Gemstone Shards

Hard as it is for us to believe, Gemstone Shards has been online for a year now, so thank you for listening! On today's episode, we briefly review what we've discussed in this season's episodes, what we enjoyed the most about recording the show, and pat ourselves on the back for hitting this important milestone! 

On today’s episode, Gregory and Mike continue their interview with game designer and developer Sean K Reynolds! If you haven’t already listened to Episode 051, “World Building with Sean K Reynolds, Part One”, you’ll definitely want to go back and do so before streaming today’s episode, as our conversation resumes midstream. 

We wanted to write something clever to introduce today's special guest, game developer and designer Sean K Reynolds, but we honestly couldn't come up with anything more intriguing than his entry on the "Team" page at Monte Cook Games, his current employer, so here it is verbatim: Sean K Reynolds grew up in southern California. After finishing his chemistry degree he took a radical left turn and started working in the game industry. He’s been a webmaster, game designer, developer, freelancer-wrangler, and many other jobs that can’t be described in one or two words. He’s worked on a couple hundred books for a half a dozen RPGs (including Numenera and three editions of D&D), designed videogames, taught classes on game design, written plays and musicals, run online game conventions, judged international talent-search contests, and had bit parts in geeky movies like Gamers: Dorkness Rising and Attacking the Darkness. He draws, paints, and sings with moderate skill, and is passionate about helping people and introducing others to the wonders of gaming. He lives in a haunted building in Seattle, Washington with his cats. We're excited to welcome Sean to the show, and hope you enjoy our conversation!

As we approach our fifty-second weekly episode, we thought we'd take this opportunity to look back on five important themes that have emerged during our first year on-air! Join Gregory and Mike as they discuss where story comes from, letting your players help build your world, the ripple effect, and more!

On today's episode, join Gregory and Mike as they continue their conversation with game designer and novelist Bruce Cordell! If you haven't already listened to Episode 048, "A Chat with Bruce Cordell, Part One", you're going to want to go back and do so before streaming today's episode, as our conversation resumes midstream.

Ever dreamed of building worlds for a living? On today's episode of Gemstone Shards, Gregory and Mike yield the floor to someone who's been doing that full-time since 1995, novelist and game designer Bruce Cordell! In eighteen years at TSR and Wizards of the Coast, Bruce wrote adventures and supplements for four editions of Dungeons & Dragons, including classics such as Gates of Firestorm Peak, The Sunless Citadel, and the Origins Award winning Return to the Tomb of Horrors. Since 2013, he's been a Senior Designer at Monte Cook Games, where he’s designed and written for game systems including Numenara, The Strange, Gods of the Fall, and more. He's also written ten published novels, most recently Myth of the Maker, a novel of The Strange.

Now that we've given our fantasy city a reason to exist and decided who lives there, it's time to delve a little bit deeper. What do all those people eat? What do they drink? How do they earn a living? Oh, and what happens to the biological and household waste they generate? On today's episode, Gregory and Mike continue their look at what goes into creating believable urban environments for your fantasy world!

On our previous episode we talked about building dungeons that feel like real places, even if they contain fantastic features. Now it's time to look at your towns and cities! While urban areas and dungeons might not seem to have a lot in common, you actually need to ask many of the same questions when you're developing them: What is their reason for existing? Why are they at that particular location? Who lives there? Join Gregory and Mike as they discuss the elements you'll need to build believable urban environments, places that feel so real your player characters will want to buy a house and settle down there!

Okay, we probably should have called this episode "Building Believable Dungeons", but the title actually asks an important question. What does a dungeon, be it a cave complex, ruined temple, or pirate stronghold, need to feel realistic? As a world builder, you want your dungeons to challenge your players' in-game skills, not their ability to suspend disbelief! Join Gregory and Mike as they discuss things to consider before you send your party on their next dungeon crawl!

