Tips for New GMs

[Koshka]

If you expect a PC to capture and use a weapon, vehicle, or other statted-out piece of equipment, print out the stats on a separate piece of paper (or write it on a 3x5 card). Then, at the appropriate time, hand the PC the paper. It's normally faster than reading out the description and having the player write it down during game, and easier than keeping track of what the gadget can do yourself while running all the bad guys.

[Super Squirrel]

Never Railroad. If your players miss things or go about the wrong way, you can always recycle the unused bits in later games. You will all enjoy the game more this way.

[Guest Worldmaker]

My five cents of advice:

 

Do as much planning as possible before you even think about having the players create characters. Start with background information. If you're running a game using a commercially available gameworld, such as the Forgotten Realms or the World of Darkness, the background development is basically done for you. If not, you will need to write a large amount of background information to give to the players.

 

After background, you need to decide on game mechanics. What rules will you be using, and are there going to be any house rules on top of the standard game rules? What method of character generation should your players use?

 

Once the game mechanics are all settled, you should start thinking about the beginning turn of your game. How did the player characters come together? Why are they associating. What adventure do you want to set them on first? Setting some initial goals is a good idea. You don't have to try and dictate their actions, but you should give your players a general direction in which to move.

 

When you're planning your game sessions, think up lots of plot hooks and drop them everywhere. When in the middle of one story, start dropping hints about other stories you have waiting in the wings. Doing it that way is much more realistic than just smacking them in the face with a new problem right out of the blue. Foreshadowing is a standard tool in literature, and it makes the gaming experience a whole lot more exciting as well.

 

Try weaving two stories together, without letting the players in on it. It makes for very interesting gaming. Encourage your players to talk amongst themselves about their characters and their character's activities. (Just make sure they write everything down and make sure you get copies of everything.) This way, you can take cues from their speculations and their responses. Who knows, maybe the player's will make guesses about their character's situations which turn out better than your planned storyline.

 

Once the game is running, there are three things to keep in mind at all times: First, be consistent. Second, be consistent. And third, be consistent. Keep the details in mind. If the superteam's loyal butler is named Harold when they left their mansion to fight the villains, it should be Harold when they return... unless of course Harold died suddenly and his twin brother Gerald has taken over the job of butler. Even then, make sure to have the grieving Gerald inform the players of Harold's untimely death.

 

Be familiar with the background details of the gameworld. This is really important if you are going to be consistent. If the background information says that the supervillain team Jihad never attacks hospitals, don't write a story in which they rampage through the Mayo Clinic without a really good background reason. Likewise, if magic doesn't work in the gameworld, don't have your players fighting a band of evil sorcerors.

 

Try to plot out your game sessions in advance. By "plot out", I mean come up with a grand scheme for the direction in which you want to move your game. Don't try to plot out the precise details of the story, because players have a way of mutilating the most carefully laid plan when it comes to the details. I'd go so far as to say that a GM is never in charge of the details, but is always in charge of the plot direction.

 

You'll find that having a grand scheme in mind helps with the development of long-term, multi-turn storylines as well. If you know that Villain Man is plotting, in the end, to take over the world's cheese production, you can feature him in several preliminary stories in which he is doing things that seem unconnected, but that really are in support of his ambition for dairy domination.

 

Try to come up with ideas for future sessions from the backgrounds of the characters. Its much more personal if the player sees something he thought up for his character being brought to the fore in the game. After all, It's neat to contribute to the greater story.

 

With this in mind, remember to focus a little more on the mundane aspects of life. For example, while you're concentrating on Captain Hero's oath to avenge the death of his policeman father, don't forget that he has an estranged wife and child out there too. The "minor issues" (meaning the ones that don't deal with fighting the bad guys) lend a whole big bunch of realism to the game.

 

While you're at it, always view your players in-game actions with an eye toward picking up ideas for future stories. It works the same way as getting them from the backgrounds.

 

Something that is usually a good thing to do, but isn't always necessary, is to establish early on a policy that all mistakes are final. Its usually easier to accept making a mistake if you've already agreed on the consequences of that mistake. This policy applies to both the players and the GM. By doing things this way, you set the expectations and procedure for handing missed clues and mistaken posts before the actual events occur, which helps reduce the frustration. Also, you make it fair for everyone because the bad guys are also affected. Lastly, it encourages everybody to pay attention to what they are doing, to be alert, and to be aware of their own capabilities.

 

One big word of advice: its a good idea to check up on how your players think the game is going. Make sure everyone has something to do at all times. When things go wrong, explain the situation to your players, deal with the problem, and move on. Its your game. If you need to take a short break, then let everyone know and take it. If you're at a loss for ideas, ask the players. They will probably be glad to help.

