GM tip: add an enigmatic NPC early in the story. Have them appear, establish a little personality, and vanish. Later, when you need to: draw out a shy PC; motivate a side quest; plug a plot hole, out they come, with a great reason for doing whatever needs doing, and it looks like you planned it.
#GMTip #RPG

A good campaign ending gives the players a choice on how to finish their character's story, even when all their storylines have been finished. #DMTip #GMTip

As I close out this campaign, I remember once simple truth to share. Campaigns go on because the players and the DM keep coming back together. Breaks may last weeks, months, or even years, but when you always make sure to return, you can keep going. #GMTip #DMTip

Generate excitement by releasing short excerpts in advance of starting to fill in some world details and set up the situation. You will see this used in literature as the introduction to chapters. #GMTip #DMTip

If at first you don't succeed, further attempts will come with consequences. If there is no chance of consequences, why would you roll? #GMTip #DMTip

A session zero is great. Having everything written down for players before session zero is even better. Clear communication keeps games running smoothly. #DMTip #GMTip

Choose and communicate the type of game you are running. Are the PCs the main characters or just the start of a long line of dead PCs lost to the dangers of the game? Players need to know. #DMTip #GMTip

Unexpected things may happen in your games. Take a read periodically to ensure that these things are helping the PCs as much as they are complicating the situations. #GMTip #DMTIp

Understand the motivations of the player characters, and use those to guide them naturally through the plot. #GMTip #DMTip

Repeat a pattern of a previous encounter or story arc, but then throw in a twist at the end to keep them guessing. #GMTip #DMTip