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<blockquote data-quote="Manbearcat" data-source="post: 7656902" data-attributes="member: 6696971">Alright.&nbsp; Going to try to post this as clearly as possible.&nbsp; Here goes:Agenda - Your agenda makes up the things you aim to do at all times while GMing.&nbsp; It is your macro approach to play as a whole and concerns broad consideration for aesthetic and functional priorities, which then trickle down to Principles and Techniques.&nbsp; 4 examples (not exhaustive):&nbsp; 1)&nbsp; Play to find out what happens.2)&nbsp; Tell the players a good story.3)&nbsp; Focus on your players, provoke them, and push play toward adventure/conflict.4)&nbsp; Give them a fantasy sandbox (world which has its own will and machinery, untethered to the PCs' fate) to play in.[HR][/HR]Principles - One of these tenets will serve to bind and inform the GM each time he/she invokes/deploys (or forbids) a specific play procedure (Technique).&nbsp; Their aggregate effect is to push play toward one agenda or away from another.4 examples (not exhaustive):&nbsp; 1)&nbsp; Pay close attention to what your players give you during play and use it.2)&nbsp; Think off-screen but invoke it sparingly and, when doing so, telegraph it deftly (or even overtly).&nbsp; Never use it as a stick to bludgeon the PCs with or a box to hem them in.3)&nbsp; The metagame and the off-screen are GM tools which should be used to show your players &quot;a living/breathing world in motion&quot;, to protect class niche/player spotlight, and possibly to deal with character abilities or players' plans which circumvent the drama or story you have planned for them.4)&nbsp; Where they are at tension, internal consistency should always trump dramatic need.[HR][/HR]Techniques - These are the actual specific procedures of play (typically concerning resolution mechanics, authority, player stance(s), genre expectations, and dramatic pacing) which are centered around the introduction of elements into the shared imaginary space for current or future use.&nbsp; 4 examples (not exhaustive):&nbsp; 1)&nbsp; &quot;Say yes or roll the dice&quot;2)&nbsp; &quot;Fail Forward&quot;3)&nbsp; Unified NPC and PC build rules4)&nbsp; Fudging dice rolls or post-hoc manipulation of DCs</blockquote>

[QUOTE="Manbearcat, post: 7656902, member: 6696971"] Alright. Going to try to post this as clearly as possible. Here goes: [B][SIZE=3]Agenda [/SIZE][/B]- Your agenda makes up [B][I]the things you aim to do at all times while GMing[/I][/B]. It is your macro approach to play as a whole and concerns broad consideration for aesthetic and functional priorities, which then trickle down to Principles and Techniques. 4 examples (not exhaustive): 1) Play to find out what happens. 2) Tell the players a good story. 3) Focus on your players, provoke them, and push play toward adventure/conflict. 4) Give them a fantasy sandbox (world which has its own will and machinery, untethered to the PCs' fate) to play in. [HR][/HR] [B][SIZE=3]Principles [/SIZE][/B]- One of these tenets will serve to bind and inform the GM each time he/she invokes/deploys (or forbids) a specific play procedure (Technique). Their aggregate effect is to push play toward one agenda or away from another. 4 examples (not exhaustive): 1) Pay close attention to what your players give you during play and use it. 2) Think off-screen but invoke it sparingly and, when doing so, telegraph it deftly (or even overtly). Never use it as a stick to bludgeon the PCs with or a box to hem them in. 3) The metagame and the off-screen are GM tools which should be used to show your players "a living/breathing world in motion", to protect class niche/player spotlight, and possibly to deal with character abilities or players' plans which circumvent the drama or story you have planned for them. 4) Where they are at tension, internal consistency should always trump dramatic need. [HR][/HR] [B][SIZE=3]Techniques [/SIZE][/B]- These are the actual specific procedures of play (typically concerning resolution mechanics, authority, player stance(s), genre expectations, and dramatic pacing) which are centered around the introduction of elements into the shared imaginary space for current or future use. 4 examples (not exhaustive): 1) "Say yes or roll the dice" 2) "Fail Forward" 3) Unified NPC and PC build rules 4) Fudging dice rolls or post-hoc manipulation of DCs [/QUOTE]

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