The Game Master

Before play, the Game Master (GM) takes on the responsibility of using the tools in this book to create a series of interconnected dungeons and populating them with interesting challenges. This process takes one or two lazy Sunday afternoons.

• A procedure for creating interesting monsters is found in Appendix C: Dungeon Denizens.
• A procedure for creating an evocative City for the players’ home is found in Appendix D: City Creation.
• A procedure for creating a series of dungeons that connect to form the Underworld is found in Appendix E: Underworld Creation.

During play, the GM takes on the role of a referee who arbitrates the actions of the players’ adventurers within the context of the City and the Underworld.

• General advice for running the game is found in Chapter 10: The Worm Turns see Chapter 10: The Worm Turns — Gamemastering.

The game—and indeed, this very book—contains mature, fantastic themes that can range from sophomoric to graphic. As adults, work together to find what works for your group and leave the rest behind. Be kind. It is the shared responsibility of everybody at the table to ensure that the trials, battles, romances, successes, and failures had by the guild are fun for everybody involved.