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Robin's Laws of Good Game Mastering
Has your game got the blahs? Are your players spending more time thumbing through your book collection than hunting down clues, more energy heckling one another than in crushing their cruel foes? Never fear, o beleaguered Game Masters, for Robin D. Laws, noted game designer (Feng Shui, Hero Wars, Dying Earth, Rune) and columnist for Dragon magazine is here to help. Know your players! Analyze your system! Build your campaign! Design adventures! Prepare to be spontaneous, and improvise like a fiend! Whether you're a beginner or an experienced roller of the polyhedrals, the insights in this book will improve your Game Mastering faster than you can say, "Roll for initiative!" In Dork Tower 15, John Kovalic () Robin D. Laws' collection of game mastering wisdom seems at first deceptively slim. But this should be required reading for anyone who has ever – or who ever wishes to – actually run a game for other thinking human beings. Campaign design, adventure design, and plot hooks have certainly been discussed ad nauseam in many an article before, but I don't remember any advice being as basically sound nor as solid as Robin's. In Dragon Magazine, I have the pleasure of illustrating his "The Play's The Thing" column. I'm just glad I now get to enjoy his thought-provoking insight and erudition without having to stare down a deadline at the same time. If ever any university taught Game Mastering 101, this would be the textbook for the course, and Robin would be tenured many times over.
32 pages, Paperback
First published February 1, 2002
12 people are currently reading
257 people want to read
About the author
Robin D. Laws
144 books196 followersWriter and game designer Robin D. Laws brought you such roleplaying games as Ashen Stars, The Esoterrorists, The Dying Earth, Heroquest and Feng Shui. He is the author of seven novels, most recently The Worldwound Gambit from Paizo. For Robin's much-praised works of gaming history and analysis, see Hamlet's Hit Points, Robin's Laws of Game Mastering and 40 Years of Gen Con.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews
February 5, 2015
I have read many GM guides in my time. Many DM Guidebooks, articles, etc. because what GM is not chasing that elusive star to improve and be better? This book manages to provide more basic assistance and advice than a 250 page DMG book on a mere 32 pages.
The basic premise is that in order to have more fun at the table, you need to identify the player type and offer the kind of game that appeals to all your different player types. The Pathfinder GM guide built upon that, but Robin Law elaborates on it, with some advice how this would e.g. affect creating adventures and campaigns.
Was a fantastic read.
The basic premise is that in order to have more fun at the table, you need to identify the player type and offer the kind of game that appeals to all your different player types. The Pathfinder GM guide built upon that, but Robin Law elaborates on it, with some advice how this would e.g. affect creating adventures and campaigns.
Was a fantastic read.
January 21, 2019
Good book to read if you are (or inspire to be) a GM. This book is especially helpful if you are a struggling GM, and are having issue balancing a dynamic party. However, and as the book states, if your party is having fun then you are a good GM, and you can simply continue knowing this encouraging bit of information. Otherwise, if your party is not having fun, then this book has several nonjudgmental ways on how to address those issues and more. Although this book is targeting already experienced GMs, new GMs can gather a lot of helpful advice on story telling, and simply steps to develop adventures that attune to differing interests. All in all, it's certainly worth the read.
November 6, 2014
This excellent book on role-playing game mastering is a milestone in the field.
The thesis that Laws develop is that, despite the fact that no two players are the same, using a distinctive classification of players styles into broad categories to drive the dynamics of the game will greatly enhance the quality of our sessions.
He briefly develop this thesis in each task of role-playing game mastering, from rule selection and campaign design to improvisation, as well as preparation and in-session management.
This is very well written, and while the information is powerful, the delivery is concise and precise.
The thesis that Laws develop is that, despite the fact that no two players are the same, using a distinctive classification of players styles into broad categories to drive the dynamics of the game will greatly enhance the quality of our sessions.
He briefly develop this thesis in each task of role-playing game mastering, from rule selection and campaign design to improvisation, as well as preparation and in-session management.
This is very well written, and while the information is powerful, the delivery is concise and precise.
August 23, 2021
Pros
- The book includes systems-agnostic advice (and corresponding examples) to improve any GM's game. The work covers everything from picking a TTRPG system to designing adventures and how to improvise.
- The book opened my eyes to a fact that seems obvious in hindsight: players from different geographic regions may well have different preferences for the type and tone of their game (e.g. North American vs European)
- The book name-drops a number of different TTRPG systems, though not nearly as many as Play Unsafe. Still, it's always fun to learn about potential new systems to dive into
- The work acknowledges that improvised campaigns, while just as valid as planned ones, have a different feel.
