1,000 GMing Tips

[thanson02]

30) If the part splits, treat the two groups like PC swarm Monsters. The group moves together and each person has one action they can do. Then, you are off to the next group. Do the same with your Monsters and then you have 2 PCs and 2-4 Monsters to deal with instead of a mess load.

 

[Halivar]

31) Have a prepared list of random names. When you need an emergency name you didn't expect to need, check one off and jot a quick note of how you used it. Add it to your campaign bible (if you have one [and you should have one]).

 

[delericho]

32) A player's character is pretty much the only thing they have control over. As DM, you have control over everything else. So be very, very wary of taking away a player's control over his character - even in cases of outright mind control, consider whether you can't have the player control the character accordingly.

(Which is not to say you should never do it. But be cautious.)

 

[Maxperson]

12) NPCs and locations deserve a name. And maybe a trait or two.

It's easy as a GM to get caught saying stuff like, "You stop at random Tavern on the Road #12, and talk to Nebulous Barkeeper #37."

Naming people and places makes the world more real, and often inspires players to interact a bit more.

If you're not good at coming up with names on the fly, build a Random Table of Naming Taverns and NPCs, or check out the AEG Ultimate Toolbox.

33. When you do come with names for random taverns, barkeeps, etc. Take notes! More than once I've forgotten to and had no idea who the group (which does take notes) was referring to 3 months down the road when the ask me a question.

 

[Maxperson]

34. Don't let the group become bored. If the players are lagging on coming up with things they want to do and you are unsure what to do next, keep the excitement going, even if it means tossing a minor encounter at them while you figure out what to do next.

 

[innerdude]

35) Hopefully your PCs have motivations beyond "killing things and taking their stuff," but even if they don't, your NPCs should. NPCs should be actively motivated, and the PCs should regularly be facing obstacles put in their way based on those NPC motivations. If the PCs aren't getting into trouble regularly, it's possibly a sign that your NPCs aren't active enough or motivated enough.

 

[innerdude]

36) Talk to your players about the level of challenges they'd like to face.

Some groups want every encounter to be a knife edge --- one wrong slip and they're falling right into the grinder. Other groups prefer varied encounter difficulties. Keep in mind as well that the "high degree" and "low degree" of difficulty will be different from group to group, and even player to player.

 

[Janx]

37) Rule Zero: be able to recognize an exception to the rules and make a reasonable decision

Some games include Rule Zero explicitly, some don't. But the reality is all games, and all processes (even at work), you have the ability to see that a situation is outside the norm, and make a decision on it. That doesn't mean everything is an exception. Just recognize the extremely rare cases where the rules don't fit, and solve the problem.

 

[Janx]

38) make a house rules document, put the common sense stuff at the top, then any adjustments to the game rules. Keep it short.

You should never have an unwritten set of rules that your group plays by. Write them down.

The first rules should cover the basics of behavior/expectation. That the GM has the right to decide rule confusion issues for the purpose of getting the game moving (allowing you to get it wrong). That should be in the book, but I find it helps to point that out. A rule about not being dicks to each other might be good for groups that don't like PC antagonism.

Once you've got that in place, then put in any adjustments to the published rules you have. Personally, I don't like changing the rules a lot, but stuff comes up..

 

[Diem]

39) Don't force your PCs down a linear storyline.

If they have an idea, action plan, hunch, etc... let them branch out and be prepared to adjust accordingly.