Campaign Planning – Geek Philosophy

Why Every Campaign Needs a Story Question

Why Every Campaign Needs a Story Question A clear story question gives your campaign a compass.It frames the premise, focuses choices, and turns sessions into chapters that feel like they belong together. I use a simple format:When [inciting event] happens, the characters pursue [goal]. Will they succeed when [opposition] stands in the way? It is…

ChatGPT as an Assistant Dungeon Master

As a Dungeon Master, there’s nothing quite like the thrill—and challenge—of running a living, evolving campaign. For me, one of the best tools I’ve found for campaign prep isn’t a published adventure or a fancy piece of software—it’s ChatGPT. Specifically, I’ve been using the Projects feature in ChatGPT-4 to help me keep my notes organized,…

Using Thieves’ Cant in D&D

Thieves’ Cant might sound like a simple footnote in the 5e rules, but it’s a great example of how a small piece of lore can unlock deeper roleplay and world-building in your games. At its core, Thieves’ Cant is a coded language—a mix of jargon, dialect, and secret signs that lets rogues and other shady…

D&D & Star Trek: Adapting DS9 as a D&D CampaignD

If you’re a Star Trek fan and a D&D player, there’s a lot to love in Deep Space Nine—it’s one of the most layered and compelling series in the franchise, and it’s packed with ideas you can bring into your tabletop campaign. For me, DS9 stands out because it’s not just about exploration. It’s about politics,…

Adapting Castlevania for D&D and other TTRPGs

Castlevania has always had a gothic allure—its moody castles, haunted forests, and monsters lurking in the shadows practically beg to be woven into a tabletop roleplaying game. And with the rich source material from both the classic video games and the Netflix series, there’s plenty of inspiration to draw from. One of the big draws for me…

Develop a TTRPG Campaign Setting for Kids

When it comes to tabletop RPGs, one of my passions is making them accessible and exciting for new players—especially kids. That’s what Guardians of Gettica is all about: a kid-friendly subsetting designed to introduce younger players to the hobby, while giving them room to play, explore, and be the heroes of their own story. Guardians…

Look to the Classics for TTRPG Gaming Inspiration

In this video, I dive into one of my favorite ways to spark creativity as a game master: drawing inspiration from the classics! Whether it’s Shakespearean drama, Kurosawa’s cinematic elegance, or the timeless themes in stories like The Great Escape and Seven Samurai, there’s a treasure trove of ideas just waiting to be adapted for your tabletop adventures.…

Playtesting Our New Kids TTRPG Setting

Today, I’m sharing a bit of my own geek philosophy about a new tabletop role-playing game sub-setting I’m developing for younger players—Guardians of Getica—and inviting you to playtest it with me. Guardians of Getica is a unique world within a larger fantasy setting, designed to be accessible and fun for kids while also offering depth…

Adding Play-by-Post to a TTRPG Campaign

Scheduling conflicts and long work hours can sometimes make gathering everyone around the table—virtual or in-person—an impossible challenge. One of the ways I’ve found to keep the adventure alive is by weaving in a play-by-post approach alongside our regular game. Play-by-post gaming is nothing new—it’s been around since the days of dial-up modems and bulletin…

Adapting a Published Adventure

Sometimes, even the most creative Dungeon Master needs a little help—whether that’s to jumpstart a session, overcome writer’s block, or just save some time. For me, adapting published adventures has become one of my go-to approaches. I don’t always want to run the adventure as written, but there’s usually so much great material in these…