Brain Drain Friday: Steal from the Characters

Hey everyone,

Today’s tip is for all the Game Masters out there who, like me, sometimes draw a complete blank when trying to come up with the next challenge for the party. This is a zero-prep technique I call "Steal from the Character Sheet."

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Let Your Players Do the Work

Your players have already done a ton of creative work for you; it's sitting right there on their character sheets. When you're stuck, just grab a sheet and look for something interesting to use. You can turn almost any detail into a personalized plot hook or a fun encounter.

Here are a few ways to do it:

Steal a Skill

Look at their list of skill proficiencies, especially the less common ones like tools or gaming sets. These are gold mines for making a specific character feel like the star of the show for a moment.

• Example: The wizard has proficiency with Calligrapher's Supplies. The next clue the party finds isn't just a note; it's a beautifully written letter in an elegant, coded script that only the wizard has the skill to decipher.

Steal from their Background

Every character has a background, and it's an easy source of instant connections to the world.

• Example: The fighter has the Sailor background. The next time the party is in a port town, an old, grizzled shipmate recognizes them and stumbles over to their table to drunkenly share a juicy rumor he just overheard.

Steal a Flaw

Character flaws are a gift to the GM. They're a direct invitation to create interesting, and often humorous, complications for a character.

• Example: The party's cleric has the flaw "I am terrified of spiders." The next goblin shaman they fight doesn't just cast a generic spell; he throws a pouch full of spiders at the cleric's face.

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Using this simple trick makes the game feel personal and tailored to the characters in the party, and it requires you to invent almost nothing new.

As always,
Michael Garcia a.k.a. TheCrazyGM