My Signature Skill (or Flaw) as a GM
Jun. 17th, 2009 03:13 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
theronBy a number of accounts, I'm a pretty good GM (or DM or Storyteller or whatever). I've got people who actively seek out my games at OwlCon, and it's been years since anyone bailed on my games, and folks always seem to have a good time, so I think it's something I've gotten pretty good at over the years.
If someone asked me how to be a GM, I'm pretty sure all I could do is give them some nice generic advice and then stand around looking stumped and slightly uncomfortable.
Because, as last night's game reminded me, I really don't know how I do what I do when I'm behind the screen. I have no doubt that it worked. I have no doubt everyone had a good time and some very entertaining events transpired. I also know how little I actually had to do with it on a grand scale. And I know this because when I sat down last night, I had enough material written to cover about the first fifteen or twenty minutes of a three hour session, a few ideas of things that might happen after that, a possible end-game event, and no idea how any of it would necessarily link up.
Which is actually how most of my best gaming experiences happen. Because when I'm that stuck for a plot (and believe me, I had nothing resembling a plot last night), I tend to just say, "screw it," let's say yes and see what happens.
So, for those who played last night, that's pretty much exactly how it went down from the point where your characters got loaded into the ox cart until the sub emerged from the Bermuda Triangle. Everything in between? The pirate attack in town? The conversation with the Governor? The T-Rex out on the trail? I was generally thinking of those things about thirty seconds before I sprang them and I was operating on the whole "Adventure now, make sense later!" mantra that certainly worked for this game. And you guys brilliantly gave me stuff to feed off at every turn. And as far as I could tell, you all enjoyed it and that amazing die roll towards the end just sealed the deal.
But there's no way I could hope to teach it. Honestly, I don't even like doing it very much. It's like tightrope walking without a net: sure, it's a rush and it looks awesome and everyone's entertained, but eventually, I'm going to slip. And once you reach a certain level of proficiency, all that's really doing when I do it is increase the likelihood of falling, and I swear off ever doing it again.
Until the next time I find myself with less than half a story and a table full of expectant players.
If someone asked me how to be a GM, I'm pretty sure all I could do is give them some nice generic advice and then stand around looking stumped and slightly uncomfortable.
Because, as last night's game reminded me, I really don't know how I do what I do when I'm behind the screen. I have no doubt that it worked. I have no doubt everyone had a good time and some very entertaining events transpired. I also know how little I actually had to do with it on a grand scale. And I know this because when I sat down last night, I had enough material written to cover about the first fifteen or twenty minutes of a three hour session, a few ideas of things that might happen after that, a possible end-game event, and no idea how any of it would necessarily link up.
Which is actually how most of my best gaming experiences happen. Because when I'm that stuck for a plot (and believe me, I had nothing resembling a plot last night), I tend to just say, "screw it," let's say yes and see what happens.
So, for those who played last night, that's pretty much exactly how it went down from the point where your characters got loaded into the ox cart until the sub emerged from the Bermuda Triangle. Everything in between? The pirate attack in town? The conversation with the Governor? The T-Rex out on the trail? I was generally thinking of those things about thirty seconds before I sprang them and I was operating on the whole "Adventure now, make sense later!" mantra that certainly worked for this game. And you guys brilliantly gave me stuff to feed off at every turn. And as far as I could tell, you all enjoyed it and that amazing die roll towards the end just sealed the deal.
But there's no way I could hope to teach it. Honestly, I don't even like doing it very much. It's like tightrope walking without a net: sure, it's a rush and it looks awesome and everyone's entertained, but eventually, I'm going to slip. And once you reach a certain level of proficiency, all that's really doing when I do it is increase the likelihood of falling, and I swear off ever doing it again.
Until the next time I find myself with less than half a story and a table full of expectant players.
The Power Of Improv
Date: 2009-06-26 05:16 pm (UTC)I have found much in common between DMing, improvisational theatre, acting, teaching, and standup comedy. They are skills, sure, but you got to have some talent to back them up. Skills can be taught, sure, but talent?
--Doc