6 Good Things To Do Before Your Game as a GM - GM Tips

[@HowtobeaGreatGM]

*Thanks for watching! Let us know what you do to prep before you games in the comments below!* Looking to create some awesome maps on the fly? Check our DungeonFog here:dgnfogaffiliateprogramme.sjv.io/jdQeZ

[@ohyea8486]

Hey guy, maybe I missed the link but where could we find the 121 and 122 format videos?

[@Arc115YT]

@@ohyea8486 kzbin.info/www/bejne/ipOpgWqwfN6Zi9U Here you are, my friend. Enjoy!

[@ohyea8486]

@@Arc115YT thank you!

[@mygeekdom4414]

The idea of going around to each player asking them what they want to do is excellent. However, I use a laptop and software to help take care of a lot of book-keeping. So, I thought of implementing a house-rule saying that if the player doesn't give me a specific action, I will assume they are doing the same thing as last round. This house rule is especially firm during combat. I would specifically mention in my session 0.

[@ganonbit]

Just a note, might want to reach out to them about their website. Their mobile site is pretty bad and near impossible to navigate

[@leonielson7138]

I had a character named Johan Warwick at a convention, he was a Human Fighter Criminal with the Crossbow Expert feat. Only one of the DMs realized he was a riff on John Wick, replacing firearms with crossbows, and he thought it was awesome.

[@CardboardCleric]

0:50 Plan your adventure in rough 3:38 Create NPC names 7:35 Say Never say no, say no but 11:40 Include your PCs 14:09 Read your group 17:27 Keep notes up to date

[@helcometowell9295]

tnx

[@avianographer]

"The five step method is just ten little steps..." Seems legit.

[@marktaylor7162]

Marketing fine print: "The five step method may require more steps than advertised."

[@TheSmart-CasualGamer]

"Talk to your GM about whether the Ten-Step Five-Step Process is right for you".

[@notbloodylikely4817]

I tried the ten step method in five easy steps and lost 210 lbs.

[@ijsisglat]

"short video" still 20 minutes of lovely content!

[@radred609]

it's still a short video if you watch at 2x speed :/

[@Rotti17]

@@radred609 and it's really long if you watch it at .25 speed

[@rachelhamatake1954]

Guy, I've been watching your backlog of videos for the past six months to help me run my first campaign ever, and I just wanted to say Thank You for the treasure trove of GM wisdom. I don't think I would ever have had the confidence to GM without this channel.

[@nanorider426]

Hi Guy. Veteran GM here. I use all the things you did talk about except that "Name list". That is brilliant! I'm stealing that. :)

[@HoundofOdin]

Player: Can I strip naked and ride the cactus down the hill like a sled? GM: No, but-

[@scrotymcboogerballs6756]

More like Yes, but... ;)

[@druid_zephyrus]

I really wouldnt recommend, however, of you really want to do that.

[@tskophield9230]

You can certainly try...

[@BURNALUCARD]

"You can try" is usually my go to

[@matthewdisabatino513]

At 10:21 you say "...telling a collaborative story" I know I'm not the first person to think of TTRPGs this way, and it's not an original idea, but you are the first youtuber/content creator for D&D/TTRPGaming I've heard say it. I wish more people viewed TTRPGs this way.

[@michaellehner3339]

The "keep notes" was a mantra i followed closely for years. But i currently am a player in a group, where the GM does it even better: he actually keeps no notes at all. Instead, he insisted on the group doing one thing between the sessions: after each session, one of the players has to add to the groups written down history. For each session, another player is being selected, it's basically a round robin. (If if you are absent when it would be your turn, then it'll simply be your turn when you are along the next time...) The GMs reasoning also is quite plausible: not only can the group quickly recap on things in the past, he also gets an understanding on which part of the story we caught on, what he might have to hint towards a bit more in the next part and also can see what we found most interesting. Truth to be told, the first few months, most people considered it a chore. We only play once every four to six weeks, so it's not as many sessions as the "first few months" could make you believe. But on the other hand, the longer intervals actually turned out to be quite an advantage. While the first few additions to our units history (a mercenary unit in a SF setting) had a bit of a "now i have to write this" feeling, we quickly started upstaging each other. Even just considering that i by now wrote, were several pages of a diary, a military report, a kind of fairy tale, an annotated poem from the history monks and 10 pages of "screenplay" script for a kids TV series. (Very much along the line of Captain Future and Saber Riders. ) And to my shame i have to admit that this is not even top of the line, some others wrote texts which are far better than what i could ever do. [Although the very last addition we got, written completely in Latin, might actually be "slightly" over the top. It sure is "decorational", but not really accessible to all of the players. ] So yes, this might not be "the thing" for every group. But if you can seed your group with this task and spark the interest, it by far beats the notes a GM could ever make for himself.

