How To Be a Game Master


If you've never played a TTRPPG (that's Table Top Role Playing Game) before this will be informative to you. On the other hand if you have you're probably already good to go and should stop making your players wait on you. Get the game started already. 


Much of this game is self-explanatory and it's designed specifically to be played in a few hours of gameplay. That is, you and your players can create characters in under ten minutes and play a single adventure in roughly two hours. It is divided into three adventures. So if you all finish the first adventure and want to continue advancing the characters, their story will pick up where you left off the next time you get together. And if you all want to continue playing after the third adventure this book makes that possible. The fun doesn't have to end with the finale, although once the players reach level 10 they will need to retire those characters and create new ones. 


As the Game Master you are both the storyteller and the referee. With each adventure you will follow the notes and guide the players. The notes will give you everything you need to provide settings for the players and clues as to what they should do. But never tell them directly what to do. Always honor their choices. Players must always feel that everything they do matters. They must believe that they are in control. And this game always gives them a 50/5/ chance. 


As a referee you are introducing the players to the monsters and stepping aside as they battle it out. But you're not off the hook. There are plenty of calls you'll have to make, and you'll need to tell your players how a monster is attacking, what it's doing, and what's going on around them. Battle moves quickly in this game so you'll have to stay alert. 


How To Start 

The first adventure, titled The Palace of the Amazon Queen, tells you up front this is an adventure for levels 1-3. Meaning that by the end your players should advance to level 4 and the next adventure. It also outlines the Objective, Location, Time Limit, and Villain. These are very important in learning how to design your own adventures for later. 


Objective: What the players need to do should be very clear to them. Follow the notes. This adventure states your players all meet at Lucky's Bar & Grill. This is a roleplaying game. Let them play that out. There are additional notes explaining what the setting is like and who runs the place. Players will also meet NPCs (non player characters). You play the roles of each NPC the players encounter. Make each different from the other. Have fun with it. But at some point let the objective of the story start to unfold and move the players along. Follow the notes. 


Location: Primarily this is in reference to where the party will end up to achieve their objective. With this first adventure they need to rescue the Mayor's daughter. The location they'll be rescuing her from is Queen Hippolyta's Palace. 


Time Limit: This does not mean you have to put a time limit on the game. Although that's not bad advice. Some of us have work in the morning. This means that in-game time is of the essence. Players have to rescue the Mayor's daughter before morning. 


Villain: In this case the villain is Queen Hippolyta. However, the villain is not always so clear. It's fun to have your players believe they know who the villain is only to discover there is someone yet to be revealed as the Big Baddie. 


Taking Breaks

There are four parts to this adventure, and that's with good reason. If you and your players play straight through that's roughly two hours. But you will need to take breaks periodically. Try to time it so that those breaks occur in-between parts. Ex: before moving on to part two take a break for snacks and lavatory and cell calls. Keep it brief and then announce "game on". 


Choose Your Own Finale

As players adventure on it may become necessary to give them choices. With this first adventure we show you how to do this. Always give them three options, making the third option "do whatever the heck they want". 


You can never honestly prepare 100% for what the players are going to do. GMs have tried and it doesn't seem to be possible. So this game is designed to optimize your ability to bring the adventure to a satisfying conclusion. 


With this first adventure you will give them three options. Depending on which they choose you will then read the notes as to the fate they have chosen. But if they choose to "do whatever the heck they want" you must honor that choice. It could mean a TPK or it could be a better choice in their favor. 


By the end of the first adventure your players should level up to lvl 4 and be ready for the next adventure. 


Popular posts from this blog

City Encounter

  When setting out to collect their bounty you may opt to throw a distraction at your players, via the City Encounter Tables. These can sometimes lead to side quests. If so, you can plan that out or wing it completely. Eventually you may need to remind them of their objective.  City Encounters Table 1 (roll a d20) Mournful music can be heard from the graveyard. The players can see a group of "people" digging a grave and placing a coffin in it. They will ignore the players. A man dressed in black is standing on a corner, muttering to himself. If the players approach him, he will ask for help finding his lost love. If the players help him, he will try to stab them in the back. A group of drunk men are singing a song about the local sheriff and how great he is. They will stop when they notice the players. A group of children are playing a game of hide-and-seek in an alley. If players join in, they will notice that one child is missing and is hiding in a barrel nearby. A man is
Read more

Palace of the Amazon Queen -- A1

Levels: 1-3 Objective: Rescue the mayor's daughter Location: Queen Hippolyta's Palace Time Limit: Before morning Villain: Queen Hippolyta Part 1 Players start by meeting at Lucky's Bar & Grill, a well-known establishment in the heart of Downtown. Unless otherwise noted by a player their characters are all residents of Patriot Springs, so they are familiar with their surroundings.  Lucky's is lively and full of patrons coming and going, everyone talking about the recent news of monsters invading Patriot Springs, trying to understand what the heck is going on.  The bar is owned and operated by "Lucky", a large happy man with a full grey beard and tattoos up and down his arms. He's familiar with all his patrons and is especially friendly with our players.  Lucky Injury: +1 CP: 4 EP: 10 On a small stage a three piece band plays music to help lift everyone's spirits.   As our players and their characters are getting to know one another there's a lou
Read more

Game Mechanics (AKA the Rules)

Before you roll up a character familiarize yourself with the game mechanics. If you've got the time. If not, roll up a character as fast as possible and start playing. Because, really? That's the best way to learn.  Here's what you do: skip ahead to Creating a Character. Either make a copy of the Character Sheet or write it out by hand. It's not long at all so your hand won't cramp. Follow the instructions in Creating a Character and in less than 10 minutes you will be ready to play. Really.  Leave everything else to the Game Master. If you've been elected the GM of your group, or if you volunteered (why would you do that?), there are a lot of people depending on you to know what you're doing because they have no clue. So pay attention.  Let's get started.  Rolling the Die You are going to notice that this game requires that players roll for everything. EVERYTHING. So then, what does the GM do? When the game is in play the GM will navigate the story, pla
Read more