Every once in a while, a game will have a character or enemy that is instantly iconic. One of these, I would say, is the Big Daddy from Bioshock. It’s a big, imposing, and terrifying looking enemy that just...
Inspired By is a new Behind the Screens subseries in which Ryan talks about something everyday he cames across -be it a book, song, toy, etc- that inspired him as a GM. In today’s installment, he talks about the...
We’ve all been there. You carefully crafted a robust story involving war, intrigue, adventure, and cool battles. Then your players decide to do something completely different and miss it all. Let’s explore some ways we can help them choose...
Hi, my name is James and welcome to Code/Switch. Today I want to talk about collisions, more specifically collisions in space. While trawling the Know Direction Discord Server I got into a conversation about the realism of space combat...
Last week I did something completely different for one of my Iconic Design articles—I designed a shifter aspect. Normally I just make builds. This week I’m going to break another mold—I’m going to walk you step-by-step through my process...
Monster Hunter World is out! It’s my first foray into the series and I’m having a great time with the game so far. It’s a great action game and really sells on the feeling of fighting an enormous monster....
My Medieval Literature professor once told my class that the medieval audiences enjoyed new and innovative retelling of the same tales. As far as I can tell, not much has changed in the last 600+ years. There are dozens...
In Keyword Design, I use a single word as inspiration for a mundane item, a magic item, a feat, a spell, and a class option. Today’s word is “Cunning” as suggested by Aaron. Here’s a confession: I haven’t been...
Sometimes you need a weird idea to get through a momentary GM block. Here are eight several prompts to spark your imagination. Some are novel, some cliché any or all of them might give you some fun ideas. Working for...
OH MAN! EAGLES ARE SUPERBOWL CHAMPIONS! Sorry. I’m not a big football fan, but I AM a Philadelphian, and when our team is in the big game and casts off the shackles of a 52-year long win drought, you’re...