Welcome to the fourth and final installment 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.<\/p>\n
Last week I presented the fifth and sixth rules which focused on Creating the World<\/em>.\u00a0 In this article I will present to you my final four rules for a new GM.\u00a0 These rules all concern Being the GM<\/em>.\u00a0 When taken together I hope that these rules provide useful advice to anyone seeking to try their hand at running an RPG!<\/p>\n 10 Simple Rules for a New GM<\/u><\/strong> (Continued<\/em>)<\/strong><\/p>\n Rule #7 \u2013 You are in charge of the game. \u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n Whatever your title–Narrator, GM, DM, etc.–always remember that you are in charge and it is your table.\u00a0 This means that you have the final say on what happens at your table and you are responsible for the fun and enjoyment of everyone at that table.\u00a0 That is an awful lot of responsibility as you are not only creating the setting and adjudicating the rules mechanics, but you also have to be prepared to rein in disruptive players, give appropriate rewards for in-game actions, and determine consequences for those actions.\u00a0 Invariably, you will make a decision that someone will disagree with.\u00a0 You may not have time to fully debate and discuss your reasoning at the table and you should not if it means that the game is being disrupted for everyone else.\u00a0 Firmly stand by your decision and offer to look into it further or discuss it more after the session.\u00a0 Keep an open mind, but keep the players on task and the game moving.<\/p>\n Taking charge of the game does not mean that you have to be an authoritarian dictator and you should not have to be.\u00a0 The group of players that is choosing to sit down at the table with you has essentially agreed to an unwritten social contract to respect your table and participate in your game session.\u00a0 However, there will occasionally be the immature player at your table that is there for some unfathomable personal goal known only to them.\u00a0 Usually, you will only run into these wildcard players at a convention or gaming store event or if a regular player brings in someone completely new to RPG gaming.\u00a0 They may not be vested in playing anything long term and just want to \u201ckill stuff,\u201d attacking neutral NPCs that your group encounters or getting into fights with other PCs when they don\u2019t get their way.\u00a0 Or they bring in a character of their own creation that is a \u201cparagon of virtue\u201d who can do no wrong and never fails; the player contests any decisions that don\u2019t go their way.\u00a0 Self-centered players like these were once referred to in an old \u201cDragon Magazine\u201d article as having the player alignment of \u201cChaotic Stupid.\u201d<\/p>\n If the problem player doesn\u2019t want to listen to you and challenges all of your decisions, assert your authority and tell them that they don\u2019t have to stay at your table.\u00a0 Encourage them to find a table and group that better fits their needs or, more directly, ask them to leave.\u00a0 Sometimes, your other players may take matters into their own hands and attack the offending PC.\u00a0 If they kill the PC of the offender do not let them roll a new character and don\u2019t accommodate them in any way.\u00a0 Let them go and don\u2019t worry about hurt feelings.<\/p>\n The worst thing you can do as the GM is ignore the behavior and hope that it will go away.\u00a0 I have played in a game session before where that happened and by the very end of that stressful session two of my friends and I declared that we would not be returning to play with that GM again. \u00a0He had allowed one player to perform all manner of random, chaotic, and evil actions directed at both other PCs and NPCs for no apparent reason other than it was fun for the player to frustrate the rest of us.\u00a0 Granted our characters attempted to take retribution into our own hands, but then the PC paladin of the player that invited the problem player stepped in to defend him.\u00a0 We argued to the GM that the paladin should not be defending the actions of a PC with obviously evil intent.\u00a0 The player of the paladin countered that the problem PC was only chaotic neutral and not evil using his absolute alignment as a guide.\u00a0 We looked to the GM to weigh-in on this discussion and his response was to shrug his shoulders and agree with both of our points of view.\u00a0 This agreement that both our arguments had validity did not constitute action; it avoided the conflict and that was the final straw.\u00a0 My friends and I never did return to play with that GM again.<\/p>\n The point is that one player did stupid things, the actions were disruptive to the game and the story, and by the GM failing to act he ended up losing the faith of the players at the table.\u00a0 It was his, and only his, responsibility to provide an enjoyable gaming experience and he did not deliver.