So, the first campaign is done, written by myself and a friend of mine, Andrew. It's been performed twice by myself and once again by a different GM, and it seems to hold up pretty well. I enjoy having these self-contained one-day modules, that I can play with others. I'm currently working on a second one, which has been played once, but still needs some work. I want the end to be tower-defense-esque, but I'm not entirely sure how to do it.
Some advice to those who wish to run it:
1) INCLUDE NPCs. Oh my goodness they are so helpful. The "Gift of Gab" injection and any secret society contact is particularly a chance to let them shine. Let them read the campaign. Let them roleplay the secrety society contacts or the animals' voices. They'll have fun with it. In one case, there was a roleplay just between one player and my NPC, on the inside of a whale. I still don't know what happened, but it involved cutting things, dynamite, and a couple buildings collapsing, but the whale being totally unharmed. It doesn't matter, either, because they both had fun.
2) Gage the PC's interest when deciding how long to throw animals at them. You don't want to wear them out, so they'll have fun with the finale. If they're really not into it, you can leave it out, but it is silly and fun. It's tricky, because you have to custom-tailor things to what your PC's want, but you can't ask them, of course. That would be silly.
Here's a preview, but you're probably better off using the link below. I also didn't bother proofreading it, because I'm lazy, lazy, lazy. So feel free to point out things that don't make sense or that I can't splel.
https://docs.google.com/document/pub?id=1GYl4NRMjIm9Idq1d6Te7RHfPJ7KpkGGFC2qVA6ff-ZM
Until next time,
-Sean
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
Thursday, April 7, 2011
Pills Here!
It's been a while since I've posted here, mostly because I've only had the opportunity to play one game between then and now. The upswing to that is that it's a game that my friend and I completely planned out beforehand, making a nice one-session module that I'll publish here once it's publish-ready. One of my goals, you see, is to make digital versions of all the material I make for Paranoia. The NPC method of GMing has been a roaring success, especially if the NPC is skilled enough to GM their own game (which was the case in this game). I might sing the praises of NPCs again later, but suffice to say that they work. They really do.
Anyway, I said I'd outline pill cards last time, and dammit, I'm going to. Pill cards are a convenient way to deal with medications and their various effects. They also have the advantage of being easy to hand out, allowing for secrecy between GM and player, and speeding up communication. Making a pill card is easy. Simply take an index card and fold it in half. On the outside, write the name and appearance of the pill. Draw a picture if you'd like. A good example would be "Pyroxidine 2 (R)" or something. Now on the inside of the card, state what the pill actually does. In this case, Pyroxidine 2 instills a great sense of happiness and a can-do attitude. It also has a 20% chance of instant death and a 45% chance of causing itchy scalp. Instead of saying just that, write down the sense of happiness and can-do attitude. Then, in a fifth of the cards you make, include death, and include the itchy scalp in about half of the cards you make. That way, the odds are preserved, but the player doesn't have to roll all sorts of dice when they take their meds.
Then, close the pill card, and stick it together with stickers. I recommend motivational stickers. Not only are they cheap, but you also get the psychological effect of having pills labeled "You're great!" and "Do it, faggot!". The PCs will be more likely to eat your pills, you see. Then, you simply hand them out when they get them in game. If a player opens their pill card, they have already ingested their pill. If it's closed, then they haven't. Real simple.
I recommend having a stack of these, not all clearly labeled. It's totally fine to hand out a pill card simply labeled "Black Pill (IR)" or "Syringe of clear liquid (?)". Just have an explicit effect on the inside.
We've tried these out for a few games, and they're easy to make and fun to have around. It also makes it very easy to customize the meds in your game, or you can simply copy the ones in the book. Whatever works for you.
So, like I said, at some point soon, I'll start publishing some of the content that I've made. Probably. You know how consistent I am.
