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@boohoow
5 жыл бұрын
Thank you for the great content. So far, you seem to me, to be one of the very few D&D youtubers, who aren't poisoned by a salty and misunderstood adversarial view of PC and GM. TL;DR: I like your style, and I pity those who have to get their D&D on, with antisocial man-babies. I am new, playing in my second campaign with 4 friends. When I seek out funny D&D stories, and content in general, I get the sense that sadly there is in D&D communities, a tendency towards this weird dysfunctional or antisocial dynamic. Luckily for me and my friends our GM's, like you, are interested in creating a fun and interesting world, for us to explore and develop out characters in. And we as players, have a profound appreciation for our GM's and the wonderful job they do. I hate to enforce a stereotype, but I get the unpleasant feeling, some D&D communities are plagued by individuals with horrible social skills. I suppose it's caused by the typical low self esteem and what have you, but this kind of thing can spread like a cancer of e.g. a very adversarial dynamic. That is why I love it, when I hear from people like you, who don't seem worn down by bad experiences, and frankly seem to have a healthy social life, and social skills.
@cristiaolson7327
4 жыл бұрын
"They're not going to be a Skyrim guard..." One of my Players rolled a nat 20 on an attempt to hide after a not-quite-enough stealth roll caused a guard to hear them coming and check on the noise. I pantomimed searching for a second, shrugged, looked her in the eye and said "must have been the wind..." I also had an NPC tell them "It's dangerous to go alone. Take this." And hand them a couple potions (should have saved it for a sword). We're all gamers in our group, so the references are plentiful.
@TheSmart-CasualGamer
2 жыл бұрын
The amount of times I've had an NPC say "Wake up Sonny, looks like you're not too far gone..." must be in the tens at least these last few years.
@keyboardstalker4784
Жыл бұрын
I can smell the Soylent on your breath through the screen
@algeanephila
5 жыл бұрын
Guard: gets affected by Mayhem and kills all other Guards Player: hides Guard, seeing all the dead bodies: 9:47
@marsbitegaming
5 жыл бұрын
I have been really a author/narrator, I'm building an expansive world, but for my players to explore.
@soggynuggets1332
4 жыл бұрын
same
@josephdawson8073
4 жыл бұрын
I think that's the ideal type. I actually played with a GM who was kind of a combination like this. She would recycle the same world a lot but somehow every story felt different as she tailored it to the group. By far my favorite GM.
@dot620
4 жыл бұрын
as long as the driving question when worldbuilding is "what can players do to interact with this place/person/group and how can i make sure that interaction is meaningful" then I would say that's the best kind of GM.
@peppermintpearl5962
3 жыл бұрын
@@josephdawson8073 i aspire to be this person
@arleebean
5 жыл бұрын
I'm just jumping into the world of GMing, and videos like this one have been invaluable to the learning process - right up there next to the actual experience of just playing and learning. Thanks, Guy!
@jenniferperez7074
3 жыл бұрын
Hi! So nice meeting you here :) Love your channel.
@deplorablemecoptera3024
6 жыл бұрын
I feel like any GM would be upset if the players said "I don't care about the world" I was DMing and there was a fight between the party and an underground resistance group which saw the empire the players were working for a tyrannical force, the players were mostly unaware of this however as they didn't see fit to look into it. Then they complained that the enemies were one dimensional and one note.
@billkennedy6761
5 жыл бұрын
I too had a group where I created a mastermind villain who orchestrated encounters for the group to attack various enemies to keep them busy while he worked to gain power. The players eventually complained my game was just mindless combat and where bored. I had the mastermind gloat to them about his machinations. The players all were wide eyed and fully hooked with this new realization. I did have to point out the clues they missed along the way. It's easy for players to become complacent and you have to hit them with the stick of plot reality.
@raymondthrone7197
5 жыл бұрын
Something I need to remind myself is that subtly is hard to work into a Tabletop RPG, since the players are only really seeing the story in motion at the moment and can't go back to read things or remember exactly what happened. So yeah, if you have a Machiavellian villain working in the background, it might be difficult for the players to put all the threads together on their own if you don't make it obvious for them.
@bonzwah1
5 жыл бұрын
Well, its kinda your job to deliver that kinda info to them. You couldnt have just had the rebels call the party evil during combat? Shout "for freedom!" at the beginning of initiative? Show heroic tendencies toward each other like prioritizing defending and rescuing injured comrades over killing enemies? None of which would require any investigation by the party. If they are complaining that your enemies lack depth then they clearly desire that depth. But you gotta recognize that players sometimes dont have that initiative to actually go and do things for themselves. Many groups require you lay out options in front of them for them to choose from. Maybe its a symptom of the 3 different colored endings era of video gaming that we are in, but ive found that some groups of players, especially newer ones, want options laid out in front of them before realizing that they can make a choice. Its a gradual process teaching them that they have freedom in every moment of the game and how to express that. They just cant arrive at that conclusion on their own.
@kholtsclaw5266
5 жыл бұрын
If your having this problem you need to push a clue into their lap earlier because your players aren't examining things as you expected sometimes you need to adjust to your players.
@piemaniac9410
4 жыл бұрын
@@billkennedy6761 the trick to clues in D&D is this, your clue is a coffee mug sitting on the table. If the players don't notice the mug you grab it to bring attention to it. If they still don't see the coffee mug you hit one of the players over the head with it, hard to miss then.
@JOHNDUTTENHOFER
6 жыл бұрын
I loved this video. I find your channel very useful for narration and improvisation. But I am definitely the Galactic Force GM. I can't have fun in a game if I think the world is from someone's head. Any time I become lucid in a dream, suddenly the dream breaks. If I realize that the world around me is subjective, it's not a game any more and my agency feels tainted. And because of that I am definitely the GM to sit in for hours planning guard routes, weather, the orbit of the moon or moons. It leads to many games that never happen at all or peter out because my players want more time in sessions that i have to meticulously prep. However, in the best of cases, it can lead to players becoming overjoyed that their agency discovered the secret den of ninjas, or kept the party fed. They scraped and bled against the world and won for at least this moment. I love that feeling as a player and it's what I seek to share with people who maybe haven't ever felt that yet. You've done a great job of explaining my perspective without belittling it, despite us being absolutely opposite in how we conduct our games. And I think just maybe you helped me understand a little more about why I have the style that I do.
@Leivve
6 жыл бұрын
I love "PC's are Irreverent," I actually lose interest when my character is treated specially, just cause there is a player behind them. If my character is to standout I want to work and do something outstanding; not have have prestige and influence thrusted upon them just cause they are a main character. When I GM I make sure to add things like the the bar keeper is a retired dragon slayer, or similar.
@jsnel9185
2 жыл бұрын
Last night my players managed to possibly sully their budding reputation by leaving behind what looks like a murder scene and doing a piss poor job (rolled a nat 1) hiding the mess. Now they went from hopeful helping hands in a Savage frontier land to maybe hiding their halfling or else they will end up in jail. A halfling footprint in blood is obvious.
