A Help for Maintaining Pace in an RPG Adventure

In a conversation with some game masters (GMs), we got into a discussion about some of the issues we have faced over the years. Most of the issues GMs face with in their groups are temporary ones based on the mood of the players and how people are responding to the events in their daily lives. There isn't much we can do as a GM about those issues, but provide a good game. There are different elements in a good game and part of that is the pacing of the adventure.

Every good story, game, movie, book, has good pacing—how well the story moves along from beginning to end. In the more traditional tabletop games this is done with the mechanics of the game, and some of the same basics apply to Role-playing games (RPGs). However, because RPGs are designed to give players a wider range of options the pacing of the game becomes more about the application of the mechanics and not just the mechanics being used.

Application of game mechanics is a balance between player and character wants. There is a balance needing to be struck between what the characters know, understand, and would consider acceptable, against those the players have. Players have another level of knowledge based on the mechanics the characters are playing under.

Players are not always trying to metagame or manipulate the game mechanics for their advantage, even though we have all met those players who will squeeze the rules (I believe this is the main reason rulebooks keep getting thicker). Everyone has a natural disposition to look at the situation they are in and try to make it better. The GM then has the responsibility to allow a level of manipulation without overtaking the game completely.

Curtailing some of the manipulation of the mechanics helps the game's pacing. This allows players, and thus characters, to move from the mundane events to the action-packed ones.

This doesn't require creating a new mechanics on top of your game system. And, the idea I have for you doesn't have to be applied every time. You can apply it in a general sense and then allow the circumstances in the game to direct you easily to the times you find you shouldn't apply it.

Create situational responses that allow a single check for the group.

From Spreadshirt

For example, the party is carefully making their way through the pirate's castle on the alien world to rescue the young son of the merchant prince. The long empty hall has couple dozen closed doors. The first party member steps up to the first door and declares they listen at the door to determine if there is anyone on the other side. They don't hear anything, so they step aside and the next member repeats the action. Because the second party member doesn't hear anything either, they step aside for the next member of the party. And, this continues until somebody in the party hears something, or everyone has pressed their ear near the crack of the door. Then, they move on to the next door.

This level of action becomes tedious.

Creating a situational response before the adventure begins can allow this encounter with the doors to move quickly. The players decide which character is best for listening at doors and how the rest of the party is acting during that encounter with the closed door. Everyone understands the character who has the best chance of hearing something is listening for the entire group—if they don't hear something, no one else will either.

When the party enters the hallway with this pre-planned setup the GM can have already determined at which point the "party" hears something. This allows the story to move past the mundane action and get the party to exploring the rooms, or moving down the hall, quicker and easier.

This concept of group rolls can be applied to other actions. If you find there are times where your game slows down because everyone is taking the same action to confirm a result, hold a quick chat with the players and see if that would be a good situation to apply a single roll for the group.

One of the GMs in our discussion says he allows a bonus to the party for doing these types of rolls. This gives the party an additional reason to go with a single roll. Another GM told how he applies this same idea on his own. Whatever the result of the first character attempting to do something is, it becomes the result for the rest of the party. I think that might be a little extreme for my group. However, I must admit I can see where in the past if I had taken this action, it would have been a good thing.

There are times when the group roll doesn't work. Those times are usually obvious during play. We also allow players to repeat the action if they can give a good, in-character, reason for doing so.

In preparing adventures I can use this setup to create a much faster paced game. For checks that are made by the GM, instead of waiting until the time of the action I can have predetermined some of the information the party has gained. When I have done this it has worked well and allows for a more during a game session.

If you have a comment, suggestion, or critique please leave a comment here or send an email to guildmastergaming@gmail.com.

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Response to Readers and Fans On What You Would Like to See Here

I sent out a request and asked in-person over the past couple of months what people wanted to read from Guild Master Gaming. I found out a lot about the people I share this gaming interest with.  A broad scope of interests, likes, and desires. I took a couple weeks to reflect over the comments and conversations.

Guild Master Gaming's main focus has been, and I will keep it to, tabletop gaming of all sorts. However, I have been asked to expand into a few additional areas. I am pleased to announce this expansion since it is due what people have told me they like and want to see. It is also in response to the recognition you have given me which has led to my work being requested in new markets.

The reviews of games will continue. I write reviews for Utah Geek Magazine and I have been approached by a number of companies to increase the number of reviews I do. This means there will be more reviews of role-playing games (RPGs) and all sorts of other games. My focus on game reviews is to provide a feel for the game, not just the mechanics of how to play it.

Personally, I like games that feel fun. When I read about a game I am interested to find if the premise and the flow of the game is something I am going to like. Mechanics can usually be worked out unless there is something really broken in the game. I also know that my favorites are not going to be everyone's favorite.  I will always work at providing enough information about the game so every person reading the review will be able to decide if it fits in with other games they like.

