Tips for New GMs

[Insaniac99]

I was thinking, how about we just create one thread that acts as a resource for first time GMs where experianced GMs share their insight.

i don't have much to add myself because i have never GMed but there is one tip that i think is VERY important:

Don't try and plan for everything: Everytime you try and plan for every occurence your players are likely to go a totally differant way than you expected which means either you have to quickly adjust for it or herd your players away from that course, it is better to have a genneral idea of the plot (Somoene is robbing banks but left the money and only took the contents of one Safety deposit box from each robbery, the players have to find out what was in it and why they want it and who is behind it) this way it allows your players total freedom and you the least stress because you can then listen in on their conversations about the games and get ideas for things to do( the GM overhears the players guessing what was in the safety deposit boxes and why they would want it one player says "Maybe the Mystic group DEMON has found some magic talismans that serve as the key to unlock a very powerful demon or something" and the GM thinks "hey not a bad idea, I'll use it" and the player is happy with himself because of his "good guess" )

[CrosshairCollie]

Even if the villains you're using are clustered together in the sourcebook, copy them onto separate sheets before the game, whether it's notebook paper or my old standby, creating the sheet on a computer document. Saves wear and tear on your book(s), you can arrange 'em in Dex order, write notes on 'em, flip through them easily, and my favorite, crumple them up and fling them into the air when they hit GMs Option.

[Starwolf]

I make copies of the PC character sheets and highlight rolls and abilities that I might roll in secret (i.e. good/bad luck, disadvantages, certain skills like stealth where a character believes he is being quiet but the bad guys hear him are setting up an ambush, perception rolls, danger sense, etc.)

I also have several sub-plots going on. I give the players clues by handing out news at appropriate times during each game session. This comes in different forms depending on the genre (i.e. town crier, bards tales, or rumors in fanstasy; Newspapers or news broadcasts in modern, Vidcasts in Starhero, etc.)

Don't compete against the players. It isn't the GM versus the players, it is the bad guys versus the PCs, and the GM is a nuetral referee.

Intrigue is your friend...
Mystery is your friend...

Be adaptable.

The devil is in the details, keep your players interested by having enough detail to make it real. I keep a list of names, and generic equipment price lists handy so that I can throw out prices or make NPCs seem more detailed by naming them.

I keep a log of events that have transpired, not real detailed by summarized. This gives me fuel for future adventures/plot lines.

Hope these help.

[Aroooo]

Hero combat can slow the pace of a game down, especially if its a supers combat. Make sure you, as GM, have a good feel for the combat rules, and don't use every little optional rule - those really slow things down. If you're unfamilar with a section, fudge the rule(s) during the combat. Any mistakes you may make will be well worth the time saved searching through FREd.

On a similar note, make sure you have something for everyone to do, either in combat or out. For instance, if your group gets split in two parties, spend 5-10 minutes with one group, then spend 5-10 minutes with the other group. Bored players are the GM's worse enemy.

Aroooo

[DrSavant]

POWERS!!

The Hero System allows for GREAT creativity in this aspect.
Skills, perks, characteristics etc are almost neatly laid out, but powers are open-ended.
In some systems powers are cut and dry, by name and effect. Sonic Blast, Fire Generation, etc just to name a few.
But in hero system YOU choose the name and effect.
This can go into as much depth as you want, as even similiar power effects can have different causes and/or effects.

Example;
Energy Blast- Electricity
# 1- Creating a Bolt of Lightning by Weather Control
# 2- Gather static electricity, magnify and release
# 3- Projecting the body's own electrical energy
# 4 - Manipulating surrounding electricity ( wires etc)

The list is nearly endless.

[Old Man]

Don't get too upset when one of your medium sized villains gets hit in the balls on phase 12 stunning him then having the second attack knock him out.

[FTJoshua]

~ Bring plenty of (drink of choice)

~ Disadvantages are there for a reason; use 'em once in a while.

~ Have your players draw a thick, impervious line between what a CHARACTER says and how he/she behaves, and what a PLAYER says and does; likewise for a GM and NPC.

~ Know when to stop playing. Sometimes, an adventure gets so totally out of control that you have to say, "Sorry guys, I gotta stop it here. We'll pick it up next week." Better to think about what to do than risk ruining the adventure.

