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10 Things To Know Before Becoming A Teacher, I Mean, A GM

9/6/2016

2 Comments

 
Picture
I was reading an article the other day. It was a listicle about teaching. I am a teacher (middle school FTW) and I am swamped right now, so I wanted to know what advice was being pushed by a colleague. I was also willing to read it because I knew I had enough time to read through it between marking exams.  As I read it, I was struck by the fact that these “things to know” also fit with GMing a role-playing game. So I stole borrowed the title and the list (Thank you Janelle Cox) to create this list for GMs.

1. It Takes Commitment.
Putting together an adventure takes time, even with the all-in-one adventures. Think: homework for adults. Maps, back stories, NPCs, and encounters don’t magically happen on their own. Can you just ‘wing it’? Maybe, but likely it won’t work long term. A good adventure has a solid backbone, which takes time. Not only that, but you cannot play your adventure without the GM. Whether your group meets weekly or monthly, you need to be there. You are setting up before everyone and usually there after everyone leaves. GMing is a labour of love time.

2.
 Role-players Can be Difficult.
You would think that something like this goes without saying, but people are complex. Dealing with people out-of-character and in-character are people management nightmares. My advice is to keep out the drama. If there are issues, deal with them. Don’t let them fester. Being proactive, saves so many headaches.

3. You Probably Won’t Get to Play in the Game You Want.

You will create the game that you would love to play in. The unfortunate thing is that you will have fanciful ideas and grandiose plans full of whimsy and they will leave you excited for ‘the show.’ Your players will probably mess this up. They will take another path, they will miss the cues, and you will be saddened for what could have been. There is a certain longing that you could be in it with them and show them the way it should and could be. That game may never happen for you.

4. If You Don’t Have Patience Before Becoming a GM, You Will Need it.

I would put that this is a necessary skill for anyone working with a multitude of people over a long period of time. Be patient with yourself and with your group. Google how to be patient.

5. Technology is Here to Stay.

Whether this is a noted candy crush distraction from the game, awesome quick look up of rules, electronic character sheets, online role-playing platforms,  Facebook groups, twitter, or High Level games blogs, the places that players can frequent during a game are massive. Set some realistic ground rules that your group can agree upon. Cutting it all out could be a bit harsh, but a free-for-all could leave your group staring at phones and missing your great and grandiose story that you created for them.

6. You Must Earn Respect.

Even as a new GM, people are looking to you to create something awesome. They want a memorable experience that they can tell tales about for years. Also, they can be a little harsh in their expectations. They may be silently judging you. My advice is to get their feedback often and use it. Let them know that you are no people-pleaser, but that you want this to be an enjoyable experience for all.

7. You Need to Always be Prepared.

Have all your materials, you books, your maps, your NPCs, and your plan ready. This doesn’t mean everything is completely detailed, but the story should not be put on hold because of the storyteller. If there is a 10 minute delay because of your lack of preparation, things will go awry.

8. Be Prepared to Spend Your Own Money.

Role-playing can get expensive if you want all the bells and whistles. I am cheap so I make due with what I have (core rule books that I steal from my partner-in-crime/husband). But extra books, custom miniatures, 3-d maps, and many other things can add to experience, but those costs can add up quickly. You can really set the mood with a few props or other additions to the pencil-paper world of role-playing. I guess I should heed my own advice on this one and spend some money.

9. Time Management is Essential for Survival.

I would posit that the biggest killer of campaigns is time. Either, not regularly meeting and so the story fades away from people’s memories, or the little time-wasters within the game. Things that unnecessarily slow play will diminish your story. People don’t forgive or forget a slow story. Find a way to bring up the pace. Find interesting ways to break up monotony (if the monotony is necessary.)

10. The Internet will Be Your New Best Friend.

 Don’t go at it alone. It is not heroic; it is bad strategy. This is a great era for role-playing. There are so many games and experienced GMs and groups and threads and blogs to peruse. Suck in all the good information and spit out the bones. Then, write about your experience so others can benefit. Sharing is caring, people, sharing is caring.
 
