Storyteller's Handbook

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The Gem Cutters Manual

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TThhee GGEEMM CCuutttteerrss MMaannuuaallThe Game Masters Guide for use with the Game Engine Manual

1997 Neale Davidson


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TThhee VVeerryy BBaassiiccss

Welcome to the role of the Game Master. Itsbeen several years since Ive first stepped intothose shoes. Its been many more since I first

played under one. Ive learned a great deal sincethen, mostly through making some very costlymistakes. I hope, with this book, that new GameMasters, and perhaps more experienced ones,can learn to avoid the pitfalls that Ive steppedinto, as well as learn to present an enjoyablegame for their p layers.

Very quickly, I would like to thank a few peoplefor their patience over the years. Most notablyDan Lawrence and Richard Morris, from whom Ilearned the majority of the Dos and Do nots inrunning games. Thanks for your help.

- Neale Davidson

RRoollee ooff tthhee GGaammee MMaasstteerr

Role-playing games consist of a group of players,moving their characters through a setting. Theywill interact with the natives, enter combat, thrillto adventures, and gain powerful abilities.

The Game Master is the one to give the playersall they need. He sets the encounters, describesthe setting, mediate combat, and rewards theirefforts. Its an imposing task, but one well worth

the effort.

BBeeiinngg aa GGaammee MMaasstteerr

A Game Master is a thing reminiscent of adouble-edged sword. On one hand, it is a veryrewarding and enjoyable experience. On theother hand, it involves a good amount of effort,and often frustration. Players may love the workthat the Game Master has put into the game, butmay wander off in strange directions that shenever intended.

She has a lot of responsibilit ies as well. A GameMaster has complete control of the setting shespresented. She mediates combat betweencharacters and their opponents. She presentschallenges and obstacles. She does not,how ever, control the game. She merely handlesit, for the enjoyment of the players and herself. Ina sense, shes the director of the play, and the

script unfolds as a collaborative effort betweenherself and her players.

UUssiinngg TThhiiss BBooookk

This book was written to introduce novices to

becoming a Game Master. It doesnt explain anyreal rules, but instead focuses on show the GameMaster how to handle situations and set herstage for adventures.

This book is divided into five main sections. EveryGame Master should know and understand thematerial in the Basic Storytelling and Non-PlayerCharacter chapters. The others can come withmore experience.

In truth, however, most of the book will seem likecommon sense. Its surprising, though, to learn

what every good Game Master forgets from timeto time.

Basic Storytelling: This chapter is probably thebest for the novice Game Master. It provides tipsfor setting up and running sessions, as well asbasics for handling characters, experience, andcombat.

The Setting: For exceptionally creative GameMasters, this chapter aids in creating campaignworlds. It explains how to add sites, personas,and conflicts to a world. Fortunately, for the less

creative of us, the chapter is broken down tobring a novice through.

The Campaign:Eventually, every Game Master isgoing to want to try a campaign. A campaign is aseries of adventures with a common story line.Theyre a bit more difficult to set up than singleadventures, bit worth the effort.

Non-Player Characters: Every adventure shouldhave interesting adversaries. More than that,though, every setting should be filled withpeople for the party to meet, know, love, andhate. This chapter serves as a guide for fleshingout these Non-Player Characters.

Creating Special Abilities:The final chapter is bestreserved for experienced Game Master. Itprovides guidelines on creating special pow ersand abilities, assigning costs, and making themavailable for characters.


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BBaassiicc SSttoorryytteelllliinngg

Being a Game Master isn't simply about knowingthe rules and making sure that everyone knowsthem. It's about knowing why the rules work the

way they do. It's about making sure that the rulesdo not get in the way of a good time.

No rules system is going to be able to take anovice Game Master and make her an excellentone overnight. What that requires is practice anda little confidence. A Game Master really onlyneeds to keep a feel for the dramatic, and aneven hand w hen dealing w ith the players. Really,though, her primary goal is to make sureeveryone has fun.

TThhee CCoommmmaannddmmeennttssThere are a few, very basic, but very importantguidelines that any Game Master needs to keepin mind to be a competent Game Master.

Be Fair. This is the most important and mostdifficult guideline to follow. A Game Mastersneeds to give all the players an even chance, andtry to let all of them have equal voices within thegame. When a Game Master makes a decision, itshould apply equally to everybody, even herself.

Example: The Game Master is running three

players, one of which is her boyfriend. Whentheir characters are all involved in the same trap,the Game Master cannot show favoritism to herboyfriend's character. Each suffers from theeffects of the trap equally.

The players are playing the game to have fun,which is hard to do if the Game Master isharboring a grudge or showing favoritism tosomeone, even herself. Unfair Game Mastersdestroys the game for everybody.

Use Common Sense. No rules systems in

existence will model reality perfectly and thereare some occasions where this could lead to sillyor even ridiculous levels. We've tried to make therules sensibly cover as much as possible, butplayers are a clever lot. If there is a weakness inthe rules, they'll find it.

A Game Master needs to use her head when itcomes to these situations. Sometimes, she'll needto either liberally interpret the rules, or ignore

them completely to make the situation makesense.

Example: Melissa has fallen fifty meters. Thegames rules state that she takes one die ofdamage for every five meters she falls. She rollstwelve points on five dice, with much of it beingabsorbed into the armor. Strictly by the rules,Melissa can get up and walk away as if nothinghad happened. The Game Master, however,places the character into shock, making herunconscious for awhile after such a massive fall,even though her injuries were minor.

Keep Action Moving. This type of game is like astory, and it should flow with a certain rhythmand style as each session continues. The GameMaster needs to keep the game interesting andfun. When the games start to slow down, sheshould spice it up with something reasonable to

get the ball rolling again.

The Game Master should do her best to avoidtrappings and arguments that detract from thegame. Stopping to explain decisions, for instance,causes both the players and the Game Master tobreak away from the game's rhythm, stoppingthe flow and ruining the mood.

Example: A decision about cover was made thatcaused Jon to take more damage than his playerthought he should. The player stops the game toargue the call with the Game Master. While the

two argue, the other players start discussingwhose turn it is to bring the soda next week.

If a call must be argued, and if the player feelsthat the Game Master truly made a gross error,the discussion should take place after the session,and in private. If the Game Master was actuallywrong, she should do something to makeamends, perhaps in the next session.

Example: Jon's excess damage killed him, but theGame Master relented that the cover probablyshould have helped more than it did. During the

next session, the scene begins w ith Jon's brokencharacter lying in a hospital bed, looked upon byJon's worst enemy. A new episode begins.

AAcccceeppttiinngg CChhaarraacctteerrss

One of the Game Master's responsibilities is tomake sure that each character involved in acampaign actually belongs there. Even by


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following the rules to the letter, a player maymake a character that, for one reason or another,may detract from the gaming sessions.

TToooo -- PPoowweerrffuull CChhaarraacctteerrss

On some occasions, players who use the`random' method of generating characters couldmake one with very high values for most of herstatistics. This character is naturally good ateverything, and has no real weaknesses. Thismay or may not be a problem, depending on theparticular setting and campaign, but a GameMaster should consider toning down charactersthat have a hard time failing most rolls.

Example: Sam's character has all his statistics inthe eight, nine, and ten ranges. Even without

skills or training, this character w ill likely succeedmost of the tasks ever put to him. Other playersin the group weren't as lucky, and would letSam's character do everything, making them feeluseless.

""MMiinn--MMaaxx"" CChhaarraacctteerrss..

Some players, in an effort to maximize theirchosen abilities, will place certain statistics muchhigher than others. Generally, the player isn't asinterested in playing out a role as he is in`winning ' a campaign.

These characters are very easy to spot. A coupleof statistics will be pushed to their highest levels,nines and tens, while the others will suffertremendously, twos and threes. A Game Mastershould outright refuse these characters unless theplayer can come up with a good role-playingbackground for them.

Example: A character is being made into awarrior. The player places the warrior's Strengthand Endurance at ten, while setting thecharacter's Intelligence and Willpower at three.

The Game Master refuses the character.

A special note goes here about the Comelinessand Charisma statistics. Many players will noticethat these statistics do not add into either Healthor Mana, and do not have much in the way ofcombat-related skills. Some of these players mightbe tempted to keep these two statistics at a bare-minimum to maximize their other statistics. AGame Master should not let this happen. After all,

who wants to spend time with a group of uglyand rude characters?

HHooppeelleessss CChhaarraacctteerrss

Other characters may possibly suffer from being

too ineffective in their statistics. They may have alltheir statistics too low , or have a certain keystatistic far too low for the player's desires.

The Game Master shouldn't force a player to playa character that she in uncomfortable with. Onthe other hand, a player cannot expect to getsuper-statistics every time she rolls. If the GameMaster decides she wouldn't want a characterlike the player's, then the Game Master shouldallow the player to make a new one.

