NPCs with Teeth

Continuing on with our February theme of tabletop game tips, let's move on to one of my favorite things: non-player characters! I adore adding in NPCs and my poor players have so many NPCs they run into all the time. So what makes for a good interaction in a game?

1. Goals of Their Own

The NPCs have their own goals, plans and ideas. They have their own idea of what needs to happen and how to make it happen. This mainly applies to NPCs with bigger roles. Every single shop keep doesn't need a backstory and motivation that really plays a big role.

However, if there is a noble giving the adventurers a quest, there's probably some reason behind it and some 'proper' way of it being handled. They have their own issues to worry about and reasons for interacting with the players. That shapes how they speak to and behave towards the players.

2. Flaws/Interesting details

There's always the running joke in DnD that players will want to talk to Boblin the Goblin and not the mysterious hooded wizard in the corner. Why? I mean a friendly goblin with a fun name is way more interesting! An NPC should have something that helps make them stand out. Now, that could be their name, their appearance, their way of speaking or some other fun trait.

Maybe the noble that hires the party regularly always wears a beautiful purple pendant and speaks with a faint stutter. It makes that NPC feel more real and also stand out against the background of the rest of the fantasy world. I also find it helps to have NPCs with names that start with different letters or sounds... something I neglected in my current campaign with Faylie and Raeleigh (recurring NPCs) regularly get mixed up because their names are too similar. Whoops!

3. Opinions on the players' characters

NPCs should not be impartial or indifferent to the characters interacting with the game. Whether they're good or bad, the characters have made an impression. In ttrpg, the characters impact the world and that includes the NPCs so have them react to what's happened, what the characters have done. If you've never had a group of NPCs form a fan club for the players then I suggest going that route because that creates a whole lot of fun for everyone involved!

Honestly, I could write about NPCs for a ton of posts but I'm going to keep it to a minimum for the start of all this. Stay tuned through the rest of the month for more ttrpg tips!

MORTAL COMBAT: DnD Combat Tips

The month has gotten away from me! I swear that just a moment ago it was early January and now here we are almost to the middle of February!


This month I wanted to talk about some general tips for running a tabletop roleplaying game like Dungeons and Dragons!


To start off, I'm jumping straight into the thing I struggle with the most: combat! Yeah, I have a hard time running fights in a lot of my games. I tend towards improv conversations with non-player characters rather than a long, drawn out fight. It's something that I am working on so here are some tips that have helped me start leveling up my combat!


1. Use the environment


Not every fight needs to or should take place in an open field. Fights could break out anywhere in a chaotic fantasy world where giant, hungry demons roam freely. Use the environment to create extra challenges for your players. One of my favorite encounters including a forest of free-floating trees. Because the trees constantly moved around, the scene shifted and line of sight, hiding spots and more changed. The players had to stay on their toes to keep ahead of the trees or risk getting knocked off their fight.



2. Use more than numbers!


This is one I try really hard to work on.. consider these options when describing a hit:

"Does an 18 hit?" your player asks.

"No," you answer. "You need a 20."

versus

"Does an 18 hit?" your player asks.

"Your great sword grazes against the ghost knight's chainmail but isn't able to find a vulnerable spot," you answer.


They're both giving the same information: the hit doesn't land, but one feels bit more cinematic and exciting than the other. Describing the fight in terms of action sequences versus just a clashing of numbers makes the fight feel more real and urgent. On the other hand, it can also make fights run longer so be aware of that downside as well.


3. Adjust


This is one I have really leaned into and may or may not work for your game. My current group is made up of all casters, most of them are very squishy with low hit points. I have absolutely almost one-shot the group because of a good damage roll... that I then tweaked. Yes, I'm talking about fudging the dice rolls.

For me, games are all about fun and my table isn't about the 'constant looming threat of character death', it's something we've agreed on already. So, adjusting the damage to not splatter the wizard in one hit makes sense.

It also means that if the wizard nails the big boss with a fireball, well maybe that enemy has a few extra hit points now.

This one is a fast and loose rule for certain and really takes a lot of knowing your group. If the group is tired and obviously not feeling combat, people have a few less hit points and the fight ends quicker... otherwise, maybe the fight goes a little longer.

I know this can be a controversial take cause, let's face it, fudging dice rolls is a slippery slop but with a group that trusts one another, I think it can help combat feel more exciting, engaging and cinematic!

So that's where I am in working on ttrpg combat! What are your tips for helping combat run smoother?

Energy Management

What a year January has been, huh?

As the year kicks off, I am being hit over the head with a reminder that dang can I blow through my energy way too quickly.

