Re: [HOE] Marshalling

[Darrin Bright <darrin@neobright.net>]

Dusarat@aol.com wrote:
> 
> You know,
>     A certain recently-released gaming supplement defines these four things
> as the most common mistakes that GM's make..
> 
> 1) Leading the Characters by the nose
> 2) the Characters as spectators
> 3) Deus Ex Machina
> 4) Constantly thwarting the character's abilities.

Very short list. I'm currently working on an article for Critical Miss
on some of the other vagaries done by egomaniacal/munchkin GMs, and what
should be done about them. Some additions to the list:

5) Making god-like unkillable NPCs
6) Running your own "PC" while GMing
7) Making the chars roll for even the simplest tasks
8) Bringing personal problems into the game, and taking them out on the
PCs
9) Verbally abusing someone in front of the other players

Sorry, I feel my usual rants boiling over. None of these really apply to
your average GMs.

>     What do you guys think, is this a good list?  If so, why are these things
> prevalent and how can a Marshall self-diagnose himself?

Hmmm... not so sure self-diagnosis is that effective. I know the
particular GM I was having problems with was completely beyond all hope
of either self-diagnosis or constructive criticism... or even
unconstructive criticism for that matter.

Anyway, the biggest problems that arise between the GM and the players
happen when there is some fundamental misunderstanding between what the
GM wants out of the game and what the players want. To bridge that rift,
a good GM opens up the lines of communication so that he can find out
what the players want, and then adapt his campaign to deliver it.
There's a few important things you can do as a GM to make sure this kind
of communication happens:

* Make sure you're approachable. A lot of this comes down to how you
unconsciously act towards people, but make a conscious effort to be
accessable and open-minded.

* ASK FOR FEEDBACK! If you don't ask for it, you won't get it. Some GMs
are shy about getting honest opinions from their players, and some
players are hesitant to be honest if they fear retaliation. If this is a
problem, try an anonymous suggestion box, or if you think someone's
handwriting would be easily recognized, try setting up an anonymous
email/webpage.

* And probably the most important thing you'll every need to know as a
good GM... learn when to give up control. When you're used to sitting in
the driver's seat, it can be very hard to do... but RPGs are an
interactive medium, and the players are your #1 BEST resource.
Regardless of how good the GM is, there is no way one person can match
the imagination and creative talent of all his players. Learn when to
give them the spotlight, and when you can hand over the reins and let
the players do your work for you. Some examples:

If you didn't have an NPC ready or are busy focusing on something else,
let the player run the NPC for a while. 

If the PCs wander into a part of town that you don't have the details
on, let them describe what they see and do there. Have them create the
neighborhood from the ground up, populate it with shops, shopkeepers,
local NPCs, etc.

If a player suddenly decides that he really, really wants a chandelier
in the middle of the room so he can try something cool, make sure
there's a chandelier there.