Game Mastery

Favorite LARPing stories and how they promote inclusion. GMing tips and learning to let everyone have time int he spotlight. How to handle interpersonal conflict in-game and between players. Conflicts of personality, just between players liking each other, independent of anything egregious. There are personal GM rules of intervention, but also organization-based. Plus, favorite vampire stories!

We talk about how Jessica got into the world of Vampire.

How often can you expect to have games available as a player? How much time does Jessica put in to administering the history, logs, characters, GMing and everything? GMs are responsible for more than just showing up each week and running a module. Vampire GMs might be more hands-on with the actual player’s characters than a D&Der is used to. The more the GM knows about the people and characters, the better the story.

How does Jessica run her games? How many separate story groups are there in the organization? How are the groups broken up into stories (chronicles, in Vampire parlance), and characters? Which clan makes the best murder hobos? How do you interact with others in-game? How is the story collected and stored as a living world? How to find a group.

The basics of LARPing, how conflicts are resolved, and what kind of organizations exist for organized play. How do these local and regional, national and international storylines work for organized play?

We 're joined in a 5-part episode by Jessica, an experienced Vampire: The Masquerade GM.

New year, new ideas, new formats!

Thank you for your support this past year!

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(transcript by Descript)

Steve(n): On today's game mastery. We talked to Jessica and experienced vampire the masquerade GM, and we've broken the episode into chunks to see how you like the format. Versus one long episode, we had an audio issue in the first 10 minutes of part one. It affected both our main and backup recordings, but the content was important.

So we left it in. And welcome to year two of gay mastery. Thank you for listening. And don't forget to rate, review and share. It's how we grow to create better content for you.

In a world... where cartoons are not cartoons, and Andrew is flummoxed by inappropriately managed emotion, we take a journey into a role playing game made for children... and talk (maybe too much) about why a certain gaming mechanic bugged us.

Magpie Games is Kickstartering an rpg based on the Last Airbender and Legend of Korra series, and we tried it out in a one-shot GM'd by the wonderful Lili Sparx!

We meant to talk about the experience of gameplay as the focus, but we ended up spending most of the time talking about the merits of one of the game's key mechanics. If you're into behavioral therapy, Stoicism, and developmental psychology in real-world situations, you might get a bigger kick out of this than our other episodes [laughs].

The takeaways?

- Our GM was GREAT. Highly recommended! We hope Lili will join us for a follow-up one day.

- If you love Avatar, GET THIS GAME!

- If you are a mental health professional rpg'r, get this game, but be prepared to want take Mark's hack-your-game brush to it. Otherwise, the interpersonal mechanics will bug ye!

Avatar kickstarter https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/magpiegames/avatar-legends-the-roleplaying-game?ref=1ajf7r&gclid=Cj0KCQjwg7KJBhDyARIsAHrAXaHX9bdSwS6AXSGM8pT1z385-cYHFXAILY7bcNFXIzYBzlXkIzRarecaAiX2EALw_wcB

LIli's Magpie Games' page https://magpiegames.com/lili-sparx/

Steve(n) let's Mark help guide him on whether or not to sell his few remaining higher-dollar Magic cards. Car payment on one hand, Reserve List items on the other...

If you've ever had to look at your collectables and make the hard decision about what to sell when you need cash, come on in and listen to Steve(n) debate his choices. If you're independently wealthy, never had to run down to your local game shop to sell boxes of cherished gaming treasures, then listen in just to hear Steve(n)'s reaction when he finds out how much Fallen Empires boxes are now.

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Steve(n)'s nostalgic Urza's Deck: https://tappedout.net/mtg-decks/big-green-bauble-crunch/

Just what is a Gaea's Cradle, anyway: https://tinyurl.com/y7tbaa4j

Article on investing in Magic from 2019: https://strategy.channelfireball.com/all-strategy/mtg/channelmagic-articles/now-you-can-literally-invest-in-magic-cards/

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Magic: The Gathering is a collectible card game created by Richard Garfield. For the past 27 years, it has grown in popularity unlike any peer game or competitor in the world. It was recently named the world's most complex game we know of- in all of known human history. And now, single cards on what is called the Reserve List have shot up in value like crazy. These are cards that will never be reprinted, and their rarity and power make them highly sought after for both competitive and casual play, plus collectability. 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magic:_The_Gathering

The fiend is revealed!

