Best GMing Advice you've ever gotten

What's the best GM advice you've ever gotten

  • It's a social interaction first. You're friends. Be friendly

    Votes: 5 10.6%
  • You are the referee and story teller, it is not GM vs Player.

    Votes: 10 21.3%
  • Be fair and transparent. Players know if you fudge dice to keep your personal fav NPC alive

    Votes: 7 14.9%
  • Don't worry about memorizing the rules. Make a ruling to keep the game going and look it up later

    Votes: 12 25.5%
  • It's your game world. Work with the players when possible, but don't let your fun be overridden

    Votes: 5 10.6%
  • Let the players form the game world

    Votes: 5 10.6%
  • No reasonable request should ever be unreasonably declined.

    Votes: 3 6.4%
  • Session 0 isn't just to make PCs. Set the ground rules and identify players who might not be a fit

    Votes: 14 29.8%
  • Keep your campaign outline form only (simple). Too complex, and you risk railroading YOUR story

    Votes: 6 12.8%
  • Allow yourself to make mistakes

    Votes: 7 14.9%
  • Show, don't tell ("a pool of ebony viscous liquid" vs "there's a black pudding there")

    Votes: 9 19.1%
  • All challenges must have risk. A risk-free challenge should be narrated.

    Votes: 6 12.8%
  • GM because YOU want to, not because everyone else does

    Votes: 10 21.3%
  • If you're changing a rule, get table agreement

    Votes: 3 6.4%
  • Other

    Votes: 9 19.1%


log in or register to remove this ad

“Know where the game is going and don’t be afraid to end it when it gets there.” - paraphrased from 3e DMG

i.e. Don’t keep playing the game just because you “need” to reach level 20 (or whatever). Recognize the natural stopping point and end it.
 

aramis erak

Legend
Reward clever attempts with amusing yet sensible results - not of need success.

It's as okay to lower the difficulty for an amusing or collegial decision as it is for one that fits the task. Yeah, go ahead and reward groupthink!
 


Haiku Elvis

Knuckle-dusters, glass jaws and wooden hearts.
1, Don't be a douche. (Applies to players and GM equally)
2 There is no "right way". Any way of playing is fine as long as everyone is on the same page. Communication is key.
2, Failure is and should always be a possibility -don't put an obstacle/encounter in or call for a test unless you are prepared for it to fail or the party to be defeated. (It's a thing I see in a lot in adventures where there is, for example, a hidden door that calls for a check to be discovered but needs to be found for the adventure to progress)
3, Just because a player rolls doesn't automatically mean they have agency or are in control. It just means the result is being randomised. (Related to number 2, but I'm mainly talking to you -passive perception checks). Player agency means they get to make choices.
4 Having to make sh*t up on the fly for half the session as it didn't go the way you expected, doesn't mean you did something wrong or prepared badly it just means you've got mad skills. Bask in your achievement.
5 Don't sweat it. If it's not adding anything it's not needed. Skip it, drop it, whatever. If you need to bring it back later just let the players know up front.
 






Remove ads

Top