Johannes asked about playing a Paladin...
It is a mistaken belief that a paladin must be a knight in shining armour type. Even requiring adherence to the Lawful Good alignment and the paladin code, this class allows many many archetypes.
(I'm afraid I am going to have to divert into some rules-speak for a moment. Sorry about this, but I think it's important. Firstly, a paladin who abandons the Lawful Good alignment becomes an ex-paladin. A paladin who willingly commits and evil action becomes an ex-paladin. A paladin who grossly violates the code of conduct becomes an ex-paladin. And the code of conduct states that the paladin must "respect legitimate authority, act with honour (not lying, not cheating, not using poison, and so forth), help those in need (provided they do not use the help for evil or chaotic ends), and punish those who harm or threaten innocents... A paladin will never knowingly associate with evil characters, nor will she continue an association with someone who consistently offends her moral code. A paladin may accept only henchmen, followers, or cohorts who are lawful good." And that's it. Anything else is a House Rule, and should be flagged as such by the DM when starting the campaign.)
So, let's have a look at some paladin archetypes:
Luke Skywalker: Hardly the knight in shining armour, he rebels against the authority in the galaxy (not a legitimate authority), acts with honour, and maintains a moral code. Probably not a lawful good character, but he wasn't created with the paladin in mind. You can certainly imagine constructing a similar character who is a paladin.
Buffy: The reluctant paladin. She's not a perfect example either, but again it is possible to create a similar character who is a paladin. Her focus is on fighting evil, rather than being the shining example. Again, probably not lawful good, but close enough for illustrative use.
Joan of Arc: This is a good one. She's a dangerous religious fanatic, who may or may not have been insane. As a simple peasant girl, she's about as far from the classic knight archetype as you can get. She's probably lawful good, respects legitimate authority, acts with honour (or, at least, never acts in a grossly dishonourable manner), and punishes those who harm innocents. She may also be insane. Did I mention that?
In fact, many of the classic "knight in shining armour" types are very far from being paladins. Lancelot, probably the classic example people think of when considering the paladin, falls from grace when he has an affair with the queen (gross lack of respect for legitimate authority, in this case the king). The Round Table story does contain a true paladin - but it's Lancelot's son Galahad, who is humble, true and pure.
The crusader knights were emphatically not paladins. Depending on how cynical you are, you can accuse them of seeking riches and power, or even of taking advantage of the Church's willingness to absolve them in advance for any sins they might commit while on Crusade. What were those sins?
How about the Templars, a holy order of Knights set up to protect pilgrims travelling to Jerusalem? Initially, they might have been paladins, but the order swiftly mutates. Soon, they are hugely wealthy landowners (not bad when you consider their vows of poverty), and are money-lenders beyond compare. In 1314, the last grandmaster of the order is burned at the stake on charges of witchcraft, although these may be a fabrication due to the fact that the King of France owed the order a huge sum of money.
Getting back you Johannes' initial example, I say go for it. There is no requirement that a paladin refrain from drinking. As for being loud, that's just ridiculous. As long as you stay lawful good, and don't violate the code (which actually says nothing about humility), you'll be fine.
Besides, how else is a half-orc paladin supposed to act, other than loud? And if a half-orc can do it, so can a member of any other race. Those things that we hold to be right, and good, and true either are right, and good, and true, or we're nothing more than another set of petty tyrants, inflicting our ways on others. (And the flip-side is also true - upbringing is no excuse for poor behaviour in the eyes of an impartial alignment system.)
Be warned, however. Some DMs delight in screwing over the players of paladins. These same DMs often delight in twisting wishes to screw players over, or in secretly raising the DC on that save you have to make, just so the invulnerable character suffers. Because, of course, they are the king of the game, and it's their right, nay, their duty, to mess players around. If you find yourself with such a DM, you'll find that the only valid paladin archetype is the one he espouses. You then get to play along with his interpretation of the paladin, often having little or no choice in how to play your character (and, if you're really unlucky, he'll strip you of your paladin status for no obvious reason, and usually without warning). I recommend not playing a paladin under such a DM. In fact, I recommend not playing under such a DM at all.
Sunday, 26 June 2005
Sunday, 19 June 2005
Playing Under a Novice DM
Over time, there's been a great deal written about how to train a new player, how to become a better Dm, and even some help for novice DM's. However, there has been very little written about playing under a novice DM, and how an experienced player should adjust his play style to suit. So, let's try to redress that, shall we?
But why should I give a damn?
Okay, you're an experienced player. You've played for years, and you've got all the techniques down. Why should you help out a newbie? Why make the effort to assist another? And why is it important, anyway?
Well, quite aside from the responsibility to help others in need that decent human beings generally have, there's a practical benefit. Unless you want to DM yourself, there may come a time when you need to recruit a DM for your group. The more good DM's there are out there, the better for all concerned. And the only way to increase the number of new DM's is to help out the novices. They'll learn, but not if you destroy their confidence and/or love of the game in the meantime.
Why is it important to adjust your play style to play in a novice DM's game? Well, the truth is that a novice DM will almost certainly not have generated the game to end all games. He probably won't have dozens of plot hooks, well crafted characters at every turn, and an encyclopediac knowledge of the rules. Your regular DM might well have these things. Since the novice can't, it is up to the players to pick up the slack, and that means changing your style somewhat.
Before the Game
There's not much needing done before the start of the game. If asked for help and advice, give it, but otherwise, stay clear. The novice DM needs to do as much himself as he can. One thing you can do to help, though, is to meet up with the DM before the game and help to set out the game area.
Now, I'm aware that this contradicts my advice to the novice DM to arrive first, and do the set-up himself. I'm now going to take the somewhat ridiculous step of claiming that both pieces of advice are good, and that both should be applied.
Actually, the ideal situation is if the novice DM arrives before anyone else, and does some of the early set-up alone, to get a feel for the room. However, shortly before the game, it is good if one experienced player arrives and helps finish the task. By chatting with the Dm, that player can then help settle the DM's nerves, and generally help him get himself ready.
When talking to a newbie DM before his first game, do NOT ask him if he's ready, ask if he's remembered such-and-such, or probe for details of the adventure. The DM is as ready as he can be at this stage, so all you can do with such questions is to destroy his confidence. Instead, ask if he's looking forward to the game, and when he says he's nervous just say, "you'll do fine." Maybe recount a horror story of one of your own early games - this DM knows that every game you run is awesome, so if your early games sucked he won't feel so intimidated. Oh, and tell him that you're looking forward to finding out what he's got planned.
During the Game
The key rule here is to make things easy for the new DM. Not too easy - he has to run the game himself - but reasonably easy. This means a few things:
1) Go along with his plot. Okay, the plot hook sucks. But, frankly, you're here to enjoy a good adventure, so just get in there. After all, what would Star Wars have been like if Anakin had said, "No thanks, Qui-Gon, I think I'll stay here with Mom."?
2) Don't argue the rulings. Okay, the DM gets it wrong, and you should have had five attacks of opportunity. This time, deal with it. It's nothing personal. And besides, if you've read my earlier post you'll know that I've advised the newbie to stick to his guns. It's important that his authority in the game is maintained, even if he's wrong.
3) Don't fight with other players, in-character or out. A skilled DM can deal with in-character disputes. An experienced DM can even handle out-of-character disputes. A newbie can't. Just this once, can't you all just get along?
4) Don't jump in with advice and rules-knowledge. This may seem odd. You know the rules backwards and forwards. You've been DM'ing for years, and playing the game since it came out. You know everything aout everything, and I'm telling you to not use that knowledge.
The reason for this is simple: the DM must do this on his own. You aren't running this game, he is. So, let him run it without interference.
There is, of course, an exception to this. If the DM asks for your help, offer it at once. Similarly, if the DM really needs your help, offer it at once. So, if the DM says something like, "I know the rules for Trip are here somewhere..." and starts frantically looking for the appropriate rule, feel free to jump in after a few seconds with "it's on page 158. Oh, and you need the rules for being prone of page 311 as well." (Make sure you have a copy of the rulebook with you :-)) Likewise, if the other players are getting out of line, pull them back into line.
Important Note: If you find yourself having to pull other players back into line, it is vitally important that you DO NOT, under any circumstances, comment on needing to do so because it's the DM's first adventure, that he's finding it tough, or any other reason that might detract from the DM's authority. Such things don't help.
