The Benefit of Helping Others
The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others. - Gandhi
Giving, guiding, teaching, and coaching are all parts of the roleplaying hobby that I love. Whenever someone asks me for advice in running their campaign or if they are stuck writing their story, I always take the time to sit with them and lend my expertise however I can. It is actually one of the main reasons I blog–to give something back to the community of game enthusiasts that support us. I also try to pepper my live streams with anecdotes and advice, along with hosting a monthly livestream where we invite fellow Game Masters to join us in discussing a topic we feel may be of help to our community. We record these streams and post them on our YouTube Channel so that others can watch our content later if they are looking for answers. In addition to our charity work that we do to benefit local children’s hospitals, these are all opportunities for us to give back.
Last week I spoke to a friend of mine who was looking for some advice on an upcoming boss fight that his party was going to run. Before the meeting I asked some preliminary questions, such as what the party composition was and what monster he planned on using for the boss fight. I took some time before the meeting to research the monster and special rules for underwater combat so that I could come prepared to the meeting. During the conversation, we discussed how he could keep his hand on the dial during combat to either dial in the deadliness or dial back how hard the fight was. We went over some suggestions about how to make the best use of the monster’s special attacks and abilities. [The monster in question was a Sea Fury from Explorers Guide to Wildemount. Sea Furies are a variation of Sea Hags who grow more powerful than and then murder the other members in their Hag Coven. The life of a Sea Fury is an incredibly isolated and lonely one. This particular Sea Fury had been trapped in its current state for a long time and I would believe that its sanity would have nearly completely unraveled. I shared that this would affect how I would roleplay this monster. I might have them talk to the skeletal remains of their murdered sisters or insist that the characters chat with her before combat begins.]
Watching my friend explain his creative thought process and seeing him come up with ideas and suggestions was inspiring. This interaction motivated me to review and shore up some roleplaying interactions I wanted to explore in my own ongoing campaign. While he came to me for my thoughts and opinions, I benefited as well from our conversation. Indeed, I find myself inspired after each and every discussion I have with other Game Masters, either “behind the scenes” or on camera with our GM 1-on-1 series. [The next of which we’ve just announced will take place on Sunday, April 24th from 1:00pm-2:00pm EST and will discuss super-powered RPGs with Veteran Game Master David Wendt.]
I find that for me, giving, guiding, teaching, and coaching are truly the reward. The fact that I also get something out of it like inspiration and new ideas is just an added bonus. If you are lucky enough to have friends who are fellow Game Masters, reach out to them and ask about what is going on in their campaigns. Discuss what stumbling blocks or pain points they are encountering in their games and offer them feedback and advice. Being able to share our experiences with others is how we teach, learn, and grow as Game Masters. Don't have time for a structured chat? Create a Facebook Group, a Discord channel, or a Reddit thread to share and swap stories and encouragement. See a Game Master looking for help in a Facebook Group or Discord channel you are a part of? Lend them some advice or invite them to ask you questions via a private chat. We are all a part of this wonderful community and share this passionate hobby. Helping others can help you prepare for the challenges in your own games. Who knows? Perhaps the true treasure really is the friends we make along the way and the gifts we share with others.
Take Heart!
Karington Hess
Game Master and Founder of Open Heart Games
