One of the first things for a new Gamesmaster to get their head around is what it is, exactly, that they are getting themselves into. Roleplaying games are unusual things and, whilst many words can be found elsewhere that define them, you need to work out for yourself what YOUR vision of this hobby is going to be.
GAME
First of all, we suggest, you should understand that most people come to the gaming table to play… well, a game. Right up front you need to decide how much game you will emphasise, and be clear about that choice with your players. If, for example, you and your players enjoy the cut-and-thrust of combat mediated by the game rules (and there is nothing wrong with that, you know), then you should make sure you build your adventures and stories around the big fights. If you prefer narrative story-telling, and would rather downplay the rules, then equally you need to make sure everyone understands what is expected of them when you play the game together. Our own tastes run the middle ground.
ROLE-PLAYING
Everyone who comes to play and RPG is expecting to play a role – it’s in the name, after all. As a GM, you get to play the roles of all the people in the setting who are not being played by the other participants. Our conviction is that your next priority is to create some memorable characters which you can then roleplay in the stories you are sharing. It’s really easy to give in to the temptation to “stat-up” some non-player characters and then try to wing them, usually poorly, at the table. Instead, we’d suggest you spend time visualising each character and giving them some cool personality characteristics to roleplay. Putting your focus onto character and role-play, not just the gaming rules, will lift your games to new heights and encourage everyone to add some character to their characters.
MOTIVATION
Finally, we think it’s well worth deciding on the various motivations that your group holds:
- Why are you running the game?
- Why is each player attending the sessions?
- What does each person most seek from their gaming?
You also should get into the motivations within the stories you tell:
- Why is each character involved in this story?
- What are the drivers for the opposition?
- Where are the heroes hoping things will end up?
Giving time and thought to these questions will set you on the path of adding depth to your stories. They’ll also give you a chance of engaging your players and yourself in each story you create – and this engagement will become the motivation to keep coming back.
Happy gaming!
Can you please do me a massive favour? I’ve been looking to start GMing for a while now, but to be honest, I feel scared due to inexperience. I’m already looking to set up a private role playing group outside of the club, so at one of the sessions, could you give me a few pointers please?
Drolak, of course I can help. Perhaps your own learning can help me too – if you’re ok to share your experiences.
Fear is a natural feeling to experience when faced with something new and untried. Actually, I usually feel anxiety before just about every game… not in a bad way, but because I want it to be a good game.
So… my first piece of advice is to take a deep breath in through the nose, and out twice as slowly through the mouth.
My second suggestion is to begin to take the first steps towards your first GMed game.
My first question: what kind of stories do you want to tell? Is there a particular genre of story? Is there even a particular game you want to play? If you’re not sure, go with whatever genre of fiction most excites you. Whether fantasy, SF, horror, pulp, alternate history, or your favourite TV show… it’s all down to your taste.
What’ll it be?
If you play your own campaign, you do get the benefit of knowing the land and the people – but on the other hand, you may have to explain more to the players, to get them to see the same view of the setting as yourself. Or just as bad, you begin to forget that this is your creation, and run the game as if everyone else knows the setting.
With a campaign based on an setting people know – Star wars for example – players will know what Vader is, and that Protocal droids are a bit camp, and everything is easier to run – as long as you make it plain to the players when you will divert from the general view of the setting. i.e. perhaps in your Star Wars setting, the Sith have more than two followers – as long as this is known to the players, all should be ok.
But the game will run all the better if you know the setting. On the whole, rules you can check on, with the players as you need them, but the setting is your bag, and the more you know, the better you can wing the setting when the heroes go off plot, and turn down that alley, or decide to set fire to the pub, as they hate the barkeep.
Ian
Well, Myself and another person have already created the world between us, and to an extent, certain NPC’s as well. It’s a high fantasy world, where the forces of magic and the will of powerful Mage-Kings influence the various countries and continents. In this setting, the Mage-Kings are at each other’s throats, and the world is but short steps away from experiencing a Great War.
All of the PC’s are people of talent in their respective fields, and as such have been accepted into the ranks of The Sentinels, a powerful organisation dedicated to maintaining the peace and order of the world, as far as it can be kept. Luckily, with this setting, it’s possible to concentrate either on narrative story-telling or action-oriented adventures, as the players prefer.
So, I’ve already created the world, I just need to think of a system to apply to it, and I believe that it would be better if I started with a basic system. And then of course I need the players. Do you think that I would be able to start at the club, Black Falcon?
@Drolak: I don’t see any reason why you couldn’t start a campaign in your own world running at the club, providing that you can recruit some players.
The challenge you will face at KIA is that there are a relatively small set of current roleplayers who have many choices when it comes to games. Few of them seem to understand that a campaign means a long-term commitment to one game.
All that aside, however, you can’t start a campaign without getting a few starting decisions out of the way… one of which is definately choosing your game system.