GREAT GM: Setting Pace in your RPG Session - Game Master Dungeon Master tips

I look at the various methods of setting the pace in your roleplaying sessions - inspired by comments left on my other videos! Thanks guys.
The channel where all the Roleplaying happens is the Bacon Battalion which you can find here: / @greatgmlive
I use questions and comments from my subscribers to create the campaign that will be played on this channel , so check it out.
To Stalk the Roleplaying group and myself go here:
Facebook: / bacon-battalion-rpg-43...
Twitter: / baconrpg
Website: www.greatgamem...

[@HeadGotShanked]

After 16 years of GMing, I have finally found a place to learn things I hadn't discovered on my own. This is without a doubt top-tier gaming advice. I can't wait to try the 121/122 method on my own. I think this may actually have been a breakthrough for me. Thank you!

[@TimElfring]

I was a GM for a D&D campaign that I did with some of my friends for the first time a couple of days ago, and I couldn't have done it without your videos, man. I wasn't sure about a lot of things but your videos really put me in the right direction. I had a lot of fun putting my world and story together and my players really enjoyed themselves on the first session. So thank you for your videos.

[@HowtobeaGreatGM]

+Tim Elfring Tim thank you for this. I really makes it all worth it to hear that people are taking something away from the video's and telling better stories! Keep me posted on how your game progress, I'd like to hear it!

[@Mr.Monster1984]

It was so cute how happy he was when he thought of the name USS... Braxia. 😊 3:25

[@JLacan]

It's 2023 and I still come back to this video to refresh basics about pacing. Cheers :)

[@DaleyKreations]

The 1-2-1 thing is essentially the pace for any Classic Doctor Who session - most of them had the story unfold over 4 x 30 minute episodes. Occasionally there were 2 parters and every once in a while a 6-parter but most were 4. We've been desperately trying to get our current DM to realize that each big set piece in our current campaign shouldn't be more than 4 sessions - 5 session TOPS if we have a session where we get particularly stuck.

[@jaxmerlot9969]

Very solid info. I'm currently power watching everything you've posted! Thanks!

[@1simo93521]

Great advise again. You seriously are one of the best GM advise shows on KZbin.

[@HowtobeaGreatGM]

+Simo I am humbled by such a comment. I thank you sir, and how that I can inspire your games!

[@RandomPlaythrough831]

+Simo This, hundrer this, please continue ! ^^

[@joshuareynolds23]

+How to be a Great Game Master you explain your points much better the only people I watch more is nerdarchy because they have multiple people to bounce ideas off of going back and forth giving me many ideas. Once again your awesome and you've helped me alot

[@HowtobeaGreatGM]

Only a pleasure. They're a good channel!

[@FadeVM]

I found your content only a few months ago. I have been perusing your videos for tips and assistance with the issues I run into as a GM to improve my game. You are doing the rest of us a great service. Thank you!

[@TheShoo]

"New GMs let their villains escape" This is me :(

[@AnteaEvans]

Thank you so much! I really love your videos: I've been watching them since yesterday. I was desperate for suggestions because it's the first time I have started a D&D campaign as a GM with my friends during quarantine and I still have to grasp most of it. Your lessons are just great and I am learning so much! Thanks a lot 😊

[@Chrisprusse]

This is great stuff. I am building a campaign right now. After watching this video, before every session I'm going to set aside some "bananas" that make sense to the plot in some measure, so when needed, I can use them and have them still be logical and relevant. I find when I have to think of something on the spot to liven the group up it doesn't always make sense.

[@reneshible5290]

Amazing, amazing, amazing! These videos really help us understand why some sessions work and why some sessions don't. Hopefully, we can achieve more of the former now!

[@HowtobeaGreatGM]

I agree!

[@KayLee-lw5iv]

love the mention of moving events to the players, instead of of the opposite. i always think of just about every other building as a big cardboard cutout until the PC's walk in

[@GRex7777]

I would dare say, one way you can get away with having the bad guy slip out the back door, is have their be a room of crazy loot he had to leave behind in his rush out. I've found a pile of gold, a magic weapon or two and some ritual scrolls tend to make the players happier than even a kill XD Especially if you still count him running away as a form of defeat, so the group also gets XP or a flat level up cause of where you are in the story. Clearly you have to be careful what you give them when, but stuff can still make things better for them.