On this episode, we talk to Rosie, Corey, Jon, and Shylah about this amazing campaign.

Was there drama? Should there have been drama? How many people do they think Lucius had a hand in killing? Did anyone suspect?

And is everyone still friends...

If you haven't listened to the first episode in this series, check out https://anchor.fm/dashboard/episode/etavft

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How do players handle discovering that a murderer was in their midsts? Does having a close-knit group mean you can take gaming risks that you couldn't with strangers? What makes a good gaming group? And is talen-tuh-ted a word?

Gameplay demo!

Craig takes the GMs on an instructional session!

We talk about integrating hooks, how to handle role-players vs dice-throwers, and how to keep an encounter moving with timer tricks.

No cones were hurt during the recording of this episode.

We once again welcome Craig, our GM from below the equator, to help us refine our definition of the adventure hook.

He makes distinctions between in-game and meta-gaming hooks, which starts another conversation about gameplay and interaction.

And by the end, Craig agrees to take Mark, Andrew, and Tracy on a demo game to give concrete examples of how he uses hooks to pull players into the story.

Tune in to episode 29 to see how our GMs handle Craig's encounter!

Get ideas on how to make better NPCs in your games.

Andrew, Tracy, and Steve(n) take a break from the usual and talk about player stories. 

What makes a session fun for the attendees, and what can a GM do to make the campaign enjoyable.

Tracy would rather entertain than be right.

Andrew wants balance.

Steve(n) hates meta-gaming to the point of making decisions that put other PCs in peril.

How do these things work to give players an experience they'll remember?

If you never had to try and make cones fit to graph paper without the benefit of a template, nor had to deal with the way cone effects used to be handled back in the day, you may not understand Mark's woes.

Steve(n) understands, even if Tracy and Andrew go on a cone-knowledge-mocking-spree.

And then?

REVELATION!

Finally! How to envision cone area of effect becomes clear!

HUZZAH!

References:

Cone: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cone

Cone on graph paper: https://i.imgur.com/xS8YLPU.png courtesy of https://www.reddit.com/user/SorteKanin/

Dungeons & Dragons. What are the differences between versions? Is newer better? What's it like to play a character from AD&D to 5e? The GMs are going to find out!

Welcome to Session Zero!

In this episode, we talk the evolution of the world's most popular rpg, and what some differences are between versions during its 46 year history.

Each of our hosts will take the others (and a guest) through 4 sessions, where we'll play the same characters through the 4 major iterations of Dungeons & Dragons. Then we'll report in with our thoughts and experiences with each version. And in the end, it's a battle royale where we'll decide if 5e really is the greatest D&D of all time, if newer really is better, and if 4th Edition really deserves the shade thrown its way. Plus, we get to wrestle THAC0 (to hit armor class zero) from the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons years, and see if the complexity of 3rd Edition is a good or bad thing.

Plus, Andrew gives us an aside into patents and copyrights, the fashion industry, Disney, and why that can stifle creativity. Yes, seriously.

References:

Chainmail: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chainmail_(game)

Planscape: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Planescape

Kludgey: https://www.thefreedictionary.com/kludgey

Steamboat Willy and the law: https://mountainscholar.org/bitstream/handle/20.500.11919/1453/STUW_HT_2018_Anderson_Clarissa.pdf?sequence=1

What not to do when you want players to have a good time.

If you're a GM who wants to keep your players interested, or a player who wants to make life easier for your group, come on down and take notes!

References:

How to ruin a campaign? ;) https://www.enworld.org/threads/how-to-ruin-a-campaign.94902/

Andrew and Mark help Steve(n) actually map out the story and format of a dungeon encounter for his campaign.

