The Serious GM
@seriousgm.bsky.social
Game Master, liking PF2, D&D 4e and GURPS especially. I prefer games to be taken seriously.
Despite being a great fan of the Pathfinder 2 system and setting, I recently feel that the magic in it is probably not really feeling like magic to me. It is...not terrifying enough.
I don't mean the eternal "casters are underpowered" discourse. I think that the magic is too tame.
I don't mean the eternal "casters are underpowered" discourse. I think that the magic is too tame.
May 19, 2025 at 9:00 AM
Despite being a great fan of the Pathfinder 2 system and setting, I recently feel that the magic in it is probably not really feeling like magic to me. It is...not terrifying enough.
I don't mean the eternal "casters are underpowered" discourse. I think that the magic is too tame.
I don't mean the eternal "casters are underpowered" discourse. I think that the magic is too tame.
I think that the genre makes this inevitable, to a degree - and it creates a sort of treadmill.
The basic process goes roughly as follows:
The basic process goes roughly as follows:
A lot of de-colonializing of fantasy keeps running into this exact issue and it's always really funny. Orcs are your enemy, but also this is all a regretful tragedy we the writer disagree with, but also the story needs to go forward so we will not mention this again.
just remembered in ff16 the first enemies you fight are goblins, who you only ever see as evil little creatures of darkness who must be purged for the humans to reclaim the land, but then a lore thing pops up explaining "actually these aren't inherently evil beasts and have a sophisicated culture"
May 6, 2025 at 2:39 PM
I think that the genre makes this inevitable, to a degree - and it creates a sort of treadmill.
The basic process goes roughly as follows:
The basic process goes roughly as follows:
Reposted by The Serious GM
A lot of de-colonializing of fantasy keeps running into this exact issue and it's always really funny. Orcs are your enemy, but also this is all a regretful tragedy we the writer disagree with, but also the story needs to go forward so we will not mention this again.
just remembered in ff16 the first enemies you fight are goblins, who you only ever see as evil little creatures of darkness who must be purged for the humans to reclaim the land, but then a lore thing pops up explaining "actually these aren't inherently evil beasts and have a sophisicated culture"
May 6, 2025 at 10:59 AM
A lot of de-colonializing of fantasy keeps running into this exact issue and it's always really funny. Orcs are your enemy, but also this is all a regretful tragedy we the writer disagree with, but also the story needs to go forward so we will not mention this again.
I find the notion that Game Masters should follow every single idea of the players a bit strange.
There is a difference between following an unconventional approach to a given problem (say, trying to paradrop into the BBEGs tower from the back of an allied dragon) and...
1/
There is a difference between following an unconventional approach to a given problem (say, trying to paradrop into the BBEGs tower from the back of an allied dragon) and...
1/
February 12, 2024 at 10:24 AM
I find the notion that Game Masters should follow every single idea of the players a bit strange.
There is a difference between following an unconventional approach to a given problem (say, trying to paradrop into the BBEGs tower from the back of an allied dragon) and...
1/
There is a difference between following an unconventional approach to a given problem (say, trying to paradrop into the BBEGs tower from the back of an allied dragon) and...
1/
Just read a RPG horror story where the players casually murdered a NPC joke character.
My diagnosis of the underlying issue: players and GM weren't on the same page on tone. The players didn't like having joke NPCs and rebelled against a perceived railroad. The GM now thinks of them as murderhobos.
My diagnosis of the underlying issue: players and GM weren't on the same page on tone. The players didn't like having joke NPCs and rebelled against a perceived railroad. The GM now thinks of them as murderhobos.
January 2, 2024 at 9:38 AM
Just read a RPG horror story where the players casually murdered a NPC joke character.
My diagnosis of the underlying issue: players and GM weren't on the same page on tone. The players didn't like having joke NPCs and rebelled against a perceived railroad. The GM now thinks of them as murderhobos.
My diagnosis of the underlying issue: players and GM weren't on the same page on tone. The players didn't like having joke NPCs and rebelled against a perceived railroad. The GM now thinks of them as murderhobos.
One of key questions of today's session will be... will the dwarf fighter('s player) be able to resist the temptation to pick up the grave knight's armor, weapon and shield?
December 20, 2023 at 10:02 AM
One of key questions of today's session will be... will the dwarf fighter('s player) be able to resist the temptation to pick up the grave knight's armor, weapon and shield?
Players got enough XP to level up (waltzing through level five in two sessions). Withdrew to safe area to level up.
Dungeon is now somewhat repopulated with fine and exciting monsters, complications are prepared. It awaits foolish crawlers...
Wednesday can't come soon enough.
#pf2
#ttrpg
#rpg
Dungeon is now somewhat repopulated with fine and exciting monsters, complications are prepared. It awaits foolish crawlers...
Wednesday can't come soon enough.
#pf2
#ttrpg
#rpg
December 17, 2023 at 6:26 PM
When you play a TTRPG, strive for a consistent tone.
A joke character can ruin even a light-hearted game, and most definitely will ruin a serious one.
Similarly, a completely serious character will clash with an unserious joke game.
Talk about the tone you strive for.
A joke character can ruin even a light-hearted game, and most definitely will ruin a serious one.
Similarly, a completely serious character will clash with an unserious joke game.
Talk about the tone you strive for.
December 15, 2023 at 2:51 PM
When you play a TTRPG, strive for a consistent tone.
A joke character can ruin even a light-hearted game, and most definitely will ruin a serious one.
Similarly, a completely serious character will clash with an unserious joke game.
Talk about the tone you strive for.
A joke character can ruin even a light-hearted game, and most definitely will ruin a serious one.
Similarly, a completely serious character will clash with an unserious joke game.
Talk about the tone you strive for.
In one of the RPG subreddits, the OP tells that another player declined to use an available option to win against a BBEG. The subreddit gathers against the OP - and I am baffled. Isn't letting the BBEG go for "story reasons" not really bad metagaming? Role-playing should include playing for a goal.
December 10, 2023 at 11:41 PM
In one of the RPG subreddits, the OP tells that another player declined to use an available option to win against a BBEG. The subreddit gathers against the OP - and I am baffled. Isn't letting the BBEG go for "story reasons" not really bad metagaming? Role-playing should include playing for a goal.