Ever since Dave Arneson created Blackmoor (aka the First Fantasy Campaign), wherein he pioneered, among other things, the concept of Character Advancement, GMs (and now some players) have been creating their own game worlds and settings. So, this week, I wanted to talk about some of the basics of running RPG Campaigns.
By "Campaign," I mean an ongoing set of adventures or a continuing storyline, typically set in the same game world and nowadays often involving the same PCs (unless there has been Character Death). As a result, running a campaign is usually more challenging and demanding for a GM than a one-shot adventure, since the GM needs to know more and in greater detail about the background, the locations, the NPCs, etc.
While it's true that some New School games encourage cooperative world building and shared narrative fiat between GMs and players, the majority of games and campaigns still follow the traditional GM-led model (i.e., the GM is primarily responsible for developing and running the campaign). So, this post will focus on the latter, (i.e., the role of the GM in running the campaign).
So, in terms of general advice for running a campaign, probably the first thing for a GM to keep in mind is that, regardless of how much you prepare, something is not going to go as expected, whether it's because you made a mistake, your players killed the NPC that you intended to keep as a recurring foe, your players left the location/plot you oh so carefully prepared, or whatever. Thus, being a good GM requires at least a little improv ability (i.e., being able to handle curve balls and to think on your feet).
For novice GMs, a good way to reduce the likelihood and scope of the unexpected is to run dungeon crawls. In fact, one of the reasons that Messr Arneson put his first adventures underground was to expressly limit what the players could do.
Additionally, GMs shouldn't be overly attached to any particular plot, NPC or whatever or concerned that the PCs didn't interact in the GM's desired way. It's always possible to recycle material into a later game session or future campaign.
Secondly, the GM should take some time to know the applicable rules set. Constantly looking things up will disrupt the flow of a game session. Also, it can be disheartening to find out that you misquoted a rule.
Thirdly, the GM should prepare enough to feel comfortable. Some GMs spend hours getting ready for a game session, while others do literally no prep. For myself, over time, I've prepared less and less, partly because I usually use rules with which I'm quite familiar and because my improv skills have improved.
Fourly, the GM should be on the same page as the players regarding expectations. Here, the group's social contract is key. Also, remember to keep in mind that the goal of playing RPGs is to have fun.
Of course, there are many other things that can play a part in running a campaign, if you can get down the above, you should be starting from a good position!
While it's true that some New School games encourage cooperative world building and shared narrative fiat between GMs and players, the majority of games and campaigns still follow the traditional GM-led model (i.e., the GM is primarily responsible for developing and running the campaign). So, this post will focus on the latter, (i.e., the role of the GM in running the campaign).
So, in terms of general advice for running a campaign, probably the first thing for a GM to keep in mind is that, regardless of how much you prepare, something is not going to go as expected, whether it's because you made a mistake, your players killed the NPC that you intended to keep as a recurring foe, your players left the location/plot you oh so carefully prepared, or whatever. Thus, being a good GM requires at least a little improv ability (i.e., being able to handle curve balls and to think on your feet).
For novice GMs, a good way to reduce the likelihood and scope of the unexpected is to run dungeon crawls. In fact, one of the reasons that Messr Arneson put his first adventures underground was to expressly limit what the players could do.
Additionally, GMs shouldn't be overly attached to any particular plot, NPC or whatever or concerned that the PCs didn't interact in the GM's desired way. It's always possible to recycle material into a later game session or future campaign.
Secondly, the GM should take some time to know the applicable rules set. Constantly looking things up will disrupt the flow of a game session. Also, it can be disheartening to find out that you misquoted a rule.
Thirdly, the GM should prepare enough to feel comfortable. Some GMs spend hours getting ready for a game session, while others do literally no prep. For myself, over time, I've prepared less and less, partly because I usually use rules with which I'm quite familiar and because my improv skills have improved.
Fourly, the GM should be on the same page as the players regarding expectations. Here, the group's social contract is key. Also, remember to keep in mind that the goal of playing RPGs is to have fun.
Of course, there are many other things that can play a part in running a campaign, if you can get down the above, you should be starting from a good position!
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