Ways to impress your GM

[GM Lamplighter]

To catch the other side of the coin from this thread, how about some ways for players to impress their GMs? Not just by knowing the rules or whatever, but ways that help streamline the GM's job?

One of our players plays a drunken master/white-haired witch/something else that basically has 5 attacks, each with grab and constrict, on a full attack. (Don't ask me about the build, I don't know.) I've seen builds like this take five minutes for a player to resolve all of the attacks, rolling each attack and doing the math one-by-one.

Rene is different. He's gotten one of those segmented plastic boxes, and put each die, colored-coded, in the grid of little boxes. Every attack, damage, CMB, and constrict damage are in its own column. To make a full attack, he shakes the whole box and plops it down on the table. All the dice are visible, with the appropriate damage, CMB for grab, and constrict damage all laid out. It takes him perhaps 20 seconds to resolve all 10 damage rolls (less once he knows roughly what the "hit" numbers are from a previous round). *HUGE* time-saver.

What other ways can players help the GM?

[Silbeg]

Sometimes it is the simplest things.

• Have your character sheet in an easily readable format, with your easily readable ITSs (not ITS sheets ;)) available.
  
• Have all of your additional resources available!
  
• Help a newer player through a difficult rule (or even better, do a once-over on their character sheet)
  
• Say "Thank you" for running
  

[godsDMit]

~ Show up on time (meaning early)
~ Have all of your stuff ready to go (pencil, dice, minis)
~ Have the last chronicle sheet filled out
~ Have your spells prepared
~ If all the players arrive before the GM, try to figure out which subtier you'll be playing at.
~ Try not to have to take a bathroom break in the first half hour at the table. That will usually be enough time for the GM to get settled, ask any questions, make any decisions or rulings for the table, and get the mission briefing completed and the party under way.
~ Have your actions picked out before it comes to your turn during combat
~ Inform the GM up front if you have Trap Spotter.

[Dragnmoon]

Bring Beer!

[nosig]

Thank you GM Lamplighter! This is a much better thread! I'll try to chip in with some of the things I have had players do for me (or that I seen) a little later, but I wanted to post a thank you by itself.

[Hrothdane]

Arrive early and tell the GM ahead of time about any weird or rarely-seen aspects of your build so that any rules discussions can happen before the game. Even if it's something that is clearly explained in an FAQ, not every GM is familiar with every ability.

[nosig]

use dice everyone can read - even from across the table.

Pay attention, play and have fun, and let everyone else know how much fun you are having - without going overboard (that could be creepy!).

Smile. It helps. really.

[The Broken GM]

Have the stat blocks of summoned creatures to hand if you are going to be using them, spell cards, or bookmarks for commonly used ones also help save time.

[Shaun]

Be an expert on your own character.

Be planning your next move while others are taking theirs.

Look up the relevant rules you're going to use in your next move on your own; don't expect to announce your actions and then, if the rules aren't known, sit there and let the GM to do all of the searching.

If it's not your turn and you could speed things up by helping search for a rule while the GM and the player acting are doing what they have to, volunteer to do it.

Break down your actions a little bit for clarity for the table: "I do X as a move action. Next I do Y as a standard action. I say Z as a free action. I'm done."

ROLEPLAY! Don't just say "I hit it for 5 damage" and let the GM do all the describing. Describe your own actions. Insert your own witty quips. Give the GM something to riff off of and you'll see the action of the game become much more vivid. Making the GM do everything ensures he'll quickly run out of ideas and the combat will degrade into dull comparing of numbers.

Throw all of your dice for an action at once. Combining attack dice with damage dice saves a surprising amount of time.

If the GM is forgetting to apply a rule in one instance (i.e. miss chance in dim light) be honest and bring it up. Just like you would if he was forgetting a rule that would benefit you. He'll think you're so awesome for that.

Basically recognize that the GM is juggling a lot of things and if you can make his life easier, you make everyone's game better.

[anthonydido]

Roll attack and damage dice at the same time. Roll multiple attacks as well, just let me know which color dice are 1st, 2nd, 3rd, etc.

Know your bonuses to attack and damage beforehand (at least mostly) so it doesn't take 5 minutes to add it up.

Be ready when your turn comes up.

