Roleplaying Tips Weekly E-Zine Issue #226
7 Tips For Dealing With GM Add
Contents:
This Week's Tips Summarized
7 Tips For Dealing With GM Add
- Go Hard, Go Fast
- Absorb Everything
- Use A Common Platform
- Let Players Bolster Your Weaknesses
- Give Your Players A Heads-Up
- Consider Cycling The GM Chair
- Create A Fall-Back Campaign
Readers' Tips
Summarized
- A Sentient Tail
- Write Missing Tables Inside The Covers
- Fate Points
- Use Hanging Files
- Another Filing Cabinet Tip
Return to
Contents
A Brief Word From Johnn
Last Week For List Generation Project #2
The contest for List Project #2 ends this week, so be sure
to get your entries in soon. Response has been quite low,
perhaps due to Summer or maybe the content matter of the
contest is uninspiring. Either way, if you enter, the odds
are currently about 1 in 3 you'll win something!
List Project #2 is: "Roleplaying Plots and Quest Ideas"
Issues #223 and #224 discussed tips on crafting roleplaying
oriented plots, missions, and encounters. Use these tips to
create roleplaying (as opposed to combat) plot, mission, and
quest ideas of your own. Multiple entries are welcome to
increase your winning chances. There's no minimum or maximum
length, but please try to follow this format:
Title: ___________
Description: ___________
GM Notes: ___________
For example:
Title: The Noble Troll
Description: A troll lives beneath a nearby bridge and is
causing havoc with local travellers. It's demanding food (in
the form of live animals, such as cows and chickens) in
exchange for passage across the bridge. The troll is fairly
powerful and attempts to kill it have failed. The PCs are
asked to do something about the situation.
GM Notes: The troll wears shredded pants, speaks with an
upper class accent, and fights fencing style with a rapier.
He is actually a missing local noble who was made victim to
a Polymorph Any Object spell.
[ http://www.opengamingfoundation.org/srd/srdspellsp.rtf ]
The troll is confused and always hungry. The noble has a
grudge against the folk of the area, and this just fuels his
rage when denied food. A chain around the troll's neck
carries a pendant with the picture of his former wife-to-be.
The marriage was called off after the parents met the noble
for the first time last week (before the troll
transformation, lol).
The contest ends midnight July 3rd 2004. 8 prizes are up for grabs!
Regardless of who wins the contest, everybody will win when
the plots and quests are published in the ezine for all GMs
to enjoy.
Email your entries to: johnn@roleplayingtips.com
Good luck!
Johnn Four
johnn@roleplayingtips.com
Return to
Contents
CRYSTAL CASTE TO RELEASE 16MM SETS OF JADE DWARVEN STONES
They'll go fast! Sign up on our mailing list to be notified. Summer releases to include SarcophaDice™, BattleHive® II, 12mm METAL Dwarven Stones®, Eldritch Gems' counters, Fire Opal™ dice, Moonstone™ dice and Giant 35mm Metal d20's Visit Crystal Caste for details.
Crystal Caste - Quality Products for Serious Gamers.
www.CrystalCaste.com
Return to
Contents
7 Tips For Dealing With GM Add
By Johnn Five
I have a mild case of it. I've gamed with others who've had
it real bad. Subscribers often write in with tip and help
requests without realizing they're actually suffering from
symptoms of the disease. This ailment I'm speaking of is GM
Attention Deficit Syndrome.
GM ADD is when you find the actual adventure, world, or
campaign creation process more fun than carrying things
through to their finish. Symptoms include:
- A thousand campaigns begun and zero completed
- Frequent party kills so the GM can start fresh
- Lots of books line the shelves
- Your current campaign suffers because you're already working on the next one
- GM burn-out from guilt about not sticking with things for very long
- Bored players (who know their characters won't amount to much before the next Big Switch occurs)
- Jealousy of GMs who tell stories about their ten year (heck, 10 week!) long campaigns
- Many incomplete game worlds
If you think you have GM ADD, don't despair. Don't shake
your fist at the dice gods or pull your hair out. Don't beat
yourself up. Read the tips below and try them out. Let me
know if they help or if you have any additional tips for
ADDers.
- Go Hard, Go Fast
Ok, step one is accept your fate. You like to try out new
ideas all the time and shiny things always become dull
after a (short) while? Cool! This is a strength. It's an
advantage. And I say use it. Wield it to create awesome
gaming experiences for your group.
I say go hard, go fast!
Go Hard
Forget about aiming for the long plot arcs. Next time you
start working over an idea, make it as cool and fun as you
can. You likely experience periods of intense energy when
the muse strikes. When this happens, stay focused and
explore all aspects of the idea. Don't hesitate because you
fear this will become another short-lived thing. It _will_
be a short-lived thing! So, extract every ounce of flavour
from it that you can.
