New GM to PFS

[Darksmokepuncher]

Hello all and thanks in advance for your excellent advice!

I am going to be running my first PFS games at PaizoCon this year and I was wondering what advice you can give to make my games great and warn me of any pitfalls I should avoid.

I have been a GM for several years now, so I have a good, solid foundation. I am really looking for PFS specific advice rather than general GM tips, unless it's a really good tip.

Thanks for the help!

[Wildebob]

I'm looking forward to what people say. I'm intrigued by PFS, but I've never played nor run it at all. I'm especially curious about module selection (how?), but general advice would be swell! Good luck at PaizoCon DSP.

[nosig]

Half a dozen things in no special order:
1) make yourself a way to keep track of players names. I have used a Judges table tent, with my name on the front, but I noted the Player&PC names on the back where I could see it. Currently I've been using Init. cards to track Init, and give me the Player & PC names, but I'm thinking of going back to the Tent.
2) Have the players fill out the tracking sheets early - before the Mod starts if possible - so they are listening to you when the game starts rather than trying to figure out what their number is.
3) Smile - yeah, sometimes it makes a difference.
4) Even when a player is a jerk, remember you only have to live with him 4 or 5 hours. Try to prevent "the jerk" from spoiling everyone elses fun (even yours).
5) Eat before the game - it's amazing how many of us get crabby when our blood sugar is low.
6) HAVE FUN!

[Painlord]

Specific Advice:

• Never trust gnomes.
  
• If a player rolls double 1s, everyone passes their character sheets one to left and they play those characters. On double 20s, they get passed to the right.
  
• When the GM is away from the table, it is customary for the players to collude on a "Word of the Day" (like 'zombie' or 'Venture Captain') and cheer loudly whenever the GM says that word.
  
• If the game happens on an off-Tuesday or full-moon Wednesday, every left-handed dwarf arcanist gets an extra lvl 0 spellslot.
  
• If you have a player at your table with the names "Kyle" and/or "Baird", it's probably best just to run away.
  
• Really, never trust gnomes. And if they happen to be bunnies or gunslingers, might as well tear up your dice right there at the table.
  
• When reading dialogue as a Venture Captain is it customary to stand on the table while you do so (as to better command the player's attention). If the table looks unsafe, then doing so in a handstand will suffice. Remember: safety first.
  

.
General Advice:

PFS isn't like a homegame: it has its own separate metagame. It's more of a weird social format that has its own unique quirks. If you're new to PFS, then understanding the social framework will probably be the biggest hurdle in judging. The following posts might help.

What We Teach New PFS Players
How to be a Better PFS Judge

I hope to see you at PaizoCon.

-Pain

[Jiggy]

Well, someone will probably ninja me with links to Painlord's guides, so I'll skip those for now.

As a relatively new GM myself, here are some of my thoughts:

"Fair and Fun"
The PFS Guide to Organized Play says it's our job to provide a "fair and fun" gaming experience.
The "Fair" Part:
Remember that you're supposed to run the scenarios as-written. No changing/adding/subtracting monsters, etc. (Don't panic - this still leaves you plenty of room to work; more than some people would have you believe.) Also keep in mind that while some act of fudging (like dropping in a few extra healing potions, etc) might seem harmless, your duty of fairness extends beyond your own table to the other thousands of players. Make sure that what you do for your own players remains fair for everyone else.
The "Fun" Part:
There's one exception to the "run it as written" bit: Reward Creative Solutions. If the PCs come up with a brilliant scheme that achieves their goals but means they skipped the fight with random thugs who were carrying awesome loot, you're actually allowed to have them get that loot by other means (finding a treasure chest or what have you). Basically, if people are having fun and you're not screwing anyone over (either at your table or at everyone else's), then go with it! Let them replace that pipe with a suggestively-shaped carrot! Let them pretend to be the Rum & Chickens Trade Company! Let them use Craft (Carpentry) to build a makeshift bridge across the pit! If the rules allow it, you should too. :)

That's it off the top of my head. Be open, be nice, be fair, have FUN!