Don't run other people's characters. Let them make their own decisions, good or bad. Let me remind them of certain actions they could take. It's usually much easier coming from the GM than another player, especially a stranger.

Remind me of ongoing effects or anything else I may have forgotten.

Accept my rules decisions. We can talk about it later (unless it's a life or death matter).

Overall...be prepared. I hate having to loan out pencils and paper and even minis sometimes.

That's off the top of my head. I'm sure there are more.

[pH unbalanced]

Be as enthusiastic as the newbies!!!!!

Because if you seem like you're having fun, and want to be around other people having fun, we can work through absolutely everything else.

[Disk Elemental]

1. Have your character sheet legible, and readily available.

2. Pay attention to the game. Phones and computers should be put away.

3. Know your character. My life is so much easier if players know how their character works

4. Keep all ruling discussions under 2 minutes. I'm human. I will make ruling mistakes. Please pull out your book and correct me during a break, don't interrupt combat.

5. It's called "roleplaying," not "rollplaying." I understand that not everyone is comfortable being in character for the entire time, but make an effort to have a little personality during social encounters.

6. Also, you're all highly trained professionals, acting like a jackass occasionally is funny, acting like a jackass constantly, is not.

7. Plan in advance. This goes triple for spell casters. No one wants to go through your entire spell book every time you get a turn.

8. At least try to have fun. A negative player drags an entire table down. Don't be that guy.

9. If I ask to see a resource, or how you're accomplishing something, don't act offended. I'm just doing my job.

[godsDMit]

Have your modifiers figured up before you do whatever you are going to do. None of the 'I rolled a 12 + 2 Strength + 3 base + 1 Size, so thats 18. But I charged, so thats 20, and +1 from the Bard and +2 for flank so...Does 23 hit?'

[Slacker2010]

Seth Gipson wrote:

Have your modifiers figured up before you do whatever you are going to do. None of the 'I rolled a 12 + 2 Strength + 3 base + 1 Size, so thats 18. But I charged, so thats 20, and +1 from the Bard and +2 for flank so...Does 23 hit?'

aww, but how else am I too let others know how awesome I am if I can't anounce all my modifiers?

[trollbill]

Remember that there are other people at the table who want to have fun, too (including the GM).

[Silbeg]

Shaun wrote:

If the GM is forgetting to apply a rule in one instance (i.e. miss chance in dim light) be honest and bring it up. Just like you would if he was forgetting a rule that would benefit you. He'll think you're so awesome for that.

This, +1000000!!!

In fact, don't wait for the GM.

Example: Running a gunslinger.

I roll a 2 (or 3?) on the die... now, the GM may only think that a natural 1 will misfire, but you know that in this case, perhaps because you are using alchemical cartridges, this is a misfire. Without waiting for someone to catch me, I declare the misfire. This can go for just about anything (AOOs, spell casting time, spell effects, etc).

Here's another good one...
"I don't agree with your ruling, but instead of arguing for 25 minutes, we'll just go with it. Let's talk about this offline, and figure out then what is right."

[Silbeg]

Seth Gipson wrote:

Have your modifiers figured up before you do whatever you are going to do. None of the 'I rolled a 12 + 2 Strength + 3 base + 1 Size, so thats 18. But I charged, so thats 20, and +1 from the Bard and +2 for flank so...Does 23 hit?'

That's a great use of note cards!

Oh, another thing that's impressive. Have Buff cards (even better, your OWN personalized ones - that are easy to read, etc) for spells and effects you are going to be running. Make it easy for people to remember what buffs you have.

Another thing I have seen recently... have a note card or something you can calculate all of the group's buffs on (such as Haste, Bless, Inspire Courage, etc)...

[trollbill]

Silbeg wrote:

Seth Gipson wrote:

Have your modifiers figured up before you do whatever you are going to do. None of the 'I rolled a 12 + 2 Strength + 3 base + 1 Size, so thats 18. But I charged, so thats 20, and +1 from the Bard and +2 for flank so...Does 23 hit?'

That's a great use of note cards!

Oh, another thing that's impressive. Have Buff cards (even better, your OWN personalized ones - that are easy to read, etc) for spells and effects you are going to be running. Make it easy for people to remember what buffs you have.