My day job tends to start quickly and be really intense at the start of the year. That means I come home and my brain is a bit like scrambled eggs. It's hard for me to think or create after work.

My energy is consumed with everything I do during the day so that means if I want to get much of anything creative done, anything that requires my brain firing at full capacity then I have to get it done before I head into work.

Thankfully, I'm a pretty solid morning person already so it works for me. Knowing when you naturally have more energy is really important to figuring out those times you can best work.

I know some writers who are, like me, morning people, and I know a lot of writers who are total night owls. They create once everyone else has gone to bed and sleep in as long as possible in the morning. There isn't a one size fits all strategy that guarantees success for you.

On the up side, that means no one can tell you what to do; on the down side that means no one can tell you what to do. It's a pro and a con because choosing your own style can be freeing and amazing but it also involves trial and error over time.

How do you figure out when your energy is at its peak?

Track it.

I know, kind of boring but that's the only way to know. Try tracking your energy for two weeks, two average weeks of your life. Don't do this while you're on vacation or holiday, see what it looks like it during your daily routine.

Rate your energy from a 1-10 every hour. If you're like me, it's high in the morning and then around 2-3 in the afternoon I nose dive into needing a nap land.

See what your energy levels tell you about when you'd be best creating things. Maybe you are super alert at 1 in the afternoon. Is there any way you could take a late lunch at your work and spend some time writing then? Look for ways to fit what your life looks like into what you want to do.

Willpower and Cantrips

Routines and Schedules

One of the most helpful and boring things that I have found keeps me writing is my schedules and routines. Last year threw a lot of that off for a variety of reasons. I started a new job in January and that meant a whole new routine to deal with as well as a new commute and a lot of learning.

Then well... March happened and everything changed again.

This is why my focus for 2021 is on rebuilding routine and structure into my life as much as I can. When some things are automatic, it frees up brain space. We've all had those days where you get home from a long day at work where you had to make a million decisions. You flop onto the couch, can't decide what to make for dinner so you order a pizza and watch movies. Suddenly it's 10:00 and time for bed. Your willpower is depleted and trying to force yourself to do more, doesn't really work at that point. You've exhausted that energy.

For my Dungeons and Dragons fans out there, it's like spell slots. You have enough energy to cast a certain number of spells before you need a rest. Schedules and routines act a bit like cantrips: they don't take a spell slot to cast.

One thing I have built into the routines of my life is that Monday is laundry day. It's become basically automatic at this point. I know that anything that needs to be washed will be dealt with on a Monday so I don't have to allot any amount of worry to 'when am I going to get all these clothes washed?' It frees a tiny amount of brain space from that thought. There's no decision to be made, it's already been made by past me.

By building in these little decisions already being decided, you can free a lot of brain space. Set up a similar breakfast every day, wear a 'work uniform' even if you don't have to, have a set time for eating or going to bed or writing. When these routines become automatic, those things get done with less resistance and less willpower drain.

Consider that schedules are really just a gift that past you is giving to future you, isn't that thoughtful of them?

My Top 5 Writing Books

Ah, the never-ending world of writing advice... there are so many options of things to read and learn from. As always, advice is very selective with what matches your own experiences and what clicks best in your brain. So, I thought I'd share my favorite writing books!

  1. 2k to 10k: Writing Faster, Writing Better, and Writing More of What You Love by Rachel Aaron

This book didn't take me to 10k a day writing (I mean, to be honest, I rarely hit 2k days lately) BUT it did give me a better plan on what matters for me to have ready when I start writing. Instead of just thinking about how I'm going to write so much when I have time, I can focus on the specifics: next plot points, dialogue, and plan actions.

If you're looking for a way to get more laser-focused during your writing time, this short book is a huge help.

2. Take Off Your Pants!: Outline Your Books for Faster, Better Writing: Revised Edition 2nd Edition, by Libbie Hawker

The fun title caught my eye but the contents really solidified what I was looking for. If you're noticing a theme with these first books, you're right. These books are to focus on what you really need for an outline, the bare bones of what a story requires.

I have a bad habit of getting into the weeds of my story and writing out a history lasting 1000 years but not my actual story. This book helped me narrow down and create outlines that give me the information and guides I need to actually do the writing work.

3. Writing with Chronic Illness: Improve Outlook and Productivity (WMG Writer's Guides) by Kristine Kathryn Rusch

Now this book surprised me. I started it to see about if it was any good to recommend a friend dealing with a new diagnosis. I was amazed at how much this book helped me (and her!) with managing of energy.

Even in someone not dealing with a chronic condition (though honestly I could see everyone calling the past few years a condition to struggle with) can learn a lot about what is going on.