Example: A player has randomly created a new

character, but rolls very poorly, none of thestatistics go above a five, and quite a few of themdon't go above four. The Game Master wouldn'twant this character, and allows the player tomake a new one.

DDiissssaattiissffiieedd PPllaayyeerrss

It is possible that a player that makes a viablecharacter simply does not want to play thecharacter she's generated. A Game Master shouldnever force a player to take on a character thatdoes not interest her. The Game Master may

suggest that the player stick it out, but shouldn'trequire it. If the player absolutely refuses to playthe character, the Game Master should simplyhave her make another.

Example: A player had her heart set on playing athief-type in a fantasy setting. Unfortunately, shegenerates a character with a DEX of three and aCHA of four, hardly the mold she envisioned.After explaining her problem to the GameMaster, she is allowed to try again for a th ief. Inthis particular case, however, the Game Mastercould suggest that the player use the point-

generation method instead of rolling dice.

SSkkiillll CChhooiicceess

A player needs to choose skills for her charactersthat both fit the character's design, and fit withinthe setting. A player needs to pay close attentionto the available technology in a setting, as well asthat setting's particular quirks.


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Example: As much as a fantasy character maylike, most campaigns simply won't allow acharacter with an Astrogation or Beam Weaponsskill.

CChhaarraacctteerr BBaacckkggrroouunndd

A character's personal background should bethought-out by both the Game Master and theplayer before allowing the character into thecampaign. There are many ways that the historyand attitudes of a character could ravage anotherwise carefully created campaign.

OOuutt ooff PPllaaccee

Some characters simply do not fit inside a givencampaign. Most extreme examples include

placing characters from one setting into acompletely different one. The problem, though, isusually more subtle. An out-of-place character issimply one that either doesn't fit in the campaignor setting at all, or is radically different from therest of the group.

Example: Jon is a warrior who has joined up witha group of thieves to add muscle support. Jon isa guard-member, however, and isn't terribly likelyto stand still while his companions are plyingtheir trade. Jon either has to put aside his ownmorals, or report his companions constantly.

Either option would cause difficulty for thegroup.

RRaannkk

Any situation that allows one players characterto be in command of the others is simply askingfor trouble. Of course, there is always thetemptation for the leader to boss his troopsaround unwarrantedly, but the larger problem isthat a player wants to do more than simplyfollow the orders of another player. A GameMaster shouldn't allow the characters in the party

to have a chain-of-command within their ranks.

Example: In a Mercenary campaign, Mike'scharacter is in charge of a group of threereconnoitering troops. In a tight spot, he ordersall three of them into a situation that could getthem killed. The characters would not normallyact in that manner, but they simply had to followorders.

WWeeaalltthh

Money has its privileges, and wealthy characterscan justify getting expensive equipment,materials, and even henchmen, without doing a

single th ing to earn them. Beware of charactersthat claim to have access to their family fortune,because a player might use that as an unfairadvantage over others.

Example: Melissa claims to be the daughter of apow erful corporate manager, who makes a greatdeal of cash. She further claims that she has asubstantial amount of funds from her family onher own. She would have no problem spendingthat cash on high-powered weaponry andassault rifles, while her comrades can barelyafford their rent for the month.

NNoobbiilliittyy

Noble characters introduce a wide variety ofproblems. These characters attract a great deal ofattention, for one, and they do have authorityover their subjects. A noble generally has bothwealth and rank, and their associated problems.

Example: Jean is a princess in an adventuringcampaign. She stands to inherit the throne and isgiven a great deal of respect by most of herpeople. Sadly, she expects this treatment from

everyone, including her companions, who don'ttake too kindly to obeying her commands.

CChhaarraacctteerr PPeerrssoonnaalliittyy

Even if all the statistics and skills fall inline withthe Game Master's campaign, the player may optfor a mindset for his character that w ill makeadventuring difficult or n ightmarish.

Reluctant Adventurer:For some obscure reason,there are played who insist on playing charactersthat do not w ant to adventure. This makes for an

extremely difficult time for a Game Master, sincethe character does not want to be motivated intoa campaign. A Game Master who finds himself inthis position should ask the player if he intends toplay in the campaign, and adjust the character'sattitude accordingly.

Example: The character Marvin does not w ish toadventure, and constantly spends his time


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dragging down the rest of his group, andrefusing to embark on missions that directly affecthim. This makes for a lousy time in play, and theplayer is asked to retire him from the campaign.

Thoughtless: The thoughtless character is onethat doesn't care about the needs and wants ofthe others in his group. He doesn't think thingsthrough, constantly goes off on his own, andoften causes problems for everyone simply tohave fun on his own. This type of character isdifficult to handle because he doesn't want to bepart of the group.

Example: Greg has become bored with the party,and wants to jump into action. When the entireparty is hopelessly outnumbered and outgunnedby an opposing group that wishes to talk, Gregdecides to launch an attack, risking everyone. Inresponse, the Game Master simply has one of his

characters defeat Greg alone, recognizing thatGreg is not acting with the party.

Evil: Some players find it enjoyable to play an`evil' character. This is more than being a villain,this is someone that actively likes to hurt people,and this often can extend to the player's mindsetinstead of just the character. A Game Mastershould frown on any character being `evil'. Noone, in history, has been completely evil, thoughsome have come close. At any rate, evilcharacters outright break a campaign, as theysow dissension and resentment amongst both

the characters in the group, and the playersplaying them.

Example: Greg is a wanton murderer, anddoesn't care who or where he kills. During oneadventure, he decides to kill another party-member in their sleep, leaving little evidence toimplicate him. Unfortunately, the player of thedead character knows that Greg's player isresponsible, and refuses to continue playing untilGreg and his player are dispatched somehow.

HHaannddlliinngg SSeessssiioonnssThe session is where the Game Master andplayers come together to try out an adventure ina campaign. In other words, this is where theaction is. A Game Master needs to know, or bewilling to learn, the best ways to handle having abunch of people over to act strangely for anevening.

GGeettttiinngg GGrroouuppss TTooggeetthheerr

Probably the hardest part of running a campaignis actually getting the people together to play it.The Game Master has to w restle w ith conflictingschedules, limited free time, classes, work, andother distractions.

Sadly, there is no simple solution for this problem.A Game Master should try to arrange times toplay with everyone well before the game begins.If there is a local gaming club, it would be a wiseidea to link up with them.

Sometimes, simply posting a note in a localgaming or hobby store will get some feedback. Ifthose fail, the Game Master might consideroffering free snacks and drinks to anyone he canfind. If even that fails, there's always the Internet.

When the group is finally assembled, they shouldall sit down and decide on when, where, andhow often that they are going to meet. This iswhy it's a good idea to know how long acampaign is expected to last before it begins. Itmakes scheduling much easier.

PPrreeppaarraattiioonn

There are several things that a Game Mastershould have ready before running an adventure.If the adventure or campaign is pre-prepared,such as a printed module, she should read

through it carefully and know what to expect.

If the Game Master has designed her ownadventure, she should take some time to becomefamiliar w ith its premise, and the possible faults,before letting the players find ways of beating it.All the important characters, both those of theplayers and the Game Master, as well as allplanned events should be well thought out.

This doesn't mean that a Game Master needs toformally plan for every possible contingency, butshe should get a feeling for how things could go,

and how the characters and premise wouldadopt as the campaign plays itself out.

RRuunnnniinngg tthhee SSeessssiioonn

The Game Master is in charge of the sessions,and she should her best to present an enjoyableadventure for her players. As with everything else


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about being a Game Master, how sheaccomplishes this is a matter of personal taste.

There are some guidelines on what to do,however, as well as some definite things on whatnot to do when running,. When a Game Mastergets these basics dow n, it's only a few more stepsto some excellent gaming.

Learn the Players. It's a bit of a trick to find outwhat a group of people likes. Even in a smallgroup, different tastes will surface. A GameMaster should cater to as much of her group aspossible, at the same time not alienating theothers. Unfortunately, there's only one way tolearn this, and that is to simply make the attempt.Players are usually very vocal, and they'll let theGame Master know if there's something that theydon't like.

Keep the Pace Going. The flow of a session says agreat deal about the excitement of the game. Ifseveral hours pass before anyone realizes it, it's agood game. If people constantly look at theirwatches, they're bored.

Nothing gets people to look at their watchesmore than stopping or slowing the action in thegame. Having to make the players wait while theGame Master fumbles through her notes is goingto stop their interest. Too many monotonouscombats get tiresome.

To avoid this pitfall, a Game Master should beprepared before going in, and resolve situationsquickly. If notes are buried or lost, the GameMaster should wing it with her common sense. Ifthe number of combats in an adventure isslowing things down, then she should cut themdow n. A Game Master wants to design anadventure with a reasonable pace, and shouldeliminate anything that interferes heavily with it.

