Stewards act responsibly to carry out activities with integrity, care, and trustworthiness while maintaining compliance with internal and external guidelines.

PMBOK Guide 7th Ed. pg 24

Stewardship in game mastering is all about making the integrity of the game, the group, and yourself the highest priority.

An AGM should not act as an authoritarian or commander of the games they run. Nor should they stand idly by as a strictly neutral party to player interactions or character maneuvering. First and foremost, AGMs are stewards of their games, meaning that their primary purpose is to act in accordance with the group’s goals in order to promote safety and structure at their table. While the group as a whole should work to create a mutually agreed upon social contract, the AGM must do the most work to integrate the restrictions of that contract both in their game and at their table.

It is also required that an AGM understand a game’s mechanisms thoroughly, and that decisions made at the table are rendered fairly and equitably. This isn’t to say that an AGM can’t be wrong at times, but that even when wrong, the intent of the decision made should always support equity toward the players and integrity toward the fiction.

Player vulnerability creates great moments in games. In becoming a steward, an AGM earns the trust of their players by supporting them when they are vulnerable. This leads to players taking chances, being creative and inventive, and generally kinder and more supportive of one another. A steward promotes an environment where shared vulnerability is an asset.

Here are some practices that you can work into your games immediately to become a better steward:

Stewards Admit to mistakes

You’re going to botch a mechanism, or misremember something. When corrected, accept and appreciate it. You’ll begin to see this behavior in your players as well when you model it.

Stewards Manage Conflict

Part of a session zero must include a plan for conflict resolution. Handling conflict directly, in person, and in private is the best method of resolving an issue with an individual. Stewards approach conflict resolution objectively and collaboratively.

An infraction is an opportunity for individual players to grow, and for groups to become stronger. Stewards see a player exhibiting a conflicting behavior as an equal working together to solve the same problem; both AGM and player have the same goal of protecting the group.

In the case where a player is actively and consistently working against the harmony of the group, an AGM must exert the authority to remove that player from the group. Removal is a last resort, but can not be avoided in certain cases. As part of your group’s conflict management plan, specifically call out what behaviors will require an immediate removal from the game.

Stewards Actively Integrate New Players

When a new player wishes to join an established group, it is essential to inform the new player of the existing social contract, and test their ability to be a part of it. Holding an intermediary session zero, where players come together to talk about how the group gets along and plays together is essential. Playing a one shot with pregenerated characters with the new player is a great way of seeing if the new player fits in with the existing group without disrupting the primary story the group is telling. Stewards promote protecting the existing norms while integrating new players.

Conclusion

Stewardship is an ongoing practice when it comes to gaming. New systems, new players, new campaigns all introduce their own challenges when it comes to promoting safety and trust. There are far more methods of becoming a better steward than are mentioned here, and I’ll flesh those out in future dedicated posts. For now, let me know if you have your own perspective on stewardship in your games in the comments below.