Progressive Games: GM Planning, Part 1
By Cape Rust
I started out this series taking about planning with a focus on the players and their characters. The progressive game has many unique aspects that you will not find in most traditional games by its very nature. Now as we transition to the other side of the screen we need to start looking at planning from the GM’s point of view. When looking at GM planning, you should approach it from different angles depending on which portion of the progressive game you are running. For the sake of your sanity, I will break this huge responsibility into three parts. The first part deals with being the first GM, the next deals with the second GM, and the final part deals with being the subsequent and or final GM.
While being the first GM in a Prog game might seem like the easiest job, as far as GMs go, it really isn’t. You do have the greatest flexibility in the choices you make but those choices can really make or break the game. In my most recent Prog game, our first GM presided over the character creation process, but didn’t lord over it. I try to practice what I preach and the planning sessions went quite well; they were a collaborative effort. Our current GM did forbid one type of magic that I am a fan of and excluded one sourcebook that, while interesting, can easily become overpowered. I wasn’t happy with the first decision, but could see why he made the second one. These were two issues where he decided to play the GM trump card and I understood why.
Now you might be saying, “Wait a second, didn’t Cape just spend several weeks talking about how the planning process had to be a group effort?” The answer is yes, but there are times when the GM has to be able to play that trump card for the good of the overall game, or for the good of the portion of the game that they are running. Remember that while this game should focus on the players, the GM has to want to run it. If there are a few issues that the GM feels strongly about, then they should be discussed, and if it requires the trump card then so be it. Games where the GM is not happy with major aspects of the game end up being not fun for everyone involved. If you happen to be that first GM, please try to use the GM trump card sparingly as it could come back to bite you later on.
After everyone has settled on their characters ,the first GM can really get down to business. By this time you should have a good idea of what type of game your players want, but it never hurts to do a quick sanity check to make sure your players have made characters that fit into the type of game they said they wanted. Let’s say that you are in a fantasy setting, your players have all said they want a game heavy on combat, but they roll up a bard, healer, beguiler, and a wizard who has taken a vow of non-violence. How exactly is that going to work in heavy combat? This is one of the reasons that it is sometimes good to have already figured out who is going to run the first game so they can steer the character creation process without railroading it.
Once all of that has been figured out, the GM can really sit down and plan a game that, in theory, everyone will enjoy. Take the time to look at each and every character sheet, see what abilities each player has focused on. Listen to table talk to get an understanding of what each player wants and figure out how to allow them; even if they are brief, allow moments for each character to shine. Should this dictate the entire game? Not completely, but giving each player a little spotlight time can never hurt.
Many of the choices you make at this point will be dictated by your GMing style. I tend to run lower-level games with less powerful utility magic items. My games are rarely world changing and tend to be moderate to low in combat. Based on this, I can be safe and run the same type of game I normally run or take a huge risk and throw all of that out of the window. Both of these approaches have advantages and disadvantages. The most important thing to think about is how the status quo will impact the entire Prog game. If I am the first GM then my game style might work well, but if I am one of the later GMs my style might make the players feel like they are being gimped because they are not saving the world with their awesome magic items. This is another time when the Prog game can be great for groups that are in a rut. For me as a GM, being the third or fourth GM, while challenging, would be great for my GM growth.
As with all games the beginning is always important. If the characters already know each other, which I think they should, then there is no need to force the formation of the party. Sometimes that type of situation can be fun but it can get old really quick. If the game starts out at a low-level, the party formation efforts might work better and it could even help some players develop their concept of how their characters interact with the other characters. If there are social norms that have been established in your group, this is a good time to break them; force players, whose characters don’t normally work together, into situations where they have to depend on each other. Some might say this reeks of railroading, but I don’t. In my eyes this is a way to push your players without putting them on rails.
Next week I will finish up planning for the first GM in the Prog game and drive on from there. Remember, as the first GM you are setting the foundation for the Prog game, and if not done properly you have the ability to kill the game if you are not careful.
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