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I thought it might be fun to come up with some prompts for both story writers and TTRPG players, they are very similar after all.

Assigned a 5 Page Paper on the Essentials of Spellcraft - If you’re interested in running a magical school campaign, don’t skip the assignments! I would say assignments are more important than classes if you’re running a game set in a school. With this prompt, think about research, think about the character’s academic prowess, their writing style. You can write just the paper if you’re using this as a writing prompt, or maybe about their struggle to do so.

When the Power Goes out in 2126 - Changing pace, what about in the future? How bad would a power outage be in a sci fi setting? What caused it? Are the characters normal people, or are they in charge of turning it back on? Think about how we use technology, how we panic when the lights go out, and dial that up to 11. This is also your world, in your world, what does 2126 look like?

This is equally an art and writing exercise. Everyone in their life will, at some point, use a knife. Whether it be on a hunting trip, opening mail, or cooking. Or perhaps in a more fantastical setting...fighting. Knives have been with humans since the beginning, one of the first tools we made. Like us, they evolved…there’s many different knives humans have created over time. Let the

Purpose - Knives are shaped and balanced differently depending on their purpose. A cleaver is heavy, a chef’s knife is balanced for use on a board, and a dagger is best for combat. In addition, the kind of knife says a lot about the character wielding it. If a person isn’t expecting a fight, they may have to pick up a chef’s knife to protect themselves. Or maybe a soldier struggles to prepare a dish with their sword?

Material - The material a knife is made of can relate to purpose, or even economic class. A knife made of gold is practically useless, far too soft to cut anything remotely hard. It may be able to slice soft meats, but it’s unlikely to withstand bone. Meanwhile, iron is a good material…that varies greatly. Low quality and high quality iron differ so greatly that it can dictate a person’s status. Other materials, like silver or even wood can represent other ideas! Silver is often seen as good for killing monsters, and wood can be a training tool. But…you can also get creative! Do something unusual…just make sure you have a good reason!

Wear & Tear - A rusted knife shows neglect. A dull one shows age. A heavily used knife may mean it’s a character’s favorite, or maybe it means that they inherited it. A dull combat knife may mean the character isn’t skilled, or doesn’t like to kill.

Technology & Magic - Make it fun! Magic swords are cool and all…but imagine a knife that perfectly cooks whatever it cuts. Or maybe a reverse knife that seals instead of cuts? Get crazy. Get wild. Be fun with it!

There lay past the hill a lone cabin belonging to a man known only as “The Stitcher”. This is not the name of a tailor, nor a surgeon, but that of a madman. The Stitcher is known throughout our town for his abominations. It started with cows and goats going missing in the night. They’d disappear and a week later, come strolling into town half-dead and marred with stitches. When they came back they were not like before. Never before had I seen a goat with a cow’s head, and I do not wish to see such a thing again. 

The pattern continued for months. Each creation was more adventurous and grotesque than the last. We lived in fear until the first soldiers arrived. There were only two. The city must’ve thought that would be enough. They went in the morning and came back that night in a wooden crate. One of them was dismembered, thrown into the crate like she was nothing but spare parts. The other stood and screamed the second that infernal box was opened. The first thing I saw was its open chest with ribs spread like church doors. Inside of his gaping chest was a large heart, the doctors said from a horse. I could hear it beating from the crowd. Around the heart was a metal cage riveted to the bone. His legs were gone and replaced with those of my own missing stallion, but fused to the flesh were scraps of his armor. His arms were severed at the wrists and his hands replaced by bear paws. His face was unrecognizable. His eyes were that of an eagle, he had a wolf’s mouth, and the largest bat ears I had ever seen. 

Our doctors tried to help him. When the far more skilled healers from the city arrived, accompanied by a suite of soldiers, we had hoped he could be helped, though there was nothing to be done. In the end, our own herbalist put him into a comfortable slumber. An old friend of his was the one to drive a spear into his heart. The healers carted off the body into the city that night, as the soldiers marched onto the cabin. Only three returned. They had said the Stitcher’s cabin was surrounded by monsters, sewn together like pieces of cloth. 

