tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32359501Tue, 05 Mar 2024 06:19:09 +0000kerneldndlibrarywodRoleplaying is just like gardening, to an extent --- water, nourish, and wait for it to grow, then enjoy the fruits of your labours. From the GM's perspective, at least.http://thegaminggarden.blogspot.com/noreply@blogger.com (Arivia)Blogger12125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32359501.post-6675489426842255010Sun, 17 Dec 2006 03:07:00 +00002006-12-16T22:07:58.474-05:00From now on, the Gaming Garden will be updating once a week, usually on Sundays. Yell at me if I don't update like I'm supposed to.http://thegaminggarden.blogspot.com/2006/12/schedule.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Arivia)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32359501.post-5921639211962873349Sun, 17 Dec 2006 02:35:00 +00002008-12-12T02:38:36.500-05:00dndlibraryCityscape is a November 2006 release for Dungeons and Dragons, focusing on adventuring in, the narrative role of, and the design of cities.Pick Up And Go: 1Depth Of Ideas: 5Prose: 4Readability: 2Rules: 5Style: Not applicableAt least notionally, Cityscape is the fourth in a line of products Wizards of the Coast has released, focusing on specific enviroments in D&D. In reality, it bears little http://thegaminggarden.blogspot.com/2006/12/library-cityscape-d.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Arivia)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32359501.post-7655850859238644942Thu, 30 Nov 2006 23:19:00 +00002006-11-30T22:44:01.459-05:00kernelInside your focus area, choose one section of it equal to the next-smallest focus area. The following table details what that section is for each of the focus areas we discussed in the last installment.Focus AreaHome BaseGeographical RegionCityCityCommunityCommunityBuilding(Note that "Building" is just that: a single building. Additionally, feel free to go farther down the chart than it mandates:http://thegaminggarden.blogspot.com/2006/11/kernel-of-game-setting-ii-home-base.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Arivia)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32359501.post-8860844031193546516Thu, 30 Nov 2006 21:18:00 +00002006-11-30T17:09:48.296-05:00libraryThings have finally settled down enough on my end that I can post again, which I am commemorating by introducing a new section to the Gaming Garden: sourcebook reviews for GMs.I'll be grading each sourcebook in five categories, each with a rating from 1 to 5:Pick Up And Go: How much work do you need to do to introduce this supplement to your game? Can you pick it up at lunch and use it at your http://thegaminggarden.blogspot.com/2006/11/library-supplement-reviews.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Arivia)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32359501.post-115914169700211890Sun, 24 Sep 2006 23:07:00 +00002006-11-30T18:32:39.350-05:00kernelEach campaign setting is far larger than you can use in one game feasibly. In this step, you want to pick an area to focus on: not to say that your campaign will be restricted to that area, but the majority of the campaign and story will focus on this setting in some way. The players should come to know this area through the campaign: they will become familiar with its' inhabitants and foibles, http://thegaminggarden.blogspot.com/2006/09/kernel-of-game-setting-i-region.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Arivia)2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32359501.post-115569381309399284Tue, 15 Aug 2006 23:47:00 +00002006-11-30T17:06:36.800-05:00kernelAfter a few days off, we return.By now, you should have read at least the core rulebooks for whatever you're playing, and probably found a few things that seem quite interesting from them. Now, let's start actually putting your chronicle or campaign (I'm just going to use campaign from now on) together.The written narrative can be separated into five components --- plot, character, setting, mood,http://thegaminggarden.blogspot.com/2006/08/kernel-of-game-concept-style-and-focus.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Arivia)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32359501.post-115519099583213579Thu, 10 Aug 2006 05:11:00 +00002006-11-30T17:20:59.935-05:00dndkernelDungeons and Dragons is the grandfather of all roleplaying games, and its sociological and artistic impact upon not only roleplaying games but gaming as a whole (we'll get into that further some day) cannot be understated.Genre: Fantasy. No matter the setting or the campaign, Dungeons and Dragons itself is firmly bound in fantasy, from elves to the dungeons and dragons in its name. The specific http://thegaminggarden.blogspot.com/2006/08/kernel-of-game-dungeons-dragons.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Arivia)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32359501.post-115506101911780920Tue, 08 Aug 2006 16:40:00 +00002006-11-30T17:06:59.174-05:00kernelwodThe World of Darkness is a darkened version of our own, a horrific counterpart where corruption lurks in every department, vampires rule the night, and all your worst fears are animate.Genre: Horror. The World of Darkness is wholly focused upon horror --- all types of it, although it tends to the personal and the psychological, instead of the gory. Different supernatural groups within the World http://thegaminggarden.blogspot.com/2006/08/kernel-of-game-world-of-darkness.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Arivia)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32359501.post-115505374767132674Tue, 08 Aug 2006 15:55:00 +00002006-11-30T17:07:09.092-05:00kernelSo, you've now chosen to be the GM, the one pulling the strings and directing.Now, where do you go from here?Well, you need to begin by building your game. And the first step of that, is to decide what system you're going to use.Now, roleplaying game systems are unusual things. They're half-setting and half-rules for that setting. Hence, it's important to get an idea of what type of game you're http://thegaminggarden.blogspot.com/2006/08/kernel-of-game-system.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Arivia)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32359501.post-115505231965600429Tue, 08 Aug 2006 15:50:00 +00002006-08-08T11:52:51.113-04:00The above link is a small essay I wrote on the role and concept of paraphernalia in roleplaying games, and was the catalyst to start the Garden.http://thegaminggarden.blogspot.com/2006/08/catalyst-beyond-pin.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Arivia)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32359501.post-115501164600002920Tue, 08 Aug 2006 03:43:00 +00002006-11-30T17:07:17.505-05:00kernelAs with all other things, it's always necessary to have a set of examples to work within, a common reference point for discussion.And on the other hand, it's also a good idea, when discussing how to do something, to start at the basics and work from there.Hence, the first project of sorts for the Gaming Garden --- an introductory guide to GMing, which officially begins now.Why should you GM?Many http://thegaminggarden.blogspot.com/2006/08/kernel-of-game-you.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Arivia)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32359501.post-115500774243929163Mon, 07 Aug 2006 23:39:00 +00002006-08-07T23:39:43.726-04:00The goal of The Gaming Garden is to present essays, advice, and general tips on the art of Game Mastering/Storytelling/The Big Person With All The Power from a narrative and thematic basis, and on the general idea, theory, polity, culture, and zeitgeist of roleplaying games as a whole.A few points of general order:1) Everything applies primarily to pen-and-paper roleplaying games, not their http://thegaminggarden.blogspot.com/2006/08/mission-statement.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Arivia)2