[@petercsizmadia8391]

I just discovered your channel. Excellent content!! I love every second of it. Cheers from Hungary! :)

[@HowtobeaGreatGM]

Hello Hungary! Glad you like the channel and welcome to the table! Feel free to ask questions and leave comments the more the merrier!

[@mattiashallberg6326]

Busy taking notes, great stuff! Narrator's Guide seems like just the thing, unfortunately buying it as a PDF wasn't possible. A small note, this intro's sound is much more easy on the ears than the rather loud intro with the ships. Much prefer this one!

[@HowtobeaGreatGM]

That's a pity. As for the music - watch this space. It's time for a change, and this is a great piece of input. Thank you!

[@jonathanowen9917]

Very helpful. Pacing is quite difficult, but I am sure that over time using this method will help me improve.

[@crytic248]

Between you and Dawnforged Cast I have learned ALOT! I'm still an amateur gm, with only 2 campaigns (one cancelled early due to scheduling) under my belt. I have to say I like your story focused approach, and I wish one of my groups main dms would watch your videos. they tend to run dice and rule choked games, and their metagaming is ridiculous. However, don't you dare challenge them because they started playing when first edition was still obscure...

[@rockyman2685]

10:15 THANK YOU! Both as a GM and player, I've been saying this for so long. Banning cell phones from a game is weird (but ultimately your decision to make). Unless it's in the middle of a battle or while you're talking to them, there's nothing wrong with looking at something other than the map for a bit.

[@Waffleboy_10]

Just discovered this channel! Awesome stuff! I really like the way you break things down to more understandable principles. I have started a youtube channel with me and co-working playing different tabletop role-playing games and your advice really inspires me to continue! Thanks and keep up the awesome work!

[@RockHeiland]

Great Video as always! Those are the best gming advice videos on KZbin and more people should enjoy them. What i would love to see/get an advice on is how to pace an oneshot game, where your introduction, middle and conclusion fit into 5 hours without feeling too rushed and railroaded (that word might not exist, since we use it like a german word in germany :D)

[@HowtobeaGreatGM]

+Rock Heiland I wish I spoke more German! Oneshots are an interesting role-playing space. I assume it's a oneshot via the internet style play? I shall ponder and come back to you!

[@RockHeiland]

+How to be a Great Game Master Thanks for the reply! There are two styles of oneshots i master: I'm going to university 60 miles from home and i only get to play with my hometown friends once or twice a month. Because they aren't interested in a long campaign we play oneshot sessions, using the same characters every time. That way they are getting somewhere every time and they aren't missing out on anything important if they need to skip a session. On the other hand, i get to GM convention oneshots twice a year, which is a quite tricky task for me. Those sessions are always pretty sloppy in terms of story telling and i personally think that i'm railroading too much to finish the session in time

[@HowtobeaGreatGM]

Maybe our conventions are too kind to GM's. I have run a 4 hour 'Con' game for 7 hours because we were having so much fun. But either way, you are playing with real people which is good not over the internet which presents different problems. The challenge with LONG sessions like 5 hours plus is your story has to be really strong. Your timing would still always be 1 2 1 or 1 2 2. Any intro longer than a 1 count is too long (aka The Hobbit). So get them into the story quick. I will - if you remind me next week - do a quick more detailed breakdown of the 122 method which may help you fill in the gaps. Just remind me!

[@HowtobeaGreatGM]

Awesome! When I'm back from my trip next week - you got it!

[@nelsonnottveit5395]

Best GM Training channel I've found yet - keep up the epic work!

[@ethanpearl9011]

I am glad to find this video as I am about to start an episodic game with some friends about 4 college roommates in the 1970s acquiring superpowers and having to deal with daily life along with a dark supernatural threat. Essentially it's stranger things but I think that this is like the good version.

[@masterkody1]

you truly deserve more views on your channel. your awesome!

[@HowtobeaGreatGM]

+Dwarven Gamer Thanks man! Spread the word and together we can grow the channel! Any suggestions for videos you'd like to see?

[@masterkody1]

just keep doing the GM tips and like. maybe even do something like a weekly video such as puzzles of the week or encounters or something. just have fun :)

[@HowtobeaGreatGM]

Oooo I like that! Watch this space!