@hellentomazin6488
2 жыл бұрын
Yeah, me too. That's why I tend to get upset with narrator type of GM.
@larsdahl5528
6 жыл бұрын
1:21 Rules Interpreter 5:58 Galactic Force 12:25 Narrator 15:47 Author I once knew a GM who once in a while deliberately did a session as "Rules Interpreter", especially when learning new systems, with the argument that we better know the rules before implementing home brewed modifications! Interesting that Guy state to be closest to being a "Narrator" when 'the Great Game Master' he teach in the videos is far closer to the "Author"! Let us see what the second part brings...
@alexandreboutaudvalarini5638
6 жыл бұрын
He gives us prompts to build a world "Author"-style, but I have heard him reinforce several times that the focus of the game for him is to create a story. From what I understood from this video, the "author" is more of a tour-guide than a storyteller. World-building and lore developing can be a great scaffolding for story telling, as demonstrated by Tolkien amongst others, as long as you don't lose your focus and forget the fact that it's scaffolding for your goal, not your new goal.
@AssasinZorro
6 жыл бұрын
Considering that the next part will give us: Villain Player No-a-GM Actor Moduler It's possible to see which of them you are as it is. But without detailed explanations, it's hard to decide how much of each kind of GM you are. I, however, have fallen into some pitfalls of Author GM for sure, I've made my world and I was very fond of it, lead two groups through it and they've had very different experiences. The second group had it better since they've created characters with backstories that I could use for their campaign. The first group didn't feel included enough at the end of their campaign and I know that it's somewhat true. Funnily enough their actions did affect the world, but I didn't do good enough job displaying it and my players felt like they didn't affect situation at all.
@larsdahl5528
6 жыл бұрын
When I look through the comments, I see most people consider themselves to be in the "Author" category. Second place seems shared between "Rules Interpreter" and "Narrator" Only a few in the "Galactic Force". Most of those who do not consider themself to be in one category only, say "Narrator" and "Author" combination. I ponder if Guy made the categories correct. "Narrator" have "Directs plots". And "Author" have "Story focused". I ponder are those two swapped? Depend at what we understand with the words. As I see it, then: Plot is the GM's. - Thus it should be for "Author" (As "PCs are not included"). And Story is the PCs's. - Thus it should be for "Narrator" (As "PCs are central").
@robertnett9793
5 жыл бұрын
I hope myself to be in the "Narrator"-nieche. I like and use rules - but at the end of the day, they are just the vehicle to transport the story. And if they fail to do so, they must be changed. However - I understand the argument about knowing the rules. The apprentice learns the rules, the journeyman knows the rules, but the master knows when to break them :D Or in other terms, you should really know your rules, before you break them.
@anytimeanywhere7859
5 жыл бұрын
Thank you Lars - this is a useful post.
@acrefray
6 жыл бұрын
I wonder if you're classifying the "not-a-GM" as 'the improviser'. The GM that doesn't prepare or know anything about a story or world, and makes it all up as it goes along... Yes I've had a GM like that. He even fell asleep mid-combat. The other GM I don't think I see on this list is the egomaniac. The "I am God, anyone who disagrees will suffer severe punishment" kind of GM.
@loganfalvo7349
4 жыл бұрын
I believe that is the galactic force
@bulwersman
4 жыл бұрын
These are not GM types but just GM flawes. Not everybody can be a good improviser and if you fall asleep during combat hes just a bad GM. :)
@suicune2001
4 жыл бұрын
I'm currently learning how to DM so I can do my first campagin. I can already tell you I'm going to be a mix between a narrator and author. XD
@SylvanasWindrunnerResurrected
6 жыл бұрын
When you started talking about Author I felt embarassed since you talked about eeeeverything I do in my adventures. :D
@enderbold7038
5 жыл бұрын
Same I'd say I'm a mix of author and narrator
@AnthanKrufix
6 жыл бұрын
I'm completely the Author/Worldbuilder style to a tee. Even got to the point where I sheepishly facepalmed as he was describing it because it was just so accurate to the point of comical. I'm drawing maps, literally constantly in my spare time, even ones I don't end up using are just fun to design. Planning out every village, city, or other settlement in a country, detailing their histories, diplomatic factions, kingdoms, alliances, crafts, traditions, trading goods... often times with zoomed in street maps of the more major areas, and ideas of who lives there and what they generally get about doing, NPCs which the players might come across if the visit there and what're they like, etc... It gives me reassurance that I'll have something ready if ever asked, and the ability to give players complete freedom to go wherever. Biggest frustration with this is always when players don't press limits because they don't trust that I'd have something for them if they went down [x] route, and I've overheard players sometimes discussing among themselves that they would have gone somewhere different but expected to have been narratively invisible wall'd so hadn't bothered trying. Biggest actual problem is managing to focus players towards the actual plot if there's a lot of irrelevant flare sitting around to also be discovered.
@thealmanancy9020
5 жыл бұрын
well, being a worldbuilder gives us the opportunity to *not* need to focus the players towards the plot, raillroading or not. this is just my opinion here. but I find the most interesting thing when running a campaign in a world of my own that I created is all the little stories that exist in tandem, all existing at the same time. if you're having trouble with your players not following the main storyline, then why not make the majority of quests, no matter how big or small all lead towards the main story? it hasn't failed me before
@16m49x3
5 жыл бұрын
@@thealmanancy9020 Yeah, I usually focus on the status quo of the last session and come up with a story that fit the direction they are going in that is bound to cover the next couple of sessions. Then when they move in a completely different direction in the next session. I do the same again. Planning a full story ahead of time is a lost cause.
@cristiaolson7327
4 жыл бұрын
I feel your pain. I build like an Author. I have whole cities each populated with dozens of NPCs who all have names, personalities and motivations. I know all the distances and geographies, and I have bunches of maps. I run the game as more of a Narrator though. I made a huge world so that as my PCs explore, I don't have to come up with stuff on the fly, and I can let them poke around and find the fun easter eggs I've hidden. There is a story going on, and some things will happen even if they don't interact with it (or I should say especially if they choose not to interact), but their involvement and choices have a massive impact on the world, and I'm making a point of including their backstories and taking their decisions in-game into account as the story flows. I'm trying to keep the long term plot fluid, and only let myself get carried away with location-building and NPC-naming because I'm afraid I will railroad my players if the long-term story gets set too hard into stone, but I find myself then making a zillion if-then plot tree forks like I'm authoring a choose-your-own-adventure novel (or making a plot tree for a Mass Effect type game).
@DM-ij7um
6 жыл бұрын
I find some of all 4 of these in how I run games. I do lean more towards the narrator. I love the story of the game, as do my players. When they talk about the game its rarely the combat things that come up. It's usually how someone role played their way out of or into a situation. i love this channel I tell all my DM/GM friends about it. Can't wait for more content.
@makhnolelong177
6 жыл бұрын
Something that I like about these types of videos is that it allows me to put words on what I'v experienced or feel in rpg. Can't wait for the second part!
