The Wisdom of Elders

 Years ago, I was trying to write an essay of helpful stuff about RPGs, when I found that as I did my research, I wasn't really able to better anything that had been said before by the essayists I respect.

So here are a few links to blog posts and essays by others on RPGs that I've found influential over the years. All credit to the authors of the originals!

Tucker's Kobolds An essay by Roger E Moore on making encounters difficult - and fun. Many high-level characters have little to do because they're not challenged. They yawn at tarrasques and must be forcibly kept awake when a lich appears. The DMs involved don't know what to do, so they stop dealing with the problem and the characters go into Character Limbo. Getting to high level is hard, but doing anything once you get there is worse. ... Don't Prep Plots An essay on RPG story design by Justin Alexander If you're GMing a roleplaying game, you should never prep a plot. Everyone's tastes are different. These matters are subjective. What works for one person won't necessarily work for another. Yada, yada, yada. But, seriously, don't prep plots. ... On the same topic: Justin Alexander's essays on Node-based adventure design can be found here. Getting the players to care Another essay by Justin Alexander I think every GM probably has a story about the time that they spent hours carefully detailing some piece of lore or a particularly intricate conspiracy... only to discover that their players didn't really care. Or you complete a dramatic and powerful series of adventures featuring the unraveling of a conspiracy wrought by the Dark Gods of Keht... but three months later you mention the name "Keht" and are met by blank stares from the players... The Wizard says: "This is a republished post from my previous blog - enjoy!"