Methods of DMing

This article was inspired by Loren's fantastic question about what makes a good
GM and player, and reminded me of one of the best times I had GMing.

Basically, has any GM out there resorted to game mastering without anything
written down before hand? For example, you the GM write out an adventure, and
the players just don't go along with it. They don't pick up on the clues, they
follow a totally false trail, or they decide that *they* aren't the ones to
fight the Ultra Demon of the 37th Plane of Hades, thank you very much, but
perhaps they could find someone powerfull enough and stupid enough to do so.

I propose that in some cases, the GM should allow the players to go off the deep
end into unexplored territory. I also propose that every GM, at least once, try
to run an adventure where they have nothing planned out. Don't tell the players
this! Just try it. Here is an example.

Somewhere, I can't remember the source, I got AD&D rules for a jousting
tournament, complete with rules for other competitions, such as archery and a
grand melee. This is your typical English middle ages tournament. Since I wanted
to try the rules, I had the characters (who were travelling) pass by a castle
where this was going on. I had about 6 characters fleshed out, but only their
combat abilities. It occured to me as the PCs were entering the Castle that a
*lot* more than the tournament would be going on, and I had nothing planned! So,
what did I do? Did I end the session and tell the players that we would continue
next week?

I just swallowed hard and thought fast. The night before any tournament there
would be a grand feast, so I held one. Because I had read many more books than
the players, I just stole name from my favorite fantasy stories, and had those
people sitting next to them. On 3x5 cards I would right down the NPCs names, one
to a card. Whenever the PCs would talk to an NPC, I would record any information
and mannerisms on the card. This would allow me to maintain consistency. Since I
had a DM Screen, the players couldn't see this. They thought I was reading
something I already wrote up. They met stewards who told them where to go and
what clothing would be appropriate. From them the PCs got a little advanced
warning about some people they would meet, and who they could look for.
Remember, at this point I was just making up names and facts, but the players
didn't know.

After two hours, the feast was still going on, I had over 35 (!) NPCs running
around, all with court intrigue and political dealings. They had made friends,
enemies, and some of the players were fighting for some NPCs honor, etc. There
was even a budding romance with one PC and an NPC (and actually, the female NPC
jousted for the male's PC honor - just worked out that way).

Finally, the first day of the tournament came around, but I basically threw away
the rules at certain points, because for the story line, it was more important
that a certain NPC won at one point or lost at another. Some enemies turned out
to be allies, one friend got murdered. By the seventh hour of play it was time
for the Ball. The PCs had no idea what was going to happen, and what was most
exciting for me was that *I* had no idea either!


Pros of Seat of the Pants GMing:

For the GM, this can be one of the most exciting ways of playing. You aren't
restricted in anything you do, and you won't restrict the players, because no
matter what they do, they can't ruin your prewritten module! Every new scene is
a surprise, and it allows you to flex you role playing muscles in ways you never
have imagined.


Cons:

This type of playing is very difficult. Keeping track of 5 NPCs is difficult,
and in this type of game you may have to keep track of over 30. If you make up a
character, you most likely won't have any ability scores to fall back on for
help with defining the character, and not even enough time to roll the dice.
This type of gaming can age the GM by years in one session, but in my opinion it
is well worth it. Another problem is that it is easy for the GM to make a
glaring mistake. The only way to counteract this problem is experience with
regular playing.


How to run such an adventure.

As the GM you are going to need lots of paper, ordered in some way so you can
keep track of all the details. Don't forget that any detail that you write down
can be change. Just because the Duke of Forenger says he is wealthy and good
with a bow, doesn't mean that he is.

1. NPC cards.

When the PCs meet an NPC, you are going to give a short description. This is
important. It provides color and depth of any campaign. On you NPC card, write
down a few of the important features: his hair color, how tall (roughly!) she
is, any distinguishing characteristics. The best way to make a new NPC
immediately is to take an old character from a book you liked, and use a
different name. My players didn't know it, but they met Lord Borric from the
Feist Riftwar Saga! I just changed the name, but because he was my model for the
NPC, I knew how he would talk and act. They also met a sorceress modeled after
that women (what was her name?) in Thundar the Barbarian. She wasn't a carbon
copy, but close enough so I could describe her and her mannerisms. Write down
one or two words that can best describe their personalities, and add any
information that could be important later, even trivial things like if they are
a figher, cleric, prince, or chef!

