For lack of a group, I decided to make one. For lack of a GM, I've been chosen as the de facto one. I've only been playing for about a year, and though I know the rules of Pathfinder very well, I am not confident in my abilities. I do have some adventure ideas, and I could find some modules or ideas online, I'm sure. But what really worries me is my players.
About a month ago, I was setting things up much as I am this time: I asked around to see if anyone would be interested in playing Dungeon World, and I approved the first 5 names who expressed remote interest.
This probably goes without saying, but things didn't go well.
I spent days poring over the GM guide and making sure I understood the rules of play. I looked over every character they made and I even allowed them to choose an unusual race, for which I invented an ability to give to each of them. (relatively easy, in Dungeon World. Every race/class combo gets a fitting ability. It's not too hard, and it made them feel a lot more personal.)
When game time came, the very first player took his very first turn, and immediately attempted to use one of his powers in an illegal way. I told him he could not, and he threw a tantrum which ground the game to a halt. The resulting argument led to the group being disbanded, not because things were so intense that we swore never to speak again, but because I was too timid to tell certain players to leave. I found it easier to just throw everything away.
Needless to say, I'm probably an awful GM. But I'm all there is for this group, so I need to do my best.
The new group isn't quite as bad as the other. I'm personally acquainted with two of the five players, which should make things a little safer, but the other three, as with last time, are little more then strangers. And one of them is known to be very very young - under 13, in fact. I am worried that Pathfinder will not be what the strangers are expecting, especially the young one, but I don't want to turn them away based on what is essentially prejudice.
As best I can tell, only one of them has played 4th edition D&D. The rest have never played a TTRPG in their lives, so I'll need to teach them the ropes. I do have some ideas for a "tutorial adventure," as it were - mainly ripping off the 2nd adventure I ever went on, since it introduced a lot of basic concepts - but I'm worried about the possibility of pouring all this hard work down the drain because I didn't think to make sure my players were up for this sort of game.
What do you recommend? How can I ensure that my players are prepared play nice, and to stick around for a game that's a little tougher to get into then your average video game?
Run a practice session. And tell your players it's a practice session.
Maybe provide a choice of pre-gen PCs for the practice session. That way, they're not super emotionally invested in their PCs.
Also, explain that you're the final arbiter. Pathfinder is complicated enough without arguing about it. Also, arguing about it isn't fun, and watching other people argue about it is also the opposite of fun.
Do they know you're a new DM/GM? Hopefully, they'll work with you and not against you.
Just explain to them that you are new at DM'ing and if they could go easy on you. If rules become a problem ask if they just side with you during games and look into later.
For the first session put them up against lots of mooks and give them some easy but satisfying wins. Not every fight needs to be a challenge, sometimes Bruce Lee and Arnold Schwarzenegger just kick ass.
Throw in a mention of some nice reward to keep there interest, don't give it to them early, it's something they should build towards, heaps of gold, land titles, a magical sky ship, etc
Importantly make sure you ocassionally ask the more quite players what they are doing so they feel included.
Being the final arbiter is the thing I hate most about being GM. It's not a role I am suited for.
What sort of thing should I do for a practice session that would be different from a normal one? I'm obviously not going to launch them into a deep campaign with a rich story just yet - I don't even have one prepared anyway. We'll just be doing mission-style mercenary work until I'm sure things are stable and everyone will play nice, but that's still a lot of work which could be potentially wasted.
EDIT: Ninjad. I will give them a fight against some wimpy bandits, but I want to make it clear that Pathfinder isn't all combat. They will face some puzzles and such as well. But like I said, I'm worried that this will all just go to waste. If the "stranger" players all turn out to be wrong for the group, I won't be able to use the same adventures again for the players who are my friends, lest I risk boring them with repetition.
I'm actually kind of tossing around the idea of playing something else, like Poker or Chinese Checkers or whatever, as a way of gauging everyone's demeanors. It won't ensure that they're up for a complicated game, but it'll give me peace of mind that they could compete and be civil about it. Does that make sense?
Being the final arbiter is the thing I hate most about being GM. It's not a role I am suited for.
What sort of thing should I do for a practice session that would be different from a normal one? I'm obviously not going to launch them into a deep campaign with a rich story just yet - I don't even have one prepared anyway. We'll just be doing mission-style mercenary work until I'm sure things are stable and everyone will play nice, but that's still a lot of work which could be potentially wasted.
EDIT: Ninjad. I will give them a fight against some wimpy bandits, but I want to make it clear that Pathfinder isn't all combat. They will face some puzzles and such as well. But like I said, I'm worried that this will all just go to waste. If the "stranger" players all turn out to be wrong for the group, I won't be able to use the same adventures again for the players who are my friends, lest I risk boring them with repetition.
I'm actually kind of tossing around the idea of playing something else, like Poker or Chinese Checkers or whatever, as a way of gauging everyone's demeanors. It won't ensure that they're up for a complicated game, but it'll give me peace of mind that they could compete and be civil about it. Does that make sense?
Settlers of Catan is a nice game to practice with. It's a good combination of competitiveness and cooperation.
Maybe do a heist-based session instead of a mercenary-based session. It will have more skill checks, opportunities to AVOID combat, and it will give them the opportunity to:
1. Get the team together
2. Make a plan together
3. Execute the plan
4. Deal with all the monkey wrenches you (as the GM) throw at them
5. Enjoy the fruits of their "labor"
Hmmm, Catan is a bit slow, in my experience..... but you are right, it should probably be something with a cooperative element. But what sort of thing would work? At least one of them definitely does not have Tabletop Simulator, so I can't just pull out something like Red Dragon Inn or what have you. (have I mentioned that this is an online group? Because it is.)
A heist..... that could be a very good idea, if I could pull it off.... but I've never played an adventure where there was a clear choice between barging in guns blazing or sneaking in the back door. I have no idea how to build something like that..... maybe I can find a module somewhere.....?
There might be some versions of Braniac that are collaborative. Not sure if they're online-friendly, though.
Perhaps I could make a version of Saboteur on Roll20 somehow. It's a simple enough game to learn, and it's cooperative and competitive at once, not to mention it's a game of hidden roles and deception. Might showcase how people act in such situations well enough.