I've never GM'd - HELP ME!

[J_D]

So I went out and got the books, because I really like the fluff of Malifaux and wanted to read them. However, due to me being the local Henchman people are now wondering if/when I will run TTB because they are interested to play. While I am quite open to the idea, I have never even played in a RPG group let alone GM'd one. EVER!

 

So I'm really hoping that people out there can help me get started, and give me some good pointers on what to do/avoid.

[Ierocis]

DMing is a whole new barrel of fishmonkey!

 

General DM pointers from my experience:

1) Ask the players what kind of game they're looking to play. Some people want hack/slash dungeon raiding while at the opposite end of the scale are those that want to figure out mysteries through clues and talking/dealing with NPCs. Knowing what your players are expecting can help you tailor a more enjoyable experience for all.

2) You are always in charge. Do not be bullied by a player wanting things their way. You're telling a story for all involved. Make it clear at the start that you have the final say.

3) Pacing and keeping the players focused. I've found this the hardest challenge. If your action level is too slow you'll find players wandering off discussing former games, ordering pizza, talking to cats. If the action is too intense the gamers will get tired out pretty fast. You have to manage a careful balance. Try to keep conversation on target. If people start to chat about some new video game, you're losing them.

4) Figure out how long people intend to play and divide adventures accordingly. Try to end sessions on a cliff hanger so they come back for more.

5) Don't go mad with power. Your job is to give them story and adventure, not to try and kill them. You can bend the rules slightly to keep the players alive if they're just having a series of bad flips/rolls. Just don't make it super obvious. NPCs can come to the rescue, a building collapse that should have killed them turns out to only pin them alive for several hours.

6) Be aware people sometimes will drop in and drop out due to real life. Missing sessions you planned to have them with the rest of the party. How you deal with this is up to you. You can come up with an in game excuse to why that player is not there or you can postpone a session. A lot of gaming groups die because of too many cancelled games. Work around the abscent if you can.

 

What I almost forgot and is crazy important: Be familiar with the game mechanics. You'll be busy telling the story and keeping play running. If you have to halt story to find a rule, people will wander off. I suggest sticky notes on certain pages or getting the GM screen/kit for quick reference. If you're using a pre-made adventure, read it more than once. Know what happens where and when so you can change things on the fly when players go off in odd directions. Keep notes and encourage players to do likewise. It keeps them occupied when they're not busy and it helps the group remember important events and names.

[Mister Shine]

The biggest hint I have is players don't know what you have planned. Which means you can change it on the fly without them knowing you're doing so. Is their plan better than what you had thought of? Use it.

 

Your players can be every bit as creative as you are. But will be incredibly impressed when their crazy inventive plan was the one you "intended" for them to use the whole time.

 

Biggest pitfalls for new DM/FMs? Treating the players like NPCs. You dont want to tell your story that the players are working their way through. If thats what you want, write your malifaux fanfic and have them read it. This is an interactive story, player choices should change the story. Players should be leading the story (That means your NPCs dont lead the charge or come up with the idea of what to do)

 

Second biggest pitfall is failed challenges. Its in the FM Almanac, but Ill say it again: work towards yes. If the players fail a skill challenge it shouldnt kill the momentum of the story. Failing the duel causes problems down the line (the TNT explodes too late and damages the train you were trying to rob, making the interior dangerous! Not, the TNT explodes too late and the train isnt stopped and you dont get to rob it anymore)

[Lucidicide]

You will be inclined to have players flip for everything because rules. Don't. Assume the players are competent at the things they are competent at - reserve flips for moments of tension, not "can I get a discount on this whiskey?"

Definitely don't let players bully you.

Let things flow when you can. If the players are having a good in game conversation, try to let them. Character moments are, in my opinion, of equal importance with story moments. Ultimately, the game is about the characters within the story. Don't forget the characters!

[Mister Shine]

I've had some very high tension plot-critical Whiskey before Aaron

[zeeblee]

My big one is to try and never say "No" outright. Either run with a player's idea and warn them of potential consequences, or propose adaptations/alternatives that would be more fitting for what you want to do as well.

Remember that you're guiding a collaborative story, so focus on narrative rather than skill checks. And don't get upset if the players do things that don't quite fit your original plans, because it's their story too.

[sephiroa]

^what they said

 

+ make sure everyone has their moment to shine, even in a session not for their abilities, like a social character in a more combat orientated session. its what i do. and players love it. 

 

also make sure that players have some things to discuss about. give them information that has NOTHING to do with the current setting. but may be used later on.

stopping on a moment where the players know "oh next session, sh*t is going down!" gives them the chance to make strategies outside the gaming room. thus strenghtening the bond of your party.

right now my party calls themself the fAte- team (pun intended) because of recent development in the story. they just finished the innocence penny dreadfull and the last chapter, we did a full town on a big table an they got a siege from everywhere. it was a lot of fun  this is what my players wanted, and i provide

 

cheers

[Brewmaster]

At it's core, every RPG is collaborative story-telling. You as the person in charge are offering the group the beginning of a story, the group responds to the story, and it grows from there. The big thing to remember is at the end of the day, you and the players are sitting around a table for however long having fun. Make it interesting, keep the players interested, and you've done 80% of the work.

