Effective Game Mastering

by Scott Nicholson

Introduction

In order to play a roleplaying game, someone has to be the gamemaster. The gamemaster's role is to make the scenario come to life. They are to present an illusion of control for the players while guiding them through a series of events. This booklet is designed to help you be an effective game master by providing tips and tricks that work.

Preparation

To be an effective GM, you must be prepared. Many GMs wing it with a few notecards, while others have a purchased scenario listing most actions the PCs could take. Both of these people have prepared some. However, each one may run into trouble if they have not fully prepared.

If you run a game off of a few notecards, you can tailor the game to the PCs. The game may lack consistency ("But last time we came here, we burned the place down!") and continuity. These type of games are very easy to get off track. The GM can play favorites very easily in this situation. Without thinking out everything in advance, the GM may give characters he likes better treasure and less problems.

The GM with the pre-packaged scenario may have other problems. As a GM, you should be very familiar with a scenario before you run it. Don't plan on reading ahead while the players are talking - a good GM would not be placent that long. If the players travel beyond what you have prepared, take a break and prepare the next session. The players will appreciate the game much more this way.

Good preparation can keep you from making mistakes early on in the scenario. Many times, small clues will be dropped that a GM may miss if he does not know the importance of them. While reading a scenario, you should highlight any small clues like this so you don't miss them when running the game.

Prepare props for the game. This can anything from writing out index cards for each item to painting miniatures and drawing pictures. These allow players something to "play" with. Many letters, notes, scrolls, and other pieces of paper can be easily reproduced. If there is a mental puzzle in the game, draw or recreate the scene to aid play. For example, if the players are crossing a bridge with bad areas, draw out the bridge and use miniatures or dice to let them move across. A "battle map" (a large map marked with hexes or sqaures that can be drawn on with Vis-a-vis pens and erased) is very handy and almost essential to GMing.

The library can provide another type of useful props - atmosphere. If the PCs are traveling to other countries or places, photocopy pictures from an encyclopedia. Most libraries check out music - find some that suits your game. I always play music while I run, if possible. Music can instantly set a mood that might take 20 minutes to set without it. Soundtracks work well for this.

In a scenario, or early on in a campaign, have your players wear nametags or put out namecards. People can roleplay easier if the character name is prevalent. Also, for NPCs they meet, make a namecard so that they can refer to him by name. You will find this increases roleplaying tenfold.

Look for live-scale possiblities in a scenario. If the PCs will be traveling in a vehicle for a while, move the chairs to make the vehicle. If they find a murder scene, reproduce it,laying the important clues about. Invite some friends over to play NPCs. Get up from around the table and get the players involved!

Make the game memorable and different. Adding live-scale aspects will cause people to remeber the game. In one campaign I ran, the PCs were at the final encounter that took place on an island. I moves the furniture out of the living room, and used masking tape to make the outline of the island. People still remeber that because it was unusual. Strive for something different.

Roleplaying

If you cannot roleplay, you cannot be an effective GM. A good roleplayer can make a bad scenario enjoyable, while a bad roleplayer will ruin most scenarios. In this section, I hope to help you become a better roleplayer.

When you roleplay, you must ask yourself, "How would this person think?" You need to put yourself in their shoes. A way to practice this in real world is to imagine what people are really thinking. When you are out and about or watching TV, try to guess what thoughts are going through people's heads. By doing this, you will learn how to bring characters to life.

Write a few notes about each NPC you might have to roleplay. These should include a few adjectives about the NPC's personality, what drives and goals the NPC has, and a key phrase for the NPC to use (such as "I've got a bad feeling about this" was for Han Solo.)

If possible, find pictures of people that can represent major NPCs. Glue these pictures to cards so that you can easily identify to the players who is talking. Develop on attitude for your NPCs. Make them memorable. Use voices, gestures, and other physical tricks to get the players roleplaying. If you roleplay, the players will be more likely to roleplay.

Don't make out-of-character comments or references without using some symbol (such as a hand placed over your head). This will also help the players stay in character and roleplay. If you have boxed text in a printed scenario to read, make it interesting. Only read it if neccesary - otherwise let the players roleplay to learn the information.

