As a GM, it is important to have varied and descriptive locations for encounters in game. Making the locations similar to a NPC is a great way to look at it.

What do I mean by that? I mean make the location something that feels alive, or at least lived in for the players to explore. Using some common creation tools to create a great location. The tools that I use are:

• 1. Location- description
• 2. Use for the Location-Kind of location
• 3. What kind of people are in the location- families, employees etc
• 4. What kind of opposition can be expected by PC’s

The location should have a good description for the initial location. Weather it is a rundown slum, a dilapidated apartment building, or an uptown penthouse, having a detailed description is important to show the players what they need to see for the encounter. Have descriptions of furnishings, colors, smells, feelings of the area the PC’s are in.

Use of the location should tell what the building was built for and if it is being used for something else now. A rundown warehouse that has been renovated into a nightclub for the street thugs, or an auto shop that has been converted into a safehouse for a criminal organization.

What kind of people are found in the location? This could be street thugs, bikers, normal citizens, holy men, corporate thugs, etc. Having an idea of what can be found tells us what kind of people can be found there. Citizens that are no threat can be in the ‘battlefield’. Putting innocents in harms way can sway the scene at the location or change the way the players run the story.

What kind of opposition can the players expect? Here is where the GM can make things interesting. Instead of opposing gangs or security personnel, make the opposition a group of innocent teens protesting the actions of the community the players represent. Have the players encounter a group of disabled veterans from the last war who are out supporting their causes against the players. Have encounters pull at the heart of the story instead of always ending up in bullets and bloodshed.

There are so many ways to make a location a living area, but making it full of life will make it more memorable to the players, and can make it a more integral part of the narrative.

And with that I am going to go for now. Remember what I always say,

Keep your gear clean, your guns ready, and your eyes open and you might live long enough to learn something.

Digital Doom