Cons
- It's a bit expensive for its length (a scant 38 pages, including the cover, "about the author," and an full page advert for Steve Jackson games). As such, I would recommend buying the PDF instead for half-price ($8 vs $13).
- None of the hyperlinks embedded in the text work. This makes sense, given the work's age (2005, almost 20 years old!) but it's still disappointing.
- The only mention of women in the book can be found in the "spoiler" tag. It's not that the included advice couldn't apply to women, it's just that it seems like the work wasn't written in a way that takes us into consideration. I don't think the book or author are sexist, but it seems obvious that the book was written at a time when the TTRPG hobby was an activity dominated by men (well, even more-so than it is today).
- Some of the figures / diagrams included in the work are grainy (e.g. the adventure flow chart on the penultimate page)
Conclusion
While the author describes the work as something for people who already have some GM experience under their belt, it tackles a number of topics that are foundational to successful GMing (e.g. making sure everyone at the table is having fun, that players likely have a variety of preferences / priorities in the game, etc). It's not a perfect work, and I'd certainly be curious to see what an "updated" version might look like, but the knowledge it offers is copious and useful. Both new and seasoned GMs could benefit from giving this book a read, in my estimation.
---
Quotes worth remembering:
"Roleplaying games are entertainment; your goal as GM is to make your games as entertaining as possible for all participants."
"What would be the most entertaining thing that could possibly happen, right now?"
"There is only one way to roleplay: the way that achieves the best balance between the various desires of your particular group."
"There is no one best game system, but there is probably a game system that works best for your group."
"Rules sets in which crunchy bits predominate give power to the players."
"Rules systems that limit the impact of crunchy bits give power to the GM."
(With regards to homebrew rules:) "Do my rules exist to make my game better, or does my game exist merely to make my rules better?"
"There is no shame in using an established setting."
"Fluff ain’t so fluffy as it looks." Also, "The illustration is your friend."
"The more the players know and feel about their imaginary world, the better. Do this even when a setting tells you not to. It’s easier to get people to distinguish between player knowledge and character knowledge than it is to get them emotionally invested in an imaginary world."
"Emotional investment is more important than the preservation of the setting designer’s secrets."
(With regards to world building:) "The key balance in any setting is between originality and accessibility." (In this case, accessibility refers to how much work a player will have to do to understand / play in your world.)
"You must know, and clearly communicate, what it is that the PCs are expected to do."
"You don’t need to make an adventure complicated. The players will do that for you."
"Like so many other things, structure is a matter of taste."
"Two rules for (scene) transitions: One - the PCs’ ability to move from A to B never depends on the success or failure of a single action. Two - Even if you give the PCs no opportunity to stop a particular bad thing from happening, you should at least give them the chance to affect the degree to which it happens."
"Always have a list of at least 50 names on hand to attach as needed to the NPCs you invent on the spot. (You’ll never need that many in a single session, but it saves you the effort of adding to the list before each game."
"The number one rule of running the game is: You’re doing a better job than you think."
"The ability to judge the mood and attentiveness of your players is your single greatest tool as a GM."
"It’s better to alter the storyline of your adventure or the motivation of an NPC than to send the group away fed up and edgy."
"Sometimes it’s better to quit early than to let bad feelings attach themselves to your game."
"When the mood of the room goes sour, it’s almost always because the focus is on something the majority of the group finds inconsequential, uninteresting, or actively annoying."
"Most impasses between players arise from disagreements about either tactics or morality."
"Contrive throughout the session to have the most dramatic thing happen at the end."
(With regards to working with "problem players" and differences in taste:) "... the following rules work pretty well: Make your approach polite, respectful, and soothing. Listen to the other person explain what he wants. Figure out how to solve his problem while also solving yours. Propose the solution. Be prepared to amend the solution based on his input."
"If your game is running just fine already, ignore everything I’ve just told you."
"If you and your players are having fun, you are a good GM."
- The book includes systems-agnostic advice (and corresponding examples) to improve any GM's game. The work covers everything from picking a TTRPG system to designing adventures and how to improvise.
- The book opened my eyes to a fact that seems obvious in hindsight: players from different geographic regions may well have different preferences for the type and tone of their game (e.g. North American vs European)
- The book name-drops a number of different TTRPG systems, though not nearly as many as Play Unsafe. Still, it's always fun to learn about potential new systems to dive into
- The work acknowledges that improvised campaigns, while just as valid as planned ones, have a different feel.
