Pursuing Mastery in the Art of Storytelling
About a year after running my first campaign, I decided that it was time to give it another shot. By now, I had come into my own as a player, read the D&D 3.5 Player’s Handbook from cover to cover, and played in a variety of other systems. I had played under several new Game Masters and had observed the different ways they conducted their games, asking each of them for feedback and thoughts. I wanted my new campaign to be bigger and better than the last and I had a lot of great expectations. It was then that fate stepped in.
I had been asked by the company I worked for at the time to attend the world-famous Gen Con and while there, I attended several seminars hosted by veteran Game Masters. I took many notes about how to be a better Game Master and I learned so much at the feet of these masters, many of whom had been playing roleplaying games since the early days of Dungeons and Dragons. All of them were so encouraging to new Game Masters such as myself. They gave real-world advice on what to do with problem players and how to find players in the first place. They also talked about the importance of being flexible as a Game Master and never letting the rules get in the way of a good story. They impressed upon me the importance of making sure all your players are having fun and that you are allowing them to create an interesting story with you. Players should be rewarded for trying to do cool things, not punished if the rules say otherwise. It was here I was given my first practical introduction to Rule Zero. For those of you who may be unfamiliar with this term, Rule Zero states that the Game Master is the final arbiter of the rules and can alter them as they see fit. I was enthralled by this notion and more and I filled notepad after notepad with the wisdom of these veterans. To this day, I still reference some of these notes when I talk with newer Game Masters who come seeking my advice.
While I was attending Gen Con, I filled almost every slot I could with Game Mastering and Storytelling seminars. I wasn’t just seeking knowledge, I was craving it. I asked my friend who was also (as fate would have it) attending Gen Con that year, the same friend who had introduced me to roleplaying, to join me at these seminars. After the first few, I noticed he was not nearly as interested as I was. “I think I have learned enough on the subject for my needs.” he said. Back then I didn’t understand; I dismissed his attitude as cavalier or even arrogant. “How could he know all he needed? Surely there is always something more to learn?” I thought. But I see now that we wanted different things. He would be content with running the occasional game here and there, but I was hungry for more. I wanted to continue to hone my stories, to improve the quality of my craft, and to perfect my storytelling. I wanted to go as far as my talents would let me go. I was seeking mastery. Looking back, I do not fault my friend for not wanting to pursue this path. It has been a hard one. But I have been fortunate enough to be afforded many opportunities both as a volunteer Game Master and a Professional Game Master and I have certainly devoted plenty of blood, sweat, time, and tears to honing this craft. And there is still much I have to learn.
When we returned from Gen Con, I immediately began to devour the new books I had obtained there (a rather sizeable library). A friend of mine had, at this point, also turned me on to Gnome Stew, a daily blog for Game Masters. I had always been a studious individual and I filled notebook upon notebook with notes and best practices. I purchased even more books on the subject of mastering the art of storytelling, and on world-building and character creation. Some of them by the late great Gary Gygax. I poured over all of the resources that I had available to me and at last I felt I was ready to start a new chapter in my Game Master Journey. I began planning my second campaign. But this time I would be ready. It would not be a simple A to B campaign. It would be a vibrant living world full of diverse characters and each of the character’s choices and background would matter. This would become the beginning of my own Homebrew, a world of my own creation. I would call it Cruicible and it would test me and alter me in ways I did not yet know.
