Let me do it!

Louis Turfrey begs and pleads to allow him to have a go. Alright, but only if you say pleeeaaassseee!!

One of the most difficult transitions that any role player can make is to change from a game player to a Gamesmaster. This is especially difficult when you do it for the first time. I have to say that I found it one of the most nerve-wracking experiences of my life, and its one of the reasons that I decided to write this article.

One day I was merrily flying along, blasting people out of the air with my blaster carbine, jetting at full thrust on my backpack, and then I'm suddenly falling out of the air, no fuel left and my repulsor belt not working. For those that don't know, a repulsor belt is like a mini antigravity belt that can lift a man and his armour to about four kilometres above a planets surface. The Gamesmaster, no names mentioned, had taken it upon himself to role two dice. He'd then asked me to role a single dice. The problem came when my number matched one of the two on the dice. I had two simultaneous malfunctions. It cost my character his role in the game and a long stay in hospital. All because the Gamesmaster had decided to make the game interesting, (a bad repulsor operations role had also helped to ground me). It was then that I vowed to become a Gamesmaster, and that certain individuals would pay!

My plan was to create a fair gaming environment, where everybody was satisfied, and where there was a long-term interesting plot. HA! Little did I know. Thinking preparation was the key, I wrote page upon page of copious notes. There was a complex plot, with loads of badness and plenty of gunfights. I was ready, I was prepared, I would get my revenge, (manic cackle).

As any good Gamesmaster will admit, things don't always go to plan. The Poodoo regularly hits the rotating pod racer engines. When this happens, it really happens big. In my case, I had gotten fifteen minutes into the plot, when I suddenly realised the players were working it out in front of my eyes. The way things were going, the three-hour gaming session would last thirty minutes. I quickly scribbled some notes down, trying to remain calm, and started to wing it. I had to keep as many notes as the players, constantly changing my mind about where the plot would lead. In the end I pulled every dirty trick in the book, trying to outwit the players. I felt like the game was running away from me, on an uncontrollable downward spiral. My breathing was shallow, my heart rate was up and the adrenaline was coursing through my veins! My God this was exciting.

When the game finally came to an end, I was mentally exhausted. I had decided that then and there would be the last game that I would ever take control of. I was just about to tell everybody this and apologise for the poor game when one of them spoke.

"Wicked. I can't believe the roles he made."

I sat there stunned for a moment. I then plucked up the courage and asked them what they thought of the game.

Paul enjoyed it, especially the tactical side. Jon, always to the point, said it was a good first attempt. Mark enjoyed the combat but would have preferred more character situations.

I quietly beamed to myself. Sure that my next few games would get better and better. I was sadly disappointed. I didn't do enough preparation for the next set, and consequently I wasn't able to wing it well enough. Besides, I came up with this weak crossover between the Star Wars and the Star Trek universes.

It was awful. However, I kept trying and this is where the crux of the situation lies. No one can become a good Gamesmaster overnight. It’s just not humanly possible. There are those that pick it up faster than others, and those that never got the knack. I think I fit somewhere in the middle.

There are a few exceptions that break the mould - Jonathan Hicks for example. No man can wing it better than him. He must have tranquillisers drug fed direct to his veins. How he can keep his nerve when being presented by such a hard-arsed motley crew as our role-playing team, I don't know. He’s one of the few Gamesmasters who is willing to let the player characters die if they mess up.

B*****d!

So please take a moment to reflect upon this article and take heed if you are about to become a Gamesmaster for the first time.

1. There are no hard and fast rules on what works and what doesn't.

2. Pay no attention to those people who say it’s easy, it isn't.

3. Give respect where respect is due, and if you enjoy somebody's game then tell them. You never know when they might return the favour.

4. Encourage people to give you honest feedback and don't be offended when you hear something you don't want to.

5. Take advice off other Gamesmasters. They often have more experience than you do, and can point out where the game slows. Let them help you to develop your own style of play, but try and take their advice on balance.

6. Be light-hearted, but not so flippant that it causes annoyance. And don't gloat.

7. Remember, a good Gamesmaster lets the game flow, doesn't control it too much and allows plenty of character interaction.

8. Floss (sorry couldn't help myself).

9. Above all enjoy yourself.

There are a few things that might cause a Gamesmaster to loose their nerve or blow their top, but lets face it everybody has their limits. One was heard several times within a Prime Directive scenario, and is a direct quote from Star Wars: A New Hope; (“Look sir, droids”) and the other involved a new super hero based upon a popular beverage (Coca-Cola Man – thanks a lot Darren). However, it is nice to know that GM’s have their weaknesses. And the instigators of these annoying situations know who they are and should be forever wary of ever repeating them again.

You have been warned…