So you want to be a game master?

So....you want to be a game master?  First of all, good luck, you have decided to arm wrestle the troll that lives in your basement who doesn't pay rent.  You are god, you are in control of the metaphysical skin of the universe.  Now what?  You have, or will have a loyal group of  followers that are crazy enough to join you on this insane journey.  They will look to you for guidance, loot, entertainment, wenches, and insidious betrayal.  I bet you're not quite sure what to do.  Or you're very creative and you have every piece of know how in order to succeed.  Either way, this blog is for you. 
  The following ramblings will contain the wisdom of twenty five years of gaming.  I can tell you what worked for me, what didn't work, some basic steps of what type of games you can run.
  So why should you listen to me?  Exactly, you shouldn't.  I've fought the troll, many times, sometimes I've lost, sometimes I've won.  Sometimes the troll has brought friends.  What I'm trying to say is, take these words with a mountain of salt, define your own aesthetic.  Its a game, have fun, and play.
I guess  we should start with street cred.  Why should you listen to this old soldier?  I will start with proof of life as it were, the following are my current top five favorite games.  Any games that are mentioned are the property of the company, I just love their products and would like to work for them one day, because they have brain fucked me into joy more times than I can count. 

1.  Shadowrun- Have you ever wanted to be an elf with a cybernetic arm that could rip a car door from its hinges?  Did you ever want to be a mage with an automatic pistol, firing tines of lighting into an unsuspecting rent a guard who was stupid enough to believe you were a janitor?  Have you ever wanted to hack into a virtual computer world, steal data and fight off very deadly computer viruses, while they spam you with as much pain and porn as you can handle?  This is the game for you.  Shadowrun is a diverse world full of magic, cybernetics, dragons, guns, metal music, and mayhem.  You and your fellow shadowrunners must combat poverty through aggressive acquisitions, baseball practice with grenades, murder, theft, and sabotage.  With a wide variety of possibilities, running in the shadows is beyond rewarding.  As fun to play as it is to run.  I've run shadowrun on and off for ten years, and it is by far one of the greatest games ever made.  Currently can be found in its 5th edition, published by Catalyst studios. 

2.  Legend of the Five Rings- Set in feudal Japan, players take on a variety of roles. You can be a mighty samurai warrior, sworn to do his lord's bidding.  You can play a ninja who is after secret plans and trade agreements, leaving bloody corpses as the only evidence of his passing.  You can play an amorous noble, making everyone swoon at your beautiful poetry and gifts.  You can play a mighty shugenja, summoning elemental magics to heal your allies, and devastate your enemies.  L5R is a really great game with a unique rules system.  It is well balanced and has a rich history and culture surrounding it.  Currently found in its 4th edition by AEG.

3.  Vampire the Masquerade-  This was the first game that really opened my eyes to better storytelling.  Players take on the role of a fledgling vampire, desperately trying to find their way in a dangerous world of treachery and betrayal.  You might be a secretive Nosferatu, damned to a disgusting visage by the vampiric blood in their veins, forever spying for information.  You may be a beautiful Toreador, painting their pain on canvases, desperately seeking the approval of their peers.  Or were you an iconoclastic Brujah, using muscle and street connections to disrupt the local politics?  As an immortal, vampire is a unique gaming system.  This was my first true love.  If you want to start a game with political intrigue, please check out this game.

4.  Rogue Trader- Ever thought about being a space pirate with a ship the size of a city?  Who hasn't?  Rogue trader is an amazing game set in the universe of Warhammer 40K by games workshop.  Players take on the command crew of a massive ship, worming their way through space making trade deals, fighting alien scum, fleeing from the forces of chaos.  This game is crack, serious crack, and I don't mean bad crack, like power gaming crack, I mean it is an adrenaline piston firing  in your brain type of game- It is deadly, and amazing, and why am I not playing right now?!?!?!!  Right, cause its not Tuesday.  This is a game I haven't gotten to run yet, I've played it, and it will forever be one of my favorites.

5.The Fall- A post apocalyptic homebrew game, in which dying gods invest their power into mortal vessels, desperately trying to feed on what fleeting prayers the world has left.  Magic has returned, and magical creatures have erupted from their realms to hunt the rapidly dying population.  Twenty years ago, Loki turned the world engine to his own ends, creating a world wide blackout that is still going on.  Civilians are desperately trying to survive, scavenging for trinkets of power in a vast wasteland.  In this game, pc's can play a wide variety of creatures:  Vampires, werewolves, angels, demons, warlocks, demigods, soldiers, knights, or just people trying to survive.  Its a game I've run for about two years now.  You won't find the rules...sorry, but so far I love running this game.  Thanks to those who helped me develop it.

There are tons of other amazing games out there, these are just my current favorites.  In later entries, we will discuss what types of games you might want to play and why.  Anyways, if you've stumbled across this, and you want to learn a few things about storytelling, please follow.  If not, it was nice to meet you, always try to get your players to deal with a dragon, and always keep one deadly npc in reserve.