Episode 94: Player Centric Design

Seize the GM

00:00 / 38:40

Main Topic

Player Centric Design is another way of building campaigns and adventures for games. While GM Centric are about the GM’s Ideas the Player centric design is more of what the players are wanting. It might seem like this is a simple way to run games but in actuality it can be if you are a GM that thrives on having ideas busted. You are going to have usually an idea for that first session but after that you will want to have tons of notes. Now before we dive in a bit more a big thing you will want to do is look at all the PC sheets. Those are a road map to what the players want to do and see in the game. If all the players build combat monsters then run a combat heavy game. If one of the PC’s has made a detective then make sure you have things for that player in the game.

A big part of player centric design is taking notes, lots and lots of notes. Part of the reason is if you are like me you set up a few different encounters. Either a few different types or a few of the same type. The reason for all the notes is once you have the bare bones framework done I like to let the players help to build out the things they want to see. Not everyone will do that.

Stat Blocks

Zendead

Lost Tomb of Heriodious

The dust cascaded off of the cap stone. The glyphs and etching that were present couldn’t be made out yet. The air that rushed out of the hole was dusty and smelled of lost dreams and wishes. The light from the sun was not going very far into the hole on the side of the pyramid. The edge of the sunlight shows the beginning of floor to ceiling glyphs etched into the stone. The layer of sandy dust covering the floor hides the edges of the stone flooring except for the single footprint heading into the tunnel.

How to Use Lost Tomb of Heriodious in Game:

This location could be a cursed tomb or a site of something extraordinary. The options are limitless actually. It could also be the entrance to a lost civilization. See there are so many ideas that are going on.

Guard-a-Manger

Shadow of Doubt

The Shadow of Dobt is freeform so for it you will need to listen to the show. Sorry

How to Use Shadow of Doubt in Game:

All the info is in the audio

Lexicon

mendicant noun men·di·cant | \ ˈmen-di-kənt \

Definition of mendicant (Entry 1 of 2)

1: BEGGAR sense 1

wandering mendicants

2: often capitalized : a member of a religious order (such as the Franciscans) combining monastic life and outside religious activity and originally owning neither personal nor community property : FRIAR

mendicant adjective

Definition of mendicant (Entry 2 of 2)

1: practicing beggary : engaged in begging

2: of, relating to, belonging to, or constituting a religious order combining monastic life and outside religious activity and originally owning neither personal nor community property

First Known Use of mendicant

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adjective

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2

History and Etymology for mendicant

Noun

Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Latin mendicant-, mendicans, present participle of mendicare to beg, from mendicus beggar

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