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."
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:
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.
Every character has a background, and it's an easy source of instant connections to the world.
Character flaws are a gift to the GM. They're a direct invitation to create interesting, and often humorous, complications for a character.
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
