One of the big points of learning that I’ve experienced in recent weeks is that designing scenarios leads to less anxiety at the table when I run as a GM. It also turns out that I enjoy the act of scenario design in its own right, an insight that I’ve been helped towards realising by the Angry GM.

A few weeks ago, I ran a one-shot scenario for a new player coming to try out roleplaying with the Nottingham face-to-face group. Needing to work quickly, I grabbed the Angry GM’s series on brewing up a simple campaign and used that to kickstart my game prep. The advice was great and the game ran pretty well.

That scenario got run three times over the past few weeks. It also got re-written in three versions: the original for Basic Fantasy RPG; a version using Dungeoneer (1989); a version using GURPS Third Edition (1989). The scenario was great each time and I learned how easy it is to swap out rules mechanisms for each game.

The largest insight came reflecting on the past year of running games where I didn’t use many scenarios – homebrew or published – and instead leaned into quick prep and improvisation at the table. While the game lasted a year or more, the anxiety was intense and ultimately the campaign unravelled into incoherence.

Going forward, I intend to learn from this experience and prep scenarios prior to running sessions. I discovered that I enjoy designing them and it is less stressful at the gaming table. Experiments with published scenarios have taught me that I have the most enjoyment when I write my own homebrew stuff.

Separating these acts – the scenario design and the running of the game – has proven the best solution. Wearing the scenario designer’s hat is a very different mode of thought and experience than wearing the GM’s hat at session. I find that separation of roles beneficial.

As I envision a new campaign with the Nottingham Roleplayers, I’ve decided to write the first scenario as quickly as possible and then to block out creative time to write the next one. While I find it difficult to muster mental energy alongside a busy job, the big decision has been to prioritise my role as scenario designer.

Game on!