Alacrity runs best when everyone at the table understands their role—but make no mistake: this isn’t a contest between the players and the GM. You’re all on the same team, telling a story together. The difference is in what kind of control you have over that story.
Players: You’re the Heroes
If you’re a player, your job is to bring one character to life. You control what they say, what they do, what they want, and how they respond to the world around them. You decide their goals, their tactics, and the risks they’re willing to take. The game gives you a mechanical structure—Attributes, Skills, and abilities—but the heart of your character is entirely up to you.
You don’t need to memorize the rules. You don’t need to plan ten moves ahead. Just stay in character, stay engaged, and stay curious.
If you do that, you’ll do great.
The Game Master: You’re the World
If you’re the GM, your job is everything else. You control the setting, the people in it, and how those people react to what the players do. You describe the sounds, the smells, the threats, the consequences. You run the monsters. You decide what happens when the players try something that isn’t covered by a rule.
That doesn’t mean you’re all-powerful. It means you’re listening just as much as you’re talking. You set the stage, but the players shape the scene.
Good GMs don’t just tell stories—they build space for them to emerge.
Who Should Be GM?
Anyone can do it. If you’ve run other games, you already have the tools. If this is your first time, don’t worry—the rules are simple, the structure is light, and the advice is built right into the text. If you’re willing to make a few judgment calls and keep the story moving, you’re qualified.
The key is to stay fair, stay flexible, and never forget that your job is to make the world feel alive.
The line between player and GM is clear, but the goal is shared: Tell a story worth remembering. Make bold choices. React with honesty. And keep things moving.
That’s the Alacrity way.
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File Created: 04/30/2025 Last Modified: 04/30/2025