Advice for a "new" GM


Advice


Hi all,

I've been playing in a biweekly Pathfinder game since the books came out, so I'm pretty comfortable with the rules and all that. However, it looks like I'm on deck to take up some GMing responsibility and it's likely been over 10 years since my last foray into the GM chair.

All I'm really looking for is any advice you have to help keep the game running smoothly. Do you keep a store of premade NPCs so you always have a fleshed out character up your sleeve? How much prep work do you put in before a session? That sort of thing. My only real concern is for the PCs to have a good time. If it makes any difference I think I will be starting the players at the beginning of the Serpent's Skull adventure path.

Thanks all,
Cheers!


if you're using an AP the main thing for smooth running is to have read it well, and know most of it. You won't really need NPCs, but you need to know what is in the AP. this is particularly important in a sandbox AP like SS where the PCs could do the adventure you were not expecting.


starting with a pre-made adventure is a good move, if you don't have much time, but you still need to read the whole thing at least once if not twice.

I tend to pre-compile my NPCs and include little notes about them; persona, looks, married, children, job, ... etc.

I also make my NPC's react realistically to things depending on their persona, and have them move around.

I would start with a more rail-road type adventure first than a sandbox one.


I'd suggest having the players each write up a few one line descriptions of NPCs. Everyone loves to see their creative input on the game world from time to time even if its the blacksmith with a lazy eye.

Also, have the players work out in advance how the PCs know each other and what background info they know about each other. Hopefully that will get the role-playing off to a strong start from the get go.


@Humphrey:

I love the idea of having PCs create physical descriptions of some NPCs. I'm totally stealing that. In a recent Supers game with a jinxing Big Bad, I had the PCs come up with descriptions of what happened to their characters when the bad-luck power activated. It was hilarious, and they were much harder on themselves than I would have been.


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GrandReaper wrote:

Hi all,

I've been playing in a biweekly Pathfinder game since the books came out, so I'm pretty comfortable with the rules and all that. However, it looks like I'm on deck to take up some GMing responsibility and it's likely been over 10 years since my last foray into the GM chair.

All I'm really looking for is any advice you have to help keep the game running smoothly. Do you keep a store of premade NPCs so you always have a fleshed out character up your sleeve? How much prep work do you put in before a session? That sort of thing. My only real concern is for the PCs to have a good time. If it makes any difference I think I will be starting the players at the beginning of the Serpent's Skull adventure path.

Thanks all,
Cheers!

What I do tends to vary a little game to game, but I've got a few tricks that I'd recommend. The first set of tricks are GMing principle that I live by, and recommend to others. I've found through experience that these tend to produce the best results (if it matters to you, I've spent easily 90% of my D&D experience GMing, over the past 12 years or so).

1. Be flexible. Don't worry about having everything nailed down. They say no plan survives contact with the enemy, and it's much the same with GM plans and contact with the PCs. Roleplaying games encourage us to use our imaginations and think outside the box, so more often than not your players will end up going outside of what you were expecting. I'm going to include some examples in quote/spoiler boxes below.

Heavy Prep vs Event Based GMing:

Example 1a wrote:

You plan that the queen of a country is to be assassinated, but you want the party to discover that there is something afoot. You want to set up a series of clues that bring the party to the throne room to try and save the queen in a climactic battle that should gain the party some notoriety and report should that succeed.

In essence, the party is going to try to figure out who's going to kill "Mr. Body" before the deed is done, and the party doesn't know it yet. The case is afoot.

You spend many hours figuring out exactly the trail that the party should find. You stat out each NPC in the castle meticulously. You figure out which rounds the NPCs are going to be making in the castle, and you plot everything in great detail. It takes a while, but you put computer programming levels of detail into the plot. You know that at 10pm the assassin will meet Matilda the maid in the garden and exchange the key to the the royal chamber for the cure to her son's illness. Good job!

