Role playing is a rewarding and entertaining hobby. As you may have noticed, it's also considered somewhat unusual by the plebs. The more people that play these games, the closer it will come to being mainstream, and the more the art form will advance. We'll have a large selection of products to choose from, and our families will stop asking us when we're going to grow up and stop playing those stupid games every holiday. For the past ten years. Like I'm some sort of deviant for enjoying the occasional escapist fantasy. Nobody questions my cousin Jeff's fantasy football habit. No, that's a perfectly healthy preoccupation for a mature adult....sorry, lost my train of thought.
My point is, it is in every gamers best interest for new people to start playing our reindeer games. So how do you induct new people into role playing? First find somebody whose interested in learning, preferably several somebodies. Then, find somebody to run a game. This could be you, or it could be one of your more gullible friends. Then, get the aforementioned people together and play a game. That's really all there is to this. Like any other game, the easiest way to teach someone how to role play is to play a game with them.
Everything I've said before about game mastering is appropriate here, as is my article on running your first game. If you haven't read that article, take a few minutes and do that. If someone else is going to run this hypothetical game, direct them here. Seriously, I need the traffic. I got kids to feed. Well, not kids, but pets. Okay, technically there my roommates, but I spend enough time cleaning up after them I should get a tax deduction or the right to hit them with a rolled up newspaper.
Two unproffestional digressions in one post. I'm losing my touch. With reality, that is.
Choosing the system is probably your most important decision. You want it to be something easily grasped, but that they'll be playing for a long time. Whatever you usually play is probably the best bet, unless it's something hideously complicated. HERO would be a difficult first game. GURPS would require you to make the characters for them. Templates would be very helpful.
I have to mention D&D, even though it's not my favorite system, simply because it's so universal. I have yet to meet a gamer who hasn't at some point played it at one time. The rules are for the most part simple enough, especially the new 4e. As starting games go, you could do worse.
WoD would be acceptable, if you're into that sort of thing. It might traumatize them horribly, though, so consider the players carefully before you choose this.
As far as running the actual game, your only real concern should be making sure that everyone has fun and wants to do it again. That means you should avoid pulling out anything terribly nasty, like D&D's rust monsters. You don't want to frustrate these people.
One final word of advice: if there's a girl in this group, stay frosty. I know the instinct is to give her special treatment. Don't. Don't flirt with her. Don't faun over her. Don't stop to make sure she understands every little detail. She'll probably find it condescending, and even if she doesn't it'll be irritating to your other players. By all means, chat her up afterward. Once the dice go away, cry havoc and let slip the dogs of libido. But during the game, keep professional. You're there to teach other people how to play. Stay on target. Mav out.
Showing posts with label Game Mastering. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Game Mastering. Show all posts
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
Monday, October 20, 2008
Game Mastering: Managing Your Group
A game master has to wear several hats. You are the storyteller, unfolding the plot for your players. You are the supporting cast, interacting with your players and providing them aid and information. You are the adversary, challenging your players and giving them something to strive against. The most important role you play, however, is den mother. It's your job to make sure that everybody gets along and nobody get left out. One of the best ways to do this is to limit the number of people in your group.
I have never played in a game where having more than five players ended well. It may be possible for some gms to do it, but I've never met one. The problem comes from the fact that the more people you have in a group, less each individual person is doing. Add to this the fact that you have to split your own attention between each of the players, and running a game efficiently gets exponentially more difficult with every person you add. More people also means more potential schedule conflicts, and as we discussed last week, these are the death of games.
How do you do it? How do you keep a reasonable number of people in a game, when every time you turn around somebody is asking to join? Learn to say no. Be firm but kind. Explain to them that your game is full, and that you aren't comfortable adding another player. I know what you're thinking. "But Eric, what if a g-g-girl asks to play in my game." Steady on, lad. Do exactly as above, and make sure to look at her face the entire time. If you can swing it, get her phone number. Then take a quick lap around the block and a cold shower. You could probably use the exercise.
If a large number of people are asking to join your game, offer to start up another campaign. This is especially good if you have people who are new to role playing, as it lets them get a feel for the game without having to deal with experienced players giving them nasty looks for sullying their table. Hey, I think I just found my next post topic.
See you in 48. Mav out.
