 |
Roleplaying Tips Weekly E-Zine Issue #234
Bad Gamemasters I Have Known And Loved: The Workaholic GM
Contents:
This Week's Tips Summarized
Bad Gamemasters I Have Known And Loved: The Workaholic GM
- Speak Up
- Volunteer
- Advise
- Switch
Readers' Tips Summarized
- World Building; History in the Making
From: Michael Sinclair
- Adventure Design; Random Forks of Fate
From: Michael Sinclair
- 20,000 Names
- Mediation - Large Scale
From: Yannick Jobin
- GM Split Parties Together
From: Robert Eck
- World Building; The Twisting of Time
From: Michael Sinclair
Return to Contents
A Brief Word From Johnn
XFN 1.1 Good For Gaming?
XFN (XHTML Friends Network) is a standard that lets you
represent human relationships using hyperlinks. It's
commonly used in blogs, for example. However, its
properties, imho, are useful for RPGs and NPC relationship
design too. Check it out at: http://gmpg.org/xfn/11
Subscribers Increasing
Some trivia for you. Since the ezine began in November,
1999, the number of ezine readers has steadily increased.
Currently, there are 13,493 ezine subscribers and an
additional estimated 5,000 readers who peruse the online
version at roleplayingtips.com.
Feedback on ezine features, ideas, layout, and so on are
always welcome!
G-Mail?
I'm keen on getting a G-Mail account for ezine testing and
file transfers. I believe Google is still in the beta test
stage for the service, but if anyone has an "in" for getting
an account, I'd sure appreciate it if you dropped me note.
Be sure to get some gaming in this week!
Cheers,
Johnn Four,
johnn@roleplayingtips.com
Return to
Contents
THE $2 MODULE: A DUNGEON CRAWL EVERYONE CAN ENJOY
Remember the good old days, when adventures were
underground, NPCs were there to be killed, and the finale
was the dragon on the 20th level? Those days are back.
Dungeon Crawl Classics feature bloody combat, intriguing
dungeons, and NPCs who are meant to be killed.
We have a great new offer for you. Dungeon Crawl Classics
#11: The Dragonfiend Pact is only TWO DOLLARS! It's an
excellent way to find out why everyone raves about Dungeon
Crawl Classics.
Learn more at http://www.goodman-games.com/5010preview.php
Return to
Contents
Bad Gamemasters I Have Known And Loved: The Workaholic GM
Bad Gamemasters I Have Known And Loved: The Workaholic GM
A guest article by Scott G. Zaboem
Introduction
Bad gamemasters are a problem, so we might as well stop
denying it. Over the past ten years, I have probably read
two dozen articles full of instructions for gamemasters with
troublesome players. It's one of the most common topics to
be found in RPG Tips Weekly. In contrast, I have never seen
an article that aids players who have troublesome
gamemasters. My experience, however, has shown me that
campaigns are more often wrecked by bad gamemasters than by
bad players.
Good reasons exist why player-bashing is popular and
gamemasters are rarely criticized. For one, most players are
probably worried about expressing their opinions so that
they don't become labeled as bitter or immature, and there
is a certain amount of legitimacy from this logic. Second,
players often realize that their gamemaster's job is a
difficult one and are willing to cut the gamemaster
considerable allowances. This slack given to gamemasters is
a good thing but only in moderation. Third, most players
simply don't realize that there is anything they can do.
The problem with all three of these reasons is that they
don't allow the gamemaster any chance for improvement. When
a chronic and substantial problem is disrupting the game, I
think the gamemaster usually doesn't realize that such a
problem is being created. Other times, the gamemaster knows
that something is wrong, but no one will tell her exactly
what.
The point of this article is to help players identify,
analyze, and aid a specific type gamemaster in trouble: the
workaholic GM. There are actually many things players can do
both in and out of game to assist such a GM, as discussed
below.
Remember: every bad gamemaster is a good gamemaster with a
few select bad habits.
