- By The Nose — as you might guess from the title, this is on "when to nudge the players." Even the most self-motivated players will occasionally stall, due to confusion, feeling that they've gone into a dead end, etc. in the type of game that I prefer to run. While it's not to be encouraged, helping them out occasionally has to be a tool in the GM's toolbox.
- Necessary Evil — on using plot devices successfully.
- Death-Defying D&D — another post where Perkins has to wrassle with the system not doing what he wants it to do. Normally, I'd say these can be more or less skipped, but as it happens, there's some advice that is good here, even if you're sharp enough to either fix or replace systems that don't do what you want them to.
- Goldfingers — on tinkering with the rules; kitbashing elements in from other editions (or other games) mostly. Fer instance; I picked up Action Points from d20 Modern (and then modified them significantly), Healing Surges from 4e, although I borrowed the concept rather than the specific rules, and Minions (also from 4e) and then grafted it into m20, which was a brusque restructuring and condensation of d20.
- Acts I, II, and III — on using the famous three act structure at the session level.
- Spin the Cliché — on adding twists to well-worn and well-known elements of the game so that they feel fresh and interesting.
- The Third Rule — trust issues with NPCs. I gave some similar advice long ago here as well.
- Gang Aft Agley — sometimes the PCs do something so clever that they basically circumvent your entire adventure. It's OK. Think of it like when Indiana Jones shot that swordsman rather than having a big, physical fight scene with him. Let them enjoy their little victory... for a time....
- Sudden Death — I'm not sure I can summarize what this is "about" in terms of GMing advice, but it's a great campaign story that can ring helpful in indirect ways easily enough. I also really like the notion of an "epilogue" session after the game itself has ended; especially if it ended, as it did here, with a tragic yet noble sacrifice; a Pyrrhic victory over the god of Undeath himself. Recommended.
- All Around the Campfire — a bit of a rambly column comparing D&D to the grand oral storytelling tradition.
- Lego My Ego — on common GM failings and how to avoid them.
- Humpty Dumpty Conundrum — on using your notes to prompt interesting twists on past events when your current events wind down and you feel stuck. Recommended.
- Yippy Ki-Yay In D Minor — On the ways in which villainous organizations can be superior to villainous individuals—or at least offer things that the latter does not.
- Dial M for Melora — on using divine intervention as a play aid, and not a cheat.
- Unflappable — on GMing style, and rolling with the punches.
- The Old DM and the Sea — on learning lessons from various systems, and retrospective on 1st through 4th editions (at the time of its writing, 5e was in development.)
- Let The Conversation Begin — dialogue is the lifeblood of any interesting NPC, but it can't really be planned ahead of time effectively. This column gives four archetypes to facilitate helping you improvise interesting dialogue.
- Best Supporting Character — some players naturally gravitate to a "leadership" role in the social dynamic of the gaming table, and become the "stars" of the show, while others will tend to fall into a slightly more passive supporting character role. This is perfectly fine, as that usually fits the personality of the player. But be aware of it, and pay keen attention the dynamic, and make sure all of your players are having fun, if you want to be successful as GM.
- Ulterior Motives — on creating NPCs that drive intrigue. It's more of showing rather than telling, and although there's some good advice there, you'll still be on your own without too much of a road-map when all is said and done.
- Where's the Love? — a brief flirtation (no pun intended) on the topic of romance in-game between characters. This could have been really cringey, but luckily, Chris Perkins sees the issue as one that only rarely can be successful, and he's never really tried it.
- A World Worth Saving — make NPCs likable and competent enough that the players don't get sick of them and the whole setting, not caring to even save it when it's facing threats.
- Master of Suspense — on using suspense effectively. Also, an example of an interesting epilogue for a group that made a heroic sacrifice; TPK to save the world. Fun read.
- Make It Big — on boldness as a GM—make stuff memorable. Great read. I'm reminded of my own DEMONS IN THE MIST game, which in many ways was my most memorable; mostly because I wasn't afraid to do anything that seemed fun, even if it was well-beyond what staid, serious, Tolkien-loving D&D players would have applauded.
- Where To Begin — the final column; Perkins talks about starting over. Echoes of Ray Winninger's "campaign hook" advice echo here. It's a short post, but includes a "campaign bible" for the next campaign he was to run using (presumably) 5e.
With regards to the final, in my experience, it's way too long. I've talked before about using campaign briefs (here and here) and I think the key is to make them considerably shorter. The rest of the information included in the campaign bible can be pull-information; i.e., if players ask about it, you give it to them, or it can be "discover through play." Or, as I advised back then, relegate more information to a wiki that the players can peruse as they please, but if they don't please, no big deal.
In any case, I never claimed to agree with everything Chris Perkins did or wrote, merely that he was a great example of the kind of GMing style that I prefer, and that he had done a good job of articulating a number of great skills and techniques that make it work. I still highly recommend his column—the entire thing (minus the odd post or two that is either irrelevant, or where he went somewhere weird that I disagree with)—he's got a reputation as a great GM, and I suspect that it's well-warranted.
No comments:
Post a Comment