I have never played in a game where having more than five players ended well. It may be possible for some gms to do it, but I've never met one. The problem comes from the fact that the more people you have in a group, less each individual person is doing. Add to this the fact that you have to split your own attention between each of the players, and running a game efficiently gets exponentially more difficult with every person you add. More people also means more potential schedule conflicts, and as we discussed last week, these are the death of games.
How do you do it? How do you keep a reasonable number of people in a game, when every time you turn around somebody is asking to join? Learn to say no. Be firm but kind. Explain to them that your game is full, and that you aren't comfortable adding another player. I know what you're thinking. "But Eric, what if a g-g-girl asks to play in my game." Steady on, lad. Do exactly as above, and make sure to look at her face the entire time. If you can swing it, get her phone number. Then take a quick lap around the block and a cold shower. You could probably use the exercise.
If a large number of people are asking to join your game, offer to start up another campaign. This is especially good if you have people who are new to role playing, as it lets them get a feel for the game without having to deal with experienced players giving them nasty looks for sullying their table. Hey, I think I just found my next post topic.
See you in 48. Mav out.
Friday, October 17, 2008
Game Mastering: Pandering to the Unwashed Masses
I know what you're thinking. "I've spent days doing historical research, crafting a magnificent and believable world for my players to inhabit. Every corner of it is inhabited by complex, three dimensional characters with genuine wants and needs. My villains are vile yet sympathetic. Their victims are pitiable yet unbowed. My King is a dauntless pillar of flawed regal nobility. How could anyone not enjoy this campaign, my greatest opus?" Well, Billy, it's simple. Your players probably don't care about any of that stuff. Most of them aren't interested in what you've done. They're interested in what their characters can do.
There's a big difference between writing good stories and writing good adventures. It's a lot like the difference between designing a statue and designing a toy. You can make an absolutely fantastic statue, with twenty paint applications and anatomy so exquisitely detailed you can see the Rhomboidius major underneath the Trapizius. But if you can't make it fight Optimus Prime, it's still not a toy. It has all the play value of a paper weight. And not one of those cool snow globe paperweights, or the deactivated handgun ones. No, this is just a brick of resin, pretty to look at, but not much else going on. Books are the same way. You can read them, and postulate what's going to happen next. You can speculate about the different characters motivations. But you can't interact with it. No matter what you do, events will unfold as the author wrote them. That's fine for literature, but we're talking about gaming. We need a little more interaction.
Continuing the toy analogy, there are things you can do to improve play value in an adventure. In toys, things like this are called finger food. For our purposes, we'll call them "player bait". The classical form of player bait is combat. Chuck them into a room full of orcs/werewolves/mooks and put the janitorial staff on standby. And there's nothing wrong with combat. It can be fun. It can be lots of fun. But you should accommodate other styles of play. Sneaking around enemies can be as much fun as fighting them. Let your players do things, don't just put them were they need to be. If they're walking down a dungeon corridor, put a fast moving underground river in their way. Then sit back and watch them. The best swimmer might take a rope across for the other members to pull themselves along. Somebody might be able to just jump across and do the same thing. You might be able to throw a smaller party member across. And these are just genre unspecific examples. You'd be amazed what happens when players have access to magic or technology.
The important point here is not just to let the players play, though. Let them play the game they want. That's more than a consideration of genre. Yes, a dungeon crawl when you're entire group wants to be in space isn't going to go well. It also isn't going to be well received if your party would rather be back in town interviewing suspects in a murder case. Style is going to effect the quality of play much more than genre. Get to know your group well enough to be able to anticipate what sort of bait they'll take. Also realize that play style preferences aren't going to be the same throughout the group. One player is going to really enjoy combat, another might prefer solving puzzles, while a third is interested in interacting with different groups. Put out bait for everyone. It'll keep the group happy, but it'll also add variety to the play.
That's your Game Signs for the day. See you in 48.
There's a big difference between writing good stories and writing good adventures. It's a lot like the difference between designing a statue and designing a toy. You can make an absolutely fantastic statue, with twenty paint applications and anatomy so exquisitely detailed you can see the Rhomboidius major underneath the Trapizius. But if you can't make it fight Optimus Prime, it's still not a toy. It has all the play value of a paper weight. And not one of those cool snow globe paperweights, or the deactivated handgun ones. No, this is just a brick of resin, pretty to look at, but not much else going on. Books are the same way. You can read them, and postulate what's going to happen next. You can speculate about the different characters motivations. But you can't interact with it. No matter what you do, events will unfold as the author wrote them. That's fine for literature, but we're talking about gaming. We need a little more interaction.
