The following is the table of contents from the upcoming book How to Gamemaster, a manual for running any tabletop roleplaying game using any system, setting, or genre. It’s all of the time-tested gamemastering advice that gets left out of a lot of newer games. Whether you’re just learning how to be a gamemaster or consider yourself a veteran, this essential volume has something useful to offer you.
How to Gamemaster is a concise 96 pages, A5 format, and will be available in PDF, epub, Kindle, and print-on-demand.
Introduction 1
What is Tabletop Roleplaying? 3
How to Benefit From This Book 4
Being the Gamemaster 6
Gamemastering Style 7
The Scope of Your Games 9
Game Group Size 11
What You Need to Play 14
Materials 14
Using Props 17
Understanding Players 20
Fun-Loving Players 20
Imaginative Players 21
Problem-Solving Players 22
Tactical Players 23
Preparation 24
Must Have 25
Should Have 28
Could Have 29
Won’t Have 31
Winging It 32
Session Zero 36
Introductions and Icebreakers. 36
Setting Expectations 37
Safety Tools 44
Running a Game Session 45
Anatomy of a Game Session 45
Your Role as Gamemaster 46
Telling the Story 49
Pacing the Session 56
Applying the Rules 59
Narrating Outcomes 61
Ending the Session 66
Between Sessions 67
Being Human 68
Applying the Rules 68
Making Mistakes 68
Dealing with Problem Players 71
Handling Character Death 73
Teaching New Players 74
What the Game is About 74
How the Core Mechanic Works 75
What You Can Do in the Game 75
How to Read a Character Sheet 76