-Flare
Anyway, I said I'd outline pill cards last time, and dammit, I'm going to. Pill cards are a convenient way to deal with medications and their various effects. They also have the advantage of being easy to hand out, allowing for secrecy between GM and player, and speeding up communication. Making a pill card is easy. Simply take an index card and fold it in half. On the outside, write the name and appearance of the pill. Draw a picture if you'd like. A good example would be "Pyroxidine 2 (R)" or something. Now on the inside of the card, state what the pill actually does. In this case, Pyroxidine 2 instills a great sense of happiness and a can-do attitude. It also has a 20% chance of instant death and a 45% chance of causing itchy scalp. Instead of saying just that, write down the sense of happiness and can-do attitude. Then, in a fifth of the cards you make, include death, and include the itchy scalp in about half of the cards you make. That way, the odds are preserved, but the player doesn't have to roll all sorts of dice when they take their meds.
Then, close the pill card, and stick it together with stickers. I recommend motivational stickers. Not only are they cheap, but you also get the psychological effect of having pills labeled "You're great!" and "Do it, faggot!". The PCs will be more likely to eat your pills, you see. Then, you simply hand them out when they get them in game. If a player opens their pill card, they have already ingested their pill. If it's closed, then they haven't. Real simple.
I recommend having a stack of these, not all clearly labeled. It's totally fine to hand out a pill card simply labeled "Black Pill (IR)" or "Syringe of clear liquid (?)". Just have an explicit effect on the inside.
We've tried these out for a few games, and they're easy to make and fun to have around. It also makes it very easy to customize the meds in your game, or you can simply copy the ones in the book. Whatever works for you.
So, like I said, at some point soon, I'll start publishing some of the content that I've made. Probably. You know how consistent I am.
-Flare
Friday, January 21, 2011
NPCs! Come to me!
I've been thinking about the NPC idea, and while nothing's been tested, I have hammered out the details for NPC conduct and their involvement in the game. The purpose of NPC's in the game is to help run a faster, more in-depth, and ultimately a more fun game. So, without further ado, here's my initial declaration of NPC involvement.
General:
NPC's have similar powers to the GM, in that they may look at other character's sheets, notes, etc. as necessary. Most importantly, like lying to the GM, LYING TO AN NPC IS NOT TREASON, IT IS CHEATING. Like the GM, they are there to make sure you have the most fun in your own personal corner of hell. The GM will serve as the storyteller, but the NPCs may still contribute as described below. The GM outranks the NPC is all decisions, but shouldn't use that to his advantage, the prick. Any NPC is considered Ultraviolet clearance out of game, and as such are encouraged to peruse through the entire Player's handbook. Once they return to PCing (playing the game), they are expected to forget all of it, of course.
While NPC's do have GM-like power, they also get the GM-given gift of perversity. The GM, if he so chooses, may give you perversity to spend in any way you like as though you were a PC. Hilarity ensues.
Things the GM may ask you to do:
Play an NPC - The GM may ask you to roleplay as a random citizen in Alpha Complex, or even as a plot-propelling citizen. The GM will give you enough information to get started (a personality, clearance, any information to give to the PC's, hilarious jokes, etc.) and you will be asked to roleplay that character and entertain the PC's.
Good roleplaying will net you perversity, bad roleplaying will net you stern looks from the GM AND the the players.
Go into the hall and play an NPC - Some PC's like to talk to their contact with their secret society. While conversations are nice, the GM cannot have a private conversation with a player using notes and run the game simultaneously, omnipotent as he may be. So, the GM may ask you to roleplay as someone's secret society contact out in the hall where the other PC's and even the GM can't hear you. This requires some level of trust, so don't be a jerk. The GM will make sure you know enough about the secret society to pass a high-ranking official, give you whatever information you need to have/give to the PC, and send you into the hall. If you are planning to be an NPC, a working knowledge of various secret societies is preferred.
Pretty much anything - The GM never knows what he'll need to do, and so he doesn't know what he'll need YOU to do. Be flexible, and comply with his unreasonable demands. There's some perversity in it for ya.
Things you can do when the GM isn't looking:
Antagonize the players - Most people in Alpha Complex have a small machine in their brain, attached to their sensory nerve, that advertises to them occasionally. Advertisement is a necessary part of any capitalist society, after all. So, whenever a player sees/hears/smells anything (or not), you may pass them a note with a hilarious/treasonous advert upon it. The other players will get suspicious that notes are being passed, you and the player get to have a good laugh, and all is well. Also, if a player ever ends up with "Visions", this means that some drug or mutant effect is causing them to hear voices. This gives all the NPC's carte blanche to antagonize them with convincing voices and suggestions for hilarity/treason. You can even command this player to do minor things, but only if simply "suggesting" isn't hilarious enough.
