"Casters Versus Martials" is Really Just "Toolboxes Versus Hammers"

Perhaps one of the oldest debates in RPGs is the caster versus martials debate. Wizard or fighter? Sorcerer or barbarian? At the end of the day, though, I feel like entirely too many people who want to have this debate are talking past one another rather than actually discussing the same thing. So I wanted to take this week's Crunch topic to weigh in on what I would like to rename the Toolbox Versus the Hammer.

Because I think this actually gets us a lot closer to what is at the heart of a lot of these (sometimes quite heated) discussions.

And remember, both are quite useful.

Before we get into the nitty gritty this week, don't forget to sign up for my weekly newsletter to get all my updates right in your inbox. Also, if you've got a bit of spare cash that you'd like to use to help keep the wheels turning, consider becoming a Patreon patron!

Lastly, to be sure you're following all of my followables, check out my LinkTree!

Flexibility Versus Reliability

Before we get too deep into things, I have played through a variety of characters on all sides of these arguments, as well as middle ground concepts like paladins, rangers, magi, etc. who combine the martial and the magical. With that said, I do have a noted preference for brutes, bruisers, and bludgeoners. However, when people hold up full caster classes as "god tier" options for character power level, and treat martial characters without magic as sub-optimal choices hardly worth considering, I find that it's usually because of two major differences.

The first is player philosophy. The second is player goals and ideals, which may or may not be in-line with the goals and ideals of the plot and the game. But we'll get into that.

Let's begin at the beginning, shall we?

The most common reason I've seen people argue that spellcasters are inherently better choices for characters in terms of mechanical advantages is that they have more options; more tools they can bring to the game. A wizard, sorcerer, or cleric, properly equipped, can often overcome problems with a wave of their hand, and a whispered word. The guards don't want to let the party in? A simple enchantment spell can make you their best friend for a little while, or leave them staring off into space while you just walk by. The next stage of the journey is atop a sheer cliff? A spell can easily fly one up there, allowing them to keep progressing with minimal interruption. And if a creature proves hostile, well, there's always a lightning bolt to reduce them to ash.

Now, having both watched and played the utility caster who acts as the party's Swiss army knife, I am not hating on this path. It is astonishingly convenient for all concerned to have a wizard who can magic away problems so that you can progress. It is the flexible solution, allowing you to subtly alter the rules of a given situation so that you can more forward.

However, as a counterpoint, magic is not a reliable solution. This is something that I always keep foremost in my mind as a player, and it is something that I feel entirely too many folks forget when they settle down at the table.

There's a six on each of these dice... just need them both to come up!

Magic, as a solution, has inherent weaknesses that can undermine its usefulness as a tool. For example, a lot of spells give their target a saving throw, and often that means the target walks away unscathed if they make it. There are entire creature types that are immune to certain kinds of spells and effects, and there are a lot of creatures with inherent resistances to spells (in Pathfinder, at least, this doesn't apply as much to the 5E players reading this). Not only that, but a given character only has so many spell slots per day, and they need to have the proper number of the proper spells available to cast. Lastly, an aspect that's often forgotten, spellcasters need to have the proper materials and focuses in order to make their magic work; if these materials are lost, stolen, destroyed, etc., they're rendered powerless. Spells have specific durations, as well, and if you use them too soon they'll wear off before they're needed. On the other hand, if you wait till you're in the thick of danger, you may have to choose between which spells are going to be most effective, finding you're hampered by action economy. Then there's the usual issue with anti-magic fields that always seem to crop up when they're most inconvenient.

Now, none of that is to say that magic isn't useful, or that you can't solve problems with it. That was merely to show that it is not a blanket solution that always succeeds... especially since magic is a limited resource. You can only cast so many spells of each level per day before you're tapped out.

The abilities of martial characters, on the other hand, tend to be far more reliable. The fighter's feats don't run out, the barbarian's damage reduction is always there, and while they might not be a strictly martial class, a rogue's sneak attack is always going to be effective in bringing a target down. Any martial character could just as easily solve the issues mentioned above, as well. The guard doesn't want to let the party pass? Perhaps the charismatic fighter manages to bribe them, using Diplomacy to defuse the situation. It's possible the barbarian swings their reputation around, making an Intimidate check to get the guard to step aside. Or the rogue just knifes them, or uses a poison to render the guard unconscious or dead, allowing the party to walk on past.

