Shadow Queen
Mongoose
for a virgin GM
Advice
- Thread starter Shadow Queen
- Start date
Vortex
Mongoose
Don't have your low level group save the galaxy in their first adventure. If you do they'll expect to save two galaxies in the next adventure! :shock:
Seriously, start simply. Have them chase a lurker who pick-pocketed an ordinary jewel of a friend or something of that magnitude. Then make things gradually bigger.
When you feel more comfortable with the system, the campain and the PCs, if you want to get big and have a link to the beginning, you can always bring it back when they discover the jewel they thought was ordinary is actually a Cintauri relic from the time of the first emperor, a piece of first one technology or anything your devious mind can come up with.
PS: If you don't feel devious, don't worry, it will come... :twisted:
Seriously, start simply. Have them chase a lurker who pick-pocketed an ordinary jewel of a friend or something of that magnitude. Then make things gradually bigger.
When you feel more comfortable with the system, the campain and the PCs, if you want to get big and have a link to the beginning, you can always bring it back when they discover the jewel they thought was ordinary is actually a Cintauri relic from the time of the first emperor, a piece of first one technology or anything your devious mind can come up with.
PS: If you don't feel devious, don't worry, it will come... :twisted:
Shadow Queen
Mongoose
i was going to run cold equasions
Be prepared for them to completely poleaxe your scenario. Players never quite do what you want, so be flexible. Think of the plot in broad sweeps, and ocassionally, if the players came up with a "plot" that you didn't, and it's better, run with it and call it your idea 
Don't let them bully you though.
Reward stupidity with the kind of lessons that they will not forget in a hurry (by preference no fatal, but hey, if they're being really stupid...).
With B5, be prepared to take players aside (or pass notes) when the come across information the others might not necessarily know, and encourage them to do the same when appropriate.
Involve all the players. If need be, make up a "plot line" for the characters who are falling by the wayside, just so long as it "fits" and doesn't wreck the scenario.
Avoid going combat heavy in such a lethal environment.
Do have a sheet of names of major NPCs with a flow chart of their connections to one another, with room to pencil in the players' effects on those relationships.
If you come up with an NPC on the fly, keep a note of their name and some details so that if possible you can have him/her recur again in the future.
Don't be too clever (but that's not to say you can't be clever, just pitch at a level that you know at least one of the players will make the correct guess/connection). If the PCs can't work it out, you'll generally piss them off.
Remember what the limits of B5 technology are, and try to present your scenes knowing that. ie EA have rotational gravity generation, if at all in the main part, so make sure that the players are aware of the areas of zero-G that they will inevitably have to pass through.
Don't let them bully you though.Reward stupidity with the kind of lessons that they will not forget in a hurry (by preference no fatal, but hey, if they're being really stupid...).
With B5, be prepared to take players aside (or pass notes) when the come across information the others might not necessarily know, and encourage them to do the same when appropriate.
Involve all the players. If need be, make up a "plot line" for the characters who are falling by the wayside, just so long as it "fits" and doesn't wreck the scenario.
Avoid going combat heavy in such a lethal environment.
Do have a sheet of names of major NPCs with a flow chart of their connections to one another, with room to pencil in the players' effects on those relationships.
If you come up with an NPC on the fly, keep a note of their name and some details so that if possible you can have him/her recur again in the future.
Don't be too clever (but that's not to say you can't be clever, just pitch at a level that you know at least one of the players will make the correct guess/connection). If the PCs can't work it out, you'll generally piss them off.
Remember what the limits of B5 technology are, and try to present your scenes knowing that. ie EA have rotational gravity generation, if at all in the main part, so make sure that the players are aware of the areas of zero-G that they will inevitably have to pass through.
Shadow Queen
Mongoose
thanks guys, i have 2 gm's in the group so i can ask for help from them, i have been told not to hide behind the GM screen is that good?
Neo
Mongoose
My advice for virgin GM's, it the same advice i'd give to a virgin anything... and that is as follows.
1) be confident and enjoy what you do, if people think and feel your inexperience they will take advantage. It is important for a GM to maintain control and fun levels in a happy balance.
2) Dont over-prepare. If you are running a published adventure be sure you yourself have read it a couple of times cover to cover to familiarise yourself "before" play, never get caught running something you've not read as it will fall apart. If you dont want to damage your books by pencil underlining things then add a post it with notes to yourself of what to remember and be aware of in each section on the relevant pages..they will make your life much easier.
If however you are running something you make yourself have a starting point, contact, reward in mind, an objective and major opponentvillain/trap/puzzle etc.. for the finale but leave the things that happen in between, for crafting adventures on the fly too much detail in the shape of linear path plotting is a GM's worst ngihtmare.
3) Never say No to your players actions, always let them try even if it is doomed to fail, nothing makes them feel more frustrated than you pointing out the flaw in thier every plan before hand.
4) One thing I would say to plan is a twist..every adventure benefits in a twist, a curveball the PC's dont see coming, this could be an NPC gone good or bad, the true villain being a friend or contact or completely different faction than expected...remember webs within webs make for good intrigue and surprise.
5) Have Fun, AWALYS!!!!