Running a high-level game can be challenging, especially if you haven't had a lot of experience doing it. While you can't predict when a powerful player character will do something that stretches your abilities as a game master, you can build your setting in a way that prepares you to handle their actions in an effective and believable way. Join Gregory and Mike as they continue their discussion on how to create a world that scales to meet the needs of your game, regardless of your adventuring party's level!This episode is a continuation of Episode 043, "Building an Unbreakable World, Part One", so you'll want to listen to that one first, if you haven't already.

As we discussed in our previous podcast, while it isn't really possible for high-level gameplay to "break" Dungeons & Dragons or any other major fantasy RPG, it very well might break your story or even your setting if you haven't planned ahead. In our next two episodes we're going to talk about building a scalable world, one that can handle whatever your players characters throw at at, whether they're novice adventurers wielding rusty daggers, or exemplars of their classes, ready to challenge the gods themselves!

If you've played fantasy role-playing games for any length of time, then you've probably heard someone complain that "'X' breaks the game", where the value of 'X' might be anything from "high-level player characters" to the Wish spell. On today's episode, Gregory and Mike discuss some of the common values of 'X', whether it's "the game" or your story that they're breaking, and what you can do to prevent it from happening!

As it turns out, we had a lot to say about expanding your game world's economy beyond the basics, and what had been intended as a single episode quickly became two! On today's podcast, Gregory and Mike will talk about several more advanced economic concepts, including banking, coinage, and taxes, and how they can make your world deeper, richer, and more believable!Today's episode picks up immediately following the end of Episode 040, and you'll want to check that one out first, if you haven't already.

Now that we've discussed ways you can construct a simple but believable economy within your game world, it's time to look at ways to expand the basic economic model we introduced in our previous episode. Join Gregory and Mike as they discuss trade routes, value added manufacturing, and how broadening your world's economy can create believable new adventure hooks and increase immersion for your players!

On our previous podcast, we looked at how developing a realistic economy for your game world benefits both you and your players. Now it's time to make it happen! On today's episode, Gregory and Mike discuss the four essential elements of a basic economy, and offer a simple blueprint for building a believable regional economic structure based on those elements.

In our last three episodes we discussed the importance of having a believable ecology for your game world, even though it usually lurks quietly in the background of your gaming sessions. Now it's time to look at your setting's economy, which likely plays an important role in almost every adventure you run. So how do you create an economic system that feels realistic without bogging yourself down in minutiae? And is it really going to be worth the effort? Tune in to today's episode and find out!

On our two previous episodes on ecology, we looked at building believable natural environments for your game world. But what happens to your setting's ecology when you add fantastic elements like spell casters, dinosaurs, and advanced underground civilizations into the mix? Can an ecosystem populated by magical plants and animals still feel realistic? Join Gregory and Mike as they discuss what makes a fantasy ecology believable, plus examine the role that sentient species play in your world's ecosystem!

On this week's episode, Gregory and Mike resume their look at what goes into creating a believable ecosystem for your game world, including how to avoid immersion-breaking errors when selecting flora and fauna for various environments your player characters may encounter. Please note that this is a continuation of a discussion from our previous podcast, and will be much easier to follow if you've already listened to Episode 035, "Building a Believable Ecology, Part One."

Developing realistic ecosystems for your game world can be a thankless task, and if you do it right, your players probably won't even notice. So why bother? Join Gregory and Mike as they discuss how ecological errors can break player immersion, what your player characters should (and shouldn't) expect to see in different biomes, and why polar bears don't belong on tropical islands!

On our previous episode, we discussed how effective timekeeping systems improve your game and the world you've built to host it. But how do you make that happen? We're glad you asked! On today's episode Gregory and Mike discuss what's involved in creating a believable, easy-to-manage calendar for your game world: where to start, pitfalls to avoid, and how your timekeeping system can help make your setting feel unique! While this is our second episode on the subject of timekeeping, each episode can stand alone, so it's not necessary to listen to Episode 033 before enjoying today's podcast. It's definitely worth checking out, though!

Just over a century ago, science fiction writer Ray Cummings wrote, "Time is what keeps everything from happening at once." While you may agree or disagree with how well this describes the "real world", it is certainly true of your game world! An effective timekeeping system helps avoid continuity errors, allows you to build stronger, more suspenseful plots, and can help prevent one of the "deadly sins" of world design, overbuilding. Join Gregory and Mike as they take a look at timekeeping, and how it affects both your world-building and your game mastery!