Example Of A Workaholic GM
My present gamemaster is great. The Gamemistress, I will
call her for now, is a solid story weaver. She handles small
to medium-sized groups efficiently. She's involved in each
player character's personal goals. She has a solid grasp of
the rules. Best of all, her multi-layered conspiracies cause
us to gather the morning after a session and trade theories
until we drive ourselves bats with paranoia. Unfortunately,
we can't get her to run a game for us for more than two or
three months at a time because she is highly prone to
burnout.
In our last full campaign, the Gamemistress ran was handling
extensive player to NPC storylines through e-mail between
sessions, making detailed dungeon maps for her own use and
meticulously shading each square of rock on her graph paper,
and preparing countless NPCs in full PC detail.
As the campaign went on, experience was handed out less and
less frequently. As a result, characters who accomplished
goals during recent sessions were rewarded more generously
than those who did well several sessions earlier. In
addition, the Gamemistress began making excuses to end
sessions early or cancel altogether. After that six month
campaign, we allowed her a break for another six months
while others took turns behind the shield. Her next attempt
only lasted three sessions before she quit and left our
characters forever trapped in a dungeon.
Analysis of the Workaholic GM
The workaholic is well-meaning and loves the game, but
allows banal game preparation to take too much of her free
time. If a gamemaster ever brags that she spent a certain
number of hours preparing for the session, you may take this
as a bad sign.
This type of gamemaster hasn't learned to use her time
efficiently. She may be spending way too much time doing
simple things. She also is inclined to micromanage every
aspect of the game. Micromanagement becomes a problem in a
medium-sized or larger group. Likewise, running different
campaigns simultaneously for different groups can accelerate
burnout. If she tries to sidetrack the group with CCGs or
movies, it's time to intervene.
Dealing with a Workaholic Gamemaster
- Speak Up
If there is a workaholic GM in your group, the worst thing
you can do is ignore the problem. First, speak with the
gamemaster. It wouldn't be rude at all to simply ask her,
"Do you feel like you are about to burn out?"
Return to Contents
- Volunteer
Next, you should volunteer. In a previous article, I
outlined several different ways that an assistant gamemaster
can carry some of the proverbial burden (see "5 Ways To
Harness Game Master Assistants" in Issue #144 or
http://www.roleplayingtips.com/readissue.php?number=144 ).
Tasks as simple as keeping track of experience points for
her can be a huge help. Another great way to help out is
answering rules questions for new players. If you don't
work well with newbies and wish to avoid responsibility, ask
to be given charge over mood music, the map, or anything
else that interests you. A gamemaster who is skilled in
working with large groups will likely assign idle players
the task of roleplaying minor NPCs, but an observant player
may volunteer for the job without being asked. There are
many other ways to take on gamemaster responsibilities, but
these few are a good start.
Return to Contents
- Advise
The best way to help a workaholic gamemaster is a little
tricky, and I don't suggest this step be taken in every
situation. A workaholic may need to be shown ways to run a
game more efficiently. No gamemaster will ever think to ask,
but if done politely, tips may be given nonetheless. I
directed my gamemistress to the automated map creators at
http://www.irony.com. As far as I know, she never actually
used them, so I probably wasn't tactful enough.
Return to Contents
- Switch
As a last resort, try switching games. You could suggest
that the gamemaster try running a game with simpler rules
and a less epic setting for a while. Using myself as an
example, I run the Star Wars RPG. The second edition with
the old West End Game D6 rules is my personal standard game.
I am willing to run other games, but I always come back to
Star Wars. Most bad gamemasters are actually good
gamemasters who are running the wrong game.
Unlike the player characters she terrorizes, the Workaholic
Gamemaster will usually not improve with experience.
Instead, she may become more of a workaholic and more prone
to burnout. I myself was a workaholic gamemaster until I
observed some very skilled gamemasters and saw how
efficiently they ran their games. There is help for the
worst workaholic.
* * *
Commentary From Johnn
Thanks for writing about this sensitive issue Scott. I've
definitely been guilty of over-planning and over-preparing
as a GM, and I've also played under a workaholic GM. You
made a good analysis of this ailment. Some additional
thoughts on the topic:
- Perhaps the GM has lost her confidence? Confidence is an
ever-changing thing, regardless of circumstance.
