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Clay Sheldon

@claysheldon.bsky.social

2.9K followers 140 following 5.7K posts

Writer, DM, Storyteller and a fan of all things fiction. Represented by the Rights Factory http://claysheldon.com/ Check out this fantasy murder mystery party game! https://www.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/402695/mysteries-of-the-flying-haddock-a-trilogy

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Clay Sheldon @claysheldon.bsky.social · Aug 22

Do you like fantasy? How about murder mystery party games? Good news! The Flying Haddock is open for business! Solve three unique mysteries with friends, before the killer gets you!

And if you're feeling generous, I would greatly appreciate a like and a repost!

www.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/4...

Mysteries of The Flying Haddock - a trilogy - Enigmatic Events Collective Inc. | DriveThruRPG

Mysteries of the Flying Haddock are a set of threeshort murder mystery roleplaying games inspired by Dungeons and Dragons Fifth Edition and the Forgotten Realms. It is, however, not a 5th edition adv...

www.drivethrurpg.com

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Clay Sheldon @claysheldon.bsky.social · 1h

There's no rule saying you can't create your own feats. It can actually be a really awesome way to help your players customize their PCs. Just be careful not to give your players broken superpowers. Give them fun flavor and utility, not unchecked power. That can completely break a game.
#D&D #TTRPG

Clay Sheldon @claysheldon.bsky.social · 1h

I can understand the logic there, and I agree that I've come across said 'shot into space' pieces. But I'd still say that even those can be repaired. However, it's more like diminishing returns. The time and effort necessary might not be worth investing in to get to a workable state, you know?

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Clay Sheldon @claysheldon.bsky.social · 5h

One of the neat little quirks of playing hardcore mode in Kingdom Come is that you don't show up on the overworld map. Which means you get really good at reading maps and navigating. Combine that with the flaw of sleepwalking at night and you're gunna have a fun time.
🎮 #gaming #RPG #KingdomCome

Clay Sheldon @claysheldon.bsky.social · 8h

Writing Tip:
There's no such thing as writing that is so bad that it cannot be salvaged. Think about it. Any string of words and be shuffled around, edited and modified. By that logic, even the worst of the worst can be polished into something great with enough time.
#writing #writingtips #Booksky

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Clay Sheldon @claysheldon.bsky.social · 10h

One of the biggest missteps of Kingdom Come Deliverance is the early game. It doesn't introduce a lot of the skills and mechanics you can dive into. And it's not good at teaching players the skill system, which is actually really fun when you understand how it works.
🎮 #gaming #RPG #KingdomCome

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Clay Sheldon @claysheldon.bsky.social · 15h

Just like in improv acting, a GM should try to 'yes and' every situation within reason. That is, add and collaborate with what your players are doing. Try not to shut down a player if they do something you didn't expect. Improvise. Adapt. Cooperate and have fun!
#D&D #TTRPG

Clay Sheldon @claysheldon.bsky.social · 16h

Writing Tip:
Choosing when a character enters a scene can be one of the most important decisions you'll make in a story. After all, stories are about timing and pacing. Poorly-timed entrances can tarnish an otherwise good scene. Perfect timing does the opposite.
#writing #writingtips #Booksky

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Clay Sheldon @claysheldon.bsky.social · 16h

Look, I get the idea of a Skyrim door so that players don't have to backtrack, but it feels like an extreme security hazard in-game. Like, bandits are just ignoring the obvious secret passage that leads from the entrance straight to their boss and treasure horde?
🎮 #gaming #RPG #Skyrim

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Clay Sheldon @claysheldon.bsky.social · 19h

GM-ing isn't easy. If it looks easy, it's because your GM is putting 110% into their performance. A kind word or compliment for a hard-working GM can really go a long way. Oh, and cookies. Cookies are great too. Just saying.
#D&D #TTRPG

Clay Sheldon @claysheldon.bsky.social · 22h

The one thing I always mod in Elder Scrolls games is the ability to skip the tutorial section. With morrowind, you fill out some paperwork and you're out in the world. With later titles, you have 1+ hours of identical dungeon every time you start a new character. Eugh...
🎮 #gaming #RPG #Skyrim

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Clay Sheldon @claysheldon.bsky.social · 1d

The best piece of advice I have for new GMs is to establish phone rules as early as you can. Whether you allow players to check their phones at the table will change things dramatically. Obviously checking the time is one thing but if they're stuck on their screens, they're not engaging.
#D&D #TTRPG

