Running a Atomic RPG System Game
The one key ingredient for the Atomic RPG System is a Game Master. A Game Master is like a Dungeon Master in Dungeons and Dragons. The Game Master controls the game world and non-player characters. The Game Master is the main storyteller of the game. They will play people the players meet and enemies the players may have to fight.
Running a Atomic RPG System game might seem daunting, but really, it’s easy! More importantly, it’s a lot of fun!
The Atomic RPG System streamlines everything about a role playing game, including the job of being a Game Master. This way GMs have more fun and less work which makes the game better for everyone!
Tired of swapping between game systems, not being able to play your favorite lore, or just having to buy too many books just to "stay up to date"?
Frustrated with games that have unbalanced and inconsistent characters, monsters, and powers/abilities?
Do games turn into hours of rules lawyering and arguing about every rule and all the exceptions, special circumstances or overpowered characters?
Us too.
That's why we made it VERY EASY to be GM in the Atomic RPG System
Streamlined Rules
Game rules are written in a way to cover a broad group topics so they can be applied to any situation you can imagine. Why use 200 words when 50 will do it.
Balanced Gameplay
The foundation of the Atomic RPG System is based off years of game tested mathematics to insure no character is more powerful then another just because of their choices.
Universal Rules
The Atomic RPG System has a set of universal rules that apply to all characters, races, classes. levels. etc. This makes GM rulings fast, fair, fun, an easy to apply to many situations.
Core Knowledge Covers Everything
Being a Game Master in Atomic RPG is far easier than other roleplay games because the system is so streamlined. The Game Master doesn’t need to know obscure game rules and exceptions when running a Atomic RPG System game.
In other games such as Dungeons and Dragons, the GM needs to know about every character, spell, race, monster, etc. Spending a lot of time outside of the game researching books, the web, and magazines in hopes to staying up to date on rules and new spells. GMs would need to know that their carefully laid plan would not be easily foiled by one spell from one character from one book from one obscure place. The Atomic RPG System has simplified the GM role as much as it has the player’s role, making it fun, instead of feeling like a second job.
The Atomic RPG System creates all player characters and non player characters off the same simple and smart mechanics, so a Game Master only has to know the basics about characters to know about all of the characters in their game. The Game Master can easily understand the base game mechanics so they can focus on what is really important in a role playing game:
Creating and/or running engaging and interesting worlds for the players.
Running a Atomic RPG System Game as the Game Master (GM)
A Game Master, or GM, will prepare a story, also called an adventure, that the players will play through for a game session. This story can be an existing story or something that the Game Master made up.
The Game Master will then lead the players through the story. The story will evolve as characters make decisions. For a quick example of Atomic RPG game play, click this link: Sample Atomic RPG System Game Play
During the session, normally 2-6 hours for most games, the Game Master will present the story and the situations and manage the players as they work through it. These situations can be anything that the Game Master dreams up but they generally get broken down into three Game Modes.
Real Time
When the GM is storytelling or the players are discussing what they want to do next.
This is open free form role playing when turns are not needed.
Roleplaying a nice feast, discussion battle preparations, or shopping for new items are all good examples of Real Time.
Turn Time
When the Game Master decides that turns are needed to organize the game. Important to give everyone a fair and even opportunity.
Turn Time usually involves Skill Challenges, where players roll against their skills to work through a situation.
Sneaking into an enemy encampment, navigating through a forest, or negotiating a trade relations are all good examples of Turn Time.
Battle Time
When the players enter into combat.
During combat, a strict order must be maintained and each character Action tracked.
Fighting an ambush of goblins, swerving down the street in a car battle, or even flying through space blasting enemies are all good examples of Battle Time.
The Game Master presents the players with challenges of all types. At the end of the game the Game Master then decides how well the group handled those challenges during the adventure, oftentimes rewarding the group with cash and items they earned for the adventure. However, the best reward for the players is usually completing the story successfully and heroically while advancing their own character stories. Or just generally being part of a fun and engaging story.
Game Masters play the Atomic RPG right along with their players, but they serve as the judge in situations and play the “bad guys”.
For groups of players new to the Atomic RPG, it is highly recommended that each player take turns being the Game Master for the group. This will help each and every player quickly learn the ins and outs of Game Mastering. The Atomic RPG System makes it so easy that everyone will want a chance at the fun of running an Atomic RPG System game as the Game Master!
How Many People are Need for a Game?
A minimum of two players are required for any Atomic RPG game: one to play a character, and one Game Master.
In many other RPG’s you’ll need three or four at least. This is because they depend heavily on a variety of other characters to make a successful group.
The Atomic RPG System is different. Each character is so flexible that a single player can handle a variety of situations. Also, the Game Master can easily adjust the game to suit a single character.
However, it is always more fun to play the Atomic RPG System with more players! More players add diversity, great personalities, and a whole myriad of other wonderful things to a game. The ideal player group size for most groups is 5 to 7 total players. This leaves 1 player to be the Game Master and 4 to 6 players.
In theory, the Atomic RPG could be scaled up indefinitely, but more than 8 players has complications. That many players will slow the game down because there are so many players that get a turn every round, and the GM will need to try to keep track of more players and may have to handle more enemies.