The Eternal GM - New Game Master Advice Part One

Yesterday we were so busy getting everything ready for ToddlerGeek's 3rd birthday party (today) that I forgot to publish this week's Eternal GM article. So, it's a day late. This week's topic? Being a new GM. I will be discussing suggestions that I think will help new GMs transition into their role in a (I hope) more comfortable fashion than I was able to.

I've been a game master from the moment I discovered RPGs. Being a writer (in my head, anyway), it was a more or less natural transition for me. That being said, there were still plenty of bumps in the road that I had to work to overcome along the way, just as any GM does. I'm hoping that this article will help those of you sitting on the fence (and those who requested this topic) make the decision to dive into the role of the game master.

This is a topic that is going to be covered in a future episode of Play on Target as well (this summer sometime, probably), but due to the requests I decided it was worth doing an article about. I am planning on splitting this article into two parts. In this week's article I will be focusing on helping those interested in game mastering but unsure where to start. Next week, I'll be discussing common mistakes I've seen (and made) in new GMs and how they might be resolved. *Note - the second and third section do contradict each other. One might work for some people, another for others. A lot can depend on the group.

Be Comfortable With the Genre

This is always one of my recommendations to newer GMs. You're trying something you've never done before, whether you're already a role player or not. It's a lot more work logistically than being a player and you may well be learning a completely new system. There is no reason you need to make your life any more difficult than necessary. Look for a game that will be a good fit for you genre-wise. 

Think of the types of books you like to read or movies you like to watch. Then find a game that falls under the same heading and run that (or even a game based on an existing property you love). If you're a huge Star Wars fan, make your first GM experience a Star Wars game. If you exclusively read science fiction, then that's what you should run your first time as game master, even if that's not what your group is used to. The goal with this is you'll have less to worry about in the playing it by ear portion if you're already familiar with the setting and/or tropes of the genre than if you're diving into completely unfamiliar territory.

Run a System Your Players Know...

GMing is an extremely daunting task, particularly the first few times you act in that capacity. If you're with a close group of friends who you're comfortable with, why not run a game they all know well? That way, when you have a hiccup, you'll have people to turn to for advice. As long as you don't have any extreme rules lawyers in your group and are comfortable being told how things work (or, preferably, where to find info you need), then this can be a successful way to get used to GMing. You'll have people around you who can help you get used to the rules, which means one less weight you'll have solely on your shoulders while you get used to the ins and outs of GMing in general.

...But Really, Don't

I've run into very few groups that don't have a rules lawyer/know-it-all in them. These players can be intimidating in general. Taking into account that you're trying to to step into the driver's seat (so to speak) for the first time, this intimidation factor of having someone who likes letting people know he's better versed in the system than they are can increase tenfold. 

The easiest way to resolve this issue is simply to make sure you are running a system that absolutely no one at your table is already familiar with. This works particularly well if you're following the first piece of advice from this article and making sure you are running a game in a setting/genre you are already familiar with. This puts more onto your shoulders right off the bat as you are the "expert" in the system, so anything you can do to make your prep work easier is extremely beneficial.

Get Your Players to Help

This one is pretty cut and dry. There are a lot of things generally left up to the GM that you can enlist your players' assistance with. Here is a brief list of duties that you can pass of to your players that will lighten your in-game stress a bit as well as keeping players involved in the game at every turn:

• Initiative - Hand this one off to a player at the beginning of combat. Let her take note of who has what initiative and make sure everyone knows when it's their turn to go. This person can also generally keep track of status effects and how long they last.
• Mapping - This one goes way back, but there was a time when players actually had to map out where they were exploring. Use a map that works with dry erase markers and instead of drawing the map out for them, show them where to start and have them draw it out as they explore. This will save you running around the table every time they enter a new area you didn't want to already have drawn out for them.
• Combatants - This often works better if someone isn't involved in a conflict overly much (for whatever reason), or the combat is large-scale. Let the players control the friendly NPCs in such conflicts. One less thing you have to worry about when you're controlling all the "monsters." 