5) If something is cool, well-handled, or otherwise good, comment on it. If something is bad, poorly-handles, or otherwise sucks, keep quiet for now. If something isn't worthy of comment, don't needlessly hype it up. Don't be a patronising bastard just to cheer the guy up - it won't help in the long run.
After the Game
This is the point where you start to help the guy improve his DM'ing. Anything you say before or during the game can only hurt the DM, but here there is an opportunity to make things better.
As with everything else, there is a right way and a multitude of wrong ways to go about providing feedback. There are really two things to consider:
1) Everything you say must be constructive. Saying, "I thought X sucked," doesn't do anyone any good. On the other hand, saying, "you should probably play up the brutality of X a bit more," actually gives something that can be worked with.
2) Absolutely anything negative you have to say must be said privately. If you comment that a particular ruling was incorrect, and then entire group then chime in with their own incorrect rulings, that guy will never DM again. However, if you drop him a quiet email about the subject, he'll just do things differently in future.
The best way to offer feedback is in three stages. Step one comes immediately after the game. Thank the DM, and praise the things he did well. Hopefully, the rest of the group will do likewise. This then encourages the DM to run again, especially if you say, "and I'm looking forward to next time."
Step two occurs when you cunningly dispose of the rest of the group to the pub, while you and the DM clear up, saying you'll join them later (or otherwise get rid of the group). The idea here is that you're alone with the DM, but it's just after the game. This is the point where you ask what he thought went well and went poorly, reinforce the good, and offer advice on how to improve the bad. It's entirely possible that the DM thinks something was bad that wasn't, or wasn't a big issue, in which case you can set his mind at ease (a big plus). You might also say something along the lines of, "I have a few suggestions, if you'd like to discuss them at a later time."
Step three is the meat of it, though. This you do a couple of days later, probably by email. And here you can bring up anything, but no more than six things per game, and not all at once. So, if the novice DM made hundreds of mistakes, you probably want to tackle the worst one in your first email. Suggest ways to fix the problem, and move on. Say your piece, and have done. And make sure you comment on the good as much as the bad - remember that it is really easy to stop this guy from ever running a game again, but that's probably not your goal here.
At What Point Do You Stop?
At some point, the newbie DM will run another game. For the second game, you get to be a bit less 'soft'. You can question rulings a bit more, maybe not go along with the plot quite so meekly, and so on. But, do so a bit at a time - you're still easing the guy in. It builds from there. At each step, the DM will get better. He'll need your help less and less, and you'll have fewer comments to make. And you'll have another DM in your group.
But why should I give a damn?
Okay, you're an experienced player. You've played for years, and you've got all the techniques down. Why should you help out a newbie? Why make the effort to assist another? And why is it important, anyway?
Well, quite aside from the responsibility to help others in need that decent human beings generally have, there's a practical benefit. Unless you want to DM yourself, there may come a time when you need to recruit a DM for your group. The more good DM's there are out there, the better for all concerned. And the only way to increase the number of new DM's is to help out the novices. They'll learn, but not if you destroy their confidence and/or love of the game in the meantime.
Why is it important to adjust your play style to play in a novice DM's game? Well, the truth is that a novice DM will almost certainly not have generated the game to end all games. He probably won't have dozens of plot hooks, well crafted characters at every turn, and an encyclopediac knowledge of the rules. Your regular DM might well have these things. Since the novice can't, it is up to the players to pick up the slack, and that means changing your style somewhat.
Before the Game
There's not much needing done before the start of the game. If asked for help and advice, give it, but otherwise, stay clear. The novice DM needs to do as much himself as he can. One thing you can do to help, though, is to meet up with the DM before the game and help to set out the game area.
Now, I'm aware that this contradicts my advice to the novice DM to arrive first, and do the set-up himself. I'm now going to take the somewhat ridiculous step of claiming that both pieces of advice are good, and that both should be applied.
Actually, the ideal situation is if the novice DM arrives before anyone else, and does some of the early set-up alone, to get a feel for the room. However, shortly before the game, it is good if one experienced player arrives and helps finish the task. By chatting with the Dm, that player can then help settle the DM's nerves, and generally help him get himself ready.
When talking to a newbie DM before his first game, do NOT ask him if he's ready, ask if he's remembered such-and-such, or probe for details of the adventure. The DM is as ready as he can be at this stage, so all you can do with such questions is to destroy his confidence. Instead, ask if he's looking forward to the game, and when he says he's nervous just say, "you'll do fine." Maybe recount a horror story of one of your own early games - this DM knows that every game you run is awesome, so if your early games sucked he won't feel so intimidated. Oh, and tell him that you're looking forward to finding out what he's got planned.
During the Game
The key rule here is to make things easy for the new DM. Not too easy - he has to run the game himself - but reasonably easy. This means a few things:
1) Go along with his plot. Okay, the plot hook sucks. But, frankly, you're here to enjoy a good adventure, so just get in there. After all, what would Star Wars have been like if Anakin had said, "No thanks, Qui-Gon, I think I'll stay here with Mom."?
2) Don't argue the rulings. Okay, the DM gets it wrong, and you should have had five attacks of opportunity. This time, deal with it. It's nothing personal. And besides, if you've read my earlier post you'll know that I've advised the newbie to stick to his guns. It's important that his authority in the game is maintained, even if he's wrong.
3) Don't fight with other players, in-character or out. A skilled DM can deal with in-character disputes. An experienced DM can even handle out-of-character disputes. A newbie can't. Just this once, can't you all just get along?
4) Don't jump in with advice and rules-knowledge. This may seem odd. You know the rules backwards and forwards. You've been DM'ing for years, and playing the game since it came out. You know everything aout everything, and I'm telling you to not use that knowledge.
The reason for this is simple: the DM must do this on his own. You aren't running this game, he is. So, let him run it without interference.
There is, of course, an exception to this. If the DM asks for your help, offer it at once. Similarly, if the DM really needs your help, offer it at once. So, if the DM says something like, "I know the rules for Trip are here somewhere..." and starts frantically looking for the appropriate rule, feel free to jump in after a few seconds with "it's on page 158. Oh, and you need the rules for being prone of page 311 as well." (Make sure you have a copy of the rulebook with you :-)) Likewise, if the other players are getting out of line, pull them back into line.
Important Note: If you find yourself having to pull other players back into line, it is vitally important that you DO NOT, under any circumstances, comment on needing to do so because it's the DM's first adventure, that he's finding it tough, or any other reason that might detract from the DM's authority. Such things don't help.
5) If something is cool, well-handled, or otherwise good, comment on it. If something is bad, poorly-handles, or otherwise sucks, keep quiet for now. If something isn't worthy of comment, don't needlessly hype it up. Don't be a patronising bastard just to cheer the guy up - it won't help in the long run.
After the Game
This is the point where you start to help the guy improve his DM'ing. Anything you say before or during the game can only hurt the DM, but here there is an opportunity to make things better.
As with everything else, there is a right way and a multitude of wrong ways to go about providing feedback. There are really two things to consider:
1) Everything you say must be constructive. Saying, "I thought X sucked," doesn't do anyone any good. On the other hand, saying, "you should probably play up the brutality of X a bit more," actually gives something that can be worked with.
2) Absolutely anything negative you have to say must be said privately. If you comment that a particular ruling was incorrect, and then entire group then chime in with their own incorrect rulings, that guy will never DM again. However, if you drop him a quiet email about the subject, he'll just do things differently in future.
The best way to offer feedback is in three stages. Step one comes immediately after the game. Thank the DM, and praise the things he did well. Hopefully, the rest of the group will do likewise. This then encourages the DM to run again, especially if you say, "and I'm looking forward to next time."
Step two occurs when you cunningly dispose of the rest of the group to the pub, while you and the DM clear up, saying you'll join them later (or otherwise get rid of the group). The idea here is that you're alone with the DM, but it's just after the game. This is the point where you ask what he thought went well and went poorly, reinforce the good, and offer advice on how to improve the bad. It's entirely possible that the DM thinks something was bad that wasn't, or wasn't a big issue, in which case you can set his mind at ease (a big plus). You might also say something along the lines of, "I have a few suggestions, if you'd like to discuss them at a later time."
