Gamesmastering

Here you can find a selection of articles, some of which have been published in professional and semi-professional magazines, on a variety of general gaming themes. Just follow the links below to access the complete texts:

Tales of Terror: Brent's first professionally published work is one of those adventure-design guides, this time focusing on the world of horror. Plot ideas, source material, and ways to create the right atmosphere are all here, just waiting to be put to good use. Orginally appeared in 'Arcane' Issue 7, June 1996.
On The Road Again: Take inspiration from road movies and Jack Kerouac's seminal autobiographical novel, and send your characters out on the road. Once again, the ideas presented in this article can be used for games of any genre, and there are enough suggestions here to keep any road-based campaign going for weeks. 'Arcane' Issue 12, November 1996.
Searching For the Truth: Yet more hints and suggestions, this time focussing on how to design and run mystery and conspiracy games in any genre. With ideas for inventing cunning plots, using historical and fictional sources, and how to create the right atmosphere of fear and paranoia in your own home. Arcane Issue 15, January 1997.
Golden Heroes Retro: Originally written for 'Arcane' magazine's Retro column, this article looks back fondly at Games Workshop's little-known superhero RPG, the first game Brent Falconer ever played.
Making A Name For Yourself: For all those players and Gamesmasters who've ever agonised over a name for their character or NPCs, here are countless sources for original names to suit all styles of game, as well as a general discussion of the importance of coming up with the right name for each and every character. Written for 'Valkyrie' magazine, but never published.
Whodunit?: How to design and run a murder mystery game, with advice gleaned from some of the most famous names in the business. Plan meticulously, mislead, and confound, but always play fair, those are the rules of this game. This article was also due to be published in 'Valkyrie' magazine, but somehow slipped through the net.

Adventures

A few adventure scenarios.

The Collector: Brent's first published work was a short adventure in which the PCs must recover an item from an ancient tower for an eccentric wizard. Thanks to Colin Wheeler and his Intergalactic Panzer Wizard (IPW) newsletter/fanzine for launching Brent's writing career!
Under Cover of Night: Written for the Warhammer magazine 'Warpstone', but not published (someone else had come up with a simliar idea), this is a dark, violent adventure scenario in which the PCs must defend an isolated inn from a seemingly endless tide of rabid warriors. Plot borrowed unashamedly from the movie 'Assault on Precinct 13'.
A Double-Edged Sword / You Make Your Own Luck: A couple of short cameos published in 'Warpstone' Issue 7, Autumn 1997, and taken from Brent's first WFRP campaign back in '93. 'A Double-Edged Sword' warns of the perils of messing with chaos forces, while 'You Make Your Own Luck' reminds players that not all good deeds are suitably rewarded.
Lifepod: Adapted from a little-known (and for good reason, in many respects) sf movie of the same name, this is a mystery adventure for a gamesmaster and three players. It is a systemless adventure, complete with handouts, and can be played with very little preparation.