Challenging The Tropes: The Chaos Gremlin
Posted by Josh Storey | May 16, 2025 | Game Mastering, GMing Advice | 0
Collaborative Storytelling Styles
Posted by J.T. Evans | May 14, 2025 | Game Mastering, GMing Advice | 0
Meeting the Villain – And Letting Them Live
Posted by Alexander Atoz | May 12, 2025 | GMing Advice | 0
Gnomecast 212 – Problem Players
Posted by Poddy Gnomington | May 7, 2025 | Gnomecast | 0
To the Rescue! Tips for Running Rescue Missions
Posted by Peter Martin | Apr 28, 2025 | Game Mastering, GMing Advice, Tools for GMs | 1
Gnomecast 213 – Fury of the Forsaken with Lou Anders
by Poddy Gnomington | May 21, 2025 | Gnomecast
https://polygamero.us/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/CG_213_Lou_Anders_Fury_of_the_Forsaken_final.mp3 Join Jared as he interviews Lou Anders and discusses Fury of the Forsaken. An addition to the Thrones and Bones, it explores Norrøngard, a setting inspired by Norse myth and Scandinavian folklore....
Read MoreChallenging The Tropes: The Chaos Gremlin
by Josh Storey | May 16, 2025 | Game Mastering, GMing Advice
The Chaos Gremlin archetype looks at the chaotic square on an alignment chart and says, “I’ll take two.” These are the people who read, “In a TTRPG, you can do anything you can imagine,” and just said, “Bet.” The fantasy of a Chaos Gremlin is one of ultimate freedom. They embody the no gods, no kings, no masters mindset. They’re the epitome of “Doing it for the plot.” And they don’t see a reason to follow the rules because rules are all made up anyway.
Read MoreCollaborative Storytelling Styles
by J.T. Evans | May 14, 2025 | Game Mastering, GMing Advice
Here’s a strong opinion of mine. I’ll die on a hill defending this opinion as well. Here goes. The main point of role playing games is to get a group together to tell stories in a collaborative and fun manner while using a set of rules to guide the storytelling though its paces....
Read MoreMeeting the Villain – And Letting Them Live
by Alexander Atoz | May 12, 2025 | GMing Advice
It’s a classic TTRPG punchline: the GM spends hours crafting a recurring villain—personality, motivation, master plan, and fatal flaw—and 20 minutes into his grand debut, the players kill him. This is followed by hastily retconning someone else into being the “real” head villain. Some GMs use...
Read MoreGnomecast 212 – Problem Players
by Poddy Gnomington | May 7, 2025 | Gnomecast
https://polygamero.us/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/GC_212_Problemplayers_final.mp3 Join Ang and Jared, along with special guest Carl Lehmann as they talk about problem players and what to do about them when you find one at your table. Links: Origins Game Faire Fury of the Forsaken by Lou Anders...
Read MoreTo the Rescue! Tips for Running Rescue Missions
by Peter Martin | Apr 28, 2025 | Game Mastering, GMing Advice, Tools for GMs
Whether it’s Aragorn showing up with his army of the dead in Lord of the Rings, the shot of the rescue team breaking through to the trapped people in the disaster movie, or a hero saving an innocent victim from a mugging or kidnapping, there are few things that capture the spirit of heroism as...
Read MorePrepping With Limited Time
by Phil Vecchione | Apr 25, 2025 | Game Mastering, GMing Advice
This past weekend, my gaming group did not reach quorum, and I was staring down another blown session. There has been a string of them with this group, and we have struggled to get games going. I was itching to run something. Rather than canceling the session, I told the remaining players we could...
Read MoreGnomecast 211 – Continuity Concerns
by Poddy Gnomington | Apr 23, 2025 | Gnomecast
https://polygamero.us/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/CG_211_Continuityconcerns.mp3 Join Ang along with Chris and Phil as they talk about managing continuity for you and your players in your campaigns. Does it matter? How much attention do you need to give it? What if you’re running an Actual...
Read MoreMy experience with Dialect (Why you should try it!)
by Tomas Gimenez Rioja | Apr 18, 2025 | Reviews
