Archive for the ‘GMing philosophy’ Category »

11 GMing Tips I Learned from Being a...

Posted on Jun 25 2010 | 2 Comments
11 GMing Tips I Learned from Being a Parent Sometimes running a game feels like herding a group of toddlers through the glassware department of  a department store while carrying an armload of wet cats. While most of the time players act like the responsible adults... Read More »

Games…Must Have Games…

Posted on May 28 2010 | 1 Comment
Games…Must Have Games… I hate gaming dry spells. I think the longest period I’ve gone without gaming was two years, if you’re talking about actually sitting at the table, either as GM or player. If you’re counting game preparation... Read More »

Dancing with the Dark

Posted on Oct 12 2009 | 4 Comments
Dancing with the Dark Morality. A big topic, with even bigger answers. What is good? What is evil? Are evil actions ever justified? Can we ever truely overcome evil? If we can, should we? Do moral issues have a place in RPGs? Undoubtedly, yes.... Read More »

Handling Problem Players

Posted on Sep 17 2009 | 1 Comment
Handling Problem Players We all get them: the incessant rules lawyer who challenges your every call; the “loopholer” who will exploit everything not nailed down in the rules to gain that extra +1 advantage; the player who takes everything... Read More »

How Do You Describe Combat?

Posted on Sep 15 2009 | 9 Comments
Every GM has a weak spot — mine is running combats. I can manage all of the die rolling and number crunching and “who’s turn is it”, but I am woefully inadequate when it comes to describing combat so that it moves beyond “he hits you with a sword and does 8 points of damage.” I’m also “tactically-challenged”... Read More »

Missing You: When the GM Can’t...

Posted on Sep 10 2009 | 1 Comment
Missing You: When the GM Can’t Be There Players aren’t the only ones who miss the occasional game session. Every once in a while the GM gets called into work at the last moment, or his wife (or the GM herself!) goes into labor early… there are numerous... Read More »

What Do You Like Best and Least Abou...

Posted on Aug 18 2009 | 2 Comments
Last week, I asked for your opinions on what you liked best about being a GM and what you liked least. A couple of you responded and here are your answers: The Best Things: From Sean Holland: “… there is nothing better than seeing the world come alive through the players’ eyes and actions. It makes all the work worthwhile.” From ATerribleIdea:... Read More »

Player Contributions, Take Two

Posted on Aug 12 2009 | 1 Comment
Player Contributions was one of my earliest posts to this blog. I’ve learned so much about blogging since then, I’ve decided to update it. What are player contributions? The Amber Diceless RPG introduced me to player contributions. The idea is simple: You get added points for your character if you agree to do something helpful for the GM every game... Read More »

Question: What’s the best and ...

Posted on Aug 11 2009 | 1 Comment
[Inkwell Ideas has posted a blog readers survey. Please take a few minutes to fill it out; it helps us blog authors know a little more about the kinds of things you like to see in RPG blogs.] What are the best and worst things about being a GM? For me, the best thing is watching my players take my game and run with it. Nothing gives me more enjoyment then watching... Read More »

Fred’s Missing *Again*?

Posted on Jul 10 2009 | No Comments
Every player has days they can’t make a game. Sometimes, a great conjunction of events happens and a player has to miss a session at the very last minute. It happens to all of us. These aren’t the players I’m referring to. It can be one of the most frustrating things about a running a game: having players who are chronic no-shows. My ex-husband... Read More »


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