{"id":6917,"date":"2016-10-07T07:00:00","date_gmt":"2016-10-07T12:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.d20radio.com\/main\/?p=6917"},"modified":"2016-09-27T09:37:18","modified_gmt":"2016-09-27T14:37:18","slug":"10-simple-rules-for-a-new-gm-part-2-of-4","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.d20radio.com\/main\/10-simple-rules-for-a-new-gm-part-2-of-4\/","title":{"rendered":"10 Simple Rules for a New GM (Part 2 of 4)"},"content":{"rendered":"

Welcome to the second of four installments presenting \u201c10 Simple Rules for a New GM.\u201d \u00a0 These represent my thoughts on things a new Game Master (or Dungeon Master, or Referee, etc.) should know when considering taking on the mantle of GM for a roleplaying game.\u00a0 These rules can be grouped into three core aspects regarding being a GM.\u00a0 The first four explain the \u201cRole of the GM,\u201d the next two concern \u201cCreating the World\u201d, and the final four involve \u201cBeing the GM.\u201d \u00a0Together I hope that they result in a GM that knows the story they want to tell, can build the world where they want the story to take place, and then own it.<\/em><\/p>\n

Last week I gave you background on what led me to create this list of rules and I presented Rule # 1 \u2013 Pick a game system and genre that you really enjoy!\u00a0 <\/strong>It was the first of four rules regarding the Role of the GM<\/em> and I will complete that discussion here by presenting the next three rules.<\/p>\n

10 Simple Rules for a New GM<\/u><\/strong> (Continued<\/em>)<\/strong><\/p>\n

Rule #2 \u2013 You are not there to \u201cbeat\u201d the players.\u00a0 (Role of the GM<\/em>)<\/strong><\/p>\n

Some GMs make the mistake of thinking that they are supposed to be trying to defeat the players at every turn.\u00a0\u00a0In all fairness, this is often just a by-product of inexperience or a misunderstanding of the GM\u2019s basic job.\u00a0 Encounters and challenges should be constructed to further the tale and present things for the players to do during the game; not be constructed as insurmountable death-traps.\u00a0 Conversely, players that never feel challenged become bored.\u00a0 It is up to the GM to create balanced encounters and challenges that require creative problem-solving, cooperation, and a little luck to overcome.\u00a0 This is where the best stories are created at the game table.<\/p>\n

Character mortality is an expected part of most RPGs.\u00a0 Combat will frequently result in injury to player characters and, occasionally, death.\u00a0 Unfortunately, some GMs feel that a lack of any PC deaths is somehow a failure on their part and focus too much upon creating scenarios that are almost no-win affairs.\u00a0 It is when the party has their backs against the wall, with the spectre of a Total Party Kill (TPK) looming, that the GM has a last chance to salvage the story.\u00a0 This is when the GM needs to provide an out by giving the party a new resource to use to their advantage or by reducing the immediate danger facing the PCs.\u00a0 No game session should ever end with a Total Party Kill, or TPK; if the characters are all dead then the story is dead.\u00a0 Unless the game you are playing is a one-shot or one where player death is a big part of the story (i.e. Paranoia), a TPK is a sign that something went drastically wrong.<\/p>\n

Encounters should be reasonably designed and not too easy or too difficult unless the story calls for it.\u00a0 Remember, the players and the GM are both telling a story together and the players are the chief protagonists.\u00a0 They should shine frequently and not be crushed into oblivion.\u00a0 You owe it to them to give them the opportunity to be heroes.<\/p>\n

Rule #3 \u2013 The story you tell is more important than the rules. \u00a0(Role of the GM<\/em>)<\/strong><\/p>\n

The GM should be the unbiased referee who describes the setting, sets challenges for the PCs, and determines the consequences of actions taken by the players.\u00a0 Still, though, the goal is to tell a story and there will be times when you need to fudge a die roll or veer away from the Rules as Written (RAW).\u00a0 A random chart or table should not derail the story you are trying to weave.\u00a0\u00a0 If you find that the results of actions seem arbitrary and will mean catastrophe for the PCs and their ongoing tale, my advice is to fudge the rules for the sake of the story.<\/p>\n

