The Heart Monitor
GM AMA Wrap-Up Part 1
Wow what a fantastic event! I had so much fun reconnecting with old friends and we had some great questions. . . So as promised, here are my answers to some post-broadcast questions I received as well as some questions posed in our Friends of Open Heart Games Facebook Group.
Giving Back with Our GM AMA
As we launch our second campaign in less than a week and prepare for our next major event, the Game Master Ask Me Anything or GM AMA, I am reminded of the importance of giving back. Charity is at the heart of what we do. We give a portion of each month’s sales directly to our local children’s hospital, Carillion Children’s via the Extra Life charity. With our Game Master Ask Me Anything, we hope to accomplish two things; both of which are our way of giving back to the tremendous gaming community that has offered us so much.
Get Ready For A Helluva Good Time! Why I❤️Baldur’s Gate: Descent into Avernus
Here we are again friends! A launch of another brand-new campaign. In just over a tenday, Open Heart Games will launch our second campaign, Baldur’s Gate: Descent into Avernus. In the same vein of our last entry, I wanted to give my initial thoughts and share with you my excitement as we begin our next journey into the world of the Forgotten Realms! This will be a spoiler-free preview, so please read on!
The Game Master’s Most Sacred Charge
I have found in my journey that the joy of being a storyteller comes not from telling a story that we enjoy ourselves, but instead to tell a story that others will enjoy. Game Masters are the selfless bards who weave their story not for their own self interest, but instead for their players. . .I consider every player’s enjoyment to be a Game Master’s most sacred charge.
Crucible: My Introduction to Worldbuilding
It can be difficult to know where to begin when worldbuilding. I recommend building your world around content that you enjoy consuming. This way it will be easier for you to find inspiration for your world. I began building Crucible (the setting for my first homebrew) by considering the kinds of stories that I enjoyed reading about. . .Once you have analyzed your own interests and found your inspiration to begin building the setting you want, it is time to begin thinking about how to make your world feel real for your players. . .
Pursuing Mastery in the Art of Storytelling
About a year after running my first campaign, I decided that it was time to give it another shot. By now, I had come into my own as a player, read the D&D 3.5 Player’s Handbook from cover to cover, and played in a variety of other systems. I had played under several new Game Masters and had observed the different ways they conducted their games, asking each of them for feedback and thoughts. I wanted my new campaign to be bigger and better than the last and I had a lot of great expectations. It was then that fate stepped in. . .
Open Heart Games: The Story So Far. . .
It has been just over a month since we officially launched Open Heart Games so we thought it would be a great time to recap what we have done so far and what we still plan to do. . .
The Importance of Feedback: Are My Players Having a Good Time?
Requesting feedback can at first seem daunting. Suddenly your mind races and your breath catches in your throat. What if they don’t like my campaign at all? What if they hate it? What if they don’t like me? Am I a bad GM? Don’t let those voices of self-doubt get the better of you. Take a breath, silence the voices, and ask your players for their honest opinions so that they can help you improve.
My Introduction into Roleplaying. Part 2: The Campaign
This week we will talk about the first campaign that I ever ran. It was, in a word, awful. . . But for me, the takeaway is that even though the campaign wasn’t the greatest story ever told, the players had a good time and I learned a lot. This campaign gave me the much-needed confidence to continue to run campaigns for years to come. And believe me when I say, they got a lot better.
Why I ❤️Icewind Dale: Rime of the Frostmaiden
In just over a tenday, Open Heart Games will launch our first campaign, Icewind Dale: Rime of the Frostmaiden. So for today’s blog post I wanted to give my initial thoughts and share with you the reasons I am excited to begin our journey with this specific campaign. This will be a spoiler-free preview, so please read on!
A Heartfelt Hello
Thank you for taking the time to check out what we are all about! The Heart Monitor will be a weekly blog chronicling one storyteller’s journey. I am excited to share so many things I have learned along the way. Topics will include things like. . .