I like to borrow ideas and techniques from other hobbies and disciplines. An idea I’ve been looking at recently comes from the world of art galleries and exhibitions. That is the “artist’s statement.”

If you’ve never been to an art exhibition, there is almost always an “artists statement” near the entrance of the gallery. The artist’s statement is a declaration by the artist to help the viewer understand what they are looking at. Curators, grant givers, and collectors often consider an artist’s statement when they are making decisions about whether to include a particular artist’s work in a show or collection.

An artist’s statement often includes the following:

• Themes, ideas and subject matter of the work
• Influences and inspirations
• The medium, methods, processes the artist used
• The intended experience or emotional response they hope to get from the viewer
• What the artist hopes to achieve with the work

Here is a PDF from the School of Art Institute Chicago with some recommendations for creating an artist’s statement. There are some ideas in it worth borrowing for a game master’s statement.

For the sandbox campaign I’m building, I plan on writing a “game master’s statement” using some of these concepts as a starting point.

What is my GM’s statement for?

I want to create a clear declaration of what I intend the experience of play to be like in my campaign. Here are a few reasons why I think that might be worth taking the time to write down.

• Prospective players can decide if my campaign is for them or not
• It can help me to be clear in my own mind about what I want and what I don’t want.
• A GM’s statement can set clear expectations for players

What will I include in my Game Master’s statement?

The statement will answer two primary questions.

• Who is this game for?
• What is the intended experience?

There are several sub-questions that will be necessary to answer.

What is a roleplaying game and how do I play?

This might seem like a weird thing to include in a game master’s statement. One might assume that if a person is reading the statement of a game master, they’d already know what a roleplaying game is.

One of the things I’ve learned from blogging, reading message boards, social media, and forums over the years is that different people have different ideas about the definition of RPGs and how they can be played. Frequent readers of this blog will know that I have ideas about stories, games, rulings and rules, social interaction encounters and other topics that are not in the mainstream of the hobby.

I want players have a clear understanding of my views on games before they sign up to play. That will prevent misunderstanding or at least reduce the chance that they’ll be joining a campaign that doesn’t fit them.

What game system am I using?

Gamers can be very particular about game systems. A certain rule set will be an automatic rejection. Others will play just about any game system if the genre, play group, or style of play fits their tastes. Most players are somewhere in between.

What is the genre and setting of the campaign?

The rules used in a game are important. The genre and setting are equally or more important.

If you are really into Dune then you might be willing to play even if you have some issues with the system.

If you are not interested in playing the role of investigators unraveling the terrible truth behind the gruesome murder of your friend Jackson Elias then it doesn’t matter if you use Call of Cthulu, Trail of Cthulu, or D20 Cthulu.

Most of my gaming is fantasy of a darker sort. Some players aren’t into that so it is important that they know what they are getting before they sign up.

How do I deviate from conventions (tropes) of the genre or the rule set being used?

If I’m running Dungeons & Dragons but my campaign has neither dungeons or dragons, I might want to mention that to players who would reasonably expect both things in the game. Anything that challenges, reverses, subverts, or otherwise changes some important element of the genre that game is set in is worth stating.

I’ll also mention any house rules, character classes and ancestries that won’t be allowed, and any other deviation from the rules.

Constraints, boundaries and negotiables?

There are certain things I want in my games, certain things that are a no go, and other things I care less about. This can be constraints on character classes, how graphic players are allowed (or encouraged) to be about violence or other adult themes, the sorts of situations I am going to allow or completely avoid in the game and more.

There is a broad range of issues where I want to be very clear about what is welcome, unwelcome, or can be discussed as a possibility.

What else can a GM’s statement include?

The above topics are probably the obvious elements of a game master’s statement.

Other topics might also be included.

Inspirational music, films, comics, novels, documentaries, poems, and other art that matches the feeling I’m trying to create with the campaign.

A collage of images or mood board that inspired me for the campaign.

Themes, motifs, and aesthetics that I’ve included in the campaign.

The kinds of adventures, locations, monsters, amount of magic, and how I handle character death are also important.

What I’ll avoid.

Over explaining. I have an insecurity about being misunderstood so I tend to over explain.

Editorializing. Related to over explaining; I’ll limit my comments to just saying what I do and just a touch of why. I’ll avoid declaring why other ways suck.

Being overly prescriptive. I want to create particular gaming experiences but I also want to be open to as much possibility and imagination of players as possible. I don’t want players to feel too hemmed in.

Summing up

A game master’s statement is a way to communicate to prospective players about how I run games, how I think about games in general, and what I intend to accomplish with a new campaign in particular.

Being clear, concise, and honest about I’m trying to do will help a player decide if my campaign is for them or if it’s something they are unlikely to enjoy.