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Your advice could apply to either PF2 or TTRPGs in general. Your advice could also come from a player's perspective; what advice would you give your GM to best enrich your experience at the table?
The biggest advice I have is to read everything (e.g., rulebooks, adventures, lore, character options, statblocks, my players' character sheets); this may seem like common sense, but it didn't come naturally to me. This doesn't mean you have to comprehend every single word, just touch it with your eyes, per se; it's hard enough finding time to play, let alone time to parse all that content. You'll surprise yourself with what you're able to recall, and your game will be richer for it!
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"Never let rules stop you or your players from telling a good story!"
While rules are the backbone of any TTRPG they should never be its exoskeleton. Obviously this is easier to achieve in a homebrew campaign than in a PFS short.
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I know that there are a lot of good things to be learned from improve theater and that the "yes, and..." approach to story telling is pretty in vogue in RPG circles at the moment, and I am not hating on tables where that works, but the thing I would remind GMs (especially newer GMs turning to published material to get a sense of how the game works) is that it is ok to say no to players when what they are asking really feels disruptive to the work that you have put into running your immediate session.
It can be a lot of fun for games to go off the rails, and when you feel ready to handle that, I recommend letting it happen in small steps as you get more comfortable, but don't feel pressured into letting things happen, whether they work according to the rules or not, that you realize will completely destroy your game.
If you find your players consistently wanting to do things in a more sandbox style than you have prepared, then talk about how your table might run something like that next time/ have rotating GMs. It is very easy to forget that the game should be fun for everyone, including the GM, and you are the one probably investing the most money and time into setting up your game.
So really the lesson is: Talk to your players. All the time. Express what your expectations are, as to why you agreed to GM, and that the players are expressing theirs as well before you play. Continue to feel free to express your expectations as the game continues, and be prepared to acknowledge and navigate those awkward situations when player expectations and GM expectations are not in alignment, without feeling like it is your responsibility to always concede to the will of your players.
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Don't prep more than you need to, for homebrew games and worldbuilding in particular. Sure, you could build a complex religious infrastructure of the nation you're playing in, but it probably isn't necessary.
Unless you enjoy doing that, that is. Then do as much as you can without burning out.
And on the topic of burnout, learn to talk to your players if you're feeling burnt out. Maybe one of them can run a few one shots for you to get a chance to be a player and get yourself back on your feet.
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So really the lesson is: Talk to your players. All the time.
SAME ICON! And excellent advice!
There's countless real-world situations that are complicated by a lack of communication, and TTRPGs are certainly one of them. Players won't get what they want out of a game if they don't speak up, and players often won't speak up unless the GM gives them opportunities to.
Go read up on new old vampires relationship map and implement it in every game you run.
I'm running a lot of V5 at the moment, but for some reason it never occurred to me to use the relationship map elsewhere. You're spot-on in that it's a great visual aid for juicy roleplay opportunities!
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Unless your group has agreed to it beforehand the players aren't your opponents. Ultimately in combat as the GM you are expected to lose as the players are supposed to be the heroes of the story (at least in pathfinder). Don't let those losses get personal.
Not every encounter needs to be super hard. let the players feel powerful sometimes.
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Like Ubertron_X said, don't let rules get in the way. It's easy to get bogged down in whether the DC should be a 17 or an 18 on that jump. Don't. Eyeball it, be consistent for that check, and then move on.
If you have rules-lawyery players who get miffed that you aren't following every letter of every rule, don't let them walk all over you. Instead, cite Rule 0 for that roll, let the table know that the ruling is made to keep things going, and deputize the rules lawyer to hunt through the rulebook for the "right ruling" while the rest of the table keeps going.
If you have to make a quick call like that, too, err on the side of the narrative first and then the players. I've found players are usually ok if something epic happens even if it isn't RAW, but they're also fine with something less epic happening if it doesn't feel like it's punishing their characters.
RPG Superstar 2008 Top 32
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So really the lesson is: Talk to your players. All the time.
And listen. LISTEN! I sometimes try to communicate with my players (and the GMs that i play 'under,' they have to LISTEN to what i am saying. Otherwise i feel like i am just there to warm a seat at the table.