Guilt or worry about starting something new--again--can
dampen your spirits and create lacklustre GMing performances.
Your new idea inspires you, right? You think it's cool
enough to explore, right? So put 100% of yourself into it.
When you design, plan, and GM, let all of your enthusiasm
pour out.
Imagine that, instead of another hesitant start because
you're worried your players will be mad, you start things
off with a bang and your excitement electrifies everyone.
The gaming is great because it's interesting, fun, and new.
Go Fast
In 20 sessions, or 10, or 3, you're done and have taken the
adventure to completion. You knew you'd only be able to go
for a short period of time, so you planned accordingly. You
avoided the usual self-denial of, "this time will be
different, this time we'll go for years!"
You planned for a fast story and you jammed all the cool
ideas you could into it. Then the game ends. You didn't
leave it open-ended for fear of disappointing the group. You
didn't keep going, and going, and going until you became so
bored that you started cancelling sessions or dreading
saddling up to the game table.
You made the brutal and tough decision: "yeah, this puppy's
got legs for about two months and then it's got to end." You
designed for this, GMed it like this, and executed your
plan.
And what will happen? The players will get closure (for a
change!). You'll actually finish something. You'll get some
confidence back. And everyone will have a lot of fun along
the way. The best part is--you get to try something new now!
No strings attached. No failed campaign weighing you down.
No disappointed stares at your screen. You start fresh with
no baggage and an exciting new story to tell.
It's true that some groups might strongly dislike this style
of play. See the tip below about giving your group a heads-
up to help prevent this. However, chances are very good that
your group will respond positively, even enthusiastically,
to playing in games where you're animated and excited and
GMing well because you've found your bliss.
Go hard, go fast, take no prisoners. Give every idea you run
everything you've got, and plan to GM it until you figure
you've reached the half-life of your idea--no longer.
Return to
Contents
- Absorb Everything
I'm reading about 20 books right now. Some are fiction, some
are non-fiction. I'm reading comics, novels, text books,
coffee table books. Some are D&D books, some are books for
other game systems. A few titles I've been working on for
years, others I've only picked up recently. Often, I'll re-
read sections or jump ahead. Sometimes I'll pick a book up
once a month or less, while other books I'll finish in a few
days.
I'm a slow reader and this is my style. I don't think it's a
better style than staying loyal to one or two books and
finishing them before starting new titles. I don't feel it's
a poorer method either.
If you're an ADD GM, I'd like to suggest you aim to absorb
as much as you can about the thing-of-the-moment that
catches your interest. Just as you did with the Go Hard, Go
Fast tip, accept your style and make the most of it.
If you try to learn and absorb as much as you can about the
words you're reading at any given time, you'll be creating
and filling a huge well of ideas. This well becomes a
valuable repository that you can draw from while planning or
GMing.
Your GMing ADD might lead you to read a lot of gaming books,
possibly at the same time. Use this to your advantage and
build up your knowledge bank so you can bring it to bear, at
will, in your favourite hobby.
As a fun exercise, ask others how many books they have on
the go currently. You'd be surprised at how many things
people are reading at once. My sum of 20 books is paltry
compared to some responses I've received. Heck, I might have
to start more! :)
So, if you're worried about being the type of person who
starts a lot of books without finishing them, don't be
concerned. Instead, switch your worry to curiosity and focus
on absorption. Oh, and get a library card.
Return to
Contents
- Use A Common Platform
Unless you're a completely free spirit, you'll probably
crave at least some kind of long-term campaign building
feeling or thread of continuity. A good solution for this is
to establish a common platform in your gaming. This creates
linkage (sometimes strong, sometimes weak) between your
efforts and invested hobby time that results in feelings of
build-up and long-term satisfaction.
Examples of common platforms:
-
Game world. Each (or many) of your games, adventures, and
campaigns take place on the same planet or plane. As you
switch from idea to idea, new campaign to new campaign, you
are still building upon the same game world and receiving
all the benefits this approach has to offer.
The D&D worlds of Forgotten Realms and Mystara are good
examples, where multiple cultures, terrains, and
technologies are available to flesh out and explore.
Forgotten Realms
Mystara
-
Game universe. If your ideas tend to switch genres, time
periods, or styles, you might consider at least sticking
with a flexible game universe that can accommodate your
passions.
For example, the D&D universe of Planescape allows many
opportunities to create encapsulated pocket realms. RIFTS
allows for some excellent multi-genre adventuring. Amber is
a cool RPG with multi-universe gaming opportunities as well.
