DarkLightHitomi's Untitled Campaign

Game Master DarkLightHitomi

This is something I've wanted to do for a while now. Unlike my GM advice and tutorials I've seen, this one is intended as a deeper more professional and more academic study. Sure, most GMs are simply playing with friends or small comfy sessions online, but just like how the art of music is worthy of college level study and people making a career out of developing music theory, I believe the art of GMing is also worthy of such deeper study.

Therefore, this game I'm proposing is intended to be just that, a more academic study and look at being a GM. Much like Sanderson's lectures on writing, the idea is to be serious and pretend we are studying this to be actual certified professionals, which will still benefit those who aren't going to do more than GM for their friends.

This will probably start off discussing game styles and what different kinds of players want from the game, that way, later discussions can note how certain concepts have a different role for different styles.

We'll be taking a few pregens and going through a few encounters and modules, but there will also be lots of discussion as we do so, bringing up concepts of how and why I as the GM make certain choices, and how that affects player experience.

I have been studying RPGs from this academic standpoint for over a decade, and naturally I feel I have a certain expertise, but I still expect this to be a two way talk and exploration of the concepts brought up.

I figure starting in a month or so. If you're interested please say so below, or ask questions.

I would love to join this as I am always interested in new concepts and angles on being a better GM and I would love to share all the knowledge that I have picked up being a GM since 1980 both via playing under some phenomenal GMs, reading articles on being a better GM by some of the giants, as well as running numerous Campaigns in many genres both FtF and PbP in fact I started doing PbP back when we still connected to the internet via Modems.

Intriguing. Are you thinking only pregenerared characters? It sounds fun but I find pregenerated characters so boring...

Also, PF 1e, something else, or game-agnostic?

I would think exploring the aspect of how GMs should interact with their players in creating characters that a 3-dimensional rather that just either 2-dimensional or 1-dimensional would be an actual good part of this tutorial although we could do that with pregenerated characters as well since adding the 3rd dimension does come after the 1st dimension is partially laid and the 2nd dimension is being worked on.

First, system is a mere tool, nothing more. Naturally people will have preferences, but nothing I plan on addressing will be specific to system. That said, I'll bring up examples from various sources and systems.

As for the actual play scenarios, it'll be pf1.

Creating characters is a topic but frankly, it will be done later on. Using pregens at first for two major reasons, first, the scenarios we will play will be short and not necessarily connected narratively. They'll be chosen and set up to demonstrate a topic of spark discussion about something.

Second, is learning how to characterize within limits and without snowflakiness. If you need a custom built character to avoid being bored, then this characterization is a weak point of yours that I hope you will find lots of help here to correct. Any decent GM should be able to take the most boring and bland statblock, and make a believable and interesting character out of it.

In fact, that was a major reason of rolling for stats, the players were taking those rolled stats like a hand in poker, figuring out how to make use of what is given is great way of inspiring creativity.

Ok your response is making me realize I need clarification on which of these is closer to what you are envisaging:

A. You are leading and organizing a group of GMs who all give each other feedback/ideas to improve.

B. You are the teacher and we are the students.

A bit of both really.

I expect to be sharing stuff I've learned, and guiding the overall experience, setting up topics, etc and yes to teach things. But I also expect everybody to engage in discussion about these topics, to share their experiences and knowledge, discuss the application of various philosophies, talk about how they could have done better, etc.

I see myself as having something to teach because

A) I'm autistic and never had many subconscious traits other people aren't aware they have, and had to learn those things consciously just to be able to function in society at all (and still not very well mind you), and I even have a minor in psychology (wish I had more college time on the topic, but only had limited benefits) to expand my knowledge about how people think. This means I have a distinctive and fairly unique perspective grounded in logical analysis rather than feelings.

B) I've spent the majority of my gaming experience studying it as an academic topic, with an eye towards critical analysis. That is very different from simply enjoying it. Much like the difference between studying music theory vs simply twiddling an instrument to sound good. The twiddler might make their instrument sound good, but they won't understand the underlying principles of why and won't be able to expand to other instruments very well.

C) It is actually enjoyable for me to watch/read documentaries, advice videos, science reports, tutorials, critiques, etc. And I have watched hundreds (if not a couple thousand) of videos and reports relevant to being better at this, not to mention nearly 20 years of being an active roleplayer with around 15 of those years as a gm. Much of that time included homebrew stuff, so I see how players react to the changes.

