What I Did On My Summer Vacation 2011
I am likely the last blogger on the Internet to...
Read Moreby Phil Vecchione | Aug 19, 2011 | Gaming Conventions
I am likely the last blogger on the Internet to...
Read Moreby Scott Martin | Aug 18, 2011 | GMing Advice
Pixedragon asked (in the suggestion pot) about several things that often tangle together into a big knot: mysteries, clues, and the GM’s spotlight versus the player’s flashlights.
One thing that a good railroaded adventure (or module) has going for it is coherence. Because the players don’t have many options, the GM can spend a lot of effort working on the scenes that they know will happen. Even in a less structured game, the GM is still (usually) the arbiter of scene setting. There are at least two paths a GM can take when the game starts grinding gears.
Read Moreby Troy E. Taylor | Aug 17, 2011 | GMing Advice
Who said “Damn the torpedoes. … Full speed...
Read Moreby John Arcadian | Aug 16, 2011 | Reviews
Just before Gencon, Charles Ryan of Cubicle 7...
Read Moreby Walt Ciechanowski | Aug 15, 2011 | Hot Buttons
I’ve seen it a thousand times. Two PCs are...
Read Moreby Kurt "Telas" Schneider | Aug 12, 2011 | GMing Advice
It’s that time of year again. When the...
Read Moreby Martin Ralya | Aug 11, 2011 | Tools for GMs
This past week, I finished entering and rating...
Read Moreby Patrick Benson | Aug 10, 2011 | GMing Advice
While at Gen Con I met and hung out with some...
Read Moreby Walt Ciechanowski | Aug 9, 2011 | Gaming Conventions, GMing Advice
2011 proved to be an interesting year for me at...
Read Moreby Matthew J. Neagley | Aug 8, 2011 | GMing Advice
Every year I’ve written a garage sale article...
Read Moreby Martin Ralya | Aug 5, 2011 | GMing Advice
With many thanks to our loyal readers and fans,...
Read Moreby Martin Ralya | Aug 5, 2011 | GMing Advice
I went to a book signing last night to see...
Read Moreby Scott Martin | Aug 4, 2011 | Gaming Trends
For the last year, the local organized environment featured just 4th Edition D&D. One Pathfinder Society GM ran a table, but had the same players show up consistently and wound up closing his table and running it as a campaign. A few home groups met publicly for a week or two to recruit an extra player, Call of Cthulhu recruited and filled two tables for months, but everything else sputtered and died. Until recently. … If your local store doesn’t have a thriving community, that can change quickly. It just takes one dedicated person. (Ideally, though, you’ll have a bench of other GMs ready in case it takes off–running every week can be grueling.)
Read Moreby Troy E. Taylor | Aug 3, 2011 | GMing Advice
Question: What’s more daunting than being sucked...
Read Moreby Martin Ralya | Aug 2, 2011 | Gnome Rodeo
Gnotes from Gnome Stew HQ The first installment...
Read MoreWritten by a team of veteran Gamers and Gamemasters, Gnome Stew is a widely read gaming blog with multiple awards, ennies, and thousands of articles. We’re dedicated to helping gamers have more fun at the gaming table.

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