White Masquerade
QuirkyAngel's Red Oni
A Comprehensive Guide on How to GM
Table Of Contents
Introduction
Hello everyone and welcome to a small guide on GM'ing, made by the members of Story Mode. It was done putting together our personal experiences as well as ideas and topics pulled from various discussions around forum. It will try be as comprehensive as possible, touching on many facets of the art, but brief and concise as to keep the content memorable and short. Through this guide, we hope to get people interested in GM'ing on the site by providing some tips, light, and insight into the role of starting a role-play. As simple as GM'ing might look from the outside, there's a bit more to it than it seems, and we hope readers will be able to get something important from this guide. If you are ready to continue, go ahead click the next bar to read our definition of a GM.
What Is A GM?
Before tackling matters on becoming a good GM, we first need to understand exactly what a GM is. A Game Master, commonly abbreviated as GM, is the one who runs the roleplay - they create the setting, control the plot, NPC, and on some occasions, the players' characters. The GM is, essentially, the leader of the roleplay. GM's have many responsibilities - they must ensure the plot does not go stale, that players don't fight each other, that the characters made are appropriate for the RP, that post requirements are met, and much, much more. You can say that without a GM, a roleplay will not get far; even begin. Whether active in the story or not, it is the GM's duty to be the piece that keeps the role-play going strong. You are the biggest factor in the success of it. It lives and it dies by you. Which is how it should be. I mean, making the role-play was your idea...right?
The Types of GM
There are millions of people around the globe with their own style and way of doing things. Each with their own preferences and ideas on how to go about whatever they do, and so it is with GM'ing too. We will divide them into two categories split over two lines: [Style] & [Approach]. Here are the definitions. A GM's style would be whether they like to go it alone, collaborate, or write as equals with the rest of their group. A GM's approach would be how they carry out their goals through the roleplay. Do they facilitate? Are they an opponent? Do they want to give you a tour? Conduct you through a well-defined a plot? Or direct things and expect you to pick up on the hints? We will go over each of these styles and approaches. Hopefully you'll be able to look at yourself, look at what you've done, the stories you've written, and find which methods present you most. From there you'll find some of the strengths and weaknesses of what you are and what other people might be. Knowing how you do things, and how a GM in your role-play does things, will be the 1st step in helping make things run that much smoother.
- GM Style: Authorial -
The Authorial GM. This kind of GM takes on the style of an author, and keeps complete, creative control of their work. They're the ones who decide the beginning, the middle, and the end of their story. They are not open to ideas of others unless it falls in line with what they already want to do. The stories these GMs create are their babies, and will not let anyone else push it another way. This is not to say they don't listen to outside advice; just that the final word on how the roleplay proceeds, rests on them, and them alone. If you're looking for a GM that has strong vision of a story they want to tell, and to be taken through its pages with a sense of precision to the work, these are the people you want to have leading the role-play. Those of the Authorial style don't compromise their vision. There is a certain way their content has to be, and if it's not, they will quickly lose interest or drop out from it altogether. If you are of this style, be careful to not let your dedication of staying true to the work, leave no room for others to join in and have fun. Because if that's the case, then you might as well stop role-playing and go write yourself a book. Group, with emphasis on GROUP role-playing, is NOT for you.
- GM Style: Collaborative -
The Collaborative GM. This kind of Game Master is the type to invest in partnerships, and uses others to help them handle all parts of a role-play in the form of Co-GMs. And whether having only one partner, or having four of them together, these GMs are at their best when other individuals are there they can split work and rely on. There is a certain advantage to this style, and it is having partners covering areas where you're not strong. Afraid of getting into confrontation and dealing with negative players? A Co-GM more comfortable with arguments could help you out with that. Don't have a lot of skill in writing up good plots? A Co-GM with that ability could help you fill in the blanks when you're feeling lost. And the benefits are more than just having an extra hand to help the create the story; they also extend to keeping the role-play alive. Partners can help run things when you don't have the time to. Partners can play characters you need in certain positions, to move things along. They can be right there to catch and point out things you otherwise might have missed (grammar, not replying to someone, ignoring lore, etc). A diverse cast of Co-GMs each throwing in their ideas to the process, would undoubtedly add freshness and unique perspective to whatever story comes out. This style is one that promises to bring a great story and experience for all involved, yet it is that very same relying on each other, that can tear the role-play apart. When a GM and their Co-GMs are not on the same page, is when trouble starts. Friendships can quickly turn sour and the role-play suffers as a result. The collaborative style requires you to keep open lines and relationships strong so your work can function at its best. One slip-up and all that you've built could possibly end up gone in the wind. If you are of this style, be very careful who you decide to pair with. You are letting go and giving a piece of your role-play's future to someone else to hold. You need to be able to trust that no matter what happens, they will be the type to hold on tight.
