WOW! After writting it I've realized this is a loooong post. So yeah, don't say I didn't warn you. Hi Zach! I've been GMing for a few years now and I've had both great games in which I knew everybody was having fun and games which have dragged until we simply dropped out because no one was really engaged. First I must say that there isn't a "right" way to GM other than that in which you and your players have fun. Nevertheless, I'll tell you which things I've found that work for me so you can try them out if you'd like. First of all is the preparation of the game. There are people who love to make their own detailed games, people who would rather go for a module and people who sort of improvise their way through. I personally don't like making a super-detailed game because chances are your work will end up being in vain if players get to do what they want or that you guide them through rails (Which is something we've all done at some point but that we should always avoid as it goes against the very core of rpg freedom). I do like to play modules written by other people, specially for one-shots when you are going to play at a convention or you simply want to try a game out. Modules are simple, they usually have pre-made characters and they are pretty much the fast-food of rpg: Very enjoyable but you shouldn't get hooked to them. Finally there's improvisation which is the one my preparation is closest to. Now, I don't like going blind into a game because if you are simply making stuff up on the go you are not being "fair" to your players. With this I mean that if you improvise completely you can just adjust the game so much that is the same as going on a rail: If you decide they've had enough fight you simply say there were no enemies in the following areas, if you want to kill someone you simply pour enemies in there, again, rails. In my opinion the best way to go about preparing your own scenarios is: -Write a hook in general terms that will engage your players ( The PCs have been kidnapped and wake up in a room or They are called to solve a misterious murder ). -Write an "skeleton" in which you describe only the key scenes of the adventure ( The players escape their kidnappers and then find out that they are being chased still, they get contacted by an NPC who offers to guide them to the leader of the kidnappers in exchange of a small favour. Finally, the PCs get to confront the leader of the kidnappers) . Now here are only the KEY SCENES, chances are your players will have to go through this scenes (or some variation of them) if they want to solve the adventure: that's the challenge for them. -Whatever happens in between key scenes and how they get from one to another is something I never write about. That's the part when I improvise and I turn from an active GM to a passive GM. This is, from a GM that's telling them where they are and what the NPCs are doing to a GM that listens what the characters want to do and improvises areas and other NPCs to react to their actions. -Write the important NPCs: give them a name, a motivation, two things they like and two things they dislike so you have an idea of their personality and the attributes or abilities you want them to have in game. Nothing else, this NPCs will be the ones that are related to the key scenes. -Finally detail the key scenes: How many enemies are there? Is there any important NPC? How is the place distributed? What's going on when the PCs arrive? Be as detailed as you want about these scenes and stick to these details but take into account that PCs actions may change the situation or even eliminate it completely whatsoever. In that case you'll have to improvise. This is the recipe that I've found gives me the most satisfying games. Try it, see what works and what doesn't work and change it until you've made it your own. Also, as Alice said don't be afraid to draw from other sources, rip off your favourite movies, games, books, TV shows... And if you find that you don't need to do these because you always have super cool ideas then stop writting rpg scenarios and start working on movie scripts or novels :) Then it comes play. This will be way easier with a good preparation but here are a few examples of good practice: -Don't be afraid. The cool things about rpgs is that they can go anywhere and that's a trip you make WITH your players. You all need to have fun or you are playing it wrong. You are not the only responsible of making sure the players have fun. Everyone on the table is responsible of making sure that everyone on the table is having fun. -Ask your players to fill in the gaps of your preparation. For example, last night I was GMing a game in which the PCs where in a secret base with some allies. I didn't plan how the base was but I did plan the NPCs so I asked every player to set a scene in which they somehow interacted somewhere in the base with some of the NPCs. Soon, thanks to the input of the players, we knew the base was huge, everyone had their own personal quarters, there was a super computer system installed and a huge selection of alcoholic drinks was available. This is a great way to detail the scenery, the PCs and the NPCs. -Try to never say no. Unless is something that would completely kill the mood let the players do whatever they want. If you think it would be bad to the game you can always set a high difficulty for the task but my advice is not to do this. If the PCs do something purely suicidal (and they will) let them do it and get a few scars or even die. I've had great games both as GM and as a player which have ended with full party killing. Don't patronize your players by protecting them. -Find your style and that of your players. Do you guys have fun with more serious topics? Play the NPCs as real people, describe dim litted rooms, etc. Are you more about slapstick comedy? Put funny accents with your NPCs and have them be kind of goofy. This is really personal so I can't tell you which way to go but, for example, I know my players and I enjoy an overall serious tone broken by times of extreme weirdness. -Never allow PCs to take control of other PCs (Unless both players agree). If your game allows dice throwing to convince people of something or to get people to do something then those rules are only for NPCs. I believe nothing kills the mood more than having your character do something you wouldn't have done. I feel it goes against the core of roleplaying. -Music. Super cool. Alice said it. It's easy to use, it's a great way to keep players involved and it can give life to the most boring scene in the world. Unfotunately roll20's system for music is not that good so you'll have to find other way. (We now send each other youtube links through the chat when we want to describe certain things with background music but I'm sure there are better ways). -A nice executed hook will save you many potential problems as it will steer the characters in a direction that's suitable for what you have prepared. -Also you'll notice that I haven't made any mention to rules or systems: You need to have a good knowledge of the game you are playing to guarantee fairness, nice old dice throwing and a setting that everybody knows but don't be afraid to bend them or outright break them. If what is fun or what is dramatically appropiate goes against the rules and you all agree then go with it. Situations will always arise which are not covered by the rules and you'll have to come up with your own way to resolve them. That's OK, it's how it should be. Finally, get feedback after each session. This can be hard as some people may be unwilling to tell you what they didn't like because they don't want to seem rude. That's perfectly OK, don't push them. My advice is to ask everyone which was their favourite scene and why (Everyone is more than willing to do that!) and what NPCs or areas they liked the most. Then take them into account for the preparation of the next game. Few! I believe that's mostly all I wanted to say. However, I'm sure we could go on and on and on. Bottom line is this: Find what you like, build a little bit around it but not too much and then enjoy the way you and your players interpret the source material you provided.