Step three is the meat of it, though. This you do a couple of days later, probably by email. And here you can bring up anything, but no more than six things per game, and not all at once. So, if the novice DM made hundreds of mistakes, you probably want to tackle the worst one in your first email. Suggest ways to fix the problem, and move on. Say your piece, and have done. And make sure you comment on the good as much as the bad - remember that it is really easy to stop this guy from ever running a game again, but that's probably not your goal here.
At What Point Do You Stop?
At some point, the newbie DM will run another game. For the second game, you get to be a bit less 'soft'. You can question rulings a bit more, maybe not go along with the plot quite so meekly, and so on. But, do so a bit at a time - you're still easing the guy in. It builds from there. At each step, the DM will get better. He'll need your help less and less, and you'll have fewer comments to make. And you'll have another DM in your group.
Tuesday, 14 June 2005
A Gazebo Incident...
On the 21st of May, my band were playing at a Gala Day in Bargeddie. In case someone's not clear, that's a village festival where the local folk come out and pretend to have some sort of community spirit. For a pipe band, it involves playing for a parade of a mile or two, and then playing again at the location of the celebration itself.
Anyway, it being a nice day, we elected to march the parade without our nice, warm and waterproof capes. This proved to be a good idea - the sun really was beating down on us. Anyway, we got to the primary school, where the festival was taking place, and the parade was over. Shortly thereafter, it was our turn to play on the stage.
Now, last year, the Bargeddie gala had suffered a great deal of rain, so this year some smart soul had thought to put up a covering on the stage, in the form of one of those cheap plastic gazebos you can buy in B&Q and similar stores (actually, I don't think they market them as such, but they're close enough to be funny). Since it was being placed there as a temporary measure, it was only held in place with some ropes...
(Oh, I should also mention that it was only big enough to cover half the stage. I was on the other half, of course.)
We climbed the stage, and started to play, and immediately the weather turned. Clouds quickly blotted out the sun, and the winds came up quickly. One would have thought we were harbingers of doom or something. I didn't think we were that bad.
Anyway, by the time we were finished our first set, the gazebo was stuggling against its ropes as if animate. The wind was making a terrible shrieking noise, and the creatures clawed front legs were struggling towards me. Only a few weak ropes protected me from evisceration at the claws of the beast.
We sought to placate the dread Gazebo with a sacrifice. We have a dancer who accompanies the band. I play, she dances, in the traditional manner. So, she bravely took the stage, standing under the terrible claws of the gazebo, laid down her swords, and danced.
The gazebo was not impressed. Instead, it howled once more, and unleashed its breath weapon upon us. As the band played once more, I found myself being pelted with hailstones. In May. With my wonderful, waterproof cape some mile away, in the back of my car.
Defeated, we slunk away, and the gazebo ruled the day.
Wednesday, 8 June 2005
Novice GMs
I've been running games since 1988. Fortunately, those 17 years are reflected in the way I run games - it's a damn good thing I'm not still running them the way I did back then.
However, there is a problem when a new GM steps into the hot seat - he's almost guaranteed to face at least one player who knows how it's all done through years of hard-won experience. With a view to reducing some of the terror that this might cause, here are my thoughts on how a new GM should run his first few sessions...
Preparation
The cardinal rules here are as follows: prepare thoroughly, and keep it simple.
Some GMs prefer to run the game by the seat of their pants, and some just can't be bothered to prepare. However, until you know you're in one of these camps, you need to make sure you are well-prepared. Until you know you can fly blind, don't risk it.
Additionally, you may have grand dreams of an epic campaign spanning years of real-time and generations of game-time, featuring every creature in the World of Darkness and your twenty new bloodlines, but if you try that for your first game, you'll never get anywhere. Trust me - keep it simple.
Know the Rules
Whichever game you are running, you need to know the rules. And you need to know them well. Read the rulebook for the game through in its entirety, preferably twice. Ideally, sit in on a game in the same system being run by another GM, preferably one who doesn't use many house rules.
When preparing your first game, you should not use any supplements, nor should you use many house rules. It's probably best to use NO house rules at all, even omitting published rules. While it may seem simple enough to ignore the rules for Attacks of Opportunity, there is a danger that they will affect other things, and cause you more trouble down the line. Of course, you could seek advice from an experienced GM in this regard, and find some rules that can be ignored safely, but if in doubt, use the rules as written.
It is, of course, easier to use a rules-light game for the first session than a rules-heavy game. So, Vampire rather than Rolemaster. (D&D is a bit of a special case, so I'll cover that later.)
Plotting
Keep the polt for your first game simple and iconic: "Sabbat war-ghouls have been seen at the docks, the Scourge press-gangs the PCs to deal with them.", "The Empire has built a secret new battle-station. The plans are held in a bunker on Kessel. Go steal them.", "Our researchers have found the Staff of Death in a hidden tomb. Drow raiders are currently en route, and you must beat them to it."
Prepare the first adventure to last one or two sessions. It might run short, or run long, but that doesn't really matter. Your target is just to help you work out the length of the plot. You probably want three combat encounters, two role-play encounters and one 'other' encounter per session. The encounters should all be straight-forward, whether involving getting necessary clues, sneaking past the guard, or hitting things.
The 'other' encounters are the place where you want to let your own style come out, and are something you definately want to include. These might include a puzzle (but tread carefully here), reveal a plot-twist, or otherwise do something interesting. Just be sure to have a back-up plan in case this encounter falls flat.
For example, if your special encounter is a puzzle, you need to assign a real-time limit on it. If the players don't solve it in, say, twenty minutes, you move on. Also, make sure you have a plan for if the puzzle is solved in an unusual way. Likewise, if you're using a plot twist, make sure you plan for both the case where the players spot the twist and react accordingly, and also for the case where they either miss the twist, or just choose to ignore it.
Don't Sweat the Small Stuff
If you find you just can't remember the five hundred variations on class and race combinations that are possible, or you get dizzy looking at dots on a character sheet, or you can only think of one good role-playing encounter, don't worry about it. The target is to get a game session or two under your belt, not to beat Robert Jordan in the creation of a pointlessly-epic fantasy yarn.
Running the Game
So, you're all prepared, and the game night is scheduled. You're going to run a game, and you're terrified. Well, never mind. Here's how you're going to do it: smile, fake confidence, and bullshit your way out of trouble.
Arrive First
Before leaving the house, preferably the night before, gather everything you need for the game together. Check you have everything you need. Pack it in a bag together, and make sure you have it with you when you leave the house. Arrive at the location of the game no more than an hour, and no less than ten minutes, before the game is due to start.
If possible, try to get to the location of the game before anyone else. This will give you a chance to unpack without distraction, and let you get a feel for the location. Once you've unpacked, go get a sandwich, read a book, or otherwise distract yourself. Do not drink either coffee or alcohol at this point - you neither want to be hopped up or drunk for your first session.
As the players arrive, make light conversation, but try not to discuss the game. The time for that will come.
Starting the Game
For your first game, you'll want to be using pre-generated characters. Really, I mean it.
At the start of the game, once everyone has arrived, hand out the characters. Explain that it's your first time, and ask for the group's understanding (unless they already know, of course). Explain also that you're using the core rules only, without variation, and ask for rules-chatter to be kept to a minimum. If you forget something, the you're sorry but that's life. Also, if you make a ruling, you're going to stick to it.
Ideally, the more experienced GM's in the group will then take it upon themselves to rein in the rules-lawyers in the group, unless they are the rules-lawyers. In any event, most players won't intentionally wreck the first game of a new GM if they know it's the first game of a new GM. However, if you don't explain all these things I've stated above, they might assume you know what you're doing, and engage in their normal game-destroying antics.
(Of course, you might encounter a player who's determined to be a dick. Sadly, in that case, you're stuck. But that would apply whether it's your first game or your 100'th, and whatever you do, so that's life.)
You also probably want to explain to the group that the start of the adventure is going to be a little bit rail-roaded. Basically, they have to go on the adventure, or the whole thing falls apart. Again, the group should understand, and will get down to playing. However, be aware that you only get to do this for your first game, and you only get to do it to get the group into the adventure - once they're hunting for the Staff of Death, about to land on Kessel, or otherwise involved, they get to call the shots.
