GM Mentoring Project

I know nothing about RPG theory or game design, but if you need a geek then I’ll be your wingman.

I am interested in joining the GM's Round Table for Powered By the Apocalypse games. The game thread said to drop by here first, so here I am.

Er... yes. That game was put together in a hurry. The wording could be better. I kinda meant 'stop by here so you can see what it is about; and also to let us know what you are wanting to get from the experience'. But I have been asking people to repeat their introductions and needs in the game as well so we have an easier to find record of them... I must fix the wording.

Anyway, go ahead and apply, but you can also tell us what you are wanting from the experience. It can help others know what other people's interests are and what is on offer.

Edited original post:

Added seeking co-GM for Uprising via Fate Core to PixE's listing.

Added Skallagrimm as seeking co-GM to help him with the more technical side of things even though I think Adam has got him covered.

Added theatreofcomets to Learners seeking Mentors (PbtA) even though I see he has joined vagueGM's "GM's Round Table (PbtA)"

I see OkumHart has also joined vagueGM's round table. Cool! Any other games you'd like help with, OkumHart? Your post didn't specify.

I've already learnt SO MUCH from you, and I have nothing to offer you in return....

however, if you're offering, I'd love to learn how to make those "shadowed" maps you use.

If you mean this sort...



...that are based on calculating the character's line of sight, then these maps were based on my own code and I never got around to documenting it.

Mainly because I've now switched to these...



...OtFBM (on the fly battlemaps).

I made the switch because these are documented at http://docs.otfbm.com and good documentation is important.

Qralloq has a video on getting started with OtFBM.



I think that video and the docs should give you everything you need.

Using the Senses

Here's something you might consider in your next gaming session:

Using Descriptions in Your Game

Is it raining? or do droplets of water patter the leaves and fall in rivulets to the water logged soil.

Is it a campfire? A smoky tang of mesquite and roasted meat permeate the air as you near the campfire. Fat sizzles and "pops" as your dinner cooks inside its charred bark. Spicy peppers, garlic and fresh river onion blend into the blue gray haze as the Halfling cook deftly hacks and skewers a hunk of steaming flesh from the nearly black brisket. He offers it to you for a taste test...

Description, description, description. I know you've heard it a hundred times. And yet, we forget we are creating a vision of the world the characters are in. You have five senses to use to get the players immersed in the setting. What does it sound like and smell like as you walk along the corridors of a generation starship? They say space smells like charred wood or metal.

Do you remember what it was like the last time you ran as fast as you could for an extended period of time? A clutch of a dozen goblins chasing your 2nd level character down a winding dirt tunnel with bloodlust in their eyes, launching curses and profanities at you and telling you which body parts they want to lay claim to. You feel like your lungs are about to burst open as you suck in as much oxygen as you can only to exhale, depleting you of that precious oxygen, and your thighs pumping so hard they begin to shake and tremble. That element of fear compounded by the adrenalin build up of your situation accompanied by the stench of dead bodies lying somewhere in the filth of the goblins lair!

Ok you get it. Remember, most of the time, you have enough time to make a solid post that will make your players want to run ever faster or make their chops salivate for a hunk of beef (apologies vegetarians, I could have chosen a hearty, meatless chili stew - yumm) or curse the rains as they never seem to stop as they slog mile after mile in churned black mud.

Take each element and consider how it interacts with the setting and the environment. If you do this, you'll have better and more memorable games.

Umbral's Note: You don't have to do this ALL the time. That becomes taxing. Pick moments when they least expect it and perhaps turn a mundane "let's camp and set a watch" into "dam that is some fine dinner." You might find that the Bard may have a song or two, or perhaps the Dwarven Slayer actually has some pipes (sing skill 80%) and isn't ALWAYS trying to die a glorious death or drink himself into a blind stupor! LOL.

This is great stuff, umbraldragon! Engaging all the senses is something I aim for in my narration but often forget. And I really like the reminder at the end to NOT always do it or else it becomes taxing. Thanks for sharing!

