A Word About Being a DM/GM - Page 3 - OG Myth-Weavers

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A community-created and maintained place for Game Masters of all systems to bounce ideas around. It's a place for inspiration and sharing tips.


A Word About Being a DM/GM

   
Actually in regards to no one replying to Viletta Vadim's adcrafting, I thought it was in respect to not sullying the article with posts as opposed to lack of interest =p
I could be wrong, but I find it terribly useful and figure those who see it do, too. But yes, good point made there. This is a fantastic article as well. Thank you for making it!

VV's article will also be making an appearance on the Wiki. We just didn't have the infrastructure until now.

Quote:
Originally Posted by DoPo View Post
I saw that a couple of days ago and I was going to mention it but after seeing that apparently nobody who posted here, seemed to notice/mind it, I decided to wait and see who'll be the first to point it out. Call it morbid curiosity, if you wish, but it doesn't change the fact that I'm wandering how that's supposed to end.

Great OP, by the way.
Thank god for peer-review. I'll see if I can figure out what I was going to say, or if I just accidentally deleted it. XD

EDIT: I see what I did. I was originally going to tag the "It's okay to say no" paragraph onto the end of that one, but I splintered it off into another paragraph and forgot to delete the original tie-in I was using in that first paragraph.

I am a big fan of the D.E.N.N.I.S. System myself

D ■Demonstrate value
E ■Engage physically
N ■Nurture dependence
N ■Neglect emotionally
I ■Inspire hope
S ■Separate entirely

but your more lengthy ancronym speaks true. Well done.

If this will end up being a guide for GM's, I'd like to throw my hat in on the final edits.

As an experienced GM with games run for years on this site with regular posting I feel it safe to say I may know something worth contributing.

My first impression though is to then have an expanding list of GM Resources with Tips and tricks.

While this is fine for a lead in portal page, it doesn't touch a lot on the finer points of saving the GM time and helping them run a better game.

Such things might include:
Creating a home brew world (this is a big topic always in circulation)
Adding a wiki to your game, the who what when where and why
free mapping software, mapping tutorials and lists of geographic features
free name generators, npc generators, etc. (as a non DND player I use many more than the one provided on the site)
writing techniques, tvtropes link (and what it is)
use of pictures in substitution for text, the ups and downs and how to find the right balance
***(keeping DND 3.5 specific [and other system specific] articles labeled as such. As a GM that doesn't host dnd it's always frustrating when posters automatically assume dnd is what everyone plays and that everyone understands all references to such, an example would be a system neutral resource list, and then listing each system specific one, adding depth to the wiki, but also keeping it better organized for the sake of new GM's)


etc...

This could go on forever, but you see the point. The over arching theme of this article is great, but I think it could use a great deal of expansion (such as going further into depth about the propogate acronym, not that I need it explained, but a noob will, and I would rather train a great GM from the get go with an article) and actually listing a bunch of page links to associated resource articles, a PBP GM's guide designed to take you from being a noob to a pro, if you will.

Not to mention, I think the entire GM community would really benefit from sharing information with each other. I've learned tons about PBP on this site and am always working to develop new techniques for my games. Not everything posted will be useful to everyone (such as DND hints to a GURPS GM, etc) but organizing that data will be useful to someone, and overall make the site that much better as a whole.

Once this project would be reasonably completed, any time a new GM asks the question: "I'm new, where do I start" the auto answer doesn't spark a ten page debate, but a link to the wiki. The hope being that this also helps develop new questions and then new answers, further streamlining the process of starting as someone excited about bing a pbp GM to becoming a successful GM.

Once the process is relatively streamlined, the threads start to become about...

"Hey guys... what do you think about this? Creative input on this subject?"
Which is an entirely different brand of conversation, favoring artistic expression/opinion over baser topics like "how do I roll dice?" which then makes the site that much more of resource and cultural hub.

@shamed

I'm planning on adapting this some for the upcoming GM guide as it's solid advice unless, unless you want to do it.

Needs a different intro, and I'd like to see it formated as PROPOGATE, each lettering starting off a paragraph titled with the associated abbrev. so that the concepts are more fully explained.

You should really get to the GM GUIDES if you like that. It's been incorporated as a piece, but a very small piece to a much more informative whole. guides linked in signature.

I didn't even come to this site until long after this excellent post was written, but it is dead on. I am at a loss for how I've never read it before today.

I'm a GM. I'm not even much of a player. Virtually all of my RPG experience stretching over 30 years has been as a Game Master. I'm pretty good at it. I've even written a series of articles myself on the subject.

I only say all that to lend weight to what I'll say next: If anyone reading this wants to get into Game Mastering, follow every word of Nathan's post and you'll be fine. The rest is details.




 

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