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Message: <blockquote data-quote="damiller" data-source="post: 8449485" data-attributes="member: 10995">So in this thread <a href="https://www.enworld.org/threads/3-most-underrated-traits-for-gamesmasters.683810/" target="_blank">Game Master Traits</a> [USER=6670763]@Yora[/USER] made the following comment:I am intrigued by this idea, and it is what I have been slowly moving towards as a GM. I have never been good at "memorizing" adventures and so welcome this idea to create adventures that are responsive to the players choices but that are not actual improv (which is a serious energy drain for me.) So with that in mind I was hoping to brainstorm with you all about what those methods and contents might be and I offer a couple I've really leaned on in the last few months/year.<ol> <li data-xf-list-type="ol">Leading Questions - I've always used questions of various kinds. But I avoided leading questions, partly due to my training and work as a teacher and social worker. I noticed that once I started using them as a tool in my RPG sessions my players responded very well, and the sessions kind of built themselves. I use the Leading Questions primarily when things have slowed down at the table and we need some action/decision to get back the energy. Since Leading questions are yes/no short reply they can jolt the players into action. And I like that regardless of the answer, the players have made a choice, and that seems to always lead somewhere good. When I took this technique to heart I would write questions ahead of time, but as I got comfortable with the concept I've found that just knowing about and how to ask leading questions has been more useful and a more flexible approach - ie responsive to the players choices in game. <ol> <li data-xf-list-type="ol">Conversely I noticed that because I was so used to open ended questions I would use those almost all the time and it often killed the energy of the moment. So knowing about and using leading questions has helped me to see the value (in running an RPG) of both types. I now use Open Ended questions if I want a pause, or to slow the session down (because it invites discussion) or Leading Questions if I want to get some energy back into the session. Of course there are all kinds of question types: Loaded, Closed, Probing, Funnel and now that I have wrote this forum post I'll be investigating those as well. </li> </ol></li> <li data-xf-list-type="ol">PC and NPC Scene Work - I stumbled on this one accidentally playing a Super hero campaign. The first place I was introduced to it though was in Star Trek Adventures concept of Supporting Characters. The basic concept is that you have a scene where 1 or 2 (but not the whole group) of PCs interacting with NPCs and instead of the GM playing the NPCs, the other players run those NPCs. This works best in "low stakes" scenes. As a GM I give them the initial set up, maybe discuss some of the stakes, and then let them RP it out. I did that in a rather tense couple of scenes in a Call of Cthulhu campaign. I watched and  listened and as necessary provided support for the players playing the NPCs. The results have been amazing. </li> </ol>So what might some others be? I can't wait to read what you'll write.</blockquote>

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