[Aroooo]

Originally posted by Worldmaker

One big word of advice: its a good idea to check up on how your players think the game is going. Make sure everyone has something to do at all times. When things go wrong, explain the situation to your players, deal with the problem, and move on. Its your game. If you need to take a short break, then let everyone know and take it. If you're at a loss for ideas, ask the players. They will probably be glad to help.

 

A favorite saying among our group is "Never give the GM ideas." Players, esp. during casual in-game or out-of-game conversations, will usually come up with great ideas on where to take the story. I once ran a game where I put the players in downtown Chicago (pulp genre) and said "What do you want to do now?" (If any of my group is reading this, this was a long time ago, so no, that's not how you ended up going to South America .)

 

Aroooo

[Herolover]

.Someone mentioned something like this earlier, but I am going to expand on it. Forget mechanics. Sometimes HERO fans get to caught up in game mechanics and forget the game (I know I used to be one.)

 

Don't worry so much if a villian does or doesn't have a power. If they need, they have it. To a certain point same goes for PC's. If a PC wants to do a cool new trick or something different with their power let them. Now if they want to do it all the time that is when you make them spend points. Look at the skill POWER for more of an idea of this kind of thing. I am thinking of making it a mandatory skill in my Champions campaign.

 

Don't worry about having villians actually made up. Just be sure to be consistant. Many times I have gone into combat not knowing a villians powers only to say okay he has OCV/DCV 9, 15 DEF, and his main attack is a 15d6 EB. Not much, but my players never knew.

 

Fudge combat. Let me say that again Fudge combat. What fun is it when the nemisis villian is knocked out in the first segment? It is a lot funner when the players are worried about wether or not they will win. Which reminds me. Don't be scarred to have the players actually loose.

 

Remember how you play is your choice. For me this is a roleplaying game not a tactical board game.

[kirakane]

Keep in mind that things that work well in the source material (comic books, novels, movies) don't always work well in role playing games.

 

For example: The Avengers vs dozens of AIM agents works well in a comic book because 1 page later all the agents are laid low and the heroes move on the the real super villians.

 

However in Hero system the same fight will take hours and hours of game play to resolve to the point no one is having fun anymore.

[lemming]

Originally posted by kirakane

For example: The Avengers vs dozens of AIM agents works well in a comic book because 1 page later all the agents are laid low and the heroes move on the the real super villians.

 

However in Hero system the same fight will take hours and hours of game play to resolve to the point no one is having fun anymore.

It depends. If it's a fight where you want to have the heroes plow through agents, you can just describe that part of the story.

 

Other ways GMs can quickly run an agent fight is to have agents go down after a semi-decent hit. There's never a reason to keep accounting up on agents.

[Nato]

That's what I usually do for agent fights that aren't a focal point of the story. I either just describe it out or drop them right away.

[Pattern Ghost]

*Bump*

 

Hey, this seems to come up every week. Maybe we should have Ben make it sticky?

[Insaniac99]

agreed, same with the Plot seeds in the Champions set...

[Rechan]

Okay. One thing that makes me chuckle, is so many people focus on 'Don't plan. Wing it. Off the cuff.' I just can't do that. When the CAT (Criminal Apprehension Tank) busted through the walls of FoxMecha Technologies to attack the PC's Team Benefactor, there was a reason for it. And the PCs investigated it. And found clues that I hid here and there, that lead them back into a web of stuff. I am a tedious planner. I have adventures allready planned out (or atleast how I'll run PARTS of them). Others I leave to my procrastination.

 

So no, there's nothing wrong with planning. IF, let me say that again IF you are willing to tear up your plans to assist PCs. If the old bum knows about the Ghost killing people, and the PCs - naturally being PCish and going on tangents - never even go near where the Bum is supposed to meet them, then let them run across the teary eyed victim of the ghost's attack, who approaches them because they might help her, where the police will not.

 

Also, if PCs do something that completely screws your planning, don't get upset. Run with it. Then think of how their actions will rebound back to effect them. Did the villain behind the scenes intend to snatch up the people that the PCs saved, but instead the PCs recruit them on their side? That's fine. Let the master villain see this as a slight against them, and instead put other things into motion to fix this.

 

Give life to NPCs. You are in a World of People, take from that. Does the bartender have a really nagging voice, and always complains about *His* problems to his customers? I'm sure you know someone like that. Does someone have a DNPC like a mother or a girlfriend? Have them a little nagging, or snoopish. 'So, where have you been? I thought I told you to get the milk, you've been gone for hours!'. Raspy voices, colorful handgestures, catch phrases (The old villain saying 'Let me tell you something' 12 times in a conversation will certainly make it stick) NPCs aren't just information with a face. They're people.