~ On the other hand, if you are flexible, roll with those PC punches and give them the appropriate consequences.

~ Speaking of consequences...they are a fact of life. They must be a fact in RPGs as well, especially if you're a hero.

Did anyone mention "Have fun" yet?

[Worldmaker]

Don't be afraid of background detail, because players eat it up with a spoon. But at the same time, don't make the background detail the point, because that's ramming the spoon down their throat.

Don't be afraid to let your players create some of that detail. <G>

Last but not least, once you've created the background details, be consistent. Keep track of the details.

[Aroooo]

Something else I don't think has been mentioned yet. No matter how well you plan an adventure, no matter how well you plan for story possibilities, your players will invariably do something completely different, unexpected, or unplanned. Once you can accept that, your GMing job will be a lot easier. Well, maybe not easier, but at least you will not suffer big heartbreaks when your players ruin your perfect game. Because, no matter what they do, there is always a way to get back.

I'll tell you about the R2 unit who saved my storyline one day.

Aroooo

[ShelleyCM]

Always remember it's a game. Don't take it too seriously! If something's done improperly, don't stress, just fix it next time. If the players bungle the plot/beat the villain in two phases, who cares? As long as they're having fun, that's all that matters.

Relax -- and have fun!

-Shelley

[ShadowRaptor]

As a wanna be GM and somebody who is trying to get a group together, this thread is wonderful.

One thing I am curious about for you guys is how you plan your encounters specifically. Do you go by points? CV's? anything in particular?

[Worldmaker]

Originally posted by ShadowRaptor
One thing I am curious about for you guys is how you plan your encounters specifically. Do you go by points? CV's? anything in particular?

Actually, I go by what the story requires. How's that for vague and confusing? <G>

Seriously, I plot out my game as if it were a television series, broken down into "seasons", and then further broken down into 24 "episodes" per season.

I always open the season with a big, flashy "premiere" episode which establishes who the bad guy for that season is. The players usually encounter him (or them), and are able to stop the immediate scheme but not capture the bad guys... because that's not going to happen till the climax.

Out of the 24 episodes, 14 or so will deal with the main bad guy's story in some way. The players will learn about his plot, will fight his minions and flunkies, and become prepared to stop the villain that they could *not* fully stop in the premiere. All of this culminates in a big, flashy "finale" episode where the players finally get to put a stop to the big bad guy.

The other 10 or so episodes deal with other things, and are my "break" episodes. I bring in other villains, have fun with DNPCs and Hunteds, and so on. I usually lay the groundwork in these break episodes for the next season.

Anyway, whether they are "primary" episodes or break episodes, I usually have two different sorts of story: ensemble, which features everybody, and focus, in which the storyline is concentrated on one or two characters (for example, the main villain might kidnap one of the focus character's DNPCs, and the group gets to not only rescue the DNPC, but they get to explore the focus character's relationship with the DNPC, his/her feelings for the DNPC, and so on.

Its a pretty easy system to learn, and I and my players have gained a great deal of satisfaction from it.

[Nato]

Just "bookmarking" this thread so I can get the updates and remember to check out all the good tips. Cool thread.

[Fitz]

#1 GM Tip Of All Time:

Don't be afraid to ignore the dice. Sometimes the Bad Guys NEED to win to advance the plot; sometimes a player who's had a really shitty run of luck NEEDS to have something go right so that the evening isn't a complete downer. No crucial plot decision should be left to chance (unless chance gives you the answer you want).

The job of the GM is to entertain (and challenge) the players. The job of the players is to entertain (and challenge) the GM. Then everyone has a good time.

[Aroooo]

I tend to plan very little of my adventures. I prefer running 'off the cuff' so to speak. I have a general idea of plot, who the good guys and bad guys are, and what the goal is. But even then, sometimes I even leave the goal up to the players (depending on genre/game).

Another tip for new GM's: when creating a new party, especially with players new to role playing or your genre (supers, pulp, sci-fi, etc.) have an initial character building session. Make sure that all the characters have ballanced skill/power sets, and that they compliment each other's abilities. Its not going to be much fun if all the characters are good combat machines, but no one can tail the bad guy's thugs to their hide-out. Make sure everyone has a role to play, and that everyone can feel special and useful to the party.

And I second Fitz's tip about the die results.

Aroooo