Dead Poet Dungeon Master

 

Today, I'm blogging about the "sweaty-toothed madman" technique of adventure writing.  

Don't bother googling it, I just made that shit up... but not out of thin air.  

I fondly remember watching the movie Dead Poet Society in 1989.  Very relatable since I was, and still am, an anti-authoritarian creative writer.

So, what's this sweaty-toothed madman technique about?  Sometimes, saying (or writing) the first thing that comes into your mind is a winning strategy.  Game Masters who love coming up with details on the spot do this all the time.  Maybe they filter out the more ridiculous notions, maybe not.

Let's take an example - a black box.  The PCs have it in their hot little hands.  They want to open it, and you (as GM), don't have a clue what's in there.  Now what?

The safe option is to stall for time until you can think of something suitably interesting.  Perhaps, the black box doesn't open right away... or skeevers attack just as the thief pries the lid to have a peek.

However, if you want to come up with something off-the-wall and possibly inspired, say the first thing that comes to your mind.

In the following scene, Keating (Robin Williams at his best) coaxes something from one of his students, Todd.

Keating: A picture of Uncle Walt [Whitman] up there, what does he remind you of, don't think, answer.

Todd: A madman.

Keating: What kind of madman?

Todd: A crazy madman.

Keating: No, you can do better than that, free up your mind, use your imagination, say the first thing that pops into your head, even if it's total gibberish, go on, go on.

Todd: A sweaty-toothed madman.

Keating: Good God boy, there's a poet in you, after all.  There, close your eyes, close your eyes, close 'em, now describe what you see.

Todd: I close my eyes...

Keating: Yes.

Todd: And this image floats beside me.

Keating: A sweaty-toothed madman with a stare that pounds my brain.

Keating: Oh, that's excellent, now give him an action, make him do something.

Todd: His hands reach out and choke me.

Keating: That's excellent, wonderful, wonderful.

Todd: And all the time he's mumbling.

Keating: What's he mumbling?

Todd: Mumbling truth, truth like a blanket that always leaves your feet cold. [laughter]

Keating: Forget them, forget them, stay with the blanket, tell me about the blanket.

Todd: you push it, stretch it, it will never be enough, you kick at it, beat it, it will never cover any of us.  From the moment we enter crying to the moment we leave dying, it will just cover your face, as you wail and cry and scream.

Keating: [Whispering to Todd] Don't you forget this.

[For mobile devices, you may not see a video...Click here, instead]

Indeed, we all have something inside of us worth a great deal.

So, that's it, essentially.  Closing your eyes isn't necessary, but letting your imagination flow is.  The results don't always produce great things; however, the sweaty-toothed madman technique occasionally beats the pants off everything else.  

I don't remember mentioning Dead Poet Society in my book How To Game Master Like A Fucking Boss, but it's possible.  If I have time, I'll take a gander later today.

VS

p.s. I've got luxury hardcovers of Cha'alt: Fuchsia Malaise for sale.  Ordering details right over here!

Welcome To My Process (part 2)

Hello again!  We continue on the path of adventure writing.  If you're confused, start here.

The beauty, and perhaps frustration, is that there's no right answer as to where we go next.  So many things may be clamoring for our attention.  You just have to pick something and move forward in that direction.

Personally, I wanted to get a better handle on the look and feel of the dungeon. What is it?  Where is it?  Why is it?  That sort of thing.

This is going to be some kind of extra-planar temple between dimensions.  Therefore, it needs to have a special appearance.  In my opinion, standard square and rectangular rooms separated by corridors just won't do.

Since this will relate to the scenario Dead God Excavation, why not the interior of a deceased Old One?  I started sketching out the shell of a rather amorphous creature with tentacles.  Eventually, I'll send this out to a professional cartographer as a reference so he knows the kind of thing I'm after.  And one day, I hope, my original drawing inspiring the final version will be worth thousands of dollars in 20+ years.  That means keep your originals!

I'm not the best cartographer, but there are literally dozens of useful map drawing tutorials all over the internet.  Or just study the map makers you love.  I've picked up a few tricks from my friend and former collaborator Glynn Seal of MonkeyBlood Design.

As I drew, I tried to think of a few adventure details.  Such as, what was this particular dead god called?  And how does any of what I'm drawing relate to the title which was my last piece of the puzzle? 

In fact, that's a good way of looking at my process.  I'm just putting puzzle pieces together until I have a whole.  It's difficult at first, with so many blank spots needing to be filled in.  It gets easier as the puzzle nears completion.

As you can see from the picture, the Old One is (or was) named Tsuma'al.  That word Tsuma'al was just something I came up with.  The root may have come from Tsalal from Thomas Ligotti's weird short stories.

So, is Tsuma'al just a dead shell and nothing more... still alive but asleep, waiting to rise?  I'll have to think about it.  At the end of the day, whatever makes the adventure more fun and interesting is the right answer.

The darker bits are obstructions, perhaps fossilized organs or skeletal fragments that haven't disintegrated yet.  The last bits I added were zoth pools and streams that PCs will have to cross or wade through. 

What is zoth?  It's the blood of Great Old Ones.  Zoth is a glowing chartreuse ichor that enhances sorcery, magic items, and can be used as alchemist's fire.  It's powerful, but also hazardous to the touch. Yes, the Cha'alt connection grows...

Next, I'll probably detail what kind of encounters this dungeon will contain, what's currently going on in this weird planar temple and how will the PCs' involvement introduce complications.  I shall let ideas from the title, Slime Green Concubines of the Blood-Splattered Queen, percolate.

Stay tuned for part 3 either tomorrow or the next day!

VS

Unspoken Tags

I was putting together a short adventure for a Roll20 game using the ever-changing Crimson Dragon Slayer D20 rule-set (final version will be uploaded sometime in the next couple days), and it hit me that I often have these unconscious, unspoken tags in my mind as I write and then proceed to run a scenario.

Knowing the effect you want to achieve is key to crafting adventures like a fucking boss!  One-shots especially are not unlike short stories.  As Edgar Allen Poe said about that particular art form, it should create a singular effect and every element of that short story needs to carry its own weight, driving it home.

As I was writing this latest one, I had the following emblazoned in the back of my mind: desperate, exploring the unknown, weird location-based scenario, and Lovecraftian.

Depending on my mood, I might have a different set of tags, such as: cat and mouse, whimsical, gonzo, introspective.

I don't know how many GMs do this and are also acutely aware of it, but just thought I'd mention it.  Is this part of your process?  If so, does it help?  Is this something you'd try using?  Have you ever run an adventure that someone else wrote, using a completely different set of tags?  What was that like?

VS

p.s. This new adventure will eventually show up in my upcoming book Cha'alt: Fuchsia Malaise.  Still haven't gotten your hardcover Cha'alt?  Now's your chance!

Adventure Writing

I've held onto fragments of Adventure Writing Like A Fucking Boss II for months.  I'm almost ready to put the finishing touches on, but want to hear from you one last time before the final edit. 

What about adventure writing, either for yourself or others, makes you nervous, becomes an obstacle, always seems to be a problem? 

Do you have questions that need answers?  If so, please share them with me.

Thanks,

VS