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Latest Reviews| Oregon |  | | Reviewed by: Ron McClung |
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Advice For Game Masters Part 4
(1851 total words in this text)
(1733 Reads) 
8-20-01
Posted by
The Old Druid
The two main goals of a good GM should be to both entertain and to
promote good role-playing, but good role-playing is usually a function
of the natural born talents of the players. A GM's motivations and
manipulations towards good role-playing can produce some measurable
results, but generally "you can't make a silk purse out of a pig's ear".
Players tend to make good role players only because they truly want to
put the energy into it, and they like doing it. It takes a great deal of effort to get into your character's perspective, change your voice a little, develop an attitude that is not your natural own, and
deliberately express yourself in a way that might be opposite of your
own ego or personality. Good role-players are not all necessarily good
actors (or even think they are), but those types of skills and efforts
sure come in handy when you are playing a "role-playing" game. A little effort towards acting out the part goes a long way to improving the game for everyone.
Unfortunately, few people like ignoring the ego they spent so many years developing. They simply can't role-play any other way except one way - their way; regardless of the class or character they are playing. That's right! How many players out there do you know that play every character the same way? How many GMs know what I'm talking about? Everyone nod your head up and down! Many players just schlep along looking for opportunities to kill something, steal something, or create chaos for others. I'm being very harsh here, but I'm also trying to make a point about the condition of role-playing within an industry called "Role-Playing Games" (RPG).
Dan G. wrote me and asked how he could improve a situation he had where his players were basically ignoring his descriptions of scenes and actions, and consequently trying to perform ridiculous actions that were completely inappropriate. One player tried to examine a locked chest that was secured to a fast moving wagon. Listening skills help good role-playing skills, and Dan's case is extreme, but it also makes a good point. Was there a lack of discipline in the game? Were the players taking advantage, or trying to take advantage of Dan's generosity as a GM? I suggested to Dan that he invoke immediate action-reaction "physics" in his game, where the player in question should simply pull back a bleeding stump. The reaching hand should have been immediately severed by the wagon's wheel. (Again too harsh you say?) Players who know that the GM will take every action and word said (in game time)seriously, and invoke an immediate (yet correct) action-reaction form of natural physics within that world, will begin to take the game more seriously and conduct themselves appropriately. Players will begin to say "out of game time", when they want to communicate something and not risk an immediate and harmful result from the GM. This type of discipline is essential to avoid mischief and guess what - poor role-playing! Try it some time and see what happens, but be absolutely fair about it.
In order to help promote better role-playing there are many obvious and subtle techniques a GM can use to both motivate and manipulate players towards the finer aspects of good role-playing.
1.) Note/Message Passing (both paper and verbal):
Players love free information they can use to their advantage, but act
like they never heard a word they were not suppose to hear. Gee image
that! Don't give away information (over the table) that will promote bad role-playing later. When only one player should know something via their 5 senses, and all the other players are in other physical location(s), and cannot possibly experience the same thing, then darn well make sure that only the one player gets the sensory feedback. Yes, the PC might quickly walk over to the other player characters and give them all the information, but do not assume that for them. They might want to hold something back, and not tell all to all, but only some things to a select few PCs. Let the player in question get the information via a paper note, or quiet side words, and then they can decide what is exchanged with the other group members. I have been guilty of this sin in order to speed up the game, and I've always regretted it later. Use post-it notes, scraps of paper, or anything handy, but use this technique to help your players stay honest and better role-players. Another aspect of note passing becomes important when there is a mixture of experienced and inexperienced players at the table. Use notes for the new players to help them feel more vital and important to the mechanics of the game. Their morale usually gets wet when the experienced players dominate a campaign. Notes will allow them to get a few words in, and control some of the information. Players will appreciate some attention
after sitting there for 2 hours as a third string warrior that has not
had a single sword-swing.
Be quick about giving out notes so the game isn't slowed down too much
because of a lack of planning or extra long notes written on the spot.
