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Message: <blockquote data-quote="seasong" data-source="post: 486995" data-attributes="member: 5137">My major strengths:1) NPCs. Weaving in backstory for them, making them interesting, and then getting them the hell out of the way when the PCs need to shine. I play with a lot of narrative theory - I use flats and rounds where appropriate, and varying degrees of depth; I manipulate archetypes, and give them twists or rationales; I maintain a solid streak of character consistency, and manage NPC knowledge & POV rather well.2) Setting. I construct detailed, lovely settings and then gleefully help my players set about changing (or destroying <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f609.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=";)" title="Wink    ;)"  data-smilie="2"data-shortname=";)" />) it. Probably the best compliment I got was when I was asking what kind of campaign I should run next, and one of the players asked for "something with travel, so we can see all the cultures you come up with". I also usually come up with a new magical structure/physics for new settings, but I don't know that that's a strength as a GM <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f609.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=";)" title="Wink    ;)"  data-smilie="2"data-shortname=";)" />.3) Villains. I consider this separate from NPCs. My villains are matched to my players - they usually want the villain's head on a pike. My end boss fights (with a few near-criminal exceptions) are usually very memorable.4) Description. At heart, I'm deep into the whole "oral tradition" aspect of roleplaying. I like storytelling, and I try to make the details as interesting as possible. Word choice, interesting turns of phrase, vivid imagery, are all important to me. So is being clear - I try to make sure the players know what's going on.My major weaknesses:1) Plot. I'm actually pretty good at this, but there's a TON of stuff I want to improve on. For one thing, my players tend to get distracted easily if it doesn't involve one of my villains, and I'm not so good at maintaining focus on elements of the plot. 'm also terrible at setting up puzzles.2) Long-term Memory. I forget stuff a lot. The players don't always notice, but the mistakes pile up and I end up having to make something up to fix them behind the scenes. I hate that.3) Game System. I do rocking fights, but that's because a lot of our fights, we end up not rolling many dice. The players trust me to represent their skill levels fairly well, and I do, but part of why I can is because I have so much practice getting angry with the system. To answer one of Privateer's later questions, I have often gotten around this by having someone else actually run the fight, while I just handle the NPC tactics.First, get some female players. They can help a lot. Second, and more important, play the characters as male, with breasts. It's not 100% accurate, but it goes a long way to helping you give a convincing performance.A circle of couches, a low table that doesn't separate anyone (below the knees) with a couple books on it, a few side tables by the couches, a clipboard for everyone, with me somewhere where I can see everyone.</blockquote>

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