The Master Caffè
In this article we want to introduce a new format we strongly believe in. We want to contribute to improving tabletop RPG culture, and we hope the idea excites you as much as it excited us.
What is the Master Caffè?
Many questions and doubts cross the mind of anyone who takes on the role of game master, before, during and after the sessions. How could I have staged that scene better? How should I handle this issue with the players? How do I build a good campaign or adventure? Whoever plays the master must wear many hats, at times bristling with problems and difficulties.
The Master Caffè was born as an initiative to find answers to these and many other questions.
Conceived by Michele Facco in spring 2019, it became reality thanks to the collaboration with the association “La Costola dei Barbari”, with the first meeting held on 3 September 2019 in Trieste. Why the Master Caffè?
Do we really need a format just to sit down and chat about RPGs? We think so. The environment and community of roleplaying games are changing. More and more people of different ages and personalities are discovering this passion. More and more games reach the market to satisfy every taste and need. Roleplaying games are gaining ever more space and recognition, including in education. Federludo was founded, and more and more RPG workshops and meetings are organised in and around conventions.
This wave of novelty has also raised some issues. The many newcomers to RPGs also mean many first-time game masters, full of enthusiasm but also of doubts.
New RPGs widen the range of play, but many veteran masters feel lost amid all these possibilities. Websites and online forums are not suited to thoroughly unpacking the many questions involved in running a table. For us, comparing experiences face to face is essential to improving. With this in mind, the Master Caffè offers itself:
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As a place of discussion — and friendly sparring — for game masters;
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An opportunity for novice masters to receive advice and help from those with more experience;
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An opportunity for veteran masters to put themselves back in the game, engaging with play styles different from what they are used to;
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A moment for comparing different games from a technical standpoint, dissecting them critically.
A moment for finding practical solutions to group- and player-management problems too; a way to meet other enthusiasts in your area and expand your network.
How does the Master Caffè work?
The Master Caffè format is not meant to be too rigid, so we defined only a few key elements for running the meetings well. Regularity: the Master Caffè follows a fixed calendar, on a specific day of the week, two to four times a month (for instance the Tuesday of the first week and the Thursday of the third, or every Wednesday). Equality: during the meetings all participants are peers, regardless of how much RPG experience they have. Everyone has something to learn and to teach.
Organisation: at least one person acts as the Organiser, planning the events, finding a venue and serving as the contact for participants’ questions. To run the meetings well, at least one person takes the role of Moderator, steering the discussion so that everyone gets a fair say and the conversation doesn’t dissolve into idle chatter. The Organiser need not be the same person as the Moderator.
Productivity: at every event at least one person is appointed Scribe, in charge of writing down what is said. There is absolutely no need for long, precise minutes — an outline or an essential list of the points made is enough.
Master-centred: meetings are open to anyone interested, but themes and topics are aimed in particular at game masters. It is best to avoid game promotion, character building and builds, looking for players and other activities unrelated to the format’s purpose.
Topic: every meeting has a main topic as its theme. At the end of each meeting the participants choose the theme of the next one, which gives everyone time to think about it and gather questions.
Presentations: if any participant wishes, half an hour at the start of the event can host two or three short presentations (~10-15 minutes). To manage the event well, those interested should ask the Organiser at least one day before the event.
Courtesy and respect: participation is free, but the Organiser and the Moderator may remove from the events those who, even after repeated warnings, harm the serenity of the participants and the running of the meetings. In the future we would like to build a network between the cities taking part, to enrich the exchange of information and comparisons between groups.
In the meetings held so far with the collaboration of La Costola dei Barbari in Trieste (TS) and the Compagnia del Dado in Udine (UD) we tackled the following themes:
1TS: ‘The figure of the Master: who they are and what they do’
2TS: ‘The Game Master’s tools’
3TS: ‘How to create and manage narrative tension during the adventure’
4TS: ‘World building pt. 1: urban settings, economy, the impact of magic’
5TS: ‘World building pt. 2: travel, distances and urban settings’
6TS: ‘Creating and managing the narrative weave’
7TS: ‘Memorable villains and where to find them’
8TS: ‘Balancing main quests and side quests’
9TS: ‘Master ABC: the basics of the role’
10TS: ‘Masterless games: becoming facilitators’
1UD: ‘The role of the Master’
2UD: ‘Types of roleplaying games: systems and mechanics’
3UD: ‘Memorable villains and where to find them’
Special thanks to Davide Salvador and Giovanni Bacaro of La Costola dei Barbari and to Valerio of the Compagnia del Dado for supporting us and attending the events. If you are interested in the initiative and want to bring it to your city, contact us by email or on our Facebook page and we will provide all the information and materials you need. We will help as much as we can!