Game Master Archetype Quiz

1. Are you willing to fudge dice rolls?

Absolutely not. GMs roll dice for a reason, and it keeps things fair.

I will if I feel it’ll improve the scenario, assist tedious combat, or help the party in a meaningful way.

Question 1 of 52

2. Does the idea of making a detailed plan for upcoming sessions…

...sound exciting?

...stress you out a bit?

Question 2 of 52

3. You’re going to run a published adventure soon! Do you…

read the whole guide and organize it carefully before you start?

only read what’s necessary for now and continue that way as you go along?

Question 3 of 52

4. Answering all the questions and concluding all the plots is...

very important to me

important, but I'm going to focus more on the big ones

Question 4 of 52

5. The time constraints of running a one-shot feels…

...structured

...constricting

Question 5 of 52

6. When the table starts to feel chaotic do you...

...get stressed, upset, or a little annoyed when players bring unnecessary chaos or goofiness to the story?

...see the chaos as an entertaining way to seize unexpected story opportunities?

Question 6 of 52

7. When running combat encounters, do you…

struggle with all the possible options and variations in front of you?

feel confident choosing creature/NPC actions on your turn?

Question 7 of 52

8. Choose one.

I'm relatively grounded most of the time.

I'm a hot mess more than I'd like to admit.

Question 8 of 52

9. When it comes to your players' character sheets, do you...

read them carefully and take note of relevant details

intend to read them but either skim, forgot, or not even bother

Question 9 of 52

10. When it comes to preparing for a session, do you...

prepare immediately, and update as necessary leading to the session

think about it or forget entirely and do most of your prep the day before or day of

Question 10 of 52

11. Players do not always follow the path you set, so how do you manage?

I plan alternative options beforehand, including encounters.

I have a general idea and just wing it

Question 11 of 52

12. When it comes to planning and preparing sessions are you...

organized with dedicated notes and structured tools

a bit chaotic with some rough notes, bullet points, and scattered ideas

Question 12 of 52

13. Your story has certain details that will be helpful to the players, to manage this, do you...

create a physical check list of key details to reveal over a session and hit most of them

have a fey key details noted down and reveal them if the opportunity presents itself, hitting some of them

Question 13 of 52

14. You would prefer to run a game using...

battle maps and minis

mostly theatre of the mind

Question 14 of 52

15. Would you rather...

stick to rules as written, so everyone knows exactly what to expect?

tweak or invent new rules for more exciting collaborative storytelling?

(such as alternative crit rules)

Question 15 of 52

16. Choose one.

characters with alterations or bad stats for interesting story

characters with balanced stats for party cohesiveness and balance

Question 16 of 52

17. Do you prefer to run stories that…

are an exciting escape from real-world problems?

have deeper meanings or impactful messages about ourselves or society?

Question 17 of 52

18. You're more likely to say...

“...you can certainly try.”

“...sorry, that just doesn’t make sense for the situation.”

Question 18 of 52

19. You're running an official published game, do you...

use the book as a guideline, but source fan-made content, extra side quests, and/or alternative ways to run it?

run it by the book, as it was written, with only a few tweaks here or there?

Question 19 of 52

20. I enhance game immersion by...

using terrain or VTTs

not using terrain or VTTs

Question 20 of 52

21. When building encounters, do you…

use encounter builders or manually do the math to balance it ahead of time?

plan on running creatures that fit the narrative and alter them on the go, if needed?

Question 21 of 52

22. Choose one.

official stat blocks + minor reskinning

official stats + reskinning + homebrew

Question 22 of 52

23. You’d rather your party be…

as inventive and creative as they’d like to be (within reason)

respectful to the worldbuilding and rules

Question 23 of 52

24. Choose one.

rules as written

"yes, and"

Question 24 of 52

25. Choose one.

loosey-goosey encumbrance

strict encumbrance

Question 25 of 52

26. Choose one.

theatre of the mind + some visuals

virtual tabletops and/or physical terrain

Question 26 of 52

27. Are you...

more of a hands-on, vocal game master that likes to push your party with NPC actions?

more of a listener, watching for opportunities from your players?

Question 27 of 52

28. Pick your closest choice.

2-3 hour sessions

3-6 hour sessions

Question 28 of 52

29. Do you...

have many friends (or possible customers) you want to run games for, but don’t have enough time?

have one or a few games you run for people you’re already pretty comfortable with? (You may even hesitate to start new groups with new people.)

Question 29 of 52

30. When it comes time to build tension, do you prefer…

throwing a big encounter with powerful monsters and dangerous environments

bringing an emotional situation with dramatic interactions

Question 30 of 52

31. Choose one.

I prefer to ask for player feedback face-to-face

I prefer to ask for player feedback indirectly

Question 31 of 52

32. Choose one.

I try to keep a poker face.

*smiles mischievously*

Question 32 of 52

33. Choose one.

Something I enjoy about GMing is the unpredictability of it.

Something I enjoy about GMing is being in control of the situation.

Question 33 of 52

34. At the end of the session, do you...

have the energy for a post session wrap up, maybe even hang out and chat

feel drained and need to step away immediately to recuperate

Question 34 of 52

35. Choose one.

I would be excited if an audience watched me GM

I would feel shy or self-conscious if an audience watched me GM

Question 35 of 52

36. Running a game at a busy convention sounds like...

a nightmare (or at least a nuisance)

a lot of fun!

Question 36 of 52

37. Choose one.

describe the laughing, crying, or yelling of an NPC

actually laugh, cry, or yell to portray an NPC

Question 37 of 52

38. You run most of your NPCs…

with character voices and enthusiastic monologues. They're unforgettably present in the game.

more casually, with or without special voices or accents. You try to ensure they don't overshadow the PCs.

Question 38 of 52

39. Among your gaming friends, are you...

the one that keeps up on gaming news and gossip?

one of the last to hear about what's going on?

Question 39 of 52

40. It is a higher compliment to be called…

fair and well organized

creative and fun

Question 40 of 52

41. Choose one.

player criticism makes me better

player criticism hurts a little bit

Question 41 of 52

42. Choose one.

variable creature HP for flow

suggested creature HP for balance

Question 42 of 52

43. When put on the spot, your game master ruling favors...

rules as written

what makes sense for the situation, even if it’s wonky or breaks a rule

Question 43 of 52

44. Do you more often let…

Your heart and feelings rule your decisions?

Your brain and logic rule your decisions?

Question 44 of 52

45. There are...

three ways to unlock the door.

three ways to unlock the door...or also that weird thing you wanna try

Question 45 of 52

46. Choose one.

strict roleplay constraints enhance specific themes and tones

themes and tones are more like guidelines

Question 46 of 52

47. Choose one.

I will avoid character death if I feel it’ll be detrimental to the player.

Death is a very natural part of a good story and I won’t avoid it.

Question 47 of 52

48. Choose one.

I haven’t experienced much burnout

I’ve experienced several bouts of burnout

Question 48 of 52

49. Choose one.

justice

mercy

Question 49 of 52

50. When it comes to having an epic adventure, it is best to...

plan it out carefully and provide a clear narrative to follow

have an idea in mind and let the players create a narrative themselves

Question 50 of 52

51. Which is closer to your preference?

pre-scheduling and prioritizing game sessions

getting together when everyone feels up to it

Question 51 of 52

52. Choose one.

natural consequences

leniency

Question 52 of 52

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