6) I find having a session before an campaign begins, to discuss, plan and produce the team and thier relation with each other if any before play helps to ensure the players are chomping at the bit before play and already have some idea of how they are going to work as a team.
7) Make sure you have any handouts etc.. the PC's may need prepped before play, nothign worse than havign to say "You get this handout, but I forget to get a copy so you'll have to look in the back of the book and read it"...
8) Have spare character sheets handy (and a spare set of dice and some pencils, ALWAYS at least one whoforgets the essentials)
9) Keep the focus of action in a party moving dont dwell too long on the activitiers of any one player for more than 5-10 mins tops! keep everyone involved and dont give the players a chance to get bored through inactivity.
10). Have a break halfway through the session for munchies, chatting, orderign food, whatever it helps keep things relaxed and prevents players causing distraction during play otherwise.
1) be confident and enjoy what you do, if people think and feel your inexperience they will take advantage. It is important for a GM to maintain control and fun levels in a happy balance.
2) Dont over-prepare. If you are running a published adventure be sure you yourself have read it a couple of times cover to cover to familiarise yourself "before" play, never get caught running something you've not read as it will fall apart. If you dont want to damage your books by pencil underlining things then add a post it with notes to yourself of what to remember and be aware of in each section on the relevant pages..they will make your life much easier.
If however you are running something you make yourself have a starting point, contact, reward in mind, an objective and major opponentvillain/trap/puzzle etc.. for the finale but leave the things that happen in between, for crafting adventures on the fly too much detail in the shape of linear path plotting is a GM's worst ngihtmare.
3) Never say No to your players actions, always let them try even if it is doomed to fail, nothing makes them feel more frustrated than you pointing out the flaw in thier every plan before hand.
4) One thing I would say to plan is a twist..every adventure benefits in a twist, a curveball the PC's dont see coming, this could be an NPC gone good or bad, the true villain being a friend or contact or completely different faction than expected...remember webs within webs make for good intrigue and surprise.
5) Have Fun, AWALYS!!!!
6) I find having a session before an campaign begins, to discuss, plan and produce the team and thier relation with each other if any before play helps to ensure the players are chomping at the bit before play and already have some idea of how they are going to work as a team.
7) Make sure you have any handouts etc.. the PC's may need prepped before play, nothign worse than havign to say "You get this handout, but I forget to get a copy so you'll have to look in the back of the book and read it"...
8) Have spare character sheets handy (and a spare set of dice and some pencils, ALWAYS at least one whoforgets the essentials)
9) Keep the focus of action in a party moving dont dwell too long on the activitiers of any one player for more than 5-10 mins tops! keep everyone involved and dont give the players a chance to get bored through inactivity.
10). Have a break halfway through the session for munchies, chatting, orderign food, whatever it helps keep things relaxed and prevents players causing distraction during play otherwise.
Traveller-61
Mongoose
Just to add to all the good advice that has already been given...
DM screen - oh yes, essential in my book! I always hide behind one of those; just to keep my notes away from prying eyes and to hide my dice rolls. Of course having all the tables in one place is very usefull as well.
Prepare well - even with a published scenario I always end up making pages of notes so I know who is who and what happens where. Making a time line of events is also good to keep track of what went before and what will (or may, once the PCs are involved) happen in the game.
Have fun
And let us know how you get on!
DW
DM screen - oh yes, essential in my book! I always hide behind one of those; just to keep my notes away from prying eyes and to hide my dice rolls. Of course having all the tables in one place is very usefull as well.
Prepare well - even with a published scenario I always end up making pages of notes so I know who is who and what happens where. Making a time line of events is also good to keep track of what went before and what will (or may, once the PCs are involved) happen in the game.
Have fun
And let us know how you get on!
DW
Shadow Queen
Mongoose
our GM for Call of Cuthulu never hides behind a screen only when we played in the pub
thedarkelf007
Mongoose
use the screen to hide the scenario and your notes, with practice you can have them in the open, but you don't want the players to casually scan the book while your busy with something (I can read upside down) and if they can tell the encounter is not in the book (because your not referencing it, they give it less attention.
Dice rolls hidden are optional. Displayed dice rolls means character deaths. If you hide them, then you can choose just to have them badly injured...
I use screens, and don't use them in the same session. All my maps are on the back of the screen and my notepads are behind it for keeping track of the combat, and main actions of the party that need to be taken into account for influence...
or simply to make them paranoid that something important is happening and they don't know what it is.
So to put it simply, until you feel comfortable with adding mystery and suspense yourself, the screen helps to do that for you.
But make sure you are not "hiddden" behind it as a wall between you and the players (mine is off to the side)
I hope this helps.
Dice rolls hidden are optional. Displayed dice rolls means character deaths. If you hide them, then you can choose just to have them badly injured...
I use screens, and don't use them in the same session. All my maps are on the back of the screen and my notepads are behind it for keeping track of the combat, and main actions of the party that need to be taken into account for influence...
or simply to make them paranoid that something important is happening and they don't know what it is.
So to put it simply, until you feel comfortable with adding mystery and suspense yourself, the screen helps to do that for you.
But make sure you are not "hiddden" behind it as a wall between you and the players (mine is off to the side)
I hope this helps.