Keep the Story Going. While this may seemobvious, every adventure should have a pointbehind it. This point, in turn, should push ahead

the campaign's overall story, even if the directionthat the story is taking is not what the GameMaster originally had in mind.

The problem comes in when a group ofcharacters loses their focus, either on the goal,the setting, or each other. Characters take uptheir own agendas, leaving behind others.Players get distracted. The goal may not be asimportant to the characters as it should. These

are definite problems, and a sign that thecampaign is coming to a painful and languishingending.

Following the suggestions that are provided fordesigning a campaign could alleviate some ofthese problems. Keeping the characters involvedin the story line can solve just about all other bitsof the problem. If a player's character is activelyinvolved in the plot line, he's not nearly astempted to shrug it off.

A Game Master should give everyone somethingto do. This doesn't mean that the entire cast ofcharacters must be essential to the overall plot,but it does mean that the group which meet oneach adventure should all be kept busy andentertained.

Listen to Players. Players are generally very vocal,

and usually won't hesitate to announce to thegeneral public when they are not pleased. AGame Master should listen to the moreconstructive of their comments, and alter hercampaign to be more accommodating.

If the majority of the players feel that there isn'tenough combat, a Game Master can add a fewsporadic fights. If the players feel that theirenemies are constantly oppressing theircharacters, she could lighten up on them. If theplayers feel that the character's equipment isn'tup to par, a Game Master can simply give them a

chance to get more.

Communication is the cornerstone for enjoymentof a role-playing game. If the players and GameMaster don't work together, no one has any fun.

Never Seek Revenge. Personal feelings can ruin asession if they're not kept in their place. A GameMaster who's mad at a player might want to useher power against that player's character. Thisrevenge does more than hurt that player'sfeelings, it adds pettiness and causes the entirecampaign to lose its focus. A Game Master

should remember that there are other playersinvolved as well. If the feelings are too strained,then the Game Master should politely, andquietly, ask the player to leave the group.

Never Lose Your Head. Some Game Masters fallinto the trap of insisting that they must have totalcontrol of the game. Worse than that, however,is that egos may be put on the line, and badfeelings get created between the Game Master


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and her players. Remember that the game isabout fun and entertainment It is not about aGame Master seeing how many characters shecan kill to feed her ego. After all, a Game Mastercan set up endless situations to kill characterswithout giving them a chance. Where's the fun inthat?

If things don't go well for Game Master, such asignored campaigns or endless arguments, it'stime to let someone else take the reigns forawhile. She can take a few weeks off, enjoyingsomeone else's campaign, or just keeping toother interests until she feels ready to haveanother go.

DDeeaalliinngg wwiitthh CCoommbbaatt

Combat will, almost certainly, slow down the

flow of the game. To simulate a combat, evenremotely realistically, the Game Master andplayers have to keep track of a lot more thannormal. They usually have to roll dice, orotherw ise determine successes, a lot more often.

Even though combat can be a very exciting partof an adventure, a Game Master has to beprepared for a lot of extra work and detail whenswords clash and guns open fire.

As with any other part of the game, the GameMaster is going to have to tailor the flavor ofcombat, and the amount of detail she wishes touse, to the tastes of her group. There is no `magicrule' for delivering an interesting and excitingcombat for the players, but some guidelines canhelp.

Hand Waving: Many times, a combat's results canbe guessed even before they begin. The size ofone group may be huge compared to the other,or the sheer pow er of one individual overwhelmsthe other, or the combat itself isn't what isimportant to the characters.

In these situations, the Game Master should

probably wing the results without going into thecombat system. She can look at the skills of thecombatants, and the current situation, andsimply state who won and by how much. Thecloser the fight, the more damage will occur tothe victors.

Example: Jon's group is attacking a group of orcs.The player's group is well armed and ready for

combat, while the orcs are disorganized andpretty drunk. Still, the orcs could cause a littleharm to the player's group once combat begins.The Game Master declares that Orcs are routed,but everyone in Jon's party suffers average, ortwo dice, damage from the conflict.

Base Tactics: More often than not, players willwant to have direct control over their character'scombat moves and how much damage eachmove causes. A Game Master can still abstract alittle, however, and keep things moving at areasonable pace.

The Game Master merely follow s the rulesprovided in this manual about combat, butabstracts the positions and specifics of thecombatants themselves. Characters will worryabout range and line of sight, but specifics onplacement can usually be ignored.

Example: Jon's group has engaged the Orcs attheir base. The Orcs are unready, but they stillhave a sizable chance. Jon's player asks quickly ifhe has line-of-sight on an opponent, and whatthe range is, as Jon pulls his bow .

Tactical Arms Simulator: A Game Master shouldreserve this option for those who demand asmuch realism as possible. Characters eachpossess miniatures or tokens that are placed on ascale map. The map shows the full layout of thebattleground, leaving little question of layout,

line-of-sight, or range. At this point, however, thegame takes on the feeling of a wargame, whichmay or may not be in the best interests of therole-playing aspect of the game.

Example: Jon is lining up for a target. His playertakes Jon's miniature and moves him five hexesto the side, coming around a building to get aclear line between him and h is intended target.

Fudging. When in doubt, a Game Master shouldlearn the art of fudging. A fudge is a slight cheatthat makes the game a little more interesting, a

little more realistic, or gives the characters aneven break. It shouldn't be done often, but theoccasional fudge can keep the game frombecoming too reliant on statistics and dice.

Example: Jon, normally an expert archer, missesthree arrow shots aimed at an Orc. The Orc,desperate, throws a dagger. The Game Masterprivately rolls the extremely difficult attack, whichsomehow comes out to be a hit. Since Jon's


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character should have won easily and merelyhad such bad luck due to the dice, the GameMaster is a little giving and declares the result anear miss. Note that the Game Master at no timeallows her dice rolls to be seen. Fudging is nogood if everyone knows when it's occurring.

One final note about fudging. No Game Mastershould feel the need to fudge to seriously hurt acharacter of a player. After all, the game master isnot trying to beat the characters. She should justtry to make things interesting. Fudging to kill oneof the players' characters is simply w rong and w illdo nothing but create bad-feelings.

DDeeaalliinngg wwiitthh MMiissttaakkeess

No Game Master is perfect. All of them makemistakes, some minor, some so blatant that they'll

feel stupid about it for years. When a GameMaster makes a mistake, she's got only tw ooptions.

Let it Slide: If the mistake is minor and doesn'tgreatly impact the characters or the game, thenthe Game Master, and the players, should simplyforget it and get on with the game. Chalk it up toexperience, and learn from it.

Retcon:Sometimes, a rules-mistake can be so badthat it gets a character killed or stop thecampaign. Though it should be avoided,sometimes a Game Master is going to have toretcon a decision. To do this, the game is takenback to when the bad call was made, corrected,and then restarted.

Example: An Orc has Jon at long range, and rollstwo dice for an arrow attack. The arrow slays Jon.After a round of combat, Jon points out that theroll actually required three dice. The game goesback to the critical roll and starts over from thatpoint.

EEnnddiinngg tthhee SSeessssiioonn

The end of the play session should occur in oneof two points. The first is the obvious, at the endof the adventure. The party has foiled the plansof the opponent and won the prize, end thesession here and award experience.

The other option is to end it at a crucial momentthat doesn't look like it will end the adventure.This is called a `'cliffhanger' and is useful for

keeping the interest in a game. The adventure isfrozen, and play will resume the followingsession from where it left off. Cliffhangers areespecially useful after long sessions that dontseem to be wrapping up anytime soon.

When the adventure ends, a Game Mastershould chat about it for a few minutes with theparty. What went right? What went wrong?What kinds of snacks should be brought nexttime? Put everything away and don't changewhat happened during the night, but try toimprove on everyone's fun by listening to theother players.

CChhaarraacctteerr DDeeaatthh

All Role-playing Games have an inherent problemthat characters are going to die when they are

out there adventuring. This usually happens indangerous, possibly lethal, places fightingopponents with the intent to kill. Sadly, thisdoesn't always make for good playtime, since noplayer wants their character killed off every timethey go on an adventure.

The Game Master has to find a careful balancebetween coddling the characters through eachadventure and killing them outright. As a rule,always give the party some method for emergingfrom the adventure alive. Make it challenging,give them a reason to fear, but make it possiblefor them all to survive.

Occasionally, however, it happens that acharacter will get well in over his head andmanaged to get himself killed. Some players willtake this very poorly. Do your best to make themost of the situation, possibly allowing the playerto take over a non-player character for the nightor by giving him a cookie and having him roll anew character. Remind the player that it's just agame and keep going as best that you can.

