Back On The Road With My Latest Supplement Release! (Which is ALMOST To Copper Already)

It's been a... rough couple of months for me professionally. Trying to guess what it is players and Game Masters will actually check out is a roll of fate's dice at the best of times, and just like when I'm at the table on Thursday nights, I seem to have been hitting all low numbers. So I thought it was time to get back to basics... and it seems that for once my instincts were on the money!

At least for how the market is going in today's gaming economy...

Seriously... come check it out if you haven't yet!

But before I get into the meat of today's post, remember, 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! Also, be sure you're following all of my followables, check out my LinkTree.

Lastly, for hundreds of extra articles on gaming, weird history, and for more free fiction, check out my Vocal archive, too!

Filling in Those Empty Places On The Map

For folks who weren't there at the start of my career as a TTRPG writer, the supplement 100 Random Encounters For On The Road Or In The Wilderness was one of the first things I wrote for Azukail Games. In addition to the game-neutral version, the supplement has a version for Pathfinder, Dungeons and Dragons 5E, Castles and Crusades (OSR), and Savage Worlds, and most of them have earned at least a few metal levels on Drive Thru RPG. And though I've written probably a hundred or so supplements since this one left my desk (and likely more, if I stopped and took the time to count), it's one of my bestsellers that folks still pick up from time to time.

So, rather than trying to reinvent the wheel, I figured I'd try an experiment and write something of a companion piece for this older, still-popular supplement. And that is why I put together 100 NPCs To Meet On The Road Or In The Wilderness!

You never know who you'll run into out here...

The idea behind this supplement was to give Game Masters all sorts of folks to populate the highways, byways, and trackless wilds with so that you don't just have a whole bunch of nothing happening between towns, villages, dungeons, and ruins. From bandits and bounty hunters to merchants, rangers, farmers, and even a ghost or two, these NPCs come with their own descriptions, possible plot hooks, and the sorts of places you're most likely to find them. And while you can use them as agents of your plot, you can just as easily sprinkle them in for background flavor to make the world feel more organic.

My goal was simply to save all the Game Masters out there a little time and energy, and to make a fresh tool that could be combined with an older one that would help the folks running games save their creative energies for where it's really needed!

If this seems like the sort of thing you'd find particularly useful, then grab a copy of one (or both) of these supplements today! And if you have a particular edition you'd like to see this one translated to, make sure you leave that in the comments down below.

Additional Supplement Recommendations

So, I took a break from writing NPC lists for a while, but if this supplement is something you think you'll get some use out of, I'd suggest checking out some of the other so-called "blue book" supplements I've put out that cover other, similar lists. Supplements like:

- 100 Helpful Hirelings: Folks that you can bring with on your journey, or who can provide additional services.

- 100 Town Guards: The watchmen who guard the walls, and arrest adventurers when they get a little out of hand.

- 100 Merchants to Encounter: The people who sell the things adventurers need, this list will help you make quicker work of any shopping trip.

- 100 Prisoners For A Fantasy Jail: The best and the brightest of the bottom of the barrel, there are all kinds of dangerous persons in this supplement for allies, enemies, and everything in between!

- 100 Random Bandits To Meet: Much the same as the above supplement, but these folk are still at-large (and might be found out in the wilderness, as well).

- 100 Nobles To Encounter: From useless fops, to cunning patrons, to dangerous enemies, nobles come in many forms. All of them can be found in this supplement!

- 100 NPCs You Might Meet At The Tavern: My bestselling supplement of all-time (I'm pretty sure, at least), this one went Platinum for a reason!

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 Azukail Games YouTube channel, or my Rumble channel The Literary Mercenary! Or if you'd prefer to read some of my books, like my dystopian sci-fi thriller Old Soldiers, my hardboiled gangland noir series starring a bruiser of a Maine Coon with Marked Territory and 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 Blue Sky, 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!

Game Masters, Take Some Lessons From Video Game RPGs When It Comes To Memorable NPCs

Most of us who enjoy rolling funny-shaped dice and talking in outrageous accents have (usually) also spent at least some time playing RPGs on a console or computer over the years. And whether you prefer something that's hack-and-slash like Diablo, or you're more of an action-RPG fan who prefers some of the offerings in Bethesda's stable, these games are a great way to play when we don't have time, energy, etc. to get a crew together for an adventure around the table.

And while criticizing Game Masters (as well as players) for being too "video gamey" in their approaches is a common thing in the hobby, I feel like there is value in looking at what these games do right. And while we can argue about which games have good narrative design, and which ones give you freedom of choice, I feel there is a particular aspect a lot of GMs might overlook... namely the merging of function and form that typically happens with important NPCs.

Stay a while, and listen.

But before I get into the meat of today's post, remember, 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! Also, be sure you're following all of my followables, check out my LinkTree.

Lastly, for hundreds of extra articles on gaming, weird history, and for more free fiction, check out my Vocal archive, too!

A Merging of Function and Form

Any time you have a recurring NPC in a video game, they tend to serve some, mechanical function in your game. It might be a character like Blacksmith Andre in Dark Souls, who repairs and upgrades your gear, or it might be someone like Wirt in Diablo who gives you rare and unusual items if you're willing to gamble on them, but the idea was that if you were going to have an NPC who got animations, art, and voice lines, then they needed to be a functional part of the game as well as a part of the story in order to justify the time, work, and expense of rendering and including them.