2. Time line.

Have one page devoted solely to a time line. If the King announces a feast at 5
PM on Sunday, WRITE IT DOWN! You're juggling 30 NPCs and the PCs, you'll forget
facts that the players won't. If you decide that an attempted murder should take
place, write it down. Use an arrow so you know what time it is now in the
campaign. That way you will know that the PCs only have 4 hours until the ball,
and they still have to meet with the Dutchess of Ry about that "problem" of
hers.

3. Serendipidy.

If a PC decides she wants to go out for a midnight stroll looking for the privy,
then let her. Have her meet someone else for an interesting encounter. A good
time for more information and character development. Hopefully, the PCs will
start to look for things, and you can use some of their suggestions. Won't they
feel clever when they suspect something and it actually happens that way because
of the evidence! You the GM didn't plan it, but of course it had to work that
way! Just don't forget to add that little twist at the end to surprise everyone.
(The Dread Knight of Melacha didn't poison the Baron, it was the Knight's
squire! The Knight didn't know about it, the squire was just trying to impress
his master.)

4. Cheating.

If the dice say that something happened, but it would be better for the story if
something else happened, then cheat! I never roll the dice in front of the
players anyway. If someone has to be wounded so the players can rescue them,
then just have it happen. It is the story and the fun that is more important,
not what the dice say. Of course, if you don't know how an NPC would react, then
of course use dice! Aurel was flirting with the King's daughter. I've never been
a Princess, and frankly I wasn't sure how she was suppossed to react. So I
rolled 2d6, decided that a low number was bad, and a high number was good. I
rolled an 8, and had the Princess smile very sweetly and politely turn down his
affections, but she told Aurel that she expected him to dance with her first at
the ball, thus keeping the door open.

5. Be quick.

This whole type of playing depends on the GM being quick. Make something up,
then stick with it. Don't worry about specific hit points for NPCs, just do what
seems right, and go with it. Need to know how many arrows were in a specific
quarrel? Make up a number and tell them. Was the door locked? Think for a
second, and if you can't tell, just roll a die: even locked, odd unlocked. If it
is locked, the PCs might try to go get the key, so the play to sneak into the
stewarts room. Let them play it through. Let them see the stewart leave his
room, have people walk nearby to add excitement. Use your imagination!

This type of playing is very difficult, but very rewarding. To make it really
work, however, the players can't know that you are just "making it up as you go
along." After the "tournament" campaign, the players told me how much fun they
had, and how impressed they were with the game. Well, I had fun also. I later
told them that I didn't have any of it planned except for the combat part of the
tourney. To this day, they *still* don't believe me....


This is virtually the only mode I run in. My campaign world is very detailed,
with a great deal of history. I primarily concern myself with simulating this
world in the area where the players are. They inevitably find an adventure
without my assistance.

I find it pointless to do a lot of preparation - someone earlier mentioned the
"escape-proof" trap idea, where the players will always find a way out you
didn't think of. That's true for most any situation. Once I set up a series of
encounters with some connon fodder being manipulated by an evil bad guy. I
*though* I knew who the bad guy was...nope, the players not only had fingered
who I *thought* was the bad guy as a stooge, but they could *prove* who the
*real* bad guy was. Faced with that, I generally free-wheel and let the players
connect things.

> I propose that in some cases, the GM should allow the players to go off the
> deep end into unexplored territory. I also propose that every GM, at least
> once, try to run an adventure where they have nothing planned out.

Like I said, every time. I use a couple techniques though. Firstly, is what I
call "All in a Day's Work". In these types of scenarios, the players are simply
doing their jobs. For example, suppose the players own a caravan. They have to
plan their routes, hire guards, deal with passengers, contract for more or less
wagons, etc. They have to lead the 'van to its destination and for what? A
paycheck. But the key here is this: just as every working day in our world is a
little different, with its own challenges, so it would be in a Fantasy world.
Here's another idea, the players run a rundihorn ranch - rundihorns are
rhino-sized, and their blood can be refined into a powerful healing salve. The
problem: rundihorns die if they don't get enough exercise - they seem to just
weaken and eventually expire. So they can't be fenced in. They need room to
roam. They are also *smart* - nearly enough to talk, and more than enough to
coordinate. The players have to control these herds, outsmart the rundihorns,
get the blood (*without* killing the rundihorn, or they'll get no more), refine
it, and get it to market.