Continuing the toy analogy, there are things you can do to improve play value in an adventure. In toys, things like this are called finger food. For our purposes, we'll call them "player bait". The classical form of player bait is combat. Chuck them into a room full of orcs/werewolves/mooks and put the janitorial staff on standby. And there's nothing wrong with combat. It can be fun. It can be lots of fun. But you should accommodate other styles of play. Sneaking around enemies can be as much fun as fighting them. Let your players do things, don't just put them were they need to be. If they're walking down a dungeon corridor, put a fast moving underground river in their way. Then sit back and watch them. The best swimmer might take a rope across for the other members to pull themselves along. Somebody might be able to just jump across and do the same thing. You might be able to throw a smaller party member across. And these are just genre unspecific examples. You'd be amazed what happens when players have access to magic or technology.
The important point here is not just to let the players play, though. Let them play the game they want. That's more than a consideration of genre. Yes, a dungeon crawl when you're entire group wants to be in space isn't going to go well. It also isn't going to be well received if your party would rather be back in town interviewing suspects in a murder case. Style is going to effect the quality of play much more than genre. Get to know your group well enough to be able to anticipate what sort of bait they'll take. Also realize that play style preferences aren't going to be the same throughout the group. One player is going to really enjoy combat, another might prefer solving puzzles, while a third is interested in interacting with different groups. Put out bait for everyone. It'll keep the group happy, but it'll also add variety to the play.
That's your Game Signs for the day. See you in 48.
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
Game Mastering: Consistency
Role playing is something that takes a lot of time. Moving a group of characters through an adventure worth anything is going to take dozens of hours of play. The best way to get this time in is by playing consistently. You'll get more done meeting weekly for three or four hours than in one or two massive twelve hour marathon sessions. Even if you manage to stay focused through most of the session, after twelve hours few of your players are going to able to meet again for a while. Marathon sessions aren't by any means a bad thing. They can be fun, occasionally. But it's hard to run them very often. It's a big time commitment, and most people have lives outside of hobbies, even gamers.
Establish a time and stick with it. If everyone can meet on Monday night from six to ten, meet then every week. Don't try and move the game because you want to watch Heroes. Get a DVR. There are going to be times when someone can't make the game, so be accommodating. People have to cover strange work shifts. Children have recitals. Relatives get married, die, and demand sleep space in your home. Hopefully not all at once, though. It's awkward to explain why Zombie Aunt Edna's brains are now decorating the guest room wall.
If you're having to constantly move your weekly session, it's probably time to reevaluate the groups various schedules. Find a new time where everyone can meet weekly. I know I said not to change game night once you set it, but if you're constantly having to work around other people's schedules anyway, you're not meeting consistently.
The goal of all of this is to keep your players happy and interested in the game. If you only play once or twice a month, it's going to be hard for them to get engaged in the setting. Their characters won't develop, and they'll feel like they're just sitting around rolling dice.
That's it for me. See you in 48.
Establish a time and stick with it. If everyone can meet on Monday night from six to ten, meet then every week. Don't try and move the game because you want to watch Heroes. Get a DVR. There are going to be times when someone can't make the game, so be accommodating. People have to cover strange work shifts. Children have recitals. Relatives get married, die, and demand sleep space in your home. Hopefully not all at once, though. It's awkward to explain why Zombie Aunt Edna's brains are now decorating the guest room wall.
If you're having to constantly move your weekly session, it's probably time to reevaluate the groups various schedules. Find a new time where everyone can meet weekly. I know I said not to change game night once you set it, but if you're constantly having to work around other people's schedules anyway, you're not meeting consistently.
The goal of all of this is to keep your players happy and interested in the game. If you only play once or twice a month, it's going to be hard for them to get engaged in the setting. Their characters won't develop, and they'll feel like they're just sitting around rolling dice.
That's it for me. See you in 48.
