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Don't be surprised when your PCs run off the rails.
Prep for the scenario by figuring out each stat-block and figuring out rules that you may not have had to deal with before.
Try to think of things the PCs might do for the scenario and the reactions in the NPCs that will cause.
Check out the boards for the specific scenario and see issues that have been brought up in the past and their resolutions.
Check out the GM prep folder, lots of useful stuff there.
Remember, though you may be giving these people a good fun experience you can have fun with it too.
Those just off the top of my head.
~NPEH
Edit: If possible also draw in any maps before-hand, speeds up play enormously
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Presign the bits at the bottom of the chronicle sheet. People are notorious for wanting to skedaddle almost immediately after a lot of games. I print my Chronicle sheets on blue paper to A) make my chronicle sheets stand out (I dont have regular access to a colour printer and B) So I can identify If I ran a particular scenario.
Start on time. Sadly people seem to becoming abit lax (players) and turn up late.
Make sure where you are running the game is open long enough. Nothing worse than having the shop owner/other looming over enquiring when your game will finish.
Make sure you read the new rules on Subtiers. There is now little choice on what tier to play at. Sadly you didnt name the scenario but make sure you know party levels in advance. Preparation for two sub tiers really sucks sometimes.
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I like to ask seemingly random questions of the characters at the start of the adventure and then bring them up during the adventure.
Example hell knights feast I asked what scenario was your chartacter most famous for. Then I had the guests talk to the PCs about them in that scenario.
Most tramatic experience in voices in the void.
I try to find something for every scenario I DM. I also often try to bring in elements from previous adventures.
Make the scenario your own. Add narative to it and descriptions so the game is more.
Lastly you know what you enjoy in a game. Try to give peopel that same thing.
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Link to the shared prep folder
Please remember to just copy things and do not remove them from the drive, thanks.
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You understand that wall of text at the introduction a lot better than the players do as you read it out to them.
Read it slowly so they can take it in. Think of reading it as slow as you think you need to, and then go a notch slower than that.
It'll likely even end up adding character as you do so, and it's the most important part of any scenario - when the characters receive their mission.
Venture-Captain, California—Sacramento
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While I agree with reading it slowly, I take the opposite approach. I try to put character into it, and doing that slows it down. (By character I mean I read it the way I imagine a briefing officer might. Stop at the important points, look around, make sure everyone understands, move to the next point. Not just read it in a funny voice.)
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I have a couple things that I like to do:
1) Read the scenario several times and print it off.
2) On an index card, make a list of key "points" that happen in the scenario so you can keep track of the plot.
3) Draw out your maps ahead of time. I have three blank Paizo flip mats and use wet erase markers to have my maps made.
Chris Perkins has excellent articles on maps:
http://www.wizards.com/dnd/article.aspx?x=dnd/4dmxp/20120209
4) Go through the printed scenario and highlight your skill checks, traps, etc. I like to make notes of NPCS who are friendly in green highlighter and enemies in pink highlighter.
5) Print off all your monsters and NPCS. If your NPCs interact with the players, try to come up with a voice acting plan for them. It can be simple like: Surly dwarf, sounds like Captain Haddock from Tintin (etc.)
6) Print off all of your spells with a Spell Card Generator:
http://www.thegm.org/perramsSpellbook.php
7) Print off all your feats and abilities that may be used.
8) Make sure you have all your pawns/minis/etc. I also like to have a small bag of Fantasy Flight tokens in various colors (green, gold, silver, red, blue) just in case I need to mark things unexpectedly.
9) Read the scenario again to make sure you have everything you need.
10) Get your "kit" together. Make sure you have a stapler, 3-hole punch, some wet erase markers, pencils, etc. and have a session sheet and the chronicle sheet ready.
11) Make sure you posted the event, have the event number, and know your own GM number. Write all that down on the chronicle sheets.
12) Bring snacks.
13) GM!
Good luck. ^_^
You will screw up.
Don't worry, they probably can't tell.
