​This weekend we held our fourth Gauntlet Community Open Gaming event. It’s a free online ttrpg convention aimed at new players to get them to try out online play, seeing new story games, and learn about the play culture at The Gauntlet.

Though I’m the Gauntlet Community Manager, I didn't come up with this concept. When the pandemic and lockdown started many community members talked about a problem they saw coming. Lots of ttrpg players would be losing their face to face groups and either quitting or transitioning to online play. Several folks wanted us to come up with a way The Gauntlet could help.

After some discussion we settled on an event to help onboard folks to online play. We would build on the tools, experience, and resources we’d developed in running three yearly online conventions—Gauntlet Con. It would be much smaller scale, 2-3 dozen sessions, and totally free. Community members would limit their own play sign-ups in order to give new folks a chance to register. We also changed how we handle invitations to our Gauntlet Slack, where we talk about the games we play on our calendar. Now we would offer invites to anyone who has played with us once (in addition to joining via our Patreon).
 
This last week was our fourth GCOG and these events have come to replace Gauntlet Con in our community. Over the course of doing these we’ve learned several lessons. Some of this echoes our discussion on the Gauntlet Podcast episode How to Run an Online Convention but I wanted to have it in another format for those who prefer written to audio approaches.
 
I also want to stress this is the fruits of multiple people’s labor, not even significantly my own. This event runs well only because of the efforts, contributions, and insights of multiple people in the community.
 
SO YOU HAVE AN ONLINE CONVENTION
I can’t tell you how to market your con, we’re still trying to figure out the best strategies beyond Twitter, Facebook, our Forums, and generally asking folks to retweet. But there are some things you need to have ready and accessible.

Beyond the basics of time, date, etc you need to clear state your community guidelines and standards in your material and on your website. What kind of behavior’s prohibited? What kinds of safety tools do you expect games to use? And importantly how do people report problems? Ideally you should identify for people at least two clear channels to talk to someone. We have a community email for reporting issues (before, during, and after the con) as well as a Help Desk team on our Discord during the event. Make it clear you take that seriously.

The only people turned off by a solid code of conduct are folks you didn’t want. And if you don’t have policies in place, or they look like lip service, there are good players who won’t come. Last year we saw several online cons where folks in our community wanted to attend or help out at, but their site lacked any statement about behavior or a reporting system.

If you’re calling for game facilitators here's what you need to tell them at the start:

• Any restrictions on what they can run
• Any requirements for running (use of safety tools, membership, etc)
• Any limits on number of sessions run
• Slot times and dates
• How they post sessions
• How they fix issues with their postings
• How they can cancel their sessions
• Deadlines and registration dates
• How they’ll be contacted with their event info

We typically call for event submissions 2-3 months out. We do a small con so my minimum number of posted sessions is two dozen. If we don’t have that many a couple of weeks before registration opens, then I make an additional call for volunteers. I check a week out from registration and if we don’t have enough, I’ll cancel the event. Given that we’re a purely voluntary organization, I don’t want to burn out community members. Since we only draw GMs from that pool, not having as many event submissions is a good indicator that we’re doing them too often.
 
CONTACTING YOUR GAME FACILITATORS
10-14 days out from the first day of the event I send an email to all the game facilitators. I send this BCC—it's important to openly send everyone’s address. Ten days out is the smallest window for this—you need to give game facilitators a reminder and give them time to get their shit together. This is especially true if you had event registrations further out. They may have forgotten what they signed up for and/or their schedule may have changed.

Here is the email I send out to game facilitators:
Thanks to everyone for putting events up for Gauntlet Community Open Gaming. We’ve had a good response; lots of games have filled and we still have seats in some. If you’re looking for players feel free to push and advertise in other places (Discords, RPGGeek, Facebook, etc).

Here are the basics for this event.

• Our handbook with all of this in more detail: https://sites.google.com/view/gcog
• The new Discord we will be using (INSERT LINK)
• Resources folder: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/11kvNX8LzFPLODGgnbXXGTOJ0bieDCfeF

You’ll find all the game facilitator procedures here, (https://sites.google.com/view/gcog/gming-games?). Please read over that. I’ll go over key things you should be doing right now.

Please send your players a set up & introduction email at least a week out from your session. 
You can find the emails of persons in your game by going to your event page, clicking on Event Creator Controls, and choosing Show Emails. Make sure you BCC your players. Keep an eye on your event to watch for drops & folks moving up from the waitlist.

In that email:

• Give the premise of the game again.
• Say what meeting app you’re going to use (jitsi, Zoom, Hangouts/Meet, Skype, or something else.) Also say if you plan to ask the players to let you record the session.
• Share the link for whatever resources you have prepared: character sheets, references, etc.
• Give them the link for the handbook and discord (see above).
• Tell the players that you will send them a link for the meeting/session 15 minutes before the session. Alternately: if your meeting app supports scheduling a meeting and generating a link ahead of time, give that out now. If they have problems getting in, players can ping #mustering-point on Discord at the time of the event.
• If they have problems during the event, they can contact gauntletcommunity@gmail.com or post on #helpdesk on the Discord.  
• Ask them to review the Handbook site. Especially suggest they check out the Gauntlet Code of Conduct.

If you have questions before the event you can email me or gauntletcommunity@gmail.com. If you have issues during the event you can check in with the help desk or email gauntletcommunity@gmail.com. 

OTHER CONSIDERATIONS

1. If your game doesn't fill, you can cancel (or change time/game being run). I'd ask that you wait until the week of 6/21 to cancel a session. If you have any players signed up, make sure to tell them about the cancellation. Also give me a heads up. If you have to cancel after the start of the convention, make sure to tell the Help Desk on Discord. They can see about getting folks into other sessions. 
2. Checking in with the Help Desk before your session is useful-- it lets them confirm you're there and ready. 
3. You may have new players (to the Gauntlet, to online gaming, to the system). Make sure to check in with them about their knowledge and be ready to teach them. 
4. Anyone who plays with us is eligible to join our Slack. I encourage you to check in with your players to see if they're on there. If they aren't and want to be, get me their email and I'll add them. 
5. If any of your players might be interested in joining the Gauntlet but have barriers for entry (like financial hardship), point them to our Gauntlet Gameway program. https://www.gauntlet-rpg.com/gauntlet-gameway.html. It gives free priority RSVP access to members of marginalized communities (LGBTQ, PoC, women, etc) and those who can't afford the Patron sponsorship. 

Thanks so much for pitching in on this event. We’ll be putting together a survey for you and attendees. I’ll send that out the week after the event.
If you have questions, please send them on!​

ON PLAYERS
As you can see, we have the game facilitators as the main point of contact to the players. Pushing them to send an email a week out from their event is hugely important. Player will have forgotten they signed up, or their schedule has changed, or they moved up from a waitlist, or they hadn’t heard anything and assumed the game wasn’t actually happening. The closer to the start date the facilitator sends the email, the more problems and chance for panic.

Note: this means that it’s super important whatever system you have lets facilitators quickly and easily get the contact info for their players—in real time if there are drops and adds. Automate this if at all possible so you aren’t fielding constant inquiries or having folks not get contacted.

The email above gives lots of information to players, but you also have to have another channel for contact—especially if a game facilitator has problems and doesn’t. On your website you need to repeat this information and tell players that they will be contacted—if they aren’t by X date, they should contact someone managing the event. If you have a website, like Discord, being used to arrange the event, make sure the information’s there so people can go there if they have issues. Have all this in a couple of places (on the main website and on a distinct manual page).

If you have folks on waitlists for events, you also need to tell them what to expect. For example, we don’t ask that the GM contacts players on the waitlist with their set up email. That’s a conscious choice. We suggest that waitlist folks keep an eye on that and if they get into an event, to drop from any other waitlists they have during the same slot.

PANELS AND GUESTS
The same necessary information should be sent to any panelists and guests at least a week out. Identify the format of the talk, what the topics will cover, when it's happening, how they will be given a link for the meeting, who their contact person is, if it will be recorded/streamed, and how they can best share publicity about the talk. 
 
WE HAVE TO TALK ABOUT GOOGLE
We had a new issue pop up with this weekend's Gauntlet Community Open Gaming. Lots of emails from the GMs to their players got sent to spam. This hadn’t happened in any of our previous events. That suggests something has changed with the algorithm or we managed to hit some arbitrary reporting limit. I’m unsure.

We’re going to try to figure that out. Is it because the emails are BCC, that they come from a previously unknown address, or that the email contains multiple links. I’m not sure exactly how we test that.

It does mean that for our next event, we’re going to try to set up more redundancies: a place on the site that says what to do if they haven’t gotten an email from the GM, a note in the confirmation email on sign up that tells them to check their spam filter, or something else. Regardless in your event planning you should consider what to do if that communication line breaks down.

