What You've Missed in June

Here's a list of subject I wrote for The Higher Path and Authentic Adventures Inc. during the month of June 2020, that you haven't seen for want of a $3 or a $10 donation, towards my Patreon.  These posts are all a thousand words or more in length.

The Higher Path ($3/month)

Worldbuilding:  three posts detailing considerations that world builders can take ideas from regarding general science, mathematics, chemistry, geology, medicine and engineering, along with other factors worth examination.

The Setting's Life: examining ways to give the game setting a life of its own, providing depth to the game world experience and adjusting oneself as a DM to see through the eyes of NPCs and monsters.

All Europe, All the Time: a post challenging the Eurocentric view in mapmaking, discussing the drawbacks of Middle Earth, Greyhawk, Faerun and Eberron.

The Field Guide to Bad D&D: beginning a series on problem solving and deconstruction in DM-designed settings, discussing the drawbacks with assigning blame, the "bad apple theory," common fallacies and presumptions about game design, the presence of real skill where it comes to playing D&D and habits that drive us to all out embrace ideals that don't work.

The Sharp and Blunt Ends: an examination into why the DM feels pressured by players and the Internet as well to assume attitudes and techniques that ignore the DM's personal experience and potential success.

Why'd You Have to Go and Make Things So Complicated:  discussing the strategies of simplification vs. complex rule-making in D&D, and the effects each has on the attitudes of players and the manner in which they approach the game.

Understanding the Importance of Procedure: nearly what it says right on the tin, with techniques and tactics I employ to ensure that DMs maintain player focus, game momentum and player awareness of the game's rules.

Robur's Choice: a breakdown of why some players act badly and attack the game system instead of investing themselves into actual game play, asking the question, "Why did Robur the Thief set the bar on fire?"

Authentic Adventures Inc. ($10 a month)

Common Threads: explaining the importance of maintaining common themes and ideas in a game adventure, while laying out the structure of the adventure I'm writing on the blog, The Ruby Cloak.  Introduces my D&D race of Tauregs (npcs) based loosely off existing Earth clans crossed with Star Wars tusken raiders.

Events in Mraier: adventure notes on the caravan outpost of Mraier, located in the semi-desert north edge of the Sahara, featuring clues to the location of the Ruby Cloak, colored by encounters with a feral lion and the presence of dangerous bandits.

Cedrata Part I: describes the journey from Mraier to the deep desert trading town of Wargla, where the Cedrata ruins are encountered along way that serve as a potential side quest, one that does offer additional information about the location of the cloak.  Discusses how to run situations where a secret entrance would be irrational, due to the area being known and well searched for hundreds of years.  Includes the first half of the Cedrata mini-dungeon.

Cedrata Part II: completes Cedrata, introducing an unexpected "big bad" and potential for the party to increase their magic and make a big leap to an adventure that would be otherwise hard to reach.

Wargla Part I: a double-sized post introducing the town of Wargla, persons of importance that serve as contacts for the party, the solving of a puzzle piece in the location of the cloak, knowledge about a hidden order, the White Brotherhood, the obtaining of a map to Wargla's underground aqueduct system and set up for the 14-point underground lair of the hidden order.

Wargla Part II: a map of the lair and its first eight points of interest, featuring a battle with monks and pursuits taking place through several locations.

Wargla Part III: an advanced map of the lair and a set up for getting the party trapped in the lair between a high level npc and a rhinocerous version of the minotaur, a Cernnoth.  Plenty of potential roleplaying between the npc managing the lair and the party.

Wargla Last: how to get the party out of a spot where they've completely gotten themselves locked inside, with a combination of fighting monsters, piecing together a concealed exit and a mystery, and getting at least some treasure.

All of this is available for the price it costs to obtain access to Authentic Adventures Inc.  If you like the posts I'm writing on Tao of D&D, these posts behind the pay wall are less frivolous, designed to help you successfully world build your campaign.  They are filled with inspiration and new concepts that you need to be a better and more progressive DM.

Please support me on Patreon every month.