Much of OSR GMing advice talks about how important (and at times difficult) it is to make problems that can't be brute-forced. Well, i posit, what's more organic and hard to brute-force than a person?
behindthehelm.bearblog.dev/running-soci...
#osr #rpg #gamemastering #blog
behindthehelm.bearblog.dev/running-soci...
#osr #rpg #gamemastering #blog
Running Social Games
The adventures I run the most, and the ones I most enjoy playing in, are about interacting with people. My ideal session is filled with running around differ...
behindthehelm.bearblog.dev
November 9, 2026 at 2:37 PM
Much of OSR GMing advice talks about how important (and at times difficult) it is to make problems that can't be brute-forced. Well, i posit, what's more organic and hard to brute-force than a person?
behindthehelm.bearblog.dev/running-soci...
#osr #rpg #gamemastering #blog
behindthehelm.bearblog.dev/running-soci...
#osr #rpg #gamemastering #blog
The Candela Obscura Core Rulebook is a detailed guide on playing and gamemastering the collaborative investigative horror tabletop game featured on Critical Role.
Candela Obscura by Darrington Press & Friends supports Critical Role Foundation | https://bit.ly/4e1Hh39
Candela Obscura by Darrington Press & Friends supports Critical Role Foundation | https://bit.ly/4e1Hh39
October 29, 2026 at 10:01 PM
The Candela Obscura Core Rulebook is a detailed guide on playing and gamemastering the collaborative investigative horror tabletop game featured on Critical Role.
Candela Obscura by Darrington Press & Friends supports Critical Role Foundation | https://bit.ly/4e1Hh39
Candela Obscura by Darrington Press & Friends supports Critical Role Foundation | https://bit.ly/4e1Hh39
The Candela Obscura Core Rulebook is a detailed guide on playing and gamemastering the collaborative investigative horror tabletop game featured on Critical Role.
Candela Obscura by Darrington Press & Friends supports Critical Role Foundation | https://bit.ly/4e1Hh39
Candela Obscura by Darrington Press & Friends supports Critical Role Foundation | https://bit.ly/4e1Hh39
October 29, 2026 at 10:01 PM
The Candela Obscura Core Rulebook is a detailed guide on playing and gamemastering the collaborative investigative horror tabletop game featured on Critical Role.
Candela Obscura by Darrington Press & Friends supports Critical Role Foundation | https://bit.ly/4e1Hh39
Candela Obscura by Darrington Press & Friends supports Critical Role Foundation | https://bit.ly/4e1Hh39
Yeah a hard wisdom save would not be cool. You would be breaking a cardinal rule of gamemastering - never take control of another player's character. Even a very small munchkin would learn from THAT all right, but they'd learn the wrong lesson.
Some kind of in-character time-out punshment as
Some kind of in-character time-out punshment as
October 25, 2026 at 12:12 PM
Yeah a hard wisdom save would not be cool. You would be breaking a cardinal rule of gamemastering - never take control of another player's character. Even a very small munchkin would learn from THAT all right, but they'd learn the wrong lesson.
Some kind of in-character time-out punshment as
Some kind of in-character time-out punshment as
Critical Role FoundationThe Candela Obscura Core Rulebook is a detailed guide on playing and gamemastering the collaborative investigative horror tabletop game featured on Critical Role.
Candela Obscura by Darrington Press & Friends supports Critical Role Foundation | https://bit.ly/47u2Vcv
Candela Obscura by Darrington Press & Friends supports Critical Role Foundation | https://bit.ly/47u2Vcv
October 20, 2026 at 12:01 AM
Critical Role FoundationThe Candela Obscura Core Rulebook is a detailed guide on playing and gamemastering the collaborative investigative horror tabletop game featured on Critical Role.
Candela Obscura by Darrington Press & Friends supports Critical Role Foundation | https://bit.ly/47u2Vcv
Candela Obscura by Darrington Press & Friends supports Critical Role Foundation | https://bit.ly/47u2Vcv
Critical Role FoundationThe Candela Obscura Core Rulebook is a detailed guide on playing and gamemastering the collaborative investigative horror tabletop game featured on Critical Role.
Candela Obscura by Darrington Press & Friends supports Critical Role Foundation | https://bit.ly/47u2Vcv
Candela Obscura by Darrington Press & Friends supports Critical Role Foundation | https://bit.ly/47u2Vcv
October 20, 2026 at 12:01 AM
Critical Role FoundationThe Candela Obscura Core Rulebook is a detailed guide on playing and gamemastering the collaborative investigative horror tabletop game featured on Critical Role.
Candela Obscura by Darrington Press & Friends supports Critical Role Foundation | https://bit.ly/47u2Vcv
Candela Obscura by Darrington Press & Friends supports Critical Role Foundation | https://bit.ly/47u2Vcv
For the folks who came to the Better Gamemastering panel at @canconsffh.bsky.social (or anyone interested), this is the TTRPG safety form I mentioned! Copy it, add or delete as you like, and keep it as a living document you and your players can refer to throughout the campaign and update as needed.