Another thing I have seen recently... have a note card or something you can calculate all of the group's buffs on (such as Haste, Bless, Inspire Courage, etc)...

As a corollary, if you have a self buffing character whose bonuses are constantly in flux, have something to speed up your calculations. Index cards, cross-reference tables, or Hero Lab on your iPad all work well for this.

[WalterGM]

Know what you are going to do before your turn in combat.

Nothing slows down a high level game like people not knowing what to do when their turn comes around.

[Wrong John Silver]

Slacker2010 wrote:

Seth Gipson wrote:

Have your modifiers figured up before you do whatever you are going to do. None of the 'I rolled a 12 + 2 Strength + 3 base + 1 Size, so thats 18. But I charged, so thats 20, and +1 from the Bard and +2 for flank so...Does 23 hit?'

aww, but how else am I too let others know how awesome I am if I can't anounce all my modifiers?

Incidentally, this is why I LOATHE the HeroLab output. It hides where all the modifiers come from. WE NEED THAT.

And I LOVE the Buff Card system.

[Vrog Skyreaver]

Bullet point time:

. Pay attention to the mission briefing. This will tell you things you need to know. As a person, I know I tend to gravitate towards people who are paying attention to their surroundings. In the army, we had a saying "stay alert, stay alive." not a bad idear in an RPG as well. See below as well.

. Pay attention during a fight. Look up things DIRECTLY after your turn that you wanna do for your next turn, then pay attention to what other people/the enemies are doing. Almost no one can afford to be unawares as to what is going on around them.

. Be willing to be disadvantaged sometimes. Being the guy who goes through all their stuff to find the boon that lets you reroll a save that results in your death is smart. Being the guy who argues with the GM for 20 minutes because you take a -2 penalty to your attack rolls is not. Be willing to accept disadvantage with grace, and you'll be happer when your moment of awesome rolls back around.

. Ask pertinent questions, especially in the mission briefing. Being in the habit of asking questions (even my fallback of "is there anything else you think we should know") helps you get into the practice of knowing more, which can lead to a better play experience for everyone, not just you.

. Always have something to do on your turn. Let's say you're sickened and shaken. Making an aid other attack to aid your buddie's AC against the creature's first attack can mean the difference between life and death. As a spellcaster, even if you don't want to use one of your higher level spells, casting a low level spell, like bless, can sometimes make the difference between success and failure. As a corollary to this, see above.

. You don't have to be an actor, but have an idea of the argument you want to use when making a diplomacy check. Saying "I want to remind the count of his obligations to the king" is good. saying "I want to roll diplomacy because it's on my character sheet" is less good. I like to think about it this way: If the GM asks me what I'm saying, I tell him, then let him decide which interaction skill I'm using.

. as a addendum to "be willing to be disadvantaged", I'd add trust the gm. Here's a person who is doing their best to balance a bunch of information and personalities, all while trying to make sure that everyone has a good time. Give them the benefit of the doubt, and don't assume that they're "out to get you".

I could probably think of others, but those are the ones that stick out in my mind when it comes to good players. (HINT: good players do many of these things, if not all of them)

[Jiggy]

For complete balance, should we mirror this thread (and its sister thread) from the perspective of things the GM does that impresses/annoys players?

[Vrog Skyreaver]

probably, although many of the things I see/I say about from the perspective of the GM still bother me from the perspective of the player, so my responses would be mostly the same.

[MillerHero]

• I use easily readable dice.
• Rolling attack and damage together, I report the AC and damage mentioning that it includes flanking, bless, and inspire courage.
• When asked to make a save or skill check I reply "22 or 24 vs fear"; "13 or 16 vs traps."
• I ask "Who's turn is it?" when things get off track and need to return to the game.
• When my turn is done, I say I'm done.

[GM Lamplighter]

Jiggy - absolutely! The point is to share good habits and point out less-than-optimum choices, which benefit GMs and Players alike.

[nosig]

I use a table tent for each of my PCs.

(It normally has a PC Picture, character name, my name and a discription of my PC, and a "tag line" I often use in character. I have added the PCs Perception & Sense Motive, and resently his Fame total...)

[GM Lamplighter]

Nosig... Were you at my table of 4-24 at PaizoCon last year? I was the halfling with the crazy German accent who disguised himself as a goblin... There was a great table tent at that table, in a plastic holder, much as you describe.

