Every GM Should…

Let’s play fill in the blank. The only restriction is that what you fill it in with needs to be gaming-related.

Every GM should __________ at least once.

What’s the first thing that pops into your head? What does that tell you about your experiences as a GM? And how would you fill in the blank after some reflection?

Pimp Your GMing Screen

Rather than leave my screens as-is, and use the charts they come with, I cover the top edges of mine with paper clips.

These quickly accumulate notes (like my GMing goals for that session or campaign), PC-related lists (search totals, HP, etc.), counters I don’t want to lose track of — all sorts of things, in other words.

For me, that stuff is generally more useful than at least 50% of what comes printed on the screen. I leave the best 50% exposed, and get the best of both worlds. If you’ve never tried this, give it a whirl — you might like it!

Color Code Your Dice

“Color code your dice.” Sounds pretty nerdy, right? Well, it is (go figure) — but it works.

My dice bag contains a range of dice, but each die type is different from nearly all of the others. So instead of a couple of complete polyhedral sets, my d6s are one color/variety, my d4s are another, etc.

This lets me grab the dice I need quickly, which can be handy when the action heats up and I don’t want to lose any precious momentum. It’s by no means a necessity (I’m probably in the minority here), but it works for me.

Give it a shot sometime. Like me, you might find it hard to go back!

On the Spot: Nervousness and GMing

Do you get nervous before you sit down to GM? How about when the game is actually underway? And how does it affect your GMing, if at all?

I was very shy throughout high school and into college, and hated public speaking. GMing — despite being a lot like public speaking — was an exception, but I still got nervous before games. Once things were rolling and my adrenaline was going, that nervousness faded.

Since college I’ve gotten steadily less shy, for a variety of reasons. Having a customer service job (waiting tables) helped, as does the fact that my current job (management) is intensely social — and involves public speaking.

But I still get a tinge of nervousness just before games. I’m on the spot, I don’t want to screw up, and I’m excited. It’s a good kind of nervousness, in other words, but it’s definitely there. How about you?

An Ongoing Mental Movie

When you GM, do you visualize the action as it happens? And if so, how important is that visualization to you?

For my part, I have an intensely visual imagination. I get mental images of what I’m describing, and of what my players describe, and they’re often very vivid. Years later, I can remember the mental images from some of my favorite games.

To a lesser extent, the same is true when I’m on the outside of the screen. Not being as actively involved in descriptions lowers the detail level of my mental visuals, but they’re often still pretty detailed.

When is Loot Satisfying?

Years ago, in a great solo Forgotten Realms campaign (I was the player), my character found a football-sized ruby in a treasure hoard. I thought it was the coolest thing since sliced bread — I mean, come on: Football. Sized Ruby. What’s not to love?

But I also remember it being a trickier prospect than I bargained on. How do you spend a ruby that big? Who could possibly afford to buy it from you? How carefully can you guard it?

My friend was an excellent GM, and I never felt cheated by the outcome (which, I think, was selling it for a lot less than it was worth — but still a lot of gold). With a different GM, though, I might have felt cheated — and that’s no fun.

So when is loot satisfying? When a) the PCs earn it, b) it’s got a high cool factor, c) it’s worth what it should be, and d) when the party can spend or use it easily. There are exceptions, of course, but if you line up those four factors when handing out goodies, you’ll be off to a good start.

Setting the Mood with Art and Toys

Great gaming can happen almost anywhere, just like great sex. But just like sex, it helps to set the mood.

If you have a designated gaming area in your house, put up some gaming-related art. It doesn’t have to be wall-to-wall Conan posters, just a couple of carefully chosen pieces that make you think of gaming. (Having shelves full of gaming books around helps too!)

Even if you play somewhere else, like in a college lounge or at your local gaming store, you can bring things with you to achieve the same effect. Toys are a great option. Playing Star Wars? Put Darth Vader in front of your GMing screen, and set a TIE fighter at the other end of the table. Voila! Instant ambience.

This will help get everyone at the table in the mood to game, and there’s a good chance it will help everyone stay focused, too. (Unless they spend all their time playing with the toys, of course!)

Married PCs?

I’m getting married today (I wrote this earlier in the week, in case you’re wondering!), and having marriage on the brain got me to thinking about in-game marriages.

Have you ever had married PCs, or PCs married to NPCs, in one of your games?

Early on in my GMing career, I had a player who married an NPC in one of my D&D campaigns. It was an easy hook for me as the GM, since I could count on the player being motivated to rescue his spouse (etc.).

Years later, I think I could put an in-game relationship like this to very good use as a GM — it opens up so many opportunities for deviousness, as well as for potentially intense roleplaying.

What do you think?

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