However for some reason the PCs don't do as you expected. They didn't go from the dining hall to kitchen. Or they asked the wrong questions. Or they decided to post some of the party near the NPC to be assassinated and set up a communication system to quickly alert the other party members of any threat (even if it's just a light spell and a steel mirror from a window). They never make it to the garden to overhear the assassin exchanging the cure for the key. If they manage to be a part of the plot at all it's out of sheer luck. If they see it unfold, they won't know what they're seeing to enjoy it. The plan falls apart and you're forced to improvise. Your time is wasted, and the look on your face betrays your confusion as your mind tries to stick to the script that is bein burnt to ashes in front of you.

So I don't recommend this method. You're not programming a Never Winter Nights module, you're running tabletop. :)

Example 1b wrote:

Same as above, except this time you're going to use "event based GMing" to make sure everything come together as you desire it; and you'll be able to quickly adapt your circumstances. Write a short list of things you want to see happen, and maybe a few if/or considerations.

Event List
0. Party arrives at the castle for *insert reasons here* and meets some of the staff. Consider dropping hints or red herrings as to which members of the staff might be shady.
1. Party overhears Matilda the maid and the assassin.
2. Party discovers the assassin is one of the staff members.
3. Party discovers some of the staff members are missing.
4. Assassin gets wise to the party and tries to increase suspicion on a red herring.
4a. Party investigates suspicion, add a short subplot.
4b. Party doesn't investigate, ignore subplot.
5. Assassin or assassins make a move against the queen. Multi-level attack. Poisons food, disguises as unassuming NPC, sets up an escape route, bribes disloyal guards for assistance, creates diversions, attacks when guard is lowest.
6a. Party fights off assailants, heals queen. If assassin is captured, make mention of a more powerful individual behind the attack. The party must now find the culprit.
6a. The party fails to stop the assassination. Some clue is gained from the attack. An assassin is captured or slain + speak with dead, or queen's servants use divination spells to find a clue. The party must now find the culprit.

Now we can play out the scenes in what I call event-based GMing. In the beginning you give the PCs some backstory on their surroundings and introduce them to some of the cast members (event 0). You know that at some point during the adventure you want them to see Matilda the maid doing something shady, so you simply have her show up at a convenient time (maybe outside the bathroom when one of the party members is bathing, not realizing the PC is nearby, or it could be in the back corner of the mostly unused library while the party wizard is examining some books, etc). Rinse and repeat.

The benefits for this method of GMing is it's quick and free flowing. It rewards your own ability to be imaginative. It's also reactive to what the party is doing (and parties should be pro-active, not merely led around by the nose). You can also modify the events as the party goes on. If one of the PCs is rummaging around in the kitchen, consider having them find some poison stored amongst the spices. If you want, feel free to adjust the plot on the fly. Maybe the party does something completely unexpected and decides to assassinate the queen themselves! Be ready for anything, and remember that it is always going according to plan -- because there is no plan.

2. Make the most of your prep time. I'm bad about being rather disorganized sometimes when it comes to my GMing (I really need to get a nice binder or something), but even still I know that having a modest collection of NPC statistics, names, and treasures can greatly reduce your workload. Here's some tips and tricks I recommend for greatly speeding up your play, making your games run smoother, and freeing up some of your workload.

Helpful Notes and Tricks:

1. Keep a list of names, male and female, possibly of different races. This makes it easy to give otherwise nameless NPCs a name. On a single sheet of paper, you can include male, female, and surnames, a distinguishing feature, and a personality quirk (2, maybe 3 columns means you can include a lot of information on a single piece of paper; enough for names and surnames for different races). So if the PCs decide they want to meet the stable boy, or you want to introduce an NPC on the fly, you can grab a name and a quick flavorful thing (small scar somewhere visible, blind in one eye, easily angered, adores adventurers, etc). If you want you can make it fun for yourself by adding a random generation method (just assign some number ranges corresponding to die rolls, such as 1d6 = blue eyes, brown eyes, green eyes, hazel eyes, weird eyes) if you want to be surprised by NPCs as well.

