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Gnome Stew

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 Collaborative Storytelling Loop
Posted: Fri, 20 Jun 10:00:05
Category: Game Mastering, GMing Advice
Most RPGs tell a story of some kind. Some are deeper than others, but there is a story hiding under the cover of the mechanics somewhere. Since most RPGs are played in a group, this makes the storytelling collaborative. At least, it should be collaborative. If it’s not, then the person telling the story to […]

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 Gnomecast 215 – Getting Them to Play Something Else
Posted: Wed, 18 Jun 12:00:29
Category: Gnomecast
https://polygamero.us/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/GC_215_tryingnewgames-final.mp3 Join Ang along with Jared and Tomas as they talk about how to get a group stuck on playing one particular game to try something else. Links: Wildmage Press Deerstalker Pictures The Forever DM Hearth Magazine

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 A Case Study In Dice Stat Tests Part 1: General Approach
Posted: Mon, 16 Jun 11:00:36
Category: Nerd Misc., holy stats batman, Kickstarter
Part 1 of a 3 part series on dice analysis: a general approach

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 A Larp Approach To Practicing Tabletop Safety
Posted: Mon, 09 Jun 11:23:48
Category: Editorials, Game Mastering, GMing Advice
If you’ve done some tabletop and dabbled in or heard about some larp, there’s one thing I think everyone who appreciates a good collaborative, mechanics light game has picked up on: the conversations about safety in larp are lightyears ahead of what we’re talking about at the table. I’ve spent a lot of time thinking […]

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 Gnomecast 214 – Styles of Play
Posted: Wed, 04 Jun 12:00:32
Category: Gnomecast
https://polygamero.us/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/GC_214_Styles-of-play_Final.mp3 Join Ang, along with Josh and Senda as they talk about the different styles of roleplaying games and why it can help improve your experience to understand what types you enjoy most. Links: Conscience USA Origins Game Fair 2025 Book Riot – Fight Back Against Book Bans

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 Session Interruptus
Posted: Fri, 30 May 10:00:51
Category: Game Mastering, GMing Advice, missed session
I am Phil, and I am suffering from Session Interruptus, and it’s impacting my gaming and feelings about gaming.  Lately, I can’t seem to get two concurrent sessions of a game to go off, that I am either running or in which I am playing. There is no central reason; it is a series of […]

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 Gnomecast 213 – Fury of the Forsaken with Lou Anders
Posted: Wed, 21 May 11:00:50
Category: Gnomecast
https://polygamero.us/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/CG_213_Lou_Anders_Fury_of_the_Forsaken_final.mp3 Join Jared as he interviews Lou Anders and discusses Fury of the Forsaken. An addition to the Thrones and Bones, it explores Norrøngard, a setting inspired by Norse myth and Scandinavian folklore. Links: Fury of the Forsaken Kickstarter

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 Challenging The Tropes: The Chaos Gremlin
Posted: Fri, 16 May 19:19:07
Category: Game Mastering, GMing Advice
The Chaos Gremlin archetype looks at the chaotic square on an alignment chart and says, "I'll take two." These are the people who read, "In a TTRPG, you can do anything you can imagine," and just said, "Bet." The fantasy of a Chaos Gremlin is one of ultimate freedom. They embody the no gods, no kings, no masters mindset. They're the epitome of "Doing it for the plot." And they don't see a reason to follow the rules because rules are all made up anyway.

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 Collaborative Storytelling Styles
Posted: Wed, 14 May 10:00:05
Category: Game Mastering, GMing Advice
Here’s a strong opinion of mine. I’ll die on a hill defending this opinion as well. Here goes. The main point of role playing games is to get a group together to tell stories in a collaborative and fun manner while using a set of rules to guide the storytelling though its paces. Let’s break […]

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 Meeting the Villain – And Letting Them Live
Posted: Mon, 12 May 11:00:49
Category: GMing Advice
It’s a classic TTRPG punchline: the GM spends hours crafting a recurring villain—personality, motivation, master plan, and fatal flaw—and 20 minutes into his grand debut, the players kill him. This is followed by hastily retconning someone else into being the “real” head villain. Some GMs use cults or cabals instead of named villains. Others hold […]

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