Evil Game Master Society

As a GM, before you start any game, there’s one fundamental decision you have to make: are you going to use a published game world or not?

Let’s look at the three main benefits of using a published game setting:

1. The world is already created, so you don’t have to spend any time creating anything. Just pick it up, read through it and go.
2. Your players have easy access to the game world info, or may already be familiar with it.
3. There will be published material available for you to use: sourcebooks, adventures, supplements.

Now, let’s look at some drawbacks:

1. Your players have easy access to the game world material, and may read through the adventures/sourcebooks/supplements available, so there will be no surprises or secrets.
2. Game books can cost a lot of money.
3. The published material might not cover what you want to do with your game.
4. Publishers can only publish so much, and you’ll probably run out of published adventures before your game ends.

Are published settings worth it? They’re great for a GM who doesn’t have the time, ability or inclination to create a world from scratch. They’re also a fantastic starting point: GM’s can take the base world (the Forgotten Realms, for example) and go from there. Create their own conflicts and adventures without getting a single other product. Still other GM’s use them as a source of inspiration for their own games.

Still, it all comes down to what you need. Published material eliminates the need for a lot of prep time. Just read through the module, make some notes and you’re ready to go. And that’s perfect for a GM that’s starting out, or simply doesn’t have a lot of time.