Create pill cards - At some point, I'll go into these in greater depth on this blog, but they're basically index cards with various drug effects written on them. As an NPC, if you're having difficulty keeping quiet and are creative, you can write up some of these in your free time. They're all pending GM approval, of course, but it's something to do.
Bugger off - NPC's have the unusual privilege of being able to leave in the middle of a firefight, assuming they're not roleplaying an NPC. So, if you need to go to the bathroom or get the GM a cool, frosty beverage, that's generally okay. Don't be gone for too long, though - you'll miss all the fun.
Issues and Concerns:
Too many cooks spoils the broth. Too many players leads to chaos. As such, there needs to be a system for balancing the number of PCs and NPCs. The NPC rules are really only designed for large groups, so any game with three or less players should not have any NPCs. Alternately, if there are more than 5 players, at least one NPC is vital to keeping the GM sane. As this system is tested, I'll speak more about proper PC/NPC balance.
There is always a concern with abuse of power. If a player believes that an NPC or even the GM is abusing their power, or that there is some way the game could be run better, please, PLEASE do not hesitate to talk with the GM about this. Please. We are all here only to make sure that everyone has fun, and no one is more dedicated to this concept than the GM.
If you have any additions or comments to this, either talk to me or leave a comment here. I'd love to hear your feedback.
Next, I'll talk a bit about these nebulous "pill cards" and I'll let you know how this system works in practice.
-Flare
PS. I've noticed that "hilarious" and "treasonous" are always interchangeable, at least here. Is Treason Hilarious? I think so.
General:
NPC's have similar powers to the GM, in that they may look at other character's sheets, notes, etc. as necessary. Most importantly, like lying to the GM, LYING TO AN NPC IS NOT TREASON, IT IS CHEATING. Like the GM, they are there to make sure you have the most fun in your own personal corner of hell. The GM will serve as the storyteller, but the NPCs may still contribute as described below. The GM outranks the NPC is all decisions, but shouldn't use that to his advantage, the prick. Any NPC is considered Ultraviolet clearance out of game, and as such are encouraged to peruse through the entire Player's handbook. Once they return to PCing (playing the game), they are expected to forget all of it, of course.
While NPC's do have GM-like power, they also get the GM-given gift of perversity. The GM, if he so chooses, may give you perversity to spend in any way you like as though you were a PC. Hilarity ensues.
Things the GM may ask you to do:
Play an NPC - The GM may ask you to roleplay as a random citizen in Alpha Complex, or even as a plot-propelling citizen. The GM will give you enough information to get started (a personality, clearance, any information to give to the PC's, hilarious jokes, etc.) and you will be asked to roleplay that character and entertain the PC's.
Good roleplaying will net you perversity, bad roleplaying will net you stern looks from the GM AND the the players.
Go into the hall and play an NPC - Some PC's like to talk to their contact with their secret society. While conversations are nice, the GM cannot have a private conversation with a player using notes and run the game simultaneously, omnipotent as he may be. So, the GM may ask you to roleplay as someone's secret society contact out in the hall where the other PC's and even the GM can't hear you. This requires some level of trust, so don't be a jerk. The GM will make sure you know enough about the secret society to pass a high-ranking official, give you whatever information you need to have/give to the PC, and send you into the hall. If you are planning to be an NPC, a working knowledge of various secret societies is preferred.
Pretty much anything - The GM never knows what he'll need to do, and so he doesn't know what he'll need YOU to do. Be flexible, and comply with his unreasonable demands. There's some perversity in it for ya.
Things you can do when the GM isn't looking:
Antagonize the players - Most people in Alpha Complex have a small machine in their brain, attached to their sensory nerve, that advertises to them occasionally. Advertisement is a necessary part of any capitalist society, after all. So, whenever a player sees/hears/smells anything (or not), you may pass them a note with a hilarious/treasonous advert upon it. The other players will get suspicious that notes are being passed, you and the player get to have a good laugh, and all is well. Also, if a player ever ends up with "Visions", this means that some drug or mutant effect is causing them to hear voices. This gives all the NPC's carte blanche to antagonize them with convincing voices and suggestions for hilarity/treason. You can even command this player to do minor things, but only if simply "suggesting" isn't hilarious enough.
