DM, GM, Storyteller, Writer

There’s no doubt that in order to run a game you have to already possess a little spark of imagination. That being said that little spark of madness doesn’t hurt either. It helps though if you have a little more than just imagination. For my part I am a pretty good orator and wordsmith seeing as I have been playing and running games for twenty years, TWENTY! It’s almost hard to believe I’ve been role-playing that long. When I think back on it no matter what system I adopted at the time there was always that little voice in the back of my head telling me what to do. And while I don’t speak a whole lot of Japanese I think I get the gist of what the little voice is saying to me most times.

When crafting new ideas for a story you need time, some people more, some less. I resigned myself a long time ago to only run one game a week. For those of you who have been a DM/GM or Storyteller you know why. It takes a lot out of you to craft a story and be prepared to think on your feet when your players completely derail your adventure. They will, trust me, but that’s where the fun comes in. No matter how many times I’ve tried to plan a few contingencies to cover some of the more obvious derailments there is always a surprise. Being able to bend and flex with that surprise is a big part of being a master of your craft. Tell the story, let the players flow through it and completely ruin the main hook then send that hook to your local blacksmith and try again. I cannot count the times I’ve thrown what I feel is a blatant hook at the players and they have completely ignored it. That’s why I write generic adventures, I set the framework and the stage but I let the players put the props and scene in place. It makes the game feel more like their story. Give them that freedom of movement and freedom of choice and you will have players for life.

I’ve never been one to think too hard into the design process anyway but what I’ve got planned for the beginning of October when two of our players get back is going to be epic. I am revisiting the old worlds and the familiar faces, adding a dash of adventure, a pinch of madness and a heaping load of mystery. There will be blood, there will be sacrifice, there will be intrigue, but most of all there will be fun!

~ by lordnightwinter on September 8, 2012.