I recently read Matthew Finch's "A Quick Primer for Old School Gaming" and found it pretty enlightening, but also somewhat surprising since what seems to be considered "old school" very much coincides with my understandings of solitaire play.
The same goes for the recent "Principia Apocrypha" that's been floating around (though a bit of overlap with the former) which lists Maze Rats and Macchiato Monsters as influences.
Sophia Brandt recently mentioned LotFP's "Broodmother Skyfortress" (an adventure module) as an influential (and rather recent) work for Game Mastery.
I'm curious as to what other "essential reading" is out there for RPGs at large. I've mostly only read rule books at this point, which aren't always terribly interestering (and often much of the same), so I'm interested in broadening my horizons, so to speak, and I'm looking more towards published adventures, settings and the like, GM and player advice books/articles, or core rules are still fine, too, if you found it interesting.
What have you found inspiring or influential to your play and understanding of RPGs, solitaire or otherwise?
http://www.lulu.com/us/en/shop/matthew-finch/quick-primer-for-old-school-gaming/ebook/product-3159558.html
Planet Psychon by Chris Tamm
ReplyDeleteHosted on his website Elfmaids and Octopi.
I have hundreds of RPG systems and supplements, but there are a few that I almost always reference:
ReplyDeleteThe Perilous Wilds is a Dungeon World supplement that has fantastic wilderness and dungeon suggestions.
Dungeon World and The Dungeon World Guide: how to relax and let the players take some of your work load.
Sly Flourish’s website and the accompanying Lazy Dungeon Master book: how to not overwork yourself and leave blanks.
Play Unsafe by Graham Walmsley: how to get used to improvising when the players inevitably go somewhere unexpected.
AD&D 1st edition dungeon master’s guide: lots of info to sift through and a glimpse into the mind of what Gygax envisioned.
Moldvay Basic: seriously, if you read it page by page, it’s a procedural manual that includes HOW a party explores a dungeon. It, literally, has a flow chart you can follow.
Veins of the Earth: how to spelunk. Not the D&D manner of, “I’ve got a week’s rations and some torches, let’s go,” but the, “What happens when we run out of light, and food, and the crawl space is literally a crawl space?” manner. What happens if you encounter a monster while crawling through said space? How do you move the body?
Last but not least, the Index Card RPG: even if you never play it, the GM advice is worth the price. If you go to Runehammer’s YouTube channel, just watch his videos on Timers and Encounter design. That should be enough for you to decide if it’s your thing.
Lots more I’ve used, but these are almost always nearby.
Also, bangs.
ReplyDeleteBetween bangs and improv, you can GM anything. For my gaming group, session zero is where we come up with a setting. I look over the characters, look for those bang moments and improv everything else.
Session prep is basically coming up with a question or three for each character then pressing play. No plotting in advance, no real world map (I map a day’s travel and the next trade center).
By not having any plan outside of the above, I default to Dungeon World’s “Be a fan of the characters.” Then it’s, “Say yes or roll the dice” time. thealexandrian.net - The Alexandrian » The Art of Pacing: Prepping Bangs
The Alexandrian seems to have a lot of good stuff. I really enjoyed the series on node-based design and can envision a solo framework or engine around that concept.
ReplyDeleteIt also seems like a lot of sources are pointing me towards Dungeon World.
Spencer Salyer It’s another RPG that, even if you never play it, the GM advice is solid: generate Fronts (threats) with tangible progression instead of plots, GM moves that I use in every game, GM principles and agendas that helped me relax and be more like a participant than an overlord.
ReplyDeleteAll available for free to peruse: dungeonworldsrd.com - Gamemastering – Dungeon World SRD
I can't speak too much to Dungeon World, but I like the way Apocalypse World moves work I haven't soloed without them in a long time. It's just too handy to have a way to push the plot along "fairly" so to speak.
ReplyDeleteregarding rpgs and not only osr there are two book that influenced me the most:
ReplyDelete1)Star Wars Gamemaster Handbook 2nd edition (D6, WEG, 1993): clear, detailed, good.
2)Robin's Laws of good game mastering (SJG): my GM bible
Im going to suggest a rule book anyways, but I think it's a worthwhile one to read:
ReplyDeleteWhile the system is heavy, I found Burning Wheel to be an absolutely fantastic read.
His rules of "Let it Ride" and "only roll when its actually interesting" were revelations for me at least, plus the character creation is mad interesting.
For epic campaigns, I think the WFRP "Enemy Within" is still unbeaten.
I actually ran into the "let it ride" concept on The Alexandrian, in the art of ruling series. It's all good stuff! I would say second only to the old lumpley forums for material to frame the "how" and the "why" of running a game (solo or group).
ReplyDelete