Create pill cards - At some point, I'll go into these in greater depth on this blog, but they're basically index cards with various drug effects written on them. As an NPC, if you're having difficulty keeping quiet and are creative, you can write up some of these in your free time. They're all pending GM approval, of course, but it's something to do.
Bugger off - NPC's have the unusual privilege of being able to leave in the middle of a firefight, assuming they're not roleplaying an NPC. So, if you need to go to the bathroom or get the GM a cool, frosty beverage, that's generally okay. Don't be gone for too long, though - you'll miss all the fun.
Issues and Concerns:
Too many cooks spoils the broth. Too many players leads to chaos. As such, there needs to be a system for balancing the number of PCs and NPCs. The NPC rules are really only designed for large groups, so any game with three or less players should not have any NPCs. Alternately, if there are more than 5 players, at least one NPC is vital to keeping the GM sane. As this system is tested, I'll speak more about proper PC/NPC balance.
There is always a concern with abuse of power. If a player believes that an NPC or even the GM is abusing their power, or that there is some way the game could be run better, please, PLEASE do not hesitate to talk with the GM about this. Please. We are all here only to make sure that everyone has fun, and no one is more dedicated to this concept than the GM.
If you have any additions or comments to this, either talk to me or leave a comment here. I'd love to hear your feedback.
Next, I'll talk a bit about these nebulous "pill cards" and I'll let you know how this system works in practice.
-Flare
PS. I've noticed that "hilarious" and "treasonous" are always interchangeable, at least here. Is Treason Hilarious? I think so.
Monday, December 13, 2010
When Will I Learn?
Every December, since about two years ago, I've had a tradition of holding a Christmas-themed Roleplaying session. Since I don't have an active group, I decided to do a Crimbo-themed Paranoia session. (Crimbo being a non-denominational abbreviation for Christmas that I stole from Kingdom of Loathing). First, I'll have to describe exactly what I implemented, and then I'll describe exactly what I did wrong.
The idea was to have a Crimbo-themed mission, where the players would have to do away with a "smelly red-clearance man bribing random people to curry their favor in a communist plot against the Computer". Obviously, Father Christmas is a communist. The mission was rather interesting, as it basically involved tracking down Father Christmas, who was leaving a wake of holiday cheer. For example, one encounter was with a group of people who were given a "green needle-tree, colorful boxes, and strings of multicolored lights".
I implemented a few new Christmas-themed weapons. My favorite was the L.I.N.U.S., an acronym that changes meaning every time someone asks. Basically, it's a giant mech, with a small card slot in front of it. In this slot is a baby-blue card with the word "BLANKET" typed on it. When LINUS has his blanket, he's in defense mode. When LINUS doesn't, though, he destroys everything in his path to get it back. Needless to say, I love "A Charlie Brown Christmas". Also making it's triumphant return was the Yule Log, a comically large log which explodes in a shower of fireworks at the slightest provocation, and the Sneaky Snake, which does whatever the GM wants it to at the most convenient time. I also had two "Christmas Cheer" Lasers, each by itself would only make the target feel happy. Both simultaneously would make the target's heart explode.
All of that was very fine and good, and got a fair number of laughs. However, my problem was that, in good Christmas spirit, I invited all my friends. The problem with living in a dorm-like setting is that I can have a game with eight or nine people in it, like this one. Earlier, I mentioned that a large group was only good for Zap games. Well, it is fine for very zap games, but the reason for that is that bookkeeping and quick communication is pretty much impossible. I constantly had a stack of sticky notes, all full of actions that no longer had any meaning because things had already changed too much. It made many of the players feel powerless, which isn't a good thing. They should feel like they have options, even if all of them are damning. Communication seems to be a constant struggle in these sorts of games. So, when will I learn?
