In a lot of media, we see heroes that are striving against someone or something invincible. There is one narrow band of vulnerability to exploit to ensure success. The problem is, many roleplaying games don’t create this same...
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Over my nearly 40 years as a GM, I have changed the ways that I have created stories at the table. Similarly, what I look for in games has changed as well. At different times during my tenure as a GM I have been a storyteller, and other times I have been a story facilitator. Both have created...
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Different societies and cultures have wildly differing traditions. Some of them are fairly mundane when you look at them from inside the culture that follows a tradition, but if you take a step back – maybe several steps back – you’ll see things from a fresh perspective. This new...
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Thirty minutes into the session, the moment we’ve all been waiting for, our unlikely heroes finally catch up to the malicious war band that ransacked their village. In the events of a single hour, our characters lives were forever changed by the savage pillaging for their war effort. They didn’t...
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One of the great things about playing a large variety of games is both experiencing new mechanics, as well as noticing their absence in different games. Over the course of these Pandemic days, my games have been mostly of the traditional variety. I am currently playing three fairly traditional,...
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Any given game that you pick up off a shelf (or grab from itch.io) is an experience, geared toward creating a specific type of story: a fantasy skirmish simulator, a Jane-Austenesque adventure in manners, or living life as a cozy lesbian snake to name just a few. But sometimes you want to mix and...
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As most of you fine folks out there in Gnome Stew lands know, I’m a fiction author in addition to being an avid role player and part of Gnome Stew. In the realm of getting fiction sold before you can actually sell it to readers, there are agents and editors to work with to get a book ready...
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I have a great problem. I have too many RPGs and not enough time. LOL. I know you do, too. Hell, who doesn’t? I guess the better way to describe my problem is that I have a bunch of new games that I want to play, but all my current campaigns are going well and are stable. In the past, I often had...
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Lots of tabletop RPGs spin tales of fantasy, bravery, might and magic. The game leads players’ characters through riveting stories where everything may be possible. However, you could argue that the real magic at the table happens between players. It happens when the players’...
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Not all characters start out the hero. Very few of them do, in fact. Most are farmers, street rats, servants, common soldiers, apprentices, and so on before the story gets its hooks into them and pushes them out of the proverbial nest. We all want our characters to become the heroes of the lands,...
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Written 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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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.
Focal Point
Unframed
Odyssey
Never Unprepared
Masks
EurekaThrough 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.
Misdirected Mark Productions
Rockerboys and Vending Machines
Character Cache
Hydro Hacker Operatives