One thing I expect to minimize: it is common to be "supportive" by suppressing criticism. Like the cliche of pretending to eat someone's horrible meal and saying it's great, because they don't want to offend the cook or hurt feelings. That has no place here. We shouldn't be rude of course, but honesty and critism are essential to improvement. And that means being critical of me as well.

Oh good we get to be critical and be criticized ;) sounds like a joy. Okay I am joking... open honesty is always the best policy for helping someone learn. Of course, from someone who has often pointed out the huge pink elephant in the middle of the room that everyone keeps ignoring and getting those folks upset I have learned to be a bit softer with my honesty.

By the way, putting a high-five to a fellow austist. Its been a long an rough road to say the least.

This is my first time trying anything like this, but I want to get GMing to be something taught in art school just like writing, music, theater, etc.

I even have videos I want people to watch for certain topics plus a few recommended videos. Especially the Brandon Sanderson lectures. Those will be helpful, though the difference between writing plot and prepping scenarios needs to be well understood.

Yes and the ability to make a world seem dynamic rather than semi-static just waiting around for the players to encounter it.

How does one create a game where things are going on all about the PCs whether they know about it or not (or at least seems to) without over taxing oneself (took me a while to learn and perhaps there is more that I can learn). Further how to interweave numerous adventures into a single adventure allowing players to have choice as to what they pursue as well as some of those having consequences if they are not pursued and others just evaporating if not pursued soon enough, again without over taxing oneself and suffering burn-out. This all helps to make players feel they are in a living world rather than just an undead one that they recessitate with their presence while keeping the GM relaxed and engaged as well.

Look forward to seeing some of those videos I am assuming they are on youtube?

I am intrigued by this proposal; I've only barely done any DMing and, in my opinion, not very successfully. I feel like I have a style of campaign planning that's mostly unplanned yet I also never feel like I'm actually making it really work. Perhaps there's something to be learned here.

On the flipside, I've also spent time looking at alternate means of character creation. Hitomi's point about rolling stats forcing people to come up with more believable and memorable characters is a stronger point than most realize. Some of my favorite characters here on the boards are ones where I've rolled one (or multiple!) low stats and said "screw it, let's make this work." Of course, I haven't gotten to play any of those characters as long as I liked thanks to attrition, campaign falling or just having to let things go to focus on more important life things but that's neither here nor there.

Honest criticism, you say? Now you're speaking MY language. I can very much provide honest criticism without being a jerk, so we're definitely on the same page there. (Of course I can also be a TOTAL ass if for some strange reason that's actually desired, but we'll cross that bridge...)

I've watched a bit of Sanderson too. I've been trying to make myself write a book but just haven't been able to get in gear; Brian's info has helped to plug in a few gaps about building a natural world, at the very least.

The biggest problem with character creation these days is one of the most important elements has been removed. That element is the GM. To make 3-dimensional characters requires the GM to work with their players and integrate them into the world/campaign/adventure they are planning to run because frankly not a single player can do that on their own.

I always take to the time not only to go over every character submission but to give feedback and suggestions on how they might make a character that would integrate better with the campaign as well as with the other players. I often look for commonalities between various characters to ty and make connections. However, I always differ to the player as the most important aspect is that the player will have fun with that character. Still I am often able to add additional elements to most PCs. My greatest compliment I have ever gotten is when I met a previous player that I ran like 10 years prior in an FtF game was that they said I helped them build the greatest character they ever had. Which is always my intent but sometimes hit the march better than I do othertimes. But I still get fully involved in character creation so to add the 3rd dimension that is almost always lacking in most games.

Of course as a player I try to facilitate solid connections between my character and at least one other if not more. But I do that only because the GM is not doing that.

I also try to encourage the players to focus more on the personality than on the crunch but I still help with that crunch even if it means I need to design a special balanced homebrew class for that player.

I think what many GMs forget is without the players there is no game to run so while yes the GM ought to have fun they are just one of many and the needs of the many out weigh the needs of few ;)

Count me in. I'm all for more development and engagement tools.

I used to be a good GM...

Hello All!

This would be a nice resource. I would like to contribute to the discussion.

I have been playing RPGs for 40 years now. Mostly the D&D line, then jumped over to PF1e and now enjoying PF2e.

Growing up we never used modules. Each person took turns creating maps, campaigns and we each ran it for the group.
There was zero continuity, but it allowed each of us that experience of creating our own dungeons. Of course, they were ALWAYS dungeons in those days. It was Dungeons&Dragons, afterall...lol.

Even our individually made dungeons didn't have any continuity. Every room had its own unique occupant.
Room#1 Bugbears playing cards.
Room#2 Giant Spiders hiding in a tree
We really didn't understand that yet.