- GM Style: Participant -
The Participant GM. Yes! You know who you are! Really, should they even be called GMs? This style of Game Master-ship is the most open one of all. So open in fact, you might even begin to question whether they're really leading a role-play at all. When you find a GM who wants to be a player too, a GM that has no idea what's going to happen next in the story, a GM that asks YOU to give THEM ideas, then congratulations! You have found one of the Participant style. No bashing here, just the honest-to-goodness-truth; these GM like to play with everyone else. They usually have no plot and prefer to go with the flow. Pulling ideas from pretty much every person in the group, this GM's role-play can switch directions at the drop of a hat. A melting pot of everything, these GMs like the mixing of input they receive to create something that has a bit of what everybody wants. Everyone is an equal; a Participant is GM solely because there just has to be at least one person putting everything together. An RP with someone of this style, is an RP that has potential for extreme creativity, ingenuity, and special moments coming together in the midst of chaos to make you say, "wow." However, that extremely loose style of RPing, has its own set of problems. This style does not handle complex roleplays well. For that reason, the vast majority of participant-style GMs run cliche plots in cliche settings, with a weak story lined up beside them. A lot of the role-plays done are simply for fun, or for comedic effect. It will be hard to find someone of this style creating a role-play that's deeply intricate or remotely serious. Not to say it can't happen, they will only have to work extra hard. If you are of this style, keep in mind that extreme openness will limit the kind of role-plays you can have and how long they can last. If you plan on creating anything impactful or strong, you will need to have more order and focus going on, to make sure the roleplay gives off the impression you want.
- GM Approach: The Facilitator -
The Facilitator. This GM might not have a solid plot in mind, but they often have a strong sense of the setting and NPCs. They tend to let players do their thing - talk to each other, build things, explore - and post rarely. Only in cases to enforce the rules, clarify something, mediate disagreements, and disrupt whatever players are doing with a new obstacle or twists in the story. They'll let players discuss current events for three pages, then drop ninjas on them. One of the ninjas will be carrying a scroll which leads them to suspect a neighboring kingdom. The GM will smirk, and then go back to watching the players argue about what it means. Low stress and low maintenance, this kind of "posting-and-running" GM approach, is sign of a writer that wants to feed off the players. The main emphasis here, is that players enjoy their personal journeys, with the GM throwing twists in at just the right moments to keep things fresh and interesting. This tends to work well in larger, longer RPs, where constantly being involved at high levels can quickly burn a GM out. Here, player enjoyment of a journey driven by users is the goal of this approach.
- GM Approach: The Opponent -
The Opponent. The stereotypical GM of classic Dungeons & Dragons. They're going to kill your characters or spend several weeks trying. Often, this GM's settings and plot are made only to serve as a stage for the traps, monsters, and powerful antagonists to hit you with. This can lead to some great, unplanned storytelling, especially if the GM is fair (they want to challenge you and won't hesitate to kill, but won't just make you fistfight a dragon). Here, challenging players to overcome (or not) a challenge (or challenges) thrown their way, is the main focus of this approach. It is sign of an aggressive GM that wants to put players to work. This however, may be jarring to those new to role-playing and exasperating for people that don't like to be constantly tested and harassed at every turn. Rarely will you see such a combative approach be done without dice.
