Darth Oldius

I began gaming in ’86 with BECMI, Gamma World, and Marvel Superheroes and never looked back. I do not claim to have experience in every system, but I have played every edition of D&D but 4, much of Palladium, though that began as a D&D variant before OSR was a thing, Shadowrun, Star Wars D6, Champions, and more. Even systems we don’t use have things we can learn, even if it’s things not to do.

In a campaign, I view the game as the PCs’ story; they set the agenda and decide where to go and when. Often it is the GM’s world, but I still leave space for players to fill in. Collaboration at the table makes for a much better game.

Game tone is an important consideration for a table. I have loved mythology, particularly Greek, as long as I can remember. But I also grew up on old Scooby-Doo, so I prefer my monsters (demi-)human. As the GM, it is my responsibility to run the world and adjudicate PC senses. I will not try any gottcha moments; “There are no traps” means the thief did not find any; it is not a legalistic argument. Even where magic can influence mood, it is to the player to determine how. GM plotting against the PCs is likewise through the lens of whatever NPC the party has offended enough to warrant plot. The table is about all the players, GM included, having fun, not winning.

One-shots are slightly different as pre-gens are often an option and there is less interconnected worldbuilding. But, apart from aiming for fun, they are an opportunity for players and GM alike to decide if it is a workable arrangement for a campaign. So long as everyone obeys Wheaton’s Law, a simple “This is not the table for me” is a valid answer.

When I run Pax Deus, it is a gritty world with a lot of monsters running amok, but I do not care for grimdark. The PCs don’t have to be paragons, but I do like them to be heroes, to strive for a better world. As this is not grimdark, they can even succeed. That is not to say the PCs must oppose my BBEG; Pax Deus has many aspiring warlords whom the party can freely ignore.

Humor is part of life, so I aim for a tone somewhere near Mad Max or Lord of the Rings from a Steel Magnolias lens. Situations may be dire, but the light of humor may still shine.