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Really early in our current campaign, I introduced a drink called “The Kiss.” I got the drink name from my campaign setting book I’ve been using for some of the NPCs, places, and backgrounds, however, it did not say what the drink actually was. Knowing one of my players, I began to dig around for a good cocktail that I would like, and would be simple to make. I was in the mood for a nice Fall drink that had apples and cinnamon. I did a lot of reading of cocktail recipes, more than I imagined I would. Some were quite complex, others were too much of an alcohol that I do not like (Rum). I finally found one that might work, but I didn’t have all the ingredients. So I improvised with what I had (recipes below). It can be served cold, warmed, or room temperature…however you prefer your drinks. Personally, I like it on the rocks. If you do not drink, or are too young, it tastes very similar to mulled cider. I included the mulling spices needed for this, but did not include the amounts as that truly is a preference. If you are interested in doing something like this for your campaign, it doesn’t really matter what the drink is specifically. What truly drew the attention of my players is the name sake. Each drink was served by one of the beautiful owners who would give you a kiss upon delivery.
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One of the reasons we become GMs is our love of the story. Many of us are readers of fiction and non-fiction alike. In all these stories, we find characters we love and a few we hate. When we are building a campaign for our tables, we draw on these stories for inspiration. Sometimes we want to include these in our game, but how?
First, do not be married to the element you want to use. When you use a setting, character, or even a plot from a previously written story, it may not fit perfectly in your own campaign. Some changes will most likely need to be made. Perhaps that forest setting will need to become an ocean, or the dangerous succubus will need to become a siren. Second, you must be okay with what the players do. They may completely ignore what excites you about the element you use. Even if they show interest, it may not be at the level you had hoped. A big bad for the players to fight may get walked over when the encounter happens. Finally, realize that it may not work at all. Things just do not fit all the time, or the players never get to that part of the campaign. You are not a bad GM if you cannot get a plot or side quest to take root, the players just had a different plan. In this case, you can save it for later, tucking it into your tool box. Perhaps you’ll be able to pull it out another time. Remember, this is a collective story building game. You, as the GM, are there to guide the plot and NPCs that are involved. You also do all the reactions and consequences to your players’ actions. This is a lot to juggle, so don’t allow one element to cause the game to stutter. Be prepared to save that which you want to include for another session. I do not like this excuse. I mean, it could fly the first time you do something that the other players question, but you cannot use it every time. At some point your character must grow. Continuing to use this as an excuse to do off-the-wall stuff will cause the party to lose cohesion, and will eventually break the trust between players. YES, PLAYERS.
As a GM, I cannot completely control this action, it is up to the players to come up with alternative actions that would still fit with their character. If the first instinct is just to do the same thing that is always done (because that is what your character would do), then it is time to expand your character’s tool box. If you are stuck, talk to the GM, they will help you with ideas. There are definite times that one can use this excuse that will not be detrimental to the group. These are most commonly found in social interactions. Being brash, telling secrets, not sharing enough, becoming recluse after a certain encounter, etc. Allow the time for the other characters to bring it up and ask questions to eventually reveal more in depth backstory. It is exciting to build those relationships between characters, and will draw in others to do the same. Probably the most important question to ask yourself is why? Why does your character do that? Then think long and hard on some other things. What can get them to do something different? How do others pull you out of the path of self-destruction, or chaos? And…are you, the player, willing to change how your character acts? All of these questions need to have some answers, nothing elaborate or in depth is needed, but the foundations need to be there. And if the answer to the last question is “no,” you may want to rethink the personality of your character. Hopefully, over some time, you will come to say, “That’s what my character would have done.” The time my mind is most active is right before sleep. The joy of my head hitting the pillow at night is undeniable, but the flash of images and ideas that fly through at that moment is enough to keep anyone awake. How do I navigate this? Well, I don’t really.
