The Game Master

As the GM, you follow a similar pattern of play to the rest of the table. However, unlike the players, you guide the story, control the monster, and keep everything rolling.

Telling your Story

The Monster

Typically, when preparing your game and story for Diefiant starting with the central monster can help inform everything else. Taking a look through the monster’s legends will not only help you with making your monster, but also with placing the story. Hunting a chupacabra? The hunt will most likely take place in an arid or desert town.

Developing a Setting

When writing your story and getting yourself ready, it’s important to remember the guidelines of this game. The story should be set somewhere that all the players have a connection to, typically their hometown. Isolated and superstitious settings feed into the narrative well, the kind of place where scary stories and local legends all have some truth behind them.

Diefiant is a collaborative story experience, and you shouldn’t feel entirely burdened to develop the setting all on your own. Refer to the Collaborative Worldbuilding section for a guide on how to work with your players to make sure they feel like part of the world.

Every Other Person

As the GM, you control not only the monster, but also all of the NPCs (non-player characters) of the world. Think about how they may react to the effects of the monster on the area. How many of them are aware of the supernatural? Do they know the players?

Occasionally, you may want to have your NPCs make a roll, or have your players make contested rolls against an NPC. When this happens, act as if NPCs have a 2 in every stat, rolling 2d6 when making rolls. This isn’t a hard and fast rule, so if you think that a prizefighter may have more Fight or a scholar may have more Snoop, go for it.