There are people in this world who are great at role-playing NPCs. They imbue the characters they assume with passion, vitality and bring forth the true essence of their personalities. That’s not me. I do funny voices and occasionally remember the voice I should be using two sessions in a row, so players can get familiar with the character’s portrayal. The fact is that most … Continue reading Dungeon Master Tips: Funny Voices and Roleplaying NPCs

In Dungeons & Dragons, there are many times you don’t want the monsters to see you. The rules for hiding are written deliberately to leave a lot of power in the hands of the Dungeon Master. Basically, if the DM thinks the situation warrants that you can hide, you can make the check. Otherwise you can’t. This is one of the areas where Passive Perception … Continue reading Examining Passive Perception and Opposed Checks

I occasionally think of myself as a “Killer DM” – you’ll find it on my profile at RPG Geek, for instance. However, when you get down to it, I don’t kill that many player characters. The fact is, I’m far more interested in seeing how the story plays out, and it’s hard to have a story when everyone’s dead. Thus, upon hearing my players last … Continue reading The Total Party Kill I Remember Best