 

For some Through the Breach specific information:

 

1) Pages 11-21, 28, 30 in the Fatemaster's Almanac is a great place to start for learning about RPGs, specific things you as the Fatemaster should be expected to do, and thing's you'll want to think about.

 

2)Every once in a while (say 5 sessions), ask the players the questions on page 120. By having a list of who's "Combat effective", you can better design sessions and tailor how dangerous things are. It's okay to keep track of this information because it helps both you and the players, thus fulfilling the number 1 rule: are you guys having fun.

 

3) pages 7 and 10 will be important from a mechanics point of view. When you HAVE stats to work from (Say on the card of that cool mini you purchased), you'll pick a number on page 7 to add to those stats. When you need to freestyle it, pick a number on page 10.

 

4) No plan ever survives first contact with the players. There are 3-5 players and 1 of you. SOMEone is bound to come up with something you didn't think of . Roll with it! Unless they're being disruptive, that player has found something interesting to them. It doesn't necessarily NEED to pan out, but exploring the direction is only going to make it more memorable because the player put that element in.

 

5) establish at the beginning that this is Malifaux. Players who have RPGd before might have gotten the seed that these encounters are "Level Appropriate" (if you have DnD players, this is a thing you'll want to note). The world of Malifaux is bigger than 3-5 folk just starting out. They'll want to be smart instead of just punching things till they fall down.

 

6) HAVE FUN! Can't state this enough.

[Mister Shine]

Oh forgot another thing: print out the skill list. It's helpful to remember al the different skills (and their brief summaries) for making the fated do tests.

 

For example, in my last session the Fated were trying to keep a herd of cows from being eaten by a swarm. The cows were freaking out so one player wanted to calm them. Thanks to a print out I remembered that Husbandry was a thing so we got some more flavourful skill use rather than just Notice/Convince/Notice/Deceive all the time

[J_D]

So just to come back to this with an update: I managed to score one of the free RPG day books, and ran my first ever session last night. Apparently I did a good job of it, although I got carried away at the start telling people all the details they didn't need to know (extra bits of info, wounds left etc).

 

I really enjoyed doing it, and it was lots of fun. But I am wondering where to go from here. I have the In Defence of Innocence book and was looking at getting the In the Gutter book, just to help get me rolling, as one of feedback comments last night was it would be more fun and involving if people got to make their own characters.

[Brewmaster]

Well THIS isn't going to be a hard question to answer

 

There's a couple ways to look at where to go with your game:

1) Prepackaged adventures (Say, isn't Wyrd offering things that can be easily used?)

2) Making your own adventures.

 

There's no wrong answer for this, it's really dependent on what you're comfortable doing, and what your players dig. I almost exclusively build games from scratch, but that's the game style I'm most comfortable with (and I have enough time to build like that).

 

I definitely recommend having players make their own characters. One of the useful elements of TtB is the fact that the Tarot reading gives you plot hooks to work with to help tailor the game.

 

 

 

Prepackaged adventures are totally fine to run, and if you're feeling adventurous, you can plan several adventures ahead, taking NFCs from the later games and making them characters that carry through multiple adventures.

 

Making settings from scratch can be daunting, but you have highly detailed control over all the elements. Because of how "Leveling up" works, you also have a unique advantage in that you know exactly how many sessions the game's going to have.

 

 

The quickie guide for "Build from scratch":

 

1) Figure out what you and your players want to play

2) Divide the number of total number of Destiny Steps by 3 (3 players have 15 total steps for example)

3) Make a 3 part story (Learn the thing, Raise the stakes, And then they fight!). Instead of making this huge arcing thing, you build in smaller chunks, making it easier.

4) Make a HUUUUUGE list of People names and Building names.

[Mason]

Glad to hear that everything went well!

 

We've got a few free adventures available in the last couple Chronicles, any of which might help you find your feet with the rules before you branch off and start making custom adventures. We're here on the forums if you need help with things, too.

[Law Dog]

Being a DM is being the director of a play, and the players are the improv actors responding to your plot. It sounds like everything went well for your first time, so the biggest piece of advice I can give you is this:

 

The GM to Player relationship does not have to be an antagonistic one. The players should not set out to destroy the GM's plot, and nor should the GM feel that he has to win every scenario he throws at players. The GM does not have to always win, and each combat doesn't have to be a test of the player's skills or else "they'll get bored." 

 

Run a fun story for your friends. Bring their characters to their knees. Salute their successes. Laugh along with them as they do something random but totally saves the day. Make it fun for everyone.

 

I say this as a gamer, a GM, and as someone who has run many games at conventions for my company (Third Eye Games.)