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Written by Prettz.

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As we all know, there are many varieties and play-styles within the role-playing community. Some games consist of pure action, and on the other hand some only have dialogues and detailed gestures. Some have highly qualified game masters, and some do not. With the generated guidelines below, perhaps your games could become a more enjoyable experience.

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I

1. Survey the player group to find out what each person likes in a game. Then run the game accordingly, trying to fit the desires of everyone into it. Example: One person may want lots of action while another would want lots of dialogue and character development. Another player would like a lot of espionage and another prefers the dungeon crawl aspect. It's important for the GM to keep all of these in mind and try to fulfill the needs of every player. (No one said GMing was going to be that easy of a task.) Remember, role-playing is about having fun, so everyone should be able to.

II

The game will need a flexible yet confident GM. Many people like to play powerful characters that can manipulate their environment more easily than others. Whether this sort of character is to be allowed is purely up to the GM. It is advisable to be sure the player can handle that sort of character before letting them play it. What you want to ultimately avoid is letting players like this overshadow the lower powered characters and remove their fun and importance from the game. Sometimes, having a diverse group of powers among the group can make the game very interesting. But it is not necessary. Many prefer all characters to be on equal ground.

III

Players need to be organized (especially GM's) with character sheets, game notes, and dice. If you're not organized the game will be a bit more of a bumpy ride. Also keep close track of combat losses/damages and power drainage, where players are, and what they are doing.

IV

Keep the game unpredictable. Do not cheat on dice rolls. You only take away the challenge of the game from yourself and the others. If you choose to not roll fairly you may as well write a book where you know the outcome. When the risk of danger has been taken away from a player, the game is altered massively. Besides, who wants to play in a game where the characters so rarely fail at anything? It defeats the purpose of leveling and gaining proficiency in your skills and abilities. On a similar note, GM's need to not be stubborn with the plot. They should not try to exercise complete control over how everything happens. Keep an open mind as to how the players can work in the game. Many GM's will use the "ominous invulnerable NPC" that the players cannot kill no matter what, and who seems to have abilities up the wazoo. Use this cautiously and rarely. You should make proper stats for your NPC's and let your players fight them fairly. Let them die, too! It will add unpredictability into your game and make it more interesting for everyone.

V

Be sensible. People in real life very rarely fight to the death. This should be reflected in RPG's unless you are in a dire situation or of a radical evil alignment. Also, players tend to be way too cocky in their abilities. This should be noted by the GM and dealt with properly. The GM should not use spite against players like this, but present them with realistic challenges. For example, many players disregard authority, royalty, or higher beings in games. This tends to have consequences behind it.

VI

GM's: Let players fail occasionally. Life is not always about winning. Let people die, let players not succeed in saving that damsel in distress.

VII

Players and GM's should not ignore other players' powers! This is one of the most common and aggravating flaws gamers experience. If someone has a great physical appearance or influence stat, those should be kept in mind whenever interacting with that character at all times. Let players shine in their strengths and struggle in their weaknesses. With that said, players need to recognize their own and others' weaknesses and play them out. A character without weakness will not be a very fun one to play with. On a related note, GM's should take into account a characters history and try to tie it into plots whenever possible. However, do not single one player out over the others all the time.

VIII

So what does your character know? Well, that would be what's in his past and what is in his skill list. Out-of-game knowledge can ruin things and take away from the dynamics of a character's personality. This is ROLE-PLAYING, not seeing what details you can find in books to help you get out of a bind. Use your skills a lot. That is what the character is about. I have witnessed many people indirectly using out-of-character knowledge in games. They won't come out and say it openly, but they will act on it, as if it is the character's intuition. This is bunk, and the GM should recognize that and either remove EXP or just reduce their "in character" bonus given at the end of the game. Players should be encouraged to learn about things within the game itself to solve problems, even if it seems elementary to your other characters. For example, magic and psionics. Characters without these will have no knowledge of how they work or the extent of their power without having researched them (Lore skills). The same goes for history, monsters, and religion. Science is another. Because we live in a technological world, players seem to take that knowledge with them into the fantasy world. They apply things such as biology, chemistry and other out-of-game knowledge into play. Avoid doing this. Removing that knowledge from yourself while you role-play will be a challenge, but it will make the game fun, and skills more important

IX

A lot of people do not think details are necessary, but they can add a lot to a game. The GM should practice stylish and interesting storytelling, incorporating sounds, tastes, textures, smells, and sights into the game to make it a more realistic environment so that the players have something to role-play from. Lighting, gestures, clothing, fighting styles, magic energy, symbols, physical appearance, weather can all add depth and intrigue to your game. Vary NPC and character personalities, speech, and gestures. You will find that the more details there are, the more precise and complicated the role-playing will become. It can slow down the game, but most feel it is a proper sacrifice. Just think of a movie's need for a director to make the picture more interesting.

X

The pace of the game should also vary. Don't let things drag out too much, but don't rush things that are important. Give players a chance to breathe and catch up on things, engage in dialogues, but keep the game moving so they don't get bored. Make combat and action seem fast. Do your best to optimize your combat notes so that it can run smoothly. You should orchestrate this to the way the players like it.

XI

Drama, suspense, humor, etc. Bring mood into your campaign! But go easy on the angst. Some people like to make the characters with pent up anger, remorse, or sadness. This gives you a lot to role-play with, but it can easily be turned into melodrama and look bad. Do your best to be realistic with your emotions.

XII

Go easy on the clichés. Darkness, shadows, hate, ultimate power, amnesia, etc. These are all overdone. If you want to use them, try giving them a twist instead of just trying to copy someone else's idea. Give the game a creative edge to it as GM and as a player.

XIII

Always practice and try to enhance your storytelling skills! Get creative and elaborate! Everyone appreciates style and effort. This applies to both GM and player!

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