Master, you need to go with it. Improvise.

That is where know- or improving off of something just said by one of the players. Until
ing your NPCs and setting comes in handy. Anything the player you it is spoken by you, that canvas upon which your adventure is
characters say and do can have consequences. Adventure, drama being created is blank. You and the players create it out of thin air
and comedy often arise from those actions and the resulting conse- and pure imagination. That means, your players don’t know what
quences those actions bring about. Have fun with it. Don’t worry is behind that door or around the next bend in the road, until YOU
about where it may take you. It can be fun going down a road you reveal it. And only the you, the Game Master, has that knowledge
did not plan to travel. See where it leads, be flexible and have fun. and the power to make it anything you want it to be, or that benefits
This is a gift, enjoy it. or challengers your player group. You are the universe.
That said, if the group goes off on a tangent, as fun, silly or Now that power is a great responsibility. You need to use it
strange as it may be, eventually you will want to bring them back fairly and wisely to entertain the players by helping to weave a
around to the story and adventure you had in mind. The question great story. I say helping, because ultimately this is their story.
is, how do you steer them towards your adventure? This is the story of heroes and adventurers played by the gamers in
Well, sometimes you have to just wing it! Yeah, crazy we your group. Together, the Game Master and the players weave an
know. But here’s the thing, the players do not know that you are amazing tale of adventure and heroics.
winging it. Just go with the flow and do your best. In the worst case When you are done with your gaming session and that night’s
scenario, use an NPC or circumstances to get them back on track. adventure – just one of many adventures yet to come – you re-
They might rescue a person or entire town, and that NPC or towns- member it as if you had just seen a fantastic movie or read a new
people explains their dilemma is the result of Villain X (one of the favorite book. The memories are vivid and wonderful, and best of
bad guys you want them to clash with). And of course, townspeople all, it was YOUR characters who were the featured protagonists
know just where he can be found. Or maybe the townspeople don’t in the story. A story you helped create via the words and actions
seem as happy as you might expect for being rescued. Talking with of your characters. For the G.M., the fun is in playing all the vil-
some of them (role-playing these conversations), our heroes learn lains, monsters and bystanders, and directing that amazing story.
that as bad as this gang was, the town remains plagued by a mon- It is also fun seeing the players react to your story, villains and
ster or more bandits that are even worst. And as fate would have it, plot elements, and seeing how they deal with threats and unravel
that monster or band of villains should be coming to town any time the mysteries you placed before them. It is all about characters
now. Worse, maybe the food or treasure or whatever the villain(s) and story, and fun with friends in the most creative and interactive
is coming for, was destroyed in the battle the player characters game medium on Earth – role-playing, where you are truly limited
were just involved in, and it is the hapless townspeople who are only by your imagination. Over time, you will find it easier and
now going to pay a terrible price. UNLESS our heroes do some- easier to let that imagination fly.
thing to intercede on their behalf. See how all of this can be used Carl here, absolutely true, and that got me thinking. There will
to set up “your” adventure. If the innocent townspeople are going also be moments where the players may want to do something an
to pay for the player group’s actions, that alone should make most inexperienced, and even an experienced Game Master, is not ex-
of them, especially characters of good alignment, feel like they are pecting and may not know how to handle. First, take a moment.
responsible for the dire fate that’s coming, and that they need to do Pause the game and get up to get a drink or go to the bathroom
something about it. Or maybe it is a Magnificent Seven situation (sometimes you need to get away from the voices of your players
where the individual or townspeople beg for help and are willing to excitedly talking about their plans or pleas for you to allow X, Y or
pay everything they have for that help. Whether that “everything” Z), or sit back for a minute to think about it. Again, a willingness
is a great amount, a powerful weapon or magic item, or tiny pit- to be flexible combined with imagination will help you wing it the
tance (but truly is all they have) is up to the Game Master. best you can. Consider this your permission to fudge the action and
So maybe the location of this conflict is not what you had origi- even make up rules to resolve problems if you need to. You are the
nally planned. That’s okay. Move the ideas and setting elements Universe, remember. Always try and be fair, but do what you need
that fit to this new location and improvise. Maybe this was not how to do as the G.M. and architect of the adventure.
you planned for the heroes to meet this bad guy and his henchmen. Another aside from Kevin: However, flexibility and going with
Who cares? Go where the story has taken you. It is more dramatic the flow of the player characters, is just a general rule of thumb,
and organic this way. And hopefully, fun for you, the G.M., be- NOT a requirement or a hard rule. Sometimes your players will get
cause it is different and a bit of a challenge. carried away, or one or two will try to exploit the rules and every
An aside from Kevin Siembieda: I remember when I first start- opportunity for their own characters’ best advantage. Sometimes
ed running role-playing games (D&D). I worried and questioned you NEED to just say no. Seriously, do NOT allow stuff that is
whether I knew the rules well enough or had the skill to be a Game crazy, does not fit the scenario or setting, or is too powerful. My
Master. The players would tease me about making things up as I rule of thumb is that it must fist the scenario, fit the character(s),
went along. I would deny it, of course, but I found making up the and make logical sense for your setting. And most important, do
story and throwing out encounters and adventure hooks made up NOT allow anything that is going to create an imbalance in the
on the spot as I went along was fun and dramatic, not just for the game. It is okay to say no.
players, but for me as well. I the spontaneity and improvisation. This even applies to things that you, as the G.M., just don’t
Another early important realization was that I am the universe. like. That “thing” might be a particular rule, idea, spell, weapon,
This revelation came from a few other G.M.s that were players in monster, powerful ability, etc. You need to have fun too, so if it
my game. “Remember,” they said, “as Game Master, you are the does not work for you, do NOT allow it. Or change it. If it ruins
universal. You are all powerful.” I had never thought of the G.M. the game for you, or the other players, it is a bad idea. You are the
like that until they mentioned it and it got me thinking. Universe, make it work for you and the game you are running. Yes,
Only you, the Game Masters, knows what is behind the next the G.M. is supposed to be flexible and try to make sure the play-
door. And you can change it in a heartbeat with a new clever idea ers have a fun time, but that does not mean giving in to everything