The No-Prep Gamemaster: Or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Random Tables (RPG Game Master Resources)

The No-Prep Gamemaster: Or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Random Tables (RPG Game Master Resources)

Do you play D&D or Pathfinder? Tired of spending hours preparing for an RPG session? This book provides helpful tips, so you can become a no-prep gamemaster. It is organized into three sections: Arcana, Three Keys, and Arrows in the Quiver.The Arcana section deals with my history and struggles with learning how to gamemaster and why I decided to stop preparing for sessions.The Three Keys section is the heart of the No-Prep Gamemaster. These short chapters provide the framework on which anyone can begin to gamemaster without preparation.Arrows in the Quiver is a selection of tips and tricks that any GM can use to cut down preparation time. "I love GMing RPGs but it's rare that I have enough time to sit down, read, absorb, and prep a module. And while I have some ideas for campaigns or adventures, pre-written modules are my go to since they involve less prep and everything is laid out. But lately I've been trying to look at some lighter rules systems and ideas on running RPGs with less prep. This book was an immense help. In fact, after reading through it, I gave it a shot: ran a one-shot, ZERO PREP rules light RPG at our game store's game day. We came up with a setting and using a bunch of tips in this book, I wove together and adventure that the folks at the table really enjoyed! The author begins by sharing his own GMing experience, then moves into suggestions on how to fill your mind with story ideas, and finishes with advice on using random tables to get ideas and turn them into plots and stories on the fly. It's simple, but really good stuff. The best part is, a key theme is "Why does the GM have to do all the work?" By carefully listening to your players, they'll help you write the story as the adventures unfold. It's so obvious and yet clever. If you'd like to venture into trying to run a game but you have no time, give this book a look and I think you'll find a ton of useful tidbits to make it happen!" - Five Star DriveThruRPG Review Matt Davids is a writer, a creator of tabletop role-playing game resource books, a novelist, a podcast host, and a former filmmaker. He is the author of the Amazon bestsellers,  The Book of Random Tables  and  The Book of Random Tables: Quests . His first novel,  The Spaceport Gambit , was released in June 2021. He lives in Missouri with his wife and their four children. His bookshelves groan under the weight of classic literature, science fiction, and fantasy. He enjoys playing  Dungeons & Dragons , studying cinema and philosophy, and knows more about 80s post-apocalyptic movies than any reasonable person should.