Friday, October 10, 2008
Game Mastering: Driving Play
Momentum is as important to gaming as it is to unpowered flight Without it, you nosedive into Mother Earth, shattering bone and rupturing your spleen. Metaphorically speaking. That's why it's vital that you drive not only the plot, but also your players. Otherwise, you end up like this guy.
While a lot of problems can be prevented by proper preparation, there are things that need to happen during the game as well. When you run a game, the most important thing to do is to be constantly giving the players something to respond to. It's fine to give them a little downtime to role play and such, but when the party is actively doing something, make sure they're doing something.
Players are funny. They're usually either leaping five steps ahead of where you want them, or they're so thick you have to bludgeon them over the head with a clue just to get the game moving. Occasionally you'll find yourself stuck on a sandbar, with the players standing around debating their next course of acting with an adventure hook is staring them right in the face. When this happens, set the hook and reel. If they should have discovered a treacherous baron working against the king's interests, have the party be attacked by the baron's men. If terrorists are saboteurs are targeting vital wartime industries, have a nearby bomb go off prematurely. Make the players respond to something. Sometimes you have to level a few blocks of (hopefully) abandoned buildings to get people moving again.
When you're in combat, make sure everyone knows the turn order. A dry-erase board with the initiative order is really useful. Even a laminated piece of paper hanging from the front of the gm screen will work. When it's someone's turn, make sure they know it's their turn. Say their name and make eye contact. If somebody's not focusing on taking their turn, keep looking at them until they get on with it. Glare a little.
Again, keep in mind, the most important things is just to keep the game rolling. As long a things are happening, the players will stay interested. Good luck, and see you Monday.
While a lot of problems can be prevented by proper preparation, there are things that need to happen during the game as well. When you run a game, the most important thing to do is to be constantly giving the players something to respond to. It's fine to give them a little downtime to role play and such, but when the party is actively doing something, make sure they're doing something.
Players are funny. They're usually either leaping five steps ahead of where you want them, or they're so thick you have to bludgeon them over the head with a clue just to get the game moving. Occasionally you'll find yourself stuck on a sandbar, with the players standing around debating their next course of acting with an adventure hook is staring them right in the face. When this happens, set the hook and reel. If they should have discovered a treacherous baron working against the king's interests, have the party be attacked by the baron's men. If terrorists are saboteurs are targeting vital wartime industries, have a nearby bomb go off prematurely. Make the players respond to something. Sometimes you have to level a few blocks of (hopefully) abandoned buildings to get people moving again.
When you're in combat, make sure everyone knows the turn order. A dry-erase board with the initiative order is really useful. Even a laminated piece of paper hanging from the front of the gm screen will work. When it's someone's turn, make sure they know it's their turn. Say their name and make eye contact. If somebody's not focusing on taking their turn, keep looking at them until they get on with it. Glare a little.
Again, keep in mind, the most important things is just to keep the game rolling. As long a things are happening, the players will stay interested. Good luck, and see you Monday.
Wednesday, October 8, 2008
Game Mastering: Preparation
Preparing for a game isn't fun. I'll be the first to admit it feels a lot like work. But anything that's worth doing is worth well, and that means taking the time to do it right the first time. Here's what you need to do to make sure you have everything ready for your game.
Read through the entire adventure. All of it. Whether it's reading a premade or going through your own notes, intimate knowledge of the adventure is going to be vital to a successful game. Mark pages that you know you'll be going back to, like stats for characters, maps of different areas, or special rules for an environment.
Read through anything else that's referenced in the adventure. If you have a gray tentacle goblin attacking your players, make sure you know the special rules for it's paralyzing tentacle caress, and mark the page you found it on.
Have a plan B, and know it as well as you know the primary adventure. As much as possible, anticipate what the players could do in a situation, and be ready for it. If there's a town two days travel from the adventure that's not involved in any way with the quest, be ready for your players to go there. Have something for them to do, even if its just a hook to get them going the direction you want them to go. If there's a minor character that the players interact with, be prepared to answer questions that aren't pertinent to the adventure. This is especially important with premades, where they don't always give you a lot to go on.