[@masterkody1]

Right on!

[@fedev80]

I'm watching every video on this playlist, thank you so much!!! They are really great!!

[@JeremWatts]

might want to use a mic stand your advice is perfect though

[@victormanuelarraez6573]

This is a great video. Really good: helpful, honest, clear, generous. Thank you for doing it.

[@liamnicholas5764]

Thanks, my biggest problem has been failing to set the pace. The players finished my first dungeon is one session!

[@AmarothEng]

When people start checking cell phones and stop paying attention: 1. is it your (GM)s fault, is game boring at the moment? 2. if not, make them make swim/climb/death/whatever check. With no reason. Number they get doesn't matter, but they will be like "auhhmmmm wtf is happening? Are we swimming now or what?"

[@djS0nics]

Amaroth we always had a houserule for things like that. Maybe something like: A Player gets minus X on his next dice role, whenever he/she checks his/her phone (for more than 10 seconds). You can always discuss those houserules with your players. It always worked well for us.

[@MightyBjorn]

Have you tried Star Trek Adventures from Modiphius? I find it rather enjoyable myself.

[@DummyUrD]

Thanks for the Video, how would you try to run long running campaigns? Would you just connect the chunks you mentioned here? Also how do you handle in session pacing I think I could improve in this area the most!

[@HowtobeaGreatGM]

+DummyUrD Yes. A Campaign is like a TV series - each episode has three acts and runs on it's own. But all the episodes link together to become a series. or in this case a campaign.

[@theeristicwriter8280]

Do you have a guide to writing your own modules? I write fiction novels in my down time so I'm often the one left with the gm position but I can't seem to get a knack for creating good stand alone modules

[@BjornLefevre]

Can I ask what your setup is for playing music in the background during a session. I'm going to host sessions after this fall in a gaming club and it can be loud there (we're usually the loud ones), there is no music playing there so I could add it... (Mastering Star Wars if you want to know)

[@andrewfullerton1379]

Forgive me if you've already covered this and I merely missed it, but could you give some advice regarding tone?

[@HowtobeaGreatGM]

+Andrew Fullerton Tone... ooh like scary tone? Mystery tone? Heroic tone? Comedy tone? Or Tone as in how to build a better body in 12 weeks kinda tone? Great suggestion! Watch this space!!

[@PolishZeus]

Only discovered your videos 3 days ago and I'm DEVOURING the content! EDIT: Also felt compelled to share that I've never engaged with any KZbin channel before but yours is just too good not to! I'm just about to start a Dragonlance game for 3 people who are all relatively new. So being able to hear tips like these will undoubtedly help me start a stronger campaign and keep them interested. D&D feeds my creativity in a way that no other game (video game, board game, etc) can. I do have a few questions though: 1) Do you have any specific 80-90s orchestral soundtrack recommendations I could look into? It'd be great to have somewhere to start. 2) I've always been curious to see a concrete example of what a good GM has prepared before running a game. Would you be willing to show a specific example of what you usually have at hand? Example: 2 encounters with specific creatures ready to go. Or maybe you open up the monsters manual to goblins when needed. 3) Is there ever a time when you change your big-picture storyline because something the PCs did/said made you think of something better suited to them? Does this happen on a regular basis? 4) What is your take on giving magical items? Do you prefer to use previously created items or do you prefer to have one weapon that somehow grows in power along with the PCs? My apologies if these are addressed in other videos. I'm still working through your glorious, glorious content :-)

[@HowtobeaGreatGM]

+PolishZeus Welcome to the table! So many questions - it's awesome! So 1.) Gladiator, Pirate of the Caribbean, Independence Day, The Rock, The Mummy, Van Helsing, Jupiter Ascending, Interview with a Vampire, 300, 10000 BC, Alien, Aliens, Alien Resurrection, AVP, Assassins Creed 2, Batman, Avatar, Blackhawk Down, Braveheart, Centurion, Deepl Blue Sea, District 9, Exaclibur, Godzilla, Harry Potter, Jaws 2, Maverick, Peter Pan, Pompeii, Predator, Predators, Sleepy Hollow, Stardust, Stargate The 13th Warrior, The name of the Rose, the Poseidon, The Tomb of the Dragon Emperor, Valkyrie, Walking with Dinosaurs, Waterworld, Willow - to name a few. All amazing soundtracks that are not instantly noticable like say Star Wars or Star Trek. These are to support you not to distract. 2.) A few people have asked so I shall do a video where we look at that yes. 3.) Absolutely! My biggest campaign involved a Vampire lord manipulating the players into doing his bidding. The big picture was supposed to be the showdown with him. A year later of play and my players destroyed him with a gnomish genocide machine whilst blowing out half the countryside. However the older half of the party transcended and became gods by assassinating the gods and taking their place. It was an amazing evolution. 4. ) I'm going to be doing a video on Magic Items - as I give out very few magic items, and very seldom are they 'from the book' magic items unless they are mundane like +1 items etc.

