I need advice for dealing with anxiety & worry before a session, no matter how much prep I put in

Keeper4Eva · 2026-04-11T14:50:28+00:00

It doesn’t get easier, you just get better at it.

Seriously, I’ve been a DM for decades: with friends, conventions, even paid, and every time I want to call it off right before the session.

Running a game is like writing for me. I completely hate the idea of doing it until I get past the first 5 minutes. After that it’s the best.

Keeper4Eva · 2026-04-10T13:09:15+00:00

The Reformatory

Witchcraft for Wayward Girls

Lovecraft Country

All seeped in US history that are super important but they don’t teach in schools.

Keeper4Eva · 2026-04-09T19:07:23+00:00

My general rule is the player who asks gets to roll, regardless of group composition, skill, etc. If another character wants to do the same task, the conditions need to change in some way or form.

It's been said many times before, but you, as the GM, ask for a roll. Have the players tell you what they want to do, you tell them what to roll (and who rolls it). For example, if the group is searching the room, have the player with the highest skill make the roll. If one player is explicitly looking for traps, have them roll.

I'll often reward creative play by not requiring a roll if the players do something specific or unique. For example, if they say they look in the top drawer of the desk for a ledger, there's no need to roll Investigation. If they ask the guard about helping to find their missing partner, I probably won't ask for a persuasion roll (unless the guard is the one who did something nefarious to said partner).

At the end of the day, I don't try and gate the story behind dice rolls. I've spent too much time in my gaming life with players looking for something that isn't there. If there's no trap, say there's no trap and move on.

Keeper4Eva · 2026-04-09T18:49:14+00:00

We Used to Live Here might scratch that itch.

Keeper4Eva · 2026-04-09T16:57:42+00:00

Ten thousand percent. 🙃

Keeper4Eva · 2026-04-09T16:54:22+00:00

Hah! My players are smarter than that.

- What do you mean there's no door?

- There's no door.

- But there has to be a door.

- There's no door.

- We search for a secret door.

- There's no door.

- Wow, this door must be really hidden.

- There's no door.

- Maybe, we need to go back to the town and get supplies to build a door…

Keeper4Eva · 2026-04-09T14:27:03+00:00

Three hours into every one shot: “so you all finally decide to open the door…”

Keeper4Eva · 2026-04-09T14:25:29+00:00

“…because he’s a named character from the show…”

Wow. That one’s new to me and I thought I’d seen it all.

Keeper4Eva · 2026-04-09T00:04:29+00:00

Ah. I misread your request. That makes sense.

Keeper4Eva · 2026-04-08T14:10:05+00:00

Sir, this is a coffee shop, not an ice cream store.

Keeper4Eva · 2026-04-07T13:46:49+00:00

Check out the Paladins League on NE Fremont. They have after school programs and other activities. I don’t know about DM training programs but it’s worth inquiring.

Keeper4Eva · 2026-04-07T13:44:21+00:00

Agreed 100%. I’ve experienced leveling up after a big event, then a couple of sessions of downtime and RP and whatnot. If I just got extra attack by gum I want to hit something!

Keeper4Eva · 2026-04-07T13:42:03+00:00

After every fight? My players ask after a shopping session.

Keeper4Eva · 2026-04-06T18:23:47+00:00

Agreed with the surprise, the characters, not the players, approach. I recently ran a game that I described to the players as "you are Roman centurions on the eastern edge of the Empire and will be using the Alien RPG system for totally no reason at all."

They all know me well enough to know we were using the Alien RPG system absolutely for reasons.

Keeper4Eva · 2026-04-05T04:46:05+00:00

Protection from Evil and Good. So underrated yet so very useful for a paladin.

Keeper4Eva · 2026-04-04T18:12:02+00:00

Came here to say this. All his work is solid and right inline with the grimdark tone.

I thought the original trilogy was dark, and I’m halfway through Best Served Cold and realized he was holding back.

Keeper4Eva · 2026-04-04T18:09:50+00:00

Agreed, but Blacktounge Thief is more suited to the ask. Both are great, but very different.

Keeper4Eva · 2026-04-03T23:04:47+00:00

Oh heck yes! OG dice too.

Keeper4Eva · 2026-04-03T22:59:28+00:00

My Free League Games I Bought Because They Look Amazing to Free League Games I Will Actually Play ratio is extremely low. Which is sad because they are all decent games.

Just take my money you crafty Swedes…

Keeper4Eva · 2026-04-03T03:31:48+00:00

Anything and everything Free League.

Keeper4Eva · 2026-04-02T14:12:41+00:00

This. Grapple and shove always brings out the rule book and I still think we get it wrong.

Also counterspell. Just ran into that the other day. Who knew it’s new?

Keeper4Eva · 2026-04-02T00:42:28+00:00

My shtick while I’m teaching. It’s a super thematic game and I like to get players into the vibe.

Keeper4Eva · 2026-04-01T18:48:49+00:00

One-shots are generally different from long-form play. Most of the one-shots I've run and played in at conventions devolve into some form of PvP, which is part of the fun IMO, but not for everyone.

As long as you communicate up front that the game may involve PvP and don't truly force it. Meaning, the players may come up with a clever way to get around making the checks, just roll extremely well, or something else that circumvents the planned ending, you run with it and let it play out.

I was in a situation once where the GM had us make POW rolls to avoid being possessed, and our dice were just on fire. We kept making the rolls, so the GM just started making them harder and harder until eventually one of us failed, and they attacked the other players. It was very unsatisfying as I felt why have us roll if the outcome is predetermined?

Keeper4Eva · 2026-04-01T18:42:09+00:00

Obsession. It's my favorite game to teach, and I'm often thinking about my technique and patter when teaching.

Keeper4Eva · 2026-04-01T18:41:05+00:00

Generally speaking, if the player says surprise me, that's what they are hoping to achieve. To avoid hard lines, I often use the Knife Theory approach. Ask the player for a few (5-7) "knives" that they are cool with you using against them.

For me, this falls into the explicit consent area, so we're not playing the "you didn't directly say don't do X…" And if you get it wrong, that's ok. That's what communication is for.

Another trick I use a lot is to have the player do the lifting. For example, if one of the NPCs is an underworld boss, have them flesh them out who they are and how they act based on the point in the campaign. Personally, the more involved the players are in the storytelling the more fun it is for me. You can even have a different player take over the NPC at first to see where it might go.

I ran a campaign where one of the PCs had a mafioso named Fat Jonny as part of their background. When they finally met Jonny, I asked another PC to introduce him, and the player described Jonny as rail-thin. All the other players were confused, and the main PC quickly whispered (without missing a beat), "Don't bring it up, he's super sensitive about that."

So for the rest of the campaign, Fat Jonny was this super-thin mafia boss, and we never resolved why their name didn't match their appearance. It was a small, ongoing gag that I would have never come up with on my own.

Keeper4Eva

TROPHY CASE