This is where Vanessa writes. Who is Vanessa? Well, she is a sarcastic, 30-something wife and mother. She likes things and stuff, but not simultaneously. When she isn’t involved in things and stuff, she teaches middle school math and art. She loves new teenagers in action. They make her laugh and shake her head and her world is much better with laughter. She thinks everyone should be roleplaying. She sometimes bothers her friends to help with her blog articles and other times it all comes from her head… scary. . She is also trying out this new twitter handle at @sarasma_nessa
 

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2 Comments
aramis
10/6/2016 06:10:51 am

Having been a long term sub in Music and Elementary Classroom, and extended short term sub in middle school, for over a decade, Classroom management techniques work just as well on middleschoolers and on gamers.

Winging it, however, can and does work quite well for RPG's, where it doesn't for most lesson plans (unless one is working in Waldorf, Orff, or what my district calls "Optional" - which combines bits from Orff, Montessori, and traditional techniques).

Having spent a lot of time (25+ years) improving games from just a timeline of outside events, it's very much like an Optional Classroom. You have a few planned encounters, but what comes next is entirely up to the group/students, guided by the GM/instructor. The key is keeping good records after the fact, rather than planning ahead, and having sufficient prepared encounters to provide a sense of story line and hooks into others.

If one's particularly cheap, but still wants minis-type things for play, buy a bunch of meeples. Around $22 to €15 will get you (shipped) 50 meeples - 10 each in 5 colors - from the right vendors. Draw a face in paint or permanent marker, and some ID mark on the chest and back... and you get most of the benefits of minis, and lose one of the worst drawbacks as well - that Minis often stifle people's listening to posture and description. Wooden pawns, wooden discs or plastic mini-poker chips are cheaper, as are 1cm or 8mm cubes - a bit small for some, but they are standard game bits, and available from various suppliers in the US, UK, and EU; with an overhead pen (Vis-a-vis, or Staedtler Lumocolor - the black shaft lumocolors are alcohol erase, while the grey lumocolor and the Vis-a-Vis are water erase), plastic chips can easily be numbered or lettered.

It's often good to ban use of electronics in session except for rules lookups by the GM. The biggest waster of time I've found is the players who are missing key plot elements because they're in the internet.

Reply
Aramis Erak
10/6/2016 06:11:09 am

Having been a long term sub in Music and Elementary Classroom, and extended short term sub in middle school, for over a decade, Classroom management techniques work just as well on middleschoolers and on gamers.

Winging it, however, can and does work quite well for RPG's, where it doesn't for most lesson plans (unless one is working in Waldorf, Orff, or what my district calls "Optional" - which combines bits from Orff, Montessori, and traditional techniques).

Having spent a lot of time (25+ years) improving games from just a timeline of outside events, it's very much like an Optional Classroom. You have a few planned encounters, but what comes next is entirely up to the group/students, guided by the GM/instructor. The key is keeping good records after the fact, rather than planning ahead, and having sufficient prepared encounters to provide a sense of story line and hooks into others.

If one's particularly cheap, but still wants minis-type things for play, buy a bunch of meeples. Around $22 to €15 will get you (shipped) 50 meeples - 10 each in 5 colors - from the right vendors. Draw a face in paint or permanent marker, and some ID mark on the chest and back... and you get most of the benefits of minis, and lose one of the worst drawbacks as well - that Minis often stifle people's listening to posture and description. Wooden pawns, wooden discs or plastic mini-poker chips are cheaper, as are 1cm or 8mm cubes - a bit small for some, but they are standard game bits, and available from various suppliers in the US, UK, and EU; with an overhead pen (Vis-a-vis, or Staedtler Lumocolor - the black shaft lumocolors are alcohol erase, while the grey lumocolor and the Vis-a-Vis are water erase), plastic chips can easily be numbered or lettered.

It's often good to ban use of electronics in session except for rules lookups by the GM. The biggest waster of time I've found is the players who are missing key plot elements because they're in the internet.

Reply



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