Out of Initiative

When the creativity is flowing, everything is shiny and exciting. But when it comes screeching to a halt as writer's block kicks in, it can be hard to find the motivation to keep creating. In this episode of Out of Initiative, Sarah and Morgan talk about the different ways writer's block presents to them and how they overcome it.

In this episode of Out of Initiative, we explore the age-old debate of theater of the mind versus making battle maps. As longtime players ourselves, we’ve experienced the pros and cons of each approach, and we're excited to explore this topic in-depth. Join us as we discuss how these two styles of gameplay enhance or detract from the overall dungeon-crawling experience, and the various creative strategies that can be employed to get the most out of both.

We love running our TTRPG games as much as the next GM but it's critical we take breaks from session prep and running games to be a player. Plus, you'll get some always helpful perspective of being back in the player seat while a member of your group takes the big omnipresent seat at the head of the table. But before you can get to playing, you'll need to help get your player-turned-GM set up for success. In this episode, Sarah and Morgan discuss how they recommend starting a conversation to bring a player into the GM seat, what resources and experiences you might want to give them and what Sarah wishes Morgan would have given her before their current campaign (live and learn on this one, Morgan).

Part 2 of our series on running a TTRPG session! Running a TTRPG might look like improv and while it does sometimes lean on improv elements, there's much more to GMing than making things up on the fly. You'll need to combine session prep and quick thinking to make the perfect formula for your games. In this episode, Sarah and Morgan discuss what they bring to the table each session, what they prep and what they make up in the moment.

Running a TTRPG might look like improv and while it does sometimes lean on improv elements, there's much more to GMing than making things up on the fly. You'll need to combine session prep and quick thinking to make the perfect formula for your games. In this episode, Sarah and Morgan discuss how pre-written modules can be an important starting place for new game masters and how we can learn from them to decide what we should write and what we can wing.

Custom magic items and subclasses are more than en vogue for GMs like Logan, they're a way to build story and give players the freedom to not feel obligated to fit a niche. In this episode, Sarah and Morgan chat with Logan the GM about building and tuning custom magic items, getting inspiration from anime and how Vogueing and the drag scene inspired a bardic subclass that's serving more than just vicious mockery.

Whether it's for character building or to fill the void left by an unplanned session, using the concept of a bottle episode can serve your story well. From combats thrown in to buy time to situations and prompts that help players build out their character's arc, this is a tool every storyteller should have in their arsenal. In this episode, Sarah and Morgan discuss what bottle episodes mean for writers and GMs as well as examples of how to implement this tool in your next session.

Sarah and Morgan are back for Out of Initiative season 2, talking about session zero. Everyone wants to skip to the good part but session zero is an opportunity to establish boundaries and consent with your players and a critical moment to manage expectations to ensure everyone has fun at the table.

In the first season finale of Out of Initiative, Sarah and Morgan invite this season's guests for a round of trivia and hypothetical rulings. Nonsense ensues in this game show-themed episode.

Structuring a campaign that leaves room for player choices is a challenge on its own. Adding in creating stories that are compelling enough to keep the players and GM engaged can seem like a daunting task. In this episode, Sarah and Morgan discuss story structure, adding rewards and consequences for character actions as well as opening lines of communication when actions might have very dire outcomes. 

It's time to slip into something a little more... character-forward. In this special in-person episode, Sarah and Morgan discuss tips for building believable characters and how to embody those characters for roleplaying at the table. Costume optional.

From Dexter to John Wick, characters who do bad things can be the most fascinating. Sarah and Morgan discuss the challenges, benefits and nuances of running a campaign or telling a story from the perspective of morally gray or evil characters. 

Content warning: This episode contains mention of violence, murder and villainous themes.

Making a few changes in how you engage with D&D can enhance your experience and make the game more fun for everyone involved. In this episode, Sarah and Morgan talk about tips to help be a better player in any TTRPG game.

Love is in the air! Building relationships with other player characters and NPCs can add exciting depth to your TTRPG games. In this episode, Sarah and Morgan share their experiences with romance in D&D and offer tips on how to add some love to your table (with express consent, of course).

Endings are tough. Writing and planning for endings is even harder. In this episode, Sarah and Morgan discuss closing out stories in D&D and in fiction and the unique challenges that come with each kind of ending. 

We use dndbeyond to generate random characters and give them backstories that justify their absolutely absurd builds. We also ask the hypothetical question, "Who takes just one level in Monk?" 

Epic fights and intricate plotlines are only part of the story, especially if you're running a TTRPG. Magic items are the thing that separates adventurers from heroes... but sometimes the options are too complicated, over- or under-powered or just don't fit the character and party. Enter: the fantastical world of homebrew magic items. We discuss creating custom items to match your players' needs, sources for inspiration and what to do when your players have a different idea for how an item should be used. We're joined by fellow DM Isaac, who is the reason Sarah and Morgan are sisters by marriage. 

Every story needs a world to take place in, from fiction to TTRPGs. In this episode, Sarah and Morgan talk about tips to create an immersive world for your story from simple prompts that start it off to expanding ideas into entire societies. Buckle in and let's talk worldbuilding!

Flex your improv muscles with some randomly generated prompts consisting of a 90's top 100 hit and a genre. These quick story ideas are sure to spark some ideas for your TTRPG game or NaNoWriMo mid-month slump.

We're joined by a member of our D&D group and the most chaotic player we know, Kyle, to talk about adding chaos to TTRPG stories in ways that create exciting roleplay and plot moments. Chaos requires give and take - sometimes a character needs to ease up on the chaos to ensure everyone else is having fun at the table and Kyle talks about some of the cues he goes on in the moment to guide those decisions as well as out of game discussions that keep chaotic characters in check. 

It's the best time, it's the worst time, it's NaNoWriMo! We're talking about how we write and sharing tips to get you through the month with your sanity in tact. Whether you're writing your next TTRPG campaign or the next great novel, we've got you covered.

Costumes? Check! Sense of impending doom in a story? Check! 

If you want to add scary moments to your TTRPG game or writing, consider some of these tactics. We'll share examples of how we incorporate tension, dread and humor into our writing to bring the horror to life without relying on overly gruesome or startling imagery. 

In the beginning, we learned all about our favorite storytelling method at a table with a bunch of other nerds. There was improv, rule fatigue and a steep learning curve but it transformed into a hobby that we're passionate about and a seemingly bottomless well of story ideas.