Take a Deep Breath...
The players have their characters. They've heard The Talk. They're looking at you eagerly. Time to begin.
Take a deep breath, and start to speak, slowly a clearly. "A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away..."
Seriously, take a minute to outline the situation at the start of the adventure. Then describe the initial situation in front of the players, and ask them what they do. And take it from there.
During the Game
During the game, you're mostly on your own. Once you've started, you should be fine. Try to keep the pace up, if things slow down have a bunch of Stormtroopers/Sabbat ghouls/Drow kick in the door. And don't worry about things - you are doing fine.
If a rules question comes up, just make something up. Want to sneak past the Drow? Probably a Move Silently roll. Go for a DC of 20, that's usually a good number. Really, if you don't just know the answer, and none of the players can supply it off-hand, then who cares whether you get it right? Just choose something that sounds right.
If there's a rules dispute, you have three options. Option one is to ask the most experienced DM around the table for his opinion, and go with that. You get to do that once. Option two is to pause the game, check the rulebook, and use that. This is fine, but hurts the game every time you do it.
The best option is option three. Make a ruling, and stick to it. As long as it sounds good, who cares whether it's a Bluff or Perform(drama) check to play dead? If in doubt, favour the outcome that's least likely to kill a PC.
If you are faced with a player being a dick, you have a problem, probably the only serious problem you can possibly face. He might insist that his interpretation of the rules is correct, regardless of what you say. He might insist on his character going off alone, or not going on the adventure. Or he might instigate PC-vs-PC conflict (which is a sure sign of a dick in a GM's first game, by the way - such things are fine normally, but not for the GM's first game).
There is no one true way to deal with a dick. You just have to keep your cool, and stick to your guns. If it's a rule call, make your decision and don't back down. Even if he points to the rule in the book - it's your game, and you've made your decision. If he refuses to go on the adventure, ignore him. If he insists on splitting the party, do your best to improvise. If he instigates pC-vs-PC problems, let the players deal with him. Try to minimise his disruption, and move on.
Faking Confidence
So, you're absolutely terrified, but you have to appear confident. How does one achieve this goal?
Well, this is where your preparation shows its value. Since you know the rules, you can make judgements, secure in the knowledge that you know what you're doing. Since you know the plot, you can move it forward confidently.
Two other things to remember: it is more important for something to sound good than to be right. So, make a judgement that sounds about right, and you won't have any problems. Secondly, if you keep things moving, you won't have time to be nervous. Keep the plot light and fast-paced. If it bogs down, do something to speed it up again. And if you do this, a good time will be had by all. And that's really the trick, isn't it?
If it All Goes Horribly Wrong
You planned a great set of set-piece battles, followed by the revalation that the Scourge was working for the Sabbat all along, then a battle against the Scourge. Unfortunately, you overestimated the capabilities of the PCs, and they were all just killed by the wheelchair-bound octagenarian with her umbrella. Or you forgot that one PC could dominate the Scourge, and said PC commanded him: "Tell me the truth - you're working for them, aren't you?"
Well, shit happens. Laugh it off, and don't make the same mistake next time.
After the Game
Take in the character sheets, and start preparing for the next game. Now you're a GM, you never get to quit.
Try to think of three things that you did well in the game, and three things you would have done differently. Next time, emphasise the good, and do the other things differently. If you made a mistake, admit it and learn from it. It's really no big deal.
In the unlikely event that you offended anyone, apologise, and claim you were under a lot of stress, and were acting like a dick. They will understand.
If you had any experienced GMs in the group, take some time to ask what they thought, and what they might have done differently. Typically, they will know a few tricks you don't, and they should be willing to offer advice.
And that's about it.
Using D&D
There's no denying that D&D is a very complex game, which would normally make it a very poor choice for a first game. However, there are a few factors that can change that assessment:
1) Pre-generated worlds/adventures. If you don't need to create a setting for the adventure, or don't need to create an adventure, much of your preparation becomes easier.
2) DM tools. The CR system in D&D is quite complex, but it is also extremely useful. If you build a normal D&D party of 4th level, you know that most EL4 encounters are about right for the party. This is extremely useful, especially when compared with games like Vampire, where it can be hard to work out just how tough your Brujah thug should be.
3) Familiarity. Almost every gamer knows D&D, at least a bit. You already know most of the rules, so why not use that?
4) The D&D basic set is intended for novice players. You might well find this a useful way to get into running games.
Ultimately, for a first adventure, I would almost certainly recommend Vampire (the Masquerade), Star Wars (d6) or Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay. However, since only one of these is actually in print, you may prefer to go with what you know.
However, there is a problem when a new GM steps into the hot seat - he's almost guaranteed to face at least one player who knows how it's all done through years of hard-won experience. With a view to reducing some of the terror that this might cause, here are my thoughts on how a new GM should run his first few sessions...
Preparation
The cardinal rules here are as follows: prepare thoroughly, and keep it simple.
Some GMs prefer to run the game by the seat of their pants, and some just can't be bothered to prepare. However, until you know you're in one of these camps, you need to make sure you are well-prepared. Until you know you can fly blind, don't risk it.
Additionally, you may have grand dreams of an epic campaign spanning years of real-time and generations of game-time, featuring every creature in the World of Darkness and your twenty new bloodlines, but if you try that for your first game, you'll never get anywhere. Trust me - keep it simple.
Know the Rules
Whichever game you are running, you need to know the rules. And you need to know them well. Read the rulebook for the game through in its entirety, preferably twice. Ideally, sit in on a game in the same system being run by another GM, preferably one who doesn't use many house rules.
When preparing your first game, you should not use any supplements, nor should you use many house rules. It's probably best to use NO house rules at all, even omitting published rules. While it may seem simple enough to ignore the rules for Attacks of Opportunity, there is a danger that they will affect other things, and cause you more trouble down the line. Of course, you could seek advice from an experienced GM in this regard, and find some rules that can be ignored safely, but if in doubt, use the rules as written.
It is, of course, easier to use a rules-light game for the first session than a rules-heavy game. So, Vampire rather than Rolemaster. (D&D is a bit of a special case, so I'll cover that later.)
Plotting
Keep the polt for your first game simple and iconic: "Sabbat war-ghouls have been seen at the docks, the Scourge press-gangs the PCs to deal with them.", "The Empire has built a secret new battle-station. The plans are held in a bunker on Kessel. Go steal them.", "Our researchers have found the Staff of Death in a hidden tomb. Drow raiders are currently en route, and you must beat them to it."
Prepare the first adventure to last one or two sessions. It might run short, or run long, but that doesn't really matter. Your target is just to help you work out the length of the plot. You probably want three combat encounters, two role-play encounters and one 'other' encounter per session. The encounters should all be straight-forward, whether involving getting necessary clues, sneaking past the guard, or hitting things.
The 'other' encounters are the place where you want to let your own style come out, and are something you definately want to include. These might include a puzzle (but tread carefully here), reveal a plot-twist, or otherwise do something interesting. Just be sure to have a back-up plan in case this encounter falls flat.
For example, if your special encounter is a puzzle, you need to assign a real-time limit on it. If the players don't solve it in, say, twenty minutes, you move on. Also, make sure you have a plan for if the puzzle is solved in an unusual way. Likewise, if you're using a plot twist, make sure you plan for both the case where the players spot the twist and react accordingly, and also for the case where they either miss the twist, or just choose to ignore it.
Don't Sweat the Small Stuff
If you find you just can't remember the five hundred variations on class and race combinations that are possible, or you get dizzy looking at dots on a character sheet, or you can only think of one good role-playing encounter, don't worry about it. The target is to get a game session or two under your belt, not to beat Robert Jordan in the creation of a pointlessly-epic fantasy yarn.
Running the Game
So, you're all prepared, and the game night is scheduled. You're going to run a game, and you're terrified. Well, never mind. Here's how you're going to do it: smile, fake confidence, and bullshit your way out of trouble.
Arrive First
Before leaving the house, preferably the night before, gather everything you need for the game together. Check you have everything you need. Pack it in a bag together, and make sure you have it with you when you leave the house. Arrive at the location of the game no more than an hour, and no less than ten minutes, before the game is due to start.