@Fenlander216
4 жыл бұрын
When I GM I see myself as a story teller. I build the world for the players with minimal details and give the players an overview of what is going on in the world and a quick run down on what to expect. I then ask the players to write down a few bullet points as to where their characters fit in. Once that is done I try and weave the story plot line in and around their own characters.
@davethiessen3372
6 жыл бұрын
Oh shite. I am an author. I don’t know how I feel about that. Thank you so much for the vid! Sitting on pins and needles waiting for the next. Most enlightening sir
@gmross9265
6 жыл бұрын
So far I have tried bits of all three. Where some bits I really enjoy I very much dislike others. I like world building, but hate players not being the center of the story and changing the world. I like RAW because it gives a good system of adjudication when there is a question, but some of the rules for these games just seem bulky and silly. Finally, I enjoy things like falling damage, line of sight, or tracking rations, but I dislike how such things can often drag a session or a combat on much longer than it needs to. Each style sound be explored so far. Doing so will add to your GM tool box. On a final note I really didn't understand the bit about Galactic Force style. Thanks Guy for all your hard work. I love this channel!
@vordaq
5 жыл бұрын
"Huh, galactic force kinda sounds like me, though I'm not impartial to my players. Oh, nope, author, definitely author."
@stitchthealchemist1520
6 жыл бұрын
I can’t wait for the second half, Guy. Personally, I’m a Rules Interpreter first and foremost, but as far as the story goes I let the players take the wheel. We work together to tell a wonderful story, while letting the dice fly in the open and providing the story with challenge. Of course, there can always be exceptions to the rules, IF it makes sense and IF it is interesting enough.
@rashkavar
6 жыл бұрын
Personally, I am a huge proponent of grid combat regardless of GM style. As a spellcasting fan (currently playing a Bard in D&D5e), there's a lot of times when you have varying AOE spells, spells designed to provoke opportunity attacks, etc that all call for tactical use, especially in my group (which features 5 PCs and a DM who often incorporates friendly NPCs in varying roles). I find I (and others in my group) always have great difficulty keeping track of what's going on in theatre-of-the-mind combat, sometimes to the point where it slows things down. Though I have yet to actually GM (having had issues with life that have called my attention away from plans in that regard), I'd expect it to be easier for GMs, too, since GMs have to keep track of where all of the combatants are in order to adjudicate things. But I don't get to decide what the GM decides until I am the GM, so...yeah.
@carsonm7292
6 жыл бұрын
This comes down to the party preferences. One of the groups I'm running right now is all about the grid combat, so they get a lot of complex grid combat. The other group, though, has a mix of people who like and dislike grid combat and so I focus more on exploration and do a mix of grid and theatre of the mind. Theatre of the mind I think is easier to run for adventuring but harder to run for combat, so I have a lot of admiration for GMs like Griffin McElroy of The Adventure Zone who can do creative and entertaining action without using a map.
@emmet_harris
6 жыл бұрын
The funny thing is that it truly is a matter of troupe preference. If the WHOLE troupe goes along with a high narrative, low RAW style... I’ve seen multiple groups go in excess of 15 years without anyone needing more for combat than a rough scribble on a piece of paper - no grid, no ruler, no tape. And the same groups go many, many combats with small numbers of participants without more than a general description. Personally, if I had to play with plenty of different people, I would fall back on a grid to help minimise a certain sort of set of disagreements.
@NoJustShutTheFuckUp
6 жыл бұрын
It depends both on the group and on the system used, really
@huehuecoyotl2
6 жыл бұрын
Theater of the Mind and Grid Combat are tools in my GM tool box. I use them, or components of them, when and where it gets the job done. If it's for instance, a bar room brawl in a room full of people, chairs, etc. and its not planned, or crucial, just theater of the mind. If its an important fight against formidable enemies, I'd grid that out. And even with Theater of the Mind, I'll often still use some visual guide, to help with general positioning, there's just not square counting, etc.
@Ty-Inari
6 жыл бұрын
Personally I've never even gone near theatre of the mind as like you said it's way more work during the game and it helps so much in a tactical sense. Recently our other DM lost his grid tiles and it's almost impossible to understand the layout of the field or do stuff like flanking when he DMs. I heavily reccomend a grid of some kind.
@bonzwah1
5 жыл бұрын
I guess im a galactic force. Cuz that line you had about the player thinking "well if i did that in real life i would die so the game is probably going to kill me" really speaks to me. Of course, the characters are hyper competent so they can do like action movie stuff most of the time, but i like the idea of using what a person thinks would realistically happen to guide their decision making and not written rules because they trust the rules will be decently aligned with that realism.
@wwaxwork
6 жыл бұрын
I'm a narrator that uses a grid for combat, mainly because it's so much easier to keep track of what's happening and I like painting miniatures.
@joshuaperrine2019
4 жыл бұрын
When people complain about others ignoring reality, most of the time they have a valid point. It regularly boils down to whether you are being consistent with your ignorance.
@jakeand9020
4 жыл бұрын
IMO consistency is far more important than realism, applying unconditional realism to a world with dragons, chimera and magic is a bit... silly.
@nicklarocco4178
6 жыл бұрын
I've been mostly a Rules Interpreter for most of my GMing career. I always use grids when I can, if there's no reason to break or bend a rule I won't, but I've definitely become more flexible as I aged. I'm more willing to do things just entirely outside the rules, I'm willing to bend or break rules in service to story (or just cool stuff), and I generally favor the PCs. But I think that's where I do something weird, I want to PCs to succeed, but I don't want it to be easy. I want them to really struggle, to always be against overwhelming odds, and to be the underdog at all times. I think it makes things more compelling, and everyone loves an underdog after all. I think I've slid more into the narrator style lately, with some left over rules interpreter and a splash of author.
@zlatkok333
6 жыл бұрын
You, sir, deserve a lot more subscribers.
@Allstar-yl1ek
6 жыл бұрын
Galactic Force/Author/Narrator seems to be where I'm sitting. Certainly makes for interesting times for me, although so far I've mostly been working the Author/Galactic Force muscles in our group's campaign whilst 2-3 other GM's running the actual sessions, one of which falls into Rules Interpreter and the other gives me an Author/Narrator feeling. So far this setup has been working well enough, since it means we can cover most situations, whether we need new rules made; new backstories written; or someone to cover a session.
@Cthulhuftagniaia
4 жыл бұрын
I'm pretty much a Narrator built off of the foundation of a Rules Interpreter. I made a world for my players to tell their story, but a consistent interpretation of the rules helps players find their place in the world. Usually If I'm changing RAW I write it out in the Document of house rules for that campaign.
@ChesterRico
10 ай бұрын
Man I tried running V20 RAW once, I wasn't happy. Changed that up pretty quick.
@kyleward3914
6 жыл бұрын
I'm the Author DM. I've used the same world in several campaigns now. My current campaign is sort of a prequel, and I'm having a great time designing all the new (old?) places and characters in it.