As much as you love your characters like children, make sure you treat your setting like a home! Your setting is the home you provide to your characters. Cities are a special type of setting, it's developed and well worn. Cities are central hubs for civilization. A city can have just as much character as...well...the characters!

Transit - No matter where you are, characters will need a way to get around. Transit can say many things about a city. A well-developed city may have trains and tram lines, while smaller ones may only have busses. What about the quality of roads? Are they repaved often or full of cracks? What material; cobble roads in modern settings tells you that the city has a lot of history, but a dirt road says you're in the middle of nowhere. In other settings, cobble streets could mean you're in the capital and dirt roads are the norm!

The Smell - Every city has a smell, and I'm not just talking about litter or sewage. Cities close to the water may have an ocean breeze passing though, or maybe the smell of the mountains nearby. It could also correlate to common foods or trades. Not to mention different neighborhoods and districts. The area around factories may smell like grease and metal, but there could a large park that carries the scent of fruits and flowers. The smell of the city will change depending on what is there.

Districts - Get specific! Where in the city do your characters live? Where does the plot live? If your story is a nice part of town, maybe there's smooth sidewalks, or a marvelous view from someone's apartment. If not, maybe people have to worry about rodents crawling about, or slipping on litter. There're districts in cities so give each of them their own identity. If you travel from one part of the city to another, how does the environment change?

Sounds - Cities are usually pretty loud, but it can vary in how. Is there a lot of traffic? In a fantasy setting there may be the clopping of horse hooves or the clatter of a smith's hammer on an anvil. What about a train passing over someone's shitty apartment that, let's be honest, is probably way too close to the tracks to be legal. Then there's the people. If the city is uneasy, maybe people just whisper. If there's a festival, people sing and shout; the air alive with music!

What a person carries tells volumes about who they are. And yes the title is a reference.

What does the character do? Not everyone carries their tools with them 24/7, but many people do. Knowing what a character does in their life may help define what they carry with them. A knight may always carry a sword, and an artist may always have a sketchbook stuffed into a pocket.

How do they carry it? Do they have it hidden on their person? Do they wear it proudly? Continuing the example from above, the knight may wear their sword on their belt where it's accessible. However, a soldier may also hide a dagger in their boot for just in case.

What condition are their belongings in? For this you can get very specific. A well worn item is different from a damaged one. An item can become damaged through an event, time, neglect, or even a botched attempt at repair. A shiny new item may show inexperience.

Writing an adventure hook, what starts the story, is often difficult. You made this awesome plot about this underground group of assassins wanting to kill the royal family. Well, why would a peasant care? Make it more personal! Instead of a foiled assassination attempt maybe someone stole their cup of tea. And the players chase them down and beat up the person who stole it. But oh no, their family is a part of that group and now they want them dead too!

“All right…” Elowyn started as he looked into the camera. He checked himself on the screen, tucking a loose strand of strawberry blonde hair behind his ear and using a teal colored clip to keep it in place. “...ok.” He took a deep breath. “Hello everyone! My name is Elowyn and I’m looking into the strange noises people have been hearing on Roosevelt Island.” He flipped his phone to show the narrow strip of island. Trees lined the walkway ahead which opened up to a large building in the distance.

“For those of you who don’t stalk forums whenever you’re bored at work, since last week there have been numerous complaints of noise coming from Roosevelt Island at night. Most people who visit late have heard it, and recently there’s been a steep decline in visitors…so maybe some of you do know what I’m talking about!” The camera flipped back to himself as he held up his hand and pointed at the setting sun through the city skyline. “I got here a bit early so I can show you exactly what happens at night.” The sky behind him grew brighter as beams shone across the fog that gathered over the Hudson. He turned to watch the sunset, letting the video record every last second of dying daylight. Soon the sun hit itself behind the jagged skyline plunging the island in the city’s shadow.  

