---
product_id: 511899374
title: "The Game Master's Handbook of Proactive Roleplaying: Guidelines and Strategies for Running Pc-Driven Narratives in 5e Adventures (The Game Master Series)"
price: "€ 61.12"
currency: EUR
in_stock: true
reviews_count: 11
url: https://www.desertcart.ie/products/511899374-the-game-masters-handbook-of-proactive-roleplaying-guidelines-and-strategies
store_origin: IE
region: Ireland
---

# The Game Master's Handbook of Proactive Roleplaying: Guidelines and Strategies for Running Pc-Driven Narratives in 5e Adventures (The Game Master Series)

**Price:** € 61.12
**Availability:** ✅ In Stock

## Quick Answers

- **What is this?** The Game Master's Handbook of Proactive Roleplaying: Guidelines and Strategies for Running Pc-Driven Narratives in 5e Adventures (The Game Master Series)
- **How much does it cost?** € 61.12 with free shipping
- **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship
- **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.ie](https://www.desertcart.ie/products/511899374-the-game-masters-handbook-of-proactive-roleplaying-guidelines-and-strategies)

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- Customers looking for quality international products

## Why This Product

- Free international shipping included
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## Description

Review: Equally good for beginners and veterans - TLDR: really useful approach to GMing with lots of practical checklists - at the start, it felt a bit like they were saying "all other games are like THAT but this method teaches you to play like THIS" - my group already play a lot like THIS so I thought I was going to trudge through half the book before giving up - I am glad I persevered - this book reduces prep while generating better games - it gives easy to follow, step-by-step guides to help you prep for interesting session that have already elevated my games - it is well written and well laid out, making it an easy and engaging read - this also makes finding the bit you need really easy - it is full of good, useful examples that illustrate each point in a clear way The basic premise is to shift the game so that it has a heavy focus on player character goals. It then has systematic, codified steps to follow that help you to place interesting and diverse obstacles in the PC's way that might hinder or challenge (or even help) the pursuit of those goals. It references Blades in the Dark as the progenitor of this style of play but it is taken to a much broader set of games. You could just as easily run hard sci-fi, modern horror, or grimdark fantasy as you can the more common superhero fantasy of 5E. I haven't bought any of the other books in this series. So I cannot say how it compares. I do read a lot of these books. Most as pants and end up at the charity shop. This one is a keeper and I cannot recommend it highly enough.
Review: Information I didn’t know I needed to know. - There isn't too much to say really. I’ve been running roleplaying games for a short while and looking for inspiration to improve my players experience as most DMs do. I picked this up in hopes to get ideas but the more I read, the more I’m realising that I could be SO much better. It’s basically a book that helps you understand the principle of tabletop games and why people enjoy them. It’s all well and good writing and running a game with lots of fancy twists and turns but this is teaching me that being proactive with my storytelling will allow my players to feel like THEY are in control of what happens and provide a more fun experience. Whereas running a reactive game is basically hand holding your players through predetermined events. This has taught me that reactive roleplaying is basically leading your players through a novel where they have no control over the outcome of anything. I obviously want to bring more freedom so this book has helped me immensely in such a short time. Highly recommend along with the other books in the series.

## Technical Specifications

| Specification | Value |
|---------------|-------|
| Best Sellers Rank | 38,279 in Books ( See Top 100 in Books ) 45 in Hobbies & Games References 47 in Role-Playing & War Games |
| Customer reviews | 4.7 4.7 out of 5 stars (758) |
| Dimensions  | 14.1 x 1.52 x 21.59 cm |
| Edition  | 1st |
| ISBN-10  | 1956403442 |
| ISBN-13  | 978-1956403442 |
| Item weight  | 1.05 kg |
| Language  | English |
| Part of series  | The Game Master |
| Print length  | 240 pages |
| Publication date  | 13 Nov. 2023 |
| Publisher  | Media Lab Books |

## Images

![The Game Master's Handbook of Proactive Roleplaying: Guidelines and Strategies for Running Pc-Driven Narratives in 5e Adventures (The Game Master Series) - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/91F+RZSh8GL.jpg)

## Customer Reviews

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Equally good for beginners and veterans
*by J***S on 14 August 2024*

TLDR: really useful approach to GMing with lots of practical checklists - at the start, it felt a bit like they were saying "all other games are like THAT but this method teaches you to play like THIS" - my group already play a lot like THIS so I thought I was going to trudge through half the book before giving up - I am glad I persevered - this book reduces prep while generating better games - it gives easy to follow, step-by-step guides to help you prep for interesting session that have already elevated my games - it is well written and well laid out, making it an easy and engaging read - this also makes finding the bit you need really easy - it is full of good, useful examples that illustrate each point in a clear way The basic premise is to shift the game so that it has a heavy focus on player character goals. It then has systematic, codified steps to follow that help you to place interesting and diverse obstacles in the PC's way that might hinder or challenge (or even help) the pursuit of those goals. It references Blades in the Dark as the progenitor of this style of play but it is taken to a much broader set of games. You could just as easily run hard sci-fi, modern horror, or grimdark fantasy as you can the more common superhero fantasy of 5E. I haven't bought any of the other books in this series. So I cannot say how it compares. I do read a lot of these books. Most as pants and end up at the charity shop. This one is a keeper and I cannot recommend it highly enough.

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Information I didn’t know I needed to know.
*by S***S on 20 May 2024*

There isn't too much to say really. I’ve been running roleplaying games for a short while and looking for inspiration to improve my players experience as most DMs do. I picked this up in hopes to get ideas but the more I read, the more I’m realising that I could be SO much better. It’s basically a book that helps you understand the principle of tabletop games and why people enjoy them. It’s all well and good writing and running a game with lots of fancy twists and turns but this is teaching me that being proactive with my storytelling will allow my players to feel like THEY are in control of what happens and provide a more fun experience. Whereas running a reactive game is basically hand holding your players through predetermined events. This has taught me that reactive roleplaying is basically leading your players through a novel where they have no control over the outcome of anything. I obviously want to bring more freedom so this book has helped me immensely in such a short time. Highly recommend along with the other books in the series.

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ An excellent handbook that I will be recommending to every Game Master I know
*by D***N on 3 February 2025*

Truly excellent. Contains so many useful tips and guidelines for easing the job of the Game Master. I don't know how I managed without it before (I do, actually, and the answer is the end of a campaign through GM burnout and disappointment). Ideas are well-presented, thoughtfully and with useful examples and idea generating tables throughout. Even just the first chapter is worth the asking price and instantly had me reconsidering everything I thought I knew about GMing.

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*Product available on Desertcart Ireland*
*Store origin: IE*
*Last updated: 2026-02-11*