The truly memorable ones don't come from the GM alone. They're the times when everything clicks and the players are clicking with the adventure. I've had it happen on adventures I was worried about because they were only half prepared. You can't predict it. It's RPG magic, and all you can do is be ready for it.
Refereeing Tips
- Thread starter Jame
- Start date
Mythmere wrote:
"The truly memorable ones don't come from the GM alone. They're the times when everything clicks and the players are clicking with the adventure. I've had it happen on adventures I was worried about because they were only half prepared. You can't predict it. It's RPG magic, and all you can do is be ready for it."
Jame,
Re-read what Mythmere wrote above and believe it. A GM's relationship with a RPG session is much like the President's relationship with the national economy; neither can do anything to guarantee success but both can screw things up enough for things to fail.
The success of your planned session is going to depend on many factors over which you have no control; mainly the moods of the players, how well they happen to be getting along at that moment, and how interested they choose to become in the story.
All you can do is present an adventure is an entertaining way (note - the meaning of 'entertaining' will change from night to night, group to group, and even hour to hour), try to smooth over any rough spots, and be flexiable. Believe me, the rest is out of your hands.
Don't worry, the kind of sessions you're craving do occur. They've even happened with ME(!) as the GM, so they can happen anywhere and at anytime.
Sincerely,
Larsen
"The truly memorable ones don't come from the GM alone. They're the times when everything clicks and the players are clicking with the adventure. I've had it happen on adventures I was worried about because they were only half prepared. You can't predict it. It's RPG magic, and all you can do is be ready for it."
Jame,
Re-read what Mythmere wrote above and believe it. A GM's relationship with a RPG session is much like the President's relationship with the national economy; neither can do anything to guarantee success but both can screw things up enough for things to fail.
The success of your planned session is going to depend on many factors over which you have no control; mainly the moods of the players, how well they happen to be getting along at that moment, and how interested they choose to become in the story.
All you can do is present an adventure is an entertaining way (note - the meaning of 'entertaining' will change from night to night, group to group, and even hour to hour), try to smooth over any rough spots, and be flexiable. Believe me, the rest is out of your hands.
Don't worry, the kind of sessions you're craving do occur. They've even happened with ME(!) as the GM, so they can happen anywhere and at anytime.
Sincerely,
Larsen
mark_rotteveel
SOC-12
Larsen and Mythmere are spot-on, Jame. I also find those elusive 'amazing' sessions can have a lot to do with the roll of the dice.... My party still brings up the odd session where everything clicked, except the dice rolls... one of those days when every roll seems to go against the party, yet somehow they still pull it off. I think it's because when they fail at one approach, they have to start another... and then another etc etc....
When Conan the Marine with his power armour and a FGMP14 gets beaten up by an angry Gofer with a sharpened stick, it sort of sticks in the memory
(p.s. that's 'Gofer', TJ, not Vorpal Bunny)
FlightCommanderSolitude
SOC-13
About the most successful stint as referee I've ever had was a Cthulhu game for two friends that took place over a whole summer, playing usually a couple of times a week. I was blessed with players who had little knowledge of roleplaying games, and I utterly dispensed with the rules once we had created characters. The only time I rolled dice, or had players roll dice, was when I wanted them to think that their fate hung in the balance. Then I'd promptly ignore the dice roll and continue spinning the story.
What had started out larkishly as one evening's entertainment based on a trivial little scenario turned into a rather epic series of gaming sessions, with the players getting really into "who" their characters were and "why" they were on that bus rumbling through the backwoods of Massachusets in the first place. (And why did that guy's voice sounds so... insect like?)
I'm not sure if this really answers the original question, but it supports my general conviction that rules and die rolling shouldn't get in the way of your game, and that the referee should really be prepared to wing it from a basic scenario sketch. I think it's important for players to feel like they're actively involved in the situation, instead of walking through a maze, and the best way to do that is to respond imaginatively to their actions instead of following the script point by point.
What had started out larkishly as one evening's entertainment based on a trivial little scenario turned into a rather epic series of gaming sessions, with the players getting really into "who" their characters were and "why" they were on that bus rumbling through the backwoods of Massachusets in the first place. (And why did that guy's voice sounds so... insect like?)
I'm not sure if this really answers the original question, but it supports my general conviction that rules and die rolling shouldn't get in the way of your game, and that the referee should really be prepared to wing it from a basic scenario sketch. I think it's important for players to feel like they're actively involved in the situation, instead of walking through a maze, and the best way to do that is to respond imaginatively to their actions instead of following the script point by point.