Example: A thief has been caught in the royaltreasury. He has his weapons out, but ten guards

have managed to surround him. They havemurderous intent in their eyes. There is no realway out for the character, he just stepped out ofhis depth. The Game Master sighs, and just tellsthe poor player to make a new character.

Lucky Action: Sometimes, when a character isabout to be killed, there can be a reasonableexplanation why that character would still


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survive. A character could have been spared of agrenade by it being a dud. The trap could go offineffectively.

Example: Poised at the edge of a building, ourhero is trapped between a long fall and a fewoverpowering corporate guards. Resigned, he

jumps from the edge of the building, ready forthe quick death. Instead of that, however, hefeels hard wood smack into him after only a fewfeet. It seems luck was with him, as very surprisedwindow cleaner finds his cart commandeered.

There are other possibilities to keep them alive.Avoid instant or inescapable death. Rememberthough, if it isn't reasonable to keep a characterfrom dying, the character should die. It's just apiece of paper, after all.

AAssssiiggnniinngg EExxppeerriieennccee

The Game Master experience points for severalreasons, and can do it either during or after eachsession. When the Game Masters does this,players will add the assigned experience points totheir current experience point total. Thecharacters can then use this experience toimprove on their abilities.

On average, characters should receive betweenfive and tw enty-five experience points persession. Exciting and rewarding play should be

rewarded with high experience awards, whilebickering and frustrating play won't merit a greatdeal of experience.

Game Masters should use an even hand w henrewarding XP, giving the same rewards for thesame type of play, regardless of the playersinvolved. Game Masters should also be consistentper each adventure in their campaign.

XP Style of Play

1 Good acting aw ard for a player

2 Clever and innovat ive use for a skill3 Party member saves everyone w ith skill use

4 Successfu l b rave and dangerous act ion by acharacter5 Poor adventure w ith b ickering and in -f ight ing

10 Typical adventure experience

15 Good and exceptional ly enjoyable adventure20 Exciting and dangerous adven ture

25 Climat ic adventure w ith lo ts o f danger andexcitement.

AAssssiiggnniinngg ttoooo LLiittttllee EExxppeerriieennccee

It's easy for a Game Master to accidentally `gyp'the players out of hard-earned experience oncein a while. But if players receive too littleexperience too often, they still start to feel thatnothing that they do will matter and could stop

enjoying the game. If players start to complainabout the lack of XP being given out, up it insmall bits until everyone is comfortable.

Example: After a long and tedious adventure, theGame Master assigns each character twoexperience points. The players, feeling that theircharacters deserve more, protest. The charactershave face several dragons, survived many deadlytraps, and barely made it out with their lives.Theyre wondering what they have to do to getdecent experience rewards.

AAssssiiggnniinngg ttoooo MMuucchh EExxppeerriieennccee

Of course, it could happen that the Game Masteris giving out too much experience per game,allowing characters to become super-powerfultoo quickly. Players w ill start to sit back and donothing but reap in experience points. A GameMaster should slowly cut back the amount ofexperience he gives out each game until he andhis players are comfortable.

Example: One campaign has been giving a largeamount of experience per session. Each character

can expect to raise their various abilities for themost mundane of tasks. As the campaign goeson, the characters are challenged less and less,and eventually can wade through anything thatthe Game Master throws at them. The final fightof the campaign was supposed to have a greatdragon, but the dragon is dispatched bypowerful offensive spells before the battle evenbegins.

IImmpprroovviinngg wwiitthhoouutt EExxppeerriieennccee

It is possible for characters to be improved

without spending the experience required. This isdone through training, and it takes time. Just as areal person goes to school to learn, a charactercan go to school to improve.

Skills improve slowly through study. A level onetrivial skill takes one w eek to learn through study.Level tw o trivial skills take two w eeks. As a rule,determine the amount of experience required


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raising a skill to its next level. The character mustspend that many weeks in study to improve thatskill.

Example: Sam is spending time to improve hisalchemy skill from level four to level five. As ahard skill, this would cost twenty-five experiencepoints, so would take twenty-five weeks of study.A character can study more than one skill at atime, but the time for study on each skill is addedon to the total. A character studying two skillswould earn experience in both, but would spendthe full amount of time learning them.

There are a couple of things to keep in mind,how ever. First, a character should state what heis studying before he goes on his study-sabbatical. Second, experience points aregenerally quicker. Some players might try to builda super-character by setting him to the side for a

while. This is fine, but his character won't beplaying for a while. The character builds up asingle decent skill the others are building up all oftheir skills.

Example: When the party reaches tow n, Susan,the mage, spots an impressive library. Shedecides to study up on her spells while the rest ofthe party goes and performs another adventure.They reluctantly agree, leaving her behind. Susanwont be gaining the adventure experience, butshe will be learning new things about magicwhile theyre absent.

Also, a Game Master should frown on an entireparty setting aside a great deal of game-time tofor simple study. Adventurers aren't the types tostay confined for long, even to raise their skills.An entire group of adventurers might as wellretire.

BBeeiinngg DDrraammaattiicc

Drama is often considered to be the highest formof acting. Drama in role-playing is difficult, butcan greatly add to the feel and flavor of a setting.Being dramatic basically consists of using a smallamount of natural acting talent, and properlysetting a mood for the game.

Setting the Mood. The mood of a session shouldreflect the mood of the setting and campaign. Ifthe players are going to be immersed in a gothichorror or cyber-punk setting, then the room

should have fairly dim lighting. The players andGame Master should keep their voices down.

Conventional ultra-hero campaigns and morelight-hearted fantasy games could be in well-lit,even airy, rooms. Players should exchange quipsin the middle of the action. The Game Mastermight allow minor diversions and `out-of-character' actions.

Using Description. A Game Master's choice ofwords is also very important to the drama.Adding a little bit of unique color in a setting cangreatly spur the imagination.

Example: Take this description of an Orc warrior.`He stands at your height, but his frame is muchw ider, bulkier. His fists are clenched, and h is dullyellow eyes are narrowed at you. He is carryingan axe with the rust of old blood dotting the

blade.'

Acting Skills. Lastly, and perhaps the mostdifficult, the art of acting can play a very strongrole in making a session more dramatic. When aGame Master acts out the minor rolls, it's easierfor the players to get into the session.

Unfortunately, this book doesn't have the roomto provide adequate space on how to become agood actor. Nor does it have the ability totransform someone who can't act to aconvincing movie star. The only way to do that is

to practice.

GGaammee MMaasstteerr EExxppeerriieennccee

Becoming a good Game Master truly onlyrequires two basic things. The first is patience,and the second is practice. With time, anyonewilling to put in the effort can hone their gamingskills and become a great storyteller and GameMaster.

The important thing for a Game Master is tonever get too discouraged. Even the best GameMasters have bad nights, and even the most well-designed campaigns can have a dull run. Stick itthrough, learn from the mistakes, and know thatthe next game will be better.


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TThhee SSeettttiinngg

"And where shall the game begin but theplaying-field?"

The setting of the game is, perhaps, the largestaspect of the game. After all, the setting is whereeverything unfolds. It is both what the charactersreact with and what they live within. It is whatthe Game Master uses to make his campaigns. Itis what the players use to place their adventures.It is the world in which the player's imaginationslose them within.

When the Game Master wants to create hissetting, he needs to answer a few basicquestions. He needs to know the mood that thesetting sets, what genre the setting fits within,

and where the needed conflict comes from.

The remainder of this chapter goes into moredetail about creating a setting, starting with thevery basics, and eventually ending up with asmall amount of detail capable of handling amoderately long campaign.

TThhee FFeeeell ooff tthhee GGaammee

The easiest way to start designing a setting is togo for an overall mood when playing within it.The mood will determine much of what's needed

about everything else. For example, you won'tsee many cyber-punk worlds with hundreds ofzany gags and w hipped cream shooters. On theother hand, a setting with teenagers learningninja powers probably will get silly on occasion.

A prospective Game Master will probably want tosee what feel his players will want while playing.A group that often gets fully into character,acting about their dark demeanor, will likelywant a dark and serious campaign, or at least arealistic one. Again, the other hand holds themore relaxed, fun-loving gamer, who will be

more prone to making quips and enjoying amore lighthearted campaign.

Of course, some Game Masters won't haveaccess to their players before the first session,and will probably have to guess at it. The GameMaster could then take the route that he is mostcomfortable with. Game Masters trying to run astyle of game that doesn't mesh with their tastewill almost never succeed. If this sounds

frightening, don't worry about it. Every GameMaster makes this mistake.

A true novice Game Master should probably trysomething a little light-hearted, at least until he'scomfortable running different settings. Of course,most settings will be a mix of all three styles, incertain amounts, but mixing takes some practiceto get quite right.

