{"title":"References \u0026 Tools","description":"","products":[{"product_id":"the-game-masters-handbook-of-proactive-roleplaying","title":"The Game Master's Handbook of Proactive Roleplaying","description":"\u003cp\u003eGuidelines and strategies for running PC-driven narratives in 5E adventures\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\u003cp\u003eIntroducing the first book in The Game Master's new Handbook series!\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\u003cp\u003eIs your roleplaying in a rut? Flip the table and try something new! Proactive roleplaying will re-energize your players - and your game.\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\u003cp\u003eMost adventures in traditional TTRPGs start out the same way: Something bad happens and your players have to muster their courage to stand against it. Whether it's rescuing the little dog that was kidnapped by the local troll, stopping an assassination attempt at the archduke's wedding or recruiting an army to disrupt the construction of a world-ending ritual site, the party will always find a way to save the day. After all, what kind of heroes would they be if they let the dog, duke or entire population die? Saving the day is fun, but it starts to get repetitive after a while. If you're using a \"bad guys try to do stuff, good guys try to stop them\" engine to drive all your sessions, you're taking all the agency out of your players' hands. Bad stuff happens, good people have to try to stop it, roll, rinse, repeat.\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\u003cp\u003eThere's a better way to play (and prep) your sessions . The Game Master's Handbook of Proactive Roleplaying shows you how to convert your TTRPG gameplay from predictable action\/reaction cliches to player-driven narratives that put all the choices (and most of the prep work) in the hands of your players. The goals are theirs. The decisions are theirs. Everything that happens in the world you're building together occurs not because you planned it, but because the PCs are following their own paths, rather than Game Master breadcrumbs, to the scene of the next adventure.\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\u003cp\u003eThe proactive approach ensures every battle has tension, every faction has a function and every session is high-stakes (and an absolute blast), putting the players and their characters in the driver's seat so you can sit back and simply put giant goal- (and soul-) crushing roadblocks in their way.\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\u003cp\u003eYou'll also find:\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\u003cul\u003e\r\n\u003cli\u003eForeword by Ginny Di with an afterword by Jeff Ashworth\u003c\/li\u003e\r\n\u003cli\u003eWriter's block-breaking charts\u003c\/li\u003e\r\n\u003cli\u003eCase studies from decades of sessions\u003c\/li\u003e\r\n\u003cli\u003eTemplates for goal-driven NPCs and factions\u003c\/li\u003e\r\n\u003cli\u003eA modular adventure setting and much more!\u003c\/li\u003e\r\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\r\n\u003cp\u003eThe Game Master's Handbook of Proactive Roleplaying is compatible with your favorite 5th edition Fantasy Tabletop RPGs!\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Rain City Games","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":42470573670518,"sku":"210000123188","price":19.99,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0650\/0984\/4342\/files\/kkvdntdkqdinjreirdm7.jpg?v=1755207342"},{"product_id":"geologists-primer","title":"Geologist's Primer","description":"\u003cp\u003eFrom demon-binding agate to immortal zircon, the Geologist's Primer is rooted in scientific geology, ancient folklore, legends, myths, and old-school alchemy. This fully-illustrated (and thoroughly-researched!) guide provides information on 100 minerals, metals, mineraloids, and crystals, along with their properties in both fantasy and modern settings!\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\u003cp\u003eEach entry in the Geologist's Primer provides basic geological information, notes on where to find and how to extract these materials, along with their industrial, decorative, magical, and sometimes even culinary properties. Each entry also includes a short, handy description. So if you're just browsing for information, you won't have to read through pages of text!\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFeatures:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\u003cul\u003e\r\n\u003cli\u003eA full-color, hardcover book with 360 pages of geological, geomythological, folklore, and tabletop roleplaying materials.\u003c\/li\u003e\r\n\u003cli\u003e100 illustrated, detailed descriptions of magically-inclined minerals from around the world.\u003c\/li\u003e\r\n\u003cli\u003eConcise, useful and imaginative lore chapters.\u003c\/li\u003e\r\n\u003cli\u003ePrimers on alchemy, blacksmithing, and jewel-grafting for bringing unique mechanics to play at your gaming table.\u003c\/li\u003e\r\n\u003cli\u003eQuest prompts, random gem generation tables, magical and astrological resources, and other tools for creating plot hooks, dangerous locations, legendary items, and more.\u003c\/li\u003e\r\n\u003cli\u003eAn index, a detailed table of contents, references, and bibliography.\u003c\/li\u003e\r\n\u003c\/ul\u003e","brand":"Rain City Games","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":42470581698678,"sku":"210000143681","price":78.99,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0650\/0984\/4342\/files\/wpgtrrndz3f2xgfq5in4.png?v=1755207590"},{"product_id":"everything-i-need-to-know-i-learned-from-rpgs","title":"Everything I Need to Know I Learned from RPGs","description":"\u003cp\u003eJeff Ashworth, author of the bestselling Game Master series of resource books for the world's most popular roleplaying game, combines his depth of knowledge about the mechanics of dice-based RPGs and the universal experiences gathered while playing a campaign to create a ruleset for leveling up your own life.