So this is just an observation I’m having as I’m doing my prep for my first Monster of the Week game… The majority of the PbtA games that I’ve read in the last three months are comprise a really amazing set of tools for teaching people how to be GOOD gamemasters (DMs, MCs, whatevers). At first I basically ignored the Monster Hearts MC prep work and just relied on my experience as a gamemaster. About halfway through I sat down and did the work. Yeah, I understood the basic concepts and how they worked in play from my own “rules soft” approach to gaming, but man I wish I’d had these back in the 90s! Plus, after doing the work I came away with a much more… I don’t know useable framework. Useable isn’t really the word, the idea I’m thinking of is something like portable. It helped me to get done only what I needed to get done, and in such a way so as to be able to keep the whole of the frame work of the rules and the fiction available to me as my group created the story.
Sitting here doing the work for tonight’s game I’m finding that, while I have a general idea of how to do things, there are some really good lessons implicit and explicit about how to “stay on target” during prep, including how to leave plenty of room for the unknown specifically useful for MotW sure, but having started to gnaw on them, I am definitely seeing how some of this game’s perspectives will help my D&D monthly game.
I have to say though, I owe a lot to using what I’ve heard in the various podcasts here from The Gauntlet crew, and I have blatantly stolen some of the tricks I’ve observed. So thanks for those 😀
dnd is abit of a toolbox, and you could easily make a different set of principles and agenda based on setting, tone and style
dnd is abit of a toolbox, and you could easily make a different set of principles and agenda based on setting, tone and style
Yes! This is exactly right! Check out Urban Shadows next for more good GMing advice codified and given a vocabulary!
Yes! This is exactly right! Check out Urban Shadows next for more good GMing advice codified and given a vocabulary!
Blake Ryan I love me some D&D but I’ve been feeling especially stuck on how to organize the story side of the game, and these tools I’m learning I think will definitely improve that aspect for me!
Blake Ryan I love me some D&D but I’ve been feeling especially stuck on how to organize the story side of the game, and these tools I’m learning I think will definitely improve that aspect for me!
Michael G. Barford as it stands my players will be transitioning into urban shadows when the motw section of the campaign is over, so that’ll be a real plus then!
Michael G. Barford as it stands my players will be transitioning into urban shadows when the motw section of the campaign is over, so that’ll be a real plus then!