Most GMs will eventually find themselves in one of two places when running games. Either they create their own settings (i.e., “homebrew”) or they use an established one. (Of course, there are heretics who do both at once, but we must consign them to the shadows where they belong)…. …if you’d like to read more, […]
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Gamemaster’s Guidepost: Simulatin and Shoutin
I’ve been playing role-playing games for a long time (I gamed for the first time with my brother when I was seven) and I’ve been running games for almost as long (I ran my first game when I was 11). I made a lot of mistakes in the beginning, mistakes I’d like to prevent newbie […]
Continue readingGURPS101: Deconstructing Size Modifier
Guest Post by Sean “Dr. Kromm” Punch First off, this one isn’t by me. It’s been a bit edited by me to fit in my blog, but is otherwise Sean’s words. This entire post stems from a conversation that was had in the GURPS Discord where Greyman asked: “Is there any way to make your […]
Continue readingCarpe Blogiem: Rules I Don’t Use, Replace, or Revise
GURPS 4th edition is a very well put together system and one that I deeply enjoy using and writing for… but there are things about it that I rather don’t like and have either ignored or houseruled away. Now, as any of my players can tell you I really don’t have a lot of after-character creation […]
Continue readingGamemaster’s Guidepost: Compromised Player Characters
One of the hardest things to do when running a game is to GM a compromised PC. (Compromised in this instance is a player character who is mind controlled, possessed, or replaced by a shapeshifter.) Taking over the character’s actions is going to result in the other PCs being suspicious so that won’t work – […]
Continue readingGamemaster’s Guidepost: How I Prepare Adventures
I’ve had a lot of experience running campaigns (both of the GURPS and non-GURPS variety) and have spent the better part of 28 years being a GM to a variety of groups in a variety of ways. After all this time I’ve learned a lot – which means I messed up a lot. No one […]
Continue readingGamemaster’s Guidepost: How I Designed An Adventure
Guest Post by Kalzazz I came up with and ran an adventure last Monday, so here is how it went. Around 6 PM identify that opportunity existed for game, ping potential players. By 630 PM I had identified players were available so I requested characters. By 7 had at least one character chosen, who was […]
Continue readingGamemaster’s Guidepost: Fixing Campaign Mismatch
Finally. You have found a game. The GM is a good match. The players are all equally awesome and you get along. Oh, yeah. It’s all coming together and then . . . then you read what the new campaign is about. It’s…not for you. At all. You may have thought you were playing something […]
Continue readingGamemaster’s Guidepost: Fixing Player Immersion
I’ve been playing role-playing games for a long time (I gamed for the first time with my brother when I was seven) and I’ve been running games for almost as long (I ran my first game when I was 11). I made a lot of mistakes in the beginning, mistakes I’d like to prevent newbie […]
Continue readingGamemaster’s Guidepost: For the Sake of the Game/Roleplaying
When you start a campaign there are things that you can do for the sake of roleplaying and there are things that you do for the same of the game. Every decision you make will fall into one of these two groups. When you do something for the sake of roleplaying you are often removing […]
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