Weekly Tip/Trick for Friday, October 12th, 2012
- Know Your Group – Understanding what players do and don’t like is important, but it is also important to challenge them. All players have a certain level of expectations, but how you present these in game is completely up to you. Some players are more combat oriented, while others could care less about combat and just want to role-play. The majority of the players will enjoy both though. I’ve ran games for some pretty diverse groups as far as role-play style and expectations go, but the key is not to feel pressured to please everyone all the time. If you stick to #6 – Try to get the players invested in your game, you could throw anything at them and still see great roleplaying most of the time. Also keep in mind your power builders (players who make the strongest characters they possibly can, some even by finding loopholes in the rules) and your nincompoops (that’s what I call players who do nothing, but cause problems or conflicts). If either one begins to cause problems, find ways to keep these players occupied/satisfied without it causing frustration for the other players. Lastly, I strongly recommend trying to keep the group under five or six people. Three to Four is a good group for someone just starting out running games. Any more can cause too many people trying to get your attention; which can overwhelm you at times. As always, here are some examples.
- The power builder – Almost every group has one of these. I’ve even done this on occasions (mainly because of who the DM was and how hard they like to make things). If you see someone who is defeating everything you throw at them, find a way to challenge them without hurting the game for the rest of the group. This can be a huge challenge. The first question you should ask is what the rest of the group thinks. If it is causing them to have less fun, then perhaps you should talk with the player about some limitations or other ways to even the game out. With me, I just exploit their weaknesses in a creative way. If they have a low will save, throw in an enemy with mind-effecting spells (just be careful not to always do this, as it will get old and they will easily catch on). This is why going over character sheets before the first session can help a lot!
- The nincompoop – These players frustrate me more than any other player. People who intentionally do things to try and get the party killed or only cause trouble for the group. Personally, I usually find a way for these to backfire, but that’s because I am against that type of behavior. Some DM’s are not and if that’s the case, then have fun with it, but don’t be surprised if other players in the group get annoyed with that player. Either way, just make sure everyone is having fun.
- Roleplay heavy vs. combat heavy group – If you haven’t figured it out yet, I fall under the roleplay heavy group. I love combat, but only because it gives the fighters, barbarians, etc. a time to shine, plus it allows you to use your combat skills. Fighters are by far the lesser skill oriented classes I have ever played. Combat is mainly where they get to show their usefulness (hence the name fighter). In these cases, I look forward to combat. If you have a group consisting of fighters, barbarians, or any other combat heavy class, then try to have combat more often. If your group falls in a skill heavy group then focus on roleplaying. If both (which is usually the case) try to keep the balance, if possible. Be sure to pay attention to what players like by asking them or observing during sessions. Keep in mind that just because a player is a fighter doesn’t mean they will always want to fight, this is where knowing the actual player comes in. Roleplay heavy players will always find ways to roleplay their characters, no matter what the situation. Combat heavy players tend always want to fight, and could care less about roleplay. Most players enjoy both though. Either way, it helps to know both your players and your group (classes, roles, etc.).
Knowing your group is a good way to prepare for a session. Will this group play more seriously or are they a bunch of goofballs, or both? Are there players in this group who may be uncomfortable with certain aspects of the game (like romance, sex, drinking, etc.) Getting players out of their comfort zone could lead to great roleplay or embarrassment. This is why it pays to know your group ahead of time.
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