01-10-2014, 09:04 AM | #11 |
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: Oldenburg, Germany
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Re: So I've Never GMed before...
I GM for the power trip. Dance, my puppets, dance! Never even suspecting where your strings are... :P
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GURPS Repository • Sunken Castles, Evil Poodles - translating German folk tales into English! |
01-10-2014, 09:25 AM | #12 |
formerly known as 'Kenneth Latrans'
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: Wyoming, Michigan
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Re: So I've Never GMed before...
I tried GIMP out a year or two ago. It takes around half an hour to boot up on my "good" computer and the tools are really difficult to use, and it had a tendency of saving the wrong layers when I tried saving layered images.
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Ba-weep granah wheep minibon. Wubba lubba dub dub. |
01-10-2014, 09:55 AM | #13 | |
Join Date: Mar 2013
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Re: So I've Never GMed before...
Quote:
I speak from experience. I was extremely shy. Without my experience at GMing, I doubt my college job interviews would have gone so well. The reason I recommend at least three times is that you will probably think you did poorly. It takes a few times to get that out of your head. One of my favorite playing experiences is once when a friend of mine GMed. Unfortunately he thought he'd failed and he never tried again, no matter what I said. My biggest mistakes as a GM:
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A little learning is a dangerous thing. Warning: Invertebrate Punnster - Spinelessly Unable to Resist a Pun Dangerous Thoughts, my blog about GURPS and life. |
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01-10-2014, 10:19 AM | #14 |
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Ann Arbor, MI
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Re: So I've Never GMed before...
So Kenneth, are you in the 313 proper, or are you out in the suburbs like me (in my case, Dexter)? GURPS is really great for doing the sort of old-school fantasy that you're looking for, but if you haven't experienced it before you're going to have a hard time GMing that setting. My regular group is having a hard time getting together on a regular basis, and I'd love a chance to run a more beer and pretzels game.
If you can get to Ann Arbor, there are a couple of public places we could meet and run a beer and pretzels sort of fantasy game.
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01-10-2014, 10:41 AM | #15 | |
formerly known as 'Kenneth Latrans'
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: Wyoming, Michigan
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Re: So I've Never GMed before...
Quote:
In reality I live in Wyoming, near Grand Rapids. Same state, different side.
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Ba-weep granah wheep minibon. Wubba lubba dub dub. |
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01-10-2014, 10:42 AM | #16 | ||
Join Date: Jun 2013
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Re: So I've Never GMed before...
Quote:
Quote:
Last edited by Varyon; 01-10-2014 at 10:46 AM. |
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01-10-2014, 11:19 AM | #17 | |
formerly known as 'Kenneth Latrans'
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: Wyoming, Michigan
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Re: So I've Never GMed before...
Quote:
:3
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Ba-weep granah wheep minibon. Wubba lubba dub dub. |
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01-11-2014, 08:14 AM | #18 | |
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: Sheffield, England
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Re: So I've Never GMed before...
Quote:
I'm planning to start a new campaign soon, and I have the world view ready to go. It's a 1930s dieselpunk game, and the world-view is about 12 pages of the history of the world since the end of my previous 1880s steampunk game. Some people will tell you that is too much, but I enjoyed writing it, the process helped me clarify some details of the world, and the players don't have to read it if they don't want to. It won't be killing any trees or waste any face-to-face time as I'll be distributing it electronically, along with a four-page campaign outline telling the players the campaign background, patron, what kind of characters they can play, new houserules for this campaign, etc. |
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01-11-2014, 01:45 PM | #19 |
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Idaho Falls, Idaho
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Re: So I've Never GMed before...
I like the suggestion of GURPS Lite with Caravan to Ein Arris as a good starting adventure to try.
I would try to keep the number of player small 1 to 3, to give you less to try to keep track of. Keeping the number of disadvantages down would be good too. Rather than 3 to 6 125+62+5 (max 192), I would go with: 3 to 6: 170+25+5 (max 200); 2 players: 195+25+5 (max 225); or 1 player: 220+25+5 (max 250). For 1 or 2 players, suggest Allies. Making practice characters, as either test NPCs or Pregrens is a good idea. Make sure you read through everything a couple of times. Take notes, use a highlighter, make a cheat sheet, or do what ever works best for you. Run the test NPCs/Pregens through the major combats is a good idea too. If you have a few bucks, get Robin's Laws of Good Game Mastering (available at e23); or if you can find it on the web, get/read Uncle Figgy's Guide to Good Game Mastering. Best advice is to ask specific questions here on the sjg forum. -Dan |
01-11-2014, 02:14 PM | #20 |
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: Yukon, OK
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Re: So I've Never GMed before...
In my experiance the keys to a good campaign have ben mostly stated above but I will hit a few for emphasis.
1. Prepare but do not overprepare. The players often want to do things you did not think of or expected them not to. This is where a broad outline and brush can help you quickly fill in the new area or NPCs without seeming to have improvised it. Pretend like you had it planned all along. Its ok to tell them later but during the game provide the illusion it is all going according to plan. Smile evilly at appropriate times. 2. Keep notes. Write down key details and random ideas during the game. Just quick notes no book or nothing that slows down play. A LOT of my best ideas came from my players. 3. Your the world builder and designer but its a group authoring effort. Let the players steer the campaign. Call for pizza breaks or stall sometimes if your really stuck but try to have material you can use on hand for any situation. 4. Dont overprepare. really you can easily do this. The trouble with overpreparing is you can waste a lot of time on unexplored options and you may feel like pushing the players towards things you made just so the effort was not wasted. Do not be afraid to recycle! Change a name or personality trait of an NPC and you have a fresh one ready to go. Make some generic NPCs to cover various roles but most NPC can be made on the fly in seconds. Remember youd ont need to worry about points, just skill levels in key skills and maybe combat ability. Prepare generics for the latter and the time consuming work is done. recycle as needed. |
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dungeon fantasy, fantasy, gming, lite, newbie |
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