1. PBeM, Chat, IRC tips
   
   
2. PBeM, Chat, IRC problems you have so I know what tips to ask for from experts like Aki, who wrote this week's article.

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1. Use The Scrabble Game For Names; Alternate Sources of Information in the City; Fodors.com
   From: Dr.X
   
   Alien Names:
   
   All right, not all of us are going to be playing fantasy. During a long-running Star Wars campaign, I started having trouble coming up with new names for people, aliens and planets. 3d6 and a Scrabble bag provided the answer.
   
   Roll 3d6. Pull that many letters from the bag.
   Roll 1d6. 1-3, the word has a hyphen in it somewhere, 4-6, it doesn't.
   Roll 1d6. 1-3, there's an apostrophe, 4-6, none.
   
   Try to make a name out of the letters. If you can't, roll another 3d6 and add that many letters to the mix. SOMETHING will form.
   
   Some of the names that came about using this system:
   Sultry Pirate Queen: Jeneb Flux (Added a second x to make it Fluxx.)
   Name of her pirate cartel: Boorezap Q'Jur
   Alien Smuggler: Vale H'rt-Suhl
   Tropical Planet: Sotie Aioteg
   Fixer: Busixth Elivoret
   Alien Ship: Q'wix Fynn
   
   
   Alternate Sources of Information in the City:
   
   A saloon that my players frequent in Deadlands is called "The Obligatory Tavern." Every roleplayer knows, well, no longer even knows, it's inscribed into your genetic makeup along with the role-playing gene: first thing, head to the tavern.
   
   Nowadays, I've got the Posse (Technical term in the game, GM's the Marshal, players are the Posse) trained so that the saloon is a rally point, and the first place they go for information is the town tailor.
   
   It's easy to understand why players think the bar's where you go to get info: drink loosens peoples' lips and they start gossiping and dispensing rumors. In fact, it's to the point that other sources of information are often ignored. Think of places where people go for extended periods of nothing to do but sit or stand and talk: the tailor, the barber, the blacksmith's. A character who's friendly with the Law might be able to go into the Sheriff's office and just sit and chat with the deputies.
   
   Certain people, of course, tend to be tight-lipped for various reasons. Either professional obligation (doctor, lawyer, preacher) or personal agenda (reporter who's got a scoop, politician worried about re-election--remember that politicians, especially in these old towns, often run an important local business, like the dry goods store) could make it difficult to elicit answers from certain people.
   
   In these cases, a fellow member of their profession (or a character posing as one) might stand a better chance of getting to hear about an interesting client than a warrior attempting to intimidate the answers out of them.
   
   And, of course, the phrase "Lunch is on me" is eternal.
   
   
   Fodors.com:
   
   If you're running something using a present day setting (World of Darkness, etc.), www.fodors.com is an excellent resource, detailing cities down to the locations of ATMs and pay phones.
   
   

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2. Curbing PC Excesses
   From: Arthur E.
   
   Johnn,
   
   The following is inspired by the recent thread on Running Cities, but it is not limited to urban settings.
   
   PCs are typically among the most dangerous and unpredictable people in a game world. Many groups have a resident psychopath who may kill or steal for the fun of it. Even if there are no overtly crazy PCs, they often apply modern sensibilities in a game world with different mores. For example, PCs may decline to give way to a noble on the street or to pay taxes because the Players find it philosophically annoying to do so. For these kinds of reasons, PCs frequently go afoul of the law and they should not expect to evade it easily.
   
   So, here are some things I have come up with in my game world to mitigate PCs' tendencies to go wild or take undue advantage.
   
   1. Prisons are exceptionally well guarded, even in small towns. They are never made of weak material like wood-- always stone and metal, maybe magic too, if the locals can afford it.
      
      
   2. Town guards/police/militia are smart. They use magic and technology to scry or detect criminals.
      
      
   3. In a world where transportation is expensive (horses, vehicles) stables are well guarded. There may be a stable boy, but there are also stable guards. Likewise with other expensive things--weapon shops, money lenders, etc.
      
      
   4. Guards hardly ever fall asleep while on active duty.
      
      
   5. NPCs are not very superstitious. A thin ruse playing on local fears is not likely to work. An involved ruse might work though.
      
      
   6. An entire community can be offended by PC actions, not just the powers in the community. For example, if PCs rob a temple, they will not just have to evade the town guard. There may be mobs, hit men and everyday good samaritans to rat them out.
      
      
   7. Organized crime usually has some kind of relationship with local powers. They may have exclusive contracts with officials over certain kinds of criminal activities.
      
      
   8. Enemies of PCs can be patient and smart. They can plan attacks and ambushes. They can wait until PCs are asleep.
   
   I do not believe in placing PCs at the mercy of a game world. We all know that it is no fun to be deprived of options, or to have PC behavior be coerced. However, some limits are necessary.
   
   

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3. WoD Tips
   From: Ranko
   
   Most WoD stuff needs to be created in advance, that is before the first session. Even more if politics are about to hit the characters in the face.
   
   Please note that I do not like to mix different WoD games and do not see them as an integrated whole.
   
   Cast and crew: After I have talked about the general issues of the campaign with the players, and have a rough idea of what I want to GM, I go and do the rough sketch of the vamps:
   
   1. Decide upon the number of vamps in the city, usually I do not follow the VtM demographics because I like my hometown of Zagreb, and raising it's population to fit the WoD standards would ruin the atmosphere of the city.
      
      
   2. Now I like to decide on the rough outline of the power structure so I assign the number of vamps per clan.
      
      
   3. Using the assigned number, I give names to vamps of a clan. Then I think about their relations with each other. This usually ends up with me writing a lineage or two on an A4 paper. While writing the lineage of the local clan I make sure to put down: name, born - died (you might wish to add the period while the character was mortal too, it helps knowing if a guy lived through the high middle ages, or renaissance), a few general notes on the guy/gal (even if I killed him a century ago).
      
      I don't shy from this part of the design process. I do it all, dead guys, failed embraces who are now Caitiff, the catatonic ones who got donated or sold to really old Kindred (the guys who need Kindred blood, as mortal is to weak for them). Doing all this stuff might seem a bit too much, but it is fun (well, to me it is) and you get to tell the players' tales of their grand Sires and their kids, cousins etc.
      
      This is a good place (once you do more than one clan) to connect some of the older guys, who shared a coterie with whom, old loves/hates, etc.
      
      Lest I forget - fit the PCs in the lineage too : )
      
      (This is where you might design your local ____________(insert clan) lineage. For more on this I would suggest that you look up a really good article on www.nocturnis.net [Vampire section].)
      
      
   4. Positions of power - who holds them and why. Map of relations within the power structure is really essential for a good WoD (VtM especially). Don't forget to add aids and advisors. Change some of the titles - names or what they do.
      
      For example - I have a Ban (Croatian title) of Croatia (sort of Prince but on a larger scale), Zupans (also a very Slavic title; it is the one WW uses for Tzimisce) for towns and cities, Pristav in place of Sheriff, etc.
      
      
   5. Detailed design of key characters (this drags itself into the campaign time, don't be afraid of it). Give them history, ghouls, mortal 'friends', family members, a life. Think about their areas of influence, ask yourself how they influence it (try talking with others to broaden your perspective on areas you know little or nothing about).
   
   Hope this helps.
   
   

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