Planescape
RIFTS
Amber
-
Mythology or theme. Some combos are harder to encapsulate
than others. For example, high fantasy and hard sci-fi might
be a stretch to accommodate in the same universe, according
to your preferences. If this is the case, try working out a
common mythos or theme that you can carry through (directly
or indirectly) each campaign. Check out Michael Moorcock's
eternal champion thread of books as a good example of this.
Other examples:
- Reincarnation
- A universal cycle
- Alternate dimensions, alternate realities
- An uber divine entity
-
Game rules. Using the same game rules each campaign can
definitely help. This allows you to freely switch genres and
worlds without the overhead of learning new rules each time.
Some universal and multi-genre game systems:
Multiverser
GURPS
Hero
Action! System
FUDGE
d20
-
GM goals. It can also help to have a GM-level objective
with every game you play. Pick a goal or area of improvement
and work on that, regardless of campaign type or style.
For example:
- NPC roleplaying
- Describing detail
- Organization
- Story telling
- Plotting
Return to
Contents
- Let Players Bolster Your Weaknesses
Chances are you find some aspect of GMing arduous or boring.
This often leads to even higher campaign and idea turn-over
because, as soon as you hit the difficult or boring part,
you procrastinate or falter and move on to the next new
thing.
For example, game rules really bug some GMs. They just want
to tell the story or participate in an interactive story,
and the game rules bog them down. They write on reams of
paper about game worlds, stories, back stories, NPCs, and so
on, but, as soon as it comes time to put prose into stat
blocks, they back slowly away and then flee for their lives.
A good solution is to figure out the bumpy parts in your
GMing road and enlist your players' help. The best way to
ensure a long-term solution for your group is to find out
what GM-related tasks your players enjoy doing (if any). If
someone gets to do something they enjoy, then motivation and
follow-through are much more likely.
Another option is getting co-GM. Find a GMing partner whose
strengths fit your weaknesses and vice versa. A third
opportunity is to tap the online gaming community. Game
publisher and fan sites abound with discussion boards, pre-
generated GM material, and GMing resources. Search around
with a list of specific needs in mind and get the help you
need.
Often a campaign goes awry because the ADD GM can't get past
tasks that he loathes. If this happens to you, then reach
out and see what help gets offered. It never hurts to ask.
Return to
Contents
- Give Your Players A Heads-Up
Have a chat with your group and let them know about your
self-diagnosed GM ADD. Ask for their feedback and
cooperation. If you decide to adopt a gaming style that
suits your needs, then inform your group about this and what
it could mean in terms of changed game play.
There's a saying that goes, "it's easier to ask forgiveness
than for permission." However, if you show up to game night
and nobody else does, you'll never get a chance to
apologise! So speak up before you drastically change things.
If your players know what to expect, chances are they'll
give it a chance and enjoy it more. If you have the
unfettered freedom to pursue a style that you enjoy most,
players will generally appreciate the good gaming you'll
enthusiastically provide.
Some things to consider chatting about:
- Players' likes and dislikes. You might be surprised to
discover their preferences mirror many of yours!
- Players' observations on when you start to lose interest
in the game. This information might make it easier to
figuring out what kind of help to ask for.
- Player concerns. Often, what worries players are things
you already plan on dealing with or are things that won't
even be a factor.
Most groups will appreciate and even look forward to a game
night where the GM is enthused and fun to game with. It's
true that some players seek the on-going campaign style of
play, but you risk losing the whole group, burn-out, or
cessation of roleplaying altogether if you're not motivated
to GM. Chat with your players, solicit their feedback, and
manage their expectations so you can game master in a way
that works for you long term.
Return to
Contents
- Consider Cycling The GM Chair
A potential solution to GM ADD is to offer up the GMing seat
more often. This can benefit you in a few ways:
- Gives you a break so you can recharge your GMing batteries
- Gives you time to flesh out your next idea and make it the best it can be
- Puts a player in your shoes so they can appreciate things from your perspective--and vice versa
When you offer up your chair, be sure to discuss the length
of time the new GM will take for her stint. You don't want a
miscommunication where the player plans out a long campaign
when you had intended on GMing again in the near future.
Also, ask what the player plans on running so you can avoid
them accidentally GMing what you had planned for next. It
can happen!
Return to
Contents
- Create A Fall-Back Campaign
A great compromise between long-term accomplishment and
short term GMing attention span is to craft an ongoing fall-
back campaign. This is a game you return to from time to
time when you're between ideas or for when you crave
something with longevity and continuity. Your players might
enjoy this as well to get their long-term campaign fix in.
Each time you finish a session, put the game, characters,
notes, and so on, in a box so that everything is always
there and ready for when you need it.
