.
The antidote to paper pushing
Unfulfilled, thanks to your office job? There’s a neurological antidote to the drudgery of paperwork, and you get no points for guessing what I’ll say it is.
Bafflingly boring bros and babes
If you met a PC in real life, they’d be the most fascinating person you’ve ever come across. So why are so many of them so horrendously dull to play?
Unboring angels: more than haloed humans
Angels can make any fantasy campaign more exciting. Then again, they can also just be yet another monster for the party to fight. Here’s one way to keep them special.
QQ&A: Spicing up the tavern meeting
After a while, your players will have begun many campaigns. So how do you keep the beginning fresh without tossing away the tavern?
Unboring gnomes: more than tiny goofballs
Gnomes are too silly for even a semi-serious campaign. Or are they? What if the giggles and rainbow illusions are a mask for something deeper?
Don’t mistake your life for the truth
You’ve heard that you don’t see the world as it is, only as you are. So why are you such a bad GM, not to mention a bad global citizen?