Even the most creative game masters sometimes need more than mere inspiration when they're building their game worlds. Join Gregory and Mike as they explain what they mean when they say, "Good GMs borrow, great GMs steal!"

We've looked at how problems with your game world can affect your players, preventing them from engaging with your setting, or even causing them to leave your game. But what about you, the game master? Could the world you've so lovingly created be holding you back? On today's episode, Gregory and Mike look at how a game world that is cluttered, dated, or overwhelming limits your ability to be an effective, enthusiastic GM!This is the third episode in a three-part series. While not essential, we would suggest listening to Episodes 029 and 030 first, as they'll provide background for today's broadcast.

In our last episode we looked at the question of player retention, and how the game world you've created may be causing players to leave your game. Now it's time to look at player engagement: You've got gamers coming to your table, but they don't seem that into your setting, and your gaming sessions aren't as much fun as they should be. Join Gregory and Mike as they identify issues that prevent player immersion in your game world, and how you can correct them!This is the second episode in a three-part series. While not essential, we would recommend listening to Episode 029, "Is My Game World Holding Back My Game? Part One" first.

When a tabletop RPG campaign falls apart, blame usually falls on either the GM's game mastery skills, or the actions of one or more of their players. But what if it's neither? What if the problem is the world you've created to host your game? In our next three podcasts, we'll look at how structural problems within your setting may be crippling your ability to run an effective game there. On today's episode, Gregory and Mike begin by tackling the issue of player retention: Is your game world actively driving players away, and if so, why?

We recently passed the halfway point of our first year, so we thought now would be a good time to review some key concepts we introduced in our earliest episodes. If you're just now joining us, this is a great opportunity to get caught up with a minimal investment of time. We also give a quick overview of the topics we've covered so far, making it easy for new listeners to find specific episodes they may be interested in!Also, be sure and join us next week for the first episode of a three part series designed for those of you with existing homebrew settings, where we ask the question, "Is my game world holding back my game?"

Now that we've discussed the availability and power of magic in your game world, it's time to examine the intersection between the two factors! Is magic rare and ultra-powerful, allowing a cabal of wizard-kings to rule the known world? Is magic ultra-common but of limited utility, creating a setting where children are taught cantrips like Mending and Light in school, but major problems must be solved with technology? On this episode, Gregory and Mike look at how different combinations of magical power and availability radically affect your game world and what your players encounter there!

While it's theoretically possible to create a tabletop fantasy game setting where players don't have access to spells and magic items, that's probably not the case for the world you're building. Assuming that magic does exist in your game world, exactly how powerful is it? Can high-level practitioners perform miracles, or are magic spells little more than parlor tricks? Also, is magic rare or common in your world? Does every peasant farmer own an enchanted plow and know a few cantrips, or are magical spells and abilities the province of a handful of gifted individuals? Join Gregory and Mike as they discuss how the power and availability of magic can radically alter both the way your world works, and how gameplay unfolds at your table!As this broadcast builds on concepts introduced in Episode 025 ("Magic in Your Game World, Part One"), we recommend listening to it before starting this one!

For most builders of fantasy game worlds, magic plays a major role in their setting. So where does your world's magic come from? Does it 'just work', or is there an element of chaos about it? Would a setting without spells or magic items still be a fantasy world? Join Gregory and Mike as they begin a two-part discussion about the role of magic in your game world!

After careful thought, you've decided that there are divine beings present in your game world. Now it's time to ask some additional questions: Is your world animistic? Monotheistic? Polytheistic? If, like most fantasy settings, it's polytheistic, are there a handful of gods? Dozens? Thousands? How do your gods interact with their worshipers and with each other? Join Gregory and Mike as they continue their discussion of gods in your game world!If you aren't well-versed in "real world" religious systems, you may want to check out Episode 023, "Gods, Demigods, and Heroes, Part One" for the basics before listening to today's podcast!

