What I learn playing a GM.

[ghost-angel]

Re: What I learn playing a GM.

 

While you shouldn't railroad... never be afraid to throw a Blindingly Obvious Plot Hook at the characters to get them in the right direction.

 

Then they'll meander all over the place...

[The Monster]

Re: What I learn playing a GM.

 

Don't drive 'em down the road, lead 'em by the nose.

[Silbeg]

Re: What I learn playing a GM.

 

Always, always, always be ready to adapt!

 

That may mean a lot of things, from fudging a roll (should happen only rarely), to quick mods to a character, to dropping a character if needed.

 

If an NPC should have had a power, and you forgot it in the build... remember the players don't see the character sheets!

 

If someone get's one-punched in the first phase of combat, maybe you don't need all six of that super-villain team. Or maybe some of the agents can be accidently dispatched, or run aways, or whatever?

 

 

[Dust Raven]

Re: What I learn playing a GM.

 

If you don't have a sense of humor, your game will die. Even in the most gritty, grim, horrific, don't even think of laughing you sicko games, a little bit of levity to remind everyone this is only a game is vital.

[Silver]

Re: What I learn playing a GM.

 

"Everyone has an invisible sign saying 'Make me feel important.'"

 

Don't leave anyone out - make sure that there's something significant their character can contribute to the game.

 

Amen.

 

Also, I make a lot of dice rolls out of view of the players, so I can fudge the results to move the story along, etc.

[Silbeg]

Re: What I learn playing a GM.

 

What seems obvious to you will not be understood by the players.

 

A second corallary to that would be that the players will always see more than you expect them to see, and never what you expected them to see.

[Korvar]

Re: What I learn playing a GM.

 

If you don't have a sense of humor' date=' your game will die. Even in the most gritty, grim, horrific, don't even think of laughing you sicko games, a little bit of levity to remind everyone [i']this is only a game[/i] is vital.

 

Corallary: Too much humour can break the mood into tiny tiny pieces. Resist the temptation to joke around too much. I suck at horror games. Although you can do a lot with the sudden switch from joivial humour to something scary.

[Cancer]

Re: What I learn playing a GM.

 

If your players are getting mad and you're getting mad, quit.

GMing is an acquired skill so you do improve with practice, but if what you're running is a train wreck, trying to keep driving through it doesn't help anyone. Let someone else go behind the shield, analyze where the problems cropped up and why, and figure out how to do better next time. Later, when the bad taste is out of everyone's mouth, you can try again.

[Silbeg]

Re: What I learn playing a GM.

 

When you most need to be able to hear what a player is saying, the table talk will get too loud for you to hear him clearly.

 

[Zeropoint]

Re: What I learn playing a GM.

 

Don't let the NPCs outshine the PCs unless it is meant as a purposeful and temporary frustration in the plot.

 

(and many other statements to the same effect)

 

I wish the GM for the only game that I'm playing in right now would think that way. We've got as many NPCs in the party as we have PCs, and one in particular who is:

 

about for times the average level of the party (it's a mixed BESM d20/ D&D game)

much "cooler" in concept and back story

a character that the GM has played in many other games

an admitted self-insert character for the GM

 

It frequently feels as though the PCs are in the game only to provide an audience for this character's actions. It also seems that the GM thinks that "telling a story" means "NPC theater".

 

I've come close to quitting that game a few times, but I stick with it for the sake of the friendship, and because it's the only game I've got going at the moment.

 

I firmly agree that the story is (should be) about the PCs, and I try to make that happen when I run a game.

 

And finally, what I've learned as a GM:

 

My natural instinct is to prepare for every contingency. That way lies madness. I actually do better if I prepare NOTHING ahead of time and make things up on the fly. However, this process is immensly aided by developing the game world.

 

Zeropoint

[Wiretwister]

Re: What I learn playing a GM.

 

Heroing (is this a verb?),

 

At least an action Noun....

[Alibear]

Re: What I learn playing a GM.

 

I`ve learned to spot GM tricks and when to trip them if it means the story will advance and when to dodge them and let some other poor sap take the sh1t.

 

I`ve learned to weigh up situations from a GMing perspective and often find myself working out what is going on faster.

[prestidigitator]

Re: What I learn playing a GM.

 

Don't feel the need to reveal everything to the players. Let their imaginations run rampant.

[The Monster]

Re: What I learn playing a GM.

 

Don't feel the need to reveal everything to the players. Let their imaginations run rampant.

 

Player fears are almost always more scary than GM imagination.

 

Never tell them that the wicked idea you're using today was their idea from last session. :sneaky:

 

The sourcebook is just one person's version of the Truth.

 

NPCs should always be willing to deal - it opens up a lot more roleplaying possibility and story potential. Plus, it makes the true fanatics stand out better.

[atlascott]

Re: What I learn playing a GM.

 

On a rotating basis, even if you mainly run off the shelf scenarios, elevate one or more players to a position of prominence--especially if your group dynamics are such that the group is comprised of one or two leaders and 3 or 4 guys who say and decide less--give them center stage now and again.

 

In key plot situations, roll secretly and take the results as purely advisory when they murder the PC's, but as gospel when the PC lucks out.

 

Do not be afraid to build up an NPC prior to the conflict--let the PC's know how evil the b#s$rd is before the fight, and how many peopl ehe has killed, or how he single handedly defeated so-and-so. It makes them feel mighty and heroic when they win, and inspires them to try again if they do not.

 

Do not hesitate to beef up or weaken an adversary on the fly for dramatic purposes--though they will say they would enjoy defeat The Lord Of Death in one swing, triumphing over him when they are battered and broken, and half spent is more satisfying and heroic.

