GM 19
TTRPG Tools for GMs
The First Session Playbook
A warm, practical, system-neutral guide for brand-new Game Masters, from the first box of dice to an unforgettable first game night: prep in 60 minutes, running the table, first combat, improv tables, troubleshooting, plus fillable sheets.
- Players and time
- System-neutral; works with 5E starter sets and any fantasy RPG; reading time: chapters 1-5 about an hour; recommends 3-5 players and 3-4 hour sessions
- Pages
- 25
- Format
- A4 and US Letter
- Language
- English, Italian
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What's in the download
- Ch.1 So You're the Game Master (4 hats, what you are not, 3 promises)
- Ch.2 Before Game Night (adventure choice, invite template, 15-minute mini Session Zero, table setup, online play)
- Ch.3 Prep in 60 Minutes (8-step method, secrets instead of plot, worked example)
- Ch.4 Running the Game; Ch.5 Your First Combat (describing hits and misses)
- Ch.6 Improv Toolkit (d12 quirks, d20 names, d6 monster wants, d12 taverns, d10 rewards that aren't gold)
- Ch.7 When Things Go Sideways (8 common problems)
- 6 fillable sheets
Lines from the book
Somebody unwrapped a box of dice, looked around the room and said, "So… who's going to run it?" And here you are.
A ferry crossing where the ferryman takes payment in secrets, not coins.
The Quiet Owl. A silent teahouse where people talk on slates. Speaking aloud costs a copper.