\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\u003cp\u003eFeaturing invaluable lessons drawn directly from TTRPGs such as Dungeons \u0026amp; Dragons, Pathfinder, Starfinder, Blades in the Dark, Fiasco and other TTRPGs (Always check for traps;\" \"Never underestimate the power of a short rest;\" \"Don't feed the trolls\") as well as in-depth analyses of the ways in which these games' character archetypes can be successful models for varying approaches to life (\"Rage is My Armor: How to Live Like a Barbarian and Keep Your Job\"), this player's handbook for the game of life also features high concept illustrations of (and strategies for defeating) horrifying real-world monsters like that pile of junk in the garage, the soul-sucking ghost of nostalgia and the many-headed hydra that is the work\/life balance.\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\u003cp\u003eWith more hilarious, practical lessons than you can fit in a bag of holding, and referencing more than a dozen popular tabletop roleplaying games, it's a self-improvement book for anyone seeking guidance (both the spell and the advice) in their daily lives.\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Rain City Games","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":42470583795830,"sku":"210000156994","price":22.99,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0650\/0984\/4342\/files\/pjyalvadyxw3ta8jv2ov.jpg?v=1755207738"},{"product_id":"the-ultimate-rpg-character-backstory-guide","title":"The Ultimate RPG Character Backstory Guide","description":"\u003cp\u003eYou've chosen your class, bought your weapons, and rolled for your stats, and you're now the proud owner of your own RPG (role-playing game) avatar. But before you begin your adventure, there's so much more you can do with your character to make him or her your own! Just how evil is she? What does his dating profile look like? Where did she get that scar? What does he want for his birthday? With fill-in-the blank narratives, prompts, and fun activities to help you customize your character at the start of the game, or build out your backstory as you play, \u003cem\u003eThe\u003c\/em\u003e \u003cem\u003eUltimate RPG Character Backstory Book\u003c\/em\u003e will help you fully imagine your character and bring them to life for the ultimate gaming experience!\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Rain City Games","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":42470595723382,"sku":"210000145744","price":19.99,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0650\/0984\/4342\/files\/ig70abovm2t8fgtnemwm.jpg?v=1755208369"},{"product_id":"the-ultimate-rpg-game-masters-worldbuilding-guide","title":"The Ultimate RPG Game Master's Worldbuilding Guide","description":"\u003cp\u003eFrom RPG expert James D'Amato comes a fun new guide that teaches beginner and experienced gamers alike how to build and create their own game elements for customizing existing adventures or creating new stories from scratch. \u003cem\u003eThe Ultimate RPG Game Master's Worldbuilding Guide \u003c\/em\u003eincludes dozens of activities for a wide range of genres from fantasy and sci-fi to horror and x-punk. This lively and interactive book helps Game Masters create dynamic destinations, powerful items, shadowy organizations, compelling villains, and more.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003eMake the most of your gaming experience with these unique and personalized ideas for your gaming group's next adventures!\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Rain City Games","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":42470595788918,"sku":"210000145746","price":19.99,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0650\/0984\/4342\/files\/t5qpobnvhw6r0biyc3gb.jpg?v=1755208377"},{"product_id":"mycologists-primer","title":"Mycologist's Primer","description":"\u003cp\u003eIntroducing the Mycologist €™s Primer, a system-agnostic illustrated guide to real-world magical mushrooms, lichens, and slime molds. Inspired by 19th-century field guides and millennia of folklore, myths, legends, and occult writings, it brings a carefully curated collection of delectable morsels right to your gaming table.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFrom agarikon, a favorite snack of nature spirits, to antler-growing yellow stagshorn, the Mycologist €™s Primer provides thoroughly-researched and fully-illustrated information on 100 species of fungi, lichens, and slime molds. Whether you €™re looking for a taste of mycological science or a whimsical charcuterie board of magic, gaming material, and world-building inspiration, this book is for you!  \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eEach entry in Mycologist €™s Primer provides basic biological information, notes on habitats and distribution, and practical advice on mushroom hunting. Wherever relevant, it also sprinkles in a dash of culinary and medicinal properties, together with information about toxicity. Each entry comes with extensive notes on magical properties, based on real-world folklore and ready to be transplanted into your games, novels, and imagination.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Exalted Funeral","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":42675966410870,"sku":"210000168360","price":78.99,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0650\/0984\/4342\/files\/reigz1flkvgjabf2lnan.jpg?v=1761080847"}],"url":"https:\/\/www.raincity.games\/collections\/references-tools.oembed","provider":"Rain City Games","version":"1.0","type":"link"}