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<blockquote data-quote="Alas" data-source="post: 4541694" data-attributes="member: 71687">1. A foreign language dictionary. When a native speaker of English needs to come up with a fantasy-sounding name on the fly, someone else's language is a handy thing to have. Personally, I prefer Turkish and Japanese for their non-Latin/non-Greek roots; if the words sound alien enough, my friends are less likely to realize that the plot-center NPC is named &quot;Wild Goose.&quot;&nbsp;2. The classic <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doc_savage" target="_blank">Doc Savage</a> pulp novels. The Doc had a supporting cast of five or six and gave 'em all a chance to shine. Exotic locales, bizarre antagonists, plenty of action, some mystery-- all very improbable, but a good model for keeping players' attention at the table for four hours.&nbsp;3. A Moleskine notebook. Losing that scrap of paper which holds the new NPC's hastily invented name disrupts continuity; nowadays I write everything down in the same little book. Bonus: Moleskine also produces quadrille (graph) books just right for dungeon mapping.&nbsp;4. &quot;Management for the Information Professional.&quot; While I cannot in good conscience recommend that particular book to non-librarians, I will say that management theory in general is useful to game masters. The importance of managing expectations and soliciting feedback isn't limited to office settings.&nbsp;5. EN World, WotC Forums, and The Forge. Internet battles aside, it really has proven worth my time to read about other gamers' experiences.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="Alas, post: 4541694, member: 71687"] [B]1. A foreign language dictionary.[/B] When a native speaker of English needs to come up with a fantasy-sounding name on the fly, someone else's language is a handy thing to have. Personally, I prefer Turkish and Japanese for their non-Latin/non-Greek roots; if the words sound alien enough, my friends are less likely to realize that the plot-center NPC is named "Wild Goose." [B]2. The classic [URL="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doc_savage"]Doc Savage[/URL] pulp novels.[/B] The Doc had a supporting cast of five or six and gave 'em all a chance to shine. Exotic locales, bizarre antagonists, plenty of action, some mystery-- all very improbable, but a good model for keeping players' attention at the table for four hours. [B]3. A Moleskine notebook.[/B] Losing that scrap of paper which holds the new NPC's hastily invented name disrupts continuity; nowadays I write everything down in the same little book. Bonus: Moleskine also produces quadrille (graph) books just right for dungeon mapping. [B]4. "Management for the Information Professional."[/B] While I cannot in good conscience recommend that particular book to non-librarians, I will say that management theory in general is useful to game masters. The importance of managing expectations and soliciting feedback isn't limited to office settings. [B]5. EN World, WotC Forums, and The Forge.[/B] Internet battles aside, it really has proven worth my time to read about other gamers' experiences. [/QUOTE]

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