[@andrecanis4894]

That sound great if everyone is having fun with it. But what happens with things the players don't know about? For example, if they get pick-pocketed on a busy street, and only see a shadow disappearing around a corner - but the GM knows who it was and where they went. I don't think it's realistic for the GM to keep *no notes at all*.

[@michaellehner3339]

@@andrecanis4894 What the GM does have and what he does prepare is a plan for what will (roughly) happen. But that's not the "keep notes while playing" part, but rather to prepare in advance and know the plot. To go for the example you gave: if the pick pocket matters and is connected to the plot, then where he went already is defined by it. No need to make new notes. If it is not connected to the plot at all, it will still be in the players diary, which our GM reads before each session. So if the pick pocketing was improvised, the solution can be improvised just as well in the next session, no need to write it down in length, as long as the players diary is of sufficient quality. And exactly for the example you gave: you can bet that somebody being stolen from will be noted down. At least in our group it seems like we players are extremely skilled for picking up and including even the smallest and most irrelevant detail of some really random and unimportant event, while at the same time missing out on the big things, which really matter for the plot. :D At least for our group it seems to work. The first few sessions the GM also still was writing down stuff. After a few sessions, when our reports increased in quality, he stopped doing that. (It's not that hard to notice, when the GM takes a 30 seconds break to put things to paper. ) Of course, it very much depends on the quality of what we players write and probably is not for every group. We also at the start did not do it well, only after it turned into a kind of internal competition (and some soft but very determined nudges from the GM), it really took off. So it definitely is not a thing for every group, but very much depends on having the right people at the table. Also, it really only works if you give people enough time in between. It would definitely not work on a weekly schedule, as not every week would give me enough time during the week to write something like that.

[@diddy4241]

My group does this and it's a lot of fun. Every player have their own unique style. My bard always tried to make it as good a story as possible and deliberately altered several details to make it a more interesting story.

[@elwourmo993]

well i still keep notes, but I have've had a very good experience with having a randomly chosen player do a recap of the last session (pretty sure I picked that up from matt colville). this has three purposes 1. It allows players who missed the session be up to date. 2. I can see which parts, characters or points that player was most interested in so I know what to drop or what to fokus on (like if they mention an NPC alot I might give them a bigger part) and allows me to get a feeling for what a particular player enjoys. 3. If they don't bring up a plotpoint I feel is important I know to reiterate that during the session since I obviously didn't make it clear enough that a clue, Item or plothook was very important.

[@stephaniegrehan9084]

One of our party, a couple days after our game, does a full recap for us and any absent players. At the start of each session we do a re-cap of Last Time on DnD! Super handy to remind everyone where we're up to, all the people we met, decisions left to be made. We can also use our chat during the week to make decisions.

[@njflyersfan74]

Of all the many DM advice channels on KZbin these days Guy's show in my opinion is the top bar, the real deal, his advice is the most useful to me.

[@jobel158]

“Dooblie doo” I see you, Guy :)

[@matthewjames7504]

Does anyone know who first started saying dooblie doo? I first heard it from the guy on the PBS idea channel.

[@7AngelicEnigma7]

@@matthewjames7504 I thought it was John and Hank Green

[@voarex]

@@matthewjames7504 First person I heard use it was matthew colville

[@Somewheresouthof]

@@matthewjames7504 the real answer is Wheezy Waiter in the video " the point of yes return" from like 2009

[@betci90]

yes i was like omg colville yesss

[@josephdellavecchia7828]

Absolutely phenomenal video Guy. The tip with the names is pure gold and I never realized how easy it was till I paused the video and tried it myself.

[@Past0rM4n]

GUY: "It's a short video, today, I promise" ME: *Checks the video length* Video Length: 21:36

[@Kestas_X]

The moment a game starts under my lead, I friggin' forget that I have notes at all!