Dark and Serious:This type of setting is the mostdifficult, as every nearly element of the world isgrim. Crime can be completely out of control,oppressive governments make the lives of thepeople difficult, and life is very cheap. Post-holocaust and cyber-punk games would fit bestin th is type of mood.

Example: The war had been going on severalyears, neither side cared what the fighting was

about anymore, only victory mattered. Smallteams of mercenaries were hired to strike againstthe enemy, coolly doing the job w ithout emotionor remorse. That w as the way it was supposed towork, but the armies would soon learn that noperson is ever fully a machine.

Realism: The realistic setting is one whereeverything works precisely in the manner it issupposed to. Police will respond to criminalactivity as best that they can. Guns will kill as theyare designed. Serious issues are handled with allthe confusion and grit that they are managed in

the real world.

Example: He had volunteered for these missions.He knew the risks. Still, he realized, some secretshad to be kept, no matter the cost. It was his jobto learn just what foreign powers knew about hiscountry's strength. He had to sneak in, get theinformation, and head out. Hopefully, his skillswould be sufficient.

Light-hearted: The lighthearted setting isprobably the easiest type of campaign to set upand enjoy. Lighthearted settings are designed

solely around fun, sometimes, but not always, tosilly and strange degrees. A cartoon setting, or apulp ultra-hero setting, or a space parody, are allgood examples of light-hearted campaigns.

Example: Three teenagers inherit their father'smassive robots to do battle against evil, andineffectual, aliens. They have to deal with the evilArchenemies, high-school teachers, and the ever-dreaded zits.


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TThhee GGeennrree

Once the basic mood has been established, it'stime to begin setting down the basics of thesetting. The first question to ask is about the

overall flavor of the game. Is the setting filledwith magic and sorcery?

Does it deal with exploring new worlds? Are thecharacters going into virtual worlds to stealinformation? When a Game Master startsanswering these questions, at the basest level,she is deciding on a Genre for the setting.

A Genre is a mold, of sort, for making a backdropof a setting. Genres carry a little bit of baggage inwhat's expected. For instance, the genre offantasy cries out for magic. The genre of ultra-

heroes requires special pow ers.

The Genre also includes the overall premise tothe setting. Anything responsible for the state ofthe world should be considered. For instance, ifultra-heroes are around, the setting should givean explanation, if there is one. If the setting is analternate history, it's a wise idea to explain wherehistory took a left turn.

Fantasy:This is a fairly wide genre that basicallycovers the sword-and-magic motif. Fantasysettings can include the old legends of Celtic

kings, Chinese magic, great dragons, andpowerful druids.

Example: This is a world where nature isprotected by the druids, and where their powersare derived from calling on the energies of theearth. They are worshippers of the old magic,strugg ling as the ironclad w arriors from the southcome to claim the Druid world for their own.

Space. The space genre encompasses star-shipssailing between worlds, exploring new stars,battling and befriending aliens. This is the stuff ofhigh science fiction, where technology is at itspeak.

Example: The generation ship was sent fromearth many years ago. It w as, simply, huge,measuring a dozen miles in length, and w rappedin a four-mile shell. Within here, in this artificialworld, lied the hope for colonization. As the shipreached her final port, however, they discoveredthat they were not alone.

Espionage:This is the world of the spy, filled withunderground organizations, special gadgets, andpolitical intrigue. In many w ays it is the sameworld as our own; in others, it is infinitely morecomplicated.

Example: Beneath the polished glass of theskyscrapers lurk those who crave pow er beyondmeasure. Slow ly, these men have created smallempires of finance and information and threatenthe security of the world.

Cyber-punk: This is the post-modern world oftechnological darkness, where weapons andgear have been fused with living men andwomen to create a new breed of warrior. Thegrass is burnt, the bricks a darker shade of red,and the computers are in charge.

Example: In a few short years, the conspiracy ofthe mega-corporation has succeeded incontrolling the world through unofficial means. Ifone isn't with the corporation, they're consideredworthless. Crime is out of control, and law andorder seem to be a thing of the past.

Ultra-heroes:Comic book heroes come blazing tolife, using wild gadgets and awesome ultra-powers to combat evil and each-other for thegreater good of society. It is a world near ourown, but with far greater threats than we hadever imagined.

Example: At the end of the Cold War, desperateminor governments began to tinker with thegenetic structures of some of their soldiers,making them into ultra-powered weapons. Now,without their countries and without purpose,they have turned their attentions to morepersonal ambitions.

Horror: Something goes bump in the night,specters haunt the streets. There is the stench ofsomething most unnatural coming from the oldwoman's basement. These are the elements of

horror, the unknown and dangerous. A worldunderneath our own, dipping into the darkreaches of the occult.

Example: The Alps have always been known as aplace of beauty and wonder, but as one travelseast through the range, the lights get dimmer,and sounds become strange. Darkness made itshome here once, as deadly vampires would


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control their undead minions in their search forflesh.

Alternate History. This is a world wheresomething different happened in the past fromours. Basically, this is a setting based around a`what if' scenario, where things have changedconsiderably from what they are now because ofa different decision reached sometime in the past.

Example: In the late 1800's, the United States didnot make an effort to open up Japanese trade,allowing the country to maintain its traditionsand way of life. Now, one-hundred years later,Japanese mysticism has become the mostpowerful in the world, and Japanese influencegrows on its own terms.

Cross-Genre: This is the catchall for mixingdifferent genres together to create something

new. By making the native Americans of the1800's possessing more obvious and formidablemagical pow ers, a Game Master can create aneffective mix of the Wild West and Fantasygenres.

This sort of mixing is a bit risky, how ever, assome sorts of things don't mix too well, like waterand oil. Space Cowboys were popular for a shorttime, but they lacked any real substance, andwere basically silly short -lived romps, not the stuffof good settings.

Example: During the Christmas eclipse of the newmillennium, magic is brought back into ourworld. Where once humans stood supreme, Elvesand Trolls now reappear in the land. Magic mixedwith science give rise to a new era of adventure,wonder, and power.

TTeecchhnnoollooggyy

This is a very important part of the setting, and isdirectly related to the genre of the setting. Thetechnology of a setting can determine whatthings are possible, and w hat characters wouldknow about the world around them.

For game purposes, there are six basic levels oftechnology, ranging from simple "Primitive"science to the awesome powers of "Hyper-Technology". A setting should center on onelevel of technology, and fluctuate, a smallamount, between the others for different aspectsof the setting.

Example: For the most part, Earth of the 1990's isin the Modern Technology range. Of course,certain societies have not fully caught up withthe more advanced nations, and suffer in someareas of technology, knocking them somewhatinto the Industrial Technology range. Other bitsin the world, particularly in government andprivate research firms, have managed to dip veryfar ahead on the technology curve, and hit intothe Cybernetic Technology range. So, for asetting in current times, it's possible to have atechnology base in three different ranges.

Primitive Technology:This level of technology isthe lowest possible. Education doesn't yet exist,and w eapons are no better than sticks andstones. Perhaps, special abilities are passed onfrom verbal teachings, and the supernatural is incontrol of the setting. Few skills will be offered,

and only the lowest forms of equipment will bepossible.

Example: A Game Master has settled on a post-holocaust world where much of the existingtechnology has been destroyed. Humans mustrelearn their world from scratch, and any piecesof technology that miraculously survived is nowseemingly almost magical in nature. While high-tech items may exist in the setting, they're up tothe Game Masters discretion. Most of the skillsand equipment will be limited to a primitivesetting.

Medieval Technology: Strictly speaking, this is acatchall term to cover not only the medievalperiods, but all periods where the sword andbow were king. This can include any time periodfrom before ancient Greece to just before thewidespread of gunpowder. Magic may be inabundance, and a wide variety of meleeweapons and bows would be common. Mostfantasy settings would fall into this category.

Example: The w orlds of kings and sorcerers havebeen brought to life time and again. Brave

heroes take up their swords to fight for fame,kingdom, and fortune. They embark dangerousquests to slay demons and dragons, rescue theravaged villages of the countryside, and restoreorder and honor to a tattered land.

Industrial Technology: This period begins withthe advent of gunpowder, and ends with theadvent of a society dominated by science andtechnology, a period similar to the end of World


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War Two here on Earth. This can include thewars for independence, the settling of the WildWest, or the fantastic tales of Jules Vern. Mostpeople in society are mildly literate, and weaponsincluding early machine guns can be found.

Example: The locomotive seemingly opened upthe frontier for colonization, but the native tribesfound there had become unfriendly. Brave menhave been called upon to settle the differencesbetween the natives and the settlers, taking uparms if need be. The natives, however, will noteasily be swayed, and are prepared to use theirguns, and their spirits, to make the fight for thefrontier a difficult one.

