Bag o' Nifties: Tricks for GMs

A Peak Inside the "Bag o' Nifties"

by Dan Pond
May 31, 2001

Hey, thanks for stopping by my column. Whether you're reading this now, when the column is brand new and still smells of fresh paint and new carpet, or in a few months, when the place is crowded with stacks of articles from floor to ceiling, the following information might be helpful to you. Basically, I'm going to explain what this column is about, who I am, and where the items in this eclectic collection come from. I promise not to make it too long. This is just a sneak peak, after all.

The official goal of the Bag o' Nifties is to provide you, the enterprising reader, with an assortment of GM tricks and stand-alone game mechanics you can toss into whatever you're playing in order to achieve specific, unique, or not-often-seen effects. We'll tackle anything from fantasy to sci-fi, from modern magic to cinematic action. In fact, I'll even take requests via email and/or the RPG.net forum below. (This isn't a challenge or anything. I just know I'll need help coming up with ideas from time to time ;)

As for my credentials, I'm the co-founder of the Immersive Entertainment Group (http://www.ImEG-Games.com) and author of the Nameless RPG (http://www.imeg-games.com/nameless). I've been writing and running table-top RPGs since 1994; I've also been writing and running Live-Action RPGs since 1996. I'm a compulsive game designer, adding/removing/editing material from just about every game I run. More information about me, as well as links to many of my gaming websites, can be found on my homepage: http://www.scc.net/~indra.

Most of the Nifties are being drawn from ImEG's current project (as of this writing). All Worldz, a Game of Interdimensional Civilization, is a multi-genre online RPG and Storytelling game. Participants add their own Worlds to the shared setting, interact with each other to determine it's emerging history, and write fiction, RPG material, and just about anything else based on those interactions. This results in an ever-growing, dynamic setting with a vast wealth of ready-made locations, characters, plots, spells, technologies, organizations, and all the other essential components of an RPG.

The pieces that appear in this column have had their AWz-specific aspects removed so you can more easily plug them into your own games. However, you can find the original articles, along with tons of other Nifties, in the "Library" section of the AWz website: http://www.allworldz.com (However, some sections of the site are open only to members.)

I think that's just about everything you need to know. Now it's time to open the Bag and take a look inside...

L8r,
--Dan Pond