General Help for the GM
Roleplaying
Discuss situations your group is comfortable with at Session Zero.
Work with Players to tell a story, not against them.
Connect characters and the story to Players through their history, goals, and decisions.
When roleplaying as an NPC, think about their history, goals, and how they compare to the Players'.
It can often be helpful to "Roll, then Play."
-Instead of having a Player come up with a speech on how they'd convince a merchant to give them a discount, have them roll to see if they succeed first. This gives them some direction on how to roleplay. If they fail the roll, the Player could act out their character fumbling with their words; if they succeed, the Player could create a connection between their character and the merchant that you can build off with their response.
Reading up on "Yes, and" can be very beneficial!
Asking for Rolls
Not everything a Player does needs to be rolled.
Ask Players to roll if they try to do something difficult or that they wouldn't normally be proficient in.
How to ask a Roll
Clarify Player Intentions.
"So you want to break the wall?"
Create a Goal the player tries to roll.
Ask them to roll with a STAT you think is relevant, or one they request.
"Give me a Tenacity roll, with a Goal of 5."
Player rolls 1d6 and adds that STAT's Level.
Player succeeds by rolling the Goal or higher.
Roleplay the outcome with the Player.
"You beat the Goal! How do you bust through this wooden door into the room?"
About STATs
STATs represent character attributes that are important in the game.
-On default character sheets, these are Sense, Tenacity, Aptitude, and Tale-Weaving.
Sense represents extrospection and healing prowess.
Tenacity represents power and will.
Aptitude represents proficiency and introspection.
Tale-Weaving represents social aptitude, conspicuousness, and main character-ness.
Mental/Magical prowess can be represented by any of these!
Inventory
There are no explicit rules for inventory management.
Discuss a custom system or ignore it entirely.
Magic
There are no explicit rules for magic.
Players can describe Actions as spells, but for specific rules and effects, discuss a custom system!
Encounters
Encounters feature different kinds of Gameplay: Story, Puzzle, Exploration, Roleplay, and Combat.
Handling an Encounter should reward each Player with at least 1 Experience.
Encounters with Story can provide a chance for Players to learn about the world, characters in it, and/or provide Roleplay opportunities led by Players.
Encounters with Puzzle can provide a mental challenge for players, reveal narrative elements through gameplay, and/or add a layer of complexity to other Encounters.
Encounters with Exploration can provide a feeling of freedom and choice for Players while allowing the GM to utilize smaller, modular Encounters.
Encounters with Roleplay can be used to give Players a character-focused problem to solve, progress a narrative, and/or show the consequences of their actions.
Encounters with Combat can be used to teach Players game mechanics, challenge their understanding on the mechanics, and/or let them feel powerful.
Combat
Combat doesn't need to involve dice rolls and Actions, it can just be Roleplayed; It can also be an excellent way for Players to make strategic decisions, leverage teamwork, and feel powerful.
Combat starts with Enemy Phase, where you describe Enemy behavior and deal damage with Rolls.
The Player Phase follows the Enemy Phase, where Players describe Actions and act together.
If all Players are at 0 Health at the same time, they lose that fight (though this doesn't need to mean death; perhaps the enemies get away, steal some loot, or their plan works).
After Combat, it's normal to completely heal Players, but you can also restrict healing for a challenging series of Encounters.
Sessions & Loops
Game Structure
Campaigns are made up of Sessions, which each have 1 or more Loop(s), filled with Gameplay Elements.
Sessions are like "episodes" of a Campaign
As a GM, suggesting dates can be helpful.
Each session has an agreed-on start and end time.
I recommend 1 hour per person + breaks.
Each session serve a purpose in the Campaign
(Does this session set something up? Develop something? Give closure to events that happened in another session?)
Each session has one or more Loop(s)
Each Loop should consist of at least 1 Encounter for each Gameplay Element that Players Love.
Each Loop can contain an Encounter with Gameplay Elements that Players Likes. This is useful for mixing up Loops.
Avoid using Gameplay Elements that Players Hate.
Players that are split from others can do smaller Encounters with Gameplay Elements that only they Like/Love.
Gameplay Elements
Most types of Gameplay can fit into one of the following categories: Story, Puzzle, Exploration, Roleplay, or Combat.