[MichaelCullen]

I had a relatively new player at one of my PFS tables and I hit him with a crit from a skeleton, I almost killed him and I described the gash it caused on his face. He survived and a couple of months later we were both playing at the same table, he introduced his character to the table as an undead hating barbarian who had a scar across his face. I became quite attached to that PC and later even paid for a raise dead on him. I saw his PC recently and his whole concept was now built around an undead slaying barbarian.

That gash I said was on his face was just me describing combat flavorfully, he turned it into a whole character concept.

[Feegle]

Shaun wrote:

Be planning your next move while others are taking theirs.

OH EM GEE YES.

[The Fox]

I try to announce the actions I am taking, what type of action it is, and what feats or abilities I am using for that action, especially with complicated characters.

An example might look like:

"Free action to drop my crossbow. Swift action, Smite Evil against that guy who just walked up to me. Free action to draw my dwarven waraxe using Quick Draw. Standard action to attack using Power Attack. [ROLLS DICE] 23 to hit for 18 points of magical cold-iron slashing damage. 5-ft Step back through the doorway as non-action. I still have a move action left which I will use to close the door behind me."

I also always announce when I'm taking actions that will provoke attacks of opportunity. If the opponent has already taken an AoO that round, I usually say something like "I'm moving past this guy here to get into flanking position. I'm not tumbling, so it provokes if he has Combat Reflexes."

[fine_young_misanthrope]

Be happy to be playing. I don't care if you got three hours of sleep. If you show up and are grumpy/mean then its going to be a LONG game.

Don't be "that guy/girl".

[nosig]

GM Lamplighter wrote:

Nosig... Were you at my table of 4-24 at PaizoCon last year? I was the halfling with the crazy German accent who disguised himself as a goblin... There was a great table tent at that table, in a plastic holder, much as you describe.

sorry, no.

I've not been to PaizoCon yet

[Akinra]

Here are my favorites, both that I do and that have been done:

Putting the Sources on your Character Sheet for fast reference.

Meeting with me pre-start to go over rarely used rules, such as for Mounted Combat.

Bringing the Additional Resources print outs!

Bringing copies of FAQs for strange and rarely used Mechanics. (see Poison).

Bringing mini-guides for your various special abilities you plan to test (Thanks for the Light mini-guide, Jiggy).

Waiting until asked to roll any dice.

[Lithrac]

Things I appreciate most in a player:

- Being prepared. This includes stat blocks for summoned creatures, additional resources, not needing to spend 10 minutes looking up a spell before he/she decides not to use it, and arriving on time. Basically, everything that'll help the game to keep its pace.

- Being open-minded, positive and helpful, especially towards newer players. Things such as helping someone to do his level-up can spare much energy for a GM.

[nosig]

Lithrac wrote:

Things I appreciate most in a player:

- Being prepared. This includes stat blocks for summoned creatures, additional resources, not needing to spend 10 minutes looking up a spell before he/she decides not to use it, and arriving on time. Basically, everything that'll help the game to keep its pace.

- Being open-minded, positive and helpful, especially towards newer players. Things such as helping someone to do his level-up can spare much energy for a GM.

I have to highlight this! A really cool thing happened a few games back for me! I was running a game with a mostly Newbies in it, 3 in fact were young girls (9-13 years old)... one running a Sorcerer (1st level, on her 2nd game). She has chosen "summon monster 1" as one of her spells... she picked them... anyway, they are in an encounter on a boat and she states she is starting to cast (and knows that it takes the entire round!) Summon Monster and when she finishes the spell and get's the monster she has the stats for all of them printed out - even the dolphin that she needed! And even knows that she still gets her full turn on the second turn! wow... impressed me.

Guys, if a 12 year old girl on her second game can do this... why can't us "old guy gamers"?

[Avatar-1]

Akinra wrote:

Here are my favorites, both that I do and that have been done:

Putting the Sources on your Character Sheet for fast reference.

Meeting with me pre-start to go over rarely used rules, such as for Mounted Combat.

These two are particularly good.

I'm really keen to see a well-done character sheet with references all over to sources. Not just to books, but where boosts come from for abilities, saves, skills, etc as well.

