Roleplaying Tips Weekly E-Zine Issue #388
10 Easy Ways To Think On Your Feet Better
Contents:
This Week's Tips Summarized
10 Easy Ways To Think On Your Feet Better
- Answer Questions With A Question
- Plan, Scan, Action
- Make Puns
- Highlight Your Notes
- Breathe
- Build On Ideas, Don't Cancel Them
- Visualize
- Hit The Reset Button Before The Game
- Key Brain GMing Tasks - Retrieve And Combine
- GM Aids
Readers' Tips Summarized
- Use Obscure And Foreign Soundtracks
- Develop Your Races And Add History
- The Roll Of Heroes
Johnn Four's GM Guide Books
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A Brief Word From Johnn
Volume 9: 5 Room Dungeons Ready For Download
The next volume of 5 Room Dungeons contest entries is now
ready for download. Featured in this volume:
- Skanda Biologicals
by Siren no Orakio
- The Spirit Never Dies
by Ria Hawk
- Saving Plaque
by Strolen
- Barrow of the Bored Berserker
by DeeCee
- The Stone Labyrinth
by Daniel Burrage
Download (PDF 1.0 MB)
Recent Plain Text Issues Online
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RSS might be a good way to check what the latest edition is.
Cheers,
Johnn Four,
johnn@roleplayingtips.com
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10 Easy Ways To Think On Your Feet Better
A reader recently told me this:
"I never feel very proficient at running sessions - I am
better at prepping them. I don't think well on my feet - I
tend to need time to consider things."
I don't believe there is a specific thing you can do to
suddenly think fast on your feet, but following are several
ways you can get better at it over time. A lot of these tips
have appeared in the e-zine before, but these make a nice
checklist. In addition, you might have read something in the
past and said, yeah I knew that. But, did you put it into
practice? Here's your chance to be reminded again and try it
out on your current campaign.
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1. Answer Questions With A Question
Good questions generate good answers, so this is not a mere
stalling trick.
- Record great questions you hear at work, school, and home.
Repurpose the best questions for gaming.
- Post the questions on your screen, in your binder, or
where you can find them when GMing.
- Yes, use the questions to stall for time while you try to
think on your feet.
- Use the answers, as well. A win-win.
After trying this tactic, you might notice though that many
people who you think are quick witted actually just have a
mental library of good questions they can fire back.
Player: So, I approach a random commoner and ask him about
his lot in life.
GM: Hmmm, well, what kind of life would you expect such a
commoner to lead?
Or:
GM: The commoner looks you up and down and grunts, "What
kind of life do folk from your land have?"
Or:
GM: That's an interesting question. What kind of information
are you looking for? What made you ask it?
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2. Plan, Scan, Action
There might be a long space of time between when you prepare
certain materials for a session and when that session
starts. For example, the PCs might begin an unexpected
side plot and you need to put your notes away for a few
weeks, or a game gets cancelled and it's awhile before the
next one happens.
Before each game, get into a routine of scanning your notes,
plans, maps, NPC write-ups, and anything else you think will
get triggered next session. Best time to do this is just
before the session, but the night before works as well.
Write down any new ideas that come to you while scanning.
Also note any trouble spots you notice, such as an NPC you
missed developing. Clarify in writing anything confusing.
With a recent review of your plans in mind, you should be
able to think on your feet a little faster.
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3. Make Puns
It is said puns are the lowest form of humour, but I prefer
to think of them as punishment. What they really are is a
game you can play during any conversation that is sure to
help you think faster on your feet.
As you chat with your victim, try to do word associations:
- Think like a thesaurus
- Break the subject up into components or related ideas
- Take part of a word and re-use it
- Think of other words that sound alike
- Twist a word's meaning
The exercise of scouring your brain for suitable pun matter
will help you get a head in your GMing over time. Puns can
be music to your ears, and an instrument of learning.
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4. Highlight Your Notes
You don't need to keep everything in your head as you GM,
and having clear, organized notes will help you retrieve
information quickly.
Before the game, perhaps as you go through your note-
scanning routine, highlight the important bits. Use a colour
code for faster searching.
