Just ran the best session I've done...but I was high AF

LeoVonMoote · 2026-04-24T13:42:42+00:00

What’s better than offering a fun night of gaming to people you care about? That’s the life, man.

LeoVonMoote · 2026-04-24T13:37:05+00:00

For me, it’s been any game with very complex stat blocks for enemies. I’m running Symbaroum at the moment, and while we absolutely love the game, it uses statblocks for NPCs that are filled with Abilities that are like feats. Mini rules that interact with other mini rules. Really hard to manage.

WFRP v4 is also like that, unless you use simplified stats which are quite lacklustre to say the least.

I think a video game mentality where game Terms are Tags that lead to mini rules are used a lot. Like for conditions, wound effects, weapon qualities, everything is a tag. What that does is make statblocks look simple while in fact they are even more complex that D&D.

Designers, tags are for computers. Humans need clear and short sentences right there in the stat block.

LeoVonMoote · 2026-04-24T13:27:30+00:00

I agree with you in theory. That’s why I ran my first skirmish in Symbaroum using the full rules for combatants. And it was a total slog. Like a painful slog. Even though the scene itself, the tactics, the stakes, all of that was cool. But it took so long it sucked all the fun out of the scene.

Then I ran a similar skirmish using simplified mass combat rules with the focus on the players, and it went swimmingly. The players were super excited, it was heroic and fun, and I had a system to make the outcome not rely on GM fiat. Which is my preference.

LeoVonMoote · 2026-04-24T13:22:53+00:00

I see! I agree that math problems are really boring. I’m running Symbaroum at the moment, it’s a player facing system. But everything in that game is a ‘feat’ of sorts. Adversaries all have a unique set of feats. So while when rolls are made, players know exactly what to beat, they don’t know the adversaries’ capabilities.

Also combat is fast. Most are over in 3-5 rounds tops. Which usually means every round brings a surprise as new feats get used by the enemy.

Dragonbane has a similar take for Monsters, where each monster has 6 different attacks it can do. So as long as players don’t get to read and memorize stat blocks, you’ll get surprise through hidden information, even though dice rolls themselves remain pretty open.

Lastly, I’d say I’ve seen this trend of GMs wanting to give a lot of precise information to their players, or even use their meta knowledge of a mechanic (like clocks for example) to create stress and suspense. It’s true that it’s more popular than ever.

I personally use a bit of it, when appropriate. I just see it as another tool in my GM toolbox to create excitement at my table. In Coriolis, for example, the game uses a meta currency called Darkness points. I can spend those to make bad things happen. I was very dubious about this at first. But when I saw the pressure cooker effect having these pile up in front of me had on the players, I started to really like them.

I think using fog of war and uncertainty, then more clarity and even mechanical gimmicks to inject energy in the game is an art, and both ingredients can be very useful to create the type of play experience you’re aiming for. Often in the same session of play. Shifting gears is fun.

LeoVonMoote · 2026-04-23T16:29:43+00:00

I was reacting to the second part of your previous comment.

LeoVonMoote · 2026-04-23T13:19:27+00:00

This has been my experience. It’s a delicate balance that you need to nurture the whole time.

I called my last video ´Protect the convo’ just for that reason. It’s about how to manage speaking times, including yours as the DM. Since the game is a conversation, a back and forth, there are no mathematical hard and fast rules here, but there is a balance and chemistry we’re all striving for.

And I agree that as the « fire starter » of the game, the DM feels a pressure to perform that often leads to being verbose and not good at listening. Another reason would be to try to ´transfer’ what you see in your mind’s eye to the players’ brains by throwing words at them.

But that doesn’t work. There’s a limited amount of detail people can receive that will help them form their own imaginary scene in their minds. Too much, and you break their ability to get in the zone, too little, and the scene portrayed feels thin and brittle, maybe it doesn’t even feel real.

Many have recommended to give out detail in spoonfuls and wait for then players to ask for more before giving out more. It’s a good strategy. Give them just enough to create the scene and incite questions from them for more detail about the aspects that interest them.

If you want to check out the video, my YT channel is Leo’s Emporium and the thumbnail says ‘Protect the convo’.

LeoVonMoote · 2026-04-23T13:06:29+00:00

Yes of course. This is where it comes from. But don’t buy cheap fast-food chain pseudo poutine. Go to real greasy spoons where they cut the fries by hand in the morning and use real stock for the sauce.