- GM Approach: The Tour Guide -
The Tour Guide. Whoo! This GM has a really cool idea for a setting/monster/magic system/antagonist/hero! Most of their role-play exists to facilitate and show-off their cool idea, and while there might still be a reasonable plot or things for players to do, often they may find themselves as spectators to the GMs whimsy. Here, presentation of an RP's material, is the main focus of the approach. It is sign of a GM that has grand ideas and wants players to think so too. This is especially nice if you just want to read some flashy description, but not get too deep into literature. It is obvious how this approach can backfire. While this is not a problem when done right (in moderation), showing off work is more suited for writing your own novel or doing a Quest. How you handle role-playing directly with other people, is very different from how you handle a book written for and by yourself.
- GM Approach: The Conductor -
The Conductor. All aboard the GM train, because this RP is going to be on a railroad! Often a trait of Authorial GMs, this approach is about getting players from A to B without too much wandering. GMs with this approach will usually be highly resistant to any action that could damage their plot. Bad conductors make ways to stop players from diverging and keep them to their plot in ways are painfully obvious. Good conductors are much more skilled at hiding the rails, but even so, this might not be enjoyable for every player. You could call the main focus of this approach the opposite of the Tour Guide's. While the Guide wants to show off the beauty of their work, Conductors in a sense, want to show off the meat to theirs. They have a story to tell and by Jove you're going to sit down and listen. This approach is extremely hit-or-miss. If the path you're railroading is enjoyed by all, then great. There will be very high chances of success. If not...then it's pretty much over. It will be time to pack up. There will be an extremely low chance of things getting even close to the end.
- GM Approach: The Director -
The Director. Again, this GM probably leans Authorial, but might be Collaborative too. They have a vision and they're going to lead you to it more naturally than a Conductor and their railroads. They do this by looking carefully at the characters, having a good feel for the players, and a sturdily constructed plot. They tailor clues and NPCs to those involved, dropping them naturally into scenes so that players decide to pursue those leads on their own. This is something that works well in shorter RPs. The firect opposite of the Facilitator-approach mentioned before, the work of this GM is high stress and high maintenance. They are constantly adapting to players, adjusting methods on how to interact with them best, and doing this all at that drop of a dime...it can really get tiring. With them, the main focus is giving RPers a complete package of everything at once, and because of that, it is the most intensive approach. If something needs to be done to move things on to the next step of the role-play, the GM will do it. May it be cutting out plot, introducing new characters, or creating entirely new settings. The drawback here is having a GM that can potentially fall apart and drop the RP halfway through. GMs with the Directing approach, are honestly the cause of many a quality RP burning to the ground in the forums, long before their time.
How To GM
GMing is not something scary. All it takes to do well is dedication, understanding of the basics, and experience from doing it yourself. While the level of dedication and gaining of experience rests solely on you, what this guide CAN do however, is to give the general rules to follow for those interested in leading a role-play. Once you are good enough, feel free to throw these "rules" out the window as you'll have a pretty good idea of what works for you and what doesn't. So to begin, we will go over arguably the hardest part of making an RP: preparations.
A. Preparations
When creating a role-play, first, you will need an idea. What is it that you want to see done? A grand fantasy adventure through a land of dragons? A space epic through a new solar system teeming with species? A day in the life of workers in a shop? Maybe an all new quest set up inside the world of Pokemon? When you figure out what it is you want to see, then you can move onto the next step of narrowing the idea down. What will BE the adventure going through the fantasy land of dragons? What will those in the space epic be DOING in the new solar system teeming with life? What KIND of shop are those people working in? What will HAPPEN on this quest set in the world of Pokemon? When your ideas are narrowed down and start to take form, you must then figure out the WHY. Why are you doing this role-play? What is your reason? What is it you want to accomplish? Is it just for fun? Do you want to highlight a human condition? Is there a certain lesson to teach? Is there a concept you want to explore? Do you have no goal at all? Now, will the role-play be short, medium, or long? It is by knowing the answers to these questions, that you give your role-play firm legs. When you know what direction you want to go in, the destination you're going, the only thing left to do then, is walk. This is where a lot of GMs fall. They want to make a role-play, but have no clue why. It ends up going into 20 different directions and flips scripts on a whim. There is nothing solid at all. Always, always, keep in mind why you created a role-play, and it will guide you through the rest of the process. It will let you know what you need to work on, and what parts you need to focus extra care on to make happen. Be ready knowing the tone, theme, and focus of your role-play. By having those clear in mind, you'll know which characters users submit, will best fit what you're trying to do. When the idea is fully formed and you have a good grasp of what you want to play out, then comes the other half of role-play: the action. You need to move to make your idea come alive, and one of the first steps to make, is to gather the players you need to fill it.