[Kerney]

Do the prep work. For example, have the maps drawn out or the gamemastery maps in hand in advance. Recomend printing out monster stats and having them in front of you.

Also, have the module organized in a way that works for you. For me that means using multiple colored highlighters for faction missions, skill rolls, etc, keeping pages loose leaf so if the monster stats are continued on different pages, you can lay them out beside each other and look at them instead of flipping back and forth. I also like to make a sheet of skills/spells/whatever the BGs are likely to use for quick reference.

But do whatever works for you. Know you won't get it perfect the first time.

[Jiggy]

Jiggy wrote:

Well, someone will probably ninja me with links to Painlord's guides, so I'll skip those for now.

Painlord wrote:

The following posts might help.

Painlord's "What We Teach New PFS Players"
Painlord's How to be a Better PFS Judge

Can I call it or can I call it? ;)

[Darksmokepuncher]

Thanks for the advice so far guys!

Since the Con is so far away, please don't stop with the advice if anything else comes to mind.

Also, if you're a new GM to PFS with questions, please post them here to avoid thread bloat. I'm sure the moderators will appreciate that.

Thanks again!

[Andrew Christian]

Darksmokepuncher wrote:

Thanks for the advice so far guys!

Since the Con is so far away, please don't stop with the advice if anything else comes to mind.

Also, if you're a new GM to PFS with questions, please post them here to avoid thread bloat. I'm sure the moderators will appreciate that.

Thanks again!

Have you played PFS before? If not, I'd suggest playing a few rounds leading up to the convention. You have plenty of time as it is over 6 months away. This will give you a pretty good inkling of what PFS is about from a player's perspective, and will help you make decisions as a GM as to how to allow the players to have fun at your table.

Nosig had some very good suggestions.

Unless you are a very experienced GM, or at least very expedient in drawing your maps on the spot, I would certainly suggest coming prepped with pre-drawn maps or at least the game mastery ones as Kerney suggested. I generally don't have predrawn maps, but I'm pretty expedient. However, there are some mods that I know I will have to predraw as the maps are pretty complicated and/or convoluted.

It seems to be customary to take breaks at least once for drinks/snack fetching or bathroom going. If you can time things right, these breaks will happen when you have to draw your map.

Use the bathroom before the session. If, as a GM, you don't have to get up during the session, it helps keep the players on task.

Be the first at the table, and the last to leave it.

Smiling is important.

Be energetic. If you look like you are having fun, and you are really getting into the NPC or monster roles, then the players will react likewise and tend to really get into their own roles and be more energized. Don't go over the top, necessarily, but just have energy.

Now I ran 9 slots in a 10 slot con last Gen Con, and let me tell you, I did my best to run 9 energized tables. Day 2 was really tough, because we had tried to do some midnight madness on Wednesday and Thursday night. I was going on maybe 3 hours of sleep both nights, and by the end of Friday night (I also missed dinner Friday night because of timing issues between slots) I was wasted. But I skipped (we all did) the midnight madness (it really is madness I tell you, I won't be doing this again) Friday Night, got a good nights sleep, ate breakfast, and was back and energized again.

I can't stress being energetic (not manic) enough.

Be receptive to players questions (even rules disputes) and allow them to have their say. Be receptive to the fact you might be wrong. But in the end, be firm in a ruling at that point and move on.

[Myron Pauls]

Andrew Christian wrote:

I'd suggest playing a few rounds leading up to the convention.

While most of the advice above is great, this is probably the single best thing you can do to get ready. Try to play in and GM as many games as possible. Every one you do will make the next that much easier and better. Pathfinder Society play has a few different quirks that could make things unnecessarily difficult until you get a feel for them. A con is a busy, loud, chaotic place to get your feet wet!

[Callarek]

Make sure you have both wet/dry erase markers, and, especially, ink pens (multiple, so a pen running dry is not a hardship).

