GM Tips
Introduction
The first thing you probably want to know is 'who are these people to think they're anyone to write a GM guide, the pretentious douches?' Fair enough, we are tremendous douches.
When it comes to GMing, a lot of people seem to experience some sort of anxiety about the process of leading an RP scene. This is understandable. Everyone wants to be seen as a good writer, a good player, and if they GM, a good GM. GMing is like RP Plus, after all, so there is perceived additional pressure and therefore additional anxiety. It is my hope that this short document will help allay some of these fears for at least one person who might otherwise not have made the leap, so here goes!
Keys to Success
Prep the Plot
- Come up with a Prompt - This is the starting point. You want something simple and open. Mostly, you'll want to pick a place, and a problem that the participants have to solve.
- Decide on an End-State - Decide what the players need to accomplish to solve the problem and at what point the scene will end.
- Leave Out Everything Else - Don't try to map the steps between the prompt and the end. Leave that open for your players to steer.
Setting the Stage
- Don’t do Preparation RP - Preparation RP takes too long and it is boring. You will waste a lot of time for nothing doing prep RP, like creating a detailed plan or putting on gear.
- Start Where the Action Starts - Skip to the fun stuff. Begin the event by setting the scene with your prompt and immediately putting players into the action.
Beat that Drum
- Set a Pace - It's a good idea to set a guideline for pose time, maybe 5-10 minutes, and enforce it that way the scene doesn't get derailed if someone unexpectedly goes silent. Repeating the +po via OOC occasionally is a good way to gently nudge and remind players. Try paging first instead of publicly calling out anyone in particular.
- Be On Time - Don't be late for your own scene! Similarly, don't wait too long for anyone else running late. It's not fair to the people who showed up on time.
Rolling Rolling Rolling
- Keep the Participants in Mind - You should tailor the event to the characters who have turned out for it. There's a number of ways to do that.
- Use Appropriate Difficulties - If you know the character is likely a superstar at this, give them a little harder of a roll and harder task to deal with so they get a challenge and a chance to show just how great they are. Similarly, don't ask the impossible of characters you know are weaker in an area unless you don't mind them failing. Failing can be fun too!
- Use Appropriate NPCs - Combat-heavy characters will chew up lower-level NPCs quickly and easily. Make things harder for them by giving them a harder target. If there are softer characters mixed in, summon a type for each so they don't get absolutely destroyed.
- Give Challenges - People come to GM'd events because they want to test their skills in a fun, exciting setting. Throw out plenty of taskrolls, especially those that don't get used in everyday RP often.
- Let the Players Shine - Your main goal is to allow the players a chance to show off their characters, win or lose, so let them suggest their own actions and give an appropriate roll to test it.
House Rules
- Multishot - Your discretion. You can disallow it entirely; simplify it to 1 shot for rifles, 2 for pistols; embrace it fully; or anything in between. It's up to you as GM how this is handled. Just be clear from the beginning what you expect.
- +Attack vs. +Taskroll - Sometimes there's not a good NPC for something or you may not feel like dealing with them. You can always just use +taskroll instead if you choose, but again be clear from the outset.
Conclusion
The main goal of GMing is to provide a structured setting for fun and engaging RP. As such, don’t be afraid to have the flexibility to bend towards fun over holding too hard to ‘the rules’. Let your players attempt things you didn’t consider, don’t hold too tight to a plot idea, let players have the spotlight, and above all, have fun!