B. Gathering Players
Contrary to popular belief, gathering players is one of the easiest things of GM'ing a role-play. To not have even ONE player join your role-play, is a sign that there is something SERIOUSLY wrong with your idea or set up. There are so many players here on the website. So many people with so many different interests. They are generally open to joining any role-play that looks like it had some work and thought put into it. Not getting ONE, means you need to start over and re-think what you have. How you get interest for your role-play is usually in the form of what's called an "Interest Check." An interest check is like a sales pitch for your role-play. You list what it's going to be about and what role-players can expect to be doing in it. Only putting up an interest is usually enough to get a few players to join and participate, but for more obscure or complex ideas, you might have to do a little extra in getting somebody to bite. You may have to simplify your idea, hold a Question & Answer session to explain parts someone might not understand, or abandon the idea altogether. However, there's really no need to focus all your energy on convincing strangers; you can ask your friends! The best people to ask join your role-play if you are looking for members, are the closest ones to you. People you have gotten to know, people you've RP'ed with before; they are the most likely to give you a yes, or at least try it out. From there you can form groups of reliable people to go to whenever you're looking for an extra man (or woman)! Keep in mind though that everybody has a limit. Friends are not some kind of unlimited resource you can call on anytime you want. Consider how they feel. If you continually have them join role-plays that fall apart and never come through, it is a negative experience for both them AND you. Try to go them only if you're sure what they're being invited to, won't end up leaving them unfulfilled and expecting more. There is no situation worse to be in. So. For the most part, gathering players for your role-play is really easy if you at least have an idea of what you want to do and a decent presentation. For those obscure role-plays, ask any friends who might want to give it a shot or make it as user-friendly as possible. However, honestly speaking, what trumps all, is experience and a proven record. If you are known and can show you really put time and effort into your work, you will attract a fair amount of players based off your reputation alone. Which makes sense. If you've made enjoyable role-plays in the past, more likely than not, your next one is going to be a blast too. So once the players are in their positions, you will then proceed to the next step as a GM: initializing the role-play.
C. Initializing the RP
It is not that hard to get a role-play into starting position, but along with preparations, initializing the RP is where a lot of GMs fall short. You can say that the two really go hand-in-hand. Skipping out on the preparations, leads to a bad initialization. Initialization is the step where you set up everything needed to keep the role-play going strong. Yes. You read correct. Once everyone starts role-playing is not the time to be making the majority of your NPC, story, and figuring things out. By then, you're already miles behind. It's like you're driving a car that's in the middle of being built. You need to stop and make sure it rides correctly or you risk being involved in a major car wreck. You can add on the extras like rims, spoiler, leather seat covers, and custom paint later. but before you move, you at least need to have the basic parts of your RP functioning. This means major NPC, rules, start date, opening post, story for the next few weeks, quick outline of plot in head, guideline for battle, important and relevant locations for IC -- all set up. All the other fancy tidbits and deviations can be done as you continue along. When you have this together, you can then begin approving and accepting characters so you can finally get to the starting your role-play. For those who are creating one of those role-plays that have no point, you have the option of skipping this step altogether. You go enjoy yourself. Yet for all others, having a solid initialization will make the next section, "Handling the RP," MUCH, MUCH, easier for you to do.