I use a text based one for online play, and that works pretty well, but I know not many people are using text character sheets, and it doesn't translate well to paper (which is a story in itself).

[Tiny Coffee Golem]

A big bag of funyons and enough mountain dew to share.

[Bbauzh ap Aghauzh]

The biggest thing that impresses me as a GM, and this is probably personal taste, is:

If as a player you have a good character build, but have made some less than uber-optimal choices in the name of roleplay and character.

This isn't to say the character should be under-optimized, but rather, just a good or even great character, but not so min-maxed that it sucks the life out of the character.

If you have a in-world story behind every build choice your character has made, rather than "because its the most powerful option", then that impresses me.

EDIT: If you can come up with a story driven reason why your character is min-maxed to all hell, then I won't focus on your character's power. I will focus on the story of your character, and to me, that's how you truly build a shared story.

[Chernobyl]

Avatar-1 wrote:

Akinra wrote:

Here are my favorites, both that I do and that have been done:

Putting the Sources on your Character Sheet for fast reference.

Meeting with me pre-start to go over rarely used rules, such as for Mounted Combat.

These two are particularly good.

I'm really keen to see a well-done character sheet with references all over to sources. Not just to books, but where boosts come from for abilities, saves, skills, etc as well.

I use a text based one for online play, and that works pretty well, but I know not many people are using text character sheets, and it doesn't translate well to paper (which is a story in itself).

I've got a 28-page folio I've done that you should see...

[Hrothdane]

During character introductions, describe your character, not your character sheet.

Advise new players when they seem to be struggling. Help them with their paperwork. If you have a good RP character, try to RP with them.

Don't just wait for me to show you the plot railroad tracks. Do things. As long as you aren't going completely crazy, I'll get them to come to you.

If you have an uber optimized character at a table with unoptimized characters, don't pull out the cheese until it's needed.

[snickersimba]

bring them snacks they can eat while still being able to talk. Like yogurt. Also, bring them something for there throat, they will get a sore throat.

If only I could apply these on a more regular basis, I hate how little I get to play pathfinder. No one in my area plays. Other than the monthly PFS. I play D&D weekly, but fourth edition isn't as much fun. I really want to play things like reign of winter and rise of the runelords, instead of just scouring the internet for as many scraps as I can. This makes snickers sad.

If the Gm is talking, listen, don't roll dice,eat,drink or anything, wait untill he finishes. If you must, do it quietly.

Put your freaking phone on vibrate. Better yet, turn it off. Unless you have elderly and small children, the phone should be off. Simple.

bring extras for everyone. Even extra snacks. I try to make sure my entire table has stuff.

[Cire]

nosig wrote:

Lithrac wrote:

Things I appreciate most in a player:

- Being prepared. This includes stat blocks for summoned creatures, additional resources, not needing to spend 10 minutes looking up a spell before he/she decides not to use it, and arriving on time. Basically, everything that'll help the game to keep its pace.

- Being open-minded, positive and helpful, especially towards newer players. Things such as helping someone to do his level-up can spare much energy for a GM.

I have to highlight this! A really cool thing happened a few games back for me! I was running a game with a mostly Newbies in it, 3 in fact were young girls (9-13 years old)... one running a Sorcerer (1st level, on her 2nd game). She has chosen "summon monster 1" as one of her spells... she picked them... anyway, they are in an encounter on a boat and she states she is starting to cast (and knows that it takes the entire round!) Summon Monster and when she finishes the spell and get's the monster she has the stats for all of them printed out - even the dolphin that she needed! And even knows that she still gets her full turn on the second turn! wow... impressed me.

Guys, if a 12 year old girl on her second game can do this... why can't us "old guy gamers"?

This is due to good parenting. I got her dad to make me some for summon nature's ally as well. :)

[Cfoot]

So I was GMing the midnight slot at a con and it was a laid back session. But when the BBEG appeared she started wreaking havoc and on a full attack crit, crit, hit the party's wounded pally. It was evident he wasn't going to make it. Because of the tone of the night, I was going to be (rightly or wrongly) merciful. I asked him what his con was, so that I could put him one point away from death. But he looked me in the eye without arrogance or bravado and said, "Bring it all, boss."

