Referee: lessons learned

[robject]

This morning, I'm listening to a recording I made, ten years ago, of one of our Traveller game sessions. Five of us met to play weekly, and they stumbled their way through the Marches.

Gads, I was a horrible referee. Here's things I should have done that evening, which could be useful to other referees out there.

1. Character Prep Time. Even for ongoing games, character sheets have prep work to complete before we can game that night. I should have declared a mini prep session to answer questions, resolve prep work, and also to set up the night by informing individuals of whatever they may need to know.

2. Don't say no, but... Two players were high-maintenance; they wanted to play with the system for their benefit. I should have used this to advantage, weaving it into the plot and their motivation. I could have established this during Character Prep Time, mentioned above, and of course giving them some rope to hang themselves with wouldn't hurt a bit (see the next points).

DANG NABBIT! The web ate my post!

Let's see if I can remember the other four points...

3 & 4. I should have skipped over non-events, or used boilerplate preparation to make them true events. The players were detained for two weeks in Vilis. I should have had a starport + startown sketch ready, with places to visit, and a list for myself with people to meet. The players would have driven the game at that point. Letting them steer the game a bit might have made them feel more invested, plus they would have sought out the kind of game they'd like to play.

5. umm...

6. Well if I can't remember them, they must not have been all that important.

I think the main thing I've learned is: be prepared with neat stuff that's important to the game at that point for them to look at and accessories to play with. Because: mischievousness is in direct proportion to boredom.

 

[chshrkt]

<snip>
2. Don't say no, but... Two players were high-maintenance; they wanted to play with the system for their benefit. I should have used this to advantage, weaving it into the plot and their motivation. I should have established this during Ch

Gah!
Finish your thought man! I'm in suspense!
lol

 

[pendragonman]

2. Don't say no, but... Two players were high-maintenance; they wanted to play with the system for their benefit. I should have used this to advantage, weaving it into the plot and their motivation. I could have established this during Character Prep Time, mentioned above, and of course giving them some rope to hang themselves with wouldn't hurt a bit (see the next points).

I hear you brother. A couple of high maintenance characters (players) can really jack with the whole plot line if you aren't prepared for them.

 

[Perseus]

Regarding high maintenance players, ever have one of those sessions where you have a wider plot/substructure you want the char to explore, or at least take a bit of a look at, maybe get drawn into, and all they want to do is start fights or role play sexual encounters? I know there is a ton of things you can do to block stuff like that, but, some players just aren't interested in taking the bait for a wider picture/adventure. It was one of things that really frustrated me about GM-ing, and probably a contributor as to why I more or less drifted out of it. I hate blatantly manipulating the party, I like to give them a bit of a head to find their own story and have bits that you can fit in, pre-made, encounters, side stories, patrons, adventures, and enjoy the story as much as the players who are, in a sense writing it.

So yes, a bunch of premade stuff, Good bling-y bits and some unusual things can really spark off a game and set it off right. Mind you I remember sitting, thoroughly bored, (as a player) through about an hour (!) of this guy who wanted to score with a female captive. Ref should have done something! Turned me right off joining unknown groups, (what would you call that, Blind date RPG's?).

 

[JAFARR]

A guideline I once read from one of the bridge (as in the card game) pros fits nicely here. Things will come up where either of 2 choices will give you the same or almost the same percentage of achieving your goal. Decide before hand how you will handle it. This allows you to play without having to pause and think about how you will play which in turn may help your opponent. Re-phrase it to read have enough non-situation specific details worked out that you can drop them into the situation as needed. For example, I had a group that always wanted to know npc names even if they did not relate to anything important. I got tired of pulling them out of thin air so I did a D100 chart name generator. 100 each male and female first names and 2 columns of last names. Then for every npc they met, they would role a name. If it was for a major npc, I wrote it on the approbate data card or in the notebook. If it was not important, I wrote it on scrap paper and threw it away after the npc was gone from play. That way the pcs did not get a clue from the name as to the importance of the npc. And I am sure that you all were smart enough to figure to roll a die for odd/even to see which column of last names to use.

No, I am not going to post it. 1) I don't have it in the computer so I am not going to type it in. 2) I used normal USA names and some of you like to use other types of names. (I am to lazy to figure out Valani sounding names.)