Have anything random on your end already rolled up. If there are random encounters, roll those ahead of time, read the entries, and mark the pages. Likewise, roll up any random treasure ahead of time. You don't want this to happen: "You've slain the dragon! In his horde you find....hang on a sec ::rustle rustle clatter::...I could have sworn the treasure chart was in that book. Hand me that Game Meister's Guide...No, the 2.7 edition one. ::mrEOOW!:: Sorry, fluffy." It's annoying to the players, it breaks up the flow, and it's hard on the cat.
The goal is to be able to run the game without interruption. At no point do you want to have to stop and look something up, because that's time the players are spending not playing the game. If you prepare for the game, you'll have a better session, your players will like you more, and you'll probably be asked to run more games. That last one may not be the incentive I meant it to be.
Read through the entire adventure. All of it. Whether it's reading a premade or going through your own notes, intimate knowledge of the adventure is going to be vital to a successful game. Mark pages that you know you'll be going back to, like stats for characters, maps of different areas, or special rules for an environment.
Read through anything else that's referenced in the adventure. If you have a gray tentacle goblin attacking your players, make sure you know the special rules for it's paralyzing tentacle caress, and mark the page you found it on.
Have a plan B, and know it as well as you know the primary adventure. As much as possible, anticipate what the players could do in a situation, and be ready for it. If there's a town two days travel from the adventure that's not involved in any way with the quest, be ready for your players to go there. Have something for them to do, even if its just a hook to get them going the direction you want them to go. If there's a minor character that the players interact with, be prepared to answer questions that aren't pertinent to the adventure. This is especially important with premades, where they don't always give you a lot to go on.
Have anything random on your end already rolled up. If there are random encounters, roll those ahead of time, read the entries, and mark the pages. Likewise, roll up any random treasure ahead of time. You don't want this to happen: "You've slain the dragon! In his horde you find....hang on a sec ::rustle rustle clatter::...I could have sworn the treasure chart was in that book. Hand me that Game Meister's Guide...No, the 2.7 edition one. ::mrEOOW!:: Sorry, fluffy." It's annoying to the players, it breaks up the flow, and it's hard on the cat.
The goal is to be able to run the game without interruption. At no point do you want to have to stop and look something up, because that's time the players are spending not playing the game. If you prepare for the game, you'll have a better session, your players will like you more, and you'll probably be asked to run more games. That last one may not be the incentive I meant it to be.
Monday, October 6, 2008
What I look for in a GM
The biggest factor in a role playing experience isn't which system you use, or where you play, or even the quality of your snacks. It's the people you play with. And the person who has the biggest effect on the experience is the game master. Different games call it different things: Narrator, Storyteller, Dungeon Master. Actually, the "X Master" formula is rather common in these games, with X being something integral to the game, usually part of the title.
Being a good GM is both a lot easier and a lot harder than most people think. You don't have to be an accomplished writer, or a brilliant actor, or even capable as either. What you do need is dedication to making sure the players have a good time. That means keeping the game moving and giving the players what they want. Here are a few tips on doing the above:
1. Do the prep work. I know it's not fun, but making sure you know any special rules you'll need, as well as having pages for whatever you need marked and ready for quick reference does wonders for you games. The last thing you want to do is be sitting at a table trying to find the paragraph about Medusa's petrifying gaze while your players sit there twiddling their thumbs.
2. Drive the players. Don't let your players be passive. Some people are always going to be more outspoken than others, but don't let the group just sit there. When somebody's turn in combat comes up, let them know immediately, and keep looking at them until they finish their turn. When the party bogs down making a decision, kick them along a little. Make an explosion in the distance. Have a tunnel collapse. Make one of the choices obvious. You shouldn't do this every time the party disagrees, but if more than five minutes go by without the players doing something, get the ball rolling again. If you lose momentum, they'll lose interest.
3. Play consistently. Find a time when all your players can make it every week and stick to that. If someone can't make it that week, play without them. If someone's going to be late, start without them. It's great if you can get the group to meet at a different time, but don't exclude someone from the game because they can't make that time. The regular time should be changed only if everyone can make that time. Also stick to one campaign. I know it's tempting to start up a new game every time you have a great idea, but your players will get really tired of never being able to develop a character properly because you can't commit to a game.
4. Find out what the players want and give it to them. If the players want to do an Ocean's Eleven style heist, don't put them into a military game. Unless it's a Kelly's Hero style military game. They'd like that. Keep that example in mind. If you want to run one style of game, and your players want to play in another, try and combine the two. See if there are any sources that have already done this. If so, steal like the place is going out of business.