DURING THE EVENT

• As I said above, during your event have both moderators and a clear process for folks to contact them with issues. Check in with your moderation and admin staff to check if they need anything. Ideally give them the information and access to make decisions. Be ready to help out and support their work.
• We use set time slots for our games. That has a couple of functions. First, we have a built-in break time between slots. That lets folks catch their breath and not have to worry about having back to back games without a break. It reduces burn out for players, GMs, and the support team. Second, it means that while there might be games running in the same slot, we don’t have overlap. Players don’t have to worry about a session running over into another one. Third, it offers structural clarity. It’s easy for players and GMs to see when things are happening.
• For the most part game facilitators email their players a link to the session just before it starts (within an hour). We back that up by having a “mustering point” in the Discord. In parallel with the email, the facilitator posts that they’re getting ready and may even post the event link as well. This has two purposes. First, it gives an opportunity for players who may have missed the email. Second, it’s a check-in with the support staff so they know the game facilitator’s there and where to direct questions.
• The biggest issue we have for the convention is cancellations. Player cancellations are usually a minor issue. These only impact a few games. But game facilitator cancellations require more management. This year we had more of those than normal. A couple came about due to not having enough players. The GMs knew to remove those from the schedule and contact the players they had signed up.
• But we also had cancellations due to weather and personal situations. You have to work that into your thinking about # of games on offer. It’s why two dozen sessions is a hard minimum for me. I expect 10-20% event cancellation rate. Even with that you want to have a good number of events going. One possibility is to have stand-by events ready, but we’ve never tried that. What’s most important is that game facilitators communicate their cancellations to the support staff ASAP. They may be able to shift players into other sessions.
• This time we borrowed an idea from Paul Beakley of the Indie Game Reading Club. They had done a Sunday evening debrief meeting at the end of their con to chill, take feedback, and talk about things everyone had dug. We did that and it was a strong success. We had about a dozen and a half folks there, players and game facilitators, new and old, and we talked for a little under an hour. We got great feedback and folks gave lots of shout outs to great play during the con. 

LAST THOUGHTS
If you have questions or suggestions about this, please drop them in the comments or message us at gauntletcommunity@gmail.com. If you're working on an event, your welcome to use any of our materials as a model-- our handbook, contact email, policies, etc. ​

The School Campaign: Examples from Libri Vidicos
To follow up from my last post on doing school-based campaigns, I present a few examples of materials from our Libri Vidicos campaign, beginning with materials given to first year students and then contrasting that next post with the materials given to the players recently as they entered the third year. Below was their welcome to the school and list of classes when they first began the campaign. 

A Welcome and Instruction to Incoming Students
Now that you have accepted entry into the Libri Vidicos, you must prepare yourself for your first term. Transport will be arranged for you. You will receive a notice detailing the time and place where you must be in order to meet our representative. If you are not there your chance will have passed and memory of this will also leave you.

You must pack the following:
At least three shirts; three pairs of pants, trousers or modest dresses; one pair of shoes; one pair of boots; one belt; appropriate lacing and undergarments. Dress for modest seasons. Winter garments will be provided to you as well as a house cloak and jacket. You will be gone for some time, and while there will be opportunities to purchase some goods, you should pack to the best of what little common sense you may have. The school does have a seamstress, cobbler and such who can make repairs as are necessary. However, you do not want to place yourself at the mercy of their schedule and as such I suggest everyone bring a sewing kit or somesuch thing.

You must bring one hat. It should be a good hat—stout, clean and presentable. Shoddy or poorly maintained hats are unacceptable.

The following four books are required and will be provided to you with the cost coming from your stipend and deposit. You may bring your own copies so as to avoid this charge. Note that editions with lewd illustrations will be confiscated.
• Odovore's History of the Ancient World, Volume I—The Early Makistaanus.
• Fortiger's translation of the Makistaanus, Book One: Flaemish Ascendant
• Chereloft's Gentleman's Guide to Rhetoric and Right Speaking
• Book One of the Alginiad, Introductory Calculations and Proofs

You may bring a dueling blade with you. It will be given over to the Armsmaster upon your arrival and may only be used in the appropriate courses. Hidden weapons, spring blades, volters of any kind, blowguns, katars, hand crossbows, slingshots, poisoned needles, bows, warhammers, books cut out and weighted with the intent of causing bodily injury, hand axes, artificial claws, Godkicking boots, and any other weapon or device of lethality no mentioned before this are not to be brought. If they are discovered, they will be confiscated and perhaps used upon your person.

Magical items of utility may be brought and kept. Magic items intended to harm another person either deliberately or through inaction will be confiscated. Magic items created for the sole purpose of cheating on examinations are also not approved. Each year we enjoy finding and confiscating said items and selling them to third parties to pay for tea cozies in the instructor's lounge.

You may bring food. It is highly recommended that such food be of a non-perishable nature. You will be allowed up to one care package from home every sixty days. Food stuffs which can generally be considered noxious or be classified as a weapon will be taken away.

I have been advised by certain parties to state that if you are currently used to a comfortable life we highly recommend you bring your own pillows, blanket and sheets. Myself, I find complaints upon the subject spurious and a waste of my time.

You may bring what you can carry in a modest steamer truck and one largish pack. You can stuff what you want in your pockets as well, I don't care. Keep in mind that you will be required to carry your baggage yourself at some points. Pack accordingly. Advanced Robots, Slave Demons, Ghostly Servants, and the like are not permitted. So are butlers and the like. Ladies may wish to impose on the kindness and chivalry of their fellow students, but I wouldn't bank on it.

By this time you have undoubtedly selected the three people who will know about your time at the Libri Vidicos. You have had them sign the document of binding so that you can spill your story to them. Remind them that they cannot speak of the Libri Vidicos directly to others not so bound. Remind them that we've have years to perfect this binding. Remind them that this year we've added new and inventive curses for those who attempt to remove the spell. If one of the three people you've chosen has already attempted this, then you need to select a better class of friends.

Joining the Libri Vidicos is an honor and a great opportunity. You have accepted that challenge and agree to be bound by our rules. Should you violate those rules or this trust, you will be returned to your home with little or no memory of your grand and glorious time at the school. Additionally you will be charged a fee for the expense of sending you back.
The course list for incoming first-year students at the Libri Vidicos as prepared by the Grandmaster (with the consultation of appropriate instructors as their schedule and temperament permitted.)

BASIC CLASS LIST
Each incoming first year student will be required to take five basic courses. This schedule will be maintained without exception.
Classical Civilization from the Dawn of Time
If we are to avoid the mistakes of the past, it is necessary that students understand what those mistakes were. Then students can come up with entirely new realms of error and misjudgment to call their own. This course will begin with the details of the earliest pre-civilizations working forward to examine the culture, developments and legacies of the Golden Age of Makistani civilization. 

Students will be expected to learn and be able to translate classical passages, quote from the expert orators, and be able to tell the difference between various forms of architecture. If anything else manages to penetrate the minds of first-years students, the instructor will consider himself lucky.

Numerical Philosophy
Numbers present a way of reading and organizing the world, and hence have a philosophy of their own. This course will present the basics of numbers theory, demonstrate the recognition of sets, showcase the beauty of proofs, and illuminate the mysteries of the concept of infinity. However you will be tested and evaluated on your ability to basic sums in your head.

Bearing, Decorum and Grace
Many of you have already had extensive training in these matters, some of you have had less so (to put the case charitably). It is the intention of this class to create students who do not embarrass us in the outside world. It also lays the groundwork for future courses on diplomacy, politics, and the gentle arts. Keep that in mind should you decide that this would be a class you could take less than seriously.

Swordsmanship for Everyone
Every student will be drilled with the use of a blade in one form or another. If you have never held a weapon before, you will learn to use a sword. If you have trained with another weapon previously, you will learn to use a sword. If you have trained with a sword before, you will really learn to use a sword. If you wish to learn more in the combat arts, proficiency in this course is required. Again, and it is worth pointing out since each semester there are some who do not catch this the first time it is said—all students, male or female will learn to use a sword.

Introduction to the Dark World
The world is an uncertain place filled with potential threats. This course considers those.

ELECTIVES
First year students may select one elective. Students may apply for an overload course, but such overloads must be approved by both instructors and the Master of Students. Certain courses, because of their requirements, may not be taken as or with an overload.

Thaumatology and Basic Magical Theory
All though wishing to eventually learn and develop skills in the arcane arts should take this elective. A minimal talent with magic is expected for all incoming students. This class focuses on basic principal common to all casting styles, addresses the history of magic and considers the evolution of forms. The instructor stresses that all students will be expected to be able to control their talents and dangerous outbursts will not be tolerated.

Art and Aesthetics
The course covers the basic techniques of art and how they have changed over the generations. The intent is to allow a student to comment with some knowledge on art, be able to recognize notable masters, and be able to sniff out amateur charlatans. In addition the course will have a craft component, examining the more complex practices involved with the creation of paints, pigments, and the preparation of surfaces.

Mechanical Principles and Creative Engineering
The delights of science, engineering and the construction of wonderful toys! Who can resist the allure of this new and wonderful age. This class will include many splendid things. There were those who once scoffed at those who practiced these arts and called us mad, but we will show them!

Animal Husbandry, Survival and Mastery of the Outdoors
While the advent of mechanical forms of transportation has raised the relative safety of travel, there will be times when one will have to live off of the land. This course focuses on those and the tactics necessary for various climes. Students will have to go outside the walls and boundaries of the school and must obey the orders of the instructor or risk horrific consequences. On the plus side, you get to ride ponies.

