TLDR: I ran 9 systems in 72 hours at a con and the only thing that made it possible was super helpful players. So I found my limit this weekend at a con when it comes to running too many systems. I was at Lugcon which was a brand new convention in Duluth Georgia by Level Up Games. Having run games at Origins and Gencon this year, it was a fun time being at a small con, that by the end I didn't need any introductions I had had each person as a player at least once prior. I had cold called (well in this case emailed) Lugcon off of their Table Top Events page, and we worked out a deal where I would be likely the only out of town DM that would be running enough games to earn a free hotel room. Since this is a game store putting on the con, we worked out offerings of games that they sell, and being the mad man I am I ran 9 different systems in 72 hours. If I was a smarter man I would have front loaded the systems that I knew the least about early, when I still had the energy, but Instead at my 8th game, which was lancer, I was tapped. I take a lot of pride in presenting not only a good narrative but a good tour of the rules in one shots. But Having run so many other games that weekend, all my instincts for Lancer were just wrong. I had forgotten how different the action economy was, and just generally was failing ( in my eyes) at presenting the rules. Then two of my players really stepped up. They helped other players get to know their various mechs well, and helped them work towards independence before the end of combat. It's a delicate balance between teaching a new player how to understand a system, and playing their character for them. I was really down on myself and then those two same players came to my final game as well. I think I ran Cyberpunk much better but it was still nagging at me that maybe I didn't do my best. That I should have presented a more confident , and competent experience. In reflection I realized I needed to give myself grace and know that even if i was only running a single system, and it was anything less than perfect, the players are there to help everyone have a good time as well. I think learning that being a good gm is not always being the ultimate rules authority but also being able to accept when you need help to keep the game going is the GM growth I didn't know I needed but was glad to expericne this weekend.

Need some input on how to handle world/campaign scale mysteries within the emergent campaign structure, specifically how to present them to players so that character goals can interact with them. My instinct is that mysteries/reveals would be treated like locations unless the curse has a specific goal and mechanism of action. Give the characters a problem statement about which they can ask why, but not the detailed cause. The 'locations' should not be questions but anchors to generate questions. I would love to hear stories about how you have handled it or if you are familiar with Season of Ghosts about how you suggest I handle it. [context with total spoilers for Season of Ghosts AP] In the adventure path we are playing the characters are residents of the town of willowshore that was the subject of a failed ritual attempting to stop a demon from emerging, which resulted in everyone in town being dead and their souls trapped in a mindscape where they have been repeating the same year for 100 years while the demon slowly gaining power. The players do not realize their characters are dead. In the first act, the characters fight of monster manifistation of the demon's influence, discover they are trapped within a wall of mists, and uncover clues suggesting something trapped beneath the monestary (demon) is responsible. In the second act they travel to the monestary and discover that the demon is close to breaking free, destroy it, and determine that it is not responsible for the mists. In the third act they discover that the governor was responsible for a ritual that caused this, break into his private mindscape, where they learn they are all undead and trapped in a mindscape, and that many of the horror themed manifistations are exorcists trying to get rid of their spirits. In the fourth/final act the characters fight off these exorcists, work to destroy the mindscape and release their souls, either to return to life or to pass on. So, yes, very reactionary, but in this case I don't think it makes sense to give the players the meta knowledge of the three big reveals. That said, these big reveals are the major climax and it would be nice if each were meaningful to the characters.

So I am working on collecting all of the sublicensable RPG systems I can. My goal for 2026 is to write as many hacks as possible. Planning on making lightweight versions with low/ not art and making them Pay What you want. These are the ones I have so far. Powered By The Apocalypse, Forged in the Dark, Carved From Brindlewood, Penned to Good Society, and Year Zero Engine. Do y'all have any suggestions for other games are built with open licensing in mind. Bonus if you can list both a game like this and your favorite spin off from that game!

I am sold on moving the games I GM to a more proactive style and I am lucky enough to have plenty of players that would like to play at my tables. My question is how do you get players on board with the proactive style? - Do you ask them to read the book? Just the first chapter? - Do you just discuss/pitch it at the table? - Do you suggest looking for players already on board or converting the players already in my orbit? Any thoughts or experiences are welcome.

Hey folks, I've got the chance to start running games again and I'm looking for advice on moving away from binary pass/ fail skill checks. I have tried toward the"Yes, but" style of managing a failed check, but coming up with consequences has been difficult and taxing on my working memory if lots of checks happen. Do you have any methods to prep ahead of time or make snap decisions?