General sketches of buildings, floor plans, etc. can be used over and over for some things. Laminating some of these things will help keep them useable for years and you can use dry erase pens to mark on them over and over.

 

[Icosahedron]

I use a utility called Insiration Pad (there are others) to generate things like passenger manifests. Random name, random UPP, random description, etc. The program just generates fifty or so and you discard the less interesting ones.

I have a number of stock floorplans, several bars, several diners, several shops, several hotel foyers, several cell-blocks, etc. Plus, of course, several deckplans.

 

[ravells]

Thanks Isoc! That looks like a really neat utility to have to hand!

Robject - I really wish I had tape recorded some of my early roleplaying days, there would be at least one real belly laugh per session (the booze helped of course).

It depends on player expectations of course, but we were equally happy rpg'ing with lots of material or just a d6 in the pub (and sometimes we didn't even bother with the d6).

 

[casquilho]

I have also found it is OK to take a time out if the players catch me off guard.

So often as the GM we feel the need to react right at that moment. But in the end, most players do not mind if you call for a five minute break. Refill soda etc. This allows you to let the moment sink in and then move forward.

Daniel

 

[pendragonman]

I use a utility called Insiration Pad ...

I just looked at it. Have you looked at Inspiration Pad Pro? You can add tavles of your own to the generator.

Even just the online part looks wickedly useful, though. Thanks Icos!

 

[Renaissance Man]

Astro synthesis look uber-cool as well.

Check out the animations:

http://www.nbos.com/products/astro/astro-animations.htm

I wonder if anyone has tried building the Traveller starmaps into that thing. The authenticity of it for players - it builds exactly the kind of mood one wants for space exploration.

 

[DaveChase]

For those werid times when players (or some of the players) don't want to follow your richly designed scenario, have a couple of small interesting sidelines available for them.

I learned this lesson early in my games. After spending 2 weeks developing a great plot, lead in and clues, all 5 players went some were else and as a group decided to ignore the possible scenario.

I also used lots of graphic magazines like EPIC, Heavy Metal, and others to help focuse the players on what they wanted.

Dave Chase

 

[Andrew Boulton]

No scenario survives contact with the players.

 

[pendragonman]

No scenario survives contact with the players.

True, but sometimes the players take longer to deviate from the scenario.

 

[deniable]

I used to run whole games where the players just wandered around doing their own thing. This actually takes more prep [1] than running a linear scenario. The problem was that I had to have an 'adventure' in my pocket if they got bored and couldn't think of things to do. Usually if you give them a living, breathing environment they come up with all sorts of strange ideas. Nudging them back where you want them is doable with a bit of effort.

Short answer, I guess, is to have a lot of filler material and be quick on your feet.

[1] Unless you want to live on random encounter tables, that is.

 

[Knightsky]

I have also found it is OK to take a time out if the players catch me off guard.

So often as the GM we feel the need to react right at that moment. But in the end, most players do not mind if you call for a five minute break. Refill soda etc. This allows you to let the moment sink in and then move forward.

This reminds me... back in the day there was an article in White Dwarf that gave suggestions for Traveller referees (written in the tone of the Hitchhiker's novels) for what to do when the players did something so completely unexpected as to utterly bork up your planned scenario.

The first suggestion was to ask for a break, send the players off to get food, and don't rush into things without taking sometime to get your meantal equilibrium back on track.

 

[Icosahedron]

Dave: In the past, I have introduced wayward players to 'Escherian Fate'.
Wherever they go and whatever they do, they find themselves facing the same mystery through a different door. They may not realise it, and some interrim ideas are needed, but I'm not going to throw away all that brow sweat just because players do an unexpected about-face. :smirk:

Ravells/Pendragonman: Yes, I'm aware of IP Pro, but I've not used it yet. IP's geeky requirements for coding inputs alienates me. I have to re-learn its operation every time I use it, so I don't use it often, so every time... etc.
There is something similar (and of course incompatible) called TableSmith, but I've not checked this out.

RM: I'm also aware of AS. I believe it has a number of Traveller add-ons and a wide Traveller fan base, but I believe it too has a one-step-up-from-machine-code interface, so I'm just keeping an occasional eye on reviews for now. Maybe one day I'll meet someone who has it and spend an evening watching what an expert can do with it.
Or maybe not.

