GM Guide

This guide helps GMs run Root and Stem sessions effectively.

Session Structure

1. Opening: set the scene, establish stakes.
2. Challenges: present obstacles (combat, social, investigation, exploration).
3. Resolution: resolve actions using the graduated roll.
4. Consequences: apply damage, conditions, CE shifts.
5. XP: award XP for overcoming challenges.
6. Cliffhanger: end with tension.

Difficulty Setting

Set the Required Tier based on challenge difficulty:

Combat Encounters

Encounter Difficulty:

Spirit Encounters: spirits are immune to physical damage unless enchanted. Use Spiritual Damage (bypasses HP). Exorcism is the primary resolution path.

Undead Armies: use chapter 38 for large-scale undead combat. Simplified attack/damage resolution.

Social Encounters

Use the Social Roll (ch 32) for negotiations, interrogations, and performances. Define the benefit before the encounter.

Exploration

Use travel rules (ch 27) for overland journeys. Track pace, navigation, foraging, supply, and random encounters.

Places of Power

Use chapter 37.7 for spiritual locations. Roll for events every 4 hours. Escalate severity if unresolved.

GM Principles

1. Everything has a price. Every limit has a way around it, but every way around it has a cost.
2. The world is alive. NPCs have goals. Factions have agendas. The world moves without the party.
3. Consequences matter. Actions have lasting effects. CE shifts accumulate. Grace changes behavior.
4. Surprise is good. Subvert expectations. The obvious path is rarely the best.
5. Player agency matters. Let players make meaningful choices. The GM sets the stage; players act.