Usually when I find a new (to me) site with GMing content, I link to one specific article or resource — but with ars ludi, by Ben Robbins of Lame Mage Productions, there are just too many good choices!
Screening Player Characters is thought-provoking. Making the Party: Instant Consensus is full of useful ideas. NormalVision (and parts two and three) sounds like a blast.
This just became one of my favorite RPG blogs, and I think you’ll enjoy it.
Written by a team of veteran Gamers and Gamemasters, Gnome Stew is a widely read gaming blog with multiple awards, ennies, and thousands of articles. We’re dedicated to helping gamers have more fun at the gaming table.
Through our partner Engine Publishing, we've published six system-neutral books for GMs, with over 28,000 copies sold. Available in print and PDF.
Focal Point
Unframed
Odyssey
Never Unprepared
Masks
EurekaThrough our partnership in the G.E.M. collective, many of the Gnomes are affiliated with creating products through Encoded Designs. Available in print and PDF.
Misdirected Mark Productions
Rockerboys and Vending Machines
Character Cache
Hydro Hacker Operatives
NormalVision does sound really great. Especially this RollingVision thing could be an interesting new challenge for both GM and player.
I once played with something like NormalVision, in which the group acted out episodes from one of the PC’s history. This idea was born when one of the players didn’t show and turned out pretty fun. Also, it deepened the player backgrounds.
Thanks for the link!
Actually, I’m thinking a RollingVision where the PCs are sorta ‘reincarnations’ of each generation’s heroes and the plot moves forward sequentially based on player actions in each episode. It would then have occasional ‘flashbacks’ to previous generations and situations for things such as puzzles and whatnot, so that characters get cool clues and get to re-visit the earlier incarnations from time to time.
Camel: It strikes me that your approach could be used in a WW-style prelude, provided there was no expectation of player secrets. That’d be a lot of fun, and get the whole group involved to boot.
Kestral: That sounds a lot like the GameCube game Eternal Darkness, in which you play different characters in different time periods, but they all tie back to the central storyline. It certainly sounds workable in tabletop gaming, too.