How Can I Get Started NOW?

Hi, and welcome to the New Gamemaster Month program! New Gamemaster Month is January, and we’ll have our first session on January 9th. Why not right at the start of the month? Well, some people are still recovering from the holidays, or are super-busy returning to work or school. Others need a few days to settle into their New Year’s resolutions—becoming a GM might be one of them. And the 9th gives us plenty of time in January to run through the program, with the final session on February 1st—leading straight into the weekend of February 2nd, which is when you’ll run your first game!

(That’s exciting—and maybe a bit scary. Don’t worry, we’re going to do everything you need to get you fully prepared. You’ll have a great time!)

OK, but it’s not January 9th yet, and you’re keen to get started. What can you do now? Here’s a quick list.

  • Choose the game you’d like to run. There are several publishers participating this year, which means you can choose between several different RPGs. Regardless of which you choose, you’ll get step-by-step, specific instructions to prepare for that game. Which should you choose? Pick one that you’ve played before, or that you’re already a fan of, or that appeals to your passions. You can find links to the games on the New Gamemaster Month home page.
  • Join the New Gamemaster Month Discord Server. This is a great place to talk to other prospective GMs, folk who have done this program in years past, and loads of experienced GMs who are on hand to answer questions and provide support and encouragement.
  • Have a quick look at this web page (the one you’re reading right now). See those tabs just below this list? Feel free to click any of them. This is how each session of the program will be formatted: A general GMing lesson up here, where you’re currently reading, with great advice on the GMing process that applies to any game. Then tabs down below for each of the participating games, with specific instructions for preparing to run that game.
  • Put January 9th on your calendar, so you’ll remember to return for the first session. And subscribe to the site (down at the bottom of this page), so you’ll get an update when each session is posted!
  • Tell your friends! Post a link on Facebook, Twitter, or wherever you socialize. Let people know about New Gamemaster Month. The more people who participate, the more GMs we’ll have out in the world!

If Numenera is your game of choice, this is where you’ll find specific instructions, each session, to prepare you for running your first game. If you’d like to know more about Numenera, check out the Numenera website.

You’ll need a copy of Numenera Discovery for New Gamemaster Month. You can get it wherever you buy roleplaying games. If you purchase from the MCG Shop, you can get $10 off by using this coupon code at checkout: NewGamemasterMonth2024. It’s good for Numenera Discovery in print or PDF, or for the Numenera Corebook Slipcase Set (which includes Numenera Discovery along with its companion corebook, Numenera Destiny).

If Unknown Armies is your game of choice, this is where you’ll find specific instructions, each session, to prepare you for running your first game. If you’d like to know more about Unknown Armies, check out the Atlas Games website.

If Trail of Cthulhu is your game of choice, this is where you’ll find specific instructions, each session, to prepare you for running your first game. If you’d like to know more about Trail of Cthulhu, check out the Pelgrane Press website.

You’ll need a copy of Trail of Cthulhu for New Gamemaster Month. You can get it wherever you buy roleplaying games. If you purchase from the Pelgrane Press store, you can get $10 off by using this coupon code at checkout: NewGamemasterMonth2024.

If RuneQuest is your game of choice, this is where you’ll find specific instructions, each session, to prepare you for running your first game. If you’d like to know more about RuneQuest, check out the Chaosium website.

You’ll need a copy of the RuneQuest Starter Set or RuneQuest core rules for New Gamemaster Month. You can get these titles wherever you buy roleplaying games. If you purchase from Chaosium.com, you will get 10% off your total order by using coupon code at checkout: NewGamemasterMonth2024. The code is valid through to 1 February 2024, and can be used once per customer.

If Monster of the Week is your game of choice, this is where you’ll find specific instructions, each session, to prepare you for running your first game. If you’d like to know more about Monster of the Week, check out the Evil Hat Productions website.

If Delta Green is your game of choice, this is where you’ll find specific instructions, each session, to prepare you for running your first game. If you’d like to know more about Delta Green, check out the Delta Green website.

You’ll need a copy of Delta Green: Need to Know, the free quickstart rules that include an introductory scenario. Delta Green: The Role-Playing Game, a slipcase set with two hardback volumes, is available in stores worldwide. You can get it from the Arc Dream Publishing online store at $10 off during New Gamemaster Month by using the coupon code NewGamemasterMonth2024 at checkout.

See you back here in January!

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PARTICIPATING TEAMS

EVIL HAT

Turning passion into great games for more than 10 years, Evil Hat Productions publishes critically-acclaimed titles including Fate, Blades In The Dark, Monster of the Week, the Dresden Files RPG, and forthcoming Thirsty Sword Lesbians. We’re committed to transparency, inclusivity, and top-notch customer service. From the feel of the book in your hands to the thrills and suspense that arise when the dice hit the table, we’re here to deliver a great gaming experience.

ARC Dream

Blame Arc Dream Publishing for Delta Green, a roleplaying game about a conspiracy of modern investigators desperately struggling to save people from unspeakable cosmic horrors. Delta Green has been winning industry awards for nearly 30 years and is more successful now than ever. Arc Dream publishes many other games about deadly suspense and the terrible risks of courage: the World War II superhero RPG Godlike, Wild Talents, Better Angels, Monsters and Other Childish Things, and more.

Chaosium

The Chaosium was founded by visionary game designer Greg Stafford in 1975. For more than forty years, Chaosium has captivated gamers, readers and mythic adventurers worldwide. Its award-winning roleplaying games, board games and fiction have been acclaimed as some of the most engaging and innovative of all time. Our RPG lines use the d100 Basic Role Playing system (BRP). Once you’ve learned to play one of these games, you’ve learned to play the others.

Pelgrane Press

Pelgrane Press publishes character-focused, story-driven RPGs. Our GUMSHOE system enables collaborative mystery-solving RPGs, as seen in the 1930s mythos Trail of Cthulhu, the spies-vs-vampires thriller Night’s Black Agents, and the sword & sorcery Swords of the Serpentine. Our DramaSystem facilitates affecting dramatic interactions between characters, as do our RPG anthologies, #Feminism, Seven Wonders, and Honey & Hot Wax. 13th Age is our epic d20 fantasy RPG, which weaves characters’ backgrounds and unique traits together for engaging, heroic adventures.

Atlas Games

Atlas Games is a publisher of award-winning card, board, and roleplaying games like Ars Magica, Feng Shui, Unknown Armies, Gloom, and Once Upon a Time. Since 1990, we’ve delivered some of the most fun and widely respected games in the tabletop hobby.

Monte Cook Games

At Monte Cook Games, we love the power of imagination. We love to build stirring vistas, craft great stories, and inspire dreams of other worlds. Our all-star team combines sweeping visions with premium art, storytelling, and design to bring you high-quality, innovative tabletop RPGs such as Numenera, Invisible Sun, the Cypher System, and our family RPG No Thank You, Evil!.

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