What it takes to go from player to GM

Introducing GM Zero: Many of us at Bringing Fire are battle-hardened GMs, but millions of people come to tabletop gaming completely new every year. How do we ensure we're building for every GM, including the noobs?

Stephanie Erwin is not only our COO, she's also a bright-eyed, bushy-tailed, brand-new GM. In GM Zero, Steph shares fresh perspectives to help us make sure we're not leaving anyone behind.


It was a dark and stormy night. The power was out. My Kindle was dead, and I had officially run out of reasons to avoid the dining room, where everyone was gathered to weather the hurricane sweeping through NYC.

A hexagonal mat adorned the table, dappled with candles, character sheets, and a smattering of minis. Drawn by the sound of laughter, I reluctantly approached.

“Okay, fine. Show me how to play.”

A few hours later,  I was hooked and dreaming of how I’d spend all the loot we got from our dungeon exploits. Now, after 10 years of sitting on the player side of the table, I’ve finally made the leap to game master. 

Ten years. A decade. I founded a business in less time than that. What was holding me back?

Learning from leaders

Just like that stormy night, I had a million excuses for refusing to GM. It seemed like a ton of work, and you need to be quick on your feet. I was further intimidated by actual-play videos of game masters like Aabriya Iyangar, Brennan Lee Mulligan and my personal favorite, Troy Lavallee of Glass Cannon, who set the bar very high [Also see: the “Matt Mercer” effect.] 

Trying to match their energy, humor,  and creativity was daunting, to say the least. Did I really have what it takes?

I scoured the web, finding tips and tricks for everything from prepping stat blocks to roleplaying nonplayer characters (NPCs). But these are all par for the course—they aren’t what set GMs like Mulligan and Lavalee apart as industry leaders.

And there it was. My lightbulb moment: Great game masters are great leaders. I didn’t know about GMing, but I do know a thing or two about leadership.

I didn’t know much about GMing, but I do know a thing or two about leadership.

As the cofounder of two startups and someone who teaches a class on leadership at Bard MBA, I know firsthand that good leaders have vision, creativity, and resilience. We know how to strategize, build trust, and navigate emotional intelligence. We understand systems and how to work them.

Sound familiar?

Turns out game mastering  isn’t so different from holding a leadership position in any other team setting.  In fact, the parallels are striking. So, I set out to define the type of GM I want to be the same way I would any other role: by writing it out as a job description.

What makes a master: the job of a GM

Austin Powers confronts Dr. Evil in his lair, Dr. Evil responds, "We're not so different, you and I."

Writing a game master job description helped me realize that becoming a GM isn’t as big of a leap as I thought. I hope other newbies will read this and agree. For those of you who are already behind the screen, perhaps this post will empower you as a leader in other parts of your life, in ways you never imagined before.

Prerequisites

If there’s one truth in tabletop roleplaying, it’s this: There’s no experience necessary

Anyone can become a game master. If you’ve never played, never tuned into a podcast, never read a single guide—you can GM. This is all you need to get rolling:

  • A vision, i.e., a game  system you like. The TTRPG world is a vast, mouthwatering drive-thru of different worlds and styles, with countless systems to suit any tone or genre. Wanna run a band of rogues? Go for Blades in the Dark. Quiet type? Try Alice is Missing. There’s the cyberpunk Altered Carbon and, of course,  ye olde Dungeon and Dragons. Mainstream systems are great because there’s plenty of info out there to learn from. On the other hand, indie games offer their own offbeat brand of fun, with more streamlined rules that make it easier to start playing.

TIP: Narrow the list by your ambition and schedule. Do you want a game you can finish in one or two sessions or one you can stretch for months or even years?

  •  The willingness to jump in. For far too long, I believed I had to learn the rules by heart before I could GM. However, any GM on an RPG discussion forum will tell you how important it is to get into game without delay. If you have experienced players, you can always fall back on the “collective mindshare” rather than memorizing every feat, spell, and combat rule. As a  crazy  person who once tried to memorize the combat section of Pathfinder First Edition, I can tell you: A lot of rules just don’t stick until you’ve played them out anyway.

  • A little adventure (literally). My desire to GM usually flared up whenever I finished an amazing book, film, or TV series. I’d feel the spark to start a campaign but was convinced it HAD. TO. BE. EPIC. However, in the words of Marsellus Wallace, that was just pride f*cking with me. Running a one-shot adventure you can finish in an evening helps you get the lay of your new system—the prep, the world, the pacing—all while overcoming perfection paralysis. Pregenerated characters  make things even easier. You’ll know exactly what to expect without getting bogged down in character creation. One-shots also give you a chance to test group chemistry before locking into a longer commitment. If the vibe is good, simply turn it into a longer campaign.

TIP: Many starter sets come with one-shots designed for first-time GMs. You can also buy a premade standalone or find a freebie. My favorite? Matt Colville has a great D&D one-shot spun up in his “Running the Game” series.

  • The initiative to bring people together. A one-shot only requires a few hours of commitment from a couple of people. If you already have a gaming group or a few interested friends, you’re good. If not, don’t worry—tons of people are in the same exact boat. In fact, I’m working on an upcoming post dedicated to that very topic. (If you haven’t already, be sure to sign up for new post alerts.)

With these requirements checked off, you’re ready to prep for your first session.

Getting started

Most systems offer a beginner box containing guides, rules, instructions, and checklists to help you hit the ground running. Over the years, the TTRPG community has also created a wealth of helpful (and free) tools, including things like:

  • Rules databases

  • Dice rollers

  • Random tables

  • Resource guides and other generators

Part of what we’re doing at Bringing Fire is connecting these resources in a way that’s easy, enjoyable and undeniably you. No tool is ever going to replace you and what you bring to the table. That nagging desire to create weird and wonderful worlds. The inspiration to run epic battles, lead [mis]adventures, and put your own spin on things—these are the things that truly make you a GM.

With great power comes…

Next time, I’ll go over the key responsibilities you have as a GM, both to yourself and your players, and we’ll discover what it takes to become an awesome game master.

What do you think? What skills make for a great GM? Join the convo—we love to talk about this sort of thing.

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How to build the ultimate tool for every GM when every GM is different