If you’ve been playing tabletop role-playing games for awhile, you know that flow is constantly on the mind of the GM/DM. How is the pacing? What is the interest level in what’s happening? How engaged are the players with a particular plot thread(s)? And so on. And if you have been playing for awhile, you…
Part 13 (rest at the bottom): https://storytogether.com/2020/06/11/isaiah-the-gray-part-13/ The Hundred-Faced Man “What is this place?” asks Isaiah. “It is the Sith contribution,” replies They. Isaiah looks around. The Force has no answers. “Contribution to what?” “To you. To me,” says They. Isaiah shakes his head. “I don’t understand,” he says. “I know,” says They firmly. “Please,…
Today’s Newbie Tuesday post is a special topic for me. It may go without saying, but the way we’re connecting and interacting with our children is changing as our society’s technological development continues to push forward. The demands on our kids, socially and academically, have exponentially increased in exposure and pressure in the past twenty…
The main difference between tabletop role-playing game worldbuilding and the more traditional, expository worldbuilding is choice. Ultimately, people playing as characters will be making choices in your story world in contrast to a writer dictating the choices the characters make. And as the core of this wonderful art form/activity, those choices form the foundation of…
If you’ve been playing tabletop role-playing games for awhile, you know what it feels like when the game stalls. The players don’t quite know how to act or what choice to make. And likewise the GM/DM doesn’t quite know how best to setup the players to continue onward in the story. No one likes getting…
Part 12 (rest at the bottom): https://storytogether.com/2020/05/28/isaiah-the-gray-part-12/ The Red Sands of Korriban Isaiah, Jimmy C, and Captain Issac exit the chamber, their hearts heavy from their encounter with the First. They exchange glances only to see on each other’s faces that no words are necessary. As they emerge back out into the Valley of the Sith…
We hear about “getting into a groove” all the time, whether it’s becoming a new parent, starting a new job, or learning a new skill. As we get to know the ins-and-outs of what’s so new, our experience helps us much more fluidly navigate its nuances. The same pattern holds true for playing stories. Today’s…
There are many ways to develop a tabletop role-playing game (TTRPG) story. Like painting, dance, or music, there are myriad approaches to creating a wonderful shared story experience for the table. But like those various arts, there are fundamentals to TTRPG worldbuilding. And today’s post aims to get back to some of the basics and…
Part 11 (rest at the bottom): https://storytogether.com/2020/05/21/isaiah-the-gray-part-11/ The First The Sith cave seems to stretch on, unnaturally so. But still, the group presses on even as their senses tingle with anticipation. Eventually, after time is lost on its own, the three men enter a sparse room whose only striking component is its elegant minimalism. And…
Whenever I’m talking with a group of people who are just learning about playing stories for the first time, the topic of speaking as one’s character invariably comes up. “Do I have to speak in their voice?” “Do I have to say what they would say?” etc. So today’s newbie Tuesday post helps answer those…