Day 18: Sign
Signs advertise the local tavern or smithy. Modern & sci-fi facilities use signs to guide folks. Warning signs in unfamiliar languages could be counterproductive. Skulls decorating the "stay off the bad guy's lawn" sign get the point across.
To elaborate on these points and an extra:
The colored animal tavern or inn sign is practically a trope for fantasy TTRPGs at this point.
Most large, modern spaces have signage so people aren't milling around and bothering folks for directions.
Figuring out how to discourage people in the far future from poking around places like nuclear waste disposal sites is a tricky problem. Future folks might see the warnings and come to the conclusion that something valuable is buried in those places. Which defeats the whole point.
Decorating things with skulls should be a cause for reflection.
Signage in secure installations could be designed to be altered quickly to confuse intruders, directing hostile personnel straight into ambushes. Digital signs with wireless access would be really handy for this. On the other hand, they could also be hacked.
Day 19: Destiny
No destiny survives contact with the tabletop. The Chosen One dies in a random encounter. The prophesy flies apart on takeoff.
Twist things around to fit. Another Child of Destiny. The oracle spoke metaphorically. Edit to keep the game going
Folks like to complain about things like "player agency" when I make posts like this. I'm convinced that "player agency" is the new "railroading" - a vaguely defined term that people can throw at things they don't like, but can't really articulate an argument against. Just like railroading, I say that most players prefer riding the train for awhile to wandering the desert without direction.
Day 20: Enter
How things enter a game say much about that thing. Quietly? Openly, though the front door? Violently? Or surgically, precisely? A big guy doesn't have to kick the door in, but it helps establish them as the opposition.
This is a distant cousin to the "when in doubt, have a man come through the door with a gun in his hand" quote attributed to Raymond Chandler. His advice has to do with spicing up detective fiction. This has to do with the player's first impression of an NPC.
Day 21: Unexpected
The novelty of the unexpected is overrated. Betrayal? Inevitable. Plot twist? Wears thin. Enjoy the unexpected when it works, but don't rely on it. Focus on core elements - strong characterization, compelling narratives, and engaging the players.
Mister Johnson - the shifty corpo that nobody trusted at all - sells out the player characters! Why are the players yawning?
Surprise is difficult to pull off. It can be done, but it needs foreshadowing. Unfortunately, dropping those hints could tip the gamemaster's hand.
There's also the issue of overuse. Too many unexpected twists may lead players to start looking for them. The surprise wears off in the face of weariness.
Day 22: Ally
I'm coming around to running NPC allies mechanically. I blame Ken Hite and the Network system in Night's Black Agents. Players invest points in an NPC ally, who provides useful services to the PC.
Here's a link to the Pelgrane Press site that goes into more detail on Network.
I really need to circle back to GUMSHOE at some point.
Day 23: Recent
Recent games: Our group is dipping our toes into Tachyon Squadron for Fate Core. We're taking a break from "Nostalgia Tour" - an Old School Essentials campaign that's all classic D&D/AD&D modules. What's next? Still in the idea stage.
We deliberately take breaks from the Nostalgia Tour. Long campaigns tend to wear folks down. It also gives us the chance to try other games.
Day 24: Reveal
Slowly reveal the big bad with rumors and conflicts with their minions. Minimize contact with the PCs to delay proactive actions like attacking the big bad as soon as they show up. Their gloating speeches can be done remotely.
Trotting out the big bad within attack range of the player characters is asking for combat to start. Use encounters with their minions and officers to offer up challenges before such a confrontation. The big bad can write messages to threaten and provoke. Or call in a setting that supports long range communications. Just keep them out of reach until the finale.
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