[@danielmacgregor6245]

If nobody remembers what your weird note is about, good news: you get to make up a new meaning for it!

[@mangocurry]

I found the words “crab trees” in my document with dnd ideas, npc names and so on. I have no idea what my original thought was but I sure hope I get to use it one day.

[@douglascole6386]

As an educator, I am in awe of how your awesome principals could work in the classroom, you are one great teacher.

[@darrellbrett8368]

Thanks for all the excellent advice you put out there, Guy! I'm a newcomer to TTRPG's as of this year and was the only one up for GM'ing in my friend group. I used to be very intimidated by the idea of improvising during my games; the result being I would way over prepare. After doing some reading and finding channels such as this, I've brought down my prep to a 2 pg outline. I really rely on improv now and it's nice not to be beholden to something I spent hours and hours preparing, and then have to throw it all out the window. Before I even start outlining, I like to just write a quick few sentences summarizing the current state-of-mind of each PC and maybe a couple really important NPC's. Sometimes I'll find some little clues in there on what the players might be interested in doing and what I should have ready. I try make the outline be evocative yet vague, so I have the flexibility to move locations, information, events, and NPC's anywhere as needed. Most of the specifics coalesce during improvisation and are inspired by the actions of the PC's. We're all better improv storytellers than we think. It just takes a little bit of courage and faith to exercise that improv muscle and tap into that wealth of knowledge we all have from reading books, watching movies, and living life :).

[@calebpipping]

Thank you so much for all of your videos. I’m 4 sessions into DMing for the first time and it’s going well because I have used your videos to help me have structured writing as well as inspire me to DM in the first place.

[@bellanbuutwitch1813]

My first game as GM starts a week from tomorrow, iv been binge watching your videos and trying to take notes. Thank you for the great info, really really good stuff. I should mention iv only played D&D about 10 times on 3 years. Wish me luck

[@PatricksTacticsTutorials]

Excellent video and suggestions, Guy. As a novice GM, I've been actively working through the catalog of videos! Our current Marvel Superheroes group awards bonus karma to players who write the session recap for the group an GM on our shared Google drive. With the added benefit of a professional cartoonist actively sketching vignette scenes from the session in real time, we are gifted with a wonderful comic book recap that we can refer back to fondly. Seeing my concept notes come to full narrative storytelling by the group effort is amazing as a GM.

[@georgesmith827]

I just started playing D&D about a month ago with a small group of friends. As a new player and a new DM I have been watching tons of videos and I have to say your videos are the BEST I have found! I really appreciate you sharing your expertise, it has greatly improved my preparation and enjoyment of the game.

[@enoa4]

Short video? Make 'em long. Your content is great. I look forward to it each week. Happy Gaming.

[@lindienelms2230]

I just started DM’ing at the request of my groups usual DM. This channel has really helped me to feel comfortable doing this and given me loads of amazing tips and tricks. Everyone seems to be enjoying themselves so I owe you a huge thanks for sharing your knowledge!

[@offspringfan100]

Working on getting ready for my third session as a brand new player and GM. This couldn't have come at a better time!

[@kathyevans3251]

Thank you for the tips. I am going to gm at some time next year. I am a little nervous. Your videos are helping me feel more prepared for the challenge.

[@hugolke2027]

Go for it, you can do it! I just started GMing these last months and videos like this one helped me a lot. You just have to be confident and everything will go smoothly

[@starchaser4343]

Exceptional video and it didn't feel long at all. You really pulled me in when you started talking about "John Wayne". I've got a Session 0 tonight and several players are planning on naming the PCs after famous fictional detectives. I'll be suggesting the vowel swapping in their character names, I think it could be a win-win for our game. Thanks, again!

[@TimelordPrime]

I am so amazed at your content, and love the help that even a seasoned GM like myself finds this useful.