Standard GM supplies are, as ever, a must.
Initiative tracking, some way to clean up any markings made on maps, extra minis/tokens, status markers if you use them, etc.

[Andrew Christian]

Myron Pauls wrote:

Andrew Christian wrote:

I'd suggest playing a few rounds leading up to the convention.

While most of the advice above is great, this is probably the single best thing you can do to get ready. Try to play in and GM as many games as possible. Every one you do will make the next that much easier and better. Pathfinder Society play has a few different quirks that could make things unnecessarily difficult until you get a feel for them. A con is a busy, loud, chaotic place to get your feet wet!

And if you know well in advance which scenarios you will be running, then I'd suggest trying to both play in them, and GM them at least once, prior to the convention. If you can't GM them first, at least play in them. Playing in a scenario prior to GM'ing them is HUGE in being comfortable with the scenario.

[Dragnmoon]

Painlord wrote:

Specific Advice:

• When the GM is away from the table, it is customary for the players to collude on a "Word of the Day" (like 'zombie' or 'Venture Captain') and cheer loudly whenever the GM says that word.
  

I hope to see you at PaizoCon.

-Pain

Pain and crew has actually done this one to me.

[Jason S]

Myron Pauls wrote:

While most of the advice above is great, this is probably the single best thing you can do to get ready. Try to play in and GM as many games as possible. Every one you do will make the next that much easier and better. Pathfinder Society play has a few different quirks that could make things unnecessarily difficult until you get a feel for them. A con is a busy, loud, chaotic place to get your feet wet!

+1

I have players that know the PF rules fairly well (3.5 messes them up though), but they could never GM PF without supervision, because they haven't bothered to read all of the nuances.

I'd play a few games so that you're on the same page as everyone else.

[Michael Meunier]

Two bits of general CON GMing advice I'd like to offer first since running at Cons is a vastly different environment. First, while it may be contrary to your GMly ethos, you actually want to be FACING a wall when your on the edge of the room (if you're in the middle of the room...good luck!). This makes it so you don't have to project quite as much and you won't wear down your voice as quick. Note: No matter what con or what setup they have, it's going to be loud. Get used to it :) Tip #2, drink alot of, preferably, water or tea. I didn't beleive this until it saved my behind one DDXP when I could barely talk on Saturday after running 6 iterations of a "talky" module :).

PFS, well, I'll echo the above. Put in the prep time. Really, it makes all the difference in the world especially since (most) cons of this sort only have you running one module. Learn it backwards forwards and upside down. If there are any rules pitfalls, research them ahead of time. I echo the people that say prep your maps ahead of time. I find printing them on cardstock and if possible laminating them to be a good trick.

[Darksmokepuncher]

If all goes well, I'll be playing in my first society game tonight!

Wish me luck.

[Jiggy]

Darksmokepuncher wrote:

If all goes well, I'll be playing in my first society game tonight!

Wish me luck.

May the dice be with you!

[Red-Assassin]

Well there is allot of good advice, so I will try to add a little from my experience.

Never print a scenario double sided. Use highlighters even different colored. Some of my first scenarios I printed off my own dungeon tiles for them, this can help if you do not want a map out, and are worring about LoS and FoW. Plus tiles are small and can create a surprise. Prep ahead of time, try to have as much ready as possibly. Marking bestiary pages with post-its. If the mod has casters have the stats of the spells on a single page. If you have time read up on the area in the inner sea world guide. Miniatures and similiar game aids can also be great thing to add.

[Dragnmoon]

Chris Bonnet wrote:

Never print a scenario double sided.

As someone that prints tons of scenarios up, I am not sure I understand this one...

You would go through paper really quickly if you did not print them double sided.

My bane as an Organizer is the amount of money I spend on Paper and Ink!

[Kerney]

Dragnmoon wrote:

Chris Bonnet wrote:

Never print a scenario double sided.

As someone that prints tons of scenarios up, I am not sure I understand this one...

You would go through paper really quickly if you did not print them double sided.

