The Golden Rule

When it comes to game mastering, there is one rule that will never steer you wrong: the golden rule.

No matter how long you’ve been GMing, or what problems you might run into as you learn more about the craft of being a GM, coming back to this rule will serve you well.

So what is it?

Everyone at the table should have fun.

There are lots of things you need to learn to become a great GM, but to get there (and to enjoy getting there) you need to build on the right foundation. This simple rule is the right foundation.

Why This Rule is Golden

It’s not the only thing you need to know, of course, and it’s not a magic bullet. But every element — literally — of running a good game is based on this rule, and literally every GMing-related problem can be solved in part by considering this rule as you search for a solution.

Let’s break it down into its two components: “fun” and “everyone.”

Fun

Having fun is a large part of why we game, and presumably of why you want to be a GM. There are lots of other reasons, too — hanging out with friends, a love of storytelling, the act of roleplaying, and many more — but at the end of the day they all revolve around having fun in some form.

Remembering that will keep you focused on what you do as a GM. When you’re preparing an adventure, make sure what you’re writing sounds like fun; when you’re actually running it, change things on the fly to make what’s happening more fun, play NPCs to the hilt, and otherwise get into it — all because it will make the game more fun.

The more fun your players have, the more fun you’ll have — and vice versa. It’s a feedback loop that leads to great gaming.

Everyone

As the GM, you’re a player, too. Every game you run should be enjoyable for everyone at the gaming table — fun for all of your players, and fun for you as well.

Everyone has bad sessions, and if you or one of your players doesn’t have fun one night, it doesn’t mean that you’re a failure as a GM. You’re not responsible for how much fun everyone has, but you are responsible for doing your best to make sure everyone has fun — that’s an important distinction.

Keeping everyone’s fun in mind will make you a better GM.