 

[DaveChase]

Dave: In the past, I have introduced wayward players to 'Escherian Fate'.
Wherever they go and whatever they do, they find themselves facing the same mystery through a different door. They may not realise it, and some interrim ideas are needed, but I'm not going to throw away all that brow sweat just because players do an unexpected about-face. :smirk:

Something like that, is kind of what I would do.

After my first year of running D&D/AD&D, Pallidum and Traveller, I got tired of having players whom already had run that scenario. All the work to create a scenario was taking time from my college studies (what few I studied).

I worked on more of a what do you want to do with your character now? type of game set. With these brief set of goals or dreams I would make sure to have mini soaps (like TV) concepts ready for the players.

Some times I would get the players to have to interact more with each other by telling one player that another player had a way/access to one of the things that they wanted. Somethings it was accurate sometimes just a rumor.
As the second year got going on RPG Sci Fi game I spent most of my time coming up with creatures, ships, settling disputs, ruling on attacks and playing out many different NPC's. Had over 20 regular players with about another 20 whom would float in about once a month.

I really do like scenarios, there are lots of great ideas out their. Problem is once you play them, now what? OR once the players have played them, they are bored.
I like the game supplements that present what I like calling living ideas. I.e. the scenario introduces some new part or some undiscovered part of the universe/game world.
Another type of game supplements that I like are those give presence/substance to the world like ships, weapons, apartments, businesses, and nightlife/entertainment.

Shadowrun(R) game is one of many a good example of those listed above type of supplements. Most all of the books explain or leave open ways to keep the ideas/adventure active in your world.

I don't want little detail layout for me because then the player expects everything to be just like it was written (Chivarly and Socerer). I like lot of flavor of the world just not all the ingridents. Formulas are a blast.
I like the world/universe to have lots of room for the unknown/strange.

Of course I know that there are other GM/Players whom want the exact opposite.

Ooops, sorry about ramble.

Dave Chase

 

[Scott Martin]

If you get the right players, then the world is a much easier place.

I tend to run "political" games, so there are generally at leat 5 active plotlines going at any given time. Players who hang around waiting for something generally find that something does, and it's generally unpleasant.

Right now the former passengers of the Free Trader Beowulf have (mostly) survived crash-landing on a balkanized world, and are trying to make their way out of the middle of a firefight caused by a factional struggle (but precipitated by their crash landing)

Thrown into the mix are Megacorps, Imperial, Sword World, Federation of Arden and Zhodani "great game" politics, something happening with the Imperial ONI, and a couple of other threads that some but not all of the players are aware of.

I find that players "wandering off the tracks" is only an issue if you have only prepared a single plot line. It takes a *lot* more prep time, but having a plot line for each player, an overarching plot line and a couple of NPC-driven plot lines means that you're *never* stumped when the players do something unexpected. My general rule of thumb is that each player should have someone (whether a person, a corp or a political entity) that wants them "disappeared". Nobles get an extra politically motivated one per soc above "A", and I consider adding one or more for characters who muster out with high ranks.

It's usually fun to ask players for details on who they crossed in their previous career, so as a GM you don't even have much prep time here, just vet the "feud" and move along. This also means that the characters tend to want to follow up those plot lines, since they created them in the firsst place!

Scott Martin

 

[robject]

No scenario survives contact with the players.

This is so true. It was always true when I was ref, and as a player.

I also want to second Scott's posting. Having several plotlines going on, plus tying the action to the character's background, is a great way to keep players on their toes and having fun.

 

[Smeelbo]

Burning Wheel

Or, you try a different style of role-playing, as embodied by Burning Wheel and its derivatives (see http://www.BurningWheel.org), specifically Burning Empires.

Once I started reading "alternative" or "independent" roleplaying games like Spirit of the Century and Burning Wheel, I came to realize that properly there are no characters in most traditional roleplaying games, especially D20. Instead, the game mechanics only provide you with an avatar, a "meat puppet" to carry out the player's wishes, with no actual in-game character beyond what the player cares to provide.

I strongly suggest taking a look at Spirit of the Century, probably the best role playing book ever written. I know it has changed the way I play and referee role playing games for the better.

Smeelbo