Jamais Jochim
Bio
I'm the guy who knows every last fact about Spider-man and if I don't I'll track it down. I love bad movies, enjoy table-top gaming, and probably would drive you crazy if you weren't ready for it.
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Making Your Dungeon Ecology Work
Even in video games, one of the biggest problems that dungeon designers face is dealing with the ecology of each dungeon level. Worse, some have problems integrating the individual levels into the dungeon as a whole. There are simple ways that a GM can create a simple ecology and use it to make for better dungeons.
By Jamais Jochimabout a year ago in Gamers
Letting PCs Run A Side Business
One potential shop found in the campaign world. [Suzy Hazelwood (Pexels.com)] One of the many things that The Dragonlance Chronicles is famous for is the Inn of the Last Home, a tavern ran by Tika and Caramon Majere. This has provided the inspiration for many PC in-game businesses, running from their own inns and taverns to specialized courier services. Super-hero games are especially infamous for PC-run businesses, especially given the number of PCs that are independently wealthy; the business in question is usually the reason for that wealth when "inherited from parents" just doesn't work. However, there are some logistics that a referee needs to consider when allowing the PCs to run a business, especially when it may be used for future adventure ideas.
By Jamais Jochimabout a year ago in Gamers
The Notebook and Gaming Supremacy
Some gamers have found that they need to keep track of a wide variety of notes during a game. Video game players need to keep track of clues, passwords, and location notes; they also try to keep track of information gleaned from gaming sites and videos. Table-top gamers need to track most of the same, but also monster and trap locations as well as notes on local politics. Some even track star charts and tides. Even game masters like keeping track of monsters killed, NPCs encountered, and even times when actions are done to enforce continuity later.
By Jamais Jochimabout a year ago in Gamers
Using The Three-Encounter System For Dungeon
Most referees build a comprehensive dungeon, including a random encounter chart, for their players. Done well, this creates a dungeon that can keep them happy for a couple of weeks, depending on how long your gaming sessions are. However, some players are more goal-oriented, and so dungeons that you are meant to go in and actually explore tend to bore them quickly. Some groups may also prefer a more improvised feel to their dungeons; they want to adventure but they just don't want a full-fledged dungeon.
By Jamais Jochimabout a year ago in Gamers
The Importance of a Good Sidekick
One of the most overlooked characters in writing is the sidekick. Far too often, the character is limited to comedy relief and that's a shame; the sidekick can be used for so much more. Properly used, the sidekick can be one of your best tools and make your job that much easier.
By Jamais Jochimabout a year ago in Gamers
Making Fighters That Much Scarier
One of the biggest problems in fantasy is that fighters can be easily overpowered by mages. While the fighter usually just has to outlast the mage, that can be hazardous to the fighter; the mage is still summoning nasty creatures and throwing fireballs, and that assumes that the mage doesn't have a small spectrum of powerful items to potentially bring to bear (which they usually do). However, with a little planning, the fighter can put the odds in his favor.
By Jamais Jochimabout a year ago in Gamers
Traps of the Social Kind
Too many players (and referees) forget that the "RPG" part of "TTRPG" stands for "role-playing game." While the players have no problem getting into specific roles and do their best to act in those roles, the scenarios they tend to find themselves in are pretty much some variation of a fight, be it in a dungeon, bar, or forest; there are few scenarios of the non-combat type. It may be useful to think about different types of social challenges just to shake things up and to give people a chance to try something else.
By Jamais Jochimabout a year ago in Gamers
More Than Rough Brigands
Every so often you see someone point out that thieves' guilds could not possibly exist because they are so unrealistic. This is because the person saying this doesn't understand the idea of either how organized crime works or how secret organizations work. It doesn't help that most of these people are working with fantasy worlds; if you can accept the idea of fireballs, dragons, and talking swords as everyday problems, why is the idea of a thieves' guild such a problem? However, it may not be a bad idea to look at how these groups function and how they serve a practical purpose in most fantasy worlds.
By Jamais Jochimabout a year ago in Gamers
Top Ten Hybrids to Start You Off
For most beginning writers (and even experienced writers), there's the problem of finding good service providers. While everyone wishes they could do it all, the sad reality is that most writers should not design their own covers, lay out their own books, or even edit their own words; these are just skills that not everyone possesses. This means you will need someone else to take your beginning manuscript and make it into a finished product.
By Jamais Jochimabout a year ago in Writers
Are You Ready For Limited Liability?
As writers sell more books, it becomes more and more important to protect their assets. More accurately, it may be important for the writer to separate their business assets from their personal assets while still being able to sell their books. This difference is more important for self-published authors (as traditionally published authors usually have the aegis of their company to fall back on), but any other doing business is going to want to expand their business at some point. This means that may want to make the leap from a single proprietorship to a limited liability company.
By Jamais Jochimabout a year ago in Writers
Do You Need a Website?
Marketing is something every writer hates. Writers want to focus on their writing and they feel that marketing takes away from it; some writers even took up writing so that they could get away from marketing. The problem is that marketing is one of the chores a writer must do to be a successful writer; if you don't tell others about your writing then no one will ever read it. This means that you need to figure out a good marketing plan, and a website should be part of that plan.
By Jamais Jochimabout a year ago in Writers
If You Want to Publish, You Need to Pay
My least favorite writing myth: "You should not have to pay to get published." Sure, if you've been picked up by a traditional publisher. However, for the rest of us, that's a pipe dream. The rest of us are going to have to pay to get published unless we have all of the right skills.
By Jamais Jochimabout a year ago in Writers