Run a "Beginner" Box

I put beginner in parentheses above because (as you'll see) not all box sets ideal for beginner GMs are labelled "beginner" on the box itself. These are box sets that include everything you need to play the game, simple (or simplified) rules, and generally make sure people new to the role playing hobby aren't completely overwhelmed. There are a lot of these in the market these days, some better than others. Below are a few that I feel are of note.

• Dragon Age (Set 1+) - This set works great for beginners for several reasons. It's familiar to a large subset of people who may be new to tabletop RPGs as the source material is a video game RPG. It's a simple system that doesn't take much to learn and each set adds new things to the system. For those unfamiliar with the setting, it's still a solid fantasy RPG for those familiar with the genre. Genre: Fantasy
• Star Wars Beginner Box - This one has some pluses and minuses to it. It is Star Wars, which many role players will be widely familiar with. It comes with everything necessary to play, from the special dice required for the game to a group of prebuilt characters and adventures. The system is simplified from the full version. This last, however, is also the downside, in that you can't (as of this writing) simply take the characters that you've played through the beginner box with and port them over to the full game without alteration. Genre: Space Opera
• D&D Gamma World Role Playing Game - This most recent iteration of Gamma World (by Wizards of the Coast) is probably the best (in my opinion) entry point into 4th Edition Dungeons and Dragons for those who are interested. Even without taking that into account, it's a good standalone system. Again, everything needed to play is there: maps, rules, tokens, etc. It's a pared-down version of an already new-to-RPGs-friendly system. Genre: Post-Apocalyptic (and Comedic, though not absolutely necessary)
• Pathfinder Beginner Box - This one is one of the most oft-spoken of when Beginner boxes are brought up in conversation. It comes with prebuilt characters, a map, nice quality tokens (nice quality everything really), simplified rules, and characters can be easily ported over to the full game once the beginner adventure path has been completed. The really nice thing about this is for those GMs not wanting to get into adventure/campaign design, there are a ton of adventure paths available to run players through that are extremely well-written. Genre: Fantasy

Next week I'll be back with part two, in which I will discuss common mistakes I've seen (and made myself) and recommendations of how to address them.

The Eternal GM - Atmosphere in RPGs

Not much has changed in the last week in the GWO world. The Time Heroes Kickstarter hasn't advanced too much, though I have started on the Eras supplement and have seen a rough sketch of the Quick-Start Packet's cover. However, I do have the second article in "the Eternal GM" for you. I hope you enjoy and remember, at the end I will briefly mention a game that I feel does a great job of addressing the topic (and why).

Capturing Atmosphere

This week's topic is regarding a situation I see come up many times at the table. Unfortunately, it's also a situation that doesn't have a clear-cut solution (at least not a good one). That being said, there are things a GM can do to help evoke the atmosphere of a particular game. As always, there are certainly more than I will be discussing here, but these are what I use at my own table. I should note that the article will revolve heavily around horror because (in my mind) it's one of the most difficult atmosphere's to successfully get into at the table.

Know Your Players

For me, this is the biggest way to succeed with an atmospheric game (or really, any game). Unfortunately, it's an "all or nothing" scenario. You need to know your players for an atmosphere-heavy game to have any chance of succeeding. As GM, you should know your players' attitudes and how adjustable they are. For example, if you're trying to run a Call of Cthulhu adventure (seriously), but you know your group can't go more than five minutes between silly comments, you're going to need to find a way around that (or play a different game).

You need to weigh how much you and your players want to make a game work against whether or not the game is up your group's alley. Every game is not for every group, and that's okay. Just make sure you and your players are aware of this when playing an atmospheric game that's outside of the normal comfort zone.

Of course, if you're just starting out with a new group or running a one shot at a con, the preceding paragraph does you little to no good. Which brings us to:

Pacing, Pacing, Pacing

When running a game in which atmosphere plays a large part, pacing is everything. If you're running an action-adventure game, moving too slowly can make things feel boring for everyone. On the flip side, moving too quickly in a horror game won't give anyone a chance to feel the suspense.

The real trick is to make the pacing fit the atmosphere you're going for without feeling contrived or clunky. If the pacing doesn't feel natural it's going to jar the players out of their immersion just as much as the wrong pacing entirely.

