Happy Saturday! Third weekend of RPG a Day for 2025. The prompt for today is Overcome. There are many challenges we must overcome, both personally and as a community, and as a hobby. In these times, I am sure you can think of many more. However, for today, I want to talk about overcoming a particular set of challenges, specifically the feeling that we are an unsuitable Game Master.
I have written and posted about this before. I will again, but I think this is a recurring issue, and as a community, we can always support one another.
A simple truth: being a GM is hard. For most games, you’re the rules arbiter, usually the one who masters the rules early on. You are expected to set up a narrative, play different characters, keep the plot straight in your head, and be entertaining while doing all that!
I have been doing this for a while now, and I feel like I handle the stress and feeling of inadequacy that can creep up on you as a GM well. However, I am not immune, regardless of how long I’ve been running games. Allow me to share some advice.
Practice makes perfect.
Like many things in life, you’ll be a better GM the more you do it. Even if you feel like a session wasn’t perfect, if you receive feedback from your group that could be discouraging, getting behind the screen and giving it another try is an opportunity to learn and be better.
Don’t sweat the small stuff.
The game part in role-playing games is essential. An RPG should be fun for everyone, and it is ultimately a game. It is something we do for fun. Ultimately, it is a game! Treat it like such.
Believe in yourself.
Especially in the digital age, it is easy to see amazing GMs running their games, some professionally, and feel like you’ll never be that good. You don’t have to! Everyone’s game mastering style is different. The audience you have to engage with is your players. If they are having fun, you’re doing something right.
Give yourself a break.
If you are overwhelmed, take a step back. Don’t take on more than you can chew. Breathe, regroup, and move on.
You can do it!
When you decide to try your hand at being GM, you are helping your game group have fun and supporting the game community at large by spreading the hobby. We are here to support each other. Reach out to your friends, in real life or online. Ask for help and advice. If I can personally help anyone out there with their games, please do not hesitate to reach out.
How do you overcome the challenges of being a GM? What other advice can you offer? Can we help you in any way? I’d love to read your thoughts on the topic; feel free to share your thoughts here in the comments or tag me wherever you share them. If you choose to join in the conversation, don’t forget to include the #RPGaDay2025 hashtag so the community can find your contribution.