 

Plot hooks can be very obvious or slightly less obvious. Either way, good players need them and will follow them.

 

If the PC's figure out a neat way to thwart the evil PC's plan that you hadnt considered--let them do it and beef up some of the other challenges on the fly to keep the game interesting...never punish them for cleverness.

 

If you can, copy or scan everyone's sheet at the end of every session--this way when someone shows up sans their sheet, they can still play, and it gives you the change to review how they spent their poitns in the interim.

 

Give the character who "does the right thing" a secret bonus--an item, a few extra XP's, something, to reward them for great roleplaying. This is never awarded to the guy who plays the same PC in every game, every genre. In a group of mercenaries, the Paladin who refuses to allow murder, and gives all his $ to the church, for example, is someone who is taking chracter appropriate actions to the detriment of his character. Reward these people, they are what the hobby is all about. It can transform a game, once word gets out.

 

Do not be afraid to give the 'hero' of the scenario an XP bonus--they guy who roleplayed very well, the guy who rolled the critical hit when everyone else was about dead, whatever.

 

Make sure your PC's are exceptional next to even your favored NPC's--and remeber that NPC's are SUPPORT CHARACTER ALWAYS, even if this or that ability exceeds that of anyone in the group. NPC's always need PC's help---PC's rarely need NPC's help, and NEVER IN COMBAT.

 

Tweak magic items in Fantasy HERO games--if the scenarios says "Magic Great Sword" and the resident barbarian wants an Axe, let it be and Axe--but behing the scenes--dont TELL the players its a sword and then change it to an axe--you'll get a rep for being too soft.

[Lucius]

Re: What I learn playing a GM.

 

Despite how highly I think of thinking, most people think little of thinking. In fact, most people think very little, period. So using my Gray Matter may matter to me, but no matter how much Grey Matter I muster to master a matter, it may not matter if the people around me are too damn dumb-dumb dense or stunningly stonewall stubborn, or otherwise irrational, to implement even an ideal solution.

 

Lucius Alexander

 

The palindromedary says "I don't think they mean 'Gray Matter' when they say 'GM,' Lucius."

[Lucius]

Re: What I learn playing a GM.

 

I learned that Resistance is good, but a high EGO is also essential, maybe with a psych lim like "Stubborn" to get you a bonus to those EGO rolls to keep silent no matter what they do to you. And I learned that there is no turning back: Once you take the challenge, you will fail and die, or succeed and become King of the Golden Mountain.

 

Lucius Alexander

 

The palindromedary says "Lucius, not only do I NOT think they mean 'Golden Mountain' I don't think most of them will even know what you're talking about....do you realize how obscure you're being?"

[Lucius]

Re: What I learn playing a GM.

 

If a copy of the plans of your new "Ultimate Weapon" have been stolen, and there is any chance at all the Rebels have had a chance to examine and analyze them, do NOT deploy the new weapons platform until you have done your own analysis, figured out some of the ways you are likely to be attacked (assuming the enemy has accurate intelligence of your weapons systems) and prepare for them. For example, if your battle station has a thermal exhaust port that would be vulnerable to fighter-delivered missile or torpedo weapons, first CAMOUFLAGE THE PORT, and second, BUILD DUMMY PORTS in the same trench, primed with shaped charges directed outward, designed to explode quickly and powerfully enough to disable if not destroy an attacking fighter craft, without doing serious damage to your own space station.

 

Lucius Alexander

 

The palindromedary says "They probably know that you're talking about a Grand Moff, but I don't think YOU know yet what THEY are talking about."

[Lucius]

Re: What I learn playing a GM.

 

It doesn't matter if it's wizards, thieves, merchants, mercenaries, or any other trade; being Guild Master is endless tedious politics, dealing with petty complaints from members, watching out for backstabbing underlings...

 

Lucius Alexander

 

The palindromedary doesn't think GM means "Guild Master.“ keep trying.

[Lucius]

Re: What I learn playing a GM.

 

You might as well take the points for a social and/or psychological limitation; you can probably count on the other players giving you grief, if not the non player characters. And if the players can't distinguish player reality from character role, or don't have the maturity to handle it, don't even try it. Sex is often problematic in games....

 

Lucius Alexander

 

The palindromedary asks "When did you ever play a Gay Male, Lucius? Anyway, I don't think this is right either."

[Lucius]

Re: What I learn playing a GM.

 

Speak with the language of the leaf

When what you mean is brief;

And with the language of the bough

When what you mean is more than now.

But also learn, while you are young

Speech is not only of the tongue…

I reach from Earth to Sky, from One to Other,

Have no Father and no Mother

From the dark underworld, crammed with richness and with death

Seek my way to leaf and breath.

 

Lucius Alexander

 

The palindromedary remarks “This is beautiful and wise, Lucius. But I don’t think ‘Green man’ is the answer.”

[Lucius]

Re: What I learn playing a GM.

 

Well what is it? General Motors? Gross Mess? General Malaise?

 

Lucius Alexander

 

The palindromedary suggests Game Manager.

[Lucius]

Re: What I learn playing a GM.

 

Oh! Like Dungeon Master, or Game Operations Director. Why didn't someone say so?

 

Lucius Alexander

 

The palindromedary replies "Someone probably did, Lucius, but do you ever listen?"

[Hugh Neilson]

Re: What I learn playing a GM.

 

Game Operations Director

 

Grandeur Of Delusions...

[ghost-angel]

Re: What I learn playing a GM.

 

Lucius is off his meds again