Playing as the GM is to support the setting for your players. S.W.O.R.D is at it's core a cooperative storytelling game, you should do your best to facilitate that. The conversation should flow naturally between you and the players, When they look to you to see what happens is when you guide the story forward. When they act, ask them what move they're making and have them roll. Let the fiction guide everything. If something makes sense in the story it probably works mechanically too.
Remember: you're not trying to defeat the players, you're trying to create an interesting story together. Be generous, but don't hesitate to make their lives complicated when they fail, particularly when they make poor choices. Your players put themselves into their characters, and care for their characters and the story they're telling. respect that love, and put the same love into the world and story.
Principles
As the GM you should create a living breathing world with history, culture, and ongoing events, but don't fill in every detail. Leave blank spaces on your maps, unnamed NPCs in your towns, and unresolved mysteries in your lore. These gaps are where player creativity and agency shines brightest. When they ask "Is there a blacksmith in this village?" or "What's my character's relationship with the local thieves' guild?" - that's your cue to collaborate. Sometimes the answer is yes, sometimes it's "tell me what you think," and sometimes it becomes a new plot thread.
Address the characters, not the players. Speak to Veyra the Relic Hunter, not the player who plays her. Ask "What does your character do?" instead of "What do you do?" This simple shift keeps everyone immersed in the fiction and reinforces that the story is about the characters lives not merely a game to be played. When an NPC speaks, they are a character talking to the others in their world, and are speaking with their own motivations and perspectives.
Every goblin has a reason for being where they are. Every tavern keeper has a story. Every ruined castle has a history. You don't need to know all these details in advance, but when they become relevant, give them substance. The orc isn't just "Orc #3" - they're Grashk, who joined this raiding party because their village is starving, and they have a scar across their left eye from a hunting accident. The more life you breathe into your world, the more your players will care about it.
The world doesn't stop when the characters aren't there. Villains advance their plans, NPCs live their lives, and events unfold whether the party witnesses them or not. This is a world rich with life, there are other adventurers, other heroes. This creates a sense that the world is real and dynamic. When the characters return to a town they visited weeks ago, things have changed. The merchant they helped might have expanded their business, or the corrupt official they exposed might have been replaced. This makes the world feel alive and shows that the characters' actions have lasting consequences.
You are the leader.
The GM is the leader of the group and the final arbiter of any disagreements - whether about rules interpretation, narrative direction, or table dynamics. When two or more people cannot reach an agreement, the GM decides what happens and how to proceed. This authority exists to keep the game moving smoothly and maintain consistency in the world and story.
However, this leadership role comes with important responsibilities. Being the leader doesn't mean being a dictator or railroading players toward predetermined outcomes. S.W.O.R.D. is fundamentally a collaborative storytelling game, and the GM's job is to facilitate that collaboration, not dominate it. Use your authority to make sure everyone gets the spotlight, and that the atmosphere is maintained as what the group agreed to and helped create.
Remember that playing with a GM is a choice that every player makes. They're trusting you to guide the story fairly and create an enjoyable experience for everyone. Respect that trust by being collaborative, consistent, and considerate. If you find yourself making unilateral decisions frequently, step back and ask yourself whether you're facilitating the story or forcing it in a particular direction.
The best GMs are those who lead with the story and the players, using their authority to create a space that embraces everyone's creativity.
The Setting
S.W.O.R.D. was forged around the setting outlined in The Library of Genos Dunkirk, many of the mechanics are flavorfully built around that setting. As such, the rules outlined here, the creatures, magic items, planes, and campaigns are all entwined together. But the universe is an expansive one, the notes taken by Genos Dunkirk serve as the notes of a GM and as such they follow the same principles listed above. Whether you as a GM want to write in the blanks left in these notes, or if you wish to create your own setting is entirely up to you, and the rules of S.W.O.R.D. should be loose enough to facilitate that freedom.
Creating Safe and Inclusive Spaces
As a collaborative storytelling game it is a space where people are going to represent themselves and how they view the world. As the GM, you have a responsibility to foster an environment free from bigotry, hate speech, and discriminatory behavior. This means having zero tolerance for racism, sexism, homophobia, transphobia, antisemitism, and any other form of prejudice at your table. Neo-Nazi ideology, white supremacist symbols, and similar hateful content have no place in this hobby.
If players bring real world bigotry into the game, whether through "jokes," character concepts, or casual remarks, you need to address it immediately and directly. Make it clear that such behavior is unwelcome and will result in removal from the game if it continues. Your table should be a place where all players can feel safe to explore stories and express creativity without fear of harassment.
Remember that fantasy is not an excuse to normalize real world prejudices. While this world, and your story may contain conflict and social issues, they should be handled carefully, and should not promote those ideologies nor glorify them.