Host Your Own Old Time Radio Drama
Drama for the dinner table
ROLLING THE DICE Once you have queried the player, figured out what the player wants to do, how they want to do it, whether it is possible, what consequences are attendant upon it, how many steps are required to achieve it, how difficult it is to accomplish, and what skill should be used, it is […]
QUERYING YOUR PLAYERS When you have presented the scene to the players it is time to find out what they want to do next (query them). The easiest way is to simply ask. “What do you want to do?” is a perfectly satisfactory way to begin eliciting the actions your players want to carry out. […]
Advanced Play – Part 1 Preparing for the Game Being prepared (preparing) is the key to running a good game. Select a game that is appropriate for your group. Is your group made up of seasoned adventurers who are committed to long-term gaming? You may want to open a campaign. Is your group made up […]
Three Key Skills There are three basic skills (fundamentals if you will) that every beginning GM must have… 1. Narration – the ability to set the scene, roleplay the world, report the results and consequences of actions, and transition to new scenes. 2. Querying – the ability to draw out of players their goals and […]
Welcome to a world of fun adventure. Whether you are new to roleplaying games or are an old hand this manual will give you everything you need to get started as a Game Master (GM), running games to play with your friends. Chapter 1: The Job of the GM The primary responsibility and characteristics of […]
Chapter 8 – Victory or death The story so far (An ending) Episode 6 Dr Herbivore strategically forces some of the stonework in the side of the well loose at a height just below that of the bottom of the cage. The cage falls the last inch and rests on the bricks. The cage sinks […]
Chapter 7 – Death-traps, hazards, and puzzles. The story so far (Captured) Episode 5 Jake awakes to find his face lying in a puddle of lapping water. He spits slightly as he sits up. The water tastes of salt; the sea, perhaps. Malefice and Dr Herbivore lie nearby. He props them up to keep them […]
An Example Chase Round 1 The players and Lizard people elect to make standard chase actions in round 1. Navigation phase 1 On the obstacle table (see charts following this example) a 15 is rolled indicating an unbreathable gas pocket has been encountered. The players will need to hold their breaths to get through […]
Chapter 6 – Chases The story so far (Above the rooftops) Episode 4 The stairs were metallic and rickety, crisscrossing the rear of the warehouse on the way to the roof. Dr Herbivore led the way with Jake and Malefice close behind. As they approached the final landing the door to the roof opened and […]
Vehicular combat (on land, on and under the sea, in the air, and in space) Maneuvering on a flat plane or in 3D space Vehicular combat can occur as specific combat or as part of a chase and is handled the same way whether it is being conducted in surface vehicles (like cars or boats), […]
Magical Combat Magical combat is a little different to standard hand to hand melee and ranged combat in that a magic user prepares the spell for use before applying it. Further the effect of the spell can be maintained after its first application (but must apply for two phases each time) with additional successful rolls […]
Combat Example Location – The boiling pools of the Temple of Chardron. Heinrich’s men (about 11 of them) stand on pathways amidst boiling pools of superheated, sulphurous water that are spread around the temple floor leading to a vine covered stone bridge over a chasm upon which stands Heinrich himself (the Nazi servant of the […]