2. Don't be afraid to use generic statistics for NPCs. You can roleplay the same statistics a million different ways. Everyone from Marie the Fiesty baker to Jim Bob the Tramp barrister are probably 1st level commoners with more or less identical statistics (their professions depending on their skill ranks, not ability scores, hp, AC, etc).

Likewise, the same CR 1/3 warrior statistics you used for bandits can be used for town guards. Or the rather thuggish fellow who wants to have a barroom brawl. Or the local criminal bruisers, or a bouncer. Sharing statistics like this can greatly reduce the amount of paperwork that you have to keep up with; and in many cases swapping a weapon or swapping a spell or two around alongside adjusting their descriptions can really allow you to diversify your NPCs without being bogged down with statistics.

3. Consider keeping an NPC bible. A small booklet of NPC statistics based on role, special focuses, challenge rating, and so forth. A neat trick is to build NPCs without racial adjustments and then treat races like templates. For example, you might produce an NPC that looks like this:

CR 3 Elite Archer wrote:

Elite Archer, CR 3 (800 XP)

Fighter 1 / Warrior 6
AC 15, touch 12, flat-footed 13 (+3 armor, +2 dex)
Hp 57 (7d10+14)
Fort +9, Ref +4, Will +3
============================
Speed 20 ft. (30 ft.)
Melee mwk glaive +11/+6 (1d10+4/x3)
Ranged mwk composite longbow +8/+8/+3 (1d8+7/x3)
Combat Gear - oil of magic weapon
============================
Str 16, Dex 15, Con 14, Int 8, Wis 12, Cha 7
BAB +7, CMB +10, CMD 22
Feats Point Blank Shot, Precise Shot, Rapid Shot, Weapon Focus (longbow), Deadly Aim
Skills Perception +8, Survival +10; Check Penalty -0
Equipment combat gear, mwk glaive, mwk composite longbow (+3 str), mwk studded leather, 50 arrows, 10 silver arrows, 10 cold iron arrows

The above NPC has no racial adjustments. Merely a blank slate. Then you can include a few pages that have racial adjustments such as...

Quote:

Human

- Type humanoid (human)
- +2 to one ability, +1 feat, +1 skill point / HD

Elf
- Type humanoid (elf)
- +2 Dex, +2 Int, -2 Con, +2 vs enchantment, immune to sleep, low-light vision, elven magic

Hobgoblin
- Type humanoid (goblinoid)
- +2 Dex, +2 Con, darkvision 60 ft., +4 racial to Stealth

Ghoul
- Type undead (recalculate Hp using Cha instead of Con)
- +2 Str, +4 Dex, - Con, Int +2, Wis +4, Cha +4, paralysis (DC 10 + 1/2 HD + Cha mod), ghoul fever (DC 10 + 1/2 HD + Cha mod), 2 claw attacks (1d6), 1 bite attack (1d6), +2 channel resistance, +2 HD (+9 Hp, +1 BAB, +3 Will, +8 skill points), undead traits; CR +1

That way you can easily build NPCs on the fly, and even gear them towards specific focuses. Another cool trick is to build clerics and wizards without domains or specializations, and then apply their domains and specializations as a template (simply adding their domain spells to their list of prepared spells as appropriate). The same can be done for sorcerers (but it's a little more invasive).

3. Sandbox or Linear? I feel that event based GMing (see 1.) applies equally well to both linear and sandbox GMing. Some of us prefer to tell a more direct story (as is the case with most published adventures and adventure paths), while some of us who are responsible for our own games prefer a more living-world approach that is often called "sandbox" style.

It's possible to use both linear and sandbox methods when GMing. I personally lean more towards sandbox style gameplay. In a sandbox world, proactivity creates adventure and makes the world seem a bit more alive (to me at least). It's possible to build linear adventures inside a sandbox campaign, and if anything I think Sandbox style gaming produces richer stories because of the ease in weaving them together.