The next section, Gameplay Deep Dive, goes into each of these in-depth, but here's a basic description of each:
Story should revolve around Players and their choices.
Puzzles should let Players make intelligent connections.
Exploration should encourage freedom & experimentation.
Roleplay should provoke inter-Player improv & creativity.
Combat should challenge Players to work as a team.
Session Example
I GM a group with 3 Players, so we play for 4.5 hours.
We're doing 5 Sessions, which each act as a part of the 5-Act Story Structure.
Loop Example
My group's Gameplay Loops starts with Combat. Afterwards, I reward them with a Story reveal.
Players often react to these reveals in ways that lead them to Roleplay with each other.
Exploration Example
I have a letter for each Player, so I want them to Explore the city.
Whatever NPC they talk to will have a connection to their backstory and will give them their letter, revealing some new info.
Session Zero
Session Zero is a great chance to figure out what kind of game the group wants to play! Here's the template I use.
Discuss Tones that everyone likes/dislikes (Lighthearted, Serious, Sad, etc.)
Discuss Themes that everyone likes/dislikes (Sci-Fi, Fantasy, Wild West, etc.)
Determine Hard & Soft Boundaries for Players; Soft Boundaries are topics you're okay with being present at the table, but don't want to be directly involved in. Hard Boundaries are topics you don't want at the table in any way, in any amount.
Discuss Scheduling: how often and how long each Session will be.
Players create their characters and determine how they became a party.
Determine which Gameplay Elements will be used/avoided in Loops.
Gameplay Loops
Assign points to each Gameplay Element based on whether each Player Hates it (1), Dislikes it (2), Likes it (3), or Loves it (4).
A group Loves Gameplay Elements with 3.5 points per Player or more.
A group Likes Gameplay Elements with 3 points per Player.
A group Dislikes Gameplay Elements with less than 3 points per Player.
A group Hates a Gameplay Element if it has 2 points per Player or fewer.
How to Build a Gameplay Loop
Each Loop should include at least 1 Encounter for each Gameplay Element(s) that the group Loves.
Start or end Loops with the most popular Gameplay Element.
You can make Encounters that showcase an individual Gameplay Element or Encounters that combine different Elements together.
To mix up one Loop from another, they can include 1-2 Encounter(s) that the group Likes; try to shuffle which of these get included.
If one Player Loves an Element that the rest of the group Dislikes or Hates, you can make smaller Encounters for them to do when separated from the other Players or as important moments for their character.
If there are no Liked/Loved Gameplay Elements, the group might not be cohesive, but extra communication can make sure everyone has fun!
Loops will often be cut short by the end of a session, so don't worry about trying to force Loops to fit into single sessions.
Example of a Group's Loops
I'm GMing for Joseph, Veronica, and Donavan.
Joseph Loves Story & Combat, Likes Puzzles & Roleplay, Dislikes Exploration, and Hates nothing.
Veronica Loves Roleplay & Combat, Likes Exploration, Dislikes Story, and Hates Puzzles.
Donavan Loves Roleplay, Likes Story, Dislikes Puzzles & Combat, and Hates Exploration.
With this group, Story has 9 points, Puzzles have 6 points, Exploration has 6 points, Roleplay has 11 points, and Combat has 10 points.
The group Loves (10.5+ points) Roleplay, Likes (9+ points) Story & Combat, Dislikes (<9 points) nothing, and Hates (6 or fewer points) Puzzles & Exploration.
For this group, I would start each Loop with Roleplay, alternate between including Story or Combat after Roleplay, then end each Loop with more Roleplay. Since Donavan Dislikes combat, I'd provide more Roleplay opportunities during Combat Encounters, like closing enemy portals.
I would completely avoid Puzzles and Exploration in Sessions.
Preparation
You are free to prepare as much content as you want, but I recommend starting with as little preparation as possible, to learn how to be flexible in your GMing.
Instead of planning every specific possibility players might take, plan broad concepts that you can expand on later during preparation, or even during a session!
Zoom Out
Start by planning how many sessions will be played.
Plan 1 Loop per Session (list included gameplay elements).
Plan specific Gameplay Elements in Loops for 1-2 Sessions.
After a Session, take notes on how things went and how future plans might need to be adjusted.
Think about the Players
Fun sessions revolve around Player decisions and agency.
