"Game Master" or "Game Moderator". This is the person who is in charge of running the game, including having final say over how actions are resolved. Also referred to as "Storyteller" (in White Wolf games), "Dungeon Master" (in D&D), and innumerable other names.
20
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2answers
566 views
What are important things to keep in mind when converting a 3e/3.5e module to Pathfinder?
I'm interesting in converting one or more of my existing modules for 3/3.5 to work with the Pathfinder rules. I'm interested to know from others who have done this kind of conversion what ...
10
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4answers
197 views
Introducing Guest-Stars in Ongoing Campaigns
I've got a situation I'm dealing with tonight and that I've dealt with before, but I've never had rpg.se to ask about it. So here goes:
Are there any tried-and-true methods for dealing with ...
11
votes
4answers
451 views
How to challenge legendary characters?
As characters get to Legendary in Savage World (Fantasy) they abilities soon seem to out class the Powers the creatures have. For example, most powers are saved with a attribute, say Agility, if you ...
26
votes
8answers
1k views
What are the most important differences for a 1st Edition AD&D Dungeon Master learning to run D&D 4E?
I'm a campaign designer and DM with 20+ years of AD&D 1st edition experience. I've been "retired" from the game for over a decade, assume I don't know anything about 2nd, 3rd, or 3.5.
Now I'm ...
4
votes
2answers
205 views
How to include equipment level in planning D20 Modern encounters?
Obviously equipment matters a lot in modern combat. A tank crew in a modern tank can almost always defeat men armed with only small arms. The d20 modern system does not take this into account when ...
33
votes
6answers
736 views
What is a good way to become a better NPC/monster actor?
One of the biggest problems I have as Game Master, (going on 30+yrs) is in portraying NPC and Monsters in any RPG. Is there a good resource for becoming a better 'actor'?
Instead of just saying... ...
9
votes
4answers
225 views
What to do in Labyrinth Lord when both PCs and Foes are surprised?
In Labyrinth Lord, when there is a possibility of surprise for both PCs and foes, both sides roll 1d6. A 1-2 indicates that side is surprised for the first round. If both sides roll a 1-2, both ...
17
votes
5answers
243 views
What techniques can I use to improve flavor text?
I've been improving my GM skills lately, but there is one area in which my skills are very weak, and that is flavor text. For example, if my players go into the woods, I tend to say something stupid ...
17
votes
6answers
465 views
Am I designing my campaign setting to be too specific?
I'm a first time DM (3.5e), and, being a passionate writer, I decided to create the entire campaign and campaign setting myself. It's been good fun, and I have about 12 pages of (elaborated upon) ...
14
votes
9answers
365 views
How to remember all the rules?
Do you have tricks or techniques to remember all the rules to the games you're playing? I would like to run my first game as a gamemaster, but I'm struggling with remembering all the feats and ...
24
votes
11answers
1k views
Should a GM be a Player?
Game Masters have plenty to do; no need to enumerate the tasks here. But should a non-player character be a 'regular' in a party?
By gaining a voice in the in-character interactions, the GM taps a ...
20
votes
10answers
336 views
Campaign is on hiatus. How do I keep it on life support?
My regular campaign has ground to a halt due to scheduling problems. At this point, we don't really know how long it will be until we play again. Everyone is still interested, at least for now. Is ...
2
votes
3answers
702 views
What race/class combinations would you like to see in pregenerated characters? [closed]
I am running a one shot for the local gaming association and am making pre-generated level one characters for people to use.
So what Race/class combinations would work best in a group of ...
13
votes
7answers
335 views
What major differences are there between convention DMing and home DMing?
I've been DMing for a while in 4th edition D&D, but I've only been DMing for Living Forgotten Realms and D&D Encounters. Now I'm thinking of starting to do some home games in various systems. ...
7
votes
5answers
264 views
Dealing with high player churn?
In my current D&D 4e game we have extremely high player churn. Any given night we may have between 2 and 5 players (out of 10 to 12) leave and or join (leaving often takes the form of simply not ...
15
votes
10answers
505 views
Strategies for dealing with turtle or roach players?
How should GMs deal with players who turtle or roach?
By turtle I am referring to players who obviously wanted to play because they joined the game, but when they're actually at the table they keep ...
14
votes
6answers
1k views
Using the iPad as a GM-tool
Anyone have any experience using the iPad as a GM-ing tool?
If so, how did you use it?
Any apps that are particularly good for GMs?
17
votes
4answers
4k views
How to randomly generate a village or town for old school D&D game?
There is a lot of material written on random generation of dungeons for play. But inevitably characters have to return from the to spend those ill-gotten gains. And where else but a nearby ...
9
votes
5answers
407 views
Good ways to handle presenting information to one or some members of the group?
What are some good methods for presenting information to a limited number of players in a gaming group so as to allow them to control when and how that information gets released to the rest of the ...
19
votes
8answers
427 views
How do you DM differently when it's for only one person?