There's a mundane solution to most issues in a game. Because yes, you can cast knock, but you can also just pick the lock, or bash down the door. You could fly up a sheer cliff, or onto the roof of an enemy stronghold, but you could also just climb up there, possibly with the aid of a rope and a grappling hook. You can make yourself invisible to avoid detection, that's true, but a decent Stealth roll can do wonders for you. And unlike with magic, these mundane solutions usually don't have built-in limitations on how often you can use them to solve a problem, nor is there a save to resist them. You can Intimidate one guard, or 5, or 10 as need be. You can huck that grappling hook as many times as you need to, and you can haul yourself up an entire mountain hand-over-hand if the need arises. You can pick every lock you come across, if you so desire, and never once worry about needing to rest to regain your daily uses.

The drawback for most martial characters is, of course, they are more limited in the resources they can swing around. As a result they tend to be very good at a select few things, but those select few things don't require them to have a spell component pouch, to worry about anti-magic fields, spell resistance, or saving throws. They just have to hit the target, or beat the DC. But the flip side of this is that you may find yourself trying to solve a delicate problem with a blunt instrument, because when you're a hammer that's the tool you brought to the game.

White Room Power Play

The second part of this debate is one I honestly find odd, but it's something I run into time and time again so I thought I'd comment on it. Now, "white rooming" is when you set up an ideal situation where you have all the time, resources, and preparation you need to achieve a specific thing. Basically it's the RPG equivalent of asking what Batman could accomplish if you gave him a challenge, and enough time to build a specific solution to overcome it.

And things can get rather out-of-hand when it comes to what you can do with spellcasters in a lot of games. From an archmage creating their own demiplane, to clerics creating an army of undead minions, to a sorcerer crafting enchanted items powerful enough to shake the foundation of the setting, these are sometimes held to the gold standard of what the possibilities are of a particular character.

Phenomenal cosmic power!

Sure, that's neat if that's the story you want to tell. However, most of the time accomplishing these things will require massive hoards of treasure in costly spell components, months-to-years of in-game time to complete, and for a character to achieve extremely high levels just to gain access to the spells in question... which are all rather extreme limitations in your average campaign.

This is my way of saying sure, you'll be able to do that eventually, but it likely isn't going to affect the campaign we're actually playing in because you don't have the time, resources, and power you'd need to accomplish those goals.

This is where we get into player goals versus game goals. Because if you're in a game you might have the stated goal of, "Stop the lich king from rising," or, "End the war between these two nations." And if a player wants to uncover the eldritch secrets to folding reality in order to make their own private plane of existence where time stands still, that's cool... but how does that solve the problem of the campaign? More to the point, if the campaign is set to end at level 13-14, but the spellcaster needs to be level 17 before they can even begin to accomplish this goal, it's all epilogue that's out of the realm of the here and now. It would be no different than saying the barbarian became king of his own border nation, or the monk achieved inner perfection and rose to the position of a demigod; it wasn't a part of the campaign, so it's just a part of your personal story and narrative.

To be clear, this is not to knock anyone's preferred storytelling flavor or fun. If that's the kind of narrative that gets your wheels turning, and you enjoy telling the story of just how your character eventually achieved that goal (along with the spreadsheet of how you did it once the campaign was over), then more power to you. However, that kind of setup may do nothing for other players, who get far more excited about the idea of burying an ax in a demon lord's skull, or eventually worming their way into the position of Master of Whispers in a shadowy spy network.

It's just important to remember that if you're comparing toolkits that you need to look at the game in question. Because if this plot is going to benefit from the use of a Hammer, then it's important to have at least one big, ugly sledge at the table.

Check Out Some Gaming Stories!

For folks who haven't been keeping up on my recent changes, I've been largely hosting my Table Talk feature on Vocal, rather than here on Improved Initiative. I talked about this a bit ago in You're Not Missing My Updates (They're Over on Vocal). The short version is that Vocal pays a lot more than my blog does, and I'm trying to capitalize on that as much as I can... but it's tough getting eyeballs and fighting the algorithm. So take a moment to check out some of the following pieces!

- Silver Raven Chronicles Part One: Devil's Night

- Silver Raven Chronicles Part Two: From The Ashes

- Silver Raven Chronicles Part Three: The Raven's Nest

- Silver Raven Chronicles Part Four: Circles in Salt

Any reads and shares are much appreciated. And, of course, the more traction particular articles get, the more likely it is I'll write more like them in the future. So if you see something you like, help me spread the word on it!

Like, Share, and Follow For More!