Let's take horror as an example. You want to have periods of time where the PCs aren't directly facing whatever horrible force they're going up against. Heck, depending on the type of horror, you may want to make sure they don't have an idea of what it is (or think it's one thing only to find it's something else) until the third act.  However, you also want to make sure they know there's something, and that the something is a present danger. It doesn't matter if this is achieved through sightings, or gut feelings players get, or even finding evidence it has been there; all that matters is that the characters find pieces here and there that let them know they could be beset at any moment.

The point is this, really: think of good books or films that embody the atmosphere you are attempting to evoke and pattern your games after them. Even the biggest action-fest has a break where the characters have a breather between beat-downs.

Props

If you're playing a comedic action game and in a fight against the evil Clown Lord Bo-Zo you pull out a bat-shaped balloon and start smacking a character in the head with it, it'll be obvious they're in a silly world. Yeah, that one's a bit over the top. Here's a better example of atmosphere-related props: 

You're playing call of Cthulhu, the game is set in the 1920s. You tell the PCs that a telegram has been slipped under their door. When they pick it up, you then slide a piece of yellowed telegram-style paper under the GM screen (or across the table) towards them. Anything you can do, whether it's a physical prop, background music (to an extent), or document will help pull them deeper into the world you're trying to create for them.

As I write this, I find that it's a topic that may well deserve to be broken down with articles for various genres. I may well do that down the road, but hopefully this particular entry has given you some insight into how I, at least, try to pull the players into the overall atmosphere of the game we are playing.

What Is the Most Atmospheric RPG?

Dread. Please remember, this is based purely on my experience and your views might well differ from mine. I have yet to run a game that captures the intended atmosphere better than +Epidiah Ravachol and +nat barmore's game of horror. Evoking the atmosphere of the game is built right into the mechanics. There are no abilities, no dice, no skills. There are only answers to questions and a Jenga tower. It takes the most sweat-inducing game I know and applies to to a RPG. If you make the tower fall, no matter how or when, you're written out of the story somehow. It has instilled the kind of stress tales of the macabre should into my players better than any other RPG I have run.

The Eternal GM - Player Buy-In

I thought anyone reading the blog might be interested in reading an article on a topic other than game design from me. If not, feel free to ignore. However, I've decided to start a series called "the Eternal GM." Why the title? Because, save for a very few exceptions, I've been strictly a GM for the better part of 20 years. I'll be adding posts to this series as the fancy strikes me in an attempt to provide insight to newer GMs and possibly provoke some discussions. In addition to an article for each topic, I will also briefly mention a RPG that I feel does a good job of addressing the problem. And now, our first topic:

Player Buy-In

Every GM has faced it from time to time; looking across the table to see at least one of the players staring with a blank look in their eyes, clearly not thinking about the game. You then realize: the same look is on the majority of the players' faces. They aren't interested in what's going on in-game. The question is, how to get everyone back into the game?

Preventative Measures

I've seen this often enough that it's something I try to prevent before the game itself even starts. How? By making sure the players are invested in their characters during character creation and adventures have personal tie-ins that they'll care about. Here are the ways I generally do this:

Make sure the PCs have back stories - I find that character creation shouldn't just be doing a bunch of math and writing the results down on a character sheet. Where the character came from is just as important to the game as what she can do now. In order to accomplish this, I take a couple of approaches during character creation to help the players flesh their PCs out, depending on the game/situation.

• Questionnaire - I take a page from the brainchild of +Epidiah Ravachol and +nat barmore, Dread, and hand out sheets of questions to players. Each set of questions is different but generic. Generally I only go with five or six questions, just enough to get the players thinking about their characters. This results in more buy-in by itself (the more work put into a character, the more invested the player will be) as well as providing fodder for me to work character's stories into an adventure.
• Group Character Creation - I'm a fan of this anyway, because it makes things easier in regards to balancing if necessary. However, as I have become drawn more and more into the world of narrative RPGs, I find it also serves a second purpose. I can ask questions to players about how their character came by a particular skill, or how two similar skills might mean a couple of the PCs know each other. This gives a similar result to the questionnaire method while also allowing the players to intertwine their characters' backgrounds (as well as give player the opportunity to make suggestions/give input on the backgrounds of the other PCs).