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Go read up on new old vampires relationship map
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Go read up on new old vampires relationship map?
Specifically, Malk_Content is referring to Vampire: The Masquerade (VtM). The new edition of VtM (i.e., 5th edition) integrates a relationship map into its character creation and some mechanics. Their description of how it works and its ability to foster player engagement is spot-on!
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Don't sweat the small stuff. When making a ruling over a complex rule situation, go with what feels right and look up the official rules later. If your ruling was different than written but everyone in your game liked it, keep the new rule. If the official rule works better, use it.
I've had too many games bog down with rules-lawyering over the years, so I've learned when to move on.
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Your advice could apply to either PF2 or TTRPGs in general. Your advice could also come from a player's perspective; what advice would you give your GM to best enrich your experience at the table?
The biggest advice I have is to read everything (e.g., rulebooks, adventures, lore, character options, statblocks, my players' character sheets); this may seem like common sense, but it didn't come naturally to me. This doesn't mean you have to comprehend every single word, just touch it with your eyes, per se; it's hard enough finding time to play, let alone time to parse all that content. You'll surprise yourself with what you're able to recall, and your game will be richer for it!
It's okay to cry when no one is looking.
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My advice for new GMs to PF2e
- Read the rules well, but don't get hung up on rules you don't know while running a game say "I don't know the rule for that, I will rule as --- and check after the session". It is important to be playing as the creators intended while learning a system imo, but the games pacing is important as well.
- Keep houserules out of it until you know the system well and have run it in actual play through a decent number of levels. Too many people think they know best and fail to take into account player expectations/understandings or the knock on effects of their changes.
- Don't go overboard with your early games, keep them simple and familiar so both yourself and the players aren't overburdened while learning a new system of play. So many new GMs want to have a dream game asap, but it doesn't end up working out.
- Don't over compromise for what players want to play vs what you want to run. A GM who is having fun will almost always be more motivated and create a better gaming experience than one that has bent over backwards to make it what the players want. Some compromise and listening to what people want is good, but your fun as a GM HAS to come first as the effort and time you put in is just so much greater and has a much larger impact on whether the game continues or not.
- Use aids to speed up slower parts of the system, digital tools like fantasygrounds make for great in person aids. The magnetic combat tracker is a dream to use as well.
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My advice for new GMs to PF2e
- Read the rules well, but don't get hung up on rules you don't know while running a game say "I don't know the rule for that, I will rule as --- and check after the session". It is important to be playing as the creators intended while learning a system imo, but the games pacing is important as well.
This, Read the CORE rules (how to roll dice, how stacking bonuses work, get a sense of what each Class/Ancestry can do, etc.). Then run a game. Start small, introduce more complicated things as the game goes on and as you all learn the rules. You'll be downright rules-lawyers by level 10-15.
YOU DON'T HAVE TO MEMORIZE THE BOOK BEFORE YOU START A GAME!
- Keep houserules out of it until you know the system well and have run it in actual play through a decent number of levels. Too many people think they know best and fail to take into account player expectations/understandings or the knock on effects of their changes.
Seriously, this. I like houseruling things in my games, but I wouldn't ever try it in the first campaign of a new game. In D&D 5e, I added "Critical Hits do max damage + rolled damage" Sounds easy, simple and a good change... except when you kill a player in one hit, or when the player takes out your BBEG before it can even act.
- Don't go overboard with your early games, keep them simple and familiar so both yourself and the players aren't overburdened while learning a new system of play. So many new GMs want to have a dream game asap, but it doesn't end up working out.
YES! Small dungeon, a couple of bad guys, make em goblins or wolves or whatever. BUILD FROM SMALL! All the APs are like this, RotRL has a crazy fight with a bunch of gobos, way more than the players can deal with, except the gobos get all distracted and end up hurting themselves more than the players. This gives time to set the mood, learn the system and helps ramp up the difficulty.