All images were taken from the Dialect game, store, and KS page I was invited over to a friend’s house with some other friends. There, I knew two of my regular players, and two other folks with little to no experience in TTRPGs, were going to be spending the afternoon with me. Looking to...
Read MoreWhy I Play RPGs
by J.T. Evans | Apr 16, 2025 | General
Friends I’ve known some of my group for over 2 decades! The main reason I play tabletop role playing games is for the friends I have at the table. I’ve been gaming with the members of my current group for between 7 and 25 years, depending on which member I’m accounting for....
Read MoreChallenging the Tropes: The Paladin
by Josh Storey | Apr 11, 2025 | Game Mastering
In the D&D cultural zeitgeist, the paladin is often characterized as a stick-in-the-mud or worse, a narq, but there’s so much more to this trope beyond the memes. So let’s take a closer look and figure out how to use the fantasy of a stalwart champion to create absorbing character arcs.
Read MoreGnomecast 210 – System Screen Burn
by Poddy Gnomington | Apr 9, 2025 | Gnomecast
https://polygamero.us/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/GC_210_System_Screen_Burn_final.mp3 Join Ang along with Josh and JT as they talk about how to navigate having multiple game systems embedded in your brain. Notice? Perception? Awareness? Which does this system use!? LINKS: Han Cluster Crowd Funding...
Read MoreThe State of Stewart
by Angela Murray | Apr 1, 2025 | General
In a turn of unfortunate news, Stewart Grytman has decided to step down from writing for Gnome Stew. We are sad to miss out on all the articles he could have provided. We wish Stewart the best of luck. We’re sure his future will be delicious. Comic PDF available HERE Artwork by...
Read MoreMeet a Gnew Gnome: Stewart Grytmann
by Angela Murray | Mar 31, 2025 | General
Ang Here at The Stew, we have a turnover rate that would make any corporate grindhouse proud. To that end, we have to keep the ground chuck flowing, which of course brings us to our newest gnome. Why don’t you tell us about yourself Chuck? It’s Stewart actually. Anyway, as they say, I was...
Read MoreGetting The Band Back Together
by Phil Vecchione | Mar 28, 2025 | Game Mastering, GMing Advice
In November, I paused my Mutants in the Now game because my campaign’s content clashed with the rising political climate, and I was not in a place where I thought I could run the game and maintain my self-care. Time has passed, and having done some work on myself to better protect and manage...
Read More
It Came From The Stew Pot
Hey you. Yeah, you. Do you know about Gnomecast 21? Why isn’t it in the archives? What are they hiding? If you value your safety… don’t go searching for Gnomecast 21…
What Are People Saying?
What are people saying?
“fantastic blog for game masters, dungeon masters, and rpg fans”
Wil Wheaton, Geek and Sundry
Recent Articles
Our Products
Our Books for GMs
Through our partner Engine Publishing, we've published six system-neutral books for GMs, with over 28,000 copies sold. Available in print and PDF.

The Complete Game Master's Guide to Running Extraordinary Sessions
Click To Find Out More

The Art of Improvisation for Game Masters
Click To Find Out More

The Complete Game Master's Guide to Campaign Management
Click To Find Out More

The Complete Game Master's Guide to Session Prep
Click To Find Out More

1,000 Memorable NPCs for Any Roleplaying Game
Click To Find Out More

501 Adventure Plots to Inspire Game Masters
Click To Find Out More
Through Encoded Designs
Through our partnership in the G.E.M. collective, many of the Gnomes are affiliated with creating products through Encoded Designs. Available in print and PDF.

Gnomes on Podcasts, even a Gnome Only Podcast!
Click To Find Out More

Do you have what it takes to save Neon City in this 80s, neon, cyberpunk game?
Click To Find Out More

Art by Matt Morrow, Characters By Encoded Gnomes
Click To Find Out More

Gnome Phil Vecchione's Dungeon World Hack About Water Rights
Click To Find Out More