\u00a0 So by all means take action and don\u2019t avoid doing so.\u00a0 If a player or two offer protest, then promise to review the rules after the session and get back to them.\u00a0 Focus on the session and the needs of the game and keep things moving while addressing problems that arise in an expedient manner.<\/p>\n Rule #8 \u2013 Don\u2019t be afraid to make mistakes.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n In games as in life we all make mistakes.\u00a0 I could write a separate article all about the mistakes I\u2019ve made from the minor to the colossal.\u00a0 No matter the scale of the mistake they all shared one quality; none of them ever ruined my ongoing game.\u00a0 You will make mistakes as a GM.\u00a0 Even experienced GMs make mistakes.\u00a0 Don\u2019t be afraid to make them because that fear will hold you back.\u00a0 When you recognize that you\u2019ve made a mistake, tell your players, discuss the best way to correct the mistake, and then continue the game.\u00a0 Put it behind you and keep going.<\/p>\n I made a very simple mistake while running my first play session using the newest Star Wars RPG rules from Fantasy Flight Games.\u00a0 During the first combat encounter I told the players to create their dice pools by comparing their skill to the relevant characteristic and that the higher of the two forms the basis of their pool; the ability dice.\u00a0 For example: a character with an Agility of 3 and a Ranged (Light) skill of 2 would start their dice pool with three green ability dice.\u00a0 Everything was right so far.\u00a0 Then I told them that they add a number of yellow proficiency dice equal to the lesser value.\u00a0 This would give them a dice pool of three green ability dice and two yellow proficiency dice\u2026which is completely\u2026wrong!\u00a0 They should have started, in the above example with three green ability dice and then upgraded <\/em><\/strong>two of the ability dice by replacing them with two yellow proficiency dice for a starting die pool of one green ability die and two yellow proficiency dice.\u00a0 The result of this mistake was that the PCs got a lot of very successful attacks during that combat encounter.\u00a0 Of course they did.\u00a0 They were each rolling 2-3 extra dice!<\/p>\n After that first encounter I realized that the stat blocks for the NPCs in the published adventure I was running did not have their dice pools calculated using the same method I had told the players.\u00a0 That was when I realized that I had failed to instruct the players to remove those ability dice that were upgraded to proficiency dice.\u00a0 I called a time-out and took a few minutes to glance at the dice explanation in the core rulebook and then explained my error to the players.\u00a0 They laughed and took it in stride as it was the first time for all of us using the FFG Star Wars system.\u00a0 They were mostly glad I hadn\u2019t given their opponents extra dice as well!\u00a0 The lopsided fight didn\u2019t have a significant bearing on the main plotline of the adventure so we continued on.\u00a0 We were then a little wiser and aware that the next fight may not go so easy for the PCs.<\/p>\n Sometimes, though, you may make an error that is not so easy to correct.\u00a0 I once misread the stats on a riot gun in the first edition Star Wars RPG by West End Games.\u00a0 It was a weapon that did only stun damage, but that was eight six-sided dice of stun damage per shot.\u00a0 In that ruleset that was enough stun damage to drop a Wookiee unconscious with one shot.\u00a0 I gave it as the sidearm of one of the first bounty hunters I created to send after the player group.\u00a0 Once the PCs managed to stop the bounty hunter and his partner from capturing and collecting the bounty on the party\u2019s smuggler, one of the PCs claimed that stun gun for herself.\u00a0 She used it to great effect for several game sessions before I realized that the stun gun as presented in that rulebook was supposed to be a tripod mounted heavy weapon.\u00a0 Talk about letting the genie out of the bottle.\u00a0 I sat down and discussed my discovery with the player of that PC and we worked out a reasonable compromise; the weapon was a one-of-a-kind custom creation.\u00a0 This particular version had limited ammunition, could only be fired once per combat round, and was only effective at close range.\u00a0 In most combats thus far where the PC had used the weapon, she had rarely fired it more than twice and usually in close quarters.\u00a0 We agreed to a power pack for the gun holding five shots, short-ranged, and only fired once per round.\u00a0 That PC continued to carry that weapon as a secondary weapon throughout the thirteen years or so that we played that campaign and, once and a while, it was used to great effect, but it never unbalanced the game or destroyed the story.<\/p>\n As a GM you will make mistakes of all shapes and sizes.\u00a0 Some will be easy to correct and others will be more challenging.