Now, as a Game Master, you can spin up NPCs from out of thin air, and use them to plug in whatever need you have... however, doing that can eat up a lot of time, energy, and effort, and it can leave you with an ever-growing roster of characters you have to keep track of that can make your story feel a bit bloated as you try to keep track of who is who, while not losing your grip on the story you're telling. So, to keep your list somewhat streamlined, it's a good idea to make sure that particular NPCs you want to keep around serve a specific role in the game, as well as occupying a particular place in the story you're telling.

Hello there! How can I be of service today?

There is, however, an additional factor you need to balance, here. Because regular, recurring NPCs should serve some mechanical purpose, but at the same time you don't want them to be more powerful than your player characters. You can end up walking a very fine line when it comes to what an NPC can do... but sometimes that can be a fulfilling part of the challenge that can also add to the flavor and lore of the character in question!

For example, let's say you have a shady NPC who hangs out on the rough side of town. Maybe his original purpose was to get rumors to the party, and to act as a way for them to gain access to black market goods like poison if they stay on his good side. That function doesn't require him to be a powerful character in his own right; he could be a level 1 thug who just happens to have a network of contacts that lets him act as a dispensary for the party. But what if you wanted a character to act as a source of lore, or to help identify magical items, spells, etc. that the party can't figure out for themselves?

This is where that creativity comes in.

For example, does your party form a relationship with an acolyte who lives in the large, arcane college's library who does all the research, devoting their time and energy to giving the PCs answers because they know how to comb through the collected knowledge of the institution rather than because they themselves are a master of the magic arts? Do they instead talk to a local hermit who was once a cleric, but who has since turned his back on his faith, meaning that he still has all his knowledge (and maybe a few spells kept in reserve), but he is only a shadow of his former self? Or is there an eccentric noblewoman who has devoted her life to the study of magic, fascinated by everything it offers even if she has no skill beyond theory and history?

The key here is to walk that fine line. Because if the PCs interact with a particular NPC for long enough, then they will often end up becoming their go-to ally or source. This will help you keep interactions going, deepen relationships with these characters (hopefully), and allow you to toss out some pieces of their lore as time goes on.

It can also be a particularly good method for making sure that you don't have to make up a new roster of NPCs every time your players want to go shopping for new gear, replenish their spell components, or commission a new weapon or armor set. Which will save you a lot of time and energy by the end of your campaign... even if you just establish a fresh set of useful NPCs in every new location when you get to a fresh arc of your story.

Looking For Some NPCs To Fill In Your Gaps?

You should definitely check these out if you haven't yet!

If you're a Game Master who wants a little help with the heavy lifting of NPC creation, I've been putting together a lot of supplements on this subject. And while a lot of these NPCs are just scene fillers like the drinkers at the end of the bar, or the merchant dealing in leathers, all of these supplements are interspersed with NPCs who have the kind of mechanical roles I've mentioned above. So whether you're looking for curators of alchemical goods, underworld figures who know how to get you illegal goods, weapon smiths of extraordinary skill, or curious scholars who can find the lore your characters need to advance the plot, consider picking up some of the following supplements:

- 100 NPCs You Might Meet At The Tavern: The flagship product of my blue-book covers, this one is a bestseller for a reason, in my opinion, and it has a little bit of everything in it.

- 100 Helpful Hirelings: A collection of folks who are more than happy to help out the party, this collection has everything from laborers and squires, to locksmiths, arcane scholars, and more!

- 100 Merchants To Encounter: From traveling magic item dealers and fey marketeers, to ironmongers, tanners, and booksellers, this collection has a long list of folks who can be ideal for getting the right items into the party's hands... and many of them also provide secondary services that can be quite useful!

- 100 Nobles To Encounter: Whether they're meant to act as paymasters, as someone who can open doors for the party, or just someone who is willing to help whenever possible, it's a good idea to know what nobles one can find in the area.

- 100 Town Guards: A collection of the town's investigators and enforcers, these NPCs are often good for getting information into your party's hands, for giving them some leeway with their methods, or even providing them with some unusual tools, if they play their cards (dice?) right.

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 Azukail Games YouTube channel, or my Rumble channel The Literary Mercenary! Or if you'd prefer to read some of my books, like my dystopian sci-fi thriller Old Soldiers, my hardboiled gangland noir series starring a bruiser of a Maine Coon with Marked Territory and 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 Blue Sky, 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!

Consider Giving Summoned Creatures, Spirits, Etc. The Full NPC Treatment

The ability to summon allies to your side via magic and spell-like abilities is a staple of TTRPGs, and there are entire classes and character builds geared toward making the most out of these spells and abilities. However, too often we end up just treating these monsters, spirits, and even summoned animals as nothing more than collections of stats and numbers, rather than as what they are; characters. Even though they may only show up for a brief period of time, and they typically show up just to do a specific job, we often overlook the story potential these creatures can provide us with.

All you need do is open the door, and ask them to come to your side.

As always, 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! Also, be sure you're following all of my followables, check out my LinkTree.

Lastly, for hundreds of extra articles on gaming, weird history, and for more free fiction, check out my Vocal archive, too!

