Some time ago I started DMing again. And, filled with the fervor of the newly converted, would like to share some suggestions and insights. Taking the risk of stating the unbelievably obvious to most of you ... Also, taking the risk of sounding like a selfimportant preacher.
These suggestions are not unique - they draw inspiration from other posts on the Paizo messageboards. And from the excellent "Gamemastering" by Brian Jamison:
A long post. Fair warning.
Here's the thing. Most players want to feel that they are part of something epic. A movie. Where their actions influence the world, and where they are in the center of the story. Easy to say, sometimes hard to create.
I try to do it in two ways:
1.
Every single impulse, suggestion and thought from the players is valuable. Everything should be considered, even the outrageous. Everything should have consequences. I try to never ever say no, just present the possible results. And never scoff at any suggestions. That leads to zero creativity in no time at all. If the players feel that their every idea is taken seriously - the quiet players as much as the loud players - they will keep bringing those ideas to the table.
And, connected to this: everyone should listen to everyone else. One speaker at a time. Enforce it.
Example A: You have planned for an encounter in the woods. A company of bandits, say. And the party druid summons a giant octopus in the center of the clearing. Don't say "An octopus? Really? Well ok ... it falls down and dies. Next." Run with the suggestion. This is an opportunity to create a cinematic, glorious scene. Don't raise an eyebrow, just describe the result. Let it be awesome, if at all possible. I guarantee that the players will remember it. And I really don't think they will abuse your leniency, by summoning a giant octopus every time. They want to keep being creative. It's a drug.
Example B: A player decides she/he wants to "jump into the room, over the top of the goblins and land behind the barrels at the back". This should probably not be possible (unless we're talking about a lvl 20 ninja, perhaps). But it is a player impulse, and therefore gold. Let the person try, and don’t punish her/him with instant dismemberment. Let them fail like in a movie. By, for example, crashing into the barrels, thereby pouring wine out over the fire. Filling the room with smoke and alcohol mist. And then roll initiative.
2.
Every single roll of the dice should have consequences. Even the misses. Especially the misses. Things should always play out. I try to avoid the short "you fail" result, if at all possible. Let every roll be important. This keeps the game from getting technical, or moving too far into an ordinary board game. If you want a board game feeling - absolutely nothing wrong with that. But if you want a cinematic feeling - avoid the empty dice. Don't let the roll be the result. Let the roll suggest the result.
Example A: The PC leans into a room, tries a perception check and rolls a 3. Make up an explanation for it. Smoke in the eyes, afterglow from the recent spell casting. A ringing in the ears from the fighting. Let them see a giant spider, where there is none.
Example B: The PC tries to influence an innkeeper with a diplomacy check. Trying to find some facts about the ruins outside of town. She/he rolls a 1. This doesn’t lead to "the innkeeper doesn’t seem to know anything". It leads to an innkeeper annoyed at the all-too-obvious attempt at sweet talking. And an appropriate consequence that lingers long after the end of the encounter.
Example C: The PC makes a Knowledge: religion check to remember the details about an obscure ritual to please the local river god. She/he rolls a 1. You deliver a made-up, totally wrong answer. The PC seems to remember that the ritual involves the burning of seven different flowers above a waterfall. If the players know about the bad roll (and I think they should), they will know the answer is false. But the PCs will not. And it will lead to interesting things above a waterfall of your choice.
So there it is. It's a mindset if anything. And I can almost guarantee that it will lead to a flood of suggestions, ideas and movie scenes around the table.
