- If you're a bad person, don't involve me in your torrent of "it", find someone else to game with.
(Recently someone who I had kicked from my game was arrested for bad things...luckily I had removed him from my gaming circle over a year before he investigated, so I didn't have to deal with it.)
DMs love food and drink, especially homemade. It shows you care. Many of us are especially fond of baked goods.
3. DMing involves either a) a lot of prep time, or b) a little less prep time and a lot of money buying adventures. Please play the adventure. Do not ruin the game for everyone and invalidate the DM's investment of time and money by deciding that you're going to go off and do something else entirely, unless the DM explicitly tells you that that's the kind of game he's running.
4. Corollary to #3, above: have a motivation for your character that is compatible with going on the adventure and working with the party. Roleplay and characterization are not excuses to be a jerk and ruin the game for everyone.
AMEN!
Returning GI was the LAST person to show up, needed 3 hours of my help to create his character, kept arguing rules based on 3.5 instead of PfRPG, and refused to roleplay the backstory he and the DM created where-in his and my characters were childhood friends and I recognized him. Stalled the whole game for 3 hours before deciding to simply attack us out-of-the-blue while we're trying to get the show-on-the-road.
Note: GI Jerk is the best friend of one of the other players, a long-time friend of the DM, and someone I've never really had a problem with. Everyone was pissed off and at wits-end. Yes... this went on for 3 hours in spite of us talking to him OOC and expressing our intentions and desire to just get a move-on.
I once GM'ed for a player who made sure to keep me up to my eyebrows in giant margaritas. Not only did it ease the pain of running a 9-PC group, but everyone always ended up getting awesome loots.
I think I shall be buying a blender and making a trip to the liquor store this week... ;)
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...Be nice. It always amazes me how often I find rude or just plain mean RPG players. If you can't abide by this rule, don't play at my table.
...Be clean. (Convention / Travelling Rules Addendum.) If you've played at a con, you know what I mean. If not, take a shower next convention.
...Know the rules for your PC. Having lots of monsters/NPC's/traps in your mind is hard enough. Having to keep track of your special tricks for you is not feasible.
...Chip in for pizza, bring beer/soda, and likewise. No-one likes a moocher.
I think everything else I'd like has been covered earlier.
-t
1. Do not talk about SCA at the table. The non-SCAdians do not give a s--t.
1.) I would expand this to include DDO, WoW, and any of those online Facebook games.
OK, i need to ask...
What is SCA?
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1. Do not talk about SCA at the table. The non-SCAdians do not give a s--t.
1.) I would expand this to include DDO, WoW, and any of those online Facebook games.
OK, i need to ask...
What is SCA?
Society for Creative Anachronism. They hold events around the country that are a mixture of Renfaire and LARP.
Oh OK. I knew what is LARP (used to do a few when i was young), but i didn't know SCA.
Society for Creative Anachronism. They hold events around the country that are a mixture of Renfaire and LARP.
Too true. And yet, they'd probably try to kill you for making that analogy.
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Yeah, some of the local SCA-dians here in my area actually pay the admission fee to the annual Ren Faire so that they can walk around and loudly point out how un-Period the costumes and sets are.
They can get over it. I love the fact that my local faire has had elves, Jedi, ninjas, pirates and even a horde of Klingons in attendance.
Yeah, some of the local SCA-dians here in my area actually pay the admission fee to the annual Ren Faire so that they can walk around and loudly point out how un-Period the costumes and sets are.
They can get over it. I love the fact that my local faire has had elves, Jedi, ninjas, pirates and even a horde of Klingons in attendance.
Most sentences SCAdians have said to me have started with "Well, actually..."
Yeah, some of the local SCA-dians here in my area actually pay the admission fee to the annual Ren Faire so that they can walk around and loudly point out how un-Period the costumes and sets are.
They can get over it. I love the fact that my local faire has had elves, Jedi, ninjas, pirates and even a horde of Klingons in attendance.
For those who have friends who are WMA (western martial arts) instructors, it's fun to watch them point out how the SCAers' fake swordplay would get them killed within seconds by anyone practicing period sword forms such as Fiore, Lichtenauer, etc. It's even more fun when the SCAers show up to WMA classes and the instructor proves it! >:}
As for the rest, I prefer to approach faires as how people "back in ye day" might have imagined the world to be. I've been doing the elven prince look since before Orlando Bloom auditioned for PJ's movies, and I'd be quite happy to see a fey court get established at my home faires. Sadly, the management has a bundle of sticks up their rear when it comes to this in spite of having Twig the Faerie on the payroll and tickets.
Go figure...
Last week, for GM Day, one of my players sent me an e-mail to thank me for the work i am doing as a DM and the enjoyment he has in my campaign.
That was nice to read and that's the kind of recognition any GM can appreciate and use as a motivation.Many years ago, i used to have a ritual diner before the game with one of my best players, at a pizzeria, every week-end.
We used that time to discuss the game and the ongoing campaign.
Actually that was my favorite part of the game.
