I also like getting vouchers or free product. I've had a lot of experience of burned-out GMs dialling it due to signing up to run seven games just to get free accommodation or other things to enable their attendance. Largely this has led to poor experiences for the sake of more games on offer. 2/

I think we should do all we can to support GMs at conventions, but a rewards system has not, in my experience, led to any difference in quality of game. Company-specific rewards can be focused and good, I get those. e.g. Pathfinder having a program. Providing snacks and drinks for GMs is cool 1/

A top tip is use a good system like Pendragon. I have stock laminated knights ready to go. The Traits & Passions give GM and players roleplaying buttons to push. Create cool scenes or interesting dilemmas. The sesh comes from calls to action demanding a bit of thinking to resolve well. /end

My go to - Savage Worlds (fully internalised rules) and pick a genre people can grab. Main ones either Pirates, Indiana Jones / Tomb Raider, Cowboys (Deadlands). There's instant archetypes people can vibe with and roleplay comfortably in the world. Use cool scenes / characters from the genre 3/

With some roleplaying etc. Mid point is realising (person) actually needs to get out / is a hostage / is in love with the rivals; the last portion is players defeating all their own defences to get the (person) out and free. Loses the charm when you know the trick as you say, but fun for newbs 2/

It's a bit bait and switch, but I've had (as a player and GM) with the set up of having to guard (a person) the night before a ceremony and the PCs are in charge of protecting them from (insert threats here). First half of session is setting up defences and guard shifts and resources... 1/

Of course specifically for Cold War themed games, one could argue the document should be almost deliberately over bureaucratic or jargon-riddled, but we have to balance getting the look and feel right with actual clarity and usability for the player. (A long way of saying, yes use historical refs!)

How will a player use the asset doesn't appear to have been considered (presumably the sheet is made without actually using it in anger). A mistake I see in handouts is folk putting what they think should be on there (vibes), rather than emulating what would be useful or thematic to the in-game org.

Many games have assets which are lovely - for all manner of genres - but there is definitely a feeling of "I see what you were trying to do, but that's off" in other cases. There is a language to character sheets around how they are used for a specific game that some products get wrong...

Within the medium of RPGs, particularly faux historical games, what hits the mark is verisimilitude. Particularly in HW/CC were bureaucracy is a theme of the period, the documents should look "right" which is only achievable by understanding the aesthetics and design language of the source (I posit)

I got grades when I did mine at least. I didn't know I could pick a second one too. 😁

Still all the same characters, or did some get swallowed in the fog? ;)

Maybe not by default, but you can definitely lean in to coziness. 🙂

I really like Tales From the Loop, for fun playing kids in 1980s alt-history Sweden. Cosplaying chunky sweaters optional.

I for one am waiting for the Hodgson remixed title

Who doesn't love a nice dungeon map ;)

I have a few little ones in my various ttrpg scenarios

legacy.drivethrurpg.com/browse.php?a...

Thanks for the space, love the Ugin take! I have a bunch of #ttrpg scenarios for everything from D&Dizzle to Vaesen, via Savage Worlds and Call of Cthulhu. More are in the works, it's anyone's guess as to which will get finished first.

legacy.drivethrurpg.com/browse.php?a...

My cool stuff!
I'm closing in on the end of a playthrough for my solo ttrpg, The Insensate Ones. Julian is a disaffected PhD grad who returns home to find... nothing has changed? Oh, except for a weird illness risen from the deep sea. That's new.
ko-fi.com/post/As-Worm...

Thanks for the space, I have a veritable banquet of scenarios for everything from D&Dizzle to Vaesen, via Savage Worlds and Call of Cthulhu. More are in the works, it's anyone's guess as to which will get finished first. Maybe Regency Cthuhlu?

legacy.drivethrurpg.com/browse.php?a...