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Complete Guide toTMTM

Game Design

by Wolfgang Baur and a Team of Design All-Stars

“! e Kobold...welcomes the best and the brightest of the industry to share their knowledge of game design. ” Je! Grubb, F"#$"%%&' R&()*+ designer

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P R E S E N T S

COMPLETE KOBOLD GUIDE TO GAME DESIGN

Essays by

Wolfgang Baur and a Team of Design All-Stars

Edited by Janna SilversteinCover by Jonathan Hodgson

ii Complete K!"!#$ Guide to Game Design

Complete KOBOLD Guide to Game Design© 2012 Open Design LLC

Edited by Janna SilversteinCover art by Jonathan HodgsonDesigned by Stephen Wark

Portions of this volume previously appeared in:The KOBOLD Guide to Game Design, Volume 1: AdventuresThe KOBOLD Guide to Game Design, Volume 2: How to Playtest & PublishThe KOBOLD Guide to Game Design, Volume 3: Tools & Techniques

All Rights Reserved. Reproduction of this book in any manner without expresspermission from the publisher is prohibited.

OPEN DESIGN LLCP.O. Box 2811Kirkland, WA 98083

WWW.KOBOLDQUARTERLY.COM

Most product names are trademarks owned by the companies that publish thoseproducts. Use of the name of any product without mention of trademark status shouldnot be construed as a challenge to such status. Open Design, Kobold Quarterly, andthe KQ logo are trademarks of Open Design LLC.

iii

ContentsF!"#$!"%

A Stranger in an Oddly Familiar Land vG&'# D#()*+

1. What is Design? 32. Designing RPGs: Computer and Tabletop 153. % e Process of Creative % ought 204. Design that Matters 265. Seize the Hook 316. % e In& nite Onion 437. Fortunate Accidents 478. Basic Combat Systems for Tabletop Games 499. More Empty Rooms 5910. Fantasy Realism 6611. Designing Magic Systems 7012. How NOT to Design a Magic Item 7513. Location as a Fulcrum for Superior Design 8114. Worldbuilding 87

E+,&+-)+* A%.#+/0"#(15. Crafting a Dastardly Plot 9916. Challenge and Response 10617. On the Street Where Heroes Live 11318. City Adventures 11919. % e Underdark 12520. Maps, Monsters, and Bottom-Up Design 13021. Monster Hordes 13622. Hardboiled Adventures 14223. What Makes a Night Arabian? 14824. % e Mystery of Mysteries 15125. “% e Anvil in the Dwarf ’s Soup” 15726. Using and Abusing Misdirection 16227. Stagecraft 166

iv Complete K!"!#$ Guide to Game Design

W")/)+*, P)/-,)+*, P012)(,)+*28. % e % ree Audiences 17329. Shorter, Faster, Harder, Less 17530. Buckets in the Sandbox 18031. Collaboration and Design 18732. Myths and Realities of Game Balance 19333. Pacing 19734. Playtesting 20535. Promises, Promises 20936. Failure and Recovery 21537. Why Writers Get Paid 21938. Talent Won’t Save You... 22339. % e Magic Bullet for Publication 22840. Creative Mania and Design Despair 232

In the three individual volumes of the K!"!#$ G%&$' (! G)*' D'+&,- series, a star-studded line-up of game designers laid out concepts, techniques, and advice for enhancing adventures and designing roleplaying games. . is volume brings together those essays in one package—a total of 40 articles—featuring new pieces by popular author and designer Willie Walsh, New York Times bestselling author and game designer Michael A. Stackpole, and award-winning designer Wolfgang Baur.

Between these covers, you’ll / nd practical, thought-provoking essays on worldbuilding, creating magic systems, con0 ict and compelling stories, what to expect when you work as a design professional, and much more. Concrete examples provide models to help you create well-rounded designs and exciting adventures. Your campaigns will never be the same.

With essays byKeith Baker, Wolfgang Baur, Monte Cook, Ed Greenwood, Rob Heinsoo,

Nicolas Logue, Michael A. Stackpole, and Willie Walsh

The Ultimate Resource for Gamers, Game Masters,

and Designers

Open Design is a trademark of Open Design LLC.

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$29.99

7810657819369

ISBN 978-1-936781-06-592999 >

Praise for the Kobold Guide to Game Design Vol III: Tools and Techniques:“If you’re an aspiring pro this book is a must.

If you’re a rules hacker like me, this stu! is solid gold.”— Berin Kinsman, UncleBear Media

“If you’re a GM, a game designer, or a RPG player interested in getting into the design side of how to create your own games, you can’t " nd a better

introduction.”— Brian Fitzpatrick, Blog Critics