In my first 3e campaign, the DM and I worked together at the same restaurant. Every Wednesday night after work we'd go to the wings place across the street, have a few beers, and discuss the next night's game. This was a boon to everyone involved, because at the time, I was the "voice" of the players, and could discuss whatever problems we had with him in a very casual way; being outside of the game we could discuss at length and come up with a variety solutions.
This went both ways, if there was something the DM was trying to get across to us, the players, that we didn't seem to be grasping, he would discuss it with me, and in turn I could present it to the players as one of "their own"; it was much easier to tell one person, than try and convince 7 players at once of something. This all really helped alleviate a lot of potential DM vs. Player problems. Also, it was just fun to hang out, drink beer, and talk gaming!
So, as mentioned above, DM's typically love to talk about the campaign they are running. When possible, engage your DM in a casual conversation about the game, outside of the game. Don't ask for specifics or answers to upcoming obstacles, just ask about the setting in general. As a DM myself, I know I enjoy telling otehr players about the games I am running; it's a big reason why the DM is running the game in the first place!
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RPG Superstar 2015 Top 16, RPG Superstar 2013 Top 16
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Yeah, some of the local SCA-dians here in my area actually pay the admission fee to the annual Ren Faire so that they can walk around and loudly point out how un-Period the costumes and sets are.
They can get over it. I love the fact that my local faire has had elves, Jedi, ninjas, pirates and even a horde of Klingons in attendance.
For those who have friends who are WMA (western martial arts) instructors, it's fun to watch them point out how the SCAers' fake swordplay would get them killed within seconds by anyone practicing period sword forms such as Fiore, Lichtenauer, etc. It's even more fun when the SCAers show up to WMA classes and the instructor proves it! >:}
As for the rest, I prefer to approach faires as how people "back in ye day" might have imagined the world to be. I've been doing the elven prince look since before Orlando Bloom auditioned for PJ's movies, and I'd be quite happy to see a fey court get established at my home faires. Sadly, the management has a bundle of sticks up their rear when it comes to this in spite of having Twig the Faerie on the payroll and tickets.
Go figure...
I lol'd. ARMA/HACA/WMA guys historicity snob over SCAdians, who historicity snob over fantasy RenFaire types, who don't care about any of it.
I should add I have good friends who are SCAdian fighters, and aren't the type to historicity snob out anybody. It's when they start talking SCA politics--who's going to be the next baron, etc.--that I start to go blank.
Yeah I'm SCA-dian and proud of it -- but come on guys... we are LARPing -- get over it. "I'm not Larping! I'm dressing in period clothing living a period life as a person in that period would do!"
"Are you an actor?"
"No."
"Then you're LARPING. You are living the life of someone else in live action and playing their role -- LARPing."
It's not a bad thing, just like your complete lack of actual martial technique isn't a bad thing, and just like the fact I pulled a coke out of my cooler to drink in the hot sun while you eat pickles and oranges on the side lines in your leather and pickle barrel armor isn't a bad thing.
Just people taking themselves too seriously (course this happens in any hobby... see the "role players" compared to the "roll players"... both sides are ridiculous).
Me? I'm a Merc. Which side has the money or beer? That's the side I'll bash heads for -- getting paid to do something I want to do anyways -- priceless.
I'm the only non-SCAdian at my gaming table, and I can agree with pretty much everything that's been said. When they start talking about who the nobles are this year and who wanted pizza and their coronation feast and blah blah blah... Heck, two of the players? I don't know their real names, since they introduced themselves by their SCA names.
I lol'd. ARMA/HACA/WMA guys historicity snob over SCAdians, who historicity snob over fantasy RenFaire types, who don't care about any of it.
Exactly. Pretty funny sometimes. I had a very Pulp Fiction conversation with a great friend who's a SCAdian. When he was trying to recruit me, I mentioned that my major peeve about SCAdians is that whenever they see something involving armor, they immediately say "Well, you know, actually, that armor isn't right for that time period."
HIM: "We don't always do that."
ME: "Did you see the movie The Thirteenth Warrior?"
HIM: "Yes."
ME: "What did you think of it?"
HIM: ".... f*** you."
True story.
Yeah I'm SCA-dian and proud of it -- but come on guys... we are LARPing -- get over it.
[snip]
I wish more of the SCA folks I knew had your good nature/understanding of things. It would make it a lot easier to get along with them.
Sadly, you are the first SCAer I've "met" who actually sees (or at least says) that it is a form of LARP. As Christopher mentioned, most of the SCA folks I've known would have their attitude shifted one category in the wrong direction towards someone if they heard it called a LARP. :(
Just people taking themselves too seriously (course this happens in any hobby... see the "role players" compared to the "roll players"... both sides are ridiculous).
Agreed. Doesn't matter if it's jocks, geeks, car guys, sword snobs, comic collectors... any hobby is gonna have folks who take it too seriously/dogmatically and embarrass their peers to some extent.
At any rate, I guess we're all fairly off-topic now at this point, huh? ^_^;
(This might be just me, but as a GM, I like to be told at the table when I've made a potentially incorrect ruling. Ret-conning ruins a story's virisimilitude and I don't like killing PCs. If a rule would actually save said character's life, I'm probably more happy about it than the player is!)