That's all for this week's Crunch topic! For more of my work, check out my Vocal archive, and stop by the YouTube channel Dungeon Keeper Radio! Or if you'd like to read some of my books, like my alley cat noir novel Marked Territory, my sword and sorcery novel Crier's Knife or my latest short story collection The Rejects, head over to My Amazon Author Page!

To stay on top of all my latest releases, follow me on Facebook, Tumblr, Twitter, and now on Pinterest as well! And if you'd like to help support me and my work, consider Buying Me A Ko-Fi or heading over to The Literary Mercenary's Patreon page to become a regular, monthly patron! Even a little bit of help can go a long way, trust me on that one.

Azukail Games, Audio Dramas, and My Latest Projects

Something most folks don't know about me is that I didn't really grow up listening to music. I wasn't actually aware of how a radio worked until I was a teen, and while there were kids' movies, Disney tunes, and musicals aplenty, when I needed to fill the silence I usually went for audio dramas. The Shadow was a favorite of mine, but The Green Hornet put in plenty of appearances, alongside quite a few dramatized Westerns by authors like Louis L'Amour. While I eventually discovered alternative music, heavy metal, folk, punk, and a dozen other genres that are great for filling up the background, sometimes I just want to kick back and listen to a drama unfold in my mind.

To that end, even though I said I was going to take my foot off the gas a bit this year, I've picked up a new project... dramatizing some of my own RPG fiction for all the folks out there who share my unusual audio tastes!

And if that's something you want to help out with, keep reading!

Before we get into the nitty gritty this week, don't forget to sign up for my weekly newsletter to get all my updates right in your inbox. Also, if you've got a bit of spare cash that you'd like to use to help keep the wheels turning, consider becoming a Patreon patron!

Lastly, to be sure you're following all of my followables, check out my LinkTree!

Blowing The Dust Off My Old Mic

For folks who've been on this blog a long time, I was one of the voices who helped out over on Dungeon Keeper Radio for about a year and change. The project was fun, but we never managed to really get a foothold, or to get the channel monetized, so it sort of fell by the wayside. I enjoyed putting scripts and readings together, though, so when Azukail Games asked if I wanted to help create some content for their YouTube channel, I figured that I might have an idea or two that would get folks attention; turning some of the short fiction pieces included in my supplements into full-on audio dramas.

The first of these bite-sized pieces was the intro story from my 100 Resources and Rumors to Find on SchreckNet, where we get a glimpse into a Nosferatu skulking through a mostly abandoned train station on their way to seek a meeting with a power broker in the literal underground. It's got a bit of a John Wick feel to it, but I like to think that adds to the charm.

The second story that got this treatment was the introduction from 100 Mourning Cant Dialects, Phrases, and Meanings for Changeling: The Lost. This tale is a brief glimpse into a Winter Court handler having a meeting with one of his field agents... there's a mess in the city, and bodies need to be cleaned up quietly before authorities start sniffing around and asking questions.

Now, I'll be the first to admit that it's been a hot minute since I was on a mic. Not only that, but I was never the one who handled sound editing, special effects, or any of that. Far as those aspects, I'm learning as I go, and there's still plenty of dust I need to knock off before I add additional stuff to my skill set. However, my intended goal is to keep making these little shorts both to get some additional eyes onto the supplements they're part of, but also to try to help grow the Azukail Games YouTube channel.

This is where you come in, readers.

You see, in order to get monetized on YouTube a channel needs to have 1,000 subscribers, and at least 4,000 hours of watched content in the past year. Ideally if something goes viral you can manage both of those goals fairly easily... but I'm just a lone creator doing my best to be heard in the TTRPG space, and I need all the help I can get on this one. Especially since the channel just hit 116 subscribers the other day, which puts it around 11% of the way to the first goal post.

So what I'm asking folks to do is to give my videos a watch. If you like them and want to see me make more (even acknowledging the room for improvement), then subscribe to the Azukail Games YouTube channel and give the videos a share on your social media. Because I don't own this channel; I'm making content for a games company that I work for. And just like with any of the supplements I've made, the best way to send the company a message that you want more is to be sure their metrics show people consuming the thing they make. Because in addition to other World/Chronicles of Darkness nonsense, I also have the stories in my Cities of Sundara guides, as well as the stories found in further fantasy supplements that will be released in the coming months that I'd like to give this treatment to.