[@DarkLordShadaou]

Thanks for the advice Guy ^-^ I'm DM'ing tonight and switching to using a laptop of my own notes instead of just the adventures information in whatever order it deems fit. Your advice gets me through a lot of smaller issues that should remain small issues and not become big ones that slow down a game. Thanks again ^-^

[@koolaidserpent]

While playing d&d in the Netherlands, the Dutch kids when they affected an accent it came across as a western American "John Wayne" voice. It was fantastic. Im an American

[@ariodemien6150]

Great advice all around! I wish I'd seen this a few months ago...the encouragement to say "no, but" to John Wayne the elf would've helped when I realized that the PC named Bruce was in fact Bruce Effing Wayne and this player had brought Batman into my cool, original fantasy world. No. Absolutely not. But, I let it go because he'd already switched characters once after session 1. Never again : )

[@alexwaddington9808]

Loved all the plugs to previous videos, you don't always have to re-explain things 😁

[@udasu]

Agree whole-hardheartedly on the note-taking. Especially for your own game prep.

[@RagingWyvern]

I always lose my notebook make a new one find the old one then lose both and repeat cycle

[@MasterOfMadmen]

I just recently started GMing (again, but it's been over a decade since I last did and it was only for one short campaign). Your videos have been helpful at breaking concepts down into easy to understand bits. I just went to your site and bought your book. I'll probably eat it up before this weekend is through.

[@Burnsez]

Thanks, Guy! Shall include tomorrow. And combine two of those: Make a rough adventure for the session with a lot of space to take or make notes in the section or area of the adventure in which the noteworthy thing happened like speaking to the baker that didn’t have a name or backstory until the players decided they need pastries for the road..

[@tnttv5360]

Yoh Guy. I am a roleplayer for nearly 20 years now. Your videos are still a great help, because there are some things you just dont look at, when you are playing with the same people all the time. And there are some things you just turn a blind eye to, after a bit of time. So yeah keep on making videos. They are a great help for beginners and a great reminder for veteran players.

[@LandonTheDM]

I liked this! I should include more names. I currently have a list of 10. I am trying to read my players a little better. I had one player say "it's sure nice to have some enemies that we don't have to worry about if we are doing the right thing to attack sometimes." That was a sign to me that I shouldn't turn every encounter into one where there is some reason to give pause or the enemy is just doing their job. Mixing in those encounters where it's a certain thing is a refreshing.

[@MarkusWande]

I have a good tip for gaming. I don't know if you've maybe brought it up already ... but I'll share it anyway - and feel free to include the tip in any of your videos if you think it's good. I always make my players write a list of 10 things their PC does when nothing else is happening. For example; the dwarven warrior PC's list: ---------------------------------------------------------- 1- Polishing helmet 2-Polishing axe 3-Sharpening axe 4-Looking grumpy 5-Counting coins in purse 6-Eating 7-Taking a nap 8-Polishing shield 9-Repairing armor 10-Boasting about former heroics ---------------------------------------------------------- 2 advantages of this, as I see it. The players can use this opportunity of making the list as a time to help 'define' their character a little and it is also very practical for me, as the GM, during surprise encounters (or most anytime really)... -"Suddenly, the campsite is invaded by a group of trolls!! Alright, let's see what you are were doing at the moment..." *rolls D10* Works great for my player group. At times they also demand to make changes in their 'list'.. to reflect any new interest their chahracter might have gotten, or new equipment they adore, etc. Try it out in your player groups if you want!

[@marek011011]

i would add one thing. give your players a handout before the game starts with general knowledge of the world, it's rules(if necessary) general layout, kingdoms, basic political situation, etc. it helps you as a DM and them a lot.

[@bcr666-cvn68]

If you are using Zoom, you don't need to frantically write notes if you record the session, then you can review and make notes later.

[@hidekuni_art]

Hearing that 2-3hrs sessions are totally fine too just takes so much pressure away from me, cause when I first started playing (As player) we often had 6-8+hrs sessions and this and a few other things were really intimidating to me if I would ever DM. I love your videos, they help me so much to get a grasp of what it is like to be a DM and find my own style and what I like

[@raven-ce1rb]

Just found your channel when starting my first campaign with some friends, you’re a big inspiration and I love ur videos, keep it up !

[@brianhaynes7182]

Regarding making a list of NPC names, if you find it difficult, consider looking up lists of baby names. You can pick some names you like and then change them up if you want something less "normal". I love the suggestion to go around the table to include all of your players. This is something that I do, but I have seen very few other DMs do. It especially helps less-assertive players feel included because they don't have to speak up/over others and have a chance to act before the DM takes one player's input and moves the whole group along to the next scene.

