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bug: Pages numbered correctly in books/core

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Drew Malzahn
2026-06-06 22:44:37 +00:00
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books/core/247.html
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@@ -1,19 +1,16 @@
<link rel="stylesheet" href="/css/book-page.css">
<link rel="stylesheet" href="/css/book-page.css">
<h2>DURING PLAY</h2>
<p>During each session, adhere to the following principles:</p>
<h1>CHAPTER BETWEEN SESSIONS</h1>
<p>When preparing for the next session, you should:</p>
<ul>
<li>Portray a wondrous world. Give your NPCs unique quirks and add memorable touches to every location, but don't get bogged down by details. Keep the descriptions short and then let everyone ask questions.</li>
<li>Manage information. A big part of your job during each session has to do with information — you will be asked plenty of questions, from the shape of a room to a person's behavior. You decide whether the characters know such information (based on simple observation or on who they are) or if a Check is required — the dice will determine how much the character knows about someone or something, or if they at least know where they could find that information.</li>
<li>Seek input from others. If something is relevant to a character's role in the story (especially their Classes and Identities), you should ask for the Player's input — let them establish facts about the shared game world.</li>
<li>React to the heroes' choices. Be ready to adapt to the heroes' actions and goals; leave them free to adopt whatever strategy they choose, but apply the consequences of those strategies and don't pull your punches.</li>
<li>Enforce transparency. Make sure everyone at the table knows what's at stake when they perform Checks or choose a specific course of action.</li>
<li>Keep the pressure high. Whatever the Player Characters want to achieve, someone or something will block their path. Heroes should never have enough time to do everything — put them in front of hard choices. Use Clocks to show impending threats and make sure Villains play an active role in the story.</li>
<li>Think cinematically. Describe situations and actions as if they were cutscenes from a videogame — keep things moving and make sure everything feels vivid and dynamic. This is especially important during conflict scenes, when the strategic aspect of the game is at its peak: mechanics and descriptions go hand in hand.</li>
<li>Start and end scenes. When you feel like a scene has been resolved, propose to end it. If anyone still wants to do something, they should tell you — otherwise, move on with the story.</li>
<li>Design interesting battles. Avoid "filler battles" and focus on intense and dramatic confrontations with powerful antagonists. See page 292 for more.</li>
<li><strong>Think about the heroes' choices.</strong> Reflect upon the actions and choices made by the Player Characters during the previous sessions and come up with a variety of possible situations, threats and antagonists. Keep the heroes' objectives in mind and think about how you can build interesting conflicts and struggles around them. This is less about writing tons of scenes and dialogue, and more about going for a walk with some cool music and envisioning amazing sequences in your head.</li>
<li><strong>Think about what the Villains are doing.</strong> Villains are the most powerful forces opposing the Player Characters' actions, and you should spend some time considering what their short and long-term plans are. You should also make sure to update a Villain's level and abilities so that they can properly challenge the Player Characters during conflict scenes.</li>
<li><strong>Ask the Players what their goals and objectives are.</strong> As you prepare for the next session, contact the Players and ask them about their plans. Will they storm the Emperor's palace? Are they going to search the depths of the Azure Cave? Or do they plan to gather clues to prove someone's innocence? Knowing the general focus of the coming session will help you save time and make the most out of your preparation; ask these questions at the end of a session, when recent events are still fresh in everyone's memory.</li>
<li><strong>Design new creatures.</strong> Sooner or later, the creatures in the Bestiary will no longer suit your needs — whenever you have time, use the rules on page 302 to create new creatures and adversaries for your campaign, mainly focusing on the kind of territory the group is currently traversing. This will become increasingly easier as you play the game: not only will you grow more familiar with the rules, but you will also better understand the Player Characters' abilities. If you don't get any immediate use out of a creature you designed, don't worry too much — you can always tweak it a little bit and bring it back later when the occasion arises!</li>
<li><strong>Look for inspiration.</strong> Watch movies and TV series, read comics and books, play video games and search for inspiring artwork online. Exposing yourself to a variety of different stories and aesthetics is a great way to make each session feel unique — you'll never run out of ideas.</li>
</ul>
<p>The Prince of Megara has fallen gravely ill.</p>
<p>Rumor has it he was aiding the Olcressian Rebellion.</p>
<p>Philip Forlenza (Order #)</p>