2.) Pre-game Notes and Conversations:
Think ahead and write all the important notes to individual players and have one-on-one conversations, as necessary (if necessary), long before the game begins to help speed up the administrative pre-game warm up. Catch them while everyone is still getting their drinks and snacks lined up. This will show that you are organized, and no misspoken words are inadvertently leaked out to the crowd. If you fear that some of the players could be "big mouthed" about the secrets you hand them, then just warn them to keep such-and-such a real secret - or not. Subtle manipulations can be used here when you want a piece of information to leak out, and you want a player (who has a big mouth) to spill it before the game begins. Try to be creative with this if that is how you like to maneuver as a GM.
3.) Side Trips during Game Play:
Rapid changes to your plans can always happen during game play, so be
ready to take a player to the side, or out of the room to exchange
information you do not want everyone to hear. These side trips can
become critical events when a group of experienced players make a
shambles of your original plans. Without delaying the game too long, do not be reluctant to grab one player and go out of the room with them for a couple of minutes. The quality of the overall game could well depend on your flexibility regarding this technique.
4.) Being Word Careful:
We have already covered what damage can occur to good role-playing when players hear information that should have been restricted to one player, but another form of "too much information" that has a tendency to promote poor role-playing is the problem of the GM simply speaking out too much, or inappropriate, information while describing a scene, or trying to set up a scene or situation for the players. Good GMs that try to have games, that roll along like a good novel, also tend to be very descriptive when it comes to setting the stage for their players. I support this 100%, but there in lies a potential problem. PCs should not be given any information they can't experience, or are not directly experiencing. GMs need to be extremely careful what they say "over the table to everyone" because it will directly or indirectly affect the game play of the players later on.
Think of it like this, the lawyer makes a statement and the judge tells the jury to ignore the lawyer's statement, but you know darn well the jury will always remember the lawyer's words, even if they can't use them as a basis for their verdict. Everything a GM says; what, how, when, and under what circumstances it is said all comes into play within the minds of the players, who are always looking for an edge to survive and succeed in the game. Be vary careful what you say and how you say it.
Learn to use this knowledge for an advantage as a GM, and do not "give
away the farm" trying to set up scenes or give out information to the
players. Take care what you say, choose every word carefully, and learn to use your words like tools to help your players become better
role-players.
5.) Rewards for good role-playing:
A great strategy is to offer direct and tangible rewards to players that perform good role-playing skills during the game. Whether the rewards are experience points, skill points, equipment, money, magick items, jewels, or whatever, make sure the players know that these rewards are tied to their role-playing performances and not to the successful completions of goals. As long as arbitrary points are dished out at the end of a game, and no one really quantifies why the points, or items, were dispensed, then the player has no direct feedback from the GM as to the quality of their role-playing performance. The player then quickly dismisses the validity of any argument that they should try to role-play better because the GM hands out the candy anyway. Make sure the candy is tied to role-playing and not goals, and the role-playing will improve. "Role-playing" games as a sport and as an industry can only improve when
better role-playing is directly promoted. Don't you think so?
Final thoughts:
I greatly admire the groups that do Performance Role-Playing with
costumes and accessories, but that takes the gaming to a completely
different level than what I'm covering here. I simply want more than the moving of a lead miniature along a cardboard floor, and the type of conversation that goes like " I go down the hallway looking for traps.
What do I see?"
Where there is no emotion, no descriptions, and no caring, there is no
life. The player should get up out of their chair (for the bigger
moments at least), and in a unique voice, which is characteristic of
their own player character, say and do the things they are saying the
lead miniature is doing, instead of describing what a lead miniature can never do. Use a voice, turn the head, dip down the brim of a hat, slur or exaggerate the voice for effect, and use your hands to show what you want are trying to do, turn your body, act like you are swinging a sword, and act like you are running and carrying a torch in a dark smelly dungeon.
PLEASE, don't just talk about it in the 3rd person, but try to do it all like you are really there, so the other players can see it in their mind's eye also. Then the other players will want to participate with you because they can see it all in their minds. Try to be an actor a little bit at a time, and you might find yourself surprising yourself with the results. Better role-playing will mean better gaming for everybody.
Isn't gaming wonderful?
The Old Druid
Please write to me with your opinions on this subject! Use the link
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