TTRPG Safety Form
docs.google.com
October 17, 2026 at 4:48 PM
For the folks who came to the Better Gamemastering panel at @canconsffh.bsky.social (or anyone interested), this is the TTRPG safety form I mentioned! Copy it, add or delete as you like, and keep it as a living document you and your players can refer to throughout the campaign and update as needed.
Saturday October 17th, 10am in Leaders: "Better Gamemastering" Panelists: Kaitlin Caul, André Geleynse, Ali Asghar Sutarwala, 'Nathan Burgoine (m)
Follow-up to last year’s “Being a Good (Role) Player;" moving to the opposite side of the GM screen for a discussion of how to run a better TTRPG.
Follow-up to last year’s “Being a Good (Role) Player;" moving to the opposite side of the GM screen for a discussion of how to run a better TTRPG.
October 3, 2026 at 7:06 PM
Saturday October 17th, 10am in Leaders: "Better Gamemastering" Panelists: Kaitlin Caul, André Geleynse, Ali Asghar Sutarwala, 'Nathan Burgoine (m)
Follow-up to last year’s “Being a Good (Role) Player;" moving to the opposite side of the GM screen for a discussion of how to run a better TTRPG.
Follow-up to last year’s “Being a Good (Role) Player;" moving to the opposite side of the GM screen for a discussion of how to run a better TTRPG.
Hey, so to hell with genAI forever and all those damned image apps are now dripping with it, so here's where I'll be for @canconsffh.bsky.social, done with dubious quality meat brain, my phone camera, and almost zero sleep! #CanCon2026 #CanCon26
Hope I survive that long—uh, see you there!
Hope I survive that long—uh, see you there!
October 3, 2026 at 6:54 PM
Hey, so to hell with genAI forever and all those damned image apps are now dripping with it, so here's where I'll be for @canconsffh.bsky.social, done with dubious quality meat brain, my phone camera, and almost zero sleep! #CanCon2026 #CanCon26
Hope I survive that long—uh, see you there!
Hope I survive that long—uh, see you there!
Gamemastering is essentially a magic trick. You play with attention to make the world feel bigger and more compelling than your actual plan. But remember stage magicians and con men use similar techniques; the difference is how they relate to the audience.
travelcheck.dylanwolf.com/p/gamemaster...
travelcheck.dylanwolf.com/p/gamemaster...
September 29, 2026 at 1:08 AM
Gamemastering is essentially a magic trick. You play with attention to make the world feel bigger and more compelling than your actual plan. But remember stage magicians and con men use similar techniques; the difference is how they relate to the audience.
travelcheck.dylanwolf.com/p/gamemaster...
travelcheck.dylanwolf.com/p/gamemaster...
These 26 essays from today’s top designers will make your homebrew adventures even better!
#rpgPdfSpotlight #rpgs #gamemasterAdvice #goodmanGames https://l.d20.ninja/C4KBBH
#rpgPdfSpotlight #rpgs #gamemasterAdvice #goodmanGames https://l.d20.ninja/C4KBBH
How To Write Even Better Adventures
RPG PDF Spotlights is our daily look at a recent release for a new tabletop roleplaying game, supplement or scenario, or solo journaling game, that has caught my eye. How To Write Even Better Adventures Gamemastering Supplement by Goodman Games Take your writing to the next level with the all-new
www.tabletopsentinel.com
September 26, 2026 at 3:03 PM
These 26 essays from today’s top designers will make your homebrew adventures even better!
#rpgPdfSpotlight #rpgs #gamemasterAdvice #goodmanGames https://l.d20.ninja/C4KBBH
#rpgPdfSpotlight #rpgs #gamemasterAdvice #goodmanGames https://l.d20.ninja/C4KBBH
These 26 essays from today’s top designers will make your homebrew adventures even better! With instructive commentary supported by example encounters, flowcharts, and GM aids, you have everything you need to become an incredible adventure writer and game master!
angusabranson.com/2026/09/24/r...
angusabranson.com/2026/09/24/r...
(RPG PDF Spotlight) How To Write Even Better Adventures
How To Write Even Better Adventures Gamemastering Supplement by Goodman Games Take your writing to the next level with the all-new How To Write Even Better Adventures! These 26 essays from today’s …
angusabranson.com
September 25, 2026 at 3:32 PM
These 26 essays from today’s top designers will make your homebrew adventures even better! With instructive commentary supported by example encounters, flowcharts, and GM aids, you have everything you need to become an incredible adventure writer and game master!
angusabranson.com/2026/09/24/r...
angusabranson.com/2026/09/24/r...