D. Handling the RP
Depending on what you have done in the previous steps, handling the RP could be easy or hard for you. This is the section where you keep things in the roleplay going with the introduction of new villains, heroes, twists, and concepts; anything to sustain interest. You have been building up speed. You want to make sure that things don't stop now. Building on the previous point, this is the time where you engage your players. This is where you give them the story. This is where you challenge them. Give them more material to work with. Open a few doors for them to go through. You are entering into the heights of the role-play. Anything from your initialization that needs to be corrected or built upon, you do that here to keep the RP going strong. If it's needed, make the rules clearer. If it's needed, create more NPC. It it's needed, add more locations. If it's needed, tweak the story. If it's needed, add clarification on battling. If it's needed, set more posts to clearly show the RP's theme. Handling the RP is really just initializing the RP, but doing so while things are MOVING. It's all connected. Do you see how having a crappy initialization will make it much harder for you to GM when you get to this step? Because role-plays that have no point, have little to no work done in the initialization step of things, is the EXACT reason why handling the RP becomes tough when you get to handling it. You gave yourself nothing to work with. GMs of these role-plays have to make up everything on the fly, and unless you are an extremely creative and adaptable person, this step will be impossible for you. Your roleplay will probably die here. Don't get it wrong; the idea you have is not dumb. It simply has no focus or preparation, which makes the RP hard to maintain. It will take a lot effort to keep it going longer than just a few months. Bringing it all together, the "Handling the RP," section can be hard or easy, but depends solely on the GM and the kind of role-play they want to do. If it's focused and set, this part of the RP will be easier on the GM. If it's loose and open-ended, you might get to skip the initialization, but this part of the RP is going to PUNISH you for it. Either way, this section covers the beginning of posts all the way until the end. It's not complicated. Make sure everyone stays inside the lanes of story and is always moving forward to the eventual end. Because...all role-plays should have an end...right? Hope yours does, or handling the RP will be even harder!! This all might sound daunting or a big hill to climb if you're thinking about GM'ing, but following, we will have some tips and tricks in no particular order, to help you out in getting there.
E. Tips & Tricks
Tip #1: For gathering players, the past is your best friend. Going through the forums you can find interest checks to old RPs that maybe didn't get to start or had everybody drop out. If the role-play is similar to yours, browse through that check and contact players who posted in it. If they expressed interest in that idea, then they'll probably be interested in yours. Reading through old checks is a great way to find people that are already open to an RP you might want to do. Tip #2: Outsourcing your RP. Can't quite think up enough good settings to include in your RP? Having a hard time making story arcs or characters for your role-play to move forward? Have your players make some for you! A lot of people enjoy world-building. There are users that would be happy to see their creations and ideas used as apart of your roleplay. You get great help in creating your story, and users will appreciate getting the chance to contribute to what you have. Tip #3: Switching GM Leads. Have CO-GMs? Well why not take a break, pull up a chair, and have them control things for a bit. Something to try in your roleplay, is to have all GMs take turns leading the story. It lessens the workload on each GM, and can lead to new, creative stories popping out when it switches to another's turn. This a good way to keep all GMs involved and a good way to keep the RP from getting stale under the leadership of just 1 GM. Tip #4: Creating RP cohesion. Cohesion is about connecting your players together. In most RPs, they’ll be working with each other in some way - ensuring that they don’t hate each other or, if they do, there’s an interesting and compelling reason for them to be working together. Without this cohesion, you run the risk of players ignoring each other, and the plot, then getting bored and dropping out, or grinding the RP to a halt. Tip #4: Spotlight Characters. Spotlighting characters is about giving each player an opportunity to shine - an obstacle only their character can overcome, a subplot they can resolve, a chance for an impassioned speech. When the characters are being created, try to think of roles and scenes that would benefit from certain kinds of characters. A good example is the classic fantasy party of fighter, rogue, cleric, and wizard. The fighter slays an ogre, the rogue picks the lock on the treasure vault, the cleric heals everyone from the deadly trap the rogue missed, and the wizard solves the arcane puzzle guarding the loot. Everyone has a moment in the spotlight, and victory might have been impossible with, say, four fighters. Tip #5: Place Some Rails: Think of a rail as a route forward the players can take, a method to change or advance a scene. Telling a player there is a door to the left, and another to the right, is placing two rails. Either one advances the scene, and the player has a choice. Tip #6: Re-Visit The Old. Bringing back characters, items, locations, or events from earlier scenes. Whether in reference or in full, this helps build depth and a sense of continuity within the roleplay. Fallout is a form of re-visiting where the consequences of previous scenes or actions come back to affect the players directly or indirectly. For example, the players killed a corrupt official early in their adventure. A month later, his replacement has instituted even more draconian laws and now has thugs patrolling the streets. Tip #7: Flesh out your NPC! They are very, very, important to the role-play. They help the world feel real and give player characters citizens to interact with and talk to! In roleplay, this is what you want! To make things feel real! Tip #8: Story Arcs. Doing your story in arcs, will help you organize how you want to move the roleplay forward. Think of a wide idea you want to express. Make that your top, longest arc. Then, have medium-length sub-stories that show off the idea of your wide, long arc. Break your down RP's story into parts, each one in some way supporting your RP's whole point. It will look much better. That we promise you!
