Great GM - Running the one shot rpg adventure you planned - Game Master Tips GMTips

This is part 3 of a bumper set of videos that were released today and yesterday for How To be a Great Game Master and Great Role Player as I share the actual session of the rpg one shot I ran for our 10 000 subs celebration look out for all three videos. So this video is the actual rpg gameplay session of my plan which didn't go to plan as usual lol. Big thank you to Reginald, Simon and Steven for being a part of the game. This is the Fallen :)
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[@chaosmastermind]

I would love to see MANY more of these where you design a short adventure from the ground up (on camera), and then play it out with some players (maybe more than one group even), and then review it after. I could watch an endless amount of those. It's also amazing that your methods really work regardless of game system, mechanics, or setting.

[@ruthb7557]

Yes please! I find your process and style very cool and informative.

[@Acewarren]

This was a blast, and it was an honor to be able to play with everyone! Simon and Reginald were awesome teammates, and Guy, you did a phenomenal job DMing! Thanks for the great experience!

[@HowtobeaGreatGM]

Thank you sir, someone had to pull the sword... I really enjoyed the game with you guys. It was so much fun.

[@jonathanmcdermott25]

Steven W. Elion was a fantastic character. Everyone was really, but I enjoyed watching the interaction with Brax. "I mean, I'll do my best." Good. Game everyone. :)

[@Matthew.thirtyseven]

Watching the prep and then your skill in redirecting the players back to the story was a real inspiration. Thank you.

[@Orncaex]

Not even off the boat... This was stupid entertaining. Everyone needs games that run this well

[@MrElliptific]

Following both the preparation and the execution was super interesting. A lot more than just the session alone actually. Thanks!

[@merendell]

Rofl. Grunch turns around and sees the big bad and he's just "Nope Nope all the Nopes." as he runs for the hills. I love how a good session can have these moments.

[@lysander1]

this is will well be worth a watch when i have the time to set aside.

[@HowtobeaGreatGM]

It is when taken in context of the other videos. The guys however are worth watching because of the way it plays out.

[@Vearru]

I am very happy the captain survived

[@chaosmastermind]

That was definitely not in the script. So yeah, it was a really cool surprise.

[@darynu]

*raises a finger up into the air* ACTUALLY, Pumpkins are technically berries.

[@Bigslam1993]

beating up a skelleton with its own legs? Thats exactly what I would have done! I mean, its the obvious choice if they give you a leg. Actually, depending on the seriousness of the evening I would have ripped of its arm and beat it with it, shouting "Why are you hitting yourself?!"

[@HowtobeaGreatGM]

There was much merriment all around. Except for the skeletons. They didn't enjoy it as much.

[@13aldur]

Wow... brilliant!! Well handled and a lot of fun had. Thank you gentlemen.

[@ciaranlittle38]

It's interesting how the rum had a psychedelic effect with Grunch seeing a dolphin when checking the entry log.

[@Feirsteax]

Because every life is valuable and you are ... special! 😍

[@luckkibehemoth6626]

The wheel is called a helm.... "the helm of the ship". That is my only complaint, but that is what you get when you were in the navy. Love the video series, it has helped me much with running and preparing my own campaigns. Thanks and keep up with the good work.

[@BIZEB]

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ship's_wheel

[@Jader7777]

So much for the PG rating, no amount of parental guidance is going to help flesh boiling death fog.

[@chaosmastermind]

hey if it was good enough for Raiders of the Lost Ark, it's good enough for D&D.

[@julyol119]

Well it's good then that the prudish people making the rules are way more concerned with anything sexual then with gruesome violence xD

[@CriticalEatsJapan]

Great session! Can't wait to hear your thoughts on how it actually played out compared to the outline.

[@HowtobeaGreatGM]

It shall be interesting indeed. And you'll see why next week!

[@silentshadow1292]

This was a great learning experience. Ü Thank you.

[@HowtobeaGreatGM]

My pleasure, I'm glad it was!

[@fidi324]

Shoutout balkans

[@chaosmastermind]

It's weird how much changed in the final game.. *SPOILERS*: The captain survived, the girl died, the boss was a demon instead of an elemental, and the chasm never made an appearance nor did the flying sharks or giant octopus. Also they literally used nearly none of the map that he spent an hour making.

[@Gnarlf]

Well And the raven was nowhere to be seen, but then again, he was not needed as a plot device anymore,

[@Unelith]

@@Gnarlf So you could say that the raven was not needed... *nevermore*.

[@Gnarlf]

@@Unelith Nice one

[@draconicfeline6177]

This made me feel nostalgic for my online group. I miss my game.

