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So I'm seriously considering taking the step up to GMing at my local PFS events, in order to give some of our dedicated and wonderful GMs a chance to play and to earn credit for my characters. What, in your opinion, are the most important things a GM needs, either tangibles (supplies) or intangibles (advice, etc.)?
For me, specifically, I have some informal GMing experience in social games and tomfoolery, but this would be my first 'Official' outing.
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So I'm seriously considering taking the step up to GMing at my local PFS events, in order to give some of our dedicated and wonderful GMs a chance to play and to earn credit for my characters. What, in your opinion, are the most important things a GM needs, either tangibles (supplies) or intangibles (advice, etc.)?
For me, specifically, I have some informal GMing experience in social games and tomfoolery, but this would be my first 'Official' outing.
I am sure that you will hear from a great many senior GM's on this list, but for me, if you're new it is most important to do your homework: read the mod at least twice and take notes so that the monster's stats are to hand so you can keep moving when they come up in the mod. But beside all of that remember that both you and the players are there to have fun, so try to stay relaxed.
I forgot to mention supplies. To me they aren't all that important. Since I'm not a big collector of mini's for the first couple of times that I GM'ed I used Starburst candies for the monsters. "Universal Edible Monsters" (TM pending)do seem to work OK. Letting the player that kills the monster eat them seems to make the natives less restless. You will want a gridded map of some kind. I use quadrule flip mat pages because I prefer to have the maps done when I go to the game, but there are a lot of GM's that prefer to map as they go.
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Looksee herein to see one yahoo's views that may or may not help:
Painlord's Guide to PFS Coordination
Painlord's How to be a Better PFS Judge
Good luck.
-Pain
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Physical Supplies I like to have while judging:
Something to draw a map on. Personally i use an old Chessex battle mat and wet erase pens. There are plenty of other options here as well.
Dice.
Minis. Don't need to have the exact ones to line up with the monsters but a few minis, even if not especially accurate are way cooler than pennies and dice.
Pen & Pencil.
Chronicle Sheets / Faction Missions (It's possible that these may be provided by your organizer, check before hand)
A way to track initiative. Personally I like 3x5 cards although there are a range of solutions for this.
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Looksee herein to see one yahoo's views that may or may not help:
Painlord's Guide to PFS Coordination
Painlord's How to be a Better PFS JudgeGood luck.
-Pain
Also: This list is all the maps used in scenarios, its by product, not scenario though
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I usually try to make sure I have all the books I'm going to need, tho I've started printing copies of the monsters if I'm not familiar with them so I have it all in front of me.. even tho you're the GM you may not have all the space you need
dice -- extra set for players that may need them tho it's rare
minis
pen/pencil -- extra for players that forget theirs
initiative tracking -- i'm a notecard person
module
maps
good attitude
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Enough players ;)
As this is the PFS GM forum:
Pathfinder Core Rulebook
Pathfinder Bestiary
Seeker of Secrets
Pathfinder Society Guide to Organized Play
Printed sets fo the pregens (approriate level(s) for the module being run)
Copy of the scenario/module being run (I prefer printed)
7 copies (approx) of the Chronicle Sheet for the scenario
Sign-in sheet for the players
Event scheduled on the Paizo website
Batch of Pathfinder Society cards for newbies
Mapping materials (1" squares, however you do it)
Dice (enough for yourself at a minimum)
Scratch paper
Some way to track initiative (3x5 cards, combat pad, or other)
Minis (monster markers of some sort)
Advice:
Read the scenario/module thoroughly
Mark & read the monster information from the bestiary/module
Have a gaming location prepared
Make sure your gamers know where the location is and what game you are planning on running
Make sure you know local sources of food, munchies and/or liquid refreshment, including the site's take on alcoholic beverages.
For organization purposes, you will need to have some way to track which scenarios your frequent players have done, so you can do what you can to avoid replay issues.
You will want some central repository, of some sort, to do your game announcements. If possible, include the blurb information for the scenario from the Paizo website, as that is the best teaser for the game.
And, at the game, make sure that both you and your players are having fun.