13 Rules for the GM

Russ-Admin

I quite liked this list. Anything you would add or change?

Roleplaying games are for enjoyment and every table enjoys differently.
It is every person’s own choice to make the most of the games they play.
Remember: the GM only really needs to know enough to run today’s session.
Less stress comes when you have a scenario to run and prepare to improvise.
Players make decisions and characters take actions.
The GM adjudicates whatever decision the player makes for their character.
The GM minimises rules intrusion by handling most stuff behind the screen.
If you need dice to adjudicate, make honest die rolls and accept the result.
NPCs and creatures are more engaging when they act on their motives.
The game world feels more immersive when it appears coherent and consistent.
Allow the players to discover the answers they seek through play.
Players expect challenge and to find a pathway to victory but mistakes are inevitable.
Death of the the player characters is the ultimate price of failure: accept it.

David-S

Russ-Admin That is pretty good, but my hope is always that it's not the player making decisions so much as it is the player asking himself what would my character do. That is often not the case though, but a DM can dream.

On a related note when someone asks me what it's like to be a DM I always tell them it's 1 part storyteller, 1 part therapist, and 1 part social worker. Half the time they want entertained, half the time they're upset about something that not even they are sure of, and another half the time they are having a problem with someone else at the table. Yeah I know that math doesn't make sense. Life often doesn't make sense though lol.

One of the upsides to getting older is we all don't have the energy for unnecessary drama any more!

Russ-Admin

David-S but my hope is always that it's not the player making decisions so much as it is the player asking himself what would my character do.

It's a fine line. I am the sort of player who really invests in the characters I play, but in the end, it's the player making the decisions.

David-S what it's like to be a DM I always tell them it's 1 part storyteller, 1 part therapist, and 1 part social worker.

Sadly, this is true. I think you could throw in Arbiter into that as well. And I don't mean for the game. You always need to smooth something out out-of-game.

David-S One of the upsides to getting older is we all don't have the energy for unnecessary drama any more!

Totally agree.

MrWorry

David-S I am a teacher, and the overlap between GMing and teaching a class is huge.

David-S

Russ-Admin It's a fine line. I am the sort of player who really invests in the characters I play, but in the end, it's the player making the decisions.

I agree, but specifically what I'm referring to is there are times where I think a character would react a certain way, even though I as a player realize it might be a suboptimal outcome. Everyone is going to have their own opinion on this and tactical players are likely to disagree with me, but I think a character should be true to well... his character. As a player I get to decide what that character is, but I shouldn't just ignore it when it's inconvenient for me as a player. Though by all means have the character grow and change, just have it make sense within the story. Just my opinion though.

Russ-Admin

David-S I agree with you. I did this in a Star Wars game once. My Force Adept sacrificed himself for the good of the rest of the party - because that's what he would have done.

David-S

MrWorry I can totally see that. Most of the time you're either trying to properly socialize them or introduce new concepts to them in an engaging and fun way.

Also, good on you for being a teacher. The children of today are going to be running the world soon enough, glad to see someone is taking the time to educate them 👍