In this episode, we take a deeper look at improvised visual descriptions and look at a few different ways to use the “description palette” (or “description cheat sheet” approach to improve our on-the-fly descriptions of what characters might see.
In this episode, we take a more practical look at what we can learn from three examples of boxed text descriptions In this episode, we look at improvised descriptions and how a little preparation can go a long way to creating great on-the-fly/off-the-cuff descriptions that feel vivid and exciting. We look at 6 key ways to prepare prior to game so that your in-the-moment descriptions feel more natural and organic.
Future episodes will delve into Option 6 in more detail, beginning with a look at how to prepare visual cues and hooks for describing what characters see.
In this episode, we take a more practical look at what we can learn from three examples of boxed text descriptions from the classic 1985 module The Temple of Elemental Evil written by Gary Gygax.
In this episode, I look at how we can use prewritten modules and the provided boxed text descriptions to deliver great narration.
Some questions we explore:
In this episode, I adapt the principles for describing people to the more specific task of describing villains. For the most part, we’re still looking at first impressions, so I focus on:
But I also address how to take cues from mental ability scores so that you have a better sense of how to deliver dialog and embody that villain, as well as how to describe their interactions with the player characters. What next? More discussion of villain descriptions and strategies to make it easier to describe them on the fly. A discussion about monsters and how to describe them. And at some point, we’ll move on to describing magic items, artifacts, and spells.
How do we describe people that our players encounter? Whether they are a peasant, knight, stranger on the road, bandit in the thicket, or drunk outside the bar, the first time the party meets them should be memorable. How can we make these NPCs (non-player characters) come alive in the minds of our players?
This episode does a deep dive into first impressions, breaking down what happens when we see someone for the first time and how we can build a description based on the ordering of
If these tips and insights are helpful to you, let me know below!
Action by action, roll by roll, how do we make combat more exciting and compelling, and not just a slogfest of overwrought description or an underwhelming barrage of “You hit. You miss”?
This episode looks at different ways of describing combat actions, including:
As well as a lot of other tips, tricks, and insights related to improving and more deeply understanding combat action descriptions.
If you’ve ever wondered how to make your combat descriptions more dynamic and exciting, this is the episode for you. I look at four narrative approaches to describing combat (reactive, consequential, cinematic, and panoramic) and how to use them effectively.
Understanding these concepts will help you be more deliberate and intentional in how you describe combat, whether you’re focused on actions and reactions, or you’re interested in creating a more cinematic and dynamic feel.
Three things to avoid when describing combat in a roleplaying game — as well as what we can do instead to improve dramatic tension, immersion, and pacing.
How can we describe a room’s contents in a way that doesn’t just feel like a jumbled inventory of details and things? In Part 3 of How to Describe a Room, we turn our attention to describing the contents of a room, as well as considering how what’s there can influence the order and trajectory of our descriptions.
We look specifically at:
Fantastic Descriptions provides guides, tools, and resources for game masters to raise the level of their narrative storytelling and bring a deeper level of immersion and engagement to their players.
Neil Aitken is an award-winning author, editor, and creative writing coach who has been playing D&D since the Red Box set in the 1980s. He holds both a PhD in Literature & Creative Writing from USC and an MFA in Creative Writing from UC Riverside. Prior to pursuing graduate work in creative writing, he worked as a computer games programmer for Knowledge Adventure and Vivendi Universal Games.