Introduction to Alchemy
Due to certain incidents last year, this course has been withdrawn from first-year students.

Astrology, Astronomy and the Motions of the Spheres
This course examines how celestial mechanics influence or can serve as a measure for present events. In addition, the course will look at how well these techniques measure up against other conventional auguries, oracles, and prophecies. A scientific and analytical approach will be used throughout the course so scoffing will not be acceptable.

Domestic Caretaking and Culinary Mastery
Perhaps the most overlooked of skills, yet one which can place a person in the highest esteem. These arts compliment other social abilities in a way that will certainly draw attention to you both home and here at the school. Students will be allowed to take their culinary creations back to their Houses earning you incredible social capital or undying wrath, depending on your skill.

Makistani Philsophy I: Analysis and the Dissection of Reality
Much of the foundation of modern thought and knowledge arises out of the developments of the ancient Makistani. In fact, many of the most important scholarly works make reference to these ideas. A truly learned man has a grasp of these concepts, knows the arguments and counter-arguments and see how these might be applied to everyday life. Note that this course does not include an ethical component, except in the form of self-justification theory.

The Subtle Arts of Dexterity
There are time when it would be good for a student to have a certain grace and deftness with physical activities. Say, for performing stage magic or being able to hide holiday presents. One could imagine that these skills could be applied to more nefarious ends, but that seems quite outside our intent, doesn't it?

Literatures and Letters of the East
See the "Art and Aesthetics" course but replace illustrative arts with literary ones. Eventually students have to take a form of this so you might as well get it over with now, shouldn't you? It should be noted that the publication of a school "news-sheet" is strictly forbidden and so—called journalists are apt to find certain accidents, like the unblocking of one's hat, to mysteriously occur. I'm just saying.

Other
Students may, upon demonstrating a unique skill, seek out an instructor to offer a tutorial as an elective course. This is common in the case of students with a musical aptitude or who wish a long course in physical education. Other such tutorials will be met by the strictest judgment, given that you are still just first-year students.

By way of contrast, I'd like to present the course listing for Year Three. By this point tracks for the students have been established and also the school administration has changed, shifting the tone of the listing a little bit. One of the goals-- and one which succeeded was to make the choice of classes difficult for the players, with many attractive options.

WELCOME TO YEAR THREE
Students who have made it to their third year find themselves in a difficult position. They have a certain amount of skill, but perhaps not the wisdom entirely to use it. This year will see students having to make difficult decisions, not least of which is the choice of which of the five Schools to devote themselves to. Year Three has one of the highest drop rates for students, so failure remains a possibility. A number of changes have also taken place in the academic and practical structures of Libri Vidicos. We trust third year students will be able to cope and help along incoming students.

This year a renewed focus on study and academics has necessitated certain shifts in focus. As a result, students will be allowed a total of eight academic courses, including any apprenticeships and independent studies. Three of those have been chosen for you, two must come from your School and Track, while three remain in your hands to choose each semester.

As a new measure, students from second through fourth year will additionally have to select a Service Component. These are duties and tasks in which the student will assist in the day to day affairs of Libri Vidicos. While some may object to these new requirements, we feel these will help develop you as a well-rounded person.

• Kitchen Duties
• Laboratory and Workshop Cleaning
• Serving Duties
• Groundskeeping
• Animal Husbandry
• Watch Duty
• Laundry Services
• Library Assistance
• Tailoring
• Departmental Assistance
• Event Assistance and Training Ground Upkeep
• General Cleaning
• Detention Oversight*
• Hall Monitors*

*Requires special permission
Other services may be allotted or permitted based on the recommendation of instructors.

Please note that with the arrival of our guests from other schools, students will be required to maintain a strict curfew and dress. Please wear your house uniforms and colors at all times except when granted special event dispensation.
Classes marked as "reslisted" have carried over from Year Two for availability. Classes marked with (*) last for a single semester, while all others last a full year.

REQUIRED COURSES
All third year students will take the following core courses as part of their study. Additionally, students will also choose a single School Seminar which will take place during the fourth period.

Ethics: Students will consider what is the right thing to do. This question will be considered in a variety of situations, with special attention to historical and philosophical precedents. Various codes established through history will be examined and looked at in terms of their evolution and development.
Understanding the Races: This course will examine the cultural and social attitudes of the various races of the continent, with a reflection on the historical forces which have shaped their outlook. We will consider the question of natural inclinations and destiny as well as the inevitability of conflict. Second semester will examine the major cultural trends and forces within the human nations and parallels with the development of non-humans.
Continued Studies in the Dark World: The Undead: Students will be taught the various forms of the Undead and the many and varied threats they pose to the world. The role of necromancers and the Aetheric will be examined as well as the current thinking in methods of elimination.

SCHOOL PRACTICUMS
SCHOOL OF STEEL
The School of Steel still provides two approaches for those wishing to pursue a career involving warfare. The Headmaster recommend students pursue the first track, the Path of the Officer, as it provides a broad range of skills and greater future opportunities to bring honor to oneself and Libri Vidicos as a whole. Should that not prove to be interesting for students, we respectfully recommend choosing another School from among the six. The Path of Warrior, it should be noted, remains for the present as an available track, serving as it does for those who wash out of the Path of the Officer.

School Seminar: Introduction to Logistics and War: A course covering the basics of how modern warfare functions. We examine the necessities of such conflicts, how these can be circumvented and methods for assessing the opposition. On a practical scale we will look at the realities of war within various diverse nations. Scales of conflict and how these relate to one another will be addressed.
Leadership and Virtue (Officer): By examining the philosophies and decisions of historical leaders, we attempt to gain insight into decision making. At the ground level we consider how leaders can affect and motivate their troops, whatever those may be. We consider the ethical dimension involved with difficult choices and how to establish and manage one's moral set.
Deader than You: The Combatant's Art (Warrior): This course looks at the most important way to stay alive, avoiding combat. Then it considers options once combat has become unavoidable. Finally it discusses how to kill other people most efficiently.

Elective Courses
Tools of Warfare*: A look at the machines and engines of contemporary warfare. Students will be taught maintenance and repair for all such tools from simple weapons to steam machines.
The Life of the Watch*: The life of a guard, whether over a person, a neighborhood, a city or a nation, is never easy. This course presents an outline of such a life and the challenges such duties present. Gaining trust, evaluating threats, and negotiating responsibilities will be covered.
Fighting Styles of the Continent: A history and overview of the various combat styles currently in vogue. The course will teach recognition, countering and the ability to note new variants and forms.
A History of Warfare* (Relisted) Examining the records of the great battles of history-- and the contradictions between various accounts, students will come to understand the difficulties and dangers inherit in large-scale warfare. By the end of the course students will understand the difference between strategy and tactics, how to read an OOB, and learn how to spin post battle narrations to the best effect. 
Magic and Steel: Students will learn to use magic in concert with conventional fighting techniques. Admission by approval only.
Also Advanced Dueling and various weapon courses remain available.

SCHOOL OF MAGIC
The School of Magic offers two Paths for those which demonstrated magical talent. The Path of the Practicist focuses on the application of magical talent to a variety of tasks. From engineering, to diplomacy, to art, to warfare, to travel, the Practicist will study how magic may serve as a complementary skill to one's other talents. Training focuses on a breadth of ability and the art of being situationally responsive. The Path of the Magus, on the other hand, focuses on magic to the exclusivity of anything else. Students will learn how to eat, sleep, and breathe magic which will undoubtedly provide them with colorful if narrow prospects in the future.

School Seminar: Assessments of the Life of the Mage: Students will examine what it means to wield the power of magic. Reference to contemporary events within the world of mages will be considered. Laws and rules covering the use of mage will be addressed as well as the ethical implications for the use of such powers.
Magic and its Practical Applications (Practicist): Magic can be put to many uses, some of them grand and mighty. This course does not cover those. Instead it looks at how magic has been integrated by many wizards into the fabric of society itself. Fundamental principles for the interaction with other arts will be covered as well as how magic can better lives.
Experimentation and Safety (Magi): Students will study the principles of establishing their own arcane workshop, as well as the code of conduct for sharing space with other mages. Defensive forms will be stressed and the mean to analyze and existing location will be covered. Students will be required to pass a thorough test of their thaumatological knowledge in order to receive satisfactory marks in this course.
Students in the School of Magic will also be required to serve an apprenticeship working with a senior level instructor. This does not substitute for other service requirements.

