Take, take, and take and never DM. What do players bring to a gaming group?
- Thread starter Emirikol
- Start date
DungeonMaester
First Post
Players should offer more to the game.
One thing I started doing as a Dm, is somehting I did as a PC. When writing a backstory for a character, I entragted into the Dm's world. I'd come up with a sort of 'fill in the blanks' story complte with family, rivials, enemies, distant realitives ect, which gives the PC a bearing in the world.
It gives a great sub plots and saves money constantly going to inns when you have aunts too mooch off of.
Also, it puts the burden of role playing on the players, rather than the dming coming up with plots all the time. Well, not the burdern but they should be competent enough to role play with out Dm nudging them
Sorry for any typos in advance.
---Rusty
One thing I started doing as a Dm, is somehting I did as a PC. When writing a backstory for a character, I entragted into the Dm's world. I'd come up with a sort of 'fill in the blanks' story complte with family, rivials, enemies, distant realitives ect, which gives the PC a bearing in the world.
It gives a great sub plots and saves money constantly going to inns when you have aunts too mooch off of.
Also, it puts the burden of role playing on the players, rather than the dming coming up with plots all the time. Well, not the burdern but they should be competent enough to role play with out Dm nudging them
Sorry for any typos in advance.
---Rusty
happyelf
First Post
I thin in a good group, the players help the GM in a lot of ways.
My preferred style calls for players to be proactive, and I think overly passive or reactive players put a lot more strain on the GM. Even if the group is mainly directed by the GM, the players should still bring energy and enthusiasm to the table. The Gm should not be left as the sole actor at the table who amps the group up, gives it motion, and tells the story. All these exertions should be shared. The Gm can't haul the game along by themself- the other players have to lend a hand.
As for rulings and bad players, the group should recognise that the GM needs the group's support. There are a lot fo situations thta many GM's handle, that lie outside the province of normal GMing- the sorts of these are resolving player conflicts and drama.
When it comes to resolving conflicts and other 'dirty work', Some groups prefer to be more democratic, others prefer for the GM to take the lead. But either way the group can't simply leave it up to the GM to do all the grunt work- even if they place authority in his hands, they have to be willing to back up his decisions.
The worst case scenario is a group stuck somewhere in between- they exepct the GM to solve the problem, but they won't back them up- or they refuse to talk about the issue, but still expect the GM to run the game with the problem hanging over the grou[s head.
It's too easy for players in a difficult situation to dump the mess in the GM's lap, and let them make the hard choices (and maybe lose friends out of it). That's the kind of player behaviour that can really make the GM a choice, even moreso than whatever argument or conlfict caused the problem in the first place.
My preferred style calls for players to be proactive, and I think overly passive or reactive players put a lot more strain on the GM. Even if the group is mainly directed by the GM, the players should still bring energy and enthusiasm to the table. The Gm should not be left as the sole actor at the table who amps the group up, gives it motion, and tells the story. All these exertions should be shared. The Gm can't haul the game along by themself- the other players have to lend a hand.
As for rulings and bad players, the group should recognise that the GM needs the group's support. There are a lot fo situations thta many GM's handle, that lie outside the province of normal GMing- the sorts of these are resolving player conflicts and drama.
When it comes to resolving conflicts and other 'dirty work', Some groups prefer to be more democratic, others prefer for the GM to take the lead. But either way the group can't simply leave it up to the GM to do all the grunt work- even if they place authority in his hands, they have to be willing to back up his decisions.
The worst case scenario is a group stuck somewhere in between- they exepct the GM to solve the problem, but they won't back them up- or they refuse to talk about the issue, but still expect the GM to run the game with the problem hanging over the grou[s head.
It's too easy for players in a difficult situation to dump the mess in the GM's lap, and let them make the hard choices (and maybe lose friends out of it). That's the kind of player behaviour that can really make the GM a choice, even moreso than whatever argument or conlfict caused the problem in the first place.
Last edited:
kanithardm
First Post
RangerWickett said:
Your kidding right?Matt_Rourke
First Post
I ran a PBEM campaign where the players worked so much on their backstories that I never even got to the campaign I had originally planned. There were so many fascinating hooks in their backstories that I could weave together that I pushed off the intended "start" of the adventure in favor of getting into their backstories.
