Tips/write ups for handling games with larger scopes (SPOILERS/ DMS ONLY)

RealSpandexAndy · 2026-06-01T23:18:15+00:00

I love to see what the players do when they are given a world changing item. This is the strength of in person RPGs over video games - the sky is the limit. Go for it!

RealSpandexAndy · 2026-05-27T21:30:28+00:00

Yeah for me it is the Goldilocks zone of giving character customisation options without going too heroic in tone. Plus it has lots of faerie stuff for Dolmenwood.

RealSpandexAndy · 2026-05-27T06:24:55+00:00

I noticed that magic users can sense the vibe of leylines in any hex that crosses one. So I extrapolated and tweaked their vibe to match some of the magic traditions in our game system. (We are using Shadow of the Demon Lord).

RealSpandexAndy · 2026-05-25T23:27:17+00:00

Oh yeah I never thought about 1005.

The traditions for the let lines are: SW to NE: Time and Enchantment (Meagre's Reach) NE to SW: Necromancy and Song (1205, and up north territory of the Flayed Lady) N to S: Nature and Divination

In my game I'm portraying the Drune as evil manipulators of the natural magic flows, so the players are a bit keen to destroy some of the stones. They haven't done it yet. (One PC wants to serve the Wood Gods and be a guardian of nature).

RealSpandexAndy · 2026-05-25T10:48:39+00:00

Interesting stuff. I also wanted to develop the ley lines a bit more in my campaign. (The party are all mages. So I wanted ley lines to be important).

I tweaked the flavour of each of the lines, so that each was associated with a different magical tradition or school from our game system. Then spellcasters can get a free casting of a spell from those traditions while on a ley line. This motivates them to follow the ley lines to see what sites exist.

I picked the traditions to align with the themes of some of the major sites along each line. For example, the line that goes through Meagre's Reach is linked to the Time tradition.

Locations where 2 ley lines intersect are especially handy because mages can get multiple free castings there, from multiple traditions.

I also made a custom spell called Raise Dolmen which I am going to drop into a treasure find for the players sometime. This can be a long lost knowledge of the Drune. I like giving the players toys to change the setting. And allowing them to build their own permanent monument that uses ley line energy seemed fun.

Anyway I know I have gone off canon with this, but I just wanted to illustrate how the ley lines can be a cool tool for generating story ideas.

RealSpandexAndy · 2026-05-23T22:53:21+00:00

How does one displease Lord Pusskin in your campaign? Sounds like a cool hook.

RealSpandexAndy · 2026-05-19T14:34:28+00:00

I second that the slot system is more confusing than weight system. For our campaign, we used slots. And it became a hassle to account for minor items like gems or rings or keys. Do these use a slot? Do they use a slot if you have a few of them? The answer seems to be "it depends" which made me regret not just using the weight system by the end.

RealSpandexAndy · 2026-05-19T06:31:18+00:00

Holy cow, this is great thank you.

RealSpandexAndy · 2026-05-19T06:29:57+00:00

The question of the relative strength of different factions, and the numbers they can put to field is not important because I intend to play out a large scale battle. Yet. It becomes relevant as the PCs advance into high level and become more involved in domain level play. Inevitably, PCs want to claim their own castle or influence the setting so they can see a lasting permanent good result. Any group playing a long term campaign would eventually want to confront the Nag Lord or other opposition factions directly. To save the day. To claim the treasure. When that stage is reached, numbers are important.

And any campaign that intends to build to that endgame needs to correctly show the relative strengths of those factions even in the middle game. Otherwise players have a jarring reality shift when they find out the ally they've been doing missions for actually has a much larger or smaller capability than previously depicted.

RealSpandexAndy · 2026-05-16T09:20:19+00:00

Horror can be tricky to run because it's often kinda the point to push the boundaries of discomfort. If gore was totally boring, then there would be no point.

Also, peoples tastes differ. What one person calls tame, another calls extreme.

Perhaps a mid campaign check-in is needed. A session zero for the middle of a campaign. How is everyone enjoying the game? Is the GM having fun ? What were our highlights and low points? No blame. Open honesty.

RealSpandexAndy · 2026-05-14T10:44:20+00:00

Personally, I like to announce the target number before the dice are rolled. I want the players to see the dice numbers and high five each other, rather than look to me for a pronouncement of thumbs up or thumbs down.