For your ADD, the old campaign will seem fresh again each
time you come back to it. Plus, over time, the campaign will
slowly build and you just might achieve that multi-year
status campaign you envy other GMs for.
Return to
Contents
NEW Sci-Fi Gaming Terrain Available in July!
*** SEE advanced photos NOW at the website! ***
* ALSO, Message Boards and Photo Galleries * News
www.dwarvenforge.com
Readers' Tips Of The Week:
- A Sentient Tail
From: Nathan Heironimus
Hey Johnn,
I'm a long time reader and a first time submitter.
I'm a relatively new DM for my group, but at one of our
early sessions I had a crazy idea that turned out to work
very well when the players got out of hand. One of the
players was a Tiefling and he had a quirk I dreamed up of
having a tail that was sentient. Its personality was
different from the player's, and I used it give him ideas
for what to do and to encourage roleplay from the group.
It was a bit odd at first, but once everyone got into it, it
was a LOT of fun. I've now done similar things in other
campaigns, but usually with familiars, spirits, or other
"unexpected allies" of a player. The trick is to cause a lot
of good things to come from it to counteract the trouble it
causes.
I hope this tip is helpful and keep up the good work!
Return to
Contents
- Write Missing Tables Inside The Covers
From: Aaron Petry
In my D&D books, I found that the index was too detailed,
but the table of contents didn't have some tables and other
information listed that I always needed, so I wrote my own
into the front of them.
Return to
Contents
- Fate Points
From: Mistress Linda
re: "The Dice Double-Standard Is OK" from Issue #223.
An interesting twist on this kind of thing can happen with
systems like FATE (available free at http://www.faterpg.com ).
FATE characters have a store of 'Fate Points' that can be
spent to avoid some unpleasantries or inconveniences, and
are earned by the GM calling on negative aspects of the
character. This idea can be extended a little bit to
encourage players to roleplay their characters. FATE points
can be represented using counters so that they're easy to
pass around and keep track of without erasing your character
sheet into oblivion.
So, your NPC tries to bluff the character. If the character
isn't biting, you just roleplay the NPC trying harder to
convince the player, and slide a counter over. If the player
still isn't interested they must match your offer. Once you
hit about three, cut your losses and smile as the party
loses precious fate points...
Or smile just a little more evilly - after all, they've got
no way to know that it *wasn't* a bluff.
Return to
Contents
- Use Hanging Files
From: John Gallagher
Get a hanging file box-cabinet. They are mobile (on wheels),
and actually much handier, since they keep your files at a
convenient height for a seated GM (no stooping to the bottom
drawer of a cabinet). And, with a little cardboard laid over
the top, it can double as a table for snacks or other GM-
type stuff.
Return to Contents
- Another Filing Cabinet Tip
From: Malakite
I have an idea for you on organization. My wife is a
practicing witch. She and her coven often go out to the
canyons around where we live to perform rituals. She bought
a 3-drawer plastic cabinet at WalMart. It's great. It comes
with wheels so it's easy to move around. She filled the
three drawers with all the items she needs for rituals
(candles, etc). There's plenty of room in the drawers as
well. The top is flat, so when you get to the gaming table,
you'd have a stand beside you to place your drink on, or
perhaps some papers you'll need handy, but not necessarily
need all the time.
To keep the drawers from sliding open while it's being
moved, my wife bought some cloth straps and a package of
plastic buckles, then attached them to the straps. These
then go all the way around the cabinet (front to back and
side to side) and fasten. The buckles are adjustable so that
the straps can be tightened once in place. She loves this
cabinet.
Hope this helps someone out there.
Return to Contents
- And Another Filing Cabinet Tip
From: Eric
In regards to storing books in totes, I've also gone to the
extent of having a tote set-up for each RPG or miniatures
game I play: Traveller, Rolemaster, Napoleonics, and Ogre
Miniatures.
In regards to filing cabinets, my gaming files, much to my
wife's chagrin, take up quite a bit of the "office" space.
So, I've gone out and purchased lidded file or banker's
boxes to file information. These are easier to store in the
garage on shelves and can be lifted easily by myself or my
wife.
I've got a total of about two dozen boxes, with files of old
scenarios, magazines, board games, old rule books, etc. I
always try to "even" the weight so the wife can easily lift
a box out of the way if I leave one on the floor near the
shelves. All boxes are marked on the sides to identify the
general contents. Specifics are listed on the lids. I've
also extended this system to the wife's hobbies of model
railroading and crafts. Keeps us happy and organized, and my
wife off my back for being a "clutter bug."
Roll sixes!
Return to Contents
|