If a Session is disliked, it doesn't mean you're a bad GM, it just means something needs to change.
Remember that you're also playing this game!
If you don't like how sessions are going, change something.
Create Modular Ideas
Plans for sessions can include locations and their theming, but specific Encounter details should be generic enough to fit into any of these locations.
A puzzle could be planned as needing 2 keys for a lock and later described as a statue that moves once 2 magical orbs are placed in its hands.
A character could have specific personality traits and goals, then either approach the party when they set up camp or get found by the party.
Gameplay Deep Dive
Story
The Story is its own character that wants to be learned about. A story that players get invested in revolve around their characters, backgrounds, and goals.
Players who love Story
They love the 5 Ws of the story.
Reveal new story information in each gameplay chunk.
Players who hate Story
They want to interact with the people at the table or the mechanics of the game.
Avoid talking more than Players, let them tell the story.
Focus on connecting story elements to player characters.
Try rotating which player is the focus of each chunk.
Exploration
Exploring involves discovering and experimenting. Explorative content is based on what each player wants to discover. Players get to ask questions that the game answers.
Players who love Exploration
They're curious and want answers.
Answer a question, or tease an answer, in the same session it's asked.
Give the answer as a reward for quests and encounters.
Players who hate Exploration
They want to focus on the key experience of the game.
Avoid following tangents and getting sidetracked.
Focus on creating content that each player would be interested in discovering and obtaining to make progress.
Try giving players new information to learn about things they've previously discovered.
Roleplay
Roleplay involves the people at the table playing with each other (remember, you're a part of this group, too!) and pretending to be characters.
Players who love Roleplay
They want to pretend with their friends and see what each other can come up with.
Present prompts that encourage interaction.
Players who hate Roleplay
They don't like being put on the spot.
Avoid pressuring players to be entertaining.
Give opportunities for roleplay, but don't expect it.
Try rewarding players who go out of their comfort zone.
Combat
Combat involves risky gameplay to overcome a challenge for a reward. Combat can use complex maps with interactable things and strategic enemies to make the game fun.
Players who love Combat
They want to test their understanding of the mechanics and get rewarded for strategy and teamwork.
Give them challenges to overcome and rewards to earn.
Players who hate Combat
They don't want to bog down gameplay.
Avoid crunchy combat with intricate maps.
Focus on narrative elements of combat (lean into character development and roleplaying fights).
Creating a Story
Key Moments
Setup
Teach players about the background of the story.
Introduce characters and objectives.
Hook players into the story with a big,
attention-grabbing event.
Development
Develop character arcs (NPCs and Players).
Raise the stakes of the story.
The antagonist(s) and Players make progress towards their objective(s).
Climax
Development merges into an epic moment!
Characters return to help the Players and/or the antagonist(s).
Show off Players' skills and character growth.
After the Climax, show the results of the story.
Preparation
Fun stories revolve around Player decisions.
Keep some basic notes on key moments in the story (these notes will changed based on decisions made by the Players).
Take notes on character motivations and objectives.
Story Structures
Other methods can be used to tell stories, too.
You can even tell smaller stories within a larger story!
For example, a character arc can use Freytag's Pyramid in the Hook of a Hero's Journey.
Hero's Journey
Use this story structure to focus on character development and trials.
> Meet the heroes
> Hook them into the game
> Heroes refuse the call to adventure
> Heroes then meet a guide
> Heroes begin their adventure
> Story develops (see Key Moments)
> Heroes approach the climax
> Climax (see Key Moments)
> Give rewards from the Climax
> Show the aftermath of the Climax
> Reveal the true Climax
> Show the results of the story
Freytag's Pyramid
This is great for stories about drama or tragedy.
>Setup (see Key Moments)
> Rise (show the situation seemingly improving)
> Climax
> Fall (show the situation heading towards tragedy)
> Catastrophe (like a tragic climax)
Fichtean Curve
Use this for an episodic adventure, a one-off adventure, or a quest for character development.
> Approach Crisis (foreshadow the antagonist)
> Crisis (or Crises, where an antagonist/circumstance has to be overcome multiple times)
> Climax (see Key Moments)
> Show the results of the story (for character development, let them reveal this narrative)
Kishōtenketsu
This is good for mysteries, stories with twists, or stories without antagonists or conflict.
