Arbiter of Worlds: A Primer for Gamemasters

As a GM with 40 years of experience with D&D and other games, and especially as one who prefers an old school approach to gaming, I tend to be skeptical of game master advice. Most of it is just not very good, or dry as sandpaper, or overly focused on one game, or vague, or gets lost in its own florid prose. I bought this book on impulse because I liked Alexander's previous work with the ACKS game system, and a long plane flight gave me time to digest it. I was not disappointed, and intend to read it again. It is the best primer on GMing I have ever read. I found that Alexander's advice so closely matches my own GMing style that he could be my alter ego; nevertheless (or perhaps because of that) I found useful insights and perspectives in this book.I did not find the book dry or tedious; the style is conversational, concise, and professional. Each chapter is short and topical, easily digested in a few minutes. Each chapter presents an idea, and builds on previous chapters, so it is best read from start to finish. Each concept recommends a philosophical approach, explains why it is important, compares and contrasts with alternative approaches, and then explains how to practically apply it. The practical part is as specific is how to draw and populate a hex crawl map.New GMs will find that this book covers all major aspects of preparing, adjudicating, and running games. It is system neutral, and uses a variety of games in it's examples; and it focuses on concepts rather than specifics.Experienced GMs will find much that is familiar, but rather than finding it redundant, I enjoyed the interplay of principles and practices, and I always gain insight listening to another GM's practices. Less so when their style is very divergent; but in Macris' case, his style is so similar to my own that it was a fascinating read with many useful tidbits and observations.Two things stuck in my mind as especially fresh and interesting:First, the appendix on alignment had some interesting insights. (I know, you're already groaning.) Alignment is perpetually controversial. Macris is not prescriptive, surveying several common approaches and leaving it to the reader to to decide how to interpret it, but one thing I found interesting was systematic mapping of alignments to philosophical concepts. I'm sure it's been done before, but reading and arguing about alignment is like a guilty pleasure.But the really cool-and-new thing is what Macris terms the "intersection of law and gaming," in which he describes how to apply legal practice to the interpretation of game rules. This sounds super dry and tedious, but he covers it in two brief chapters and it is easy reading, and very practical. He briefly covers common law vs statutory law, "heavy" vs "lite" games, principles of judicial adjudication, and rules lawyering. I found this a rare insight from a profession I know little about. it is educational simply from a legal point of view, but then applying legal practice to game rules is mind blowing. I need to read it again, and I expect it will significantly inform my philosophy and practice going forward. These two chapters alone on the topic of law are easily worth the price of the book.Final note: Much ink has been spilled trying to define the OSR. In the future I'll just point to this book. It is distilled 80 proof OSR, yet also modern and balanced.

I am not a veteran of the old-school era of tabletop roleplaying games. I was born too late, and the first copy of the D&D rules I owned was the original 3rd edition player's handbook. However, I was born just in time to grow up playing computer game adaptations of the AD&D ruleset that were released in a series known as the "Gold Box Games". While a digital dungeon master and a constrained scenario that a computer game presents doesn't have the same level of potential as something a group of people at a table have, they still managed to instill in me a great love for the things that define those older rulesets.When I went back looking a few years ago for a way to run a game that would scratch that itch, I found myself wondering about the mindset and style of an old-school gamemaster. There are many negative stereotypes and contradictory information associated this style of dungeon mastering. I wanted to read something that would expound upon what makes a good old-school dungeon master, how do they run games smoothly, and what bad habits do they need to avoid?This book, in clear and concise language, provides answers for those questions. Alex will take you through how to structure a game, set up the plot, manage players, and how to your role as the dungeon master fits into the game both philosophically and in-play. Alex is a veteran wargamer as well as RPG designer, so he's also aware of the wargaming roots of D&D, what sets it apart, and how those differences make the game fun. I understand that not everyone enjoys this style of DM'ing, but I think there's valuable information here for anyone who wants to run a roleplaying game, especially the parts around managing players.TL;DR: If you've heard the siren call of the OSR (even if you never played the original editions), and you're wanting to get into the mindset of an old-school DM, read this book. This is the primer that you're looking for, that will guide you in the best ways of your role as the Arbiter of Worlds.

Nothing new here. Modern style RPG advice for structure, improv, handling players etc. Not much useful for creation or GM tips. Well written for what it is.

Simply the best primer on how to GM. This isn't disjointed advice or abstract theory -- it is a masterful framework that grounds GMing in solid analysis and concrete practice, and along the way assigns the correct names to everything a good GM already does but doesn't know he was doing (see, the chapter on abduction). When my 20-something son asked "Dad, I want to GM for my friends -- how do I do that?", I just handed him this book; this is advice for the ages meant to be handed on to the next generation of GMs. There is no reason to hesitate -- just buy this. It is a true classic.

I found this book to be very useful. It is both an insightful exploration of how and why things work in an RPG as well as a practical step by step guide and framework to create your own campaigns. It reflects the author’s experience and mastery of the subject, with deep thought and consideration of the underpinnings of the hobby alongside well documented research.It definitely succeeded in its aim. It has inspired me to create a new campaign of my own. Highly recommend.

This book definitely makes Gaming games easier; I particularly liked the tips on world-building, such as the player reference for the lore in custom roles, as well as the gazetteer.

I didn't read every GMing book but I can hardly see how you can top this one.Even if you're not a GM, and you might want to after reading, the book has interesting insights on things like alignment and law (not as in "lawful", but as in "civil and common law").Highly recommended.

This is a little bit shorter than I was expecting, however all good stuff.There is quality info in this book definitely worth the price of the kindle version.

If you run tabletop games (d&d, Pathfinder), this book is for you. Source of a lot of tips for DMs. Much more than the Dungeon Master's Guide.

Ottima guida per i game master che vogliono lasciare totale libertà ai giocatori, scelte vere con vere conseguenze; creare campagne senza una storia preconfezionata a tavolino, un ritorno al gdr pre-dragonlance. Una lettura necessaria per chi si vuole cimentare nel gdr "vecchia scuola" (OSR) senza averlo mai provato