Cons
- It's a bit expensive for its length (a scant 38 pages, including the cover, "about the author," and an full page advert for Steve Jackson games). As such, I would recommend buying the PDF instead for half-price ($8 vs $13).
- None of the hyperlinks embedded in the text work. This makes sense, given the work's age (2005, almost 20 years old!) but it's still disappointing.
- The only mention of women in the book can be found in the "spoiler" tag. It's not that the included advice couldn't apply to women, it's just that it seems like the work wasn't written in a way that takes us into consideration. I don't think the book or author are sexist, but it seems obvious that the book was written at a time when the TTRPG hobby was an activity dominated by men (well, even more-so than it is today).
- Some of the figures / diagrams included in the work are grainy (e.g. the adventure flow chart on the penultimate page)
Conclusion
While the author describes the work as something for people who already have some GM experience under their belt, it tackles a number of topics that are foundational to successful GMing (e.g. making sure everyone at the table is having fun, that players likely have a variety of preferences / priorities in the game, etc). It's not a perfect work, and I'd certainly be curious to see what an "updated" version might look like, but the knowledge it offers is copious and useful. Both new and seasoned GMs could benefit from giving this book a read, in my estimation.
---
Quotes worth remembering:
"Roleplaying games are entertainment; your goal as GM is to make your games as entertaining as possible for all participants."
"What would be the most entertaining thing that could possibly happen, right now?"
"There is only one way to roleplay: the way that achieves the best balance between the various desires of your particular group."
"There is no one best game system, but there is probably a game system that works best for your group."
"Rules sets in which crunchy bits predominate give power to the players."
"Rules systems that limit the impact of crunchy bits give power to the GM."
(With regards to homebrew rules:) "Do my rules exist to make my game better, or does my game exist merely to make my rules better?"
"There is no shame in using an established setting."
"Fluff ain’t so fluffy as it looks." Also, "The illustration is your friend."
"The more the players know and feel about their imaginary world, the better. Do this even when a setting tells you not to. It’s easier to get people to distinguish between player knowledge and character knowledge than it is to get them emotionally invested in an imaginary world."
"Emotional investment is more important than the preservation of the setting designer’s secrets."
(With regards to world building:) "The key balance in any setting is between originality and accessibility." (In this case, accessibility refers to how much work a player will have to do to understand / play in your world.)
"You must know, and clearly communicate, what it is that the PCs are expected to do."
"You don’t need to make an adventure complicated. The players will do that for you."
"Like so many other things, structure is a matter of taste."
"Two rules for (scene) transitions: One - the PCs’ ability to move from A to B never depends on the success or failure of a single action. Two - Even if you give the PCs no opportunity to stop a particular bad thing from happening, you should at least give them the chance to affect the degree to which it happens."
"Always have a list of at least 50 names on hand to attach as needed to the NPCs you invent on the spot. (You’ll never need that many in a single session, but it saves you the effort of adding to the list before each game."
"The number one rule of running the game is: You’re doing a better job than you think."
"The ability to judge the mood and attentiveness of your players is your single greatest tool as a GM."
"It’s better to alter the storyline of your adventure or the motivation of an NPC than to send the group away fed up and edgy."
"Sometimes it’s better to quit early than to let bad feelings attach themselves to your game."
"When the mood of the room goes sour, it’s almost always because the focus is on something the majority of the group finds inconsequential, uninteresting, or actively annoying."
"Most impasses between players arise from disagreements about either tactics or morality."
"Contrive throughout the session to have the most dramatic thing happen at the end."
(With regards to working with "problem players" and differences in taste:) "... the following rules work pretty well: Make your approach polite, respectful, and soothing. Listen to the other person explain what he wants. Figure out how to solve his problem while also solving yours. Propose the solution. Be prepared to amend the solution based on his input."
"If your game is running just fine already, ignore everything I’ve just told you."
"If you and your players are having fun, you are a good GM."
April 3, 2012
Short, but full of invaluable knowledge. Too many game masters come up with adventures in games they like, but what about your players. A game is about what everyone wants, and Robin Laws, a veteran writer of RPGs, tells how to do that. Some players love to role-play and talk as their characters, some like to solve puzzles, others just like to hit things with their Great Axe. This book has tools to rate your players and then to tune your game to make everyone happy.
