Category: GMing Advice

Earning Their Trust: Listening

Posted by Josh Storey | Aug 9, 2024 | Game Mastering, GMing Advice

Earning our players trust is one of the most important things we can do at our tables, but how do we do it? This series (probably) won’t help you fix that fight you just had with your significant other, but it can show you how to vibe with the people at your game table.

Care for a B-Plot?

Posted by Phil Vecchione | Jul 26, 2024 | Game Mastering, GMing Advice

I love a campaign with a good central plot, but...

Adventure Design: Story Hooks

Posted by J.T. Evans | Jul 24, 2024 | Game Making, Game Mastering, GMing Advice

After you have your story arc put together,...

Start your Campaign with a Wedding

Posted by Tomas Gimenez Rioja | Jul 19, 2024 | Game Mastering, GMing Advice

Since the beginning of the hobby, starting at a...

Five Weird Ways to Up the Tension at Your Table With Dice

Posted by Josh Storey | Jul 12, 2024 | Game Mastering, GMing Advice

Dice are not just randomizers. They are tension-makers. Suspense-creators. Engines of uncertainty. When we’re rolling dice, we’re taking a chance, and chances are dramatic. Chance creates tension. Here are five weird ways to up the tension at your table using weird dice.

The Social Contract of Planning

Posted by Phil Vecchione | Jun 28, 2024 | Game Mastering, GMing Advice

Planning in RPGs is not a fun activity, so don’t...

Adventure Design: Backgrounds and Factions

Posted by J.T. Evans | Jun 12, 2024 | Game Making, Game Mastering, GMing Advice

Since the opening days of my RPG life,...

Make it Episodic – GM Tips & Tricks

Posted by Tomas Gimenez Rioja | May 29, 2024 | Game Mastering, GMing Advice

Let’s start from the beginning… what is the...

Nostalgia Gaming

Posted by Phil Vecchione | May 24, 2024 | Game Mastering, GMing Advice

Recently, I had the chance to do something I...

Dungeons, Dragons, and (Online) Dinner Parties

Posted by Josh Storey | May 17, 2024 | Game Mastering, GMing Advice

How do we craft a good experience for our players when they’re just voices in our ears and videos on our screens? After all, experience is more than the points that gets handed out at the of the session. I want to talk about the charisma-based skill challenges we face when our campaigns are digital—the soft skills, the social stuff.

Adventure Design: Detailing Back to Front

Posted by J.T. Evans | May 15, 2024 | Game Making, Game Mastering, GMing Advice

This time around, I’m going to talk about...

The Genre Mash

Posted by Chris Sniezak | Apr 22, 2024 | Game Mastering, GMing Advice, Player Advice, Tools for GMs

One of my gaming groups plays a mashed up game...

Adventure Design: Mood, Tone, and Theme

Posted by J.T. Evans | Apr 17, 2024 | Game Making, Game Mastering, GMing Advice

When starting to design an adventure for your...

The Crusty Old Gnome: Tips for New Game Masters

Posted by Walt Ciechanowski | Apr 3, 2024 | Game Mastering, General, GMing Advice, Intro to Game Mastering

Face to face, out in the heat, hanging tough,...

Planning By Mad Libs

Posted by Phil Vecchione | Mar 29, 2024 | Game Mastering, GMing Advice

Planning in RPGs has always been a problem. On...

It Came From The Stew Pot

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