When You Have Friends in Low (And High) Places

While there are a lot of games out there that use summoned creatures and spirits, I will be using the framework of Pathfinder, as well as Dungeons and Dragons for discussing this idea. Since it's a largely roleplay-centered idea, you can apply this idea to any other game where the creature or spirit you summon and control is an actual entity, rather than a simple collection of energy that has no will or thoughts of its own that merely mimics a creature.

Okay? Okay.

Who's messin' with you, fam? Point me at 'em!

The idea of summoning a creature to your side to aid you in whatever struggle you're currently dealing with is not a particularly new one, as far as magic in the genre goes. From the ancient wizards battled by barbarian heroes like Conan, to Gandalf calling on Shadowfax to whisk him and Pippin away, to the warrior mages of Magic: The Gathering, calling on powerful monsters and deadly beasts to fight your battles for you, or to provide you aid at a critical moment, is nothing new in the genre. But while it can be a pain to keep track of multiple miniatures on the map, as well as the hit points, special abilities, attacks, etc. used by your newly-summoned allies, you can squeeze a little more RP value out of them if you're willing to.

For that, you need to make them full NPCs, and give a few hints of the story you have with them, and how they play into your character's history. As an example, consider some of the following scenarios:

- The sorceress with a secret tie to an archdevil reluctantly calls upon infernal creatures to aid her in battle. The lesser creatures refer to her with the term mistress as a sign of respect, but more powerful devils might use a title unfamilar to the rest of the party, or simply offer a cryptic message like, "Your godmother sends you her regards," before vanishing at the end of the battle. While the sorceress may not interact with the devils much, she calls on them by name, showcasing her mastery of the devil's tongue, and suggesting that something more than mere arcane study is to blame for her skill at calling on these allies.

- The gnome druid Bingala only calls on animals he's personally met and befriended with his spells to summon nature's allies. At first this might lead to some moments of affection as he's nuzzled by a wolf pack that defended him, or he sends a bear off with a scratch behind the ear, and a whisper to watch over his mother before he disappears. But as the animals get stranger and stranger, the druid has more and more tales to tell about his travels, and how he encountered such truly bizarre allies... as well as what he did to earn their friendship so that they would come to his side when called by the power of the green.

- An aasimar summoner who was born on the celestial plane, and only came to the material plane on the business of the higher realm. When they call on celestial creatures, they do so because these are the beings from their home plane, and the kinds of monsters they're most familiar with. Even if that means colossal, feathered T-Rexes with glowing eyes golden claws, or boars with silver ridges who speak in a tongue like a perfect bell. Seeing the bizarre creatures they call to their side, and how the summoner interacts with them, can drive home just how alien they are, and how bizarre the plane they grew up on is compared to the one whose soil they now tread.

Your Mileage May Vary

To get out in front of some of the comments I've seen with advice columns like this before, this isn't a strategy everyone is going to want to try. Some players and Game Masters may already be juggling too many balls to start assigning story significance, personal narratives, and more to summoned creatures who are only going to be on the board for a single fight, or a handful of rounds. However, I've found that this is a unique method of injecting a little extra character and story into using summoned creatures as a main method of overcoming challenges, so I wanted to share it for folks who wanted to add some more personality to what can quickly become a very scattered and impersonal method of magic use.

Also, I've linked some of the articles I've written about the most common classes in Pathfinder who are known for using summoned creatures. Please consider giving those a look as well, as I'd love to get back to this series and really finish it out!

- 5 Tips For Playing Better Clerics

- 5 Tips For Playing Better Druids

- 5 Tips For Playing Better Summoners

- 5 Tips For Playing Better Sorcerers

- 5 Tips For Playing Better Wizards

Like, Follow, and Stay in Touch!

That's all for this week's Fluff post. 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 Azukail Games YouTube channel, or my Rumble channel The Literary Mercenary! Or if you'd prefer to read some of my books, like my dystopian sci-fi thriller Old Soldiers, my hardboiled gangland noir series starring a bruiser of a Maine Coon with Marked Territory and 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!

One of My TTRPG Supplements Has Gone Platinum (And a Few Others Are Close Behind)!

The past few weeks have been... an ordeal over on Drive Thru RPG. The site has been working on a huge overhaul for a long time, and it's finally removed the option for all of us to go back to the legacy version of the site. This has thrown a real spanner into the works for those of us who are writing supplements, since the new versions of the various pages aren't showing previews, and are causing headaches all around while we try to get eyes on our projects.

With all of this chaos happening, I needed a bit of good news... and I got some! Because my supplement 100 NPCs You Might Meet at The Tavern has just gone platinum!

And hopefully it's got some gas left in the tank, as well!

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! Also, be sure you're following all of my followables, check out my LinkTree.

Lastly, for hundreds of extra articles on gaming, weird history, and for more free fiction, check out my Vocal archive, too!

Going Beyond Gold

In addition to this latest accomplishment (which I didn't see coming, honestly), I've got several supplements that have reached Gold status that are still clawing their way up the metal categories on DTRPG. For example, the follow-up to this platinum seller was my Starfinder supplement 100 Characters You Might Meet in a Star Port Bar, and it broke the Gold limit a couple months back. It is one of two sci-fi supplements of mine that's made it into this category, the other being 100 Space Bars.