Using one of those two methods, most players in my games (even the laziest when it comes to story-type elements) end up with at least a somewhat-fleshed-out background. I then use the characters backgrounds as story elements, making sure that in each adventure, at least one PC background comes into play.

Know Your Players - If you're running a diplomacy game for a group of munchkins, of course they'll end up bored. You're either in the wrong group, or you don't know your players. Don't create the game you want to run, create the game everyone will enjoy playing. Obviously, with a new group this is a bit more difficult to ascertain, but there's quick way to solve this: ask. When you are preparing to run a game for your players, ask them what kinds of games they like to play. If they love combat and simulation, make sure that's stressed; if they enjoy outwitting their opponents, make sure it comes up. 

Fixing the Problem

The above advice does nothing to help the situation in progress. The players are mid-session and bored. Right. So, here's what I do:

Take a Break - Grab snacks. Catch up. Take 5-10 minutes and step away from the game. Ask the players what their favorite moments from the campaign have been so far, or what's been rubbing them the wrong way about the session. Maybe people are just having a collective off-night, maybe it's somethings specific. Then, call them back to the table and drop them in media res. Cut the adventure to the middle of whatever the next scene was going to be. 

If they were preparing to attack a camp of enemies, start back up in combat as the enemies take their first swing (maybe say one opponent was dropped "off-screen" and shouted to rouse the other). If they are preparing to enter negotiations, drop them in the middle of a screaming rant from the person they're trying to negotiate with and have them talk their way back. Essentially, start the game back up with an assumed minor failure or something similar. Nothing gets players into the game like adversity.

Now from time to time, I try other options that work with varying success, but I find that what I discussed above has the highest success rate for me. 

What RPG Makes Player Buy-In the Easiest?

Fate Core. Yeah, this might seem like the obvious answer from me, as my current projects have been revolving around hacking this system, but it's true. Evil Hat's Fate Core is a game that is built around player buy-in. Aspects are the most important parts of a PC's backgrounds, with a mechanical effect as well as story. Anytime there happens to be a lull during a session or a player's eyes start to glaze over, just compel on of their aspects and you've pulled them right back into the game. 

So there you have it, my thoughts on player buy-in and how to solve problems that come up with it. If this is of use to you in your GM endeavors, or even if it was just a semi-enjoyable read, I've done my job. And hey, if you have your own thoughts on player buy-in, or your own suggestions for games that address the topic well, please comment!

Time Heroes Progress Update - 4/21/2013

Between caring for a toddler while mommy is at school and work, keeping the house tidy and nice, and trying to build a RPG empire...or even a fiefdom, life has been rather hectic for the last couple of months. However, now, as we reach the final countdown to the Kickstarter (just about a month left to its start and counting), all the effort has been worth it.

First, we have another updated KS. I've made some changes to the preview to reflect that everyone at backer level of Big Bad and above will be receiving the Time Heroes PDF in addition to any other rewards they receive.  I revealed the first stretch goal and the amount needed to unlock it ($8,000 and the stretch is the creation of the Past/Future supplement book). For now, I've decided to keep stretch goals a secret until the previous one unlocked. Lastly, I have changed the Morgan la Fey backer level from $40 to $100 based on several suggestions that this level seemed to make more sense.

Next, I have just received a beta draft of the Quick-Start Packet from my layout designer/artst, Justin Rach. There are a couple pieces of art in it, but for the most part its just so I can see the layout design and write down any notes/changes I want to make. So far it looks good, but I still want to give it a closer examination.

My goal for this next week is two-fold:

1. Go over the Quick-Start with a fine-tooth comb (and red pen) and
2. Get enough of a start on the writing of the future/past supplement that I have an idea of length to give to Justin so we can verify what it'll cost to get it done.

That's about all the update I have for now, but I figured it's been a while since my last update and thought you might like to know!

