When Yer Table’s Crumblin’ and Yer Torch Is Burnin’ Low

By Brunlin’s Missing Eyebrow, That Table’s Gonna Snap in Half

I’ve seen a party implode faster than a gelatinous cube in a dwarven forge. And it always starts small, don’t it? One loud player, one story-ignorin’ goblin-kisser, one “funny” bard who thinks plot arcs are just distractions between combat rounds.

Yer sittin’ there with notes, maps, and a plan stitched tighter than dragonhide… and within two sessions, the rogue’s pickin’ fights with merchants, the barbarian’s smashin’ emotional arcs with his forehead, and the rest of the party’s driftin’ like ale foam in a broken barrel.

So what does a battle-worn GM do when the game keeps slippin’ through yer fingers like wet torch grease?

Ya read. Ya learn. And ya fight back with grit, scrolls, and the links below.

When the Table Starts Shakin’, Don’t Wait for It to Fall

👉 These five articles’ll walk ya through the worst parts of GMing — the chaos, the derailments, the burnout — and give ya the weapons to reclaim yer game. Read 'em, live 'em, and shout back before yer party splits like bad stone.

Yer Survival Scrolls (Read These in Order… or Don’t, I Ain’t Yer Da)

1. When One Player Keeps Derailing the Whole Game
   Start here. The problem child. The soloist in a group song. If ya don’t fix this first, none of the rest matters. I’ll tell ya how to shut ‘em down without startin’ a tavern brawl.

2. When No One Agrees on What Winning Means
   Aye, some want gold, some want tears, some just want the dice to clatter. Here’s how to pull a table together when yer all playin’ five different games.

3. When the Story Matters to You — but They’re Just Here for the Fights
   If yer sittin’ on a tale worth cryin’ over, but yer players treat every cutscene like a speed bump, this one’s for you.

4. When Session Zero Didn’t Save You
   So ya tried to start clean. Rules, tone, goals — all agreed. And two sessions later, it’s like no one remembers. Here’s what ya do next.

5. When the Loudest Player Starts Running the Table
   If yer campaign's startin’ to sound like one lad’s one-man show, this article’s yer volume dial. Time to give the rest o’ the table their turn before someone flips the board.

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Don’t Let Yer Table Rot from the Inside

👉 These scrolls ain’t just rants — they’re forged tools. Swing ‘em hard and honest. Dive deeper in the GM Wisdom section, or swing by About Mike’s Tavern to learn why we care so much about savin’ fools like you from a campaign collapse.
⚠️ And if one more of ya says “it’s just a game” while burnin’ yer story to the ground, I will personally ban ya from ownin’ dice for a month. Try me, milk drinker.