There are hundreds of possible ways to game and it is your decision on which you choose. What however is important is that the players are aware of your style. I remember a session when we introduced a new member. He had only gamed AD&D before. Unfortunately we were playing Harnmaster. The - pretty quick - result was that he hurled himself in a rather unnecessary battle and was killed by an ordinary city guard, something that had never happened to him in AD&D. (more…)

Another important point: free speech. You have to be able to talk without any “ahms” and “ohs”, any “wells” or “you knows” for at least an quarter of an hour. Some people have problems with it, but it can be learned and the more often you play the better you get. It helps a great deal if you are aware of what is going on. The better your knowledge of the adventure, the better your performance. Don’t get nervous, you are not giving a speech in from of a committee that decides on your future. You are standing in front of your friends and they will not make fun out of you, just because you stuttered or went red. If they do, look for new friends. (more…)

Clearly differentiate between in-time and out-time. In-time is what is happening within the game. Out-time is the time not in the game, but in the real world. If someone asks for the way to the toilet, this is out-time. Unless otherwise clearly noted, everything that a player says is in-time. This helps a lot to discipline the players. When they begin joking around about pulling someone’s leg, they should be met with mistrusting eyes by the inhabitants of the world. (more…)

Every system will state at one point or the other that the GM should not follow the rules when inappropriate. Well this is true. If you find a loophole or an inconsistency or even something you do not like, ignore the rule. This can only be done if it affects a single non-basic rule. Should this situation occur with a fundamental rule, better change the system. (more…)

WFRP has always been conceived as a campaign-based role-playing game, probably through the groundbreaking example of “The Enemy Within”, the campaign which more or less made WFRP the game it is today. However, for every GM there is a time after TEW, a time to start his or her own campaign. Considering the fact that even the preparation to run published scenarios can take up huge amounts of time, the planning of an entire campaign can be an awe-inspiring task for all but the most experienced GMs. Thus it makes sense to think about what exactly is involved when planning a campaign and what is not. (more…)

Murich drowned another community of unseen germs within the folds of his gut. He had been downing one Braakbroew after another in quick succession since night had fallen. His sorrows were growing ever more acute by the hour. Life in Marienburg was weighed in coins, not worth. Today’s experiences had hammered that home more than ever.

For now, the beer flowed freely as it was Bezahltag, payday. The remainder of his contract pay lay 8 days hence and combined with the abundance of mugs arriving at the table it would make the absence of coin more hard felt over the coming week. (more…)

His muscles ached, his back was bleeding.
Yet again the whip licked his ripped flesh.
With a soft squeak he pulled on his chains, frustrated, helpless.
“Work, stupid vermin, work for Naggaroth…”
Slowly the fury grew.

Another day, shackles jingled, the lock closed its beak.
His wounds stung and itched at the same time.
Pleasure and pain finally proving the same.
Red eyes looked at the guard, who smiled and let his whip do the talking.
Slowly the pain became dull and a black place appeared.
“Yes…. yes…. you can…. you can…”
The whip crossed his back again and reality plummeted in.
Although this time the guards stopped only after the body lay motionless. (more…)

The Holy Inquisition is a special religious court, one focused on pursuing heretics, magicians, non-humans, Arabs… Anyone can fall in one of these groups if it interests the Inquisition. It is a feared organization in all the places where it has jurisdiction. Nobody contraries it publicly; although some nobles plot in the shadows against it. It is a dangerous game and more than once a noble disappears during the night. Even the Cult of Verena fear to openly argue with it, instead giving a false public image of unity.

Although it is a powerful institution, it is far from achieving total control of the Estalian Kingdoms. The jurisdiction of the Holy Inquisition is limited to the more rural and poor kingdoms. Here their control on the people is amazing. They don’t govern openly, but all the petty kings of the region rule with an inquisitor or have an adviser from the Santo Oficio. So they are largely puppet Kings with an obvious apathy towards the duties of government. The advisors and inquisitors usually allow the King to think that they are the actual ruler, until they deviate from the chosen path. In this case, the King will have to face the raw reality of the situation. What would their reaction be? Abdication? Depression? Open or secret rebellion? No one knows. Only the measure of the man and the power they still hold would determine their course of action. Until now none have dared to attempt an open rebellion, but times are changing. (more…)

Probably the most important thing in game mastering is to remain neutral and fair - on the outside. The players must have the feeling that you do not change anything in their favour or disfavour. This does not mean that you should not cheat or give hints. It only means that you should not get caught while doing so. When your players suspect that your bend the rules or even ignore them, they no longer will take you serious. If you modify anything to their advantage, they will eventually feel almost like superheroes and behave accordingly. On the contrary, when the feel that you change things to their disadvantage, they will get frustrated and think that playing has no real sense or start cheating themselves.
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Every rulebook will state at one point, that role-playing is not about winning. In my opinion this is rubbish. The whole life is about being better than the rest. Competition helps a lot in the game. Your players are much more under pressure and will try to come up with a good idea, instead of joking around. (more…)

Important for any gaming session is the place. Not the place in the game, but the place where you play. It should be convenient to reach for all players and you. It should have a lavatory and access to running water. A school or university is a good place to play, even if it may create some unpleasant memories. A school or university also has the advantage that they have a chalk board. This allows the GM to make big map and is a great visual aid. It is had an overhead projector, even better. One warning: ask before you begin playing in such a building. It may ruin your party (literally) if the evening ends with a chase by the local swat team and crossfire. (more…)

The character creation should be done together. This prevents that anyone cheats, makes the players familiar with the rules and they get to know each other if they don’t already. Plan enough time for the creation. Even in simple system it can take hours to get finished. Players ask questions and want to learn something about the background. You should also begin playing right afterwards. By doing this the players are more tied into the game and it is less likely that they will not show up the next time. Always, and I mean always, keep the character sheets or a copy of it. Too many players forget and you have to drive through town again. It also prevents any kind of cheating. When a player ascends into the next level (or whatever it may be called in your system) keep a close eye. Most, even me, have the tendency to interpret some things more widely when they raise the skills or characteristics.

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Trying to GM is almost as easy as arm-wrestling with an octopus. It is a crude mixture of acting, organisation, logistics and talking, while at the same time avoiding the loss of friends. It often requires a lot of nerves and most GMs have experienced failure more than once. Not everyone is suited to GM, but everyone can try to improve his personal style. This “How to” guide cannot teach you to become a good GM. And this is not my intention. All I wanted to do is to give you some hints and advice of how you can improve your personal style. (more…)