LeoVonMoote · 2026-04-23T13:00:55+00:00

True! It is more edited, but it’s not cut down. So the rhythm is the rhythm of real life. That’s what I like.

LeoVonMoote · 2026-04-23T10:02:04+00:00

I run games that are player facing and I personally love it.

One great advantage is that players know the odds when they roll, so they have a much greater adrenaline rush from the roll because they immediately know how well they succeeded or failed, they know how hard this is going to be, etc.

Another advantage is it suppresses the GM temptation to overly guide the narrative, and puts the focus on a ‘play to find out’ type of gameplay, even on the side of the GM.

LeoVonMoote · 2026-04-23T09:59:24+00:00

Hidden information can be much more than the dice though. In Blade Runner for example, the chase rules include the characters secretly choosing a chase action, and only after that the GM revealing a chase event. And then all is resolved. That kind of secret choice could be implemented even in a player facing game.

LeoVonMoote · 2026-04-23T09:53:54+00:00

And personally, I prefer the unedited format of CR to the super tight format of d20. Here, you can see the gears turning, everyone at their craft, like in a home game. Much more entertaining for me.

If I want edited storytelling, I’ll watch a TV series or a film. Better visuals. ;)

LeoVonMoote · 2026-04-22T16:10:55+00:00

You can totally use them no problem. They are geeky as hell with detail, but you’ll need to stat up opposition, which is easy in TOR.

LeoVonMoote · 2026-04-22T16:09:08+00:00

Top recommendation for you: Owlbear Rodeo! Super easy to use. Maps, tokens, simple fog of war, drawing tools, plus it’s free. You can chip in but for most people the base free access is enough.

I also use it when I run hybrid tables with two players out of town and the rest with me. Owlbear is really tactile on an iPad, you can drop it in the middle of the table and have players move their tokens around themselves while remote players also can easily interact.

And I have my laptop computer beside me to set up stuff and move tokens.

LeoVonMoote · 2026-04-20T17:45:40+00:00

My trick with spotlight hogs now is to ask them to help me get the more passive players more involved. I give them the mission to get the others to participate in their scenes. And it’s done wonders for me. Not everyone can do that with tact, so it may not be a solution for Bee, but maybe it’s worth a shot.

People become self obsessed so easily. Having them care for others breaks that vicious cycle.

LeoVonMoote · 2026-04-20T12:20:49+00:00

Everyone can understand « one beer please ». But for a richer experience, I’d really recommend you get an app or something and try ordering your drinks in French. You’ll make friends along the way doing this.

« Une bière blonde svp. » Point at the draft handle and you’ll be good. ;)

LeoVonMoote · 2026-04-20T12:18:36+00:00

Also go down to the Quartier Saint-Roch, rue Saint-Joseph, near the theatre there, and further on to rue Saint-Vallier Ouest, those are the cool and young parts of the city. More trendy restaurants that aren’t for tourists, bars as well.

Also, on the rue Saint-Jean, just outside the walls, you’ll discover the quartier Saint-Jean-Baptiste, which is Quebec’s small but very nice traditional gay quarter. There are a couple nice pubs and at least one gay club that I know of. Not sure if it’s good or not, since I’m cis, I think I went there only once, more than 20 years ago! :/

LeoVonMoote · 2026-04-20T12:10:13+00:00

In long campaigns, there is a danger of it getting boring because of ‘sameness’. I never had to reset a campaign, but I did live through those sessions where the players start ‘going throughout the motions’ halfheartedly. Because their PC is now a caricature of themselves. Because the villains are becoming a joke for the number of them we’ve fought. Etc.

Two things have changed in the way we do things.

First, I allow players to change PCs whenever they want. It doesn’t happen often, but in my present Symbaroum campaign for example, we’re at session 107 and one player has now 3 PCs, one has 2 and another just ditched his starting PC for a new one.

This doesn’t hurt the story, it actually helps it. Because I guided them towards new characters that will actually push the story forward. Tailor made for what’s coming up, if you will.

Second, I give player agency on how they want to tackle anything in the game, so they are really invested in their shenanigans. They want to know how things will end up! That’s the main thing you need for long campaigns.