And, of course, if the channel gets monetized then Azukail Games will be able to expand, get more creators to contribute, and fund additional incentives. The more folks we can get on board, the further I'll be able to push this, and hopefully the better it's going to get!

Looking For More Tie-In Fiction?

Just saying, I've got plenty more stuff!

If you're looking for even more gaming tie-in stories to fill your eyes and ears, don't you worry, I've got plenty of other things you should check out!

First up is Tales From The Moot, a collection of short stories for Werewolf: The Apocalypse. I was the one who proposed the initial project, and I wrote the introduction (which you can read for free) in addition to the Silver Fang story Late Bloomer, so make sure you give that one a look if it slipped under your radar!

Also, for those who like official tie-ins with RPG settings, my contribution to the Pathfinder Tales The Irregulars is finally available on DTRPG! The best and the brightest of the bottom of the barrel, this team of behind-enemy-lines soldiers are masters of sabotage, and it's their job to stop problems before they really begin happening. And when Molthune seems to be revving up their war machine, these misfit commandos are the ones who get the job done.

Those who enjoy Pathfinder, and the world of Golarion, may also want to check out my ongoing series The Silver Raven Chronicles! A dramatic retelling of my group's run through the Hell's Rebels adventure path, trouble is stirring in the city of Kintargo. A rebellion is forming, made up of disillusioned nobles, a private detective, several tengu spies, and more. Will they be able to root out Barzillai Thrune and his oppressive regime? And who (or what) is the mysterious figure known to most in the city only as the Ghost? Is this shadowy creature a friend, or a foe? Find out!

- Part One: Devil's Night

- Part Two: From The Ashes

- Part Three: The Raven's Nest

- Part Four: Circles in Salt

Lastly, for those who enjoy the grim darkness of the far future, consider checking out some of my Warhammer 40K stories as well! Both Field Test and Waking Dogs: A World Eaters Tale have been dramatized by A Vox in The Void, and if you haven't followed his channel yet, make sure you do! Every view makes him more likely to expand the content he reads, and every read sent my way makes it that much more likely I'll keep the stories coming!

Like, Follow, and Stay in Touch!

That's all for this week's Moon Pope Monday. To stay on top of all my content and releases, make sure you subscribe to my newsletter at the bottom of the page!

Again, for more of my work, check out my Vocal archive, and stop by the YouTube channel Dungeon Keeper Radio. Or if you'd prefer to read some of my books, like my cat noir thriller Marked Territory, its sequel Painted Cats, my sword and sorcery novel Crier's Knife or my latest short story collection The Rejects, then head over to My Amazon Author Page!

To stay on top of all my latest releases, follow me on Facebook, Tumblr, Twitter, and now Pinterest as well! To support my work, consider Buying Me a Ko-Fi, or heading to The Literary Mercenary's Patreon page to become a regular, monthly patron. That one helps ensure you get more Improved Initiative, and it means you'll get my regular, monthly giveaways as a bonus!

Keeping Gods Mysterious Maintains Their Mystique in Your Game

It isn't easy being a Game Master, and even the best of us will make missteps along the way as we perfect our storytelling style. However, there is one little area that a lot of folks sitting in the big chair should consider when it comes to their games; the gods.

Often a forgotten or overlooked element, the challenge a good Game Master faces is making the gods feel real, tangible, and present, while also making them feel far-off, elemental, and mysterious. It isn't easy, but I thought I'd share some of my thoughts on pulling off this particular hat trick this week.

And if you don't have this supplement, check it out!

Before we get into the nitty gritty this week, don't forget to sign up for my weekly newsletter to get all my updates right in your inbox. Also, if you've got a bit of spare cash that you'd like to use to help keep the wheels turning, consider becoming a Patreon patron!

Lastly, to be sure you're following all of my followables, check out my LinkTree!

Gods Don't Have Stats

Perhaps one of the smartest moves I think Paizo publishing made with their Golarion setting is that it is expressly clear that none of the gods in the game have stats. Unlike what we saw with Deities and Demigods back in Dungeons and Dragons 3.0, which assigned levels, feats, skills, and powers to entire pantheons, Golarion's gods are well and truly apart from mortal ken.

This is a small but concrete example of how you can keep your gods less defined in meaningful ways. Because even if the character doesn't know this god has 20 levels of barbarian and 20 levels of cleric with 1,000 hit points, if the player knows that they can't help but compare and quantify things in game terms. It puts limits on the divine in a way that can make them feel like just another mechanical element of the game world... and that is the last thing you want to do as a Game Master.