[@UltanMcDonnell]

"You see the one of them just split open as we land, and steam now rises off the sort of entrails that now slosh about on the deck." We have very different definitions of PG-13. :D

[@HowtobeaGreatGM]

I'm South Africa. Passing sloshing entrails on the street is a not even PG here. Besides it's me as a the GM... auto R18 lol.

[@chaosmastermind]

AH, but did you SEE any bloody entrails on the screen? No you didn't. This is the same reason that there is so much softcore sex stuff on KZbin too, because you can do pretty much anything if it's only spoken word.

[@iOnRX9]

this was a lot of fun!

[@traffic411]

"Fucking druids and their analogies" As a druid that made me cry actual tears of joy.

[@varvec1824]

Awesome GAME!

[@Zalamandar]

3:38:54 Hahahaha I burst out laughing when he started explaing this

[@RockHeiland]

oh Boy here we go

[@HowtobeaGreatGM]

And there we went.

[@Ffourteen]

Should a GM ever reuse a story? Particularly when a GM has made his own setting, I have to imagine that said GM has included stories that inspired him more than others and might want to explore with everyone he invites into the setting. Is that being lazy or might it be smart to start out new players on a familiar tail to minimize your variables while GM and PCs get to know the characters?

[@RagoDN2]

I would recommend a GM use previous stories to create new stories. For instance, I run campaigns which use the previous campaigns as history, setting, and inspiration. This often includes using previous player characters as NPCs, as well as the good/bad consequences of their adventures. Entire countries can form due to previous adventures, and there's no shortage of obstacles for the new player characters to overcome. Tl,dr: Keeping everything in the same world helps maintain consistency, but the GM should always look at what they've already done as inspiration for doing new things.

[@ShadowPhoenix82]

RagoDN2 excellent answer, and by experience I would've said the same. My first run as DM, I had only one player. Everything I made, I made for her. Then she was unable to keep playing, but I got two new players. I'd already made a world to bring her into, so I brought them in as well. They never played with my first player, but they know that her actions have affected their world and her character (a local law enforcement officer gone AWOL) is out there on a mission if they care to search her out. Her character is an NPC with the complex flavor a player provides, and her actions helped me breathe unique details into the city to help make a more living breathing world. Also, for future players, I'd probably always use the same introduction when it can apply. Plenty of material is prime for reuse, to offer a foundation for new material.

[@sanablue]

This was amazingly entertaining!! Great players and a great GM, even tho, sadly, I sometimes couldn't hear you at all... I did not watch any newer videos like this (I assume there are some), but I hope the balance of the volume will be better in the future. And Idk if I'm the only one who's not getting it, but what exactly happened in the end? I understand they did not have to fight the demon, but Elion was not resurrected there and then either but instead they were all warped away and put into the sahara desert?! Or what? I was kinda expecting an explanation after that...

[@roamingcelt]

You said the is TV-14. With the blood and gore it's more TV-MA or R... :)

[@Archangel_Kali]

2:41:44 I would have had big a** sh** eating grin by now, if I was the DM.

[@Coolexcitingname]

Cleansing all life xD

[@Mihoshika]

Is it just me, or do 3/4 of the players look rather similar?

[@Feirsteax]

What's 3/4 of 3 people? 🤯

[@peytonmac1131]

@@Feirsteax Is the GM not playing as well?

[@89taklung]

what's a "natural twenty" compared to an "unnatural twenty"? I kept wondering also: GREAT adventure I wanted the writing of the adventure first and almost immediatly after the playthrough and It's amazing how well you adapt to the players! Amazing the only little point of critique is the sound, at times you as the GM were so quiet and the others were so loud that I had problem that either my ears hurt because of the loudness of the players or I couldn't hear the GM ^^* Maybe there is some free software that makes the sounds about the same volume? I don't know ^^* but hey that's just a technical thing and has nothing to do with the game ^^

[@Jader7777]

A natural 20 is when the die is showing a 20. An unnatural 20 is when the numbers add up to 20. Normally 'I rolled a 20' is shorthand for an automatic success; however in some circumstances, you need to tell them the total number. For example, if you make an attack roll with a +4 and you roll a 16 it would be an unnatural 20 (the 16 is the 'natural' number). If you rolled a 20, the total would be 24; but you just say 'natural 20' because with an attack roll 20 will always hit.

[@89taklung]

thanks ^^ In the system I play it's totally the other way around XD 20 is immediate faillure and 1 is immediate success XD lol

[@jaserart]

Plus when you roll a natural 20 when attacking your damage doubles which is a good perk...

