Gamemastering 101

The Cambridge Dictionary defines a tabletop role-playing game as "a game played around a table or online in which a group of people create and play the part of characters in a story that develops as the game is played."  It's a type of collective storytelling.

Examples:

Critical Role: Vox Machina

Dimension 20: Fantasy High (1:53:57)

Each TTRPG is a little different. However, in general you will need the following:

• The core rulebooks. There is often one for the players and another for the gamemaster. Sometimes there is an additional book for monsters.
• Space. This can be physical, like a dining room table or meeting room in a library. It could also be digital, such as a Discord server or in an application like Roll20. 
• Dice. Most TTRPGs use some form of dice. Some use only D6s, which are the dice found in most board games. Some use polyhedral dice, which are dice with a variety of sides.

• A campaign. This could be a premade campaign or homebrewed creation. A premade campaign will require more reading, while a homemade campaign will require more writing. You could try these free campaigns:
  • Frozen Sick - Dungeons and Dragons
  • Peril in Pinebrook - Dungeons and Dragons
  • The Lightless Beacon: When the Lights Went Out - Call of Cthulhu
  • The Haunting (Page 18) - Call of Cthulhu

In a TTRPG, players take on the role of a character. The gamemaster (or dungeon master) plays everything else. They are the monsters and the NPCs (non-player characters) like the bartenders, shopkeepers, and guards of the world. Gamemasters are the narrators of the story. They describe a scenario to the players and once the players decide how to react, the gamemaster details the outcome. 

The SECRET to Run D&D (4:35)

Table Skills are a set of soft skills needed to successfully host a TTRPG. These skills can be learned, practiced, and applied to a variety of applications, beyond the gaming table. 

• Listening - A gamemaster must use active listening. Player choice drives the narrative of each session. Asking clarifying, but non-judgmental questions, can help improve your storytelling and player immersion. 
• Describing - Players rely on the gamemaster to describe the environment of the game. This could be a town, non-player characters or the monsters. It's important to engage a variety of senses, so that different players have multiple points of interaction. 
  • Example: Your characters creep slowly down the dark, moldy corridor to a sturdy wooden door. Flickering light peeks from under the door crack and the air is rank with the smell of rotting meat. As you get closer, you can hear a muffled argument in a language that is unfamiliar. A crack of lightning briefly drowns out the conversation but illuminates a relief of a ceremonial hammer carved into the door. 
• Reacting - The gamemaster is responsible for reacting to player actions, whether it's an attack, a conversation, or any of the other infinite actions a player could make. It is impossible to plan for every scenario; players are unpredictable and you want players to have agency. You will have to improvise. Try to incorporate previous actions or details about the player or environment.
• Mediating - When a player takes an action, the gamemaster decides what happens. You might have the player roll a dice and determine the outcome based on the difficulty of the task. Flavor can really bring a game session to life! If a player rolls a 1 while sneaking, maybe they knock over an expensive vase and it shatters to the ground. 
  • Example: If a door has a simple lock, a player rolling a 10 can easily open it. However, if the lock is on a secure safe, a 10 won't be able to open it. 
• Adjudicating - Leadership is an important gamemastering skill. Eventually, you will have to make a ruling. This could be an interpretation of a rule in the handbook or the players could be taking opposing actions against one another. Either way, the gamemaster will have to make a decision on how the rules are applied. In general it's a good idea to follow two rules:

1. Rule of Cool: If something is fun or exciting for your players, go with it! 
2. Be consistent: Whatever you decide, stick with that choice through all the sessions. That way players know what to expect and can better plan their actions.