5. Give the players the opportunity to be awesome. Yeah, a complex plot full of intrigue and three dimensional characters is great, but some days you just want to hurt something. If you've set up an elaborate and dramatic court scene for the conclusion of your Gothic horror campaign involving multiple coup d'etas and a mind breaking revelation about one of the players, and the parties drunken master bursts into the throne room, ninja kicks the two bodyguards, and then blows a gout of flaming alcohol into the vampiric baron's face, run with it. He obviously wants to get on with the violence, and if the other players are half as flamboyant, you're going to see a fantastic floor show. Don't completely jettison your plans, but be flexible enough to let the players handle things their way.
6. Manage the number of players you have. This can be a real problem, depending on the type of group you hang out with. Any more than five players is going to be difficult to keep focused. I've seen it done, and done well, but it's difficult, and usually not very satisfying for the people involved.
Lastly, I want to again direct you attention to this column. It's now defunct, but it's still a very good primer for anyone interested in running a game. That's it for me. Keep these six points in mind, and your players will have no reason to break your knees. See you in 48.
Being a good GM is both a lot easier and a lot harder than most people think. You don't have to be an accomplished writer, or a brilliant actor, or even capable as either. What you do need is dedication to making sure the players have a good time. That means keeping the game moving and giving the players what they want. Here are a few tips on doing the above:
1. Do the prep work. I know it's not fun, but making sure you know any special rules you'll need, as well as having pages for whatever you need marked and ready for quick reference does wonders for you games. The last thing you want to do is be sitting at a table trying to find the paragraph about Medusa's petrifying gaze while your players sit there twiddling their thumbs.
2. Drive the players. Don't let your players be passive. Some people are always going to be more outspoken than others, but don't let the group just sit there. When somebody's turn in combat comes up, let them know immediately, and keep looking at them until they finish their turn. When the party bogs down making a decision, kick them along a little. Make an explosion in the distance. Have a tunnel collapse. Make one of the choices obvious. You shouldn't do this every time the party disagrees, but if more than five minutes go by without the players doing something, get the ball rolling again. If you lose momentum, they'll lose interest.
3. Play consistently. Find a time when all your players can make it every week and stick to that. If someone can't make it that week, play without them. If someone's going to be late, start without them. It's great if you can get the group to meet at a different time, but don't exclude someone from the game because they can't make that time. The regular time should be changed only if everyone can make that time. Also stick to one campaign. I know it's tempting to start up a new game every time you have a great idea, but your players will get really tired of never being able to develop a character properly because you can't commit to a game.
4. Find out what the players want and give it to them. If the players want to do an Ocean's Eleven style heist, don't put them into a military game. Unless it's a Kelly's Hero style military game. They'd like that. Keep that example in mind. If you want to run one style of game, and your players want to play in another, try and combine the two. See if there are any sources that have already done this. If so, steal like the place is going out of business.
5. Give the players the opportunity to be awesome. Yeah, a complex plot full of intrigue and three dimensional characters is great, but some days you just want to hurt something. If you've set up an elaborate and dramatic court scene for the conclusion of your Gothic horror campaign involving multiple coup d'etas and a mind breaking revelation about one of the players, and the parties drunken master bursts into the throne room, ninja kicks the two bodyguards, and then blows a gout of flaming alcohol into the vampiric baron's face, run with it. He obviously wants to get on with the violence, and if the other players are half as flamboyant, you're going to see a fantastic floor show. Don't completely jettison your plans, but be flexible enough to let the players handle things their way.
6. Manage the number of players you have. This can be a real problem, depending on the type of group you hang out with. Any more than five players is going to be difficult to keep focused. I've seen it done, and done well, but it's difficult, and usually not very satisfying for the people involved.
Lastly, I want to again direct you attention to this column. It's now defunct, but it's still a very good primer for anyone interested in running a game. That's it for me. Keep these six points in mind, and your players will have no reason to break your knees. See you in 48.