Elective Courses
Mentalism, Mesmerism and the Mind*: An examination of the difficult arts of engaging with the will of another beings. There will be some discussion of the ethical questions as well. Students will restrict themselves to specified areas for practice in this course.
Magical Dueling: Advanced students may take this course only with the approval of the instructor.
Transformations and You*: From enhancements to shape-shifting, polymorphs to doppelganging, this course looks at all of the possible uses of transformative spells, beginning with the inanimate and working up to the animate.
Cataloging the Unseen World: An introduction to the taxonomy and classification of all spirits and beings subject to the powers of summoning, control and banishment. Special attention will be given to the last of these.
Introduction to Alchemy: Students will study the physical, chemical and magical principles involved in the creation of alchemical concoctions and preparation. Due to past events, all students wishing to take this course will be required to present a waiver.
Astrology, Astronomy and the Motions of the Spheres* (Relisted) This course examines how celestial mechanics influence or can serve as a measure for present events. In addition, the course will look at how well these techniques measure up against other conventional auguries, oracles, and prophecies. A scientific and analytical approach will be used throughout the course so scoffing will not be acceptable.
Principles of Symbology* (Relisted) Students will look at the various notation schemes used historically and presently. Application of those schemes to contemporary casting styles will be considered. Course work will also focus on practical application of permanency, cross-styles communication, and handling obscure concepts.
Wands, Staves and Rods: The Magicians Toolbox* (Relisted) Some call them crutches, others call them lifesavers-- we will examine the making and use of supplementary items for spellcasting. Note-- students must bring their own wand or device with them to the class. Please see the Quartermaster of Twilight for supplies.

SCHOOL OF KNOWLEDGES
The Governing Council has decided to merge the School of Practical Arts into the School of Knowledges for the sake of efficiency and symmetry. Accordingly, three Paths exist for this School. The Path of the Scholar presents students with a basic grounding in the principles of scholarship and allows them to select a particular field or set of fields. The Path of the Scientist focuses likewise on the arts of science, physics, chemistry, and especially mathematics. It also includes more practical applications and endeavors. Finally the Path of the Engineer deals with those who build gadgets and like geegaws.
Engineers may chose an appropriate apprenticeship, while other members of the School of Knowledges may wish to select an independent study as well.

School Seminar: Research and Notation Methodologies: Students will learn how best to conduct research and the best methods for presenting said research both to colleagues and an ungrateful public. Special attention will be given to
Survey of the Liberal Arts (Scholar): A year-long course providing an outline of the fields of scholarship currently available. Will look at the basic history of those fields and the major thinkers. Contemporary developments will only be given a cursory examination.
Survey of the Scientific Arts (Scientist): Perhaps you would actually like gainful employment and a career upon departing Libri Vidicos, then this should be your choice as opposed to the Liberal Arts courses above. Consider this, we managed to get this description in here after the Headmaster proofed these documents.
Fabrication (Engineer): How to make things.

Elective Courses
Telling Stories*: This course looks at history as a body of tales and stories, and considers how different tellers have told the same tale. The contradictions therein show us showing about who wins in the war of history versus truth.
Calculation Engines: Use and Abuse: A study of the principles of calculation and analytical engines-- how they can be applied and how they can be built.
Cartography and Map-Making*: This course examines how maps are made. On the one hand we look at survey and the strict means of measure, on the other we consider the impact of cultures and agendas on the making of maps. Students will be able to create their own excellent maps by the end of the course.
Theoretical Mechanics*: The study of forces and energies and their application to a variety of fields, especially architecture, building and transport.
Gumdrop for a Gasket*: A consideration of the necessity of substitution in the carrying out of projects.
Highest Math*: A look at hypothetical, dimensional and counter-factual forms of mathematical thinking.
Ancient Languages (Relisted): Nothing impresses more than a strong mastery of older texts and poetry. Alternately, it could be a potential tragedy if you couldn't read that ancient Donaen “Keep Out” sign.
Modern Literature* (Relisted): An examination of literature from the lowest to the highest: from poetics to smut, from epic to pulp action-- we examine the trends, styles and techniques currently “all the rage.” We will also consider how to make a fast buck from the mercurial tastes of the public.
Metal Working* (Relisted): Students will learn and practice the basic techniques of working with metals-- from delicate handiwork to forging. Second semester will introduce students to working with amalgams and magical metals.
Power: Muscle, Steam and Mana* (Relisted) Engines and devices are for nothing without the energies to power them. Seize that power! Master the ancient secrets that have evaded the wise ones through the ages! They call me a fool, but they'll rue the day!!!

SCHOOL OF DIPLOMACY
The School of Diplomacy offers two paths. The first, the Path of Diplomacy trains young minds for a future within government, as ambassadors, contractual officers, heads of houses and masters of their own destiny. It combines the ability to master social arts with a knowledge of where to best apply one's skills. The Path of the Merchant likewise trains students for a particular role, but that of the financier, banker or investor. It considers the economics and solidly practical concerns of such a life with the ability to serve as an advisor to others.

School Seminar: Presentation and Advice: Defining Desires: All it takes is a small word here or there and the course of history can be changed. The diplomat must know when to judge the moment right and how best to present those words to a potentially hostile audience.
Negotiation and Disputation (Diplomat): Considers the nitty-gritty of coming to an accommodation and managing to reconcile disparate persons and groups. Hypothetical situations and alternative scenarios will be explored through the course of this course.
How the World Works (Merchant): We present a reading of history, current affairs and future events from an economic perspective. This alternate reading of events allows a clearer focus on the best way to approach difficult situations.

Elective Courses
A History of Lies*: This course presents a look at conspiracies and secret societies, both in myth and reality. We look for the signs and shadows that hint at successful conspiracies and examine how unsuccessful ones failed or were revealed.
A Survey of Religious Beliefs*: A comprehensive survey of religious belief across the continent, human and non-human. The implications for dealing with persons steeped in such traditions will be considered.
Entertaining*: A look at how best to entertain guest, questions of manners and excess as well as the management of small talk and guest balance.
Household and Estate Management*: This course looks at the structures of the household and how those can translate up in scale. The names and roles of various staff members will be considered, maintaining accounts, hiring practices and day to day affairs in perspective.
Genealogy and the Noble Class*: A look at the specific titles of nobility across the continent. Heraldry, nomenclature, and quick identification will be stressed. The ability to remember relations within a dense group of persons will be tested and required.
Entering a Room*: This course considers how to analyze the social dynamics of situations, what tell-tale clues one can gather as to who hates whom, who hides their desires, and who does not belong. Conversely, it will also teach students how to conceal or shift those signs in their own person.
People and Places of the World (Relisted): A comprehensive survey. Do I need to say more?
Contemporary Political Structures (Relisted): This course considers who holds power and why. We look at rules of succession, the voice of the people, rules of nobility, political movements, and how change occurs. Most importantly we look at who really holds the power and how they manage to get it.
Economics and Accountancy* (Relisted): From the smallest level to the greatest, money or likewise commodities drive people. We look at the virtues and vices of mercantilism, how value is assigned, the new orders of compacts, and how trade is managed and measured. We also examine the mathematical tools best used for analyzing the flow of trade, locating fat pocketbooks, and acquiring treasure.

SCHOOL OF PURPOSES
The School of Purposes continues to handle those areas which fall between the cracks of the other four schools. Currently, the School offers two tracks. The Path of the Artist which attempts to support those desiring to improve their creative skills to a high degree, be it in painting, music or performance. The Path of Necessity serves as a catch-all for students unable to survive in another path or unwilling to make a choice for their future.

School Seminar: Getting By: Surviving Without Very Much: The School of Purposes means often having to go through lean times. This course considers how one can make it through such times without betraying one's principles too much.
Independent Workshop (Artist) Students will be allowed to study and work within their chosen field of performance, until the tutelage of an expert. Students will be expected to produce a significant portfolio of work for review by the end of the year.
The Life of the Adventurer (Necessity) This course will look at what being an adventurer means, the percentage of successful adventurers and how best to manage the social stigma attached to this role.

Elective Courses
Ciphers and Codes*: JKLhkl RETGUIV SDFW-09 UIOUR77
Driving and Piloting*: By the end of this course, students will be able to drive a variety of machines and sail powered ships, as well as pilot a number of aircraft. Attention will be given to navigation and crewing.
Craft of the Agent: A look at the romantic figure of the spy and the actual realities of such a path. We will look at how nations have used such tools in the past and what measures can be taken to stop them.
Composition: A course of the musically inclined, it covers harmony, rhythm and composing both for the small and large scale ensemble. This course is highly recommended for those wishing to make something of themselves in the world of musical performance.
Paints, Dyes and Pigments*: Secrets of these arts will be revealed only to a select few. Lessons taught here may not be passed on without permission.
Culinary Arts: Meats of the World: An exploration of the centerpiece of most feasts. The second half of the course will consider combining said meats with the correct side-dishes.
Forensic Investigation and Legal Niceties*: A consideration of how crimes can be solved using modern and magical techniques.
The Art of Escape*: (description not found)
How Not to Be Seen (Relisted)* Please don't take this class if we have to explain that to you.
History of Crime (Relisted)* We study the methods and events of the rich lives of famous thieves, con men, and generally questionable figures. This course features special attention to the overlooked details which resulted in the less skilled being caught.
Mastering the Outdoors (Relisted)* Prepare to engage in the rough and tumble romantic world of eating pinecones to keep yourself alive. It is not enough to know how to survive in difficult and dangerous environments, the true master learns the art of turning his surroundings to his advantage, making places dangerous to those who would harm him, and creating his own kingdom. Students will learn advanced tactics in wood and field craft culminating in a rigorous final exam to the death.

