Game Mastery Part 4
Writing a Good Campaign Adventure

I really appreciate the value of a store brought premade adventure. They are great for learning the game and for filling in when you need a break from adventure writing. However I much prefer to write my own adventures. By writing your own adventure you can custom made the story for the characters you have, […]

Game Mastery Part 3
The Art of Killing Characters

As a GM I hate to kill characters, and it’s not just about not wanting to hurt feelings either, there are very practical considerations. I work for hours to help each player carefully construct a detailed background, balancing desires with what the system allows. I also invest more hours creating stories that meld meaningfully with […]

Game Mastery Part 2
Atmosphere

Creating atmosphere for your game is one of the key components to making your game memorable. Whether it’s the Machiavellian machinations of a vampire court, the sense of impending doom as you stalk through an old library in Cthulhu, or the Dickensian dystopia of the streets in a game of Cyberpunk, atmosphere can make or […]

Game Mastery Part 1
Core Components

I have had the pleasure to be both a player of Tabletop RPGs and as a Games Master (GM), or Dungeon Master (DM) if you prefer. I run games because I enjoy the creative outlet, but I also run games because people like how I run them. There is no hard and fast rule to […]