-Respect the GM's wishes if s/he wants to run a railroad campaign. It's usually more interesting than sandboxing anyway.
-To new players: Learn yo' damn class features and if you need help, ask the GM BEFORE it comes up at the table. ^_^
-Realize that the other players are just as likely to have schedules as busy/demanding as yours. Work with your GM to find a routine that works for everyone and adapt to it, not the other way around. If people who play WoW are capable of scheduling their raids and instances or whatever they call them, then surely those of us who game in the same room together can do the same!
IMO the SCA is a social club, not a LARP since people wear uniforms (ie "garb"), engage in club-sponsored activities and have official "personae" but otherwise behave mostly like modern people. It has LARPish elements in places, yes. I was a landed Baron for 3 years, so I have some experience with the culture. :)
That said, I think the analogy also extends to prior campaigns and other social events too. A moment or two of "Do you remember when?" "Yeah, that was funny." is fine. Going on at length about a game that half the table or less participated in, or a common social calendar event? Not really good gaming etiquette. Or general etiquette.
Always accentuate the positive, never the negative. If a GM makes a mistake, ignore it. When the GM does something right, praise him/her for it. This is called "positive reinforcement". Avoid putting yourself in an oppositional position to the GM. Identify what you both want out of the game and how you can work together to achieve it.
Speaking as a GM, I want my players to tell me when I've screwed up. If I'm misunderstanding a rule now, I may screw both my players and my NPCs royally later. If the players aren't having fun, they have to tell me or else I won't know how to fix it. While part of that is them ALSO telling me what I'm doing right--that kind of feedback is essential--sometimes I need to know what I'm doing wrong too.
The important thing to be is constructively critical rather than pick on the GM every time they forget to add a +1 modifier.
Always couple the good with the bad; I learned a long time ago that if you have some criticism, it's always best to frame it with praise.
There's also a difference between gently reminding the GM of a rule and being pedantic and annoying.
And picking an argument--and not letting go of it like a dog with a bone--over a rules interpretation in the middle of combat is not cool--it's not fun for the GM nor the other players involved. Accept the GM's temporary ruling and move on, then after the game work with the GM on finding a real solution to the issue.
Fortunately I have seldom have these issues these days. And if I'm a good GM, it's because of the feedback I get from my players.
Help your GM. This doesn't mean roll her dice for her (necessarily). If the group wanders off on a tangent, gently nudge them back on track. You're all playing the game, you all want to have fun, but if you get sidetracked on side conversations, the GM's work is for naught.
If the GM looks tired, take a break. The world runs better when God has a break now and then, trust me.
It's like your GM has ADD issues or something. You and your fellow players must be very patient and wonderful people. ;)
Interesting thread.
I dunno. Maybe it's because the groups I play with are so varied, but I rarely have many of the issues listed above. The main group I play with has known each other for years, and we have all taken turns DMing, so we know what the headaches are like on both sides of the table, and that keeps things from getting too out of hand. The only people who act out of place at the table TOO often are the ones who have yet to DM.
The second group I play with is a little more formal, because the DM is a control freak. Still, he's usually the first one to call a break, whether it's because he's tired, needs to eat, or needs to look up a rule, or alter things because we pesky PCs altered the storyline in some fundamental way.
The third group that I play with(WHO I MISS DEARLY!!!) is something between these two extremes. They all play other games together(some pirate ship game), and know each other outside of the game. Also, the game that's being run right now is primarily Council of Thieves, so with a set adventure to follow there is a *little* less work for the DM and a *little* more for the PCs, and that keeps people on their toes and observant. Also, food gets delivered to the apartment(or at least orders are placed) before the game and people play while they eat, so that also keeps things flowing smoothly.
The fourth group that I play with is a monthly all-girl group game that contains people that I have either known for years or am married to. I give them a little more slack with respect to laptops because the facebook games they play keep them quiet while I go around the table during combat and give people a way to talk about things in and out of character quietly via IM so it doesn't interrupt other people's turns. I find that the laptop thing creates a problem if only one person has it- if everyone has one, it actually makes the game run smoother, even if you have to worry about laughter at inappropriate times.
And that's about it. I think DMing is a very individual thing, and so individual DMs need individual care and feeding.
HA! A friend of mine is a professional comedian out in LA and there are at least two female porn stars that are in his group. I think the GM has a blog called "Playing D&D With Pornstars" that you can search for.Wha...??? I need more of those players!
- If you insist on wearing a halter top and are built in such a way that others will be DDstracted, sit at the same end of the table as the GM so people will at least be looking in the same general direction.
And on that note, have you seen this thread?
It's like your GM has ADD issues or something. You and your fellow players must be very patient and wonderful people. ;)
No, actually it's just that the Gatherer of Souls is run by a player who can tolerate a certain amount of tangential conversation in game before starting to burn through his patience. After that, the fun of socializing is getting in the way of the fun of progressing the plot. Though I'm not entirely innocent on that count either;)