Clay Sheldon @claysheldon.bsky.social · 1d

Writing Tip:
Plan ahead in your writing, but expect to throw out all those plans at the drop of a hat. That's good! Being flexible means you can write an even better story if creativity strikes. And your ending might end up in a completely different place. Let it!
#writing #writingtips #Booksky

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Clay Sheldon @claysheldon.bsky.social · 1d

Writing Tip:
As a writing exercise, open up a word document, clear your mind, and just write top-of-mind for 60 seconds. Literally anything that pops into your head. It can be harder than it sounds. When you hit 60 seconds, see if there was anything interesting.
#writing #writingtips #Booksky

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Clay Sheldon @claysheldon.bsky.social · 1d

If there's one mechanic in RPGs that I can't get enough of, it's levelling up skills by actually using them. It sounds reasonable, but you'd be amazed how few RPGs actually implement that. I might never use a skill but can max out skill points in it, and that's weird to me.
🎮 #gaming #RPG

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Clay Sheldon @claysheldon.bsky.social · 1d

Writing Tip:
A good story can appear anywhere. You don't need to spend a hundred hours storyboarding a complex plan before you start. If you suddenly get inspired, write it down as quick as you can. Sometimes those spontaneous moments are worth their weight in gold.
#writing #writingtips #Booksky

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Clay Sheldon @claysheldon.bsky.social · 1d

Writing Tip:
There are going to be moments when your writing will come to a screeching halt for seemingly no reason. You'll just want to walk away. Take a break, but ask yourself why you wanted to stop. Maybe there's something wrong about the scene you're working on.
#writing #writingtips #Booksky

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Clay Sheldon @claysheldon.bsky.social · 1d

Writing Tip:
Everyone's writing habits are different and you shouldn't worry about it 'looking silly' to others. Do you listen to the same song on loop for hours while you write? Go ahead! No one's judging you. Do whatever gets you in the right headspace to create!
#writing #writingtips #Booksky

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Clay Sheldon @claysheldon.bsky.social · 1d

Writing Tip:
One of the most important mindset shifts as a writer is going from 'Why does this suck so much?' to 'How can I improve this to be better?'. It's easy to lose yourself to negativity, but you'll have a whole lot more fun seeing it as a project to improve.
#writing #writingtips #Booksky

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Clay Sheldon @claysheldon.bsky.social · 1d

Writing Tip:
Consider working with an artist to give your fiction a little more zing. While many writers primarily paint a picture with words, having an awesome world map or interspersed art to accentuate a scene can really make a project pop.
#writing #writingtips #Booksky

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Clay Sheldon @claysheldon.bsky.social · 1d

Writing Tip:
When talking with an editor working on your project, remember that they are not the enemy. If they're a good editor, they're pointing out legitimate problems respectfully. Don't bite their head off because they noticed it. Reflect on what they said.
#writing #writingtips #Booksky

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Clay Sheldon @claysheldon.bsky.social · 1d

Writing Tip:
Whether you're the writer or the editor, make edits into a conversation. Don't accuse the other person of screwing something up. Ask why they made the choice that they did, point out why it might not work and brainstorm some alternatives. Civility helps!
#writing #writingtips #Booksky

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Clay Sheldon @claysheldon.bsky.social · 1d

Writing Tip:
You can make up your own words and terms if you want to. That's one of the joys of fiction. But you also need to introduce them into your writing in a way the reader can understand. Don't just make an incomprehensible story with a glossary in the back.
#writing #writingtips #Booksky

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Clay Sheldon @claysheldon.bsky.social · 1d

In a session zero, a fun thing to add is Player Character relationships. Just ask players if they know the PC sitting to their left. If they do, let them brainstorm how for a minute. Suddenly, they've got an awesome RP opportunity and someone to bounce off of in-game.
#D&D #TTRPG

Clay Sheldon @claysheldon.bsky.social · 1d

As a GM, sometimes you shouldn't shut down a player's ridiculous ideas that will likely fail. No no no. You should let them attempt it. Either A: they fail and it's entertaining, or B: they manage to somehow pull it off with major shenanigans and it's even MORE entertaining. Win-win.
#D&D #TTRPG

Clay Sheldon @claysheldon.bsky.social · 1d

Something I really like about Morrowind's lore is the stuff they don't tell you outright, like why the city of Vivec just has a deadly meteor floating overhead. Turns out Sheogorath, god of madness, threw it at the city for shits and giggles. Yep, that totally tracks.
🎮 #gaming #RPG #Morrowind

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