WE'RE ON A ROAD TO BURNOUT
At one point I was running five different games per week. Three online sessions—usually weekly 4 shots or the occasional 12 shot quarterly and two f2f sessions—bi-weekly with 3-4 groups running multi-year campaigns. The pandemic put a bullet in that. Over the course of 2020 I dropped down to 2-3 weekly online sessions and one f2f (moved online). Now my average number of sessions I run now 3-4 weekly, sometimes higher due to online conventions. Now I'm going to tell you how I do it. 

I'm focusing on the online games I run for the Gauntlet, specifically 4-5 session series run in a single month. Since we can post those sessions up to two months out, I’m thinking seriously about what I want to run three months out. Sometimes I’ll deliberately hold off deciding and post closer to the first session date. That’s usually if I want to save seats for new players or to fill in a gap in the online calendar.

I try to mix up what I’m running: easy standbys (Hearts of Wulin), recent hotness (Dune), popular perennials (Masks), my hacks (Night’s Black Agents Express), things I’ve run before but folks couldn’t get into (Legacy), and smaller, niche games which need attention (Yokai Hunters Society). I try to avoid running more than two “new to me” games at the same time. I also avoid running the same system or setting in parallel. That’s an easy way to get lost. I will try to run thematically similar games at the same time or in sequence (space, spies, fantasy) because that means my immersion in inspiration has a better payoff.

For this I’m going to assume we’re talking about a new game, one I haven’t yet played or read the rules for.

LEARN THE GAME
To start I read through the rules to get the basics. Does the game have a clear statement anywhere about what PCs actually do in play? Next I skim at the rules in this order: character sheet, then the basic resolution rules, combat, character creation, feats/spells/special abilities. Then I check to see if the game has a detailed equipment section. If it does, that’s usually a clue that it’s crunchier than I like or may require more prep.

Finally I look at the deeper set-up and setting material with this question in mind: what do the players need to know to actually make up characters and play in this setting? How much am I going to have to convey? If it’s a lot, I may shelve the game or put it off until I have time to work through. If I decide to push on I’ll mark up the book and make outlines in my notebook.

For example, I’ve had Nibiru in mind for a while. The system itself isn’t complicated but the world and set-up is particular rich. And because of the play concept, as the GM you’re going to be explaining lots and answering a ton of questions. So I’ve put that off until I have a chance to really put the work in to grok the whole concept.

At this point I may find that the game isn’t going to work for me. It might be close to what I want, but getting it there would take more work (Romance in the Air). It might be a system I know, but made more complex than I’m interested in (Fellowship). OOH might have dice or card mechanics which are harder to replicate online (Companions' Tale). It might even be that I hit something I really dislike about the system or set up—like PVP or a lack of safety discussion (Mutant: Elysium).

If I decide to run it, I’ll pull out my standard event description template and add it in. That’s three paragraphs: basics & requirements, the pitch, play set up & safety. I look at my schedule to figure out what I’ve already posted. I try to plan things out so that I don’t run more than one game a day and that I leave myself a couple of nights free each week. Before I post to the Gauntlet Calendar, I’ll check if Sherri, my wife, is interested and give her right of first refusal.

Next I forget about the game until a few weeks out. I mean I’ll avoid directly thinking about it. Indirectly I’ll try to consume media which relates to the theme or ideas. That means books, websites, podcasts, movies, TV shows, other games in the genre, etc. When I went to run four months of Night’s Black Agents I read (and reread) multiple LaCarre and other spy fiction novels, listened to the Spy World podcast, rewatched The Sandbaggers and Bourne series, and worked through several audiobooks. That’s deeper than I usually do, but if there’s media available, I try to infuse it into my unconscious.

ACTUAL PREP AND PLANNING
When we get closer to the start date I’ll hunt around to see what resources are available online. Is there a character keeper already made? If yes, then I’ll take that and tweak it to my preferred layout, add my safety tools of choice, pick a color theme, and decide if it needs any rules or move cheats. I’ll also make an online dice roller room. I’ll look to see if anyone’s made rules cheat sheets and download those. I use them if they’re clear and simple. I’ll also look for free scenarios and quick starts. I usually don’t use those as is, but they’re great to adapt for a quick first session set up.

Now I’ll seriously dig down into the rules. If there wasn't a pre-existing online character keeper, I’ll make my own—rebuilding one from a game with the same mechanics if I can. This is a great way to a) learn the rules and b) figure out where rules are in the book itself. If I need to I’ll also make a mechanics cheat sheet, but this is usually only necessary for “Trad-Indie” games like Cypher, 2d20, 7th Sea, or the like. If it’s a game with a base system I know, like PbtA, I’ll try to figure out what makes this game different.

Depending on the genre, I’ll often make a Pinterest board of NPCs for inspiration.

Once I have a keeper and/or cheat sheet, I’ll look to see if there’s anything from the book which players might need in play (like the character creation chapter). I’ll print that to pdf and put that, alongside any reference materials or summary sheets, in an online folder. A week out from the first session, I send a set-up email with that link as well as how we’re going to be playing (like a link to the Zoom meeting) and any other miscellaneous details (like the Pinterest board).

Side Note: The only thing I assume my players will know going into session one is the basic premise. Even if I’ve sent background or cheat sheets, I assume they haven’t actually read them. Unless a game absolutely demands some choices ahead of time, I don’t give homework.

Going into session one, I have two tracks. One kind of game doesn’t require any kind of premise or set up. These are most PbtA games which collaborative setting or world building (Masks, Hearts of Wulin, Monsterhearts). The other kind of game requires me to work on framing and set up.

For example, Unmasked from Monte Cook has a strong pitch: 1980’s weird teen superheroes based on found objects. But it needs a sketched out setting, some NPCs, and an inciting incident. The Dune rpg required some thought because the book is split. On the one hand, it has the PCs being part of a new House. On the other, the example story is set on Arrakis and doesn’t do a great job of taking into account the players’ created House. I had to develop a different pitch. Basically their House would be taking over a new planet, part of the shuffle which happened at the same time as the handover in the first Dune novel.

If the game requires developing framework ahead of time, I try to keep it as simple as I can—I should not be spending more than an hour or two on this. I don’t drag it out.

I keep all of my session prep to the hour before a session starts. This is a hard rule. I don’t even go up to the computer to get ready until 60 minutes out. For session one, I’ll use that time to review the character creation process, look at inspirational pictures, remind myself who is playing, and write up the CATS document for the session.

SESSION ZERO
I always try to start the session five minutes before the start time. Any longer and I find myself sitting around anxiously. Once everyone’s there I check in to see if there are questions. I’ll tell them generally what I expect the session to look like. Importantly if I plan to record the session, I ask permission. If anyone says no, I don’t record. I also tell them I’ll check in again at the end of each session to see if everyone’s cool with posting it. Even if they say yes, they can follow up later if they change their mind.

Once we start, I introduce myself, my pronouns, and talk about the Gauntlet. I explain the basic pitch. Then I walk through my CATS document to make sure everyone’s on the same page. My S stands for Safety, so I go through the layered set of tools I use (Lines & Veils, X-Card, Open Door). I point players to the Lines & Veils table in the character keeper and ask them to add to that as they wish during character creation.

If the game has any second collaborative prep: crew picks. House building, background questions, tone picks, an add/ban palette, we do that now.

If I know the players and that they understand the basic rules then I move to character creation. If not, I check in to see what players know about the system. I’ll give any key premise or rules explanation here. The main idea, again, is not to overwhelm them, but to provide them enough info to make informed character picks.

This info should come from one person, ideally me. If someone else jumps in to interrupt or add, I’ll let them do that once, but then politely ask them to hold off if they do it a second time. This isn’t a power move, but instead is important to helping new players keep focus.

I’ll then apologize for talking so much and set them loose on character creation. I’m careful to be clear about what point they can work up to in this process. That means figuring out the best stopping point. For example, we want players to introduce their characters to everyone before we go on to relationship building or the like.

As we go into character creation there's a potential slow down. When you ask people if they have a choice for playbook/class/concept, etc. they often hesitate to call dibs on something. So call on someone—usually I call a) on the person who wrote about their idea in reply to the set-up email or b) the person who arrived first. If I’m getting a lot of “I don’t know” responses, I make them narrow it down to two or three, and walk through those choices with everyone. That will usually eliminate some picks and narrow folks down further—by the time I go around again, the players have usually chosen.

I try to keep everyone on the same time line of prep and work. Some players will get done earlier than others. It's important to work to make the slower character creators not feel like they’re behind. I tell players that anything they don't pick now they can choose in play. While everyone’s engaged in the CC process, I might go over a few small things I forget earlier. Importantly I assure everyone that they’ll have the chance next session and/or the one after to change their picks around. Nothing is set in stone.

We have player introduce their characters. I try to ask at least one interesting and unusual interview questions about each character as they’re presented. If we have relationship generation built into the character creation process, I don’t drag that out. We move to any preset questions or an outside tool like Backstory Cards. I emphasize that players have to check in and get positive affirmation about those connections. I, as GM, ask for that confirmation so the player doesn’t feel like they’re saying no to a fellow player if they’re uncomfortable with it. I also go over the Lines and Veils picks either before or after introductions. 