Well, I'm going to start trying now. I'm going to try playing with a cap of 5 players. Smaller groups are worlds easier to communicate with. I'll allow others to be involved, but they're going to be involved as "NPC's", who will play various NPC characters I need played and occasionally pull people to the side to roleplay side encounters with secret societies or the like. That should help decrease the workload on the GM and allow for faster communication during firefights and the like. So, I'll tell you all how that goes.
-Flare
PS. It was one of my players' birthday today, so Father Crimbo pulled a cake out of his bag of goodies during the game. Happy Birthday, and thanks to everyone that made that happen.
The idea was to have a Crimbo-themed mission, where the players would have to do away with a "smelly red-clearance man bribing random people to curry their favor in a communist plot against the Computer". Obviously, Father Christmas is a communist. The mission was rather interesting, as it basically involved tracking down Father Christmas, who was leaving a wake of holiday cheer. For example, one encounter was with a group of people who were given a "green needle-tree, colorful boxes, and strings of multicolored lights".
I implemented a few new Christmas-themed weapons. My favorite was the L.I.N.U.S., an acronym that changes meaning every time someone asks. Basically, it's a giant mech, with a small card slot in front of it. In this slot is a baby-blue card with the word "BLANKET" typed on it. When LINUS has his blanket, he's in defense mode. When LINUS doesn't, though, he destroys everything in his path to get it back. Needless to say, I love "A Charlie Brown Christmas". Also making it's triumphant return was the Yule Log, a comically large log which explodes in a shower of fireworks at the slightest provocation, and the Sneaky Snake, which does whatever the GM wants it to at the most convenient time. I also had two "Christmas Cheer" Lasers, each by itself would only make the target feel happy. Both simultaneously would make the target's heart explode.
All of that was very fine and good, and got a fair number of laughs. However, my problem was that, in good Christmas spirit, I invited all my friends. The problem with living in a dorm-like setting is that I can have a game with eight or nine people in it, like this one. Earlier, I mentioned that a large group was only good for Zap games. Well, it is fine for very zap games, but the reason for that is that bookkeeping and quick communication is pretty much impossible. I constantly had a stack of sticky notes, all full of actions that no longer had any meaning because things had already changed too much. It made many of the players feel powerless, which isn't a good thing. They should feel like they have options, even if all of them are damning. Communication seems to be a constant struggle in these sorts of games. So, when will I learn?
Well, I'm going to start trying now. I'm going to try playing with a cap of 5 players. Smaller groups are worlds easier to communicate with. I'll allow others to be involved, but they're going to be involved as "NPC's", who will play various NPC characters I need played and occasionally pull people to the side to roleplay side encounters with secret societies or the like. That should help decrease the workload on the GM and allow for faster communication during firefights and the like. So, I'll tell you all how that goes.
-Flare
PS. It was one of my players' birthday today, so Father Crimbo pulled a cake out of his bag of goodies during the game. Happy Birthday, and thanks to everyone that made that happen.
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
Again with the bubbles!
So, after last session's absolute chaos, I decided to try the module at the back of the book again, Mister Bubbles. This was a group of three troubleshooters, and it was a rather serious first game. Well, it was serious in comparison to last week's mess.
I'm not sure I am capable of doing an incredibly serious session of this game. It just lends itself to ridiculousness too easily. In this campaign, we have a Computer Phreak who is irrationally afraid of robots, a woman who occasionally (read:when hilarious) responds with animal noises, and a fellow who's going to learn that his 17 in Cash Hacking isn't a 17 in covering his trail. How could I not make that hilarious? Maybe that's why Paranoia always works so well: the situations are so ridiculous that the game just succeeds, almost regardless of anything. (For examples, just look back at all the other disasters I've GM'd.) Oh, and everyone has a lightsaber. Ridiculousness.
Regardless, everyone had fun and good times. So, another roaring success.
-Flare
I'm not sure I am capable of doing an incredibly serious session of this game. It just lends itself to ridiculousness too easily. In this campaign, we have a Computer Phreak who is irrationally afraid of robots, a woman who occasionally (read:when hilarious) responds with animal noises, and a fellow who's going to learn that his 17 in Cash Hacking isn't a 17 in covering his trail. How could I not make that hilarious? Maybe that's why Paranoia always works so well: the situations are so ridiculous that the game just succeeds, almost regardless of anything. (For examples, just look back at all the other disasters I've GM'd.) Oh, and everyone has a lightsaber. Ridiculousness.
