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What is YOUR GM style?
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<blockquote data-quote="toucanbuzz" data-source="post: 8428350" data-attributes="member: 19270"><p> <ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul"><strong>Whatever makes it fun, </strong>#1. I want it good enough that players are writing each other on Discord to chat about what's going on, taking notes, chatting about NPCs as if they're real persons.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul"><strong>Immersion #2 priority</strong>. As a group, limiting character choices to fit the theme + theme (e.g. the constant despair of <em>Curse of Strahd </em>with gothic horror inspired by art and literature, very Dracula, no juvenile jokes during dramatic moments). Total immersion = rocking campaign. This also means getting into the idea that certain adventures are meant to go in one thematic direction (e.g. Strahd is about escaping Barovia, not opening an Inn and gallivanting around for buried treasure). In certain campaigns like my long-running Kingmaker, I use calendars where I track birthdays, holidays and major anniversary events so we can reminisce about what's gone on.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul"><strong>NPCs make the game go 'round. </strong>#3 priority, make them count. The best hero movies are often defined by the bad guy.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul"><strong>Keep the Splat Down. </strong>PHB + 1 book.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul"><strong>I'll Change Monsters. </strong>Many reflect older editions. Powerful demons and dragons have spells. Golems are immune to nearly all magic. Makes monsters a bit more like puzzles, where sometimes a particular character type gets to shine.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul"><strong>Slow it Down. </strong>I try to make levels last and elaborate on storylines. It's when the game goes to unexpected, unscripted territory that it gets really fun. Slowing it down helps quite a bit letting the game go places it might not usually go.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul"><strong>I don't do accents. </strong>(1) I can't. (2) IMO, accents aren't roleplaying. So, I keep a table of 3 traits (visual such as gold tooth, mannerism such as tapping leg when talking, and auditory such as talking out of side of mouth or ending every sentence like a question).</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul"><strong>I don't fudge rolls. </strong>I don't roll everything in view, but major dramatic rolls, absolutely. Failure and character death make just as good a story as success at everything. The rolls help make that story something we can't script.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul"><strong>Character deaths are ok. </strong>It needs to be accepted that death can and will happen. And that's okay. It's about what story it creates. So, I really hate senseless ones and will weave in new elements, if I can, to avoid them (e.g. capture, a quest to recover the soul, a deal with the fey to build a new body, retirement). But, sometimes it just needs to be what it is.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul"><strong>Magic items should be cool. </strong>There is no such thing as a +1 sword in my games. Legacy items converted from 3rd edition, or the common amulet from Mechanus that for a brief moment makes everything orderly (auto 10 on a roll once per day), stuff that has a story about it that makes using it cool.</li> </ul></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="toucanbuzz, post: 8428350, member: 19270"] [LIST] [*][B]Whatever makes it fun, [/B]#1. I want it good enough that players are writing each other on Discord to chat about what's going on, taking notes, chatting about NPCs as if they're real persons. [*][B]Immersion #2 priority[/B]. As a group, limiting character choices to fit the theme + theme (e.g. the constant despair of [I]Curse of Strahd [/I]with gothic horror inspired by art and literature, very Dracula, no juvenile jokes during dramatic moments). Total immersion = rocking campaign. This also means getting into the idea that certain adventures are meant to go in one thematic direction (e.g. Strahd is about escaping Barovia, not opening an Inn and gallivanting around for buried treasure). In certain campaigns like my long-running Kingmaker, I use calendars where I track birthdays, holidays and major anniversary events so we can reminisce about what's gone on. [*][B]NPCs make the game go 'round. [/B]#3 priority, make them count. The best hero movies are often defined by the bad guy. [*][B]Keep the Splat Down. [/B]PHB + 1 book. [*][B]I'll Change Monsters. [/B]Many reflect older editions. Powerful demons and dragons have spells. Golems are immune to nearly all magic. Makes monsters a bit more like puzzles, where sometimes a particular character type gets to shine. [*][B]Slow it Down. [/B]I try to make levels last and elaborate on storylines. It's when the game goes to unexpected, unscripted territory that it gets really fun. Slowing it down helps quite a bit letting the game go places it might not usually go. [*][B]I don't do accents. [/B](1) I can't. (2) IMO, accents aren't roleplaying. So, I keep a table of 3 traits (visual such as gold tooth, mannerism such as tapping leg when talking, and auditory such as talking out of side of mouth or ending every sentence like a question). [*][B]I don't fudge rolls. [/B]I don't roll everything in view, but major dramatic rolls, absolutely. Failure and character death make just as good a story as success at everything. The rolls help make that story something we can't script. [*][B]Character deaths are ok. [/B]It needs to be accepted that death can and will happen. And that's okay. It's about what story it creates. So, I really hate senseless ones and will weave in new elements, if I can, to avoid them (e.g. capture, a quest to recover the soul, a deal with the fey to build a new body, retirement). But, sometimes it just needs to be what it is. [*][B]Magic items should be cool. [/B]There is no such thing as a +1 sword in my games. Legacy items converted from 3rd edition, or the common amulet from Mechanus that for a brief moment makes everything orderly (auto 10 on a roll once per day), stuff that has a story about it that makes using it cool. [/LIST] [/QUOTE]
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