I've just finished running my first session with only one player, and it felt pretty different from running a session for a group. Could someone with more experience in this talk about what one ...
16
votes
8answers
1k views
Roleplaying as a job. Skills and background?
A friend of mine is a great DM, and we always told him that he should be paid for his skills. He smiles and says that it's enough to have fun, but seriously, can you make a living out of role playing ...
30
votes
17answers
1k views
What is the single most influential book every GM should read?
If you had your career as a GM to start again, what book would you wish to have read before you started on the path of learning to be a GM.
This needn't be restricted to RPG source and rulebooks of ...
24
votes
14answers
627 views
Story Arc vs. Player Creativity
I want to put the players in a challenging spot by putting them in a no win situation and having them captured and stripped of their equipment (assuming they might get it back as they make their ...
5
votes
3answers
137 views
Scaling for battles when the number of players is unknown?
I play in a D&D 4e game at the local game shop where the number of players who shows up can vary from five to fifteen. Obviously a normal battle for fifteen characters would be overpowering for ...
27
votes
14answers
328 views
How do I retain momentum in an irregular game?
For years I have had a regular weekly evening group but as we've all aged, it has become more difficult to meet. I tend to get the same players but we do not play every week. Long gaps mean that it is ...
6
votes
6answers
444 views
Approaches to GM-less (or lessened GM reliance in) RPGs
A question about transitioning players to GM-less gaming already exists (and it's a good one). I, however, am looking for a more exhaustive description (thus CW) of approaches to GM-less gaming. As ...
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votes
19answers
1k views
What role-playing games have good gamemaster advice sections?
Which RPG's, in your experience, have good advice for gamemasters in their rulebooks, both for novice and experienced gamemasters?
Please keep in mind that this question is not about good games for ...
15
votes
6answers
202 views
How do you maintain a balance between mystery and offering clues?
Giving good clues that offer just enough information can be difficult. I think I tend to not give the players enough information and then to overcompensate with a reveal that comes too easily. ...
14
votes
9answers
236 views
How to encourage the GM-curious?
I have a couple of players who might be interested to try GMing, but have so far been reluctant to "take the plunge" and start up their own games. I think this is mostly because they're not sure that ...
15
votes
13answers
1k views
Sunrods, should they be used?
Sunrods, those banishers of darkness, are they a problem or not, I've met a number of DMs that don't want them in their games.
Are they a problem?
29
votes
15answers
628 views
Your friend wants to learn the ways of the Dungeon Master, what do you do?
I believe that all tabletop role playing gamers should at one point or another try their hand at Dungeon Mastering. However, it's a goal that at times can feel overwhelming.
What advice would you ...
11
votes
4answers
190 views
Megadungeon or modules for a weekend of play?
I've been having gaming/camping weekends with some friends and we've only played Call of Cthulhu so far, using modules. This time I plan on running an OSRIC/1e game, and would like to run the ...
13
votes
3answers
458 views
Do marks go away when one of the parties is dead or incapacitated?
While DMing for DnD Encounters, I had an interesting rules concern come up, that I can't see handled in the rules specifically. We always assumed that when a character or monster goes unconscious via ...
26
votes
9answers
374 views
Rotating the GM
Is it advisable to run a campaign where the GM occasionally rotates to be a regular player while a player becomes the GM? I've seen some mentions of this strategy to prevent the GM from getting burnt ...
24
votes
17answers
763 views
How to handle a rule-lawyer player?
As a game master, what strategy/strategies seems to work well for handling players that have spent more time reading through the rule books than you have? While it's helpful at times to have the ...
17
votes
16answers
462 views
Experience for Role Playing
Ok so I haven't played in a while (since the 2nd edition) but do any of the newer D&D editions' books (most likely the DM Guide) have guidelines for granting experience for exceptional role ...
30
votes
9answers
1k views
How to deal with a Batman PC as a DM?
I'm running one of the D&D Encounters tables at the local game shop. In Chapter 3 the players can create their own characters.
Everyone had normal characters with the exception of one player who ...
18
votes
5answers
357 views
How do I run a game for a larger group?
I am currently running a Dungeons and Dragons 4 campaign for a group of 9 players. Whittling the group down to a more manageable size is not really an option since they are all family. When we do ...
22
votes
9answers
786 views
Third-Person Limited Narration or Third-Person Omniscient Narration?
What are the advantages/disadvantages to using either a kind of "Limited Narration" or an "Omniscient Narration" style when running a game?
i.e. Does saying...
None of the characters notice the ...
31
votes
17answers
1k views
How to Handle a Powergamer / Munchkin
What are some strategies that I can employ to handle a power gamer that constantly outshines the rest of the party? This is a friend of us all and we don't want to boot him, but combat simply isn't ...
25
votes
9answers
862 views
What qualities are important when creating a fantasy RPG campaign?
Creating custom game play content for a group can be challenging for even the most experienced GM. Understanding how your group members' play and understanding what they want to experience is ...