When the sky had given way to darkness, he turned back to the camera. “I’m going to be walking around the island and seeing what happens. With any luck, we’ll find whatever it is…my bet is on a siren!” He started walking and apart from his humming and the occasional sound of crickets, there was dead silence. He had passed South Loop street when he finally broke the silence. 

“So, while I think it’s a siren, a creature that lives in water,” he gestured to the water beyond the rocky edge of the island. “And just so happens to sing to its prey, that…feels like an easy answer. And only some people said they heard singing! Some people heard screams and others described hearing a demonic chant! So, maybe whatever this is happens to be able to change what sound it makes to scare people more? Yeah crazy I know-but I asked around online and the people who heard things like carnival music were most afraid of clowns! One guy I asked said he heard a swarm of insects buzzing…guess what his fear was? Bugs!” Elowyn looked around as he walked down the path, holding his phone lower so only his graphic tee, with a cartoon ufo and bold letters that spelled believe, was visible. He placed his phone in the breast pocket of his jacket with the camera facing out. 

He continued forward for a great while in silence, the only sounds recorded being one of the few brave enough to venture to Roosevelt Island talking between each other as he passed them, and the crunchy sound of the leather of his jacket rubbing against his phone case. As he crossed under the Queensboro bridge he perked up excitedly. “Is…that music?” He yanked his phone out of his pocket excitedly, pointing it back at himself as he sped up, starting to run. His bright smile returned under the street lights. “Up ahead is Firefighter’s field! The first report came from across the street from there!” The view shook as he sprinted up the street, his footsteps were loud in the otherwise silent night. “That music sounds…tinklely? Not sure if that’s a word but that’s what it sounds like!” The silence was deafening as the microphone failed to pick up anything of the like. The loudest sound was that of his breathing as he came to a stop across the street from the field. He held up his phone and pointed his camera at the field. Even in the darkness it was obvious that no one was there. He slowly moved closer to the fence, every step echoing in the night until he was on the grass. Though distorted, a few notes made their way to the phone’s microphone. It was mechanical and clicky, and with the glitchiness of the audio it was almost impossible to tell that it was music. 

“There’s nobody there..I’m taking a closer look.” After turning the camera around to face himself once again, he saluted it. “See you on the other side!” With a swift motion, he tossed his phone over the fence. The view spun as the distorted music became louder. With a thud, the phone landed with its camera looking directly upwards into the black starless sky. The music was louder, clearer as well. It was slow. It was melodic. The tone was as glassy as it was mechanical. Soon it was drowned out by the jingling of the wire fence as Elowyn climbed over it and ran for his phone. After picking up his phone, he pulled out a flashlight. The beam cut across the field as he waved it around. “Hello? Anyone there?” 

The rustling of the grass underfoot was barely a whisper compared to the music that played loud and clear through the park. He crept forward, shining his light this way and that until he suddenly stopped. His flashlight fixed on a single point in the grass. “There’s…a music box.” Where the light shined was nothing but grass. “But…who left it? Who started it…” he trailed off before suddenly yelling. “And why can’t I see it on the camera?! Vampire music box!” He started backing away as his hand shook. “I thought it was a siren but nope! of course it’s a vampire music box!” 

He turned the camera back towards himself revealing large beads of sweat trickling down his forehead as he ran. “I swear, I’m usually better at running. Why is it so hot?” As Elowyn sprinted away from the absent music box, the sound of chains shaking reverberated through the parks.  He wiped away the sweat before turning the camera toward the fence. It rattled loud enough to almost drown out the music completely. He ran his light along the perimeter and showed that the entire fence rattled in eerie unison. A deep yet shaky breath could be heard before he dashed to the fence. The camera was once more tossed to the ground, this time as it landed lens down plunging it into darkness. Meanwhile, Elowyn cried out in pain and before long the shaking suddenly stopped the sound of him crashing to the ground could be heard. The camera shook as Elowyn picked it up off the road.