[@edwarduribe2910]

Really good tips. The taking notes is especially helpful. I generally rely on my memory and a picture of the scene

[@mikecarson7769]

now i want to try naming next NPC as "Peeman", along with my special note of "egg" - - -- - and for folks keying into the "dooblydoo" (alt. spelling of "dooblidoo"), this word has been used for some decades in referring to blocks of information-rich text, and it has been popular for referring to a KZbin description at least since 2009 - although yes the word has been popular with a few influential individuals

[@jpfernweh7771]

Fantastic video. I've GM'd "a lot" but these are great reminders! Adding it to my list of videos to return to periodically 😃

[@rileyackison4495]

I just started a new campaign and look forward to applying these.

[@thewackerly]

In regards to number 4, Index Card RPG Core literally says in the book that everything (except dialogue) happens in turn, in or out of combat. Back in my university days when I played QAGS, this was my bread and butter when "running" a game. (I say running a game, I was really just refereeing a sandbox.)

[@Frederic_S]

A good tip for theater of the mind gm‘s like me: give maps a chance. You don’t have to play a table top strategy game. I sertanly don’t. But it helped my players a lot to visualise were they are and what they can do. And you don’t need to create them yourself. Just a 10-20 minute Google search will do the job. But (!) don’t try to find the perfect map. Find an evocativ map that inspires you and create your adventure around that map.

[@UnbakedPasta]

Love your vids guy, this month marks 2 years of watching you!

[@AlkanetEXE]

Game Master's Apprentice cards are wonderful for names. I bought them just for the random names on each card.

[@RagingWyvern]

I'm now putting a lord peman in my game

[@doktornowak9759]

I FRIGGIN LOVE PEEMAN. He is now a main NPC in my campaign.

[@jenschristensen1774]

Firstly; THANK you for your constantly inspiring videos!! As an old player but first time GM insisting on trying to give other old players new experiences and an immersive story they want to see as a movie and thus making my own world, story and monsters to that end, this is an endless source of inspiration. I can't possibly express my gratitude (as I have run out of firstborns to give ...) ;o) Pre-Covid we usually played 10-12 hours (not including breaks) once a month. As I mainly sandbox that's requires tons of prep and diagrams to make sure the players end up where I want them. It's an art, but I love giving them the illusion of total freedom, and they love it too, after playing together for +25 years and me GM'ing for the first time :o) Currently we play 3 hours online (Discord) every second week. So much easier to prep

[@homerthompson23]

I have a scategories die in my dice collection. I call it my "random name generator" I just keep rolling it and writing down the letter. If I decide the next letter has to be a vowel then I roll a d6 (A, E, I, O, U, Y). It works great!

[@CharlesBalester]

I cannot possibly advocate for anything on this list any more than the 'No, But' rule for my home game of D&D 5e. A few weeks ago, a player approached me in my game with a backup Character idea. The concept was going to be heavily involved around lycanthropy, but they wanted to be a drow, so they wanted to specifically play a hybrid between Drow and Spider, to fit the theme a little better (The player later would drop the idea due to the release of the Path of the Beast Barbarian in Tasha's Cauldron of Everything). The player didn't know how they would become a hybrid, and were looking to pop culture and specifically Spiderman, and wanted a symbiotic relationship with a living spider that was implanted into their brain that would, on command turn them into a Hybrid creature. Definitely an exotic idea for a fantasy game, and one that is a little awkward for the setting. But rather than telling the player no, I told the player 'No, but you can instead have a magical set of markings, like tattoos or scars, that begins at the back of your head with 8 lines emerging from this marking, that all scatter around the front of your head, if you really want to drive home the theme you also could have the shape be a red hourglass in a black circle, with the 8 lines coming from it.' The player loved, and even preferred this idea. they thought that this was a brilliant character trait, because it is instantly evocative of the spider motif without ever saying the word Spider, or a synonym. If you can, absolutely try and think of a way to say 'No, but'.

[@DavC7]

New DM, running virtual tabletop. I found that my prep time is literally looking at the maps because all of my notes and npc/monster tokens are there. It is chaotic but also a great way to immerse myself before session.