Professional athletes, for example, who are the best in the
world at what they do, can lose confidence for a number of
reasons. A home-run hitter can enter a slump and a reliable
goal scorer can hit a dry spell. So, even though the players
all agree a GM is awesome, she might be feeling unconfident
and so over-prepares.
Have you heard of the 4th wall in stage and theatre?
http://www.campusprogram.com/reference/en/wikipedia/f/fo/fourth_wall.html
I believe there's a 4th wall in RPGs. It exists in the
players' minds as a suspension of disbelief. Some GMs'
greatly fear exposing the 4th wall in a game. They fear
they'll do something to break everyone's sense of disbelief
in a blunt, ungraceful way. This not only shatters
everyone's disbelief, but creates an uncomfortable and
awkward social moment.
For example, imagine if the game session is going well and
the GM suddenly says, "Oh no! I didn't plan for this. I
don't know what to do." In many groups, that would be a
shocker. The players would be ripped right out of
roleplaying mode and be facing a real-life uncomfortable
moment.
I believe this shattering of the 4th wall is a fear GMs have
that's akin to the fear of making a fool of yourself while
public speaking. To compensate, GMs will over-prepare so
that they'll never get caught-off guard.
- Perhaps your GM has lost her passion and enjoyment of the
hobby? It's a bit of a chicken and egg problem. Did the
burn-out cause her enjoyment to wane? Or was she already
losing interest and this scared her, so she over-prepared
like a crazed doctor applying the paddles to a dead heart-
attack victim? I personally went through this stage a few
years ago. Fortunately, I tried some of the same solutions
you mention and they helped a lot. I took a break, played
different games, and played more than I GMed.
- The pressure for realism is greater than ever before. As
the RPG crowd ages and matures, and the quantity of material
about GMing on the net proliferates, I feel there is a heavy
pressure put on GMs today to "get things right." Ironically,
I think this pressure comes from writers and not from the
players. ;)
There is a lot of criticism in articles, books, and forums
about dungeon ecologies, for example. People who write about
dungeons these days expect a realistic ecosystem in dungeon
design. Long gone is the time when you could get away with a
large dragon in a square chamber surrounded by square rooms
filled with other creature types. How do these critters
survive? Where do they get their water and food? Wouldn't
they just kill each other?
GMs who read this good advice can fall prey to building up
huge, self-made requirements to get things "right." They
read, collect books, and take too long in preparation. Now,
their plans are so brittle that the PCs break things left
and right too frequently for the GM's comfort level.
One solution is trust. The GM needs to learn to trust the
players. Players will almost always give a GM the benefit of
the doubt. If an illogical thing occurs, players will just
ignore it, rationalize it away, or ask the GM about it.
Here's the 4th wall again. How does a GM react when a player
exposes a logic error, mistake, or problem? Again, most
players will work with the GM and give him the benefit of
the doubt. Everyone makes mistakes and players know GMs have
got a lot to do.
A GM who takes this situation badly though, will work even
harder to make things more realistic for next session, which
unfortunately, is the wrong approach, as per your article.
* * *
Tips readers: do you have any tips to help workaholic GMs?
Scott and I would be very interested in your comments and
advice! Hit your reply button and let us know how you've
helped a workaholic GM, whether that GM was a friend or
yourself.
Return to Contents
CLASSIC FIGHTING FANTASY ADVENTURE From Myriador Ltd.
Available now from Myriador: d20 Fighting Fantasy Adventures.
Faithful conversions of classic adventures like The Warlock
of Firetop Mountain, Deathtrap Dungeon and the whole Sorcery
Series by Steve Jackson and Ian Livingstone. Also available
soon - The Fighting Fantasy Role Play Game -everything you
need to play in one simple book, ideal for first time
gamers.
For more information, visit our website at www.myriador.com
Return to Contents
Readers' Tips Of The Week:
- World Building; History in the Making
From: Michael Sinclair
Every world has its history. Just look at the very world
that we live in today. Go to any country or region and
you'll find that it's rich in history, from politics, to
religions, to cultural influences.
