How to Kick Out a Player and Respect Yourself in the Morning

A little while back, I asked GMs if they’d ever kicked out a player, with an eye to writing a how-to post on that topic (since I’ve never kicked out a player myself). Your comments were thought-provoking, insightful and full of ideas — thank you!

This is that follow-up post: If you’re faced with the prospect of kicking a player out of your gaming group, here’s how to go about it.

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The Expandable File is Your Friend

When I run a game with a lot of support material, I use an expandable file to sort my notes. NPC sheets, handouts, maps, monsters, scribbled ideas, scenarios — every topic gets its own section, which makes finding things a breeze. (This is a basic idea, but one GM’s “basic” is another GM’s “Why didn’t I think of that?”)

Flagging: Using Character Sheets to Drive the Game

Lots of good grist for the idea-mill in this Forge thread on “flagging” — making the game about what’s on your group’s character sheets. This is solid, essential theory for GMs. (Via Deep in the Game.)

The Loved, Blah, Hated List, a GMing Tool

Before your next gaming session, grab a pad and write three things across the top of the page: Loved, Blah, Hated, in that order. Draw a line down the page between each one to make three columns.

During the session, keep that pad handy and watch your players — are they jazzed about what they’re doing? Do they look bored? Are they sighing, or flipping through books? Do they only look excited during certain parts of the scene?

After every scene, jot down a couple of notes in the appropriate column (or columns). That’s the “Loved, Blah, Hated” (LBH) list, and it’s a powerful tool.

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Mike Mearls on What Gaming Companies Are Bad At

Over on EN World, Mike Mearls said: “game companies are bad at telling gamers how to use their games.” He goes on to give examples and make some very good points. (Via Deep in the Game.)

Should We Have a Forum for GMing Questions?

In a recent comment (on How Should GMs Learn to GM?), TT reader mcv suggested that we start a Q&A forum for GMing questions — a place where GMs of all skill levels can come to ask questions, and have them answered by the TT community.

This is a great idea, and I’ve actually been thinking about it recently — but would it work on TT?

Because there’s nothing sadder than a ghost town forum, I don’t want to make this call on my own — what do you think? If this is something you’re interested in, read on!

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Places to Go for RPG Reviews

When I want to find out about a game before buying it, I generally try two places first: EN World’s review section and RPGnet’s reviews page. There are plenty of other sites that do reviews, but these are two of the best.

Gary Gygax’s Nation Builder Released

Nation Builder, the 6th book in the Gygaxian Fantasy Worlds series, has just been released. Aimed solidly at fantasy, it sounds pretty promising.

World Builder was a so-so resource, so I’d say skim before you buy, or wait for a review. (Via Gaming Report.)

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