Time Heroes Kickstarter Nearly Ready!

Well, if you're reading this, you likely already know more than you'd care to about Time Heroes. However, in case you haven't, this is the Kickstarter announcement I posted on both RPGGeek.com and RPG.net earlier today (as well as in the GeekWorld Online Time Heroes Kickstarter forum):

First, let me say that this is going to be the first official GeekWorld Online production (hopefully with more to follow).

Since backing and reading through Fate Core, ideas have been coming to me left and right for games that could be put together using Fate Core as the glue. Two projects really stuck with me to the point where I blogged many design journal entries on them, and one of them is just about ready for the Kickstarter to begin.

Time Heroes is a comedic adventure RPG that has been created to capture the feel of Saturday morning cartoons (along the lines of Inspector Gadget, the Real Ghostbusters, etc.). In its default setting, it is about stopping the evil sorceress Morgan la Fey from destroying time as we know it.

Morgan la Fey has come to a point in history where magic has long since died but before technology has evolved to completely replace it (basically, the present). She has torn open rips in the fabric of space and time to draw through armies from the past and future with which she intends to make the Earth her own. She has managed to place a time bubble around a few year block that has been separated from the normal passage of time. Her goal is to take control of the planet, send people back and then drop the bubble, altering the course of history in one fell swoop.

The Great Merlini, last living descendent of Merlin has gone from simple stage magician to discovering the power of his ancestor within himself with the assistance of his ancestor’s book of magic, the Bionomipro. He is using this power to draw his own people through time and space in order to hold back la Fey's ambitions. While the bubble around the present allows la Fey to bring people through without repercussions, it also prevents going back to alter events that have already happened within the bubble itself. Essentially, if Merlini can keep Morgan la Fey at bay for a few years, the bubble will drop and normality will be restored.

So that's the basic lore behind the setting. But how do I see this play out in the game itself?

While the way I've presented it just now may not indicate it (although how sheerly ludicrous the idea itself is might), Time Heroes is meant to be a zany romp for a group of players. Ultimately, I envision it along the lines of a television show or cartoon where, though there may be arcs here and there, primarily each session is its own episode and - much like, Inspector Gadget, for example - Morgan la Fey will always barely slip away at the end of each "episode." Obviously the reasoning behind this is because if she's taken out completely, any series would be over. Also, she will be almost entirely in the background pulling strings and not in the thick of it herself. I want the world of Time Heroes to be one in which a sword-carrying barbarian, a laser mop-wielding space janitor and a Spam salesman are all equally likely as character concepts, even in one group.

So, where are we at? Well, the beta draft of the core rules is finished, though it is art-free (much of the Kickstarter fundage will be for compensating my artist). A Quick-Start packet has been finished on my end, and is currently with the artist/layout designer. Once that is finished, it will be distributed at Berserkon in Duluth, MN (and will also be a

And now, info regarding our Kickstarter (set to start once the CC licensing is available):

After some thinking, we've put together some initial reward levels. We're still having troubles coming up with what would be good offerings for higher pledge amounts, but we still have time before the Kickstarter gets off the ground.

Without further ado, here's what we've decided on for certain:

$1 - Extra
You will have immediate access to the Quick-Start Packet PDF. This includes four pre-generated characters, the basic rules, and a Quick-Start Episode: Rise of the Plushies!

$5 - Supporting Cast
Includes the Extras level, as well as immediate access to the beta draft of Time Heroes. With this you can begin your very own Time Heroes series before the Kickstarter is even over!

$10 - Big Bad
You will receive the Extras and Supporting cast levels, as well as a copy of the Time Heroes PDF upon release.

$30 - Time Hero(200 available)
You will receive the Extra and Supporting cast levels, as well as the softcover of Time Heroes upon release (B&W). If you would also like the PDF, add $5 to your pledge.(total of $35) If you would like your copy autographed, simply add $10 to your pledge. (total of $40 without PDF, $45 with) Add $15 for international shipping

$40 - Morgan la Fey (10 available)
You will receive the Extra, Supporting Cast, and Time Hero levels. In addition, Andrew Goenner will help you create your own Time Hero to be included in the core rules.

