RPG Superstar 2010 Top 16, 2011 Top 32
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Alright, I need some advice and ideas. We have a rapidly growing base of players (started with 6 less than a year ago and we're now up to 40+), but we need more GMs. More to the point, we need good GMs who are reliable and stable and willing to follow up on commitments.
I know there are lots of folks out there who have been through this same issue, and I beg your wisdom. Help me Obi-Wan, you're my only hope.
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I'd start by finding out who is interested in GMing and then asking them what's blocking them from doing so. What you do next depends on their answers. (We had several people in our area who said they didn't feel like they had enough experience or rules knowledge, or who felt like they didn't know how to GM. Our answer was to schedule a couple of "GM 101" classes to help them get more comfortable.)
In theory, anyone who can reliably show up to play should be able to reliably show up to GM. Talk to your more experienced regular players and see if any of them are willing to GM.
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You are right, and you are not alone. There is no one-size-fits-all answer. Nothing that I suggest hasn't been said before. If you searched long enough you would find the answers, but it's easier to lay them all out here.
1) Ask DIRECTLY. Don't just post requests on the messageboard and hope someone volunteers. Talk to candidates (As CigarPete suggested) face-to-face and MAKE them look you in the eye and tell you no. It's easy to look the other way when you get an e-mail or group post. Listen to their excuses and counter-offer.
2) Once someone volunteers, give them support 'til it hurts. Offer to gift them the scenario. Offer to loan them your maps & minis. Offer to give them a ride. Offer to buy them dinner. Make it as painless as you can.
3) Recognize your volunteers and praise them publicly. Do this at the event, while looking directly at those players who shirked your request.
4) Understand that people have doubts about their abilities. This often happens when the normal GM is a vet who knows the rules by heart, makes custom terrain and generally is a tough act to follow. You may find that more people begin to volunteer to GM when they play under a BAD GM for a change. So if you have doubts about someone who volunteers for the wrong reason, give them a shot. That cloud may have a silver lining. "OK, next week I can play under Mr. Marblemouth or Miss God Complex, or I can volunteer to GM since I can't be any worse than those jokers."
EDIT:
5) Offer to arrange what we commonly call a "Slot Zero" table for your volunteers. Often people don't want to choose between playing and GMing. They can have their cake and eat it too. Anyone who agrees to volunteer for your next gameday is invited to play the newly released scenarios at a private table a week ahead of your next gameday. After the game you can 'pull the curtain back' and explain how you set up encounters and different situations that may come up. It's a great time to bond and makes the volunteers feel valued.
6) Some people are motivated by money/material. I am not sure if you are playing in a store or some other location. If you are having a hard time finding volunteers among all the folks who are clamoring to play, consider charging $2 per player. The cheapskates will either stop coming or volunteer. The money should go to buying the GM lunch/dinner or to the store in exchange for store credit for the GMs.
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This thread makes me think of something I heard on a podcast.
3.5 Private Sanctuary - To GM or Not To GM
One of the hosts is a VO from Montreal, Ryan Costello, and they are discussing GMing as a whole. I won't steal his thunder, I'll just let you take a listen to the podcast.
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It's also important to keep your GMs and to address the causes of burnout. Build a "too-large" GM pool and work with them so that they are having a good time every time they GM, instead of being relied upon as "workhorses" to GM every time, whether they are enjoying themselves or not.
Find out what they enjoy and what they don't enjoy, and solve any problems that arise. That's how you'll maintain a GM pool.
-Matt
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Check out Painlord's Guild to better PFS Coordination and see what things work best for you.
I basically tell everyone that then need to GM once for every four games they play. If someone is new, I try to wait until about level 5 before asking them to GM. I'm lucky enough to game with a whole bunch of gamers who are very cool people. I remind new GMs that they don't need to know all the rules and if you can't remember something, ask, someone at the table will know. Also starting newer GMs on the lower tier tables is best. Having a no show policy is important too.
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A lot of the above is good advice.
One thing I've noticed is that after you've built the stable, most good GMs are easily able to escape it. If you want to keep them, I recommend the following:
1) Use Exceptional Locks for the stable, augmented with an arcane lock spell with as high of a caster level as you can. I know it's expensive, but it's worth it. Check regularly in case the arcane lock is dispelled, as it is more likely that good GMs have a +20 to Disable Device than +30.