[@Parou]

I plan my rooms / locations in a small table each, which contain an identifier name at the top and all the obvious objects and materials in it. Then I write different things that absolutely can be done below it, so in case someone does something very similar to it, I have a guideline of what I want to say (because I am very bad at speaking freely), but I am perfectly open to them doing something entirely different that I did not actively plan as a possibility. I limit myself to one page in a Din A4 PDF per room and most often than not, one page is only half filled or in the case of a bigger area with lots of very small rooms, there are multiple room descriptions on one page. It causes me to write the most recent multi session adventure in a total of over 15 pages, but it really helps me to have some basic things I can mention and read to the players or collect specific information from for other actions. It also helps me to figure things out in the sessions easier, because my prewritten options give me a better sense of what is actually not as easily possible.

[@kief453]

Thank you again Guy!!! Literally taking notes here

[@MagnusTheRedDog]

This might well be the best KZbin channel in existence.

[@hugofontes5708]

Your videos are already usually great, but this series is particularly didactic Thank you, Guy :)

[@CRandyGamble]

Fantastic tips, I really appreciate these videos that help me refine my GM skills.

[@xavierauer4286]

“They aren’t difficult until you get to ‘X’” Hmmm… All jokes aside I love your content as a soon to be first time DM I’m learning a lot from your videos and they’re tremendously helpful. Thank you so much!

[@richardreumerman5449]

I, too, play my games in the evening. I'll have to start making long lists of names, no more frantically looking for that name generator online during the game..

[@marcosreed9894]

I have come to really appreciate your advice and knowledge. Thank you for your efforts. You definitely made a fan who will utilize these rescources. Best regards from Seattle, Washington state. U.S.A.

[@Frederic_S]

👍for calling the dooblydoo dooblydoo!

[@markmclean9640]

9:44 please elaborate on use of butt tool (sorry)

[@Matthew-pd4zx]

This method for names is a revelation!

[@stamser]

Thank for the value of all your videos!!! (Guy, I have a confession to make ,just my opinion, the sessions From the Shadows Born ,at the begging it was 1 hour and I had the excitement for the next episode and I wanted mooore .Including me I wrote you for more hours of the sessions ,but then I realized it was wrong... 2 hours watching straight it was tough ,I lost 1 or 2 episodes and then i didnt know what was happening in the story so I left it.... So, you were right at the begging of the sessions to keep it 1 hour ... Just like The Wizards Of Carnbari (watched them twice

[@jakegoodrich97]

It has been tough with it being this year and playing online. My group most definitely has been more combat oriented but now I'm finding out some inner group drama that's going to be interesting to exploit

[@Samuel-ib6vl]

Im starting GM and this videos help me so much

[@danitenotes]

Great. Now I want to play Jihn Wono!

[@LachandKi]

I'd not bother with prewriting names. Making them up on the fly to fit the NPC, THEN write them down. Circle the ones that might get revisited.

[@Bloodlesstheimmortal]

works for some people, does not work for others. For me, if I try that everyone gets really stupid names...better if I make a list

[@PumpkinPain]

Alternative Title: Learning life skills with Guy

[@tedgalacci8428]

If your players are prone to analysis paralysis pause at the top of each combat round and ask the players each to make a basic decision of what they are going to do and to review any spell info they are going to need. Maybe even give them cards with the basic actions to place in front of them when they are ready.

[@j.g.9045]

Somebody is a fan of Matt Colville, I see

[@olemlund]

I don't do a lot of prep before each session, I only have a basic outline of the current adventure. I runn for a group where story and details aren't to important, it's enough if they get one good combat and some short interaction with the barman (hvo is the same barman for every single bar in the world, he is some sort of omnipresent demigod)

[@robot7759]

Most important to me; session zero. (Step zero). Egg is fire? Sounds like a first time born phoenix... After all most birds come from eggs. This may be highly valued, for they are so much easier to train. I smell big rewards and treasure in your future....

[@JudithOpdebeeck]

for my first game i had a list of random npcs the village would have, so could just roll a dice to see who would be the werewolf or who would die next. ended up just picking the ones that worked best narratively. the list did help though

[@tomasfrybl3597]

Yeah knowledge bombs woohoooo! I'm about to make a Harry Potter campaign in 18th century China and I want my players to participate in kind of a Robin Hood style guerilla war against the foreign devils like Mahoutokoro or the brittish wizarding world.. So I'm gonna spend my evening somewhere around here... You are the best!