@BuildinWings
3 жыл бұрын
World Builder/Narrator hybrid here. World-building is about eliminating the human-error element of ad-libbing new stuff. It's basically a Narrator who's been burned too many times.
@dominikschwarz2456
6 жыл бұрын
I am a narrator, I like fixed sets of rules as a sort of compass, I am not a world builder, but while preferring pre-existing worlds (like the Forgotten Realms) I interpret and fill them in a way I like.
@auldcrow1461
6 жыл бұрын
Next week?! We need it now!
@punkseth1
5 жыл бұрын
I like the Galactic force GM's a lot
@flyingcat5468
4 жыл бұрын
you forgot the 10th one. god. the gm is literally just god.
@fisyr
5 жыл бұрын
I never GMd but I can totally see myself as a combination of the rule interpreter and a galactic force. Mostly because I put the game part first and foremost and the narrative second. It's a game after all and not a book.
@joshuaperrine2019
4 жыл бұрын
After watching a bunch of Guy's videos, I have no idea why he plays roleplaying GAMES. He seems to dislike/disregard all the game aspects.
@gradyelmore7710
6 жыл бұрын
My GM style is a mix of Rules Interpreter and Galactic Force. With a little world builder and probably Moduler sprinkled in while I learn the craft. Been GMing out of necessity for a couple years now.
@Brodka4Realz
5 жыл бұрын
"There is no right or wrong style" really surprised me at the end. As DM, I have been all these styles, even all of them at one game because sometimes that's what it takes to make every player happy. It does not work well, but if you met my players, you'd understand. They argue constantly with each other and I'll do anything just to have a fun game. Other than those times... I'm a narrator/ world builder. I prefer the big, cinematic game.
@SuperGoose42
3 жыл бұрын
Your party sounds similar to mine. My players consist of a combat-or-nothing guy, a "hand me the spotlight so I can act" guy (who often derails and throws me for a loop), and a player who despises combat and is all about characters and plot (and hates rules, many of them are confusing. We don't even use spell slots, we use spell points from DMG). Any advice?
@candiedginger8729
3 жыл бұрын
@@SuperGoose42 your players sound like some of the characters from the a-team. Let me hit something = B.A., hand me the spotlite = Faceman, the last one reads mostly like Murdock though if this player has good problem solving skills could easily be Hannibal. I think your group might be suited to political intrigue as a hit team, or maybe as bounty hunters.
@reidtaylor3037
6 жыл бұрын
I'm a narrator through and through, I only build my worlds out a little ways off from my players at any time. I tend to lay a foundation and then build what I think is most likely for the players to interact with. This channel has been super helpful to me as I refine my skills. Thanks Guy!
@Nerobyrne
6 жыл бұрын
haha, I remember when I GM'ed for our friends group for a "Descent" game. The game didn't really give us a lot of RP options, so I figured it would be cool if the enemies all had specific "personalities". So I made some enemies that would run away if one of their allies died, for instance. Others would lie in wait even though they might have been able to move to a more advantageous position. Unfortunately we only played once so they never got to figure out what I was trying to do. Still, this is something GMs should consider because it can add a lot of immersion even to very tactical table-top games.
@rmsgrey
6 жыл бұрын
So, roughly speaking, these four headliners can be classified on a 2-axis system - on one axis, you have story/simulation; on the other, you have world/player. So Galactic Force and Author are both about the world, while Narrator and Rules Interpreter are about the players; and both Author and Narrator are focused on the story, while Galactic Force and Rules Interpreter focus on the simulation aspect of the game. Or that could just be me looking for patterns that aren't there...
@michaeldoucet-morokael
5 жыл бұрын
6 months old, but I gotta say it... You are suggesting DM alignments. We need to run away from this idea as fast as possible. =) The arguments would be hilarious though.
@audiofox5104
5 жыл бұрын
@@michaeldoucet-morokael your alignment does not match your comment.
@raymondthrone7197
5 жыл бұрын
I'm afraid the penalty for shifting DM alignment mid-comment is 1 level's worth of EXP and a Penance spell purchased on the reverse of a Mountain Dew label before resumption of duties.
@SuperGoose42
3 жыл бұрын
I like this idea. This might actually help me understand my style and where I want to be.
@Wh173c0c0
5 жыл бұрын
I think I actually do all four of these (to a degree), oddly enough. I play "Rules Interpreter" to make things fair and straightforward. "Oh, you want to do a thing? Roll an appropriate check." "No, that cantrip can *not* be used to replicate the effect of a 4th level spell. It is too OP." "Yes, you do hit all the enemies with that cone.", etc. That said, I male rules for things where there are none, let players try stuff if it might actually work, and substitute rules I don't like out. Like with the cantrip example, you can try something not on the list; just don't expect to use Minor Illusion as a substitute for Mirage Arcane. I can be a Galactic Force too since I prepare everything way ahead and like the simulation aspect. Our characters need to eat, etc as according to the rules and I don't let NPCs just exist as meaningless puppets for the characters. We have a calendar and I track time (and keep a journal of their exploits). I do, however, want to see my PCs succeed and be heroes. We only had one death so far (and it was just a battle that went bad). His death wasn't even permanent (yay, Revenant) so hooray. I somehow do both Narrator and Author too. I wrote my own world but I let the players help build it as we go. " I'm from a small desert town." "Well, the region south of us is a desert." "Ooh, can I be from there? And can the town be filled with Tabaxi?" "Love it. How about we put it here on the map?" I very much want my PCs to feel as if they are part of this world. Yes, I have a story I want to tell, but it will be told as they get to it (if they even do since the world keeps moving, says my GF side). I am still pretty new to DMing but I try to make sure my players have a fun environment with cool stories where they feel they are a part of this simulated world (if that all makes sense). P.S. Sorry for the length; brevity is not a strength of mine.
@sciverzero8197
6 жыл бұрын
I default to author type, but I am trying very hard to reign myself in to be more of a narrator. I want to do the things an author type wants to do, but I also want to be _able_ to play a game others will have fun in. My first step toward getting over my full-control compulsions was setting up a forum to RP within the world I'm building, while I'm building it. That way the people I'd like to play with later, will have helped build the world, so I can engage with them and they can engage with me, without me having to fall on my sword and do things I just don't want to do.
@carrias1
Жыл бұрын
I’m absolutely with the start of the author… but my world is crash tested. I know what’s there, and developing and exploring what’s there is the fun part for me - but story wise I just have prompts, with the expectation that the players are going to do whatever they want. The outcome isn’t scripted - the players have to engage with the world and make whatever outcome they want, provided they can thingdo effectively
@OgichiGame
5 жыл бұрын
I'm definitely an author; however, I don't plan out what the PCs are going to do. I plan for the chaos I know they're going to bring. I'm currently working out a big world for my PCs right now, and I'm doing a ton of world building and working out important NPCs in the world; but I haven't written a campaign for them. I've written various side quests, and have some ideas for things they might get involved with, but I don't have a story for the PCs. I'm basically planning to drop them into a huge sandbox, and let them figure out what they actually want to do in it. And whatever they decide, a story will be waiting there for them to create for themselves.