If you plan to run a sandbox style campaign, you might find you need a little more preparation but I think the reward is well worth it. It gives your players the utmost freedom, which I think makes the world far more memorable in the eyes of those participating. It's less about watching events unfold so much as participating and driving those events. Below I've included my suggestions for running a successful sandbox campaign and keeping it moving and having fun with it as a GM as well as a player.

Sandbox Gaming Tips:

1. Start Small. Begin in a particular region of your campaign. You can even build a campaign setting from the ground up this way. Create a few population centers. These don't need to be greatly fleshed out. A name and a couple of notes will do, like this:

Community List wrote:

Grendel Village: Small Town; Standard Trade 1,000 gp; Community Wealth 117,700 gp; Population 2,354; Government Mayor; Notes: Grendell is a logging village that has trade agreements with the local druid groves to regulate how their logging operations go. Grendel counts as a Large Town for purposes of getting druid spellcasting.

Bristlewine: Large Town; Standard Trade 2,000 gp; Total Resources 4,000 gp; Community Wealth 633,600 gp; Population 6,336; Government Town Council; Notes: Bristlewine is a common trader's hub, built around a large crossroads. While having no specific exports or imports, it is a place of commerce to everyone who uses the roads and deals primarily in services. It has a large palisade wall that is regularly manned by archers.

Bucklebrine Ferry: Thorpe; Standard Trade 50 gp; Community Wealth 382.5 gp; Population 153; Government Monstrous; Notes: Bucklebrine ferry exists along the river that connects to the Grendel Village forest to the north. The town runs a ferry service that transports people along the river or across it. The town is ruled by a Medusa and her underlings, as a small business venture. Humanoids have found haven here as the Medusa's presence protects them from common threats such as raiders, but the community is little more than several families who fish the river and do some farming, and a group of lizardfolk mercenaries who guard the town.

2. Creating Hooks on a Macro and Micro scale. As with event-based GMing, you will want some plot hooks that can lead your party to some adventure. Now the cool thing about sandbox event-based gaming is how easy it is to tie stuff together. For example, let's pretend there's a "big picture" to look at. Let's say that in our little area we've cooked up (Grendel Village, Bucklebine Ferry, and Bristlewine plus the surrounding areas) there is something brewing. Let's say that trade is a big deal around here and the Medusa in Bucklebrine wants a bigger cut of the local trade, while the Council of Bristlewine wants to maintain the town's hold on trade routes. We'll say a conflict is brewing between these locations on a large scale that we call the "macro". However, the PCs aren't likely to be privy to this yet.

The PCs are more likely to be interested -- at the moment -- with more mundane things. They're probably 1st level, and not directly involved with any of those things. So let's create some small plot hooks that we can drop around the game.

Plot Hooks wrote:

1. The PCs discover that there are bandits cutting off a major southern road; charging excessive tolls for their use. They count ogres and possibly even an Ogre Magi in their numbers. They strangely are only harassing merchants (commoners are let off).

2. The PCs discover a dungeon that is said to hold vast wealth. Inside this dungeon is a piece of a key. When the PCs go to leave the dungeon, they are attacked by another group of adventurers seeking this piece.
3. The PCs discover that druids are being killed near Grendel village and the mayor is pressing for more rights to log as the druid numbers diminish. The mayor has been replaced by a mage in disguise.
4. The PCs are wandering the wilderness when they are met by a wounded druid seeking aid for his grove.
5. There is a river monster that has begun attacking the Bucklebrine ferries along the river, as well as anything else that moves into the area.

So there we have 5 plot hooks. Any of these could make for a great adventure on their own, but we can string them together. None of them seem to relate to the big picture, so these are "micro" adventures. But they are create the big picture. See, we could say that the bandits blocking the roads are in the service of the Medusa who is trying to discourage merchants from using the roads to drum up business for the ferry and her thorpe instead (for profits). Meanwhile, the mage creating discord in Grendel is working for the Council in Bristlewine who want to expand their reach and need resources that the druids aren't giving fast enough. The wounded druid is a member of the grove near Grendel who escaped a team of mercenaries and lived to tell about it, and needs the party's help to uncover what is going on. The mysterious key fragment in the seemingly random dungeon is a part of a trio that must be connected to open another dungeon that holds something of great worth. The Medusa and Council each hold another piece, and the adventuring party was sent by one or the other to retrieve the third. The monster in the river is a some sort of aquatic monster or monsters (such as hydra) whose been driven down river because of the excess logging that has been going on causing a shortage in its food supply up north.