Since the beginning of tabletop role-playing games in the 1970s, most fantasy game systems have had a classical polytheistic religious model, largely drawn from Egyptian, Greco-Roman, and Norse mythology, and the majority of published settings for these systems have complied with that trope. Does your game world have to follow the trend, or are there other options? Join Gregory and Mike as they take a look at the different forms religion takes in the real world, and ways that might play out in your homebrew setting!

Now that we've discussed some guiding principles for using languages in your game world, it's time to put them into action! On today's episode of Gemstone Shards, Gregory and Mike present some useful ways to build your world with fantasy languages, including places to find them, where in your setting to use them, and tips on inserting them into gameplay in a way that feels realistic and believable!

On our last podcast, we asked, "What is the 'Common Tongue', and just how common is it?" Now it's time to look at the other languages of your game world! Many fantasy game settings posit the existence of multiple human languages, while assuming that elves, dwarves, and other non-human races have unique racial tongues that all members of that race share. Is this realistic? Is it good world-building? Should I even care? Join Gregory and Mike as they answer these and other questions about languages for your fantasy world!

Most fantasy role-playing games assume that all player characters speak a "Common Tongue" that allows them to communicate with each other and the non-player characters they encounter. But what exactly is the Common Tongue? Where did it come from? Does everyone on your world actually speak it? Join Gregory and Mike as they kick off their series on languages for your game world by asking, "Just how common is the Common Tongue?"

As a game master, are your non-player characters (NPCs / GMCs) actively building your world, or are they simply there to serve as foils, merchants, and quest givers for your players? Join Gregory and Mike as they discuss the many ways you can use GMCs to build your game world’s aesthetic, reveal its history, and create the momentum that keeps it alive and growing, even when the player characters aren’t onstage!While not essential, you may find it helpful to listen to Episode 018 (“Player Characters vs. NPCs”) first, as it introduces some concepts that will be expanded on in this episode.

One of the defining features of roleplaying games is the existence of two types of characters: those controlled by the players (PCs), and those controlled by the game master (NPCs or GMCs). On this episode of Gemstone Shards, Gregory and Mike ask the questions, "Is there a difference between the PCs and NPCs on your world? If so, what?" They'll also look at the reasons why player characters adventure, what role your NPCs play in your world, and how well-developed game master characters can help prevent negative PC behavior in your game!

So, you've carefully evaluated all the classes and subclasses your system offers, and decided that some of them really don't fit your game world. Now what? On this episode, Gregory and Mike look at ways you can alter classes to suit your aesthetic, ranging from simple changes in terminology to complete overhauls. They'll also talk about custom character classes, and examine the issue of character classes for NPCs!

In Dungeons & Dragons 5th Edition there are thirteen official player character classes, almost one hundred official subclasses, and dozens of "semi-official" subclasses from Unearthed Arcana and other sources! On this episode, Gregory and Mike discuss: what the existence of various character classes says about your game world, reasons why you might want to exclude a class, and what to do when your players are inexorably drawn to that subclass you've just carefully evaluated and decided to exclude.

In your game world, are there clear and obvious distinctions between player character races, or are elves, dwarves, humans, and halflings only differentiated by their stat blocks in the Player's Handbook? Join Gregory and Mike as they discuss the tropes of fantasy races, why you should avoid racial monocultures, and how you can make your world more immersive by establishing real differences between your races!

Does your world have to contain every official player character race offered in your system's rule books, or should you exclude those that don't fit your aesthetic? Where did your world's races come from? Why is a half-elf's non-elvish parent automatically assumed to be human? Join Gregory and Mike as they answer these questions and many more about the role player character races play in building your game world!

Whether you're creating a map for a brand new game world or retooling one for an existing one, you've got important decisions to make on what it will include! On this episode, Gregory and Mike will talk about where to start your map and what it should include, from basic geographic features to fantastic elements, such as floating cities and planar gates. They'll also discuss the importance of empty spaces on your map, and why you might not want your map to "show your hand", especially in a campaign's early stages!

