I was running a Star Wars campaign a few years ago (revised pre-Saga) edition. One of the most helpful sections in the core book was a list of stat blocks for NPCs. As I wanted these stat blocks to be challenging for the PCs, I decided that the PCs would be standard by-the-book characters. When I showed up to the first session, I discovered that the group had a ...

Welcome to the first article Gnome Stew's Introduction to Game Mastering series. If you're new to GMing, this series is for you -- and even if you're an old hand, you might pick up a trick or two. Want to read other articles in this series? Click on the "introduction to game mastering" tag at the end of this article. In writing this series, I assume you have some familiarity ...

Matt Cruikshank has a long, passionate article request in the Suggestion Pot. Hop over and read it in full if you like. One element I'll seize on is discussing open source/creative commons games. John Kim maintains links to a vast number of free RPGs. Among them are a subset of open and licensed games, conveniently gathered together as open gaming examples. Eleven open games are highlighted at that link, ...

Two readers are stirring the Suggestion Pot with map-making questions. BladeMaster0182 writes: Hi guys. I would like an article on mapmaking. Every DM does it and I couldn’t find an article on it. I know many of us do it by hand but some of us (like me) lack the artistic talent to draw out their dream world. There are some map making programs, but most I have found are ...

Gnome Rodeos are the Stew's periodic link roundups -- articles packed with pointers to excellent GMing material we think you'll enjoy. We usually feature a few regulars plus our favorite discoveries from around the web, all with an eye to making your time behind the screen easier and more fun. If you wrote or read something you'd like to see featured here, drop us a line. There's some awesome stuff ...

June 20th was Free RPG day, a day when the gaming industry in conjunction with various local gaming stores, gets together to celebrate RPGs by hosting various RPG sessions and giving away free stuff. Among the offerings this year, Dias Ex Machina (DEM), publishing through Goodman Games, offered up Hearts of Chaos an adventure set in DEM’s Amethyst campaign setting, which comes out this September. ...

Recently, a friend of mine said they were tired of  “righteous paladins, knights in  armor that have dragons on them, mentally tortured vampires, orphaned revenge seeking samurai, the “chosen ones” or every lone wolf character EVAR in role playing games”.  Yeah, those are pretty standard characters in a lot of games, and as stereotypes go they are pretty cliché. But then I got thinking, what is so wrong ...

Yesterday, we decided to launch something new: Gnome Stew is now posting bite-sized game mastering tips on Twitter. The Hook It's a shared account, so all nine of us gnomes have the ability to post there. We'll be signing off with our initials so you know who wrote what, and it's not just an auto-feed of our articles (I don't have much use for those myself). I've been enjoying Twitter for ...

All successful art is aimed directly at its audience.  Whether the goal is to please, challenge, offend, or just create controversy, the artist has to know his or her audience in order to effectively evoke the desired response.  This goes for GMs as well.  Luckily, our audience is pretty small, and we get to talk to them on a regular basis.  We usually get immediate feedback, ...

The AD&D 2nd Edition Dungeon Master's Guide opens with this line: You are one of a very special group of people: AD&D game Dungeon Masters. AD&D 2e was the first game I ever GMed, and the one I've run the longest (though it's been quite a while at this point). I first read those words back in 1989; I was 13. And I thought that was the greatest thing ever. A ...

Asking questions is a great way to get to the bottom of things. It is one reason that three year-olds master "why?"-- keep asking and you'll slowly unravel deeper and deeper explanations for events. Or you'll drive your parents crazy-- really it's win/win for the tykes. Answering questions is a great technique for deepening characterization. PCs and major villains benefit the most from these techniques, but asking yourself a ...

So you’re running late to game. The only thing you need is a map, and you need to do it fast. Here are 5 quick mapping options. 1. Dry Erase Board Dry erase markers and a whiteboard make for great mapping options. The only problem, for the tactically combat inclined, is their lack of gridlines. Some places sell dry erase boards with ...

Sometimes, putting a thought to paper (or pixel) will solidify a thought or an idea into something more concrete. In the discussion over Patrick’s review of the “Quick Primer for Old-School Gaming”, I pointed out that third edition D&D (and similar games) unintentionally encourage players to play their character sheet instead of their character. Which raised the question “How the hell do I address this?” Well, ...

What’s the Crock Pot? Just a simmering bowl of lentils and herbs, with a dash of DMing observations. Don’t be afraid to dip in your ladle and stir, or throw in something from your own spice rack. Caught twixt and tween The mop-up session, the bookkeeping session, the just "finish-the-damn-dungeon-so-we-can-get-on-to-something-else" session. The transition session. I really don't enjoy DMing those sessions as much as I should, I suppose. Admittedly, they are challenging ...

I've been thinking about interviews a lot lately. First, because I've had this article on the back burner for months now without any inspiration to pick it up and dust it off. Second, because as of last week, I've been downsized.  It wasn't just me mind you. They let almost our whole department go, and they're outsourcing the work to another division. It wasn't anyone's fault. My boss was just following orders, the big ...