Starting a New Game - Stepping Off The Pre-Written Path

You've started your game, and when you started you were going with a pre-packaged adventure. However, now that you're in play something is off. Perhaps you don't like the way the adventure is written to go - even if you still like the idea of the adventure. Perhaps your PCs have done enough things unexpected by the adventure author that something is broken. Perhaps you just want to stretch your wings as a GM and add some personal embellishments. Whatever your reason, today we're going to talk about what to keep in mind while doing that.

Starting A New Game - Rolling for Hit Points

Some games don't have you randomly generate your hit points. Some games just give you a set number of wounds, or your wounds are based on other stats that you generate and can raise. However, quite a few of the 'really big' games out there - D&D, Pathfinder, Starfinder, etc - have you roll for Hit Points, and that can make for some interesting happenings in game. Today I want to talk about that.

Starting A New Game - Running From The Book

Pre-published Adventures and Modules have been a thing since the very beginning of the hobby. I can't think of a single RPG that doesn't have at least some pre-packaged adventures. They are an important tool. They give the GM without as much time to prep - or who doesn't feel super creative - something to run, either as just an inspiration or verbatim. Today I want to talk about running from the book.

Starting A New Game - Initial Planning

We've got our game, and we've got our characters, now is the time to get some planning done. I call this 'initial planning' but really it's more like a second wave.  Your "initial planning" is in deciding what kind of game you're running. Most GMs I know will get a basic idea for what the PCs are (even if just 'adventurers'). Still, this is where you start to really plan your game out. As you get more experience some of this will happen on the fly, or faster, but for a new GM taking it step by step and being thorough really can't be beat.

Starting A New Game - Character Creation

On Friday my group got together and we had a chat about what we want to do next. Due to some of the real world stresses several of us are under, we decided that a game that was more morally 'black and white' than 'shades of gray' was a good idea. Not that we don't want to tell stories, but we want ones where we can blow of steam and not worry about moral complexities and whether or not it's ok to be punching that guy in the face.

After going through the options we had, it was decided that I would stay in the GMing seat, and that we're going to play D&D fifth edition. This makes 2 D&D games I'm running - something I never thought I'd say again - but I also like to think it's a testament to 5th ed's strength that my whole group is ready to go into it - sometimes while already playing in the system in another game. That's rare.

Anyhow, with the GM and game decided, we're onto Character Creation. So let's talk about that.

Starting A New Game

With two long running games having come to a conclusion for me recently, it should come as no surprise that starting a new game is on my mind. I figure this may be a good chance to go step by step through the process - as I see it - of starting a new game. Today I want to talk about the first steps.

Starting A New Game - Preparing For Your First Session

You have a group, you have a time and place, you even have made your pitch and helped the players make characters for the game. Everything is all set to go, but you still have perhaps the hardest part of running a game in front of you: you need to start the game off.

Beginnings are, in my opinion, one of the things I am the worst at. It doesn't matter if it is writing, GMing, or Playing, I'm rather bad when it comes to starting things. Like the oldest of the Fates I like a good ending. You know where you are with an ending. A beginning though? it's a messy thing full of potential that may never get used. Today, I want to talk about how to get your game going on the right foot so it will at least live up to some of that potential.

Starting A New Game: Character Creation

You've found a group, pitched your game, and settled on a game night. Now it's time to get into the nitty gritty of the game itself, and the best place to start that is with Character Creation. In today's post I'm going to outline three different ways to handle this, along with what you want to have in mind before you start your players off on putting pencil to sheet.

Starting A New Game - The Pitch

In the last post we talked about how to construct your group and handle the "mechanics" of starting a new game. Now you've got a timeslot and location in mind, and even a group of potential players to entice into playing with you, but they need to know what the plan is. With that in mind, today we're going to focus on pitching your game in a way that should entice players without giving away the whole story.

Starting A New Game - Gathering The Group

The urge comes to every GM at some point in time. You want to run a game. Usually this means that some idea has begun to percolate in your head. You get an itch that, no matter what you try, you just can't scratch. Ideas for plotlines, NPCs, and epic moments play out while you daydream - or just regularly dream. One problem though: you need a group and a time slot when you can all get together and play.

Today we're going to talk about this as the first part of a small series on starting a new game. The focus for this first installment is on gathering your group of players for the game you want, and what impacts that may have on your group's dynamics.