Game Master Tips from Wil Wheaton

As you probably know by now, Wil Wheaton hosts the new RPG web show, Titansgrave: The Ashes of Valkana. In it, he runs Green Ronin's Fantasy AGE roleplaying for a group of celebrity friends. What you might not have known is that each week he gives a gamemastering tip, hosted by popular website The Mary Sue. There have been two so far - the first about getting players invested in your world, and the second talks about character arcs.

The short (under 2 minute) tips are hosted here on The Mary Sue.

[video=youtube;_9Yn-JdpG5Y]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_9Yn-JdpG5Y[/video]

[video=youtube;CtvJ_nolYmc]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CtvJ_nolYmc[/video]
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[GMMichael]

So what's his next tip going to be? Allow players to make their attacks less lethal, after the attack? (Poor Kinagidas...)

What tip would you like to give Wil?

 

[GMMichael]

Answer: the next tip is don't use grids.

I happen to wholeheartedly agree.

Of course, it's a strange coincidence that my current set of players contains a very low percentage of tacti-gamers. So we're having a great time playing theater-of-the-mind.

Let's check out Tip #4...

 

[MarkB]

Answer: the next tip is don't use grids.

I happen to wholeheartedly agree.

Of course, it's a strange coincidence that my current set of players contains a very low percentage of tacti-gamers. So we're having a great time playing theater-of-the-mind.

Let's check out Tip #4...

A year ago I'd probably have been seething watching that episode - we were nearing the end of a 4e campaign that was heavily minis-reliant, and I'd used grid-based combat in the 3e and Saga Edition games I ran.

However, in the last adventure I ran, which was my first time running something homebrewed in D&D 5e, I abandoned minis altogether, used minimal whiteboard maps for occasional illustrative purposes, and ran almost all my combats purely descriptively. It worked well, and whilst I might find myself going back to the grid with a different system, I've come to appreciate the advantages of the narrative approach. I don't consider it quite so stark a division as Wil Wheaton presents it, but it's nice to have options.

 

[Jhaelen]

I don't think you need an actual grid. But a rough representation showing where the PCs are in relation to each other and to the opponents is something I consider a necessity.

 

[JDulle]

Very cool. Always good to find/hear about new resources. Thanks.