Using techniques covered in previous episodes, a well-thought-out and meaningful dungeon encounter is created on the fly.

The methods used in this episode can help an struggling GM visualize and create a dungeon that fits into their games.

Although used for a homebrew world, these tips and ideas can be used for any setting, from Dungeons and Dragons to Call of Cthulu to Traveller.

References:

Nicholas Montegriffo https://www.dicebreaker.com/games/dungeons-and-dragons-5e/how-to/how-to-make-great-dungeon-dnd

Dave Chalker https://critical-hits.com/blog/2011/03/04/the-5x5-method-compendium/

We talk about the basics of what a dungeon is, why dungeons are, and how you can use them to create story hooks, diversions, or random encounters. You can even use dungeons to limit your players so they can explore their characters in specific ways.

Find out the technique Andrew uses to keep track of where he is in a dungeon. It's a mapping idea that would've saved lots of is LOTS of time and grief trying to figure out where we are, where we were, and how we get to where we need to be.

Sometimes exploring is its own reward, and dungeons are great tools to keep players interested in the adventure. Think of dungeon encounters as team building exercises. 

We mention some iconic dungeon adventures that are some of the best from D&D's long history:

- White Plume Mountain https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_Plume_Mountain

- Pharoah https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pharaoh_(module)

- Tomb of Horrors https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tomb_of_Horrors

And on episode 21 we take what we talk about here and walk through the process of creating a dungeon encounter for your own adventures.

(See the last third of episode 18 for the 'apple spell' reference.)

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We interview an in-game serial killer and the GM who let this character loose on his world.

We've touched on uncomfortable situations at the gaming table before, and we were not prepared for where this conversation took us.

We each had preconceptions about what kind of game this must be, what kind of person would want to run this kind of character, and what the Hell a GM thinks when they allow this kind of thread into their game.

If you're interested in what it takes to go off the rails and handle years-long subterfuge and scheming in a game group, come inside, check your assumptions at the door, and say hello to Lord Lucious, Serial Killer.

We welcome Tracy back to talk about running games outside of your home, with an eye to the end of Pandemic Time!

We had an idea for the episode, and it turned out a little different than we intended.

RPG resources! Local libraries, D&D Beyond! There are interesting options for running games for kids and new players available. If you've been interested in running a game, and/or have some newbies you'd like to get into the hobby, check out the links below.

Learn about D&D from the source: https://www.dndbeyond.com/essentials

Learn about how your local library can help you with a place to play once we can get together in person again: https://games.ala.org/librarians-report-dungeons-and-dragons-in-the-library/

Steve(n) recently ran his first bona fide adventure for his childhood friends. They tested the OVA rpg system from Clay Gardner at Wise Turtle, and it was more fun than a bucket of caffeinated otaku. 

But! How did he think it went, really? What criticisms, pitfalls, and re-dos will be revealed this episode? Did the grid system Mark suggested work? Did the 3-Act play structure Andrew talked about come in handy? Next stop on the Steve learns train? He's going to run the same adventure for some listeners. And we'll get some feedback from n00bs and experienced gamers on a future episode! 

Want to hear what the Roleplay Geeks thought about OVA and Steve(n)'s lessons on Colorado's geology? Check it out:

Intro to OVA and character creation: https://open.spotify.com/episode/1EjvCB1lMlwLjGnGXeyLNQ?si=CYduShCdRJKYe8XDeM8_HQ 

OVA review and Steve(n)'s first GM'ing review: https://open.spotify.com/episode/2Qj1rwtCzP0vpAXsNUf7VH?si=n5Sl1-R7T7Ov5XvyZXdwgg

We welcome GM and boardgame guru Jay to this week's episode. We talk about different game systems, whether or not you can get the same experience from the same story in different rulesets, what kind of system you should think about when taking small groups, large groups, and/or inexperienced groups on adventures, and we end on some board game recommendations from our guest. We hit on Shadowrun, OVA, D&D 4e, 5e, Pathfinder, Dread, Call of Cthulu... we mention a lot. 