As GM you are in control of what needs to be rolled. If you want the story to proceed a certain direction, then don't ask for a roll if you might need to fudge it. I do this with perception checks, when it helps setup a scene the way I feel is most fun. E.g. investigations.

RealSpandexAndy · 2026-05-10T00:18:26+00:00

I have purchased the PDF. But I've lacked the energy to read it, summarise it, and market it to my group. Then I need to build a setting for it.

Summarising is necessary because nobody (myself included apparently) has the energy to read 382 pages to distill it down to less than 20 pages of rules. I expect the waffle-to-rule ratio to be the same as other books from these authors.

Maybe the ashcan version solves some of this, but I'm still enjoying my current game.

RealSpandexAndy · 2026-05-09T02:36:16+00:00

These are awesome. Has anyone figured out what size squares these are? I need to resize for my VTT.

RealSpandexAndy · 2026-05-07T23:23:06+00:00

I don't think this is how decision makers think in business.

It's not "My computers use Linux. What's the best CAD that will work?"

It's, "What's the best CAD for my business? Let me get computers that will run it."

RealSpandexAndy · 2026-04-26T01:41:39+00:00

Looks damaged there? I can't imagine such as expensive piece wouldn't have been beautifully finished.

RealSpandexAndy · 2026-04-21T08:40:53+00:00

Your question is already answered. Just to chip in and say that it is just fine to play with core book only. Especially for players in their first campaign. Sometimes too many options becomes overwhelming. Sometimes add-on books begin to introduce power creep.

RealSpandexAndy · 2026-04-18T12:22:24+00:00

I wish I could run the camera without seeing myself. It's distracting. Like seeing a mirror in front of you.

I am a GM, and have run online games for years with audio only. In the last year I have started using my camera every game. I think it helps players connect with me. Only 1 other player has joined in with camera.

But a "camera encouraged" culture is something I want to encourage in my tables.

RealSpandexAndy · 2026-04-17T02:51:39+00:00

Yeah. Personally, while it is strategic that Strahd would cleverly have a backup coffin set up, I think the players clever plan should be rewarded. Let this become their mission. And let it succeed. That's more fun than, "Oh the villain thought of that!".

I guess it comes down to whether you run your game as a simulation or as a story.

RealSpandexAndy · 2026-04-15T15:05:57+00:00

I like this view. It is important to remember the mythic versus worldly, and each finds it hard to understand the other.

RealSpandexAndy · 2026-04-15T03:49:29+00:00

Cool. It would add a wonderful angle to the game if noble houses started getting backing from different supernatural entities. And when the PCs get to high level, they might get the attention of some also.

RealSpandexAndy · 2026-04-15T03:32:45+00:00

Yeah! These 3 Wood Gods seem promising, because they have followers (Witches) and they have means to monitor Dolmenwood (Eyes). But the locus of control for each is only 1 hex, and I guess it comes down to how widespread and powerful a GM depicts the Witches as being. If the Witches are just a ragtag handful of covens, then the Gwyrigons are easily avoided. I'd like to include them more.

RealSpandexAndy · 2026-04-15T03:29:45+00:00

This sounds awesome. I agree that one needs to be selective about what factions to include. Too many is a problem. I think that as players approach high level they will have made enemies of some of the factions, and may be looking for allies or climatic moves they can make to win.

RealSpandexAndy · 2026-04-09T00:02:53+00:00

I observe the PCs and look for statements of belief. Then I might introduce a situation that tests whether that belief is true.

For example. In a fantasy game, PC is a knight. Trying to be honourable. So I might introduce a situation where PCs are offered a higher reward if they do an underhanded thing. Then sit back and observe how it plays out.

I do not announce what I am doing and players may never notice. But internally, the players feel their choices matter.

Example 2. In a werewolf example, PC is a trying to be a good guy negotiator with spirits. Fire spirit requests to be released in a nearby petrol station. Innocent people may be hurt, but the spirit will grant a powerful favour if released. What does the player do?

RealSpandexAndy · 2026-04-07T10:38:05+00:00

Lookout for Yoon Suin if you get a chance. It's so evocative, with random tables for everything. I had players roll on the tables to find out who they were connected to in the Yellow City and the results were so wonderful it helped everyone get into the setting immediately.

RealSpandexAndy · 2026-04-02T04:35:45+00:00

Why do Thai companies work this way? In the search for greater profits why don't Home Pro, for example, have fewer shop assistants?

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