September 11, 2015
It's good, but it's hardly the transcendentally mind-blowing experience that it's hyped as. Like (most) every GM guide, there's some advice I haven't seen before and a lot of the same stuff. I'm not saying it's not worth the read--I gave it 4 stars, after all--but I don't agree that your GM experience is incomplete without it.
February 4, 2015
Recently re-read after finishing in November 2014, and I found it much more insightful the second time around. Good advice on how to "wing it," with tons of insight on how to predict what your players want.
December 25, 2015
I found this book very helpful. I knew somethings like player types but I now have a better understanding of what set pieces are and how to handle plots in my game.I also like his tips on how to run the game on the fly. Anyone who DMs or is thinking of Dming would find this book helpful.
September 7, 2021
When I marked this to-read, and then while reading it, I didn't know Robin Laws had anything to do with King of Dragon Pass, an obscure yet brilliant game I checked out by chance in the meantime. (The game isn't just good; it may stand head and shoulders above anything similar. I've been thinking about it constantly.) Anyway, I was a few pages from the end and ready to give Robin's short manifesto of GMing 5 stars when I noticed the connection in the author bio. Credits as lead writer and co-designer on King of Dragon Pass lend weight to what Robin Laws has to say about dynamic stories intersecting with rule systems. He isn't just a GM shaman, apparently, but a prolific, award-winning writer and designer as well. But lent weight wasn't needed, as the contents stand on their own merits.
Stepping back just a bit - okay, I wasn't perfectly thrilled with the writing. It's pretty standard ludic style, full of light-hearted, cheesy examples. To give one: "Butt-kicking players meet barriers that necessitate the kicking of butt." (I confess this one did make me chuckle.) It isn't that I dislike that style, but I've read a lot of it. He finishes the thought seriously, suggesting you devise a new hook special to each player in the group ahead of each session: "Tacticians get tactical problems; method actors face tests of will; storytellers experience weird and wonderful plot twists."
A paragraph down, here's a better representation of the usual, unpretentious style: "In a good improvised adventure, you may use only a few of the plot hooks, as the group fixes on a particular problem to solve. They may even devote their full attention to a throwaway scene, making it the plot hook of the night." As content goes, those last two sentences aren't saying anything very surprising, but in the context where they appear, it happens to be worth emphasizing. And even out of context, I think it's clear.
But if I'm complaining, nor was I entirely seduced by the breakdown of players into personas a GM should try to please (according to which personas are present): Power Gamer, Butt-Kicker, Method Actor, Storyteller, Tactician, Specialist, and Casual Gamer. Nevertheless, to be fair, I found this classic piece while reading up on player types and the development of RPG theory, so I knew what I was signing up for.
And, also, Robin Laws does a smashing job. You know exactly what he's talking about with his player types. He does of course admit that real players can fit several categories or none at all, though the latter would be rare. (A couple other player type theories have many more categories, but from the research a while back, my impression is that most can be sorted into this set.) For the purpose of the pamphlet, there are neither too few nor too many types. And as obvious as they might seem, they give clear structure to every concept. His advice differentiated by player type/motivation is crystal clear and seems practical (I'm not a GM) but may not be obvious, sometimes at all, and a few times ran directly against my intuition. This is exactly what you want from a reliable guide.
So I wasn't entirely seduced by the player types at first. My instincts resist stereotyping and easy categorization. But these bins are in line with RPG and player type theories in general, and they facilitate rather than prevent discussion and good player interactions. One thing he hammers constantly is that people's tastes differ, yet we often jump straight to believing our tastes are objective truths. A GM needs to be aware of these clashes and the diplomacy, sharing, and compromise needed.
Oh, by the way, the cheesy examples I mentioned are, you start to realize pretty quickly, often surprisingly creative. Yet he tells you how he does it. The point isn't "look how zany and fresh my stuff is." Every time he tells you how he did it.
What stood out most to me: logical descriptions of campaign/branching story structures that expose how they tick, tips on weaving names and personalities and physical descriptions on the fly, and an 8-step method for ad-libbing the next moment in a story when you have nothing prepared for this arrangement of conditions. Also probably extremely useful was a ranking of ways to spend session minutes (setting aside unusual but valid preferences): for example, player-to-player conversation that stays in-character is terrific and usually best of all (unless it's getting repetitive, exclusive, or heated), NPC-NPC dialogue is a lot worse, arguing about rules is usually even worse, off-topic conversations worse still (even though tempting for everyone at the time), and dead air while the GM shuffles pages is probably the worst of all. (He suggests copying out the full list of 10, expanding it as needed, and keeping tallies to diagnose issues.) These are only a few of the practical tidbits, ones that happened to strike a chord more.
