I'm starting to put together the outline for my next campaign, which is a continuation of a homebrew mini-campaign I ran last year, and I'm getting frustrated. I have all these great ideas that only my gaming group would care about, and I can't talk to them about it because then I'd spoil the campaign for them!
I've been tempted to post on these boards about some things to bounce ideas around with like-minded folks, but one of my players lurks here sometimes, and I'd run the risk of him seeing it.
Do any of the rest of you have this issue? And if so, how do you deal with it when you're bursting with the urge to TELL SOMEBODY about all the cool ideas you're coming up with and know you can't for risk of boring non-gaming friends or spoiling the campaign for your group?
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I see this come up from time to time. Usually, it's just a sign of rampant paranoia. Clearly, your group is out to get you. Just kidding... :P
Real Advice: Do you have any gaming friends who won't be gaming with your group? What about another GM at your FLGS? I might confide my ideas in them, especially others who prefer to GM, if they're not going to be playing with the current group I have set up. They'll often have the same issues, being unable to share their ideas with their groups.
Barring that you might try using the spoiler tags and post here anyway, making it clear to your player that he shouldn't look under the spoilered posts. If you don't think you can trust him, then I'm not exactly sure what you can do.
Sometimes though, I bounce my ideas off my group anyway. Sometimes its nice to see what they're thinking before I try to write something up. I don't always tell them what it's for, but I can gauge their interest a little better that way.
I hope some of my advice helps you.
I have a buddy I gamed with for years, who moved out of state. Whenever I need GM advice I just give him a call, he's probably the best GM I ever played under.
As far as an opportunity to get some advice, why not post here, and tell your player not to look at any thread labeled "Lindisty - Campaign Notes" or something similar. As long as he's not the kind of player who buys the module he's playing and reads it, I'm sure he won't look.
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Yes i know exactly how you feel. Luckily I know other gamers that due to RL are not in the group I run for. So I talk to them about it and bounce idea's off them. You could post it online as well and just ask your player to avoid the threads you make about it. Most players I know would respect that and not look.
I see this come up from time to time. Usually, it's just a sign of rampant paranoia. Clearly, your group is out to get you. Just kidding... :P
I KNEW those black helicopters were up to no good!
Real Advice: Do you have any gaming friends who won't be gaming with your group? What about another GM at your FLGS? I might confide my ideas in them, especially others who prefer to GM, if they're not going to be playing with the current group I have set up. They'll often have the same issues, being unable to share their ideas with their groups.
I have a couple of friends who are into gaming and who aren't in the group, but asking them for ideas tends to devolve into an 'edition wars' conversation. (I DM 4e, because that's what my group prefers, but the rest of my gaming-involved friends are 3.5 aficionados. Personally, I'd rather play a Pathfinder campaign, but nobody I know will run one, and I'm not confident enough in my rules mastery of PFRPG to do it myself.) IF I could get them to focus on story ideas instead of mechanics, this would work, but only for part of what I'd like to talk about. :)
I don't really spend much time in my local gaming stores, for a variety of reasons. The one I've been to most often is not a particularly woman-friendly establishment, and it's inconvenient to get to, so I haven't really connected with local GMs that way.
Barring that you might try using the spoiler tags and post here anyway, making it clear to your player that he shouldn't look under the spoilered posts. If you don't think you can trust him, then I'm not exactly sure what you can do.
This could work. If I asked him not to peek, he wouldn't, I'm sure. I'm not sure how much he's reading here lately anyway, but I'd hate for him to stumble across details unawares. Spoiler tags should take care of it, though.
Sometimes though, I bounce my ideas off my group anyway. Sometimes its nice to see what they're thinking before I try to write something up. I don't always tell them what it's for, but I can gauge their interest a little better that way.
I hope some of my advice helps you.
Yeah, I do this in general terms sometimes, especially when it comes to particular plot elements I think would be good for their characters, but I wouldn't want to do that when I'm trying to work out mechanics or encounter specifics.
Thank you. This was helpful. If nothing else, it's reassured me a bit about the feasibility of using these forums as a sounding board.
I have a buddy I gamed with for years, who moved out of state. Whenever I need GM advice I just give him a call, he's probably the best GM I ever played under.
As far as an opportunity to get some advice, why not post here, and tell your player not to look at any thread labeled "Lindisty - Campaign Notes" or something similar. As long as he's not the kind of player who buys the module he's playing and reads it, I'm sure he won't look.
Yeah, I'm (sporadically) in touch with the guy who DM'd our 4 year long AD&D game in college, and he's one of the best DMs I've ever known. Unfortunately, he's fallen out of gaming, so while he's interested up to a point, I can't get into technical stuff with him.
And yeah, I think I may just try spoilering posts here, and if it's too much temptation for my player, I'll figure out something else.
