new system?

So you’ve been asked to run a game (or campaign) in a system you are unfamiliar with. Sure, you’ve played it a few times, but nothing extensive and someone else told you the rules as you needed to hear them. The GM was loosey-goosey with some rules while more strict with others, so your perception of the game is askew. How do you navigate running a game of your own?

Well, I’ve basically been asked to do just that! I am reading the core rulebook now, along with a couple supplemental books for the setting, and find it a bit overwhelming. (Remember the trash compactor in Star Wars….yeah, I’m in that.) I try to take it in bite size pieces, but have found myself getting confused. At some point, I just have to go with what I know and understand up to this point, and learn the rest as I play. Thankfully, my players are basically doing the same thing.

I think session 0 is even more important at this point. Not really understanding the entirety of the system will make it more difficult to adjust things on-the-fly. A session 0, and even a one-shot to go along with it, helps to get my players aligned with each other and myself as we begin this new campaign. We can work through some issues that may arise, and discuss how to handle looking up rules (there is no way for one person to know them all).

If you find yourself in this situation, do not be afraid to rely on your players. They can help you sift through which rules are quintessential and which ones are not necessary. You can also hold them responsible for knowing how their character works and the rules that go with it. You do not have to know everything to sit around the table and have fun!