I will not rate the games. There are games I like to play that others detest, it goes the other way also. That is part of the reason I have a wide variety of friends and players to help me review games. It is a lot of fun watching a group of young players tackle a game for the first time and see their reaction.

I have focused on the games in the past. I have reviewed a few movies, but that is not one of my areas of expertise. I have also reviewed non-gaming books. The reviewing of books will be increasing. I read a wide variety of genres, but focus on speculative fiction. Many of the gamers I know love to read, and many of the authors I know like to play games. It seems like a good fit. I am also going to be reviewing supplemental gaming material of all types as I get it. This will also include a range of other periphery topics and items gamers have shown an interest in. This area will be broader in scope, depending on what I come across and how interesting I find it.

A few of the several hundred games on my shelves

I have received requests for more characters, encounters, and adventures. These will be spread across different game systems and genres. With all of this, you will be seeing some enjoyable, and interesting, changes.

I will continue what I have been doing in terms of where I post my articles. They will always be available directly on the blog, Facebook, my Google+ home page, and my Twitter feed. If an article fits into another area like a role-playing or a tabletop group I am a member of, I will also put it up there.

If you like the articles, please share them with your friends. Please, if you want me to see a comment, leave it someplace where I can easily see them, or send them to me directly. I had a follow-up email about a comment I didn't respond to because it was attached to a shared post that I never even knew was out there.

If you are interested in a particular area, please let me know and I will see if I can support that interest.

I have been writing these articles for five fun years, and I want to keep doing it (truthfully, I would love to do this full time). Join me to see where this journey goes. Because I don't know where it will end up, or how we will get there. It is a story in the making and I might be the game master on this one, but there are a lot of characters giving their stories along the way.

Sincerely,

Dan Yocom

If you have a comment, suggestion, or critique please leave a comment here or send an email to guildmastergaming@gmail.com.

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Writers and Gamers Crossing Over at Convention

The last half of the week I attended Life, the Universe and Everything (LTUE), a writing conference focused on science fiction and fantasy. This year they continued with the addition of game writing. I am certain that part of the reason for the inclusion of gaming is because the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America now includes game writing as a means of gaining credit for being classified as an author.

I am glad to see the organization recognizing gaming writing. Many writers involved in game design have been established authors in other areas. Others have taken on the aspects of writing for games, both tabletop and electronic, and honed their skills of writing for the niche.

Many of the aspects of "main stream" narrative writing apply to creating games. Game developers for board games, role-playing games (RPGs), and electronic games create themes, backstory, dialog, arcs, and the other aspects needed to tell a good story. That is because games are based on story in one way or another.

I have had this discussion with people in the past who believe that games are not story based. I respectfully disagree with the concept because early games were used as teaching devices in society, an early form tied with the oral traditions of society. And even if you don't think games are tied to storytelling elements, those elements can enhance the game you are playing.

Every game developer I have talked with has started the development of their game based on a situation that they them were able to create a theme from. Although the theme may be slightly different than what many people consider as the theme of a story, it really does play the same function. In both situations the theme is a determination of what will happen if an individual, lead character or player, overcomes or fails to overcome the struggle. In both there is a dire consequence for not overcoming the obstacle. We usually think that the stakes are higher in a story because we can restart the game. But, the outcome is really quite the same.

Developers have told me that they also develop a backstory for their games. In RPG adventures this is more obvious. Board games may not present the backstory, but the developers told me they have a better time understanding their game, how to develop it, and what mechanics they choose to use with a stronger backstory. The backstory also helps in getting the game to market. It provides a hook for both selling to a game company, and to the players. I am sure every person out there has picked up a game off the shelf and made a decision based on the thematic story presented on the cover of the book or box.

For me this means that developers and traditional writers should consider thinking outside of their box. Yeah, I know that was cliché. But if you are interested in games and/or writing there is a great crossover between the two you should be taking advantage from. This is not a great leap for most of us in this hobby because most of us already are steeped in both areas.

Gamers usually read more. What is your favorite book and author? Almost every gamer I know is able to answer that question before I finish asking it. We are regularly borrowing from our favorite works. I have played in adventures based on The Princess Bride and Mad Max. I have seen people who created characters based on The Belgariadand James Bond. This isn't just RPGs; there is a rich list of games that exist because of H. P. Lovecraft's works.

On the flip side, I know authors who have confided that their stories, both short and long, were inspired from games they have played. I am not talking fan fiction. I am talking about an event that happened in a game, RPG and board, they were playing or watching. Something happened that sparked an idea, or fueled something they had buried. They ran with it and they developed entire new worlds for readers (and watchers) have been able to enjoy. I am not going to say which works these are because we weren't sitting in any formal interview.

