JeffFor those players out there who have never been a GM, have you ever thought about stepping behind the screen and running your own game?
Is there anything in particular that's stopping you?
Is there anything us GMs could help you with?
Anders Tallvik@cynical13 I never have and I’m currently setting up my first-ever setting.
What’s making me procrastinate is the lack of actual “running the game” advice: I’d be more interested in knowing HOW someone improvises a random encounter in the moment rather than THAT they have x amount of random tables at the ready, for example. Real life examples are the best.
I’d like GMs to bring us players behind the scenes of the game in action, because planning is easy, doing is not.
@anderstallvik That's a really fair question and I think it somewhat depends on what system you're using.
For me, it more often comes down to how the session is flowing.
My personal sessions tend to come down to some character interaction and setting the plot hook. The players then start the investigation phase, where they travel to locations to gather clues and maybe encounter a minor group of enemies, if I didn't use enemies to set the story hook.
I usually plan sessions to end with a fight with the big bad of that session then some time for the players to wrap up the session with some character moments.
Using this formula, I rarely need to come up with random encounters. I tend to have a session sketch laid out and just fill in based on decisions the players make during the session. I pick a few cool set pieces and decide what kind of monster or enemy I want them to encounter.
However, if you want to do more of an exploration or wilderness survival kind of adventure, you may need to come up with some random encounter tables (assuming a module you're using doesn't have some already) or just have stats for groups of interesting creatures for the PCs to deal with.
Does that help at all?
@anderstallvik Also, if you can tell me what RPG system you're planning on using, I might be able to help you out with how to select random encounters, if it's a system I've used before.
@cynical13 Thank you for this answer! Very helpful, and it brings me to the next big scary thing about DM:ing for the first time – getting the story started/keeping up the improvisation. Reading modules, I often find myself thinking that yes, it's cool that this adversary arrives but... how do I breathe life into that arrival? As I type this, I realize there are unending answers to the question, and that makes it fun!
I'll use DnD 5e sandbox-style for now, but I'm intrigued by several systems.
@anderstallvik With D&D 5e, you at least have Challenge Ratings to help with picking enemies, though those numbers can be somewhat unreliable.
I get a lot of inspiration from action movies and books. I tend to go for more cinematic games and a cocky group of orcs stalking around a corner, weapons drawn or a group of kobolds creeping around a corner, anxious but clutching their spears paints a different picture. Language can really help set the action.
Enemies can be stationed as guards, patrolling an area, or breaking in themselves. It depends on the adventure and the scene.
For my games, I try and keep in mind that my players are the big heroes of the games. Things like critical failures and having a weapon fly out of a hand can be useful (if you use those rules! I usually don't) but I try not to make it sound silly. For my money, it's more impactful to say that one minion that seemed minor is actually better trained than his comrades and flicked the weapon away with a careful block of their shield or by trapping it against their battle axe and wrenched it from a PC's hand.
You can do a ton to set tone with how quickly or slowly you talk and what your word choice is. If you're a comic book reader, think about how panels are laid out or how action movie fights are filmed.
@cynical13 This is super helpful stuff, appreciate you taking the time to get into some detail. This feels like a good reason to get back into reading comics tbh ;)
I've realized that a big way for me to set the tone just behind the GM screen is the aesthetics of a setting, and a lot of what you're saying here helps me think a little deeper along those lines.
@anderstallvik You get to design and dress the set and your players may take a lot of cues from the way you present things.
For example, one of my favorite games is Feng Shui. It's a Hong Kong action movie RPG. When I felt that players were being too tame with their actions, I would kick things up a notch. A mook might kick a PC through a wall. Suddenly everyone realized that the world was completely destroyable and started doing the same. They leveled the top two floors of an apartment building that way. A fight in a cemetery started out slow, but after the first person was kicked through a headstone, it was on.
You won't have 100% control though. I have an end point in mind for a single session, but I have no idea how the players will get there. Thankfully most of mine are good sports and let me guide them to the finish, but they often surprise me HOW they do it. And that's fun for me. I thrive on the chaos and the creativity it takes to keep up with them.
I also know it's not me vs. them. I'm a team player too, I just have to challenge them and make them work for it.
A few times I've caught myself about to put the hammer down, but then I remember I have to give them moments to shine and feel good about completing story items. Drop lore, give them hints, follow their cues. Ask them what they want to see.