Mistakes Were Made. . . So Now What?
No matter where you are on your journey as a storyteller, you are bound to make mistakes. So what do you do when they come up? You will notice I use the word “when” and not “if” as everyone makes mistakes. This includes even the best Game Masters and storytellers. Perhaps you forget a rule, you get a monster’s special action wrong, forget an important feature of the room the players are exploring, misgender a player or character, or present content that triggers something for one of your players. Mistakes such as these can really bring down the fun level for your players, break immersion, and possibly cause major conflict.
Many of the mistakes that Game Masters, both new and veteran, make are simple mechanics mistakes. Some examples include forgetting how an action in combat functions, what triggers certain reactions, the effects or duration of a spell, or other obscure corner case rules that only comes up occasionally. In order to keep things moving, sometimes it is best to trust your gut and make a ruling (even if it may be wrong). Just remember to make a note and look it up later. Nothing is more miserable for the players than having to break immersion to look up an obscure ruling that will probably have little-to-no actual effect on the combat at hand. If a player realizes the mistake and offers the correct solution, accept it with grace, apologize for the error, and move on. No need to dwell.
I have found that when dealing with mistakes the best policy is honesty.
Some role-playing systems are incredibly complex and include confusing mechanics. Making mistakes and forgetting rules comes with the territory in these complex systems. Also, when you are learning a new system, complex or not, you are going to make mistakes due to the novelty of the system and your inexperience with it. Especially when the system diverges from what you are used to running for your players. For example, if you run D20 systems primarily, running a percentile-based system is going to have a learning curve. When you are learning a new system, prep is even more important as you cannot lean on your familiarity or experience with the system. You may need to look over combat and special rules a few times before the session begins until you are comfortable with how everything works.
I have found that when dealing with mistakes the best policy is honesty. Explain to your players if there is an area that you are weak in and that you are still learning. Also, when you make a ruling, try to be consistent and if new information comes to light causing you to make a different ruling be sure to convey that to your players before it comes up. It will be much easier.
Apologize, make a note, find the lesson, pick up your head, and move on.
Another mistake that you may make is misgendering a player or character. Or perhaps you say or do something that offends them or contains content that they indicate makes them feel uncomfortable. The best way to proceed here is to apologize, correct yourself, and move on. If you feel further apology is warranted due to the circumstances, pull the player aside and ask what you can do to make it right. It is your responsibility to ensure that your players feel safe at your table. If something comes up that makes them feel uncomfortable or unsafe, it is your responsibility to address it as best you can. There is a saying “safety is a feeling not an action.” Your players are going to feel safe or they are not. I encourage all Game Masters to take advantage of the wonderful safety tools that have been created to help your players feel safe while they play at your table. I have recently started testing this resource linked below with my beta-testing group and I have found that many people, including myself, may think that they have no trigger warnings but when presented with certain issues, realize that they in fact do. For example, torture is a no-go for me.
https://www.montecookgames.com/store/product/consent-in-gaming/
To conclude, everyone makes mistakes, but as my father would say, “if you lose, don’t lose the lesson.” Apologize, make a note, find the lesson, pick up your head, and move on. And remember to always be asking for feedback from your players. The journey of the Game Master is a long one and everyone loses their footing along the way. Keep to the path and keep working towards greatness!
Take Heart!
Karington Hess
Game Master and Founder of Open Heart Games