- NPC names - blue
- Hazards, traps, gotchas - green
- Reminders, important info - yellow
Another trick is putting your most important notes at the
top or the front.
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5. Breathe
Keep the oxygen flowing to your brain as you GM:
* Laugh a lot.
* Take some deep, slow breaths every hour.
* Create a natural trigger during gameplay to remind
yourself to take some deep breaths - perhaps each time a 1
is rolled on a d20, or each time you call for initiative.
You don't need to be obvious about taking deep breaths. For
example, while players are taking their turns you can sneak
a couple in while updating your game log.
Here's a short, related article:
How To Develop A Compelling Voice
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6. Build On Ideas, Don't Cancel Them
This is good advice for improv, and it's a great tip for
GMing. When possible, take ideas from any source (e.g.
players, dice rolls, rules) and add to them instead of
saying no. Say 'and' not 'but'.
Building on an idea means part of the work is already done
for you. Often, thinking fast on your feet just requires an
idea seed as something on which to anchor your thoughts. You
might have discovered that, as soon as you have a seed or a
direction, many new thoughts come tumbling out and you're
unstuck.
If you make it a habit to say no, override ideas, or
contradict ideas, you need to start from scratch each time,
which slows the thinking process down and puts you on the
spot. This can also result in receiving fewer ideas as your
mind becomes closed to new inputs, or frustrated players
stop trying.
The alternative - accepting ideas and building on them -
creates positive momentum, builds player confidence, builds
your confidence, and generates faster results in-game.
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7. Visualize
Visualizing things lets you take advantage of your brain's
ability to perform complex operations quickly. For example,
while creating a room you build a short inventory list. With
all the other rooms you're planning, it will be more
difficult to memorize what's in this particular one. Also, a
short description for each inventory item means you'll need
to write quite a few words to cover everything off, which
increases planning time.
Instead, you still create your inventory list of room
contents, but you visualize the room as you craft it. You
picture each inventory item in your mind and its place in
the room. This also triggers thoughts about various room
details, such as floor type, lighting, and layout. You don't
need to write descriptions for each item in the room because
you've imagined each in your mind for future reference.
Then, when the PCs visit the room during the game, the
mental picture you created comes to mind, and you start your
description off without needing to pause and study your
notes first. The inventory list is still a great reference
for completeness and consistency, but rather than needing to
read through a lot of description text, you recall each item
as you visualized it and provide some great descriptions on-
the-fly.
Further, once the encounter is over, and for a long time
afterward, you'll be able to recall this room and its detail
without great effort. Should a player ask you about the
room, or the group visits it again, you'll be able to snap
off answers without pouring through old notes.
In this example, you've used your brain's ability to imagine
a room and all its contents as a whole unit. This is much
easier than trying to memorize a list.
Visualization becomes easier each time you do it, and it
increases your mental faculties slowly over time. You can
visualize while planning, during idle times such as when
commuting, and even as you GM where you form your mental
picture as you create or describe things.
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8. Hit The Reset Button Before The Game
You need to transition from a hectic work or home day to GM
mode. Otherwise, thoughts will seep in while GMing and
distract you, capturing precious brain cycles. This
interference might also make you seem a bit groggy at first,
giving you a slow start that could set a general tone for
the whole session if not corrected. Hitting the reset button
clears your mind and gets you into the GMing mindset so you
can pounce into the game, fresh and excited.
Here are a few ways to reset:
- Take a power nap for 20 minutes or so.
- Take a shower. Use the time to recall last game session
and visualize what might happen in the upcoming one.
- Exercise. If you have a regular lunch or morning workout,
consider postponing it to before the game. Use this time for
thinking about the game as well.
- Exit out of worrying cycles. Write your thoughts down,
make lists or action plans if needed, and put your worries
away until tomorrow, when you can take action.
- Quiet time. This is one of the best methods. Section off a
half hour before the first player usually arrives. Use this
time to draw maps, read notes, or read the module.
- Clean up. Simple chores, such as preparing the game area
so it's clean and free of distraction, keep the hands busy
while the mind can ponder the game.
