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Every GM has that one thing. You know, the thing that you do not allow your players to do or have because it will break the game. Monks are too powerful, no monks allowed. A decanter of endless water…too powerful. Fireball…too powerful. I don’t think you should limit your players unless it is about the world they will be playing in.
Hear me out. Most of these are on the “no play” list because you, as a GM, have been burned by them before. I ask you to take a step back and really look at it. Did it really break the game, or did a player just do the unexpected with it? It probably caught you so off guard that your BBEG (big bad evil guy) died in just a couple rounds. As a GM, you have every right to forbid certain things, just keep in mind that something else is probably going to cause the same issue. In my experience, letting the players play what they want and how they want, allows for more fun at the table. Sure, the enemies I send at my players die quickly, but that’s okay. I find other ways to challenge them through puzzles, story plots, and unusual scenarios. Also, I’ve played enough to know ANYTHING can be over powered if played that way.
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I like to write. Sometimes I don’t have much to say. As I sit to write now, I am unsure if it is a story that wants to come out, or another blog. I read through the beginning of my most recent story, to pick up where I left off, and…nothing. Blank. Where did I want to go from there? Without a single clue, I find myself back here, writing this blog.
I have things I need to do to prepare for my next session, but I’d hoped I could write some on one of my many stories. Of course, I’m doing neither. Instead, I am wasting time chatting with myself on this blog. (I really do think no one reads this, but then, I don’t think I really expected anyone to either.) However, more and more it is starting to come up in conversation. A few people in my life have now heard, “I wrote a GM Corner on that.” Giving advice on conflict at the table, listening to players, sharing the story, etc., these are merely a few topics I have referred to. I also go back and read some for myself, the most recent being “They Left?” (1/30/25), as I have recently left a table. These GM Corners are meant to share my perspective on these topics. I expect my opinion will change over time. You do not have to agree with me. Tabletop roleplaying has shifted and changed over the years, as well as the approaches to it. Will my thoughts stand the test of time? Probably not, but I share nonetheless in hopes that it can aid another in overcoming fears, struggles, and traditions that may hold them back. What does this look like at the table? How do we achieve this to a level that makes for great story telling? Can this be accomplished even among strangers? Merriam-Webster defines trust as an “assured reliance on the character, ability, strength, or truth of someone or something.” Used as a verb, it is defined as “to place confidence in or rely on.” Placing trust in your GM should be returned by the GM trusting their players as well.
When trust is established at the table it results in collaborative story telling. This is no longer the story that the GM designed, and true “railroading” does not receive the frustration that it normally would. Why? Because the GM updates the narration based on player input and the players know the railroad is going to be story development to open up more opportunities for their contribution to the story. The achievement of trust is much like respect, you must give it to get it. Yes, it can be broken, then it becomes work and a conscious decision to rebuild it, but it is not earned. That mindset will rarely garner any trust as it is not a reward to be given. So, start with trust, default to the belief that your GM has your character’s best interest in mind. GMs start with the belief that your players are not out to tell you about all the broken rules or inconsistencies. Allow your players to come up with cool ideas and work with them to make it happen. Let them take over the story and pick it up when they start to falter. This can be done at a table with strangers! I run games for conventions and I believe we have trust at the table. They trust me to provide an interesting scenario and I trust them to explore the situation through wits and action. If they want to try something that will “break” the game, I will generally allow it. This does require me to improvise additional scenarios or add in other characters to keep the story flowing, but that’s my role. If there seems to be a power struggle, think about trust. Ask yourself some questions. Do I trust my player to run their character logically in the world I created? Does my player trust me enough to work with them on what they want to accomplish? If the answer to either of those questions is “No,” then there is a discussion that needs to be made between you and the player. Make a commitment to rebuild trust and work out those issues. Players never do what you expect. One session they are “murder hobos,” but the next session they are so cautious that nothing moves forward. I have players that I could rely on, at least I thought I could. Every time they were faced with a situation, they would do the same thing. Now…not so sure.
One of my players asks so many questions I feel like I’m coming up with lore on the spot. Improve my way through it, take notes, and have it come into play at a latter time. This is where I tend to shine (I can spin a story). I could always count on that player to find the information, or at least fabricate something from the stuff spewing forth. And just when I thought we were on a roll, they decided not to do the expected. Now, I’m left with how to get information to my players without just showing them a neon sign (though sometimes that is necessary). I like to sit on it for a while, let these juicy clues just marinate for a bit. Allow my world to run without the players’ intervention and see what might happen, then let it hit the fan. If the players must have the clues right away, it might be easier to just send in an NPC to say, “As soon as I heard this, I had to find you.” This can cultivate a sense of urgency should the players want to hang out in town, dragging their feet toward their goals. But this could give them exactly what they needed to put all the pieces together to give them a bigger picture of what is going on in the world. Either way you choose, have fun with it! Give yourself time to work it out. In the end, your players will be excited to learn the information whenever you decide to give it to them (or they finally do what was expected). In previous games, I have given all the information the group needs to complete a quest. As they are on the quest, I throw in other plot hooks or NPCs that draw interest from the players. This keeps them wanting to continue exploring the world and find out more about what I threw in (usually during an improv moment). In this new system, I’m trying something new.
Giving them less often provides for an opportunity to role play more. They have to look for information, gathering it via news sources or people, and put together their own conclusions on the quest that has been asked of them. They now feel a need to take it “to the next level” so they can be fully informed. Playing a “Mr. Johnson” I am reminded of the quote attributed to Oliver Goldsmith and used in various forms throughout history since. “Ask me no questions, and I’ll tell you no lies.” I keep this to the forefront of my mind to keep me on task. If they ask questions that I believe could incriminate Mr. Johnson, then I lie or redirect the conversation. On the surface it looks unfair to the players, but it actually makes it better for them. With the players not being able to trust the informant, they will do their own research and this is when you can give out the information in bits and pieces. For this to be effective, the GM must give the players time to discuss and work it out themselves. Once they come up with something, I am now able to push forward into new avenues of the story. Give it a try and let me know what you come up with. |
AuthorJodie 
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October 2025
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