Maybe I can't take him... but if we work together, I think we've got a shot!

Another example of this is how gods are often portrayed by Game Masters. If the characters meet and interact with the gods (as so often happens in games) the god always ends up being exactly what's shown in the holy texts, the artwork, and described in their books. But more than just looking and acting exactly how you might expect them to look and act based off their myths, being able to talk one-on-one with the divine makes them seem... less special in a lot of ways. It strips away the glamour and the majesty, and it makes them feel like just another character on the board.

A powerful character, sure, but a god shouldn't feel like just a higher-level PC. They should feel like what they are... and like the monsters in horror movies, little glimpses often work way better than giving them lingering shots on-camera and a monologue to deliver.

I talked about this more over on the Azukail Games YouTube channel, for those who prefer videos to text (also, consider subscribing while you're there)!

A Presence, Without Being Present

Gods are fundamental forces of the world. They can create storms just by being angry, flowers bloom in their footsteps, and those who hear their echoing battle cries are driven to homicidal furies they might never come out of. Gods are cosmic beings, whose very existence is beyond the ability of mortals to perceive except cloaked in metaphor and wrapped in illusion.

And while the Great Old Ones might not be present in every setting (and not all the gods should have the overtones of inhuman horror that comes with those beings) Game Masters can learn a lot about giving their gods serious gravitas from looking at how these creatures are portrayed in stories. The idea that just the dreams of gods can affect mortals, that those who witness them are driven to madness by understanding more of the cosmos than the mortal mind was meant to grasp, or that gods have concerns far greater than any insignificant mortal and their struggles, are all elements that can be brought to bear on a story.

There are things outside your perceptions in the Dark Woods, young one.

We can also draw on elements from world mythology for this. For example, gods are often feared as much as they are worshiped, and they tend to either work through intermediaries or to appear in disguise. A wandering old man giving gifts to warriors in dire straits is a common motif in many Norse myths, for instance, and this almost invariably turns out to be Odin putting his thumb on the scales in a way that isn't immediately recognizable to affect a particular outcome. Alternatively, there are myths like when Eros took a mortal lover, and he made her keep her eyes closed while making love to him in the darkness. When she disobeys and looks upon him in his full, divine glory, it unmakes her, reducing her to ash; not because he did anything, but merely because his existence is too much for her to bear.

Because they are so massive in terms of scale and power, gods often work through agents to bring word to those they wish to influence. Whether it's using signs and portents like certain creatures leading their followers out of danger, or giving prophecies to oracles, gods often deliver their will in cryptic ways. A selection of these can be found in 100 Random Oracular Pronouncements, for Game Masters who are looking for some inspiration. Not only that, but there are entire sections in my supplement Gods of Sundara (available for either Pathfinder or for Dungeons and Dragons 5th Edition) that discuss the signs individuals may find when a god is pleased with them, along with the signs of a god's displeasure.

Lastly, and this is something I've touched on in previous entries, don't be afraid to have the divine meddle from afar in the affairs of your mortals... but make sure it feels appropriate to the situation.

If the fighter is a faithful follower of the god of war, and they are facing down that god's enemies, consider granting them the ability to ignore dire wounds and fight on while in negative hit points if it's thematically appropriate. If the rogue is a devout believer in the goddess of the sun, using their talents to undermine cults of the undead, have their weapon burst into flames if they call out to her in the heat of battle. And so on, and so forth.

There are a few key things to remember with this strategy, though. Firstly, it should apply to the villains as well as to the heroes; especially since the villains always seem to be neck-deep in the worship of dark gods and ruinous powers. Secondly, this shouldn't be treated as something that happens all the time, or at-will; it doesn't come from the characters, their class features, or associated game mechanics. It's a blessing from the divine, and gods can be fickle. Sometimes they help, because they want to. Sometimes they don't. It's a handy way to adjust challenge, reward good roleplaying, add in unexpected elements, and to remind your players that the gods are listening and watching, even if they don't see them.

Lastly, if you're looking for more strategies to up your game, consider grabbing a copy of 100 Tips and Tricks For Being a Better Game Master!

Like, Follow, and Stay in Touch!

That's all for this week's Moon Pope Monday. To stay on top of all my content and releases, make sure you subscribe to my newsletter at the bottom of the page!

