Editing Gamemaster (section)

===Tips for being a good GM===
No matter what your GM playstyle is or what your RPG is, there are a number of universal truths that help any GM run his game.

*[[Rule_0|Rule 0:]] '''Have fun.''' That's why you and everyone else is playing. When the game stops being fun, that's a sure sign to take a break for a while and come back another day when your enthusiasm has built up again.

*1. '''Talk to your players.''' Don't just "tell", otherwise your players can come to resent you as a tyrant or a railroader and be no fun to be around. Two-Way communication helps a lot even when you're in the middle of a long script of text such as clarifying points about the setting or the rules.

*2. '''DON'T''' be [[That Guy]]. It's just so much worse when it is the GM. You are presumably hosting the days event, so be a gracious host and that'll encourage them to come back. ''(note that doesn't mean providing all the munchies and other entertainment, just be patient with your group)''

*3. '''Improvisation''' is a MAJOR tool in your arsenal, even if you are running a heavily scripted adventure. Since you know the ending to your story you can incorporate player decisions into the overall plot and keep the story moving no matter what they do, which is kind of the point. A good improv can stop the campaign from being derailed and keep the players entertained by the twisting of events. 

*4. '''NO''' is a word you will probably use often, so learn to say it in different ways or come up with alternatives. For example: Sometimes a player will come to you with an awesome character build but unfortunately it may break your game, so finding ways to negotiate him away from it into something more suitable becomes a necessity. That might require some give-and-take on your part to keep the enjoyment factor in, but remember ultimately it's your decision, so don't feel pressured.
**Similarly '''No Beats Yes'''. This is a problem for very new GMs (and White Wolf storytellers).  Every group will have rogue players that try to do some foolhearty or unwise action that the rest of the group disagrees with. As a GM, it's important to allow the players to come to a consensus about the party's actions before listing the horrible consequences of an impulsive player's choice. The players don't ever need to be at each other's throats or considering ejecting a player for their ADHD if you as a GM give them a timing window to talk about group actions.

*5. '''Rolling the dice''' is an acceptable means of making shit up, even if you actually aren't making it up. Rolling the dice in front of the players ''(or even behind your GM screen)'' gives them the impression that a decision is out of your hands and that the events unfolding in front of them are completely even-handed and fair, even when you already knew what the outcome was going to be. Even killer GMs who throw 20 great wyrm red dragons at groups one after the other can generate less complaints if the players thought you rolled for them randomly.
**There is an argument for the GM not fluffing dice rolls, because it can lead to a reduction in the impact the players have on the game by negating their mistakes or triumphs. While this argument ''is'' valid, and when done egregiously it can ruin player experiences and immersion. It ignores the fundamental position of the GM: they are not a "player" in the same way that everyone else at the table is, they don't build their characters and monsters using the same methods and are not restricted by available resources when preparing encounters. The GM is instead a facilitator for the progression of the narrative; even if that narrative is only "Dungeon: what do?" they still need to make sure the game still moves forward and doesn't get bogged down, that everyone at the table gets their moment to shine, and that the continuity of one session (whether railroaded or not) are carried on to the next session. While this is not a justification for griefing the players, sometimes you simply ''have'' to let an unfortunate dice roll slide for the sake of the game, your ability to adapt to unexpected rolls can be dependent on your GM style and the result does not need to necessarily be good or bad, whether your players come back regularly will be the main indication.

*6. '''Work your players''' for their rewards. it's unlikely to be very fun if players find artefact-level gear all over the place / level up every hour / have the immediate and utter respect of every new NPC they meet (unless that is your particular thing). It's important to always have a carrot to dangle in front of the players and keep drawing them forward. When they catch it, give them another slightly shinier goal to chase, but keep it in small steps and don't overload them with rewards at the end of each adventure. This makes character growth memorable and makes the players more attached to their PCs in the long run.

*7 '''Do the Research''', when you use real-world or in-universe analogues that players might aleady be familiar with; such as military rankings, feudal titles, established figures or events ''(fictional or historical)'' or even technical wording of theories or philosophies. It's not hard, and you don't need a degree in the subject, but you'll look a fool when your players notice something wrong and could do a quick wikipedia search to point it out. ''GM fiat'' only gets you so far and you can start losing credibility if you expect players to buy into an anachronistic campaign setting without a suitable explanation. So basically: ''Know what you're talking about.''

*8 '''Learn Pacing''', especially when writing your own material. It sounds obvious, but figure out the difference between ''Encounters'' and ''Adventures'' then make them discrete things and break them up by having not have the same things happen twice in a row. Fight after fight after fight gets boring, even for hardcore hack-and-slash players; while repetitive adventure themes end up resolving themselves predictably and players stop caring.
**An encounter should take no more than a two or three hours, even if it's a combat when the game gets bogged down by turns and dice rolls, any longer and players lose interest. But don't extend them needlessly if the players seem to breeze through too quickly/easily. Adding "reinforcements" if the fight goes too quickly is just lazy, just move on to the next encounter.
**Adventures should be a handful of encounters and take around two or three sessions, it should not be the entire campaign setting itself. That means inserting sensible "start" and "end" points with reasonable objectives. If a single adventure takes weeks of gameplay to progress through, your players will forget key facts and objectives as the story goes on and it becomes harder to keep the group on track without forcefully railroading them.
**Campaigns can have goals, but are not necessary. If you plan for the party to kill the evil king, don't make that the group's immediate objective from the get go, otherwise you create one really long adventure, instead you should build your way to that episodically with a series of adventures.

*9 '''Don't write the ending before the players get involved.''' One of the most important rules of war is that No Plan Survives Contact With The Enemy, meaning that people's actions are very difficult to predict with meaningful certianity, and they will very frequently try something you didn't think of, so [[Not As Planned]] occurs exponentially more often than [[Just As Planned]]. The same is true with GMing.

In the end there is really only one rule, Rule 0, which states: Have fun. Meaning everyone at the table. Make sure everything is moving forward, try to avoid stalling and monotony. If the players are really stuck just throw something at them, even ninjas. Keep things happening and everyone interested.

If people aren't excited or interested it's often better to pull out another game, switch GMs, watch a movie or just WATCH ALL THE PORN (or play FATAL).