Fish Hooks for Being a Better GM: The Show Stopper (2019)

From publisher blurb:

Are you a GM and need advice because you're new? Or just need to step up your game? Either way, Fish Hooks for Being a Better GM has you covered! This article is all about Combat: Theater Of The Mind Or On A Battle Mat.

Last time in Built to Order we talked about how to work with your players to create a shared world you’ll all enjoy and want to explore. The topics and type of content presented in a session absolutely have to appeal to both sides of the table and in that same vein, so does the method of conflict resolution. Dynamic tension can be built and broken with skill and proficiency checks or with more involved “minigame” sorts of contests to keep things moving and interesting, but the most popular problem-solving method in many tabletop games is also the one that runs the highest risk of interrupting the fun: combat. It doesn’t have to though, and there are ways to enjoy a good fight without it taking away from the story.