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As I was filling out a post for the complement to this thread re: trouble, I realized I'd rather focus on the joys of this game I love.
So I deleted that post and here it goes...
-When you sit at the table next to a guy you bantered with last convention, who looks joyful to see you too.
-When the youth at your table, playing a Barbarian, carries an armory to overcome DR, has a great Will save, and factors in the ongoing buffs better than you do. (Couldn't have made it through Bonekeep without him.)
-When you line up for Bonekeep 2, and get many of the same fellows (and same GM) who helped you complete Bonekeep 1.
-When a veteran player sits next to you and says "I'm going to be focusing on making your PCs do better, and keeping you alive."
-When you go into a notorious scenario...with a dedicated healer.
-When all the roles are covered, with backups.
-When the other players are talking tactics without your prompting.
-When the other players are introducing themselves in character before the GM sits down.
-When the names you didn't know on the signup list belong to people you've liked running/playing with before.
-When your GM has the AD&D DM screen, dragon and all. (Maybe that's just me.)
Yours?
Developer
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- When I return to a convention the following year, and folks I haven't seen since then still remember my character and his or her quirks.
- When some of those same players kept their characters in the same level range in the hope of "getting the band back together."
- When there is one or more characters who would benefit greatly when I play a "I'm going to focus on making your PCs do better" support character.
- When the other players are not only willing to buy into my character's roleplaying concept but also play off of it with their own characters.
- When another player's character uses a race-class combo or other concept that I've never seen before…and ends up with a competent character.
- When another player's character backstory or theme fits in really well with the campaign setting.
... everyone is asking you if you're playing one of your more locally famous characters.
Yeah, that one.
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Your DM is starting Skulls and Shackles and he has hand built a to scale full size ship that is also modular so you can remove the different decks and run encounters inside.
Same DM has built full size castles...churches, suspension bridges etc....So much fun.
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... when you're wandering through the extremely crowded floor of a convention looking for a table so you can play in the special, and a group of solid players that you've played with before is waving their hands excitedly and pointing at one of the empty seats at their table.
... when the GM is prepped, calm, and chatting casually.
... when you sit down at at a table and one of the players - someone you've had great times with in the past - tells you that they've stepped up for the first time and will be running this session.
... when the GM hasn't even started the VC briefing (or has just finished) and people are already roleplaying their characters.
... when you start running down the list of party needs (can we counter darkness? Can we see invisibility?) and everything is covered.
... when a player who seems to be having a bad day visibly leaves their stress at the gameshop door before walking over to the table.
... when you're an organizer trying to seat people at multiple games/tables and someone pops in unexpectedly with an offer to run a scenario that they have prepped.
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You see the veteran players helping the Newbies WITHOUT telling them what to do.
The players, without any prompting, tell you about the unusual things their character can do.
The players, at the start of the game, ask you how you rule on something that isn't clear. If there is time, they quickly make their argument on why you are wrong. And then accept your ruling.
The gunslinger isn't using a double barelled gun :-)
Venture-Captain, Michigan—Mt. Pleasant
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...you've been stressing all day about getting someone to run a scenario cold at a second table so everyone can play and your wife steps up and runs her second game (that week to boot) with 30 minutes prep. (And everyone had a good time.)
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RPG Superstar Season 9 Top 8
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The players, at the start of the game, ask you how you rule on something that isn't clear. If there is time, they quickly make their argument on why you are wrong. And then accept your ruling.
Thank you for doing this, local wind oracle that uses chains of perdition.
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...everyone present cares as much about the hand as you do.
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RPG Superstar 2014 Top 16, RPG Superstar 2013 Top 16
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...the GM has actual minis for the monsters, and not just empty token bases.
...the players coordinate beforehand to make sure all the party roles are covered, and everyone is willing and able to switch out if they have to.
...you recognize the name of one of your teammates from the forums.
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...you show up to GM a module, and all the players know the rules for whatever wacky build they're playing.
...none of the players want to argue with you over a ruling that is "grey area" material.
...(in my experience) the players are people you've never played with/gm'ed before, and they're having a polite conversation before the GM (even if that's you) sits down.
...All the pcs are members of the same half-orc/dwarven clan or family.
...all the pcs unexpectedly have exceptionally complementary builds that allow them to breeze through tough situations.
...the cleric says "I'm all about healing/support".
...no one complains about the cleric saying "I'm actually a melee specialist who does most of his healing outside of combat."
...no one has to ask another player to borrow a copy of a book they don't have with them, even though they're using some feat/class feature/class that's not from a core resource.
