Blog
Longer pieces about running games: session prep, the people at the table, and notes you can actually open mid-game.
Game Master Workshop
Laptop Behind the GM Screen: How to Use It During a Session Without Letting It Get in the Way
A laptop can make running RPG sessions much easier, or turn into another distraction. Build a simple GM workflow for notes, NPCs, maps, music and quick updates during play.
The Talehaven team · 9 min read
Game Master Workshop
Game Master Notes: How Not to Lose Track of Your Own Campaign
How should a Game Master take notes so a campaign still makes sense after twenty sessions? What to record after a session and how to organise NPCs, threads and items.
The Talehaven team · 9 min read
Game Master Workshop
Do Players Really Need to Know Your World's Lore?
How much lore do RPG players actually need? Learn how to share worldbuilding through decisions, characters and play instead of overwhelming the table with background text.
The Talehaven team · 14 min read
Game Master Workshop
Railroad or Sandbox? The Problem Isn't the Rails. It's Fake Choices
A linear RPG campaign is not automatically railroading. Learn how to keep direction, consequences and real player agency without faking choices that change nothing.
The Talehaven team · 13 min read
For Beginners
How to Start Playing Tabletop RPGs
Want to try tabletop RPGs? Learn what you actually need for your first game, how to choose a system, find a group, make characters and run a simple first session.
The Talehaven team · 13 min read
Game Master Workshop
How to Create an RPG Character You Will Actually Want to Play
Create an RPG character without writing five pages of backstory. Use motivations, contradictions, relationships, secrets and questions that matter during play.
The Talehaven team · 14 min read
Scenario
The Last Night at the White Stag
A system-neutral fantasy RPG one-shot set in a roadside inn, with seven memorable NPCs, a mystery from twenty-seven years ago and a finale shaped by player decisions.
The Talehaven team · 16 min read
Game Master Workshop
How to Prepare an RPG Session Without Wasting Your Entire Evening
Prepare an RPG session without predicting every decision. Build a situation, NPCs, locations, clues and consequences that stay useful when the party goes off-script.
The Talehaven team · 12 min read
Game Master Workshop
Kanka, Notion, a Binder or Talehaven? Choosing the Right Tool for Your RPG Campaign
Compare paper notes, Notion, Kanka, World Anvil and Talehaven by what they are actually built for. Choose the campaign tool that fits how you prepare and run RPG sessions.
The Talehaven team · 9 min read