I let those thoughts just play out. Perhaps there is a good story to be written, or another plot hook to throw at my players. Sometimes my thoughts turn into mini-movies that play out in my imagination, while others just nag until I get up and write them down. As these go flying about, I do my best to discern which can be used for novels versus those used for a campaign. Often the characters (PCs and NPCs) take center stage in these ideas. Watching a plot unfold before me, I gain a deeper understanding of my own, make-believe world. I am able to plan out where they may go and what may happen, usually over a couple different options (of course, there is always the possible third option only a player will come up with…nothing is foolproof). Anything they don’t encounter gets put in the tool box for later. When other characters are involved, this takes on a whole other level. I can usually glean from this a new protagonist for my story, and an antagonist to go with it. Plots and schemes run rampant about how internal and external issues could be resolved. This is the imagination where a novel is born. If you find yourself thinking about characters, plots, locations, or even aspects of these, consider writing them down. Who knows, you may also come up with a novel. Or, perhaps, gain more confidence in running a homebrew world yourself. It’s a little nerve racking to think I could run a panel. I am hardly an expert at anything (even what I went to college for). If others wish to glean what knowledge or experience I have in the subject, I am willing to share, just don’t quote me on it.
When we finished up a convention this past spring, I let those who put it all together know I was willing to run a panel about RPGs. Now they are working on putting together their schedule of panels and workshops. I have talked it out with my group and decided to go ahead and put in a form to add me to their schedule (not just wait for them to have an unfilled slot). Of course, I have a lot to say about many things, hence this blog, but what do I talk about for an hour? Of all the things I chat about, I find I am most passionate about rules. Many of these GM Corners are about being flexible with the rules. Regardless of system, they are only guidelines that provide a reference for character creation and social interactions, but are mostly for combat. RPGs stem from the old war games mixed with our imaginative play from childhood. This combination provides a plethora of situations that are impossible for any system to cover, so they give rules for generalized scenarios and hope for the best. Some systems have gone too far, in my opinion, providing rules on whether or not the first test was successful and by how much. Even these systems give autonomy to the GM though. On occasion, I’ve been known to just roll d100 and say there is a x% chance of success or failure. I save this for a quick response most of the time and I would call it a homebrew rule. If you are sitting around a table, you have homebrew rules. Some of them are discussed and decided upon by the whole group, while others just happen. Most of them relate to game play, while a few are probably about table etiquette. However you choose to play, even if it is strictly by the rules, if you and your group are having fun, that is what matters most. I hate getting sick! (I don’t know anyone who actually likes it.) There are some illnesses that are over and done within 24 hours, then there’s the others. Everyone has a particular illness they get more frequently, or just seems to never go away. For me, that is the common head cold.
When I was younger (high school), I could be down for 2 weeks because of a cold. The first week I would sniffle through the day, drugged up on cold medicine, and using one tissue after another. Of course, after the first day, my father would make me go to school unless I had a fever (which was hardly ever). After that first week though, I would gain a new determination to get over it. I would just decide I was no longer sick and move on. Usually took another week to really go away. As a college student, I carried around the medicine like a badge, and I always had a glass of orange juice in hand. The tissues were down in a pocket somewhere, deep in my backpack. I’ll not forget the day I walked into my advisor’s office and asked if I could use his mini-fridge to house my big bottle of juice (so I could get refills throughout the day). He laughed of course, but offered up anything I needed. I’m still the same. Spent four days on the couch being miserable, drugged up on cold medicine, and drinking orange juice (sleeping through the marathon of my favorite shows). Then, just like that, I decided this was done! Day 5: got up, showered, put on a cute outfit, and went out to lunch (and dinner too). Sure, I have some lingering effects, but give me another day…there will be no more! You have friends, you even have books, you may have already learned to put together characters, but no one wants to adjudicate the game (be the Game or Dungeon Master). It can be tough to find someone who is both willing and…qualified?
Let’s stop there! Everyone starts somewhere. I started running games because no one else wanted to. I definitely didn’t feel like I knew the rules well enough. Sure, I’d played several games, but nothing serious, and none of them lasted any real length of time. Long campaigns were foreign to me, and the one-shot….don’t think we ever finished a plot. But there I was, friends and family in front of me waiting for the story to open up. They were eager to play and I was worried I’d forget which die to roll. I admit, it’s not easy to run a role playing game when you barely even understand the basics, but don’t turn your back on it too quickly. Draw straws, rock-paper-scissors, roll a die, doesn’t matter how you do it, just pick one of you to start. Encourage them to work up a session and run it. If they don’t like it, start the process over and pick someone else. There is a good possibility that one of you is going to enjoy this. As the company comes under fire for the various antics they try, Dungeons & Dragons can often become a point of contention among others. Some refuse to buy anything from them at this point, others have moved on to different systems all together. I do not fault anyone for wanting to do either of those things, or even something in the middle. What I want to discuss is how I feel when this subject comes up.