Let the PCs roleplay. You don't always have to be in the spotlight. If the characters are roleplaying, let them. Let the characters have arguements and fights - but don't let the players argue and fight. It is your job to intercede if the players begin fighting.

Running a Game

Always give a good description of an area. Picture each area in your head, and try to relay the picture to the players. If you can draw complicated rooms, do so. However, don't just plop down the room - describe it as well. A "Battle Map" is very handy for doing rough sketches during the game. Don't make the players map unless they want to. Many players despise mapping.

Get the players into it by interacting with them all. Don't listen to the loudest or fastest person all the time. Go around the table and ask each person "What is your character doing?" If you don't make it a habit to do this at least every 5 minutes, some people will feel very left out.

If someone is not in an encounter, send them away from the table. This will keep that person from making comments and refering to what happened when his character was gone. However, these situations should not last more than five minutes. If someone is dead, ask them to make no comments if they want to watch.

Don't kill off characters lightly. Games should be challenging, not deadly. People play to have fun and be heroes, not to be pointless. Characters should not die unless they do something really stupid or the climax of the scenario has been reached. In other circumstances, allow characters to live.

Allow character advancement and expansion. Let people enjoy playing their character. Go with the flow of the PCs. If the players want something, let them have it. Get feedback from the players on the amount of experience and items they are recieving. Alter the game to allow them to enjoy it. Let the characters grow together. The best games I have run were for groups of characters that knew each other.

Don't personalize the game for one character. Others will feel left out. Try to involve eveyone constantly. Everyone should get to do something at least every 5 minutes (unless they don't want to do anything). For this reason, I would keep the number of people you run for down to 6 or less. Don't allow others to come in - even for a night - as this will interrupt the flow of character growth and development.

Either keep all dice rolls hidden or roll all dice openly. If you keep them open, the players will feel like you are fair. However, this takes away your ability to fudge rolls when needed. If you hide all rolls, you can control the general course of action in the game. However, the players may lose the feeling of apparent control over the game. Try both ways - see which one you like.

Don't be afraid to wing it. Create encounters on the fly. The PCs will get sidetracked - let them. By creating encounters and not just saying "Well, the scenario doesn't cover that - so you can't do it" you will give the players the apparent feel of control. Doing this will increase your game designing skills and earn you the respect of the players. Take notes when you do this. If you make up an item, write down what it does. You'll be glad for the notes later.

Discourage the party from splitting up. Explain, out of character, that it will be difficult to GM both sides and pay attention to each seperate party. If the want to split up, let them. Give each group the same amount of time. Try to resolve these encounters as quickly as possible.

Reward players for actions befitting their character. By rewarding for good roleplaying, creative thinking, and strategic combat, you will encourage this behavior in your players. Help their characters to grow in power as well as a person. Present moral dilemas for your players, and change their alignment if they don't stick to it.

Don't argue rules! It is very annoying to all of the other players when you argue the rules with one person. Explain at the beginning of the game that you make all rules calls. If players have a problem, they may present it once. You will listen to them for no longer than one minute, then you will decide. Tell the players if they don't like this, they can leave the game now and no feelings will be hurt. Nothing destroys a roleplaying mood more than a rules arguement. You are the GM. You are running the game. You make the call.

As a GM, you must be fair. Don't show favoritism. Try to distance yourself from the game. It's not the players versus your bad guys. Be fair and consistent in rules calls. Your job is to further the story and enforce the rules. Do so fairly.

Give the players "apparent contol" over the situation. You know what will happen (generally) in the game. Allow the players to make the decisions to bring that to pass. Allow characters to do what they want to do and go where they want to go. Just keep the goal of the campaign in mind. If the players don't have apparent control over the game, they will feel as there is no reason for their characters to be here. Let them make a difference.

Conclusion

GMing is challenging. You have to play a million parts - keep up with a million things - and run the universe in your spare time. If the game is not fun, the players will blame you. Roleplay with the characters whenever possible. Be fair with rules calls and with your time. Further the story whenever possible. Don't argue rules.

You are the one to lead the fun! Make it magical - make it memorable - make it fun!