The players had a blast because the adventure was more tailored to their interests, and no one seemed to mind that the original stated goal kept getting preempted by unexpected backstory intrusions from one character or another. Of course, I had all manner of background planning for my "real" campaign just sitting there gathering dust, but the players were so proactive that I found myself almost becoming a reactive DM - just letting the story happen naturally, and letting the players get themselves into stickier and stickier situations.
The players had a blast because the adventure was more tailored to their interests, and no one seemed to mind that the original stated goal kept getting preempted by unexpected backstory intrusions from one character or another. Of course, I had all manner of background planning for my "real" campaign just sitting there gathering dust, but the players were so proactive that I found myself almost becoming a reactive DM - just letting the story happen naturally, and letting the players get themselves into stickier and stickier situations.
Chimera
First Post
happyelf said:
Bingo.
Came close to quitting gaming altogether last weekend because I was extremely frustrated with my group playing possum. Five guys sitting around staring at each other, looking confused. At the very least, they could have started by discussing what had happened and what they thought was happening in the game. That might have brought some ideas out in the open.
For the past 10 years I have DM'd for my group in the same campaign world. They really enjoy it, they love the history, the NPCs, and the rich environment I make up for them. I have written plots and subplots years in advance before springing them onto the group. I have woven great stories that include the backgrounds of the characters, and have gone to great lengths to ensure that there is continuity and sense to the world around them.
Not once have any of my players done something like say 'Thanks man, I really appreciate what you do for us week in and week out," or, "Dean, not only do you make up the adventures, set up a time for the game, and keep the world of Morvia running, but you also pick us up, drop us off and stop off at the store to get snacks and stuff. So tonight, your meal is on us."
It's not that I expect this sort of thing from them, but once in a while, it would be nice.
Not once have any of my players done something like say 'Thanks man, I really appreciate what you do for us week in and week out," or, "Dean, not only do you make up the adventures, set up a time for the game, and keep the world of Morvia running, but you also pick us up, drop us off and stop off at the store to get snacks and stuff. So tonight, your meal is on us."
It's not that I expect this sort of thing from them, but once in a while, it would be nice.
Gargoyle
Adventurer
Material wise my players bring me lots of offerings of food. And for my birthday once they bought me a Book of Vile Darkness.
I suppose they're masochistic.
Their real contribution is that they make what I do worth it. All the preparation is worthless if no one shows up to interact. They try their best to learn the rules, develop their characters as much as they can, and try to roleplay. They also get along great and forgive me when I screw up. The only thing I wish they would do more is simply show up on time. They tend to be late, and sometimes they can't make it due to that thing we call real life.
They're all friends of mine from a place I used to work at, and even if I'm not DMing (which is rare) we have a good time hanging out.
I'm a lucky guy.
I suppose they're masochistic.
Their real contribution is that they make what I do worth it. All the preparation is worthless if no one shows up to interact. They try their best to learn the rules, develop their characters as much as they can, and try to roleplay. They also get along great and forgive me when I screw up. The only thing I wish they would do more is simply show up on time. They tend to be late, and sometimes they can't make it due to that thing we call real life.
They're all friends of mine from a place I used to work at, and even if I'm not DMing (which is rare) we have a good time hanging out.
I'm a lucky guy.
Well without players you DMs would have no one to complain about. 
Players bring a lot to the game we bring our enthusism we bring our desire to interact with the world the DM has created.
In our games we not only buy the DM special drinks and food but we write journals and backstories give them plot hooks from these back grounds we picke up on their plot hooks.
We ask questions about the game world. And these questions helped the DM think of things he may not have thought of.
I have helped one of the DM by keeping track of initutive and when spell effects ran out.
Without players DMs may have made a fantastic world and they have cool ideas but who cares if there is on one else to appreciate the work the DM has done.
Players bring a lot to the game we bring our enthusism we bring our desire to interact with the world the DM has created.
In our games we not only buy the DM special drinks and food but we write journals and backstories give them plot hooks from these back grounds we picke up on their plot hooks.
We ask questions about the game world. And these questions helped the DM think of things he may not have thought of.
I have helped one of the DM by keeping track of initutive and when spell effects ran out.
Without players DMs may have made a fantastic world and they have cool ideas but who cares if there is on one else to appreciate the work the DM has done.
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