May I ask what this games are? I am quite an experienced player and GM in a variety of systems, but I never run a PbtA - and I may have the occasion of running a Masks game soon (IRL). I saw that there's one of these threads in game open for recruitment. What can I expect?

Aironfabio: You are welcome to hop into the GM's Round Table (PbtA) for general PbtA stuff.

So far we have mainly chatted about how certain rules/situations work, and a few people have run some experimental scenes with no pressure and lots of questions/what-ifs.

There has not been a lot of Masks (if any?) yet, I don't really do much Supers, but I have run the game and can advise if you need --it is pretty basic PbtA, so general advice still applies-- and this is a Round Table, so others with more Supers-relevant knowledge are encouraged to speak up as well.

The Forums are public, so feel free to take a look.

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You can always open up a test Masks game here. Be up-front about the fact that you are wanting to learn and that players should not get their expectations up too high, and be up-front about how much you are wanting to run (quick few scenes, one-shot, short game, ...), and you will probably find players willing to join.

While 'Supers' holds less interest for me than most other genres (aside from horror, which I tend to avoid), I am happy to play if it is teaching-related. :)

Added Johnn Four's 5 Room Dungeons to the list of Helpful Resources for GMs Old & New included in the original post.

I'm looking for help with running a campaign. I have been running a sandbox, and It's been a blast, but I have ideas that I'd like to see happen plot-wise and I am having a hard time figuring out how to do it.

Up until now, I've been just designing encounters and using monsters that I think are fun, or would present a challenge to the players. I'd really like to take the came to the next level but would love to be able to bounce ideas around with others.

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edit:

I'm not looking for a co-DM, more some experienced DMs who can help me realize my potential with the storytelling part of the game.

I'm not an experienced DM by any measure but I'm at your service if you're just looking for someone to bounce ideas around with.

Same, feel free to ask questions and anyone here would be glad to help out.

Said @Len via Discord:
I've added it to the "Helpful Resources for GMs Old & New" list in this thread's first post.

Jello! I wanted to offer myself up to learn about this! I am completely new to this whole thing but I am slowly getting it none the less. But I am really excited and nervous all at the same time bc this whole thing is quite daunting. ʕ •ᴥ•ʔゝ☆

The community's got plenty of amazing GMs happy to teach! Some might recommend you try to gain more play experience before you try GMing, but I say if you've the urge then go for it! Based on what you've said in your intro thread you're probably trying D&D 5e first? You'll probably need to get your hands on the DMG. The great thing about play-by-post is there's time to look things up. One thing that you can try is a co-DM situation with an experienced DM.

Aye, someone to communicate ideas with or examples of situations are a great thing. If there's one bit of advice I'd offer, it's don't sweat over EVERYTHING. Seriously, it just makes things so much more complex than they need to be. Plus, not all rules are needed to play. If there's something to take away from the DMG, or really most RPG guides that share the mindset, if a rule doesn't fit, change it or get rid of it. You're looking to have fun, so forcing every rule might not be the best thing.

Yea DdD 5e is what has lead me thru this rabbit hole of finding all if these new things but I plan on trying this at first. But I do have one question! What would you consider more (easy) I suppose? Because frankly it's kinda scary thinking of having to run the whole thing! Also this is a case of me not read properly when I didn't have enough sleep because I didn't know this was the GM Mentor thread but I might as well embrace it while i'm here.

"Easy" is always a relative term, it depends largely on what you are good at. Play to your strengths.

If (unlikely) you are asking about which is easier between being a player and being a GM, then, at first, being a player is almost definitely easier, but with practice both are as 'easy'.

If you mean when co-GMing: Then, again, play to your strengths, let the other GM do the bits you find hard or don't know yet, and slowly work you way round to doing all the things. You won't really know what you are good at till you try. You can, later, focus on finding games that cater to your strengths.