If possible, try to get to the location of the game before anyone else. This will give you a chance to unpack without distraction, and let you get a feel for the location. Once you've unpacked, go get a sandwich, read a book, or otherwise distract yourself. Do not drink either coffee or alcohol at this point - you neither want to be hopped up or drunk for your first session.
As the players arrive, make light conversation, but try not to discuss the game. The time for that will come.
Starting the Game
For your first game, you'll want to be using pre-generated characters. Really, I mean it.
At the start of the game, once everyone has arrived, hand out the characters. Explain that it's your first time, and ask for the group's understanding (unless they already know, of course). Explain also that you're using the core rules only, without variation, and ask for rules-chatter to be kept to a minimum. If you forget something, the you're sorry but that's life. Also, if you make a ruling, you're going to stick to it.
Ideally, the more experienced GM's in the group will then take it upon themselves to rein in the rules-lawyers in the group, unless they are the rules-lawyers. In any event, most players won't intentionally wreck the first game of a new GM if they know it's the first game of a new GM. However, if you don't explain all these things I've stated above, they might assume you know what you're doing, and engage in their normal game-destroying antics.
(Of course, you might encounter a player who's determined to be a dick. Sadly, in that case, you're stuck. But that would apply whether it's your first game or your 100'th, and whatever you do, so that's life.)
You also probably want to explain to the group that the start of the adventure is going to be a little bit rail-roaded. Basically, they have to go on the adventure, or the whole thing falls apart. Again, the group should understand, and will get down to playing. However, be aware that you only get to do this for your first game, and you only get to do it to get the group into the adventure - once they're hunting for the Staff of Death, about to land on Kessel, or otherwise involved, they get to call the shots.
Take a Deep Breath...
The players have their characters. They've heard The Talk. They're looking at you eagerly. Time to begin.
Take a deep breath, and start to speak, slowly a clearly. "A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away..."
Seriously, take a minute to outline the situation at the start of the adventure. Then describe the initial situation in front of the players, and ask them what they do. And take it from there.
During the Game
During the game, you're mostly on your own. Once you've started, you should be fine. Try to keep the pace up, if things slow down have a bunch of Stormtroopers/Sabbat ghouls/Drow kick in the door. And don't worry about things - you are doing fine.
If a rules question comes up, just make something up. Want to sneak past the Drow? Probably a Move Silently roll. Go for a DC of 20, that's usually a good number. Really, if you don't just know the answer, and none of the players can supply it off-hand, then who cares whether you get it right? Just choose something that sounds right.
If there's a rules dispute, you have three options. Option one is to ask the most experienced DM around the table for his opinion, and go with that. You get to do that once. Option two is to pause the game, check the rulebook, and use that. This is fine, but hurts the game every time you do it.
The best option is option three. Make a ruling, and stick to it. As long as it sounds good, who cares whether it's a Bluff or Perform(drama) check to play dead? If in doubt, favour the outcome that's least likely to kill a PC.
If you are faced with a player being a dick, you have a problem, probably the only serious problem you can possibly face. He might insist that his interpretation of the rules is correct, regardless of what you say. He might insist on his character going off alone, or not going on the adventure. Or he might instigate PC-vs-PC conflict (which is a sure sign of a dick in a GM's first game, by the way - such things are fine normally, but not for the GM's first game).
There is no one true way to deal with a dick. You just have to keep your cool, and stick to your guns. If it's a rule call, make your decision and don't back down. Even if he points to the rule in the book - it's your game, and you've made your decision. If he refuses to go on the adventure, ignore him. If he insists on splitting the party, do your best to improvise. If he instigates pC-vs-PC problems, let the players deal with him. Try to minimise his disruption, and move on.
Faking Confidence
So, you're absolutely terrified, but you have to appear confident. How does one achieve this goal?
Well, this is where your preparation shows its value. Since you know the rules, you can make judgements, secure in the knowledge that you know what you're doing. Since you know the plot, you can move it forward confidently.
Two other things to remember: it is more important for something to sound good than to be right. So, make a judgement that sounds about right, and you won't have any problems. Secondly, if you keep things moving, you won't have time to be nervous. Keep the plot light and fast-paced. If it bogs down, do something to speed it up again. And if you do this, a good time will be had by all. And that's really the trick, isn't it?
If it All Goes Horribly Wrong
You planned a great set of set-piece battles, followed by the revalation that the Scourge was working for the Sabbat all along, then a battle against the Scourge. Unfortunately, you overestimated the capabilities of the PCs, and they were all just killed by the wheelchair-bound octagenarian with her umbrella. Or you forgot that one PC could dominate the Scourge, and said PC commanded him: "Tell me the truth - you're working for them, aren't you?"
Well, shit happens. Laugh it off, and don't make the same mistake next time.
After the Game
Take in the character sheets, and start preparing for the next game. Now you're a GM, you never get to quit.
Try to think of three things that you did well in the game, and three things you would have done differently. Next time, emphasise the good, and do the other things differently. If you made a mistake, admit it and learn from it. It's really no big deal.
In the unlikely event that you offended anyone, apologise, and claim you were under a lot of stress, and were acting like a dick. They will understand.
If you had any experienced GMs in the group, take some time to ask what they thought, and what they might have done differently. Typically, they will know a few tricks you don't, and they should be willing to offer advice.
And that's about it.
Using D&D
There's no denying that D&D is a very complex game, which would normally make it a very poor choice for a first game. However, there are a few factors that can change that assessment:
1) Pre-generated worlds/adventures. If you don't need to create a setting for the adventure, or don't need to create an adventure, much of your preparation becomes easier.
2) DM tools. The CR system in D&D is quite complex, but it is also extremely useful. If you build a normal D&D party of 4th level, you know that most EL4 encounters are about right for the party. This is extremely useful, especially when compared with games like Vampire, where it can be hard to work out just how tough your Brujah thug should be.
3) Familiarity. Almost every gamer knows D&D, at least a bit. You already know most of the rules, so why not use that?
4) The D&D basic set is intended for novice players. You might well find this a useful way to get into running games.
Ultimately, for a first adventure, I would almost certainly recommend Vampire (the Masquerade), Star Wars (d6) or Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay. However, since only one of these is actually in print, you may prefer to go with what you know.
Tuesday, 10 May 2005
Challenging the Players
Here's a question: what is the place of riddles in the game world? Should such things not exist at all for purposes of realism, should they be resolved with Int checks (or similar), or should the players have to figure out the solution?
Here's another question: what is the place of role-playing encounters in the game world? Should the players have to speak for their characters, or should they be resolved with Diplomacy checks (or similar)?
Realistically, puzzles and riddles should not exist. If I'm a highly-intelligent Solar building a refuge against intruders, I don't guard it with riddles, passwords and carefully-hidden locks. No, instead I set up a system where any attempt to enter activates the traps, and I throw away the keys. Likewise, the pharoah building a treasury for his kingdom would defend it with lethal traps, but would not provide convenient keys to enable robbers to disable or bypass those traps. After all, he wants to keep his stuff, and there's absolutely no reason anyone will ever have to gain access.
However, role-playing games are not an exercise in recreating reality (at least, for the most part). Very few players would actually want to play in a real-world game, since we already live here. Instead, these games are about adventures. We can envisage fireball-throwing wizards, despite physics. So, we can accept unrealistic puzzles. (Plus, we accept jumping puzzles in our computer games - though players don't really like them - so why not a role-playing equivalent?)
However, what is the right way to include puzzles? And how do we resolve role-playing encounters?
Firstly, in both cases, the best way to handle such encounters is for the players to have a shot at it first. So, present the riddle to the players, and let them have a go. Play out the role-playing encounter, and see what the players make of it (with the caveat that they have to play this one out in character. The puzzle they do not, since the party wizard is probably much smarter than the whole group put together, and anyway the point here is to challenge the players). If the players succeed, great, the game proceeds as normal (and see XP, later).