Andrew Boulton
The Adminator
A friend at Uni once told me that the best scenario he ever ran (Cthulhu, again, which was also responsible for the best session I ever played in) didn't even exist! He turned up totally unprepared, and just pulled a few incidents out of that days newspaper and gave them to the PCs as clues. They investigated, and the GM just went along with it. There was no mystery, no blasphemous abominations lurking in the woods, but everyone was having fun so nobody cared.
mark_rotteveel
SOC-12
I've only had a handful of those 'memorable' sessions, and have been playing RPG's since the late 70's.
I think it really depends on the players most of all. When they do something that they, as themselves, would never do, but their character would definately do. *reads over last sentence... well you know what I mean
*
When the players really role play their character, it makes all the difference in the world.
p.s. Yes... the late '70's. No comments from the peanut gallery
I think it really depends on the players most of all. When they do something that they, as themselves, would never do, but their character would definately do. *reads over last sentence... well you know what I mean
*When the players really role play their character, it makes all the difference in the world.
p.s. Yes... the late '70's. No comments from the peanut gallery
What's your point? Haven't we all?Originally posted by Rotters:
p.s. Yes... the late '70's. No comments from the peanut gallery
These younguns who talk about T20 or GT as 'the Original Traveller' (like the kids at a recent con who seemed to think all tabletop wargames are offshoots of Mage Knight or Hero Clix... *shudder*) are just sadly in need of a proper education.
And who better to give it to them than the grumbling grognards?
mark_rotteveel
SOC-12
We should make it a new Character Class
Why do I forsee Persuasion, Streetwise, Gambling (at least the die rolling and probability analysis), Tactics, History (of games, and lots of other stuff), Brawling, and few negotiation or other interpersonal skills as being primary skill chart occupants?Originally posted by Rotters:
We should make it a new Character Class
I might add, for the weasly oldsters, Bribery, Forgery, and Stealth.... (the guys who like to sneak peeks into the module or at the refs notes, who like to buy off the ref with soda and chips, or those whose character sheets contain 'accounting errors'....)
mark_rotteveel
SOC-12
He he... as fate would have it, it's standard procedure in the AD&D campaigns I DM that 50xp is awarded for each coffee provided to the DM
Hmmm... will ahve to work a way to integrate this to Traveller. (Caffiene Overdose? Now, there's an oxymoron
)Never said it was a *bad* idea.Originally posted by Rotters:
He he... as fate would have it, it's standard procedure in the AD&D campaigns I DM that 50xp is awarded for each coffee provided to the DM
In Champions, we get xp for encouraging other PCs to participate, helping out the GM, and providing painted minis.
In Traveller, I've been known to award an AT or two to players who make my life (and those of their other gaming friends) more pleasant.
I think encouraging good play and good manners in the group is a laudible goal. Sometimes it might even work...
mark_rotteveel
SOC-12
Some advice for a new DM:
Things to remember when you DM:
Rule number ONE, Murphys laws rule supreme.
No matter how carefully you plan, the players will find another way out of whatever complex circumstance you put them in.
Always remain fair and in control of yourself and the game. Players will find new ways to torque you off.
Always have a general plan of what you want to happen.
Some details help, but don't get too involved, the players will not go there unless you don't plan for it.
Let the players figure out how to get where you want them, that is their job.
No matter what happens, it IS what you planed for the players to do, they will not know any diffferent, unless you tell them.
Never tell the players anything they don't need to know.
Always have NPCs around.
NPCs will wear red shirts, Think Star Trek
Red shirts are to demonstrate either how the monster works or to show the situation is serious.
Red shirts are also usefull to show or tell the players which direction to go when they haven't got a clue.
Red shirts are also usefull for running out the back door with the last can of ammo.
Things to remember when you DM:
Rule number ONE, Murphys laws rule supreme.
No matter how carefully you plan, the players will find another way out of whatever complex circumstance you put them in.
Always remain fair and in control of yourself and the game. Players will find new ways to torque you off.
Always have a general plan of what you want to happen.
Some details help, but don't get too involved, the players will not go there unless you don't plan for it.
Let the players figure out how to get where you want them, that is their job.
No matter what happens, it IS what you planed for the players to do, they will not know any diffferent, unless you tell them.
Never tell the players anything they don't need to know.
Always have NPCs around.
NPCs will wear red shirts, Think Star Trek
Red shirts are to demonstrate either how the monster works or to show the situation is serious.
Red shirts are also usefull to show or tell the players which direction to go when they haven't got a clue.
Red shirts are also usefull for running out the back door with the last can of ammo.
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