36 thoughts on “Planning the next two episodes of GM masterclass!”

  3. How can you handle table talk or manage out of character joking that disrupts immersion?

    Are there best practices/tools for introducing music or props into a game?

    What do you need to do differently when running a game at a con?

    What is your process for learning and groking a new game?

    Are there any rituals/mechanics/procedures you have that you do or use for every game you run?

    What do you do to maintain hype and interest between you and the players between game sessions?

    Do you have any tips or tricks, things that you do specifically when you’re running a certain genre (like horror, for example)?

    Can you learn to GM by watching or reading? If so, are there any all-star GMs you would recommend listening to (streamers, podcasts, gauntlet YouTube vids, etc) or reading?

    Or I guess: What’s the best way to grow your GMing skills when you’re not running games?

  4. How can you handle table talk or manage out of character joking that disrupts immersion?

    Are there best practices/tools for introducing music or props into a game?

    What do you need to do differently when running a game at a con?

    What is your process for learning and groking a new game?

    Are there any rituals/mechanics/procedures you have that you do or use for every game you run?

    What do you do to maintain hype and interest between you and the players between game sessions?

    Do you have any tips or tricks, things that you do specifically when you’re running a certain genre (like horror, for example)?

    Can you learn to GM by watching or reading? If so, are there any all-star GMs you would recommend listening to (streamers, podcasts, gauntlet YouTube vids, etc) or reading?

    Or I guess: What’s the best way to grow your GMing skills when you’re not running games?

  7. I’m interested in processes used by GMs. What’s been your most successful method for introducing new, or different than what they may know, game stats and mechanics, to new and veteran gamers?

  8. I’m interested in processes used by GMs. What’s been your most successful method for introducing new, or different than what they may know, game stats and mechanics, to new and veteran gamers?

  11. What are your quick tips or good, universal GMing tools for shaping good, rich storytelling and plot pacing when players control so much of the narrative?

    I’d love any basics and tips for rocking the GM role in things like eliciting satisfying character transformation arcs, beat variety, dramatic build, satisfying endings, or cinematic cutaways to scenes the PCs don’t see, especially in games whose mechanics do little for such arc shaping.

  12. What are your quick tips or good, universal GMing tools for shaping good, rich storytelling and plot pacing when players control so much of the narrative?

    I’d love any basics and tips for rocking the GM role in things like eliciting satisfying character transformation arcs, beat variety, dramatic build, satisfying endings, or cinematic cutaways to scenes the PCs don’t see, especially in games whose mechanics do little for such arc shaping.

  13. How can you get a shy or unresponsive player to answer your loaded questions in a PbtA? How do you handle being stump (either by the fiction or something you didn’t anticipate from a player) and not knowing what to do next at the table?

  14. How can you get a shy or unresponsive player to answer your loaded questions in a PbtA? How do you handle being stump (either by the fiction or something you didn’t anticipate from a player) and not knowing what to do next at the table?

  15. How do I frame a scene in a compelling way?

    How do I decide what the scene should focus on?

    How do I know when to bring a scene to a close and when should I cut away but come back to it?

  16. How do I frame a scene in a compelling way?

    How do I decide what the scene should focus on?

    How do I know when to bring a scene to a close and when should I cut away but come back to it?

  19. I’m finding myself becoming increasingly lazy with my prep and letting the players do the creative heavy lifting. Any tips on how to get more involved with it?

  20. I’m finding myself becoming increasingly lazy with my prep and letting the players do the creative heavy lifting. Any tips on how to get more involved with it?

  21. [edited – sorry about that!]

    How do you manage things when one character ends up driving the story because that character’s story becomes interesting to the whole table? Even in asking my mind’s ear hears some obvious replies, but I wanna hear your perspectives!

  22. [edited – sorry about that!]

    How do you manage things when one character ends up driving the story because that character’s story becomes interesting to the whole table? Even in asking my mind’s ear hears some obvious replies, but I wanna hear your perspectives!

  23. Exploit your prep

    For less seasoned DMs/GMs/MCs that continue to labour over improv and emergent game play, I would love to see/hear something like annotated front/threat/danger creation and examples of use in play.

    There’s so much potential in these frameworks for setting up in-play themes, but constructing them and making them directly useful for a session is hard but necessary for success. Unless you can just wing it…

    Or how about this: implementing GM principles during prep and play

  24. Exploit your prep

    For less seasoned DMs/GMs/MCs that continue to labour over improv and emergent game play, I would love to see/hear something like annotated front/threat/danger creation and examples of use in play.

    There’s so much potential in these frameworks for setting up in-play themes, but constructing them and making them directly useful for a session is hard but necessary for success. Unless you can just wing it…

    Or how about this: implementing GM principles during prep and play

  27. Converting players from OSR to PBTA/Story? I’ve had a few experiences so far of players showing interest and going over “hey, describe what you’re doing” laying examples but there’s still the lingering “no the person with the highest stat in this should roll instead of me, the friend of the NPC who has been talking to them” and also getting into the group narrative. Essentially, is there a good primer I’m missing?

  28. Converting players from OSR to PBTA/Story? I’ve had a few experiences so far of players showing interest and going over “hey, describe what you’re doing” laying examples but there’s still the lingering “no the person with the highest stat in this should roll instead of me, the friend of the NPC who has been talking to them” and also getting into the group narrative. Essentially, is there a good primer I’m missing?

  29. I’ve got a PbtA specific question. Do or when should you notify a player of the terms of a custom move? I.e., do you read the custom move when it is triggered and give the player a chance to back out of the action? Do you read the custom move before it is even triggered to notify the players of specifics of the in-game environment? Do you wait until the move is triggered and not give the player a chance to back out (i.e., lock them into the move before they know the potential consequences)? My instinct is it should vary depending on the custom move and in-game situation, but I’d like to hear some advice and the perspective of other GMs.

  30. I’ve got a PbtA specific question. Do or when should you notify a player of the terms of a custom move? I.e., do you read the custom move when it is triggered and give the player a chance to back out of the action? Do you read the custom move before it is even triggered to notify the players of specifics of the in-game environment? Do you wait until the move is triggered and not give the player a chance to back out (i.e., lock them into the move before they know the potential consequences)? My instinct is it should vary depending on the custom move and in-game situation, but I’d like to hear some advice and the perspective of other GMs.

  31. Jason Cordova and Kate Bullock I was listening to GM Masterclass this morning and something you said have me an idea for an article on GM prep/no-prep. Do you have any use or place for anything like that? Thanks.

  32. Jason Cordova and Kate Bullock I was listening to GM Masterclass this morning and something you said have me an idea for an article on GM prep/no-prep. Do you have any use or place for anything like that? Thanks.

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