Map making has been an important part of world-building since the beginning of tabletop role-playing games. Even if your maps aren't artistic triumphs, they add depth and realism to your world, and can be vitally important in charting the course of your campaigns! Join Gregory and Mike as they discuss how to get started with map-making, whether to develop your maps comprehensively or concentrically, and what you need to know about your world before you start mapping!

Naming your world, its continents, and its cities, towns, and villages, is an important part of world-building! Well-chosen names create immersion and establish a sense of place for both you and your players. On this episode, Gregory and Mike discuss how to select place names, where "real world" place names come from, and how to use place names to build both your world's aesthetic and its history.

In our previous broadcast we examined the idea that game worlds have a rating, and looked at what happened when each rating was applied to Kamlann, a fictional fantasy city.  On this episode, Gregory and Mike discuss what factors affect the rating you select for your game world, how you find out which topics your players are comfortable seeing at your table, and address the question of what rating is best suited for introducing various "adult" topics.Warning: While this episode does not include any graphic or explicit content, it does touch on sensitive subjects, such as violence, sexual activity, and drug and alcohol usage, so you may not want to listen to it with young children present.

Did you know that your game world has a rating, just like a movie, TV show, or video game? It does, and whether you've consciously chosen it or allowed it to evolve during the course of gameplay, that rating affects how your world is designed, and the events you allow to occur there. In this episode, Gregory and Mike visit the "entertainment district" of the port city of Kamlann, and examine what you'd expect to see (or not see) there at each of the five Motion Picture Association of America ratings (G, PG, PG-13, R, and NC-17).Warning: While this episode does not include any explicit content, it does touch on sensitive subjects, such as sexual activity, violence, and substance use, so you may want to listen to it without young children present!

So, you've selected or identified your game world's aesthetic. Now what? On today's episode, Gregory and Mike discuss how to take that set of guiding design principles and apply them to your campaign setting. Starting with a basic Egyptian-themed region, your hosts apply three of the aesthetics they identified in Episode 007, producing three very different, yet equally intriguing, settings for a fantasy RPG campaign. They also examine whether there are times when you should deliberately play against your aesthetic, and what can happen when you do!This episode will be easier to follow if you've listened to Episodes 006 ("Defining Your Aesthetic") and 007 ("Developing Your Aesthetic, Part One), as they lay the groundwork for and define the concepts discussed Episode 008.

Now that we've established what an aesthetic is and how it helps you build your game world, it's time to either identify your existing world's aesthetic, or create one for your newly established world! In this episode, Gregory and Mike identify some frequently-used game world aesthetics, and discuss how to develop an aesthetic from sources such as literature, popular culture, "real world" history, and even from a name, phrase, or tagline!As Episode 007 builds on concepts introduced in our previous broadcast (Episode 006 - "Defining Your Aesthetic"), we'd recommend checking it out before listening to this one.

So, what exactly is an "aesthetic"? We're glad you asked! On this edition of Gemstone Shards, Gregory and Mike explain what they mean when they use the term "aesthetic", examine the differences between an aesthetic and a theme, and discuss how defining an aesthetic helps make future design choices easier. They also offer suggestions for how to deal with design elements that don't seem to fit with your game world's overall look and feel.

Your players are shaping your game world, even if they don't realize it! On this episode, Gregory and Mike discuss active vs. passive player participation in world-building, why you want your players involved in growing your world, and how active player participation benefits you, the game master. They'll also discuss situations where you might want to limit player involvement. While it's helpful to have listened to Episodes 003 and 004, it's not essential, so dive in!

In this episode, Gregory and Mike continue their discussion of comprehensive and concentric design, plus when and how to combine the two approaches. They also go into greater depth on which parts of your game world need to be designed from the top down, which elements should almost always be developed in response to what falls on the table in-game, and offer helpful suggestions on how to tell the difference.

Join Gregory and Mike as they start their discussion of the two major approaches to world-building, Comprehensive Design and Concentric Design. In this episode, they'll examine the differences between the two methods, explain their strengths and weaknesses, and give an overview of which design style best suits the development of the various elements of your game world!