The ideas here of figuring out high, medium and low-level tasks is a great way to navigate fluctuating abilities day by day. I learned a lot about figuring out what tasks I can do when my energy is low and what tasks can really help me make the most of a high energy day.

Honestly, Rusch has a ton of books out and a great blog that provides a lot of resources and advice.

4. Business Essentials for Writers: How to make money in an ever-changing industry by James Nettles

I had the pleasure of beta-reading for this book and it is everything I could have hoped for when I was starting out as a writer. There are so many questions when you start seeking publication... and a lot of contracts to worry about! This easy to use guide provides a clear guide on things to be aware of: from scams, publishing paths, social media, contracts and networking.

I keep a physical copy of this book right by my desk and reference it fairly often.

5. The Successful Author Mindset Companion Workbook: A Handbook for Surviving the Writer's Journey by Joanna Penn

This one is a bit of a cheat since it's technically a workbook that you complete yourself. However, there are good bits of text along the workbook to explain what to do and to guide you through your own hangups around writing. I was really surprised by how much writing out my own ideas, goals and hangups helped me visualize WHY I was writing.

I know we hear it a lot but the why behind what we're doing really makes a huge difference in keeping motivated. Finding and really honing in on that answer makes me feel so much more inspired to keep working towards my goals.

Those are my top five writing books for the moment. As always, take what works for you and leave the rest! Writing is a really individual task and you'll find the method that works for you with trial and error.


Liminal Year

What a year 2020 was, huh?

The end there got a bit dark and struggle-y for me personally but here we are, on the other side of that 0.

My hope for this year is to be more active here, read more books and write more. Of course, I also have those 'typical' goals of getting healthier, working out more, etc. What can I say? I'm only human.

2020 changed a lot of things for pretty much everyone I know. There are so many things I miss and so many things that I've learned about myself. For instance, I've learned that working without background noise is a real struggle for me and that I really like Lo-Fi music.

Today I spent a good part of the day getting all of my calendars set up for 2021 and writing down important events. Normally I have several conventions I'm going to but this year, I don't have a single one on my calendar. It makes me realize how much I do miss those convention conversations and hanging out with the friends I only see at these conventions.

I think 2021 is going to be a liminal year, full of transitions, strangeness and disorientation. We're in the middle of a reshuffling of a whole lot of ways of life and of people seeing a new way of doing things. Many places are already looking at more permanent work from home options and several conventions are looking at creating year-round online content. The way we live has fundamentally changed and this is the year that these changes take root.

I've always loved liminal spaces, the grocery store at 2am, the abandoned building or the airport in the dead of night (man, remember airports?). There is a potential in those areas, a quiet humming energy that stays unseen but sends the hairs on your arms standing on end.

For 2021, I have so many things I want to do, but I also want to give myself the time to both enjoy the potential and to adjust to the stress of change. No matter how exciting a change is, it's always stressful and 2020 really proved that. What a year. I've never napped so regularly as I did all this past year. It just felt like exhaustion was always crawling up my spine.

Right now I've set a few simple goals with solid numbers that will give me a clear 'yes or no' when it comes to the end of the year.

I want to write 500,000 words.

I want to earn $3000 from my writing/freelance work.

I want to work out five times a week.

Those are the basics that I am hoping for in 2021. They're pretty easily trackable and when December 31, 2021 arrives I can look back and see a pretty solid yes or no for those.

But at the same time, I also feel that this coming year is the perfect year to change and shift goals as the year goes. I'm open for leaning into that slightly unnerving liminal energy to see where the currents take me.

If you're reading this, remember you survived 2020 and saw the dawn of 21, that's exciting. Look towards the ever changing future and remember that it's impossible to predict what's ahead. Learning how to roll with those changes is a lesson I'm hoping to learn more about in the coming year because honestly, who knows what waits around the corner?

Process of Creation

How do you go from idea to finished product? That looks entirely different from person to person and project to project. Sometimes it takes only a few minutes (maybe for a small item for a DnD game) or sometimes it takes literal years (novels, anthologies, etc.). Sometimes simple things are complex and complicated projects go smoothly. It varies so widely it’s hard to even come up with a plan or timeline. 

With that said, most projects follow a similar pattern in how they work at least so let’s walk through the steps. 

  1. Draft Zero - I call this the Zero Draft or Draft Zero because it is the mess that basically no one but me will see. This is where I fling ideas and words onto the page to see what will stick and make sense. 