Modern Technology:This is the current day, thecusp of the third millennium. Weapons are verydeadly and powerful, the political climate of theworld is in question. Governments struggle to

adapt to the changes of the world as technologyraces along at incredible rates. The society hasbeen raised on media, and knows their worldbetter than any generation before. Any weaponscurrently available in the real world are availablein the campaign.

Example: Gangs in the city are out of control.Several former gang members have teamed up inthe city streets to rid themselves of both their pastand the dangers they now face in their lives. Thecharacters risk their lives daily to make the futurefor their kids a safe one.

Cybernetic Technology:This is the first period ofconjectural technology, where computers andelectronics systems can be fused with livingtissue. This is generally w here lasers and otherscience-fiction devices usually make their firstappearances. Technology is powerful, andpeople see it as a threat. The society is veryliterate, but could possibly be controlled throughthe media. Weapons of all but the mostadvanced types can be found.

Example: Small-minded dictators have gotten

their hands on technology that they do notrespect. Our government, perhaps trying torepair the damage from their earlier mistakes, hasput out the call to curb these madmen beforethey can use their newfound hardwareeffectively. Injured soldiers have been reborn andenhanced with the latest cybernetic gear. Theseare the men of chrome and fire.

Hyper-Technology: This is the upper end oftechnology, encompassing many aspects ofscience fiction, where nearly anything is possiblewith the right gadget. The society is almostcompletely literate, and technology has producedion weapons, faster-than-light t ravel, and evencheap long-distance calling rates. Man, and otherraces, has finally managed to learn and controlhis technology to a massive degree. GameMasters w ill set limits on w hat items are and arenot available, depending on what he feels isappropriate, but science remains at its mostpowerful level.

Example: The Global Union has managed tocolonize the local group of suns, and have triedto ally them into a federation of sorts. Thecolonies have remained mostly independent fortoo long, however, and are not welcome to theidea of following the rule of a planet they feel

has abandoned them. Soon, pirate bands raidstarships and the fabrics of the uneasy peacebegin to fall.

SSoocciieettyy

Each setting will have people in it, and thosepeople will form a society. The society of a settingis basically how people live and work within thesetting. It's what government runs the show, thereligions people worship, the behavior peoplefollow.

Obviously, society is very important. Characters indifferent societies w ill act very differently. TheGame Master should consider this section verycarefully as he begins to round out his setting.

GGoovveerrnnmmeenntt

Most societies, excepting the very worst and verybest, will have some system of government putinto place. This can range from a tribal elder, to acomplex bureaucracy ruling over billions. Everysetting should have some governments put into

play.

When choosing a government for a setting, aGame Master will want to make sure that itsomehow fits the chosen genre and the moodshe has in mind. An oversized and oppressiveparliamentary government won't work in mostprimitive campaigns. Small, city-state dictatorswon't likely work in a modern-age setting.


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A Game Master will also want to give thegovernment some flaws. After all, if thegovernment were perfect, there would be noroom left for adventures. Typical governmentalflaws include being too large, corruption, andisolation. A corrupt government doesn't care forits people. An isolated one cannot helpeffectively. A government that is too large can'tget past its own rules to get needed tasksaccomplished.

A Game Master doesn't have to take theseweaknesses to extremes, however. A good, solidgovernment with some inside problems is usuallythe best route. These governments get somerespect, and allow for a mostly stable society, atleast one stable enough to run around within.

Example: Unable to work past their own lawsand regulations, the Global Government has

failed to maintain order on Earth, giving rise tosmall bands of criminals and a w ide-spreadfeeling of desperation. Where the world police iscapable of helping, they work very hard. Butmany regions remain out of reach.

Along with government come laws. Some of thebasic laws should be laid out simply for thecharacters. Is murder illegal and under whatcircumstance would killing be allowed ifnecessary? Does the law ban certain items? Anymajor laws that will often directly affect the playof the setting should be w ritten down.

RReelliiggiioonnss

Almost every society has some belief in thesupernatural. Many of these societies havestructured their beliefs into a formal religion.Religion is a powerful and very importantelement of any setting, and is usually a drivingforce within its history.

Religion doesn't always need to play a major partin a setting, but setting dow n basic beliefs,morals, and speculations about the hereafter tells

a great deal about the makeup of a society. Asociety whose primary religion allows bigamy, forinstance, will likely have many multi-marriagecouples. On another, more serious, arc, a societywhose religion specifies women as inferior, hasalready made a point of conflict for adventurersto deal with.

Example: Religion in fantasy settings is often thesource of powerful conflicts. Followers of onedeity may declare war against the followers ofanother. Sacrifices can be common if thefollowers believe that their divinity desires non-followers to be destroyed.

BBiiaass aanndd PPrreejjuuddiiccee

It's a sad fact about any society that ill stereotypescreep in once and awhile to color perceptionsabout people based on a single aspect. Biasesagainst a religion, a race, appearance, speech,and other facets of a person appear everywhere,some minor, and some severe.

When these biases become very severe, andserve as an excuse for oppression, they become aprejudice. These are the bad aspects of society,

but very useful in a setting to help complete itsfeel, particular if the Game Master plans for thecharacters to be among the oppressed.

Example: In a w orld w here a person with religionis frowned upon, he suffers under a bias that w illconstantly make him defensive anduncomfortable. If the same world presses thatbias, making the act of religion illegal aspunishable crimes against the state, it is aprejudice, and a religious person can find himselfnot only shunned, but a hunted criminal as well.

CCuullttuurree

A society's culture encompasses a great deal. Itincludes fashion, speech and language, politicalviews, holidays, and other important aspects. Forthe Game Master, the elements of culture thatare most important are the ones that will greatlyaffect the lives of the characters w ithin thesetting. In other words, a Game Master shouldn'ttry to answer every possible question, but onlythe common or important ones.

Example: Knowing what clothes to wear and

when isn't terribly likely to come up in the courseof a typical game, but if certain types of clothingare banned in a city because they are consideredprovocative, the characters may want to considertheir own wardrobe for a minute.


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CCuurrrreennccyy

This deserves a special note because charactersare going to often need and use moneywherever they are. The Game Master shoulddefine what currencies are used in her setting,and draw some conclusions about the prices of

various goods and equipment. This should bekept fairly simple, and prices should be setreasonably.

For good measure, a Game Master could thinkabout how much it would cost a person to buy asingle meal, rent a room for a night, buy themost common weapon and armor, and howmuch he would gain from a typical day's work asa commoner.

Example: In current times, a typical meal from arestaurant is around five dollars. A typical room

can range around one hundred, so long asluxury is spared. A handgun, through legalchannels, would cost around three hundreddollars, with a kevlar jacket costing around thesame price. The average salary, for one day, isaround ninety dollars.

From here, the Game Master can make educatedguesses about the prices of other goods in hersetting, keeping in mind her setting's quirks andculture, which could cause massive shifts in price.More barbaric societies, for instance, would havecheaper weapons. Areas under a wide land-rushexpansion might have cheap real estate.

SSeettttiinngg QQuuiirrkkss

What sets each setting as unique are its littlequirks. A quirk is a slight variation on a themethat adds a little flavor and spice to a setting.When a Game Master designs a setting, heshould add a few quirks to set his setting apartfrom the others.

Magic:This is an excellent w ay to set one settingapart from one-another. Different styles of magic

add unique and powerful influences on a setting.In some worlds, magic could be seen as afearsome and pow erful destructive force. Onothers, magic may be as natural as the springrain. Two fantasy settings that would normally bealike could become radically different if the basicphilosophy of magic is altered.

Example: The ancient Druids held a strong beliefin the four elements of the world. By combining

different amounts of each element, they believedthat new magical powers would develop. Theirmagic was both based on a pseudo-scientificstudy of nature, and on their religious beliefs.

Role-Reversal: Sometimes, a setting can changeradically from a new point of view. In typicalcyber-punk-settings, for example, it's verycommon to have the players act out the role ofstreet-rats, struggling to survive against theiroppressive government and the evil corporations.

The other option is to present the government'sviewpoint. The government is sorely overworkedand understaffed, suffering from the ambitiousand political. Government agents are sent out totake down criminal groups in a desperate effortto try to keep the peace.

An Alien View: A very effective method for

customizing a setting is to dehumanize itconsiderably. This is very good for fantasy andscience fiction campaigns. Instead of the usualfare of alien races, a new theme is put into place.A fantasy setting with insect races would prove agood change of pace. A space setting whereEarth is simply one small part of the universecould be quite interesting. Stray from thecommon fare, and new possibilities open up.

Going too far to be Different:Here is a commontrap, making a setting so unique and alien thatthere is no grounding for human players to get a

proper feel for it. A setting that focuses on thelives in a rabbit's den might be interesting at first,but could very hard for the players to grasp.There should always be some w ay for the playersto get their bearings, and accept what they are inas alien.

