# People Before Narrative My philosophy for playing [[Tabletop Roleplaying Games]] is simple: People Before Narrative. We gather together at tables to have fun, to connect, and to see what the dice gods have in store for our characters and our collaborative story. Whether that fun is a chaotic comedy-filled adventure, or a dark gothic horror with death stalking from the shadows, we choose to meet together to share in these memorable tales. I have experienced games where the GM was more interested in telling their story by abandoning [[safety tools]] previously discussed in a [[Session 0]], and behaving poorly towards players both above and on the table. I've experienced games where players are more interested in the gratification of their own ephemeral player character than the well-being of other players at the table, sometimes even at the expense of other people. The story was more important than the people at the table. I believe in the well-being of people first, and narrative comes second. Whether you're at a physical table or connecting online across the world through voice or text, the well-being of the people gathered to play is more important than any story you will tell together. The people are more important than any game you will play together.