Just found a piece of advice on GMing BRP (G.O.R.E. is a sub-variant of the great BRP system). You might want to read it, too, for there is good advice for the players in it - so I edited the bits of the original (http://basicroleplaying.com/wiki/doku.php?id=gamemastering:running_your_first_brp_game) that bear no relevance to our game or my style of GMing.<br/>Also, the parts that are underlined or bolded are pretty much universal and will have (or already have had) impact on the game 8).<br/><br/><div class="quoteheader"><div class="topslice_quote">Quote</div></div><blockquote class="bbc_standard_quote"><strong>There are lots of potential modifiers for skill tests</strong> <br/>Let the players have an idea of what they are. <em>'Ah ha so even though I have no Shortsword skill I can default to half of my Mace skill? And attacking from behind adds this much, ganging up this much, from higher ground this much; now I can make an intelligent decision rather than throwing my dice out of the pram at having no chance to succeed or giving up and letting the Big Bad take over the world'</em><br/><br/><strong>It is very easy to ask for a 'Spot' or 'Listen' roll to find a vital clue. </strong>(I mean clue in the broadest sense, not just finding the footprints of the Butler what killed the scullery maid but also hearing or smelling the breath of the Hellhound padding around just around the corner)<br/><br/>But what happens if they all fail?! <em>Do you then allow an Idea roll.</em> And if that fails a Luck roll?<del> In which case with that many second chances they obviously needed the information so badly that you should probably just have given it to them! Or do you just with hold a vital piece of info and watch the game stall?</del><br/><br/><strong>BRP Combat can be deadly<br/></strong>It really can. Unlike a lot of RPGs, PCs can go from being up an active to dead and gone with one lucky hit at any time. So make sure that NPCs are prepared to surrender, ransom or run away and that PCs know that they can too.<br/><br/>Raise Dead or Resurrection are common spells in some RPGs. Character death can be an occupational hazard for experienced characters. <strong>This is not the case in BRP. Such spells are uncommon or simply unavailable in most BRP settings</strong><br/><br/><strong><em>Double teams and surprise attacks are murder in BRP<br/></em></strong><br/>Again, unlike what a lot of players are used to and expect, two or three wimpy fighters pose a very serious threat to an experienced warrior. Without a bunch of hit points to fall back on, the fact that the foes are getting two or three attacks per combat round usually compensates for a difference in skill. <strong>Also, the relative low number of hit points mean that any surprise attack/ambush has a very good chance of crippling or killing a PC rather than “softening” them up as in most level based RPGs.</strong><br/><br/>There are lots of different Powers<br/><br/>Two slightly more general points but which might be of use if you are running your first game with a system. Of course if you are an experienced GM and new only to BRP then feel free to ignore my suggestions on how eggs should be sucked by grandmothers.<br/><br/>Referring to the rulebook is weak and slows play <br/>Let the PCs know that you are not going to do it. That you will make fair judgment calls. But that AFTER THE GAME you will be happy to talk them through with players and so maybe change what you would do NEXT TIME.<br/><br/>Players who throw hissy fits are boring So do not invite them and don't accept it at the table<br/></blockquote><div class="quotefooter"><div class="botslice_quote"></div></div>Just to emphasize: that's quite a lethal setting and the system supports this. It goes both way, though - use this fact to your advantage, because the NPCs sure will use it in their advantage, given half a chance! ;D!<br/>And I think it is obvious what I disagree with ;)!