2) Keep up a dimensional lock type effect up on the stable at all times. Good GMs usually know about inexpensive ways of escaping dimensionally (like getting something to grapple them while wearing Boots of Escape, which is cheaper than a Cape of the Mountebank, or even just a humble blink spell). The easiest way to do this is with a forbiddance tied to a hallow, but remember to make a pass phrase so you can send in new GMs to the stable without them taking damage.
3) Make the walls of the stable adamantine, possibly magically augmented for extra hardness. Good GMs are likely to have some kind of adamantine weapon, and you really don't want to come back to the stable and find that they've broken a hole through the wall (Also make sure the ceiling and floor are equally secure.
4) Put up a private sanctum on the stable, line the walls with lead, and surround the stable with a small moat of running water by diverting a nearby river. If you want to keep those good GMs, you don't want other good GMs, particularly Andoren ones, to find the GMs using divination magic, and these precautions should prevent most of the simplest techniques (locate object, locate creature, scrying, etc).
At my local store, GMs get 5$ credit every time they GM. The VC also gives them free goodies(like pathfinder books, tickets to movies) is they have GMed alot. Try incentives. Like rather then credit. GMs get IDK free food and drinks
Venture-Captain, California—Sacramento
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Keep in mind a lot of people don't GM because it gets expensive / time consuming to prep scenarios. If you play in a local game store that is friendly, consider building a lending library:
For example, we have a big blue box that holds blank flip mats, an initiative tracker, a supply of minis, as many of the repeatable scenarios as I can get my hands on, preprinted maps first steps and we be goblins, and the confimation (well most of it), laminated copies of all the pregens, etc.
This box lives at the game store, and I make it available to all my GM's so that if they need help running a game, they have all the supplies they need. It also gives them somewhere to drop off completed sign in sheets if I am not there.
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Some people fear being on the other side of the screen, for whatever reason, so be a supportive as you can be. I usually look to those who want to join the GM side because they want to run and it shows.
The harder part is to encourage those that may be hidden GMs and can flex into the role. This is where I'm at in my area, I have several good GMs, but as we grow I know I'll need more. Looking for these is harder, but can be rewarding. Usually it's those that willingly play for no-credit in a non-repeatable they've done before or someone that has played for a while and is the "newbie-coach".
I'd suggest starting out those that would like to try running with a repeatable fun scenario to get them use to being behind the screen (We Be Goblins! has been our area's go-to scenario for some rough-cut diamonds).
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Hi James Martin,
Another advice, unrelated with finding new GM's, that I would mention is that new GM's running a scenario might feel more comfortable around veteran GM's who are playing that day. Veteran GM's can answer any questions they might need especially if they have already run the same scenario before without actually interrupting other tables. Having GM's as players can be helpful and fun for the new GM's so make sure to set one per table (if any) at least for maximum amount of learning experience :)
Adam
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A lot of the above is good advice.
One thing I've noticed is that after you've built the stable, most good GMs are easily able to escape it. If you want to keep them, I recommend the following:
1) Use Exceptional Locks for the stable, augmented with an arcane lock spell with as high of a caster level as you can. I know it's expensive, but it's worth it. Check regularly in case the arcane lock is dispelled, as it is more likely that good GMs have a +20 to Disable Device than +30.
2) Keep up a dimensional lock type effect up on the stable at all times. Good GMs usually know about inexpensive ways of escaping dimensionally (like getting something to grapple them while wearing Boots of Escape, which is cheaper than a Cape of the Mountebank, or even just a humble blink spell). The easiest way to do this is with a forbiddance tied to a hallow, but remember to make a pass phrase so you can send in new GMs to the stable without them taking damage.
3) Make the walls of the stable adamantine, possibly magically augmented for extra hardness. Good GMs are likely to have some kind of adamantine weapon, and you really don't want to come back to the stable and find that they've broken a hole through the wall (Also make sure the ceiling and floor are equally secure.
4) Put up a private sanctum on the stable, line the walls with lead, and surround the stable with a small moat of running water by diverting a nearby river. If you want to keep those good GMs, you don't want other good GMs, particularly Andoren ones, to find the GMs using divination magic, and these precautions should prevent most of the simplest techniques (locate object, locate creature, scrying, etc).
1)Rusting Grasp/Warpwood/Dispel Magic + Knick
2)Refuge (seems to get through in PFS anyway)
3)Acid Splash and a lot of patience
4)Allies looking for me will use Commune