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I have a couple of friends who are into gaming and who aren't in the group, but asking them for ideas tends to devolve into an 'edition wars' conversation. (I DM 4e, because that's what my group prefers, but the rest of my gaming-involved friends are 3.5 aficionados. Personally, I'd rather play a Pathfinder campaign, but nobody I know will run one, and I'm not confident enough in my rules mastery of PFRPG to do it myself.) IF I could get them to focus on story ideas instead of mechanics, this would work, but only for part of what I'd like to talk about. :)I don't really spend much time in my local gaming stores, for a variety of reasons. The one I've been to most often is not a particularly woman-friendly establishment, and it's inconvenient to get to, so I haven't really connected with local GMs that way.
Sorry to hear it about your FLGS and your groups not wanting to run PF. I see the edition wars bubble up here from time to time as well. Some friends will only play 4e, some only 3.5, and the rest of us are enjoying our time with PF. As a result, many of us have just gone our separate ways (well, besides some people being jerks).
Barring that you might try using the spoiler tags and post here anyway, making it clear to your player that he shouldn't look under the spoilered posts. If you don't think you can trust him, then I'm not exactly sure what you can do.This could work. If I asked him not to peek, he wouldn't, I'm sure. I'm not sure how much he's reading here lately anyway, but I'd hate for him to stumble across details unawares. Spoiler tags should take care of it, though.
This is what I and our groups other GM do when we don't want each other to see. It's worked so far, we give each other enough space but we'll ask for feedback from each other from time-to-time. I highly recommend this method.
Alternatively, and I stupidly forgot, there is also the <Not Working Link> where you should be able to find lots of help. Try chat.dmtools.org
When comparing ideas for campaigns, throw out the concept of edition and keep the conversation on 'would this work?'. If the other person cites including something edition specific, just roll with it, flesh the idea and if you like it then incorporate something similar within your particular editions mechanic.
When it comes to running PFRPG it is pretty easy, you really dont need 100% proficiency with the rules, more just a basic grasp of Combat and Skills. As those will usually be the contentious issues.
If you've played a variety of D&D before you'll be fine.
I DM a lot of 4e games on here and would be happy to brainstorm with you. Edition wars is a bad thing and I try very hard to stay out of it. All the systems have a lot going for them and my personal preference for 4e is just because I know it best and feel most confident running it.
I agree that spoiler tags or just telling your players to keep out should be enough. If you can not trust them not to ruin their own experience, are they will worth playing with?
I say BS to the whole "I'm not familiar enough with the rules to run a game in system [X]" thing. Get your players to help you out with the rules. Your job is to craft a fun world for the players to tromp through.
No GM is perfect.
Concatenating responses to several posts here:
When it comes to running PFRPG it is pretty easy, you really dont need 100% proficiency with the rules, more just a basic grasp of Combat and Skills. As those will usually be the contentious issues.
I say BS to the whole "I'm not familiar enough with the rules to run a game in system [X]" thing. Get your players to help you out with the rules. Your job is to craft a fun world for the players to tromp through.
No GM is perfect.
Yeah, I know that intellectually, but my gaming group includes one of the best DMs I've ever gamed with, and it's intimidating enough to sit in the DM chair with him on the other side of the table even when I DO have a decent level of rules mastery. Which is totally my own hangup and has nothing to do with his attitude as a player, btw. He's a great and enthusiastic player as well as being an awesome DM, and I lean on him a lot to help explain rules to my other player.
I DM a lot of 4e games on here and would be happy to brainstorm with you.
Thank you! Once I've gotten the outline fleshed out, I'll post a synopsis here.
Resist the temptation and endure, your mind will grow stronger and you will reach enlightenment.
Now send me a private message with all your ideas so I can steal some of them :p
But the messageboards don't have a PM function, do they? :)
But the messageboards don't have a PM function, do they? :)
A fact, I am sure, many of the female posters appreciate.
I tell my non-gamer wife. She nods her head and says "ok", "good", "neat" at appropriate intervals.
Yep, the GM's skill should be at the design of the campaign and its plots, as long as the GM can do that part then I'm not hung up on them being a rules lawyer :)
I'm starting to put together the outline for my next campaign, which is a continuation of a homebrew mini-campaign I ran last year, and I'm getting frustrated. I have all these great ideas that only my gaming group would care about, and I can't talk to them about it because then I'd spoil the campaign for them!
I've been tempted to post on these boards about some things to bounce ideas around with like-minded folks, but one of my players lurks here sometimes, and I'd run the risk of him seeing it.
Do any of the rest of you have this issue? And if so, how do you deal with it when you're bursting with the urge to TELL SOMEBODY about all the cool ideas you're coming up with and know you can't for risk of boring non-gaming friends or spoiling the campaign for your group?
Your player should be able to avoid one or two threads with your campaign notes. I mean I've spent years dodging any mention of the Scales of War Campaign because I play in it and if I can avoid 4Es biggest campaign your player can avoid a couple of threads you happen to have on your personal campaign.
Plot of your campaign can easily go right here but if you have mechanical questions toss them in the 4E section. You might be surprised at how much attention they garner - small 4E community here and it likes new content. Either start a different topic for each question or make a thread called something like 'Lindisty's Questions' and post all you questions in there.