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Game Master's Laboratory

Public • 119 • Free

4 contributions to Game Master's Laboratory
How many campaigns have you played in/run that actually finished?
That is, how many TTRPG campaigns that you were a part of reached a conclusion where you'd say the fiction of the game was finished? Story told, done, complete, etc? Instead of fizzling out (due to scheduling conflicts, loss of interest, moving on to a new game, etc). I'm trying to figure out if my experience is typical or not. I've played in or run 20+ campaigns since I got into TTRPGs about 20 years ago, but I've only ever "finished" 3 campaigns. One-shots don't count! I mean something that was meant to be episodic and take a long time to unfold. (I made this a post instead of a poll because I'm interested in specifics if you have them!)
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New comment 2d ago
3 likes • 6d
excluding oneshots? Zero. I have never finished a campaign, ever.
2 likes • 6d
@Jonah Fishel that's been my understanding as well. I've actually never heard of someone finishing a campaign, and I've been playing since 2009
GML Game Jam Survey!
Hey folks, see below for a quick poll about a potential Game Jam! We're very excited about hosting one here in the Lab, but we want to make sure there's enough interest to get a few games circulating around. Since this space is all about learning from one another, we'll probably have lots of times and spaces leading up to the games where GMs can ask one another for advice, swap ideas, and test concepts for their game. For those with no experience in game design, this can be a great shot to try something (simple or complex) and get some feedback from experienced Game Masters! There'd be discussions, time to test out the games, and prizes! Check out the poll to gauge interest here; if it's a little low, we'll revisit the idea once the lab has grown some more.
Poll
14 members have voted
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7
New comment 6d ago
1 like • 11d
@Briggs Schneider I'd appreciate that.
0 likes • 6d
@Jody Schofield The last campaign I was part of was on Roll20, so I thought I'd start there, but my brother who is quite tech savvy recommended OwlbearRodeo, so I'm looking into that as well but I'm not good with unfamiliar interfaces, and even following the tutorial for each I haven't been able to reliably load up a custom or premade map and actually manipulate tokens, let alone use the fog of war features both platforms claim to have, or roll dice or use the chat. it's a completely useless tutorial as far as I'm concerned, but I've heard good reviews for both platforms so I'm guessing it's just that I don't know how to use it.
Poll: Mechanics and Style
We've had some great posts this last week about preferred mechanics of a game, and styles of GMing. It got me thinking---what sort of games are people in the lab running? Out of the following, what would you describe as the main focus in the game you run, a combination of your personal preferences and what the system you run is designed for? There isn't room to list every option, so some (like Blades' heists or Cthulhu's mysteries and horror) are lumped under other categories. If something really doesn't seem to fit, pick unlisted and comment yours below!
Poll
13 members have voted
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New comment Oct 16
1 like • Oct 15
I'm still learning how to run combat, and my players are fond of strategy so it works. I'm also enjoying world building, creating villains with goals that fit the events that have already happened. My players love trinkets and magical items with history, and one of the characters is literally an adventuring historian in search of lost treasures and cultures. Meanwhile a different character just wants to know how the curse on his body works and how to return home. This is the most fun I've ever had playing this game and I am hungry for more. I'm going to run out of our opening modules soon, so I'll try my hand at building those on the go. There's a lot of ideas in my head, just waiting for the players to look for them. Dungeons and Monsters and Temples and plane jumps. I'm very excited.
ideas for a Moral Dilemma
I'm introducing a monster into my campaign that is from a Fantasy Novel my players and I are fond of, (it's the Mortiwraith from The Door Within) and one of its abilities is that it can see the true intent of anything in its vicinity. They are often very wise, and relatively good natured, so it's normal for them to test the moral integrity of potential allies. I'm intending to run a small vignette between modules where they help a living skeleton fulfil a dying promise, and the Mortiwraith sees this, so it decides to test the party with a small moral dilemma to reveal their integrity. If they succeed, they will gain a strong ally (though not a party member since Mortiwraiths die in the sunlight) I'm just a bit strapped for ideas. I thought of having it lead them to a starving family of kittens but that's kind of an easy one. But I don't want to give them the trolley problem that most superheroes face either. Can anyone help?
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New comment Sep 17
2 likes • Sep 16
@Briggs Schneider you give me much to consider, fair traveler.
0 likes • Sep 16
>tfw you sit down to peruse the DMG and find the answers to nearly everything you're looking for 😲 I have inserted several paperclips into the pages of my DMG
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Benjamin Hankinson
2
6points to level up
@benjamin-hankinson-6352
Avid storyteller with a light background in roleplaying. Grew up on D&D 3.5. first time GM.

Active 3d ago
Joined Sep 15, 2024
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