My bane as an Organizer is the amount of money I spend on Paper and Ink!

The thought here, is that you can put a stat blocks encounter info etc that continues from one page to the next side by side in front of you verses having to flip back and forth. Makes it easier to keep track of the whole stat block/picture and less likely to forget an ability or overlook a tactic.

I save ink by never printing the first 2 pages or the advertisments at the end.

[Red-Assassin]

Well I tried to save paper and printed scenarios double sided. I have seen other GMs do this, about half they way through I seem to loose which place and side something I am looking for is. Personally single sided printing is the way to go.

I also use my B & W printer, using "donated" employer paper...

[Fromper]

Kerney wrote:

I save ink by never printing the first 2 pages or the advertisments at the end.

I do this, too. And I print single sided, too.

Something I've noticed in both scenarios I've GMed so far is that there are frequently encounters late in the scenario that refer you back to the stats of similar enemies from an earlier encounter. For instance, in the final fight of The Palid Plague, which I ran yesterday, there were 3 types of enemies, and one of them said to see the stats from an earlier encounter. So I had to flip back and forth between the earlier and later pages. So I've learned that stapling the scenario doesn't work. It's better to be able to put those pages side by side on the table.

[Callarek]

I put my printed copy (loose) of the scenario in a two-pocket report folder, with the scenario on one side, and the various other documents, including Bestiary printouts, player handouts, overall map (if provided), and the Chronicles, on the other.

[Jason S]

I print my scenarios double sided. Having said that, I make up a cheat sheet that contains all of the important information on the scenario, encounter by encounter, including faction missions and skill DCs. I could effectively run the scenario from the sheet alone, except for stat blocks.

I like the cheat sheet, because it keeps things running fast, as well I never miss any details, because everything is summarized. And I never have to flip pages, except for stat blocks and exceptional descriptions.

[WalterGM]

Also note some small things about the credit you receive for GMing

Spoiler:

Game Master Rewards
The GM does not get any special boons bestowed by a Chronicle sheet, such as free magical treasure, regional boons, or future bonus dice rolls. The GM also does not get a Day Job check.

The subtier for which a GM’s character receives credit depends on the character’s level. If a GM with a 1st-level rogue runs a Tier 1–5 scenario using Subtier 1–2, she takes a Subtier 1–2 Chronicle sheet for her 1st-level rogue. If she runs a Tier 1–5 scenario using Subtier 4–5), she still takes a Subtier 1–2 Chronicle sheet, as her PC clearly falls within the lower subtier.

If the GM with a low-level character runs any higher tier scenarios that don’t include a subtier for her 1st-level rogue, she takes the lowest subtier Chronicle sheet from that scenario and holds it for her PC. Then, once her PC achieves the appropriate level for that Chronicle sheet, it is immediately applied. For example, if a GM with a 1st-level rogue runs a Tier 5–9 scenario, she would take a Subtier 5–6 Chronicle sheet (the lowest subtier for that tier) for running the scenario and set it aside. Once her rogue reaches 5th level, she can immediately apply the Chronicle sheet to her character. This means that GM characters can potentially level up in bursts.

Should a GM receive a Chronicle sheet that indicates her character is between subtiers (for example, if she runs a Tier 1–5 scenario with Subtiers 1–2 and 4–5 but has a 3rd-level character), she must always play down, taking a Chronicle sheet for the lower subtier. This rule is meant to balance the fact that the GM’s character does not have to expend any resources or risk death while gaining a Chronicle sheet for running a scenario.

[Russell Akred]

One thing I found useful GMing conventions is keeping track of who is who. On the initiative cards I will put a little arrow pointing toward the player so I know which way to look when calling “Dreadbolt” or “Scrumptious” and keeps those confusing looks from coming back at you.

Also if you can run a small selection of adventures many times it works out better than running a different one every slot. You will be able to bring suitable figures for your creatures and NPCs. Don’t forget to pack a few generic minis for players who don’t have a mini.

