Kickstarter Spotlight: The Game Master’s Compendium of Explosive Creation
I’ve been following Ryan Doyle’s Verdigree Table for a while, and when he launched his Kickstarter for The Game Master’s Compendium of Explosive Creation, I knew I had to give it a signal boost. This campaign caught my eye because it’s all about sparking creativity at your game table — a toolkit of ideas for both game masters and players.
Ryan’s compendium isn’t just another list of random tables. It’s a thoughtfully structured resource with over 1,000 character motivations, plot hooks, evocative locations, thematic monsters, and even ways to introduce rival NPCs and antagonistic factions. It’s designed to help you build stories that feel dynamic and personal, whether you’re launching a brand-new campaign or breathing new life into an existing one.
One thing I love about this project is the way Ryan’s partnered with DriveThruRPG for the physical edition. Backing at $20 gets you the full PDF — and the option to order a print-on-demand copy later, at cost. This means you’re not locked in to a physical copy now, but you’re set up to get one if you want it down the road.
There’s also a Producer Tier at $50, where you can suggest an NPC to be included in the book itself. I went ahead and backed at that level — I couldn’t resist the chance to see an NPC I created living on in this book.
The campaign page also includes a free preview PDF so you can see exactly what you’re getting. Ryan’s working with some talented artists and the layout looks great — there’s a polished, clean design that keeps the content easy to read and navigate.
What sets this apart is Ryan’s system of using multiple dice (d4 to d20) in a single roll to spark ideas from different categories. That’s a fast, flexible approach that I think will be a huge help when you’re short on time or feeling stuck.
If you’re a game master looking for a toolkit to level up your prep, or a player who loves deep character development, I think The Game Master’s Compendium of Explosive Creation is well worth checking out. It’s already funded, and with a few weeks to go, there’s plenty of time to jump in.
Head over to the Kickstarter page to learn more — or check out Ryan’s YouTube videos to see it in action. Let me know if you end up backing, or if you’ve got thoughts on other resources like this one.
Cheers,
Brian