GM AMA Wrap-Up Part 2
Last week I answered some post-broadcast questions following our first GM AMA. We had so many fantastic questions both during our session and after that I felt it only fair to split the remaining questions into two blogs; thereby giving myself ample space to answer. I hope you find them helpful. Once more, these were pulled directly from our Facebook Group.
[What do you do] when players want a sandbox but then don't build any castles?
I think it is important to define a few terms. Traditionally, players view campaigns as being either linear or sandbox. Linear campaigns are usually just that. They move in one direction and the player’s actions have very little (if any) effect on the outcome. They usually rely on much less prep and improvisation on the part of the Game Master. The campaign is going to move towards its conclusion one way or another without much agency on the part of the players. Sandbox campaigns on the other hand are driven solely by the actions of the players and thus players tend to find them to be much more enjoyable because they have so much more agency to direct the story. There is a lot more pressure put on the Game Master to prep and improvise in a sandbox campaign. Therefore, most campaigns end up being a mix of linear and sandbox, either intentionally or out of necessity.
As I mentioned earlier, a sandbox style game puts the focus on the players and encourages the players to drive the story. So what do you do to when your characters say they want a non-linear campaign but don’t show any interest in helping to drive the story? Well, the short answer is that there isn’t a cure-all for every campaign, but I do have some suggestions that every Game Master can put in their toolbox. The first is to have your characters write up a character backstory with at least five unresolved plot hooks that you can build around. This will make you both invested in the storyline that you craft together. The second is to take a page out of the Video Game RPG Playbook and have a main questline supported by side quests. The main questline can be as linear as you like and the side quests can fray off of the main questline as wide as you dare. And, honestly, side quests don’t have to be connected to the main questline at all. Sometimes rescuing a shepherd’s flock from a roaming monster is enough. [It’s not much, but its honest work.] Another way is to have the plot interact with the players in a way they can’t avoid. This could be in the form of a natural disaster or a new villain causing trouble in the players’ region. The long and the short of it is that if the players are not driving the story, you may have to.
How [do you] handle a difficult player -- from the perspective of a DM and a player?
I have been asked this question several times from the perspective of a Game Master, but never as a player. I will be happy to share my thoughts on both perspectives, starting with the Game Master.
I have been very fortunate to run games for a variety of folks from a plethora of different backgrounds and with a variety of worldviews. As you can imagine, it can be hard for a group of strangers to get along. I have been fortunate in that I have not had many difficult players (or maybe my memory of them didn’t stand out too much) but when I did, I treated the problem player with the same respect that I would treat any of my other players.
There are a lot of ways to answer this question, but I think it stems from a few things. Does the difficult player have an issue with the game, another player, the story, the Game Master, or their behavior? Each of these things can be managed, but they can be difficult if you as a Game Master struggle to manage conflict. Believe me, as a Game Master, you will encounter conflict. Even if you don’t want to. The biggest piece of advice I can give here is to remain calm whenever you are dealing with a difficult player and NEVER address an issue in front of other players. Always pull the player aside and speak to them privately. Never accuse them but always give them time to explain their actions and their feelings and above all else, listen to them. If your player’s issue stems from the game system, ask them what about the game frustrates them and why and ask them what they would suggest that you do to solve the issue. If instead the player’s issue stems from another player, you may need to pull both players aside--both separately and together--to help work towards a resolution. It may seem like a lot of responsibility rests in the Game Master’s hands but, to be fair, the ability to create whole worlds from scratch has to have some cost 😉. If your problem player has an issue with the story, ask them what they think is the best way for them to get the most out of the story and how you can help keep it interesting for them. If they have an issue with you as the Game Master, you may have to pull them aside and express your concerns directly to them and work with them towards a resolution. When they give you feedback, be ready to take notes and take the feedback into account. If a player has a consistent behavior that is disruptive or disrespectful to the group, pull the player aside and bring it to their attention and ask them to stop. If it continues, bring it to their attention again and let them know that you do not want the behavior to continue and let them know what the consequences will be if it does. If it still continues past that point then they cannot be surprised when the consequences are put in place. [There are occasions where you move to the consequences phase the first time an incident happens. You just need to use your own discretion.] I have found that one of the best ways to help alleviate problem players is by clearly stating your expectations very early on in a campaign. Session Zero is a great time to set those expectations. Then, enforce those expectations throughout the campaign. Consistency is key.
From a player perspective, you will want to work with your Game Master to address a problem player’s actions. Do not confront the player yourself. Make sure that the Game Master is aware of and understands your position and how you would like to see the issue resolved. If the Game Master does not resolve the issue, bring it to their attention again and state why it is important to you and offer to have the Game Master moderate the conversation between you and the other player. Encourage the Game Master and other players to draft up a charter of your group’s Roleplaying Etiquette and write it down. This way everyone will have a hand in its creation, understanding, and enforcement. Finally, if the issue is not being resolved, the Game Master is not taking the appropriate action, there is not resolution in sight, and you are not having fun anymore, it may be time to leave that group in favor of greener pastures. [I know this is the solution no one wants; I have left a few groups for several reasons in the past and it never felt good—even when it was the right thing to do.]
[How do you handle] irreversible character death?
The short answer here is that as the Game Master, fueled by the great cosmic power of creation itself, no death is irreversible. Whether through fiat, magical spells, divine intervention, or an ingenious plot device, characters can be brought back from the brink of death and even from beyond death’s door. I should note there are several systems that have mechanics that make death permanent such as Fantasy Flight Games Star Wars RPG, Warhammer 40K Dark Heresy, and Call of Cthulhu, among others. Session Zero is a great time to flush out what the plan is if and when a character dies.
If you are the type of GM that would allow a player to die minutes into a session only to have them sit and watch the rest of the players have fun, all I can say is that you are mean. For the sake of that player’s enjoyment, find a way to let them stay engaged in the session. Give that character a mortal wound that will slowly kill them before the end of the session so they can spend their last moment gloriously. If that is not possible, let them join the group as an NPC, a backup character, or even the bones of a character they want to play moving forward. They can always flush out the character later. The objective is to make sure that everyone is having fun!
The will to survive is also a great motivating factor for players and one not to be taken lightly. Consider this when you are running your campaign. If your players are not afraid that their characters might actually die because you always find a way to bring them back, they will most likely not feel challenged or even afraid when the reaper darkens their character’s door. There is a delicate balance to be struck when dealing with character death. If you are too harsh, your characters will become paranoid or stop having fun; if you are too lenient, your characters will become unafraid and indifferent.
Never gloss over a character death. If the player has been in the campaign a long time, they will often need time to grieve. I always try to let my party have their moment when a character dies. This can take the form of a eulogy after the battle is over or letting the characters light a flaming arrow to send their fallen comrade to Valhalla. Give them some somber music and a moment to say their goodbyes before resuming the campaign. As a Game Master, some of the character deaths I caused, I felt. If you have ever killed one of your favorite characters, you know what I am talking about. Did it get misty in here or is it just me? 😢
That is all for today, folks!
Take Heart!
Karington Hess
Game Master and Founder of Open Heart Games
