Hah here's a worse one for you, happened to me in a game once, . . .
GM
"You enter a large room that appears to be set up as a dining area containing a large number of shrouded tables and chairs, opposite you on the other side of the room is a doorway while to the east and west lie glass doors leading out to a balcony lit by the occasional flash of lightning arcing across the dark skies beyond."
Me
"I move over towards the windows to have a closer look at the balcony."
GM
"The 15 foot tall statue grabs you and hauls you towarsd the door."
Me
"What statue?"
GM
"The one in the corner of the room."
Me
"You didn't mention a statue."
GM
"It was a dark room and the occasional lightning flash kept you from noticing it."
It's off-topic, but I'd like to comment on "Gotcha DM'ing".
"Gotcha DM'ing" roots from many things:
- Forgetting to describe an important detail in an important event
- Wanting to surprise the players... and it gets out of hand
or
- Intentionally cheating the players because you were dead-set on a scene going a certain way.
FORGETTING TO DESCRIBE
The "Get-Out-Of-Jail-Free" cards: It's very important to remember you have them, but not to hand them out like 10-XP bonuses. If you forgot to describe an important detail concerning a hidden trap or beast that could be detrimental to the scene, then the creature doesn't exist, or the players mulligan. This can be role-played as a "Final Destination" scene without the players realizing it.
"Borzac, you are lifted off the ground by the seat of your pants. - The rest of you guys see a statue you previously overlooked carrying him over to a window..."
"But you didn't describe it in the scene!"
"Let me finish... There is a watery ripple on the wall behind the statue, apparently an illusionary wall - then a loud gust of wind and everything fades and you are all back at the entrance of the room. A ball of seemingly intelligent light flies out of the room... an illusion cast by a friendly spirit. It seems not all encounters here are evil. In unison, you all turn your attention to the space in the wall you saw in your vision."
GETTING OUT OF HAND
We all like to be scared, but for various reasons your gag backfires (feeling cheated, players not in the same frame of mind as you, etc). This is another opportunity for the "Get Out of Jail Free" card, only this time you just have to cut your losses, admit your fault, and step out of the game for a moment to mulligan. Best to lose the momentum of the game for a moment, than an hour or entire evening over argument.
INTENTIONAL SCENE DIRECTING
It's a hard habit to break, but if you can't break it, then you don't need to be GM'ing. Best to lose a game and time invested than to lose friends over a stupid game.
-
As a GM, your prime directive (... yes, I went there ...) is to make sure everyone has FUN. You can get away with MURDER if you can remember a few things:
- If it enhances the story or the fun, let it fly.
- Make it fun for the players
- Give each player a chance to be important
- Reward failure
- Don't be a computer
- You are just as subject to the "us vs the GM" attitude as they are: avoid it
IF IT ENHANCES...
Sometimes players have something they want to do that isn't in your agenda. But you've invested so much time into planning your player's evening. Let it fly. This is prime opportunity for the players to make their own fun and YOU GET THE CREDIT! - On the same subject of letting enhancers fly, some things just seem too fun to leave to chance. If something seems vitally important or fun if it succeeds, why roll? Give it an automatic success.
MAKE IT FUN FOR THE PLAYERS
You can get away with anything if you make it fun. Pardon the reference, but it's quite appropriate: like sex, the foreplay is sometimes more important than the destination.
- It may be more appropriate to be creepy than outright scary.
- The fear is more damning than the event.
- The creature doesn't have to exist to do the damage.
... you get the point.
"The rain outside creates white noise at a time when you wish you had all your senses. Sometimes you think you hear a whisper... but it was just the rain. It's sheets of water on the windows create moving shadows on the wall rendering your peripheral vision almost useless. But she's in there, somewhere, and you have to find her."
"You said the footprints and drag-marks in the dust lead to the room to the right?"
"Yes, and the door is open, but the room is dark. There's a noise from the room as if something is knocked over... glass... that was DEFINITELY not the wind."
"I shine a flashlight in."
"Your flashlight flickers and shuts off."
"Those were fresh batteries! Is there any more noise?"
"Just the rain."
"I stand there for a while with my gun ready..."
"After a while, all you hear is your own breath, heartbeat, and the neverending rain."
"I have matches! I light one."
"You can see only about two feet ahead of you, but you can see."
"It'll have to do. - I step in."
"You get about 6-feet into the room when a gust of wind blows the door shut, and the match... out"
"I run back for the door"
"You lose your bearings in the darkness. A flash of lightning reveals a BEAR 4-inches from your face!"
"I shoot!"
"A shot rings out and the muzzle flash confirms the bear, but you stumble on something and fall backwards dragging the curtain off the wall. A stormy night still reveals more light than a pitch-black room, and the exposed window reveals a preserved bear. It's a hunter's gallery. There's nothing in here but stuffed animals and safari memorabilia."
"*Whew!* I stand-up."
"A loud bang and ear-piercing scratches tear through your ears from behind you! A giant wolf scratches at the window. The 20's glass may not hold him back long!"
MAKE EACH PLAYER IMPORTANT
All generals and no grunts. Everyone want's to feel like they are more than a cog in the machine. Sometimes a rogue is tired of searching every door for mundane traps - a fighter would like to use his brain over his sword once in a while, etc. Try and change the focal point of the game once in a while to suit one player and make them feel important and included rather than in the side-lines.
REWARD FAILURE
Failure is a downer, but chance makes it inevitable in the game. Remember: it's not their fault and lessons (XP) can still be learned from failure. Never let the element of chance be the doom of the players. Nobody should die on the roll of the dice. By the same token, stupidity and blatant ignorance should remove players from GM protection.
DON'T BE A COMPUTER
The rules are a means of interaction to create freedom in an imaginary world rather than the limitations of a video game. Don't make them a trap. Consider them guidelines. Most GM guides advise you to ignore the rules if it betters the game. I take this one step further with "Close enough"s. If a player fails by only a few, sometimes "Close Enough" is okay.
US. VS. THE GM
And finally... avoid this. The game is NOT YOU VS. THEM. You are there to present challenges, not "win". When you have fun, everybody wins.