So check it out, if you haven't yet!

The other entries of mine that have made it into the Gold category are fantasy supplements. Leading the pack is 100 Random Taverns, which is one of the earliest pieces I wrote for Azukail Games. In addition to the tavern collection, though, there's also my supplement 100 Merchants to Encounter which, if I'm honest, is far more popular than I ever expected it to be!

Bundles, Deals, and Progress

There's no guaranteed formula when it comes to getting a TTRPG up to a bestseller spot... because if there was I would have a lot more of my entries up in the Platinum category. However, one thing that has helped almost all of these supplements is their inclusion in some long-running, pretty popular bundle deals. Which is why I wanted to call them out, and provide folks links in the event you haven't gotten your copies yet!

Those bundles are:

- Inn and Tavern Bundle (Fantasy)

- Sci Fi Bar Bundle (Sci Fi)

Numbers Set The Agenda

While this entry is largely taking a moment to pat myself on the back, and to let my regular readers know about a little milestone I recently passed, I also wanted to remind folks of something that we can sometimes forget; publishers make their decisions based on the numbers.

Love of the game is measured in dollar signs.

So if there's a particular supplement of mine (or anyone's really) that caught your eye, keep in mind that how many copies it moves (and how quickly) is one of the primary statistic that publishers will use to give readers more projects just like it. So grab a copy of the game books you like, leave a review, and share the link to boost the signal... because it's a lot easier for writers to get our proposals approved if we move a couple hundred (or a couple thousand) copies of the last installment!

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 Azukail Games YouTube channel, or my Daily Motion channel!. Or if you'd prefer to read some of my books, like my dystopian sci-fi thriller Old Soldiers, 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!

5 TTRPG Supplement Categories: Which Do You Want To See More Of?

I've said it before, but in the event you aren't a regular visitor to this digital space, I'm planning on changing up my TTRPG supplements in the near future. It will take a little while for the changes to become evident (as it takes me a month to write them, and then another month or so for the supplements to show up on DTRPG), but I'm trying to get as much input from my readers as I can during this transition period.

And whether you're one of my regular readers, or you've only picked up one or two of my supplements, I want to gather as much of your input as possible so I can take it into consideration going forward!

Because an author is nothing if they don't have an audience to read their work!

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! Also, be sure you're following all of my followables, check out my LinkTree.

Lastly, for hundreds of extra articles on gaming, weird history, and for more free fiction, check out my Vocal archive, too!

Supplements Come in Many Shapes and Styles

For a lot of us out there, TTRPG supplements are just one, big blob of content. Anything can be a supplement! However, while you can break supplements down by the game or setting they're meant for, as well as by genre, you can also break them down by topic.

And that's what I'd like to do this week! While this not an extensive list of every possible topic or category a supplement could cover, these are the most common ones I've put out so far. So if you see something that would really help you at your table (whether you're a GM, a player, or some combination of the two), please leave your input down in the comments, or tag me on social media with your thoughts!

#1: NPCs

Just as an example.

Whether it's the 1,000+ NPCs that are part of my 100 Kinfolk Bundle for Werewolf: The Apocalypse, or something like my 100 Prisoners For a Fantasy Jail, this has proven one of the more in-demand types of supplement over the years. After all, coming up with NPCs on the fly is tough, but it's something you have to do if you don't want your game world to feel too empty. This is, honestly, the category I use most as a Game Master, so it's the one that I tend to default to when I try to think of new projects... but is it the kind you would use the most, or is it one of the others?

#2: Things

After all, you've need something to read on that riverboat ride.

A category that gets a lot of looks, but which never hits the same numbers as NPCs, is things. Objects. Stuff. Sometimes describing these as "flavor" supplements is literal, like my 100 Fantasy Foods or 100 Sci Fi Cocktails, but this can also cover books to read, random pieces of loot as in 100 Miscellaneous Pieces of Tat to Find, and other such volumes. Flavor supplements often fill in those broad categories of a setting, giving you interesting details to add, or fun pieces of culture and style, like in 100 Fantasy Tattoos (And Their Meanings). This is particularly handy for those who can get the broad strokes of a game down, but who can get tripped up by trying to come up with all the details.

#3: Places

For those looking to go back in time.

Our made-up worlds are big places, and outside of the main areas where plot is happening, we often find a lot of rolling, empty space. The third part of the triumvirate of nouns is places, and though a lot harder to write, they come in two basic varieties for me. On the one hand you have a lot of smaller places that can be used as a snapshot, or to fulfill a specific role, such as the 100 Arkham shops pictured above, as well as 100 Space Bars for sci fi settings, and 100 Random Taverns for fantasy settings. On the other hand, though, you have supplements that have a smaller number of places, but which go significantly more in-depth on them (typically providing maps, histories, notable NPCs, plot hooks, and other points of interest). Supplements like Towns of Sundara, as well as 10 Fantasy Villages, are perfect examples of this kind of format.

#4: Factions

Every game has factions, but we sometimes forget there should be more of them at play than whatever side the PCs belong to, and whoever represents the villain. These factions might be smaller antagonists, allies of your cause, or just parts of the world to make things feel fully fleshed-out, but they usually tend to make most games better overall.