- Do something creative. Get your mind focused on something
different than the day you just had. Pick up a children's
colouring book and colour for a few minutes. No, really, I'm
serious. Bonus points are awarded if you can use your
masterwork for a player's handout.
- Draw maps, do some creative writing, play a video game.
- Watch something interesting on TV. Tune into the cartoon
network, try a science program or documentary, or plug in a
favourite movie or show on DVD.
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9. Key Brain GMing Tasks - Retrieve And Combine
Your brain while GMing often does two things:
- Retrieve information, based on everything you've learned
and experienced in your life. You will draw ideas and make
decisions based on this skill.
- Combine two or more ideas into something interesting.
This task is dependent on the first task, as the quality of
thoughts and ideas you retrieve for combination will affect
the new thought you create.
The pun tip helps you retrieve information faster in an
associative way. You can also improve retrieval and
combination in other ways:
- Add more inputs. The more new stuff you put into your
brain, the larger your library is that you can draw from:
read, watch good stuff, have interesting conversations.
- Experiment and learn. Be observant. Keep an eye out for
cause and effect, consequences, relationships.
- Be curious about everything.
- Be curious about the game and what's happening in the
game as you GM it.
- Be creative, use your imagination. Do some creative
writing. Start crafting that homebrew setting. Take up a
new, creative hobby. Start a creative blog (and send me the
link :).
- Play good games. Some games have associative thinking
embedded in them, such as Apples to Apples. Other games
introduce new types of gameplay while stretching your brain
muscles. Try Settlers of Catan. Use the Neverwinter Nights
CRPG to game through thousands of community created stories,
settings, and encounters.
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10. GM Aids
Employ various GM tools to help you think better on your
feet, especially if you get stuck or can't think of any
ideas.
- Reference Charts. Determine what you need help with and
create simple reference charts and tables to spur ideas. For
example, create a list of combat synonyms or description
starters. Build a dozen generic NPC profiles, quirks, or
roleplaying hooks.
- Make a list of good questions. A good enough question will
produce a good answer. Questions help you solve things, and
leading questions give you proper context and a good mindset
for coming up with a great idea or answer.
Some general questions:
- What would be cool in this situation?
- What would be the most fun in this situation?
- How can the foe escape to fight another day?
- How can you reward a player in the current situation?
- How can you reward a character in the current situation?
Build a list of great questions and keep that list handy
when you GM.
- Random generators. Bookmark ones you like on the web or
create your own using software or a simple chart on paper.
- Idea cards. Create your own or borrow from other games.
The cards you create don't have to be complex. The Chance
cards from Monopoly are a great example. Torg had an
interesting combat situation deck. Everway had great art
cards to draw inspiration from. Tarot cards are excellent GM
aids.
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Readers' Tips Of The Week:
Have some GM advice you'd like to share? E-mail it to johnn@roleplayingtips.com - thanks!
1. Use Obscure And Foreign Soundtracks
From: Mark Johnston
Soundtracks are a great tool for setting mood and adding
drama. Sometimes too good. Music, especially music paired
with powerful images, is an extremely effective trigger for
memories. The downside is, if you're using a famous score,
you're reminding players of that awesome scene in the movie,
and distracting them from the awesome game you're running.
The solution is to use soundtracks from movies nobody has
heard of before. One easy way to find them is to look up the
filmography for a composer you like. Odds are, before they
became famous, your favorite composers were doing perfectly
good work on less-well-known films. John Williams did the
score for 1941, a 1979 WWII comedy, and a lot of the music
is suitable for comedy and action sequences, and could well
be used for fantasy.
Another easy way is to pick a random country (well, stick to
developed countries), and see what movies of your genre have
been made there. I've seen tons of Argentine westerns,
Korean action movies, Danish epic fantasy, Iranian cartoons,
and Australian sci-fi with amazing soundtracks that are new
to my players.
And, one of the best things about using scores from old,
weird, foreign, low-budget, or otherwise obscure movies is
they are super cheap. You can get lots in bargain bins and
online auctions for a dollar a disc or even less.