There is the level of fandom that has developed also. Books, movies, and television have all been developed into games. Off the top of my head I can think of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, The Dresden Files, and Monster Hunters International. Moving from the games are numerous books and movies.

The crossover is a rich, fertile ground for creativity. It can be used for the homebrew, single-shot adventure you are working on, or the next epic novel. It might inspire the next summer blockbuster, or run-away board game. Be willing to look in new directions for your inspiration. Take the seed and let it grow in your own creative imagination. Go for it, because every one of the books you've read, movies you've seen, and game you've read started as that simple seed of potential.

If you have a comment, suggestion, or critique please leave a comment here or send an email to guildmastergaming@gmail.com.

You can also join Guild Master Gaming on Google+, Facebook, and Twitter (@GuildMstrGmng).

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Getting Adventure Ideas from Other Media, GM Advice

Some of my game books,

I was talking with a woman who told me she wanted to start a role-playing game (RPG) campaign in a science fiction setting, but she didn't want to have it based on any of the movies, television, or books already out there. That is a tough call when you are writing something new, because so much of what we do is influenced by everything we come in contact with. Eventually, we got to an understanding that she already had a design on the campaign she wanted to run, she was looking for a system that didn't push her game into a preconceived setting. For that, we were able to come up with several ideas. Our conversation got me thinking about being influenced, or overly influenced, when developing an adventure or campaign.

When you are writing something for publication, you have to be careful you don't draw too much from an existing work. I am not talking about plagiarism, which is bad and a whole other topic. What I am talking about is coming up with something that is influenced so much by another person's work that your work comes across as a blatant copy. Luckily, when you are writing for your own enjoyment, or your own game, you have a lot more leeway.

some more,

Because you are writing adventures for you and your group, you don't have to worry about the copyright laws and royalties. Those are for works you are trying to make money on, or, you are putting out into the public setting for self-promotion. If you do put anything out there, remember to give credit where credit is due.

Dive into your library of stories and see what you like. Also find out what your group likes. Most of the RPGs have sections with additional reference areas, especially for games focused on some of the "smaller" genre areas (like Big Eyes Small Mouthand Lucha Libre HERO—link to review). They give these reference lists to help you come up with ideas. You can even lift one and write it up for your group.

If you are running a space opera and you want to do a train robbery, why not draw off Firefly to flesh out your ideas? That was a great episode of cross genre work. Even if you write your adventure to follow the same storyline as the episode, your adventure is going to turn out different. You have different characters than they had in the show. Even if you are running the same characters, you have your players running them. More than likely, they are not going to do the same things. People, players, are great at coming up with something new.

more,

I remember a writing assignment where a group of us were given the same topic, and the same source materials to create a document. This was a technical writing exercise, but even then, everyone came up with something different. The same thing is going to happen to you when you work on developing the same plot for your group. It's going to be different. This happens with the storyline you are creating because of new twists and turns you put in, or there is going to be differences because of your players.

Any game master (GM) who has been playing for a period of time has ran the same adventure more than once, usually with a different group of players, but at least with a different group of characters. These reran adventures turn out differently. When Top Secretcame out with their GM Screen it included an adventure, Rescue the President. This adventure is designed for one or two characters. Because of the limited number of players I ran that adventure over twenty times to get everyone in our gaming club at the time through it, who wanted to. Every game was different.

I've done this in more recent times, rerunning old adventures for new groups of players. If you have some old adventures you liked GMing, offer to run them—it is a lot of fun to do them again. If the games are older ones your group played, most people remember the ideas but not the specifics. Even this last week I offered to run a group so a friend could introduce his children to RPGs.

If a published adventure is going to go differently when it is ran with new groups, and by different GMs, your adventure will not be the same as what was originally created by someone else.

and more.

You can give credit to where you have gotten your ideas from. If your players liked the adventure, they will probably like the source material also. This gives you another link with your friends you are gaming with.

If your players already know the source material, you can tell them up front what you are doing. I have seen this work really well because the players know the basic storyline, but they usually want to make the corrections they thought. This can make for some fun gaming sessions.

Don't be shy to give it a try. If you think someone in your group is going to steamroll the adventure because they know it, add a twist to the plot. Let them think this is where negotiations are going to work, just like in the episode you watched, then, have commandos bust down the doors and kill the lead negotiator. Now they have something new to deal with. RPGs are about having fun. Creating adventures can be fun. And, when creativity feels like it's running low, let others help with what has already been created.

If you have a comment, suggestion, or critique please leave a comment here or send an email to guildmastergaming@gmail.com.

You can also join Guild Master Gaming on Google+, Facebook, and Twitter (@GuildMstGmng).

