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I always felt like having a vivid imagination, being a good storyteller, and being creative were the three biggies in DMing.
Ironic that nearly all the newer GMs I meet today think that the main things to focus on are knowing the rules, balancing encounters, and worrying about the party's power creep.
Not that the latter aren't important, its just that it sort of hit home after some recent discussions with newer GMs that the focus of the game seems to have changed a great deal.
So I thought I would pose the question, what do you think is important, and why?
I think that the vivid imagination, storyteller skills, and creativity are important. I also feel that knowing the rules and balancing encounters are important. Why? Every group has a different slew of players, each with different interests. I like a good story and backdrop to play in, but when I finally get into combat, I want to know how things resolve quickly (where mastery of the rules helps) and that the fights aren't going to TPKs (well, if we players do it to ourselves, that's a different story), which is where balanced encounters come in. But what I think is possibly most important is a good improvisational skill. Players have this ability called "go off where the GM doesn't expect". Being able to improvise on the fly is invaluable I think in any game, because sooner or later it happens. Maybe you put a plot hook out in plain sight but the PCs go off another direction. Or maybe a fight turns bad due to poor die rolls and you don't want to kill the party (yet). Or one person doesn't show up out of your party of 6 players and the rest want to play anyway. Improvisational skill is useful in any game, I think, to keep the game from grinding to a halt as the GM tries to come up with an answer to an unexpected problem.
Important qualities in a GM (in no particular order, since each quality is more important or less important based on game, players, etc).
A) Ability to think on your feet. The ability to adapt to changing situations and think on your feet is very important. Don't get too tied to the plot you designed, the players will come up with things to derail it.
B) Creativity. If you want to make your own gameworlds, you need creativity. You need to be able to come up with good stories and good NPCs and weave them into your players characters. If you can't, you can always use an AP.
C) Empathy. You need to be able to put yourself into the mind of others, at least to the point of being able to think like the NPCs in the game, so you can roleplay their character.
D) A good memory. A good memory is important so you can remember those little details, but even more important so you can remember those little things people do in the heat of the game that you want to award extra XP for. A small notepad is a huge help with this.
E) Preparedness. You need to have the kind of personality that can prepare for the game ahead of time. If you can't stand sitting down for a few hours to figure out what you want to do as the GM for the next game or three, then you are pretty much relegated to APs (and even they need prep time).
F) A sense of humor! This may be one of the most important things. You need to be able to laugh at yourself, and to appreciate a good joke. You don't have to be a comedian, but it does help. But if you can't laugh at yourself, you will end up being laughed at by others.
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Good communication I think is the most important. A lot of problems can be avoiding if before the game even starts everyone is on the same page on what to expect in general terms.
Improvisation ability is huge as well. PC's will go places you don't expect. GM's that can roll with it and keep going. With out trying to force things back on path and do it so smoothly the players never notice is huge.
Weaving a story that not only interest the players but also appeals to the PC's is very important. Using aspects of the PC's often make players very happy. Especially those that put a lot of work into their background etc.
I think those are three key things. All the stuff mentioned are important though. A good GM is a jack of all trades and nearly a master of them as well. A perfect GM is a master of all trades.
A stick.
Mr. Fishy is of the school [Airbreathers suck] that a game should be fun. If rules lawyering is fun then by all means post.
Mr. Fishy thinks that the most important thing is to love the art form. DMing is an art. Using words to weave a tapestry of adventure and wonder.
DMing is becoming a lost art. Computer games and movies can provide visual images that no Bardic DM can create with words. Its hard to compete with cut scenes. DM's can master the flow of the game a way machines can't, sadly more gamers are born into the MMORGP age of big money visuals. Why compete with something you can beat. Better to play the game by the rules and damn the spirit.
Video games have no soul. That doesn't make them bad. Mr. Fishy loves shooting the heads off zombies and storming Bowser's castle for the MILLIONTH time. But the lack of a soul marks video games as different. A video game is made for millions of consumers. Pathfinder and it's brothers in arms are made for millons but ran for you, by a DM an artist looking for an outlet or a lawyer looking for practice.
The most important thing to Mr. Fishy in a DM is a "soul" with out it your playing a MMO on paper.
The most important thing to Mr. Fishy in a DM is a "soul" with out it your playing a MMO on paper.If your local DM needs one I have a few old ones laying around only slightly used. I would be willing to let them go pretty cheaply. :)
Mr. Fishy sold his for DM skillz.
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I agree with all of the above being important qualities/skills for a DM. I would also add to the list the ability to realize they are NOT writing a novel. Seriously, a DM can have all of the qualities/skills listed above and still fail because they got caught up in the story they are trying to tell. This leads to arbitrary heavy handedness and railroading and players who are having no fun and feel they may as well hand their character sheets to the DM since they are little more than NPCs in the DMs story. A DM needs to remember it is a game, not a story.
Yeah that was what I was getting at with the railroading if the PC's go off the track. A example the best Vampire oWoD I ever played in was run by a guy. It was simple amazing the how good it was... until the PC's tried to go in a way that they was obviously not meant for. But it made sense with what all had happened they do it. The forced railroading back on track was brutal and killed a great game.
Yeah that was what I was getting at with the railroading if the PC's go off the track. A example the best Vampire oWoD I ever played in was run by a guy. It was simple amazing the how good it was... until the PC's tried to go in a way that they was obviously not meant for. But it made sense with what all had happened they do it. The forced railroading back on track was brutal and killed a great game.I agree with all of the above being important qualities/skills for a DM. I would also add to the list the ability to realize they are NOT writing a novel. Seriously, a DM can have all of the qualities/skills listed above and still fail because they got caught up in the story they are trying to tell. This leads to arbitrary heavy handedness and railroading and players who are having no fun and feel they may as well hand their character sheets to the DM since they are little more than NPCs in the DMs story. A DM needs to remember it is a game, not a story.
Yep, and with my 'think on your feet', being able to adapt to the players wrecking your plans. ;)
So I thought I would pose the question, what do you think is important, and why?
1) Knowledge (Core Rules) +20
2) Craft (Oratory) +153) Perform (Dungeon Mastery) +25
4) CHA of 16+, OR STR if you have the Mighty D20 feat.
Optional skill points in Bluff, Diplomacy, and Intimidate depending on your cast of PCs.
Just my 2 coppers.