TIME AND THE GM
At this point there’s a decision I have to make. Most of my sessions last three hours—with two breaks, one at each hour. If the CC process is rolling along and a break at the hour will change the flow, I’ll switch that to one break at the mid-point. But crucially I have to judge if the character creation process is going to go close to or bleed over into the last hour. If it won’t then, I usually take the last part of the session to do a little set up scene—an inciting incident or conflict. If I have 90-120 minutes free, then I’ll actually do a combat or conflict-like encounter.

If I don’t have that time, then I’ll slow things down and draw out the character creation process by asking more questions. Then I’ll break early if I need to and tell the players we’ll start from there next session. A small number of games like Legacy: Life Among the Ruins take more than one session because you’re doing world building, family building, and character building. In this case, I save the majority of the character building final steps for the next session—but I make sure we get everyone’s concepts and pick before we leave.

If I have enough time and we’ve gotten to play some, then I’ll do a Stars & Wishes debrief at the end of the first session. If not, then I hold off on that until the next session. I finish up, check if there are any questions, remind players their choices aren’t locked in stone, and get affirmative ascent to posting the recorded session.

Once the session’s done, I don’t think about it except to upload it to YouTube and post the listing for our weekly video round up. I might absorb inspirational materials or skim the rules during the week to check on something. But otherwise I deliberately won’t think about the game until one hour before the following session. At all. Just don’t.

SESSION TWO+ PREP
Again, I confine myself to one hour of active prep at most.
If the game’s largely improvisational then I…

• Copy down the PC’s names and any NPCs associated with them
• Write down any goals or any moves/feats that have highly conditional triggers
• Make a list of established NPCs and come up with some more
• Make note of a few places or events that might be cool
• If I have a specific session-starting event, sketch that (like a villain, a disaster, or a trap)
• If I have time, write down outstanding plot hooks

If the game has a specific set up, like I’m adapting published material or we’ve set up that something specific will kick off the session (like a party or a murder mystery)

• If I’m working from existing material I make an outline of that and a separate list of any NPCs
• If it’s an event, I work up an outline/timetable along with the NPC list
• If I have time, I’ll also try to make a short list of NPCs, incidents, or details for each PC

If the game has a specific purpose, like establishing a mystery in Brindlewood Bay or setting up the framework for the whole series,

• I walk through the PCs, their goals, and their abilities,
• I loosely make an outline of the structure of the play,
• I establish what information I must get to the players,
• I make a list of NPCs and their connections,
• If I have time, write down outstanding plot hooks

If the game is more traditional, meaning you need to have a little more ready and can’t count entirely on GM moves or reactions,

• Copy down PCs names and NPCs associated with them
• I write down again what the player’s goals are likely to be—especially it we concretely established those in the previous session (like they’re under orders)
• For each player I write down 3-4 things they can interact with. These might be NPCs, scenes, uncovered information, hooks, or cool places or things.

Before I start the next session, I check in about recording. Once we start I do my usual set-up spiel. go over our chosen safety tools, and walk through Lines & Veils. This should be brief as the players have heard much of this before and they want to get to playing. I then have the players introduce themselves and their characters—with special emphasis that they should provide their pronouns. After they introduce their PC I try to mention something I remember about their character (an event, a goal, how banged up they are) from last session to show the player that I pay attention.

Note: I make sure to model player order here—and stick with this order throughout the session. Usually I go in character keeper order, but each session I start with a different player. Establish that early.

Then I’ll go through a brief recap of the previous session, with special attention to things they need to do this session and decisions they made about their agenda. Afterwards I ask the players, in order, if I left anything crucial out. Sometimes I deliberately leave crucial things out so the players can bring them up and comment on them.

Then we play the session—again most often  three hours with two breaks. I usually take 10 minutes for break one and 5 for break two. Mentally I try to block out each hour as having one focus. Breaks should be transitions. For example Hour One might be the players getting oriented and talking to NPCs, Hour Two might be running down leads or getting to the key location, Hour Three might be the big conflict. I don’t push it but I keep an eye on the time and try to shape the play a little. If I can I try to break things at cliffhangers or unanswered questions.

At the end of session I do Star and Wishes. Stars are obvious—things folks liked. In all but the last session I emphasize Wishes should be things they want to see in the next session, want to do, would like to see more, or would like to see less of. If it’s the final session of the series, I have the players do epilogues for their characters before Stars & Wishes. For the debrief, I focus on what they liked/disliked about the system and play to help me if I run this game again.

Occasionally a game will feel like it needs more—like another month or two of plays. In rare cases I’ll offer that. The challenge is that scheduling is hard and sometimes the spark won’t be back for a second round. So I try not to do that too often. Once a game is done I don’t go back to it and my notes unless a) I’m running another month of it or b) I’m running the same game for another group. In the latter case I’ll recopy my CATS from the earlier session and maybe skim the player Wishes. 

​Schooling the PCs
I've had strong success in the last few years framing campaigns within school settings. That background provides rich opportunities for role playing, solves some campaign start problems and supplies an easily grasped structure for both the players and the GM. 

Right now the grand-daddy of that form in literature is the problematic Harry Potter series. But other books like Mary Gentle's Rats and Gargoyles and Sherri Tepper's True Game all use that for different purposes. It pops up heavily in Japanese narratives, both manga (Fruits Basket and Naruto) and anime (Evangelion, Shikabane Hime, Ikki Tousen). Likewise it appears in a number of jrpg video games (the Persona series, Mana Khemenia, and Final Fantasy VIII). In American lit we can see it in comics (the X-Men, Gunnerkrieg Court), television (Buffy, Veronica Mars, Galaxy High), and movies (The Faculty, Sky High). For some fringe cases you can even point to Volcano High and Battle Royale.

A number of rpgs have also built games or published supplements revolving around these kinds of themes. Teenagers from Outer Space and Curriculum of Conspiracy use pre-college settings. The d20 supplement Redhurst Academy of Magic tried to shoehorn a very HP-like structure into the multiverse of existing D&D settings, with mixed success. Miskatonic University could easily serve as a starting place for a Call of Cthulhu campaign, though the question would be how long the campaign would remain there before moving away (or having the rampant strangeness overwhelm the grounds). For high weirdness, there's GURPS IOU. In the supers genre, M&M has a sourcebook, Hero High, devoted to these kinds of games.

Below are some thoughts drawn from my experience running and playing in multiple campaigns with a school focus (either in the foreground or background).

Rich Cast
One of the most obvious benefits of a school setting is that it provides a rich pool of NPCs of very different kinds. If the school draws on an international (or larger) pool, the GM has the opportunity to showcase a number of different cultures. One trap the GM should be careful of is overdoing it, however. Select a few notable classmates, rivals, a couple of notable upperclassmen, important administrators, staff and the teachers for the PCs subjects. Even that will, depending on the setting turn out to be a pretty big list. GMs may find it really useful to hunt down pictures if possible to add to the flavor. Since these characters will be consistently recurring, it means that effort won't be wasted. PCs will have to interact and develop at least some kind of relation with these NPCs so taking the time to flesh them out pays off.

These kinds of campaigns also encourage a different kind of approach from simple brute force. Players shouldn't want to get kicked out of the school-- so they have to find other methods to deal with their rivals, even those in charge. A school setting gives real focus to characters with social and sneaky talents. Rumor mongering, pranks, building reputation, succeeding in academic contests-- the players can best their rivals on different levels and in different ways. There's still room for more direct conflict, but it must be managed carefully or off school grounds.

Development
Robin Laws in HeroQuest 2e makes an interesting point about character development. Experience points and continuing growth are really an artifact of classic role-playing systems. Generally in most conventional dramatic narratives we see characters at a certain skill level throughout. They might pick up a few tricks, but those aren't core to the story. 

The exception to this is the school/educational based story setting, in which the growth of the character in skills parallels personal development. In other words, putting characters in a school can explain why they start out sucky and get better. It explains how characters can amazingly develop many new skills, abilities, feats and the like without mechanics for side-quest training time or having them miraculously appear.

But mechanics aside, the school setting allows characters to grow into who they are. Often when players make up characters, they've already established some of the major events of those lives. They know their purpose, profession and ideals generally. A school gives players the space to figure those things out based on the events in front of them, with less baggage to shape those decisions. In point based games like GURPS players can begin with disadvantages, here they can actually pick those problems up. Significant first moments can be played out, since the players are still relatively young. In our fantasy steampunk HP-esque campaign, Libri Vidicos, the first time a couple of the players had to kill other people, when attacked on a field trip, they had to deal with their reactions to that. It made for some really nice moments at the table.

The school setting really allows players to buy-into the setting. One the one hand players will likely be familiar with the dramatic conventions from all of the narratives mentioned above. They know that students have restrictions and make their fun within the limits of those. 