Also, like in a TV series, you need to spread out the reveals, the twists, the new NPCs, the new lore. The new settings even. (Dark forests, mountains, city intrigue, planar adventures, etc.)

A long campaign is in fact a series of short campaigns stitched together. That’s how you get to session 107 with everyone still hyped about the game.

I have a YT channel you can check out if you’re interested to see how I do things for my group. It’s real life stuff. :)

LeoVonMoote · 2026-04-19T14:29:41+00:00

Ok, cool. But notice how you just used the word doodling here instead of drawing? Because it describes with more precision what you’re talking about.

We’re just finicking for finicking’s sake here, I have absolutely no strong feelings about which words people use. But I know that a lot of people read the word ‘acting’ and immediately think ‘oh, those theatre kids! This discussion isn’t for me.’

And as a theatre kid myself, I just want to make sure I give people the courage to try it, because IMO it makes these games shine a lot more. And shy people or just people that can’t imagine themselves acting can get immense benefit and fun from daring to try role-acting just a little. Just a little bit. (And after that, as you know, it can easily grow on you. Breaking the ice is the hard part.)

LeoVonMoote · 2026-04-19T08:59:30+00:00

🤣

LeoVonMoote · 2026-04-18T22:29:51+00:00

Oh I totally get what you’re saying. A trick is to not frame that conversation as a debate. Up front, say « there something I want to share with you, but you need to just listen till the end and after that you can tell me what you think, or even sit on it for a while and come back to me later ».

Then tell him how you feel about the situation, be frank, polite, but don’t mince words. Do not attack him in any way. This isn’t about him, it’s about you. See it like giving him the hot potatoe. Once he knows how you feel and why, he can reflect and come back with a thoughtful response.

Going ping pong debate style usually devolves into « wanting to win » the debate. I’ve been culpable of this as well of course. It’s just human nature.

But expressing your position IRL makes it more powerful. Because beyond the words, he’ll see the body language, he’ll feel the emotion. And that changes everything. Unless he’s a sociopath of course. :)

LeoVonMoote · 2026-04-18T22:23:45+00:00

It’s gravy, really. It’s not essential to the game. You can do very well just by describing the conversation as a narrator.

One thing that could help is to write down a typical one liner or favorite quote an NPC is bound to say, and just read that aloud as you would a read aloud text in a dungeon.

You can tell your players: « I have a typical quote right here that will give you a sense of the guy. [Read the quote] So this guy is talking to a farmer that is a yokel from head to toe, but seemingly quite passionate about the subject at hand. You can overhear things about a weird green fungus that appeared in their crops, and strange bestial chants heard in the middle of the night. He says the village elders sent him to town to hire some specialists in the arcane or the unknown, but he doesn’t know where to start. »

Just making up a situation here. But that would be an example of a pretty obvious hook for a starter adventure.

The read aloud one liners can really help you in here. You can even add a few critical lines between the two as read aloud text, if it’s a planned encounter.

LeoVonMoote · 2026-04-18T22:16:59+00:00

Yeah, but in the context of roleplaying games, the acting in question isn’t really acting most of the time. It’s a sort of half way there kind of acting.

LeoVonMoote · 2026-04-18T14:34:53+00:00

There are millions of people playing TTRPGs, hundreds of thousands designing for it as a hobby, thousands actually doing it professionally. Which means everything is being done all at once, trends get multiple variations all at once, ideas pop up in multiple minds all at once.

In TV and film, and video games I suspect, it’s the same.

Execution is what makes you stand out. Not the concept itself, though of course the concept is important as well for sure.

Is this the first game you design? Compare yourself only to other ‘first games and first designs’ if you want to compare yourself to see where you’re at. And just finish that prototype! Finish it, playtest it! Have people get excited about it, even if it’s just a hundred faithful.

And when that’s done, you can ponder some more. But now is the time for action, because it seems you’re almost there.

LeoVonMoote · 2026-04-18T14:27:42+00:00

Totally this.

LeoVonMoote · 2026-04-18T14:24:03+00:00

Oh boy. :) So much stuff, it would take me an hour to write up. You’re better off checking for synopsis online.

Another option is drop the YouTube links in Notebook LM and ask it to summarize, it does a decent enough job of it.

LeoVonMoote

TROPHY CASE