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Developing Culture, Continued Example, City Backstory

Thank you for the interest on the articles discussing culture. At the end of this article I have included links to earlier articles about the city and some of its inhabitants I use.

Backstory for Supporting Culture

Developing the culture does not require building a backstory, but it helps. After I decided what I wanted in my "current" city I could go back in time to figure out why the structure, rules, and culture of the current society exist.

As you develop a location you don't need to know everything. All you need to know is what is needed for what you are currently doing. I have been developing the city of Castanis for many years, most of it by writing down short, one-line, notes, names, or ideas. Those notes can either be forgotten, decided against, or developed. Development doesn't have to be in full either.

When writing the previous article on the goblin enclave I developed what was needed without going into full detail. The goblin are developed enough so they can be included in the city. They have their area of control, how they are able to sustain themselves, and few other details. There are hints at what is involved, but until I need the leadership they don't need to be developed. (I have been asked to provide some more details on the goblin enclave leadership, so they are now in the works.)

As an example of developing a backstory for a culture, here is the beginning of a history for the Castanis. The history is meant to be a guide, in this case for both a game master and a player. There is enough information to explain the basic of why some things are the way they are, along with clues to additional information someone might want to delve deeper into. There are also large gaps in the information about the intervening years, which can be expanded when additional backstory is needed.

A Brief History of Castanis

Many years ago, generations in terms of the lives of humans, men were starting to push there way out from their own minor existence. They started sailing the coast, exploring and trading. The estuary of the Long River was found as a place with good anchorage and for providing protection from the open sea. The location had been previously used by other seafaring races and conflicts occurred.

No one knows why the first battle took place, but the conflicts escalated, as grudges developed. Battles took place in the harbor, and the surrounding waters. Ships were sunk and many brave souls from different races were sent back to the heavens. It is said the battles continued for years. Until a wizened human, Pilan, did something the other captains were not expecting: instead of fighting he went to shore and planted a flag of truce.

Pilan, the Founder, called forth to the other captains present that day. Pilan negotiated with the captains to provide a safe place for all who were travelling along the coast. Instead of sailing on Pilan and his crew would stay at the mouth of the Long and build a new port. He promised he would welcome all the races who came there. This way the ships could bring their goods to a new area and the people of the area would be able to trade with the rest of the known world. The new port was named Castanis by the pact of captains, derived from one of the old languages because it means a place of protection.

Initially, times were tough on the fledging town. The only advantage the location had was the harbor. The area was muddy and swampy. Food was not easily obtained. And, they were pushing back against the wilderness.

Monsters assaulted those who took up residence in Castanis. Luckily, the new port brought adventurers who were wanting and willing to take on the struggle of taming the area. Some came to slay the monsters, while others came to convert them. Both had some success and each year the town and trade grew. Pilan grew old watching the town he settled develop.

Castanis has never stopped growing, and the principle it was founded on stayed firm—everyone, no matter what race, who came in peace, to trade or live, was accepted. This does not mean everyone lives in peace, but the law is applied to every resident, theoretically. This caused the town, and now the city, to develop in unexpected ways.

New groups arrived and set up their own camps, in the most part keeping to themselves. Over the years some have mixed with the other races over time, while others still maintain a level of separation. There are a number of racial neighborhoods where one race feels more secure, while some areas are highly mixed. There are places, like the portion living under the waves or in the dark, who live the way they do out of requirement. The city has moved up the river, along the coast, down into the earth, and, with the wizards and priests, into other dimension.

Walking down the streets of the city, day or night, you are likely to meet others gathering together in common trade; where, if they had met in the wilderness, they would be spilling blood. Adventurers have started their careers here, while others have found this the place to retire from their exploits. Still, there are those who are born, live, and die without ever travelling away from their beloved city. Those who never travel away are not just the common folk. There is potential to rise to great prominence and power within the confines of Castanis. Great adventures not only come from or to the city, many are made because of the city.

LIST

Mystic Theurge, Priestess of Baccob

Gladiator

Lady Fenn

Gunt, a Spy in the City

Hariman, Negotiator

Lots, Horse Trainer, Breeder, and Trader

Amilia, Horsewoman

Machiavellian Campaign—General Information, Size and Power bases for the Starting City

Machiavellian Campaign—Trading House Sardinis

Expanding the Merchant Skill for the Machiavellian Campaign

Considering Enslavement in the Machiavellian Campaign

Reader Response on Enslavement

Master Wainwright

Wainwright Journeyman

Developing a City's Culture—Example

TheGoblin Enclave

If you have any comments, questions, or critiques please leave a comment here, or send an email to guildmastergaming@gmail.com.

You can join Guild Master Gaming on Google+, Facebook, and Twitter (@GuildMstrGmng).

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