On the other hand, most players will have been in a school for a good portion of their lives. That's an experience they share with their character, where other aspects of the character's life may be foreign to them. Players know how schools operate-- with good and bad teachers, the pressure of homework and the potentially awful web of social interactions. These two level of empathy allow a player to riff and improvise easily within the setting. They can fill in the gaps in the imaginative space presented.

Players often begin with a deep suspicion of authority and value autonomy over their choices. That's not necessarily something to be stifled. The problem lies where players instinctively react negatively to anyone who seems to be giving them orders. 

The school setting shifts that a little-- there's a built in give and take between players and the authority of the school (administration or teachers). The players have to find other ways to get around those authorities, since those groups are providing something they want (training, shelter, and so on). The player needs to be creative in their responses, resorting to hijinks and mischief to get around the authority. As well, punishments for defying authority aren't final: detention, bad marks, being kept from activities and so on. There's a give and take there.

Structures of the School
In Harry Potter you know classroom scenes will probably do at least one of three things: illustrate character interactions/development, provide a goofy humor moment, or foreshadow an important plot point for later. I enjoy using the last of these things fairly liberally in the campaigns. It works best in classes which the various PCs share, but can be done for one or two PCs in a class at once. 

Throughout the campaign I'll throw in lectures from the classes, probably no more than one or two per session and no more than one or two from any particular class. That reminds characters they are in a school and keeps the flavor of what's happening without it being overwhelming. In those lectures, especially early on, I'll bury points that will come back later. It can also be used to establish things like moral or ethical choices which appear later- creating a contrast between talking about something and actually having to do it.

Lectures serve another important purpose. They allow the players to learn about the world as their characters do. Players often begin a game with a blank map of the game world, unless they've played in or read about that setting before. A GM who has built an extensive background and history for their world often finds it hard to get some of those ideas out into play. This ought to serve the path of the story-- a GM should be careful about info dumping. While the tale the GM's woven in their head is undoubtedly rich and interesting, focus should be placed on the details which will come back later. Otherwise there's a risk of having players tune out if they think the material is just exposition without purpose.

Besides classes, a school game gives the GM an interesting variety of set piece events. Clubs, field trips, performances, athletic contests, inter-house competitions, guest lectures, dances, hall parties, detention, tracking down mentors, researching topics in the library can all be used in the game. If you're campaign goes on long enough, players will be begin to anticipate and prepare for these. 

For example in Libri Vidicos, as first year students, the characters didn't get to go to the big dance. Instead they had to serve as staff for it. That made it all the more interesting the next year when they were able to go. These events can also reflect changes in the administration's character. In Year Three of LV the new Headmaster has restricted students to only being a member of a single club, forcing the PCs to choose only one of their groups and establishing a certain amount of tension.

A secondary benefit of the school campaign is that it provides a “home base” from the start for the campaign. Generally in the games I've run players live at the school itself, providing an insular setting. Players return to the school and their rooms for some safety and regrouping with privacy, after a caper, after a field trip or even after a long vacation. This answers one of the basic needs of a group: shelter and security so that they can focus on other needs. As well, the GM can contrast this safety later: having to forge for themselves while they're “in the field” or if something bad happens in the school making their position unsure.

Golden Years
The structure of the school year provides a nice form for the players. You have pretty clear markers about the progress of he story, some clear stopping points for sidebar adventures, and some room to time lapse forward. As a GM, don't feel bad about saying something like “...but the pressures of class and work meant that they weren't able to look into that matter for another week.” Special events like sports can be also used to mark time.

On a higher level, the breaking up of the campaign itself into “years” which serve as books allows players to make some mental changes and have a sense of how far the larger campaign has progressed. In the case of Libri Vidicos, I told them right from the beginning the campaign as a whole would cover five school years. We got through year one in a year real-time, and year two in a year and a half. I think that reflects some of the bloat Rowling had in her own series. Ideally I would like to get through each school year in one year or so of play.

Campaign Forms
While the school setting can easily be used for lighter games with perhaps a touch of campiness ala anime, they don't have to be used that way. Consider the training camps of Starship Troopers or Full Metal Jacket. There can be a singularly awful aspect to the school as well, forcing students to try to survive within that place. 

These kinds of settings can also be used just as a starting point for a campaign, a period of development contrasted to action or escape later on. If the school's a bad place, players may find their way out and then have to evade capture and figure out how to defeat their alma mater later. The destruction of a school while the students are there could provide a great and shocking framework for a campaign with a strong dramatic shift in the middle.

Changes in administration or scholarly focus can be used to change up the setting if players get too complacent. PC actions may cause some characters to die, retire or be fired. That can shift the hidden balance of power as to the school's agenda resulting in changes the PCs didn't expect. If a campaign extends over a couple of years, each one should have a dramatic theme or difference the group can identity.

Levels of mysteries can presented within the school itself, but the game doesn't have to exclusively focus on that. Field trips, missions, holiday recess, visits home and so on can be used to break up the action. Done sparingly these kinds of moments help reinforce what makes the school setting different. Home visits (or even visits to the school by parents) allow the characters to reflect on what has happened. GMs may want to allow PCs to visit each others' homes or homelands to help show what made the PC who they are. In one case, a particularly awful rival NPC gained immediate sympathy from the PC group once they met his mother. Suddenly they could see why he was that way and they made an effort to break him out of those behaviors.

Keep in mind that in using a school setting, it doesn't have to overwhelm the game. GMs can try out material and judge how central those issues should be-- based on what the players seem to be enjoying. For our Libri Vidicos campaign, the school is front and center, shaping the play. While there are plots and stories happening outside the school, they all eventually intersect with the school itself. As I said before, while is is a fantasy steampunk game, it draws on HP pretty heavily and that's what the players enjoy.
 
On the other hand, for my Changeling: the Lost campaign, while the characters are at a school, that isn't the centerpoint of the game. Instead it is a place of refuge and a location where they can interact with a few normal people of their age. So in this case I don't play out the classes so much or have big events, instead I make occasionally reference to how the school sometimes impacts their out of game lives. The game may also have an even more dramatic split, as in the Neon Genesis Zombie game I ran (An All Flesh Must Be Eaten game based on Evangelion) in which we had an absolute split between their school lives and their mecha piloting secret activities. Finally, as I mentioned before, the school can simply serve as a starting or jumping off point, a prologue or first part of the campaign, establishing the group together for the big dramatic shift.

GM Prep Needed?
Basic layout of the school; list of classes; list of rules; NPCs same year friends, same year rivals, select upperclassmen, teachers (for the classes the PCs take), staff (nurse, cook, security, etc), administration (headmaster, house master); and a few events.
(Next Time: Examples from Libri Vidicos)

The Unscene
The Between introduces a gameplay concept that is completely original—no other TTRPG has anything like it. It’s called the Unscene. The idea is that the city of London is a living, breathing place, with a life all its own outside the dark work of Hargrave House. We explore London via the Unscene, which is a scene that runs in parallel to the hunter scenes during the Night phase. We bounce back and forth between the Unscene and the hunter scenes, possibly connecting them thematically, but always staying focused on painting a picture of London that is vivid and throbbing and real. The end result is a story that is highly cinematic—it’s truly like watching a really great episode of television. Here’s an example Unscene: ​

By using the Mask of the Past, the player of the American gets to tell their whole backstory, from childhood to the moment they gained their lycanthropy curse to the event that forced them to flee to London. The player could certainly tell us these things all at once during character creation, but it’s much more interesting and cinematic to have them revealed gradually, through play. ​

Playbooks
The Between has seven different playbooks—six that can be chosen at the start and one that enters play at a later time. The playbooks are a mix of character types drawn from the works that inspired the game. 

The Vessel
The Vessel is a magic user; they allow dark, supernatural entities to enter their body in order to fuel powerful rituals. Throughout the game, you learn about their history with these dark entities as well as their time with a coven of witches that tried to use their talents for evil ends. The Vessel can perform dark rites, use divination tools, conduct investigations by drawing supernatural entities to them, and more. Play the Vessel if you want to explore dark rituals and what it feels like to be in control of dangerous things.

The Explorer
The Explorer is a member of the upper class. They made their name and fortune mapping the unexplored parts of the world for the Crown. They are also the rival of the criminal mastermind Hargrave House will eventually have to face. Throughout the game, you’ll be exploring the story of a young man whose village was terrorized by the Explorer when the Explorer was camped there during an expedition. Play the Explorer if you want to move in elite social circles, use money and other resources to solve problems, and be a rival to the game’s main antagonist.

The American
The American is a gun-slinger from America’s Wild West. They grew up with great privilege but abandoned it for frontier life. Along the way, they picked up a curse that sometimes changes them into a feral beast. Throughout the game you’ll be exploring how they came to leave their privileged life and why they eventually fled to London. The American is an excellent shot, a terrific storyteller, a master of disguise, and more. Play the American if you want to solve problems with violence or if you’re interested in being an outsider. 

The Mother
The Mother is a highly-talented doctor and scientist. They lost someone they love and are using that heartbreak to fuel their creation: a person crafted from the body parts of other people, given life by experimental, alchemical processes. Throughout the game, you will be exploring their past with the person they lost, and why they were driven to create a new form of life. Play the Mother if you want to use science and medicine to solve problems, or if you want to delight in blood and guts. 

