The RPG ARCHIVE
© 1998-2001
Dru Pagliassotti
All rights reserved.
From
1998 to 2001 I wrote articles about roleplaying for About.Com (formerly
The Mining Company). Although a few of these articles have been published
elsewhere — sometimes even with my permission — I provide
the collection here for gamers and for writers who might get some ideas
from them. The earliest articles are D&D-specific, although even those
can usually be generalized to other RPGs, as well.
I have not reprinted all of the articles here.
If I'm missing one of your favorites, ask. I tried to archive only those
I thought would be of the most interest to the majority of gamers.
These articles may be considered to be under
a "share-alike"
license. I am very easy-going about reprints, but I do ask that my name
remain attached to the articles.
Please note that while I and some of the other
editorial board members of The Harrow enjoy roleplaying games, The Harrow
will not publish any horror or fantasy stories that violate an RPG's copyright
by referring to copyright-protected worlds, characters, spells, and so
forth.
Writing Adventures:
How
to Start a Campaign: Pre-Campaign Planning
How to Start a Campaign: City Building
How to Start a Campaign: Realm Building
Ending Campaigns
Apocalypse—How?: Ending the
Game with a Bang
Adventure Writing: The Focus
Adventure Writing: The Adventure
Tree
Adventure Writing: The Opening
Scene
A Step-by-Step Guide to Creating
a Mystery Adventure
Adventure Writing: Nonplayer Characters
Adventure Writing: Ending the Successful
Adventure
How to Run a Good Bad Guy
Guidelines for Villains
A Little Personality: For Your
NPCS
Genre:
Writing the Fantasy Adventure
Genre: Writing the Western Adventure
Genre: Writing the Mystery Adventure
Genre: Writing the Horror Adventure
Play by Email: Setting Up
Play by Email: Running the Game
Roleplaying & Info for Players:
What
is Roleplaying?
Challenge Yourself: Play a Different
Character
Cussing in Character
Personalizing a Character: Habits and
Quirks
The Joys of Imperfection: Character
Flaws
Playing the Obnoxious One
What a Character! Roleplaying Tips
Finding a Niche: Valuable Characters Aren't
Always Thugs
The Adventurer's Contract:
Don't Take a Job Without It
Divvying Up the Loot
In Defense of Munchkinism
Living on the Edge: Are Adventurers Entirely
Sane?
Out-Thinking Your GM
Player Etiquette
Whether You Win or Lose: What Gaming is About
Why Roleplay?
Gamemastering Skills:
Angst
Ask Not for Whom the Die Rolls:
Killing Characters
Creating a Spooky RPG Mood
Dating a Hero: Putting Some Romance
in the Game?
DM Props
Equal Tabletime: Paying Attention
to All Players
Holidays
How to Avoid Herding: What to do
with Wayward Players
Humans in Alien Suits: How to Develop
Nonhumans
Introducing Characters
Keeping Campaign Records
Out of Alignment: Do Clear-Cut Good and
Evil Make Sense?
Planning for the Unexpected: When
Players Surprise You
Player Attrition
The Pros and Cons of Random Encounters
The Problem of Cheating
Running an "Evil" Game
Running a Game on the Fly
Surviving Mother Nature
Talking the Talk: Constructed Languages
Teaching New Players
Trial by Torture: Unusual Ways of Determining
Innocence
Trial by Combat: Unusual Ways of Determining
Innocence
Trial by Oath: Unusual Ways of Determining
Innocence
Trial by Ordeal: Unusual ways of Determining
Innocence
You Win Some, You Lose Some: Bad Game Days
Wergild
Controversies &
Oddball Topics:
Five Problems with Gamers & Dating
Gamer Grrlz
Gaming Groups & Divorce
God
and RPGS: Are They Compatible?
How
to Host the Perfect Game
RPG
Violence
The Top
10 Ways You Can Tell Your GM is Male....
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