'if they can tell they proobably don't care.
Just hope you don't run for one of your VLs who ran the scenario/mod for you and still remembers the monster stats that you forgot to include but then wonders why you didn't have people rolling specific saves. It's not like the party needed wisdom damage, confusion, and con-drain to help out their new-GM-was-too-afraid-to-TPK scenario.
As actual help, if you have the time and a willing additional person, do a mock-run. The first thing I ran was a L3 module. I had my partner play a couple of our higher level characters so that I could work out how spells, tactics, ambushes, personalities, and the like worked. If you have someone willing to sit with you, but can't/doesn't want to spoil the whole adventure, work through a couple rounds of the most vital encounters just to get the hang of keeping track of everyone and how things interact.
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I am set to run my first pfs event this saturday. Any advice for a new GM?
re-read the grapple rules- read them again a few times if any critter has grab.
Look over the combat manuver rules, especially if you don't have a character that uses them a lot - quite a few people do them wrong, and they have 2nd, 3rd, 6th, 7th level characters and they've never been called on it.
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Some GMs will disagree with me, but with the removal of seaons 0-4 faction missions, that gives the GM extra time to stop and look up and understand confusing mechanics. I have never once regretted double checking a murky mechanic, whereas I know a few GMs that have had to retcon entire scenarios because they killed/TPKed through illegal mechanics.
I have a couple things that I like to do:
1) Read the scenario several times and print it off.
2) On an index card, make a list of key "points" that happen in the scenario so you can keep track of the plot.
3) Draw out your maps ahead of time. I have three blank Paizo flip mats and use wet erase markers to have my maps made.
Chris Perkins has excellent articles on maps:
http://www.wizards.com/dnd/article.aspx?x=dnd/4dmxp/201202094) Go through the printed scenario and highlight your skill checks, traps, etc. I like to make notes of NPCS who are friendly in green highlighter and enemies in pink highlighter.
5) Print off all your monsters and NPCS. If your NPCs interact with the players, try to come up with a voice acting plan for them. It can be simple like: Surly dwarf, sounds like Captain Haddock from Tintin (etc.)
6) Print off all of your spells with a Spell Card Generator:
http://www.thegm.org/perramsSpellbook.php7) Print off all your feats and abilities that may be used.
8) Make sure you have all your pawns/minis/etc. I also like to have a small bag of Fantasy Flight tokens in various colors (green, gold, silver, red, blue) just in case I need to mark things unexpectedly.
9) Read the scenario again to make sure you have everything you need.
10) Get your "kit" together. Make sure you have a stapler, 3-hole punch, some wet erase markers, pencils, etc. and have a session sheet and the chronicle sheet ready.
11) Make sure you posted the event, have the event number, and know your own GM number. Write all that down on the chronicle sheets.
12) Bring snacks.
13) GM!
Good luck. ^_^
I ROFLOL every time the comic book/gaming store owner touts me as a "professional GM", but after adding your bits that I am not already doing to my retinue I think I can finally believe them.
Marcus, I know you have already GM'd your game but I can tell you the first time I GM'd was at DragonCon. I was scared to death..."What if I ruin the game...
Having fun is the most important thing. If you have fun, they have fun. Most players don't care at all about technical mastery of the rules -- I always hear that people like that I am organized (so they aren't waiting for me to find stuff in the book) and that I have "funny voices". Picking out crazy voices for my NPCs and hamming it up makes it fun for me. :)
I really liked watching Chris Perkins run D&D for the writers of Robot Chicken (the video is on YouTube) and so I try to run my game so that people who play it remember having fun, and people watching say "That looks awesome and I want to play next!"
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Robert brings up a great point!
Attempt to limit the 'filler' talk/meta talk.
That is, people might spend the first 15 minutes talking about that game of thrones episode from last night, then you might get a player talking about their uber other character in a similar game... you will see the coherency of the game fall flat on its face as players will lose focus. It dosnt take much to set some players off in this regard, it can be that a mobile phone at the table with ring far too often.