[@RobertsHobbies]

@@jaserart the damage dice doubles jot the whole of it

[@welldone9440]

@@RobertsHobbies who could forget about the bardbarens

[@ruthb7557]

What would've happened if they decided to not pull the sword?

[@BalimaarTheBassFish]

Call me dumb and all but I dont exactly understand what happened at the end. The druid is knocked out and has a religious experience and the monster and the druids body disappear in a flash of light?

[@HowtobeaGreatGM]

There is a mechanic in my world where I have the players roll deity intervention for pious behavior. A roll of 001 to 005 usually has a deity intervene, as in this case.

[@BalimaarTheBassFish]

So the God snapped his fingers and all is well? Right I understand now. Thank you sir! So what is happening with the druid now? Is he now learning from the God how to use that sword properly? Thank you for taking the time out to explain this to me ^_^ I'm just sort of starting out in my D&D adventures but will look at focusing on being a GM (I like telling stories - the only thing I might stuggle with is if the playing group go so far off the plan that I have no idea how to bring them back to where I'd like them to be - ofc half that battle is preventing that from happening in the first place!)

[@Feirsteax]

Agreed. I get that the God intervened but I don't get exactly what the outcome of his intervention was... Are they all now doomed in that eternal desert? And is Dementos also banished? Edit: rewatched the conversation with Brax. Think I understand it now!

[@UndeadShard]

How would you advise how to be a great gm, in which your party group has members that have decades of experiences, and members that have weeks of experience? With members that are loud and love to role play, and also members who are quiet and just like to be there?

[@DummyUrD]

play the players. Not everybody wants to stand in the spotlight. Especially new players usually dont. Dont push them, ease them into it.

[@HowtobeaGreatGM]

Good advice there DummyUrD. You need to be aware of what your players want from the game. I had one player for years who really spoke outside of mechanic results or minor actions that supported the others. He loved just being there and listening. On the other hand I've had players who are so confident and loud and dominating that I've had to separate the groups so that those loud ones can be loud together, and the quiet ones can have time to grow and find their place.

[@ShadowPhoenix82]

Simon was confusing the heck out of me with his Bard/Barbarian comments. I kept wondering what he actually was before realizing he must be both, lol.

[@antonia3001]

ShadowPhoenix82 Oooooooh this makes sense... I was actually wondering the same!

[@chaosmastermind]

So that's how you get a multiclass druid/paladin. LOL

[@djr742]

Dooooòoooooombloooooooood! :P

[@HowtobeaGreatGM]

Doomblood... once again sinking ships...

[@minecraftinalabama]

I was thinking of sharing my character's backstory with another player, to give them some inspiration and an example. They also asked to see it because they were interested in the story. Should I? Also we haven't started our game yet.

[@HowtobeaGreatGM]

Are your fellow players good at avoiding meta-gaming knowledge? If not, give them an account, verbally in character in the same style that your character might to a complete stranger. Don't just let them read it!

[@minecraftinalabama]

Okay thanks.

[@MasterZenII]

Aaand 3 damage.

[@Kevin-wj1do]

Are Guy's headphones on backwards?

[@kyletasler7354]

This was great until the end. Since this had horror aspects and was a one shot at the end based on their choices I think they should have died or at least the half ork given the chance to use the Sword as was planned. The ending feels unfulfilled the way it ended. Since this was supposed to have horror aspects if the two had died fighting the monsters since they didn’t use the sword correct and the bard got away to tell the tale it would have felt very thematic.

[@fhuber7507]

Volume balance between people... Very bad when the GM is barely audible without the others blowing our ears out.

[@chaosmastermind]

What bothered me the most was how bad the Skype call reception was. There were times when it was unintelligible. I can't blame them for that, though. The same thing happens to me when I use it sometimes.

[@Geekoscopy101]

sad I missed it :(

[@HowtobeaGreatGM]

that's ok! there are plenty of opportunities coming up! Besides I'm sure you could do a better job running your own game anyway!

[@gamesexplorer2402]

how do you not know peeps cheat with roles??. there are programs for dice rolling you know.

[@chaosmastermind]

Because he mostly ignores the numbers anyway, and just moves the story along however he planned it out in the first place.

[@raymondofford3207]

Put ze kandle back!!!. ROFLMFAO!!!

[@belshanaar6317]

HA First. God I'm 25 years old and still doing stupid nonsense like this.

[@HowtobeaGreatGM]

Add eleven years and I'm still doing it... well when I am first that is lol.

[@KPDigitalTravel]

Add 19 years to that, and I am trying to get back into it after about 25 years off.

[@glenwith1n]

Had to stop watching because players volume is too loud compared to GM.