If this condensed 36-page guide sounds at all interesting, don't even hesitate. I can't recommend it highly enough - even if, like me, you aren't reading it because you're planning to GM soon (or necessarily ever). It's full of insights about games, player psychology, improvisation, and storytelling.
Stepping back just a bit - okay, I wasn't perfectly thrilled with the writing. It's pretty standard ludic style, full of light-hearted, cheesy examples. To give one: "Butt-kicking players meet barriers that necessitate the kicking of butt." (I confess this one did make me chuckle.) It isn't that I dislike that style, but I've read a lot of it. He finishes the thought seriously, suggesting you devise a new hook special to each player in the group ahead of each session: "Tacticians get tactical problems; method actors face tests of will; storytellers experience weird and wonderful plot twists."
A paragraph down, here's a better representation of the usual, unpretentious style: "In a good improvised adventure, you may use only a few of the plot hooks, as the group fixes on a particular problem to solve. They may even devote their full attention to a throwaway scene, making it the plot hook of the night." As content goes, those last two sentences aren't saying anything very surprising, but in the context where they appear, it happens to be worth emphasizing. And even out of context, I think it's clear.
But if I'm complaining, nor was I entirely seduced by the breakdown of players into personas a GM should try to please (according to which personas are present): Power Gamer, Butt-Kicker, Method Actor, Storyteller, Tactician, Specialist, and Casual Gamer. Nevertheless, to be fair, I found this classic piece while reading up on player types and the development of RPG theory, so I knew what I was signing up for.
And, also, Robin Laws does a smashing job. You know exactly what he's talking about with his player types. He does of course admit that real players can fit several categories or none at all, though the latter would be rare. (A couple other player type theories have many more categories, but from the research a while back, my impression is that most can be sorted into this set.) For the purpose of the pamphlet, there are neither too few nor too many types. And as obvious as they might seem, they give clear structure to every concept. His advice differentiated by player type/motivation is crystal clear and seems practical (I'm not a GM) but may not be obvious, sometimes at all, and a few times ran directly against my intuition. This is exactly what you want from a reliable guide.
So I wasn't entirely seduced by the player types at first. My instincts resist stereotyping and easy categorization. But these bins are in line with RPG and player type theories in general, and they facilitate rather than prevent discussion and good player interactions. One thing he hammers constantly is that people's tastes differ, yet we often jump straight to believing our tastes are objective truths. A GM needs to be aware of these clashes and the diplomacy, sharing, and compromise needed.
Oh, by the way, the cheesy examples I mentioned are, you start to realize pretty quickly, often surprisingly creative. Yet he tells you how he does it. The point isn't "look how zany and fresh my stuff is." Every time he tells you how he did it.
What stood out most to me: logical descriptions of campaign/branching story structures that expose how they tick, tips on weaving names and personalities and physical descriptions on the fly, and an 8-step method for ad-libbing the next moment in a story when you have nothing prepared for this arrangement of conditions. Also probably extremely useful was a ranking of ways to spend session minutes (setting aside unusual but valid preferences): for example, player-to-player conversation that stays in-character is terrific and usually best of all (unless it's getting repetitive, exclusive, or heated), NPC-NPC dialogue is a lot worse, arguing about rules is usually even worse, off-topic conversations worse still (even though tempting for everyone at the time), and dead air while the GM shuffles pages is probably the worst of all. (He suggests copying out the full list of 10, expanding it as needed, and keeping tallies to diagnose issues.) These are only a few of the practical tidbits, ones that happened to strike a chord more.
If this condensed 36-page guide sounds at all interesting, don't even hesitate. I can't recommend it highly enough - even if, like me, you aren't reading it because you're planning to GM soon (or necessarily ever). It's full of insights about games, player psychology, improvisation, and storytelling.
May 22, 2010
One of the best books on game mastering that's out there. It's too bad it's out of print, although you can get some of it from the 4th Edition D&D DMG and DMG2.
January 31, 2013
This book gave me some great insights into game mastering. Will have to try one or two of them.
January 10, 2014
without a doubt the best guide to gamesmastering an rpg. Suitable for any setting or rules system.