In each region, the 'locals' have their own perspective on
the events that occurred thousands, hundreds, and even just a
few years ago. When they look at the history of other
cultures, their perspective is still their own. What one
individual, or region of individuals, reads into it is
probably going to be different from those who actually
experienced the events.
An example would be wars. A nation that is attacked and
defeated will most likely write their history in an effort
to victimize themselves --whether they were in fact the
victim or not. The victorious nation will put down in their
books that they were a valiant hero trodding down an evil
government or whatnot. Just as the saying goes, one person's
trash may be another's treasure. It's all about perspective.
Keep this in mind when designing your world. It will give it
more realism instead of simply laying out the history in one
giant setting. History becomes quite convoluted through
time. Perhaps such a twisting of tales could lead
adventurers to discover what _really_ happened those
thousands of years ago at the Palace of Vallamahal when the
Prince was slain...
Return to Contents
- Adventure Design; Random Forks of Fate
From: Michael Sinclair
Most adventures have an intended goal with possible
outcomes. The characters play along in the general story
that the GM has pre-planned and will either meet that goal
or not. If you as a GM have enough time before your next
session and you're planning a new adventure, why not try
something new? Sit down with a blank package of index cards,
and instead of coming up with a single setting, come up with
several. On each index card, note a single event or action,
but don't be so specific so as to limit where or when it can
be used.
During the game, as your players are working their way
through the adventure, randomly draw a card at certain
points. This can determine where they will end up next, but
will not ultimately effect the intended goal(s). They
already have little clue what will happen next, now they
will have even less of an idea. As will you as the GM.
You'll know what _can_ happen, just not what _will_ happen.
The best part is, you can always use the cards again in
another session and the players will never know what could
have happened. They will be left wondering just where those
forked fates could have led them!
Return to Contents
- 20,000 Names
20000 names: http://www.20000-names.com/
Return to Contents
- Mediation - Large Scale
From: Yannick Jobin
re: Tip #1 from Issue #233
Concerning the "Mediation - large scale" campaign idea, I
would recommend reading, "Shake hands with the Devil" from
General Romeo Dallaire, leader of the peace mission in
Rwanda, or any writings on United Nations peace missions. In
the book I mentioned you can find all the little (and not so
little) things that can make mediation fail...utterly.
Return to Contents
- GM Split Parties Together
From: Robert Eck
I want to add a simple tip to the #231 Issue about rogues
and split parties. Last time I GMed, the players split up to
enter the supposedly empty castle. One PC tried sneaking in
with the other PCs following from a safe distance. At this
point, I usually would have started to play with one group
at a time. Instead, I simply let the players listen to the
other group sneaking/fighting. They could have used the
information they got from listening to the other group, but
they at least acted as they hadn't.
Almost immediately, one PC in the direct attack group got
wounded and trailed behind the rest. I just played on. As
things got more heated for all groups, I started to play
shorter segments of time with each group to increase the
drama. A few times I had the possibility to say things like
"A man enters from the door to the left. He looks
familiar... Now to you guys on the roof...". It was a lot of
fun.
Return to Contents
- World Building; The Twisting of Time
From: Michael Sinclair
If, when looking for realism in weaving the history of your
world, you find the results to be sub-par, perhaps you
should look to the help of others.
Since history is largely based on the observance of others,
something you could try is getting people you know (whether
they're your actual players or not is up to you) to give
their own version of historical events.
Simply put, hand out brief descriptions of major events that
took place far back in the history of your world and ask
those people you've spoken with to write up their own
somewhat detailed account of what happened. You do the same
as well.
What this does is give you different backgrounds on
different events. Your cultures are now a bit more diverse
than they were before -- and it didn't take you extra brain
power to come up with multiple background information.
Return to Contents
NEW Sci-Fi Gaming Terrain Available NOW!
*** Free 64 oz. Gamer Mug with purchase! ***
* ALSO, Message Boards, Photo Galleries and News
www.dwarvenforge.com
|
|
|
