It’s New Gamemaster Month! All month, every Tuesday and Thursday, visit newgamemastermonth.com to read specially tailored articles to take you from “wannabe” to “am” as a Tales of the Valiant game master! (There are several other great RPGs there too! Try more than one!)
As a bonus and encouragement, we’re interviewing some new game masters in our Kobold Creates program. In this program, Kobold Press provides sponsorship funds for digital creators who create and stream their own content using the Tales of the Valiant RPG as a base, expanding in creative ways!
Today’s GM interview is with Chris Hays, on of Kobold Press’s organized play GMs, who runs games at conventions for us! (Do you want to an org play GM too? Sign up to apply here!)
During the day, I’m a traveling merchant bringing refreshment to the realms where I visit. In my off hours, you can find me behind the screen running games online and in person. I have run or played many versions of TTRPGs including Dungeons and Dragons (AD&D, 2nd, 3rd, and 5th editions), Pathfinder 1st and 2nd ed, and now the Tales of the Valiant RPG. My current campaign I’m running is Empire of the Ghouls, and I’m working on building out my personal campaign setting of Vorel-Mirr.
What got you interested in GMing?
What first got me into game mastering was the lack of a game master for our home group. No one else really wanted to do it. So, I took on the challenge, carved out a chunk of time, and jumped in feet first. The unlimited possibilities you can create in an RPG setting really spoke directly to my creative mind, and I haven’t looked back.
Do you make your own setting or use a published one? What’s your favorite thing you’ve created or added to a world?
My first campaign was a hybrid of the two. 2nd ed D&D has some incredible box set materials. So, I used “The Ruins of Undermountain” box set as a good jumping off point. This set came with huge poster maps of the whole area, but there were a ton of areas not covered in the adventure module, which let me use my creative juices to craft my own scenes for my players.
By far my favorite creation is Vorel-Mirr, my own campaign setting. You can find a write up and a brief overview of this world in the Guide to the Labyrinth from Kobold Press. [Ed. note: a great warmup for the Labyrinth Worldbook coming later this year . . . CLICK HERE to get the Labyrinth Preview for FREE!] I was overjoyed and humbled to have one of my creations selected and published.
What’s your favorite compliment you’ve ever gotten from a player?
Over the years I’ve had many compliments, ranging from the amount of effort I put into my game preparation to making others feel heard and welcome to my game. But, one stands out to me by far.
After running a game at a convention, I had one player stay after. As I was cleaning up my things and everyone else had left, they simply said to me, “Thanks, I needed that.” They had tears in their eyes and as we sat there talking for almost an hour, they told me their story, how much they were going through, and how that 4-hour game session helped them. You never know what others are going through, and you never know how running one game can really help someone else.
Did you ever feel burned out? What did you do around that feeling?
Of course, burning out is a real thing. The grind of scheduling, reading, researching, creating, story plots and tie-ins, and so on can really wear on you. Even more so if you’re running multiple games at the same time. Taking time off from the game has always worked well for me. Sometimes it’s a few weeks, other times I need a month or two. I’m very lucky to have a great group of players that are very understanding and supportive of what I need for me.
While away from the game, I do a couple of things to refuel and recharge. I’ll log on and play the classic MMO, EverQuest. That game has a ton of lore and adventure that help get my creative juices flowing. Also, I tend to watch a ton of isekai anime to get inspiration for my game.
What advice do you have for someone who is thinking about GMing?
Start. You’re not going to be perfect when you start, and that’s OK. The important thing is to get behind the screen and start running the game. I would start with a published module to make your preparation a bit easier. During your game, take notes on questions you and your players have, or things that came up during your game. Afterward, do a reflection on the game and work on things you think you need to improve on, and use them for your next game.
What’s a story from your first (or early) GMing experience?
I remember back to that first Undermountain campaign I ran. I was so green and new, and I wanted everyone to “like” me, so I was very hesitant to say no to any of the players. I gave those players everything they wanted, and they became very overpowered. It made the game hard to run. Well, if that first campaign taught me anything, it was to make sure you keep balance in your game. It’s fine to say yes to players, but it’s also ok to say no to them.
It’s even better to have a conversation about what they’re trying to do and what they want for their character. Bringing understanding to the table for the GM and the player, and working towards keeping the balance in the game, keeps the game enjoyable for everyone at the table.
What resources or other creators would you recommend to fellow GMs?
I highly recommend Mike Shea’s Sly Flourish website. His books are amazing at helping someone prepare to run games. He even has videos that go over his steps on how he prepares his games. He also has tools, articles and a newsletter that are all great resources.
The Kobold Press Blog is also a great resource for lore, information and creative articles that can really get your creative juices flowing. I’m a big fan of Shard VTT as well. I use it not only for games I’m running online, but also for my games at home. Its character builder for Tales of the Valiant is extremely well done and it makes running my games a lot easier.
Is there anything you’ve done that you’d like other people to see?
Nothing at this time, but there could be exciting things happening soon.
Read more at this site