Category: GMing Advice

Give ’em A Little Free Play

Posted by Phil Vecchione | Mar 27, 2026 | Game Mastering, GMing Advice

My Blades in the Dark campaign is due for some...

Prep is Aspirational

Posted by Phil Vecchione | Feb 27, 2026 | Game Mastering, GMing Advice

Last month, I talked about When Play Does Not Go...

Flirting With the Homies

Posted by Josh Storey | Feb 13, 2026 | GMing Advice

This Valentine’s Day, if you want to add a little romance to your games, you should be armed with the knowledge of what goes into creating a satisfying romance arc. The ingredients and…techniques…required to bring two (or more) characters to their…narrative climax. So sit down. It’s time we have The Talk.

Giants Deserve Better

Posted by Drew Bassett | Feb 2, 2026 | Game Mastering, General, GMing Advice

In many TTRPGs, giants have become a simple, escalating challenge: bigger and bigger versions of essentially the same thing, to encounter in tactical fights as your characters progress. A scalable threat, with a side serving of elemental power.

When Play does not go to Prep

Posted by Phil Vecchione | Jan 30, 2026 | Game Mastering, GMing Advice

A few weeks ago, I was running my Blades in the...

What Is a Situation in an RPG? How to Create Dynamic Play.

Posted by Chris Sniezak | Jan 19, 2026 | Game Mastering, GMing Advice, Tools for GMs

There’s an idea that adventures are like trains....

Fresh Starts

Posted by J.T. Evans | Jan 12, 2026 | Game Mastering, GMing Advice

It’s a new year! Time for resolutions (I...

Why this game?

Posted by Phil Vecchione | Dec 19, 2025 | Game Mastering, General, GMing Advice

For the most part, I pick the games I am going...

Background Events

Posted by Phil Vecchione | Nov 26, 2025 | Game Mastering, GMing Advice

One of the things I love about Blades in the...

Make It Personal

Posted by J.T. Evans | Nov 14, 2025 | Game Mastering, GMing Advice, Player Advice

Session zero is packed. Like, really packed,...

Preludes

Posted by Phil Vecchione | Oct 29, 2025 | Game Mastering, GMing Advice

In my current Blades in the Dark game, I started...

Making Second Chances Cinematic: Introducing the Invocation Reroll

Posted by Jesse Edmond | Oct 17, 2025 | Game Mastering, GMing Advice

The problem isn’t the mechanic. It’s the framing. Rerolls are inherently dramatic — a refusal to accept failure, a desperate second chance — but most games treat them as paperwork.

The solution is simple: give rerolls a ritual.

How to Steal a Story (to Use in Your Campaign)

Posted by Josh Storey | Oct 10, 2025 | Game Mastering, GMing Advice

“Everything’s a reboot....

Making Weapons More Interesting

Posted by Drew Bassett | Oct 3, 2025 | Game Mastering, General, GMing Advice

Your weapons are more than just damage dice.

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