[@PolishZeus]

+How to be a Great Game Master thank you so much for the response (& such a quick one too)! these suggestions will certainly help me form my game. And thank you for making such amazing content!

[@HowtobeaGreatGM]

+PolishZeus It's weekend. Happy to engage people! :)

[@kaliostre91]

Thank you very much for that series of lessons! It's realy helpfull! I'm going to play my first session in about month or two and I've found already so many great advices here on your channel! Thanks again for your great work! Sorry, English isn't my native... P.S. Can you please give an example of your playlists?

[@PapagiannisWoW]

Seems the link you mentioned was not in the description! :P Anyways, I wanted to ask you something. I have noticed that most regular GMs, myself included, face a common problem when joining other peoples' games. After you spend years and years in studying the art and science of running a game, and developed your own style, there comes a point where, when you join a game that is either run by a novice GM, or one whose style simply does not match yours, you can't help but have trouble enjoying your time. I have noticed this on many people I have gamed with, and I am looking for a way to both help myself enjoy other peoples' games, and encourage older, more experienced GMs to join my games with a better outcome. Ideas?

[@HowtobeaGreatGM]

+PapagiannisWoW Damn it.... an excellent question and one for which I have little answer as I myself am on record saying "I hate playing because I keep wanting to make the story better". In my group we tried a new GM who was GREAT at combat GMing but had zero sense of PACE and so games could run for 2 hours with us just walking.... no combat, just walking... which got boring after session 3. And I tried to help him, encourage him, and guide him on how to avoid that kind of nonsense. Sadly it didn't stick and I bailed on the group after session 4. I've watched The Hobbit, I don't need to experience more walking. My suggestion would be to be a better person that I and offer advice, enjoy the time with your friends, and secretly construct your own world in your head.

[@Tullifinny]

+PapagiannisWoW I often give the advice to new DM/Gms: don't run for players that know the game better than yourself. A DM should know the game at least as well as the most veteran player that will be involved. I guess a rule of thumb for DMs would be wary of games run by less experienced DMs.That being said, a DM who does play in a game run by a less experienced DM is difficult as you point out. I've been the DM for 30 years so when I get the rare chance to play I try to lead by example on how to be a good player. I encourage the other players to speak up and contribute. I "think" out loud, seeming to puzzle out something in the game when in fact I've noted a glaring problem. By "thinking" out loud I can give the DM a clue that maybe some detail needs attention. And never underestimate the value of playing dumb. "Well, that seems like an odd way for that rule to work. I'd have thought it's be this way....." Above all though, the DM should keep comments like, "That's not how I do it in my game." to themselves. If nothing else the novice DM will learn from their mistakes. Advice sought is more readily heard than advice forced.Hope that helped a bit.

[@PapagiannisWoW]

Thank you :) Food for thought

[@NickCybert]

Simply brilliant. You have any videos, or plan to make any videos, talking about how you manage technical stuff while you GM? I try to do audio-visual stuff for my players to enhance the story (I've found an evocative picture + my description helps players think about how to engage with their location), but I don't like the amount of time I spend on my laptop fussing with getting stuff show up on screen or playing audio tracks. On occasion it can really mess up the flow and I have to play it off as a comedic "I'm a shit GM" moment.

[@HowtobeaGreatGM]

+NickCybert the only time I have found pictures and props to help was when I was GM'ing online and the 'lag' kinda hid the fact. I will however think about your question because I know a lot of GM's do like using props etc. and I'll make a video for you on my thoughts. Glad you like the channel :) I hope you've subb'ed, relinked, and fb'd it :p

[@FlokiVT2]

I know you like Movie music for your pacing. But how do you feel about Video Game Music? It is set up similarly and I find inspiration in it. I know most are shorter than movie music, but some goods ones you get a good 5 mins per song.