@apothocareon7521
6 жыл бұрын
I fall between the Author and the Narrator. I've got the world set up, but adjust it to the players and their backgrounds, and then let the players loose with a few different storylines that the characters can go off in.
@TrippingUnicorn
4 жыл бұрын
I'm basically a world builder and I had to cut back so I can actually DM one day. It only took me 4 years to finally be able to DM my campaign! I feel bad for how restrictive I'm being to the PC. All my DMs have let us players have all the freedom.
@benjaminbreeg7080
3 жыл бұрын
I'm definitely a rules interpreter GM and a tiny little bit of a galactic force because I think the rules as written are somehow the physics of the game world. I'm quite the opposite of a narrator: I think telling a story is fine (and necessary) in novels or movies, but I see it as a limit in RPGs. I prefer sandbox or free-roaming campaigns in which players are not at the centre of the world and are free to ignore stories and plot hooks offered by the GM and look for something else to do. As a game master I do interpret NPCs and describe stuff, but I'm more a referee than a storyteller.
@AlniyatSC
6 жыл бұрын
I had hilariously bad experiences with an Author GM. He stopped to argue with us when our actions didn't fit his story. The info-dumps were amazing too. "Whats on this disk?" I ask the tech guy. 20 minutes later I'm still hearing the exposition about the technology, who possesses it, how info is retrieved. Till I had to put my foot down, in and out of character and tell him to get to the INFO ON THE DISK already! He said "Its unreadable, come back in two days!" ... lol
@Wolfphototech
3 жыл бұрын
*Awesome video .* 📢 *[ Warning ] This video is by one type of GM & has built in bias for & against certain concepts & styles .* 📝 *Note : I'm a world builder & Sandbox GM/DM in most game systems ( the exception is mystery & horror games , which i'm a narrator / story teller but not railroading ) .*
@DeGreyChristensen
5 жыл бұрын
I’m very much the Author. With a little bit of Narrator. I’ve spent the last year creating a detailed world and have not ended up playing a lot in that time. I try to be open to player input though
@kossowankenobi
6 жыл бұрын
So, GSM theory. I thought we had progressed beyond this? Look forward to vid #2!
@RRobertCoad
5 жыл бұрын
I'm a hodgepodge of all theses things. great video.
@sems7827
6 жыл бұрын
I like your new mustache style
@carsonm7292
6 жыл бұрын
Out of these four I definitely sound most like the author GM. I'm well known for wanting to run a game specifically for exploring a unique setting of my own design (or inspired by somebody else's creative work), and arguably infamous for modifying or even completely overhauling rules systems to fit the themes of the campaign. The two D&D campaigns I'm running are really barely D&D in some ways; I view pen and paper RPGs as platforms that are open to whatever degree of modification is desired for the table rather than a concrete set of rules to be followed to the letter, and I'm always experimenting with new things. Despite this, however, I like to share a lot of the control of the game with my players. Good roleplaying and creative problem solving on their part can easily override RAW, including my own modified rules. The story is allowed to meander and the next steps are always up to the players; ultimately I'll eventually nudge them in a particular direction to discover the next part of the world and eventually the endgame, but they are invited to help build it on the fly when there's a situation I hadn't prepared for or they have an idea that's better than what I had planned. If they ad lib something via roleplaying it usually becomes canon on the spot. Of course, for all of this to work you need particular types of players. I always make sure these are all things they're into beforehand, otherwise there's not much of a point. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
@thealmanancy9020
5 жыл бұрын
as a fellow author, reading this comment has finally given me some inspiration on how to give my player a rebuttal when they inevitably say that I altered too much. I've been working on a D&D world for a few months now and I personally try to create story hooks literally *everywhere* and creating an extremely complex web of quests. I should be finished with my world soon enough and I', excited to finally run this with my group.
@dreddbolt
6 жыл бұрын
Part Narrator and part Author for me. Probably some other things as well, with my homebrew multiverse being crafted as a narrative skeleton for how my world works. The players drive the plot to an extent, though I could do well to loosen the reins a bit.
@nexes6691
2 жыл бұрын
Physics can be tricky.... If used a in world a lot..... caution an a light hand works wonders. Also as magic an levels grow flexibility with physics is a must. Im a world builder however i let the dice do most of the work. I find most my job is trying to make it consistent an make sense as much as possible. Also trying to encourage players in general direction of any storyline and quest in ways that are entertaining, enjoyable, heart moving, makes sense, ect..
@demongrenade2748
6 жыл бұрын
The one thing I can't stand in a GM is when they can't accept that the story they've made is full of holes or makes no sense. That's the one thing I hate above all else. When I'm playing as a player in someone else's campaign, I am there to roleplay and engage in a story. If I sense serious bullshit on the part of the GM, then I'm going to call them out, especially if they are going to use their contrived bullshit to restrict what players can do for really bad reasons. It might be rude on my part, but at the same time, I only call it out when its a serious detriment to me or other players and the reasons given are contrived or make no sense whatsoever. Plus if I can see it, the other players can too but just aren't saying anything.
@TrickyTrickyFox
6 жыл бұрын
Please, come to my table, I need people like you! :D If my story is bullshit and is full of plotholes - call me out on it, ffs :D
@uthblapanope5802
6 жыл бұрын
Yap! I think the way you call out your GM is what determines if you are being rude or not, though. If you're just pointing things out politely, then in my opinion you are not being rude at all! It's only natural for players who see the stitches and glue layers that hold together the story (or that fail at doing so) to investigate them or even question them!
@wwaxwork
6 жыл бұрын
Just be sure you have the whole story. I had my table do this once, when that was the whole point, things weren't right because the character they were talking to was lying to them. Instead of asking why things weren't right they started accusing me of making mistakes.
@dynamicworlds1
6 жыл бұрын
You should watch the best explanation of simulation-style I've seen is this playlist by Runeslinger: On Simulation in RPGs: kzitem.info/door/PLZfuKgeD5fl5TktwkkXPoHYCm6Z4fsoIB
@TrickyTrickyFox
6 жыл бұрын
wwaxwork, the concept of irreliable narrator - isn't something new (lying or basically not knowing something, yet making assumptions) in fiction and absolutely can be used to make the world feel more realistic at the table. However, there should be a build up to it - basically have an event, where a peasant is telling the party some bullshit about a situation, that they have resolved or encountered (you can even throw in the party into narration - telling that peasant heard about groups fighter defeating the enemy with his mighty laser eyes), so that you have a setup for it as a concept. If you don't want to be subtle though - you can always tell the party, that you will use this concept (like Bethesda did with their games for instance) and carry on from there. Regardless, most of the time it boils down to presentation. Plot holes - is different tho, plot holes are actual bullshit, not a TOLD bullshit. Basically, the party took over a castle, paladin blessed it (because why not) and some time later a bunch of undead took over it. The party thinks, that there is a work-around for the paladins blessing, although you just go along as a DM like that plothole never happened. That would be a plothole until adressed and if someone calls me out on it - I would absolutely ADORE it, write it down and be snarky in my response with the player being "oh? Was it? >:D" to redcon it later with an inside job of one of their stuards, who is actually a vampire and because the party invited him to work at the castle he was able to ignore the blessing in the first place (or some other stupid bullshit), so that the blessing - would still be a capable weapon in their arsenal against undead, however they need to be careful about whom they employ for instance.
