Synopsis: In fiction, revealing too much information right away is a sign of bad storytelling. In role playing games, it’s often essential for a good session. Game masters have to realize that what they think the players should know is often not enough for the players to actually understand what’s going on. We discuss the importance of information and how to make sure that everyone know what’s going on. Tom has a letter and we have shout outs and an anecdote.

Shout outs

Forum Shout outs

Music: The Information Age by Anthony Fiaumano

Halloween is right around the corner so we are once again talking about running terrifying games. RPGs can’t really provide shocks like film or TV, but it’s still possible to run a truly scary game by keeping a few principles in mind. Specifically, a GM should focus on presenting ambigious information, giving players some but not total control and characterizing NPCs and monsters well. Tom finally has a letter and some shout outs and a reader letter.

Shout outs:

  • Night of the Hunter: A brilliant and terrifying film blending film noir and fairy tales. Robert Mitchum’s preacher is legendary as the villain.
  • Virus: A 1980 Japanese post apocalyptic sci-fi film. Sonny Chiba’s in it! Hard to find though.
  • Four Dragons: A new Stargate novel written by Diana Botsford.
  • Smother Brothers’ Comedy Hour: Comedy in an era of censorship. Funny stuff.
  • Salvage: A British horror film with great acting and very gameable material.
  • Ghost Stories: a horror-comedy anime series.

Music: Danse Macabre by David Kempers

Morality and alignment are two of the trickiest issues in tabletop RPGs. Every player has their own perspective, beliefs and biases and they frequently come out during play. How do you deal with conflicts over moral dilemmas? We go over several possible reasons why this occurs and how to resolve it. Tom forgot his letter at work, but we do have several shout outs and anecdotes:

Song: Fuck Your Morals by Nothing in Return