 

WRITE IT DOWN. Write down NPC names (Before and after). I have the most horribel habit of forgetting NPC names after I've planted them, and then I have to go search the logs for them.

 

The World Is Alive. Never stop to remind people that the world is around them, and that it doesn't revolve around the PCs. This is especially true with the CU. The books are *so Detailed* to allow you to just whip out Media stuff around the PCs, to show it's Living and Breathing. Did the PCs not take up on a plot hook? Let that plot hook resolve. They didn't bite about there being whispers about Some new guy in town, let him get in a fight with a local super. Didn't take the treasuremap from the old dude? Some other group of people got rich (or died trying). This loops back to giving NPCs more life. Your players will appreciate it.

 

After every adventure, have a synopsys. How does the world react to the PC's adventure. Is it known? Do they approve? What does the Mayor/Present/Media/Common Joe think of it? Also, after the adventure, set your PCs down and ask them these questions (more or less).

 

1) What did you like about this mission? What in this mission would you like to see more of in others?

2) What Didn't you like; what would you like to see Less of?

3) What do you think could have been handled differently, or what do you think could have been added to make it better? Anything you'd like to see more of?

 

It's about having fun, and increasing the experience, adding more fun. Remember that. FUN.

 

Remember: Rule 0. You are the GM. It is Your world, it's your game mechanics. You have the right to change what you want. You do not have the right to lord this over your players. But you don't have to take flack from rules lawyers when they're trying to 'beat the game', or whatever.

 

Have fun.

[Lord Liaden]

Re: Tips for New GMs

 

Bumping this because it's too valuable to lose track of.

[Barton]

Re: Tips for New GMs

 

A great idea is to use a setting you and your players are familar with. My players and I use Chicago for our Champions game. It gives all of us some familiarity with the setting and common starting points for adventures.

 

Occasionally change the venue of your adventure. In my Champions game they have twice gone to "NaziWorld" as they call it. A dimensional portal that an NPC has leads to an alternate dimension where Germany won WWII.

This is a great place for the PC's to do things with less downsides (no DNPC's to worry about and the like). This alternative venue was a great change of pace for the players. Maybe give your players a quest in which they must travel to some other location.

 

Create a FUN NPC for your players to interact with. Foxbat is that in my game. He has a crush on one of the female characters and reappears in many adventures. He is great fun and his constant interference with the group gives me many plot hooks like an appearence on the Jerry Springer program for the group (this was a lot of fun!).

 

The Press. Press coverage both bad and good is great fun. Roleplay press conferences or have a noisy reporter find out something the PC's want to keep quiet. Having a reporter as a team informal contact is a great way to feed hints/ideas to your players. If you have the time make a "newspaper" with coverage of the teams adventures, and put plot hooks in it also.

 

Give the group an informal contact, like the local Chief of Detectives. Great for giving the players a hint to start an adventure.

 

Have a meta-plot, an overridding theme for a series of adventures. Mr. Big wants to take over the city. Have him do several things before the big showdown, like stealing parts to the big bomb (or whatever). Give your players an option to interfer or investigate the evil plot, if they do not let the Bad Guys plan proceed. If they interfer alter the Bad Guys plans accordingly. Be flexable, remember no plan survives contact with your players. I like the meta-plot to be like backround music, it can sometimes tell the viewer something is up, but you can ignore it if you wish.

[Rapier]

Re: Tips for New GMs

 

You know, someone should compile and edit this into a big document.

[jml]

Re: Tips for New GMs

 

Also, HERO specific tips should be encouraged and highlighted -- some of us have DMd before, but never GMd a HERO game.

[Silbeg]

Re: Tips for New GMs

 

one thing i would like to add to this is don't make the villians always be captured either' date=' if every villian is captured then you either have to create more or let the others break out of prison, and if villians keep breaking out of prison then the heroes MAY start to think that it would be better to take matters in theri own hands, however that may be...[/quote']

There is a delicate balance here. You have hit the nail on the head, with the issue of the revolving door - characters will evolve when they realize the villains they have captured are getting out.

 

Once and a while, you'll need a flashy trial (Can be handled as an news bulletin, or whatever), just to let the players know what they are doing is making a difference. Have they captured Black Harlequin? If you have no long term goals for the character, make a show of him getting the death sentance (who cares if this isn't the norm in your campaign city, IRL... he probably killed someone in Texas, where he could get extradited to!)

 

But... if you have a villain whom you need to have get away, have a logical reason for him to get away. The thing that I have found to be the hardest in a HERO combat is getting characters to retreat. The average super tends to not have any abilities that allow him to separate... Someone who will want to retreat needs movement greater than 15" (magascale would be best), or tunnelling, or a fancy t-port, or extra-ordinary stealth (I had Foxbat get away during the "A Day at the Maul" by changing into plain clothes inside of a darkness field... the players knew the one civilian fleeing was Foxbat, but they couldn't prove it before he had left!)

