Mike Shea

I had a situation where the characters were going down a bunch of different paths in the mountains, right? They were in these caves. And I knew I was going to run a serpent cult encounter. I had my mini set up. I had a beautiful Dwarven Forge set up. I had all this stuff. And I'm like, whatever direction they're going, they're going to run into this. And the players joked, like...

As soon as they peeked in and they went, wow, look at this crazy serpent shrine with all these people. We should go down one of the other paths. And I was like, you can. I bet you it takes you right to that same door. And they're like, oh, it's the quantum serpent temple. Whatever direction we go. And I'm like, man, I spent an hour building this dwarven fort set up.

As soon as they peeked in and they went, wow, look at this crazy serpent shrine with all these people. We should go down one of the other paths. And I was like, you can. I bet you it takes you right to that same door. And they're like, oh, it's the quantum serpent temple. Whatever direction we go. And I'm like, man, I spent an hour building this dwarven fort set up.

As soon as they peeked in and they went, wow, look at this crazy serpent shrine with all these people. We should go down one of the other paths. And I was like, you can. I bet you it takes you right to that same door. And they're like, oh, it's the quantum serpent temple. Whatever direction we go. And I'm like, man, I spent an hour building this dwarven fort set up.

And it was also like, you know you want to do this. You know you want to enjoy your characters fighting snake cults. you know, just do it. But there was this definite like metagamey joke about like, oh, I bet that whatever direction we go. But that idea of building encounters that then you force on the players by whatever direction they go is often a source of criticism.

And it was also like, you know you want to do this. You know you want to enjoy your characters fighting snake cults. you know, just do it. But there was this definite like metagamey joke about like, oh, I bet that whatever direction we go. But that idea of building encounters that then you force on the players by whatever direction they go is often a source of criticism.

And it was also like, you know you want to do this. You know you want to enjoy your characters fighting snake cults. you know, just do it. But there was this definite like metagamey joke about like, oh, I bet that whatever direction we go. But that idea of building encounters that then you force on the players by whatever direction they go is often a source of criticism.

I don't really criticize Quantum Ogre. I don't think that's so bad. I think building flexible encounters that you can drop into different places is also a very common GM technique that is often brought up many times as good advice for GMs. So I don't think there's anything about that. So the dials, right?

I don't really criticize Quantum Ogre. I don't think that's so bad. I think building flexible encounters that you can drop into different places is also a very common GM technique that is often brought up many times as good advice for GMs. So I don't think there's anything about that. So the dials, right?

I don't really criticize Quantum Ogre. I don't think that's so bad. I think building flexible encounters that you can drop into different places is also a very common GM technique that is often brought up many times as good advice for GMs. So I don't think there's anything about that. So the dials, right?

If we think about fudging as lever, like we are, you know, very common metaphor for GMing is we're the man behind the curtain. We're the great and mighty Oz. We're behind the curtain dorking with levers and wheels and turns. And there's a great big head that's saying things like it's true. And we're like, you know, messing with the dials and pulling the levers. That's a pretty apt metaphor.

If we think about fudging as lever, like we are, you know, very common metaphor for GMing is we're the man behind the curtain. We're the great and mighty Oz. We're behind the curtain dorking with levers and wheels and turns. And there's a great big head that's saying things like it's true. And we're like, you know, messing with the dials and pulling the levers. That's a pretty apt metaphor.

If we think about fudging as lever, like we are, you know, very common metaphor for GMing is we're the man behind the curtain. We're the great and mighty Oz. We're behind the curtain dorking with levers and wheels and turns. And there's a great big head that's saying things like it's true. And we're like, you know, messing with the dials and pulling the levers. That's a pretty apt metaphor.

I like it. And one of the things we can think about when we are pulling those levers and moving the dials is that they have resistance to them. They aren't just these floppy dials and floppy levers and dials with no springs and they're all over the place and everything's topsy-turvy. Who knows how many hit points monsters have? You know, we're just turning things left and right.

I like it. And one of the things we can think about when we are pulling those levers and moving the dials is that they have resistance to them. They aren't just these floppy dials and floppy levers and dials with no springs and they're all over the place and everything's topsy-turvy. Who knows how many hit points monsters have? You know, we're just turning things left and right.

I like it. And one of the things we can think about when we are pulling those levers and moving the dials is that they have resistance to them. They aren't just these floppy dials and floppy levers and dials with no springs and they're all over the place and everything's topsy-turvy. Who knows how many hit points monsters have? You know, we're just turning things left and right.

Instead, all of them balance to center. They all balance to the way that it is at first. And then we pull them and they have resistance to them. And they will spring back into place. To kind of expand this metaphor, it means that we shouldn't be changing monster hit points lest we have a good reason to do it. And many times we just use what it says. But sometimes we turn it.

Instead, all of them balance to center. They all balance to the way that it is at first. And then we pull them and they have resistance to them. And they will spring back into place. To kind of expand this metaphor, it means that we shouldn't be changing monster hit points lest we have a good reason to do it. And many times we just use what it says. But sometimes we turn it.

Instead, all of them balance to center. They all balance to the way that it is at first. And then we pull them and they have resistance to them. And they will spring back into place. To kind of expand this metaphor, it means that we shouldn't be changing monster hit points lest we have a good reason to do it. And many times we just use what it says. But sometimes we turn it.

And sometimes it has more resistance one way than the other. The hit point dial, for example, has more resistance when you increase it than it does when you decrease it. You should be pretty free about decreasing hit points for the pacing of the game.