How does one become a GM?

[Terquem]

In the summer of 1976, a neighbor of ours, a young man who was a Lieutenant in the Air Force, and his wife, invited me (age 12 at the time) to their house to play Dungeons and Dragons. I played in three sessions with them and some of their friends, but I learned (later) that one of their friends was uncomfortable with me playing in the game with them.

This very nice officer made a photocopy of the Rules from his own books, and bought for me “The Palace of the Vampire Queen” and in early 1977 I asked my sister and one of her friends to try and play Dungeons and Dragons with me.

I had already been making up stories about a fantasy world. I had read the Hobbit in the fifth grade and became very interested in how a fantasy world was “imagined”.

I’ve been a Dungeon master for 36 years, and recently I have had to admit that although I’ve had a lot of fun doing it, I am not very good at it.

So, how do you become a Dungeon Master?

I have no idea.

[Jaelithe]

Terquem wrote:

I played in three sessions with them and some of their friends, but I learned (later) that one of their friends was uncomfortable with me playing in the game with them.

Terquem, was this person simply uncomfortable with your age, or did I overlook some subtle point you made?

Quote:

I’ve been a Dungeon master for 36 years, and recently I have had to admit that although I’ve had a lot of fun doing it, I am not very good at it.

The Good Book says, "Make a joyful noise unto the LORD." Doesn't say anything about the voice with which you do that having to be perfect.

You're a work in progress.

If you've been doing it for 36 years, somebody likes something about it.

You are a Dungeon Master.

[Terquem]

Yes, the player I mentioned was uncomfortable with my age (the rest of the group were all mid to late twenty-something’s). This player, remember no one at this time had a lot of preconceived ideas about what the game was supposed to be like, anyway this player was expecting a very adult (very high sex/romance) role playing experience, and complained to our host that I was not the right age for that kind of game.

It turned out that the host and his wife were far more interested in a humorous game (her character was a dwarf named "Screaming Flea" who when danger appeared would, you know, scream and flee) but they had a much more established relationship with this friend than with the neighbors precocious child.

[Jaelithe]

Terquem wrote:

... remember no one at this time had a lot of preconceived ideas about what the game was supposed to be like ...

I hear you.

I had to, for all intents and purposes, interview with a particular player's parents during the, "Is AD&D a tool of Satan?" era. He was fifteen, and they didn't want him drawn into a miasma of evil. Of course, it probably helped my presentation that the family were devout Catholics and I was majoring in theology at the local Catholic university ...

[kmal2t]

did the two of you not get I was making a reference to the "One does not simply walk into mordor" thing?

[Sissyl]

Miasma of evil never felt so good.

[Patrick Harris @ SD]

kmal2t wrote:

did the two of you not get I was making a reference to the "One does not simply walk into mordor" thing?

I got it, personally, I just didn't think it was funny.

[Romaq]

I figured that was the general gist of the "One does not simply". I didn't think it was particularly funny either, but it doesn't offend me. The problem with jokes or sarcasm is how it falls flat when someone simply takes it straight 'as is', which I did. :)

[Aubrey the Malformed]

horngeek wrote:

On a related topic, how do the GMs here get inspiration for their storylines?

Well, I had this thought about giant squirrels, and it just went from there.

[TriOmegaZero]

horngeek wrote:

On a related topic, how do the GMs here get inspiration for their storylines?

Last minute panic, usually.

[ciretose]

TriOmegaZero wrote:

Last minute panic, usually.

Life is much easier now that we have laptops and the players don't see us frantically flipping through the beastiary when they throw a curve...

If you are a new GM, I highly recommend the adventure paths. But if you want to be good, I higher recommend diverging from the adventure paths when it makes sense for your group.

Even if you don't run them, reading them puts you in the right mindset for creating adventures. There is a "big" plot and there are "little" plots along the way, and sometimes even red herring subplots.

You should have a world, and you should understand that world (you will have to explain it to the players after all...) and then you just need something to be happening that the players will want to deal with.

Everything else logically follows.

Any given gaming session isn't going to require you to have everything planned out. And every gaming session is going to take your best laid plans and throw a monkey wrench in.

