Grown-ups

🎙️ 10 tips for a kid's first time as game master

The game master tells the story and the players decide what their heroes do. These ten tips help a young game master run a first adventure that everyone wants to play again.

  1. Say "yes, and..."

    When a player tries something clever, let it work and add something: "Yes, you climb the tree, and you see smoke in the distance."

  2. Keep it short

    Forty-five minutes is plenty for a first adventure. End on a win.

  3. Give everyone a turn to shine

    Ask the quiet player: "What does your hero do?" Every hero should save the day once.

  4. Describe what heroes see, hear and smell

    "The cave smells of wet stone and something sweet" is better than "you're in a cave".

  5. Let the dice decide the hard thingsOurs

    Roll a d20: high is good, low is trouble. It keeps the game fair, even for the game master.

  6. Have a map, even a scribble

    A drawing on paper with an X helps players picture where they are.

  7. Make failures funny, not sad

    A failed jump lands a hero in a haystack, not off a cliff.

  8. Use voices

    A squeaky voice for the mouse, a booming one for the giant. Nobody minds if they're silly.

  9. Prepare three scenes, not a whole story

    A start, a problem and an ending. The players will fill in the rest.

  10. Finish with a reward

    Treasure, a medal, a new friend. Let each player say what their hero does with it.

Peabody's own list for young game masters; one links to the adventure dice. Checked 6 November 2026.

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