And, thanks to a heads-up from our listener Charlotte, we found out not all our platforms are translating our hyperlinks so you can get more information in our descriptions. Because they brought this to our attention, we'll start listing the full urls to important info. Thanks, Charlotte! 

The board game recommendations from this episode, as reviewed by Steve(n)'s favorite source for board game info, Board Game Geek: 

Three Kingdoms Redux: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/145371/three-kingdoms-redux 

Pandemic Legacy, Season 1: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/161936/pandemic-legacy-season-1

How should Steve(n) work out how he failed at GM'ing his own campaign when he tried before?

What advice do Andrew and Mark have for him, and what mistakes did Steve(n) make when he tried to GM?

The GMs talk about guideposts, leading your players, and learning to adapt.

If you have tips for Steve(n) on how you construct your campaigns, let the GMs know at rpg.gamemastery@gmail.com

We follow-up on last week's Fantasy Grounds episode with some info on costs, and what you need to know if you're gifting it to the aspiring GM in your life.

We also give some recommendations for last-minute gift ideas for your table-top nerds (including miniatures and terrain).

Plus, hear what we think about Blokus, Carcasonne, Kingdomino, 7 Wonders, Werewolf, Mysterium, and more, as we diverge a little to celebrate gift-giving for the holidays!

This week we welcome Chris, who is using Fantasy Grounds to run 5e. 

Chris already knew Fantasy Grounds as a player, and dedicated a lot of prep to learning enough to run his sessions with confidence. 

We touch on this in the beginning, move on to handling situations when your players might be trolling, and wrap up with more talk of what makes Fantasy Grounds a great tool for virtual gaming.

Side note: Never be afraid to ask people who know more than you do for help!

Threats to a good time need to be addressed before they get out of hand. How do you get players to work together? How do you prevent one person from railroading the game?

Returning guest Tracy helps us lay our plans for understanding and managing conflict in our gaming groups (and IRL).

While you are the arbiter of ultimate reality in your world, you also need to be bold, honest, fair, and observant. You are the herder of cats, and sometimes you need to have tough conversations.

From the 3-Act Structure to the concept of the 5-Room Encounter, we talk about processes to create and manage building upon encounters to create adventures. We cover it all! 

Join us for this next step in our quest to have Steve(n) create and run his own adventure using the knowledge Andrew, Mark, and guests like Tracy have taught him.

Step 1 on the path to our upcoming real-time campaign creation episodes.

Andrew and Mark talk about the mechanics of successful encounters, how to make sure participants enjoy themselves, and what pieces you can add to these basic parts of your adventure to keep players coming back for more.

And Steve(n) gets to make a Battlestar Galactica reference he's happy he managed to squeeze in.

This episode is, conceptually, where I'm starting in my journey to GM. The tips and ideas Andrew and Mark bring out in this conversation will help me in my own process, from insight on using published content to thinking about my own ideas critically. If you're a new GM or want to do better, check out this episode. 

What starts as a discussion on player types takes a turn into why people play games... and what that tells us about the motivations of our players and their characters.

Learn some stoic tips on keeping calm, and our guest Tracy adds valuable insight on being a good human.

Traps and puzzles! How to use them. When to use them. Should you use them?

Andrew and Mark debate the final points of what makes both, and Steve wonders if they're needed in the first place...

How often do you get caught up trying to decide if your players are rolling too many dice or getting trapped in too much banter?

Mark and Andrew discuss the pitfalls of relying on one particular type of gameplay over the other, and Steve wonders why natural twenties are given the power they are in impossible situations.

Hello World!

This is just a short explanation of who we are and what we plan to cover on this podcast. 

If you're into Game Mastering, whether you're new or seasoning, you're going to find content here to help you become better at what you do.

We're building a community of people who love running games, want to share their experiences, and who enjoy what role playing games are all about.

So, hello there! We're very glad you stopped by to listen!

(This intro used to live in Roll vs Role, but we took it out to make Episode 0, so new listeners can get right to the meat of the content.)