@joshuaperrine2019
4 жыл бұрын
A great DM is a blend of all these types.
@mitchellreese2264
6 жыл бұрын
We gotta wait all week, damn..... lol, see you next week.
@lisliaer7999
6 жыл бұрын
I am our groups backup DM, and usually only do so when our main DM needs/wants a break. I definitely see quite a few of these different types in myself, mostly Rules Interpreter (which is how I got the position), a little bit of the Author and Narrator. Also a small touch of Galactic force at least from the combat perspective. I can't wait for part 2
@jamesc.7988
6 жыл бұрын
+1 just for being a backup DM and giving the regular DM a break when needed. We could all use more players willing to step up and run the game from time to time.
@lisliaer7999
6 жыл бұрын
@@jamesc.7988 our main dm loves playing as much as I do so I understand him wanting to have an I just need to relax weekend. He just calls me up ahead of time and I throw something together or if last minute break out World's Largest Dungeon pick a random section have them level appropriately. But sometimes we also have a 7 pc table so in those cases I can also assist with some side stuff or battle also the resident "rules lawyer" so if there's ever a question of what the rules say or its something odd and he's unsure what rules apply or how it would/could work he bounces stuff off on me. Like tripping underwater in 3.x DnD there really isn't a rule for it.
@petrdavid7434
5 жыл бұрын
When I watched this for the first time, I didn't have a group and had no idea. Now I know I'm mostly galactic force with some author and narrator :) though galactic force is great for hard sci-fi :D
@jamesc.7988
6 жыл бұрын
I am definitely a mix of those. Rules Interpreter: I try to use the RAW but I have yet to find a perfect game system and will almost always add in some house rules to better suit my GM'ing style and group of players. When it comes to the dice, I do let them fall where they may but if a random NPC gets in a lucky shot that kills a PC, I use a "Blaze of Glory" rule where that player knows their character is going to die by the end of that session but I allow them to decide when and how the character will go out. Grid combat can be a useful tool, especially when trying to determine attack range or area of effect but I'm not there to run a tabletop simulator and try to focus more on describing what happens instead of staring at plastic pieces on a mat. Galactic Force: I think this was more my style when I was younger. I wanted a rule to cover every situation and would spend countless hours reading through 300, 400 or 500 page rulebooks. (SpyCraft 2.0). Now I still let the dice fall where they may (as pointed out previously) and I don't really believe in fudging the numbers or pulling punches. I roll all of my dice where the players can see them and they recognize and respect just how dangerous the world (Savage Rifts Earth) can be. Narrator: This is probably where my GM'ing style fits best because in the end, I just want to tell a memorable collaborative story with my players. In many of my campaigns, I create a beginning, build up with various plot points and an epic ending. My players are the stars of the series and they can effect real change in my world. I'm okay with that as long as it helps build upon the story. I run my NPCs as my characters, asking what is his motivation, where do his loyalties lie, how would this character act or react? And then run that character to the best of my and that character's abilities. Something I told my players years ago was that the mountains (in Forgotten Realms) were known to be the home of red dragons and warned them that if they went into those mountains as Level 1 characters, there would be a chance of them running into one. By the same token, I told them that just because they were level 20, it wouldn't mean that they would never see another group of Kobold bandits that needed to be dispatched. Author: This is the GM'ing style that I relate to the least and honestly don't care for. I am simply not interested in world building or working out fine details for content that the players will most likely have no interest in. As a former player of an Author GM, I feel like the entire campaign was on rails. What we did as players simply did not have any impact on the world or the story. Yes, we killed some random evil sorceror but then another random evil sorcerer would step in to take his place. We even went as far as begging the GM to make some changes to his world to better suit our gaming style by placing less focus on religious and political monologues and more focus on combat but even that was out of the question, at least at first. After explaining, as nicely as I could, that I wasn't having any fun and wanted to quit his campaign, he made a few changes to allow for more minor combat encouners but I think by that point, the ship was already sinking and we as players, were all ready to jump overboard. Now years later, we are all still friends and he told me recently that he despises combat in RPGs and will do whatever it takes to avoid it. I told him that was definitely a problem with our group of murder hobos and the two of us laughed it off.
@twitchx06
5 жыл бұрын
Hello. Wanted to thank you for a wonderful video. Have watched a couple and I appreciate your articulate points of view on these things. An extra subscriber for you, sir. I am still listening through it but I am 90% sure that I am some mixture of Narrator, Author and Galactic Force. The world is huge, excessive and I have tucked little secrets and things everywhere to the point where i started breaking the roll20 game by loading too much into it. It is admittedly taking some of the improv away but the hope is to a have a frame and a sandbox that i can then improv and sculpt later on. As far as the video on toxic players, I do tend to have my 'Always Right' moments. I try to make sure that everyone has a voice but being a tactically minded individual, I do tend to get very vocal when it's a situation where I want to give our characters the "best" chance for survival. I think we all have a least one of those characteristics in that list occasionally. It's all about finding that balance after all. Especially as a DM, it's important to recognise how lost you would be without your players and to communicate effectively.
@derfzgrld
6 жыл бұрын
The author changes everything in order to fit his world? Hey, thats me =D Although there is also a bit of a narrator in the mix
@thealmanancy9020
5 жыл бұрын
I've found myself to be an author and narrator as well. I tend to spend forever creating a world (and enough story hooks to span hundreds of years no joke) all while integrating my PCs into it in interesting ways. I typically run a *couple* session 0s so I have enough time to work their characters into the story
@GymbalLock
6 жыл бұрын
How about running a RP in a chat room? People in the chat can observe, join in, abruptly stop playing, and purposely goof with the setting. It tends to be very free-form, and with the right players and GM can be fantastic. Without a good GM, players tend to simply fight with over-powered Mary Sue characters where one person describes an action, and the opponent simply ignores it. I've tried to run several RPs in a chat, but they've always failed to gain a lasting player base.
@marcelosilveira2276
6 жыл бұрын
I’m an Author with galactic force, definitely. Indeed I once started a game with absolutely no “plot”, the characters were in a city with developed NPCs and institutions, each with their own objectives, and the player would do whatever they wanted there. Sure, it was supposed to focus on the political side of the city, and when one of the players decided to go to the slum and promote the genocide of a growing gang things bogged down hard (I thought on the reactions of npcs and groups to the intention of others, but I didn’t expect someone to just walking somewhere and start slaying NPCs without even planning out what they were supposed to do beforehand), but overall it was a positive experience.
