Non-Roll20 based newbie GM advice

Hello all :). After spending a day or 5 looking at the LFG section and having a fun time seeing so many games of which most were so full they had double in waiting - i wanted to consider learning to GM and pilot a game or two myself. But, let me tell you, intimidation is a heck of a beast. I suppose i'm finding myself in a sort of round-robin of fear of not knowing a particular brand/style and as such get incredibly nervous trying to consider hosting with the prospect of people just completely overrunning me. The solution to this, I seem to be finding quite often, is to play a few games yourself before you delve off into GM business. But as mentioned, either the games are already full beyond belief, are looking for seriously long term (personal reasons has me moving countries in 2 months, time zone difference will deal break it), or are something that really doesn't inspire me (I'd be willing to try, but who wants a player who has 0 clues to the setting and a miniscule interest in the system, you get one of those guys who sits in the corner and only comes out to do some bashing). I've watched the Roll20 videos, which do a nice job of summarizing the system, and I can always create my own campaign just to toy with the options, but I\m finding little advice to give to new GMs in terms of easing them into the comfort zone of being able to pull off your first one. Perhaps the only solid advice is what was given before - you're gonna need to play it a few to really feel comfortable in ruling it. I could accept that, but surely there must be some little tidbits to bring some comfort to the game, thinks like 'with advanced players, let them help tell the story' or 'run a premade, and maybe opt to do one thing that is your own personal flair to see how it goes'. I'm not sure. Any tidbits you feel you would want every brand new GM to take to heart? Dont take it too pesonal, Let the players help you, It's not about the result, but the path to that result, etc.? Also, in your opinions, what is the minimal suspected time you would allow a session to go? I know that planning on time is impossible, all it takes is one hour-long conversation with a single NPC to blow it out of the water, but in general is it feesable to do say, a 4 hour one shot, a 2 hour one, or are most of them 3-5 session one shots? How about non-one shots, but shorter campaigns? I dunno, maybe I'm over thinking it. I'm trying to give it a go to break what I believe is one of my social flaws. I'm pretty confident I'll give it a go anyways. Finally, how do you guys go about learning new systems? I started on 3.5, switched to Shadowrun (where I died epically), then had a go at Pathfinder. None of my games got me further than level 2, but that was mostly my own accord (we had a good pathfinder game going, and then i moved). 4e sounds easy and super fun, I blame podcasts, but I hear lots of people talk about FATE, is that decently easy to pick up? What would you consider good start systems for your new GMs, and perhaps what you'd consider a progression path to the more juicy or fun stuff? Thanks for the read. :)

Oh, hey, I'd take opinions on random name generators, for everything, since I'm sure that's a weak point that a lot of people have. Are they good, Think they're worth it? Do they cause more problems (detachment from the actual NPCs)?

Start with a very small player group, like 3 or 4 people max. Use one of the systems you've already played in. I personally like Pathfinder and recommend it for fantasy gaming. Keep the sessions short, as in 3 hours start to finish. Focus on what you like best, whether it's story, roleplaying, or combat. Be aware that combat is the easiest way to keep people's focus, but roleplaying games shine when they add layers of detail like character motivation and personality, smells, tiny things you don't need to know about but which a person in a situation would actually see or sense. Like you know already, the best way to develop a GM style is to play. If you can't play in games because your personal situation prohibits it, read both the rules you're going to use and novels in the kind of setting you're using.

The GM Academy, started right here on Roll20 and shown, as live recordings, on YouTube: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC2WL0xcjmsghGBXwp" rel="nofollow">https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC2WL0xcjmsghGBXwp</a>... Everything from improvisation to building encounters. A new workshop gets underway every month. In addition, on Mondays and Saturdays they have Coffee Hour sessions, that are round table discussions of DM/GMing aspects. These are not recorded. Games Session Length, via Roll20: I help start and have continued to play in a group for nearly two years that plays for 2 hours a session. I have run games that are 3 hours long and some 4 hours long, per session. I have played in some where the chemistry was so great between players and DM/GM that it went for 6+ hours. In the end, it is up to the DM/GM firstly, and the group secondly. Set a time frame and they will come. Game system: Play in a game for more than a few sessions. Try different DM/GMs. Try different groups. Some are great to play in, but I wouldn't want to be the DM/GM of them.