With these types of scenarios, there are two stages: learning, which is good for
three-four months of gaming, and running where intrest turns to using the
"family bidness" as a springboard for more adventure. Maybe they discover
another creature that might be better than rundihorns - maybe they find a market
for rundihorn meat - etc.

> After two hours, the feast was still going on, I had over 35 (!) NPCs running
> around, all with court intrigue and political dealings. They had made friends,
> enemies, and some of the players were fighting for some NPCs honor, etc. There
> was even a budding romance with one PC and an NPC (and actually, the female
> NPC jousted for the male's PC honor - just worked out that way).

This is the way things happen in a well-run free-wheel. The important thing is
to *remember* what's going on - write notes to yourself. Even if it is not that
important, keep a note - it might be important to the players, and you need to
be able to reconstruct anything to backtrack what they are doing.

> For the GM, this can be one of the most exciting ways of playing. You aren't
> restricted in anything you do, and you won't restrict the players, because no
> matter what they do, they can't ruin your prewritten module! Every new scene
> is a surprise, and it allows you to flex you role playing muscles in ways you
> never have imagined.

And it is really the only way for people who have jobs. Not everyone has the
time to sit down and design on paper from scratch - besides, when players get
used to such an atmosphere they *always* prefer it. My players tried another DM
once - with a premade dungeon. They trashed it, and him, and came back to me for
"real gaming". To them, premade is munchkin. It's much more fun to be completely
unpredictable.

> This type of playing is very difficult. Keeping track of 5 NPCs is difficult,
> and in this type of game you may have to keep track of over 30. If you make up
> a character, you most likely won't have any ability scores to fall back on for
> help with defining the character, and not even enough time to roll the dice.
> This type of gaming can age the GM by years in one session, but in my opinion
> it is well worth it. Another problem is that it is easy for the GM to make a
> glaring mistake. The only way to counteract this problem is experience with
> regular playing.

Also, your players will help. "What! What about the little hovel we passed? Oh,
yeah...<roll> you...you never *noticed* it on the way back! We backtrack! Yup,
you fond the spot - you remember the boulder by the door...it's here, but the
door isn't..."

I have no idea what happened to the hut - I could have just said: "It's where
you saw it last..." and continue, but it's more fun to throw another loose end
at the players and see what they tie it to...


Well, the ONLY thing I have prepared when I DM is my previously detailed world
maps, history, calendar, etc. That is, my world info. I usually also have a very
vague idea of an adventure, just in case the players get into a rut. Other than
that, I never prepare anything. After all, the joy of running a campaign is to
create legends, heros, myths, etc. for the inhabitants of the world; i.e., to
write a story that involves the characters on a grand scale. And the characters
must make a difference in the world. The element of surprise for the characters
is what makes the game interesting and the players motivated. The same goes for
me. I NEVER want to know how an adventure is going to turn out. Therefore, I
never prepare. I let the story unfold as the characters play it out.

As for encounters, situations, etc., I have a stock way of generating
characters, monsters, et al on the fly. I wrote a program awhile back that will
mass produce character statistics. I ran off about 100 pre-rolled characters of
varying levels. When I need a new NPC, or a character party to oppose, I simply
run through my list and select the appropiate set of stats. Then I write on my
sheet all the details for the newly formed character. I have also gone through
the phone book and written out MANY interesting names for NPC's. I've yet to
deplete this source of names. The list also includes a few magic items that were
randomly selected, usually about one or two items per four or five characters.
This will occcasionally give me a quick idea of the characters strength,
possible history, etc.

I've been DMing the same group of characters for about five years now, and as
the world unfolded before me, major imperatives made themselves known to me and
the players. There now exists three main objectives for the players, which after
they are (hopefully) completed, the party will most likely retire and I will
become a player in another campaign. These are long term goals, and as such I
can almost always generate an adventure on the spur of the moment. This keeps
both me and my party guessing.

However, I do not recommend this type of DMing to a new DM. I DMed for several
years before starting this new campaign, and those years I either took some
existing characters on a single adventure that I had developed or I used a
module. But I rarely "GMed by the seat of my pants" during this training period.
Now, however, I cannot imagine playing a game where I know what will happen. It
just would not be exciting to me.