As with places, factions tend to come in two varieties for me. There's supplements with a lot of factions, but which only give brief overviews, like you get with 100 Knightly Orders For a Sci Fi Setting, or 100 Gangs For Your Urban Campaigns. And then there's supplements where you get fewer factions, but they're far more in-depth, usually covering their history, motivations, sample NPCs, rumors about the faction, and some kind of mechanical benefit one gets for joining them. Examples of these bigger, more in-depth factions can be found in Sellswords of Sundara (for DND 5E or Pathfinder), Cults of Sundara (for DND 5E and Pathfinder), as well as in Guilds of Sundara (for DND 5E and Pathfinder).

#5: Modules

For those looking for some dark fey danger, check this one out!

I've said it before, but I feel I need to say it at least one more time. While modules are the main supplement a lot of us think of, they're the toughest ones to actually sell. Part of that's because they're usually game specific, but part of it is that the amount of energy and work they take is just tough to make a return on investment with. And, of course, a lot of GMs want to make their own stories from the ground up, rather than using anything written by someone else.

In addition to The Price of Iron (a module with dark fey and terrible risks), I've written False Valor (a murder mystery where you get to kick fantasy Proud Boys in the teeth), Ghosts of Sorrow Marsh (a horrific adventure where a town is besieged by terrors from the marsh that surrounds it), and The Curse of Sapphire Lake (the hate child of Beowulf and Friday the 13th). I'm not averse to writing more modules for other systems (I should have between 1 and 2 Pathfinder Classic modules finally coming out onto the market in the near future), but they're a truly tough sell for the amount of work they take.

Cast Your Vote!

I try not to pluck ideas from the void, and just hope there are gamers out there who'd be interested in them. So if one of these five categories appeals to you as a player or a Game Master, please leave it in the comments below, or on whatever social media platform you were on when you found this article! Even better, find me at my socials below, and drop me a line to let me know.

Lastly, I know I didn't include fiction as a category here. But if you like game tie-in fiction, I'd highly recommend checking out some of my previous work like Tales From The Moot for Werewolf: The Apocalypse, The Irregulars for Pathfinder, or even my recently re-released dystopian sci fi thriller Old Soldiers!

And if you're a fan of audio dramas, make sure you check out the Azukail Games YouTube channel, and take a listen to the dozens of tales we've got up so far! We're still over 1.5 thousands hours of listen time away from getting monetized, so please stop in and take a listen... we need all the help we can get!

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 Azukail Games YouTube channel, or my Daily Motion channel!. Or if you'd prefer to read some of my books, like my dystopian sci-fi thriller Old Soldiers, 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!

I'm Not Just The President, I'm Also a Client (Using My Own TTRPG Supplements in My Games)

My fellow kids who were born in the 80s will likely remember the Hair Club For Men commercials. These things were geared toward middle aged guys who were losing their hair, and they wanted to recapture their vigor and vitality by regrowing it. The man talking to the camera was a fellow named Sy Sperling, and he assured everyone that not only was he the president of this company, but that it was through the products he was offering that he had regrown his own thick, lush mane of hair.

I find myself thinking about those commercials whenever I end up as the Game Master. Because when I sit down to work on a supplement, the question that I usually ask myself is, "If I were running a game, what heavy lifting would I want already done for me?"

The files get a little bigger every month, after all.

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! Also, be sure you're following all of my followables, check out my LinkTree.

Lastly, for hundreds of extra articles on gaming, weird history, and for more free fiction, check out my Vocal archive, too!

Being A Game Master is Hard Enough As It Is

I've been in the game for a while (pun very much intended), and there's an attitude that I've run into a lot when it comes to TTRPG supplements. Namely, there is a portion of the population that believes if you don't make everything yourself from the ground up (the RPG equivalent of homemade cooking versus a boxed mix) then you aren't a real Game Master.

I've gone on the record with this, but I feel like Game Masters should be given all the help they can get. They're already expected to craft a plot, keep track of an entire party worth of backstories and motivations, and keep the world all around the PCs spinning without letting things topple off the cliff... if they want a handy chart of random rumors, odd encounters, or just NPCs to meet at the bar, they shouldn't feel any shame whatsoever about GMing smarter instead of harder.

I sure as hell don't.

As a lot of my regular readers/viewers may have seen, I was planning a Changeling: The Lost LARP right around when Covid hit. I shelved my plans for it at the time, but I kept tinkering with the ideas I'd had, and the elements I'd already worked out for it. It was a lot of labor for a game I wouldn't be able to run till after the end of a global pandemic, so I decided the best thing to do for now would be to publish some of the better ideas I'd had, and to put the supplements out there for folks to use.

And now that my game is running, I'm really glad for all the pregaming I did with these supplements, as having them on-hand has saved me so much time, energy, and effort. This is particularly true for Buyer Beware: 10 Goblin Markets, which has the layouts and rules for all the local goblin markets in my game's immediate area, as well as 100 Strange Sights to See in The Hedge, which has helped me keep any journeys into the world next door feeling bizarre, unexpected, and dangerous, rather than letting it turn into just another fantasy forest. My players have also been loving the additions to the setting I put into 100 (Mostly) Harmless Goblin Fruits and Oddments To Find in The Hedge, which is honestly the bestselling thing I've ever written for the World of Darkness at this point.