The first thing I want to do is just hide. When others start to talk about how the system is broken (and it is in many ways), I start to look inward and ask myself, “Is it that bad?” Every time, my answer is “No.” Maybe it’s just how I run it, or the players that I surround myself with. We homebrew or adjust any rules that seem unfair or broken and I adjust combat not on challenge ratings, but on my players’ abilities. And, honestly, I don’t look too deeply into company matters. My next reaction is anger, and I don’t like that. I often feel like I have to defend why I like the system. To me, it is simple. The rules in the book are guidelines, adjust them however you see fit. If it takes a lot of adjusting for you to have a fun time with friends, then this system is not for you. Pick a different system and stop hounding the D&D system. Just say you don’t really like it and move on! (I don’t play Shadowrun because I don’t like the system, but if you enjoy it, then play.) Finally, I feel like I need to remind others there is a plethora of third party content for this system. Hidden gems within these books set up items, characters, and monsters that are new and exciting to explore. Also, you will find various rule adjustments, or new rules all together that help to adjudicate the brokenness of the original ruleset. I found that the D&D system was lacking seafaring rules so I found and used “A Complete Guide to Nautical Campaigns” by Great Gamemaster. I supplemented this ruleset when my players took to the sea. If you and your players are having fun, regardless of the system, that is what truly matters. I do not like board games like Stock Market, Monopoly, and Life. I will NOT choose to play those of my own accord, but I will still play if I am having fun with the company I keep (actually, that goes for Shadowrun too). Do not tell me my fun is wrong simply because you may not like the game system I choose to play. Recently, I was asked to run another one-shot for a group of people who enjoy playing, but do not have the time to commit to a long campaign. The thing I find ironic about this request is if they do not have time to commit to a regular game, are we going to find a common time to even do this short one?
As a GM, this is a bit frustrating. You put in time to prepare and build a game that you believe the players are going to enjoy. Gathering monster stats, NPCs, maps and even miniatures can be a grueling task (well, they are for me), but you do it anyway. When you finally get a date nailed down, it’s still not set in stone. If one person cancels or has a conflict, the whole event can fall apart. Don’t get me wrong here. I still think we should continue to try to schedule a date/time for these games, especially if you are introducing someone new to RPGs. The biggest issue is one person needs to spearhead the scheduling. If everyone is just throwing out available times, and no one is committing, it will not happen. (Honestly, I think this is why I am asked to be the GM. I will set a date and time and whoever shows up I will take on an adventure.) I have come to realize that our Tuesday night group is unique. It is unusual for people to commit to gaming on a weekly basis, spending three or more hours every week with each other. I always try to have something for my players every week, and I enjoy roleplay heavy games with minimal combat. Thankfully, I have four people who like to play with me and also show up every week. Writing is a passion for me, but I share it with only a select few. I have written a novel based on a one-on-one campaign before, and found it enjoyable. Of course, it was only the two of us, so it was easy to collaborate on the details. Now the cat’s out of the bag, I’ll be working on a novel to capture The Gods’ Challenge.
I participate in a writing challenge every November, but it is not easy to write an entire book in a short amount of time. If you are excited to see this in a novel format, be patient as it will take me a couple of years at least. The next novel is generally easier than the last, but I am usually putting to words a story from my own imagination. The Gods’ Challenge would need to be a larger collaboration. The hardest part is getting the players’ characters just right. Like all players, they are not portrayed in the game exactly how the characters are seen in their imaginations. Sometimes the ideas, personalities, and flaws get lost in translation. This is why I would take the time to work with each player when writing about their character. After getting it all together, then we begin the editing process. This can take a year on its own. I imagine we will be long into the next campaign before any novel is completed and available in any way. For my fellow closet writers, you get this. For all others, I am asking you to have a lot of patience. |
AuthorJodie 
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March 2026
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