$75 - Great Merlini (3 available)
You will receive the Extra, Supporting Cast, Big Bad, and Time Hero levels. Plus, Andrew Goenner will run an episode of Time Heroes for you via G+ Hangouts.

The price point on the last two aren't set in stone and may well be adjusted prior to the Kickstarter actually beginning, but that's what we're looking at so far.

Here are ideas for some of the stretch goals that we have (no monetary amounts decided on yet):

- A hardcover version of the core rules

- Colorizing the core rules

- An Era supplement covering the Past and Future Time Heroes setting

- A "Who's Who" of Time Heroes, filled with pre-generated characters as well as descriptions/statistics for NPCs in the Present setting.

As we progress closer to the Kickstarter, I'll pop back and update this thread. Otherwise, if you're looking for more information on GeekWorld Online or Time Heroes, feel free to head over to the site: GeekWorld Online. Links to the GWO Blog are there, as well as news pieces and the forums for discussing GWO projects.

Lastly, for the art-curious, I have a couple of samples my artist has provided for me for promotional use that I thought I'd share with you here:

Time Heroes - The Timeline - Update on New Core Rules Material

This update isn't going to be terribly long, just some new ideas that came to me today and a sneak peek at the Time Heroes timeline. Before we get to the timeline, however, the update:

I was editing the core rules today and I came to a decision. I want to talk about the setting in more detail, so I'm adding an additional chapter between the introduction and the Quick-Start Rules: The World of Time Heroes. In this chapter, I am going to be giving greater detail on the default setting (present; humorous cartoony adventure). I will not be going into greater detail on the Past or Present Eras, however. This means that at some point down the road (either as a stretch goal to the Kickstarter or its own project) I will be creating a supplement (or two, depending on length) that details these two eras.

With that in mind, I've put together a basic timeline I will be adding to the core rulebook directly before the new chapter. It details the major events of all three eras (as well as separating them so readers know what events will be talked about where). In addition, if there are any time periods you think would be fun to visit in the past era (or future), feel free to comment and let me know! Perhaps I'll update the timeline.

Also, I've completed today's 10%, meaning I'm now at 60% (though the additional chapter may change the completion rate by a bit, depending on its length). Anyway, without further ado, I give you: the Time Heroes Timeline:

Time Heroes Update - Nearing Readiness!

Things have been busy on the GeekWorld front. After some initial discussion with Justin, Time Heroes' illustrator and layout designer, we appear to have come to an agreement on his illustrating compensation. That just leaves compensation for layout work. He has also begun doing some work on the Quick-Start Rules and Episode, which is called Rise of the Plushies! I've been provided with a sample page, and am extremely happy with how that turned out, both art and design-wise. There should be no issues with getting that ready for Berserkon (and for the $1 Kickstarter backers).

Regarding my work on the game design end of things, I'm currently working on the "final" edit of the beta draft (accepting that there will almost assuredly be changes from backer feedback. I've given myself a rate of 10% today and, after today, have just hit the 50% mark. This means that after the upcoming Friday (4/5/13), the beta draft of Time Heroes will be done and ready to provide to the $5 backers. So, good progress!

In regards to the Time Heroes Kickstarter, I have solidly decided on the following reward levels (with more likely to be added before the thing gets going):

$1 Quick-Start Rules/Episode Rise of the Plushies
$5 Immediate access to the Time Heroes beta draft (with the ability to send errors/problems for amending in the final edition).
$10 Time Heroes PDF (black and white)
$25/30 (haven't decided yet) - Softcover of the Time Heroes core rules (in black and white, color might be a stretch goal)
$35/40 (depending on book cost) - Autographed copy of the Time Heroes core rules
$60/65 - As autograph level but I will run an adventure for your group

As I said, there will probably be more reward levels (and maybe more added once the Kickstarter begins, if supplement stretch goals get reached).

That's about everything I have currently, update-wise. Things are rolling along smoothly, and we're hoping to be able to get our Kickstarter going by Berserkon. Time (and the CC license) will tell!