Regardless, everyone had fun and good times. So, another roaring success.
-Flare
Saturday, October 9, 2010
Initiation of New Citizens
So, I've moved to a new locale. It's fantastic, but I don't have any of the players that I had before; the people that I learned the game first with. So, I had the wonderful challenge of trying to teach people, en masse, how to play the game. My strategy was... well, this is what it was.
1) Hook people. I gathered some of my friends and told them about the game in a quick, 2 minute bit, outlining the basic point of the game. "The computer hates traitors. Traitors come in various forms: Communists, Mutants, Secret Society members, and people who hate the computer. The thing is that everyone playing is all of those things, so you have to prove they're traitors and kill them before they kill you." I managed to get 8 people interested, which was a tall order.
2) I randomly generated characters for everyone, tics and all. (Resources can be found here:[http://paranoia.polyatomic.org/] and here:[http://gmftp.paranoia-live.net/max/wheelOfTics.swf].) Then, I handed them out and explained the perversity system and how to roll for certain stats. Other than that, I left the players in the dark.
The game was absolutely chaotic. Incredibly zap, with people falling left and right. People were coming into and out of the game like crazy. Furthermore, mutant powers and secret societies were mentioned only once. Strangely enough, everyone seemed to have fun, even though it basically consisted of everyone messing around. I never consulted a table once: it was entirely making stuff up.
It seemed to chaotic to be fun to me, but when I asked, no one had a sour word for the game. They all enjoyed it (not immensely, like I had hoped, but they all had a good time) and wanted to play again at some time. I always find this game amazing in that no matter how chaotic or unplanned things may be, or how terribly things went, everyone enjoys themselves. It's a mystery that I may never be able to solve, no matter how I may try. I did collect some notes, though, that I'd like to share.
First, put a limit on the number of players, unless you like really, REALLY chaotic games. I'm fairly certain that that's where a fair amount of the chaos came from (we had 8 players at one point, and people kept coming in/out of the game). Also, I felt like I couldn't give everyone the attention they needed, and that's not a good feeling.
Second, when including new players, keep it simple. Play a zap game with few rules, just to start. You pick up hardcore D&D people and casual ones alike, and the chaos is kind of enjoyable. Next time we play, I'm going to do something more serious, maybe even have a written campaign, but always start simple. Especially if you want to start playing fast.
I believe that's it. Hopefully next time I can curb the chaos and start having serious fun. But honestly, I'll take any sort of fun. GM's are pretty desperate like that.
Until next time,
Flare
PS - Someone planted the idea of using the Paranoia system in a different environment: perhaps present-day or something like that. Maybe later. First things first: making players that can play.
1) Hook people. I gathered some of my friends and told them about the game in a quick, 2 minute bit, outlining the basic point of the game. "The computer hates traitors. Traitors come in various forms: Communists, Mutants, Secret Society members, and people who hate the computer. The thing is that everyone playing is all of those things, so you have to prove they're traitors and kill them before they kill you." I managed to get 8 people interested, which was a tall order.
2) I randomly generated characters for everyone, tics and all. (Resources can be found here:[http://paranoia.polyatomic.org/] and here:[http://gmftp.paranoia-live.net/max/wheelOfTics.swf].) Then, I handed them out and explained the perversity system and how to roll for certain stats. Other than that, I left the players in the dark.
The game was absolutely chaotic. Incredibly zap, with people falling left and right. People were coming into and out of the game like crazy. Furthermore, mutant powers and secret societies were mentioned only once. Strangely enough, everyone seemed to have fun, even though it basically consisted of everyone messing around. I never consulted a table once: it was entirely making stuff up.
It seemed to chaotic to be fun to me, but when I asked, no one had a sour word for the game. They all enjoyed it (not immensely, like I had hoped, but they all had a good time) and wanted to play again at some time. I always find this game amazing in that no matter how chaotic or unplanned things may be, or how terribly things went, everyone enjoys themselves. It's a mystery that I may never be able to solve, no matter how I may try. I did collect some notes, though, that I'd like to share.