- Don't over compromise for what players want to play vs what you want to run. A GM who is having fun will almost always be more motivated and create a better gaming experience than one that has bent over backwards to make it what the players want. Some compromise and listening to what people want is good, but your fun as a GM HAS to come first as the effort and time you put in is just so much greater and has a much larger impact on whether the game continues or not.
Never say, "no." Say, "Yes, and..." It's more fun to screw with a player by throwing something small they did in Session 1 at them in Session 30.
- Use aids to speed up slower parts of the system, digital tools like fantasygrounds make for great in person aids. The magnetic combat tracker is a dream to use as well.
I'm both for, and against this. Magnetic Combat tracker, yes! Too many aids, however can lead you to not actually LEARNING the game and the rules. Hero Lab is really bad about this. It's good for character creation streamlining, sure, but too many things can be automated, and you miss nuances to why some things aren't stacking.
A basic example of this would be, "why won't HL increase my AC with Mage Armor? Must be a bug, increase it manually." When really, it's because the Mage is wearing armor of some sort.
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As someone who went from player to effectively a forever DM (at least partially, my table rotates):
-Don't overplan. Seriously. My game notes consist basically of basic sketches of important maps, monster stats for a few encounters, hazard notes, and major plot points. Not only is it faster to do this, but it makes the game feel more fluid and organic. You'll run into less "my players did something unplanned, what do?!" moments because your game is not longer really programmed on a rail. Just guide them from plot point to plot point and let whatever journey happens on the way unfold.
-Know your party's basic abilities. This sounds like something super obvious, but its important. If your party doesn't have a thief, dont run a heist where Thievery is required for victory. Make your sessions solvable by your group's skills and powers.
-Session 0 is your friend. Before you start a game, sit down with your whole group and talk about your plans. Let them know what kind of game you want to run. Ask them (and listen!) to their thoughts on the matter. Work with them to build a campaign you all want to play. This greatly reduces the pain of people showing up with characters that dont suit your vision, makes it easier for playera to make characters that want to take part, and it gets everyone on the same page.
-I know this sounds like something from an HR email, but talk about your group's comfort level if you plan on getting into some heavy stuff in your game. I usually do this one on one electronically. Doesn't need to be super formal, but just check with your players if there's any subject matter that they are uncomfortable dealing with in an rpg. If, for example, someone isn't comfortable roleplaying a scenerio where children are getting harmed or abused, don't include it in your game. If, for whatever reason, you cant accomidate them, let them know upfront, and don't guilt, shame, or bully them if they refuse to play with you.
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Never say, "no." Say, "Yes, and..." It's more fun to screw with a player by throwing something small they did in Session 1 at them in Session 30.
While saying "Yes, and" can be fun, I'd say learning to say "No, but" can be just as fruitful.
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Remember, if you do find a rules lawyer at your table, they can actually be your friend as you are all learning the game. Have them look up a rule that you are not certain about while you keep the game moving.
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Remember, if you do find a rules lawyer at your table, they can actually be your friend as you are all learning the game. Have them look up a rule that you are not certain about while you keep the game moving.
Rules lawyer isn't really a term for people who know the rules well, it is a term for people who know how to work/twist rules as written to their advantage.
It is the lawyer part ;)I have never met someone deserving of that title who would be happy helping build a balanced and accurate gaming experience :) :p
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My players and I have a text chat going on our phones. (We keep the sounds off on it, so we don't wake each other up) We talk about the game during the week. Ask questions. Make suggestions. Even decide who's responsible for ordering pizza next game session.
Have a session 0 before starting a campaign. During this session make sure expectations are known to everyone, yours and everyone else's. If you plan on having house rules write them down and make this document available to your players. House rules aren't just things you add to the game but also rules you ignore or modify. Solicit feedback from your players every once in a while to see how things are going for them and adjust as necessary. Have fun.
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I wish I had learned these three things before I first started GMing;
The rules are a tool that exist to help you resolve interactions. They are not something that you as the GM are bound by.
If there is no meaningful consequence for failure, dice roll is meaningless.
Time pressures are essential to maintaining dramatic tension - if the party has all of the time in the world, then there is often no consequence for failure.