Anywho (fun times), I digress.

Thank you.

Hey Dorian 'Grey' seems we come from about the same era. However, I was one to always think about the background ecology. Like so you have this emmence dragon what does it eat? So you have these living creatures in this dungeon how are they surviving?

I was almost always a how is this possible kind of person, so I was always designing a means for things while creating my own worlds and own campaigns from scratch.

I still do the how is this possible thing or what would things really do should various things happen when picking up modules as a sort of jump start to what I am doing. I do not think I have ever ran a module verbatim since many of those early modules (and some of those still being made) seem to have been made pretty much the way you made yours -- without continuity or consideration to how things should logically work based on the environment and the creatures involved.

Still that usually works out to a benefit as (1) it reduces the amount of effort I have to put forth since I am using something already written and (2) it makes the module quite unique since I end up alterring many parts of it by perhaps blending elements from other modules in order to add color to parts that were lacking it or just see something and saying wow that is cool to bad they did not do something with that -- let me change it and make that note worthy feature actually note worthy.

Well, to be fair we were 9-14 during that time....lol.

I have definitely evolved since then.

EDIT
My twin and I were 9 when our older cousin needed 2 players for an upcoming campaign.
He have us The Hobbit. Told us read it over the summer and pick which character to play.
I picked Gandalf.

Yeah lucky you I did not hear about it until I was 17 and I found it so facinating that I borrowed and read the entire Players Handbook in one night and returned it and burrowed the Dungeon Masters Guide and read it the next night. From that point on I was hooked.

Given the extra work I got saddled with, I'll start not the 16th, but the Monday after that.

Some resources you may consider investigating in the meantime,
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=zhdBNVY55oM&t=5s
Doing multiple things at once, rule of threes, and proper fight scenes.

https://m.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLH3mK1NZn9QqOSj3ObrP3xL8tEJQ12-vL
Storytelling lectures by Brandon Sanderson, major fantasy author and great professor.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ax7f3JZJHSw
Interesting notes on differences in how people think about things in games. As he says, the woman he lives with keeps trying to apply real world logic, something not possible in video games, but that is very possible in ttrpgs.

https://www.thealexandrian.net/creations/creations.html
Lots of great articles, in particular check out Calibrating Your Expectations, Dissociated Mechanics, Many Types of Balance, Revisiting Encounter Design, and Utility in Game Design.

I would kind of like to run a modular one shot along the following lines,
with the possibility of it expanding later:

Might I ask why you post that here? I'm not exactly opposed to those interested in playing together and grouping up from here, but I notice your game seems rather unrelated to the topics I intend on covering nor aimed at forever gms (which is a different recruitment thread). So I'm mainly just being curious.

To get feedback on wether this is a good idea or not? Like, it would be my first PbP GMing.

Good ideas are a dime a dozen. It's the implementation that you should worry about. A good GM can make a bland idea into a great game, while a poor GM can have the greatest idea ever and the game will crash and burn in the worst way.

Thus, the biggest consideration is whether you can run it well (because some ideas will be easier than others for you to run because of your particular talents and skills).

The second consideration is marketing to attract players, but only if you don't already have players. Marketing doesn't need good ideas, it needs a good pitch and a good sales plan. Admittedly, I'm not very good at the marketing myself, so I'm of limited help in this regard.

The most important plan that any DM should have is to remember what it is to be a player.
Having perspective is important. Having fun is important. If the actual adventure has the advantage of those two things then that keeps it going.
Patience, practice, perspective.

Got the first introductory post up. Had issues yesterday so I had rewrite everything.

It just the intro stuff. I figure on putting the big stuff and any encounters we play through in the game thread while the majority of talking and discussion will take place in the discussion thread.

Are you still taking players for this? I've been GMing off and on for a few years. I'm also interested in some of the moral questions about how players and characters deal with moral quandaries like those you mention in your first gameplay post. In fact, some of my friends and former co-workers were contributors to Dungeons & Dragons and Philosophy.

I'll have to get the book when I can, but that won't be for awhile. Thanks for the link.

I don't have any limits on people joining in. It's not a proper game so it is a problem to plenty of folks, though no one else has posted thoughts yet. My next post will likely be this weekend.

Very interesting. I'll have to sort through those. Though I don't see anything about gaming on first glance.

I may not "play" but I am interested in watching this one. I feel it will have some good advice, and I firmly believe we can all learn new things about this craft.

GM DarkLightHitomi I did not realize you actually started this I thought you had set it asside.