Ways to impress your GM: Die with honor. No crying or bellyaching. Hold your head up high like a true adventurer.

This guy, who I don't even know his name, changed the way that I play and deal with character death. When one of my PCs die, I remember this and imitate.

[nosig]

Cire wrote:

nosig wrote:

Lithrac wrote:

Things I appreciate most in a player:

- Being prepared. This includes stat blocks for summoned creatures, additional resources, not needing to spend 10 minutes looking up a spell before he/she decides not to use it, and arriving on time. Basically, everything that'll help the game to keep its pace.

- Being open-minded, positive and helpful, especially towards newer players. Things such as helping someone to do his level-up can spare much energy for a GM.

I have to highlight this! A really cool thing happened a few games back for me! I was running a game with a mostly Newbies in it, 3 in fact were young girls (9-13 years old)... one running a Sorcerer (1st level, on her 2nd game). She has chosen "summon monster 1" as one of her spells... she picked them... anyway, they are in an encounter on a boat and she states she is starting to cast (and knows that it takes the entire round!) Summon Monster and when she finishes the spell and get's the monster she has the stats for all of them printed out - even the dolphin that she needed! And even knows that she still gets her full turn on the second turn! wow... impressed me.

Guys, if a 12 year old girl on her second game can do this... why can't us "old guy gamers"?

This is due to good parenting. I got her dad to make me some for summon nature's ally as well. :)

Cire - what the heck are you doing posting here at 7:20 PM when you are at a CON? get off the internet and back to the gaming table!

(snicker)

[Darrell Impey UK]

Cire wrote:

nosig wrote:

she has the stats for all of them printed out - even the dolphin that she needed! And even knows that she still gets her full turn on the second turn! wow... impressed me.

Guys, if a 12 year old girl on her second game can do this... why can't us "old guy gamers"?

This is due to good parenting. I got her dad to make me some for summon nature's ally as well. :)

I think it's a parent thing; I've made sure that my two eldest (druid & summoner respectively) have both got full stat' block print outs of all creatures available for SM/SNA 1 through 4.

[Cire]

Darrell Impey UK wrote:

Cire wrote:

nosig wrote:

she has the stats for all of them printed out - even the dolphin that she needed! And even knows that she still gets her full turn on the second turn! wow... impressed me.

Guys, if a 12 year old girl on her second game can do this... why can't us "old guy gamers"?

This is due to good parenting. I got her dad to make me some for summon nature's ally as well. :)

I think it's a parent thing; I've made sure that my two eldest (druid & summoner respectively) have both got full stat' block print outs of all creatures available for SM/SNA 1 through 4.

Yeah its a really good idea. Like nosig, I was super impressed.

I did have to edit them though because I have Augment Summoning. I dont like having to adjust things on the fly.

[downerbeautiful]

Something I haven't seen mentioned, but goes for players and GMs:
Know your limits.

Boyfriend dissolved your relationship and you're being a <choice word here> to everyone within 50 miles of you? Don't show up.

Mother's in the hospital, and you're focused solely on her health? Don't show up.

You or your child's ill? Don't even leave the house.

Barely stayed awake on the drive here and won't make it through a scenario? Don't show up, and call yourself a taxi-cab.

Negotiating a business deal and find yourself on the phone every five minutes? Don't show up.

I'd rather prepare a scenario and have the table fail to fire because the player respected his limits and didn't show, than have to sit through any of the above examples. Those of us who did show can find something else to do if a table doesn't make. Real life is far more important than a game.

<I reserve the right to not take my own advice. /ha!>

[Finlanderboy]

Honestly every DM has a different style, so adapt to that style.

I do NOT want people rolling all their attacks at once. It does an action before it occurs and could not longer be relevant/needed. in fact I will stop you and have you start over if i catch it so you can go over the sequence in order and adjust as needed.

More importantly come in to have fun and play to have fun. Being a grump makes it less fun for everyone there. If a player does something that enertains the table, that is the greatest thing you can do.

[blackbloodtroll]

Don't hit on his/her daughter.

[Damian Magecraft]

blackbloodtroll wrote:

Don't hit on his/her daughter.

especially if she is not over the age of consent...

It is the best way to be introduced to the door out (repeatedly, forcefully, and with malice aforethought).