Example: This week, we're going to play the livesof pollen as they travel from plant to seed,avoiding the dangers of animals and wind and.guys? Guys? Come back.

MMaakkiinngg QQuuiirrkkss UUssaabblleeMost times, a setting's particular quirks are goingto provide a source of conflict within campaigns.Quirks are generally best w hen the peoplebehave a little differently than expected by thegenre. For instance, people within a cyber-punksetting wouldn't give a metallic man much morethan a second glance. A quirk for a particularsetting may make cybernetics illegal, however,


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and the same man now would be a wantedfelon.

Example: In an Ultra-heroes campaign, there area number of "special" people who have beenborn with unique powers. When these powersmanifest, it is much to the shock and dismay ofsociety at large. These would-be heroes findthemselves feared more than celebrated, andhave to work very hard to get others to see pasttheir abilities. Sound familiar? These basic quirkshave propelled a certain comic book to greatheights.

TThhee SSoouurrcceess ooff CCoonnfflliicctt

Conflict makes a story, and a game, interesting.The struggle of a few to overcome their conflictsis the stuff of drama, so every setting should be

designed with many sources of conflict in mind.These conflicts should be fairly encompassing,making the setting rich with life and drama.

Troubled Society:Difficult to pull off, this sourceof conflict comes from a basic rift in the fabric ofsociety. This can come from class struggles, race,technology, religion, or whatever division can bemade between two or more groups of people.

Example: During the Crusades, the Catholicswere ordered to liberate the religious lands of themid-east from the Muslims. War ensued for

centuries as both sides lost and gained territory.In some parts of the world, this religious riftcontinues to this day.

Adversaries and Villains: The easiest form ofconflict comes from the wants and desires of asingle group or a single person. These peopleplace themselves above all others in theirambition, making them thoughtless at best, evilat worst. These people are villains, and everysetting has a few. Their motivations may begreed, power, revenge, or something lesstangible, but it is the characters' job to stop thesevillains at any cost.

Example: He had been abused too often. Schoolhad become a personal struggle for his life,dealing with drugs, rapes, and guns. At somepoint, he lost control, and brought in guns on hisown. He feels that he's above the law, able todish out punishment to those that he feels areguilty of any crimes. He's killed ten people so far.He will kill again.

Personal Conflicts:Internal conflicts, with a singlecharacter's psyche, or within the group ofcharacters, can be designed into a setting toprovide a more interesting bit of tension anddrama. Characters may not actually like whatthey are or what they do. A group may be forcedtogether out of necessity, and not feel anywarmth between them w hen they first meet.

Example: They w ere outcasts, unw anted childrenof a war the armies did their best to forget. Eachhad to scavenge to survive, depending andtrusting no one. Now, they need each other tosurvive.

TThhee DDeettaaiillss

The setting is nearly complete, but a little more

fleshing out is needed for it to be usable for thegame. The Game Master merely needs to fill insome details.

SSiitteess

Every setting has landmarks. These landmarks areimportant, famous, and common sites for thecharacters and natives of the setting to knowabout and visit. Egypt is known for the Pyramids.Greece is known for the Parthenon. New Yorkhas the Empire State Building. The AmericanSouthwest has the Grand Canyon. These sites are

very important, generally symbolizing a setting'sculture and people.

Example: The Great Tow er was built hundreds ofyears ago by the rulers that came well before ourempire was forged. The spire draws the curiousand the scholars who attempt to unravel itsmystery. To those of us who live here under itsshadow, it's become a lasting monument to aculture now vanished.

Important sites can also serve as foundations forcampaigns. A major military base can act as a

headquarters for a special military unit. A largecity can act as a hub for a crime-fighting team inthe near future. Ancient w izards can discussmagical affairs in old towers.

Example: Once, every six years, the druids wouldgather at the standing stones to commune anddiscuss the nature of being. It was at this time,also, that new initiates would be brought intothe fold, to take their place w ithin the circle.


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CCeelleebbrriittiieess

These are the important people in the world,other than the players' characters. Kings, leaders,powerful figures, and media stars all fit into this

category. Basically characters should instantlyrecognize these people when their names comeup in conversation.

Every setting w ill have many of these types ofpeople. The Game Master should decide whatfacets of her setting is going to need to have themajor players detailed or even named. Enoughshould, however, to give an idea to the playersthat there are people in power over them.

Example: The pilots were bored. They had beenstationed on their carrier away from Earth and

any fun for weeks. Then, out of the blue, theUSO announced that Bette Richard, the famoussinger, was coming to play for them. Needless tosay, morale was improved.

TThhee CChhaarraacctteerrss

At this point, the Game Master should have aearly-complete view of her w orld. She now needsto f igure out exactly w hat roles the characters aregoing to have with in it. The game characters gooutside the normal of their own society, makingthem heroes and villains. The Game Master needs

to make sure that she's left room for such peoplein her setting, so that the coming campaigns canbe played out.

SSppeecciiaall RRuulleess

Some settings require special rules for theircharacters. Ultra-heroes require some means ofgaining their powers. Magicians require somemethod of casting their spells.

These rules will change from setting to setting,and therefore go outside of the range of this

book. A Game Master should, if she chooses,either create new rules for handling these specialcases, or modify existing ones to suit her needs.Whatever her choice, how ever, she needs to putthese rules in w riting, to be fair to her players.

Example: On a fantasy world, the Game Masterhas decided that some children are born with aninnate magical ability. This goes a little beyond

the scope of this rulebook, but she decides toadopt these powers as advantages, which mustbe offset by a disadvantage of the same level ofpower.

WWrriittiinngg iitt UUppOnce the basics about the setting are established,the Game Master needs to put her thoughts topaper. This lets the players see what's on hermind, and have their first glimpses into the worldin which their characters will find themselveswithin.

The Two-to-five-page World:This type of w rite-upis pretty sufficient for any settings that are onlygoing to be visited on a few occasions, or wherethere isn't a great amount of detail needed. TheGame Master simply answers all the required

questions about the setting and writes themdown.

The Game Master needs to be sure that the write-up has enough detail to make the settingplayable. This can vary depending on the need,but usually a few pages highlighting the mostcommon and important aspects of the setting aresufficient.

Source books. A source book is a full manualdetailing a particular setting. In it, the aspects of asetting are fleshed out in great detail. Many

different sites are listed. Celebrities are givenlimited biographies. History is listed for thevarious cultures. A source book is a thumbnailsketch of an entire fantasy world.

It's doubtful that a Game Master w ill need towrite an entire source book for her setting. Itrequires a lot of time and effort to bring out somuch detail to fill so many pages. Still, it can be avery rewarding experience to fill out a fantasyworld to such a great degree.

Another alternative is to use pre-made sourcebooks. Many gaming systems, including this one,have books dedicated to fleshing out settings.These books provide a w ealth of material for agame.


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TThhee CCaammppaaiiggnn

Campaigns are, at their basest form, a series ofadventures with a common theme. Eachcampaign can be set in one, or possibly more,

settings, and generally involve the samecharacters from adventure to adventure.

When a Game Master gathers a group of playerstogether, he has the option of running a singleadventure, or starting a multi-adventurecampaign. While campaigns require a little bitmore thought, there isn't much real differencebetween designing single-shot adventuring andlonger campaigns. In fact, a single-shotadventure is a campaign, it just happens to be ashort one.

Designing a campaign is much like writing theoutline of a book. In this outline, a Game Masterwill need to decide where the story will unfold,who will be a part of the story, and what eventsare happening w ithin the story.

PPrreemmiissee

The broadest aspect of the campaign is thepremise. Basically, this is the overall plot to thecampaign, or the theme that links the adventuresin the campaign together.

The premise should be related to the setting, andshould fairly straightforward and simple. Detailsabout the premise are fleshed-out later. What thepremise must do, however, is take one of thesetting's possible sources of conflict, and use it.

Example: In the fantasy world of Old Earth, thepowerful warrior Michael seeks the long lostSword of Might to gain control of hisneighboring kingdoms.

The premise alone already begins to fill outdetails about the campaign by simply drawing on

what the Game Master and players know aboutthe setting. They might have an idea, perhaps anincorrect one, of what the premise means to thesetting as a whole, and adventure ideas mightalready spring to mind.

There are a lot or possible premises to choosefrom, ranging the gamut from mystery, romance,and w arfare. A Game Master should simply keepin mind that the premise is the focal point of the

campaign, however. Once the premise is chose,the Game Master needs to design the otheraspects of the campaign around it.

The Mystery Premise. This type of premise isbasically the `unanswered question.' Some eventhas occurred that presents a mystery to thosearound it. The campaign, then, will likely focuson resolving that mystery somehow.

