Every Gamemaster has their own style and usually prefers a particular type of game. While I could collect a whole new set of Gamemaster types, instead I’m going to use the player types from the DM’s Guide. For me, most GM styles are really about what style they want to encourage in their players. With that in mind, let’s take a look at the player types mentioned in the DM’s Guide.
If this is you, then take care not to get too engrossed in the performance and lose momentum in the adventure. The other thing to watch is to avoid playing favourites. Just because the Bard always has great scenes with your NPCs, remember the rest of the group might not enjoy just watching their performance all the time, no matter how entertaining.
If this is you, and the players are not taking the bait, the trick is to reward not punish. Make sure the adventure will still run without any clues, as running into a brick wall because the PCs have missed something is no fun for them or you. Instead, make sure that if they do follow up on clues they gain noteworthy benefits. This might be finding extra gold or magic items, or discovering an advantage that will make taking down the main villain much easier. Once the players realise this they will usually make a point of trying to track the clues. Another option is to hide thing in places they will look anyway. Most PCs rifle the pocket of their victims, so you can put clues among the gold and they might get the hint to search further afar (or just kill more people to search more pockets…).
If this is your GM style you will need to make your combats more than just tactics and inject more role play. Add a clear objective for each fight, so the party are not just fighting for the sake of fighting. They are not fighting the guards just to kill them but to get past them to the dungeons to free the prisoners. Make sure even the most random encounter has some personality. It might seem that adding roleplay will slow down the combat, but it doesn’t have to. If a PC does a critical to an enemy (who survives) you can describe them shouting ‘this one’s mine!’ and turn it into a grudge match. In a less lethal fight, like a bar brawl, allow the PCs to do things other than swinging a punch. In the chaos they might try to chat up one of the waitresses, steal a mug of ale from behind the bar or pickpocket a drunk. Watch pretty much any swashbuckling film for the sort of shenanigans that can happen during even the simplest fight.
If this is you, time is your ally here. If you want the PCs to dive in, then impose a time limit. Your game should embody one of the great lines from the Flash Gordon movie “Flash, I love you, but we only have 14 hours to save the Earth!” The reverse grants the PCs more time, to encourage planning. They might need to assassinate the evil mayor, but the best time to do so will be in two days’ time during the festival when he leaves his impregnable stronghold. One thing to remember here (as with any game to be honest) is compromise. A player group that wants to dive in will get frustrated if made to wait; a group of planners will hate not having enough time to form a plot. Luckily time is easily manipulated. You can grant the party a whole session to plan ‘in real time’ or just skip ahead to the day of the festival. So the GM should moderate the pace of the game to suit everyone and encourage the level of instigation they want from the players, not enforce it.
In the next article, we'll look at the remaining GM archetypes.
Your Turn: As a GM, are you any of these?
Actor
This GM not only wants to perform to the group, but they also want to encourage their players to perform. This will lead to a wide variety of NPCs, all with nuanced characters and motivations (perhaps even different voices). While some actor GMs might take too much spotlight with epic monologues, most develop these NPCs in the hope the PCs will banter and interact with them. As such, ideally they will be good at sharing the spotlight around the room to see how different characters interact with their NPCs. They’ll also just enjoy sitting and watching the PCs interact.If this is you, then take care not to get too engrossed in the performance and lose momentum in the adventure. The other thing to watch is to avoid playing favourites. Just because the Bard always has great scenes with your NPCs, remember the rest of the group might not enjoy just watching their performance all the time, no matter how entertaining.
Explorer
This GM loves to leave clues and details for the PCs to find. For them, running a game is akin to leaving a trail of breadcrumbs. The clues need not be hard to find, but the PCs will have to take at least a moment to look. It might just be taking time to rifle a dead bandit’s pocket, but if they don’t they won’t find the letter from their leader detailing their next attack. It is exasperating for this GM to have to keep signposting the adventure when all the PCs need do is take an interest in their surroundings.If this is you, and the players are not taking the bait, the trick is to reward not punish. Make sure the adventure will still run without any clues, as running into a brick wall because the PCs have missed something is no fun for them or you. Instead, make sure that if they do follow up on clues they gain noteworthy benefits. This might be finding extra gold or magic items, or discovering an advantage that will make taking down the main villain much easier. Once the players realise this they will usually make a point of trying to track the clues. Another option is to hide thing in places they will look anyway. Most PCs rifle the pocket of their victims, so you can put clues among the gold and they might get the hint to search further afar (or just kill more people to search more pockets…).
Fighter
This GM loves a combat. They enjoy the same things as fighter players do, the sound of dice rolling and the clash of arms. As a GM they may also be a fan of small unit tactics, as they create strategies with an array of creatures to outflank the party. If everyone loves a fight this is great, although you may be playing more of a wargame than a role-playing game. But if that’s working for everyone, go wild.If this is your GM style you will need to make your combats more than just tactics and inject more role play. Add a clear objective for each fight, so the party are not just fighting for the sake of fighting. They are not fighting the guards just to kill them but to get past them to the dungeons to free the prisoners. Make sure even the most random encounter has some personality. It might seem that adding roleplay will slow down the combat, but it doesn’t have to. If a PC does a critical to an enemy (who survives) you can describe them shouting ‘this one’s mine!’ and turn it into a grudge match. In a less lethal fight, like a bar brawl, allow the PCs to do things other than swinging a punch. In the chaos they might try to chat up one of the waitresses, steal a mug of ale from behind the bar or pickpocket a drunk. Watch pretty much any swashbuckling film for the sort of shenanigans that can happen during even the simplest fight.
Instigator
This GM wants to keep things moving. They want the players to leap before they look and dive into the action. This type actually has two sides as there are also many GMs who want to players to think and plan. They get frustrated with the PCs always running at the carefully constructed adventure like a bull at a gate.If this is you, time is your ally here. If you want the PCs to dive in, then impose a time limit. Your game should embody one of the great lines from the Flash Gordon movie “Flash, I love you, but we only have 14 hours to save the Earth!” The reverse grants the PCs more time, to encourage planning. They might need to assassinate the evil mayor, but the best time to do so will be in two days’ time during the festival when he leaves his impregnable stronghold. One thing to remember here (as with any game to be honest) is compromise. A player group that wants to dive in will get frustrated if made to wait; a group of planners will hate not having enough time to form a plot. Luckily time is easily manipulated. You can grant the party a whole session to plan ‘in real time’ or just skip ahead to the day of the festival. So the GM should moderate the pace of the game to suit everyone and encourage the level of instigation they want from the players, not enforce it.
In the next article, we'll look at the remaining GM archetypes.
Your Turn: As a GM, are you any of these?