If the players don't get anywhere, or don't want to play through the encounter/solve the puzzle (or are just getting bored trying to solve it), you move on to the backup plan. In the case of a role-playing encounter, this is handled using the appropriate role-playing skills. So, in D&D you use a Bluff or Diplomacy roll. The group may or may not qualify for an XP award as a result of this. In the case of a puzzle, there are three cases. If the puzzle must be solved or the game is dead, assume that a time passes and then the group gets the answer. The DM should assess a certain amount of resources used in determining the answer (either in the form of divinations, sage fees, or items wasted in the course of figuring it out). If the puzzle does not need to be solved for the game to proceed (for instance, if it guards a secondary treasure vault), you can either have the players make a skill or Int check to gain clues, or to solve it outright, or you can simply rule that the group cannot get through the puzzle. Regardless, the group does not qualify for an XP award for a puzzle that is not solved.
It's also worth considering that 'solving' the puzzle does not necessarily mean finding the DM's one-true-solution. If the party instead disables the trap part, and then hacks their way through the door, they have 'solved' the puzzle, and get the XP. Likewise, any solution that works, even if it's not the DM's preferred answer, should be accepted. Basically, players should be rewarded for clever thinking, never penalised.
Determining the XP award for a role-playing encounter or a puzzle can be pretty awkward. Since players don't gain levels, and so ranks in the 'puzzles' skill, the same puzzle can generally be used at 1st level and 20th level. Likewise, the typical role-playing encounter will be as 'difficult' at 1st level as at 20th.
However, the consequences of failure are likely not the same at 1st level as at 20th. And these should provide a guide as to the XP award. Typically, a puzzle should be backed up by a trap or other consequence (otherwise, the party can just hack their way through). If this trap drains the party of 20% of their resources, this constitutes a CR equal to the party level. If successfully opening the doors in the beholder's lair drains resources, this should also be factored in.
For the most part, traps, puzzles and role-playing encounters should all be at around the party's level. 'Normal' operation should drain the party of about 20% of their resources. If the party is very successfuly, or fails spectacularly, this should change, and perhaps wildly, but for the most part, that's how it should run.
There is one more thing to say about puzzles and the issue of realism. A large part of the reason for the existence of such things is to emulate the sort of treasure hunting seen in the Indiana Jones movies. What seems to be forgotten, though, is that those movies don't rely on solving the puzzles in situ. Instead, Dr Jones goes through painstaking preparation for his adventures, that largely isn't shown, gaining the tools to solve the puzzle. It's also worth noting that the puzzles he solves are not designed to hide something away so it can never be found - in all three cases the puzzles hide secrets that are meant to be found by the right people. The Holy Grail is hidden away and guarded, yes, but it is also intended to be found at some later time.
Role-playing games typically suffer in this regard. Usually, a puzzle is presented at the time it is expected to be solved. Instead, if we're emulating the genre, emphasis should be placed on building puzzles that fit the setting, on building up the character's Knowledge skills, and on finding the clues before assaulting the lost temple of doom.
For example, consider a Gnomish bardic school teaching jokes and language. The party might first learn that there are three ways in - a heavily guarded front door, a tradesman's entrance in the back (now destroyed), and a secret underground path used for testing new initiates. They can then look for the first clue - where does this underground path start? Then, having gotten in some way, they come to a hall with inscriptions on two opposite walls, and slate on the wall in between. The first wall has the start of six really bad puns in six different languages. The opposite wall has the inscription 122334455661. The key, then, is to complete each joke in the language in which the next joke is begun. And so it goes.
Conversely, if the characters are to invade a tomb designed never to be penetrated by robbers, the key here is to find those clues that do exist. For instance, the original designers might have left notes, which can be found. Previous tomb robbers might have made it a certain distance before turning back. In this instance, there shouldn't be puzzles that a smart character can get through. There shouldn't be passwords, hidden keys, or whatever. We're trying to keep everyone out, so the tomb should be built accordingly. Nonetheless, there should be clues to find, to help 'figure it out' - just not things that can be determined on the spot.
(Oh, and some clues, such as "only the penitent man shall pass", should either give a bonus to the Disable Device roll, a bonus on a save vs. the trap, or should just allow the character to bypass the trap altogether.)
Here's another question: what is the place of role-playing encounters in the game world? Should the players have to speak for their characters, or should they be resolved with Diplomacy checks (or similar)?
Realistically, puzzles and riddles should not exist. If I'm a highly-intelligent Solar building a refuge against intruders, I don't guard it with riddles, passwords and carefully-hidden locks. No, instead I set up a system where any attempt to enter activates the traps, and I throw away the keys. Likewise, the pharoah building a treasury for his kingdom would defend it with lethal traps, but would not provide convenient keys to enable robbers to disable or bypass those traps. After all, he wants to keep his stuff, and there's absolutely no reason anyone will ever have to gain access.
However, role-playing games are not an exercise in recreating reality (at least, for the most part). Very few players would actually want to play in a real-world game, since we already live here. Instead, these games are about adventures. We can envisage fireball-throwing wizards, despite physics. So, we can accept unrealistic puzzles. (Plus, we accept jumping puzzles in our computer games - though players don't really like them - so why not a role-playing equivalent?)
However, what is the right way to include puzzles? And how do we resolve role-playing encounters?
Firstly, in both cases, the best way to handle such encounters is for the players to have a shot at it first. So, present the riddle to the players, and let them have a go. Play out the role-playing encounter, and see what the players make of it (with the caveat that they have to play this one out in character. The puzzle they do not, since the party wizard is probably much smarter than the whole group put together, and anyway the point here is to challenge the players). If the players succeed, great, the game proceeds as normal (and see XP, later).
If the players don't get anywhere, or don't want to play through the encounter/solve the puzzle (or are just getting bored trying to solve it), you move on to the backup plan. In the case of a role-playing encounter, this is handled using the appropriate role-playing skills. So, in D&D you use a Bluff or Diplomacy roll. The group may or may not qualify for an XP award as a result of this. In the case of a puzzle, there are three cases. If the puzzle must be solved or the game is dead, assume that a time passes and then the group gets the answer. The DM should assess a certain amount of resources used in determining the answer (either in the form of divinations, sage fees, or items wasted in the course of figuring it out). If the puzzle does not need to be solved for the game to proceed (for instance, if it guards a secondary treasure vault), you can either have the players make a skill or Int check to gain clues, or to solve it outright, or you can simply rule that the group cannot get through the puzzle. Regardless, the group does not qualify for an XP award for a puzzle that is not solved.
It's also worth considering that 'solving' the puzzle does not necessarily mean finding the DM's one-true-solution. If the party instead disables the trap part, and then hacks their way through the door, they have 'solved' the puzzle, and get the XP. Likewise, any solution that works, even if it's not the DM's preferred answer, should be accepted. Basically, players should be rewarded for clever thinking, never penalised.
Determining the XP award for a role-playing encounter or a puzzle can be pretty awkward. Since players don't gain levels, and so ranks in the 'puzzles' skill, the same puzzle can generally be used at 1st level and 20th level. Likewise, the typical role-playing encounter will be as 'difficult' at 1st level as at 20th.
However, the consequences of failure are likely not the same at 1st level as at 20th. And these should provide a guide as to the XP award. Typically, a puzzle should be backed up by a trap or other consequence (otherwise, the party can just hack their way through). If this trap drains the party of 20% of their resources, this constitutes a CR equal to the party level. If successfully opening the doors in the beholder's lair drains resources, this should also be factored in.
For the most part, traps, puzzles and role-playing encounters should all be at around the party's level. 'Normal' operation should drain the party of about 20% of their resources. If the party is very successfuly, or fails spectacularly, this should change, and perhaps wildly, but for the most part, that's how it should run.
There is one more thing to say about puzzles and the issue of realism. A large part of the reason for the existence of such things is to emulate the sort of treasure hunting seen in the Indiana Jones movies. What seems to be forgotten, though, is that those movies don't rely on solving the puzzles in situ. Instead, Dr Jones goes through painstaking preparation for his adventures, that largely isn't shown, gaining the tools to solve the puzzle. It's also worth noting that the puzzles he solves are not designed to hide something away so it can never be found - in all three cases the puzzles hide secrets that are meant to be found by the right people. The Holy Grail is hidden away and guarded, yes, but it is also intended to be found at some later time.
Role-playing games typically suffer in this regard. Usually, a puzzle is presented at the time it is expected to be solved. Instead, if we're emulating the genre, emphasis should be placed on building puzzles that fit the setting, on building up the character's Knowledge skills, and on finding the clues before assaulting the lost temple of doom.
