The Overprepared GM
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    Playing RPGs, Recent

    Playing Against (D&D Class) Types

    Jun 17, 2021 1 Comment

    Sometimes it can be fun to take a common trope and twist it. Keep enough of the core idea to guide some mechanical decisions, but take one part of the trope and go in a completely different

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  • Dog behind a dungeon screen
    Recent, Running an RPG

    Rethinking the Dungeon Screen

    Mar 21, 2019 No Comment

    Geek and Sundry recently put out a tutorial for a home-made dungeon screen that looked like a castle. It made me want to get crafty.  I normally don't use screens though, so I thought about

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  • Mechanics, Recent

    Skill Challenge Encounters, Part 2

    Nov 11, 2019 1 Comment

    In Skill Challenge Encounters, Part 1, I introduced the challenge encounter framework that I use in my games. It works in practice, but the downside is that players really only have a couple

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  • Mechanics, Recent

    Skill Challenge Encounters, Part 1

    Nov 06, 2019 1 Comment

    A skill challenge is an encounter-style framework for non-combat encounters. It has turn-based play, but no grid or minis.  D&D 4e formalized a structure for it, although I think they dropped it

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  • Creative Writing, Recent, Scathach Serial

    Chapter 5: Family Comes Calling

    Jul 25, 2019 No Comment

    Previous: Chapter 4: The Last Meal Wild beast, huge man, and he’s coming for me by name?  That narrowed down the possibilities somewhat, but I wasn’t liking any of the ones that were

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  • Recent, Running an RPG, Tabletop

    Advice for a New GM

    Jun 27, 2019 1 Comment

    If you’re a new GM, you may read through all the rules of whatever system you're planning to play and yet still feel unready or wonder what the best way to GM is.  If this is the case, let me

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  • Landscape of fen grass growing through water
    Recent, World Building

    Finding the Fens

    Jun 01, 2019 No Comment

    Originally published in Worldbuilding Magazine (Volume 2, Issue 4) "Creatures", p 18. If you have ever wanted to see inside the mind of a game master (GM) while she creates a fantasy ecosystem

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  • Recent, World Building

    A response

    Apr 09, 2019 No Comment

    To the person in another thread who argued with me that a classic D&Desque, high fantasy setting requires requires a sexist society for because of your sincere need for realism and internal

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  • Creative Writing, Recent, Scathach Serial

    Chapter 4: The Last Meal

    Aug 06, 2018 1 Comment

    Previous: Chapter 3: In the Room with Ralph I must have had a nightmare again that night, but I couldn’t remember any of it when I awoke.  Just a a sudden awakening, like I had fallen, and my

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  • Mechanics

    Revising the skill system

    Aug 03, 2018 No Comment

    In traditional 4e, the skill system is a simple closed, point-buy system.  There is an enumerated list of non-combat abilities (skills), and you invest in a subset of them by choosing which skills

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Featured Downloads

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    Mestezia Core Rules

    Download File Mestezia-Core-Rules-V0.5-.pdf – 3.32 MB

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Categories

  • Creative Writing (3)
  • Game Prep (2)
  • Inspiration (3)
  • Mechanics (6)
  • Playing RPGs (1)
  • Recent (9)
  • Running an RPG (2)
  • Scathach Serial (5)
  • Tabletop (2)
  • Tools (2)
  • World Building (8)

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Copyright (c) 2018

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About the Site

The Overprepared GM blog was started at the suggestion (cajoling, extortion, whatever) of my best friend L.  The intention is to post entries  twice a week about…

  • Adapting material from one medium or setting to another
  • Adventure modules, pre-made character, or other downloadable content
  • How-tos on creating various GM tools
  • Mathematical analysis of various aspects of the system I create, or maybe of ones I’ve tried and reverse engineered
  • Books and movie reviews, focusing on interesting world building ideas
  • Advice on GMing

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  • Copyright (c) 2018