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.
Category: game mastering advice
Can Vs Should
Discarding the theory that there are only certain ways a particular game should be played and experimenting with how it can be played has helped me to get more of what I want than accepting the common advice given by people who are not me and do not want what I want.
Where Do I Fall in the Low Prep Vs High Prep Debate?
One of the debates I see pop up on social media from time to time is "Low Prep Vs. High Prep." Some say you should do as little as possible and improvise because players are going to do things you don't expect anyway. Others say you should do as much as possible so that you …
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How Much Backstory is Necessary For a Homemade Sandbox Campaign?
How much backstory and history do I make for my sandbox campaigns?
The Basic Structures That Role-Playing Games and Stories Have In Common
There are some basic elements of story that are helpful for a game master to know. This post is about those elements and why games and stories share them.
How Do I Create Random Generation Tables for a Sandbox Campaign?
In last week's post I wrote about how random generation tables have some uses but they also have some drawbacks. The biggest drawback I find is that the tables created by other GMs or designers often have assumptions and contexts that don't fit whatever campaign setting I'm running. The major drawback of random generation tables. …
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The Benefits and Tradeoffs of Random Generation Tables
One of the common tools used by referees who run classic fantasy adventure games is random generation tables. These are useful tools that have many applications but they also have tradeoffs that I find undesirable at times. The Benefits One of the major and perhaps primary uses of random generators is they can be great …
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Grumpy Wizard 
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