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2. Develop Your Races And Add History
From: Lord Dave of House Mina
Third Lord of the Clan of Klides
Loryan Nation East of the River Swift
Johnn,
I saw a mention of new races and thought, why develop from
scratch? Some are already there. They just need a bit of
development and history.
Half Elves
From the beginning they were a subclass, shunned by the
elves and humans alike. Over time nature took its course and
they began to gravitate to each other. Only then did they
find their race was self-sustaining. From the 138 coupled
halfelven families was drawn the true line of their
heritage. From this they began plotting their own country
and government. Within 10 years they marched on 3 nations
and conquered parts of all three, holding their ground with
force of arms. Declaring themselves the race of Loryan, they
declared their sovereign nation.
Loryan
I modified the halfelven race by removing some of their
traditional racial traits, shortened their life span a bit,
and gave them horsemanship, horse archer, and horse mage as
racial traits/class. I also gave them a +1 for dex and -1
for strength.
Settlement: Semi-nomadic but with permanent cities/towns.
This combines the elven love of nature with the human need
for permanency.
Religion: Druid. With less for animal and more for other
forms of nature.
Government: Triad formed by the 3 houses of Loryan. House
Arack, House Mina, and House of Kalick. All families are
descended from and loyal to one of these houses. From each
house is drawn the Ruling Junta, which rules much like a
socialistic society.
General Alignments: Lawful Good to Lawful Neutral, some
chaotic's are in the mix but in low numbers. This doesn't
preclude any alignment, but keep in mind they would be rare.
Political: Neutral to elves and humans; they have a liking
for the halflings; they despise dwarves and gnomes, thinking
them dirty and filthy. At war with the dark elves, but have
shunned an alliance with the elves, and have had no contact
with any of the sea faring or other races.
Trade: Caravans may pass freely with license from the House
of Kalick. Without this license they are considered thieves,
their are goods confiscated, and they are locked up or
slain. Loryans trade wool, cotton, and exotic woods for
iron, weapons, and some food goods.
Attire: They tend towards long togas or robes with bright
colors in long stripes. Their horses are often decorated
with ribbons and painted. They often braid the horse tails
and wrap them with colorful ribbon.
Geographic: Open plains/low hill country. Wooded in some
areas, most farms and industry are tied to their permanent
cities/towns/villages. Migration is from the north in
winter, south in summer.
Feel free to flesh this out even more and tweak it to your
own campaign.
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3. The Roll Of Heroes
From: Scott W Roberts, aka Myrystyr
via the GMMastery Yahoo! Group
Here's something I've been using for many moons now, and I
thought I'd share....
I run AD&D, so this is sort of level-based, but it can
easily be adapted to other systems - just insert "whenever a
character gets to improve a skill/whatever" for "goes up a
level."
At the start of the campaign, I printed out a Roll of Heroes
sheet. Nothing fancy; just a lined page with three columns -
Date, Champion and Comments - and a few clerical notes
(Scroll#, Campaign, GM, Date Archived, etc.).
Whenever the characters go up a level, I ask the players if
they've done anything significant since they last went up a
level. If they give me a good enough story in a few
sentences, I let them sign the Roll of Heroes and leave a
comment.
Significant actions can include:
- Reaching 2nd level
- Learning something important about the world
- Making new alliances
- Defeating a nemesis
- Fulfilling a special quest
- Advancing the campaign storyline
- Meeting a character goal
Think of it as a guest book for your campaign.
This coming game session, the comments in my campaign will
have reached the bottom of the page, which is a good,
metaphorical way of saying we'll be turning over a new leaf.
I sometimes also write in a comment from an important NPC.
It is a fun way of looking back over the campaign, seeing
where we've been and how we got to where we are now.
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Johnn Four's GM Guide Books
In addition to writing and publishing this e-zine, I have
written several GM tips and advice books to inspire your
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How to design, map, and GM fresh encounters for RPG's most
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Advice and tips for designing compelling holidays that not
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Critically acclaimed and multiple award-winning guide to
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