Many years ago I sat down with a group of college friends to try out the Star Wars RPG published by West End Games.\u00a0 My friends had spent a lot of time creating their characters, equipping themselves, and writing their backstories.\u00a0 Our first session was a pretty straight-forward attempt to test out the rules and experience the setting.\u00a0 Near the end of the session, the player running the smuggler PC decided he wanted to test out space combat; he answered a challenge from an Imperial Customs corvette to prepare for inspection with \u201cWe don\u2019t have time for the Empire right now.\u201d \u00a0I ruled that the corvette\u2019s captain would likely respond by having one heavy laser cannon on his ship fire a shot at the stock light freighter.\u00a0 The player attempted to evade, but I still rolled a successful attack by the corvette and the damage it inflicted was substantial and resulted in a ship\u2019s system being destroyed.\u00a0 I consulted the appropriate chart and rolled the dice. The result I read on the chart said \u201chyperdrive destroyed.\u201d \u00a0I knew that this would mean the ship being boarded and the entire party being captured and imprisoned.\u00a0 It would also mean a very abrupt end to our little campaign before it even got started and all for the foolish action of one player.\u00a0 I re-rolled on the chart and I accepted the second result which was \u201cweapon system destroyed.\u201d \u00a0I told the players that their ship was rocked by a blast from the corvette which vaporized their only laser cannon and resulted in heavy damage to the hull.\u00a0 They quickly managed to make the jump to lightspeed and limp back to their home base for repairs.\u00a0 There were still consequences to the actions taken by the smuggler and they were expensive for the party, but they did not end the game.<\/p>\n

If the players are all having fun don\u2019t let the Rules as Written (RAW), strictly interpreted, kill the story for everyone.\u00a0 This doesn\u2019t mean to overlook foolish decisions by the party.\u00a0 A suicidal course of action may indeed have catastrophic consequences for the group and the story, but there is a difference between a random die roll deciding the fate of the story and the reasoned actions of the players.\u00a0 If players are playing in character, using their skills and abilities correctly, and contributing to the ongoing story you may want to overlook when a game mechanic randomly unravels their accomplishments.<\/p>\n

Rule #4 \u2013 Give all players a chance to shine. \u00a0(Role of the GM<\/em>)<\/strong><\/p>\n

In any social setting, some people are more comfortable than others to speak and take action.\u00a0 The game table is also a social setting and you will always find you have a player or two that are more likely to jump into the action, offer an idea, or be ready to make a perception check.\u00a0 In contrast, you will also have players that are content to sit quietly until called upon to make a check or roll initiative.\u00a0 This is where encounter construction can be a great tool to get all players into the action.\u00a0 Stay familiar with the skills and abilities of the PCs and ask for a check from one of the quiet players every now and then.\u00a0 Force them to step into the spotlight.\u00a0 Maybe even write a story arc just for them based upon their background.<\/p>\n

In my experience, this does two things for the group dynamic at the table.\u00a0 One, it highlights the abilities and skills of the PC\u2019s belonging to the quieter players so that the rest of the party learns what they are capable of.\u00a0 Two, it makes it more likely for the outspoken players to include the quiet players in strategy discussions.\u00a0 Instead of having a group of primary PCs with a cast of supporting characters, you end up having more of a cohesive team.<\/p>\n

One of my college friends that played RPGs with me, Andy, was the quiet player that usually didn\u2019t have much to say and mostly let his dice speak for him in combat.\u00a0 Several of the other guys we played with were more outgoing and tried to lead our PC parties which often resulted in plots and counter-plots as they engaged in rivalries stoked by ego.\u00a0 This was fine for D&D, but would not have been so suitable for a game like Star Trek which we played for a while.\u00a0 When I announced that I would be starting a new Star Trek campaign I told my friends to create characters suitable for senior bridge crew and that the captain of their vessel would be an NPC.\u00a0 At our first game session, I had the players all around the table and described that they were in the briefing room of their new ship being addressed by the Captain. \u00a0Up to this point none of them knew for certain what their ranks were or final positions.\u00a0 The Captain started by introducing the assembled PCs to the First Officer.\u00a0 At this time I looked to my friend, Andy, the quiet player and addressed him as \u201cLt. Commander.\u201d \u00a0His face lit up and his jaw dropped; the grin didn\u2019t leave his face for the rest of the briefing.\u00a0 Andy did an excellent job and I saw more improvisation and role-playing out of him in those Star Trek game sessions than I did in any other game we played.\u00a0 I had thrust him into the spotlight, put him \u201cin charge\u201d (within a few sessions the PCs had a new ship with his character as Captain), and he took to it with gusto.\u00a0 He knew everyone was counting on him and he did not disappoint.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Come back next week for the third installment!<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Welcome to the second of four installments presenting \u201c10 Simple Rules for a New GM.\u201d \u00a0 These represent my thoughts on things a new Game […]<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"author":911,"featured_media":236,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_ef_editorial_meta_date_first-draft-date":"","_ef_editorial_meta_paragraph_assignment":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[25,633],"tags":[726,61,58],"class_list":["post-6917","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-ask-a-gamer","category-games-for-kids","tag-gaming-with-kids","tag-gm-advice","tag-kids"],"yoast_head":"\n10 Simple Rules for a New GM (Part 2 of 4) - d20 Radio<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.d20radio.com\/main\/10-simple-rules-for-a-new-gm-part-2-of-4\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"10 Simple Rules for a New GM (Part 2 of 4) - 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