[@MrMuertoloco]

For the names of my player's rivals i used an acronym Brianna Isabel Theresa Cheryl Hannah

[@michaelolsen7000]

Hey, here's something I disagree with when it comes to the Including your PCs. It's actually becoming a major issue in the game environment where new players are starting to expect GMs to always ask them what they're doing on a regular basis. So much so that it's now making it problematic for GMs. We're now having to pull teeth through constant "checking-in" with each person, such that the group isn't really engaging with the game themselves and just waiting until the teacher calls on them. The key to the check-in isn't about constantly mothering the players to make sure they're part of the game or engaged in the story, but when the situation in the game calls for it. Like at the start of a combat round or during a tense moment in the game when everyone's actions are going to dictate the total outcome of that moment. (Like, if the party is dealing in diplomacy with a noble, and the thief wants to try to steal something. You do regular check-ins with each person in the group to make sure they're able to state if they want to notice something or react to something another party member might be doing.) But over the course of the entire game, doing regular check-ins diminishes the team aspect by making each player an isolated event with you. It teaches new players that their GM will ask them what they want to do, rather than encouraging them to speak up and discuss the events or their options. It makes them frustrated at a player who seems like the favorite in the group because that player always speaks up and thus gets the GM's attention more. Don't overuse the check-in. Instead focus on teaching the players to discuss things in character with each other as part of a team, and let them decide if they want to elect a team leader to tell you what the party is doing or encourage them to speak up with what they want to do during a situation..

[@Belly6815]

to be fair, you missed the solid gold of that dwarf failing that jump check and nailing his groin on a tusk. The player would have been able to make the other players laugh though they may not have enjoyed that experience 🤣

[@fenixmeaney6170]

"3am in the shower while having a bath one morning"

[@Pauzz85]

Some years ago I found an article on the wizards website. It told to start Every session with a fight, to make the players reactive from the start. There must also be a plot reason for this fight. Maybe all the starting fights share a common evolving plot, apart from the main quest. What do You think of this method?

[@SagaxCorvinus]

I say: don't take it for granted. If that's the thing your group likes, go on and have fun! :) Some people ― like me for example ―, however, will have the extreme opposite reaction: they'll take it as a signal meaning _"we're here to play advanced chess,"_ (depending on the game, of course) and immediately lose interest. :( Unless that's your party's thing, I suggest to avoid placing a fight for the sake of having a fight. If your group has a bigger focus on storytelling/role-playing, a fight should be a _mean_ to an _end,_ and not the end itself, if that makes sense. My two tips are: a) start by catching their interest, making them know what's going on and at the same time curious to find out what comes next; b) you won't be able to please everyone at the same time ― different people have different tastes.

[@Tazymandius]

Having a fight at the start of every session will eventually screw up any cliff hanger moments you may want to set up. GM: You make your impassioned plea to the Baron, his staff look moved by your words, your party pat you on the shoulder for a job well done. The Baron rises to his feet, gently stroking his chin as he mulls over your words... And we'll leave it there till next week... PLAYER: Great... So he's going to completely ignore everything we said and fight us...

[@_bats_]

"The Five Step Method is 10 little..." D&D advice, direct to you from the Far Realm.

[@bhorrthunderhoof4925]

Good to know I am on the right track ;0)

[@chillialexander]

Guy, what is your view on using game, film, book references within the game? Does it increase the fun and entertainment or does it detract from the immersion?

[@SagaxCorvinus]

I'm not Guy but may I give you my opinion? ;) There's nothing wrong in using your favorite movies, books or other media as inspiration for adventures, arcs and everything else. But when it comes to joking and making fun, use it sparingly. I've played in an adventure designed entirely upon anime references. Whilst it was a rather fun game, I felt absolutely displaced. Since I was the only one on the table that didn't care even as half as much about anime as everybody else, I spent most of the time trying to make sense of what was going on.

[@chillialexander]

@@SagaxCorvinus Thank you. That makes a lot of sense.

[@HienNguyenHMN]

"I wasn't taking the piss, pee-man."

