How GMs can turn up the tension

Name: How GMs can turn up the tension
Uploaded: 2023-03-15T19:39:35.000Z
Duration: 16 min 2 s

Introduction

The speaker introduces herself and the topic of the video, which is about building tension in tabletop RPGs. She also mentions a one-shot adventure called "The Battle of Karigarth" that she will be using as an example throughout the video.

Learning by Doing

The speaker talks about how she initially started running games without using pre-written adventures, but eventually realized that modules can be helpful for learning practical lessons.

Using pre-written adventures saves time and provides practical lessons for GMs to learn.

Writing your own adventures can help you learn quickly, but it's important to also use pre-written adventures.

"The Battle of Karigarth" is a perfect lesson in building tension.

Setting and Adventure Setup

The speaker introduces the setting of Dalriada and explains the setup for "The Battle of Karigarth" adventure.

"The Battle of Karigarth" is a one-shot set in the world of Dalriada, which is a Celtic-inspired setting for 5e.

The city of Karigarth is under attack by an army of undead.

There's a ritual that can save the city, but it requires an artifact that the party has.

To complete the ritual, they must deliver it to the druids at the Ruins of Dunmara.

Between the party and the ruins are six optional encounters ranging from combat to roleplay to skill challenges.

Modular Design

The speaker explains how "The Battle of Karigarth" adventure is designed to be modular so that GMs can skip encounters or adjust pacing based on their party's preferences.

Most parties won't be able to complete all six encounters in one session, which is intentional.

The modular design allows GMs to skip encounters that their party might not enjoy and adjust pacing accordingly.

As the party completes each encounter, they are making measurable progress towards their goal.

Three Techniques for Building Tension

The speaker explains three techniques used in "The Battle of Karigarth" adventure to build tension.

Technique 1: Limiting players' awareness. Little tricks are used to generate a feeling of nervousness at the table by limiting players' visibility or information.

Technique 2: Measurable progress. As the party completes each encounter, they are making measurable progress towards their goal, which builds a sense of urgency throughout the adventure.

Technique 3: Foreshadowing and slow buildup. By limiting players' awareness and providing limited information, GMs can foreshadow and slowly build the adventure towards its conclusion.

Conclusion

The speaker concludes by summarizing the main points of the video and encouraging GMs to use pre-written adventures to learn practical lessons.

Creating tension is one of the most fundamental game master skills there is.

Using pre-written adventures can save time and provide practical lessons for GMs to learn.

"The Battle of Karigarth" adventure uses three clever techniques to build tension that GMs can easily copy at their own table.

Creating Urgency in RPG Adventures

This video discusses how to create a sense of urgency in RPG adventures, which can make the adventure more exciting and put weight behind the boss fight. The Battle of Karigarth adventure is used as an example.

Tactics for Creating Urgency

Players are given reminders to hurry up at every turn, such as the undead army actively attacking the city.

Developments in combat are used to back up that feeling of urgency within the mechanics, such as mid-combat developments that enable you to push your party without forcing you to really mess them up before the final battle.

The adventure doesn't let your players forget that they are part of a whole. They are constantly made aware that people are fighting and dying around them, and it won't stop until they achieve their goal.

Involving NPCs in Combat

Having NPCs involved in combat can mean more work for the game master, but it also gives you more control. Mechanically, this takes pressure off the party because they're not getting hit, but narratively, it turns UP the pressure because it'll make your players feel like they need to defend their allies.

Nobody likes watching a friendly NPC get murdered.

Conclusion

These techniques to build tension can be used in all kinds of games. When they finally triumph there is nothing abstract about being told that they saved the city and everyone in it because they witnessed those stakes themselves over the course of the entire adventure.