@dynamicworlds1
6 жыл бұрын
The best explanation of simulation-style I've seen is this playlist by Runeslinger: On Simulation in RPGs: kzitem.info/door/PLZfuKgeD5fl5TktwkkXPoHYCm6Z4fsoIB You may find the explanation more useful.
@ladymecha8718
5 жыл бұрын
So far I’m like you author meet narrator.
@ajuntapall6193
6 жыл бұрын
I feel like I'm a lazy author. I have all these ideas that keep popping in my head, but I can't bring myself to even flesh out one.
@pondrthis1
6 жыл бұрын
I think most fans of Guy's videos are low on the Galactic Force scale. His advice wouldn't be very helpful to a simulationist. And I say this with all my love.
@sielana
5 жыл бұрын
Not really. I'm actually pretty high on Galactic Force scale, and i watch his videos to maybe get better in areas that i'm weaker at.
@donblack1571
4 жыл бұрын
Awesome dragon intro.
@GeeekOut
6 жыл бұрын
I try to follow the rules as best I can to make sure nothing ULTRA ridiculous happens, I also bust my ass to write a good story, backstories, characters for my players to have/interract with, but I have no mercy for them, if they want that ultimate resolution I will break their characters, I will bring them to their lowest point so they can work through the pain and suffering and come out stronger for it.
@sullyb23511
4 жыл бұрын
My favorite DM/GM is my best friend, who's a mixture of author and narrator, with a pinch of RAW and galactic force thrown in. I bet most of the best ones are a mixture.
@JimMonsanto
6 жыл бұрын
Absolute author/narrator GM, here.
@definitelyadarkangel9225
5 жыл бұрын
I scale between galactic force and narrator. Depends on my players how far I tip towards either one.
@TakeWalker
6 жыл бұрын
Well, you just got yourself a sub, because I want to see part two! :D I am definitely an Author. Can't help it, I'm a writer. I'm not a very experienced GM, but I find that whole "outcomes are scripted" bit is what bites me in the butt more often than not. Because I'll maybe plan out, okay, here are three scenarios the heroes can go through, and here's what'll happen in each, but no matter how much I plan, eventually someone will come up with something I haven't planned for, and then I'm stuck. And it's worse because I'm really bad at reading and predicting others. D:
@partyofnone159
Жыл бұрын
I’m just now diving into being a GM, I was curious what category I would fall into even if the system I’m using is very different from DnD, this video does apply to other systems from what I see which is really cool! I think I fall under the Author classification but I’m building the story around my players, not what I want them to take part in so I can explore my own world, no offense intended to anyone but that sounds a little egotistical. I already know my world I don’t need to explore it through my players, if the story interests them then cool, if it doesn’t then they can totally decide to do something else within the world. I didn’t make the world for a ttrpg but instead I made it for a book I’m writing, i thought it would be fun for my friends to jump into with their actions effecting what happens. I want my players to have freedom to explore what they are interested in and effect the world in great ways, for good or bad 😅
@speedsteromf9553
6 жыл бұрын
god i love this channel its just amazing! i wonder though is there a way to actually get to play a game with Guy? :)
@guntisveiskats6053
6 жыл бұрын
Another cool video again! I prefer GMless games, probably mostly because I'm awful at memorizing rulebooks and the multitude of prep details. So, I am the Chaotic GM in need of rules lawyer to support me. That said, I tend to Narrator with a tinge of Author when I GM. The latter, I believe, is a common disease of new GMs. Some get immunity later on, but some get chronic. Hopefully, it's a small minority.
@CaseyWilkesmusic
2 жыл бұрын
I find my style changes with the system. I play both Dungeon Crawl Classics and 5e. The galactic force is more conducive to DCC since the play is harder, deadlier and more random. 5e is conducive for the world builder and the narrator style.
@amberbetts8098
5 жыл бұрын
I am just getting back into gaming, and I am finding this channel invaluable. Keep up the good work.
@wolfhelser815
6 жыл бұрын
Haha...I am such an Author DM...i've been playing in the same homebrew world since 1986. The good news is I am very Narrator with my players in the game....I just know a whole lot about the world.
@gendor5199
6 жыл бұрын
I am an Author mainly, I try to make a world, but at the same time I am a Narrator as I want to basically set up a world where a group of players start out in the Bronze age of sorts and are a bit like the ancient heroes like Akilles and Hercules etc and will shape the world on their actions. When they are ready to retire their characters a new era will beging, this time perhaps it is the early days of Rome and here they will choose between being Caesar or finding Caesar, and so on and so on, so they will always have an impact on the world, and they can explore that impact in a later adventure but the closer to "present day" it will be, the less of heroes they will be and instead of being kings, they will be king-makers! But I really suck at finishing my world building and I doubt I will ever get it done because I always want to fill out more and more and more, while at the same time not getting much because I want the players to be there to shape it, and I have no players.
@dahelmang
3 жыл бұрын
I'm really uncomfortable with the idea that physics shouldn't exist in fantasy settings... How can we make plans or form ideas if there is no connection to reality? Of course it can be overdone, but that doesn't mean it has no value.
@sgshaday
5 жыл бұрын
Author... Until players surprise me. Then I turn into Narrator XD with some RAW so it seems fair XD I really like tge players that provide story. It allows me to be Narrator more XD
@Skyldyel
6 жыл бұрын
Of those I identify the most with the author. I just love to build worlds. But I also want the players to "use" those worlds and surprise me. For that I allow my main world to have secrets, even from me. And possibly explore those together with the players. That said, I do not expect my players to have the same level of world knowledge that I have to. For campaign start I said: "This is the general theme of the world. Any character that fits that theme will fit the campaign. If you want more information, here is a link to some world notes you can read. You do not have to. We are starting in a harbor town, a big trade hub, so anyone should be able to find a reason to be there." From that I try to build adventures around the characters. Maybe that makes me also a bit of a narrator? Characters can definitely shape the world. I am not the "My world, praise it but don't touch it" type of narrator.
@Seoulwanderer
6 жыл бұрын
I feel like I'm a little bit of all of these... though I'm probably most like the Narrator. Thinking of my last scenario, I spent some time building the world (Author), but only enough to make a believable world for my story (Narrator) to take place. (Modern Cthulhu, by the way, but set in a fictional town with a unique supernatural threat.) I told my players I was going to run my scenario as a survival horror game, so there would be loads of combat. I didn't pull any dice rolls (Galactic Force) unless I felt I had inadvertently set up things to be unfair, so there were some really close calls where the various beasties got the drop on the player characters. (I also warned them they'd have to work together or they'd definitely die, so they mostly did work together.) I think running it like a simulation helped build the tension because the players knew I wasn't going to pull dice rolls or have the opposition pull back or show mercy, which was good for the survival horror theme. They were literally fighting for their lives the entire scenario. I think probably the Rules Interpreter is least like me... I mostly followed the rules, but if the players wanted to do something and I wasn't sure the rules covered it, I'd make up my own call without ever consulting the rule book, or just let them roll their Luck roll to see if their plan worked.