January 26, 2020
A straightforward and easy to implement set of ideas for Game Masters new and old.
March 1, 2022
I read through this over my lunch hour. It is an interesting book that tries to present ways to do a good job with game mastering. Being someone who is trying to get back into the hobby after an almost 30 years absence. So trying to learn how to be a better GM than when I was a kid and teen which was just monster of the week meetings in mazes of whatever and then meet some big bad at the end for some rewards. I wanted to learn how to get better with the ideas of being a game master. What this book suggests is just like any book on how to write the next Great American Novel. Know your audience and develop your plot lines. The only difference is that you don't have to do tight plot lines and they can be loose and free floating since a table top role playing game can meander anywhere. Then makes some suggestions on using some online resources which probably don't exist anymore in the last 20 years, the book was originally published in 2002; to help with the minor details of character names, language, descriptors for NPCs, etc. There is still a ton of prep work if you develop your own independent world, adventure, campaign is really what I am getting from this book still. All of which is implied but not said straight outright. Which isn't always a problem, but can be difficult when you have real life creeping up in between game sessions. Yet, the author suggests coming to the table without decent prep will cause the game to drag. There seems to be a disconnect there between those two ideas of how to do prep work and how to wing it when the prep work isn't fully done.
Also felt as if the whole idea of how to gauge your party and get their motivations, let alone some of the back story involved into your plot lines was glossed over. The most modern thing that I keep hearing about is a session 0, where characters are developed and things can occur successfully in character development to keep things in the rules and the world that is being developed. I also feel as if the author gave short stick to the idea of an admin day for the players to gather around during a natural pause in the campaign to do the bookkeeping parts of a RPG. He suggested that it be done before or after a session. Yet, in other parts of his book he suggests to keep sessions short if required to keep the players involved with the game.
I do love that the author says that either you have improv or you don't; but don't sweat if you don't fully get how to improv but work on it to the best of your abilities. I also get how the author suggests how a game session can work out with some early time to gather folks together; talk about the day, and get the real life out for the moment before diving into the game. Which is cool and not something that I have seen other guides (either articles, books, or online essays) talk about running a successful game.
I also love how the author suggests that it won't always work, but that you may need to step away try again and work at being a player again to watch others. Yet, don't give it up because if you want to GM then you will find a way to make it work. Also, enjoyed the sections on how to keep the players engaged and on track to finish up the session for the day. As well as trying best to balance potential motivations for players of differing playing styles.
I rated this down just because it doesn't feel fresh or new. I know this was published in 2002 and it was probably fresh and new then. Some of the exercises and ideas suggested I have seen in other places while doing research on how to be a better GM and what to do. I feel that the points that were positive were just dragged down by points that seemed now repetitive and uninteresting. I know that being a GM is an intensive job and requires some work. Yet these don't really feel like laws or even good ideas and more like guidelines. I am sure others will find some good use here, it may mine it for some good use at times. It just didn't jive with me and the author seems to contradict himself a few times even within the same chapter about ideas and concepts. So it just was another reason why it wasn't higher rated.
Also felt as if the whole idea of how to gauge your party and get their motivations, let alone some of the back story involved into your plot lines was glossed over. The most modern thing that I keep hearing about is a session 0, where characters are developed and things can occur successfully in character development to keep things in the rules and the world that is being developed. I also feel as if the author gave short stick to the idea of an admin day for the players to gather around during a natural pause in the campaign to do the bookkeeping parts of a RPG. He suggested that it be done before or after a session. Yet, in other parts of his book he suggests to keep sessions short if required to keep the players involved with the game.
I do love that the author says that either you have improv or you don't; but don't sweat if you don't fully get how to improv but work on it to the best of your abilities. I also get how the author suggests how a game session can work out with some early time to gather folks together; talk about the day, and get the real life out for the moment before diving into the game. Which is cool and not something that I have seen other guides (either articles, books, or online essays) talk about running a successful game.
I also love how the author suggests that it won't always work, but that you may need to step away try again and work at being a player again to watch others. Yet, don't give it up because if you want to GM then you will find a way to make it work. Also, enjoyed the sections on how to keep the players engaged and on track to finish up the session for the day. As well as trying best to balance potential motivations for players of differing playing styles.
