150815 BEHIND THE DM SCREEN TALK - BUILDING YOUR GROUP The video portion of the class can be found here... <a href="http://www.twitch.tv/dm4hire/v/11241858" rel="nofollow">http://www.twitch.tv/dm4hire/v/11241858</a> Listing Information 1. Game Type (Pathfinder, D&D, etc) 2. Game Style (Commercial, home-brew) 3. Rule Set (version 1, version 2, etc), and whether or not house rules are used. 4. Chat only, Audio, Video or any combination. For audio, specify the host program (Skype, Teamspeak, etc) I do not recommend using the roll20 audio system it computer issues, so host that separately and let roll20 do roll20 stuff only. We don't use video because it needlessly uses up bandwidth and if you're on a slow line, it'll just make the gaming experience slow and laggy, and honestly I don't feel like having to doll myself up just for what you get out of it. First thing, instruct your players to change their settings to no audio or video, and names only, that way you can see the game and not have my ugly mug hogging up the screen. 5. Duration of the game. Before I started doing that, potential new players left because we played for too long each session and they weren't prepared for that. 6. Age group 7. Newbies welcome or not. 8. Frequency of breaks. We say every 2 hours, give or take. Recently though I think we've all been caught up in the fantasy realm enough to forget, but we try to schedule that each session. So there are at least two breaks in a 6-8 hour session, which is where we usually end up. Finding Players Another place to find players for your group are in the 'Inn' type groups. Just do a find group search for your particular game, and look at the quantity of players in the group. If it is substantial, say over 20, chances are it's a hangout for people looking to play. Post in that area, for what you're looking for, and then field private message responses as usual. Posts might be 'New 5e group - Looking for players', or 'Established 2e group needs Thief', etc. New Player Vetting Process Form letter addressed to them personally. It's important that they understand that they are a potential player, that other people will be trying out for the same seat, and that the group will decide who to ask to stay. I always point out that attendance is a key determining factor, since other players are counting on this person to be there each session. If you stream your sessions, give potential new players the opportunity to watch you and your group before you send out your invite link. This way, they know what they're getting into before hand and there aren't any surprises. They'll know if they're a good fit or not. I prefer to have people that have some degree of character and a sense of humor, even if that means at least getting a chuckle out of them at some point, they don't necessarily have to be a constant source of gags or one-liners. I don't like bumps on logs, they make for boring game play. Watch other groups online, they are so straight laced I feel like intentionally trolling their chat room while their streaming live just to try and break the ice! The Welcome Letter Thanks for your interest in our group. So, how do you start? No worries! We've taken great pains to make the initiation process as smooth and streamlined as possible so here goes... FIRST: If you're new to roll20, familiarize yourself with their interface by reading their tutorials and either watching their self help videos, or any of the ones on <a href="http://www.youtube.com" rel="nofollow">www.youtube.com</a> . Just search for roll20. There are too many to list here, just avoid the ones geared toward the DM. Those will just make your eyes glaze over and scare you away. Here are a few links to get you started... <a href="https://wiki.roll20.net/Main_Page" rel="nofollow">https://wiki.roll20.net/Main_Page</a> <a href="https://app.roll20.net/forum/post/920084/new-to-ro" rel="nofollow">https://app.roll20.net/forum/post/920084/new-to-ro</a>... <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5-aJLyYUXa0https:/" rel="nofollow">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5-aJLyYUXa0https:/</a>... BEGIN... 1. Click the invite link here ----> [add your invite link here] 2. Above the chat area are several icons. The one to the left, that looks like balloons, is for the chat area where you can speak (or whisper) to other players and also view die rolls. The icon that looks like a post card is where you find character sheets at the top, and handouts at the bottom...just scroll down to see everything. The icon on the far right, that looks like a gear, is your settings. 3. Your settings. You need to do three things here. First checkmark the "Show macro quick bar". Right after you do that, buttons will appear on the bottom of your screen. The first one you'll be using is the one that says [STAT ROLL MACRO NAME]. This is for rolling character stats. We'll talk about that later. The other two things we need to do are to turn off a few things. Scroll down in the settings menu to the "Video + Voice" area. First, click the "I want to Broadcast to others:" drop down and select "Nothing (Disable)". Second, click the "I want to Receive from others:" drop down menu and select "Nothing (Disable" as well, since we will be using Skype instead (see step 8). Be sure to have a functioning microphone and headphones ready to go on game day, otherwise you'll miss everything and then gaming just isn't that fun. 4. Read the 0 START HERE handout (this basically gives you the skinny) 5. Read the DM PLAYER NOTES handout. This is where you can get all the names of books we use, as well as the group rules. Start by acquiring [list your books here], as well as any character class specific books that are of interest to you. 6. Create a character, by using the in game "1 Step by Step Character Creation Guide" handout. Your character sheet has your name on it. Start the character creation process outside of any scheduled group game time. The room should be open 24/7, so players come and go as they please to work on their character before their scheduled weekly game. If the DM is not there to answer any question, there will more than likely be someone there that can give you a book and page number (since we are literally all on the same page with respect to rule books) or at least point you in the right direction. Worst case scenario, just PM the DM. The [STAT ROLL MACRO NAME] macro button that you turned on earlier (see step 3) rolls [specify what the macro rolls like 3d6] at a time, so use that as many times as necessary to get [specify how many] good numbers. Take into account race bonuses and penalties. No one has to be present to witness the rolls, as the chat window will record all of your activity. The only thing that we ask is that you specify what it is you are rolling for prior to a roll & make note of how you came to your final attribute numbers in the notes area in your character sheet. Start with maximum hit points and gold. Be sure to checkout the optional [book names]. 7. Brief yourself on the prior session activities by checking out all of the DM Session Log posts (their title is dated in the YYMMDD format like 150815) in the campaign details area here... [put your campaign link here] 8. Download and install Skype from <a href="http://www.skype.com/en/" rel="nofollow">http://www.skype.com/en/</a> . During game time, we'll ask you for your skype name and call you up! Good luck! See you [specify your game day and time as well as time]! THE Dungeon Master -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- You'll notice in that welcome letter that I reference in-game handouts for them to read. I encourage you to make the roll20 startup experience as painless as possible, and put everything they need in game, so that it is not a requirement to possess any materials. The more you provide, the more they will be able to make their character on their own. Just tell them that everything they need is there, and that you do not have to be there during the character creation process because roll20 records all chat activity, so just say what you're rolling for before you roll, and keep notes inside the character sheet as to what went where, or where bonuses were applied so it's easier to check later. Just be sure you make them a character sheet! I'll usually put their name on the sheet and then when I send them the welcome letter, tell them that so they can find it easily. CLOSURE Be professional about it, and be sure to notify everyone that applied. Thank them, and tell them that you appreciated them taking the time to be considered for the open seat, but the group decided to select another player. That way they're not wondering where they are in the process and can apply for some other group opening. As for the one you select, congratulate them on a job well done.