@guy-s
6 жыл бұрын
8:15 I very much disagree with this point and it is a common response to people saying your world is unrealistic. To make a world feel alive, it doesn't have to resemble real life (realistic) per se, but it must be BELIEVABLE. A normal human jumping 5 meters is just not believable whereas giant flying lizards are. A magical floating island may be believable in a certain world, but a huge stable society of human anarchists is not believable.
@arcaneminded
6 жыл бұрын
Well said. Giant flying lizards do not exist in our current world (Though Pteradactyls *were* a thing once) but I could believe a world where they did. Magic doesn't exist and it's impossible, but I could *believe* it to be something that required a deep understanding beyond my abilities. But when you tell me the water flows upstream in a certain river and your best and only explanation is "gravity is different"... that is actually just immersion killing.
@TrickyTrickyFox
6 жыл бұрын
"Gravity is different" is totally fine tho, if everything is affected by it. Though, the stream "going up" - sounds like a decent setup for something whimsical, like a fountain of youth being at the end of it, so... it's all about the punchline later on. Gravity - packs a great punch, but is a terrible punchline.
@arcaneminded
6 жыл бұрын
+Evil toaster of pure EVIL I disagree. There are many explanations that would suffice but when you say "Gravity is different" it opens up a can of questions such as what shape is the planet and if there's a moon what shape is that? if there's not a moon why do we have a goddess of the moon? How does the atmosphere work? if it rains on the stream which way does it move? If I start running uphill will it be like I'm running downhill? Contradictions 100% ensue, and often there's immediate contradictions to everything I've been imagining so far. Ruins the game. Next time: A wizard did it will suffice.
@TrickyTrickyFox
6 жыл бұрын
As I said, if "gravity is different" - everything should be affected by it and there has to be a reason for that, of course :D And if you are got at physix - you can make this pocket-place of strange gravity - be an insanely fun adventure. I mean, having a WHOLE LOT of magical rocks in the ground, that are heavy AF (because players would instantly want some to take with them), but fuck up all the gravity in the area because of their gravitational influence could lead to some epic stuff and interesting combat scenarios. Again, it boils down to the punchline. "A wizard did it" - is almost perfect. My favorite "on the spot" explanation is "because magic".
@gibbcharron3469
6 жыл бұрын
It's less about realism and more about internal consistency. As stated by others, you can do crazy stuff as long as it makes sense within the confines of the specific world.
@JamJestKox
4 жыл бұрын
World Builder/Simulationist here. No fun allowed at my table
@lucasistrom
6 жыл бұрын
I am somewhere between author and narrator. I prepare like an author but I let players guide the story.
@icecold1805
5 жыл бұрын
damn, so you usually are fairly tiddy and all but today you are good looking. Envious of the beard mate, shame I can't grow something like that.
@AuntieHauntieGames
6 жыл бұрын
"I'm a little bit of a galactic force, and maybe a little bit of narrator, and a little bit of an author..." I feel called out. ;)
@maxime2445
3 жыл бұрын
Well some styles that are good can be done by a trash dm. And the opposite. Where a great dm has a bad style. But then I would still want the bad style by a great dm.
@solice55
6 жыл бұрын
Very interesting segment. I classify myself as a mixture of each of these. I'm a Galactic Force, Rules Interpreter, and Author primarily. I create and simulate a world with the rules of the chosen game system rules at its core, using real world physics as a fall back for rules that are not covered and to inform what rulings I should make. I also hold my players to consequences of their actions while simulating the world around them even if they're not there. That is, if they leave a plot hook dangling, that plot continues to advance, life goes on, and if the players return or end up in a place that plot has evolved into, they can see the consequences of not intervening. There are no rails in my games, but there is always something happening with or without the player character interactions. I would say that I'm least part Narrator because the story that is created is not the one I'm forcing onto the players, but the one that we create together that is influenced by the stories I want to tell (and may ultimately need to alter as a result of those interactions). The story and content is largely focused around what the player characters end up experiencing, even if that means I'm writing or simulating 90% of the stuff that they don't see to make it happen.
@XXTheGoldStephanoXX
6 жыл бұрын
My DM like to do contesting % rolls. If we want to do something hes not quite sure of we both roll % dice, if we get higher than the dm does our plan works.
@philsinstrumentals3940
4 жыл бұрын
That must be the first video I ever saw you trip over words.
@ryanbeverley1546
6 жыл бұрын
I fear that I may be in the lower 5 types, though I cannot say which yet. I am a relative rookie GM, and I try to not be a rules lawyer and let some player hijinks happe ln as story dictates. My main issue is that I can struggle at improvised things and giving enough description. So, I think I need to add a bit of galactic force or narrative ability to my style.
@thricemindblown7883
4 жыл бұрын
So G force gms are are more maths/physics and author gms are more geology/anthropology. Feel like the narrator category could be split somehow.
@rashkavar
6 жыл бұрын
Hmm, lets see. As an aspiring GM who's got a sizable chunk of a world drawn up on World Anvil, I have to say I primarily fall under the Author category. That said, I've left large swathes of my world deliberately underdeveloped so that players can set up backstories freely, because the Narrator style appeals to me much more so from an engagement perspective - I don't want to have a world in which there's no room for player ideas, because as a player I've had a lot of fun coming up with backstory ideas that leave my GM some interesting threads to play with, and I know that sort of engagement is one of the fundamental differences that make pen and paper role playing a different and more enjoyable experience than a video game. Rules Interpreter has a degree of appeal to me, just for the sake of having some backup to defend me when more experienced players try to break the game in some way. I certainly wouldn't go fully into the random encounter BS and the like. The grid side of things, as I've already mentioned, is a huge boon to me, as I really don't fancy trying to keep track of a whole party's position relative to various monsters, especially since my one of my core antagonists is a warlord who will be throwing large groups of relatively weak troops around towards the end of his plot arc. I'm even a bit of a galactic force type, in that I'm really not a fan of the idea of insane heroic stunts being possible purely through force of will. I'll try to find a way to give a player a way out of their situation, but if they throw themselves jump off one giant bird (no airplanes in my medieval fantasy!) onto another, bad things are happening regardless of how they roll - it just isn't guaranteed to be instant death.
@TengrioftheCrimsonSky
6 жыл бұрын
So far I'd say I'm an Author style but I don't hold my plots as high as to say the players don't have a say in what's going on. To me it's making sure everyone is having fun and gets to become the hero or villain they have in mind. I can always say Grimvor the Great of the Northern Barbarian Tribes took down this Necromancer that was raising a small army that the player's didn't want to bite onto and later on maybe they run into that NPC and can learn things from them or can team up to take on something bigger than maybe they can handle, spoiler warning the NPC will probably die by the end to prevent falling into the pitfall of becoming a GM NPC
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