For example, consider a Gnomish bardic school teaching jokes and language. The party might first learn that there are three ways in - a heavily guarded front door, a tradesman's entrance in the back (now destroyed), and a secret underground path used for testing new initiates. They can then look for the first clue - where does this underground path start? Then, having gotten in some way, they come to a hall with inscriptions on two opposite walls, and slate on the wall in between. The first wall has the start of six really bad puns in six different languages. The opposite wall has the inscription 122334455661. The key, then, is to complete each joke in the language in which the next joke is begun. And so it goes.
Conversely, if the characters are to invade a tomb designed never to be penetrated by robbers, the key here is to find those clues that do exist. For instance, the original designers might have left notes, which can be found. Previous tomb robbers might have made it a certain distance before turning back. In this instance, there shouldn't be puzzles that a smart character can get through. There shouldn't be passwords, hidden keys, or whatever. We're trying to keep everyone out, so the tomb should be built accordingly. Nonetheless, there should be clues to find, to help 'figure it out' - just not things that can be determined on the spot.
(Oh, and some clues, such as "only the penitent man shall pass", should either give a bonus to the Disable Device roll, a bonus on a save vs. the trap, or should just allow the character to bypass the trap altogether.)
Monday, 9 May 2005
She's my sister/accountant/mail-order ninja!
I've been thinking about character backgrounds again.
The perceived wisdom is that a 'good' character background should answer such questions as: what family does the character have? who were your parents? where are they now? do you have any siblings? are you married?
And so on.
On the other hand, if one looks at shows like Buffy/Angel, Star Trek, Babylon 5, and the like, which tend to have a lot of wisdom to offer RPGs, they tend not to have fully developed character backgrounds from day one. There is always some flexibility, so that you can introduce new characters. Suddenly, Angel has vampires whom he has sired. Troi's mother shows up (and a hundred fans cry out in dismay). Sheridan just happens to have an ex-wife who can come in and replace Ivanova.
Perhaps the quest when creating backgrounds should be to aim for a comfortable middle ground. Where something is important to the character, it needs stated, of course (we need to know that Giles is a Watcher from England, that Wesley's father died under Picard's command, and that Garibaldi has been bounced from one job to the next). When something isn't important, though, it should probably be left blank.
This allows the player to bring in elements that he hadn't thought of at day one (oh, yes, my father had business dealings with the Knights of Malice. Perhaps one of his friends can sponsor my petition for entry?). It gives hooks for new PCs to come in (Your brothers are dead. I've been sent to take you home for the funeral.). And it give the DM all sorts of leeway for evil plots (Obi-wan never told you what happened to your father...).
Of course, there need to be some ground rules:
1) The player can't bring in something relevant to the current situation without DM approval. It's one thing for a character's merchant father to have had shady dealings in the past; it's entirely another for that character's father to have saved the life of the crime-boss who is in the process of roasting the rest of the party.
2) The DM shouldn't be consistently evil when using the empty spaces. Otherwise, next time the player will either provide a background with no empty spaces, or will just not have a background at all.
The perceived wisdom is that a 'good' character background should answer such questions as: what family does the character have? who were your parents? where are they now? do you have any siblings? are you married?
And so on.
On the other hand, if one looks at shows like Buffy/Angel, Star Trek, Babylon 5, and the like, which tend to have a lot of wisdom to offer RPGs, they tend not to have fully developed character backgrounds from day one. There is always some flexibility, so that you can introduce new characters. Suddenly, Angel has vampires whom he has sired. Troi's mother shows up (and a hundred fans cry out in dismay). Sheridan just happens to have an ex-wife who can come in and replace Ivanova.
Perhaps the quest when creating backgrounds should be to aim for a comfortable middle ground. Where something is important to the character, it needs stated, of course (we need to know that Giles is a Watcher from England, that Wesley's father died under Picard's command, and that Garibaldi has been bounced from one job to the next). When something isn't important, though, it should probably be left blank.
This allows the player to bring in elements that he hadn't thought of at day one (oh, yes, my father had business dealings with the Knights of Malice. Perhaps one of his friends can sponsor my petition for entry?). It gives hooks for new PCs to come in (Your brothers are dead. I've been sent to take you home for the funeral.). And it give the DM all sorts of leeway for evil plots (Obi-wan never told you what happened to your father...).
Of course, there need to be some ground rules:
1) The player can't bring in something relevant to the current situation without DM approval. It's one thing for a character's merchant father to have had shady dealings in the past; it's entirely another for that character's father to have saved the life of the crime-boss who is in the process of roasting the rest of the party.
2) The DM shouldn't be consistently evil when using the empty spaces. Otherwise, next time the player will either provide a background with no empty spaces, or will just not have a background at all.
Sunday, 8 May 2005
Large Scale Events
In "Foundations of Flame", the city in which the campaign is set needs to be evacuated. This sounds like a job for the heroes! But, how to model such things in an RPG?
The key to modelling large events (evacuating the city, the siege of Helm's Deep, the attack on the Death Star, and so on) is to recognise that RPGs are closer to film than to reality. (Okay, I'll take that back. Some RPGs, notably D&D, are closer to film than to reality.) This means that we have a small number of characters whom we care about (PCs), a small number of notable NPCs, and a large number of faceless NPCs whom we don't care about, except in the abstract. If you were filming the battle of Helm's Deep, you wouldn't spend a lot of time on the actions of warrior #112 as he fires arrow after arrow at the orcs, then engages in hand-to-hand combat, and then dies a pointless and unremarkable death. No, you would have a bunch of fighting montages showing these events, interspersed with scenes of Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli kicking ass, and trying to turn the tide, or at least hold the line.
The other thing to bear in mind is that you want the important characters to be at the centre of the action, not calling the shots from behind the scenes. In the above example, Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli are the PCs, but Haldir and Theoden are not. They are important NPCs, but they are not the centre of the action. Similarly, in a massed battle, the PCs are Ajax, Hector and Achillies, not Agamemnon.
So, how to model a large-scale event?
Firstly, the preparation. The key here is to consider what forces are involved, and how they are opposed. So, we have 300 humans and elves (yes, I'm including the elves because Haldir is going to become important later on) versus 10,000 orcs. The humans have the walls of Helm's Deep, the orcs have siege towers, explosive devices, and so on. Or, you have the eastern USA, a fault line and two nuclear devices versus Superman.
Next, consider the timeline, assuming the PCs do nothing. So, if Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli don't intervene, the orcs break down the walls in 6 hours. 2 hours after that, Gandalf arrives with the Rohirrim, but can't do anything to help. Likewise, if Superman doesn't act, a huge portion of the eastern USA falls into the ocean, the world suffers calamitous damage, and Lex Luthor becomes obscenely wealthy.
Now, consider what the PCs are going to do to help. Now, firstly, and obviously, they're going to oppose the orcs the same as anyone else. They will array their forces as best they can, use ever advantage they have available, and so on. In fact, since the players aren't, by and large, experts in fantasy warfare, it can be taken as read that they will do a better job of arraying the forces than the players would.
But you only show Superman rescuing a cat from a tree once. By that I mean, if the PCs can be assumed to do something, but it isn't very exciting, you just narrate a bit of boxed text about their actions, and move on. There's no need to linger on this.
Instead, you try to think up several scenes where the PCs can make a difference. Consider also the role of unimportant NPCs in this. They probably can't help, but their presence does change the situation somewhere. So, is there an enemy champion for the PCs to fight? In that case, show the champion cutting a swathe through the allies of the PCs. If there's a building on fire, allow the PCs to motivate NPCs for form a bucket line. Just make sure the PCs have to act as well - otherwise we're back to cat stuck in tree territory.
Having generated a bunch of scenes, it's necessary to work out how they affect the adventure as a whole. In this regard, "Foundations of Flame" had a useful system, where each sector of the city required a certain number of "Evacuation Points" to clear, and each scene was worth a number of points. So, assign each encounter a number of points, establish a set of victory conditions, and have at it.
Returning to Helm's Deep, if we say that orcs need 100 Siege Points to break down the wall. We'll assume that they gain 18 points per hour, so after 6 hours they have 108 points. We'll assume also that after 8 hours the Rohirrim will arrive with the dawn, and all will be well. Then, we decide what the PCs can do to help. Well, Aragorn's comments to the boy about hope (and similar words to the rest of the troops) counts for something. The scene where they shore up the gate by holding off the enemy is worth something. The last rally, when the Horn of Helm Hammerhand sounds once again is worth something. And so on. The idea is that the battle will be lost anyway, but by the actions of the PCs, they hold out just long enough.
