Game Master Sheet

These are the guidelines for a Game Master (or GamE Master, if you want to shorten it to GEM instead for those sweet sweet pun points). A Game Master runs a tabletop game by creating plots, locations, NPCs, and other obstacles for the players to travel through and fight. This page will help GMs create and run adventures and campaigns for their players.

Principles

 * Draw Maps, leave blanks
 * Address the characters, not the players
 * Embrace the fantastic
 * Make a move that follows
 * Never speak the name of your move
 * Give every monster life
 * Name every person
 * Ask questions and use the answers
 * Be a fan of the characters
 * Think dangerous
 * Begin and end with the fiction
 * Think offscreen, too

GM Moves

 * Use a monster, danger, or location move
 * Reveal an unwelcome truth
 * Show signs of an approaching threat
 * Deal damage
 * Use up their resources
 * Turn their move back on them
 * Separate them
 * Give an opportunity that fits a class’ abilities
 * Show a downside to their class, specialization, or equipment
 * Offer an opportunity, with or without cost
 * Put someone in a spot
 * Tell them the requirements or consequences and ask

Dungeon Moves

 * Change the environment
 * Point to a looming threat
 * Introduce a new faction or type of creature
 * Use a threat from an existing faction or type of creature
 * Make them backtrack
 * Present riches at a price
 * Present a challenge to one of the characters

What is it known to do?
Write a Monster Move describing what it does.

What does it want that causes problems for others?
This is its Instinct. Write it as an intended action.

How does it usually hunt or fight?

 * In large groups: Horde, D6 damage, 3 HP
 * In small groups, about 2-5: Group, D8 damage, 6 HP
 * All by its lonesome: Solitary, D10 damage, 12 HP

How big is it?

 * Smaller than a robonoid: Tiny, Hand, -2 damage
 * Tiny Gem-size: Small, Close
 * About normal gem size: Close
 * As big as a personal ship: Large, Close, Reach, +4 HP, +1 damage
 * Larger than a several-person ship: Huge, reach, +8 HP, +3 damage

What is its most important defense?

 * Cloth or flesh: 0 Armor
 * Leathers or thick hide: 1 Armor
 * Mail or scales: 2 Armor
 * Light Gem Armor or bone: 3 Armor
 * Heavy Gem Armor: 4 Armor

What is it known for?
(Choose all that apply)
 * Unrelenting strength: +2 damage, Forceful
 * Skill in offense: Roll damage twice and take the better roll
 * Skill in defense: +1 Armor
 * Deft strikes: +1 Piercing
 * Uncanny endurance: +4 HP
 * Deceit and trickery: Stealthy, write a move about dirty tricks
 * A useful adaptation like being amphibious or having wings: add a special quality for the adaptation
 * Technological: write a move about its technology.

What is its most common form of attack?
Note it along with the creature’s damage. Common answers include: a type of weapon,claws, a specific spell. Then answer these questions about it:
 * Its armaments are vicious and obvious: +2 damage
 * It lets the monster keep others at bay: reach
 * Its armaments are small and weak: reduce its damage die size by one
 * Its armaments can slice or pierce: Messy, +1 piercing or +3 piercing if it can just tear rock apart
 * Armor doesn’t help with the damage it deals (due to size, etc.): ignores Armor
 * It usually attacks at range (with arrows, energy, or other projectiles): Near or Far or both (your call)

Which of these describe it?
(Choose all that apply)
 * It isn’t dangerous because of the wounds it inflicts, but for other reasons: Devious, reduce its damage die size by one, write a move about why it’s dangerous
 * It organizes into larger groups that it can call on for support: Organized, write a move about calling on others for help
 * It’s as smart as a gem, human, or thereabouts: Intelligent
 * It actively defends itself with a shield or similar: Cautious, +1 Armor
 * It collects trinkets that gems would consider valuable (technology, fallen gems, secrets): Hoarder
 * It’s kept alive by something beyond simple biology: +4 HP
 * It was made by someone: Construct, give it a special quality or two about its construction or purpose
 * Its appearance is disturbing, terrible, or horrible: Terrifying, write a specail quality about why it’s so horrendous
 * It doesn’t have organs or discernable anatomy: Amorphous, +1 Armor, +3 HP
 * It (or its species) is ancient - older than humans or gems: increase its damage die size by one
 * It abhors violence: roll damage twice and take the worse result