First, put a limit on the number of players, unless you like really, REALLY chaotic games. I'm fairly certain that that's where a fair amount of the chaos came from (we had 8 players at one point, and people kept coming in/out of the game). Also, I felt like I couldn't give everyone the attention they needed, and that's not a good feeling.
Second, when including new players, keep it simple. Play a zap game with few rules, just to start. You pick up hardcore D&D people and casual ones alike, and the chaos is kind of enjoyable. Next time we play, I'm going to do something more serious, maybe even have a written campaign, but always start simple. Especially if you want to start playing fast.
I believe that's it. Hopefully next time I can curb the chaos and start having serious fun. But honestly, I'll take any sort of fun. GM's are pretty desperate like that.
Until next time,
Flare
PS - Someone planted the idea of using the Paranoia system in a different environment: perhaps present-day or something like that. Maybe later. First things first: making players that can play.
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
A New GM
So, a while back, one of the players expressed an interest in being GM. I agreed, and on his request let him borrow the book and read it over.
Cut to about a month later, we've got a group together and we're gearing up to play. I say, "Hey, do you want to GM?"; "Gee, I don't know, I don't really understand the rules or how to do it..."; "Do it anyway. If you're totally stuck, ask me."
And he did. A man who's had no real experience with the system other than playing twice (because he didn't read the book). The game was absolutely fantastic. Everyone had fun. He just emulated the playstyle and made up scenarios that would be fun. So, I've realized experimentally that it doesn't take an especially skilled person to GM, or even a person with knowledge of the rules. So, what does it take? What makes a good GM? This is a rather difficult question, and it seems to be different based on which game you play. The only thing I know for sure is that the GM is chosen by the players. The GM has to be what the players want. What do you guys think?
Also, this has given me a few ideas as to GMing in our group. I want to give everyone a chance to GM, to try it out, and see how it feels. (Of course, if they want, and I'm sure they will.)
One of the players (acutally, same one who GM'd fantastically above) suggested we play musical chairs. We seat everyone at the table with a character sheet in front of them, and one behind the GM screen. After we play for 30 minutes, everyone stands up and shifts a chair to the left without moving the character sheets. Every 30 minutes you have a different storyteller, and you're playing something new. I think Paranoia is one of the few games that can do this because the characters don't exactly have epic back stories or complex personalities (it's pretty much limited to 2-3 tics), and the GM doesn't have to know that much or invest that much time into things, as shown above. I tell you all how it goes.
Until then, citizen.
-Flare
ALL HAIL OUR FRIEND COMPUTER.
Cut to about a month later, we've got a group together and we're gearing up to play. I say, "Hey, do you want to GM?"; "Gee, I don't know, I don't really understand the rules or how to do it..."; "Do it anyway. If you're totally stuck, ask me."
And he did. A man who's had no real experience with the system other than playing twice (because he didn't read the book). The game was absolutely fantastic. Everyone had fun. He just emulated the playstyle and made up scenarios that would be fun. So, I've realized experimentally that it doesn't take an especially skilled person to GM, or even a person with knowledge of the rules. So, what does it take? What makes a good GM? This is a rather difficult question, and it seems to be different based on which game you play. The only thing I know for sure is that the GM is chosen by the players. The GM has to be what the players want. What do you guys think?
Also, this has given me a few ideas as to GMing in our group. I want to give everyone a chance to GM, to try it out, and see how it feels. (Of course, if they want, and I'm sure they will.)
One of the players (acutally, same one who GM'd fantastically above) suggested we play musical chairs. We seat everyone at the table with a character sheet in front of them, and one behind the GM screen. After we play for 30 minutes, everyone stands up and shifts a chair to the left without moving the character sheets. Every 30 minutes you have a different storyteller, and you're playing something new. I think Paranoia is one of the few games that can do this because the characters don't exactly have epic back stories or complex personalities (it's pretty much limited to 2-3 tics), and the GM doesn't have to know that much or invest that much time into things, as shown above. I tell you all how it goes.
Until then, citizen.
-Flare
ALL HAIL OUR FRIEND COMPUTER.
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