When running the adventure, you put all this together as follows: You run a number of montages of general events. The armies trade fire. The PCs load carts, gather gaurds and send them out, or rescue cats from trees. In between montages, you have a mixture of key encounters, and scenes showing the fate of key NPCs. So, you see Hector and Achillies (actually, Patrocles) fighting. You see Superman stopping the rocket. Aragorn tosses Gimli across to the bridge. And, as time passes, you keep track of the event counters.
You should also take the time to show the fate of key NPCs. So, Theoden and his guys draw their swords and go to the front. You don't roll dice, just show this. You similarly narrate the fall of Haldir to the orcs. You comment about how Red 6 gets blown out of the sky. In this regard, it helps if you have a cast of NPCs, both liked and hated, whom the players know. And, sometimes, the fate of an NPC can be affected by a PC's actions. Boba Fett might be killed due to the actions of Han. Or, sometimes there's nothing that can be done. Aragorn isn't in a position to save Haldir. The DM gets to choose this.
There are two rules regarding NPC fates: if the PCs can change the fate of an NPC, you have to let the result stand, whether it's what you want or not. Conversely, if a character has a name, you have to show him die, even in a cut-scene.
As regards the question of XP awards, there are three options:
Under option 1, the large scale event could be considered something that the PCs just have to deal with, and therefore they only get XP for what they do (so, if they fight the enemy champion, they get XP for him, but they don't get an award for saving cats from trees, or whatever). This has the advantage of keeping the PCs' treasure total on a par with their level, which can be beneficial.
Under option 2, the PCs get a fixed award for success in the adventure as a whole. Perhaps the townsfolk grant the heroes a huge reward for saving them, and the DM gives out enough XP to increase them by a level or so. This has the advantage of being really simple.
Option 3 is perhaps the best. Each encounter has an XP award, which is modified by how well the PCs do. So, if they rescue the man from the burning building, they get an award, if they put out the fire, but the man dies, they get a lesser award. This is probably best, but is likely to leave the PCs low on treasure. However, this is probably best compensated by greater awards in previous and future adventures. Or, perhaps the towsfolk just give them an award...
And that's about that. Suggestions? Comments?
The key to modelling large events (evacuating the city, the siege of Helm's Deep, the attack on the Death Star, and so on) is to recognise that RPGs are closer to film than to reality. (Okay, I'll take that back. Some RPGs, notably D&D, are closer to film than to reality.) This means that we have a small number of characters whom we care about (PCs), a small number of notable NPCs, and a large number of faceless NPCs whom we don't care about, except in the abstract. If you were filming the battle of Helm's Deep, you wouldn't spend a lot of time on the actions of warrior #112 as he fires arrow after arrow at the orcs, then engages in hand-to-hand combat, and then dies a pointless and unremarkable death. No, you would have a bunch of fighting montages showing these events, interspersed with scenes of Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli kicking ass, and trying to turn the tide, or at least hold the line.
The other thing to bear in mind is that you want the important characters to be at the centre of the action, not calling the shots from behind the scenes. In the above example, Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli are the PCs, but Haldir and Theoden are not. They are important NPCs, but they are not the centre of the action. Similarly, in a massed battle, the PCs are Ajax, Hector and Achillies, not Agamemnon.
So, how to model a large-scale event?
Firstly, the preparation. The key here is to consider what forces are involved, and how they are opposed. So, we have 300 humans and elves (yes, I'm including the elves because Haldir is going to become important later on) versus 10,000 orcs. The humans have the walls of Helm's Deep, the orcs have siege towers, explosive devices, and so on. Or, you have the eastern USA, a fault line and two nuclear devices versus Superman.
Next, consider the timeline, assuming the PCs do nothing. So, if Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli don't intervene, the orcs break down the walls in 6 hours. 2 hours after that, Gandalf arrives with the Rohirrim, but can't do anything to help. Likewise, if Superman doesn't act, a huge portion of the eastern USA falls into the ocean, the world suffers calamitous damage, and Lex Luthor becomes obscenely wealthy.
Now, consider what the PCs are going to do to help. Now, firstly, and obviously, they're going to oppose the orcs the same as anyone else. They will array their forces as best they can, use ever advantage they have available, and so on. In fact, since the players aren't, by and large, experts in fantasy warfare, it can be taken as read that they will do a better job of arraying the forces than the players would.
But you only show Superman rescuing a cat from a tree once. By that I mean, if the PCs can be assumed to do something, but it isn't very exciting, you just narrate a bit of boxed text about their actions, and move on. There's no need to linger on this.
Instead, you try to think up several scenes where the PCs can make a difference. Consider also the role of unimportant NPCs in this. They probably can't help, but their presence does change the situation somewhere. So, is there an enemy champion for the PCs to fight? In that case, show the champion cutting a swathe through the allies of the PCs. If there's a building on fire, allow the PCs to motivate NPCs for form a bucket line. Just make sure the PCs have to act as well - otherwise we're back to cat stuck in tree territory.
Having generated a bunch of scenes, it's necessary to work out how they affect the adventure as a whole. In this regard, "Foundations of Flame" had a useful system, where each sector of the city required a certain number of "Evacuation Points" to clear, and each scene was worth a number of points. So, assign each encounter a number of points, establish a set of victory conditions, and have at it.
Returning to Helm's Deep, if we say that orcs need 100 Siege Points to break down the wall. We'll assume that they gain 18 points per hour, so after 6 hours they have 108 points. We'll assume also that after 8 hours the Rohirrim will arrive with the dawn, and all will be well. Then, we decide what the PCs can do to help. Well, Aragorn's comments to the boy about hope (and similar words to the rest of the troops) counts for something. The scene where they shore up the gate by holding off the enemy is worth something. The last rally, when the Horn of Helm Hammerhand sounds once again is worth something. And so on. The idea is that the battle will be lost anyway, but by the actions of the PCs, they hold out just long enough.
When running the adventure, you put all this together as follows: You run a number of montages of general events. The armies trade fire. The PCs load carts, gather gaurds and send them out, or rescue cats from trees. In between montages, you have a mixture of key encounters, and scenes showing the fate of key NPCs. So, you see Hector and Achillies (actually, Patrocles) fighting. You see Superman stopping the rocket. Aragorn tosses Gimli across to the bridge. And, as time passes, you keep track of the event counters.
You should also take the time to show the fate of key NPCs. So, Theoden and his guys draw their swords and go to the front. You don't roll dice, just show this. You similarly narrate the fall of Haldir to the orcs. You comment about how Red 6 gets blown out of the sky. In this regard, it helps if you have a cast of NPCs, both liked and hated, whom the players know. And, sometimes, the fate of an NPC can be affected by a PC's actions. Boba Fett might be killed due to the actions of Han. Or, sometimes there's nothing that can be done. Aragorn isn't in a position to save Haldir. The DM gets to choose this.
There are two rules regarding NPC fates: if the PCs can change the fate of an NPC, you have to let the result stand, whether it's what you want or not. Conversely, if a character has a name, you have to show him die, even in a cut-scene.
As regards the question of XP awards, there are three options:
Under option 1, the large scale event could be considered something that the PCs just have to deal with, and therefore they only get XP for what they do (so, if they fight the enemy champion, they get XP for him, but they don't get an award for saving cats from trees, or whatever). This has the advantage of keeping the PCs' treasure total on a par with their level, which can be beneficial.
Under option 2, the PCs get a fixed award for success in the adventure as a whole. Perhaps the townsfolk grant the heroes a huge reward for saving them, and the DM gives out enough XP to increase them by a level or so. This has the advantage of being really simple.
Option 3 is perhaps the best. Each encounter has an XP award, which is modified by how well the PCs do. So, if they rescue the man from the burning building, they get an award, if they put out the fire, but the man dies, they get a lesser award. This is probably best, but is likely to leave the PCs low on treasure. However, this is probably best compensated by greater awards in previous and future adventures. Or, perhaps the towsfolk just give them an award...
And that's about that. Suggestions? Comments?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)