I just got a group of expats here in Moscow and since I was the only one with books and gaming experience I'm the GM.
I never really understood how much I suck at improv and acting until our first session. As a player, I never had many problems (maybe because I mainly played a fantasy version of myself), but as GM and having to act out different NPCs it's really hard. What's worse is that my group insists on doing it all 1st person and they themselves are very witty. It's not that I don't have a sense of humor myself, but it's just coming up with comebacks and appropriate reactions of NPCs is really hard for me.
Any else find themselves in such a situation? Any advice?
In this situation you would be best to just play the straight-man narrator. Make every npc a deadpan.
Draw upon everything from when you were a kid.
Big dumb fighter: Lenny (of Mice and Men); Grimlock, Transformers movie (animated one with Orson Wells)
Charismatic Leader: Captain Kirk; 'Kojak', Kelly's Heroes
Scared Hireling: Eek the Cat; greedy cowardly thief (Conan the Destroyer)
Bad Mofo Ranged Villain: the sniper from the 1st Command & Conquer; Indio (For a Few Dollars More); Mel Gibson's character from The Patriot; "Doc" Holiday (Tombstone, portrayed by Val Kilmer)
Bad Mofo that is also Pious: Samuel L, Jackson's character in Pulp Fiction (Jules?); Mr Lee (Enter the Dragon)
Tough as Nails Right-Hand Man: Mr Joshua, Lethal Weapon; John McLean (Die Hard)
Megalomaniacal Would-be Conqueror: Zur, The Last Starfighter; Zod, Superman II; Unicron (same as above); Thulsa Doom (Conan the Barbarian) as portrayed by James Earl Jones; Al Capone (the Untouchables)
Assorted Tough Guys: any Western, especially Lee VanCleef, Clint Eastwood and Jack Palance; Colonel Air Cav from Apocalypse Now; Sean Connery has several useful for this regard - I recommend picking one you really know and like to attach to one NPC for a given campaign.
Shop owners: nervous hotel owner ("The Good/Bad/Ugly); gun store owner (same)
Information source: crazy old man (same as shop owners); bartender/ innkeeper (same - advises Angel Eyes as regards the hunchback shootist)
Using such characters and their appearance / mannerisms - even simply displaying screen shots of them and/or cropping a few seconds from a movie - will instantly set the stage about them in your players' minds.
You touched two subjects:
1.) I suck at improvisation
Then try to avoid it by preparing and anticipating. This will go away as you accumulate experience as a GM, so don't worry about it too much, just be aware that your prep time will be high (1 hour prep for 2 hours playing) at the beginning.
2.) I suck at acting
As you prep your NPCs (look at point 1 above) assign a type of person that you know to each of them. TV/Movie chars work well. Look at each of these chars and determine what makes them special. Is it a phrase they are known for or a gesture, a dialect or a mindset. Practise it (yeah, more prep time).
Example: I almost always play pampered aristocrats with a french accent and a total disregard for money.
Then when you have mastered a few of them surprise your party with the opposite!
Example: All Dwarven smiths so far have been modeled after Gimli from the LotR films but this one is closer to Kaylee from Firefly/Serenity (eg cheerful and positive) and there is a reason for it ("he" is actually a female in disguise because female dwarves are not allowed to do the art of smithing).
I have a similar problem w/ a VERY articulate, well read player of mine. Not everyone is blessed w/ the lingo, "thoust hast blah, blah, blah...". My strength is creativity in encounters, monsters, scenery, etc. I want my world to come to life. I don't try to match wits w/ my buddy. That just makes me sound foolish. I know. I tried before w/ embarrassing results. I can play the silly and the big bruisers alright. Beyond that I keep it straight forward. You can't be great at everything. Just be good enough on your weak areas and really shine in areas you're strong in.