> Setup (see Key Moments)
> Develop the story, while avoiding major changes
> Reveal the twist or mystery
> Show the aftermath of the reveal
Creating Characters
5 Ws
When creating a character, think about the 5Ws (Who, What, When, Where, and Why), How they behave, and what their Goals are.
You can answer these questions as in-depth as you want, or even ignore some of them, but you should always create goals for characters.
If you want to create Characters than can be adjusted on the fly, create a name and a Goal, then ask your Players to describe Characters near them! This lets you prepare gameplay but let your Players feel more involved in the game.,
Who
Who is this character?
Who do they want to be?
Who do they consider family?
Who are they to the people around them?
When
When in their life do you meet them? Are they young, old? Immature, experienced?
When will they accomplish their goals?
Why
Why does this character exist?
Why are they doing what they're doing?
Why do they talk to the Players?
Goals
What is this character trying to accomplish?
Could the Players help with this Goal?
What
What does this character look like?
What are they wearing?
What do they have on their person?
What's important to them?
Where
Where are they from?
Where have they been?
Where are they trying to go?
How
How do they act?
How do they talk?
How do they fight?
Enemies
Enemies can have answers for any of these.
Try to at least answer What, How, and Goals.
Sample Characters
Sushe
Who: A dwarf that handles the town's request board.
She maintains a board filled with quests.
What: 3'6" Dwarf who dresses in fancy clothing. She wears a monocle that frequently falls off.
When: She's young for a dwarf, only 50!
Where: In town, she travels back and forth between their home office and the request board.
Why: She once dreamed of being an adventurer, but was terrified by her fits encounter with a dragon. Afterward, she decided to help adventurers instead.
How: She's scatterbrained and moves quickly, but eagerly slows down to help people who ask for it.
Goals: She wants to connect heroes and people who need help.
She'd love to improve the request board, but she's too busy to do it.
Marun McCullough
Who: A fairy that runs a local ice cream shop.
Goals: They want to add more flavors to the ice cream shop, but they don't have the money to expand.
Ice Cream Flavors:
Fiery Flavorlicious
Bubblegum Blue
Fightin' Fudge
Magical Mint
Strong Strawberry
Skillful Stracciatella
Supportive Sherbet
Charismatic Coffee
Balthazaar Moreau
What: An evil scientist who creates robotic hybrids of animals to study how their bodies work together.
How: He looks down on anyone who 'doesn't understand' his 'genius.'
Goals: He wants to defeat the Players and create a powerful hybrid that he can control.
He wants to learn how to bake spinach puffs.
Creating Encounters
Dice
Roll 1 or more dice to do an Enemy Action.
The sum of all rolled dice is the 'value' of that Enemy's Action. This value can be damage dealt to a player, health restored to an Enemy, or range of an Action.
You get d6 based on Player Experience
For Easy Combat, you get 1d6 per Player Experience.
For Normal Combat, you get 2d6 per Player Experience.
For Hard Combat, you get 2d6 per Player Experience and add 2 to each roll.
For Intense Combat, you get 3d6 per Player Experience.
If you have one Player with 5 Experience, you get 5, 10, or 15 six-sided dice.
If you have three Players with 2 Experience each, you get 2, 4, or 6 six-sided dice.
Spending dice
"Spend" a die to roll it.
Once a die is spent, it can't be used again until the next Enemy Phase.
You can spend dice to heal damage based on the total of the dice rolled.
You can also heal Enemy Health the same way.
Normally, Enemy Actions have a Range of 1, but you can increase its Range by the value you reduce a die's roll by.
i.e. Spend 2 dice, roll 2d6 for a total of 7; this can deal 7 damage to a nearby Player, deal 6 damage to a Player [2] away, or heal 4 health to an Enemy [3] away.
Enemy Health
You get a pool of Health that can be distributed amongst Enemies however you want.
Easy Combat: 10 per Player Level
Two Players with 5 Experience gives you a pool of 100 Health.
One Enemy could have 70 Health while another has 30.
A swarm of Enemies could collectively have 100 Health.
Normal Combat: 12 per Player Level
+1 to rolls
Two Level 5 Players gives you a pool of 120 Health.
This could mean one Enemy has 80 Health while another has 40.
