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Five Minute Folio

Five Minute Folio: Death saving throws, TTRPG music, and how would you survive a freak ice storm?

Published 9 months ago • 1 min read

Goosidore's Grimoire

March 8th

Five Minute Folio

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A TTRPG and worldbuilding newsletter.

Happy Five Minute Folio Friday! Here are this week's list of TTRPG-related things I've been pondering about and finding useful. Feel free to forward along if you think it might help a friend.

🎲 A Game Master Tip

Death saving throws. What’s seemingly just another D&D game mechanic can actually be a great plot device.

I roll death saves for PCs behind the DM screen & hide the results. Suspense mounting, PCs decide; save their ally or fight on!

Bonus: Looking for something a little closer to Rules-as-Written? Have the player controlling the PC still rolls for the saves, but make the rolls in secret where only you and the player can see!

🎧 A Resource I'm Loving

Music is a great way to add depth to your TTRPG gameplay. My favourite artist for TTRPG music is Michael Ghelfi. If you can imagine a setting, he's made music for it.

Want to dive right in? Here's a playlist perfect for Quests & Travels.

🗺️ A Worldbuilding Prompt

What is an event in your world that lives on in infamy in the minds of the populace? How has it shaped the way they live their lives? Have they developed certain rituals or habits? Do they have new fears?

⛵️ A Plot Hook

You and your party are travelling by boat through an archipelago when a freak ice storm hits! The water freezes and your boat can’t proceed. Was this an act of nature? Or something more nefarious?

🎙️ A Podcast I'm Enjoying

My pick for this week is Backwater Bastards!

A team of artists telling THE GREATEST BEST FRIEND STORY that the galaxy has ever seen! While everybody else is out saving the world, we’re just trying to find the next best place to eat. Join us on our haphazard adventure.

My take? The high production value, great characters, and fun players make this a must listen. Check them out here.

Looking for more Actual Play podcasts? I've put together a list of 70+ podcasts you can check out for free.

That's a wrap! Thanks for checking out the Five Minute Folio. If you found this useful, feel free to forward it along to a friend.

Until next week,

Goosidore

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P.S. Come hangout in our Discord and chat about all things related to TTRPGs and worldbuilding.

113 Cherry St #92768, Seattle, WA 98104-2205
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Five Minute Folio

Every week I share a bite-sized, action-packed newsletter ("The Five Minute Folio") where I share resources and ideas to help you have more fun with worldbuilding and TTRPGs. Check out some past editions below!

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