We’re interviewing 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 Livi Rose, a Vtuber and game developer.
You can find me as LiviRoseGames on YouTube, Twitter, TikTok, Itch.io—anywhere, really. I love making games, be they video or tabletop. Both mediums have incredible design that is mostly untapped and figuring out how to translate the best of them into my GMing has made my table unforgettable. If you’re interested, I’ll definitely be yapping more about that on my YouTube channel. If you’d like a seat at my table, I’m also on StartPlaying and am always looking to play more games!
What got you interested in GMing?
I had a difficult time finding the games I wanted to play in and decided to take it upon myself! The games around me at the time were very combat-focused and I’d even be asked sometimes, “Stop wasting time so we can get to the boss fight already.”
That wasn’t my style and I knew TTRPGs had so much more storytelling potential than I was seeing in that one group so I was determined to run more RP-focused games myself.
Do you make your own setting or use a published one? What’s your favorite thing you’ve created or added to a world?
I love taking pre-established worlds and still being unafraid to mold them to fit the story my players and I are telling. Kobold Press’s Shadow Realm has been the stage for my home game for years now and it has been my utmost joy to turn the fey courts into a wild soap opera!
What’s your favorite compliment you’ve ever gotten from a player?
The word that touches my heart the most is “safe.” It encapsulates so much to me since sometimes I did not feel welcome or safe at tables. Now that I run my own games, player comfort is always my top priority.
Did you ever feel burned out? What did you do around that feeling?
Even playing a game we love, burnout can happen. I have noticed that mine usually stems from feeling unsure about how a session or entire campaign is received. The miracle I have found to combat this is Stars and Wishes, a form of aftercare where everyone shares their favorite moments and hopes for the future. It’s fantastic from a player’s perspective as well, hearing appreciation for something you did during the game, and, as a GM, it makes all the difference to know what other people are thinking about the game out of character. Wishes are also incredible since they can be hints of what to prep in the future!
What advice do you have for someone who is thinking about GMing?
If I had to give any advice other than, “Just do it!” it would have to be: Never forget that when you’re losing, you’re actually winning. Even though you control the enemies, you’re also the rest of the world and ultimately on the side of your players. You want them to succeed, but you’ll make them earn it.
You also don’t have to subtract health from a monster’s hit point total. You can [start at zero and] add damage until the total surpasses it, which is way easier. I wish I had realized that sooner.
What’s a story from your first (or early) GMing experience?
My first time GMing was arguably awful. I was convinced I’d never do it again. I wrote a one-shot based on an Elder Oblex, an intelligent ooze that can replicate and replace people, taking over a school. One whiff of sulfur and an object found slimy, and the mystery was blown wide open. I was too frazzled to stop them from barging into the final confrontation from there. It was a very anti-climactic showdown.
But, of course, I did GM again. Next time, I wrote an entire puzzle dungeon where I could celebrate players getting the correct answers instead of panicking over it. That had its own issues, but every mistake we make is something to learn and improve from! I honestly wish I had wasted less time being afraid.
What resources or other creators would you recommend to fellow GMs?
The media you love is the biggest resource; there is so much inspiration there. Yank and twist plot points or even NPCs, especially in an improv pinch. Creator-wise, Matthew Colville’s YouTube channel taught me how to run my first games, Pointy Hat has been a fantastic resource for worldbuilding, and Ginny Di inspires me in more ways than I could put here.
Is there anything you’ve done that you’d like other people to see?
I’m the GM for BardsOnBreak on YouTube. We share a campaign and some one-shots on YouTube that are really just my closest friends and I having a blast together. I wish more people saw it. Everyone does an incredible job, and my friends are hilarious and heart-wrenching all at the same time.
Read more at this site