Month: February 2017

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GM Tips#7 Variety is the spice of expanded roleplay

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Sullivan Female from Artstation.com

Variety is the spice of expanding your roleplay. Players and GMs, try new races, classes and playing the opposite sex if you haven’t before. It will expand your Roleplaying experience and add to your skills. GMs,including a variety of NPCs for the players to interact with of different races and classes will make a location more exotic.

i often use different accents, voice tones, expanded masculinity or femininity in my voice to help distinguish each NPC and monster as unique. The players enjoy it, laugh and try it with their characters as well.

Its variety in roleplay that can keep a game system fresh.

 

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GM Tips #6 Theism or Non-Theism in Game

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Iconic art from Paizo Publishig art team

Use of theism, anti-theism, agnosticism and atheism in a campaign can create great fun and challenges for the pcs. Get to know each and use it to spark deeper character development, roleplay and obstacles.

AntiTheist characters or NPCs see religion and gods/goddesses as meddlesome trouble to be removed from their lives. Agnostic characters see not enough proof to believe in the pantheons. Athiestic pcs or NPCs deny the existence of the pantheons. Each has unique roleplay and challenges for a campaign.

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GM Tips #5 – Keeping Players Off “The Railroad”

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Tantara Train Station

As GMs and DMs, we put in lots of hours creating fun campaigns, adventures and story arcs. Fun locations, jaw dropping challenges and Titan like clashes fill our mind’s eye….until our players take a detour we didn’t plan for or expect. They took a hard left when we planned for straight.

So what does a GM/DM do? Railroad them back onto the path we had planned, right? They aren’t going to go somewhere we aren’t ready. And there-in lies the wrong choice. Railroading a party is forcing them onto a path we want them to take. Be dinged freedom of choice. And the fun for the party becomes fleeting at best.

Instead of railroading, we as GMs/DMs should consider:

1. Allowing the party to turn left. Adapt to the moment. Improvise. And then over time, gently guide them back to the goal.

2. Plan ahead for this. It will, ALWAYS occur at some point of a campaign. So plan for the possibilities. Have NPCs and story lines ready to insert for these occasions.

3.  Don’t panic or get angry. Remember, the players write the story. It’s our role to provide the framework and background locations and people. Let them have some creative license in where they take a story.

 

 

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GM Tips #4 – Troublesome Players

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Pathfinder Iconics from Paizo Publishing

Player personalities can range from very helpful, animated, bored, sarcastic and conflictive. How does a GM handle the more troublesome ones? Here are some thoughts:

1. Write material in your campaign that will engage their personality.

2. Help the rules oriented experts in the group to be a vital part of making play more cohesive with rules. Ask them to help with clarifications, help settle questions and arguments between players and praise their contribution.

3. Ask the sarcastic and conflict oriented ones how you can improve the sessions to make it more exciting for them.

4. Use the background stories they come up with and include parts of the session to engage them on this.

5.  Use humor, cheering and animated dialogue to make the players feel epic and heroic/villainous.

Dont get upset with those more challenging players. Instead, get creative!

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