[@jimbrown2420]

These videos are great.... I'm watching a lot of them....

[@goodnyt69]

This helps a lot thank you. only a matter of time before this channel blows up. When you play longer campaigns such as months or even a year do you follow the same pattern, just drawn out over longer sessions?

[@HowtobeaGreatGM]

+robert goodwin I missed this question - sorry. Yes and no. In short I plot out the MAJOR story. I might hint at it here and there but usually only in the first session and then not again until months later. A good source to see this in is the Sherlock Holmes novels (NOT THE MOVIES). Moriarty, the main villain was only hinted at half way through the series. And only became an active villain towards the end. So I plan my big play and then leave it alone - let it fester. Then it's a series of smaller stories that may be involved in the MAJOR story or not. So it's always maybe four or five game play session per 'episode' which builds into a series ie. full campaign.

[@goodnyt69]

Okay, I think I get it. Maybe some time in the future you can make a video on this? I'm starting a campaign in the Eberron setting and this info helps a lot. I'm sure it will help others as well

[@HowtobeaGreatGM]

Noted and added. I think a video could be useful ;) Will see if I can fit it into the programming. Have so many wonderful questions!

[@f-gaming6452]

👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏wonderful job many rounds of applause iflve binge watched about 8 of these now xD

[@HowtobeaGreatGM]

Easy tiger! :) Glad you liking the channel.

[@CrashQ111]

Because you mentioned it, cell phones and technology in a tabletop RPG is a really interesting topic to cover. What is the level of technological involvement you would be comfortable allowing? I feel we're in somewhat of a transitional period concerning this, and it can cause a strange/straining dynamic in many gaming groups. For my part, when i took over as GM for my gaming group I banned use of technology except when it comes to game related activities, namely looking up things in a PDF, tracking inventory, or.. in my case as the GM.. playing scene music/sounds throughout the session. If someone needs to take a call or send a text, they're asked to step away from the table - and I work in at least one 10 minute break during our 3-4 hour sessions. I've mandated that character sheets exist in paper format as well. Prior to this, under our old GM, we had people checking their phones constantly, surfing unrelated websites, or pulling up memes - I was guilty of this too before I noticed how bad it had become. On numerous occasions we had people glued to their screens rather than interacting in character. Overall the tabletop experience suffered from uninvested, confused, and/or distracted players. While I'm by no means a modern luddite, the encroachment of technology in to my gaming space feels like a distraction from the purpose of why we gather: to collaboratively tell a story and be invested in it's ebb and flow. At first it was tough to ween my players off of their toys. You don't realize how often you reach for your phone until you're not permitted to. Even as a GM its difficult sometimes. To help with building immersion we also started playing by candle light. The combination of the only lighting being at the table, no distracting technology, and music for each scene they enter has helped my players (and me) become more immersed and invested in what we're doing and the roleplay involved. So that's my take, Guy. I would love to hear how you deal with technology at your table.

[@HowtobeaGreatGM]

+CrashQ111 It is a remarkable issue and one that I think it only going to get more interesting. I'm working with VR and AR a lot at work these days and I could see a gap where suddenly your character pops out of your character sheet and really battles the monsters the DM has created on the tabletop in front of you! Would it be cool? Would Chewbacca suddenly arrive for a game or two? I have two groups - one group that is casual group who scans their phones and looses focus. I hate it. The other group don't touch their phones except for emergencies. That second group is the magic zone - where focus is on the game, on using our imagination rather than a digital screen to play. I will add it to the list of topics for videos as I feel it does have a valuable place as a discussion piece.