In essence, all of these adventure hooks are like roots to the bigger picture. No matter which direction the party goes, they will find something that will get them into the action, and will give them a grand adventure. They will get to decide who the want to ally themselves with, who they want to make an enemy, maybe play one off the other, or maybe try to put a stop to all the conflict, or take over themselves. The sky is the limit. And it's easy to GM. All you need is a few vague ideas and you can run it as you go.

4. Remember your scales. When running adventures by the seat of your pants, remember that most things in the world are DC 20 or less. Don't have everything scale to the level of the party. If the party's level 6, remember that most people, places, and things are still probably CR 3 and under (with most of those with higher numbers of HD being NPC-classed like the CR 3 warrior I showed earlier). Remember that the DCs for common knowledge things are 10. Remember that taking 10 is something that shouldn't be punished. Stay consistent. If you're not sure what the DC for something is off the top of your head, remember 0 = Trivial, 5 = Easy, 10 = Average, 15 = Difficult, 20 = Hard, 25 = Very Hard, 30 = Near Impossible, and so on. If you need a DC on the fly, use these as benchmarks and try to remain consistent (you can have variations such as DC 11-14, 16-19, but the 5 point marks are a good "dial" for estimating difficulty).

Remember a few things when doing encounters (planned or random). Minor things like cover, concealment, and distance penalties when noticing stuff are actually very important. Remember that lots of creatures (particularly wild animals like wolves, or stealth hunters like goblins and tigers) don't just run out and attack willy-nilly. Many will be using Stealth, and the modifiers for such things are critically important (many times NPCs can stalk PCs without being noticed for great distances; especially those with scent). Don't just drop NPCs on the table and go "And, uhhh...there's like...a tiger...and stuff". It doesn't look nice and creates weird situations in game.

At the same time, remember that there are things bigger than the PCs. It's not unfair for the party to die if they're level 3 and knowingly go into hills and forests that are filled with wyverns and trolls and refuse to run or hide from them. If the PCs are trying to avoid them, consider that. Choosing to go through a forest known for trolls might make for a nice tension, and if the PCs are carefully considering not drawing too much attention to themselves, they might see some trolls in a non-combat sense ("These are troll tracks, let's go the other way", or "You see a group of trolls over the next hill. What do you do?" kind of thing). If they attack everything they see, don't Deus Ex Machina them to safety. Just run with it and see what character they want to play next. ^-^

5. Final Tips. These last tips are minor, but I feel are also some of the most important. Please consider them.

1. Average is your friend. Taking 10 is your best friend. When dealing with NPCs, it's a good idea to assume they are always taking 10 when not actively in combat. This gives you a simple benchmark for stuff like Stealth/Perception checks. If there's a goblin that is sneaking up on the party, just accept that the DC to notice him is 10 + Stealth modifier. If the party is trying to sneak past a group of orcs, just set the DC at 10 + Perception modifiers. In combat, feel free to average Initiative rolls just as you typically average NPC Hp. If you've got 15 goblins, don't roll 15 initiatives and track all of them. Just assume all goblins are going on 10 + mods and move along. There's still an element of randomness to the order (because PCs may roll low or high) but it keeps things tidy.

2. Look, Listen, Learn. GMing is about learning. About the game, about your group, and I'd even say a bit about life. Listen to what your players are saying. Get feedback after each session. What did they like, what didn't they like. Ask them if they'd like to see more or less of certain themes. If your group has a problem, discuss it like adults. Communication is critical for GMing. You are the ultimate arbiter during a game, but you should not abuse that power. Listen, be fair, and seriously try to be consistent. When you have made a mistake, admit to it. Discuss changes to the game with everyone. This sort of behavior shows maturity and builds trust with your players and group.