The Undeniable
The Undeniable is an immortal being of incomparable physical beauty. They have been worshipped as a god for much of their lives and a cult dedicated to them is active in London. Throughout the game, you’ll be learning about the artistic masterwork that bears the scars of the Undeniable’s wickedness, as well as their history with the artist who created it.  Play the Undeniable if you want to be extremely powerful, occasionally villainous, and focused on sensory experiences. 

The Factotum
The Factotum is a servant of one of the other hunters. They are a highly skilled operator—resourceful and practical. When the other hunters are mired in darkness, the Factotum is busy getting the job done. Throughout the game, you’ll explore their professional past and how they came to be a servant. Play the Factotum if you want to be highly effective or if you want to explore what it’s like to have your personal goals and dignity subsumed by another’s. 

The Orphan (Playbook)
The Orphan is a special playbook that isn’t immediately available to us; it is unlocked after certain conditions on The Mother playbook are met. ​

Threats
Monster hunters need monsters to hunt, and that’s where the Threats come in. The game comes with ten Threats: six standard Threats and four special Threats associated with specific playbooks.

The St. James’s Street Ghost
The Beales of 18 St. James’s Street are in a terrible predicament: their townhouse is being terrorized by a malignant spirit. The ghost has already taken the life of their maid, and it seems no one in the house is safe so long as the haunting continues. Hargrave House investigates in order to learn how to quiet the ghost so it can pass into the next world. They may also learn how to make contact with ghosts, a feat that may prove helpful in future investigations.

The Limehouse Lurker
Bodies are turning up in Limehouse, completely drained of blood. Hargrave House knows it’s a vampire, but something about the initial report indicates the undead monster has the physical body of a child. An old vampire must be dealt with in a very different way from a young vampire, and so Hargrave House must initially determine if the vampire is truly adolescent or if it’s actually an ancient being in a small body. 

Sally No-Face
A killer is stalking the streets of London. Their calling card? The victim’s faces have been removed with surgical precision. Panic sets in across the city, with some believing the killer is Sally No-Face, an urban legend reborn. Scotland Yard has had no luck capturing the perpetrator, and so Hargrave House steps in. But which approach to take? Finding the killer’s lair? Drawing the killer to them? Learning what makes the killer tick in order to bring them in peacefully? 

The Whateley Camera
A young actress went missing after being photographed by the Society Obscura, a secretive club for photography enthusiasts. Hargrave House cares less about missing actresses than something in the Society’s possession: the Whateley Camera, a known object of power said to contain the consciousness of a powerful extra dimensional being. Recovering the Whateley Camera and discovering how it acts as a portal to another world is a matter of the utmost urgency.

The Creature of Cremorne Gardens
A number of people report being terrorized by a “fish-like man” in and around the Cremorne pleasure gardens. Rumors suggest the creature can even lure people to a watery doom with the use of a hypnotic song. Hargrave House investigates to determine if the fish man is actually real, or simply a hoax perpetrated by someone with a financial incentive to see Cremorne Gardens fail. 
 
Figg’s Piggs
Pie maker Titus Figg is arrested after it’s revealed his famous Figg’s Pigg pie contains human meat. Titus’s three family members—wife La Hortencia, eldest son Obert the Blade, and youngest son Patrick—managed to escape capture, and Scotland Yard has asked Hargrave House to help track them down. The loose Figgs are extremely dangerous, and pursuing them will force Hargrave House to face a level of darkness and depravity they have only imagined before, to say nothing of the pagan swine god, Moc’h. 

The Coven
The Coven is a special Threat that only enters play after certain conditions are met on The Vessel playbook.

The Cursed
The Cursed is a special Threat that only enters play after certain conditions are met on The American playbook.

The Pinkerton
The Pinkerton is a special Threat that only enters play after certain conditions are met on The American playbook.

The Orphan (Threat)
The Orphan is a special Threat that only enters play after certain conditions are met on The Mother playbook.​

The Mastermind
A criminal mastermind is pulling the strings behind the scenes, possibly manipulating the various Threats in order to enact a grand plan to bring down the monarchy and the entire British empire. Hargrave House will eventually have to reckon with them. 

The Mastermind is The Between’s campaign framework. The hunters become increasingly aware of the Mastermind’s machinations as they resolve Threats. This growing awareness will eventually lead to a confrontation with the Mastermind, which represents the final, grand Threat to overcome. 

The Mastermind sheet gives the Keeper everything they need to organize this campaign aspect of the game: relevant details for the Mastermind, including their backstory and servants; a place for the Keeper to take notes about the campaign; a five-layer campaign progression, with the threshold for each layer unlocking new aspects of the Mastermind whenever crossed; and a list of Mastermind Clues. The game comes with one Mastermind: the ruthless mercantilist and former pirate queen, Theodora Brathwaite. ​

FIND PART ONE HERE​
Building Meaningful Places Together
The thing to remember when you are asking questions is that you only need to build ‘just enough’ and to focus on the things that matter when the story is in focus.

In a recent game of Quest I and my players built a fantasy world using the wonderful Azgaar fantasy world generator  https://azgaar.github.io/ we cycled through options for the world until we had a really clear idea of what the world was like. 

Interestingly, for the first time in a long time I built some internal history for the game, and shared out in a whole three pages of the world. It set out the sandbox in a more traditional sense and I am now applying the techniques I outlined elsewhere in this article. This approach allows me to set the ‘internal rules’ of the world but then pass the details out to the characters. 

This hybrid technique gives the GM a good degree of control and sets up the consistent and structural parts of a game but invites the players into defining the world with you as they make their way across the fantasy setting. This way, you only need to create the ‘world bible’ for the game as the game encounters it. 

This leads back to my observation above that lore builds game by game, it matters that it is internally consistent for gaming groups - once it is established it is true. This way we take more of the ‘here be dragons’ aspects of the sandbox and give them detail when it is relevant to do so. 

You can use this approach in a more localised way as well - I ask questions in world building when I  want some signature locations for the characters - it's a technique I have used in Masks, Urban Shadows and Monsterhearts 2. 

This is an example of questions I asked at the start of a 20 session Masks game set in a Friendly Neighbourhood Spiderman sort of setting - the five or so blocks the teen heroes defended needed to feel real so I asked them to give me somewhere that really mattered to them. 

Welcome to Union City and the lower West Side of Union City. Our story takes place in the increasingly gentrified village and the ethnic melting pot of the ‘Triangle’ - or as locals call it ‘Tri-Town’ - are you Village or Tri Town? What's your favourite place and thing to do

• The Arcade - on the riverfront, close to the docks. Dynamic hangs out here
• Books and Stuff, a local and hidden bookshop full to the rafters of new and second hand books
• The Boiler - a rough skate park, where small scale drug pushing goes down, not to far from the Village
• Illegal rave in the docks - Novak Shipping - run by 'Madam Percy'

You can watch the ‘writer’s room’ session zero of this Masks game here https://youtu.be/i0bOP8dL4UY?list=PLKaVqoVBo79gFK1PUnDZfCC94_M5xFRsr

And the full play of our Masks: Neighbourhood game here - every session has use of Stars and Wishes as a cool town tool. https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLKaVqoVBo79gFK1PUnDZfCC94_M5xFRsr

I can not tell you how many scenes were set in that skate park and without a doubt Books and Stuff was the MVP location of the game.  

‘Books and Stuff’ had awkward teen kisses, a mob hit and eventually it was torched by the mastermind villain. It had become so real it was almost a character in its own right. As a GM it was something I could put in peril, or bring people back to in the same way that a Buffy episode used the Library. 

Another tip here - you do not have to use everything, incorporate what works and what will be fun for you to explore. I didn't really want to run illegal rave stuff in my Masks game - so instead had a major super fight there instead and trashed it. 

Making NPC’s Real
You must have run a game where the minor background NPC becomes a huge center stage character whilst the big bad you put a huge amount of effort thinking about is a bit of a damp squib.

Let’s explore why that might be happening:
Recently I went a bit old school and ran the OG Star Wars RPG. In one scene it turns out the rebel operative they are dealing with is Cassian Andor. Awesome name-drop, the crowd goes wild! 

Or do they? 

Why does Cassian Andor matter to these characters? So I asked one of the players  “Do you think Cassian has forgiven you for what you did to him?”

All of a sudden the fiction turned from an excited player getting to play in some Star Wars lore to their player becoming excited that their character and the messy breakup they had with Andor.

That’s the responsibility you have with NPCs as a GM. If you are not making them relevant to your players stories then why are they there? To dump plot exposition on them? That can work but it will rarely make them care as much. Build back to those earlier questions and create characters with motivations that allow the PCs to shine. 

I have developed my own technique for building major NPCs that allows players to co-create  using the template below. You do not need to use all the questions at once - fill them in as you go along. 

Let me introduction you to The Blue Rose - an NPC in a Spelljammer inspired Quest game I am running. I started with a picture (pro tip: Pinterest boards as game mood boards are a great help), a brief description and questions which brought the NPC to life.