Relevant threads
Is it just the info in this guide we have here to share?? No, no, no! Browsing the site all the way back from the year 2012, we have found plenty of threads relating to GM'ing that are filled with some good information. In the next bars you will find links to them with a small description showing what they are about. Whether 2016 or 2013, people have always been having interesting talks about role-playing and we've compiled a list of the best ones here for you to check out!
1. Storyteller's Advice: Long Term Viability
From 2012, the opening poster of this thread is having trouble transitioning from table-tops to forum role-play, and asks as an ST (Storyteller/GM), how to keep things going in the new format. <a data-cke-saved-href="" href="" rel="">https://www.rpnation.com/topic/45396-storytellers-advice-long-term-viability/</a>
2. Roleplay Posting Speed
From 2014, the opening poster goes into the frustrations of posting speed; more specifically those who demand replies right away. As a GM, this would be a good discussion to go through concerning how fast you'd like to go. <a data-cke-saved-href="" href="" rel="">https://www.rpnation.com/topic/30204-roleplay-posting-speed/</a>
3. Mechanics For Dice-less Games
From 2014, the opening poster, who comes from a dice-roleplay background, asks how a roleplay should be run WITHOUT dice. This gives a good look at how at GM'ing a game with no dice, will have you working just a little bit harder. <a data-cke-saved-href="" href="" rel="">https://www.rpnation.com/topic/51344-mechanics-for-diceless-games/</a>
4. Why Do RPs Fail?
From 2014, the opening poster asks a simple question: why do RPs fail? Out of all the threads here, this one has to be one of the best. Make it your bible! <a data-cke-saved-href="" href="" rel="">https://www.rpnation.com/topic/56906-why-do-rps-fail/</a>
5. What Defines A Good Vs. A Great Role-player?
From writing a lot, to work full of beautiful prose, what defines a good role-player, varies from person to person. A thread from 2013, this explores what people feel makes a GREAT one. <a data-cke-saved-href="" href="" rel="">https://www.rpnation.com/topic/15044-what-defines-a-good-vs-a-great-role-player/</a>
6. The Social Aspect of Role-Playing
An intriguing thread from 2015, it is a very good discussion exploring the more social side of role-playing. <a data-cke-saved-href="" href="" rel="">https://www.rpnation.com/topic/88848-the-social-aspect-of-roleplaying/</a>
7. RP Disease?
A thread from 2015, the opening poster asks what it is that causes role-plays to die. What makes this a good read is that most answers don't focus on the question, they focus on solving it. <a data-cke-saved-href="" href="" rel="">https://www.rpnation.com/topic/97622-rp-disease/</a>
8. Character-Driven Vs. Story-Driven
From 2015, this thread explores a question that at one time another may have crossed an author's mind: which more important, story or characters? <a data-cke-saved-href="" href="" rel="">https://www.rpnation.com/topic/148036-character-driven-vs-story-driven/</a>
A collaborative project of an RPN Group - Story Mode. Credit goes to @Reinhardt @White Masquerade @Grey @LifeNovel @INCLUDE NAME HERE
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