How to Manage Combat Like a Motherf$&%ing Dolphin
Want to run a fast-paced, exciting combat? It comes down to two things. First, learn how to track initiative. Second, learn about dolphins. Yeah, you heard me.
View ArticleAngry Rants: Dilemmas in GMing
I've been making a big assumption for years. I assumed you all had a basic understanding of how human brains make decisions. But you were determined to prove me wrong, weren't you? Congratulations. Now...
View ArticleJumping the Screen: How to Run Your First RPG Session
Do you have a little voice in the back of your head saying "okay, playing these RPG things is fun and all, but I really want the screen. I want to run games. How do I run games?" Well, this article is...
View ArticleSystematic InterACTION!
A long, long time ago, I promised to teach you a cool, simple system for designing and running social interaction encounters. Well, today's the day. And it's only a few years late!
View ArticleAngry Rants: And Then…
This totally ISN'T a rant about why you shouldn't like the new Star Wars movie. It's actually, really, seriously about GMing. I swear.
View ArticleAsk Angry: I Stop Him from Doing That!
Have you ever had a player declare an action only to have another player try to stop them by force? GMs HATE the phrase "no, wait, I stop him from doing that." How do you handle it? Let me tell you.
View ArticleNo! You Can’t Copy My Notes
"Angry," they say, "why don't you show us your game notes! Angry, teach us how to prep. Show us the way." I CAN'T DO THAT! STOP ASKING!
View ArticleGM Word of the Week: Ziggurat
There are some settings in which the GM just has to use a pyramid. And then there are others where a simple pyramid just won't do. Enter the ziggurat.
View ArticleAngry Rants: Risk
Do you do the exact opposite of what I tell you to do? Does it work? Well, congratu-f$&%ing-lations. Keep doing it. As long as you can handle the risk.
View ArticleAsk Angry: Protecting PCs from Your Mistakes
What do you do when you make a mistake? How do you fix it? Should you fix it? How responsible are you, really, for protecting the PCs from the world?
View ArticleKeeping Pace
Pacing: it's one of those words that everyone thinks they know. And they don't. Let's talk about Pacing, Flow, and how to build a good pace into your adventure.
View ArticleI’m Making This Up As I Go
Improvisation is the single most important thing that can utterly ruin your game if you f$&% it up. It's also widely considered to be unteachable by f$&%ing sissies who are afraid of working at...
View ArticleTone Policing Sir Bearington
We tell a lot of funny stories about gaming. But just because a story is funny doesn't mean its good advice. In fact, most funny stories are funny because they aren't good gaming. It all comes down to...
View ArticleI’m Making This Up As I Go: When Rules Fail
What do you do when the rules fail? Well, you're the GM, so you'd better do something! The game is waiting! You need to make a call! Hurry up and make something up.
View ArticleI’m Making This Up As I Go: Pulling Story Out of Your A$%
The problem with players is that they always want to run around and do things in your game. Things you weren't ready for. Or ask questions you don't have answers for. And sometimes, even your own brain...
View ArticleWhen Episodes Ain’t Episodes: How to Structure a Session
Tabletop RPG sessions are a lot like TV shows. The problem is the one very important way in which they are not at all like TV shows. If you always want to leave your players hungry for more, you have...
View ArticlePreviously, On The Angry GM: The Art of the Recap
GMs suck at giving recaps. They give too much information or too little information or the wrong information or they make it boring or they let the dumba&$ players do it or they do it by e-mail....
View ArticleWhat Even is an NPC (And How to Do Them Right)
Building compelling NPCs is a tricky, tricky business. And it's made even trickier by the fact that people don't even REALLY understand what NPCs are. That's a shame, because good NPCs are literally...
View ArticleHere Comes Tagalong: Henchmen, Allies, and DMPCs
Tagalongs: NPCs that join the party. They are often derided, frequently misunderstood, and rarely used well. Because people are dumba$&es. Which is sad because Tagalongs are a GREAT Tool for your...
View ArticleAsk Angry: Oh No, More Answers
It's time for yet another Ask Angry blitz! And the first two questions I answer are a little bit of site news. And then I answer real questions. Yay!
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