...people have good ACs which result in them not being hit very often. double this if you're the healer in the group.
...everyone pays attention to the briefing, asks intelligent questions, and draw up effective and flexible plans to deal with known variables.
...no one executes downed/surrendered enemies. (although this has yet to come up in PFS, I have seen it several times in shadowrun missions. and it bugs the crap outta me).
...players allow others to play their own characters, even if the decisions that player makes are "not tactically sound".
...the person making the diplomacy check has a reasoned, intelligent argument. I'm not saying that the person making the check has to be charismatic, but they should at least be willing to tell the GM what they're saying without just rolling a die and hoping for the best.
...people are willing to let the GM (within reason) mess with their character, or are willing to accept that they will be at a disadvantage at some point.
...everyone has a good will save, as well as an interaction skill of some sort.
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...When you hear your pcs chatting in character while you are ordering pizza.
...When the parties fighter is downed and the cleric rushes in healing spells ablazing!
...When the veteran player or GM tells the novice that they did a great job.
Man, this is a good thread.
RPG Superstar 2012 Top 32
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...You're GMing for the second time at your first con, and one of the players from your first session shows up at your table again and tells his friend "This is the GM I was telling you about!"
I hope he was smiling when he said it, as opposed to pointing while red-faced and scowling. ;)
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... You have some travel, and the wizard in he party asks, "who wants a Continual Flame heightened to level 5?"
... You see that your GM is going to be one guy locally that you've been wanting to play with but have never had the chance!
... you went from GMing Prince of Augustana, to replaying The Confirmation (and have not built a character yet), to end up playing Ghennet Manor!
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...TOZ is your GM.Wrong thread.
LOL.
And this coming from a GM featured on the other thread.Oh yeah, and whose name has been used as a verb on these boards!
"Oh, we got bairded! Everybody was down, but at least I was able to Dim Door out with one guy & get him rezzed." Something like that...
BTW, I would love to sit down at your table. (Though not with my main!)
Yours too, TOZ.
Vrog said:
...All the pcs are members of the same half-orc/dwarven clan or family.
Or Halfling! Long live the Tumbleblades!
All of which can tumble, none of whom are allowed blades.
"Hunting down Bunye since before Aroden's fall."
Adding:
-When you're prepping to run the only high-tier table for a special, and realize you know nearly all the players and their PCs' abilities.
-When nobody can solo the BBEGs, and all can contribute.
-When the players volunteer the most complex rules they use, and you're savvy to each.
-When you sit down to a social scenario, and see everyone can socialize & has Stealth. (Took half a session on that one, even taking time to steal wine & have the sorcerer whore himself out.)
-When the PCs regroup after a setback.
-When the players are happy the big mooks can survive a full attack.
-When you kill a PC, but a reroll or Breath of Life is able to save them. Addendum: Or otherwise put them one factor away from death.
-When you then use up all the party's rerolls & emergency healing.
-When you state your GMing style/table rules and multiple players thank you.
-When Wizards take the time to share spellbooks before group play has begun.
Cheers.
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When you hear "I wrote the module but I'd like to see what it's like from a player's standpoint."
...everyone present cares as much about the hand as you do.
...sigh. This is why you shouldn't use your cell phone to post comments, and why you shouldn't post before proofreading. (and I will not learn anything from this).
Ahem... "...everyone present cares as much about the game as much as you do."
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When you hear "I wrote the module but I'd like to see what it's like from a player's standpoint."
Related: You are setting up to run a scenario and its author walks in and allows himself to be talked into playing it.... who proceeds to lose Wife Faction making himself late to leave the con for telling the story of the table to others he previously GM ed it for.
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You're a bard, two other players are bards and the NPC guide is a Bard.Were you at my table at CoastCon?
No, this was my game on Saturday.
PFS in Adelaide has become the Bardfinder Society of Bardelaide, thanks to a couple of enthusiastic people (including myself). We're thinking of making T-shirts.
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-When my table of players are laughing about the antics at large than fighting over rules.
-The look on players faces when one of them wants to do something unbelievably stupid and I ask, twice, "Are you sure?"
-When my players resort to roleplaying out a complete discussion than simply letting the dice roll determine if they succeed or not.
-When the players actually look through old boons which give them a boost to do something at the current session, all because of roleplaying that one scene. (No, really. I had a guy who had some goblet which would add to his diplomacy, and he used the boon to simply "Give his character some added pompousry" to make his cover story stick. It was awesome)
-Having people who only met you once a year ago contact you a year later just to ask what tables you are running so they can play there again.
-Being Ambrus Valsin ;)