Or a swarm of hundreds of Enemies collectively has 120 Health.
Or six Enemies each have 20 Health.
Hard Combat: 15 per Player Level
+1 to all Enemy Rolls.
Two Level 5 Players gives you a pool of 150 Health.
One Enemy could have 100 Health while another has 50.
Six Enemies could each have 25 Health.
Creating Roleplay Encounters
Progress
Progress vs Goal, progress = 0
Players increase progress towards Goal.
Enemies decrease progress.
Enemies' Goal can be the negative value of the Player's Goal. Alternatively, adjusting the Enemy Goal can make an Encounter easier or harder.
i.e. The Players are trying to convince a shopkeeper to give them a discount. They have a Goal of 2. If the Players reach this Goal, they get the discount.
The shopkeeper, however, has a Goal of -2.
The Players can pass Competing Rolls or Roleplay in a way that increases their Progress.
The shopkeeper, or a third party, might do things that decrease their progress.
If the Players' progress reaches -2, perhaps the shopkeeper refuses to do business with them.
If the shopkeeper likes the Players, maybe her Goal is -4, making it harder to lose this Goal.
If the shopkeeper hates the Players, maybe her Goal is -1, making it easier to lose the Goal.
Creating Enemies
When creating Enemies for combat, think about What, How, and their Goals.
Create Enemy Actions based on when and why they'd do it.
Think about Actions for different ranges
Actions to use with a range of 1.
Actions to use with longer range.
Telegraphed Actions that deal massive damage, for tougher Enemies.
Telegraphed Actions
These are big Actions that store damage on one (or more) turn(s), then deal it all in one blow.
Roll dice and store the number on one Enemy Phase while describing the buildup of the Action.
Roll dice and add the result to the stored number, deal the damage total, and describe how the Action builds up and releases.
More than two Phases can be involved!
Mechanics of dealing damage
When and Why would an Enemy do this Action?
Rolling dice for an Action determines its value.
Value affects damage dealt, healed, or reduced.
It can also determine range for Actions/effects.
Sample Enemy Actions
Grapple: Trigger a Competing Roll. If you win, the target can't Move during the next Phase.
Drain [1]: Roll Xd6. Deal some of the total as damage to a target and heal the rest.
Fireball [1]: Distribute Xd6 damage across targets within 1 Move of each other.
Icy Breath [X]: Cover everywhere in 1d6 range with Ice. Icy surfaces cost 1 extra AP to Move in.
(T) Big Blast [1]: Phase 1: Roll Xd6. Enemy builds up magical energy.
P2: Roll Xd6. Distribute total as damage across targets within Range.
Sample Characters
Shadow
A short creature that's entirely black with bright, red eyes. They often attack in groups to try and surround their prey.
Shadow Move: After taking damage, it can sink into the ground. While in the ground, it can't take or deal damage.
Rise: Deal Xd6 damage to a target as you rise from the ground behind them. You can't sink into the ground until the next Enemy Phase.
Claws: Deal Xd6 damage to a target.
Toss (2): Deal Xd6 damage to a target by throwing something at it.
Hollow Robot
A futuristic robot that can be controlled.
It's hollow, meant to be used to safely transport people, but now it uses that to hurt people.
It can't Move while it has a Player ensnared.
Ensure Players outnumber Hollow Robots.
New Directive: When it takes damage, it faces whoever dealt it damage and Moves 1.
Ensnare (1): Ensnare* a Player it's facing.
*Ensnared Players can only damage this target, and can't Move, help, or heal their allies.
Absorb: Deal Xd6 damage to ensnared Player. Heal another Xd6.
Goblin Boss
A less short Goblin, this boss has proven to be stronger than the other other Goblins it lives with and orders them around. It tries to stay away from Players, using Goblins as shields.
Hurl Goblin (2): Deal Xd6 damage to a target by throwing a Goblin at it.
Headbutt: Deal Xd6 damage to a target, preventing them from using the same Action twice until the next Enemy Phase.
(T) Call Reinforcements: P1: 1d6 Goblins join the battle on P2.
P2: Add Xd6 to the Enemy Health pool.
Colossal Tank
A massive tank that walks on mechanical legs. Each leg has its own Health pool. Once two or more legs are defeated, the tank falls to the ground and moves on its backup treads.