Again, for more of my work, check out my Vocal archive, and stop by the YouTube channel Dungeon Keeper Radio. Or if you'd prefer to read some of my books, like my cat noir thriller Marked Territory, its sequel Painted Cats, my sword and sorcery novel Crier's Knife or my latest short story collection The Rejects, then head over to My Amazon Author Page!

To stay on top of all my latest releases, follow me on Facebook, Tumblr, Twitter, and now Pinterest as well! To support my work, consider Buying Me a Ko-Fi, or heading to The Literary Mercenary's Patreon page to become a regular, monthly patron. That one helps ensure you get more Improved Initiative, and it means you'll get my regular, monthly giveaways as a bonus!

No-Win Scenarios Ruin Games (ESPECIALLY Horror Games)

Generally speaking every RPG you ever play needs to have a victory condition of some kind. A "good ending" if we're thinking about it like a video game, or a choose-your-own-adventure book. An ending where you stop the cult, save the princess, defeat the dragon, or whatever other scenario you happen to be faced with. There is a mistake a lot of Game Masters make when they settle in behind the screen, though. Sometimes they make this decision out of a genuine attempt to tell a compelling story with an impactful ending, and sometimes they make it out of spite, or pettiness, but it remains a mistake nevertheless.

It is, in short, putting the players in a no-win scenario... because that's not fun for anyone.

You need some light at the end of the tunnel. Trust me.

Before we get into the nitty gritty this week, don't forget to sign up for my weekly newsletter to get all my updates right in your inbox. Also, if you've got a bit of spare cash that you'd like to use to help keep the wheels turning, consider becoming a Patreon patron!

Lastly, to be sure you're following all of my followables, check out my LinkTree!

If They Can't Win, Why Are They Playing?

For folks who don't know my history, and who aren't regular readers, I've been playing and designing RPGs for a while. And while I've made content for fantasy games like DND 5E with modules like The Curse of Sapphire Lake and Ghosts of Sorrow Marsh, I've also put together a lot of content for World and Chronicles of Darkness games to help storytellers really bring out the flavor of their settings. Some of my more popular supplements there include Evil Incorporated: 10 Pentex Subsidiaries (for Werewolf: The Apocalypse players), 100 Resources and Rumors to Find on SchreckNet (for the Vampire: The Masquerade lovers), and 100 Strange Sights to See in The Hedge (for all the Changeling: The Lost enthusiasts).

I mention my bona fides because, while this advice doesn't pertain solely to horror games, it is the genre where it shows up most often as a justification.

Trust me, bleakness impresses no one.

So what are we talking about, here? In short, we're talking about games where things don't just feel hopeless, but where they are hopeless. Games where no matter how well the PCs roll, how clever their plans are, or how hard they try there is no scenario where they can hope to really win. They are going to fail to achieve their goals, and most likely die in the process. You've already written the ending, and nothing that transpires is going to change it.

Some folks reading this are likely confused right now, so I will state it clearly. Hopelessness is bad for any RPG, but it is toxic to a horror game. Because if you have no hope of winning, if there is no chance you could do anything to come out ahead, then the horror loses all meaning. The darkness only has weight if you're trying to stop it from claiming the light. If it's all darkness no matter what, it will drown any enthusiasm your players have in relatively short order.

Happily For Now Vs. The Ever-Present Threat

About a decade or so ago I was just getting started in my career as an author, and one of the only clients who'd work with me without a publishing history were smaller romance houses. A lot of them had requirements that stories had either an HEA or HFN ending... Happily Ever After, or Happily For Now. While we all know what the former means, the latter meant that while there might be storm clouds on the horizon and issues left unsettled, the couple had overcome adversity and had found their way into each other's arms for the time being.

For RPGs (and particularly for horror RPGs) we can use the same framing. VEA or VFN... victorious ever after, or victorious for now.

We won... but at what cost?

This ties into the Ever-Present Threat that is part of so many RPGs, but particularly those in the horror genre. Whether it's the Wyrm in Werewolf: The Apocalypse, the True Fae in Changeling: The Lost, or the Great Old Ones in Call of Cthulhu, these games often have antagonists who can't be decisively beaten. You can't just shoot them in the head, stab them in the heart, or recite an ancient spell to slay them... these threats are amorphous. They are beyond the ken of mortals. They often pre-date mankind, and will continue to exist long after its demise. They are perils the likes of which the heroes, whatever their powers, cannot hope to ever destroy.

But that doesn't mean those heroes should be denied their smaller victories. That they cannot carry the battle today, even if that does not win the war. That is key to making this whole story work.