\u00a0 Just remember that mistakes can be corrected and it is okay to take corrective action.\u00a0 Communicate with your players, own your mistake, discuss how to fix it, and continue your game.<\/p>\n Rule #9 \u2013 Not all GMs are created equal. \u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n As human beings we all second-guess ourselves and self-assess our abilities, strengths, and weaknesses.\u00a0 You will find yourself comparing your abilities as a GM to another GM and you may think you should give up being a GM as that other person is a \u201cbetter voice actor,\u201d or \u201cmore knowledgeable about the rules,\u201d or \u201cknows more about the setting,\u201d etc.\u00a0 Realize that as a GM you may have strengths that you don\u2019t see and, while the game at your table may look different than another\u2019s game that does not mean that your game is inferior.\u00a0 The differences are a reflection of your personal style of being a GM.<\/p>\n That doesn\u2019t mean you should never question yourself.\u00a0 Asking questions is how we learn and evolve in life as well as at the game table.\u00a0 You may find value in performing a self-assessment of your skills.\u00a0 Through this introspection you can compare yourself to another GM and recognize those areas where you may be stronger and see how that compensates for your weaknesses.\u00a0 Perhaps you aren\u2019t very skilled at acting the role of an NPC during encounters and giving them individualized voices, but you compensate by giving your NPCs descriptive mannerisms and quirks that make them distinctive and memorable.\u00a0 If you like something another GM is doing and you don\u2019t understand how to bring that to your table then just ask them.\u00a0 Gamers are a pretty friendly group and easy to talk to about our shared passions.\u00a0 It never hurts to ask and it will likely flatter the other GM to have you approach them for advice.<\/p>\n You can also solicit feedback from the players at your table.\u00a0 I did not like sometimes not knowing if my players all fully enjoyed the session.\u00a0 Sometimes they would all be excited and leave the game talking animatedly about what they had accomplished.\u00a0 Other times, it would just be that I would give them their skill points, everyone would write them down, say goodnight, and leave.\u00a0 On the latter occasions I wondered if I had made a mistake or had the players been bored or perhaps the rewards were a disappointment.\u00a0 I began giving my players a very short one-page survey to fill-out for me after my sessions that consisted of just 4-5 questions.\u00a0 I asked them to tell me their favorite part of the session, their least favorite part, whether or not they thought their character had enough to do during the session, and what did they want to see more of.\u00a0 I found that even on the nights with quiet and somber exits most of my players felt that they were getting plenty to do, all had one or two favorite parts, least favorite parts were often blank, and most of them would let me know when they thought we needed more infiltration missions, more space combat, or more chase scenes.\u00a0 Their feedback informed my session preparation and allowed me to tailor the story to what their likes were while also reinforcing that nothing was wrong with my game or my style.\u00a0 Everyone was having fun.<\/p>\n If you find yourself having doubts about being a GM, my advice to you is don\u2019t stop being a GM.\u00a0 Instead, self-assess the strengths and weaknesses you bring to the table, ask other GMs for advice and tips to improve your game, and finally ask you players how you are doing.\u00a0 I think that you will find that you are the best GM that you can be and that your gameplay reflects your personality and individual style and that your players are satisfied.\u00a0 If the players weren\u2019t happy they wouldn\u2019t be returning, would they?\u00a0 Regardless if there are weaknesses present you will get better with practice and experience; have both confidence in yourself and patience.<\/p>\n Rule #10 \u2013 When all else fails\u2026 \u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n \u2026ignore these rules.\u00a0 Being a GM is a great way to explore your creativity, spend time with friends, and tell the type of story you want to tell.\u00a0 A chance to tell that story with passion, sweat, joy, and tears.\u00a0 The rules should never get in the way of that experience.<\/p>\n Following the \u201c10 Simple Rules,\u201d by the time you get to this point you have accepted your role, created your world, and you\u2019ve gained experience behind the GM screen.\u00a0 You now \u201cown\u201d the game table and the story and you\u2019ve embraced what is expected of you as the GM.\u00a0 In that, you will find a freedom to be\u2026you.<\/p>\n Now, go out there and find your passion and tell some stories!\u00a0 Players are waiting on you.\u00a0 I know you will be great!<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"