Of course, I've done this with other systems, too.

Additionally, while modules are some of the toughest products to sell, my Critical Hits series is always good to have on-hand for folks who haven't played before, and who just want a quick introduction to tabletop RPGs. Thus far I've run people through Ghosts of Sorrow Marsh (a creeping dread besieges a marsh town), False Valor (a murder mystery where you get to kick fantasy Proud Boys in the teeth), and The Curse of Sapphire Lake (the hate child of Beowulf and Friday the 13th), and every time I was able to dedicate so much more of my energy to NPCs, scene setting, and facilitating interactions because the bulk of the adventure was already laid out in front of me, requiring no extra effort on my behalf.

I haven't run The Price of Iron (story about dark fey and a warehouse of horror) yet, but it's queued up for the next time my group is champing at the bit for a solid game with a dire threat!

Seriously... Don't Reinvent The Wheel

If you've been raking yourself over the coals as a Game Master because you feel like you don't put in all the work your job requires, or you're letting your players down, just take a deep breath, let it out, and remind yourself that you don't have to do everything for your game. Hell, this is my job, and I still don't force myself to come up with brand new, freshly-made stuff every time I get behind the screen, or put on my ST hat. Whether you're running a fully pre-made campaign arc, using a world built by someone else, or just grabbing a list of sci fi mercenary companies, sights to see in a steampunk city, or just some random prophecies to hear from an oracle, saving yourself processing power can be a life saver when it's time to run a game.

Because while most of us are capable of just making something up on the spot, if you end up doing that over and over again as the night progresses, pretty soon you won't have the necessary grip strength to run the rest of the game. So if you haven't used GM aids and TTRPG supplements at your table, check out some of mine, and maybe give one or two of them a whirl!

I wouldn't recommend them if I didn't use them myself.

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 Azukail Games YouTube channel, or my Daily Motion channel!. Or if you'd prefer to read some of my books, like my dystopian sci-fi thriller Old Soldiers, 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!

The Case For Using Recurring NPCs in Your Game

Before we get started on this week's topic, I wanted to take a moment to ask a favor from my regular readers. Recently I put together an article titled If 90,000 People Read This Article, I Can Pay My Bills This Month. The piece goes into the sheer, ridiculous numbers that creators need to have in order to get any amount of money for their work, and it emphasizes the importance of community support.

So if you want to help me actually stay one step ahead of my bill collectors, please give that article a read, and share it on your social media pages. Or, if you want to help more directly, please consider becoming a Patreon patron, or even buying me a Ko-Fi to help me get through the challenges 2023 is throwing at me.

And now, on with the show!

The Case For Using Recurring NPCs in Your Game

I return, singed, but triumphant.

We all know what NPCs are. After all, it's right there in the name; non-player character. Any person in the game world who isn't one of the players' avatars falls into this category, from the bartender at the local tavern, to the head of the thieves' guild, to the king who gave them the quest, and the lich lord they're opposing. Everyone not under the direct control of the players is an NPC, and they're all being puppeted by the Game Master.

However, there are a lot of GMs out there who will treat NPCs like tissues; they use them once, and then throw them away. That's why this week I wanted to take a moment to explain why I think recurring NPCs are an important part of a game, and why GMs (and the players) are better-served by a rotating cast of established characters than they are seeing new faces all the time.

Point #1: It Leads To Greater Investment

I mentioned back in Death, and Its Role in RPGs that when you have a game with a high lethality rate, players don't get overly invested in their characters. The same thing happens when you have NPCs who vanish from the narrative once they've walked onstage, said their lines, then walked off again.

This isn't to say that every NPC has to be a long-term commitment. Sometimes people are only there to serve a minor role, or you don't have big plans for them in the story. But when the PCs interact with the same cast of characters repeatedly, they begin building relationships with those characters. Whether it's as comrades, or as long-term antagonists, this can really enhance the game over time, and get your players immersed in the narrative instead if just dismissing NPCs because they know they won't be present long enough for any meaningful interaction.

Also, if your players tend to kill any enemies you put in their path, consider checking out I'm Back!, which is a supplement specifically for explaining villain survival and/or resurrection when we thought for sure they were permanently dealt with.

Point #2: It Emphasizes Consequences For Player Actions

It's been said (by me, in 100 Tips and Tricks For Being a Better Game Master) that a majority of your job as GM is just to watch what your players do, and give them appropriate consequences for the actions they take. Because from small decisions like choosing to show kindness to the beggar on the street, or big decisions like taking their enemies in alive to face justice, are all far more meaningful when the NPCs circle back around as an active part of the narrative.

For example, say the party rogue tosses a coin to the street urchin outside the tavern. You could just leave that as a one-off encounter, and nothing ever comes of it. But maybe word gets around about the rogue's generosity. The gang of boys said urchin belongs to starts coming around more, and the rogue ends up becoming something of a teacher and a patron to them. These NPCs can be used as a way to get information to the party, to introduce new quests, etc., but their continued presence is a direct result of player action, showing them that attempting to build rapport has results in this game.