Take Call of Cthulhu for example. The players cannot kill Cthulhu. They cannot snuff out Yog-Sothoth. The idea they could even wound a creature like Nyarlathotep is unthinkable. But that shouldn't be the definition of victory in those cases. Because there are things the players can do, and that will make a difference for the time being. They can stop the ritual meant to take place during the planetary alignment, for example, rescuing sacrifices and ensuring an enemy cult has to wait another 85 years to try again. They can kill a wizard who's been stealing bodies to try to become immortal, ending his spree of murders. They can ferret out agents of the Mi-Go and either destroy them, or drive them off. They can ensure that dangerous artifacts are placed somewhere safe, or that deadly grimoires are burned to ashes so no one can learn the dread knowledge within them.

Players can achieve lowercase "w" wins in these games. Not only can they, they should achieve them in order to keep their spirits up. To keep them ready for the next challenge, and interested in the next session, the next mystery, etc. Because while there will always be another monster in the dark corners of the earth, or another dark cult trying to renew an ancient pact, there should be things they can achieve. Things that will allow them to be victorious for now... but tomorrow there will always be something else.

You Need Light To Make Dark Shadows

Have you ever been in a game where you had to deal with an NPC who was just all around unpleasant? A nasty person who had no redeeming qualities, and who you would gladly kick down a flight of stairs if you could get away with it? Imagine that NPC being bitten in half by a dragon, and the Game Master expecting the party to be sad about it. It just doesn't work, because that's not the emotional tie that was created. In order for that death to be meaningful and impactful that NPC would have to be friends with the PCs. They would have to feel protective of them at best, and to actually like them at the very least.

The same thing happens when it comes to the balance of hope and grimness. Because if players experience nothing but frustration, with victory always being snatched out of their grasp, that's going to kick sand onto the fire of their enthusiasm. You need to feed that fire with little victories, and to show them that they can win. Because the potential to fail only means something if it isn't the default state... if you had a legitimate chance to grasp victory, but you failed.

More GM Advice

If you liked this and you want to see more, check these out:

- 100 Tips and Tricks For Being a Better Game Master: Pretty much what it says on the tin. This supplement collects some of the best GM tips and tricks off this blog and presents them in a simple, easy-to-utilize fashion... useful for any game!

- Why Game Masters Should Understand Dread, Terror, and Horror: Speaking of running better horror games, this post was surprisingly popular. It illustrates the kind of specific language that can make a horror game more enjoyable, and examines various concepts from different angles.

Like, Follow, and Stay in Touch!

That's all for this week's Moon Pope Monday. To stay on top of all my content and releases, make sure you subscribe to my newsletter at the bottom of the page!

Again, for more of my work, check out my Vocal archive, and stop by the YouTube channel Dungeon Keeper Radio. Or if you'd prefer to read some of my books, like my cat noir thriller Marked Territory, its sequel Painted Cats, my sword and sorcery novel Crier's Knife or my latest short story collection The Rejects, then head over to My Amazon Author Page!

To stay on top of all my latest releases, follow me on Facebook, Tumblr, Twitter, and now Pinterest as well! To support my work, consider Buying Me a Ko-Fi, or heading to The Literary Mercenary's Patreon page to become a regular, monthly patron. That one helps ensure you get more Improved Initiative, and it means you'll get my regular, monthly giveaways as a bonus!

Nymphs, Gnomes, and Species of Sundara

For those who've been keeping up with all my Species of Sundara releases, you've no doubt picked up on my theme of keeping the same fantasy creatures we know from older games, but trying to show them in a different light by making them unique to this setting in some way, shape, or form. We started with elves, turning them into creatures who fluidly adapted, becoming wildly varied based on their philosophy or environment. The dwarves were the children of the ancient giants, meant to finish the details of the world whose foundation they had laid. Orcs were the results of elves experimenting and changing too much, until they became something entirely new, and halflings were the little cousins of the dwarves, made almost by accident.

It was only a matter of time till I reached the last of the first run, and I wanted to talk about them this week... gnomes.

Seriously, get your copy today if you haven't!

Before we get into the nitty gritty this week, don't forget to sign up for my weekly newsletter to get all my updates right in your inbox. Also, if you've got a bit of spare cash that you'd like to use to help keep the wheels turning, consider becoming a Patreon patron!

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Gnomes and Nymphs, Oh My!

