Referee (DM/GM/Whatever) Training

[MichaelSomething]

The Dungeon Master's Guide for 4E contains good advice designed to get new DMs off the ground.

Tikk, if you want my opinion, "If you want something done right, you got to do it yourself."

 

[Rel]

We used to have these "DM Dinners" at the FLGS. I think we started doing them like the first Tuesday of every month or something like that.

Basically everybody who was a DM or interested in becoming one was invited. It was very informal with no particular agenda. We'd just sit around for a couple hours talking about problems we were having or things that were working really well. It was good to get different perspectives. But really it's no different than posting about such things at a messageboard like this (just faster).

What helped to make me a much better GM was getting to play a bigger variety of games with different GMs at events like the Game Days we have (both in NC and DC) as well as going to GenCon. I learned a TON of technique from various GMs in those places and had a blast doing it. And of course we have been known to drink a few beers and discuss stuff like we used to at the DM Dinners too.

 

[arscott]

Exactly.

But professional athletes don't just show up and play, they condition and train outside of the game. So what kind of activities and exercises help train new DMs and improve existing DMs outside of play?

The two main elements that led to me being a good GM:

1) Me being a mediocre GM for a patient group of players long enough that I got good at it.

2) an improvisational theater class

But ultimately, step 1 was a lot more important than step 2.

 

[MortonStromgal]

First off Magic is way easier to run than D&D. Second if I were running a GM training class I would pick some various source material. Ghost Cartels (Shadowrun), Kingmaker (Piazo), The Burning Wheel [possibly Mouseguard], to name a few I would go through.

 

[brainstorm]

My FLGS has had a problem finding DMs to run D&D Encounters. The ones that have been found are mostly new and/or bad. (Bad as in: running the session as little more than a board game, not knowing the rules at all, don't describe anything, have no strategy or tactics for the bad guys, etc.) I'm giving some allowance due to the nature of the Encounters format. But I'm afraid it's driving players away rather than bringing them to the game.

What resources exist to recruit and train good RPG referees? Why doesn't WotC do more to develop good DMs?

I look at the judge program WotC has for Magic: the Gathering organized play and am insanely jealous. Is there anything like that for RPG refs, for any system?

I believe this issue to be the one opportunity to grow the hobby, more so than any other. DMs are hard to come by. Good DMs are even more scarce. WotC, and/or FLGS owners would be wise to offer training or workshops for aspiring DMs. An article in Dungeon is not enough. For starters, I'd suggest a regular video podcast that shows real game scenarios with DM commentary (like the Robot Chicken D&D podcast). Real live workshops in the FLGS would be even better, as Q&A could be incorporated.

 

[rusty2667]

1) Me being a mediocre GM for a patient group of players long enough that I got good at it.

2) an improvisational theater class

I agree with these concepts wholeheartedly. A large obstacle for most DMs is being overly self aware when DMing. A good way to help him/her is to play along when a DM throws in some actual, honest-to-God roleplaying.

I almost guarantee it will be stilted and forced at first, but you'll find the DM (and the group) will get more comfortable with the improv over time. Just don't expect any Oscar winning performances right out of the gate. You'll also find you can think on your feet better as comfort level rises (being able to crunch numbers while hamming it up is a damn fine skill to develop)