3. Admit You're Wrong. GMs are people too. No matter how good you get at it, you can always be wrong. We are, after all, only human. Every time we make a mistake it's a chance to correct it and learn something new. Take that old adage "the GM is always right", burn it, and piss on the ashes. A good GM learns from their mistakes, can apologize to players, and ask advice from their players and other people. You are not always right, and the sooner you realize that, the faster you will become a greater GM who is usually right. ;)

4. Use Your Players. Players are a great resource. Consider assigning each player a special duty at the table. Have one player take initiatives for everyone. Have another player write down the loot that the party gets on a piece of paper or spreadsheet. Having another player draw out maps of dungeons as they are explored is another fun option. Minor things like this can bring players closer together and help the game run more smoothly, and can foster a sense of community. Also, do not be afraid to use your players' knowledge. If you have a Rules Lawyer at the table, don't pick a fight with him, use him. Ask him questions if you can't remember. "Hey, do you remember what the DC for X is?" or "Do you remember what section the rules for falling damage is in?". Get the Rules Lawyer helping you. Ask him some questions between games. Check to see if certain things are legal, and discuss potential changes with them. Foster a good healthy relationship, and make it clear that you're not against the group but with them in spirit.

By doing so, you will draw on the knowledge of your entire group, and eliminate many problems before they begin. You grow as a GM faster, your players learn to trust you more, and they appreciate your openness and willingness to let them be a part of the shared experience.

5. Don't Cheat. I cannot stress this one enough. One of the biggest things about being a good GM is not cheating. Be right and be strait with people. One of my players recently said something to another person when describing my GMing that made me want to tear up a bit. He said "Sometimes our GM rolls the dice out in front of us, especially if it's something critical. We know there is no cheating going on. So we trust our GM. We know our GM won't cheat against us, or for us, and when one of our characters die we know it was just because it was their time to go. There is no suspicion, there is no hard feelings. I believe my GM wants me to succeed, but isn't afraid to let me fail, and I love that about our games".

GMing is big about trust. If a player thinks you're cheating, it can breed discord in your group. If a player knows you cheated, for good or ill, they will lose trust. In the back of their mind, there will always be that wonder if whatever happened did because of legit reasons or by whim. I recommend, at least during the beginning with a new group, rolling dice in front of them. Feel free to roll certain rolls secretly if they are rolls that should be (such as rolling Perception checks for the PCs), but do stuff like rolling the orc's attack rolls and saving throws in front of everyone. Watch as everyone trusts you, looks terrified when a 20 gets rolled, or cheers when a badguy rolls a 1 on a save. You will have a great, fun time, and your friends will trust and support you as long as you wish to GM.

I hope some of this is helpful. :)


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Ashiel wrote:


*a bunch of really awesome stuff*

This is some of the best advice on DMing I have ever read in 10 years of playing D&D. Favorited.

Contributor

Moved thread.

Don't be afraid to screw up a rule. It happens (and there's a good chance that it will happen). Adjudicate and move on with the game, review in your post-game wrap-up.
Keep a list of random NPC names and traits handy. "So tell me pretty barkeep, what's your name?" Instead of saying "Uhh..." say, "Calys, and you keep your tomb-robbin' mitts to yourself, you good-for-nothin' adventurer!" Or something like that.


Thanks all. I am keeping notes, I promise. How about DMing aids? I have the magnetic initiative tracker and DM screen. Any other aids you find particularly helpful?


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Ashiel should really compile all of his/her advice postings and put them in a gaming supplement. I'd buy it.

A few things that Ashiel didn't cover that I think are important.

1. Use a laptop with an internet connection. There are tons of great utilities and just having access to the PRD is a great resource. I use "Combat Manager" and pre-create encounters as part of my prep so that I can just roll into combat easily.

