One of the great characteristics of our hobby is that there is so much variety amongst game systems. Some gamers play every system that they can get their hands on, while others stick to a core system that suits their particular styles. Yet no matter what system is your favorite you can always get fresh ideas by exposing yourself to a new system. Sometimes just learning about a ...

Sometimes the GM must do non-game related tasks. As the GM your role extends beyond just running the game. You schedule the sessions, you organize the materials for your game, you approve supplements and verify character builds, and you need to provide the tools for the game. When you agree to be the GM you are agreeing to a second job. I'm not suggesting that you treat the GM ...

Before there was a Gnome Stew, there was Treasure Tables. Martin, resident Head Gnome of the stew, started Treasure Tables as a blog dedicated to articles on advice for GMs. He posted every weekday for over two years and racked up an impressive 779 posts! He also started a forum at Treasure Tables where many of the gnomes met online and discussed our current games, sought help for problems ...

If there is one thing that I can't stand in a game it is players criticizing the verisimilitude of a game in the little details. The act of trying to define a virtual reality is one thing, but to insist that your game world uses the physics of the real world in every way is pointless. You have elves, you have laser handguns, and you have psionic abilities, ...

A big problem with many role playing games is that the player characters can make their own decisions and then take actions based upon those decisions. Another problem with RPGs is that the game master may want to control the scene and direct the game session towards a predetermined plot point. If you think I am a complete moron after reading those two sentences I don't blame you. It ...

Drawing maps, statting NPCs, writing plots, and preparing handouts. Prep work is still work no matter how you slice it. Improvising on the other hand is fun! You skip all of those tedious tasks and get right to the good stuff – running the game! I often improvise sessions and it works great for me. The players get a great game, and I don't have to spend days ...

I love it when a new GM steps up to the plate! Good GMs are what keep our hobby going and expanding our ranks is a real benefit to tabletop RPGs across the board. Yet I've noticed that there are some common mistakes made amongst new GMs that veteran GMs tend to avoid due to their years of acquired wisdom and experience (i.e. - we have already made ...