Welcome to Gnome Stew, the Game Mastering Blog
Today is launch day on Gnome Stew, and we couldn't be happier to have you here -- welcome to the Stew! Gnome Stew is a brand new blog written by GMs, for GMs. We think about GMing in every waking...
View Article5 Mistakes of the New GM
I love it when a new GM steps up to the plate! Good GMs are what keep our hobby going and expanding our ranks is a real benefit to tabletop RPGs across the board. Yet I've noticed that there are some...
View ArticleI Love My Tiny Notebook
Let's face it. Our memories aren't what they used to be. It's true for all of us, though the old guys like me do feel the pinch a bit more acutely. Add to that that game systems are constantly...
View ArticleAwesome moments: Action Points and FYIA Tokens
There are awesome moments in the game: A critical that drops the rampaging dragon, dodging the sorcerer's lightning bolt, or seducing the noble woman so your companions can make their escape unnoticed....
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Laying the Ground Rules –“Are you thinking what I’m thinking?”
One of the most important and least-discussed elements in a successful game is a shared set of assumptions about how and why the game is played. But many gaming groups want to jump straight to "the...
View ArticleIllustrations vs. Descriptions: And the winner is . . .
As I've started to run more and more published settings and adventures, I find myself doing something new to my GMing style. I've been turning the adventure/setting/rule book to my players and just...
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Don’t Fall For These RPG Arguments
In the world of RPG's there are several classic RPG arguments that float around on various RPG blogs, message boards, and even raise their head in seminars at gaming conventions. I like to call these...
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So You Want to GM a Roleplaying-Intensive Game, Part 1
There are probably as many ways to define "roleplaying-intensive" as there are gamers, but for talking purposes here's the definition I use: A game in which mechanics take a backseat to character...
View Article12 Ways to Use Google Apps at the Game Table
I won't deny it, I'm a big fan of Google. My place of employment recently switched to Google Apps, and I've had an opportunity to dive head first into the Google world. But of course being a gamer, I...
View ArticleD&D Burgoo: That Lizardfolk’s Got A Panty On His Head
“Son, you got a panty on your head,” the old hayseed tells Nicolas Cage’s convenience-store robbin’ character H.I. in “Raising Arizona.” And sure e’nuff, somewhere beneath all that nylon is the Nicolas...
View ArticleShort Sessions: How to Cope
As a thirtysomething gamer, my groups tend to be made up of people with careers and families. As such, we don't have a lot of time to game. In some cases, we're lucky to set aside three hours a week...
View ArticleThe Buzz About the Stew: Day One
We've been floored by the level of response Gnome Stew has gotten since we went live in the wee small hours of the morning on Monday, May 12th, and we have a host of folks to thank. Dungeon Mastering,...
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