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Open Q&A - Workshop Your Game! is happening in 5 days
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Welcome to the Game Master's Laboratory!
Welcome to the Game Master Laboratory! This is a place for people who are running (or planning) TTRPG games to brainstorm ideas with other GMs, share ideas and resources, and test their creations with each other. I recorded a short video to get you started, which you can view in this post. It's all about what we do here, but it's also about how to use Skool, so if you're new to Skool, make sure to check that out! If we haven't met you yet, we would like to. Please make a post in the "General Discussion" channel to introduce yourself and tell us... 1. Which systems you like to play/run 2. A bit about the games you're running right now Glad you're here. DM us if you have any questions.
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New comment Aug 11
Welcome to the Game Master's Laboratory!
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Community Guidelines
Please take a glance at these before posting anything---pretty straightforward stuff. Moderators are the final arbiters on how guidelines are applied. Be Respectful: Show due respect to other people. This covers anything from being overly rude to hate speech. Do Not Post Personal Info: Even if you’re comfortable with others knowing your email or other contact info, please don’t post anything of the sort in the discussion channels. Be Supportive: Constructive criticism is welcome. Insulting other people is not. Don’t Pick Fights: If there are issues, bring them to the moderators. Don’t try to battle and hash it out yourself. No Ads: No advertising, including self promotion. Feel free to discuss and talk about things you think are cool or interesting (discussing an upcoming TTRPG, for example, isn’t “advertising” it) but don’t attempt to sell things. Family Friendly: Try to limit foul language to a reasonable amount, and don’t post anything explicit. Legal: Don’t post or share pirated content. Credit Creators and Sources: When you post art, games, or other forms of content, give credit where it’s due.
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The Greatest Adventure Ever Made
I've been getting a lot of questions about prepublished adventures I've run, and what my favorite was, and I thought some people here might appreciate the answer. I won't spoil the plot or content, but here are the basics: My favorite adventure ever made is easily Eyes of the Stone Thief, written by Gareth Hanrahan for 13th Age. The premise is that a giant, sentient dungeon eats places and buildings to add them to itself, but was blinded long, long ago. It can only find things it's summoned to by a cult that worships it, but it's growing stronger and seeking its eyes... Not only is the concept amazing, it's got some of the most creative encounter design I've ever seen, a ton of interesting NPCs and factions, a dungeon that's different for everyone who plays through it, and built in hooks that connect the PCs straight into the action. I promise this isn't a pitch to buy it, I just really, really like Eyes of the Stone Thief, and have learned a lot from it for my own game design. I'm sure @Jonah Fishel has some thoughts on it as well. What are your favorite adventures (as a GM or player?) What did you learn from them?
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New comment 5h ago
Most influential Sci-Fi/Fantasy books for your style
I am running something next week that is just ripped straight from the pages of Dune Messiah (pro GM tip literally no one will notice if you do this). It got me thinking: What are the books you've read (I'm thinking Sci-Fi/Fantasy but I guess anything) that you feel have had the biggest influence on the way your games run? For example: I wouldn't say they're my favorites, but the old REH Conan pulp stories have had an outsized impact on how I run games. I love the mystery of the wilderness and the idea that magic is ancient and dangerous, and I love that the action is usually driven forward because Conan is trying to steal something or kill someone, and not because the action finds him and he gets wrapped up in it. What comes to mind when you think about SF/F books and the way you play and run your games?
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New comment 5h ago
Games and Games and Games, Oh My!
This comes dangerously close to non-TTRPG related material, but Jonah is a reformed board game buff so maybe he'll let it slide this time. Every once in awhile, a session gets cancelled but most of my players can still make it---maybe the missing player's character is extra important to the session, or maybe everyone just wants a quick break, or whatever. When this happens, my group likes to play a non-TTRPG to spread our wings a little---I'm curious what everyone's favorites are! Recently, my obsession has been Grimdark Future, a free and easier-to-understand wargame inspired by Warhammer. And I still play a lot of Magic the Gathering, even if their business practices are keeping me from playing any new sets (literally! getting new decks is a major financial decision these days). In the board game sphere, I'm a really big fan of Spirit Island, Quacks of Quedlenberg, and Sidereal Confluence, some very different games that all solved the "bored when it's not my turn" problem that bothers me in plenty of others. What about you? Does your group have a hobby outside of their hobby?
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Game Master's Laboratory
skool.com/game-masters-laboratory
Game Masters teaching and learning how to run better tabletop role-playing games. One day we hope this group will host the best games in the world!
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