[@CrashQ111]

+How to be a Great Game Master The future of gaming is going to be interesting. VR and AR will certainly open up a lot of avenues for different types of play. They're already developing digital rooms to remotely play tabletop games, and what you proposed with characters jumping out of the sheets is not just possible, but in many ways likely to happen. And imagine the AR implications! Shadowrun games are going to get intense given the right development of apps/programs. I suppose really there are 3 levels to the topic, all based on the juxtaposition of the players as a result of technology: 1) the effects of tech on traditional (old skool!) in-person tabletop. 2) the rise of broadcasted/online tabletop games (which may or may not require technical intervention beyond Hangouts/Facetime/Twitch/etc). 3) the advent of VR/AR tabletop games and the line which separates a tabletop game from a video game. I feel its a compelling topic, and I'm glad you agree. I look forward to seeing your video on it eventually. As for your two groups, I feel your pain with that first group. My take is that even if it's a casual game.. there is an amount of respect you should show the GM and your fellow players; That means setting your outside world aside, as much as you can, and enjoying the company of the friends in that room. The world can wait a couple hours, and we benefit from our brief breaks from it. As a fellow LARPer I think you can probably relate, Guy. It may be worthwhile to mention your problem with that group and to set some ground rules you all can agree on. In any case, thanks very much for the reply! I'm enjoying your videos greatly. I find myself going back to them when I get in the mood to develop my campaign further. There's a TON of great advice about things I sometimes forget in the fog of what I need to accomplish. Keep up the good work and merry gaming!

[@HowtobeaGreatGM]

Much appreciated, I know it's a thorny issue and one that will be shouted back and forth for a while. I want to give it more thought before I do the video, as I've played 'online' games, and skype games, and normal round the table games. My biggest problem with my one group is sadly real life seems to be intruding more and more on my free time than I like.

[@Tasfarel]

For music also try out the music of "Erdenstern" - these did a good job for me.

[@Runescape12345]

I would try this but my sessions are short (2~ hours on average) and my players really like to roleplay...

[@dmlyons1130]

What soundtracks do you like

[@rookangelofmercy7283]

Always great.

[@RavenMinis]

I am looking for a group to run a game with locally, my biggest problem is finding a committed group. I've put flyers up in local shops but have had no luck. Any tips?

[@HowtobeaGreatGM]

+Jimmy Hicks Abandon ye ways! Turn to the internet Mr Hicks - the internet. When I relocated to a different city - finding a gaming group was hard. Until I found our city's local FB and website. I posted up there - and bang. So my advice - go online and look around. Otherwise head to the local university. Failing that - try playing online?

[@RavenMinis]

+How to be a Great Game Master thank you so much!

[@kosm866]

The borg are the ultimate good guys

[@lemonbluerazz]

I don't know what this one party I played with but we somehow always found the boss before we found the smaller monsters which we are supposed to fight first. Village full of undead and a Dragon? we somehow went to the Dragon first. Cave full of bugbears, orcs, and goblins controlled by a spider queen? went right then left then left again then BAM spider boss. found the drug Lord before the smaller criminals.

[@kapitanbeuteltier5889]

as long as you guys are having fun that way, the GM did everything right. If not, the GM could have just swapped the "boss-encounter" with the "henchmen-encouter" and play the rest of their script just as planned^^

[@DarthSironos]

6:00 isn't that heavy railroading?

[@0x777]

What I got out of this: If your players don't pay attention, shoot at them.

[@richardreumerman5449]

I had the opposite problem where my throwaway villain was captured, set free twice, ignored for a while and finally killed many sessions later.

[@haed0r]

Is there a way to buy the star trek narrator's guide as PDF?

[@donashcroft93]

am I the only one here who's group plays 10-12 hour days? we once played for 16 hours for what was basically just a murder mystery, that was a fun one to GM even if my voice was dead the next day

[@89taklung]

the problem I run into is that the players (even in character) will always argue soemthing makes no sense although it might be small thing T.T Example last session So the Player characters arrive at a small town, two men are fighting, the characters distract them trmendously which was a really nice scene really, then suddenly an earthquake hits, houses get damaged a statue is about to fall over on a pristess, the characters engage, stop the statue from falling down, great so far. So after a day of tending the wounded and seeing about the immediate damage the priestess goes to the heros and asks them to go to the nearby mine to look for survivers there, it's a small town they don't have a lot of guards and they have their hands full seeing to all the organization and fuzz that came to be after the earthquake. reaktion from the heros: Wow you don't sent some men yourself, how sad, why woukldn't you do that? Oh and by the way are earth quakes common? Havy you maybe done something magical or so to displease some god or mythical creature? I was really... overwhelmed and didn't really know how to respond I tried to convince them that it's just for the moment, and yes, earthquakes do happen time and again though usually not at that skale (I have know I dea if that is true for that region... I guess it is now ^^*) but they kept going and going why this character, who btw has no control over the guards, is a bad person and must have done something stupid (which she did.... but hey can't have my players know that IMMEADIATLY that would take away half the story) Then they arrive at the mine and are told that water flew in so they would have to make a very quick dive to get to the rest of the workers who didn't make it out, their first reaktion "the water is way too cold to swim in, it's after all from a mountain, we first need to drain the water" Again I was like 2What? Why?" it was only meant a s small obstacle, not to become a long and tedious water removing excercise T.T I guess I'm too unsure about many things and I get easily confused when the players buttin and explaining to me all the faults in the adventure >.>