Awesome, it's comforting to hear that in actuality, 2-4 hour sessions are the norm (close friends for all of my player experiences, so usually 6 hours, sometimes as much as 12 hours :x). Great advice, and I've heard of the Acadamy a few times, so what better way to spend a weekend than catching up and learning anew &lt;3 thanks guys and gals

I have run sessions blocked out that are mostly 4 hours. one time i ran a game on a weekend, it ran 13 hours, but only because players begged me to keep going. Here is the real deal: 11 year olds can run an RPG. I know it, because I've done it. Most of the old schoolers back in the day got started with 1st edition AD&D at age 13-18. If you put all this perfomance pressure on yourself you'll quit before you can begin. Practice like a swordsman with a wooden stick, 1000 hits, then an iron bar, then a sword. Then sparring with other fighters, and then to war. Fate is a narrative style game that if your mind works that way, it's great. if not it's hard to grasp as a new DM. Personally, I have the off the wall recommendation run a game of a licensed property that you know. Star trek, star wars, babylon 5, firefly, battlestar galactica. Whatever. all the people you attract will be fans of the show, and work to help you to tell better stories in that genre, which you all know. The best instruction i got in how to run games for me personally was Star trek RPG narrators guide by Decipher, but i used it for last unicorn star trek, since i liked the system better. but those are narrative games, and I work better in that style. 4e is pretty laid out, combat as drama, nice clean set piece battles. it depends on what you want. I won't talk about games to avoid, but some games are harder to run than others. each games has it's own specific flavor, although D&D 3.5 is close to Pathfinder, etc all of that d20 SRD stuff is all related. And to me, it's not about what games to run, but what stories do i want to be involved in? it helps if you can find experienced players who are willing to prod you along. It's not rare they do exist but don't waste their time. Small groups, 3 or maybe 4 people. Pick a rules set. skim the rules then read it cover to cover. practice skill checks and a few fights yourself. read the rules again, then ruin it. that's how i have been doing this for long years. If you are serious about doing this long term as a hobby, then be serious. it's not that it's a job, but it pays off in your skills if you work it and keep reading, practicing and learning. Your toughest skill to earn is not the rules or finding players. it is, X player is a problem, how do you handle it? PC 1 will die if you go by the rules. It is clear that is the situation. How do you handle it? some will kill the PC and apologize, some will kill the pc and laugh, some will let the pc live and find 2 weeks later when another pc is blown to bits that they are pissed off you let # 1 live. How do you handle it? Player 3 is pushy and tells player 4 what to do. player 4 refuses, and player 3 says oh well you know i'm your ride, walk home tonight. How do you handle it? player 5 is female and player 6 who is friends with 1 through 4 becomes creepy to her. You fire him the group is destroyed, how do you handle it? Those questions do not come up all the time, but you will be like a judge, referee, arbiter, etc like gygax wrote about. Good luck. If you want to PM me I'm around. I can run a trainer session of a variety of systems, to show you how I would run it. I'd need a good week and a half notice, since i'm running a Numenera guild here with 11 active players, multiple games per week. And i for sure am not the best DM around here. dozens of excellent even tempered very skilled DMs i've met here. But overall, you want to be in a game? you almost always now got to run it yourself. Especially with the summer school crowd now free to game. I used to quote i think there's 12 players to one gm, i have recently heard (dunno if it's fact), 37 to 1.. maybe an exaggeration, maybe not. In any case, Good luck. Welcome to the life.

First you have to find out what kind of DM you are. Do you enjoy sprawling dungeons, tactical combat scenarios, and rough dirty fighting? You might be a hack n slasher. Do you enjoy delving the depths of a complex story, ferreting out the who is behind the murder of Lord GenericNPC? Do you find your self jotting down plot hooks that will make a thrilling story? You might be a RP DM. Personally I am a hack n slash DM but I have been know to lead my character through a twist (if rather generic) stories. I even run hero centric campaigns for one player supported by DM controlled PCs. Think of old school baulder's gate. Finding out what kind of DM, for me, is the most important part. Once you know who you are, you can present the best your abilities have to offer. Do not force your self to be someone else's DM, be the DM you want to be. The players that love your style with stay with you, the ones that don't will find others. This is why Roll20 is so great for me. The players that love my style are out there, and will find me.

The GM Academy videos on youtube are perfect for helping a person discover what type of player and possible what type of GM they are. Eight types of fun is a must watch in my book. It is workshop #3.

There is no right or wrong style either, there are lots of styles. Good luck to all helping out the new DM. This is how i got my start. I found a college age mentor who was willing to teach me, as a very young kid.

Michael P. said: First you have to find out what kind of DM you are. You spend so long hearing about how you determine what type of player you are, I never even gave it a thought that there are 'types' of DM's. It's amazing how simply reading it, even as a single line, makes you go "Well, yeah, that's pretty obvious" and kick yourself for not even thinking about it. Thanks, and thanks to everyone for the advice. I'm probably going to take a rulebook, use 2 or 3 premades as a starter, and create the fights in Roll20 to get started. I do want to start, as I know in my circle of friends they all secretly want to play, but don't feel comfortable enough telling the story. Let's give this a go, thanks again guys!

good luck with it. you will be reducing the player to DM ratio which makes everyone happier.

If you need any help or have questions feel free to join GM Academy . There is almost 400 members that are willing to help you with any questions.

I am actually GMing my first game and I don't have nearly as much experience as some of the players in my group. I have no problems asking the experienced players for help in calculations, etc. Not to mention, it gets easier on roll20 as you go along. First session was incredibly slow since I learned a lot of new things. It's great now.