2019-11-22 Episode 29

{.right} Halberds and Helmets Podcast On the things I do for prep: random tables, monster lairs, jotting down some shallow ideas, run with it in such a way that I don’t need to improvise in depth but that shallow encounters point to other shallow encounters, take note of what happens at the table and let that inspire more ideas that build on the previous ones. Last session’s shallow idea thus turns into the seed for the next session’s good idea.

Halberds and Helmets Podcast

This episode no longer uses the microphone built into my iPhone 6S but a separate a *Blue Snowball* microphone. I somehow feel it was worth it. What do you think?

29-halberds-and-helmets.mp3

Links:

2009-06-26 Postparation: “Taking shorthand notes during the game, and making them readable after the game are mandatory for my games. Otherwise I’d forget.”
2010-03-18 Session Preparation: “Here’s how I prepared a session, recently. One in two or three sessions will have this kind of preparation; the rest of the time players will return to locations they know from previous sessions and talk to old acquaintances. The notes you see grew over a period of two or three weeks. Every now and then I’d think of something and add it.”
2013-12-13 Session Preparation Process: “I think of *complications*. This is usually something that works in layers. Every two or three days I have a lame idea that I mentally add to the adventure. After two weeks, however, five lame ideas make a cool complication. I usually don’t think of a solution.”
Being Creative: “The funny thing is even though I write lots of software, I don’t consider myself to be *creative*. The reason is this: I usually just take existing code and clean it up, rewrite part of it, and add a new feature or two I like.”
Mutual Inspiration: “Mutual inspiration happens when two or more people get together and enthusiasm builds up. This is the most elevating creative experience, as you not only *stand on the shoulders of giants*, but you can see your ideas grow and improve as you toss it back and forth amongst each other.”
Male Outer Names: “… a name in Old Norse, as that would be the outer names used by (Longbeard) dwarves by the end of the Third Age. The list provided here are all such names, so have a pick.”
Female Dwarf Outer Names: “The outer dwarf names I added are either old Norse or Icelandic, not Khuzdul, as is the custom.”

2009-06-26 Postparation

2010-03-18 Session Preparation

2013-12-13 Session Preparation Process

Being Creative

Mutual Inspiration

Male Outer Names

Female Dwarf Outer Names

I feel a bit weird plugging my house rules but that’s where it all started:

Halberds and Helmets: my homebrew rules with links to the PDF files

Halberds and Helmets

The monster descriptions and stats are in the Referee Guide.

The random tables I like to use:

Hex Describe

List of tables

A picture of my notes

#Halberds and Helmets Podcast