The Tenets of GM Mastery

[Quasqueton]

The Tenets of GM Mastery

From Role-Playing Mastery, by Gary Gygax

Tenet #1 (of 7)

The game exists to provide entertainment on an ongoing basis.
The key words here are “entertainment” and “ongoing.” The RPG activity must be entertaining (exciting, challenging, and fun at the same time), or else no one in the group will desire to continue participating. And following from that last thought, any role-playing game must be an ongoing, continuing activity in order for its full potential as a means of entertainment to be realized. Player characters are not created so they can live through one or two brief episodes, and a campaign world is not designed for the sake of a few isolated hours of activity. If the effort that goes into playing is not to be wasted, the play must extend over a long period of time so that the effort invested can realize a return.

Quasqueton

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

You know, I can't see this being a long thread, since that's pretty non-controversial (although the people who love making new characters might chime in briefly).

Is one of the tenets that elves suck and everyone who plays them is a pervert? That would make for a great thread!

 

[Henry]

Not seeing the riveting discussion & controversial topics, here. Quas, are you feeling OK?

 

[ThirdWizard]

Entertaining? I'm agast! Agast! What load of... Oh forget it.

 

[sniffles]

Maybe he's taking a break from controversy.

I'm going to have to go over there and slap Whizbang.

But I have to say, while I agree with Tenet #1, the continuing activity portion may not be true for everyone. There are people out there who seem to find it entirely satisfactory to play only one or two games as a particular character and then go on to something else - not necessarily the people who love making new characters, either. Some people just don't need an ongoing story to have fun.

 

[Scribble]

It's ONNNNNNNN


I dissagree with everything said in that quote!!! PCs are for killin! A game is only fun after a PC is bein ate up by a monster! MUNCH MUNCH MUNCH!

 

[ColonelHardisson]

I have both of those books by Gygax, Roleplaying Mastery and Master of the Game.At the time I bought them, I found them to be very dry reads. This is ironic, given the author. But as I've gotten older, I've come to appreciate them more.

 

[Barak]

Alright, so it's a stretch to play a devil's advocate, but some campaigns ideas are best run as one-two shot runs. Otherwise, Call of Chtuhlu wouldn't be as great as it is.

 

[Henry]

I have both of those books by Gygax, Roleplaying Mastery and Master of the Game.At the time I bought them, I found them to be very dry reads. This is ironic, given the author. But as I've gotten older, I've come to appreciate them more.

Sadly, I gave them away years before 3E ever came out. I really enjoyed those books, they were full of pretty good insights. I loved his talk about "why kobolds don't have Uzis" - namely, hsi players wanted Uzis, he didn't oblige. Not because of "damage to his monsters", but damage to his campaign, its feel and the aftereffects.

Alright, so it's a stretch to play a devil's advocate, but some campaigns ideas are best run as one-two shot runs. Otherwise, Call of Chtuhlu wouldn't be as great as it is.

I agree, though others might not. I've known people who ran VERY long-term CoC games, but as for our group, we just couldn't handle it, because it was too damned depressing. For me, a long-term Call of Cthulhu game is like watching Brian's Song as a seasonal TV series.

Episode 9 - Richard Pickman II coughs up blood.
Episode 10 - Pickman can't eat.
Episode 11 - Pickman starts losing teeth.
Episode 12 - Pickman coughs more blood and faints.

EGAD!

 

[Glyfair]

I agree, though others might not. I've known people who ran VERY long-term CoC games, but as for our group, we just couldn't handle it, because it was too damned depressing.

You think that's bad, try running a Toon campaign. I've never seen it done, only one-shots (even though there are rules for it).