The traditional role of gnomes in fantasy RPGs is (or at least has become) the manic pixie party member. Gnomes are often cast as creatures whose minds move so quickly, or in such unusual ways, that they often focus more on whether they can do something rather than if they should do something. Practical jokers, inventors, tinkerers, and more, in some games their ancestry is left vague, while in settings like Golarion they're full-on fey creatures who return to the First World upon their deaths.

The queen waits for me... but time moves differently there than here.

I wanted gnomes in Sundara to feel unique and different, rather than just being a zanier halfling option. Something inherently magical and unusual, but which was still different from the options I'd seen in other settings which offered its own odd history and unusual background flavor.

And in the event you haven't grabbed your copy of Species of Sundara: Gnomes (available for either Pathfinder or DND 5E), the ancestry of gnomes is that they are the children of nymphs. Representations of nature in its most potent forms, nymphs have been rightly feared and revered across Sundara for generations. Gnomes were, in many cases, meant to take over the lesser responsibilities of these nymphs so they could conserve their strength and rest. In other cases they became agents who delivered the nymph's will and messages beyond the bounds of their own domains.

And when many of the nymphs vanished, it was the gnomes who remembered. Who honored their departed mothers, and who minded the land they'd left behind.

As Varied As The Land Itself

Of all the species of Sundara that have been released thus far, the gnomes are probably the ones that have the most possibility... and that's including the elves! For every kind of nymph out there, from black water swamps to rushing rivers, to mountain ponds and deep forests, there's a type of gnome. Not only that, but gnomes have the potential to shift and change, altering their traits as they take on new, unique aspects.

How and why this happens can seem arbitrary. A gnome may have been born in a swamp, only to find the dark shadows disappearing from their hair and their eyes growing bright when they make their new home on a white water rapid. A gnome from a deep, clear stream might find their nails growing thick and their skin sallow as their old home stagnates, dammed up until it becomes little more than a bog. Some gnomes will change based on the people they meet, and the entities who bless them, but others may remain unchanged their whole lives through, stoically maintaining themselves despite all the currents that surround them.

And while there are only 5 variations in this first splat book, there's potential for more going forward should the audience make their desire for more content like that known!

Remember To Check Out The Other Species of Sundara!

If you enjoy my take on gnomes, and you want to see what other changes I've made to the core species we're all so used to, make sure you take a moment to check out the rest of the Species of Sundara series that's been coming out the past few months! And if you like them, don't forget to check out the rest of my Sundara: Dawn of a New Age setting as well!

- Elves of Sundara (Pathfinder and DND 5E): Elves are one of the most quintessential fantasy creatures... but if you want to see more than just high elves, wood elves, and elves of the sun and moon, then this supplement has you covered!

- Dwarves of Sundara (Pathfinder and DND 5E): The children of the primordial giants who were meant to fill in the details of the world they'd made (or so the myths say) there are as many kinds of dwarves as their are kinds of giants... and possibly more, depending on who is keeping count.

- Orcs of Sundara (Pathfinder and DND 5E): Supposedly a creation of the elves, none can say for certain exactly how or why orcs have been made. What most agree on is that these creatures are far more than most may think at first glance.

- Halflings of Sundara (Pathfinder and DND 5E): Little cousins to the dwarves, halflings are tough, clever, and not to be underestimated. From living beneath the hills, to taking up residence in the deep forests, halflings in Sundara come in quite a variety!

- The Blooded (Half-Elves and Half-Orcs) [Pathfinder and DND 5E]: When orcs and elves mix their bloodlines with other creatures, the result is one of the Blooded. This inheritance takes many forms, and it can even wait generations before manifesting when the right combination of individuals come together to have a child.

Like, Follow, and Stay in Touch!

That's all for this week's Moon Pope Monday. To stay on top of all my content and releases, make sure you subscribe to my newsletter at the bottom of the page!

Again, for more of my work, check out my Vocal archive, and stop by the YouTube channel Dungeon Keeper Radio. Or if you'd prefer to read some of my books, like my cat noir thriller Marked Territory, its sequel Painted Cats, my sword and sorcery novel Crier's Knife or my latest short story collection The Rejects, then head over to My Amazon Author Page!

To stay on top of all my latest releases, follow me on Facebook, Tumblr, Twitter, and now Pinterest as well! To support my work, consider Buying Me a Ko-Fi, or heading to The Literary Mercenary's Patreon page to become a regular, monthly patron. That one helps ensure you get more Improved Initiative, and it means you'll get my regular, monthly giveaways as a bonus!