1: Never Over-Plan.
I've learned this one the hardway, and this is the rule that allows me to keep being a DM when my life is being pulled in several different directions. Plan as a DM will work great, up until the point you sit down at the table to play. Forcing the players into a direction will come off as forced. They will frequently go in directions that you don't expect. Of course you should have an idea of what your players will probably do (we'll cover this later,) but don't depend on being right.
Last time we played my players discovered an NPC they had met was actually an old enemy in disguise. Not knowing who the real enemy is that attacked them, they started getting ready to go off and fight him. Cut to last night where they remembered there was strong evidance to support a different foe. had I spent all my time preparing for that fight I would have wasted a LOT of time. I simply got some generalizations down was ready to make up the rest on the spot. Since it didn't happen I didn't lose much time and was able to "role" with the punches that much easier.
2: Know your Players.
In an about face to my previous observation, you have to know about what motivates your players. Why do they game? Most of mine are really into exploring the world I set before them as a whole, some of them are really looking to advance their own characters identities, some are trying to beat the challenges I put out. Knowing what they are after will give you a better idea how they will react and what twists they might throw at you... and what twists you should throw right back. If your player is suspicious in nature (and most of them are) give them some things to be suspicious about.
3:The DM is not the only one creating a story.
If they start investigating areas that you didn't think of, don't just tell them "no, nothing is to be found there" see if you can work it in. See what is important to them and reward them for thinking of it. It won't always work out and you should maintain some level of order and reason ("No you can not use mildly reflective rocks as an impromptu mirror maze... at least not effectively")
Our dear valet Mr. Barker, a PC who was the highest non-noble in the Beryl household, discovered some information that there were traitors in his employment I was expecting him to interrogate them and find out where their alleys were meeting . I did NOT expect him to start looking for a common reference on how they got the jobs. I thought it made sense so BOOM, new NPC created. he went even further and started looking into any more people that NPC referenced. While I could have created a whole preexisting web of traitors and red herrings before hand, that would have taken much more time and effort than just seeing what he used to search for them, decide how effective it would be, and reward the player for doing that.
4: The Players are not the only ones with characters.
Just as you know your players, you should know your NPCs. Do not think of them as tools to create the plot you want, and instead think of them as characters with their own goals and motives. If they are smart don't make them stupid just so players can solve their problems. If they are calm don't make them angry just to make them fight your players. Treat each one with the effort you treat your own PC. Make sure they are not influenced by things they wouldn't realistically know (don't metagame them... DMs need to avoid that too) This is really meant for important and major NPCs, but if you are able to whip out tidbits of personalty and depth in all of your NPCs, it might surprise you which ones the players bond with.
Straight and to the point. I like it, good sir.
ReplyDelete