The Metal Bard

Inventory Management Methods - Poll Results Recently, I have been testing parts of a table-top role-playing game (TTRPG) system that I'm developing by running a dungeon of mine ( Pyramids of the Death Worshippers ). This has been incredibly helpful by allowing me to see mechanics in action from different angles. One of those mechanics is slot-based inventory management. As many other TTRPGs, inventory management is a central part of my game. In my opinion, having a finite number of carrying capacity can set interesting challenges, from having enough rope to being able to carry all of the treasure you just found. There are various methods of managing inventory in TTRPGs, and ultimately it comes down to preference. Yet, it got me thinking about what method different groups are implementing. To get an idea, I ran four polls across TTRPG subreddits, including r/OSR, r/Shadowdark, r/RPG, and r/DnD (herein referred to as OSR, Shadowdark, RPG, and DnD, respectively). A table with the...

Sometimes I have a simple, small idea that evolves into a dungeon. This one started with a mummy. I am a big fan of mummies. Real mummies are interesting from a scientific perspective, and mummies in horror media are a fun compromise between reality and fantasy. The idea of a misunderstood ancient civilization that uses eldritch magic to raise desiccated bodies with contorted faces and sinister powers is interesting to me. Typically, mummies in horror are powerful: they possess mind control powers and can regenerate or must be killed in specific ways. This got me thinking about how going at a mummy with traditional medieval weapons will likely end badly for the adventurers. So, what would happen if some adventurers tried to slash a mummy to death? My thought was that parts of the mummy would probably detach and, since there is dark magic at hand, continue moving and attacking the adventurers independently. If that was me, I would be frightened off my adventuring boots, so I decided to ...

Illustration by Silex Art Studio Introduction One of my favorite parts of TTRPGs is their unpredictability. While I as a GM know the general possibilities, I try to create games in which branching choices are regularly presented so that their combination can result in unique situations. Basic examples include random tables and reaction rolls, among many other strategies. Add a tablespoon of player creativity and amazing situations will emerge. In one of my previous posts, I presented a simple encounter with a couple of manticores . This is a retelling of how the encounter transpired at our table. There will be two parts. First, I will present the story from a fictional perspective. The second is a re-telling from a GM perspective. With this I aim to show how preparing a scenario with just a few random variables can result in interesting, and often unexpected, scenarios. In addition, I aim to draw attention to how GM impartiality, or the ability to use results as unexpected as they ...

  In chorus we sing of wine, sweet wine, Its power benign, and its flavor divine. -Bacchanalian, Francisco Martinez de la Rosa Some adventurers do it for the excitement, the glory, the treasure. In a profession where every day may be your last, life is lived to the fullest. So, when adventurers return carrying their fallen companions and bags of treasure, there is nothing left to do but to live your best life by carousing! Why did I make this? I needed a carousing table for the hexcrawl I’m running. The game is an amalgamation of mechanics, tables, and procedures that I’ve found interesting plus the weird ideas I’ve dreamt up. As such, there were carousing results that I wanted to have, such as MCC mutations. I also wanted to tie a better probability of getting something good with spending more. You may notice that lower results have more detrimental results than higher results. It was hard to find this, so I put one together. Note: In some instances I'm using third-party tables ...

You’ve hiked a rocky terrain for hours looking for a safe way down into a valley. A series of stacked boulders now provide that opportunity. You may carefully leap down the boulders, being absolutely precise for a slip could mean a terrible injury. Alternatively, you may continue searching for another descent, but night is approaching, and another day to get into the valley would cost you valuable time and resources. When I think of wilderness exploration, I am reminded of my hiking and camping trips. I like going light with only the necessary items, meaning that I must ration my viands and use my tools carefully. I have also often taken these trips alone meaning that I must balance exploration and risk (climbing over boulders, going into caves, etc.). While I lean on the side of safety, I have always been intrigued by dramatic stories of exploration like Against the Ice, and Kon-Tiki, among others. Of course, I would avoid such life-threatening positions as sailing across the Paci...

  Introduction In the game I'm running, there are 100 keyed hexes ( link to map ). We are over 20 sessions in, and the party has explored less than a third (even less if we factor in secrets). This meant that finding specific things in the island would be rather difficult. I wanted to make sure there were alternative ways to overcome such a challenge. Which there are, such as the oracle (future post). And the party is resourceful; I'm sure they could send a hireling out to explore or gather information, but what if there was also a scout that could be hired specifically for this? This scout could fulfill a few goals: i) gives the players a useful way to spend their treasure; ii) saves the party time by performing concurrent tasks; and iii) provides adventuring hooks. Below is the NPC that I created for this. He is, in fact, the one that helped the party find the manticore  they were looking for. Mortimer (Scout) Location: Redwood Village [0910] - he may occasionally be foun...