That's another thing: an actual Gamemastering section. It has suggestions for simplifying the system with the consequences and how the first few sessions might go. Nothing specific on homebrew content, but it is already better than what I've seen in other systems.
September 10, 2026 at 8:43 PM
That's another thing: an actual Gamemastering section. It has suggestions for simplifying the system with the consequences and how the first few sessions might go. Nothing specific on homebrew content, but it is already better than what I've seen in other systems.
Only read something like the first two pages of social encounters and skimmed the rest. It straight up says to just do a single roll if it isn't a big deal was good with the rest of the system being for more complicated stuff. Gamemastering chapter though suggested dropping it if it is too much.
September 10, 2026 at 8:43 PM
Only read something like the first two pages of social encounters and skimmed the rest. It straight up says to just do a single roll if it isn't a big deal was good with the rest of the system being for more complicated stuff. Gamemastering chapter though suggested dropping it if it is too much.
This has been my experience as a GM running games the last decade. I always make some people extremely weird and evil and somehow that person finds a way to exist in real life. #dungeonmastering #gamemastering
August 29, 2026 at 12:30 PM
This has been my experience as a GM running games the last decade. I always make some people extremely weird and evil and somehow that person finds a way to exist in real life. #dungeonmastering #gamemastering
A new (to me at least) gamemastering technique:
While reading a bunch of gaming books I came across the idea of calling on players to fill in scene details as you go along. Getting them involved and taking some of the load off me the GM.
While reading a bunch of gaming books I came across the idea of calling on players to fill in scene details as you go along. Getting them involved and taking some of the load off me the GM.
August 17, 2026 at 3:11 PM
A new (to me at least) gamemastering technique:
While reading a bunch of gaming books I came across the idea of calling on players to fill in scene details as you go along. Getting them involved and taking some of the load off me the GM.
While reading a bunch of gaming books I came across the idea of calling on players to fill in scene details as you go along. Getting them involved and taking some of the load off me the GM.
Ooof, you lot are missing some extraordinary question answering nimbleness, as Robin manages to take a question about cabbage and answer using “Robin Laws Laws of Good Gamemastering”
November 30, 2024 at 5:38 PM
Ooof, you lot are missing some extraordinary question answering nimbleness, as Robin manages to take a question about cabbage and answer using “Robin Laws Laws of Good Gamemastering”
Describe your gamemastering style with three fictional characters -
September 22, 2025 at 7:06 PM
Describe your gamemastering style with three fictional characters -
Every RPG needs someone willing to sit behind the screen. New Gamemaster Month guides new GMs through twice-weekly seminars until you're running sessions for real. Supported games include Trail of Cthulhu, Savage Worlds and yes, Magical Kitties Save the Day. #TTRPG #NewGM l.d20.ninja/rmd8eZ
Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Gamemastering (But Were Too Afraid to
Ask)
There’s still time to enjoy New Gamemaster Month!
Running throughout January, this long-running init
l.d20.ninja
January 27, 2026 at 11:46 PM
Every RPG needs someone willing to sit behind the screen. New Gamemaster Month guides new GMs through twice-weekly seminars until you're running sessions for real. Supported games include Trail of Cthulhu, Savage Worlds and yes, Magical Kitties Save the Day. #TTRPG #NewGM l.d20.ninja/rmd8eZ
This is a good one, Robin Laws is an industry veteran with decades of experience. Sly Flourish has a bunch of stuff that's great, particularly Return Of The Lazy Dungeon Master. But truly the best advice is to actually run games with kind and patient players, and be open to their suggestions.
Robin's Laws of Good Gamemastering
www.sjgames.com
July 5, 2026 at 12:44 PM
This is a good one, Robin Laws is an industry veteran with decades of experience. Sly Flourish has a bunch of stuff that's great, particularly Return Of The Lazy Dungeon Master. But truly the best advice is to actually run games with kind and patient players, and be open to their suggestions.
Moorcock still informs my gamemastering style 45 years after playing my first D&D game.
December 31, 2024 at 10:25 PM
Moorcock still informs my gamemastering style 45 years after playing my first D&D game.
Magic & Mayhem: Forging the Next Generation of GMs
thecritsheet.com/articles/mag...
#GameMastering #Worldbuilding #IndieTTRPGs
thecritsheet.com/articles/mag...
#GameMastering #Worldbuilding #IndieTTRPGs
Magic & Mayhem: Forging the Next Generation of GMs — The Crit Sheet
Explore The Game Master’s Book of Magic and Mayhem for Kids, a vital resource for nurturing young TTRPG GMs. Learn how it builds storytelling skills and creativity.
thecritsheet.com
April 16, 2026 at 4:44 AM
Magic & Mayhem: Forging the Next Generation of GMs
thecritsheet.com/articles/mag...
#GameMastering #Worldbuilding #IndieTTRPGs
thecritsheet.com/articles/mag...
#GameMastering #Worldbuilding #IndieTTRPGs