I agree it was fun to have hear about peoples worlds and talk about them. (My apologies for my connecton issues) I did wish the session went on longer because we only really scratched the surface of each of the two main GMS world that I think longer (or perhaps more frequent) events would be super fun to set-up. (happy to do so!). Mark your world was fascinating and in depth and it would be so fun to jump into a session of yours but let me address some of the points you brought up. 1. I think the goals of players will be ever shifting. If you want group cohesion, having a group goal is the key thing. But this may be pedantic and you are probably refering to the group to which I would say dont hold back all your big reveals. If you need to kill the(X) or the destroy the (Y) just do it. What might happen organically is a new goal that follows from the reprocussion of what and how the previous goal resolved. As a player, I always found that GMs kept too many secrets close to the chest and due to the nature of people schedules a party would never get around to a big end 'goal' moment because life would get in the way. Goals (GM, player or otherwise) can be session specific if paced accordingly imho. 2. I have a little bit of a problem with 'leveling up' systems. They certainly are fun but really they are something of an illusion since all the baddies just get stronger too. So maybe I should just say away from this query and let someone else get in there. In the end: do you need levels? What are they doing for your story? Providing time-jumps? complexity? etc 3. Love the idea of making her a bad-ass. I also like the idea (as I eluded to on the stream) of just changing the threat week to week (ala Monster of the Week) these stories could come to mean something to a form a motivation for the big bad, or to take an alternate way in, you tie the magic child's capabilities innately with a player(s) character up to even including hit point sharing. Like if the magic girl is weakend maybe the magic users spells are too. Mechanical motivation ftw!

@Eric Person Agree with the length exposition bit, but who doesnt love a villian monologue? Especially when they can try to shoot an fireball/have the thief character sneak around back and give him a good 'what-have-you' while he is doing so and so near to the end as well/. :)

A potential 'fix' to re-rolls/hero-points that can make both parties happy could be the yes, but, no and hero point/re-roll.. I.e. yes..you CAN make a re-rolll BUT if you fail again the outcome is worse. OR. You can accept the failure now (rather than a cheeky get out of jail free card) AND as a reward you get something for free: xp, an item, whateva fits your story. This can even be gamified by giving players a set of cards of ranging (SUCCESS/FAIL) on a spectrum that they shuffle (or choose) to play on their turn instead of rolling and the outcomes are narrated. More mechanically strict games can have these cards labaled something like : brililant succes: +5 to next roll, -5 to next skill check. etc etc

I am very interested in this/being a guest. Have all the positions been scooped up already?

I think he is entirely correct. Id go one step further and if you have a system (or home-brew) that account for character motivation at scale. You can simply allow the play to 'yes, and' or 'yes but' the GM with further information that they know but the GM didnt consider and now has to as part of the reward for a good roll, espeically of there is a secondary locale, inspiration, insight , whatever you wanna call it roll. Some GMs dont like giving up that power to their story. but ive never seen it go badly. in fact, I love it because it gets me as GM to also think on my feet and then often I can take the suggestions the players have just made (often to give themselves and edge). 'oh the catapults are magically infused' with an enemy counter ('upon the battle fiend you see the Tactics mages who now begin casting an area effect to cripple the catapults (nuauce: that were working fine but now cant because they have been blocked). note: I realize this example makes it seems like im punishing my players. This is as far from the truth in my opinion. Im just failiing to mention all the times they then use their ideas to push the narrative forward and feel even better for thwarting a villain they (in a sense) they have created. Boom

Sometime a good pick up and go game are the old, death room dungeons (i.e. tomb or horrors) buuuuuutttt....and hear me out here. You reframe the dungeon as a one shot for modern role-players. One way to do these things is like this:. Prelude: A big ol' powerful wizard rolls in mustache twirling (whateva) hearing of a few 'think they know it all' adventurers in town (the players of course) he meets up with them for a pint and then poof, they are spirited away to a wizard dungeon/prison (call it something cool: like Oubliette from French/or labyrynth) and the players have to escape from it. Session goal established quickly and your off to the races. THEN., all the puzzles are much color by number, look up the room if they get to it, have them roll a bunch of save or dies (i mean how often do we get to do that in modern rpg). TWIST: Any player that actually dies doesnt actually die but the Jumanji respawn with a mild penalty (reduced max hit points_? perhaps something more narrative that shows they have lost a bit of their soul to wizards trap etc) and you just plug through the dungeon that way. No prep, fun memorable adventure, Aaaaand players get to walk away feeling like they just played a classic.