2. I do have a large collection of pre-created NPCs and monsters, some of them I've bundled into pre-created "random" encounters. That's probably a bit more prep work than you need to do, but I use them a lot more than you'd think. Of course I don't run modules, my campaigns are all from my own campaign worlds.

3. Bring a bunch of stuff you can use for markers. I use glass markers, pawn-like game pieces, foam circles and even coins from time to time. I also have a pretty large collection of miniatures so I don't use the generic stuff as much as I used to, but I used to use it a lot. A dozen green glass markers for goblins and a couple red ones for the orcs works just fine.

4. Try not to overlook tactics in your gaming. You may have to be careful, if your players aren't very good at tactics, then your use of tactics might overpower them, but still, be mindful of terrain, flanking, focused fire, target determination and battlefield control opportunities.

5. Don't always have your NPCs or monsters fight to the death. Every now and then it not only makes sense for your forces to flee from the party, but it also gives the party a sense of foreboding as they will assume the fleeing NPCs will be sounding the alarm and bringing reinforcements. It can add to the dramatic potential of the game.

6. Have fun. You are a player too. Don't fall into the trap of believing that "the player is always right" and that you have to ensure that everyone ELSE at the table is having fun. If you're not having fun you'll ruin other people's fun too. So tailor some of the campaign to fit your own preferences, just as you do for your players' preferences. It will give you something to look forward to and will make you more excited about running the campaign in the first place.

Grand Lodge

Pathfinder Adventure, Adventure Path, Pathfinder Accessories, Rulebook, Starfinder Adventure Path Subscriber

I recommend reading everything on this page. Take what works for you, leave the rest.


Danny Kesler wrote:
This is some of the best advice on DMing I have ever read in 10 years of playing D&D. Favorited.
Adamantine Dragon wrote:
Ashiel should really compile all of his/her advice postings and put them in a gaming supplement. I'd buy it.

Thanks guys! ^.^

All of Adamantine Dragon's advice is really good too! Laptops are amazing tools for a GM (and double as GM screens). You can even tape D&D art to the top of them if you want, for that oldschool GM screen effect. :3

Since laptops were mentioned, I thought I'd share some fun D&D tools I use from time to time.

Gozzy's Random Map Generators produce some pretty nice maps for those like myself who suck at making maps.

Pathfinder Random Magic Item Generator. This tool is amazingly awesome. It can be used to generate magic items randomly for usage as treasure (by setting values), but the thing I really like about it is that you can quickly generate all the "extra" magic items that are available in a community. For example, a thorpe has a 50 gp economy so finding low level scrolls and potions in one is easy, but they also have 1d4 minor magic items separate from that. This generator skips the random tables and provides those magic items on demand. What is extra cool is you can modify what types of items it generates, include items from the Advanced Player's Guide, or make magic items intelligent (and it'll generate a new Intelligent magic item complete with ability scores, ego, alignment, special powers, etc).

Donjon's Tools has a lot of great RPG tools. The Random dungeon generator is awesome if you need a dungeon quickly that you can run or modify at your leisure. It's 3.5 (so mostly PF compatible) and randomly generates monsters, doors, traps, secret passages, and more. Comes with maps for PCs (no notes) and maps for GMs (with notes) and the GM can download the randomly generated dungeons as a pdf (first page is map, everything else is rooms, treasures, etc). Can be fun if you and your group wants to run a GM-less game to kill time. Also has a good Initiative tracker, and a really cool Random (Everything) Generator that produces NPC cast members, coats of arms, castles/keeps, towns & cities, worlds & planes, quests, omens, prophecies, portal destinations, pickpocket loot (!!! awesome right? !!!), magic items, psionic items, and tomes.

Lots of other great generators there too, like the weather generator. Want to know what the weather is like without being arbitrary? Be surprised yourself. Druids and archers won't be complaining so much that way either, since it's not like you're pulling the strings on their abilities. :3

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