Example: The w ill of Emperor Alan has gonemissing shortly after his death. Each of his severalpowerful heirs could be suspect in the plot totake over his throne.

The Warfare Premise. An easy premise todevelop, warfare entails the beginning of a seriesof battles, designed for some conquest by apowerful foe. The campaign could center on thebattles themselves, or center on stopping the war

somehow.

Example: The Horse-lord has rallied his troops toinvade the Southland once again. He seeks toexpand his empire, at the cost of thousands offree lives, and with the power of the sword andhis insanity.

The Rescue Premise. Sometimes, a campaigncould center on saving someone or somethingfrom a terrible and hideous fate. This could besaving the world from a terrible plague, or savinga friend from losing his soul to revenge.

Example: A former friend sworn to kill the leaderof a rival gang. Unfortunately, another mancommitted the crime your friend blames on theleader.

The Wanderers Premise. This premise is based onthe idea that groups of people are lost and wantto go home. This is very easy to arrange, andcould even result in a constant shifting of thesetting while the wanderers try to find their lostway.

Example: In an experiment gone wrong, a groupof students and their teacher vanish from ourworld and journey to many alternate worlds,trying to find the one journey which brings themback.

The Item Premise. This premise centers on athing. This thing, however, is something thatmany men and women desire for a purpose. Itmay be valuable, it may be powerful, or it may


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merely be a symbol, but this item carries a greatdeal of importance and meaning.

Example: The knights of the realm journey to theold city, hoping to be the one to pull the ancientsword from the stone to become the one andtrue king.

The Revenge Premise. Not a pleasant thought,the Revenge Premise involves a desire of some toavenge themselves for some wrongdoing in thepast. Perhaps the world can be made right when

justice can be served.

Example: The great dragon had slain most of thevillage, leaving only the children to survive. Yearspassed, and the dragon slept. These children arechildren no more, and they are coming home.

CCaasstt ooff CChhaarraacctteerrss

The Cast of Characters consists of those peoplewho contribute, somehow, to the campaign. Ofcourse, these include those characters controlledby the players, but these also include a numberof other characters, those controlled by theGame Master.

When the Game Master designs the campaign,she needs to decide who is going to be involvedin doing what. What villains will try to stop thecharacters? What friends could the characters call

upon? When the Game Master starts designingthese non-player characters, she is added a greatdeal of depth to the campaign, and giving theplayers something to play off of.

MMaajjoorr AAddvveerrssaarriieess

These are few in numbers in any campaign, andrepresent the major threat to the party, as well asthe main instigators of the premise. They aresometimes the villains, sometimes simply rivals,but are always dangerous. These adversariesrequire as much write-up ask each of the players'

own characters.

Example: The wizards of the realm have united tocease control by stealing the Sword of Dread.They are powerful in magic, if not weapons, andare endless schemers. They care little aboutothers, and will not hesitate to hurt or even killthose who stand in their way.

MMiinnoorr AAddvveerrssaarriieess

Many villains will employ a large force to protectthemselves against party characters. Theseadversaries are minor, and only need a write-upto show what harm that they can bring to thecharacters.

Example: The wizards have employed a numberof minor bounty hunters to track the party down.They have modest combat skills, and many ofthem know a few tricks that can seriouslythreaten the party at times.

MMaajjoorr AAlllliieess

Many times, there will be people who will go outof their way to aid the characters. Some of thesepeople may actually be useful and can grant thecharacters special favor if the need arises. These

are Major Allies, and probably need a full write-up, detailing their statistics and abilities.

Example: King Landing knows that without hissword, his rule of the realm is in jeopardy. Heknows that the characters are serving hisinterests, and suspects Gregory's treachery. Hecannot, however, publicly allow the party toremain free after they are accused of theft, but hedecides to keep the patrols looking for themlight, in hopes that they can discover the truth.

MMiinnoorr AAlllliieessThese are non-player characters who w ill aid thecharacters when they need it for more mundanematters. They don't need a great amount ofwrite-up, just enough about them to know whatkind of aid that they can offer.

Example: Around the realm are various priests,who will offer healing and rest to those whoneed their services.

TThhee PPllaayyeerr CChhaarraacctteerrss

At this point, the Game Master should have allthe players create their characters, if they'regoing to use new ones, telling them both thebasic premise of the campaign, and the setting inwhich they are to begin.

The players should then decide how theircharacters know one-another, if they're just


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meeting, and what their personal stake is indealing w ith the campaign.

Example: The Game Master has managed to findthree players for his campaign. He tells them thata mighty sword has been stolen from a DreadCastle in his ow n fantasy setting. With th isinformation, the players decide that they arefrom a neighboring town, and have heard aboutthe news through the local criers. Worried that apossible war would ravage their home, theydecide to band up to find the thieves.

TThhee SSttoorryy LLiinnee

The story line is, basically, how things areexpected to progress from the beginning of thecampaign to the end. This means, setting up thepremise, taking steps to follow the premise, and

then resolving it. This isn't nearly as hard as itsounds, and every Game Master does this tosome degree, even if she doesn't realize thatshe's doing it .

TThhee IInnttrroodduuccttiioonn

This is the beginning of the story, w here the castof characters, both those controlled by theplayers and by the Game Master, begin to set thepremise in motion.

Many times, the introduction serves as a way for

the characters to learn about one-another, and,hopefully, band together for the rest of thecampaign. This is also w here they first learn ofthe basic premise, though maybe not in itsentirety. Most important, however, this is wherethe party of characters get their reason foradventuring.

Example: A group of young men and womenhear from the tow n crier that the Sword of DreadCastle has been stolen. This sword symbolizes thepeace and stability of the region, and without it,the realm could fall into chaos and anarchy. The

governor of the town asks for volunteers to helpfind those responsible, hoping that his town willbe looked well upon once the sword is returnedsuccessfully.

UUnnffoollddiinngg tthhee SSttoorryy

The next step in designing the story-line is tothink about what events take place to bring the

story to its conclusion, and how the players'characters fit into the scheme of things. Whatpivotal roles can the party play out inaccomplishing the campaign's story line?

Example: The true thieves are a group of w izardswho seek to overthrow the realm. They haveemployed the king's own guard, Gregory, tosteal the sword and then to keep the curiousparty at bay while they ready their plans.Gregory, worried about the plot, decides thatframing the party would best deal with them.Eventually, the party must deal with Gregory,and, from him, learn about the wizards torecover the sword from them.

TThhee CClliimmaaxx

This is near the end of the adventure, where the

villains and major threats are dealt with, and theobjective has been reached. This should also bethe most tense part of the campaign, and here,more than anywhere else, the characters shouldworry about who is going to be the ones to walkaway.

Example: The party's information takes them to along abandoned stronghold with the wizardsmeeting inside. With them, they know, is boththe sword and their freedom. The wizards are apowerful group, but they can be beaten, withluck.

TThhee WWrraapp--uupp

This is the conclusion of the story, whereeveryone might actually live happily ever after.For the sake of the story line, this is where theparty receives their intended rewards forcompleting the campaign.

Example: Once the party returns the sword to theking, they are given back their freedom, and arepaid handsomely with gold, land, and title. Theirquests complete, the heroes can now look

forward to some much-needed rest.

EEppiissooddeess

Designing a campaign is a great deal likedesigning a mini-series for television. They startwith an introduction, flesh out the premise andstory, then resolve themselves in a big climax.These parts combine into a full and rounded


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campaign, giving the players who complete it acertain satisfaction of accomplishment.

SSeettttiinngg tthhee SSeerriieess LLeennggtthh

Once the Game Master has decided on the story

line, he needs to start setting to story to hiscampaign. The Game Master should look at thenumber of major events he needs to accomplishin bringing the story around full circle.

These events are sub-plots, and are the focus ofeach individual adventure within the campaign.In other words, each adventure should bedesigned to resolve one of these plot-relatedevents. The more events needed in a campaign'sstory-line, the more adventures are needed toresolve it.

Example: In the Dread Castle theft, the GameMaster has determined that four major thingsneed to happen. First, the party must learn of thetheft and be called upon to solve it. Second, thewarrior Gregory must implicate the party in thetheft. Third, the party must beat Gregory to learnthe identities of the true thieves. Lastly, the partymust confront the true thieves and recover theblade.

Of course, sometimes campaigns can run veryshort or very long, which may not fit right in theGame Master's, or players', time schedule. If aGame Master needs to add or remove plotelements to `squeeze to fit, she shouldn'thesitate. She should just make sure that the storyline remains solid.

DDeessiiggnniinngg EEppiissooddee PPlloottss

As stated already, each episode centers on asingle event, designed to move the story lineforward. In essence, this event becomes thepremise of the episode. The adventure isdesigned to make the event happe

Storyteller's Handbook

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