Page 13 - GM EBOOK

Being A Game Manager no good reason. A GM should never put low-level
characters up against high-level enemies. Unless the C
There are only two kinds of GMs: the really good GM plans to guide the group to a way of defeating h
ones and the really bad ones. In Ninja vs. Samurai the enemy that does not involve direct combat. a p
RPG a good GM is something the game is suited for. t e
The storytelling and depth of detail given to players Avoid Interrupting Character Interactions and Role r
and GMs alike about the characters and surroundings Playing
is suited for nothing but the best in a RPG experi- Allowing characters to play out interactions unin-
ence. As a service to the Ninja vs. Samurai roleplay- terrupted, unless the interruption is story-driven is a
ing community the following is a list of philosophies difficult task for a GM. There is a delicate timing be-
on what a good GM should focus on while running a tween interrupting and guiding as it comes to moving
scenario or campaign. a story. A GM should understand that interaction
between characters excludes the GM. If the interac-
Know the Role
tion of characters is truly stalling the story it is the
Being a good GM entails using the rules to guide GM's responsibility to move the story along. How-
characters through a story as the players see fit, and ever, true interaction between characters about the
not the other way around. Although part of roleplay- story is the essences of a roleplaying experience. A
ing involves some nudging in a general direction, GM should realize that they are there to allow the
there are game rules that should be followed to do so. players to have fun. Banter, arguments, and discus-
The GM is NOT a dictator. A sign of a bad GM play sions about the story being played are indications that
is the forcing of players to behave in accordance with the story has engaged the players.
a story, regardless of how your character would think
or act, during gam play. As a note, remember that Lay out the Scene and Create Atmosphere
the GM is there to set the stage, play the monsters Another philosophy about playing GM that makes
and NPCs, and to fill in the gaps when characters an RPG more fun is the development of a game. Us-
take unexpected turn. A GM should be flexible inso- ing cause-and-effect to set the atmosphere through
far as adjusting adventures to the levels of characters. the creation or use of a world with people/creatures, a
An aspect of flexibility is allowing players to back- history, and a future can often time give players a
track in time when something has been confused. better understanding of what is expected in a game
This does not mean allowing players to backtrack to more so than the rules. Games should have a foresee-
pick up an item that they should have brought with able conclusion, even if other events will be built on
them. It means the GM should honor a reasonable it.
request to backtrack to amend a problem such as a Sow the Seeds of Foreshadowing
misunderstanding that is revealed at a point where it
would have changed character behavior. This is es- A great way to knit together successive quests is to
pecially true when the misunderstanding is the GM's lay down bits of foreshadowing of future game ele-
fault through improper communication. ments in benign settings. A good place to add vague
details is the Inn. If characters are listening to con-
Don't Gleefully Abuse Players or Characters versations around them, toss in some vague details
Do not designing quests that will upset players by from a future campaign. The characters may hear a
incorporating usually-inappropriate elements or unre- group of rough-looking Ronin discussing the possible
alistic goals and challenges. Be polite and respectful location of lost treasure, mystic weapons or how
to the players in general, as you would outside of the much they really hate the ruling Daimyo. Then along
realm of the scenario, game or campaign. GMs the scenario they may have to team up with or face
should not abuse the characters either. There is noth- these NPCs. Avoid giving obvious foreshadowed
ing wrong for a GM to take a bit of pleasure in set- tidbits, or you'll diminish their eventual impact and
ting up some complex challenges. However, the GM do not make them so subtle that they are not remem-
should not enjoy torturing players and characters for bered.

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