Alternatively, consider PCs who broke up a cult, killing the cult leader. Are they kind to the followers? Do they take the time to deprogram their hurtful beliefs, or do they just abandon them? If the former, do these ex-cultists become squires and apprentices, helping the party? Do they reintegrate into society, watchful against threats like the cult that swept them up? If ignored does the cult reform, with someone new reaching out to the dark powers that their leader had tried to wield? Whatever happens, it should be tied directly to what the PCs did (or didn't) do.

Point #3: It Makes Things Easier For You As The GM

This point is third on the list, but it's first in my mind as the GM because it falls under the work-smarter-not-harder ethos. Because if you've already put in the time and effort to create NPCs who fill certain roles in the story, and those characters are known quantities who are already on the table, why do that job again, and again, and again instead of utilizing the resource you already have at your fingertips?

Don't be afraid to get creative with this one, either!

For example, let's say you had a tailor who helped the party prepare for their debut at the duke's ball. The wild-haired gnome took every question, no matter how strange, in-stride and formed a budding friendship with some folks in the party. The ball went splendidly, and the PCs now have to seek out a guild of spies that the duke claims are undermining the government, and leaving them vulnerable to outside enemies. And sure, you could just create a whole new set of NPCs for that role... but why not bring back Marselie the masterful tailor as a representative of the Red Thread Society? This adds a new aspect to the character, and it might make the PCs question who's side they're on, and who is lying to them about what's really happening. Is the duke telling the truth? Is the society the tailor belongs to really a bunch of freedom fighters? Or are both sides trying to use them as pawns?

Alternatively, say the PCs are in a tight spot, and you're looking for some narrative reason that will keep the story going, but which won't feel like you just gave them an out. Perhaps they're captured, and locked in the villain's dungeon... but the henchman put in charge of them is a bandit whose life they spared several levels back. He owes them, and makes them a deal. If he unlocks their irons, and leads them to their gear, then they'll get the price taken off his head by the governor who gave them the quest once they've dealt with the warlord who's building a dark army. This both shows that the PCs' previous actions have consequences, and it gives you more tools you can use to further the story without introducing any new elements.

Also, as a final benefit, this strategy can make it look like you had deeper plans than the players were initially aware of... even if you tacked on the secret backstories or surprise appearances of these recurring NPCs based on who the party had the best (or worst) interactions with in the past.

Need Some Extra NPCs in Your Game?

Folks who've been following my work know that over the past few years I've put out a lot of content that revolves around giving Game Masters extra NPCs to draw on should they need names, personalities, and descriptions in a hurry. If you want to have a list of NPCs you can quickly draw on to fit your game, and who might become recurring characters, consider grabbing some of the following:

- 100 NPCs You Might Meet at The Tavern: This was my first Gold metal book from Azukail Games, and you get what's on the cover. Hedge knights, traveling boot makers, wandering merchants, an elven gang lord, and more can all be found between these pages!

- 100 Merchants to Encounter: My second Gold metal winner, this one is meant to spice up the shopping experience, and to make getting gear (particularly rare, unusual, or even illegal items) more than just a numbers game. From strange fey creatures who appear in glades at sunset, to suppliers of assassination supplies who operate toy shops as a front, to Crazy Olaf's hock shop geared toward those looking to offload all their dungeon trash, there's all kinds of options to make shopping an actual experience in here.

- 100 Random Bandits to Meet: Whether you're looking for a dangerous, recurring antagonist like The Maneater or Dreadskull, or you simply want the hoodlums and highwaymen your party encounters to have a little more personality (and something that would justify roping them back into the story later) there's all kinds of rogues and rebels in this supplement. For those in a seagoing campaign, consider checking out 100 Pirates to Encounter, as well as 100 Prisoners For a Fantasy Jail if you're going to be spending any time in lockdown.

- 100 Nobles to Encounter: From dragon-riding warriors, to strange, long-lived lords of the moors, to seat-holders of the dwarven enclaves, the nobles in this supplement could make for powerful friends, or foes, depending on how the party treats them. So whether you need quest givers, schemers, plotters, or patrons, there's a slew of options in this supplement. Or, if you want something with a little more depth to it, consider taking a look at A Baker's Dozen of Noble Families!

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 Azukail Games YouTube channel, or my Daily Motion channel!. Or if you'd prefer to read some of my books, like 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!

Looking To Add Some Spook To Your Games? I've Got You Covered!

Now that summer is drawing to a close, that time of year is upon us once again. That time when the leaves change colors, when the night wind grows teeth, and when the pumpkins beg for our knives to reveal their true, horrifying faces. That time when we itch to dress in the skins of monsters and myths, and when candy tempts us from every shelf in every store. It is a time when the spiders come out to play, the witches cackle, and the ghouls run amok.

The spooky season is here. Finally.

Light the candles, and wake the ghosts... Autumn is here again!

For those of us who enjoy our regular flights of fancy, this is the time we usually reach outside our norm. When our minds turn to darker plots, scarier settings, and where we break out those books we usually keep on our bottom shelves. You know the ones I mean. It's that time of year where we try out short campaigns and one shots, and where we dip our toes into the darker tales we may normally avoid.

And if you're looking for some support for those sharp, Autumn delights, never you fear, I'm here to help.