[gamerz123]

Re: Tips for New GMs

 

Any roleplaying system with the scope and flexibility of HERO takes some getting used to. This includes players as well as GM's.

 

Let players new to the system 'tweak' their characters after the first session (or even two or three sessions if everyone in the group is new to the system.)

[Alibear]

Re: Tips for New GMs

 

Reward the players and he characters every now and then.

 

e.g. In my campaign a PC saved a TV weather girl, she is the hottest woman in Scotland in my campaign, she now dotes on him, a kinda Knight in shining Armour thing which he loves.

 

But also reward the players, if someone comes up with something really novel or clever, or just a cool Role playing moment give him an extra XP a bit like a Scooby snack. :wink:

[Guest bblackmoor]

Re: Tips for New GMs

 

That's what I usually do for agent fights that aren't a focal point of the story. I either just describe it out or drop them right away.

 

In the olden days, I used to use poker chips for agents, normals, and police (who are basically good agents). Red for agents, white for normals, and blue for cops. They were numbered on the front (just in case I actually needed to tell them apart), and had an X on the back (this being done with a black magic marker). When they got hit once, I'd flip the poker chip over, and that agent was out of the fight.

 

Our face to face games haven't featured large numers of agents in years, though, so I haven't done that in an equally long time. I am not sure why we don't. I might run an agent-heavy bounce sometime soon, just for nostalgia's sake.

[Aroooo]

Re: Tips for New GMs

 

Before my last move, we used to use a large jar of pennies for agents and by-standards. With one of our face to face groups we use small black jelly beans. Squished = dead.

 

Remember, civilians count as visual cover only

 

Aroooo

[CTaylor]

Re: Tips for New GMs

 

I'll copy this post over to this thread where it belongs probably better:

 

To speed up combat, there are a lot of good tips in Fantasy Hero and Hero System books. Treat low end bad guys as a limited number of hits (it takes 1 good hit to take him out, 2 for this guy, etc). If the PCs put down a bad guy, he stays down unless he's a special NPC or a big main "boss" to use video game terms. That prevents the nasty tendency of beating on bad guys while they are down.

 

In general terms running a game usually all games go better if you keep certain rules in mind:

 

-Try to end each session either with a glorious celebration of success (the end of Star Wars) or a cliffhanger - think of your game as being an adventure serial, make the party wish it hadn't ended yet, and look forward to what comes next

-Try to make sure each player feels like they've contributed and done something cool in the game. If this means you have to adjust your story a bit, then do it: everyone having fun is more important than your predetermined scenario, and a good GM can work around that.

-Find out what each player wants with their character and try to get that into the game, as often as possible

-Remember disadvantages. Each character has a list of plot hooks and character hooks you can grab hold of in the game. Hunteds are good for complicating encounters or creating a scenario. Psychological limitations help the player role play and so on.

-Remember limitations. If your mage has to gesture, sometimes make it so they cannot. If the warrior has a magic sword, have that sword taken away sometimes so he notices the OAF on the power. But don't overdo it: they are limitations, not crippling disabilities. Once a session is a good guide, have someone notice their limitations once a session if possible, but not much more than that.

-Your job is to help everyone have fun (including you), not to beat the players. If they trash your bad guy easily but have fun doing it, you win. Challenge is good, problem solving is entertaining, but the end goal is to enjoy yourselves. If your players hate riddles, don't put them in the game even if you love them and have a book full. If your players prefer a light-hearted game, don't make the game grim and brutal except on occasion. Make sure you find out and make it clear what your game is at least early in the campaign if not at the start.

-Each character is the property of their player. They made the character, they have the concept and background, they made this up. Don't make changes without consulting and working with the player. Don't just rewrite stuff without at least explaining why and having the player go along with it. They'll be creative, you can come up with something even if the original concept doesn't fit the campaign.

 

There are some others, but it's all about having fun.

 

I strongly advise using the GSPC combat program (it keeps track of who moves when and can even roll dice - its ancient but still runs fine on windows) or something similar for the "hit list" of DEX and SPD. It helps you keep track better of who moves when and keeps things organized.

 

Use a map and miniatures. I tried working without squares or hexes but it gets too much like a wargame measuring ranges with a tape measure and so on.

[Sean Waters]

Re: Tips for New GMs

 

I had this guy called Major Clifford Hanger turn up at the end of most sessions and tell the PCs something terrible was about to happen.

 

Too literal?

 

 

No, really, I did.