When in doubt, roll initiative!

[The TVTropes Abyss]

Rynjin wrote:

Romaq wrote:

http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/HomePage is your friend.

Be careful with that.

People have a tendency to become lost in its depths and not return until all their free time has been stolen.

... feed me ...!

[Matthew Morris]

I had a friend who often stole from Rush for his plots.

So my bard PC had gotten involved in a fight between two bands of treants (oaks and maples) fought the priests of the temple of Syrnix, etc.

[Jaelithe]

At least you didn't have a guy who just had to play a variant of Prince By-tor (and, of course, the Snow Dog as a companion).

No, I'm not kidding ... and yes, I know the song's plot is different.

[Jaelithe]

kmal2t wrote:

Did the two of you not get I was making a reference to the "One does not simply walk into Mordor" thing?

Nope, even though I was [into] Tolkien when Tolkien wasn't cool.

Sissyl wrote:

Miasma of evil never felt so good.

Especially now that they have it in roll-on, too.

[kmal2t]

Patrick Harris @ SD wrote:

kmal2t wrote:

did the two of you not get I was making a reference to the "One does not simply walk into mordor" thing?

I got it, personally, I just didn't think it was funny.

I was referring to the two that said I became a GM and it was easy.

[John Kretzer]

kmal2t wrote:

Patrick Harris @ SD wrote:

kmal2t wrote:

did the two of you not get I was making a reference to the "One does not simply walk into mordor" thing?

I got it, personally, I just didn't think it was funny.

I was referring to the two that said I became a GM and it was easy.

I got the reference...did not think it was funny or true. Being a GM is a easy...

"I am a GM" there I just became a GM.

Being a GM that has players is a different story....though I guess the PFs is kinda like a a captive audience.

[kmal2t]

Being a GM isn't easy. At least being a good GM. I guess for games like PF its generally a bit easier than other games esp. with so much predone material at your disposal.

[Romaq]

I'm not saying it is 'easy'. I don't know what I'm doing. The first game session, I cracked and I couldn't run the combat segments at all so I had to have help.

The second session, things went very badly with the venue. I could have handled things better, I could have done better. I was under significant stress because of work, I allowed other people to derail the game, and people who came to enjoy the night suffered because I screwed up by the numbers.

I have not yet done my third game session. I'm determined not to repeat the same mistakes over. When I started, I was worried I would have enough people to run a legal game. I had nightmares of showing up with only my wife interested in playing. Now I have enough people for two groups very interested in playing. One of the people in the group and a close personal friend is upset and worried that if I do two groups on different nights, the night he is available to play we won't have enough to hold a game. I'm sweating bullets on "diplomacy checks" while still upset over my "critical fail" on the last game session.

My wife already told me that one more "critical fail" on a game session, and she's done with tabletop RPG. If she declines to be involved, this will kill off my involvement with the game. The point of this whole thing is to have a relaxing, enjoyable evening together. My only two game sessions so far have been a stress filled panic attack followed by ruining a relationship with a venue I really enjoyed.

I'm not clear where I said becoming a GM was 'easy'. If I left you that impression, I shall say it has not been 'easy' AT ALL for me, these last two game sessions.

As I recall, I said, "I did it." I may have also mentioned, if I wasn't doing it, we would not be enjoying PFS at all on a time when we are available to do so, given our work schedule. I hope being a GM is a much more entertaining experience for someone *else* who decides to take it up.

"Easy" has not entered the picture for me yet.

AT ALL.

But I did it.

[Romaq]

http://youtu.be/jRXZkdEj7YI

Dave Matthews Band: I did it

Was me right or wrong.

[Nimon]

42. Now get a towel and be ready for anything, but DON'T PANIC

[Patrick Harris @ SD]

kmal2t wrote:

Patrick Harris @ SD wrote:

kmal2t wrote:

did the two of you not get I was making a reference to the "One does not simply walk into mordor" thing?

I got it, personally, I just didn't think it was funny.

I was referring to the two that said I became a GM and it was easy.

I got it. I just didn't think it was funny.