  2. Draft One- The first true draft is one where the project is taking on a somewhat recognizable shape. This is a draft I’m okay to share for feedback and one where I am cleaning up and shaping the idea into something that more closely resembles its final form. If the Zero Draft is a pile of clay plopped onto a board then the First Draft is a rough sculpture where you can tell this clay might be a tea cup in the future. 

  3. Draft Two- More refining and sculpting here. I take away the extras, add in support and structure. Usually this is where I add in extra research notes or put in some more description or rules to help give the text the strength to stand on its own. 

  4. Feedback- Draft Two is generally what goes out for review (though sometimes it’s Draft One) and what gets worked on between me and my editor/beta readers/publisher/friend/etc. This is where someone else looks at it and asks if it makes sense outside of my head. It’s vital to have someone else look at your work. 

  5. Draft Three-Eight- This is the step that varies the most based on what feedback you get. Sometimes the feedback is with few changes and it’s easy to adjust and then move on. Sometimes the feedback means you are back to a Zero Draft, it’s wildly different every time. 

  6. Copyedits- At this point, the content and structure are pretty solid and it’s down to the little adjustments to be made. I am horrible with commas and this is where my poor editors have to deal with the flood of commas I’ve thrown at a project. 

  7. Layout- This step is one I usually don’t have much to do with. I’ve only recently started playing with laying out my own work. Layout is important because the way information is presented makes a difference in how it’s understood. 

  8. Cover- I make some of my own covers (mainly for DnD projects) and enjoy this step a lot. Making a fun, fitting covers requires knowing what works in your genre and a lot of hunting for images. 

  9. Upload and Promo - This is when the project is released, share and promo all over the place. Upload processes are different from site to site. Amazon can take days to review before your project is live while DMsGuild is almost instant. 

  10. Celebrate!- Yay! It’s time to celebrate that a thing has been done and a project is completed. Taking the time to recognize that my work is done has been very important lately. Rather than rushing on to the next project, I actually try to recognize that I did a lot of work to finish this and that is worth celebrating. 

Deciding on Ideas

A really common question is how do writers get their ideas. What’s interesting is a lot of times what people really mean to ask is ‘how do you know what idea to actually work on?’ most people who are creative have a LOT of ideas. Choosing just one is a real challenge and something most writers have a hard time with (including me!)

So how do I get and choose ideas? 

Ideas are all around us. They’re as easy or as hard to find as they need to be. For me, to get ideas at all, I have to be in a good brain space. When I am deep in depression or anxiety, there are no ideas flowing. During my long recovery from burn out, I had no ideas. I couldn’t think of stories or characters at all. It was terrifying. 

I remember crying in relief and joy when I started daydreaming again about things I wanted to create. So, if you’re having a hard time coming up with ideas, ask yourself if you’re okay physically, mentally, emotionally, etc. If the answer is no then give yourself the time and focus to rest and recover. The ideas will return. 

Now I constantly have ideas and things I want to create. My running list of projects keeps getting longer and longer. So how do I decide what to work on next? I’m trying to be a bit more methodical about this and find a balance between the exciting projects and the timely projects. Here’s what I ask myself:

Does this idea have a solid deadline? 

For example, if I want to create a Halloween-themed Dungeons and Dragons module, that needs to be done and out before Halloween. That’s a solid deadline. This also goes for projects I have been hired to work on. 

Am I excited about this? 

More and more with external projects especially I have to ask myself if I am actually excited about the project itself. If I’m already dreading it and the work hasn’t started yet, that’s a bad sign. How much do I want to work on this project? If I am bouncing around the house talking to people about it endlessly, that’s a pretty good sign I am excited about it, if not… ehhhh… letit sit and wait for a bit. I’ll know for sure in a few months if it’s a yeah or a no. 

Do I have the energy for this? 

This is a new addition and it’s really been important, especially in the chaos of 2020. Sometimes I just know that I do not have the brain capacity to join a new project, even if I am super excited about it! After my bad burn out that took years to recover from I’m trying to be better about protecting my time and energy. Just because a project is awesome doesn’t mean it’s worth sacrificing myself for. Rest is important, vitally so. 

Those are the criteria I am looking at right now when I am building on my ideas, it helps me streamline the process. Timeliness helps me order projects, excitement keeps me from hopping onto things just because it popped into my head and energy makes sure I do not overcommit myself. They work together to help me build a creative practice that is not just working for me, but that feels sustainable. 

Dancing and Farming: Ooblets!

When I first saw the artwork for Ooblets, I was intrigued. The strange blob-like creatures were adorable, and I love me a good farming simulator. What made Ooblets stand out, though, was that the Ooblets (what the little creatures are called) dance battle each other.

Read the full review on Speculative Chic.

ooblets-cover.jpg