[@originalatogscoins]

So, I have to say, how you are sitting in this video makes it look like those are someone else's hands most of the time. You know that comedy skit type thing where someone is behind you using their hands as their own. Hahaha makes me laugh just watching. I really enjoy the videos, keep up with the excellent work!

[@ShamankingZuty]

I've been struggling a bit with point number 4. Not that I don't forget to hit on each player, but because other members at the table are more vocal and commandeer the game away from these other players. One of these players was actually dissuaded away from rejoining us because of it. How do I deal with this issue without coming across as an asshole to the people that are just excited about playing and scaring away the more timid players that get spoken over?

[@jonduffin7560]

Spotlight them - friend/family/rival from the past. Engineer a session where their character is more prevalent, maybe it will give them a boost. Also, talk to your players honestly. One of the people they played with felt bad enough about the situation not to join back in. Do they know that? Talk to them honestly and be like "we are all here to have fun, and I'm noticing the others aren't getting involved as much as you. Can you help me get them involved? Can you give them a little more room to be vocal?"

[@ShamankingZuty]

@@jonduffin7560 Great suggestion. Thanks.

[@SagaxCorvinus]

Jon is right. You can also engage the less spontaneous players directly, (NPCs begin dialogue with them, etc.) showing them that you care and that they will always have room in the game.

[@ShamankingZuty]

@@SagaxCorvinus I will do that and for a few minutes they seem engaged, only for the vocal players to start performing actions and butting in again. If this weren't online, I feel like I'd have a much more control over the group. I've run games of up to 16 players in person with zero issues, but even just trying to run it for four people online is a chore because of the difference in volume between players.

[@SagaxCorvinus]

@@ShamankingZuty I feel you. I know how that's like ― I'm one of the _less vocal_ players in my group. (when not GMing) In this case, I believe it boils down to _table etiquette._ When GMing, what I do in this case is stare silently to the players until they notice it and ask _all_ of them if I have their _permission_ to continue. When playing, I kinda do the same thing, but in that case I already gently expressed to them how I feel offended by their unintentional disregard. We're all adults, they did understand me. It's a kind of situation where you'll have to step out of _"nice-guy-mode"_ a little bit (I also don't like it, but I have to) and explain to them how their behavior is negatively disruptive to the table. Regarding online gaming, it gets more difficult, indeed. If you use no video/webcams then there'll be a lack of visual cues for the players of when they should be quieting down a bit. In that case, I suggest talking about _game table etiquette._ If none of that works, your problem may be something else.

[@jamesnoble7777]

Executive summary: Some of this seemed to be things to do after and during a game but I think it can all be couched as preparation: Remind yourself what happened last session, read your notes on the overall place in the plot and make a rough plan based on that information. Make sure you have loads of names ready for improvisation and be prepared to run with it. If players have given you notes about their plans make sure to negotiate it to fit into your campaign world/plan/plot /structure. Consider something for every *charachter* - if your rough plan is likely to leave one of the characters unengaged - maybe add something extra. Consider something for every *player* - the rough plan may include only things that do not interest one of the players... maybe add something. Check you're hitting these targets by asking players what worked for them after the game and take notes. Check your notes make sense (e.g. if there is ambiguity from some improvised interaction) by asking players or planning something to help you understand the importance of something (your understanding of what happened might be different than the players, particularly if your notes are vague). I've been GMing for decades and the only fault I've found with your content is that you sometimes ramble (often to entertaining effect). Most game books give you pointers on GMing but the devil is often in the detail and for all my experience I have learned much from your presentations so thank you Guy.

[@Karazaro]

video: right before your session, prepare for your game like this me: I'll just panic and bingewatch Guy's channel instead

[@davidm8371]

8:54 you could also use his given name of Marion Morrison, and I would totally let that fly, if the player knew that detail.

[@Finalwolfe]

Great episode Guy! I'm starting a new campaign by doing 1 on 1 sessions with each character beforehand, any advice?

[@johnbryce8267]

Tha "Doobly-Doo"!! haven't heard that for quite a while... kinda goes along with the "Blah-Blah".... LoL

[@GeorgeHofmann2]

The Peaman bit had me cracking up

[@Sagetower7]

18:42 Ahh yes 3am brainstorming somehow works better than it ever deserves to

[@mau_victorino]

Shol’weyn, the cowboy elf ♥️

[@nonyabizness956]

Wonderful as always