Category: Player Perspective

GNOMECAST #159 – Playing for an Audience

by Poddy Gnomington | Mar 1, 2023 | Game Mastering, GMing Advice, Gnomecast, Player Perspective

Today we have Ang along with Phil & Senda. Today their going to talk about playing for an audience. With Panda’s. No. Wait. They’re the Panda’s. Just listen. It’ll make sense quickly.

B2 Tips To The Players – Revisited

by J.T. Evans | Feb 27, 2023 | Player Advice, Player Perspective

B2: The Keep on the Borderlands, Part Two I’m not going to summarize the history and purpose of the venerable module know as “The Keep on the Borderlands” again. You can check out my previous article on this topic for that information. Instead, I’m going to dive into the...

Shiny Object Gamer: Role-Playing From A Neurodivergent Perspective

by Lori Caskey-Sigety | Dec 16, 2022 | Game Mastering, General, Player Advice, Player Perspective

Is there a player in your group who always shows up late to the table, no matter how hard they try? Do you have a PC that struggles to keep up with the dice rolls during a fast combat round? Do you have someone in your party who forgets important details and often needs a reminder? Is there...

When No One Wants to GM

by Brittany Ferrendi | Nov 2, 2022 | Player Perspective

When a group of people first get into tabletop gaming together, there’s usually one fateful question: Who is going to be the Game Master? That question can be hard to solve when the group is entirely brand new to the rules and have only a vague understanding of the time and effort it takes to run...

7 Tips to Being a Better TTRPG Player

by Brittany Ferrendi | Sep 23, 2022 | Player Perspective

When searching for words of wisdom for all things tabletop, there’s lots of resources for how to be a good Game Master – but few for being a good player. The GM facilitates the game, but everyone at the table is responsible for cooperation and fun. For those of us who care deeply about making our...

Workplace Archetypes: Are You a Tank, Mage, or Healer?

by tangibleday | Jan 26, 2022 | Editorials, General, Player Perspective

Are you a tank, mage, or healer in your workplace? Depending on your answer, you may have just received a crystal ball into how you and your team operates. I am one member of a small team in my work environment, a science laboratory (about me). We have the goal of studying a medical disease with...

Playlists for Characters

by Heinrich Moore | Nov 22, 2021 | General, Player Advice, Player Perspective

Among my many life regrets is that I do not have my own theme music. But you know who does? Aliyah of the Dust, a mystical Nano who performs miracles. So does Xiao Mei, a sword warrior able to wield her Da Dao (a Chinese machete-like blade) to generate windstorms. In fact, each of the characters I...

Music to My Ears

by Senda Linaugh | Jun 23, 2021 | Editorials, Player Advice, Player Perspective

The pandemic made it harder to stay engaged with our games. Video calls introduce distance because of the screen divide and the infinitesimal delay in responses. I like to be all in on my characters and my stories, so I found myself finding new ways to engage with the games, sometimes alone and...

One Impossible Problem at a Time

by Angela Murray | May 7, 2021 | Game Mastering, Player Perspective

A few months back, during a short Star Wars campaign, my character made the brilliant decision to put on an enviro suit, go outside the space station built inside an asteroid, and try to sneak up on an Imperial troop ship blocking our landing bay. One of my friends looked at me with a raised...

Solo Gaming in the Time of Covid

by Senda Linaugh | Mar 8, 2021 | Editorials, Player Perspective

It’s the third week since my mentor was declared dead. She’s been missing for five years, after she went out on a search to find her per cryptid – the Pronghorned Desert Rat (dipodomys antilocapra). It’s obvious that we must carry on her research as its habitat is in danger – but why am I blocked...

It Came From The Stew Pot

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.

What Are People Saying?

What are people saying?

“We get asked a great many ‘how to’ questions about GMing at Origins and one of the best sites we have found for information is Gnome Stew!”

Game Manufacturer’s Association (GAMA)

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.

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

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

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

Never Unprepared
The Complete Game Master's Guide to Session Prep
Click To Find Out More

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

Eureka
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.