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
Running Your First Game
Running a game is pretty scary the first time you do it, especially if you haven't been gaming long. The first thing you need to do is get your players together. You're on your own there. After that you need to decide what system to play. If you've role-played before, you'll probably want to use one of the systems you know, especially if you already own the books for it. You'll be better able to teach any new players much faster because you've been through the system. If you've never role-played before, you're in a bit of a pickle. Assuming you have no access to any sort of game unless you buy it, you need to make a decision. What sort of game do you want to run? Do you want your players to carve into hordes of orcs on the field of valor, or stare down ancient evils beyond human ken? Now ask yourself what sort of game your players want to play. Do they want to be cybernetically enhanced swordsman, tearing into their enemies with blade and bullets, or do they want to be aged vampires, gliding through backroom intrigue and manipulating grudges centuries in the making. It's your game, but they don't have to play. And without players, you might as well just sit around playing with army men. No offense, wargamers.
As far as good starting games go, Dungeons and Dragons is a something of a staple. Most gamers cut their teeth on that, and the new edition is very user friendly, and would probably be ideal if you like sword and sorcery style gameplay. World of Darkness is also pretty simple, but it focuses more on supernatural horor and role playing, which is usually difficult even for experienced GMs. Stay away from HERO or GURPS, though. They're good systems, but there's a lot of math there you don't want to have to mess with while you're trying to make an adventure. You could try one of the free systems floating around on the internet, but I wouldn't recommend them. There's very little GM support with those, and you need support like an acrobat with double D's.
Speaking of support, I seriously recomend getting a premade adventure. DnD has loads, and WoD has at least a few. One of these will allow you to run a few sessions without spending much time writing. Fell free to modify the adventure, if you want. Your players probably won't notice, and if they do they won't freak out. You're doing this for fun, so if a few changes make it feel more like your game, then do it. Whether or not you use a premade, be sure to know the adventure. Don't just read it through, mark pages, write notes. Read the entry for all the monsters and traps that are in the adventure. The last thing you want to have happen is to reach the climax of your carefully crafted (or purchased) adventure, your players have just confronted the dread Lord Belron of the Guild of Immense Inconvenience, and suddenly the entire session comes to a grinding halt because you have to stop and look up the rules for his +5 girdle of horror.
Lastly, seriously consider getting someone else to do snack duty. It'll really help out your first time if all you have to do is prep the game. It'll also make someone else feel responsible for the success or failure of your game.
I haven't the space, time, or expertise to teach you everything you need to know to run a good game. As in most things, with GMing experience is the best teacher. Check out this series. Most of the articles are shorter than this post, but every one of them is extremely helpful.
That's it for this week. See you all Monday.
As far as good starting games go, Dungeons and Dragons is a something of a staple. Most gamers cut their teeth on that, and the new edition is very user friendly, and would probably be ideal if you like sword and sorcery style gameplay. World of Darkness is also pretty simple, but it focuses more on supernatural horor and role playing, which is usually difficult even for experienced GMs. Stay away from HERO or GURPS, though. They're good systems, but there's a lot of math there you don't want to have to mess with while you're trying to make an adventure. You could try one of the free systems floating around on the internet, but I wouldn't recommend them. There's very little GM support with those, and you need support like an acrobat with double D's.
Speaking of support, I seriously recomend getting a premade adventure. DnD has loads, and WoD has at least a few. One of these will allow you to run a few sessions without spending much time writing. Fell free to modify the adventure, if you want. Your players probably won't notice, and if they do they won't freak out. You're doing this for fun, so if a few changes make it feel more like your game, then do it. Whether or not you use a premade, be sure to know the adventure. Don't just read it through, mark pages, write notes. Read the entry for all the monsters and traps that are in the adventure. The last thing you want to have happen is to reach the climax of your carefully crafted (or purchased) adventure, your players have just confronted the dread Lord Belron of the Guild of Immense Inconvenience, and suddenly the entire session comes to a grinding halt because you have to stop and look up the rules for his +5 girdle of horror.
Lastly, seriously consider getting someone else to do snack duty. It'll really help out your first time if all you have to do is prep the game. It'll also make someone else feel responsible for the success or failure of your game.
I haven't the space, time, or expertise to teach you everything you need to know to run a good game. As in most things, with GMing experience is the best teacher. Check out this series. Most of the articles are shorter than this post, but every one of them is extremely helpful.
That's it for this week. See you all Monday.
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