[@oisinholz]

This is not at all the type of video I was looking for... That said, love it nonetheless!

[@oisinholz]

I would just like to add, even though this is about DMing, this is very solid structure for general story telling.. could write a story with this structure, which I just might do!

[@maxmustermann2417]

I guess I overdid it a little bit... I made it more like 4-8-6 for my first complete, homebrew adventure ... :D

[@kainan613]

My players seem to take a very long time to actually get anywhere in the story, this is everyone's first ever Tabletop RPG game, so you can't blame anyone too much. Still, it does drag on from time to time, do you have any tips on actually speeding everything up without making it feel rushed?

[@HowtobeaGreatGM]

+kainan613 Are they too focused on shopping? On info gathering? Or just debate every decision like a good little team? I'd throw a boulder at them. Or set the building on fire. Or attack them with mutant Kobolds sent to town because well... who cares - let the story drift a little. If players drag their feet they are either over cautious, not interested in the current quest, or you don't have enough drivers/time constraints in place. Hope that helps?

[@kainan613]

+How to be a Great Game Master The problem is that the characters argue with eachother a lot, we're all great friends irl, but the PCs don't get along and can't decide between them what do to next. Everybody dislikes somebody, but is still on good terms with one or two other PC's, neutral with the rest of the party. The character's have backstory reasons for distrust. We've all agreed that this is a problem and I brought it up again right before our previous session, but the problem persists. Other than that some players are unattentive and end up talking amongst themselves while there is RP going on for someone. That mainly comes from one "problem" player who, I feel, doesn't respect me as the referee and attempts to draw attention to himself.

[@HowtobeaGreatGM]

Ah. There's your problem. When players no long care what is being said at the table, it's time for them to leave the table. It's a simple fact. And if you are the GM - it's time to break up the group and drop the players who just don't fit. This is a social game, but that doesn't mean you can't pick the kind of social entities involved. I've done it many times where a single player is just a bad fit. They might be great in another group. Good luck!

[@joshhaworth2155]

Mentioning getting sidetracked by shopping immediately reminded me of Heroes and Halfwits. Anybody here who's seen the series knows precisely what I'm referencing.

[@kindredtoast3439]

A 3 hour session? My gosh, we haven't even started playing by that point. Everyone's still looking at memes on their phone or talking about star wars or basket ball.

[@andreassjoberg3145]

WHATS WITH THE POPPING SOUND?

[@Christopher-vv8kn]

i love you!

[@leion800]

video game music can help a bit

[@Christopher-vv8kn]

Question!? i had a PC grapple a NPC and choke him out lol i wasn't prepared for it and i had the NPC pass out fairly quickly. i was running D&D 5e... Any ideas on how to get choked?

[@dkbibi]

Mic crackling makes me nuts after 30 sec. That's a shame because these advices looks interesting :(

[@HowtobeaGreatGM]

+Addramyr Palinor Yeah. We are working on trying to improve our production standards all the time.

[@edgarfloresmartinez8040]

Did you went to Matt and Rebecca house and sent them 📝 and made Rebecca do 24 hours 😃😃😃😃

[@picses76]

8:42 But didn’t you say in your “Adjudication” video that the player shouldn’t be trying to win in an RPG? Clearly that player doesn't know how an RPG is played then. lol

[@HowtobeaGreatGM]

In context I mean "win the battle with the villain" not "win the game." So you are correct - I did say one cannot win or lose the game. One can win or lose a battle. As a GM one must make sure there is balance between the winning or losing of battles.