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<blockquote data-quote="Steel_Wind" data-source="post: 5813018" data-attributes="member: 20741"><p>My advice is a little different from those above.</p><p></p><p>All of it is fair advice and I don't disagree with it <em>per se</em>, but I advise my starting GMs to just read the scenario and above all, be polite and civil and concentrate on making sure people are having fun in a social setting.</p><p></p><p>If you don't know a rule, ask for advice at the table. If someone at the table knows the rule, use it.</p><p></p><p>If nobody does, make a note of it and explain that for now, you are going to rule "X" and move things ahead in a manner you consider fair, but players should know that might not be the correct ruling per RAW. Assure them that you will look it up for next time and move on.</p><p></p><p>There are 1200+ pages of rule in Pathfinder RPG. A new GM simply <strong><span style="color: wheat">can't</span></strong> know them all and it doesn't help much to cram for a GM session like it was an exam. You'll end up hating it, not having fun and you won't want to do it again. Your local Venture-Lieutenant (and your local Venture-Captain, I 100% <span style="color: LemonChiffon"><em><strong>guarantee it</strong></em></span> !) would FAR prefer his GMs had a good time and you came back to GM again after having a positive experience. Jeff had confidence enough in you to ask you to do this after he watched you play. So chillax, ok? It will be fine.</p><p></p><p>Make sure you do the common sense things you CAN control to make sure people have a good time. Make people feel like they had a chance to make a real decision when one was called for, that you paid attention to them when the spotlight was on them -- and that you make eye contact and smile, when you need to. If they make an odd choice? Confirm that's what they intended and then confirm their action to others at the table like it was the most obvious and AWESOME of choices for that player to make and move on with your game. You job as a PFS GM is to ensure to the greatest extent possible that your players have a good time so they'll come back, too. Nothing is more important than that.</p><p></p><p>That doesn't mean cheat to fudge that result. It simply means that when you don't know, then you don't. Worry about the stuff you CAN control, ok?</p><p></p><p>The rest comes with time. What is CERTAIN to not come with time is when time itself runs out. If people don't come back? Or you are so stressed out by it so that YOU don't want to come back? Then there will not be time later to fix "it", whatever "it" is.</p><p></p><p>I'd rather everybody had a good time and three important rules were ignored and one rule completely applied incorrectly, than a rules perfect game was held where nobody had fun.</p><p></p><p>Two general tricks:</p><p></p><p>1 - Buy a GameMastery combat Pad and use it at the table t track initiative, status and hit points;</p><p>2 - Buy a set of Condition Cards and use them during play.</p><p></p><p>Those two suggestions alone will solve 90% of all rules issues that will arise during play.</p><p></p><p></p><p>My $.02</p><p></p><p>*ahem* and seeing as I appear to be your local VC -- I can assure you that Jeff feels the same way <img src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" class="smilie smilie--sprite smilie--sprite1" alt=":)" title="Smile :)" loading="lazy" data-shortname=":)" /> I'm certain you will do well.</p><p></p><p></p><p><strong><em><span style="color: lemonchiffon">Pathfinder Society Venture-Captain (Ontario)</span></em></strong></p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Steel_Wind, post: 5813018, member: 20741"] My advice is a little different from those above. All of it is fair advice and I don't disagree with it [I]per se[/I], but I advise my starting GMs to just read the scenario and above all, be polite and civil and concentrate on making sure people are having fun in a social setting. If you don't know a rule, ask for advice at the table. If someone at the table knows the rule, use it. If nobody does, make a note of it and explain that for now, you are going to rule "X" and move things ahead in a manner you consider fair, but players should know that might not be the correct ruling per RAW. Assure them that you will look it up for next time and move on. There are 1200+ pages of rule in Pathfinder RPG. A new GM simply [B][COLOR=wheat]can't[/COLOR][/B] know them all and it doesn't help much to cram for a GM session like it was an exam. You'll end up hating it, not having fun and you won't want to do it again. Your local Venture-Lieutenant (and your local Venture-Captain, I 100% [COLOR=LemonChiffon][I][B]guarantee it[/B][/I][/COLOR] !) would FAR prefer his GMs had a good time and you came back to GM again after having a positive experience. Jeff had confidence enough in you to ask you to do this after he watched you play. So chillax, ok? It will be fine. Make sure you do the common sense things you CAN control to make sure people have a good time. Make people feel like they had a chance to make a real decision when one was called for, that you paid attention to them when the spotlight was on them -- and that you make eye contact and smile, when you need to. If they make an odd choice? Confirm that's what they intended and then confirm their action to others at the table like it was the most obvious and AWESOME of choices for that player to make and move on with your game. You job as a PFS GM is to ensure to the greatest extent possible that your players have a good time so they'll come back, too. Nothing is more important than that. That doesn't mean cheat to fudge that result. It simply means that when you don't know, then you don't. Worry about the stuff you CAN control, ok? The rest comes with time. What is CERTAIN to not come with time is when time itself runs out. If people don't come back? Or you are so stressed out by it so that YOU don't want to come back? Then there will not be time later to fix "it", whatever "it" is. I'd rather everybody had a good time and three important rules were ignored and one rule completely applied incorrectly, than a rules perfect game was held where nobody had fun. Two general tricks: 1 - Buy a GameMastery combat Pad and use it at the table t track initiative, status and hit points; 2 - Buy a set of Condition Cards and use them during play. Those two suggestions alone will solve 90% of all rules issues that will arise during play. My $.02 *ahem* and seeing as I appear to be your local VC -- I can assure you that Jeff feels the same way :) I'm certain you will do well. [B][I][COLOR=lemonchiffon]Pathfinder Society Venture-Captain (Ontario)[/COLOR][/I][/B] [/QUOTE]
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