Draw the maps ahead of time to make things run faster at the table. Painlord mentions this in his posts but it is always worth repeating.

Drink the water that most conventions give to their GMs. It will likely save your voice after yelling over the roar of the room.

[Painlord]

Dragnmoon wrote:

Painlord wrote:

Specific Advice:

• When the GM is away from the table, it is customary for the players to collude on a "Word of the Day" (like 'zombie' or 'Venture Captain') and cheer loudly whenever the GM says that word.
  

I hope to see you at PaizoCon.

-Pain

Pain and crew has actually done this one to me.

LIAR! (link)

Oh wait. That *did* happen. It's been noted for all eternity in a post. I cannot argue with reality.

You're right, D'moon.

-Pain

[Aravandor]

I'm about to start gming for pathfinder on a shoestring budget. I have a hardcopy of the core rulebook, but I will probably be getting all my other rulebooks in pdf form for a while. What e-reader works best for the pathfinder manuals? I imagine that one of the full-sized amazon kindles would be the best reader due to the large display. Any thoughts?

Also, where can I start getting a sampling of minis? I don't own a single one...

From what I can gather here, the other items I should have are
Map sheet (what size?)
Dry erease markers
Wet erease markers
Init tracking method
Good notes

Any suggestions would be appreciated.

[WalterGM]

Aravandor wrote:

I'm about to start gming for pathfinder on a shoestring budget. I have a hardcopy of the core rulebook, but I will probably be getting all my other rulebooks in pdf form for a while. What e-reader works best for the pathfinder manuals? I imagine that one of the full-sized amazon kindles would be the best reader due to the large display. Any thoughts?

Also, where can I start getting a sampling of minis? I don't own a single one...

From what I can gather here, the other items I should have are
Map sheet (what size?)
Dry erease markers
Wet erease markers
Init tracking method
Good notes

Any suggestions would be appreciated.

Ebay is the best place to start your mini collection. Search for either "D&D Miniatures" or "Pathfinder Battle Minis" and you'll get tons of hits. Sort by lowest price and you'll see that goblins/orcs/most baddies run for about $1-2 bucks a pop. You'll need a half dozen of those (you'll want more). Try to get a bit of variety, so you can point at the one with the axe and say "he's the cleric, the rest are fighters." I'd shy away from buying randomized boosters, when all you really want are bad guys. Get one or two large sized minis, but aside from that you realistically don't need any more. But, like I said, you'll want more.

Book-wise I'm a sucker, and have them all, but you can get away with just having internet connection and abusing sites like the official prd or others. You can access the first link easily from a smartphone (thanks Paizo!).

For your other items list, I have the following. (and after a decade of GMing, it's whats wound up working the best for me)
- The basic flip-mat, 2 by 3 feet and double sided. It's big enough for everything you'll want to do, except for the rare occasion that the scenario has maps too large to fit, in which case feel free to scale them down or draw them out in sections. Also, because it has two sides you can "prep" before the game by drawing one out ahead of time on the reverse.
- I use regular dry erase markers (white board markers) with this mat. I used to use wet erase (overhead/projector pens), but carrying around a bottle of water was just too much hassle.
- To keep track of my initiative I use cards. I print off cool fantasy pictures and stick them into protective sleeves, like the ones you'd use for CCGs (magic the gathering, etc). I try to get "thematic" pictures - a cleric dude, a fighter, a wolf, etc. Then, each game, I find the appropriate card for each player/companion and write down their name and perception bonus with the dry erase marker. I either line them up in front of me, left to right, for initiative order or just keep them in a pile, flipping through as I go (pulling them out when people hold actions). Also, by using dry erase the cards become reusable!
- As for notes, I actually have a smallish (8"x11") dry erase board that I use to tally enemy damage, status effects, etc. It's saved me a bundle in paper costs.
- In addition to what you've listed, I also have a set of condition cards that I have found to be extremely useful.

So, if you get everything I list, you're looking at under 30 bucks to start off (not including book selection).

Hope this helps!