Category Archives: con DM/GM

Growing as a DM – a plan

con DM/GM, D&D, flgs DM/GM, RPG

One of my personal rpg goals this year is to DM/GM (hopefully) a D&D game at a con or FLGS.

Obviously it’d be a one shot. Especially at a con.

I already have the Matt Colville Lost Tomb of Delian Order, or Sly Flourish’s The Obsidian Skull (from the City of Arches) that both make great single session adventures.

Plus I have a copy of the Frank Mentzer single map (Dyson Logo version) AND an A3 printout of the classic Keep on the Borderland dungeon.

Add in my copies of the Lazy DM Workbook and Companion are always in my bag. Which will be joined by his Ruins of Grendleroot and Fantastic Locations.

I nearly forgot my cards that allow me to generate dungeons completely on the fly. Plus the npc cards.

I could at the drop of a hat improvise a session. But as a DM I’m a long way off being that good.

However being a patreon of Sly Flourish I have access to some patreon exclusive adventures. There are three adventures that I have had printed out that potentially could be used at either a con or FLGS. But they are by the looks of them a couple of sessions minimum. One is aimed at a one on one session (DM plus player).

I also took the opportunity to print out the City of Arches source book as a temporary stop gap until an official version can be purchased (a Kickstarter is planned for later this year).

These have been added to the folder.

I’m not up to going through the official UKGE channels and running a session that people buy tickets for. So in the run up to the UKGE I will try to organise something informal at the show.

In the meantime if an opportunity comes up to run a session at my FLGS I’ll take it as that will help build my confidence.

D&D Grp 2 Session 11 Planning #7

con DM/GM, D&D, D&D Grp2, DM/GM Tips, flgs DM/GM, one shot, RPG, session planning, taster

SPOILER ALERT TO MY ADVENTURERS! The following post contains spoilers for the up and coming campaign/session. You may want to avoid this post and join me in a future one. REMEMBER you have been warned.

Ok technically this isn’t for session 11, but then again the Bagman stuff isn’t possibly either. But these are notes for me to look back on when planning future sessions in the campaign so I don’t forget.

So there I was watching a YouTube about what other DM’s have in their DM kit and I came across the this one by Wally DM.

In it he mentioned that along with the Monster Manual he also includes a copy of his book Wally DM’s Journal of Puzzle Encounters.

“That sounds interesting”, I thought to myself.

So I googled it.

Which lead me to DriveThruRPG (which did not like me trying to log in using my Facebook details, which is how I normally do it!)

After watching the review embedded on the books page I purchased the pdf of the book (I’ll get a printed copy payday).

What sold me was the very first puzzle mentioned in the review using a stone statue of an owl and gems. It reminded me very much of puzzles from an early fps. I wanted to use this.

The Prismatic Owl puzzle (depicted on the cover) as it’s called in the book is one I will be printing out and adding to my folder for new players! It won’t work with Matt Colville’s The Lost Tomb of the Delian Order. But it could work with Frank Mentzer’s Dungeon, or some other maps I have in my DM folder ready to be called upon (you might like this Sly Flourish article on the subject), even maps generated on the fly using the cards/geomorphs I have would work with it.

It’s also something you could use when running a one shot at a con or FLGS.

I will definitely be using it at the first opportunity with my current campaign.

As I work my way through the book I’m pretty sure there will be more than a few puzzles I’ll want to use in the campaign.