Leg Explosion: Once two or more legs are defeated, the other two legs explode, dealing as much damage as possible to anyone within 2 range of them (spend all your dice on this roll).
Tank Gun (5): Distribute Xd6 damage to targets within 1 Move of each other.
Kick (1): Deal Xd6 damage to a Player within range of any leg. That Player Moves X away from the leg that kicked them.
Zones & Cover
Zones
Zones can help visualize the distance of 1 Move. You define the size of a Zone (and thus, a Move). 'Your Zone' refers to the Zone you're currently in (anywhere within 1 Move).
Size & Boundaries
Zones don't need to be equal size (some areas can be harder to traverse than others).
Soft boundaries separate Zones from each other, and can be represented by dashed lines.
Hard boundaries block Moves and ranged Actions, and are represented with solid lines.
Cover (optional)
If you want to add some extra tactical elements to combat, you can add cover!
Cover reduces damage from ranged Actions using line of sight and can be represented using wiggly or zig-zagged lines.
During the Player Phase, Players can freely Move into Cover within their Zone.
During the Enemy Phase, Players can do this for 1 AP. Enemies can only move into Cover on the Enemy Phase.
Damage taken by Players in Cover is reduced by their Level.
Damage taken by Enemies in Cover is reduced by the attacking Player's Level.
Cover Example
The Level 5 Player is in Cover from the Goblin Boss, but not the Shadow.
The Player takes full damage from Shadow attacks.
The Player reduces damage from Goblin Boss attacks by 5, their Level.
Creating Items
General Advice
Items have details of their effect(s) and an AP cost, if they can be used in Combat.
If an Item can be used in Combat, clearly state how much Health is affected, which should scaled based on Player Level. If an Item is not meant to be used in Combat, describe how it is meant to be used and provide some narrative advice.
Fast Items
Fast Items cost 1 AP and tend to be weak, unless they're rare Items.
These tend to affect 1 Health per Level.
Rarer Fast Items have an extra, minor effect.
Normal Items
Normal Items cost 2 AP and are average strength.
These tend to affect 3 Health per Level.
Rarer Normal Items do an extra, minor effect.
Slow Items
Slow Items cost 3 AP and are rather strong.
They affect around 4 Health per Level.
All Slow Items have some extra, minor effect.
Rarer Slow Items might instead do a major effect.
Special Items
Special items cost 4+ AP and are very strong.
These Items should be balanced based off of a similar-costing Action.
These Items can persist over multiple Phases, or can be used multiple times.
These are very rare, and should be deliberately given as a special reward or in preparation for an extra difficult encounter.
Sample Items
(1 AP) Fast Healing Potion (1)
Heal 1 Health per Level.
This can be tossed to another Player in range.
They can use this Item immediately.
(3 AP) Slow Shield Potion (1)
Heal 4 Health per Level.
You can heal above your maximum Health, up to 10 Health. This Health counts as a 'shield.'
This can be tossed to another Player in range.
They can use this Item immediately.
6-Pocket Grab-Bag
Reach into one of the 6 pockets, which each holds a random item. Once you pull an Item out of a pocket, that pocket vanishes. Roll 1d6 to see which Item you pull out:
1: A handful of marbles.
2: A handful of Bees.
3: A rock the size of your palm.
4: A kitten the size of your palm.
5: A torch that stays lit for 12 hours and can't be extinguished. Its fire can't harm any who touch it.
6: A sentient, duck-sized robot that will follow your commands for 1 hour before exploding.
(2 AP) Healing Potion (1)
Heal 3 Health per Level.
This can be tossed to another Player in range.
They can use this Item immediately.
(4 AP) Turret
Drop a turret in your Zone that has Health equal to your Level.
When an enemy gets within 1 range of the turret, it deals damage equal to your Level to the Enemy.
(3 AP) Jug of Mysterious Liquids
Twice a day, you can use this Jug to create a gallon of one of the following liquids:
Acid, Alcohol, Mayonnaise, Water, Oil, Molasses.
In Combat, the liquid can cover 1 Zone.
(0 AP) Communication Earpiece (3)
Allows the user to communicate at a whisper through someone else's Earpiece within Range.
Out of Combat, this range can be extended, but longer distances may introduce longer delays.