As always, if you want to stay on top of all my latest releases, make sure you sign up for my weekly newsletter. And if you want to help me keep the wheels turning so that I can keep bringing fresh content right to your eyeballs, consider becoming a Patreon patron. Even a little donation every month can go a long way!

Let's Start With The Traditional Fantasy Stuff!

For those who don't know, most of my content is for traditional fantasy games. And for a lot of us out there those are still the settings we want to play with when this time of year comes around... we just want to give them an edge. Something darker, and more terrifying than our usual run-of-the-mill dungeon with a dragon lurking in the middle.

So what do I have for you?

Well I'm glad you asked.

I've been elbow-deep in some fresh modules, but those aren't available yet. However, if you're a DND 5th Edition player looking for some scary stories then I'd highly recommend checking out both The Curse of Sapphire Lake, as well as The Ghosts of Sorrow Marsh. The former is kind of a bastard child between Friday the 13th and Beowulf in both theme and tone, whereas the latter is a grim tale of a town beset by horrors that come out at night to ravage the one road in or out of Bracken. Both of them are tense adventures filled with monsters and dangers told in a way that will keep players' hearts pounding, and their imaginations feverish.

But what about Pathfinder players? Don't worry, folks, I've got some goodies for you as well. As long as you're still playing the first edition, that is. Because whether you're a GM looking for an appropriately horrific threat, or you're a player looking to do something ghastly in a horror game, you should check out some of my older character conversion guides for some of the bloodier horror movie monsters. I've covered the cenobite Pinhead from Hellraiser, Michael Myers from the original Halloween, as well as my personal favorite, Jason Voorhees from Friday the 13th... well, all the films after the first one, anyway.

In addition to all of that, I have a couple of spooky supplements that might have slipped under your radar if you weren't paying particularly close attention to my release schedule. For example, 13 Fiends: A Baker's Dozen of Devils is full of unique outsiders with their own histories, worship, rites, and implications. Each entry is detailed enough to work as its own story nugget, or to build an entire campaign around a rite, but it still hasn't even reached Copper sales yet. That one dovetails nicely with 100 Cults to Encounter, which has all sorts of bizarre religions and esoteric orders that could be used to send a chill up your players' collective spines. Lastly, though not strictly a horror supplement, there's a lot of potentially useful content in 100 Secret Societies as well... whether you need heroes, villains, or a bit of both.

And If You're Taking The Plunge Into a World of Darkness...

There are going to be some players out there for whom a darker take on traditional fantasy isn't going to scratch that Halloween itch. Folks for whom a true horror story is going to be required... because during the Fall times, that's when more of us crack the covers on World of Darkness and Chronicles of Darkness books than probably any other time of the year. You've got those friends you used to play Werewolf with, and they want to get the band back together. Your friend and her girlfriend have wanted to try out Vampire, but the time never felt right. You've wanted to get people into Changeling for a long time, but they never seemed as receptive as they do right now.

Well, I can still give you a helping hand if that's the case.

There's even more coming your way, with this one.

Let's start with the big one, shall we? Because if you're going to put together a Werewolf: The Apocalypse game, you're going to be in need of kinfolk. My "100 Kinfolk" project put together 100 kinfolk NPCs for every core tribe, as well as the Black Spiral Dancers. So whether you just want to grab specific tribes, or get all 1,400 NPCs, take a look at the bundle! And in case that wasn't enough, there's also the 100 Stargazer Kinfolk, for those who enjoy that particular tribe. I'm also going to have a shiny supplement that's all about Pentex and their grubby minions coming out next month, so keep your eyes peeled for that one!

As for Vampire, I had a similar project come out with my "100 Ghouls" installments. Those are (at time of writing, at least), New World Nights (100 ghouls for the Camarilla in America), Children of The Night (100 animal ghouls), and New World Shadows (100 ghouls for the Sabbat in America). While that's nowhere near as many as my Werewolf project, 300 NPCs is nothing to sneeze at... especially when these supplements are useful for players and STs alike!

Lastly, my personal favorite are the supplements I've been putting out for Changeling: The Lost. The first one that dropped, 100 Mourning Cant Dialects, Phrases, and Meanings was specifically for all the folks out there who love the Winter Court, but who just cannot come up with meaningful-sounding double-talk and spy slang on the fly. There's also 100 (Mostly) Harmless Goblin Fruits and Oddments To Find in The Hedge, which expounds on the weird and wild grandeur of the between-realm, giving players and STs alike a slew of strange and bizarre items to incorporate in both 1st or 2nd edition. And the newest supplement, which just dropped this past weekend, is 100 Strange Sights to See in The Hedge. Because the Hedge is supposed to be a realm of infinite danger and deceit, filled with bizarre sights and nightmare monsters, but it's tough to come up with that out of thin air when you're an ST... so I thought I'd provide a little help.

And If You're Just Looking For Scary Stories...

As a bit of a bonus, if you're just looking for some scary stories to help get you in the proper mindset for some horror, might I suggest taking a look at 50 Two-Sentence Horror Stories? Or perhaps check out my short story collection The Rejects, which is fully of short horror pieces like Dressing The Flesh, read below!

As always, everyone have a safe and scary holidays! And if you end up using any of my supplements, I want to hear stories of how things turned out, so drop them in the comments, or find me on social media!

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!