I rated this down just because it doesn't feel fresh or new. I know this was published in 2002 and it was probably fresh and new then. Some of the exercises and ideas suggested I have seen in other places while doing research on how to be a better GM and what to do. I feel that the points that were positive were just dragged down by points that seemed now repetitive and uninteresting. I know that being a GM is an intensive job and requires some work. Yet these don't really feel like laws or even good ideas and more like guidelines. I am sure others will find some good use here, it may mine it for some good use at times. It just didn't jive with me and the author seems to contradict himself a few times even within the same chapter about ideas and concepts. So it just was another reason why it wasn't higher rated.
February 3, 2020
This is probably going to become the text I point people towards when they take up the mantle of "GM" in role-playing games. There are many great books about this subject, as well as podcasts, videos, and so on. However, in the length of what is basically an essay, rather than a whole book, Robin Laws has put together a great toolkit for people that plan on running games. I'd recommend this as readily as any other work on the subject (running games). The only place I really thought it lacked is on balancing what different people want out of the game. The GM is left out. What does the GM want, and how that be factored in to the enjoyment of the game. This issue wasn't really addressed. Regardless, the book is solid, and its probably something that I would say should sit on most gamer's shelves.
December 31, 2020
4.5 Solid GM-ing advice aimed mainly at novice to advanced GMs, but with a few gems for everybody. Not a solid five-star rating because the player typology is the weakest part of the book, though necessary as a lead-in. While you have no trouble figuring out some of your player, others pose more problems. That chapter could have used another two pages on identifying players, in my opinion. Also I'm not sure there isn't a type missing either (or maybe even two) - also most people are not pure power-gamer, method actor or tactician and action-oriented does not necessarily mean butt-kicking. Still an invaluable resource that bears re-reading every couple of years. Unfortunately, it's a little dated in parts by now and most of its hints are either rather useless or hard to implement in quarantine-enforced online sessions.
July 12, 2019
This is a slim, but fairly useful collection of essays for running TTRPGs. Laws' basic premise is to know the personality types of the group you're playing with, and tailor the game to their individual expectations. There are some good nuts and bolts tips, and some useful advice. A quick read (and a particularly dry one) but worth checking out if you're looking for GM tips.
July 2, 2018
This thing is phenomenal. I'm still in awe that Robin Laws was able to jam so much useful, immediately-actionable GMing advice into just 32 pages. It's fairly mind boggling. If you only ever read one book on GMing theory, it should be this one - and you can get through it in one sitting easily.
November 20, 2018
It's a little dated after 15+ years but still an essential resource for the GM. Laws produces one of the best fully fleshed out "How to GM" sections that always gets cut out rule books. If you GM, plan to GM or have a loved one who is a GM in need of holiday presents, take a look.
February 3, 2020
A concise writing of some of the most important principles on the subject. Leaves a lot of room for expanded advice and specifics, but a good place to start.
looking forward to utilizing the tips in my next game.
looking forward to utilizing the tips in my next game.
February 16, 2020
Lots of helpful strategies in here, and I'm excited to put them to use. Particularly helpful? The thesis statement: if your group is having fun, then you are a good GM.
February 29, 2020
This is an excellent and amusing overview of game-master techniques.
May 5, 2020
Excellent, short and full of advice and humor.
October 19, 2020
Good little book for upping your game mastering abilities. It has some nice stereotypes that you can use to help customize your adventures to the wants and needs of your gaming group.
July 7, 2022
Must have for any GM.
July 11, 2022
It's more of a long pamphlet than a book, but there were a few interesting tidbits in there.
April 18, 2024
One of the best GM guides out there. At only 32 pages, it packs so much in that it is a "must read"!
December 11, 2024
Good basic rules for GM'ing TTRPGs. If you have had any experience playing or GM'ing at all, most of the stuff in this book is going to be redundant to you. Decent primer though.
July 21, 2018
A brief but concise introduction into Laws' approach to good game mastering. Even though I do not completely agree with his philosophy of what makes a good game master (He underestimates the importance of cooperation between players and the GM in cooperative storytelling in lieu of identifying player types and changing your adventures accordingly), I still enjoyed reading the book, since it is well written and quite chuckle-worthy :-). Some parts may be useless for experienced GMs, but all in all, it makes you reevaluate your GM style and especially the chapter about story structure can offer good food for thought. Maybe a few general hints regarding communication and conflict Management in groups would have helpful, then again, that might be something that pushes the boundaries of what a handy GM guide can comprise. Definitely worth your time, even if you are a experienced GM.
January 27, 2011
A classic. Must-read material for any gamemaster.
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