GMing Made Easy

By Caleb Abbruzzese

You found out about Tabletop Role Playing Games, you have a group of friends, but you're not sure if you can live up to being a Game Master. What if you fail your players? There's so many expectations, or are there?

Worry not, mortal. You can do it! GMing Made Easy is a primer to familiarize new GMs with the concepts that players expect.

Running a role playing game is easy and fun, and all it takes is some confidence to be ready. Your players are not expecting perfect voices and shiny set pieces. They are expecting to narrate together and laugh. So shake off those nerves, give GMing Made Easy 30 minutes of your time, and weave the unique fantasy world that only your mind can build.

 

• Language: English
• Publisher: Caleb Abbruzzese
• Release date: Jun 27, 2023
• ISBN: 9798215523414

Caleb Abbruzzese

The pun is always intended. Like a giant lizard who loves conventions, Caleb Abbruzzese is a dad joke connoisseur. He lives to learn, teach, and make people laugh. Dubbed the Pun King by friends, his sense of humor and nerdy overthinking is clearly a defense mechanism from having way too many children. He has been working in software development for a decade and a half and uses that time to encourage teammates by focusing on their strengths, and encouraging their growth. No daily accomplishment is as valuable as helping others learn to solve problems, because it reaps more than it sows. Apart from writing, his nerd filled endeavors include creating and consulting on Role Playing Games, maintaining and modding ancient video games, and giving unique perspectives on daily struggles. If you want everyone to be excited about useless knowledge, then you understand Caleb Abbruzzese.

Book preview

Introduction

The purpose of this booklet is to give Players who are new to tabletop Role Playing Games (RPGs) the confidence to run their own games. Many Players enjoy RPGs, but need to take the reins as a Game Master (GM). The fear of what it takes to run a game overtakes a lot of people, when the best advice that you’ll get from a seasoned GM is not to worry and to just try your best.

This booklet will cover how to play RPGs in general, common terminology, some game design concepts, and strategies to get started quickly. This book will level with you and try to approach concepts the way seasoned Players understand them. It also puts emphasis on appealing to Players and their expectations as your guiding principal. A Glossary at the end should also help you understand the terms at a glance.

I hope this gives you the confidence to tell your stories and to run your own settings. Keep in mind that it helps to have played in an RPG group before being a Game Master, but it is not necessary. The start of the hobby saw many first time GMs, having never been Players before, reading through a Game Master’s guide and starting a game. Just never let the rules get in the way of the story, especially if it keeps you from getting started.

Any RPG and Any GM

In order to play a Role Playing Game (RPG), you first need a Game System. For this book we will discuss the affiliated game Akkadian Rhythms, but many other popular systems are available such as Dungeons & Dragons, Fate, and World of Darkness. Game systems usually have their own Setting, but many people Home Brew their own settings as well.

The game system will separate a Game Master (GM) from the Players. The GM is the one who tells the story and mediates the rules of the game. The Players take part as Characters in the world. So in order to play, you need a Gaming Group.

Your group needs to get along. That is the most important rule! Find a group of Players who like the setting and enjoy playing games together. Best friends might make terrible RPG groups. Your best bet to find a group is to be patient, and to spend time at the local board game shop. Just be confident and strike up conversations. You are a great person and your RPG group is out there.

Finding the right group is about Comfort Level. Groups will either lean towards Rules and Combat (Crunch) or they will lean towards Story (Fluff). But they also need to agree on the Tone of the game, whether they can handle gritty or mature themes, and if they have the same shared vision of the setting. For example, unicorns with machine guns aren't going to appeal to everyone.

Once you have a game system, a group that wants to play it, and a good feel for the comfort level of the group, it is time to start your Campaign. A Campaign is a series of Adventures that are played one Session at a time. A single gaming session lasts from 2 to 6 hours.

Many campaigns run weekly, but the cadence is up to the group. Making sure that your group can dedicate this time every